One week left!

I have one week left of school. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. This first year of teaching has been pretty difficult for me with it's ups and downs but I have loved it all the same. It is actually pretty sureal that it is the end of the year already. It marks almost the halfway point of Steve's deployment. I can not believe it! PLUS, it is now 2 weeks until Steve comes home. I can't even believe it is almost here already! This time away has been so hard on us as a family and I don't think anyone can understand until they have walked a day in our shoes. Every morning, I wake up sad. I look at the side of the bed where Steve would be laying and then I touch it....I rub my hand over it. But I become thankful that we are one wake up closer to being together. When I go to bed, I do the same routine, first sad, then thankful. Jonathan says every single day, "Mommy, I miss my daddy VERY MUCH." It breaks my heart but I know it is making him such a strong and brave little boy!
I still am quite nervous about Steve coming home. I know, it sounds ridiculous! I just want things to be perfect and we have been away from each other for so long, can it be perfect?
So, I continue getting through the next 2 weeks, first by finishing up this school year and hoping they ask me back...and then getting through the week until STeve comes home! But I registered Jonathan for swimming lessons that week (M-Th mornings) and that will help get us through!!!

Memorial Day....

I have to say that it really bugs me when people say, "Happy Memorial Day"...it is NOT a happy day. Not when we are remembering people who lost their lives serving our country. NOT when people here in the USA are living without our brave loved ones who are overseas protecting the great country we live in. Sorry...it is just a pet peeve of mine.

Anyways, we have had a fun weekend and I can't believe tomorrow is June!!! On Friday night I went out with my friend Angela and her boyfriend, Joe. We went for Hibachi and sushi and YUMM-O!!!! What a great time out with great friends!
Saturday, Jonathan and I didn't do much. I went to the gym and Jonathan and I hung out at home. Yesterday, again I went to the gym and then we went to Jonathan's friend's house for a BBQ. IT was a lot of fun. Jonathan and Nathan had a blast playing together in the pool while I got to have adult time! SOOO nice!
Today, I went to the gym and signed up for 3 free personal training sessions. I am pretty excited for them! I want to get myself in shape and make sure that I am building muscles too. Tonight, my friend Carol is coming over to hangout and we will have some bbq foods and maybe do some organization of the house...my least favorite thing to do.

So another thing that bugs me...Facebook, oh how I love facebook...but I got really bothered yesterday...it was reminding me in my events area that next Saturday, June 5 is my wedding anniversary...like I didn't know!!! Thank you for reminding me that it is my anniversary and Steve is half way accross the world...UGH THANKS!!!
Anyway, a 4 day work week and then this weekend is James Taylor concert with Randee!!! I can't wait!!!!
Thanks for reading.
God Bless America and God Bless our Troops

Wow, it has been awhile!!!

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted a new blog. SOOOO much has happened since the last time. I am going to try to make it short and sweet.
Work has been keeping me busy which is a good thing. I get to speak to Steve every few days which is really nice. Sometimes Jonathan doesn't want to talk to him but it is usually because he is preoccupied with a toy or a tv show or something. I really hope that Steve doesn't take offense to it because I can't tell you how many times he tells me each day how much he misses his daddy.
One HUGE thing that has happened in my absence is the fact that we moved!!! We were living in a town house with not a lot of room. I was driving about 40 minutes to work every day and it was just taking a toll on me. We moved to a house that is rent to own and I am so excited! IT is the most beautiful house i have ever seen and I can't wait for Steve to see it! I am really nervous for him to see it. I want him to love it as much as I do!
Steve gets to come home in June for a couple of weeks and I can not be more excited!!!! But I am also really nervous. It has been so long since I have seen him. Yes I saw him for 4 days in February but in all reality it has been 5 months. What if things are different? It kind of scares me. I love him so much. I don't want things to be different.
I am trying to plan everything that Steve has asked for while he is home. I want it to be a special time. I want him to enjoy every minute!!! UGH I can't WAIT until he steps off that plane!!!
Otherwise, things have have pretty much been the same. I have become great friends with our family readiness chair and I don't know what I would do without her. She has been such a help through this move. Her husband is overseas with Steve so she is someone who knows exactly what I am going through. I am enjoying our new house but it is quiet...I get sad a lot. I cry a lot...but I am doing it...I am making it through this year and no one can take that away from me, no matter how much I cry or complain!

My birthday

My birthday was a day I was dreading. I was really excited on the one hand because my sister was going to be here...on the other hand, without Steve, I felt like a little piece was missing from day. He sent me two different things and they both were super special but for different reasons. On Monday, my sister told me their was a box waiting for me. When I got home I opened it and it had a SHIRT!!! For those who haven't been following my blog closely, I had a shirt from Steve (already worn) and it smelled just like him! I slept with it every night but it finally lost his smell. I was really heatbreaking for me because it helped me sleep. So now I have another one!!! I have been sleeping so much better with it.
Then yesterday, on my actual birthday, I was called up to the office and there was a delivery for me! Steve sent my flowers!!!!!! This is awesome because it was the first time he has ever sent them to me! They are beautiful purple roses! I am so excited!!!
My friends and family really made the day special for me. I still felt a little lost without my better half here to celebrate with me but it is okay, I know next time I celebrate being a year older...HE WILL BE HOME!!!!
My sister and I have been having fun together and we have plans for the rest of the week/weekend until she flies back to MA. I am really excited because she and my friend Carol talked me into celebrating 31 this weekend with my friends so we are all going to Jellyrolls which is a dueling piano bar at Disney! Should be a lot of fun!!!

Such a sweet moment...

Yesterday when I picked up my mail after being away for a few days I had a little note from the post office saying I had an oversized envalope waiting for me. I couldn't think of what I would be getting and it totally intrigued me. Could it be an early birthday present??? Could it be a package for Jonathan???
So I picked it up today and when the person at the post office gave it to me, I saw it was addressed to Steve and the return address was from his old unit in Orlando. I can't say that I wasn't disappointed. I so badly thought in the back of my head that it was something from Steve for me. I politely thanked the gentleman and walked out; package in one hand, Jonathan holding the other.
When we got into the car, I figured I had better open it, just incase it was an important document or something Steve might need overseas. When I opened it, I realized that I had been all wrong! It WAS for me!!! Well not intentionally but it sure felt like it was just what me and Jonathan needed! Last JULY Steve had professional pictures taken at his unit, and that is what was in the package!
So, Jonathan had a really hard afternoon today...It started off that he was overtired but overall, I really think he was just missing Steve. So I cut out one of the pictures and let him bring it to bed. While we were reading our story and saying our prayers at bedtime, he held it, stared at it, and then said, "I love you daddy, I miss you daddy" and proceeded to give it a kiss and then kiss his finger and put it on the picture. I can't tell you how much I wanted to burst into tears but I held it together. I could see in his eyes that he really wanted to be with Steve. Heartbreaking! But it made me smile to know that this picture was helping him feel closer to Steve. I wish I had something that made me feel like Steve was closer...(for those of you who have been following, Steve's shirt officially does not have his scent any longer but I still can not wash it yet).

Being an Army Wife...

I know that this blog is dedicated to talking about what goes on in my life on a day to day basis...most about the Army, some about all the other aspects in my life.
Today, I had a moment...I was watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition. They were rebuiling a house for a Army National Guard Family whose house was devestated by Hurricane Katrina. The show was more about the family than the soldier and it was very heartfelt and amazing. I think that a lot of people watch the news and see the soldiers but never really think about what each soldier has left behind. They have left behind jobs, friends, family, leisure etc...The have left behind the moments that they will never get back. Seeing your children grow up, seeing success and sadness, all things we all take for granted on a day to day basis.
It is VERY HARD what I do every day...as any Army or military wife can attest to. But I do it, and I really try not to complain....because I am so very proud of what Steve is doing overseas and thinking about him is motivating to me!
I want to just take this moment to thank him and all the other soldiers for their sacrifice and ALSO want to thank their families for the sacrifice that THEY make as well!!!

Summer Plans

So I booked my tickets to go up north over the summer! I was very excited. I thought about holding off until Steve found out about his leave but I booked them knowing that I could change it at any time. I know Steve said he would fly to wherever we are but, I don't like to say this, but I think I want to be selfish! I don't want to share our time together!!! I know there are people that will want to see him, but I can't apologize for how I feel.
Soooo, I talk to Steve a few days later...guess when his leave is...YUP you guessed it! Right during our trip up north! So I changed my flight and we will be up north in June instead of July...WORKS FOR ME!
That will be such an exciting time for us! Jonathan and I will get to see our family and friends up north, come home for about a week and then Steve will be here...now, the question is...do I try to surprise Jonathan again...he may know as soon as we get to the airport!!!