what has been on my agenda!

Happiness comes in many forms. In the company of good friends, in the feeling you get when you make someone else’s dreams come true, or in a promise of hope renewed. It’s okay to let yourself be happy, because you never know how great that happiness might be. Sometimes pain becomes such a huge part of your life, that you expect it to always be there,because you can’t remember a time in your life when it wasn’t. But then one day you feel something else. Something that feels wrong only because it’s so unfamiliar, and in that moment you realize you’re happy. -Lucas Scott, One Tree Hill.

Soooooooo for once I can finally breathe! I have always let my stress & frustration get the better of me but not anymore! I kicked it out & I will never let it bother me again. I am finally relieved. I feel like a whole new person & I do not know what has come over me! No more negativity! I feel awesome! WHOO! I guess I just finally realized not to worry about everything, it will all be okay in the end.

Anyways, I got my Hazelnut K-Cups :D One thing I had on my birthday wishlist! I also got Kujo a prong collar, instead of the Gentle Leader, it works wonders! I have no idea what Jordan is getting me for my birthday though. I got a free shoe rack thing too! I am getting my hair done Thursday which excites me :) My birthday is in 6 days! I am making myself cookie dough brownies, wish me luck!

I passed my second exam today, 91%. I am still eligible for honors, thanks to that 1%. To be on honors you have to get a 90% or above. I am very upset with myself for missing 4 questions..but that just means I have to push myself harder for my next test!

My back is killing me lately! It hurts to stand or walk for too long. I think I am going to make a doctor appointment! This pain needs to stop :( Jordan & I have been walking the dogs every night for like a mile..maybe I am making it worse? UGH!

On another note, Kujo's birthday is on the 30th, he will be one. I can't believe how fast the time has flown..my baby is growing up :'( I think I will make him a little treat & get him a skateboard! It's been really cold here lately. Poor little Kita can't handle it. I guess I should buy her a sweater!

Jordan is back on swings, my favorite! We watched Toy Story 3 last night, I cried :( We been really keeping busy lately, I babysit five days out of the week. I also am gonna start walking dogs for volunteer work :) Jordan has been cooking a lot more, such a chef! He has been the best husband lately! I love him so much!! :-*

Oh we also got a box from the Jordan's mama, it had some awesome things in it. I love my cd's, I have been jamming to my new Casting Crowns CD today. She also put a really cool cross in there with Corinthians 13:4, 6-8 & 13. She also put a lot of candy in there, which Jordan loved, as for me I can not stop eating it! >:O



I really miss my little siblings. They got a new kitten, it is so cute! I am surprised Butter likes it, he hated my poor little Kujo. Spencer looks like he is getting tall. Abbey got the Honor Roll, she is lucky she got my genes ;)

Where have I been?

I haven't updated this in forever! I don't even know where to start really. Today was Trick-R-Treat, the first Halloween on base & all I can say is WOW THERE SURE ARE A LOT OF KIDS! I passed out candy with my friend, Amber. Jordan had to work :( I wish I could have spent our first Halloween together as a married couple, but I was happy to spend it with Amber! :P The kids all looked so cute (I had baby fever for like 2.2 seconds)! Amber dressed her dog, Reggie, as Batman! After we ran out of candy we watched American Horror Story (one of my new favorite shows eva), & The Walking Dead (the best show eva)! It was a pretty fun night! I am thankful to have her as a friend. :)

As for Jordan & I, we have just been enjoying the married life. He got Battlefield 3 so he enjoys playing that a lot. It's funny because he acts like I should be impressed about his Kill to Death Ratio, he always looks at me and smiles if he does something he thinks is Bad A on there, it's cute! Lately he has been the cook of the household with his little George Foreman haha. He also eats so much rice lately..I think he's turning Asian on me! I love his new shift, it gives us more time to spend together. :D




As for me, I am sitting here enjoying some coffee from Keurig :) I have been doing a lot of housework lately (it's a never ending chore :x). I kinda been staying in the house more lately. I like relaxing while I can. I start working on my next stage in college tomorrow. My next exam is due the 14th. Did I mention my birthday is in 19 days, whoo! I am gonna make a cake! No idea what we'll do for it. I am not coming home for Christmas because Jordan can't take leave. I am glad most of my family are understanding that I can't leave Jordan here alone, it just isn't fair to him. I will miss them though. The dogs have been pretty good. They love their new snack, frozen carrots! I have been reading the book called "The Shack", it's really good so far.

I am just rambling on about a bunch of random things that come to mind. Tomorrow we are getting up bright & early to go to the Comm. I am going to get soooo much food! I am such a hungry-hungry-hippo! Then I am not sure what I'll do while Jordan is at work..I have all the laundry/dishes done & I cleaned the house today as well. Hmmm...

My Birthday Wishlist*

These are just some ideas of things I have been wanting.


The Keurig Carousel for my K-Cups


My favorite K-Cup (so far)


The Dyson DC24


A Gentle Leader for Kujo, he loves to pull sometimes.

Fall in Arizona, I wish!

Okay so I am really missing Ohio right now. I miss the smell, sight, & the coldness of Fall. Fall has always been my favorite season & well...Arizona doesn't not even come close to having it. It's hot here 24/7. It has been cooling down a little bit. If we're lucky it will be around 70 degrees at night. I heard it does snow sometimes at night in the winter though, but it's usually melted & gone by the AM. So lately, I have been trying to pretend it's fall. I burn my Scentsy, Amber Road to be exact. Turn my air down to like 66, which Jordan does not approve of. Wear hoodies & sweatpants & watch scary movies while being cuddled in a blanket. Then I walk outside and BAM, 98 degrees in my face! (& no, not the band, I wish though) So I have decided the only way to pretend like it's fall, is to cook like it's fall. So I was looking on Pinterest & found this recipe which I can't wait to try :)


Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread with Buttered Rum Glaze




Looks AMAZING, right?

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Bread
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Buttered Rum Glaze
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp rum

Directions

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through.**** Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well. Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20x12 inch rectangle.*** Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.

To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.
 
*** If dough is difficult to roll out, cover with a towel and allow to relax for a few minutes then try again.

**** If your milk is room temperature. Adding it cold to the butter can result in clumping. Willow Bird Baking called for removing the butter from the pan, then heating the milk, then adding the butter back to the milk. You can also heat the milk separately in the microwave if you'd like.

what i've been up to..

For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again. -Benjamin Button

So lately this has quote has really reminded me of well...me. I have realized I have changed so much since I have moved here. Sometimes it's for better, or for the worst. I have had my ups, downs, mood swings, depression moments, stress, bi-polar times, & anger issues,from realizing how much I love Jordan to realizing how bad Jordan can really piss me off, but aren't those just the cycles of marriage? Husbands sure do know how to bring out the best/worst in you. Moving & starting over is a big step in life, but I am still learning. I really do miss my family & friends back home, but I am realizing this is my life now. I am finally grown up! I have felt so much different lately. I can actually say for once though that I am proud of myself & my relationship. I know without Jordan I would not have anything because I was never motivated before. He gives me strength I never knew I had before. & no our marriage is NOT perfect but that's why you have to communicate, which is something that is hard for us to do right now, but we're working on it & it's really improving. At first it was hard to live with him, he did things that drove me absolutely crazy! Example: LEAVING THE TOILET SEAT UP. Anyways, our marriage is becoming pretty strong. The number one thing you need in a relationship is...trust? Honesty? Being Forgiving/Understanding? Respect? WRONG. God is the number one thing you need in a relationship. Without him, in my opinion, a relationship will never work. Put him first. Pray everyday. Have faith.



On another note, college has started! I thank God & Jordan for this opportunity everyday. I completed my first exam. I love it so far & can't wait for my career to begin.

Purchases of the Week:
Jordan finally bought me my Keurig!!! I LOVE IT! We also got a George Foreman Grill for Jordan. Jordan thought it would be a good idea to buy clippers so I can cut his hair so we can save money. I shaved his head, it looks good, as for Kujo hahahaha that's another story. We also got a queen sized bed with a foam mattress topper, which is AMAZING! We got internet & Netflix too. Things are finally settling & we're happy campers!

The Growing Up Check List

Coming to Davis-Monthan AFB was a bit of a struggle to us.
We had to actually grow up & learn what it's like to be actual grown ups.


The Growing Up Check List: 
[x] Getting a house, it's a 50's house,
      but not bad for our first home, not gonna complain.
[x] Getting our stuff here from Ohio, which took 3 months.
[x] Getting furniture, I actually got it in Ohio.
[x] Flying our dog, Kujo, from Ohio to here, which cost 600 dollars,
      I would reccomend driving.
[x] Learning how to manage money. 
    (Sometimes I buy things we don't really need though..)
[x] Getting a car, took 4 months, but I got lots of exercise & it was well worth it. 
      2010 Ford Focus
[ ] Getting a bed, we are looking for a good one now.
[x] Getting Internet & Netflix, this weekend baby!
[x] Starting college, I start around October 1st, going to be a Vet. Assistant
      & certified in Dog Sitting & Dog Walking.
[x] Jordan working 12 hour shifts for mids. (mids, night shifts)
[x] Making new friends.
[ ] REALLY wanting a Dyson, maybe for my birthday. ;)
[X] not having kids.
[ ] Getting a side job, but have a meeting with a woman tomorrow 
     about watching her two boys, wish me luck! :)
[x] Getting groceries & learning to cook.
[x] Missing my family & friends.
[XXXXXXXXX] Having an AMAZING husband! xoxoxoxo <3