Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

I know that it is not Halloween anymore half way around the world where my husband is, but I wish him and all of you a happy holiday nonetheless.  I hope that everyone has a great day.

Speaking of my husband, I did hear from him this morning.  He called me and he did make it in country safely, and seemed to be doing well.  He was a little bit rushed but gave me some much needed updates.  He said that he will probably be in one location for a while yet, but that he should be able to find out what unit he's going to be with tomorrow.  I will update everyone to what unit that is when I know it.

Today I haven't done anything too interesting, mom and I went to Pioneer Park in downtown Puyallup to go and see the Halloween themed farmers market.  We were there for a little while and saw the glass pumpkin patch (Tacoma's glass museum makes beautiful pumpkins), having them on display there.  After that we went to Lowe's and looked at paint samples for the new place.  I took some mental notes on what I'm going to need to buy in regards to paint supplies.  After that we went to Target, where I bought an Army nutcracker in ACUs.  I love it!  I also made sure to buy some candy to ship to Jesse (SO excited to get an address!) and some candy to make cookies with.  My next task is to find some good cookie recipes, I plan on buying Martha Stuart's Cookie Book, which I'm very excited about.  I also bought some no-pill fleece from JoAnn's to make a no-sew fleece blanket.  The theme?  ARMY!  It's going to be an Army pattern on one side and gold on the other.  Very excited for that, I think I might try and make it tomorrow (with my mom as my assistant, lol).  I will post photos of that also.

I'm updating the online photo album for October 2009, obviously it is the last day of October, and I won't be updating that album any more.  Keep an eye out for my November 2009 album and more updated photos of Jesse's deployment!  I will post his address ASAP.  I did decide that I'm probably not going to post the address for the new house until I get keys, to avoid any confusion!

Thank you all for your thoughts & prayers.  I'm sure our 5/2 boys appreciate it!

Again, the link to October's photo album:

October 2009

Deployment Update & New House

Hello!  I hope everyone is doing well, as I am hanging in there.  I wanted to let you all know if you wanted to see any photos of Jesse and deployment photos I have an album on Picasa which I will post in a link at the bottom of the blog.

The troops got off a plane on the East coast to refuel, and got a standing ovation from the people at the Airforce Base they landed at. I e-mailed and posted the links on Facebook, please let me know if you want me to e-mail it to you, or if you have problems with the links.

I'm working on sending out copies of the professional photos in the mail, possibly with our Christmas cards. I'm still debating that.

Also I got a call from housing yesterday and we officially have a place waiting for us on post. I didn't get to see inside the house at this time, but it is exactly what we wanted. Jesse had gone in before his departure and asked if they had anything available, and they didn't. Later on that day, someone came in and gave their notice to the housing. We are both very excited about it. I won't get the keys until the 24th, but I will post our address here, on Facebook, and in an e-mail when I know it. You want to send Christmas cards you can send them to either that address or my parent's address, whichever is easier. I'm not going to rush into moving into the new house, I'm just going to do what I can since it's right in the middle of the holidays, and I know that I (and those who help me) won't have a lot of time. Besides that, I'd like to do some painting before we get all our stuff in there!

That's all for now! Please keep Jesse in your thoughts & prayers!

Jesse's Deployment

Day One

As most of you already know, Jesse has left for his deployment.  This is the first full day we've been away from each since he left.

I know he is anxious, and getting sleep on a plane is rough.  He's getting through though, and keeping his head up.  Any positive thoughts you can send his way would be much appreciated.  He may not be able to respond quickly or timely, but they would be much appreciated.

There's not a lot to report here on the home front.  He does have some pictures which I will post a little bit later.  I will also post his address when he gives it to me.  Stay tuned through e-mail, Facebook, and the blog.  I will pass along everything as I now it.

I want to say thank you to my great friends Ashley, Cherie, and Stacy.  You all have been great and I am blessed to have you as friends!

Keep Jesse in your thoughts and prayers!

Well, That Was Exciting....

So yesterday morning, as I was trying to post the day's blog, our power went out.  Mom made a comment about how she heard some loud "pow" noise, but thought it was just a backfire.  When we started to notice the amount of traffic that was backing up and then turning around in our driveway, Jesse and mom decided to take a look.  Jesse came back frantically, wanting the camera.  This is what he saw:

Apparently a Pierce County Sheriff officer was chasing a burglar when someone pulled out in front of him, and he lost control.  It was early on a Saturday, so I don't believe there would've been that much traffic.  He hit a power line, and ignited a gas line.  So, we had Comcast, PSE (Puget Sound Energy), probably six sheriff vehicles (including motorcycle cops), and three fire trucks.  No one was hurt.  It made two news stations, and you can see one of the stories here:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/65910082.html

In other news, Jesse went fishing this morning, probably for his last time in a while.  He has some pictures that he has gotten from fishing, but I don't have them yet.  I will update our online album and post them when I get them.

We're going to be going to lunch today with a bunch of friends, and then going bowling afterwards.  I will post those photos also when we get back.

I updated the October album online, if you would like to check it out, you can click here:

October 2009

Thank a Veteran.... It's easy.

I looked this web site last night after Michelle Obama was on Jay Leno last night.  I really wanted to share this with all if you.  It is:


www.welcomebackveterans.org


They have a link on the website that you can click on to personally thank a Veteran.  If you would like to send a soldier a personalized message you can visit the web site and click on "Share Your Thanks" or go to this link:


http://www.welcomebackveterans.org/page/s/thankyou


Like the web site says: It may only take a minute, but it can change the life of a veteran forever.


Also if you're interested in sending thank you's, get well's, flowers, or baked goods to injured guys in 5th Brigade, in the 1-17, and in BTSB (Brigade Support Troops Battalion, I believe the injured were engineers) please send me an e-mail at marissa.mcadam@gmail.com and I can give you addresses!!!

Jesse's Professional Photos

Jesse got some professional pictures a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to share that information with all of you.  There is a link at the bottom of the blog for you to click on and check out.  We did get prints, which I will send out with Christmas cards next month.

Not a lot is new with us other than that, I realized today it has been a little while since I last updated here!  Jesse has a 4 day weekend this weekend (today is day #2).  We don't have a lot of stuff planned, but we're getting a lot of stuff figured out before he gets deployed and doing a lot of relaxing!  Sunday Jesse's going to be going fishing.  The other day when he went fishing he got some pictures, which I haven't gotten to see yet.  I will post them on here and on Facebook when I get them.

Tomorrow the FRG (Family Readiness Group) is having a Halloween Party which I'm not going to because I want to stay home with Jesse and spend as much time with him as possible.  I did get some updates from the FRG leader also (and I can't remember if I've said this before) but they are making afghan blankets for wives of 5/2.  I'm sending in my order form today.  I will post photos of the blanket when I get it.  They also have been making charms (I'm guessing of the 5th Brigade Indian Head Patch) which I will probably be able to order in the next couple of months.  I'm pretty excited about that!

Anyway, that is all for now.  Click here to see Jesse's pictures:

Jesse's Professional Photos

A Farewell

So friday night we spent with my family, and Saturday afternoon we went up to the Mount Vernon/Sedro Woolley area to spend some time with some of Jesse's family.  Jesse didn't get his fishing trip (as he had planned) Saturday morning, so he's planning one for tomorrow with his friend (and chiropractor) Bob.

So, we went up saturday afternoon in the pouring rain (and I mean POURING RAIN) which was kind of crazy.  We were really happy that the express lanes were open so that we could pass by most of the traffic (because it was POURING, did I say that already??).  When we got there we did some shopping, and then headed over to our friends Nate and Amber's house.  Jesse has been friends with Nate throughout high school, and has known Amber for just about as long as Nate had been dating Amber.  I met them both soon after I met Jesse.  Nate and Amber have two beautiful children, Benjamin and Samantha, and every year have a costume birthday party for Benjamin.  It is always a fun time and full house, and it was great to be able to catch up with everyone.

After the party, Jesse and I went back to Julie's house.  Jesse's grandfather and his wife were there, they had just gotten back from a trip to Alaska.  We got to catch up with them, then watched a movie, and went to bed.

Sunday was busy!  Jesse's mom threw a going away party for Jesse, and lots of people came.  It was fun, and great for Jesse to be able to see everyone and say a last goodbye to everyone before he leaves for deployment.  We left mid-afternoon, stopping at the outlet mall in Tulalip (yeah, it's irresistible! We stop there a lot).  Jesse did buy me my Christmas gift since he's not going to be around in December.  It was very sweet of him!

Yesterday Jesse spent most of his day at work, they went to the range to "shoot stuff."  I made cookies (for probably the umpteenth time) and spent most of the day with mom.  She was doing a lot of cleaning, so I did a lot to our tiny bedroom.  Mom's dog Daisy was like my shadow, clinging to me at every moment, scared of the scary vacuum.  When Jesse got home we got stuff to make a cola pot roast.  Jesse requested it as one of the things that he wants to eat before he leaves.  We also got some stuff to organize the tiny bedroom we're living in.

Today Jesse and I went to the mall and did some shopping.  It's hard to believe it's the 20th of October and SO many places are just stocked with Christmas stuff.  We went and visited Macy's Holiday Lane, which they put in as a separate store in the South Hill Mall this year.  We (or I guess I should say I) had to go in and look at stuff.  Jesse got some of his favorite Frangos (mint chocolate flavor and the candy cane flavor).  We also bought some very cute Christmas ornaments that were fishing themed.  It's going to be very hard for me not to go back and get more of them when Jesse's not here, I know that he would love to have a fishing-themed Christmas tree... Without spending the money on it!  We also bought some things for my brother's birthday in November (I'm SO excited to give him some GOOD gifts this year!). On the way home we stopped at Costco and bought some Christmas stamps (so much easier than going into the post office or buying them online) and got Jesse's favorite food:  a berry smoothie and a chicken bake.

Tomorrow Jesse's going fishing, and I am going to go with my mom to the Holiday Food & Gift Festival at the Tacoma Dome.  Thursday I know Jesse's probably going to be doing things all day, but he does get a four day weekend that is Friday through Monday.  Sunday we're going to be going out for pizza, so if you're in the area and you want to come, feel free!  Just e-mail me at marisa.mcadam@gmail.com, because we're still ironing out details!

If you'd like to see more pictures of our weekend (I'm going to add more pictures throughout the month in this album, I will blog when I do) check them out here:

October 2009

It's FALL!

So lately the weather has changed, it's cool outside and a few fall storms has made their way across the state lately.  The fall leaves are truly beautiful, there is one in the park where we take the dogs out to walk that was turning such a beautiful reds and oranges... If I can snap a picture sometime soon, I will.  We tend to not see fall leaves for long because the rain ad wind come and blow everything off of the trees.

Since I haven't worked at all this week I've been doing a little shopping, making cookies, doing some chores, and got the chance to catch up with a friend of mine that I used to work with.  I've been trying to get my Halloween cards in order, I started getting my Thanksgiving cards in order, and Jesse and I will probably be ordering our Christmas cards soon.  Then I will probably be getting my Christmas card letter supplies and figuring out what I'll be doing with that.  I might as well if I have time!

I'm really looking forward to this weekend, we have an action-filled weekend ahead of us.  My brother is coming down from UW to see us.  I'm making burritos from the crock pot tonight for dinner, and I'm thinking the family will probably sit down and watch a movie this evening.  It'll be a great, cozy night in.

Tomorrow Jesse is going to go fishing on the Skokomish River (I hope they don't get drenched), I have a meeting at work in the morning, and then we're heading out in the afternoon to a friend's birthday party.  It's actually a party for their kid, Benjamin, who is turning four this year.  He was born in October, and always has a Halloween themed birthday party before Halloween.  It's a great idea because he loves to dress up.  Sunday Jesse's mother is having a get-together, an event for everyone to attend to say a good-bye to Jesse before he leaves.  I'm sure we'll have lots of pictures to show everyone!

That's about it for now.  I'll post pictures at the end of the weekend!

A Crabby Day

Yesterday Jesse went crabbing for the first time. He went with our friend Alan, his dad, and a friend of theirs. They left mid-morning, and headed off to Puget Sound. Once they got there they dropped off the pods and then grabbed lunch at a restaurant where you can pull your boat up and moor it there. Jesse had a burger that had meat, pineapple, and teriaki sauce on it. He loved it.

He came home in the evening with 3 crabs, and we had some pasta with that. It was a pretty good dinner!

Today isn't going to be eventful, Jesse went into work for just a couple of hours today, and I am just going to do a few things around the house (possibly take the dog out) before I run off to my first Battalion coffee. I will definitely update on how that goes!

Columbus Day Weekend

It has been a couple of days since our last update!  The weather here has cooled off quite a bit, and my father has finally decided to make a fire in the fireplace.  I think it drives my mother a little crazy, but it keeps us warm!

The last two days I've worked full days, while Jesse has gotten a four day weekend for Columbus Day.  He's been enjoying his time off and will probably be working longer days most of the rest of the week.  Things at the jewelry store have been rather slow, which leaves everyone wondering when things are going to be picking up.  Truly it seems as though it's both a blessing and a curse.  In a way there aren't a ton of people in the store to make you want to pull your hair out, but at the same time it makes time go SO much slower.  Besides no money = no hours.  It does seem kind of scary that the store isn't allotted many hours -- and yes I'm going to say it -- especially this close to Christmas.  Needless to say, I'm not going to be working much, if any at all, for the next three weeks.  I am very happy with that though, especially with Jesse leaving soon.

Jesse is going crabbing tomorrow, which should be an interesting experience for him.  I'm sure he'll be taking pictures and I will post them here when he does.  Tonight Jesse and I went over to a friends house for dinner, with the specialty being teriyaki chicken.  Jesse raves about it constantly, and I will agree it is very good.  And, of course, they wanted to feed him some before he's gone.  We love visiting with them, they are great friends to have here in Washington.

Tuesday I have my first coffee scheduled with 5th Brigade.  I'm a little nervous, but excited!  I'll update how that goes!

That's all for now!!

Professional Pictures.... Check!

One of my goals once we got back home was to get professional photos one with Jesse before he deployed for Afghanistan.  We ended up doing the photos last weekend, which turned out AMAZING!  I will post a link at the bottom of the blog for you all to see if you would like to check it out.

The next couple days are probably going to be somewhat hectic (for me at least) because tomorrow and saturday is work (and there's a possible date night tomorrow evening).  I will update more when I can!

Jesse & Marissa Professional Photos

First Dentist Appointment in FIVE years...

So, as everyone else in the family was working this morning (Jesse, Mom, and Dad), I had the luxury of going to the dentist for the first time in FIVE years.

Now, for everyone who feels as though they don't feel like they don't need to go to the dentist, and put it off, GO NOW.  If I would've had the health insurance MUCH earlier, I would have.  I am not kidding I had a two hour cleaning, 75% of which was with that metal pick scraping against my teeth trying to get the tartar off.  My teeth are sore and inflamed now, I seriously feel like I have a toothache in every tooth!

I have to say I have been blessed in my life with great teeth.  I also have to say, Jesse does too for the most part, so I believe that Jesse and I will have children with beautiful teeth!  But, I haven't even really gotten any large amount of cavities.  Now I have 3, which I blame on not going to the dentist for five years.   I truly believe that this is the worst dentist appointment that I've had in my life!  So, keep going to the dentist and avoid what I did!!

In other news, Jesse is still preparing for deployment (spray painting his duffel bags is his latest adventure).  He's going to subscribe to some magazines and the Army Times so that I can mail them over to him overseas to him.  He also got some more Army gear in which he spent nearly an hour showing me everything piece by piece.  It's a bit time consuming, but cute!

That is about it for today!

PS - Yes, I can't stand not changing my backround every other day.  Jesse liked this one and so I changed it.  Who knows, I might keep it around!

Yakima Wine Country

Jesse and I left on friday to go to Yakima for some wine tasting! We got to our Bed and Breakfast at the Cozy Rose Inn friday afternoon, ate some dinner, and relaxed to a movie. Saturday morning we got up, ate breakfast, and went wine tasting, the staff was amazing because they had great recomendations to restaurants and wineries for us to visit. They also had an amazing breakfast, none of those cheap breakfasts that you get from a lot of hotels, but a really great amazing breakfast. Sunday we got up, had breakfast, and came home.

When we got home we relaxed a little bit before we went out and then went over to a friends house for dinner. We met these friends in Georgia while Jesse was in IBOLC. They have 3 children and a white short haired german shepherd, who is absolutely beatiful. We had a good time with them, and were over at their place for quite a few hours.

We're off to a new week, and I work several days this week. Jesse's work week is unpredictable, as of course is the Army! We found out we will not be living on post as soon as we thought! I will keep everyone posted on the date/address when we know them!

New 'Do

I got a new hairdo last week, in preparation for our pictures last Sunday.  Here is a pic:

Yes, I know I look a little crazy in this picture!

In other news, Jesse is trying to get all the gadgets and things that he wants to bring on his deployment.  Today he got a new iPod.  Other than that his day has been pretty short, and is enjoying his time off.

We have also gotten the date changed for when we're moving onto post.  We're going to be getting keys the 16th instead of the 19th to be able to move in a little bit earlier.  Again, I will e-mail the address for our house when we get closer to move in.

That is all I can think of for now, I will write more again soon!