One Fast, Crazy Year.

Wow! I can't believe its already been a year since Daniel left for basic. Its been such a whirlwind year--from the lonely anniversary and Christmas, to bmt graduation, to moving to Keesler, moving to Ga, and all the fun stuff in between. I can't even put into words how blown away I am at all that has happened this last year.

Our last kiss before he got on the bus to BMT

As most of you know, this time last year I was a mess. I didn't cry when he left-I kissed him goodbye and watched as his mom and aunt lost it. I stayed strong. I didn't even cry when I got home. It wasn't until we said goodbye on skype the night before he got on that plane to San Antonio that it really set in "Oh my...this is really happening."  We had our tears on the call, we said our goodbyes. And then he was off to become an Airman. That was 2 days before our 3rd wedding anniversary. That was an extremely hard day. The few of you who were able to see me, you know I was completely beside myself. So I was depressed for a few days there...but I had a voicemail from Daniel that really helped. The first phone call came Christmas Day around 7p---while we were eating dinner. I literally flew off the couch (mom and dad can testify to that--LOL) and ran to my room. I stayed strong that entire call, I was so happy to hear his voice. I just wanted him to talk...

So thats how the first couple weeks went. I waited for the phone to ring. I worked out. I tried to busy myself. As the time got closer to his BMT graduation, I was getting more and more antsy. I bought my plane tickets super early (I knew he wasn't gonna get recycled! He's too good for that! :P), made plans to get my hair done, pictures done, everything...then patiently waited for Feb 12.

BMT Graduation weekend was CRAZY. I got to see him on Valentine's Day (best Valentine's present ever!), and I was beyond happy. It went by super fast. I found out that I was moving to Keesler that day, but we had no idea when. We spent time with his family on Friday after the Graduation parade, ate at Chilis (one of our *used to be* favorite restaurants), and just relaxed. Saturday the two of us went to downtown San Antonio and the Riverwalk. it was gorgeous. We ate some good food, walked around, and just spent some time being us. Sunday we went to Cheddars and then went back to the hotel to be lazy. It was so hard to say goodbye that night. The only thing we knew was we'd be together again soon.

Us and our pup, Titan, on Biloxi Beach

me and my girls Lani and Nichole

The first month of tech school went by fast--thankfully. He was able to text, skype, call, whatever he wanted--whenever he wanted outside of duty hours. I finally was able to move March 19. Best day ever. Seeing him again for the first time in a month after the tease BMT grad weekend gave was fantastic--especially because we got the keys to our first house that day! We were so happy. Within 2 weeks of me moving there, he was able to move in with me. The next 6 months were fantastic, brutally hot, and filled with fun. I met new friends, I saw things I've never seen, I learned how to clean a 2 story 3-br house--and do it well (lol). I learned that sand is pesky and will follow you forever. We got our first puppy there. His name was Odin--he was precious...but due to an unknown infestation of hookworms at the time we got him--he died 4 days later.  A week later we decided to try again and went to the humane society--got a GS puppy because we thought thats what we wanted...... She turned out to be extremely aggressive and we were forced to return her--which is where Titan came in. He was the SWEETEST pup. The biggest of his brothers and sisters in the pen with him. And he's doing alright--lol. 9 months old now! I learned a lot about fitness there from one of my good friends...She gave me a bunch of workouts/circuits I can do in or out of a gym. I became addicted to Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Starbucks (thanks girls. -.- lol). We made it through tech school easy peasy...but when it was time to leave--it was so sad.

everyone at dinner at BWW for my birthday

Graduation for tech school wasn't nearly as big as bmt. It was a small, intimate affair. We got to say goodbye to all of our friends. We all went out to dinner a few night prior. That very day we had our final inspection on our house--and passed with flying colors. We stayed in a TLF that was disgusting, and we got our stuff together. The morning after graduation--we hit the road. First stop--Brandon, MS to see Daniel's Aunts and grandmother. It was a good visit and I wish we could have stayed longer. After a couple days, we headed out to Tuscaloosa, AL to see Daniel's uncle and my brother. I love TTown. :) After a day or so there, we were off yet again to home. We were home for a whopping 2 weeks on RAP (recruiter assistance program). While we enjoyed being home and being able to see everyone--we definitely overstayed our welcome and probably will not stay longer than a week ever again unless we can stay in a hotel. IMHO. lol We ended up having to buy our first car while we were home because my suzuki decided it just had given up--lol. After RAP ended--we were off to our first duty station.

I've posted a little of whats been going on since we got here. I had the worst time adjusting. We got here and all the blinds were broken, the kitchen cabinets/counters were filthy, there were stains in the carpets, floors were disgusting--its a wonder this house passed inspection. We kept getting phone calls from the dealership where we bought the car saying we needed to come re-fill out paperwork--even though they KNEW we were in GA now. lol. It was  a stressful first couple of weeks. While I only had one friend, I longed for my friends from keesler. I hadn't really gotten to know my new friend here yet, and I lived vicariously through my friends who moved to Japan, Utah, and California. I know thats bad--but thats where my mind was. I was so sad here.

at the Christmas Party where we surprised everyone

3 months later--I'm doing much better here. I'm still not completely sold on this area--and I have my moments where I curse this town and its lack of EVERYTHING. But, I'm doing better. I have a few friends here, but I'd rather have a few good friends than a ton of acquaintances. We had Thanksgiving here this year and had a few people over. It was fun, but I probably wont do it again unless I get monetary help from all parties coming. It tanked us. lol. (mad props to those who do it every year and can afford it!). Since then we've had not a lot going on...Just trying to get some Christmas this year for everyone. We were actually able to get everyone something--God has blessed us more than we thought this month. :) We just got back on Sunday from a quick trip home to surprise Daniel's family at their annual Christmas party. It was so much fun. I loved the look on his mom and aunt's face when we surprised them. I also got to surprise my bestie--which was 20x more awesome! lol she about knocked me over when she realized it was me! :P She graduated this weekend from UAH for Nursing--so I was super proud and HAD to see her. :)

my little man, CJ on our trip home

This week is short--thank God! Daniel works today and a half day tomorrow--then he's off until the 30. :) We have our 4th wedding anniversary on Thursday (can't believe that either--4 years already!!!), and then on Saturday we head to our grandparents in Bham--then home for Christmas! Its going to be fantastic! Daniel opened one gift this morning because it was his AF Anniversary gift. Cleats so he can play gatorball with the shop for PT, and a morph mug (changes color on a 8-bit pixel heart when hot liquid is put in there). He was so happy. :)

But anyways--as you see--its been a crazy year. We've had fun times, sad times, times where I was thoroughly over the AF, times where I hated myself for that. We've seen friends come and go, built new relationships that will last a lifetime, and grown in our own marriage. We've gotten a puppy and a kitten, learned what its like to lose a pet after trying so hard to save it. We've figured out when we want to start a family, and we're working towards those goals. We have learned so much about ourselves and each other--we are different than when this started a year ago. We are better than we were a year ago.

I used to look at military spouses and be like "i could never do that. i'm not that strong." This past year has taught me that I AM that strong. I can do this. A deployment will be hard, a TDY will be tough, but as long as we are together again when it ends--nothing else matters. Keep busy, and treat it like its BMT all over again. I know I can handle it now. I know it'll be hard, but I know I can do it.

Anyways--i know a nice long post! But its been a busy year. ;) Thats all for now.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

-Beth-

Thanksgiving

Its that time of year again! The time of the year where all thoughts of dieting and working out pretty much fly out the window. That time of the year where everyone is happy and full of the giving spirit--well, for the most part at least. 

I love this time of the year. I love the fall colors, I love the cooler weather, I love spending time with family. While I'm sad that I wont be able to go to MS with my family for Thanksgiving this year, I am so thankful that I'm being able to share it with friends that aren't able to go home. Its been a real difficult week trying to get all the groceries needed on our limited budget, but we were able to. I'm looking forward to it. 

We also get to go home in 3 weeks, so thats helping. Daniel got leave approved for Dec 19-29! :) so we will hopefully get to do something for our anniversary AND go home. hopefully. We really want to go somewhere since on our anniversary last year he was at BMT.  

Its been interesting here so far. I'm still struggling with getting acclimated here, but i'm working on it. We finally got pictures put up on the walls, and our curtains...and we get to put up our Christmas tree on Saturday! I am excited! :) I love Christmas decorations and this is the first year we actually have a REAL tree (and by real i mean a decent size, fake tree--lol!) and decorations! I'm going to buy lights tomorrow most likely! :) hooray! :P

Other than that, nothing is really happening in our world. Just trying to make the most of everything that gets thrown at us and enjoying spending time together. 

To end this rather short post (i thought I had more to say today, but apparently not) I'll do the usual cliche list:

What I am thankful for:

1) I am thankful for my husband. He is my rock, my coach, my cheerleader--he is my everything. He knows     how to make me smile even when i dont think I can. He listens, he understands, he loves unconditionally. I     am so thankful for him. 

2) I am thankful for the AF. They may not always do what I want them to do, but they have given my               husband a job he enjoys, a stable job. They have allowed us to make friends that I would have never met     if we had not joined. They have given us more than I expected, and as irritated as I get with them, I am    very grateful. 

3) I am thankful for my family. They have been supporting us from day one, and I am so grateful. Its hard           being away from them, but they try to talk to me as much as possible...and some days I call my mom what     seems like 100 times a day because I just miss her and want to hear her voice--thankfully she puts up with     it! lol

there is so much that i am thankful for this holiday season, those are just the top few. I guess i should probably get to cleaning or cooking or something now. lol  I have to make my famous mashed potato casserole today! and get our bathrooms and carpets cleaned. (funnn)

talk to you all later. :) 

Brave

"You can be amazing, you can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug. You can be the outcast, or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love. Or you can start speaking up. Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do when they settle 'neath your skin. Kept on the inside and no sunlight, sometimes a shadow wins. I wonder what would happen if you say what you wanna say, and let the words fall out--Honestly, I wanna see you be brave with what you wanna say and let the words fall out. Honestly, I wanna see you be brave."
--Brave by Sara Bareilles--

I came across this song about a week ago while I was trying to scramble to get new songs to workout to. I am sooo in love with it. It is saying everything I needed to be told for years. Be brave. Speak up. Dont let them walk all over you. I wish this song had come out while I was in high school....the Lord knows I just sat there quietly. Like Katy Perry says in "Roar:"

"I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath--scared to rock the boat and make a mess...So I sat quietly, agreed politely. I guess that I forgot I had a choice, I let you push me past my breaking point. I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything."

These two songs...they have really helped me over the past few weeks. I've been struggling with being here. I've been having a hard time... and these songs? They are awesome. Katy Perry is not usually one of my favorite go-to artists, but that song...idk. it hit home. because here? I'm over it. "you held me down, but I got up--already brushing off the dust.....you held me down, but i got up--get ready cuz i've had enough!"  I mean, I'm ready. I'm working my butt off to lose this weight. i finally have the motivation, the strength, the courage. I'm ready to change.

I started this journey at a whopping 250+. I am currently at 227. 2 lbs away from losing 25. I could have probably been 50lbs down by now had I actually worked the entire 6 months I was at keesler, but...we all know how change goes. Here--theres nothing to do...so I workout. Well, I was working out...until I stupidly tried to run a 5k last week without "training up for it." -.- that was stupid. Though, I am proud of myself because I learned 2 things about myself:
 1) I CAN RUN A 5K STRAIGHT! No walking!
 2) I love running outside. Love it. never thought that would happen, haha.

I am a much stronger person than I was in high school. I've learned a lot over the past 5 years...wow..5 years since I graduated? dang. I'm getting old. lol. Daniel has had a lot to do with that. When I met him, I was still this shell of a person. Now? I am so much happier and I am so thankful for Daniel pulling me out of my "funk" and being as encouraging as he is. That one day we went out and ran together, he was constantly saying "Babe, if you just run a little farther, you would have run a whole mile," "come on baby, you have almost run a mile and a half without stopping! you got this," "babe! you just ran 2 whole miles without stopping! I am so proud of you!" he just didn't stop encouraging me the entire run. I have never had someone do that for me before, it showed me just how much he loves me. He's always encouraging me... I've never been more thankful. I couldn't do this without him and his support.

I say all this rambling because this is what it means to be brave. Taking a chance, a risk, and hoping that it will better you and those around you. You never know whats going to happen. Daniel joining the AF was brave--we dont know whats going to happen, but we trust God, and we went for it. Now we're stationed in GA, not our first pick, but I know we're here for a reason. Even if it was only to meet the amazing people I've met already. We are taking it one day at a time and making the most of our time here, even though the government has been stupid lately. This shutdown doesn't help my stress levels, thats for sure.

Anyways, I hope you guys all can agree--sometimes you have to be brave in order to achieve what you want. Even if that means standing up to the people who put you down, facing a problem you have been avoiding your whole life (like my weight), or just going after what you want. It takes a lot of courage to do that.

I hope you all have an amazing day. Be amazing. Be yourself.

Love you guys,

Beth

Life is what YOU make it.

Hah, everytime I hear those words I automatically go into the whole "Life's what you make it so lets make it ROCK!" from Hannah Montana. Yes I used to watch that show. No I'm not ashamed.... lol

Anyways. That phrase is something I've really had to put into play the past few weeks. As you guys know, we have officially PCSed to Georgia or "the big peach" as people call it. Its strange. Everything went okay with the move, but once we got here I felt like the world was falling apart. We had bought a new car while we were home for those two weeks, and as soon as we get to GA and get in our house the dealership was calling with a million problems telling us we were going to have to come BACK to AL to re-fill out all the paper work. that was stressful. We had never bought a car before, so it was really frustrating.

We ended up getting everything sorted out, but it took me a good 2 weeks to start adjusting. There wasn't a day out of those first 2 weeks here that I didn't cry. I felt so alone, so upset, so depressed. I missed my friends from keesler. I missed being so close to a beach. I missed our beautiful house there. I HATED this base. I hated everything about it those first couple weeks. There are days now that I still have this piece of hatred for GA. I dont know why I hate it so much, or hated it rather.

I'm doing better now. I'm going to the gym again, which has made me feel a ton better. I've got a friend here already (thank God for a mutual friend who set us up!), I'm learning my way around....and I was just getting content with the fact that I could go to the store whenever because it is within walking distance...when...GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. Seriously? *sigh* one thing after another, lol. Luckily, we're one of the few bases that has other forms of grocery stores nearby. I feel bad for my friends who have to drive 45 min + to the nearest grocery store because their commissary shut down. :\ this is all so childish.

We have a lake in our neighborhood (that also happens to be home to a decently sized alligator--YIKES), but its so pretty in the mornings when the sun is coming up. We have stables on base that we get to run by when we do our 5k trail---as most of you know I love horses, so this is awesome.  We are slowly acclimating to Daniel's schedule...though every time we get used to it, something else changes. haha. We've been doing good on our eating the past few weeks and have only gotten fast food 2 times since all the moving stuff finished...which is excellent for us. :)

Titan is doing good--as big of a dork as he ever has been. We're still frustrated that we dont have a fence, nor do we have the money to get a fence. Taking him out is a real pain in the butt....especially because he wants to chase the birds in our backyard, play with the kids next door, try to play with the neighbor's dog. -.- every. 5. minutes. haha.

we do have a forest across a creek from our backyard and every once in a while when we're taking Titan out in the morning we see deer! :) its sooo cool! Though i think it may be dangerous here in a few months. haha.

I think my biggest thing about here is its more permanent than Keesler. With Keesler, we were only there for 6 months. Here? 2 years minimum. We're hoping we go somewhere else after 2 years, but with the military you never know. We're hoping for FL, CO, Italy, England, or Japan next. sooo we'll see what happens. For now, I'm going to continue making the best out of this base. Despite the mean people who run me over at the commissary or glare at me at the gym... I will enjoy myself. Daniel and I have a lot of cool things we can go do (Greek festival coming up the 18th-20th in macon that we're excited about).... and there are options for date nights not far from base, so we'll enjoy ourselves.

We plan on coming home the week of Christmas. I'm hoping he can get leave on the 18th-28th that way we can go do something for our anniversary since last year he was at BMT. :)

Anyways, sorry for the ramble..just thought I'd update everyone and let ya'll know that no matter how crappy you may think something is, its only as crappy as you make it. So make the most of it. Especially if you're stuck there for 2 years! haha.

love you guys!

The list goes on as life comes fast.

Phew. its been a busy past few months, especially the last few weeks. we're getting ready to move next week..... yea, thats right. NEXT WEEK. its been bonkers around here lately! Daniel started block 11 (his last block at tech school) on Friday and graduates next Tuesday. We start our trek back home next Wednesday. While I am excited to get home, I'm also apprehensive.

Its going to be great to go home and see everyone, but I am just ready to get to Robins, get everything settled and get back into a routine. I had gotten so good about being on a routine...then moving stuff started coming faster and faster and before I knew it, I had no time left for the gym or to just do things I want to do...like lay out on the beach. i'm really hoping we go to a beach this coming weekend since its our last weekend here...but who knows. I'm so ready for a normal routine. no more weird schedules of 3a-4p or 2p to midnight. Daniel will be on a "normal" schedule most days of 730-430, unless theres something big coming up or something like that. i cannot wait! we're gonna try to get in the habit of working out together...haven't quite decided when that will be just yet, but we're not there yet--so i'm assuming we'll figure it out once we get there. :)

I'm slowly coming to grips with the fact that Robins is where we're headed, theres no changing bases this close to the move.... so i'm trying to make the most of it. i found out that there is a dance studio that teaches adult dance classes ( i miss dance, and i think it will also aide in the weight loss)...so I'm excited to try a couple of those... I plan on becoming a member of the Enlisted Spouses Club there and going to meetings, as well as they are starting a "change my life" plan a couple weeks after we get there...which is basically a weight loss challenge. :) The annual Air Force Ball is also a couple weeks after we get there...not entirely sure if we'll go this year, but we will go next year if we dont go this year! :)

Its been a crazy ride so far in the USAF life. Definitely not something I'm used to, but I'm slowly getting used to it. Its strange....I look back 3 years ago...Daniel and I were newlyweds...we had no idea this is where God would lead us, but we are grateful he has led us here. We are so much better off now than before he enlisted, and we are learning new things daily. i've definitely gained some patience through all of this. Which in itself is probably one of the main reasons God led us to the AF--to teach me some PATIENCE. I've never been good at being patient... lol.

I've also met some wonderful people down here. I'm going to miss them. I'm not going to lie, i'm probably going to bawl my eyes out the day we leave. Hah, i'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it. These girls have been amazing...we've been crazy, talked shit, laughed, cried, ranted, raved, almost died in random accidents due to MS crazy drivers...................sometimes that crazy driver being me. ;)  We've made friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime...and hopefully we'll see each other again one day...if not because we get stationed at the same base its because i fly out to UT and we drive to CA. hahaha. and then maybe a quick hop over to Japan. man. this is crazy.

I know I'll make friends at Robins... i always do....I kinda have already through the spouses page (thank GOD)....and I'm glad I'll have 2 years with them instead of only 5 months. These past 5 months with these girls has been awesome. Even if we met because i was scared of my car drowning on the way to pick up my husband....or we met because I stalked you on facebook because my husband was already friends with yours...or if we met through a facebook group and talked for months before you actually got here. Making friends comes easy to me--it always has....but its the ones that change you that stick with you. Like my best friend Ashley back home....god I miss her...I can't wait to see her in a couple weeks! I know I'm always going to have these friends. We may not always talk, but they're there and they know that I'm always here if they ever need me. I'm going to miss you guys.

I guess I better stop being my usual sappy self and go do some cleaning/packing/organizing... i really want a nap though. lol gonna be a busy rest of my week, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm so proud of my husband and all he has accomplished and I can't wait to pin his career badge on next Tuesday. :)

for now, I bid you adieu. Next time you hear from me, I'll be at Robins. :)

-beth

Finding the Silver Linings

Life can be fun, it can be hard, it can be amazing, it can suck. Whatever it is, its life. You can't run away from  it, you can't hide, you can't change it...so you have to deal with it. I recently watched Silver Linings Playbook (eh. it was decent, but my friend and I found it much funnier than it was intended)... and it got me thinking--there is always some silver lining to whatever hardship/change you may face in life. 

The biggest one Daniel and I are facing right now? His orders. While its not the worst base in the world, it DEFINITELY was NOT on our list, nor do we really want to go there. :(  We shall be PCSing to Robins AFB in GA (and by GA, i mean the middle of nowhere-GA. -.-) in September. We should get 2 weeks of RAP (recruiter assistance program) before then...and daniel's est grad date from Keesler is August 20. But anyways...

While its not really all that bad of a base to go to, we really dont want to go. :( We were going to trade with someone in his class, but EVERYONE got the same thing. which I guess is good on some levels and bad on others. We've been trying to find the silver linings of being "stuck in the south." (we are so sick of being in the south its not even funny. -.-) 

PROS:

1) not a far PCS...which will make moving easier and getting our stuff quicker

2) if we decide to start a family, we're not too terribly far from our families

3) we will have a smaller house--yes this is a PRO...i feel like our 3br is WAYY too much house for us. lol

4) Its only 3 hours from Savannah, Tybee Island, Hilton Head, Atlanta....soo weekend getaways aren't too far of a drive...

5) we dont have to ship our pup. 

CONS:

1) we're stuck in the south...which we are sick of. 

2) its considered "the middle of nowhere" for GA

3) its just far enough to keep me from driving to thanksgiving this year. :( 

4) Daniel will most likely have several TDY while we are there (mini deployments--6mo or less)

5) its GA. lol

Bah. like I said. we're still trying to see the silver linings in all of this. The orders could change, but probably wont, so we are just learning to live with it. needless to say--GA is NOT worth leaving Keesler for and we will be sorry to pack up and leave our beautiful beach home. haha. on a plus side, we'll get a little more money there, so that helps. 

On another positive note, i'm down to 231.6--thats a new low for me! hoping to be down in the 220s by next Monday. :D  i did compare face pics today:

L) Dec 19,2010--our first anniversary:: R) yesterday morning...lbs lost since then--about 20 maybe a little more, i can't exactly remember how much i weighed back then. i think i was between 250 and 260... so it may be a little more than 20lbs. :D i was thoroughly surprised at the difference thou! :D

I am trying really hard. Moving did NOT help...nor did the first few weeks of "i dont feel like making a menu, lets go out to eat" mentality. haha.  We're doing better now. Daniel is on "T-Shift" which is where he goes to class from 300p to midnight every day, so instead of eating a super heavy dinner at 6 or 7, we eat a rather large lunch around 1230-1 every day. :) that definitely helps. though my sleep schedule is completely thrown out of whack. lol. i'm still getting used to it, but its getting easier. he's been on T-Shift for about 2 weeks now. I have also started finding things (other than cleaning) to keep me occupied. I have 2 awesome friends down here and we keep each other busy. One of my friends is teaching me how to draw/paint. I think i'm failing but she keeps repeating to me "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". haha. i think my paintings suck. daniel said they're good though. and practice makes perfect, right? Also, i've learned how to make paracord bracelets:

if you want one, i think i'm gonna charge like...$2, but will make them to your color/size specifications. :D message me if you want more info--they are a lot of fun to make!

so anyways. i mean that pretty much sums up our lives right now. We've had a time and a half getting a dog though. We had one puppy, and he died of hookworm anemia. :( that was rough...so then we went to the humane society and found the prettiest german shepherd......who was crazy. -.- she bit my neck. she was 3 months old. what the?! lol so... we took her back...got a "voucher" to get another puppy. now we are just waiting to see what happens. :) its been a time and a half...and a ton of money out the window--(btw if a dog dies on a table during a blood transfusion--you still have to pay for whatever they got done. -.- i think thats sad. as if its not hard enough to lose a dog, but to make them spend a crap ton of money? ridiculous.) but i like our vet, she's nice. 

we are getting a washer and dryer on Saturday and I am SO excited. I hate laundromats. with a firy burning passion. -.- i hope I never have to use one again. they are a pain in the butt. We are getting our set from a neighbor down the street who is moving to Germany, so they can't take it with them. We got lucky that she was suppperr sweet and willing to go down on price to fit our budget. It definitely helps. :) but anyways. i think thats about it for today. I need to do some cleaning and organizing before VOLLEYBALL tonight. (oh yeah i joined a volleyball spouses group down here... i am TERRIFIED. lol but i hear its a good workout, and one of my neighbors asked me to try it out...soooooo here goes nothing?!)  I hope i dont fail miserably. i'm probably going to be EXHAUSTED tomorrow though. lol. and I've got a Cocktails and Canvas on Friday with some of the spouses. It is going to be fantastic. I'm finding little things here and there to keep me busy. :) 

Also--my bestest friend is coming to visit on June 2! I AM SO EXCITED. like seriously. She is coming from the 2nd-5th!!! I can't wait. I've missed my bestie! 

All in all--things are looking up...heres to hoping his orders change, but at the same time, eh--it could be worse. lol have a great rest of your day/week!

adios

"In Sickness and in health."

Those are generally words you hear in a person's vows to their beloved on their wedding day. I said it to my husband the day we said "I do" and many other people have said it as well...

Today as I was thinking on the past 3 years of our marriage, I came to think that those words do not just pertain to marriage. They are fully relevant to EVERY aspect of our lives. Our marriage, our friendships, our commitments, our jobs, ect.

For me? Aside from my marriage...this is especially relevant to my weight loss. I have had so many ups and downs over the last few years with my weight...and the one BIG excuse was "i'm sick." When Daniel and I were first married and i "tried" to lose weight, I got sick. Not deathly ill...just...a cold. What did I do? i used that cold as an excuse to stop working out...to stop eating right... to continue eating all the comfort foods in the world. Its a cycle that I have continually fought over the last 8 years of my life (since I was 14) and it always happens. Every. Single. Time.

Except....this past time. :)

I have finally broken through that cycle and it feels SO GOOD. I may not have worked out while I was sick, but I still did something. I didn't sit around on my butt or lay on my bed/couch and sleep away every day. I got up, cleaned, did laundry, cooked dinners for Daniel and I, got myself to the dr and got meds, and still managed to have time to rest a little to allow my body to recoup. I walked on Monday instead of going to the gym. I felt miserable, was exhausted, but I kept on. I haven't let it get to my eating either. I ALMOST let it get to me last night...(we almost ordered chinese takeout because I was just notttt wanting to cook), but when I thought about it...and thought about the 2.17 miles that I had walked/jogged earlier that day...when i thought about how GOOD I had been while I was sick.... i realized it wasn't worth it. I pouted for a while (because i'm still getting used to the new me... *sigh* i think i fight myself more than i've fought a sibling....thats sad. haha) and then realized that I had made the right choice and instead went and got a bowl of raisin bran and my new guilty pleasure of Stacy's Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips (holy crap they are sooo good, they remind me a lot of taco bell's cinnamon twists, but so much healthier for you!!!!).

I have learned so much just while Daniel was at BMT. About myself, about our relationship, about life in general. Its amazing how being apart for so long can make you really appreciate everything you have. I have to say, for the way everyone kept saying "oh you wont make it past year one" when we first got married, wow... way to have faith in us and in God. We have one of the best relationships, and I am so So SOOO thankful for it. We communicate about anything and everything. We talk. And boy did I miss that while he was gone. We both would get frustrated when he first got here to Keesler because, even though we could communicate, it wasn't as well as what we were used to. It was only when he got a minute, and if he could get signal/good internet. it sucked. texting for a whole month? doesn't really do much for me.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be living with him while he's here at tech school. I have no idea what we would have done had I been forced to stay at home for the next 6 months. God has blessed us so incredibly much while we've been here too. I've made a really good friend with one of his friends' wife... we do our laundry together every tuesday and (aside from this week cuz we've both been sick) we go to the gym on MWF to workout. :) She's awesome. I've also picked up a few babysitting jobs here in the neighborhood, and that helps. Its not a full time job, but I don't need full time..just a little bit on the side to help with everyday expenses and/or random dates, ect. :) i also have gotten us quite a few good deals on a recliner (free), desk (10), and coffee table (10)... just from keeping my eyes and ears open.

It looks like we'll be coming home for RAP (recruiter assistance program) around September 15th...ish. Dont book me on it though because with the military, anything and everything is bound to change up until the day we arrive. haha. We also do not know where we are going yet. We should find out here in the next 4-6 weeks. (hopefully closer to the 4 week mark).

I do have some new goals for you guys and an update on my weight as well. :D Which I haven't really done lately mainly because of all this moving stuff has wreaked havoc on my weight loss. haha.

I am currently 234 (as of Wednesday when I went to the dr.). Thats a total of 16lbs lost. I would like to be under 200 by August 1. I believe it is possible, especially with my awesome hubby. He runs with me on Saturdays and helps push me to go further, hold my planks longer, and just encourages me day in and day out. :) my hero AND my cheerleader. best of both worlds! We also are planning to run a 5k at his first duty station. Once we figure out where we are going, we're gonna look into ones where we can run together in that area and sign up. I'm SO EXCITED. Its been a dream of mine for the past year or so for us to run together. (hence why i enjoy our saturday excursions in the neighborhood. haha)

We are so thankful and blessed to be down here. It is beautiful (when its not a nasty rainy day like today! haha) and so much fun. Its also amazing to just be us. by ourselves. in our own HOME. its so weird and awesome all at the same time. :)

anyways. i best get back to cleaning. :) hope you all had a fantastic week and have a great weekend! I'll post more whenever i have something new to update with or whenever i think about it next--haha it just comes randomly to me nowadays!

love ya'll!
-Beth-

Busy, busy me

Goodnesssss! I've been busy since moving down here (as it was to be expected)!! soo now..3 weeks later, i'm finally posting a blog. :D  The move went smoothly, I got down here, and now Daniel is living with me! (He got SEPRAT last week). It is a good feeling to be living together again. Sure, getting up at 4a isn't easy--and its about to be even earlier... but i wouldn't trade it for the world. every minute i get with him, I'm soaking it up...we don't know what the future may hold. At the moment, we are both just enjoying being together...for the past 3 weeks, my main goal is to make sure the house is clean and that i have a dinner plan for whatever night it may be. I also have to go to the laundromat to do laundry (which is a pain in my ass, to tell you the truth--there is so much i could get done when i'm stuck there for 2 hours bored out of my mind!)...and i'm desperately searching for a decent priced washer and dryer. If we knew where we were going, we would probably purchase a brand new set from Lowe's or something...but we don't know where we'll get stationed and if its overseas--we can't take it with us. booo. so for now, i'm scouring craigslist and various fb pages for a set...with no luck.

Last week I attempted to start back working out...did C25K on Monday...thennnnnn the rest of the week went to the toilet. It rained for 2 days, i was sick for 2 days... and so yeah.. HOWEVER. One of Daniel's friends here at Keesler is married--and his wife just got here this past Wednesday. SO HAPPY. :D We are starting "girl's PT" on MWF--which we did yesterday and BOTH OF US were sooo much happier afterwards. so yes. i started back. hooray! and now i have a workout buddy so its gonna be harder to back out! lol thats a good thing. so on MWF, I'll be doing elliptical/stationary bike and my weights routine (which i am so incredibly sore and so thankful that Lori and Elle told me to start back with 5-lb weights because i would have died if i had attempted 8-lbs!!!!) and then on Tu/Th/Sa I'll be doing C25K and/or walking the neighborhood twice. (its about 1.25mi for the circuit i do...sooo thats 2.5 mi if i do it twice) and on Saturdays, Daniel said he would do it with me--so that will help. :)

Daniel and I are also starting a date night regimen...since we're trying to conserve and save money--we're doing it every other down friday (so 1x month), and those will be planned date nights and we will alternate who plans it. :) then on the other down fridays, we'll still go to dinner, but that one will be a joint effort. haha we want to try some of the local hole-in-the-wall restaurants...so that will be a good way to do it. :) down fridays are great days--and now they just got even better! hahahaha.

We have been to the beach once already, and it is beautiful. we are sooo incredibly lucky to be stationed down here through the summer (i may take that statement back here in the next couple months when the temps reach 98-100...buttttt for now, i love it!) We can't wait to go back to the beach once the water warms up. It was FREEZING. we like...put our feet in it...then were like "nope" and went and laid out on our towels and read. very relaxing. :) its nice to just be us. We haven't had this much alone time in FOREVER. its nice. I'm thoroughly enjoying it thats for sure! :) as for everything else, well...there really isn't much to say about it. haha. Our house is beautiful, and its weird to have a house. lol. we even have a small backyard...that is mostly sand and weeds...but its a yard! haha. we have some pictures up and we, for the most part, have our little house set up. :) theres a few things here and there that still need to be done or unpacked, but for now, we're good.

I did find out that we should know where his first duty station is in June sometime...so... i just have to wait 2 more months. haha. I think we're both anxious to find out. We decided that anywhere we go we'll be happy as long as those orders say ACCOMPANIED (meaning I can go). lol we're not quite ready for him to be deployed just yet. We know its a possibility, we also know theres a high chance of it... but we can hope and pray that they hold off a year before sending him off. haha

thus begins our lives as a true military family--nothing is guaranteed, nothing is set in stone, nothing happens fast, everything can change in the turn of a hat, and everything is a big HURRY UP AND WAIT. lol. but its our life, and we do what we can. As long as we have each other, we will be a-o.k. :D

and i do believe this concludes today's post. :) but i'll leave ya'll with a couple pics of the house. :) i will try to post again as soon as i remember. haha or something changes.

the front of our little home

us standing in front of our front door. :)

our itty bitty backyard. lol

the kitchen! the little lip over the sink is actually a bar-area sorta..you can put barstools up to it

our back patio

Off we go into the wild blue yonder!

Good morning friends!

How are you all doing today? I am doing FANTASTIC. Tomorrow is the big day! MOVING DAY! I'm so excited! I still have a lot to do to get ready, but i'm sooooo excited! Making cinnamon rolls out of cresent rolls for breakfast this morning, gonna have a going away dinner with my family tonight (and my bestest friend, but we all include her in the "family" portion! lol). its gonna be a good day!

Tomorrow starts my journey! The movers will be here between 8a and 9a, they'll get me all packed up (which I don't forsee taking too terribly long--even they said they'd be done before 3 most definitely). Its gonna be fantastic! As soon as the movers leave, I'll be backing out of my driveway and saying "SEE YA!" to Huntsville! From here I'll be going to Tuscaloosa to see my brother. He's letting me stay the night there with him so I wouldn't have to drive the entire 6 hours at once! :) what a kind bro! :)  i love going to see him in ttown and even now its gonna be a fantastically awesome time! I'm so excited! (i'm sure you guys are all picturing me sitting in my office chair bouncing up and down frantically---which is partially true. I'm trying to contain my excitement--but I'm going to see my husband in 2 days! you can't blame me for being excited!!!) hehe

Anyways--so I'll be staying with my brother in Tuscaloosa Tuesday night (heh, Tuscaloosa Tuesday! sounds like a band or song title. cool). Then I'll be getting up with him bright and early (he has to be at class at 8a), and I'll be heading to Biloxi! Should only take me about 4 hours, so I should be down there by noon (depends on where I get breakfast...probably just grabbing starbucks and hitting the road though--oh starbucks, how i love thee!) Once I get down there, I'll probably just toodle around waiting until I can check in at the hotel on base (which I am renting through Saturday--hopefully going to be able to extend through sunday so Daniel and I can spend some time together cuz he can't come back to the house with me). Once I can check in, i'll be going in to shower, put on makeup, and get ready for our appointment at 4! I'll be picking up Daniel at like...330 probably and then we'll head over to the housing office and do the walk through and sign our lease and get our keys! :D gonna be a good day! Then after that, we'll *hopefully* be able to go chill at the hotel for a bit... then grab a bite to eat for dinner...then i'll drop him off so he can get ready before he has to do details at 8p. I'm so excited, its not even funny. I'll get to spend the weekend with him, which makes me so much happier too. Just knowing that in 2 days I'll be with him FOR GOOD (well until (if) he gets deployed). We'll be able to be US again. its so exciting. He wont be able to live with me until  mid-late april, but still. I'll be right there, so i can go see him on the weekends/weeknights (if  he is able) and we can spend time together. :) Once he hits ATP (2nd phase), he can come to the house whenever he wants. :) that makes me happy.

But yeah. Wanted to post before leaving because I'm taking down my computer today and wont have it back up for a couple weeks. I'll have my phone and my netbook, but posting a blog on either of those is a pain in the butt. lol. I am so ready to be with my husband, its not even funny. I miss him tons. Its been 4 weeks since we were together last. Sure we get to skype/talk on the phone, but its sooo not the same. Especially with signal and internet being crap. Anywho...

I guess this is it! The next time you guys hear from me, I'll be sitting in my house in Biloxi, enjoying the fact that I am only 5 minutes from my husband versus 6 hours. :) gonna be nice!

Hope you guys have a fantastic day!

Checklists and Coffee

The two most important things when moving or packing. period. Checklists keep you organized, coffee keeps you SANE.

Today the movers came to do what they call a "pre-move survey." it was the one guy who is basically head over my shipment. It went SO FAST. He looked at everything, logged major things and just estimates of how many cartons they needed... I was floored. He said we've made it really easy on them (which was our goal) and that the move shall be quick and painless! lol. That was GREAT news. He said all-in-all they should be here between 8-9a on the 19th (next Tuesday) and should be done by 230-3 and he was over estimating. He also set up our drop-off date for Friday the 22 (originally I was informed that we would not have our stuff dropped off to us until the 26th). So that was also good news. All-in-all I AM READY.

I have a few things i need to organize and finish up before next Tuesday, but I'm pretty much done. It feels so good to know that next week i'll be in Keesler with my husband. sorta. lol. He wont be able to come live with me until probably mid-late April--which is fine...at least I'll get to see him every weekend until he does! :)

I'm so ready. I just cannot say that enough. I miss my husband, I miss being us. we're both sooo ready for this its not even funny. I'm ready to have a house of our own. I'm ready to be ON OUR OWN. I am scared, i'm not gonna lie--i've never been away from my family...I'm not really...scared? idk i can't really think of a better word. I'm nervous i guess? Its going to be fantastic though! I know it wont be easy, but its going to be so much better than where we are right now. I just can't wait!

Short post today, just wanted to update you all! i'll try to post again before i move down there!

thanks for being awesome guys!

-Beth

Finally!

Yay! I have an update for you guys!  I have waited all week, and FINALLY we have some stuff figured out! Actually...we have all of it figured out, I just have to go about my business and sort through all my boxes and unpack (*sigh*) for TMO.

The movers (TMO) will be at my house here in huntsville on March 19. HOORAY! They will be packing my stuff and getting it all together! Which means--we will also be moving into OUR HOUSE (yes, i said our house! we have a house!!!) on march 20 at 4p! sooo excited! The current plan is for me to drive to Tuscaloosa on the 19 after TMO leaves, stay with my brother that night, then finish the drive to Biloxi on the 20!!! I'll get to see Daniel again in 2 weeks! only 2 weeks! So ready.

You guys have no idea how excited and ready I am! We had talked about me going down there today (its his birthday...boooo), but its Reserve weekend, so all the rooms on base are full. :(  so now i'm just waiting 2 more weeks...then i'll get to pick him up from class and we will go do our walk-through and sign our lease together! it will be so exciting! it is exciting!

So, I have 2 weeks to get everything unpacked and organized and figure out what I'm going to take in my car. lol. We told TMO that i'll have 500lbs in my car, so...... i'll try to get that as close as possible..does my weight count? if so--we're almost halfway there already! LOL jk... but... seriously. I'm so ready to just be down there. I was a little sad when he called to tell me that the movers couldn't come until the 19...but.... that  gives me 10 days with my mommy (she comes home on the 9th) and i can have 2 more weeks of my personal trainer here (if i don't get sick again--i've been sick for 3 days now and had to miss one session with her. made me sad....)...AND gives me two weeks to finish off the few groceries i had purchased myself before i get down there. (i don't want to have to worry about moving cold food...especially having to take it up to david's condo and put it all in his fridge for one night).

Thats the plan currently. :) i'll also be staying on base the night of the 20 so i can spend a little more time with Daniel and not have to worry about pulling out the air mattress. lol. at least not that night. i have no idea how long it will take for TMO to get all my stuff to me down there, but i'm hoping they'll be able to unload on the 21st. (since we're not technically moving in until 4 on the 20th)

ahhh its all so exciting! scary...but exciting. lol. I have felt like a real adult trying to take care of all this stuff...so has daniel--he's had to talk to finance and we're budgeting and saving and doing everything we can to cut costs and just making sure everythings gonna go smoothly. its weird. I don't think we've ever had to put this much thought into anything since we got married. hahaha. but it comes with being an adult!

anyways! thats really all i have for you guys today! i just wanted to let all you people out there know that I AM FINALLY MOVING! we have a house. we have tmo set up. we have talked to finance. SO READY! this also means we'll still get BAH through the 20 of this month, so we'll still get some on the paycheck that comes on the 1st. thats exciting! lol. then we lose it. but...i'd rather lose BAH and be with my husband any day! :D true story!

anyways. hope you all have a fantastic Saturday! :)

-Beth

I Can Smell The Salty Ocean Air.....

hey guys! I usually don't post so quick, but i wanted to give ya'll a quick update!

I was informed last night on the phone by my amazing husband two things that are extremely exciting.

1) That he was going to go to TMO to get a pack/load date and unload dates scheduled. (the movers)

2) we could have a house on base by the end of next week. O.O


Do you know what i did? I was literally bouncing off the walls with excitement last night.  I could have a house. near my husband. in a week. HOLY COW. The only downfall is that Daniel wont be able to live with me until after at least 45 days (not that big of a deal...)...but in a couple weeks, he should be able to come to the house on the weekends to see me....and stay with me from Friday after the duty day (around 5) until about 9 on Sundays. :D

so. thrilled.  So we decided that if we have a house on base by the time TMO comes to get my stuff that the day TMO leaves my house in huntsville to head for the coast, thats where i'll be headed too. I'll have my car packed up and say GOODBYE HUNTSVILLE! and be on my way! I'll make a few stops on the way, but will be heading in the direction of my future...my husband... my love.

so ready for all these changes! gonna be difficult, but it will be well worth it in the end!

So all-in-all i've got maybe 2-3 weeks left here in huntsville (hopefully), then its adios, past! hello bright future!

nervous, excited, anxious, thrilled, overwhelmed, BUSY. forgive me if i get a bit tense over this time period... transitions have never come too easily for me, mainly because i'm a bit OCD and like everything to go as planned (lol, military will train me and get me out of that, hopefully...lol)--so i may get a bit short and snappy as it draws nearer.  i do apologize!

thanks for bearing with me over the last few months! i'm so excited! I had to share!!!

Our New Beginning

Usually with a title like that, you think I've jumped off the bandwagon weight wise and i'm starting all over again, right? WRONG. Today its all about the new beginning for Daniel and I and what our future might hold.  I actually did gain a little weight back on my trip (only 4lbs, mostly water weight probably), but thats nothing compared to the 12.4 i've lost! lol 4lbs is a cinch! :D Anyways.

As you guys know, I went down to Lackland to see Daniel graduate from USAF BMT this past week. I arrived Tuesday night around 930pm, and was there until about 140 yesterday (thats when my plane left San Antonio). can you say BEST WEEKEND EVER?!? I definitely think i am one lucky woman to have scored such an amazing husband. Valentine's Day was the first day I saw him--and omg. Yeah, i cried. not as much as i thought i would, but quite a bit. I was shaking like a leaf though. haha. i kept picking invisible lent off his ABUs while we were walking just so i could touch him and make sure I wasn't dreaming. We kept attempting to hold hands then we'd remember its not allowed in uniform... lol. oh AF, how i love your rules! lol actually, its just because it is seen as "unprofessional" and stuff. I understand. He wont be in uniform 24/7, so i can live with that. But yeah, i was up BRIGHT AND EARLY (oh around 245a) on Thursday, had to be at the BMT Reception Center for an orientation at 7, so I was there by 545 (with a line of people already standing outside).... then we watched the Airman's Run around 8a, then i went and sat in the cold-a** bleachers for 2.5 hours. My butt has never been so sore. I wish I would have taken a stadium seat. haha. or a blanket. It was alright though, I was sitting in the PERFECT spot to see Daniel and his FLT get their coins, as well as I had some pretty entertaining folks sitting around me, which made the wait a little easier. At the end of the coin ceremony, they played retreat and the national anthem, after that... HE WAS FREE. I made a beeline for him (i was so close, i could see him the entire time during the ceremony so I had my plan all plotted out--lol) I stood in front of him and waited til he made eye contact then i basically jumped him. haha. not really, but in my mind, thats how i remember it. he actually had to catch himself cuz he tried to kiss me longer than a peck--which is a no-no in uniform as well. haha. he said he wasn't expecting me to tap him out by kissing him on the lips...he thought i was gonna go for his cheek. LOL. brings back memories of our first kiss. hahaha (only in that instance, it was the other way around!) so after all that, we made a beeline for the car amongst the thousands of people (there were 856 grads, so you can only imagine)... made it back to the hotel room and had the most amazing valentines day ever. I cooked for him, which is something i missed extremely. I love cooking for him. :) When it came time to drop him off at the end of the day (he had to be back by 630), I was feeling overwhelmed, but in a good way. It was so good to see him.....

 Friday was the graduation parade and squadron open house AND town pass. :D I met his parents at the graduation parade field, we sat in the cold bleachers for 1.5 hours, and then his mom and I went and tapped him out on the field. It was fun. We then made a beeline for the squadron so he could show us the dorm he has lived in for the past 8.5 weeks. It was a lot smaller than i thought for 40 guys. geez, it had to smell in there sometimes... lol. Afterwards, Daniel and I dropped his parents and brother off at their car then took the rest of his ABUs and Blues to get his stripes sewn on. Then we went back to the hotel and chilled for a few while we figured out what we wanted for lunch and i fixed my hair (the wind had thoroughly screwed it up). After that, we met Daniel's parents (after an hour of driving in the middle of nowhere trying to find their hotel) at Chili's and ate lunch. I have never seen him eat food so quickly. LOL he must have enjoyed it. Must be better than the chow hall.... i guess. lol. after that, we went to his parents' hotel and chilled for a couple hours then went back to our hotel and rested until it was time to drop him off.

Saturday he had town pass ALL DAY. :D i picked him up around 9a and we went back to the hotel to figure out what we wanted to do. We ended up going to a shoe store to buy him new boots, then went to the Riverwalk--omg so pretty. We ate lunch at an amazing mexican restaurant (The Originale or something like that), and even got sung to by a mariachi band (well sorta, they sang to the airman at the table next to us, so we got the show without having to pay! lol) so much fun! then we walked around some more and ended up going to the Ripley's Odditorium there--that stuff never gets old. We went to one in Gatlinburg on our honeymoon, how fitting to go to one then! lol it was like 2x the size of the Gatlinburg one too. it was fantastic. We then decided to head back to the hotel and just chilled. I cried quite a bit Saturday night. I was sad that the weekend was coming to an end, and i was nervous about our future. I dropped him off and bawled the whole way back to the hotel. I just couldn't stop. I tried. ended up crying myself to sleep around 830p.

Sunday, I woke up feeling kinda....blank. I don't really know how else to describe it...I guess drained? I got up, went to starbucks, and then went to pick him up. I was biting back tears the whole morning, but i finally got over myself. lol. We had a very nice day. We hung out at the hotel, then went to eat at cheddars (where we haven't eaten in probably 2 years--it was fantastic!), then we went back to the hotel and spent the remaining 4 hours in bed listening to music and just snuggling. BEST DAY EVER. what i would give to go back and just hit pause. i loved being wrapped up in his arms and just snuggling. listening to each other breathe, just enjoying every second of each other. it was nice. When it came time to take him back, i was hesitant because i was nervous that i would cry...but i didnt, surprisingly enough... i went and grabbed me some dinner and some extra large ziplocks to compress clothes with, and went back to the hotel. I packed, ate, packed, and packed some more. I ended up getting everything home (including the stuff Daniel left for me to take home... on top of my already full 4 bags--lol)... so thats good. yesterday was just all flying and i got home and CRASHED.

now for the part you all have been waiting for--Our Future.

Daniel was given his job and his orders. His orders are ACCOMPANIED (meaning I can come with him) to Keesler AFB for 20+ weeks for his job of RF Transmissions Systems... I'm not really sure what all of that means just yet, but I'm sure we'll find out. I know that I am authorized to move with him, and that we are both going to do everything in our power to get me down there. He has briefings all this week, so we should have more information in the next week or so. I am looking forward to moving down there, but I'm also hesitant. I am enjoying being able to save some money, but I'm also ready to be back with my husband and get back to some form of normalcy. I know with the military, nothing is ever "normal," but there is some form of normalcy that can be had from just living together again. God I miss being with him. This weekend was amazing, and I just can't wait to be with him again. for good.  After his tech school, we'll figure out where we are PCSing to (where our first base will be for the next 3.5 years)... we have a lot of good choices. :) I can't wait to see what the AF throws our way. lol.

My thoughts?  As long as Daniel and I are together, I will be fine wherever the AF may send us. Be that Japan, Italy, Germany, UK, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, or the-middle-of-nowhere-North Dakota, I'll be fine. As long as we're together. I'd rather not go to some of these places, but I am behind my husband 100% and will move wherever the AF shall send us. :)

I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us. :)

The Week of Crazy People

I don't even know where to begin today. This week has been odd. As we get closer to me leaving for Lackland, people have gotten crazy. I've had two people flip out on me this week... The first one, well...we sorted it out in the end...this second one? Listen to this guys... omg.

So all week i've been having weird encounters, weird dreams...ect... and this is no different. I booked my nail appointment for today OVER 2 weeks ago. Well, all of a sudden on Thursday, I receive a phone call from this spa. It was the person who had booked my appointment and who was supposed to do my nails... here is what she told me:

"Hi, Mrs. Nichols, this is _____ from _____ Day Spa...I was calling to tell you that we are still able to do your pedicure on Saturday, but we will need to reschedule your nails for another day because I do not do nails anymore."

me-"uh, what? I do not understand why you are having to make this call. Its not my problem. And I can't reschedule I leave on Tuesday and when I came in to make my appointment, YOU said that we would not have enough time to do my nails Tuesday morning and that we should do manicure and pedicure together on Saturday."

her-"Well, I do not do nails anymore. I am strictly front desk. and I wasn't aware of your trip."

me-"Yes you were, I told you straight up why i was needing my nails done when i needed them."

her-"well when do you come back?"

me-"No, you don't understand. this is FOR MY TRIP. I will see my husband for the first time in 8.5 weeks, and you are telling me that because of YOUR MISTAKE and the fact that you just decided you don't do nails anymore that I can't have them done?"

her--"no...ma'am..uhm.. you know what just forget i ever called and we'll see you saturday."

me--"yea."--hangup.

i was like "WTF!??" i'm about to go in and spend money to get my nails done at this place and they are calling me to tell me that this particular person just "doesn't do nails anymore". right... okay...so i have to move my entire schedule for you? hah. no.  I ended up calling back later that day, speaking to one of the main people there (not really sure if she's a manager, i think she is)...and i apologized to her for getting so irritable, but I did let her know that i did not appreciate that and that it was bad customer service. She agreed and i asked her "now would it be better for me to come in on Friday and do the shellac and keep the pedicure on Saturday?" "no, mrs. nichols, we'll take care of you on Saturday." okay...well..it better not get botched because this b**** is mad at me. or i'll be raising hell.



anyways. so thats a bit of crazy i've run into this week...sooo looking forward to confronting her AFTER my appointment. lol. though..i'm a lot of big talk, but i really do not have the guts to say anything unless she botches it. lol. but after that things started calming down a bit... I haven't run into anymore crazies... lol. that always makes me feel better. Yesterday was a lot of running back and forth though. I went on base for my personal training around 830, was home by 1030, got a shower, got ready, ate lunch, ran BACK on base to get my glasses....then put gas in my car...I went to target like 4 times yesterday. i kept forgetting stuff, grabbing the wrong thing to return, and stuff...I got my CD from karen of all my pics that she took of me! so gorgeous! i made some prints for Daniel to choose from....rented a movie from Redbox that i'll end up watching later today probably (ran out of time last night). and all that fun stuff...

Daniel called last night! He got a 15 minute call and it was glorious. He passed all his tests/evals and is all set to graduate next week! hooray! his flight made Warrior (which is really good!). I'm so excited. he's so ready to see me. I think we're really just ready to be a married couple again. It feels so weird without my better half around...and he said basically the same thing. he should get to call me again today if they get base lib like they were told they would. :) I'm just praying its not while i'm at the spa...they're gonna be mad already if i have my phone out and on...(muted, mind you, but they don't like phones out there)...just think how mad they'll be if i get a phone call...lol. part of me hopes for it after the hell they put me through on Thursday...just saying. ;)

All-in-all i've got a pretty slow day ahead of me...aside from my nails, I just plan on cleaning my bedroom, starting on laundry (hopefully), and chillin. I got some sleep last night (for the first time all week because of my strange dreams..)...Woke up around 2 after one odd dream, then fell back asleep until oreo woke me up at 5 something...used the bathroom...then passed back out until almost 9. lol. I was tired. Thats the latest I've slept since Daniel left. I can't wait until Thursday, guys. I'm so ready. I'm gonna be bouncin up and down on that flight like a kid with ADD. lol. I leave HSV at 120 on Tuesday. its going to be GLORIOUS...aside from the 7hr flight time...hahaha. its an hour from here to ATL, then a  2.5 hour delay in ATL...then a 4.5 hour flight to SAT. :D But I planned it that way. I don't know the ATL airport, so i wanted to have plenty of time to find my way around and eat something. lol

Anyways... I'll try to blog again when i get to Lackland, but idk...I really hate my netbook, and i can't post from my phone (or well, i havent' really figured it out yet... lol) but heres a couple pics from my photoshoot and one of my new glasses! :D enjoy! have a happy saturday! :D

-Beth

P.S. the next time I post will either be while i'm in Lackland or after my trip.. :D

Friends are gifts from God

You know, I've written a lot about me, about Daniel, about our journey together...and I'll say a little bit about us in this post, but this one is mainly gonna be about my friends. My friends are amazing, let me just say that. They will put up with me being bi-polar and excruciatingly sappy and all this stuff while Daniel has been gone, and that is something I don't let go unnoticed. I've had a few best-friend-dates over the past couple weeks, and I am SOO thankful for them. Every time I spend time with either of my best friends, I am reminded at just how blessed Daniel and  I to have them. For one, how many married couples can say that the friends they have are shared? I mean, thats how it has always been with Daniel and I. My best friend is good friends with him...his best friends are my best friends. I mean, we're such a tight-knit group... I wish we got to see each other more often though, and thats about to take a turn for the worse unfortunately. :(

I wish there was a way to express how i feel towards my friends. Words can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for them. I try to express in words, and it just never seems to be enough...for me. I want to show them how much they mean to us, but I just don't know how. lol. Its a great thing when you can talk to one of your friends and joke about certain things...or divulge in details that most others would cringe away from...and they don't think anything of it. They just laugh or give me advice in the best way they can. I try so hard to make sure that I am up to par with them. I want to be there for them...Both of my best friends have gone through some pretty rough situations over the past year, and I so wish I could have been there for them more than I was. If I had had any inkling of how awful things were, I would have been there in a heartbeat. But both of them are so strong, they tried to take it on by themselves. I hate that. It breaks my heart that I wasn't there for them. Either of them. :(  I know that they had their reasons for holding it in, doesn't make it any easier to think that i could have been there for them.

I love my friends. I cannot say that enough. The fact that God has blessed me with my ultimate best friend and husband, 2 extremely fantastic friends, and several other friends that are really good too...its just amazing. Most people say "well i only have 2 best friends, the rest are aquaintences" or "i have a lot of great friends, but not a single one is my best friend.." ya know? I'm grateful to have 3 best friends and several really good friends. :) Idk what it is in me... people say that its because I see the best in people and try very hard to please everyone...probably one of my best qualities and my worst. I have, in the past, had friends and a boyfriend who trampled all over me, because I let them. I was sooo eager to please and just wanted to make everyone happy...and i let them run me over hundred-fold. Now, thanks to my wonderful husband, I am so much stronger. I still try to make everyone happy, but if you are attempting to take adavantage of me? I WILL let you know. And I PROMISE to put you in your place. I have so much more confidence thanks to Daniel and my besties. It helps when you have a good support system. Which brings me to my next topic--weight loss.

I'm gonna be brief today with this because this is mainly about my friends...but this has something to do with my friends. lol. I have lost 10.4lbs over the last month and about 10 inches from my body. This is thanks to my wonderful husband, who still from BMT encourages me, enlightens me, and makes me push harder than ever before. It is also not without saying that my best friends have been there every step of the way (that they could). They encourage me, help me along, give me tips and tricks, and just remind me every day that Daniel's graduation is around the corner--which makes me push even harder. I've had a rollercoaster week (with going to Tuscaloosa last weekend and drinking and stuff on Friday..) but I still managed to lose weight this week. I was extremely happy when I got on the scale this morning. I wish Daniel would be able to call me today too so I could share my good news. I was able to tell him yesterday when he called that I bought my first pair of size 16 jeans. :D haven't done that since freshman year of high school some odd 9 years ago...wow i feel old.

That being said, without my friends I probably wouldn't have made it this far without losing my mind. Daniel's graduation is next week and I am SO ready for it. My friends have put up with all my bi-polar statuses on FB (one status saying "oh yeah i'm super pumped" to being "damn. i really miss my husband. :(") lol. they've also put up with me going on and on about how excited and ready I am for it. They are troopers! lol. but i guess it helped them to know that they'd only have to put up with it for 8.5 weeks... hahaha. Needless to say the BMT journey is coming to an end, and then Daniel and I will enter a new chapter--Tech School. We still have no idea where he will be going or what job he will have. They told him that he will not find out until the week of graduation. boooo.

anyways. Im gonna wrap this up by saying, cherish your friends--however close they are. They truly are a gift from God, and no matter what happens, they're always there for you. I thank God every day for them and I pray that I am there for them when they need it. If you are my friend, I love you. I am blessed to have you in my life. If you are my best friends,  you know who you are, I love you so incredibly much and I pray that you will never fear to tell me anything, I pray that you will always know that no matter how many miles are between us, I am ALWAYS there for you. 100%. I will do whatever I can to help you, if that just means sitting on the other end of the phone and listen to you cry it out, or if it means I can actually be there with you and hug you when you need it.

I love you, friend. Always.

-Beth-

The Rollercoaster that is BMT

This title is so fitting...I mean. I've been on so many ups and downs the past 5 weeks that i feel seasick! lol While most of it has been good, there are always downsides. Since the last phone call that i mentioned in Jan 13's post, I have gotten another phone call and 2 letters.  i miss him so much, but I know this is going to better both of us and our family. So I guess lets start with the phone call.

After that one I mentioned in the last post, I thought there wouldn't be another phone call until WOT7 (still 3 weeks away at that point...)... I went all week really sad and wishing I could just have a do-over of that call because i broke down on him during it. Well, Saturday as I was getting ready to head to the gym, lo and behold who was calling--DANIEL! I totally thought that it was just a text and then i looked down and i about freaked out. I all but threw my nephew at my mom and was like "its dan--dani-daniel!!!" stuttering as i answered i all but blew his eardrums out i bet. i was like "OMG HEYYYYY!" lol he just laughed at me and said "hey babe!" so i talked to him for 15 minutes on the way to the gym and was soooo super pumped. He's doing good, which always makes me feel better. :) He's about as ready for me to come down as I am! lol He wants to show me the dorms and just...everything. :) makes me feel really special that he's so excited. As we hung up on that call, i was feeling so much better. Hearing his voice was exactly what i needed at that moment.

After about 5 minutes in the gym, i notice that..Oh. My. God. my wedding band is missing. I was FREAKING OUT. i mean, i scoured the gym, the gym parking lot, my house, my bed, my car, the post office (scared as hell that i had dropped it in the box when i dropped his letters in there)...finally. after 3 hours of searching, I found it. It was on my mom's jewelry box with my older sister's jewelry. I guess with me losing weight (hellll yeaaaa) it made it super loose and it just fell off and someone picked it up and set it up there. who knows. I still freak out about that. I guess i need to go have it sized... but i think i'll get my engagement ring sized first...that way i still have *something* to wear around my finger while my band gets sized. idk. i may buy a cheap replacement. Daniel's has to get sized too. anyways.

After that, I was just emotionally drained. I don't really remember what I did the rest of the day. I went to church on Sunday...man have i missed that. I plan on going to church with my in-laws again the 2 sundays leading up to me leaving (the 3rd and the 10th). I would go tomorrow, but I'll be in Tuscaloosa! (hooray!) on Monday i ate lunch with my friend from work and then we went to ross...where I tried on a size..16! did it fit, you ask? YES. i could button and zip and breathe...sorta...lol. it was tight, but they fit! i haven't been able to pull a size 16 over my thighs in years! i was SOOO excited. can't wait to buy me a pair of 16s to wear to Daniel's grad...he'll be so thrilled! :D

Tuesday was the only other interesting day. I went to work from 7-1(nothin interesting about that, folks)... then afterwards, i rushed home, ate lunch, and changed....as i'm walking out the door to head to TSgt McLain's office, the mail truck comes! so I RUSHED over there to get it..and I had 2 letters from Daniel! The mail carrier asked me who the letters were from and I said "my husband, he's at bmt for the USAF" and he said "awesome, tell him i said thanks for his service..." and now everytime I get a letter, he puts those on TOP of all the other mail. he's awesome. :D So after I sat in my car and cried while reading the letters I headed to the office. I haven't been there since Daniel left, so it was kinda hard getting up the courage to walk in there. I'm glad I did. I ended up being there just shy of 3 hours. hahahaha. at first, I sat and talked to A1C Phan who is working under TSgt McLain on RAP (recruiter assistance program)....i did that while TSgt McLain was talking to a few appointments he had. We talked about anything and everything. After A1C Phan left, and all the other appointments left, it was just me and TSgt McLain...we talked for about an hour and a half before anyone came in the office, it was nice. Then I left. I'm SOOOOO thankful every day that Daniel had TSgt McLain as his recruiter. He is so awesome. And I can be a smartass with him and its funny. lol. well...i can be suuuuper sarcastic with him like i was with Daniel...and i think thats why i like talking to him. hahaha. I plan on helping him out in the coming weeks before I leave and after i get back from Daniel's graduation. it feels good to be around Air Force people. makes me feel like I'm home. idk. its weird.  lol

after Tuesday, i just worked my last 3 days. Yesterday was my last day of work. period. I am officially a SAHW(stay at home wife for you noobs out there who have no idea what that is...usually its "stay at home mom" or SAHM, but seeing as we have no children yet, i'm just a wife...and i'm fine with that! lol) it felt weird clocking out for the last time. almost surreal. I've worked since I was 15 and have been working full time since I got married 3 years ago... this is a much needed break. though its not really a break. my new job? Losing Weight. you may think that sounds like an easy feat? its not. i mean, i've been on weight watchers for almost 4 weeks and i've lost only 10lbs. i have 110 left to lose. lol. I'm not disheartened by that fact either. I used to have 120lbs to lose, now i'm 10lbs closer to my goal! and only 6 away from being at the goal i wanted to be for Daniel's graduation. (i want to be 230 or less for daniel's grad and I'm sitting at (as of thursday) 236.8). I haven't been in the 230s since high school. it feels good. :D not having a job is going to help me tremendously because now i seriously have NO EXCUSE to not go to the gym. i have a schedule set up. the gym is my job. i will go there and work like i'm getting paid for it. haha. i wish i was getting paid for it...that'd help with motivation. hahaha. but i can do this. i've finally got my mind set. I've made it past my previous "i'm done" weight (240). i'm pushing through. i'm ready for this. COME AT ME BRO!

anyways. so yeah...the next 2 weeks are going to FLY BY. mainly because i have planned A LOT over the next couple weeks. going to tuscaloosa today and tomorrow, monday-thurs gym and help TSgt McLain if he needs it,  Friday gym early--getting my hair done at 1(hooray!)--then hanging out with my bestest friends and celebrating this new beginning for Daniel and i (if only he was here. booooo). Saturday...saturdays gonna be a day of rest. I'm still gonna go to the gym, but i'm gonna spend the rest of the day doing things around the house, making a list of what i need for my trip, ect. Sunday i'm gonna go to church with Viki and Brian, and quite possibly have a photoshoot with an amazing photographer I used to work with at Lifetouch. :D monday-friday GYM and help TSgt McLain when he needs it... Saturday nails! Sunday, church again...monday pack, repack, pack, repack. haha. and TUESDAY I LEAVE. not long at all. I have a plan to keep myself busy...the busier i am, the faster it goes. lol. i may even take a day trip or 2 day trip to Tupelo to see my mom's parents. idk. depends on everything.

but yeah. i'm super excited...and as the day gets closer to me seeing him, i get more and more excited and anxious all at one time. I am SO ready to see him...and this Valentine's Day is geared to be the BEST ONE YET.

i'll keep you guys updated and will post a before/after pic of my hair when i get it done!

your-extremely-excited-and-ready-friend,

Beth