2010

I know it's already March and I haven't updated the blog since December. So I thought it would be a good thing to tell you what has happened in 2010 already! Well first of all its 2010 and that means that Blake is coming home this year! Which is so exciting by the way! For New Years I went to Missouri and had fun staying with Jan and LaMar. Got to see that side of the family! It was a little bittersweet though. I love Jan and LaMar and I have a great time with them but since Blake was in Afghanistan it was different. If Blake would have been in Washington it would have been easier. It sounds weird but him being in another country it was just harder! January 16th came and it was a great day! Blake came home from Afghanistan for R&R. I remember seeing his plane and being so nervous! And then I finally saw him and hugged and kissed him! It was one of the greatest feelings to finally be back in his arms! For a second time stood still. We went to Missouri the first week and had a blast. We got to see all of his family and we got to be at church for 2 Sundays. I know everybody was so excited to see him, I didn't want to leave his side. I felt as if I wasn't right beside him that I would miss something. I felt like a little schoolgirl, I remember just looking at him and smiling! I just love him so much! We then went to Alabama for the second week. He was excited to see the WBC and hang out with them! Hope and Matt had just had their baby boy and they got to introduce a new member into their club! Oh those boys... Time flew by and 14 days were here and gone. He left on February 1st. My friend told me that it was easier to say goodbye to second time because we had already done it once, and this is the second half of the deployment. So when that Monday morning came... it was not any easier. I felt sick to my stomach, the same feeling I had July 10, 2009. And i cried just as hard! it wasn't any easier and I don't know how she did it. But I saw him get on that plane and waved goodbye, praying that the Lord would keep my husband safe for the next 6 months!

It is now March and I have been busy busy busy for the last 3 weeks. Faulkner puts on Jamboree every year. This is where the brother and sister social clubs put on a 10minute musical. Zeta (which was Blake's club) and Tri-Alpha (which was my club) asked me and my friend Michelle to help this year since last year's show was absolutely HORRIBLE!! So we did and we were beyond busy. We had to make up lyrics, chants, dances, props, costumes. Anything we could do to help we did. That ended last night and I am glad that it is over.

I hope these next couple of months fly by! In 2 weeks I will be going to Washington to find an apartment and put a deposit down. Because I will be moving back to WA the last week of May. There is some talk that Blake could be coming home in June so that's the reason behind me moving back so early. I plan on moving into the apartment so that way when Blake comes home he doesn't have to deal with all that. Unless there is something too heavy for my mom and I to move in... then Blake will have to do it! :) Well I will try to keep up blogging better. Leigh is starting to blog a lot more and I get on here to read hers, and then I feel real bad for mine
being so lame! So I got a new background and now here is my new post!

It's time for an update

Ok so I was reading Leigh and Laurie's blog and realized that I too really needed to update my blog!

Well I have been pretty busy these last couple of weeks. I got a new job and I am loving it by the way! Just real busy! And this week is my finals week! I get a little time off which I am so excited! I cant believe that it is really December and Christmas is only 15 days away. Today was 5 months since Blake has been gone and we only have 7 months to go! Next month Blake will be coming home and that is so exciting! Blake is excited about coming home and seeing everyone. We will probably be going to Missouri the first week and then be in Alabama the second week! He is moving right now, so we cant send any packages to him. :( Please keep him in your prayer because where they are moving it is supposed to be pretty bad! Here is a picture of Blake with his stocking, and some of the soldiers that got the stockings that I sent over there! Happy Holidays! Will update soon!

She works hard for the money...

I have a job! I know for those of you who never thought I would actually have one.... I do! I have been working at My Kids Attic for a little over a month now! It is a cute store with kinds clothes, purses, jewelry, car decals, and a lot of other cute stuff. But I work every day Mon-Sat with Tuesday off! I haven't had a real job where I have to stand on my feet or actually do stuff in 2 years! And I completely forgot how hard it is. Since it is retail, I have to work on Saturdays and I miss a lot of stuff. Like the Alabama football games, and this coming weekend my mom and brother are going to Massachusetts and I really wanted to go but since I have work I cant go! :( I told Blake that I understand how he feels now. Even though he works much harder than I do! So if you cant find me... I'm probably at work!!

It's September

WOW! I cannot believe that September is already here. On the 10th, Blake will be gone for two months! Which is crazy! He is doing good over there! He says that he stays pretty busy! He loves getting all the packages from everyone. Nobody from his unit has died. People have gotten hurt though! So please pray for them, and their families. But there was another unit that deployed from Fort Lewis. They are 1-17. And they have had 9 soldiers die from that unit. So please keep their families in your prayers! Blake is hopefully going to get leave at the end of January or beginning of February. I will keep you updated as time goes on!

PIctures

Ok so I finally got my camera to hook up to my computer! So here are some pictures from the day Blake left!

Our Hero

Wow has life changed in the past week! Blake left for Afghanistan and my mom and I drove across country with my car. And this next year will surely be a hard long one!

Last Thursday we got up and had to pack our entire apartment up and be moved out by 2. Jan, LaMar, Blake, and I got it all done by 12:30. We were ahead of schedule and having fun spending time with Blake. My mom came in that night and we all went to eat and just hung out. We had to be at the company at 6:00 am on Friday morning. So 4:30 came real early! We left the hotel at 5:30 and this is when I realized today would be the last day for a long while that I would wake up with my husband by my side! When we go to post we unloaded Blake's bags and headed to the company. When we got back there it was just a swarm of camouflage! They had their 1st formation and were told to go get their weapons. While everyone, which is about 250 soldiers, got their weapons out we were able to spend our last couple of hours with Blake. It was fun to be taking pictures with him, and all of our friends, and I was happy that Jan and LaMar were able to see Blake in his environment with all of his Army buddies! At about 10:00 we were told that they were going to be marching to their buses so we had to say goodbye! It was hard! As they started to walk away... we were told that we can to the buses and be with them! So we had just cried our eyes out and we get to go see him again, and say goodbye once more. As we get to where they are going we are able to spend another hour with him. We tried to talk about everyday things, but its just so hard to smile on such a sad day! We all knew that Blake would be okay and that he would be coming home to us. But just knowing that we wont be able to talk or see him for the next year is heartbreaking. As they get ready for their final formation we all say our goodbyes once more. This time it is a little harder because we see him getting on the bus and we cannot hug him anymore. But of course Blake has a last name that starts with an "A" so he is the 3rd person called. As we walk to the bus to see him get on we realize that we will have to wait for every soldier to be called to get on the bus. Remember Blake was 3rd and there are about 250 soldiers leaving. So once again we get to talk to him for about 30 to 45 minutes more. And say goodbye for the 3rd time. This is when it started to get truly painful! He was in the bus holding my hand and I couldn't do anything! I couldn't hug him one more time, I couldn't kiss him one more time, I wouldn't be in his arms for another year! Blake just kept reminding me that he was going to come home and that I had nothing to worry about. Yeah right Blake! I have nothing to worry about!! You are going to war overseas and I cant see or talk to you! How am I not supposed to worry? I was trying to be strong for him but it was just so hard! This was my 3rd time saying goodbye to him! As the bus started up for them to take off I was holding Blake's hand not wanting to let go. But as I saw the first bus start to leave I had to let go and just pray that the love of my life would be okay and come home to me!

Blake and I never knew that this deployment and that goodbye would be so hard! I guess I was in denial a little. As I sit here I cant help but wonder what he is doing and what he is going through! I have got to talk to him about 3 times since he left, which was a week ago. Right now he is in Afghanistan. I cannot say exactly where he is, but he wont be in actual combat until sometime August I believe. I promise to update the blog and let you know how he is doing. And when we can start sending packages I will let you know, and give you the address. Blake is amazing and I know that he is loved by so many. And I thank everyone that is praying for him!

I will post pictures later, my camera isn't connecting with my computer so I am trying to get it fixed! As soon as I can get pictures up I will!

17 days left

Well this is a sad blog to post! Since we got home from leave we have been packing our apartment, putting it in storage and getting ready for the deployment. We pretty much have everything out of the apartment except for the furniture. So this weekend we will have a truck and will be moving everything else out of the apartment.

Last night we went to our final pre deployment briefing and we have his address which I will be emailing to everyone, I do not want to put it on the blog. But at the meeting last night we were told to watch what we say about our soldier and where is he. The only thing you are allowed to say is Blake is in the Army and he is deployed to Afghanistan. They don't want their location to be revealed to anyone. So I just thought I would share that with everyone.

Blake will be leaving from Fort Lewis on July 11th. So from today we only have 17 days. I cant believe that we are counting down days now. For so long we would say next year or 6 months now we only have 2 weeks. Its sad but I know that he will be safe and he is excited to go. Also we were told last night that we will only get to talk to him once a month. And that doesn't always mean on the phone. It might only mean that we get an email from him once a month. Their goal is to get the soldiers to be able to talk to family weekly but they aren't sure that will happen. So if you don't hear from Blake don't be alarmed and please try not to get upset. If something bad happens over there I will be the only one that is informed and I promise that I will let everyone know as soon as possible. I will also keep you updated on what I hear from our Captain's wife. So his deployment is coming up fast so try to get your phone calls into Blake because his phone will be shut off the last week he is here. And again please pray for us because this is starting to become real and its getting harder by the day.

We love all of you!!