Vacation Badly Needed!

In honor of the cruise the hubby and I are about to go on, I decided to change the background to something more Mediterranean. I know one of my goals in my attempt to slow down and enjoy life was to stop all the countdown's, but really... not getting excited about a Mediterranean cruise that is less than three weeks away? Not gonna happen, people. Truth be told I do not know the exact number of days until we leave, I did uphold my promise in that respect. However, I did graduate from college and I am capable of subtraction, so I can determine the approximate number of weeks left. Sue me.

Life has been so incredibly busy for the last couple of months that the date didn't truly register until recently. My mother being the incredible woman that she is was kind enough to purchase a gorgeous leather sling backpack to take on the cruise next month. Once that backpack arrived, all ignorance of time and place vanished. I knew my time for relaxation was near. Now I can't seem to think of anything BUT this trip. I can't wait to wear the beautiful backpack my Mama found. I can't wait to take that backpack on a ride on a Vespa around Rome, I know... every romantic woman's dream! I can't wait to visit the country that captivated my intrigue through polytheistic belief. Greece. Ahh, Greece. Homer. Athena. The Olympics. Wine. I can feel my heart go pitter patter.

The adventures I am looking forward to are plentiful and so close for the grabbing! I pray that the next three weeks, approximately, go very very fast.

The Love of My Life

I was sitting in my office the other day thinking back over the last three years of my life since Nik came into the picture. Prior to meeting the man who stole my heart I had big plans, plans that included moving to a foreign country and living my life as an independent rather than as part of a unit. Well... I guess we all know that never happened. What I didn't know was that taking a chance on a man that I met one night and then didn't see again for five months would be the best decision of my life.

Looking back at that time, I don't think many of our friends and family thought we were sane. The decision to commit to a man who was leaving for five months to protect our country some-odd 4000 miles away didn't seem difficult at the time. To be honest, it wasn't a difficult decision at all. I know that many of my friends and family were concerned about the intensity of my feelings that seemed to erupt out of the very pores from my body, but I had complete faith in how the situation would turn out. I would not have called my mother to tell her I met the man I was going to marry after knowing him for 24 hours otherwise.

When I go back in time and look at the way everything turned out I realize how lucky we were. Our love story could have turned out much differently than it did, but to be honest I think that our story is a success because of the time we were forced to spend apart. Many months of emailing, instant messaging and rushed phone calls between Arizona and Iraq gave us the opportunity we needed to trust and get to know one another. It was the foundation that led to the amazing communication we now have in our marriage. The communication that has saved us from many a disagreement as a newly wed couple, a military couple and now a law enforcement couple.

Nik was an absolute master at wooing me during those two weeks we had to correspond prior to his deployment. The beauty of his wooing was that he wasn't deliberately trying to do so. He was honest, sincere, genuine and blunt. For those of you who have the privilege of knowing my husband, you know that Nik has little trouble saying exactly what is on his mind. Exactly as he is thinking it. With absolutely no filter. This works very well for me. It's true, I loved the fact that he took the time to send me my favorite flowers, despite the ridiculous price that goes along with those flowers, before he boarded his jet plane. But what really did it for me was the late night phone calls that seemed to last for hours, the Q and A sessions where I learned so much about his true feelings about the world and the emails that always came so close to professing undying love, but were caged because we wanted to share our feelings in person rather than over electronic communication.

I have absolutely no doubt that I loved Nik with every ounce of my being when I married him. What I didn't know then was that I would love him more with every minute that passed. The love that I feel for him now astounds me and I can't even fathom how much more I will love him in ten years, I only know that I will.

Here is how I know...

He dances with me even though he absolutely despises dancing

When he smiles he lights up everything inside me

He's the only man my father trusts to take care of daddy's little girl

He makes even a 6'3 female feel dainty, petite and feminine


He looks me right in the eyes when he tells me that he loves me

He supports my profession even if he doesn't understand it

He makes me heart go pitter patter when he showers me with romance

He is willing to stand with me as I attempt to conquer the world

He doesn't care who knows how much he loves me

He never fails to make me smile and often makes me giggle at his silliness

Our friends and family support and encourage our love

He is going to be the world's greatest father

My friends think he is good enough for me

I am so grateful for what Nik has given me, I only hope I give him just as much. Not one day goes by that I am not thankful for him and our marriage. I can't wait to see what the rest of our lives look like together.

Pictures of the house... FINALLY!

I promised pictures of the house over a month ago, okay probably closer to three months now, so I am sorry for taking so long. Camera's and I are officially on the outs. The beautiful camera that my wonderful darling purchased to replace the last camera I lost is now gone itself. I have requested that another NOT be purchased to replace my latest brain fart. This is the third camera I have gone through in the last five years! I am desperately hoping that someone stole our most recent camera, it would do a lot for my self-esteem. It just makes zero sense to me that I have never lost a cell phone, my purse or wallet, keys or any other important item, but I cannot keep my hands on a camera. So not cool.

The house is coming along beautifully! Sometimes I find myself looking around my home wondering how it can possibly be mine. I am only 25 years old, how did I get here? It amazes me. Nik and I have worked very hard, but we have also had tremendous help and support from our family. If it had not been for all of their generosity, we would not be were we are. They are as much to credit as Nik and I are. I can only hope they know how much we appreciate everything they have done for us.

So here they are, finally!

My beautiful home

The foyer

The dining room, this is one of the rooms that is pretty much completed. This is our Arizona room =) The pictures on the wall were all either taken by my sister or my cousin, Mike. The wedding picture is courtesy of Mike, the other's are my sisters. The table has the decorations from Nik and my wedding. If I ever feel home sick, I only need sit in this room to feel a little bit closer to my childhood home.

More dining room, I absolutely adore the bay windows. They remind me of one of my favorite places, San Francisco.

The beautiful display case from my grandmother. This treasure trove is full of history, my family's, Nik's family's and now our family's history.

The living room, still in the process of being completed. Please take the time to observe the beautiful shelves on the on the wall. My husband is a genius! He went and purchased the wood, stain, wall fixtures and everything else needed to create those shelves. Like my father, his gift to create absolutely astounds me. The large cutout in the wall where the TV currently resides will one day be an entertainment center. Nik and my father have big plans for this area, I cannot wait to see how it turns out!

More living room, I just adore those shelves!

And more...

The breakfast nook

The kitchen, my haven. I could not be more thrilled with how this room turned out.

More kitchen, I really really love this room. I just want to stop and cook whenever I walk in. I had big hopes and dreams for this room, the kitchen has always been the most used room in places I have lived. As a child, this was where my family met to discuss the week's activities, share meals, complete homework and discuss all the world's mysteries. It is still the place I spend most of my time in when I go home to visit even now. My favorite part of my new kitchen is the colors; they are so warm and rich, making the heart of my home very welcoming.

The only concern I had in regards to the kitchen when Nik and I purchased our home was what was going to go above the cabinet's. Our ceilings are very high and there was a lot of space to be filled. Thankfully, my mother and sister solved that issue quickly. I think they did a fantastic job!

The guest bedroom, our Alaska room. All of the pictures were taken by my sister when my family, Nik's grandmother, Nik and I went on an Alaskan cruise almost two years ago. Nik and I are very very simple when it comes to decorating. We loathe nik-naks and unnecessary clutter. We will have to work on that before children come along, but for now we are enjoying keeping our home simple and classy.

The other angle of the guest room...

Guest bathroom, also known as Oma's room. The pictures were taken by my sister, all are from Oma's backyard and some of the decorations are from her backyard as well. I never ever dreamed that I would want a green bathroom, somehow I ended up with two green bathrooms.

The office, for now this room will remain plain and undecorated.

The master bedroom, I always feel so relaxed in my bedroom. The bed is huge, the colors soothing and it is filled with black and white pictures taken by Nik or myself on our travels together. I love looking at the pictures and remembering the many adventures Nik and I have been privileged to partake in.

This picture is a bit too dark, sorry = (

Master bathroom, my favorite thing is the Japanese maple outside the window.

I also love the huge shower!

Dog Run

Backyard, we have an outdoor table and chairs set still at Nik's grandmothers house that we need to go and pick up.

Happy New Year!

Out with the old, in with the new.

Cliches are usually not my thing, but this year I am extremely excited about the events to take place. Here are a few things that I am looking forward to:

*Nik will be completing the last of his training (for me, this is the big one)!

*We will actually have an opportunity to enjoy our new home together, including all the household chores and decorating that goes along with owning a home.

*A house warming party, I can't wait to introduce all our friends and family to our beautiful home!

*After two weddings and almost three years of marriage we will finally be going on our honeymoon (only a couple months to go)!

*New babies, three of my friends are expecting little ones within the next four months =)

*The hype over Michael Jackson, Billy Mayes and Tiger Woods (my two least favorite words currently) finally dying down so that we can focus on real world issues.

*Throwing out countdowns, I feel like most of my life has been a countdown to this, that and the other thing... NO MORE!

*The Unknown. Usually this area unsettles me a bit, but this year I plan on embracing all question marks in my life and enjoying the experience of finding the answers.

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, I think they set people up for failure. My belief is that if you need to make a lifestyle change it shouldn't be set within a time limit or be pursued as a result of a holiday. Do it immediately and dedicate yourself to it fully, otherwise, really, what's the point? Instead, if I feel like there are aspects of my life that I need to change, I will work on them as the realization dawns. I feel very strongly about this and here is why...

Back in September I went to a women's veteran conference in LA. I spent three days being enlightened and educated in area's that literally broke my heart. One of the keynote speakers at this event was a woman by the name of Chellie Campbell. Chellie is not a veteran, but Chellie is definitely a survivor. Ms. Campbell is a more than a motivational speaker, she is a financial guru who leads "Financial Stress Reduction" workshops. Although her area of expertise is money; how to make money, save money, spend money, etc., she provides incredible life advice as well. I signed up for her "Daily Affirmation" emails back in September and have received one email a day religiously since then. These emails have in many ways been life transforming. Despite the fact that I am not in financial distress, praise God, and am not running my own business, I get more from these emails than most self-help books. She begins every email with a quote from a well-known individual. For example:

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within."

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

or

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

Michelangelo

Then, she goes on to tell a story that is always extremely applicable and the lesson that can be learned from that story. These stories usually revolve around her own personal experience or someone that has gone through her workshops. She always ends with the "daily affirmation" which typically looks like this:

"I revel in all the wealth and joy that life has to offer!"

This may seem corny to most, I know it was at first to me, but over time you really start to believe what she is saying. It makes sense. All Chellie is doing is providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) over the internet. She is reinforcing positive thinking on an everyday basis and putting a tremendous amount of enthusiasm behind it. As a result, she is a millionaire and is helping those who take her workshops to become financially stable as well. I highly recommend you check her out. Not because I think she will help make you money, which she most likely will, but because I think she will help you look at life from a different perspective. I know she has accomplished this with me and I haven't even seen her since September.

This year I will pass from the first century of my life into the second, I fully intend on embracing this transition. I have worked hard to get to this point in my life, I do not intend to wish myself back into the past. I hope everyone has a fantastic year, take a moment to stop and be thankful for where you are before you criticize all that is wrong.

My Own Worst Enemy

Have you ever woken up in the morning and before your body even registers the transition from the state of sleep to consciousness, your mind is already going a million miles a minute? I had such an experience this morning. Usually, my brain does this to me when I have had a particularly emotional experience the night before or when I have an extremely important event taking place the next day. For example, when Nik comes home from his trips at night... the next morning I shoot awake looking for him to make sure he is indeed laying next to me and not in a hotel bed on the other side of the nation, or world for that matter. This is my brain's way of reassuring his presence so that I can calm down and go about my day in a less anxious state.

I am definitely one of "those" people whose mind is her own worst enemy. However, this is usually a result of me focusing on one particular issue for long durations of time. This morning is different because I can't seem to focus on any one thing for a period of time. Just when I begin to analyze the situation I find myself jumping to a whole other topic... it's starting to become annoying. I do not like to leave anything unresolved, yet I find myself doing exactly that. To make the situation even more interesting, I am thinking about completely random topics that really don't even require any substantial thought. Here are just a few of the issues I have been pondering all morning...

1. Why in the heck can I not go to CNN without having to look at freaking Tiger Woods cheating face? Seriously, is anyone really surprised that yet another celebrity has managed to be unfaithful to his wife? Really? There are WAY more important issues to be discussed than a lying, cheating scumbag... like, oh well, I don't know... a war, a recession, missing hikers?

2. I really really hate to wrap packages, I am the decorator of packages in my family and this year I have no one to wrap the packages that then require decorating, so I will be doing both. I just hope I don't embarrass my father, the world's most amazing (and obsessive) package wrapper at Christmas this year.

3. Where can I find a scooter to practice riding? I really want to rent a scooter when Nik and I are in Rome, I think we will cover three times the area that we would cover on foot.

4. Where the heck are the stupid cords to my camera and iPod, I still cannot find them???!!!! (see post below)

5. How is that Lifehouse still manages to create fantastic music even after 10 years? I am such a fan.

6. What a disappointment The Lost Symbol was, how could this have come from the same man who wrote Angel's and Demon's? What a bummer.

7. Why is avocado soooo good and the only thing I am allergic too?

8. Why is the woman in the homeless office at the VA such a horrid despicable individual?

9. I'm still fired up about Tiger Woods, I feel like this is Britney Spears or Anna Nicole Smith all over again. Who cares?

10. How is my Addie so beyond perfect?

11. Why am I lucky enough to be surrounded by incredible and beautiful people in my life when there are millions of others in this world who have no one?

12. When are they going to make a movie about a Nora Robert's novel? She has some really entertaining stories.

Dizzying isn't it? I desperately need my husband to come home and turn my brain off for me, he seems to be the only person who can successfully accomplish this task for any length of time = (

I MUST be getting old

I swear, I feel like I am losing my mind these last couple of weeks. I am not sure if this is a result of having to say good-bye again to my husband, the fact that I have an enormous house now with a gazillion hiding places or if I really am just starting to get old. I have always taken pride in my memory; I can usually remember someone's name the first time they tell me, even if I am meeting ten people at once, I remember little tidbits about them for years afterward and am still appalled at exactly how much brain space I have wasted on memorizing songs and quotes from movies. It's disturbing.

So why is it that in the last two weeks I have been unable to find three rather signicifant items? First, it was the bill for our mortgage. That was SUPER awesome! The reason for the sheer awesomeness of this situatioin was that after we paid the first month's mortgage, UMAC sold our mortgage to another bank. Thanks, UMAC! To make matters even more fantastic, because Lord knows they weren't interesting enough, I completely forgot about the fact that it needed to be paid on December 1st until the night of November 25th, it just had to be the night before Thanksgiving, didn't it? Of course, once the realization dawned, the incredible hunt began, which of course produced absolutely no results. Nik being the genius that he is, called the bank and made the payment over the phone with our debit card. However, when I myself called the bank on Friday to explain the circumstances and ask for our account information, they absolutely refused. They told me there was no way for them to determine that I was the home owner. Don't get me wrong, I am all about security measures, I work for an organization that follows HIPAA regulations after all! But seriously, when I provide the bank with my name, my husband's name, our social security numbers, our monthly mortgage payment, the name of our former loan holder and still manage to get rebuffed, I am not a happy girl.

My second big stupid brainfart was with the iPod USB cable. I updated my iPod a mere two weeks ago and when I went looking for it on Sunday, nada. WHAT THE HECK? I am OCPD (Obsessive Complusive Personality Disorder) to the MAX, people! It is sick just how organized I am. In the first month I was in my home you better believe that I organized all my electronic cords into plastic baggies and put them in the box marked "POWER CORDS". How in the course of a week did I lose the cord that powers and updates my favorite electronic possession? REALLY?!

The last and final brainfart that officially sent me into crazy mode and almost led me to the psychiatric ward was misplacing the USB cable to my camera. My brand-new camera that my way more amazing than I deserve husband bought ME after I lost HIS camera last year. Oh the irony. Now, I can't update everyone on the progress of my home, because I can't find the cable to upload the pictures on my camera to my laptop, so that I can then upload them onto the blog.

Words escape me that this point, I am literally speechless that at 25 I am making these kinds of mistakes. What does that leave me to look forward to in the following years?

I think I feel a headache coming on.

Next Stage of Traveling

I have led an incredible life in my short quarter of century. I have the world's most amazing family, the best friends anyone could ever be blessed with, a husband I am still not quite sure I deserve and endless amounts of memories that revolve around all three.

When I was sixteen, my grandparents took my sister, Ashley, and I to Norway for a month. My grandfather is Norwegian, so we went to visit our family and see what has been referred to "As close to perfect as a country can come." Norway is indeed one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, the people are friendly and hospitable and the landscape goes beyond words. I didn't think anything could be as invigorating as traveling to another nation with my family.

My second year of college, one of my teammates and best friend at the time, Margaret, and I decided to travel to Paris for a week during our spring break. I was twenty and flying high on my independence. Margie and I planned the whole trip on our own; we booked our plane flights, found our hostel, learned the very complicated underground railway system and discovered a city whose romance left two young women a little giddy. I never imagined that I could feel more alive and capable in my self than making that trip with Margaret.

Now, I have the incredible opportunity of discovering multiple countries at one time with my "World's Greatest" husband. In spring, we will be taking a 16 day trip to six countries! Due to the fact that we are both rapidly moving up the ladder to "adulthood" we desperately wanted to take the opportunity to see as many places as we could before we lost the chance to do so. Both of our jobs are very demanding, so it was a bit tricky finding the perfect solution, but we found it =) We are going on a Mediterranean cruise!

The incredible stops on our agenda include; Spain, Greece, Italy, Egypt, Turkey, Malta and back to Spain. Here is a little glimpse at the places we will see... only our pictures will be way better, of course!

Barcelona, Spain

Rome, Italy

Athens, Greece

Turkey

Egypt

Malta