Thankful Thursday

I woke up this morning and for about 10 minutes I thought it was Friday! Oh well, that's okay because I have a lot to be thankful for on this Thursday. :)

• I mentioned it earlier, but I am so thankful for Mike's promotion and success at work.
• That we are prepared for this approaching winter storm. Flashlights, candles, lots of food etc. We should be good for a couple of days!
• That Jack Bauer's ear infection isn't bothering him as much today. The poor guy was in some serious pain yesterday.
• That we're actually getting a tax refund this year! (First year ever.) And that the state return was deposited yesterday and the federal refund will be deposited Friday!
• That my baby brother got an xBox and can play online with Mike and his friends. Might not seem important, but since he's a Marine stationed in Japan I know he's excited to have that connection back home! <3

Hope everyone has a great Thursday and stays warm!

Honoring Our Veterans...

Today is Veteran's Day and I wanted to dedicate a post to all our brave men and women who fight for our country... especially the members of my family who serve or have served:
My Dad, Paul- United States Air Force
My Brother, Connor- United States Marine Corps
My Grandpa Tom- United States Air Force
My Biological Father Bill- United States Navy
My Uncles Ray & Mark- United States Marine Corps
My Grandpa Russell- United States Navy & United States Air Force

Some pictures I took on our honeymoon back in 2006 of the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor:

Happy Birthday USMC

Today is the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Last year my brother was celebrating the birthday at boot camp in San Diego. He said it was awesome because boot camp was hell and this day was a little reprieve- they even had birthday cake! This year he's celebrating on a base in Japan. I'm scared to think of where he'll be this time next year. I am so proud of him and he is so proud to be a Marine!

And of course I have to include a few pictures of my favorite Marine:

He was showing off his Devil Dog tattoo (I mean isn't it almost a rule that a Marine has to have a Marine tattoo? haha) on our way to drop him off on his first deployment. And I love the super cheesy picture of us- that's the smile you get from Connor after you've forced him to take hundreds of pictures!

Miss you little brother!

Way Back Wednesday

I'm finally participating!

this picture is old- almost 20 years old! It's also seen better days- the top corner is ripped- hence my fancy editing. haha. But I love this picture so much! I convinced my little brother to dress up... in a kimono! Connor is in Japan right now and I miss him terribly.