Back from my little hiatus.........

Well the boys and I haven't been doing too much since my last blog. Long story short, we are staying in Arkansas for now :( I am trying to take it in stride and tell myself everything fell apart for a reason. I find myself repeating, I am where God wants me to be.....some days it works and some days not so much. Blake is doing ok. Just real tired from being spread so thin at work. Gosh I miss him!!! Yesterday Mom came up to stay the night and visit with us. While she was here I took advantage and went to town for my weekly trip. I got my nails did and also stopped and got some goodies to send to Iraq to Blake, his roomie, and our adopt a soldier. If you haven't adopted one yet please visit adoptaussoldier.org and get one. All you do is register and then in a couple of days they send you a soldiers name and address. I mean come on it is the least we can do, plus if you go to the post office and let them know you are sending it to a soldier in Iraq they will cut you a deal.....you think you are hot in Arkansas heat, Blake told me it has been 115 during the day there. Anywho.......I got back from my weekly excursion and packed boxes and played with the boys. Daddy got here shortly after that and we just all kind of sat around and chilled. Today we all went to Memaw's house for Little Granny's 98th, yes that's right I said 98th, birthday. We all had a good time getting caught up on everyone's lives, cause we know mine is EXCITING and everyone wants to know about it. Aunt Mary, Memaw's sister, and her daughter Beth got to come up from Alabama. They haven't been here in a good long while. We all sat around talking and doing what we do best, eating. I finally got to meet Steph's baby girl Keelee Jo, I hope I spelled it right. I must say she told me that I am her very favorite, can you blame her. So while there we took advantage of the oportunity and took some 5 generation pictures. Granted mom either looks drunk or high in ours, but we took them anyway. While we were there Kale showed off his walking and Elijah did the whole cute baby thing. I must say I am a little worried about my oldest bro. He hasn't been feeling too well and I hope he takes mom's advice and just takes it easy for a few days, he deserves it. I mean health first, no matter what. I know that when Blake is sick I take the kids and close him up in the room so that he can rest.....rest can do a sickly person alot of good. I cancel all plans, like I ever have any, and just tend to him and the boys. True some people may say I baby him, but he returns the favor. I can't tell you how many times he has taken care of me. When I was pregnant with Elijah and would be ordered to rest he did everything in his power to make me rest, even got up with Kale and let me sleep. We take care of each other like that and that is one of the things I love most about our marriage. Anyhow hopefully Christopher will get to feeling better soon and hopefully all he needs is some good relaxing rest. Anywho I will get to posting pictures from today and all that jazz. Blake stay safe and get some rest. The boys and I miss you so very very much!!!!

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Short and Sweet

I only got 2 hours of sleep last night and my eyes hurt from studying so this is going to be short and sweet. Today sucked ass. I got my feelings hurt and said that I did and then it went to shit from there. It's like it is an unspoken rule that I have to be the strong one. Its days like today that I am left thinking what if I need holding up every once in a while.......that doesn't mean that it is woe is me that is me saying I am human. I know I am super hippo and all but even I need help sometimes. I am going to bed early tonight, I know sad that 2300 is early, but it is, and I will hope and pray that tomorrow is better. Stay safe Blake!!! 143

The journey continues...

part 2
so, last I left you, I was in the Nova Scotia wanna-be land of NEWFOUNDLAND. (yes, they all speak in ALLCAPS over there. it's for dramatic "army wives" effect, you know.)

an aside if you will - every FRG's favorite show, "army wives" is often close to army reality, yet often strays away from it and does things for dramatic effect that I think are hilarious. Yes, my wife makes me watch, but she'll deny it.

So, we fly from there to Iceland of all places. I slept through that whole ordeal, but i remember people bitching because it is, get this, illegal to smoke ciggarettes there! WTF?
I ain't sure, but who cares, right?

Now the long leg of the flight. Next stop, Hungary's Buddapest Int. Airport. All the guys agreed after seeing the local women the name should be changed to bootyfest. That freaking place was some kind of expensive! For a apple dessert looking thing and a ginger ale, it was $10.00!
The exchange rate was $1 for 140 (whatever hungarian monopoly money is called).
THEN add the city mall like inflation. How do they buy anything in that place?

After the short layover, we head for "hot-ass" Kuwait. We touch down in Ali Al-Salem and move our bags from bus to bus to bus to truck to bus to bus with no rest, food, anything. (never mind the long-ass bus ride in which I was an armed escort) I throw my back out in the process of all of this. We get there, get a lame-ass brief that doesnt apply to us, then we think we are gonna get our beds. WRONG. We get shiped to Camp Virginia, AKA The Sandbox that sucks! Everything is a good 5 minutes of walking away, except the porta-johns and the showers. Thank God! While I think this place sucks, I will be proven wrong by BALAD, which doesnt have half the facilities of Virginia OR Ali Al-Salem. I paid 5 bucks an hour (!) for internet and didn't bitch like I did once I seen the free lines in JBB (for short)

I am gonna stop this part of the journey leaving you in Camp Virginia, awaiting the orders for Ali Al-salem and the next stop of JBB.

Thats all for now!
love,
Blake

Happy Anniversary to Me and Blake!!!

So today was our 1 year anniversary. I was an emotional wreck all day long. It sucks being so far apart, and it adds to it to think that you won't be able to celebrate together until your 3rd. BUT I didn't let that keep me down for long, after all my boys need me! So today the boys and I went to see Memaw and Little Granny. Elijah talked up a storm, while Kale walked all over the house. So when I get home Heather calls and said that the ladies at the FRG meeting were saying that I didn't need to move into the house we were offered because it was small....tuna can small. So Heather, being the AWESOME person she is, drives over to check it out for me. She gets there to find the house empty and unlocked so she being the rebel she is let herself in. Well lets just say that I am calling the housing people on Monday and telling them I don't want it. I am going to stick to my guns that I want in patriot estates and that is that. If I have to wait a little longer so be it. SGT Mims knows what is going on and how much trouble I have had and he is going to help me out. HOPEFULLY it will work out. Other than that I just wrote out some bills and played with the boys. I put off cleaning yet again, but I will finish it up tomorrow. Well I guess that is about it. Blake if you are reading this HAPPY ANNIVERSARY once again!! I miss you!!! Stay safe!!! 143

So, how have I been? The other half speaks!

part 1
I'll try to fill in the blanks from that fateful day of 1 July 08 until now. It has been a long journey until now. I flew from Lawton, OK to some Podunk town in Illinois. We landed there and the layover was about 2 hours. all I remember was that the can cokes in the machine cost 50 cents. SWEET! From there, we went to NEWFOUNDLAND?! (did i spell it right?) It is pronounced "new fin lind" i think, and it is really pretty! They have alot duck hunting inspired town names like Goose Bay (where we were) and Labrador. There wasn't crap at the landing strip but a small office, but i remember the grey overcast sky, the long rows of trees on the horizon, and the greenest grass I have ever seen. I want to take Lin there for a second honeymoon or vacation. The might not be alot there, but I think i could come up with things to do (and places to do them).
More Later.
My time is up :-(

My Brain Hurts

Well today was full of imformation and its all stuffed into my head...making it hurt. Bright and early this morning I called the housing office once again, ready to give them a piece of my mind. To my shock we got an offer on a house!!! I about had a heart attack right then and there!!! We move in on or before August 1st. Get ready Heather I'm coming back to you!!!! haha So now that the housing situation is settled all I have to do is get the boys, me, our clothes, and their toys out there. It will be hard and stressfull, but I fully believe it will be worth it. Kale will start school on August 15th and I am so excited. They did such an awesome job with him the past school year I can't wait to see what this year has in store for him. I am on my way to achieving my goal of having the housing set up and running smoothly for Blake when he returns. That is the one thing I want to do for him. I know you think it sounds small, but when you come back from over there it takes you a little bit to get into the swing of things. So, I am thinking, if all he has to do it walk through the door and sit on the couch that will make the transition on him easier. Honestly, its the least that I can do. I am excited to go back. I have started making friends out there!! The once absent from my life FRG has come through big time. They really are showing me that it truly is a support system.....afterall we are all going through the same thing. I will be honest I am a little scared about going back there, but I am going to take this leap of faith. I am going to trust my gut, trust myself, and most of all trust the Lord. I know I can do this. I still have those days where I think I won't make it, but I know I can......I'm a fighter!! Anyone who knows the story of me and Blake knows I am a fighter. So now that the housing seems to be straightened out I am allowing myself to be cautiously optimistic. After all I know how the Army can be, things can change at the last minute. Having Blake's support in all of this helps more than I can say. He keeps telling me I trust whatever decision you make. I can't help but feel if I do this and fall flat on my ass he will still love me. I'm not so sure that Fort Sill is ready for both Heather and I, but they better get ready cause here we come :) That out of they way.....Can someone please tell me why we have 5 million dollars worth of toys and my kids want to play with pringle cans??? I swear I didn't do crack while I was pregnant with any of them haha I say they got it from their daddys. I have learned that my Medical Terminology class is going to be HARD!! My teacher grades HARD!! I hope I can do it!! Well other than that things were pretty normal today.....I didn't get to talk to Blake for very long which makes me sad, but at least I know he is ok! On a sadder note...My friend Elida, she was my very first Army Wife friend, had her baby 3 months ago and he wasn't due until this month. He came home about 3 weeks ago I guess and was doing great! She returned home from work this morning and went to check on him and we had passed away in his sleep. They don't really know what happened. I am guessing with as small and premature as he was that maybe it was SIDS.....But that is just me guessing. So when you say your prayers tonight please send up a special one for Elida and Gene Martiny. They live in Ft. Gordon, Georgia right now. She has been so good to me and helped me through my crazy pregnant days. I can't even imagine loosing a child and I don't know how to help her other than to be here to listen and to pray for her. Well I guess that is about it. I'm going to fold clothes and then off to bed. Blake stay safe!!! The boys miss you and love you!!! 143

Just Another Ordinary Day

Today was just another ordiary day. Another day of calling housing at Fort Sill only to have them not call me back. Seems like we will never get a house on post. I just want to get a house on post before Blake returns. Kale is walking more and more every day and is even trying to go from a sitting position on the floor to standing up. YAY!!! Go Kale!!! Elijah is just babbling away and rolling over more. People have told me that he is starting to look like me more, but honestly I just don't see it. It has rained almost all day today which made me want to sleep in, but the boys had other plans. A clap of thunder around 0600 woke them both. Sleeping in is just not what life has in store for me....oh well. Seems that a couple of my blogs have ruffeled a few feathers and that is not what I am trying to do. I am just trying to get my thoughts out so that my mind isn't racing when I try to lay down and rest. Actually it seems to be helping a little. I got to chat with Blake for a little bit today and he is doing ok. They changed his job, which we both knew could happen. It is a job with more responsibilty and a potential to advance him in ranks. I know he will do a wonderfull job. I know I am biased, but he is so detail orientented that I think this suits him. He's not like me with fly by the seat of your pants, he pays very close attention to detail. We balance each other out nicely. While the boys napped today I looked through some of our chat logs from his last deployment. Hard to believe it has been 2 years since we started on our journey. Reading through those made me fall for him all over again in a sense. I realized yet again how far we have come and how many obstacles we have faced, but we have made it this far and will continue to make it. Yes before you ask I should have been studying, but oh well it was fun none the less. I keep trying to think of a creative anniversary present for him. I know the first anniversary is suppose to be paper, traditionaly, but I just don't know what to do. I am thinking about making a scrapbook of things that are going on with the kids while he is gone, but that won't be finished for some time. I thought about sending him Charmin, but I didn't know if he would see the humor.....I don't know that men know that the 1st anniversary is suppose to be paper. I will just be happy that he remembers :) If anyone has any creative ideas let me know. I got down today when I was thinking about our anniversary. I realized that we won't be together for our 1st or 2nd.....but then I thought maybe for our 3rd we could take a trip-just us. It makes me laugh when I think about anniversary presents. In the past I always said I would never get married. I never thought I would meet someone that I would actually want to spend the rest of my life with. I thought that would be boring. Man was I wrong. I was blessed enough to find my better half. He balances me out in so many ways. Yes, we have our "discussions" but who doesn't. I will admit I tend to remind him that I have admitted I was wrong twice, so far, since we have been together.....hey ya gotta start somewhere right?? I truly believe that I am one of the luckiest, most blessed people on Earth. I have 2 handsome boys and a beautiful step-daughter and a wonderful husband...not to mention a great family all the way around. Yes, they get on my nerves at times, but I love them anyway. My friends, they aren't too shabby either haha Seriously my friends are AWESOME! Well I guess I will stop blabbing and go get my butt in the shower. Hope everyone had a good day. Blake, if you read this I miss you and stay safe......143