The Journey Part 1

No pictures…yet. Please forgive; I want to post pictures of the house….but it is not exactly put together yet. Meaning our garage still has most of our stuff in it and the living room still has bags from basic training that Tim has yet to unpack. On the bright side the bedroom is done and organized so we are making some progress. Pictures soon…I want to say in the next week or so.

 

The trip across country was not too bad. We made really good time and once we got the dogs settled down it was fine. We went through AZ (of course), New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland and finally into Delaware. It rained from Kentucky until we got to Maryland. I took 2 pictures and they were of the dog. I had every intention of taking pictures…..but then I didn’t.

 

The only trouble came when we got to Maryland. The night before we decided it was getting late and we should stop. We were only 4 hours from Delaware, but it was 8pm and the roads nestled between the mountains were getting dangerous. The first problems came when we got off the interstate. In every other state when night approached we simply pulled off the road and picked one of the many places to stay. Maryland proved tricky…..we had to travel about 7-8 miles off the main highway to find a place and they….didn’t accept pets! So we traveled another 3 miles to a Best Western. More expensive, but pet friendly. Exhausted from the 12 hours of driving and the being lost, we went to bed expecting to get up early and be in Delaware by 10 am the following day. We awoke at dawn, actually before dawn at 5:30am. Ate a quick breakfast, packed our stuff, took the dogs on a walk and packed the dogs. We were on the road by 6:45. We went to turn down a side road so that we could turn around (we missed the road that would take us back to the highway) when the tongue connecting the trailer to the moving truck broke. Completely broke. Lucky for us we had pulled onto a side road. We called budget who stated they had to send somebody out to verify that it was actually broken and that we did not break it (even with Tim telling them they should bring another trailer because it was indeed broken) their policy however is to look first and then go get the stuff to fix it. So we waited 2 hours and 15 minutes for a guy to come out and say the following :”It’s broke and you didn’t break it.” Seriously? I was so mad. So the guy unhooked the trailer called budget and then said his goodbyes to us telling us that budget would be in touch. After about 45 min of silence we called budget…who stated they were working on finding us a trailer. While waiting we decided to take the dogs on a walk when a really nice older couple came outside to talk to us. They invited us into their home. The wife gave us lunch and then dessert and then keep trying to get us to eat snacks. The husband loved our dogs. They sat with us for several hours talking and when they had to run errands we got up to leave, they insisted that we stay there and watch television. We protested, I mean we are strangers and they wanted to leave us alone in their house? But they insisted and we relented. At noon I called budget and they stated that a trailer would arrive in 2 hours. At 2 we still did not have one. Tim called and found out one had never been sent. They said one would arrive in an 1 and 45 min. We were furious. Finally after waiting all day we got our trailer at 3:45pm. We were able to leave by 4:15 and were on the road again. We stopped another night. We made it to Dover by 11ish that Thursday.

You’re amazing if you read all this. Our first week will be written about in another post.

Sea Life with the family

  Alicia, Lucy, Mike, Christie, Adden, Berlynn, Annie and I went to Sea Life. Here is the one picture I got of Annie looking at me.

 

Cousins exploring.

 

This eel in particular freaks me out. Alicia pointed out that it looks like one of the evil eel’s from The Little Mermaid. So true!

 Cute!

 

Lucy was so brave. She touched a starfish with her mom’s help.

 

Kisses!

 

Hello.

 

Just a smiling manta ray.

Jaws.

 

Beautiful ladies.

Cute.

Summer 2012

Summer 2012 has been short, LONG, hard, EASY, silly, boring, FUN, silent, LOUD, empty, FULL, working, SLEEPING, friends, FAMILY, busy, not busy, fun, HARD, lots of food, DEPRESSING, road trips, patience, learning, BONDING, hurting, thinking, changing, MISSING, growing closer to Tim while being separated by thousands of miles.

 

I have not blogged in a while and I kind of miss it. I know a lot of people do not read my blog, but writing it is like taking a look back at how far Tim and I have come and I love that. June was busy and kind of easy. I spent it working and I had just got back from seeing Tim so I was missing him less. July was a blessing as well because I was able to go and see him again. Then I started the countdown. Tim was supposed to be coming home on Aug 22, it was set in stone, his plane ticket was bought we would be living together in a few short weeks. Well one lesson learned this summer is that nothing is set in stone and that things do not always work the way I believe they should (I kind of already knew that, but I suppose it’s good to have it reinforced sometimes. J) Tim did not come home.

 Long story short at the beginning of the summer military officials asked Tim (and the other Airmen) a health survey about their wives and Tim answered that I had asthma. Now that is a true statement, sort of. I have asthma attacks when I get bronchitis, or when I get other respiratory illnesses. So maybe two times a year (usually once) I will get sick and then I have to be careful because my asthma flairs up. But I never really saw myself as having an illness. I do not take medication and only very rarely use my inhaler. I believe this year it has been used twice and that was due to having bronchitis. However because of that I needed to have my doc medically clear me to travel with Tim…..something they were supposed to tell him in June and due to a mix up in paperwork they did not tell him until two days after he was supposed to come home.  The 11 page document that had to be filled out by my doctor took a week for me to get filled out and will now take about 2 weeks to be processed. Though Tim was told that they are trying to expedite the process so that we can move to our next base…together.

 August has been the most difficult month for me. I quit work on August 17, in order to pack (as I thought I was moving). So my time is not really filled and as people know nothing breeds sorrow faster than sitting around the house feeling sorrow for one ’s self. Luckily I am blessed with an abundance of love surrounding me. Sister-in-laws who loan me their children, time and house. Aunts and cousins who share with me their food, support, ears and babies to cuddle. Nieces and newphews who play and act silly and dogs who cuddle and give kisses. They have kept me afloat during this difficult time.

 I saw Tim over the Labor Day weekend and it was great. We watched t.v., ate really crappy food, took a road trip (ended up in Oklahoma), saw some cows , horse and more cows, played games and got some rest. It was bliss. I am grateful for that opportunity and everybody who helped by watching my dogs, letting me park my car at their house or by thinking and praying for us.

If you are still reading this you deserve a gold medal. J

So I am here in Texas reviewing the last 8 weeks of my life. It’s possible several of my family and friends think that I have been kind of distant and I suppose that would be a correct assumption. But here’s a confession for you: these last couple of months have been painful and difficult. To hear Tim’s name made me ache. To hear questions of how he was was to say the least painful. Not that I was upset with the questions or thought they were wrong, that is not what I am saying. But every question that had his name in it pushed my mind to think of him and thinking of him was to say the least brutal.

Tim has done wonderful. He is one of the best in his group and he has made me incredible proud. He says of the experience that he has both loved and hated boot camp. He has made friends, which is no surprise and has told others of his beliefs even getting one of his new friends to meet with the missionaries at church. I am not surprised-I’m just proud.

This week Tim graduates and we are so excited. We have had limited contact-on Sundays we get a 10-15 phone call, but we are excited to be reunited. I flew in today, Monday. More than likely it will be Thursday before I see him, but there is the slimmest of chances that we may get to see each other on Tuesday and Wednesday. Why did I come so early? To sit in a hotel room and wait for the call of my husband that may or may not come? Actually yes that is exactly why I came so early. I’m sure some find it silly-but I do not care. These past few weeks have been a deep pit of depression, loneliness and work problems that have left me sleepless, anxious, angry, worried and depressed. Now I am sleeping about 5 min (not even that) from Tim’s base. I love being this close even if we are not together yet-I can wait.

For those wondering, we do not yet know where we will be stationed. We should be getting that info sometime in mid-July. The next phase of Tim’s career will start next Monday when he starts school. But this is an improvement as Tim will be able to call people at night after school. His communication will be more frequent with everyone. He loves and misses you all, as do I.

Love and Blessings,

Jess

Sea Life

There is me exploring and below is an eel that both creeped me out and facinated me.

A starfish just relaxing. I have never seen one that color before.

I still feel bad about about him/her. He was hiding and all I could see were his legs (tenticles?) but I snapped a picture anyway. My flash was on. I think it spooked him because he moved. Then I look to my left where there is a sign that says this "Please do not use flash photograhy it upsets me." Ummm oops.

Timmy getting to explore and another darling starfish.

........There is the rescue turtle. I loved her. She was injured by a boat in Georgia. Her shell was damaged and she could not swim very well. So she was fed ex'd (with her trainer) to Az where she has been on the mend every since. She is doing good and they have mended her shell enough that she can swim!

It was such a fun day. One of the last outings we had before Tim left. I miss him so much. I never realized how much I really love being a wife until he left. The cooking, the picking up after him and the bugging him to do things for me (because that define the word wife...I kid...I kid). Which honestly required little bugging as Tim was always helping around the house because he pretty much rocks at being a husband. It's hard right now but I suppose there is some lesson to be learned. Stubborn me it seems the only way I learn is through hard lessons.

Love and Blessings,

Jess

Thankful Times

The very left is a picture of my family-in law. Great people and friends. This is my friend Scott and his dog Willoughby.

The photo with the little girl is my oldest brother Justin and my niece Emerson....his wife is one of my best friends...sadly she hides from the camera so I could not get a picture on here. The two young cuties are Craig and Stephanie. Craig always give me such amazing advice and always tells me he is proud of me. Stephanie is the sweetest person you will ever meet and always make you feel like she really is happy to see you.

These two studs are Gabi and Katie-my besties from another mother. I love these two beauties and miss hanging out with them so much!!!

So I've been wallowing and let's be honest as fun as it's been I'm trying to move past that. It's been a lot of things...Tim being gone, Tim's grandpa passing away and just generally being sad. Today I got to talk with a friend who helped me see things more clearly and I've decided for the rest of the month to post things I am thankful for on my facebook as a reminder of how blessed I truly am. I make no promises that I won't wallow again in the foreseeable future....but right now I'm good.

Today I am thankful for friends. Though they are spread out across the US I am thankful that they are only a phone call or IM away.

Love and Blessings to all,

Jess

These are Scotts kids and this picture just makes me happy.

11 Question

1. Write eleven random things about yourself.

2. Answer the eleven questions given.

3. Write eleven new questions.

4. Tag someone else.

11 Random Things:

1. I had braces for almost 3 years and still have weird teeth.

2. I have a serious fear of crickets.

3. Next to Tim my grandmother knows me best and next to Tim she is my favorite person in the world.

4. I am super sad that Tim is leaving for 4 months. ( A lot sadder than I act.)

5. I slept with a panda bear named Mr. Penguin until Tim and I got married.

6. I am the middle child. I am number 3.

7. People back in KY think that I am loud and outgoing and people here in AZ think that I am quiet and shy. The truth is I am loud and outgoing around people that I have known for a really long time. I am quiet when around new, strange, difficult or large groups of people. I am not shy-I just have nothing to say. :)

8. As evidence from number 7 I am not a people person-although I wish I was.

9. I love games like this.

10. I adore my dogs and may in fact treat them as my babies.

11. I love having my hair played with.

1. What is your dream vacation? Feel free to be specific. I am not sure why but I have always wanted to go to Ireland. My grandmother's family is from Ireland so maybe my desire to go stems from some ancesteral call. I hear it's beautiful, green and without snakes. My kind of place.

2. Where is the best place you've ever gone out to eat, and what did you get? This rinky dink looking place called Salsa has amazing Mexican food. Each time I am only brave enough to get the steak quesadilia, but each time it's just as awesome.

3. What would you do if you had the whole day to yourself (no kids, no work, no
obligations)? I would be very lonely!! I would love to spend the day with Tim doing whatever, hanging out, television, games, cleaning, talking, reading. Boring I know, but I would rather be doing anything as long as I am with Tim than something amazing without him.

4. What is your favorite book and/or movie? Fav book right now is The Hunger Games. But my favorite book of all time hands down Little Women or Anne of Green Gables. Favorite movie?? Sherlock Holmes A Game or Shadows and the Harry Potter Trilagy.

5. If you could pick any sport to be a professional in what would it be? I used to swim in middle school and loved it. I wish that I still did that.

6. What did you have for breakfast this morning? I do not eat breakfast. I ate pasta at noon.

7. Do you prefer staying up late or getting up early, why? I love being up late and sleeping in. I don't know the world is quiter and calmer at night. Plus night time is the time that Tim and I get to hang out. It's always been a pleasant time rather than the hustle and bustle of the morning.

8. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? Depends on the age. For most of my elementary school years I wanted to work with dolphins and that translated to being a marine biologist. Up until my senior year of high school I wanted to teach high school history. I am going to school for social work, but I would give anything to be a stay at home mom.

9. Favorite dessert? I enjoy gummy bears or pumpkin pie.

10. Favorite holiday, and why? My anniversary. I love being married-I love celebrating marriage.

11. Favorite thing to watch on tv? FRIENDS!!!!! Or The Office.\

Feel free to play or not play.

1. What is your biggest fear?

2. What is the best day of your life?

3. Favorite birthday? Why?

4. Dog, Cat, or Skunk? Why?

5. If you could live anywhere where would it be and why?

6. Favorite season?
7. Favorite person?

8. If you could have dinner with 3 people who would they be and why?

9. Favorite age and why?

10. Do you like travel and where is the coolest place you have been?

11. What book/movie character is most like you?