Hello all you pretty people!

Wow. What a year 2013 has been so far. I am still trying to come to grips with the fact that we are almost at Jeremys two year Alive Day anniversary. Two years. I remember talking just a couple months after it happened and wanting so badly to get two years down the road. For things to be "normal". To put it behind us. Not realizing that it would never be possible for us to "put your behind in your past" (no Pumbaa.... its you gotta put your past behind you. Amateur.) We are forever changed. My husband is forever changed, in so many good ways. Our family is forever changed, and blessed beyond measure by those changes. I am forever changed, in unexpected ways. 

We have been back in KC for ten months. That number is almost as hard for me as his anniversary. We miss New York still, our friends, our old life. I have been trying desperately to keep moving forward, but I admit, its insanely difficult. Some days are easier than others. Like its fabulous to be home to help celebrate my nieces first birthday, and to go to Royals games, and to plant a real garden.... There is still so much that feels unfinished though. We left in such a hurry. So many things have just been figured out over the last couple of months. Some things are still being sorted out. (ie: VA dependent pay. We had to involve our congressman, its still "pending"). I am still struggling to find my niche. To find out what I am suppose to be working on. Jeremy is plugging away at school with a specific goal in mind. Its hard to not have a specific goal, just a broad one: Get involved in some organization that I can make a difference in. HELLO HUGE GOAL THAT MAKES IT FEEL IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH. We want to be involved with organizations that help other wounded soldiers. We want to be involved in more local ministries. Yet there seems to be no good way to start. Its hard to plug into organizations that really only look at wounded warriors as soldiers who have lost limbs or have obvious disabilities. Jeremy's disabilities are impossible to see if you don't know what to look for. Civilians still take a step back when you tell his story. Like its contagious. Like he might go into some PTSD rage at any moment. News flash! My husband doesnt have PTSD. Thank you Jesus. It was one of my biggest prayers during deployments. That not only would God guard his body, but also his mind. 

Anywho.... This is our life right now.

Mustache stickers go with everything

My lil Luke Bryan fan.

Love him.

My 30th birthday dinner. They had Cheesecake for dessert. Can you tell?!

We had some of our best friends come down recently to visit. Seeing my Jessicas & my lil sis Lakin was a blessing and a curse. I miss them so much it hurts. I miss so many people. I know they are only a phone call away. So not the same though. 

Meeting baby Grady for the first time.

In Topeka to see another Jessica!

The kids last few moments together. Horribly lighting I know. 

Took Giffins to their first Royals game

I live her. My first Jessica. 

And more recently, this happened. 

YAY!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU JESUS!!!!! 

Speaking of which. I really need to go get ready to pick her up from school. I plan on trying to keep up with the blog better in the coming weeks. See ya soon!!!!!!

~E

Resolutions

Hows that new years resolution going? .....Yea mine either. I say that because I am guessing you are like me and still struggling to keep going with it. I wanted one small thing: to write in my journal EVERY SINGLE DAY. Even just two sentences. I'm only 7 for 14. Whoops!!! So here is my challenge for you. Well actually there are two parts. 1) forgive yourself & keep trying. I know it sounds too easy but seriously, I guilt the heck out of myself when I fail at a goal. I need to forgive myself & keep moving forward. 2) Encourage someone in your life with their resolution. We all know how important it is to have people cheering us on when we make changes. Especially hard ones. So call that friend who is trying to get back in shape and ask her to go for a walk. Buy that friend who stopped smoking a pack of gum. Offer to make a meal for the friend who wants to learn to cook healthier. Make sure to include the recipe! By encouraging others around you, you may just find the motivation or returned encouragement you need for your own goals. Good luck!! This weeks preview: Wednesday: cheap wall art! Friday: Pumpkin bread muffins. I know its more of a fall thing but I love it all year!!!

part 3: 2-87 Summit Ball

well the end of deployment is official. We attended our final military ball on May 4th. It was wonderful! we had a great time with awesome friends and got to honor even more amazing soldiers. I feel so blessed that we were part of a unit that would care so much. They are family. I cant even begin to express how much I am going to miss my Catamount girls!!!!

me getting ready. i totally went to set up the event like this only with a scarf covering the rollers. it was awesome. my husband claimed he didn't know me while setting up. but my bff did so its all good! lol!

the beautiful early mothers day present I got from hubby right before the ball.

leaving for our last ball.

Lt. V and his minions. Lt. V, Carman, Dutton, and hubs.

centerpieces. we had to scrub all the old wax off these before the ball. it was FUN! :(

in the ballroom. man was it HOT in there!!!!!

me and my other half Jess G. Her dress was AMAZING!

Jess and her hubby Kell

my fav pic of the night. This is the Lieutenant Jeremy had when they left on deployment and his fiancee Lisa. Jake was injured by an IED last summer and lost both of this legs. I think I cried just as much when I got the news about Jake as I did when I first got the call about Jeremy. His strength and determination is nothing short of amazing. We are so proud of how far he has come and cant wait to see what life has in store for these two!

So there it is in a nutshell. We had so much fun. It was over a month ago but I know I wont forget that night. It was a great way to leave the Catamounts.

Welcome home!

What an AWESOME St Patricks Day!!!!!

Yesterday was amazing. So great in fact that I felt called to share it with y'all! It started with an early wakeup call so that we could go help out some friends while they ran in the annual Watertown YMCA shamrock Run. I am so thankful to have such amazing friends that help support our local community. It helps that our kids are best friends! Makes it easy to keep them all happy together! I am proud to say that my bff ran the entire 2.2mi "fun run" and her hubby came in 2nd during the 5mi! WOW! So proud of you both!!! We had many other friends who also ran it and I am so proud of all of you!!!!!!!!!! The community up here is one of the reasons I am going to be sad to leave Ft Drum.

Jenny, Me, Jess, and Jess

Jess & Kell before the race.  Mr long legs came in 2nd!

Next we picked up another bff's darling daughter so they could go shopping for a new vehicle. She is seriously one of the easiest kids to take care of! So glad her daddy is finally home! ;-) 

While she was here, Jeremy and I worked on cleaning out the garage (still tons of work to do in there but we made a dent) while the kiddos played in the front yard. Nothing like 60+ degree temps to wear out the monkeys!

After our "other" child left we headed out for some ice cream. I cant believe our fav local place is already open for the season!! It was so nice to just hang out and watch the ice cream melt down the chins of our amazing children. I should have taken pics but I was in awe watching Jeremy push them on the swings and just thought how amazing our life here is. I was partly in awe because I knew what our next adventure for the day was....

We got to take the kids to welcome home another flight full of 3rd Brigade Spartans! And one of the soldiers on this flight is very special to us. You see PFC Bryce "Doc" Kampwerth was the medic who took care of Jeremy when he was first injured. In my opinion he may have saved my husbands life. It was an honor to finally get to hug him tonight and tell him thank you.

Jackson in awe of how big Kampwerth is!lol!

This is an AWFUL picture of me but who cares. I am so thankful that THIS soldier was with my husband on Sept 20th.

I am so blessed that my kids finally go to enjoy the chaos that is a welcome home ceremony. It is such a priveledge to get to help welcome home so many of our amazing soldiers. The love you feel in that room is electric. There is nothing like watching a daddy get to hold his baby for the first time in months, or a soldier kiss the bride he had barely begun a life with.... Not many flights left to come in but they are not all home yet so I ask that you please help us continue to pray for their safe return.

Moving on before I totally start bawling (oh the emotions of homecomings!!!)....ok so for dinner I decided to play up St Patricks day with a "wee little dinner". This is what happens when you are trying to make sure your kids eat all their dinner!!! We had little smokies wrapped in cresent roll dough, corn, and what I call sweet peaches (sliced peaches with some cinnamon and sugar all warmed up). Ok so not the HEALTHIEST meal I have served this week but it was still fun. For dessert I made some Rainbow cookies. I had decorated the table with gold coins so I thought it only fitting that we finally have some rainbows! They didnt turn out as nice as I had hoped but I was in a hurry ok! ;)

As this day comes to a close I am again just marveling in how awesome today has really been. I give God all the glory for this one. I cant believe that He has blessed us to live on such an amazing journey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok So as I was waiting for the video the upload last night so I could publish this post (it was taking too long! i will post the video later!), I got a text that required my full attention. An awesome friend of mine needed a ride to the ER because she had injured her arm. Because ya know stuff like that just doesnt happen when your husbands are home and not at JRTC right?! I was so blessed that I could be able to just leave right away and go take her to the ER, while another friend watched her kids. I love it when God gives you awesome opportunities to get to know someone better through the most unique circumstances! Im so glad you are ok K!!!!!! It was fun to stay up late and laugh at the crazies at Carthage ER!

When I got home, my daughter decided it was time for her to try and get up. See she fell asleep on the way home from ceremony (this is what happens when you have no nap!) at like 6pm. So when I got home at midnight she was WIDE awake. We spent the next 3 hours putting her back in her bed every 15 min or so. Needless to say there is a lot of coffee being served in my house this beautiful morning! No matter what I dont think I would have changed a thing about yesterday at all. God has truley blessed our family. Now off to get everyone ready for Church! Later y'all!!!!!!