Updating

This blog of mine might be a little dark and dusty until the end of July.

My family is here and since it's been almost a year since we've been together, I'm not spending too much time on the computer, but I thought I'd take a moment for an update post.

I made the announcement last week, but just in case you missed it, my husband has re-enlisted and we will be moving from NC back to CA to go to the Defense Language Institute for a year and a half.  The DLI is located basically in our hometown, so we're moving home. We're super excited, but pretty sad to be leaving North Carolina and our little friend-family here, but it's just all part of the adventure!

I'm sure you've heard/read this a million times but Google reader is shutting down today.  Find me on Bloglovin if you like reading the random things I write (There's a little button on the side of my blog that will take you right to it!).

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July holiday and that this fun Summer month treats you well!

Dear mosquitoes and other letters..

  

Dear mosquitoes, there is a time and a place for everything.  No one can begrudge you when you decide to make a meal out of us when we're camping, hanging out on the dock watching the sunset, grillin' out, or playing cornhole.  We're outside, in your realm of suck (literally) and if we forget bug spray, hey, go at it!  However, when I am inside and in my bed, it is not time to go have yourself a feast on my feet of all places!  This means wearing shoes in unbearable and falling asleep takes a million times longer because I can't stop wanting to claw my feet off. Stay out of my house!  

Dear rain, go away. Last weekend was perfect summer adventuring weather and this constant downpour is throwing off my mojo and fading my tan.   

Dear JD Mass, last night you cooked us dinner and put the best bacon pieces on my pizza #husbandoftheyear.  You also never fail to encourage and try to help me, you're pretty much the best thing since pre-sliced bagles.   

Dear Bec Nicole, less than 20 days until I get to see your pretty face and our house becomes a bit more livelier and a tad louder. I can't wait!

Dear family, a little over 20 days until I get to see all your faces and man, does that make me happy! Now we can have awesome face-to-face conversations, instead of hilarious group text messaging.  I swear we need our own reality show.

Dear life changes that are around the bend, I'm excited and nervous for you all at the same time.  Bring it on (no, I am not pregnant...y'all need to chill).

Dear husband, who always gets two letters, in just 42 days we celebrate our first year of marriage.  Can you believe how quickly it's gone by?  It's been one of the best and toughest years of my life and I can't wait for the next 50 or so. I love you.

I'm getting really excited!

There are fun times ahead for us and I can't wait! Next week we're getting our first house guest from home.  Cassie is going to Europe and she's making a stop in Raleigh and hanging out with us for a day or two before flying again.  Don't we look cute as 50's gals?

Then in just over a month my whole family is going to be here for almost a month! I'm soooo dang excited.

We're going to DC and spending time in our town and then going to get our tans on at the river.  So so so excited! Look how tan we get spending a couple weeks in sun, this was from two years ago.

Blogging hasn't been my priority lately, but I'm going to get back into it.

Have a good weekend loves!

Hurricane, husband, and horrible luck...

via

This picture cracked me up as soon as I saw it.  We've been weathering a pretty awful storm over here on the East Coast for the last couple of days.  We personally didn't get too much of it other than some really strong wind, clouds, and a little rain.  It's also been down in the 50s and 40s as far as the temp goes and sweaters are out in full force.  Over on the home West Coast they've been dealing with earthquakes and I think I'd rather take some wind and rain.  Hurricane Sandy should be on her way out of our area by tomorrow.  I can now check "Survive Hurricane" off my non-existent bucket list.

My husband is finally home!! It was great to spend the weekend with him and get things accomplished (sort of, see next paragraph).  There was of course a lot of time spent catching up on sleep and cuddling during this stormy weather.  I really love him.  Is it too much to ask for him not to go away again for a very, very, very long time?  Yes, I know, keep dreaming.

The long story short of this whole situation is that we collectively have horrible luck.

Our mission in life this weekend was to find a car.  We need one desperately and thought that it was going to be a piece of cake finding one.  NOT! We fell in love with two different cars this weekend and were ready to buy and they had either been sold an hour before we called or the day before.  Really? It was very discouraging and now I obsessively check Craigslist every couple of minutes so that doesn't happen to us again.  Maybe by next weekend we'll be fully mobile.

 *Crosses fingers and says a prayer*

I hope your weekends were all lovely and if you were over on this coast that you were safe and sound!

football weekend.

Yesterday I got to go to my first East Carolina University football game against the Tennessee Tigers.

It was so much fun and I feel like Long Beach needs to step up their game and get their football team back.

Here's a couple pictures from the day!

I hope y'all are having a great weekend so far!

Look how big my cousins are getting! I love my boys!

 

yesterday's letters

Dear Lisa and David, you guys are seriously the best. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you renting me a car and inviting me down to the beach this weekend. I needed to get out of the house and this is the perfect place to go.  Dear Ben and Matthew, I'm excited to spend some time with my cousins and go to my first college football game/ECU game with you today!  Dear Morehead City, you make me want to live closer to the beach so bad. See picture above...who could not want to come here?  Dear husband, I really wish you were here with me this weekend. It almost doesn't feel right having all this fun without you.  Dear mom, dad, and siblings, I really wish you were here too. I miss you guys a lot.  Dear Corinne, I love getting crazy text messages from you in the middle of the night. You're not sorry.  Dear sweetheart, you get two letters because you're special. I miss you.

Link up with your letters over at Ashley's blog!

letters for friday

Dear "Delirium" trilogy, thank you for providing me with two days of fantastic reading. I only wish that the third book was coming out sooner. (I totally recommend these books for a summer read!).  Dear sisters, you entertain me and make me laugh. I'm going to miss the two of you when I'm gone.  Speaking of being gone, Dear NC, I'm really jonesing for a hot, humid summer at the river. I wish I could come visit you.  Dear Siren, you are the sweetest little kitten and I'm glad our parents caved into letting you be part of our family.  Dear fiancee, the countdown continues.  11 weeks to go!  I love you and will be your personal secretary for the rest of your life.

Siren taking a nap on my leg. She really is the cutest.

Make sure to link up with Ashley and share your Friday letters.

Letters in a list

1.  Dear mine and his ray-bans, you were bought in two different states, at different times...I love that we have the same tastes in eye-wear and we could have a good laugh when we realized it!

2.  Dear Instagram, thank you for making your awesome app available for Android!

I can't wait to use you more and flood my blog with pictures.

(amandanoelm, if ya'll wanna follow me)

3.  Dear North Carolina, you are even more appealing to me now then you were a couple weeks ago.

I can't wait to be your newest resident as soon as possible.

4.  Dear wedding plans, you still frustrate me, but I'm sticking to yah.

I'm sorry you were threatened with the idea of eloping many, many times over the last couple days.

5.  Dear blog,  I promise I'll get back into the swing of things soon. 

I'm back...

I'm back in my home state, but it's not feeling much like home anymore.  I'm so tired of leaving NC and my almost-husband...and now all of our friends.  I'm so excited that they're not just "his" friends anymore.  Having people there makes it way more difficult to be here.

I've been home over 24 hours and this is the first time I've pulled out my computer.  It's been nice to be somewhat unplugged.  I'll get back to blogging soon!

I must need my head examined.

Tonight, as most of you probably know, is the midnight premiere of The Hunger Games.  If you don't know what The Hunger Games is...well, then you've probably been living under a rock and you need to come out into the sunshine and read these three wonderful books and then probably go see the movie.  I wasn't going to go to the premiere because I have to leave bright and early tomorrow morning for the airport and the awesome 8+ hour flight across the country that's taking me to my soon-to-be husband and home.  Well, because one of my dearest friends is moving tomorrow and one of my brothers from another mother is in town, I was roped into going as a last hurrah/hello.  Going to bed around 3 and getting up around 6 is going to be hell fun!  I really should have my head examined. 

Because I hate flying with unnecessary baggage and weight, I'm leaving my laptop at home and probably won't be blogging for awhile.  I'm not sad...I can't wait to be over there and will be back with pictures and stories to share soon!  Have an amazing next couple of days lovelies!

 

12 more weeks of winter? Really?

So apparently there was supposed to be 12 more weeks of winter or some nonsense like that.

It was gorgeous in the valley today. I mean t-shirts, flip flops, windows rolled down kind of weather. If I was in school today would have been the worst kind of torture ever.  If I still live down south, I'd probably go to the beach with Hannah and we would probably get in the water just to say we did.  Today's weather also made me wish for summer and for North Carolina.  My family is planning a pretty sweet summer vacation, probably my last with the whole Mann Clann for a little while.  It ends with spending at least two weeks in our favorite state, with our favorite people.  I can't wait to be tan again!

Tanning in NC = perfection.

I hope that where ever you are that you enjoyed your Thursday as much as I did!

Tonight's American Idol and Vampire Diaries, who else is stoked?

New Bern/Job Site: Week 2 (part 3) in Pictures

Week 2 (Part 2) in Words

Can I just stay here for awhile longer?

I can't believe this week is almost up and we're gonna be heading home in just a few days!

It breaks my heart.

One of our friends said it best (jokingly of course), "Does God get confused?"

I do not believe I'm supposed to be a California Girl.

I feel at home here and I think I'm meant to be a River Girl.

Not to mention, my family here is amazing.

I love them to pieces.

I hope all of you guys are having a wonderful time doing whatever it is that you're doing.

River/Pool: Week 2 (Part 1) in Pictures