Killing Zombies

Alright so i haven't blogged in a few weeks. i haven't really done ANYTHING in the last few weeks if it didn't have to do with Riley. i basically ignored my calls and texts from family members, didn't respond to people on facebook. and i DO feel bad about that, because i know that what they wanted was important... it just had no importance to me. I was busy spending my last few weeks with my AMAZING husband, getting him packed and prepared to head off to war.

spending our last few days with eachother. he was on the phone with his family alot.

there is something about being the wife of an infantryman, When Rye first signed up he wasn't going to do infantry. he was going to be a POG(term for anyone that's NOT infantry, stands for Person Other than Grunt) and i was fine with that. but when they messed up his paper work a little he was able to pick a new job. i told him anything but infantry i was fine with. and i saw his face fall a little. he WANTED to be the guy on the front line actually making a difference. SGT Worthen came up with a compromise. there was a job where Riley would do security for like the white house and other stuff like that for 3 years of his 5 year contract and then the last 2 years he would be regular infantry. and i was SOO happy with that because he would be non deployable for the first 3 years.

well the day he left for bootcamp we realized one of the guys in the office had messed up Riley's paperwork and he was going to be infantry.. thats it.. nothing else. SGT Worthen was PISSED and let Riley know that he could actually go home and NOT have to leave for bootcamp... and his dad tried to convince him that it might be best... but Zack was going, and Riley wasn't about to ditch his best friend. so that is how i became an infantry wife.Riley's mom i think is still in denial of what HIS job actually is. but it's hard to understand what he does, and try to be ok with him going off to war.

well Halloween weekend we went to the Marine Corps Ball, it was alot of fun. except for getting stuck in traffic and being super late because we had to walk like 2 miles to get there. i felt like the prettiest girl in the world. and Riley WAS the most handsome man in the room :) and probably one of the only sober ones :)

On Halloween we had a little get together at our house with a few other married couples and carved pumpkins, and then cooked the seeds... a little FHE for all you Utah peeps haha. it was ALOT of fun!!!

the next sunday we had "Thanksgiving"... i knew the guys were all pretty bummed about missing all the holidays. and i know it's not much but i wanted to do SOMETHING to make it a little easier. so i had organized a big thanksgiving dinner at our place. we had about 17 people total. and it was CRAZY!!! but i think all the guys really enjoyed themselves. we had turkey, stuffing, potatoes, funeral potatoes, rolls, about a BILLION pies, and sparkling cider. then we put the game on in HD and after we played some PS3... i think it was a HIT... and it brought me alot closer to the guys that are going to be with Riley for the next 7 months :)

Boys.... Being Boys.. on our mock thanksgiving.

and then on Tuesday night, we found out that Riley was leaving Saturday night... and it all became so real. i wasn't ready for this, i needed more time, i didn't know how i was going to be able to let him go. i bawled for like an hour. and then the next morning i was kinda ready to just get it all done. we spent the next few days running a BILLION errands to go buy all the gear and stuff that he would need overseas.

i wont really go into too many details about the night he left, because it's a sore subject... but here's just a bit. i decided that i wanted to bring Deezul with us, so that Riley could have some more time with him. Dee had alot of fun, everyone thought he was the COOLEST pup ever and he got alot of attention. we were sitting on the hood of our car at one point and Dee was just sitting and watching people walk by, and this guy walks up to us and starts petting Deezul then comes and shakes our hands and starts talking to us... all i could see was that he had ALOT of black on his collar(the more black, the higher the rank)... and then Riley gives him the proper greeting "evening Sargent Major" YIKES..... guys that rank that high DON'T talk to guys as low as Riley... not normally, but i guess he really liked Deezul, he was asking all sorts of questions about him and then left after a few minutes and trying to reassure me that it was going to be o.k. Riley joked that he peed a little he was a bit out of his element haha.

Deezul, getting all the attention a pup could want.

when it came time to actually say goodbye, i just cried... hard and alot. we said goodbye and he went to the bus, and then Willis came up and gave me a huge hug and told me he'd bring Riley home to me. which of course made me cry MORE... so the bus left about 4:45am on sunday, i went home and was able to text Rye a little bit before his plane left. he then called me the next evening from the east coast on his layover. and then the next day from Europe, and then last night i was able to talk to him from somewhere in Asia, on his last stop before getting to his destination. we were able to Skype cause he had WIFI which was SOO amazing, we didn't have much to say at that point, but when there was nothing to say i just made dumb ugly faces at him :)

Saying Goodbye.

i'm doing o.k. everyone, i know we were all expecting the Sav-Zombie to emerge immediately like last year when he left for bootcamp... but i have been hanging out with Shaunci and Megan alot, and i've come to realize that i'm the one that is having to stay strong for everyone... so i'm trying to do as well as i can. i haven't cried since the night he left. i know it will hit me at some point and i will have my rough nights, i'm NOT denying that, i already know that will happen. but for now, he's safe... and i'm ok. it makes it easier for him if he's not having to worry about me. i didn't realize how much he WAS worrying about me until he told me he didn't sleep on a 10 hour flight because he was so worried. but as soon as he heard my voice and i actually sounded happy, he slept like a baby on his next 10 hr flight. so i'm going to be strong.. for him, and for the girls. Shaunci said i'm like that mom that is so strong for everyone else, but then when she's home in bed, she secretly cries. :) not yet, but i'm sure that WILL be me. and for those who keep telling me how strong i am... i'm not. don't make the mistake of thinking that i'm strong, i'm only doing what i NEED to do to survive these 7 months. i've made it through a few days already... so i'm trying to stay as positive as possible. i have an amazing husband, who loves me, for reasons i don't quite understand, he loves me. and he can't wait to hear my voice and come home to me.

Picture Taken on their layover in Maine.

Riley and Willis in Maine.

Please keep my husband and the rest of 2/3(his unit) in your prayers. and keep their families in your prayers... alot of them are really struggling with the separation. and also please pray for my Nephew Jaxon, he's now undergone his first Chemo treatment and is recovering so he can do another treatment in a few weeks.