Wednesday, February 26, 2014

#30 Days of Lists!



It's almost time! Yay! 01 March starts the newest round of 30 Days of Lists! I can't quite decide yet how I want to share my lists, so until then, I shall share them here on the blog, so at least they are documented somewhere. I can't decide if I want to make a mini book out of my journaling cards or if I want to just include a card each day in my project life spread!

I may be a little behind in my posts because I am moving at the start of March (as I've mentioned before), but I am trying to schedule posts with my answers ahead of time to prevent falling behind! Wish me luck! :)

If you haven't already, please check out 30 Days of Lists and join us on Facebook, everyone's blogs, twitter and Instagram (#30Daysof Lists or #30Lists), and even Pinterest!

Once I figure out how I want to share my lists outside of my blog, I'll be sharing them on my Facebook and Instagram (@jmccrafts)


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Those most important to me

I'm in a reminiscent mood today, and felt like sharing a little about the people most important to me.

My family (L-R): Parents, Jr and family, me, younger brother, younger sister 
My Parents- My mom has been my hero and my best friend my whole life. We've had our ups and downs, but she's always been there for me. No matter the distance. I met my Dad when I was 9 years old, and he's the only father I've ever needed. We're a lot alike, him and I.... and sometimes its a little ridiculous since we're not blood related. I wouldn't trade him for the world tho! Terry, my older brother was always my hero as well. He was a Marine and part of the reason I enlisted in the military. His wife, Miana, is an amazing woman and I am so happy they have each other. She fits in so well with my crazy family and I am super happy to have met her. Kennedy and Milo are my niece and nephew and are as cute as can be. My younger brother Jordan and I have lived together almost his whole life. He is the youngest of my siblings and the one I am closest too. We really did grow up together, although he is five years younger then myself. He's loony, crazy, and generally a pain in the butt.... but I am happy to have him as a brother. My younger sister Makayla and I have never met in person. She was raised by her biological father and we only started talking when I was 18. One day I hope to meet her in person, we're a lot alike, and she even looks a lot like me, but I don't know when that will be.


My best friend: This crazy chick... Lindsay.... and I have been friends for roughly ten years now. We met when I was in 7th grade and she was in 8th, we were in a special music class together and we've been stuck together ever since. We've gone months without talking and picked it back up like nothing ever happened. This chick will be my Maid of Honor if I ever get married because there is no one else I'd rather have by my side on that special day then her (we've talked about it because I was engaged a couple years ago and luckily that fell apart quickly) There isn't much that we wouldn't do for each other! I can't wait to travel Europe with her!!!





The boyfriend: I talk about him a lot, here on the blog and a lot in my life. He means the world to me and is the best thing to happen to me since I was much younger. :) People have commented that I smile a lot more now with him in my life and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He makes me super happy, can always make me smile when I'm feeling bad or having a bad day, takes care of me when I am sick, and he puts up with my crazy weirdness. He accepts that I am super crafty and goes with the flow, even takes an interest every once in a while. He watches my silly Disney/ Pixar movies and I watch his weird guy movies that I really have no interest in. He's an amazing guy and I know that I can talk to him about anything.





"Little Brother": Kolby is one of my best friends here at Fort Bragg. I remember when he got here, he was a strange kid coming to us from Korea. He's really strange... haha... kind of all over the place and very forgetful. He's really young, and sometimes he seems younger then he really is. He and I are a lot alike, besides the fact that we're both from Texas and we're both Cowboys fans (yes, we're aware they suck but we're still fans). He's helped me through some tough times this past year and I am very happy to have met him. He's silly and sometimes that's just what I need after a stressful day at work.





My Boo- Haha, thats what she calls me anyways. Kelli is my newest best friend and it has been so amazing to have her around. She is my replacement in most every way at work and she is super dedicated. She's just an amazing woman, she invited me and boyfriend into her house on Christmas Day for dinner, and we often just like to sit and talk and mess around. We're a lot alike and sometimes I forget that she is actually older then me. Her kids are adorable! And her photography is pretty spot on!

These are just some of the important people in my life. There are a couple more, but I don't have pictures of them and have to dig through their Facebook pages to find some good ones. Haha. I will probably make another post similar to this one later on, especially when I really get to missing everyone during my new adventure.

Family and friends are some of the most important things in life. The people you know you can trust and rely on.




Tuesday, February 18, 2014

19 Days

Happy Tuesday everyone. Today was my Monday at work, due to the four day weekend we had this past weekend for President's Day. It was a Federal Holiday as most of you are aware, however the students in my area had to go to school on Saturday and yesterday to make up for some of last weeks snow days. That is lame!

So today I was talking with some coworkers and they asked me how long I have left in this unit before I move on to the next one.... I figured it out.... 19 days left.... before I get on the plane to Germany.

I am part of a group on FB that is teaching Soldiers and spouses to speak German... at least the basic stuff
19 days before my life changes forever and its one of the scariest things in my life. More so then going to Afghanistan.... which sounds ridiculous, I'm very aware. At least with Afghanistan I knew what to expect and it was a short time span.... this one is going to be 2.5 years away from my boyfriend and family and friends.

My favorite pic of me and the boyfriend
And go figure.... I would make some of my most memorable friendships right before I leave.... two of the people I am going to miss most have become friends in the last six months. Kelli and Kim are two of my all time favorite people. This is the sad part of being in the military. You make friends and you always get seperated.... but at least there is Social Media. I plan to stay in touch with several people once I leave... it just scares me. I don't wanna have to go meet new coworkers and make new friends! I want to keep the ones I have now....

Although I am very much ready to get away from my unit and my division. Being part of the 82nd is different then anywhere in the world. The 82nd is known for its Airborne Infantry and really isn't any place for Aviation. Yes, we're a support brigade... used to support the infantry guys, but its a little ridiculous that we follow all of their same rules... and some don't apply to us. >.< Its a point of contention with several people in my unit as well as between me and my boyfriend (he's a medic from one of the infantry brigades- he's Airborne) and I am known as a "Leg" because I am not Airborne.

Anyway, needless to say. I have 10 days left to clear post, which does include at least two weekends, which gives me even less time to clear the post. Its a lot of work and briefings. I need to get my personal belongings separated into the piles for selling/donating, sending to FL, sending to Germany. I need to get what is going to Florida and Germany packed up and cataloged before the movers come to take it. I need to get my vehicle ready to be shipped to Germany (its awesome that I will be able to take it with me). I need to make a trip to the local Thrift store and sell or donate the items and clothes that I can so I can get rid of it (and maybe make a little money if possible) I need to make a trip to my parents house in Florida and drop stuff off in their storage unit. There is a long to-do list I have and it just seems to keep getting longer.

Its scary that I will be gone soon. I am actually talking to my boyfriend about it and we're both pretty bummed about it. I wish he could go with me, but he is going to college here in the States instead. He promises to visit as does my best friend Lindsay. I'm going to miss them all a lot, but in different ways. My parents and best friend will still be there in Florida when I get home (unless they decide to move some where more tropical with less political issues), the relationship I am most worried about is my boyfriend... distance tears some relationships apart and right now its my biggest hurdle. I have to have faith in my relationship and tell myself that if its meant to be, then it will be. If not, at least I can say that I tried and gave it my all.

Anywho, enough of my life rant.


Sunday, February 16, 2014

"I Love" Sundays v.7

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope this finds you well. It's been a super easy week for me and I am getting sad that it is almost over.
Here is what I am loving this week:






♥ Just watched the new episode of The Walking Dead! Pretty awesome and I can't wait to see what is going to happen next week!

♥ I finished coloring in Pooh today on my half sleeve and the last part left is to do the background. I'll be back later this week to get that done (doing it in pieces and making it look like a setting sun). Can't wait to get it finished and I want it done before I go to Germany.

♥ I think I am at the tail end of this stupid sinus cold. I am pretty miserable with all this coughing. It keeps waking me up at night and the meds take hours to let me sleep in the first place.

♥ I only worked a half a day the entire week last week. I had Monday off due to a 4 day weekend given to me from a couple months ago. I worked Tuesday morning and then we had my Farewell, after which we were released due to the snow. It snowed Wednesday and was still pretty icy and slushy on Thursday with a little bit of snow. Friday was a day off due to the President's Day 4 day. The only downside is I was supposed to start clearing post last Thursday and couldn't because the whole post was closed until Friday... and it was technically the holiday. This week is a 4 day work week too due to tomorrow being President's Day.

♥ I bought the Sunshine Core Kit from Project Life and I can't wait to dig into it and start using it! Pretty exciting.

♥ Joined a Mini-book circle swap in one of my groups for the month of March. Pretty excited for that, can't wait to see how it turns out!!

♥ Got to spend the whole weekend with zee boyfriend! Pretty happy about that simply because I'm leaving soon and won't see him until probably August except for on Skype. He's being a good sport about it all, even though I accidentally woke him up this morning with my coughing.

♥ Started work on my photography business. Set up the Facebook page and the Instagram. Now I just need to start the blog and the website, but I need a little help with that.... I'm no good at graphic design. -.-' My school is giving me a camera voucher so I can order a Canon camera that is much better then the sad little one I have now. I got to use my friend Sarah's camera for my Farewell and fell in love with it! I can't wait to get one like it!!!! Here is one of the images from my Facebook page!


♥ On Saturday we celebrated my friend's son's Minion themed 6th birthday. He asked if my boyfriend and I would be there and of course we agreed. His mom asked me if I would take photos of his birthday so she didn't have too and I was more then happy to do so! Gave me more time to play with her camera!

 The birthday star!

What are you loving this week?


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

My Anniversary

Today is my 1 year anniversary with my boyfriend Zeke. It might not sound like a big deal to some, but it is to me. There was a time after I found out I was on orders, where he tried to leave me because he didn't think he could handle the distance. I convinced him otherwise. I've also convinced him that he must come visit me in Germany so we can travel Europe together!

Today for our anniversary we were going to go to Olive Garden because its my favorite resteraunt. However, we got snowed in, and instead are spending the day hanging out in his room. He's playing video games and I am working on my computer, but we're spending the day together and that's all that matters (although I should be doing homework....)

I can't believe that a year has already passed so quickly and tomorrow starts our journey toward year 2. It's going to be challenging with him being back home in Ohio and me being in Germany, but we're at least going to give it a try. If it doesn't work out because of the distance... then at least we can say that we gave it a try.

This is probably my favorite picture of us currently (mostly because he smiled without being told too cuz he hates smiling for pictures). It sits in a frame on my nightstand and used to sit on my desk at work. This was I can always glance at it and it'll make me smile.

This guy has been absolutely amazing. He's dealt with a lot with me, but most men do for their girls. We used to go to the local country bar every couple of paychecks and hang out and dance and have fun. I've met a couple of amazing people through him. He's gone to several company events just to spend time with me. He was there when I found out my friend Zack died, he went with me to his grave when we were in FL, he spent four days in Florida with me to meet my friends and family, goes to my craft fairs to keep me company, puts up with all my crafty adventures, and stays with me when I house sit for a friend so I'm not alone. There is a lot more, but we don't have enough time... haha.... and I don't want to bore the crap out of all of you. He takes care of me, makes me smile, makes me super happy, he's all I could've asked for in a partner.

Just wanted to post this today to say thanks to the greatest guy I know. He means the world to me and this year has been amazing. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!



Tuesday, February 11, 2014

My Farewell

Today was my Farewell for F Co. I start my leave on 01 Mar and will be heading to Germany on 09 March. I've been in this company for almost 3 years now, been on deployment with some of these guys (a lot have already left), worked as the Operations clerk for over a year, started and ran the company FB page, been the company photographer, and pretty much ran the company. Now its time for me to pass the torch on to other people (because not everyone can do everything that I did at one time). I have to train my Ops replacement, I've passed the torch on the photographer to a friend of mine, and have my replacement for several of the other extra duties that I did as well.

Everyone keeps telling me that don't know what they're going to do when I leave. I don't think everyone realized everything I did for the company until I am getting ready to leave.

I was given the job of Operations clerk in November of 2012. I did all the paperwork for the company, including Soldier specific stuff to keep everyone on track. I also assumed the roll of company photographer at all events that ranged from Awards to Hail & Farewell and even the company BBQ. I helped get the new Soldier's situated and on the right track. When my new commander came in in July of 2013, he relied very heavily on me simply because he'd never been a company commander before. I started to pretty much run the company with my 1SG's help. I attended the battalion training meetings, kept my commander up to date on everything I did involving our battalion, and kept him on track for things he had to do (I've made a lot of calendars!)

Yesterday we had a Farewell lunch at Smokey Bones for me and another Soldier who is departing. The Commander and 1SG made it very clear how big my role in the company was. They presented me with my plaque and gave me a chance to give a little speech. I honestly didn't know what to say. I thanked a couple of people who were there that helped me all the time and I acted a little silly as per usual (held my plaque upside down), and then went back to my job of photographer and presenting the award to the other guy who was leaving.

Here are some of the pictures from yesterday:

 a photo I took of two of my coworkers. Pagan and I work on the same Tower Control System and Drozd is our supply clerk. Her and I happen to live in the same building and I was her sponsor when she got to Bragg.

 SPC Vong has been with us since part way through the deployment.

 SPC Guerrero and I work on the same system as well. He's a great guy and him and I became really good friends. He's getting ready to go back home to Texas.

 My Commander giving me my plaque. It was kind of bitter sweet to be getting one.

The guy on the left is leaving like I am. SFC Martinez has been in the company almost as long as I have and I have worked as his Soldier as well as with him as the Ops Clerk. I learned a lot from him and he's made an impact on me as a Soldier. He helped shaped me into the Soldier I have become. He's one of the greatest guys I know and I am so happy that he achieved the next rank! I hope to run into him again in my life!

Like I said, its kind of bitter sweet for me to be getting a plaque and getting ready to leave. I never thought I would leave Fort Bragg... its kind of a black hole like that. A couple of people have gotten orders to other places and then their orders have been cancelled- I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen honestly. I am ready to leave the unit, get experience some where else, but I really am going to miss some of the people I've met. They are what have made these last three years bareable and helped make me into the person I am now.

Bad Boys for Life


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

February Goals




I know that I am a little late here... as usual. Haha. Life has been a little hectic.
This month I have to get ready to go to Germany, its my year anniversary, and I have to plan my leave... just to name a few things. I try to make sure to plan out posts ahead of time... but sometimes I forget.

Here are some goals for February:

♦ Catch up on my scrapbook
♦ Get belongings sorted into piles for sending to FL, sending to FL, Carry on, and sell/donate
♦ Organize Pen Pal album
♦ Currently Journaling challenge each day!
♦ Create a 1 year PL mini album for Zeke and I
♦ Finish his anniversary present ((I don't know why I always want to handmade them))
♦ Sign up for #30 Days of Lists
♦ Create List Book ((for everything other then #30 Days of Lists
♦ Create Photography page for upcoming business
♦ Order Canon camera through school
♦ Finish first two classes with at least a B Average
♦ Create a work hard drive to keep track of everything I created while in my current company that I want to take to my new one
♦ Keep up better on my blog

I think that's a good place to start. :)

What are your goals for February?

Sunday, February 2, 2014

"I Love" Sundays v.6

So I totally skipped week 5 of "I Love" Sundays posts last week. There was some stuff going on and it slipped my mind until Wednesday when I was working on my blog, and by then it was too late to make it up. Haha. Maybe I should set reminders on my phone like I do with my medicine.


It is Super Bowl Sunday. I don't really care which team wins because neither of them are my favorites. It is nice though to have new teams that aren't always part of the Super Bowl. Boyfriend and I are going to a party today at my friend Dennis' house to watch the game and hang out with friends. It should be interesting because there are going to be Bronco's fans AND Seahawks fans at the party. Bring on the trash talk.

It is a new month! I am going to TRY, please note I said TRY, to do a couple challenges this month. I want to try a Currently card every day, the Instagram #fmsphotoaday challenge, and also the Doodle-A-Day challenge. I think it would be something new for me to try and something fun for my scrapbook

I got three letters on Friday to respond too and two more requests to be pen pals. That's five letters I should be writing today before the Super Bowl party tonight! I think that means I now have like 12 pen pals and I think I am good with that for now. I don't know. There are one or two that hardly write back and I may not keep them as pen pals. I LOVE having serious pen pals and getting snail mail all the time! It makes me super happy and I actually look forward to checking my mail frequently. I like having consistent pen pals that write back frequently because that way we carry on a consistent conversation and it makes it feel like I really am making new friends. I had one pen pal that said "I can't afford to travel as much as I want, but what better way to travel then letting your heart travel through your letters" or something to that effect. Its true though! It is fantastic!

Had two days off this past week due to snow. It was glorious. There really wasn't a lot of snow, we only got like 2-3 inches, but this part of North Carolina isn't really used to the snow so everything went a little crazy. The roads got super icey so I am glad that they shut post down for the two days there probably would've been WAYYYYY more accidents on the road had they made everyone try to come into work. We had to dig my SUV and my friend Reid's car out of the snow and Ice, because they were covered. It was highly entertaining! And these two guys were going around helping people clear out their cars for no reason other then they were wanting to help, so it made it fun. We laughed and giggled. And Reid learned a lesson- get an ice scraper! Haha. This is the coldest winter we've had here at Bragg the entire time I've been here. It's strange! I'm ready for the warmth again!!!

♥  My half days at work are about to end. My 1SG and Commander are back from their month long field mission and that means we're about to go back to stupid long days of just sitting around and twiddling our thumbs. The break has been nice, the free time has been nice, because I have been able to get a bit done that I really needed too!

Reid and I had a movie night this past Wednesday. She's never seen the Disney movie Brave and she's wanted to watch Frozen, so we watched both of them back to back. I love those movies.... they are so cute!!!!! 

We also have tomorrow off from work! There is this thing here in the 82nd that if the ENTIRE division goes 82 days without an alcohol related accident, then we get a day off.... surprisingly.... we've done that so they gave us Monday off. I'm sure they picked Monday just because today is Super Bowl Sunday and they know there will be a TON of people drinking on and off post during the game.... I think this is one of the smartest things they've done lately. Soldier's seem to get extra stupid when alcohol is involved and still being drunk or hungover for PT the next day isn't really a good idea either....

So what are you loving this week? I have to go try again to turn my homework in. It didn't want to upload to the website last night and I was working at it until almost 1130pm..... Hopefully it cooperates today!  Who do you want to win the Super Bowl? Or are you like me and just don't care either way!!!