Shredded Tex-Mex Crock-Pot Chicken

Jessica Lynn over at The Tale of Two Kitchens posted this recipe a few weeks ago and I've had it in my email, waiting for a good time to make it! Tonight seemed to be the perfect night, I had a hankering for Mexican and it did not disappoint! D even commented about how delicious it was.

Shredded Tex-Mex Crock-Pot Chicken
Please refer to the links above for the recipe as it appears on her blog, I made some changes based on what I had on hand.

1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
2 bone-in chicken leg quarters
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 limes
1/3 cup (packed) cilantro leaves, chopped


Directions:
In a small bowl combine seasonings: cumin, chili powder, coriander, garlic powder paprika, red pepper flakes and garlic cloves; set aside. Heat oil in a medium sized sauté pan. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add seasoning mixture and sauté two more minutes. Deglaze the pan with broth, making sure to scrape up any browned bits. Turn off and set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to crock pot. Squeeze lime on top; add cilantro and pour onion and seasoning mixture over top.

Cook on low for 3-5 hours, or until cooked through (different crock-pots cook at varying heats) and tender. Remove chicken from the crock pot, let cool for a few minutes, shred and return to crock-pot on "warm" setting until ready to serve.

I didn't put my chicken back in the crock pot because we were ready to eat. It was delicious when I spooned some of the onion and broth over it, though.

We piled ours on top of tostadas as Jessica recommends in her original post (even though ours were store-bought because I'm lazy), then we topped it with lettuce, cheese, sour cream and chopped tomatoes, yum!

I highly recommend you make this recipe, and soon!

Co-op Produce Box

When we moved into our house we debated whether we I should plant a vegetable garden or just suck it up and buy our produce at the commissary like I have done in the past. While I was debating, a friend of mine mentioned that she was going to sign up for a local co-op farm box.

This solution seemed to be perfect for us! Not only will we get our fresh produce, but we'll be able to support local farmers. This past week we got our first box.

Our box!

We got sweet green onions!

And fresh strawberries...

Some tomatoes, a white sweet potato, and a sweet potato.

Lettuce.

And finally, spinach!

For some reason, I finally feel free to make this duty station our home. I think its because I know we will be here for more than a year (which is more that I can say about any of our previous duty stations), but it also stems from the fact that we bought a house here and even if we PCS at some point, we'll most likely return here.

Settling down means that I am open to exploring the local resources and small businesses. That's not to say that I haven't in the past, but I was always hesitant to fall in love with a place knowing that we'd probably leave sooner rather than later, plus I was afraid to commit to something and then get orders. Since we have the freedom of spending an entire year here (plus a few months) at the very least, we're open to experiencing all that our area has to offer!

I think that in the next few weeks we're going to start getting some random fruits and veggies in our boxes and I'm considering posting new recipes that I try that feature seasonal produce.

All in all, I definitely recommend checking into co-ops in your area. My mom was inspired by our box and subscribed to one in Hometown, USA last week. Her box was totally different from ours, as the climates are very different, but it is still fresh and local, so that's a win right there! The prices for ours are very reasonable and we got quite a bit more food than I was expecting!

Things I Love

Let me guess. When you chose to follow my blog it was because you enjoy reading what I have to say (or not, just let me believe that). You might even look forward to new posts from me (okay, maybe not, but that's okay, too).

These are all reasons that I should blog more often (or at all) and about more interesting things.

The problem is, I have had literally nothing exciting or even remotely interesting happen to me in the past week since I blogged last. Sure, I could blog about things like our conversation about the household budget, but I don't really want you all to know how much we've allotted towards things like Sonic, etc. Or maybe you'd like to read about the fact that I haven't gone grocery shopping in more than a week (shut up, I tend to go 2 times a week).

Instead, I'm going to talk about all the super-duper awesome things I'm loving right now, like how much I love Bethenny Frankel and her show. Seriously, she is so funny! At least once, but usually many times per episode, I find myself actually laughing out loud.


I also should mention that I successfully navigated my way through all 40 days of the Lenten season with only 1 Dr. Pepper (the one I had was an accident, it was at the beginning of Lent and I honestly forgot that I gave it up). Now that I don't feel wracked with guilt at the mere thought of cracking one of these bad boys open, they taste even better than before!

I'm also enjoying the Easter candy that all our families sent for us. I think my favorite might be the chocolate covered pretzels filled with peanut butter. I also highly enjoyed the cookies and cream chocolate bunny that FIL sent. Finally (and most obviously) the Reece's peanut butter eggs. OMG! I seriously look forward to Easter every year pretty much just for these!

Lastly, I'm really enjoying our yard and the pretty little buds popping up on all our new trees we ordered from the Arbor Day Foundation. Along with the tiny leaves, we've been spending a lot of time outdoors, both during the day and in the evening after dinner. We've taken to walking (either in the backyard or around the neighborhood) as a family after we eat. Its a nice way to unwind after the day is over and get a little more fresh air before we put AJ in bed.


If you want to check out their amazing selection and prices, click on this link or the logo above.

That, my friends, is the list of what I'm loving right now. What are you loving?

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In...

1. How many pets do you have? And what type? submitted by Life and Times of a Displaced Jersey Girl
Remember when I said that we were getting two more dogs? Well, one (or both) of them went crazy on AJ and as a parent, I can't have that, so we had to give them back to the guy we got them from. So, for now, we just have AbbyDog, the neurotic beagle.

2. What are your favorite projects to do while hubby is away? submitted by my-inspired-nest
Huh? I'm not really a project type of person. I like to do little things that produce a noticeable change immediately or else I'm tempted to quit! For D's first deployment, my only project was getting a job. It wasn't a good job, but it was a job, so I checked that one off the list!

3. What are the must-haves in your deployment care packages? submitted by Christine's Little Blog
I always sent booze, porn and pork. JK! Usually it was chewing tobacco because he was almost never at the FOB and it was way too hard for him to try to get to the PX to buy it. I also sent lots of books and DVDs. The most popular thing I sent was cake in a jar though!

4. If you could star in any TV show, which would it be? submitted by Just a Girl
Hmm, I'm tempted to Real Housewives because then I'd be rich, but then I think about all the crazy drama they have in their lives and I don't want to be anywhere near that! Probably Family Guy because no one would care if I looked like crap at work!

5. What was the biggest hurdle that you faced during your/your significant other's first deployment? submitted by The Pavlik Perspective
Getting over myself. We had only been married for a few weeks when he left and I decided to stay at Ft. Hood. I didn't know very many people at first and I had this victim mentality. After I got over it and realized that my situation wasn't unique and no one owed me anything, I actually had some fun! Now I am able to look back and be proud of myself for how much I grew during that year!

Minor Annoyances

I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but the house we recently purchased is brand new. Its located in an existing neighborhood, but the section we live in is currently being built up. This means that a lot of the lots around us are empty and about to have homes built on them. The houses on either side of us are already built, as well as across the street.

There are, however, a few lots at the end of our cul-de-sac that don't have houses on them yet. We knew this when we moved in. We figured that someday the builder would sell those lots and they'd begin to build houses down there. So it should come as no surprise that there are backhoes, tractors and bobcats driving through our backyard all day, right?

I'm totally serious. They drive directly through our backyard several times a day.

Let me explain.

Our lot is large, so about half of it was cleared for the house to be built, which means that the other half is wooded with a little path along the backside where they accessed the water main.

Here's a shot of our yard from the grassy area at the back of the house.

The front of our lot (where the house is) has been sodded and the back 40 (where the path is) was seeded before we moved in. Well, the builder has been using this path to access the lots down the street.

This is a close up of the "path" that goes through the back.

It didn't really bother me until I realized that when they drive through they're leaving large ruts and divots in the ground.

Even closer shot, you can clearly see the divots and ruts that the tracks are leaving.

I mean, seriously, people, this is OUR property. That sign in the front yard, you know, the one that says "Private Residence" applies to our backyard as well as our front! There's a perfectly good road in front of our house that you can use to access the other lots, please do so!

I guess there is a downside to living in a brand new house, after all! :(

I'm Not Feeling It

I feel like there isn't anything to blog about today (or this week really).

I actually have a lot that I could talk about, but doing so would make my location very obvious and while many of you already know where we're stationed, I don't really want to broadcast it here, mostly out of respect for my hubby.

With that being said, we're getting an invisible fence installed today (yay!) and hubby is home sick from work (boo!). He was in the field last week and while he was gone AJ and I both came down with a 24 hour (flu?) bug. Well, I'm pretty sure he has it now. He texted me early this morning and said that he was puking and then he practically ran through the door and upstairs at about 0800.

Yesterday I went to the dentist to get a cavity filled and have another filling fixed. They were quick and it was (relatively) painless so I can't complain there. Guess I need to step up my tooth-brushing game!

Oh, we are also supposed to go to a wedding this weekend but its looking like that won't happen either, as our babysitters backed out on us. Boo.

Such a glamorous life I lead, no?

Hopefully something exciting will happen and I'll be back to my regular, enthralling bloggy self soon!

Ooooooh!

Is is totally ridiculous that I want these flip flops?

Cuz I do.

Want them.

Bad.

I'm afraid of what D would say though. I mean, I have a serious flip flop obsession and have just recently reigned my collection in from the irresponsible levels that it once stood at!

Part of my problem is that I saw them at the PX. I know I could just drive down to post and pick a pair up, no problem! Maybe that's why I want them soooooo bad!

Thoughts?

P.S. Sorry for being totally MIA this weekend. We live in an area that was hit with lots of storms this weekend and we lost power for 24 hours. We consider ourselves lucky because all around us is a lot of devastating damage. Please keep these people and this area in your prayers.

10 Things I Love

I'm feeling particularly lovey this morning. Mostly because I'm up, showered, drinking coffee, the dogs are fed, the sun is shining and AJ is still sleeping! There is nothing more glorious than a 70* sunny morning and some quiet (unless you count the sound of three dogs pacing the room) alone time. I figured now was as good a time as any to come up with my 10 things, so here we go!

10 Things I love

The rules are as follows:

1.- State who tagged you.
Lydia over at WithLoveLydia

2.- State 10 things you love
1. D
2. AJ
3. Lavender body wash
4. Dr. Pepper Coffee.
5. All my new friends here!
6. My parent's place in FL.
7. My siblings (and my parents too, I guess! ;)
8. Laundry that folds itself and then promptly puts itself away. That doesn't exist? Boo.
9. A GREAT song randomly coming on the radio!
10. My friends from college (they rock!).

3.- Tag ten friends at the end of the post and notify them through a comment.

I'm not going to tag people because I linked more than 10 people yesterday through my New Blogs! post, so if you want to share 10 things you love, feel free to come back here and let me know that you participated!

Happy 22nd Birthday, Baby Sister!

Today is my baby sister's 22nd birthday. Nothing makes you feel older than when your younger (in this case, youngest) siblings turn another year older, does it? Okay, maybe when your kids have a birthday.


In any case, today is Abigail's birthday and she is celebrating (hopefully) over in the land down undah! That's right folks, she is in Australia for the next 2 months. She is in her final year of college and as an Education major, she is required to complete a semester of student teaching. She decided to do half of her student teaching close to her university and then the other half in Australia! I'm not sure that I'd be brave enough to hop on a plane and move to another country {by myself} for 3 months! But that is exactly what she did!


On to the birthday post!


As her older (and wiser) sister, and having 5 whole years on her, as you might imagine, we didn't always get along. In recent years, however, we have become very close and I think of her not only as a sister, but as a friend. She was my maid of honor and is AJ's only aunt. She would do anything for me and I would move mountains for her.


She has a tender heart. She once cried while driving along the highway because when it started to rain she was afraid that the farmers wouldn't be able to get all their crops harvested in time.



She is a loving friend. She has friends from grade school that she is still close with today.


She laughs too much, too hard. When we were kids she used to get sent away from the dinner table on a nightly basis because she couldn't get a hold of her giggling laughter.


She calls me Betty. I call her Gail. We are friends by choice, but sisters by fate.


Happy 22nd Birthday, Gailey! Love you!

Just Call Me Crazy...

In case there's someone out there who wasn't fully convinced that I'm crazy, don't worry, I'll confirm the insane level of craziness that we're working with here.

We got two dogs.

I mean, we got two more dogs in addition to the one we already had.

Seriously.

I know you're thinking to yourself, "what is she, crazy?"

Why, yes, yes I am.

There's a back story.

D has a friend from our last duty station who is now stationed here with us. A few weeks ago he found out that his wife was cheating on him and now they're getting a divorce. He works incredibly long hours (as I'm sure all the MilSpouses are familiar with), leaving at 0400 and sometimes not getting home until after 2000 hours.

He had two dogs that were confined to the backyard during that time. He felt so bad leaving them outside all day, especially with summer coming that he decided the responsible, caring thing to do would be to find a new home for them.

That is where we came in.

Did I mention a few weeks ago that I really wanted to get another dog? Well, I was trying to convince D that our family needed another furry member.

The two dogs we just got are already house-trained, know basic commands and are very sweet dogs. Add to this the fact that they were free (no adoption fees or paying for them to get "fixed") AND we are helping out a friend, well, we couldn't have gotten a better deal!

Right now we're definitely in an adjustment period. They are still getting used to our everyday schedule and I'm sure it will take some time for them to adjust to being a part of our family, but I think they fit right in with us!

Their names are:

Tango

and Hootie.

More pictures coming soon!

**Oh, and I know I didn't follow the prompt this week, but that is mostly because these two came in and immediately ripped the head off and tore the stuffing out of every single toy in our house!

New Blogs!

Lately I've stumbled across some new blogs that have sucked me in! Some I found on my own, some were linked on other blogs that I love to read. How I came across these new bloggy friends is irrelevant. What's important is that you go check them out!

My Heart's Desire

Athena in the Middle

Poodleism

Across the Branch

Living in the Moment

The Glamorous Life of a Housewife

Footy Pajamas

A Day in the Life of 5

Canines and Cadences

I Love You More Than Carrots

Ni Hao Y'all

Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss

No Model Lady

We Took the Road Less Traveled

Wookie & Co.

{ An Expeditionary Family }

Do you have any new blogs that you discovered recently? Maybe you're a follower of mine and I don't follow you back. If this is the case, let me know by posting a link to your blog (or another awesome blog that I should know about) in the comments or emailing me at beth {dot} thisamericanwife {at} gmail {dot} com, I'll come check you out!

Real Housewives and Teen Mom

I married my husband for money. Didn't you?

Okay, all you MilSpouses can stop laughing now. I'm obviously kidding, seeing that the amount of money most military members bring home each month is usually just enough to get by.

I'm not going to complain about the deployments, small paychecks or countless arguments my husband and I have about stupid work-related topics. I won't bore you with the statistics that show the real cost of these wars we're engaged in.

I am, however, open to any and all discussions regarding The Real Housewives of anywhere (except New Jersey) and Teen Mom, because all I do is sit around eating bon bons, watching trashy reality television and thinking of new and more extravagant ways to spend my husband's enormous paycheck.

Come on, fellow MilSpouses, isn't that how you spend all your free time?

I recently received an anonymous comment to the post I wrote about the narrowly-averted government shut down that really got under my skin. It didn't bug be me because the commenter was wrong, but the fact that they weren't brave enough to log in and comment so that I could respond to the criticism.

I can't be mad about what was said, because, well, its true. I do watch Real Housewives and Teen Mom, and I certainly spend most of my husband's paycheck each pay period, usually on things like the mortgage, groceries and utility bills. I also find myself nagging my husband from time to time (who doesn't?).

My question is then, why are military spouses called out for spending our husbands' money? Are we not a family? Did we not both make the decision for me to stay home? Are there not civilian families with stay at home parents? Why is a military wife staying home and managing the house any different from a civilian wife who does the same? I don't see anyone accusing her of spending her husband's money.

I guess I just don't see what the point of the comment was. Am I supposed to feel bad about wanting to watch reality television? Maybe is that I'm supposed to feel guilty because I don't work and we're a one-income family. Perhaps the person who wrote the comment is just an ignorant fool and doesn't realize that military spouses are a very unique group of people who won't take insults laying down.


**I published the comment because, while I don't think the comments section of my blog is the appropriate place for someone to express their opinions on military spouses, I wanted the author to be able to exercise his or her right to free speech. I don't have any problem with people feeling this way, heck, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I think there is a better time and place to express it.

Oh, and aside from being annoyed that someone would anonymously write a comment that was clearly intended to be rude and disrespectful, I'm annoyed that I feel the need to defend my actions.

You Know What Pisses Me Off?

I really wasn't going to post about it, but something last night pissed me off royally.

Amidst all the talk about a possible deal being made between the two parties and the collective sigh of relief that was heard on and around U.S. military installations all over the world when the deal was announced, I heard a statement uttered that just seemed so wrong and really made me so angry.

When the deal was announced, several different people (politicians and news reporters alike) stated that while they could work the weekend to get the legislation drafted, they most likely wouldn't because they are all very tired.

Excuse my language, but are you f-ing kidding me?

Do they think that the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan who have been working for months straight with no time off aren't tired? Do they think that these people who volunteered for this job, the same ones you threatened to not pay, aren't exhausted? The same people who wouldn't DREAM of not coming into work because they're tired. Why? Because they signed up for a job and it isn't done yet.

Perhaps our politicians would be wise to take a note from our military men and women and think about the good of our nation. Maybe they need me to come remind them that they signed up for this job and, guess what, their job isn't over yet!

I've known about it all along, but last night I just saw the glaring disparity between the politicians who are writing the legislation and deciding our financial situations and the people who are out of the battlefield, risking their lives for a country they would literally die for.

Just makes you think, doesn't it?

Happy 13 Months!

I don't know about you all, but I can hardly even believe that AJ is 13 months old today! I mean, seriously, I thought the first year went by fast and we're already a full month into year 2. Slow down the growing up, little girl!

Some highlights from the past month:

• AJ has started being able to function with only one nap a day. We don't skip the morning nap everyday, but sometimes I have errands to run or things to do and we can go do them in the morning and not have to rush home to get back before nap time. Its wonderful!

• The past few days I've noticed her being more social and really playing with her toys. She also likes to pet her dogs!


• She has really started to imitate us in almost everything we do! When we are talking and one or both of us laughs, she will look at us and do a totally fake laugh to be a part of the conversation. Of course when she does this, we both crack up even more!

• She finds herself to be endlessly amusing. She will copy something we do and then just laugh and laugh at how funny she is!

• One negative thing she has started that I'm not happy about (and I think I mentioned this before) is that when she doesn't get her way or I tell her "no" she will just lay down on the floor and either cry or just lay there. I have a feeling that this is a sort of mini-tantrum and I'm not looking forward to the terrible twos!

• She has finally started to relax a little bit on the whole clinging to mommy thing and will play with D or the dogs without me being glued to her side 24/7 (hallelujah!).

• She has officially cut two more molars to bring the tooth total up to 9. She has top and bottom molars on her right side and just the top on the left. Add that to the three teeth on the bottom in the front and the two on the top and you've got 9 teeth! I should mention here that I hit the baby jackpot when it comes to teething. She seriously never even gets crabby when she is cutting a tooth. Sleep stays the same, everything is like normal. I have to feel in her mouth to know when she gets a new tooth!

• AJ is for the most part sleeping through the night (7 pm-7:30 am). When she goes down for her naps she will lay in her crib for a while quietly until she falls asleep. Its an amazing (and welcome) change from the days when she would stand there and scream.
  

• She loves, loves, loves her big, bouncy ball that Nick and Stacey got her for her birthday! When she sees it her eyes light up and she squeals! It is one of the cutest things ever. She also loves to carry around the baby sunscreen for some reason.
  

• She has a few words now, including Daddy, Pup Pup, Mama, and baby. She mainly says Daddy and PupPup, but will say Mama if she feels like it. For the most part though, she is holding entire conversations in her own gibberish baby language, which is hilarious to watch and listen to!
  

So there you have it, folks! My 13 month old is growing up way too fast and before I know it, she will be driving headed off to school!

Waiting for Easter

Okay, I know I've talked about my obsession with Dr. Pepper here before, and I'm going to come right out and say it:

I gave up Dr. Pepper for Lent.

I cannot wait until Easter Sunday rolls around so that I can drink a delicious, ice-cold Dr. Pepper!

Anyone else anxiously looking forward to Easter to partake in their forbidden Lenten promises?

Stop Stressing Me Out!

I'm just gonna say it.

I can't do Twitter right now because all the people tweeting about the possible government shut down and military not getting paid is stressing me out.

I'm realistic, I understand that there is a good chance that things will not go the way I want. At the same time, I would like to remain in my little bubble as long as possible not focus on something that I can't change right now. I'm being super stingy with our money this pay period and hoping for the best (i.e. at least 1/2 a check) next payday. We have a little bit saved up and only a few bills that NEED to be paid in the next few weeks. We'll be fine and I'd rather not talk about it anymore.

Anyone else with me?

The Day I Met a Squirrel

A few of you have shown interest in hearing the story about the squirrel on my wedding day. Well, here goes!

First, a little background information about me, just so you know where I'm coming from. I've always been afraid of birds and when I was in college one of my roommates said something to me that has stayed with me.

The town where my alma mater is located is a beautiful college town and there are a lot of tree-lined streets. When I was an upper-classman I lived in an old house about a mile or so from campus with a bunch of friends. When the weather was nice (and when the weather was bad) we would walk home from class. There were several routes home and my favorite was one that took me through a quiet neighborhood with lots of giant oak and maple trees. There were always lots of squirrels running through the branches and sometimes they'd jump from branch to branch.

One time when discussing the squirrels, my friend Mary commented that she was always nervous that they were going to jump out of the trees and onto her head as she was walking home.

Seriously? After that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the image of a flying squirrel jumping out of the trees and latching onto my face.

Fast forward a few years. D and I are getting married on a beautiful spring day on his college campus. There are clouds in the sky and we're hoping to get as many pictures taken as we can before the rain starts. We're posing for some pictures on a bench, just outside the door to the church.

All of a sudden, we notice a little squirrel standing a few feet away.

Luckily the little guy head in the direction of the photographer.

I'm feeling pretty relieved that I've escaped the attack of the killer squirrel!

That is, until.....

Oh, there's no way! And yes, that is me, throwing my brand new husband into the proverbial line of fire (hey, its every man for himself, here)!

This is the evil little guy...

Pretty proud of himself.

I should add here, that the photographer (who obviously was unaware of my intense fear of squirrels) thought this was the funniest, most awesome thing that had ever happened at someone's wedding. I quickly explained to him in the most polite and bride-like way that under no circumstances were we to encourage the squirrel and any more photos of me with the squirrel would result in him being fired (and tortured).

And that, my friends, is the story of the squirrel who crashed my wedding!

Tail Wagging Tuesday with Abbydog!

I have recently seen a few of my bloggy friends participating in this blog hop, and since I rarely post about our first child, our beagle, Abbydog, I thought it might be fun to start participating! Anyway, this week we're supposed to choose our most favorite photo of our pet. Now, the amount of doggy photography happening in our house has decreased drastically over the past year or so, you know, since AJ was born. Choosing my favorite photo of Abbydog isn't easy, but there are only a few of her that I absolutely love! So, here you have it!

Make sure to head over and link up with C Mae at Live What You Love if you want to participate!


This picture is from Halloween 2008. Abbydog had only been in our lives since April of 2008 and this was the first chance I had to really dress her up!

Now that I'm looking through all my Abbydog pictures, I realize that I almost never talk about her on my blog and I need to do a post with a lot of pictures of her so everyone can see her craziness!

Oh, by the way, the reason we call her Abbydog is because when we adopted her she came with the name Abby, which just happens to be my sister's name as well. Oh, and my college roommates name, too. Ha! It's just easier to refer to her as Abbydog.

100 Facts About Me: Part 4

Ladies and gentlemen, we have officially reached the last installment of the #100factsaboutme meme! Don't all cheer at once!

76. I think I'm Southern at heart.
77. I love Dr. Pepper, but if its not available Mt. Dew is my second choice. (ahem, Panera, get Dr. P!)
78. I like sushi, but I'm still a little skeptical of it.
79. I was a party girl in college.
80. I am physically repulsed by the feel of velvet and corduroy.
81. In 8th grade a friend and I created "trucker names" for ourselves so we could use the CB radio in her mom's car.
82. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
83. All 4 of my grand-parents are still alive.
84. I think I'd enjoy being a librarian, and I hope to be one, someday.
85. I hate sand.
86. I want another kid some day and I'm already convinced that it will be a girl.
87. I like when my friends inspire me to be a better person.
88. I got lots of speeding tickets when I was in high school and D's grandpa (a lawyer) went to court with me to get me out of them.
89. I know how to drive a stick shift.
90. I'm not really what you might call an "outdoorsy" person. At all.
91. I have champagne tastes with a beer budget.
92. I love Taco Bell, Arby's and Sonic. Thankfully every duty station we've been to has had all three of them.
93. If I could afford to exclusively shop at Whole Foods, I would.
94. I enjoy vacuuming and mowing the lawn.
95. Hydrangeas and tulips are my favorite flowers.
96. If I can't buy it at Walgreens, then the chances are, I probably don't need it.
97. I am constantly amazed at how fast AJ is growing up and I kind of wish time would slow down.
98. I officially am not the same political party as D, but I'm inching closer and closer to his side all the time.
99. I consider chips and salsa to be health-food.
100. I am glad I am done with this list.

Our Trip to Savannah

I'm not sure if I mentioned it here, but AJ and I recently took a short trip down to Savannah to visit some of my family. My uncle is a weightlifter and he was competing in the US Masters Weightlifting Championships there so we drove down for a few days of visiting with him, my aunt, my cousin and my grandparents.

We arrived Thursday afternoon and enjoyed a quick walk on the beach in between rain showers. Thursday night we went out to dinner on Tybee Island at a seafood joint. It was delicious and the perfect end to the day! AJ and I headed to our hotel after dinner and she was so tired that she barely even fought bedtime!

Doing some crazy walking!

Checking something out with Great-Aunt Bev.

Picking up a shell.

Hanging out.

AJ on the beach.

My grandpa at dinner. He ordered two shrimp cocktails as his dinner and thought it was hilarious!

Friday we met a fellow blogger for lunch and then headed back out to my aunt and uncle's place to hang out before the weightlifting meet. On the way out to their place, we drove through Old Town Savannah and stopped at a park on the side of the road for some play time and pictures. While we were at their condo AJ fell asleep and I ended up having to wake her up to make it to the meet on time! Ha!

A beautiful house in Old Town.

Some of the buildings still had St. Patty's Day decorations up!

Playing with the car keys!

We got to the meet and of course, they were running late, so I could have let her sleep longer, but such is life. We had plenty of time before my uncle's age group started so AJ and I walked around and around the venue, meeting every single person there. Its a good thing she is so cute, I'm sure that if she wasn't people wouldn't have been so happy to see her!

My uncle started lifting and he won his division, that means he is qualified for the World's competition, which is being held in Crete this year! Pretty exciting! We didn't stay for the whole thing because AJ was getting very tired towards the end of the first round, so we took off, but I was glad to get to see a little of it, at least.

One of the squares that are all over Old Town.

Saturday before we headed home we drove through Old Town one more time, I was hoping to get a picture of Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and Sons. I had a hard time finding it and once we drove past it I was happy with just seeing what it looked like! Ha!

City Hall.

All in all, we had a really fun time and I'm glad we went! AJ got to spend time with her great-grandparents and great-aunt and -uncle. The good news is that its not too far from where we live, so I'm hoping that we'll be able to make the drive down on a 4-day sometime and D can come with us! Maybe we'll even eat at Paula's restaurant! ;)