Boys Will Be Boys

This weekend, I finally got to see Patrick after almost 2 months (we have been truly blessed in that last semester, we saw each other about every 3 weeks, so this was the longest we had gone during the school year). I drove down Friday after my calc exam and we hung out with Patrick's sponsor family after he made some delicious pizza for dinner. We hung around until it was time for Patrick to head back to the Academy. He had practice bright and early Saturday morning. He was done his 7am practice a  little earlier than normal. We went out to breakfast at the double T diner. It was delicious!! Well, I don't know how truly good it was, but they had cannolis which gave them extra bonus points. We headed back to his sponsors to hang around until his second practice. While Patrick was on the water, I hung out with Jenn. We went to Whole Foods to get a delicious lunch, then we headed back to DTA to eat. It got a little chilly so we ate inside on the yard. We had the intentions of going shopping but we ended up just sitting and talking and lost track of time. Patrick finished up and we went out to get delicious crepes from Sofis! After that, we watched the Lady Mids (?) beat Holy Cross in the Patriot League championship basketball game! They definitely are not the lady blue hens, but the game was fun. Jenn left after the game and we went to a house that one of Patrick's friends' parents rented for the crew team for the week. They had an amazing dinner set up and the house was gorgeous! Liam's mom was absolutely amazing and I thought it was adorable that Liam, his mom, and his dad all were wearing blue and white. They matched perfectly! (sorry Liam).

The highlight of my WHOLE trip was getting to spend time with some truly important people. My readers really mean a lot to me and I know I've kept these particular readers on the edge of their seats waiting for my next post. I thought I would dedicate a section of this post to these wonderful, upstanding young fellows.

Liam, Evan, Austin, Jack, Jordan, Patrick, Conor, and Danny

These fine young gentlemen make up with Freshman lightweight 1st boat. They enjoy long walks on the yard, erging, and reading blogs. Perrier is the beverage of choice for these lovely midshipman. They will graduate in 4 years from the United States Naval Academy and have some very big plans for the future (ask Austin, he has some very well thought out plans). I don't know where my blog would be today without these 7 readers. Thank you for reading and enlightening me to some lovely dinner conversation, boys!

With that said, I have one more picture to upload, thanks to Jack!

He's always looking out for me!

I have so much more to write about but I am exhausted!

Surprise, surprise!

This weekend was the second weekend of recruitment. Friday night, I found out the 5 sororities I would get to see this weekend. I was pretty happy with the ones I got asked back to, especially because it included a few of my favorites. Recruitment is amazing because I really do believe everything happens for a reason and I'll end up where I end up because that's where I'm truly meant to be.

Saturday morning I had to be up at 10 for recruitment because I had to be at Clayton hall at 10:45. I got a good morning text from Patrick at 7:45. I responded with "It's Saturday! I can sleep more!" he responded and I asked why It was time to wake up. I was told I should be up because he was awake. To that, I said "well I will text you back when my alarm goes off at 10". At 8:26, my phone rang "Come get the door." WHAT?!?!?!?! I ran out of my room and there was Patrick, standing at the door. I wanted to cry and scream and jump on him all at once (I did not end up crying though). He was heading home for the weekend to see his brother and sister for their birthday. His mom graciously took the longer way home and let him stop by:) I was the happiest person EVER! I wasn't expecting to see him for at least three more weeks! Being completely surprised was on my bucketlist. I am not the most awake person in the morning so I didn't think how weird it was for him to be texting me that early in the morning. After I jumped on him, his mom and friend came inside. His mom checked her email while his friend called his parents. I was just in utter shock. I couldn't stop hugging him and smiling that he was actually there. While we were still standing at the door, he handed me a little gold box I hadn't noticed. Inside, it had the most beautiful bracelet!

With the background, you can't really tell, but it's beaded pink, my favorite color! Our Valentine's day was a little different than most this year, because we both truly surprised each other, but I wouldn't change anything for the world!!! I am the luckiest girl out there!

Tomorrow, I will most likely be writing another post, so I will stop here! Can't wait to see what bid night brings!

A day to Celebrate Love

I've been slacking on my posts. I've just been sooo busy lately! It is crazy! This past weekend started recruitment. It has been a whirlwind and the most amazing experience. It continues this weekend and Friday we start with up to 5 houses. I've been more outgoing, more confident, and happier than I've been in awhile. Friday, I did get extremely sick from recruitment. My head, my nose, my throat, all were ready to explode. I slept ALL day yesterday. And that is not an exaggeration. I can't wait to write my blog post about bid night and where I end up!!

Last weekend, we also go our pictures!! Megan's computer happened to die on her right after our session. If you are ever in the Annapolis area (or wherever she gets moved next!), I definitely suggest megancable.com . You will not be disappointed.

Today happens to be Valentines day. It was spent in class, waiting for class, eating, waiting to eat, nothing fun. One of my good friend's boyfriend asked me to do him a huge favor. He asked me to hand deliver a Valentines day present to her. They both really needed this and I am so happy that I can help make someone else's day. (Oh, and my mommy is coming to visit me on Friday for Valentine's day:)

I also was a part of another little surprise. My boyfriend is the most amazing guy I have ever met. Patrick is my best friend. He will do absolutely anything for anyone. I have never met anyone who can make me nearly as happy, feel nearly as special, or that I can trust with anything at all. He is the absolutely perfect person for me. I am truly blessed to say he is my boyfriend. I can't imagine ever being with anyone else. So, I figured a little V-day present might be nice. Patrick tends to be the hardest person to get a present for because he honestly wants NOTHING (its nice but not when you're the kind of person who LOVES doing things for others). So, being a boy who loves to eat, I ordered food for him. His awesome roommate, Patterson, helped me carry out my little plan. And it was carried out flawlessly (as far as I know). And I have no reason to suspect Patrick had any idea. I love doing little things (or big things) to brighten up peoples' day. It's what I live for. I only wish I was more creative and able to do more things more often!

Finally, I want to give a shout out to my most loyal readers: Austin, Jordan, Liam, Conor, Danny, and all of you other boys who can't get enough of this blog. I wouldn't be anything without you. You guys are what makes me excited for my next blog post! So thank you for reading so religiously!

You are 16, going on 17.

Okay, while the title may seem irrelevant to the post, I'm not crazy. Just wait a bit.

This weekend was awesome. It was a much needed break to my still-going-on winter break lounging around my house being lazy. Friday, I started my trip with a ride to my cousin's house. She lives in Joppatowne, Maryland with her husband and three girls. They are absolutely amazing!!! We made cool bracelets, ate chinese, made rice crispy treats, and a ton of other things. It was a blast to finally visit them at home. And I just have to say, her youngest, Lily, is absolutely hysterical.

Saturday, I woke up to (unexpected by me) snow. Madison came in the room saying there was a ton of snow and it wasn't stopping. I got so worried! I was supposed to be in Annapolis by 10 and how could I drive?! It turned out that it wasn't so bad outside and it wasn't snowing anymore. It was actually pretty. After an entertaining breakfast (Lily wanted all of the grapes but would stick them in her mouth and then give them to the dog), we went out to start my car. Turns out, quite a bit of snow had fallen and we needed to clean it off. Their neighbor must've thought we looked a little helpless and he offered his ice scraper to us. Upon it's return, he suggested I invest in one since it tends to snow around there. Sorry bud, I don't live there and didn't think it was going to snow that much. I said I'd look into one on my trip which he shot down saying everyone was going to be out buying them. Thanks, bro. Then I was off! The trip to Annapolis was much easier than expected, though I didn't arrive until 11. I picked Patrick up and we waited by Starbuck's to meet a friend. After Starbuck's, we went to whole foods and got some food for me for later. Yum!!! Then we went to P.F. Chang's for lunch. It was great! Our waiter was super talkative, it was funny. Then we headed over to Patrick's sponsor's to relax. We watched Off Their Rockers and some other Betty White stuff and talked to his sponsor parents. They crack me up. It was time to head back to the Academy. I always hate that part, but it's not nearly as bad when you know you'll be back tomorrow. After a quick goodbye, Patrick left with his shit ton of stuff from home, and I was on my way to the lovely Michelle's house. First of all, let me say, she has the most ADORABLE dogs. I am in love!! We stayed up talking a bit later than I should have but it was definitely worth it.

Sunday, I woke up at 6:30 to do my hair and makeup and get dressed for pictures!! After going to bed at 1, I was exhausted. I left a bit earlier than necessary, not accounting for the fact most normal people are asleep at that time on Sundays. I found a great parking spot right by gate 1 and even managed to park there for longer than 2 hours, lucky me. I met Patrick on my favorite walkway, that happens to be musical (not really, I just think it sounds funny which Patrick finds entertaining). We walked over to Bancroft and were met almost immediately by the lovely Megan Rossovskij ( megancable.com ). We had an absolute blast during our photo session! It was freezing but she still managed to deal with our silliness (I hope we didn't scare her off). At one point, I suggested going on these awesome benches and doing the whole Sound of Music "You are 16, going on 17" bench dancing while holding hands picture, but it was shot down. It did get Megan to sing a bit for us, though. Okay, maybe only a line or two, but still. The few pictures I've seen so far were amazing and now I'm anxiously awaiting the rest! She was awesome to work with, and we definitely would love to do another session when we get the chance (in the spring, perhaps?). After our two hours with Megan were up, who is hilarious by the way, we were a bit hungry. She suggested, well demanded, we try Sofi's crepes ASAP. So we said our goodbyes, I ran to my car to change, and ordered some crepes for our brunch. We ate in Dalghren and were awkwardly quiet because some football player was having an interview behind us. The quietness made it even more awkward! But, we enjoyed our crepes and it was nice to just relax. Then we headed over to mass in a part of the chapel I had never seen before. It was just as beautiful as the main part! We sat there and froze, even though we were inside with our coats on. Bad circulation is not something I would suggest having while spending time in 25 degree weather. After mass, it was time to go, unfortunately. But the weekend had been more than a success. It was absolutely perfect! And I'm really thankful Patrick decided to put up with my picture idea and have fun with it. He's pretty awesome. The drive home was crazy because I was exhausted. But, I finally made it safe and sound.

Now, I'm waiting to see if Megan lets us sneak a peek at any more pictures. I'm in love already after only 2 pictures! I can't wait for a blogpost dedicated to our photo session!

Winter break - part 2

Well, I have finally got around to blogging after procrastinating for weeks. The sad thing is, I forget a ton of things I wanted to talk about. Here is a list of a few things Patrick and I did before he went back to school:

• Bowling - this was a fail. We wanted to go on a double date with our friends, Nick and Jess, but we got to the bowling alley and there was a 2 hour wait. According to the boys, it was welfare night. What great catches we have.
• New Years Eve Day - I went with my mom to visit my aunt in Toms River. All of her daughters and their kids were there so it was awesome! She is my mom's younger sister but she has 5 grandchildren, 3 girls and 2 boys. They are some of the cutest kids I've ever seen!
• New Years Eve - Patrick and I went to a party with some of his old crew friends. They all have really nice girlfriends, but I wasn't really close with any of them. BUT, then one of my DP girls walked in!!! It was the best moment of that night. We ended up getting another of our friends to come, it was awesome. I ended up going back later that night to pick Kristina and Michele up, so we had a slumber party:)
• Friendly's - After New Years, we met up with some of Michele's friends at Friendly's. Even though I'm not close with most of these girls (except Liz) I love hanging out with them. They are HILARIOUS!
• John Campbell's - If you grew up in Somers Point, that night was epic. This is the kid (I feel bad saying this) that no one was friends with nor did they want to talk to. He was kinda annoying and not cute enough for it to be overlooked. This was a HUGE deal. And I swear, my whole entire grade was at this kid's house.
• Sherlock Holmes - Patrick, his brother, Matthew, and I went to see the new Sherlock Holmes. It was awesome! There was one part that bothered me, but I don't want to give anything away.

Hmm..I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton of fun things, but I'll leave it at that.

That Friday, I drove with Julie to take Patrick back to the Academy. Of all the drives back to the Academy, this was one of my least favorite. But, we had a wonderful walk before he had to go and it was nice just to do something a little relaxing.

The next day, I went to the beach with Tori, one of my good friends since junior high. The beach is one of the few places that always makes me happy, no matter who I am with. There were a ton of dogs and it was gorgeous out! We had fun taking pictures of the water, sun, and, of course, ourselves. Later that night, I went to Starbucks with Jess. We definitely had a ton of catching up to do. She's one of the people I miss most at school.

That Wednesday, I went up to Monmouth with Jess to look at houses for her to live in next year with a few of her friends. I had never been to Monmouth and it's a lot prettier that I thought! Annie was filmed in one f the halls. It's crazy. And the school is right by the beach. It's gorgeous! I can't wait until I can finally visit her.

Thursday, I went with my dad to my grandmother's house. It was weird being back for the first time after she passed away. It still looks the same as the last time I'd been there. And her kids have been working on cleaning it out for months!! I found so much cool stuff though. I found some pearls, tennis bracelets, cross necklaces, and a gorgeous ring I was able to take home. I also found some World War I medals that I thought were crazy cool. My favorite thing that I found that day was a box of letters to my grandmother from my grandfather while he was in the Army during WWII. I've read a few and it's amazing to see some similarities between my grandparents and Patrick and me. 

Friday, I took  my first pilates class! It was with reformer machines and beyond awesome! It was just Ruthie, this fabulous instructor, Julie, Kara, and me. I had a wonderfl time, especially since I hadn't seen them in a few days.

Saturday, I went over Patrick's house to make dinner with Kara. We made crab topped portobello mushrooms, cous cous stuffed peppers, mini salads, and crepes. Everything came out perfectly! Then we headed downstairs to watch Miss America. If nothing else, I can say I always have a fun time with those Dods' girls.

Sunday, I went to church with my family and we went out to lunch at the diner. After that, I went shopping for my I-ball dress! And I had to make a tough decision between two absolutely gorgeous dresses.

Monday, I went to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D with Michele and Kristina. I LOVED it. In case you didn't know, it is my all time favorite Disney movie, and I will sing along the whole time. My I-ball dress happens to look a bit like Belle's dress. After that, I went back and visited the Dance Place. It really reminded me how much I miss dancing, and how happy I've been since last recital. I NEED to find a way to get back to dancing at school. I did finally remember to get my recital DVD from last year (and from 2008?). So I spent my night watching it last nigh. It was awesome.

Today, I spent ALL day baking for Patrick this weekend. I love baking and find it kind of therapeutic but addicting. I found out some more information about a possible addition to our family. And I called my cousin to find out a few more details about staying at her house this weekend.

Whew! I think I'm finally all caught up! This weekend should hold a few more stories that I can't wait to share! I'll be visiting my cousin and then heading down to Annapolis! I'll keep you posted!

A Christmas Story - Minus Pictures! Part 1

Well, I have been trying to make a post for at least 2 weeks! I've wanted to since before Christmas, but didn't want to give away anyone's presents! And now, I have been trouble uploading pictures (well, finding them) from iPhoto. So, this post will be boring because of the lack of pictures. So, I will start back at the beginning...

December 16, I ventured back to Delaware to take my last final, ex sci. I finished within 45 minutes and was on my way back home! IT WAS WINTER BREAK!!!! The next day, my wonderful boyfriend took his final exam and made his way home! I did not get to see him, so finally on Sunday, we were reunited! (on a side note, his sister came home early, similarly to how I came home between exams, Yay Kara!!!!) The whole Dods clan was once again together!

That Thursday, Jason, Patrick and I were off to Delaware/PA to help prepare for Willia (no, that's not how it is spelled, but how it is pronounced. I've never seen the spelling well enough to remember it). We went by way of Wegman's and "rower friend I do not know's" household. Patrick happened to forget his uniform for the All Academies Ball and this lovely gentleman picked it up for him! Jason spoiled us by letting us get food at Wegman's. Next stop: Hockhessin, DE, home of the Thurrell family, and some mean pierogie making parties. There were plenty of hands willing to help, so I went with the lovely Aunt Amy back to her house to prepare for the dinner the next night. I absolutely love spending time with Aunt Amy!!!! And to be honest, I'm kinda happy she isn't moving!! That means she might possibly want to steal me away from school at some point again:) Anyway, the boys ended up coming back with her three kids. If I remember correctly, a ton of video games were being played while I made food trays for the next day and Aunt Amy made fried rice. The video games continued until the kids went to bed. Then, we watched our new favorite show "The Big Bang Theory". The next day, Patrick, Jason, and Uncle Bob went for a run. Right when they got back, Aunt Amy and I left with the kids for kickboxing! It was killer, but I loved it! We came back and worked on final prep for dinner. Then, the rest of Patrick's family arrived at his grandparent's house, so back we went. After presents, we went back to Amy's. Almost time for dinner! Polish Christmas Eve dinner has become one of my favorite traditions!! I am so happy to have been included!

Saturday, I don't really remember what I did that day, but that night was my family's traditional Christmas Eve party. After a lovely church service (Christmas Eve service is my favorite!), we went back to my house to wait for our guests. Along with my family, two of our neighborhood families, along with my mom's good friend and her family, have always came. This year, our one neighborhood family couldn't come, but the Dods' came for the second year!! It was awesome.

Christmas day, we woke up and had an amazing time opening presents together. I have come to realize, my favorite part of Christmas is the time leading up to it, along with the look on someone's face when they open something you gave them, and they absolutely love it. After presents, we went up to my Uncle Rob's house to visit my family. I love seeing everyone! We went home and I headed over to Patrick's house. His mom offered to have their priest over for dinner after his last mass. He is quite the funny guy! definitely not what I would expect.

Monday, it was the day of our first All Academies Ball! Man, was I excited!! My lovely friend, Victoria, offered to do my hair! She also lent me a ton of accessories for that night. It looked great! I did my makeup, got dressed, and headed over to Patrick's with my mom for pictures. By this point, he really was wondering what he had gotten himself into. He didn't have a clasp he needed for his uniform and his mom had been running around all morning looking for something that would work. He was not  a happy camper. We took a few pictures and were on our way! Boy, was he in for a surprise. For some reason, he happened to disregard all of the stories and info I told him about this ball. He turned ghost white as soon as he saw all of the high ranking officers in the reception room. I was in trouble! The silly boy didn't pay attention to anything I said, and therefore was freaking out about his uniform! Well, eventually he calmed down and we actually had a blast!! He will even admit it! We got to sit with June and Foster,  a lovely couple we kinda sorta knew because June goes to UDel! Foster goes to West Point, but it was great to sit together. We also sat with this awesome firstie's family. Well, we didn't talk much to the kids, but the parents were great!!! They were stationed in Guam when they had their first son! How cool!? But, Patrick's favorite part of the night had to be that he actually made money! For some reason, he was told we were all paid up before he even sent a check! He was worried about that and was ready to pay when we got there. Well, we checked in and no one said a thing! So we were even. But, every mid/cadet got a visa giftcard, Score!!!! So, the night wasn't too bad for Patrick anyway! We still aren't sure how that worked out, but if someone out there paid for us, thank you so much!! It's the little things like that that can make your day!

Okay, so I haven't even come close to finishing Patrick's winter break/the first half of my winter break. But this post is way long and I am getting tired, so I will try to finish up with a second post in the next few days!!!

unbeaTEN: a Decade of Dominance. Oh and the End of my First semester at College

Well, these past few days have been pretty awesome. Wednesday was my last day of classes this semester. Thursday was spent "studying". By studying, I mean goofing around and having a blast with my friends before we left for school. Friday, I got my bio and chem finals out of the way. WOOHOO!!!! No more chem until next semester!!!! And then my daddy came to get me and move me out of my dorm. So I am officially back home!! When I got home, I had a package waiting for me!

It's a beautiful ornament for the usnagfs ornament exchange:) Brittany made it perfectly!! And it just so happens to also have the lyrics to one of my all time favorite songs on it which is also the title of my blog! I am in love with it!!

I showered and tried to get to bed at a decent time (I failed miserably) because I was going to have an early day. Oh wait. I almost forgot. December 9th also happens to be a special day for another reason. It just to happens to be a certain boy's birthday...the first one spent at the Academy and the first of many we won't be spending together. But that's okay:) It will always be one of my favorite days of the year!! And with that being said, you must be wondering about his birthday present...

Saturday morning, I was awake at 6am. I was out of my house and into a car by 6:31. By 10:30 I was in the parking lot at Redskins Stadium, ready to freeze my butt off for the next few hours. I happened to be at a very particular football game. It is one of the biggest rivalries, if not the biggest, in college football. I got to walk around and find where my seat was. Then I went down to sit at the 50 yard line to watch students from both schools parade on to the field. Yep, I was at the Army-Navy game. And no, my boyfriend did not know. I had ridden down with his parents. His mom forgot one or two times that he didn't know I would be there and would ask whether I talked to him or knew if he was there yet. It was quite entertaining. After the march on, he said he'd be able to find his parents. I was so worried he would see me before I saw him. Uh oh. He told us he was standing where we were but we hadn't found him yet. I started frantically looking and spotted him! I told his mom and made a mad dash for it while he was looking the other way. I went up behind him and covered his eyes. He couldn't even guess who it might be! He turned around, surprised, and gave me a kiss! I couldn't be happier:) He said he had NO idea what so ever that I would be at the game. I successfully surprised him, something I never thought I would be able to pull off:) While we couldn't sit together, it was amazing to get to see him again so soon! I did get to sit next to a retired subs officer and his family. He was quite entertaining haha. And, I got to witness the 10th Navy win against Army!! 10 years in a row. One whole decade. I cannot imagine how it feels to lose that much. Kudos to Navy for kicking some black night butt. We said our goodbyes after the game, but they weren't so bad since I'd be seeing him again in exactly a week!!! And, we got to text all night, which is very rare! I was one happy camper.

Today, I slept in till 2, a record for me! I will say I was up until 1:30, and quite exhausted from the Army-Navy game. At 4, I had an interview to nanny for one of my mom's students. I got the job! I start tomorrow and cannot wait!! I will finally be making some money, but not only that, I LOVE kids. Anyone who knows me knows I kind of have an obsession. So this is the perfect job for me! I cannot wait to start!! Then my mommy and I went shopping.  I love spending time with her and really miss it at school. Then, we came home, ordered dinner since everyone was too exhausted to cook, and I worked on a little present I'm making. This weekend was very successful if I do say so myself! I now have to finish all of my christmas presents in the next two weeks and I need to go dress shopping! I LOVE getting dressed up more than anything:) And in less than one week, Patrick will be home for 3 whole weeks!!!! Yay!! I will leave you on that happy note!!

Thanksgiving: a Time to Count Your Blessings

This Thanksgiving break showed me how much I truly have to be thankful for. I was lucky enough to come home a few days early. I spent the first few days shopping and spending time with my family. I missed them wayyyy too much to be healthy, especially my puppy (okay, she's 13 but still...). On Sunday, I went to Zumba with Patrick's mom and younger sister. I missed them like crazy! It's funny sometimes how you don't realize how much you missed something until you have it again. That night I got to see two of my favorite people from home, Liz and Michele. On top of that, I got ice cream. Real ice cream, not the frozen yogurt they give us at Pencader.

Monday, I got to see one of my best friends from home, Tori. We had a lot of catching up to do because we hadn't talked, let alone seen each other in forever! Somewhere in there I went to Target with my mommy.

On Tuesday, I woke up not feeling so hot. I had a sore throat and stuffy nose. Not cool. I ended up finally going to Forever 21 with my mommy. I had some awesome luck and found quite a few things I loved! I went shopping 3 out of the 4 days I was home so far. The next day was sure to be the best.

Wednesday, I woke up and knew I had some work to do. Patrick would be home later that evening and I was going to make chocolate covered pretzels for him. Originally, I had made some for Jason's birthday and was going to make more for Thanksgiving, but I realized Patrick actually does like them. After a year and a half of dating, I figured out my boyfriend likes something I make. So I was busy all day making them. Then, I had time to wait for Patrick to get home! Boy, did it feel like forever. He finally got home and a bit later, came over to pick me up. I hadn't been to his house since Sunday so I had yet to see Kara, Jason, Leah, or Nicole. And on top of that, his grandparents were there!! I love being around his family more than anything. Since it got dark so early, it seemed a lot later than it was, which is awesome when you want to spend all the time in the world with your boyfriend. Around 9 o'clock, we decided I was staying over and that I should get my clothes, toothbrush, etc so I could wake up for yoga the next day and be prepared for Thanksgiving. I got to stay in Maggie and Kara's room for the first time that night. It was pretty awesome.

On Thanksgiving, we were up and out of the house by 6:30. We basically had a private yoga class consisting of Julie (Patrick's mom), Kara & Maggie (Patrick's sisters), Jason & Leah (Patrick's brother and his girlfriend), and then Patrick & me. It was awesome, but definitely the hardest yoga class I've ever taken. It was very strength based and I could definitely tell I've gotten out of shape since I've gone to school. Then we headed back to the Dods' household. Matthew slept a bit late and so Patrick and I ran him over to the EHT football field for the pregame marching band show. When we got back, everyone had already left for the show so I showered and got dressed and we went back to EHT to watch the game. After the game, we stopped at Wawa for some iced coffee, yum. I got to help Patrick's mom (and grandmother and aunt) with the Thanksgiving cooking. I love being in the kitchen and being allowed to help out like "part of the family" was absolutely awesome. Dinner was amazing though I felt very sick after, and I still don't know why. I do have to say, my boyfriend is absolutely amazing and stayed in from the traditional after dinner walk to be with me because I felt terrible. He is so good to me, I couldn't be thankful enough to have such an amazing man in my life. I ended up feeling better a bit later, thank gosh. Eventually, it was time for me to head home after a long, fun-filled day.

Friday, I woke up and didn't have much to do. It was super nice out, but Patrick was at the gym so I had a bit of waiting to do. Being the awesome boyfriend he is, he surprised me with a walk on the boardwalk. We were a bit quiet, but it was such a soothing walk. When it was time to turn around (we almost got to the end of the boardwalk, so it was a VERY long walk), we went onto the beach and looked for sea glass on the way back. We got quite lucky. We got back to Patrick's house and everyone had already started on their gingerbread houses. It is a tradition for his family to make gingerbread houses the day after Thanksgiving and keep them through the holidays. I had a blast making mine. Then our friend, Cole, had people over. We got to go hang out with all of our old friends from high school. And my best friend, who, with her boyfriend, happened to set Patrick and me up, was there. I hadn't seen her in so long! I was sooo happy to get to spend time with her. I do have to say, Friday was quite the entertaining night, for multiple reasons. Once again, I stayed at Patrick's so I didn't have to go all the way home (not the 7 minutes is that far, but still).

Saturday, we went up to my cousin's house in Hoboken. She has 6 week old twin baby girls who are beyond adorable. I was the happiest girl ever getting to hold them! I'm hoping I didn't scare Patrick away too much, but he should know enough about my baby obsession not to get freaked out. It was a great day. We got back in time for my DP night that was supposed to happen around 7:30. Well, at 9:30, I still had no word on what was going on, so I headed over to Patrick's for our last night home. We watched The Changeup and then some movie about Bob, I forget the name. I didn't get home till 1, which is so weird. I am so not used to not having a curfew, because I still normally end up home fairly early anyway.

Today, I went to church with my family. It was so nice to be back in my familiar church. We ordered pizza from my favorite pizza place. Then I snuggled up to my mom on the couch and took a nap. I finished getting my stuff together and Patrick (and his dad) came to get me around 3 o'clock. They were dropping me off on Patrick's way back to the Academy. It was a nice car ride back, even though school was not the place I really wanted to go back to. It was bittersweet. After Patrick left, he texted me our new countdown: 20 days. Now if only I had a surprise up my sleeve...too bad I am not clever enough for that.

This past week has taught me how much I have to be thankful for. I have the most amazing parents and little brother who is starting to mature (minus the fact it drives him crazy I'm a vegetarian...and that he said "Go Army" the other day...he is currently disowned). I have the most perfect boyfriend a girl could ask for, and I am so thankful for him every day. I have the best boyfriend-family-in-laws imaginable, and am considered part of their family. I have a wonderful puppy who I am in love with. I have an awesome home with awesome friends. I get my education at an exceptional University. I am truly blessed with more than I deserve.

“Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.”

Wow. This weekend was wonderful. Two banging weekends in a row is unheard of for me! Friday afternoon, my parents came down to look at the apartment complex I will be living in next year. They fell in love just as much as I did. (Thank gosh) Then we were off to my Aunt's surprise 50th birthday! It was a blast to see most of my cousins! Since everyone is getting older, it has been really hard to get the majority of us together. Out of the 17 grandchildren, I think we were missing 4 which isn't too bad at all (seeing as one just had twins and another is stationed in South Carolina with her husband). Then I spent the night in the hotel with my parents, relaxing away from my dorm.

Saturday, we went to watch (the second half of) Patrick's crew race. It was a scrimmage between Navy, Delaware, and Penn. Navy's freshman lightweights killed every piece! If I'm correct, Navy went 18 for 18 for the day. Go Navy!! But want to know what the best part of the day was? Patrick getting to come back to Delaware with me! After the race, I hung around with his mom and grandmom while everything was getting cleaned up. Then we met my family (who was buying candy to make yummy treats this winter) for dinner at a lovely Italian place. Then, it was back to my dorm!!! I never thought Patrick would get the chance to see my dorm, let alone freshman year. He got to meet most of my friends, which really meant a lot to me. He finally got to put faces with names. He happened to get mad at me once, though. I told him, after we were on our way to the dining hall, that I would've liked for him to wear his uniform. He almost turned and ran back to the dorm to change. Why the crazy dude would ever want to be in his uniform longer than necessary (regardless of how bangin he looks), is beyond me! But we had such an awesome time.

Dropping him off at the Academy was a little harder than usual. It was the first time (I think) I dropped him off when it was light out. And it was quick. I was in and out of the gate in fewer than 20 minutes. I did not like it. And in case you haven't seen my facebook, I really dislike when the Academy decides to steal my boyfriend back. But he actually loves me, not you! So take that, silly Academy. Going over the bay bridge, I got to see one of the most amazing sunsets ever. It was behind me and these beautiful clouds were in front of me. While I always hate saying "see you later", the sunset was a little piece of mind. I took it as a good sign, everything would be okay, no matter what. I got back to school safe and sound, albeit a bit tired. The weekend was well worth some heavy eyelids.

If nothing else, this weekend showed me the truth behind the quote “Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.” I have been so lucky to see Patrick fairly often. Each time I see him, I love him even more, which I didn't think was possible. I am truly blessed to be dating such a wonderful guy, who just happens to be my best friend. And, while I do have a love-hate relationship with the Academy, I could not possibly be more proud of Patrick. (and for all you rowers reading this right now, be jealous. Morrow, I know you are.)


Just for kicks, I'll post some lovely pictures of us:)

He decided to change his face last minute, thanks babe.

My Midshipman is finally at Delaware!!

Surprise kiss! I had the biggest smile on my face

Rain, Rain Go Away

I've figured out that I have the time (and remember) to write a post about once a week. Yay! This past week, not much happened... except the HUGE drop in temperature that brought the weather from fall to winter. I hate the cold! Especially when I don't have my winter coats or gloves with me. I have terrible circulation in my hands (it is called something I can't spell haha) so they are freezing, even inside!

Thursday night, I had the pleasure of playing in a soccer team. In the freezing cold. When it was supposed to rain. With people I didn't know. If you can't tell, I'm a bit bitter. It was pouring all day and freezing so I was hoping and praying the intramural soccer gane might be postponed or cancelled. But no, I got to freeze my butt off playing in a game with people I didn't know. Can't you tell I love doing things when I'm cold?

Friday night, I stayed in and did a little pampering. Yes, it is halloween weekend, but I felt no need to dress like a floozy (I am an 80 year old grandma at heart) in sub 35 degree weather. Plus, I was visiting my lovely boyfriend on Saturday and wanted to be sure I looked good:) So I showered, figured out what I was going to do with my hair, and gave myself a pedicure. Since the forecast was a rainy day Saturday, I couldn't straighten my hair like I originally planned so I left it natural in its semi-curly state.

Saturday I was off to Annapolis! I got up bright and early (sans the bright) and was out of my room by 8:30. I got to spend a lovely car ride with Patrick's Aunt Amy to get my car at his grandparents house. She had the most adorable bull dog in her car! Lulu was staying with her for a week. I fell in love:) Anyway, the ride down to Annapolis had to be the most scary car ride ever. For some reason, every huge truck in the Northeast decided to drive down 301 yesterday. I think every single one of them was out to get me. One cause me to be completely blinded by the water it splashed up on my windshield. That was hands down the scariest moment of my life. Another decided it wanted to pass ME and then slow down so I could pass him...uhm? But I finally made it to Naptown.

 By this time, I really had to go to the bathroom (thank you small bladder). Annapolis has NOWHERE you can park and just run in for the bathroom. I had to drive all the way back to the far side of town to find a supermarket and use their bathroom. I was a lot earlier than I expected. By the time I got back over and parked and walked to the yard, Patrick was strolling right out of the gate. Boy, did he look good. I was so happy to see him! Yes, I did see him last weekend, but we were finally getting the chance to hang out alone. It was almost like we were back home and it was senior year again. We watched movies all day and then went out to an amazing dinner that night! So good! Then we had a little bit of extra time before he had to be back on the yard (dinner took about 3 hours) so we sat and just talked, which is my absolute favorite thing to do. Then it was time to drop him off once again. Patrick wanted to try and get in through gate 8, which we were pretty sure we couldn't do. And we were right. We had the shortest goodbye ever. He literally hopped out of the car and was gone. Leaving this time was the hardest, for me, that it has ever been, next to I-day. I'm not sure why but I'll just say the ride home was a long one.

Unfortunately, the weather prohibited us from getting the pictures done I had been SO excited for. But, we can reschedule and hopefully the next day we plan will be picture perfect.

Like Nike says, I need to "Just Do It".

        So blogging has been put on the back burner for awhile for a few different reasons. They aren't really important right now, so I won't go into detail.
       Two weekends ago, I went home to surprise my dad for his 60th birthday! (Old right? No one ever believes me!) It was so amazing. I came home before he got home from golfing (newly retired, what else would he be doing?). I waited in our family room with my mom and brother until he got home. I was nervous because I didn't exactly leave for school with him on good terms. When he got home, my mom and brother hid me from him (Jimmy decided sitting on top of me would be appropriate). He finally realized I was there and he gave me the biggest bear hug ever! It was the best feeling in the world. He also has a new thing where he is trying to give Jimmy and me a hug every day (obviously not while I'm at school) and tell us he loves us at least once a day, because you never know when one of us might not be around anymore. The four football players our community lost really took a toll on our community (I found myself hysterically crying when I saw a minor car accident the other day on my way to lab). Anyway, back to the weekend. The next day, I got to see Patrick's first race for Navy! It was exciting:) I love watching my man do what he loves to do. He ended up getting his Chit approved to come home for the weekend! It was great. I didn't want the weekend to be over.
        Last week happened to be stressful but ended up going by really quickly. I got my Chemistry exam back and was not too happy, but I can't say I expected any better. I just don't understand Chemistry.
       This past weekend was amazing though! Well first, it was parents weekend so I got to spend the whole weekend with my family which is always great. Plus, I got to stay in their hotel room to get a break! I loved it. Aside from the kind of stuff, my cousin finally had her twins! She's the first of my paternal cousins to have children. She had two little girls, Ella Grace and Addison Taylor (I am IN LOVE with the names!). I cannot wait to finally meet them! Also, bright and early this morning, my cousin's husband came home from his deployment! I am so so so happy for her! First, they didn't think he'd be home for Thanksgiving! And also, they spent probably eight, if not more, of their first year of marriage separated! I know thats what you sign up for in a military relationship but still, I couldn't be happier for her! Her 3am text saying she was getting up to shower made me so happy!
       Well, there is my recap of the past two weekends. Now to the current stuff. My parents have started worrying about how much I'm eating and whether or not I'm losing (too much) weight. While being a vegetarian in the dining hall is doable, it definitely isn't the easiest thing and isn't made any easier by having my classes interfere with open hours. And, since I haven't been working out as much as I used to (no dance classes 3 nights a week and no track practice), I don't burn a ton of calories and therefore don't need to eat a ton. I just need to be sure what I'm eating is healthy and worth the calories I take in.
     Which brings me to my next issue. I, for the first time in my life, do not have a flat, almost 6-pack stomach. I am beyond embarrassed of it, but hopefully knowing someone (I hope) is reading this will make me nervous that someday they might see the aforementioned stomach and be grossed out. So I am hoping it motivates me to get moving. Finding time to work out (the way I'm used to working out) is extremely hard. I've attended triathlon club meetings, but since I'm not a swimmer, don't have a bike, and haven't ran in who knows how long, I'm not quite ready for that. I went to the gym twice last week along with a Zumba class in the lounge. Go me! Finally getting some exercise in. I am in such a workout lull that I can't even get motivated to make up workouts (poor Amanda is stuck with the same old workout). So I decided I NEED to change things. While there isn't much I can do diet-wise while eating at the dining hall, I refuse to lose my body that I think isn't too shabby. I am planning to run before class Tuesday and Thursday. I also plan to go to the gym at least two days this week along with doing workouts in my room when I don't have time for the gym. I really have trouble with self-motivation and holding myself accountable so we'll see where this goes. I really need a training buddy, maybe who doesn't live here, who I can make this a competition with. All I know is that I'm getting pictures done next weekend and I really don't want to have to pick a different dress out to wear because I don't look as good as I did when I bought it...

The Longer the Waiting, the Sweeter the Big, Wet, Sloppy Doggy Kiss

Okay, in reality, I think dog kisses are disgusting. I love my dog and all, but I don't need her lovely tongue on my face. It's dirty. I don't care if "studies have been done and dog mouths are cleaner than human mouths". People don't lick me. But that's besides the point. I am FINALLY home for the first time since I went to school! I am one happy clam right now. (and yes, I did just say happy clam). Sunday is my dad's birthday and my mom, brother, and I managed to keep my home coming a secret from him! It made me so happy that he was so shocked to see me. And he gave me the biggest, longest hug I've ever gotten from him, which makes me happy because I didn't leave for school on the best terms. It's amazing how one thing as common as a hug can make your night.

Along with coming home to see my amazing family, I also get to see my boyfriend's first crew race rowing for the United States Naval Academy! Not only do I get to see him in his sexy uni (okay, not everyone agrees they are sexy...) but I get watch him race against my school, which is pretty fricken sweet since one of my guy friends rows for us. In other sporting events, I would be "reppin" my Delaware pride, but since Patrick is actually COMPETING, I guess I can sport my Navy gear:) I am also hoping everything works out and he gets to finally come home! He would be so happy to come home after four months! And to wear civies again...ahhh must be a great feeling. But we'll see how that works out:)

Otherwise, not much has been new. I had a very lovely chem exam Thursday. Not my favorite thing in the world but its over now. Though my chem teacher decided not to tell us until today that our labs went out of order, so I got to write a new procedure for next weeks lab. Just when I thought I finished all my homework for the weekend...

Okay, the fact I'm sitting here actually listening to "Anchors Aweigh" shows how much Patrick is rubbing off on me. I downloaded it for a project and never thought I'd listen to it again, except at Navy events. The perks of being a Navy girlfriend...

Oh! So the dork in me is coming out...I got wayyyy too excited that I found more sweaters to take back to school with me than I remembered having! I am one happy camper!

Food for Thought: If things are meant to be, they will happen. Maybe not when you want them to, maybe not how you expect, but things always work out how they are supposed to. Just have faith. And remember, “There is no joy without hardship.  If not for death, would we appreciate life?  If not for hate, would we know the ultimate goal is love? … At these moments you can either hold on to negativity and look for blame, or you can choose to heal and keep on loving.” -EKR

I can't help it; I'm a sap and a proud American

Most people think I'm crazy for going away to college with a boyfriend, especially one who is a Midshipman. Today, a light was shed on how happy I really am to be dating him. All of my friends here worry about who is getting with who, what to do when they bring someone back to their room, along with a slew of other things. My biggest problem was whether Patrick was going to call while I was at our football game. I am so proud of his drive to follow his dreams, and how he will stop at nothing to attain them. I don't mean to brag, and you don't need to read on, but he is beyond amazing. He always knows how to make my day better. Though I will only get to see him about once a month, I would not trade our relationship for the world (and trust me, none of the guys I've met so far can even compare to my boyfriend).


Anyway, the football game tonight was fun for the time we were there. I had wonderful comic relief the whole night. After the game, I got to talk to Patrick for the SECOND time today! I was so excited:) I went and hung out with the guys in our dorm until Lauren came back and we ordered pizza (thank gosh!).  Then everyone started feeling sick from the place they went out to eat. I'm so happy I didn't go, though since I don't eat meat, I wouldn't have gotten sliders anyway. I went outside and kicked a soccer ball around with Alex until he felt better, which was a blast:) I also got to talk to two of the guys on my floor for a little bit today who want to join the marines. I honestly think it is so cool for people to enlist or  go through training to become an officer. It is not my calling in life and there is no one I can think of that I respect more. And with tomorrow being the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I can't help but pray and thank God for the men and women who are willing to do whatever it takes to keep us safe. And the craziest part is, they are fighting for people they don't even know.

I really am a sap when it comes to the military because it is something that is so close to my heart. I have a boyfriend at the Naval Academy, along with a cousin who was a marine, one who was in the army, and two grandfathers who both fought in WWII. My one grandfather has a crazy but adorable story from his deployment. Well, quite a few actually, but this one is my favorite. Before he left, he met my grandmother. She LOVES to dance (guess where I get it from) more than anything. While he was over seas, his leg got ran over by a jeep I believe while he was helping one of his fellow servicemen. His leg was pretty destroyed and the doctors wanted to amputate it. He refused to let them remove his leg because "his girl back home loved to dance". I am such a romantic and that story makes me tear up every time.

With everything going on in the world today, I could not be more proud to be an American. I hope everyone can take a few moments out of their day to pray for those who lost loved ones and those who are currently serving our country. God bless America <3

home sweet school?

(weird picture, I know, but it was the only one I could find of my two favorite schools!)

Last night, I got back to school from the most amazing weekend ever! Patrick got TWO overnights! What?! It was such an amazing surprise for all of us! Not to brag, but he really is the best boyfriend anyone could ask for. We lounged around, watched movies, and hung out in DTA. Its so gorgeous there! I can't wait to go back! It was just such a perfect weekend, I can't even describe it!

Then I get to come back to the best roommate ever, my lovely suitemate, and Alex. Even though I've only known them for a week, I missed them already!!! Thank gosh they were up for a snuggle sesh and a walk:)  Plus all the girls on my floor filled me in on the goings on of the weekend. I love our floor <3

I have one class today at 1230 and its psych which I love. I can't wait for more picture perfect weekends with the boy and more drives back to see my amazing friends <3 I can already tell how amazing this year is going to be...