Update

So there really hasn't been too much going on. We are now just a few weeks away from our daughter being born, and very much looking forward to that. So far everything has gone well with the pregnancy, so I hope I can say the same for labor. At this point the labor part is the part I am anticipating most. I guess because I'm not sure what to expect.

My husband did lose someone very dear in his family. His cousin, Zach, died just over a month ago. Commander was nice enough to let him go to the funeral. Zach was young, just 23, but so full of life. You could tell by the turnout (hundreds!) that he was someone that truly cared for others, and someone others truly cared about. We all wondered why Zach, but there is a reason for it. I know I think about him everyday, and I am pretty sure my husband does as well. He was a great person and truly missed.

I really like the summer here. Yes, we have had a few hot days (upper 80's), but for the most part it is really nice. There is a nice breeze that comes in through the windows throughout the day and night, which cools the house down. Like our home, many homes here don't have air conditioning. We bought a window AC for our room, but we don't really use it unless it is super hot outside.

I did get involved in our company FRG as a Key Caller and Secretary. Not too bad so far. I have taken the classes, and you do learn quite a bit from them. Of course, being new to it all, there is a lot I don't know and I am going into it blindly.

Well, I guess that is all for now. I will try to post again before baby gets here.

Warming Up and Getting Close

So things are still going pretty well here in New York. The weather is finally starting to warm up and we have plenty of sunshine. Thank goodness because it seemed like for a while it rained day after day.

I've gotten involved with FRG, and have taken the Key Caller class. There are quite a few events going on this summer with FRG that I am looking forward to. We just had a picnic a few weeks ago, we have a pig roast coming up, whitewater rafting (which I have to miss because it is a week before my due date), and a picnic in August. I am very excited about the picnic because I can't wait to show off Miss Hannah. :-)

The pregnancy is going well. I feel pretty fortunate that I haven't had any problems. She is healthy, measuring right where she needs to be, and I've barely gained weight. Only about 7 1/2 weeks left till she is here. However, my husband keeps telling me she is going to come early, which I kind of have a feeling she might as well. Or maybe it is wishful thinking on my part.

I feel like I am having a hard time meeting people. Yes, I have met a few through FRG and a few girls I knew from basic and OCS last year are coming here, but I don't have that one person that I feel like I can call on any occasion. It just makes me wonder what I am doing wrong. It is harder than I thought it would be. Anyway...

Hope all is well with everyone one! Until next time.

Goodbye Childhood Friend

Not much has happened in the last month. The biggest things was losing one of our dogs. About a month ago our toy poodle, who I have had since I was 12, got really sick. She was at least 17 years old, so I was thinking the worst before even taking her to the vet. A heart murmur she had, which wasn't a big deal, had turned into heart disease. She had stopped eating and drinking. I tried to feed her, but eventually she starting throwing that up. A week after I took her to the vet she passed away.

The first week or so was hard. My mom was just a few days from visiting and we would hope she would make it. I cried nonstop for several days, and the house just seemed empty. Where her bed used to be was nothing but a blank space. I still hate I can't just hold her. We had her cremated, and just when I thought I was doing ok they called to come get here. Luckily my mom was here, so the two of us went together. That set me back.

She isn't sick anymore, and that is the most important thing. I know I tried my best to keep her going. She was with my husband and I for over two years and I know we gave her extra life and love. She has been part of my life for 14 years, and I will never forget her.

Missing Home

So I am starting to get a little homesick. More than anything I miss my friends. I haven't quite made friends here yet, but hopefully that changes soon. I think about the drive home and 11 hours just seems so far away. I am trying to be happy and stay positive and I realize this is probably just temporary.

I don't hate it here. I haven't been here long enough to have the chance to hate it, and with this being our first station I really have nothing to compare it to. Benning and Sam Houston were temporary places, but I had friends and family at either place.

John's battalion has a ball coming up in a just over a month and I have been going to the meetings to help plan. I have some great women there and hope that as more events get planned I will be able to get better acquainted with them. I do plan to find some classes once Hannah gets here as well in hopes to meet other moms.

I am sure feeling this way is natural and it won't be long before I am over this.

Update from Ft. Drum

So we are finally getting settled into the new house. We have been working as hard as we can to get it looking right, yet there are boxes everywhere still. I really need to figure out where to put some of this stuff. Closing went pretty well. While unpacking we discovered a few things that had been broken during the move. Luckily nothing major, but it still stinks.

I still like the area pretty well. We found a gate closer to our house and John is only 11 miles from driveway to his parking lot at work. Not bad at all. The weather is still cold here, but we had a few nice days over the weekend.

We may have missed the deployment bullet for the time being. Because John's unit is coming back they want to try and keep them here for two years. Third just left and when they get back post wants to try and keep everyone here for at least a year. Two years is nice but 1) I'm not going to count on it and 2) I still kind of want to get the first one out of the way.

All is going well with the baby. We are naming her Hannah Elise or Elyse. Haven't really decided how to spell the middle name yet. My family has been sending presents and I can't wait to start working on her room. I can't wait for her to get here.

Well, that is all for now. Hope everyone has been doing well!

Almost Home!

So we were supposed to close on our home yesterday, but it didn't quite work out. Instead we are now closing Friday afternoon and I CAN NOT WAIT! We are so excited to get into the house and make it our own. It will be so nice getting our goods and placing them in our new home. Thanks to HGTV I have A TON of ideas for the house.

My favorite project to come is painting our baby girl's room. That's right, we are having a girl! I think I have found the perfect bedding for her room and can't wait to start working on it. :-)

Catching Up

I know it has been about three weeks since the last entry. Not much has happened. I went to Ft. Drum with John and stayed a week. For various reasons I came home until we close on our new home. That's right, we bought a house about 15 minutes from post. We got a great deal on a five bedroom home in the small town of Carthage, and in just two weeks we close. What a stressful process.

This is the first house we have bought and what a process it has been. We are working with USAA on the mortgage and I'll just leave it at that. Our Realtor has been great and thank goodness for that. He was very honest with us and has been great about looking at things we may not have thought of.

The baby is doing well. Since John missed the last dr. appointment my mom went with me and we listened to the heartbeat again. Amazing! We hope to find out if its a boy or girl in the next week or so. CAN'T WAIT!!! I am a little nervous about becoming a mom, and I just pray that I will be a good mom and that the baby is healthy.

That's all that is going on in this military wife's life. Stay tuned.

Home Sweet Ft. Drum

The movers did a great job packing everything up. Only two guys were sent for whatever reason, but they did a fantastic job packing up our lives into the trailer and hauling it away. Now it just sits in storage until we close on our house. Hopefully everything gets back to us the way it got backed.

I spent last week in New York with John and we found a house we LOVE. The more I think about the house the more excited I get to actually move in. Its nice to know we have a home for the next four years. That may not seem like a lot, but we haven't been anywhere on our own for more than a year. I spent two years at his parents house before we got married, we moved out for a year, and then I moved back with them last year to stay with them while he was in training. But we finally have a home. Fingers crossed the inspection goes well Monday morning. It should be smooth sailing from there. Until closing I am back in WV and living with my in-laws. There are a few reasons why.

Ft. Drum is great so far. It did snow quite a bit while I was there and its cold, but the towns close by have a lot of charm and I am looking forward to exploring even more. There isn't much around post itself, but a miniature golf course, drive-in theatre, and skiing are not too far away.

I'm really looking forward to this next chapter in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for. :-)

The First Move

They first move is almost here. After a few problems getting dates set, the movers will be here to pack everything Thursday. I don't know if I am dreading it or not. We have everything in one place and I need to go through it all and just throw crap away. This will be an experience for sure.

More to come...

Life and Death

Tomorrow is Christmas and while this should be a joyous time of year this year isn't. John and I came home from Texas this past Saturday only to find his grandmother was worse off than we had thought. We had bought her a little Ft. Sam Houston bear for Christmas and gave it to her later that night when we received home. I'm glad we had given it to her then, because that was the last time we really saw her alert. Grandma came home this last Monday with Hospice.

Shortly after Thanksgiving John and I found out we are expecting our first child. While the family is very happy for us, the news doesn't seem to matter. We had our first ultrasound yesterday and as soon as we got to his grandmother's house we showed her the ultrasound and told her about the baby; this would be her tenth great-grandchild. I only wish we could have seen her expression when she found out about the baby or when we showed her the picture.

Part of me feels like we were meant to give life to this child to not take grandma's place in the world, but almost to give her life again somehow through this child. I know she will be looking down at the baby and watching him or her grow. I know she would have loved the baby so very much. My husband and I never thought she would be gone before we had children. Things happened too fast.

Grandma Burns passed away this morning. Baby Pennington is due July 31st, 10 days before Grandma's birthday.

New Home

Hard to believe our time in San Antonio us almost up. We leave here a week from Saturday to head home for home for the holiday before making our way to New York.

We are thinking about purchasing a house in New York depending on the housing on Post. Honestly, I hope post housing comes through but buying a house is exciting as well. We have been working with a USAA Realtor who has been great about sending up listings. He contacted us the night we got pre-approved for the loan.

So far I'm not super crazy about any of the houses we have seen and I really don't want to just settle. We hope to be either on post or buy a house by February so we have put a time crunch on ourselves. We have to find a place before temp. lodging ends. I know it will all work out.

I am very excited about getting to New York. Right now they have a ton of snow and while San Antonio is a tad chilly, I don't know if I am ready for the really cold weather. I'm going to miss San Antonio, but know we will have just as much fun in New York.

Anyway, thats all for now. Hope everyone is having fun for the holidays!

Thankful

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I'm sure like everyone else I am thinking about what I most thankful for. My husband is at the top of that list.

I think living separate lives for the past few months has made us want to be around each other as much as possible. I feel blessed to have this appreciation for him; to want to be around him and want to spend time with him. Its probably because I know that there will be days when he isn't here.

I'm not going to lie and I have probably said this before, but when he isn't around it feels normal. I don't know if this is a good thing or not. He spend the last three weeks out in the field as part of his BOLC training and it didn't bother me. I didn't feel lonely or upset that he was gone, even if he wasn't that far away.

I'm so thankful for my new military family. This past year wouldn't have been the same without them, but I wouldn't want to have gone through this without them. They are amazing, strong women who I pray to be friends with for the rest of my life. We may not always end up in the same place or be spread across the stats, but they are there no matter what and I am so thankful for that.

What are you thankful for this year? Happy Thanksgiving!

Tourist Tuesday

Hard to believe I have been in Texas for a month now. Because I will be visiting new places here and when we move to New York, I thought I would share some places to go. So far I have done quite a bit of shopping here, but there are some great shopping areas around.

The weather is always sunny and warm here, which makes La Cantera an even better place to shop. It is perfect for a nice afternoon of shopping.

The Shops at La Cantera is an outdoor shopping area. It has everything from Apple, Banana Republic, Very Bradley (10% military discount) Barnes and Nobles, Nine West, and many other popular shops. Even department stores such as Macy's and Nordstrom have their place at La Cantera. 

There is a food court if you want to grab something quick from Subway or Chick-Fil-A, but there are several restaurants as well. One restaurant I have eaten at is Kona Grill. Kona Grill's menu includes salads, pizza and sushi. I was there for lunch and tried their turkey chili with a salad. It was delicious. 

Right beside the Shops at La Cantera is Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Haven't made it there yet, but I'm sure we will. 

Check out the link:

http://www.theshopsatlacantera.com/

http://www.konagrill.com/

Deployment? So Soon?

So for those who may be starting to follow my blog, my husband is currently in BOLC at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. He left for basic this past April, which was quickly followed by Officer Candidate School and now here. Once he finishes BOLC, just in time for the holidays, we will head home, pack and head to Ft. Drum, New York.

I moved to San Antonio, even though he is TDY. I love here and from what John has been told there is a good chance we will eventually be stationed here. I have family here as well, so that has helped fill a few days and weekends spending time with them. My aunt's birthday is Friday, my younger cousin just turn 6 last week, and my another cousin is in middle school playing volleyball. For just a few short weeks I get to be part of their lives. I'm really thankful I moved here even if it is only 10 weeks.

We have also been fortunate that he hasn't had to stay at his hotel every night so he comes home when he gets released early in the evenings. I LOVE IT!

Now back to what this is really about.

John called on a break yesterday. He met a classmate going to Ft. Drum with us and he has already been talking with some of the guys from post there. Both he and John will be in the same unit and currently their unit is deployed. So what does this mean for us? There is a good chance that when we get to Drum at the of December, he will start training and deploy with the unit.

In less than a year we have gone through all the training and a possible deployment. I can't believe it happens this quickly. However, the good part of all this is that the unit in on the end of their deployment and will be back in April. A short deployment is better than a long one.  Plus, he shouldn't deploy again for another year or so. Let's hope.

When we found out that this would be a short move we weren't sure if I would make the move or not. Everything changed so quickly for us that we had only a week to make the choice. I had already quit work and had planned to move anyway. I also wondered how long it would be before John deployed and would I regret not having this time with him. So things are just meant to be.

Letting Go...Or Trying To

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;"

This has been my mantra lately. I don't know why, but I have a hard time of letting things go from my mind. I can't change what has happened in the past. I can't change my actions. I keep repeating this thinking it might somehow make things better; sooth my mind. It helps sometimes. These things are not necessarily horrible things, but things I wish that I could go back and change even for the slightest. For some reason I have a hard time just letting go. 

Are you able to let things go? How do you do it? 

No Compromise

There are things that I know will come with being an Army wife, or a military wife for that matter, that I will simply have to pass or give up.

Back in July John and I had made the decision for my to go ahead and quit my job and I would make the move to BOLC. This was partly based on thinking all BOLCs were backed up, but more importantly we wanted to be back together again.

So Med Services came along, there wasn't a wait for BOLC, and turns out it was a short trip. Obviously we made the decision for me to move to San Antonio despite the short time and it is well worth it.

Part of me feels like I really needed to make the move because I had already given up my life back home. I wasn't at a job that I could have just given two weeks notice. (I could have but it wouldn't have ben fair) But as a military wife we change our lives sometimes not thinking things might go one way when another curve ball is thrown at us.

I can see how it can be easy to look back and say, but I gave up this and I gave up that because this or that was supposed to be happen. We need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I'm fine with the fact I quit my job and moved, even if for only 10 weeks. I am back with my husband for the first time in five months and I wouldn't trade that for anything. It might mean giving up a dream job or putting off school to relocate for a short time, but in the end being a family again means more than anything else in the world.

Again, I am new at this so the choices we have made are nothing compared to what is coming our way. What are some difficult choices you have had to make and how did you handle them?

We're Here!!!!!!!

So we finally made it to San Antonio after two days. Staying with my aunt for a few days until we get things figured out. We are about 30 minutes from Fort Sam Houston, which isn't too bad. John is going out exploring tomorrow.

Everything went well for commissioning and we stayed busy. The flight down was a nightmare and my luggage got put on another flight because they noticed I switched flights. Luckily I have friends! My friend, Sheryl, was nice enough to take my to get a new outfit and shower at her place while Tracey was nice enough to take me to the social that night.

John and I did take the time to drive to Atlanta where we visited the Aquarium and the Coca-Cola Museum. They are right next to each other so next time you are there you need to go. Military is free at the Coca-Cola Museum and there is a discount at the Aquarium.

Georgia was a great trip and I kind of miss Fort Benning. I will always remember it and all the great people I met. Even though I didn't love there it still kind of felt like home.

Now we are in San Antonio and I can't wait to see what the city has in store for us!

Changes :-)

We found out this past Wednesday that John has been accepted into Medical Services. We are moving to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas!!!!!!!!

More details to come. :-)

5 days until commissioning!!!!

Happy Anniversary!

Two years ago I was getting ready, taking pictures and starting a new chapter in my life. 

John and I were together five years before we finally got married. The last two years have shown us what love truly feels like and what it takes to really make a relationship work. My love for him is deeper everyday, and these last few months have really tested how much our relationships means to the other person. 

Since John left in April it hasn't been easy, but I appreciate him so much more. I realize more than ever what a wonderful person and what an amazing husband he truly is. Distance does make the heart grow fonder. 

Below are a few of my favorite wedding pictures that I thought I would share. 

Happy anniversary Love! 

Great Weekend!

Thank you Army for allowing my husband to come home for the weekend!

John came home Friday and I just got back from taking him to the airport. Honestly, it was great having him home instead of my going to GA. Life felt normal for a few days and having him around always makes life seem better.

We didn't do a whole lot while he was here and it didn't matter. He was home and we were together so that was truly all that mattered. Saturday we went to a great restaurant nearby for our anniversary. A bit pricey, but well worth it. The weekend flew by so quickly though and it is hard to believe that it is over.

It was hard to see him off today, but not as hard as other goodbyes. I am headed back to GA in 10 days for the last haul of OCS before coming back home and moving to Oklahoma. Right now we do have unofficial orders that his FA training will begin January 3rd at Ft. Sill. We are still waiting to hear back about Medical Services, so there could still be quite a bit of change in the upcoming weeks.

I realize that is so much to do, but we can't do anything until after he commissions and calls the branch manager to find out what he can do between commissioning and the start of training. We can't burn all the leave now because then we can't come home for Christmas.

Now I just have to get through the next 10 days and no more separations until he gets deployed. I hope it goes by quickly.

Happy Labor Day!