Lots to be thankful for...

Last Wednesday I had my very important APFT.  I'm happy to say I did surprisingly well.  I didn't get a 300 but I was very close.  I ended up doing 52 pushups (I only needed 46 to max), 82 situps (80 is maxing), and I ran a 16:35 on my two miles (I needed a 15:36 to max).  My overall score was 290 out of 300.  I'm still extremely proud of myself.  My last APFT score was 255 so I improved by 35 points!

This past weekend was our last FTX for the semester.  It was very well.  I had a great time even with it being extremely busy and exhausting.  It really makes a difference when you are working with people you enjoy being around.  We slept out in the woods so I had to build my own hooch.  I wish I would have taken a picture of it.  It came out awesome.  I came prepared with stakes, bungie cords, and 550 cord.  Below is an illustration I found that is pretty close to how my hooch came out.  We use our ponchos to make them.  Basically what I did is used the bungie cords to attach my poncho to two trees.  I used two more bungie cords to go completely across the inside of the poncho to build a makeshift type roof.  I also used 550 cord to tie the poncho hood and tied the other end to the tree so no water would come through my hooch.  Then I used the stakes to hold the sides of the poncho to the ground.  After all that, I was able to put my sleeping mat down and then my sleeping bag inside.  I actually slept very well.  It was like a tiny little room...only big enough to sleep in haha.

This week has been good too.  Today was my last day of school before Thanksgiving break.  I'll be heading down to Orlando tomorrow so see my family.  I can't wait to see them even though it's been only a month since I saw them last.  It's never a dull moment with them. 

Being that Thanksgiving is around the corner, I've been thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for.  So here is my list of the top 10 things I'm thankful for:

1. God - If it wasn't for Him, I would even be here today.
2. My Family - They are what keep me together
3. School - What keeps my mind active and my way of staying independent
4. My Friends - I'm thankful for the friends I've kept throughout the years and also the ones I've made along the way.  They all have made a difference in my life.
5. Love - Being able to feel love and give love.  It brings both joy and sadness but I'm thankful to be able to feel both all the same.
6. My dogs - They keep me active and always bring me happiness when I'm around them.
7. ROTC - Yes, believe it not I'm thankful that.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to surround myself around great people.  People that are helping to mold me into the leader I'm becoming.  It's also going to provide me with my future career.  =)
8. My house - I love being able to come into a place and call it home...MY home.
9. My car - It's reliable, economical, and get's me where I need to go.
10. My health - I'm a healthy woman who likes to keep fit and cares about my appearance.  Today I received a lot of compliments by my ROTC classmates today since I came to class without my uniform today.  It's a nice reminder that I'm a pretty lady who is valued inside and out.  =)

Well I hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving!  Stay safe everyone!

Planless vacation!

So my husband started block leave today and we have nooooo plans!  It is actually a weird feeling for us.  In the past block leave was a time to be cherished because that was when we would be reunited after long distances and time.  We would have every day planned months before.  But now since April we have been blessed to be living under the same roof finally! lol

I talked with a girlfriend of mine about it and she said that sometimes they take block leave to finish house projects.  I think that we might take a few days to finish the grill pad we started in our backyard.  We started it about two weeks ago and didn't even get past the leveling sand because it's been either too hot or too rainy outside.  Hopefully we get some decent weather this week.

Phase 1 of the grill pad

We also haven't seen my husband's dad and step-mom in Philly for a while now....and actually in the last 3+ years we've NEVER gone to see them together.  Chris was always either in Afghanistan or Germany or with me and when he was with me, half the time I was still working.  He went to see them before he left on deployment in 2009 and that was by himself because I had to work.  And then I went to his brother's high school graduation last summer.  So really it's been over a year since either of us have seen them.  Our visit is well overdue lol. 

I also hope that we can fit in a few trips to Myrtle Beach.  We've heard a lot of good things about the place from friends and family.  AND I just found out they have a Ben & Jerry's parlor there....TWO!!!  I absolutely loooove Ben & Jerry's ice cream.  So it would be a double treat for me if we went.  QT with the husband and QT with my sweet tooth!