Flight School Update

There's really not much to update you on.

Nick finished IFS on November 20th.  And since then he's been doing nothing.

Well, not NOTHING.
Every morning he has to go muster (essentially check-in).
He walks in, signs his name on a piece of paper, turns around and comes home.
He's home every morning by about 7:40am. 
SOME days he will have to stay for urinalysis and other days he has to stay for briefs or various things but they aren't even once a week occurrences. 

Yes ladies and gentlemen, your tax dollars hard at work.

It's not his fault though.  Primary at NAS Whiting Field is so ridiculously backed up. 
So right now, Nick is in what they call A-Pool which just means he's waiting to class up for API.
There are spots available in API but the issue is Primary.
If Nick starts API, he'll be finished in 6 weeks and again, have to sit around and wait to class up for Primary.

My question was, "Okay, so go through API and get that out of the way.  Why don't they want to do that??  Do as much as they can while they can?"
Rumor has it they don't want to do this because the moment they graduate from API, they start getting "flight pay" (additional money each month).  So, this way, the are saving money by not paying them.
Makes sense.  Although, it sucks for us!  We'd LOVE that extra money each month.

So what does Nick do all day? (I get asked this a lot).
He plays Call of Duty.  Yep.  He's getting paid to play video games all day lol.
I will admit it's nice for me. I have not slept in in YEARS!  But now, Nick gets up and leaves for work.  The dogs have FINALLY learned to sleep in past 6am so when he leaves, we get up, they go potty and we head back into the bedroom.  They curl up and go back to sleep as do I. 
When Nick gets home, he changes out of his uniform and he takes the dogs into the living room with him, enjoys his video game time, and I get to sleep in.  It's amazing!!!  I forgot how great sleeping in feels!

When I get up, I'll job search, apply for what little jobs I find, play on the internet, read a book, go grocery shopping, prepare dinner, take the dogs to the park, play with them in the yard, clean the house, organize something, watch a movie, plan out the week's menu, etc.  Some days are much lazier than others.  But it's hard to have the motivation to do anything when your husband is right next to you on the couch. (Nick doesn't play video games ALL day.  When I wake up he turns them off (most days) and helps me do something around the house or we go somewhere with the dogs, watch a move, etc).

We feel really lazy sometimes but at the same time, I'm trying to take advantage of this time.  While I LOATHE not having a job, it is nice to have all this time with Nick.  Soon he'll be swamped with school, and I'll have a job or be in my nursing program.  From then on, he'll be in training and schooling and before I know it, deployments will start.  (I feel as I get older, times goes by more quickly...and I do not like it.)  So while we are bums a lot of the time, it's these times I will need to look back on during his long work days and/or deployments and think "Remember all those weeks of quality time you got?  Remember how much "nothing" you got to do together?  You got him 22 hours of the day all to yourself.  Just dwell on those memories.  A lot of military couples aren't that lucky."

So here's to making each of these days together really count.  Embracing every second of time we get...and making it quality time.  Because there will be days I KNOW I wish I hadn't taken these days for granted or had done more to make these days really count.  (Now it's getting Nick to see this.  I don't know if it's because he's a guy, or being the one in the military he doesn't get it...either way, I need to beat this concept into his head.)

So, that's our update.  We're just sitting and waiting for him to class up for API.
And I'm working hard at trying to find a job.

Decorating the Tree

Decorating the Christmas Tree is always one of my favorite Christmas time activities.  Actually, it's probably my absolute favorite. 

In the Dickens household, we have a "personal" tree.  From now on, it will be referred to as "The Dickens Tree". 
It's full of 100% unique ornaments.  No balls.  No colored theme. 
Every year Saint Nick brings us a new ornament.  And it's personal to each of us.  Whether it be a hobby we love, a character we love, or something relating to our life or an experience.  I have an ornament from just about every year since I was born.

While I was home over Thanksgiving, we decorated The Dickens Tree with all our personal ornaments.  Before heading back to Florida, my mother asked if I wanted to take some of my ornaments back home with me.  My answer was a firm "hell no!"
This tree has so much meaning to me.  To my family.  It would not be the same without my ornaments on it.  Plus, I WILL continue to decorate this tree with my family every year.  It might not always get to be on the tradition of Thanksgiving night, but it WILL happen!  I refuse to let this lifestyle end those things that mean so much to me.

I want Nick and I have to this same type of tree.  And he agrees.  Sure, we don't really have many ornaments but I was surprised by how many we do have!  We have a few from the year 2009 (our engagement year) and quite a few "Our First Christmas" ornaments.  We've already received a few from family members over the years of dating.
 
We set the tree up before we left for Thanksgiving in St. Louis.  We did so so that when we returned, we could get right to decorating it!!!!  I was so excited!  I LOVE Christmas time and refused to let one day go by beyond Thanksgiving without our house being Christmas-fied! Here are just a few pictures of us setting up the tree:

Vino inspecting the tree

Spreading out the branches

Ta-Da!

Our First Tree, all set up!

Tonight, we decorated our tree.  It was fun to go through all the ornaments we collected over the years and talk about who gave it to us and for what reason. 
We had to add in some boring ball ornaments to our sentimental tree to fill in the spaces since we do not have many yet.  But in a few years, those balls with be gone!  If you refer to THIS post, you'll see it won't take long before we have tons of ornaments!!!

Nick putting his Weimaraner 'First Fur Baby' ornament from "St. Nick" on the tree

I'm putting my Belle ornament from "St. Nick" on the tree

Star topper!

Wedding Ornament from the Melissa & Aunt Janet at my Bridal Shower
Complete with our names and wedding date

Penguins are our thing =) 
"Our First Christmas"
This one is from my mother

"Year of Remembrance" from Nick's Family
2009: Engagement Year

Ornament from our Honeymoon
(can we go back, yet?)

Kelli & Susi got us this one as a gift for our Engagement Party

Ornament from my wonderful sister

"First Christmas in Our New Home"
Perfect ornament from Brooke for our USNA Ornament Exchange

"Our First Christmas"
"St. Nick" (Nicholas) picked up an extra ornament for us for St. Nick's Day
Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my husband?!

In the future, I would LOVE to have more than one tree.  It's not that I don't like the "boring ball" ornaments.  But on a sentimental tree, they are definitely the boring ones.
But I do want a few trees in the house and each have a theme.  Nick would love a ice blue tree and I would love a maroon and deep gold tree.  I love the elegant looking trees with ribbons and gorgeous ball ornaments.  [I also wouldn't mind adding a black and gold tree....repping my Alam mater compelte with lots of Mizzou ornaments!]
One day....hopefully soon we can start adding more trees to our Christmas Decor. 

But for now, it's our sentimental tree...this tree that will ALWAYS be my favorite tree in our household no matter how many we add to the bunch.

Finished product with the lights on

Finished product with the lights off

standing beside our beautifully decorated First Christmas Tree

To see many more pictures of setting up the tree and decorating it, please click HERE.

St. Nick's Day 2011

Nick and I have discussed what traditions we grew up with and what ones we would like to continue within our family (which were all of them lol).

One of my favorite traditions is celebrating St. Nick's Day.  This is not something Nick celebrated but he was totally on board with starting it in our family just amongst each other and eventually for when we have children. 

For as long as I can remember, on the eve of December 6th, St. Nick visits the house.  He always fills our stockings with candy, and fruit (when we were younger).  He also leaves an ornament (when we were younger he also left a small toy but apparently we're too old for that now). 
Each year the ornament had a special meaning.  It would relate to us personally.  It could be something we loved, a hobby we enjoyed, a character we like, a milestone in our life, etc.  For example, some of mine consisted of:
- Baby's First Christmas
- a cute little scrapbooking marshmallow (yes, I'm a scrapbook nerd)
- Belle from Beauty and the Beast (my favorite Disney princess)
- a few different Cardinals ornaments
- a few different Mizzou ornaments
- Sylvester (from Looney Toons...my fav one) playing soccer (my favorite sport and the sport I played my entire life.)
- a wine glass
- a Navy ornament

So you get the idea.  I am not taking these ornaments to Florida with me because those are my childhood memories and should stay put on that tree.  (Please see next entry).

Nick and I want to build our ornament collection and start our own sentimental tree.  We have a few ornaments already but with each passing year, we'll add two new ones as St. Nick will visit us each year.

My mother was always "St. Nick" and she got an ornament for each of us kids.
Seeing as we don't have kids, Nick and I are going to play St. Nick to each other.  (Once we have kids, I will assume the St. Nick role as my mother did.  I'm still undecided if Nick and I will stop getting each other ornaments at that point.)

Prior to St. Nick's Day, Nicholas and I each separately went out and bought each other candy and an ornament.  It was kind of a difficult task because I'm used to visiting Kimmswick back home where they have any and every ornament you could think of.  I was pretty much limited to the mall here.  Plus we had a budget so I didn't want to order any online.
But I ended up finding the perfect one!
If you know Nick, then you KNOW he's obsessed with Weimaraners, especially our little monster, Yadi.  He had been looking online and in ANY store we went in to see if they had a Weim ornament.  No one did.  (It's not a very common breed.) 
But while I was at the mall, I found one!!!!!  I was so excited I almost didn't want to wait until the morning of the 6th for him to look in his stocking!

The morning of December 6th, I woke up and Nick was already at work.  I noticed he had stuffed my stocking so I took this opportunity to stuff his (I wanted to stuff it in the middle of the night but he went to bed MUCH later than me and I never woke up that night).  When he arrived home from work around 8am (rough life ;) which I'll get into in another post), we took down our stockings and emptied them out.

Nick's is far left and mine is the far right

I wish I would have had the camera but sadly I didn't think to take any pictures of this event (major =( sad face).  But he absolutely LOVED his ornament!!!!  (and his candy).  Here is a picture of it hung on our tree:

Then I opened mine.  I loved it!  My husband knows me too well.  He got me Belle from Beauty and the Beast (along with my fav candy).  I was secretly hoping he would get her! I saw it while I was at the mall and was sad I had one on our family tree back home and desperately wanted a Belle on our tree.  And now I have one!  Again, no read great pictures but here is a picture of it on the tree:

I love that we are starting this tradition and can't wait to see the different ornaments we collect over the years.  I need to start ornament shopping early next year, just in case the mall and stores around me don't have anything I like, I will have time to order something or have my family find one for me in Kimmswick.  (Hopefully every year we go home for Thanksgiving I can get one from the many, MANY Christmas shops around St. Louis.)

So there you have it....Our First Married Tradition =)  Our First St. Nick's Day together.  It was a huge success!!!!  I love this day.  It's just something small and simple but it brings me so much joy!

Happy St. Nick's Day everyone!!!

Thanksgiving Trip Home - 2011

For the past month, I've really been bummed about this holiday.  We were pretty positive we wouldn't be able to make the trip home.  I knew I'd be home for Christmas but that still didn't mean I wasn't upset over missing Thanksgiving. 
It's one of my favorite times with my family.  (Who am I kidding, every time with my family is my favorite time.) 
The main reason I was bummed was because of my brother.  I'm sure you know by now that I am obsessed with him and he's my best friend.  Well, his partner and him alternate the holidays each year.  This year, they would be spending Thanksgiving with us in St. Louis and Christmas with Randy's family in Kansas City.  Which meant if I didn't come home for Thanksgiving, I wouldn't be seeing my brother at Christmas....and I don't even know when I'd be back in town again.  Summer?  Nine months is entirely too long to go without seeing my brother.  It's just not okay.

Thank goodness, the Navy gave the student aviators leave!!!!  WE WERE GOING TO GET TO GO HOME!!!!!

It was going to be a short trip but that didn't matter.  I'd take just 24 hours with my family.
Due to how short the trip was, we made the decision to make this a family only trip.
The last time we were in town it was unbelievably stressful driving from house to house to house to visit family and friends.  And we didn't even visit any of Nick's friends.  (What a sweet husband to be so understanding and good about that.)  But to be honest, we didn't really enjoy our time.  We had limited time and it felt rushed and almost forced.
So this trip, just family.

And it was amazing.  We did nothing but sit and relax with our family.  It was much needed. 
We weren't able to leave Pensacola until about 10:30am on Wednesday and the drive took 12 hours.  But that we got in, my family was still awake.  And of course we spent a few more hours sitting around talking and laughing like we normally do.
I absolutely love being at home with my parents, sister, brothers' and sister's boyfriend. 

The next day was of course Thanksgiving and it might have been the best one yet.  Tons of laughs.  Lots of old stories.  It made me so thankful for the absolutely amazing family I am blessed with.

My mother (best friend) and I

My sister and I

My brother

I was also so incredibly thankful to be able to spend this holiday with Nicholas.  In our almost 5 years together, this was only the second Thanksgiving we were able to spend together.  He was never able to make it home for this holiday.  I'm also thankful because I know I will be husband-less for many more Thanksgivings throughout our life together.  He's chosen a career that causes him (us) to make these sacrifices.

Hubs ♥

This year was a little sad for me.  My Grandma made a few announcements that day...something she doesn't normally do.  About how she's thankful for us and our love.  For our health.  Our families. 
I know this was because she's worried about Grandpa.  He's been having some issues with his heart.  I know I'm not the only one in the family to think this.  But with each passing year, we obviously all age.  And it's becoming obvious just how much my Grandparents are aging.  While we don't know the details of his heart, we know there's the possibility of it being serious or meaning surgery.  And we know the risks involved with that in someone 81 years of age.  I couldn't help but wonder how many more Thanksgiving we will get with my Grandparents.  I hate thinking that....my family is ridiculously close and I cannot bear the thought of losing my Grandma or Grandpa.  But it's inevitable it will happen...it will happen to us all.  So I make sure to cherish the time I have them.
This Thanksgiving both Grandma and Grandpa spent a fair amount of time at the Dickbirdkromly Table (as we named ourselves....Dickens, Humbird, Oberkrom, Finley).  They both gave us many, many laughs.  Made my very full tummy hurt from laughing so much.  I absolutely adore my Grandparents.   They're pretty much the best people in the world.  Whether God takes them tomorrow or 20 years from now, I will always look back on this Thanksgiving with fondness.  I will always remember these times we do get with them.  I realize how lucky and fortunate we are that they are both still with us and that they are in relatively good health and both have their minds (even though Grandma has lost her filter and it's the funniest thing ever!!!!)

In addition to Thanksgiving fun, we always celebrate my birthday.  Of course it can never be normal. This year, my delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie cake (my pick every year) not only had the appropriate "27" candles on it, but it was also complete with a turkey and bunny candle.  Why?  Couldn't tell you.  My family is just bizarre and random.  And we like us that way!!!

The evening ended with us all gathered in the family room passing around vodka.  Yep, you heard read me.  My Uncle Rich has a plethora of alcohol (he's a buyer for a large grocery store here in St. Louis).  He has many, many flavors of vodkas so they brought some over.  We poured them in tiny glasses and passed them around the room for a taste testing.  Here's my consensus:
"Cake" tastes exactly like a chocolate cake shot.
"Gummy" which has a picture of a Swedish Fish tasted like cough syrup (but the good kind.)
"Cotton Candy" tastes exactly like bubblegum.

So it's safe to say this might have been my favorite Thanksgiving ever!!!!

After Thanksgiving with the family, we headed home for my absolute favorite event....decorating the tree.
Each year, we turn on "Elf" (only the best Christmas movie ever!!!) and decorate the tree.  Dad puts the angel on the top as Mom sits on the couch and sifts through the giant box of ornaments, handing them to us.   Leah, Ben, and I each have an ornament from every single year.  St. Nick always brings up one on the eve of December 5th.  Each ornament has our name and year somewhere on it.  It's always so neat to look back at these ornaments every year because they are personal to each of us.  This is a tradition that makes me so happy and I love decorating the tree with my family.

Sadly, shortly after the decorating, Ben and Randy had to head back to Columbia =(  Randy had to work in the morning (stupid Black Friday).  We said our goodbyes and I tried hard not to cry.  I know I'll see him again.  It just sucks knowing it will be so long from now =(  Thank goodness for Facetime!!!

At midnight, we headed out to do some Black Friday shopping with my sister.  Nick and I picked up some small things for our house that we either didn't register for or didn't receive from the wedding as well as buying gifts for others.  (Nothing makes me feel better than being able to buy something for someone else.) 

Friday we obviously slept in since we didn't go to bed until about 3am.  Then we went out again that evening to get some more deals. 

Saturday was a lounge around day and then that night, we headed over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for game night!  We had pizza (of course Nick and I had to get our Imo's fix in!!) and of course drank.  The vodkas were brought again and poured over ice to be sipped on all night.  And of course more shots were had.

My mother and two aunts

Uncles!

Then we played Hand and Foot.  I am happy to say that my team won first place =) 
I absolutely love my family.  We had such a good time.  So many ridiculous things being said.  Faces hurting from laughter.  I cannot begin to explain the fun I have with my family.  I wouldn't trade them for a thing in the world! I seriously have the BEST family anyone could EVER imagine!!!!

Sunday we woke up, packed the car, said our goodbyes and headed to Florida Home.  And of course it'd only make sense that I'd be sick the majority of the drive home.  Thank goodness my husband loves to drive!

So that was my Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend Trip back home to St. Louis in a nutshell =)

I'm beyond grateful for a trip home.  I know there are many others who do not get this opportunity.  I also know I will spend many Thanksgivings away from home and possibly away from home AND without Nick.  For that reason, I am thankful.  This trip was short.  Very short.  Do I wish it would have been longer?  Of course!  I'd love more time with my family any time I visit....even if I had been there for 3 weeks!  I just love my family and we're beyond close!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and/or friends!!!

If you'd like to see ALL the photos from our trip home, click HERE

My 27th Birthday

Today was my 27th Birthday.  (yes I am that old.)

While I'm sad I couldn't celebrate with my family and friends, I was happy that I had Nick.

[Back track a few days.  We went out with two other couples, the Rosa's and the Robida's.  While we weren't out specifically for my birthday, both Lauren and Jenny each bought a round of shots for us girls for my birthday =)  THANK YOU girls!  You're the best.  Happy I was able to celebrate with at least some friends!  It was nice to have a night out of drinks, pool, and some juicy sex girl talk lol]  

He had to go to work that morning but was home by about 10am and came inside with my gifts (wrapped so nicely!!!).

I didn't really expect him to get me anything other than Dumbo (which I knew I was getting...I am collecting all the Disney movies on DVD now since my VHS's are useless lol) because he had spent so much on my iPhone 4S.
But there was a second gift.  A KINDLE TOUCH!!!!!

I had been wanting a Kindle for quite some time.  I've done lots of research between the Kindle and Nook.  It was an easy decision for me to choose the Kindle.  While I know there are fancier (colored) Kindles out there, I didn't want that.  I plan to only use my Kindle to read books and therefore don't need color.  It'd be a waste of money for me.  I don't want to read magazines on my Kindle or other things of the sort.  It was the perfect gift and I was shocked he bought it!!

A little while later,  I had mentioned something about my family's birthday cakes and Nick walked out in the garage and came back in with a grocery bag.
"I'm going to make you a cake!"  ....ummmm "Have you ever baked anything before????"
Nope.  Never.  This should be interesting!  Nick was going to attempt to make a 2-tier cake.
He bought chocolate cake mix and chocolate icing (he knows me well) and pink sprinkles with pink/purple candies to say Happy Birthday (he has boy handwriting so he didn't want to attempt to write on the cake).  And he didn't forget the candles!

So I sat in the kitchen and watched.  It was pretty freaking amusing!!!!!

But in the end, the cake turned out really, really well!!!  Especially for a first time baker.  The real test would come later that night when we actually ate it. 

Later that evening, Nick took me miniature golfing.  I LOVE mini golf and have been wanting to go since we moved here.  Plus, there isn't a whole lot to do in Pensacola, especially now that it's off season so it was a great choice.  It was also nice to whoop Nick's butt in the first game (second we tied). 

After golf, Nick stopped at the store and we bought a Christmas tree!!!!!  I was so excited!  I LOVE Christmas time and now we could start decorating early with the tree!!!!

Then we headed to dinner and I enjoyed a nice juicy burger that I had been CRAVING!!!!

When we got home, Nick got the laptop ready.  He knew I was sad I wasn't able to be home with my family as well.  He also knew my family always made a cake and sang Happy Birthday to me.  He had text my family earlier and had planned with them to webcam as they sang and I blew out my candles.  HOW SWEET IS HE?!
Unfortunately, Ben and Randy weren't able to connect to the internet to webcam but I got to see my Mother, Father, Sister, and pup Sierra!  They all sang "Happy Birthday" and watched as I made a wish and blew out my candles.

Then Nick and I ate some cake (test passed...it was DELICIOUS) and continued to webcam with my family for about 45 minutes.


It was great.  I love that Nick knows how much my family means to me and incorporated them in my day.


We ended the evening with some cuddling movie time on the couch.

I'm thankful I was able to spend this day with Nick.  In last 5 years, he was only ever with me for one birthday.  So this it the second one we've been together for.  I know in the years to come, I will probably spend many, many more without him.  Because of that, I did and will cherish every second of the ones I get with him.  I Love Nicholas so much and it makes me realize how blessed I am that he tried his hardest to make this day as best as it could be.  Thank you, Babe.

And thank you to my family for webcamming with me.
Thank you, everyone else, for the texts, phone calls, Facebook messages/posts, emails, etc wishing me a Happy Birthday.  I felt very loved today =)

So now, starts my old life as a 27 year old =(

****

To see all the pictures from my birthday, click HERE!