I just accidentally spent...

$16 dollars on chicken.

Whoops.

Turns out those underneath the small price per pound is listed the actual price of the package (in bigger print too!). I figured that one out after I got home from the commissary yesterday. At least we won't be running out of chicken for awhile!

Also: I have a very serious case of Baby Fever, only compounded by the fact that everyone I know is/has been pregnant and there are sweet little munchkins everywhere I go.

I mean, this isn't a new thing. We've wanted babies forever, but it hasn't happened yet. I blame the 24 months spent apart of the 34 months we have been married. Just saying.

I know, I know. The smart thing to do would be to wait until we're debt free and less nomadic, but, PSH, since when has the smart thing ever been the way I roll?...

never.

p.s. EEEEK, CHRISTMAS! B signs out for his 30 days of leave today, and after a frantic packing catastrophe (I'm calling it.) we'll be boarding a plane to The Pine Tree State come Monday morning! YAY!

See ya on the flip side!

He's back!

And he's been home for a bit... sorry for the delay! Really though, there is so much to write about I'm a bit overwhelmed.

The homecoming part went by really quickly, partly due to nerves, and partly because I only found out about 5 hours before, instead of the 18-or-so I was expecting! B called me the morning of Nov 28th from an airport in New Hampshire (!!!!) saying that he'd be home that day. What??!?!? I mean, obviously I was crazy excited, but totally was expecting to have more time to get ready. I just barely had enough time to put myself together and head out the door!

Thankfully, a roster of the soldiers on the flight had been posted at the ceremony field, so I was assured that I was there at the right time. About an hour later the busses pulled up and the men marched on, a quick prayer for thanks, and bam, Brian!!!! And really, it hasn't felt crazy or awkward or anything like that yet. I think having another year of marriage under our belt has helped, but things are really moving smoothly so far.

(Except for the occasional 'No, we don't put bags full of garbage on the floor until later' and 'Yes, I know you've missed Taco Bell, but I'm pretty sure eating it that often isn't really healthy', and the one 'Just because I've done all the banking and bills for the last year doesn't mean that you are incapable of going to the bank and figuring this one out yourself, 26 year-old adult man that I'm married to...') Ha!

Really though, it is so amazing to have him around and safe. I am so happy that he survived unscathed, and we have 12 (hopefully) months of guaranteed time together. He is already back to work before his leave, and I am taking full advantage of days at home, catching up on schoolwork, housework, and becoming reacquainted with my crock-pot! In just a few short weeks we're taking an extended vacation to Maine, to spend the holidays with family and greet our new neice!

Yay! And thank you so much to the ones who have listened and offered advice during the sappy, hopeless, super-emotional craziness of the last 12 months or so -- I'm not sure how I would have done it without such an outlet! Thank you!!

Happy Turkey Hangover!

Haha! I'm so relieved this day is finally done! Unfortunately, B was stuck there, for a second Thanksgiving. He managed to scrounge up some 'traditional' Panda Express in lieu of fighting the masses of hungry soldiers, I'm pretty sure. It feels like that convo was just a dream, but my phone insists that he really did call at 2:30 this morning, so we'll go with that.

Me? I had skype-breakfast with my family in Maine. Alyssa is a dancing queen, and was giving the Rockettes a run for their money this morning! She serves up some fierce competition, with those size-3T legs of hers. I couldn't find any pre-cooked turkey at HEB, so Coco and I indulged in some rotisserie chicken with stuffing and cranberry sauce. As good as it gets!

So, as sucky as it was to not have Brian here, I truly do have lots to be thankful for:

1 - He is safe, healthy, and on his way home. Later rather than sooner, but on the way is better than not!

2 - Brian. He is the most perfect, crazy, calm, thoughtful, indulgent, kind, amazing, and just awesomest husband ever! And rugged, or so he tells me! (Yes, I am very thankful for the recreational time spent in the gym! Hellooooo, MUSCLES!)

3 - My family. If they weren't so fun, it wouldn't be so hard to be so far away from them.

4 - The evergreen room spray that I cleverly packed away with our tree last year. I hateeee fake trees, but we're not here for the real holiday, and I can't have nothing, so our place sports a 3-footer! The spray, however, helps to lull you into a sense of legit tree-ness. Awesome.

5 - That I don't do Black Friday. 3am? Seriously? Y'all are nuts. There is no shopping deal that would make it worth it for me to get up that early. Seriously. Good luck if you do it though. I'm impressed by your hard-core retail expertise.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday, however you celebrated!

So, it's been awhile, eh? Sorry! It turns out that I will likely have a husband come Thanksgiving, you know, in two days!!!!! I am literally freaking out! Of course, he may be home later, but I'm planning for soon. The date has been changed quite a few times in the last weeks, but things seem to be moving right along on his end! I'm so so relieved that this deployment might actually be over. 2009 really has been so long, and even though I've accomplished quite a bit, I feel like mostly I've been just waiting for him to come home so we can continue to be our happy little family again.


The past few weeks have been full of substitute teaching, not nearly enough school work, some house cleaning, and lots of distraction with other wives. We finally went to see New Moon today, and it was really good! Not as good as the book of course, but much more true to the story than the Twilight movie was. Also, I got glasses! I really just need them for reading/computer use and driving at night, which isn't much of an issue now, but will likely be one when we move to Alaska and it is dark for 6 months.

They still feel weird, but I kind of love them! I'm totally wearing them next time I sub! Maybe those dang sixth graders will quiet down now, ha! (p.s. I know I look like a wicked scrub in the picture. Today is my 'super-clean the apartment' day. Don't judge.)

I Love Bath and Body Works!

So, YAY! I've gotten to talk to Brian twice in the past two days (which is kind of a record these past few months) and it has been nothing but good news!


His re-deployment date has moved up again, and is in the reallysuperclose range! Like, before the yogurt in the fridge expires...!! I drove by Cooper Field where the homecoming ceremonies are held, and all over they had big signs that said: 'Welcome Home Brian's Brigade'! I kind of freaked out in the car and it's quite miraculous that there were no accidents, it couldn't be helped. (also, I found out that the field is like 1/4 mile down the road from where the shooting happend... so crazy, and so sad!)


Anyways. I went to BBW a couple days ago and got my delicious leaves, and winter, which is my new favorite home fragrance scent. While I was there I found a new line, called 'Winter White' with tons of different scents and they all smelled sooo good, and were 50% off! The floral one was my fav, so I got the pretty shimmer roll-ons as stocking stuffers for my lady family, and may have also gotten the ginormous body spray for myself! I do not regret it though, because it smells so freakin' amazing!

So, my apartment smells so delicious, and I've gone into full-on homecoming preparation mode! Today I deep-cleaned the carpets and am doing all of my laundry and refreshing some of Brian's that has been in storage. Next week I'll go to the grocery store to stock up on all of his crazy things! I just hope I have enough time to get everything done before he gets here! (I'm he won't really be too concerned about how clean it all is though, just makes me feel better!)

And last but not least, Steph at Watching Airplanes has given me another award 'cause she is the nicest blog friend ever! Thank you! I'm going to do it soon, I haven't forgotten!

Hope you're all having a lovely Saturday!

Jealous.

I just learned that my friend's husband snagged a spot on the advance party and came home Monday. I am so so excited for them, truly, because they did a 15 monther last time, and have been having a rough patch these last few months. She deserves to have him home, and he definitely deserves a break.

But.

I'm jealous. And I hateeee it, but I am. You see, this guy left with my Brian. Like sat next to him on the bus to the airport. I think this would be easier if homecoming were sooner.

Maybe it is supposed to make me more excited? It's hard to feel excited when I haven't talked to him in 3 days, and I know, for certain, that he is still in his spot, running his missions, and is too busy to call.

It's ridiculous, I know. It just feels neverending. Yea, I might be having a pity party for myself, and it isn't pretty. I apologize.

On the bright side though, I did pick up two tough boxes sent from Iraq today! One from Brian, and one from his soldier. They were superheavy, but I brought them in and stacked them up in my kitchen to cheer myself some. Also, I got tons of homecoming home fragrance from BBW and I'm in love. Leaves and Winter, I can't quite decide which is my favorite!

So, yay for homecoming! Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, 'cause I'm going a tad crazy finishing up these 12 months!!!

Vaca Pictures!

I got back into Texas last night, and have spent the day chillaxin' with my pup and doing laundry, thus, I am too drained and un-fun to write things. So, pictures!

my pregnant sister Meg, and her husband Tyler

Meg's baby shower!

my neice enjoying her cupcake




Alyssa again, stealing bites of smashed potato from Uncle Tyler





Alyssa and I on the playground

Happy Veterans' Day

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

Update, yo!

So, I'm having way too much fun at home. My neice is the best thing in the world, and my fam is just wicked fun! I'm stocking up on autumn air and cold to bring back with me to Texas, which is coming soon...

The only upside is that the countdown will be moving riiiiight along!! Last week Brian hit 90% done on the deployment donut, and likely will be home a week or so before projected! Amazing!

Next time I'll have pictures and more fun! (since I didn't bring my cord with me... struggle!)

Vacation!

I'm leavingggg! On a jet planeeeee! And I'll be out of Killeen for 12 whole dayssss!

I'm sooo excited for family, fall, and fun!

See ya on the flipside, blog friends!

An Award!

This is officially the coolest thing ever! Steph from Watching Airplanes awarded me with this:



I am so flattered! I am new to blogging, and crazy and inconsistent to boot, but I really appreciate it!

So, the rules: Share five things you are obsessed with, and pass along to five fabulous blogs!

1. The Patriots. I've always been a fan, but lately I remember to actually watch the games, and they're kind of awesome!

2. Kiva.org. I'm a big believer in passing along your good fortune to the next, and they make it possible to spread it all over the world! I love getting updates about the people I have donated to, and how the loan has helped them improve their lives.

3. Nail Polish. This is clearly a sign that I have too much free time, but I do my nails like twice a week. I got 'Wild Thing' by Essie the other day, and I am in love. It's red enough to be classy, but also has shimmer and sparkles that make it feel like a party on my fingers!! Yayyy!

4. Homecoming!!! Really it's still a bit away (13%), but I'm so ready! I've started to get Brian things for when he comes home that won't go bad, like Hot Cocoa mix and Gentleman Jack, and when I get back from my trip home it'll be the last few weeks, hopefully, and I can start washing his clothes that were in storage and getting his faves from the grocery store! It is so exciting to be thinking about it as a possibility instead of that sad future kind of way like I did in months 1-10.

5. Alaska. I am sooo excited/nervous about our move that I devour any info I can find on it! I have Fairbanks Craigslist favorited on my computer, and I may have DVR'd 'Ice Road Truckers' on more than one occasion. It seems so surreal to think that we'll actually live there!


So, passing it along! I tag these lovely ladies:
SarahEileen at Faith, Hope, and Love
Allison at I Heart Change
Becky at My Life, From Army Brat to Wife
Shannon from Mr. and Mrs. In Training
Jennifer at Crazy Shenanigans

Do you have an accent?

So, I painted my fingers and toes with 'Vodka & Caviar' by OPI, which of course made me attempt a Russian accent, which was a complete and utter failure, but got me thinking...

I LOVE accents. Love them. My 'northern' accent is mostly non-existant. I say 'wicked' regularly, and drop my Rs sometimes, but other than that I kind of sound like a valley girl, totally. (Brian and I will practice accents when we're home alone together, like this: Did you pahk the cah in the dooah yahd? Ayuh. Obviously we are supah-cool)

Now, if I've had too much wine, it's a different story. Usually I adopt a twang, and my husband haaaates it! One night on his R&R we were in this super-romantic cabin on the beach and I spoke with my God-awful twang all night long. I was amused, he was not.

That isn't to say I don't love me some twang. Ask a southern girl to pronounce 'oil'. It is seriously the most adorable thing in the entire world. 'Foil' is right up there. I like to pretend that my time in Texas will allow me to twang it up when we're in Alaska, but I highly doubt that it will be believable. The only thing I've actually picked up is "y'all" and I'm not too fond of it because of it's grammatically incorrectness.

My second favorite accent is an English one. Secret Confession: I will occasionally hit up youtube and watch videos of people from the UK just to bask in the awesomeness of their accents. So lame, but I just love it!!

Ok, so? Do you have any fun accents?

On this Fabulous Friday...

I mailed my last care package for this deployment!!!! We weren't given an official mail stop date, but I send him one a month and I'm confident that there won't be enough time to send him any more... if that makes sense? The lack of info is kinda frustrating. Because Brian switched units a few months ago I'm not in touch with our FRG, so I have to get everything from a higher level, so it is all really generic. With all the rumors, there is about a 60 day window of when he could be home, so I'm not planning for anything after I get back from my trip! But, I'd rather have homecoming rumors than extension rumors, so I'm content!

After running errands this morning, I came home and there was a flower truck in my drive. The surprise my husband ordered last week was a big bouquet of fat, pink roses, with a balloon and a card! He is just the best husband, sending flowers for no reason at all! The delivery guy also reminded me of my grandfather, so it was extra-nice.

Also, it is our sweet pup's 3rd birthday! Usually we celebrate with a can of wet food, but she is allergic (to everything.), it's just extra bones with peanut butter today. Later we're going to walk down the street with dogs at every house 'cause Coco loooooves when they all freak out! Haha! So silly that we celebrate so much, but she really is part of the family.

On the down side though, I've procrastinated wicked with my class work this week. I've got to finish up an assessment today, and will likely spend a chunk of time this weekend doing boring economics research for my paper. Ugh.

BUT - the Pats are playing Sunday, annnnnd it finally feels like fall here, kind of. So, I'm excited. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Trying...

...to not let all the crap get to me. Lots of stress related to money/family/school, but I have no work today and delicious Starbucks, so I'm going to try and remember the things that are awesome.


1. The weather. All weekend it has been chilly, rainy, and all around wonderful Fall weather, almost like home. Yesterday one of my neighbors even had a fire going, so it smelled all woodsy and wonderful.


2. 17 days until I get to go home for real, and experience the awesomeness that is New England Autumn, and my super fantastic family.


3. That we have enough money to spend $8978574938475 on getting the car in shape. (even though I'd rather be spending it on getting my hair fixed and doing some more Christmas shopping...)


4. My super awesome husband said I have a surprise coming in the mail this week, just because.


5. Two FRG meetings in the next week, one of them focused on re-integration with spouse upon redeployment (!!!!!!!), and the other that will give us all the info we need on relaying information about flight times and such (!!!!!). (But really, he won't be home for quite awhile. I'm not sure why this stuff is scheduled for so early on, but it makes for evil/awesome rumors about dates that I know aren't accurate but so desperately want to believe!)


6. There is a Project Runway marathon this afternoon that I'm going to indulge in once I make some progress with this stupid freakin' Econ stuff. Yay!


So, all in all, lots to be happy about. I think I want to find a snappy name day to do on my blog, like all the fun people have on their blogs. Mucho Gracias Monday? Doesn't really have a ring to it, eh? Hahaha! Maybe next time!

My husband has been MIA lately.


It's probably not appropriate to joke about that, seeing as how he is in a combat zone and all, but seriously. I talk to him once every never, and when we do talk he is sick and tired and I don't get to giggle appropriately about how excited I am and have to tend to his illness over the phone. (he has the flu, and is d y i n g.!)


But, I can say, I am quite confident that he will be healthy when he sleeps 8 hours a night and not with 29348023948 other guys in a tent, just sayin'.


My favorite thing this morning: loads of FRG emails with fun words like 'redeployment', 'homecoming', and 'flights'!!!!! Really, we're in the beginning-est bits of it, but it is still fun to think of, eh?


Tragic news. The new dress code for my sister's baby shower: RED. Do you remember that pretty dress that hasn't even arrived in the mail yet for me to know if it is perfect or not? I think that might clash with red. Tragic. Unless I find a way to wear it so that a pretty chiffon dress isn't a waste 5 months before we move to Alaska? I have faith.


Happy Thursday, friends! The weekend is so close I can taste it!

Last night I went out for wings with my friend Jamie, and then we came back here and had a teeny bit too much wine, and so much fun! I've been mostly useless today, but it was well worth it.

I've been debating it for awhile, but today I finally ordered my dress to wear to Brian's homecoming, and Meg's babyshower probably, which is fine because it is the prettiest thing I've ever seen!

Isn't she a beaut?!? Haha, I found it a little bit ago, and have been hesitating for awhile, but you know, time is running out! We have a window for homecoming of about a month, and the early part will put me in the 'Next Month Club', and the far side will be before Christmas, so either way I'm crazy excited!! Last time B was gone I wore jeans, and I wanted to spice up the parade field a little bit this time, you know? I think with a cardigan and my cute black pumps it'll be totally acceptable for a baby shower too, right? I'm a little concerned about the coverage on top, but the worst that can happen is I have to find a cami, or return, neither of which would be the end of the world.

Also, in 25 short days I'll be back in Maine spending time with this sweet baby monster:
I can't wait!!

Newlywed Infidelity and Curtains

I found this article (blog post?) on msn about how 12% of men and 15% of women admitted to cheating within the first year of marriage, and that it is estimated that the real number is more than half. That is nuts! If you're not even going to put in the effort for a year, why not consider that before you actually get married?!?

I do agree that monogamy is a choice, but I can't imagine how it could be possible for so many people to cheat that soon. I read something long before I was married that said something like: You don't always have to like your spouse, but you always have to love them. For me, this has rung true in my relationship. There have been periods where I didn't like Brian for whatever reason, but no matter what I love him, without question. Dislike, however, could not make me doubt the relationship enough to be unfaithful... just crazy. And kind of sad. It does make me think that my marriage is precious though, which is a good thing.

This morning I took my vomit curtains (they look like AND make me want to) and put them up in another room, where I can't see them unless I want to. Awesome, but now my livingroom looks naked and sad, and I just don't trust the miniblinds to keep the creepers out at night. I'm afraid I'm going to have to make a trip to find some drapes today, but what kind??? I am considering a mineral blue or moss green faux silk/lightblocker, but maybe I should try a stripe? I really think too much about this, but I don't want to make a rash decision and end up with curtains that may induce some vomiting. Also, I want them to also work when we get to Alaska, 'cause the crazy summer sunshine and arctic cold winters kind of scare me. Whatevs, we'll see how this all ends up...

So, I've had the weekend off from everything. No school, or work, obviously. So, I got a start on my Christmas shopping!! I found a suuuper cute pink Izod button up shirt for my mom, and some cozy flannel pajama pants for Brian. A healthy start, I'd say.

Also, I've discovered this website: http://www.givesmehope.com/: It is fantastic, for realz. I've been kind of in tears all morning, I love it!

And just in case any of you were wondering... we're down to 21% left on this dang donut. And this also means, the care package I'm working on (to be mailed out mid-October) is likely the LAST ONE for Deployment '09!! Hooray!! Time to start shopping for a homecoming dress!

My neice, being adorable, sporting a onesie from Auntie Mary. I miss her so much!!

I miss my husband. Crazy lots. Communication has been scarce lately, but the last time we talked it was for 40 glorious minutes and we talked about everything. I felt sooooo much better, 'cause stuff has been going down lately that is less than ideal. Its been a few days since then.

Anyways, I hate how some days it feels absolutely normal to be alone, and some days it feels like there is so much missing. Today is one of the bad days, where I can imagine going through another day without his sweet words and big blue eyes. I know I'm not the only one dealing with this, but today I can't pretend like it's okay.

I miss him.

3 months left of this...

Also, my roots are orange. In a not-subtle-really-alarming kind of way. Uh oh.

And I've decided that I am no longer a slave to fashion. Leggings be damned! None of those huge necklaces either, they make me look like a football player. Just pretty things that me happy and feel confident! Yay for being a grownup!

So,

It's been awhile, sorry. I've been in kind of a funk I guess. But, I have pictures of the recent improvements to my furniture!

T.V. stand before



New t.v. stand!



Bureau all finished! (filled in crevices, painted, changed handles) There was a before picture, but my blog wasn't in the mood to upload it.

Naked bookshelf

Finished bookshelf!

Hooray! This place is starting to feel 'put together'! As soon as I start working I'm going to buy a little dining set, and we'll be set for awhile, hopefully. I want to make sure that we arrive in Alaska with a whole household full of stuff. I'm not really sure why, it just feels necessary.

Have you heard about the new Disney movie coming?? Not the frog and princess one, though I am really excited that they're branching out some, but, I heard that they're doing Rapunzel!!!!!!! It isn't supposed to come out until 2010, and I cannot wait! Mandy Moore is set to be the voice of Rapunzel, which should be fantastic! When I was little my mom would read us the Brothers' Grimm version, and I loved it. I think it may have been where the whole crazy long hair thing started, which is fine. It was sooo romantic and tragic and pretty and perfect! Honestly, I want to have a baby girl just so I can use that name! Yea, I am obnoxiously excited, in case you weren't sure...

I got a job!! I'm sooo freakin' excited!! Since we're only going to be here 6ish more months, and have a few trips home planned, I didn't want to get a real job that wouldn't be flexible about days off and such. I decided to apply as a substitute for the school district here and just got word today!!! I'm soooo happy! I start next week! Crazy!

Brian called today and was not his cheerful self. I think the desert is getting to him... I tried to cheer him up a bit, but I don't think it did much. Not being able to do anything for him has to be the most frustrating part of this deployment for me. I do have to say though, our donut is moving right along! Hopefully between subbing, classes, and my crazy friends here these next few months will fly by!

Today I:

-saw two 'water bugs' (glorified flying cockroaches) in my apartment. Caught one, saw the other one chased into the bedroom by my pup...

-bought drawer pulls from Target. They are one size only and don't fit.

-stabbed myself with a steak knife. Blood and guts ensued. I managed to stop the bleeding though. I consider a bloody finger preferable to a trip to Darnall's ER.

-consulted with TWC to fix the malfunctioning DVR. The lady and I managed to squash the last bit of life out of my cable box. The repairman will be here Saturday.

-splattered black paint on my white walls, accidentally, of course.

-finally recieved my new entertainment stand in the mail! The manufacturer, however, did not include the necessary hardware. The missing parts should be here in 3-4 business days.

I give up. On the bright side, however, I got to talk to Brian for the first time in a few days!

Hello September!

Can you believe it is finally here?!?! I can't say enough how excited I am!!

Today my deployment donut says 70% done. That means: ONLY 30% LEFT TO GO! AAAAAHHHH! I am freaking out. I absolutely cannot wait to have this dang thing behind us!!!

Also, have you heard of MyCAA? Seriously amazing. I was on the fence about continuing this program because I didn't feel like I needed a more undergrad courses to get a teaching certification since I already have a bachelor's. Putting us in more debt didn't make sense.

And then... My guardian angel, the DOD, comes up with this! The amount given is exactly the cost of tuition for one year. Coincidence? I think not.

Seriously though, if you're eligible, do it. It is soooo easy and awesome!

Tomorrow morning I have my first college exam in 3 years. Crazy, no? I'm definitely nervous about it, for a lot of reasons. But, I'm going to keep studying and be confident and totally pass with flying colors. Annnd, as an added bonus, after tomorrow morning, 11am CST, I will be totally done with my American Government and Political Science course! Yahoo!

Off to study friends!!

Oh, so lovely.

It's a girl! Due January 13th now! I'm so excited to be an Auntie again!!

Today I spent 2.5 hours at Darnall, and rewarded myself with a teeny shopping spree. I got a sweater for Brian, onesies for my neices(!), and tonnnns of home fragrance from Bath&Body. Their Ginger Vanilla smells sooooooo good.

Also, there is a hole in the fence nextdoor, and these runaways decided to pay a visit to Coco and I:




All in all, a very good day.

So. I've gotten together with some old friends, and made some new ones. It feels comfortable to be back here with 'the wives' but almost more frustrating too, 'cause I have to go home alone at the end of the night... Argh.

Brian got orders the other day, 2 weeksagoish. To Alaska. Seeeeeriously.

This is frustrating to me for a few reasons. He won't be home for months, and had a plan in place to change his MOS, reenlist for a school, and potentially find a duty station near-er to home, or, at the very least get some good solid experience so that moving back home is a more plausible possibility. But nope, he is quasi-stop-lossed and cannot change anything until he is with the new unit for a year. Ugh. Seriously Army? Seriously?

Also, how the crap can I get a 'real' job if I know I'm going to leave in 8ish months??? How the crap am I everrrrr going to have a career? I've been applying for sub jobs, as it is the most temporary, lucrative, and malleable position that I can expect in this situation. I just hope one of the districts around here needs me. I guess continuing on this teaching certification program also makes sense, as much as I'd rather not.

Okay, enough of that. Whining about future/hypothetical/nobody-on-here-gives-a-hoot stuff is not fun to read, I've just got to write it out, or my head may have exploded.

Some things I've discovered recently:
*My friends here are awesome.
*Drinking wine + shopping online = lots of fun mail this week!
*People aren't as nice as I want them to be...

*Chocolate covered bananas are sooooooo much better than I expected.

*My husband fancies himself an electrician, once in awhile

Life is lovely. Tomorrow I get to find out if my sister's new baby will be a boy or a girl! Later on I have a date for a spin class. I've never done one before, so I expect to be too feeble to type tomorrow... Wish me luck!!

I banged my head on the fridge earlier today putting groceries today, so in lieu of chatting I'll show you all some pictures from the last month... Enjoy!

My neice, Alyssa's, grump face




She looooved the ranch dressing at Applebee's! I miss her so dang much already, crazy baby!



Crazyyyyy roadtrip with my sister!!




We had so much fun!


More later, I'm going to be nursing my bump with an icepack...

Can you believe 3 whole people commented on my last post? I mean, the fact that people even read my craziness is thrilling, but people even write back?!?!?!? Blogging rocks! And, thank you so so much! I so struggle at writing back to anyone, even on easy-peasy facebook, so I feel extra lucky, and am making an effort, promise!

Okay, the apartment is mostly set up, and I love it. All of our things survived the trip, thankfully, and we have more room than we used to! The second bedroom is stuffed to the brim with Brian's "gear" if ya know what I mean, and bits of house that don't fit anywhere else, but I'm just happy to have space for all of our extra junk!

I'm kiiind of concerned that I might be living in the ghetto. I know that most of Killeen is straight up sketchy, but we're farther out of town than we were before, so I hoped we would be safe. Our neighbors seem harmless, for the most part, but then I saw the ice cream man, and he confirmed it! Seriously, some creepy old man cruising around in a big rapist-van-turned-ice-cream-truck. I wish I had gotten a picture. I almost hope he comes back tomorrow...

Dude.

I still don't have pictures from the trip b/c I am technologically challenged. (or should not rely on a crap .99 cent thing from amazon?!)



And. I won't be able to figure it out tomorrow because,




(drrrumroll, please)




THE MOVERS ARE COMING!! And I'll have a bed! And pots and pans! And curtains and desks and shelves and bathroom rugs! Tomorrow will be a good day.

Hood Happenings...

Yes, we have arrived! The new apartment is lovely, and the temperatures are hotter than I remember! In a few more days the furniture will be here, and then I can officially begin the job hunt.

Have you ever cleaned your car so much, that you cleaned off the clear coat? I did that yesterday, seriously. In my effort to get off all the bugs from the trip, I managed to spray off the top layer in a ginormous spot on the front hood. Soooo frustrating, who really does that? I kind of fixed it, and really she's an old car and not in the best shape externally anyway, but I can't believe I can be *that* blonde sometimes!!

But, I did find that the Target down here has my favorite wine for only $8.99! Two whole dollars less than it was in Maine!! I bought a bottle and am saving it for when my apartment is put together.

In transit

We left Maine at 9am, Friday morning, and drove foreverrrrrr. We gave up around 5am in Tennessee and stopped at a rest stop for a nap, but after an hour I was ready to go again. (Not sure why, Molly is convinced something is really really wrong with me.!) After I got some alarming news from Brian we stopped in Arkadelphia, Arkansas 'cause I couldn't drive anymore. We've slept a lot and showered, so hopefully the next 6 hours will be quick and easy.

The news from Brian isn't too traumatic, hopefully, just overwhelming. I'm trying to be positive, and also praying that it will change. More info to come later.

I have to say, of my seven times making this trip, this has been the most fun so far. My little sister, Molly, is officially the best person to take a roadtrip with, ever. Annnnd, her driving only makes me a little scared, but she more than makes up for it when she talks to other cars, sings at the top of her lungs to Britney Spears, buys me energy drinks, and looks up all the silly town names so we can make fun of the crazy people together. I'm so excited that I get her for a few more days!

Unless we find wi-fi at another hotel, this may be my last post until I get my internet set up at the new place... But then I'll be able to put up pictures!

My favorite things today:

Pumpkin Whoopie pies from Big G's. (they bring back memories of illicit movie theater snacks during my B's r&r!)

My packing skillzz, YO! Haha, I fit my 3 ginormous bags into the trunk, and will probably have enough room for the rest, Pup included!

Doing computer stuff in my bed! Who knew?!?

Sweet Alyssa. I'm going to miss all of her baby-craziness when I'm far away.

j/k.

So, the desktop died permanently. After letting my tech savvy brother-in-law fiddle with it for hours, he pronounced it un-revivable. I did some more research, read reviews, and more fun stuff, and finally decided on a laptop that was perfect, and a teeny bit less than what I wanted to spend, hooray! I picked her up yesterday, and am already in love.

B called, and he is tired. Majorly. It is sooooo frustrating not being able to do anything at all to make him feel better. Words only go so far... Ugh. At least soon I'll be putting his clothes in our new closet and sending him the last few boxes while he's in the desert.

I'm moving through my last week here pretty quickly, and my mom is laying on the guilt like no other. It kinda feels like moving away did the first time, and I don't really like it. This is the worst part though, I think. As soon as I'm settled in the new place, working lots, and counting the weeks (daysssssss?) until B gets home, it'll feel like normal.

From now until then I'm going to be wracking up as much QT with the fam, and enjoying the mildness of a new england summer! Until next time, yo.

All good things.

It's my last day at work in Maine! I'm sooooo excited!

Also, my computer is functioning again! I'm not sure what happened, and I'm pretty sure it's a temporary thing, but I'm excited! She just needs to hold on for a few more weeks, then I can worry about replacing her for realzz.

Oooh, AND, I went shopping with Molly yesterday to kill time, and I found the most amazing shoes that make me happier than any shoes should!

Aaaah!

My computer is dying!!! Apparently the hard drive is broken, and cannot be fixed... Just one month after the warranty runs out, lovely. Fortunately I managed to get it running enough to transfer all of my music and pictures to an external hard drive, so the loss will be minimal. I'm just disappointed that it had to happen now, just weeks before moving.


So, computer shopping! I'm going to need one to keep in touch with Brian, family, and to job hunt. I'm leaning towards an HP laptop, but I'm not sure yet. Any advice?

And, since I haven't posted pictures in awhile, Sweet Alyssa playing the 'Thank You' game:

Twenty-four has started off better than I expected! My sisters and I spent my birthday morning shopping in Freeport, and then stopped for pretty margaritas on the way home. My mom and Jed set up a big, delicious BBQ at their house, and my brother-in-law followed it up with the most amazing ice cream cake I've ever tasted. Brian called at exactly the perfect time and I got to talk to him for twenty whole minutes, which was fantastic.


Being 24 isn't quite as scary as I'd expected either. Really I've just decided to save all my anxiety for a mid-life crisis. And, if Jessica Simpson is only 29, then being 24 isn't a big deal at all!


I've had a revelation about this whole school 'thing'. I am way unmotivated to do it on my own, having completed only 1/4 of the stuff I need to do before the end of September. That being said, I'm not even sure that this is the best way to go to get my teaching certification. I already have my BS, and realllllly don't need/want extraneous classes or any more debt. I'm going to finish out this semester, and stop taking classes at this school, at least for now. I'm going to look into employment when I get back to Texas, and figure it out from there.


Speaking of Texass... only a couple more weeks! I have 3 days left at work, and then one week to pack everything up and hit the road. My little sister is making the drive with me, and my mom and my other sister are going to watch Alyssa while we're gone. I think we're going to leave a day early so Molls will have an extra day to spend down there with me. The farthest she has ever been from home, is one two-day trip to New York, and she didn't get past the city! I'm sooooo excited to have her as my co-pilot and show her around a bit. She will make my drive sooooo much easier!!

It's my...

Birthday Eve!!! I'm sooo excited! I have a day of fun planned with all my favorite people tomorrow, with the exception of my most favorite person, bummer. This will be the fourth birthday of mine that he's missed, aaaaand the fourth birthday that I've had since we've been together. Nice. Thanks a bunch United States Army.


But. He called today, and things are moving along. He is busy but much happier. The pup and I are just a few weeks from heading back south. We have just a few more months (ish) until we're back together! YAY!


Until tomorrow~!

Three weeks...

...until we leave for Texas!! The lease is signed, directions are printed, and I have my last day of work the 31st! Still tons of stuff to do between now and then though! Busy, busy, busy!

My apologies.

It has been quite a week, to say the least. Despite being on a hydrocodone and ice pack bender, I still managed to participate in some holiday festivities. The fourth was fun and BBQ-full, but also quite rainy. Following that was my sister's birthday. I had to work, but we celebrated again the day after with some second birthday cake... fun!

(if you watch The Office you might get this)

Yesterday was the first sunny day in a long time, and coincidentally both of my sisters and I all had the day off, so we decided to pack up the car and head to the beach for some fun! We're all a smidge red today, but it was so worth it!

A package addressed to my husband arrived in the mail recently. I knew it was likely my birthday gift, and since he is really not good at keeping secrets I had a general idea of what was inside, but none of that made me any less excited to see this:

with this inside:

YAY! So pretty! He is so thoughtful, it just makes me miss him more!!

So, I'm really sorry for the blog-vacation, and I'm going to try to be less sporadic, mostly. Hope you all had a fabulous 4th!

The Surgery Queen.

Hasta la vista, wisdom teeth! The surgery went well, in my inexperienced opinion. I was put under IV sedation, which is awesome, and nitrous oxide, which makes me feel deliciously loopy. The surgeon prescribed me some hydrocodone, which is amazing with the pain, obviously, but hasn't made me too sleepy, which I super appreciate. Tomorrow and the day after I should start to resemble a chipmunk, which is definitely the way I wanted to spend my Independance day! but it will be remedied with excessive amounts of chocolate pudding and Friday Night Lights marathons, which will heal the sting a tad!!, and will hopefully make for some hilarious pictures. I took some from today, but can't find my dang thingie to let me put my memory card into my computer, which is kind of annoying.

Also, I just realized today that my teenytinylittle blog has 44 views! Forty four! I can't tell you how excited that makes me, even though it is likely that 43 of them are just me... But anyway, if you stumble along here somehow, thank you very much. You have made my week!!!

Hope you're all enjoying an early start to your weekend! Let the festivities begin!

So, WHOA!

Brian called, and there has been some major shakeupthings going on over there. In a couple days he's heading from his unit to a new one, but not that new. He is pretty pumped, to say the least. HHC just isn't his style. He's a 'getyourhandsdirtyand get-stuff-done' kinda man, y'know?

And tomorrow is...

Wisdom teeth day!! I'm really really nervous but also pretty excited to get it over with!
Wish me luck, y'all!

Guess what tomorrow is?

...JULY!!!


How freakin' fantastic is that? That means we're another month closer to Texas, Fall, and then Brian!! I'm wicked excited!


Today makes the fourth day in a row that I haven't heard from Brian. I know that I shouldn't count, but I just can't help it. I'm worried that he's working too much and not sleeping, or getting sick in that dang hot heat. I got a letter today that he mailed last week, and I just miss him a million times more... Soon soon soon. This will all be over before I know it.


Have you heard this? My new favorite song! I love Leighton Meister!

YAY! I'm finished with half of my first class! Just one big test left, and I'm done! I'm going to schedule it in the next few weeks, and hopefully I'll be able to get some studying in while I'm recuperating from my stuff. I know that wisdom teeth surgery isn't the most traumatic, but I have no tolerance for pain at all so I'm expecting to be out for a couple of days...

Also, there is some major sister/brother in law drama going on. I try not to get involved because I hate unneccessary drama, but with her living here and asking my advice it's really hard to stay out of it. Not neutral, because I'm on Molly's side no matter what. She just is really bad at sticking to her guns and doing what is in her and my neice's best interests, in my opinion. The frustrating part is that her plans are getting screwed up and it is affecting my moving plans (she is my co-pilot). I'm not sure if I'm going to postpone the move for a few weeks (months?) or just go without her... Whatevs. Plenty of time to figure it out I suppose.

Brian hasn't been in touch for a few days. It sucks because I know that there is tons of stuff going on there (not bad) and I feel so out of the loop. Hopefully he'll be able to call tomorrow!!

My crazy awesome husband! Isn't he so cute??

Obnoxious.

Another day down.



Brian called! And made me feel lots better.



I thought I'd lost the bracelet that he got me for our first Christmas together, and I was soooo sad. I hadn't seen it in weeks. And then today, randomly, I checked under my keyboard, and voila! there it was! I'm so relieved!! He was pretty excited I hadn't lost it too.



Yup, that's about it.



Sweet dreams, kids.

And the winner is...

... Bronchitis!! But now I have drugsssss, and a handy souvenir x-ray of my lungs, so life is pretty fantastic!

B didn't call today.
Or, I thought he did, but when I answered there wasn't anyone there. I miss him. ER visits alone make me miss him. I also watched our new favorite show, "Here Come the Newlyweds" today, and I know that he would have loved it and laughed with me and teased me a little bit when I teared up b/c I'm a huge sap lately. I hate never talking to him. I hate having my best friend a million miles away and trying to store up every detail of every day, and spit it all out in 20 minutes on the phone, while he's trying to tell me his and at the same time we're trying to be happy and enjoy each other and not pretend that we're so sad, even though we know the other one is. (Usually 'cause I can't help but tear up a bit, and he just tells me so). And then we spend the last few minutes on the phone having our daydream convo about how wonderful it will feel just to be together again, and how we only have however many months left, and we always try to pretend like it isn't a lot even though it really is.

UGH.

But, it is okay. I know he loves me and he knows I love him and these tortorous months spent apart only make our days together more sweet.

Sorry for the whining, on to more cheerful things...

I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed!!
SOON!
I should probably not be so excited, but A) I won't have to worry about having it done anymore, and B) I've never had surgery before, so I'm kind of excited about the whole thing! I know that afterwards I probably won't be so pumped, but right now things are pretty awesome.

K, off to bed 'cause I can't stop rambling and have to be up early to watch Sweet Alyssa. Maybe a more coherent post later? If you're lucky!

So, it turns out the sickness was not imaginary.

I've been coughing up a lung, literally, all weekend.

I hope to make it to the doctor tomorrow.

Or just magically wake up and be healed. We shall see.

This whole nasty-asthma-lazy-lungs thing makes colds a lot worse in general.

(or whatever this is, I'm not pretending I didn't checkuponit with WebMD, but I'm still not convinced...)

BUT--

Brian called, and we have a window of redeployment!!!

and, there is a slight possibility that I will have a husband for Christmas!!!

I'm trying not to get too excited, but also mentally planning to put up my holiday decor immediately upon my return to Texas, just to make the time fly by faster, yaknow?

Soooo, until then, lots more dayquil and political theory of the Declaration of Independance. So exciting, I know.

Happy First Day of Summer! One season closer to being done this dang thang!

Holy Sinus Infection!...

...but a happy one at that!

I talked to Brian today!

And I told my 'boss' that I'm leaving at the end of July!

And I wrote 1/4 of the paper that I've been putting off for weeks!

And I get to sleep in tomorrow!

And I buffed out almost all of the scratches on my hood!

And Molly didn't make me Shred with her today 'cause I was sick!! (But she did make me commit to a Sunday workout, and already threatened me with not-skinniness if I don't Shred with her tomorrow)

And I'm kind of hoping that this sickness is all in my head and I'll wake up fine tomorrow! (Especially because I'll have to snort saline solution and my mom will sing 'Turning Japanese' like she does, 'cause she is mean.)

AND I get to go to sleep right now! Sweet dreams Peeps!

Ain't No Sunshine.

My yesterday was really bad, and I don't want to go into it, but some of the highlights are:

-finding out about a $6,600 school loan I didn't know existed (and it's nice little $1,400 compounded interest)
-slugs
-being psyched out by the vet
-one runaway puppy
-one sad puppy
-having the car washed, with rocks
-finding out how irrepairable car scratches are if they go through the paint
-headlights out
-a big boring paper to write

I know that none of these things are end-of-the-world style, but smooshed into one day makes for a very rough one. On top of all of that Brian is still mostly MIA, with a few phone calls here and there. He is so tired, I wish so much I could help more than this...

So, I am determined to make my tomorrow a happier one, even if I'm spending ten hours at 'work'.

Dude.

I just got to cuddle and rock my sweet neice to sleep, and then eat cheesecake. Earlier today my husband called and we had a daydream convo about our happy home in Texas. At work I played with the crazy pup, rolled down the hill with sweet Maddy, and watched Aladdin.

And, best of all, it's one day closer to seeing my B again! YAY!

Would I be crazy to move to Texas in August?

Yes.

Unfortunately, that may be the plan. Dang it. Having a real job would be pretty exciting though, and I need to support my shopping habit the best I can.

In other news: My husband rocks.

I miss him a lot.

I just checked my donut of misery, and we're not quite halfway done. I'd like a hug.

Deployments suck.

Here we are again...

meeting him at the airport... the best feeling!

my B enjoying the coast

...and the last.

Does everyone feel this melancholy at the end of R&R? I mean, I know I should be hopeful, but the end of this tour feels so faaaaaaar away, I just want to hug him one more time.

While he was here it was so easy to forget that it was only temporary. We laughed and held hands and ate yummy food and enjoyed being together. We did lots of 'Maine' things and lots of couple things and lots of family things. It felt really good, but it passed by far too quickly.

So, yeah. I'm melancholy and drowning my sorrows in greasy food and sleep. Tomorrow will bring heavy lifting, baby laughs, and one day closer to when he comes home for good(ish). I can't wait.

Until next time, Peeps.

I am blessed.

Today I spent the day with an old friend, Stephanie. We grew up together, and experienced so many firsts together. Then we grew apart, both graduated from college, and both married a military man.

Then Stef got cancer. I mean, she found out about it anyway. She beat it though, hopefully. Spending the day with her, sharing stories and reminiscing, I know that I am blessed. She is thoughtful, genuine, classy, and nice. The world needs more people like her. I'm just glad that we re-connected, and I hope that we can maintain this friendship no matter where life may lead us.

Brian didn't call today. I knew that he would be 'busy', but I'm secretly hoping that the army put him on plane early. I miss him a lot, and they kind of owe me. Just saying.

Did you know that focusing on schoolwork is nearly impossible with husband-fun looming just days away? I didn't even attempt to pull out the books today, because I knew. Tomorrow will have to be a different story, I hope. Maybe.

I should put pictures on here, eh? I wonder if I'm savvy enough to figure that bit out...

Yay, that was easier than I anticipated! This is my niece, Sweet Alyssa. Don't you just want to squash her in a hug and dance with her all at the same time?? She is simply amazing!

Super Monday!

First, I received my 'grade' for my first paper back in school. I received a 'meets expectations'. My advisor thought this was really good, especially considering I haven't been in college for 3 years. I'm happy with it, but I was secretly hoping for an 'exceeds expectations'. Maybe next time...

Also, in the mail today I got a book I'm wicked excited to read! It's called: I Love a Man in Uniform: A Memoir of Love, War, and Other Battles by Lily Burana. It seems kind of not the norm in military spouse literature. (I like to read this kind of stuff lately because I'm so disconnected from anything military at all, but lots of it seems too sappy for my tastes.)

So today, after I picked up sweet Maddy (the 4 year old of the family I nanny for) and strapped her into the car, I asked her how her day at daycare had gone. With a big sigh she tells me, "I don't want to tell, I just want to go home." I didn't hear a peep from her until we were in the driveway and she was debating puddle jumping in her giraffe boots. We spent the evening watching Agent Oso and turning her stuffed animals from a zoo to a school, and back again. So much fun!

And rounding out my fabulous Monday: I got to talk to my Brian for almost a half an hour!! The phone cut off quite a bit towards the end, but he'd had a rough day and cheering him up made me feel better. This R&R really can't come soon enough. During the past week his unit had it's first casualties, 3, and 2 wounded. He didn't know any of them, but his friends did, and the morale of the unit is just low. He's been working like crazy and is so stressed out, I just wish I could do more to help. Thank goodness we're down to days until he leaves that place! DAYS! I have to say, I want it so much that it doesn't feel real. Hopefully it will soon, 'cause I've got lots to do before he gets here!! Yayyyy!!

The First One

I'm Mary, I'm quite excited to start blogging. I've done it before, but never really stuck to it, ya know? I don't promise to do it every day, just, more often than not.

It's another Saturday night. Brian is far far away, but I'm lucky enough to have the company of my sister and brother-in-law (roommates for the next few months). Also, a nice reisling we picked up in between chores earlier. This is also the second to last weekend before Brian comes home for some rest and relaxation. I'm quite excited that the time is coming closer, especially since communication has been sparse lately. He works so so hard and doesn't get nearly enough recognition, though I might be biased! I'm so excited!!!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, but looks to be pretty tame. We're going to visit the Mum in the morning with coffee and treats, but she has plans with her significant other, so our visit won't be too long. Maybe some extra school work? Only time will tell, but the allure of my netflix and a lazy Sunday afternoon may be too much to resist!

Happy Mothers' Day!