Chapter 35: Accidents Happen! [& choosing to love]

Usually a husband would get mad at their wife after hearing some "bad news" about their car while they were away, but mine just cracks jokes, smiles, & laughs at me instead. I really lucked out ♥

Me: *shyly* Oh, by the way. Umm... while you were gone I accidentally hit the curb twice while I was driving & I hit the front part of the car while parking. Twice.
My husband: *smiles* Oh, really? 2 times each, huh?
Me: Hehe... Yeah. I'm sorry.
My husband: Anything else? Are you sure it was only twice? *looks at me jokingly*
Me: *thinks hard* Yes... I'm pretty sure.
My husband: *smiles* Are you sure?! That's it?!
Me: *smiles* Yes
My husband: *laughs* Anything else? Are you sure you didn't back into anything while I was gone too?!
Me: *laughs* No, I didn't! Yes, I'm sure!
My husband: *laughs* Ok, I'm just kidding. I love you.
Me: I love you too!

[NOTE: In my defense, 3 of those incidents happened while I was severely sick & probably shouldn't have been driving =X Also, my husband has a full body kit on his car, so the front is very low & doesn't always clear parking curbs/sidewalks]

Every day my husband helps keep me grounded & reminds me what's important in life.
Love. Happiness. Health. Relationships. Family. Friends...
Don't place your value & your worth on materialistic things. "Things" can be replaced. Life isn't intended to revolve around expensive cars & fancy things. My husband's immense patience with me on a daily basis & moments like these where he chooses to laugh & love me instead of getting upset with me.... it's all really inspiring. He teaches me a lot. That alone is enough to feel blessed to have him, but he also gives me so much more.

Keep on loving, everyone. Stay happy & remember that laughter is always the best medicine.

Chapter 34: Navy Wives UNITE [my early birthday celebration]

A good friend will yell at a guy who's trying to hit on you ;P

Last night as I was walking past a restaurant with my purse on top of my head to cover myself from the rain [I must've looked so sexy. Not.], apparently some guy sitting at a table with his friends was trying to hit on me. I didn't know about it until I heard my friend yell at him in her best stern/semi-psycho voice! Lol! Then she filled me in on what I missed.

Creeper guy: "Hey there beautiful. Why don't you come sit by me & get out of the rain?"
My friend: "SHE'S MARRIED!"
Creeper guy: "Oh, well you're not married. Why don't you come sit by me?"
My friend: "Yes I am! I'm married too. WE'RE ALL MARRIED!"
My friend: [to us] "Geez... can't they see the rings on our fingers?!!!!"

Haha! We were all cracking up. She's a trip :P Thanks for having my back, Trish! ;) I'm pretty sure this gives you MAJOR "good friend" brownie points with my husband for being that kind of friend for me! Lol.

Left to right: Marielle, Emmy, Trish, & Me

I had such a great night out with these ladies last night. They took me out for a early birthday celebration & a goodbye dinner for Trish [who's PCSing on my birthday tomorrow]. It's so crazy just how quickly you can connect with other Navy wives & become such fast friends. This was the first time all of us hung out together & sadly, it was our last time too :( I met Trish only 2 weeks ago & met Marielle just last night. I didn't think I'd be going out to celebrate my birthday until my husband came home from his underway, so last night truly meant a lot to me. It meant a lot to my husband too. We're both grateful for this sweet group of ladies who gave me a wonderful birthday gift of kindness & friendship. I don't think they realize just how special last night was for me. As a sort of "thank you" for taking me out, I made them all bracelets :) Think of it as a "goody bag" that you would give out to your friends as a kid whenever you had a birthday party OR a "goody bag" that you would give to your classmates if your birthday landed on a school day ;) Lol.

My "goodbye" gift to Trish. She & her husband are
preparing for their 1st deployment.

I got to choose the restaurant so we went to one of me & my husband's favorite sushi places! Afterwards we got some ice cream for dessert. I think it's funny how all 3 of them have lived here the longer than I have & it was all of their first time at both the restaurant & ice cream shop! I also made Trish & Marielle try some of my sushi because they only get the "basics" [CA roll, Philly roll, Rainbow roll etc...]. Too bad Emy wouldn't budge & try some sushi too! :P We had fun chatting, laughing, taking pictures, & walking in the rain. We also went to the bookstore so that Trish could buy one of the books that I recommended to her. I'm happy to be able to share some of me & my husband's "surviving deployment" tips :) I truly hope the things that we learned/did helps them the way that it helped us survive our 1st deployment! That's what friends are for & that's what military families do. They stick together & help each other out. It's such a special & unique bond we all share.

My yummy sushi!

Dessert!

Polaroid lovin' [because I'm old fashioned like that & still use Polaroid cameras]

I have no reason why Trish's face & part of my forehead looks orange?

Waiting in line to get some ice cream! Yum...

Thank you for a wonderful night, ladies! It sure was a memorable one & I'll never forget it :) You're all such a blessing. I'm going to miss you Trish! ♥

Chapter 33: Little wonders of life [looking through my window].

This morning I was laying in bed looking out my window just to watch a cloud pass by while listening to music on Pandora. It took a total of 2 songs for the cloud to complete its journey across my window to reveal a clear blue sky, & I enjoyed every second of it. It's simple things like this that make me happy. Never let these little wonders of life pass you by without getting a chance to appreciate them. There's so much beauty everywhere & in everything, you just have to look for it. Keep your eyes open to constantly seek beauty, your mind free from all negativity, & your heart full of a love overflowing. Then you will know peace.

Watching that little cloud move across the sky was not only relaxing, but it was a reminder that life isn't stagnant. The world is constantly changing, we are constantly changing, LIFE is CONSTANTLY CHANGING. We'll go through both good times & bad times. We must remember that life is fleeting. Cherish the good times when you have them & live in the moment—relishing every beautiful second, because tomorrow is never guaranteed. Every morning when you awake is a blessing on its own, but we often forget this because we expect it. When you find yourself in the midst of bad times, keep in mind how just like I watched the cloud pass by my window, your hardships shall also pass. Never waste a day to love, create memories, form friendships, learn something new, or experience something amazing. We were given the gift of life & it's our responsibility alone to make the best of our time here on Earth. You can't have good without the bad. Without the sour, the sweet wouldn't taste as sweet. Beautiful and bitter experiences will shape & mold us all. Everything builds character. We're in control of whether these experiences will lift us to great heights or make us come tumbling down. Don't let anything be your greatest downfall. If life is going to change you [which it will], make sure it changes you in all ways that are positive. Make sure it changes you for the better.

...& to think all this came from just cloud watching on a Saturday morning. Hope you're all enjoying your weekend & that this blog post serves as a little food for thought ♥