Author Archives: Reb

It’s mah Birfday!

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Well it was yesterday anyway… Had to work all day and was planning on going out to eat for dinner but by the time I got home I was rethinking it.  M had football practice and wasn’t going to get home until 7, by the time we all got ready it would be 8ish then maybe to the restaurant at 8:30. While most restaurants in Spain don’t even open for dinner until 8, I didn’t want to have the kids out too late on a school night.  It is not uncommon to see kids in restaurants and bars until 10 or even 11. Our kids love it but only on the weekend!

So I rescheduled my birthday dinner for this weekend, and actually turned it into a birthday/anniversary dinner (our anniversary is tomorrow) and got a sitter.  I am really looking forward to going out, not sure whether or we are going to go to Bar Jamon or Los Argentinos… we haven’t made it to either one. Los Argentinos is closed on Mondays and that always ends up being the day we try to eat there! Bar Jamon is traditional Spanish food, with some of the best paella around… Los Argentinos is an Argentinian steak place that is supposed to have great meat.

My kids are already coloring pictures for the babysitter… O had been begging me to have her come babysit a couple of weeks ago. I guess mommy and daddy need more date nights!

NO more procrastinating, I have a ton of homework to do and I can’t put it off any longer!

Getting the dog ready(ish) for Hawaii…

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So, Hawaii is a rabies free island which is wonderful but it sure makes it hell to get your pets there.  To be fair they have seriously updated their policies and now offer direct release at the airport instead of having to stick them in quarantine for 120 days.

If we had to leave him in a kennel for that long we probably would rethink bringing him with us, I mean all the way from Spain to Hawaii just to then leave him in a cage? Poor thing!

Thankfully we’ve already got a couple of things done on the checklist, first rabies shot, check. Microchip, check. Now I need to take him back to our vet for a second rabies shot and paperwork.  Thankfully our vet is on the base so they have experience with this, also our vet receptionist moved here from Hawaii so she’s happy to answer any questions! I am just hoping he fits in the large kennel not the GIANT one!

Honestly we REALLY were going to wait until we moved back stateside to get a puppy, we tried to wait! We didn’t want to have to deal with shipping a dog back stateside, let alone to the Pacific!

Our cutie Bowser at 5 weeks

But really how could we resist that face! My husband went with a friend to look at a litter and I told him I wouldn’t be mad if he brought one home! It ended up for the best because we wouldn’t have gotten a dog in Hawaii if we had waited and my kids LOVE this dog.

Thankfully the Hawaii Department of Agriculture breaks it down step by step and explains what you need to get done and the timeline to get it done.  So as long as you follow each step EXACTLY you’ll be fine!

Here’s the Hawaii DoA page for direct release: http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/aqsbrochure.pdf

Monday Monday

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After a thrilling three-day weekend full of lots of relaxing on the couch, homework and a no-getting-out-of-it trip to the commissary (seriously there was NO meat left in my freezer) Monday is here.

Today is actually my big sister’s birthday, mine is tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Steph! We are six years and one day apart. My daughter teased her relentlessly about getting a senior discount now. Wishing I was back home with her to help celebrate but I just have to send my birthday wishes via Skype instead! I honestly can’t imagine living here and doing this overseas thing WITHOUT the internet! How did people do it?!

I’m also a little sad because the last of my group of close friends is moving away tomorrow.  We had the BEST group of girlfriends and they have all moved away one by one! I have never lived on a military base before and even though I did move a lot as a kid this is just different! I never really thought I was going to make friends here, I have a terrible military wife stereotype.  Was I wrong! We had such a wonderful time celebrating birthdays, babies, holidays and just hanging out together drinking coffee while the kids play.  We really got lucky with our group of friends, we all clicked so well and so did our kids.  I’ve made more friends but haven’t gotten those close ones again, when you are a ‘short-timer’ its hard to put the effort into new friendships! Terrible I know!

After almost 3 1/2 years here I do love the fact that I can go to the commissary or soccer practice or the school and run into people I know.  This is a small base and you end up knowing most people by face if not by name!

Should be a slow week, no big plans so far… three-day week for the kids this week AND next week due to parent/teacher conferences and then Thanksgiving. They don’t know how good they have it!

Hola from Rota, Spain!

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Hey there! I am a Navy spouse living on Naval Station Rota, Spain. We’ve lived here for over 3 years and we’ve loved pretty much every minute of it. Living overseas has been an adventure and we’ve travelled all over Europe with our two kids.
We recently found out that we will be making the LONG journey from our Spanish casa to a new Hawaiian home! I’m really excited to experience living in Hawaii and I am looking forward to travelling in the Pacific.

Many people may not be cut out for island life but I am not one of them! I am a beach bum and my kids are both water babies and year ’round summertime sounds just right to me!

Living overseas isn’t for everyone, I know many, many people who complain about the lack of Target, Starbucks or American restaurants. And yes, it does suck not having the conveniences of home at my fingertips but I wouldn’t trade it for evenings spent at my favorite pizza place on the bay, watching the sun set. Or meeting so many wonderful Spanish friends who have shown me just how much a feria can be.

I am excited but sad about my upcoming move and now feel the need to cram in as much as I can before I leave this insanely wonderful country!