Sunday, September 13, 2015

Boots on the Ground

As many of you know, David has been mobilized and gone from home for quite some time.  Typically, with The Guard units must go to a mobilization station for final prep before heading in country.  Well, that has begun.

Yesterday morning, I received a text from The Captain containing a picture of him in uniform, at sunrise.  It's terribly ironic that his first day with "Boots on the Ground" was 9/11/2015.  It was such a proud moment for David.  I know he's been preparing himself, his troops, and myself for this for almost 2 years. 

In the days to come, our troops will disperse to the various countries throughout that part of the world.  As I'm sure you are aware, some of these regions are not nearly as risky as others.  Nonetheless, I ask you to keep all of these soldiers in the company and battalion in your prayers.  Also, please remember all the other soldiers over there that may be wrapping up their tours.  I also ask you to remember to pray for all of the spouses and families that are missing the soldiers.  For some, it's more difficult since they do not have children and their houses continue to be much to quiet. 

I will update here hopefully, once a week.  I thank you to those for your support, y'all make this much easier to handle!

Love to all :)

Saturday, September 12, 2015

4-Day Pass

The Captain and I had a wonderful time in Texas for his pass.  As many of you saw from a few pictures I posted, we tried to maximize our time together and create as many  memories as possible.  I believe this time we spent together will make this transition much easier to deal with.

I am not sure I had ever been so happy to see David after they were released for pass! I will never be able to accurately describe the overwhelming feelings I experienced as I watched him walking towards me.  The best part was knowing I had FOUR UNINTERRUPTED days with him!!


The first night, we stayed on-post at Fort Hood the first night.  I let him choose dinner and he asked for Olive Garden so he could, "feel as much as home as possible." It was a wonderful evening. :)

The following morning, we had a pre-deployment photo session.  Then, we traveled to Austin and stopped en route at Salt Lick BBQ, which someone had suggested to us.  That is some of the BEST I have ever had!! If you're ever in that area, you must stop and try their food.  As far as the city, it's beautiful and they have a nice lake area.  However, it's a strange place that doesn't really belong in Texas.  Maybe the reason is we were in the middle of Gay Pride? And absolutely nothing against that, if you want to have a celebration, that's great! However, I don't want to be verbally attacked for walking with MY husband and holding his hand.  I digress...

The original Stubbs Restaurant!

After an interesting night in Austin, we then traveled to San Antonio for the next 2 nights.  The Riverwalk is beautiful, the city is amazing.  The history alone kept The Captain and I both intrigued.  I could move there and be perfectly happy! We walked around, took pictures, saw the Tower of Americas, The Alamo, and numerous historic buildings.  On the last night, we met up with the commander of the battalion with his wife and friends.  It was nice to see David relax and enjoy his time.  I enjoyed meeting them, especially since I don't know anyone else in the battalion.

David loves to take pictures of me taking pictures!

Tower of Americas!
 
Tower of Americas
The Riverwalk
 
The Alamo!
 
It was tough to take him back the next evening, but I know that's just part of it.  I am not sure if I will ever be used to watching him walk away from me. 

I continue to ask you for prayers...

Love to all!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Mobilization

Well, the summer has arrived, which means we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary.  It also means this mobilization is not far off.  David has been gone for 3 weeks training for this mission and  that was not too bad.  I have surprised myself and have been fairly strong with everything happening.

Things are ramping up with time consumption, however.  That is tough because even when he's in town, he's busy at the unit.  I am doing my best to maximize my time with David, but it's not easy.
Luckily, we will get a break at the beach before the last few weeks' prep. 

I have been doing all kinds of research including reading military spouse books, articles, blogs, and forums.  I know spouses have been doing it for lifetimes, but it doesn't make that any easier. 

I am very proud of The Captain for his hard work and it has finally paid off! I think we are just ready for it since they have been preparing for over the last 18 months.  It's tough just sitting here, waiting for the time to pass. 

This is a short update...

We ask for your continued prayers and support as we begin this new chapter in our lives.  Please keep all of his soldiers and their families in mind as the date continues to get closer....

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Wedding Portraits - almost 2 years late!

Well, after waiting almost 2 years, The Captain and I FINALLY were able to have some wedding portraits done.  I must say the are BEAUTIFUL!!!
I decided that since he's leaving me soon, I wanted to get some nice pictures to decorate the walls.  Also, he needs some to take along with him! These were so much fun to do and it was just like our wedding day again... Minus the people, aggravation, and stress.  I was pleased that I was able to still fit in my dress! ;)

Here's to the photographer that was amazing and an absolute sweetheart.





The weather was perfect and everything was nice and GREEN!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Struggling

I just cannot keep a continual rhythm without interruptions on this blog!

Spring is finally upon us, after too much winter weather for The South.  I am over cold weather and have been for a few weeks.  Thankfully, warmer temps have arrived, but so has the rain.  I will still take it ANY DAY over snowy/icy mess.

The Captain has been in full swing with preparations and there seems to be no end in sight.  The light at the end of the tunnel is them actually mobilizing.  His hard work will pay off, he just needs to be patient.  As the summer approaches, more and more trips for this deployment have come up.  My weeks are quickly dwindling...

Thankfully, we decided back in January to take a trip before he leaves.  David talked me into a cruise and we leave in just over a week! I have never been out of the country and I have been anticipating this for weeks (as you can imagine)! We chose to travel with Norwegian Cruise Line and we are heading to the Western Caribbean for 7 nights.  I cannot wait for the warmer temps and sunny days! We made arrangements to "snuba" dive which is snorkeling with a tank, view Mayan ruins in Belize, relax on the beaches, and enjoy the various cultures.  My plan is to turn my phone off and relax, take pictures, and document the trip upon our return.  I just hope The Captain can do the same!

If anyone has traveled on a cruise, I'd love some input... this is a first for both of us.

I have been a busy bee with my new job on the Arsenal (finally).  I am employed with Millennium Health for a contract with Federal Occupational Health.  My official title is Wellness/Fitness Specialist I.  I am looking forward to continuing my education with some certifications.  I am hoping to one day own a gym and not only advise on fitness, but also nutrition.  I want to be certain I am offering the best services for clients to reach their goals.

I also have picked up doing some photography on the side.  Obviously, I have no desire to make it a means of compensation but I thoroughly enjoy it.  I recently did a session with a good friend for her engagement and I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  They were happy with them, as well.  Congratulations, Vicki and Brad!! I'm thrilled for y'all!





 As always, I ask that you please keep us in your prayers.  David has been busy... as I said, it will only get worse.  Please don't hesitate to contact me if you're ever in Huntsville.  I thoroughly enjoy company!!