Thanksgiving Weekend

When my husband and I got married we decided to split the holidays between our families. It would be easier due to everyone living in different states. Thanksgiving was my husbands families holiday, however, this year, with some unseen events happening, we did not have that traditional family Thanksgiving so I was "alone" here in Texas.

Lucky, I have made a good support system and, from co-workers to friends, I had numerous offers to spend the day with people.

To make things easy, I just went with the person that asked me first. The evening was wonderful. We watched a football game and then we all just sat back as my friend finished preparing all of the food herself. The food was really good and I was so proud of her for doing it all on her own, she was very, very nervous it wouldn't turn out.

As for the family I was adopted into for the day, it was my friend, her husband and in-laws, her parents, brother and sister in-law, and their two little girls {one 5, the other 3}. Of course I made quick friends with the little ones, especially when they found out I could draw and color. I also warmed up to the rest of the family, and them me, quickly.

Overall, while it wasn't what I thought would happen this year, it was still nice to be in a family environment when I felt welcomed and thankful for everything I have.

I hope all of you had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Call me crazy...

...but I am officially running a half marathon at the end of March!

My friend and I were talking last night about how we needed to get to running again and, while both of us have done numerous 5Ks, we both have "run a half marathon" on our list of things to do in life. So, we looked up a get in shape and run a marathon or half marathon class and found one that starts Dec. 11.

I'm a little worried because I am out of shape. Right now I can run an eleven/twelve minute mile and, right now, I can do about 3 miles without passing out.  This training camp will have us running 15 miles a week before the half marathon.

Although it's a little daunting, I am very excited to do it. This will also help keep me busy and my mind focused on something other than deployment. Not to mention I will meet some more new people and maybe get some good friends out of it.

So here we go, starting tomorrow I am going to run 3 miles every other day just to get my body prepped for our first day Dec. 11.

Happy running!

Deployment Upadte

I know I have to be vague on deployment details, but I realized I have not given an update in a long time.

My husband is doing as well as he can be, minus the hit or miss communication and 10 min showers with {sometimes} not enough water. He is even starting to connect and make friends with guys in his unit, which I am very, very happy about. My husband is kind of shy, and with him being one of the youngest, making some guy friends was one of my biggest concerns. To help with the guy bonding, my husband has started a weekly football game with the guys. Not only does that help them all connect and get some much needed energy out, it also helps pass the time over there.

As for the fighting, well, we really don't talk about that too much. I don't want to hear about the malfunctioning helicopters, people getting hurt, or some missions. It helps keep my mind calm and, unless it is something major that effects my husband a lot, makes me think things are all good. Yes, I know that's not the best, to live in this dream world, but I think it helps us both because he talks about other things and I can not worry as much.

The guys are actually getting ready to mobilize and move somewhere else soon, but of course I don't know those details, and even if I did I wouldn't be able to disclose them on here.

Luckily for us, this movement does not affect his RandR. We are still unsure what the exact dates will be, but we know for sure it will be sometime closer to the start of the year. Trust me, as soon as I get a date, the count down will begin.

If I think of anything else to report on the deployment update I will post it quickly so I don't forget. Now, it's time to make some dinner and watch some more football.

How Are You?

I don't mean to sound, I don't know, jerkish with this post but with this whole deployment thing and people asking me "How I am"...I have gotten to the point where I am "over it."

Yes, emotionally it is hard, but that first two months of sadness and wondering how I am going to get through all of this is now gone and I have hit "survival mode" phase.

I am going through my deployment life realizing that I need to focus on the things I can control and realize I am not alone in this, have a support system, and remember that technology has made deployments so much easier, I get to hear his voice and even see him sometimes.

Apparently, even with me finding my deployment skin and sharing my thoughts people are still overly concerned and don't {really} believe me when I say I am doing ok. I don't know how to get that message through their heads. From my mother in law to friends to co-workers, they all ask me every week how I am doing and if I'm ok.

...not going to lie, my response is about to be "I was ok until you asked me this for the 400th million time"...

Yes, over reaction, and I need to realize that the people around me and in my life are going through this too in a way and are just trying to figure out how to support me. But I have hit that wall and just have to hope that they will get to a good point with all of this as well.

So for all of you out there I am doing well and if I need something/you, I will let you know and thank you for asking how I am.

Great Commercial

I was watching 60 min. Sunday {which deserves it's own post} and saw this commercial at the end. Not going to lie...I did almost cry and {nothing against this company but} it's a Walmart commercial.

Makes me miss my husband even more, but makes me excited for the day he comes home again.

Happy Halloween

I hope all of you had a safe and fun Halloween.

As for myself, I decided to make it a low key affair. My friends husband was out of town on business and she did not want to pass out candy alone {totally understandable}. So, I offered to come over make dinner and help pass out some sweet stuff to the adorable kiddos. We also watched a few movies of the not so creepy persuasion, as my friend is a scardy cat.

We had about 20 groups total, the smallest group being 2 kids, and the largest 10. The cutest costume had to be this {about} two year old girl dressed as a pink and blue caterpillar.

Mail from Dad

Every week I get a small envelope from my dad.

Inside is usually some new music, a little note/card for me, sometimes something for the puppies, and always some newspaper clips. In with the articles are usually some comics, here is the one from this week. It sends a great message and something I needed to read this week.

Selfish Saturday

I hope all of you are had a fabulous start to your weekends. As for me, it was a {much needed} lazy Saturday.

To start my day I went for a run with my husbands puppy, ok I guess now that she is one she's more of a dog than puppy, which is always entertaining because she runs me most of the time. Then I cleaned the apartment {including the refrigerator}, made a light lunch, turned on some college football, worked on a creative project {not for work, but for pleasure}, did some laundry, took the dogs to the dog park, made a home made pizza for dinner, sat on the patio, and am now catching up on blogging {both reading and writing} while watching the Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers game on TV, go Rangers.

I know, it sounds like I have been way busy, but not in an obligated way. It's nice.

I also feel like everyone needs a Saturday like this once a month. Where you don't feel obligated to hang out with people, or get things checked off a list, or make you feel like the weekend flew by. To be honest, I have not had a "selfish Saturday" like this for a long time.

The one downfall to finally having one, is I had my first sad "I miss my husband/feel alone" moments. My brain just started going and started thinking about a slew of things. Once again, I think moments like this are healthy, too, and much needed, especially during deployment. It helps keep things in perspective and keeps you in an emotionally better place. Yes, that sounds a little backwards, but once again, it's the selfish Saturday and you need to let your emotions be selfish every once and a while as well, and get out like they need too.

Well it looks like the Tigers scored in the first and the Rangers are up to bat. I might just treat myself to some ice cream as the game continues. I mean, if I am having a selfish Saturday, my diet can have what it wants too...right?

m + w = friends

The age old question has come into my life again. Is it possible for men and women to be {just} friends?

A little background is probably good.

My best and first friend I ever remember was a boy. We were two peas in a pod and even through adolescence, girl friends and boy friends, we were still nothing more than friends/brother and sister. Unfortunately,  he passed away a few years ago so we never had to hit the patch of him meeting my husband to see if jealousy would rarer it's ugly head in either direction. Based on that relationship, I don't think it is that hard for girls and guys to be friends.

Now, for why I am writing about this now. As you have read in previous posts, I work with 35 males and only six other females {one is the older receptionist} and today at a group/staff lunch one of my male co-workers and I were laughing about an inside joke. Of course people asked what we were laughing about and we said oh inside joke from a few weeks ago when we went to see a movie.

Thus the conversation began.

I'm married {as you know} and my friend, not married, a year younger than me, and not dating anyone.

My husband trusts me, I am open with him about everyone I am friends with {including this co-worker}, and if I feel that things are getting weird, I would stop the relationship. I tried to explain these points to my other co-workers and they fought back with the "guys only really think of one thing" and a slew of other differences about boys and girls why, with those differences, they can't, not couldn't, be friends.

Right now in my life I would like to keep all the friendships I have, especially with needing a support system thanks to the deployment. My inside joke male co-worker and I have even talked about our friendship and that I will be calling the shots on how much we hang out, talk, etc. which shows a lot on his part as well.

I guess I will marinate on this a little more. Hopefully, what I think is possible is true, males and females can be friends with nothing more attached, and hopefully, I am not the only one out there that thinks so.

Visionary

I was shocked when I got back from my evening run, turned on the news and saw that Steve Jobs, the great man of Apple, had passed away.

He was a true visionary both in the technology and creative world. One of my friends even said that he "was a wizard in a world of muggles." Yes, it's a Harry Potter reference, but so fitting for what he did. 

Another one of my friends wrote on his Facebook, "How does an entire generation deal with losing their Thomas Edison and Walt Disney at the same time?"

That, my friends, is the bigger question. I am very interested to see where we go from here. R.I.P Steve Jobs, you will be missed.