Turkey, steps, and snow.

Thanksgiving has come and gone. I went home and spent the holiday with my family. I ate lots of good food and spent a lot of time visiting and being lazy. I sure do love the turkey and pie.
Jacob took his first steps this evening!!! He walked from the recliner to me and then a little while later he did it again. YAY!!! I am so proud of my little turkey.
Jacob has had a cold for about a week now. I hope he gets better soon. I am also coming down with a cold. This is going to suck because Jacob doesn't care if Mommy doesn't feel well.
We got quite a bit of snow tonight so I will be out there with a shovel tomorrow morning... Oh, the great fun of living in North Dakota. I shouldn't complain I only have about a month left here. I am so looking forward to Texas weather. I love winter in Texas.
I wanted to do something special for David. Like make him something, but I can't think of anything good. I hope something comes to me soon.
I am dragging my feet on the whole packing thing. I really need to get my ass in gear. I hate doing things at the last minute but I work so much better under pressure.
It's my sister's 22nd birthday tomorrow. Wow, she's actually growing up. Thinking that my little sister is 22 makes me feel old. Weird, considering I am only a year and a half older than her.
David and I are doing pretty well. We haven't argued in a while and when we do it doesn't get as heated or last as long. That makes me happy, I think we have finally reached our comfort level in this relationship. I hope the happiness lasts when he is back. I am worried about stress causing arguing. I just have to remember to not get hung up on the little things.
"Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home." ~ Mother Teresa

Veteran's Day

It's Veteran's Day today and it has me thinking. In about 2 months my husband will be home from Iraq and forever on I will be married to a veteran. That just seems weird to me and so hard to grasp. I always thought of veterans as older men, those that fought in Vietnam , Korean war and WWII. That's not the case anymore. In a couple months I will know veterans that are younger than me, my age, and just a couple years older.
I have no clue how this war will change David. I do wonder what will be different about him. I know someone can not go to a war and come back unchanged, but how will it have changed the man I have known and loved for the past 6 1/2 years?
I know this war has changed me also. I can not exactly put into words how I have changed but it has.
Veteran's Day will no longer be a day I look forward to for the mere fact that I get the day off of work. From now on I will look forward to Veteran's Day because it will be the day I can show my hero, my husband, how much I appreciate what he did for our country.
Thank you David! Thank you veteran's! Thank you 1st Cav Boys!!!
"Live like he's deploying tomorrow..."

11 months ago today I became a Mommy!

I have now been a mommy for 11 months! It definitely does not feel like I have had Jacob for 11 months. In one month my baby will be 1 year old, I am seriously going to cry that day.

He has brought so much love and happiness into my life. My favorite part of every day is walking into his bedroom in the morning and seeing him peeking at me from between the rails on his crib. His face lights up when he sees me walk into the room and seeing that melts my heart. It is the best feeling in the world to know that someone loves you without any reserves.

LOVE is patient and kind;
LOVE is not jealous or boastful;
it is not arrogant or rude.
LOVE does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrong,
but rejoices in the right.
LOVE bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
LOVE never ends …
So faith, hope, love abide, these three,
but the greatest of these
is LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13

November to-do list...

It's November and I really need to get working on my list of things I need to accomplish before I move back to Texas. The thing is the lovely Army likes to leave things until the last moment, so I don't really know the exact date that I have to be in Texas. I won't know the exact date until right before I have to be there. Because of that I have decided to be ready to go by December 1st and take what comes after that.
Things I have to do this month~
~Get medical records for Jacob and I from Altru, Aurora, and Grand Forks Air Force Base.
~Get dental records for myself from the dental office I use.
~Get new tabs for the truck.
~Get insurance on the truck.
~Pack everything I will not be using until I am back in Texas.
~Apply for jobs in Texas. I am thinking Scott & White, Darnell, and Metroplex.
~Get rid of the junk I have laying around the house. Ebay here I come!
~Clean out the garage.
~Do Christmas shopping.
~Clean this house.
~Get this house ready for winter.
~Lose 8 pounds. This one is going to be tricky with Thanksgiving only 2 1/2 weeks away.
I am sure there is more to do but I think this is enough to worry about for now.
Jacob is growing up so fast. I can't believe he is almost 11 months old! Feels like days ago I brought him home from the hospital. When in reality it has been 10 months and 27 days.
David is having a tough time emotionally in Iraq. I think he is past ready to be home. I could never imagine being in his place, being away from your son and spouse for that long. I am running out of ideas on things to do for him to help him feel a little closer.
"We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love." - Mother Teresa

Jacob's first Halloween and a year since deployment day...

One year ago today the big white bus took my heart away...
David left for Iraq one year ago today. While I watched him walk out of that gym and board the white bus that would take him to the airport my heart broke. I had no idea how I was going to make it. It is the worst feeling in the world, watching someone you love walk away and you have no idea if you will ever see them again. While I watched him leave that gym so many thoughts filled my mind; how would I function without him, how will I give birth without him by my side, and will he ever meet his son. I have did it though. I learned to function without him physically being here, yet I email him my daily problems. I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and only cried a little. David met his wonderful son and watching him hold his son for the first time took my breath away.
I often think back to how I felt standing all alone on those crowded bleachers watching and feeling my heart leave. Then I think about all I have accomplished this past year and how I have grown. Only three words can explain how I feel: I made it.
I know I shouldn't jump the gun on the feeling of accomplishment because I still have 2 1/2 months to go but I know I can make it. Hell, I could do it standing on my head.
Today was Jacob's first Halloween. He went trick or treating and got lots of candy. He was dressed up as a puppy and everyone thought he was adorable. I did happen to notice there is some candy he can not eat so I guess that means Mommy will have to help him... Yay, for me!
My cousin, Sheena, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy early Monday morning. His name is Ashden and he is absolutely gorgeous. Congrats Sheena! I love you!
I do have a cute story to add to this post... My cousin's 5 year old daughter Hannah was playing with Jacob while we were visiting them. She cam up to me and asked me if she could take care of Jacob so I told her yes and let her play mommy. A little while later she asked me if she could "have" Jacob. I told her if her mom said yes then she could, knowing her mom would never say yes. She asked me that same question two more times before we went to pick her mom up for work and I told her I knew her mom would say no but if she said yes then she could have Jacob. We are on our way back home after picking her mom up from work when she asks her mom if she could have Jacob. Her mom says, "What?", and Hannah says, "Jessi said we could have Jacob if you say yes." My cousin's starts laughing and Hannah says, "Please Mom! I will do everything, even take out the garbage!" My cousin of course said no, but it was the cutest thing and a memory that continues to make me laugh.
Never be afraid to love and laugh. Memories made with those you love are the best of memories made.