Just Say Julie

Last night I had what Shawn calls a “hen party” better known to me as a Pampered Chef party. (Oh, how I love Pampered Chef products!) Apparently, in my husband’s world, women are hens and when we get together it is a hen party. However, much fun was had by all. There is just something great about getting a bunch of women together to just be women even if you don’t all know each other. A few weeks ago, my church sponsored a ladies’ retreat at beautiful conference center in a nearby town (somehow everything is nearby in Central Texas!) It was the most refreshing and relaxing weekend I had had in a long time. Shawn and I had been dealing with a lot of stress about the upcoming deployment before the retreat but life was much happier afterward. It didn’t hurt that he greeted me at the door with flowers upon my return and I had only been gone for 24 hours. The other ladies and I that planned the retreat are already talking about what to do for next year’s retreat. I would love an e...

I borrowed this from Psycho Mommy because…well…I thought it was an interesting way to get to know me even more! Bold the ones you’ve done… 01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink 02. Swam with wild dolphins 03. Climbed a mountain 04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive 05. Been inside the Great Pyramid 06. Held a tarantula. 07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone 08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it 09. Hugged a tree 10. Done a striptease 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise 15. Seen the Northern Lights 16. Gone to a huge sports game 17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa 18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 19. Touched an iceberg 20. Slept under the stars 21. Changed a baby’s diaper 22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon 23. Watched a meteor shower 24. Gotten drunk on champagne 25. Given more than you can afford to charity 26. Looked up at the night sk...

Today has been a typical day in our little world. Shawn left me and Maverick in bed this morning as he headed off to the gym before church. Once Shawn returned, I was showered and partially dressed. Thinking we were good on time, we didn’t rush and as is typical, ended up being about 10 minutes late for Sunday school. After big church (yes at 29 I still call it that), it was off to lunch and a quick trip to the grocery store. Shawn is currently weed eating the front yard while Maverick sunbathes in the back. I should be finishing the house cleaning we started yesterday since I will be having company over tomorrow after work. Shawn will be in the field all next week so I will get some much needed me time. As much as I hate when Shawn is gone, I get really used to having time to myself and being able to follow my own routine. Everything changes when Shawn is home. It took me three months to get Maverick back on track and not waking us up in the middle of the night when Shawn re...

I will be turning 30 this summer. With turning 30 comes a lot of thoughts of getting old and whether or not I have accomplished all I wanted to accomplish by this age. I keep hearing that life begins at 30 but I doubt the truth to that statement. My body is telling me on a daily basis that I am not that young anymore. I have my sore knee and my bad back. However, I have been able to convince myself up to this point that I still looked younger. That was until a couple of nights ago when I had one of those moments that all women (and some men) fear. I was going through my nightly routine preparing for bed. You know, brushing the teeth, washing the face. My part was off so I picked up the brush to brush my hair when I noticed something shiny catching the light in the mirror. At that point, panic set in. So I reach up and grab the offender out of my head and proceed to show it to Shawn. Now my first thought was that it was a residual blond hair from my days of highlighted blond...