Well, I'm a little disappointed. I didn't lose any weight today.
I guess I'm not all that surprised. I didn't eat great this week and skipped out on two work-outs. I had pizza this weekend and Burger King and Wendy's this week. Now granted, I had chicken sandwiches at Burger King and Wendy's - but who am I kidding thinking the chicken sandwich makes up for the fries?
It's a fresh week and I get to make good choices this week. I'll go grocery shopping later today, so hopefully I'll avoid temptation...
We'll see.
I've lost 16 pounds so far during this deployment, so I'll try not to beat up myself too badly.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
5 Months Old!
My baby girl is 5 months old! I can't believe it and I don't want to believe it.
I love the baby stage. I love all the cuddling that goes with it and the constant smooches. I love the fact that I can get away with baby talk in public. I love Autumn's chubby cheeks and all her rolls and dimples. I don't want to let go of the itty-bitty baby stage.
To celebrate Autumn's 5 month birthday, I gave her what any good baby would want: rice cereal. It's kinda gray and smells like dirt. What's not to love?
Autumn had no idea (obviously) what was going on. She did great getting all strapped into the high chair. (Is a 5-point harness really necessary?) She didn't love the first bite, but did well with the rest of her cereal. Success.
Hey, Cutie - please stay small a little while longer!
I love the baby stage. I love all the cuddling that goes with it and the constant smooches. I love the fact that I can get away with baby talk in public. I love Autumn's chubby cheeks and all her rolls and dimples. I don't want to let go of the itty-bitty baby stage.
To celebrate Autumn's 5 month birthday, I gave her what any good baby would want: rice cereal. It's kinda gray and smells like dirt. What's not to love?
Monday, September 20, 2010
Care Packages 101
A friend of mine emailed me this weekend asking me for tips on care packages. She knows someone who's about to be deployed and wanted practical tips on care packages. So, here are my tips...
WHAT TO SEND
Each deployment location is so different, so the needs of the soldier will be different depending on where they're going. They may not be able to tell you exactly where they're going before they leave, but they should be able to at least tell you what they would enjoy when they're there. For example, Joel always requests that people not send him bulky things that he'll just have to carry home or have to pay to get sent back. Some bulky things just get left there for the next unit coming in.
Here are some things that Joel loves to get:
Keep in mind that most likely, your care package is going to the Middle East. It's hot there. Things melt. There's nothing like being teased with homemade treats that are inedible because they're all melted. That being said:
WHAT TO SEND
Each deployment location is so different, so the needs of the soldier will be different depending on where they're going. They may not be able to tell you exactly where they're going before they leave, but they should be able to at least tell you what they would enjoy when they're there. For example, Joel always requests that people not send him bulky things that he'll just have to carry home or have to pay to get sent back. Some bulky things just get left there for the next unit coming in.
Here are some things that Joel loves to get:
- Flushable wipes
- Deodorant
- Aleve
- Gold Bond
- Pictures/Drawings from home
- Letters/Cards
- Magnets for his locker
- Batteries for his camera
- Crossword puzzles
- Magazines
- Homemade goodies
- One-serving drink mixes (he loves the KoolAid mixes)
- Trail Mix
- Oreos
- Tea bags
- Coffee
Keep in mind that most likely, your care package is going to the Middle East. It's hot there. Things melt. There's nothing like being teased with homemade treats that are inedible because they're all melted. That being said:
- Don't send chocolate. Chocolate trail mix, chocolate chip cookies, chocolates bars... they will not survive.
- Aerosol cans
- Alcohol - It can be done, but don't risk it.
- Letters/notes from home about problems at home. Keep letters fun, encouraging and light. They have enough on their mind, wherever they are, and they need to keep focused on their mission. They'll have plenty of time to get caught-up on all the drama they missed when they get home.
- Your care package will go via USPS. You will drop it off at a branch and they will ship it to a military base. From there, it will go on a military plane and fly to your soldier's destination. Packages can take up to 10 days to get there. This deployment, packages take 6-7 days.
- You package will need a Customs Form. On the form you will need: your address, your soldier's address, a list of the items in the box including the quantity of each item and the approximate value of all the items in your care package. (I always bring a list with me of all these things, so I'm not stuck there wondering what I have in the box.)
- The custom form only has 4 lines to list the items in the box - so if you're sending more than 4 different kinds of items, you may need to fill-out 2 forms. I've gotten creative with this. For example, if I'm sending 6 different kinds of snacks, I will list it as "snacks" and write 6 as the quantity.
- When in doubt, ask. I've found the Post Office employees to be so helpful! They are always willing to take the time to answer my questions and they have always been very patient with me.
- Pack the box well. I always keep brown packing paper around to fill in open spaces in the box. Remember, both the USPS and the military are handling your box. Just saying.
- Double and triple tape the seams and edges of the box.
Friday, September 17, 2010
MilSpouse Friday Fill-In
Hop on over to Wife of a Sailor and join in on the fun!
1.How do you spend your deployment money, do you save, pay off bills or enjoy the extra money while it is there to buy the things you do not normally have? (from Troop Petrie)
We do a little bit of everything. Joel and I have a goal to become debt-free, so I'm working to get some debts paid off, including my student loan. (See ya Sallie Mae). I have a few to-do's on my list that are not in our normal budget, including getting our trees trimmed (done) and getting some rooms painted professionally. And then there's some fun trips to the mall to get this somewhat skinnier body some new clothes. The extra money during deployment is definitely nice, but I'd much rather have my hubby home.
2.If you could relive one occasion or moment, what would it be? (from Currently On Land)
My wedding day. It was just amazing - from beginning to end.
3.What’s the worst job you ever had and if it was so bad why did you take it? (from Faith and Deploying)
I was a grocery store check-out girl for about 6 months in high school. It was a new store that eventually had plans to have a Starbuck's inside. I was hired on for Starbuck's, but worked up front while Starbuck's was being built. I hated it. I have so much respect for people who do this job!
4.If you could play any character on TV, who would you be? (from Many Waters)
I'd be Pam on The Office. That show is hilarious and that particular kind of dysfunction seems like too much fun.
5.If you could become the world’s expert in something, what would it be? (from Army of Two)
I'd be the world's expert landscaper. Crazy, right? I love landscaping and have a stack of landscaping books that I could seriously read over and over again. I watch all the landscaping shows on PBS and love to pop in to Lowe's and other greenhouses just to look at plants and read tags. I know I'm making myself sound totally lame here. Don't judge me.
1.How do you spend your deployment money, do you save, pay off bills or enjoy the extra money while it is there to buy the things you do not normally have? (from Troop Petrie)
We do a little bit of everything. Joel and I have a goal to become debt-free, so I'm working to get some debts paid off, including my student loan. (See ya Sallie Mae). I have a few to-do's on my list that are not in our normal budget, including getting our trees trimmed (done) and getting some rooms painted professionally. And then there's some fun trips to the mall to get this somewhat skinnier body some new clothes. The extra money during deployment is definitely nice, but I'd much rather have my hubby home.
2.If you could relive one occasion or moment, what would it be? (from Currently On Land)
My wedding day. It was just amazing - from beginning to end.
3.What’s the worst job you ever had and if it was so bad why did you take it? (from Faith and Deploying)
I was a grocery store check-out girl for about 6 months in high school. It was a new store that eventually had plans to have a Starbuck's inside. I was hired on for Starbuck's, but worked up front while Starbuck's was being built. I hated it. I have so much respect for people who do this job!
4.If you could play any character on TV, who would you be? (from Many Waters)
I'd be Pam on The Office. That show is hilarious and that particular kind of dysfunction seems like too much fun.
5.If you could become the world’s expert in something, what would it be? (from Army of Two)
I'd be the world's expert landscaper. Crazy, right? I love landscaping and have a stack of landscaping books that I could seriously read over and over again. I watch all the landscaping shows on PBS and love to pop in to Lowe's and other greenhouses just to look at plants and read tags. I know I'm making myself sound totally lame here. Don't judge me.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Wednesday Weigh-In
Hello All my lovies! Do you like the new blog look? My dear friend over at The Culinary Enthusiast helped me with it last night. I did it on a whim and had a moment of panic when I deleted my html. I always hold my breath because I'm sure one of these times I'm going to lose everything somehow. Another anxiety of mine...
Anyway, back to topic. I lost another pound this week - bringing my total since the beginning of this deployment to 16 pounds. Last week I mentioned that since I met my goal of 15 pounds, I was going to think over what a new goal of mine should be. I decided to aim for another 10 pounds, which will bring me to my wedding weight. So, with this week's one-pound weight loss, I have 9 more to go.
I promised myself at the beginning of this weight-loss journey that I would treat myself to a Whopper with cheese if I made my 15-pound goal. So, that's on my agenda for this week.
Now, back to my Oreos, um, I mean yogurt.
Anyway, back to topic. I lost another pound this week - bringing my total since the beginning of this deployment to 16 pounds. Last week I mentioned that since I met my goal of 15 pounds, I was going to think over what a new goal of mine should be. I decided to aim for another 10 pounds, which will bring me to my wedding weight. So, with this week's one-pound weight loss, I have 9 more to go.
I promised myself at the beginning of this weight-loss journey that I would treat myself to a Whopper with cheese if I made my 15-pound goal. So, that's on my agenda for this week.
Now, back to my Oreos, um, I mean yogurt.
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Little Business
So many MilSpouse bloggers have done posts about Operational and Personal Security. I have no desire to go in-depth about these issues. So, consider this a friendly reminder.
You've probably noticed how little detail I've given about Joel's deployment location. There are a select few who know where he's at and that's enough. People ask all the time where he's deployed, and I'm always very general. For the most part, I think civilians understand this. I know military people understand this. But there are always those who bring it up a couple times, I think hoping that I'm going to slip and reveal where he's at. It's not going to happen.
The saying "loose lips sink ships" is as true now as it ever was. We'll keep it at that.
Besides Operational Security, there's Personal Security. Again, so many bloggers out there have offered really great, practical tips in this area. For those of you who do know us personally, I ask that you never give out our full names, our phone numbers or our address. Giving this information out to anyone is a small crack in personal security and it only takes a small crack to create big problems. Anyone who has an idea that Joel is deployed and are given a phone number or address, is given a great opportunity to put our family's safety at risk. It's basically saying "HUBBY'S GONE, WIFEY'S ALONE WITH KIDS - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS." Please, please, please don't ever give out our information.
If someone asks for information and you want to help, ask Joel and I first if it's ok to give out our contact information. But please don't discern this for yourselves. You never know who's listening and you never know where information may end up eventually.
I spend a lot of time at night anxiously sitting on the stairs in the dark, wondering what that "bump" was downstairs. I'm in a house by myself with two girls - and I have a lot of anxiety about what-happens-if.... I ask that you would kindly respect my anxiety and consider my family's safety!
You've probably noticed how little detail I've given about Joel's deployment location. There are a select few who know where he's at and that's enough. People ask all the time where he's deployed, and I'm always very general. For the most part, I think civilians understand this. I know military people understand this. But there are always those who bring it up a couple times, I think hoping that I'm going to slip and reveal where he's at. It's not going to happen.
The saying "loose lips sink ships" is as true now as it ever was. We'll keep it at that.
Besides Operational Security, there's Personal Security. Again, so many bloggers out there have offered really great, practical tips in this area. For those of you who do know us personally, I ask that you never give out our full names, our phone numbers or our address. Giving this information out to anyone is a small crack in personal security and it only takes a small crack to create big problems. Anyone who has an idea that Joel is deployed and are given a phone number or address, is given a great opportunity to put our family's safety at risk. It's basically saying "HUBBY'S GONE, WIFEY'S ALONE WITH KIDS - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS." Please, please, please don't ever give out our information.
If someone asks for information and you want to help, ask Joel and I first if it's ok to give out our contact information. But please don't discern this for yourselves. You never know who's listening and you never know where information may end up eventually.
I spend a lot of time at night anxiously sitting on the stairs in the dark, wondering what that "bump" was downstairs. I'm in a house by myself with two girls - and I have a lot of anxiety about what-happens-if.... I ask that you would kindly respect my anxiety and consider my family's safety!
The Very Beginning
Joel and I married in July 2003. We met just a mere 13 months prior, dated each other for 6 months and were engaged for 3 months. It was a whirlwind relationship, but we both knew when we started dating that this was "it" and because we knew that in our hearts, our dating relationship was really about preparing ourselves for marriage.
We got married just 2 months after I graduated from college, so I was going through a lot of changes that summer and suddenly found myself in a 'til death do us part relationship. The years before that were all about me - my education, my friends, my relationship, my work, me, me, me. Although I loved Joel with all my heart when we got married, there was way too much "me" during that first year. I've said it before and I still believe it - Joel's the much better spouse in this relationship.
When we came back from our honeymoon, I suddenly found myself smack-dab in the middle of domestic duties. Joel was working full-time for the Guard and I hadn't found a full-time job yet. So, he was at work, and I was, well, at home. And our home was a small two-bedroom apartment. It took like 2 seconds to clean. I was bored.
You'd think that boredom would lead me to cook extravagant meals or offer to starch and iron his uniforms. Not so much. I was still in the "me" stage. Joel would come home from work and have to be the one to figure out dinner because his wife was way to self-focused to consider that perhaps her husband would want something to eat. I would say the majority of the time, Joel would either cook or get so fed-up, he'd offer to do dinner out together. We spent so much money that first year eating out.
Our physical relationship was great. Again, I had nothing better to do then to do that and clean. So, we were both pretty happy in that regard. But inside, I was really struggling to let go of part of myself and become a partner with Joel. I remember taking off my wedding ring/engagement ring at home, because the weight of it was too great for me - the weight of the responsibility and commitment. I wanted to be married. I loved Joel so much. But I really struggled within myself to become his partner.
I think Joel knew in his heart, what my struggle was. And because he truly loved me and wanted the best for me, he knew that he just needed to give me time to grow up and make the decision to be a partner. He was so wise to do that, because if he had pushed me, I would have pushed back, and then I would have struggled even more to let go of my own interests.
I don't know when the moment happened. The moment when I realized that in order for our marriage to work, I needed to stop fighting the "becoming one" thing. I'm sure it was the Holy Spirit's conviction. But, I can't pinpoint a moment. Eventually, my heart opened to love Joel great, higher, deeper and truer. He deserves that kind of love. He's a pretty amazing guy.
I'm so thankful for a husband who was willing to sit-back patiently and love me, even when I wasn't who I was supposed to be for him.
More to come...
We got married just 2 months after I graduated from college, so I was going through a lot of changes that summer and suddenly found myself in a 'til death do us part relationship. The years before that were all about me - my education, my friends, my relationship, my work, me, me, me. Although I loved Joel with all my heart when we got married, there was way too much "me" during that first year. I've said it before and I still believe it - Joel's the much better spouse in this relationship.
When we came back from our honeymoon, I suddenly found myself smack-dab in the middle of domestic duties. Joel was working full-time for the Guard and I hadn't found a full-time job yet. So, he was at work, and I was, well, at home. And our home was a small two-bedroom apartment. It took like 2 seconds to clean. I was bored.
You'd think that boredom would lead me to cook extravagant meals or offer to starch and iron his uniforms. Not so much. I was still in the "me" stage. Joel would come home from work and have to be the one to figure out dinner because his wife was way to self-focused to consider that perhaps her husband would want something to eat. I would say the majority of the time, Joel would either cook or get so fed-up, he'd offer to do dinner out together. We spent so much money that first year eating out.
Our physical relationship was great. Again, I had nothing better to do then to do that and clean. So, we were both pretty happy in that regard. But inside, I was really struggling to let go of part of myself and become a partner with Joel. I remember taking off my wedding ring/engagement ring at home, because the weight of it was too great for me - the weight of the responsibility and commitment. I wanted to be married. I loved Joel so much. But I really struggled within myself to become his partner.
I think Joel knew in his heart, what my struggle was. And because he truly loved me and wanted the best for me, he knew that he just needed to give me time to grow up and make the decision to be a partner. He was so wise to do that, because if he had pushed me, I would have pushed back, and then I would have struggled even more to let go of my own interests.
I don't know when the moment happened. The moment when I realized that in order for our marriage to work, I needed to stop fighting the "becoming one" thing. I'm sure it was the Holy Spirit's conviction. But, I can't pinpoint a moment. Eventually, my heart opened to love Joel great, higher, deeper and truer. He deserves that kind of love. He's a pretty amazing guy.
I'm so thankful for a husband who was willing to sit-back patiently and love me, even when I wasn't who I was supposed to be for him.
More to come...
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