Update on LIFE

I know I've been majorly slacking on blogging.

Work has just kept me really busy on top of my busy body two year old.

Quick update on Nick...
He's doing great!
He's loving the fact that he gets to yell and scream at candidates all day.
His voice sounds froggy and hoarse, and he sounds tired all the time.

 

Since Nick left again for Quantico after Memorial Day weekend, I've been consumed with work and doctor's appointments.

The ball is FINALLY rolling on my medical board.

The process takes an extremely long time, and it's partly cause the VA is so slow.

I am hoping that with all the drawbacks that the military is doing will speed up the process a little.

Why keep someone in that wants to get out when you're already kicking people out?

My EAS is not until next April, but I'm hoping that this board gets me out of the Marine Corps by the end of the year so that I can have my family together again.

I'll keep everyone posted!

Other than that, Dannika and I have been doing lots of fun things every weekend.

As much as I complain about California, I do appreciate the things that I have.

Being 5 minutes away from the beach affords Dannika and me lots of opportunities that people in other parts of the country don't.

Last weekend, we hit up the Dana Point Ocean Research Center.

It's not your typical "Seaworld" fish aquarium.

It's a place where scientists and Marine biologists study the marine life right off our coast.

They only open it to the public on the weekends, and it's quite a learning experience.

*Excuse the poor quality of my cell phone pics. I am the only person in the world that still owns an old school Blackberry, and I get made fun of about it almost everyday since I am known as the "Apple/Mac Queen". I am patiently waiting on the iPhone 5*

This is an aquarium where scientists study the habits of fish when travelling in schools. It's crazy how they just swim in circles, but all in the same direction!

  

This is the entrance to the Ocean Institute. It's the Dana Point Harbor...beautiful.

 

A pirate ship that they are restoring in the harbor.

 Dannika got to dissect a squid...ok...so she was really freaked out and grossed out by it. Thankfully, there were some tough little boys who happily dissected it for her.

This is the back patio of the research institute. Isn't it GORGEOUS?!

my little surfer girl.

Jellyfish tank.

Today, I decided to take Dannika to the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana.

Nick and I have driven by it several times and have always talked about taking Dannika but of course, that never happened.

I am so glad that I took her!

It was so educational, and Dannika had a blast!

When we first walked in, she was a little freaked out by all the people and the loud noises, but once she got accustomed to the environment, she was all over that place!

Giant pin wall. Not gonna lie, I had the urge to put my entire body against it, but I didn't want to scare little children.

Dinosaur exhibit

Learning about sounds, pitches, and radio frequencies

Learning about elephants

This was my favorite part. They had a pretend grocery store set up, you played little games and quizzes on your shopping cart as you checked off items off of your grocery list.

The day was a success!

I found my old KIA bracelet for my friend Andy that I got back in 2004 when he was killed in Iraq.

I wore it every single day until the day that I married Nick.

I took it off,  because I told myself that Nick was a new chapter in my life, and I was moving forward.

I never looked back.

Today, I put it back on.

I feel like I'm on good terms with his death now, and I can wear it just as a daily reminder of why people like him exist.

Whenever I am mad at the Marine Corps for separating Nick and I, or for whatever reason I come up with, I can look down at my bracelet and remember that God has a plan for everything.

Remember tomorrow is Father's Day!

Don't forget to call the person you consider "dad" and tell him thank you!