New Life & Old Friends

Well folks, as promised, I'm now updating you on our life events from the oh-so-sunny state of Florida! That's right, we made it! After a 14 hour car ride with my wonderful mother-in-law, we arrived in the sunny, hot, and humid city of Panama City. The PCS (permanent change of station) went surprisingly smooth. Not only were our movers on time, but very few items were broken or damaged which is nearly a miracle from what I've heard. We feel very blessed to be back in a "real" home and to finally put down some roots again, even if it's only for a short time.

Home Sweet Home

I'm absolutely in love with our new home. After our previous 1950's box dated home, this is a HUGE upgrade. Not only are we no longer conjoined with another home, but we have two stories and you guessed it....a garage (heaven)!

I'd like to offer a huge shout out to my amazing in-laws. Unfortunately my sweet husband wasn't able to be there the day we moved in, signed the lease, and ran around base like chickens with our head's cut off and almost got pulled over by Security Forces while trying to navigate. However, my amazing in-laws spent 48 hours hanging, fixing, cleaning, and unpacking almost our entire house. I feel so incredibly blessed that even though I don't have my own sweet mother here with me anymore to help in times like these, I have some awesome new family members who are always willing to jump in and help last minute. 

Winston was clearly the
most helpful mover/unpacker!

I can honestly say that I get more and more excited with each passing day about being here at our new station. The #1 best part so far...already having a sweet sweet friend that lives down the street. We were actually duplex partners at Laughlin and were so blessed to have gotten to know this incredible lady and her husband while we were there before we all went our separate ways. As fate had it we ended up at the same base and in the same airframe. Just knowing that I had a close friend here in this big city, was the most comforting feeling one could have when moving somewhere new.

Before I left her house after a short "hello" visit filled with lots of hugs and giggles she said something that really stuck with me. She said, "having you here and seeing you again makes me so happy, it feels like you brought a little piece of home with you". That's what's so amazing about the Air Force, and the military in general I'm assuming, especially the pilot community. You get the opportunity to meet some incredibly amazing people and you make lasting friendships in such a short amount of time. And even though you have to say goodbye eventually, it's more of a "see you later", because you never know when God will place you together again. I think that each military spouse carries around a "piece of home" with them wherever they go and when we meet those special friends again down the road we get to share that familiarity and know that our home, although it physically changes often, is spread out all over the world in the hearts of those we love and connect with on this journey in the Air Force. So far I love this journey we're on and wouldn't change it for anything. Feeling extra blessed these days.

Love,

The Etheridges

Last Hoorah In Texas

First off, I hate to admit this but of course we forgot to take our brand new (totally awesome) camera with us this weekend on our adventures. I know, major fail on my part. What's the point of a shiny new camera if you don't drag it along on fun adventures with you? Trust me though, I learned my lesson and from here on out you'll be sure to only get the best quality photos on the blog here, pinky promise :)

My sweet sister-in-law came out to visit us here in Texas for the holiday as well as our friend from UPT, so we had a full house for a few days. We started off the holiday right by heading to downtown San Antonio for some fireworks in Hemisphere Park. They shot them off behind the giant space needle, which I'm sure you've seen if you have ever been anywhere near downtown San Antonio. They also had music hosted on one of the local stations that you could listen too that paired with the show. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area and wants a place to park their foldable chair for an awesome show for 20 minutes! The boys got in for free since there was no charge for military which was awesome. This was our second time celebrating the 4th of July in Texas, San Antonio in particular, and we yet again were not disappointed.

Hanging out before the show.

Before the fireworks started,
love this man to pieces.

On Friday we headed to a Justin Moore concert at a local dancehall which was a total blast. The hubs and I have never seen him in concert and it had been AGES since our last country concert so we were both very excited to see he was coming to town the weekend we had guests and jumped at the opportunity to go. I can honestly say that's one our absolute favorite things to do as a couple. We are blessed to share the same taste in music (for the most part, Eminem makes my skin crawl but hubs loves his stuff, ick) so country concerts of pretty much any kind are always a golden date night opportunity
for us!

Justin Moore was an incredible entertainer. If there are three things that I can tell you about this man it's that he loves God, his wife, and his guns, in that order. At the end of the concert he took a few minutes to tell the audience about his abundant love for Christ and how he chooses to use his fame and platform as an entertainer to preach of his love for Christ. The hubs and I were both blown away and instantly in love with this man. It's not often that a celebrity uses their place in life to profess their faith and share the gospel with their fans.

Before the concert with this stud ;)

Saturday we floated the Comal river, which is generally always a good time minus what I like to refer to as the "death shoot" which is meant to be entertaining and fun for floaters. I on the other hand had a near death experience almost drowning a few weeks ago going down this shoot, so I chose to forgo the shoot and sun bath ahead of the group for a few minutes while they tempted fate ;)

This weekend was a total blast and we were all very sad to see it come to a close. However, we have some awesome things to look forward to in the near future, such as moving to FLORIDA!

On the subject of those darn wisdom teeth I had taken out, I'm almost completely healed. Yes, even almost two weeks after surgery I am not totally back to 100%. I've still got some healing to do and some soreness by the end of the day but I am eating solid foods now and can eat pretty much anything but popcorn (boo, it's my favorite). Thanks so much to everyone who checked in on me via phone calls, texts, and sweet cards that week. I can't even begin to tell you how much it meant to know I was loved and being prayed over during my recovery.

A few minutes after I got home from surgery.
Clearly NOT a happy camper

I'm super excited to announce as well that my next update will come from the sunny state of Florida! That's right folks, we are moving THAT SOON! I hope everyone had an incredible and blessed holiday.

Love,
The Etheridges

Liquid Diet

Well folks, I've finally reached what I like to call D-day. Also fondly known as having to have those pesky wisdom teeth of mine out. Yuck is right, I'm obviously not excited. I've been putting it off for oh say...24 years, so yea, it's not something I've been patiently awaiting. However, I've recently been having a good deal of pain in my jaw and I think these four suckers are finally on their way in. So, that means that after Wednesday I'll be living off of a liquid diet for most likely a week. All four of my wisdom teeth are impacted (below the surface and have to be surgically removed), so I'm assuming my recovery won't be easy, fun, or painless.

My diet for the first few days after surgery, yumm!

On a happier note though, our camera came in the mail, woot!! My sweet husband bought me a new camera, one that I'm super stoked about learning how to use. It's pretty fancy which means that it will certainly take some time to get used to and to learn all the "quirks", but I'm super pumped to have some good quality photos to share with you guys on the blog :)

Crappy i-phone photo, but that's it!

 First few photos we took...naturally when you don't know what to do in front of the camera you make an awkward face.

Model pose

I'll be sure and keep you lovely folks updated on my surgery. Any advice or helpful hints on having ones wisdom teeth removed would be greatly appreciated in the comments below!

Love,

The Etheridges

Girls Night In (Chicken Florentine)

Since my pilot was away for the evening, I decided to whip up something that was more to my taste than his! One thing I do find as a positive when he's away is that I get to eat some yummy recipes I can't try out on him (i.e. the healthier ones)! I found this recipe over on the Pioneer Woman blog, she's fantastic, and finally got a chance to test it out. I'm a sucker for anything with grape tomatoes in it, they're my absolute favorite, so when I saw the photo on the blog I naturally had to indulge.

To make it slightly healthier I substituted some gluten free brown rice noodles for the penne pasta, but other than that I stuck pretty true to her recipe. I used a Riesling for the white wine in the homemade broth, and I thought it turned out quite nicely! This is a great, light, summer time meal!

  Chicken Florentine 

What You'll Need:

Penne Pasta (or similar substitute) 

Boneless Chicken Breast

Salt & Pepper

Butter

Olive Oil

Garlic (chopped)

White Wine

Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

Baby Spinach

Grape Tomatoes

Parmesan

How To Make It:

*Cook noodles and set aside or cook while making main dish.

*Cut chicken into chunks, as large or as small as you'd like & salt and pepper it.

*Place chicken in hot skillet seasoned with olive oil and butter and cook until no longer pink.

*Place chicken on plate on the side, leaving most of the liquid in the pan.

*Turn heat down to medium and stir in garlic, sauteing quickly so as not to burn.

*Pour in wine and chicken broth (I eyeballed it, about a quarter of a cup each, 

whatever makes you happy)

*Let simmer for 3-4 minutes until 1/2 of liquid is evaporated.

This is the coating for noodles so if you think you need more liquid 

just add some more chicken broth to your liking.

*Sprinkle cut in half tomatoes with salt and pepper, place them and 

spinach in the homemade broth and remove from heat.

*Add cooked noodles, and chicken as well.

*Stir immediately to coat mixture in broth.

And viola, you're done! Enjoy!  

What my night consisted of, pasta, wine, and The Office!

On a side note, I am happy to announce that my sweet husband recently purchased me a "real" camera, so after it arrives in the mail you can look forward to better quality photos on the blog. I know, you're just as excited as I am aren't you? ;)

Love,

The Etheridges

Chocolate Trail Mix Bites (Yum!)

I lucked into another super easy, and delicious, Pintrest find this morning and wanted to share! I know you'll have a "duh" moment just like I did when you see how easy this one is, but I would have never even thought about it and it's truly a great "on the go" healthy snack option that's perfect before hitting the gym for some extra stamina/energy or on a long road trip! Without further ado I give you...

Dark Chocolate Trail Mix Bites 

(I know, humor me..they are so easy and scrumptious)

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup of your favorite trail mix

 (the healthier the better if that's your thing, I used 

Whole Foods Deluxe Trail Mix)

3 Tbsp of Dark Chocolate Chips

(Next time I'll be purchasing organic, not Hershey's)

*And some parchment paper/aluminum foil

Preparation:

* Melt the chocolate in the microwave, be careful not to burn.

Heat for 20 seconds, if still not entirely melted heat for another 10-15 seconds.

* Place spoonfuls of chocolate on parchment paper (or aluminum foil).

*Sprinkle trail mix on top of chocolatey goodness!

*Let sit for 40-60 minutes, or place in freezer in order for quicker consumption ;)

That's it folks! 

Fredericksburg

Last weekend the hubs and I headed up (over?) to Fredericksburg for a day trip! Let me just say that this is one of the cutest little towns you'll find in South East Texas. The drive there was surprisingly beautiful with rolling hills and TREES! After living out of the south for almost five years now I've come to really appreciate some good hills and trees.

After walking around the charming little town for a bit we stopped into a local restaurant for some lunch called Auslander's. The food was delightful and the beer and wine even better! The hubs got a tall glass of some type of German Wheat beer and I got a delicious glass of a German Riesling. 

Yumm!

The most adorable old couple that came in while
we were eating. I thought it was so sweet that
they sat down and ate on the same
side of the table ;) I could just see them 50 years ago
sitting in a little soda fountain shop
 as teenagers.

Naturally, after perusing some truly adorable shops the only purchases we actually made were some corgi themed items at the local doggy boutique...hey, we don't have kids yet so why not be crazy dog parents?! What was really neat was that the town seems to be very dog friendly, and you can drop your pup off at this little boutique for $6 an hour while you go grab lunch! Although, the place we ate allowed you to bring your dog in to eat on the patio if you wished! We adore places that are just as much in love with animals as we are :)

Were obsessed...so what?

If you ever have the chance to visit this darling town we highly recommend it! There are also an abundant amount of adorable B&B's, but reserve one out as far as you can, they book up extremely fast in the spring/summer months as that's peak time to visit! 

Love,

The Etheridges

Wedded Bliss

This past week the hubs and I celebrated two years of wedded bliss! I cannot believe that it was two years ago that I was walking down the aisle and saying "I Do" to the man of my dreams. Between now and then a lot has happened, from starting and graduating pilot training, dropping our dream job, and living in Del Rio for almost two years. Now we find ourselves in the big city for a few months before heading to a dream location in Florida for the next 12 months or so. God has been so good to us and has blessed us abundantly. I could not ask for a better partner and am so thankful God placed  him in my life.

Of course, with the joy of our wedding anniversary also comes a very heavy heart and day of sadness. Each year, the day before our anniversary is marked as another year that my sweet mother has been gone from this earth. I can't even begin to describe what it feels like to have these two days coincide so closely and to have to celebrate another blessed year of marriage to my wonderful husband and remember the anniversary of the loss of my amazing mother within 48 hours. I suppose I've learned to compartmentalize them and have finally found peace in knowing that it's ok to be happy and celebrate my marriage and also honor the memory of my mother. My wonderful husband and mother-in-law were so sweet and got me some gorgeous flowers and a kind card to commemorate her passing and many texts from sweet friends truly made such a sad day brighter.

Not a day goes by I do not think of her or wish I could just pick up the phone and give her a call. I miss having that person in my life who I could call about those ridiculous things that don't matter and know she would simply listen and offer her motherly advice or solace. She was such a gift in my life and my heart aches constantly from her absence in it. This past year, however, I have found so much peace in her passing. The bible study I was apart of at Laughlin has helped me grow so much in my faith and has helped me heal imensly. I don't know what I would have done without those amazing girls and their support through such a tough time.

On a happier note, life here in San Antonio is great! Mitchell continues to have long days at work but he's started flying again so that makes him a much happier fella. I'm throughly enjoying unemployment and can't complain one bit that the biggest decisions I have to make each day are what to make for dinner and what time I should go to the gym to miss traffic. I will admit I miss the community and friendships at Laughlin, but this transitional phase hasn't been too unkind to us yet ;)

Sharing our favorite desert
from The Cheesecake Factory
on our anniversary!

Now that we can actually find
authentic Italian pizza ingredients
we made a pizza margherita..
it was delicious!

Our $15 bufala mozzarella...so worth it

Beautiful flowers from my husband and mother-in law
on the anniversary of my mother's passing.