I recently stumbled upon a Facebook page through another group that linked it. The title was awfully long: RPM Rockin' in the Free World Book but I browsed and then realized it was a book written by an Army wife about her husband. Intrigued I went to the website and watched the video:
http://www.ryanpmeans.com/#!video
and I cried! I had to read it. I immediately went to Amazon to order it and it arrived a few days later. It is a fast read... I sat and read it over a 6 hour period and I could not put it down. The book contains letters and e-mails that Ryan wrote to his family and friends, and letters and emails between Heather and Ryan. It also includes a few journal entries of Ryan's and then narration about the events from Heather's perspective.
It is an incredibly moving and inspiring story of love and loss. I definitely recommend it!!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy Independence Day!
I Love the 4th of July. I love my country, I love our flag, I love the patriotism, I love the fireworks, I love fun in the sun with family and friends, and I absolutely love a reason to celebrate the hard fought freedom that my husband and many others before him have fought to defend! If you only watch one of the videos below, make it the second one. It's a beautiful rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance that I think everyone should hear. Happy 4th and God bless the U.S.A!!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
G-O, Let's GO!
I've always wanted to be involved in whatever Army community we find ourselves in. I feel like volunteering and cultivating relationships with other wives and families will only enrich our experience, and of course make the next (at minimum) 13 years a little easier at times.
Plus I just really really like being involved.
So, when I saw the opportunity I applied right away! Ft. Benning has a youth cheer league and they were accepting applications for volunteer coaches for this Fall. The ladies at CYS-Sports and Youth Fitness have been so nice and lucky for me I'm going to be coaching come August! I've always loved cheering and it was such a fun and uplifting part of my younger years. Hopefully I can share just a little bit of that joy this Fall! The girls are ages 6-10 and I've already started running through my memory and writing down motions and cheers I remember. I also wanted to make a bow for each of the girls that they can wear to the games so I headed to the internet to look for a tutorial on cheer bows. Youtube did not disappoint, and within a couple of hours I had whipped up a couple of practice bows. Unfortunately my creative energy tends to take up a large amount of space. Exhibit A:
My husband is always pretty tolerant, even though I think he secretly wishes I had my own craft cave to create all that mess in (don't worry dear, I do too!!). Lucky for him he's far away so he doesn't have to look at it. It may or may not still be sitting in that same spot two days later.
This is the first bow I finished and I think it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself! I gave it to a friend of mine in town who is not afraid to proudly wear big pink bows in her hair. :)
Everything else has been pretty uneventful. I went and saw Magic Mike with some friends last weekend and it was a fun girls night out. I still need to inventory our household goods but just really don't know where to begin so I'm procrastinating. I miss my husband. Same old thing.
We did get news that Jase should get a 3 or 4 day pass after this cycle is over so I am keeping my fingers crossed! Till next time :)
Plus I just really really like being involved.
So, when I saw the opportunity I applied right away! Ft. Benning has a youth cheer league and they were accepting applications for volunteer coaches for this Fall. The ladies at CYS-Sports and Youth Fitness have been so nice and lucky for me I'm going to be coaching come August! I've always loved cheering and it was such a fun and uplifting part of my younger years. Hopefully I can share just a little bit of that joy this Fall! The girls are ages 6-10 and I've already started running through my memory and writing down motions and cheers I remember. I also wanted to make a bow for each of the girls that they can wear to the games so I headed to the internet to look for a tutorial on cheer bows. Youtube did not disappoint, and within a couple of hours I had whipped up a couple of practice bows. Unfortunately my creative energy tends to take up a large amount of space. Exhibit A:
My husband is always pretty tolerant, even though I think he secretly wishes I had my own craft cave to create all that mess in (don't worry dear, I do too!!). Lucky for him he's far away so he doesn't have to look at it. It may or may not still be sitting in that same spot two days later.
This is the first bow I finished and I think it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself! I gave it to a friend of mine in town who is not afraid to proudly wear big pink bows in her hair. :)
Everything else has been pretty uneventful. I went and saw Magic Mike with some friends last weekend and it was a fun girls night out. I still need to inventory our household goods but just really don't know where to begin so I'm procrastinating. I miss my husband. Same old thing.
We did get news that Jase should get a 3 or 4 day pass after this cycle is over so I am keeping my fingers crossed! Till next time :)
Monday, June 25, 2012
Unexpected Visit
I got a call late last week from my sleepy husband who had just gotten back to his barracks room after an eighteen hour day: "What are you doing Saturday?" "Nothing. Why?" "Will you come see me please?"
YES!!
After just shy of a month alone, I was super excited! The next day I booked a hotel room on post, made arrangements to board the puppy, and anxiously awaited Saturday to get here! Fort Knox is about a 3 hour drive from where we live, so as soon as I was able to drop the dog off I got on the road. Jason went in to work that morning for a few hours while I drove, so that we could get as much time together as possible. I got there just before noon and it was just so, so good to see him! As soon as I wrapped my arms around his neck everything seemed normal again. It's funny how you don't realize how different you are when your spouse is gone. I knew I missed him and that things were pretty lonely and boring here... but I don't think I realized that I'd just been kind of down in the dumps. I felt so much lighter and just... RIGHT spending the day with him.
I was really impressed with the hotel on post as well. from the pictures online I was worried that it was really old and shady but it was super nice! Very newly renovated, very clean and comfortable! It had a mini kitchenette with dishes, so we were even able to enjoy a sweet dinner together. I'd definitely stay there again. Fort Knox was great as well, very well maintained, and everyone I encountered was really friendly. I fell in love with the Army all over again. :) I just feel at home on post. I love everything about it. I love the PX, I love the signs that tell you what time reveille and retreat are at, I love the tanks and helicopters that are on display at traffic circles and front gates, everything!
The best part of the weekend, aside form seeing my sweet husband of course, was seeing him so happy to be back in the Army. It's so easy to see that he loves being a soldier, and that the job suits him well. It makes me so proud and excited for where this life will take us.
So, that's what I've been up to! I only got to spend one day and night up there, and being back now just makes me ready to get down to Ft. Benning and start the next chapter. The plan this week is to hopefully tackle our awful "catch all" closet and the office. Wish me luck!
YES!!
After just shy of a month alone, I was super excited! The next day I booked a hotel room on post, made arrangements to board the puppy, and anxiously awaited Saturday to get here! Fort Knox is about a 3 hour drive from where we live, so as soon as I was able to drop the dog off I got on the road. Jason went in to work that morning for a few hours while I drove, so that we could get as much time together as possible. I got there just before noon and it was just so, so good to see him! As soon as I wrapped my arms around his neck everything seemed normal again. It's funny how you don't realize how different you are when your spouse is gone. I knew I missed him and that things were pretty lonely and boring here... but I don't think I realized that I'd just been kind of down in the dumps. I felt so much lighter and just... RIGHT spending the day with him.
I was really impressed with the hotel on post as well. from the pictures online I was worried that it was really old and shady but it was super nice! Very newly renovated, very clean and comfortable! It had a mini kitchenette with dishes, so we were even able to enjoy a sweet dinner together. I'd definitely stay there again. Fort Knox was great as well, very well maintained, and everyone I encountered was really friendly. I fell in love with the Army all over again. :) I just feel at home on post. I love everything about it. I love the PX, I love the signs that tell you what time reveille and retreat are at, I love the tanks and helicopters that are on display at traffic circles and front gates, everything!
The best part of the weekend, aside form seeing my sweet husband of course, was seeing him so happy to be back in the Army. It's so easy to see that he loves being a soldier, and that the job suits him well. It makes me so proud and excited for where this life will take us.
So, that's what I've been up to! I only got to spend one day and night up there, and being back now just makes me ready to get down to Ft. Benning and start the next chapter. The plan this week is to hopefully tackle our awful "catch all" closet and the office. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Craftiness
Like tons of people, I am a Pinterest addict. I was already into crafting, but Pinterest has taken my obsession to a whole new level. The other day while browsing, I found this hydrangea wreath that I loved and decided to make one for our front door! Unfortunately I was too excited to get step by step pictures but here's the finished product with instructions below. Enjoy!
Materials:
1 Straw wreath form
6-9 yds of your favorite ribbon (6 yards will cover up to where the flowers go, 9 will cover the whole wreath)
Wooden letter of your choosing
2 silk hydrangea flower stems (make sure the stem has at least 2 full hydrangea blooms on it)
hot glue gun with glue
coordinating ribbon to hang. (cut to desired length)
Instructions:
1. First put a dot of hot glue on the end of the ribbon where you're going to start wrapping, and glue it to the back of the wreath form.
2. start wrapping the ribbon around the wreath form in wide sections, making sure you completely cover the wreath form, but still going wide enough to avoid wasting ribbon.
3. Periodically put dots of glue to hold the ribbon in place.
4. Once your wreath form is completely wrapped in ribbon (or it's wrapped to the sections where you want) you can begin gluing on the hydrangea blooms. Make sure you look at your placement before you start gluing so that you know where you need to cover.
5. Once your blooms are glued down securely, decide where you'd like to glue on your wooden letter. Use a generous amount of glue on the parts of the letter that will touch the wreath, and press down firmly and hold for a couple of minutes until the glue has dried.
6. measure where you'd like your wreath to sit on your door up to the base of the wreath hanger so you know how much ribbon you need for hanging. Cut ribbon to needed length. Make sure you add enough inches to create a bow.
7. Tie hanging ribbon onto the wreath form, and then an additional bow above that knot. Hang and admire!
Materials:
1 Straw wreath form
6-9 yds of your favorite ribbon (6 yards will cover up to where the flowers go, 9 will cover the whole wreath)
Wooden letter of your choosing
2 silk hydrangea flower stems (make sure the stem has at least 2 full hydrangea blooms on it)
hot glue gun with glue
coordinating ribbon to hang. (cut to desired length)
Instructions:
1. First put a dot of hot glue on the end of the ribbon where you're going to start wrapping, and glue it to the back of the wreath form.
2. start wrapping the ribbon around the wreath form in wide sections, making sure you completely cover the wreath form, but still going wide enough to avoid wasting ribbon.
3. Periodically put dots of glue to hold the ribbon in place.
4. Once your wreath form is completely wrapped in ribbon (or it's wrapped to the sections where you want) you can begin gluing on the hydrangea blooms. Make sure you look at your placement before you start gluing so that you know where you need to cover.
5. Once your blooms are glued down securely, decide where you'd like to glue on your wooden letter. Use a generous amount of glue on the parts of the letter that will touch the wreath, and press down firmly and hold for a couple of minutes until the glue has dried.
6. measure where you'd like your wreath to sit on your door up to the base of the wreath hanger so you know how much ribbon you need for hanging. Cut ribbon to needed length. Make sure you add enough inches to create a bow.
7. Tie hanging ribbon onto the wreath form, and then an additional bow above that knot. Hang and admire!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Staying Flexible
I miss my husband.
We're sitting on 21 days since he was home, which is really no time when you consider other various events where the Army has taken him away for a bit... but the house is still far too quiet. I suppose the situation has seemed more somber since our hopeful plan of seeing each other in 11 days has changed. Originally his platoon had an extra LT so they were going to be able to go on a rotating schedule where they each had a day off every week. Now, the powers that be saw fit to use that extra asset elsewhere. I understand, and it's my job to be supportive, it just kind of stinks. I have learned over these last few years to be flexible and always be prepared for the possibility that plans will change. I count our blessings every day that we had some time to establish our relationship from the start in a military lifestyle. Granted, we've been spoiled these last 4 years while he was in school, but I think it has helped shift me back into this role much easier, with a little less heartache.
All in all though things are good! I've been spending my time trying to get all of our paperwork in order, shopping for wedding dresses with a friend, sitting poolside occasionally, and playing with the pup! I will say the house stays much cleaner with just one person living here ;) Jason is working long hours and I am bummed I can't be there for my sweet husband! He is out of his room by 5:30 every morning and hasn't been getting back until 9:30-10:00. Once back he still has to eat, shower, & possibly do laundry before he can hit the hay. He's staying very busy, so I'm praying that after the first few days things will settle down a bit so that he can rest! Right now we're looking at July 4th for our first visit so just a couple weeks longer than we thought!
We're also officially on the wait list for housing at Ft. Benning!! I'm thrilled! Praise God, it is definitely an answer to our prayers that everything went through.
Now to get a care package sent off for my love! Happy Monday everyone!
We're sitting on 21 days since he was home, which is really no time when you consider other various events where the Army has taken him away for a bit... but the house is still far too quiet. I suppose the situation has seemed more somber since our hopeful plan of seeing each other in 11 days has changed. Originally his platoon had an extra LT so they were going to be able to go on a rotating schedule where they each had a day off every week. Now, the powers that be saw fit to use that extra asset elsewhere. I understand, and it's my job to be supportive, it just kind of stinks. I have learned over these last few years to be flexible and always be prepared for the possibility that plans will change. I count our blessings every day that we had some time to establish our relationship from the start in a military lifestyle. Granted, we've been spoiled these last 4 years while he was in school, but I think it has helped shift me back into this role much easier, with a little less heartache.
All in all though things are good! I've been spending my time trying to get all of our paperwork in order, shopping for wedding dresses with a friend, sitting poolside occasionally, and playing with the pup! I will say the house stays much cleaner with just one person living here ;) Jason is working long hours and I am bummed I can't be there for my sweet husband! He is out of his room by 5:30 every morning and hasn't been getting back until 9:30-10:00. Once back he still has to eat, shower, & possibly do laundry before he can hit the hay. He's staying very busy, so I'm praying that after the first few days things will settle down a bit so that he can rest! Right now we're looking at July 4th for our first visit so just a couple weeks longer than we thought!
We're also officially on the wait list for housing at Ft. Benning!! I'm thrilled! Praise God, it is definitely an answer to our prayers that everything went through.
Now to get a care package sent off for my love! Happy Monday everyone!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Daddy's Little Girl
My dad is FUNNY. He has a quick wit and sense of humor that will lighten your spirits in an instant. So many times my brothers and sister and I will sit around and laugh telling stories about things Dad has said. He's a hard worker. He has worked in the construction business for 25 + years and can build or remodel anything. One of my favorite things to do when I'm home is ask about his latest build and then meet him at the job site for a tour. His skin is a permanent reddish tint from years of working outside in the sun and he still wears the same wrangler style jeans he's worn my entire life when he heads off to work in the morning. My Daddy is incredibly loving. He tells me all the time how proud he is of me and that he loves me. He gives big hugs and will go out of his way to ask if we need anything. He is intelligent. He gives great advice and is honest in his opinion. He is Godly. At our wedding instead of a guest book we did a wishing tree - little tags with a note "Advice and Wishes for the Mr. and Mrs." at the top. My Dad's advice was this "Forgive each other as Christ has forgiven us, and love one another as Christ loves you." He instilled in us the desire to pray in all things, for all things.
I LOVE my Daddy! He is the best. I don't think I tell him enough how much he means to me, but I hope he knows what a profound impact he has had on my life.
Happy Father's Day Daddy!
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