Washington DC ~ Day 1

The day started about 3am as we drove from WV to DC, its just under a 7 hr drive. We arrived in the city about 10ish and hit the road running because we had lots to do and see. This was my first ever trip to DC so I was really excited to be here and check out the area. Its on my 30 before 30 list, CHECK!!!!
(Let me apologize in advance for the amount of pictures)


~Our first stop was Arlington National Cemetery~
We walked around the cemetery looking at all the different head stones, visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, JFK's plot, watched the Change of the Guard Ceremony.

It was definitely a experience, I'm so glad I was able to finally go. The heat however was brutal, we probably lost a couple pounds just from sweating so much. It was a beautiful place very calm and peaceful as it should be. Many of the head stones still had a single stem rose laid across the top from Memorial Day. I was told by a friend later in the week that on Memorial day each head stone also had a American Flag placed in front of it. I only wish that the hubbs could have been here with me. 

~DAY 229~

Memorial Day

We took full advantage of not having to be any were early this morning and slept in. Once we did finally drag ourselves out of bed we had some breakfast thanks to S's mom. From there we went and did a bit of shopping, we're on the hunt for a pair of boots. We're going on a cruise in October and they will go prefect for our trip!!!! Neither of us settled on a pair yet but we had fun trying them on & taking a walk on the country side of things.

While we were out this afternoon the hubby sent me a picture of our Sunflowers we have growing in the backyard. Isn't it just beautiful, I wish I would have seen it this pretty in person!!! 

Also check out this super awesome water bottle the spouse sent me!!!! (my on my birthday box later) It tracks your water intake & helps you keep track of how much water you should be drinking in one day.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out by the pool playing volleyball, swimming and soaking up the rays. Slowly one by one S's family all gathered at her house for a wonderful Memorial Day celebrations. There was loads of food, let me tell you it was so yummy.

 Enjoying the company and having fun as we remembered what Memorial Day was all about. 

Home of the Free because of the Brave, its because of the men and women that have & still do serve our country that we are able to do the things we do with out worry. I'm so blessed to be apart of such a awesome Army family. I pray that the ones gone before us lost in war may never be forgotten. 

~DAY 228~

Road Trip!!!

It seems like its been years since I've seen the Spouse (aka Sarah) but really its only been since Christmas. I headed out this morning to make the 5 hour drive to West Virginia to visit her. S & B are home on leave visiting so we planned a little powow get together. This morning I picked up the house and took the pups for a walk after loading up the car. The hubbs was at work of course :( so I decided to stop by his bay for some goodbye smooches before getting on the road. 

My last two road trips I've done really well on so I knew this one wouldn't be a problem. I took my time driving through South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky then into West Virginia. There were a few senic look out points along the way that I decided to take advantage of. Some were prettier than others and worth the 100 yard walk unlike the 800 foot jog I took up and then back down a hill to one look out area. 

Well worth the stop though it gave me a chance to stretch my legs and take a quick potty break. The good old station wagon Subaru held up well as always. I made it a hour out from B's house before stopping for gas. Even then I still had 60 miles left on that tank of gas and only 73 miles to go, my light was on and I didn't want to chance being stuck on the side of the road. One things for sure it sure dose save on gas.

I think it was just before 7pm when I finally made it in town. From there we went to dinner at a local joint with B's parents and then to the Spouses house. We did a bit of visiting & catching up with her family, played a few games on the Wii and did a bit more catching and sipping on some wine before finally calling it a night......well after midnight!!!

I'm so excited to spend the next week with S & B, good times to come!!!

~DAY 227~

Pick Up Day!~!~! "The Shark Attack"

I've been talking about it all week off and on but yesterday was pick up day for the hubbs. This is were the newest members of the Military are initiated into the Army. Most of these "kids" as they call them are fresh out of high school, just graduating a few weeks before starting basic. 

The talk around Drill SGT's is that this is the day they live for when a new cycle starts. Many call it the "Shark Attack", simply because the DS's literally attack the kids the minute they step foot off the bus. The one neat thing about our unit is that we as spouses are able to go out and watch many of the training events that go on through out the cycle. Pick up day being one of them, I've heard so much about this day and wanted to see it for myself. I wasn't able to go yesterday to the hubbs pick up cause I couldn't get off work but it worked out fine because at today's pick up there were several spouses there that I knew. It was just about all of our first pick up to come and watch, the BC (Battalion Commander) said this was the biggest crowd he's seen show up to see the "show". (there was about 15 of us)

The minute the buses drove up and the doors opened the DS's were there yelling, screaming, in their faces. Some of the privates made comments back but most of them held there bags and kept on running as they were told. Once they were off the bus they had to run a block area returning under the covered pavilion were they would stand in formation. From there they were put through several tasks and then broken down by platoon and then taken to their bay, were they would be living for the next nine weeks. This is were many of them did their first set of push ups. 

First set of buses to arrive!

Second set of buses to arrive  

Don't drop your bags because this is what happens, it all ends up dumped on the ground. 

 

 Split up by platoon, this part gave us a good laugh from the ones that didn't hear their name called in the beginning. 

Inside the bay.

I truly don't know how the men and women do it in the Military. My hands down to them 100% because they go through A LOT to get to were they are going to be. My heart was hurting for some of them as they ran off the buses and the DS's were yelling at them and in their faces. I understand its all part of breaking them down and building them back up but goodness I don't know that I would have the strength or mentalness to make it through.
I will say that once we got in the bay with one of the platoons the Drill SGTs were a bit more calm. Things kind of started to settle down, not to say that, that's the way it will be from here on out but it was nice to see that they aren't hard on them 100% of the time but maybe 90% of the time. lol.

I asked the hubbs this evening if this is what he went through when he went through BCT and he said some yes parts yes but many parts no. He said now the incoming soldiers are babied a lot and that they in a way hold their hand as they go through basic. That to them its hard (which I'm sure it is) but he says' that they (the Drill SGTs) aren't nearly as hard on the newbies as they were on him when he went through. They aren't allow to be for what ever reason, they can't smoke them right off or curse at them light a freight train. This is one of the reasons he is having a hard time adjusting to life on the trail. When we were talking tonight I asked him how his first two days were and he said not to bad and that it will get better. He said he enjoyed it, I'm not sure if that's good for the privates or not. Either way I don't care I want my husband to enjoy what he is doing and from moment we got to Ft. J he hasn't been 100% sold on being a DS but I think things are turning around. YEAH!!!!!
These are just a few of the pictures I took today, I may share more at a later time. I got a few videos as well and when I have more time I'll be sure to post them for you all to see.
Stay tune for more stories to come as we continue our life on the trail.

~DAY 226~

My Vacay has Officially Started!!

Of course with a new theme going up on the inside of the class and another month coming to a end we had to change up the bulletin board out side. Keeping with the fog theme I carried it out doors. I punched out a ton of different size frogs from out die cut machine and had the kiddos decorate them in various ways. The smaller ones have painted spots with q-tips and the larger ones are spotted with cheerios. They were a few consumed in the process of making that already were stuck on with glue, I'm sure that didn't taste to great. But I have to say I'm please with the way it turned out, I think it looks cute.

Another & I think the last Thank You gift for the school year. This one was from one of my part timers. It's a beautiful hanging basket plant with pretty purple flowers. The card reads "Ms. Tiffany, Thank You for helping me grow." How fitting is that, if I can manage to make a impact on these children's lives and help them grow then surely I can do the same for this plant right. HAHAHAHHA We shall see, I've never been one to have a green thumb but the Ivy I received back in April for Easter is still alive and doing well so that's go to mean something. Plus we planted sunflower seeds in the back yard and they are nearly 3 feet tall now. So fingers crossed I will have the same luck with this beauty. As long as it can make it through this next week while I'm gone then I think we will be doing good. I just have to remind the hubbs to water it.

All of my kiddos were picked up by 4pm I had a little left to do in the classroom to get it ready for next week and was done around 4:30 with that. Lucky for me I was able to get out early, It was only 20 minutes early but hey I'll take that over anything!!! This girls Vacation has officially started and I'm off the clock till June 4th!!!!!

I made a trip to Target tonight to pick up a few things I was needed for my trip and of course use some of my gift cards I'd gotten. It's the first day of the cycle so I figured it would be a late night for the hubbs so I picked up a bottle (or two) of bubbly. I can never go in that store and walk out empty handed its just not possible, I think they put a spell on you the minute you walk in the door. I walked out with a few road trip snacks, a new dress and a couple swim suite pieces. (look for them in next weeks post.) 

Much to my surprise the hubbs was home by 8:30pm which was just 15 minutes after I had got home from my little shopping spree. I was so excited and grateful it wasn't a late night. We were able to pop the top on that bottle and enjoy it together with dinner. From what he was told the have to leave the bay (were the BCT's stay) by 2000 (8:00pm) unless they are in the field or out doing a training exercise. So that means he "should" be home no later than 8:30-9:00 at night. I can handle that, its still a crazy long day seeings he has to be up by 3:45am to be at work by 4:50am. I don't know how they do it, I am not a morning person at all.


~DAY 225~

Lunchin w/ a bit of Art

Today at work we had our Teacher Appreciation / Thank You lunch from the EDSPO ~ Parent Organization. The PO is very similar to PTA in a public school, they are the ones that help organize different events and what not that go on through out the year. 

Lunch was catered by Pasta Fresca, the local Italian Restaurant I've mentioned before. (same one I got the gift card for :) There was 3 different pastas, salad, lasagna, garlic bread, cookies and SWEET Tea. I surely didn't leave hungry and best part is, I still had my whole lunch hour to get things done I needed to take care of. Along with our lunch we were given yet another gift card to Target :) as well as a Tumbler with our initial on it. It was a thank your gift from them to us, I've said it before and I'll say it again "I work for such a great school".

This evening I had plans to attend a Company Social (with non other than Alpha Co., we are Delta Co but they don't do a darn thing, A Co has always included us in their outing.) We were meeting up at Mad Platter (a local art studio) to do a little painting. I've been wanting to go ever since I found out about the place back when we first got here, I've just ever had the chance to. A quick example of what you do ~~~~ you pick out a piece of art weather it be a dish, character, wall hanging, doggie bowls, magnets, etc. There are literally tons of items to choose from to paint and then you have your choices of paint colors to use. They even have confetti paint which was way cool, books and books of stencils and stamps as well. Then you go to ton designing your own personal piece how ever your little heart desires. I chose a serving dish as my piece because I wanted something I could use all the time. I started off with stenciling our last name in the center and quickly decided I didn't like it. Thankfully the marker burns off when its sealed. Its not perfect by any means and I know I could have done way way better but for my first time I have to say not to bad. Now that its done you leave it there and they do something called a firing seal. This seals off the paint and brightens the colors (so they will be much more colorful then pictured below) allowing the paint to last for years and years to come. I already have plans to go again and paint a little something for a care package I'm working on. I would have done it tonight but we ran out of time. I had so much fun with the girls tonight it was a small group of us, 3 other spouses, a Drill SGT & the Company Commander. Because the unit is coed (which I'm still getting use to) S who coordinates all of these things included the female soldiers in the company to join.

I'll be sure to post pictures of my finished piece once I get it back.
 (I'm leaving to go out of town in Sunday for a week, so it will be after I get back!)
~DAY 224~