Day Two Hundred Eighty-Four.

The house is finally coming together! Our bedroom is complete and I love the way it looks here. I am slowly finishing the rest of the rooms and trying to organize the garage. I have spent so much more time working on moving in than I thought it would take because like any move I have had a few bumps in the road...dead car x2, the movers being late, mice poo in my storage unit, loud neighbors and tags/emission test saga with the car. I did get a new TV though haha. :)

I wish I could get online via my laptop and catch up on everyone and everything! Has anything exciting been happening? Homecomings? Mid tour leave? Special events? Fill me in so I don't have to completely wait for the cable/internet guy to come next week haha.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Three.

"Never let yesterday use up too much of today."

-Will Rogers

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Two.

I can't even imagine doing this again in nine months lol.

Day Two Hundred Eighty-One.

It is 11:00pm and I am typing this in the sunlight haha. I am shocked though that parents still have their children outside playing. I get that it is summer but as a parent my children will be in bed WAY before 11:00pm and even if the sun is still up. I am not too fond of my new neighborhood yet but I do really love the condo. My landlord did a lot of work to it to update all the appliances and bathrooms. It has a very modern feel and I feel safe here because it isn't too big. I am excited for it to all come together and be able to just enjoy it and get back to the countdown.

I hope to post more of an update when I can with pictures. I am going to knock out now if I can sleep with all the kids screaming outside. That may get annoying within a few weeks ha.

Day Two Hundred Eighty.

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."

-Nelson Mandela

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Nine

One more flight and I will be in Alaska! Long day so far but no worries Emmie's long surveillance hours paid off. She is passed out on my lap waiting for the last flight haha. ;)

Alaska or bust!

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Eight.

Remind me to never make another move on my own without my husband. I realize I probably have no choice but to do way too many more of these in the future, but the stress is finally hitting me. I am trying to figure out all my luggage now and a final box to send while I am also planning on how to get my car, get a new battery for the car, go to the bank, switch the electric, meet my landlord and everything else that will come with Friday BEFORE cleaning the condo. The movers come Saturday to help me move everything out of the storage units to our new place and so I want to be completely ready for them and be able to dedicate that day to moving and unpacking. I have a million things going on all at once which ends up in some major stress. I am already picturing time with friends at the end of the weekend and a BIG BIG BIG glass of wine...or two.

On a happy note Jason has officially moved to a new place where he will be until the end of deployment. So nice he now has one roommate, Internet that works, a real chow hall and all of the "real perks" he has been missing there. Hopefully it will make time feel like it is passing a little faster now for him until he is home. I am hoping the same goes for me once I am settled too. :)

Three suitcases and seven boxes later I think I am ready to head back to Alaska haha.

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Seven.

Can you see the little face in there?!

Emmie has been trying to figure out the past few weeks what all of this packing means. She has been very clingy with me as if I am going to forget her if it all means I am leaving. Usually she lays in my laundry basket, but today in a desperate attempt with the laundry missing from that basket she jumped into the tote. She would lay down in the bag and then sit up and look to make sure I was still there and I knew she wanted to make sure I knew she was there too haha. The next few days she will be on long surveillance hours to make sure if mom goes she goes too. ;)

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Six.

As exciting as going back to Alaska is for what is to come the hardest thing is leaving my family again. I am so busy trying to finish everything that has to be done before I go and want to squeeze in every minute I can with them. I am convinced this is the one aspect of military life that never gets easier. The goodbyes and see you laters will always be a part of life or at least in my case a part of it for fourteen more years ha. :)

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Five.

"Be thankful for what you have. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."

-Oprah Winfrey

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Four.

Nine months ago today he crossed the ocean. That officially starts the last 1/4 of deployment. Yes, my countdowns are sometimes fractions too. :)

Now I'm just waiting for the Army to play nice and deliver him sometime sooner than the end of my fraction haha.

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Three.

I can't believe how fast time seems to be passing and that I am heading back to Alaska in a few short days. I still have plenty to accomplish and quality time I want to spend with everyone especially my family. I am so excited to get back to Alaska though and be surrounded by our things again. Mostly just the start of that wait for what is to come after I am there....my hubby home! :) Speaking of him I finally was able to hear from him today. It always makes life seem a little better and anything a little easier when I hear from him. I know it was really taking a toll yesterday. <3

Day Two Hundred Seventy-Two.

Deployment perk #493473...*sarcasm*

Oh communication! I hate when days pass by turning into more than a week when I have heard nothing from my husband. No matter who you are it plays games with your head. You think the what if, why, if he is okay, if you did something wrong, anything to figure out why you aren't hearing anything. I have NO idea how wives and family did it during other wars because more than a week takes a complete toll on me. I don't think some of the wives who get to talk to their husbands on a daily basis, webcam often, or always chat online really realize how blessed they are sometimes. I haven't seen J on webcam since February and even then it was a rare occasion...boo. He is going to spend his last few months deployed on a real FOB. I am happy that he will have some of the perks that so many have for the time they have to spend there from the chow hall to AAFES and all the things his middle of nowhere place hasn't provided in the past nine months. I can only hope one thing when he moves...

That communication is better and/or he has more time to be in touch with me. Sigh.

Day Two Hundred Seventy-One.

"Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned."

-P.T. Barnum

Day Two Hundred Seventy.

Megan at Army, Alaska, Life filled this cute little thing out and I figured I would jump on the bandwagon. Make sure you fill it out too because I am nosy like that and want to know about you too haha. :)

These are my Comfort things:

My Comfort Clothes:
-A brown graphic t-shirt I stole from Jason
-Champion sweatpants
-AE sweatpants
-VS rugby pants and a tank
-Ugg boots
-Army sweatshirt

My Comfort Foods:
-Popcorn
-Ice cream
-Doritos
-A glass of wine

My Comfort Movies:
-Romantic comedies that I haven't seen yet
-Shrek/Monsters Inc/any animated funny movie
-King of Queens DVDs should count too haha

My Comfort Books:
-Books filled with quotes
-Shel Silverstein poetry

My Comfort Activities:
-Being with hubby
-Working out
-Walking Emmie
-Reading a good book
-Online "browsing" that turns into purchasing
-Laying in the sun
-Long phone calls with good friends

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Nine.

Jason and I went to St. Lucia for our first honeymoon. It was truly beautiful and one of the greatest vacations we have had together. Of course an amazing ending from the stress of planning our wedding at the time and the start of our new life together as a married couple. :)

So before Jason left we thought why not take another big trip to celebrate two years of marriage and of course his homecoming. It really didn't take much to convince each other how great of an idea it was. This time we decided on...

A-N-T-I-G-U-A

We will be spending a week in an ocean villa on an island far far away like the last time this October.

Ahh<3

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Eight.

I'm a little sad at how quickly the weekend ended and how much I didn't get accomplished. If only the weekend had three days instead of two.

I'm too tired to discuss honeymoon dos...

Here are a few clues though...

-Seven letters

-An island

-Lots of tourism

-Not in the United States

I guess this eliminates the two guesses for my bathtub haha. Any new guesses?! :)

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Seven

"Finally, I want to thank the troops here and around the world. I am rarely at a loss for words but when I think of all you have sacrificed for your country these past six years it really seems insufficient to say thank you and really inappropriate to say holy shit so I'll just say what I hope you can all say soon, "Honey, I'm coming home."

-Stephen Colbert at the end of his USO tour in Iraq

**Honeymoon destination number two coming tomorrow ;)

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Six.

I feel like I have a good start on things finally. A few boxes are in the mail, my Tricare forms are filled out, Emmie has a vet appointment, and my desk is organized at work. This has been a hectic and stressful week that is for sure but in just two weeks from right now I will be spending the first night in our new place. Yay!

I also did a little retail therapy today...
Have I mentioned our second honeymoon this fall?

Where do you think we are going to go?! :)

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Five.

Hello last day of triple digits...

I have been waiting a long long LONG time for you.

Let's start the doubles!

...or maybe (hopefully) they have already started. :)

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Four.

Did anyone care to tell me the things I would have to do again to go back to Alaska because I obviously forgot. I am not sure how I didn't recall the torture of dealing with insurance, sending things, and figuring out vehicles and finances on my own I went through nine months ago. Today I printed my Tricare forms to switch back to West and bought boxes to begin sending the pile of things I have accumulated in my time here. Mostly thank my husband for that pile because he has done nothing but spoil me on holidays...with large items. I also have this nice long list to still accomplish like Emmie to the vet to get her health certificate, send my last care package to Jason, go through my clothes, oh yes and clear my desk and computer at work. That is right I only have TWO weeks left of work. Somewhere in all of this "to-do list before you go" I have lost my energy to workout. I feel like a big blob not pushing myself harder or being at the gym at night. I really need to get it together and can I just say after the "to-do list now that you are back in Alaska" I am going to spend a great amount of time pampering myself with extra hours of sleep, being lazy in bed, running whenever I want during the day, and returning to the gym in the afternoon like I wish I could do now. Ahh just one month and that bliss starts but the paycheck ends. Sad face.

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Three.

Nothing is better than feeling fulfilled just by the people you have in your life.♥

Of course going to bed at night completely content with life is right next to it.:)

Day Two Hundred Sixty-Two.

Remember the 3D glasses that had the red and blue lenses?!They totally upgraded to gray lenses with an over sized plastic frame. Sooo much more stylish.

And I was like a five year old super excited to see a Disney movie in 3D without a toddler in tow just a friend haha.

Day Two Hundred Sixty-One.

Sunday always seems to slow down time. It is the one day of rest that just seems to drag along from start to finish.

Day Two Hundred Sixty.

Happy 26th Birthday Hubby!!!!

I miss your silly face.

Day Two Hundred Fifty-Nine.

Great times so far! We spent the day at the zoo before checking into our hotel and going to dinner. We went for a few hours shopping or more like looking and now we are at the movies waiting for Up to start. Pretty much just childish good times and a break from reality. I miss Jason so super much on little getaways or when I do things without him. I am hoping I hear from him soon.

Remember yesterdays entry?! Only a few hours after I said I thought my other friend would be pregnant after R&R I guessed right haha or spoke too soon...I got the news last night. Two pregnancies in one day. Wow lots of babies this winter! :)

Day Two Hundred Fifty-Eight.

Babies! Lots of R&R pregnancies are consuming post. :) I found out today too that close friends of ours there are expecting baby number two this December! I am so excited for them and I am thinking one of my other friends may be telling me the same thing after her R&R is over haha.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my last post with some sanity and seriously kind words that made me think I need a little me time too and that is ok. I was able to talk to Jason today for a few minutes and he said, "Go have fun and don't spend too much money" haha. I worked longer than normal today and took tomorrow off so we could leave in the morning. Now I just need to pack and pick something to wear for the zoo tomorrow. ;) YES!

Day Two Hundred Fifty-Seven.

I think I am in need of a little R&R. Work lately has been a bit overwhelming with the short amount of time I have left there and of course the economy and things piling up on my desk. I feel like I am stressing a little too much on my to-do list and what needs to be accomplished before I leave and when I get to our new home. I also feel up in the air about going from working every day since J left to worrying of how things will feel once I get back and things slow down and I'm not working. Mainly my sanity and pushing through the last few months with not as much on my plate. Maybe a little time to do the things I have been wanting to do this year and haven't been able to get to being on the go all the time will help.

I feel burnt out. I have been hitting the snooze one too many times in the morning, going to bed earlier, feeling tired at work, and tonight I just couldn't push myself to run as far as I have been. Heck I just typed this on my BlackBerry because I didn't want to get up to get on the computer haha. Honestly, I haven't "spoiled" myself much since J left or have had "me time" other than our time together on his leave and a few shopping trips. I always have a guilty conscious that I am enjoying myself or spending money when Jason is working hard or it could be spent on something for us together or that I won't be working later. HELP! I am thinking about leaving work early on Friday and taking an overnight trip with a friend for some shopping and to the zoo, but I want to go without the guilt. Guilt that I should push through or I'll have time later to relax and shouldn't take off work. Am I the only one the feels like this about things?!

Day Two Hundred Fifty-Six.

Jason called today and we talked about ridiculous television and news stories. I can't wait for him to be home so we can laugh together and joke about the small things on a daily basis instead of trying to fit it all in a short phone call.

I remember when September of last year just didn't seem far enough in the past for time to be passing at the beginning and now the next September and the ending seems almost within reach.:)

Day Two Hundred Fifty-Five.

Only in Alaska would you have to pay Internet by the amount of megabytes you want. We use to have the whole cable/Internet/phone package and wanted to just have the Internet this time around and the damn thing is only forty dollars cheaper and doesn't even include unlimited megabytes. It would also help if Alaska offered more choices as far as providers go so I could shop around and compare prices.

I am starting to stress a little on the things I still need to accomplish here and set up for when I get there. The idea of doing everything on my own when I get back as far as moving our stuff, finding help for the furniture, getting the car out of storage, changing my insurance back to West, and all the other fun things that go with it is a bit overwhelming I must say.

I'm also not ready to go back to a billion bills haha.