I am out of here !

Well hello there,
So finally have some good news! I booked my ticket to go to Alaska! As of October 31st I am out of here :)!  Now some of  you might have some questions. No my paperwork didn't get processed. We are just not waiting another 3-4 months. We will be living off base for now till my paperwork is done. I am so excited to see what this journey will bring.  I am really happy that I will be with Austin again I have missed him so much! 5 months is way to long to be way from each other. I have been going stir crazy! I am also so scared but I am ready to go and I think everyone around me is ready too. They keep telling me to get out of here but they love me haha. It is a bitter sweet moment knowing that I get to leave. I have never lived outside of this wonderful state of South Dakota. Everything and everyone I know comes from this amazing place. It has been the best place to grow up. I will always have my roots here. So if you would like to see me before I go feel free to call or text or Facebook me!  Don't worry I'll be blogging and taking pictures all the time! If you want to be pen pals I am also down for that :)!  Thank you all for the postive thoughts, and prayers. 

The Travel Bug

Hello people who are cool enough to read my blog!
So apparently I have been bit by the traveling bug this year! I have made a few trips around South Dakota driving. However I have also traveled to Florida twice now and soon to be Alaska twice o sure hope. By the time I am done traveling and moving I have figured I have flown roughly 20 thousand miles. Which is insane I haven't been on a plane that much in my hole life. My latest adventure was back to Florida we went to see my grandma and she was doing so much better then the last time I saw her. We played UNO and talked more so that was nice. Last time I was in Florida she was still very sick . After we spent some time in Jacksonville we went to Saint Augustine and took a trolley and learned the rich history of the area. It was really beautiful! They had been hit my hurricane Matthew pretty hard. Many people were cleaning up the aftermath. The houses on the seafront had been flooded . Most of the stops still were not open yet. After that we traveled back to Orlando. That night we saw Cirque du Soleil. Man that was a amazing show. It was mind blowing the things they can do. If you get the chance you really should see one of their shows.  The next day we split up Jessica and mom went to Universal to Harry Potter. Luke, my Aunt Julie, and I went to discovery cove. I didn't get out of the water much. It was incredible. They had a reef with over 40 fish and sting rays that were way bigger then  me. It was fun snorkeling minus inhaling water. Luke was so excited too. He has been taking snorkeling lessons so it made him more excited to go on his trip somewhere tropical sometime. I can't even describe how magical it was to swim with the fish! It is something I would love to do in a heartbeat. Hopefully next time we are able to spend time dolphins also. After  that we went to sea world for a show and saw the Killer Whales. They are so huge! I hope I can see them while I am in Alaska on a Cruise!  Overall it was a quick but fun trip! I am so tired. I need a vacation from my vacation!

Finding the Good in Bad

Hello Everyone,
So we all have a time that kicks on our butts and we hit rock bottom. Being in South Dakota the last 4 months has been a blessing and a curse. It has been really hard on Austin and I being 3051.5 miles away and having a three hour time difference.  Honestly I don't know how we do it. However being here has been good for me. Well since I have still been here I have had multiple going away parties which is fun and all but I hate yanking my friends that way thinking I'm leaving bit never do. I have been able to see new babies I didn't think I was gonna be able to see. Hang out with my kids and there families a few more times. I also have been blessed to travel to Florida and see my family and my grandma. There has been lots of hurting but also lots of joy. I have been really struggling lately and things get lonely. I know I have my family and friends but sometimes I get stuck in my head. I love taking pictures so I can remember things and people's faces or a time I was growing as a person. So when my head is in a place that isn't so fun o go for a long walk with my dogs, listen to my music and find things to help me see the good in the world even if I think it is falling  apart.  Sometimes it hard though my head takes over and everything gets cloudy and my anxiety takes over and I can't help but just sit and wonder what if this were different. Anxiety is hard to deal with and I try not to let it take over my lonely soul. It is a learning process. I try to control everything but I can't. So as I sit in South Dakota waiting since the military is a hurry up and wait kind of business I am going to find the good and hope I get good news this week. If not I am going to be taking lots of pictures this week and if I get good news  I will be taking pictures too. Plus when I  get there I will take lots of pictures for good reasons and not so good. Because leaving this place and all the people who have made a impact on my life is going to be really rough on me.

Co2 wine bottle openers

Hello world I have a PSA about exploding wine bottles with a CO2 wine opening device. This week mom and I were watching a movie and decided we wanted some wine with our dinner. So mom was going to use her CO2 wine opener that she had for sometime and used it before. However the bottle of wine I got was bigger then normal wine bottles and when the pressure went into the bottle wine explosion went everywhere. We are lucky the glass went away from my mom instead of impaling her! The bottom came out of the bottle and a chunk of the side and the top. I am glad it was pink wine and not red! There was wine on the walls all over mom in the cupboard on the floor it was a giant mess! So if you have a fancy wine opener make sure you read the very small print or you will have a very interesting night.

Slightly Exctied For Winter

Hello Lovely People,

So I have been pretty sick for about the past week. Yesterday my mom got me out of the house and I did a little shopping. Now all the cloths have gone from summer fun to fall and winter cute and comfy.  I mean I bought a cute vest for when the weather changes. Which hit me I am moving to a winter wonderland soon. I might not love winter for it is cold weather, freezing winds against my face, ice I tend to break limbs on and well it being dark all the time. However I love fall and winter cloths. It is my favorite time of year for clothing. I love wearing cute vets, tall boots,leggings ,giant sweaters and, hats. Plus I mean I love making snow men, snow angels, hot coco and playing board games by the fire. So I guess this is one plus side to moving to the far north. I am looking froward to a new winter wardrobe and some winter weather. I know school is just starting and it is still warm out but I am so ready for fall and winter. I have to look to the bright side of winter right? 

First Trip To Alaska

Well Wonderful people of the world wide web I made my first trip to Alaska. I loved it minus I got horribly sick and well could not do anything I really wanted too. Thank goodness I have such a wonderful Husband who took care of me the whole weekend.  Yes I know he has caring bones in his body might be a shocker to a few of you . I couldn't talk most of the weekend so I either had to type it up on my phone or austin just knew what I wanted because he just understands Erin faces haha. However it was so beautiful flying in and well  when I got there I was like wow this pretty much just like the Black Hills but bigger and possibly better. The weather is like spring and fall in South Dakota. It rained most of the time and it was cooler. which I don’t mind I know that it can get hot but it was wonderful. I didn’t get to see much wild life this trip other then giant crows and almost as large misquotes. Austin wasn’t joking when he said both were crazy huge. We did drive around Fairbanks and Post so I could learn what was around for places to go, food,shopping and get a basic lay out of everything before I move up here. My last day I was finally feeling better so we go out and walked around a few places. Of course I had to be a tourist a little bit since I have never really left the midwest minus Florida. We went to Pioneer Park which is really awesome. They took a hole bunch of old cabins from different places or restored them and painted them fun colors. They also had cute little shops and museums in them as well. I will before to explore it more when I don’t have to get to the airport the same day. We also stopped at Pike’s Peak Where I saw a giant sign that Says Love Alaska so I had to to take a picture of course. Fairbanks for only having 30,000 people is pretty spread out and has a lot more then I thought compared to places in South Dakota that roughly have the same amount of people.  Post Is also way bigger then I thought it would be however I am told it is pretty small. It is crazy beautiful and there is so many things to do. They have ski and snowboarding slopes,bowling,gyms,shooting ranges,archery, a few different lakes, places to eat. So you could say I am getting excited to move up there. 

It was a quick trip but a great one. I really needed to see Austin it was really good for my sanity.  It was also a pretty good experience to travel by myself too. I was so scared to fly alone for the first time. All my flights to Alaska people were so nice and help. I made friends along the way and they made sure I was feeling ok or helped me figure out where I was going next and how to find a new plane after I missed mine. One person I will be seeing again once I finally get to Alaska is another Army wife on the same post as me. We both missed our flights from Seattle to Fairbanks so we stuck together the rest of the way once we got out flights figured out and we even got to sit together. It is a great feeling knowing someone on base all ready. It made things much easier the last part of my flight.  It was also awesome to meet some of Austin’s friends who will have a rude awaking when I get there and I can actually talk because I will be able to fire right back at them.

Once again I want to give a shout out to my mom for getting me tickets to see Austin! It was the best even if I was supper sick the whole time!!! Hopefully my trip home today will go smoothly.

Puppy crazy, but older dogs need homes too.

Hello Wonderful Humans,

        Many people know that I am pretty puppy and dog crazy. My family calls me the dog whisper because I make friends with any dog I have ever met since I was toddler. Doesn't matter the size, or kind of dog I love them all. At my dad's house I have two dogs Kiwi and Whopper who I love to pieces and take them every where with me when I am home. At the in-laws They have 3 derpy dogs who I love Micah, Zeke and Roy. However now that I am married Austin and I have been thinking about getting a puppy or a dog. I was really set on getting a tiny puppy to train and raise. I have now reconsider this a few times now. My wonderful mother In Law Brenda works for the Western Hills Humane Society and well I have had few conversation about adopting puppies with her. I know one I need a place to live for a while before getting a new dog. Since brining a dog into a house that isn’t ready or set up for them can be a challenge. We need to be settled and take one kind of change at a time. Also puppies are like having a brand new baby who wake you up, needs attention all the time and training.  While I have been staying in Belle Fourche we have been fostering a puppy from the shelter who we have called a millions names. He is a Lab Mastiff mix so he is going to be a big boy. I fell in love him pretty much the second I met him. However I did learn what it is like to have a tiny little puppy again which can be exhausting. Cleaning up after the piddle pup all the time. Trying to get him outside before he pees everywhere. Playing with him so he doesn’t chew up everything. We would try to take him on walks he would do pretty good for a while, then he would just flop over and fall asleep so I carried the 11 pound puppy  till he was ready to walk again, then pick him back up when he was tired. So you could say I was pretty tired by the end of the time we had him I don’t know how Brenda did it she would wake up at night to let him out and wake up early to take him out. 

So I have been thinking many older dogs just get left in shelters and don’t get adopted because people don’t want to get a dog that would die soon, or they just aren’t as cute as puppies or younger dogs.  We all know that puppies are cute but they don’t stay little forever. Older dogs all ready have personalities, they are potty trained and most know some obedience all ready. There are so many perks of getting a older dog. You don’t have to wake up every few hours to let them go out. They are much more laid back but are always ready to go with you. Older dogs normally won’t rip your house up if you leave them home by there selves. They still will warn you if some one is at your door and keep you safe.  Old dogs might not be with you forever but you will be forever for them.So many older dogs get looked over and I have had a change in heart about getting a new puppy. I am getting a older dog because they need love too even if it isn’t for every long.  If you can give them a few good years rather then just having them pass away in a shelter you are changing there world. So if you are planing on getting a dog plan on adopting from shelter not a pet store and think about getting a older dog they will love you for it.

Kiwi and Whopper

He was way to tired to walk

Kiwi

I guess that is a comfy way to sleep

Roy, Izzy, Michah and Zeke