Almost through month 2!

So, Jay and I are almost 2 months through this deployment! We are slowly starting to get into it. We started discussing what we are going to do on R and R. We want to go somewhere for about 4 or 5 days. We have a few different options that we want to do. We are leaning towards going to Vegas for a few days. Jay really loves it there (he loves the gambling). I love it to. We have a lot of good memories there so it will be nice to go there. Everything seems to being good on the home- front. Slowing getting into a routine here at home without him. It's hard someday's, but there are more good days then bad ones. I think once we get past next month the rest of the time will fly by. With the holidays and such it will help with the time factor. The weekends are the hardest. It's the time that I was used to him being at home and hanging out with me, and now I'm here alone so I really don't do anything.

I'm going home, to Ohio, in a couple weeks to run Towpath marathon. It's a little disappointing because Boston Marathon did a different registration this year, so it really doesn't matter what I run because i won't be able to run it this coming spring. I'm a little disappointed about it, but I can try to run the qualifying time since I have been working so hard the last couple months. It's frustrating but there is really nothing I can do about it now. They did the registration for two weeks and that was it. I think they are trying to limit the number or entries since it is about 40k runners. All well, I really want to run 50 miles next year, so getting as many marathons in as possible for training is what I need to do. I have a few that I want to do and I might go run some different ones that I've never done for fun. It's a bummer that Jay can't go but he will be there for the 50 so it's all right.

Well that's about it. Just getting through the deployment. It's been rough not having him home, but soon it will be over and hopefully we won't have to go through this for the rest of his career.

Deployment Day!

So, I haven't posted anything on here in awhile. It's been a fast couple months with lots of things going on. Jay deployed for Iraq at the end of July for, hopefully, his last deployement (wishful thinking, honestly). He made it safe and sound. Getting ready to get the job done there and get home. The first month is almost over. It's gone a lot faster then I thought that it would. It's been a lot of ups and downs. Some good days, some bad days. We are getting through it.
It's hard to describe how it makes someone feel. I'm so proud of him but I'm selfish. I want him here. Making memories. So, instead I'm here making memories for him. I started scrapbooking for all the days of the deployment. Obviously, I'm not doing all 365 days because that would be overwhelming, but I'm doing most of the days. I want Jay to see what was going on and the things that the dogs and I did while he was away. It should be a fun little project and something for me to work on while he gone. It's a fun thing for me to start learning.

Wedding pictures!

yay! We got married :)

Just a few of the wedding pictures that people took :)

T- 3 days!

I'm starting to get excited about the wedding! Jay and I are leaving El Paso for Las Vegas on Friday morning. We have a couple things to do once we get there, but Friday is going to be a very relaxed day in terms of wedding things. Well, I mean it is the most important thing that needs to be done, get our marriage license :) We are doing a buffet after the wedding and pictures with our family and friends. We didn't want a reception because we aren't really a party like that type of people. It is going to be very relaxed and low- key. We have about 15 people coming to celebrate with us, which is really amazing that we have so many close friends and family coming to share our special day with us!

I'm getting nervous/ excited about it. I can't believe how fast the time went since we got engaged and starting planning the wedding. I'm very excited about it! It's supposed to be sunny and warm on the day. Perfection! Well, I will post pictures once we get back next week! Lots of amazing wedding/ honeymoon pictures to come :)

Wedding

Well, it is getting to be that time. We are about a week and a half out from the wedding now. The last couple months, since I have been in Texas, have really flown by. It's exciting to realize how fast things have gone and how fast the wedding plans came together. I guess that is what happens when you decide Vegas is the place for your wedding. I'm excited about it. Good pictures are to come after our honeymoon and Vegas fun! Ok, but I just had to talk about the wedding because it is so close :)

Goals for the rest of the year!

- Get married! (Happening in about 2 weeks)
- Run a couple marathons, which will enable me to qualify for Boston Marathon this year!
- Visit old friends that I haven't gotten to spend a lot of time with in the past year!
- Be a good wife and supporter because the rest of this year is going to be a test and challenge.
- See as many interesting (as many of those places that there are) in this area, so that I can learn all about where I am living!
- Go to at least on major city, to visit, and explore! (Well maybe in the next year this will happen because the rest of the year is going to be busy with running and holidays)
- Buy myself something nice, or do something nice for myself at least once a month.
- Take a picture everyday, that Jay is away, to make an album of what has been going on here!
Having fun, interesting, goals to finish out the year will make the rest of this year to go by fast. It will help me keep my mind on the end results. I can't wait, for sure, to get married. That is the next thing that is going to happen for me! It's very exciting. I can't believe how fast the first half of this year has gone. I guess when you are happy the time goes by faster! More to come :)

Almost done!

Well, the month has gone by really fast. In the next week in a half, Jay will be home. I can't believe how fast it went by. He really hasn't said much about the training, but I think it has gone by without a hitch. The training factor of it will be over on Friday, which is exciting. He will probably call either Friday or Saturday and I'm very excited about it.

I'm going home next Thursday, so it will make the last couple days go by fast. I will be super busy the whole time that I'm home. It's very exciting to be going home. If Jay is home on Sunday, which will be the 30th day then he might be able to pick me up at the airport, which will be the best after not seeing him for 30 days. Gotta get everything in order this weekend in case he comes home earlier then expected. It could be any time from next Friday thru Sunday, so we shall see.

The wedding is fast approaching. I can't believe it's about a month away. The last 6 months have gone by really fast. We only have a couple of things left to do before the wedding. Jay has to pick out his wedding band (we already got mine) and pick a place to eat at after the ceremony. We aren't having a reception because of the destination. So, we are going to be eating somewhere with all the guest that are making the trip. When I booked our vacation, I added a heliocopter ride one of the nights. It is a ride over the city at night, which will be really fun. I'm looking forward to doing fun things that I have never done before. I think that once Jay comes home and gets a good night sleep he will be excited about it. He has sounded tired, so any wedding talk really isn't processing...haha. Well, that's the update from El Paso! Enjoy!

Twitter

So, I have been super bored since Jay left for NTC. I know it's only been a couple days and I have a month of this to go through, so I created a twitter site. I mean I had one before, but I really didn't know what it was all about. To me, it seems like something where you just post things. Kinda like facebook, but not as social networky as that. I figured it might give me something else to look at and read while I'm waiting for Jay to come home. It seems rather entertaining, but I'm not sure how long I will keep it. So, what does everyone else think about Twitter? Do any of you have it? I'm not really sure about it, and I really don't know how long it will take for me to get the hang of it. I uploaded to app on my phone, so I might use it more then I think.

On another note, Jay's mom sent me the wonderful wedding invitations in the mail last week. They are handmade by her and his sister and totally originally. They are amazing. Pink and black. Yes, I am surprised that Jay let me pick pink and black, but they are very classic and nice. Also, this week I booked the hotel and flights for the wedding week. I also, booked us on a helocopter flight over Vegas at night one of the days we are there. Super excited about it! Told Jay about it yesterday when he called. He sounded excited, but very tired. I'm sure once he gets back it will sink in and he will be more excited about it the closer it gets. We are getting close to finishing everything up for the wedding. Just have to talk to the venue again, in a couple weeks, and plan a place for the dinner afterwards. Jay said that he doesn't understand why people get so stressed out about wedding planning. I mean we planned ours in about 2 months time, but we really took the easy and less stressful way. It's going to a really fun time, and I can't wait!

NTC

Jay left for NTC on Friday. NTC is a training center that they go to so that they can train up before deployment. Its been a rough couple days for me. I know that this is important so that they are all safe and prepared for the things that they might experience when they go to Iraq, but it's still tough because we can't talk or see each other for 30 days. I'm trying to not count down because it doesn't help, but it's still a little tough to not look at things that way. I decided that I am going to make some photo collages to hang up on the wall going to our upstairs to surprise him when he gets back. We had talked about making them, but we never got around to it, so I thought the next 30 days would be the perfect time to work on them. I think that he is really going to enjoy them. I'm not going to be home, most likely, when he sees them because I am going to Ohio for a couple days toward the end of his training and won't be home when he gets here. So, he will get a little surprise, if he notices them, when he gets back. It will be something good for me to keep my mind on. I feel like if the first week goes by then I will be ok, but I will have home to look forward to and Jay coming home. I just gotta hang in there, and support what he is doing. I am with him because of who he is, not because of his job. I will support him in everything, so I just gotta hang in there!

Lily resting this morning. She wasn't yet in the mood to get up and start her day :)

Super cute!

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/momentsofmotherhood/twin-baby-boys-have-a-conversation-2469953

This video is super cute! Something that everyone reading should really check out. Big fan! Enjoy!

Wedding Flowers!

So, Jay and I are getting married in a couple months, and I ordered flowers online not knowing if I would like them or if they would even be what I wanted for our Las Vegas wedding! I didn't want anything crazy. Simple and classic. I found the ones I wanted online, so Jay told me to go for it and get our matching flowers for our mom's and dad's. I was concerned. I mean buying something like that online. I ordered silk because that is what we had in Melissa's wedding and I used them for the middle of our kitchen table. I wanted flowers that I would always have. Also, I wanted lilies. They are my favorite and it's what I wanted to have.  I'm always skeptical but since they didn't cost too much, I thought hey if they aren't what I want I can just get something else later. Well, I got them in the mail today and they are beyond anything that I ever expected. I thought ok, they are silk they might be a tad tacky or something, but they aren't. They are exactly what I wanted. Pretty amazing! Beyond my expectations. Really happy that this is what I went with. We also got matching flowers for our family, so everything is cordinating.

Some Pictures of El Paso!

Jay and I's house in El Paso!

The Mountains from my front door!

The new backyard! We are still going to put flowers and plants back there, but this is the finished product minus the furniture and plants!

Lily watching the men work in the backyard!

Sorry for the delay!

Sorry for the posting delay! I have been here roughly 3 weeks now. A lot has happened in that time:
- Jay and I decided to get the backyard finished, with a new patio, landscaping rock, and to be done still, new plants to really liven up the backyard.
- Lily has begun to adjust really well. She is starting to really like her new home, and she finally is getting used to Jay being around all the time. I left her with him a couple times and she did good without me being there.
- Jay and I decided that we are going to the Bataan Death March race at the end of March. We are just going to walk it, but I am really looking forward to doing it!
- I finally found a part time job. It took a little longer then I wanted. I have been really bored being at home all day with nothing to do. It's at the mall at the store at Express. I should be starting it in about a week. I'm really excited about it!
Lots of things about my new is starting to really come together. It has been really warm here. Nothing like Ohio. It has been an adjustment but nothing that I haven't been able to handle! Happy Reading!

Made it!

Made it to El Paso in 26 hours! Jay and I took turns driving and we made in on Saturday night and have had two days to relax and organize all my stuff in the house! The weather is unbelievable. Yesterday there was a major wind storm with tons of dust and haze, which hasn't been any fun. Did a lot of housing additions. I will add pictures soon! Right now I kinda feel like I'm on vacation but tomorrow, when Jay goes back to work, it won't be a vacation anymore! Took an adventure to Starbucks. Learning about all the things around here. Lily has seemed to adjust but she has had a couple accidents in the house since we have been here. Oops. She does like the backyard a lot. Still a lot of adjustments for her. She is doing a lot better then then I thought she would. Lots to do... will have to add pictures tomorrow! Happy reading!

T- 4 days!

Welp, the time has finally come where I get to finally be with Jay full- time now! I have a lot to get done in the next 4 days to get ready to move to El Paso. Jay has really been encouraging and helpful with the big move, and I think he is more excited to have be living there then I am, and trust me I am beyond excited! He sent a bunch of duffel bags in the mail that should help pretty much pack up everything that I own. I hope it all fits in the car! I have never driven/ rode that long in a car before. I hope that I don't like go crazy or something... From what I gather it is super warm and sunny there now, so the first week that I'm there I might just sit out in the backyard and soak up all the UV rays that I haven't seen in Ohio in about 3 months! Well lots to get done! I will be back to send updates soon! Pictures of my new life to follow once the journey begins! Happy Reading!

Moving day!

Moving to El Paso, Texas in 11 days. Lots to get done between now and then! Will keep the updates coming!

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my newly established blogging area! I thought this would be a good general area to let everyone know what is going on in my life! It's a good resource to see moving and wedding updates! Happy reading!