Oyster Roast

In October, Johnny and I hosted an Oyster Roast at our home for friends and family to welcome Johnny back from Iraq. We had an awesome time! Johnny was able to catch up with many friends who he hasn't seen since our wedding two years ago! Thank you to everyone who made the drive to welcome him home in true Low Country fashion!

Here is the oyster table under the tents surrounded by those who eat them and those who stood and watched in amazement!


Me and my grandma


My papa


Custom Water Bottles that I threw together at the last minute


Gary, Matt, Lewis and Johnny.....proud Citadel men


With my parents


The Webb Family


The Taylor Family


Cornhole....compliments of The Smoaks :)


Round 2 with the Oysters...just a little midnight snack...totally normal

So happy to be back together with my man!

Labor Day Weekend

Yes, it was alive and I only did it for Johnny. And that is a fact!

I spent this past weekend at my parents' home in Melbourne, FL. I am so lucky to have them within driving distance so I can get away for the weekend now and then. I know my parents probably never thought they would see their adult married daughter as much as they have this past year! They have been my main source of company and entertainment over the course of this deployment :)

This weekend however was different from most weekends; I was not able to be an "only child" as I normally am when I visit them since it is rare for any of my four sisters to be there on the weekends. My younger sister and her new boyfriend were also in town. So in an effort to entertain the new boyfriend, we set out for an Air Boat ride to search for swamp creatures.

My lil' sis and I modeling what kind of "swamp creatures" to be on the look-out for.

All five of us sat on the front row of the boat and donned lovely large, black headphones that I am sure had not been cleaned in between head usage. The headphones luckily (note heavy sarcasm) came with a microphone which we were told to place snuggly (not a word, but you know what I mean!) under our bottom lip. At one point during the ride, my tongue accidentally grazed the germ-infested microphone and I could have THROWN UP. If Clorox was safe to drink, I probably would've chugged some.

One of the many beautiful scenes we saw on our ride. The water was so smooth that I couldn't tell where the trees ended and where the water began. It was crazy to look at, yet so peaceful.

We didn't see too many "swamp creatures" since it was really too hot for the gators to be frolicking on the surface, but the scenery was beautiful and it was a fun experience to ride on an air boat.

As I said my goodbyes on Monday, it made me happy to think that the next time I'll be at my parent's house will probably be with my Johnny :)

Hiya

Where have I been lately you might ask?

Sleeping. That's where.

Summer has not been very nice to Amanda considering I just recently finished my SIXTH antibiotic for yet another sinus infection only to get the flu in mid-recovery. What a delight that was!!

I am finally feeling better and I'm armed with several allergy medications to help keep things in check. Let's hope this works because I don't think I could handle another sinus infection and I'm sure my boss is fairly fed up with zombie Amanda walking the halls!

I have had two exciting reasons worth celebrating this week. Yesterday was my parent's 30th wedding anniversary! That is a long time folks! But what a happy milestone to celebrate! It is hard for me to imagine Johnny and I celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary...I wonder where we'll be living and how many kids and grandkids we'll have by then. What a crazy thought!

The second exciting reason I am celebrating this week is because it is Johnny's birthday today!! Despite the fact that I am continually trying to celebrate his 25th birthday, he is really turning 26 today. As embarrassing and heart-wrenching as it is, I even wrote "Happy 25th Birthday" in his card. What an awful wife I am!!! I think I am confused because we have not been together for 15 months and we didn't get to celebrate his 25th birthday last year since he was at Ranger School. I already feel like I am just going through the motions of life while he is away, so I can kind of understand how in my head I'm behind a year. I think I am just trying to make myself feel better. I told him he will appreciate the fact that I can't remember his age when he is 80!!

I am having a birthday party tonight to celebrate his 26th birthday. Even though he won't be able to join in on the fun, we are celebrating the day he was born, and that is definitely worth celebrating in my book!

Quelf & Sisters Weekend

Raise your hand if you've heard of the game Quelf. I'm a newbie to the Quelf world...but I am loving it! My cousin introduced me to the game and I've never looked back! I think you have to have a certain personality and sense of humor to truly find this game as enjoyable as I do, so if you like this game....we could totally be friends in real life.



My sisters and I recently had a "sisters weekend" in Savannah at my house and we had so much fun. Friday night we played Quelf...and man, did we have fun! There was lots of laughing going on...the kind where you aren't even making a noise you are laughing so hard!

It is the most random game I've ever played but will provide hours of laughter and enjoyment. You basically draw cards (after rolling the die and moving spaces) which will prompt you to do some random, crazy act. For example, I had to go to the bathroom and wrap my head in toilet paper to become a mummy for the rest of the game.


My sister had to sing a nursery rhyme like a grizzlied old man....hilarious I tell you. My other sister had to rap a song to her fellow "inmates" while her knees were glued together, she had no top lip and she was covered in tar and feathers. Like I said....RANDOM!!!

I come from a big family, so get-togethers, family vacations and holidays are spent usually playing cards or board games. Those are some of the fondest memories I have of growing up because we were all together as a family. I still love it today when we can get together and laugh. And I don't mean giggling....I mean laughing till you cry!



So anyways, check out the game. I hope you love it as much as I do and make some awesome memories in the process!

Another Year Older

ITSA MY BIRTHDAY TODAY!

Today, I will celebrate my birth. I got up this morning and put on my glasses (I'm blind as a bat without them!) and went downstairs to open up some cards and gifts I had received. It was just like Christmas morning....pj's and all! Then I made myself a delicious breakfast and got all dressed up this morning for work. It's amazing how a nice outfit and a few extra minutes on hair and make-up can make you feel so much better. I am super excited about tonight....I get to go to one of my favorite restaurants - Carrabba's - with my "in-law" side of the family and Chelsea.

And I just got flowers delivered to me at work from my Johnny. He is so sweet. I just love getting unexpected flower deliveries! The card made me cry - of course!

My parents started the birthday celebrations a little early and treated me to an excellent dinner at The Chart House in Melbourne this past weekend. I had such a great time hanging out with them and spending Saturday shopping and going to the movies with my mom.




And YES, I do feel older, so I'm treating myself to a facial at the spa this weekend :) hehe. I think the emotional stress of these past few months have taken shape on my face in the form of wrinkles and lines. Still no gray hair....but it's coming...I just know it!

So, all in all, today has been a wonderful birthday. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. And next year Johnny will be home for my birthday! Only 350 days left!

[Chelsea, Mike (my father-in-law), the birthday girl, and

Dotty Jo (my mother-in-law) at Carrabba's Tuesday night]

What a GREAT Weekend!

This past weekend I went to Charleston to finally catch up with one my favorite people! Anne Magill and I met at Winthrop University our junior year and immediately become attached at the hip. We were both in the same major (Integrated Marketing Communication), so we conveniently had almost every class together throughout the next two years at Winthrop. Since graduation, I've been a bridesmaid in her wedding, she's been a bridesmaid in mine, and we've been there for each other through all of life's twists and turns. We had such a good time catching up, shopping, eating at all my favorite spots and enjoying the beautiful weather that I didn't want to leave!

On my way back to Savannah, I stopped at my in-laws' house in Bluffton to get the crabs out of our crab cage to cook and clean them. So Mike and I (my father-in-law) went to the dock and dumped the crabs into a bucket (I definitely got pinched!! I feel like an official crabber now!) and took them back to the house to boil them up and clean out all the yummy fresh blue crab meat. It sure is a lot of work for not much meat! Ten years ago I would've never dreamed that me - a little ol' prissy Virginia mountain girl -would be teaching her in-laws how to clean a fresh crab! ha! Life is funny that way I guess!


What did you do this weekend? Tell me about it, I'd love to hear!

Two More Days

I have been story-less the past week. I've logged on to the blog almost everyday this past week to write a new post, but nothing has come to me.

I did receive several letters from Johnny last week and it seems his moral is back up despite having to re-do every test, class, and mission over again which he is a bit bitter about! He was joking more in those letters than he has since he left, and seemed more like himself which made me happy! He said his new company, Alpha Company, is much better than Charlie Company he was in the first time through the mountains. He is learning a lot more this time through and he even has a guy who graduated from The Citadel in his company this time! He will hopefully get to make a call this Friday to let me know whether he got a GO and will move on to the third and final phase - The Swamp Phase. I am pretty confident he will be moving on to the Swamp phase this weekend, but there is of course a small chance that he won't get a GO and will be recycled again. However, this time, if he recycles again (which I seriously doubt will happen) he will have to start the entire Ranger School over again from DAY 1...not just the mountain phase. You are only allowed 1 recycle per phase before you'd be required to go back to the beginning of the program. PLEASE PRAY THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN!!! I want him home in 3 weeks....NOT 3 more months! So, I suppose my lack of writing could be due to the fact that I have been seriously nervous about Friday's outcome. I know, I know, nothing good comes from worrying, sometimes it's just hard not to.

I'm also on "Hanna" watch. I love Savannah but I do not love Hurricane Season. I am not a fan. All the unknowns and potential devastation from such a fickle storm leaves me anxious and wanting my husband!! I've stocked up on jugs of water and wine and batteries and my pantry is full of food and if I loose power I still have the charcoal grill (which I still need to move into the garage. Thank you for reminding yourself, Amanda) to cook dinner on. What an adventure this will be!

So, I'm counting down until Friday. To hear from Johnny and to see what Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hanna decides to do. I'll keep you posted. I promise I won't go another 8 days without a post this time :)

Oh! And here is a picture of me and my grandparents from this past weekend. I went down to my parent's house in FL for the long weekend and we met up with my Grandma and Papa in Orlando for a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater! We had so much fun together. I love how active and full of life they are and we're usually always laughing when we're together...you never know what will come out of my grandmother's mouth! :) I love y'all!

Happy Birthday Johnny!

Today, Johnny turns 25! I have been celebrating his birthday all day today for him and we even had a birthday party for him this weekend! Silly it may be, but I loved every second of it and I know he will be excited to see the pictures because he LOVES birthdays - especially HIS! Maybe the Ranger Instructors gave him a special MRE or something...instead of M&M's for the "dessert portion" maybe they have one with a cupcake in it! Somehow I seriously doubt it, but that would be a nice gesture and if they did that, I would try to forgive them for not giving him his mail for weeks at a time. Oh, how that ticks me off! Maybe I'll write a letter and address it to the Ranger Instructors and tell them what I think of that....anyways...back to Johnny's Birthday...

I am particularly glad Johnny was born today because he is the most incredible man I have ever met and my life would be so empty and boring without him! I mean, how lucky am I...I get to have two titles because I married him.... Army wife & Regular Wife!! (Click on that link if you don't know what I am talking about!)

If you want to send him a letter of encouragement - all you have to do is email me (which you can access by clicking on the "View my complete profile" under the "About Me" section on the blog) or call me and I'd be happy to give you the address! Also - you can "bookmark" this website (or mark it as one of your "favorites") so you can have easy access to it every day to see if it's been updated!

Enjoy these pictures from his birthday party!

All the Way From Australia

The best distraction came last week in the form of TWO AUSTRALIANS!!!

My two very dear friends, Jess and Karlie, came over to the states on "holiday" and spent 4 days with me in Savannah! We had a blast and we were able to pick up right where we left off, even though it had been about 3 years since I last saw them. I lived with these girls and 6 others while I studied abroad in Geelong, Australia for about 6 months during college. I said good bye to them thinking I would never see them again since we were a world away from each other, but thanks to MySpace and Facebook, we've been able to stay in touch! Oh, the wonders of technology! :)


We had so much fun exploring Savannah together and we even went on a haunted pub crawl! You know, Savannah is one of the most haunted cities in the U.S.! I took them to Wal-Mart - they had no concept of what a "Wal-Mart" was, and to Outback Steakhouse - which they got a HUGE kick out of! They were laughing and taking pictures and thought a Bloomin' Onion sounded and looked like the grossest thing ever! I took them to Hunter Army Airfield to see where Johnny works (when he is not starving himself at Ranger School) and gave them a tour around the post which I loved because it made me feel like a real Army wife!

I was so excited that my "in-law" side of the family was able to come over one night for dinner to meet them. I am so lucky to have married into such a great family....and even more so...they are nearby! I don't know what I would do without them!

The G.I. Blues

My great-great-uncle on mom's dad's side, Willard Strickland, wrote this poem when he was away at war during WWII. The date on the envelope is November 5, 1944.

The G.I. Blues

Sitting on my G.I. bed,
My G.I. hat upon my head,
My G.I. pants, my G.I. shoes,
Everything free, nothing to lose.

G.I. razor, G.I. comb,
But G.I. wish that I was home.

They issue everything we need,
Paper to write on, books to read,
They issue food to make us grow,
But G.I. want a long furlough.

Everything free, nothing to buy,
Your belt, your shoes, your G.I. tie.
Eat your food from a G.I. plate,
Buy your needs at a G.I. rate.

It's G.I. this, and G.I. that,
G.I. haircut, G.I. hat.
Everything here is government issue,
But G.I. would like to be with you.

I go to sleep in a G.I. bed,
On a G.I. pillow, I rest my head.
My blankets they are G.I. too,
Then G.I. sleep and dream of you.

If I come down with G.I. ills,
They'll stuff me full of G.I. pills,
Ointments and drops are G.I. too,
But G.I.'d heal just seeing you.

Now G.I. stands for government issue,
And oh, my darling, G.I. miss you.
And G.I. wish you miss me too,
For G.I. love you, G.I. do.

Mt. Yonah and Regular Wife Life Happenings

I have partly been waiting on another letter from Johnny before I updated you on his happenings, but that hasn't happened yet, so I'll tell you what I know! His letters have definitely been few and far between during this phase, so it is really teaching me a thing or two about patience and not letting my vivid imagination get the best of me. Two things I'm not very good at :)

The last letter I received from him he was on the top of this.....




Doing this....

And some of this too....



Here is a prettier shot of Mt. Yonah where Ranger Webb has spent the majority of his time thus far during Phase 2.
He got a GO! on the 1.8 mile ruck march where they ascended from about 900 ft. to over 1300 ft. He said it was very tough at some parts but when he reached the top, the view was amazing. He said it was comforting to see civilization down below. He said the terrain with 80+ lbs. of additional weight on his back is at times scary; he used trees to pull himself up, then get in front of it so he wouldn't fall down the mountain. Surprisingly, it is cold up there! I find that so odd but it could be because I don't really remember what cold feels like considering the 110 degree weather we've been having in Savannah lately! I'm not sure if it's cold just when the sun isn't up (I'd assume so), but he said he's very cold and it's super windy there. In his letters he talks a lot about eating....anything and everything! He is already starting his "lists" of things he wants to eat and do when he gets home!

After they learned climbing and mountaineering techniques, they had military training classes on other techniques. I'm assuming it was on planning and running missions, being ambushed, etc. while on a mountain because they have had 4 days this past week of student led patrols/ ambushes/raids and then 5 days of the same thing next week. I wonder if they get attacked in the middle of the night while they are in mid-climb up the mountain face and then they have to fight back....see, again with the vivid imagination. He really should just be more specific, then I wouldn't have to make up my own stories!

I really hope to get something in the mail from him soon. I hate going this long in-between letters. He still seems to be staying very positive and focusing on God throughout this testing...which I couldn't ask for anything more! And he said that I was the best Army wife/regular wife ever. haha! I love the "slash regular wife" part. haha.

Let's see, what else has been happening in my "regular wife" life?

I finished painting my downstairs half-bath....what do you think?! Isn't it FUN?! (Please excuse the toilet plunger that I've never noticed until this picture, yet am very embarrassed it's there. gross. why is it there?)


Oh yes....and THIS happened! It was Elena's FIRST BIRTHDAY! Christy and Andy threw a great party to help celebrate her big #1 complete with her own two-tier chocolate cake!

It was also me and Johnny's 6 month wedding anniversary last Saturday. I can't believe it's already been1/2 a year since that incredible day took place. I watched all 2 hours of our wedding video last night and it was pure medicine to my soul! I had been kind of down the past few days (ok, two weeks...whatever!) and it livened me right back up! I'm not sure why I didn't pop that baby in the DVD player two months ago when he first left, but I'm pretty sure I'll be watching it every night for the next 27 days until Johnny's Graduation!! If he continues to get GO's! on his missions and tests and doesn't recycle, I'll be looking at my husband's face on September 5. Oh man, I'm excited!!!

RAP Week is OVER!

Well, he's made it past the hardest part of Ranger School - the first week! Rap Week is officially over and he got "GO's" on everything and the first time through on each task as well. Apparently they will give you a second chance on some tasks if you don't pass it the first time before they recycle you and he never needed any second chances!

I got a VERY long letter from him yesterday. He said to heck with the postcards and mailed me a 12 page letter! (Don't worry - it's not on 8.5 x 11 paper...just small paper from a pocket notebook he has!) I can definitely tell by reading through the letter that the exhaustion is having an effect on him because many times he didn't make any sense and he repeated himself often. However, he seemed to have high morale and he definitely stills has his sense of humor!

He said the heat is the worst part because they just stand around in the sun all day long. But they do keep some of the water ice cold for them, so he was pretty excited about that. His company began with 114 and they are now down to 59 guys....just after the first week! He is meeting a lot of new people, several of whom are stationed in Savannah at Hunter Army Airfield with the 75th Ranger Battalion. I see new friends in our future! :) He even ran into a guy from Hilton Head who he use to hang out with when they were kids...isn't that wild?!

They had a "Demolition" class a few days ago where they actually got to make explosives and then blow them up. He said it was probably the most fun he's had yet. haha. He's still a little boy at heart!

He still isn't getting much sleep. The night before his 12 mile Ruck March he only got 45 minutes of sleep. In regards to food, he said, "The longer I'm here the more hungry I get. My intake has not changed, I'm just in need of more food! But, I'm fine - promise!" He said he can tell he is not nearly as strong as he was 3 weeks ago. He said he put some of his gross dirty clothes in a trash bag for a couple of days and when he went to wash them, he opened the bag and it smelled like pure ammonia. Apparently, when you start burning your muscles off, it smells like ammonia. Yuk!

In his letters, he reminisces a lot about our life at home and he said those thoughts keep him going. He also said, "Please tell everyone to write and send pictures! It is hard to have all this, all the time, so I think my mental escape will be letters and so forth." Geez, I can't wait to have him home again. We're almost 1/3 of the way done! YAY!

Here are some pictures from me, Christy and Elena's photo shoot last night. We wanted to take some pictures to send to Uncle Johnny!