9 weeks down, 1 to go!

The last time I blogged was just a few weeks after Larry left and I really didn't know how I was going to make it through it. However, the time really has flown by quickly...it does seem like forever since I have seen him but in less than 1 week I will be in his arms.

Everyone who knows that he left always asks how he is doing or if they don't know they want to know why in the world he isn't with me...I usually smile and say "he turned 40 years old and decided to join the Army Reserves." Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive to me, the kids and Larry! It means alot to know you all care.

In the beginning of all this I was not for it. I was defiantly in shock, hurt, scared and a little mad. Why would he want to leave us? I thought wow, almost 4 years together and he already wants to leave us...but now I understand, it had nothing to do with us at all. There was something pulling him there, he needed to find himself and do something for himself to have the since of pride that he had succeeded in something...I fully understand since I feel the same myself at times that I have not accomplished anything important in my life except for being a mom (and sometimes I dont feel too accomplished in that one!) Through this I have realized too that he loves us very deeply...there has not been a day go by that he has not written me a letter and he makes sure I know how he feels about me, the kids and our family in everyone of them.

Im really in awe of how great he is doing in boot camp. He has been a squad leader, a platoon guide and now a squad leader again. He shot expert in the shooting drills and will earn special recognition at his graduation for that. He also has excelled in the physical training side also, running 2 miles in 13 min & 18 sec. He has had a Sargent Major (or whatever they are called) come up to him and shake his hand and tell him how much he admired him for joining at his age and doing so well. I know this has been alot harder than he thought it would be, but he hasn't let it get him down...no injuries and sometimes out lasting the younger men. The letter I got today (from last Saturday) said he was going on his last training 5 day camp in the woods and when they were done he would be a "Soldier". I can only imaging the sense of pride he is feeling for accomplishing this feat...I know Im about to burst with pride already, just wait til I see him! It will be impossible to fight back the tears of joy and pride for him!

He will have 6 more weeks after graduation in Texas for AIT, which will be training him for his specialty. By the first or second week of October he should be home with us!

Keep us all in your prayers as we travel up to Kentucky next Wednesday to see him and that we all have safe travel home. Im flying for my first time ever and a little terrified but I would run through a burning building, fly around the world and swim through alligators to see my husband so Im gonna make it!

Here is a picture of my Soldier! I will blog again when we return with pics from our trip!

Our 3rd Anniversary

Today is our 3rd Wedding Anniversary...Hard to believe that is has been 3 years already and then in the same breath it feel like its been a lifetime! To us our relationship has been like a fairy tale...no not always as perfect...but really amazing. I have been thinking about this post for a few days and how I wanted present it. There are so many things I want to write but it would take all day to read what I have in my heart to say. So I'm gonna give a brief overview of my thoughts and I have included a slide show of my favorite wedding pictures (That was hard in itself to narrow down).

Sometimes I'm still in awe over how we started out! Both of us broken and bruised from our past. I myself was in a relationship at the time that had been bad for a long time...My mom kept telling me that by 30 I better have my life straight or she was going to intervene...Moms you gotta love their persistence! So there I sat at 29 & a half watching my life go by virtually out of my control...then in the blink of an eye it all changed...

We knew each other already, he worked with my dad, he had became a part of the family at their house. We saw each other on holidays and cookouts, but only talked a few times. He says he had a crush on me the whole time, I guess I was blind, I can say there was a time that we were there and he was on the phone with a girl and I felt jealous! I went home thinking to myself "Why are you jealous, you don't even know him!" Then the time he walked in and time stood still for both of us, we sat and stared at each other for what felt like an eternity but was really only seconds (thankfully no one else noticed). About 3 weeks later we ended up going to the same place, me with friends,him with my Dad & Step Mom and that's when it clicked! We ended up moving in together after 1 month, got engaged after 2 months and were married in 6 months. I married him 29 days before my 30Th birthday!

Our wedding was on Daytona Beach, thanks to all my family and friends. It was truly a group effort. Everyone pitched in to help along in some way, my mom worked endlessly on the flowers, decorations, planning and plotting;) My dad made the lovely chocolate starfish on my cake (which I had decided to forget when they kept breaking, but he found a way to make them for me!)My sister in law Kiley married us, my friend Mina took all my pictures. I would be here all day listing everyone that helped us through it,but if you were one of them know how much we truly appreciated everything and we love you all for it! I have to say it was a family affair one of which was the most enjoyable times of my life, I had my Mom's family & My Dad's family all working together as One! We all stayed at the Americano Beach Resort and made it a weekend complete with a Rainbow in the sky after our first kiss as husband & wife! They also surprised me at the reception and Brant sang "God Bless the Broken Road" to us...needless to say I cried the whole time! We are such a Karaoke family, pretty much everyone sang that night!!!

I cant really express to you all how lucky I feel when I think about the last 3 years, what it took to get me here and where we will be going. Larry has truly been a gift from God for me, my children and my family. I don't know where we would be without him. Looking back I wouldn't change anything, since I had to go through all of that to find him. Despite the small struggles we go through as a blended family, its all been worth it to me. He makes me laugh, he opens my doors, he holds my hand, loves to see my tears of joy & compassion, loves my kids and family as they are all blood to him and has a heart bigger than he is. My only regret now looking back is that we decided we wouldn't have a child together (for various reasons) now we wish we would have waited to make that decision, our feelings are quite different now more than 2 years ago...but we enjoy the ones we have and love them dearly (just secretly I think it would have been awesome to share that experience with him) So here is to my husband, the man I thought would surely never come because I was not worthy of such love. But God showed me differently and I will thank him everyday for what a blessing Larry has been to all of us!

Happy Birthday!!!!

Today is Brant's 13th birthday! I just can't believe that I am the mom of a teenager... although he has been reminding me all week that it is coming... Of course like every other birthday of theirs, I reminisce over the day they were born, the joys and the trials...then I think of how lucky and blessed I am to have both of them.

I have good kids despite the fact they both have been through alot in their little lives, they are emerging victoriously in so many ways! Growing, changing, learning and exploring everyday... I so miss those early days of their lives when they were so dependant on me in every way. Now they almost do everything for themselves, ok not everything... I still do alot for them, but if I werent here they would survive without me for a few hours.

I usually cry every year on their birthdays, even if its a few little tears...I think they expect it... Brant asked me this morning, "are you crying yet?", they know if mom is crying she is happy or proud...tears in my family does not mean only sadness, it simply means our hearts are about to burst with joy and pride, so it has no where to go but out in tears (Right Mom????) I got it from my mom, poor Mandi & Jeremy so many times saw both of us cry over them while they were doing things like singing, pageants, pitching or whatever event we were watching them do...

I've already cried tears of joy and pride over so many things from my kids and I dont think I ever will stop...they know how much I love them when they see me cry with a smile on my face!!!

Little does Brant know I have cried a few times today when thinking about him over the years, but I may have to save just a few for later so he can see I still cry every year on his birthday...

They are the light of my life and joy in my heart!!!

I made 2 collages for their birthdays so Im putting them both on here... Cheyennes birthday was last month and I didnt blog about it because it was still so new to me...so this is for both of them!!!