Dania Apartment

So after so many months in a hotel, Mike and I were able to get an opening with a lady we had rented a apartment from a while ago. She has a duplex behind her house, down the street from Kerry. We moved in November 17th and we moved out the first weekend in December! It seemed pointless because of the short time but it was nice to get out of the same room again. This place had a separate bedroom which was really nice.

One night, I was playing with Jessie, throwing her ball. I threw it into Mike's boot just to see what Jessie would do. It was funny. She shoved her entire face into the boot trying to get the ball. It was so funny I took pictures.

Hunting

So far Mike has tried to hunt most every weekend. These are the only pictures I have so far. He shot a hog and brought it home. He cleaned it up and we saved the meat. During hunting season Mike brings home most of the meat so we can grind it up and use it just like ground beef. It's actually very good and tastes like beef. It's a lot less fatty and greasy, I don't ever have to drain it. There should be more pictures later of Mike's deer and other animals.

Pizza

On one of my weekends that Mike and I went home, Mom and Kerry decided to make homemade pizza. It was something our family doesn't really do so it ended up being an experience. It tasted wonderful but it was a messy process.

Duck Calling Competition

In August, the Florida Duck Calling Contest took place at the Orlando Bass Pro. Mike and I drove up so he could compete. He had been practicing for a couple weeks and was sounding pretty good. In my opinion he should have gotten 3rd place but he got 4th. While we were there Mike made a new friend who he has hunted with a few times this season. So while he didn't win anything he made a new friend which is always more important! It was a good experience and we will go again next year. Hopefully he will place higher and make more friends!!

Ft. Lauderdale

So Mike and I went to Fort Lauderdale in July. We stayed at an Extended Stay off of 84. We got a bigger room, one with a couch and a coffee table. Which ended up being the best thing because we stayed in that room until November 17th. It was really hard staying in the hotel room. I would walk Jessie a lot, just to get out of the room. I had a lot of school work I had to do, I was taking 6 classes, so that kept me pretty busy too.

The biggest problem I had was the internet. It wouldn't work anywhere in the room about 99% of the time except in the bathroom. I am not kidding! You had to put the computer on the counter and either sit on the toilet or bring in a chair. Even sitting on the floor in front of the counter wouldn't work. I am not sure why but it was really annoying. I would go over to Kerry's house every week and take whatever tests I needed to take. Sometimes when I had really busy weeks I would go over a few times a week.

While we were there, Jessie's 3rd birthday was celebrated! Her birthday was August 6th. I picked up some doggy ice cream at the store and we sprinkled sprinkles on the top. I wanted to sing happy birthday to her but Mike didn't think it was necessary. I sang it in my mind though! Birthday's just aren't complete without a song!

This was our hardest stay so far. It was really long and trying. Imagine being mad at your husband and not being able to go anywhere to get away. At home, I go into my bedroom or out on the porch, to calm down and not say something stupid. At the hotel, I had to go into the bathroom. Towards the end of our stay for some reason Thursday's would be the day that I had had enough and breakdown for an hour or so until I got it all together and moved on with life. But we made it! And I am still in one piece!

Home Again

Coming home is always so exciting! Even the dog is happier there! She and I have a routine when we are home. We sit on the porch out back and I have coffee while she looks around. I usually keep the door open most of the day so she comes and goes out on the porch. It's so funny when I look out and see her sitting in the chair. She has such personality! I also LOVE my bed! It's something I get so excited about! Always, a few days before we are going home, Mike starts asking me if I am excited to sleep in my own bed and always I emphatically nod! It's just so comfortable and big! And I guess more importantly, it's mine. These are just some pictures from our time at home.

After we got back from Georgia, Mike was sent to Tampa for the first two weeks of July. I stayed in Lake Placid because we didn't know where he was staying and then he ended up in another hotel. We decided it would be easier for me to just stay home. It ended up being for the best because he found out a few days after he was there that he was going to have to go down to Fort Lauderdale for the rest of July and rumor was, we'd be there for a while.

Georgia

Mike and I were sent to Georgia in June. We drove up in his truck and the trip took about 10 hours, I think. Maybe a little less. It's been a few months since then! But we had a safe trip. We were there for about a month. I had one of the other welders wives', Trudy, there too. It was nice because we went out during the days. We would go to Walmart and Target, the mall and the park. We went 'exploring' one day trying to find the Walmart. The GPS led us to Alpharetta which was about 30 minutes from where our hotel was in Norcross. We laughed about that a lot but getting back was easier and we did make the trip once more before we left.

Another day Trudy and I went downtown. There were little shops, antique stores and specialty stores. It was a nice day so we walked along it and went into each store. We talked to the store owners and one of them was pretty funny. She had recently broken up with her boyfriend and I guess she needed to talk about it because she told Trudy and I her whole life story! We were sympathetic though and listened and encouraged her.

This trip was the first time I've ever driven Mike's truck. His truck is lifted and a 2500 Silverado. I drove his smaller truck (the 1500 Silverado) but not this one! It was a little scary at first, I felt like I was going to run over the little cars! But I got the hand of it and did pretty well. It was quite an experience, driving a huge truck in a foreign town! I felt lost most of the time!! I didn't get into any accidents though and we made it home safely.

While we were there, actually about two days before we were going to leave for home, Jessie got her period. I didn't bring any of her underwear so I had to make due and cut up some of my own underwear. I was pretty aggrevated but what was I going to do? Just one of those things.

On the way home Jessie must not have been feeling well because she wanted to lay up from with us the entire way back. The front seat is a bench seat so there was room. I guess she had a little pms! Haha!

Happy Birthday!

On September 13, all the girls got together for dinner to celebrate Kerry and Mandy's birthdays. Kerry turned 26 and Mandy turned 24! We had a lot of fun and Katie even was able to get a babysitter for her daughter. Mandy's sister, Stephenie, came too. We had a great time!