Thursday, February 26, 2009

Sending all My Love

So today I sent the first care package out to Jack! Yeah for that. I had fun packing the box and then of course decorating the box. hehe. I find it entertaining to send packages. 
Today was somewhat uneventful. I went to the post office, then the library (I love that place), then I stopped at my mother-in-law's work. I had some boxes for her and her work has really really yummy food.
We started talking about care packages and what we should put in them. So that lead to some research for me. I spent an hour or so looking around online for lists and then taking what Jack would like and compiling our own list. I think it is a pretty good one too. It gives us lots of options. I figure I can pick up stuff when it is on sale and save it. 
Do you have any great care package ideas? Let me know!

Okay on to today's picture of the day:

Day 51
The box!!!



Hope everyone is having a good day!

JMS - I miss you and I love you. Stay safe my heart

XoXo
Amanda

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Progress

So things are going well. Well as well as can be expected. I miss my husband, but honestly thats a given. I have heard from him a few times in the past few days and hopefully that will increase once he gets settled at the place he will spend the majority of his time at. 

I think each day is a day forward. One less day I have to miss my husband, cause I already handled that one. I have been talking to another wife in our unit a lot. I find myself giving her advice and realizing that I should be following my own advice.  So I just need to get through each day.

Things are going to get a lot easier for me to stay busy and definitely a lot easier for us financially. I was offered a new job the other day and I accepted it. I will now be working full time at a school as a career services placement counselor. Definitely will keep me busy. And the best part is that it will allow the debt that I have been slowing paying for quite some time to reduce drastically. 

So my goal for this deployment is to pay down my debt as much as possible. My car is just about paid off (1 more payment) yeah!!!!!!!! Then the credit card debt, that was consolidated is slowly but surely getting paid down. I can't wait to be done with that. I am excited to pay my car off and add that money to my debt payment. 

Part of becoming more financially secure for us (not that we aren't already) is saving more money. I have thought long and hard about how to do this. And so has Jack. After talking with my inlaws, it has been decided that once this house sells, instead of wasting money on rent, I am going to stay at my inlaws until Jack comes home, approximately 4 or 5 months after everything is said and done. I will be paying for storage but not rent. It will definitely allow us to pay things off and increase our savings. I am quite happy with this. So Seneca and Kobe and I will live  there. 

Lets see what else...oh Maggie is coming down this weekend!! YEAH!! So excited for that. We are going to spend some much needed girl time together. It will be great. So I should have great pictures from this coming weekend.

Speaking of pictures... here are the past few days...

Day 48 - Feb 23
Had dinner at my inlaws... look at how sweet Peanut and Bubblegum are



Day 49 - Feb 24... 
My babies

Day 50 -  Feb 25
Ash Wednesday....I went to mass.. I am giving up Chocolate for Lent... lets see how that goes....


Hope everyone is having a great day!

JMS - I love you and I miss you... stay safe my heart

XoXo
Amanda

Sunday, February 22, 2009

connections


I never realized how attached I would become to my phone. Literally that thing is my best friend. I need to have it constantly, almost as much as I need to breathe. It is my connection to him and I need any connection however small.

I learned how to forward my instant messenger to my phone. That was a good thing. Granted there is a huge delay and I am not a quick texter....but at least I won't miss him.

I almost missed a call today. I was at work and he called. Thankfully I went on break  like a minute later, so I got to talk to him for about 45 seconds. It was so worth it. Just to hear his voice.

These past few days have been rough on the communication front. He has been traveling...so that makes things hard. And then yesterday the computer and my phone were being dumb. So I went to T's. She was awesome and let me use her blackberry and her computer. That way I could talk to Jack a bit. 

She did make me go out bowling, but it was a good thing. I needed the distraction. Kate and Brian (my 2nd favorite Hooah) were there to. They definitely took my mind off of things, if only for an hour. We had a great time. Brian gave us all goofy names, Traceynator, MandaPanda, It's Brian Time, just things to make us laugh. It worked.

I can not even tell you how my friends have helped me. This weekend could have been far worse. But between Tracey and Kate and Brian, and Colleen's texts, and Manda's constant words of encouragement, I am going to do this. 

So now for the pictures of the day....

Day 46...
Bowling


Tracey, Brian, Me and Kate... We had fun..
I am so not a good bowler though... haha

Day 47....
The man and I snuggling...
The only man I am snuggling with till my hero gets home


Hope everyone had a great weekend.

JMS- stay safe my heart. you are my world. Ilu

Xoxo 
Amanda

Friday, February 20, 2009

Name that tune....hehe

This was on facebook, I transferred it here so Jack could have a shot at it to, seeing as how he does not have a facebook and won't get one... silly Jack.

Okay so I totally stole this from Amy and Colleen...but I thought it would be fun.... And I won't lie I only used my playlists....cause I am thinking not everyone would know all of Jack's rap craziness... haha
 
1. Put your music player on shuffle. 
2. Post the first line from the first 55 songs that play. 
3. Strike through the songs when someone guesses both the song and artist correctly. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
1. It was two weeks after the day she turned 18.
2. She wore that laffy taffy, kiss kiss 
3. Waking up at the start at the end of the world 
4. I am supposed to be the solider who never loses composure 
5. Here we are all alone in this room 
6. Can this be true tell me can this be real 
7. If I had no more time, no more time left to be here 
8. Where'd you go, I miss you so 
9. Baby I just don't get it, do you enjoy being hurt 
10. Baby when I look at you, with your hair falling down and your baby blues 
11. Now that its all said and done, I can't believe you were the one 
12. See the stone set in your eyes, see the throne trace in your side 
13. I love the way you standing, look so sweet like cotton candy 
14. We at war, were at war with terrorism, racism, but most of well we at war with ourselves.  
15. No matter what you say about love, I keep coming back for more 
16. This ain't a song for the broken hearted 
17. She take my money, when I'm in need 
18. Just like a shadow, I'll be beside, I'll be your comfort, I will guide you home 
19. the heart is a glow, shoots up through the stony ground 
20. Baby I apologize for all the things I've done. See I know I've been a fool for far too long 
21. let me know that I've done wrong, when I've known this all along 
22. You're no alone, together we stand, I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand 
23. I'm not a perfect person, There's many things I wish I didn't do 
24. This world will never be what I expected, and if I don't belong who would have guessed it 
25. If you are what you say are, a superstar, then have no fear, the cameras here 
26. Honey why you calling me so late, its kinda hard to talk right now 
27. I'm just trying to be a father, raise a daughter and a son 
28. L.A. proved to much for the man, he couldn't make it, so he's leaving a life he's come to know 
29. You sit there in your heartache, waiting on some beautiful boy to save you from your old ways 
30. I set out on a narrow way, many years ago 
31. If you're reading this, my momma's sitting there 
32. You got me so hypnotized, the way your body rolling round and round 
33. Hello I'm your mother, feel your pain my gangster, Can you feel my trigger hand, moving down your neck 
34. You've got this new head filled up with smoke, I got my veins all tangled close 
35. Summer has come and past, the innocent can never last 
36. Rain storm, waiting from the norm, I've got to tell you something 
37. Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, took the midnight train, going anywhere 
38. Walk blind into the light and reach out for his hand, don't ask any questions and don't try to understand 
39. Well I had the same dream again, the one where I wake up and I'm a liar 
40. He's a stranger to some and a vision to none 
41. There was a time, when I was so broken hearted. Love wasn't much of a friend of mine. 
42. The smell of your skin lingers on me now.... you're probably on your flight back to your hometown. 
43. Rompe Rompe Rompe eh....Break it down....  
44. Like we always do with this time, I go for mine, I got to shine 
45. American Girls, American Guys, will always stand up and salute, will always recognize 
46. I'm 15 for a moment,  
47. Broken this fragile thing now, and I can't, I can't pick up the pieces 
48. And I've give up forever to touch you, and to know that you feel the same way 
49. Story of my life, searching for the right, but it keeps avoiding me 
50. Sorry that I never told you, all I wanted to say 
51. I can ride my bike with no handlebars, no handlebars, no handlebars 
52. Am I more than you bargained for yeah, I have been dying to tell you anything you want to hear  
53. Girl change into that Victoria Secret thing that I like 
54. Rolling through the hood, just stopped by to say what's up to let you know your baby boy aint doing so good. 
55. I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house, that don't bother me.

Day....45...

Okay so today I am going to update y'all on the hearts and what our donut of misery says. I know it is a little bit of cheating cause I saw Jack, but according to our unit this deployment started January 7th and to be honest it makes me feel better to know I have already gotten through this much....so I am going with it. haha
Anyway here is Day 45's picture



The donut of misery says, 16% done!!! Still a long long way to go, but hey at least we are in the double digits of what is done. I like that.
As for the donut of misery....I sometimes question why it is called that. I mean I know deployments aren't fun. I know they aren't easy. But isn't it like rubbing salt in someone's wounds to call it misery. I mean you and I both know, this isn't a picnic. I just don't need to be reminded of that constantly.
People ask some really odd questions when they find out you are the spouse of a service member, they get even weirder when they discover he/she is deployed. I sometimes wonder if people have a brain at all.

Some questions I have gotten are....

Don't you miss him -  really this is a no brainer...of course I do...I don't need you to remind me

How do you do it -  how anyone else does it. I love my husband so I do what I need to do..

So I am guessing you don't support the war - Really why does that matter. My husband does his job....it doesn't matter if I support the war or not. Its not like I can call up the president and be like "um yeah could you send my husband home." dumb.

Are you afraid he won't come home - please please please never ask a significant other of a deployed Marine or solider this... it is the stupidest question ever. Of course I am scared. I cry sometimes thinking about it... but honestly that is not something I can think about...I need to be positive...and stupid questions like that...don't help

I honestly think that someone people just say things without first realizing the effect it could have. 
I wonder if people even know what it is like to not sleep because the nightmares cause you to wake up bawling each night. 
I wonder if people know that avoiding the news channels is something you try desperately to do...but you can't, like it is an addiction.
I wonder if people who cry because they miss their spouse who has been gone for a week or 2, know that military wives handle so much more, and have no concrete details as to when they will be back.

I guess I just wonder sometimes. 

Anyway this post went a little off track... but those are my thoughts today.

I hope everyone is having a good friday. I am going to get back on track with posting each day.

JMS - I love you. Stay safe my heart.

XoXo
Amanda

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Back!!!

So I spent the weekend in Jacksonville NC with my love. It was amazing! This post is going to be heavy in the pictures....cause well I got lots. hehe...

Day 36 Feb 11th

Had to drop the kitties off.... They went on a vacation to Grandma and Grandpa's

Kobe did not like the drive

Seneca on the other hand...loved it


Day 37 Feb 12th... on our way there


filling up in GA


SC


Jack being all model like...haha.... <3>


NC



Day 38 Feb 13th.... our hotel room and Jack's barracks too!


The "Sergio Room" haha....that was the manager's name...Jack told me it was a ghost...silly Jack


Jack's barracks....

The bottom bunk is his


And I got to see Amy!!!!

Day 39 Feb 14th... Valentines Day.... being all romantic

Onslow Beach


Jack on the beach


Me on the beach... it was cold and getting dark...so I am surprised these pictures came out so good!


Had fun writing in the sand...
<3

Awww...
<3>

Day 40 Feb 15th... spending time together

We take great pictures of ourselves... haha

Jack relaxing

Day 41 Feb 16th- snuggles


Day 42 Feb 17th.... Jack at work and saying goodbye :(



Day 43 Feb 18th... the kitties are home!!!

Kobe - clearly already back into his routine

Seneca - being the princess that she is

Day 44 Feb 19th... my car is moto now... haha
The ribbon says "Keep my husband safe"

sure do love my marine...lots and lots

So I know that was a lot of pictures... hehe. Hope you all enjoyed them

Hope everyone has a great day.

JMS - I love you. Stay Safe.

XoXo
Amanda


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Going to NC

So its been a bit. But there are reasons why. Jack came home on leave and I have been spending so much time with him. I love it.

It has been amazing.

And now tomorrow morning I am leaving with Jack to drive up to Jacksonville. I am so excited. We gat to spend that last weekend together before he heads off to Iraq. I am scared for him to be leaving but in a sense I am ready for him to finally get going so that it can get over with.

Deployments are an interesting thing. I think if you have too much time before hand to think about, it makes it worse. But in the opposite sense if you don't have time you will want more time. I think you always want more time. I was talking to a friend the other day and he asked me "would it ever be enough time" I thought about that and realized he was right. It would never be enough time. As much as I want Jack home with me, I know that this is what he wants and needs to be doing.

I saw a saying somewhere and it said, "He risks his life for people he doesnt know, imagine what he would for me." It made me so proud and happy to be his wife. He amazes me everyday.


I am dropping my babies off at my inlaws tonight, so it will be sad that I wont have my kitties tonight, but they are going on vacation too...


Okay on to the promised pictures....... lots of catching up to do.

Day 27. Feb 2nd -  Kobe's Birthday!! Happy 1st Birthday!


Day 28 Feb 3
The For Sale Sign is up


Day 29 Feb 4
playing with the camera


Day 30 Feb 5th
my snuggly man


Day 31 Feb 6
My princess


Day 32 Feb 7th
Jack was home!!!!! Yeah!!! This was taken at Cranes Roost park

Day 33  Feb 8th
Dinner with family


Happy Birthday Julie

Day 34 Feb 9th
Playing around at the movie theater...haha


Day 35 Feb 10th
look...his background on the laptop is the same as mine on the desktop...too sweet... hehe


So now I feel all caught up. whew!
I promise to have lots of pictures when I get back from NC. I will be MIA for a bit....but I will come back with great stuff.
Hope everyone is having a great day.
JMS -  I love you.

XoXo
Amanda

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Need to Update

Okay, So I know I said I would post pictures up....and I have all of them....
But you see Jack came home on Block leave early and surprised me!!! Yeah!!! So I am writing this on the laptop. So needless to say I don't have the pictures on here. I will though go to the other computer and edit this post before the end of the night tonight, I promise!!
So the next or week I won't be around much, seeing as how Jack is here and I am enjoying time with him. I will have a nice super long update after I get back from NC, with probably lots and lots of pictures.
Hope everyone is good.
JMS - I love you

XoXo
Amanda

Friday, February 6, 2009

um yeah

Dear body,
This not being able to sleep thing... although it may be fun for you.... not cool for me. So if we could just fix that, that would be great.
Thanks,
Amanda.

Pictures from the week will be up tomorrow.. I have no idea what I did with the camera right now.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Catching Up

So I have some catching up to do with my pictures of the day....oops...I am going to get that done...and then write a real post later....

Okay...so Day 23.. Thursday....

My pretty Seneca

Day 24...Friday 

Handsome Marines...

Day 25...Saturday... Went to the park and feed the ducks....lots of fun

swans

swan 

swan boat

Day 26...Sunday.. Superbowl!!!
And today the post went up for the For Sale sign in front of our house.

For Sale Sign Post....getting there

Grandpa....never likes his picture taken

Uncle Brian and Aunt Val


Grandma

Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow.
JMS - I miss you and I love you!!!

XOXO
Amanda