Less than manic Monday

No really, it wasnt eventful. I went to step class this morning and got an amazing workout as usual! Afterwards, I came home and proceeded to think about what I wanted to get done today. The kitchen was clean, the laundry is done for the week, bathrooms are good, floors are good, and the living room was good too. I finally decided to clean our upstairs hall closet. Its (current) contents--all of Kevins Army paraphernalia. It was clean last week, but when I looked in there today, it looked like the Army threw up all over the closet floor and shelves. Thanks, baby. Now its straightened up and all paraphernalia is organized and packed neatly away. I also gathered all of our spare sheet sets, extra bathroom rugs/shower curtains, blankets, and extra pillows and put them in the closet. I plan on taking the army stuff downstairs tomorrow and putting it in the downstairs hall closet. Believe it or not, it took awhile to get all nice and neat lol.
Tomorrow its spin class in the a.m. then its commissary time! Yes, Im braving the crowds on payday, but theres stuff we need. Plus, we are getting a lawn mower tomorrow night! Im excited about this because our yard looks embarassing. More tomorrow :)

2011 NFL Pro Bowl

Today is the day Kevin and I had been waiting for for the last almost 3 months...PRO BOWL DAY!!!! We left the house around 1130, and finally found a parking spot around 1245.

Behind us is the parking lot where we parked. See the stadium ahead in the distance??

It wasnt as bad as it looked. However, after having a whole week of sunny skies, it did rain all the way up until game time almost! We were pretty wet by the time we got to the stadium and to our gate. Did I mention our gate was on the other side of the stadium, not the side you see in the pic? Yeah....it was cool though because we walked through all the tailgate parties!
We finally got up to the front of the stadium and decided to take a quick picture before making our way around to the back

Kevin had that look on his face because the rain was dripping down his face lol

Ahhh, once inside, I grabbed a beer and we headed for our seats. Our seats were SO CLOSE to the field!!

From our seats...we were only 7 rows up

The game was a blast, even though my beloved Tom Brady didnt play (WTH was that all about?!?) and the AFC got their butts handed to them! Here are some more pictures of our afternoon!

AFC all the way baby!!

Pre-game show featuring the Goo Goo Dolls...they were awesome!

Wooooooooo Footballll!!!!

You might want to click to make this bigger...yeah thats him!!

Half time festivities!

This was probably one of the coolest experiences we have had here! If my camera battery didnt die, you guys would see pictures of like 5 people running onto the field and getting arrested...it was hilarious!! One guy even ran right through the middle of the field giving high fives to the players on his way! While the cops were distracted with him, a GROUP of 4 guys ran onto the field on the other end...good entertainment! All in all, we had a wonderful time and I wish it could have lasted longer--with an AFC win ;)
Final score: NFC-55 AFC-41 (the last 7 points for the AFC were scored with like 45 seconds left on the clock...at that point they were just having fun and goofing off hehe)
Ahhhh, after waiting in traffic for what seemed like forever, we made it out of there and made it home. Now its bedtime, for the routine starts again tomorrow!
PS- I do have lots more pictures, you can find them on my facebook tomorrow after step class :)

I've lost my motivation....

We slept in today until 1030 and Im really kicking myself for it. Not kicking myself for getting extra cuddle time with Kevin, but kicking myself because everytime I sleep in, I have zero motivation to do anything that day! I was lazy for most of the day, and only got out to run to the store for a couple of things. Kevin had class today, so I hung out at home! I did manage to get some motivation to clean after I went to the store. Ive got the kitchen cleaned really good and the laundry is almost done for the week! I wanted to do as much as possible because I dont want to have to do anything when we get home from the stadium tomorrow night.
Kevin went over to his friend Kens house because theyre leaving on Wednesday. I didnt go with him because frankly, I didnt want to. Hopefully he will be home soon, because dinner is almost ready :) The rest of my evening will consist of laundry folding (yay) and organizing some more stuff. Kevin and I got into a tiff this afternoon about me getting a job asap. I know Ive kinda been putting it off (hey I like my freedom!) but he suggested a place in Honolulu (which we agreed a LONG time ago that I wouldnt have to do) and got upset when I told him I didnt want to drive that far (45 minutes at least each way through bumper to bumper traffic--annoying) and they didnt pay enough. Anyway, we made up and now he understands why I want to work close to home. Ive put in several applications on post, so heres hoping I get something!
The rest of the evening will be spent relaxing and going to bed early......because tomorrow is PRO BOWL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are planning on leaving in the morning to check out the pre-game festivities! Tomorrows post will contain pictures for sure :D

Hiking in Kailua!

This morning I was up bright and early to go hiking with my friend Chantal and her sweet dog Dexter. The hike was up a mountain in Kailua, not too far from Lanikai Beach (where we went last Sunday). It was a pretty tough trail, and my thighs were screaming at me when we were done! We had a wonderful time talking and watching Dexter go crazy in the streams we crossed! Here are a few pictures from our day!

Beginning of the trail

Dexter playing in the stream.....

....then he started attacking the water, silly dog :)

All the way at the top... I love mountain climbing

The waterfall at the end of the trail...sooo worth the mud and uphill climb

Dexter playing fetch with a stick :)

Had to get the arm length shot

I was hoping to get the guy jumping off of the cliff there, but I just got his splash...dang slow shutterspeed

I really enjoyed the hike, but next time I will have better shoes...mine kept slipping on the rocks and I was sure I was going to faceplant in one of the streams! All in all it was a really fun morning, and I got to hang out with an awesome friend :)
After the hike, I hung out at home, then brought something to Kevin at work. On his way home he told me that he was on call for the weekend, which sucks because we are going to the ProBowl Sunday and Im praying his phone doesnt ring! Poor guy went to class this afternoon, and had just parked when they called him back into work....and didnt need him (eyeroll). So he missed a class and its only held once a week :( Ah the life of a soldier.....
Anyways, we are headed out to pick some food up for Kevin and Im going to bed soon, good night y'all!!

Blizzard Blog Hoppin'....

Today, I thought I would do something a little different from the norm. Household 6 Diva is hosting a Blizzard blog hop and I thought it would be fun to join in. Basically, all I have to do is write an introductory post, so here goes! I like to talk alot, so sorry for the long post :) *Yes, I realize it doesnt snow here, but Im participating anyway, so there*

                                                                  Howdy, Im Jen!

Im a pretty easygoing, bubbly (thats what my husband calls me), lovin' life kind of gal. Im 30 years young, Im the daughter of an awesome lady named Jackie, and I have one brother, Tim. Including my in-laws kids, Im the proud aunt of 9 beautiful, wonderful children! I grew up in Hampton Roads, Virginia, just 20 minutes from...

Perfect for a History geek like me...If youre ever in Virginia, stop by here :)

When I was 16, I got my first job at....

Its a great summer job, and I had a blast working there! I worked at Busch Gardens for 3 seasons as a games hostess! After high school, I worked full time at another company, which is where I met my ex husband. I got married at 22, but he decided he wanted another girlfriend, so we divorced in 2005. After other unsuccessful relationships, in March of 2009 I met this guy....

He is the best thing that ever happened to me, my Kevin :) After a 1 year and 3 months of dating, we were married on June 12, 2010

Happiest day of my life!

Since Kevin and I have been together, we have had 2 furbabies that we adore so much!...

                                                               Mia, our 5 1/2 year old

My sweet girl...I've actually had her since she was around 4 weeks old

                                                      

                                                And Wyatt, our almost 2 year old

My handsome fella

Right now, these are our children and they are spoiled rotten! We are hoping for a human baby really soon!
We are a military family, and right now the Army has us in (mostly) sunny Hawaii (thus Buzuleciu's in Hawaii ;) ). Kevin is currently in school, in addition to his work duties, and Im a SAHW (for now). Im hoping to go back to school soon and finish my degree in History so I can start on my masters.
So that was a little info on me, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! I started this blog as a daily journal for my family and friends back home, to share our everyday adventures here in the Aloha state!
                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As for today, I woke up at 1030...yeah, 1030. I wasnt too happy with it, but I was really tired for some reason. I havent had the best sleep the last few days though :(
I had no plans today other than to wait for the maintenance guy to get here so he could explain why our freezer looked like northern Minnesota in January the other day. I knew he was supposed to be coming in the afternoon, so I waited......and waited........and waited. At around 5pm, he showed up and was just as baffled as I was. He said everything looked fine, but if we had any more problems to give them a call. Kevin came home for lunch, and I wandered back to the hangar with him since there wasnt anything going on. It was so slow, he authorized the guys to go home early...such a nice supervisor :)
Tomorrow, Im getting up early, and going hiking with my workout buddy Chantal! If youre a new follower, she is a fellow army wife, and surviving her first deployment! You can find her awesome blog Here. Her dog is coming along (yay I can get my doggie fix, since Kevin is allergic), and it should be a fun morning!

Time to get my "beauty" sleep lol

PS- 3 days til the Pro Bowl!!! Can you tell I'm excited?!?!?! I love watching football, and I think Im going to love watching it live better :)

Happy Hump Day

Hello, folks :)

This morning we were up at 6am for our weekly pilgrimage to Tripler. The drive there was filled with traffic, as usual, but once we got to the hospital we proceeded to get the best parking spot ever :D While Kevin was in with the doc, I read a bit of my book and watched Cash and Cari on HGTV. If you havent seen this show, its kind of like American Pickers on the History channel, but she does estate sales and refurbishing. Between her and the guys on American Pickers, they have my dream job! How cool would it be to just go around looking for vintage stuff?? Plus theyre so knowledgeable on virtually anything retro, which is really neat :)
Anyways, after the appointment, I relaxed at home a bit before I made a quick trek to the commissary for some necessary items: Ketchup, TP, and bananas-three essentials we must keep in our house at all times! After the commissary, I decided that I was going to cook dinner early, leave some in the microwave for Kevin when he came home for lunch, and head over to the gym for Wednesday evening step class! Step was fun, but Im a little indifferent about the instructor--she missed her steps alot. No worries though, I pushed through and got a pretty amazing workout! Im not hanging at the office with Kevin tonight so after this blog entry Im going upstairs to prepare for bed. I plan on cuddling up with my babies until Kevin gets home :)

Oh before I go, Ive been a bad blogger! Last week I found out I won a giveaway from the fabulous Kathleen over at Hawkerswife. The giveaway was called New Year New You, and I won this!

Yoga is a really great way to tone your whole body, and Im anxiously awaiting the dvd in the mail, so thanks Hawkerswife (and Im sorry it took a week for me to acknowledge on my blog- please forgive me!)!!! By the way, her husband and Kevin both work with the same aircraft so its nice meeting other members of the UH-60 (Technical name for the Blackhawk) family! Stop by and check out her blog HERE. Good night folks!

My eyes feel funny.

This morning I headed down to the optometrist to get my eyes dilated. My doc said she wanted to see the back of my eyes better, but they needed to be dilated first. If you've never had this done, what they do is drop a couple drops of anesthetic in your eyes, then a couple of drops of the dilation medicine in them. It doesnt hurt, but your eyes get fuzzy after about 15 minutes. Note to self: attempting to play Slice-It on your phone with your eyes dilated is an epic fail. Anyways, after about 20 minutes, the doc called me back and she shone some lights in my eyes, then we went back and she took some pictures of my eyes (which are fascinating to look at--its like an x-ray of your eye!), and the appointment was over. My eyes werent bothered by the office lights, but when I walked outside, that was a whole different ball game! It felt as if I was staring directly into the sun. So I wore these fashionable sunshades (they came rolled up) and drove home. I then proceeded to spend the majority of the afternoon Facebooking, planning my college schedule (which makes me even more excited to finish college and get my masters!), and applying for jobs. I tried to go outside around 2 to see how my eyes felt then...it was a no-go! By 315 though, I finally found my sunglasses and had to venture out to the pharmacy. By then it wasnt too bad! So that was my day. All in all, the dilation process wasnt too bad, and I had a really relaxing afternoon! I even had a chance to hang out at the office with Kevin because it was pretty slow tonight. I actually have a good time, especially when there's aircraft taking off and landing frequently :) It is now time for bed though, we are getting up around 6 to make our weekly pilgrimage  go down to Tripler for an appointment. I dont mind though--I take my trusty Kindle and catch up on some reading! I think Im going to continue reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Before you say "ugh borrrrinnnng", let me just say its really interesting and I enjoy learning more about how our nation was formed and the life of this remarkable man :)
So thats all for tonight, more tomorrow!

*Oh, and guess what?? Only 5 more days til the Pro Bowl-woot!!*

Loving this nice weather!

Seriously, its been nice the last 4 days! Beautiful blue skies, sun shining, and big puffy white clouds make for a pleasant environment :)
Today is Monday, and that means I was in the gym by 815 for an 830 step class. Todays routine was really easy for me, so I modified some of the moves to make for a more difficult and intense workout. After class, I felt GREAT! My legs are feeling much stronger lately and my hip doesnt bother me as much! The step classes, spin classes, and kickboxing classes are really paying off. Im really pleased with myself! Now if only I can flatten my belly some more.....
After step class, I came home and hung out with Kevin for a bit until we had to go to Chili's for a farewell lunch honoring 2 of Kevins co-workers who are leaving the island soon. One of them has been here 6 years, can you imagine?? They are both great people and they will be missed!
Kevin is on nights this week, so after dinner and finishing laundry, I went down to the hangar to hang out with him and keep him company (since they werent busy). I can sit out there and watch aircraft take off and land all day, Im a nerd its fascinating :) Kevin thinks I'm strange, but I actually had a good time.
Tomorrow I'm not going to spin class :( Instead, I've got an eye doctor appointment! I'm going to get my eyes dilated for the first time, and Im kind of nervous because I know you have fuzzy vision for awhile and I know its going to annoy the heck out of me :-/ I plan on driving straight home and camping out on the couch until my vision resets itself :) I will let y'all know how it goes!!

Lanikai Beach

Kevin and I wanted to go to the beach today, so we headed out to Lanikai Beach with some friends to soak up the sun. It started drizzling once we got there, but quickly cleared up and the sun came out! Lanikai Beach is probably the prettiest beach Ive been to thus far on Oahu :) We had a great time just hanging out, and I had fun playing with the camera. There are like 4 more spots out there that I plan on driving to (maybe tomorrow hehe) just to take some amazing pictures! The water is aqua blue and beautiful! Here are a few pictures from our afternoon.

I saw those boats and just knew they would make an excellent photo-op! Im really pleased with how the pictures turned out :)
After the beach Diva Kevin was hungry, so we all went to Buffalo Wild Wings down in Waikiki for some delicious food! I forgot it was the day of the AFC Championship game, so it was pretty loud in there. It wasnt too bad though, and we had a great time! We just got home not too long ago, and its time for a shower and our Sunday night date of watching our favorite shows :)
Hope you guys enjoyed the pictures, I will post more later!

BBQ kind of afternoon...

Kevin and I planned on getting up rather early today to start preparing for our get together this afternoon. Well, that didnt happen. We woke up at around 830, but didnt want to get up, so we slept until like 930. After we did get up, we sat around for an hour or so, and then decided to start our projects for the day :P
Kevin had class this afternoon, so I went to the grocery store for some last minute things. I had to have the propane tank refilled (which was a bit of an adventure) as well, so that got done. I was also 8 feet away from the gas pump and still forgot to fill up the car!
Once back home, I decided to bake a couple of things to commemorate the purpose of the party :)

Todays party was a combination of a "going away" party for the Hurd family, and a celebration of hitting the "halfway to retirement" mark for Kevin. On Monday, he reaches the 10 year mark with the Army and I couldnt be more proud of him!
The get together was fun, and there was alot of laughing going on :)

However................... This man

Is a bad influence on ............................... this cat

Let me explain with a picture.

This happened tonight...Wyatt started licking the bottle and our friend Nick got a great shot

(eyeroll) Men.......

Haha so that was our night. We had alot of fun, and tomorrow we are all planning to head down to the beach and just hang out some more (and I get to get my tan on!!)
Good night folks!