I'm Home! I'm Married! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! It's time for school.

I know it's been a while since I've written anything in here, but I promise I've been thinking and formulating this blog for months! I want to continue to blog my life on here especially now that I'm out of Iraq. I think it would be something neat to look back on in 5-10 years. I'd like to think that I'll continue blogging about school, married life, traveling, babies and everything that life happens to send my way. I also feel like blogging is a good way to measure my growth in my faith. I can scarcely talk about the events in my life without reflecting on the how and the why and I usually find that those answers have something to do with the way God is working in my life.

- By the way, I'm blogging while watching Julie and Julia... seems fitting.

So the quick summary of the last few months goes something like this: I got home in a whirlwind of emotions. It was an amazing feeling to be home with my friends and family but also there to greet me, was a funeral for my uncle. It was not expected, but very sudden and tragic. There is still something about it that doesn't seem real or make any sense. In the end, I'm glad I was able to make it home in time to be with my family during such a trying time. And since my return, it has been go, go go for the last 3 months.
Matt and I moved into a one bedroom apartment that we LOVE. It really does seem like the perfect place for  a newly married couple. Or a couple that has been legally married, but are newly back together and just got covenantally married.... That is something that should be explained a little better.

Matt and I have been legally married since September 26, 2010. This was for all the added benefits soldiers and their dependents get for having a spouse. If something had happened to Matt while I was gone, as my husband, I could have taken emergency leave no questions asked. But as my boyfriend or fiance... I would have had a much harder time convincing anyone to let me leave. Also, Matt was automatically covered for health and dental insurance while I was gone.  Before I left, there was no time for us to have the wedding that I had been planning since I was a little girl. So we planned for a December wedding in 2011 instead.

And what a wonderful wedding it was. I don't know if it was the smartest idea to have a wedding in between two major Holidays, but I certainly wouldn't have changed a thing. It was perfect from sunrise to sunset. There was laughter, and some tears... but only the good kind that comes about because your head and your heart are so full and happy that there is nowhere else for them to go except out from your eyes. There was a lot of dancing, good eating, and beautiful people. When all the pictures come in, I'll have a blog dedicated to that day. It is just too much to put in a catch up blog.
The Honeymoon was sublime. But also needs its own blog to go over the details of getting there and what a trial that was.
Matt and I brought in the New Year with a few good friends and a few good drinks at Habits Cafe in Oakley Town Square. We had a great time talking and laughing and at 10 till midnight, we went outside Habits to stand in front of the 20th Century Theatre. We watched their version of the ball drop, which was coupled with fireworks and singing. Good times.

And now, I've started school again. I also picked a major and I'm actually very excited about it! Two years from now, I should have my degree in Public Relations. I've never been more excited to be back at school. Now that I have a goal to reach, I'm definitely taking my education more seriously. Its a good feeling.

I'm going post this without editing because its nearly 11:00 and Matt and I are getting up at 6:45 in the morning to work out..... But I wanted to post something and revive this blog so I can finally start doing this on a weekly/monthly basis again!

The Leaves have changed a time or two...

And now its time for me to be on my way home. In the near future I will board a plane that will finally take me away from this place back to my family, my home, my husband. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to end this chapter of my life and start the next. Already I'm aware that my homecoming will not be filled with the ecstatic smiles and the overwhelming joy that I have long day dreamed of, but just the same, I'm excited to go back to the United States/the tri-state area and just stay there. 
I'm actually still wrapping my mind around that thought. I'm going to be home for good in about a weeks time. No more counting down the days until I report back to some state or country or continent far, far away from everyone I love so much. 
However, I am thankful for my time away. I am thankful for the lessons I have learned and for realizing that I'm made of tougher stuff than I initially thought. I'm very much aware that my strength comes solely from my faith in God and all the blessings I have incurred from my deployment are all because of Him. I won't lie - There were many times that I was scared. My initial entry into Iraq left me feeling homesick like I use to be as a little girl. I was suddenly aware of how far away everyone was. I use to think I would be deployed with one or both of my brothers... but God had other plans and that safety net was not there for me to hold onto. Its interesting, though, that God puts the right people in your life to help you through the situations you fear you can't overcome. And within a few days of arriving into country, I realized that a certain person was there in place of my brothers and I was comforted. 
There were nights after May 4th that I lay in my bed straining all thought and energy on the sounds outside. Was that the air conditioner finishing a cycle or did we have incoming? Would I wake up to those heart stopping booms... would I wake up at all? At that point, all you can do is pray for mercy and the Lords will to make things right. And in my time there, God was merciful.  So did I learn to overcome fear? No, not necessarily. I simply learned to trust in God in a much deeper and more meaningful way than I ever could have back home where we all sleep safe and sound.


So here I am after all of that. I didn't think this year would ever end and here I am... on the cusp of finishing. I have my ticket... and I just want to go home. 

Of course I have a Civil Wars song to reference. I literally spent all day listening to this song... numerous times on this deployment. 


My Fathers Father


I hear something hanging on the wind
I see black smoke up around the bend
I got my ticket and I'm going to go home

The leaves have changed a time or two
Since the last time the train came through
I got my ticket and I want to go home

My father's father's blood is on the track
A sweet refrain drifts in from the past
I got my ticket and I'm going to go home

The winding roads that led me here
Burn like coal and dry like tears
So here's my hope, my tired soul
And here's my ticket
I want to go, home
Home
Home

Considerations for the future; Concerns at the present.

So the month of August has completely flown by, for which I am very thankful. Obviously this month passed faster than every other month because I took my R&R this month. Between travel time and the complete 14 days the army gives to be home, a good chunk of this month was NOT spent over seas. Thank God. I needed a break. It had been about a year since I received a break from the military/military training for longer than 4 days. The next time I get a break, I will be home for good and that is right around the corner :) 
And because that is right around the corner I'm trying to get mine and Matts finances in order to make sure we have a successful first year of living together as a married couple! YAY! We found an apartment that we LOVE and we have been approved to live at Brookestone Crossing in northern Kentucky close to NKU.  Matt will be moving in sometime in October and we'll both start living there together after we get back from our honeymoon in December. 
In January I'm starting school aaaand I have officially chosen a major! *Fireworks/Confetti/Sparkles* For those of you who don't know, I have been trying to figure out what my major in college should be since I was a junior in High School. My lack of decision making is probably one of the reasons I joined the Army - I simply needed more time to figure it out. I've always known I wanted to get my degree in something. I'm not okay with having nothing to fall back on if something were to happen to Matt. So right now, the plan is to major in Human Resource Management which automatically means I'll be getting a business minor. I'm excited, but scared about my sudden decision. However, I really feel like this is the direction that God is leading me. As it stands right now, I have to take SIX math classes for this major - because the 'naturally-good-at-math-gene' did NOT pass down to Earley number 3. It actually skipped me and flew across the world to my sister... who is adopted from China. So due to not being adequately skilled in math, I am supposed to take Math 099, which counts for nothing except it allows me to then take Math 109 or something like that. However, I plan on making Brian, aka Earley number 2, tutor me with practice ACT tests and whatnot so I can take NKU's ACT in January, score a 23 or better and eliminate the need to take 2 of the 6 math classes. 4 of the classes are inevitable for my major so there isn't much I can do about them. 
Whew. Anyway, I'm really excited about Human Resources. I could get my degree in history in like a year and only take one or two math classes, but I really want to learn a new skill set and be more marketable so I can get a big girl job someday. Matt and I have already talked about me being a stay at home mom as long as the finances are going well and I still want to do that. However, once the last of the kiddies are born and off to grade school, I want to work. I'm pretty sure part of the draw to human resources is my love for "The Office." I secretly want to work with people like that... I mean, who wouldn't? 


Also something that has started taking up a large portion of my daily quandaries is: 1 car + 2 people = conflict and possible time management issues? Matt and I are really good at compromising, but I'm afraid that only having one mode of transportation between the two of us is only going to work for so long. Between me at school and his possible job at Crossroads, I think we need to be looking into adding another mode of transportation. Especially because I will still have to go to Ft. Knox each month for drill weekends... So I've been looking around online at various cars. Okay, really I've just been looking at one car in particular. I really really really want a Volkswagon Jetta. I figured Matt and I can make the one car thing work until Summer. By then we will have saved up enough to put a few thousand down for a new car. We'll wait to trade the Cobalt in until its completely paid off and then we'll get a Crossover or SUV or something bigger.  Yes, I used to own a German car and I'm pretty sure I swore I would never own one again. However, I really did love my Audi when it wasn't costing me $2,000 in repairs. So maybe I just said I would never buy Audi again? Whatever. I've heard from avid German car owners that if you treat your car right, it will last for 200,000 miles +. I also learned (after I traded in my Audi for my Cobalt) that there are a few shops in the Cinci/Louisville area that work on German cars and know what they're doing but don't cost half as much as the dealership. Also, I like nice and fancy things - so there's that. 

Hello, Sexy Exterior. 

And a fine hello to you, Sexy Interior.

And the last thing that needs to be addressed in this blog entry is this. And I'm sorry it's going to be in all caps, but it is an egregious crime that must be fixed sometime in the next 3-10 years. Bridal Designers: STOP MAKING UGLY CLOSE TOE WEDDING SHOES.  Seriously. This has to stop. Not every Bride gets married in Spring/Summer. Some of us get married when its cold outside and therefore DO NOT want to wear open toe, peep toe, or any kind of toe-showing shoe.  

No. 

No. 

Absolutely NOT

WHY? NO! 

This is literally all I can find when I go to bridal shops to find shoes. Bridal website aren't much better. All I want is that $300 pair of lacy Augusta Jones shoes - is that too much to ask for? Well yes, it is. $300 is a ridiculous amount of money to pay for shoes I doubt I would wear again. And I can't just get a nice pair of pumps because pumps usually run 4"-7" and I'm 5'3 and Matt is 5'6 and I can't be taller than him... But all the stumpy, close toe, shoes are hideous. 

I'll probably end up with a sensible peep toe. I don't know why I care so much anyway because nobody will probably even notice my feet. I don't remember what Kristin or Katie wore on there feet for their weddings and I was a Bridesmaid for both of them. 

In a final summation of current musings: I finally picked a major - it has way to many math classes, but I'm going to work around it/get over it by using my smarter siblings. I want a knew car but really I just want a cute red Jetta (No, I didn't mention the color earlier) that has everything my Audi had but doesn't' suck, and close toe wedding shoes are currently the bane of my existence. That and living in a desert. Have a happy rest of August! 

Praise in Pain

So as part of our pre-marital (just typed martial and it made me laugh a little) counseling, Matt and I have to write a Spiritual Journey paper... talking about our Spiritual Journey we've been on - past present and future. I wrote mine months ago but I haven't turned it into our wedding coordinator yet. After a prompting email from her, I decided I should look it over again and make some last minute adjustments. It sort of made me realize that in the few months since I initially wrote that paper, I have grown SO much as a person. It's sort of weird, because you don't really realize you're growing until you have something to reference back to. It only goes to show that every moment counts. Every time I choose to wake up, work-out, try my best, fail, succeed, and all of that daily stuff, I'm slowly but surely growing as a person. Even more remarkable - I'm growing as a Christian; as a sister in Christ. 
I can't help but praise and thank God for this horrible opportunity in which I have been grown and stretched. Some events force you to grow more in a smaller amount of time and the repercussions of that growth hurt... It's like being sore after a ridiculously long work out. But as you work that muscle further, and the lactic acid recedes, you can see the benefit of your labor... and you know you're stronger for it.  
Overall, this has been a test of endurance. I can honestly say, I have endured and I think I endured well. I'm beginning to thank God even for the challenges. If I'm mad, if I'm sad, if I'm too tired to think, if I'm homesick - I am learning how to praise God for those feelings and for testing me in order to grow me. 
To sum it all up - this place sucks, and I don't ever want to repeat this year, but it has all been an important life lesson that I wouldn't have learned any other way. Praise and thanks be to God. 


In other news, I am ridiculously excited about Autumn this year. It has definitely become my favorite season. And because I love lists so much, I'm going to list, in no particular order, the reasons why I think Autumn is da best. 


1) Leaves changing color = Beautiful 
2) Leaves changing color, dying, falling off branches = Catie jumping in a leaf pile. 
3) Leaf Piles = FUN! 
4) Halloween is awesome even as an adult. I can still dress up as whatever I want. However, I've replaced walking along the streets with my mom and dad in the search for copious amounts of candy for a party with friends and copious amounts of alcohol :) - Okay, not copious amounts. But I don't mind trading my king size Milky Way for a beer. 
5) I love the way the beginning of fall feels. It's crisp, its cool - but not freezing. 
6) I love the way fall has a progression of smells. It starts out with the smell of bonfires and leaves. As November comes along it smells like a mixture of cranberry sauce, baked pies, and turkey... for obvious reasons. And December smells like cinnamon and pine and snow soon to come. 
7) I have an obsession with outerwear. 
8) I love to break out my boots, hats, gloves and scarves. 
9) I love my family and I get to see them more in three months of fall than I do the other 9 months of the year. 
10) I wait 11 months to hear nothing but Christmas Carols for an entire month. 
11) Black Friday Tradition. 
12) Food. 
13) Lights. Decorations. CHRISTMAS VILLAGES! 
14) Wedding anniversary :) 
15) Wedding ceremony 
16) Scented candles 
17) Holiday movies make my heart warm. 
18) Hot Chocolate/hot cider .... not-spiked or spiked. Both are fiiiine. 
19) Snugglin' with muh hubs. 
20) Birth of sweet Baby Jesus - I saved the best for (second to) last. My entire list wouldn't mean as much to me if I wasn't so blessed with the life I have.  And the life I have is because of the Grace I have received. And the Grace I have received is because of the baby who was born who later died for my sins - even though it is pretty much decided that Jesus was most definitely not born in December. However, I think he's cool with it. 

I plan on doing this when I get home. Oh yeah, 21) I'LL BE HOME FOR GOOD!  


Side note: I realize that Christmas actually sort of straddles seasons and is technically in the season of Winter, which I don't love as much and it might be my third or last favorite season of the year - But basically October - January 1st is my favorite. 

The Capulets Vs. Montegues ... or Active Duty Vs. Reserve

As most of you know, I've spent a good deal of time away from home, starting last August. Some will remember the month long hiatus I took from work in July in which many 4loko were purchased, many movies were watched, many memories were made. When I told people I was going to be deployed, they asked when. The easiest answer was sometime in the early months of 2011, but there would be roughly six months of training that will lead up to it before I headed over. August-October 10th was spent in Wisconsin and Ft. Knox. October 10th through the beginning of the year was spent at Ft. Hood.


This is a bi-product of our training.


Needless to say - if you read the article, and read the comments - I am quite offended and extremely frustrated with this age-old feud between the active duty components and the reserve components, which is what I fall under.  So. Here is my response to a few of those comments.




Quit whining, Soldiers! Mad cause you couldn't go out drinking and clubbing every night?


-First of all. This congressional addressed many more issues not stated in this article other
than the prohibition of alcohol. It was eight pages long, stating regulations, describing in full
detail all of the issues we had through-out the entire MOB process. Our orders were for 400
days but that doesn’t count the two months of active duty TPU soldiers spent doing RTC and
gunnery before heading to Ft. Hood.


Some reservists don't get it. when in the Middle East there isn't much alcohol, you are confined to base, and can't wear civvies. What kind of Army did they think they were getting into? Boy Scouts can't even go home at night (leave the base) when at Camp Makajawan for two weeks.
178 Honorable Discharges.....and immediately please.


Actually, at least half of our task force has veterans from the Gulf war, Bosnia, and at
least one tour to Iraq previous to the current one we’re serving. There are also many who have previously been active duty and then switched to the reserves.  We don’t “get it?” How about months before active duty is slotted to go to war, they get sequestered from their families and get their basic rights taken away so they can “acclimate” to the way its going to be over here. Did we expect to train hard? Yes. And we did. There were field training exercises every other week, all of the staff worked 12 hours a day, everyone was allowed one day off a week... but on the majority of the weekends, when the active duty unit training us went to go be with their families and we weren't running any kind of training operations what were we supposed to think/do? By the time our training was over, most everyone was saying, “I can’t wait to get to Iraq.” 
Also, being confined to base in Ft. Hood is one thing – being confined in a FOB in the middle of a war zone is another. Nobody is trying to sneak off the FOB to go find the hang out spots in Iraq. And let’s not fool ourselves, despite the rules, there are still alcohol related incidents IN country. Those who are irresponsible are going to be irresponsible no matter what general orders say and they should be dealt with accordingly, but don’t punish the entire BN.


That's the problem with reservists...they put the uniform on 26 days a year...and they just don't get it. The reason the active duty folks get "special" treatment is because they wear the uniform 365 days a year (yes, they miss some weekends, holidays, and other "special" events on a regular basis). The folks in charge of preparing the reservists to go into a combat zone feel that you need at least four months of dedicated training prior to risking your lives. Would you rather they give you "special" treatment and then let you get your --- blown off? Yes, this has been a long war and you have sacrificed...but your active duty brothers and sisters sacrifice themselves every day of every year. You can quit any time...can our active service members to the same
thing?


-Our training for this deployment has been a three year task of continual gunnery, TDY (temporary duty) classes for most MOS’s, and extended drill weekends for training – couple that with a civilian job, school, and a family. Not to mention those who are AGR (Active Guard and Reserve). They ARE active duty, and they continually give up one weekend a month to train with TPU’s on drill weekend. Also, there is no “quitting whenever you want to.” It is just as hard to for us to be discharged as it is for active duty. We have a contract as well. 6 years active reserve and 2 years inactive reserve is the shortest contract offered for a reservist. We aren't asking for “special treatment.” We’re just asking for equal treatment.


Lastly, I understand and agree with a longer segment of training for reservists before entering a warzone. However, hard work and training should be rewarded somewhere. There was no reward, there was no light at the end of the tunnel except to finally leave “The Great Place” and get to Iraq. I am one of the 178 who signed and PROUD of it. I’d also like to vouch for CPT Docimo and say that he is a very smart and capable, pilot, and company commander.


So that's it. Just needed to get those few things off my chest. 


Whew, I feel much better now.

Oopsie!

I can't believe I let nearly one month go by before I wrote something on my blog. In my defense, it has been very busy here. I'm consistently working anywhere between 11-14 hours a day and I've started waking up at 5:45 AM to do my PT. It makes for a long day especially when you add choir. However, it helps the time go by faster. It also makes me neglect certain things like blogs, wedding planning, writing letters back to people etc. The only person I talk to with any frequency back home is Matt... which is as it should be. But still, I feel bad because I simply don't have the energy to talk to people as I would like to. This place is draining and I think the majority of the drainage comes from the people. I think we're all draining each other at this point. We need more than one day of not seeing each other. I'm speaking very generally here... I don't really have an issue with anyone. Certainly there are people that I don't enjoy being around, but I basically get along with everyone.

Despite my month of inactivity, there isn't much that's changed or much to report. It is literally the same shit, different day... and even the days are indistinguishable. Right now, every day is Monday. Except for Sunday. Sunday is still Sunday because that is my day off. So as you can see, there aren't very many variables in my day to day life. The next big thing I'm looking forward to is the birth of my very first Niece, Elizabeth! She's do in less than a week,  however it is Katie's first baby, so I'm sure she'll be fashionably late. I simply can't wait to meet her. I'm SO looking forward to the day that I get to hold my baby niece in my arms. Yay Babies!!!!

Maybe I'll feel more inspired when I've had more sleep. To sum things up - I'm doing well, everyone is annoyed, the days are drifting by, babies are great, and I'm really tired. I think that about covers it. I'll leave you with this.

Walking outside into this temperature makes me want to die. 

Obsessed.

2001 marks the year that I became obsessed with everything Lord of the Rings. I had never even heard of these books, nor anticipated the movies until I saw The Fellowship of the Ring. It was actually by happenstance that I even saw it in the first place. I remember the month prior my uncle took me to see the first Harry Potter movie. That was supposed to be our thing. He promised my brothers he would take them to see FOTR and that would be their thing. I remember being excited and quite pleased with Harry Potter, but still slightly disappointed that the feelings I got when I read the book weren't evoked as strongly when I saw the movie.
And then I saw The Fellowship of the Ring.
I don't know that I've ever been so lost in a movie. Not lost, as in, unable to understand what was going on. But lost in the way you lose track of time, reality, and the ability to swallow because your mouth is hanging open. I'm pretty sure I ended up seeing FOTR somewhere around seven times in theaters. I also remember throwing a FIT because my mom wouldn't take me to go see it again/pay for me to see it again. It was bad. When the movie was finally released on VHS, (DVD's were still kind of new and I'm pretty sure we didn't own a DVD player yet) I bought the movie the very same day. I had gone months without seeing it. I watched as many videos as I could online, I looked at stills from the movie, I joined fan-sites, I stalked Orlando Bloom and claimed him as my own as if he knew I existed... Pre-teens have very obsessive behaviors.
So anyway, that was my life for over three years. Counting down from trailer to trailer, reading all I could, watching FOTR daily. For at least a month straight, I came home from school and popped in that freakin' movie and watched it from beginning to end. I still know all the lines and can pretty much say them verbatim. I have witnesses. Same thing with The Two Towers, though I'm not as familiar with that script.
Sometime after Return of the King came out, my obsession ebbed, I realized that Orlando Bloom wasn't my crush, it was actually just Legolas and he isn't real :( But to this day, I still feel very strongly about these movies. Everything about them is perfect to me. The acting, the directing, the costumes, the cinematography, HOWARD SHORE! I'm pretty sure the score for LOTR is one of the most brilliant scores ever composed into existence. If the music weren't so moving and powerful or soft and graceful in the right parts, then it would take a lot away from the experience of the movies. And here's the best part.

It's happening all over again.

That's right. Found a video on facebook of Peter Jacksons first day of filming of The Hobbit. alsjkdflasjfd. I'm getting taken back to my 7-9 grade experience. I feel that wonderful longing and excitement that I felt those 8-10 years ago. SO glad. I just finished re-reading The Hobbit and I'll probably start on The Fellowship of the Ring tomorrow. I'm obsessed. I'm quite a dork. And I'm perfectly okay with acknowledging and accepting that.  So I'll leave you with this.

It is late and I don't have time to re-read this and edit. I'm sure there are many mistakes because I wrote this in a fit of excitement.