{Embrace the Camera: March 24th}

Its official...

Spring is my favorite time of the year in the south.

The weather is A~M~A~Z~I~N~G!!!

I am pretty sure that I am the only one in my neighborhood who leaves the windows open. Yes the pollen is thick and by the end of the day I find myself sneezing. Yes the bugs are finding their way out of that winter hiding place and scheming that perfect plan in order to make their way inside of my house. But, the flowers are in full bloom and I wake up to birds singing every morning outside my window.

Oh and did I mention that the weather is A~M~A~Z~I~N~G?!?!?

I’m pretty sure I can get used to this 80 degree weather. I’m pretty sure that I like the fact that I get to bring out my shorts and flip flops. And...I'm pretty sure that I love the moments that we get to share embracing the warm sunshine. 

Spring is definitely my favorite time of the year in the south!

I found this poem today and I wanted to share it on here so that I can always remember what my first spring in Louisiana felt like. It truly describes the sights that surround my home during the spring.

Springtime in Louisiana

By: Harry

As I checked my mailbox

for this afternoon’s mail,

in the neighbor’s Bradford pear tree,

whose recently bare branches

now are suddenly all aflame

with clusters of small, white blossoms,

appearing like thousands

of bursting, puffy cotton bolls,

with just the merest hint of green

from new leaves yet unfurled,

a single splash of bright red

catches my eye. A male cardinal

sits mid-tree, cocking his head,

watching four hungry robins hopping

upon the brown but greening lawn below,

each looking for the first worm

that will be seduced

by the newly energized sun

to climb to the surface

to enjoy the warmth and glory

of the first 80-degrees day

of this year's spring.

Ahh, yes, springtime appears

to have arrived this morning…

Happy Spring!!!

{A Letter To My Hero}

About a week ago, Mom2 (my mother in-law) called me. She called to tell me about a contest that CMT was having. CMT is very supportive of our military and their families. One click to their website and you can read all about the many things that CMT and country music stars do for our troops, especially the ones who are serving overseas. The contest assignment was to write a letter about your hero. Unfortunately, I never found the link for the contest but, I did write a letter.



There are many different reasons why one might choose to call someone their hero. Perhaps they are inspired by them or maybe they did something extraordinary. Maybe the person you consider to be your hero is simply genuine, kind, and caring or maybe they just stole your heart and never gave it back. I have to admit, I am a pretty lucky girl. I have so many people in my life that I admire. There are quite a few people in my life who I would classify as one of my hero’s. But, today I am focusing on one very special person. The words I used above are just a few words that describe my hero. Over the past few months, I have been keeping a journal. Every day I take a few minutes to focus on one reason why I love my husband. When I find the reason that fits the day, I write it down. For those of you who don’t know, my husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan. The journal that I am working on is for him.

Dear My Jay,


I can only imagine what you are thinking right now. I can picture your face. It actually makes me smile thinking about how you might react at the very moment you read these words. You aren’t one who likes to be put on the spot (at least not like this) and here I am focusing all of my attention solely on you.


I bet somewhere in that brain of yours you didn’t think that you were my hero. How you wouldn’t know, I’m not quite sure but, you don’t always think sensibly when it comes to things like this =)


I know that I don’t tell you enough how incredible you are and I think that before I go any further, you should hear it. You are INCREDIBLE! You are loving, kind, and thoughtful. You love with all of your heart and you are the most devoted person I have ever met. You are a wonderful husband and even more, you are an amazing father to our children.


You serve our beautiful country and for that you deserve to be honored and recognized. You take pride in who you are and what you do. You might not always agree with everything but you always do your job and you do it well. I see the worries you bear every day that you are here and hear it in your voice when you are away. I know that when you leave for work, your priority lies with your troops. You have a job to do but, you always make sure that “your guys” and their families are taken care of first. I think it’s important for you to know that you have a special gift. Your intuitive spirit allows you to reach others when they need it the most. You have proven that so many times by helping those when they had reached that darkest point within their lives. I am always proud to stand by your side but it is during these times that I feel like the luckiest girl alive because you have a spirit like no other. You know how to reach out to others when everyone else would have given up. You don’t want to see people give up especially when it comes to themselves.


Most of the people in our lives know our story. We have been together for over half of our lives. Our families watched us grow up together. Some even witnessed the foolish fighting and make-up sessions of two crazy teenagers. They watched us as we faced our challenges. They also got to watch us as we figured out how to piece ourselves together in order to move forward so that we could create a life together. What they don’t know, are all of the little things that make us who were are as individuals, as a couple, and as a family.


No one in this world knows me better than you. You know every little secret even the dirty ones. The best part about all of it is that you can still wake up every morning, look at me, and make me feel like I am the only person who exists. How do you do that?


Your faith in me has made me reach places I never could have dreamed of reaching. You really believe that I can do anything. You make me feel like I can accomplish the impossible. How do you do that? Watching you truly makes me want to be a better person.


No one knows the Jay that I know. I have to say, I’m pretty lucky to know such a great guy. Your sense of humor keeps me laughing. I have never met anyone who can say the things that you do and I will admit that I love that our children have inherited this trait from you. You make the silliest faces and you can always manage to imitate someone’s voice or someone’s behavior without even trying.

You are so smart, even if you think your intelligence lies in useless information. You have taught me so much about life and myself over the past few years.


You are strong in so many ways. You stand up for the things you believe in. You protect the things that you care about the most but the thing that I admire the most is the strength you have for your family. When it comes to us, you never hold back. We are your priority. We are your everything. We are your life!


You never give up. I know sometimes you want to but you don’t. You force yourself to shake it off and you move forward.


You are a risk taker but not when it comes at some else’s expense. You aren’t afraid to try new things. You aren’t afraid to face new challenges.


You are very optimistic about the future. You always have a way of seeing the glass as half full. This is probably one of the biggest lessons in life you have taught me!


I know you consider yourself to be an average ordinary guy just making his way through life but I am here to tell you that you are so much more. You make a difference every single day no matter what you set out to do. You have changed lives for the better. The biggest difference you have made lies within the heart and soul of our family. You are a true hero to this family. You are my hero!


Thank you for everything that you do each and every day!


Love You 4 Always & Ever,


Your Wife


P.S.


The next time you hear me say the words I Love You, I want you to remember this:


I appreciate you. The way that you care for me. The way that you support me, financially, emotionally and spiritually. The way that you love me and our children and the way that you are always trying to do a little better. All the ways that you help me... Thank you. It means more than you might know.


I adore you. I see your smile, listen to your infectious laughter the fills our home, and I literally melt. You make me smile every single day. Being your wife brings me so much happiness.


I am committed to you. No matter what! Through thick and thin. When things are easy and fun and even when they are strained and difficult. When you make me laugh and even when you make me want to cry. All of the time, I'm yours 4 always & ever!


I am thankful for you. You were placed into my heart and soul to radically transform my life. Sometimes it is a little bit unrecognizable to me but always, I am amazed by it. And I could never be grateful enough for what has been given to me!

{That 1st Memorable 5K}

A question came up the other day on one of the running blogs that I follow and it got me thinking. A little scary? Probably but, it was a really great question and one that brought up a wonderful memory so I thought I’d share.



Share your first ever running event?


The first event that Jason and I participated in was back in June of 2009. We were gearing up for the big half marathon at Disneyland and we decided to try an event to get a feel for what “race day” was all about. We signed up for the Mojave River Walk 5K. Let me emphasize that up until this point, all of our running had been done in consistent California beach weather (which averages 65-70 degrees daily) and of course at sea level. Let me also say that we weren’t experienced runners and as for me, well whatever knowledge I thought I had was really not that much. Little known fact, running at 4000 feet is a little different than running at sea level. Yup, I learned that the hard way on June 28th, 2009 as I set off to run my first 5K in the hot desert sun. I probably shouldn’t drag Jason’s name in here too much because these are all of my thoughts. Poor guy was simply tagging along with a smile on his face in order to keep positive spirits for me.


The big day arrived, our very first race. Jason was hung over and I was on cloud 9. Opposites really do attract =) Some of our close friends decided to join us on our crazy excursion so, at 4 a.m. we all managed to get up out of bed. We made our way over to the registration booth to pick up our bibs. Luckily there was a Starbucks right down the street. We were all pretty tired from our late night festivities and the extra caffeine was a much needed addition to our out of sync morning routine.


As the sun came up over the mountains, the temperature started to warm up quite a bit. Did I mention that we were in the desert? We waited patiently for 8:30 to make its way. There we were, just us friends surrounded by thousands of other people. There were four of us that ran together. We had quite the cheering section. Heck we even had our own photographer.

As the countdown began, my nerves kicked into full gear. All of the sudden my stomach started to flutter. I looked at My Jay, gave him a kiss, and wished him lots of luck. I made sure my music was turned on and my Garmin was ready to go. When the shot rang, off I went. I had no idea what to expect. I just followed the hundreds of people in front of me.


Most of what I remember is just running. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why I felt so tired and why I felt like I wanted to just stop and walk. I found it extremely hard to catch my breath. Once I made my way out of the dirt area, I looked down at my Garmin and I realized that I was running faster than I had ever set myself up to run. So there I was, a mile into my run with just over two miles to go and my body was already tired.

BIG Lesson’s I Learned From My 1st Race:

• Never take off running like a bandit from the beginning.

• Always remember to pace yourself.

• Never try to keep up with others (more than likely they will end up walking and you will pass them up anyway).

• Keep in mind climate and elevation. *Note to self running at 4000 feet is clearly a little harder on your body than running at sea level and beach weather is much nicer to run in than desert weather at least in California.

I have learned that once I set a pace, it is hard to slow down. So when I started off running like a mad woman, it was really hard for me to slow down. I actually couldn’t get myself to do it so I kept pushing forward (very good way to get injured by the way). For months I had been running 10 minute miles. That was my goal for my first 1/2 marathon. Averaging anywhere between 8:30 and 9:30 minute miles was a lot for me. Adding all of the other elements, turned out to be a bit harsh on my body. My other problem, I don’t know how to not keep pushing forward. When I set my mind to something, I will see it through no matter what. I do believe that this is the only reason why I got through my first 5K because when I crossed the finish line, I really thought I was going to pass out.


I bet you are wondering where my wonderful memory is. The race itself was great. I just felt like a complete idiot for being so unprepared. Crossing the finish line was amazing. I really don’t think that will ever get old. The sense of accomplishment is pretty huge. My finishing time was pretty good for my first race and completely unexpected. Since I had paced myself at 10:00 minute miles for training, I knew my chances for winning anything where slim to none. However, I finished in 29:35 and placed 3rd in my division.

Aside from all of the running and almost killing myself scenario, there actually really is a wonderful memory and it wasn’t one that I found until after the official scores were posted online.

When I went online, this is what I found:


63 3 4142 SHANNON MALL 29 F F2529 CA 29:35 9:33


64 16 4134 RICKY LLAMAS 15 M M1419 CA 29:51 9:38


My nephew, whom we hadn’t seen in a while ran the same race and came in right behind me. What made it even better was that “our photographer” got a picture of us making our way towards the finish line together.

If you look behind me, you can see my nephew =)

And here is what he really looks like. Handsome & one of my favorite people!

After we saw all of this, Jason and I started making some phone calls. We were able to get in touch with him. He shared with me that he tried to look for us but her couldn’t find us. He heard the announcers call my name when they announced the race winners and everything but he just couldn’t see us.


Jason and I are very close to our nephew. Ever since this day, we have stayed in constant communication. I can’t really call him one of my favorite kids anymore because he’s almost an adult but I can say that he is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world!!


Event stories are fun! If you have one to share, I 'd love to hear all about it!!

{March Madness Countdown}

So far, March is my favorite month here in the south. Jason and I were here last year around this time and we both were in awe over the weather. Spring isn’t officially here but it sure does feel like it. I absolutely love the weather. It is so beautiful outside and everything is in full bloom. The only downside...I think we all might have to start taking allergy medication. My poor Bry is probably going to have to be put on something a little bit stronger.



There is so much to be said for this month. We have already celebrated one birthday and in just 7 days, we will be celebrating another birthday. I’m trying really hard to avoid the fact that my daughter is going to be turning 11. So for now, I will not “talk” about it even though she reminds me every morning when she wakes up and every night before she goes to bed.


At the end of this month, we will be half way through our “first” deployment. The kids were pretty excited last week when they took off one of their chains and realized that this Sunday (tomorrow) will mark 15 weeks left...which means we can count by 5’s. “Three more sets of fives left.” I guess this is a pretty big deal since they all get the counting by 5’s concept now =)


I should also mention that in just 5 days, my mom and dad will be making their way out here for a visit. I know you can’t see my excitement through the screen but I am pretty much doing cartwheels in my living room. Okay maybe not but if there were enough room to do them without breaking something or myself I totally would! I am always excited to see my family but I am REALLY looking forward to this visit. I am so excited to have another “grown-up” in the house.

Can this possibly mean that I get to have a real adult conversation? Wait, what is that? You mean to tell me that I actually get to have a conversation that includes words other than “why are they so annoying” or “she won’t play with me” and “he isn’t sharing.” Let me get this straight, my vocabulary is going to extend farther than counting? Okay now I really am doing cartwheels!!!


For those of you who know my parents well or rather my dad, you know that he likes to venture. He has been busy compiling his research about the sites and happenings in and around our area. Shhh...Don't tell him I know, but I'm pretty sure he's been doing it ever since they left after their Christmas visit. The kids will be on Spring Break while they are here so...stay tuned for the “Wonderful Adventures with Grampy & Grammy!”

{Friday Fun With Miltary Spouses: March 18th}

It's Friday! You know what that means right?? It’s time to answer some questions and then link up with Wife of a Sailor.


This week’s questions are:


1. What are some of your ideas for staying connected with family…you know, those people we moved thousands of miles away from? submitted by Live it. Love it (or not). Write About It.


This blog =) Since I have been horrible about picking up the phone lately, I try really hard to redeem myself by posting on a regular basis.


2. What’s the most romantic gift you have GIVEN? submitted by Painting My Canvas


I like to leave cards with little notes for My Jay. I try to think of different places where he will find them unexpectedly throughout his day.


3. Would you encourage your child, if they came to you and wanted to join the military? submitted by Perfectly Imperfect


I don’t know if encourage is the right word for this question because my first choice for my children would be college. If joining the military was something my child wanted to do, I would support the decision and I would support them completely however, I wouldn’t let them make any decisions until all avenues had been discussed. I think that they should hear the whole story, the pros, the cons, and the in-betweens. I would feel this way about any big decisions my children are faced with.


4. What is your least favorite bill to pay and why? submitted by A Little of This, A Little of That


ALL of them!!! Luckily we don’t have that many. I guess I would have to say our mortgage but only because it’s the biggest bill we have ever had. You see a nice sum of money deposited into your account and in one click it’s gone :( However, it’s kind of cool (okay really cool) knowing that we are making a payment on something and it’s ours :)


5. What is the proudest moment you’ve had as a military spouse? submitted by Our Okinawa Life


I have so many!! I have been with my husband through every step of his military career. I got to watch him take his first enlistment oath which was pretty dang awesome. I got to watch him graduate from Basic Training and I was with him when he graduated from Tech School. I've been by his side each and every time he has received rank and every time he has taken an oath to protect our country, our flag, and the people who live here. Every time I see My Jay in uniform my heart still skips a beat. The moments I feel the most proud are the moments when I get to watch my husband receive the recognition he deserves. There are also those moments when I get to watch my husband stand up for what he believes in not only for himself, his job, and his family but also for his troops and their families. I have to admit, the moments when I watch my husband stand tall and proud as he salutes the American Flag, brings tears to my eyes.

Don't forget to go meet some other really super awesome military spouses this week at Love With Lydia.