This is part two of my recent adventures; click if you missed part one.
Wednesday: So, after I got my mom to the airport I was off for Georgia. It is a slightly shorter drive to Kings Bay from VA Beach, than it is to VA Beach from Rochester. So the distance wasn't too bad, and it was a lot of new road for me :-) ... I was also happy to see the temperature gradually climb the further south I got!!
I drove straight to the Naval Base, and was reunited with my husband shortly thereafter. There are few feelings better than seeing your beloved after being apart for 2 weeks.
Thursday was Thanksgiving. After a crazy full couple of days at the start of the week, it was nice to just relax with Brian. We watched Macy's parade, and looked for our friend Melissa who was tethered to Papa Smurf- we didn't see her, but we did see her balloon!
For dinner we went to a restaurant on the river in Jacksonville- the Chart House. It was very nice, and we had our first experience with valet parking! They had a pretty diverse menu, but Brian and I both opted for their traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We had turkey, corn bread stuffing, roasted brussel sprouts (dad you will be glad to hear that), I had mashed potatoes and Brian had a baked sweet potato. And we shared pieces of pumpkin & peacan pie for dessert! ... Everything was delicious; we were only sad to not have leftovers!
(Incidentally, we are thinking of cooking our own turkey dinner sometime soon!)
One of the best parts of the weekend was that Brian had Thursday, Friday & Saturday off! After a restful day Thursday, we were ready for some adventures!!
We drove to Orlando on Friday (I had never been!)... We've talked about going to Disney sometimes, but we want to wait until we have more time to spend there. So, Brian suggested Sea World!! It was so much fun! I was very excited to see Shamu, but as it turned out we both enjoyed the Dolphin Show much more!
I am also an amusement park rides kind of girl. Point me at a thrill ride, and I'm game. Sea World has 2 roller coasters; the Manta & the Kraken... The Kraken was good. But the Manta? I am not a fan. For the first time I walked away from a ride and said "I am not doing that again!" ... You start out sitting down, but before the car leaves the house, you tilt forward. So you are face down for the whole ride. I spent the entire time thinking "what if my shoulder harness gives out!? I am going to plummet to my death."
Other than the most-scary roller coaster ever, it was a great day! Great weather, the park wasn't too crowded, and I got to hold my bf's hand all day!!
Saturday we drove east to go to Kennedy Space Center. Brian wondered if maybe I would not be as interested in this attraction as he was, but we both really enjoyed our time there! I am maybe not as into the mechanics of space travel as my husband, but I think the history is really neat!
Some great things about/at KSC:
1. Members of the active military get free admission, and their dependents get a reduced price!
2. It is a HUGE facility, but they take you around to some of the places by bus.
3. It is not only a museum, but it is also a working Space Center- which is awesome!!
4. There are a lot of hands-on activities- we got to touch a moon rock!!!
We drove back to Georgia on Saturday night, and Brian was back to work on Sunday. And a couple days later, I was driving back to Virginia. Soon I'll write an update on life here :-)
Want to see pictures from our adventures? Check out my facebook album (this includes older pictures you may have already seen if you've read this blog before).
Love to all!!!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
All Over the Place: Episode 1
It has been a pretty crazy week; here's a re-cap (in 2 parts):
My mom & Carl were going to come down to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with Brian & me. But, the Navy's plans changed, and my husband wasn't going to make it home in time... So, I re-arranged some things :-)
A week ago today (Sunday), was my last day in Rochester. I enjoyed church, and got to see many of the people I love dearly. I came home and hung out around the house, and finished up my packing. Around 8 pm that night, inspiration struck: since my parents canceled their plans to come to Virginia, I thought that maybe my mom would want to drive down to VA Beach with me to spend a day, and then I would put her on a plane home. It didn't take much to convince her that this was a good plan.
Monday mom & I drove down to Virginia Beach. We stopped at a couple places on our way:
- Messiah College, where Brian (and his sister Laura) went to school. It is right on the way, so it was easy to swing by so she could take a look. She thought the covered bridge was neat. She didn't find the pedestrian bridge (that sways as you walk across) quite as cool.
- Gettysburg. I'd visited with the Dahl's a few years ago, but my mom had never been. We didn't spend nearly as much time as most tourists, but she did get to walk on a battlefield (Cemetery Hill).
-Steak 'N Shake. This was my favorite restaurant as a kid, and since we don't have them in Rochester, visits there had been few & far between. It had probably been 20 years since my mom & I were at a Steak 'N Shake together!
... also... I thought about stopping at Reptile Land on Route 15. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about?? Anyone ever actually visited? Every time I pass it, I say I will stop, and never do ;-)
Due to all our stops, when we reached Brian's & my apartment, it was getting late & we were both tired. It was pretty much straight to bed for both of us!
The next day (Tuesday) I took care of some business things (we hadn't checked our mail in about a month, ugh!) and then mom & I drove over to the Naval Base. I needed to get security decals for my car, so that was our first stop. Once I got those, I could drive all over the base, and give her a tour. The USS Helena (another sub in Brian's fleet) offered us a tour of their sub, but we declined ;-) ... I think her favorite stop was to the NEX (which is short for Navy Exchange), and is essentially a huge department store (with low prices & no sales tax!!).
Then we stopped for lunch, and headed to Virginia Beach front. It was an ok day out; no rain, but it was overcast and windy. We walked on the beach, and then went into some stores on the boardwalk, and then went back to the beach, back to the boardwalk, etc...
BTW- for anyone who has been to Virginia Beach, hurricane Sandy really did a number on the ocean front. The beach itself has shrunk at least 50%, and the news is reporting that they will need to truck in 12 million dollars worth of sand to have it ready for Memorial Day next summer.
After the beach, we did a little shopping and then hit the Chick-Fil-A drive-tru. This was mom's first CFA experience- she says she liked it!!
Then early Wednesday morning we finished loading up the car, and I drove mom to the airport in Norfolk. It was really nice having her come down with me; hopefully next time she'll be able to spend more time in Virginia!!
Once she was off, I started the second leg of my trip and drove back down to Kings Bay Georgia... Stay tuned for recap of the second part of my trip soon!!
My mom & Carl were going to come down to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with Brian & me. But, the Navy's plans changed, and my husband wasn't going to make it home in time... So, I re-arranged some things :-)
A week ago today (Sunday), was my last day in Rochester. I enjoyed church, and got to see many of the people I love dearly. I came home and hung out around the house, and finished up my packing. Around 8 pm that night, inspiration struck: since my parents canceled their plans to come to Virginia, I thought that maybe my mom would want to drive down to VA Beach with me to spend a day, and then I would put her on a plane home. It didn't take much to convince her that this was a good plan.
Monday mom & I drove down to Virginia Beach. We stopped at a couple places on our way:
- Messiah College, where Brian (and his sister Laura) went to school. It is right on the way, so it was easy to swing by so she could take a look. She thought the covered bridge was neat. She didn't find the pedestrian bridge (that sways as you walk across) quite as cool.
- Gettysburg. I'd visited with the Dahl's a few years ago, but my mom had never been. We didn't spend nearly as much time as most tourists, but she did get to walk on a battlefield (Cemetery Hill).
-Steak 'N Shake. This was my favorite restaurant as a kid, and since we don't have them in Rochester, visits there had been few & far between. It had probably been 20 years since my mom & I were at a Steak 'N Shake together!
... also... I thought about stopping at Reptile Land on Route 15. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about?? Anyone ever actually visited? Every time I pass it, I say I will stop, and never do ;-)
Due to all our stops, when we reached Brian's & my apartment, it was getting late & we were both tired. It was pretty much straight to bed for both of us!
The next day (Tuesday) I took care of some business things (we hadn't checked our mail in about a month, ugh!) and then mom & I drove over to the Naval Base. I needed to get security decals for my car, so that was our first stop. Once I got those, I could drive all over the base, and give her a tour. The USS Helena (another sub in Brian's fleet) offered us a tour of their sub, but we declined ;-) ... I think her favorite stop was to the NEX (which is short for Navy Exchange), and is essentially a huge department store (with low prices & no sales tax!!).
Then we stopped for lunch, and headed to Virginia Beach front. It was an ok day out; no rain, but it was overcast and windy. We walked on the beach, and then went into some stores on the boardwalk, and then went back to the beach, back to the boardwalk, etc...
BTW- for anyone who has been to Virginia Beach, hurricane Sandy really did a number on the ocean front. The beach itself has shrunk at least 50%, and the news is reporting that they will need to truck in 12 million dollars worth of sand to have it ready for Memorial Day next summer.
After the beach, we did a little shopping and then hit the Chick-Fil-A drive-tru. This was mom's first CFA experience- she says she liked it!!
Then early Wednesday morning we finished loading up the car, and I drove mom to the airport in Norfolk. It was really nice having her come down with me; hopefully next time she'll be able to spend more time in Virginia!!
Once she was off, I started the second leg of my trip and drove back down to Kings Bay Georgia... Stay tuned for recap of the second part of my trip soon!!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Pre-Thanksgiving.
So, I am getting pretty psyched for Thanksgiving! It seems like my husband will be back in Virginia just in the nick of time, so we'll be able to spend our first Thanksgiving together as husband & wife- something I am truly thankful for!!!
My mom & Carl are coming down to celebrate with us for a couple days. They haven't seen where we're living yet, and my mom loves the ocean, so it should be a great visit!! We are excited to have them!
I am half excited, half nervous about Thanksgiving dinner. This will be the first time I've ever cooked a holiday meal myself... We are doing a typical Turkey-Day meal; the bird, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pie. The only thing that I am not worried about is the cranberry sauce. Carl insists on the canned jelly kind!
Does anyone have any tips for me? Or any good Thanksgiving cooking stories??
My mom & Carl are coming down to celebrate with us for a couple days. They haven't seen where we're living yet, and my mom loves the ocean, so it should be a great visit!! We are excited to have them!
I am half excited, half nervous about Thanksgiving dinner. This will be the first time I've ever cooked a holiday meal myself... We are doing a typical Turkey-Day meal; the bird, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pie. The only thing that I am not worried about is the cranberry sauce. Carl insists on the canned jelly kind!
Does anyone have any tips for me? Or any good Thanksgiving cooking stories??
Monday, November 5, 2012
Kings Bay Adventures
Hey there :-)
So, I am back in Rochester after spending some time with my husband, who has been in Georgia for several weeks. Here are some of my experiences from the week:
1. From Saturday until Thursday, Brian & I were staying in some base housing. For the first time I got to experience a taste of what it's like to live on a naval base... Some of it was great, and some of it was frustrating.
I started watching the show Army Wives on Netflix. It follows 4 wives (and one husband) who are married to military men (and woman) and are living on an army post. It was neat to start watching that, and then to see the reality of some of that as I was on base... One of the themes in the show is how people on a base come together & care for one another:
On my first day on base, I went to pick up some groceries. I got lost, and found out the commissary was closed, and finally found a mini-mart on base. I had been traveling all day, was in unfamiliar territory, and my husband was on duty until the following morning. All those things combined, made me a little emotional... They Navy wife who rang me out commented that I looked new, and asked me how I was doing. And I maybe emotionally threw up all over her, and she was kind and compassionate.
Living off-base in Virginia has plenty of advantages. But, I think in some ways, I miss out on some of the connection that people have when they are on base together.
2. It was AWESOME spending time with my husband. I really miss him, and I LOVED every second we had together. We spent our evenings eating out (we had a kitchenette with fridge & microwave, but no way to cook a proper dinner), and hanging out.
On Saturday we drove to Jacksonville to have some adventures in Florida!! We spent a lot of time at the zoo, and then went to the beach for awhile; 2 things I really love to do!!!
3. The weather at the beginning of the week was not great; it was actually warmer in Rochester than it was in Jacksonville the first couple days! But by the end of the week, things got much better. Wednesday I went outside to read, and walked around the base. Thursday & Friday we had to move to a hotel off base (the room we were in on base had previously been reserved for the weekend), and I sat by the pool and dunked my feet! And then Saturday was beautiful, sunny and 85 degrees, and we got to wade in the ocean!!
I decided I would probably enjoy living in Southern Georgia or Northern Florida :-)
... And then Sunday I flew back into Buffalo. And it snowed on my drive back to Hilton.
Want to see pics from my time down there? Check out my facebook album.
Hopefully I'll be back in Virginia with my husband soon; the date is still a little unknown!
So, I am back in Rochester after spending some time with my husband, who has been in Georgia for several weeks. Here are some of my experiences from the week:
1. From Saturday until Thursday, Brian & I were staying in some base housing. For the first time I got to experience a taste of what it's like to live on a naval base... Some of it was great, and some of it was frustrating.
- I felt super cool & official whenever I drove onto the base. I handed them my id card, and they said "have a nice day Mrs Dahl," and let me in!!
- There are several different gates to get onto base, and they all have different hours. It is complicated trying to get back onto base, and having to figure out which road I needed to take.
- Kings Bay is in the middle of nowhere, so if I wanted to get off-base for awhile, it was quite a drive to get to civilian-civilization.
- The base itself is pretty; lots of places to walk around.
I started watching the show Army Wives on Netflix. It follows 4 wives (and one husband) who are married to military men (and woman) and are living on an army post. It was neat to start watching that, and then to see the reality of some of that as I was on base... One of the themes in the show is how people on a base come together & care for one another:
On my first day on base, I went to pick up some groceries. I got lost, and found out the commissary was closed, and finally found a mini-mart on base. I had been traveling all day, was in unfamiliar territory, and my husband was on duty until the following morning. All those things combined, made me a little emotional... They Navy wife who rang me out commented that I looked new, and asked me how I was doing. And I maybe emotionally threw up all over her, and she was kind and compassionate.
Living off-base in Virginia has plenty of advantages. But, I think in some ways, I miss out on some of the connection that people have when they are on base together.
2. It was AWESOME spending time with my husband. I really miss him, and I LOVED every second we had together. We spent our evenings eating out (we had a kitchenette with fridge & microwave, but no way to cook a proper dinner), and hanging out.
On Saturday we drove to Jacksonville to have some adventures in Florida!! We spent a lot of time at the zoo, and then went to the beach for awhile; 2 things I really love to do!!!
3. The weather at the beginning of the week was not great; it was actually warmer in Rochester than it was in Jacksonville the first couple days! But by the end of the week, things got much better. Wednesday I went outside to read, and walked around the base. Thursday & Friday we had to move to a hotel off base (the room we were in on base had previously been reserved for the weekend), and I sat by the pool and dunked my feet! And then Saturday was beautiful, sunny and 85 degrees, and we got to wade in the ocean!!
I decided I would probably enjoy living in Southern Georgia or Northern Florida :-)
... And then Sunday I flew back into Buffalo. And it snowed on my drive back to Hilton.
Want to see pics from my time down there? Check out my facebook album.
Hopefully I'll be back in Virginia with my husband soon; the date is still a little unknown!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Love Songs; Part 2
So, if you haven't already checked out part one, go ahead and scroll down (or click this link).
I think most Christians would agree that it is bad to worship anything other than God... And I may (or may not have) convinced you that when we sing love songs to our bf/gf, we are worshiping them rather than the one who truly deserves our worship.
However, here is why I don't think it is 100% wrong to have love songs about being devoted to another person:
I know very little about marriage, and despite being a Christian for a long time, I know even less about God. How great is God; beyond our understanding.
But. Having said that: I will readily admit that my marriage has helped me understand God better. And knowing God has helped me to understand what it means to be married.
When I see the way my husband loves & cares for me, I can't help but see a little more clearly how God loves & cares for the church. Just as God is loving, patient, and kind to His people, so my husband is with me. And just as Christ sacrificed for His church, so my husband works and is diligent and sacrifices for me.
And I hope and pray that just as I yearn to be faithful and honoring to God- that I would also always yearn to be faithful and honor my husband.
Comparing marriage to our relationship with God isn't something I invented. God Himself uses this example! We see all over Scripture that Christ is our Bridegroom, and the church His Bride. We see a God who turns into a jealous husband when His wife betrays Him. We see a beautiful marriage celebration between us & Jesus Christ. Heck, the book Song of Solomon is a beautiful love story between and man & his wife- meant, in part, to reflect our relationship with God!
So. It really shouldn't be too surprising when secular love songs sound like worship music. And I don't think it's wrong, in the right context, to have a secular song that expresses head-over-heels adoration for another person.
(here is where I would like to mention that I don't include profane or degrading songs that are on the radio... I don't believe those honor God, or the marriage relationship).
If a worship song sounds kind of like a love song on the radio- so what? I am the bride of Christ; my Maker is my husband. And it is totally appropriate to sing a sappy love ballad to God. It is no less reverent than an old hymn; it is just different.
Beautiful One
You open my eyes to Your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love,
because nothing on earth is as beautiful as You.
Beautiful One, I love.
Beautiful One, I adore.
Beautiful One, my soul must sing.
I think most Christians would agree that it is bad to worship anything other than God... And I may (or may not have) convinced you that when we sing love songs to our bf/gf, we are worshiping them rather than the one who truly deserves our worship.
However, here is why I don't think it is 100% wrong to have love songs about being devoted to another person:
I know very little about marriage, and despite being a Christian for a long time, I know even less about God. How great is God; beyond our understanding.
But. Having said that: I will readily admit that my marriage has helped me understand God better. And knowing God has helped me to understand what it means to be married.
When I see the way my husband loves & cares for me, I can't help but see a little more clearly how God loves & cares for the church. Just as God is loving, patient, and kind to His people, so my husband is with me. And just as Christ sacrificed for His church, so my husband works and is diligent and sacrifices for me.
And I hope and pray that just as I yearn to be faithful and honoring to God- that I would also always yearn to be faithful and honor my husband.
Comparing marriage to our relationship with God isn't something I invented. God Himself uses this example! We see all over Scripture that Christ is our Bridegroom, and the church His Bride. We see a God who turns into a jealous husband when His wife betrays Him. We see a beautiful marriage celebration between us & Jesus Christ. Heck, the book Song of Solomon is a beautiful love story between and man & his wife- meant, in part, to reflect our relationship with God!
So. It really shouldn't be too surprising when secular love songs sound like worship music. And I don't think it's wrong, in the right context, to have a secular song that expresses head-over-heels adoration for another person.
(here is where I would like to mention that I don't include profane or degrading songs that are on the radio... I don't believe those honor God, or the marriage relationship).
If a worship song sounds kind of like a love song on the radio- so what? I am the bride of Christ; my Maker is my husband. And it is totally appropriate to sing a sappy love ballad to God. It is no less reverent than an old hymn; it is just different.
Beautiful One
You open my eyes to Your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love,
because nothing on earth is as beautiful as You.
Beautiful One, I love.
Beautiful One, I adore.
Beautiful One, my soul must sing.
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