Soul Mates

I was on my way home from the gym today and Oprah Radio was on in my car (like it always is).  Oprah's Soul Series was playing at that time and Rainn Wilson (plays Dwight Shrute on NBC's The Office) was her guest.  They were discussing a new book he wrote along with three other folks: "SoulPancake".  Since the gym is only two miles from my house, I didn't hear much of the interview but came home and Googled soul pancake.  Apparently, it's its own movement of sorts.  Here's the website for this whole idea:  www.soulpancake.com

The book is subtitled "Chew on Life's Big Questions: Spear your mind, unload your questions, figure out what it means to be human.".  It actually doesn't come out until November 2, which I was pretty bummed about since I'm searching for the next great read right now.

So, anyway, I perused the website a little and found some interesting areas.  Many are just questions posted where you can comment with your own answer.  One that caught my eye was "What's your definition of a 'soul mate'?"  Many people posted the typical responses like someone you can be your total self with... someone who is supportive, loving, passionate, and fun without materialistic motives, etc, etc, etc.   Others posted comments stating that they do not believe in soul mates, or souls at all.  But at the top of this page, to get the conversation started, the following video was posted.  Please watch this.

Danny Perasa and his wife, Annie, came to StoryCorps to recount their twenty-seven-year romance.  As they remember their life together from their first date to Danny's final days with terminal cancer,  the remarkable Brooklynites personify the eloquence, grace, and poetry that can be found in the voices of everyday people when we take time to listen.


Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

I found this video so touching.  And, obviously, it made me miss my own husband.  Now, whether or not I truly believe in soul mates is still out with the jury.  I'm not sure if there is only one soul mate for each person or several soul mates for one person or no soul mates at all and just, as one commenter said, conscious mates.  I'll take a famous line from "Sex & the City".... Carrie asked Big  if he believed in soul mates and his response was, "I like the word soul.  I like the word mate.  Other than that, you got me."  There's my stance!

However, if I was forced to give a definition of what a soul mate means to me it would be this: A soul mate is someone you can share your life with.  By that, I don't mean the days in your life, but rather the life in your life.  The things you like to do, the music you love, the thoughts you have, the insecurities that inhibit you, the work that you do, as Lady Gaga would say "the freak within you".  You share and communicate all of those things and more and your soul mate reciprocates all of those things plus a little love for the things you've shared with him/her.  I think being a soul mate is more than just being in love or being infatuated with someone.  That wears off.  Being in love and having love are two different ideas.  I prefer the latter.

Thus, I think I've found my "soul mate".  Christian is all of those things to me.  I respect him, love him, admire him, and trust him.  Plus, like both my parents told me, "You better hold on to him.  He can handle you and that's a big deal".  Apparently, I'm hard to deal with?!  :)

So anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the little video.  I also hope everyone has had a great Labor Day weekend!  One week from today and I'm leavin' on a jet plane, hopping the pond, and get to see my husband soulmate.  :)

Have a wonderful day!!

xoxo-

Chrissi

Table for one, por favor.

I haven't really been eating all that well since Christian has been gone.  I don't mean I've been sitting around stuffing my face with chips, cookies and brownies.  Nope, I forget to eat.  Yes, yes, I know... many of you are probably wishing you had this same problem.  Sorry.

I'm actually hungry most of the time but then I think about all the hassle I have to go through to make a decent meal and tell myself, "ok, i'll eat in 10 minutes... after this show is over"  haha.  But, 2 hours later, I still haven't stopped my day to make myself a satisfying meal.  Granted, this happens mostly at dinner.  I can get by with a bowl of cereal for breakfast along with yogurt and a banana or something and maybe a sandwich and cheese and crackers for lunch but dinner is sooooo grueling!

So, today I had a flashback of living alone in my 700 square foot apartment(s) and my pitiful trips to the grocery store.  Back then, I didn't have the money to buy all of the healthy stuff so I would grab the standard... mac & cheese, dinner in a bag, dinner in a box, etc.  I rarely ventured into the uncooked meat area (chicken, pork chops, etc) nor the fresh veggies because I knew I would never cook them and they would just rot in that drawer at the bottom of my fridge.  Those days are long gone, thank God.  When Christian is home, we eat really well and I love to cook for both of us.  But when it comes to just me, it's BORING (not to mention a waste of food)!  So, I slightly reverted back to my old ways today.

I went to Trader Joe's (kind of like Whole Foods but won't actually break the bank like Whole Foods does).  Trader Joe's is all organic so I thought I was doing the right thing by going there rather than some normal ol' grocery store to pick up easy-to-cook things (i.e. pop right in the oven for 15 minutes and voila! there's dinner!).  So, I saw what I thought was a box of frozen chicken nuggets.  I also got some fresh fruit, mini veggie pizzas, fresh cheese, and some kind of cucumber wontons (that will be interesting).

Tonight, I took the box of chicken nuggets out of the freezer and placed eight of them onto a baking sheet while my mac & cheese was cooking on the stove.  Well, right at that moment I realized that the box didn't actually say "chicken nuggets", it said "chickenless nuggets".  Yep, that's right folks, they were made of soy.  UGHHHH  I cooked them anyway and ate five of them and about a fourth of the box of macaroni and there was dinner.  They weren't entirely awful but I wouldn't try anymore chickenless products, that's for sure!

I'm so great at cooking for two!  Like I've said in past posts, I like to refer to myself as Chef Chrissi!  I think it has a lot to do with cooking for someone else and having them really love what I've made.  I really could care less, but I love the fact that Christian thinks I'm a good cook.

So, even though my house is slightly bigger than my first apartment and I'm no longer forced to buy the store brand of EVERYTHING, I definitely feel like I'm back to my old single days.  Hopefully the thirty pounds I've lost since then doesn't creep back in the next two weeks while I'm still cooking for one.

Bon appetit, my friends!

xoxo-

Chrissi

Restoring Honor Rally


As you know, I ventured down to our nation's capital this weekend to attend Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial.  The group I went with was seven 1/2 strong (seven adults and one baby).  We stayed at a beautiful hotel, ate good food and sweated our rear ends off at the Rally.

DC was packed.  Two of the guys that were with us got up at about 4 a.m. Saturday morning to go stake out a place in the crowd for the whole group.  Then, Kimberly and I walked down at about 6 a.m. Saturday to take a look at the happenings before we headed back to shower and gather the rest of the crew.  DC is a beautiful city and I always feel so American when I'm there.

The Rally was good.  It wasn't really what I was expecting or had hoped for but it was good, none the less.  Frankly, the main reason I went to the Rally in the first place was because I heard Marcus Luttrell was going to be speaking.  He's the Navy Seal who wrote the amazing book "Lone Survivor".  Well, Sarah Palin introduced him, along with other vets, but he did not speak.  I was pretty bummed.  The beginning of the Rally was good.  There was a mother of a special warfare officer (I hope I'm getting that terminology right) who spoke about losing her son in the war and what an organization, SWOF (Special Operations Warrior Foundation, has done for her family as well as all of the other families affected by losing their sons.  She made me cry.  I hate hearing of anyone dying over there but especially those who know their life purpose is to be a Navy Seal, Army Ranger, or a member of any other special operations forces.  Her story was just so touching.  Then, Sarah Palin came out and she was pretty good.  She honored our troops and mentioned the military more than just about anyone up there.  Unfortunately, I wasn't familiar with anyone else who was on the stage.  There were several religious folks, recipients of awards, and of course, Glenn Beck.

Glenn Beck's main message was for America to get back to God.  It actually felt like I was attending a church service at some points, which was a little weird for me since that wasn't exactly what I was expecting.  Here is the actual event description from Glenn Beck's website:

Throughout history America has seen many great leaders and noteworthy citizens change her course. It is through their personal virtues and by their example that we are able to live as a free people. On August 28, come celebrate America by honoring our heroes, our heritage and our future.

Join the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and many more for this non-political event that pays tribute to America’s service personnel and other upstanding citizens who embody our nation’s founding principles of integrity, truth and honor.

Our freedom is possible only if we remain virtuous. Help us restore the values that founded this great nation. On August, 28th, come join us in our pledge to restore honor at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.


So, as vague as this description is, I'm hoping you can understand why I really didn't expect that it would get all church-like (as Jerry Seinfield would say, "not that there's anything wrong with that").  

I will tell you, I was definitely expecting a little more political speak than what was delivered.  There actually wasn't an ounce of politics associated with anything any of the speakers had to say.  So, that was nice.  It was nice because I am just about the least political person I know.  I really could care less about politics and I think it's stupid that our country is so divided.  It's funny because I logged onto my MySpace account the other day for the first time in FOREVER and looked at the description of myself that I wrote and I actually put this on there: "I think political debates make for some of the best t.v. ever".  Um, I almost threw up in my mouth.  It's amazing how much I've changed in the last four or five years (thank God).  haha  I've read some things online about the Rally and I just get so annoyed with everyone's opinions (most are uneducated opinions from people who were not in attendance).  It was also nice that the crowd was so controlled.  No obnoxious signs, vulgar language or crazy folks were displayed.  I watched people making sure their trash was picked up and I didn't see a single protestor, like I had expected (obviously my expectations were way off).  


But, I had a great time with a great group of people!  And, it helped pass some time and now I only have two weeks until I get to leave to see my man!  I wish I was leaving today and not two Mondays from now but oh well.  


I don't really have too many plans for this week.  I'm looking for a new form of relaxation so my friend, Vicki, recommended acupuncture.  She goes quite often so I might try it as well.  Who knows.  One big thing coming up is COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!!  This Saturday is the first Saturday full of it so you better believe I'll be propped up watching some pigskin!


Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  Love y'all!


xoxo, 


Chrissi

People.

People have been surprising me lately... in a good way.  It's pretty refreshing.  To just kick this post off I'll talk about the most broad topic that I will bring up here today.  When Christian and I moved up here, being from the south, I had a preconceived notion that "north easterners" would be, pardon my french, assholes.  I figured there would be no hospitality, no smiling, no waving, no nothin'.  But, I will admit, from what I've experienced, that is a full-on myth.  Thank God.  I will also admit that initially, I did think there was a difference.  I would pick things out that I normally would never notice and come home upset that people up here suck.  But, to the contrary, people are actually very much the same in terms of public politeness.  People hold doors open, smile, wave, etc.  So, needless to say, uh, all that negative thinking was all in my head.  That brings me to another point- you bring on your own happiness and you control the nature of your world.  

So, needless to say, my opinion of this new geographic home of mine has changed.  Everyone that I meet up here is pretty nice.  Are they a different kind of nice?  I think so.  I think the people I've met up here are actually more genuine once you get to know them than that what I'm used to in the south.  From what I've encountered so far and the few friends I've met, they're going to tell you how it is.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.  It's, like I said, refreshing.  Do I have friends in Pensacola like that?  Yes, absolutely.  But it's not the norm.  Plus, I may just be overanalyzing the differences and taking this way out of hand.  Whatever.  This is my blog and I can write what I want to write.  ;-)

So, last night, I went to dinner with two of my girlfriends that I've met up here.  I met both of them through Junior League events.  Ashley lives down in Philly and has been in JL for several years.  Vicki lives kind of near me and is a new member of JL, like I am.  I was at a benefit for JL back in May down in Philly with Ashley and she introduced me to Vicki.  They are both great.  Initially, Ashley and I had planned on dinner last night but I ended up inviting Vicki after a lay-off at her company all of a sudden cleared her calendar.  :(  We stopped at a wine bar before dinner and had a glass of wine and then had sushi for dinner.  We also had great conversation!  About life, relationships, aspirations, insecurities, worries, etc.  It's so nice to have nice conversation with girls you "click" with.  It's been a while!  I still miss my friends at home dearly.  But, talking on the phone just isn't the same as sitting together enjoying a good meal and good wine!  I had a great time.  I was surprised by how easy it was.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, making new friends at the age of 25 isn't the easiest thing in the world.  Not to mention the fact that I've never really had to actively try to find friends.  And, like I've said, it's super duper awkward at times!  But, thank God, I think Ashley and Vicki could become really good friends!  We even talked fleetingly about taking trips up to NYC together this fall.  So, I'm looking forward to meeting more people like them when Junior League kicks off in two weeks!  

My neighbor, Pete (retired marine, from Brooklyn, approx. mid-sixties in age, has adorable golden retriever, Lady that he LOVES), called me this afternoon and asked me to come see Lady.  He had just brought her home from the hospital.  She had to have surgery to have fatty things removed from her back and the top of her head.  She was soooo disoriented from having the anesthesia!  He wanted her to see someone familiar (other than him) so she would maybe know what the heck was going on.  She was just loopy!  haha  So anyway, he asked how I was doing since Christian's been gone and whether I'd had the chance to talk to him since he left.  I told him that I get to talk to him about once a day and that we're both just bored.  haha  Then I told him I was going to DC this weekend for that rally and he said I had to take pictures for him to send to his "liberal ass friends" <-- his words, not mine haha.  So, I'm taking my nice camera that mom got me and hopefully I'll get some good shots!  Pete is great.  His wife, Anne,  is too.  She's even baked brownies for me when Christian's been gone before!  They take good care of me and are always there if I need something, which is vey comforting.  I'm not usually the type that likes to be all buddy-buddy w/ my neighbors but it's nice to know someone's there when you need them. 

As the days go by, since Christian left, I'm gradually getting in a better and better mood.  Phew, I tell ya, it was rough for a couple days.  I was an emotional retard and it didn't help that it's my "lady time", if you know what I mean.  Which, in itself does not make me happy because I was REALLY hoping for it NOT to make it's unwelcomed visit, if you know what I mean.  :(  Oh well, another month down.... and it means I can have that glass of wine I'll be craving while in Italy (I guess I'll use that as my silver lining haha).  :)

But, I bought some new music which always pumps me up a bit.  I got the new Neon Trees album and I love it.  It's happy music.  :)  

So, now I'm going to start packing for my trip.  I'm leaving tomorrow around lunch time!  I probably won't make another post until I get back Sunday.  I hope everyone has had an awesome week!  

xoxo, 

Chrissi

Happy Hump Day!  

Well, it hasn't even been a week since Christian has been gone and I'm already doing better.  The past few days have been hard.  I've been emotional, lonely, and bored.  The weather has been gloomy too.  Great temps (in the 60s & 70s) but still just grey and gloomy outside!  BUT, I'm doing better today.  I'm going down to Philly tonight to have sushi w/ two of my girlfriends so I'm pretty excited to get out of the house and socialize!  

I'm also getting pretty excited about my trip to DC for the Restoring Honor Rally this weekend (www.glennbeck.com/828).  I'm leaving around noon Friday to drive to Baltimore to meet up with Kim & her b/f Zach (awesome couple and hilarious people) and then the three of us will drive into DC.  The three of us have a room and then Meg, her mom, sister and husband Scott (Christian's friend) and their baby Jack will be there for the events with us!  It will be a good time.  Good people, fun city and interesting, historic events... oh, and great weather to boot.  What more could you ask for in a weekend?  (ok, yes, I'd also ask for my husband but that's unrealistic so I won't even go there)

I was able to Skype w/ Christian this morning and he's doing well.  He's a little bored but he starts flying Friday so that will put a little pep in his step.  He flied to Djibouti (in Africa) this weekend for a mission.  He's excited about going there.  I think they get to stay a night or two down there so that should be an interesting trip.  Only 19 more days until I leave to go see him!  I can't wait!  We are most likely going to fly into Munich from Sicily and then either take a train or rent a car and drive two hours to Salzburg, Austria where his grandparents are.  So, while we were talking this morning, we started looking up transportation options.  So, he looked up the prices for rental cars and you know how over here in the states, the smallest rental car is usually the "economy" car?  Well, apparently, Europe has one even small than that, called "mini".  So, I told him we HAVE to do that, just for the laughs.  If any of you have seen the movie "Just Married", you know what I'm talking about and why it would be so hilarious!  For this reason alone, I'm hoping we can rent a car. haha It's all kind of contingent on us finding a GPS with European maps.  I know we can find one it's just whether or not we want to spend an extra $100 just for the maps.  I'll definitely let y'all know the outcome of this.  ;-)

I read a new book yesterday (yes, I finished an entire book in one day).  It was recommended to me by Jenna and it was a really good, well written book that was, for lack of a better word, depressing!  I could NOT put it down and as I we nearing the end, I knew that I didn't want to spend another day worrying about this dang depressing book!  It's called "Heart of the Matter" and is written by Emily Griffin.  She's the same person who wrote the books "Something Borrowed", "Baby Proof", etc.  Well, essentially, it was about a trauma plastic surgeon who is married to a seemingly perfect stay at mom wife/mom in their perfect suburb of Boston.  Well, he eventually cheats on her with one of his patients' mothers.  Ugh, I HATED him.  I don't know if it's now because I'm married and value my marriage so much or what but I literally wanted to punch him (and the mistress) in the face!  So, I don't think I'll be reading anymore books about adultery.  haha  I told Christian about it and he thinks I'm a loon b/c I get so entwined with these books and I can't help it!  

I also started a yoga class yesterday.  It's one they offer at the gym I go to and it's a great way to start the day (even if you're going to just sink into a mild depression while reading a book afterwards... hahaha).  I'm trying to mix up my workouts a little more.  I'm so bored with what I've been doing for the last six months.  So, I'll be taking advantage of more of the classes.

Well, I better go clean the house.  I've let is slide since Christian left and it's starting to bother me!  haha  Hope everyone is getting through the week ok!  Have a fabulous afternoon!!

xoxo, 

Chrissi

Gloooooomy Sunday...

It's rainy and I'm bored out of my mind and I have no motivation to do anything that will help with my boredom.  It's a conundrum.

I had to peel myself off the couch today to go to the gym.  Once I put my gym clothes on, it took me another 30 minutes to actually get my butt out of the house.  I hate rainy weather.  It puts me in such a funk!

Luckily, weather.com is calling for partly cloudy skies and a high of 75 tomorrow!!!  I'm pretty stoked about that!  I just want this day to be over.  I could barely sleep last night because it was the first night Christian wasn't here.  The first few nights are always the hardest.  I just freak out about everything.  I'm hyper-aware of every sound and I don't like to go into different rooms after dark.  I guess you could say I'm scared of the dark.  haha  If I'm downstairs watching t.v. before and while it gets dark, once it gets dark, I don't like going upstairs (where my bedroom is).  It'll get better as the days go on. You'd think as often as Christian has to leave, I'd start to get used to it.  Yeah, not so much.  But, we live in an ultra safe area so I don't really have too much to worry about.  Plus, I now know how to use our gun and it sits neatly on my bedside table.  haha  

Only 21 more days 'til I get to see my husband!  Only three weeks from tomorrow, I'll be boarding a plane, taking my Target brand sleep aid, and setting off on a nine hour flight to Europe.  If you're ever looking for something pretty mild that will knock you out in a heart beat, try Target's sleep aids!  haha  I've only taken one pill one time in my life but I slept for about 8 hours on our flight to Germany last year.  Otherwise, the flights are brutal and soooo boring!  Of course, I had to wake up to eat and Christian just made fun of me the whole time because I was basically falling back asleep while eating.  haha  Good times.  I've already started preparing for the trip.  I'm trying to find clothes that will work well with the transition in temperatures.  Target has some great basic t-shirts on sale for $4.99 yesterday so I got a few (great for layering) and Gap has some of their belts on final sale so I got two really great belts for $9.86 yesterday!  I already have plenty of light jackets to take and good shoes that won't hurt my feet too bad.  It might just be me but there's something about Europe that makes you want to be in touch with fashion.  I'm pretty traditional with my fashion and don't veer too far off the Ann Taylor, J Crew, Gap or Banana Republic path.  I try to stay classic so my clothes can be worn through different seasons.  But, keeping that in mind, the accessories are key.  So, the aforementioned belts will provide a fashionable touch to a basic tea and jeans.  Plus, great shoes can make a plain outfit pop!  .... as well as statement jewelry (like the menswear watch I got yesterday too)!  When I was home shopping with Dad earlier this month, he got me a pair of Toms shoes.  I love them and wear them all the time.  They go so well with so many of my things!  Plus, for each pair of Toms shoes you buy, they give a pair of shoes to a child in need.  So, I told Dad he made his charitable contribution for that day.  :)  So, hopefully I won't stick out like an American tourist when I go over there.  No fanny pack and white sneakers for me.  Last year before our trip to Germany, I bought my first pair of skinny jeans specifically for the trip so I would be more stylish.  Haha I'm a little loopy, I know.

I'm continuing to search for places to rent in March when we move to New Jersey.  There are two towns that we both love so we're hoping to find a nice, historic place to rent.  Both towns are historic, Main Street types of towns with a great demographic.  Plus, they're closer to Philly than our town is now.  I've gotten back in touch with our NJ realtor so he's starting to be on the lookout.  Yes, I know it's early but I don't want to be in the same situation we were in on the move up here when we only had five days to move and no place to live!  Luckily we found this place!  The rental market is insane up here.  I've read some stats that say only about seven percent of the market up here is rental property (compared to about 30 percent in Florida).  It's very tough to find something before it gets yanked up by someone else!  So, wish us luck!

That's about all I have for today.  Good luck to my teacher friends in Florida tomorrow!!!  I hope everyone has a good, stressless week!  I love y'all!

xoxo,

Chrissi

As of last night, I will be referring to myself as "Chef Chrissi"

Ladies & gentlemen, I'd like to grace your presence with a recipe for one of the best meals I have ever cooked.  Now, mind you, I've always thought of myself as a pretty good cook but tonight took that to a new level.

I went grocery shopping the other day and bought some stuff that I usually don't cook.... fresh spinach, collard greens, fresh salmon, etc.  Well, I knew I needed to cook the salmon while Christian is home or else it would go to waste.  So, I got a wild hair yesterday and bought cedar planks at Bed Bath & Beyond to cook the salmon on.  I really had no idea what I was doing but I wanted to do it on my own.  On the package of the planks, it tells you how to prepare the planks so that part wasn't so bad.  Then it came to removing the skin from the salmon.  That was also a success (I was a little worried about that).  And now, here's the recipe for our entire dinner:

Honey Mustard/Brown Sugar Cedar plank salmon

Ingredients:
* two large salmon filets (will feed four)
* two tablespoons of honey mustard
* three tablespoons of brown sugar
* apple cider vinegar
* water

Fill a large shallow pan w/ 1/2 water and 1/2 apple cider vinegar.  Place two cedar planks in this water/vinegar solution and let them soak for about 2 hours (at least 30 minutes and no more than 4 hours).

For new planks, place on grill w/ low-medium heat for two minutes on each side to prevent warping when cooking food.  Keep a spray bottle of water handy just in case it starts to catch fire (yes, this happens VERY easily).

Skin the salmon (you can find youtube videos on how to do this if you're like me and don't know how to skin a fish).  Season both sides of salmon with kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper.  On the side w/ no skin, spread honey mustard across top and sprinkle brown sugar on top of the honey mustard.

Place salmon on cedar plank and place on low-medium grill for about 20 minutes.  Remove from grill and season with a little more salt and pepper to taste.  YUMMO!

Sauteed Green Beans

* about 1/2 pound of fresh green beans (the long, skinny ones) (more for more people)
* about two tablespoons of olive oil
* two tablespoons of soy sauce
* one clove of garlic (chopped)

pour olive oil into skillet and set to medium-high heat.  When oil is warm, sauté garlic until it's a little brown.  Then, place green beans into pan and sauté until they are soft.  about three minutes before finished, pour the two tablespoons of soy sauce into the pan for added flavor.  Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Skillet Potatoes w/ Basil


* four large red potatoes (more for more people)
* olive oil
* dried basil (or fresh if you're one of those people who loves fresh herbs)

Pour olive oil into pan and turn on medium-high heat.  Slice potatoes into thin chip-like slices and place into pan.  Sprinkle enough basil so it evenly covers (not entirely) each potato slice.  Maybe 1/4 cup.  Cook until potatoes are softened.  Season with kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper.


Voila!  You're finished!  It's a VERY easy dinner and not too many off-the-wall ingredients!  Yes, I created this all by myself and it was gooooood!  Christian and I both said it tasted like a nice restaurant's salmon!

To follow up dinner (we didn't have any dessert in the house), we watched the documentary "Babies".  Oh my goodness, you guys have to see that!!!  It's soooo cute!  It follows four babies from around the world (San Francisco, Tokyo, Mongolia, & Namibia) from the time they're born to their first steps.  It was the most precious thing I've seen in a while.  It's also amazing how different cultures raise their babies.  Plus, it's interesting to see that the two babies who had less material things (Mongolia & Namibia) actually seemed happier and pitched less fits!  So cute.  I definitely recommend!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

xoxo-

Chef Chrissi ;-)

*.*.* Falling for Autumn *.*.*

It's official, I am over summertime!  Only 33 more days 'til it is officially Fall!  I brought out my pumpkin scented Yankee candles, got a new fall-inspired runner for our dining room table and even a new wreath for the front door.  It's Fall in my house, dang-it!  Here are a few of my favorite things about the upcoming season:

* leaves changing colors (duh)
* the cool, crisp, non-humid air
* amazing sweaters and a great pair of jeans
* BOOTS!!!
* Watching a great college football game outside with great friends
* the dusty smell the first time you turn on the heater in the house
* Food- turkey, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on the top, apple cider, tailgating food, etc
* Holidays- Halloween & Thanksgiving
* Putting up Christmas decorations after Thanksgiving (not before, people... that's just ridiculous).
* Fall festivals
* Scarecrows
* The smell of fires burning in fireplaces
* Picking out a pumpkin before halloween
* decorating!
* Seasonal coffee flavors
* the crunch of leaves beneath your feet as you walk down a sidewalk
* Being able to keep your windows open all day
* the smell of oranges, cloves & cinnamon

and last but certainly not least,

* quality time with family around the holidays!

Well, I guess we've still got a ways to go until it's actually Fall.  But, I couldn't help myself!  This year has flown by enough already so I know it will be here before we know it!  It's already starting to cool off a little up here.  The highs all next week are in the low 80s.  I just looked at the averages for September and the average high temperature for our town is 78 degrees!  I'm pretty excited about that!  However, I also have to think about this upcoming trip of mine!  So, in order to start preparing, I also looked at the averages for the month of September for Catania, Sicily, Salzburg, Austria and Frankfurt, Germany.  They are as follows:

Catania, Sicily: 84
Salzburg, Austria: 68
Frankfurt, Germany: 66

So, needless to say, I have to do a wide range of packing for this trip!  Definitely a swimsuit and shorts for Catania and a friggin' coat for the nights in Germany when it gets in the 40s!  Oh well.  I'm definitely NOT complaining.  I can't wait for this trip!

But anyway, other than longing for Autumn, all is well in the Jenkins household.  Christian got home last night from his four day trip across the country.  On this trip, they had to go to Jacksonville to pick up a load (more about what this load was in a second) and take it to Washington State.  Then, they flew to San Diego to "reposition" (whatever that means).  So, about that load they picked up.  It was a seal!  A real, live mammal... a seal!  Apparently, the Navy uses marine mammals to perform certain tasks so Christian and his crew went to pick up a 27-year-old seal in Jacksonville along with his four or five handlers and flew them out to Washington.  Crazy huh?  Who woulda thunk it.  He said they had to keep the back of the plane around 50 degrees so the people who were flying Space A (what Christian and I could do for a free flight somewhere) were freezing!  The handlers kept spraying the seal with water to keep him hydrated and Christian said he was just walking (waddling, etc) back and forth in his little cage.  I just think that is so neat!  haha  Enough about the seal....

Christian is home until Saturday afternoon when he leaves for Sicily.  So, we're trying to make the most of the couple days we have together before we're apart for about 23 days.  I've already told him that he has to take me out on a date tomorrow night!  haha

Well, Christian just called and needs me to bring something to him on base that he forgot here at home so now I'm off!  I hope everyone is having a great week and looking forward to a great weekend!

Love,

Chrissi

Home Sweet Home <3

Hello everyone!  I come to you from Pennsylvania after a GREAT trip home to Florida!  It was pretty much perfect!  I got to see everyone I wanted to see, spent time with my amazing friends and family and even snuck a little trip to New Orleans in there!  Needless to say, I had an amazing trip!

I got to Pensacola just in time for lunch with two aunts and three cousins at Cactus Flower!  Lunch was great and it was so nice to see the lovely ladies of my family.  We then went to the new "gourmet" cupcake shop that has opened in Pensacola called Oh Snap!  Unfortunately, none of us were impressed.  They were expensive and not very tasty!  Plus, the shop needs a little makeover.  But, who am I to judge?  I just won't go back...  ;-).  After our cupcake trip, Ali & I visited Grannie & PawPaw for a while.  It was great to see them and hear random stories that I love hearing (they were married at 17 and have known each other their entire lives, what PawPaw did for work before joining the Navy and how their parents were so strict).  I love it!  That evening I got to see my momma!  I'm so blessed to have such an amazing mom.  She's one of my best friends and really "gets" me.  I guess that's what moms are for, huh?  Adam came over for dinner so that was awesome.  I miss my brother and how much he picks on me!  And, I assure you, he did not slack on the pickin' this trip.  Gotta love it.  haha  Thursday I spent the day w/ my dad!  We kept our little day trip/shopping outing tradition alive and well!  We went to Destin for a little shopping and lunch at my favorite restaurant in the world- The Red Bar in Grayton Beach.  Here's a pic of us at lunch!  We had a great time.  :)

Thursday night I spent the evening with my friend Jenna.  We just chatted, ate pizza and laughed!  I was GREAT to catch up.  We haven't talked in a while so it was really nice!  Friday was my day to run errands (I refuse to have my rings cleaned by anyone other than Jewelers Trade Shop in P'cola... they just look aaaamazing after they clean them) and see some folks I used to work with.  Adam and I had lunch at Jerry's Drive in.  Man, I miss fried fish!  It was so good!  Then, Friday night I threw a little surprise dinner party for Alison's 25th birthday!  We ate at McGuire's and she was really surprised!  It was so much fun!  I'm so blessed that she's been my best friend for 23 years!!!!  That is NUTS to think about but it's true!  Here's a pic from that!  

Saturday, Alison, Laura and I ventured over to New Orleans for the night!  It took us about 4 1/2 hours to get there because we decided to stop for lunch at Mellow Mushroom somewhere in Mississippi but we eventually got there and had a blast!!!  We stayed in a beautiful hotel called the La Pavillon.  It was very old-world and victorian, which I love.  We spent the afternoon in the French Quarter.  That day was the "Red Dress Run" so almost everyone on Bourbon was wearing a red dress (even the guys) and tennis shoes!  It was great!  We spent most of the afternoon in the gay district of Bourbon because that's always a blast and a site to see... then, that night we went to a little tapas bar called MiMi's in some residential area of the Quarter.  It was pretty good!  We went back out on Bourbon after dinner and danced and people-watched and just had such a good time!  Laura and I had the amazing Bourbon Street pizza on the way back to the hotel that night but then we all ordered a fruit and cheese tray from room service and stayed up laughing and talking until about 2 a.m.  It was a really good time with really good friends who I can talk to about anything!  I love them so much.  Sunday we got up and tried to go to Cafe Du Monde but it was hot as hades and the line was super long so we went to Community Coffee and then headed back home around noon.

Well, then Sunday was my last full day so I spent some remaining time w/ Mom and then headed to Grandma Anna's to see her then off to dinner w/ Dad & Rhonda @ Grand Marlin on the beach.  Then, dad took me to Krispy Kreme!!!  Ahhh, it was sooooo good!  I had three glazed doughnuts on the way home and one this morning.  haha I can't help myself!  I REALLY wish we had one up here!

Also, before I went to bed last night, I had a chat with my cousin, Ali.  She and Ben are expecting their first baby!!!!!  I'm soooo excited for her!  She's going to be such an amazing mother.  It's so funny because she and I were talking about babies and how Christian and I are waiting for that blessing to come and I asked her when she and Ben were going to start trying and she told me in TWO YEARs!!!  hahaha  She's an excellent liar because she's known for a while now!!  So exciting!  She and I are only four months apart so wouldn't it be neat if we had babies around the same time too?  :)

Today was my trip home and it wasn't so bad.  As much as I hate flying, today wasn't awful because I was actually able to sleep on the plane!  I NEVER sleep on planes.  I kept waking up and realizing my mouth was wide open.... ridiculous, I know.  haha  Oh well.  Obviously I made it home safely!  The weather up here is a bit more pleasant than the awful Florida humidity!  I think the high this Wednesday is in the upper 70s!  I am definitely looking forward to that!!

Christian is gone for work right now but he'll be back Wednesday night.  Then, he leaves Saturday his trip to Sicily and I won't see him until I go to Sicily on September 13.  I can't wait!  I'm sooo excited about that trip!  By the time we get back from Europe (Sicily, Austria & Germany), it'll be October and Fall will have arrived!  This year is flying by.

So, anyway, I'm so happy to have seen everyone!!!  I love y'all.  Next time I'm in Florida, it will be Thanksgiving!  Crazy!

Have an awesome week!!

xoxo-

Chrissi

Just a little piece of good news!

Christian found out today that he is being promoted to Lieutenant Commander!  He won't actually be able to put it on (or get paid for it) until April, 2011 but it's so exciting!  This is a big jump for us and he will probably only get one more look at another promotion before he retires in six and a half years.  This promotion is based purely on how well he's done in his career and it has to go through Congress to get passed so it's a big deal!  Since he's considered a reservist now we had to wait a little longer to find out than the active duty guys did.  They found out about two weeks ago so he's been patiently waiting and heard the good news this morning!  We started to get a little nervous but since he made instructor of the year at his last squadron and all that jazz, we were pretty sure he was a shoo-in.

So, I just wanted to let all of you guys know!

xoxo,

Chrissi