Happy Father's Day to our Sailor

Thank you to my amazing husband,
who has learned to become such a wonderful father.

Thank you- for working long days, and never-ending nights to support your children. Thank you for putting their needs before yours. Thank you for teaching them God's ways. Thank you for always protecting them. Thank you for coming home after a long day at work, and still have the energy and excitement to play with your kids. They might not be able to show how much they appreciate you right now, but one day they will look back and be so thankful to have a dad like you. They will look back at all the times at the beach, outside playing soccer, walks to the basket ball court, learning how to tie their shoes, riding his first real bike, (and the list carries on) and feel so blessed to have you in their lives.You might feel like being Sailor has made you missed out on the little things, but it seems to me you've been able to be there to help them achieve those little mile stones that I couldn't. I waited for the longest time to see our baby crawl, and when does he do it? The weekend you came to visit. I waited patiently to see him take his first step- and when does he do it? Again, the weekend yo got to visit. Bub, you've impacted their lives more than you realize. I catch our older son, praying before his meals. I was surprised- I didn't even have to remind him. He told me you taught him. They look up to you so much. They want to be just like you. And you're doing a great job at setting a wonderful example. Thank you being such a hard working man that still manages to make time for his family. You'll always be a hero in their eyes, and in mine.

We love you.

Happy Father's Day

The Heroes Behind The Heroes

It's definitely not easy being a Navy Wife. 

Being a Navy Wife or any military spouse deserves it's own title. It's hard work. You wear many hats. You deal with all the things a civilian wife/mom deals with and then some. You go on for weeks and months at a time not seeing or hearing from your spouse, relying solely on emails or packages. Your children are deprived from seeing their father or mother. Sometimes, you feel like a single parent- taking care of household duties (even the manly stuff like mowing the lawn & taking out the garbage lol), errands, groceries, kid's activities and appointments, financial planning, working, schooling, and the list goes on. Things such as- distance, finances, communication, in-laws, careers, children, infidelity, mental health, deployments, etc. can definitely put a strain on your relationship and your life in general. I mean, seriously, how many 20 year old's have to start making wills?

Overtime, it does get easier. The distance doesn't but everything else seems too.

Being a successful military spouse requires God, love, careful planning, and a whole lot of patience. He's making a sacrifice, and when you chose to marry him, you signed up for that same sacrifice. Sorry but, it's a packaged deal. Remember that old saying? "Beside every strong man, is an even stronger woman." Remember, your husband, if he's anything like mine, does what he does, to make you and his family proud. So return that to him! Support your husband- he relies on you as his wife, for this. Every sailor needs support from their loved ones. Respect him, he might not always feel respected among peers, don't add to that stress. Help him, it's not easy for him to be on a ship for weeks,months, or years at a time! Honor him, always, always, always, make sure he feels like number one. This is key in any marriage! Remain faithful to him- He's away a lot, he needs to know that he's coming home to someone who loves him. Communicate with him- He needs to feel like he's still part of the family/head of the household, include him in everything that goes on. These are all some things that I've had to learn over time to make our transition into and out of deployments and under-ways go a little smoother.  

Sometimes, your mind is constantly worried, wondering, wandering, and anxious, feels almost like your mind doesn't even have any time for itself...but honestly, I wouldn't give my Sailor up for the world.   

It seems so stressful, so people wonder- what makes it all worth it?

To know that my husband is out there, risking his life, making a difference, saving the world, being a hero- that's an amazing feeling. I couldn't be more proud. It's such a rewarding feeling when you watch him come off that ship and  you get to hold him in your arms.

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day 

to all those amazing ladies/fellas that keep on supporting their Sailors! 

I look up to so many fellow Military Wives/Husbands for how strong they all are!  

So cheers! To The heroes behind the heroes! 

San Diego Livin'

A Beautiful Sumatran Tiger at the Tiger Trails 

San Diego Safari Park, Escondido, CA

It's not a Hawaiian beach, but it'll have to do :)

Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, CA

Our secret

6 years of wedded bliss. Maybe, maybe not. What’s our secret? The fight, I guess.

I never really seen how hard we fight until I came across "The Talk" show one day.

Do you believe two people can really drift apart?

Yes, people can drift apart for a number of reasons.

Sometimes, there’s usually a lot of conflict first, before people actually "drift apart". But you have to work through the conflict, get past it, and fight for your relationship. Don't just give up, just because there is a conflict.

Getting married at a young age also puts you at risk for “drifting apart”. When you get married young, you change, especially between your 20’s-30’s, there’s a lot of changes going on.  If you don’t work hard to stay connected to your partner during those changes, yes, you naturally can drift apart. There’s a natural cycle where you stop sprinting up the stairs to see your spouse. And if you don’t choose that path and choose to use excuses- “I’m busy, I’ll spend time with you next week, we’ll have sex next another day.” The spark slowly disappears. Sometimes cheating is not the disease, it’s the symptom. The person gets bored and they just don’t feel it anymore. You have to fight, you have to fight for your relationship! Fight for your marriage! Don’t just drift apart because it’s convenient.

Distance. Distance can do either one of two things- bring you closer together or tear you apart. No matter the distance- if you really want it, if you want your marriage to work, again you have to fight for it. Everyday, fight for your marriage!

But you see, as natural as it is to “drift apart”. It doesn’t just happen- it’s a choice. You don’t have to be lazy, you don’t have to get “comfortable”, you don’t have to stop “dating”. You keep fighting, keep courting, keep chasing, keep pursuing.

I fell in love with Jarrid Wilson’s article- because this is one of things that keeps us going, we keep fighting for each other and continue pursuing one another;

“Just because you’re married, doesn’t mean your dating life should end. I need to continue to date my wife even after I marry her. Pursuing my wife shouldn’t stop just because we both said, “I do.” Way too many times do I see relationships stop growing because people stop taking the initiative to pursue one another.

Dating is a time where you get to learn about someone in a special and unique way. Why would you want that to ever stop? It shouldn’t. Those butterflies you got on the first date shouldn’t stop just because the years have passed. Wake up each day and pursue your spouse as if you are still on your first few dates. You will see a drastic change for the better in your relationship.

When it comes to any relationship, communication and the action of constant pursuit is key. Nobody wants to be with someone who doesn’t want to pursue them whole-heartedly.

I encourage you to date your spouse, pursue them whole-heartedly, and understand that dating shouldn’t end just because you said, “I do.”

Oh and most importantly- I would like to mention, our marriage has blossomed because of God. Because we realized and accepted that God created marriage- that we each had our own roles to play. And once we were in position and put our trust in His Word, I knew my place as a great wife, and he knew his place and became an even greater husband. Of course, we still argue, of course we get angry, but we know that we have to get through it. Giving up is not an option. We must fight for our marriage. It will never be perfect, but it is pretty amazing! For the longest time, we struggled, we had to fight so hard to keep our marriage afloat, but we did it, we’re here, and we never gave up. We fought, God saw that we fought, we learned, we grew, and once God saw that we finally chose Him as our foundation, in came the overflow of blessings. I no longer doubted what He said about marriage. I was living proof that everything His Word had said about marriage, was true. My only regret was wishing I found out sooner.

Anyways- a happy marriage is possible, you both just have to want it bad enough. 

Happy Six Year Anniversary to my Sailor!

Always give credit when credit is due (:
-Stream in live, every 3rd Sunday of the month for Sould Out Christian Center's "Why did I get married" classes
-Jarrid William's Married and Dating Blog
-CBS' The Talk Show (Drifting Apart Segment)

Ah yes, the "golden hour"

So lately, when I look on Pinterest or Tiny Prints Photo cards, I see all these pretty photos. With that magical lighting, lol. It looks pretty magical to me. So I guess they call it the "Golden Hour". I looked up online what the golden hour was, and how to photograph it. Today was my first attempt at it. I wasn't pleased but I'll try again next time. Practice makes perfect! (Wishful thinking haha) So today, I went to Coronado Beach around 3:45 which is an hour before sunset. I still have to figure out alot of details to get it just right. But here is one of them.

DIY Autumn Themed Goody Bags

So this year, I wanted to opt out of the store bought treat bags and make my own. I searched around Pinterest and finally found one I liked. These one's are pretty small and are perfect for gift cards. These ones I made, we used for his teachers' gifts cards.
My inspiration on the left and my art on the right:

So for this, I used small brown paper bags I bought from Michael's. As well as an autumn theme stamp, some ribbon, and loose leaves from Joann's. All of these items were on sale for about 60-70% off. I also distressed the edges with black paint and a sponge brush. 

I also made bigger goody bags for my son's classmates. We aren't allowed to give food/candy so I needed bags large enough for coloring books and crayons. 

So for this I used the same stamp, plus different ones on top with heavier ink, painted on Halloween themed creatures with a paint brush and a stencil, also distressed the edges, and hole punched the top & tied it with raffia left over from my son's birthday party. 

Yes, I'm a coupon newbie.

Couponing with Aloha!

I've been couponing for a while now, but just started taking this REALLY seriously! I love saving money but I am also a firm believer in common courtesy, couponing is fun and a great way to save money, but let's remember there are rules to follow so that everyone can have a great experience!

Ten things I practice while couponing:
1. Don't steal inserts from unpurchased newpapers.
2. Don't remove ALL the peelies from products, be mindful that other's might want to use them too.
3. Don't empty the shelves. Again, common courtesy.
4. Don't photo copy coupons, it's illegal
5. Read the wording, the picture does not matter.
6. Always read your receipt and keep your eye on the register, I've had a couple incidents where my coupon didn't scan correctly.
7. If there's an issue with my transaction, I head over to customer service, so I'm not holding up the line.
8. Do let people with only a few items cut ahead of you.
9. Do be nice to your cashier. She's only trying to do her job.
10. Do your research, research the store's coupon policy.

If  I'm gonna do this, I want to do this the right way. Couponers have a bad rep- we're not all bad :)

My resources for this post && where I've learned alot of my couponing:
The Krazy Coupon Lady
Couponing 101