Week 4

One month has come and gone.  For the most part this month has flown by.  I blinked and 4 weeks passed by.  I really really hope the remaining months pass just as quickly.  For all those wondering, Joe is doing well. He is still in the states completing a combat skills training course (CST) before he heads overseas.  He does not enjoy the food selections seeing as most nights they serve fish with rice.  He text's me nightly dinner pictures and 5 out of the 7 nights it's fish and rice.  Luckily he has a pretty awesome wife who has mailed him several goodie boxes.

 

While at CST they practice anything from rifle and pistol marksmanship (he was the number 3 shooter in the rifle category and the number 2 shooter in the pistol category out of 89), Combat Life Saver training where he learns how to treat casualties by starting IV's, treating leg, arm, head lacerations, inserting NPA's (Nasopharyngeal Airway's), administering chest decompression needles and applying tourniquets for arm and leg amputations, learning how to maintain conduct after capture and how to survive in a POW (Prisoner of War) situation, training with MRAP vehicles and how to survive and escape vehicle rollovers.  

  

He has also had training on how to use the radio's in the vehicles along with a cool system that allows others to see his vehicle locations and status'. He said it's pretty neat stuff that the Air Force never gets to do.  He starts Counter-IED (Improvised Explosive Device) training along with Land Navigation training. He'll finish the 30 day training up with a 3 day "pack out" to a practice FOB (Forward Operating Base) where they will combine all the training that they have received into the last 3 days.

Enjoy your family~

Week 3

Three weeks.  Holy cow.  I have made it 21 days. The girls are adjusting well.  They talk with Joe every night and most nights they are too busy for him.  They run in to say their hello's and I love you's then run off to resume playing fighting. This week has flown by.  It has been the fastest week yet which is good because this has also been the week that I have really started missing Joe.  I was trying to make it a full month before I started badly missing him but I fell a little short.  Before he left he told me that the YMCA offers free membership to the spouses of deployed members.  Even though my relationship with working out is a loathe/loathe relationship, I decided to sign up at the gym. Mom called frequently to tell me to sign up.  She knew I wouldn't do it otherwise.  Motivation.  That's my middle name.  Maybe I'll even lose a pound or 20.


Highlights of my week:

EVERYONE WAS HEALTHY!  I didn't have to pry any mouths open this week in order for anyone to take their antibiotics.  There was no bribing going on, no asking over and over to please open their mouth to take the disgusting tasting medicine.  Nothing, and it was nice. 

Back in May, for Mothers Day the girls bought be a facial GC and I finally used it this week.  It was just what I needed. 

Sunday, my mom and I took the girls to the pumpkin patch.  The girls rode their first ever camel, fed goats (or doggies as Emma called them) and rode on a hay ride.  They had a great time walking around the mazes and a not so great time posing for pictures.  I got a few good shots. 

                                                                      


Lows of my week:  My girls have been bickering and arguing a lot.  Both of them are guilty of egging the other one and just doing things that they KNOW irritates the other.  They bicker over silly things.  Ava is singing and Emma yells at her and tells her to stop over and over. Ava yells at Emma when Emma is not playing pretend the correct way or when she wants to stop playing pretend. 

Some idiot in my neighborhood must have the wrong dates on his calendar because last I heard the 4th of July was on the FOURTH OF JULY and not on October 12 and 13th. 10pm and BOOM BOOM POP POP and then BOOM BOOM Emma is awake.  And scared.  Thank you idiot neighbor.
 I dont know, maybe I'm wrong, maybe I missed the "We're moving the celebration of America's freedom" memo? 





Here's to a great week # 4






Enjoy your family~

Dear dad,

My dad. 

What can I say about that man?  I love him with my entire being.  He is in my blood (literally) and he is a part of me.  He was the first guy that I loved.  He took his job as a dad to two girls very seriously and he showed me and my sister constant love.  Constantly hugging, kissing and holding us.  We never lacked in that department as we grew up and I think that is very important for a daddy to do for his girls. 


Every night he would come into my room, kneel down, put his hands over his forehead and pray for me.  Some nights I didn't even close my eyes I just watched him.  It was very sweet and another wonderful memory I have of him.  He was reliable and I never had to wonder if he would be there at night to put me to bed and pray for me because the answer was always yes.  On the flip side, every morning without fail he would come into my room before leaving for work, kiss me and say I love you. At 18 years old he still came into my room doing to same thing. 


I remember one night the house was dark seeing as it was past my bedtime.  I was thirsty and went downstairs to get a drink.  I heard music coming from the living room so I peeked around the corner.  The living room lights were out and I could see my dad sitting in his rocking chair, legs extended, through the glare of the TV.  He was watching some country music channel and the video "My Maria" was on by Brooks and Dunn.  I remember seeing his foot just move right along to the music and his hand tapping his leg.  I don't remember if I said anything to him that night but that is one of my many many favorite memories of my dad.  Watching him enjoy the music.  I don't even know if he knew I was there in the kitchen.  Soon after dad got hooked with My Maria he quickly fell in love with Shania Twain's music.  Many years ago I took my dad to a Shania Twain concert.  We had an amazing time and pretty sure our voices were gone for two days after.  We sang the songs and were all smiles when the streamers and confetti fell on us when the concert was over. 


For as long as I can remember my dad has always put his family first. He always has an open lap, open arms and an open shoulder to cry on.  If I were scared at night he would lay with us in bed until I would fall asleep.  The day Joe left he held me for as long as I needed.  He is always and will always be there for me and I love him for that.  I love you dad.

Math is of the devil

It's well known that I was never the best student while in school.  I didn't earn the nickname "get by ang" for nothing.  On many occasions, too many to count I would have my weekly school work folder with a lot of C's, D's and "F" mainly in the math department.  The "F" paper required a parent signature to be returned to school.  My teacher wanted to make sure that my parents saw my poor excuse for school work.

The folder was due back by Monday.  Sooooo, late Sunday night I would place to folder in the kitchen probably with a note of some sort trying to explain myself and head off to bed.  The first few times it happened on Monday morning mom would talk, talk, talk about it and I would go on auto pilot shaking my head in all the right spots: "uh, huh. yeah, I know.  Yeah, I'll do better" "I'm not good at math" yada yada yada...

After awhile, I would just find the folder signed by her.  I think she had given up.  Clearly, the conversations were not helping my academic ability in the math department. 

Thank you Mom for just signing the papers. Sorry I had to take pre-algebra 3 times and I still only skimmed by with a D+.








Enjoy your family~

Week 2

This has been a week. After running a fever for over three days straight, two trips to the Dr, one negative strep test we found out that Emma has some viral infection, with Pharyngitis.  Basically, it makes you miserable for 4-5 days but luckily after trip #2 to the Dr they prescribed her some medicine.  Her little body was struggling to fight the infection so I am thankful that the Dr finally gave her something.

Hopefully Emma will feel better enough to make a trip to the pumpkin patch tomorrow afternoon.  Ava has been begging me to take them but sickness has not made it possible. 


Highlights of this week:  The unwavering support from my mom and dad, my sister and my aunt and uncle. Those 5 people have made these 2 weeks run smoothly and quickly.  My aunt and uncle posted this picture of the flag pole at their home.  They are OU fans mind you but for the duration of Joe's trip they have traded in their OU for an OSU flag in honor of Joe.  They say that every time they look at the flag they are reminded of him and the sacrifices he and I are making.  Seeing that picture was definitely a high-light of my week.  Thank you Jan and Marc!!!





                                                                      

                                                                          



Finally feeling the cooler weather. 

The quite early COLD Saturday morning with nothing to do and no where to go.  I was drinking hot coffee when Emma came into my bed and curled up on my chest.  I listened to her raspy breathing and soothed her when she swallowed and winced.  I rubbed her back until she fell back to sleep.  I sat there with my sweet girl praying over her and enjoying the moment. 





The lows of this week:  Emma's illness and our lack of sleep.  She is on the mend and this isn't a low but I wanted to say thank you to my aunt for literally texting me (I went back and counted) ten times in four days to ask how Emma was feeling. 



Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support. 










Enjoy your family~

Our love story. Pt 1

Lets go back in time shall we?
Take a little trip down memory lane. 

My 21st birthday was on a Sunday.  I was a brand new manager at the restaurant Tony Roma's.  That day was my very first solo shift and man did I feel like big stuff that morning when I was counting inventory and making the day's prep sheet.  I knew that day would be a great day but I had no idea I was about to meet my future husband. 

One of the servers on shift that morning had a friend (Joe) come in to sit in her section and eat lunch.  I was walking around the restaurant doing my manager duties of discounting appetizer coupons, talking to customers making sure their lunch was good and monitoring just how many smoke breaks the servers actually took in one shift.  There was this tiny staircase that was right by the section that Joe was sitting.  I walked up the staircase and made my way to the host stand.  I remember seeing a guy look up at me and stare but I didn't think anything of it.  Some time later his friend, my server, walked up to me and told me that her friend asked if I was single and he thought I was very pretty.  I walked up to his table and we said our hello's.  Nothing more was really said because I did have a boyfriend at the time.  He respected the fact that I had a boyfriend but just wanted to introduce himself. 

Fast forward 9-12ish months later and I was boyfriendless.  I started getting to know Joe better after several friend group get-togethers.  He was hot on my tail.  He was all about doing whatever he had to do to date me.  At the time, I was into the 'bad boy' thing and the way Joe was ended up annoying me instead of wooing me.  I thought he called too much.  I thought he was too clingy.  I liked him as a friend but nothing romantic.  Slowly but surely... he did start to woo me and we eventually started dating.  On our first date we went to the OSU/OU baseball game with his dad AND his grandpa.  Roooomantic, let me tell ya.  We dated for awhile and  then we broke up.  Then we dated, and broke up.  That went on for about three years.  Finally after I grew up a little and once he 'let me go' I realized how much I loved him and needed him in my life.  One night I was sitting home alone and I had to see him.  I drove all the way downtown and went to the bar (GASP) that he was bartending. I've never been a big talker when it comes to feelings so I thought if I couldn't tell him how I felt about him maybe I could at least show him that I loved and cared about him by out of the blue showing up at his place of employment.  There I sat at the end of the bar watching him work.  I still remember that he was wearing a Napoleon Dynamite VOTE FOR PEDRO t-shirt.  He was on the other end of the bar getting a drink order when I saw a lady selling single stem roses throughout the bar.  She walked up to Joe then walked up to me, handed me a rose and said "its from the bartender down there" as she was pointing in Joe's direction.  I looked at Joe and he winked at me. "He still loves me" I thought and my heart started racing.  It was at that moment when I knew we would be together forever.  I knew I would marry him. 

Once it was time to leave Joe walked me to my car, gave me a big hug and kissed my forehead.  I drove home on cloud 9 and excited for my future with him.


To be continued...





Enjoy your family~

Wordless Wednesday