Home Sweet Home

What a whirlwind, whew!  Home for six days, crazy busy for like ALL of them!  But of course it was wonderful, as expected, to see so many family and friends, and spend such good quality time with my parentals.  Here's a fun recap, and some home-sweet-home-messages for the folks I left in Tejas.

Dear Thursday, not only did you give me a great day with my bestest girlfriend, but I also got to spend a few hours with my uncle, as well as enjoy a good home-cooked meal at Joe's Coffee Shop, only one of my favorite places to eat in Irving, TX.

Dear Baby Boy Growing in Court's Belly, You are like the luckiest kid ever!  She and Gregorio love you so very much already!  Not to mention, you've already met the coolest aunt you'll ever have, and you got to enjoy the Main Street Arts Festival's array of sculptures, paintings, jewelry, and crazy-dressed rich folk.

Dear Friday, You garnered some pretty darn awesome quality shopping time with my Momma.  We totally outfitted her with a new summer work wardrobe, and enjoyed picking out a new rock for her ring finger.  We also got to the end the evening with some yummy pizza and hugs from the mom-in-law (pictured below with the cutest of 5-year-olds, MonkeyHubby's cousin's daughter, Emma).

Dear Scarborough Faire, I love getting to visit your 16th century streets, shops, checking out your costume-clad faire-goers, and scarfing down the yummiest of bad-for-me treats (I was truly tempted to have two funnel cakes!).  And getting to do all of that with my Dad, just makes it the bestest of days.  There is always one thing I come away from the faire with though...a bit of henna.  Since it was the first year in quite some time that my MonkeyHubby couldn't be there to enjoy the sites with me, I got a henna Monkey just for him!

Dear ToeToe, It was so good to see you after the Faire Saturday.  And it was even better that you indulged my taste buds and drove me all the way to Cafe Medi for the best Greek dinner ever.  I am so very proud of you and the steps you are taking to go after something you think you'd really love.  Always sending love, prayers, and good juju your way!

Dear Sunday, You were filled with exactly what a Sunday should be filled with...rest!  Oh, and Whataburger!

Dear Johnson Clan, It was wonderful to share a meal and catch up with you.  Hopefully, the next time we get the pleasure there isn't a roach making Derek jump out of his seat and into my lap! Hugs to you all.


Dear Rock River 308, I have conquered your butt.

Dear Sarah Bearah, Oh! So good to see your beautiful face!  I love you dearly and am so glad we shared our dessert-date.  Oh, and I'm totally holding you accountable to at least two cards while I'm in basic...I would think I deserve at least one more than you sent my hubby while he was in training!


Dear Tuesday, You came much quicker than I thought you would.  But mani/pedi's with Mom was the perfect way to relax at the end of my mini-vacay.  And of course, I had to have one more Tejas-based meal to make the hubby a tad jealous...

mmm...tacos y burritos!

And last, but never least...
Dear Texas, You're such a wonderful place (even if you did drive my allergies crazy), and you house so many precious people.  Watch over them and keep them safe.  It'll be a while, but I'll make it back again.

Much love - AJ

Letter to Heaven

Dear Uncle Joe, You will be missed, by many more than just Jean and your little buddy Jack.  I hope that when you cross those pearly gates that more than just Jesus' open arms are waiting for you, but a pack of furry family members are ready to greet you with all that joyous love.  If only I could have just hugged you one more time, but I know I'll get a chance to hug you again one day.  Love and Peace - AJ

Pig's Ramblings

Dear Tejas, 47 hours until my pretty little tootsies feel your home-spun soil!
Dear MonkeyHubby, It's always awesome to have one more night of cuddling with you before you disappear to the field to train for two weeks, especially if this cuddlefest was unexpected (thank you Army for small surprises), EVEN if you do look a little creepy over there on your side of the bed.  Good thing I'm crazy about you!

Well It's only Taken Half of April...

...but the house is finally starting to get there!
Dear Productive Pig, You rock!! Between episodes of un-clogging the toilet, you managed to unpack all of the house-decorations that we have space for in the new place, as well as 85% of all of the craft room stuff.  Wha! Wha!  The bookshelves are complete...

With a new roommie in the house, I thought it would be better not to spread our happy-couple-married-people pictures all over the house, so I put together a collage on our giant, no longer empty, bedroom wall...

The fireplace is framed with a few small nick-nacks and the classic "Join, or Die" B. Franklin cartoon...can you tell we're an Army household??

The coolest shower curtain ever is fully stocked...  (Awesome and affordable, you can find them at Walmart here.)

A&M is appropriately represented...

And every good couple-in-love deserves a small shrine, right?!

On a not-so-fun note, Dear Key-Copier-Machine at Lowe's, You pretty much suck.  I was quite excited after picking out a cute key and watching you carve it through the little glass window, or whatever it is you call it when you make a key.  However, when I was getting ready to take Mr. HB on his long afternoon walk, and went to lock the door, your beautiful key creation did not work, ugh!  Never again will I spend five dollars to use what I thought would be your coolness. :(

<3 Rambling Pig

Happy National Siblings Day!

Dear ToeToe, Younger-Brudder, Sibling for Life, I know we may not be the closest of kin, but oh how I love you!  We may not have a ton in common either, but I know if push came to shove, we would both do anything and everything to care for each other.  I love you tons and hope to see you, meet you, hug you in Tejas in SIX days!

Pig's Ramblings

Dear MonkeyHubby, I have totally fallen in love with hanging out on the back deck with you while you grill.  Your tush is cute to watch, and the aroma of spices, sauces, and fresh meat, yum nom nom!  It also, totally, helps to have a cute space to sit and chill while hanging with you!

Dear Army, I'm usually not a fan when you ring our house at 0330, but this morning you happened to wake me up from one of the oddest, creepiest, dreams I've had in awhile.  For that, I thank you greatly!

Dear Freedom to be a 'Lady of Leisure', So far, you're pretty nice.  I was lazy AND productive around the house all in one day.  Hopefully I don't get bored too quickly.  With boredom always in sight for this little piggy, I think the countdowns should commence...7 days until I head back to Tejas for a visit! 54 days until my Army adventure begins!

Peace - Pig

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!

It wasn't an easy task, and Ogie helped a ton, but we finally taught Old Mr. HB how to roll over!

Pig's Ramblings

Whoa!  It's been one heck of weekend/week...but overall, pretty good so far.  The weekend brought us fun with friends, some home-goods shopping, and, as usual, not quite enough rest.  The first half of this week has brought us a bit of not-coolness with PFCJohnson having some issues at working ironing out his promotion, and a bit of awesome-coolness in that I've been counting down days left at my crazy job and we're down to ONE.  Yup folks, that's right, 8 hours of office time tomorrow and I will officially be on 'self-financed' leave. BIG SMILEY!

There is one pretty darn cool thing that the guys managed to put up in the backyard prior to making too big of a dent into the Shiner cases and enjoying a bit too much Wii (or can there even be such a thing as too much Wii?!).  Unveiling our Army-style deck shade...