You're My Superhero

Four years ago today, was a day that changed my life.

July 13, 2008: My boyfriend sent me a text which said to meet him outside when he pulled up. I had my suspicions what he was about to do. He pulled into the driveway at my parent's house and I walked out to meet him. He looked nervous, very nervous. He got down on one knee, in my mother's flower bed and pulled out a box. He asked, "Will you Marry me?".

Several days later, we were asked by his mom, "When are y'all setting the date for?". As I started to reply and say we had yet to discuss it, he interrupted with, "September". Of course I thought he meant September 2009, but he corrected me. "This September", he said. Of course, I had a bit of panic, I'm sure, show in my face. Two months to plan a wedding. I was marrying a crazy man. Of course, he reassured me why he was the perfect man for me. Knowing it was a bit of a concern for me, he told me, "I want us to get married before I leave for boot camp. I want to make sure you actually get a wedding since everything with the military will be so unpredictable. I want to know you're taken care of while I'm gone.". Couldn't say no after hearing that. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

After deciding a month, we then had to decide on a date.. well, he decided on a date. Of course, it was football season, and There was no way we could get married on a big game for the Vols. So, he chose the 27th. No big games to conflict with. He's a goof.

September 27th: I was nervous. I got all dolled up in my white and ivory dress, had my hair done and my makeup was perfect. We had almost all the important people in our lives there for our big day, to watch, to congratulate us, to help me get ready and to share our day with us. I was so ready, anxious and a bit scared. We were young and we were RUSHing it (pun intended, as my last name is Rush). But I had never been so sure about something in my life.

The music was playing, guest were arriving.. things were getting started. "The Prayer" by Charlotte Church and Josh Groban started playing, Our parents walked up the aisle, lit our candles and took their seats. Anchors Aweigh started playing (This is what he wanted), and our Bridal party walked out. The Wedding march started playing and I was walked down the aisle. Seeing him up there, amazing. Him grinning, I'll never forget it. Our Unity candle song was, "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica. We caught a lot of hell for it, but it's a perfect song. We walked down the aisle together to "Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash. My husband and I are huge Cash fans. Our Cake cutting song was, "Just Eat it" by Weird Al. We wanted our Wedding to be very, "Us" and laid back. We had fun, together, and with all of our friends and family. Started our Honeymoon with a Titan's game, went to the Smokies for a couple days and finished it with a ZZ Top concert. It doesn't get much better than that.

Fast forward, September 27, 2012: I haven't killed him yet, totally kidding.. I'd go crazy without him. He's still my absolute best friend and I couldn't and wouldn't ever ask for a better husband. Seriously, I married my hero. He doesn't have to be wearing a cape, have super powers or even be a service member to be a hero. He is my everything, he makes me laugh, I can't stay mad at him, he brings so much happiness to my life.

This year is the first year we have been apart for our anniversary. I know, I'm lucky for that. And even though he's thousands of miles away and I may or may not get to talk to him at some point today.. I know how much today means to him, and to me.

I have to admit, I did have a lot of fun making his care package for our anniversary. I went with a Superhero theme because, well.. he's my Superhero (And he's a bit obsessed with Batman).

I didn't get as creative as I wanted. I had 2 pics of him when he was a kid dressed as Batman and as Captain America, as well as a pic of us a couple years ago dressed as the Joker and Batman.. err, girl that I wanted to put on the box, but alas, I ran out of time and out of ink.

I try to make every box fun, or "funny". Hence the Iron Man big boy undies. ;)

Musket, my cat, wanted to join in on the fun too..


Even thought it's not exactly what I wanted to do with the box, I know he's going to love it. And of course I had an awesome time getting it together and decorated. Oh, and I bet you anything he's going to prance around the berthing in the Iron Man undies. I was going to make him a cape, but I ran out of time to send the box and there was a lack of time to actually make it. So, no cape :(

Another exciting note? This was the LAST box before he comes home. :D
Homecoming is just around the corner. SO exciting!

Let Me Be Your Hero Baby

Excuse the Enrique Iglesias plug in the title. It popped in my head, although I'm far from an Enrique fan, title is fitting for this post. (Side note, why do songs or artists you dislike get stuck on repeat in your head at random moments? Is this just me?)

So, the other day, my husband was able to watch The Avengers on the ship. My husband is a HUGE comic book based movie fan. You name it, he's seen it or will want to. Gua.ran.teed!

This was obvious of him as a child.

Some time after he watched the movie, he emailed me asking if I could get my hands on the photo of him when he was a kid dressed as Captain America. Evidently something is going on in his shop that he needs/ wants it for. The photo cracks me up. He's so little in the image, but to this day, he still has that same cheesy smile! I absolutely adore it. 

Thankfully, his dad was able to scan the print in and email it to me. 

My husband's dad also sent this image:

Batman is pretty much his idol to this day. He might just be a little obsessed with batman. I even sent him batman kid's undies for men last deployment as a little joke. He wore them and I'm sure pranced around in them in the berthing- he's a nut.

Never a dull moment.

Looking at these pictures, I cannot help but to smile. He grew up wanting to be a super hero, and here he is.. MY hero.

My husband is my hero. Not because he is in the military, but because he saved me. I was in a very dark time when I met him. I needed a true friend at that moment when I met him. My world felt like it was crashing down and I was extremely lost. That's when my Super Hero stepped in. He knew some of the things I was going through after a very short time of knowing me. He would make me laugh like I don't ever remember laughing. I was terrified to get into a relationship with him, and he knew this. He was so patient and never gave up on me. After a few weeks of us being inseparable, he wrote me the sweetest little note while I was at work. It said,

"I think you're beautiful inside and out. And one day, whether now or sometime in the future, I would like a relationship with you. I know you've been through a lot, but I want to be there for you, always."

And thankfully he was patient and even though I wasn't ready at that time, he waited and was there for me more than anyone ever was. I knew I wanted to be with him, but I needed to figure out some things and I didn't want my decisions to be influenced by him- not that they would have been bad decisions, I just wanted to make them solely on what I felt I needed to do.

After a while, I allowed myself to open up to him and we "Officially" started dating. We had been dating for almost a year and I was in another bad situation. A situation that I was scared of and he was scared for me with a roommate (a guy), who was an alcoholic. After a few instances and then one that put bruises on my arm, my Super Hero showed up and packed me and my dog, Roo, and moved us in with him. Almost 2 months later, he proposed to me. Two months after that, he married me.

There's more to everything than what's said here- but I would be a book if I went in more detail.

My husband, My hero.

Lucky in Love With My Best Friend

Where does the time go? It seems as if the past 3 years have flown by. It seems like my husband and I just said our wedding vows, but here we are. We are celebrating our third wedding anniversary together.

I guess it's true what is always said, "Time flies when you're having fun!".

I am having fun.

I couldn't imagine the past 3 years being any better, Even the days where things might have been hard for us, where we were challenged.. It couldn't be any better. Those hard times and the challenges, helped our relationship grow. You don't think there's more you can learn about someone when you've been with them a while.. even living with him before we were married. Marriage taught us so much about each other. Brought us even closer. He truly is my best friend. I know I have said he's my best friend a million times in blogs in the past, but it is true. My husband IS my best friend. I'm sure this blog post won't  be the last you hear me say that.

I can't wait to write about the 5 year mark, for us to get to the 10 year.. and the years and years to come.

I look at my grandparents, who just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, and I think, "I want to be like them".
I'm sure they've had their hard times.. I'm sure of it, they had 4 children, Had to be some hard times.. Looking at Nanny and Grandpa now, you would think marriage was easy. I want that to be me and my husband. When our grandchildren see us, when we celebrate our 50 years together, I want them to see the same thing in us as I do my grandparents.

I know it is probably bad to compare your relationship to another, but I see what others say about their husband or I see how their relationship pans out, I can't help but think how lucky I am, how awesome my relationship is. Three years of being married, and honestly.. I still feel like a newlywed. Feeling like a newlywed may have something to do with him only being home from deployment for 2 months. But at the same time.. I can't recall a time in 3 years where I didn't still feel like a newlywed.

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. And this is where he would say, "It's not luck if it's meant to be.".

Things Not to Say?

Lately I have been seeing many Military wives, girlfriends, fiances...etc. posting things "Not" to say to a military SO.. those things being said also having responses. I read the "Things not to say" and some of them.. I see a different response. I don't get annoyed or irritated by the questions. I really think I just view Military life a little differently than a lot of people.. Maybe I have a better grasp on my emotions, I'm unsure what it is. BUT I don't let all the little things people on the outside of Military life say bother me. Sometimes the judgments on the military and military family life, Do irritate me. So, in a sense.. Somethings are better not said to a Military SO, but those people making those judgments don't know. They are ignorant to military lifestyle.

I'm unsure of the site this was pulled from.. or who originally wrote this one. I have seen several of which pretty much say the same things. Look for my added notes to each thing "Not to say to a Military Wife". My notes are in red to the Question/ statement and the response to those.

• Do you miss him? No. I love being alone. The silence is warming. I enjoy fixing everything that breaks and cuddling with my pillow.

Of course we miss them. It is a given that we do. If we didn't, something would seriously be wrong.

• My boyfriend is out of town on business, I know how you feel. Yes I hear there is a huge mortar problem in Michigan.

Correct, this person does know how we feel in terms of MISSING someone.. Missing is missing. And, quite possibly.. they may know what it's like to worry about their boyfriend. You don't know what kind of business they are on. Military is not the only dangerous job. Seems both sides are too quick to judge.

• Aren't you afraid he'll die? No, I had actually forgotten that that was a possibility, but thank you. Thank you for reminding me.

Although, Not the best question to ask.. But are you afraid your loved one will get killed in a car wreck on the way to work? The possibility is there for both Military and Civilians to have life taken away at any given moment. 

• I don't know how you manage, I couldn't do it. Thank god it's not you then. Phew.

This is one thing I hear most often. And the response irritates me, not the question. Anyone can do this life. It's a choice. You'd be surprised what you can and will do for the one you love and want to spend your life with. If you can't handle it, GOOD for you for admitting that. There are people that need more of a physical relationship, and military lifestyle wouldn't be ideal for them.

• At least he's not in Iraq/Afghanistan/Qatar. He’s not!? Shit, that changes everything.

The statement somewhat gets under my skin, but it's the fact that unless that person is directly involved, they aren't going to know what situations are faced, where and when. They are only going to know what they hear, what they see on the news and what they read. This is where we as Military SOs need to be the bigger person and maybe educate them a little bit instead of being overly sarcastic.

• Do you think he'll come home for Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary? I don't know yet, he just put in his leave request to the Taliban, we're still waiting for a response.

This question has never bothered me. Some  do get R&R and sometimes.. they are lucky enough to get R&R on a special occasion. OR maybe that person is wondering if Deployment would be over by one of those times. Yes, our SOs are going to miss dates that are important. It's part of it. But we are on the inside of things. We know how things run... someone else who is not "in the know" isn't going to always know how things operate. 

• What are you going to do to keep busy while he's gone? I don't know. Since he's been gone the house cleans itself, the bills are magically paid, and the kids are angels.

Why are we flaming the person asking the question here? I personally ask this question, and have been asked this question many times by other Military wives. Yes, we still have our every day duties, but it is obvious things are going to be different with time. There is going to be more time to yourself, or to yourself with kids that you didn't have before. I'm sure you planned things with your Significant other often.. even if it was just lounging together at home. So, What are you doing to keep yourself busy while he's gone? I've set goals to accomplish by homecoming. Lots of projects, both big and small.

• How many days until he gets out? Depends. How many days until you join?

Another question with no reason to be snappy or sarcastic. Not everyone joins the military with a career in mind and some join with career in mind and choose otherwise. I have military friends that ask this question all the time. Just because it is a civilian, WHY is it any different? Answer, my husband is in for career. 

• You'll get used to it. Yeah, the rigorous schedule is something I get used to. I'm actually a robot. I love watching the news, and the surprise missions are like tiny birthday presents from hell. Yes, I'm getting used to it like I get used to a tooth ache.

"You'll get use to it". Some do and some don't.. and there are some that don't allow themselves to get use to it. I am one that fits the statement.. I'm already use to this military lifestyle. I'm use to him being away. For some.. they will never be use to it. Everyone handles it differently.

• What is he doing over there? Knitting.

This is an honest question. Not all deployments are war missions. Some deployment are peace missions, to help people. Military isn't just about fighting and I believe there are some military wives and civilians alike that have yet to realize this. My husband is just doing his job over there.

• He signed up for it. It's his fault is anything happens to him. Yes, and it's your fault for any teeth you're about to lose.

Irritating statement.. but I'll give it to you. In a technical sense, you are correct. He did sign up for the military. I wouldn't suggest saying that to someone whose SO is deployed. Not going to say I disagree with the response- I actually found it to be humorous. 

• That's awful, I'm sorry! Don't be, he looked hot doing it. He's good. Did your husband fix your sink?

When talking about deployments, It is common for an outsider to say "I'm sorry". No harm in it.. and the response almost seems to belittle the one making the statement.. or her husband anyway. My response would have been, "No need to be sorry, we signed up for this lifestyle. He's doing his job just like your husband goes and does his. Mine just chose a career path that takes him on long business trips. He's doing what he loves and I'm supporting his decision.".

• Why don't you just go see him? They frown upon strangers 'round those parts, but by all means, go visit and let me know how it goes.

Again, SOME people just don't know. Why let it bother you because they honestly don't know what it's like? Would it not be better to educate them on the facts?

• Don't worry, he'll be home soon. Really? I thought we had 8 months left. Thank goodness you reminded me.

Would you rather them say, "He's never coming home."? Although, it may seem like a long time, every day that passes puts them to being home "sooner".. there is one less day than the day before. Although it may not be "soon enough".. It's not forever.

• How do you go without sex? Luckily we hold our relationship to a higher standard than simply our physical contact. Oh, and I have self control. Oh, and I only want one man. It's super easy that way.

I'm just going to stick with the statement reply on this one. I agree. A military relationship needs to be more than a physical relationship to survive. 

• Could he not finish college? Nah those Taliban guys don't like to negotiate.

This is a common ignorance question. Some see the military as the easy way out.. a job for those that had nothing better to do, no other options, or joined to go to school. But there are many who chose to join when they finished their schooling. There are some that joined without making the decision of going to school right away because they knew the military was the career they wanted. Some don't realize that Military IS a job.. Some seem to look at it as something different, something other than a choice.

• How can you support someone that kills people? It doesn't count if it's in a different zip code.

This is one of those questions that do get under my skin. It's best to just ignore the question and leave it be- at least for me.

• Don't you worry he'll cheat over there? Yes, I'm super worried that he's going to want to sleep with a woman who isn't allowed to speak or someone he works with and risk losing his job. That's what I'm uber worried about.

Counter the question. Are you worried your SO will cheat? If you have no worries, why should I? If I had worries, then I wouldn't Trust my husband. I'm not worried because I TRUST him. Just because he's military, doesn't mean he'd cheat any more than if he was a civilian.

• How can you be with someone who is gone for so long? At least we don't spend 12 months thinking up new ways to hate each other like....oh...sorry.

Simple answer is always sufficient. I love him. This ties into the "I couldn't do it" statement.

• You look tired. Yeah unfortunately the middle east is in a different hemisphere and no one will move it.

Why is this something not to say? IF it's because I was awake emailing back and forth for any given time.. Then I would smile if someone said I look tired. I actually got to talk to my husband for a few minutes.

• You never know what goes on over there and his buddies aren't going to rat him out. Yeah, because they're all eating and sleeping.

 Refer to the "cheating" question.

• The time will fly. Time will fly, pigs will fly, hell will freeze over....I'm still waiting.

 Yup, I agree. Time WILL fly- but that depends on the person, what they do to make time go by faster for them. Time is Flying for me.

• You're lucky. ....compared to.....?

You are SO right. I AM lucky. Deployment is teaching my husband and I so much about each other and allowing us to fall in love so much more deeply. I am lucky, and I'll hear this one any day.

• Did you hear about the soldiers killed in - Awesome, thank you. I was hoping someone would slip that into conversation today.

Not a statement I prefer to hear.. but at some point, someone is going to say it. And it very may well be it could be a Military wife friend who says it.. It's all part of it. Being in this lifestyle, you're going to be prone to hearing such things more often than not.

• Can't you text him? Why didn't I think of that!?

 Actually, YES! I can.... But not in the way you would think. I can send a text to his email and when he email's back, it comes to me as a text. A lot of people don't know they can do this. Some service providers may not.. but Verizon does.

• That sucks. Well aware.

Nah, it doesn't suck. It's part of the job... and I like connecting with my husband so deeply.

• Are you pregnant!? What if you don't get another chance? Do I look pregnant?

I haven't heard this one before.. I don't know if it bothers me.. Or even if I have anything to think about it. 

• Oh he's in the military...the easy way out. Do you take automatic weaponry with you to brush your teeth?

This one bothers me some. I've had a friend from my hometown say this. And it beyond irritated me, and I did my best to educate him on his faulty statistics he pulled out of nowhere.. but With some people.. it's best to shake your head and leave it be- IF they don't want to listen or change their opinion on a topic they know nothing about.

• You deserve someone who can be there for you. Well mine has special powers that yours doesn't.

This is when I say, YES! You are right. I DO deserve that. And because he's away, Doesn't mean he is any less here for me. Someone can be with you physically and still "Not be there for you". My husband is always here for me.

• You should spend more time being proud than sad. I tried that and it sucked, so now I'm taking the Ben & Jerry approach. Feel free to ride your butterfly out of here.

I agree with this statement. We should spend more time being proud than sad. Let yourself have some bad days, but why would you want to let every day be a sad day? Be proud.. because that's what we should be.. Proud of our husbands, boyfriends, fiances, brothers, sisters.. etc. 

• The front lines are the most dangerous. Dammit, I thought they aimed for the back.

It's all dangerous and we don't need reminders to know it any different.

• If there's anything I can do, let me know. I hope you're a magician with unlimited minutes.

Why would this be something not to say? This is something that you should WANT people to say. You're going to want someone to talk to .. someone to listen. Why not say thank you?

• How do you do it? I haven't written down the process yet, but I'll get back to you.

Refer to earlier questions, as some tie into this one. I like this question.. and if Someone asks me.. I don't get upset, or irritated. I smile and give my response. It's not about "How" you do it. It's "Why" you do it. I love him and that's more than enough reason to do it.

Set Up for Failure

One thing that really bothers me is being told I have set myself up for failure. During my relationship and marriage to my husband, I have been told this numerous times for reasons I consider to be pure ignorance and ridiculous.. and even extremely judgmental.

I have heard that being married is setting our relationship up for failure. I have learned that MARRIAGE has made our RELATIONSHIP stronger, and is indeed a lot different from a relationship that is not "married"- The change is not our marriage license or my rings, those are sentiments to my marriage. The difference is on a much more personal and deeper level than the TITLE I proudly carry as his wife.

I have been told that because he is military that our marriage will fail. This based on Bogus divorce statistics. I do not allow myself to conform, nor focus on statistics. They are silly and do not define the future of my marriage or anyone else's marriage unless YOU let it define your own.

The Number ONE thing that gets to me, and is the reason this post popped in my head, is hearing people bash others when they have a tattoo for their Significant other. Do I have a Tattoo for my husband? Yup. Does it have his name? Yup. Has it changed our Relationship or Marriage? Nope! I have heard so many negative things about having my husband's name on me. Do I regret it? No, ACTUALLY I want another Tattoo for him, and He wants another for me! :)

I hear people say I will regret it, we are going to end up in divorce for it, it is a curse... etc. Well, for starters. I am not superstitious and a "Tattoo" does not "Curse" someone. Which is the same as saying it is setting one up for Failure. It is rubbish.

To me, I see my tattoo as a Statement. It is saying, "I have enough faith and belief in my marriage, and I am not afraid to permanently mark my body to show it.". My tattoo is a sentiment to me. Something I don't ever want to get rid of, just like other things you may have had since you were a child. They are sentimental in value to you. My tattoo is that to ME.

Someone stating that because I have a tattoo, my marriage will fail would be like me saying to that person that their marriage will fail because they don't believe in their marriage enough to put something on them that will permanently be there to show it. Neither is true, and saying either would be ignorance.

I also hear people who say "I would never get his name, it's stupid. We do have tattoos for each other, but never a name.". This is where I ask, What is the difference? Is it not a tattoo for the other person? They are both permanent reminders of the one you got it for. The difference is, to another person, other than you and the one it is for, the tattoo doesn't look as if it was for someone. But to YOU, you still know the reason you got it. The only difference is a name. The meanings are still the same. Why did I get my husband's name? Because I want people to know who it's for, I am PROUD to have his name on my shoulder, as he is proud to have my initials on his chest.

My love for my husband will never change. The memories I have with him will always be there. No matter what... and my Tattoo will always be a reminder to me.

No regrets.

Photo was taken for my husband.

WHAT does my Tattoo symbolize to ME? Love. Commitment. Always Faithful. Til Death Do Us Part- One mate for life. Trust. Dedication. And More.

The Value of a Ring

 The beginning of October, Amber over at Goodnight Moon asked me to be a guest blogger. I'm posting it on my blog today to share it with those of you who may not have seen the post. Honestly, the post is one of my personal favorites.


When Amber first asked me to be a guest blogger, I was clueless as to what I would write for her.
Then I saw a discussion about how a ring is not a promise- it's just a piece of jewelry. It got me to thinking...

I don't look at my wedding band as just a piece of jewelry. To me, my wedding band signifies so much more. It's not "Just a ring".

Lets start off with a little history (I use to read sappy love poems, sappy love stories and articles growing up, I'm not real sure where I read some of these things).

Ancient Egypt is believed to be where the wedding band originated from. They chose a circle because it represents never-ending and immortal love. The Egyptians believed the ring finger held a vein that ran straight to the heart.

I remember when I was younger, I was told [I think my mom told me] that back in the day (yes, I said "back in the day"), Americans gave a thimble as a token of their love- instead of an engagement ring. It symbolized a pledge of eternal togetherness. When the wedding came, and the vows were said, the bottom of the thimble was removed- cut off to form a ring. Have you seen 'Peter Pan'? The thimble was used for a "kiss", although not entirely the same- you get the symbolism of the thimble representing affection and love. Wendy gave Peter a "kiss" [the thimble], and it was she gave just to him only.

Do you know why your ring finger is, well.. Your ring finger? It was believed that the third finger on your hand is the only finger that has a vein that runs straight to your heart. They would put the Wedding band on the inside so it is the ring closest to your heart (putting the engagement ring first means you are a widow- a lot of people don't know this).

There are some cultures that the ring symbolizes ownership.. although the word "Ownership" sounds harsh, and slave driven.. Do you not belong to your husband? Your body is just for him, right? If not- SHAME ON YOU! But that's an entirely different subject.

Rings have a part in many different cultures. While the traditions may be a bit different, the sentiment and meaning to love, treasure and honor one another forever- remains much the same.

With this being said, How do I look at my wedding band- What is it's meaning to me?
My wedding band to me is a promise from my husband, symbolizing eternity. Meaning endless-love. A ring is a complete circle, telling me that our love is unbreakable. It's a promise that was made along with our vows. They go together.
When I put the wedding band on my husband's finger, It was my promise that I was his. I am HIS wife. I am completely devoted to him, us and our marriage. To make it work through every challenge that faces us. To me, it was me telling him that I know what I'm getting in to marrying him- knowing he was leaving for the Navy. It was me telling him, "We are in this together- I'm in this for life".

I wear my ring with pride- It's a statement. I AM a married woman. Happily at that :)

"Olive Juice" ily

 You'll understand the title- (no, I don't like juice from olives- gag) Keep reading.. [or study the image to the left]
Have I mentioned how much I Love my husband? I know I have, but the words in my blog no where near capture the feelings I have for the amazing man I married 2 years ago.

The past 2 weeks were just what we needed. When I didn't think it was possible to fall in love with him any more than I already had- He proves me wrong time and time again. Every time I think, "It's not possible to be any happier than I am at this very moment".. again, He'll prove me wrong. I love it. The leave he took for us to spend time together was so amazing.

Yes, This is one of those sappy, mushy, YOUDISGUSTMEBECAUSEYOURSOINLOVE blogs. :D <-there's that big cheesey smile again. Get use to it ;)

It's the little things he does that make me smile so much.. and still gives me butterflies. My last text from him after taking him to the pier for yet another underway said "Olive Juice". Some of you may or may not know what I'm talking about.. or may think I'm crazy, so let me explain:

I don't know what it's called.... Similar to a "Homophone".. but not exactly. I was told once it was considered a "Homophene" but I can't find any validity to it... Ok.. When you mouth "olive juice" to someone across a room, it looks like you're saying "I love you". Ya got me? My husband and I sometimes do this, except I say "Elephant Shoe". We did this a little when we first started dating, and then it faded away. Over the past 2 weeks, it somehow popped back up in our relationship. I'd say "Elephant Shoe" and he'd reply with "Olive Juice".. we'd actually speak it instead of mouthing it.. but who cares. Sometimes he'd throw in a "I want to Vacuum"... which is something that looks totally different than "I Love You"... go mouth that one in the mirror ;) or mouth it to your SO- ha.

"Olive Juice"- Made my day, even though I was letting him go for a short time with his ship- not that I had much choice :p.

It's the little things <3

Neglected

I haven't been keeping up with my blog and the 30 days of me...
My husband is on leave and We have been spending TONS of time together. No time for blogging- But hey, I'm not complaining. We've been having a blast!

Friday night we went to a Country Western club/ bar with some friends. My husband is not a fan whatsoever of country music. I know.. I know.. He's from Tennessee and doesn't like country music.. anyway, We get in and we con a couple of our friends to ride the mechanical bull. It was hilarious. Everyone tried to get my husband to get on it.. he just wasn't drunk enough I guess... well, wasn't really drunk at all at that point.

The husband drank a little more, and well.. the true Nashvillian came out. SOMEHOW.. for someone who despises country music so much.. he knew a lot of the songs played there. Caught him singing many of them. Then, my husband drug me to the dance floor.. to line dance, which I hadn't done since I was about 12- eek. He had never line danced in his life and did far better than I did. He was a hoot to watch. Our whole group got a kick out of him.

And around 1-130am.. we got kicked out. Ha. Husband had one too many Jack and Cokes.

Since then we've helped a friend move, hungout with some friends- watched tons of football, went out to eat... and well, just enjoyed the time we have just being together.

Tomorrow is our 2 year wedding anniversary. Not real sure what he has planned, but I do know we are going to act like a couple kids and go to an arcade where I can whoop his butt in some Skeeball! Oh yes. Definitely not your traditional anniversary- but this is SO us. We love having fun together and laughing. We can watch a movie and go to dinner anytime we want, tomorrow is a day for just us to have fun and enjoy each other. What better way than to bring the kid out in each other? I think it's a great plan.

He has the majority of the rest of the week off. So, I will again be neglecting my blog for a bit more. But I will jump back in where I left off with my "30 days of me" and maybe a little bit about his leave and our time spent together. Oh, be sure to keep up with Goodnight moon. I'm guest blogging over there next week ;)

Words from my husband

I had a set of questions I stole from another blogger forever ago- they were to ask your husband. I never did it. Why? I have no clue! I saw them pop up again by a couple other bloggers I follow the other day. So, I decided to finally join in on the fun.. and to see what my husband would answer to them.


1. What is the first thing you noticed about your wife when you met?

Her eyes.

2. What is something your wife does that drives you crazy? (In a bad way, let's not get freaky on here!)

When I ask what she wants to do, she gives me a hard time.

(We're both so indecisive. He wants me to make all the plans- I want him to make the plans)

3. If money wasn't an option, what is one thing you would make sure you always had done for your wife?

She could have whatever she wants

4. When do you find your wife most attractive?

Everyday

5. What does your wife do for you that you totally appreciate and would miss if it was gone? (Be specific)

Everything

(I added the "Be Specific" because I knew he'd put everything lol- didn't work.)

6. If you had your wedding day to do over again and everything was in your call, would you keep everything the same? Change something? Everything? Elope, or if you eloped- vice versa?

I would keep it the same.

(Our wedding was pretty great.. It was so us. <3)

7. What is one Beauty up keep that you wish your wife didn't do? Or what is one beauty secret that you wish she did do?

You're good. 

(I had to get him to explain his answer to me. He said that I don't wear too much makeup when I wear it, and he likes when I don't wear any- which is most of the time)

8. If you could go or be anywhere in the world with your wife right now, where would that be?

Hawaii

9. What's one moment you wish you could go back and relive with your wife just to get to experience it again? Would you change anything?

Our Honeymoon- and I'd buy better wine. 

(The wine we bought.. was gross! The salesman said it was a best seller- Not possible. But it did make a hell of a steak marinade!)

10. What do you Love most about your wife?

I love every bit of her, with my whole heart.

He's not a man of many words.. But he's mine. He's my best friend, my Mr. Amazing (he got this nickname when we first started talking.. because he is.. he's amazing.) Today, thinking of him- I have Kate Earl's- Nobody lyrics running through my head. I love him. <3

Learning to Appreciate Red Lights

Welp, The husband is out again, workup number 7 or 8 since April? I've lost track.. he's been away nearly 85%  or more of the time since then. It's crazy to think, but the time has flown by... now, Deployment is nearing. We'll get through that just as we have these past months.

As I drove to base today, to see my Sailor off.. We were sitting at a red light, at first I was thinking about how long the red light was.. then I smiled. It's the little moments we take for granted. It was the last few minutes I had with my husband, Why rush it? My mentality changed completely.. I wanted the red light to last just a little bit longer. A few more minutes of conversation with my best friend.

 Sadly, Red lights turn green, my husband is probably napping on the boat by now, and I'm here pecking away on this keyboard. I'm content. Sure, I'm going to miss him.. well, I miss him a little bit right now.. but I'm thankful I was able to embrace the extra minutes that were granted by something so simple.. A red light.

Days like today... you learn to appreciate red lights, because every extra minute with him means so much.

He's Home! He's Gone.. Pack,Unpack.. (week in review!)

 {Pic Heavy Post!}

I've been kind of MIA lately. Been a lot going on. All good though ;)

Got everything packed up while the Hubs was underway. By the way, I am SO over seeing boxes! haha. I thought I was going to have to move everything on my own, but luckily the Hubby got to come home early. Yay! :D <- there's that big cheesey smile again. (ps.. he's at sea again already)

Got some really good pics of the ship and a friend's 2 kids when the ship pulled in, :)

Since he got to come home early, he was actually in for his 21st. I know.. I know. I'm a cradle robber. He's 2 years younger haha. Anyway, back to the point. We went out for his birthday. I was the lovely Designated Driver for the night (fine by me.. I rarely drink). We had a blast. Yes, he got sick. It was expected and planned, haha. I still keep picking on him for the fact that I held liquor better on my 21st than he did. He blames getting sick on me. I bought him a Pineapple Upside down Cake shot.. and he said it was Nasty. I think he didn't like it because he took it right after a scooby shot. I'm sure the flavors clashed.. or it might have had something to do with the Liquid Cocaine shot {gag.. 21st flashback!}... or one of the many other shots that were bought for him that night. Needless to say, 130pm the next day... he was still drunk. Hangover hit later that evening.

To the left: The Hubby and myself. I love that pic of us:)
To the right: The hubby and his princess bag from one of his friends.
In the bag was a Gnome yard ornament sporting the TN Vols.

1. Liquid Cocaine    2. Feeling pretty good (several shots in)     3. Scooby shot

4. Scooby shot = gone.  5. Pineapple Upside Down Cake shot.. aka.. the one that made him sick  
6. a couple minutes before he got sick.

I spent Memorial day Packing.. Packing.. Packing. Did I mention I was tired of boxes? I lit a candle at 2pm for all the fallen Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Soldiers.

We went and signed the final paperwork for our new place and inspected it. He had to work, So I started moving little things in.. boxes, boxes.. more boxes. Then the next day was the official move day. Couple of the guys came to help us. Bought Beer and Pizza for helping us. I think the Beer is what got them over here haha. They literally threw my couch off the balcony {FIINAALY get to get a new couch!}. The hubby broke my coffee table.. wasn't too upset about that either.. wanted a new one anyway ;). Didn't really have time after getting everything in the new place to unpack anything. We were beat. So.. we slept. The next day.. he's back to sea.
Now, I'm left with the unpacking. More dealing with boxes, and finding furniture.

Left: Goodbye ugly couch!      Right: This will eventually be our living room

I have been unpacking for a couple days now.. and looks as if I have gotten NOWHERE! It may have something to do with the fact that I have spent most of these past couple days couch shopping. I ended up getting a couch and loveseat, and then threw in a coffee table, end table, and new bedroom furniture as a treat to myself haha. Well, we did need it and honestly, I got a hell of a deal. 2 rooms of nice furniture and I spend just $1400.. Of course we financed it, but it's all in my hubs name to build his credit. I have a fun (I got extremely pissed!) story that I'll blog about after this post. Don't want to drag this on to be a HUGE post.. well, it's there already. Ok, now that I'm done being sidetracked... haha. Our new furniture will be here on Tuesday. I can't wait!
{I'll post pics or the before and after when everything's put in it's place}

Our neighbor's are really nice.. well one's really weird. That's a story for another time. The other family is an Airforce family. The son is my little buddy. He'll talk my ear off. He's about 10 years old. I've talked to him about what he thinks of his dad being in the military. I'll have to post about that later too. ;)

For now.. I have to get back to cleaning and unpacking. Which means, more boxes. Welcome to my exciting life ;) haha. I'll be getting out tomorrow though (maybe this evening to take pictures for a friend). Tomorrow, going to see Jason Aldean in VA Beach. Woot! Yes, I said woot. :P

Hope ya enjoyed the pics! :D

Even Superwoman has a Bad Day

Today was the day I finally allowed myself the chance to process that my husband was away. So, in other words.. today was a not so good day. I started this blog so others could see the ups and downs of my life. To see my Journey as a Navy Wife. Well, here's my first "down". I'm going to write this as if I was writing my husband, because he knows me best, and understands me more than anyone in this world. That being said, I will be able to express how I feel a little better and feel comfortable writing.

Dear Mr. Amazing (yes I really do call my husband this. He truly is.),

Today I got really bummed out when you didn't write. I got my hopes up for an email when I started to feel a little Blah. I had to remind myself that everything is ok. That I'm strong enough and it's ok to have days where I feel alone, that it's normal. I know you're not going to be able to email me every day. I just have to remind myself of that on the days it feels harder. I just have to think positive and not let negativity fill my head, because it will eat at me. I'm better now, I promise. I guess I was due for a little time to just let it out. I've been doing so well at just keeping busy and staying positive, I was bound to crack at some point. I know you love me, and that if you could you would email me or better yet call me if you could. I know you have only been gone a short time, but I didn't get the chance to process the fact that you were even leaving. That you weren't on a "Duty" day. That's what it felt like. Every day I have felt like you were going to come home the next morning. Even though I know you haven't had Duty in Months. I guess that's a good way to look at it, I wish I felt that way earlier so I wouldn't have almost broke down.
We both knew I had a day coming. And I really tried my best not to let it bother me, but this is the first time I have sat down long enough to let my mind wonder. I hope that by me writing you this, it will help me and also help you to understand that I am ok even on my "off" days. I want to be positive and supportive. I want to be understanding, and I know I am.. I just need a day to recollect myself I guess. I can't rely on an email to come to make me feel better. I have to rely on myself and our love, thoughts of you and of us to help keep my head up and be the best damn wife I can possibly be. I know we joke that I'm "Superwoman" or whatever. But I guess even Superwoman has a bad day every now and then. After all she is a woman.. and we both know that sometimes hormones get the best of any woman. I guess the constant going and staying busy has physically and mentally drained me. I guess at some point, you have to take a step back to think about things, let it out and pick up where you left off. Process the fact that you are away.. let it out, process.. process.. grasp the fact... pull yourself together and get moving. I almost felt sorry for myself. And oh boy, wouldn't that have been a complete blubbering mess. But luckily, I snapped back to reality. I think I needed the time to think about it.. get it out.. and then be able to realize I can't let it hold me back or make me feel sorry for myself. Well, now that we've had our little therapy session, I'm going to go back to packing now. Superwoman is moving in about 2 weeks and has only 1 room packed completely. 

Well, I hope I didn't loose anyone there.. I'm sure if this was actually going to be given to my husband it would have been full of mushy stuff and I love yous.. but I avoided all that so I wouldn't make you all sick (haha) and to prevent this from being a never ending post. Maybe someone will relate to how I feel. Even in my days that I don't feel strong enough, I still see the positive in myself. I just hope I never loose that.

Yes, I do really get called "Superwoman" and not just by my husband. I guess one day I will post about that. But for now, this is it.

My Heart goes out to a fellow Military WIfe.

A Little Pink in a World of Camo: I Will Always Be a Marine Wife

Recently, I read the news that Rachel, a 23 year old Marine wife lost her Husband while he was serving his Country in Afghanistan. Her story touched my heart and brought me to tears. Rachel is a newlywed, not even married a year... and recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who is about 2 months old. Her husband never got the chance to hold his baby girl.  My heart aches for this family.

Being a Military wife is hard. Knowing our husband's are fighting for their country, for his family.. for what he loves. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to loose my husband while he is away on Deployment. Rachel's story hits home.. as I am a Military wife. I have been thinking a lot about how important my husband is to me, and how sometimes I take things for granted.. I don't want to take things for granted anymore. I want him to know just how much I appreciate him and all he does for me. I want to enjoy every minute I have with him, because we truly never know when everything can be taken away.

If you haven't already, stop by Rachel's blog (link at top) and leave her some words of encouragement, just to let her know you are thinking about her and her baby Ariana.

 A trust fund has been set up for Ariana.
Donations can be sent to:
Aberdeen Proving Ground Federal Credit Union 

ATTN: Collean McKinney for the account of Ariana Ralyn Porto 

P.O. Box 1176 Aberdeen, MD 21001
all checks should be made payable to Ariana Ralyn Porto.

100 Reasons Why I love you

My Husband and I never do too much for Valentine's day. We like to keep it simple. Who wants to fight with the crowds anyway?! I sure don't and neither does he.

February 14, 2010

We slept in for the first time in a while. Lounged around and cuddled on the couch (seems to be our favorite thing to do). I gave him a list I had typed out of 100 things I love about him, went to see a movie at Cinema Cafe, He bought us some Champagne, rented us a movie for the night and cooked some awesome Fillet Minion!

It was a perfect day for us. Relaxing and enjoying time with each other.. as we do every weekend. The "100 Reasons I Love You" was just the little extra thing I threw in. He loved it. He was smiling the whole time.. caught him laughing a couple times.. and still denying tearing up when he watched "Marley and Me"... but he was laughing when he said it.. he's so "Macho" ;). I posted my list to him at the bottom if you're interested in checking it out.

We finally went and saw Dear John. I have been wanting to watch it before I read the book. I knew that if I had read the book first, I would not like the movie. The movie was good.. however, It was not great. I guess it was just the way she did John. It just Kills me when girls do that to their man in uniform.. not just girlfriends either. I have seen Fiance's and even wives pull crap like that. It breaks my heart. I did not dislike the movie buy any means.. it just got to me.. so, really, I guess that makes it a good movie. It's supposed to get to you. Now I'm excited to start the book. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite writers.

This morning, President's Day, Nick had off work (Yay for long weekends!).. So we continued to spend time together and focus on each other. He took me to breakfast to one of my favorite places in the world to eat, Cracker Barrel. It was definitely yummy. He then took me to Ollie's Bargain Outlet.. It was neat. We didn't really buy anything, but we just have fun looking, so who cares!  He took me for ice cream, which I love when he randomly does that. Yeah, my husband is awesome.

My Birthday is the 20th... Who knows what he has planned.. he's been talking about something, but he just likes to tease me and never even give hints.. KILLS ME! But I love him. Can't believe I'm going to be 23! ack! Anywho. Going to cut this short. It's bed time, and I have to drive to Norfolk and fight tunnel traffic in the morning. Best get my beauty sleep.

100 Reasons Why I love You

1. When you are holding my hand when I wake up in the middle of the night
2. You are goofy
3. How you always try to make me smile when I’m upset
4. The way you kiss my forehead
5. How cute you are when you are sleeping
6. When you have a bad dream, I’m your teddy bear you hold on to
7. You never give up on me
8. You hold the key to my heart
9. You know me better than anyone
10. You always make me smile
11. Your eyes
12. We think alike
13. We share a lot of the same values
14. You know friendship is key to a good marriage
15. You are my best friend
16. The way you call me baby
17. You rescued me when I didn’t know I needed rescuing
18. You are my Soul Mate
19. You still give me butterflies
20. You make me feel safe
21. How you call me when you are on watch during duty just because you want to, and don’t care if you get in trouble
22. How you can admit when you are wrong -sometimes ;)
23. The way you hold me
24. Your corny jokes
25. You chose me to spend your life with
26. Waking up next to you almost every morning
27. You are understanding
28. You are forgiving
29. How you comfort me when I’m upset
30. Your cute little texts
31. The smell of your cologne
32. How we have learned to communicate our wants, needs and emotions
33. You think I’m always beautiful, even when I look my worst
34. When you play with my hair as we’re lying in bed
35. How you don’t mind if I forget to shave my legs
36. You will build a fire in the fireplace if I’m cold
37. When you start rapping out of nowhere.. It’s funny, and cute
38. The way you worry about me when there’s nothing to worry about
39. How you hold my hand when we walk in the mall or grocery store
40. How you sometimes get scared during horror movies and pull yourself close to me
41. The way you tell me I’m your everything
42. You say you miss me when we have only been apart 8 hours
43. You kiss me every morning before you leave for work
44. How you never know where anything is and always rely on me to find it
45. Your trust
46. The way you sometime forget what you were saying in mid sentence
47. The way you love to brag about my modeling pictures
48. You got a tattoo with my initials
49. You gave me your last name
50. You love animals as much or more than I do
51. You shyness
52. You have a great family
53. You will watch chick flicks with me
54. You are going to be a great Daddy one day
55. You like spending time with me
56. You will hold my purse when I am trying on clothes in the mall
57. How you can always tell when I am upset, no matter how hard I try to hide it
58. You like my cooking
59. You rub my feet if they hurt
60. How you think I look sexy in a tank top and boy shorts
61. The way you tickle me
62. How you chose the military life on what we both wanted
63. How you look in uniform
64. How you support my tshirt designs and CRushGFX
65. How Roo-Roo is no longer my dog, she is yours
66. I have fun with you
67. You support me
68. You are open-mined
69. You never stay mad at me long
70. Your obsession with my booty
71. You said that if we can’t have kids, we will adopt
72. How “Marley & Me” made you tear up and you had to leave the room to keep from boo-hooing
73. You like to play board games and video games with me
74. How you sing in the car
75. You don’t judge me
76. How we compliment each other (ie. You’re messy & I’m a neat freak)
77. How different we are but yet so much alike
78. We both love camping
79. You love baseball
80. How you always make me special Ramen noodles
81. How you can’t stand to see me cry
82. You sometimes take me for lunch dates
83. How you encourage me
84. How we both like collecting baseball cards and have enough together to wallpaper a room
85. How when people said we wouldn’t last six months and you said we’d prove them wrong, and already have
86. I love how you are ticklish even though you say you are not
87. You taught me what true love is
88. You said that if I weighed 300lbs you would love me just as much as you do now
89. You knew what style ring I like when you picked my engagement ring
90. You make me happy
91. Your touch
92. Your laugh
93. How you say I’m your favorite person in the world
94. How you say you’re a lucky guy, and other times say “It’s not luck if it’s meant to be”
95. You say goodnight, every night
96. How you tell me “You’re in this forever”
97. You told me I’m your first real love
98. You don’t think it’s possible for people to fall out of love
99. You’re my Rockstar and I’m the Rockstar’s model
100. I could come up with more than 100 reasons why I love you

Marriage

I recently read a blog by a fellow Military Wife about people who split up in the Military. After reading and commenting on her blog, I decided I would blog and share my opinion on what I see a lot, and some personal information as well.

Now days it seems as people get into a marriage with the mentality of "Well, we can always get divorced.". This is NEVER a good mentality to go into a marriage with. It's like you don't believe in what marriage stands for. In my opinion, people with this mentality will never have a successful marriage. This goes for both Military and Civilian marriages. Marriage is not a "High School" Relationship. Marriage is the real deal. Where are your morals?

Another thing I see being an issue, especially in military marriages is couples who get married too young. Nothing against anyone who does, just want to state that some people do not realize that they are still immature or have yet to fully mature. You may think you are fully matured.. but you will look back a couple years from now and realize how much you have grown as a person. I think this is something to really think about before jumping in, Especially in a military relationship. I'm talking about the 18 and 19 year olds, fresh out of high school. Also, males mature slower than females as well. And personally I think they "Grow up" and then decline in maturity all over again before they truly "Grow up". They still want their "Freedom". My husband and I have hit a few "Hiccups" with the whole him wanting to just do whatever he wanted, he was 19 when we wed. He still wants to do his own thing, be rebellious. But at the same time, he loves me and wants to be with me. So, we work together as a team.

I have met numerous girls who married just for that, To be married.  To "Live their fairytale", to grow up, get married, and have kids. I've noticed when married life is not what they always dreamed it to be, they give up and run from their marriages. No working things out, no trying, just done. I have seen this numerous times.

Numerous couples get married just because they got pregnant. This is NEVER a good reason just to get married. I also see a lot of couples who get married and immediately want to have kids. This is stressful on a relationship, especially in a military relationship. You should always have time to you and your spouse, to adjust to married life.. and on top of that, adjust to the military life.

Since being a Navy Wife, I have seen a lot of "Tag Chasers". What is a Tag Chaser? 1) Someone who is sexually attracted to someone ONLY because they are in the military. 2) Someone who is looking to marry someone in the military. These people disgust me. They marry Military men because they want the benefits, they want money. They will prey on any man in uniform whether they have a ring on their finger or not. When they do marry, they are known to cheat and usually with another man in uniform. It's plain out sleezy. I have never seen a marriage of this sort work.

I have seen what was believed to be the "Strongest" marriages crumble. You may think your marriage is unbreakable, but anything is possible. I am married, and I use to think my marriage was strong.. and I still think it is strong, but it's not unbreakable. No marriage is unbreakable. How many people have you seen split and you were like, "Wow, I never expected that."? Most of the time, one of the persons involved.. didn't expect it either. I have seen a 25 year marriage crumble for no reason other than she is "Not happy anymore". He never saw it coming.

 No marriage is perfect. Marriage is a job. Some people just give up and quit. You don't get a "break" from marriage. It's a constant job. Yea sure, it's hard sometimes, but you are going to have days at some point that you just don't feel happy. Not necessarily unhappy with your husband, just where you don't feel happy. You might even take it out on your Spouse, and not intentionally mean put it all on them. Stress can do this as well. That is something my husband and myself are working on. When we are upset, mad or stressed, We tend to get snappy with each other. We don't mean to do it, but we both know this is how we are and always have been. People have a tendency to "take things out" on people they care about most. Communication is key to a working relationship. Without good communication, a marriage is set to fail.

I would also like to share that there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to Marriage Counseling. I know couples who go before deployments just to help relieve any stress or tension between themselves. I know a lot of men who don't want to go. They think they "Don't need it" or that they will be embarrassed. There is nothing embarrassing about wanting to make your marriage work smoothly. I think more marriages would work if people would take the steps just to ensure they are communicating and working together. Counseling will definitely be a help.

This is all I have for now. I hope someone enjoyed my rambling :)

The start of my Journey as a Navy Wife

It is officially 2010. The past year, 2009, was full of challenges, but look at me. I'm still standing. When you are 22 you think you are grown up. You think you have fully matured. But you are wrong. The year 2009 has shown me that.

September 27, 2008. Our wedding day

In October of 2008, my husband left for boot camp after he and I had only been married a month (Married September 27, 2008). It was a tough time. I never let my phone leave my side. I didn't want to miss a call from him. I ran to the mail-box every Wednesday, that's when his letters would arrive. They say letters keep the our men in uniforms strong and keep them going while in boot camp or deployed, but every wife I have talked to that waited while their man in uniform was away has said how much the letters helped them. They kept us strong. Never knowing when he would get to call, expecting to hear from him on Thanksgiving day.. and the phone never ringing. I wrote him every single day, It was like therapy for me.I looked forward to writing him. In December of '08, it was finally time for him to graduate. It was a long ride from Nashville to Great Lakes, but the excitement and knowing I was going to feel his arms around me after all that time, was worth it. I thought to myself, "Our life together is finally starting.". But I would soon find out, the Navy had it's own plans.

December 19, 2008. Boot Camp Graduation day.

January of 2009 had started. I was with my Sailor. I only had a few more days before he had to report back to NAS Pensacola for A-School. January 4 was the day we had to say our goodbyes once again. He was set to graduate February 19. This made me happy. My birthday is February 20, and I thought I would get to spend it with him. After he had been in Pensacola for 2 weeks, he still had not started his schooling, His rate had been put on hold. February came, I went for a weekend visit. Still school had not started. March was another visit to see him, school had not started. Another visit in April and they finally told him he would start school. I was excited. I went for my last visit to Pensacola in May. He would be home soon. May 29 he called. I wished him a Happy Birthday. He then said, "I have some good news and some bad. Which do you want first?" I said I wanted the bad news, but he just gave it all to me at the same time. "The good news is, I graduated today. The bad news is.. I was going to surprise you and come home today, But they mixed up our tickets with another class and we are stuck here until Monday.". My heart sank... But he would be home soon! I didn't even know he would be graduating that day. He didn't tell me because he wanted to surprise me when he showed up at the front door. The following Monday came and they handed out tickets. Nick stood there ticket-less and they said "Who are you?". Nick told them, and they were confused. They had lost his service records. Nick graduated the top of his class and received the accelerated advancement, but none of that mattered right then. He was a nobody, and he couldn't come home until they found his file. Nick was there for over a week longer before they finally found his service records and arranged him a flight home. He told me a bogus date though and one day I was sitting at the computer talking to a friend I felt cold hands cover my eyes. I jumped out of my seat. My Nicholas was home, and we had orders to Virginia.

Last Trip to Pensacola May 2009

Nick's sponsor had told him a bunch of wrong and useless information. Everything he had told him about me coming down, to housing, BAH, everything.. was wrong. Nick left for Virginia and I was stuck in Nashville waiting. Nick was having to take classes in Portsmouth at the ship yards, and didn't have time to take the Movers class they were requiring before the military movers would come pack up your stuff. So we decided we would do it on our own. We were tired of waiting. I drove 13 hours to Virginia to apartment hunt. Every area I went to seemed like a bad neighborhood. We finally found an apartment. I liked it, Nick liked it. We signed the lease, Now we just had to get our things from Tennessee. I went back to Tennessee and packed all of our things. My parents borrowed a trailer and helped me move everything. I was finally with my husband. This was the end of June.

Finally in Virginia together

We have got to spend so much time together since then. We have been finally getting the chance to adjust to married life and on top of that the challenge of being married and being a military spouse. We attended our first command picnic. There was so many people there! Made me smile to see everyone come together like that and have all the activities they had going on. We went to the Jason Aldean concert at Little Creek and had a blast! We drove 7 hours to Bristol one weekend with a friend, it was a blast. We dressed up as Joker and Mrs. Batman for Halloween and handed out candy to the kids. One kid said Batman looks good as a woman. He was about 7 years old. It made my night. We cooked a big dinner for Thanksgiving and we invited the guys from the ship that couldn't go home. Sadly only one guy got to come because the ones that couldn't go home had duty, but we have decided to do it every year that their ship is not on Cruise. Christmas came and we got leave approved to go home. It was the first time we had seen our family in months. We came back to Virginia with 2 days of his leave left to spend it together and relax. He had duty on New Years day, but we stayed up and watched the ball drop together and get our midnight kiss.

October 31, 2009. Joker and Mrs. Batman

 I have met some amazing ladies. No one truly understands like military wives. I have yet to face a deployment, but I know that when that time comes I will have amazing military wives to fall back on and I am here for them to fall back on as well. All of my experiences have made me a better person. It has made my love for my husband grow so much stronger, which I did not think was possible because I thought noone could love anyone anymore than I loved him. I am so much more patient now. I know to expect anything and worrying all the time gets you nowhere. I have learned that being negative about the military gets you nowhere. This is his job. He chose this life for us. I support him and I support our Military. This rollarcoaster is an experience you will either love or hate, but it's your choice. Life is what you make of it. Why not make the best of it?

I know that 2010 will be full of challenges. I have overcome a lot in 2009 and I look forward to the challenges of 2010. I know I'm strong enough to get through whatever it may throw my way.

“You were only given this life because you are strong enough to live it.”