Walk it off

The Christiana Mall had a Walk It Off event where you get a gift card for the mall if you walk 3,000 steps in a certain amount of time. My husband and I both decided to do it so we got to the mall before it even opened and walked around, did some window shopping, tried some yummy food at the stands the event had up and got some info on healthy eating and avoiding disease. Very informative stuff.

The Event.

Empty mall.

Our little gift bag we got.

Pedometers with our steps on them when we were done.

Some other fun news is we finally got our licenses and we will be taking a trip up to Baltimore MD next week to pick up the Honda! YAY!  Also, Stephen has found a job with theft prevention with a department store while he goes to college. So proud of him.

How cute is he in his new uniform?

Blog Hop

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day 2012!

For this special day, ridingtherollercoaster and household6diva is hosting a blog hop where all of us Military Spouse bloggers can share each others blogs. So for all of you Mil Spouses here checking out my blog, here is a quick review of what my life, and this blog is all about-

My name is Crystal. I married at the age of 19 to a young Airborne Infantryman who is my Highschool sweetheart. He was fresh out of basic training when we eloped. I then sent him off to his first Duty station which was in Germany. He deployed soon after he got there and we never were able to have me command sponsored in time. The Deployment was tough and I lost my father to lung cancer. I had to make such hard decisions on my own at such a young age while wondering if my new husband was coming home to me alive. I really didn't have a support system at all.

   I was finally command sponsored and got to Germany just in time to be there for my Husbands Deployment Homecoming. That is where I started this beautiful record keeper. 

   I blogged about our "honeymoon phase" after Deployment, starting our newlywed life, experiencing Germany, traveling, all the cute things our feline does, life as a homemaker with no kids, FRG meetings, field trainings ect. I tried to record all aspects of Military life in Germany so I wouldn't forget a thing.

   We have recently decided to leave the Active duty lifestyle and now we are currently living on the East Coast for the first time in our lives, experiencing a new place once again. We are both going to college full time and being fun young kids again. I also record us transitioning out of the Military lifestyle. I blog about both the good and the bad.

My husband and I at the landing zone after I got to watch him jump out of a perfectly good plane in Germany.

I love reading other blogs so place comment below with a link to your blog as well.

Never thought I would miss it

I really didn't think I would ever miss Germany, and to be honest, its not the country itself that I miss. I miss the Army wife lifestyle. I miss having some sort of routine in my life. I can't seem to get back on track in school or in my housewife duties. In Germany, I would always wake up in the mornings and clean the house while Steve was at PT (Physical Training). Now he sleeps in until 11:00 and I never really have the will power to get the housework done. Maybe because the house is still full of boxes and it all seems hopeless. I am one of those people that needs structure in their life. Everything has changed and is still changing.. and I think I am a little panicked and confused what we are supposed to do now. Is this our lives now?

   Its the little things I miss as well. Like the two sinks I had in Germany. Here I keep forgetting to make sure all the dishes are emptied before starting to fill the sink. Then if I find some liquid in a glass, I have nowhere to dump it out at. It may seem silly, but there is a few things I still need to get used to.
  I also really miss my friends and the support system I had with the FRG. I have not made any friends here, but how could I when I am cooped up in the house all day with no real opportunities to meet people. I still talk with them on Facebook and what not but its not the same.
  I guess its all part of moving to a new place.

A new lifestyle

It has been really hard to of been thrown in to American civilian life from the Military lifestyle in Germany. We really are experiencing America for the first time as Adults. We entered our adult years while in Germany. This is our first apartment that we have had in America, ever. We are still navigating these things called "bills" and "finances". As a wife, I am having a hard time trying to keep track of what bill needs to be paid when and how I pay it, and in what form it needs to be paid in and so on. Any of you other women have tips on how to keep track of everything? I then got the idea of making a "family binder" where I keep the bills, grocery lists, passwords, reminders, ect. So far, the binder has been working out great. Since we are just moving in to a new place and signing up for everything at once, of course we have all these "first bills" with "start up" fees coming our way as well. Cell phones, Electricity, Internet, deposit for our apartment, ect .. the list goes on. Its a bit over whelming especially since we have our other bills as well. But once those first bills are paid, they all will be down to a reasonable price.
  I have made a calendar for the next months so we can put our appointments and things we need to remember on it so we are kept updated with each other. Why spend money on a calendar when you can make your own, right?
  Our apartment here is much smaller then the one on post in Germany. We had a two bedroom there and here we only have a one bedroom because its all so expensive. Our apartment complex has the largest floor plan in the New Castle DE area and its still much smaller. I have no idea where we are going to put everything. I know we are going to sell a lot of it at the farmers market here.
  The unpacking process has really been a drag. I have not had the energy to do anything after my workouts in the morning. If I am going to start working soon, I really need to figure out what my body needs to have energy during the day while still losing weight. I think I might need to up my calorie intake from 1200 to 1500 a day. I even took a nap today from being so exhausted and I never take naps. What is going on with me?!
   We still haven't got the car back from Germany. Actually, it is here in country but now we are just waiting to get our drivers licenses back. Both of our licenses expired when we were in Germany and we could not renew it over seas. So we send in the forms to have Military status be put on them. Last we heard was that they were both approved and they were sent to us in the mail. We should be getting them in the next few days.

Here are a few updated photos of the last few weeks. Enjoy.

Tubbles would always lay on Steve's Army gear when he has it out right before a long field training like she knew he was leaving. Well he had it out today and she went right for it. If only she knew he is never going to leave her again ♥

Trying on his pack. Think he is missing the Army a little?

My cousin, Anna on Easter. (Nicole's daughter)

love this Housewives shirt.

Hubby carrying my bags for me at the mall. Such a wonderful husband.

Tubbles admiring herself in the mirror.

Another peak at herself.

Funny closed sign I found at the Hot Dog stand outside of Home Depot.

The two loves of my life.

Amish rice cakes and spreads. The Amish community makes such yummy foods. This was at the Farmers Market.

Inside the Farmers Market.

sleeping on my shoe

I see a tongue

"I want to work out too, Mommy"

In a PetCo bag

Scary spider web right outside of the apartment complex

About to go for a run. Love his new toe shoes.

Wondering what she should make for lunch

Tubbles and her hat.

Went to the Cheesecake factory for the first time!

Yummy East Coast spinach and cheese dip

Dinner. SO good.

Of course we had to try the famous Cheesecake.