Goodbye 2009!

Another year has come and gone. I would say it seems so fast, but I know for 75% of 2009 it really just dragged along for me.

2009 included a lot of tests and trials where my patience was tried beyond belief and my worry/stress gene probably added a few wrinkles and the start of gray hair. Maybe that was the Army though and not 2009. :)

January- A birthday with my family! I haven't spent a birthday with them since my 21st and my parents and brother did everything they could to make that day special. It was by far my favorite day during this month. We had dinner together completed with cake and ice cream. Another favorite piece of that day was the runaway balloon Jason sent.

February- Ohh I am so spoiled. The piece that really sticks out is the big box of Godiva chocolate I received on Valentine's Day haha. This month I stayed busy by starting up back at the gym and was lucky enough to rekindle an old friendship with a great friend from high social. I remember how great it felt to know someone else was back in the small town I grew up in too.

March- Halfway!!!! By March I was truly counting down until R&R in April, but I was also excited for the deployment to be half over in the middle of the month. That day my mom and I went out to celebrate and I had a SoCo with Sprite. Liquor is something I don't usually do but by then it was completely necessary! Again, another great family moment this month when the four of us got together for St. Patrick's Day and had dinner out completed with a few green beers for not only my brother, dad and I but mom too!

April - Ahh the month of mid tour leave! The date changed a few times but I remember how calm I was the day I drove to the airport to pick up J. My nerves never set in until the plane pulled in and it finally hit me that after seven months he was about to get off that plane. That month was pure bliss waiting on him and an amazing two weeks spent with him :)

May- I recovered from my surgery at the end of April and began to work more hours at work. This month was a little sad trying to get back in routine but also the final countdown began and that felt like a new accomplishment.

June- Last day of work, last time living with my parents, J's birthday and the month of another move. I went to Michigan with two suitcases and came back to Alaska with four boxes, two suitcases and three carry ons. I was so excited to get back here and into my own space again.

July- I had a blast the first two weeks of July with my mom still visiting after helping me move in. I was so sad when she left to head back to Michigan. This was when the pep talk kicked in and I had to remind myself on my way home alone that we were in the homestretch.

August- One of my best friends from high school came to visit. We had a blast and I could never thank her enough for helping pass those last few weeks before Jason’s arrival. Then of course the day Jason FINALLY came home. Ahhh I waited a whole year for that moment and it felt amazing driving onto post to pick him up.

September- This month was spent reacquainting with each other. We had our first big purchase this month as a married couple of the truck in the driveway. J had a lot of half days and four days weekend. We spent so much of the time watching movies, catching up on TV shows ands spending time outdoors before the cold hit. It was another month spent in bliss.

October- We went home to see family and took our second honeymoon to Antigua.

November- We decided this month to add to our family and bought a playmate for Emmie. I was so nervous about the addition of a second dog, but Eli turned out to be nothing short of a bonus to us. We also went to Jason’s redeployment ball and spent Thanksgiving with my cousins here in Alaska!

December- Jason took leave and we spent the most relaxing time together at home without any plans and the rush of being here and there like any other leave. We took a short road trip and together we spent the last few days of 2009.

Now excuse me while I go kiss my husband at the beginning of 2010! : )

I dedicate this house to the Griswold Family Christmas...

Clearly Emmie loves Eli =)

First of all Merry Christmas! We spent the day withuot rushing and taking our time this morning getting around to opening gifts. I even cooked our dinner last night instead of today and it was so nice to not have it be all over the place this year. Of course having Jason home was enough of a gift and to make the holidays even more special even if it was just the two of us. :)

I truly have been meaning to update. I am working on putting together lesson plans for after Christmas break with my kids and Jason and I have been pretty busy. Mentally things have been exhausting around here and we really haven't had much of a break with him pulling a few 24's by the week and everyone clearing post and leaving. Not to mention I have been squealing inside at the idea of taking a little vacation from our home for my mental sanity and for some new scenery.

So why not, right?! Exactly. Jason is on leave and we are getting up early in the morning and making the 6+ hour drive down to Anchorage to spend a few days. We really haven't made any big plans other than spending time together without work, without technology, without our loud neighbors and away from this place. :) Emmie is already shaking over the fact that things are being packed and she might not be going but little does she know that mama booked a pet friendly hotel so they could go too! Hopefully it will be scenic, relaxing and just what we need.

I shall return before the new year!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Ahh the holidays!

I just love this time of year where everything is decorated, more time for family, everyone seems happier (minus a few Scrooges) and all the food. Yes, I love food.

We are anxiously awaiting orders to where we are going next. We should be leaving by April and so the clock is ticking. We originally waited SEVEN months for orders that never happened because of a fabulous waiting list. That gave us only a week to decide on something new that was offered before the Army did for Jason. Sound familiar? Nothing is ever set in stone, right? Now we have a few change of plans and I hope by the end of the week we have something on paper so I can share it with you. :)

Our house is put back together after the incident a few weeks ago and last night we put our Christmas tree up. Eli is making himself at home already and terrorizing Emmie on an hourly basis. It took a little while for her to warm up to him, but I think now she does love having someone her own size to play with.

Pictures to come soon! I hope everyone is doing well :)

An Unwanted Visitor

A week ago today we were planning on dinner at home, but after a long day at the range and work J called and said he would pick me up and we could go grab something because he was starving and so I could get out of the house (with the darkness and everything). He came home and changed his clothes and last minute we decided to let Emmie ride with us so we took her as I grabbed my purse and turned the night light on in the kitchen.

We ran to Walmart, literally it was very short to the point J sat in the car while I ran in to get some fabric. After that we just went to Wendy's and he wanted to come home to have a beer and relax. We came home around 7:30 and Jason unlocked the door into the house for us as he went back out to plug the car in. I started taking off my shoes and Emmie ran to the back door. Like normal she barked out of it and then her barks because more furious. At this point I am putting food in the kitchen and she is running to me barking and back to the living room.

SOMEONE WAS ON MY COUCH. Apparently in that time frame we were gone he had came in the back door and was drunk and helped himself to my house. Jason immediately noticed the jacket on the floor and saw the man and grabbed Emmie and told me to go outside. He shut the door and went up to get his gun....

Jason asked the man what he was doing in our house (more choice words in there haha) and the guy wouldn't leave. I was on the phone with 911 so I didn't know what was going on but the man then jumped my husband and tried fighting him. At this point J is hitting him in the head with the gun and calling for me to come get the gun. I went back in, took the gun and this is where it helps that my husband is a certified instructor in hand to hand combat. The man was a lot bigger than J and the two fought all over my living room. FINALLY, the cops showed up with guns drawn running into my house and the man was arrested. J was covered in blood, the guy was covered in blood and my living room was torn apart with blood on everything.

We have no idea who this man is. I am thankful for two things that night; One thank goodness we decided to let Em ride because what would he have done to her if she was home Would she have left out of the back door or would he have hurt her for her constant barking knowing he didn't belong here? Secondly, thank goodness J had come home to get me and came back with me.

This man was charged with aggravated assault in the fourth degree and criminal trespassing in the second degree. We wanted whatever we could have him charged with because he told my husband he was going to kill him during the fight. Jason had the next day off to be with me at home and we called the insurance company for our coffee tables, the landlord for a new deadbolt on the door and the association to clean the hall and laundry room from where the police took this man out.

If we had more than four months to moving day we would be moving the hell out of this house.

We are still in the process of everything, but he has been charged with four years probation, $5,000 in fines and 150 days in jail. If he serves the full term of that we will be gone before he gets out. Thank goodness!

Another...dog?!

Meet Eli :)

Emmie's new brother...oh I can smell the jealousy already when he arrives next Thursday.

Things just never slow down around our house!

I feel like I am reporting old news when I tell you about our second honeymoon but it was nothing short of fantastic. We spent a week in Antigua relaxing, eating too much food and soaking up the sun. It was the perfect way to end the deployment chapter and begin our next chapter together.

We also visited with family in Michigan and I spent two lovely days in bed at my in-laws house sick with food poisoning. Not to mention Emmie was also sick those few days and laid up with me too. Jason was a great nurse though haha and took good care of both of us. Like always we wish we had more time to spend with family because it never seems like enough.

Now we are back in Alaska where winter has already hit. The ground is frozen and temperatures are no higher than 20*! Oh thank goodness this is our last winter here because it is the one thing I wont miss when we move.

We are currently busy with holiday events and gatherings including Jason's redeployment ball tonight and a holiday bazaar tomorrow.

I have a little time right now to catch up on some of you before I have to hit the shower and begin to get ready! I hope everyone is doing great! <3

Ohhh Bad Blogger!

I know, I know, I have been a horrible blogger...but I have been on an island far far away with this guy. Can you really blame me? ;)

We will be back in the freezing cold of Alaska on Wednesday. Be back soon!

'Tis the Season

...of babies!

As of right now we are excited for the arrival of SEVEN babies in 2010 from some of our best friends and family.

This doesn't even include some of our friends here currently participating in the deployment is over baby boom haha.

I will say though that I am super excited for three of my closest friends; Jessica, Cassi and Kristene who will all be having a new addition by summer. Ohhh I must think about baby gifts for my three favorite girls! :)

So in honor of all the babies Jason thought he needed his own...

Ta-da!

We are officially the proud (okay, truthfully he is way more excited) owners of a new Ford F-150 Platinum.

This also means my husband can now be found more often in the driveway playing with all the bells and whistles in it.

He has to come in soon though Alaska is getting cold. :)

Day Three Hundred Sixty-Five.

September 20, 2008

365 days complete.

It was a year ago tomorrow that Jason kissed me goodbye and got on the bus to leave for a year.

Emmie and I spent a few days in Alaska before we headed to Michigan to be with family...

We spent nine months at my parents house counting the days, week, months until the move back to Alaska and the time closer to Jason coming home.

I can promise you I probably looked at the counter AT LEAST every other night to make sure my week total was correct and the estimate on R&R and his arrival home.

I spent many holidays I had previously missed with my family although each one seemed dreadful knowing where Jason was. No matter what I tried to make the best of it.

Jason spent his time in I-town where communication was few and far in between because he was on an outpost not an actual FOB.


We spent 345 days apart and if you add R&R in that year it was technically 330. ;)

I spent many nights crying, praying, sleepless, stressed and hopeful.

It was ALL WORTH IT leading up to this very night...

I am nothing but proof that a year apart IS survivable. I used ours as a learning experience to find new interests, accomplish things I have always wanted to try, go back to school, church, join a gym, travel, you name it I used the time to do it.

Most importantly though that I am proud of my husband. He holds his head high each and every day no matter what the task at hand is and he is my strength whenever I feel like I just cant push myself anymore he is always pushing for me. He is truly the love of my life and although I know this probably isn't the last year apart it is another chapter closed.

September 19, 2009

Mission complete!

Day Three Hundred Sixty-Four.

I don't care where we go next as long as we are together, but I can only hope where ever it is we find friends as amazing as the ones we have here. <3

Day Three Hundred Sixty-Three.

Yay for four days! Jason is off for four days and I cant wait to have a relaxing weekend with him.

Only two more darn days until this year of blogging is finally over and I am taking a much needed blogger-vaca haha. :)

Day Three Hundred Sixty-Two.

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

-Helen Keller

Day Three Hundred Sixty-One.

Ohhh vacation why are you four weeks away?!

I cant wait to see our families when we hit Michigan and of course our trip to Antigua. I'm already envisioning drinks with umbrellas and floating around in the pool all day.

Mmm mmm mmm.