Ellie Waving

Ellie is growing and learning new things everyday. This week she mastered the wave. She is so cute when she waves. Here is a video of her showing off her new skills. Enjoy!

Video

Another Crazy Weekend

Ellie and I are really looking forward to this weekend! Geoff is coming home tonight and we are always excited about that. Jake and Bailey are coming to spend the night tonight and then we are going to the rodeo for Dad's birthday tomorrow. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone. It is going to be a fun filled weekend for sure. 

Sadly, Sunday is our last Sunday at Summit. We are really going to miss going there! Summit (or the people who make up Summit) really have changed our lives. We would not be where we are today without all of them. I know that the relationships we have made at Summit will last forever with or without the name of Summit attached. 

A Year in Review!

2008 has been a great year, definitely up there with the best years of my life. A lot of things happened, but the best by far is the birth of our little girl Ellie. It definitely changed our life, but for the better. I cannot imagine life without her any more. 

2008 in Review

• Geoff has been to many many schools getting ready for deployment. Air Assault- Ft. Benning, Umo- Ft. Stewart, NTC- Ft. Irwin, Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Polk, Ft. McClellen, and a week in Yuma, AZ trying to get to a course in Cali. 
• Lots of Weddings- my cousin Brian, my friends Kirstin and Julie, and my little sister Brittany.
• We went to Chattanooga and Blue Ridge on mini vacations
• Lots of Babies were born- Shay, Madison, Cole, Alyssa, Aubry, Finley, Sophia, and of course Ellie.
• Geoff changed units AGAIN! He also changed jobs... driving to Calhoun every day sucks.
• We have been preparing for deployment. You wouldn't believe what it takes to get ready to leave home for an entire year. 
• I had to leave Davis and all my friends there. Christa, Stacy, Terenca, and Paige... I miss you guys, however I started job sharing with Mel and keeping the kids when I am off. It is great and Chestatee has been a great school to work for so far. All the people there have been so nice.
• We have spent a lot of time hanging out with friends and family. I love my friends and family and they are going to be my saving grace next year. 

Looking back at all the great things we have done this year. It really has been a milestone year. I love the way our lives change so much over the course of one year. January 1st always brings new hope and new adventures. 

2009 is already a new adventure. I will spend the year raising our little girl while my husband goes to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. I am going to miss him more than words can say but I am focused on a few important things for 2009.

Here is my list of New Years resolutions:

• Spend more time with friends and developing even better relationships with the girls.
• Spend more time with family and focus on developing Ellie's relationship with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
• WORK OUT- I have to get this baby weight off before Geoff comes back home. 
• Spend more time on my relationship with God. 
• Spend lots of time with my daughter.
• Keep my relationship with my husband alive across several seas.

Well that is all for 2008, heres to hoping that 2009 brings as many adventures, surprises and as much happiness as 2008. 

Happy New Year!

Vacation

We are having a blast here in Blue Ridge, GA. Here are some pictures from our trip.

10 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me About Military Life

Everyone has their day. Some days are good and some are not so good. I have so far been coping fairly well with this deployment (or at least I think I have been). This past week however it has been a little tougher. I am sure it is just a culmination of different things going on, like Ellie being sick with a cold, the Army pulling Geoff away yet another week in Dec., having nightmares about the deployment and so on. It will pass and I will be fine again soon, however I am going to take this opportunity to vent just a little. So if you are looking for a positive, give you that warm feeling blog you may want to move on. 

10 things I wish someone would have told me about life as an Army Wife. 

1. Things change daily. One minute he is home and you think all is well and the next he is gone. 

2. The Army knows how to make it just barely worth sticking around. 

3. As a Army wife deployments are much easier when you live on post. 

4. You didn't just marry your husband, you married the Army too.

5. Deployments are 12 months long plus 6 months of schools away from home to get ready for the 12 months in country. 

6. The Army likes to appear to care about the Soldier's family.

7. Being in the National Guard instead of Active duty doesn't really mean you get to stay near your friends, family and job. (Well at least as an Officer's Wife)

8. Sure Drill is only once a month but it sure does always seem to be on the same weekend as every other important event in your life.

9. Not being on deployment doesn't mean their at home. 

10. Everyone you meet that finds out what your husband does gives you that I feel sorry for you look then you feel like you have to make excuses, tell them how great it is, and tell them how you really do fine when he is away. 

Okay so I may not really be as bad as all that. The Army has provided us with the life we have today, however it is a huge sacrifice I didn't fully become aware of until recently.  Geoff has been gone a lot through our whole relationship, but never like he will be next year.

2002- 6 months of Basic Training and 2 weeks of AT 

2003- 3 weeks at Airborne School and 2 weeks of AT, 

2004- 4 weeks at Camp and 2 weeks at AT 

2005- 4 week long Activation to Mississippi

2006- 5 months of OBC 

2007- 2 or 3 1 week courses that I can't exactly remember where

2008- 3 weeks Air Assault School, 1 Week Ft. McClellan, 3 Weeks Ft. Irwin, 1 Week in Yuma, 1 week in Ft. Stewart, 1 week in Ft. Leavenworth, 1 week at Ft. Polk and there are still two schools to go before he deploys on Jan. 5th. 

These are only the ones that stand out in my mind I am sure I missed at least one. As always there is more to come like Ranger School, Advance Course, etc....

Anyway enough of my ranting. Please don't say I told you so, or you knew when you married him or whatever you maybe thinking. I am fully aware of that, but you can't help who you love. I would chase him around the world or sit (maybe not so patiently) at home until he returns, and trying to be the best Army wife I can be. (no pun intended). 

Room for Improvement

I received the following in an e-mail from my Grandfather. I loved it so much that I decided to post it on my blog. It is a little lengthy but worth the read. I am challenging myself to focus on one of these at a time and by the end of the list maybe I will have a better life (not that it is bad just that there is always room for improvement). I have decided to focus more on the important things in life. So what if the house isn't spotless if I am working on myself, my families and my friends happiness. I challenge you to try it and see if it works as well. 

A GOOD RECIPE FOR A GOOD LIFE

 

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.  And while you walk, smile.  It is the ultimate anti-depressant. 

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.  Talk to God about what is going on in your life.  Buy a lock if you have to. 

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,

'My purpose is to __________ today.  I am thankful for______________' 

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that

is manufactured in plants/factories. 

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water.  Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli ,

almonds & walnuts. 

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day. 

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past,

negative thoughts or things you cannot control.  Instead invest your energy in the

positive present moment. 

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid

with a maxed out charge card. 

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 

11. Don't take yourself so seriously.  No one else does. 

12.  You are not so important that you have to win every argument.  Agree to disagree. 

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. 

14. Don't compare your life to others.  You have no idea what their journey is all about. 

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. 

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:  'In five years, will this matter?' 

17. Forgive everyone for everything. 

18. What other people think of you is none of your business. 

19. GOD heals everything  - but you have to ask Him. 

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.  Your friends will. Stay in touch!!! 

22. Envy is a waste of time.  You already have all you need. 

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:

I am thankful for __________.  Today I accomplished _________. 

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.  

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. 

You'll be smiling before you know it.