31 December 2010

2010 and Post #100

2010 can be summed up in just one word: Deployment. At the beginning of 2010, we had almost three months together. Three months that consisted of him packing for deployment, me packing for moving back home, my sisters visit, saying goodbye to my husband, saying goodbye to my house and my belongings, driving 14 hours with 2 moms 2 animals and a Jeep full of stuff!

Saying goodbye :(

May through October consisted of school work, traveling back and forth between houses, the birth of my sweet nephew, moving/traveling to Chicago to visit said nephew and family, camp outs, family gatherings, waiting to talk to my husband, seeing my husband on web cam for the first time, talking to my husband over the phone, paying outrageous phone bills, switching phone companies, counting down to R&R.

October through the beginning of November brought...
First hug in 7 months

Hello Handsome!! :)

Meeting nephew for the first time and drink at 3am!!

Heaven with his boy!

New truck... to us!

Saying goodbye again... :(

The plane that took  him away.
The rest of November and December brought the longest days of this deployment, the holidays (that I'm glad are over!), reintegration news, date ranges, and the end of one of the longest years of my life.

I hope that 2011 brings me closer to my husband, a stronger marriage, an easy reintegration, a fantastic block leave, finding a great house when we PCS, finding an awesome job when we PCS, an easy PCS, a better relationship with God, being a better housewife (laundry, cleaning, etc), being a better blogger, taking more pictures, and enjoying life more! I hope 2011 is your year for whatever you want! Be Blessed!!

28 December 2010

9 MONTHS!!!

Saturday was Christmas, but it was also 9 months into this deployment. I had a post, but I guess I never got around to writing it. I'm so grateful that it's been 9 months and that we are on a downward spiral that leads to M coming home. I've got ranges, but I want something more concrete. I know, it's the Army, but wishful thinking is good right?

Christmas was okay. I wasn't expecting anything, so I didn't get my hopes up. I got to talk to M on Christmas Eve and he sounded like he was doing okay. I worried about him with it being the holidays. I am so glad that the holidays are done. It means we are one day closer to him getting home!

Be Blessed!!

22 December 2010

Wednesday, Wednesday

I've been a bad blogger lately, and I apologize for that. However, it's the Wednesday before Christmas and it doesn't feel like Christmas at all to me. I'm not sure if it's because M isn't here or if it's because of something else. Whatever the reason, I will be glad when the holidays are over. Once the holidays are over, I can officially say that M will be home this year (aka 2011)!! Woo Hoo!! I am so excited about that. I'm not so excited about the fact that I will see him for homecoming and maybe a week after, and then come back to Alabama. I think I've talked about it before, but it's not worth me moving back up there when we are going to be moving five hours away from where I am now. I can use that time in between him coming home and moving to find us a place to live, look for a job (in my field!!), and move the stuff we have down here that I've bought while he's been deployed.

Anyway, we are doing pretty good here. I pay the credit card off next month and I am so excited about that!! Once I get my job, I will be working on paying down the vehicles. Yay for being an adult! (That was sarcasm!) Both of our furbabies are doing good. They are both spoiled as always. M is doing ok, but I think he's having a hard time right now with it being the holidays and he's gone. He's gotten all of the Christmas packages that were sent (around 9, I think) and he's the most popular soldier on the block right now.

In other news, I think I use exclamation points (!!!) way too much. I'm trying to work on that, but I don't think it worked out very well in this post! HAHA

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and enjoys the holidays. Be Blessed!

15 December 2010

Wordless Wednesday

I want to be at a place like this...


Getting one of these....

With him...

Ah, maybe we can get to a beach someday. We haven't been to a beach since our honeymoon in May 2007. TOO LONG!!!

08 December 2010

Wordless Wednesday

I miss him! His smile (that I hardly see anyway!), his hugs, our talks, him taking Tank out, him pacing on the phone, him getting Tank to chase Shadow, his dedication to his soldiers, his dedication to his workouts, his silliness, his quirks, his ADD (I swear he has it!), being on the same wavelength as him, etc. etc. etc. I could go on, but I MISS HIM!!

05 December 2010

Day 250!!!!... and a PCS coming soon!

I know I say the same things over and over every time I post a day/week blog, but I sincerely cannot believe how fast this year has went by. I'm sure it has to do with being busy, traveling in between places, getting care packages together, taking care of myself Tank and Shadow, and the list goes on and on.

My only wish is that time was flying by faster for my husband. He recently moved again and they are making his group do stupid things that don't even make sense. It's not something I understand at all!!

I went last week and got a facial! It was AMAZING and I want to do it again soon. I just wish the stuff that she put on my face wasn't so expensive! I don't have $300 to spend on face products every month! My husband is in the Army!!  I have found some products that I want to try and it should last about two months. It will be about $100, but worth it for two months and the company being a cruelty-free company.

Another thing going on with me is I'm studying to take the certification test for Medical Coding in January. I'm super excited and hope I can find a job at our next duty station working in that field...

Speaking of new duty station... Hubs re-enlisted the other day. WE ARE GOING TO GA!!! I am so excited and I can't wait to be there. Since I'm already in Alabama, I probably won't be going back up to NY for the couple of months that husband will be there before out-processing. Yes, it sucks, but it's not worth the money we would have to pay to get a place and hook everything up when I could do it at the next post and it already be done when he gets there. Plus, he is SUPPOSED to get a month of block leave so he will be here anyway.

So keep your fingers crossed that everything works out for us!! EEEEKKKK I AM SO EXCITED!!!

03 December 2010

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

TGIF! I'm so glad that it's Friday, even though I don't have a job... Weird.

Head over to wifeofasailor.com and join in!

This weeks questions:

  1. If you were given $1,000 right now, how would you spend it? I would use it to pay on our credit card. It's almost paid off and I want to get it paid off before husband comes home from deployment.
  2. If you had to choose a movie title (a real one that already exists) for your life story, what would it be? I guess I would say... Stand By Me
  3. If you were a teacher, what subject would you like to teach? Whatever First Grade teachers teach. I think they teach everything, or they did when I was in first grade.
  4. Has being a MilSpouse changed how you view holidays or how your holidays are celebrated? If so, how? If not, what hasn’t changed?  They make me appreciate every moment I get to spend with my husband. This will be our first Christmas apart and it's HARD!
  5. What is your favorite Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) memory? Our first Christmas away from home in 2007. I've never been away from my family during a holiday. It was just us, our one present each, and that's it. We focused more on ourselves, than what we had to buy, where we had to go, etc. 

01 December 2010

Moving Soon? Here is some info for you....

Sometime last week I was contacted by Renee at 1-800-PACKRAT. She has been a dependent in the military as well as served in the military. She understands about PCSing and DITY moves. For those not familiar with DITY moves, she explains everything in a guest post that she has written for my blog. Please read all the information. Eventually, everyone in the military will need it!


Making a DITY or Partial DITY Move

When you are part of a military family, you move a lot.  And you would think that the more you do it, the easier it would become.  But every move is different.  Not only are the circumstances and the location different, but your family is in a different stage of life.  I grew up in the military and it seemed like every move got more complicated than the last, as we accumulated more things and my sister and I got crabbier about moving away from friends.  The money you could make from a DITY or Partial DITY move can seem very attractive and lure you in before you realize what it will all entail.  So before you make any decisions about how you choose to move, do the following:

Meet with your transportation or personal property office on base first.
As soon as you have orders, make an appointment.  The counselor will let you know what you are authorized to do yourself.  DITY moves are not recommended for some assignments.  If you are authorized to do a DITY move, the counselor will also help you calculate how much you could get reimbursed.  That reimbursement is based on factors like distance and your maximum allowable weight limit. 

Discuss your moving options as a family.
It’s easy to take on a DITY move when it is just you, but it gets more complicated when you have a family.  Make sure you and your family are on board for the physical and mental stress and responsibility of doing a move yourself.  If you have any doubts, just stick with the less stressful option of having the government handle your move.

Be comfortable with your budget.
You will be given an allowance when you make an authorized DITY move, but you will have to pay a lot of expenses out of your pocket.  Make sure your budget can handle paying for some of those costs up front and waiting for reimbursement. 

Make sure you have enough time.
If you have to move quickly, it can be difficult to take care of all the details involved with doing a DITY move. 


Many families who decide that a full DITY move is not realistic for them end up doing a partial DITY move.  They let the government handle a large portion of the move and move some things themselves.  A partial DITY move, like a DITY move, requires some coordination and forethought.  But many people don’t realize that almost any move is considered a partial DITY.  If you load up your car with photo albums, art, personal paperwork, toys and other household goods for your cross country drive, you can get reimbursed for the cost of moving those items.  Don’t miss out on an opportunity to have the government cover those costs.  Whether you decide to take on a full or partial DITY move, there are some important things to keep in mind.

Have proper authorization.
Submit all paperwork by required deadlines.  You will not get reimbursed if you were not authorized to do a full or partial DITY move.

Know your weight limit.
Regardless of how you choose to move, the government will not pay to move anything beyond that limit.  It doesn’t mean you can’t move those items, you will just have to pay for it yourself.

Know what goods are considered household goods.
You will be given a list of authorized items when you meet with your transportation office.  Again, it does not mean you can’t move those items, you will just have to pay for the cost of moving them yourself.  For example, pets, plants and ammunition are not considered household goods.

Get organized.
Make a moving checklist with even the most obvious detail on it.  It will keep you on track and assure that you don’t forget anything when things get hairy.

Lighten that load.
Don’t spend the time, money and effort to move things you no longer need.  Donate them or have a yard sale.

Document, label and inventory.
Take digital photos or video of everything before you start packing.  Label every box you are moving yourself with the contents and room in which it belongs.  Number your boxes, so you can easily keep an inventory list when you are loading and unloading.

Save every receipt and other moving related paperwork.
You will need to submit weight tickets, rental invoices, gas receipts, etc. when you file for reimbursement.  Moving expenses for which you cannot get reimbursed can usually be filed as a deduction on your tax return. 

Do not forget to submit for reimbursement by the deadline.
It is easy to lose track of time when you are getting settled in and forget to submit your reimbursement forms.  Nothing can ruin all that hard work like not getting reimbursed. 


1-800-PACK-RAT is a moving and portable storage company that has proudly helped families with their military moving and storage needs between deployments, when they PCS and when they retire and separate from the military.

Call one of PACK-RAT’s Military Moving Specialists at 1-800-MLT-PACK or visit http://www.1800packrat.com/partners/militarymoves for more information.

25 November 2010

Another reason to be THANKFUL!!!

Today is 8 months down in this deployment!

God is so good! This deployment has been flying by and I hope it continues until husband comes home. I hope for everyone who has a deployed spouse, your time is flying by as well. I hope for everyone who has a spouse at home, time slows down a little for you!!

Much Love and Many Blessings!!

Oh, and who else is shopping tomorrow?!? I'm leaving at around 2300 tonight to go stand in line!! WOO HOO!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I just wanted to post a quick blog tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving!! I am so much to be thankful for this year, even though my husband has been deployed.

I am thankful for:

-The technology to be able to talk to and see my husband.
-My husband
-My family
-My friends
-All troops both at home and deployed
-My sweet furbabies
-Being able to do my schoolwork
-Waking up every morning knowing that God loves me!!
-Waking up every morning knowing that others love me
-and so, so much more!

I hope everyone has a very blessed day and remembers those who are deployed so we can have days like Thanksgiving!

21 November 2010

Update...

I know, it's been a while since I've had a real post. Last week, I spent my time trying to get back into a routine. My MIL and I went to the gym FIVE days last week. I am so proud of us! I am looking into going for a couple of classes in the next coming weeks.

Black Friday is next Friday. I have my game plan ready. I have talked "the moms" into going with me. We will be leaving the house around 2330 to be in line for four hours until the PX opens. I can't wait!!! I am so excited.

Everything else is going pretty good. The holidays are going to be a little weird and lonely this year. It will be the first year since the hubs and I started dating that we won't be together. I wanted to do a Thanksgiving package for him, but with him just getting back from R&R, plus he and his people are moving... it just wasn't possible. Christmas is a totally different story and I've just got to get a few more things to have that package complete. I will probably be sending it the first week of December.

I ordered a book to help me with my Coding Certification test. I should be getting it any day now. I'm excited and a little nervous. I'm preparing for a test that's going to get me a job at our next duty station when M comes home from deployment. I can't wait!! Just thinking about it makes me want to jump up and down like a little kid on Christmas morning!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and I promise it won't be as long in between this post and the next one! Take care!

14 November 2010

Back on the countdown...

We had a great two weeks, but it's over now. It was hard to say goodbye, but in no way was it as hard as the first time. The time we have left on this deployment is very manageable. It's crazy to even think about! Instead of writing everything we did, I'm just going to post pictures.


Holding his nephew, Alex, for the first time!!

Our sweet nephew, Alex


Look at Tank's face! He is in heaven!

Loving on his boy! Look at that grin.


Dart Time!!


Golf Time!!


Playing on his dad's bulldozer... maybe? I'm not sure what it is exactly!

Sweet Tank!

Oh yeah! I'm good.... every once in a while!


R&R Present... A new truck for him!

Heated seats

DVD player

Moon Roof

Telling me I can't drive the truck because it's diesel and I don't know how to drive a diesel. I will be driving it!


At the airport

We were so bored!!

We were there for about 7 hours before he left.


The plane that took him away from me again.... it was HUGE!

28 October 2010

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday!!!!

I have no words.....

From this...

To this!!

Husband was trying to help a baby cow who got caught in the barb wire fence. The cow is so sad!


I will try to keep a check on things, but I will be back in soon!!

26 October 2010

Top of the World

Yes, it is 0016 where I am at now, and I can't sleep.

This is how I feel.... I love Mandy Moore!!

25 October 2010

SEVEN MONTHS!!!

We are kicking royal butt in this deployment! Today marks seven months that my husband has been deployed. R&R is soon and I will get the hug I've been longing for since this day 7 months ago. Nobody gives me better hugs than my husband!! My Donut of Misery says that we are 59% done with this deployment and only 41% more to go!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!

Weekend recap: I had a really great weekend. Friday night, I went and played darts with my in-laws plus my SIL and BIL. We actually played in a dart tournement. It was fun, but what a long night. We got there around 1630 and didn't leave until 0100. It was crazy fun! Saturday, we walked six miles, then did a little running around and watched the Alabama and Auburn games. Sunday, we walked six miles again and then started working on a project for when husband comes home. I had to make him a sign even though it's R&R. He will probably hate me, but whatever!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and it continues into this week! Have a blessed day!

21 October 2010

Shopping at Kohl's/Birthday

Yesterday, we went to Kohl's to see what the sale was. I ended up getting my R&R clothes and now I just have to pick which outfit I want to wear! Here is what I got:

I got these at Shoe Carnival. Buy 1 Get 1 1/2 off. I love them!!

I'm going to wear this with black leggings and boots. Cute? I'm thinking of wearing it to pick husband up...

Or this dress with the boots? I can't pick!!
 Today is husbands birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!! I love you!! I picked his birthday presents up yesterday at Kohl's as well. If he doesn't like them, I got new clothes!!


 I love Kohl's and that store will be the death of me one day. They have the cutest Christmas plates, etc. with snowmen on them, but you have to buy them one by one. Too expensive for this girl, but I will be getting some Christmas plates this year. YAY!! I've been wanting them forever!

Again, I have to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUSBAND!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! I HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY AND I WILL SEE YOU SOON-ISH!!!

 

20 October 2010

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

I haven't done one of these in a long time. Sorry about that! On to the pictures...

From this....

To this....

I don't think you can tell in pictures, but it's actually a red color.

I LOVE IT!!! My husband wanted fire engine red highlights, but my stylist said that it would probably turn my hair orange and that's not cute. So, I did my whole head red! I've always wanted to be a red head. I may go brighter red the next time so you can really see it!