Day 26

A picture of something that means a lot to you.



My Journey tattoo means so much to me. The song "Don't Stop Believin'" has had great meaning to me ever since I was young. The song has helped me get through so many difficult times in my life. I have the tattoo placed on my left side because I wanted it close to my heart.

I just can't even truly explain how much the song and the band means to me.

Day 25

A picture of your day.


[Image taken with iPhone using instagram.]

Today, Mark and I started P90X.

I did P90X back in the spring of 2008, and I had some great improvements with it then. I have been wanting to get back into it for a long while, but I deleted the videos off of my computer in 2009. So last Saturday, I ordered P90X. It arrived Thursday.

I remembered P90X being intense, but I didn't remember it being that intense. I almost vomited three times working out today! I loved the work out though because I was really pushing myself and I was definitely feeling it during the work out, as well as after. [I'm still feeling it now.] I am so happy that Mark decided to do this with me. He's been saying for so long that he'd like to build some more muscle, and I think he will be able to with P90X better than he would if he were to just go to the gym on base and do his own thing.

I can't wait to see the changes with Mark and me! I think Mark will be pretty happy with the changes he sees. I know I will be thrilled!

Washing Machine & Dryer

About the middle of last week, I got a new comforter set from Bed Bath & Beyond for Mark's and my bed. I haven't been able to find our bedding from the last house, so Mark's been using a crocheted blanket and I've been using a Spiderman comforter or crocheted blanket pretty much every night since we moved here. I've hated it. I've been telling Mark for a while that I'm going to get us some new bedding, so I've been searching for a while. Well, about two weeks ago, the boys and I went to Bed Bath & Beyond. I looked at the bedding there, and I found something that I liked. About two days later, I took Mark there and had him look at it and get his opinion. [He has no sense of style or decor, so it's kind of pointless to ask for his opinion. I just like asking him though because it makes it feel more like "our space" instead of "my space."] He said he liked what I wanted to get. A few days later, I went back and got it. The other day, I wanted to throw the comforter in the washing machine before I put it on our bed. It's the logical thing to do: wash sheets before putting them on the bed. After it was done going through the washing machine cycle, I went into the laundry room and noticed water on the floor. The dang comforter broke my washing machine!!!! I was slightly upset because it was now broken, but I was more happy because that meant getting a new washing machine and dryer. Also, all of the laundry in the house was done at that point, so it was okay that it broke then because I didn't have mounds of laundry to do.

Our washing machine is the one we bought back in February 2007 when we moved into base housing at Camp Lejeune. [Oh, what a nightmare that house was. Luckily they knocked it down and have put up a new house. I hated that house so much!! What a joke and horrible nightmare!] So our washing machine is just over four years old for us. The washing machine and dryer been through a lot of moving around from putting them in storage, getting them out of storage, putting them into the houses we lived in whenever we would move back to NC after deployments, and moving them from NC to here in FL. They have been beaten up so badly. I knew as soon as we moved here that we would have to get a new washing machine and dryer at some point. Turns out that "at some point" was the other day.

I went to Home Depot on Friday and looked around for a little bit. I knew that whatever I was going to get would be Energy Star rated. I wanted something that used less energy and less water than what we've had has been using. The environment and being earth-friendly is incredibly important to me. I was surprised to see how much the prices of Energy Star rated washing machines and dryers have dropped over the last few years. There were washing machines and dryers for sale that were about $600 a piece! That may seem like a lot to some people, but when we looked at washing machines and dryers four years ago, there was nothing even close to being that cheap that was Energy Star rated! Heck, even two years ago, they were still a bit pricey.

I was looking at the cheaper ones at first, but the capacity size was just not big enough. I knew that if I got one of those and put our new comforter in it, it would break. So I started looking at the larger capacity size washing machines and dryers. I eventually found what I liked. I didn't want to just get them though, so I called Mark and asked him. I texted him some photos of them after we were done talking. He said it was fine to get them, so I got them. I am quite excited to have them delivered to us on Tuesday!!

Day 24

A picture of something you wish you could change.


I wish I could make bigger changes in the environment. I know that I've already made several changes in my own every day life and I've inspired a few others to help change the environment and make it the world a little bit greener, but I know I haven't done enough. I truly believe that if everyone cared a little bit more about the environment and were more friendly to the planet, several of the world issues would be solved. I know not all of the world's issues would be solved, but several would be and we would be on a greater path than we ever have been.

I spend so much time teaching my children and trying to teach others the importance of being friendly to our planet and our environment, but it just doesn't feel like enough. I just hope that our very own government here in the U.S. doesn't get rid of the funding for programs and Acts and organizations that are helping make our world a cleaner, greener place to live.

Day 23

A picture of your favorite book.



I know it's more of a children's book, but it is my favorite book. When I was younger, my grandparents [dad's parents] got me this book. I didn't know why they got me, of all people, a book because I hated reading so much. I read the book though. It took me two or three nights to read it. [I would read it at night while I was in bed.] The book actually made me cry at the end. It was such a sweet book! I loved this book so much as a kid that I read it quite often, even if I hated reading. It's an awesome book, and that's all there is to it.

I still have this book. I will never get rid of it. I hope that the boys read this book a lot as they grow up. There is a great lesson to be learned from this book, and I want the boys to learn and always remember it; I certainly have.

Day 22

A picture of something you wish you were better at.



I wish I knew more about cars and how to do some car repair stuff. I have been saying for a few years now that if there's one thing I wish I knew more about, it would definitely be cars. I don't even know how to check/change the oil or change a tire. Ugh.

Day 21

A picture of something you wish you could forget.


[Image found via Google Search.]

I wish I could forget about all of the abuse I endured starting at the age of 12 years old, and went on frequently for almost 4 more years. It started with just one person abusing me, then it went on to two people abusing me. The first person to abuse me was a family member. When I was 14, somebody I dated began to abuse me.

The abuse I endured for quite a few years broke me down emotionally, physically, and even socially. Those years are years I would love to forget. I know those incredibly dark times helped shape me into the person I am today, but as a young teenager, I hate that I endured that crap to get to where I am now.

Day 20

A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.



I would LOVE to travel to Italy, and specifically Rome. I am 25% Italian, I have always been fascinated by Roman history, and I took Latin for three years [I learned a lot about Ancient Rome those three years]. Mark and I almost took a trip there back in 2008, but we decided to wait a while before we go since Brayden was still a baby and Michael was quite young. We definitely were not going to take the boys with us, but we didn't want to leave them for a week or two while they were so young. Hopefully within the next few years we will go to Rome for a vacation - we'll call it a very late honeymoon since we never went on one.

Day 19

A picture and a letter.



Dear Earth,

I know that the first 21 years - give or take - of my life, I never cared much about you. I cared, but not like I should have. I really hate that I never truly cared. I care now though. I care so much. I have been learning how to take better care of you the last few years. I am continuing to learn about all of the ways I can take better care of you. While I learn, I make sure that Mark, Michael, and Brayden learn as well. I do my best to inform others about how they can take better care of you. I hate to know just how bad you really have it, especially because it's people who are making it bad for you.

I hope to leave you in a much better condition than when I got here in 1987. I hope that my children will grow up and live their lives taking great care of you, and then teach their kids how to take care of you, and so on. I hope that as I continue to learn and talk about the many ways you can be taken care of, people will get inspired and realize that they need to take better care of you, too.

You've given me so much, and I always took you for granted. I'm just happy that I no longer take you for granted and I truly appreciate everything you've given my family, my friends, and me. Life has been better since I started caring more. Thank you. Thank you for everything.

Day 18

A picture of your biggest insecurity.



My acne is my biggest insecurity. I hate that my face is broken out at least two weeks of every month, and it's always really bad. My face is super oily, and I hate that, too. I would love it if my acne would just go away and never come back.

Day 17

A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.


My 365 DAYS OF GOOD "journey" and blog have made an incredibly huge impact on my life since January 1, 2011. I have become a much better person because of it. I am having a great time helping others and the environment in every little act of kindness I do. I really enjoy helping others and the environment!

Day 16

A picture of someone who inspires you.


There are many people that inspire me, especially in my family. However, for this post, I wanted to show an inspiration outside of my family.

Ed Begley, Jr. is someone that majorly inspires me. He is such a tremendous eco-activist, and he truly inspires me all of the time to try to do more in my life to become more earth friendly. I wish there were more people in this world like him because then we would be living in a much cleaner world.

Day 14

A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.


My boys.
They are my world.

Gardening & Citrus Tree

A few weeks ago, I finally finished putting together the garden. I was so excited about finally getting to plant a garden.


Just over a week ago, I finally planted seeds in the garden, in plastic pots, and in peat pots. I planted fruits, vegetables, and herbs. I then got a hanging basket to plant strawberries, I painted ceramic pots to kind of match the house and planted herbs in them, we got a grape plant and planted that, and we got a blueberry plant and raspberry plant that still need to be planted. I have planted cucumbers, scallions, yellow onions, red onions, zucchini, bell peppers, hot peppers, parsley, basil, cilantro, chives, dill, rosemary, thyme, oregano, mint, grapes, and strawberries. Like I said before, I still have the blueberry plant and raspberry plant to plant in our yard.

I am not the only one in this house that has planted stuff. The boys have planted banana peppers, tomatoes, parsley, basil, and watermelons. I think it's very important to teach them about gardening and planting stuff. Everyone should learn and know how to take care of this planet, and gardening is a great way to do just that. My children have been enjoying gardening and seeing their plants already grow. To see Michael and Brayden get excited about their plants sprouting and seeing what has come from a seed makes me so happy and makes me feel like I am doing my "job" as a mom properly.

Yesterday, we bought a citrus tree to plant in our yard. The tree has grapefruits, lemons, limes, and oranges.

Today, all four of us got involved in planting a tree in our backyard. We had a rotting tree that was leaning, so Mark and I chopped it down and dug the stump out of the ground. The boys helped Mark and I dig the hole even bigger for our citrus tree. They even used their own shovels that we had gotten them recently. They had fun helping us dig a large hole, and I had a great time teaching them about what we were doing and why.

Now our citrus tree is planted in our backyard, and I can't wait till it starts producing fruits! You have no idea how excited Mark and I are about this tree. In about 3-4 months, our tree will be fully producing grapefruits, lemons, limes, and oranges. I can't wait!


I am so excited about all of the fruits, herbs, and vegetables that we will have in our very own yard in about a month or two!

Day 13

A picture of your favorite band or artist.


Journey

If you didn't know that Journey is my favorite band, then you have been living under a rock. Journey has been my favorite band since I was 11 or 12 years old. Not only has Journey been my favorite band since I was 11 or 12 years old, but "Don't Stop Believin'" has been my favorite song since then, too. I love Journey and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" so much that I got a semi-large tattoo about them.


Oh, and I am a fan of Journey when Steve Perry is in the band. It's just not Journey without Steve Perry!!!!

Day 12

A picture of something you love.


I love my family.

Day 11

A picture of something you hate.



Animal Cruelty. Unbelievably disgusting. People who abuse animals need to be severely abused themselves. Whatever they do to animals, they need to have that done to them ten-fold.

Day 10

A picture of the person you do the craziest things with.




Mia

Mia and I have been doing crazy things together since we were little. As we've gotten older, the things have gotten crazier and more hilarious. When we were little, we stole her mom's dentures while she was sleeping and we hid them from her. A few years later, we rode in the "trunk" of the Purple People Eater [her mom's purple station wagon] and would give people "the bird." LOL.

When we were juniors in high school, Mia's dad would often take us to one of his friends' house, and we would go four wheeling. I honestly do not know how we ever survived any of those trips out there because you get me driving one of those things, and I go all out. LOL. We tipped over, went zipping through pricker bushes, went as fast as we could up hills so we could go flying over train tracks, and dumb stuff like that. We got in trouble with her dad for every dumb thing we did, but that didn't always stop us from acting like fools. I miss those spring, summer, and fall days of going four wheeling. That was so much fun!

We've done some small crazy things, and we've done some major crazy things. Last year was a fun year for us. When Mark was in Haiti, the boys and I went home for a little bit to visit family. While I was home, Mia and I hung out quite a bit. One night, we went to a Journey tribute band concert in downtown Cleveland. [The two bottom photos are from that night.] On our way home, we got stuck in some kind of traffic on the highway. We were sitting there for a while. That resulted in boredom and getting out of the car and dancing in the middle of the highway...while wasted. HAHAHA. Mia took some photos of me dancing. They're blurry, but I laugh whenever I see them because that was one hell of a night! Then a little bit later, we went back to downtown Cleveland for St. Patrick's Day. It was a good time from the get-go. When she came over to pick me up, I had a birthday cake for her since her birthday was just a few days beforehand. [FYI, I made her a penis-shaped birthday cake, used a peach colored frosting, put vanilla pudding filling inside the cake, and then brown sprinkles on the balls. LOL.] The trip downtown, the time we spent downtown, and the ride home, it was all hilarious and ridiculous!!

That's all I will say about our crazy times. Not everything is blog worthy, nor blog appropriate. LOL. But yeah, we've done a lot of crazy stuff together.

Day 9

A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.


[This is a photo of my mom and me taken on Christmas Eve 1987.]

My mom has helped me get through just about everything in my life. Most people will say they "had it rough" as a teenager, but I envy those people because from the time I was 11 till the time I was 17, I went through some incredibly serious crap in my life - and that's not including getting pregnant at 17 and having a child at 18. I can't even begin to tell you how bad it was from age 11 to age 17. If you know even 5% about me, then you have a very tiny glimpse into the stuff I went through during those years. My mom helped me get through everything as much as she could. When most of my friends would come and go because they didn't know how to help or didn't want to be bothered, I always had my mom there to let me know that I'll get out of the situation just fine. I never believed her then, but I got out of those situations more than just fine.

I am now at a point in my life where things are going pretty darn well. Sure, there are obstacles every so often, but everyone has obstacles to overcome. Luckily for me, my obstacles today are much easier to overcome than the ones I had to growing up.

Day 8

A picture that makes you laugh.



You know those photo booths that take four pictures and print them off on a strip? Well, this picture is from one of those. This was taken back when I was in maybe 5th grade. [I can't remember exactly what grade I was in, I just know it was 5th or 6th grade. I'm thinking 5th grade though for some reason.]

The two girls in the photo with me are my very best friends from childhood. We cheered together on an all-star team, and this was taken at a competition. We were inseparable when we were little. I am not even kidding, we would sleep over one person's house one night, then go to someone else's the next, and then go to another house the following night. There would even be times when we would all stay at one person's house for 2-4 days straight. We would go shopping and get matching outfits and wear them to cheerleading practice...and we even did that at school. LOL.

I don't always get to talk to them very much - mainly because I live so far away from our hometown - but I still do consider them very good friends of mine. I think about them very often, especially because we had so many "inside jokes" growing up that it's impossible to go a day without something sparking a memory about one of them. HA. We really were the female version of The Three Stooges as kids.