Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Well, we've been on pins and needles for the past three weeks, and today the wait was FINALLY over.  

Today, we were told that we will be moving to...

...drum roll please...

WHIDBEY ISLAND, WA!

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As you can see on the map above, Whidbey is about an hour and a half from Seattle, and about an hour south of Vancouver, Canada.  From all the pictures I have seen, it looks GORGEOUS.  I can't wait to experience the cooler weather and an actual. winter. season.!

I definitely see lots of skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and lots of outdoor activities in our future, not to mention many a Canadian adventure!

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It's also exciting because Whidbey will be our our first permanent duty station, meaning that we will be stationed there for approximately three years (the longest that Bo and I have lived somewhere since we got married)!  During that time, Bo will complete his first (and possibly second) deployment, and we will probably try to expand the Behne clan.

Whatever happens, we are looking forward to it!  

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In other "changing" news, Yoga Life Studio (where I am a Business Partner and Co-Director) is closing this Friday.

Although it is hard to let the studio go, a variety of things factored into Sara's (the owner's) final decision to close - a tough economy and growing lease fees among them.  Perhaps most importantly, the owner's son has autism and (understandable and rightfully so) needs her undivided attention, energy, and love.  I think that Sara said in best in her farewell letter to the community:

After prayerful consideration, I have decided to close Yoga Life Studio on Friday, October 5th.   I want to extend my deepest gratitude to every student who has walked through our doors and shared their life, energy and breath with me.  You have inspired me, changed me, lifted my soul and transformed me in so many countless ways.  I truly enjoyed being your guide and mentor on the path of yoga.  I am eternally grateful to my students who understood the challenges we faced this year, and supported me with their presence on the mat, a kind word of encouragement, a hug, and so much more.   When you come to that place where you know you cannot do it alone...it's actually the sweetest place to be.   Only then you really see how God works in your life.  I saw God working in so many of you this year and I will never forget our time together.

So, as I conclude this post I am reminded that there are times to let go, and there are times to move forward.

Today was a time for both.

As they say, "when one door closes..."

Question of the Day:

Have you ever made a BIG move to a new city/state/part of the country?  Tell me all about your experience below!  We need all the advice we can get...

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Martin/Curley Wedding

Last Friday and Saturday Bo and I were honored to join in on Matthew and Jamie's marriage celebration.  And what an awesome celebration it was!  Matthew and Jamie (and their friends and family) really know how to throw - and enjoy - a good party.  With that said, their wedding was one of the most fun and enjoyable that I have attended in quite some time.

Before getting to the nitty gritty of the weekend, let me give you a little bit of background:

Since Day 1, Matthew and Bo were roommates at the United States Naval Academy (USNA).  Over the four years that they attended the Academy, Matthew and Bo became great friends.  Through heartbreak, overwhelming stress, and extreme frustration, Matthew and Bo were always there for each other.  In truth, they were perfect roommates.  Bo has a tendency to get a little too serious at times, and Matthew has a tendency to have a little too much fun at times.  Together, they balanced each other out perfectly.

Matthew and Jamie started dating while he was at USNA.  Matthew is a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), and he and Jamie are stationed at Virginia Beach, VA (although they are moving to Hawaii in a couple of months).  They have already made it through one seven-month deployment, and during that time it was clear that Jamie is an amazingly strong and dedicated woman.  As all military wives do, she has given up quite a bit to be with the love of her life.  But in talking to her, as with most military spouses, you immediately realize that she is happy to make the necessary sacrifices in order to be with Matthew.  They are a strong, inspiring couple who's intense love for one another is infectious!

I hope that all of my friends and family find that kind of love in their lifetime...I did! :)

On Friday evening, Bo and I attended the rehearsal dinner.  The event was held at Buddy's Crab & Ribs, a landmark restaurant located in downtown Annapolis (DTA).

Although there were a number of people for him to visit, the groom-to-be took some time to chat with us and snap a few pictures.  (Look at that tan...I'm jealous!)

Afterwards, a large portion of the rehearsal dinner crowd gathered together in DTA for a group shot!

The next day, after revisiting USNA and getting ready for the big event, we gathered in the USNA Chapel for the ceremony.  Although my camera wasn't fancy enough to overcome the dark lighting and distance, I was able to catch a glimpse of the beautiful bride walking down the aisle with her brother (Jamie's father is, sadly, deceased).

Darn it!  I really wish my I could have gotten a better shot of the bride and groom during the ceremony.  They were glowing!

Oh well, these will have to do...

Upon the ceremonies conclusion, Bo and several of Matthew's other USNA buddies performed the infamous sword arch (Come on, you know the one!  I KNOW you have seen or heard of this before!).

They marched out in unison...

...lined up...

...raised their swords...

...and demanded a kiss in exchange for passage!

In line with tradition, Matthew and Jamie had to kiss at every sword arch in order to receive passage down the stairway.  One swordsman even made them kiss twice, admonishing that the first one wasn't a "real kiss" hahaha!

The incredibly happy couple!

Here's a look at all of the swordsman with the groom's mother and father .  Matthew's mother is a hoot!  She has so much personality...can't you tell?! ;)

Since the reception was approximately a half hour away from USNA, most of the guests rode in a bus from one place to the other.

 Bo and I at the reception chatting about something that was obviously very serious...perhaps how many glasses of wine we should drink?! ;)

Pose-perfect...although, I actually prefer good candid shots!

Note: I bought this dress with my mom at an antique store here in JAX.  Truly, I should have been born in the 1940's or 1950's.  Not only do I love that periods music and movies, but the fashion was MADE for my body-type!

While the bridal party was busy taking pictures, the guests started enjoying the food, drinks, and scenery.  I have to say, most weddings that I have been to don't have great food.  But this food was delicious.  Everything from the appetizers, to the main course, and the cake was really really tastey.   Well chosen Matthew and Jamie!

First dance...awwww!

And then, everybody got the party started!  As the Black Eyed Peas would say:

Everybody, everybody, let's get into it.

Get stupid.

Get it started, get it started, get it started.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Yeah.

Note: If you don't know the song "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas you might want to look it up on You Tube.  I will be referencing it quite a bit for the remainder of this post.  It is a great song for a party!

And again:

Everybody, everybody, let's get into it.

Get stupid.

Get it started, get it started, get it started.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Yeah.

C'mon y'all, let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here)

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here)

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here) Ow, ow, ow!

Photo-op (I wish the lighting was better...this would have been a great picture)!

All the single ladies saying: "If you like it then you better put a ring on it!" 

(And yes, I am aware that I just quoted Beyonce.)

Matthew doing a jig before hunting for Jamie's garter...this was PRICELESS!  

I SO wish my camera had a "video record" button!

All the boys vying for the garter...although I can't tell...do they all want it...or are they all desperately trying to avoid it?!

Everybody, everybody, let's get into it.

Get studio. (Come on)

Get is started (come on), get it started (yeah), get it started.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here.

Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started

(woah, woah, woah) in here.

Yeah.

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here)

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here)

Let's get woohoo!

Let's get woohoo! (in here) Ow, ow, ow!

It was a great wedding, and an even. better. party...can't you tell?!

Coming up - more wedding adventures, but next time we will be celebrating Emily and Henry!

Question of the Day:


What is your favorite part about weddings?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Blast From the Past: Visiting the United States Naval Academy

On Saturday morning, after breakfast (and before Matthew and Jamie's afternoon wedding), Bo and I spent a couple of hours walking around the United States Naval Academy (USNA) yard (i.e. campus). It was a very nostalgic couple of hours, especially for Bo.  He spent some of the best and worst days of his life (thus far) on that campus.  In his profile on our About page, Bo writes:

I made my journey out to Annapolis, Maryland in 2006 to attend the United States Naval Academy to fufill my dream of becoming a naval aviator. In May 2010 I graduated the Academy with a Bachlors of Science in Political Science and commissioned into the U.S. Navy as an Ensign. Even more exciting was the fact that I had attained a pilot slot! 

Although his time at USNA was sometimes frustrating, difficult, and overwhelming, in many ways we can all thank the Academy for helping to make Bo the wonderful and honorable man that he is today.

USNA is truly a place to behold.  The buildings are beautifully constructed, the grounds are manicured to perfection, and there is a palpable sense of history and heritage every where you look.  The month of May has always been Bo and I's favorite at the Academy.  The flowers are always in bloom, the grass is bright green, and the yard is quiet and calm because the majority of midshipmen are already out doing there summer tours.

Throughout the course of the morning, I took a number of pictures around the yard, and I thought that you all might enjoy seeing them.  To begin, here is a picture of the courtyard to the Superintendent's home.  The Sup (as most people call him) and his wife do actually live here, and Bo attended the Superintendent's Garden Party here during his commissioning week.

(Isn't that tree just beautiful?!)

There are over a dozen different courtyards on the yard, but we have particularly special memories of having a picnic on Fullam Court the day before Bo entered the academy.  Consequently, we though it would be nice to snap a pic of Bo in front of the sign. 

Here's a peek at one of the numerous monuments/sculptures on the yard.  This one is of a submarine coming out of the water.  BEWARE - this sculpture gets very. hot. to. the. touch. during the summer months!

Tecumseh Court (also known as T-Court), is the main courtyard located in front of Brancroft Hall (the dormitory on campus, also known as Mother-B).  Midshipmen have formation in T-Court every day, and also line up here for parades.

Random Trivia: Bancroft Hall is the largest, single dormitory in the world!  It houses the entire brigade of ~4,000 midshipmen.

This is one of the MANY (i.e. nine, I believe) wings of Bancroft Hall.

I just had to capture the moment that Bo walked through the main doors of Bancroft Hall.  For those of you that don't know, midshipmen are not allowed to walk through these doors until after they have commissioned.  With that said, this was the very first time that Bo walked through these doors...quite a big moment for him!

Here is a peek inside the main lobby of Bancroft Hall.  Upstairs there is a small museum...you can just see a hint of the "Don't Give Up the Ship" display in the back of this photo.

On the other side of T-Court is a monument of good 'ol Tecumseh (well that would make sense now wouldn't it?).  Throughout the football season, the mids will decorate Tecumseh in a variety of ways to represent the football rivalry that week.  It is actually pretty amazing what they can do with that 'ol guy...sometimes you can't even tell it's Tecumseh anymore...I'm not kidding!

Even the academic buildings themselves are beautiful...the fountain doesn't hurt either.

On our tour around the yard, we ran into this newly constructed walkway.  I thought that the tree-lined pathway was a beautiful oasis on this otherwise bustlingly busy campus.

And finally, here's a peek at Officer's Row.  Several of the highest ranking officers (O-6's and above) that serve at the academy live in these homes on the yard during there tour at USNA.  As you can see, the homes are all beautifully restored and taken care of.  

Who knows...maybe Mr. and Mrs. Behne will live there one day?!

Next time - all about Matthew and Jamie's BIG DAY!  Bo and I had a blast celebrating with them. :)

Question of the Day:


Have you ever visited USNA?  Have you visited any of the other service academies?  If so, what did you think about it/them?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Packing

Yesterday, we started packing up the house.  

Although I always embrace moving to a new city, and look forward to the new adventures that await us there, I have never enjoyed packing.  

For those of you that know me relatively well, you have probably picked up on the fact that I am a neat and well-organized person.  If you have ever visited my home, you know that everything has its place...and is almost always to be found in that place.  Keeping things organized provides me with a sense of peace.

Note:  I openly acknowledge that my need for organization can cross over into the obsessive-compulsive realm at times.  However, Bo is helping me to relax a little in this area.  I still think a straight house is something to be proud of, but as yoga and Bo continue to teach me, everything needs balance...

Currently, I am practicing the yogic quality of non-attachment...otherwise I might go a little crazy, because my house looks like this:

A messy guest bedroom.

A bare guest bathroom.

Boxes on the coffee table...and a book-less bookcase.

We eat dinner where, again?!

Photos, pictures, and paintings stacked on the floor...

...which, inevitably, results in bare walls.

Empty hangers...

...and half-filled closets.

Before we know it, we will be loading up the Penske truck and hitting the road to Jacksonville!  This move is definitely bittersweet, but since we aren't officially saying "Goodbye!" yet, I will wait to elaborate on that in another post...so stay tuned!

As for the move, it can't be that bittersweet when you have this sweetie waiting for you on the other end of the journey...right?!  Our Lola is such a beauty.

Question of the Day:

How many times have you moved in your life?  
What is your favorite part about moving?  
What is your least favorite part about moving?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo