HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

Well... it's here! TWO WHOLE YEARS with Jared. Time has certainly flown by! I am posting some pictures of us before our dinner out last night and some pictures of our wedding day. :)
As always, I've got a story for you:

It has been raining for the last couple of days, so Jared and I were not able to get out and do much. We did manage to go for a motorcycle ride yesterday out to the beach. I also got in a partial motorcycle lesson... I say partial because it ended abruptly shortly after it started. Let's see if an equation better explains it... Megan + 500lb Motorcycle = Ouchy Mishap! :) ... or, maybe words better explain it... I was driving the motorcycle and had gone a good ways when the handle bars got turned to the left. When this happened, I applied the brakes too quickly and stopped the motorcycle. Because speed equals stability when riding, I was doomed from the moment I slowed down. I crashed. I fell. The bike too. Jared couldn't have cared less about the bike and I couldn't have cared more about the bike. Dropping a bike = Damage!! I hurt my hand (and my arm is really sore today too), but nothing major... I know how to fall gracefully... and I think I shut my eyes. Needless to say I am okay and so it the bike. I bent the license plate, scraped the footpegs, and kinda wacked up the handlebars. Jared fixed everything and she is as good as used again :)! I think I am going to stay a passenger for a while... or until I can find some front and rear training wheels... (you can see my taped hand in the tall picture of me). Well, that's my living on the edge story for today... I tried to be a biker chick, and fell over.

Life Update!

A few updates about my life...
- Jared and I are celebrating our 2nd anniversary on September 22nd! I can't believe that it has already been 2 years. Life has flown by so quickly. It is amazing to see where we have come from and where we are now. We are actually grown ups, living our dreams and making new plans for the future. I couldn't be happier and am so proud of Jared. He is the best husband I could have! For our anniversary we bought a "sissy" bar for the motorcycle - it is a backrest for the passenger. It is our joint gift, it not only makes me more comfortable, but it also makes me more willing to ride on the back.
- Speaking of our motorcycle, yesterday I had my first driving lesson on the motorcycle. I actually drove the motorcycle (FEET UP!!!) about 10 feet. Hhahaha... it's a start. It was pretty scary I will admit and the bike is pretty heavy. Jared said that the bike was heavy for him at first, but then you learn how to control it and it isn't so bad. I wasn't able to reach as comfortably as you should be able to when you ride. I think the jeans I was wearing were a little toooo tight and I couldn't really stretch my legs all the way (if you know what I mean about tight jeans!). Riding the motorcycle is actually a lot of fun. I have a 3/4 helmet so the whole face is open. I really like having the wind in my face and having my cheeks stretched to the max when we go fast :)... just kidding about the cheeks. I was thinking about getting my own bike if I liked riding (which I do), but because Jared will be deploying when we move again it wouldn't be a good idea for him to get a bigger bike. I wouldn't be able to ride his bigger bike and keep it maintained, so we will share for now.
- We are having visitors!!! Jared's parents are coming for a couple of days to visit and see where we live. They will be our first real visitors!
- Today I am having surgery to remove another area on my back that is skin cancer (basal cell, not melanoma). It it not a big deal and should be rather quick because it is only supposed to be a small area. Swallowing the pills they gave me to take is harder than the surgery will be. Everything should be rather easy, but I know there are people out there that care that would want to know and were with me the first go round in Pensacola.
... For all those white girls out there that live in flat, sunny states (uh hmmm Shannon-Erika) wear your sunscreen... EVEN when you are just going to see the Cowpokes! :)

Motorcycle Pictures

I just got back from a trip to Buffalo, Wyoming to see my grandmother (sorry but I don't have any pictures)... While I was gone, Jared got creative with the camera and took some more pictures of his motorcycle. Also, my sister Courtney sent us more photos of our nephew Owen. He is almost 3 months old and has gotten so big!








I have gotten more and more used to riding the motorcycle and it has actually become fun. I am thinking of learning how to ride it and maybe getting one of my own.

That's all for now...

Back into the swing of things

Well August has almost come and gone... the middle of August already??...and our dull life is back into the swing of things. Jared started class with VP-30 and is LOVING every minute of it. :) He studies most days and nights, but has found quite a bit of time to go riding. I am enjoying being the passenger more and more and have learned to let go of control since I can't see the road or anything else in front of us. I think I will take a picture of us wearing our helmets and post it. I am told I look like a cop from CHIPs. :)


Although I did not successfully find a job (I don't count that one that I had for a week and quit) I have put my time to good use. I am now a volunteer receptionist and budget counselor/casework for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. It is a non-profit organization that helps sailors with financial hardships they may come upon. I have really enjoyed going in each day and having something to do. But not only that, I enjoy being able to help people when they really need it and learning so much about being in a real squadron from the other volunteer wives. The great thing about NMCRS, besides helping sailors, is the fact that it is found on every navy base and I will have a place to look for employment each time we move. I am hoping to get in a lot of hours and experience here and be able to apply for paid positions at the next base we go to.


Our good friend Katie is also hanging out with us for a bit while her husband finishes up flight school in Corpus Christi. It has been a lot of fun having Katie around! We went to St. Augustine again last weekend to go shopping and spend the day sightseeing and we went shopping/window browsing the weekend before that at St. John's Town Center a short ways away from us. Katie started her teaching job today (that is why she moved over here without her husband) and I am sure she will have a million stories to tell us about her kids (3 year olds!!) each and every day. "Miss Katie, you wore those under-roos yesterday... I saw them sticking out of your pants!" :) Hahaha. I am just waiting for her funny stories.


Hurricane/Tropical Storm Fay is supposed to be heading our way in the next couple of days. Good thing I went grocery shopping today and filled up our whole fridge and freezer :-/!! Since no one knows really how strong this storm is or where it is even going, they are evacuating the planes from here and taking them to Ohio and to Maine. Since Jared has no idea how to fly this plane yet he gets to stay home. His test for tomorrow has been canceled, much to his delight, and he is hoping for the rest of the week off too. I don't think he will be that lucky. ... Just in case anyone was worrying, I am pretty sure we will be fine. Our gas tanks are filled up, we bought jugs of water, Izzy has plenty of food, we have wind up flashlights, we have a propane grill, and we have a freezer full of meat. We should be good!

That's about all I can update you on! For those that are starting school again in the next few weeks... Have a great semester!!

Nothing really interesting...

So I haven't blogged in a month. I am sorry for being so inconsistent and leaving my very few readers hanging. Nothing has really happened since last month, really... nothing! Okay, so a few things but nothing that is really important.

Jared and I spent the day in St. Augustine two weekends ago. It was the last "study-free" weekend that Jared would have before starting class. (He started July 29th) We walked around downtown (St. George Street, I think), ate fudge from the chocolate shop, bought a piece of artwork to add to our collection (plus 1 makes 2 prints so far), ate some great food for lunch, and then headed to the alligator farm. It was a great weekend and I am glad that we got to spend the time together.

As I said before, Jared has started class... and so the studying starts up again as well. I am hearing more of the "I don't want to study" gripes more than ever now. Although he is back to class, he is seeming to enjoy the schedule and being back in the "learning how to fly the P-3 environment". We haven't really had a chance to get into a schedule with us, as far as this is how our day normally runs. I know that it will come when Jared is stuck at the squadron all day and then he will come home to study and we will have little to no together time. But for right now, we see each other - and get tired of each other - on a pretty regular basis! :) Oh oh, we put in our dream sheet again in September and say where we would like to go next. We will then find out in October, or around there, where we are really going. Washington State is still our number one, but I think I kind of want to put Hawaii as number two. I think it would be fun to live there, but I don't want to have to ship my car or my dog. I don't really want to stay in Jacksonville, maybe it's just me but I don't really like it. I like where we live, but I don't really like the area. I know it is close(r) to family, but I don't really like it.

The job front... let me first complain a little. Why don't they call you after an interview if you didn't get the job?? Do they think you are just going to assume you didn't get it because they didn't call you?? Has anyone ever heard of being respectful and giving the person a call instead of having them assume!!?? We all know what you get when you ASSSSSS out of UUUUU and MEEEEEE!! Okay, done ranting. Now let me explain. I should be a professional interviewee. I am serious, I have been on plenty of interviews - seeing as though I am a Navy wife that should be expected, right?. I have interviewed for at least... oh 5 or 6 jobs. And have only received one call saying they would like me to come in for another test, then to let me know I got the job. No other phone calls saying "thank you for your time, we have selected another candidate who would better fit with the position that is currently open in our office". Before you get excited that I got a job, let me also say that I have already quit that job. (GASP!!!) Okay don't get mad... let me explain further. I was working at a dental lab until this morning. Dental lab you say, what is that? The dental lab makes dentures and crowns (those fake teeth that people have to have to hold space or because their tooth was dead). I was part of the staff that painted/stained the fake teeth to make the color of the other teeth in the patient's mouth. I worked at the dental lab for a week AND one day! I drove 35-45 minutes to work and drove 35 minutes-1 hour home from work. I sat for 8 hours straight listening to my iPOD. Man, was that exciting!? NO! Not only was my paycheck being burned through at the gas pump, I was also bored out of my mind. So for the first time in my life, I quit a job for a reason other than moving. I had to do what was best for me and driving all that way and sitting all that time was not best for me. I would rather be sitting at home with my dog. So here I am now. Sitting at home. With my dog. And it is only hour 7 of being jobless again. I am bored.

I have not given up job searching just yet. I have painted pottery on a few occassions at a studio down the street and that is where I ended up today as well. I gave the owner a letter, basically begging her for a job, but sometimes you gotta stretch yourself and get down on your knees and beg. As you all know, money talks. That is what I like about working, the money! However... if the pottery place doesn't work out for a job either I am heading 2 houses down to the new Publix and applying for a job there. I mean, I will never be late, it is at the end of our street (literally two houses down, and I can see it from my front door). If that doesn't work out (I always have a backup plan) I am going to try to volunteer at the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society on base. I would rather volunteer than do nothing. It's the feeling like I don't have any of MY OWN money and feeling like I am not contributing that really lights the fire under me to want to work.

Jared has been taking me on rides on the motorcycle. It is kind of fun, yet scary at the same time because I can't see in front of me - only the back of Jared's helmet. We started out in a parking lot down the street to get used to 2 people and me riding, we have worked our way up to longer rides down the main road and down some long back roads. Jared is trying to get my psyched up enough to ride down Daytona for "Bike"tober Fest (in October). We will see!

Oh, Izzy news. This was a while ago, but I don't think I posted about it. We have red ants. Izzy was out in the backyard laying in the grass one morning. I let her in. She was itching a lot. I was getting a treat out for her, bent down, and noticed her left eye was swollen. Huh. That's weird. Then I noticed the left side of her lip was swollen. Huh. Then I noticed she had hives on the left side of her body. WEIRD! Then I noticed she had a large swollen, bumpy patch between her back legs close to her hindquarters. I called Jared and asked what I should due. He didn't know. Then it got worse in just a few minutes so I called a vet. Bring her in they said, ant bites have made dogs so sick they had to go on I.V.s! OH NO! So I take Izzy to the vet. Ant bites, they think. Give her some benadryl she will be fine. Whew. That's the story. Red ants bit Izzy, she was really swollen, she is fine now.

Here is an updated picture of Owen.

Pictures...as promised!

The motorcycle.

Owen and Courtney Albert, Owen, and Courtney

Owen wearing his "Auntie Megan is my favorite" shirt
Auntie Megan and sleeping Owen
Owen wearing his Little Squirt outfit. (He blew out his diaper and peed on the wall while wearing this outfit)
Owen and his BIG eyes
TEAM OWEN! Shirts I made for Owen's birth.

Virginia, Florida, 4th of July

Well Everyone, it has been a really long time since I have posted so I thought I would update you about everything going on and the places I have been!

Florida - I was only here for a week before I headed to Virginia for the birth of my nephew, Owen. But that week, or should I say the last day I was there, was hell! Why you ask? Jared adn I were eating dinner when there was a knock on the door. Oh good, the movers coming to get our boxes. No, it was a person of the courts (whatever they are called) serving us with foreclosure papers. Oh JOY! The house payment hadn't been paid since November and we could have to move, AGAIN! ... then after we read through all the paperwork, 10 minutes later... a knock on the door. Oh no, the movers to come get our boxes. And there the boxes we might need went.

So... I left Jared to handle the mess and I drove to Virginia with my Dad who flew down to drive with me. (I guess my family doesn't trust me driving alone... I mean it's not like I get bored after 20 minutes... oh wait! I do!)

Virginia - Owen James Balingit (he is half Filipino) was born on June 6th at 6:09am. He weighed 8lbs 11oz and was 21 inches long. Wooo Weee! He is by far the cutest little thing I could have ever imagined! (pictures coming soon) He is full of personality and sleeps through all of the dogs barking (all 5 of them). Speaking of dogs, I took Izzy with me to Virginia so Jared wouldn't have to take care of her and so she could be socialized. Izzy and I walked in the door and what does she do? She tries to take a chunk out of one of the other dogs faces. Oh Yay! This is going to be fun. Izzy doesn't like to feel like she is being attacked... other dogs can't look at her a certain way, breathe a certain way, smell a certain way. We don't really know what it is! So Izzy and 4 other dogs... that was fun. After a few days she worked into warming up to all of them and they eventually all played together... no joke. The only thing is if they looked at a her a certain way, etc. she would snap. Or if you woke her up too early, which my mom did once, and Izzy went after her good doggy friend Charlie. Our dog is a nut job! ... While in Virginia I turned 24! Woot Woot. How exciting. Nothing really good happens to you after say, 21. For men it's 25 (lower car insurance). But I will say a cashier at 7-11 really made me feel great when I went to cash in 2-$1 lotery tickets... So I go in to get a Slurpee (They are the best!!!!) and to cash in 2 lottery tickets. I go up to the counter and the cashier says I need an ID to cash in the lottery tickets. I told her I didn't have one on me. She said that I couldn't cash them in because I didn't look 18 and I needed an ID. I told her that it was actually my 24th birthday today (because it was on my birthday - June 27th). She said, do you have an ID to show that? Well crap, I didn't. So that's my fun story.

Florida - So my mom drove back down to Florida with me (again with the escorts.. is my driving that bad??) and spent a few days here. We went to IKEA in Orlando!! I LOVE IKEA! and that's about all the fun stuff we did, again, I was only here a week before I left and I don't know what there is to do around here. ... While I was in Virginia though, Jared bought a motorcycle! (pictures coming soon) He bought it to save on gas, since we have 2 SUVS he thought that was the reasonable solution. He did consult me the whole time about which kind, type, etc. but the only thing I know about motorcycles is if they look cute or not. He got a cute one. It is actually called, instead of "a cute one", a 600cc Honda Shadow VLX. That's about all I know, oh and it is black. ... Also while I was gone, we found out the owner of our house had dug herself out of the foreclosure hole and so will not be moving any sooner than when the Navy tells us to. Woo Hoo!

4th of July - We went downtown to The Landing to eat dinner and watch fireworks. It was great. There are lots of restaurants and shops and it is on the water. Very similar to The Inner Harbor in Maryland, but not as cool because they don't have paddle boats or paddle dragons. The fireworks were great, and very loud. (Pictures of our evening out coming soon) OH OH! And while we were walking, some people from a bank vandomly handed me a dollar. Yay a dollar! Then we were walking back and Jared got a dollar. Then we were waiting for fireworks and both Jared and I got a dollar! $4 FREE DOLLARS!! Yay! That will buy me a tank of gas. :) So that's all the fun stuff we have been doing.

I know I am not the most interesting person, however, I thought those VERY FEW blog readers I have might want to know what I have been up to since I haven't been updating my blog. Now you know!