The Adventures of the Aguirre Family

My Halloween Pups

2009-10-24T21:48:00.002-05:00

Just some cute pics...more to come soon.

7 Months....OOPS!

2009-07-07T08:59:00.002-05:00

Well, I have realized that once I started school last January that my blog was the one who suffered. So, here is a quick rundown!

*Started school at Troy University. I had 3 math classes, 1 english class, and 1 computer class. I came out of the semester with a 4.0!

*Buddie, Baylee, and Phoebee are doing great and playing and wrestling like 3 siblings should.

*Randy is doing great at work. His facility got the recognition of facility of the quarter and he made the E-7 list for promotion. Now he is just waiting for his number to come up.

*My friend Elizabeth came to visit for a few days when she had to drop her sweet little Sami off at her dad's.

*Jared and Emma came to spend the summer with us! Oh boy the adventures!

*My Mom came down to visit and help out with the kids! What a blessing because I am taking 5 online classes and it is a lot of work!

*Last but not least...WE ARE IN DISNEYWORLD from July 6th-13th!!!!!!

*Coming soon---Taking kids back, Lorae visiting, and next semester starting.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2008-12-23T09:21:00.002-06:00

Well we are in Wisconsin and let me tell you it is cold. There is about 2 feet of snow or more and it is still coming down. I almost forgot...it is -6 (without the windchill) I will post pictures soon. The dogs are doing well but we had to buy socks for their feet because it was to cold for them and we have jackets for them. It is very funny walking them outside.

My little volunteer

2008-12-08T21:18:00.005-06:00

The week before Thanksgiving I started taking Buddie to the Enterprise Health and Rehab Center here in town. I had called the week before to find out if they allowed animals to come in and interact with the residents and they said YES! So our first trip there was kind of short but fun. We didn't go again until the week after Thanksgiving and have gone 3 times since then. Each trip ends up being about an hour. Buddie loves all of the attention and does so well with the residents. He will put his paws up on their laps or on the sides of their wheelchairs if they can't reach him and then when he is done he gets down and starts going to the next place. He is really beginning to know his way around the building and always gets excited when I pull into the parking lot. A lot of the people that we see are starting to remember him and even the employees love seeing him when he comes in and just think that he is so cute and fluffy.

There is one lady named Mable that just adores Buddie. She is one of the residents and the first time she saw Buddie we were on our way out to the car and she asked me if I would bring him by her room the next time I came. I told her that I would and let me tell you, when Buddie walked into her room last Friday she just lit up. She looked at me and said, 'I just knew you weren't lying to me, I just knew you would come back to see me.' She held Buddie and took pictures with him.

I knew that Buddie visiting would be a great experience but it has also made me think. How many times has somebody said to one of those residents that they would be back to see them and never came? How long has that person waited and waited just to be disappointed? By me simply following through on a simple request I was able to change that woman's life in a small way. There are 7 halls in the facility, all filled with rooms, sometimes with 2 people to a room. How many of them don't have visitors or don't have any family? To many times we as human beings don't realize how lucky we are to have the families that we have, the friends that we have, or the generally healthy lives that we have. What would it look like if for one day a month you would volunteer an hour of your time to read a book or play chess with somebody at a nursing home? What if we gave one hour of our time to volunteer at an Animal Shelter or Children's Hospital?

I am not saying all of this because it is the holidays and the season of giving. I think that it is important to help out those families in need during the holidays but I don't think it should stop there. People need support, help, cheering up, whatever you want to call it, all year round. Some of you may be saying, 'I don't have the money to donate or money to buy food to feed other people besides my family.' That is okay, help out at a soup kitchen, help with Special Olympics, volunteer your time somewhere that needs help. Take your kids with you! Volunteering helps kids learn compassion, responsibility, integrity, understanding, selflessness, and the list could go on. Don't be afraid for your kids, if they meet somebody who is different from them use it as a teaching tool and help them learn.

Don't make excuses as to why you can't. What if your parents or grandparents were there? What if your child was in a hospital for a long period of time? Doctors, nurses, and other employees are great but volunteers are there for that extra touch of home and heart. Please think about it, your life can't be so busy that you can't take an hour and give it to somebody else and if it is...slow down.

Older Wiser Learner

2008-12-02T19:24:00.005-06:00

Today I registerd for my first semester of classes at Troy University in Dothan. The campus is about 38 miles from my house so it takes around 45 minutes to get there. Not to bad of a drive really, it will allow me to have me time and just relax and catch up on my music. I will be taking 5 classes. I was going to only take 4 but when I talked to my advisor she said that 3 of the classes I am taking do not have a lot of work and that she has never had anybody say that they are difficult classes. So, I am taking Finite Math on Tuesdays and Thursdays (this is one of the harder classes). I then will have my other 4 classes on Monday and Wednesday. My English class is at 8 AM, Math Concepts II is at 12:15 PM, Math Concepts I is at 1:40 PM, and Computer Concepts is at 5:30 PM. So I will be gone from 7 AM until about 730 PM. I am going to be very busy but I am very excited to go back to school. Randy is being very supportive and is excited for me to start school and finish my degree.

So, I am officially a college student again! Here are a few pictures of my campus, all 3 buildings of it.

My official student ID Card
Trojan Man

Education Building
Beautiful Tree
Technology Building

In the last 16 days...

2008-12-01T12:30:00.004-06:00

...Buddie graduated from puppy classes with honors on the 15th!
...we have celebrated Randy's 32nd Birthday on the 15th.
...celebrated our friends son Dylan's birthday on the 16th.
...I decorated for Christmas on the 18th.
...On the 19th Buddie took his first trip as a therapy dog to the nursing home in town and loved it! (I tagged along)
...my friend Elizabeth (roommate from Ft Hood), her daughter Sami, and my new friend Michelle visited from the 20th-23rd. I miss her and we had so much fun!
...I got really sick from the 21st-26th...ughhh. I even had to go to the ER because my heart did not like the meds they put me on, I am okay though, just a very high heart rate for a few days. I think Baylee knew I wasn't feeling well the day I went to the ER, she just kept laying on me and sitting on my lap, I guess I should have paid closer attention to what she was doing since she usually only sits on Randy's lap.
...I made a Thanksgiving feast for 2, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing from a box, corn, rolls, pumpkin pie for Randy, and Chocolate pie for me.
...We saw a couple of movies; Twilight and Bolt (The hamster was hilarious!)
...We got Phoebee a cat climber thingy on Black Friday and some new dog toys, somehow they are destroying their old ones.
...We bought some new video games and played video games all weekend, so much fun!
...I groomed Buddie yesterday and Randy went skeet shooting for the first time.
...Buddie went for his 2nd trip to the nursing home today, the 1st of December. He loves the attention and is so good for everybody when they pet him. He isn't scared of anything and makes the residents smile, even if they don't want to pet him. I think we will be doing this for a long time. He even had one personal request for next time from a sweet lady named Maybel.
...We did the same stuff we normally do also; Randy worked, I cleaned, we talked to our friends and family, and we played with our animals.

We wish you all a wonderful Holiday season! Happy December 1st! I get to open my advent calendar today and eat the chocolate out of it!

Cherry Eye

2008-11-14T17:13:00.009-06:00

Our little Baylee got something called 'Cherry Eye' last night. This is the definition from Wikepedia:

Cherry eye is the term used to refer to canine nictitans gland prolapse, a common eye condition in various dog breeds where the gland of the third eyelid known as the nictitating membrane prolapses and becomes visible. It appears as a red mass in the inner corner of the eye, and is sometimes mistaken for a tumor. After gland prolapse, the eye becomes chronically inflamed and there is often a discharge. Because the gland is responsible for about 30% of the eye's tear production, the eye can eventually suffer from dryness (keratoconjunctivitis sicca).[4] Dry eye may eventually occur in 30 to 40 percent of dogs that have the gland removed, yet it may affect about 20 percent of dogs that have the gland surgically replaced [5]

I bathed her and groomed her last night and she was fine and then 2 hours later I looked at her and she had a little pink bubble in the corner of her eye. I called the vet this morning and took her in this afternoon. She did not have to have surgery, which is the most common corrective measure. I have to put ointment in her eyes 3x a day for 5 days. Luckily she is a whole lot easier than Buddie when it comes to eye medicine. They repositioned the gland back into the pocket it belongs in with a q-tip with ointment on it. The vet told me that if the swelling doesn't go down and it pops out again we will have to decide on surgery or I can try and pop it back in myself. So, we will see and hopefully our little Baylee Bear will not have to have surgery. She is still so cute and precious.

Here are a couple fun pictures

My sleeping girls

My sleeping boys

What would you do?

2008-11-12T16:06:00.006-06:00

Now, I know that we just elected our first african american president, had an unprecedented amount of voters turn out, and are on the cusp of some of the most challenging times in US history but what everybody seems to want to know is...what kind of dog will our President Elect Obama be getting for his adventure in the white house!

Personally, I think we should not be so worried about what dog they are going to get. I think that those 2 girls whose lives are about to be turned upside down for the next 4 years at least should get to chose a dog that they want without animal rights activists making the whole situation into something more than it is. It is not about Obama's stance on animal shelters and thier inhabitants it is about almost every childs dream to get to pick out there first puppy/cat/bird/guinea pig/etc. There is even a polls (yes plural...not just one) out there about what dog they should pick.
Elect Obamas Dog Poll 1
Elect Obams Dog Poll 2

I had told my dad what I was feeling about all this dog business and I said that what they needed was a shichon. They are still a 'mutt' technically, they don't shed, they are hypo-allergenic, very friendly, playful, smart, and very cute. Then my dad asked me, 'Well, what would you do if Michell O. called and told you that she had heard you had a great dog that they think would be perfect for them and wanted to buy Buddie from you.' I did not know what to say, I think he would be a perfect white house dog but I don't think I could give him up. I told my dad that I would have to have unlimited visitation rights on their dime or maybe just live in the white house as Buddie's care taker. ;-) I asked Randy the same question and he said 'H!$* no, Buddie is my dog! I would be the person who turned down the president!'

So, what do you think? Would you give your animal (of any species) to the president if he asked? And who is saying that the Obama's only have to get one dog...personally I think there is enough room and help in the white house for more than one animal but what do I know, these are the important issues that our President Elect needs to worry about!

Welcome to the World

2008-11-06T14:47:00.005-06:00

Well, our friends Rob and Nellie just had triplets (Austin, Mathhew, Emily) November 4th. They were born 10 weeks premature but they are all healthy and doing well. I will be her 'surrogate' blogger while she is in the hospital so I will blog about the Aguirre's later. Check out the Walter's blog if you want. I just put pictures up and what sweet children they have!

www.3walterpeas.blogspot.com

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T20:02:00.022-05:00

Happy Halloween Everybody! We are all doing well and enjoying the Fall here in Alabama. We have gone through a corn maze and Randy picked out his very own pumpkin. This blog entry has a lot of pictures...so hang in there.

It was his first time ever carving a pumpkin! He did a great job!

I then tried to take some Halloween pictures. Which as you will see, were a little more difficult than I anticipated.

We also went to a Howl-o-ween party at Petsmart last week. The dogs got treats, had a parade, and had a costume contest. They did not win but I think they were great

Last Saturday, Buddie, Baylee, and I went to a fundraiser for one of the animal shelters here in Enterprise. They had some contests and both dogs got lots of ribbons. Buddie got first place for best trick in the small mutt category! What a performer! Baylee got first place in the tiny mutt catergory for jumping! She jumped over one of those white pvc pipes they use in agility competitions (it was about 4 inches off the ground) but we are so very proud of her. Buddie also got 1st place for: Shortest small Mutt and Hairiest small Mutt. Baylee also got 1st place for: Shortest tiny Mutt

Last but not least, the pictures from Halloween night. They were so good even with the doorbell ringing. They didn't even try to dart out the door. I do have to say that their costumes were better than some of the ones that I saw come to my door. Also, I think that My animals must have been possessed last night, their eyes were glowing in almost every picture!

We hope you all enjoyed the pictures and catching up on what has been going on in our lives over the past few weeks. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Happy Birthday Buddie!

2008-10-29T14:52:00.004-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday Buddie! Well, I can't believe it, our little Buddie is now 1 year old. He is such a sweet sweet boy and so very smart. He is over half way through his puppy training classes and he is definitely the valedictorian. What can I say, he takes after his mom...and his papa. (Which when I tell him and Baylee that Papa is home, they both come running, even Phoebee is starting to follow along!) Well, here is Buddie in his birthday crown.

Happy 1st Birthday to Me!!!

Sticking my tongue out
Another picture mom?

It is not Halloween yet

2008-10-08T20:59:00.014-05:00

I tried to tell my dogs that it was not Halloween yet but they did not listen to me or apparently don't really care what holiday it is or isn't...and did their very best to dye themselves orange Phoebee on the other hand is already orange and is ready for any holiday that includes the color orange.

Phoebee is doing great and getting along with the dogs most of the time. Baylee is still overly excited every time she sees Phoebee but it may go away or it may not but at least they are not biting her and she is not hissing at them ...well maybe a few times. We even had thunder and lightning today and she didn't even get spooked! I am still very optimistic for a long term friendship!

Introducing...

2008-10-04T17:49:00.005-05:00

PHOEBEE RUTH!!! Yes, we must be crazy but here is our newest addition to the family. So far Buddie is doing alright and Baylee just wants to bark at her but I think, with some work on my part, they will all be friends. (Fingers crossed)

Big dog in a little shirt

2008-09-18T16:15:00.008-05:00

As many of you know Buddie has grown a lot since we got him last January. The most famous picture of him is the one of him in his aloha shirt. Now it never covered his whole body but it did fit. The other night I bought Baylee a cute litte dress and decided to put Buddie's shirt on him to see how it fit. Well, here is the result:
Before:

After:

Randy and I got a good laugh out of how his shirt fit but he is still oh so cute! Now for Baylee in her sweet litte summer dress. She heard that the nautical theme was in this season. She wasn't sure about the whole situation at first but then she started prancing around like the princess that she is. (Well, she pranced around until Buddie started trying to bite at the ruffles.)
I am going to dress up as Paris Hilton's dog for Halloween.

From Luau's to Peanut Festivals

2008-09-08T20:26:00.004-05:00

Well we have been in Alabama for about a month and a half now and I have to say...there is not much to do here. The surrounding areas have grown a lot but it is mostly stores they have put in and I haven't been doing to much shopping lately. I even mowed the lawn tonight, who knows, maybe I will take up gardening/yard work...uh who am I kidding. We are loving our house and enjoying being able to drive around instead of just driving in circles or running into the ocean. :-) We went to Panama City, FL last weekend and just relaxed. We rode go-karts, went to a water park, played miniature golf, and went to a brand new movie theatre. I even got to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings!!! (If you don't know, I love chicken wings and they have my favorite sauce...mango habanero!) The dogs got to go to doggie day care and had a blast. Even little Baylee played in the big room with the big dogs. On a side note, she had her last booster shot today for Parvo and they weighed her and she is a whoping 7.3 pounds! She was 3.14 pounds when we got her. She still isn't very big but she is definitely growing. She has lost about 7 teeth in the past week! Buddie is doing well and enjoying having a friend around all the time, you would think he doesn't get enough attention from us every day. He has also started a new behavior, it is like that of a lion. He will crouch down and walk really slowly towards Baylee and then run and pounce on her. Or he will lay on the ground and crawl towards her and then run and pounce on her. They are very silly!

Oh yeah, as for the title of this blog. For those of you who do not know...Alabama is the peanut capitol. They have peanut festivals and everything. What a change from beautiful luau's to painted peanut statues and boiled peanuts (still haven't tried them.)

How is this the same dog

2008-08-28T07:43:00.000-05:00

I was looking at pictures of Buddie this morning and realized that he looks nothing like he did when we got him. He is a totally different dog, I think my parents switched him out when he came to Seattle. :-) He is still so cute and has become a very cuddly dog now that we have air conditioning and he doesn't get so hot...and probably because he was neutered.

3 months old...

10 months old...

A little throwback

2008-08-27T18:51:00.001-05:00

Not to many of you will recognize these signs or stores, only my peeps from the 425 Renton area will know what these are. Okay, enough slang. We used to have a store called Hop-In Grocery where I could go and get .5, .10, and .25 cent candy and bottles of Jolt Cola (a super caffeinated soda). I used to ride my bike the mile to the store with my neighbor, with money ~~stolen~~ borrowed out of my moms purse. Then when I would come home, my brother would go through the bag and take candy from it. He would blackmail me and tell me that if I didn't give him some he would tell mom. What a great brother! ;-) Isn't that what being siblings is all about? Suprisingly, he does not remember doing this. The other place is Chuck's Donuts, an awesome donut store that is still around but doesn't look the same or taste the same. Both places are actually around but they are definitely not what I remember from my younger years.

Baylee Bear's New Do

2008-08-27T12:31:00.000-05:00

Baylee went in for her first haircut today. We attempted to clip her ourselves but that didn't go so well so we took her in. I groomed Buddie the other day and it went well, he does really well with the clippers but not so well with getting his ears cleaned out so I took him in to get that done. Here are some before and after pics of Baylee.
Here I am just taking a stroll

To much hair in my eyes
After my first haircut, I am sooooo cute
Just pondering life and wondering what those machines are

5 1/2 pounds of fluff

2008-08-25T17:12:00.000-05:00

Our little Baylee Bear has become quite the fluff ball. I am almost positive that 3 of her 5 1/2 pounds is just pure fluff. She is a very sweet little girl, most of the time. She is also quite the bully and will get a running start just to jump on her sleeping Buddie. She also thinks that she is ultimate guard dog. Buddie will sit at the door looking out the window while Baylee sits their and does the barking. It is almost as if Buddie gives her this look and she starts barking. I think they are communicating telepathically. This is what I think the conversation sounds like:"Okay Baylee, you bark at what I am looking at. I am older now and they know that I know better than to bark all the time.""Alright, but if I get squirted for barking you better not fall asleep, I will pounce on you and this time I won't let go of your ear."She is quite the instigator but I think Buddie is catching on pretty quickly. She is a little ball of fire but she has the cutest little eyes. When she looks up at you she either has one of two looks; the 'I don't know what you're talking about look' or the 'you have got to be kidding me look'. Here are a few pictures of our new guard dog.I know I am cute and know you can see my eyesGoing crazy after my bathMe and my BuddieVogueing for the cameraEnjoying my new backyardI had to take a picture of Baylee after her bath just like we did with Buddie so here they are, they are so quiet in these pictures.

We're Going to Alabama with a Banjo on our Knee

2008-08-14T17:34:00.000-05:00

Well, we have arrived in Enterprise, AL. We have been here for two weeks now and things are going well. I would almost say they are going great but Buddie had a run in with fire ants and in turn I did also when I was washing him off. So far we have had 2 delivery trucks of household goods. The stuff from Hawaii was unloaded and put away by the 2nd day it was here. The truck with all of my stuff was unloaded a few days ago and is still being gone through. It is like Christmas for me, there are things that I didn't even remember having. I do have to say that it is nice having all of my stuff in one place finally. We do miss our Hawaii friends dearly and are looking forward to seeing some of them soon when they move here. We had a great time in Washington and on our drive down to Alabama. It went pretty smoothly and we also got to see my Van Houten side of the family on our way through Boise. As always, we went to Grandma Archer's and got fed until we couldn't eat anymore! We already saw a couple of friends and their new baby, what a cutie. We also got to see some of our friends that we met when we were in our ATC training back in 2004. Janice was my roommate and Keith and Randy were friends also. They are married and have a son and a baby girl on the way!

We are very excited about our new home. I did have a light pink bathroom that is now painted Vanilla Brandy, so much better than before. I also have a light flourescent green room that will eventually get painted also. We really enjoy having the space and the big backyard. The house is 1900 sqft and the backyard is fenced and has plenty of room for Buddie and Baylee to run free. They are loving it out there, sometimes a little to much and I end up chasing them to get them inside. Randy also got his first propane grill, he was very excited and so was I. I liked it because there is a rotisserie that comes with it and now that we have a grill Randy will cook more! Well, enough talking, here are the pictures. Please ignore some of the clutter, we just moved in! :-)

It might take a little while for some of the photos to load, if you can't see them for some reason let me know and I will just post them normally instead of a slide show.
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Part 2: Twisted Ankles, Pig Control, and Amazing Scenery

2008-07-14T05:07:00.000-05:00

The second part of our hiking day consisted of going to Manoa Falls to swim in the waterfall. Well, due to the lack of rain recently there was only a trickle coming down the waterfall so I got to see the waterfall and imagine what it would look like if the water was crashing down. After that we figured, 'why not hike a little farther?'

There was another trail leading off of the one we were on so we headed up. It was a little rocky and a little slippery at first but it got a little better later on. There were a lot of switchbacks and the elevation went from about 250ft ASL to 1800ft ASL. It was a beautiful hike with lots of bamboo on every side of us. It made a really pretty sound when the wind would blow and knocked the tops of the trees together. There were also warning signs that they were hunting pigs with dogs on certain days. I guess the wild pigs are just running rampant in those hills (unfortunately we didn't get to see any). By the time we got to the top we were muddy and hot and ready for a short break. We did see something that was very interesting though, 2 little old asian ladies had decided to hike up to the top as well, the only thing was that they were wearing white pants, light colored shirts, and slip on shoes. I was amazed because they were not dirty at all, I don't know how they did it but they looked like they had a great time.

On the way down, in the legendary ways of Christy, I twisted my ankles. Yes, I almost made it the whole way down without doing it but I was not that lucky. Of course I twisted them on the flat parts and not on the slippery rocks, the muddy areas, or the intertwined tree roots that were everywhere! No major injuries just a few good laughs. Well, here are a few pictures of our hike. Betsy-if you thought the other ones were high, just wait.

Beginning of our hikeMore gorgeous sceneryNatural tree archWhat a handsome man!Look how big these ferns are! Manoa Falls...just imagine it with lots of water...gorgeousFirst picture stop 1/3 of the way upRandy wasn't there...j/k but doesn't it look like he is super imposed on the scenery?

2/3 of the way up, you can see Diamonhead in the backround (our morning hike) That one is for you Betsy!Close up view of Diamonhead and the oceanBamboo galoreAll the way at the top looking East through the mountainsLooking NorthLooking West towards downtown Another one of the hot tired couple

It was a great last full Saturday in Hawaii! We are going to miss it here and we are definitely going to miss our friends Rob and Nellie, Darcie and family, and all of the wonderful people that we have met. Stay tuned for more pictures and stories of our adventures. I have a few random pictures to add so stay tuned.

Oh yeah, I forgot...we played a game called Chickenfoot (it's a version of dominoes), and Nellie whooped all of us! There I said it, are you happy now Nellie? :-)

Part 1: Red Cheeks, Brow of a Tuna, and Great Views

2008-07-14T03:45:00.000-05:00

Last week I told Randy that before we left Hawaii I would like to hike Diamondhead and swim in a waterfall. Well, we hiked Diamonhead. The afternoon was HOT and as usual my cheeks turned red very fast.

Our first part of the day was up Diamondhead. It wasn't a hard hike and it is only a 8/10 of mile up to the top but we ended up having to park way outside of the park. We tried to park in the parking lot but the lady was turning people around at the entrance, even though there were spots open. It added about a 1/2 mile onto each way of our hike and it saved us $3 since it was only a $1 to get in if you walked in. We had a lot of fun and the views were great. Here are a few pictures. I will put the rest on snapfish so just let me know if you want to see them let me know. The pictures in the blog are a really big file size so if you click on them

*Diamondhead used to be called Laeahi by the ancient Hawaiians. The name means "brow of the tuna" because the silhoutte looks like a tuna. In the 1800's British Sailors renamed it because when they were sailing in they thought that there were diamonds glistening in the lava rock. It turned out to be the calcite crystals. Fort Ruger used to be located at Diamondhead crater and was used for harbor defense. There used to be canons inside of the crater and they built observation decks for target sighting. It is amazing how much history is on the Island of Oahu and just how much the military has enfluenced this beautiful place.

Inside of the crater and were the hike started.
Downtown Waikiki and one of the observation decks.
If you look close enough you can see the Island of Molokai. That is the island the lepers used to be sent to before there was medicine to control their disease.
The happy hot couple.
Shot of Diamondhead from the parking lot.

Check back for Part 2 of our Saturday hiking!

A few short steps

2008-07-12T01:46:00.000-05:00

We only have one full week left in Hawaii. We are both excited to get to Alabama and see our new home and pick up our puppies. Although, I realized that there were a few places that I wanted to see before I left. Tomorrow we are hiking to the top of Diamond Head, an extremely old extinct volcano. Here is a website that has a diagram of the hike. http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Hawaii_Diamondhead.htm

We are also planning on also going to Manoa Falls because I want to see a beautiful waterfall and if possible, swim in it. So we shall see how it goes. It says that you are not supposed to swim in the water but we shall see, I may sneak in for a quick picture. If I can't, we may have to go to the Audobon Society and hike to the waterfall they have on their property. I will definitely have pictures to post after tomorrow.

Oh yeah, it will be about 3 1/4 miles for the Diamond Head hike and about 3 miles for the Manoa Falls Hike so I am sure that tomorrow evening I will sleep very well.

Sweet Baylee Bear

2008-07-07T19:01:00.000-05:00

Here are the most recent pictures of Baylee! She is 11 weeks old in these pictures. We get to pick her up in just 2 weeks!

I am going to win this race!

If this grass was any longer I would disappear.
I know, you still can't see my eyes.
Just watching over my queendom.

2 weeks left

2008-07-07T03:17:00.000-05:00

Well, only 2 weeks left until we leave Hawaii and start our journey to Alabama. We are staying with our wonderful friends Rob and Nellie until we leave. We are so thankful for their friendship and that we have air conditioning while we stay with them! :-) I put a few pictures that we have taken over the last few weeks. The group picture was our Father's Day Lunch at Bubba Gump's. It was a great meal and great company. The other pictures are from when we were downtown this last week. Check back soon for pics from the 4th of July Billy Ray Cyrus concert!

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4 day weekend

2008-06-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

We are moved out of our apartment!!!! Woohoo!!! The property manager said it was very clean so hopefully we get most of our deposit back. I scrubbed and scrubbed everything in that house, Randy did 3 ceiling fans...or as he said, 'No, I did 3 light fixtures.' We are now at our Wyndham Waikiki resort room. It is a pretty nice room and we are very happy to be here just relaxing and enjoying our weekend in town and celebrating our 2 year anniversary that is on Monday the 3oth. I took a few pictures of the room. A very spacious, clean, and well decorated room. Randy's favorite part are the 2 flat screen TV's.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-06-18T16:23:00.001-05:00

Alot has been going on in the Aguirre household. We are getting ready to move to Alabama, our friends family came into town so we got to do tourist stuff, our new puppy is 8 1/2 weeks old (we get to pick her up in 5 weeks!), and so much more. I will add pictures over the next few days and keep updating. The movers will be coming to pick up our household goods on Monday so I will be very busy between now and the 27th when we move out of our Hawaii home. For now, here are some pictures of Baylee Bear! Oh yeah, Buddie is having a great time in Washington and is really enjoying the cool weather and spending time with this Grandparents and Faith and Toebee.

Just hanging out in the mountains.
Yes, I do have eyes...they are like my mommies...dark brown.
That stick doesn't even see me coming. You have taken 8 pictures already, no more!

Bye Bye Buddie Day

2008-05-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

Well Buddie is now in Renton with my parents. He is doing fine although he did not sleep from the time they picked him up at 10pm last night until 740am Saturday morning. My parents are definitely going to have their hands full for the next 2 months.

On Thursday Randy I took Buddie for a 2 mile walk and then to the dog park for about an hour. We decided it was time to go when he just laid down by my feet and wouldn't move. He was very tired. Buddie got to see all of his favorite friends before he left: Pepper the pitbull/dachsund mix, Boots the min pin, and Sally the beagle. He is such a sweet boy and even our former mail lady came by our house to say bye to him. We miss our little boy but can't wait to go pick him and his little sister Baylee up and drive to our new home in AL. Oh yeah, and not only is Buddie gone now, Randy had to go to the field today (he found out Wednesday evening) and won't be back until the second week of June. So my plans for the next few weeks: go to the beach!!!!!

Once we checked Buddie in we got to keep him until 11am and took him to the beach so he could have one last Hawaii experience. He didn't get to dig or play in the water because we didn't want him to get dirty but he got to smell all the smells and run in the grass. We even took him to one last HI pet store. It was a very good ~~end~~ beginning to his big adventure.

Here is the last picture that we took with Buddie:

Before I was a dog Mom

2008-05-11T19:52:00.000-05:00

I got this from another dog website, thought you would enjoy it:)

Before I was a Dog Mom:I made and ate hot meals unmolested.I had unstained, unfurred clothes.I had quiet conversations on the phone,even if the doorbell rang.

Before I was a Dog Mom:I slept as late as I wantedand never worried about how late I got to bedor if I could get into my bed.
Before I was a Dog Mom:I cleaned my house every day.I never tripped over toys, stuffies, chewiesor invited the neighbor's dog over to play.
Before I was a Dog Mom:I didn't worry if my plants, cleansers,plastic bags, toilet paper, soap or deodorantwere poisonous or dangerous.
Before I was a Dog Mom:I had never been peed on,pooped on, drooled on,chewed on or pinched by puppy teeth.
Before I was a Dog Mom:I had complete control of my thoughts,my body and mind.I slept all night without sharing the covers or pillow.

Before I was a Dog Mom:I never looked into big, soulful eyes and cried.I never felt my heart break into a million pieceswhen I couldn't stop a hurt.I never knew something so furry and four-legged could affect my heart so deeply.
Before I was a Dog Mom:I had never held a sleeping puppyjust because I couldn't put it down.I had never gotten up in the middle of the nightevery 10 minutes to make sure all was well.I didn't know how warm it feels insideto feed a hungry puppy.I didn't know that something so smallcould make me feel so important.
Before I was a Dog Mom:I had never known the warmth, the joy,the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being A Dog Mom.

Happy Mom's Day...Are you doing anything special with your pups today?

National Pet Week

2008-05-11T01:59:00.001-05:00

In honor of last week being National Pet Week Buddie would like to say thank you to all of his friends and family for being so loving and wonderful to him. He would also like to let his WA peeps know that he likes walks, bananas, lots of kisses, bananas, other dogs, tug-o-war, humans, and bananas in moderation.

We took Buddie to get his health certificate today so that he can fly to Seattle and stay at Grandma and Grandpa V's for a couple of months until we come to pick him up and drive to AL. After his final vet visit in HI we went downtown to the Pet Expo 2008 in Honolulu. There were lots of different vendors and demonstrations but best of all it was pet friendly so Buddie got to have a day just for him. He saw so many dogs and was smiling the whole time. He even got his very first party shirt!

ALOOOOOOHA!!!

Red is my color!

Great Idea

2008-05-08T19:38:00.000-05:00

I took Buddie to the dog park last night. In my head I was thinking, 'He is going to the groomers tomorrow so it will be okay if he gets a little bit dirty.' Needless to say it started pouring down rain and we still had to ~~walk~~ run home.

Rain+Red Dirt=One Dirty Dog

It is hard work looking handsome!

I have a bee in my bonnet!

If You Can...

2008-05-07T03:33:00.000-05:00

...start the day without caffeine
...get going without pep pills
...always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains
...resist complaining and boring people with your troubles
...eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it
...take criticism and blame without resentment
...overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong
...ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him
...resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend
...face the world without lies and deceit
...conquer tension without medical help
...understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time
...relax without liquor
...sleep without the aid of drugs
...honestly, that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics
Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog!

Author Unknown

I was just browsing the internet looking at websites, okay okay, different dog websites and I came across this poem. It really made me think about how I live my life everyday and just how wonderful all of the dogs in my life are.

(http://www.valorgoldens.com/index.html -website I was looking at)

Baylee Bear

2008-05-05T17:54:00.000-05:00

Buddie is going to be a big brother!!! We are getting a new puppy when we go to Washington. She is the same breed as Buddie and we decided that due to the social nature of our little boy that it was absolutely necessary to get him a friend. In these pictures she is about 2 weeks old. She will be 13 weeks old when we get her in July. As you may notice I spelled Baylee a little different but hey, I had to make it original. The Lee part is because my middle name is Lee and the Bear part is because Baylee's moms name is Claire Bear. We named Buddie 'no middle name' Aguirre after his dad because Randy doesn't have a middle name. This also gives me the freedom to substitute names for his middle name, it can be fun sometimes. When I get new pictures I will post them! We are all very excited about the new addition to our family. A little bit sad because Buddie will be going to WA on the 16th so that we make sure that he travels before it gets to hot over here. We will miss the little ball of fur and personality. For those of you in WA, enjoy him while he is there, you cannot keep him. Love you all!

Yes, I know, I kind of look like a Guinea Pig. I will grow out of it.

I know, I have a cute back.

I am trying to stand up, give me a week.

And a very Happy Unbirthday to ME!!!

2008-04-29T04:05:00.000-05:00

Today is Buddie's 1/2 birthday. He is now 6 months old and as you can see from the pictures below he has grown into a healthy little boy. When we got him a little over 3 months ago he weighed 6.5lbs and he knows weighs a hefty 14lbs. He is pretty much full grown now and won't be getting much bigger.

As many of you know I started Weight Watchers in January and have lost 18lbs as of yesterday. I have a little ways to go but I am very excited and proud of my acclompishment. I am also very proud of my friends who have taken on the weight loss struggle with me. To all of you, you are an inspiration and huge support to me. Thanks!!

Aren't They Beautiful

2008-04-22T21:48:00.001-05:00

Agnew Girls and Us at dinner in Honolulu

Polynesian Cultural Center

2008-04-08T03:18:00.000-05:00

Today I got to spend the whole day with the Agnew Family. We had so much fun and it was great to see all of them. I only have a few pictures but I will get more once Corrie gets home and sends them to me. The PCC was really fun and very interesting. They had presentations that were put on by locals from each specific island. We didn't go see the show at night but I am planning on going back with Randy and see the show.

Making fire with 2 sticks, yes, it can be done.

Float from one of the islands.

The 6 of us. What a beautiful group of people.

I would also like to say thanks to Darcie for watching Buddie so that I could spend the day with my friends. Here is a picture of Buddie when we went for a drive the other day. He has realized that he no longer fits on the middle console anymore, our little boy is growing up.

Aren't they cute!

I just realized...

2008-04-07T03:31:00.001-05:00

...that it has been almost a month since I last posted. Check back in soon for pictures of the most recent happenings in our world. I was out on the other side of the island today and had somebody take this picture of me so that you all don't forget what I look like and so that you could see what bad weather looks like in Hawaii! (It was a rainy breezy 70 degrees today.)

These pictures were taken in the same lookout point but the top one was facing south and the bottom one was taken facing north.

Buddie and his buddy

2008-03-09T03:39:00.000-05:00

This is Buddie's best friend Pepper. They love playing with each other every chance they get. Buddie even cries when we are outside Pepper's door waiting for him to go walking with us. Pepper is 1/2 Pitbull and 1/2 Dachsund (we don't know how that happened) but amazingly enough Buddie is the one who usually instigates the wrestling matches. The only time that Pepper ever made him squeal was because he was standing on his ears, silly boys.

My New Do (From Buddies point of view)

2008-03-06T14:54:00.000-06:00

I can see the world in a whole new light now. Mom took me to Ann-Marie's House today, I had never met her but she seemed pretty nice. She picked me up and told me how cute and fluffy I was but of course I already knew that, I hear that a lot but don't worry...I am not letting it go to my head. I finally got all of my puppy shots so it was time for my first haircut and boy did I need one. One more thing, when I would go to the vet and get my shots Dr. Waters told my mom that I was one of her best vaccination patients. I don't know exactly what that means but I love Dr. Waters, she gives me treats everytime I go. I think she might do it to distract me from the little needle she pokes in me but I hardly feel it and I am pretty sure she is doing it for my own good. Overall, I get the feeling that I am a pretty special dog. I have lots of toys, great food and treats, and everybody I see wants to pet me...maybe I am famous but who knows. Here are my before and after shots, in case you want to see what I look like.

BEFORE

AFTER

By the way, if you want to see videos of me...(once again, I think I must be famous)...you can go to www.youtube.com and type in aguirre0630.

I hope you enjoyed my pictures, there will be more to come so keep checking in!

Sunset Beach

2008-02-20T03:45:00.001-06:00

So beautiful!

Ka Huaka'i

2008-02-18T00:39:00.000-06:00

I know this is long but please read the whole thing. Thanks.

It is late Sunday morning and I pull up to a small rundown building at a little park about 30 minutes from my house. There are about 30 people sitting around two long tables on folding chairs listening to a soft spoken but passionate man as we walk in. There are also two seperate tables with a total of 10 kids altogether doing the same thing that the adults were doing but on a different scale. An hour or so goes by and everybody gets up, moves the folding chairs and finds a seat. A small stage with a projector screen and a few decorations, 3 microphones, and a music stand are all that is in front of me. Three people go to the microphones and start praise and worship time. No organ, no quitar, no piano, no choir...just 3 microphones and 3 beautiful children of God singing to an instrumental version of the song we are singing. A few songs go by, a prayer, and up walks a man in khakis and a hawaiian shirt. No robes, no priest attire, just regular everyday hawaiian attire. With the sound of basketballs bouncing in the backround, a sermon about processes we go through from a man who God has called to become a pastor. With attentiveness that I have not seen in a very long time from children or adults we listen, for an hour, to one of the most meaningful sermons that I have heard in a long time. A prayer, another song or two, and we pick up the chairs, the tables, the audio video equipment, and then fellowship. Laughing and smiling everybody heads outside to go home. For the first time in a long time I look forward to next Sunday, where 40 of God's children, 50 or so folding chairs (a few extra for visitors), 3 microphones, a projector, and a music stand await me. Now that's what I call Church. Ka Huaka'i...The Journey.

I got invited to church last week by the lady that owns Pepper, the dog who Buddie has play dates with. She told me about the church and it sounded interesting to me so I decided to go. I was greeted last week by 39 of the most genuine people I have met in a long time. They weren't there out of an obligation to family, friends, or feelings of guilt. They were there out of a love for God that many people who go to church have forgotten over the years. I got introduced and was presented with a lei (only in Hawaii). I know people say that when you visit a church they are overly friendly because they want you to come back for their numbers or they want to convert you. I have been to churches where it definitely felt that I was only a number to them, this is definitely not one of those times. I was approached with genuine hearts and asked where I came from, what I did, what brought me to Hawaii, and so many other questions not about my religious backround but about me and my journey. Today before I left the pastor gave me a hug, which most of you know, hugs are very important in my life. If you have ever heard somebody say, they spoke to my heart, this is what pastor did. He spoke to my heart from his heart and with a look of pure joy told me that he was so happy that I had come back and that I had come to church today. I thank God that through Buddie I met Darcie and that she, in a world where talking about God is taboo, she invited me to church.

The church is a mission church that is sponsored by First Missionary Baptist Church in Fresno, CA. Ka Huaka'i, The Journey MBC is the name of the church that I am going to. I cannot think of a better name for a church than The Journey. All of us are on a journey and who better to be with us on that journey but God.

Click here to go to the church website

Internationally Known at Sunset Beach

2008-02-17T20:25:00.000-06:00

"We are from Australia and we do strange things," said that Australian tourist.
With a puzzled but very interested look I say, "Okay, what do you need?"
"We are on an amazing race/scavenger hunt and we were wondering if we could take a picture of your dog in the back of your truck," says the funny australian man.
"No problem," I said as I put Buddie in the back of the truck.

Buddie perched his front feet on the tailgate of the truck and with his most charming smile he waited for his picture to be taken. So, my puppy is now internationally known but he is not letting his fame get to his head...to much.

We took Buddie to Sunset Beach yesterday and he had so much fun. He didn't really like the ocean very much (see video). He didn't dig very much but he had fun and was very good on the car ride. We drove around the whole Island yesterday also which was beautiful and took about an hour if we wouldn't have stopped anywhere. Buddie even found his very own place to sleep in the truck.

Crazy Eye

2008-02-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

Buddie had his first play date today with his friend Pepper. Buddie was definitely giving him the 'eye' to let him know who is in charge. Make sure you click on the picture to the get the full effect.

Digging to China

2008-02-06T21:17:00.000-06:00

Buddie and I go check the mail together every day, except Sundays of course. Today when we went to go check the mail Buddies friend Menami was playing at the playground. She is an 8 year old girl who absolutely adores Buddie and will play with him for hours if she could. So today, she took him and ran around with him and took him in the playground sand. Needless to say, he realized that he can dig. He had a blast as you can tell by the pictures and the video.

He has a very dark red beard...

Super Bowl Prep for our Giants fan

2008-02-04T14:05:00.000-06:00

Well, let me see. I have figured out how to get Buddie to calm down for about 2 hours. After his bath he gets wrapped in a towel to dry off and he just falls asleep. Now before you say, 'that is mean to just give him a bath to make him go to sleep', I only bathe him once a week. He is oh so cute wrapped in his little towel though.

GIANTS FAN
Buddie went to his first Super Bowl party yesterday and just like every other outing that we go to he had a great time. He loves everybody and thinks that the reason that we all get together is for him. He is not shy at all! So on to why I know he is a Giants fan. We were all sitting there watching the game and the Patriots made a nice play and he started barking and getting very uhappy about what had just happened. Now in the last few minutes when the Giants were about to score he got very excited and when they scored he started jumping and giving me kisses. The patriots fan whose house we were at told him he could not come over again. (He was joking though) He also played with his little football for most of the game. Somebody please send me a soccer ball...my dog is straying from the real sport of futbol!

It only took a week...

2008-01-28T19:36:00.000-06:00

for Buddie to love people as much as I do.
for Buddie to wrap Randy around his little paw.
for me to get 'somewhat' used to waking up for 2AM potty breaks.
for his Grandma to think that he is her puppy.
for him to get his first card from his Auntie Lorae and her mom.
for him to think that everybody that walks by is supposed to pet him and love him.
for him to figure out that he can sneak out of the living room by going behind the couch.
for him to know where his food is and when I am getting ready to feed him.
for me to show him off to everybody I know on the island.
for me to figure out that he loves to be outside.
for Randy to turn into a 'toy' for Buddie.
for him to realize how adorable he is.
for him to learn to sit and lay down.
for me to love Buddie more than anything!

Buddie and his cookie

2008-01-24T15:51:00.000-06:00

I am still trying to figure out how to shorten videos but here is the first video of our Lil' Buddie.

Introducing....LIL' BUDDIE

2008-01-21T01:22:00.000-06:00

We got a puppy!!! He is almost 3 months old. He is 1/2 Shih Tzu and 1/2 Bichon Frise. He currently weighs about 6 lbs. and probably won't get to much bigger. He is what they call a Teddy Bear dog. He is definitely a fluff ball and all hair. I was looking for a unique name but I decided after watching him for a couple of days that he is going to be everybody's buddy. He follows me into the kitchen and just lays there waiting for me to be finished, he waits outside the bathroom for us, and he definitely loves a good cuddle time. He also likes to chew our wood furniture and likes to 'help' me fold clothes. We are in the process of potty trainig and crate training so wish us luck. He is a great little boy and so cute! Yes, I know I spelled Buddie wrong but I also spell Toby (Toebee)!

Oh yeah, did I mention that he talks back. We tell him 'No', he barks at us.

Christmas in Tennessee

2008-01-16T17:56:00.000-06:00

Here are just a few of the pictures of our Tennessee Christmas with the kids. We had a blast! We went to an aquarium, rode up the mountain in a tram, rode a ski lift and came down on the alpine slide, made cookies, made a fire, played games, watched movies, went black light golfing, ate at Chick-fil-a and Sonic, drove go-karts (or go cars as Emma called them), went in an upside down building (Wonderworks), went to Dollywood, went on roller coasters (Jared's first ever), opened presents, made smores, Emma and I went ice skating, and oh so much more! I hope that everybody had a wonderful Christmas and New Years, I know that our family did!

BubbleShare: Share photos - Play some Online Games.

Vacation!!!

2007-12-20T15:26:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to let everybody know that I probably won't be updating until I get back from my trip to Tennessee. Randy and I are going to Chicago to pick up his kids and then driving to Gatlinburg, TN to spend Christmas in a cabin in the Smokey Mountains. Yeah!!!

Also, I would like to say welcome back to my friend Elizabeth who is returning from 15 months in Iraq...Today (Thursday). Welcome back sweetie!!!! And also a welcome back to Ross, my former boss! I miss you and your families so much and can't wait to see you again soon. Thank you for your friendship and support.

FSC

2007-12-19T14:35:00.000-06:00

I have the coolest channel ever on my TV. I just wanted to share that with everybody. Oh yeah, it is called Fox Soccer Channel. Nothing but soccer programs, who needs ESPN.

A funny story (from my mom)

2007-12-14T17:31:00.001-06:00

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmation dog.
The children started discussing what the dog's duties might be. 'They use him to keep crowds back,' said one youngster.
'No,' said another, 'he's just for good luck.'
A third child concluded. 'No silly, they use the dogs to find the fire hydrant!'

Nana ka maka; ho`olohe ka pepeiao; pa`a ka waha.

2007-11-26T14:55:00.000-06:00

Translation: Observe with the eyes; listen with the ears; shut the mouth.

Meaning: Thus one learns.

I was looking on the internet and found that there are many interesting phrases in the Hawaiian language. I found the one above to be amusing so I decided to share it with all of you. I think that many of us, including myself, could use this advice at times.

A few weeks ago we went to a Lu'au and oh what fun it was. We went with our friends Rob and Nellie and three of their friends who are visiting from the mainland (continental United States). When we arrived we were greated with a Mai Tai and a flower Lei. There was Hawaiian music being played and it was beautiful. We got shown to our seats, which were right in front of the stage, but it wasn't time to sit down yet. We of course walked over to the beach area where I got to be the Queen for 2 minutes while 3 men took me for a canoe ride.

After that the girls made Lei's for our wrists, ankles, and hair. It was so much fun! The men were showing off there skills at spear throwing. Well I don't know if you can call it skill but they sure were doing there best. After that we all got 'tatooes'. We even got to see them bring the pig out of the ground that we ate for dinner that night. The food was great and the show was even better. We got Kalua Pork, fish, fried chicken, rice, and desert...and oh year 4 drink tickets. This ones for you mom...we had Long Islands, Tropical Itches, and MAI TAI'S.

It wasn't until the sun set...

...that the real party started. The show was great! I don't know if I can explain in words how beautiful the hula girls and guys were. So, I have pictures for all of you. The best part of the whole show though was at the end when our waitress grabbed Randy and dragged him to the stage. He got to dance the hula with one of the girls, just him on stage with her. It was the best show ever! He was wearing...well, just scroll down and you will see.

Keep scrolling...

Wasn't that the best show ever!! We had a blast and I highly suggest that if you ever come to Oahu that you go to the Paradise Cove Luau. Great food, great entertainment, and great memories!

Just a few pictures

2007-11-13T18:59:00.000-06:00

Here are few pictures of last Sunday when we went out for Banana Pancakes with Macadamia Nut Sauce. I was going to take pictures but they smelled so good I had to eat them right away (plus I forgot). I will take a picture next time because I will definitely be back for this delicacy again. We went to a little beach and took a few pictures. The water was very calm and it was beautiful as most of the beaches have been. It was also our friend Rob's birthday. It was the third day that he had celebrated...I think that I am going to start celebrating my birthday like him!

Bellows Beach

2007-10-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

I went to the beach in Hawaii for the first time ever! We went to Bellows Beach which has a private area which is on the Air Force Base. Well, I had been to the beach but I hadn't been swimming. We went with two of our friends Rob and Nellie. Randy works with Rob and Nellie is the one that showed me around when I first got to Hawaii. Rob brought 3 boogie boards so we had lots of fun trying not to get crushed by the waves. Randy yelled over told me and said that he was treading water...which he cannot do...but when I turned to look at him he was holding onto his board. So, I am going to have to continue to work on that with him. I had a blast swimming! I love the water and can't believe that I hadn't made it out there until today. We are going to purchase some boogie boards of our own now also. Here are some pictures from our day today!

...notice the one of me sitting in the water and Randy standing over the top of me. He was not following the rules while we were swimming but I did my best to take him down with me.

New Apartment Pics, Halloween, and Herbs

2007-10-23T01:57:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody, so here are the long awaited furnished apartment pictures. I also got a few Halloween/Fall decorations to make the place a little more like home. I have also decided that I am going to grow a few herbs instead of more flowers...they are more functional plus my Cinnamon Basil has grown tremendously since I got it a month ago. I added some pictures of some plants that are outside my gate and a shot coming towards our house. Hope all is well with everybody!!! I will put some more pictures up soon and maybe a video of the area.

BubbleShare: Share photos - halloween photos

My Puppies!!!

2007-10-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

Oops...time went by quick

2007-10-18T03:22:00.000-05:00

Well, I just looked at my blog and realized I hadn't posted anything in a few weeks. Now normally that would be no big deal but considering I am home all day, not working, and just doing homemaker stuff I should have put more stuff on my blog than I have. Oops! Things have been going well in Hawaii and the apartment is coming together piece by piece. The last piece of furniture we really have to get is a computer desk. I will put up pictures in the next day or so of all the new furniture and my basil plant that has grown a lot since the last picture. Hope all is well with everybody! The weather here has been awesome and if any of you are planning on visiting one of the islands let me know...maybe I will get to come visit! Love you all!

Ceramics, Girl Time, and Volunteering

2007-09-23T03:37:00.000-05:00

As many of you know I really enjoy doing different types of arts and crafts. Whether it be scrap booking, card making, knitting, cross stitch, and now ceramics I am there. This morning a few of the other spouses that I have met since I got here got together at the craft building on post and painted ceramics. We got there at 10:00 AM and didn't leave until 3:15 PM. We had a great time and for my first time working with ceramics I have to say I didn't do to bad. I have been meeting new people already (no surprise). I have met many of the people that live in my cul d sac and a few spouses of soldiers in Randy's company. We plan on going back to do ceramics again next weekend so stand by for more pictures of my beautiful work (I am going to paint the boy that goes with my girl). I even bought my own brushes to make some of the detail work a little easier next time. I also went up to the elementary school that is just up the street and volunteered if they need me. As of right now I will be helping to tutor some kindergarten students on numbers. It will be twice a week as of right now but I am really excited and the lady said she would write me a letter of recommendation when I am done! That is it for now...not exactly sure when Randy comes in yet but I will keep ya'll posted.

Hawaii...I made it!

2007-09-21T13:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I made it to Hawaii on Wednesday with only one minor glitch. When I went to get my rental car I found out that only tourists can use a debit card at Alamo car rental. Unless you have a return ticket you have to use a credit card. So, needless to say I didn't have the money on my credit card at the time. I know it is business but I was a little frustrated with the whole thing. It all got worked out though and I got a car and found my way to my new apartment. (Slideshow at the end of the post) It is very nice! I spent my first day basically going to Wal-mart for a few things and sleeping. The next day I ventured out and found Home Depot and Costco and made it back to my apartment without getting lost! I know, it's an island, I can't get to lost or I will be in the ocean. I also planted a few flower pots so that it looks a little more like somebody lives her since I have no furniture. I am sleeping on an air mattress which is also substituting as a dining room table, couch, and chair. So all in all things are going well. I have met a lot of my neighbors and they are all very nice and have already invited me and Randy to the Halloween block party they have. So...here are the pictures of the apartment and my flowers. Randy should be back by the middle of next week so I have a few days to relax and just hang out in beautiful Hawaii. Thanks again to everybody for a wonderful summer!

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A few pictures from my summer!!!

2007-09-06T00:33:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures I promised were coming. The first ones are from the Tacoma Rainers game that I went to with Lorae, her parents, and some of her co-workers. The next ones are ok Kristen and I at Camp Indianola. Indianola was the camp that I went to growing up and I met Kristen there when we were 8. The next ones are from when I went horseback riding. Bandit was a little reluctant at first but he warmed up to me. The rest of the pictures are from dinner at Maggianos Little Italy in Bellevue. It was a great restaurant and Lorae and I had a blast catching up with our friend Adair from SPU. My friend Chris ordered a 'full' size Spaghetti and when it arrived we were sure that they had given him a meal for 4. I have been having a great summer and been spending some quality time with my friends and family. I will be leaving on the 19th to head to Hawaii to meet up with Randy who should be back in about 2 1/2 weeks!!! It has been a long road but I sure do miss him and am very excited to start living as a 'normal' married couple. Hope all is well with everybody and thanks for the great memories from this summer and the past years!!!

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Check Back In Soon

2007-09-02T01:43:00.000-05:00

Hello Everybody!!! I just wanted to write a short note to let everybody know to check back in soon because I am going to put another slideshow of pictures on the blog. I have had a few adventures lately so I thought I should share my wonderful times with you all! Hope everybody had a great summer and hope all my teacher friends are ready for their new school years!!! Here is a preveiw of what is to come...

CHICAGO!!!!!

2007-08-28T17:02:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been a great summer at home in Washington. I have got to spend time with my friends and family and it has been awesome! One of the best parts of the summer was that I got to go to the Chicago conert with my mom, dad, and best friend Lorae. The concert was at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA. We had a great time sitting on our blanket eating cheese, crackers, fruit, homemade humus and pita bread (Thanks Jill), and drinking great wine. It was to dark to get videos of my dad's 'original' dancing. Needless to say, if they ever come back to WA or wherever I may be living at the time I will be flying home to see them. I hope you enjoy the pictures! I will try and get a little clip of the concert on the blog soon also. Oh yeah, Lorae and I got some silly string at the store and surprised my parents!

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MY GIRLS!!!!

2007-07-26T02:02:00.001-05:00

I just had to put a couple pictures on here tonight before I went to bed. My mom and I traveled out to the 'boonies' to see the 3 girls that I have held since the day they came home from the hospital. They are growing up so fast and I was so excited to see them!!! Aren't they beautiful!!! Some of you also know that the youngest had leukemia. She is doing great and is currently in remission.

Such a Small World

2007-07-24T01:07:00.000-05:00

So today I was very lucky to be able to get a massage at InSpa. It was a great 1 1/2 hours that I got to relax and not have to think or do anything. I was able to stick to the not doing anything part but the not thinking part lasted all of 10 minutes. Then I would start thinking about different stuff and when I realized I was thinking about all sorts of things I had to remind myself to stop thinking. Eventually I relaxed enough that I was able to just lay there and enjoy. Thanks mom for the gift card!!!!

So, to explain how my new craft got started I have to explain a short encounter. So here goes it; About 3 days after I got back into town I went to have coffee with my Pastor. When I was leaving I had a young lady give me this story of how they ran out of gas and so on. So I decided to go against my better judgement and buy a gas can, fill it with 5 gallons of gas, and go back to give it to them. To my surprise...THEY WERE GONE!!! So, I was turning around in the parking lot when I passed this young lady with two kids and asked her if she wanted the gas because I didn't want to keep it in my car. So, I emptied the gas into her tank, we said our Thank Yous, and we went our separate ways. The following Sunday when I went to church guess who was standing by the front door but the lady I had given the gas to. It turns out that she goes to my church! So that is my story of just how small this world can be sometimes. SO...as we got to talking she offered to teach me to knit. As my first project I am sure you can imagine what I am making....A POTHOLDER!!! I would like to be able to get to the point that I can make some more advanced projects but I am working slowly in order to make sure that I learn correctly. So thanks Vanessa for teaching me to knit and being such a great listener and sharing your experiences with me. I will be back to learn more.

I also got to enjoy some scrapbooking time with another young woman from my church. I took a picture of my LO (layout for those who don't know scrap speak) I know it is difficult to see but I don't have a scanner right now. We had a great dinner and some great conversation. We have to get together again soon so that we can make some more pages and of course catch up on the rest of the happenings in each others lives. Thanks for stopping by Paula! All in all, I had a pretty good day and really enjoyed getting to spend some time with two amazing women.

For You Jenny

2007-07-19T15:26:00.001-05:00

So, I took some pictures of food on Brian's and my trip from TX to WA. I can only find one right now but I will find the other pictures that I took and add them to this post.

Brian and I went to a Flea Market in New Mexico and the only thing that we bought was some Fry Bread. Basically, you drop the dough in some really hot oil and then cover it with a topping of your choice.

A.K.A The Elephant Ear

We also had a variety of other foods that were a little better for us but most of those pictures are missing at this time. We did have some very good Rainier Cherries.

We also filled our tummies with...

I will post a couple of other food pictures once I find them! Hope you enjoy the first picture Jenny!!

Diesel Fried Chicken

2007-07-07T23:05:00.000-05:00

"It was a bit greasy but it went down quick." - B. Van Houten

So, we started our road trip at 3 AM from Hutto, TX. We decided that we just wanted to start heading out of town while we were awake anyways. We ended up stopping in the hometown of Lyndon B. Johnson. We left around noon and continued on our way out of Texas. So now comes the first funny story:

Brian and I had been on the road for around 6 hours. I was driving at the time when we passed a sign for gas. I pulled in to the parking lot and the gas was kind of pricey but I asked Brian what he thought we should do. 'We should be fine, let's just go a little further down the road.' Okay I say...being the good obedient sister. As we get down the road the gas light comes on. Guess what, no gas stations. We finally get to one and gas was $3.39 p/gal. So being the smart kids that we are we decided to get 3 gallons and fill up further down the road. So we start back on our way and guess what....gas light, again. So we pull off and get 2 more gallons of gas for $3.25 p/gal. The next town is about 23 miles away. So I am driving, not stomping on the gas, going up and down hills trying to make sure that we make it without puttering to a fuelless stop. About 10 minutes away from Van Horn, TX...GAS LIGHT!!! So if I count correctly...3 low fuel lights in 45 minutes, approx. $17.00 for 5 gallons of gas, and the fact that I, the little sister, was correct when I said we should get gas and pulled into the gas station. :-) Needless to say we were laughing pretty hard. But hey, if we had run out of gas we could have just dropped my car off the trailer and drove to get some. So see, we had a plan.

Washington or Bust! Thank Yous First

2007-07-06T16:38:00.000-05:00

Well, first things first. I am out of of the Army! Second, due to a few different circumstances I decided to move all of my household goods to Renton approximately 4 days ago (Tues). So, after realizing it would cost a small fortune to have somebody move it for me I decided it would only cost a smaller fortune to do it myself...with a little help that is. So first off, thanks to my parents for the gas money and all the help with making sure my car is safe for me to drive. (Even though it is sitting on a car carrier behind the Penske truck right now.) Next, thanks go to my brother who flew in last night (Thursday night at 1000) to help me drive this rig up to Washington. Even with getting lost on my way to the airport which I have been to many, many times in Austin. And then we got back to my Sister-In-Laws house to finish loading up the truck. Thanks to Megan who let me borrow her husband the day after their 2 year anniversary. A few more thanks and then I will make another blog with pictures and updates on our trip. Thanks to my Sister-In-Law Linda for keeping all of my stuff in her garage for so long, car included, and for helping me unload everything when I brought it down there and helping to load up half of it this time. Also, thanks to Nicole and Raven, two of my nieces who helped pack up the truck also. Almost done, I would like to thank Gail for being such a great listener and for helping to take care of me as if I was her own daughter. And thanks to Sami for always making me laugh. Last but not least, to Dedra, Ross, and my boys for including me in your family. I also want to say thank you to everybody who has been praying for me over the past years and especially lately as I have been going through so much change and start some new adventures in my life.

Plus, I am writing this post in the moving truck driving down the freeway. My brother set up his phone to be used as a modem so we have internet while we drive, as long as we aren’t going through an area without coverage. I still cannot believe how much technology has changed since the big gray phone that weighed as much as a small dog.

24!!!!

2007-03-28T12:34:00.000-05:00

When I got back from Iraq last year I borrowed Seasons 1-4 of 24. I was so addicted to this show that I would watch it in the morning after PT while I was getting ready for work, I would watch it at lunch, I would watch it when I got home from work, and on the weekends. Needless to say I finished all 4 seasons pretty quickly. The only problem with this was that when I finished Season 4 I could not start watching Season 5 in the middle so I was stuck not watching it at all. What a shame that was and it was so hard for me to not watch the rest of the season on TV. Well, due to the fact that I am in Iraq and we can pretty much get any movie or TV show that you can think of. (Even if it has just come out in theatres...we can usually get it.) So I am now watching Season 5 and I am so excited that I can hardly stand it! I am switching to the night shift in a few days so I have to adjust my body to a different sleeping pattern and I thought it was going to be hard to stay up tonight but NOT anymore!!!

I only have one question for those of you who have seen this season...why is everybody dying so quickly? I mean I am pretty sure that I know but the suspense is killing me and I can once again feel the addiction to this show coming back. I thought that maybe it would take a little while for it to come back but I guess not. I was totally addicted within the first 5 minutes and 23 seconds. I just wanted to let everybody know how excited I was at this moment in time! Now, if any of you feel that it would be funny to tell me what happens later on in this season I will have to promptly delete your comment from my page. That also means don't tell me about Season 6 either. Well... on to Episode 2!!

My Toebee Layout

2007-03-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

Well I wanted to put this layout on here tonight since I have not been able to use the internet lately. This layout if for Toebee obviously...hope you enjoy it. I am still trying to figure out the whole digiscrap thing but I am working on it. I will write an update in the next day or so. Hope everybody is doing well and I will talk to you soon. Thank you to all of those who sent me the wonderful birthday wishes and birthday boxes!!! I had so much fun reading the messages and opening the presents. I miss all of you!

The Finer Things In Life

2007-03-13T16:48:00.000-05:00

I know, you are all thinking I am going to write about wine, beautiful jewelry, fancy houses, or something to that extent right? Well, turns out that I have realized that some of the finer things in life are the things that everybody takes for granted. Such as fresh smelling air, cooking what you want every night, being with your loved ones whenver you feel like it, not being limited to what you can do on any given day, and CINNABONS! Yes, I said it Cinnabons. Now not to discredit the things I said before that because those really are the finer things in life. Since I can't have those things right I have to resort to other things that make me happy.

When I got to work today I found out that a guy who used to be in our company sent us Cinnabons. Now of course some of you are thinking those would go bad by the time they got to us. Well, if you don't know...some of the bases in Iraq have places like that. Not full scale restaurants but fast food restaurants such as Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, etc. I do not remember the last time that I had a cinnabon. One because they have so many calories that I don't think I can count that high (by the way, I ate 2 of them...mini cinnabons though) and two because I just didn't take the time to ever stop and eat one. Well, today I realized something, that first cinnabon that I ate was like a little piece of heaven for my mouth. So in eating that Cinnabon it just helped me to remember that it is not the car that we drive, the nice clothes that we can buy because we have tons of money, or that we have the most expensive hi-tech cell phone out there but the finer things in life are the things I mentioned in the first paragraph. So take your family, go do something fun, make a picnic, stop by a Cinnabon store and pick up some cinnabons for dessert, and enjoy the beautiful day that God has given you. You will see what I am talking about when you take a bite of that cinnabon, they are even good when they are a little bit cold. Oh yeah...eat dessert first, life is uncertain!

Inspired Scrapbooking...Well Once I Get Back

2007-03-10T12:57:00.000-06:00

So I have this friend who is more into scrapbooking than I am. She also has a blog that I read on a regular basis. She had this book on her page as a book that she is reading right now. So, I decided to order the book and see what it was all about. It turns out that this is a great book! It has some great ideas in it and really gives some great insight into what scrapbooking is all about. It turns out...scrapbooking is not just about getting pictures into your scrapbook but about sharing your feelings at the time you make a certain page and about preserving lasting memories for your family and friends when you are gone. So I have started writing down all the people that I want to make pages about and all the everyday things that I want to remember. This book also has all sorts of project suggestions in it also. There are so many ways to express yourself and share your memories with others. I am really looking forward to getting back to the states and being able to scrapbook all my ideas that I have going through my head right now. I also got a digital program from the friend whose site that I saw this book on. So, I can start some of it right now! And...my wonderful husband is also going to get me some scrapbooking stuff for my birthday so I am super excited to see what he gets me!

Also, 42 days until Randy and I go on leave!!! Disneyworld here we come. I will keep you all updated on what is going on with what we are going to do on leave and I will make sure to keep a detailed journal of everything we do and don't worry...there will be lots of pictures! I am going to go and get to bed now so I will write again soon.

One more thing, if you guys get emails from me with a bunch of questions in them. Answer them honestly and be patient with all my question asking. I am going to start making lots of sketches of layouts that I want to make so I will need information on various things from all of you. Thank you so much for all of your help as I start on this very fun adventure!
I made this layout while I was playing with my new program that I got. I figured that my mom would like it...don't worry, Toebee has one coming soon.

I Promise...this time I will keep updating

2007-03-05T16:31:00.000-06:00

Well, so far it has been a pretty quick 5 months here. The picture above is from when Randy came to visit me in Kalsu. Kalsu is still quiet and small...picture a small town. You wake up every day knowing that nothing drastic is going to have changed. We do have a PX that is sometimes stocked, a new gym (with old equipment), a new MWR (which I haven't been in), and our new DFAC that seems like it had better food when it first opened. All in all though, it is not to bad in my little town over here. The weather is still pretty moderate and actually is a nice temperature most of the time. Unfortunately, that means the critters will be coming out. I can already tell that the sand fleas are starting to come out...they are in my room. I have my room to myself right now because my old roommate, Lilly, got pregnant when she went home on leave. So I am enjoying not having to worry about falling asleep with the TV on or getting off work at midnight and turning the light on. Randy and I will be going on leave in the end of April...Disneyworld here we come. We are both super excited to take a vacation together...2 whole weeks.
I am trying to read some more instead of watching so many movies but I have found that it is easier to watch a movie and be on the internet than it is to try and read a book and email and update. I know sorry excuse huh. I also have ordered some scrapbooking books so that I can be ready to scrapbook to my fullest when I get back to TX. I have also been getting a scrapbook magazine in the month every mail. (The subscription was a thank you gift for watching a friends kids while their new baby was born.) I look forward to it every month because it means that I am one month closer to getting out of here. Well, I better get to sleep now. I promise this time I will update more. I think I might use this as a sounding board and a place to get my thoughts out. I am taking some advice from a good friend who told me to stay active...whether it is writing, exercising, or scrapbooking. So I am going to try and do all 3 and see how it goes! Take care and check back soon.

In Iraq Again

2006-12-22T20:28:00.000-06:00

Well, I am back in Iraq again. It has been 3 days short of 3 months. The trip over wasn't to bad, it was the same just about the same as last time...just with different people and a few of the same. I have run into a few people that I knew from my ATC school. It was nice to catch up and see how everybody has been over the past few years.
As far as for where I am stationed.... It is a whole lot different than Balad! I am liking it here though, it is small and quiet for the most part. I am enjoying working in the tower. I am getting some good experience talking to pilots and controlling aircraft.
Luckily I also got to see Randy in the beginning of December so that was wonderful. (I will attach a picture later.) I flew up there and got to see him for 2 1/2 days. We didn't do much but watch movies and just spend time together. I got to spend some time with him at work and he got rated in his facility while I was there. I am so proud of him! I am still holding to the belief that I am smarter than him but he still doesn't believe me. Oh well, I guess I have the rest of my life to convince him.
That is about it from here for now. I will update the blog soon with pictures. I hope that everybody is doing well and happy and healthy this Holiday Season! I want to say thank you to everybody who has been sending me boxes, cards, letters, and emails. It is so helpful to have all of that stuff while I am out here and everybody who I give the extra to is very grateful. I miss all of you and can't wait to see you when I get home.

The Best Kiss Ever

2006-09-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

Hello Everybody! I know, I know, it has taken me forever to write for the past few months. My goal is to get caught up by this weekend. Well, the first thing I have to talk about is pretty exciting.

I GOT MARRIED!!! Yes, that may come as a shock to some of you whom I haven't talked to for a while. I got married on the 30th of June to my Randy. It wasn't anything elaborate but it was perfect for us. There were only a few people there. My mom, my boss and his family (the same one whose dogs I watched a few months ago), and my roommate Elizabeth. Randy and I got to spend some time together before he left to go back home. I met my in-laws for the first time also. They are very nice people and I had a great time.

We decided that we would also take a few days and spend some time together with just the two of us. We stayed at the Hilton in Austin. Now let me tell you, this hotel was beautiful. We had room service, we both got our first full body massages ever, and sat down and had a really nice dinner in the hotel restaurant. And yes Dad, I had Cabernet Sauvignon ($10 a glass) but it was a very good wine. I even got a free glass when we went the lounge upstairs. We had a little time on Saturday so by request from my wonderful new husband we went and saw Pirates of the Caribbean. I do suggest that you go and see the movie once it comes out, it was action packed.

This was our first kiss as husband and wife! Randy is a wonderful man and I would not trade him for anything in the world. I love him so much! I hope that after the next year and a half or so that we will finally be able to live in the same place. I really can't wait to be able to wake up next to him every morning and he doesn't steal the covers. That is about it for this post. Coming up next: Brian and Megan's trip to visit me + pictures from San Antonio!

I Will Catch Up

2006-08-04T21:51:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody! I know it has been a long time since I last wrote anything in my blog but it has been a busy couple of months. I will do my best to get some updates and pictures on the site in the next week or so. I hope that everybody is happy and healthy!

Dog Sitting

2006-06-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

Hello Everybody! I wanted to show you pictures of the dogs that I am babysitting. I say babysitting because they are very very big babies! The poodle's name is Niles, he is a lot of fun and loves the water! The schnauzer Stormy a.k.a. Toby's Half Brother is, well, a lot like Toby. He is very protective of me and has a lot of the same characteristics that Toby does. Both dogs have been really good and we even went to Petsmart and on a few walks. It is funny because they will run around the house and play with each other like Faith and Toby do. (Those are my moms dogs if you didn't know.) I can't wait to have my own house with lots of 'puppies'.

Stormy

Niles

Stormy & Niles

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

2006-06-04T16:31:00.000-05:00

This is where our Friday started!! This was both mine and Randy's first trip to Six Flags and Randy's first time on a "real" rollercoaster. Apparently the one that I took him on before wasn't a "real" rollercoaster because it wasn't big enough. So, we went on some big ones! He definitely got a little "thrilled' later on in the day! I wasn't at all "thrilled" though because I am a daredevil! Oh yeah, I think the date stamp on my camera was a little off! The real date was 05/26/06.

The first ride of the day was the Superman:Tower of Power. We started off slowly so that we could warm up into the larger rollercoasters.

We then went on a couple more coasters, even one that was completely in the dark. We both liked that one. You could not tell when there was going to be a turn or a drop, it was awesome! My mom would love it! Just kidding mom. :-)

This was us waiting to go on Spongebob Squarepants 4-D the Ride. It was a fun virtual reality ride. "I was scared like a little baby girl!" said Randy in between sobs. Nice shades!!

We even saw the King himself, Elvis Presley! Fun Factoid: I was born in the same town as Elvis, Tupelo, Mississippi.

The yellow and blue coaster is Batman the Ride and the light blue ride in the backround is the Mr. Freeze. Both Randy and I decided that the Batman was our favorite coaster. The Mr. Freeze was probably one of the shortest rides. Here are a few facts about the rides. Batman: The Ride- 109 feet 6 inches high, 2700 FT long, 50 MPH, and many many loops.
Mr. Freeze- 238 FT high, 1480 feet long, 70 MPH in 3.7 seconds, and worth the wait.

We even got to hang out with some of the Warner Brothers characters. I can't tell if the character is the one in the orange shirt or the rooster?! I stuck with bugs. We also say Sylvester and Daffy! I tried to get Randy to get pictures with Wonderwoman but he said, "No, I don't want to make her look bad." (Okay, so maybe that was a little bit exagerated on my part.)

We went on the Texas Giant which was a huge wooden rollercoaster, that has been repeatedly named the #1 wooden rollercoaster in the world. It was fun buy jerked you around a lot and wasn't a very smooth ride. We also went on the first ride that was ever at Six Flags Over Texas Theme Park. It was a nice calm rollercoaster with rolling hills. We went on another ride that took you straight up as if you were in an elevator and then dropped you straight down, short but what a rush. We also went on Yosemite Sam's Gold Rush Adventure (or something like that). It was like a Small World but with guns, gold, the roadrunner, and of course the wiley coyote. We went on a few more rides but that is enough explaining...ON TO THE FINALE!!!

TITAN

Height of First Drop: 255 Feet Length of Track: 5,312 Feet (over one mile)
Top Speed: 85 MPH Duration of Ride: 3.5 Minutes
Fun Facts: 120 Foot Underground Tunnel, total steel used to build Titan would build 16,000 cars, enough electrical cable to wire 40 homes, approximately 45,000 bolts used, and 175 sensors monitor the trains at all times.
*all technical info about coasters was found on the Six Flags website

Now knowing all that...who wouldn't want to ride?!

Of course this is only part of the rollercoaster but that huge climb you see was what started the ride. It was a blast!!!

All in all it was a great day; hot, thrilling, and death defying...what more could you ask for?

Forgiveness

2006-05-25T17:20:00.000-05:00

Hello Everybody! Many of you know the hot stud muffin in this picture with me or at least know of him. Randy and I have been talking again since February. It would be an understatement to say that he and I have been through a lot together. We have both learned a lot about each other and our friendship has really matured. Over the past few months I have gotten to see Randy a few times and spend some quality time with him. He and I went to Panama City for 3 days and had a great time! We went para sailing, jet skiing, swimming in the ocean, go-kart racing (twice), and sat down at the outdoor bar for a couple of drinks and watched all the spring breakers. I even got him to dance with me for awhile! We spent a lot of time talking and basically just enjoying each others company. He will be in Texas with me for a couple of days. We are going to go to Six Flags! My first time ever and his first time going on a BIG rollercoaster. Don't worry, I will make sure and let you all know about his little adventures and thrills. Maybe I will even get some pictures! We have been having a great time so far and we are both looking forward to a great weekend!

Just Another Adventure

2006-05-23T16:08:00.000-05:00

Hello Everybody! I just wanted to give you all a little update on what is going on with me leaving to Iraq. I will be in the Baghdad area sometime during the end of the summer to early fall. I will keep you all updated and let you know of anymore updates or details as they come. I hope that everybody is doing well and looking forward to their long weekend, I know I am.

Also...to all of those who are going to start worrying already about me leaving. I know that it is hard but don't worry, I will be there and back in no time! I will stay in contact while I am gone. You are all very special to me and I love you all very much. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement over the years. I will blog again soon about what else is going on with me so check in soon!

I Hit My Bunny Phone

2006-05-10T18:50:00.000-05:00

Well, what can I say...trying to figure out how to change the template on my blog has exhausted me. I am not giving up though, I will figure it out...one of these days. Plus I have called my sister in law and she has helped me to start figuring things out! (I have never had a sister, I guess it wouldn't have been so bad.) I have been looking at other people's blogs trying to figure out what to put in my first 'real' post but I have realized that I can put pretty much write anything that I want!

I guess I will start with a little bit of what has been going on with me. I have been in class for the past five weeks for some training on a couple pieces of equipment for my job. (Air Traffic Control) It has been fun and I have learned quite a bit.

Sometime in May or June I will be going to the soldier of the month board and two months after that I should hopefully be going to the promotion board. All of this is just Army stuff and there is a whole lot more involved when it comes to getting promoted but going to the board is the main thing that has to happen before I get promoted. I have to take a PT test, qualify on my weapon, do Army correspondence courses (1000 hours of them), and turn in my civilian education for promotion points. So, no big deal...I will get all of that done also.

This is just a picture of me in Iraq. I figured that since I was talking about Army stuff I would put a picture in to go along with it.

To explain the address of my blog I will have to say that it came from my Dad. Everyday when he would drop me off at school he would ask me, "Question or Believe?" Many times I have chose to question. Needless to say this has gotten me into a few discussions and arguments but has also helped me to learn a lot about a great variety of subjects. So, thank you Dad! See I did listen to you when I was growing up! (And oh yeah, your birthday present will be mailed no later than Tuesday of next week. :-)

This is a picture that I took when I was in Seattle on leave. I was experimenting with the night time option on my camera. What do you think?

Also, can you figure out the title of this post? It is a spoonerism!

My Experiment

2006-05-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

So...I realized that I enjoyed reading about the adventures of my brother, sister-in-law, and my new extended family (even though we have never met) so much that I would start my own blog. So, here it goes...I am going to give this whole blogging thing a shot.

This is a picture of the flag that is flown on one of the army ships that I toured. Just thought it would be a good start to my blog!