Happy New Years Eve!

Wow.  I can't believe I have been writing this blog for a year now!

I had to publish my last blog of the year, since I'm at the one year anniversary.  How crazy it is to think that a year ago Jesse and I had so much ahead of us...  Driving/Moving to Georgia, BOLC II, IBOLC, lots of friends, new place to live, new areas to explore, and lots of new adventures.

So much has happened to us, both good and bad, and a year ago I would have never thought that I was going to be on my own the following New Year's Eve.  I have to say though, every day of 2009 has been a great learning experience, I am grateful for every day of it.  I would not have thought a year ago I would be the person that I am now - all the knowledge I have along with the strength to carry on.  It's quite an amazing thing.

I hope you all have a safe and happy New Years celebration, and Happy New Years to my husband serving his country, where it is already New Years Day.  Here's to a great year to come!

Leave, Flowers, The House, and More

I'm sorry my motivation for blogging is lacking right now!

I talked to Jesse last night and this morning.... I'm not quite sure what my problem is but I have been going through this phase where I just want him to come home.  I am completely aware of how irrational my thoughts are, but that is how I am feeling.  Jesse says that he's probably going to get leave, but again nothing is set.  We're not making any solid plans of course, but we are discussing some fun stuff to do.  Right now it looks like we'll be making a trip out to Ocean Shores, so I'm excited.

Today was my day off so mom and I went out to the house.  I don't think I had been there since before Christmas.  I really really need to get things together, but still haven't found the screws to my bed.  My father is also still working, so I don't really have anyone to help me put big things together.  We did unpack a lot of clothes (mostly stuff on hangers), and decided where furniture is going to be arranged.  I'm going to also need to set up the TV, get cable, phone, and internet set up.  I will also have to get all the stuff in line to put up a fence for the dog.

Yesterday I received a dozen red roses along with six calla lilies from Jesse.  They are very nice and very pretty.  The day before that I received a rug from him, complete with misspelled words!  It's pretty obvious that the people around the area do not have a lot of education, especially since they can't even spell their country's name correctly.  Oh well I guess, it still is an interesting piece to have in the house.  I have one more package on the way, which I'm excited about too.

My birthday is right around the corner (I know it's not January yet) and Jesse and I have picked out my birthday/Valentine's Day gift, which I am super excited about!  It's a pendant from Kay's.  SO excited :)

Tomorrow I work, but I'm not going to get completely stressed out this time if I don't get out on time.  Besides that I highly doubt we're going to have a lot of business, with everyone's New Year's festivities. I am very excited for the new year, 2010 is going to bring many more fun things!  Have a safe New Year's Eve!

Week of Christmas

I feel like it's long overdue, so I wanted to write a blog!

The last couple weeks have been crazy!  I've tried my best to be positive, but I feel as though many things were working against me.  I did get through it though, with some bumps along the way.

Christmas Eve was good, I worked until closing time.  Go figure that the mall closed at 6, and we didn't get out of the store until 7:15.  I don't remember it being that bad ever in the history of working for the jewelry store.  I got home, not doing much until dinner time.  Mom made king crab and steak for dinner along with potatoes, green beans, and watergate salad.  I would've loved Jesse to be there.... But know he wouldn't have liked the surf and turf ;)  I stayed up to two AM wrapping presents and talking to Jesse.  Exhausted, I went to bed.

Christmas morning I got up and talked to Jesse again, he wasn't having a super busy day since it was still Christmas day there.  The family and I got up and unwrapped presents, ate breakfast, and got ready for the day.  We went to a friend's house, ate, listened to some karaoke, and came home.  We finished up our stockings, lounged around, and went to bed.

The day after Christmas mom, Taylor, and I went to the mall.  I think it was busier that I ever thought it was during Christmas, parking was horrible!  I hit up American Eagle (they always have jean sales after Christmas), got a couple of shirts, and got Jesse a couple of things also.  We also looked at Target, which was very busy.  We left, went out to a shoe store (I found some super cute zebra print heels) and went to another Target (I know we're crazy).  We went and got dinner then came home.

Sunday I worked, we were busy but not horrible.  But again, for closing at 7:00, we got out at 8:15.  I don't know why this keeps happening, but I don't close again until New Year's Eve, and I don't think we're going to have a ton of people wanting to buy jewelry.  Other than that my plans for the holiday are quiet, which to be honest I really don't mind!

Jesse is doing well, he had a good Christmas full of food, Christmas stockings from Operation Support Our Troops (OSOT), and relaxation.  I know that it is still not home, but it wasn't horrible.  We are thinking at this point in time Jesse will get leave, sometime in the springtime.

My next goals are getting our house in order, Jesse's Valentine's Day Care package (why don't people have their Valentine's Day stuff out yet?? lol), and then leave plans when he knows a date.  I also want to enroll Stryker in Petsmart classes, something I hope to look into on my next day off.

Other than that, all is well.  I'll keep you all updated on our life happenings, even as I know things will probably slow down as we get into the new year!

Updated Albums

I have updated all of the albums!

I hope all of you had a relaxing and happy holiday.

December 2009

Our House on Ft. Lewis

Jesse Overseas

Happy Holidays

Jesse and His Platoon

I know I've been behind on updates and photos, but I will get some more stuff up soon!  This weekend will likely still be hectic, and to be honest any down time that I can get I probably won't be doing this.  So, come next week when I get a day off I will post photos.  Stay tuned!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all of you, Jesse and I wish you all the best!

My Soldier's Got Your Back

My New T-Shirt

<3

Six More Days!

Six more days until Christmas, and the malls have escalated into madness!

That is all I'm gonna say!  I worked all morning until three in the afternoon then came home.  I had some hot cocoa, watched holiday youtube videos with my father, and ate some cookies that mom made.  She made what is called "Hoosier Bars" and I know Jesse loves them.  I think that after the holiday, I will make him some and send some to him.  Hopefully by then he's not cookied out.

Taylor and I went by the grocery store and got some soup (I got tomato, he got chicken curry.... See how different we are?) and I ran into someone I used to work with at Michaels who I had lost contact with over the last couple of years!  It was good to see her.  We ate dinner and now I'm watching a Muppet Christmas.  I don't really want to, but don't know what else is on.

I'm thinking I'm going to try and write Jesse a letter a day for this week.  Probably in the mornings since I work evenings... It helps him and it just so happens to help me get rid of my holiday stamps!  Well those aren't the only reasons, but ya know!

That is all for now!  I know I don't have much going on or much to say, but will try and update with something much more interesting soon!

Care Packages, Dad's New Job, and Craziness!

So today I got up early, talked to my hubby, fed my dog, gave him his pill, and showered.  I ordered photos to send to Jesse then dad, Taylor, and I went out to run some errands.  I picked up the photos from Walgreens (LOVE one hour photo processing after ordering online), then went to Freddies.  Dad got some more stocking stuffers for mom, we grabbed a coffee, made a trip to the bank and to Salvation Army, then headed home.

When we got home I ate some lunch, and started to bake some cookies for Jesse.  He likes mint chocolate, so I got him mint chocolate cookies!  I also got him some peanut butter frangos, which I included in the package.  I had so much stuff that I had to send him two.  I then sent two other packages to two other people, thank goodness the line wasn't too long at PostNet!  I enjoy going there over the post office -- lines are shorter and people are a bit nicer.  I'm starting to realize they know who I am, so I'm sure I'll be on a first name basis soon with that husband of mine gone!

Other than that, I really haven't done much.  I know that I should go out to the house, but I don't think that's going to happen in the near future!  Maybe the day after Christmas, I guess.

I know I've said it before, but I work the next six days straight.  So if you're going out doing last minute shopping, please be kind to those around you!  I know it can be stressful battling through the parking lots and down aisles, but it makes all the difference for the people who help you!

On Jesse's front, he said he had a good day yesterday, which is nice to hear.  I think he's going to be pretty busy this next week, so combined with my schedule I'm not sure how often we're going to be able to talk.  At least I can sleep in most days I work!

Speaking of jobs, dad got a new job.  It probably won't be a lengthy job, but the company he worked for previously hand picked him to work with them again.  He's pretty excited about that, and that he might get a much better job come January from this same company.

I hope you all received/will be receiving our Christmas cards.  PLEASE tell me if you want one and don't have one!

Pictures

I wanted to write quick note!  If you would like to send photos to Jesse while he's overseas that would be great.  I think he's sort of trying to "decorate" his space, so photos are welcome.  Please don't send him anything that you wouldn't want him to throw away at the end of his tour.

Other than that things are good!  I'm enjoying the time I have with the family!  Tomorrow's my day off, and I'm planning on sleeping, sending Jesse a package, and being lazy.  After tomorrow I don't get a day off until Christmas!

Enjoy your weekend, it is the second busiest shopping weekend of the year!

Wednesday

Today I headed off to work in the AM, working a half shift.  Boy do those go by fast!  I gave almost half of my hours away this to my co-worker and friend (last week was supposed to be her last week) so I've had my afternoons completely free.  I've definitely been using the time, shopping, shopping, and shopping.  I am in and out and on with it all.  I have decided if I'm not 100% by the end of the day friday, that is it.  Nothing else is going to be bought and given.  Next week will be work and Christmas oriented.  Christmas dinner shopping, cookie baking, and spending time with family.  No more going out to the stores!

Today my brother came home from Seattle and is going to be home for the next couple of weeks at least.  He was funny because he was asking about slow cooker recipes (mom and dad got him a crock pot for his birthday) and he has been using it a lot, which is great.

Other than that Jesse hasn't had a lot of new things happening to him -- he has had plenty of adventures though -- I will post photos of those sometime here soon.  Other than that he has pretty relaxed days (it seems that way at least) and sees a friend from ROTC he knows every so often.  Just don't talk to him when it's really late there.  He's a little cranky!

Other than that, things are good.  Tomorrow is Thursday and it's almost a week until Christmas.  I know that next week should be one of the most interesting....

Cookies, Crackers, and Starburst

I thought that would make for an interesting blog title!  These are things going into Jesse's next care package.  I'm baking him some cookies (I bought premade dough with chocolate and mint chips), including some triscuts or wheat thins, and some new Starburst I saw today at the store.  It'll be a small package with a card.  I will probably mail the package friday, Jesse of course won't get the package before Christmas, but a fun package nonetheless.  I'm thinking he'd probably rather omit the cookies... But what he doesn't know won't hurt him!

Last night I came home from the coffee, was on the computer, and talked to my dad for a while.  Before I knew it, it was midnight... And I laid down to go to bed.  Not even five minutes later Jesse e-mailed me to talk to him.  So I got online and spoke with him for about an hour, went to bed and got up at six.  So, right now I'm pretty sleepy, but pushing along nonetheless.

I stopped and picked up some stocking stuffers and maneuvered myself out of the Tacoma Mall parking lot.  How come EVERYONE waits until the last minute to shop?  It was INSANE.  I don't understand sometimes... I understand that people are going to be finishing up college classes and getting out of school for winter break and will need to go shopping... But do people really enjoy the craziness in these parking lots and stuff?  I don't get it!  Yes, I do realize I am still doing some shopping....  But at least I don't have a lot to do and won't be wasting all my time at the mall!

I got some dinner (soup) on the way home, called the vet clinic, and arrived at home.  I'm feeling the five hours of sleep last night, but still have to make sure I get those pills from the vet (if possible) today.  I also want to try and get some things from a store -- possibly WalMart -- and get a couple more things.  All I can think of is sleep right now!  I better get off my behind and do something!

First FRG Coffee

Obviously I had more going on than my first FRG coffee today (for those who don't know the acronym for FRG yet ;) = Family Readiness Group), but it definitely was a highlight of my day!  But, I will start from the beginning.

This morning I reluctantly got up (I think this is going to be a pattern until after Christmas) and got an e-mail from Jesse to talk.  I fed Stryker, had mom give him his pill, and talked to Jesse for a little bit.  Nothing it too new for Jesse, he has had a couple of adventures, but he's still having a little bit of a rough time.  I still believe that much of this is just transitioning.  And to be honest, his day could've been worse.  We then compared schedules, and realized that we won't be able to speak to each other much today or tomorrow.  Still, we will probably talk once a day at least - which is still much more than what my fellow wives of 2-1 get.

Then, my dad took the dogs out, and I waited around for him to finish up.  We took a trip out to the house, the PX, and clothing and sales.  I picked up a few things, headed home to drop off dad, and then went to Target.  I got a white elephant gift for the coffee, some stocking stuffers, some lunch, and headed home.  I ate, went back out to the store, picked up a couple more gifts, met up with my parents, and then headed home to get ready for the coffee.

The coffee was probably the highlight of my day, I met quite a few Army wives from Jesse's battalion.  It was a battalion coffee, all wives of E7's and above.  One piece of good news:  Jesse's battalion is NOT going to be extended.  It has been brought up by quite a few people since the last surge involved giving our troops an extra three months overseas.  This will not happen.  Trust me, it comes from pretty high up!  Also there are a lot of groups doing great things for our troops, one of which organized for EVERY soldier of Jesse's battalion to get a stocking full of goodies this year.  Soldiers are also getting banners and stuff from home via the battalion commander.  There are a lot of great things going on for everyone!

Jesse also tells me that a soldier's girlfriend in his platoon organized a huge cookie baking party and is sending the platoon (of 7 mind you) 100 pounds of cookies.  WOW.  I hope that they can consume them all before they go bad!

If I think of anything I haven't mentioned I will mention it later!

10 days until Christmas!  Still can't wait for it all to be over!

Ugh, the holidays!

So this morning I woke up to my alarm and groaned.  I really didn't want to get up this morning and face the week ahead.  I had to get up though - Stryker needed his food and his pills. Then  Jesse e-mailed me and wanted to talk online, so I talked to him for a little while before he went to bed.  He has a PT test in the morning - I hope that it goes well, he hasn't done really good PT since we were in Georgia and going to Ranger school.

When I was off the computer we (me and the 'rents) looked at the paper.  I don't know what it is but this year I don't see anything I would like to have for Christmas.  This year it's just not interesting to me.  Most things on my Christmas list are things that are every day types of things, no clothes, pajamas, or stuff like that.  Maybe next year.   I am going to go out and by the Hangover (maybe Tuesday?) - my brother and dad haven't seen it yet so that make for a good movie night sometime this week.  We (dad did actually help) also figured out what we want to do for Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinners.  I told mom that I will go with to buy some food (since they're on a tighter budget this year) and pitch in where need be.

I have the day off tomorrow and have a few major things on my list to do.  I have to get Stryker a new dosage of pills.  They are working quite well, his hair seems to be growing back more and more on his nose.  I will take a picture of him soon to post.  I REALLY want to finish my Christmas shopping tomorrow.  I figured out that I am probably pretty much done with my brother and father, just have to finish up stuff with my mom.  Dad and I are going to probably go to the PX tomorrow along with a trip to the hardware store.  I know that he wants to look for some stuff for mom at the PX, and we have to get some hardware for my furniture.  It may not be a bad idea to look for some stocking stuffers while we are there, too.  Oh, and I have my first Charlie Company FRG coffee tomorrow!

The three days following that I am going to be working -- still hopefully short shifts -- with a day off on friday (my brother comes home wednesday - I think my dad wants me to be his shopping buddy so that he doesn't have to go out in all of the madness!).  Then I have six straight eight hour days following that until Christmas.  All closing shifts which, the week for Christmas, is 11:30.  Yes, I work part time and I'm working 41 hours that week.  Uck.

Things will start to settle down the closer we get to January, and I plan on getting the house situated some more.  Then I have to plan for the Valentine's Day care package.  I know, one thing at a time, but I'm keeping myself occupied for sure!  Not to mention I plan on getting up at noon on Christmas, I think I'll need the extra sleep (unless Jesse calls me of course).  My family normally just lounges around in their pajamas all day anyway.  I am really excited about Christmas dinner because we're going to be doing crab legs.  Jesse hates seafood so I thought it would be an opportune time!

Other than that, I will likely write more tomorrow.  I need to get off my behind and get myself ready for work sometime here.  It's a late one tonight - I work until 10:30 on a sunday night.  I don't really understand that... Most people work monday through friday and have to get up early, right?  Ugh, the holidays!

I will try and be more positive soon, lol.

Busy Saturday

I am going to try and make this decently short because I feel sort of tired!

This morning I went to the airport and got to see a familiar face!  My friend Cherie, who we met in Georgia, had a layover here in Seattle before she headed up to Alaska (where her husband is currently stationed).  Here is a photo of us:

It was great to see her, gave me a little inclination to head up north for a small trip.  I think it would be fun to at least visit Alaska... Maybe see if I thought it would be interesting to live there?  Nonetheless it was good to catch up over some breakfast!

It seems as though "busy" is in the vocabulary a lot more this time of year, and I'm trying to keep truckin!  I'm not one to go Christmas shopping on weekends (hating the craziness at the malls), so I stuck  to other Christmas-like things.  I mailed out ALL of the Christmas cards today.  If you don't get one and you want one, PLEASE let me know.  I have a ton of them, ha.  I also sent out photos of Jesse that he got professionally done before he left.  He told me exactly where he wanted the photos to go, so I finally got them in the mail today.  It feels good not to have those to worry about.

We went to the house this afternoon (I made a trip to clothing and sales, along with the PX) and opened a couple of boxes.  Dad is well on his way putting much of my furniture together, I know that it would help a LOT more if we could find all the hardware we need for the bed and futon.  Dandy that we can't find anything - we're going to have to make a special trip to the hardware store and get screws - among other things.

We got home, ate, I talked to Jesse, and that was about it.  Jesse got a photo with Goldsworth, Doyle, and Rathman - all IBOLC guys that are currently serving overseas.  They all happened to be in the same spot at the same time, which is truly awesome because I know how nice it is for all of them to have each other!

That is all for now, enjoy your weekend!  Less than two weeks until Christmas.... Thank GOD!

Here Comes the Weekend

Thank goodness there are only two more weeks until Christmas.  I am SO counting down until all this craziness is over!

I tried to get my Christmas shopping done today, to no avail.  I got the shopping done for my brother, and about half of the shopping done for my parents.  I went to the mall, then Costco (meeting up with my parents, getting a mocha for $1, and getting a new Costco card!), then off to Target.  Then at Target I ran into my parents.  Thank goodness that they didn't get anything for me and I them, because we would've seen everything!  Then I went to Fred Meyer, where I ran into a friend from Fort Benning.  We had been meaning to get together for quite awhile, but couldn't get our schedules straight.  We had a nice chat, and went our separate ways.  I picked up some things for Jesse's care package (which I plan on mailing next week) and then left.  I was at home for just a little while and we went out for some Mexican food.  On the way home Jesse called.  I talked to him for about 40 minutes, and then let him go.

Jesse says that he gave a brief to his platoon today.  It is now, officially, his platoon.  He missed a couple of things in the brief, but I'm sure he will have everything perfected in no time.  Jesse told his company commander that he was sorry that he wasn't extremely confident in his briefing and his commander told him that he had "no doubt" that he would do "great things for this platoon."  Jesse's reaction to me was "wasn't that nice of him?"  That was a very nice comment, and optimistic - great for Jesse to hear to give him a little bit more confidence.  It's great to know that someone else thinks what we've known the whole time :)

Other than that he's going to a bazaar today, I told him to buy me something.... We'll see how that goes!  I thought that it would be fun to have something a little bit different.... And it could serve as a great Christmas present (which he, out of the blue, told me he wanted to do something for me for the holiday).

Tomorrow I'm getting up early to meet a friend at the airport, then going out to the new house, dropping up some stuff, sending my Christmas cards out, and making a stop at the PX.  Hopefully I will get everything done tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

Valentine's Day

Yeah, I know I'm early on this one.... I know you are probably wondering why I'm bring it up!  Well, much of my life involves thinking ahead while not making any solid plans and expecting everything to change.  Ha.


So, I am thinking about Valentine's Day, mainly because I am going to send Jesse a Valentine's Day care package.  And, I have to think ahead.... About 2 weeks to get his care package... And however long it's going to take to get everything together.... And all the stickers and stuff I'm going to decorate with... And the Valentine's Day card....  And however long it's going to take me to get it all done.  Well, you get the picture.


I'm sure I'll take photos because well, that's what I seem to do!  That reminds me that I need to start a photo album for December.  Now only if I had something to take pictures of!


Anyway, thanks for stopping by the blog today.  I realized that I don't really say that very often.  Thank you for reading!

Christmas Cards

Jesse's Cat Spuz, helping with Christmas cards

My first round of Christmas cards should be going out sometime tomorrow!

Expect to see yours in the mail soon.

If you want one, and didn't get one, please e-mail me!

Jesse's New Location

Since Jesse has a new address and a new location, I wanted to tell you all about it!  If you look up his location (which is right after the "FOB" in his address, it is an actual city) you can see where it is on a map.  He is going to be a platoon leader of a MGS, or a Multiple Gun System platoon.  It is an armor platoon (they are tankers), not an infantry platoon.  There are eleven soldiers in his platoon, not like the thirty plus he would be overseeing if he was in an infantry platoon.  It seems as though he has been getting along with the company commander and his platoon sergeant.  He hopes that he will be getting leave which he might get as long as they don't move him again.  We will have to wait that out and see though.


The highways that they travel seem to be safer than other roads that some stryker units travel on because they are overseen by the Afghan militia.  Where he is at he does have good access to a PX and can get most of the supplies that he needs.


I know in his care packages he doesn't want to have a lot of junk food, and he doesn't normally like too much of one thing.  If you have any questions of things to send him, please let me know!

Moving Day & Calming Down

WE ARE MOVED!  Yay!

We have everything moved, notice given to our storage unit, and three boxes unpacked!  We got everything done in about seven hours, with two trips to Fort Lewis and back.  Jesse's mom came down along with family friends Mark, Laurie, Bob, and Daniel.  My friends Stacy and Alan along with Alan's parents Bob and Luann came to help out.  They were all great and worked hard!

Today I decided to take a little bit of a break.  I talked to Jesse via Skype this morning, called and spoke to my friend Katie (who is currently stationed in New York), and we went out to both the hardware store and Costco.  I have a few more hurdles to get over before I can be completely settled in the house, but the hardest things have been taken care of.  We went to Costco and I picked up a magazine which I think is awesome:  Food Network's December issue.  They have great food related gift ideas along with many many recipes - anything from cookies to crock pot cooking!  I have decided I'm going to cook my way through some cookbooks, and try and perfect my cooking before Jesse gets back home!

I will post some moving photos soon...  But not tonight!  If you haven't received Jesse's address overseas, please let me know (at marissa.mcadam@gmail.com) and I will e-mail it to you!

Have a great week!

Really, really ridiculously good looking...

That was a line made famous by Zoolander, a character Jesse seems to idol at times...  But I had to say it!  I just wanted to post a snippet of a photo of my husband on his adventures overseas.  I have decided that next Christmas we're going to some Christmassy things.  'Now, why not do it now?' you might ask and the answer is simple:  I work in retail.  Retail and Christmas can be so hectic that you don't really get a time to do much of anything, let along enjoy the holiday.  I basically have one week -- next week -- to do all of my Christmas shopping.  After that, I'm not venturing out again unless it is to go to the Tacoma Mall to work.

I'm getting off track here, so back on to next year.  Jesse will be home, and we'll be able to do lots of stuff!  There is this train that takes you to Leavenworth, Washington for a day trip to see the tree lighting there.  Normally there is snow, and the bavarian town is absolutely beautiful.  I've never seen Leavenworth in the winter, and would love to do that.

Another thing that I would love to do is go to Illwaco, Washington (one of the most southwestern most towns in the state) and see what they do down there.  One of the big local fish markets makes a tree out of crab pots and puts lights on it.  Then they have a "tree lighting" of sorts.  They also have a lighted boat parade too which just sounds fun!  I know they have some things similar to that in Tacoma (in regard to lighted boats) because we've seen them down on the waterfront for my birthday in January.  I know Jesse would be up for this tree lighting - his favorite artist has a gallery down on the water there.  I love that beach, there's something about it that's just beautiful!

Anyway, I am going to finish up here so I can get ready for work.... As much as I don't wanna go today!  It's cold outside which doesn't help either - and my dress coat is still in storage!  Oh well I guess!

Enjoy your weekend & here are some pics of the husband - I updated the album again.

Jesse Overseas

Welcome to Winter

So along with the shorter and shorter days, holiday hours are in effect.  Tomorrow I'm going to be working until 10:30, which means I won't be home until at least 11, and I have to get up early in the AM sunday to move.  Oh I am I going to be exhausted on monday! Not only that but it seems as though temperatures are having a hard time staying above forty degrees.  AND they're saying the word SNOW.  Oh no, please no snow.  Jesse and I drove allllllllll the way to Georgia in the wintertime, combine that with the crazy weather we had last winter in Washington, and all I can say is:  noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Other than that dad and I have been working hard to get the house in shape.  We went yesterday and today, doing some odds and ends.  We finally picked up all the rollers, brushes, drop cloths, etc... So we should be ready to go on Sunday!  I have the dog and cat registered on post, the u-haul rented, and grocery shopping done.  There's just a few things I have to get together and all that is left to do is move!

I really really hope tomorrow I will have an address to give you all.  Please keep visiting to check, I will keep you posted!

Stryker is doing SO much better!!  They changed his antibiotics, and his nose is doing much better!!  Now all I have to really worry about is his incision stitches healing, and he can start going on walks with the girls (my mom's dogs) again.

In all I have to say this is a much better week, and to be honest I can't wait for this week to be over!  I just want a day to relax, some time to go Christmas shopping, and start to unpack!  Along with that I am going to be able to see a friend from Georgia next weekend.  SO excited!

Have a great weekend all, I will try and update Sunday, but if I don't I will update monday!

Day Off... Well, sorta.

So today I woke up knowing that I didn't want to go to the new house.  I didn't want to think about getting the pets registered, going to a fire safety brief.  I didn't want to work, I didn't want to paint, I didn't want to drive, I didn't want to get out of bed.  I just wanted a day OFF.  Well, that's not going to happen.  At least completely.

I heard my dad get out of bed probably about eight o'clock, treading down the hallway.  I called him into my room (I didn't want to get out of bed) and told him we weren't going onto post today.  Not gonna happen.  Here I was, thinking that I could use a break, de-stress a little.  I don't know why, but left alone with my own thoughts I seem to get more stressed.  I tried to get back to sleep, but my mind was buzzing.  Maybe next time I guess.

We didn't go on post, nor did we do anything remotely with the house.  I went out to Fred Meyer, they have some deals on bookshelves which I wanted to look at.  I also ordered some of Jesse's promotion photos, I will add the album at the end of the blog.  Let me know if you would like me to e-mail you the photos to print as you would like.  I also met up with our friend Gillian, who gave me the beautiful wine glasses I ordered from her Southern Living party.  I might just take a photo to post for you all to see.  They're quite pretty.

I picked up a couple of things to put in Jesse's next care package.  I'm not sending him anything since he still will probably be moving.  And I'm finally squared away with 2-1's Charlie company, where Jesse is supposed to be going to.  I researched some stuff, and did some much needed errands, then went to work!

Oh if you've been trying to use Hooah Mail (which I'm guessing no one has because I haven't gotten an e-mail!) Jesse's unit isn't on there yet.  So, you'll probably want to hold off on that for a while too.

I hope everyone's having a good week.  I'm going to go have some ice cream!

Jesse Overseas

It's DECEMBER!

I cannot believe it's December!  Here comes the craziness.

I hate to say it, but working in retail can make you crazy.  Yesterday at work it wasn't too bad (I'm sure it was in part thanks to Monday Night Football), but I have to say I'm pretty happy about that!  My craziest week comes the week of Christmas which I work 40+ hours.  That and I'm closing both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.  Not great, but not bad either.  It would be a different story if Jesse was home.

There isn't a lot new on the home front.  Dad and I painted yesterday and will go back to paint tomorrow.  We should have everything done by the end of the week.  YAY!

It was confirmed today that Stryker really does have a VERY bad infection.  How the heck that happened I don't think we'll ever know.  They will tell us later about the biopsy results, but he will be put on a stronger antibiotic.  Pray that his nose goes back to normal!

I have nothing new to tell you all about Jesse today.  I'm hoping he's going to be at his new FOB soon!!  I will post photos that I get of him with his new rank.  It's a great thing, I just wish I was there to pin him.  Well, maybe not THERE.  More like him being HERE.  You know what I mean!

Have a great week!

Jesse's Promotion, FRG Stuff, and Paint!

Today Jesse got promoted to a first lieutenant!!!  He hasn't gotten pinned yet, but he will in the morning by his battalion commander.  He says he will send me plenty of photos.  I'm going to hold him to it.

I FINALLY got contacted by the new FRG (Family Readiness Group) of Jesse's battalion.  We've been trying to get in contact with them for a while (other FRG leaders, Jesse and his resources overseas, and me).  I finally got an e-mail.  Now, I just gotta make sure that this is where I absolutely need to be.  We shall see!

My day overall hasn't been very eventful.  Mom, dad, Stryker, and I went out to the new place to try and get some more painting done.  We still aren't finished but we are confident we will be done friday.  Thank goodness!  Dad and I are going to go out and get some paint tomorrow; I have a long list of stuff to do since it is my day off.  Maybe I will get it all done.  Who knows.  More pictures will follow!

Lazy Sunday

So, I am hoping that this week brings me much happier things!  Today I'm taking the day to relax from my crazy week.  I almost wish this weekend wouldn't end, because this week will be the first solid week of Christmas shoppers.  Should be fun.

Yesterday we spent all day painting.  We brought the dog with us to keep a good eye on him.  I can give him benadryl so I did that so he could get some much needed rest.  He was doing pretty well until the very end - leaning against a wall of fresh paint.  Twice.  Good job, Stryker.  I'm posting photos at the bottom here with painting photos.

Last night I went out with some friends for some drinks.  Lets just say that I had a little too much to drink.  Normally I am VERY good, I've only drank to the point of sickness twice in my entire life.  And the last time I got sick was at Jesse's house when he lived in Lakewood.  We're talking 2004.  Yep.

Jesse should be at his somewhat permanent FOB by the end of the week.  I should have an address to give at this time.  It looks as though he will be a platoon leader (PL) of an armor platoon.  They don't believe that this will hurt his career in any shape or form.  The FOB he goes to will also have a lot of amenities that the current FOB he is at doesn't have.  I know he's excited for that.

Thanksgiving for him was good, I hear they had lots of beef, ham, and turkey.  All of it was cut off of the bone.  They had all the fixin's, including lots of pies and cakes.  It sounds like he ate his heart out!

As for me, I'm going to working, painting, and trying to get things in line for the house.  Hopefully everything goes smoothly for me this week.  I'm making a long list of things to do.  We need quite a few new things, we did toss some stuff after this move.  I plan on focusing on these things come the new year.

I also have some new photos from Jesse which are also posted.

Our House on Ft. Lewis

Jesse Overseas

BLACK Friday

This day sure does live up to it's name!

I swear my week is in some crazy downward spiral.  So, I go to bed last night late.... Later than I should (again).  I got woken up at three o'clock in the morning from my husband's phone call.  Not too bad, right?  Well, I had some crazy splitting headache (discovered once I woke up) which made me sick to my stomach.  I was trying to carry on a conversation, but it was so hard.  Jesse at three in the afternoon his time was ready to chat it up!  He wasn't quite so happy when I didn't talk enough.  We got off the phone, I popped two ibuprofen and tried desperately to go back to sleep.  My head hurt so bad I couldn't even lay down without it hurting.  Then and there I decided no Bed, Bath, and Beyond in the AM.  I would still trek out to Freddies (for my socks of course) but I needed more sleep.  My alarm went off at 4:15.  I turned it off.  My mom came in to wake me up (thinking I fell back asleep after my alarm), I told her I'd be getting up soon.  Jesse then e-mails me (which goes to my phone) at six AM.  I finally get up and talk to him for a little while online.

My dad was up early this morning, and so I talked him into going with me on my shopping expedition.  A little bribery from Starbucks doesn't hurt!  We picked up stuff we needed and went back home.  I immediately called the vet and got Stryker back in.  I did a few things then took him to the in, and the vet told me that our next step was to get a biopsy on my dog's nose.  GRAND.  So they use a "punch" (I know they call this that to remove moles off humans... Don't ask how I know this) on the dog to do that.  And lets just say you DON'T want to know how much that costs.  So we went ahead with the biopsy, and I left him behind while I tried to keep myself composed as I left my baby at the vet.

It wasn't long after I got home that my mom got home.  We headed to the house, decided on paint colors, went to JoAnn's, came home.  Then we went to pick the dog up.

The dog has an infection.  A really bad one, not one that is going to be able to be treated with regular antibiotics.  It's an infection that gets in the skin and hair follicles and "doesn't normally just pop up out of no where"!!  So my dog had to be put under anesthetic, his face biopsied, got stitches, and woken back up again.  When we picked him up, he was still groggy.  We have the "cone of shame," the same antibiotics (they'll change them when we get the full results from the biopsy), pain pills (which I had to get from the human pharmacy), and benedryl.  I believe I only give him pain pills and allergy meds when he looks like he needs it, but LORDY that is more pills than I've ever taken at one time in my lifetime!

So Stryker got home and went to sleep.  Dad and I went and got lunch for tomorrow, animal food, meds, and paint.  I still have to get everything together to go to the house tomorrow (for painting of course) and everything else.  Oh and I desperately want to go to sleep.  I have got to get some rest sometime here!

Photos will be posted of painting and Jesse's deployment probably tomorrow.  I'm going to bed.

467,499

467,499 pounds of turkey that was delivered to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan along with:
61,813 pounds of stuffing mix,

13,231 cans of sweet potatoes,
107,832 pounds of corn and green beans,
8,952 cans of cranberry sauce, and
51,652 pies

Just in case you wanted a glimpse in the life of our men and women overseas this Thanksgiving!

First of all I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't believe I mentioned a couple of things that I did yesterday, so I'll go over those.  Work wasn't slow, but people aren't buying a ton right now.  I have a feeling when all the SBCT's (Stryker Brigade Combat Teams) come back from their units in Iraq and Afghanistan business will be booming...  Two-thirds of Fort Lewis soldiers are currently deployed.  I'm absolutely positive things will pick up a ton this weekend, thank GOD I'm not working!  I did make some sales the other day - more than I probably should've.  But either way I'll get a little extra cash for Christmas.

Jesse had called me on the way home, and I was bombarded by my brother when I walked through the door.  I got to talk to Jesse for a little while, which was longer than normal.  I know I already mentioned what was new with him in the last blog, so I won't keep you reading about that!

After I talked to Jesse we went out to get some pizza and some things to make cider for my brother.  We finally convinced him to jump on the crock pot bandwagon, and he was itching to make this cider.  So, we picked up supplies for him while we were out too.  I could tell that Fred Meyer had already started gearing up for Black Friday, one place I am going to try and hit up tomorrow.  We headed home, ate pizza, and watched the Biggest Loser special.  I stayed up way too late, which I decided I need to get under control.  With my future work schedule I'm going to need all the extra sleep I can get!

Today I got up and gave Stryker his meds.  He seemed to be doing okay -- not as well as I would've liked.  Mom and I went out to our house on post to check out some paint stuff, which took a bit longer than we would've liked.  We had to stop at the store, made a pit stop at Starbucks (I had to get Jesse a travel mug), and came home.  By then my dad and brother had already gone to Paul and Jeanne's (where we were doing Thanksgiving dinner).  I almost had a panic attack when I saw Stryker's nose.  Dad had taken him out for a walk with the other dogs and his nose was huge.  It is getting worse, and I'm trying my hardest not to go into a panic.  Why does it always get worse at the worst times?  So, his new bed is taken away, no more rough housing at the park, we're going to be vigilent with his meds, we're going to be getting a "collar of shame" (for those of you who have seen the movie Up), and I'm calling the vet tomorrow.  I'm doing hot compresses on his nose off and on (recommended by the veterinarian), which doesn't seem to be doing anything.  He's also bleeding more from the abscess.  Ugh!

So we went to Paul and Jeanne's, they had already started dinner (thanks to my father who didn't tell us they were going to start eating).  They had a lot of food, which was good, and we did get some to eat.  I would like a pumpkin or pecan pie here at home; I think mom is going to pick one up at a later time.  I thought I might hear from Jesse, but I know he had a lot to do today (it is Black Friday there already).  I stayed for a little while but was getting so worried about Stryker that I wanted to come home.  Since I drove, Taylor and I headed home.  They were just watching a ton of football anyway.

I am slacking on my Christmas cards.  I have considered not sending a Christmas letter this year, I don't like the fact Jesse isn't here to help proofread everything.  Not that I can't write a letter, but sometimes I don't get the acronyms right.  We'll see how that goes.

Next project for me right now (that doesn't involve a lot of thinking) is a Christmas layout for the blog!

If you're going shopping tomorrow - good luck, and if you're traveling - be safe out there!  Enjoy your weekend!

New House, Dog Update, and Deployment Update

I skipped yesterday in updating the blog... To be absolutely honest I think the events in my life finally came to a head... Add in some stress and emotions from this week combined with a deployed husband that doesn't feel like being very pleasant and I was pretty pissed off!  Anyway, I went into work today, venting a few frustrations (mainly of my poor dog) and I treaded through the day.  Well, I might as well start from the beginning of yesterday to give you a low-down on how everything came together to this point.

Yesterday I got those keys!  I posted photos yesterday on Facebook, I will include the photo album at the end of this blog.  The house wasn't a lot like the show house we saw weeks ago, but I have to admit I'm pleasantly surprised.  I liked some of the other houses they had on post because of the way the kitchen/dining room/living room was set up, but the house we're going to be living in has raised ceilings, a decorative ceiling in the living/dining room, wood floors downstairs, and a very large master bath.  We're the third family to live in this house.

I turned in my prorated rent and met the housing people at the house to do the walk through.  It was like a walk through I had never done before, because the guy that did the walk through could've done it without us there.  He seemed to make good notes about the "damage" to the house, they were very general.  So hopefully "scratches on the floorboard" won't come back to haunt us, even though my family and I will likely do our own walk through to make sure they got everything (my dad and I did do a little walk with the housing person too).  We have 10 days to notify them if need be.  I then looked at some paint samples, double checking colors.  I am definitely am doing some revisions to my previous pain selections.  I then snapped some pictures, we unloaded the CRV, locked all the doors, and headed out.  We went to the PX and got paint supplies, and then went to the Commissary and picked up a few things we needed there.  I have to say the PX was dead, while the Commissary was keeping their normal reputation of being busy.

Dad and I headed home and I did some stuff at home.  My mom and I decided that we were going to go to JoAnn Fabrics so I let the dog out to use the bathroom.  Now, I know I mentioned in my one of my last posts that Stryker's face was swelling.  Well, it was fine monday.  Tuesday, not so much.  His nose, eyes, and lips were swollen when I let him in from outside.  Not only that but his nose was bleeding - not from his nostrils but from the top of his nose.  It was almost seeping - like from an insect bite.  I called the vet and then made an appointment.  I instructed dad to keep an eye on the big boy while mom and I went out (I bought fabric to make Jesse an Oakland A's blanket), and we came back home in time to take him to his next appointment.

On a dog-related note, he weighs 85 pounds, not 95 like we thought.  I don't know how that works or if a dog can even have his weight fluctuate that much, but regardless he's not as heavy as we thought.  Stryker got his temperature taken and then the doctor came in.  I have to say I like this veterinarian because he was nice; sometimes you just get a veterinarian that just isn't too pleasant.  Mom and I have had pretty good luck at this place though.  He swabbed Stryker's nose, looked at it under a slide, and came to a conclusion.  Stryker had eaten or come in contact with something that was irritating his skin AND there was something else.  He believed Stryker also was developing a nasal "infection" of sorts - apparently a common (possibly genetic) infection among German Shepherds.  This infection can progress quickly and if bothered and/or treated can lead to scarring and hair loss.  So basically they gave him a shot and some antibiotics.  If we run out of antibiotics before the infection is completely gone we will have to get a new prescription.  The antibiotic can also make the boy sick.  I feel horrible for my dog right now!

This morning things didn't go well for me either.  I'm not going to get into that....  Too tired!

I did talk to my husband yesterday and today.  He might be moving FOBs (Forward Operating Bases), but nothing is one hundred percent at this point.  But basically he will be "detached" from 2/1 and "attached" to another unit.  He's doing well, he likes in battalion commander, he knows a couple more people who are going to be heading out to his unit (from IBOLC), and he's had a lot of time in between things to watch movies!  They were supposed to have a pretty decent dinner tonight for Thanksgiving, since there it is Thanksgiving morning.

I am tired from all the craziness so I'm going to head to bed.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving and I will probably post more tomorrow!

Our House on Ft. Lewis

One Day

I only have one more day, or more like 16 hours, until I get those keys in my hand!  I can't say how excited I am, I hope that all the house stuff keeps me well occupied into the new year.

Today I woke up and then immediately checked on my dog.  His swelling had pretty much gone away, and I figure that whatever had gotten him must have passed.  I will continue to keep an eye on him and his activities, making sure the swelling doesn't come back or happen again.  Then after I did that, I jumped into putting together Jesse's care package.  I quickly figured out that I couldn't fit everything into one box, so I made sure to take anything "breakable" out of the box.  I made sure everything was packed tightly and taped it up;  I reinforced the corners, taped all the way around the box on all sides, and made sure the tape was doubled up so it couldn't open.

Then I realized that I missed my dentist appointment I had today, which made me stress out.  I quickly called and rescheduled it, but turns out I can't get in until January.  Not even January, but the END of January.  Oh well I guess, there is nothing that I can do about it now.

I recruited my father to go out with me to mail Jesse's package and got a money order from WaMu (known now as Chase which I'm still not willing to accept) which was free.  Dad and I grabbed a coffee (me a carmel brule latte and dad a peppermint mocha) and headed home.

I helped dad do some cleaning before mom got home, and did some stuff on the computer.  My mom and I ended up looking at paint samples for the house.  I'm still trying to figure out what color I want to do in our bedroom, something that looks good with a rich red color.  Wish me luck!  I want to do a pink in the laundry room, possibly a blue in the kitchen, a tan or green in the living room or dining room, a tropical blue in a bathroom upstairs, and possibly a red in the master bath.  We'll see how that goes, I'm struggling a little bit because I'm not really able to look at my furniture in comparison.  So I might just buy two different colors of paint, and start there.  Maybe wait until we move everything in before I decide everything else.

Dad and I loaded up the CRV with stuff to move onto post.  It's going to be an early morning tomorrow, since I need to go on post and give them some cash before move in.  I can't WAIT to see the house and post photos.

That reminds me that I need to charge my battery to my camera!  I hope that all of you had a great monday and you have a great week!

I wanted to quickly mention something that was on the news today about ILT Brian Bradshaw (a friend of Jesse's) that was on the news tonight because he died in Afghanistan, here is the link if you are interested:

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Gold-Star-Mothers-renew-holiday-commitment-for-fallen-troops-71791037.html

Sunday Morning

So today I woke up to a dog jumping on my bed.  As soon as I realized it and my head hit my pillow, my alarm went off.  I turned my alarm off and decided to go back to bed.

When I finally woke up an hour later, I looked at my phone (which the first thing I do when I wake up). My friend Stacy and texted me to see if I wanted to go to breakfast.  I have to say my timing was pretty good because I had noticed the text almost 15 minutes after she sent it.  So I we worked out a time for breakfast, and I got ready for the day.

We tried this place downtown, which was new to all of us.  It was a pretty decent place, you could tell that it had been around for a while.  I forget the name of it, but it was good.  After that we went to Target (Stacy bought a sweater for her cat Tini, which was funny).  I bought some more stuff for Jesse's care package, which of course has far exceeded the amount of goodies that a sane person would!  We headed back to my house to work on my project of the day.

I made all the stuff I planned on making:  pumpkin bread, orange cream cookies, and peanut butter cookies.  I watched probably 2 disks of CSI while making cookies - it seemed to take forever!  I also arranged, cut, packaged, and vacuum sealed everything to send.  I am very tired.

Then I realized that my dad left my dog out for an hour unattended, and I only realized this when he "pawed" at the door (it sounds like he ran into the door with his head).  I let him in, and then was getting a good look at him.  I had to wrestle around for his feet to clean them off, and I've been noticing some strange things happening to his face.  I realized today that I wasn't crazy, his face was swollen!  It's around his eyes, nose, and lips.  It's nothing too crazy, but noticeable nonetheless.  So, my first task tomorrow morning is getting the big boy into the vet to likely get a shot.  I don't know what he stuck his face in, or when, because I noticed he seemed to be developing a bump on his nose yesterday.  Only today did I notice his hair and lips look quite strange, and feeling it with my hands I almost panicked.  It doesn't feel like anything big like cysts, but it is very bumpy.  It scared me!  He's not lethargic or having any issues with food (if anything he's eating more), so I'm not rushing him into an emergency vet.  But it has moved to the top of my priority list tomorrow!

I hope everyone has a great week this week, I know for many of you it is only a 3-day weekend.  Have a great week, and I will be posting often!

November's album is updated!

November 2009

End of the Week

So today is the end of a pretty boring week.  I can't say how excited I am for the week ahead.  I have much going on, and this is a run down on my daily schedule:

• Sunday:  COOKIES!!  I am making Orange Cream cookies and Otis Spunkmeyer Peanut Butter cookies for Jesse's care package.  I already bought him an air mattress and razor blades that he needs, so that will go into the package.  I'm getting the feeling as of right now I might have to send two separate care packages... We'll see.
• Monday:  I need to get my money order for on post housing (Fort Lewis won't let you write a check or do cash, let alone a debit card).  I also am planning on sending one package and getting more customs forms to mail out future packages.  New customs form from the USPS are coming in to fill out so they are even more of a pain in the behind!  I also will be loading the car to get some stuff out of the way from my parents house.
• Tuesday:  I have to be on post early to hand in rent money, then off to the house!  I will get my keys, do the walk through, and move a small amount of stuff in.  I plan on snapping some photos (which I will post here and Facebook) and then dad and I will likely make a trip to both the Px (we might buy some paint supplies) and the Commissary for some Thanksgiving  Day supplies.
• Wednesday:  I work all day.  Yuck.
• Thursday:  Thanksgiving!  We may take a trip out to the new place for both mom to see and to make sure that I have a good idea of colors to paint the house so I can pick that up!  Then we'll be doing dinner over at a family friend's house, which is the Stagner residence.
• Friday:  Or should I say, Black Friday??  I will probably make it out early in the AM to Fred Meyer's Sock Sale.  The have half off of socks!  I can't resist.  Maybe I will go shopping somewhere else too -- but we'll have to see.  I will most likely be picking up some coffee at Starbucks too!  Then that afternoon/evening I will be picking up any needed paint and paint supplies.
• Saturday:  Painting!  If you would like to help, please let me know!  E-mail me via Facebook or gmail.

So that's that!  Keep checking the blog to see photos.

Today I went out to Petsmart and bought Stryker a new Christmas toy (photos to be added to the November photo album) and then we went to Walmart.  I needed more supplies for Jesse - including the air mattress I mentioned above.  I also got more Food Saver bags to vacuum seal cookies in, along with some ziplock baggies to pack stuff for Jesse.  Again I've said it once, I've said it a million times... I am obsessed with Jesse's care packages.  It's a little scary sometimes... haha.  Our friend Stacy also came over tonight, and gave me a Christmas card to send in the package.  I know I've mentioned it before, but I'm going to mail Christmas cards to Jesse that are mailed to me here at home.  So if you'd like Jesse to get a Christmas card, note, picture, photo, or letter feel free to send it to me.  I don't know when I'm going to have an address to give to everyone!

Another thing is I'm considering getting those new shoes from Reebok, the Easy Tones.  I like the look of them a little bit better than something like Sketchers.  I do know that losing weight and/or toning up doesn't just happen with wearing some sneakers, but I think that they may not hurt along with an exercise routine.  Anyway, I'm thinking about it.

I hope that you all have a great week, I will keep you posted with information and photos as I have it!