Happy December!

I get my husband home this month!!!!!!!! That is the ONLY info I can give right now.

This weekend I decided to clean out my closets and get rid of quite a few items that I don't understand why I still have them! So far just from posting some stuff on facebook I have made $170.... Which pretty much covers the Christmas shopping damage I did this weekend for the small child (sorry Riley) hopefully I can get some more of this stuff out of here! Cause I need to make room, Miles is slowly taking over all the free space in the house :)

I went to the craft store this weekend to get some supplies for a few projects, a welcome home sign, Miles' 3 month onesie and some other super fun craft stuff.

I really wish I was blogging more, BUT I use all my free time to work on projects. Why do I ALWAYS overwhelm myself with projects while Rye is gone. I have to get our new bed built in the next like weekish (that is my timeline I gave myself) When Rye gets home he is going to help me sand down and stain this table as red as I can get it!


I WAS going to put some pictures there but apparently I ran out of storage space on my blog for pictures... Anyone know if I will attain more storage at the beginning of the year. or am I going to have to purchase storage? I mean $2.50 isn't a terrible price a month, But how many people actually read my blog anyway... Is it worth PAYING for pictures? I know Riley reads it, and when he is away it is nice for him to keep up to date... We will revisit this issue.

Miles is going to be 3 months old the day after tomorrow. Time sure does fly! He rolled onto his belly for the first time today. Riley was able to see him do it over Skype! Well we both actually missed the first time... little Roman saw it instead. He pulls up to stand, and holds his head up like a champ! He's VERY physical and has been trying desperately to become mobile for WEEKS. I fear we may have an early crawler on our hands. I am NOT ready for him to be mobile. Deezul is just getting used to him, and I know he is not ready for Miles to be able to go after him. Lord help us all when the day finally arrives.

Cloth diapering is still going awesome. I only use disposables with the babysitter now. She MAY be cool with cloth, but I haven't ever asked her. I don't want to burden her at all. Also she is very well priced, and Miles only goes 2 days a week for like 4 hours, I think I can afford diapers for that time!

Speaking of cloth diapering, have I mentioned that it is addictive yet? Yikes. Wait until you guys see my next post about my stash. I would include pictures... But blogger hates me, and your curiosity.

The house is being decorated for Christmas and I am beyond excited. I cannot wait to see Riley and Miles on Christmas morning :)

Also I think I am A-OK if Riley decides to get out of the Marine Corps. I know that it is really hard on him to be away from us (especially Miles(And Deezul)) I really really like Rye, so I wouldn't mind having him around 24/7 again. He's my best friend :)

I really do love blogging, I have just been so busy. I will try to stay on top of it though!

Competition

Why do people feel the need to compete with others? I understand the primal need to "be the best" but why does EVERYTHING in life have to turn into a competition? I don't see the point.

In middle and high school we (girls) felt the need to compete with each other for the attention of boys. We were all absolutely too hard on ourselves constantly comparing our thighs or length/thickness of hair. Things that we honestly had little control over. I know that on multiple occasions I compared myself to my best friend (Lauren) and never once did I put myself in the "winning" category. She was skinny, and gorgeous and incredibly talented. She was also (and still is) my best friend. Sure the boys I liked often had little to no interest in me except to see if I could put in a good word with Lauren. But I was selling myself short on a tremendous level. Sure I was average height, didn't have long legs and was (and still am) incredibly awkward. But in high school I was talented, I had lots of friends, and I was beyond passionate in my hobby's (Debate team, and Acting up). Now if you ask Riley he will tell you what a nerd (aka loser) I was. And that if we had gone to the same high school we definitely would NOT have dated. Yet, he dated me KNOWING what a nerd I am. I used to be embarrassed to admit I was a debate nerd. But when I get worked up over a political issue I see him smile at the way I get myself totally overworked. Ya he is probably making fun of me in his head... but I'd like to think that my passion for nerdy things is one of the many reasons he adores me.

So competing during our teenage years DOES make sense to me. I see why people do it. But after you are married.... what is the point? I know people that like to try and compare their marriage to others. What gain do you get from that. Riley and I have an amazing relationship, we are best friends and enjoy each other more than other people... but how would it benefit me to compare or belittle another couple that has a COMPLETELY different relationship. With 2 people that are completely different from us? NOTHING. My marriage will be what it will be. Whether I compete with others or not. When my friends have great marriages, I don't feel the need to compare. I am genuinely happy for them, and possibly take note as to how I could improve my own marriage. The way I see it, I want all my friends to be in healthy and happy relationships.

Children. I know I am new to the whole parenting thing... but it's coming pretty naturally to me. I think 24 is the PERFECT age to have a kiddo (at least for me). I know that I would not have had the patience that I currently have. I would not have been so laid back either. It's crazy how much growing up I did in the 6 years we were married BEFORE Miles showed up. But it seems to me that every mom  makes motherhood into a competition.People question/judge your every decision and expect you to do the same. Just because I chose to cloth diaper does NOT mean I look down on you for using disposables. If I make a face when you talk about how expensive diapers are, it's only because I honestly have NO idea how much diapers end up costing, and you are probably blowing my mind! I don't let my son listen to music blaring. Not because I want him to be in quiet all the time. It's because I did research and made a decision. And I don't care HOW you feed your child... Just feed them!

Body type. Let's be honest here, I am not a size 1. Are ya shocked?! Weight is something I have always struggled with, Even now, I run and run and run and the scale won't move, even when I am eating very well. I can't compare myself to Lauren anymore. My body will NEVER look like hers. It won't look like anyones. I am me. I need to learn to be happy in my own skin... deflated balloon of a belly and all. While I wanted to avoid stretch marks the ones I have (while ugly) are a reminder that after years of trying and treatments. And all the heartbreak. I was able to carry my little man for a full 9 months. So many would KILL for that chance. So I try to remind myself as I am judging myself in the mirror, That I wanted this. My chest (partly since I'm nursing and partly from genetics) is GINORMOUS at this time. I mean out of control. While I have always hated being busty, It reminds me that I am able to nurse my son and provide life to him.

Anyway that Is my rant for the night. I just want to be happy with myself, and with the life I am trying to raise my son into. I will post again tomorrow, But I need to hurry and pump and go to bed. I'm exhausted!

UNO!

1 week left! That's it!!! I'm 39 weeks, woohoo!!!! I only have to hold on a few more days and then Rye will be able to be here for the debut of MR G. These past 2 weeks have been a lot of "Oh no is this it?!" So let's get on with it, here is the random list of stuff you probably don't care about, but It'll be nice for me to have it written down for later!

• Weight- I'm up 15 lbs from my original- yup I'm pretty awesome. This means I'm 25 up from my lowest (end of 1st tri because of sickness)
• Swelling- As long as I'm not on my feet for hours and hours at a time, I really don't swell that much!
• I get up between 2-6 times throughout the night for bathroom breaks. 
• Stretch marks- We're not going to talk about this. they are there. However the expensive stuff I have to prevent or minimize seem to be minimizing as much as possible :)
• Contractions- I didn't realize that I would be having the super fun cramps that every girl is so familiar with... As far as real contractions... I get 1 or 2 a day at this point. Some days I do have an hour or so with more, but nothing serious.
• Appetite- This is back with a vengeance since I was sick for so long I think my body felt cheated of the whole "eating for two" thing.
• Exhaustion- I cannot go a day without a nap. On top of that I have to sit down and rest after about an hour of doing anything. 
• Nesting- Yup I fully believe in the powers of nesting. Usually late at night I get this burst of energy and urge to clean everything! 
• Deezul- is needy as ever! He has been so clingy it makes me worry that I'm about to go into labor at any moment. 
• Waddle- Yup, I waddle and I'll admit it! But I waddle worse when I have to pee really bad.. other than that I do ok.
• Dreams- You should see what goes on in my mind during the night... Holy cow, it's pretty insane and messed up most nights! 

The full moon is coming up on Friday... So lets pray that the old wives tale is correct and Miles will make his debut on Friday! Stay tuned for that one! 

Crazy to think that soon I will be doing Post baby weight loss posts. I am pretty excited about the things that are to come! So here we are, my 39 week picture!

4AM Sprite Craving

For the first time in weeks yesterday I got a soda, and since it had been so long the burning was almost a new sensation. So after having the one, I decided that a 2 liter wasn't a terrible idea(keep in mind this is NOT a normal occurrence). SO GLAD I did this, because it is 4 in the morning and I woke up NEEDING a soda. I love when I crave something that is so simple to give in to! Not like my other cravings that just go unsatisfied. I have been craving ice cream for about 2 weeks now. But I don't want to be THAT pregnant girl that walks into a cold stone by myself... Even I would judge me. And last night I did finally get wings after craving them for a good 3 weeks.

Yesterday was one of those days when you have a bunch of errands to run and have to purchase a lot... and you feel like you were just out throwing money around. Not easy for me to do! however I now feel confident that I have almost everything I need for when Miles makes his debut. Rye's parents just ordered us the carseat we wanted last night so I just have to wait for that to show up, I ordered the crib yesterday. Since we are on an Island it will be here in 2-3 weeks. Which is totally fine since for the first few weeks he'll be in our room (ONLY until he is sleeping 4 hours at a time... that's the plan). My mom is making all the nursery bedding and the curtains (SO excited for that. My mom can sew!) We picked out the material when I was in Utah, and I kind of explained what I was thinking, showed her a few pictures and she ran with it. I can't wait to get that here so I can put up a gabillion pictures!

Have I said yet that I am grateful that it is August! So much happens this month. Including our 6th anniversary. Of course we will end this month with Rye getting to come home for a very short trip to see his favorite girl, and so we can welcome our little guy here together. He'll only be here for 2 weeks, then he will return to finish his deployment. But I am beyond grateful that they are allowing him to be here.

Well now that my sierra mist is nearly gone, I'm going to try and get another hour of sleep before getting up for the first day of preschool.

Bark Box Day!

One of the girls at work was gifted this thing called a bark box... or I guess I should say Izzy(her adorable Pit Bull) was gifted it. As soon as I saw the post on her Facebook about getting it I had to look into it. About 10 minutes into checking out their website I had done the math and decided it was WELL worth the money to order this for Deezul. I have been TERRIFIED that Dee will be traumatized when he is not an only child, and is not as spoiled. I want to make the transition as easy as possible for him. I decided this was a good way to ensure that he still received lots of attention and love! Yes I understand that he is a dog... But if you know me, you know the attachment I have to Dee runs deep... He got me through multiple trainings with Rye gone, a deployment(working on #2) and infertility (including miscarrying). I honestly have such a deep love for him that I don't think many people could have with their dog. Just thinking about everything the 2 of us have gone through, makes me all teary eyed... I really just love him

His first one arrived super late in the month and I ended up having to contact them to make sure it was on it's way. They explained they were changing shipping carriers and assured me I would not have this issue again. They were right, on the 20th of each month (give or take a few days) a package arrives with Deezul's name on the box. I started by showing him the box, getting excited and telling him it was for him. Now I put the box on the ground, get all excited and say "Look what came for YOOUUUU!!!" and he flips the freak out! Today he started attacking the box trying to open it to see what was inside, I had to fight him to get it so I could open it for him.

 This is Dee trying to figure out how best to get this open

 One paw and teeth is the method he chose... I intervened after a few minutes!

 Once I open it I let him sniff the whole box so he can get even more excited. He then sits (all on his own, without being told) and waits for me to choose a goodie from the box for him.

 We went with the T-Bone steak toy. Now the ONLY problem I have with this toy (other than the fact that it's a squeaky toy and will cause me to possibly lose my mind... Is that stamped on it, is a Grade A meat seal(which I would be ok with) EXCEPT it says DogMeat.... awkward much?!

 Dee Fell in love! He kept hitting it with his paw to make it squeak,

 He'd then back up... "Talk" to it and POUNCE on it.

 Here are the rest of his "goodies" He got a edible chew toy... It claimed to be hours of entertainment and chewing... Dee took it, ran upstairs and in 10 minutes there was NO trace of it... Guess he loved it :). There was a pack of poop bags(I was really hoping this box would include some!) A bag of treats (He REALLY loves the treats!) and some edible, Peach flavored non-popable bubbles. Now I was curious how Deezul would react to bubbles after pinterest told me that dogs love nothing more than bubbles. So earlier this week I actually purchased some JUST to place with Dee. He was NOT a fan. So I wasn't quite as excited about the bubbles. But he kinda came around when he realized they were flavored. He doesn't go crazy, he just waits for them to land and then slowly approaches one, and licks it up.

I promise he eats! I know that this picture shows his ribs... but this dog just eats when he's hungry. Oh and we are still trying to re-fatten him up a few more pounds since his hunger strike when I boarded him to leave the Island.

The Steak was hands down his favorite toy he has received from a bark box this far! The toy made from recycled firehose he got 2 boxes ago is probably a close second. He took the steak upstairs and played by himself for a good 45 minutes with it! since then It has gone to every room he moves to. In case you are wondering, I am lying in bed, with a Dee burrowed under the covers... with a plastic steak resting under his paw and chin.

Is he the most spoiled/loved dog in the whole entire world?! In case you are thinking about signing up for a barkbox here is a code to get $5 OFF your subscription! sagar043 


And HERE is the link to their website! When I have had to contact them for different things, they have been SO quick to respond to my e-mails. It has been such an amazing experience and I am sure that when our subscription runs out that we are going to re-up

Oh and by the way, totally not getting anything for this blog post. I have just had a BILLION people ask what the bark box is, and so I figured Why not do a Barkbox review!

So far the ONLY thing we have not been head over heels for was a shampoo that came last month.. Deezul (being a Shar Pei) has super sensitive skin, and the shampoo was not great for his skin. I thought I'd try it. But afterwards I decided that sticking with our Oatmeal shampoo from the vet is probably best for us :)

The Nursery

So Riley has once again pointed out what a horrible blogger I am. It's true! I get so wrapped up in my projects and just forget to "document". That and part of me wants to keep the finished product of the nursery a secret until it's all DONE... But I will show a few little "sneak peeks" until it's done, Deal?!

I feel like I am running out of time. I am only ONE WOMAN, and I'm quite pregnant, and it's just me in the house so I am left to do all the projects with just my own two hands! Today was the first time I actually reached out and asked for help. I bought this cube organizer thing (I finally made the decision to NOT continue my search for the perfect dresser). This this was HEAVY, While loading it into the trunk I decided that carrying the box all the way up my flight of stairs was not a smart choice, So I called a friend and asked her to stop by later to help out... See I can humble myself and not just insist on doing it all myself! Speaking of dumb choices, we were talking in young women's (after church) about moving furniture while pregnant. One of the other leaders moved her Piano down a flight of stairs, and her couch UP a flight of stairs while she was about as far along as I am, and her husband was gone. Nope, you could not pay me.

Ok so now to the fun stuff. I have never pretended to be some awesome DIY-er, I make more mistakes than I have success stories... So follow along and guess the stupid thing I'll do before I tell ya what I did... There are quite a few mistakes along the way.

Let's start with the letter... Ok, so I know that SOOO many people do it, but I wanted to put Miles' name above the crib in some way. So I had this idea to paint some of my old white Ikea frames, hang them empty on the wall(no glass just the wood frame), and put some string wrapped letters inside. I painted the frames and that was completely uneventful (and I don't have pictures of them right now, you'll have to wait. Anyway, I decided I could cut out the letters on card stock with my silhouette Cameo and wrap it in string. So I looked around because I KNEW that I already had everything I would need for this project. I really wanted gray letters, but did not have gray string. I DID however have this.

 And some Dye. I dyed some sheets over last deployment with gray dye, but it kinda turned out a little to purplish-gray for my taste... So I decided to use my black Dye instead... and just NOT let it soak as long as it said to. (Do you see where this is going?)

 This is my water once I added the packet(I was 100% that this would work and I was a genius.)

I dunked the string, flipped it over, and took this picture. It just got blacker and blacker as the time wore on... CRAP.

Lucky for me I had another thing of string (don't ask, I have too many of A LOT of things). This time I used the GRAY dye

And what do ya know.... BINGO

I was so pleased with it and took it outside to allow it to dry... It was a cloudy and muggy day, so drying was NOT happening. I decided to throw it in a pillowcase and toss it in the dryer for just a few minutes.... seriously only like 5 minutes. After the time was up I opened the dryer confident that I was so smart by putting it in a pillow case (figuring out how this story ends yet?). I have NEVER seen such a string mess in my life!!!! I spent the next 6-8 hours unravelling just enough of the string to get all the letters covered.... Lessons learned!!! I will take some pictures of the remnants of my giant string mess, and of the letters tomorrow...

But for now I am done. I am started to fall asleep while typing and then coming to and not understanding what was written... I know, I'm strange. So stay tuned, cause I HAVE so many more projects that I will post about this week. This nursery is going to be a success!

32 Weeks :)

So here is my 2 week update, I understand that I didn't update for 30 weeks, but I DID get pictures taken so I didn't do my typical against the wall pic.

Here is my bullet list of random pregnancy crap :)

• None of my regular shirts fit. When I wear one late at night while working on projects I'm rocking the "White Trash Belly" as Rye calls it.
• My magic stretch mark stuff ran out... So yes I have fallen victim (I have to go get some more, and SOON!)
• Deezul doesn't hate my belly QUITE as much.
• Deezul is NOT a fan of noisy baby toys
• Running was starting to cause pain. However I talked to the midwife, and she explained what it was and that I just needed to wear my stupid pregnancy support belt... Very well.
• Nesting has kicked in, I'm working on about a billion projects for the nursery trying to get them all done!
• Morning sickness has been threatening return this week, Let's hope it changes it's mind!
• I have to go do the 3 hour Gestational Diabetes test in the morning, So I have to finish eating to start my fast in an hour (BOOO)
• This kid is running out of growing room, I can feel when I wake up and can tell that he hit a growth spurt over night.
• Miles is in a position that puts strain on my nerve, so at times my right leg goes numb (makes sleeping oh so fun!)
• Heartburn is out of control (thank goodness for chocolate milk)
• No swelling still (I've been careful to control this as best I can)
• I've decided that pregnant women use FAR more toilet paper because of decreased bladder size (Thank goodness for costco!)

Alright so here's my 32 week picture, I feel pretty big, we will have to wait and see how much more I can grow within the next 8 weeks :)

Running out of Time

I haven't blogged lately cause I was out of town, so this will be my little catch up.

There is not enough time left until Miles gets here. I have a list about a mile long of projects that need to be done... So luckily I am working less hours right now and should hopefully be able to complete a lot of them.

I'm home from my trip (THANK GOODNESS!). It was so nice to see so many friends and all my family, but at the same time, It's easier to adjust to Riley being deployed when you are home and can get into a routine.

The wedding in Northern California was absolutely GORGEOUS, I feel so incredibly blessed that I was able to be there for it, and was able to capture the moments for Kaitlyn and Daniel. I flew in on Wednesday, and until Sunday (the day after the wedding) we went non-stop. So while I was planning on finding a church building and going, I crashed ALL DAY! my feet were swollen at that point (not terribly but enough that I knew to put my feet up for a day). I did nothing but sleep the entire day, It was exactly what my body needed!

I flew out the next morning and headed to Utah. The turbulence was so awful that when I finally got off the plane I had to find a bathroom and puke (fun start to a trip). My mom picked me up and we went straight to Joann fabric and found the fabrics I want to use for the nursery.

My week was filled with good food, lots of loved ones harassing my belly, more smiles and laughter than I can count, and a very sweaty Sav (seriously 100 degrees pretty much the whole week).

I was able to meet BOTH of my newest nephews that I hadn't been able to see yet. Rafe who is now 9 months old. Seriously this kid is fantastic! I may have accidentally let him smash his head about 30 seconds into our first meeting, but I guess he forgave me because he pretty much loves me! He's not a fan of laying still while you change his diaper though... it must feel like such a vulnerable position to be placed in though, I'd probably thrash and wiggle the whole time too. Teagan, who is now 6 months is freakin adorable! He has little michelin man rolls all down his arms and legs and is wearing 12 month clothes already! He was such a happy and content baby the whole shower. He just sat wherever you put him and just giggled. Seriously I absolutely LOVE all 4 of my nephews, and cannot wait to supply them all with a cousin to play with, Especially Rafe and Teagan who will be close in age with Miles.

I was able to get Maternity pictures done. and CANNOT wait to see them. We were losing light quickly, and didn't get too many shots in, but from what I saw already they are fantastic. We drove the Alpine loop through AF canyon (most gorgeous drive ever!). It made me sad though, I had never driven the whole loop without Riley. We have SOOO many memories in that canyon, and it was so nice to drive through and remember what an amazing place it is.

Saturday was a CRAZY day! We started the day out early, for the AF canyon 5k. I had a big group there doing it with me, My mom, Dad, Stepmom, Father in Law, Lauren and Candace. I was worried some might back out, but no one did!

My father in law and Lauren stayed with me for the 3 miles, Lauren took off about a half mile from the finish (GO HER!) while I had to slow down cause I had a pain that I wasn't sure if it was normal or baby related, so I walked. Curt stayed with me the whole time and we finished together running across the finish! I was the only one that had ever done a race, and I think they were all pretty proud of themselves! My father in law even mentioned to Riley that he would think about training for a half marathon, Riley's response to me about it "And so it begins!"

I will update with pregnancy stats when I get my maternity pictures from Lauren OR sunday or monday I'll take a quick 31 week shot. but until then, here are just a few from the race :)

Oh Oh Oh! The best part of the whole story, So at packet pick up they couldn't find my number. They had my packet, just could not locate my number. So they gave me the run around and sent me to like 3 different tables before FINALLY assigning me a new number. However they didn't have anymore green numbers, Green = 5k Blue = Half marathon. So I was given a blue number, no big deal. The morning of the race, they kept making a big deal about how we were at the 5k start, and if you had a blue number "YOU MISSED IT!" I just let them continue to point stares at me and think I was stupid. But as I crossed the finish line they handed me a finishers medal. I thought nothing of it, I've done plenty of races where the 5k and half-ers all get finisher medals. It wasn't until later that I realized that no one else that ran the 5k had a medal... They saw my blue number and assumed. You know what they say about assuming :)

The "Incident"

Very few times in my life have I been so upset in my life. If we are friends on Facebook than you probably saw something regarding me getting in a wreck, Well HERE is the story.

I was home getting Deezul stuff together for his stay at the puppy resort, I loaded everything in the car. accidentally FORGOT the keys inside, so while I grabbed them I also grabbed my NSYNC CD to listen to in the car. I started the car, and waited for the car to drive up the street, only to realized they were only inching along and they pulled into a house before mine anyway.

All settled in we rolled down the windows for Dee's enjoyment and enjoyed the awesomeness of "bye bye bye"... we pulled up to the 1st stop light and the Marines in the golf cart next to us clearly enjoyed my music choice...

Driving past the mini mart on base I was going 5 under the speed limit cause there are a lot of pedestrian's and cross walks. I pass the last crosswalk and am about to pass the last little turn in area for the mini mart I'm basically ENTERING the opening... The idiot coming the other way decides to try and stomp on the gas to beat me through the intersection. I slam on the brakes (instantly getting the worst charlie horse of my life), Deezul flies forward into the dash, and the front right bumper slams into his back passenger side.

He stops in the parking lot he so badly needed to speed into, I pull into the next little inlet and breath. Poor Deezul is so shaken up he immediately starts gagging and throwing up. I console him for a sec and make sure he's ok other than being freaked the eff out. I get my ID and the vehicle papers and head over to assess the situation.

The douche gets out, gets pissed about his car... doesn't even BOTHER to ask if I'm ok, or ya know... apologize... he just stands there staring at his car (keep in mind this man is clearly older than me and you would think he would have taken at least some responsibility for the situation) I make sure that he is ok, and then call the police on base to report the incident. They show up after what seems like forever, and for the first time someone asks ME how i'm doing. Until that moment I hadn't even thought about myself, my first instinct when it happened was to secure Deezul so he wouldn't be hurt, AFTER I was worried that Dee was upset and possibly injured, Then I was worried that this man who had caused the whole thing might be hurt. But after thinking about it... I felt fine. I still had a pretty wicked charlie horse, but overall didn't hurt anywhere.

I informed the officers that I felt fine, They immediately called an ambulance (In case I wasn't embarrassed about the situation enough already). They tell me that because I'm so far along pregnant I have to get checked out (no argument from me).

The Douche then recounts his harrowing tale of what HE thinks happens. "Oh, Uh well I was waiting to turn, and really didn't want to wait and she was further back, she was just going A LOT faster than I thought" to which I replied "I was going 5 UNDER the speed limit before I slammed on my brakes" (Insert his embarrassed face here). They go through a million questions and determine that HE was at fault (no duh). The ambulance shows up and the circus begins.

They come over and try to get me to lay down (keep in mind i've been standing perfectly fine this whole time). They then determine I am not completely broken and ask a series of questions about my pregnancy... They then take my blood pressure and asked how it compares to my normal... it was right on par. They ask if my stomach hurts at ALL... no. After 5 minutes they decide that I am ok and do not need to ride in the ambulance. The one guy seems convinced I'm perfectly fine and calls it in... He's then informed that because I am nearly 7 months pregnant, I HAVE to go to the hospital and get checked out. He tells me and makes me promise to go, I tell him I will call labor and delivery and see what they want me to do. satisfied he leaves.

We stand outside for eternity in the HOT sun filling out paperwork (I have an awesome sunburn to prove it.

I finally get to leave and continue to take Deezul to the puppy resort. He's shaken up and doesn't seem as elated to be in the car anymore. After, I call labor and delivery and inform them of the situation. They flip out and insist I come in immediately.

I have an emotional breakdown. My husband JUST left, so now I'm heading into the hospital 7 months pregnant and alone. I'm upset, at the entire situation. If I hadn't left the keys, if I HADN'T gotten the CD, if I hadn't waited for the car I had. If the light had been green... If Deezul threw a fit and we didn't get to leave at the exact second we did.... I would have missed this entire thing.

I then spend the rest of the evening in labor and delivery. I was hooked up to the fetal monitoring for hours while they tracked his heart rate (perfect) they took 9 or 10 vials of blood to test for pretty much everything (perfect), they did an ultrasound to make sure my placenta hadn't ruptured and that Miles had plenty of fluid (way perfect!), They had the contraction tracker thing on me... to monitor my LACK of contractions (perfect), they got out the awesome pap smear tools and checked all that fun stuff (perfect)... They start talking about how the trauma to my stomach bla bla bla... there was NO trauma to my stomach, yet no one would listen. The seatbelt didn't even hit against it. Even with all the tests proving what my instincts had already told me, they were apprehensive (which is their job)

Needless to say it was a LOOOONG night, I was finally released and drove home to FINALLY pack. Miles has been kicking like crazy, which is oh so reassuring. Had that crash been ANY worse, things could have ended a lot differently. I am grateful for the way things did turn out. And it was nice to get to listen to Miles heartbeat for a few hours... it's a comforting sound :)

Where has July Gone?!

almost this entire leave i find myself waking up early... not early for me since when Rye was gone i was up at 6 am everyday at the latest... but i'll wake up around 7, and Rye will sleep a few hours longer. i LOVE this because it gives him the chance he deserves to catch up on some MUCH needed sleep... after 7 months of NOT sleeping. I will get up and out of bed, some mornings (like yesterday) i'll cook breakfast. Yesterday it was blueberry pancakes and homemade strawberry syrup. other mornings ( like today) i'll snuggle on my spot on the couch and attempt to write a blog.

The weather all week has been EXTREMELY gloomy... which yes i DO love.. but it puts a damper on any plans that would have involved the beach. we have but days left of Riley's leave. Next week he returns to work and our life will return to normal... i suppose it's normal... for us at least.

i had a dream last night, that Riley went back to Afghanistan next week when he returned to work. 
it's something no Military family wants to think about with only 5 weeks since the return from deployment... but next week he will go back to work to get ready for his next deployment. at least this time around i have much more faith in us. i know that we are both incredibly strong, and we can get through a deployment. as well as reintegrate ourselves back into married life without issues. but we are NOT going to talk about the next deployment for a WHILE...

The boys are all returning from home. Riley doesn't like it cause it means he is gonna have to go back to work. this month off has been AMAZING. we have done so much, bonded, laughed, and seen practically every movie in theaters. i am so incredibly blessed to have married my very best friend. we have more fun together than any married couple should.

So this is my post to let you know that we haven't killed each other, and that there IS life after deployment... it is weird suddenly having someone around ALL THE TIME, when you are used to just chillin with the puppy.... sometimes you JUST WANT TO READ, but you can't always do that. it IS an adjustment, but as long as you are sensitive to each other and what you both went through... you'll end up fine. cause you will NEVER know what they went through on their deployment, and they will NEVER fully understand what you went through... if you can both know that going INTO a deployment it will make your life SO much easier after, instead of feeling the need to play the one up game on each other.

i'll post again soon, since life will be normal soon... if you can call my life normal.

At Last, My Love Has Come Along

i know you have all been waiting on pins and needles for this day to come... My best friend is HOME from Afghanistan. it was a LOONG 7 months... but he's back. i'm going to make this a quick post, he's shaving so i have a few minutes.

The day of the homecoming i was running on 1 hour of sleep for 2 days... i had SOOO much to get done, and ended up just staying awake. I did my hair and got dressed, then ran around the house finishing a few last minute things. when i got the phone call that their flight was moved up half an hour. which would mean i would need to leave the house in 10 minutes... i had to get Laura and Ronnie on base, make sure Emily could follow me over, let steph finish getting ready in my bathroom and pick up Sam... ya, the stress kicked in.

i got to the hangar and was then stressed that some would miss the plane landing because of the time change. once everyone was there we all stood around and waited, but not for long.

pretty much stoked on life

And here we go!

Waiting with "Mama Harpster" i told you she was pretty!!!

Riley had already informed me that he was near the back, so i stood back for the first half and just watched the reunions happening all around me. when i saw the first guy i recognized i moved closer to wait. then i saw Rye, i can pick him out from a mile away! i kept expecting the tears to start the second i saw him... but i just couldn't get the smile off my face!

And then we hugged... and i got all teary eyed, ok so yes i cried!

SPOTTED!

SO FREAKIN CLOSE!

At Last

i love this picture

ok so this last picture, right after getting home, Riley went and found his pellet gun that is IDENTICAL to his real gun that he had all deployment... and wanted to play with it... i think he maybe had some separation anxiety from it :) it's been an AMAZING few days. yesterday we spent the day with Rolfes and Harpster (kinda Riley's two besties)

it honestly feels like he never left. everything is the same between us.. it wasn't awkward at ALL like it was after bootcamp... it's amazing. i'm happier than i thought possible... i'll post more pictures later... for now, i'm going to go shower and get ready for another day with Riley... YUP i get to hang out with him :) i love my life!

Tourist for a Day

So, a few months ago one of the mom's of one of the guys got in contact with me, and we've been chatting ever since. i absolutely adore this woman, and could NOT wait for her to come out to Hawaii. Well Yesterday her and her younger son flew in, and i was able to get them from the airport. Today i drove over this afternoon to grab them and play tourist for the day. it's always fun to do that when you haven't really done TOO many touristy things while living here. we drove to north shore, stopped and saw the sea turtles real quick (ya i showed them my super secret turtle finding spot.... i'm pretty awesome like that). After the turtles we headed to the Polynesian cultural center. we did a luau and saw the HA Breath Of Life show, and it was AWESOME. i haven't been there before, and it was really interesting and entertaining. but i have to say my favorite part of the day was driving, i was able to just chat with Laura and get to know her even better... it's one of the things i miss most about the states.... long road trips with lots of time to just chat.

I am so excited for this weekend... time is FLYING BY. i know it's not for Riley at this point, but i've been very good about keeping REALLY busy so i don't have a chance to think and stress about anything.

Poor Dee was home alone for alot of the day, i tried to fee him tonight when i got home... but he just wanted to snuggle in bed.... soooo i put his food up and crawled in bed with him... now i have to deal with listening to his stomach.... ugh, why didn't he just give in and eat the dang food.

Ok i'm going to bed, i have to get up early to head out to Grab Laura and Bear for the day :) have an amazing weekend everyone!!!

Stress and Excitement!

Well, i'm still here... still just Deezul and I, but soon... oh so soon, Rye will be home with me, harassing me once again to put the computer down and pay attention to him. I am thinking about turning my computer completely off and not touching it until he goes back to work.... let's see how that plays out. i'm able to talk to Riley alot more now, which has been so nice. i am to the point that every other wife is DONE with what they need to do and they are pretty much just killing time... i kinda wish that was me. i am stressed beyond belief with all that i still have to do. the secret is out. after a little over a year all of our household goods FINALLY arrived. ya it took two truck loads to get it all in our house. and now i am left with the task of unpacking EVERYTHING... and not much time to do it. i know i COULD leave alot of it alone and have Rye help me. however he's just getting back from a 7 month deployment, and the last thing i want to do with him is unpack and clean... know what i'm sayin. my original plan was to not tell Rye our stuff got here, and just have it all here and put away when he got home. but when it all arrived, the stress kicked in... and more than anything, i needed to vent to my best friend. i am now confident i did the right thing. He had secretly been stressing big time about having to unpack everything on his 4 days off work. the last thing i wanted to do was put an unnecessary burden on him.

So as stressed as i am, i am SO grateful that this last little leg is flying by... only cause there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything perfect for when he comes home. then we will see how he REALLY feels about the decorating job :) oh by the way, i figured out what headboard i want to make. the inspiration comes from a $500 headboard in pottery barn. i will make mine hopefully for less than $50.... wish me luck! oh and all my projects are SO much easier with power tools.

oh and another thing... Mumford and sons.... AMAZING.

oh oh, and thunderstorms in Hawaii are AMAZING but frustrating when you are trying to unpack and the power keeps shutting off.

Stressed!

Well my power is going to be shut off in like an hour and a half.... for 6 hours... GREAT. that is EXACTLY what i need today :) Today is going to be a crazy busy day. i have a few appointments, and then i HAVE to finish the last of my "Deployment Projects".

I headed to costco yesterday for my final costco trip of the deployment! WOO HOO i freakin love costco. i spent a bit more than i planned but i got a TON of extra stuff. all stuff that we needed, except for I Am Number Four on bluray... but i really wanted that, so....... JUSTIFIED!!!!

i got alot of meat to freeze for bbq's with the boys and sunday dinners with my man. as well as one of those BIG drink dispensers... it was an AMAZING deal, and i've wanted one for months now. i had Sam and her husband come over last night, they brought the marine from our little memorial day cookout... cause i needed something moved, and having two marines do it is a HECK of alot easier. so i fed them all a Costco pizza, and then made them brownies. I am nothing if not resourceful. i finished out the night with the AC on 66 so i could freeze out my apartment, so i don't sweat to death today. Poor Deezul is shivering. he spent last night UNDER the blankets... he NEVER DOES THAT. poor puppy. and i WAS going to send him to Sam's to chill for the day, so i could get stuff done. but some last minute stuff happened.... so i am going to have to deal with the butthole today... let's see how things go :) i really do love Dee... more than almost anything. and anyone who has been around us knows this... HOWEVER for the project i'm working on today, i'd rather him be out of the way... it's a bit hazardous to puppy health :)

Almost Done!

I am getting so close to being done with this deployment! woohooo!!!! The sheets turned out fantastic, i am super impressed, wish i knew where that other pillowcase disappeared to.... oh well, it will turn up one day, and NOT match the rest of my room. My Wreath looks AMAZING, i did make the mistake of hanging it on the door with a ribbon that was hot glued, so it fell of the door and BROKE... a few more sticks of hot glue and a better ribbon, and we were back in business. I have the ideas in my head now for what i'm going to do for my head board and foot board. i just have to see if i can ACTUALLY pull them off. i was just talking to my father in law and we both decided i should get a jigsaw. so that will be coming in the next month of two. and the i just have to get the lighting in the guest room figured out... i have a FEW ideas... to sure what i'm actually going to do though, i'm waiting for Rye on that one. The guy is AMAZING when it comes to bouncing ideas off someone.

I haven't slept much lately, since Riley has been able to have more communication, i'm usually talking to him or one of "my boys" from the squad. so i have been going on like 2-3 hours at a time.. no wonder i'm sleep all day lately. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!! They are all so ready to come home, i cannot wait for that! i have been working on something for the single guys in Rye's team, but i won't put it up here, cause i don't want everyone else stealin all my good ideas :) ya i'm selfish when it comes to some of my ideas. i have NO problem sharing it, after everyone knows that i am the one who originated the idea :)

i have to get housing to come fix my blinds on my sliding glass door... they use cheap ones.. so some of them just... break... but housing is coming this morning cause my upstairs neighbor's porch is literally FALLING off.... i've been nervous it's going to fall on Deezul. so hopefully they get that fixed... or condemn the building and move us all :) i would love for that to happen, except that i JUST painted!! and got everything perfect.

And what is with housing thinking it's a good idea to shut off my power TWO days this week... ugh seriously... it's going off today for a while... and THEN again on thursday. and i have WAY to much to do on Thursday... so i decided i will freeze out the apartment the night before so that when i'm busy and have doors open and such, it will stay SOMEWHAT cool... until 2 p.m. when they turn my power back on.

So i'm trying to decide what color to dye my towels. so if you have any suggestions... lemme know! that's pretty much all i got today i have to get ready for work, which i still LOVE. but i also love that it's not full time. i'll try and blog a few more times in the next _____ Days, i'll be super busy. but i promise big updates will be coming by late june.

If you have any sort of problem with my blog... don't read it... if you have any sort of problem with me, confront me about it. don't be a coward. seriously. if you are honestly too afraid to tell me off to my face, then there is probably a reason we're not friends.

Look Unto Christ in Every Thought, Doubt Not Fear Not

Getting Things Organized.

Hey guess what friends.... MY HUSBAND IS COMING HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN SOON!!!! some days i sit and think wow, i cannot believe this crazy life we've been thrown into. soon my husband will be home from a war torn country. he has done alot of good, training the Afghani police and military. he's coming home as the biggest hero in the world to me. i am so incredibly proud of him. 2 years ago this week, we had already decided upon the Marine Corps and were waiting for him to leave for bootcamp. we were getting ready for a big California trip with Kat and Zack.

This life is crazy. i live thousands of miles from ANYONE that i know. i live alone 60% of the year, yet i'm far from single. i don't even bat an eye when i hear explosions and gun shots out my window. in fact the sound of gunshots is comforting to me. i got to the gym with a hundred guys who could kill me with a finger. I hear the world military or Marine Corps on tv, and i'm instantly tuned in. when walking to work in the mornings, i usually have to stop to pay respect to the raising of the flag. squads of running Marines are a normal occurrence (a very pleasing to the eye occurrence.) i live in a state where daylights savings means nothing, except the change in uniform. i speak in acronym's and people understand what i am talking about. i live on a military base where everyone has to be awake at 4-5 am... YET the grocery store on base does not open till 10 am... ya makes sense huh. i can walk in the middle of the night, and not fear what might be lurking in the shadows... worst case scenario, it's a drunk Marine, and my dog will murder them if they try ANYTHING!

i'm a Military Wife. i am the wife of a United States Marine... i am proud of my husband, and all the guys in his unit... and i'm proud of the wives. not the wives who go out and party all the time, but the ones who honestly keep the house together. This week i'll be trying to get everything organized. starting to get everything in place for when Riley comes walking through that door with me. i want it all to be PERFECT. cause he deserves that. to have everything perfect and in it's place. now to find the motivation to get up and do it. i was ALMOST out the door to go to the gym, when one of the guys messaged me and said Rye was getting on... so here i am 90 minutes later.... looking at the stormy weather and deciding whether walking to the gym is a good option right now.... we'll see. Stand by for confirmation of gym trip!

Memorial Day Weekend

Well.... this started out as just another holiday weekend that my Husband is not here for... i was just planning on sitting home and doing NADA!!! however, Sam mentioned that her husband was firing up their grill... so i did the right thing... invited myself over for a burger last night :) i am so incredibly happy that she has her husband back, i'm JEALOUS... but not a mean jealousy. her hubs had one of his buddies from the unit over as well... it's strange to hear Rye's name mentioned from people i DON'T know... it made me happy.

I was over late, after burgers we pretty much just watched tv,.. and since i brought Deezul over, i harassed him a little :) so i got home late and CRASHED immediately, since they took all my furniture and i'm waiting for MINE to be delivered, i'm sleeping on my new comfy couch. my couch is AMAZING... have i mentioned that lately.

I woke up this morning, decided to Dye some sheets... remember these ones?

ya the one that butt head ruined. i wanted to dye it to match the new color scheme that i am working on for our bedroom. i was worried that the dye wouldn't work well... UMM IT'S AWESOME.. the black ink stain is still there a little.. but it's just on the fitted sheet, so i can put the ink stain at the bottom of the bed and no one will be the wiser.... except all my awesome blog stalkers... but my in laws don't read this, so my mother in law will have NO idea :) sorry i can't put up pictures.... still wanna wait for Rye to be back.

While the sheets were sitting in the dye i thought i would make a wreath.. so i spent ALL day making this wreath... it took me probably cose to 30 glue sticks... and my trigger finger once again has a blister. it's been too long since i've used my glue gun....

i'm killing time till Rye is home with me.... Time is not passing too slow... but definitely NOT passing by fast... each day FOR SURE feels like 24 hours... ugh i'm ready for him to be back! i cannot wait!!!!!!!!!

What i've Learned this Deployment

This is the post i started last week... that Blogger decided it was going to delete before i was able to post.... booo

Alright, so this deployment is winding down... not over yet, but i see the end in sight HALLELUJAH!!! So i thought that i would make out a little list of some things i've learned for any wives who are reading this and gearing up for the longest __ months of their life.

So here we go... Sav's list of stuff she now knows.

• The night they leave, they WILL NOT leave at the time given.... they'll tease you with a "go home for an hour and then come back" it'll be the worst night ever.
• you can bring your puppy to the parking lot when saying goodbye, you just have to put them in your car when the drug/bomb sniffing dogs come out to do their thing.
• It's alot harder to lose weight when you have more than half a year to do it... i kinda liked the crunch time of bootcamp more.... ya i know... i'm lame.
• it doesn't matter if you DON'T brag about phone calls.... girls will trash talk if they find out you are getting more calls than they are
• You could hear from him a few times a day for a few weeks... and then out of the blue... NOTHING for a few weeks... just NEVER expect a phone call, and you won't be quite so disappointed.
• When everyone you meet seems to be PSYCHOTIC.... go back to church... you will meet the nicest most grounded people in the world. 
• Doing craft projects around the house will keep you busy.
• It will also keep you out of the rumor mill... if EVERYONE knows you are always on your back porch spray painting SOMETHING... they won't be tempted to spread around that you were out partying.
• DON'T party when your husband is gone... doesn't mean you can't go out to dinner with the girls... but going out dancing/drinking... it's not classy AT ALL... especially on an island where the ONLY wives that do that are the unfaithful ones... you MAY be one of the few that does that and is still faithful... but it's less believable.
• When you are so sick you cannot even take the dog outside... DON'T suck it up and go help a friend run errands. 
• Trust no one... this means putting prescriptions in a place where no one is tempted to "take a few"
• don't be afraid to take a time out from the other wives... it's better than snapping someones head off. 
• GO to your spouse's meeting every month! you get great information... and they smash all the rumors... like "oh the boys are coming home 10 weeks early" 
• Marines love gossip just about as much as wives do. so be careful what you tell anyone but your husband.
• A puppy may be the BEST companion... he'll give you a reason to get up every day... and NOT talk back like a child would :)
• While you may think it would be easier to spend the holidays alone acting as though it were just another normal day... it's not... Spend it with people that WON'T drive you crazy. people you can make amazing memories with. 
• People will try and feed you the whole "my husband is gone for a month, so i know what you are going through" NO THEY DON'T they don't have the fear in the back of their mind that their husband will get SHOT while selling security systems in nebraska.... AAAND they can text their honey anytime they want, and will most likely get a response within minutes or hours... NOT send an e-mail desperately asking for advice... with no reply for 3 weeks. 
• there will be times they will have to hang up immediately, you may not hear back for a few days. try not to stress... if he was on the phone with you when whatever happened... happened... then he is FINE. 
• Don't put a mopey status up on your facebook everyday... people will want to delete you 
• Better yourself... but don't change yourself. 
• Avoid fast food like the plague!
• make your care package as creative and loving as you can, he notices... and so does everyone else.
• Try to send things to the guys in his team... they will appreciate it more than you'll know. 
• Painting every room in your house will keep you busy for a few weeks... picking colors and taping base boards and ceilings for hours
• Trust your instincts
• People won't understand your "need" to do DIY projects... but when they see the lighting, shelving, wall art, rug, and other things finished in the house... they will be jealous... so don't listen to the criticism until it is all done!
• You are not in college... no sleepovers, unless it is an extenuating circumstance. 
• When people complain about how you do things in YOUR own home... tell them to get the Eff out (i don't take my own advice on this one.. although i'd love to)
• Walking to the gym burns nearly 500 extra calories round trip.
• USO concerts are amazing.
• Don't get into a "my husband has worse habits than yours" contest... no one wins... you just look like an idiot for marrying the guy who pees in the sink. 
• BE A BUILDER!!!! no one wants to be around someone who breaks them down, you want to be around someone who builds you up! 
• Build up your husband, most of these girls on base have never met your husband... so if you complain about him, they will think him a not so great catch. talk him up!!! i mean c'mon you married him for a reason right?!
• Tell  your husband EVERYTHING, and lay it out in a way that you are able to say "i have done NOTHING that you should be ashamed of" the trust will be so much stronger if you are able to say that completely honestly.
• When you have a rough day, your husband has probably had a pretty bad one too. and already feels like CRAP for not being there for you, don't make him feel more guilty about having to go through whatever you are going through alone.
• When sent "just because" flowers, do NOT get upset with your spouse for spending money. you look like a capital B... accept the fact that he loves you enough and wanted to show you how MUCH!!! 
• Audio books are AMAZING. and make the house sound much less quiet.
• your power of attorney means NOTHING, no one on a military base cares about that paper. they still won't let you do ANYTHING... cause they will assume your husband was retarded for giving you one in the first place.
• When the boys try to convince you of changes in your husband.... don't pay any heed until you are able to address said issues with your husband... it'll save you a bubble bath where you are contemplating everything and crying... on valentines day...
• playing little big planet with your best friend who lives 5000 miles away, will make you happy.
• As will skype.
• become passionate about as many things as you can.
• find pleasure in as many things as you can!
• Go to the gym as often as possible... and don't worry if all the guys stare at you... either they are jealous of whoever you are married to... OR they are totally judging you... in which case, it's still attention and you should just pretend they are jealous.... cause it'll make YOU feel better
• get pretty, even if it's just to go to the store... it'll make you happier than rockin the grunge outfit. 
• when there is a lack of testosterone on base, the wives go crazy.... don't be afraid to lock yourself in your house and cut yourself off from everyone for a few days... this deployment ultimately has to be about YOU and YOUR improvements... don't get sucked down!
• Call your in-laws often. their son is at war... and if his priorities are straight, YOU are getting the majority of communication with him... just knowing he's fine and still cracking jokes will help them ALOT.
• take every opportunity to talk to your husband, and make it the happiest conversation possible.... you don't ever want the last thing you say to him  be something totally rude and something you may regret for the rest of your life.
• Count down the days till you get him back in your arms, it will make you happy every time you can replace the number with a smaller one :)
• Don't ever forget why you married him, and why you are completely in love with him.
• When you feel yourself drifting away... hold on to what you have built with him. and if you have built the right foundation, that will bring you back every single time. 

Most of all, have confidence in yourself, and KNOW that you can do this. cause you can. you are amazing... it's why he married you. this lifestyle is not for everyone, and those who can do it, are honestly crazy strong women (ya i'll include myself in that category) i have just survived our first 18 months in the Marine Corps which included Bootcamp, SOI, Rimpac, CAX, and now Afghan... that is ALOT of trainings and separations... like i've always told Rye... it'll be worth it... it's got to be.

The hubs on the Right teaching his buddy Yoga in Afghan

Brace Yourself!

Alright so last week i wrote an UBER long post about "things i've learned during deployment" for all my girlys who are ABOUT to go through a deployment.. HOWEVER, blogger erased it as i was posting it.. ya it didn't save like it's supposed to... so i threw a tantrum and refused to re-write it... i probably will tonight though.

Tonight i recieved a text from a friend telling me i needed to post a blog... so here we go. it's a bit harder to blog when i am refusing to put pictures up of the house..and when Deezul is adamant about falling asleep on my computer keyboard... lets see if i can do this while balancing this laptop on one knee OFF the edge of the couch (PLEEEEEASE don't smash to smithereens...)

So the house is pretty much DONE! woooooot ya i just patted myself on the back for that one.. ok so i didn't really, that would have taken too long of my hands OFF the keyboard... i have done SOO many projects. aside from painting EVERY room except the kitchen, there isn't much in my house that has not been "Sav-ized" looking from my perch on the couch (which is also new! i got a screaming deal on it, and it's amazing) i can see at LEAST 6 major things that IIIIII did... all on my lonesome. it is KILLING me to not put pictures up... but it will be so worth it to have Riley be the first person to see it all DONE... so be patient! All of our possessions from our house (prior to the military) are FINALLY being shipped. i spent a good long part of my Utah trip getting it all organized... HOWEVER, it will NOT be delivered until 1-2 days after Riley returns... so we will spend a good part of his time off... unpacking.. BOOOOOOO. it's alright though, it'll all be worth it once it's done.

So you are all probably wanting a "Sav" story huh..... alright here is one... i don't think i already posted about this... but i follow this girls blog, she does ALOT of DIY stuff... and is AMAZING! she's from St George and it makes me sad i never knew her... if i still lived there i would make friends with her. i actually went to D.I in St George hoping to run into her cause she claims to go at least once a day! no luck there though. There is this rug she made (i will link her blog when i post my pictures of my finished project... cause i don't want you sneak peekin on me!) it's a Zebra print Rug. it's AMAZING. so i have been determined since JANUARY to make this thing. so FINALLY like 3 weeks ago i tell Rye of my ambition and send him the link to check it out... he comes back and tells me he thinks it's AWESOME that i want to MAKE my own rug, but that the zebra is a little TOO girly...

now my man is pretty easy going and patient.. he has not thrown a SINGLE tantrum about my painting the living room purple. and he is usually VERY supportive, even if that means telling me that my idea won't work, thus saving me the wasted hours and heart ache... so when he tells me NO on a project, i usually throw a tiny tantrum... and then realize it was for the best. He suggested i find another design and make it work... so we changed the subject but for the next 3 weeks his words hung over me... i HONESTLY tried to envision another design and could NOT. I realized that HEEEE was not sharing my same vision and that for once, he was WRONG, and i was going to do it anyway. so on our next conversation i had to explain.

"ok Babe, so i KNOW you said you don't like the zebra rug. and that i should make another pattern... and i have thought long and hard about this... and don't think i didn't think about it, cause i really did... but i'm doing it anyway, so you'll have to suck it up"

to which he scoffed and said he figured as much... gosh i love that man! seriously he KNOWS there is no stopping me, and fighting this is just going to waste time... might as well let me have my way, and skip the argument that would eventually lead there anyway!

I also made Rileys massive welcome home banner that will hang in the hangar for his return... it's pretty awesome. and i am working on a banner for all "my boys" (Rye included) so that none of them feel left out on homecoming day. Rye and I are planning a bbq for our boys during his awesome 4 day weekend... we're both excited for that.

I am mostly just excited to snuggle that man of mine. seriously... our new couch is massive, to the point that we could both lay on my couch, and NOT touch, and the Deezul could be on the ottoman, leaving us both totally alone.. it's amazing. BUT i am already planning on just laying on his lap... falling asleep, and waking up to his hand in my hair :) let's be honest, it probably won't play out like that... he'll probably pass out on MEE and then i'll have to stay awake..... booo :)

guys, i'm ALMOST DONE WITH THIS DEPLOYMENT!!! i have survived, it's been a very strange adventure, but i'm glad to have done it... it will most definitely make Rye and I a much stronger couple. i am so excited to begin on US again. and HOPEFULLY get to spend a Christmas together!!!

Breakdown

Alright, so i've been waiting this ENTIRE deployment to see when i would hit my breaking point. i am pretty sure i hit that point last night! it was a LONG day. i didn't sleep at all the night before, cause i had too much to do. i spent yesterday with Sam, her husband returned home yesterday. he left with Riley and was able to come back with the advanced party. so ALL day we played the waiting game to when they would ACTUALLY arrive. i really am SOOO happy for her and everyone who came back. there is nothing like seeing people reunited with their loved ones they haven't seen in 7 months.

AFTER the homecoming, things went downhill. i was on this high from seeing everyone coming off the bus and into the arms of those they love... i realized how long i actually have left (much longer than i would prefer) and i haven't been able to talk to Rye in a good long while... so i kinda got a little sad at that point. like all i've REALLY wanted all week is to talk to Rye. unless the guys told him (which i'm sure the guys who talked to me told him) he doesn't know i'm back in Hawaii yet... ya thats how long it's been. he doesn't know that they shipped our stuff already. and i'm sure when he calls i'll forget about all the IMPORTANT things i need to tell him and i'll just giggle like a little girl and forget that i ever hit this breaking point.

i got home, got Trudy here(she just had knee surgery so i'm taking care of her at my house while she's on the mend.) i got mcdonalds (don't judge me i hadn't eaten all day, and was NOT in the mood to cook) so i have my first soda in like months. and it gets knocked onto the floor.. all 32 oz of it. and then i clean it up (all while crying... i don't know why... i was just done at this point) THEN the cup falls again. i THOUGHT it was empty but i guess not... so i RE-CLEAN it... then my fries fall over and spill. at this point i just want to THROW them across the room. THEN i get on facebook and see that one of my boys tried talking to me a few hours before and my fb chat app on my phone never delivered the message. and he was trying to talk to me about Riley. and i MISSED IT.  pretty much everything came together and imploded inside me. needless to say... it was a rough day. and i am SO glad it's over.