Chase's R&R!

I started a countdown on my phone at 67 days

which felt like it would never get here.

I cannot believe that those 2 weeks have now already

come and passed.

The past 2 weeks of Chase's R&R have truly been

the absolute BEST 2 weeks of this whole

deployment.

7 months is far too long to go without seeing him.

We really had so much fun with best friends, family

and a lot of much needed and well deserved

"us" time.

Also, Chase was so sweet to make sure to set it up

so that he was here for our

One Year Anniversary.

~November 13~

How is it that this year has felt like it's gone by SO

incredibly slow, and yet I can't believe

that we've already been married for a year?

And, why did the 2 weeks that I wanted

to go by slowly have to just fly by?

Father time is not very fair.

But, I am SO grateful for the time that I was able

to spend with him.

We definitely made the most of every single minute we had!

Saying goodbye to him yet once again was still just

as hard as every other time I've had to

over the past year and a half.

But he made me realize that this time is the

LAST time I will EVER

have to say goodbye to him and drive

away from the airport crying.

Only 4 more months

(give or take)

and he will be back home to me

FOR GOOD!

So, the countdown to Feb. 1st is on

(Which is when I'm moving back to Hawaii to start setting up the house.)

and then it will only be another month and a half

to two more months to countdown

until he's home.

I CAN'T WAIT!!

 I was so excited to see him!

 ~KISSES!!~

 We had a double date night with two of our best friends and went ice skating!!

 xxoo!

 Happy One Year Anniversary!

 Our official new tradition! Instead of going out to dinner, we order pizza!

 I was so anxious to see what it was!

Love him SOO much!

Something that I love...

I loved this so much I had to share.

This is for the young women that are waking up at 6 a.m. every morning with small precious children that they have been left alone to care for. This is for the pregnant Military wife wondering if her husband will make it home in time to watch their miracle happen. This is for the childless Military wife, living in a town or on a base alone where she is a complete stranger to her surroundings. This is for the women that feel like a third leg when they go out with their friends and their husbands. This is for the Military wife that cancelled all her plans to wait by the phone, and even though the phone broke up and cut off every time you spoke to him you waited anyway. This is a pledge to the women that cry themselves to sleep in an empty bed. This is to recognize the woman that felt like she was dying inside when he said he had to go, but smiled for him anyway. This is for those of you that are faithfully in that long line at the post office once a month handling 2 large boxes and 2 small children like a pro. This is for that woman that decided to remodel the house to pass time, and then realized that she had no idea what she was doing and sighed and wished she had a little help. This is for all the lonely nights, all the one-person dinners, and all of the wondering thoughts because you haven't heard from him in days. A toast to you for falling apart, and putting yourselves back together. Because a pay check isn't enough, a body pillow in your bed is no consolation, and a web cam can never compare. This is for all of you no matter how easy or hard this was for you. Our military men are brave, they are heroes, but so are we. So the next time someone tells you that they would never marry a Military guy, don't bother explaining to them that you can't control who you fall in love with. Just think of this and nod your head, know that you are the stronger woman. Hold your heads up high, hang that flag in your front yard, stick 100 magnets on your car, and then give yourself a pat on the back. Be proud to be the woman that you are, be proud to be a MILITARY WIFE ♥

change..

Lately I'd been feeling, just so

..blah.

I hadn't changed my look for years and

it was just sort of getting, old I guess.  Plain.

Chase had never even seen me without my dark or black hair.  

(Except yeeears ago when we'd first met, when his family moved into my old house.)

So it was time for a change.

Chase always has this way of knowing exactly

when to say the right things I need to hear.

*He doesn't even know he does it.*

He makes me feel absolutely beautiful!

When I'm feeling as ordinary and boring as ever,

and I think I look awful,

he'll call and tell me he's been looking at my pictures and
simply wants to remind me how beautiful I am.


Hearing that from him is every time a jump start
confidence boost.
But I still just felt it was time for different.


SO...


First was my hair.  Since you can't dye over
black I had to have it lightened, which is
NOT easy to do.
I was really nervous.
I only trust one person with my hair, my friend
Betty, and she is so amazing.
5 1/2 hours later, I am now a brunette again.
There will also be blonde streaks later this week, 
it was just too much for one night.
It's difficult getting used to,
but it's beautiful and everyone loves it.


Next was my teeth.  They've never really
been very white, and I'd been noticing it
especially a lot lately.
White strips are time consuming and don't
work to the extent that I wanted.
So I had them bleached at my dentist's office
(thanks to wonderful husband)
and they are now so pretty I can't stop looking at them.


I feel great!
New.  Fresh.  Different.
It's exactly what I needed.

Life Today...

First, deployment is hard!  But we're getting through it.  3 months down, only 9 more long months to go.  I had one of my mom's friends ask me about a month ago, "So how is married life?", I answered "a lot like single life right now."


In order to keep me from going insane, or becoming a lazy hermit, I got a job for this year.  I'm working with my brother at Lashbrook Designs.  We make and manufacture wedding rings, specifically men's bands in special metals.  My job is quality control and engraving.  The finisher's bring me the rings, I clean them, inspect them, send them back to be touched up if needed and then engrave them.  I truly enjoy my job a lot!  And I like working with my brother, we have fun.


Work and the gym occupy the majority of my time and keep me busy during the week.  I spend my weekends with my good friends and family.  I'm trying to get out there and experience things.  Do things I never really have before.  I went hiking a few weeks ago with a friend and actually really enjoyed it and we've been planning to go a few more times before summer's over.  We're also planning a trip to Lagoon sometime soon since I haven't been there since 9th grade Lagoon Day.  I also want to go see Hill Aerospace Museum.  I don't know why, but it's in my mind that I want to.  I'm trying to make the most of my time and there's so many things that I've always wanted to do and just never have.  So now I'm just doing them.


Chase is now in Afghanistan and doing well.  He's doing security detail for the Lieutenant Colonel.  He seems to like it ok.  He says he's in a relatively calm place so that makes me feel better.  But he also tends to not tell me if or when anything happens to him specifically.  I think he does it to protect me so I don't worry as much, and to be honest, I'm kind of grateful for that.  I get to talk to him not every single day, but most days at least once.  It's never for very long, but I'm grateful for every time I get to hear from him.  It's amazing how much hearing his voice truly changes my day.  I don't even know why, but after talking to him my whole day is always so much better and happier.  He makes me so incredibly happy and puts me in such a perfect mood just by simply talking to him on the phone.  I'm so glad he's doing so good while he's there, but we both can't wait for him to be home.  

 

I can't even explain in words how much I miss Chase.  Nor can I explain just how hard deployment is.  For both of us.  But we're both keeping strong!  And despite the hard times, life is going good!

The shirt I had made.  I love being an ARMY WIFE!!

Army Wife Prayer

Dear Lord, 

Give me the greatness of heart to see the

difference between duty & his love for me.

Give me understanding that I may know,

when duty calls him - he must go..

Give me a task to do each day,

to fill the time when he is away.

And Lord, when he is in a foreign land,

keep him safe in your loving hand.

And Lord, when his duty is in the field,

please protect him & be his shield.

And Lord, when deployment is so long,

please stay with me & keep me strong.

Amen... Army Wife

More Hawaii..

Well, I made it back to Utah safe and sound.  While I know this is home, I'm already missing my Hawaii home.  And Chase.  :(  The last few weeks have been full of excitement.  Everyone was given block leave for 2 weeks before deployment, so the base felt pretty empty.  We spent every single day over at our good friends' house, the Mancuso's.  We played lots of cards and board games and hung out and had fun with each other.  I developed a new addiction to Call of Duty: Black Ops (a very popular video game for those who don't know).  We went to the beach a couple more times and went to the pool on base a LOT.  Last Friday (the 18th), we decided to celebrate my birthday 2 weeks early since I wouldn't be there for it.  Our friends' let us have it over there (since we were always there anyways) and another couple we're good friends with came over too. Kelly was so sweet, she had lots of goodies all set out and she'd gotten a pineapple (my favorite), and she even baked me an awesome birthday cake.  I got my choice for dinner, so of course we ordered pizza!  It was a ton of fun and very special to me!  


In one of my last posts I described about our house and how it was full of pretty big spiders.  Every few days there'd be another one here or there, and quite a few times Chase wouldn't even tell me what it was, I'd just hear him say "Got it!".  But nothing could have prepared me.  One day I was doing dishes, I'd dried the last plate and turned around and put it in the cupboard when I saw it.  A spider so big I saw it's eyes staring back at me.  It had just barely crawled out from under the laundry room door, which is right in our kitchen (how it fit, I'm not sure).  Im pretty sure I screamed, but I can't positively remember.  In 2 seconds time I wavered my options to either run and jump over it and hope it doesn't chase me down, or to roll over the counter underneath the cupboards.  I chose the counter and barrel rolled over it faster than anything I've ever done in my life.  I called Chase and asked him to please come home and get it.  But seeing as how I'd tended to exaggerate the size of spiders to him in the past, he wasn't exactly in a hurry. When he got there about 15 minutes later it had gone back in the laundry room.  He opened the door, looked around and then I heard "holy!" followed by "oh my gosh, I didn't believe you it was THAT big".  He took pictures of it to show everyone, then somehow managed to bend and shove it in a cup and then killed it outside for me.  It was honestly the size of Chase's hand.  And if you want proof, I have a picture of it I will show you.  


Leaving Chase was hard, and I miss him already!  But this year while he is gone I plan on doing lots.  I have many goals set that I will accomplish.  Lots of improving and bettering myself.  I want to learn how to cook!  Because right now, my gourmet chef skills can boil noodles and heat up sauce in a pan.  I'm also looking for a hobby that I can enjoy and become good at.  I'm not athletic in the slightest little bit and I can only scrapbook once in a while or I get sick of it.  *So, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!* Overall though, I plan on making this MY year, and making it a good one.  

Too Much Fun...

I was told I'd seen the ocean before, but I was too little to remember it.  Well that doesn't count.  Going to the beach and seeing the ocean for the first time was amazing.  It was a whole different and new feeling.  Being from Utah, my whole life I've looked out and seen mountains every direction.  I guess that sort of gave me a feeling of knowing where I am.  And that feeling made me feel safe.  So when I looked out at the ocean, and all I could see was water, it was...different. 

I have had so much fun these past 3 weeks since i've been here.  I've become pretty good friends with a few of the other wives.  We've gone out together a few times without our husbands to the beach and shopping and had a ton of fun!  The weekend before last, Chase took me downtown to Waikiki, which is the big tourist city on the island.  There are hundreds of little shops in strip malls up and the down all the roads so we walked around for a few hours and went in a bunch of them for fun.  Then we walked to the beach there and swam in the ocean and laid out for another few hours.  After that we went and Chase got another tattoo.  The two 8-point stars that he'd been wanting.  It was a great day!!  A few days ago we drove up Kolekole to go hike to see an ancient sacrificial rock Chase had told me about.  We got to it and decided to keep going.  It ended up being absolutely beautiful!  We got to a spot that overlooked a whole valley and then a little further up we got to see another valley.  It was so amazing!  It was a whole different scene of Hawaii than what people tend to think of.  Im glad I got to see it.   

While Chase is gone at work is the most boring time for me.  We don't have a tv and we only have internet once in a great while.  Thankfully we have our computer though (thanks again to those who gave it to us) so luckily I can watch movies on it.  On weeknights we like to stay in and just hang out with each other.  We watch a lot of movies and we bought Scrabble so we play that a lot.  We're still just enjoying being together and we're making the very most of the time we have left as deployment draws nearer.