To Blog or Not To Blog

As of lately, it would be the latter. Clearly.

Would you believe me if I said I've thought about this blog every day that I haven't written? What if I told you I literally lay in bed at night thinking up blog post ideas? You're wondering what the heck took so long for me to come back to it, right?!

Oh, the reasons why I stopped blogging are numerous. It came at a time when I quit my job and for the first time ever did not have true purpose or organization to my day coupled with moving out of our first home in Georgia to an apartment in Virginia. I didn't work while the husband was in training in VA for 5 months and boy, did that ever take a toll on me. I didn't realize how much I would miss working. I used to dream of being a stay-at-home wife to do all the things I wanted to do that I never had time for like scrapbooking, staying on top of chores so the house was always orderly, trying out new recipes, eating dinner at a decent hour, etc., etc. But when that became my reality, I was just blah instead of refreshed. It was a tough move for me. I wasn't super happy with our location, with his work hours, not finding a church we liked, not having friends nearby and many others things, but in reality, the real issue was that I was just in a slump. So, out of my normal routine, the blog suffered. For a few months I didn't even read my favorite blogs which is shocking even to myself now!

I've gone back and forth so many times trying to decide if I should just delete the blog all together. And then I would randomly get a comment from a fellow military wife saying how encouraged she was by my writing. Me! Just a young, slightly naive Army wife who is still trying to figure out this whole Army thing and may not be quite so optimistic about it all after I tell you about our next move....yes, another one, after the last move I wrote about on February 17!

But those comments meant so much to me because I know how much of an inspiration and source of laughter and joy other blogs have brought me. Yet, if I'm going to do it, I need to stay connected and stop being so darn fickle! So, needless to say, the internal battle of "To Blog or Not To Blog" continues!

So that's all for right now. I had a moment of....gumption I guess you could say and thought I would actually type instead of just think about it :)

Good News, Bad News

Well, the good news is that I probably lost a few pounds.



The bad news however, is that not even 3 hours after my hunny and I were spooning our way into a deep slumber on our anniversary night did I awake with a very non-romantic horrible stomach ailment. It wasn't food poisoning because Johnny and I shared every delectable thing that made its way to our table at dinner that night, but it did put me in a phenergen-induced coma for the next 36 hours. I'm back to work today, but my stomach is still gurgling and I'm not quite sure if I can eat chicken broth and noodles for another meal.

It's True

I Love Today

Today is my last day of work until 2010! Thank you baby Jesus!! Not only is this my favorite time of year, and I get to spend it with my man this year, but I am such a happier person when I'm not at work, just ask my husband! I have big plans for the next two weeks. Lots of exercising, baking, trying new recipes, organizing, probably exercising some more after eating all the baked goods, having dinner at a reasonable hour in the evenings, spending time with family, uploading pictures to recap my life on the blog and catching up on the dvr.

I.CAN'T.WAIT!

Weekend Recap

It's December 9th and it's currently 80 degrees with approximately 4,000% humidity. YUK! Boy, do I miss the snow and the cold air that smacks you in the face as soon as you step outside. I'm sure one of these days I am going to be eating these words because with my luck the Army will probably station us in Alaska or Antarctica!

I have so many pictures to post it's ridiculous. Johnny and I just got back on Monday from a weekend get-away in Charlotte, NC. For his birthday in August I bought him David Allan Coe (DAC) concert tickets for this past weekend. When I bought them, I remember thinking to myself, "December is so far away, it stinks we have to wait so long to enjoy the concert." HA! Those four months flew by and now here we are with Christmas right around the corner. The concert was great and we were so pumped up from the excitement of a live concert that we were actually the last ones to leave. And no, I'm not embarrassed by that statement in case you were wondering! Luckily, DAC has mellowed out a bit and didn't sing any of his crude/gross songs that he used to sing back in the day....it was just good ol' Outlaw country music.

We had such a great weekend and ate delicious food all weekend long and shopped at what I consider the best mall in existence...South Park Mall. I loved being back in Charlotte and being able to spend a few hours on Monday in Rock Hill, SC where I spent four pivotal years of my life at Winthrop University. I had the silliest grin on my face the entire time we drove around Rock Hill and the campus, reminiscing about all the good memories I made there.

I'm off to primp and beautify myself for my work's Christmas Party tonight.

Oh! If you need any gift ideas, check out THIS POST from last year!

Oh, I Have a Blog? What's That?

Hi, my name is Amanda. I started this blog about a year and a half ago to keep family and friends up to date on our ever-changing, Army controlled, God-loving life! My past-times include neglecting the blog, ignoring harassing texts and emails from my family about the blog, and eating Wavy Lays Chips and Heluva Good Dip.

I feel that it is only right that I introduce myself again considering I have been so rudely absent for almost two months.

Let me give you a quick recap of everything that's happened since I last posted.

1.) I scrubbed every square inch of our house because I was a nervous, anxious wreck about the man returning.

2.) Johnny FINALLY came home from a year-long deployment in Iraq.

3.) I flipped out and had a minor breakdown because it was such a huge, overwhelming change and I was not anticipating that anything would be different....but DUH...he was gone for a year.

4.) We rekindled our love, he told me I was bonkers and now we are slowly adjusting back to "normal" life....whatever that is.

5.) We had about 40 of our closest friends and family over to our house for a "Welcome Home Oyster Roast Party" which was awesome and Johnny got to catch up with his buddies that he hadn't seen since our wedding!

6.) We saw our two cute little nieces dressed up as fairies for Halloween.

7.) We went to Charleston for The Citadel's Homecoming weekend and spent lots of time with "couple friends" who don't have babies...it was amazing!

8.) We decided we are so over everyone having babies right now and are not planning on having kids for a long while. (So, no need to ask us anyone!!)

9.) We finally became members of the church we've been attending for 3 years which is super exciting because we've been wanting to do it for about 2 years now, but he was always gone!

10.) We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year and I cooked everything including a huge turkey all by myself!

And that's about it! See....you haven't missed much! I have lots of pictures that I need to upload from my camera to the computer, so when I do that, I will post some on here, too. Life is crazily busy now that he is home which in and of itself was a major change because my life was so quiet and simple while he was gone. Ya know, no one prepares the wives for this stuff...there was NO re-integration brief for me. I'm just thankful we are 100% committed to our marriage and that God is the center of our lives and relationship....I can't imagine how much harder it would be without that solid foundation.

Sorry for my absence friends :)

Recap

It was 53° this morning in Savannah when I woke up! I couldn’t believe it! I realize there are many places across the country that have already had their first snow, however, 53° is chilly for Savannah in September. Are there any other locals out there who think Fall weather is hitting us much earlier this year??!

Last weekend I spent Saturday at the beach with a few of my girlfriends. We had such an awesome time. We all brought something to contribute to our picnic and just spent the day talking, eating, snoozing, reading, and relaxing ocean-side. It really was therapy for my soul!

On Sunday, I spent the morning volunteering with the Food Ministry at my church. I spent 4 hours chopping and mixing to help prepare for a Missions Lunch that afternoon and I loved every second of it. I think they thought I was kidding when I said I could stand and chop vegetables literally all day long and actually enjoy it! It is a dream of mine to one day go to culinary school….wonder if that will ever happen J

The work week was only mildly painful. Luckily I was able to stay rather busy so it went by quickly. The evenings this week were spent catching up on my DVR since all my favorite shows are finally back on.

Johnny’s return date was delayed about a week which is a bummer, but honestly…what’s another week when we’ve already done a year of this mess! I am ready for it to be here though, fo sho!

I have a fun weekend coming up with lots of plans with sweet friends that I don’t get to spend nearly enough time with. Next week, I’ll be making lots of to-do lists and getting things ready for Johnny’s return….can’t wait!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

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!

R&R Recap

Remember way back when, like back in May when Johnny was home from Iraq for 2 weeks and I couldn't stop gushing about how amazing our time together was?! We tried to cram all of our favorite things we love to do together into two weeks. We even made a list of all the things we wanted to do about 2 months before he actually came home. And I KNOW we accomplished most things off that list because as I was writing the captions for the pictures below I kept wanting to start off each sentence with, "One of our favorite past times...".

We really did have an incredible two weeks together. I don't think it could have been any better quite frankly. The fact that we hadn't seen each other for 7 months didn't seem to phase us because we jumped right back into our life and it was almost as if he had never left. It really did refuel us for the rest of the deployment and reassured me that we were going to be fine.

One of our "fancy" dinners out in Savannah. We love getting
dressed up and eating delicious food!

Playing cards and drinking beers at home :)

Pickling okra

Fancy dinner at Grill 225 in Charleston. We were celebrating our one year wedding anniversary since we weren't together for it in February. Look at how cute he looks in his bow tie!! Love it!

At The Citadel for the Parade.

Our couples massage at Savannah Day Spa....amazing!

Cleaning his bike after we got caught riding in a major rain storm.

Out for Mexican on Cinco de Mayo with friends.

Breaks My Heart

How many of you watched it last night? I realize news of it is everywhere this morning and it's what everyone is talking about, but I can't help but share my thoughts and feelings on it all as well. Especially considering I've kept my mouth shut this long!

I kind of figured it was coming but I think I was still hoping that they might surprise us and say they are going to counseling and will do whatever it takes to make their marriage work.

Literally, it breaks my heart. Johnny would say to me, "Amanda, it's just a TV show." And while I did fall in love with the Gosselin family because of their TV show, they are also real people and this is their life. It always has and it always will hurt my heart to see other people hurting whether I know them personally or not.

I don't know what truth there is to all the rumors and magazine articles, but it seems to me that if the allegations were wrong about Jon and this 23 year old school teacher, that he would've stopped seeing her to prove that there really is nothing going on rather than further the assumptions that there was an affair happening. I'm not taking sides because I don't know who's right and who's wrong and it doesn't really matter. What killed me with last night's episode was how Kate seemed so heartbroken and against the idea of separation, yet forced into it because it was "necessary", while Jon acted flippant and excited about being released into single hood again. It's like he's going through a mid-life crisis or something....earrings, the lady friends, the attitude, the motorcycle (nothing against motorcycles, we have one and I love it), the drinking....it's just so not the picture they painted in seasons past.

Not only am I sad for them, it makes me think about how fragile marriage is. After watching the show all I wanted to do was give Johnny a huge hug and kiss and tell him how much I love him. Because he is halfway across the world, I settled for an email! Jon and Kate at one time were madly in love too and I'm sure they didn't see this coming when they renewed their vows last season. It just reminds me to not take it for granted and that the commitment and vows Johnny and I made can't be taken lightly. Jon and Kate's divorce makes me want to work harder at my marriage so that I never have to go through what they are living right now.

I just read that this season has been postponed in light of their recent divorce filing. Good. At least someone finally figured out that it would probably be a good idea to shut off the cameras for a while. It's silly, but I'm praying for them. I can't imagine what these next few months are going to be like for them and those cute little kiddos.

Prediction: I betcha within the next 2 months, Jon and that girl come out publicly that they are dating and/or pregnant.

Life Lessons by Regina Brett

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret,you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Audience Participation Please!

Out of the following items, which 5 would you be willing to live without if you HAD to.

1. Computer
2. High Speed Internet
3. Land Line Phone
4. Air Conditioning
5. Clothes Dryer
6. Cell Phone
7. TV
8. Car
9. Microwave
10. Cable or Satellite TV

Now share!! Which ones did you pick?

I could live without (if I HAD to) the microwave, a clothes dryer (in Australia we hung all our clothes on a line to dry), a land line phone (don't even get me started on that again!), cable or satellite tv and the plain 'ol regular tv.

It's kinda hard to imagine life without all of those things since we are so use to having each of them at our disposal....but I know I could do it if I had to.

Tell me I'm not the only one....

My exterminator is coming tomorrow morning. I spent the evening cleaning my house. FOR MY EXTERMINATOR. I don't even really like him....he is kind of rude. I have actually canceled appointments before with my bug man if I didn't have time to make my bed and do the dishes. Am I crazy and just really OCD? Or are you like this too?

On another completely different note...Johnny is back in Iraq and I am slowly (yet so much quicker than the first time he left) getting back into the swing of things, my productivity level is finally rising again and I'm working on getting rid of the several pounds I put on in just a mere 14 days. I'll update you on our fabulous two-week hibernation and our miserable good-bye soon. Just hang in there with me. It has been a roller coaster of emotions for this chick. :)

Land-Line Phones

Hi. What you are about to read could come across as bitter and/or annoyed and/or ridiculous. I'm just warning you.

When my sweet husband and I bought our first home, he wanted to make sure we had an alarm system to keep me [somewhat] protected while he was away. Well, one of the MAJOR components to getting this new alarm system set up, was a land-line. I HATE LAND-LINES. Not to mention your average person doesn't use a land-line anymore because cell phones are now literally attached to people's ears. We don't need a land-line, we don't use a land-line and I certainly didn't want to pay $30 extra a month for something I had no use for. Guess who lost that battle. Me.

The "great deal" of $35.99 a month quickly jumped to $61.99 because the only reason we were paying for that stupid land-line was for the alarm system. Dumb.

I don't even know the number to own house phone. I am dead serious! I happened to be home one day and it rang. That phone NEVER rings. I mean N-E-V-E-R-R-I-N-G-S. It actually kind of frightened me when it rang because I had no clue where it was coming from. So I answered it and the woman said, "Is Betty there?" Umm, unless you are affectionately referring to me as Betty Crocker, no, no Betty here. Then she asked, "Is this 912-893-6789" (or something like that) and I just said, "No it isn't." BUT I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT OUR NUMBER IS!!!! The number she said could have very well been our number, but I couldn't even tell you a single digit that's in it. So ridiculous.

I am definitely a little bitter about the land-line. But I am thankful for our alarm system. There have been many nights since Johnny has been gone that I have heard some weird noises but was reassured that if it was someone breaking into my home our alarm would have already woken up the entire neighborhood.

Remember Me?!

I'M BAAACCCCKKK!!!! :)

Well, I have officially been MIA for a month and 2 days. How rude of me. Seriously, I feel rotten about it, so I have decided instead of just deleting the blog all together, I will give it another go!

Y'all - I have so much to tell you about....so much has happened and so much awesomeness is about to happen, so y'all better stay tuned! I realize I have probably lost 99% of my readers (with that 1% being my Mom) due to my unannounced leave of absence, so if you're still checking me out on here, would you leave me a little comment love every once in a while? :) I love comments...it makes this blog interactive and reassures me that I'm not just babbling into an empty hole in cyberspace....which I guess wouldn't be that bad, it would be like a virtual diary...but no, still, comments are much more fun!!

So I have been super busy with company for about 4 weekends in a row and new projects and new recipes and just lots of fun stuff. And the best part is that my most favorite person in the world (Johnny...DUH!) will be coming home in about a month for his 2 week R&R!!!! I am just bubbling over with excitement! I'll fill everyone in soon....but now I must get my beauty sleep!

It's good to be back guys!

HUGS!

25 Random Things

So I'm sure everyone and their mother has heard about the 25 Random Things posting that has been happening on Facebook lately. Well, I got sucked into it after like 5 people tagged me to do it, and I eventually made my list...so I thought I would post it on here to give y'all an insight into my crazy self! Enjoy!

1.) I still wear my retainer at night...often...especially since the hubby is gone for a year.

2.) Being an Army wife is the hardest job I've ever had in my life and while I wouldn't change my life for anything, I also don't wish this hardship and pain on anyone.

3.) I type up all my recipes in the same format and print them out on 4x6 note cards to organize them in a binder with categories and dividers and everything. I typically put the list of ingredients on one note card and then the cooking instructions on another so when I am planning a party or a big meal, I can take the list of ingredients for each recipe with me to the grocery store. (See #23 to back this up.)

4.) I sincerely adore and respect my husband and fully believe God made us for each other.

5.) I want to go to culinary school one day. I would love to go to culinary school in Germany or Italy....but that will more than likely be up to the Army. They may have big plans for us in Arizona or some random place like that, who the heck knows!

6.) I HATE bad customer service. Whether it's McDonald's, a bank or a 5-star restaurant, it is one of my biggest pet peeves.

7.) Fresh Market is my happy place. I love the smell of the store when I walk in and the music they play and all the beautiful fruits and veggies and fresh cheeses and breads.

8.) I get hurt easily and take things personally, yet continue to expect the best from people for some reason.

9.) I am quickly getting into "baby mode"...much quicker than I thought I would. I secretly really want twins.

10.) I like to dip my green beans into ketchup....it started when I was a kid, but I still love it today. Don't worry I don't do it in restaurants or around most people. And it absolutely grosses Johnny out so much!

11.) I would love to be a book editor one day. I was called the "Edit Nazi" in college....I can spot a typo miles away. Watch me have one on here...sheesh!

12.) I don't have any patience for people who are selfish and constantly make excuses for themselves.

13.) I totally get sucked into the TV. I can't get anything done when it's on...which is why I hate the thing. Although, I do totally love my DVR.

14.) I only watch movies or read books with happy endings. Life is tough enough as is, I don't want my entertainment to depress me too!

15.) I am obsessed with my blackberry and I don't know how I survived without it.

16.) In 5th grade I decided I wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up because we dissected owl pellets and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So weird.

17.) I don't really like chocolate or sweets all that much, but I could eat an entire bag of carrots and ranch dressing or wavy lays potato chips and helluva good dip.

18.) I talk to my mom at least once every day. She is one of my best friends.

19.) I once fell off a ski lift while it was climbing up the mountain. I quickly learned that you are suppose to pull down that bar in front for a reason!

20.) The clothes in my closet are organized by color.

21.) Telling Johnny goodbye for an entire year the night he deployed to Iraq was without a doubt, the worst night of my life. I didn't know pain like that existed.

22.) I am obsessed with being married. I love everything about it. I love "keeping" a home and decorating it and cooking meals for my husband....and all those domestic Martha-Stewart-like-things - I love!

23.) I am a major planner and Type A personality freak! It's actually ironic considering the Army rules my life these days! :)

24.) I would love to be a food critic one day and write reviews on amazing restaurants all over the world.

25.) I am actually kind of embarrassed that I just wrote 25 things about myself and started almost every sentence with "I ". Oh my goodness. I feel like I need to go do something nice for someone immediately.

Lunch Break

This is what I did today on my lunch break.


I realize there is a whole lotta plaid going on in this picture, but just try to uncross your eyes and look past that. That big fluffy comforter is not usually on the couch, but it is Johnny's old bed comforter and it's the most comfortable thing ever to take naps with.

It was one of those days. And naps do not come easily to me people. I don't know if I'm coming down with a cold or what, but I could hardly keep my eyes open this morning and had a headache from the devil. So I rushed home on my lunch break, set my alarm and took a quick 20 minute nap...I didn't even take my scarf or boots off. Then got up, made a pot of coffee and took two Excedrin migraine pills and rushed back to work. Is it Friday yet?

Who Was I Kidding?!

I have a confession to make.

Last night when I got home from the gym I immediately went into the kitchen and had a delicious homemade brownie. It was literally the first thing I did when I walked into the door. It was super yummy and warm and had symphony bars in the middle of them with almonds and toffee bits....oh yeah.

So much for "craving healthy foods" after I work out. What a loser I am. I can't even remember what I wrote about my personal eating habits like 5 hours earlier. Sometimes I just amaze myself, truly. So there it is folks...the truth...for all to see. I still do like salads and I usually do want to eat healthy after the gym....I'm not a total liar. Promise. I think I'm just hormonal. Yeah, that's what it is, I'm sure of it.

If Jim from The Office was my friend and had seen me stuff my face with that chocolatey goodness (and I don't even really like chocolate!) after I had just written that "I'm a health nut and only eat lettuce after the gym" number I think this is probably the face he would've made....


Or maybe this one.....


If you watch The Office....you will appreciate these pictures!

Rainy Day

Hi Friends!

What a cold, yucky day today is here in Savannah. Last week we were having 80 degree days, and tomorrow it's suppose to be in the 30s.....Savannah is so weird!

Things are going pretty well...I am still keeping my schedule as full as possible, but I am trying to leave some free time for the gym in the afternoons after work. Working out has such a big impact on my life. I not only have more energy, but my mind feels refreshed and I actually crave healthier foods when I work out. I'm overall a pretty good eater...I'm one of "those people" who crave salads on a weekly basis and sometimes for dinner I'll just have a big ol' bowl of brussel sprouts! Don't get me wrong, I also crave McDonald's cheeseburgers and fries every once in awhile, but after I work out, the last thing I want to do is fill my body with grease and fat. So it's basically a win, win! Exercising is not a new year's resolution or anything, it's basically what I have to do to keep sane during this deployment!!

I am doing this new women's bible study on Saturdays and it is by far one of the coolest things I have ever done! I'll write more about it soon. Y'all will all think, "Oh, that is just so neat. I want to do something like that too." And then you can start it at your church and have as much fun every Saturday as I'm having!

Johnny is doing well. Today is the three month mark....only 9-10 months left...we're a quarter of the way done! Hallelujah! I hope these next three months fly by because then we'll be half way done and the rest is all downhill from there. He is super busy in his new position as S4 up at Battalion Headquarters (HHC). He is learning a lot and really fine-tuning his leadership skills. He has some awesome mentors there who are teaching him a lot whether they realize it or not.

Johnny also had his 3 year anniversary with the Army last Tuesday. It is kind of a milestone in his career because when he got his commission, he was required to be in the Army for at least 3 years, and then he could get out if he wanted and do Reserves for three. Well, isn't it convenient he is deployed and couldn't get out even if he wanted to! haha! Sneaky Army! You know, Army life definitely has negative aspects to it, but there are a lot of great benefits that come with it as well. Johnny is an awesome soldier and he loves what he does. It'll be an exciting ride to say the least to see where the Army takes us next!

Phew....

The month of December was a complete whirlwind!

The holidays are always a busy time of the year and I love the hustle and bustle and cheer of the season, but I'm always left with a mixture of sadness that Christmas is over so quickly yet relief that things will finally start to slow down again. I guess that is kind of the same with many things in life. Sadness and relief....all at the same time.

You are sad when a family member passes away, yet relieved that they aren't in pain and aren't suffering anymore.

You're sad when a once close family member chooses to not participate in family gatherings during the holidays, yet relieved they aren't in a worse place in their lives.

You're sad when your spouse can't be with you to enjoy the spirit of the season, but so relieved to know he will be home for Christmas next year.

The holidays were tough y'all, and quite frankly, I'm glad they are over with! (Is that irreverent to say since Christmas is Jesus' birthday?) I missed Johnny more than I thought I would, but I loved the flexibility I had with my schedule and travel plans, and I loved the time I was able to spend with my family. Missing my man didn't stop me from beaming with child-like excitment when I saw my parents' Christmas tree all lit up!


Today was my first day back to work since last Tuesday! I am SO grateful for the time we had off. It was an amazing break from work and I had the opportunity to work on several projects around the house that I've been putting off since...oh...well.....like for a year now!

My New Year's Eve festivities were uneventful!! My mom, grandma and papa arrived at my home at about 9:00 p.m. that night as a pit stop on their trip from Raleigh, NC to FL. My papa's brother (my great uncle) passed away unexpectedly Saturday evening and the funeral was Wednesday afternoon which prompted their NYE travel.

Johnny went on a 5 mile run at 11:45 p.m. NYE with 2 of his buddies to "run in the new year"! He said, "I can finally say I'm coming home this year." Geez, he just makes my heart melt all the time. This picture was taken NYE...


I hope y'all had a blessed holiday season and were able to spend Christmas with those you love!