It's hard to believe that June is almost over and we're careening toward toward July as quickly as I've ever felt a month coming on. During the year that Adam was deployed, time really seemed to stand still at certain points. I think the worst were the months of February and March, when it seemed as though every day lasted 40 or 50 hours, and we used to talk about how we felt like we'd never see each other again. Part of that was due to his being on missions and us only being able to communicate via email, but another big part was just the anticipation of what life would be like when he finally did get home. Sometimes I'd lay in bed at night and wonder what it would be like to have him sleeping next to me, and I even started to worry that it would be hard to adjust to not sleeping diagonally across our queen bed anymore.
I am happy to report, though, that all of the apprehension was for naught, and that we have actually settled into married life much more easily than either of us had anticipated. The hardest part so far is to get used to NOT being around each other after the initial "glued at the hip" phase we went through when he was first back and during our honeymoon to Disney. Recently we wanted to watch different shows on tv, so he went to his "man room" and I watched on the big TV downstairs. Afterwards, we talked about how we felt guilty being in the same house but not being together in the same space, and we realized this comes from having done four years of long-distance dating/marriage. When we would visit each other during this time, there was an incredible sense of urgency to spend as much time together as possible because someone was leaving at the end of the weekend. Now, we're slowly adjusting to the fact that neither of us is going anywhere, and that it's ok for us to be the awesome, independent people that we've always been in this relationship haha.
Adam has been doing an intensive job search and is looking for things in all areas of education and student support, as well as government jobs. He is really focusing on middle and high school teaching positions since this is what he got his degree and certification in, but he is being very open-minded about things. We are trying to be patient and make the best of the free time that he does have now...don't be jealous ladies but my man does laundry, prepares dinner, cleans the house, and even packs my lunch for me in the morning :-) At the same time, we both know that we're facing a very tough job market here in Columbia, especially when it comes to teaching positions. A few weeks ago Adam attended a teacher job fair for a district almost an hour away and there were literally hundreds of people there for less than a handful of positions. Many schools are anticipating openings after the new fiscal year begins on July 1, but there's just so little out there right now that it's easy to start to become frustrated. Fortunately, he's been kept very busy filling out substitute teaching applications and setting up interviews for that in case he doesn't get a teaching job by the fall. In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers...not that he gets a specific job, but just that things work out according to God's plan and that we remain patient with and faithful to that plan. We know that we are supposed to be in Columbia right now--I'm sure I've said to many of you over the past year or two that "this is the place I'm supposed to be and the time I'm supposed to be here"--so we are just keeping our heads up and never forgetting what an immense blessing it is that I do have a job, and one that I love at that.
Anyway, I'm heading to bed, but I do promise that we're going to be better about blogging. We talk all the time about things I mean to post, but it's just the sitting down and doing it part that's difficult. Have a great week and be well!
D
Showing posts with label deployment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deployment. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
I shall now begin to blog
I have recently been inspired by the ambitious kids of HESA to go back to blogging, so here goes nothing :-) Stay tuned for the greatness that is sure to ensue!
D
P.S. Adam should be home in the next few weeks. That's all I know about it, honestly. I'll let you all know when he's back in the states.
D
P.S. Adam should be home in the next few weeks. That's all I know about it, honestly. I'll let you all know when he's back in the states.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving
So I have to admit, I've not been so good at keeping up with the blog over the past two months. OK, so I haven't even posted one thing :-) In my defense, Adam was away on a mission for the entire month of October and then another one in early November. Since coming back, he has primarily been working on constructing buildings and a bridge on his home base in Marez. His unit is the last vertical construction unit left in Iraq, so there is no shortage of things for them to do. The unit left two days ago for another mission, but Adam didn't go because he's coming home on leave in a few weeks and the unit probably won't be back in time.
Anyway, I know it's cliche, but it's the time of year when you naturally start thinking about all of the things you're thankful for. This year, Adam and I spent time talking about all of those things, and we wanted to share some of them with you.
First, we are thankful for such a benevolent God, whose love and grace never cease to amaze us. Every day we become more convinced that He holds the ultimate plan for our relationship, and that all things are under His control. We know that, without Him, we would not have made it through the past five years, and that it is only by relying on His strength that our relationship will continue to grow for many years to come.
We are thankful for each other and for the absolute committment we have to our marriage.
We are thankful for our families and friends who have always and continue to support us, advise us, and love us unconditionally. Adam is especially thankful for everyone who keeps him in their prayers and sends him packages, cards, and other things to keep his spirits up while he's deployed. I'm particularly thankful for everyone who has supported me in more ways than I can even name as I've gotten used to Adam being gone.
We are thankful for the ball of fuzz named Brady, who has provided me with lots of love and company over the past few months. He has totally surpassed our expectations for our first family dog, and we look forward to many more years with his crazy antics.
We are thankful for the full-time employment that will begin for me in January during a time when so many are facing the awful struggle of unemployment.
We are thankful for a warm home as the weather gets colder, for plenty of food and clothes, and for having all of our other needs met, even those we don't even realize we have.
We are thankful for Adam's continued safety, and for both of our continued good health.
Finally, we are thankful for another year of life, love, and happiness that we have been able to share with each of you. Be well, and be blessed!
Anyway, I know it's cliche, but it's the time of year when you naturally start thinking about all of the things you're thankful for. This year, Adam and I spent time talking about all of those things, and we wanted to share some of them with you.
First, we are thankful for such a benevolent God, whose love and grace never cease to amaze us. Every day we become more convinced that He holds the ultimate plan for our relationship, and that all things are under His control. We know that, without Him, we would not have made it through the past five years, and that it is only by relying on His strength that our relationship will continue to grow for many years to come.
We are thankful for each other and for the absolute committment we have to our marriage.
We are thankful for our families and friends who have always and continue to support us, advise us, and love us unconditionally. Adam is especially thankful for everyone who keeps him in their prayers and sends him packages, cards, and other things to keep his spirits up while he's deployed. I'm particularly thankful for everyone who has supported me in more ways than I can even name as I've gotten used to Adam being gone.
We are thankful for the ball of fuzz named Brady, who has provided me with lots of love and company over the past few months. He has totally surpassed our expectations for our first family dog, and we look forward to many more years with his crazy antics.
We are thankful for the full-time employment that will begin for me in January during a time when so many are facing the awful struggle of unemployment.
We are thankful for a warm home as the weather gets colder, for plenty of food and clothes, and for having all of our other needs met, even those we don't even realize we have.
We are thankful for Adam's continued safety, and for both of our continued good health.
Finally, we are thankful for another year of life, love, and happiness that we have been able to share with each of you. Be well, and be blessed!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Made it to Kuwait
Over the weekend, Adam dropped me an email to let me know that he has officially made it to the base in Kuwait. They had a total flying time of about 14 hours, with more than 10 hours of layovers. Obviously, their sleep schedules are all messed up, but they're being given about five days to get back on track, and have been told that their main responsibilities right now are to drink water, rest, and regain their strength. A large portion of Adam's unit is sick right now, and that includes him :-( It's a cold-type thing, stuffy nose, cough, all that fun stuff. He thinks it's a combination of climate change, travel, weird sleep schedule, and close quarters.
Adam reports that the food from the chow hall is really good, and is actually provided by an outside vendor (that explains a lot). The base where they are is the base that almost all troops entering the Middle East stop at to do their "climitization" time, so it's pretty well built up. He said that they have a Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks. Tough life, eh?! His barracks are air conditioned, so he's been staying inside a lot, but the theme of the email really seemed to be "It's unbearably hot." His ankle is still healing (from where he sprained it the first week of July), but he's now able to walk wearing his regular boots and the doctor says that he should regain total mobility over the next week or two. He said that the range of motion is still limited, but the pain is almost gone--please keep his overall health in your prayers, along with his safety, as he's technically both sick AND injured right now. Of course he's being all Mr. Tough Guy about it, but he promises me he's taking care of himself, taking Vitamin C for the cold, following the doctor's orders for the ankle, etc.
Adam's unit will be in Kuwait through the last week in July. After that, they will be heading into Iraq, although there is still no certainty as to where he's going to end up. He's hoping for the northern part, because it's cooler, but I'm just hoping for the SAFEST part. On Saturday, he was able to call and talk to me for a few minutes for my birthday!!! This was quite a luxury, and I certainly wasn't expecting it, but it totally made my birthday so special. It's looking like he'll probably call about once a week once he gets settled in at his post in Iraq, but really who knows. He has bought some pre-paid internet minutes, which is how he's been able to email, but he said the connection is awful--slower than dial-up and kicks him off every few minutes, so video or IM is out right now. We're really hoping that maybe it will be better in Iraq so that we can do some video chatting every few days. In the meantime, I'll take anything I can get!
I feel like my life is boring in comparison, but here's a little update on me. This week I'm working on pulling together a big mailing for the National Student Exchange at my internship. It's been a great project to work on because I have planned and executed it from start to finish, and it's given me a real sense of ownership and professionalism. I continue to coach students on academic success strategies at the Academic Centers for Excellence on Mondays and Fridays, and I find real fulfillment in working with them one-on-one. As I mentioned before, I went to Charleston on Saturday for my birthday, and as soon as I can get the pictures from Heather, I'll post a blog about that experience (sneak peak: it was AWESOME!!!). Most of my friends in the program are finishing up their internships in the next week or so, and so they'll be returning to Columbia soon. Honestly, I can't wait...I think it will really help me get life back to as normal as possible. I'm even looking forward to classes starting in the fall. I just want to keep as busy as possible to help this year fly by :-) Hope all is well out there, and thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!
D
Adam reports that the food from the chow hall is really good, and is actually provided by an outside vendor (that explains a lot). The base where they are is the base that almost all troops entering the Middle East stop at to do their "climitization" time, so it's pretty well built up. He said that they have a Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks. Tough life, eh?! His barracks are air conditioned, so he's been staying inside a lot, but the theme of the email really seemed to be "It's unbearably hot." His ankle is still healing (from where he sprained it the first week of July), but he's now able to walk wearing his regular boots and the doctor says that he should regain total mobility over the next week or two. He said that the range of motion is still limited, but the pain is almost gone--please keep his overall health in your prayers, along with his safety, as he's technically both sick AND injured right now. Of course he's being all Mr. Tough Guy about it, but he promises me he's taking care of himself, taking Vitamin C for the cold, following the doctor's orders for the ankle, etc.
Adam's unit will be in Kuwait through the last week in July. After that, they will be heading into Iraq, although there is still no certainty as to where he's going to end up. He's hoping for the northern part, because it's cooler, but I'm just hoping for the SAFEST part. On Saturday, he was able to call and talk to me for a few minutes for my birthday!!! This was quite a luxury, and I certainly wasn't expecting it, but it totally made my birthday so special. It's looking like he'll probably call about once a week once he gets settled in at his post in Iraq, but really who knows. He has bought some pre-paid internet minutes, which is how he's been able to email, but he said the connection is awful--slower than dial-up and kicks him off every few minutes, so video or IM is out right now. We're really hoping that maybe it will be better in Iraq so that we can do some video chatting every few days. In the meantime, I'll take anything I can get!
I feel like my life is boring in comparison, but here's a little update on me. This week I'm working on pulling together a big mailing for the National Student Exchange at my internship. It's been a great project to work on because I have planned and executed it from start to finish, and it's given me a real sense of ownership and professionalism. I continue to coach students on academic success strategies at the Academic Centers for Excellence on Mondays and Fridays, and I find real fulfillment in working with them one-on-one. As I mentioned before, I went to Charleston on Saturday for my birthday, and as soon as I can get the pictures from Heather, I'll post a blog about that experience (sneak peak: it was AWESOME!!!). Most of my friends in the program are finishing up their internships in the next week or so, and so they'll be returning to Columbia soon. Honestly, I can't wait...I think it will really help me get life back to as normal as possible. I'm even looking forward to classes starting in the fall. I just want to keep as busy as possible to help this year fly by :-) Hope all is well out there, and thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!
D
Friday, July 10, 2009
Adam has left the...country?!
Just wanted to post a quick update on Adam's travel. He left in the middle of the night last night and arrived in Ireland this morning for his layover. The airport had free WiFi so he was able to email me a quick update...turns out that their layover was going to end up being about 9 hours. The total process was going to take at least 18 hours (although I am unclear whether it's 18 hours in the air or 18 total). He should arrive in Kuwait sometime in the next couple of days, where he will be staying for two weeks before traveling to Iraq. Adam said that the whole purpose of staying in Kuwait will be to do "climatization," which he said basically involves drinking a lot of water and exercising to get your body used to the severe climate change. Once their bodies adjust, they will travel to a base in Iraq, although at this point they have no clue which base or even which part of the country. They are not told these things for security reasons and also because things are changing very rapidly over there right now, so they really may end up some place entirely different than what was originally intended.
On my end of things...I'm doing ok. I certainly would prefer that Adam be here with me, but I'm keeping myself busy with internship and Prac II and Brady and whatnot. Saturday is my birthday, and I'm going to be heading down to Charleston for the day with my friend Heather. I'm looking forward to seeing Charleston, as I've never been there before and have heard great things about it. It was one of the cities on my "must visit" list when I moved here, and I'm glad that I'm going to get to experience it with a Charleston veteran like Heather :-) Internship is about 2/3 done, and it's actually making me sad. I've really been enjoying working for the Office of Student Engagement, and especially love my supervisors there and the amount of autonomy I have. I really feel like a professional staff member and not just a grad student. I wish I was getting a bit more of a tan, but I'm inside from 9-5 most days, and it seems to always rain on the weekends haha Oh well, I'm sure that my skin will thank me in 20 years!
Anyway, hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. I'm heading to bed...have a great Friday!
On my end of things...I'm doing ok. I certainly would prefer that Adam be here with me, but I'm keeping myself busy with internship and Prac II and Brady and whatnot. Saturday is my birthday, and I'm going to be heading down to Charleston for the day with my friend Heather. I'm looking forward to seeing Charleston, as I've never been there before and have heard great things about it. It was one of the cities on my "must visit" list when I moved here, and I'm glad that I'm going to get to experience it with a Charleston veteran like Heather :-) Internship is about 2/3 done, and it's actually making me sad. I've really been enjoying working for the Office of Student Engagement, and especially love my supervisors there and the amount of autonomy I have. I really feel like a professional staff member and not just a grad student. I wish I was getting a bit more of a tan, but I'm inside from 9-5 most days, and it seems to always rain on the weekends haha Oh well, I'm sure that my skin will thank me in 20 years!
Anyway, hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. I'm heading to bed...have a great Friday!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Amazing weekend
So I wanted to post a little about Adam and my wonderful weekend in West Virginia. I arrived on Friday afternoon after spending the night in Charlotte with the always-lovely Jess Whalen. Her apartment is super cute, folks...reminded me of Carrie Bradshaw meets Martha Stewart. She also took me to this awesome little Mexican restaurant that is famous for its fish tacos, so I tried one not knowing if I would like it. It was DELICIOUS. I don't know if theirs are something special, but wow, I might be giving up the chicken and beef for fish tacos from now on.
Anyway, I left Charlotte on Friday morning and arrived in Morgantown just before 3pm. Adam stayed with Elroy on Thursday night (since he doesn't have an apartment anymore) and as I was driving up the street to the house, I actually started crying. I'm not really sure why, I think I was just overcome with all of the emotion of thinking I wasn't going to see him again for so long, and then the surprise of getting to see him, and the exhaustion of not being able to sleep the night before followed by the long ride. As soon as he came out of the house, there I was, boo-hooing all over his shoulder and snotting on his shirt. Of course he just laughed...that's Adam. And I just kept saying "But I'm HAPPY, I don't know why I'm crying."
That afternoon we went and picked up his diplomas since he wasn't able to attend graduation, and had lunch/dinner at the Boston Beanery. I let Adam pick pretty much every place we ate because he kept saying how much he missed certain places in Morgantown. After BB, we went to check in to our hotel and found out that his friend's brother (who is a valet there) had booked us a room on the "Private Access Floor" for only $70 a night! We got valet parking, a king suite, AND a Sleep Number bed, which I proceeded to play with for 20 minutes after we got into the room. Also, we had our own conceirge and a private "concerige lounge" where we were served breakfast each morning and could get snacks like soda, chips, and fruit all day. They also put out things every afternoon like mini quiches, pasta salads, and cookies. The room had a river view and a big TV, and a bathroom big enough for BOTH of us to get ready at one time (which we don't have here at the house). Overall, this hotel experience was so much more than we possibly could have expected.
We ate at Casa D'Amici, Black Bear, and the Regatta Bar and Grille. We had dinner at Oliverio's and got a couple's massage to celebrate our birthdays (mine coming up in July, his in August). We had martinis at the Vintage Room and walked along the river on the Rail Trail, holding hands and talking about how great it was to just be together again. We ordered dessert from room service on our last night there to just revel in each other and this amazing experience for a few minutes more. I can't begin to explain how good this time was for our marriage--it reminded us all over again of just how much we love each other, and how blessed we are to have found each other. It also gave us something very special to look forward to when Adam returns from Iraq.
The saddest part of the trip, obviously, was leaving. I had to drop Adam at the Clarksburg Airport, and, as I drove up, I was overwhelmed at the sight of all of the military families milling around outside. When I went in to use the bathroom, women were in there crying, wiping off smudged eyeliner and blowing their noses. In the terminal, kids hung onto their dads' legs and cried, as moms tried to explain that it was ok. Standing there, I had a moment that I was certainly not expecting: I was humbled. Ever since we received the news about Adam being deployed, I've had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Yes, I've accepted that this is part of his/our life, and I'm doing the best I can to keep living a normal life. However, I haven't been able to shake the feeling that this just isn't fair, that Adam and I DESERVE more than this, we deserve to get to live together the way that married people do, especially after so many years of living apart. But standing there in the airport, I realized all of a sudden that we are just one of many military family stories. We don't deserve this any more or any less than the guy we saw whose wife had a baby last week, or the couple who just found out they're pregnant, or the mother who was saying goodbye to her only child. In that moment it felt like I had been punched in the gut for being so self-centered.
As the next year plays out, I think the image of all of those families saying goodbye will come back to me when I begin to focus on how much it sucks to have Adam gone. It sucks for everyone involved, and feeling sorry for myself/us will not make it any easier. I am not saying that we're not allowed to have tough days, but it's hard to feel as bitter as I was feeling when you suddenly realize that you're one of many.
D
Anyway, I left Charlotte on Friday morning and arrived in Morgantown just before 3pm. Adam stayed with Elroy on Thursday night (since he doesn't have an apartment anymore) and as I was driving up the street to the house, I actually started crying. I'm not really sure why, I think I was just overcome with all of the emotion of thinking I wasn't going to see him again for so long, and then the surprise of getting to see him, and the exhaustion of not being able to sleep the night before followed by the long ride. As soon as he came out of the house, there I was, boo-hooing all over his shoulder and snotting on his shirt. Of course he just laughed...that's Adam. And I just kept saying "But I'm HAPPY, I don't know why I'm crying."
That afternoon we went and picked up his diplomas since he wasn't able to attend graduation, and had lunch/dinner at the Boston Beanery. I let Adam pick pretty much every place we ate because he kept saying how much he missed certain places in Morgantown. After BB, we went to check in to our hotel and found out that his friend's brother (who is a valet there) had booked us a room on the "Private Access Floor" for only $70 a night! We got valet parking, a king suite, AND a Sleep Number bed, which I proceeded to play with for 20 minutes after we got into the room. Also, we had our own conceirge and a private "concerige lounge" where we were served breakfast each morning and could get snacks like soda, chips, and fruit all day. They also put out things every afternoon like mini quiches, pasta salads, and cookies. The room had a river view and a big TV, and a bathroom big enough for BOTH of us to get ready at one time (which we don't have here at the house). Overall, this hotel experience was so much more than we possibly could have expected.
We ate at Casa D'Amici, Black Bear, and the Regatta Bar and Grille. We had dinner at Oliverio's and got a couple's massage to celebrate our birthdays (mine coming up in July, his in August). We had martinis at the Vintage Room and walked along the river on the Rail Trail, holding hands and talking about how great it was to just be together again. We ordered dessert from room service on our last night there to just revel in each other and this amazing experience for a few minutes more. I can't begin to explain how good this time was for our marriage--it reminded us all over again of just how much we love each other, and how blessed we are to have found each other. It also gave us something very special to look forward to when Adam returns from Iraq.
The saddest part of the trip, obviously, was leaving. I had to drop Adam at the Clarksburg Airport, and, as I drove up, I was overwhelmed at the sight of all of the military families milling around outside. When I went in to use the bathroom, women were in there crying, wiping off smudged eyeliner and blowing their noses. In the terminal, kids hung onto their dads' legs and cried, as moms tried to explain that it was ok. Standing there, I had a moment that I was certainly not expecting: I was humbled. Ever since we received the news about Adam being deployed, I've had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Yes, I've accepted that this is part of his/our life, and I'm doing the best I can to keep living a normal life. However, I haven't been able to shake the feeling that this just isn't fair, that Adam and I DESERVE more than this, we deserve to get to live together the way that married people do, especially after so many years of living apart. But standing there in the airport, I realized all of a sudden that we are just one of many military family stories. We don't deserve this any more or any less than the guy we saw whose wife had a baby last week, or the couple who just found out they're pregnant, or the mother who was saying goodbye to her only child. In that moment it felt like I had been punched in the gut for being so self-centered.
As the next year plays out, I think the image of all of those families saying goodbye will come back to me when I begin to focus on how much it sucks to have Adam gone. It sucks for everyone involved, and feeling sorry for myself/us will not make it any easier. I am not saying that we're not allowed to have tough days, but it's hard to feel as bitter as I was feeling when you suddenly realize that you're one of many.
D
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Exciting news!
Hi everyone! Just wanted to update you on the latest deployment-related news. Adam has just learned that he will be leaving the country on July 2 (although as we've already started to see anything Army-related can be changed at the drop of a hat, so that could get pushed back again). However, before he goes, the Army will be sending his unit back to WV to spend four days with their family and friends. Because he's deploying with the WV National Guard, they won't fly him back here to SC, so I'm going to drive up there to see him. This is such exciting news because we thought that we had already seen the last of each other for at least six months or so!
In other fun news, our wedding video is finished and my parents picked it up for us this week (THANKS MOM AND DAD!) in Philly. Mom mailed it out yesterday, so we'll actually get the chance to watch it together before he goes. I can't wait to see what the day was really like...so much of it was just a blur to me. Supposedly our pictures will be posted to the web sometime in the next few days as well, so I'll pass along that link as soon as they're up :-)
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. It's back to working on things for online research class for me. Two more weeks of this craziness and then hopefully I'll get a little of my life back!
D
In other fun news, our wedding video is finished and my parents picked it up for us this week (THANKS MOM AND DAD!) in Philly. Mom mailed it out yesterday, so we'll actually get the chance to watch it together before he goes. I can't wait to see what the day was really like...so much of it was just a blur to me. Supposedly our pictures will be posted to the web sometime in the next few days as well, so I'll pass along that link as soon as they're up :-)
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. It's back to working on things for online research class for me. Two more weeks of this craziness and then hopefully I'll get a little of my life back!
D
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Real quick first post
I just wanted to quickly say "Hi" to everyone and thank you for visiting our blog. We started this because many people were often asking the same questions of us about our lives (particularly about Adam's deployment), so we figured this might be a good way to keep everyone as up-to-date as possible. Of course, if you know me, you know there's no way I'll be able to be all matter-of-fact about posting, so expect to see a random thought here or there :-) And, hopefully, once Adam gets his internet set up in Iraq, he'll be able to update us some himself! Anyway, stay tuned because in our lives "Every moment is an experience" (Jake Roberts said that, but I like it!).
D
D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)