A Transfer

My Dad has finally joined Facebook! Hooray! With that exciting news, I think that all of the people who read my blog are also part of my Facebook family. I am going to start posting most of my updates there. It is a bit faster and I can get a lot of pictures in there. You know I love that! Thanks for following and reading along! Sharing through this blog has been so much fun! Stay in touch! Love you all!!

Final Touch

Hi Friends!

I just wanted to post the final touches on the apartment. I think that you have pretty much had the full tour now. James and I are loving being together. It is amazing! We have done a lot of exploring around San Diego and we have spent plenty of time at home, too. Today marks our third big home-cooked dinner! We have had quite a few lunches in and out. Today, James had an egg salad sandwich for the first time! He loved it! We have so many firsts to come. Life is good!


Our fabulous table. It's a perfect fit! James put plenty of sweat into building it!


I love this corner! Look at my kids on the wall :-)

So, Saturday night James and I went out on a little adventure. I found this place that plays old movies called Cinema Under the Stars. Most of the movies date more than thirty years ago, but this weekend they were playing O' Brother Where Art Thou, which is one of James' favorite movies. We didn't really know what the theater was, but we went and found it. It turned out to be so much fun. We thought it might be like a drive in, but it turned out to be a combination of a regular theater and a drive in. Check it out.




Our reserved seat!


The set up.


And there was no roof! Just the stars!! Awesome!


And us, of course!


They even had cozy blankets on each chair just in case it gets cold!

Tomorrow we are going on another adventure. We are scouting lots of things out for all the great family and friends that are coming to visit! It turns out James' mom was able to get a flight for this weekend!! We are SOO excited that she will make it out! Can't wait to see you, Christy!! After Christy will be Jolyn. We are ready for you, too, Jo!!! Lets get the company coming. Woohoo!

Lots of love!!
always,
Jamie and James

A Few Little Adventures and More Apartment Pictures!

I feel like I have been updating the blog like a crazy person, but there are so many things to share that I can't stop. I know that everyone won't be able to visit, so I am hoping this is a good way to show people what James and I are up to and where we are living. I am very much enjoying showing off the apartment, so it would be even better if you could come visit :-)

Enjoy.



James and I decided that we were going to find some place to walk around today outside and explore. We headed near the Gaslamp area and came across a really great little farmer's market and bought some delicious strawberries and ate them right up. James also bought me this beautiful bouquet of flowers!! Six dollars!! Woah! My mom said that she had to show her boss the picture (she's a florist) because she couldn't believe that they were only six dollars and so gorgeous!




I adore him!

After walking through the farmer's market, we headed across the street because we saw a Macy's that seemed a little out of place. As we walked up the stairs beside the Macy's, we found the coolest thing!! The Macy's was actually a part of the mall. This was no ordinary mall, though. It was almost like a regular mall, same kinds of stores, four or flive floors, escalators, elevators, food court, so on and so on. The difference was that this mall had NO ROOF! It was the coolest. The weather is perfect, so a mall with no top belongs in San Diego. I was totally in awe the entire time we walked around. Even James enjoyed shopping!








Top floor.


Food court.

After the ourdoor mall, we headed to grab a few last things from Target. We got home to prepare for some pre-season football. Tonight, I wanted to have our first home-cooked dinner in our first home together! I made a jambalaya that turned out delicious!

Here are some of the final pictures of the apartment and dinner. It is really coming together!!


Our very full bookshelf.


Our bedroom with a real bed to sleep in! It looks like Jamie and James are already in there!


The dresser that James put together from Ikea. Very nice!


New red pilliows plus I hung up the artwork.


I love those pillows! This apartment is looking perfect!


James has officially discovered that his computer can hook up to the awesome TV... the rest is history...


We enjoyed watching I'm On A Boat. It was meant to be on a large TV in HD!!


Getting ready to cook. The is how the butter came! It is the cutest little squished looking thing!


YUM!


It looks like Happy cornbread (with a touch of honey, mmmmm).


Our first big dinner as roomies!


We still need a table.


The chef... We are lovin' the apron :-)

Life is good in San Diego! We need updates from our friends and family, too, so please write or stay in touch however you like to! We love you all!!

Sitting on OUR Couch Just Watching a Movie...

I have to say that I am settling in nicely to having James here whenever I want him (which is always!). We have had a blast getting our apartment together! I can't believe that this is our home now! I am loving it!

Melissa and SK stayed through the weekend and headed out at the beginning of this week. We made sure to pack in a lot of adventures throughout the weekend. There was a lot of really good eating, that is for sure!

Saturday morning, James had to go into work. It was actually really hard for me. It is hard for me to adjust to the fact that he is going to be around. Even when he is out of the room I can feel the stress in my chest. I love having him here and I don't want to let him go! Thankfully, he didn't have to work the whole 24 hours. After he got done at work, we headed out to Solana Beach where Melissa and SK were staying. We ate Italian for dinner. It was pretty good, but nothing that I would run back out there for. The dessert was Awesome!


Talk about jumping back into eating chocolate! Heaven!


So pretty! I love my friends!


Sweet Man!

Sunday, we headed back out to Solana Beach and actually went to the beach for the first time. It was super nice. The temperature is perfect here! The craziest thing was that the sun was setting in front of us! How bizarre is that?!?! We successfully hung out on the beach with no sun burn! After the beach, James and I found the big NEX and commisary (HUGE!) and got some grilling out stuff. We used the grill at the complex and it was delish!

Monday SK was heading home. James and I got up and had breakfast before we went to pick Melissa and SK up from the car rental place.


So flippin' sweet!

We had intended on going to Sea World later in the day, but it turned out to be really expensive. Instead we drove around town and scouted a few more things for the apartment. We got a little snack at In-N-Out Burger (which is amazing, by the way) and then got ready for going out with some of James' friends.


Friends!


Perfect couple! So happy together!


The dinner group. Mark had to take the picture...


so he got in this one with the wine.

After dinner we took SK to the airport and then we met the guys back in downtown (The Gaslamp District, as they call it).


Later at the bar. I was the DD. HA! I look drunk, lol.


And again, I didn't have a single drink people!

We had a great time in this bar with live Reggae music. It was a lot of fun! We had our first "better safe than sorry" slumber party when Jared and Mark couldn't drive themselves home, hehe. From what I hear, the new couch is amazing!

On Tuesday morning, after taking Mark and Jared back to their car, we took Melissa out to breakfast. We went to this place called the Naked Cafe. It turned out to be a kind of natural good for you food restaurant. James got a little scared and wanted to go to iHop, but I told him that we were trying new things so he stuck it out :-) It was AMAZING!


The most incredible breakfast quesadilla!


Love this!


Do try the pancakes :-)


Completely happy!

Melissa headed back to Charlotte and James and I are here. We are just us now. It is so funny to have him back! I am still getting used to it. This feels like a vacation. I am loving every single minute! The next visit on our schedule is Jolyn at the beginning of September! WOOHOO!!

Jo: hurry up! We can't wait to see you!

Anyone else coming to visit? Let us know.

always,
Jamie

A Very Happy Home After a Very LONG Journey!

I need to start this blog by saying thank you SO much to all the people that supported me over the six months and four days that James was gone! I was very often in crazy internal misery and having some many wonderful and loving people checking in on me and making me smile made it go by much more quickly and successfully. I wouldn't have been able to make it without my friends and family. Thank you all so much. Even when you didn't realize you were helping, you really were!

As for the homecoming and the apartment. Both are great! The homecoming was crazy. I was so nervous, excited, and anxious. My heart was pounding for days before and I thought I was going to be sick. As soon as I got the phone call that said when the boat was coming, I started crying. I continued until SK arrived later in the evening on Tuesday. After some exploring on Wednesday morning Melissa came in as my other backup. For those of you who don't remember, Melissa is the person that intoduced James and I. I called her as soon as I got any details on homecoming and asked her to be here as my support. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do it on my own and I knew she was the right person. SK was getting ready to celebrate her 25th birthday, so she was pretty quick to join the trip as well. I would NOT have made it through without them!!

Let Thursday, August 6, 2009 begin!


Shamu was spreading joy at the event. Melissa and SK thought it was an important photo opportunity :-)


Got their signs ready for action. Melissa made them the night before. Mine went on the door to the apartment.


He made me a submarine! I was the first to ask and then he was making them right and left!


Welcome Home.


Thanks, SK.



We headed out to the pier to get ready for the boat to come in. As soon as we could see it, my stomach pretty much dropped. I was so flustered and ready for this whole thing to be over! I watched the boat come in and then had my head in my hands until James was in my arms. Melissa was in charge of the camera and she rocked!!


On the pier.


The boat is getting tied to the pier!

The only reason that I knew that James was there was when Melissa started screaming his name and holding up the signs. He later said that he was so shocked to see Melissa and SK. He said that it was a great surprise that they would come all this way! They are the best. Thanks guys! I love you!


Once I had him, I did NOT let go!




SOOOO Happy to be together again! I cried my eyes out!


They were so excited, too!


My team. THE BEST!

After we hung out on the pier and waited for the go-ahead to leave, we headed back so that I could show James his new home... OUR new home! It was (and is) an amazing feeling to have him here.


My Mom sent an awesome balloon bouquet and we set it up on the doorknob so that he could get a good welcome!! Thanks so much Mom for thinking of us. We loved them! (The flower, too).


TOGETHER!

Today, Friday, August 7, 2009, we headed out with a couple guys from the boat and their families. We had some truly authentic mexican that was amazing!






It is SK's birthday! Hooray! Happy Birthday!


Real food. No powdered eggs or milk here!




Everyone.


Mark and his family.


Jared and his family.


James and his family. (:-)


Cool cactus.


James and I hung around and waited for our furniture to arrive. It came and this is what it looked like :-)

We built it and then it was PERFECT!!







We finally have a cozy home together and I can't thank everyone enough for all of your support! I love you to pieces!

Sweet Sailor, Welcome HOME!!!

always,
Jamie