Baby Fever

This morning I was blessed by being able to babysit for some friends.  Their son is 3 months old, and too too cute!  I had such a blast playing with him and Eli.  It was interesting to see how jealous Eli got when I was feeding the baby.  Eli saw the bottle and wanted it so badly.  He even started mimicking the baby...should be interesting when number 2 comes along.  (praying for number 2 already!)  We know that God's timing is perfect in everything.  We know that when baby number 2 finally does show up it will be because God knows we are ready, and knows that we will be the best parents for that child...his child.  Isn't is awesome that God puts faith in us?  He has faith that we will raise his children right.  I love it.

I will admit...I totally have baby fever right now.  I'm sure you figured that out by reading the title. :)  Obviously we will have to wait for a while..you know, with Ellis being deployed and all. LOL  But I know that it will happen...sooner or later.  And if it doesn't, I know that God is in control.  (it is easier to say than to believe it sometimes!) 

Anyway...back to my day!  Eli loved watching the baby move, he loved "ticking" (tickling) his feet, he loved rubbing his hair, and he loved poking his pudgy legs.  Its nice to see now how loving Eli is.  (minus the milk part!) :)  Well....besides babysitting, I went grocery shopping, picked up 12 boxes of Ellis' favorite cookies that I will be sending to him in the next week, went to choir rehearsal...where I played my flute! (first time since like 2007-2008) and after that we headed to IHop!  We had some dinner with my good friends Beth and Joy.  I just wanna add...I LOVE those girls!  We had a great time.  Eli passed out on the way home, which is fine with me...he can sleep in his own bed tonight! (yay!)  I have to be up bright and early tomorrow so I should get going.  Have a good night!

Take care and God bless
-b

Sleepy time!

So today was pretty much the same as the last few days.  Being lazy around the house, playing with Eli, just hanging out.  I love my life! :)  The only part I don't love is the fact that I can never sleep.  Here it is, 12:26 AM and I'm wide awake.  I have to get up in about 8 hours...and if any of you know me...8 hours of sleep is not good for me. LOL  Anyway, I probably should be going, but I wanted to make sure I posted today! :)  Yay for a 2 day streak! :)  I hope you all have a wonderful night.

Take care and God bless you
-B

Lazy days

Today was a wonderful day.  Hmm...what did we do?  Pretty much nothing. :)  I love cuddling with my little boy, watching movies, playing, and reading.  Do you want to know the cutest thing ever?  Last night, my son woke up crying.  He was soaked all the way through.  So I take the sheet off the bed, and Eli and I lay down together.  As I was falling back asleep I hear "I love you!"  The way it comes out is like this... "Ieeeeee  Wuf Yeooo!"  Seriously...cutest thing in the world.  It was just what I needed!

I promised you all that I would catch you up on the day to Busch Gardens.  That day was almost perfect.  So, June 26th is Ellis' birthday.  I couldn't stop thinking about him all day.  It started when we got up at 4AM.  I had a custom hair bow order that I had to take to church with me that day.  Thankfully I got everything done right before I had to leave for church.  I'm so thankful for my babysitter Dez, she was able to meet me at church so she could watch Eli while we practiced.  She was also able to come with me to Deep Creek for our 2nd service, and then back to Kempsville for the 3rd service. (what a long day!)  Big shout out to her, I really appreciate her. :)

After church we ran down to Nat's house, dropped off a few things, headed home, got packed up, got changed, and headed out to Busch Gardens.  There were a few reasons I wanted to head up there.  First reason...it's one of my favorite places to go with Ellis.  We both love roller coasters so it works!  Second reason...I wanted something to take my mind off of him, and yet make me feel close to him on his special day. (does that make sense?)  Third...Sanctus Real and Toby Mac were there!

Eli and I got there around 4ish.  First thing we did was head to Elmo 3D, or what I THOUGHT was Elmo 3D.  It ended up being some 3D Pirate movie.  It was funny but Eli was freaked out for about half of it.

Ready for the movie mom!

Cheesy...but good! :)

 After that we headed to the concert spot.  We found a great little seat under a vendor umbrella on a bench. :)  That was around 5, and the concert started at 6.  That meant we had an hour to burn...literally.  I forgot to pack sunscreen.  Thankfully, the woman sitting down the bench had some and I asked to borrow it.  Score! 

He loved sitting on the bench, swinging his legs!

Love this picture!

Sanctus Real

Toby Mac

We headed out after the third or fourth song during Toby Mac.  Eli was getting super restless and neither of us had eaten yet.  So we headed over to grab dinner.  Eli wolfed down a hot dog, applesauce, milk, and some of my fruit.  It was getting pretty late, and I knew the park was closing at 9 but I wanted to at least get one ride in...so we headed to the Carousel! :)

I'm holding on tight mama!

Eli loved the carousel.  He said "wee!" every time the horse went up.  I loved seeing his face every time...pure joy.  Around 8:30 we headed toward the front gate, walked to our car and drove home.  We got home and passed out.  We had a pretty sweet day...the only thing that could make it perfect would be if Ellis would have been able to be there.

Yesterday we headed over to Nat's around 8:00 to watch the boys while Eric was at work, and she taught dance.  We swam in the rain, played guitar hero, ate lunch, read books to Eli, and a few other things.  We had a pretty great day!  And you already know about today! :)  I should be going, its pretty late and little man is passed out right next to me...he keeps rolling toward me and cracking his eyes open because of the bright screen.  I hope you all have a great night, Take care and God bless.

In the words of my son...

"Ieeeeee Wuf Yeooo!"

-B

Catch up time! (take 1!)

I have to apologize again to you.  I haven't been posting every day like I said I would.  I hoped by posting a little something every single day, it would be like looking through a window into the life of an Army Wife. (hence the blog name)  Anyway...I hope now that you can see that my life is just like everyone else's...I'm always on the run, I'm always tired, I'm always something. :)  Starting tomorrow...I'm going to start posting daily again.  I've found that I miss it!  Let me catch you up on the last week!

So...most of you know I've been using the Body by Vi nutrition shake.  (and that I LOVE it!)  Anyway, this past week I made a commitment to start living healthier.  I cut out ALL fast food, ALL soda, ALL ice cream, ALL sweets (unless they are sugar free...gotta love popsicles!)  and ALL deep fried/processed food.  That means, no Chinese, no McDonald's, no Dairy Queen, no Diet Coke, no brownies, no to all of my favorites!  You didn't think big girls get big by eating celery did you? :)  I started doing this exactly one week ago.  Last week Monday, I weighed 216lbs.  This Monday?  205!!!  That's about 10lbs...I say about b/c you always plus or minus a few depending on the time you weigh yourself, and if you've eaten or not.  Anyway...I'm super stoked!  I've felt my body going through a with draw period...its all the preservatives and additives getting out of my system, and boy do I feel great!   I crave brownies and Chinese more than ever now, and that sucks, b/c all I want to do is go get some sesame chicken and lo mien! LOL  BUT...I am so excited to get healthy, and to lose some weight!  The great thing about the shake I use???  I can add their chocolate powder to make a chocolate shake! (the best!!!)  I get my sweet fix that way! :)

Okay...onto different a few different topics :)  I know that I mentioned I would post pictures of our time spend with family in North Carolina...so here they are.

Papa showed Eli how to build all sorts of things!

Papa, Luka, and Eli reading a story

Eli loved to "ticko" Luka

All three cousins, Ellis, Petra, and Luka
This is the best shot I have of all three. :)

I also promised to post some pictures of our trip to the aquarium with my dad...so here they are as well. :)

I had a few others...I cant seem to get them to go the right way so this is it :)

I know I said I would catch you up on everything but today has been a VERY long day...so you get to be caught up on half. :)  I'll catch you up on our trip to Busch Gardens (with pics) tomorrow.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to start posting blogs during the morning or middle of the day so I'm not so tired. :)  I hope you all have a good night.  Sorry I couldn't make it through one blog...my eyes are just closing! :)  Take care and God bless you.
-B

Whew! What a last few days...

These past few days have flown by!  This blog is going to be more of a prayer request than anything...Over the last few days Satan has been attacking me in more ways than one.  Spiritually, physically, emotionally...every "ly" way he can. 

First one, Spiritually....

Every time I get ready to pray, read my Bible, worship, I have an overwhelming sense of sin.  Not current sins that I have to ask forgiveness for...but for sin I've been forgiven for already.  I am feeling guilty for sins that aren't even relevant to my life anymore.  I couldn't figure out why this was happening.  Last week at church we had the Global Day of Prayer.  While we were there, my great friend, Natalie, prayed for me.  She reminded me that once I ask for forgiveness I am washed white as snow.  If I ask for forgiveness and then fail to believe that God is truly forgiving me, I am putting limits on Him.  Once I am forgiven...I AM FORGIVEN! 

Second one, Physically...

Most of you know that Ellis and I have been wanting to add to our family.  Most of you also know that we struggled getting pregnant with Ellis Lee (Eli)  This past week we had a Worship Explosion at church.  It was a time of worship (obviously by the name) a time of prayer, and a time of fellowship.  Two of my very good friends laid their ands on me and prayed that God would heal my body 100%.  I fully believe that He will, and He is able!

Third one, Emotionally...

All of you know now, by reading my blog, by talking to me, by talking to my family...Ellis is deployed and in Afghanistan.  It has been a stressful two weeks, but we are getting through this.  I miss Ellis more than life itself, but I know he is safe, and he is being strong.  I think the hardest thing for me is that people I thought were my friends are turning out to be not so great.  They have spread vicious lies about me, my family, and my other friends.  I have never dealt with any of this so its been very hard.  My heart goes back and forth with wanting to forgive them, and knowing I should...  My heart hurts because I've been hurt, but it also hurts because I know that Satan has been able to get his foot in stronghold among them...I hurt for them. 

Even with this crazy week behind me, I cant help but think of how Great of a God we serve!  There is a song by Eric and Leslie Ludy that I fell in love with in college.  The chorus goes

White as Snow
He has made you
White as Snow
The moment you confessed
His heart forgave

I haven't been able to stop thinking that over the last few weeks.  Thank you God for your amazing love and forgiveness.  Without you, I would be nothing.  Help me forgive those who I have a hard heart toward, and please be with them. 

Thanks for keepin up with the blog friends!  Just so you all know, If you are in the Norfolk area this Tuesday, I am having a shake tasting event, and would LOVE for you to come on over to my house to try this amazing product.

I pray that the Lord blesses you and keeps you!

-b
 Please keep us in your prayers...especially the things I mentioned today.  Thank you!

I missed a day!!!

I missed a day!  NOOOOO!!!!  Well, there goes my streak! :)  Please forgive me blog world for missing one day...I'll try not to let it happen again.  Not too much went on the last 2 days.  Just the regular bum around the house, clean Eli's room, change some diapers, play with some toys, spend time with Eric and Natalie and the kiddos...that pretty much wraps it up! :)  I went grocery shopping today...got some tomatoes :) I LOVE tomatoes.  My mom used to go to Yakima in the summer time and bring back HUGE tomatoes...I think thats when my love for them grew. :) Sprinkle a bit of salt on them, and there ya go.  Or...if you're like me, put them in a brownie pan, dash some olive oil and garlic on, bake until they are hot thru the middle...and then devour them! :)  Its getting late, I was a bad mama and let little man stay up WAY too late.  He was so tired he went to bed with out crying.  He even let me brush his teeth without a fuss! 

Tomorrow brings a crazy day.  I am putting together samples of the Body by Vi shake, sending them out to friends in Texas, putting together Ellis' care package, sending that out, and I have to find some last minute Father's day cards...yikes! 

I hope you all have a great evening.  Coming soon...DIY Hair Bows (with pictures) :)

Love you
-B

p.s. my spell check isn't working again...so sorry!

ten

Ten days since I said goodbye to Ellis and it feels like a LIFETIME.  At least when he was in Texas we were able to talk almost every day plus...I just feel like I can't going again.  I think about all the things I have to do tomorrow and part of me wishes I could crawl under a rock and stay there for awhile.  I'm looking forward to the Ladies Bazaar at church on the 25th...thats how I get through times like these.  I pick something to look forward to and focus on it.  I cant imagine what Eli feels like...I realize that he has been away from his dad more than he has been with him, but I know that he changes just a little bit every time we say goodbye to Ellis.  I wonder if that will happen every time...Anyway, I feel like going to bed.  So I'm going to.  Sorry to be kinda a debby downer tonight, but I just feel blah right now. :)  And I did smile when I wrote that...so no worries.  Talk to you all tomorrow.
-b

Day 9

Yepp...back to the boring old "day" and then number... :)  Today was a pretty full day.  At about 12:20 AM, I called my dad to see if he got back to Seattle okay...he told me he was still at Norfolk.  I couldn't believe it!  His flight had been canceled due to a late flight and the storm.  Thankfully he was able to get a flight out before church.  We dropped him off then headed over to Deep Creek (our church's newer campus) for morning worship.  After worship we raced back over to Kempsville (our old campus) and I sang in the choir for the 11:30 service.  After church we headed home, had some left over Chinese food, took a nap...and then headed back to church for the Global day of Prayer.  When that was done we headed over to Natalie's house (go figure) for a few hours.  So here I am...1:17 AM and not sleeping. :)  God has put a few things on my heart that I want to share with you all but its going to wait till tomorrow...I'm super tired, and we have a full day tomorrow, starting with getting the car inspected. (at 6:00 AM)  I do want you to know that God is moving...so don't miss out!

Take care and God bless!
-b


p.s. I heard from Ellis today...he was able to leave me a message on facebook...I'm sad I missed him though. :(




p.p.s.  uuuuuujjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj jrsssaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (that's from Eli...he says "good night!"  And yes..he is still up)

ATE

So I was getting sick of just naming my blog posts "day" and then a number...so because today is "Day 8" I thought I would name it "ate"  haha...clever :)  Anyway, today is like most days...not much happened.  We got up around 9, had a little breakfast...got Chinese food for lunch! :) YUM!  We went down to the store to grab some batteries for my fobs b/c I let the batteries run out on the one for my car and the home alarm. :)  Dad and I hung out for a bit while Eli took his nap, around 3:00pm we took Dad to the airport.  He flew to Newark, NJ then onto Seattle...Around 5:30pm Eli and I headed to church.  I worked in the infant nursery for the first time tonight.  It was fun, I love holding babies :)  When I went to pick Eli up from his class he was the last one there.  He was asking his teacher "up peash"  I called out to him from the door and his face just lit up.  I love that boy!  He makes each day a little brighter!  He ran to me...his little pudgy legs going as fast as they could...which isn't fast, he takes after the Millers. :)  I could watch him run all day though...super cute.  Anyway, I'm sure you all agree with me that my kid is adorable, but then again I am a little bias. :) 

We have church tomorrow bright and early, so I should be going.  I hope you all have a good sleep...hopefully I'll be able to sleep! 

Big shout out to Renee, thank big sis for the game!!! 

Take care all and God bless you!
-B

(lets all pray that Ellis is able to call!) :) 

Day 7

So usually I say the first 2 or 3 days after Ellis leaves are the hardest.  It didn't really hit me before because we had so many other things to think about.  I had to make sure we got home safely, on time, enough gas, etc etc etc.  I think its hitting me now because everything is calming down, my dad is heading back to Washington tomorrow...everything will be back to normal, minus Ellis.  I got an email from him today, it was actually sent on the 5th but I didn't check my email till today.  I have to say that the email I got today just reminds me why I married him.

Dad, Eli, and I went to the Virginia Beach Aquarium today.  We had so much fun!  Eli loved looking at all the fish, and especially liked putting his hands in the water.  He loved seeing the turtles too.  I have too many pictures to count, and I promise I will post them...when I get time! :)  (probably tomorrow after my dad heads to the airport.)  This evening we headed over to Eric and Natalie's house for a little dinner and just to hang out.  I'm really glad dad was able to meet Eric finally.  We headed home around 7:15ish, stopped for a movie from Redbox, got home, gave Eli a bath and now we are watching our movies!  Eli is sleeping soundly...or as best as he can. :)  We just put in our second movie so I'm gonna make the rest of this short.  I hope you all have a great weekend, I'm planning on church...church...and more church. :)  I think that's a good place to be right about now. 

Take care and God bless
-B

Day 6

This isn't going to be a long post...I made the promise to myself that I was going to write at least once a day while Ellis is gone.  Even if it is short...its still a post! :)  We didn't do too much today, just took the car to the mechanic.  I was able to (finally) find a bathing suit that looks half way decent and I also snagged up a cute pair of capris.  We went to choir rehearsal tonight...all I can say is that it is so good to be home!  Tomorrow we are thinking about heading to the Aquarium...its supposed to be hot out so I figured that was a good way to beat the heat!  I hope you all have a great night.
Take care and God bless you.
-Bronwyn

Day 5

So I'm really posting about today and yesterday...I was able to post right before we left the hotel but nothing after that.  We got to Hubert, NC yesterday evening around 5:30.  Maria made a WONDERFUL dinner (as usual) for us.  Chicken/Rice casserole w/a little bit of curry, salad, and apples...it was delish!  After the kiddos went to bed, we played a game called Bonanza.  If you have never played it, you should!  It was really fun, I'm gonna go get it from Amazon...as soon as we have money! LOL  We all headed to bed around 11ish, after the game was over.  This morning we got up, the kids played a little, and then we headed home.  We stopped on the way in a little town called Cacowinity or something like that...I thought it was one of the weirdest names I've ever seen.  We ended up getting home around 4:30pm.  We unloaded the car and kinda put things away...  We headed out to eat dinner around 7:00pm, got groceries, dad got a new watch, and we were home by 9:00pm.  It's now 10:00pm and Eli is still up! I guess that will happen when his schedule is all kinds of crazy because of driving and staying up late.  I'm so proud of my little boy.  For being in the car 8-10 hours a day he did great!  He hardly fussed, the only time he did was when he wanted milk or he wanted his shoes off.  I'm looking forward to a few days of just relaxing.  I will be posting pictures tomorrow from the last two days.  Good night friends!  I hope you all have a great day tomorrow!

Take care and God bless you
-bronwyn

Ellis update:
  I was able to talk to him for about an hour today!!!  He is finally in Afghanistan.  He said it is very similar to Texas...if you were to add 15-20 degrees.  He said its a NATO post so there are lots of people there from other countries.  He can sign up for phone time for a half an hour at a time.  There was quite a big delay, but hey...I'm not complaining!  I'm going to be sending him a care package soon, now that I know he is there, so if any of you would like to contribute a letter or something, please let me know!  I know he would LOVE to get any encouragement letters or just notes to say hi.  Good night! (again!)

Day 4

I decided to write today's blog this morning rather than this afternoon.  We are driving from Monroe, NC to Hubert, NC today.  Monroe would be considered eastern NC and Hubert is right down the road from the ocean...so pretty much across the state for us today.  I am looking forward to seeing Braden, Maria, Luka, and of course the niece I've never met...Petra! :)  I think I may be too busy playing with my nieces to have time to blog...so here is a short one.  I'll probably post about today's events tomorrow. :)  Dont worry, I will write everything down as we go so I wont forget! LOL

I also wanted to thank you for your prayers.  I cant believe its only been 4/5 days since we left Texas and said goodbye to Ellis.  It seems like a lifetime ago, and sometimes I dont know how we are going to get through the next year, let alone the next month.  I want you guys to know that I am no "special" woman neither am I a "strong" woman.  I cry, complain, cry some more about the fact that I've only gotten to see my husband for 28 days this year.  Here is the thing...I signed up for this when I married Ellis.  Yes, he was in the Navy at the time, and it was a little different from the Army, but I when I married Ellis...I married the military.  I dont like "complaining" about him being gone, or how hard it really is...because I knew it would be like this, and I chose this life.  Anyway...I want you all to know that I'm just an ordinary person, who's husband happens to be in a different country.  I think that God just gives me peace every day.  I know that my God is able, and will take care of Ellis.  I do get worried sometimes, but for the most part...I have peace.  Thank you SO SO much for your prayers.  We do feel them, and we know that God hears them.  Please continue to pray for us, without those prayers I dont know where I would be.

Okay..anyway, we are getting ready to head out, so I should probably get Eli ready to go.  I just head him crying "owie owie" so I look down...he's sitting in the crib with both legs through the different rungs...instead of getting him out right away I totally took a picture :)  Will post later!

Take care and God bless you!
-Bronwyn

Day 3 - Traveling (still!)

I told you all last night that I would post pictures from our AMAZING hotel.  So here ya go!

I'd like one to go please!  If you could set it up in my bedroom at home that would be great...thanks :)

I'll take a similar sink/bathrom as well!

Beautiful mirror!

Okay, so this morning was one of those mornings when I DID NOT WANNA GET OUTTA BED!  I did everything I could to stay in the warm sheets.  Eventually I got up, got Eli changed and dressed, and got ready for the day.  We headed out around 10:00.  Dad started off driving this morning, it was a nice change of pace.  We went just down the road to grab a few things at Rite-Aid.  Dad saw a McDonalds right across the road, so we had "breakfast" there.  The reason I put breakfast in quotes is b/c it really wasn't breakfast, they only had their lunch menu up.  After we were done eatting we headed on out!  We started out on Highway 40.  We chose that way because we knew it was a "scenic" route.  The first part was so beautiful.  We saw tons of trees, lush green grass, and huge lakes/rivers.  Highway 40 turned into Highway 64 as we entered North Carolina.  (remember the funny city names from yesterday's blog?  well todays funny name...Ducktown!)  The drive through Cherokee National Forest was gorgeous.

This lake seemed to go on for forever!

Its such a hard life ;)

These lilies were everywhere! (my fave. flower...I was in heaven!)

All smiles at the rest stop.

 When we started out today we thought that the majority of the roads were straight...at least that's what the map says.  Let me just tell you...the map was WRONG.  We spent hour upon hour driving and stopping, trying to figure out where to go and if we really were on the right road. :)  Highway 64 kinda turned into Highway 74 and that took us all the way through Asheville, North Carolina.  Dad had looked up a little guitar place he wanted to stop at.  It happened to be on the way we were headed, so we decided to stop.  We went ahead and took 74 alternate to a little town called Fairview.  I went ahead and put the address of the shop in the GPS.  After going a few miles off of the main road we were getting kind of concerned.  We decided to keep going, until we turned onto a tiny road and the GPS said "take the next right onto Witch Hazel Drive"  Yeah...Witch Hazel Drive turned out to be a gravel road.  WHAT THE HECK!?  Yeah...we turned around and got back on the main road.  A few miles down the road from Fairview was a sign that said "Eastern Continental Divide"  We stopped there and took a few pictures.  Eli was in the car, waiting patiently. :)

We also stopped in a little touristy town called Chimney Rock.  It was probably the most beautiful area we drove through so far.  Toward the end of the town we looked up and saw what was "Chimney Rock."  I think the best part of seeing the rock was the American flag posted on it! :)

We stayed on ALT 74 until it met up with Highway 74...well, almost.  We kinda got turned around because on sign it said "Business 74, ALT 74, Highway 74"  again...WHAT THE HECK!?  LOL  We had another WHAT THE HECK!? moment when I was getting on the freeway, we saw a sign that said "WRONG WAY"  excuse me?  I'm pretty sure this is the on ramp...

Once we got on the right road and actually going the right way, we headed through Charlotte and right on into Monroe.  We decided to stop here for the night.  We pulled in about 9:00pm...What a LONG day.  Did I mention that the majority of the road we were on was 35-55mph?  Or how about the long switch back roads?  We probably went about 20-25 on those, although the limit was 35.  I think my conclusion of today is that people from NC are a little crazy. :)

The one thing that dad and I did see, all the way here, has been this crazy long growing ivy.  It looks like God took a huge net of ivy and just draped it all over the place.

This was taken at a McDonalds...can you imagine what it looks like in the wild? :)

Alright friends...a few other updates not regarding our travels.  Ellis is somewhere in the middle east...we aren't quite sure yet.  The last I heard from him was last night.  He was still at the transition point.  He asked me not to specifically say where, but I can tell you he was in a country with the last part of the name "stan"  Yes, I realize that half of the countries there are like that...but thats all I can say for now. 

The other update is a prayer request for my friend Jana.  She delivered her twin boys last night at 35 weeks.  One of them is now resting in the arms of our Savior. Cohen is in the NICU.  Please pray for strength, comfort, and health for their family during this time.  Thank you so much!

I'm looking forward to seeing Braden and Maria tomorrow, and meeting my new little niece.  I hope you all have a great night! 

 God bless

-B 

p.s. sorry about the spelling mitsakes :) my spell check wasn't working :) :) :)  We all know I spell like a 1st grader! :)

Day 2 - Traveling

Let's start from the very beginning...a very good place to start!  :)  Gotta love the Sound of Music! (maybe you dont...but I do!!!)

  So, Ellis left on June 3rd.  We got up around 8:00am.  Ellis finished packing his stuff, he had packed 2 huge packs 2 days before and dropped them off at work.  Can you imagine packing your belongings in 2 bags and that's all you'll use for a year?  Crazy!

Ellis took 4 things total. 1 trunk, 2 bags, and 1 backpack.

  Ellis wanted to say good bye to some friends before we went to drop him off at work.  While he was gone Eli, Dad, and I got ready to go.  My friend Natalie helped me pick out a new dress just for the occasion.  I wanted to look my best on the last day I would see him in person...well, for a year or so!  My friend Heather (that I met at Ft. Hood) had asked if we needed anything, and last minute I asked her to come take pictures before we left to go to the gym.  My friend Kris (met at Ft. Hood as well) told me she could, and I told her not to worry about it b/c my dad was coming, but I totally changed my mind last minute...so sorry and thanks for the offer Kris!!! :)  Around 12:00 Heather came over and we all went outside to snap some pictures.  We couldn't have asked for a prettier day!

I only wish Eli would have looked at the camera! :)

I think this is such a great shot of us all!

We had to have Ellis over to pick up his weapon by 12:15 in the afternoon.  I made the mistake of calling it his "gun" a few times and he kept correcting me that it is called a weapon. :)  After dropping him off to pick up his weapon, we drove over to the gym to wait.  We got there around 12:30.  One of the FRG ladies told me that the soldiers weren't going to be there until 2ish.  Dad, Heather, and I decided that we could run a grab some food then head back and wait.  While we were getting our food, I got a call from Ellis.  He sounded kinda upset...He told me that he had forgot his Camelpack (or whatever it's called)  I knew that he had also forgotten his phone charger, so it was a no brainer for me to run back to the hotel room.  Thankfully Heather had heard that we were almost out of gas so she told me she would go with me and she would drive her car.  We raced back to the hotel, up 2 flights of stairs to the 3rd floor.  Got the key out, and sure enough...it didn't work!  I called Ellis and asked if he knew the hotel's front desk number...usually I would just walk down the stairs but we weren't in a different part of the building, but in a different building all together!  Ellis said that the maintenance number was on the first floor, and they could come open the door.  When I got down there I saw that the housekeeper was still there, so I just asked her to open it.  We were able to find the things Ellis left and then headed back to the gym.  When we got to the gym the first time we were the only ones there, when Heather and I got back...yeah, we had one of the farthest parking spots in the whole lot!  Thankfully Dad had found a seat and was entertaining Eli.  Around 2:00pm the soldiers started walking in around the balcony in the gym to check it, and then down the stairs to their families.

All the troops checking in

Ellis is right above the sign. 

Right before he walked down the stairs

Every time a new group of soldiers walked in the top door, I stood up to see if I could spot Ellis...go figure that he would be on the last bus...in the last group!  Once he got down the stairs we were able to spend about an hour together before he had to leave.  I had thought of all of the different things I was going to say that day...all we did was sit together and snap pictures. 

They could be twins! :)

At about 4:25, one of the officers stood up and prayed over the troops and their families.  All of the families had to say goodbye then, give the last few hugs and kisses and then head out the door.  The soldiers needed to get into uniform and head out to the buses.  I think I held Ellis for what seemed like only 10 seconds...it was probably 5 minutes or so. :)  Dad was able to snap one last picture with his camera before we had to leave.

After the last picture and xoxox's were given, we walked outside and stood behind the little rope barrier.  We waited out there for what seemed to be a lifetime.  Dad was holding Eli on his shoulders, I was hoping to see/kiss/hug Ellis one more time before he got on the bus to head over to the airstrip.

5 buses in this picture and 1 behind me.

 

There were six buses total, Ellis happened to be on the very last bus.  I saw him as soon as he walked around the corner, and I waited right by the bus to make sure I was able to hug/kiss him one last time.  By that time I had Eli in my arms, as Ellis pulled away and got on the bus Eli yelled out to him, "Daddy!  Daddy! Back!  Daddy!"  That was it...I started crying.  I was being so strong, not showing any sadness or hurt emotions but as soon as Eli did that, I was history. :)  Dad and I walked back to the car with Eli, waved at the bus for about 5 minutes, not knowing if Ellis ever saw us, got in the car and went back to the hotel. 

  By then I really didn't feel like packing up all of our belongings so...I didn't. :)  We kinda just bummed around the rooms until we got hungry.  We went out to Denny's for dinner, headed back to the hotel and fell asleep.  We got up the next morning (the 4th) around 6:30 and started packing.  I was finished by 9ish, and we were on the road by 9:30.  We went and turned in the keys, and headed out on Highway 190 east.  We hit Interstate 35 north from there, and headed up to Highway 85 east just on the other side of Waco, TX.  Our first stop was at a McDonalds in Mexia, TX.  We had lunch there, got back in the car and kept on truckin.  We drove through a little town called Palestine.  Yepp...that's right, i visited Palestine and didn't even leave the country.  We decided to stop in Timpson, TX to gas up.  At 4:10pm we crossed into Logansport, Louisiana.  We drove through Mansfield, LA to get onto highway 171 (the scenic route) up to Shreveport, LA.  171 met up with Interstate 20 in Shreveport, which we took all the way across the state and over the Mississippi River...right into a place called Vicksburg, Mississippi.  There was a little Motel 6 right off of the main freeway, so that's where we stayed.  The following morning (the 5th) we got up, had breakfast at Cracker Barrel, gassed up, and headed on on out!  We drove all the way through Mississippi only stopping to go to the bathroom and gas up once.  We got back on Interstate 20 and headed on into Alabama. 

Now...for those of you who know anything about me, one of my favorite shows is Army Wives.  So as we were driving through Alabama, I see a road sign for Tuscaloosa.  We all know that Roxy LeBlanc is from Tuscaloosa (at least I'm 95% sure...unless there is some other city in Alabama with the last part "oosa" that I don't know about)  Anyway...I asked dad to kindly take out his camera and snap a picture to prove I drove through there! :)  LOL

A few miles outside Tuscaloosa is a little town called Coaling.  We stopped there for a quick snack, then got back on the road headed toward Birmingham.  Interstate 20 east met up with Interstate 59 north in Birmingham, so we hopped on that and took it all the way up to Chattenooga, Tennessee.  (We drove through the corner tip of Georgia)  If any of you watched the show Teen Mom, you may recognize the name Chattenooga.  One of the girls moved there to be with her new boyfriend...again, I'm 95% sure, who knows...there may be another city that ends in "ooga" in Tennessee. :)  We drove on a little further up to Cleveland.  On the way there we noticed that some kind of storm came through the area a while back.  I found out (when I made our hotel reservation) that a tornado had come through the area in April.  It kinda took my breath away, seeing the houses with no roofs, trees ripped apart, tarps everywhere.  I thought I had it bad with my husband being gone, I am richly blessed to know I have a house to go home to.  There are people staying at our hotel that are displaced still...please lift them up in prayer.  We pulled into the hotel parking lot around 6:30ish.  We ordered a pizza around 7:15, ate around 8:00pm, watched Army Wives...and here I am now, typing up this blog...that's a few days later than I hoped!  I took a few pictures of our hotel room that I will post tomorrow. (I haven't uploaded them to my computer yet)  I did forget to post a few things...well, two to be exact.  We drove through 2 cities that made me laugh.  The first one was Bobo, LA.  Really people? BOBO?  The town is so small I cant find it on a map.  The second was Polkville, MS.  I totally poked my dad when I saw that sign. :)  Alrighty...so here is a VERY long blog, hopefully making up for the 3 months I missed out on.  Maybe next time I'll break it up some...I'm sure you guys don't wanna read 3 months worth of blog in one sitting. ;)  Take care y'all (that's from driving through the south...picking it up already) Have a good night! 

God bless you

-B

Take Care 1st Cav!

Only 3 months this time...

"Day 1"

I said I wanted to blog every day that Ellis is gone...so this is the first one.  I guess yesterday would have been the first day because he left yesterday.  Anyway, its almost midnight and I want to go to bed, so I'll blog about today...tomorrow! :)  I hope you all have a good nights rest.  Thank you for your prayers.  I appreciate them all.
-B