Thankful Thoughts #6.

What am I thankful for today? ...Friday! I don't think I ever fully appreciated Friday until I started a full-time 8 to 5 work schedule. The days of the week can get so long and monotonous and from the start of Monday morning, I am counting down to Friday afternoon. Friday holds so much promise; the weekend is ahead, filled with excitement, and waiting for me. The weekend is my time for family, friends, and relaxation. Friday starts my weekend and always helps me get through a tough work week and for that I am so thankful!

What a steal!

I got these cute brown flats at a discount store today for 50 cents!! I saw these shoes at Target a few months ago and almost bought them then for what seemed like a good price of $30. Good thing I didn't, because today I bought them for the price of a gumball. Ahh, the little things in life...

Puppy update.

It's been a little over two weeks since we brought Badger home (who we mostly just call "Badge")  and now its hard to imagine our little family without him. As you can see from the picture above, he and Bailey have become really close over the past few weeks together. They love to sleep on eachother and cuddle. They are best buddies that play hard and then crash hard.

The thing I have learned about having two dogs, and one of them being an impressionable puppy, is that they quickly learn each others bad habits and often team up to get in trouble.

Jake's solo.

Yesterday afternoon Jake got his chance to solo the T-6 Texan airplane! This is a major milestone in pilot training and definitely a big deal. He was not supposed to solo until today but after his morning flight yesterday his instructor said that Jake was ready to solo and could do it that day! Jake called me to let me know and I was so excited for him! I took the rest of the day off work and went home to grab my camera before heading out to the flightline. It was hard for me to get good pictures, considering they wouldn't let me actually go out to his plane, but I found a good spot and got some good shots of his flight. He did so great!! Warning: This post contains a lot of pictures.

Busy weekend.

This weekend was very busy...good busy, fun busy, the kind of busy that makes Monday morning extra hard. Saturday Jake and I drove to Tuscaloosa, Alabama (about an hour away) and spent the whole day together shopping and enjoying being out of Columbus. It was nice to step out of the stress of work, pilot training, and two puppies and just be together. We picked up some Starbucks and walked around Target and the mall...the little things that we so appreciate since we don't have them here in Columbus. I attempted to take a picture of our excitement as we were leaving Mississippi for the day but couldn't exactly get Jake to cooperate :)

That night when we got home, we relaxed and watched a movie with some friends. Definitely, one of the best days I've had in a while. Sunday after church Jake cooked me lunch (which was a treat) and then he hit the books while I got my Sunday chores done...cleaning, laundry, groceries, dishes, etc. I always hate cleaning but afterward it is such a great feeling to relax in a freshly cleaned house. After relaxing a bit and enjoying some outdoor time with the pups, I cooked a lasagna for dinner and baked some yummy oatmeal cookies. Then two of my friends Allison and Katie came over and we had some fun girl time. Its so nice to have such good friends (that happen to live across the street) to hang with, talk to, and vent to on a regular basis. Columbus AFB would definitely be lonely for me without them!

So I had a great weekend and now its back to the daily grind. I do have a few fun things to look forward to this week though - Jake's solo tomorrow, a dinner date with Ann on Wednesday, and the joy of knowing I get an extra hour of sleep at the end of the week (yay for daylight savings time!). Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

One month.

First of all, thank you to all of you who take the time to read my posts. It has officially been one month since I've started my "new and improved" blog and I have written 29 posts in 30 days. Its crazy to me that I have written almost every single day considering I used to only write updates a couple times a month.

I have really been enjoying writing short posts that include fun pictures and videos. I've learned that its much more fun to write about random things that I like (or don't like) rather than giving people a long, boring, detailed account of my week. Thanks for all the replies, comments, and interaction. Everyone has been so encouraging!

Thankful Thoughts #5.

Every single day I am so thankful for my sister.

She is such a blessing to my life in so many ways.

We know eachother inside and out.

We've been through everything together.

We have an infinite amount of inside jokes.

We are sisters.

She is the only person that I call to talk to for no reason.

She is my most trustworthy friend and honest advice giver.

She is the person its hardest to live across the country from.

She is my best friend.

God knew that I needed her in my life to be the person I am today

and for her I am so thankful!

P90X at the gym.

I have discovered an amazing new workout called P90X. I  heard some of my friends on base talking about how awesome this program is and have been wanting to do it for some time now. It's a video training program that you do 6 days a week for 90 days. Each session is an hour long and every day of the week focuses on working and toning a different of the body. Apparently, it's called "muscle confusion".

I recently found out that the base gym is offering this program, which is great because the videos are pretty expensive. Every day at 5pm they start the video on a big-screen tv in the aerobics room for anyone who wants to come. It's great having it at the gym because then I get free use of the weights, resistance bands, and mats that they recommend using in the video.

You may have done exercise videos before, but I guarantee you that this is nothing like you've ever experienced. This is a very serious workout regimen that is actually used for physical training by a lot of military members. In fact, I've been the only girl (and non-pilot) showing up for this class and this workout has been kicking my booty! After 3 days of workouts, I'm so sore I can barely move (but in a good way!) and already notice myself getting more toned...and I've only been doing the "easy" level!

Welcome Baby Jackson!

Yesterday my beautiful cousin Krysti and her husband Jake welcomed their baby boy into the world. Jackson Morash is a perfect 6lbs. 6 oz. and both baby and mama are doing great! Congrats Krysti & Jake!!

Music memories.

Specific songs are often attached to specific moments. I've realized lately that when a song is attached to a memory I have (ex: if it was playing in the background) it brings back that memory so much stronger when I hear that song play. The music can trigger so many emotions and make me remember so many little details. Its like the memory and the song are forever attached in my brain and I cannot think of the song without thinking of that moment. Music is so powerful!

I was flipping through my iTunes library on my old computer and ran across these music memories: 

Time to play dress up again.

 

Halloween is fast approaching and its time to think costumes! (By the way, that cute little guy above is my brother all dressed up for Halloween a few years ago.) I think this holiday is so fun and love that it gives everyone an excuse to dress up in some ridiculous outfit.

I love Halloween parties and I love seeing all the little trick-or-treaters dressed up as princesses and superheros. I would love to dress up my "kids" (Bailey & Badger) in something funny but I'm not sure that they would go for it. This is my favorite doggie costume I've found so far...

Weather report.

I am thrilled to say that the rain has finally stopped!! We got to enjoy a beautiful fall weekend with no rain. Sadly, it should be back again by the end of the week, but let's focus on the sunshine we have now. It's amazing how much more productive I am when the sun is shining; when it's rainy I just want to curl up and watch a movie or sleep. This weekend I was able to get done everything I needed to do and then some! Yesterday I was a crazy ball of energy getting projects done around the house and now I feel ready to start the week off on the right foot!

Another great thing about the sunshine is that Jake can finally fly again! He's hoping to get a lot of flying time this week and hopefully get caught up. He may even get to solo the T-6 this week! Don't worry, I'll be there taking lots of pictures for all of you back at home. So there's your Columbus weather report. I'm looking forward to this week and I plan to take full advantage of the beautiful weather! Here's a picture of our street after one of the recent storms... a beautiful sign that sunshine was nearby!

Thankful Thoughts #4.

My life is often a roller coaster of emotions. One day of the week everything can go just right and then the next day everything is a mess. Today has been sort of a crummy day so far and I found myself not wanting to write a blog on thankfulness, fully intending to skip my thankful blog this week. But then I realized something that I am so thankful for; the thing that gets me through my rough days...

...PRAYER. I am so thankful that I can always bring my problems to God in prayer. He knows my heart and knows my hurts and always knows what to do. My prayers aren't always sophisticated or well spoken; in fact, they often sound like a normal conversation. Often my prayers are filled with hurt or confusion where I am gently reminded that He has a plan in all of this. I am so thankful to serve a God who never leaves me or tells me to just figure things out on my own...what a mess that would be...

When I am anxious, I pray. When I am hurt, I pray. When I am happy, I pray. When I am {insert any emotion here}, I pray! And He listens. And I am so thankful.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) 

Badger is famous!

Last week after we adopted Badger from the CARA shelter in Jackson, I emailed them some photos to them to show that he was doing well with his new family. Yesterday, the people at the shelter emailed to let us know that Badger (and our family) will be featured in a magazine article that promotes adopting pets from CARA for the holidays! Below is a copy of the article.

Praying for sunshine.

I am grumpy today. Why, you ask? Because it has been raining for months! Seriously, I have never been around so much rain in my life. I'm not exaggerating. Let's look at the stats: The average total rainfall for Columbus in September (according to weather.com) is around 3.6 inches. This September we got 13.11 inches! Yuck. The average rainfall for October is around 3.2 inches. We are only half way through the month and are already at 6.5 inches. Here's another one for you: Seattle, Washington, which in my mind is the rainiest place on earth, has only had .39 inches of rain this month. And I repeat, for dramatic effect, that Columbus, Mississippi is already at 6.5 inches!

I am usually a fan of a good rainy day but this is beyond ridiculous. This much rain is taking a toll on everyone. Jake's UPT class is way behind in their flying because their flights keep getting canceled. Jake should be flying almost every single day and he has not flown in 2 weeks! Apparently, they might have to start working Saturdays to make up for lost time. And then you have my sad puppies, who have a nice, big fenced yard to stay in during the day but now have to stay cooped up inside all day long because the yard has flooded and turned into a huge mud puddle.

Fall is my favorite season and I haven't even been able to enjoy it. I feel like we have jumped straight into winter, except for the fact that its still hot and humid (oh yes, another weather joy of Mississippi). So now I am desperately praying for sunshine; praying for a chance to enjoy a nice fall before winter sets in, praying for my hubby to be able to catch up on his flights, and praying that I can soon take the dogs on walks without boots and an umbrella and unleash them to play in a dry yard. I am wishing & hoping & praying for sunshine!

Meet Badger.

This sweet little guy is the newest addition to the Pruitt family!

He is a lab/boxer mix and he's 4 months old.

Jake and I have been wanting to get another dog for quite some time now; partly for us, but mostly for our dog Bailey. She loves other dogs and seems to be so lonely while we are gone during the day. We have looked to adopt again on numerous occasions but just never found the right one. Then we saw this guy...

I saw him on Petfinder.com and I thought he was so cute. I called to ask about him but assumed he had probably already been adopted. Turns out he hadn't actually been adopted yet but they had received 3 applications from families that wanted him and were going to decide that night! Jake and I decided to send in an application and figured that if they liked us we would make a family trip (including Bailey of course) to go visit Badger in person. The shelter decided that we were his perfect family and said that if we wanted him, he was ours! The next day (Saturday) we hopped in the car and drove the long drive to Jackson, MS to meet him. When we got there, it was love at first sight and I knew he was perfect! We decided that we just had to take him home with us!

Let me tell you a little about why Badger is such a special puppy...

He and his 3 other siblings were found at 3 weeks old and brought to the Jackson shelter. The shelter then found a foster home for the puppies so that they could be raised and trained until they found good homes. Because of this, Badger, at 4 months old, is fully potty-trained and crate-trained, has been neutered, and has already had all of his shots. He's fortunate enough to have been raised in a loving home his entire life and has been socialized with other lots of other dogs, cats, and people. He is not your typical shelter puppy for sure! In fact, Jake and I said that we would not want another puppy because we wouldn't have the time or energy to train it but this little guy is already trained and everything!! He sleeps in his crate all through the night and knows to go to the door when he needs to go out. He is very easy-going and listens really well to commands such as "sit" or "no" or "come". Like I said, he's the perfect addition to our family!

Bailey and Badger have quickly become best buds. They are a great match for eachothers energy and together they keep themselves quite entertained. Bailey's dominant personality and Badger's laid back personality are a great balance. He just loves being her little sidekick and she loves always having someone to play with her.

So there you have it. We are officially a family of 4 and loving it! To see more pictures of Bailey & Badger, click here.

Small town USA.

This is a picture that I took on my phone when I was walking out of work yesterday. It is the view from my office in West Point, Mississippi. West Point is one of those towns that you would never know existed unless you accidentally drove through it. There is really nothing in this little southern town that entices outside visitors and when you are here you feel as if you are a decade or more behind the city of Los Angeles.

With all that said, there is something about this town that is so charming and has made it a joy for me to experience. Most people I've met have lived here their entire lives just as the generations before them. Their lives for the most part seem simple and slow, spending fall evenings on their front porches with family. People are so connected here and it seems impossible for them to go anywhere without running into someone they know.

To be honest, I could never imagine living here forever, in this slow southern lifestyle. Some people love it and I've always kind of thought that I would too, but I've learned that its just not for me. In fact, last night Jake and I were talking about how we often miss the fast-paced, always-changing, "everything at your fingertips" lifestyle of living in a city.

I'm always amazed at what I learn about myself when I travel to different parts of the world and I'm thankful for all the different settings I've gotten to (and will get to) experience over the years.

Thankful Thoughts #3.

I am thankful for coffee.

I am thankful for fall weather.

I am thankful for helpful neighbors.

I am thankful for Snickers' ice cream bars.

I am thankful for the snooze button on my alarm clock.

I am thankful for the evenings when my puppy is a perfect angel.

I am thankful for the little notes that my husband leaves around the house.

I am thankful for good friends who won't allow me to fall out of touch.

 I am thankful for people who always know the right thing to say.

I am thankful that each morning offers a fresh new start.

I am thankful that God has a plan even when I don't.

I am thankful for people who really know me.

I am thankful for the words I love you.

Feeling lazy.

Lately I have been feeling very lazy and sluggish, even though I've been consistently very busy. The picture of my dog Bailey above captures the feeling perfectly. I find myself dragging through the work day only to come home and drag myself through household chores before laying on the couch for a large portion of the evening.

This funk I'm in doesn't surprise me though; this is what I tend to do. I go through periods of life where I am very active, using every minute I have for something good, healthy, and productive. Then I flip the other way around for a while and drag through my days trying to have the energy to get everything done. Sooner or later I reach the point where I realize my laziness is a problem and want to fix it (thus launching myself back into the other lifestyle so the cycle can continue).

Today I have reached that point and I am going to start using the little bit of free time I have for better purposes. I need to go back to my every-other-day work out routine, cut back on the unhealthy foods I've been rapidly consuming, and fill my TV couch time with hobbies that I've shoved off to the side. I know that when I do this, I will be filled with more energy and a better spirit, making my days easier and more enjoyable.

On a side note, I recently found a Christian blog post called "How to Stop Being Lazy" and I think it has some really good points. It identifies what the Bible says about "slothful" people. It made me realize that I never want to let myself fall into that category and it gave good advice on how to make sure that doesn't happen.

Fall fashion favorites.

Fall is officially here and that means it's time to pull out your scarves, sweaters, and boots! Fall is by far my favorite season to dress for, so today I am posting a picture blog with some of my favorite fall styles.

...patterned scarves with a sweater & jeans...

...patterned tights with pumps (or boots)...

 ...bold & beautiful handbags...


...flat boots, ankle boots, any boots!...

...sophisticated pea-coats...

 

...oversize sweatshirts with leggings...

...jewelry that makes a statement...

Those are some of the things I have my eye on for fall. All of these looks are found at Nordstrom, my all-time favorite place to shop. However, I must say that I also love to bargain hunt and usually end up mixing my Nordy splurges with my fabulous thrift store finds to make the perfect outfit!

What are your favorite things to wear for fall?

Bible study.

One of my favorite things about Mississippi so far is that I've had the opportunity to consistently be involved in a Bible study on base. Right now I am in a group of AF wives that meets on Monday nights. We are working through a study by Beth Moore on the book of Esther called "It's Tough Being A Woman". This study has been great so far! I find myself eagerly awaiting Monday nights so I can talk with the girls about what we read during the week. This study digs down to the heart of us as women and challenges the way we act and think.

I've always had a hard time studying Old Testament books as a devotional because sometimes they seem to be so hard to relate to. Beth's study really makes you understand how relevant this book is for today's Christian women.  Now I'm reading the book of Esther with more intrigue and excitement than ever. I love it! It's an amazing story of God's timing and his great Master Plan.

Perfect Saturday.

Today was wonderful! The weather was gorgeous and Jake and I got to spend the whole day together. Tonight we grilled some steaks and relaxed out on the screened porch, just catching up and enjoying time with eachother. Sitting out there together was one of those times in life where you wish you could freeze time - one of those "life is good" kind of moments. I love those.

After dinner we took advantage of the beautiful, cool fall night and took a nice long bike ride around the perimeter of base. Biking has become one of our favorite hobbies together. Now its time to relax and watch a movie!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!!

It's official.

I am flying to California for Thanksgiving!!

I bought my ticket today and I will be in Turlock from Tuesday to Saturday on the week of Thanksgiving. I miss my family and friends so much and am so excited to go visit them.

I have so much to look forward to on this trip!

...black Friday with mom and sister...

...decorating Christmas Tree Lane...

...Mama's cooking... 

...holiday Starbucks cups...

...Fall trees in Turlock...

...visiting my brother's 1st grade class...

...Grandma's house for Thanksgiving with all the crazy fam...

...a long night of catching up with all the girls...

...meeting Krysti's new baby boy...

...Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...

...sitting by the fire with dad...

...busting out ALL my Christmas music...

This Thanksgiving means lots of laughing, eating, napping & playing games with the people I love most.

I can't wait ((sigh)).

Thankful Thoughts #2.

Today I am thankful for puppies. Not puppies in general I guess...just my puppy, Bailey. Whether you are a dog person or a cat person (or you love some other type of animal), there is no denying that they can often be your most loyal, least judging, and oh-so-comforting companion.

Today I had a long exhausting day at work. We had a tv commercial shoot for a restaurant that lasted almost 10 hours. I will write more details on that adventure later but basically it was me being on my feet all day long and working like crazy. The location was also an hour away. By the time I made it home I was fully drained and just wanted to relax. Jake was not due home for hours still so I grabbed my faithful little companion Bailey and we snuggled on the couch and caught up on our DVR shows. How does she know when I've had a long day? Does she know that sometimes I need her as much as she needs me? I'm not sure, but I do know that I love her so much and for her I am so thankful!