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 :)
Life as a newlywed is always an adventure! I've moved to a new place, found a new job, and most importantly I'm starting a new life with my husband and new family! By following my blog, you will be able to follow my new Life as a Dowling :)
Monday, October 22, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
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 31st 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
Thursday, May 10, 2012
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!!!
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
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 :)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
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 :) **
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Love, Marriage, Children, and the Bible
To set this up, 2 weeks before my wedding I had a sit down conversation where someone told me that because my husband isnt saved, He will not be able to truely love me, he wont be able to love me with an everlasting love which is also know as agape love. I was also told that Ive not only robbed myself, but I have robbed my children of a strong spiritual leader in the household...Im sorry but I wasnt very happy when someone told me this...in fact my feels were hurt and it was rather inappropriate for the person in the position they were in to say this...Im sorry 2 weeks before, are you trying to scare me from my marriage? if that was the goal, it didnt...not even a chance! But it did change the way I feel about this person...
after a lot of talking with my parents, my husband, and friends I was encouraged to basically ignore what that person had said but to also know that yes because he isnt saved we are possibly going to have a tougher road ahead of us...which is understandable and I accept that...
I would like to thank Nicole Sundstrom for showing me this bible passage, it is very encouraging and just what I needed :
1 Corinthians 7: 13-16
And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
15But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
16For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
I understand the bible says not to be uneually yoked, but I believe that a marriage is possible when you have love and Christ out on the table and open in the household...which my household is that way! I dont appreciate someone asking personal questions about my personal life and saying that those personal questions were between me and the church...you are HEAVILY mistaken!
And I plan on talking to you in person but I just wanted to enlighten other people about some of the things the bible says...not just small excerpts taken out of context :)
Im sorry if this offends anyone but its also something I needed to get off my chest
First week of Marriage!
Anyone who has been married to a man in the military can know how difficult it can be because the military doesnt work around your schedule...you work around theirs lol We arent taking our honeymoon until November and hopefully we will be able to do it because the boat is currently in dry dock and there is honestly no telling how long that can take! This whole week Jon pretty much worked 12 hour days and had 24 hour duty on every 3rd day...what that means is that Jon basically came home to sleep....I was pretty bored and he wasnt in a very good mood each day he came home but we learn to deal with it...and work through it...Jon has never had to go through an MMP with someone to come home to and I am definitely not used to him working long hours like that not knowing when he will be coming home because I would only hear from him randomly throughout the day...there are some days I dont hear from him until he is on his way home cause obviously there is no cell phone service in a giant submarine! IM not complaining...just explaining :)
Luckily this weekend was a great weekend!! Saturday he had duty so I went to Jax and spent the day with my parents...SIDENOTE: Ive been to the commissary on base here in GA and its smallll!! I went to the NEX and Commissary at Mayport and oh my gooodness!! It was sooo much bigger and from what Ive heard, the one at NAS JAX is even bigger!!! definitely jealous lol!!
Sunday I had Jon all to myself and Because Monday 8.15.11 was my 21st birthday, we decided to celebrate on Sunday because he had to work Monday...we had a GREAT day! It was just what we needed...a day together with just US...we went to the zoo and had a great time there grabbed some lunch and then went to MOSH and ended up at the town center for some dinner at Maggiano's...it was just a great day all round and it reminded me of why I fell in love with him all over again...we just have fun together and I love him more than anything and wouldnt trade him for the world :)
Luckily this weekend was a great weekend!! Saturday he had duty so I went to Jax and spent the day with my parents...SIDENOTE: Ive been to the commissary on base here in GA and its smallll!! I went to the NEX and Commissary at Mayport and oh my gooodness!! It was sooo much bigger and from what Ive heard, the one at NAS JAX is even bigger!!! definitely jealous lol!!
Sunday I had Jon all to myself and Because Monday 8.15.11 was my 21st birthday, we decided to celebrate on Sunday because he had to work Monday...we had a GREAT day! It was just what we needed...a day together with just US...we went to the zoo and had a great time there grabbed some lunch and then went to MOSH and ended up at the town center for some dinner at Maggiano's...it was just a great day all round and it reminded me of why I fell in love with him all over again...we just have fun together and I love him more than anything and wouldnt trade him for the world :)
Marriage so far = AWESOME :)
Our Wedding! Saturday August 6, 2011
On August 6 at 3pm in the afternoon at East Pointe Church, I married my best friend Jonathan Dowling! I met Jon almost 2 years ago on October 17, 2009 and we went on our first day on October 18...and lets just say the rest is history! We got engaged a year later on October 18, 2010 on a mini vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennesse! It was such a great trip and we had a great time and we brought home a ton of memories!
Wedding planning was fun! Its always fun planning a wedding when the United States Military is involved!! And when I say fun I mean its a terrible idea!! lol We originally planned for October 15, 2011 then Jon said that there was a possiblity that he would be out of town around that time and you cant have a wedding without a groom! So we racked our brains and the wedding date just kind of lagged for quite some time...secretly I was certainly hoping that October would somehow work out!! So Jon went back out to sea in December and I atleast continued planning things you could do without a wedding date and we tentatively planned the things you did need a date for! So planning was going pretty good for the most part...In an email I got from Jon he suggested maybe picking a date sometime in July! But my Mom definitely didnt want me to do it then...(Moms lol) It definitely would have been ideal looking back on it now but we then figured we could do August 6. I told Jon about it and he said it sounded good but then kind of took it back saying he honestly had nooo idea when we would be able to get married! Definitely doesnt make wedding planning fun! So I changed all of the dates to August 6 just to make sure if the date stuck, we could have somethings...especially a venue! The guys got home in May and we were FINALLY able to nail down the August 6 was going be our wedding date in June! We had 9 weeks to finish planning this wedding! You would think it was a 9 week period of madness but luckily it wasnt! Everything went smoothly, we had a few AHHH moments but luckily we were able to quickly and easily fix them....
The week of the wedding came and everything was coming together awesomely! We handmade our wedding favors so we were finishing those and just getting things ready! The day before the wedding, August 5, we went and got our nails done and got things set up at the church for wedding and reception! All family came into town and it was just a great day of fellowship and hanging out the day before our wedding!
DAY OF WEDDING:: 3pm came so quickly! Makeup and hair were done, pictures were mostly done and it came time to walk down the isle to marry my best friend! I wont forget the way Jon kept staring at me and the whole day he wouldnt stop telling me how beautiful I was!


It was an amazinggg dayy!! We both has so much fun together and with our friends and family! I dont think the day could have been more amazing! We have a lot of great laughs and dancing all together! The cakes made by Monica Slegers were AMAZING and Jon's Corvette cake which was his grooms cake was AWESOME! (and delicious)
We spent the night at the Wydham hotel downtown...it was a good night ;) We got up and had breakfast with our families together!!!! and said our goodbyes before heading back to our home here in St. Marys, GA!!
It was definitely a day that will never be forgotten <3
Wedding planning was fun! Its always fun planning a wedding when the United States Military is involved!! And when I say fun I mean its a terrible idea!! lol We originally planned for October 15, 2011 then Jon said that there was a possiblity that he would be out of town around that time and you cant have a wedding without a groom! So we racked our brains and the wedding date just kind of lagged for quite some time...secretly I was certainly hoping that October would somehow work out!! So Jon went back out to sea in December and I atleast continued planning things you could do without a wedding date and we tentatively planned the things you did need a date for! So planning was going pretty good for the most part...In an email I got from Jon he suggested maybe picking a date sometime in July! But my Mom definitely didnt want me to do it then...(Moms lol) It definitely would have been ideal looking back on it now but we then figured we could do August 6. I told Jon about it and he said it sounded good but then kind of took it back saying he honestly had nooo idea when we would be able to get married! Definitely doesnt make wedding planning fun! So I changed all of the dates to August 6 just to make sure if the date stuck, we could have somethings...especially a venue! The guys got home in May and we were FINALLY able to nail down the August 6 was going be our wedding date in June! We had 9 weeks to finish planning this wedding! You would think it was a 9 week period of madness but luckily it wasnt! Everything went smoothly, we had a few AHHH moments but luckily we were able to quickly and easily fix them....
The week of the wedding came and everything was coming together awesomely! We handmade our wedding favors so we were finishing those and just getting things ready! The day before the wedding, August 5, we went and got our nails done and got things set up at the church for wedding and reception! All family came into town and it was just a great day of fellowship and hanging out the day before our wedding!


It was an amazinggg dayy!! We both has so much fun together and with our friends and family! I dont think the day could have been more amazing! We have a lot of great laughs and dancing all together! The cakes made by Monica Slegers were AMAZING and Jon's Corvette cake which was his grooms cake was AWESOME! (and delicious)
We spent the night at the Wydham hotel downtown...it was a good night ;) We got up and had breakfast with our families together!!!! and said our goodbyes before heading back to our home here in St. Marys, GA!!
It was definitely a day that will never be forgotten <3
Here are some unofficial wedding pictures taken by Jon's Aunt Saundra!
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