My Feelings Exactly...

In lieu of our departure tomorrow, and the beginning of a new stage of our lives, I found this very exact write-up of my feelings towards this deployment.  Just replace every time it says "girlfriend" with "wife", and include all the responsibilities of a working wife and puppy momma.

http://calivalleygirl.blogspot.com/2005/01/how-do-you-say-goodbye-to-deploying.html

Our life is about to change, but we are ready for the adventure we have been given.  Prayers, and time to allow us to adapt are appreciated!  We are so thankful for our amazing friends and family -- and we know that they are here for us if ever we need them.

XOXO,

H

Life Changes and Nutmeg Grows

We are on the brink of our deployment weekend!  We are both anticipating the changes in our lives, but also soaking in all the moments together as much as possible.  I had a cry session today -- just that the reality of it all has finally arrived.  I know we will be great and persevere through it all, but it is the separation after just getting married that makes my heart ache!  When you marry the person you love, you never imagine you'll be separated by something you cannot control -- I suppose that is God's way of reminding us who is really in control!  I am so thankful for sweet family and friends who are being so supportive, praying with us through this, and also allowing us space to have our time, adapt to the changes, and keep moving on through life!


I looked at my blog tonight and realized I have to update you all on how much Nutmeg has grown!  She is now capable of jumping on the couch, jumping down from the bed, pulling her bed around, and even being left alone in the house with the majority of the house opened up to her.  She's doing awesome with potty training and has been just a joy to have.  She licked my tears today during my cry session -- puppy love just really lifts your spirit (not to mention the husband's hugs!)!  Here's some pictures of her recent ventures....

Remember, she WAS this little...

First venture in the snow at grandpa's!

She LOVED it!

...her new sleeping position.

...just helping with dinner.

...tired after playing PS3 with daddy.

...he claims he's her favorite.

...she loves a pillow...

...and her bed.

her sun spot at the living room window

snoozing after playing in the snow at her grandpa's in CO

Looking forward to posting more of her growing up...and the husband's parting gift!

Love,

H

Awesome WalMart Find!

My sister-in-law had these super cute organizing shelves in her new place, and she informed me of the secret discovery at WalMart!  I was blown away and hadn't been able to find them until tonight!  After I convincing my husband I NEEDED wanted one, the $4.27 purchase was made!  SCORE!

Project Mania!

So before Nickoli leaves the life of cable tv, yummy home cooked food, and freedoms of life in general, we've been "project-ing".  Our projects have included some crafts for my classroom, our living room, bedroom, and just wall art!


We found an awesome project on Pinterest for our living room.  We recently put our television on a wall mount and found our huge living room a little lacking.  With our white wall only apartment, we've been finding ways to brighten/color the place (red curtains for a huge wall).  One of those brightening methods was this project.

You'll need:

• blank canvas (WalMart has these flatter canvases that are great for this design.)
• spray paint (any color you choose)
• masking tape

Step 1:  Tape the design you'd like.

(My husband is way more artistically inclined than I am)

Step 2:  Spray paint (preferably where you won't soak through onto the cement outside your apartment - WHOOPS!)

Step 3:  Let it dry.  Remove the masking tape.  VIOLA!

I really love this design in our living room!  I also wanted something unique for our bathroom, as well as something I could write our wedding quote on.  I did the side type of method (masking tape, spray paint) for these...

Michaels (ONE of the greatest places on earth) had awesome stencils, and I just used acrylic paint to create the design.  I also used "quilting tape" to create the smaller lines on the smaller canvases.  These thicker canvases came from Michaels, and were 40% off!  SCORE!

Now, for my classroom -- I HAD to create something for our library cards.  OMG -- talk about chaos.  I tried library pockets, wall charts, 3M hooks.  One of my greatest frustrations of the school day was anytime they had to use their library/lunch cards.  All the cards would wind up in the floor, and then they'd be all tangled together.  I'm sure you just feel my frustration as I write.  I just finished up this project today with some cheap, discounted paint from Lowe's, a piece of plywood from my grandpa's, hot glue gun, power drill, ribbon (on sale at WalMart), and little picture hanging hooks.  The stencils were from the same pack as the above quote wall hanging.

We'll see if this saves me from daily frustration.

Happy Project-ing until I return!  Looking forward to things to come (with toilet paper rolls)...

2.0.1.2.

Happy First Post of 2012!

As I reflect on the memories of 2011, I am reminded of how some of the greatest milestones and accomplishments occurred this past year!  From finishing my challenging student teaching experience to graduating my undergraduate journey, and then to marrying the love of my life for the past five years, vacationing out of the U.S. for the first time ever, becoming an elementary teacher, and celebrating the holidays as a married woman!  WHEW!  What a year!


I will admit I wasn't stoked about the beginning of 2012....the reminder of my husband's quickly approaching deployment, as well as our holiday break coming to an end.  I am so grateful we were surrounded by sweet family and friends throughout the holiday, and are still making our "rounds" to see everyone before he leaves.  I know that we will continue to grow stronger, and our love will continue to blossom -- but there are so many challenges to not be overwhelmed with by a deployment.  I have been extremely blessed with sweet friends and family members who are now experiencing deployment -- they have been such an encouragement to me.  My husband is pretty awesome as well -- just supporting, listening, and understanding my sometimes overwhelming emotions.


So, my resolutions for the year....

1. Appreciate and show that appreciation to my dear family and friends.
2. Be as supportive and hilarious of a wife possible :)
3. When emotion, find exercise as my outlet (as I did during bootcamp).
4. Finish an awesome year with my third graders, and seek out God's guidance in the future year.
5. Lose 20 pounds by August!
6. Continue doing crafts, and projects as my little heart so desires! (I HEART PINTEREST.)
7. Get an awesome tan.
8. Relearn and begin sewing again

Bring it on 2012 (and deployment, and working out, and weight loss, and projects)!

Merry Merriment!

The holidays have finally arrived! :)


I took off the past three days of school/work to visit my husband's family in Colorado!  Boy, did I need the break from my little learners!  It has been so nice to get away from the mundane, regular days of our daily life and take a mini vaca before he deploys!  It has been quite an adventurous trip, since we decided to take our 4.5 month old puppy along.  She is doing beautifully, other than some whimpering on the plane and some tummy troubles.  She's adapting well to the in-laws, and even their dog and cats.


We'll spend and celebrate the holidays until right before Christmas here in Colorado, before returning back to the ole Carolina to spend the actual holidays with my family and his mom's family.  I'm so thankful to be surrounded by all of our family this holiday season, and hope next holiday season will speed by quickly during deployment.


We are less than a month from our deployment date, and I have to say, we are both just really trying to soak in all the opportunities to spend time with each other, and our families.  We've been looking forward to all of our holiday travels, and are even hosting our first ever New Year's Eve party at our home!  I'm looking forward to this last month of "in person" memories before we are limited to Skype, FaceTime, emails/letters, and the phone.  My hope this holiday season is that we continue to appreciate the time we have together, and the family and friends who so lovingly surround us.


I wish you and yours a very Merry and Blessed Holiday season!  Happy Merriment! <3

Becoming More of a HouseWife

The husband is finally home, and the puppy has settled in.  It feels so nice to have our family back together again, and to actually experience married life, without being separated by time apart.  We still are dealing with time apart, as the husband is preparing all his paperwork miles away before he goes on deployment.  We are taking every bit of time we have to be together, and I am so thankful for this time together.  January is quickly approaching, and I cannot help but think of how my life will change when that month arrives.  We both are struggling with the unknown and just praying our way through this adventure.  I, nor he, ever regret his decision to join the military, but there are times, when I wish I could tell the military "no" and keep him all to myself.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I am becoming more and more aware of the numerous things I have to be thankful for.  I know the holidays will be tough next year, with the husband away, so I'm doing all I know to do -- which is to make this one so memorable we can look back with joy and laughter in the upcoming year.  My one "stump" of the holidays is figuring out what to get my husband for Christmas...buying a husband anything before deployment is a huge task, and he has been getting the necessities he's needed already.  I think a sweet love letter, and something to remind him of me will mean more -- (plus, the promise of numerous care boxes)! :)  We did get a new car, which is his "other baby" at the moment!  He's so excited to have something of his own that isn't an old, used, beat-up, air-condition-less vehicle!

the new Audi

Our puppy, Nutmeg, is settling in extremely well!  She is twelve weeks this weekend, and has adapted phenomenally!  She is loving our little family, and is adapting well to apartment living.  We (the husband and I) are both extremely ready for her to be completely potty trained, but she's doing relatively well!  It's such a huge difference than living alone, or with the husband -- it feels that we have a little baby in the house -- needing to be fed, taken out, etc.  I suppose it's good preparation for a baby -- but we know it won't be for another few years before we see any baby news on this blog!

@ 7 weeks old

@ 11 weeks old

I've been catching up on my own home decor and interests lately through PINTEREST!  Wow -- never knew there could be such a great app on my iPhone!  I absolutely love it!  We are going to be Christmas tree-less, with our puppy, as well as our vacation during the holidays.  I have found a cute idea of hanging ornaments on our three big windows in the living room, as well as painting pine cones to match our ornaments and placing them in a vase!  I'm rather excited about not putting up a Christmas tree, but of these "alternative" ideas!

Happy Holidays!