Bienvenido a Miami!

TJ is being transferred to Station Miami Beach, FL! We are super excited! We'll be 4.5 hours from family and finalllllly back in the Florida sunshine!

2011 Update

Ok.. I'm no longer promising to be better at blogging. I can't seem to update regularly anyway. Here is the latest news in our lives:

Advancement to MK2
On 1 Jan 2011, TJ made MK2! I am so, so proud of him. I was lucky enough to pin one of his crows on him. Before the pinning, we talked a bit about it. I was telling him how proud I was and that there was a chance that I would cry. He quickly told me that crying was not allowed at these sorts of things. ;) Ok.. So it didn't go quite like that. I didn't cry, but I was just gushing with pride. I think that is allowed at those sorts of things. :)




Final Chapter of My Bachelor Degree
In January, I started my LAST semester of my Bachelor degree program! I spoke with my advisor, and I graduate June 2011! TJ and I will be driving to DC for the commencement ceremony. We're hoping to stay the weekend and do some sight seeing as well. I am so excited! I think I might be more excited about my break from school (April 2011-August 2011). Yes.. that's right. A break from school. August 2011, I am expecting to start back on my Masters in Education. I'm still trying to find a school to apply to. That is, if I don't enroll in the program my current online school offers. Online is just so convenient with our crazy lives.

Busy Year Ahead
Looking at a calendar these days kind of freaks me out. We have a week long vacation planned in March. I am SO looking forward to it! We will also have a new nephew born at the end of March/beginning of April! In June we'll have our trip to DC. Finally, in November, we'll be going to Florida. My sister is getting married!!! We're hoping to be there for a bit longer than just their wedding. We'll see what the Coast Guard says about that.

Coincidentally, today is the 1 year anniversary of TJ's grandmothers passing. I think about her quite often, as we all do. I know she's with us everyday. While we were in Florida, TJ's mother, gave me a ring that belonged to Ms. Jo. I was very honored and touched that she gave me the ring. It means a lot to me to be able to carry her with us always.



We were also lucky enough to have a friend take our pictures while we were in Florida. This is the same friend that did our wedding pictures. Here are a few of our favorites (let me tell ya, it was really hard to narrow it down. We LOVE them all!)



Ok. So finally, I want to put my New Year's Resolution in writing.. Hopefully, that'll make me stick to it!
1. Get in shape and STAY in shape. I am eating better (no processed foods, no soda, no refined sugar etc). I also have a few workout games for the Wii (Zumba and Just Dance 2). I want to make myself do these 3 times a week (at least).
2. Teach myself the ins and outs of my camera. I've had my Nikon for 1.5 years, and I have JUST started to learn about my manual focus settings. I am forcing myself to get out and take pictures. Here are a few:




and finally, 3. Get out of debt. TJ and I have a plan in place. We are going to stick to it, and be debt free by the end of the year!


Well, that's it for now. Hopefully, I'll remember to update again soon :)

A New Year

Well.. I am going to try to be better at this. The truth is, we aren't very exciting people ;).

Anyway, the beginning of this year has been hectic. And I wish that wasn't the case. Sadly, TJ lost his grandmother at the beginning of the year. Ms. Jo passed away very unexpectedly on January 8th. We are all missing her everyday. She was a great woman. TJ and I both designed a tattoo's to get in memory of her. TJ's tattoo says "I go to prepare a place for you so you too can have everlasting life." It means a lot to him. I got a butterfly with the words fly free over it. The butterfly is significant because the hospital staff placed a paper butterfly on her door just after she passed. Anyway, we got the tattoo's for Ms. Jo, but we both know that if she were here, she would have been right next to us getting a tattoo of her own. <3


Not much else has changed. We're still adjusting to the cold. Connecticut is VERY different than anywhere else we've lived. Everything is different here. We are trying to make the most out of our adventure up here. We've made some great friends and have made some great memories.

TJ is adjusting to the station life okay. It's definitely different than the last two boats he was on. He also just started back to school full time. He and I both take courses through AMU. He's working on his Bachelors in Criminal Justice and I am working on my Bachelors in Religious Studies.

TJ handed in his paperwork to take the SWE in May. After he takes the exam, he'll be placed on a list to make MK2. We are both very excited, and TJ deserves it. He's worked hard to get here and I am VERY proud of him <3.

Anyway, I'll try to keep up with this. Thanks for reading :)

Another update.

Well, it's official. I am NO good at blogging. Maybe now that things have settled down I'll be able to blog more often. Ah heck, who am I kidding? I'll most likely forget about it for 3 months again ;).

Anyway, we are in Connecticut. TJ has started work at the station. Station life is definitely different than what we are used to. Does it make any sense that I'd rather him be gone for 8 weeks than 2 days? It seems much less lonely to have him gone for 8 weeks- don't ask me how, it just does. Hopefully, his schedule will calm down by the end of the month. He's working his tail off to get his qualifications done and I am so so proud of him.

Hmm.. let's see. Oh, I'll be a full time student in about 3 weeks! Yay! I'll be going back for my Bachelors in Sociology. That's my major for now. I'm sure I'll change it a few dozen times before I graduate. I've enjoyed the time off. A lot happened during my break. Let's recap: TJ started terminal leave, TJ started AND finished a semester of college, I started working part time (eek!) and quit working once I found out we'd be leaving, TJ and I made the decision for him to reenlist in the Coast Guard, and we move 1300 miles up the east coast. Phew... I think that is it.

So the house is pretty much unpacked. I just need to bribe TJ into hanging my pictures. Yeah, that'll happen- pshh ;). The dogs are adjusting. I'm sure they are just glad to be out of that truck. I thought for sure they were going to go insane.

As well as working on his qualifications for the station, TJ is working hard to get his stuff in order to make 2nd class. I know he wants to make 2nd so bad and he deserves it. It will be a huge step in his career.

I'm still trying to decide what it is I want to do with my life and career. In all honesty, I would LOVE to be a part of an animal rescue. I tell TJ all the time, it breaks my heart in a million pieces to hear about an animal that is homeless or abused. I want so bad to help put an end to animal cruelty and find all of these loving animals homes, I just don't know where to start. I feel helpless and so guilty because I can't help.

Anyway, I've gotten a bit off track. That is pretty much all that is new with us right now. I promise to try to update more regularly :).

-Shelbie

Another update.

Well, TJ and I found out Friday that we're being transferred. We'll be going to New Haven, CT. We're both excited and nervous. We are so used to the south, and the north is going to be a big change! Anyway, we'll be transferring around June or July.

There isn't much else to update on. I'll be going back to school for my Bachelors once we move. TJ has made it through his first semester of college. He didn't suffer to bad.. haha!

Well, I need to get on here and upload some new pictures. I'll update again.. soon :).

Short Update.

Here are a few pictures of our vegetable garden. We had to plant them in pots and keep them inside because of the weather. As it turns out, I don't have a black thumb! I made something grow!!

Anyway, here they are:

Our Garden

FINALLY! I started my garden! I told TJ, "All I want for Christmas is a vegetable garden." Well, he got me a little more than that, but we finally started the garden. Right now we're using an indoor "greenhouse" to start the seeds out in. We planted them 5 days ago and they are sprouting and growing like crazy! Here are a few pictures!