Chocolate and peanut butter obsession!

It's no secret that I have always had a major sweet tooth, but I feel like the older I get the worse it gets. I love all kinds of sweet goodies, but my absolute favorite is chocolate and peanut butter together. Goodness gracious I love chocolate and peanut butter. It's a little bit insane. Just a little bit. Then Pinterest had to come along and all. I just had to go and search for chocolate and peanut butter desserts. Well, this is what I found and this is what I am dying to make:

1.) Truffles! My goodness! Need I say more?

 2.) Homemade peanut butter cups! Yes please!

 3.) Some kind of chocolate/peanut butter brownie bite thing.

 4.) Whoopie pies!

 5.) Cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and pb cups on top!

 6.) I have no clue what this is, but it looks like a chocolate/peanut butter casserole?

7.) Peanut butter and chocolate chip muffins!

8.) And last but not least, half chocolate covered pretzel sandwiches with peanut butter frosting in the middle. Yikes!

So, at some point in the near future I will make all of these. Stay tuned for updates and recipes!

Katie<3

Getting ready for Leo!

Goodness gracious I have been lacking on this blog! Sorry guys! I keep forgetting that I have the computer back again! I promise I will get better at this whole thing. And yes, this post is going to be about Leo and it most certainly won't be the last! haha! I really feel like I talk about him way too much, but I can't help it. I've never had a dog of my own and I'm pretty hyped about getting him in two weeks. I'm sure my huge obsession with him will end shortly, but for now, just let me bask in his total cuteness for just a little bit longer! I just love the breeder because she has been updating us every week with new pictures and updates on his progress. He is already growing up so fast and we haven't even officially met him yet so this Tuesday can't come soon enough. One of the other things that I love about the breeder is that she gives you a little starter kit with a whole bag of food, treats, toys and a blanket when you pick up your puppy. Yay! Aside from that stuff, I did go shopping today for the rest of the small stuff that he'll need. As soon as we put our deposit down on him I immediately sat down and made a list of everything to buy! If you learn anything about me it's that I make lists for literally everything. I always like to be prepared for things and this is surely something I want to be perfectly prepared for. Yes I know, control freak! haha! Anyway, all that we have left to get is his crate and crate pad, his bed and his pet carrier then he will be all set and ready to come home. Also, more and more toys and some Ravens apparel, and THEN he will be ready!

Katie<3

Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

"The first Military Spouse Day was first celebrated in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the observance to honor the contributions of military spouses. The military now sets aside the Friday before Mother's Day each year to pay tribute to the spouses who play a vital role in the nation's defense." -- Quote from a military family blog I found, http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com

I had no clue that there was a day devoted to military spouses, and I'm really glad there is. There are so many misconceptions about military wives. A lot of people have not one clue what we go through, and so many are ignorant to the fact. Every military wife is different in her own way. Yes some military wives are house wives, but they are not sitting at home eating bon bons all day. They are keeping everything sane while their husband is working extremely long work shifts. They are taking care of everything. Some military wives are stay at home moms. They take care of the children while daddy is at work or while he is deployed for a long time. They keep themselves and the children going while the biggest factor in their life is gone for months at a time. Some military wives are actually able to have stable careers despite the wrath of being sent to another base constantly. I commend those wives and I am working on being one of them. Some military wives only have a high school diploma, but that in no way belittles them. That says nothing about who they are, but being a military wife says everything. Some military wives have Masters degrees and Doctorate degrees, while dealing with young kids at home and a husband that has been gone for nine or more months. Some are having to sacrifice everything while their husband is literally fighting for his country. We all chose this life, and while it may be hard and completely exhausting sometimes, I think I can speak for all military spouses when I say that we wouldn't have it any other way.

Katie<3

Visits and things I'm excited for!

So as I said before, my mom would be visiting soon! She came down Thursday night and left this afternoon, and now I'm sad again! haha! Yeah I know, what a baby I can be. Oh well. My mom and I had a great time as we always do. We don't even have to do a lot of stuff and we have a great time together. I feel very blessed that I have a mom that can just up and take time off of her extremely busy work schedule to come spend time with me. I am also very thankful to have such an amazing relationship with her. I seriously have no clue how I am going to deal with being away from her if we get stationed far away, but I'm sure I will adjust. I adjusted to living three hours away and if I have to, I'll adjust with living farther away. Hopefully I won't have to. Hopefully Jarrett and I will be in Virginia for a very long time. I've grown quit comfortable of this whole living three hours away from family and friends thing that I don't want to give it up. Anyway, with the summer coming to a start, there are a select few things I'm looking forward to besides a million visits from friends and family:

1.) Jarrett's trip back home this weekend: Yeah I know he has only been gone for two weeks, but come on ladies, you know you can't stand to be away from the man you love for more than a second, so I will miss him as much as I want until he gets home. I don't care how long he leaves me, I miss him always.

2.) Getting to meet Leo for the first time and bringing him home: I have a couple of days off in a row coming up soon, so Jarrett and I are going to plan a little Maryland trip in the middle of May to officially meet our mini doxie Leo! On June 1st, he will be eight weeks old and ready for us to bring him home finally. I'm so ready! This has been the longest month and a half waiting to bring him home.

3.) Family camping trip to Cheerystone in June: So my dad has taken my brothers and me on a camping trip every summer since we were little. Actually it has been a few years since we have done our annual camping trip, so now it's time to start up the tradition again. It's been hard to get everyone together for a trip since we are all grown up and lead very busy lives. I can't wait to go to the pools, play tennis, go fishing, crabbing and bike riding.

4.) The opening of our pool in June and beach days with friends: I love our pool and I cannot wait for it to open again. I've stopped going to the tanning bed because I spend way too much money on it, so I am going to get the sun for free this summer. I also cannot wait for many beach days with my Virginia girls. Last summer I literally went to the beach like twice. This must never happen again. I have grown up living near a beach my whole life and basically living at the beach every summer, so needless to say, last summer was not my favorite summer. I think it was because I still didn't know too many people in Hampton. Now that I have some amazing new friends here, I will have the wonderful beach days that I'm use to again.

5.) The possibility of a little getaway with my hardworking husband: Jarrett has so much personal leave that he needs to take by the end of October, so we are hoping to plan a little vacation for the end of the summer. Jarrett's trip to Texas has thrown a lot of ideas around, so I'm hoping we can figure out where to go soon. I could surely use some alone time with him.

Katie<3

Path of dreams!

"Know when to work your mind and let your body relax,

and know when doing just the opposite makes the most sense.

Being able to handle whatever life brings your way is not a

matter of coincidence."

"You've got so many possibilities ahead!

Don't be too quick to limit your choices of what to do,

because you might limit your chances

of unimagined joys that are waiting just for you."

"You've got s big heart. Keep it filled with happiness.

You've got a fascinating mind. Keep finding new ways to grow.

Keep yearning. Keep learning. Keep trying. Keep smiling.

And keep remembering that love goes with you... everywhere you go."

--Douglas Richards

Katie<3

Visits!

Sorry I haven't been able to update very much due to the fact that Jarrett is in Texas and has the laptop. I can't wait till we finally get a desktop computer so I don't have to use the base library anymore when he's away. Anyway, so Jarrett is in Texas for the next two weeks for Seven Level school and of course I already miss him like crazy and he has only been gone for four days. Oh the joys of being a military wife; no matter how long they are gone for whether it's two weeks or seven months, you can't help but miss them. I am a little less lonely now because of my in laws living here, so it's not as bad as usual. It's great to have family living here now, but I still get plenty of visitors and even more so when Jarrett is away! In fact, I think that every time Jarrett has been away I've had someone come visit me! I sometimes feel like such a baby because I hate being all alone in my house, but I'm sure I'm not the only military wife that feels this way. At least next time he leaves I'll have Leo there at the house. Anyway, my best friend Christina visited from Friday until Sunday. We had such a great time shopping, eating lots of great food, going to the movies and watching a lot of True Blood. She has totally got me hooked on that show! I'm so glad that after all of these years, she is still my best friend and that she never fails to keep in touch with me even though I live three hours away from her. We both have a lot going on in our lives, but we always make time for each other. Every time I come home I always try to see her and my other close friends. Sometimes I'm only able to come home for a short amount of time, so it's hard to fit everyone in, but regardless, I know at the end of the day, I have some amazing people in my life back home. My next visit will be my mom and Sophie on Thursday! I think my mom visits more than anyone else, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Katie<3

My hobby with my hubby!

Me shooting!

Jarrett shooting!

So if you haven't noticed already, Jarrett and I love target shooting. It is one of things that we love to do most together. Every couple should have a hobby together. If you are a military wife, at some point your husband will nag you to go to the shooting range with him. Jarrett must have bugged me a thousand times to go with him until I finally said yes. I'm not gonna lie, guns scared the crap out of me, but now it's another fear conquered. It's been about a year since I learned to shoot and now more than ever, I'm glad I had the courage to learn, and to do something with Jarrett that was important to him. When my husband is gone and it's just me in our house, I have confidence in myself and my abilities that I can protect myself against anyone who enters my home. I honestly think that every woman needs to know how to protect herself. Every time we go to the range, I get better and better and my confidence level goes up even more. It's crazy because I never ever thought that I would have the strength to shoot a gun and now here I am, able to defend myself if needed. It's a great feeling. I feel so blessed to have a husband that keeps me safe and teaches me how to keep myself safe when he is deployed.

Katie<3



25 things I've learned in 25 years!

I saw this on a friends blog so I figured I would go for it too!

1. All men are NOT the same! Trust me, I know!

2.Yoga pants are the absolute best thing ever invented.

3.You don't have to do everything the conventual way. Do everything on your own time and don't always do what others expect of you. You did college in 5 years instead of 4? Who cares. You got married at the courthouse instead of having a huge wedding? Awesome. You're waiting until 30 to start a family with your husband? Do it. Don't let anyone put pressure on you. Why yes I am preaching to myself. :)

4. The smallest, simplest things in life make me the most happy.

5. God has an extremely wonderful plan not just for me, but for all of us. Trust in it.

6. Family is EVERYTHING. So are friends. Always tell them just how much you love them.

7. One of my biggest dreams is to be a mother. I always knew I wanted to have children, but now, more than ever, I want to be a mom at some point. Whether I am delivering them myself or I am adopting, it must be an essential apart of my life. Actually, I think I want twins! Don't tell Jarrett! ;)

8. Being an Air force wife has been one of the hardest things in my life, but also one of the most satisfying.

9. I am an avid dog lover. Ever since mom got Sophie, my puppy obsession has sprung head on. I want Leo and I want him home now!

10. Fireproof is a genius movie. It's amazing. Also, Dirty Dancing and Grease will always be the best movies on earth. Fact.

11. Even though I am not exactly where I thought I would be in life at this age, I am happy and blessed.

12. I care way too much what people think of me. I am a natural people pleaser and I can't help it. I just want to be one of those girls that could care less. Maybe I am kind of breaking this habit with this blog. Sometimes I just write something and publish it quick without thinking about what others will think.

13. I really cannot stand people that think they are entitled or think that they can just use other people. You are not supposed to get everything that you want, and some people just don't understand that. Also, using other people to get what you want is not cool. Not cool, just annoying.

14. One Tree Hill is without a doubt the best teen show ever. Yes, I still love my ABC Family/CW shows and soap operas. So what?

15. I don't care what you say...Nicholas Sparks books are the best romance books.

16. Your taste buds WILL change as you grow. I use to hate squash, any kind of nut, olives, mustard and cucumbers with a passion and now I love them. I still hate limabeans and asparagus though. That may not change.

17. I sometimes wish I was a little kid again. If I could go back to a time in my childhood it would be when we moved to Salisbury when I was in the first grade. I loved the house we lived in and that I could look out my bedroom window and see the Salisbury Park Christmas lights.

18. Being healthy and taking good care of yourself is so important. It is no joke.

19. I love being a wife. Plain and simple.

20. Believe in yourself. You are much stronger than you know.

21. I am actually good at target shooting. Never in a million years would I think that the hobby that I would have with my husband would be shooting guns. It's awesome!

22. Even though I have an English degree, I still make mistakes every now and then. No one said an English major was perfect.

23. We have to stop judging others. We are no better than the person next to us. The only one that has the right to judge is God himself.

24. We all make mistakes. We are all entitled to them at some point in our lives.

25. No matter what, I will always stay positive, smile and laugh as much as possible.

Katie<3

Home sweet home!

This weekend we went home to have some quality time with our families! Taking little weekend trips to Maryland is something we do quit often, and I love it! This weekend was full of gorgeous weather, a windy Ocean City outing, new wallets for the hubby and me, the purchase of a Dachshund book(getting all prepared for our little guy) and delicious food with both our families! Actually, every time we go home our weekend is filled with lots and lots of good food whether we are going out or eating in. Saturday night we celebrated Jarrett's birthday with his dad, step mom, sister and my mom at Backstreet Grill. The food was amazing and Jarrett's dad brought him a yummy birthday cake. It was so great to spend time with them since we don't get to see them often! Today we went to my dad's for a scrumptious lunch! One of the things I miss the most is my dad's home cooking. I'm sure I've told you before, but he is fantastic at cooking. For lunch he made a huge ham, sweet potato casserole, scalloped potatoes and creamed spinach with strawberry/cranberry jello and banana pudding for dessert! Ah Heaven! I tell you, it is really the simple things in life that make me the most happy! The wind brushing against my face, the sand between my toes, the laughs and smiles of the ones I love and even the long, straight ride back to Virginia has made me so happy this weekend. I will carry this happiness with me for the week ahead full of a lot of Hallmark, lots and lots of full job searching and extremely long work hours for the hubby!

Katie<3

Hubby's 25th Birthday!

A little collage my mother in law made of Jarrett. He won't kill me for putting this on here because she already put it on facebook! HA! :)

This is the amazing man that he has become. I am so proud to be his wife!

 

Hubby's delicious birthday cake from Cold Stone. Yum yum!

 

It's hard to believe that we met and fell in love when we were 18 and now here we are at 25! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be married to him. He is my soul mate and best friend, and I don't know what I would do without him. It is rare to find your soul mate at such a young age. Sometimes I still can't believe that he's mine. After everything I have been through in my life, he is the one great constant that is always there. We should all be so blessed to love someone and have them love us back!

 

Happy birthday Jarrett! I will love you forever!

 

Katie<3

Leo Hayman!

Alrighty, I am pleased to announce that this little bundle of joy will be the new addition to our family on June 2nd! After all the planning and research it is finally happening! I could not be more excited! We are getting him from a great breeder in Salisbury too, so it has really worked out. His name is Leonidas aka Leo for short and he is a miniature dachshund! Can you tell who named him? Jarrett loves the movie 300, plus he always been obsessed with Greek names. In this picture Leo is about one week old and we cannot take him home until he is eight weeks old, which will be at the end of May. A month and a half seems like a year to me right now, but at least we will have plenty of time to prepare and get everything ready for him! More pictures to come soon, but for now, I am just glad we are finally getting our puppy!

Katie<3

Fireproof Marriage!

Fireproof is one of my favorite movies ever. Last night was the first time I had seen it on TV. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked that it was on. If you haven't seen it, you need to. Whether you're married or not, everyone should see it. To make a long story short, it is about a married couple who go through a lot of struggles in their marriage. This couple faces anger issues on both parts, addiction, adultery and a huge lack of communication. On the brink of divorce, the husband's father gives him a journal called "The Love Dare" which is a 30 day marriage challenge. The husband does this challenge on his wife for 30 days and everything changes for the better at the end of the challenge. The couple realize their own faults in the marriage and just how much they truly love each other in the midst of all their flaws and mistakes. The movie ends with them renewing their vows in front of everyone that they love. It's a Christian movie as well, so it addresses the restoration of the couple's faith in God along with their renewal of faith in their marriage. It is simply amazing! I have always had a strong belief in marriage, so I didn't need this movie to make me believe in love. This movie just reassured me of the faith I have in my own marriage. Jarrett and I both come from divorced homes, so divorce is something that we hope to never go through. The day I married him, I promised myself that I would never ever give up on my marriage. God meant marriage to be for life and I will never take that lightly. It doesn't mean that I am naive to the bad things that can happen in a marriage, it just means that I will never give up on the one I love. At the end of the movie, they play the song "Love is Not a Fight" by Christian singer Warren Barfield. I have been in love with this song ever since I heard it in the movie. Here is the music video with some scenes from the actual movie.

Katie<3

Easter Weekend!

Happy Easter everyone! Hoping that everyone had a fantastic weekend and an Easter Sunday full of worshiping, family and delicious food! I know I sure did! My weekend started out with my mom arriving Thursday night. Jarrett and I usually come home for Easter weekend, but because I couldn't get out of working Saturday, mom came to visit instead. Friday, my mom and I spent the day in VA Beach. We shopped and got some adorable stuff at Kohl's, ate a yummy lunch at Kelly's Tavern and then looked at crazy expensive puppies from Pet-Go-Round. Oh, but they finance for the military! Yeah okay, they are still expensive as heck! Anyways, we still got to play with a couple of our favorite puppies, dachshund's and pugs! Yay!

This visit has made me want a dachshund even more now. We will probably get a miniature dachshund this summer if I can find one in our area for a decent price! So excited!

It was very much a Good Friday! Saturday I worked all day and then came home to Jarrett and Mom wanting Cracker Barrel. I was so tired, but who really passes up Cracker Barrel? Not this girl! I could literally eat there everyday. When you're a country girl, you just can't pass it up!

Easter Sunday consisted of an amazing church service at Northside Christian Church. We have been going there for about a month, and now my mom was able to experience it as well. She really loved it! I knew she would. It's kind of blurry, but here is a picture of the stage with the praise band singing. Their praise band is phenomenal! Absolutely phenomenal!

After church, my mom, mother in law and I cooked an amazing Easter dinner consisting of a huge Honey Ham, green bean casserole, scratch mashed potatoes, corn and crescent rolls with Boston creme pie for dessert. It was yum yummy and we are all completely stuffed!

I am ending the day watching The Masters with the family and looking at this adorable face!

Katie<3

Pier 1 obsessed!

Okay so remember how I was talking about how I've become a home decor crazy person? Well, Pier 1 Imports pretty much owns my life. There are about a billion and one things that I want from there. I just wish they were a tad bit cheaper, but what am I supposed to do when their stuff is so darn cute? Our apartment looks great compared to what it looked like before I moved in, but it still needs a little more. It needs some finishing touches for the most part. So, since Pier 1 is a little too pricey for my budget right now, I have have made myself a wish list! Most of this list is stuff I want for our living room.

1. A cute arm chair for the living room, much like this one.


2. Pillows! I love pillows more and more everyday! They just add sparks to any couch or chair. I tend to go for flowery type pillows and pillows with leaves on them. I really want new pillows for my couches!



3. I would love a couple of these bad boys to spread throughout the living and dining room! Perfect with some bamboo sticks or grass sticks!

4. More large wall decor. We have this large wall behind our TV in our living room that needs some major work done to it. We have this gorgeous mural that my mother in law gave us, but it just needs more. I kind of want two other long type works of art to go on each side of the mural much like this one, but turned around the long way.

5. A bookcase. Jarrett and I are starting to accumulate a lot more books and magazines and where do we keep them? In a medium basket under the coffee table. Yep that's it. We need a bookcase asap! I want this one!

6. A new rug. A rug other than our plain baby blue $30 rug that we got at Walmart. I love this one!

7. A papasan chair for our bedroom with this adorable spring-like cushion! While being the cutest chair ever, they are the most comfy too! Everyone must have one!

8. New wicker patio furniture! Two of these chairs, a table and of course, cute cushions. L-O-V-E!



Alright! This is enough materialist dreaming for one night.

Katie<3

A World of Dreams!

Lean against a tree

and dream your world of dreams

Work hard at what you like to do

and try to overcome all obstacles

Laugh at your mistakes

and praise yourself for learning from them

As you go through life

pick some flowers

and appreciate the beauty of nature

Be honest with people

and enjoy the good in them.

Don't be afraid to shows your emotions

Laughing and crying make you feel better

Love your friends and family with your entire being

They are the most important part of your life

Feel the camlness on a quiet sunny day

and plan what you want to accomplish in life

Find a rainbow

and live your

world of dreams

-Susan Polis Schutz

Katie<3