I love these things. :)
1) How old do you wish you were? I loved 25! As soon as I turned 26, I started feeling like 30 was right around the corner!
2) Where were you when 9-11 happened? I was in college making up a test for Linear Algebra in the Math Department offices. I remember hearing bits and pieces of people talking outside and wondering what they were talking about. As soon as I got to my car afterwards, I called my mom and found out what was going on. I don't think I really understood how bad it was until I got home and saw the live TV coverage.
3) What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Usually, I just sigh in resignation and put some more money in ... what a sucker!
4) Do you consider yourself kind? Yes, but I definitely have my moments ...
5) If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be? Or if you have a tattoo, where and what is it? I don’t have one. Anytime I get any little bit of a desire for one, I think of being a grandma one day and saying, "Hey, kiddies, come on over here and see Grandma's tattoo!" That pretty much squelches it!
6) If you could be fluent in any other language what would it be? Hmmm, that's a good one! I guess I would choose Spanish since it's becoming so prevalent in our country.
7) Do you know your neighbors? No -- isn't that so sad?!
8) What do you consider a vacation? Sitting on a beach somewhere with a margarita and a book.
9) Do you follow your horoscope? I RARELY read it -- it makes me feel guilty!
10) Would you move for the person you loved? OF COURSE!!
11) Are you touchy feely? Yep, but nothing compared to my husband! He hugs EVERYONE!!
12) Do you believe that opposites attract? I think you have to have a few opposite characteristics, but I don't see how it would work out if you were opposite in every way.
13) Dream job? Don't laugh -- I've always wanted to be a school secretary!
14) Favorite channel(s)? ABC, Food Channel, WE
15) Favorite place to go on weekends? Out to dinner and the movies!
16) Showers or Baths? Baths. I would take one everyday if I could. :)
17) Do you paint your nails? Toenails always. I wish I was better about my fingernails.
18) Do you trust people easily? Too easily.
19) What are your phobias? Getting Hurt
20) Do you want kids? Yes! I can’t wait to me a mom!
21) Do you keep a handwritten journal? I've definitely started a few -- but they usually last for about a week, and then I forget about them.
22) Where would you rather be right now? At home on my dad's boat with my family and Jon.
23) What makes you feel warm and safe? Snuggling up next to Jon in bed at night.
24) Heavy or light sleeper? Light -- I wake up to the first beep of my alarm.
25) Are you paranoid? No, not really.
26) Are you impatient? No, I think I'm pretty patient. I think it comes from working with middle schoolers. I've also had a lot of practice with it after being with Jon for so long -- he is ALWAYS late!
27) Who can you relate to? I think I relate best with my mom and sisters. I'd like to think that I relate to my middle schoolers pretty well, too.
28) How do you feel about interracial couples? I honestly don't give it a second thought. No big deal.
29) Have you been burned by love? Not that I can remember.
30) What's your life motto? I hate these kinds of questions. I guess "Do Unto Others ..."
31) What's your main ringtone on your mobile? Fur Elise. It's so funny -- Jon has been carrying my phone around since he got home, and it's such a girly ring!
32) What were you doing at midnight last night? Setting up for the "Garage Giveaway"
33) Who was your last text message from? I'm so old-school. I have no idea how to text someone or even receive text messages!
34) Who's bed did you sleep in last night? Ooh -- that's a wierd question! My own of course!
35) What color shirt are you wearing? Aqua
36) What are you listening to right now? ESPN College Game Day
37) Name three things you have on you at all times? Wedding rings, my ugly sports watch, a hair tie
38) What color are your bed sheets? Ivory
39) How much cash do you have on you right now? Like $2
40) What is your favorite part of the chicken? Umm ... the breast?
41) Whats your fav city/place? I love the town where I grew up!
42) I can't wait till . . . We go home for Christmas and I can spend time with my sisters!!
43) Who got you to set up a blog? I was totally inspired by Berndt Family News, Learning to Live, CaliValley Girl, and Trying to Grok
44) What did you have for dinner last night? The new DiGiorno's Garlic Bread Pizza -- not as good as the regular by the way.
46) Have you ever smoked? Like twice, yuck.
47) Do you own a gun? Negative
48) Tea or Coffee? Depends -- if lattes count, I'll take the coffee. Otherwise, I'll have the tea -- Passion tea at Starbucks is my favorite!
49) What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? According to my husband's comment last week, I guess it's my big boobs!
50) Do you have A.D.D.? No. I'm a completely focused control freak. Just ask my student teacher -- poor guy!
51) What time did you wake up today? 7:30 AM. Usually, it's 4:45, though!
52) Current worry? Too many to put on here…
53) Current want? An extra day in my weekend
54) Favorite place to be? On a date with Jon.
55) Where would you like to travel in the future? Europe. For an extended period of time.
56) Where do you think you'll be in 10 yrs? Hopefully, we'll be parents and living a little closer to home. I would love to be a stay at home mom!
57) Last thing you ate? Frozen Mint Thins
58) What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever is playing on our little iPod stereo.
59) Last person that made you laugh? Probably Jon.
60) Worst injury you've ever had? Sprained my ankle pretty bad during the spring season of my sophomore year in college.
61) Does someone have a crush on you? Hopefully Jon!
62) What is your favorite candy? Do I have to pick just one! Probably Hot Tomales or Hershey Kisses with Almonds
63) What song do you want played at your funeral? Blessed Assurance -- the Third Day version
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Bittersweet
Well -- today was the big day. The Garage Sale. Or more appropriately -- the Garage Giveaway. We actually did really well -- making almost $200 by 10:00. By 11:30, we decided to sell everything for $0.25 since Jon was getting tired of sitting there and business was slowing. Right now, Jon's taking all of our leftovers to Goodwill. The garage is clean, and the sale is over. Thank goodness. Now it's time to start getting ready for next week's Open House. We've had a few people come and look, but no bites yet. That's okay. We're not in a hurry I guess.
Nothing much has happened this week. We went to see a movie on Tuesday night. (I felt like such a rebel since it was a school night!) We saw "All the King's Men." It was SOOO bad! What a disappointment! The previews looked so good! Jon is still training pretty hard for selection. He works out four times a day -- it's insane! Hopefully, he'll feel prepared once he gets down there. I know it's been hard for him getting back in the swing of things after such a long 9 months away.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it will mean if we really do have to move this Christmas. I will REALLY miss my friends here, our house, the mountains, etc. But the thing that worries me most is how I'll say goodbye to my kids in the middle of the year. I think about it everyday on the way to school and it makes me so sad! I've been so lucky to have such sweet kids 2 years in a row! I know they'll move on anyways at the end of the year, but it just feels so different being the one that leaves them. I guess I'll cross that bridge once it comes. Jon keeps bringing up how hard he thinks it will be for me to leave. Since I already know it will be hard, this only makes things worse. At the same time, though, I do look forward to the adventures life will hold the next place we go. Gosh! What a worrywart -- I always have to be worrying about something, don't I?
Nothing much has happened this week. We went to see a movie on Tuesday night. (I felt like such a rebel since it was a school night!) We saw "All the King's Men." It was SOOO bad! What a disappointment! The previews looked so good! Jon is still training pretty hard for selection. He works out four times a day -- it's insane! Hopefully, he'll feel prepared once he gets down there. I know it's been hard for him getting back in the swing of things after such a long 9 months away.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what it will mean if we really do have to move this Christmas. I will REALLY miss my friends here, our house, the mountains, etc. But the thing that worries me most is how I'll say goodbye to my kids in the middle of the year. I think about it everyday on the way to school and it makes me so sad! I've been so lucky to have such sweet kids 2 years in a row! I know they'll move on anyways at the end of the year, but it just feels so different being the one that leaves them. I guess I'll cross that bridge once it comes. Jon keeps bringing up how hard he thinks it will be for me to leave. Since I already know it will be hard, this only makes things worse. At the same time, though, I do look forward to the adventures life will hold the next place we go. Gosh! What a worrywart -- I always have to be worrying about something, don't I?
Sunday, September 24, 2006
What's Going On
Jon and I have slowly settled into the routine of living together again. I have to be honest, it took a little time. I think Jon forgot about the long hours that I work in the beginning of the school year. Things are good now, though. Jon is staying really busy during the week physically preparing for selection. I only have about a week left of coaching, so my days will start to get a lot shorter -- home by 6:30 instead of 8:00. :)
It is amazing having him home again. Last night I looked over at him as we were falling asleep and couldn't believe that he was really there! It's almost like a dream. I just kept thinking about all those nights when he was gone that I would look over at his side of the bed and see it empty. I missed him so much! However, I didn't miss him hogging the covers and most of the bed. I'm still trying to get used to that!
We put our townhome up for sale earlier this week. If Jon gets selected for SF, we will most likely be moving in Dec/Jan. The housing market isn't very good here right now, so we thought we'd try and get a head start on selling. We figure that if something happens and we sell our home, but don't end up leaving Fort Carson, we'll just rent an apartment for our last few months here. The thought of moving is very bittersweet for me. It's exciting to think about moving on with our lives and starting a new adventure. But it will be really hard to leave my friends here and also the job that I love. I'm sure lots of Army wives feel this way. I haven't said anything to my principal yet about the possibility of us moving. It makes me REALLY nervous -- I don't want to let her down! I always thought I would just finish out the school year and meet up with Jon wherever he moved if something like this happened. But after two deployments, I think the best thing for our marraige would be for us to be together! Hopefully we'll know something more definite by the second week in November, when Jon returns from selection. That should give my boss a good amount of time to find someone to take my place. And there's also the possibility that none of these plans we've made will ever come to fruition -- I mean, it's the ARMY we're talking about! :)
Jon decided that he wants to have a garage sale next weekend. I think this is a great idea -- we definitely have a few things to get rid of, and he volunteered to get the whole thing ready and even work it. However, he goes through these phases where he wants to sell almost everything we own! Yesterday, he literally made me go through ALL of my belongings and decide what I could stand to part with. Now, you have to understand that I come from a family of keepers (it sounds so much nicer than "packrat"). Jon came from a family where they only keep the stuff they use regularly. Basically, I had to fight to keep everything that I still posess. I was in practically tears explaining to him that someday we will have a formal dining room and use all of the beautiful china and serving pieces we got for wedding gifts. He even asked about whether or not to sell our coffee tables! Of course, everything worked out. I did clean a lot of stuff out of the guest room closet that I really didn't need to hold on to. I guess we're a good match. If it was up to Jon, our house would be bare. If things were left to me, it would probably be extremely cluttered!
Not much else is going on. I'm on my way to Starbucks to grade papers. Seriously -- is there anything better than sitting at Starbucks or Borders on a Sunday afternoon?
It is amazing having him home again. Last night I looked over at him as we were falling asleep and couldn't believe that he was really there! It's almost like a dream. I just kept thinking about all those nights when he was gone that I would look over at his side of the bed and see it empty. I missed him so much! However, I didn't miss him hogging the covers and most of the bed. I'm still trying to get used to that!
We put our townhome up for sale earlier this week. If Jon gets selected for SF, we will most likely be moving in Dec/Jan. The housing market isn't very good here right now, so we thought we'd try and get a head start on selling. We figure that if something happens and we sell our home, but don't end up leaving Fort Carson, we'll just rent an apartment for our last few months here. The thought of moving is very bittersweet for me. It's exciting to think about moving on with our lives and starting a new adventure. But it will be really hard to leave my friends here and also the job that I love. I'm sure lots of Army wives feel this way. I haven't said anything to my principal yet about the possibility of us moving. It makes me REALLY nervous -- I don't want to let her down! I always thought I would just finish out the school year and meet up with Jon wherever he moved if something like this happened. But after two deployments, I think the best thing for our marraige would be for us to be together! Hopefully we'll know something more definite by the second week in November, when Jon returns from selection. That should give my boss a good amount of time to find someone to take my place. And there's also the possibility that none of these plans we've made will ever come to fruition -- I mean, it's the ARMY we're talking about! :)
Jon decided that he wants to have a garage sale next weekend. I think this is a great idea -- we definitely have a few things to get rid of, and he volunteered to get the whole thing ready and even work it. However, he goes through these phases where he wants to sell almost everything we own! Yesterday, he literally made me go through ALL of my belongings and decide what I could stand to part with. Now, you have to understand that I come from a family of keepers (it sounds so much nicer than "packrat"). Jon came from a family where they only keep the stuff they use regularly. Basically, I had to fight to keep everything that I still posess. I was in practically tears explaining to him that someday we will have a formal dining room and use all of the beautiful china and serving pieces we got for wedding gifts. He even asked about whether or not to sell our coffee tables! Of course, everything worked out. I did clean a lot of stuff out of the guest room closet that I really didn't need to hold on to. I guess we're a good match. If it was up to Jon, our house would be bare. If things were left to me, it would probably be extremely cluttered!
Not much else is going on. I'm on my way to Starbucks to grade papers. Seriously -- is there anything better than sitting at Starbucks or Borders on a Sunday afternoon?
Too Funny ...
Today on the way home from church, I asked Jon to tell me the reasons why he married me. His response was:
"Big Boobs, you're a good Christian, you want to be a mom, you're smart ... and those are in order of priority."
Such a deep thinker! Thought you might be able to use a good laugh! :)
"Big Boobs, you're a good Christian, you want to be a mom, you're smart ... and those are in order of priority."
Such a deep thinker! Thought you might be able to use a good laugh! :)
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Time Flies
Has it really been more than two weeks since my soldier came home? The time has just flown! I feel very lucky that he is not going back anytime soon. He will be home with me until he leaves for SF Selection on October 12. I'm so relieved that this is not just R&R and I don't have to say goodbye again so soon.
We spent our first weekend together in Denver. We got a hotel room for the weekend and just enjoyed being away together. We just walked around, ate great food, watched football, and enjoyed the hot tub. It was so nice. Last weekend, we went home to Michigan. That was nice, too, but not nearly as relaxing! It was actually very stressful. Both of our families live in the same town, so trying to keep everyone happy (including ourselves) turned out to be quite tricky! The highlight of the weekend was probably watching my little brother play football on Friday night. Too fun -- his girlfriend was there watching with his number painted on her cheek. It totally brought back memories of when I used to watch Jon play when we were in high school! We are both completely shocked that the past 10 years together has gone by so fast! It doesn't seem like we're old enough to say we've been together that long!
We could just still be in a bit of a honeymoon period, but I have to say, I am more in love with my husband than ever. I LOVE having him home! He has been sweeter than ever, so cuddly, and always happy to see me when I come home from work. We spent all day today watching college football -- Jon's all-time favorite thing to do. We really had a blast cheering, laughing, and comparing our picks for this week's top 25 teams. (That is, until we watched Army lose to Texas A&M in the last 20 seconds of the game -- what a heartbreaker!)
School has been pretty stressful. I can't quite put my finger on why that is. My student teacher is doing a great job and my kids are wonderful. Maybe I'm just a little overwhelmed. We're in the middle of volleyball season, and coaching after school is always the last thing I feel like doing. Plus, it seems like one thing after another just keeps coming up that we are responsible for as teachers. It's like I could stay at work until 10:00 every night and still not get everything done. And no matter what, I think as a teacher you always feel like you could be doing more. That whatever you are doing to help kids just isn't enough. When I look back, though, every September I feel overwhelmed like this. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'd rather be home with my husband!
I think that Jon is still adjusting to being home. He has said a million times that he is so glad to be back. But I can tell that he misses his soldiers and feels guilty for coming home a little early to attend selection. He starts training this week, though, so hopefully being busy and having a goal to work towards will make him feel better. I just can't say enough how good it feels to have him home. I am so in love with him!
One of these days, I need to change my blog template and the summary at the top. If only I had the time right now...
We spent our first weekend together in Denver. We got a hotel room for the weekend and just enjoyed being away together. We just walked around, ate great food, watched football, and enjoyed the hot tub. It was so nice. Last weekend, we went home to Michigan. That was nice, too, but not nearly as relaxing! It was actually very stressful. Both of our families live in the same town, so trying to keep everyone happy (including ourselves) turned out to be quite tricky! The highlight of the weekend was probably watching my little brother play football on Friday night. Too fun -- his girlfriend was there watching with his number painted on her cheek. It totally brought back memories of when I used to watch Jon play when we were in high school! We are both completely shocked that the past 10 years together has gone by so fast! It doesn't seem like we're old enough to say we've been together that long!
We could just still be in a bit of a honeymoon period, but I have to say, I am more in love with my husband than ever. I LOVE having him home! He has been sweeter than ever, so cuddly, and always happy to see me when I come home from work. We spent all day today watching college football -- Jon's all-time favorite thing to do. We really had a blast cheering, laughing, and comparing our picks for this week's top 25 teams. (That is, until we watched Army lose to Texas A&M in the last 20 seconds of the game -- what a heartbreaker!)
School has been pretty stressful. I can't quite put my finger on why that is. My student teacher is doing a great job and my kids are wonderful. Maybe I'm just a little overwhelmed. We're in the middle of volleyball season, and coaching after school is always the last thing I feel like doing. Plus, it seems like one thing after another just keeps coming up that we are responsible for as teachers. It's like I could stay at work until 10:00 every night and still not get everything done. And no matter what, I think as a teacher you always feel like you could be doing more. That whatever you are doing to help kids just isn't enough. When I look back, though, every September I feel overwhelmed like this. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'd rather be home with my husband!
I think that Jon is still adjusting to being home. He has said a million times that he is so glad to be back. But I can tell that he misses his soldiers and feels guilty for coming home a little early to attend selection. He starts training this week, though, so hopefully being busy and having a goal to work towards will make him feel better. I just can't say enough how good it feels to have him home. I am so in love with him!
One of these days, I need to change my blog template and the summary at the top. If only I had the time right now...
Monday, September 04, 2006
Pics from the Homecoming
The Dress
Our First Hug
One More Photo Before We Leave The Gate(If you look really close, you can see a tear coming down my cheek)
Friday, September 01, 2006
He's Home!!
He's home! My sweet boy is finally home! How can I explain what the butterflies were like as I drove myself to the airport to meet him? How can I even begin to put in words the way I feel about having him so near that I can touch him or kiss him whenever my heart desires? I'll do my best, but I know I won't do it justice.
Yesterday was a long day. The first half of the day was business as usual. My alarm went off at 4:45, signaling it was time to get up and make my way to the gym before work. I was surprisingly calm and didn't jump out of bed like I thought I would, considering the excitement that lay ahead of me. I guess I knew I had a lot to do before I would get to that point in my day. I only took a half day of work, but ended up staying about an hour later than I had planned -- helping my student teacher and making sure that everything was organized for today since I wouldn't be there. I've missed teaching several of my afternoon classes this week due to different committee meetings and such. I hadn't seen my fifth hour in a few days. As I was leaving, they started to complain ... "Mrs. H, you're leaving us again??" I told them I was going to pick up my husband from the airport in a few hours and they all cheered for me and gave me pointers (most of my kids have welcomed home parents from Iraq in the past few years). They were all smiles as I left, and I was already crying as I made my way down to the office to sign out -- tears of joy and excitement, of course! Those poor school secretaries -- I've made them cry TWICE in the past two days -- once when I announced my husband would be coming home the next day, and then again as I signed out to go and pick him up.
True to form, I left way too much to do before I could leave to go and pick him up. I still had to clean the bathrooms, vacuum, put gas in my car, pick up some Coronas for the fridge, and make myself beautiful -- and that extra hour I spent at school really cut into my preparation time! I ended up getting everything done, but was in a rush to get to the airport. As I drove there I was completely out of it. All I could think was how unbelievable it was that I was actually PICKING UP my husband! As soon as I got to the airport, I went to the counter to get a boarding pass. I could barely talk because I knew as soon as I said two sentences the tears would just start falling. Luckily, all it took was one -- "I'm here to pick up my husband." The old man at the counter knew exactly what I meant and was so sweet. He got me all ready to go and sent me off with good wishes.
As I walked around the corner from the ticket counter and saw the line to get through security, my stomach dropped. It was a mile long! I wanted to just sit down and cry right there -- I was sure I would miss seeing him come through the gate as he got off his flight. Finally, I made it to the front of the line, put my purse through the x-ray machine and walked through the metal detector. Of course, my purse was taken and inspected. Tears started coming -- I couldn't help it. The guy didn't seem to understand my dilemma and was taking his own sweet time doing the test for explosives and examining every tube of lipstick in my purse until he found a tube of lip gloss that he had to confiscate, which was really sad because I wasn't even getting on a plane. Whatever. I wanted to tell him to take the whole damn purse and just let me go!
Finally, I was allowed to leave and walked as fast as I could in my new black heels until I found the gate for American Airlines. Lots of people were already getting off the plane and I asked a man coming through which flight he was on. This was it! I quickly found a lady doing a crossword puzzle and tearfully asked her in jumbled words if she would take a picture of my husband and I when he got off. I'm sure I freaked her out a little at first, but she stood up with a smile and said that she would be happy to. Literally 30 seconds later, I saw my husband's boots coming up the jetway -- not his body, just the lower part of his legs -- the rest was hidden from view since there were others in front of him. I knew right away it was him -- his feet always turn in a little when he's tired. All I could do when I saw him was walk forward with my arms outstretched until he grabbed me. I couldn't believe it. It was really him. It felt like a dream. I was sure I would wake up any second. I just held onto him for about a minute and let the tears fall. It had been such a long 9 months!
As we walked out of the gate area and down to baggage claim, I was surprised at how little my husband had changed. He was the same old Jon with the twinkly eyes, sweet kisses, and passion for life -- his muscles were just a little bigger. From the time we left the airport to the time we fell asleep last night, I literally drank in all of the stories he had about Iraq. Over the past nine months, he has told me little to nothing about his life there. I come from a family of Nosy Nellies, so this was very hard for me! I am LOVING getting to know him again and finding out that not much has changed about him. We spent our first day sleeping in and then doing some shopping. Tonight we're going out on our first date -- the movies!
As I take all of this in, I keep thinking back to what CaliValley Girl said when she was reunited with her soldier.
I'll post some pics as soon as I can get blogger to download them! :)
Yesterday was a long day. The first half of the day was business as usual. My alarm went off at 4:45, signaling it was time to get up and make my way to the gym before work. I was surprisingly calm and didn't jump out of bed like I thought I would, considering the excitement that lay ahead of me. I guess I knew I had a lot to do before I would get to that point in my day. I only took a half day of work, but ended up staying about an hour later than I had planned -- helping my student teacher and making sure that everything was organized for today since I wouldn't be there. I've missed teaching several of my afternoon classes this week due to different committee meetings and such. I hadn't seen my fifth hour in a few days. As I was leaving, they started to complain ... "Mrs. H, you're leaving us again??" I told them I was going to pick up my husband from the airport in a few hours and they all cheered for me and gave me pointers (most of my kids have welcomed home parents from Iraq in the past few years). They were all smiles as I left, and I was already crying as I made my way down to the office to sign out -- tears of joy and excitement, of course! Those poor school secretaries -- I've made them cry TWICE in the past two days -- once when I announced my husband would be coming home the next day, and then again as I signed out to go and pick him up.
True to form, I left way too much to do before I could leave to go and pick him up. I still had to clean the bathrooms, vacuum, put gas in my car, pick up some Coronas for the fridge, and make myself beautiful -- and that extra hour I spent at school really cut into my preparation time! I ended up getting everything done, but was in a rush to get to the airport. As I drove there I was completely out of it. All I could think was how unbelievable it was that I was actually PICKING UP my husband! As soon as I got to the airport, I went to the counter to get a boarding pass. I could barely talk because I knew as soon as I said two sentences the tears would just start falling. Luckily, all it took was one -- "I'm here to pick up my husband." The old man at the counter knew exactly what I meant and was so sweet. He got me all ready to go and sent me off with good wishes.
As I walked around the corner from the ticket counter and saw the line to get through security, my stomach dropped. It was a mile long! I wanted to just sit down and cry right there -- I was sure I would miss seeing him come through the gate as he got off his flight. Finally, I made it to the front of the line, put my purse through the x-ray machine and walked through the metal detector. Of course, my purse was taken and inspected. Tears started coming -- I couldn't help it. The guy didn't seem to understand my dilemma and was taking his own sweet time doing the test for explosives and examining every tube of lipstick in my purse until he found a tube of lip gloss that he had to confiscate, which was really sad because I wasn't even getting on a plane. Whatever. I wanted to tell him to take the whole damn purse and just let me go!
Finally, I was allowed to leave and walked as fast as I could in my new black heels until I found the gate for American Airlines. Lots of people were already getting off the plane and I asked a man coming through which flight he was on. This was it! I quickly found a lady doing a crossword puzzle and tearfully asked her in jumbled words if she would take a picture of my husband and I when he got off. I'm sure I freaked her out a little at first, but she stood up with a smile and said that she would be happy to. Literally 30 seconds later, I saw my husband's boots coming up the jetway -- not his body, just the lower part of his legs -- the rest was hidden from view since there were others in front of him. I knew right away it was him -- his feet always turn in a little when he's tired. All I could do when I saw him was walk forward with my arms outstretched until he grabbed me. I couldn't believe it. It was really him. It felt like a dream. I was sure I would wake up any second. I just held onto him for about a minute and let the tears fall. It had been such a long 9 months!
As we walked out of the gate area and down to baggage claim, I was surprised at how little my husband had changed. He was the same old Jon with the twinkly eyes, sweet kisses, and passion for life -- his muscles were just a little bigger. From the time we left the airport to the time we fell asleep last night, I literally drank in all of the stories he had about Iraq. Over the past nine months, he has told me little to nothing about his life there. I come from a family of Nosy Nellies, so this was very hard for me! I am LOVING getting to know him again and finding out that not much has changed about him. We spent our first day sleeping in and then doing some shopping. Tonight we're going out on our first date -- the movies!
As I take all of this in, I keep thinking back to what CaliValley Girl said when she was reunited with her soldier.
And it's true...after the whole hoopla, you get home, sit on the sofa and chit chat about the most normal things, and realize that nothing has changed. It was like he never left.I'm so excited for our next few weeks together before he has to leave again for SFAS. I love having my best friend home again!
I'll post some pics as soon as I can get blogger to download them! :)
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tomorrow ...
Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love you, Tomorrow! You're Only a Day Away!
I got the call last night. Jon will be home in less than 24 hours. I'm feeling strangely calm. :)
I got the call last night. Jon will be home in less than 24 hours. I'm feeling strangely calm. :)
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Just Breathe
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Thank goodness for yoga. Otherwise, I'm sure I wouldn't have taken a single breath since last weekend. My stomach is constantly in flip-flop mode. My chest has this tight, anxious feeling. (Which is actually working out to be the perfect appetite suppressant -- I may look pretty good in all that new lingerie after all!) I constantly have tears behind my eyes, ready to fall anytime I hear or see something emotional. My husband is coming home THIS WEEK!!!!!!! Oh. My. God. Is this really for real? He should be leaving Iraq Tuesday and then be home by the end of the week. I'm just DYING of excitement!
I've spent the entire weekend trying to get the house ready for him. It's almost like having a guest come to stay -- too funny! I even cleaned my blinds and vacuumed around the baseboards. It is so wierd to look over at his side of the bed and know that he will be there by this time next week! It makes me very excited, but also a little nervous. I know from experience that it takes a while to adjust to each other again. But it's oh so worth it!
Right now, I'm at school trying to get things ready for the week. But I'm so anxious that I can't get anything done. School is still going really well. I honestly love coming to work everyday. My student teacher is doing a great job and will be starting to take more responsibility soon, which is great for me! The hardest part is knowing that we could possibly move before the end of the school year if Jon decides to stick with the Army. I love my kids and my school, and it would be REALLY hard to leave them without finishing the year, but after being away from my husband so much during the past 3.5 years, I think it would be the right choice.
I'll keep you updated on the welcome home. Hopefully I'll even have a few pictures to post soon!
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Thank goodness for yoga. Otherwise, I'm sure I wouldn't have taken a single breath since last weekend. My stomach is constantly in flip-flop mode. My chest has this tight, anxious feeling. (Which is actually working out to be the perfect appetite suppressant -- I may look pretty good in all that new lingerie after all!) I constantly have tears behind my eyes, ready to fall anytime I hear or see something emotional. My husband is coming home THIS WEEK!!!!!!! Oh. My. God. Is this really for real? He should be leaving Iraq Tuesday and then be home by the end of the week. I'm just DYING of excitement!
I've spent the entire weekend trying to get the house ready for him. It's almost like having a guest come to stay -- too funny! I even cleaned my blinds and vacuumed around the baseboards. It is so wierd to look over at his side of the bed and know that he will be there by this time next week! It makes me very excited, but also a little nervous. I know from experience that it takes a while to adjust to each other again. But it's oh so worth it!
Right now, I'm at school trying to get things ready for the week. But I'm so anxious that I can't get anything done. School is still going really well. I honestly love coming to work everyday. My student teacher is doing a great job and will be starting to take more responsibility soon, which is great for me! The hardest part is knowing that we could possibly move before the end of the school year if Jon decides to stick with the Army. I love my kids and my school, and it would be REALLY hard to leave them without finishing the year, but after being away from my husband so much during the past 3.5 years, I think it would be the right choice.
I'll keep you updated on the welcome home. Hopefully I'll even have a few pictures to post soon!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Decision #1
So I got news today that my husband has made the first decision in deciding on some possibilities for our future. He is going to go to Special Forces Selection this October. On one hand, I'm really nervous about this -- I'm still not sure about the whole SF lifestyle. On the other hand, I'm really excited for him! This means that when he comes home, he will have a few weeks to train up and then be leaving again for about 30 days to try out for SF. So anyways, one decision down!
I just got home from dinner with my friends. They have officially approved the "Coming Home" dress. And I thought my wedding dress was important -- The "Coming Home" dress is what I'll be wearing the first time he's seen me in 9 months! Oh the pressure! I can't wait!
School is going well. I can't believe we've only been in class for 5 days! It has seemed so much longer! I'm exhausted! Everything with my student teacher is going well. Thank you Heidi, for reminding me to just let go of some of my control issues and give this person a chance to LEARN how to be a teacher. It has given me a whole new attitude and perspective about it all. Two more days until the weekend .... :)
I just got home from dinner with my friends. They have officially approved the "Coming Home" dress. And I thought my wedding dress was important -- The "Coming Home" dress is what I'll be wearing the first time he's seen me in 9 months! Oh the pressure! I can't wait!
School is going well. I can't believe we've only been in class for 5 days! It has seemed so much longer! I'm exhausted! Everything with my student teacher is going well. Thank you Heidi, for reminding me to just let go of some of my control issues and give this person a chance to LEARN how to be a teacher. It has given me a whole new attitude and perspective about it all. Two more days until the weekend .... :)
Friday, August 11, 2006
School Is Now In Session!
Yes, you read that correctly. I have just finished Day 2 of school. I am exhausted -- completely not used to speaking in my "teacher voice" for 7 hours a day and constantly "performing" in front of students. Oh yeah, and my feet are KILLING me -- they are used to flip-flops, not heels!
Despite all of this, I am LOVING my kiddos! I feel so lucky to have looped with my students from last year. We are literally picking up right where we left off. They have been completely angelic so far and all smiles as they come to class each day. I'm so glad we've had a great first few days -- what a relief! All those recurring nightmares for nothing! I think having a student teacher will be my biggest challenge in the coming months. It's hard to turn over your students and your classroom to someone else! Especially me, because I'm completely organized and anal when it comes to my job. I like everything a certain way. I'm praying for lots of patience and flexibility! Oh yeah, and a little bit of wisdom to share with this person, too!
Only about 2.5 more weeks until Jon is home! The days couldn't possibly go by any slower. I AM SO EXCITED!!!
Despite all of this, I am LOVING my kiddos! I feel so lucky to have looped with my students from last year. We are literally picking up right where we left off. They have been completely angelic so far and all smiles as they come to class each day. I'm so glad we've had a great first few days -- what a relief! All those recurring nightmares for nothing! I think having a student teacher will be my biggest challenge in the coming months. It's hard to turn over your students and your classroom to someone else! Especially me, because I'm completely organized and anal when it comes to my job. I like everything a certain way. I'm praying for lots of patience and flexibility! Oh yeah, and a little bit of wisdom to share with this person, too!
Only about 2.5 more weeks until Jon is home! The days couldn't possibly go by any slower. I AM SO EXCITED!!!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Tears at the PX
Before I go into complaining mode here, I have to talk about some positives.
1) My husband should be leaving to come home for R&R in 3 weeks! YAY!! Can I just tell you that I'm SOOOOOO excited and SOOO nervous to see him! I just bought the dress that I am going to wear when I pick him up at the airport and I feel like a gazillion bucks in it. What a relief. Now if I could just find some sexy lingerie that makes me feel the same way ...
2) School starts Thursday and I am so looking forward to seeing my kiddos! I just got my class lists and I had the majority of the students last year also. I am so lucky! I have really enjoyed being back at work, visiting with coworkers and getting everything ready for my students. Let's just hope I'm not singing a different tune after two weeks!
Okay, time for a little complaining. I just finished reading Daily Dentes and I feel like she is reading my mind about "Life on the D-List." I pretty much feel like everyone around here is over the collective feelings of patriotism and pride that this community had at the start of OIF. It's like no one cares if your husband is in the military, or even deployed for that matter. The first deployment was SOOO different. The spouses and community really pulled together and made life for those left behind bearable. We had coffees once a month, with other get-togethers in-between. (I know some wives don't agree with the whole "Coffee" concept, but I'm not picky -- I'll take friendship and support wherever I can get it.) There were tons of great activities planned on post. The Army and Fort Carson really made us spouses feel like we were part of something important -- that our roles as spouses left behind were vital to the success of our soldiers and our way of serving our country. I feel completely different now. Maybe that's why I've been feeling so bitter about this deployment and the Army in general.
On Saturday, I went to the PX to return an External Hard Drive. Since my husband was moving from one FOB to another, he wanted to save the information he had been working with, and so asked me to send him one. I bought it for about $120 at the PX and sent it in June. When Jon got it, he noticed that it had already been used before and had someone else's information already downloaded onto it. He mailed it back to me while I was in Michigan. So I really didn't think it was going to be a problem to return it. I mean, the worst they could do was give me store credit, right? I had the receipt and everything.
Boy, was I wrong. Turns out, the PX has a 15 day return policy on all computer hardware and software. Completely understandable. However, I asked to talk to the manager. I explained to her that there was no way I could have returned the item in 15 days because I sent it to my husband, who was deployed in Iraq. Plus, it was already used by someone else, and I felt like they had sold me a DEFECTIVE product. At first, she acted like she really didn't care and that there was nothing she could do. I continued to plead my case, getting very frustrated at her lack of understanding or even compassion. Then she started acting like my attempt at returning the item was suspicious. I couldn't help it -- the tears just came. You know when you are trying so hard not to cry and they just come anyways, and they won't stop? That was what happened! I was so angry and embarrassed. I thought that if any store would understand this situation, it would be the PX! Plus, I was wondering what I was going to do with a $120 hard drive that didn't even work right. After I started crying, she got a little flustered and decided to give me a store credit. As soon as I got the receipt, I walked out to my car and just sat there and sobbed.
I was so angry that I even had to go through that. I was so frustrated that my husband has been gone for so long and nobody even CARES around here! I was so OVER the Army. I kind of still am ...
1) My husband should be leaving to come home for R&R in 3 weeks! YAY!! Can I just tell you that I'm SOOOOOO excited and SOOO nervous to see him! I just bought the dress that I am going to wear when I pick him up at the airport and I feel like a gazillion bucks in it. What a relief. Now if I could just find some sexy lingerie that makes me feel the same way ...
2) School starts Thursday and I am so looking forward to seeing my kiddos! I just got my class lists and I had the majority of the students last year also. I am so lucky! I have really enjoyed being back at work, visiting with coworkers and getting everything ready for my students. Let's just hope I'm not singing a different tune after two weeks!
Okay, time for a little complaining. I just finished reading Daily Dentes and I feel like she is reading my mind about "Life on the D-List." I pretty much feel like everyone around here is over the collective feelings of patriotism and pride that this community had at the start of OIF. It's like no one cares if your husband is in the military, or even deployed for that matter. The first deployment was SOOO different. The spouses and community really pulled together and made life for those left behind bearable. We had coffees once a month, with other get-togethers in-between. (I know some wives don't agree with the whole "Coffee" concept, but I'm not picky -- I'll take friendship and support wherever I can get it.) There were tons of great activities planned on post. The Army and Fort Carson really made us spouses feel like we were part of something important -- that our roles as spouses left behind were vital to the success of our soldiers and our way of serving our country. I feel completely different now. Maybe that's why I've been feeling so bitter about this deployment and the Army in general.
On Saturday, I went to the PX to return an External Hard Drive. Since my husband was moving from one FOB to another, he wanted to save the information he had been working with, and so asked me to send him one. I bought it for about $120 at the PX and sent it in June. When Jon got it, he noticed that it had already been used before and had someone else's information already downloaded onto it. He mailed it back to me while I was in Michigan. So I really didn't think it was going to be a problem to return it. I mean, the worst they could do was give me store credit, right? I had the receipt and everything.
Boy, was I wrong. Turns out, the PX has a 15 day return policy on all computer hardware and software. Completely understandable. However, I asked to talk to the manager. I explained to her that there was no way I could have returned the item in 15 days because I sent it to my husband, who was deployed in Iraq. Plus, it was already used by someone else, and I felt like they had sold me a DEFECTIVE product. At first, she acted like she really didn't care and that there was nothing she could do. I continued to plead my case, getting very frustrated at her lack of understanding or even compassion. Then she started acting like my attempt at returning the item was suspicious. I couldn't help it -- the tears just came. You know when you are trying so hard not to cry and they just come anyways, and they won't stop? That was what happened! I was so angry and embarrassed. I thought that if any store would understand this situation, it would be the PX! Plus, I was wondering what I was going to do with a $120 hard drive that didn't even work right. After I started crying, she got a little flustered and decided to give me a store credit. As soon as I got the receipt, I walked out to my car and just sat there and sobbed.
I was so angry that I even had to go through that. I was so frustrated that my husband has been gone for so long and nobody even CARES around here! I was so OVER the Army. I kind of still am ...
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
First Day Jitters
Right now I'm excited to start a new school year just so that I can get some sleep again. I'm usually a good sleeper -- I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, stay in the same position all night, and awake in a bed that hardly needs to be made. My sisters have even accused me of having narcolepsy because I can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. Lately, though, I've just had a terrible time falling asleep. I have 50 million details running through my mind about starting school in two weeks. Then, when I finally do fall asleep, I have one of two recurring nightmares:
1) My kids walk in the first day of school and I have nothing planned. I am completely unprepared.
2) My kids won't listen to anything I say. They won't follow directions and I'm in front of the class screaming at them. The class is out of control.
Oh yeah, and did I mention that my student teacher is in the back of the room observing me in both nightmares? (I did inform you all that I will be having a student teacher this year, right?)
I also must add that neither of these scenarios have ever actually happened in real life. What's with the nerves? I've definitely had them prior to the start of school for the past three years, but do they ever go away? Let's hope so!
Despite the nerves, I'm actually getting pretty excited to start working again. I'll have the same kids this year as last year (I loved them!). I love my school, my administration, and my coworkers. I'm looking forward to feeling "productive" again at the end of the day. And the icing on top of the cake is that my hubby will be coming home just four weeks after school starts! I CAN'T WAIT!!
1) My kids walk in the first day of school and I have nothing planned. I am completely unprepared.
2) My kids won't listen to anything I say. They won't follow directions and I'm in front of the class screaming at them. The class is out of control.
Oh yeah, and did I mention that my student teacher is in the back of the room observing me in both nightmares? (I did inform you all that I will be having a student teacher this year, right?)
I also must add that neither of these scenarios have ever actually happened in real life. What's with the nerves? I've definitely had them prior to the start of school for the past three years, but do they ever go away? Let's hope so!
Despite the nerves, I'm actually getting pretty excited to start working again. I'll have the same kids this year as last year (I loved them!). I love my school, my administration, and my coworkers. I'm looking forward to feeling "productive" again at the end of the day. And the icing on top of the cake is that my hubby will be coming home just four weeks after school starts! I CAN'T WAIT!!
Wine Tasting
My younger sister, Lauren, and her boyfriend were here visiting last week. On Friday, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful vineyards around us and travel around to some local wineries to do a little wine-tasting. We live in the middle of Southwest Michigan's "Wine Trail" and so visited Lemon Creek Winery, Domaine Winery, The Round Barn Winery, and Tabor Hill Winery. It was too fun! I tried to be a grown-up wine drinker and try all of the reds, but if there's one thing I learned, it's that I just don't like 'em! My favorites were the sparkling wines, the Demi-Secs, and a special Cranberry Wine from The Round Barn. I'm excited to take Jon for some tasting when he's home for R and R. I just kept thinking how much he would love it!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Coming to an End
I can't believe it.
I'm going back home in only 11 days. My summer is quickly coming to an end. I've been trying to just soak up every single moment of time spent with my loved ones before I go back to my empty house. I feel like a little kid getting ready to take a bath. They don't want to get in, but once they're in they don't want to get out! When I first came home, I was nervous about getting bored and annoyed with my family. But it's been so much fun that now I don't want to leave!
Ahhhh ... well. Jon and I will be coming back to visit while he is on leave in September. I guess that's not so long, right? I'm very excited for Jon to come home. I am a little nervous, though. I don't want to say goodbye to him again once he's home!
The last week has been quite busy and a lot of fun. My sister, Lauren, is here visiting for 10 days. We went to Chicago last Friday and had Uno's pizza and caught a show at The Second City (a comedy club with sketches similar to SNL). On Saturday, we spent the entire day on the boat -- fishing, wakeboarding, and tubing. Then, on Sunday, all of us girls went to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's. On Tuesday, I went to visit two of my close friends who used to live at Fort Carson. What a blessing -- but oh how I miss them!
I'm so glad I decided to visit my family for the summer! I just wish that it hadn't gone by so fast!
I'm going back home in only 11 days. My summer is quickly coming to an end. I've been trying to just soak up every single moment of time spent with my loved ones before I go back to my empty house. I feel like a little kid getting ready to take a bath. They don't want to get in, but once they're in they don't want to get out! When I first came home, I was nervous about getting bored and annoyed with my family. But it's been so much fun that now I don't want to leave!
Ahhhh ... well. Jon and I will be coming back to visit while he is on leave in September. I guess that's not so long, right? I'm very excited for Jon to come home. I am a little nervous, though. I don't want to say goodbye to him again once he's home!
The last week has been quite busy and a lot of fun. My sister, Lauren, is here visiting for 10 days. We went to Chicago last Friday and had Uno's pizza and caught a show at The Second City (a comedy club with sketches similar to SNL). On Saturday, we spent the entire day on the boat -- fishing, wakeboarding, and tubing. Then, on Sunday, all of us girls went to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's. On Tuesday, I went to visit two of my close friends who used to live at Fort Carson. What a blessing -- but oh how I miss them!
I'm so glad I decided to visit my family for the summer! I just wish that it hadn't gone by so fast!
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Good News
Oh yeah! We did get some good news the other day -- Jon will be coming home in about 2 months for some R&R. I CANNOT WAIT to see him!
Inspiration
I can't stop thinking (and worrying, and crying) about the upcoming decision we have to make about whether or not to stay in the Army. Originally, Jon said that he wanted to either try Special Forces or get out. Now, he is bringing some other options to the table -- other options within the Army, that is. Frankly, we are a little overwhelmed! I think that I pray at least 10 times each day that the Lord will make the right path clear to us. I think that deep down in my gut, I feel like the right thing to do would be to stay in the Army. I wonder if this feeling is from the Lord? On the other hand, I also feel like I know what we should do, but I don't want to do it. Like I know it will be hard, so I'm fighting it. And round and round we go ...
It's hard to explain. During the day, I just feel certain that Jon should stay in and that I CAN DO IT as a military wife. I feel like God is calling us to this, and I want to be able to step up to the plate and be the strong military wife and mother that He wants me to be. But then at night I change my mind! Especially when I talk to Jon in the middle of the night. He talks about staying in and right away I get a kind of sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What does all of this mean?
There are two songs I've been listening to on my iPod lately. They are so inspirational to me, so I thought I'd share. :)
IF YOU WANT ME TO by Ginny Owens
The pathway is broken, and the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why you brought me here
But just because you love me the way that you do
I'm gonna walk through the valley if you want me to
Cause I'm not who I was when I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise you're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will go through the fire if you want me to
It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But you never said it would be easy
You only said I'll never go alone
So when the whole world turns against me and I'm all by myself
And I can't hear you answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering you're love put you through
And I will go through the valley if you want me to
PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM by Casting Crowns
I was sure by now,
God, you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away ...
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen"
And it's still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain, "I'm with you"
And as your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away
I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For you are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You've never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you and raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on if I can't find you?
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain, "I'm with you"
And as your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of heaven and earth
It's hard to explain. During the day, I just feel certain that Jon should stay in and that I CAN DO IT as a military wife. I feel like God is calling us to this, and I want to be able to step up to the plate and be the strong military wife and mother that He wants me to be. But then at night I change my mind! Especially when I talk to Jon in the middle of the night. He talks about staying in and right away I get a kind of sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What does all of this mean?
There are two songs I've been listening to on my iPod lately. They are so inspirational to me, so I thought I'd share. :)
IF YOU WANT ME TO by Ginny Owens
The pathway is broken, and the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why you brought me here
But just because you love me the way that you do
I'm gonna walk through the valley if you want me to
Cause I'm not who I was when I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise you're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will go through the fire if you want me to
It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But you never said it would be easy
You only said I'll never go alone
So when the whole world turns against me and I'm all by myself
And I can't hear you answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering you're love put you through
And I will go through the valley if you want me to
PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM by Casting Crowns
I was sure by now,
God, you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away ...
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen"
And it's still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain, "I'm with you"
And as your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away
I'll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For you are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You've never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you and raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on if I can't find you?
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain, "I'm with you"
And as your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of heaven and earth
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Blessed
The girls in my family (me included) have always had a "fat" complex. We are all normal sized, athletic-looking women -- far from obese, but nowhere near twiggy. We are constantly saying to one another that we need to go on a diet, lose weight, "I'm such a cow!" etc. etc. You get the point. My mom usually joins in these little sessions, but always ends by saying -- "You know what? We could be really sick with cancer or be paralyzed or something like that. We should be thankful for the healthy bodies that God has given us. No more complaining!"
I used to work out because I wanted to be ready for whatever sport I was playing. It was easy to be motivated when I had a goal in mind. However, there are times in your life when your only goal for exercise is to stay in shape or to keep from gaining weight. These are the times when it's hard to be motivated and you sometimes dread working out. Last night, I was at the YMCA at the Step Aerobics class that my sister and I signed up for this summer. I used to love Step, but for some reason, I abhor going to this class every Monday and Wednesday. Maybe it's because our teacher is SOOOO BORING -- I don't know. Anyways, here I was, thinking I would rather be anywhere in the world than jumping around on this step when I saw something that made me stop and think.
There was a man in a wheelchair just coming in to the gym. He had no legs -- just a torso that was probably cut off just below his belly button. He would ride his wheelchair around the track twice, then stop for water, then do it again, etc. I was sickened by how selfish I was, by how instead of praising God for the blessing of being able to move around as I please and jump up and down on this step, I had been complaining about having to exercise. I thought about how I feel sometimes when I drive by a really nice house and I think "Do those people know how lucky they are? What must that be like?" You know when you see something that you just really wish that you had, but you know it will never happen? That must be how this man felt watching us in the aerobics room. Did we know how lucky we were?
How did I get so lucky to have a healthy body, free from disease or disability? That could have easily been me in that wheelchair. For this simple reason, I am so blessed.
I used to work out because I wanted to be ready for whatever sport I was playing. It was easy to be motivated when I had a goal in mind. However, there are times in your life when your only goal for exercise is to stay in shape or to keep from gaining weight. These are the times when it's hard to be motivated and you sometimes dread working out. Last night, I was at the YMCA at the Step Aerobics class that my sister and I signed up for this summer. I used to love Step, but for some reason, I abhor going to this class every Monday and Wednesday. Maybe it's because our teacher is SOOOO BORING -- I don't know. Anyways, here I was, thinking I would rather be anywhere in the world than jumping around on this step when I saw something that made me stop and think.
There was a man in a wheelchair just coming in to the gym. He had no legs -- just a torso that was probably cut off just below his belly button. He would ride his wheelchair around the track twice, then stop for water, then do it again, etc. I was sickened by how selfish I was, by how instead of praising God for the blessing of being able to move around as I please and jump up and down on this step, I had been complaining about having to exercise. I thought about how I feel sometimes when I drive by a really nice house and I think "Do those people know how lucky they are? What must that be like?" You know when you see something that you just really wish that you had, but you know it will never happen? That must be how this man felt watching us in the aerobics room. Did we know how lucky we were?
How did I get so lucky to have a healthy body, free from disease or disability? That could have easily been me in that wheelchair. For this simple reason, I am so blessed.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Fourth of July Fun
Despite the fact that my hunky husband wasn't home to snuggle with me during fireworks, I had a really good Fourth of July! Actually, in the ten years we've been a couple, I think we've only spent this holiday together twice! YIKES!! Of course, I thought about my soldier all day and my heart swelled with pride knowing that he is doing such a good job serving our great country. :)
Every year, our city has a fireworks display on the beach. I've watched this many times from the sand, but this year was the first time I've watched it from the water. It was AWESOME!!! On July 3, we took the boat out around 8:30 and entertained ourselves on the lake with pizza and Euker until the fireworks started at 10:45. I went with my mom, dad, brother, and some of his friends. We were a little paranoid about taking the boat out after hearing from my brother-in-law that it took him 7hours to get back to the docks the last time he went. However, we were very lucky and ended up being the first boat in line on the river back to our dock. Everything was going great until we started to park in our boat-slip. Something happened and our engines went out and we couldn't get it started again! Here we were, blocking the river and being pushed back downstream and into other boats!!! Luckily, we flagged someone down who was able to tow us back to our slip and all was well. WHEW!!! That could have ended up badly!
The next morning, July 4, I went to a little Amish town in Indiana with my in-laws. The town is called "Shipshewana" and has a big flea market. We shopped around the market for a little while, then went and had lunch at an Amish restaurant on the way back. I LOVED seeing all of the Amish people. The little kids, especially, are SOOOO CUTE in their little bonnets and black hats! All I could think about was a series I read about an Amish family by Beverly Lewis (The Covenant, The Betrayal, The Sacrifice, The Prodigal, The Revelation) I SO Enjoyed reading this about a family who delighted in one another so much! They are Christian fiction and left me with such a warm feeling in my heart!
Anyways, after spending the morning in Shipshewana, I came home and spent the rest of the afternoon with my mom, sister, and my sweet sweet Grandma! My dad went fishing with Grandpa and my father-in-law. In the evening, everyone met back at my house for a cookout. What fun!
Every year, our city has a fireworks display on the beach. I've watched this many times from the sand, but this year was the first time I've watched it from the water. It was AWESOME!!! On July 3, we took the boat out around 8:30 and entertained ourselves on the lake with pizza and Euker until the fireworks started at 10:45. I went with my mom, dad, brother, and some of his friends. We were a little paranoid about taking the boat out after hearing from my brother-in-law that it took him 7hours to get back to the docks the last time he went. However, we were very lucky and ended up being the first boat in line on the river back to our dock. Everything was going great until we started to park in our boat-slip. Something happened and our engines went out and we couldn't get it started again! Here we were, blocking the river and being pushed back downstream and into other boats!!! Luckily, we flagged someone down who was able to tow us back to our slip and all was well. WHEW!!! That could have ended up badly!
The next morning, July 4, I went to a little Amish town in Indiana with my in-laws. The town is called "Shipshewana" and has a big flea market. We shopped around the market for a little while, then went and had lunch at an Amish restaurant on the way back. I LOVED seeing all of the Amish people. The little kids, especially, are SOOOO CUTE in their little bonnets and black hats! All I could think about was a series I read about an Amish family by Beverly Lewis (The Covenant, The Betrayal, The Sacrifice, The Prodigal, The Revelation) I SO Enjoyed reading this about a family who delighted in one another so much! They are Christian fiction and left me with such a warm feeling in my heart!
Anyways, after spending the morning in Shipshewana, I came home and spent the rest of the afternoon with my mom, sister, and my sweet sweet Grandma! My dad went fishing with Grandpa and my father-in-law. In the evening, everyone met back at my house for a cookout. What fun!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
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