Year in Review

This past year has been insanely bad. It started out well with a trip to Las Vegas for me and my husband. We had lots of fun and I will never forget that. Seeing Vegas lit up for Christmas is a must see sight for everyone I think.

But I was struggling in tech school. Briefing was not getting any easier for me and yet my instructors continued to pass me through with high scores. This, even though I shook and my mind went blank every time I had to get up and brief. Once I hit Lonestar and the stakes were higher and the pressure was harder and there was just so much to do I couldn't keep up. And I failed. Again and again and again.

In the middle of all of this my husband had a terrible car accident that landed him in the ICU with a crushed femur. I asked to be allowed to go home to be with him. This was tough for both of us, but especially for him since he had to stay with my parents alone waiting for me to pass my final test. I stayed with him for a few weeks and was so grateful for that. But then it was back to tech school and Lonestar where I failed yet again. This time there was no retries. I was to be separated from the Air Force.

I ended up with an honorable discharge but in an economy as bad as the one we face now little hope of finding a good job any time soon. Josh and I moved to Idaho to try to save some money.

And two months later, though I didn't know it yet, a new little addition to the family began to grow in my belly. When I discovered I was pregnant all I felt was shock and disbelief. This couldn't have happened at a worse time. Once I realized this was going to happen since I don't believe in abortion and didn't think I could give up my child then I had to face telling others. I was so afraid of what my parents and friends would say. But I was so lucky to discover once I finally called and told people how supportive everyone would be.

Even my parents, who I expected to very upset and maybe even disown me, after some time, came to terms with it and became very encouraging and supportive. I've been so thankful for all this love and support since I've been fighting my own fears and doubts about this baby.

But baby James is going to be a blessing, one way or another. We will make this work somehow and I really hope to be a good mom to him. He's pretty much my whole world now and he's not even close to being born yet. He will join us the end of May of this new year.

Josh got a job at Wal-Mart which while it sucks is a major blessing just because it is a full time job with benefits and those are so hard to come through now and especially here in Idaho.

Our house, well our parents house, that we are living in, is a wreck. We moved in in order to save our money and pay off some of our debts and get our lives back on track. But the septic tank broke. We had to pay $500 for that. The heater has been broken off and on the whole winter. When it gets down to below 0 some nights that makes life almost unbearable with little to no heat inside. But this new year I've decided to make the best of it. As long as we are forced to live here I will make it my home as much as possible. I've already started with our dining room, taking down my mother-in-law's paintings and putting up paintings I received for Christmas last year from Josh and my parents. That room is now my favorite room of the house because it's OURS.

Here's to hoping this new year is so much better than the last.

Toe Fun

Here is my first attempt at painting my nails and using nail decals. It's not perfect but I think it's cute. Tomorrow I'll paint my fingernails and hopefully do a better job of it.

Summer's End

Campfire in the backyard last night. That has to be the best way to end the summer. Winter is coming and it's going to be cold but yesterday Tristan, Josh, Robert, Uncle Junior and I roasted marshmallows and brats out at a fire Tristan built. Listening to music, dancing, watching Pip roll around in manure. Of course he LOVED rolling around in cow pies but he didn't so much love the bath he got later. It got cold when the sun went down but the warmth of the crackling fire and stars shining bright overhead made me beg the boys to stay out later. But after 3 beers I couldn't stay awake through the movie they watched after we came inside and I went to sleep, happy and wishing summer wasn't leaving so soon. But I guess winter might have its good points. Snow for one. And snuggling under warm blankets on a cold day. OK, bring it on winter. Do your worst!

Double Rainbow

Here is a few photos of a double rainbow right in front of our house. I guess there is a pot of gold in our neighbor's field. Hope the horses don't find it before I do. :-)

Disney Dreams

Speaking of Disney princesses, I'm in love with the recent photo series by famous photographer Annie Leibovitz for Disney. She takes photographs of famous celebrities dressed as different Disney characters and they are enchanting. Following are some of the photos in the ongoing series.

Jennifer Lopez as Princess Jasmine and Marc Anthony as Aladdin.






Julianne Moore and Michael Phelps playing in this The Little Mermaid inspired photo.


Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella.


Julie Andrews as the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio and Abigail Breslin as Fira from Disney Fairies.


David Beckham as Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty.


Mikhail Baryshnikov as Peter Pan, Gisele Bandchen as Wendy and Tina Fey as Tinkerbell from Peter Pan.


Penelope Cruz as Belle and Jeff Bridges as the Prince from Beauty and the Beast.


Rachel Weisz as Snow White.


Queen Latifah as Ursula from The Little Mermaid.

Vanessa Hudgens as Aurora and Zac Efron as Prince Charming from Sleeping Beauty.

Whoopi Goldberg as the Genie from Aladdin.


Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Patti Smith as the Second Pirate in Command from Pirates of the Caribbean.


Beyonce as Alice, Lyle Lovett as the March Hare and Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland.

Disney Princesses

A huge fan of both fairy tales and anything Disney I have often thought of myself as a Belle if I am any of the Disney princesses. This was largely due to the fact that we both have brown hair and love the color yellow and love to read and I married a beast of a man. ;-)

But, after seeing the movie "Tangled" I have rethought who I am really the most like and come to the conclusion that I fit Snow White or Rapunzel better than Belle or any other princess. Like Snow White, I see the good in everyone and everything to a fault. I trust people I shouldn't and believe everyone is good. I follow my heart and I always do what's right. I'm sweet, gentle, charming, cheerful and pure. I never judge anyone and am very nurturing and kind to others. I'm also very naive and innocent.

As far as Rapunzel goes, when I'm home I'm confidant and determined. Just ask Josh. I like to read and study and learn as much as possible. But when I leave home I become shy and jumpy. I can't decide half the time when I'm out doing something if I'm excited or scared. But my curiosity usually wins. I'm smart, kind, charismatic and adventurous.

Who do you think you are most like of all the Disney characters?

Again a Solstice

Once again, at the age of 27, I find myself entering a new season of my life. Not based on age, but merely location and a new pathway for my life to travel down. I don't know why it seems as though every path I go down ends in a dead end and I keep finding myself turned around and trying a different path in a different direction. I always thought by now I'd have my life pretty well set and figured out but instead I keep getting fresh new beginnings to try when another attempt has failed.

This new path, at least temporarily, has me living in the small town of Ashton, ID with my husband and next door to my husband's parents and living in the same home with an adult male ghost whom I have yet to have the pleasure or horror to meet and hope to never meet. I will hopefully post photos of Ashton and the surrounding area soon if I can get the money and car to buy a new cable for my camera. For now we both get to play the poor, unemployed loser adults. My job to look for work in the surrounding area (an almost impossible task) while keeping house and learning how to cook (another nearly impossible task) and caring for my recently disabled husband. His job, to be patient and wait while his body heals from his recent terrible car accident that I still thank God for him surviving.

As for the cooking adventures, so far I've managed to make crepes, which I can't seem to figure out how to flip so they keep turning out pretty misshapen but still tasty. I've also cooked French Toast but burnt it when I decided to put cinnamon sugar on top while still in the pan cooking. Oh Lord have patience with me. I may never learn how to cook. Poor Josh.

Josh will hopefully finish his social science degree at BYU which will provide us with $1,000 a month for his school fees. I may or may not get a teaching certification depending on whether I can get financial aid to help with that or not. But either way I've applied at local newspapers and will soon apply as a substitute teacher here when the new school year begins soon as well as looking for any other odd jobs that may come up. I will continue learning to cook and learning patience in dealing with a husband who needs constant help and hopefully, if I'm really lucky, horse back riding. In 6 months, we can get fishing and hunting permits here and that'll open up more new fun adventures for me and teach my husband some patience as he once again deals with his non-country wife trying to do country things.

Hopefully this new season of my life will turn out to be my dream come true. If not, we'll take it as it comes. But for now I'm content to be the little house wife and learn patience here in Ashton, ID.