Our last day's

The last few day's in our Cola house looked like this…..filled with boxes upon boxes. 

Sleeping on a air mattress in our living room floor, living out of our upstairs bathroom because that's were all our stuff was we didn't want the movers to pack.

Eating off of paper plates because our dishes were packed away. Shredding cheese with a potato peeler because I forgot to leave out our cheese grater. 

Watching movies or TV shows on our laptops because we had no TV. 

Using Commissary bags as trash bag's because we threw out our trash can so the movers wouldn't pack it. 

Life in the mist of PCSing oh the joys!!! I can't wait to get settled at our new place and have everything back to normal again. 

 Wednesday morning I woke up early went and picked up donuts for our movers and came back to finish up a few things before they arrived. Their ETA was between 8:00am and 8:30am I figure closer to 8:30 so I had a little time to spare. NOPE, they arrived promptly at 8:10am just shortly after I got home. The moment I saw the moving truck pull up in front of my drive way my heart sank. Not that everything leading up to today wasn't a sign of hello we're moving but I guess it really hadn't hit me yet. Well it did today. I kept reminding myself of all that we have ahead of us and this is not the end of my time in the South but only the beginning. We will be back! (just not to be stationed at Ft. J)

It only took them a matter of 3.5 hours to wrap up all the furniture and load everything up. They left our couch and hutch for last because they are two of the biggest and heaviest pieces of furniture we have. Cleaning up the upstairs while they finished packing the down stairs reminded me of the way the house looked when we moved in. EMPTY! Life as a Milispouse and the joys' of PCSing. 

Wednesday night was last time I cooked dinner in our Cola house. I made Chicken Fried Rice, one of our favorites. It was easy, quick and we had everything there to make it.  We sat there on our air mattress eating off paper plates enjoy our last moments in our 2nd home together. 

Thursday night our last night in the house we decided to go out to eat. I didn't want to make a mess in the kitchen. The stove, oven, counters, and everything else was already clean and I'd like to keep it that way. We decided to ask our neighbors Mr. Larry and Nita to go with us. And thankfully they took us up on our offer. I was a bit nervous about how the dinner would go but it was great, there was never a dull moment and I'm so glad we asked them to go with us. They are the sweetest elderly couple in the world. Mr. Larry retired from the Army in 1985, he and his wife live on post one door down from us. Mr. Larry pulls the trash can's and recycling bins out to the curb for the entire neighborhood every morning and takes then back up after trash runs. They hand write Christmas cards for everyone in the neighborhood and always have a little something to go with it. A couple days before the movers came they brought over this beautiful cross-stitch that she had done. This way we would always remember them and have a piece of the beach every were we went. 

I'll truly miss them and their sweet hearts. I'm sure the pups will to because they always came over to say hi and give them loves. 

 Friday morning at 10am we finaled out of our house and officially were done with cleaning, packing and stressing over this house. We've heard mixed reviews on how the housing clearing process goes. I've heard that it's similar to a white glove test and then I've heard its really not that bad. I didn't want to chance anything so we made sure that everything was spic and span clean. I'm happy to say we didn't have to pay for anything extra other than the carpet cleaning which we new we were going to have to pay for. We opted to have them do it vs. us paying for someone to come in and do it and it still not be up to their standards. 

When one door closes there's another waiting to be opened, when one chapter ends there's another one to start. 

Goodbye Cola house! 

Summer Cookin

Just a little look at what we've been eatin the last few days. The hubbs has had a lot of late nights these past two weeks so I try to have dinner ready for him when he gets home. 

Grilled Chicken Salad w/ Fresh Veggies 

Lunch date with Jenna on our lunch break from work. 

Stuffed Green Bell Peppers &  Movie night

Bruschetta Chicken w/ Fresh oven roasted Corn on the Cob

Cajun Chicken Pasta w/ Fresh Veggies 

Kalua Pork w/ White Rice 

What have you been eating lately? Tried any new recipes you'd like to share?!?!

Something New

This past weekend when I was figuring out our meal plans for the week I came across this fabulous recipe for Fajita Chicken Melts. (On Six Sisters' Stuff Blog) They tasted so yummy and were super simple to make that we just had to have them two nights in a row. Not to mention I had plenty of French Bread left over that I didn't want to go to waste. It was like a fajita slapped on top of a slice of nicely toasted bread with a bit of spice!!! Hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did!!!

Fajita Melts

~DAY 187~

OvErWhElMeD!!!!!

This month is just barely half way over with and I don't think I have been this busy in a long time. I have had something going on just about every night since the new year and have something going on pretty much every night for the rest of the month. You always hear people say if you stay busy it will help pass the time. I have done that very well and it does help. I find myself just about every night doing "something" to help the time pass. Not to mention the fact that I work 5 days a week 8 hours of the day, so that in its self takes up a good amount of time.
With my work hours and the time difference between Hawaii & Iraq, I am able to talk to Gabe before I go to work in the mornings and before I go to bed at night. It makes things a little bit easier seeings that I don't really have the ability to always answer my phone at work. Thankfully when I'm working he is sleeping, And when I am sleeping he is working. The timing of things has really worked out as well as the technology that we have through this deployment. So with as busy as I have been I have still been able to talk to my love when ever he is online. (thanks to my lovely high speed celly phone with Internet & my lovely HOT PINK 3G Ipad)

JANUARY~
1~BEACH DAY
2~BEACH DAY
3~work, picked up Gigi from her FCC provider & watched her for a bit, went to B's house to watch the Bachelor & dinner
4~work, picked up Gigi from her FCC provider & took her to her home, ended up staying & chatting w/ Vic. for hours
5~work, meeting with K about a up coming baby shower
6~work, 2nd brigade half way celebration on sills field
7~work, girls dinner @ Sarah's
8~BEACH DAY, lunch w/ B @ Cholo's, shopping w/ Sarah, ICE SKATING w/ Sarah & Nancy
9~lazy morning, lunch with G @ Ruby Tuesday's, DOG BEACH w/ Sarah & our pups.
10~work, came home early bc I was sick :( laid around all evening & watched TV
11~work, left @ 1pm bc I was still sick, grabbed lunch in Haleiwa @ my fav. sandwich shop, relaxed on the beach for a few hours, babysat lil S. that evening
12~work, evening to myself @ home
13~work, went to a passion party with Nancy, Sarah & Renee :)
14~work, babysat K & L from 5:45 - 7:45
15~babysat ALL day (8:30am - 7:30pm) S & G, went bowling with Sarah & Nancy had a fabulous time
16~DOG BEACH w/ Sarah & the pups, cleaned my car, commissary trip, got all the laundry caught up
17~OFF WORK, got a estimate on getting the truck fixed & dropped it off to go ahead with getting fixed, lunch @ Chili's w/ Sarah, shopping @ Walmart, Price Busters, Ross & the commissary again, cleaned our bedroom
18~work, dinner @ A's house in Ko'Olina w/ Sarah & Nancy
19~work, dinner @ Sarah's house with her & Renee
20~8:30-12:30 waiting for maintenance to come to my house, work, baby shower for D. @ 6pm
21~work, babysitting K & L from 5:45 - 7:45 & S from 5:30 - 10:00
22~WORK BLAH!!!!!!! (training day) from 8:30am - noonish I think, hoping to pick up the truck, SPENDING THE EVENING in WAIKIKI hitting up the town w/ Sarah & Nancy & staying downtown for the night !!!!!!! yay for hotel nights w/ awesome girlfriends
23~sleeping in recovering from the night before lol, BBQ @ Noon @ the W's new house on North Shore, clean the backyard (doggies poop so they will mow it)
24~work, babysitting K & L from 5:45 - 7:45
25~work, work on taxes
26~work, babysitting K & L from 5:45 - 7:45
27~work, Pampered Chef party @ my house (hoping to find out some BIG NEWS as well)
28~work, possibly having a sleep over w/ lil K @ my house
29~BEACH DAY
30~PRO BOWL w/ Sarah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
31~work,

WOW, that was exhausting just going back through it all and seeing whats to come. I love staying so busy & fill blessed that I have some amazing friends to help me do so. Time does not seem to be flying by but it is definitely going by and I'm enjoying it passing right along. I wouldn't at all be mad if it sped up just a bit. I can NOT wait to see what February has in store for me!!!!!!!!!

DECEMBER

1~QUESADILLA NIGHT @ THE HOUSE

2~J'S GOING AWAY DINNER @ DIXIE GRILL

3~I LOVE LOVE THE OCEAN

4~MY HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS CARD HOLDER

5~THE BLACKBEARD'S SHIP, QUEEN ANNE'S REVENGE

6~COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TILL 12~31~10

7~REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR DECEMBER 07, 1941

8~SPAGHETTI NIGHT

9~BEACHIN IT UP WITH THE PUPS

COUNTING DOWN DECEMBER DAY BY DAY~

10~ 3 OF MY FAVORITE 4 LITTLE GIRLS, A FRIDAY NIGHT JUST US GIRLS.

11~ GIGI TALKING TO UNCLE GABE ON THE IPAD WHILE WE VISITED TARA @ WORK.

12~CINNAMON SUGAR PECANS ~ MADE FRESH BY ME!!!

13~BAILEY GIRL ALL READY FOR BED.

14~ DINGO THINKS HE HAS TO LAY HERE EVERY NIGHT.

15~ONE OF MY CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM MY SPOUSE SARAH.

16~TEXAS COW PATTIE COOKIES

17~CHRISTMAS STOCKING FOR MY 4 FAVORITE LITTLE GIRLS.

18~GABE'S MOM ON HER WAY TO HAWAII FOR CHRISTMAS.

19~ITS POURING DOWN RAIN OUTSIDE.

20~WE WENT TO PUNCHBOWL ~ National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

21~WE VISITED THE USS MISSOURI & THE USS UTAH.

22~OUR BIG ISLAND ADVENTURE

23~BREAKFAST @ CREPES NO KA 'OI

24~LUNCH @ KUA 'AINA SANDWICH in HALEIWA (sandwiches a family tradition for the Gabriel family on Christmas Eve)

25~TAKING A STROLL ON THE BEACH AFTER THE LUAU

26~MY CHRISTMAS CARD HOLDER FULL :) I FILL SO LOVED.

27~AIDAN & ELIZABETH, MY BEST FRIENDS TWO KIDDOS FROM HIGH SCHOOL & STILL IS!!!

28~GUESS WHO GOT A BATH TONIGHT :)~~~~ THESE TWO GUYS.

29~I MADE MY 30 BEFORE 30 LIST

30~SARAH OPENING HER ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY GIFT I HAD MADE FOR HER.

31~The two dishes I made for our New Years Eve get together.

No Bake Haystacks cookies & Tex-Mex Dip

Our Weekend 'n a Nut Shell

Date night started off the weekend. Dinner downtown at Out Back Steak House just the hubbs and I. It was nice to get out and enjoy the evening. Nobody with us, no babysitting, no friends nothing JUST Gabe and I. We stuffed our faces and had some good laughs. On the way back we decided to stop and look at the new 2010 Camaro 's. Gabe has been eyeing them for the LONGEST time now. We were both able to test drive one (each a different one) and it was nice but I still love my Challenger more. It has more features that the Camaro doesn't and I've gotten use to them and can't see giving that up. It is kinda fun to be able to say we both drove one. I was so nervous for whatever reason diving it and couldn't wait to get back to the car lot. On the other hand Gabe hit the gas full speed ahead and didn't look back at the dust he left.

Saturday morning we were up early and headed to meet our friend Rebecca for a trip to the Farmers Market in Honolulu. See her hubby is coming home soon for R&R and she wanted to have some fresh fruits and veggies for him and invited us along. It was allot of fun, and I can't wait to go back. They had some of the prettiest flowers and plants for sale, although I opted not to get any because I have a worst time keeping plants alive. We found a booth that made REAL southern food with SWEET Tea. It wasn't Texas Sweet Tea but it was good. They was also a booth that made pizza that was to die for. Rebecca also had me try boiled peanuts which I had never tryed before. They were ummmm ok I guess you could say. Don't know that it is something that I would want to eat again or regularly for that matter. I am definitely going to be visiting the farmers market allot more in the near future.






We then headed to the 2010 Pet Expo which is The Biggest Local Pet Event of the Year in Hawaii. There were so many dogs of all sizes, colors and breeds. It was crazy to see that many in one place. Since we came from the farmers market we didn't have our two lil pooches with us. But not to worry they were on our mind the whole time. We picked them up some yummy treats, homemade served on a platter at that. There were some of the cutest little outfits and I was so tempted to get one for Bailey Girl but I just don't think she'd wear it. We had a great time a the Pet Expo and are looking forward to next years.






Dinner plans with the Burns, whom Gabe hadn't met so I was really looking forward to the evening. We were bringing dessert and I wanted to make something extra tasty and something new at that I hadn't made before. I found a Peach Cobbler with Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits recipe in one of my books and took a shot at it. I was SOOOO Happy it turned out FANTASTIC and everyone loved it. Dinner was great and the company we were with was just as good. I can't wait to get together with The Burns again. I am so blessed to have met Sandy and even though our husbands are not in the same unit (which is a good thing in this situation ) we will be going through this upcoming deployment together. Having built a support system here with wives that are going and have been going through the same thing that I am going to be going through AGAIN is going to help. Not at all make it any easier but it will help the time go by and keep me busy.



Sunday we got up and took the pups to the Wheeler Bark park to let them run around for a bit and get some of their energy out. I love taking them and seeing them run around like crazy and chase after each other. They just have so much fun, I don't know what it is but I could sit and watch them play for hours. When Gabe and I were sitting on the tail gate I wondered if they could jump up with us and sure enough they could. Gabe and his bright ideas decided to see how they would do if he drove around the field with them in the back. He slowly made circles in the field around me, as I stood and watched Dingo bounce from side to side. All of a sudden I glanced away for a split second and when I looked back Dingo was jumping out of the truck. I know it's not funny but I couldn't stop laughing because its totally something that he would do. Gabe stopped and what did Bailey do....we she jumped out as well over the side. OMG, really they are freaking crazy. Well we wont be trying that one again. Thankfully they were ok, off and running as soon as their feet hit the ground.





We did a bit of shopping this afternoon, I managed to find a spice rack and a cookbook holder both that I'd been looking for. (I'm slowly redoing our kitchen making it a bit more fun and attractive lol ) Gabe made out well at Sports Authority with a new water bottle (he lost his last week ) and some PT stuff. He's always looking for new ways to work out and train his guys. I love how excited he gets over the smallest things, its so cute. We came home and did a bit of house work kinda bummed around for the evening, washed the cars together and I even cooked a wonderful dinner for the two of us. Dessert included, a White cake with Strawberry icing and pink sprinkles on top. Its one of my fav's.




We spent the rest of the night cuddled together on the couch in each others arms, just were I LOVE to be. It's were I feel safest and myself.