One Step Closer

Guess who's clear to fly out next Saturday?? Yep. This big guy right here. I've been making sure that I've followed all of the proper steps to ensure that everything goes as planned to have him released to us from the airport when we land. Between calling the airline to ask all of my questions, to calling the Quarantine Center to make sure they got all of our paperwork--I've been borderline completely neurotic about it! The flight will be traumatic enough for him (AND ME!), that I want to make sure he absolutely does NOT go into quarantine. Got his health certificate today, and minus the slight wax build-up in his left ear that I have to monitor, he's a-ok! PHEW!

I got his crate in last week. He still remembered his crate training from when he was a pup and promptly goes in there when I tell him to "get in his bed." That made me feel a bit better. I'll still be a bundle of nerves the day we fly out--probably up until we finally land and he gets released to us!


And in 2 days...

I get to pick this hottie up from the airport! Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!!! I mean, Weaaaaaaaa!! hahaha. SO STINKEN' EXCITED!!

Whirlwind

I'm so sorry to have been so MIA! To say that these last weeks since I got back from my Hawaii visit have been a whirlwind is an understatement. I can hardly believe that it's down to my last week in FL. So much to do, so so little time!!


On top of all the things I need to do with regard to the move, freelance work with tight deadlines have rushed in. AND my best friend is getting married this weekend, so I'm doing what I can to help them with that. I have a feeling this weekend is going to be a blur. And since it is my best friend's wedding weekend, I'm going to try not to be a hot mess when I have to say my goodbyes.


Labor Day is D-Day! Like, whoa.

Happy Snail Mail

I finished and sent out my Elevated Envelopes last week. In all the hustle of moving our lives, it was a great change of pace to slow down and do something creative. Luckily, I still have a few craft supplies left that I just couldn't bear to give away. Yes, I gave away nearly ALL of my craft goodies. I almost pretty much cried. I'm just glad they went to loving homes aka my crafty sis-in-law and equally crafty friend, Jenny. But I figured if my hubs can sacrifice and give away ALL of his tools because of the big move (if you know my hubs, you know this is a big deal), then I can sacrifice my craft stash. But I digress...

Back to the envelopes. The theme was "Summer" and I got inspired by the summer I'm having now. I've kept referring to it as my "Epic Summer" because, well, it is and has been an epic one. I created the envelopes from a pad of travel themed scrapbook paper I had on hand. Inside each envelope was a note card, made from the same pad, and a post card that I purchased during my HI trip.


The whole project was a tribute to our summer journey from FL to HI. The hubs is flying back in a few weeks: 1.) for our friends' wedding, and 2.) so that we can take off on a cross-country road trip to CA and fly out to HI from there. Phew! Did you get all that?

 [A peek at the one I sent to Tara, the creator of the Elevated Envelopes Project]

[I used the new LOVE stamps. If you don't have them, RUN to your nearest post office. Seriously. They're so pretty!]

I'm hoping these all reached their intended destinations safely. (If you're one of the recipients and you're reading this right now, let me know!) I used our PO Box address in HI for these, so I won't get to see all my envelopes until I'm there finally. But I'm looking at it as a great welcome present waiting for me to get home. I can't wait!


Did you participate in Elevated Envelopes, too? I'd love to see what you sent out!

It's like Christmas in August!

It may just look like a screen shot of a random list of numbers and letters to you, but it's a beautiful sight to see. See the date on the highlighted line?

Yep. That's today's date. Today marks the 121st day since the pup got his blood tested (and passed with flying colors, btw). Which means he is now eligible to be released to us directly from the airport. No quarantine for the Moosh!!! I can't even tell you how much of a relief this is. I mean, I knew he would pass, but seeing proof of it makes my heart so happy! These next few weeks are going to be hectic, but this is one more thing I can cross off the checklist! PTL!

Anniversary Recap: Hawaii Day 9

My last full day in Hawaii was spent on a sandbar in the middle of Kaneohe Bay. It was an amazingly fun day, spent with the hubs and new friends. I had my first close encounter with an awesome honu (sea turtle), saw a dog in a life vest AND A donut floatie, and I got to try stand-up paddling for the first time. I'm hooked, btw! I promised the hubs that I would at least perfect surfing first before I bug him for a paddleboard. Here are my favorite shots from the day.

Anniversary Recap: Hawaii Day 8

Day 8 came and went. It was a day to catch up on work I needed to do while hubs was at work.  That night, we went to see one of our favorite bands, Go Jimmy Go. Funny because we've seen them twice before during each of my other two visits to Hawaii. It was a great way to keep up the tradition. We got to Chinatown too early, so we decided to wander into this little martini bar called BambuTwo. It may just be our new watering hole! Drinks were affordable (my martini was $6! I can't even find a martini that price here in FL!) and our server was super friendly! It just had a great vibe to it.

[yummy lychee martini for me, PBR for hubby]

[Go Jimmy Go performing "Bang the Skillet]

GJG played at SoHo, just around the corner from the martini bar. We would have stayed for more than four songs had they come on earlier--island time, I guess! But what we saw we enjoyed. Good night overall. It was great to spend a quality night out with the hubs and find a new fave place in a new town.

Anniversary Recap: Hawaii Day 7

For Day 7, I got to visit hubby's work. I got there on a simulation training day and there was a pretty big class of soldiers that had to go through. Pretty crazy. There are two rooms, each with four simulation dummies in different stages of injuries. One of them even simulated breathing and bleeding... So creepy! The soldiers go in pairs and they have to crawl around in the dark, smoke filled room and find the dummies (aka injured soldiers) and assess and treat them. There are sirens and strobe lights going on. It's pretty crazy! I could only take one set of soldiers before I was done.

Here's hubs with a (fake) bloody limb. I'd share the other pictures, but they're like a scene from Halloween Horror Nights at Universal! After I saw one test done, I went outside. There was better scenery out there.

There was also a team of flight medics training alongside the other soldiers. I got up close to this big guy. It's totally one of the coolest things I've ever seen! I geeked out... see?

Anniversary recap: Hawaii Days 5-6

Day 5 was filled with more surfing! Well more attempts at surfing, I should say. We went on down to Waikiki again and since we had an extra board, the hubs' cousin came along, too! She's been living there for three years now and no one had yet to take her surfing before we did! Can you believe it?! (So I wish I had pics for you guys, but I am an über slacker and haven't gotten our underwater camera developed yet.)


Later on that day, the hubby and I changed our phone numbers. It's official! We have 808 numbers! So surreal... Only one of us was available for a phone upgrade, so the hubby was awesome enough to let me have it. So I got myself an iPhone 4--and I love it! It's so pretty!


Day 6 was the first day I was on my own. Hubby had to get back to work, hitching a ride with his co-worker, leaving me with the truck to see if I could get around on my own. Did I mention that it was the first time I was driving around in HI by myself? EVER? Yep.

We live here in Kalihi Valley. I love that Google says we live in the woods! ahaha So how did my drive go? Well... yep. I got lost. Got on the freeway and got lost. Thank goodness for maps on my new phone! I managed to turn myself around and get to our storage unit and Ala Moana Mall. I think I'm intimidated by driving around because I can't pronounce half the streets! But I am determined to get it, Dang it! Just like I'm determined to catch a wave!