Send a Greeting to the Military

XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL

If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Thank you to everyone who has and continues to support Drew and others serving in our military!

Christmas Spirit

You could say I hit the jackpot yesterday while I was Target, but in the spirit of Christmas (and my morals) I chose to be a good samaritan. I was near the back of the store and just finished grabbing a couple of things - heading to check out. That's when I spotted it. A glowing wad of money on the ground! As I walked closer to pick it up, I thought to myself, "Are those two zeros?!?" Sure enough, lying on the ground with no one extremely close by was two, yes TWO 100 dollar bills!! I was on the phone with Drew's sister at the time, so I quickly picked up the money and "ran" into the closest isle, whispering to her what I found. At one point I think I did ask, "What should I do!!" But, I knew I needed to turn it in. If it were me, I would be furious if I lost that amount of money. And, it is the season of giving, not receiving. Plus, as Jill reminded me, good karma will come back around (and Target has cameras!). So, I did turn it in and while I can bet that that Target manager will eventually pocket the money, he did have me write my information and said in 30 days if no one claims it they usually call the person who found the money.

We'll see...

UPDATE on DREW:
I recieved and email early this morning from a Lieutenant that Drew made it to Iraq safely. I'm not sure when I will hear from him, but at least I know he is safe where he needs to be and can finally settle in, and unpack his bags (some of which he hasn't seen in a month or two!).

Safe Landing

I got a call from Drew about a half hour ago. He made it to Kuwait safe. He expects to be there less than a week before heading to his next destination. He sounded good, but said he was exhausted and joked about how weird it was not having any sense of time or day. At this point, he's 8 hours ahead of us. We didn't get to chat too long because he has stuff to do and was looking forward to resting, and I am currently at work.

He thinks he should get his address soon, so when that happens I will let everyone know. He's also working on figuring out the Internet at the base he's stationed at right now. It's hard not knowing when that will be because, while I (and anyone else as well) can e-mail him, I have no idea if he'll read it, and thus, no way of contacting him. That's definitely something I am not use to.

OK, that's it for now. Back to work!!

Safe Travels

I'm asking everyone to keep Drew in their prayers. He's been traveling since about 6am yesterday and will be traveling for another 10 to 12 hours today. He's jumped from plane to plane and made it safely out of the country. But, the trip isn't over yet. He still has that long flight ahead and another couple of days to get acclimated to the climate (and briefed) before he reaches Iraq.
Unfortunately, along the way, he's started to come down with a cold or something. He wasn't feeling too hot yesterday so hopefully the Benadryl kicks in and he's feeling good as new again.

I will keep you posted on his deployment and let you know when he reaches theatre. Sorry for the lack of details, I just don't want to risk his safety until he is where he needs to be.

So Much to be Thankful for

I don't even know where to begin.
Although I spent most of the day catching up on sleep, Thanksgiving was a nice, relaxing day at my parents house. I don't know what my mom did to the turkey, but it was delicious. I took mine to go and it made for a delicious meal at work. Other than eating, we took a family picture that will be used in this year's Christmas card.

The following day was one I was anticipating for months. Drew came home for his 4 day pass! I picked him up late that night at the airport and he was home until Tuesday afternoon. It was so nice to see his face and hear his voice in person. The days were spent catching up with family and playing with Lexi. (Starting a fire with his cousin/mini me Thomas.)All I asked for was to go ice skating and he didn't let me down (he never does!). Although, it wasn't quite as romantic as I anticipated... but it was a great time, just the two of us. But, boy, did it those couple of days go by quickly. Dropping him off at the airport was one of the hardest things I've had to do. I didn't realize how hard it would be to say goodbye. But, at the same time I would do it all over again if it meant being able to see his smiling face.

Lexi was fun to watch interact with Drew. She was SO excited to see him when he first walked into the door. And, throughout most of the weekend, while she did spend some time at Drew's sister's house, she was very well behaved.All 103lbs of her!Come Tuesday... she definitely knew something was up and was NOT happy about it. She's never destroyed anything in the house before, but when I returned a couple of hours later, she had made her feelings show. She shred a kitchen hand towel to pieces - so much so that there were strings stuck in between her toe nails. All I could do was laugh. I couldn't be mad at her. It was only a hand towel and I just knew she was upset.

Now, I just hope the next 9-10 months go by as fast as the last four days...

Girls Weekend

That's exactly what it was last weekend when I was in Chicago celebrating Emily's last month and a half of bachelorette hood. I can't believe she is getting married next month. Time has flown by since she and John got engaged. It was a relatively low key weekend considering, but wonderful to catch up and see Emily. We had dinner and at "our place" - The Sit Down - where I was even able to order a sandwich. A sandwich! I can't tell you the last time I got a sandwich from a restaurant. The rest of the weekend was spent having her bachelorette dinner and hitting the town to do some karaoke. Let me tell you, Emily was a star on the "stage".It's funny, we went two years post college seeing each other for maybe an hour. Fast forward to this year and we've already seen four times, with another two days planned next month when she gets married! It will be a great way to wrap up 2010.

Prayers Needed

To all of those who are reading this I am asking for your prayers. It's been a rough day here for some family and friends of mine and I am trying to send as much love and support their way as possible. In no particular order...

My mom had surgery on her legs today (Tuesday). It was scheduled, but from what I hear it took a lot longer than both she and my dad had originally thought. Everything went well, but from what my dad told me, it is going to be a long recovery.

Drew's cousin could also use some prayers and support. She is pregnant and during her recent trip to the doctor the news was not what she and her husband expected. From what I understand, they have some tough decisions ahead.

And lastly, I learned today that one of the soldiers in Drew's battalion has died. He was on the home base team, stationed here in town (NOT in Oklahoma) and was apparently involved in a car accident.

I know this is not the most uplifting post, but as with anything the more prayers, the better. I hope everyone else is doing well and staying safe.

Football frenzy

This past weekend was full of football - ugly football to say the least. My brothers and I went to UC's homecoming game Saturday (terrible, terrible loss) and then the Bengals game Sunday. We did our best to scare away the competition but it just wasn't enough. The Bengals are AWFUL! I can practically predict when an interception will be thrown or when someone will fumble. But, I go and try to at least have a good time. I made the black mask in the first picture and found us all the orange and black ones. (I couldn't root for the Bengals on Halloween without A LOT of orange and black.) There is some light in all the darkness.... I am leading in my fantasy football league and I have the cutest ballerina at my house!
Miss Lexi even inspired some of Kevin's friends to get a dog. Whether or not that is the best decision, well, only time will tell. But, she was obviously on her best behavior when Kevin was watching her Saturday evening.
Lastly, I had to include this picture from last year - I just couldn't decorate a pumpkin (and win the contest AGAIN) without you this year :)

Unemployed to engaged

It's hard to believe that exactly two years ago I was planning my escape from Washington - trying to decide if I should interview out west or come home. Fast forward to present day and I am planning a wedding. I have to thank my mom for reminding me how quickly time can pass and the surprises and happiness it can bring. It's definitely an important concept to keep in mind as this deployment process gets underway. So far, it hasn't been too awful (some days are better than others - God bless Drew for dealing with my crazy emotions), but once the actual overseas process begins I know it's going to be a whole new transition. But, the sooner it gets moving, the sooner the months will pass and the process will be over - and we'll be gathering with friends and family to say, "I do".

Seriously, who owns a monkey..?

OK, this story is a week or two old, but I can't believe I didn't blog about it earlier. I had to stop by David's Bridal last Friday to get fitted for a bridesmaid dress. For those of you who haven't been there, you walk in and there is a desk in front where a woman/consultant sits and can look items up for a particular wedding. And then to the left is the main desk with a register, etc. This particular Friday the consultant was working with a bride and there was a group standing at the register checking out. I stood between the door and consultant dress to wait my turn. It was late, I was tired and only half paying attention. Well the group next to me went to leave and as they passed I felt something smack my thigh. I figured it was just a kid and ignored it.

(The following conversation happened in a total 15 seconds)

I hear the consultant say, "O my God! Did you see that, it jumped on her!"
I turn around to watch the group leave and out of the corner of my eye I see a leash and something furry. Thinking it was only a dog I turned back around only to hear someone else say, "Did you see that! The monkey jumped on her!" Pointing and looking at me.
I turn around again and sure enough almost out of the door is a monkey - on a leash - wearing a diaper!!
I of course became the center of conversation because the monkey apparently jumped on my leg as the group was walking out. Still half a sleep, I never did find out why the monkey was in David's Bridal. But, it had been the talk of the evening before I got there. Seriously though, I didn't think you were allowed to own a monkey, much less bring it to David's Bridal. But, for all of you men out there, I guess it is legal...

It's About Time...

..I update this blog.

..that Lexi begins cheering for the Bengals and joins us at a tailgate (the day before Drew left).. that I spend time with my best friend Emily and celebrate her upcoming wedding...that the Reds have a winning season and make it to the playoffs (FYI: it's been 15 years since they've made it to postseason play. Let's just hope tonight's game two is better than game one).

I don't know where the time goes each day but for some reason I just can't seem to sit down and update this page. I'm working on it though. These are the big three things that have happened since Drew left. I took Lexi to PetsMart yesterday to get her out of the house and pick up a couple of things. I decided I want to weigh her each month and possibly take a picture of her on the scale to send to Drew. It's been 2 months since she was last weighed so I was curious to see how much weight she has added. Drew and couldn't remember exactly, but we were thinking she was about 72 pounds when she was spayed at six months. At nine months now, miss Lexi is a whopping... 95lbs! Yes, she is coming up on triple digits! It's so funny to me because now that I see her every day it's hard to really gage if she is growing at all.

So it begins

..the year of deployment. 364ish more days. OK, I definitely can't think of it like that or it will drive me crazy. Smaller increments are better than thinking about the entire year. Yesterday was definitely a day of roller coaster emotions. A group of us had breakfast with Drew before I dropped him off at the armory.

I did well most of the day. It was the quite moments alone and when I said goodbye that was the hardest. Exhaustion was probably part of it. We've been on the go for so long and trying to wrap up a bunch of lose ends before the big day.

Kisses for daddy

I really think Lexi picked up on something happening. Not that she is bad by any means, but she has been exceptionally great over the last week. Today, she seems a little down, and has kept her eye on the front door and window. And yes, she dragged that blanket out there all on her own.A big THANK YOU to everyone who called, sent a text, email, facebook message, etc. I really appreciate knowing that there are people out there thinking of Drew, Lexi and me - and of course, willing to listen or talk.

A fun Bengals post to come..

What a Week

And it has been a busy one at that.

It started last week with Drew's aunt, uncle and two cousins coming in for his going away party. All of us met at the armory to go out for lunch and then Drew gave Thomas an indepth tour of the armory. Armed with lots of questions for Drew, Thomas got a peek inside some of the armored vehicles.
Then it was time to gather with friends and family. Drew's other aunt and uncle graciously offered up their home and hosted a wonderful party. His sister and family friend made these wonderful party favors for everyone to take home. A candle to help "light his way home" and a prayer card to hang on their refrigerator. Wonderful, simple gifts to remind everyone to keep Drew and his soldiers in their thoughts and prayers. A family friend -and priest (the same man who will marry us) - came and gave both Drew and another soldier a special blessing.Of course, there was more laughter than sadness that night. And with any family party - lots of jello! It really was nice to see so many people come out and see Drew off.My cupcakes in honor of Drew and the BengalsThe next day my parents held a cookout with my mom's family to celebrate our engagement. More food and family - can't complain. It had also been awhile since I'd seen some of them and the first time they'd met Drew.

gluten-free cakemmm I love Betty Crocker's wheat free cookie mix - thank you Kelli!

Then Wednesday there was a special ceremony for the soldiers. It was held to recognize their call to duty. It was very emotional - but a very humbling experience too.
That's him right there in the middle (between the two shoulders) entering the ceremonyI've never been as proud of Drew as I was at that moment, seeing him and hearing how much he's accomplished and will accomplish in the months to come. Afterwards, my mom, Drew's sisters and cousin all went out to lunch. So, the countdown is near the end. Drew leaves for Oklahoma Monday and it seems like there is still tons to do. I've started moving my stuff into his house, but I know I'll go continuing moving things for at least a month. The good news.. I'll be able to see his face every night....And that night, the soldiers were given tickets to the Reds game to spend time both together and with their families. I was a bit slap happy having been up more than 24 hrs without a nap!The Reds won - which I am taking as a good sign.

God Bless America

It's hard to believe it's been 9 years since the terror attacks. At work, we got a press about one of the high schools around her planning some different types of discussions with their students for Friday. Then it mentioned how this year's freshmen were in kindergarten the year our country was attacked. That really made me stop and think - has it really been that long? No way! It's easy to say it's been 9 years, but when I think about that day, it seems like only a couple of years ago, when in reality I was a sophomore in high school. Reading the press release really put the time span into perspective. One thing for sure... a couple of years, or 9 years, the images from that day are clear in my mind. I just hope the rest of the country never forgets...

I hope it can help serve as a reminder, for me, as Drew leaves. It's hard to believe his deployment is so close. For so long it seemed like something far into the future; something I could ignore for some time. Now, it's only 9 days away. Tonight, his family is holding a party for him. And tomorrow my mom's family is getting together for a grill-out to celebrate our engagement. I will do my best to post some pictures sooner rather than later - but I have a feeling it's going to be a busy next nine days.

Country Lovin'

A week and a half ago Drew took me to my first country concert (Toby Keith) and boy was it an experience. Now, I have been to a handful of concerts, but I think this one takes the cake in terms of bringing out a WIDE spectrum of people.

Yes, it was required that you dress up. So, with a denim jumper, boots, a cowboy hat and pig-tail braids I was ready to go. But, from the looks of it, I think I fit in pretty well :)Now, I have to admit, I don't know a lot of Toby Keith songs so I couldn't sing along too much, but I still had a good time. The weather was great and it was nice to get out of the house and enjoy a fun evening with friends. Unfortunately, it had to come to a rather sad end, as I had to go to work that night/morning!

At last...

Some of my favorites over the last couple of weeks. Lexi sure is getting big... but still a puppy (7 months) at heart.

After moving the oven to sweep, Lexi would not go back into the kitchen. It must have made some noise that spooked her. She refused to leave the other side of the house and as soon as Drew was in there, she was on his lap, so afraid of the "boogie monster oven".These are the most recent. Just last week miss Lexi decided she wanted to be more like her parents.. Drew told her to sit, and, well, she did, just not on the floor... I promise to get some more things on here soon. It's been a bit crazy here, getting back to my overnight work schedule, prepping for my new 4:25 am show (yes, that says A.M), and getting some wedding decisions made - all before Drew leaves in about 2 weeks. Needless to say, I haven't made blogging a top priority, but I will try to keep it on my list as the events I just listed are a big part of what's going on in my life.

Keep checking back!!