Heavy Heart

I normally do not write about things like this, because honestly, what I write really will not change anything. However, I feel if more people write about a certain topic maybe more attention will be placed on the subject.

The shooting that happened this Friday is very dear to my heart since I work with children everyday. I have always wanted to work with children and hope I can do  that until the day that I die. Whenever that may be. 

I am having a hard time grasping the reality of what happened. This may be grim but you almost expect   shootings at colleges, high schools, or maybe even middle schools. Now please note, I am not condoning what happened, but it is more likely due to teenage hormones, bullying, grades, etc. What I cannot understand is why someone would ever shoot a child that is completely helpless, and is still very dependent on their parents/guardians.  Some questions that have crossed my mind. What kind of person would do this? What could they possibly have against a small child? This brings me to my next thought. 

This is an act of internal conflict. Not a gun issue. In my opinion. While I am not a huge fan of guns, there are a lot of people who use them safely. Restricting guns will only make things worse, in my opinion. I almost feel like society will in a sense "rebel," which could have alternate consequences. I know people may disagree with me, and that is fine. We are free to our own thoughts and beliefs. I am not trying to get into a debate. 

Now internal conflict. What is it, you may ask? Internal conflict is the process where a person may be confused internally or have unresolved issues. This is common among people, but the difference occurs if the person can resolve and cope with the conflict. Most people can, but sometimes the conflict is too painful to resolve. I believe this is a precursor to someone who may act out. This does not mean they are necessarily a "gun" lover, but someone who feels lost or angry may feel like this is the only way. Obviously there are many other circumstances, and I may be totally wrong. I just felt like I needed to write this down. 

I also feel like individuals with some types of mental disorders may fit this profile. This is not saying I am a harsh person. I am actually very sensitive towards individuals with special needs. I have a huge heart for them. I am just saying that there are some disorders that are very aggressive and can cause outbursts. 

I do not want to offend anyone, but I just wanted to put my two cents in; something I do not do very often. What happened Friday in CT, and at the hospital in AL, and various other places this weekend was terrible. I am truly truly saddened by this and pray for comfort and healing for the families affected.    I am glad that people are being supportive through media like Cable, Twitter, and Facebook. It is sad that is takes such a tragic accident to bring our nation together, but this always happens. Maybe if we were supportive all the time, acts like this would not happen.  

Going back to social media. There is a couple posts going around of pictures of all the children. I love that people are coming together to support, but this is the one thing I cannot re-post or share. I cannot look at those pictures of those innocent children. Call me a terrible person, but it makes me sick to my stomach. So just because I do not "share" or "re-post" a message does not mean I am not supportive. I pray for those families every chance I get. 

I know today will be a hard day for parents taking their children to school. Some will be fearful, but I know that today will be the safest day for your child to go to school as security will be high today.  For those struggling here is something that I always rely on when in need. I am not normally one that will throw it in your face, but this scripture is powerful and comforting.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

Sweet Home Alabama

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted! So much time has passed and so much has happened. 

So here's an update! We moved to Alabama September 3rd. The drive wasn't terrible until we crossed into Alabama (how ironic). The Hurricane that was coming through at the time was in Alabama and it was terrible. Let's just say we were only able to go about 40 miles an hour AND once we got about 2 hours away, it was all back roads. Go figure. Ha ha!

So we got here and all was well. We stayed in Army lodging (hotel) for a week, which kind old after awhile since there was no space and we had Ella. I must mention though, that the breakfast they served everyday was awesome! :) So after a week in the hotel we had our housing appointment. We had two options and long story short, we decided on the older home that had more bedrooms. After deciding on our home, we had to get Ella micro chipped, and work on getting our HHG (household goods). It only took about another week before we were able to get our goods and our experience was less than pleasant. Instead on showing up at 9 am, as discussed, they showed up at 12:00 pm. The worst part was they did not have the decency to call and let us know they were going to be late until about 2 hours after they were already late.  Once they arrived, the unloading went at a decent speed. It took about 5 1/2 hours for them to unload all of our stuff.  Most of our stuff came out okay minus 2 plates, 1 bowl, a glass, our hutch and my Nautica dress. My Nautica dress looked like it gotten into a fight with bleach and a cat. It was terrible.

Anyways, so we have our place, our stuff, and are settling in to Alabama life well. The area is really pretty and the people are extremely nice. There is nothing quite like an Alabama sunset which I have the pleasure of watching as I drive home from work everyday. We feel very lucky that our first duty station was here and look forward to all the possibilities that may arise from living down here. :)

Another update to follow soon! :)

RIP Grandpa

This has been a very hard week for me. My grandpa passed away this past Monday and we laid him to rest Friday. It was a beautiful service and I truly have the best family ever! They are so supportive and caring and can make the darkest moments-bright. I know he is in a better place and not suffering anymore.


The really hard part of this is as you age you don't realize that your loved ones are aging as well. When you are little you think your loved ones are invincible and will be around forever. You do not stop to think that they age while you age. Years have passed and one day you realize that time has flown by. Cherish the moments you have with loved ones. You cannot get them back or rewind time. 

Some memories I will never forget about my grandpa...eating BBQ sandwiches (he loved them!), the antique store where I would run through and play hide & seek, walking around downtown Hertford,  swinging on a swing when I was really little, and the love he had for me. These are moments I will forever cherish. 

May 14, 2012

"Beulah Land" was sung at the funeral. It was so beautiful and perfect for my grandpa. The singer was amazing! The words are below:

"Beulah Land"

Verse 1

I'm kind of homesick for a country

To which I've never been before.

No sad goodbyes will there be spoken

for time won't matter anymore.

Chorus:

Beulah Land, I'm longing for you

and some day on thee I'll stand.

There my home shall be eternal.

Beulah Land -- Sweet Beulah Land

Verse 2

I'm looking now across the river

where my faith will end in sight.

There's just a few more days to labor.

Then I will take my heavenly flight.

26 Days

I realized I haven't blogged in awhile and I decided I would sit down and finally jot down some thoughts that have been going through my head. So here goes nothing...

My husband has been gone for 26 days as of today. I know that doesn't seem long because I know some spouses, brothers, and sisters are gone for a year at a time, but it is still hard. When you are use to seeing that person everyday, it is hard. This is the longest we have been apart since we have been married. With that being said, I can say that it puts me at ease to know that he is safe. That really helps whenever I get down. I have been able to communicate with him and he is doing well from the letters I have received. Besides the occasional "smoking" (i.e., working him to death), he seems to really like it. I knew he would-it is very much apart of his personality.

I can't believe we are moving in 3 months! I am pretty excited about it to say the least. I am ready for change and a new adventure! Not exactly ready to be looking for a job since I do enjoy my job but none-the-less, I am ready for a change.

Well, I know this was a random post, but I figured I would give an update.  I will write more later.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

So weekend I tried another crockpot recipe that was really good-Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup! I must say, it was really good! I have attached the recipe below. The only thing I did differently was I did not use beans because James does not like beans.

Here is what you need:
2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Ro-Tel (I like the lime & cilantro, but the regular is fine)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 onion, chopped
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 cups of water
1 Tbsp garlic powder*
1 Tbsp chile powder*
1 Tbsp ground cumin*
1 Tbsp dried cilantro*


Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese


*Instead of these spices, you could include a packet of Taco seasoning if you prefer.*


Put chopped onion, cans of beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, and spices in CrockPot and stir. Put chicken breasts on top of mixture and make sure they're at least partly submerged in liquid. Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours. Before serving remove the chicken breasts from soup and shred, if needed, (I shredded it about 1/2 way through cooking). Return chicken to CrockPot, stir to combine.

To serve, pour soup in bowl and add cheese and sour cream. I ate with a spoon as well as with chips! It was very yummy!

Disregard the plastic utensils and bowls. We are in the process of moving! LOL!

New Recipe

So I have been trying new recipes on Pinterest and have failed to post them so I am going to backtrack. The first recipe I tried was Chicken and Dumplings. If anybody knows me, they will know that I LOVE Chicken and Dumplings! It is one of my favorite foods! So when I found a crock pot recipe on Pinterest, I HAD to try it. I mean my favorite food AND in the CROCK POT? So easy! So here is the recipe:

Here’s the ingredients:

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 onion diced (I used half of one)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
4 grands flaky refrigerator biscuits (I used five)

Put the chicken, butter, cream of chicken, chicken broth, parsley and onions in the crock pot and cook on high for four to six hours. Mine only needed five, and probably didn’t even need that much.

As the chicken cooks and gets tender, break it up with a spoon or fork, whatever.

Get your biscuits and cut them into nine pieces. I kind of rolled them into balls to ensure they stayed whole but it’s not necessary. Stir into chicken mixture and cook for another hour.

(The recipe says to cook for 30 minutes and my biscuits were not done at that point. One hour did the trick.)

That's it! It's Done!!!

The recipe is amazing and anyone that has reservations about biscuits as dumplings-DON'T!!! They tasted and had the same texture as the real ones made out of flour!

Baseball Season begins!!

This blog will not be long. I am actually blogging from the ECU Baseball game where I realized that there was an app for blogging. How cool is that? I can now blog on the go!!

On a separate note. ECU Baseball started yesterday and I love baseball, let alone, it is beautiful outside today! I have attached a picture from my view!!

Valentine's Day Special

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We started dating September 2006, so that means we have been together 5 and 1/2 years!

2. How did you meet? {What’s your “love” story?}

Oh wow! This is a tricky question actually. We met back in High School since we both attend Northeastern High School and were both in the band. We went our separate ways for college but met back up during my last year at ECU via MSN Messenger! Ha ha! Remember those days??

3. If married, how long have you been married?

We have been married since June of 2010 so 1 year and 8 months.

4. If you are married, where did you get married? Big or small wedding?

We got married in Elizabeth City at Berea Baptist Church. Both his sister and brother had previously gotten married there so we wanted to continue the tradition. A reception was followed at the Lions Club out in Weeksville. We had a pretty big wedding. We had about 200 people attend.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

Hmmm...nicknames. Well I call him handsome sometimes and he calls me sweetheart, but normally he just calls me Meg.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

Three things I love most about James...1.) He is very sensitive and caring, 2.) I love his eyes!! and  3.) I love that he can be protective over tbe people he loves.

7. Tell us how he proposed?

He proposed on November 26, 2009 (Thanksgiving Day). He came over the my parents house for lunch and to hang out as well as ask for permission (I did not know this at the time!). After lunch we went to his family's house to have dinner. After dinner he asked if I wanted to run down to the gas station to grab something and I said sure. He then wanted to go look at Christmas lights down at Waterfront and I agreed because we both love Christmas. When we got down there we went out near the water and were talking. Next thing I know, I look over and he is down on one knee and asked "Will you be my wife?" Of course I said YES!

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

James is a flowers, dinner, card, candy type of guy. He is very sweet. He even likes to sometimes bake me cakes!

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

I can say both. We have done both and I really like it to change from year to year. Valentine's Day should not be a one-day a year ordeal. It is an everyday task.

10. Tell us one thing you’d like to do with your significant other one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I would love to take 6 months and travel the US and Europe! I think it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity!

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine’s Day.

We actually celebrated yesterday by going to Olive Garden (we knew it would not be as busy as it will be today). Tonight we will probably make dinner and relax.


12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine’s day?

We actually decided to not do anything. We got each other a card and our favorite candy (his was a Chocolate candy car mix, mine was Dove Chocolate!)



13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Communication! It is everything in a relationship, but most especially in a marriage. You cannot be afraid to talk to the one you love. It is everything.

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

                                          Engagement Picture, 2010

A New Adventure lies ahead

So we found out about a week or so ago that we will be moving to Fort Rucker, Alabama. Below is our destination!

We are very excited about our new location. We did have some options, but most of them were bands that were likely to be deployed. I have already started a bucket list of stuff I want to do while in Alabama (even though I have done some of them before). Here it is:




*Go to Mardi Gras again
*Go to a Falcons Game
*Go to a Braves Game again
*Visit New Orleans for the first time
*Go to an Auburn Game
*Visit Florida as much as possible

So far that is all I have come up with but I am sure there is more that will be added! Let me know if there are some great places, whether it be historical, restaurants, etc. that you think we should visit

A New Year

“Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can.” 


With that said, Good-bye 2011 and Hello 2012. As I reflect on 2011, these are some of my memories, good and bad: It started with a good friends wedding, the engagement of my sister-in-law, my first year or "true" experience under my belt, my first job loss due to budget cuts, my first wedding anniversary, my 26th birthday, another job opportunity that gave me experience but also had some let downs, my husband starting a new journey and it ended with a great Christmas, our last, for awhile, in NC.


So I can say that 2011 was a good year. Of course it had its good and bad moments but overall, it was just another year. Nothing too exciting or disappointing. My outlooks on 2012 is good though. Here are some things I plan to accomplish: Move to an undisclosed location (for now) and find a great job, publish my thesis, decide on a Ph.D program/maybe teaching license, think about the future, enjoy my second wedding anniversary, find a local church that fulfills our needs, do more DIY projects (because I love them), learn more about photography, write more (because I love this as well!), and of course work on my fitness and finally work on my not swearing so much. It is a fault of mine sometimes and it needs to be worked on. 


So those are my goals or my resolutions for the year. I am happy with them because I know when I look back at 2012 I can look back with a smile. Good luck to each of you as you follow your own paths in 2012. Have a great New Year!