A Not-So-Perfect Love Story

When Joe and I first met, I was still in the process of recovering from a very unhappy and failed marriage.  I had moved to Texas to start over, chase some of my long-awaited dreams, and absolutely refused the thought of ever getting married again.  I wanted to believe that one day, I'd find another love but I could not imagine making the commitment "For better and for worse" again without the fear of it all crumbling to bits. 

And then, in walked Joe.  Handsome.  Full of confidence.  Funny.  Charismatic.  And so sure that HE would be the one to make me believe in love again.  The boy knocked me down on my cynical ass... and I fell in crazy, stupid love with him. 

I had never experienced anything like it.  Was it true that I had finally found a man who could love me unconditionally, support me in the endeavors that I wanted to pursue, and would want to live life to the fullest right besides me???  The year that we spent together was a whirlwind of good times and laughter and head-over-heels love.  He asked me to marry him and even with my hesitation towards marriage, I said yes... and then he left for Iraq.

This is the part of the story that is the hardest for me to share... not because of how terribly sad it is when I look back on it but because embarrassingly, it shows how weak I was and how I made the biggest mistake of my life... and truly, it was the biggest mistake.

While he was gone, Fear and Doubt crept in and I began to question if everything that we had was real.  I started to feel overwhelmed with all of the changes that were about to begin.  We had set a date to get married and then Joe was scheduled to get stationed in Hawaii and there was a possibility of him deploying back to Iraq just a few short months after.  Getting stationed in Hawaii sounds like a dream but giving up the job that I loved, having to start all over career wise, and getting left in a brand new place started to scare the living daylights out of me.

I look back at how stupid I was and wish that I could have told myself to calm down... everything was going to be just fine.  Instead, I cowardly walked away from the best thing that had ever happened to me and ended it all with Joe.

I felt okay about my decision for maybe three days... and then the reality of what I had done began to sink in and immediately, Regret came and took over the spaces where Fear and Doubt had originally stood.  And thus began the hardest year of my life.

I tried and tried to move on.  I threw myself into work, signed up for half-marathons and ran and ran and ran, went to concerts, went on horrible dates, made plans to move abroad and start over, yet again... and nothing worked.  Every single day I thought about Joe.  Every single day I missed him.  Every single day I looked at my phone and prayed for a call or a text saying that he had forgiven me and wanted to try again.  And every single day I tried to forget about a love that I had once had, find consolation in the fact that I had finally known one that was real and true, and be okay with the idea that I'd probably never find it again.

Like I said, the hardest year of my life. 

We had split up in October and the following September, I was still heartbroken and crying to my sister and my two best friends about how I had screwed everything up and didn't know how to move on.  I'm pretty sure they were all tired of hearing me cry about it and all agreed that I needed to give him a call or write him an email and say that I had made a mistake.  From what I had heard, he was in another relationship and I refused to be "that" girl, so I said no and resolved that this was simply something that I must live with.

About a month later, I was finishing up my work day and packing up to head home.  Just as I was getting ready to shut off my computer, an email popped up in my Inbox and I quite literally gasped when I saw that it was from Joe.  It was a short email asking how I was doing and saying that he still had Harry Potter books of mine that he needed to return and wanted to know how he should get them back to me.  I immediately grabbed my cell phone and work phone, sent a text to my sister and called my best friend and told them both what I had just received.  I didn't know what to think and felt a swarm of emotions: nervous, excited, scared... and all that I could do was hope that God was finally giving me the second chance that I had been praying for.

Exactly two years ago today, Joe and I met up for coffee to exchange some Harry Potter books... and somehow managed to start all over again.  I would be lying if I said that we picked up exactly where we had left off or that it was the easiest thing ever.  There were a lot of scars that needed healing and to say that a large portion of his family was less than thrilled about us reuniting would be an understatement... something that I can hardly blame them for.  But, somehow, we managed to work through it and the one thing that is not a lie is that from that day forward, I put all of my trust in him, our love, my heart and there were no more questions or hesitations... and two years later, I find myself married, crazy in love with my husband who just so happens to be my best friend, and with our little baby bean on the way.  It blows my mind...

This post is not the easiest one to share because telling of my biggest failure is embarrassing  and quite humbling but I think that remembering our failures and looking at them for the lessons that they provide is the only way to grow.  For me, I learned how fragile love can be and to never, ever, ever take it for granted.  As much as I want to delete that year that we were apart, I know that because of it, we are more honest with one another, appreciative of each other, and have learned how to fight to keep our relationship strong and growing.  Is it perfect?  Absolutely not.  But I don't ever want to experience another day where I am not his and he is not mine. 

I could spend the rest of the day trying to express this great and amazing, not-so-perfect love... but I'm not that good of a writer and I doubt that you would care to hear my ramblings (you've already heard enough for the day ;).  So, instead, I will close today's post with a quote from Bob Marley because he has already put into words the way that I feel about my love...

     

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life."

- Bob Marley 

(One of our first pictures back together... All smiles :)

 
           

The Winds of Change

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.  Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow.  Let reality be reality.  Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

- Lao Tzu

Change in life is inevitable.  Despite this, I am always surprised when Life swoops in, hands me a basket full of changes at once, and leaves me a bit shell shocked and confused about which direction I should go.     

I feel like this is one of those times.

I knew that the move to California would be an adjustment but I don't think that I mentally prepared myself for the huge change that it is actually turning out to be.  Before we got here, all I could think about were the trips that we would take in between Joe's work schedule, the cool places that we would take our baby, and all of the time that I'd have to try recipes and projects from Pinterest.  I guess I did this to keep from getting too scared about moving clear across the country.  My mantra was, "Focus on the good.  Everything else will work itself out." 

Since we moved into our new home, it's been a little bit harder than that.  This is not my first move to another city or state and I have learned that there is a very difficult period of adjustment that immediately follows.  There's learning your way around the new town.  Discovering new stores and the ability to find the items that you need in these new stores.  Finding new places to eat or hang out.  And for me, the absolute hardest part, getting through that period of time where you don't know a single person (besides your significant other) and then eventually making friends.

Finding a store is easy but meeting new people, especially with this move, has been incredibly hard for me.  For most of my adolescent years, I was that painfully shy girl, sitting alone with her nose stuck in a book.  I became more outgoing in High School and College and blossomed into the woman that I am today.  But, when I am in a new situation and feel uncomfortable, that old, shy girl creeps in, takes control of my body, forms a lump in my throat, and I feel an overwhelming need to hide under a blanket. 

This is not one of my best traits.  

The changes with this move have not helped that shy, little girl.  Normally, I would push her aside and meet people at a new job.  But, with the baby on the way and the closest English teaching position two hours away, Hubs and I decided that now would be the perfect time for me to stay at home, prepare for our little one, and then take care of our sweet baby when he or she arrives.

The other option would be to meet people through Joe's new coworkers.  This would be fine except for the fact that we are now on a rotation where he leaves for two weeks, comes home for a few days, and then the cycle continues.  

For a shy, pregnant, hormonal woman, this can seem a bit overwhelming... and trust me, at times, it feels nearly impossible.  For the past week, I have been feeling kind of blue, so totally homesick,  and suffering with writer's block.  I started looking online for quotes on "Change" to find some inspiration.  I found the quote above by the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu and realized that I was doing exactly what he suggested NOT to do.  I was resisting change.  

I realized that I have been moping around our house, missing Texas, our old home, our friends, being close to my family, plain-old missing our old lives, and not noticing all of the wonderful things around me.  I hadn't noticed the fact that this house is actually starting to look like a home (I have to admit, it's been my biggest project yet), or that we are living in a beautiful part of the country that I have not even given a chance.  For once in my life, I can try all of these new recipes that I have been dying to try because I have the time and well, let's be honest, this is the only time in my life when I don't HAVE to be on a diet.  

And, I have the opportunity to put that shy girl to rest once and for all, push my comfort zone, stand on my own two feet and get out there and meet some people!!!  (How do you like that for a pep talk??? :) )

It's so easy to write this stuff down and I know that the difficult part will actually be putting on my big girl panties and making things happen (especially during the weeks that my love is gone).  I also know that Lao Tzu is right.  I can't keep resisting this change because I don't want the next couple of years to be filled with sorrow.  And let's be honest, what kind of lesson would that be for my sweet baby???        

I'm not a particularly religious person but I do think that God shows His love and comfort in many different ways.  The other morning, I got up with my husband like I do every morning to start the coffee and see him off to work.  I was feeling kind of low because I didn't know what was in store for that day.  I looked out my kitchen window, saw the sun rising, and immediately felt peace.  It was just His reminder that everything is going to be just fine... 

The view from my kitchen window...

***In more positive "Change" News: Today I am 14 weeks pregnant and finally in my Second Trimester!  Hallelujah!  Baby D seems to be doing well and is growing, as is my tummy.  :)  I am happy to report that energy is slowing returning and I have not prayed to the Porcelain gods in about 3 weeks... Reason alone to celebrate!  Morning sickness has been replaced with headaches but I'll take a headache over puking any day.  My favorite pregnancy moments have been: seeing the baby on the ultrasound (obviously), updating Joe every Friday morning on the progress our little one is making, and looking in a mirror and being astounded (every single time) about the size of my pooch.  We will find out the sex of the baby in approximately six weeks (I'm hoping to try and schedule that ultrasound a little bit sooner because I am dying to know what Baby D is!!!).  And, as hormonal as I am at times, there is no greater gift than knowing that our little bean is growing inside of me.  I am so blessed.  :) ***             

The Downsizing Daughertys

One of the most vivid memories that I have from Thailand was watching a family go about their morning routine.  This family had one of the most basic living situations that I have ever seen.  Their home was a tin roof that was held up with 2x4's... That's it.   I tried not to stare but I was too intrigued with watching them go about their daily business.  The mom had just given her 3-4 year old son breakfast and was urging him to go and clean up in their bath space (a bucket that was under a faucet).  While he stripped down to get ready for his bath, she prepared breakfast for her husband and then went to clean up her son, whom she found standing in the bucket, peeing over the side and moving around to see how far he could aim it.  Like the mother, I couldn't help but laugh. 

By American standards, this family had nothing.  But as I stood and watched, I felt their happiness and love for one another.  They were perfectly content with their bare necessities and this realization made me take a look at my own life and wonder if I could be as happy while living a simpler life. 

Joe and I move into our new home tomorrow and as excited as I am to be stationary for a bit, I'm ashamed to admit that the size of our new townhouse has been making me a bit nervous.  This is the first time that Joe and I will experience living on post and in deciding to do so, we gave up the idea of finding the "perfect" home.  Since Irwin is practically an island in the desert, miles away from any other town, this seemed to be the best option for us.

While talking to my sister on the phone last night, I expressed my anxiousness of moving all of our items that filled a three bedroom home into something much smaller.  Not only are we downsizing but we are also about to grow by two more feet (and a whole bunch of new baby items).  She reassured me that it would be okay and that somehow I would make it work.       

Just talking about it made me start to think about the way that my husband and I want to live our lives and how we want to raise our child.  Over the past couple of months, while we have been living minimally, we have talked about how people in our past generations have been completely fine and happy to live a much simpler life.  My parents raised two girls in a two bedroom, one bath home for 16 years.  As cramped as we were, for the most part, we were happy.  It wasn't until we moved into a larger place that their relationship fell apart.  Is that the reason their marriage ended?  I have no idea.  But I can't help but wonder, if we had stayed in that small house, where we were forced to sit next to each other and communicate, would things have ended differently?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

These days, the sign of success is to have more... more space, a bigger home, more toys, better electronics.  Most of my friends are moving into their "grown up" homes and I am absolutely thrilled for them but know that this isn't in our cards for quite a while.  Yesterday, while doing some Facebook stalking and gasping that one of my old and dear friends was moving into a gorgeous, new, massive home, my husband looked at me and with regret in his eyes, told me that he was sorry.  Sorry?!?!?  For not being able to give me a bigger home??? My heart broke!  The last thing that I want my husband to feel is that he isn't providing for his family and the last thing that I need is more rooms to keep clean!

That moment, I decided to change my attitude and look at this move as a project on minimizing.  I want to teach my kids (and obviously, I need to teach myself, as well) to be happy and content with the things that I have in my life. 

While perusing the Internet this morning, I came across two articles, one from TLC on Home Downsizing and the other, a blog post on the 12 Reasons Why You'll Be Happier in a Smaller Home.

There was a lot in the first article that didn't pertain to us, like saving money on rent or mortgage by getting a smaller home.  Since Joe is given a housing allowance and our rent is taken directly from this, there's not a whole lot that we'll be saving.  The one thing that I did like was the question, What are my wants and needs?  It states that more space and more rooms means that everyone can watch their favorite tv shows in different spots at the same time.  Is this really something that is important for me and my family???  For me, personally, I'd rather sit next to my husband and watch a game of football that I don't care about (which is a game that involves anyone but the Saints, UL, and LSU) and share that moment with him, rather than sitting in another room watching Sex and the City.  But those are simply my wants and needs.        

The blog post obviously gives 12 very good reasons for enjoying a smaller home.  My three favorite were: Less rooms to clean (seriously, who wouldn't love this???); Encourages family bonding; and Forces you to remove baggage.  I want my family to be happy and close and anything that will encourage that sounds good in my book.  The thought of removing baggage sounds like a huge chore that I am about to encounter but the mental image of decluttering feels like a breath of fresh air.

I know that minimizing is not for everyone and for us, it's going to be another big adjustment.  Am I going to miss my walk-in closet and garden bathtub?  Abso-fricken-lutely.  And I know that I will definitely be missing the extra space when the baby arrives and our family comes in to visit.  But I feel that this project will be a good lesson for Joe and I and for our future kids.  I know that we will never be living as simply as that family in Thailand but I sure hope that we will be as happy and content.

I feel the winds of change are about to start blowing...Wish us luck!! :) 

Our Sweet Baby Bean- Week 12

With our lives being so crazy, I have not really had the time to talk about our pregnancy.  I'm 12 weeks today... Hooray!  We are so close to being done with the first trimester... thank you Baby Jesus!  And we had our first doctor's appointment yesterday to check on our little bean, so I thought, what better time for an update/refection! 

I wasn't nervous for the appointment until the day before when I started to have all of these insane questions that popped into my head.  What if I had been doing everything wrong?  Wrong food?  Wrong prenatals?  Not enough water?  Too much water?  And even crazier questions like, What if I had accidentally lost the baby without knowing it and they'd do an ultrasound and there would be no baby in there?    Yup, pregnancy makes you nuts.

Luckily, the doctor's appointment could not have gone better.  When we got there, I was slightly anxious when I found out that our doctor was a man.  Call me crazy, I just feel more comfortable with a woman while she's dealing with all of my lady parts.  I have always had a female doctor and would never have personally chosen to have a male doctor.  But, when we met Dr. W., I was immediately put at ease.  He was funny, polite, very professional, and informative.  Compared to my last doctor in Killeen, I felt like we had won the doctor jackpot.

I'm sure that any couple who has had a child can relate, the absolute best part of these doctor's appointments is to actually see your baby.  For our first ultrasound, Baby Bean was only a few weeks along and was simply just a heartbeat.  Seeing that heartbeat pulsating on the screen was the absolute most amazing thing that I had ever seen in my life... until yesterday.  When Dr. W. started the ultrasound, I waited a moment while he made some adjustments and then there it was... an actual baby!!!  We could see our baby's sweet little head and tummy and feet with little toes.  As he pressed on my belly, we could see the baby kick-kick-kicking and I couldn't help but laugh and cry because that was OUR baby... the one that I had prayed for my whole life.  The one that finally came because two people loved each other so much that God thought it was time to grow something from that love.  Absolutely amazing.  I feel blessed to have known much joy in my life but I don't think that I have ever felt anything like I felt yesterday.                

After yesterday, I have come to the conclusion that ultrasounds were invented to give pregnant women (and their spouses) the courage to forge ahead with their pregnancies.  As I look back over the past twelve weeks, I'm not gonna lie, it has not been easy.  Maybe some women are just better at being pregnant than I am but I sure do wish more women would talk about what an adjustment pregnancy is.

 

When we first found out, I was talking to my cousin who is also pregnant but with her second child.  The subject of morning sickness came up and her belief was that morning sickness was something that Hollywood has just made up to make pregnant movies funnier.  Pa! Paha! Pahahahahahaha!  Oh my.  I wish.  For all of those lucky ladies who have not dealt with morning sickness, you better be thanking baby Jesus every single day.  This pregnancy has brought me back to my early college years when I often prayed to the porcelain gods because I thought that Smirnoff, blue margaritas, and Goldschlager were a good combination (The thought alone makes me shudder).  Over the past few months, I have had the pleasure of running to find the bathroom to throw up in restaurants, gas stations, parks, Wal-Greens, and Vegas, along with making Joe pull over several times (NEVER getting sick, I might add, in the comfort of my own home).  Absolutely mortifying.

You would think that the vomiting, nausea, and exhaustion would be enough but throw in some extra hormones and you are a completely different woman.  This lovely side effect doesn't just affect you, my friends, but also your relationship.  And my questions is: Why don't more women talk about how crazy pregnancy makes you?!?!?  If you are a woman and have had a child and you say that you were completely normal your whole pregnancy... then (in my humble opinion) you are LYING... or you are at least in denial.  And I get it, no woman wants to talk about being overly emotional or the fact that their relationships are rocky because...well, it makes you look bad.  But, man, there's no getting around it, for us it's been an adjustment.     

Towards the end of 28, I felt like I was finally settled. I liked the woman that I was becoming, I felt calmer than I ever had before in my life, and I thought, "What a perfect time to be pregnant. I'm older, settled, and will really be able to enjoy this new phase in my life."  I had a wonderful relationship and life was good.  Joe and I hardly ever fought and were living happily in our love bubble.  There was nothing to fight about.  When we did fight, we'd fix it within a few hours and then move on. 

With all of my extra hormones, the fact that he has quit smoking and is probably a bit more irritable, both of us adjusting to being pregnant, topped with spending the past two months in a teeny-tiny trailer and hotels and are now in a completely new and foreign place where we know no one but each other... Well, it hasn't all been smooth sailing.  The man has made me see red from time to time and I'm pretty sure that he has thought, "Crazy Bitch," every now and then.  But after every "moment" (doesn't that sound so much better than, say, shit storm???), we have managed to look at each other, look at our situation, hug it out, and make a promise to both try a little harder, be a little more patient, and to not forget that there is a whole lot of love there. 

I wish I could be one of these women who was glowing every day because of her pregnancy, traipsing around in fashionable maternity wear with my heels and decaf latte, and making sure that my husband knew every day that we were the luckiest couple in the world.  I'm just not.  I like comfy clothes and flip flops more now than ever.  I indulge in one cup of regular coffee a day (because the books say that it's okay).  And I miss my evening glass... who am I kidding... glasses of wine more than anything.  It's taken me a while to get used to this new lifestyle and I know that it'll get easier.  And even though there have been moments when I'm losing my lunch and thinking, "THIS is what I wanted for so long???" I know that in the end, it'll all be worth it. 

I know this because when I looked at that monitor yesterday and saw my baby's little feet kicking and saw the tummy that I imagined kissing and I looked at my husband, the man who is my best friend and completes my world, all of the bad stuff washed away.  And all I felt was love.    

My sweet baby who makes it all worth it!  Can't wait to kiss those little feet!!!

 

The last bit about our Wyoming trip...

 

 

I have been dying to share my photos from Wyoming but with all of the traveling there has been no time to upload and edit.  Now that things are finally starting to slow down, I had the chance yesterday to look through the hundreds of pictures that I took (seriously... hundreds...).  I will not bore you with all of the pics but here is just a glimpse of our time in beautiful Wyoming....

One of the first things that we saw once we got to Wyoming

 

 

 

Being a Southern girl, I didn't often see leaves changing in the fall.  This is one of my favorite things and I loved that we were in Wyoming at the absolute perfect time to see the season change.

 

 

Sightseeing in Casper

 

While in Casper, we spent a bit of quality time with Joe's fabulous grandmother, Earlene.  She's probably one of the most fantastic women that I have ever met.

 

Dobs learning that he was as agile as a billy goat :)

 

Fall colors... LOVE :)

 

The beautiful drive to Yellowstone (and beginning to look a little preggy-poochy :)

 

Hooray for Yellowstone!

 

The minute that we were settled, we went hiking in the woods that were right next to our campsite.  The whole time, I was watching for bears... 

 

What I should have been looking for were buffalo!!!  When we first got there, spotting buffalo was like playing a game of "Where's Waldo."  These magnificent beasts can hide in the grass and then immediately pop up out of nowhere!  I'm pretty sure that we walked right next to this buffalo and had no idea that he was there!

 

My honey fishing... 

 

And my precious pup having the time of his life!

 

 

Old Faithful

 

So, I had no idea what to expect at Old Faithful.  I thought that you saw a big ole geyser, cool, and then that was it.  Joe and I actually spent the entire day walking through the park and seeing tons of geysers and natural springs. 

 

Photo fun with Old Faithful! :)

 

 

These natural springs looked like they belong on Mars...

  

I'm not really into geology but this stuff was kind of cool.

 

Hello, buffalo!  We found another weary traveler who was also checking out Old Faithful that day!

 

 

 

 Just wandering along...

 

 

So, spotting buffalo was this fun game... until we found a herd of hundreds of buffalo and then realized that they were everywhere. 

 

 

 

 The Lower Falls of Yellowstone

 

The Upper Falls of Yellowstone

 

 

 

Love this view!

 

 

Mud pits and steam coming out of a cave... I can totally see where the idea of dragons came from...

 

 

After Yellowstone, we moved onto Jackson Hole and saw the beautiful Teton Mountains.

 

And then we made our way to Dubois.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Just a glimpse of the way that we lived for nearly two months...

 

Cooking dinner!

 

 Twilight in the mountains

 

 Hoover Dam

 

 

As my hubs heads back to work today, I can't help but feel grateful.  Not many people can take nearly two months off to have an amazing adventure before starting a new journey.  It wasn't all smooth sailing but it will definitely be a trip that we won't forget.  Can't wait to see what's in store for us next!

 



San Diego: Lions and tigers and... Shamu??? Oh my!

Close your eyes and imagine with me, if you will... On second thought, don't close your eyes.  That would defeat the purpose of you reading my blog.  Just follow along...

Place yourself in your bathroom.  Grab your blow dryer and point it at your face.  Put your blow dryer on high and hold it there until it gets uncomfortably hot.  Now throw a handful of sand in your face and imagine that you are surrounded with a lovely, well, not so lovely, hue of boring brown.  Brown sand.  Brown plants.  Brown hills.  Welcome to Fort Irwin.

Now, in this little mind journey, let's relocate ourselves.  Imagine: beautiful blue sky, massive palm trees, beaches, surfers, dogs frolicking in the waves, people milling around eating ice cream.  It's a perfect, balmy 85 degrees and when it gets just a little too warm, a cool breeze caresses your face and you sigh happily.  Hello, San Diego!  Practically Paradise, right???


Last week, after we had finally made our way to Irwin, our first order of business was to check out the housing situation.  We looked at eight pretty horrible apartments that were last updated in the late 1980s, had decided that two weren't so terrible and then were blessed with a Saint at the Housing Office who gave us the inside scoop on a townhouse that wouldn't be ready for a few weeks.  It didn't take us long to figure out that this place was worth the wait.  

With our housing settled, my baby doctor appointment finally made, and nothing to do for another week, Joe and I decided that there was no point in hanging out and melting in the desert.  It was time for our first California adventure!  We were off to San Diego.

I will be honest and say that out of all of the places that I have wanted to travel to, California was no where on that list.  With that said, San Diego has completely changed my viewpoint of this chilled out state. 

We loved it.  I'm not sure if it was the stark difference from Irwin or the fact that there was so much to do but hands down, we give this cool city 5 stars. 

Since we are traveling while I am pregnant, there is a need for us to find things that I can actually DO.  As much as I'd love to hang out with my husband, getting crazy and checking out the nightlife, that just isn't possible at the moment.  Instead, we filled our days with visiting beaches (there was a very sweet dog beach that we went to and I'm sure it was the best day of Dobby's life), eating yummy fish tacos (these were surprisingly everywhere), touring Sea World (the sea lions are by far my favorite), the San Diego Zoo (the coolest zoo that I have ever been to), and the U.S.S. Midway (eh... that one was okay).  All in all, another perfect little getaway to add to the many adventures that we have had over the past couple of months.

 

As much as we have enjoyed our vagabond life, I cannot begin to express how ready we are for a bit of normalcy again. I am done with living in a 14 foot camper, in hotels, out of suitcases and backpacks and squeezed in the middle of my hubs and pups. I can't wait to have a kitchen and a bathroom of my own and having my shampoo and conditioner conveniently placed in the shower and not having to make sure I have all of my toiletries in my backpack before making a trek to the nearest shower. Don't get me wrong, I feel so blessed for these adventures... it's just time. :) 9 more days.....