Tuesday 10!

Following a friend's lead, 10 things that made me smile today/recently....

1. Stella! I got home last night after a week of being in Louisiana and got to see Stella!

Did I tell you she is going to be a princess for Halloween? Well it was going to be a hot dog, but she hated that costume so much (she hid from me when it was in my hands) that I had to get a new one! May I present Princess Stella Wigglesmith....

Former hotdog....
2. Phone calls! Glenn got to call twice this week! He is flying a bunch and getting a handle on everything he has to do for his jobs. Sometimes he sounds like he is actually enjoying it :)

3. Housing! We are officially first on the housing list. Ok, not officially, but the people ahead of us were offered a place so that makes me think that we are first.

4. Express Shipment! Our sponsor in Japan went to Personal Property in Atsugi this week and found out that our express shipment is already there. My clothes! My scrapbooks! My shoes! They made it!

5. Fun times with Mom! Mom and I drove all the way to Neenah, Wisconsin today (outside of Green Bay, 4 1/2 hours away) for an auction at an old grocery store. The equipment we were there to buy was not there. Mom chewed out the auction company for advertising one thing and then not having it. That was not the fun part, but rather than turning around and driving back right away we decided to make the best of a bad situation and hit up the outlet malls nearby! 2 more people checked off my Christmas list!

6. Papa Murphy's Pizza. Dinner tonight. I think the midwest may be the only place that has this take and bake chain, but their Chicago stuffed pizza is the best! I wish I could ship one to Glenn.

7. Halloween. I'm headed to Iowa City with some of my best friends in the whole world, Annie and Jeff, for a long weekend. Annie and I are going as Jeff's polygamist wives. She's wife #1 (I suppose that's ok since she really is) and I'll be wife #6. We're thinking something along these lines....

I need to perfect that hair poof before Friday.

8. Newphews! I miss Connor already. My favorite moment was Connor talking on his cell phone (mom's old phone). He was mumbling away and pacing around the foyer just like his dad. When I asked who he was talking to he put his hand over the phone, rolled his eyes at me for interrupting his phone call and said "Fia!" (Sophia, neighbor, 18 months old) and went back to talking. Are you 3 or 30, Connor??? It was too cute.

9. SCUBA! I signed up for Scuba classes. I start on the 12th of November. Glenn is going to take classes in Guam during deployments and dets and I'll do my open water dives in Guam next spring some time. I have to do my pool and classroom work here first. I got my textbook while we were gone and started reading in during the drive. I'm excited to get certified and dive in Australia and Guam and Japan and all over the pacific. Yay!

10. TV shows! I love the fall TV schedule! All my favorite shows are on and even better, I'm in first place by 30 points in my America's Next Top Model pool. Cross your fingers that Elina wins or Marjorie!

Almost 3!

Here is a picture of Connor I took this week while in Louisiana. He is getting so big! This is my favorite picture of him so far. He was playing hind and go seek on the way to the park behind every single tree we saw. Connor, we found you!

Double Happy!

I got an email from Stacey, our Japan sponsor, and she said our express shipment is already in Japan! And even better they "say" our household goods should be there around December 16th! I really hope we have a place by then so we can celebrate Christmas in our new place with our furniture. Here's hoping!

Happy Day for Glenn!

Glenn emailed me and sounded super excited cause he got not one, not two, but three boxes at mail call today! (He said the other guys were jealous, but he shared :) ) All of his birthday boxes arrived in more than enough time for his birthday. Which figures since the last box took 5 weeks, these would take only 10 days!

Also a happy day for me cause he FINALLY sent me pictures of the boat! I don't know why, but I like to picture where he is living and working each day. Here are a few of the pictures he sent me so you can see what boat life is like...

It says "Duty Desk" and "Jenna"

This is Glenn's room: That is his desk by the red arrow, the sinks in blue and the American flag in green. PS. 6 people live here!

Close up of Glenn's desk. Cozy, huh?

This is where Glenn sleeps (top right). This is the other half of the room in the second picture with his desk.

I know it's a boat and 6000 people live there and it's the government so it is gray and boring, but how do these men and women live here for months at a time? It's like summer camp that never ends and without campfires, marshmallows, best friends and capture the flag. I think I love you even more, baby!

Only 6 more weeks til the big M-day! Moving day that is. And if the Navy would buy my ticket. Small details, right?

Conman

We're keeping busy down here in Louisiana. Today we washed the car, built a sand box, weedwacked the lawn and took care of a 3 year old. We painted some pictures (his new favorite obsession) and played in the sand. How do 3 year olds have so much energy when they get up at 6 am? He is a never ending energy machine.
It's been nice and relaxing though. I think we're going to head to the zoo in Baton Rouge some time this week and carve some pumpkins.
We're also trying to get Connor on a new schedule (sorry mom and dad) of getting to bed later and waking up later. 6 am is a little ridiculous when we're all on vacation and not working!
Tomorrow's goals: Watch the Desparate housewives I missed. Watch the Army wives I missed. Schedule my SCUBA class for November. Important things, I know :).

Louisiana!

Mom and Dad left this morning and I leave tomorrow morning for 10 days in Louisiana! The Brother and SIL are going to the Dominican Republic for a little vacation and we are watching Connor. Apparently it takes 3 adults to watch a 3 year old.
It should be a good time. I hope Stella enjoys Tim and Cheryl's. She's been kinda crazy lately and hates being away from me. At the dog park yesterday she was very protective of me. She would scare the other dogs away from me and then sit between my feet. Go play dog! You are a dog! Nope, apparently with Glenn gone it is her responsibility to take care of me.

Have a fun weekend!

Happy Birthday Me!

Ok, just have to vent a little. Glenn called this morning and I could hear him breathing, but he couldn't hear me at all! There must have been something wrong with the phones. Hopefully he'll call when he wakes up in the morning (tonight our time). I sent him a scan of my passport too so hopefully I'll have a moving date when he calls back. Cross your fingers that flying out of Minneapolis is cheaper than Norfolk or they might make me fly back there. Annoying since I'll be flying west back over Minnesota.
No big plans for today since my birthday party was the other weekend. Just dinner with the family probably.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone! I think 25 was a better age, but 26 will be an exciting year!

A few of my favorite people.

My favorite picture from my birthday party last weekend. All my favorite girls, including Stella!

This weekend was great as well. Chris' restaurant was amazing. I was stuffed after your 12+ course meal. Amazing though! My performance was not so hot during beer pong, but I did have one game winning shot I was pretty happy with :)

A few shots from the 1st annual Beck's Beer Pong Tournament.

Out of Town

I'm headed up to the cities this weekend to spend some time with my girlfriends up there. Plans for the weekend include: a trip to IKEA (love that place!), a Beer Pong Tournament, Megan's bridal shower and dinner at Emily's boyfriends restaurant (Chambers). Should be fun.
This is the first time that Stella and I have been apart for more than 4 hours in over a month. Hopefully she doesn't freak out too much. Mom and Dad are dogsitting this weekend. I hope dad doesn't mind Stella sleeping in bed with them. Glenn and I have spoiled her. She's too cute to not spoil, right?
Happy Friday and have a good weekend!

Update on Glenn too: Only talked to him once since Tuesday for a few minutes cause he forgot his phone card on the ship. They have left Korea now I think. Guess what he saw in Budan though? A Caribou Coffee! You Minnesotans will understand how crazy that is! It's Glenn's favorite though so he was very excited.

Busan!

Glenn called this morning! I haven't heard from him in a week, but he called from Busan, South Korea today. Well technically from the ship because he has duty from midnight to 8 am, but then he is going to Korea. It sounds like they are there for some official event with a few other countries as well. It was so good to hear his voice and it sounds like he is doing well.

I had to look up Busan as well so I included a picture. It looks like he's not too far from Japan, but on the opposite side that Atsugi is.

I've been so anxious I was going to miss his phone call this week. I need to keep my phone around my neck I think, but he called while Stella and I were still in bed this morning. Exactly 2 more months til I get to see you, G!

Keeping Busy

Many people are curious what I am doing now that I live with my parents and I don't work. Here is what I have been up to since last Wednesday:

- Party Preparations (cooking, shopping, etc)
- Making dinner for my parents/doing their grocery shopping
- Painting the downstairs bathroom
- Reorganizing my mom's kitchen (I threw away something that expired in 1996 to give you an idea of the state of her pantry!)
- Taking Stella on long walks
- Reading my stack of books people have recommended.

Party & Approval

The party on Saturday was so much fun! It was wonderful to see all my best friends together. The food was great (thanks Jen!) and I think everyone had a good time. We played a little Mario Cart, some Cornhole and drank lots of Dave's homebrewed beer. I think everyone was impressed with how good it was. And how strong it was. Good times had by all. Thanks Dave and Jen!

In other exciting news, my Dependent Entry Approval has been approved! Japan is going to let me come! That means that our furniture can be released from storage in Virginia and start making the journey over to Japan. It also means we can officially be on the housing list, get an APO address, a flight scheduled over to Japan and a number of other things for Stella. Woo hoo! For those of you possibly going to Japan as well. The whole process took about 5 weeks from turning in the forms to hearing back. Keep that in mind when planning your move. Now I just need my no-fee passport and I will be set. I called Personal Property first thing this morning to release our HHG. Glenn is going to take care of my ticket over there. Yay! It will be nice to have a date to tell people.

I stink at posting pictures lately. Hopefully soon I will get them off my parents camera.

2 months and 1 week.

Deployments are hard. I miss Glenn. I'm staying busy, but any suggestions to make the distance seem less? Only 9 more weeks to go...

Excited for Saturday

My wonderful sister-in-law and brother are throwing me a birthday party this weekend. I am so excited! Mostly cause I get to see all my friends whom I haven't seen in a couple months, but also cause I get to have a birthday party. I haven't had a birthday party since I was in middle school I think. I told Glenn he has to throw me a huge 30th birthday party, but we'll see if that actually happens in 4 years.
Today I get to run my mom's errands. I guess living at home and having no job means I get to do her errands. Oh well, I'm off to Walmart.

Back Home.

Stella and I did the last jaunt of our road trip this morning. It was a short one, just from Des Moines to Rochester. I finally unloaded the car and moved back in to my parent's house. Weird. It felt weird putting things back in the drawers of my old bedroom. Two months is short. How do people move home for an extended period of time? I guess those crazy people who never leave home don't know what they are missing cause they have never lived on their own before. It will be nice to be able to spend lots of time with the family though before I leave. It is kind of scary to think that when I leave in December, the next time I will see them will probably be in about a year! Either when/if I come home for Missy & Ben's wedding and if there is a Baby Lawson #2 next fall. You guys need to work on coordinating that so it can be the same trip home. Oh and hopefully Christmas 2009 will be in sunny Hawaii.

Welcome to Rochester, Kelly.