Behind again!

Alright, I know, I know. The last update was before Thanksgiving. What can I say? I've been busy! So, here's what we've been up to (and you're getting mostly pictures because let's face it - I'm not too great at keeping this updated on a regular basis, and the photos are always the best part)!

Chris and I were able to get away for Christmas this year, and thanks to our friend Kjersti, spent the holiday in Carson City, NV and South Lake Tahoe, CA. Here are a few pics from our trip:

We had a great time exploring Virginia City, NV, an old mining town just outside of Carson City, as well as South Lake Tahoe. One of the best parts of the trip was watching Gypsy discover snow! We are happy to report that she loved the snow! She's gonna be a great midwest doggie! She also turned out to be great on the long trip - it was about 10 hours each way. She really likes to go for rides. :)

We also had a great New Year's Eve! We spent it with our friends Laurent & Aimee at their house, and had a FEAST! Aimee is an amazing cook, and as always, her menu did not disappoint!

After a great holiday season, we began the dreaded pre-deployment preparations. Chris started packing, and Gypsy and I started to realize the date was coming all too quickly. On January 9th, we packed the last of Chris's bags in the truck, and headed down to San Diego to see the 13th MEU depart. It was a sad day, but as I write this, we are now more than five weeks in, and it's going pretty well. Actually, it's going FAST! It could be because I also decided to throw another round of school into the mix...Yep, I'm back in school! I am enrolled at Cal State University's San Marcos campus Tuesday (and soon to be Thursday) evenings, and am working on getting an HR Management Certificate. It's really interesting, and is helping to keep me super busy (like I really need help there!). I am fast-tracking the program so that I can finish up in late August, right after Chris is scheduled to return from deployment.

To end this posting, here are a few pics from the day Chris left, and a couple pics of the Gypsy Dog. She's doing really well during the deployment, and is making sure I don't turn into a couch potato. And yes, as you can see I finally caved, and Gypsy is now a permanent fixture on the bed. She even sleeps on Chris's pillow! That's what he gets for breaking me down. :)

Hope all is well with everyone. I will try to be better about updating this. Really, I will try!