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Monday, July 28, 2008

I'm in the big leagues now, Cal King Baby

The old bed and matress we had was a queen that my parents bought for me my senior year of high school. While the bed itself is still in great condition, I think Brad and I have been married long enough to know that the night time snuggles have lost some of its appeal. More importantly it was time for a new mattress and since we had to spend the money anyways I thought that is was high time that Brad's feet don't hang off of the edge. Now I am excited to get the rest of the furniture to go with it.

Friday, July 11, 2008

It is getting there....
I choose a black mulch to remind me of the lava fields in Hawaii...

Side yard

Front porch
My plumeria, again remembering Hawaii...(I hope I don't kill it)
A Wandering Jew, I just thought it looked interesting
Cordyline, aka Electric pink,
Yellow Chrysanthemums
and an agapanthus aka Peter Pan, because I never want to grow up...

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Oh Captain My LDO Captain





Brad got promoted on 1 June. Myself and Chief Warrant Officer V Kelley pinned on his bars. I am very proud of Brad, he has come a long way from just another boot recruit at Parris Island. I don't think he even imagined back then that this is where he would be. Here (finally) are pictures from his promotion.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Fathers Day, Pops.

We hope that you have a wonderful day!

Love you,

Rissa, Brad, and Brutus

Thursday, June 12, 2008

There is a new trashy reality tv show on E! entertainement called, "Denise Richard's ~ It's Complicated", I already love it.

This chick has a mouth worse than my own. Is she trying to save the world? No. Is she trying to save the environment, one hybrid at a time? No. Is she trying to give back what she has so fortunatley been able to receive? No. Is she a good role model for our children? No. Is she totally shallow and has nothing of importance to say? Yes

But who cares, it is called television people, if you don't like it don't watch it. I happen to still love it!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Front of house before

And after

TV room before

and after (we still need to paint it though). Brutus seems to enjoy it!

Time for some yard work




Master Bedroom and Bath

As you can see Brad and I went with a nice neutral color. I was kind of wanting something in the blue/green ocean family but I chickened out last minute at Lowes and went with a sand color instead. I will definatley need to punch it up with color in my linens.




Wednesday, June 04, 2008

It is official; we own it

After much havoc Brad and I finally closed on our house on Friday! We were supposed to close on Tuesday but the original owner (remember it was a short sale) went and got remarried and started signing her new last name on all of the closing paperwork. The title company went uh-oh and had to have her now new husband sign off on everything (even though he was not on the title or the loan) since Cali is a comm property state. But after everything was fed -exed to Florida and back it finally went through. Good thing since we were in the house fri morning before it closed.

So far we have tackled the master bedroom; we primed, painted the ceiling, and painted three coats not including the primer. (must post l8r story of Brad and paint sprayer, still not funny yet) We also steam cleaned the carpets, bleached everything in the bathroom, as well as prime, painted (only 2 coats), painted the closet, and switched out the light fixtures. Cha-ching, Cha-ching!

Outside we got the garage doors fixed, all three of them, cha-ching, cha-ching, got an estimate to get the dishwasher fixed (the labor alone costs more than a new one, hence we nixed that one), replaced all of the locks on all of the doors, sprayed down the outside of the house to remove a years worth of cobwebs, snail trails, and dirt and I also started slowly pulling one weed at a time.

Yesterday our furniture (yes, we have a bed) and personal effects arrived so until everything is unpacked the rest of the painting, weeding, ect is on hold. Brad went back to work on Monday so I get to tackle it by my lonesome, what's new, while he has a view of the ocean from his office. However I am as tickled as ever to live here after 14 years of negotiating with the Marine Corps to get here, I will tackle any project by myself I am so happy to be here, let Brad work!

Once my cables are unpacked to transfer photos I will post so everyone can see the progress we have made thus far.

Sorry to have missed everyone at the wedding, sounds like a great time was had by all! I have enjoyed seeing all of the photos. Wished I could have been there. Congrats Liz and Kyle, enjoy the honeymoon.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

New House (crossing fingers, knocking on wood, putting a word in w/ the man upstairs)





Brad and I, if all goes well will be closing escrow on our house on May 28th and moving in on the 29th. We put in an offer on this house back in the middle of April, at the time it had four other offers. Another was accepted, but since it took the bank so long to respond (it is a short sale home) those buyers had moved on. Lucky for us we were number two in line (at this time it now had eight offers) this was May 19th and we are actually getting it for less than what we originally offered! YEAH for that! So since this has been the worst house hunting/buying experience we have ever had wish us luck that we close successfully on the 28th.

Our e-mail and home address will be changing again.
Check out the link to see more photos.
http://listings1.sandicor.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/PrtBuyFul/PrtBuyFul.asp?prp=mls&AgentId=120185&EmailKey=66881700

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Don't worry Mom, I didn't actually get it!


Love You, Love You!

Happy Mother's Day



I hope that you have a great day, you deserve it!

We Love You

<3, Rissa and Brad

Thursday, May 08, 2008

May is the month for birthdays.

Happy Birthday Pops, Mom, and Mandy!

Hope you all have great days!

Missing Maui

Friday, March 28, 2008

Home is where the Marine Corps orders me!

Oceanside pier

It is that time again, moving time!

3 houses in 3 years (actually this next place will make it 4 houses), we are on a roll!

Well it seems 2 years has come and gone and the Marine Corps has decided that it is time for a change of scenery. This time we won't be moving far, just south to Oceanside which is a little north of San Diego. Brad and I are heading down next week hopefully to find a home to buy, but with the prices what they are in So Cal especially towards the beach we don't know how succesful our house hunting trip will be. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

This move is good for Brad's career, he is being promoted to Capt. hence the move. It is exciting to be move down to San Diego, the area is beautiful, but scary too since Brad will once again be with a deployable unit (they leave for Iraq in July). Can't get it all now can we.

Well wish us luck with the house hunting and I will keep blogging about our move status.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Happy Birthday Missy

I hope you have a great day.

We love you, Rissa and Brad

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Our Lady of Assumption St. Patricks day party at Aquinas
As a fund raiser our old elementary school puts on a St. Pat's party and serves corned beef and cabbage and has a show and dancing. Missy got us all tickets, and got us all to go, thanks Missy!


Sr. Camillus, she taught me how to do the jig when I was in grade school



Brad and James, too cool for school

Michelle and Missy chair dancing

Mom and Dad getting their groove on

Missy and Terry and Blonde head

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Joshua Tree ~ Mojave Desert ~ aka the High-Desert
I recently commented on Aunt Nettie & Uncle Mike's blog page how it is easy for me to love the snow since I can view it from a far. the following photos I think explain those sentiments.




Brutus and I take a walk every day across the street from our house in the Mojave Desert. It gives him a chance to chase jackrabbits (if he even sees them), investigate desert turtle dens, run, jump and play. Although the desert isn't my favorite settings it does have its own distinct beauty and our walks remind me of that.

Winter in the Mojave Desert



The backside of Big Bear



This old Joshua tree stump was covered with ice.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

I recently quit my job at the community college and I must admit it was rather liberating. It felt good to finally stand up for myself and quit allowing people to dump on me.




However, this is the first time I haven't had a back up plan since high school and I am not sure what to do with all of the time I now have. I could always go back to substitute teaching or perhaps I will study up on how to be a 'domestic goddess'.