THAT'S RIGHT!!!! This is Tammy Henebry, Marketing Assistant for Marine Corps Community Services writing you today!!! I applied for this job in NOVEMBER, and interviewed for it just a couple weeks after that. (Right before Thanksgiving) Well, I had COMPLETELY put it out of my mind and figured that I hadn't got the job since they hadn't called me in the last 2 months! Apparently it's just a Marine Corps thing to make you wait and wait and wait before they reach a decision, because last week I got a phone call wanting me to start the next day!!! I, of course, accepted the job....and then told them they were crazy because I could not possibly go from "Stay-at-home mom" to "Working 9-5" with just a 21 hour notice!! They told me just to let them know when I had everything figured out for Jordan, and etc. I pretty much went into Super-woman mode, and got Jordan's physical record, TB test, registration for CYTP, interviewed babysitters, found a fill-in for the next week, and signed a contract with another permanent sitter to start on the 26th!! <---All within 2 days! It was aboslutley KILLING ME that Doc was at training and I couldn't call him and tell him, as I knew he would be SO SO excited for me!!
I had prayed before this interview back in November, and God was so faithful in bringing me this job! I didn't see it then, but his timing, as always was perfect! I was able to go to Oregon for Christmas, come home and unpack, and spend time with my husband before he left for training. I got the phone call about the job just 2 days later!!! My first day was Tuesday (with Monday being MLK day, the office was closed!). I absolutely LOVE my job so far! It is only a temporary position, and I am filling in for a girl when she takes her maternity leave. That being said, the office has already said that they want to keep me on through September to help with Bayfest this summer, even after Aylisha comes back in May! So that is fantastic!! Also, with jobs like this, you usually tend to get into other internal positions once you have a foot in the door, so yay for that!!!
Doc is doing well in his training! He isn't able to call very often at all, which stinks! His phone doesn't get reception there, so he calls me about once every 3 or 4 days from a buddy's phone. He has been so sweet during our calls though, so I really can't complain! He keeps telling me how proud of me he is, and how much he misses us. I got a voicemail from him 2 days ago apologizing over and over again for not being able to call to wish me good luck on my first day. What a thoughtful husband I have!!!! I would never expect something like that from him when he's at training! Given the fact that the guys have NO control over when they're going to be able to call home, I don't know how anyone could expect that! My husband always tries his hardest though, and I appreciate it VERY much!!!
Jordan is doing really well!!! She had a blast hanging out with Aunt Victoria (Aunt Victoa, as Jord calls her) this week! I paid Victoria a good amount of money to watch Jord, and I'm pretty sure she spent half of it buying Jordan new toys and taking her out while she was there! LOL :) And we all wonder why she's spoiled!!! Jordan will be starting a new home daycare on Monday, Miss Jenny's Angels. Jenny is the absolutely sweetest woman I have ever met, and she has re-done her entire garage into a daycare room! She has professional level things in there, and it is all neat as a pin and absolutely adorable!! Another lady in my office takes her daughter there, and RAVES about her. Also, another friend of mine works as the trainer for all the homecare providers on base, and she said that Jenny is by far the best! So that's great! She's expensive, but SO SO SO SO SO worth it! She does field trips with the kids, walks them to the park, does picnics, etc. She's awesome! I'll keep you all posted!
Well, now that I'm a working woman these weekends are more and more valuable, so it's time for me to get productive!!! I'm taking Jordan to Chinatown today for the Chinese New Year celebration!!! I'm very excited! They're having a parade, complete with a 150 ft. dragon!!! I can't wait to see this culturaly event, and I'll update you all on it soon! Love and prayers to you all, talk to you soon!!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Welcome Home! Ok, See ya later!!
Aloha all!!! I have been slacking SO SO badly at this blog, and I am very very sorry! I will try to get back into the swing of things here!!
Doc and Jordan and I got back from our trip to Oregon just a little over a week ago!! We had SO SO SO much fun!!! Grandma Jan flew out to Oregon to see us while we were there (and with any luck get a job and an apartment so she can move there, but that's a whole other story! lol) and Papa Tim also drove down from Washington to see us!! We had such a great visit with everyone! Oregon had the biggest snowstorm in 40 years 2 days before we got there, so we had a white-out Christmas! :) It was great though, it forced us to stay in for a couple days, and do nothing but eat cookies and muffins and enjoy each other! Brenda made the most delicious turkey I have ever tasted for Christmas (I'm pretty sure I ate 7 pieces of it!!! and I HATE turkey!!!) and we had a great meal and time with family! Jordan made out like a bandit with her presents!! She is a very very lucky little girl to have all these people in the world that care about her so much, and she was so appreciative of all of it! She was just soaking it all in, and loving every moment!
While we were there, we had a chance to do a little date night with John and Brenda while Grandma Jan watched Jordy, so that was nice! It's been a long time since we've had a date! Jordan also got to go tubing down the mountain with Uncle John, Daddy, and Papa Tim, and she loved that. Brenda and I went shopping and hit some major deals!! We had a blast!! John and Brenda remind me so much of Doc and I, the way the pick on each other and compliment each other!
We didn't get to drive to Washington though :( Once we got there, and SAW the snow and the weather forecast, we all collectively realized that it wasn't a good idea. Pam, my sister-in-law in Washington and one of the people we were going up there to see, ended up getting very very sick, and they weren't sure if she was contagious or not, so we wouldn't have been able to take Jordan to her house. It was very dissappointing to say the least to not get to see everyone, but the trip was definitely better off not being taken. God was speaking to us loud and clear when we went to Him in prayer, and we heard Him and obeyed. I'm glad we did, but we still would love to see our family in Washington sometime soon!
So here we are, just a little over a week later, and Doc is already gone to training. This one is only three weeks, which isn't a big deal at all. It's just long enough for me to get the house cleaned the way I want it without his gear strung everywhere, but just short enough for him to come home and mess it all up again! LOL So TRUE!!! Jordy and I are very excited for American Idol to start tonight!!! Primetime TV has, once again, become my only entertainment in the evenings! Other than Jordy, of course!!
Speaking of Jordy, this kid is amazing!!! We've been working on her letters and numbers and colors some more, and she is now counting backwards from 10 and knows all of her ABC's. She sings the song almost perfectly, and is doing a great job recognizing the letters in her books. She's actually singing every song in the world right now! If you're having a bad day, call me and I will have Jordan sing you Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She knows every word, gets the tune right, and I guarantee you it is the cutest thing you will ever hear!! Absolutely precious! She has about 10 other songs that she sings too, including a few off the radio!! She LOVES "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz :) She has also started "wanting a turn" at prayer. Usually Mommy prays one night, and Daddy prays the next night when we're putting her to bed. Now she says, "No! It's my turn to pray!" We let her do it, and it's adorable she says "Dear Jesus!! Thank you for.....Dora!! and Thank you for....Care Bears!" And if I'm lucky, she thanks Him for Daddy and I, but usually Dora comes first! LOL
Well, speaking of that little girl, I need to get some good playing in before lunch!!! I'll post some pictures of our trip a little later!!! We love you all, and we're always thinking of you! You guys have a great week!!
Doc and Jordan and I got back from our trip to Oregon just a little over a week ago!! We had SO SO SO much fun!!! Grandma Jan flew out to Oregon to see us while we were there (and with any luck get a job and an apartment so she can move there, but that's a whole other story! lol) and Papa Tim also drove down from Washington to see us!! We had such a great visit with everyone! Oregon had the biggest snowstorm in 40 years 2 days before we got there, so we had a white-out Christmas! :) It was great though, it forced us to stay in for a couple days, and do nothing but eat cookies and muffins and enjoy each other! Brenda made the most delicious turkey I have ever tasted for Christmas (I'm pretty sure I ate 7 pieces of it!!! and I HATE turkey!!!) and we had a great meal and time with family! Jordan made out like a bandit with her presents!! She is a very very lucky little girl to have all these people in the world that care about her so much, and she was so appreciative of all of it! She was just soaking it all in, and loving every moment!
While we were there, we had a chance to do a little date night with John and Brenda while Grandma Jan watched Jordy, so that was nice! It's been a long time since we've had a date! Jordan also got to go tubing down the mountain with Uncle John, Daddy, and Papa Tim, and she loved that. Brenda and I went shopping and hit some major deals!! We had a blast!! John and Brenda remind me so much of Doc and I, the way the pick on each other and compliment each other!
We didn't get to drive to Washington though :( Once we got there, and SAW the snow and the weather forecast, we all collectively realized that it wasn't a good idea. Pam, my sister-in-law in Washington and one of the people we were going up there to see, ended up getting very very sick, and they weren't sure if she was contagious or not, so we wouldn't have been able to take Jordan to her house. It was very dissappointing to say the least to not get to see everyone, but the trip was definitely better off not being taken. God was speaking to us loud and clear when we went to Him in prayer, and we heard Him and obeyed. I'm glad we did, but we still would love to see our family in Washington sometime soon!
So here we are, just a little over a week later, and Doc is already gone to training. This one is only three weeks, which isn't a big deal at all. It's just long enough for me to get the house cleaned the way I want it without his gear strung everywhere, but just short enough for him to come home and mess it all up again! LOL So TRUE!!! Jordy and I are very excited for American Idol to start tonight!!! Primetime TV has, once again, become my only entertainment in the evenings! Other than Jordy, of course!!
Speaking of Jordy, this kid is amazing!!! We've been working on her letters and numbers and colors some more, and she is now counting backwards from 10 and knows all of her ABC's. She sings the song almost perfectly, and is doing a great job recognizing the letters in her books. She's actually singing every song in the world right now! If you're having a bad day, call me and I will have Jordan sing you Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She knows every word, gets the tune right, and I guarantee you it is the cutest thing you will ever hear!! Absolutely precious! She has about 10 other songs that she sings too, including a few off the radio!! She LOVES "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz :) She has also started "wanting a turn" at prayer. Usually Mommy prays one night, and Daddy prays the next night when we're putting her to bed. Now she says, "No! It's my turn to pray!" We let her do it, and it's adorable she says "Dear Jesus!! Thank you for.....Dora!! and Thank you for....Care Bears!" And if I'm lucky, she thanks Him for Daddy and I, but usually Dora comes first! LOL
Well, speaking of that little girl, I need to get some good playing in before lunch!!! I'll post some pictures of our trip a little later!!! We love you all, and we're always thinking of you! You guys have a great week!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Getting into the holiday spirit....
Hello there! I hope you all are having a great week so far!! We have been busy, busy, and again, busy!!! My husband is going crazy with no downtime, and I think I'm starting to catch it too! Luckily this last weekend we had some time to just hang out!
Last Monday was my birthday! We had a great time! Since my birthday is the same day as the Marine Corps' Birthday, the guys all had the day off so we had a huge group celebrating!!! We started with lunch at this little restaurant on base that I LOVE!! We had some great food, and Ashley and Mike brought me a cake :) It was delicious, probably the best ice cream cake I've ever had!!! Joel and Victoria brought me balloons, and I loved them! Jordan loved them too! Then we had about 20 people that came out to the beach at Bellow's and just hung out all day! It was fabulous!!! The guys had their man-time in tihe water with their boogie boards, and Doc showed his buddies how to body surf. Meanwhile the girls had fun having girl talk and getting some great rays!! Jordan and Kamryn played and had a blast. We all were out there for about 3 or 4 hours!! The waves were VICIOUS!!! The girls and I tried to boogie board, and it was downright comical! We could barely even stand up because of the waves!! We're all strong swimmers, so we braved it for a while, and then finally we just quit! LOL Mike McDaniel and I figured out that day that we had a common favorite movie (The Cowboy Way) so he and Ashley and the Silva's came down that night and we ordered pizza and watched the movie! It was the perfect birthday, and I am so thankful for everyone who came to celebrate!! Doc hid a card on my pillow, hoping to surprise me when we went to bed that night, but I found it early :) It was adorable though, and I loved it!!
I am finding myself really longing for some Illinois fall weather right!! Yesterday it was about 68 degrees, and SUPER windy, so it felt ALMOST chilly! It was amazing!! I took Roxy for a super long walk and just enjoyed the weather!! It got me into the holiday spirit!!! I've been going through all of my Christmas decor and trying to decide how I want to decorate!! I don't think I'm EVER going to find glasses to go in my sconce in my entryway, so I think I'll take it down and do stockings there!! Since Doc and I are going to be gone for Christmas, I had originally thought that I didn't want to decorate, but I was so wrong!!! We are still going to do a holiday party, which I am super excited for!!! The girls and I are doing a cookie decorating party of the afternoon while the guys frolic, and then we're doing appetizers for dinner and a couple's board game night of the evening. I'm very excited to have this party!! I had planned on hosting most of my friends for Christmas this year, but when the opportunity to spend it with our family came up, we jumped on it!! We're so excited to see them!!!
Doc and I had a very scary experience on Friday night. He had just gotten home from a field op on the Big Island, and Jord and I were on our way home from the battalion's family day. We got home and saw that Daddy had already eaten, so we were heading back out to the car to hit the McDonald's drive through. I decided to take Roxy with us, since she loves car rides. I stuck Roxy in the car and shut the door REALLY fast so that she couldn't jump back out. When I did, I looked down, and Jordan's fingers were latched shut in the car door! I opened the door REALLY fast, and she started bawling!! I felt like the worst mother in America!!! This is a happy story though, because God was right there with her, and she wasn't injured at all! It definitely hurt, and it was red, but no broken bones, no bruises, minor swelling that was gone by the end of the night, and NOTHING else!!! It was incredible!!! We have always been praying for her protection, and God was right there with her!! We are so thankful!!! He truly is awesome and faithful in every way! My husband had a feeling we should take her to the hospital just in case, and though all x-rays came back fine, I'm glad that we did. Acting on those intuitions is something he and I are working on very heavily. It is our firm belief that THAT is how God leads us, and we need to not be prideful and fight it, but rather listen to Him and go with it!
So as I type this, I am completely and udderly in amazement at my daughters development. Last weekend she sat down and read Doc and I an entire book!!!! She's not actually reading it, it's just memorization, but still!!! She remembers EVERYTHING!!! She's such an intelligent child, and I find myself SO concerned with doing whatever I can to keep it going and keep inspiring her to learn more!!! She sings songs with me in the car alot now! Her favorite is "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait. (my favorite too!) She can count to 20 in English, and to 7 in Spanish. She is still doing her signing, but not as much now that she is speaking in full sentences. She knows almost the whole alphabet, though she gets a little turned around sometimes. She is in the new phase where she repeats everything like a dramatic newscaster! She says "Do you see it Mommy? Do you SEE it????" It's so funny, and so adorable!! While we were at the ER on Friday night she stood up very boldly, stuck out her pointer finger and said, "Oh my gosh!!! There's a puzzle Mommy!!!" I laughed so hard at her!!! Doc, however, was not so thrilled. He says that "Oh my gosh" is a gateway saying and that we need to break her of it. I guess that means that I will have to stop saying it too...
Well, I hope you all are having a fabulous November. I will update again soon, and we love you all :)
Last Monday was my birthday! We had a great time! Since my birthday is the same day as the Marine Corps' Birthday, the guys all had the day off so we had a huge group celebrating!!! We started with lunch at this little restaurant on base that I LOVE!! We had some great food, and Ashley and Mike brought me a cake :) It was delicious, probably the best ice cream cake I've ever had!!! Joel and Victoria brought me balloons, and I loved them! Jordan loved them too! Then we had about 20 people that came out to the beach at Bellow's and just hung out all day! It was fabulous!!! The guys had their man-time in tihe water with their boogie boards, and Doc showed his buddies how to body surf. Meanwhile the girls had fun having girl talk and getting some great rays!! Jordan and Kamryn played and had a blast. We all were out there for about 3 or 4 hours!! The waves were VICIOUS!!! The girls and I tried to boogie board, and it was downright comical! We could barely even stand up because of the waves!! We're all strong swimmers, so we braved it for a while, and then finally we just quit! LOL Mike McDaniel and I figured out that day that we had a common favorite movie (The Cowboy Way) so he and Ashley and the Silva's came down that night and we ordered pizza and watched the movie! It was the perfect birthday, and I am so thankful for everyone who came to celebrate!! Doc hid a card on my pillow, hoping to surprise me when we went to bed that night, but I found it early :) It was adorable though, and I loved it!!
I am finding myself really longing for some Illinois fall weather right!! Yesterday it was about 68 degrees, and SUPER windy, so it felt ALMOST chilly! It was amazing!! I took Roxy for a super long walk and just enjoyed the weather!! It got me into the holiday spirit!!! I've been going through all of my Christmas decor and trying to decide how I want to decorate!! I don't think I'm EVER going to find glasses to go in my sconce in my entryway, so I think I'll take it down and do stockings there!! Since Doc and I are going to be gone for Christmas, I had originally thought that I didn't want to decorate, but I was so wrong!!! We are still going to do a holiday party, which I am super excited for!!! The girls and I are doing a cookie decorating party of the afternoon while the guys frolic, and then we're doing appetizers for dinner and a couple's board game night of the evening. I'm very excited to have this party!! I had planned on hosting most of my friends for Christmas this year, but when the opportunity to spend it with our family came up, we jumped on it!! We're so excited to see them!!!
Doc and I had a very scary experience on Friday night. He had just gotten home from a field op on the Big Island, and Jord and I were on our way home from the battalion's family day. We got home and saw that Daddy had already eaten, so we were heading back out to the car to hit the McDonald's drive through. I decided to take Roxy with us, since she loves car rides. I stuck Roxy in the car and shut the door REALLY fast so that she couldn't jump back out. When I did, I looked down, and Jordan's fingers were latched shut in the car door! I opened the door REALLY fast, and she started bawling!! I felt like the worst mother in America!!! This is a happy story though, because God was right there with her, and she wasn't injured at all! It definitely hurt, and it was red, but no broken bones, no bruises, minor swelling that was gone by the end of the night, and NOTHING else!!! It was incredible!!! We have always been praying for her protection, and God was right there with her!! We are so thankful!!! He truly is awesome and faithful in every way! My husband had a feeling we should take her to the hospital just in case, and though all x-rays came back fine, I'm glad that we did. Acting on those intuitions is something he and I are working on very heavily. It is our firm belief that THAT is how God leads us, and we need to not be prideful and fight it, but rather listen to Him and go with it!
So as I type this, I am completely and udderly in amazement at my daughters development. Last weekend she sat down and read Doc and I an entire book!!!! She's not actually reading it, it's just memorization, but still!!! She remembers EVERYTHING!!! She's such an intelligent child, and I find myself SO concerned with doing whatever I can to keep it going and keep inspiring her to learn more!!! She sings songs with me in the car alot now! Her favorite is "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait. (my favorite too!) She can count to 20 in English, and to 7 in Spanish. She is still doing her signing, but not as much now that she is speaking in full sentences. She knows almost the whole alphabet, though she gets a little turned around sometimes. She is in the new phase where she repeats everything like a dramatic newscaster! She says "Do you see it Mommy? Do you SEE it????" It's so funny, and so adorable!! While we were at the ER on Friday night she stood up very boldly, stuck out her pointer finger and said, "Oh my gosh!!! There's a puzzle Mommy!!!" I laughed so hard at her!!! Doc, however, was not so thrilled. He says that "Oh my gosh" is a gateway saying and that we need to break her of it. I guess that means that I will have to stop saying it too...
Well, I hope you all are having a fabulous November. I will update again soon, and we love you all :)
Monday, November 10, 2008
BEST GIFT EVER!!!!!
Aloha!!! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend so far! We are having a great one! So far we have had a blast!! AND, we still have 2 days to go! WHOOHOO!!! We sure love those 96's! :)
I have had SO much on my mind this week! After all, it has been a pretty huge week! We have a new president, President Elect Barack Obama. Living on a military base, I see ALOT of disappointed Republicans right now! I'm not one to debate politics, and I surely wouldn't call myself an expert on the subject, but I am excited for the change that I think he will bring! I do not vote party, I vote candidate, and I almost always would consider myself a Republican until t his election. I understand the concerns that our more conservative friends have for our country, as I myself don't agree with everything he stands for. But I do think that, as in any election, the things he stands for that create debate were very VERY stretched and exaggerated during all the campaigning. The one that sticks out to me the most (that I actually posted on myspace and believed until I did my research on it! OOPS!) was the video of a nurse talking about his support of partial-birth abortions. They make the man out to be a homicidal lunatic, ready to begin his 4-year baby killing rampage in January, and that is SO far from the truth! His thoughts on the war were another one that got blown out of proportion. The Conservative media made it sound like he wants to pull completely out and surrender. The debate that I listened to talked about pulling out of Iraq within a year and a half (far long enough to wrap up) and then shift focus to Afghanistan, ya know, the country we ACTUALLY went to war with in the first place!!! I'm so glad we got Sadam, but I would be pretty dang excited if we could catch Bin Laden!!! I'm glad that this will be a priority now! I am very excited about his urgency to find another energy source and do away with our rewardless oil dependency. The relatively immediate future of this planet depends on our ability to stop polluting it, and I thank God that we didn't put someone in office who's answer to everything is to keep drilling. Please, don't get me wrong, I'm far from an earth-muffin. I'm just a mom who wants to see her children be able to grow up and have children of their own without climate change interfering. I have always felt as though his thoughts on healthcare are far more conducive to accomplishing the goal of a well-insured America, and I am excited to see him take action with both of those issues. Our pastor today talked about the election, and with a completely unbiased opinion, he reminded our congregation that regardless of how we feel about our new president, we all have a responsibility to pray for him and all of our leaders. With the shape of our war and our economy, whoever was to be elected would be extremely needy of all of our prayers. I will pray for President Elect Obama everyday, and for the task he has at hand, and the decisions that he makes. God is still sovereign over all of creation, and that alone is enough for me to have faith in our future!
Doc, Jordan, and I have enjoyed a very quiet weekend so far! We went to a cookout on Saturday with all of the Corpsman that Doc works with. It was a nice opportunity to meet people, since most of my friends are Marine Corps wives :) I got to meet alot of Doc's, and a couple wives, and Jordan had a blast with all that guys! She was the only child there, and her big bright eyes and charming smile had won over everyone by the time we left! All by herself she started calling one of Doc's friends "Uncle", and then she sweet talked another into giving her a chip buffet, as well as emptying her tippy cup of water and refilling it with soda! LOL Man she is growing SO SO fast!! I really thought that we were in for a terrible day yesterday when I saw 16 single men show up and not one person with other children, but Jordan quickly became the life of the party and we had a great time :)
Tomorrow is my birthday, and a big group of us are going out to lunch and then to Bellow's to the beach all day! I'm super excited for a nice low key celebration :) I think this next weekend Doc and I are going to try to do a date night, and have our own little celebration then! It should be lots of fun!
Also this week, Doc and I received the most awesome gift, and we are SO SO SO SO SO excited for it!!!! For a wedding gift, my Father-in-Law and Step-Mother-In-Law, as well as Brother-in-Law and Sister-In-Law bought us 3 plane tickets to come to Oregon for Christmas!!!! We will finally get to spend the holidays with Doc's Dad's side of the family out west, as well as with John and Brenda (Doc's brother and his wife). There are no words to explain how much this means to us! I will finally get to meet some people that I have been emailing for years and never gotten the chance to meet face to face, and we will be able to have a Christmas with our family!!! WOW! We have never been able to spend a holiday out west, so this is just awesome! AND, the best part is that it will be COLD there!!!! You wouldn't believe how much you actually miss that! I can't wait to go shopping for jeans and sweaters!! (and surprisingly enough, they actually sell them here! the locals like to pretend like they have a winter....they're a little nutty!!) Hopefully we'll see snow, and get to take Jordan tubing! SO exciting! We are set to fly out on Dec 23rd, and come home on the 1st! Anyway, we'll keep you all posted on that!
Well, I hope you all have a great week this week! Have a wonderful Veteran's Day!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE thank a Veteran if you see one!!! As a matter of fact, THANK THEM ALL!!!! They all deserve our most sincere appreciation, and as a daughter of a Veteran, I can personally tell you that it means the world to them to know that someone remembers their sacrifice! Thank you to all of my friends who have or are currently serving our country, and thank you to all of their families! You're all heroes, and your courage and bravery has made this country what it is today! One Nation. Under God. Indivisible. With Liberty And Justice For All! Have a great week!
I have had SO much on my mind this week! After all, it has been a pretty huge week! We have a new president, President Elect Barack Obama. Living on a military base, I see ALOT of disappointed Republicans right now! I'm not one to debate politics, and I surely wouldn't call myself an expert on the subject, but I am excited for the change that I think he will bring! I do not vote party, I vote candidate, and I almost always would consider myself a Republican until t his election. I understand the concerns that our more conservative friends have for our country, as I myself don't agree with everything he stands for. But I do think that, as in any election, the things he stands for that create debate were very VERY stretched and exaggerated during all the campaigning. The one that sticks out to me the most (that I actually posted on myspace and believed until I did my research on it! OOPS!) was the video of a nurse talking about his support of partial-birth abortions. They make the man out to be a homicidal lunatic, ready to begin his 4-year baby killing rampage in January, and that is SO far from the truth! His thoughts on the war were another one that got blown out of proportion. The Conservative media made it sound like he wants to pull completely out and surrender. The debate that I listened to talked about pulling out of Iraq within a year and a half (far long enough to wrap up) and then shift focus to Afghanistan, ya know, the country we ACTUALLY went to war with in the first place!!! I'm so glad we got Sadam, but I would be pretty dang excited if we could catch Bin Laden!!! I'm glad that this will be a priority now! I am very excited about his urgency to find another energy source and do away with our rewardless oil dependency. The relatively immediate future of this planet depends on our ability to stop polluting it, and I thank God that we didn't put someone in office who's answer to everything is to keep drilling. Please, don't get me wrong, I'm far from an earth-muffin. I'm just a mom who wants to see her children be able to grow up and have children of their own without climate change interfering. I have always felt as though his thoughts on healthcare are far more conducive to accomplishing the goal of a well-insured America, and I am excited to see him take action with both of those issues. Our pastor today talked about the election, and with a completely unbiased opinion, he reminded our congregation that regardless of how we feel about our new president, we all have a responsibility to pray for him and all of our leaders. With the shape of our war and our economy, whoever was to be elected would be extremely needy of all of our prayers. I will pray for President Elect Obama everyday, and for the task he has at hand, and the decisions that he makes. God is still sovereign over all of creation, and that alone is enough for me to have faith in our future!
Doc, Jordan, and I have enjoyed a very quiet weekend so far! We went to a cookout on Saturday with all of the Corpsman that Doc works with. It was a nice opportunity to meet people, since most of my friends are Marine Corps wives :) I got to meet alot of Doc's, and a couple wives, and Jordan had a blast with all that guys! She was the only child there, and her big bright eyes and charming smile had won over everyone by the time we left! All by herself she started calling one of Doc's friends "Uncle", and then she sweet talked another into giving her a chip buffet, as well as emptying her tippy cup of water and refilling it with soda! LOL Man she is growing SO SO fast!! I really thought that we were in for a terrible day yesterday when I saw 16 single men show up and not one person with other children, but Jordan quickly became the life of the party and we had a great time :)
Tomorrow is my birthday, and a big group of us are going out to lunch and then to Bellow's to the beach all day! I'm super excited for a nice low key celebration :) I think this next weekend Doc and I are going to try to do a date night, and have our own little celebration then! It should be lots of fun!
Also this week, Doc and I received the most awesome gift, and we are SO SO SO SO SO excited for it!!!! For a wedding gift, my Father-in-Law and Step-Mother-In-Law, as well as Brother-in-Law and Sister-In-Law bought us 3 plane tickets to come to Oregon for Christmas!!!! We will finally get to spend the holidays with Doc's Dad's side of the family out west, as well as with John and Brenda (Doc's brother and his wife). There are no words to explain how much this means to us! I will finally get to meet some people that I have been emailing for years and never gotten the chance to meet face to face, and we will be able to have a Christmas with our family!!! WOW! We have never been able to spend a holiday out west, so this is just awesome! AND, the best part is that it will be COLD there!!!! You wouldn't believe how much you actually miss that! I can't wait to go shopping for jeans and sweaters!! (and surprisingly enough, they actually sell them here! the locals like to pretend like they have a winter....they're a little nutty!!) Hopefully we'll see snow, and get to take Jordan tubing! SO exciting! We are set to fly out on Dec 23rd, and come home on the 1st! Anyway, we'll keep you all posted on that!
Well, I hope you all have a great week this week! Have a wonderful Veteran's Day!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE thank a Veteran if you see one!!! As a matter of fact, THANK THEM ALL!!!! They all deserve our most sincere appreciation, and as a daughter of a Veteran, I can personally tell you that it means the world to them to know that someone remembers their sacrifice! Thank you to all of my friends who have or are currently serving our country, and thank you to all of their families! You're all heroes, and your courage and bravery has made this country what it is today! One Nation. Under God. Indivisible. With Liberty And Justice For All! Have a great week!
Friday, November 7, 2008
It's been a long time!!
WOW! It's been a LONG time since my last blog! So much has changed and I have so many updates and so many praises and blessings to tell you about!! I can't believe I neglected this thing for so long, and I am so sorry, but it has been crazy busy around here with Homecoming, Jordan's Birthday, the wedding, out-of-towners, Marine Corps Ball, my birthday right around the corner, and now work-up for the next deployment already! However, I will brief you on all of that!
3. Just in other news:
After the wedding, we hopped in the limo and headed to the Officer's Club for the reception. We ate some delicious chicken and shrimp scampi, listened to some beautiful speeches by Jenny and John, and got ready to dance! My Dad and I danced to "I Loved Her First", and then he turned me over to Doc :) Our first dance was to "Love Me Tender", by Norah Jones. We cut the cake, ate it, and danced for a couple more hours. I feel like the whole thing is just a blur. I hate that, but I knew it would happen. We went to a hotel that night, since we had people at our house!! We actually stayed 2 nights in the hotel, but ended up coming home during the day to be with our friends and family that were visiting. A week later, our house was empty :( It was so sad to see everyone go, but we were ready to get settled in. It was actually the first time SINCE HOMECOMING that we didn't have houseguests. We felt like kids who's parents has just went out of town! LOL It was awesome! We had our friends here over for dinner alot, spent time with each other, and had a really great time enjoying the rest of Doc's post-deployment leave. And thank God we did.....which brings me to our next exciting piece of news...
1. HOMECOMING!!!
It was perfect! Absolutely perfect! We spotted the plane in the sky, and as it circled back to land, we couldln't see it, but we could hear it. Ya know what sound I'm talking about? The sound of plane landing.....I will never forget it for the rest of my life! Then as it got louder and louder, it finally touched down about 20 yards from our faces!!! It taxi'd for what seemed like FOREVER, finally came back, the Marine Corps Band started playing, and finally the door to the plane opened! The guys started pouring out, and they all looked exactly the same. Until, Doc came out. I spotted him within seconds of his feet hitting the pavement, and he spotted us too! It was amazing, he couldn't get to us fast enough! We were running, he was running, it was amazing! Jordan wasn't scared of him AT ALL!!! She went right to him, and said "It's my Daddy!!!!" The rest is history.....He loved his surprises though, so I will remember that for next deployment.
2. Jordan's Birthday!
My baby is 2!!!! She had a great birthday party! We had about 20 people over, and we grilled hot dogs and brats (on our new grill!!) and enjoyed the outdoors! (with our new patio set!!!) We laughed at what a Dora-freak this child is, because EVERY SINGLE GIFT was Dora themed!!! Except for one, and I'm pretty sure it was still in a Dora bag!! LOL We are so thankful for our friends here that have become family! Our friends here love Jordan and care about her so much, and it is just such a blessing!!
3. Just in other news:
On September 28, my husband was baptized in the ocean!!! Doc was raised Catholic his entire life, and had been going to a Nazarene church with me before he left for BUD/S, and before we moved out here. He was baptized as a baby, as all Catholics do. While he was in Iraq, he started reading "One God, One Message" (an awesome book, by the way). I haven't finished the book yet, so I can't speak for entire thing, but I know that it changed my husband's life!!! He converted to Christianity and accepted Jesus as his Savior in Fallujah, Iraq, and came home eager to go to our new church and get involved in ministries! We attended a new members class, where he expressed the interest to be baptized! The following Sunday, we were blessed that my parents and my lifelong best friend Jenny (from Illinois) and her boyfriend were able to join us at Sand Island State Beach here in the ocean and witness my husband's public confession of faith!!! WHAT AN AMAZING THING!!!! My husband was in the most stressful, dirty, dangerous conditions for 7 months, and yet look at this AMAZING blessing that came from it!!!! I am so proud of you Doc, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us as we continue to serve Him! We are just getting settled back into our church (after a couple weeks off for wedding stuff) and we are eager to start giving ourselves to the ministries where we can be of service! I'll keep you all posted!!!
4. Now for the one I know you all want to know about: THE WEDDING!!!!
It was absolutely amazing!!! We had such a fabulous time with our family and friends, and we were so blessed to have them here with us!!! Staying in our home we had my parents, Jenny and Dave, Doc's Mom, and Christy! That was interesting, but we made it work and it was great to have them all! Doc's brother John and his wife Brenda, Doc's Father and Stepmother, and one of my best friends Dana and her boyfriend Stuart all stayed downtown in Waikiki. We had a BBQ for everyone on Wednesday, which was a blast. On Thursday Doc and I took our wedding party to Bellow's for some good bonding time at the beach! Friday started the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. We did both at Germaine's Luau. We rehearsed on the beach, and then went into the luau at check-in. We had a great time! The girls and I all went on stage to learn to hula, the guys learned the proper way to give a hone hone (kiss on the cheek), and we had SUCH a great time!!! Doc went to stay with the Gambles that night (one of our groomsmen and his wife), and Saturday was the fun day! We started early with mani's, pedi's, and hair downtown at the salon that I usually go to. Our stylists had put together an awesome champagne breakfast for us, and we had muffins, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, champagne, juice, and sparkling cider for the mom's and I. We had a fantastic morning of girl talk and bonding, and I couldn't be more thankful!!! My best friend here (Ashley) got to meet all my best friends from back home, and all of our family had such a great time getting to know everyone! The girls went home to get ready, and I went to MAC to get my make-up done. I finally made it home, got into my gown, and the limo came to pick up us girls at 5PM. We headed to base. All the way there I couldn't stop asking Jenny if she had the vows, and asking Ashley if she had the ring! I had to be driving them nuts, but I couldn't help it! The limo pulled right up onto the golf course, and drove us all the way back to the hole for our Hollywood entrance! The 16th hole is about 10 yards from the shore of the beach, so we were able to have our beach wedding on grass! A perfect compromise. My Dad (in tears, as well as I) walked me down the isle, as our Ushers (my friends' husbands in USMC dress blues) fluffed my dress. Doc and I wrote our own vows, and I'm so glad. Doc's were amazing, poetic, romantic, and everything I could have ever wanted them to be. Mine were funny and serious, but very honest and romantic. The Chaplain of Doc's unit did our ceremony, but we also opted to have our Pastor from our church do a prayer and scripture reading so that he could be a part of the ceremony! We had a perfect 70 degree day, with a perfect sunset, and everything went off without a hitch!!!! 
After the wedding, we hopped in the limo and headed to the Officer's Club for the reception. We ate some delicious chicken and shrimp scampi, listened to some beautiful speeches by Jenny and John, and got ready to dance! My Dad and I danced to "I Loved Her First", and then he turned me over to Doc :) Our first dance was to "Love Me Tender", by Norah Jones. We cut the cake, ate it, and danced for a couple more hours. I feel like the whole thing is just a blur. I hate that, but I knew it would happen. We went to a hotel that night, since we had people at our house!! We actually stayed 2 nights in the hotel, but ended up coming home during the day to be with our friends and family that were visiting. A week later, our house was empty :( It was so sad to see everyone go, but we were ready to get settled in. It was actually the first time SINCE HOMECOMING that we didn't have houseguests. We felt like kids who's parents has just went out of town! LOL It was awesome! We had our friends here over for dinner alot, spent time with each other, and had a really great time enjoying the rest of Doc's post-deployment leave. And thank God we did.....which brings me to our next exciting piece of news...
5. Deployment #2
We have begun work-up for our second deployment already. Doc is set to leave in March. Yes, that is less than 4 months from now. That's insane. What's even more insane (if I may gripe about the Marine Corps for a moment) is that some GENIUS decided that it would be better "for morale" if they give the guys their pre-deployment leave over Christmas, and then send them to CAX in Twentynine Palms the first part of February, and deploy them straight from there, which would pretty much tack on an extra month of deployment. There is loose talk about them not leaving until May, so with any luck, that will be the case! We also found out recently that this deployment will not be to Iraq, but to Afghanistan instead. That absolutely scares the bejesus out of me. When Doc left for Iraq a little over 9 months ago, I was very sad that I wouldn't be able to see him for the next 7 months, but I never doubted that he wouldn't come home. I always knew that he would come home to me, and I had a feeling of security and comfort the entire time he was there. I prayed for it, and I was given it. Thank God for his faithfulness! This deployment feels different. I know this sounds insane, but I actually feel comfortable with Iraq. I feel like I know the terrain, I'm familiar with the places and the cities and camps, and that it is totally safe there. (I know that is far from true, but it's how I feel) Afghanistan is different, hostile, and scary. I know that I need to get it together for my husband. I know that I don't have time to be afraid, and that I don't have time for a pity party. I need that security back, and I'm praying for it daily. I know God will see us through this!!! I just know it! I ask for your prayers over this situation!
Well, I believe that is all for our updates!!! There is so much more I would love to say about our family and friends visiting, and I know I'll never have time to tell them just how much we appreciated seeing them!!!! We had an absolute blast with you all, and we love you so much!!!! Thank you for being here with us, and we will cherish these memories forever! Thank you all for the prayers over homecoming, the wedding, and our lives in general. We are constantly praying for you all as well, and we hope the best for everyone. Well, back to my housewife duties I go! Doc is already back to working 12-14 hour days and hits the field again next week! For THAT grouchy of a man, only a Tammy's Famous Quesadilla will help, and I have chicken to thaw.....Love you all!!!! :)
PS Here are some pics from the Marine Corps Ball this last weekend! It was awesome!! Before another grueling training cycle, it was exactly what I needed to restore my pride in my husband's work and sacrifices! Again....we love you all!!!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Ain't No Sunshine When He's Gone....
Well, I've been dreaming about these next couple weeks for months and months now. I dreamed about how happy I would be, and how perfect I would feel. I didn't dream of the anxiety that would make me toss and turn for hours each night, or the nasuea that comes with thinking about whether or not he's even going to enjoy the things I have planned for him when he comes home. It's been over 200 days since I've seen this man I love. He's not in some air-conditioned hotel room, preparing for a "super stressful" business lunch followed by an "exhausting" 18 holes and martini's. Not at all. When my husband goes on a business trip it's not good news. It's 7 months of hell followed by a welcome home to a wife and child that he barely even recognizes. He's been in the most stressful of conditions for over half a year, and the sole responsibility of making his homecoming perfect falls on one person. Me. WOW.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade this homecoming for absolutely anything in the world, and I am EXCITED AS HECK to see Doc!! Nothing could ever change that. I guess I just assumed that this would be the LEAST stressful of times, with my stressful days of maintaining a household alone almost over. Yet somehow these days seem MORE stressful. I'm starting to become more aware of the fact that I have changed alot in 7 seven months, and I know Doc has, too. I just have all these fears....what if he doesn't like some of the surprises I have for him? What if Jordan freaks out and gets scared to be around him? How will that make him feel, and how will I comfort him if that happens? What if he doesn't like the church I have chosen for us? What if he's dissappointed in some of my wedding choices? (Actually I really don't care about that one...it was his choice to let me do everything and he has never once responded to my questions asking for his input, so PINK AND YELLOW it is buddy! LOL) What if my outfit isn't very cute to him? (I don't know how that could happen either, I got the most fabulous little black dress and some smashing red peep-toed stillhetto heels!) but still, what if all of a sudden that's not what he likes anymore? Come to think of it he's really not fond of stillhetto's, because he says they look dangerous, like a womanly weapon. No wait, that's just what he says about pointed toed shoes. WOW A D D, My mind is running about 100 MPH these days! ANYWAY, it can be really overwhelming at times. I do think that in the end he will be happy, because I am doing absolutely everything I can to get us all ready for him!!! Doc is a very laid back man. A nice lasagna and a glass of milk (that has been put in the freezer for about 3 minutes before drinking it) will pretty much get you anything you want with him :)
This homecoming is more than just a "return from 7-month deployment" for us. After 6 months of dating, Doc and I lived together for 2 and 1/2 years. Yet for the last year and half we have lived under the same roof for 2 months. And 1 month and 1/2 of that was in a hotel. He did 4 months of Great Lakes transitioning, seeing each other about twice a month, followed by 4 months in BUD/S at Coronado by himself. He left there to come to Hawaii and get everything ready for us, and a month later we finally got here. 7 weeks later he left for Iraq. This homecoming is the start of getting a somewhat normal (as normal as a military wive's life can be anyway) routine back. Even though he deploys again in a year, our cup is DEFINITELY half full! We will have a FULL YEAR to enjoy each other! (minus a couple months of training, but still, WAY better than before!!!!) I feel like it is my job to get this new routine set-up and running for us, and I can't help but wonder if I will do a good job or not. The whole military life is still relatively new to me. Seperations I am a professional at, but having him here in a military setting is completely new. AND EXCITING, but stressful none the less. I'm sure to anyone who has never been through this I have to sound like a complete rambling lunatic. Thanks for listening anyway! :)
This will definitely be our last blog until Doc gets home! I will not be able to tell anyone even when I do get the date for his arrival, so just know that I will let you know very soon after he arrives! I will post pictures on my different pages, and I'll make sure everyone is updated in a timely fashion!! Now back to my obsessive cleaning, nit-picking, re-arranging, and tossing and turning! AHHH this will all be over soon! :) Please keep my dangling sanity in your prayers LOL :) But really, keep us in your prayers, as we will you as well! Have a great week, and we'll talk to you soon! Love to you all! :)
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade this homecoming for absolutely anything in the world, and I am EXCITED AS HECK to see Doc!! Nothing could ever change that. I guess I just assumed that this would be the LEAST stressful of times, with my stressful days of maintaining a household alone almost over. Yet somehow these days seem MORE stressful. I'm starting to become more aware of the fact that I have changed alot in 7 seven months, and I know Doc has, too. I just have all these fears....what if he doesn't like some of the surprises I have for him? What if Jordan freaks out and gets scared to be around him? How will that make him feel, and how will I comfort him if that happens? What if he doesn't like the church I have chosen for us? What if he's dissappointed in some of my wedding choices? (Actually I really don't care about that one...it was his choice to let me do everything and he has never once responded to my questions asking for his input, so PINK AND YELLOW it is buddy! LOL) What if my outfit isn't very cute to him? (I don't know how that could happen either, I got the most fabulous little black dress and some smashing red peep-toed stillhetto heels!) but still, what if all of a sudden that's not what he likes anymore? Come to think of it he's really not fond of stillhetto's, because he says they look dangerous, like a womanly weapon. No wait, that's just what he says about pointed toed shoes. WOW A D D, My mind is running about 100 MPH these days! ANYWAY, it can be really overwhelming at times. I do think that in the end he will be happy, because I am doing absolutely everything I can to get us all ready for him!!! Doc is a very laid back man. A nice lasagna and a glass of milk (that has been put in the freezer for about 3 minutes before drinking it) will pretty much get you anything you want with him :)
This homecoming is more than just a "return from 7-month deployment" for us. After 6 months of dating, Doc and I lived together for 2 and 1/2 years. Yet for the last year and half we have lived under the same roof for 2 months. And 1 month and 1/2 of that was in a hotel. He did 4 months of Great Lakes transitioning, seeing each other about twice a month, followed by 4 months in BUD/S at Coronado by himself. He left there to come to Hawaii and get everything ready for us, and a month later we finally got here. 7 weeks later he left for Iraq. This homecoming is the start of getting a somewhat normal (as normal as a military wive's life can be anyway) routine back. Even though he deploys again in a year, our cup is DEFINITELY half full! We will have a FULL YEAR to enjoy each other! (minus a couple months of training, but still, WAY better than before!!!!) I feel like it is my job to get this new routine set-up and running for us, and I can't help but wonder if I will do a good job or not. The whole military life is still relatively new to me. Seperations I am a professional at, but having him here in a military setting is completely new. AND EXCITING, but stressful none the less. I'm sure to anyone who has never been through this I have to sound like a complete rambling lunatic. Thanks for listening anyway! :)
This will definitely be our last blog until Doc gets home! I will not be able to tell anyone even when I do get the date for his arrival, so just know that I will let you know very soon after he arrives! I will post pictures on my different pages, and I'll make sure everyone is updated in a timely fashion!! Now back to my obsessive cleaning, nit-picking, re-arranging, and tossing and turning! AHHH this will all be over soon! :) Please keep my dangling sanity in your prayers LOL :) But really, keep us in your prayers, as we will you as well! Have a great week, and we'll talk to you soon! Love to you all! :)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
So close to Homecoming!!!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Daddy is coming home THIS MONTH!!!!! We no longer have to count months, we can count weeks....and those are so few, we can count days!!!! We have our window of time for him to come home, and we'll find out more about the exact date when we get closer to time :) Words cannot express our excitement!!! We are just about to jump out of our skin waiting for Daddy!!! We're keeping very busy though! We have been painting banners, welcoming new comers to the island, and getting the house in perfect condition for Daddy to come home!! It's about dang time!
My parents are also planning their trip out to the island! They want to be here for Doc's homecoming, and they are coming 3 weeks from today :) They are staying clear through to the time of the wedding to help me with Jordan and be there with me for wedding appointments and etc. We are very excited to have them, and blessed that they are in a position to be able to come and visit for extended lengths of time like they do!
Speaking of wedding planning, everything is really starting to come together wonderfully! I am working hard to keep us on budget, and ready for another wedding dress fitting! I wanted to let everyone know that though gifts are COMPLETELY unnecessary, I did set-up a bridal registry at Wal-Mart. I have had a lot of people asking for a registry, and I will send out an email about it as well :) I can't believe how close we are to having all of our friends and family here!! We absolutely can't wait! Our wedding is only 60 days away, and we are SOOOO ready!
Jordan is growing like a dandelion! She's now saying pretty much everything. It's incredible. There isn't a thing I can throw at her that she can't repeat right back to me. Her favorite is "hippopotomus". I said it to her thinking that she wouldn't be able to repeat it. Wrong. It came right out. She's putting together sentences, and songs! She's almost singing her ABC's and she does a great version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star :) She has been telling me that she has to go "pee pee potty" or "poopy potty" for quite some time now. I decided that though it's fairly early, I would go ahead and start potty training. I bought her a fantastic talking potty, and told her we were going to Potty like rockstars :) At this time, she loves to be in the bathroom with mommy, and will hug and kiss her potty, but is scared to death to sit on it! LOL We are working through it, and she's getting closer everyday, so that's good! Her favorite thing to do right now is read. We read about 50 books a day, if not more. We go over and over and over all of her favorites, plus our bible story every night. She LOVES to pray, which is the sweetest thing I could ever hope to see. We will pray before a meal, and sometimes she will stop me in the middle of the meal and demand that we pray again! I will pray with her as many times as she wants, and I hope her love for talking to the Lord stays with her!
We have had some great friends move to the base this week! One of Doc's first friends when he arrived here was a guy named Rob. We offered to let him store some stuff in our garage while he was deployed and he mentioned to me that he was married and that his wife would be moving out right before the guys came back. I gave him my phone number and email address and asked him to give it to her so that we could keep in touch throughout deployment, and I had an email from her just a couple days later! We have been talking for the last 6 months, and have become great friends! She just moved out here on the 31st, and we let her stay with us until she moved into her base housing. She has been SUCH a joy to have around! She's Italian, and her mother came with her from Rhode Island to help her settle! They have the cutest accents, are so fiesty, and so hilarious to be around! We've been helping them get settled and get everything done for their move. After moving here and seeing how hard it can be, I will absolutely jump on the chance to help someone else with their move, and in the process I am making some REALLY great friends! I am so thankful that God has led these people here to the island, and I am so blessed to have them be a part of our lives here! The best part of all (well, maybe not the BEST, but right up there!) is that to thank me they cooked me a homeade made-from-scratch Italian meal!!! OH MY GOSH!!! DELICIOUS!!! Thank God for those left-overs!!
Well, that's about all for us!! We will try to update you again before Doc comes home, but if we don't get a chance to, we'll update as quickly after homecoming as we can!!! Love you all :)
My parents are also planning their trip out to the island! They want to be here for Doc's homecoming, and they are coming 3 weeks from today :) They are staying clear through to the time of the wedding to help me with Jordan and be there with me for wedding appointments and etc. We are very excited to have them, and blessed that they are in a position to be able to come and visit for extended lengths of time like they do!
Speaking of wedding planning, everything is really starting to come together wonderfully! I am working hard to keep us on budget, and ready for another wedding dress fitting! I wanted to let everyone know that though gifts are COMPLETELY unnecessary, I did set-up a bridal registry at Wal-Mart. I have had a lot of people asking for a registry, and I will send out an email about it as well :) I can't believe how close we are to having all of our friends and family here!! We absolutely can't wait! Our wedding is only 60 days away, and we are SOOOO ready!
Jordan is growing like a dandelion! She's now saying pretty much everything. It's incredible. There isn't a thing I can throw at her that she can't repeat right back to me. Her favorite is "hippopotomus". I said it to her thinking that she wouldn't be able to repeat it. Wrong. It came right out. She's putting together sentences, and songs! She's almost singing her ABC's and she does a great version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star :) She has been telling me that she has to go "pee pee potty" or "poopy potty" for quite some time now. I decided that though it's fairly early, I would go ahead and start potty training. I bought her a fantastic talking potty, and told her we were going to Potty like rockstars :) At this time, she loves to be in the bathroom with mommy, and will hug and kiss her potty, but is scared to death to sit on it! LOL We are working through it, and she's getting closer everyday, so that's good! Her favorite thing to do right now is read. We read about 50 books a day, if not more. We go over and over and over all of her favorites, plus our bible story every night. She LOVES to pray, which is the sweetest thing I could ever hope to see. We will pray before a meal, and sometimes she will stop me in the middle of the meal and demand that we pray again! I will pray with her as many times as she wants, and I hope her love for talking to the Lord stays with her!
We have had some great friends move to the base this week! One of Doc's first friends when he arrived here was a guy named Rob. We offered to let him store some stuff in our garage while he was deployed and he mentioned to me that he was married and that his wife would be moving out right before the guys came back. I gave him my phone number and email address and asked him to give it to her so that we could keep in touch throughout deployment, and I had an email from her just a couple days later! We have been talking for the last 6 months, and have become great friends! She just moved out here on the 31st, and we let her stay with us until she moved into her base housing. She has been SUCH a joy to have around! She's Italian, and her mother came with her from Rhode Island to help her settle! They have the cutest accents, are so fiesty, and so hilarious to be around! We've been helping them get settled and get everything done for their move. After moving here and seeing how hard it can be, I will absolutely jump on the chance to help someone else with their move, and in the process I am making some REALLY great friends! I am so thankful that God has led these people here to the island, and I am so blessed to have them be a part of our lives here! The best part of all (well, maybe not the BEST, but right up there!) is that to thank me they cooked me a homeade made-from-scratch Italian meal!!! OH MY GOSH!!! DELICIOUS!!! Thank God for those left-overs!!
Well, that's about all for us!! We will try to update you again before Doc comes home, but if we don't get a chance to, we'll update as quickly after homecoming as we can!!! Love you all :)
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