Nicknames

Do you nickname people? If you do, do you ever refer to them by their real names again? Because I don't.

This is AC and I (AshHam) last week. She is a true love of my life, my spiritual stronghold, and as crazy and unstable as I am; we HAD to be friends. She and her husband stopped to see me on their way to Corpus. He is "The Hubbs." As in I have never referred to him as Shep or Sheppard since they got married. Literally. And I do this a lot! 

I prefer nick names because I adopt people into my life and heart and I feel like it singles them out as significant and necessary in my world. Also, once someone had a nick name you are forever bound. They cannot go away.

My boyfriend thinks this is very weird. Conversation after lunch with AC and The Hubbs last week:

G: How was your day, baby?

Me: AWESOME!! I got to see AC and The Hubbs!!

G: What?

Me: I had lunch with AC and The Hubbs.

G: Who is that?

Me: Ashley and Shep. I told you they were driving through.

G: Yes, I know that. But The Hubbs? I thought you went to see a band or something,

Me: No, his name is The Hubbs. I never call him Shep.

G: OK... do you ever call people by their real names?

Me: No. Why would I do that?

Examples:

My sisters: Kae and Mana

- Mana hates this. Kae lets me do whatever I want -

Roommate

S

G or Boyfriend

- I do refer to him as German sometimes. But he's still newish. - 

So there you go. When I assign people highly important roles in my life, they get nicknames... never again to be known by their actual names. It's a quirk. I have lots of them. 

Tailgating (Hamlin Style)

Last night, Katie and I were discussing what we should do for an hour and a half while we wait for Amanda's plane to land Friday night. My flight gets into Pensacola at 9:30 and Amanda's at 11. By the time I get off the plane and out of the airport, the mall and Target will be closing. There are no good bars near by, not enough time to see a movie. We considered Chili's but knew we'd spend too much on food and alcohol and possibly not be able to drive back to the airport.

Eventually, we reached the obvious conclusion- we would tailgate! Friday night, airport parking lot, Kate and me + margaritas. We are going to tailgate in anticipation of the reunion of the Hamlin Girls. It's on.

This is not the first time this has occurred. One time Katie and I went to Walmart to buy some groceries and a huge pack of TP. At some point we lost Katie's keys in WalMart. So we bought beer and sat on the tailgate while we waited for Daddy to rescue us.

Naturally, Amanda will partake immediately upon arrival. The good news is that she travels with our DD, chaperon, and mascot.

See ya in the parking lot peeps!

(PS- AC, you may want to watch the airport security footage the next morning)

Art by Katie

OK, this is shameless promotion of my little sister. But she happens to be extremely talented, so it's OK. She used to draw and paint some as a kid and after moving to Guam she took it up again. She's gotten some pointers and tips and her skills are really honing.

She just started a facebook page (after I beat her over the head) to promote herself and her work. A few samples:

Cairn Terrier (aka- Toto dog if you're me)

Hugs!

Commissioned Work:

Pretty awesome, right?

You may remember that she did my Christmas cards for me last year (check them out here). The drawing of Van she did for that is my blog header so you can just scroll up too. If you have ever met Van, it looks EXACTLY like her. I have it framed at the apartment and sometimes I want to pet the drawing. :)

OK, so, if you are so inclined please "like" her on facebook and tell people about her. 

Art by Katie Facebook Page

She's teaching horseback riding and training, but this will hopefully be a way she can support herself when she and Justin have to move to goodness-knows-where next!

Lost and Found

I get this back tomorrow...

Continental Airlines will be returning it to me at 1:50pm tomorrow afternoon!!!

Biggest Dog Ever!!

OK, maybe not EVER. But almost ever.

Meet June Bug Hamlin:

Giving me kisses

On the farm with Van

Visiting Gran and Paw in the retirement home (why yes, she IS taller than the table!!)

Hanging out with Van.

June just boarded her flight in Guam headed home to Van and I! She's a 120 some-odd pound Great Dane and an official world traveler. She's been in Guam for almost 3 years now living with Katie and she's headed home- followed shortly by Kae herself. Van raised her from puppy-hood, so I'm excited to see how they reunite!

Niki, Nathan and I will be retrieving her from the airport this weekend. Pictures to follow!

Back to Me

It's official- it's almost time... KAE will be home in a matter of weeks!!!
OMG... loosing it!!!

Guam time is almost over! Justin deploys for 8 months or so and she'll be in the states the entire time! Woo hoo!!! No more scheduling calls, no more communication by email only, no more tears, no more fits!! Oh dear Lord, thank you, thank you for letting the time finally come!!!

KATIE IS COMING HOME!!!

Joining Forces... for Kae, S, T Hamm, Kim and Katelyn!

I've got a core group of girl crushes (not the least of which is my sist) in my life who are married to the military. With the bro-in-law departing again soon, I have been thinking a lot about the toll deployments, and the military lifestyle in general, take on military spouses. And it seems my thought process coincided well with Michelle Obama's this week via the launching of the Joining Forces campaign.

Katie and Justin in Guam

Justin is stationed in Guam now... GUAM, people! That means my sister is in Guam as well. Do you even know where Guam is? No, you probably don't, because it's a dot in the Pacific Ocean. It takes her at least 24 hours of travel to get to me. Katie is, of course, there by choice. She married the military- this is the life they lead. And yet, we take for granted the things these military wives have to give up. For Katie it meant putting her career on hold, leaving friends and family and her horse, and trying to build a life in a location that is completely military focused. It has meant spending his deployments alone on Guam, an island 7 miles wide. For my friend Kim, it has meant a lot of months of pregnancy and raising two small boys (1 and 3) with their daddy away.It was up to her to raise the boys with no breaks and keep the home in order. In a few months her family is relocating to Puerto Rico (I am blocking this out) and she is about to make the ultimate mom sacrifice for that move- buying a minivan. Katelyn moved to Germany at 7 months pregnant and had her first baby in Germany. She and her husband are raising Sophia with no family around to help. T Hamm spent the first 9 months of her marriage away from her new hubbie then left her life-long home for the other side of the country. S has at least a week a month where she is alone with a 4 month old and a 2 year old, both of which are often sick. Her back went out during her pregnancy and she had to deal with that solo as well. And she has also put on hold her own (much loved) career and dreams.

None of these women are complaining. All went into this life with their eyes open. And it's a beautiful, rewarding life is so many ways. But I think it's important to take the time to remember the additional daily struggles these women take on while their husbands protect all of us. We could all take the time to give a little and lighten their load now and then in thanks for their sacrifices, as well as their husbands'.

Aury, Shannon, Escher and Chip in Boston

Katelyn, Dan and Sophia in Germany (As an aside- Katelyn and I were separated at birth and the universe is petrified to but us back together.)

Grant, Trey, Grayson and Kim at Grayson's first b-day

John and T Hamm at their wedding

The next time you see a man or woman in uniform, think about stopping to thank their spouse! The better halves of military service members deserve a lot of credit as well.

The Big (Late) Reveal

Remember a few months ago (about two) when I told you that I was obsessed with Christmas Cards and I was having Tommie Alexander at OhMyGluestick design a custom card for me? Well, I didn't reveal it then because I wanted everyone to be awed when it arrived in the mail.But I was so excited because it features a drawing my sister did of Van- and it looks exactly like her!

I'm absolutely obsessed with this! You can tell that Katie knows Van because she even got the expression and eyes perfect. It made me cry when I saw it for the first time. 

It actually looks even more like Van than the original photo- which is amazing.

And Tommie used my fave color in my card- so I was pretty much just ecstatic about the entire ordeal. If you want anything designed or party help- call her! She's a genius. 

You can look at the drawing daily now because I incorporated it into my blog header. 

Have a Happy Long Weekend!

This Christmas I'll Be...

Missing this...

Crying for this...

Adoring this...

Doing lots of this!

Cuddling with this...

Laughing with this...

Hugging this a million times...

Seeing this again...

Entertaining this...

Looking forward to this...

An definitely this...

And sitting by this!

Most of all, I will be grateful for this...

Because it means that no matter what I am missing, pining for or hurting from- the best is yet to come!!

Please, please have a blessed Christmas!

These are a few of my Favorite Things

My life is in a bit of a limbo these days. I don't have my home or all of my things- and I love my things!
Last night I was thinking about the few things I simply can't live without, those few things that you just have to have around to make you feel somewhat grounded because they remind you who you are.
Here are mine...

This is probably the main one, Rabbie. I have had him since my 7th birthday and I can't sleep without him. He travels with me everywhere and has had multiple "operations" and "reconstructions" to keep him going. Thankfully my Daddy's a vet! ;)

Books! I always have to have a few books with me. And if I'm staying anywhere longer than a few weeks I need a cookbook. I took one with me to Boston when I went for a month and collected two new ones in Wisconsin to take to Texas.

This is a drawing Kae (my sister) did of my horse for me a few years back.

Also relating to Little Man, this photo. Katie took it for a photography class she was taking. It has a Bible verse attached to it stating that Jesus is coming back on a white horse. Little Man grounded me for years and I think I have felt a little a-drift without him around the past few years.

Photos! I must have 30 on the wall in my room. I have to be surrounded by my family and friends.

This is a new staple. I lost my Granny last New Years and this is a photo of her from when she was my age. I have had it up since she died and I look at it all the time.

And, of course, my Van! As you know- she goes everywhere possible with me. And I have major separation issues when I have to leave her behind. Ridiculous.

What things can't you live without??

The Sists

The Grinch is a legend in my family. Katie, Amanda and I can quote the whole thing. And for some reason, today, thinking about how neither will be with me for Christmas is making me so sad!

This line from our family mantra keeps running though my head, and it rings especially true today...

He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!

Our Relationship is not up for Negotiation

Our relationship is not up for negotiation... 

I read this quote last night in a book I was reading and fell in love. The chapter was talking about the importance of friendship and looking out for one another, and also about the need to have people in life you know you can fall back on no matter what you have done or what has happened.

I think about my friends constantly, rely on them always, and am thankful for them daily. I pray for them, and am grateful for the prayers I receive in return.

I also happen to love quotes, saying, snippets...here are a few more faves.

A friend stops you to ask if you're OK. A best friend yells, "MOVE! She's PISSED!"

Tell me who you're with, and I'll tell you who you are -Spanish Proverb

A good friend is cheaper than therapy. 

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of.  You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.  ~Amy Li