Love me some East TN!

I decided to make a trip back to East TN for Labor Day weekend to see family, friends and shop. It also happened to be my father-in-law's birthday, so that worked out really well for me to be there! I was able to get my hair done by my fabulous hairdresser since college (any locals, I'd be happy to give you her name and number if you need one) - first great event of the weekend. The second great event of the weekend was a dinner date with Jesse's parents and sister, Jamie and one of my favorite restaurants there - Calhoun's! Man, it was yummy. I spent the rest of the evening with the Sr. Cragwall's and Jake (Jesse's little brother - the dog) watching a movie so it was a really fun time. Saturday, I did a few errands in the morning, ending with a lunch from Firehouse Subs (YUMMY again). I met up with Jesse's sisters, Jamie and April and her kids for a trip to the pool for some sun and fun. We had a blast with Parker and Taylor and it was nice to just sit around and have girl talk! That evening, we had Glenn's birthday party (he got to have a Spongebob Squarepants cake, courtesy of the kids) and ended the evening with a chat session on the webcams with Jesse and his family. It was a little irritating with the low wireless connection we had, but they all got to see each other and were able to chat online with Jesse as well. Sadly, I think it made him MORE homesick, but I know he was really excited to see them. Sunday, I was able to go to our church (http://www.providencechurch.com/) and it was so nice to be back in a church where everybody knows us both and I felt so welcomed to be there. Later that afternoon, I met up with my best friend, Becca and we did some shopping at some of the greatest stores ever - TJ Maxx, Homegoods and Ross. We met up with her hubby and boys at Salsaritas (again, YUMMY) for dinner and I had a great time with them. Monday, on my way out of town, I met up with my friends Laura, her hubby Zak, and Tracy who I met through working at UTK for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe (yes, it was YUMMY) and got to catch up with them and the old workplace. I finished off my GREAT weekend by meeting my mom at Opry Mills for some shopping (go figure)!! It was great to be around family again, especially since I was able to visit with Jesse's family and strengthen my relationships with them by myself. It was weird at times to be there without him and I expected him to come through the door at any minute, but I'm really glad I went. Thanks for the hospitality, Cragwall's and Dunn's!

God Bless Interviews....EVERY ONE!

You know that feeling when you get "the call" from a possible future employer to come in for an interview? I've had a few of those recently, and each time, I can't help myself but to start picturing what my office would look like, what the people I work with would be like and how it fits into my career and personal goals. This is not entirely a bad thing, because at least I know what I want when I go into the interview. Last week, I had one I really liked and I hope I get, but I won't know until possibly the end of next week. I had another one yesterday and I left feeling great about it, but I didn't get a call back - it was just bizarre. I came highly recommended by a big whig there and they gave me great feedback, but didn't ask me back. The only thing I can come up with is that maybe I am overqualified for this job and I wanted more out of it than they can give. My greatest advantage in "unemployment land" has been that I don't HAVE to take just any job - my husband supports us just fine. I would just like to have something to fill my time as well as something that is all mine. I won't lie - I'm tired of putting on the suit and preparing for the round-robin grill time by a committee. We'll see what God has planned for me while Jesse is gone. We'll see what happens, but I'll keep you posted!

I'm a Paintin' Pro!!!

My project to keep myself busy through my husband's deployment and unemployment season has been to paint my entire house. I've gone from room to room, planning each color strategically. There were some factors to consider, like if I did neutral colors that other people might like, I might not have to paint it back when we leave in a few years. First, I attacked the kitchen with my mom and we knocked it out in a day...with green! It took 2 tries at the color to find the right shade. Next, I did the family room and hallways in a light khaki shade with a little help from my friend Heather on the vaulted ceilings area. My bedroom was next with a dark khaki and then I did my bathroom in a regular shade of khaki. The last room was my extra bedroom in a nice blue shade. It has been a good learning experience and it really does make a difference in a house to put colors on the wall. It's now truly "our home"!

One of the oddest things I've ever seen...

I need to share this as a proud Aunt. Jonathan and Jennifer's cat, Piper, likes to eat vegetables. I had the rare opportunity to watch him eat corn straight off the cob after we grilled out my first night there. This is one of those things that I think everyone needs to witness. Nice, Pipes!

Trip to Cincinnati

I drove up to Cincinnati to spend some time with Jonathan and Jennifer for 2 days. I got there in time to have dinner and help out in the basement that is under construction to be refinished. Jennifer and I painted while Jonathan leveled the bathroom floor to prepare for them to tile. They have refinished the "man room" area and added a full bathroom and it looks great! They are doing such a good job on it. Anyway, the next morning we went to church and then Jonathan and I went to the Red's Game to meet up with our buddy, Mike, from Mercy Me and watch their concert. For those of you who don't know, Mike is from our hometown and we grew up going to church together. Bart (lead singer) and Mike (lead guitarist) met at our church when Bart worked there as a youth intern. The game was a great opportunity to just sit with Mike and catch up. We don't get to see him very often, but it's always fun when we do. It was "Faith Day" at the Red's Stadium and they interviewed 2 players who are Christians and had a family that was on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition We met Mike up at their suite to watch the game, which was SUPER nice of him. Then, we were escorted down to the Red's DUGOUT (yep, it was awesome) to sit and watch the concert! Mercy Me set up around 1st base so we had a great seat. About 15,000 people stayed after the game to watch the concert. We went back to the house to hang out with Jennifer, eat pizza and watch the Olympics. Jonathan and I hung out a little more on Monday before I drove back and it was a great visit. It was nice to get away and see family. Thanks guys!

Wedding Date

This weekend, I was my sister-in-law, Jennifer's date to a wedding in Nashville. My dad and brother were camping this week so she decided to invite me to go with her to a wedding of a family friend of hers. It was great to have her come down and visit to see the base and our new place. Thanks for coming, FraFra!! :)

Callie and her mousy

When we took Callie to FL with us during our April leave, she had to share a house with my parents cat, Lila. Lila of course did not like another cat there, but Callie decided to pick on her by stealing her toys. One of these toys has become her favorite toy ever, her mousy. My parents graciously let Callie have the toy since she loved it so much and now, it is a toy she cannot go long without. Our house has tile floors so she can bat it around very easily and it usually ends up in the same place, under the coat closet door. When this happens, she lays in front of the door and meows to let me know that it's time to get her mousy out. It's amazing how quickly I can get it out from the closet and within a few minutes, it's back in the closet with a cat swatting her paws underneath the door to try to get it back out. I share this story since it is part of our routine every day. If you ever come to visit, you will meet her mousy and understand how obsessed she is with this toy! After she finishes irritating me with her urgency to have her toy back to play, she then will make me smile by doing something just too cute, like getting up on the couch to sleep and looking so innocent and adorable. I like her!