One Step Journeys

New Home! :) Come Check It Out

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:28:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I'm moving. Okay, I already have moved. I posted that on here, and set up a nifty redirect, but unfortunately the redirect worked so well, that no one realized I transitioned. So if you're a visitor to my blog, please, please come correct your links, and re-follow me. If you subscribe to my feed, I'll need you to re-subscribe. Hopefully you enjoy my new home and the new babies I brought with me.

The main hub is: http://www.spitfiresworld.com

One Step Journeys: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/onestepjourneys
Reviewing My World: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/reviewingmyworld
Hitched In a Hurry: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/hitchedinahurry
Oh My Stars & Bars: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/ohmystarsandbars
Generous Spirit: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/generousspirit
Victim To Victor: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/victimtovictor

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Changes To the 2nd Half of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:45:00 +0000

Alright everyone! I've got some changes coming to the blog, and coming to my life, so here's a sneaky peek into the ever shifting SpitFire plane of existence..lol. When you're doing cringing, and being thankful your life is so peaceful (roflol!), link up with the fabulous Amanda at the really nifty button above.

1. Jewel
Okay, for those who've been curious what I'm alluding to, mystery solved. It's a very, very long story, which I will go into further detail later on when all is said & done, but someone took my daughter from me 4 years ago. I'm finally getting my day in court. Today. So if you could please pray that justice would prevail, and my daughter will be permanently returned to me, I will be eternally grateful.

2. I'm strongly considering switching platforms.
Blogger is good for a start, but I'm really thinking about getting more serious, and in that vein I'm thinking of switching my platform. I've received some great feedback that makes me think I might be able to do this more full time. Currently I'm considering Typepad or Wordpress..looking at the pros and cons of each. Any thoughts?

3. I'm working on branding myself, so....
I'm probably getting my own domain name. I'm looking over options for hosts, and names and I'll keep you posted, so that you can update your links appropriately. I have a couple names I'm considering. Anyone have any snazzy suggestions?

4. To get serious about my blogging,
I'm going through ProBlogger's 31 Days To A Better Blog. If you've taken it, please let me know how it went for you. If you've never taken it, but are interested, I'll let you know how it goes. :) Or hopefully you'll see the dramatic improvements.

5. I get to start homeschooling for the first time this year.
I've never done it before, and the rules are different all over the country. So I'm researching the laws on HSLDA's website but if any of y'all are in Georgia, and y'all are homeschoolers, please email me and help me out with this.

6. I get to have my full family this fall.
I'll have Jewel back soon, and Gunlover will return this fall. For the first time I'll have a fully functional family of my own. (My parents/siblings are functional..I mean my own branches.)

7. I will hopefully be a student myself!
Thanks to my service in the military, I have 100% coverage on a Bachelors degree through the Montgomery GI Bill. I just have to figure out which think I want to study first.

8. I will be picking up some new skill sets over the fall/winter.
I sing all the time, but I have minimal instrumental skills. So I plan to get a program to learn how to play the piano. Then I'd like to finish learning how to play my guitar..any recommendations on how to do that? I also want to start learning a new language, and learn how to sew.

9. I'll know what stuff I'm made of.
As of the middle of October, I will have survived the first overseas tour of our marriage. And I will have survived a pregnancy nearly alone. Raised the baby from birth through about 6 months, without him. Driven 14 hours across country, on my first year with a license, pregnant and alone. And survived the court case to get Jewel back, without him here. I will know precisely what I'm made of, and what our marriage is made of. And so far? I think we're gonna be fine. :)

10. Once I finish the in-law tour, I'll be learning more about my purpose.
When I was in the military, I desperately wanted to know my purpose. And I asked questions, and learned, until I knew what my purpose there was. But I need to put that same effort into learning what God's purpose for me is. Why did I go through this with Jewel? Is it to help someone else? Will my testimony keep someone else from making my mistakes? Or suffering what I've suffered? Will I be able to help domestic abuse victims stop the cycle, and stop being a victim? I need to spend some time on my knees, alone with God, in quiet spaces, and learn what His goals for my life are.

Alright now the fun really begins! What changes are you making for the 2nd half of this year? Leave me a comment, or post your own list at Amanda's website. (*hint hint* it's the pretty button up there!)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #2/Defense of Memes

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:15:00 +0000

Okay my title is a bit reversed, because I'm going to defend memes. If you just came here, you're not sure what a meme is, there's a great explanation here. I've seen comments and rants on other blogs, saying that memes are impersonal and they prefer when you learn something about someone. I think it depends on how it's done. Fine, you may not always learn something personal from "Wordless Wednesday" but if you pay attention, yes you do. "Wordless Wednesday" is rarely completely wordless. Usually you get an explanation about that picture, or why they posted it. Which means you learn something from that picture.

With Top Ten {Tuesday} you've learned reasons why I'm tired, places I'd like to see, and how I feel about my husband to name a few. Last Friday there was a meme on breakfast. Lame you think? You learned I don't like PopTarts, and that I rarely eat breakfast, but if you want to coax me into eating it, Belgian waffles will always work. That's not personal? It's as personal as it gets. I'm not going to defend people who do nothing but memes on their blog, or even those who primarily do it, but I'm certainly not going to stop doing a few memes because someone got ruffled. Hang in there guys! You will always learn something about me from my posts.

Now onto this weeks MilSpouse Friday Fill-In, so I can answer some more personal questions. :D

1. Tell us about your dream job… one that you could do regardless of pay.
Being Mrs. Gunlover...oh snap! Got that one already..okay seriously. Probably something to do with music. I'm always at my happiest when I can sing. When I was in the military I sang the National Anthem several times. When I'm visiting my parents for a while, I get to sing in the church choir again. And I'm really hoping to have opportunities to sing once I'm back in GA.

2. What is your most prized material possession (kids and pets don’t count!)?
My wedding band is for sure one. I don't know that I necessarily prize my computer or my phone, but I would certainly be lost without them. I talk to my family on the phone all the time, and my husband on the computer every night.

3. What has been your favorite duty station and why?
We've only been to 2. Holloman AFB, NM & now we're in GA. So, definitely here. If we'd been stationed at Kirtland AFB, NM it might have been harder to pick, but as reality stands, it's the one in Georgia. Because Holloman was in the Tularosa Basin, which means we missed out on all the rain & snow. All the pretty weather was up in the mountains about 30 minutes away. We had sand storms. Nothing is less fun that walking to work in combat boots, full uniform, 103 degree weather, and sand blowing in your direction.

4. What is your least favorite household chore?
I'm really not crazy about cleaning the kitchen. I'll clean bathrooms, I'll vacuum, I'll fold & iron laundry in a heartbeat, but I really just don't get into cleaning the kitchen. I don't like cleaning the refrigerator, or taking out the trash, or washing dishes..so yeah that pretty much eliminates all of the kitchen.

5. If you could give one piece of advice to a teenager today (not specifically a MilTeen), what would it be?
Okay my advice mostly applies to female teenagers, but can be applied to boys also. If you're mistreated by your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, fiance..(whatever!) don't put up with it. Don't add to the fire by being ugly in return, but make it clear that you're worth more than that. Don't put up with crap from so-called "friends" either.

Alright what are your answers??? Link up with Wifey and let us know. :)

Rope Burns & Corn Silk Hair

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:45:00 +0000

This post is the 4th of 15. We are writing our way through our youth over at Mommy's Piggy TALES. Check it out! :)

Sorry I'm getting this done so late tonight! I've had a lot on the brain, and I couldn't remember anything for the age of 7. And then I remembered a family reunion.What do y'know...I was 7! This will be a very quick post, so I do apologize. Hopefully next week will be more solid.

I only remember snippets of the family reunion, so here I go with another list of memories. :)

Corn Shucking

I'd never shucked corn before in my life, but I saw some of the grown-ups doing it, and it looked like fun. So I went over and asked them what they were doing, and they explained and showed me how to do it. While we were doing it, one of the guys said my hair looked like corn silk. He meant it as a compliment, since I had very fine, very soft blonde hair. I thought he meant my hair was stringy and yellow, so I didn't think it was very nice at all.

Aunt's Kisses

I had an aunt wearing lipstick that was a bit on the brighter side. She was kissing kids on the forehead, but it didn't occur to me that it would leave a mark. Years later when I read the story of the Wizard of Oz, I rather thought of the Good Witch's kiss as being a sort of fuchsia color, despite the silvery description.

Weather Balloon

There was a weather balloon in the backyard. All I knew is that it was a HUGE balloon. So I enlisted the aid of a group of kiddos and we played tug of war with the balloon, trying desperately to pull it down to play with. I was at the back of line, and somehow my ankle go wrapped in the rope. I got another new experience..rope burn! (I'll take shucking corn anyday!)

Well there you have it. :) What fond memories from family reunions do you have? Leave me a comment and let me know.

VLog Top Ten #1: 10 Reasons I'm So Tired

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:55:00 +0000

Alright ladies! I bit! I finally did it....and it's not all that great, roflol. Okay so the video quality surprised me...much better than expected. The sound? Not so much. I don't know if I just have a really quiet computer, or if I'm just really that quiet. I don't think I'm a quiet person, but it doesn't seem to matter how loud I talk, I had to have the computer at top volume to hear the video. So please let me know if there's anything you didn't catch..maybe I should add subtitles, lol.

Hope you enjoy! And whether or not you enjoy, there's a ton of other wonderful posts at OhAmanda's. So link up, and have fun. :)

Bein' Southern

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:05:00 +0000

Last night we all had marvelous fun with the Friday Fill-In, and many of the participants were Southern girls by birth, marriage or heart. And it was hilarious the things we all had in common. So here's my tribute to those us who are from the South, or those who wish they were. :)

You might be a Southern gal if......
You just can't imagine green beans without butter or bacon grease.

You've seen everything from a turkey to Twinkie deep fried.

Steel Magnolias or Fried Green Tomatoes was almost mandatory viewing in your house.

"Youse guys" cracks you up, but there ain't nothin' wrong with "y'all".

You have laughed hysterically when asked what grits are.

You have made (or seen it made) corn bread in a cast iron skillet.

In fact, you've considered living off of cornbread & beans.

You thought the waiter was kidding when he asked you "sweetened or un".

You think people who wear pantyhose every day are a little touched by the sun.

And lastly you might be Southern if you have ever used any of the following phrases: "fine as a frog hair", "happy as a tick on a fat dog", "don't pee on my leg and tell me it's rainin'", "two bricks shy of a load", "busier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs", and "that dog don't hunt".

Friday 5 - Fun Breakfast Questions

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 05:23:00 +0000

Okay I know this is the 2nd meme of the day, but I'm having fun. And you are learning things about me right? :) If I'm getting annoying, please tell me so I don't drive away any followers? But I hope you're all charmed by my infinite quirkiness, lol. If you like it, go check it out at http://www.friday5.org

Just for fun, I'm joining in the Friday 5 this week. Check out other participants at http://www.friday5.org/

1. Oh my goodness! You have to run out the door right now and you haven’t eaten! Before dashing out, what do you grab to wolf down on your way?
Well I'm horrendously notorious for not eating breakfast. But when I was military, if I did eat breakfast, it was usually a blueberry or banana nut muffin..the kind that are individually wrapped.

2. What’s a popular breakfast you dislike?
I'm just not much on poptarts.

3. You’re going out for breakfast anywhere you want, and someone else is treating! Where do you go and what do you order?
Don't much care where, so long as they have Belgian waffles with strawberry sauce. And omelets with lots of cheese & veggies. Yum!

4. What do you have when you need a simple, healthy (or healthy-ish, for those of you who just don’t do healthy!) breakfast?
Granola & fruit.

5. You’ve been invited to a breakfast potluck. What are you most likely to bring?
My specialty :D 5 Cheese & Ham Scrambled Eggs

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In - The Game Begins!

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:22:00 +0000

I'm so excited about this!!! I've been looking for a good Friday meme that was up my ally, and here one just pops up. And I'm in on the first one? Ahh when Wifey is famous for this meme, I'll be able to say I knew her when...*tear*

Oh hey that reminds me. I ran across a blog post where someone was discussing the "action in asterisks" thing. I obviously am not worried about it. Does it bug any of you? Do you even notice when someone does it?

Without further ado, here's the MilSpouse Fill In. :) (Oh wait! Anyone have problems with emoticons? Oh well...)

1. How did you and your spouse/significant other meet?
I met my husband at the CAC (community center on base). It wasn't love at first sight, and I didn't know I'd met him when I did. It's a really long explanation, so if you'd like to know, check out my story about us. :)

2. What is the best thing about being a MilSpouse?
We all understand something about each other, that few others will truly understand. And the support is amazing. My husband is overseas right now, and my neighbors have been looking out for me. They helped me out while I was pregnant before my husbands mid-tour, and after he left again.

3. What is the hardest thing about being a MilSpouse?
The hardest thing is not always know where he is, how long it will until you hear from again. I'm definitely someone who is horrible about worrying.

4. What is your favorite dish?
Chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce. I also love steak & potatoes. And I'm in love with most fruits and veggies. But not mango. Well I'm in love with mango, but it sadly doesn't love me back.

5. If you could change one thing in this world, what would it be?
I wouldn't presume to change too many things in this world, because I don't have omnipotence, or omnipresence. So I don't know how one thing would affect all the rest of the things. One of the things I most desire to change, will be changing soon, and when it does you will all be hearing the whole story.

Papa Bear Was Just Right

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:12:00 +0000

This post is the 3rd of 15. We are writing our way through our youth over at Mommy's Piggy TALES. Check it out! :)

I didn't have a grandpa around when I was little. That's not to say that I didn't have one at all, just that he wasn't really there. He lived a good ways away from us, and communication wasn't his strong suit. I never thought about it much, because I had my grandmother around all the time. Grandmother and grandpa hadn't been together for far longer than I'd been around.

When I was 6, my grandmother brought over a friend of hers. I don't remember a lot about when he was first around, just bits and pieces. I remember that he was a vegetarian at the time, for heath reasons I believe. I remember that he sat down next to me, and I was disturbed that he had some ant bites. I had recently seen an episode of MacGyver where someone was killed by ants, and I was convinced that all ants were capable of such horrors. He explained to me that those sort of ants are only in certain parts of the world, and we should be safe.

I didn't know how they met, but I found out when I was older. They had been at a dinner together, and were seated next to each other. They introduced themselves and started talking. They connected so quickly, and talked so easily, people thought they were married.

We didn't hear much from him for a while, because he went to be a missionary in Mexico. He was there alone, and then later Grandmother went to serve there as well. They had time to see not just what kind of people they were, but what kind of Christian the other one was.

They must have liked what they learned, because they got married, and he became our Papa Bear. I was too young to understand much of what was happening, I just knew that this special man was becoming part of our family. It was a quiet little ceremony in their pastors office. Just our family was there, and that was all we needed.

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Things I Want To Do In Atlanta

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:42:00 +0000

So I spent all last night pondering OhAmanda's Vlog Post. It's scary!! No, no not like that. The post was wonderful...it was cute, quirky & we got to see her personality come through. What's scary, is for a brief moment I thought about doing one myself. But I was afraid my personality might come though. :) Plus I couldn't figure out what to vlog about. So I will open this up for discussion, do you want to see your spineless leader vlog it up at the next top 10? If so, what do you think the topic should be? (If you say top 10, I will shoot you with my little brothers bb gun!)

Alright! On with the this weeks show. If you've paid attention to my blog, you'll have noticed I live in GA. (If you have not paid attention to my blog...I live in GA.) Unlike our fearless Vlogging Champion, I live in Middle Georgia. That's a location, not a city. But when Gunlover comes home, we're wanting to take a trip up north to check out Atlanta..so here's what I want to do there. :)

1. Ride the Rides At Six Flags Over Georgia
I've never been on a rollercoaster, but I've always wanted to! Last year I was going to see some of the rides at Disney, but then we discovered we had a blessing on the way. Did you know they won't even let you ride the Ferris Wheel at a mall-parking-lot-carnival if you're pregnant? Eesh!

2. See the Pandas at Zoo Atlanta
I have been in love with all things China, since I was a very small girl. (Young! Not short..er) And with that comes a love of giant pandas. I always knew about the ones in the San Diego zoo, but imagine my delight when I found out that Zoo Atlanta has giant pandas! Go check out the panda cam, get your fuzzy fix. :)

3. Catch a Braves Game
Jewel is definitely my child. She is that perfect blend of girly & tomboy. My evidence? She told me she wants to learn ballet & baseball. So I think it would be a blast to take her to her first real baseball game. Take me out to the ballgame, lalalala...Okay enough of that, next!!!

4. Visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden
Botanical gardens are such a peaceful place. Inside there's a tropical section, a desert section, an orchid center & more. Outside there's a Japanese garden (yay!), a rose garden, a hydrangea section and so much more to see. I could probably spend all day in there and still not get enough pictures, but I'd be willing to try. Hehe.

5. Explore Margaret Mitchell's House
Okay, anyone who knows me (and now all of you) knows that I mega-♥ Gone With the Wind. Scarlett's such a sassy, saucy girl. (I can't even imagine why that would appeal to me!!) Can you believe I've never seen the movie yet??? My sister BookAddict is awesome though! She found me a leather-bound copy at a book sale. Who sells these things?!?!?!?!?!?

6. Eat, Burp & Fight
Alright, fine! I'll be watching the fight. *sigh* You people are no fun at all. Medieval Times is a restaurant where you get to feast while watching a joust, as though you were at a castle of old. Turkey leg anyone?

7. See the Mount Rushmore of the South
Stone Mountain isn't quite in Atlanta..it's about 30 minutes away, but still. It's basically a Confederate version of Mount Rushmore. No matter your feelings on the war, it's still remarkable peace of history, art & skill.

8. Take Gunlover To A Concert
My sweet thing has never been to a concert. My family adores music, so this was a bit culture shock for me. Not been to a concert? Ever? Huh? Nanoo, nanoo?!? So, being the music lover/singer/songwriter that I am, I have chosen to remedy this. I know Michael W. Smith will be there for the World Vision tour in October, I'd like to see if TSO will be around this year. I just know in my heart of hearts that Gunlover would most like to see Bieber (I'm so gonna get killed when he sees this!), but those tickets are so darn expensive...rats.

9. Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride
I have this on my list of this of things to do before I die. I've always thought they looked pretty, and I have always wanted to experience it. I was born in Albuquerque...how can I not love balloons????

10. Visit the Champion of Scared Vloggers Everywhere
Yeah, you're on my list Amanda! Oh wait, that sounded wrong...Seriously though, I think it's cool when you get to meet bloggers you adore, and the fact that you live right there??? Of course, I might have scared you off by the time this post is finished, which I'll totally understand, but if not..coffee someday?????

Alrighty! If you have made it through this weekly block of my insanity, kudos! Ya just might make the big leagues, kid. Okay I have no idea what leagues I'm talking about, but it sounded good. Your turn...show the linky love people. Go check out her oh-so-awesome site, and then tell us what fabulous things made your Top Ten.

30 Days of Me: Day 5, Favorite Quote

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:06:00 +0000

Okay we're finally back up and running..mostly. I'm still a bit off, and Gunlover is still tired from escort duty. But here we go, off again. :)

Update on the 30 Day Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:38:00 +0000

In case anyone's wondering what happened to posts of the 30 day challenge, I was sick one of the days that was missed. It was quiet yesterday and will be quiet for a few days more, because Gunlover was asked to be a hospital escort for another Airman and was gone for a little over 24 hours. Now he's exhausted and trying to catch up on sleep. Once he's caught up, we'll resume our 30 Day Challenge.

Thanks!!
-SpitFire

Big Bird, Little Brother

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 02:34:00 +0000

This post is the 2nd of 15. We are writing our way through our youth over at Mommy's Piggy TALES. Check it out! :)

This post might have been executed better, if I'd asked my Mom to sit and think hard. As it was, I asked for a moment, before realizing she was trying to brainstorm her own past memories. Since my Mom has to do most of the remembering on her own, I thought I'd give it a shot. I couldn't come up with anything that was huge enough for a whole blog post, I decided to just do a list of the snippets I remember.

ASL - American Sign Language
When I was young, I had a poster on my bedroom wall of the American Sign Language alphabet. I not only learned it, I memorized it. One day, my Sunday School teacher decided to teach the class the alphabet. Unfortunately for her, she was signing one of the letters incorrectly. Even more unfortunately for her, I've never had much of a filter, and I had even less of one when I was that young. I imagine she was quite surprised to find out that one of her students already knew the alphabet...better than her.

Reading
I fooled everyone into thinking I could read. I had a book (my Mom is desperately trying to remember what it was, lol) about bears, that I had read sooo many times, that I had it memorized. Apparently I had it memorized so well, that I knew precisely where to turn the page and everything. Friends of Mom & Dads thought I could actually read it.

Broken Foot
When I was about 3 years old, I took off running to my room, and caught my foot on the door jam. With true childhood resilience, I jumped up and went to bed. The next morning I got out of bed, and hit the floor immediately. Overnight, my foot had swelled and turned the color of an eggplant. My Dad picked me up and they took me to the hospital. My Mom was pregnant and couldn't be in there with me, so she had to sit in the waiting room. She couldn't be with me, but she could hear me yell as they turned my foot for all the angles they needed for the x-rays. I'd fractured a bone in the top, so they put me in a walking boot, and told my Mom to keep me on the couch. I know I just heard all you Moms laughing hysterically. Yes he told her to keep an energetic toddler..on the couch!

Funeral Homes
When I was somewhere between 2-3 we lived atop a funeral home. My Dad is & has been a funeral director for years. Then when I was almost 5 we moved, and lived behind a different funeral home.

Spotlights
My first memory is actually from that first funeral home...I woke up one night convinced that God was using 2 flashlights to look for someone on Earth. I was really excited about it, until my Mom explained what spotlights were..party pooper :D

Big Bird
We moved to the 2nd funeral home right before my 5th birthday, and I was convinced Mom would forget in the shuffle. She must have known exactly how I felt, because she gave me a birthday I've never forgotten. That night when I went to the dinner table, there was a cake shaped & decorated just like Big Birds head. Awesome!

Little Brother
The most memorable event from this time from was the birth of my brother, Enigma. I don't remember much,
but I do remember seeing him wrapped in the blanket when they brought him home. My sister Princess was probably too young to think much about, but I was very excited.

30 Days of Me: Day 4, Favorite Book

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Along with pretty much anything by Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, Max Lucado. I also adore classic literature, historical fiction, and mysteries.

The Ballad of Gunlover & SpitFire - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:21:00 +0000

You can check out part 1 here.

When my grandmother passed away, I had to fight my shop to get leave to go home. My First Sergeant intervened and I was able to come home. It was quite a shock, and I was so shaken I didn't have my head on straight when I left town. Gunlover came over to see if I needed any help packing, and when my ride showed up, I asked him to lock my house down for me.

Shortly after I left, he noticed I'd left my cell phone at the house. He found the charger, and part of the charging system for my laptop, and called my ride to talk to me so he could get my Moms address. He mailed all of those items to me...overnighted I believe. Meanwhile, he called me daily or more often to see if I was doing okay, to ask about my Mom, and tell me some random silliness to help cheer me up.

When my phone arrived, we texted so often during the events of the week, that people kept asking me who he was. I'd explain he was my best friend back in Holloman. Meanwhile, I made arrangements to keep my promise to show up for the guys birthday. We made it through the arrangements and the funeral, and I left for the birthday.

Okay this story is long, so I'm going to blaze through this part. I arrived, Single Dad picked me up, helped me check in. Over the course of the next 24 hours he: left me alone so he could party with his fraternity, got drunk and showed up at the hotel at 2-3am, passed out drunk on the floor while I tried to tell him go home, turned on the news the next morning to see an impending tornado.

He went out to go see if he could spot the tornado and lit up. He'd told me he didn't smoke, so I was stunned. This guy was everything he claimed he wasn't. A drinker, a smoker, a party boy...I was not happy to say the least. We had an argument about him smoking and he stormed off and left me there. Yep, that's right. Abandoned me at the hotel with a tornado heading directly for the hotel. I tried to call my Mom but the storms were wreaking havoc and I couldn't call anyone.

When the tornado let up, it had touched down right outside the hotel..bent the sign and everything. I called my Mom and told her what had happened...she wasn't happy with Single Dad either. I called Gunlover, and he was REALLY not happy. Single Dad came over later and started playing make-up games. He wanted to take me out to eat at a nice Italian restaurant...take me to the mall..take me to a conservatory. While we were at the restaurant, I was rapidly texting both my sister BookAddict, and Gunlover.

Suddenly I realized that over the course of time I'd fallen in love with Gunlover. And here I was having dinner with another man. To make it worse, as far as I knew, Gunlover had given up on me, and in a long-distance relationship with another girl. I ducked into the restroom and called BookAddict. She wasn't surprised at all...she'd noticed me talking about Gunlover while I was home for the funeral, and saw how he'd checked in with me to make sure I was okay. All she wanted was to talk to him herself, so she could get a feel for what he was like.

That night I couldn't take it anymore. I'm not a fan of doing things over the phone, but I couldn't stand waiting any longer. I called Gunlover and told him I was going to need to talk to him as soon as I got back to Holloman. Of course he doesn't like waiting, so he told me to spit it out. I said that I needed to be careful because I didn't want to come between him and his girlfriend. He laughed and said there was no girlfriend. She hadn't been able to handle the long distance thing, and had gotten back with her old boyfriend.

I carefully explained that I realized my feelings for him had changed. He quietly reminded me that he'd liked me from the beginning. From there, we'd been good friends for a while, so things moved swiftly. My grandmother passing away, and our military lifestyle had taught us that you never know what life will bring. Live like there's no tomorrow. I told him I loved him in April, May we told our parents we were engaged, June we got married. And we haven't looked back since. Jewel absolutely adores him & considers him to be her father.

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Quirky Things About Me

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:59:00 +0000

Okay, it's time again for everyone to come up with a list of 10 things. It can be as random or as focused as you like. Then you link up at OhAmanda's and spread some linky love. This week, I'm doing 10 quirky things about me. Last week Buckhead Betty did 10 Quirky Things About Her, and asked everyone to leave something quirky in the comments. She thought mine was amusing and suggested that I make my own post on that subject. So here you go Betty..this ones for you. :)

1. French Fries
Ahh the one that started it all. If I eat French Fries, without fail I will get hiccups. Every. Single. Time.

2. I love, love pretty high-heeled shoes.
But I love, love, love going barefoot. So I compromise. If I'm at church, I keep them on for choir (required), and kick them off for the rest of the service. If I'm doing a concert, I keep them on for the first song or 2, apologize to the crowd and kick them off. (At which point I can longer stand behind a podium or pulpit, or I would become the mysterious voice from nowhere.)

3. I love painting my toenails, but I hate painting my fingernails.
Why? It's not that I'm anti fingernail painting. Quite to the contrary..I love my nails being painted, and I especially love painting fingernails...just not mine. I'm notoriously impatient, and while I can sit still long enough to paint someone elses (because I'm doing something), if I paint my nails I will end up munging the paint long before it's had opportunity to dry. However my toes do not go into pockets (very often), so they have more opportunity to dry. Besides only one person gets that close to my toes, and he knows better than to say anything.

4. I sing during anything and everything.
I sing during the shower. I sing while I'm dressing the baby. I sing while I'm watching TV...no not the commercial's...the actual show.

5. I prefer organic fruits and veggies, look for products that are BPA & phthalates free, use all natural cleaners...
But I will use a paper towel in a heartbeat, my babies wear disposable diapers, and I will wear leather like it's nobody's business. My apologies to the "Chik'n" loving cows, but Mama likes steak. :D

6. Speaking of singing, I was a hardcore, warrior Airman, proudly wearing my uniform..
And singing the Backyardigan's theme song while on shift...yessir I did my combat boots proud. And let's not even talk about Bob the Builder...

7. I spend nearly my entire day on the computer, doing medical transcripts, researching, talking to Gunlover...
And I will still forget to post to my blog!

8. I have the most eclectic fashion sense...
I have some gothic inspired pieces, and some cowgirl inspired pieces, and some rocker inspired pieces, and some preppy inspired pieces.....etc. I can combine a gothic top & western skirt, and completely rock it, because it suits me somehow. And I'm the only person I know who owns knee high, 5 inch heel, patent leather boots, and manages to not look like a drag queen.

9. I am an ADD pray-er.
I set out all determined to be serious, dedicated and Godly. "Dear Lord, I come before you now..blah blah blah". Then something happens to distract me.."oh wait..I wonder if I turned the oven off". Guilt! "Sorry Lord..okay..I also wanted to pray over sister so-and-so..she's feeling sick." Another distraction.."oh speaking of sick, I wonder if so-and-so had their baby yet." Crap! I did it again!! "Sorry Lord...."

10. Speaking of ADD, I have literally been pegged as borderline ADD & borderline OCD.
Of all the screwy combinations in the world, this is mine. Which explains my cleaning style..I start off fiercely scrubbing everything in the kitchen down. I run across a toy on the floor. I take the toy to the room, and while I'm there I see laundry that needs run. I get the laundry running and on the way back from the laundry room, I see trash overflowing in the bathroom..I take the trash to the kitchen to combine it with that trash, and suddenly remember what I was doing in the first place.

Alright now the fun really begins! What are you quirky 10 things? What are you favorite Crayola colors? Seriously these lists can be anything!!! Link it up, and I'll come check yours out. :)

30 Days of Me: Day 3, Favorite TV Shows

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:36:00 +0000

Alright! I'm not even going to mess around with categories today. I'm just going to say what a few of my favorite shows are. :) But true to form, no I won't be picking just one.

Favorite TV Shows

The Ballad of Gunlover & SpitFire - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:19:00 +0000

Today's my anniversary, and I've been promising that I would tell our rather unique love story. I thought today was the perfect opportunity, and I've the title figured out for weeks. :) It's a hair long, as all good love stories are, so settle in and enjoy the ride, 'cause I sure have.

We've all heard stories of love at first sight. This is not one of those stories. When I first met him, I didn't even realize I met him. My friend & I were at the community center on base, and I left to go order pizza while she chatted with a buddy of hers. I came back to let her know when our order was up, and apparently that's when he saw me. That's right he saw me. I, I'm ashamed to admit, barely noticed him.

Later when my friend called me, she informed me that Gunlover had been asking about me. My response was a confused "Gunlover who?" She described him as the nerdy looking guy playing on the computer. Let me tell you, that really impressed me. Not! To further demolish his chances, she explained that he had been told he had no shot with me because he smoked. After my ex-husbands very disrespectful attitude towards my smoke sensitivity and later having asthmatic issues, I refused to be with a smoker again.

A few months later, I was wrapping gifts at the BX for an Air Force Sergeants Associate fundraiser. He came walking by, and out of nowhere asked me if I'd eaten. I hadn't, so he offered to go buy pizza...I should have known it would be love..he brought me back a certain green soda that loves Maryland's postal code. (Ha!) I didn't want to give him my phone number, so I gave him my MySpace info, and told him I'd be out of town for the holidays, but I'd talk to him when I got home.

Now this boy is not only persistent, he's genius! He used my MySpace information, to get my email address. From my email address, he found my Amazon wishlist and when I came home from Christmas leave, I had 2 presents in my mailbox. I was a little intrigued, but still didn't want to date him. He still smoked, and I wasn't sure about having anyone in my life so soon after the divorce.

My ex-husband ate me out of house & home, and my metabolism got very used to that. I had whole days that Gunlover would call to ask me when I'd eaten last, and I couldn't remember. When he realized that I wouldn't even notice being hungry, he started taking me to go eat after work, or coming over and cooking for me. (Yes ladies, he cooks!) The first time he took me out to eat, I broke down crying and had to excuse myself. He asked me for a date so many times, I was convinced he was going to do it again, and I didn't want to tell him no again. He was being so sweet to me, but I still didn't think he was for me.

Meanwhile I met a guy online (yeah I know....), who was a single Dad with a daughter around Jewel's age. And he too was going through an ugly court battle. We talked for several months, and eventually I decided to go visit him. I was going to fly, since he was on the other side of the country, and be with him on his birthday. The week before I was going to go see him, my grandmother passed away.

**I will continue tomorrow. :) I leave you with a picture from when we were hanging out as friends. (I don't know what is up with that mustache!) Love the short hair from my military days? lol

30 Days of Me: Day 2, Favorite Movie

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Okay here we go with day 2. And once again, I just can't pick only one. And even worse, once I broke it into categories, I still couldn't pick just one. I'm in biiiiiiig trouble...sorry Gunlover!!! So here goes...

My Favorite Romantic Comedies

My Favorite Romantic Drama

My Favorite Musical

My Favorite Action

My Favorite Comedy

My Favorite Animated Movie

**Just like before, click here to see Gunlover's answers.

30 Days of Me: Day 1, Favorite Song

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:08:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I hope you're having a fabulous Saturday. As promised, here's the beginning of 30 days of solid posting from me. And this will be in addition to whatever posts I would normally make. So hopefully this makes up for the recent lack of consistency. :)

This 30 Day post has been making rounds amongst the military spouse bloggers. I personally got it from One Lucky Monkey, who got it from Mr. Superman and Mrs. S, Dog Tags and Pearls, A lot 'o Curls and a High & Tight, and Just to Breath You In I am Satisfied.

The 30 Days are as follows:
Day 1: Your favorite song
Day 2: Your favorite movie
Day 3: Your favorite television program
Day 4: Your favorite book
Day 5: Your favorite quote
Day 6: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 7: A photo that makes you happy
Day 8: A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 9: A photo you took
Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11: A photo of you taken recently
Day 12: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13: A fictional book
Day 14: A non-fictional book
Day 15: A fanfic
Day 16: A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17: An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19: A talent of yours
Day 20: A hobby of yours
Day 21: A recipe
Day 22: A website
Day 23: A YouTube video
Day 24: Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25: Your day, in great detail
Day 26: Your week, in great detail
Day 27: This month, in great detail
Day 28: This year, in great detail
Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30: Whatever tickles your fancy

Day One, Favorite Song: Sorry guys, this is gonna be a little bit of a longer post, lol. There's no way I can pick just one. To ask anyone to choose one song is difficult, to ask a singer is nearly impossible. So by category...

Favorite Hymn - The video is a bit yuck, but this is one of my favorite versions

My Favorite Praise & Worship Song - We used to attend church with the woman who wrote this

Favorite Song That Makes You Think of Your Spouse

Favorite Song That Makes You Wanna Dance Every Time

Okay, I could go on, but I'll spare y'all. :) Hope you enjoyed the peek into me.

**If you want to see Gunlover's answers, take a sneaky-peek over at Bullets & Music Notes.

Change, Change, Change

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Well props to Household 6 Diva again. She has a nifty commenting system, that fixed the very issue I've had since I started my blog. Replying to comments is cludgy. I can leave a comment in reply, but it might be 4 comments down from the one I want to reply to. And I have to clarify who I'm responding too, since it's so far down. Enter Disqus. It works with Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad, and a slew of other sites. And I'm able to reply to your posts, so we can have a conversation now!!!!

Apologies, Recap & Awesome Blogging Community

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:45:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I've been really sporadic about my posts on here, and the other 2 blogs. Have no fear, I'm not burning out already, and I haven't been ill. I'm visiting my family, and our church here has been doing a week-long marriage conference.

Now contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have an endangered marriage to attend a conference. And isn't it better to learn how to protect your marriage before there's an issue, rather than after? I took my first step in getting ahead of the game when I read Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages. When this conference came up, I got excited! For starters, I love our pastor, but I thought it was awesome that a marriage conference was the week before my anniversary.

So to make up for the inconsistent posts, I'll be participating in a 30 Day post that's been making rounds amongst the military spouses. (Who will be credited on the 1st of those posts. :) )

Speaking of military spouses. I ran across an awesome blogging community at Household 6 Diva. She's got it broken down between military spouses, and military supportive. Check her out, she also has a great article on OPSEC & PERSEC.

Welcome to our love Coffee Girls!!!!! What are you drinking today? :)

The Adventures of Ellery Queen and the Lasagna

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:00:00 +0000

This post is the 1st of 15. We are writing our way through our youth over at Mommy's Piggy TALES. Check it out! :)

I was born at the foot of the mountains, so I'm told. They must have made a good first impression, 'cause I love the mountains to this day. I was also born early on a Sunday morning. My Dad teases me by complaining that I made him miss an episode of Ellery Queen.

My Mom's babies nearly always come late, but as I was the first, she had no way of knowing that. Her doctor checked her over, and there were no signs of impending labor, so he left town for a few days. That Saturday, my Mom went out shopping with my grandmother. They wandered all around 2 very large shopping malls, for the majority of the day. When my Mom got home, her feet were sore & her ankles swollen, so my grandmother told her to rest while she fixed lasagna. Wouldn't you know...my Mom didn't get to eat lasagna that night. That's what she teases me about.

So of course, her doctor was still out of town, so they had to call in a different doctor. The doctor in question had been at a luau party, and came to the delivery room in white pants & a Hawaiian shirt. My mom remembers thinking "oh great, Magnum PI is going to deliver my baby." She was relieved to find out that he was very laid back, with a great sense of humor. He reassured her that he was just there to let her do her thing.

Now let me tell you. I'm jealous of my Mom's birthing experience. The hospital room had an honest to God bed in it. Not a hospital bed. A real-deal king sized bed. And, the first dinner they gave you after having the baby, was served by candlelight. I think my first dinner after Jewel was stale chicken surprise..or something like that. Mom & Dad had a steak dinner by candlelight. In a hospital?!?!

About a month after I was born, the doctors decided that I was too small. I was happy, and strong, but they were used to formula-fed children, so I looked tiny by comparison. They were so certain that I was underweight, my Mom was told that I wouldn't live past 3 months. Never mind that I lifted my head well, amazed them with my grip on their fingers, and could kick beautifully. Never mind that both my parents are short.

Happily, the doctors were wrong (as they frequently have been about me) and I'm still here. (And I'm still short..shhh)

Kindle Giveaway - Check It Out

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:50:00 +0000

Okay check it out. If you love romance novels this will up your alley. If you want a Kindle, this will be up your alley. If you don't like either one, sign up anyway and send me the Kindle, lol. You can get all the info right here. Hint: Even if you don't like romance novels, don't worry...this is really easy to enter. You just have to answer a question, and they give you the answer. When you enter, tell Tina that SpitFire sent you. :)

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Things I Love About Gunlover

noreply@blogger.com (SpitFire) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 07:11:00 +0000

So our anniversary is coming up...I can't believe it's been 1 year already! In that one year, I got pregnant, he deployed, I flew 15-16 hours to Asia to see him for Thanksgiving, I drove 14 hours to GA, I unpacked while becoming ever rounder, he made it home for the birth of Bunny, left 1 week later, and now I'm in TX to try and bring our beloved Jewel home. What a first year of marriage! So here's to you babe. :) These are not in any particular order.

1. His impeccable military bearing.
He is calm in every situation. Our wedding day. The day I discovered I had bronchitis by coughing up a handful of blood. The day I had massive prego brain, forgot which direction our parking entrance was, and backed into a dumpster. The day we had Bunny. Through it all, my man was/is a rock.

2. His looks.
Okay, I'm his wife. Forgive the momentary, mandatory spousal mushiness. I love his green eyes, that change shades depending on his mood. I love his arms muscled from mechanical work. I love the shape of his nose. I the ever-so-slight cleft to his chin (even if his family calls it a butt-chin..yuck!). I love how looks when he grows his hair out...which isn't often.

3. The juxtaposition of his looks & his personality - Part 1
There's a picture I love, that will be at the end of this post. He's holding my sister Sweetpea, when she was still very small. You can tell he works hard, because you can see the curve of his arm muscles under his shirt. But he's holding that little girl, better than most men I know. He's gentle, and caring.

4. The juxtaposition of his looks & his personality - Part 2
I get the same sweet feeling when he holds my hand. He has strong, calloused fingers from working on cars as a hobby, and Aerospace Ground Equipment as an Airman. But those rough hands are infinitely gentle when he holds my hand, or our daughters, or my siblings.

5. His perfect height.
He's taller than me by nearly a full foot. But when we go to sleep, and I lay with my head on his shoulder, we're perfectly matched. My body fits there perfectly.

6. The way he always knows how to make me feel better.
When he came home on mid-tour, I wanted so much to look & feel beautiful, just for him. But I was having a hard time feeling pretty, when I was as huge as I was. (I'll include that picture too, so you understand!) My darling Gunlover, told me that's why God made his arms so long, so that he could hold me no matter what size I am.

7. His silliness.
Gunlover has a squirrely sense of humor. He's informed me that I'm not allowed to tell anyone that he's a nice guy, because it'll destroy his "rep." Never mind that word on the street is that he's a nice guy. :P Whoops..guess I just blew his street cred.

8. How he can always get me to smile.
No matter how sad I am, he can always make me smile. Somehow, he knows the perfect thing to say to crack me up. And if that doesn't work, he finds the silliest way to say "Smile!!" that he can possibly think of. And if that doesn't work, he insistently reminds me how badly I want to smile, until I crack up at his persistence.

9. He'll sacrifice anything for his girls.
He has sold some of his dearest possessions when we badly needed money. He's sold paintball equipment, video games, guns, his other car...all because it would help his wife or his daughter. He pretends to be tough, but he has a heart of gold. (Whoops..more street cred just blown..sorry babe!)

10. He's my hero.
He's a military man..what more needs to be said? He loves his parents, and is especially attached to his mama. He's intensely loyal to his siblings. He'll defend his football team to the death. He loves his daughters, and even though one of them isn't his blood, heaven help you if you call her a step-daughter. He loves me, despite all the baggage I came with. He loves his country. He loves his God.

Alright that's it! Enjoy your week. Enjoy the pictures. And please go check out OhAmanda who created this awesome meme!