Its been a crazy ride....

Well he is officially deployed...Life has been hectic for the last several weeks. Every night has given me 5-6 hrs of sleep...between work and things to do there hasn't been any free time and quality time suffered. He constantly had to go back to the base for more appts! From here to Scott AFB is about 3 hrs and he made 4 trips there and 3 trips back for about 21 hrs of driving time alone! I was able to go for a few days and I spent so many hours in waiting rooms or in holding rooms because it was high security areas...lemme tell you I was wore out and I wasn't even the one going through this! Our last weekend at home was stressful...packing for a year long deployment isn't easy and we had a checklist! Wow!!! I think we went to bed at 12am that night and he had to get up early to go back to Scott...on those days he came home at 8pm. I managed to cook for all those nights except for the last night :( I was so busy...so we had leftover enchiladas. That's his favorite but in my opinion I would have rather have given him a hot fresh meal....oh well...

We went to Scott for our final trip on Tuesday and picked up more items...He was always getting something new...would have been nice if it was for fun! LOL!! But he was getting assignment stuff... We stayed off base and it was nice...the week before we stayed at the base "hotel" and we couldn't sleep the bed was a rock! Wednesday he finished his immunizations Thank God! Smallpox, anthrax etc etc...he had bandages on both arms... what a way to go right?  I think we left the base around 4pm that day after a day long of assignments and waiting for people to come back from lunch! That day we had Thai for lunch...it was pretty good except for the little boy (who was so cute!) who desperately needed a nap...He screamed and screamed and the mom did nothing to stop it. She was on a date you know.... Poor Steve had his meal covered in onions...I took them off for him :) I always do.... He doesn't mind the onions I cook in our food because I cook them down so much you don't know they are there.... He says he loves my food and would rather eat at home than eat out...what a compliment :) I miss my Steve. Sorry for the rambling....it happens :)

I got to see the armory that day kinda neat...filled with supplies up to the ceiling...The armory workers looked like armory workers ha ha!! They could have had a bunker at their house and I wouldn't be surprised! We also ended up at the base airport and he got his ticket...He was to fly to Chicago and then spend the day in Indianapolis at an army camp before flying out to Germany...

Our last night we ate at Texas Roadhouse....We shared a plate like we always do...BBQ chicken and steak, loaded mashed potato's and steamed veggies...appetizer jalapeno cheese bites which were really good :) We had to go to bed early because his flight left at 6am...we woke up at 245 and hit the trail running...I was too busy at that moment to be emotional but this has been the most heartbreaking thing I have ever gone through even over leaving my family... We went back to the base to pick up his M16 and made it to the airport by 430...by the time the weapon got cleared it was after 5 and his plane departs at 6! Before that I had met a crazy lady in the bathroom...I told Steve about her before he got in line Didn't leave time for a lengthy goodbye...made my heart break...I couldn't leave until I couldn't see him anymore. He even got a run in with the crazy lady before he left...she was yelling at him and saluting...yeah. She got escorted out by cops ha ha!

I got out of the airport by 530 and was on the phone with Steve...it was my only connection left...I cant believe that this was it :( for a year...our plans are that he comes home in Aug for his furlough...so what? 10 months??? oh my..my head was racing and I was choked up on the phone...By the time I got home it was close to 9am...

It's hard to be alone when you have lived with someone who is literally your best friend. It sounds cliche but I love Steve and I like to be around him. I enjoy him and everything that makes him who he is! He treats me like a queen...if I had a rough day he takes care of dinner and runs me a bath... If I say I want an ice cream or tater tots from Sonic he is there...There is nothing that I lack, in material things or emotional...I can tell him literally anything without embarrassment and he can tell me anything and he does. We have no barriers in our communication, except now :( It's one of the reasons why its so hard...I feel like I got ripped into pieces..and no wonder. A part of me is halfway around the world! He is 9.5 hour time difference than me so when he called me it was 4somethin in the morning but he had to call me...Isn't that kind of love amazing? I miss everything about him...He never fails to tell me he loves me everyday, when he eats my food he smiles and gives me a fat kiss and thanks me for the best thing he has ever eaten... I miss him getting out of the car and his smile that goes from ear to ear and then saying "I missed you darlin" I have to go through 10 months -a year without this??? I miss his goofiness and our little sayings....ahhh...this isn't going to be easy...

I'm supposed to be putting a presentation together for this weekend and every time I look at it I get distracted, I need to get focused but mentally and emotionally I'm not with it. I have little motivation and whenever I have gotten frustrated I put on my ipod crank up the music and run. Ill probably weigh half of what I do when he comes home ha ha!!  I have tons of projects I can and should do but how do I when my heart is sad? Its not that easy!

Well the hard part is done and now I have to move on so to speak....It's going to be interesting how it plays out :) August is just around the corner...

Finally a day to slow down....

Well this weekend was a crazy blur....Steve had a flight delay due to severe rain in TX....so supposedly wouldn't come home til the next day! So me the crazy person I am :) drove to Chicago to pick him up. Got there in 2.5 hrs. Wouldn't be a prob but I had just got home with tons of bags to prepare Steve's Thanksgiving dinner the next day! Worth it though, I love my husband!

I woke up at 630 the next morning and started "dinner"...at about 730 my garbage disposal got clogged with potato peels. I have put peels down the disposal many times..why today? LOL!! So I had half a sink working..yikes!! I waited til 830 and woke Steve up...he didn't kill me...thank God! :) and we got it unclogged for 88$ Needless to say I worked all the way up until 530 but I made it!!! We had: green beans/bacon, turkey, ham, rolls, salad, mashed tato's and gravy, baked sweet potato's, mac n cheese, stuffing and if I forgot anything else oops!!! I made a chocolate sheet cake and banana cake (which I keep snacking on ugh!!) Due to my unforeseen road trip I did not get time to make a homemade pumpkin pie but oh well....Dinner was a success :) people were happy and fed, especially my Steve. He ate 2 plates and had room for 1 bite of dessert. Literally :) Today is the 21st and I have 9 days left before he leaves...not looking forward to it but time unfortunately moves on whether we like it or not!

Today he comes home...for just a little bit...

My hubby has been in Texas since last Monday. Training for his deployment to Afghanistan...he is beginning to dislike that word...He calls it the "A" word..I don't blame him. But he loves this country and will stand up for it. That is one reason why I love him so much, he is an honorable man...and tonight he comes home...yippee!!!!

So tomorrow I'm throwing (trying to at least) a Thanksgiving feast together. I have never put a dinner party type thing together so I am a little nervous I admit. I hope I can seat everyone...somewhere...my mom says not to worry and that people will enjoy themselves esp with a lot of food around! LOL! Thats the key! Stuff everyone so they don't notice that I don't have the fanciest/most organized house on the block haha! :) So I am making my shopping list and checking multiple times however I already know however long the shopping list is...I am going to have to run back to the store for SOMETHING. Lord Jesus give me strength! This should be an experience!

Well Here I Am....

My name is Michelle. I am originally from California and now live in Illinois. Many people ask me..."why in the world did you move here? There has to be a reason, people just don't choose to live here unless they have to!" and my answer? Because I am married to the love of my life and best friend who happens to serve in the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed in Virginia and got reassigned to the ROTC program at the University of Illinois. When we found this assignment out we actually had to google it! Anyway, married life has been awesome and I couldn't imagine life without him. Soo....

We went on vacation and the day after we came back his commander gives him orders that were sent in. Stating that on September 30th he is ordered to go to Afghanistan to serve for 1 year! Talk about knocking your world out of order! When he told me we were both devastated! He had just come back from Mississippi and was gone 37 days. It was a trying experience for me being so far from my family, so how was I going to make it a year? I still don't know....

So I am starting this blog...most advice from people who have been there done that tell me to stay busy..so here I am! I am currently working in Dialysis and to fill my time I have decided to pursue baking. Im not going to use this blog to post recipes although I might... I just signed up for a bunch of cake decorating classes which I am excited about! Baking is my passion and I hope to be able to pursue it more as I get better at it. I also am applying to a program at the local community college so we will see how that goes! Anyway....

As I write this, my husband is in Texas getting his training on and will be home Fri night....which I am anxiously awaiting!! Ta Ta for now!