I have to say that Camp Lejeune and North Carolina somewhat exceeded my expectations (gasp...I know!) Sure, the tattoo parlors and strip clubs in Jacksonville are less than desirable, but how can you not be at peace with a place that is bordered by the ocean? Look at that Mom and Suzanne...I'm being optimistic...isn't that a surprise?!

Our first introduction to the area was Swansboro, where the main drag is lined by mom and pop seafood restaurants (right on the water!) that promise tons of personality. Nick and I are dying to try each one of them. We then proceeded to drive 130 miles just around the area, checking out other towns and the base. Whew! It was a loooong day. The base is pretty large and there was a homecoming of Marines that had been gone for the last 10 months so the excitement level was at an all time high. The feel surrounding Lejeune is just so different than here in Quantico, where there are mainly schools and officer training. Camp Lejeune means Nick will be back in the fleet (meaning back to artillery and leading Marines) and this will be my real first experience as a wife back in the fleet (at Pendleton Nick was deployed and I worked full time and we were only in 29 palms for a few short months).

I didn't take nearly enough pictures as I wanted, but we drove by the library (which thankfully has a storytime), the commissary, PX, gym, movie theater...all the basic things on a base. One of the biggest pluses to this base is that there are running paths galore!! Now that made me happy!! Overall, Nick and I are thrilled to be given the chance to explore a new area...see...the optimism is so profound today!!

But the biggest decision Nick and I are dealing with right now is if we should live on or off base. There are so many pros and cons to each and there is not one right answer; it really depends what works best for each family. We did drive by the houses we would most likely end up if we did choose to live on base:

They really aren't that bad and have been completely remodeled on the inside, although we didn't have a chance to peek inside. And look at that huge front lawn, something we don't have here in Quantico. And the trees!! Love the trees.

But while driving around towns south of the base, we found an amazing little neighborhood with GORGEOUS houses and I really think Nick would have put an offer on this one house right then and there. And thats another decision we have to make: if we live off base, do we rent or buy, knowing we will only be there for 2-3 years? Again, everyone I've talked to has different opinions on base vs. off base and renting vs. buying. I'm keeping an open mind but at the end of the day, we will make a decision that best suits our family. But even after the 5.5 hour drive home where we weighed the pros and cons, and pretty much every hour since, we are still back at square one and haven't made a decision. What makes it even more fun is that Nick will be gone for 6 weeks during the next 3 months so any decision will need to be made FAST!

I'll leave you with a picture of a little girl who seems to love organization. See these crayons sprawled all over her table? Does she color with them? Nope, she patiently puts them all back in their box. And at the end of storytime at the library last week, she was literally the last kid who stayed and placed all the toys back in their bins. Now don't get me wrong, she isn't all prim and proper. At 19 months, we've had to start timeouts because when she doesn't get her way, she throws everything she can get her hands on. I can't help but laugh a little when I make her face a corner and she sits there talking to herself and playing with her toes. Cracks me up!

Nope, I lied. I'll leave you with a picture of the cupcakes I made for Superbowl: cinnamon toast crunch cupcakes. Delicious and super easy. The hardest part was sifting the cinnamon toast crumbs. Recipe is HERE if anyone wants to give them a go.