You know you're cool when...

you're outside playing with Play-Doh with your two favorite tiny men and the almost-four-year-old tells you that you say really strange things.  Mind you, I didn't think I was saying anything particularly odd or funny at that moment, but I guess that's just who I am.  Strange.  And even a four-year-old can tell.  I guess I just got to embrace it.

Drew's a Winner!

I obviously already knew that because I married him.  But now the American Bar Association thinks that Drew is a winner too!  He was chosen as one of the winners for the 2011 Legal Assistance for Military Personnel Distinguished Service Awards.  Each year one office and one individual is chosen from each branch of the military for the award.  I could not be prouder of him and all the wonderful work he has done for his clients.  Now hopefully they'll fly him home from Afghanistan for the awards presentation...hey, a girl can dream, right?

Here is Drew's little write-up from the ABA website:

Lieutenant Andrew Coffin, JAGC, USN, Naval Legal Service Office Pacific (Guam)

LT Andrew Coffin’s outstanding legal assistance efforts while serving at NLSO Pacific Detachment Guam over the past year had a positive, tangible impact on the 15,000 active duty personnel and family members serving in that remote and challenging location. Demonstrating remarkable resourcefulness and zeal, LT Coffin cultivated positive working relationships with local attorneys, judicial clerks, and public servants, securing an unprecedented level of access and influence. LT Coffin’s expert advocacy in landlord tenant, consumer law, and family law matters earned him a reputation as a tenacious legal advocate across the entire island community. Displaying uncommon leadership and maturity, he provided critical mentorship to new judge advocates in local practices, ensuring continuity of the progress he made in Guam. LT Coffin’s expert advocacy, tireless representation of his clients, and development of critical relationships within the Guam community in 2011 were nothing short of extraordinary, and his performance sets a standard by which all judge advocates should be measured.

If you're interested, you can read about the other winners here:  ABA LAMP Distinguished Service Award Winners.  Congratulations to all of them!  Way to show the nation what wonderful work our legal service members are doing.

Buyske!

It is really amazing how small the military world (especially the Navy JAG world) is.  This past week a bunch of JAGs from all the "west coast" bases had a training in San Diego.  Since Guam is lumped into that category, one of Drew's colleagues and our good friend Jen came out to San Diego for the week.  I was lucky enough to be able to see her on Thursday evening at a BBQ at one of the SD JAG's houses.  It was really nice for me to be around a lot of junior officers and their spouses/significant others.  In Guam there really weren't a lot of other junior officers that we got to hang out with so it was nice to see how different it is at a big base.  We are all going through such similar things and have so much in common, so it was really nice to meet a lot of new people and just chat them up.

And most of all, it was so very wonderful to see Jen and it kind of made it feel like we never left Guam.  I'm so happy that it worked out for us to see each other & just hang out together.  I'm very glad to know that we will often run into our friends from all over!  We miss you, Buyske!

The S-Bizzle

I was lucky enough this past weekend to be able to celebrate my wonderful friend Jennie's bachelorette party in Santa Barbara.  It was such a fun & relaxing weekend with some seriously amazing girls.  We danced, ate, went in the jacuzzi, hiked, did a Daley method workout, drank wine & chatted up a storm.  Overall, it was a fantastic way to celebrate Jennie and her upcoming marriage.  I could not be happier for her & am just so lucky to have such a truly beautiful (inside & out) friend!

Here comes the bride

Betsy & Jennie

Delicious dinner at El Cielito

Aw, nothing beats brunch with friends at Summerland Beach Cafe

I also got seriously addicted to Instagram this weekend.  We all signed up & started using it like crazy.  My username is jcoffin83 if anyone is interested.  I'm trying to find more people to follow but I'm not the savviest user yet.

Happy Easter!

I had an amazing Easter day today!  I went to church with my Dad and Grandma.  It was a great service to celebrate the fact that we believe in and worship a risen Savior.  It makes all the difference!  Then we went over to the Savant's house to enjoy brunch with their whole family - it is so generous of them that they invite us over and it is so nice for us to have wonderful people to be around.  It'd be kind of lonely with just the three of us.

Not only did I get spoiled with a super tasty brunch and great company, but the Easter bunny really did me good this year.  I got two amazing Easter baskets - one from my Grandma and one from my Dad.  I felt so lucky and so loved.  Hope you all had a wonderful Easter with your loved ones!