I'm still so proud

One year ago I sat in the bleachers at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia to watch my husband graduate from Basic Training.  I was (and still am) so incredibly proud of him.  I cried happy tears that day because my husband was doing something that he has always wanted to do and he had completed the first part of his training.  I cried happy tears because our separation was finally over; once he was at his AIT site I could go visit him.

I am a very emotional person anyways but something about seeing my husband out there with a lot of other men (in Basic Training at Fort Benning there are no women) got to me...  Their accomplishments so far, the hard work they put in, their bravery...  It was a great ceremony...  I cried from the time they all marched on the field to the time I was finally able to wrap my arms around my soldier.

The first two pictures are part of the demonstration that they did as part of the ceremony.  The third picture is all of the men that graduated that day.  The fourth picture is the men marching back to their positions after marching by the stands.  And the last picture is of me and my soldier.

How do you like those glasses he is wearing?  They weren't allowed to wear their contacts.  They refer to them as birth control glasses (BCGs) and that they are...  I'm just kidding (they seriously call them that though), they really aren't that bad...  in fact Zach still wears his at night after he takes his contacts out.

To my husband: thank you for serving our country, thank you for being such a wonderful man and a wonderful husband.  I am so proud of you and all that you have accomplished!  I love you to pieces!

Augusta, Georgia

I'm sorry if some of these are repeats but there are a lot of new pictures here too.

Augusta is a beautiful city with lots of old homes downtown that I absolutely LOVED.

 

 

We spent a lot of time at the River Walk in Augusta...  We found this the first weekend in Augusta with Zach's parents.

 

 

 

Where I am standing taking the following picture is Augusta, Georgia...

This is across the Savannah River and it is South Carolina.

Then one weekend we discovered the Savannah River Rapids Park...

 

We spent several weekend with Zach's friend Joseph and his girlfriend (at the time, they are engaged now) Katie, she is such a sweet person!

 

My mom even visited with me one weekend and we went sight seeing of course...

We saw these four young men jumping off the dam.  Yes they all survived and no they didn't get arrested.

 

And they were even kind enough to take a picture of me and my mom...

We visited the Savannah River Rapids Park a lot because we LOVED it there...  So I have a TON of pictures of Zach like this...

And finally it was graduation day, a day we looked forward to for so long...

 

 

Good bye Fort Gordon!

TEAMWORK

 
Don't you just love how we can work together?   (Do you see it? Check my sunglasses... click picture to enlarge)

Family Readiness Group Training- SUCCESS!

Over the weekend Zach and I both attended Family Readiness Group (FRG) training at Zach's unit. I am so excited to be a part of this because, one day if Zach gets deployed I know who I can get information from and I will have the support of the FRG...

I met a lot of really nice people and I learned a lot! I am still a little behind on a lot of Army terminology and Army stuff in general, but I will catch up...

Zach's unit, the 490th Chemical Battalion, currently has 35 (I think) soldiers deployed overseas and another unit that we (the 490th FRG) are going to be helping out with right now will be deploying after the first of next year.

I am so excited to be a part of this and to help the families of the deployed soldiers because one day I may be in their position and I would want someone to do the same for me...

Two for one...

Today you guys are getting a two for one deal... You are getting graduation and Zach's birthday all at once.

Today is officially my huggy hubby's birthday!!! Happy Birthday Baby, I love you to pieces!!!

I don't really have much to update on the graduation front but I do have some pictures!!! So enjoy the pictures below!!!

Such a serious look...

Me and Zach before his graduation.

Zach and his parents.

Zach and his friend Wendt, he is such a nice guy! Congrats again Wendt!!!

The guys from Zach's platoon that graduated Wednesday! Way to go 2nd Platoon guys!

Goodbye Fort Gordon!

And last but not least, Zach and Ava swimming last night at my parents' house!!!

Leave your birthday wishes for Zach in the comments section and I will be sure to give them to him!!!

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Follow Friday below!!!

Just a quick update

I am still alive you guys! I have been trying to catch up on the stuff that I couldn't get done while the auditors were here. They left kind of early on Friday so that was good. I was able to avoid them and not have to answer any questions. Go me!!!

I am looking forward to going to Augusta this weekend because it is our last weekend there! I have enjoyed visiting and sight-seeing but I really just want to stay at my house and relax for once and that day is almost here!!!

Oh! I got my business cards in for work today!!! I am so excited, no more writing my name and number on a sticky note. They are fabulous!!! Yes, only I would be excited about business cards!!!

I am wanting to get back into quilting but nothing in depth like what I was trying to do a while back. I want to start off with a simple patchwork quilt and then move on to some different patterns! I found a pattern that I want to try first so when Zach gets home and we get settled in our house I am going to see if my mom will let me borrow her sewing machine to get started!!! I will keep you all up to date on this...

Zach is at his field training exercise and he couldn't carry his phone. He left on Sunday and will be back on Friday. So, a whole week without talking to him... but at least I get to see him! It is weird how I plan my day around when he calls me. He called me every morning when he got up which was around 3:15 my time... Then he called me around 12:45 my time everyday and then he called me at 5:00 my time every evening and we would talk until time for bed check. I woke up yesterday morning in a panic around 4:00 my time because I thought I missed his call but then I realized that he would not be calling... I will be glad when we can actually see each other every day and not just talk on the phone during the week and see each other on the weekend! And that day is almost here my friends!!!

Maybe when Zach gets home I will have something more interesting to post about than what we did in Augusta the previous weekend! We'll see!!!

Hope you guys have a great day, I am going to run some errands for work!

Alabama's new state song...

It's raining, it's pouring... I wish I was snoring...

Wait, that's not how it goes...

Seriously though, it has been raining a lot here in Alabama in recent weeks and all of this dreary weather is making me sleepy! I think an afternoon nap time is in order...

Today it has rained so much that our drive thru here at the credit union is flooded, not cool, not cool at all!

I am in a fabulous mood today... Anyone care to take a guess as to why???

I am sure Karmen is raising her hand and she is probably saying "Because Zach is coming home in exactly two weeks and you can finally move out of my house!" Way to go Karmen you are exactly right! Well about the Zach coming home part... Moving out part, not so sure about... Just kidding! I owe Karmen, Matt, and Ava a huge thank you for allowing me to live with them since Zach left. It has been so nice to have someone to come home to every evening to keep me occupied through the first few months that Zach was gone because those my friends were some rough months! So thanks you guys!

Anyways, I have to go be productive at work now! Hope you are having a fabulous Wednesday!!!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

While I was in Augusta this weekend I most certainly did not wish that it was already Monday so I could get this week started... I am not on vacation from Friday of this week until Tuesday of next week and I am not going to get to bring Zach home for the long weekend!

I did not lay around in my pajamas all weekend again, because that would just be lazy of me...

Zach did not make a 100 on his lastest test and he does not have only four and a half weeks left at Fort Gordon! I am not excited at all, can you tell?

I did not ask Zach if I could take him back to base just a little bit early yesterday so that I could get a head start on the 300 miles drive home. I would never do that because I love spending every second I can with my husband... Even if I would have asked Zach most certainly did not agree!

We had a rather uneventful weekend, can't you tell? Oh well, happy Monday everyone!!!!!!!!!

Good Morning One and All

Top o' the morning to you... I am up super early getting ready to go pick up HH... I have been up since 5:30am my time, I don't even get up this early for work!

Anywho, we got here last night at 9:00pm my time and sat down at dinner, got our food and ate one bite and one of HH's friends called and said he needed to get back ASAP because the 1st sergeant was on his way... so HH and I left to take him back to base while my in-laws stayed behind and finished their meal... I got back there and they had boxed both mine and HH's food up for us... So we go to see HH for less than and hour...

They have their weekend but they had to be back at 1:00am Georgia time for bedcheck but HH went back when that guy called because he didn't want to get in trouble... We can pick him up at 8:00am Georgia time. HH has been told that if everyone does right and is at formation this morning that they will be able to get their full weekends back... So we are waiting to see what is going to happen and we are praying that it is a favorable outcome... If they don't get their full weekend back that means he has to be back at 1:00am in the morning and we can't pick him back up until 8:00am tomorrow morning and that just wastes my time with him... So we are praying that he gets his full weekend back... Those guys better do right, they don't want a letter from an unhappy Army wife.

I had some issues with my iPhone yesterday, I was so irritated because it has been one thing after another this week... I was so irritated at it that I was ready to throw it out the window on I-20 and hoped an 18-wheeler hit it... But I refrained from causing my beloved iPhone any harm and called their help center instead... from my mother-in-law's cell phone because I couldn't do anything on mine...

Oh, the other stuff that happened this week? Well for starters all of this stuff with HH and his weekend, that is the big issue... Then a tail light goes out on my car (still not fixed and have no clue when I will get it fixed) and to top the tail light off my air conditioner in my car goes out (calling on Monday to get an appointment to have that fixed)... no wonder I had a migraine on Friday... I worry entirely too much, I am working on it, I really am...

I need to get up and get some clothes on so I am ready when FIL (father-in-law) comes knocking on my door to go get HH!!!

Keep a watch on my Tweets, I will update the status of HH's weekend there when I know what is going on!!!

Pictures from this past weekend

The beautiful sunset!

Huggy Hubby, Me, J, and Miss K (It has been so much fun to hang out with them, Miss K has a special place in my heart because she actually knows what I am going through and it is so nice to finally have someone to talk to who has been where I am.)

Me and Huggy Hubby all cuddled up on the boat!

Prayer Request: My SIL, E, has to be at the hospital tomorrow morning at 5! Baby G will hopefully be here when I get off of work tomorrow afternoon, I can't wait to finally meet him! Please pray that everything goes well for all of them!

*On a side note: K will now lovingly be known as Miss K because I like how that sounds! Hope that is ok with you Miss K!

More things to come... *updated*

I uploaded the pictures from Saturday evening's boat tour but I haven't had the chance to edit them yet, as soon as they are edited I will post them! It may not be tonight or tomorrow, there are some big things happening tonight and possibly E will have the baby tomorrow (more on this in a minute).

The big things happening tonight I can't really elaborate on right now but please pray about tonight and I promise I will tell you about it this evening when it is over.

E goes to the doctor today and if she hasn't progressed they will "get things rolling" so hopefully they will tell her to be at the hospital early tomorrow morning to induce her!!! I can't wait to meet Baby G! I love holding babies, the only bad thing is that holding a baby makes me want a baby... but no baby for us anytime soon!

My MIL started her new job today, I hope everything is going well for her! I will call her later and see how it is going.

HH and I had a great time this weekend with K and J. We didn't eat at the German restaurant because it wasn't in the best part of town so we went to a Mexican restaurant instead! It was fabulous! After we left the Mexican restaurant we went to Wal-Mart to buy swim suits because K and J's hotel had a hot tub and we all decided to use it! It was nice but it was extremely hot.

So anyways, I made it home yesterday around 6:30. When this is over with I will hate driving even more than I already do! I have already told HH when he graduates he is driving home!

I only have to work 4 days this week and I have not made our reservations in Athens for this weekend yet, but as soon as I get word from HH I will!

Okie dokie, another post coming tonight, I promise!!! Until then, have a great day!

*I just talked to E and she has to be at the hospital at 5:00am on Wednesday so baby G will be here in time for Easter!*

Augusta is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

HH and I keep finding all of these cool places to go here in Augusta! Today we explored the Savannah River Rapids park... here are some pictures from today!

We are getting ready to go on a sunset boat tour with K and J! And then it is off to eat German food! YUMMY!!! Have a great day everyone!

This has been such a long week!!!

It is finally Friday and I will be making my weekly 300 mile, 4 hour drive to Augusta today after work. I am so excited because I get to see HH. I miss him terribly and I look forward to Fridays because I know I will get to see him!

I am particularly excited about this weekend because we are hanging out with K and J again! We have all agreed to try the local German restaurant on Saturday and we are also going on a sunset boat tour!!! K and I are super excited, now the boys I am not so sure about. Hopefully I can get a picture of the four of us this weekend to post!!! They are so much fun!

My SIL, E, goes back to the doctor on Monday and if she hasn't progressed past 1.5 cm they are going to "get things rolling" so we will have Baby G here next week sometime!

In my family we have a tradition of dying Easter eggs with My Nanny, my mom's mom. We have never done this with my mom it has always been at My Nanny's house! But this year I will be missing out on the fun because I will be in Augusta with HH! Yes I am 23 years old and still dye Easter eggs, its tradition!

Notice I called my grandmother My Nanny she isn't just Nanny she is My Nanny. That is what my sister and I used to call her when we were little and it sort of stuck! I will have to get a picture of My Nanny to show you, she is so much fun and such a wonderful person! I love her to pieces!!!

Anyways, I am going to go and count down the hours until I can leave to go see HH! 6.5 hours to go!!!

Why can't we have weekends all the time?

I absolutely love weekends! Especially since that is the only time I can see my husband right now...

We had a wonderful time this weekend, it went by entirely too fast but it was fun.

Saturday we were under a tornado watch all day and then that night we met up with HH's friend from high school (J) and his girlfriend (K) for dinner at this fabulous Cajun restaurant. We attempted to go bowling but when we got there they told us that there were 23 groups ahead of us... so we decided to leave because we didn't want to wait that long.

Sunday we all checked out of our hotels and then we met up for lunch at P.F. Chang's. I have never been there so I was excited to try it. It was SO yummy! After lunch we took J and K down to the River Walk! It was such a pretty day so it was nice to walk down there for a while! We saw two baby snakes down there though. We made plans to go back with J and K this Saturday but that may be our last trip to the River Walk while HH is there since there are snakes.

I made it home around 6:00 yesterday evening. I talked to HH most of the way home so that made the time fly by!

So that is my wonderful weekend in a nutshell! I just wish the weekend was all the time!

Well I made it...

I made it to Augusta last night in what seemed like no time at all... I think the time flew by because I bought an audio book from the Books A Million clearance section. It is 204 Rosewood Lane by Debbie Macomber. I am about half way through and I will listen to the other half on the way home Sunday!

I just realized that this book is the SECOND book in a series... now I am bummed because I like to read things in order... oh well I will get the first book and then the third and forth books.

One of Huggy Hubby's friends is up here also because he is being deployed in a couple of weeks. His girlfriend came up to visit so we are going to go to dinner tonight with them. Please keep J and his girlfriend K in your prayers because he will be gone for a year!

Still no baby G... HH's parents were supposed to come this weekend to visit but since E still hasn't had the baby they didn't want to chance missing it. Which is totally understandable. I talked to E yesterday and she is so ready to have him... Maybe she will this weekend.

Peanut spent the night with Mia and Pop (my parents) last night and I talked to her on the phone while I was driving and she told me she wanted me to come home... it broke my heart, Peanut actually misses me!

It is supposed to storm here today so we are staying inside until dinner!

That is about all I have for now... my brain is functioning on little sleep because we stayed up late watching tv.

Weekend Recap and Great News

I got to Augusta on Friday night at about 8:45. HH was already at the hotel waiting on me. I was so tired from driving that I quickly ate my Subway sandwich that HH had picked up for me and went to bed.

Saturday morning we slept late. We didn't leave the hotel at all! We watched movies and napped all day. The rest was much needed!

Sunday we slept late again and checked out of our hotel at 10:30 (Georgia time). HH had to be back at his building by 4:00 Sunday afternoon so after we checked out of the hotel we ate lunch at Applebee's and went to some stores to look around. I got home last night at about 6:30.

The great news!!! HH made a 100 on his latest test which puts him in the running for Honor Grad!!! He also has the opportunity to phase up to Phase 5 plus this week instead of four more weeks like he is supposed to. The platoon sergeant is giving them the opportunity to phase up this week so if he passes everything we won't have to worry about passes anymore! Also, he got his security clearance stuff out of the way so that is great news as well!!! So Friday, was filled with great news for him!

Keep him in your prayers this week he has his hardest class this week and he will be taking the test to phase up on Tuesday or Thursday!

Army Life is Busy

First, sorry for the lack of posting. Traveling back and forth to see Huggy Hubby has made my brain turn to mush.

The past three weekends I have made the 4.5 hour drive to see HH on Friday and the 4.5 hour drive home on Sunday. I plan to go every weekend! When you don't get to see your husband everyday you take every advantage you get to see him!

HH and I were talking the other weekend about our marriage. Before he left for Basic Training we took each other for granted on a daily basis. But being separated for so long and not being able to talk to each other everyday has really opened our eyes to see how lucky we are to have each other, how much the other really means to us, and to never take each other for granted! I love HH more than anything in this world, I always have and always will! But him being away has made me appreciate him SO much more. He is my soul mate and I love him to pieces! So a HUGE thank you goes to the Army for making our marriage even better than before!

HH is enjoying his classes and will know even more about computers than I do when he is finished. His MOS is 25U-Signal Support System Specialist... He will be looking for a job in this field when he comes home in June so if you have any ideas of where he can apply please let me know!

Huggy Hubby and I are planning a mini-vacation this fall but I think I would rather save up for a bigger, nicer vacation!

I am still living with K-Mommy and her Hubby and of course my fabulous niece Peanut! Peanut cracks me up on a regular basis... Sometimes one of us will slip up and say "shut up" and of course Peanut being 2 repeats us and we have to tell her "we don't say that"... Well now she has started telling us when we slip up and say it "Chickie, we don't say dat!" It is hilarious! She is so much fun at this age and I am glad that I get to be there for all of the fun stuff!

That is all I have for now, I am working on a post about second chances that we are given so be sure to check back soon for that.

Promised Pictures

Me and Huggy Hubby on Family Day

Part of the pre-graduation demonstration.

The Striker

Huggy Hubby's Platoon

Me and my soldier