Vacation – Part Two: George Town, Grand Cayman

Our visit to the Cayman Islands marked our first port of call. The Cayman Islands are approximately 480 miles south of Miami, Florida and boast beautiful beaches and is probably most famous for its Stingray City.
We were supposed to have a fabulous catamaran ride to Stingray City to snorkel with these beautiful, gentle creatures. However, the previous evening, we received a notification that our excursion had been cancelled by the vendor for unknown circumstances. Boo!!!
So, having been to the Caymans before and recalling that they were relatively “safe” we decided to just poke around on the island ourselves for the day and maybe soak up some sun at the beaches.

Once past the dock, a local resident was offering a tour of the Island for $15 USD per person. Now, as a general rule, I avoid these people like the plague, but this particular day I looked at David, and David looked at me – and we said “Let’s Do It!” So, we did…and had a Hell of a good time ;-)

First stop: Hell – and yes, it’s on the map…see above.
This is the road that leads to Hell. We should have taken the road that leads to the Fountain ;-)


Hell is a little town in Grand Cayman that is a popular place for tourist to stop to send their family members back home a “postcard from Hell” from the local post office. Hell received its name from iron shore, a rough, gray, limestone rock that resembles what some may think of Hell to actually resemble.

After poking around a bit, we stopped to enjoy a nice coconut…

...don’t waste your money…it was actually pretty YUCK – very tropical looking though =D

After looking around Hell for all of 15 minutes, we were board…

Soooo, we had a chat with the Devil…

A chat with an Angel…

And decided...

So, next time someone tells you to go to Hell, just make sure they buy your plane ticket ;-)

Enough of that….

Our next stop was the Rum Cake Factory…free rum cake and RUM tasting for all. So, being the BIG boozers we are…this is what we did:

I found a local “lizard” – notice the H20 in the hand….

David went “rock climbing”

Then, after everyone was done rum tasting, we all drove to see people swim with dolphins…this is TOTALLY what we should have done! We never sign up for this excursion b/c it is so expensive…next time – I’m doing it!

We then went to 7 Mile Beach

The Cayman Islands are one of my most favorite places =D The tour guide kept telling us that it’s a “very small island, with very strict laws”. They have a zero drug tolerance, with the punishment being fines, imprisonment, and deportation to your home country if you are not a resident of the islands and have been found guilty of dealing. The maximum speed limit on the island is 40MPH…and is well enforced – remember “it’s a very small island, with very strict laws” ;-)
We about died when we saw how expensive gas was here – upwards of $5 per gallon USD! Last summer it was over $7 per gallon – SO, people, STOP YOUR COMPLAINING about how much gas is b/c you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!!!
The currency used in the Caymans is the Cayman Island Dollar. Currently, $1 US dollar will get you about $0.80 Cayman Island dollars.
One really neat thing about the islands is they have TONS of free roaming chickens – and you can literally take a chicken off the side of the road home with you for dinner…and/or the eggs. The chickens apparently belong to the people…neat, huh? It’s like KFC on wheels ;-O However, he did mention that KFC in the Caymans stands for “Keeps us From Cooking!”

Once the tour was over, we shopped around a little…then headed back to the boat for another evening filled with food and fun! Next stop: Isla Roatan, Honduras...stay tuned for Part 3 =D

Vacation – Part One: Traveling and Day One

So the hubs and I are back from our 7 day western Caribbean cruise. We literally went to Hell and back – and the only thing we brought back with us to prove it is a rum cake, a bad sunburn, and a sinus infection (times 2). The good news is that you can buy z-packs in Mexico with out a prescription…and no folks, it is not illegal ;-)
All joking aside, we truly did have a phenomenal time together. We vacationed in Grand Cayman, Honduras, Belize, Mexico, and had two wonderful days at sea. However, I am still trying to get over my Mal de debarquement syndrome...

We had our “usual” Saturday the day before we left for the cruise – David was helping his mother around the house, and I was off playing with John, the Deere, scooping the poop, and having a grand old time with my ponies. We came home Saturday evening to finish packing (which always takes three times longer than we anticipate). By this time, it was midnight so we took a short nap and left the house at 2 AM Sunday morning to drive to Pensacola to catch our 7AM flight to Miami. It was a great trip for me since I was sleeping most of the time =) By 5AM we were both “starving”, so Waffle House appeared (to us) to be the Gates of Heaven as we drove into the parking lot.

After a scrumptious breakfast, we headed to the airport.
We landed in Miami by 10:30AM and got a cab to the cruise…and waited for 3 hours to board the boat. No biggie though.
Our first day was at sea...there were so many activities on board we were constantly busy. Between the Bingo (yes, I actually played BINGO!), the casino, and all the other little activities on board, time went by super fast! Before we knew it, it was time for dinner, entertainment, and more opportunities to donate to the casino. And that was the first day.

Friday morning, David and I left for Atlanta to go to my second NPC competition: The Eastern Seaboard. As I mentioned before, I was not nervous…until my trainer mentioned that this was a Red Carpet event. Uh Oh…that got my nerves going. I think I cried half the way to Atlanta, and argued with David the other half (over important things…like why the sky is blue and the grass is green…you know the stuff) By the time we actually arrived, I’m surprised we were both functioning properly =/


Anyways – it all ended up being OK – Not at all what I had expected, but OK. I suppose my expectations were just set too high. Live and learn, I guess!


The Red Carpet part was actually the most fun (out of this part of the weekend, that is!)


Here are a couple pics from the Red Carpet:






































I did a mini photo shoot on the Red Carpet and an interview with BodTV (that made me super nervous ~ TV just isn’t my THANG!) Sure hope they don’t play it anywhere LOL!


The second part of the trip just MADE our weekend!!! We got to see JASON =) It was actually his birthday weekend and his parents went up to visit, so we decided to stop by “on the way home” (we kind of made it on the way) and hang out for a little while =)

We ate lunch at Long Horn Steakhouse, then went back to Ft. Benning to take a look around the base.


We saw the barracks where David will be during OCS:
















The Airborne training grounds:













































Keep them shades boys ~ your futures are real bright!

















A flying ice cream cone ;-)




















Us in the PX parking lot:















That's all the new news for now =) Stay tuned! Jason is graduating this Friday ~ hope to have pics!!

Last weekend, my sister in law and I ran in the Tails and Trails 5K trail run at Tom Brown Park. It was a BLAST! There was a great turnout, with 855 attendees and 45 adoptions! The run itself was very interesting considering it stormed the whole day and night before the run, so the trails were very muddy in places. It was hot and humid, typical Florida weather ;-) It was a nice change from the regular pavement running. Kudos to me for NOT tripping on a root or falling into a mud puddle!

This weekend, we are off to Atlanta, Georgia for my second NPC competition: The Eastern Seaboard. I’m really not that nervous, which is kind of freaking me out. I am and never have been the girl that’s in (or wants to be for that matter) the spotlight…BUT, when I am competing and am on stage, it just feels natural. Kind of weird actually =) Will post pics and an update next week about the show – bling or no bling! All I know is blueberry pancakes are in my VERY near future! Woohooooooo!

<--- YUM!!!

Three ~ Uncensored

Many have asked me the question, “So what is the significance of the number three?” I admit, I have been intentionally vague about the topic...so here is the explanation – uncensored =)

During the Fall of 2009, I attended a Bible class and one of the assignments was a study on “Third Day”. It was very interesting to me how God uses patterns to speak to us, specifically numbers. In Scripture the number three signifies completeness or perfection and points to what is solid, real, and substantial. Here are some of the “Third Day” events that stick out in my mind:

The earth was divided from the waters on the 3rd day;
After the Flood, mankind descended from the 3 sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth;
There are 3 Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel;
Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son after a 3 day journey to Mt. Moriah;
Jonah spent 3 days in the belly of the fish;
Peter denied Jesus 3 times.
Jonah took a 3 day journey across the city of Nineveh;
Jesus' ministry covered 3 Passovers;
Jesus prophesized that He would arise from the dead on the 3rd day;
There are 3 theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity;
The number 3 is symbolic of the Trinity, the triune nature of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
The number 3 is also recognized as the number of the Holy Spirit.

This list is by NO means all inclusive…there are MANY more 3rd day events =) I encourage you to take the time to do some research on it yourself if this topic interests you.

So, now you are probably wondering HOW in the world everything I just blabbed about remotely relates to me. The number 3 has continually appeared in our lives, and I feel like it is a way of God saying, “I Am here with you”. Call me crazy, or just a bad accountant, but I am not just going to overlook this whole number three business…at least not anymore.

Here are some of the events where the number 3 has surfaced in our personal lives:

David signed his contract on our 3 year, 3 month anniversary;
David interviewed with 3 officers (there were supposed to be five, but only 3 ended up coming);
David was one of 3 men selected for OCS;
David has had the assistance of 3 recruiters;
I got 3rd place in my first NPC competition

I am sure that if people dig deep enough, you can focus in on things that have absolutely no meaning. Maybe that is what this is…but maybe not. I have noticed the God speaks to me in themes, through prayer, and through stories in the Bible – more on that to come =)
So the point of this entry ~ David and I are comforted about this decision to join the Army…in part because of threes, themes, and prayers ;-)

God Bless =D

So, what's going on?!

David signed his contract with the Army on March 16th (our 3 year, 3 month anniversary). He will attend basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and will then go to Officer’s Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. From there on…we have absolutely no idea where we will be. It’s really exciting and scary all at the same time! He is leaving for basic in October 2010. So, needless to say, the next seven months is going to be a waiting game…and that, in my humble opinion, may take its sweet time ;-)

I must say that I am SO proud of him though. David interviewed with three officers, a Major and two Captains. He was one of three men selected out of 47 applicants for Officer’s Candidate School.

The past couple weeks have been interesting to say the least. We told the family – some cried, some were quiet, and some just didn’t really know what to say/how to respond…or at least that is what their actions displayed. But, no worries! We are moving forward…full speed ahead!

From here on out, I will be posting all the FUN things we are doing together before he leaves for Basic. I must say that I have a totally different outlook on life and our relationship now. I don’t take for granted the time we have together, mainly because now I know there will be a season that we will be separated. While we will be joined together again, just knowing that I will have to carry the load alone for a while makes me cherish each and every moment I have with him. Things that used to bother me, I over look now. Things that I had no interest in before, I am taking interest in because it makes him happy. While I still have my goals, wants, and desires, I know that us being together and being happy during these moments is what is MOST important….for now =)

Here is a day trip we took a couple weekends ago, hiking in a Florida State Park. We went on a 7 mile loop =)

A little wild life we got to see --->

(I almost stepped on him/her!) Snails are actually hermaphrodites...I watched an episode on them on Animal Planet the weekend before we went hiking. Very interesting...love darts...google it if your interested (without your children around first, unless you want to have "the talk" ;-) Escargot, anyone?!

The following weekend, we entered into our FIRST 5K run (although it was more of a slow jog…) LOTS of fun though! We will definitely be doing it again =)

The next weekend, I entered into my FIRST NPC fitness competition…I must say that the weekend must have been pretty boring for him, but he handled it nicely =) It is a lot of hurry up and wait…hurry up and wait…you get the idea!

Third Place =)

On another note, you remember Jason, David’s friend that is currently in the Army…well he just graduated AIT (Advanced Individual Training) this past Friday and will hopefully be going to Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia a couple weeks. Our fingers (and toes, and arms, and legs, and every other possible extremity that can be crossed) are crossed that he will be coming home for a few weeks after that for hometown recruiting. I will keep ya posted on that.

<-- A pic from Airborne School...looks like TONS of fun, eh?!

I've been REALLY bad about keeping the blog updated...promise I will do better in the near future!!!

Until then, HOOAH! ;) ....... I've always wanted to say that......

The purpose of the Chronicle of My Soldier blog is multifaceted: first, it allows me to share with many family, friends, acquaintances, and even enemies a journey I never thought I would be on – a journey taking me and my family from strong to Army Strong. Second, it is a place I can share the joys, pleasures, hardships, tears, struggles, and every other emotion I am quite sure I will endure over the next four years of my life. And third, I hope it will somehow prove to be an aide to the many who will join in on this journey after me.

So here it goes…

I never wanted to be that girl. We all know the one. The one that we see in the air port that is desperately hanging on to the man dressed in uniform, minutes before he is to fly to some godforsaken destination to fight for the freedoms the majority of us Americans take for granted. The girl that lives on letters alone for months at a time. The girl that puts portions of her life on hold. The girl that makes multiple sacrifices. Nope, that was not the girl I wanted to be. But, it is now the girl I am.

My husband, David, has ALWAYS wanted to be in the Service. From the time he was a little boy, he ran around playing “Soldier” with his best friend (who is now also an active member of the Army, might I add). After turning from the opportunity to go to West Point right out of high school, David pursued a double Bachelors degree in Business and Accounting and wanted to live the posh life of the rich and famous – the corporate American Dream. This all went well…for a time. Then the regret set in with the decision to not join the military. So, we discussed the options, and decided it was now or never. This is a documentation of our leap of faith, our trust in God, and the harvest that will follow.