Breaking Down...

Words can't describe how I'm feeling right now... nor can they describe the feelings of any of the wives of the 6-4 CAV husbands/soldiers... the closest words I can find are "numb" and "heartbroken"... I said "cya later" to my husband and best friend this morning. The next time I will be in his arms is in about 8 months... which will be for a brief 2 weeks, then he'll head back for a few months. We hugged and kissed goodbye early this morning, and it broke my heart crying in front of him... it took everything I had to get back into the car, start it, calm down a bit, and drive back home. I can't even number the times that I have broken down already today... of course I was a wreck for awhile after he left... as soon as I about composed myself, my mom called, and I lost it all over again... then, just when I thought I was good again, my dad called... I kept composing myself for a bit, and would get another phone call from a friend or family member, and the water works would start all over again. It's the little things that are the hardest it seems... the times when you feel the strongest, are the easiest times to break down... after dragging myself out of bed, and NOT looking in the mirror to confirm my swollen/black eyes from crying, I finally stepped out of the house to run errands. Getting in OUR car was tough... going to the post office and talking to the guy at the desk made me tear up... "I don't even know what I'm doing or how to send this"... "my husband left today"..." yes, it's our first deployment"... I got choked up when I went to the vet... again at the commissary when I saw anything chocolate (Caleb LOVES chocolate)... again when I saw couples/families together- whether they were holding hands or bickering... I lost it. Coming into our neighborhood... walking up to the door... going inside to see all of our things... and Daisy still waiting at the window for "daddy to come home"... aghhhh.

I know that this is one of the hardest days... but I also know that I will have plenty more of "these days"... some days will go by faster than others, but the days will never go fast enough. Every minute that passes is another minute closer to my husband... yes, I've started counting in minutes, because quite frankly, hours seem too long at times. I know many people outside of the military will say "oh, this year will go by fast" and towards the end they will say, "oh see, that went fast!" but in all actuality, it didn't, and it won't. I will never say "well that seemed to go by quickly/quicker than I thought" because I wasn't in their shoes... I wasn't that person... I know for me, people have already said it, and I try not to get upset, and don't feel bad if you already have said it to me, as you won't be the last... but honestly, if you're not the one who goes to bed each night alone in bed, have to "go through the motions", trying to keep occupied/busy just so you don't have it constantly in the forefront of your mind, or are just plain overwhelmed or tired from every emotion that gets thrown your way at any point of the day, the year hasn't/won't go by quick. Please pray for all of the soldiers and their families as we're all struggling these days, next few weeks...months, and year to come. Please also pray for peace for all of the soldiers who have had to leave us behind- a peace that they will have knowing that we will be ok.

We're Expecting!

Yes, you read that correctly- we're EXPECTING!!! A little Lohman will be here in June! Words can't even begin to describe JUST HOW excited we are... we are OVER THE MOON with excitement. We ARE going to find out if it's a boy, or girl, but we haven't yet... but I PROMISE to announce it as soon as we both know.

Tick tock...tick tock...

Whoa- hold the phone- WHERE in the world has time gone?!!? I just realized that I haven't updated our blog since, oh, October... and it's now... December. I honestly have NO IDEA where the past few months have gone, but all I can say is that I hope and pray that the next year goes just as fast if not faster. I have been pretty strong since finding out Caleb would be deploying... I'm not sure if that was partially because I just pushed it out of my mind, or held out for some small, minute, almost impossible chance that they wouldn't actually deploy. Either way, it's about that time... and I am done trying to be "tough" or put on the "happy face"... it still hasn't really hit yet, but yesterday pushed me to the limits, and I'm emotionally drained. There are over 3,000 soldiers leaving (just from) Fort Knox, so the majority of people are heading out... which means there are a LOT of flights. My neighbor's husband had to leave yesterday, and while I was helping out another neighbor, she called panic-stricken. My heart broke as her quivering voice asked if I could come with them and drive her home. I let Daisy out and tried not to watch her husband scrape the inch of solid ice that fell (and that we hoped would delay his flight a bit), pack his bags, and her, videotape every last moment. You see, when you're a military wife sending your husband off to fight for all of us back here (and there), all you want is one more minute together. The last few minutes in your "normal/day-to-day" surroundings you just want to freeze and hold forever. I've never been through a deployment, and at times I feel that I can do it because "I'm a military wife"... but honestly, it's just a title that I took because of my tremendous love for my husband and best friend. This "lifestyle" is something completely different than any other life out there... it's one of those things that you can't really describe or even pretend to live in if you haven't lived in it. Many people who are close to us military families get a glimpse of our life, having to deal with the "we'll see if we can make it home for Thanksgiving... but it all depends on the Army"... or "I'm sorry we can't make plans, we just don't know if we have to stay here, or what's going on with his work"... or those times that we've MADE plans, and had to change or cancel them. However, this "lifestyle" is a lot more than that... especially during a deployment. I can't even imagine going day-to-day worrying about my husband's safety, but praying and holding onto the faith that he WILL be ok. I can't even imagine not hearing from him for days, or weeks at a time, and when I do, have to talk to him on the phone that is delayed, scratchy, and can shut off at any time. I can't imagine going through special holidays, days, or even those hard days when all you want is to hear your husband's calming/soothing voice, and a hug... even the things that most people take for granted... the deafening sound of a doorbell alone freaks any military wife out while her husband is away... enough about that, and back to my neighbor- the three of us road in the car, silent. We waited a few hours for him to get his equipment, and as I took pictures of them, I couldn't get over the fact that all too soon I would be in HER position. Looking over them, I saw a family of four- husband, wife, and two younger/school-age girls... they were laughing at the time, but 20 minutes later, I had to look away as the girls grabbed for their dad, tears streaming down their faces, and kept telling him over and over how much they loved him and how good they would be for their mom... when they finally let go and got in the car, their parents held onto each other and just sobbed... I kept checking my phone to have SOMETHING to do, just so that I wasn't having to look at all of these families being torn apart... when my friend finally got back into the car we both just cried- as hard as I tried to be strong, especially for her, I couldn't. I drove away, trying to comfort her, with the little words I thought would help, but being in the same boat as her, it's hard to tell someone that the time will "fly by" and this is "the hardest part"... we drove into our driveway- her NOT wanting to go back to her house... THEIR house, so we stopped at our other neighbors house, who had to say goodbye to her husband that day as well to check in on her... she too was sobbing and holding her 2 year old daughter trying to just get inside their house... we stayed for awhile and just all tried to be supportive to one another- it is true that you don't know how strong you are, or can be, until you really have to be... I pray for more strength and faith to get me through this year, and pray for all of the soldiers leaving, and all of the families they are leaving back here trying to be strong for them.

Our Mission

Saturday Caleb and I went shopping... with the money he got from selling one of his guns (WHOOOO HOOO!!) After buying me a pair of shoes (what a great guy huh?) he wanted to get some golf clubs/essentials (to try to help his game- not sure how it's working out) BUT we ended up talking to one of the sales associates who said they lived on a golf course and his son was given a ball retriever and set up his own business on the course... like a lemonade stand, but selling used golf balls... cha-ching! He became super rich at the age of about 5 I'm sure! Anyways, Caleb and I thought that was a GENIUS idea, so last night, when it was really dark, we headed over to the golf course... only to see that the sprinkler system was on... and directly over our "area" that we had scoped out and thought that we would have the best return... so in between the sprinkler rotation I found myself: A. looking for cars/lights/people and B. holding a pail while telling Caleb he had about .05 seconds to run before the sprinklers got him... between dodging the sprinklers, and running back to the "dry area", then running back to the pond (where all the balls were!), I couldn't stop laughing as Caleb would shine his flashlight around the bottom of the pond to search for balls, nabbing one, then me, trying to take the ball out of the retriever as quick as I could... I was way too nervous about the whole "mission" that after getting back home, and cleaning them, when he asked if I wanted to go back AGAIN I stayed in bed... waiting for a knock on the door with Caleb in cuffs and an MP escorting him... none of which happened, thankfully ;) BUT we had a great time... and may/may not just start a business out of this ;)

Am I Crying? Laughing?

Anyone in my family can attest to the fact that I used to (apparently still do!) start laughing and in a matter of a split second, be BURSTING with tears... anytime that happened, no one knew what to do- it always started out as a joke, so I would be laughing along with everyone else, but then I'd start choking/trying to catch my breath and in an instant be bawling... how would you react? Probably like 99% of my family... they'd immediately stop laughing and just look "bug-eyed" and start apologizing... for nothing. That 1% was my dear sister, who thought it was even more funny to keep laughing to see just how "rial-ed up" I could get with crying...

The last time I remember this happening was in college- Caleb, his friend, Zach, and I were watching tv, then out of no where I became their prey- you see, I HATE to be tickled- Caleb knew this and said something... then it was like they had this lightbulb moment and their eyes were glistening... I started laughing while being tickled but it all changed from full-out laughing to full-out crying... I kept yelling "I hate being tickled, I HATE being tickled!" When the waterworks started coming (yeah, I cry THAT hard) they stopped dead in their tracks and didn't know what to do... "are you laughing? Crying? Are you REALLY CRYING?!"... "Oh my gosh, she really is crying Z..." They obviously stopped tickling me and swore to NEVER do it again... and anytime it gets the "incident" gets brought back up, they chuckle a bit, more like laugh hysterically, and add "she really...really doesn't like to be tickled." No, I don't.

So, that was the last time I started laughing... then crying, that is, until last night. We went to a Haunted Corn-maze, forest, tent, and barn all rolled into one. We didn't go last year with our friends when we found out that it was $20 PER PERSON... no thanks. Well this year is completely different- we're trying to do everything around here that we've never been able to yet... and after BEGGING Caleb to let me go (he didn't want me going)... I found myself, Caleb, and our neighbors-Matt/Michaela, with us- standing amongst a group of KY people (in which Michaela admitted to being TERRIFIED of "hicks"... umm, close your eyes Michaela?) ;) After forking over a night of tutoring-pay, we waited until it was dark to FINALLY get up to the front of the field... the man in charge said it was "about an hour... hour and a half long"... I FREAKED- yeah, that's good b/c I juts spent my entire teaching salary for the WEEK (jk), but being seriously scared for an hour/hour and a half is totally not up my alley for a fun-night out... it honestly wasn't too bad... standing in line that is! The first scene into the field was a black-caped 10plus foot(?) body standing like a statue... until it stood UP and scared us... we even knew it was coming and still got scared... then walking through a house a guy with a chainsaw came up to us- with his chainsaw ON... (obviously due to laws the chain-part wasn't on, but WHO thinks about that when you can SMELL the gas from it!?) I started laughing (for a split second) then basically climbing up Caleb... and that's when it hit... I was laughing... then breathing hard (why is my inhaler NOT with me?!) ;) and crying... when we got underneath a construction light everyone saw my face was streaked with tears... "oh my gosh, are you crying?" Why... yes, I think I was/am... I would like to say that I made it through without having another "attack" but while walking in the field we heard a train-horn... knowing it was coming we walked by a brick wall with a tall arc cut out... then out of NO WHERE a train sounds/light shines/and moves towards us... it happened so fast I was crying/laughing/running at the same time (did I mention that I'm talented?) ;) Well... that was just the cornfield maze... then headed into a forest (where Michaela FREAKED out) because it was as if you landed in the middle of no-where Kentucky... it was a "hick village"... the barn was another event in itself where BOTH of our husbands were freaked- while waiting to enter the barn the guy outside said if you were "prone to panic attacks" not to be 1, 3, 5, or 8 because the walls move and take THOSE PEOPLE... and it you were claustrophobic NOT to go in the "crawl space" and tell the person there that you needed to go outside... when it was our turn to enter the barn he said (to our group of 4) that you didn't want to be the 2nd or 3rd person, JUST in case you were prone to panic attacks... Michaela and I shrieked that we were... and he smiled/pointed to the barn, while Caleb (the fearless leader) led us in... let me add that there was a crawl-space, wall that pushed against BOTH sides of us from air, a bridge that you walked across through a huge hamster cage spinning with colors (which made ALL of us trip out), a grotesque picture of something eating something, and then SPIT water/liquid out, and yet ANOTHER chain-saw person... by the time we entered the tent we were all done... and nothing scared us by that point... an hour/hour and a half later... we were all trying to walk to the car... admitting all of our "scariest" parts... I was still wiping tears from my face/dust/dirt... totally worth the $40 date night ;)

My HS Sweetheart

Last night we went to the Fort Knox Varsity football game... we never went last year- (they MAY have won one..two(?) games the entire season... getting absolutely slaughtered each game...) or for the fact that Caleb was gone in the field a lot last year around this time, and I wasn't going to go by myself. I LOVE watching football, but would so much rather be at the game- watching it... (maybe that's why I wasn't that good of a cheerleader- I was too focused on the actual game!) JK. We hadn't been to a game since Western, where we went to just about every game AND for 3 games sat in the Walmart Winners Section- I won 4 tickets like 3 weeks in a row for games... it was pretty cool ;) I didn't realize how much I missed being at a football games until last night... but what I really realized was how much of a memory it brought back... we totally saw ourselves in the students... and it brought us back to that "Parchment-small-town" feel, as I knew many of the students, and Caleb was pointing out people in the stands, most of them being Generals or Commanders, so I tried to keep my cheering to a minimum ;) ... I kept smiling because I was sitting at a high school football game with MY high school sweetheart... for those that know us, we obviously didn't start out that way- Caleb admitted to liking me after my freshman year, but I was so adament about not wanting a boyfriend at the time, and would constantly say that you couldn't find your "soul mate" in high school *boy was I wrong!*... after a year or so of being completely friends and Caleb still liking me (so glad he is such a determined kid!), and our best friends dating, we decided we could TRY dating, but I was still a little hesitant- Caleb and his friend Jake saw this, and decided to come up with a scheme- Caleb would "like" another girl and if I got mad, then we would probably start dating,.. well, we all know where that led... Caleb's "eye candy" for the day put me over the edge, and I ASKED HIM OUT... what a smart kid... anyways, after we started dating, we were inseparable... I remember cheerleading and WANTING to just sit with him and watch the game with him... then throughout college we went to the games with a bunch of our friends, in which I would mostly talk to the girlfriend/fiance/wife, or my girlfriends at the game... and I still never really got to sit next to Caleb and really watch the game with him... until last night- it was so fun- watching the game, looking at the students/parents, and trying to figure out who seemed like who at Parchment- some of the parents were VERY outgoing/yelling/"getting into the game"... it was a lot of fun, but definitely felt a bit weird thinking how far we've come in the past few years since high school!

Man's Best Friend

I apologize in advance for not keeping so "up-to-date" as I used to with our blog... my only excuse is that I am savoring every possible moment with my best friend that I can before December... so, I'd say that's a pretty good excuse. If it helps, I'm sure I'll be blogging so much that you'll get tired of me come January!

Over the past few weeks I have been completely lacking of any schedule... I have been sleeping during the day (when I don't teach) and staying up all night... or, staying up during the day, and late into the night (to stay up with Caleb/spend time with him)- only to once again wake up late (for me that is)... I will admit that some of the problem is due to medication that I am currently taking- with the list of side effects I'm amazed that I'm not more "under the weather"... this past week I have felt like I haven't accomplished anything (what's a "to-do" list?)... maybe that's why we're drying off with my hairdryer- all of our towels are in the laundry, that has YET to be done (TOTALLY KIDDING)... but really, I haven't been able to do much of anything, and I get upset if Caleb does anything- he shouldn't be doing the laundry while he can be hanging out with his friends/myself (I know- crazy right? Well, in the whole scheme of things I'm being a little "easy going" I guess on him- whatever- call me out on it, I don't care) ;)

Anyways... I was getting really tired (literally) of not being able to do much, so, this morning, I set my alarm and woke up early to get things done- JUST after 7:00 and I'm feeling great... and have already accomplished just about everything on my "to do" list for the entire week! The laundry is in, (already switched a load), dishwasher emptied, went for a walk/run, and am blogging... I went back into our bedroom to get something when I remembered my favorite site in the morning... no, it's not looking out our front window/door to see the sunrise over the golf course that has a dewy glow, and cloud of fog, AND the Gold Vault to the right... yes, that's a site to see that most people don't get to see everyday, but my favorite site is my husband sleeping in our bed... and Daisy and Panzer curled right up next to him... it's absolutely adorable... again, call me out on it for having our animals sleep with us- I'm sure there's a slue of "why we shouldn't have them sleep with us" but, my "list" is a whole lot longer as to why it's ok... one being that one of my favorite things is to look in our room, only to find that "my spot" on the bed is taken up by Daisy (yes, she even uses the pillows like a human) and Panzer is somewhere by Caleb's legs... I'm not sure why I love seeing this, but I do... Panzer and Daisy adore Caleb... (me too), but they have a special love for him... when he leaves in the morning for PT, Daisy can be found sitting at the door, or window, staring out, and waiting for him to come home... then goes back to either of our "spots" (probably because it's still warm)... and the first HINT of a car pulling into the neighborhood-regardless if it's him or not, she's right there, waiting for him... as for Panzer- he's not much of a sociable cat (probably because he's not really a cat...) but when it comes to Caleb, he makes an exception.

It's amazing to me to realize just how much a night/day can change things... I may be laying in our bed, trying to get to sleep, while Daisy is breathing heavily in my face, or in the middle of the night, when I'm curled up in a fetal position to make sure Daisy has enough room, or, my favorite is when Daisy is sleeping in between my legs, and when I have to get up in the middle of the night, only to find myself trying to get out of bed so carefully- moving one leg up to my chest, trying to get it around her, getting tangled up in the blanket, trying to remove that, all while trying to keep Daisy, Panzer, and more importantly, Caleb, asleep- it's quite a feat, but with my talent, and many nights of doing this, I'm just now starting to get the hang of it... getting back into bed is a completely different story, and I am thinking to myself how much I'm going to regret her sleeping in our bed each night, as I'm covered in her hair, my pillow is sometimes moist from her breathing so heavily, and our queen-sized bed seems like a twin at times... PRAISE THE LORD she never grew, otherwise I'm sure I'd be sleeping on the floor! But somehow, I wake up in the morning, like today, only to remember WHY I LOVE her sleeping with us... one, being the scene that unfolds in our bedroom each and every day...
1. Daisy-taking up the entire middle of the bed, while Panzer just curls up SOMEWHERE on it.
2. Daisy- making a flying jump/leap from our door to our bed (sometimes making it, sometimes not)- this may not seem like a big deal, but when I tell you the distance is around 4-5 feet, it's something...
3. Caleb and Daisy wrestling in bed (trying to get her to sleep), which sometimes backfires on us... while Panzer and I are just trying NOT to get involved in it...
4. When I'm sick, Daisy NEVER leaves my side... the other night was really rough and I was crying- Caleb was obviously hugging me/talking to me, but Daisy was found ON TOP of me trying to figure out what was wrong/how she could fix it... and started licking my face... how can one NOT start laughing? Problem solved- great job Dais!
5. We just put a tv in our room- only so that Caleb could watch it, and be with me at the same time while I slept (it was MY idea)... and Daisy is at the foot of the bed watching it with him...
6. NOT having to hear her whine while we TRY to sleep...
7. NOT having to clean up a mess as she does each time she doesn't sleep with us
8. Being that 8 is my favorite number, I'll stop here.. the #1 reason why I love it, is because I get to wake up every morning to her (and Panzer) scrunched up as close as can be to Caleb... and when he's gone, I know they both lay in his spot (missing him) and trying to make our bed seem like a twin, so it doesn't seem so big without him... anyways... I guess I'll let them sleep in our bedroom for a bit... I don't think I can pry them off of Caleb now! ;)

Hey Neighbor!

You know those mornings where you're running around and trying to do 15 things at once and nothing is getting done? Those are "my mornings" 80% of the time... I am a multi-tasker at heart. I have read countless articles that state if you focus on one thing at a time you can actually focus on the task at hand and finish your entire to do list... but you can't multi-task... do I listen? No way... I can't even try to do one thing at time- it's almost as if I like having 5 things going on at once... Agh. Yesterday morning I was going about my "to do" list while Caleb was at PT. I had already made cookies for my neighbor, worked out, started the 2nd load of laundry, vaccummed, let the dogs out, and put on a face mask-checked the time to see it was only 7:30am... Nice... as I was letting the dogs out while taking the trash/recycling out AND carrying the cookies for my neighbor (multi-tasking at it's finest!) ;) I saw our new neighbors (that I have NEVER met before)... I usually make muffins for the "newbies" but hadnt gotten around to it (too busy with all of my multi-tasking/never getting things completely done)... I dropped the garbage off at the curb, checked the dogs- who were a little bit farther down the street than they usually go... and gave my neighbor the cookies... called for the dogs who didn't listen and decided to walk further away from me... turned around to greet my neighbors and realized that... I STILL had my lime-green facemask on! In all honesty I was wondering why they were looking at me funny-"have you never seen a woman calling for her dogs and them NOT listening? Geeez..." Wow- talk about leaving a good first impression- did I mention I had never met these people yet?! That's when I heard Caleb pull in... I ran inside and told him to get the dogs... and since I didn't have to work until later that day, I decided to go back to bed and try to start my day over... ;)

"I don't know about this..."

We absolutely adore Daisy, but lately she has been having anxiety issues... after talking to some of our friends who had a similar problem, said our options were to either get another animal or drug our dog... I'm not about to drug Daisy, because knowing us, it would have the opposite effect and she'd go even more nuts than she already is, so... the animal lovers that we are found ourselves at the vet on post... we hadn't even gotten to look at all of the dogs in the kennels, when we met "Pistachio" (WHAT KIND OF NAME IS THAT?!)... Caleb fell in love with her (I was still at another kennel admiring this HUGE dog that looked like it had been in the dryer for a bit... next thing I hear, is "oh, babe..." "Oh, great..." is what I'm thinking- Caleb and I have very different opinions on almost everything when it comes to bigger purchases- houses, cars, animals, tech-stuff, etc... so I'm expecting to see some weird looking dog... I walked over and saw this sad-looking dog (I bet that's how he got hooked right away!)... I thought that the dog was laying down... but oh no, she was standing... her legs are just THAT short... well, I DID think she was cute, and when my husband falls in love with her, I start to crumble a bit... next thing I know we are outside with Daisy and her to see if they get along, in which they do... so then, we're in the office asking when we can take her home... she had to be fixed so we would have to wait an ENTIRE WEEKEND- Monday morning she had her surgery, and Caleb met Daisy and I at the vet to pick her up...

Within an hour of her being home, we heard several howls/somewhat ferocious (as ferocious-sounding as a knee-high dog can sound)- the playing got a bit out of hand... that's when Caleb said "I don't know about this... maybe we shouldn't have done this..." I reassured him that they would be fine- Daisy showed "Sadie" (we weren't too thrilled with Pistachio)around the house and followed her everywhere- then Sadie met Panzer (our bengal-cat) and they too fell in love with each other... that night we found ourselves in our queen-sized bed wondering where the other one was... in between Caleb and I were: Daisy, Panzer, AND Sadie... Daisy normally sleeps with us, but it was a HUGE slumber-party with all of us in our bed... yeah, so much for sleeping THAT night... and the next... and again, I heard Caleb say, "I don't know about this..." Throughout the next few days the dogs and Panzer played constantly- a few "big-ger fights" every now and then, but all seemed ok with me- they're siblings- siblings fight... as I said this, I kept seeing Caleb's terrified face- I haven't ever really seen him that upset looking... he was so worried that they weren't getting along... yeah, you definitely know who's the animal lover between the two of us! Every day since bringing Sadie home, I now have TWO dogs who whine at the door for a solid 5-10 minutes when Caleb leaves for PT in the morning, and have TWO dogs who race to the door/outside to greet Caleb home from work. After figuring out sleeping arrangements (Daisy continues to sleep with us) and Sadie sleeps on the floor right next to Caleb, and Panzer... we're still not really sure what he does at night (every now and then he comes in our room/on our bed)... after trying to figure out how to feed two dogs, or rather, how to keep one dog eating their food, while keeping the other dog away from the other's bowl of food... the two are inseparable... so, I guess we'll be keeping Sadie a little longer than our "trial period"...

Maybe we shouldn't have done that

I really do try to think through things before I say or do things, but easier said than done... this morning we had the tv/internet company come to install a tv box in our bedroom, so we thought we would put Daisy in the fence, but the neighbors were getting a fence put in and the garbage people were outside as well... so... what were we to do!? We have had Daisy for a year and she has never bothered to go downstairs... she will sit at the top, whine, cry, or pant while we're downstairs, but she hasn't taken that first step down... so Caleb and I looked at each other and said "why not?" Caleb carried Daisy downstairs... she LOVED it... we figured she wouldn't go back down because after a YEAR she never touched the steps... until today. She has just spent the last 10 minutes running up and down them... that was until she found Panzer's food and ALL THE STUFF downstairs... maybe we shouldn't have done that... we feel a little bad as that was Panzer's "safe haven" from Daisy (they DO get along, but you know how that goes with siblings... a little time apart is a good thing!)... we're now getting death glares from Panzer... and Daisy is still snooping around in the basement... while Panzer is eating his food on a shelf so Daisy doesn't eat it... maybe we shouldn't have done that... whoops!

A quick buck

I'm always up for making money... whether it's actually working or just picking up pennies... I mean seriously, who isn't up for making a quick dollar!? NOT Caleb... usually (who rolls his eyes when I bend down to pick up any/all change)- "you do realize that you have to bend over 100x to make a dollar right?" "Why yes Caleb, love of my life, I do... and since I'm able to bend down I'm going to take advantage of it!!". Many times I've had success making easy money, but sometimes it just doesn't turn out in my favor... for instance... when we were moving here we decided to have a garage sale to get rid of... anything and everything that we could to make some money... my quesadilla maker that I am totally in love with? Sure... the handle was chipped, so why not, $2... SOLD! Only later did we end up buying yet another maker to replace it as we are mildly obsessed with it...

When we got here we still had "stuff" that I thought I could sell, but with all the post rules/regulations I didn't want to hassle with a garage sale (again- QUICK buck is key!) so I took some items to the consignment store on post... about mid-November I brought our electric heater... and that's about the time I remembered that our bedroom has windows on 3 of the 4 walls... you can only have so many blankets on you before you get that panicky-clausterphobic feeling, so after a few nights of Caleb complaining we decided to go back to the consignment store... only to realize that they couldn't find our heater (but it hadn't sold)... so we SEARCHED high and low... for awhile... and still couldn't find it... and they said that even if we had found it we would have to buy it back from them... for more money than it was worth! AGH... so much for making money on that one!

What's even better than a quick/easy dollar? FREEBIES!!! I LOVE THEM!! Our neighbors moved, which meant they were getting rid of some "valuable junk"... I didn't want to embarrass Caleb so when it was dark (and I was sure no one was looking) I went over and checked things out... and found an AMAZING CHAIR and a headboard... I quick told Caleb we just HAD to have those items... he was hesitant... so the next morning I went over and HAULED/DRAGGED the chair in our house (it was literally like a month old!) and cleaned/vaccuumed it... then, went for the headboard, which is now in our garden- waiting for ivy to grow up/around it! Yes, I LOVE freebies.

My first

The other day I had gotten out of work and all while driving I kept thinking about how I was going to get home and have a mess waiting for me (Daisy was crated)... so, I was speeding a bit (I can't lie)... but before I say anything more, I have NEVER been pulled over (while driving that is!)- Lord knows how many times I have been in the car while Caleb was driving (for various reasons but somehow ALWAYS gets a ticket- entering the turn lane too soon?-sure, that's a ticket...WHAT?!)-maybe that's why he was so intent on getting a military license plate in hopes that he wouldn't get pulled over or a ticket?! Anyways... I was driving home and OUT OF NO WHERE a cop pulls me over... in a RED MUSTANG!! I was JUST telling my mom how I have seen people pulled over in various cars- mustangs/convertibles/jeeps/etc... anyways... I have never been pulled over so have always wondered how I would react to getting pulled over- I always said I would try to pull the "I needed my inhaler" (as I probably would due to being so upset about getting pulled over!) but when it came time for me I couldn't even think straight... I was seriously shaking when the cop asked me if I knew why I was getting pulled over... I said "probably because I was speeding"... he nodded and said that they had JUST changed the speed limit in the area earlier that week... he needed my license and registration... I replied with "this is my FIRST time that I've been pulled over and this is my HUSBAND'S car... and with my trembling hands gave him the WHOLE book in the glove compartment- "I'm not exactly sure what all you need" (I do- I know what the insurance papers look like, but give me a break, I was FREAKING OUT)... he laughed and commented on how he knew already because I was shaking... he came back within 5 minutes with a yellow piece of paper- my heart sank... "mam, you were speeding, and need to slow down... I could have written you a ticket for that AND you ALMOST cut me off so that COULD HAVE been another ticket... AND I didn't see you use your turn signal so that would have been ANOTHER ticket, but here's a piece of paper/warning to remind you to slow down..." FIRST of all, I did NOT cut him off... and I DID use my turn signal and look- I saw a red mustang behind me... anyways... I was quite relieved that I got off with a "warning"... but felt bad for the person that he pulled over RIGHT after me... I hadn't even gotten back in the lane and he already had his lights on! (I'm not going to lie- I wasn't able to think properly as I was so upset, so I was wondering if I was getting pulled over again- I was like "seriously, I haven't even moved- NOW WHAT?!")... so, I now have a yellow ticket in my car (like some people have pictures of their loved ones) to remind myself to slow down... and watch out for red mustangs ;)

All Accounted For... so far

So it's been just over 2 weeks since Caleb headed to California for NTC (to train in the desert for a month to get "certified deployable") It has seemed a bit longer than that as he has no communication (I heard from him when he got there but won't hear from him again until the end of August)... while he's been gone I have kept myself busy... I have yet to color my hair (but am seriously considering getting it professionally done while in MI this weekend), but HAVE done some decorating (as usual!)

It wouldn't be a separation without things to go wrong... as I've said before, whenever Caleb leaves SOMETHING goes wrong... EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It happens to all of us wives though... I've had it pretty good... a car accident, several technological malfunctions, allergic reactions, house repairs, doctor appointments, etc... so I guess I'll stop complaining- it has made me that much stronger of a person I guess.

Nothing has gone terribly wrong while he's been gone... the first day I took a nap (he had to be at the checkpoint at about 2:30/3 in the morning- then, as I was driving home from dropping him off, I got a call saying the time had changed- he had to be picked up, and then dropped off again later in the day.. talk about emotional overdrive- I had already said goodbye! But... I have learned to be flexible and patient)... I awoke from my nap and started itching my eye... I went to the bathroom to see if something was in it, only to see my reflection and realize that I looked like Quasimoto or Will Smith in Hitch... I still have no idea how I got a goose egg on my eye... but the swelling went down (only after going to the commissary/running errands!)-no one is really here praise the Lord!

So, 2 weeks down and a little over 2 weeks to go and we are all alive... so far. I hardly see Panzer- only unless he wants something- like water or food in which he makes it known by making a crying sound... it's definitely not a purr... and it definitely gets my attention... Daisy on the other hand... she is on the verge of getting the boot (not literally, I could get good money for her- everyone loves her!) ;) Kidding aside (I did read my previous blogs about the cute things she's done/how much I love her... and it... did NOT HELP).

Daisy... is something else. Where do I begin?!?! A few days after Caleb left I went to my neighbor's house for MAYBE 20 minutes- I left her out as she's out all day... well, I came home to blinds- SHREDDED... EVERYWHERE. She had gotten EVERY SINGLE BLIND in the house!(how she managed THAT feat in 20 minutes is beyond me!) I have to add that our house window's are an odd size, so after calling around to find blinds, I finally found a place that had 3 of them... only to get home and realize they were STILL the wrong size (yes, I DID measure-TWICE!) I returned them, (they were way over-priced as it was) and bought several at Walmart and CUT THEM (I used several/various knives/scissors/pliers, but I finally got them cut)... but that still wasn't enough, so I called our housing manager and had them come and install blinds (for free!)- I did hide the dog-chewed blinds in our room so he wouldn't catch on to what had happened (thankfully he didn't!) so... we have new blinds... in the front half of our house... I figured I would either wait to call again to get free blinds OR wait until I was less mad... well, then I decided to crate her (she escapes any and every way from our backyard-why we pay for a fence I have NO IDEA)... only to come home every time she's been crated to her going to the bathroom... and somehow getting it all over- the floor/walls... my mom was here visiting and cleaned (thanks again!) but I have had to clean it a few times since... I am waiting for the floor to either fall through or holes to come up in the wood... the amount of ammonia I have used over the past week or so is RIDICULOUS. (I don't know how I'd explain a hole in the floor to the housing company!) So.. I am in a sticky situation- I can't not crate her, and when I do, I get a "surprise" when I come home... plus, she's such a baby that when I DO leave her home she cries... so I have started taking her with me on my errands (on the days that it's not TOO hot!)- well, I can't even win with this! The other morning my mom and I went for coffee and left her in the car- while waiting, I heard a car alarm... went outside and saw Caleb's car's lights flashing and horn going off... she set the alarm off! I then realized that if/when I take my car she can't set the alarm off, so I took her with me yesterday to run an errand- I went to two stores (at different times/locations)- the first she was fine- BESIDES all the looks and "poor puppy!" comments from others (first of all, she's NOT a puppy I explain, and secondly, she's FINE...)- she makes this howl/bawling noise- it literally sounds like someone is murdering her, but as soon as someone (esp. me) walks up to the car or gives her any amount of attention she stops... what a baby. So, I went to the first store, and came out only to see Daisy getting tons of love and pets from two little girls and a dad- "what a cute puppy!" they all shrieked... we just couldn't not pet her... what a sweetheart! (oh please... stop a. petting her and b. calling her a puppy/sweetheart- I JUST replaced almost every blind and cleaned up a mess- thus the reason she's with me) On to my next stop- I literally RAN IN (I was NOT about to hear anymore sad comments from customers-really, she's FINE)... and was back out in less than 10 minutes (I had something on HOLD and was the FIRST in line- that's how short the time was!)- only to come out AGAIN to someone petting her through the window- this time, it was an older woman who shrieked- get ready- NOT "what a cute puppy!" but... "oh my gosh, I am SOOOO glad you came out here- I felt so bad for this cute dog that I was about to call the police!" "Are you serious?" I replied- (literally, 10 minutes folks!)... "well, I just felt so bad for her- she was crying... I didn't know when/if someone was going to come back for her! But I'm glad you're here and you look like a sweet girl... I was just worried and am an animal lover." (Wow 'mam I would have NEVER guessed that you're an animal lover)... "no, I'm here, and we're heading home- thanks for the concern- I just have to take her with me as my husband is deploying/gone right now and she's so sad at home..." (put the guilt trip on her for SURE)... then, she said "bless your heart/thanks for all you do-I'm sure you're a wonderful wife/mom to that dog"... and walked away ;) Really Daisy?!! Wow. AWESOME.

KY drivers

While at Sylvan on Friday, I was talking to another teacher whose son is turning 16 this week-I asked if he was getting a car or his license and his mom replied with "I am not comfortable with him driving by himself yet..." I asked how much drivers training he had completed so far and she said "nothing! KY doesn't have drivers training...on your 16th birthday you go in, take a test, and get your license if you pass, otherwise you fix your mistakes and take it again..." This is where my mouth dropped to my chest- "That explains sooo much" I said... and it does... she agreed as she isn't from KY... No offense to anyone living or growing up in KY, but drivers here are crazy!! (that's being nice too!) Here is one example of this... this happened last June, but I figured I would enlighten you with my story (and one of the reasons WHY I am absolutely terrified to drive around KY...

I had gone home for Fathers Day- I hadn't been here for more than 2 weeks, and Caleb had been gone so I decided to go home... I first had to find a place to board Daisy- I called every place around here, but they were either booked or wouldn't take her as she wasn't potty trained (we had had her for a little over a week-and her not being trained was one of the reasons I didn't take her with me).. I finally found a place in Bardstown and it was cheap too- so I took a spot... Only to mapquest it and start driving an HOUR SOUTH/aka the OPPOSITE direction from MI... aghhhh... I dropped her off and had a great weekend back home with the family... I drove back and picked up my friend Emily to drive with me to pick up Daisy... picked her up no problem (she even got an "A" report card!) and headed home... while on our way home I drove through an intersection (it had been green/still was) when out of no where a car smahed into us (she went on a RED left turn!)- I tried to swerve but it was no use-she slammed into us, we spun several times- the airbags went off/window broke/gas/fumes everywhere/and the horn was stuck and going off... I hit my head on the window so was rubbing it as I opened my eyes- and noticed Emily bolting out of the car to the corner (we were in the middle of an intersection).. I grabbed our purses and got out... started heading to the corner, still holding my head/shaking/banged up... only to look back and see Daisy in th back window! She looked terrified and looked at me like "are you seriously going to leave me?!"- I ran back to her and grabbed her/her leash (that I found across the street-my car ended up being totaled so needless to say there was stuff everywhere!-I should also add tha we had just gotten this car 2 months before ;() by the time I sat down on the sidewalk clutching Daisy people had stopped/called the police/ambulance and were helping us- I will never forget the man who had a suit on (he was heading home from work) and took his jacket off to lay on the ground for me- then was kneeling on the ground by my friend Emily and I-we were both beaten up a bit and breathing hard (more so because we were just so shaken up)- I was still holding onto Daisy when the paramedics came and were putting me on the stretcher- an older woman came and took her and said she was going to follow us to the hospital and watch her- I cried and said I needed her, and she replied with "sweetheart I will be right behind you-you can't take her in the ambulance"-that's when I realized that I was taped down already/neck brace/being carried to the ambulance- at this point our friend Mekala was on her way and Emilys husband was on his (Caleb was in the field)- emotionally I was beat so instead of crying more, started to joke around- I had said that I was going to get my eyebrows waxed later that week, but didn't have to as the tape ripped out several!, and I kept asking about my teeth (so when I called my parents I Immediately said that all my teeth were in)... I haven't been as relieved as I was when Mekala walked into my hospital room and hugged me-she had called someone, who called someone else, who somehow got ahold of Caleb (all they told him was that I had been in a car accident and was in the hospital!-poor guy!- he didn't even know I had gone home since he had been training! Emily and I both got xrays and had to stay for a bit, but then we all headed back to Fort Knox- Daisy had been taken care of- when Mekala and I walked out, the woman was sitting with Daisy, feeding her, and Daisy had several cans of dog food (her food had been thrown all over in the accident), a bone/toy, water dish, and a 2-3ft tall "guardian angel"... Daisy was "living the life"... Caleb was home by the time we got home- I went on vicadin, and he left early in the morning (I didn't even remember him being home really!)- the next few days that followed were filled with amazing neighbors coming over to check on me/bring dinner/flowers/etc... as well as insurance papers started coming- I couldn't believe the bills that I wad getting (if I knew that neckbrace cost THAT much I would have saved it!)- the woman who hit us had to cover all of our costs-medical and car-our insurances figured things out and we "settled"... later, we learned from the police report that a NUN hit us- (no offense to these sweet women!) but she claimed that she "forgot to stop at the red light and went..." oh and the smoke- some of it was from MY pepperspray on my keychain-I got sprayed by my own pepper spray! (yeah that was cool-not!) so.... can you see why I might be a little scared (ok terrified) of driving?!- it makes sense now that they just "show up and take a test" on their birthday! I think I am even MORE scared now knowing this!! ;)

It's good to be home

Wow does time fly! Tomorrow is our second anniversary! It doesn't seem like that long at all (but we haven't lived together the whole time with Caleb being gone for training/schools... Caleb has been wanting to stay at a hotel for a while now, so I said we could for our anniversary- we drove to Louisvill yesterday-got lost a few times as we missed our exit(s)- the roads are NOAT marked well at all... by the time we made it to our hotel (which had a horribly designed parking garage!) Caleb had had enough so we walked around for a bit, ate out (we never eat out so it was nice to!), and stayed for a (free!) concert- Blues Traveler played and Caleb has loved this band for a long time so that was awesome! We stayed for a few songs (my early bedtime was starting to kick in!) and walked down the block to our hotel- there was a thunderstorm with some cool lightening so we stayed outside for a bit... Caleb watched a baseball game on tv while I tried to sleep... it kept thundering and all we could think about was Daisy at our house- we realized that the king sized bed was way too big for us- we really missed her sleeping with us... I looked at Caleb and said "let's go home- I miss her!" (this was about 10:30ish) and he replied with, " are you serious?" (no answer from me) and a few seconds and a sigh later he said, "you are serious..." but don't worry too much- I fell asleep shortly after this brief conversation... and woke up around 4am... I literally crawled across the bed to Caleb it was so big(!) and just tried to go back to sleep, but I wasn't tired and really bored- the hotel was too big to walk around and the fitness center wasn't open for another couple hours... a little after 5am I woke Caleb up and said "cmon we made it through the night... Let's go home and be with Daisy..." he woke up and said "ok" (I was a bit surprised) so we got up/checked out and headed home... got Daisy, and Caleb and her cuddled up on the couch and fell asleep... it's good to be home ;)

I didn't know you could do that...

Yesterday I had an appointment to see a specialist in Louisville... I HATE driving to Louisville (anywhere in KY really, but especially Louisville!) so I left our house at 12-the appointment was at 1:45 but I figured that would give me PLENTY of time... I got off my exit for the specialist a few minutes before 1:00 only to drive into a city made completely of hospitals/dr offices/specialists... since I am a woman and have NO problem asking for help or directions, I pulled over and asked a woman where I needed to go-she pointed to the building behind her and said that she saw my dr-now I just needed to find a spot to park- I am horrible at parallel'ing and had no idea how long I was going to be there so my only choice was to find a parking structure-somewhat close to my dr... I parked at the Children's hospital- on the 8th/highest level... by this time it was 1:20.. when I got into the elevator there was a couple holding their son who was really sick and had been seeing specialists since he was born (he had no hair and tubes in his ears/nose... he was the sweetest little boy- I couldn't stop looking at him and admiring how precious he was- I smiled and talked to him-his parents smiled and chatted, but you could tell they were exhausted... I prayed for them as we all got off... I started walking the 5 blocks to the building the woman pointed to-but it didn't have any sign so I asked someone else-he was a dr and said that my specialist was around the corner and two more blocks down... I walked into a beautiful building and just felt relieved- I checked in at 1:30 and started reading magazines... when all of a sudden I realized that I had forgotten my records-in my car!!! I quickly calculated the distance and sighed-I needed those records and had a whole 'nother experience getting them!- (I went to get them at the hospital on post-they would be ready in 2 weeks- I told them that I had just gotten this appontment- I had 2 days and a weekend... I called the other specialist that I had seen a few weeks earlier and they too needed 2 weeks... no sooner did I hang up the phone with them that the woman from the post hospital called-she had stayed after work and pulled my records- she was my hero!- so after that, I NEEDED these records...) I walked up to the check-in window and told them my dilemma-she looked at the clock and said I had "10 minutes and might want to run"- oh sweeet... great, I will get right on that (I need to add that Caleb had a promotion ceremony that afternoon so I had dressed up-worn a dress and heels)- I picked up my shoes and booked it-around the corner-2blocks down and another 5 blocks-the hoofed the 8 flights as the elevator was on the 7th floor... finally got to my car, grabbed the records and headed back- I made it back in the office at 1:41 and ended up still having to wait about 10 minutes... got my blood pressure checked/weight/height/etc- my blood pressure (as always) was "extremely good"- and that was AFTER running! Then, another nurse took me to a room-looked exactly like a principal's office- a big desk, 2 chairs, and another chair for the nurse/dr... she asked me many questions and reviewed all of my records with me- I looked over to the empty chair (Caleb had to work)- I immediately wanted him by my side- I have been to so many drs lately that I figured I would be fine, but I suddenly wanted him with me- I got choked up and started crying... THEN SHE started crying! I made my doctor cry!- I didn't know you could do that... she was crying and passing me the kleenexes as she was reaching for them herself... that's when the dr came in- I wonder what he thought-entering a room with his nurse and a patient BOTH crying!- he said that's why there were kleenexes and then continued to reassure me that I was in good hands (there were posters/magazines/articles of him ALL over the place... and that everything was going to be ok... I composed myself and answered more questions and they ran some more blood work (PTL I have good veins that STICK OUT!) and left... I felt a bit relieved- for the first time in a long time... I still had to drive home (by now it was almost rush hour) but it was ok... and will be ok... on the elevator back to my car there was a "candy striper"- she was probably around 80 and you could tell she was exhausted but she had the biggest smile on her face- she had just spent the entire day with children who were in the "high risk" area (very, very sick kiddos)- I smiled and said another prayer for her and all the other nurses/ doctors who care and have a heart for helping people.

Working the System

For the past few weeks we have had a paper from our Internet/cable company- Caleb had been meaning to call them to see how much it would cost if we got rid of our "bundle" and had cable through them and got our Internet from someone else... well it has sat there long enough and since he has an actual job and is gone more than he is home (exaggerating a bit-he sleeps at home! ;)) I decided to just call (seeing how I am the one that thought we were paying a ridiculous amount of money for it.. so I was very cordial and just said that we were considering looking elsewhere because it was a bit pricey... the woman asked me to hold to do some calculations- she came back saying that it would be a bit more for cable because it wouldn't be "bundled" but if I chose to stay with them then we could get $10 off our total bill AND get the showtimes/movie channels FOR FREE... needless to say, she hooked me in and we went for her deal- but I am pleased to say that we now have more awesome channels (that I probably won't watch anyways!) for a discounted price- aghh once again I am awesome ;) Maybe one of these days I will sit down and enjoy one of those channels while eating my free popcorn (from calling customer services-got another coupon in the mail a bit ago!)

Used to it..

I woke up this morning to heavy/hot breathe in my face... and a wet pillow... I know that I am capable of drooling, but I knew I hadn't slept well enough to drool... opening my eyes I saw Daisy, who was passed out, under the covers, and sharing a pillow with me... guess that explains the wet pillow and black hair matting my face! While this scene isn't something I am used to... this is what I am used to (which is honestly sad, but I am glad that I have finally come to terms with it!)... last night I got out of work and raced home- Caleb had left for work in the morning and wasn't able to come home for lunch, so yes, I missed him and wanted to see him, so, I sped home... as I pulled into our neighborhood I didn't even notice his car NOT there... I walked in to our quite house to find Daisy in her crate... he wasn't home. I figured he was just across the street playing golf (he went several times this weekend, but didn't do as well as he usually does, so I figured he was trying to build his confidence back up)- but as I looked out our kitchen window, I didn't see anyone, and the clock read: 8:15pm so i realized he probably wasn't there either... as I sat on the couch to watch the one and only tv show I actually watch, my phone rang- it was Caleb- he was clearly upset and said he wasn't coming home tonight... or tomorrow night... and hoped to be home sometime Thursday... this was news to both of us! Before, this news would have upset me because the Army always changes things, but I have realized that I can't make plans and that I need to write everything in pencil... I was definitely bummed, but it's not like I can do anything, and I could sense Caleb's frustration... yes, the military runs our life. I am used to it now though- I am immune to these types of phone calls... used to making his favorite meal (I made it during the day for him so he could re-heat it for dinner while I was working)- only to have to throw it out or give it to neighbors to enjoy (it's not going to stay until Thursday-IF he even comes home that day!)... so as I let Daisy out, turned off the tv (I didn't even finish my show-that's how much I DON'T watch tv!), brushed my teeth, washed my face, and got into bed I couldn't help but think about the upcoming deployment... no sooner did I start to close my eyes to pray, Daisy nudged my chin (she sleeps with us-how that actually started I am not sure!)- she wanted under the covers (she sleeps like a person would-under the covers, and apparently likes to sleep on pillows too!)... Panzer joined in on the action too- our queen sized bed definitely feels like a twin with these two and Caleb isn't even in the bed! How these two small critters sprawl out and make themselves appear so much larger is beyond me! I woke up a few times only to reach across the bed (I usually do this while I sleep and hang on to Caleb's arm) but as I reached out I felt a rather hairy leg-Daisy... and I smiled. I missed Caleb, but Daisy was there, as she always is... she seems to know just what I need- when I need it... she truly is "man's best friend"- whenever I am sick she stays by my side (which sometimes gets annoying as I am sick and want to just curl up with a pillow!) and genuinely seems interested and invested in what we're doing-whether it be jumping into the car to run errands with us, standing in the MIDDLE of my garden as I TRY to weed, or sit in the kitchen as I make Caleb his favorite meal... she is wonderful (I will have to re-read this blog the next time I come home to a shredded blind/curtain/rug/couch-all of which I have! ;) so... she has helped me overcome my anger towards the Armys "unexpected"- it's when I get that phone call/text from Caleb saying he won't be home for a few days that I look up and see her face and her big floppy ears perk up-she tilts her head as if questioning why I seem upset... then scooches over to me and wants to be petted-it's going to be ok ;) I haven't learned this lesson that easily-it's taken a long time- too many tears shed, one too many sleepless nights, calls to friends/my mom crying about how "once again I can't believe the Army did this!-we HAD plans!", and a lot of kicking/screaming/dragging my feet to realize that the Army does control our lives and we are just along for the ride- I need to be flexible and be supportive of Caleb because as I am throwing a grown-up tantrum about how I can't plan anything, he is torn- his wife is upset, but he can't do anything, and if anyone should be upset/frustrated, it's him... I am used to it now... I am also used to friend's coming and going... it seems like the moment I start to become good friends with someone that they get orders and have to move- I am a friend-person: I have always had many, close friends, and never had to reall say goodbye to any of them (until I had to move-which broke my heart!)- I got a message yesterday, from not just one of my friends, but TWO, stating that they got orders and are moving in the next month... I replied with "let me know what I can help with!" and thus the baking, packing, moving details/business starts and once again I find myself saying goodbye... again, I am used to it- I could kick and scream like I used to, but I don't-it's not something new, and I know I will have to do this many more times... I also know that there is a reason for everything- God is in control and knows what he is doing (thankfully HE does because I sure don't!)... so I will continue to pray that I am flexible and pray for patience, but thank God for giving me good friends, Daisy, Caleb, and all the memories that I AM able to share/spend with each of them... and maybe throw in a prayer about Uncle Sam being a little more considerate towards the families and their lives/plans ;)

A kid at heart...

Ok... so I have heard that "some people never grow up"... many people use that term in a negative view... but I would like to make you reconsider this... as I am one of those people that REFUSES to grow up... or, maybe it's just that I am a bit "immature"... or work with kids... or have a younger brother whom I adore/hang out with and he rubs off on me... or maybe, I don't have an excuse... :) I DO however have an amazing husband who accepts me and doesn't think I'm foolish to get excited about little things... or act like a kid every now and then. Take for example- a few weeks ago, we were at an FRG meeting... Caleb is admired/respected/in charge of a group of men, so he is in the spotlight... so, he acts his age... I on the other hand did not want to sit in a meeting... and decided to play... with a child. The meeting is going on... Caleb stands up... blah blah blah... and I'm having the time of my life coloring/banging my car keys around/etc... Caleb, bless his heart didn't mind (or so he told me!) (I will be coming back to this meeting, so there is a point in telling you this...)

Back to what I was really getting at (like a little kid... my mind wanders... and I start going off on tangents...) With every holiday that comes around, (NOT including Valentine's day... which is NOT a holiday)... I get very excited and tell Caleb, "THIS is my FAVORITE holiday..." and he replies, "I thought Halloween/Christmas/Thanksgiving/Fourth of July/fill in the holiday... was"... and I reply with- "well... I like that one too... but THIS is my favorite..." (did I mention that my husband puts up with a lot?!)- ok, so here it goes- my ALMOST TWO favorite holidays are coming up... it's like a whole week of celebrating for me... APRIL FOOL'S DAY... AND EASTER... hokey pete, how lucky can a girl get- TWO HOLIDAYS IN ONE WEEK!??!!? So, yesterday I came home from the gym/school and saw... AN EASTER BASKET!!! YES!!! Caleb has to work next weekend so decided to celebrate a bit early... (thanks for the memo Cabe!) Not only did I get an Easter basket... but he has HIDDEN eggs around the house... I HAVE AN AMAZING HUSBAND. PERIOD. While I have been busy googling April Fool's pranks, he's out preparing my Easter basket...

Going off of Easter baskets... I have gotten a basket (yes, even at 20 years old...) and still get excited about it... probably more-so than Nate... and even gave my parents their own last year (I tried acting grown up!) :)

Mmm.... Pickles!

So the other day I was at the commissary and decided to get out of line to buy those Tabasco flavored pickles for Caleb that he loves... yeah- those are the pickles that I NEVER buy because the smell alone makes me gag... Caleb loves them so when I am feeling really nice or want to surprise him or for special occassions I will buy them... so that's why I stepped out of the already long line to buy them for his Easter basket... this morning we were lounging around and what do you know- it's lunchtime already(!) so I ask him what he wants... he asks what there is- I JUST went grocery shopping for the week so in my head asked myself "what isn't there?!"- I started rambling off some choices in which he wasn't too thrilled about... Any of them... sooo I got a bit annoyed... that's when he came into the kitchen and gave me a huge hug and said not to worry about it because he would figure something out... I was still being a bit grumpy as I was preparing something in the crockpot-let me pause here and add that I have used my crockpot a total of 4 times and have tried a different recipe each time, but I think I have a defective one because it cooks everything way too fast and always burns everything... but I figured I would try it again-this time using one of Caleb's mom's recipes (she's really a great cook) but as I was mixing the apple pie filling with the BBQ sauce to cover the pork (we do NOT eat any type of pig-seriously-we just don't-and we don't have a reason-yeah we are kind of weird I guess)... so as I am questioning this recipe Caleb looks over and starts questioning it as well... and just about the time that I am seriously about to lose it/throw it all out/forget about trying something new- Caleb opens the jar of pickles- TRIES to I should add... pickle juice goes everywhere!- even on poor Daisy who is now licking herself... it's all over our entire silverware drawer (it was open as he was using a jar opener)... and that's when I... laugh hysterically (did you think I was going to say lose it/yell?!)- I about died... it was hilarious and probably the best thing that could have happened in that exact moment... Daisy is going to need a bath for sure and now the kitchen smells like those pickles... and I probably won't be able to walk through the kitchen/dining room without having to hold my breath or gag... but it will be ok... as for the new recipe in the crock pot?- we will see... but until then... I am still snickering and next year when Caleb is gone today and I am missing him I will start laughing about those pickles all over again ;) Happy Fourth of July!!!!

My other half..

While waiting in line at the commissary I send Caleb a text message:"were you able to return the redbox movie yet today?-if not, want to go with me and return it?-go on a long-er bike ride to Walmart to?" I hit "send" thinking "no way is he going to be up for it" so I quickly texted again before he replied, "I haven't ridden with you in a long time... and would love to" but just as I was about to send it I got "sounds good!"... . I was pumped... and a bit surprised... the last time we rode bikes together was about a year ago on our anniversary- we went "geocaching" on our bikes-it should have been really fun, but this was what it ended up being: Caleb getting off his bike to go hike to the box while I waited for him, and that was after the fact that I literally threw my bike down on the ground and said I was "done,"- and I meant it! I did... Really... I had pictured us going for an "easy-stroll-type ride" so before we left our house I got my camera, only to walk outside and see Caleb filling our trunk with hiking type equipment and a bag of stuff... that's when I got a bit nervous as I looked at my shiney Huffy bike (that Caleb washed while I was inside!)... and looked back at his bike-the couple-HUNDRED dollar bike he had to get-the really nice kind that you have to buy the shoes the lock onto the pedals... he had the whole biker look down: special shoes, helmet, shorts, etc... and here I am... standing next to my (purple) Huffy bike with flip flops... after going inside to change shoes I came back out to him waiting for me in the car-when we got to the park area Caleb pulled out the map/locations of the caches that were in the area-with a range of difficulty level we had about 9- I had never done this before so expected it to be like an Easter egg hunt (which by the way, I am AWESOME at!)- oh no... Nothing like that... and the "bike trails" had been covered with fallen trees that had yet to be picked up/removed from the paths-so as my eve-amazing/always-excels-at-everything husband is jumping over LOGS like a pro-biker, I am getting off of my bike, trying to lift it over a log/getting caught on branches/getting back on my bike-only to see yet ANOTHER log 5 feet in front of me... Ugh! I felt bad for Caleb because he was really enjoying it, and as hard as I tried to keep smiling every time he stopped to look back at me and wait I had had enough... I was good for about another half hour but as Caleb kept wanting to do more (we did one maybe two caches together)- and work on the more difficult caches I threw my bike down... he found another cache and said we could go back home... that about sums up our last biking experience together... I totally forgot about it until I came out of the house, again, in flip flops and a pink bow in my hair/cute sunglasses on and saw Caleb putting air into my tires (after he had washed it!)- he again had on his bike outfit and filled a water bottle-yeah Walmart is off post and on the opposite end, but "is all of this needed?"-to return a movie? I had envisioned us riding side by side leisurely to Walmart... but as Caleb started the timer on his garmin/gps watch I knew it wasn't going to be exactly what I had thought... you see, Caleb is goal/task-oriented (which is why he excels at everything and is constantly raising the bar/standards and is an exceptional leader-yes, I am an extremely proud wife!) I am more into taking my time or just enjoying the trip/journey and the task will get done when it gets done... our bike ride wasn't as bad as the last one but I was trying my hardest just to keep up with him-at some point I even questioned him as to why he couldn't slow down a bit and enjoy it- but here's the thing:he was already going slow (for him) and being so patient with me... I just smiled to myself and thanked God for giving me him-he completes me and encourages me- supports me and in every way my better half-time and time again he is the one I go to for advice and look to... Caleb is my best friend and I know that we are two completely different people (you should have see us yesterday looking totally opposite-him in his outfit and me in mine...) I couldn't imagine not being with him and going through life's challenges, opportunities, and blessings... even while I was sweating and getting frustrated for not keeping up and having him have to wait I remembered how blessed I am- Caleb has been there for me through so much-walking side by side-leading the way-looking back and checking in with me... Encouraging me and cheering me on... if something doesn't seem right he stops-waits and won't go forward until everything is fine... I sometimes forget that going through everyday stuff and my "routine" that I needed that bike ride to step back and see that-remember just HOW he cares for me and HOW he completes me... God is good and put us together.... I thank him every morning and night for him... but last night as I was having my evening talk with the "man upstairs" I couldn't stop repeating "thank you for giving me Caleb-for giving me my other/better half-he completes me perfectly- thank you!"

Happy Easter!!

Fear not... You are NOT going crazy... it's July 3 and for most people it is NOT Easter... but if you haven't noticed yet-let me catch you up to speed:Caleb and I are not "most people"... just like many things (think cleaning out our kitchen!) I "up and decided" that we are going to celebrate all the holidays for next year early... as you know, Caleb will be serving this next year, and I don't want to "miss out" on any memories, and when the holidays roll around next year, I don't want to sulk because he won't be with me-instead, I want to look at the pictures of us celebrating the holidays together (early)- so, that's why, today is Easter ;) As usual, Caleb is going along with all of this- what a great guy huh?! Yup- I somehow snagged the most amazing guy ever! Yesterday I went to he commissary to pick up stuff for his basket (cmon, it is Easter- did you really question if our "early holiday" would include all the trimmings?!- I already have his eggs filled... about to hide them and will later decorate eggs ;) ... so, yesterday (how do I get off on tangents so easily?!)- I was at the commissary-BIG MISTAKE!- not only was payday the other day (see previous blog on love/hate relationship with the comm.) so it was- a ZOO... absolute madness as it usually is righ after payday... but wait a second- it seems a bit too chaotic just for payday... (is that really the end of the line-in aisle 11?!?!).... that's about the time I realized that by most people's calendars this isn't "Easter" but... the 4th of July weekend... Oh.My.Gosh... great idea Sarah (as I am kicking myself standing in the longest line ever-think "day after Thanksgiving line-at Kohls-and everything is half off and everyone ahead of you is buying something for everyone in their family (ok, so it wasn't thaaaat bad, but you get the picture)... I look down at my BASKET that holds only a few things- enough to fill an Easter basket... but while I am about to moan again I realize that I am celebrating Easter with my husband... and I find myself smiling... then step out of line to grab a few more goodies for his basket (like those Tabasco flavored pickles that he adores-the smell alone seriously makes me gag!)-why am I reaching for those pickles and why did I get out of line?- because next year I won't have the opportunity to smell that Tabasco-gross-pickles... and I may just miss it! So yeah- I got out of the already long line... and found myself laughing and smiling and grateful for everything I have in my life... you see, the pickles are an aisle over from the cereals- I walked down the row to grab a box when I saw this little boy holding two boxes-he was deep in thought and almost looked distressed-that's when he called out to his dad- "dad:I need your help!"- his dad looks at him but doesn't so much as move... "dad-this is serious... do I get the box of cereal that's my favorite OR do I get the box that includes a toy?!-my favorite cereal never has toys in it...so should I get the one with the toy?!- it looks like a really cool toy!- I... I just don't know what to do?!?"... the dad again doesn't move and is now looking at Pop-Tarts not really paying much attention to his son... that's when I go up to the little guy-kneel down and say: "go for the toy... it's so worth it- finding the toy in the box is THE BEST WAY to start your day... and who knows, you might just like this cereal better! Go for the toy- not many "cool" cereals have toys in them anymore!" He looked at me (somewhat surprised that someone answered his question...) "Really? You think so?" he asked... "I KNOW so... and here's a hint... (warning:spoiler alert!): if you FLIP the box OVER and open it from the bottom, you will most likely get the toy out quicker... it usually goes to the bottom..." I smiled as the little boy then replied "gee-thanks!!!" That's what it's all about-going against the "normal" thing to do-step out of your comfort zone or away from what everyone else is doing (like not celebrating Easter today) and enjoy life's little blessings- you never know what's in store- you never know what toy is in THAT box of cereal... as I walked further through the commissary (back-tracking and AGAINST the flow of people) to get Caleb an energy drink (I do NOT support those drinks!-but know he likes them, and hey, it's Easter-it will be ok!) I saw a woman in an electric scooter trying to look at shampoos.. she then tried to get up/out of it to see them up close and smell them- she was struggling (but trying not to look like it)-I went over to her-grabbed the shampoos that she was looking at and handed them to her... she looked stunned (has anyone really not helped her before?!?)- she said thanks and that she didn't know which one to buy- I am not always this outgoing but after my encounter in the cereal aisle, and since the line was still really long I figured I could stay a bit longer and help her... "well, if they both do the same thing or you don't need volume/shine... definitely go for the smell..." she laughed... "that's the most difficult decision when it comes to buying shampoo or soap" I said... if you don't like the smell, you're not going to be too happy until the shampoo finally runs out-and that can be a long time if you don't like it!"... that's when we opened the bottles and smelled them-talking about the differences-she ended up choosing the one that I would NOT have gone for, but to each their own I guess... I put back the other bottle and wishes her a great holiday weekend... then stood in the ever-extending line... which didn't really seem to take that long- I couldn't stop smiling thinking about the little boy who seemed so confused on one of the biggest questions he has had to ponder in his life... and one of the littlest/pointless question that the woman faced...

Baby Weight

Growing up I hated running... in fact I loathed it... it seems like the only times I really ran was the "mile" run in gym or when I was literally running for my life-either from my sister or from someone who threatened to tickle me... which just so happened to also be my sister most of the time, and yes, being tickled was the ultimate near-death experience in my mind... and still is... it's the worst feeling in the world to me and instantly brings me to tears, scratch that-it brings me to an all out crying/bawling/screaming-mode... it all starts out as an innocent "let's tickle Sarah" and for the first few split seconds I may laugh, but I am instantly crying... you don't need to ever try this-please don't-just take my word on it-if you do try to tickle me you may or may not get a fist in the face/gut... I am just protecting myself as I see it... in elementary when we had to run the mile I also cried... that was by far the worst day(s) in school- even if I faked sick I would still be expected to run it the next gym day... I was stuck... its not that I was THAT bad at running or that slow (well, I wasnt that fast either-ok, so maybe I got a gold slip for "trying my best" but whatever- I am over it)... one time I missed the mile run by no joke a few seconds.... which meant that I had to run at recess and eat with the first graders (I was short so probably looked like I fit in with them) but it was awful- I did however run my fastest time at the "re-do"- all I could picture was a.my sister behind me/chasing me and b.my gym teacher at the finish line (who at that point I was running full-speed towards out of pure anger-so yes, I ran that mile pretty quickly)... Over the years I started running for sports and then continued through college and somewhere fell in love with it... just tie up my laces, put on my music, and head out- I am in my own world and come back with a clear head... it's an awesome feeling, really... sometimes I just keep going and forget about how long/far I have ran for... yes, I love to run. Last week my brother was here- he is active and is quite the runner (I don't run with him or Caleb- they actually "run" whereas I just jog/putz-around...) but we went to the gym to play baskeball (he's awesome and I highly suggest getting his autograph-seriously-he's going to be a star-mark my words!)- while at the gym I told him we were running suicides... that's when he looked at me like I used to look at my gym teacher back in the day ("you want me to do what?!")-while running the suicides (note:on his summer break/in 95 degree humid gym) he called me a Jillian Michaels... Mission complete- I love her and have considered being a personal trainer (but every time I bring it up get a mixed review-yeah, so my max lifting is 8lbs... Who says I have to lift- I am a trainer- I would tell others to do it... And yeah, I am not mean, but who says you have to yell to get a person to do something?)... I hadn't ran for a few weeks before doing those suicides so was a bit sore the next day... Well!!!!!- yesterday I ran to meet another woman whose husband is in Calebs squadron... then we ran together... it wasn't too hot and felt so good to just run... and chat with this wonderful lady... oh but that's not the end of the story, I didn't mention that since her husband was in the field that she had to take her two precious boys (under 2) with us-I love these boys but oh my gosh.. she was running with this shopping cart of a running stroller-one of those double seated/heavy duty/semi truck tire strollers... she wanted me to push her a bit but after a mile and a half she was sweating... I didn't think she was going to be able to run much longer and we were no where by either of our houses so I figured "what the heck-it's a stroller and I have always wanted one of these types for later on... Might as well test it out"... she gladly gave me the stroller... that's when I started (trying to run) and couldn't move! She laughed and said that the stroller itself weighs 50+lbs and the boys together weight another 35+... what?!? Well, I finally started to get going and the wheels slowly started turning (we're moving!-I looked around to see if anyone was as impressed as I was that I was pushing this thing!)... That's when I noticed the slow/long incline of a hill that we were headed towards... Please, you have got to be kidding me! Not only am I trying to run (uphill) and carry a conversation, but I am also pushing 70+lbs... I actually started to sweat (which I don't at all-seriously)... I am proud to say that I ran another one and a half plus miles to our starting position (the playground)... I am not going to mention our pace but I was impressed, not just by me pushing that "stroller"-more like a semi! but that this woman (and many others run with this all around post!- I always say "good for them" when I see someone running- next time I see a woman pushing one of these things while running I may just pull over/run up to them-shake their hand and tell them they are my hero... bless them as they try and get "rid of the baby weight" by doing this... Yikes!! After we got back to the playground we took her older (2yr old) out and I played with him on the jungle gym for awhile... then started to run back home to eat dinner... That's when I grabbed my phone (out of my bra!-my grandma used to store money while traveling so I don't see why I should put my phone anywhere else while running-it probably looks a little weird to people driving by who see a rectangle coming out of my chest(!) but it works)-I called Caleb (woke him up) and nicely asked him to come get me-what a great husband to drive the (maybe) mile to pick me up-I was that tired... I joked about me being sore this morning... Yikes!- I feel like some mom ran me over by her semi-stroller!!!

From VBS to "Being Elizabeth"

A year ago this Memorial Day weekend was the start of the next chapter of my life and I remember it as if it was just yesterday (it's already been a year?!-where does time go?!) My parents, brother, in-laws, and cat (who was somewhat sedated) stood in our driveway- holding hands and praying for my new life and the move... then headed to he weigh station, then what seemed like an hour and still in Kalamazoo we were off- heading to Fort Knox- my brother, Keith, and dad were in the truck, pulling the huge car trailer (do we really have ALL that much stuff?!) and my mom, Andie, and I in my car- using the walkie- talkies to share jokes, driving frustrations, and directions we made it to Fort Knox- at some point about a half hour away from post in an almost abandoned town I asked myself,"is this really where I am moving to?! What in the world- this is for sure the south and as I saw someone driving their lawnmower as a car, all of my ideas about KY surfaced...) Caleb called us to tell us what gate we had to go through (and hoping that we had all remembered our ids- Nate brought his lunch account card/id) we arrived at Fort Knox... And later pulled up to our house where Caleb was waiting on the front porch near a sign that read "Welcome home Mrs. Lohman" (oh Andie is staying here? Ok, let's drip her off and head back to MI- I have already seen enough and am already feeling homesick...) Caleb picked me up and we walked across the "threshold" and that's when I realized that I was "Mrs Lohman" and this was "home"... Where is my homesick medicine now?! Our families unpacked, moved everything, met the guy from Craigslist who I bought my ellyptical from, while Caleb stayed back and waited for the cable guy (yes we have our priorities) ;) and then went to dinner... Next morning woke up and went shopping, then our moms planted herbs and flowers while Nate and I hung the flag (where were the over guys?- probably watching tv- jk, but now that I think about it, I really don't know where they were!)- that day came and went and before I knew it we were giving hugs and they were walking to the car- at this point I was bawling and our moms and my dad were shedding tears... I looked exactly like I did 18 years ago when they dropped me off at VBS and I screamed- you see, I have always been one of those kids who ge homesick- go to Meijer to get groceries as a family and my dad/sister sneak away- I was bawling wondering why they left us (my poor mom!), 5th grade trip- my mom was a chaperone- the night ended by me calling her and being rocked to sleep by...my principal...slumber party at our neighbor, grandma Tillers house- better believe I woke my parents up in the middle of the night crying- just like I did at every sleepover, trip... Anything (my poor, poor parents!)- as they drove away from our house I sobbed... Looked at Caleb (who was probably wondering when they were coming back to pick me up- "and they left this girl who is a wreck with ME?!" Caleb had no idea what to do but immediately came up with the idea to go couch shopping and to Walmart for some other stuff (he had gotten a beautiful rug and bookshelf but I was upset that WE didn't pick it out-only later to come home with the same one)- on our way to Walmart we stopped at the library- biiiiiig mistake- I had JUST gotten ahold of myself and saw my dads favorite Christmas movie- I LOST it again... and put my sunglasses on- yes, inside; I didn't want people to see me so upset over a- movie cover! Looking at couches only left me thinking back to the couch at "home"- in Kalamazoo... and Walmart made me miss Meijer from back home... I was beside myself and couldn't stop crying- no matter how many smiling faces/hugs/jokes/kisses Caleb failed... I was majorly homesick... We went to our "new place" (I refused to call it "home" for the longest time)- I called my parents (again to "check in on them" for the 100th time- you think I am joking?- nope). When we got back home we started watching tv- on the floor (we had no couch!) but it was the best thing- I actually loved the "simpler" life of not having a couch- honestly, it's one of my favorite memories... And I was JUST starting to feel better and had stopped crying when Caleb laid it on me..."we should start unpacking-quickly because I have to head out to the field for 2 weeks- tomorrow morning"... I couldn't believe it- what a wake up call- "welcome home Mrs Lohman" should have read: "welcome to the army" as in, "you have no say- stop making plans and forget about your "to do list/summer things to do" (basically how I have lived my entire life) because this is the Army... You never know ANYTHING with this lifestyle- definitely a wake up call that took me forever to learn... I started crying again and headed to bed... I woke up the next morning with dark circles/puffy eyes only to be met by my neighbors ready to go on a walk... One of the women, Elizabeth was the first person my mom and Nate fell in love with- i still remember unpacking and my mom calling for me: "Sarah you MUST meet Elizabeth... She is wonderful (Nate behind her agreeing)- I dragged my feet the entire walk (across the road) not wanting to meet anyone-yet, but "moms know best" and my mom knew exactly what i needed- stepping into Elizabeths kitchen I saw her daughter wearing huge pink bow... Adorable... Elizabeth was from North Carolina (where my sister lives) so we started talking- hands down she was one of the sweetest people I have ever met... she was outgoing and nice and was the first person I talked to outside of my family- that's when I realized that I was an outgoing person and started to "find myself" again- ever since then, whenever someone moves in next door, and as outgoing as I am I still get a little nervous going out of my way to introduce myself...so I call my mom, who then tells me to "be am Elizabeth" and armed with muffins I walk over and meet any newcomer to our neighborhood... I have become that Elizabeth- the person who goes over while the family/couple is still unloading and wondering how they're going to unpack and fit everything into this "post house" I smile, reach out, introduce myself (and Caleb if he's home), and start making friends... hoping they will stay for longer than 8 months... "welcome home/welcome to the Army/welcome to the family"-whatever you want to call it- I welcome them and try to crack a joke and put them at ease as I know how it feels to move and not know what to expect... I am that Elizabeth mom ;)

Moving day

As I write this I hear loud noises outside.... but looking out our front window all I can see is a huge truck with "moving co." on it... and then, looking closer, I see: memories- a grill, kitchen supplies, 3 kids, and other boxes... this actually isn't an unusual sight to see being that we live on a military post... Since the beginning of the year our neighborhood has completely changed- 80% of our neighbors are new- and in fact, once our neighbors officially drive off post heading to their new duty station, Caleb and I will be the second longest living people in our neighborhood, and we've only been here just over a year! Like I said, moving trucks aren't something rare here- just like driving next to a Humvee or hearing cargo planes/guns/canons firing... I can't believe that I am saying this but I am used to it- when I go back home and don't hear or see these things I feel out of place... drive up/down any street and you are bound to see boxes piled high and moving trucks... some of the people that I have seen move I haven't ever met- maybe ran into them while out running or at the commissary, but I don't know them- but, they're another family moving across the country, or, across the world. Over the past year we have made some amazing, lifetime friends, but we have had to say goodbye to- that's one of the hardest parts to our lifestyle- the soldier gets orders and we all pick up our things and leave- starting another life- most people in the military chunk their lives by the places they have lived... "remember that time when we were in Hawaii or Germany..." " no dear, that was when we were in Texas.." the kids that I taught this year averaged 8-10 states that they've lived in (some countries thrown in for a good mix) and they're only 8 years old... while I was talking to my neighbors moving last night I couldn't stop reflecting everything that's happened over the last year, as well as the day I moved down here to start anoher chapter of my life: chapter 5:fort Knox... the neighbors that are leaving have left footprints on my heart- we may not have had the same ideas/at some times, but I will always remember them- the grill I see takes me back to our first night here (after our families headed back home)- we had a neighborhood BBQ where we officially met everyone and tried to remember faces to names and names to houses... and trying to remember what unit they were in, when they moved/how long they were here for, and where they came from- talk about "melting pot!"-our neighbors came from all over and were in all the walks of life... Newlyweds to 3+ kids/"lifers" in the Army... the kitchen supplies remind me of all the (many times) we have called eachother in need of milk, eggs, butter, rosemary, etc. (when you grocery shop you start to take all of this into account and usually buy more of something so that you can in fact help them out)- there's probably a path starting to show between our houses from the trips to and from getting ingredients... the 3 kids remind me of our doorbell ringing only to see their sweet daughter asking to play with Daisy... or watching her guinea pig for a week (that made me call my parents and thank them for being so stern about having a dog and fish that probably lasted a week)... the girl got this guinea pig for her birthday and for weeks tried to come up with the "perfect" name for it (Smore was the final cut)- how do I know that she took so long to come up with a name? Because I heard her talk about it every morning- you see, these same neighbors took me out every morning for a neighbor walk... I can't imagine how sad I wouldve been had they not waited for me each and every morning- there were between 4-10 of us any given morning- I learned so much from these ladies (at times a bit too much) but they got me out of the house and brought back my outgoing attitude that I thought I lost moving down here.... Yes, I will never forget them, as well as the other 20+ families/ friends that we have had to say goodbye to (I stopped counting awhile ago)... we keep in touch with many of them but it's just not the same- again, the military friends we make have become our family... and while we wait a week or so for new neighbors (yes-only a week to completely change who your neighbors are-the start of someone elses chapter in their life) Caleb and I wonder what they're going to be like: kids? No kids? Pets? and that's when I head to the kitchen to start making muffins to bring over to meet them... Yes mom, I have become that "Elizabeth" ;) (I will tell you about Elizabeth in the next blog...just to keep you on your toes and reading).. but back to saying goodbye to friends/neighbors... one of my dearest friends moved a few months ago to Texas- I remember he first time I met her, my friend Mekala, jokingly/yet somewhat seriously "we can't get too close to her though because she's leaving us in 8 months... Easier said than done- Emily became one of my best friends- she was the one with me when we got in the car accident, we ran together, did a devotional together, she got me my first job down here, shopped, got our hair/eyebrows done, called each other all the time-sharing recipes, hopes, dreams, concerns, everything... easier said than done indeed... we never talked about her moving (except for the fact that they were dreading Texas but knew God had a purpose in that post... if it weren't for my brother being here the day she left I don't know how sad I wouldve been... yes, our military friends become our family...

Shopping extravaganza

For those of you who know me well know that I don't like shopping- I used to love it, but now I can't stand it... I will gladly go with someone just to hang out/talk/walk but I can find something else for us to do that sounds fun- I should back up because there are always exceptions to my rule... take me toTarget, Walmart, TJ Maxx (my recent shopping fetish-only bc that's considered our "mall" by us!), Barnes and Nobles, or any consignment store and you can leave me all day there, but give me 20 minutes at a mall and I am dragging my feet begging to leave. I am mildly obsessed with coupons and freak out about getting a great deal- Caleb bless his heart know that so when I come home wanting to play the "guess how much this was/guess how much I saved" game he reacts as by aiming high to make it sound like an even better deal-yes, that's my husband and one more of the many reasons why I love him... While he was camping I went to the PX to pick up a few cards, but as usual, I got distracted by the vendors- I about flipped when I saw my old(er) friend selling Tupperware- she was here in December and I really wanted some... Sippy-cups! Yes, you read that correctly, I am in love with sippy-cups and at 23 years old you are bound to see me drinking from them frequently-however, when I moved down here I didn't take them from my parents (how thougtful huh?)- I did take my (brother's baby spoon-demitasse as I call them!) but whenever I get the slightest bit sick I want to drink out of my sippy-cups and can't because they're back home, so you better believe I was kicking myself back in December when I decided not to get them... when I saw her I IMMEDIATELY called Caleb to see if I could buy them-he of course laughed and said of course, and that once again it is OUR money so I don't have to ask (I always do, but not sure why)... So while a little girl was eyeing MY sippy-cups I snatched them up as quick as I could and bought them... I was estatic... but THEN I went to the PX to get the cards (the reason I actually went!) and saw a great deal-buy 3 cards and get a camera free-what?!?!? Did I read that correctly?! I looked around to see if anyone was as excited about it as I was-no, there was a huge display of cameras! (wasn't I JUST saying something about the disposal cameras a bit ago?!) Again, I was beside myself and absolutely geeked... Snatched my camera and 3 cards... What a wonderf (almost) shopping trip! I told Caleb how excited I was-he humored me by saying that it was cool and glad that I was excited but then asked me if I remembered that I had to drop off the camera to get developed/wait/etc. which almost-ALMOST made me lose some of my pure joy, but I was still pumped and can't wait to take pictures with my (old school) disposable camera! Yes! ;)

My green thumb...

While Caleb went home for a week I stayed home to catch up on things, house-sit, and (finally!) start my own garden... I haven't had time to start it with teaching... And my allergies are so bad down here that 15 minutes outside becomes a nightmare for me... Or at least makes me look like I have had a nightmare/ haven't slept in weeks bc my eyes get so dark/puffy... Friday was our last day to report to school, so Saturday my neighbor, Michaela and I went to Home Depot and got plants and 3 bags of (organic) soil... both of us are from Michigan, and without our moms to ask for help, we found some friendly older couple to help us... 45 minutes later, and about $40 later (Michaela went a bit overboard so her total was closer to $60...) we were heading back home in a car full of peppers, tomatoes, melon, herbs, and other plants... since we were outside (around plants!) at Home Depot my allergies were already kicking my butt so I called it a day and decided to start my garden on Sunday... I went outside and looked at all of my plants, the bags of soil, and the massive amount of weeds that were taking over my soon-to-be garden area... I took a bit breath, pulled my "big girl pants" up, put on my gloves, and armed myself with my shovel and rake and (even said out loud) "just do it- you can do it- it's no or never..." so I started pulling weeds... 2 recycling bins full of weeds later I opened my bags of soil (did I mention that it was organic? Do you know what organic soil smells like?-here, let me explain: when you drive by a farm and smell the cows... yes, that's what it smelled like...) and worked my soil and KY clay/soil together and finally stared to dig holes and plant... I think this is about the time that I was covered in dirt and sweat (oh and seriously I don't sweat...but actually did gardening!) I called my parents and apologized for not giving them the credit they deserved while growing up about their beautiful flowers and garden... about 3 hours later I was done... and after taking pictures (you have no idea how proud I was!) I took a shower only to realize that I was covered in mosquito bites (oh yeah I forgot to mention that Caleb went camping and took our bug spray/repellant with him!)... and that's when I passed out on the couch- Monday morning I woke up and was absolutely beat- I didn't even know I had the muscles that hurt and when I looked in the mirror I didn't even recognize myself bc my allergies had gotten the better of me... later that day I noticed a red bump/bite with 2 vampire-looking holes and a ring around it... Sweeeeeet. Awesome- what did I get bit by?! A KY person saw it later and told me to "keep an eye on it and that if it started peeling or swelling or my skin started falling off then I should go to the hospital ASAP"- are you kidding me?! Obviously this person had no idea who they were talking to (me-a freak about bugs/spiders)- I went home and googled "spider bites" and got even more upset: FYI do NOT google that... the graphic pictures are way too much! So later that day when my neighbor called me to borrow some basil I asked if she wanted to be my "mom" for the day (she is always wanting to take care of me!) she gave me ointment and made me feel so much better by calming me down "it's a spider bite but you would have known by now if it was a black widow or brown recluse" phew... when Caleb got home he had several more herbs/plants from my mom that I replanted... My garden is complete and looks wonderful... So far everything is growing and alive-yes it has only been a few weeks but a few weeks of growing/staying alive with me as the gardener is like a lifetime... I can only hope the plants survive long enough to be able to make homemade salsa and a tomato sandwich (my favorite!) and more importantly, long enough to get "lawn/outside of the month" award on post... Seriously I better win...