One Year of Marriage - 3 Years Together!

So it is October and boy oh boy have we been busy! Since I last posted we celebrated our one year anniversary and FINALLY had our honeymoon! We had a blast! We went to Orlando and did Universal and Islands of Adventure and then we explored Disney World which we are Disney fanatics so we were in heaven! I gave Jon his anniversary gift which was one of my favorite pictures from the wedding and the lyrics from our song we danced to from our first dance which was "When She Gets Close to Me" by Billy Currington. I LOVE the way it turned out!! It looks so good! I have it hanging up in our room above our bed and its the perfect spot for it!!

Once our amazing trip was over we came home and I prepared for leaving Jon to return to Jacksonville for my final semester of school. I would be student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom! Boy OH Boy was I nervous!!! I started the first week in September and its been smooth sailing ever since! I love the kids in the class and my teacher is awesome! I have learned so much and I have so much more to learn as well.

Last week on the 18th Jon and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary of being together as a couple! It has been a fantastic 3 years! We have learned so much and weve have so much fun together. I cant wait to see what the years ahead bring for us :)

Charlie is now 6 months old and a whopping 4.3 lbs. She seems so stinkin' tiny! but let me tell you, this little thing is a spit fire! Shes crazy but I wouldn't trade her for the world. We just got her fixed and it was an in and out procedure and when I went to pick her up they told me that she couldnt run, jump, or play for atleast 7 to 10 days...but they must not know my cat because honestly, that is serioulsy impossible for this crazy little feline! Shes doing fantastic though! You would never know she had gotten fixed. The day I brought her home, she wanted to run and be crazy like usual and I was a little weary at first but at the same time, if she was hurting I was sure she would stop and rest and we are at a full week tomorrow and she is doing great!

Maximus is doing well as well...a little bit of a handful for Jon because Max wants a lot of attention and he doesnt have a lot to give with the studying he has to do for work...not to mention that Max is being a bad boy and getting into things he isnt supposed to!! But he turns a year old on Saturday the 27th so I may just have to do a little something special for my little man :) everyone (even puppies) deserve something special for their birthday!

I cannot wait to go home in December! I miss my home and my heart (Jon of course). It just isnt the same being without him. Im going to miss my girls here in the area but I know Ive made relationships thatll last forever and we will keep in touch but it still hasnt quite hit me yet that in December this will all be over and ill be gone for good. Im sure youll be hearing about it then. Cause I know Ill be sad...Happy Im home with Jon but sad to be away from such great friends :) <3

Thats about it for now...not too much else going on with these Dowlings...just going a long with the flow of everyday life and having fun doing it :)

Summer Lovin' !!

This summer has been a blast so far! And not having a good amount of steady and reliable internet has made it a lot harder than I planned to keep this blog updated . So any who! We started off the summer with the Dowling family reunion! Which if any one of you have ever been, you know its always a blast! When the Dowlings go camping, its like amazing camping hah we don’t eat hot dogs and hamburgers the whole trip we pull out all the stops! Its always grits, bacon, sausage, and eggs for breakfast. Sometimes its sandwiches or hot dogs for lunch but we are all just kind of doing our own thing that it’s a if you are hungry make yourself some food kind of thing and then dinner is usually amazing too! I think this year it was spaghetti one night and then we went to a fish fry, and the next day was the BIG Dowling lunch! The BEST part of the whole trip (other than listening to the beautiful sounds of Dowling flatulence) is the big dinner we usually have on memorial day. This year I was able to contribute and made banana pudding which Jon LOVES and if I might say so myself I think it is definitely Dowling approved lol I made two batches worth…one is big enough on its own TRUST ME! So with two batches there was A  LOT of pudding! After lunch there was a good amount gone but an ok amount left…could have fed about three to four people depending on portion size…well two of the cousins decided they were going to finish it off…as you can see in the pictures below they did a fantastic job of licking the pan clean…literally!!

Unfortunately this year we got rained out L well more like stormed out! There was a tropical storm headed straight for where we were so we figured it probably wasn’t safe for us to stay in the area seeing that we were all in campers…we probably would have been ok but its better to be safe than sorry. We didn’t let Beryl (name of the storm) keep us from having a good time though! After the storm passed, we were all at Jons parents, a good majority of the family had already gone back home but Aunt june and her clan stayed because of a wedding the following weekend so we were able to play out in the pool and have a really fun time!

The next weekend was Ashby and Kims wedding!! During the week Jon had asked if I wanted to go and buy my camera that was honestly supposed to be saved for either my birthday or Christmas…I cant remember now lol He knew I was wanting to take lots of photos and he figured this would be the perfect opportunity to get started. So we got my camera!! It’s a Nikon D5100 and I LOVEEE it!!  Its amazing and I was able to get a lot of great shots at the wedding with it! We had a great time and it’s a day for the memory books J

                                         

                                         

                                                           

                                                           

                                                           

                                                            

                                                             

                                                              

                                                              

                                                             

                                                              

                                                              

                                                             

                                                      

After that weekend we didn’t really slow down…at all. Through out this whole summer we were on the road for something for 7 weekends straight! Between going to Jax, Ashbys, his parents house, someone was doing something! One of the weekends that we were at ashby and kims, we ended up having to run to turn a redbox movie in and the only available place for that was a walmart. Well outside of walmart there was a family giving away free kittens. I looked at them and they were totally cute! But I know my husband and how he feels about cats lol He actually had told me that I could get one or two but they had to be outside cats…they were NOT coming inside…(he was ok with the idea that way the cats could get any mice or other critters) well when he pulled back around to pick me up I asked him if he wanted a free kitten…he growned and said uhh…I told him it was ok if he said no I wasn’t going to be upset…well he gave in and didn’t say no so we turned around to go get ourselves a kitty!! The one they had in the box was already spoken for and they had one left…She was black with white paws and the runt…SUPER cute and so she came home with us! It took me a while to figure out a name for her…Rachael and I tossed names back and forth for most of the next day until I came across the name Charlie (Rachael only knows her as spider monkey lol). It fit and it stuck! Charlie was 9 weeks old when we got her and superrr tiny! She maybe weighed a pound…I was a little worried about having a kitten that young. All the cats Id ever had were 12 weeks old and MUCH bigger! So I learned how to truly potty train her and watched her grow and develop! The best part was watching her discover new things…especially her tail! It was and still probably is the cutest thing. If any of you get a chance to watch this little thing in action she truly is cheap entertainment!

                                                                  

                                                 

                                                

                                                                  

Well not even a week after getting Charlie, Jon was SUPER jealous that I got a pet…he doesn’t claim Charlie… lol He has been dying for a dog since for forever so he set out on a quest to find one and that he did. He came across a beautiful 8 month old german shepherd puppy! He had papers and everything…owners just didn’t have time for an energetic puppy. We took him off her hands and so we not only had Charlie a 9 week old kitten and then we added Max to the clan!

                                                                  

                                                                  

                                                             

Max is amazing! And thankfully HOUSE TRAINED!!! I cannot tell you how happy I am that I didn’t have to house train him. Ive never had a dog and I wouldn’t even have the slightest clue on where to start lol. Now both babies are doing wonderfully and are getting along great! Max loves to play with Charlie and vise versa…we just have to watch and listen because sometimes max forgets that he is literally 10 times her size and he starts to hurt her but it isn’t on purpose by any means. Charlie is now almost 14 weeks old and probably weights about 2.5 lbs (still little lol) but shes getting bigger every day! She is a little ball of energy and a definite snuggle cat!! I love it! She stays pinned up at night, still too little to just roam on her own especially with max around. And for those wondering, yes, she will make her way outside but she has to get a bit bigger before that happens lol at this point she is prey to the things we want her to hunt. Max is almost 9 months old and he is great! He still likes to take the occasional shoe and chew on it (he got a pair of Jons work shoes one night and my moms flip flop…opps) but we are getting there with him on that issue. He is not aggressive at all and very well mannered. He is a little bit of a sissy but boy when he wants to bark he definitely doesn’t hold back! He knows how to sit and shake your hand we are still working on lay down and other things…ill tell you learning how to take care of a dog has been fun…lol im used to cats who aren’t high-maintenance at all! But I love Max to death and wouldn’t trade him for the world! We have been blessed with two great pets! 

There is so much going on in the marriage and baby world!! My friend Amanda is getting married labor day weekend and it seems like a lot of people I know are havin babies! Everytime I turn around someone else is prego and that’s exciting but its breaking my wallet lol So im hoping that with some love from Pinterest I can make some gifts and save myself a ton of money! We shall see right!?

Our 1 year Anniversary is  coming up!! Today is the 31^st of July and I only have 6 days until I have been married to my bestest friend in the whole wide world! Let me tell ya its been a long and hard year but we’ve made tons of memories and have come to learn many life lessons about each other…stuff I consider normal for a first year of marriage especially one when trying to transfer out of the navy life! I cant tell you how hard and emotional those first 3 months of our marriage was. Jon was just so miserable with the navy and was BEYOND ready to get out! The change in him when he was officially out was great! I had my husband back lol not some stranger who kind of looked like him! We bought ourselves a BEAUTIFUL home! And we have been living and getting to know each other and its been great I cant wait to see what the rest of our lives has in store <3

To celebrate our first year of marriage we are FINALLY going to take our honeymoon! Its been long overdue for sure! We decided to take a trip to Orlando instead of a cruise! Money was a little tight for as extravagant my husband wanted to get booking a cruise. So we decided to just do Orlando and then when we are more comfortable with $$ we will book a cruise and enjoy ourselves like no other! But this week in Orlando sounds like a lot of fun! We got a great deal and have park hoppers for both universal and Disney and we are going to see the cirque so le! And the blue man group and of course some of the dinner shows! NOT TO MENTION, I get to see my biffle Rachael one night for dinner! Im beyond excited to take this trip im like a little school girl haha all giddy! 

Thats all for now...Theres been a lot of great things going on this summer and Im sure I have much more to share...Im going to try and share a lot of the new things Ive learned from Pinterest and from just being the artsy fartsy me :) <3

We are officially GA residents!!!

Now that I have some free time on my hands I am going to be keeping this updated! I would love to keep this up so I am going to give it my best shot!!
A lot of things have happened since I last updated.
Jon got out of the navy and got a job at a Nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, GA...
We bought a HOUSE!!! And its a beautiful home!!!

This beautiful home is our dream home! The inside is gorgeous and the land is amazing as well. This awesome house comes with 10.37 acres, so Jon is in love :)

The dining room :) (All decorated for Easter dinner!)

Master Bedroom!! 

First Spare bedroom

Second spare bedroom

T

The amazing family room! 

I love the ceilings! 

This is the view from the front door as you enter the house

My awesome kitchen that I LOVE! 

It will definitely be a lot of work and fun getting settled into our new home! 

I found a job at a daycare center in Jacksonville working with infants 12mnths to 18 mnths. Its been a lot of fun and I am sad to see it come to an end because I have learned so much and met really amazing people but it is time for me to move onto my internship in the fall and then I will FINALLY be able to be home for good with my husband and get this career of mine started :) 

A lot has happened over the last couple of months and its all a natural process of growing up and moving on. It will be fun to see where everything leads!! 

Next post will be about all of my pinterest adventures. If you havent heard of Pinterest, you are seriously missing out! It has been my addiction since I found out about it. I have gotten some GREAT recipes and decorating ideas; along with art projects that I completed with my kids at school. Its been a fun process and I want to keep everyone updated on what all Ive done cause there is a lot! So keep an eye out for pinterest updates as I begin to slowly decorate my house the way I would like to see it :) 

2011 is over and 2012 is here!

Wow! I havent updated this thing since August! And let me say that a LOT has happened! Through the months of September and October, Jon was very non-existent but the navy will do that to you. But within the first couple of days in November I FINALLY had my husband home frequently to enjoy and now we really truly are getting adapted to the married life. November 15 we were FINALLY able to get Jon's gallbladder moved. It was supposed to be a simple in and out procedure but unfortunately there was a small complication and we stayed in the hospital for 2 days. When the doctor removed the gallbladder, he thought he nicked a bile duct and so to insure that everything was ok, he put in a JP drain to make sure it wasnt leaking. We were able to go home and Jon was pretty much stuck to the couch and the bed. But that was to be expected. The surgery was on Tuesday we went home Thursday and then we had a job interview on Tuesday in Waynesboro, GA that he had to be at. We still had the JP drain in when we headed up north. But he did his interview and the drain came out the next day! He was so very happy to get it out and so was I. Then that same day, we headed up to Delaware to spend Thanksgiving with my family up there. It was a nice roadtrip I was able to take with my family and my husband. 2011 was a year full of firsts!
Jon got a job offer! The company he had an interview with, gave him a job offer and he of course accepted. He was so happy and I was so very relieved. And we then began the process of finding a place to live! We took a weekend to look at quite a few different homes but we found one that we have fallen completely in love with and we are in the process of buying our first home together! Now that Christmas has come and gone and the new year is here, 2012 is going to be another year of many firsts just like 2011 was.

Now that 2012 is here, we will be moving out of our apartment this month and moving in with my parents and I will be staying with them permanently until I finish school. We will have to put things into a storage unit until we can get a place to live in Waynesboro and Jon can start his job so the next couple of months will be busy and hectic but I think its worth it!  I will start a new job this week that I am ECSTATIC about! So far Im very excited for the things 2012 will bring.

Sam I Am...OPSEC style

I am Sam.
Sam I am.
Do you like OPSEC and ham?
I do not get it, Sam I am.
I do not get OPSEC and ham.
We must use it here and there.
We must use it everywhere.
You CAN share it in a car.
But you CANNOT in a bar.
You CANNOT share it in a text.
You CANNOT share it at the NEX.
You CAN say it in your house.
But should NOT tell a random spouse.
You CAN say it in the shower.
But do NOT go sharing at happy hour.
DON'T make the Ombudsman sweat.
DON'T post it on the internet.
You CANNOT share it in a tweet.
That would not be very sweet.
Beware of Facebook and Myspace too.
It's tempting to let your feelings through.
You Cannot tell it to a friend.
NOT even at the very end.
It is a privilege to know a date.
DON'T tell ANYONE or they may be late!
Oh, I get it, Sam I am.
Now I get OPSEC and ham!
I will not tell anyone. I will keep hushed until they're done!
I will not tell him or her. I will not tell my dog with fur.
I will not tell my child's teacher. I will not tell any creature.
Thank you, THANK YOU, Sam I am.
Thank you for clearing up OPSEC and Ham!!!




**If I ever have to tell you that I cant tell you information about Jon and his location and things that are going on, this is the reason. Its not because I just dont want to tell you, its because I cant. So please dont get upset with me :) **

He's Phony, She's fake....Thats the type of people I hate....

I don't know where to start. The last 3 days have been rough, long, and tiring....and I cant actually say that I've done anything productive! They've just been emotionally draining. And I'm so done with it all. And if my Facebook was just this group of people then I would most definitely delete it but its not so that's a lot easier said then done. With getting married, I feel like I get a fresh start. I'm in a new place with new people and as of right now its time for me to move on completely from what used to be. This whole wedding has caused a lot of ugly truths to come out and people have showed sides of themselves that aren't very nice nor true. I have a great husband and great friends but as this week has come to show I think I now know who the real and true ones are.
I know this will probably go against what I will be talking about but lord knows ill never be on the level that all of the drama/crap has gotten to. Its not in my personality. I am not a drama bringing person...I try to stay away from drama but somehow it just seems to chase me.I just want to have friends who I can have a good time with and friends that where ever and no matter anything I do will always be there for me to support and love me. Ive done that and more for all of my friends and I think its the least I expect back. Weddings are supposed to be a fun and excited time for everyone involved. It shouldnt be a time for friendships and relationships to go south but I do realize it happens.
I married a wonderful man. He is always there when I need him and he always says the things I need him to say at the right time. He may not be "christian" to your standards but he has shown more love and compassion and generosity than many christians I know ever have. Because of the way Ive been treated the last month it has shown me a lot of true colors of a lot of people and it just really makes me mad at how they just go judging and shunning other people out because they feel they are living in sin...one thanks for judging instead of coming to me to ask about the truth because not everything is as it seems and two, arent we supposed to love the sinners? we are supposed to treat them as we would treat everyone else. Now if Ive ever done or said anything to you that would or did offend you then by all means delete me from your friends or confront me but if ive just stayed in my own business and lived my own life and never had ever affected your life or your walk for the things that have been done and said...I guess its just time for me to realize that this part in my life and these certain people in my life, its time for me to just move on and get on with my life without you and with my husband...

So i guess what needs to be said now is Thank you :) Im opening a new chapter in my life and I like the outlook. I love you Jonathan Dowling!

Settling Into Life

Growing up I was kind of a messy kid..Ive been watching the show Hoarders, and thinking I could NEVER be like that but i remember how my room was before my dad would have to come in and help me clean it up! It was bad but not THAT bad but I swore that whenever I moved out and had my own space that I would never live like that! Since the whole wedding and all the stuff of moving in and getting things cleaned up and in a place its been hard!! We have come to realize that between the 2 of us we had a lot of stuff!! It was a lot easier to fill up this apartment that I thought it would be, I dont really know if thats really such a good thing lol cause we are running out of space lol but just means we need to go through things because honestly when I moved Jon into the apartment, he was out to sea so there were quite a few boxes that he never and still hasn't gone through. So maybe when I can get him home for longer than a day we can get some things gone and maybe sell them lol we could always use some extra cash on the side to pay off the credit card! ha
Today I feel accomplished though! I got up this morning and went and worked out, finished paying all the bills (somehow I managed to lose the water bill somewhere! I know I saw it when it came but then when I went to find it, definitely couldnt find it anywhere so had to go ask), cleaned up all the trash in the house, and have now started making dinner.... Hopefully it wont be a dinner for one tonight but if it is its all good, Ill just snuggle up on the couch and watch some netflix! Oh the fun timessss lol

Last night was a good night though, Jon had duty yesturday so I was alone all day but my friend Amy Tortoriello who was the first wife our the division to take me under her wing! During one of the guys deployments, she took me under her wing. It was my first 4 month deployment and I honestly had no idea what to expect then. But she helped...BIG TIME! we spent a lot of time together and started going to spin class about once a week (which is a GREAT workout if youve never tried it before)! but anyway Amy helped  that deployment not be as terrible for me as it could have been. During that deployment, her husband Joel made cheif and they got orders to another boat in New Hampshire!!! It sucked! Big time cause she was one of my very few navy friends but she was the one I definitely talked to all the time who helped the most! and she left me (not by choice) lol she came into town this week and I was dieing to see her! so we went to Peppers out in Yulee and one of the guys bought a round of tequila...Im not a fan of tequila lol but i took the shot anyway and I can honestly say...Im still not a fan lol But it was great to finally hang out with her again...its always a great time. One thing we talked about last night that I wont forget is she feels like she helped shape me into a navy wife and honestly she did! She was a major help in helping me understand how things work and how to help Jon and what not and I dont think I can thank her enough nor do I know what I would do without her and it was so good to finally see her again!
And while I was cleaning today I finally went through a box of hangers that was given to me by my good friend Nicole Hawkins who took me under her wing after Amy left cause the guys went out on another deployment 3 months later and she helped me stay busy too we hung out a lot! But they were in the process of waiting for her husband to get orders to transfer to shore duty so I lost her too...but in their moving process she finally found a box of hangers that she had been saying whenever she found it she would give it to us cause they didnt need them anymore i was thinking it was going to be a little box  but it was a cup box that was hugee and there were a tonnn of hangers in there...I have NO need to go buy hangers which I am extremelyyy thankful for lol
Ive met some great people so far in my military experience and I would love to meet more and make new friends because unfortunately a lot of the friends I have made have moved away :(
Overall its been a pretty good week :) I turned 21 and got to see a friend who I havent seen in  a while and I feel quite accomplished today lol
Now the only thing that would help make this day even better.....would be my husband coming home ;) lol