This Week = Kicking My Butt Into Gear

All right, so this week may be possibly the hardest week of my life, but I'm determined to win with mind over matter.  This week will begin my daily morning workouts, and I'm determined to make this work, so I can have my evenings with our sweet pup, and eventually with the husband when he comes home.  I feel that we all get complacent at times in our lives (whether its avoiding the gym, ignoring healthy food, or just getting bored with our routines), but it's high time to get into shape and have a transformation by the time my husband returns home for his R&R.  My plan will allow me time to workout, without feeling bad that the dog has been locked up all day.  My plan will push me to get out of bed earlier in the morning, and head to bed earlier at night.  My plan will also push me to prepare more adequately in the evening for a day at work.  My plan...might be the death of me! (JUSTTT KIDDING!)


My goal is to lose at least 15 pounds by July.  My goal is to eat healthier, workout harder, and create a healthy routine in my life that will be healthier in the long run of this life.  My goal will also get me back into a great shape before kids come (even though that's at least 4 years down the road).


So, why blog about it?  Because I'm hoping it will hold me even more accountable.  Because I'm hoping I will come by with a triumph of news by the end of the week, that I've accomplished my goal.  I know if I can get in this routine, and stay in this routine, I will be more likely to accomplish my goal.


My goal is for me -- no one else. I am a confident lady, but I would love to take away the extra love handles I've been hanging onto for the past 5 years.  I don't want to be a bean pole (I'm too short anyways), but I'd like to be healthy, athletic, and feel sexy in my own skin.  Life is about challenges, and with the shortness I've acquired from my parents, weight will always be a challenge for me.  So, I'm kicking it into high gear, and I'm determined to be swimsuit ready (at least to my goal/standard) by July, if not sooner.


So, here's to goal setting, challenging yourself, and mind over matter!

XOXO,

H

**Props to Dana Laymon Photography Blog for inspiring this blog post!

Deployment Challenges and Triumphs

Hello sweet friends!


Can you believe it's almost March?!  I cannot wait until spring break arrives -- then I will have to begin my countdown for summer.  I am so thankful for the bright, sunny days we've been having.  Nutmeg has benefited from them too -- it's so much easier to take her for long walks when I'm not freezing my butt off! Our one month of adjustment has flown by, and now I'm on to conquering some of those goals I set for myself!  The gym has been calling my name this past month, and I'm determined that this week will be the beginning of an early wakeup for the gym and extra time with our sweet pup!


Nutmeg recovered well from her spay surgery, and is back to her crazy self!  NJ and I have been able to video-chat while he's deployed, and it is funny to see her hear his voice.  She has smacked the phone with her paw a couple times, and even growled back at him playfully.  I know she misses having him around, but I know he's missing her even more!


NJ is doing really well with this deployment, and we are finding that we are able to talk almost two times a day.  It really helps with the advances in technology to be able to video-chat across the big pond!  It brightens both of our days, and allows us to see each other almost daily.  THANK GOD for technology!  He finally received his first care package -- it took longer than expected, but he was ecstatic to receive goodies, his pillows, and comfy sheets from home.  It made me SO excited that he'd gotten his first package -- I really put a lot of heart into them!  I am looking forward to him receiving his next two which have more goodies and some surprises!


The challenges I've found with this deployment have honestly been just juggling all the responsibilities of a working wife!  Maintaining the house, loving all I can on the puppy, staying on top of my work, spending time with NJ, and finding time for myself is a hard juggle.  My mom has been able to help me with the puppy -- stopping by at lunch to take her out for a walk and just give her some love.  This really has helped me, because I know she's getting love, even if I wake up late for work and have just enough to get out of the door.  That's another challenging part of it all -- some mornings all I want to do is just lay in bed with the sweet pup, but I am learning that I feel much more prepared for my day if I drag myself out of bed and have time to play with her before I leave for work.  I've not been able to fit in my workouts the way I had hoped since NJ's deployment began.  I'm hoping to really kick it into gear this week -- it is extremely hard to motivate yourself to do something for yourself when you know you have 10 other responsibilities that are also weighing on your time.  I suppose it's a good lesson in how life will be with a husband AND kids (one day, in the long long long away future).  The challenges have been really easy to adapt to thus far in this deployment, and I can honestly say I'm thankful for our times of separation due to the military before this deployment.  They've helped me understand more about how the military works, how deadlines of return or leaving are not always set in stone, what it's like to maintain while he's gone and then regroup into a cohesive unit when he returns, as well as just being ok at being alone.  I know so many girls, as I also remember myself, as ready to find that "person" to spend forever with.  It's a fairytale we have all believed, and some still do -- that once we find that person our life beyond that is just perfect, and exactly what we imagined -- and we'll never be alone again.  I'm so happy that it's not what "I" imagined -- because my life with the man I love is so much more than I imagined.  Yes, sometimes the struggles we've faced have been more challenging than anyone ever wishes or imagines in their lives --- but you learn more about yourself, grow stronger from them, and your bond with your husband grows so much!  And, in any relationship, time apart is a good thing.  Having nights out with your girls, or the boys over to watch the game, or going to play ball with the boys -- we all need that time to remind ourselves who we individually are -- that's who the other person fell in love with.  I'm finding that I do enjoy having my alone time -- quietly reading, watching HGTV anytime, having time to spend weekends away with my girls.  Now, I'd give anything right now for a weekend with my husband -- but I'm learning to enjoy this season of my life.  I'm learning that the best way to adapt to it all is to breath it all in.  I've seen that in my husband too -- positivity (which he hasn't always excelled in), and learning from him even more about taking everything in stride.  I'm so thankful for such an awesome husband in my life -- one who supports me, understands the challenges on this side of the deployment, and reminds me every day how much he loves me.


SO thankful for everything I'm learning about myself, falling even more in love with my husband, and learning about life during this deployment.

XOXO,

H

Deployment Update

I am SO thankful for a day off of work, and a day to just relax with our sweet pup!  She's recovering well from her spay appointment, but we had a rough night last night -- up and down with pain and recovery.  We are both snoozing a ton today!


My husband's travels are going well.  He is in good spirits, and is safe and sound at his stop for now!  He shared this short "journaling" to me via email while in flight across the big blue ocean, and let me share... 


I thought I'd write a journal on my first real international flight.  We are currently in the air traveling roughly 600 mph - I know, more information than you need.  Plane ride is around 6 hours and when we land we will be 12 hours ahead of you.  Getting ready to eat a "hot" dinner -- chicken/beef with greenbeans and mashed potatoes - not quite sure what I will pick yet.  I can't believe the support we have received at every stop so far.  We had a full police escort along with the 'freedom rider' motorcycle gang.  It was absolutely phenomenal.  I have never felt so humbled and honored in my life.  We walked into the hanger and there were a hundred volunteers, active duty, and veterans.  They were handing out care packages, as well as sharing stories and getting to know us.  I didn't even want to talk - actually, I couldn't talk (too overwhelmed by emotions).  When we were finally ready to leave the hanger and board the plane, they lined up on each side of the walkway with American flags and wanted to shake each and every hand that was walking through.


I'm so thankful for so much support for our American troops!  He's always been my hero. <3

"love all your life"

Today marks my husband's next step in his deployment journey...after a few weeks of training, he's now venturing out of the US for his deployment.  It's crazy how much more it hits you when you begin to realize a) he's going to be traveling non-stop for a few days, b) that travel will be outside the US, c) the texts/calls will stop because he will no longer have service, and d) you're now really beginning the deployment.  I think it both hit us both last night -- and we both realized it when we had to say "goodnight" for the last time on the phone until the next year.  Of course, we will have Skype capability and email and all that jazz, but the small happiness of being able to say goodnight while I'm lying on my pillow snuggled in our bed is no longer available for a year.  And, you guessed it, our emotions flooded our hearts, eyes, and throats, and we both had to get off the phone with struggling "I love you"'s so we could stay strong for each other.


Today, we had to say goodbye again in another way.  As he left the US headed to his next destination, I caught him up on the puppy's spay appointment (also, today - I know, I know - bad planning) in a minute as he was about to depart.  We again had those same darn emotions flood our hearts, eyes, and throats, and we again got off the phone with struggling "I love you"'s.  In a way, I'm relieved, because the majority of these adjustments/goodbyes/transitions are over.  We can now adapt to our new life (which we'll have for the next year), and learn to cope, continue communicating, and continue to grow our love/relationship across the big ocean :)


After a long week at work, and prepping for his deployment and taking her of Puddles, I am thankful for the amazing people that surround me and care about us all.  Looking forward to a girls' night with my sister tonight and a long weekend with my sweet baby girl.


Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, and following my blog :)

With love,

H

Upcoming V-day

In honor of Valentine's Day, I am linking up with Mrs. Merry Mobley to share our love story!

I LOVE YOU, NJ!

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We have been together since September 2006 -- almost 6 years!

 

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

We met at the local community college and our love flourished!  We initially did not like one another (me a goody-too-shoe, and he a unbridled guy), but we came to appreciate one another more and more.  We both transferred to NCSU and completed our degrees there.  He took a year off and joined the NAVY  and was away for 8 months.  We prevailed through those challenges.  After four years together, he popped the question in our hometown over Spring break, and I said "yes"!  We were married on July 16 of last year, and have been happily married since then!  He is now serving in a deployment to Afghanistan, but we are finding that our love is just continually growing and strengthening.

 

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

7 months a week from Thursday

 

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? 

Our wedding was pretty large -- 200/215 sweet friends and family came to celebrate with us!  It was one of the best nights of my life!

 

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

NJ, Baby, Babylove, Bub, PapaGoose/MamaGoose

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

His courage and love for the great United States of A (not to mention the WOLFPACK)!

His support and love of me and all my dreams (no matter how absurd they may be)

His humor and ability to make me laugh even when I'm feeling blue 

 

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

He proposed in our hometown, beside a lake, after a great dinner together and romantic motorcycle ride.  He asked me to marry him while we were sitting side by side, which greatly represents our relationship -- always taking things on together in stride.

 

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries,champagne, and rose petals?

He is more of a great date night for V-day, unless he's away for military stuff -- then he sends flowers!

 

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

pop a movie in and relax on the couch (or travel to a new place)

 

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

Go to Italy together.  Have kids.  Travel around the world.

 

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day. 

This V-day will be a little different for us, as he will be in Afghanistan.  I plan on celebrating the lovey day with my third graders, sending him lots of love in his care package, and hopefully Skyping that night.

 

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

a great conversation, continual love and support, and to be able to see the face of my husband :)

 

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love. 

Communication helps keep your relationship strong, open, and full of love.  Even in the toughest situations, talking helps you understand where each other are, as well as allow them to know you care and love them no matter what you're going through.  Communicating allows the other person to know you value them, and you want to support and love them through every season of your life.

 

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Photo Courtesy of Dana Laymon Photography