Gotta love it

So as I should have expected... Being that its the military that owns us... Plans have changed. We are not going to Malmstrom. Which is both bad and good. However we don't know where we are going so I'm not sure which end it's on. I will make the best of it though either way. I just might gripe a bit first lol. Well just wanted to update you on that.
PS don't have a heart attack over hearing from me so soon :). See y'all next Thursday!

I'm here... Again!

I know... It's a small miracle. I've been gone for only 15 days this time! And dundadadaah I've finally thought to download the Blogger Droid app! So hopefully you will be seeing updates from me more often! I am going home to Missouri the 4th to be followed by Brandon in the days following Brandon's grad around the 20th. We are hoping to get a Ford Edge before I leave, but that is looking more and more unlikely so my mom will be coming down to help me transport all the stuff I have accumulated. I <3 my mama dearly I don't know what I'm gonna do when I am in Montana and she is in Texas... Oh I didn't mention that did I? My mom is getting ready to move to Texas in October and get remarried in April! Yep yep and I get to help plan which I love but is very precarious on the top of my to do list. But I will succeed even if other things take a back seat for awhile. So I'm very eager to open This Love Creations, my new business I mentioned last post! I have so many ideas! I also gave made a vow to be a new me starting in Montana! I'm going to go greener, be more organized, meet my goal weight by next summer which means regular fitness and eating healthy, and get this business started. And I have decided to set two days a week to blog. This blog will be Thursday's This Love Creations blog will be Tuesday's here is a link to that one: http://thislovecreations.blogspot.com/ and my facebook for it is up but it's still in construction and nothing too exciting is up yet. So I'll post that link down the road... I do have a ton more to talk about that concerns the green and organized aspects of afore mentioned vow but I'm gonna save that for next week :) see you then :).

I'm a slacker!

I know I haven't written in... well forever! Shame on me! So since I posted last I did indeed move to San Antonio. I am living out of a one bedroom suite, which is not that great but I think I'd almost live out of a cardboard box to be close to him... almost lol. My sister was here last week and we took in a lot of sights. I like to randomly explore on my own because there is so much here! I won't however miss where I'm staying =/ things keep breaking and sometimes people get into very noisy fights right outside... but luckily it's decently safe and it's decently affordable. We got our next base assigment. Malmstrom AFB in Montana. Cold, brutal winters fun fun... but good news is that Brandon is very unlikely to deploy while we are there which is a huge bonus! I've got my hands in a lot of things and can't seem to stop lol. I plan on opening a FB & etsy store at the beginning of 2012 sometime. I shrugged it off for awhile buuuut I just can't get rid of the idea it's really sunk it's claws in. Well that is all for now. I'll try to update more often =)

I know, I know!

I haven't been on in forever. Sorry. SO I went to Graduation... and it was amazing!I got heat stroke and my little girl has been a brat since then (She was not happy about all the car time, or the heat, or anything really EXCEPT seeing daddy) BUT it was soooooooooo worth it. The tap out hug at the coin ceremony OMG I cried and the feeling... oh my the feeling... I can't even express it. I wish I'd gotten a photo. One of the first things my husband said to me was did you get shorter LOL! Nooo I did not.
So news: I will be moving to Texas till September after that not a clue yet. I will be without a computer =( But you will here from me as much as possible! I've handed my support page into what I hope is very capable hands for the duration of my computerless stay.
To tell the truth I am SO nervous to start this new life... I thought I was ready and I was so happy, and I still am somewhat but I'm getting nervous about being ALL ALONE! 2 weeks after we get there bran will be off to Camp Bullis for 3 weeks (it's like a deployment training course) we will manage we always do... but still I'm starting to feel that panicky ache in my chest.
Well I will keep you updated.

Ketchup

er... Catch up...
I got my post-BEAST call on Monday last week, believe me there was tears shed over that fact. His Flight got BEAST Excellence though =D! Haven't heard from him yet since but that is good news. Means he wasn't recycled back and passed all the 7th week tests which I knew he would =D! Fabulous news if I ever heard any. So I only have the rest of today and tomorrow to get through before we leave! Then only 2 days of traveling and a wake up before I see him! His flight did not get warrior flight, another flight has already called home with that news. A little sad about that but it's okay no matter what I am so proud of him and even though Sunday pass would be nice just spending time with him is enough no matter where it is!

In my time away...

So my avid readers ( if I have any), I apologize for my blogging absence. I was leaving my finger prints on Facebook. =D I started a new online business, in hopes to make a little extra money since my pocket book is screaming. https://www.facebook.com/pages/ANorman-Edits/132538450155548 if your interested. This last week was BEAST week and my husband got Marksman the week before. No post-BEAST week call yet but I'm waiting for it anxiously. This coming week will be the final PT test and I will be praying (and hop you'll join in) that he'll pass it without trouble. I'm going to assume he will be graduating on time =D. which means 10 days till we leave and 11 & a wake up till I see him.

Where it resides

Stress. One harsh word that bogs down my mind and makes my heart heavy. My husband being gone has of course caused a certain amount of stress but it has been good for us too so that's not as bad as the fact my car (only car) has been in the shop for more then a month! Then there is the In-laws who I am wanting to strangle by this point (not my MIL she is awesome). Then problems with getting me listed as a spouse has caused issues so money is tight... I feel like I'm drowning in stress! The worst thing is I try to limit how much I say to my husband to not cause him extra stress and it's killing me because I tell him EVERYTHING usually. It is so hard to keep my mouth shut. Ok I'm done ranting... hope you all have an amazing day! Toodles.

The power of three...

Just 3 weeks!

In 3 weeks I will be holding my Airman and spending the day under (hopefully) a bright Texas son.
In 3 weeks I will see him become an Airman (for real).
Next week is BEAST week. I will be rooting for the Bulldogs to slay the BEAST!
I still can't believe just 3 weeks left!

Nothing new today...

At least not so far.. Although I am waiting in hopes that today I will get Base Passes =D! I thought of a story that I find humorous and up lifting... and as I am sick for the second day in a row and am rather restless and down trodden, I need something to lift my spirits.
The Wedding Rings
When Brandon and I got married in May 2010, 5 months after having our daughter, we were broke! We used Income Tax Refund to buy a few bottles of wine, Flowers, a few decorations, my Maid of Honor's dress, his dress shirt, and ingredients for food. Everything else was borrowed or made (like the invitations and my dress) from things we already owned. So before the wedding when we went to pick out our rings (and no I didn't have an engagement ring but I'll tell that story another time) I knew our budget was straining even with the few things we had already bought. So I chose Wal-mart, good old home of the rollbacks. We found their cheapest wedding bands (starting at $35 and climbing to $95) and chose from them. I convinced Brandon to get titanium so as to not easily damage it and I chose a silver plated band with a heart CZ in the middle. I wanted his ring engraved with 'All I Want Is You' it was the song I would walk down the aisle to and was kind of our song an the words were exactly how I felt. He wanted to engrave mine also but said he couldn't think of anything good enough (which was kind of a sweet thing to say I thought) so I told him not to worry these rings wouldn't last forever and he could do it next time. We knew these rings probably wouldn't hold up to the test of time but we couldn't afford more and they were good enough for the time.
Fast forwarding to November my ring was looking worse for wear with a ton of scratches. I didn't mind though, it still fit and didn't turn my finger green so I was satisfied. To me the ring wasn't about showing off how amazing it was it was about showing that I'd found an amazing man to spend the rest of my life with! Then it happened... I lost the ring... no I didn't only lose it I threw it away! You see... I decided I would make my daughter an amazing cake for her first birthday... all from scratch! I hadn't allowed sugar before this so I was wanting to put some extra love in it. I decided I wanted to use fondant so after a lot of research and practice the morning of her party I made the fondant. Fondant is very messy and sticky to make! So I set my ring on the edge of my foil away from where I would work and asked my husband not to let me forget it. It's not his fault... we both have CRS (Can't Remember S***)... but when I got the fondant all on the cake and everything was ready I wadded up the foil threw it in the full trash can and asked my husband to pull the trash. He did so and took it to our apartment's dumpster. My ring was in that wadded up piece of foil... but I didn't realize this until the next morning when I woke up my hand feeling strangely naked.
Well we could barely afford food at this time so getting a new ring was very low priority. I tried wearing some of my costume jewelery I owned in it's place, but of course had a green finger in a matter of days so I gave up that notion. Then in early March we got income taxes again and after paying off his car had money to spare. He insisted the first thing we buy was me a new ring. So we went and I picked out a new ring, that was slightly more expensive. Although to be honest it's a sweetheart ring. I love it though with both are birthstones and names inscribed beside each. I asked while ordering if he wanted it engraved and he said no he still hadn't thought of anything and he seemed disappointed but I told him that he was just over thinking it but not to worry, I didn't need engraved words to know that he loved me. They told us it would be due in on April 14th. We were both a bit disappointed that  he would be leaving before it came in. Weeks passed and it was almost forgotten in the shadow of his looming departure. I drove up north, daughter in tow, to see him off and to visit family for a couple of weeks. When I returned the ring was ready. I picked it up and slipped it on my finger before leaving the store. I took off my ring that night to shower setting it on the bathroom counter among my other belongings... and no this time I didn't lose it... instead as I set it down I saw on the inside of the band... words... Always & Forever. My husband over 700 miles away had just given me a heart-stuttering gift. He finally had found the words... and they were simple but perfect!

A little planning...

So in anticipation of Graduation I have been compiling list and maps and details like crazy.... which I wanted to share a bit of so other's can use it as a reference point =)

Do

Walk on Airman's Left side

Refer to Airman by name not title

Stand when Senior Officer enters & is announced

Offer Airman umbrella in rain, but ONLY if it's BLACK

Don't have Airman push stroller in uniform.

Help Airman carry items to help him keep a hand free to salute

  

after the Coin Ceremony  go over the bridge to the mall

You must wear seat belts at all times while on base.

stop at 5PM when the retreat is played over the loud speakers, and must remain stopped while it plays

stop for Pedestrians crossing the street, they have the right away.

Your Airman must have at all times on their person: Dog Tags, Flashlight, I.D./ Wallet

NO Jay walking. I've heard of too many Air men lose their liberty on town passes.

It is illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving a car on base.

 

Don't

Show PDA, except for homecomings & goodbyes

Offer Airman gum in uniform

Allow him to put hand in pocket unless retrieving item

Refer to your husband’s orders as “our orders” unless you are a service member yourself.

If you happen to see your Airman when they have not been released from the Flight, Do not approach them, Talk to Them Etc., they will get in trouble.

Follow the speed limit.

pictures with the airplanes. Go either Thursday or Saturday or Sunday to take pictures.

 

Do Not 

Park if it shows a Rank or Title, any kind of marking, just find another parking place.

Don't ask Airmen that are walking for directions.

Be careful not to lock your keys in your car.

do not walk on the grass on base! Stay on the sidewalks and walkways. : )

 

 

More Important Information

It seemed like everyone tried to stay on one side of the base right after the Coin Ceremony. We didn't realize that you can go over the bridge to the mall.

You can drive to the graduation ceremony, however, it is VERY limited parking. We stayed on base lodging and it was literally across the street for us, so we just walked. The shuttle buses that people took were extremely crowded trying to return. After graduation, dorm visit is for only one hour.

If you try to buy something at the on base mall, you must have your Airman (unless you have Military ID).party store attached to the gas station on base, you do not need military id.

 

 

Packing List

Baby

Stroller

Toys ___

Snacks

Wipes

Sunglasses

Sun Block

Sippy(s)___

Snack cup(s)___

Pull ups

Diapers

Blanket(s) ___

Shirts ___

Pants___

Socks___

Pjs___

Milk

Juice

Toothbrush

Me

Base Passes!

Black Umbrella

Sunblock

Aloe Vera

Sunglasses

Stadium blanket

camera

Airman's Run Poster

Hotel confirmation

Info Packet

Maps

Tide Pen

Lint Roller

cell phone

charger

nook

Charger

earphones

ID

Money/debit card

Insurance cards

febreeze

Movie case (make sure has veggie tales)

feminine products

cards

intimates___

Shirts____

Pants/skirts___

Dresses___

Shoes____

Bathing suit____

Coverup___

Socks____

Sweater/jacket____

 Blow dryer

Hair straightener

Curling Iron

Hair Products___

cosmetics

comb/pic/brush

deodorant

Make up remover

Moisturizer

Toothbrush

toothpaste

Dental floss

Shampoo

conditioner

Soap

hair bands

razors

shaving gel/cream

Food

Liz's Milk

Ramen

Water

bread

PB

crackers

chips

cookies

Pop-tarts

McAllistor's tea

bananas

hamburger/chicken helper

oatmeal

Mac&cheese

tortillas

Brandon

Clothes for lounging

Doritos

Jerky

spicy bean dip

Tortilla chips

I have tons of maps and such too, if you didn't know, you can save maps through google so you can have a list and then just print them all of fast and easy =)

PS come visit my FB page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Military-Love/135302109870529?ref=ts