This came in the mail yesterday :D

along with my NCLEX-RN candidate report and some other things. I look TERRIFIED in my candidate report picture lol.

Wedding planning is really coming along :) The invitations have been sent out and the RSVPs are slowly starting to trickle in. I finally found jewelry for my bridesmaids and jewelry for myself. I think I'm going to opt out of a necklace and just wear these diamond/pearl drop earrings and this diamond/pearl bracelet instead. They're not REAL diamonds...but they look expensive! The only reason being because my dress has so much detail in the bodice a necklace might take away from it...unless I can find a very dainty single pearl necklace that won't be too long.

I met with the florist! I'm very excited to see how she is going to do everything. She gave me a price quote before but when I met with her we added more stuff...I was thinking it was going to be very expensive but when she gave me the new price I was surprised. It's still a lot of money, but cheaper than the average cost of flowers. And these will be fresh flowers :) Now the question is, do I tip her? How much should I tip? This is her own private business so I don't know...I feel stupid for asking her haha.

We're going to have bows on alternating pews. They will be a dark sheer purple with white and then some random flowers on them. My bouquet will have white calla lilies with a purple center along with purple alstromerias; my bridesmaids will just have the calla lilies. Both will be wrapped with a pretty dark purple ribbon :) We're also going to do some arrangements in the front. I can't wait to see everything! She is also going to do my centerpieces. Awhile ago I posted pictures of those kusudama flowers, which I still love, but that will be too time consuming. Instead, I'm going to do these:

It's called Ting Ting, it's sparkly and can be twisted...and it comes in any color! I requested a dark sparkly purple instead of the silver...and then it will be placed in a vase on a piece of mirrored glass with 2 votive candles like in the picture. We're also going to sprinkle some (fake) purple/ivory flower petals on the tables.

I'm going to alternate with THESE to give the reception hall some depth and dimension. But instead of rocks (which I don't really like anyway lol) we're going to put purple marbles in there and put the same calla lilies that will be used in the bouquets. These will also be on top of mirrored glass. :)

I'm happy that things are finally coming together :) I'm meeting with the organist this Friday to discuss music for the ceremony.

I have to work the next 3 evenings. I feel like crap :( My sinuses are all jacked up and my throat really hurts...and I have really bad cramps on top of it :( Part of me wants to call off (I have 15minutes to decide if I only want 1 point instead of 2!) but I think I'll just suck it up and deal with it, especially since I will not be working at this hospital much longer...I want to continue to make a good impression because that will be so important when I'm being considered for my grown-up nurse job. I do not want my current employer to tell them, "yeah she called off sick" (which I have done maybe TWICE in over a year I have worked there) or telling them I had a no-call, no-show (which I almost had...thank goodness I checked my schedule!) I just wish this crappiness would have happened on my 5 days off, not when I have to go back to work!

Military Monday! and Getting to Know Me!

Here are this week's questions:

1. What inspires you?

My hubby, my mom, my fellow nurses...though I'll admit, there are some nurses out there who shouldn't even be in this profession... -_-

2. What is the last thing you bought yourself?

I bought this dress from Target. I don't know why I like it so much. But I decided to get it, because I always find something that I like, I don't buy it, and then I regret it later. I *might* wear this to E's MPBOLC graduation in April depending on the weather unless I find another dress that I like...or maybe I'll just wear jeans lol.

3. Would you rather watch a movie in a theater or from the comfort of your own home?

I like doing both :)

4. Household chore you don't mind doing?

Lol I hate them all!

5. Coffee or tea?

Coffee!!! I cannot physiologically survive without it. I drink about 4-6 cups/day. I love tea too, but coffee is definitely my favorite.

6. What could you eat every day and not get sick of?

Bananas. I absolutely love them. Sometimes I'll eat 3/day!

7. What's the last book you read?

My ginormous NCLEX binder, which I consider a book in itself! (it's 600 pages!) Right now I'm reading Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen and I really like it so far. I'm also looking for some more book recommendations! ;)

8. Do you think you "look" your age?

Absolutely not. I am 23 and I get mistaken for being 18 a lot...sometimes 16 at work, but I notice that I look a lot younger with hair up (and I HATE wearing it up!) There is at least one patient or family member who tells me:

"you look a little too young to be working here! just how old are you?"

"I'm 23."

"ohhh well you'll be thankful for it later, hunny!"

everytime.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in!

Head over to Wifey's blog to link up!

1. What is your must have gadget? submitted by Flying High With My Flyboy
Oh definitely my phone. It's like my life-line!

2. How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid? submitted by L to the Third
When I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I loved animals. I still really love animals, but yeah that didn't happen...and now I'm a registered nurse :)

3. What is your favorite chocolate recipe? submitted by Our First Deployment
I don't have one yet.

4. How do you deal with military life when it gets to be to much or to hard? submitted by Combat Boots And Pointe Shoes
I blog, try to stay busy or hang out friends.

5. What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment? submitted by The Albrecht Squad
I haven't been through a deployment yet...but I know it's going to come eventually. E & I have been separated a few times before...just keep yourself busy! It will make the time go by much faster and your husband will want to hear about how you went out and did stuff, not about how you sat around at home all day and did nothing. I know we have our good days and our bad days, but things get better with time.

What's your song? Week 5!

Go link up with Goodnight Moon!

This week is Waiting On An Angel by Ben Harper. I just love this song, and I love the lyrics.

Waiting on an angel

One to carry me home

Hope you come to see me soon

Cause I don't want to go alone

I don't want to go alone

Now angel won't you come by me

Angel hear my plea

Take my hand lift me up

So that I can fly with thee

So that I can fly with thee

And I'm waiting on an angel

And I know it won't be long

To find myself a resting place

In my angel's arms

In my angel's arms

So speak kind to a stranger

Cause you'll never know

It just might be an angel come

Knockin' at your door

Knockin' at your door

And I'm waiting on an angel

And I know it won't be long

To find myself a resting place

In my angel's arms

In my angel's arms

Waiting on an angel

One to carry me home

Hope you come to see me soon

Cause I don't want to go alone

I don't want to go alone

Don't want to go

I don't want to go alone

Me on a map.

Right now I live in Akron, Ohio...I'll be moving to Fort Hood, Texas in May!
Ohhhh Akron.

I've lived here for nearly 5 years now. I moved here when I started college; The University of Akron is my alma mater.

There are good parts and bad parts, just like with any city, I think. I happen to live in a better part, but when I lived on campus (which was more like off, it was across the street in these townhouses but they still qualified as "on campus" housing) those parts weren't so great. We would occasionally get e-mails about robberies happening south of campus, people being held at gun point...and I lived south of campus at that time! Recently there was a homicide :( But compared to other cities in the U.S. (like Detroit, and East St. Louis!), Akron is pretty safe.

Akron is the home of LeBron James haha.

Um, there is good food here? haha. Luigi's (local Italian restaurant) is pretty awesome. So is Sakura & Big Eye (both sushi places) and Taste of Bangkok, which has some pretty amazing pho (a type of Vietnamese noodle soup, highly recommend trying if you have not already!)

Akron is the 5th largest city in the state of Ohio.

We're also "The Rubber City" - home of tires haha.

Akron is roughly 45-60 minutes south of Cleveland.

That's pretty much it lol.

I am a REGISTERED NURSE!!

That explains why I've been on a mini hiatus :)

I took my NCLEX on Monday morning and I'm not going to lie, I thought the test was AWFUL. I studied SO MUCH from the time I finished my NCLEX course until the time I took the test, and to me the NCLEX was a mind game! I left the testing center certain that I failed. I wanted to cry.

There is a thing you can do called a Pearson Vue Trick, or PVT. After you take the exam, go home and log into Pearson Vue and try to register for the NCLEX again. There is a "good" pop up and a "bad" pop up. The "good" pop up says something like "Our records state you have recently scheduled this exam. Please contact your board of nursing for further details. Another registration cannot be made at this time." That supposedly means you passed. The "bad" pop up takes you straight to the credit card page, which supposedly means you did not pass. The page has to say "delivery successful" before you can try the trick.

Waiting for it to say "delivery successful" was maybe only about 30min, but it was an agonizing wait. When the status changed, I went into sympathetic nervous system overdrive!!! But I got the good pop-up!! The PVT is said to be 99% accurate, but I still wasn't convinced.

Pearson Vue also gives you your "unofficial" quick results, which are still accurate, 48 hours after you test. The only reason why it is "unofficial" is because Pearson Vue doesn't actually issue the license - the BON does, and sometimes the BON is slow with updating their records. Not all states participate in quick results. Thankfully Texas does. I just got my unofficial results and I passed!!!! I am an RN, FINALLY!!! Those dog days are over ;)

Aside from studying my butt off the NCLEX, I was also busy with some other things as well:

1. I met with some friends from the sorority I used to belong to - they are my "family" (my big, my grandbig, and my twin) and we ate at Rocknes. It was really nice to be able to catch up with them :)

2. Saturday I met with the church pastor to discuss ceremony stuff. I also told him that E and I already got legally married in December, but we decided to keep it quiet from pretty much everyone except for our parents and some friends. I was afraid that would change something, but he said that's fine - he usually has at least one couple/year who does this and they are military :) So that made me feel better! He said they will just make some subtle changes in the actual ceremony, but nothing really noticeable. The vows will sort of be like a renewal (saying that we will CONTINUE to promise, etc etc etc).

3. Mama bear and myself spent Monday addressing, stuffing and stamping all of those invitations. That took FOREVERRR. I never want to do that again. If I have a daughter, I'm telling her she's on her own with her invitations lol (probably not). We mailed them out on Tuesday :)

This Friday I am meeting with my florist at the church to discuss options on decorating, as well as for the bouquets and boutonnieres. I just hope she does not go into anaphylactic shock on me!!

She has a problem, and docs can't figure it out. Between January and now, she has gone into anaphylactic shock at least 11 times and has been in and out of the hospital. They can't isolate the cause. It's so bad that she'll be driving and then she'll stop breathing. My big from my sorority and this girl are best friends which is how I know her. My big was explaining to me that doctors are trying to rule some stuff out...and she couldn't remember what they were trying to rule out, but if it is what the doctors think it is, then this girl probably won't live past 30. She's like my age. We're hoping it isn't that, but regardless, it doesn't seem good. The doctors suspect it is some sort of autoimmune reaction that is causing her to go into anaphylactic shock so many times...it is just so strange.

Some big things I can cross off on my list of shit to do. now I can focus more on wedding planning, as well as working on my resume! And so the job hunt begins!

:)

Absence.

sorry for the lack of blogging...I'll be back soon!!

shhh.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in!

What are some of your ideas for staying connected with family...you know, those people we moved thousands of miles away from? submitted by Live It. Love it. (or not). Write About It.

Facebook...especially with E's mom and his family. but for my mom and some of my other family members who do not use Facebook, we just call them.

What's the most romantic gift you have GIVEN? submitted by Painting My Canvas.

Honestly I haven't really given anything "romantic" to E...just stuff that he either has been wanting or needing.

Would you encourage your child, if they came to you and wanted to join the military? submitted by Perfectly Imperfect.

sure, why not? I definitely wouldn't discourage them. I'm sure E would definitely encourage them to join the military, being a fellow military man himself lol.

What is your least favorite bill to pay and why? submitted by A Little of This, A Little of That.

cable...it's somewhat expensive for something I don't really use that much and there's never anything to watch on TV when my shows aren't on. it just seems like a waste of money sometimes!

What is the proudest moment you've had as a military spouse? submitted by Our Okinawa Life.

When other soldiers tell me that E is a good soldier and any platoon will be lucky to have him as their PL. I'm always proud of my husband, but hearing that made me really proud! I also had some E's friends from BOLC say that E is a very nice guy with a good heart and they told me that I am very lucky...and I truly am.

VENT.

I hate taxes and everything associated with them, except for those nice returns :)

But that's not what I'm venting about. I have yet ANOTHER task that I need to complete, and soon. I had to cancel my appointment with my florist tomorrow just so I can get this shit done.

the IRS rejected our federal return because my birthdate didn't match their records. I called the IRS, and apparently they have on file 10/16, not 10/06. I don't get it, because when I went to the social security office and they gave me that paper asking if everything was correct, MY BIRTHDATE WAS CORRECT. They said to called social security to change it. So I did.

Social security told me that in order to change it, I have to go back to an office and show them some shit. I'd rather NOT, because last time I was there, I was there for over 2 hours. So I know I'm going to be waiting there for awhile again, just to correct my birthdate.

And once that's corrected, it will take up to 2 weeks for the IRS to get the information updated, and until then we can't file our return. Luckily we will still have time because taxes won't be due quite yet but ugh, it's just another thing I have to deal with.

/vent.

I went back to work yesterday after having almost 2 weeks off. I was expecting a NICE, "welcome back to work" day - "embrace the suck" but it wasn't that bad. We have some annoying, rude and needy patients on my floor but it wasn't crazy like it sometimes is. I feel like our whole damn floor is in isolation though, but that's what you get when all of your rooms are private except for 3.

I also did not know that you could have a wound with herpes. I mean, I guess it kind of makes sense, I've just never heard of that before.

I'm back again tonight, so hopefully it won't be bad. Tomorrow I have to go take care of this social security shiz and then I'm having a dinner date with some friends I haven't seen in awhile, so that should be nice. The weekend = more wedding planning stuff. Oh, and I have to somehow fit studying in between everything. *sigh*

to doooo

of course when things need to get done, they all happen at once :/

I have so much to do between now and May and I feel like I won't be able to accomplish it all, and of course I feel like I'm doing everything myself :/

1. study for the NCLEX.

2. take and pass the NCLEX.

3. meet with the church pastor to discuss the ceremony (which I'm doing that this Saturday, that's one thing I can cross off the list...)

4. meet with the florist and discuss flower stuff including decorating the church (doing that Friday)

5. address and send out invitations (I got the invitations today and they look perrrrrty :D)

6. Figure out how the hell I am going to move all of this shit down to Fort Hood...I have a ton of stuff at my apartment + some stuff at my mom's and E has stuff at his parents', + our cars...

7. Trying to secure housing down in Texas, whether it be on or off-post

8. Apply for RN jobs before the new-grads in May start applying for them

9. Meet with the DJ and discuss music, which I have *NO* idea because I'm the kind of person who likes EVERYTHING except for country

10. still need to figure out bridesmaid gifts (and um, I have no idea?) as well as reception favors

11. still need to make centerpieces...

12. E's MP ball and MPBOLC graduation in April

13. ...possibly going to CT to visit family for a week in April

14. Work, and I still don't know when they're going to release me because I'm out of school...

ugh!

MilSpouse survey!

MilSpouse survey from Erin @ Moore to Love :)

1. How long have you been a military wife?

Girlfriend: close to 3 years

Fiance: a little over 3 months

Wife: it will be 3 months on March 29th :)

2. What branch of service is your husband?

Army!

3. Active/Reserve?

Active

4. What is his job?

Military Police (don't hate!) He's at BOLC right now and will probably be on a staff position initially but once a platoon leader spot opens he is going with them.

5. How many deployments have you gone through?

None yet, but we have been separated before. 2 summers ago he went to LDAC and to Germany for CTLT and now he's at BOLC...but thankfully I see him pretty frequently, either through Skype or monthly visits. I know it won't be like that whenever he deploys.

6. ACU's or Class A's on your man?

I LOVE both, but I would have say dress blues :)

7. What do you like about being a military wife?

I haven't had any homecomings yet because I haven't been through a deployment yet (except for when he came home from CTLT), but I would probably have to say after being separated for awhile and then finally being with your man - waiting months just so see him, for a hug or a kiss (among other things ;) haha!) makes that wait worth it and it is such an incredible feeling!

8. Do you live on base?

Not at the moment. I'm not sure if we're going to live on-post at Fort Hood or not. As of now E would rather live off-post, but it all depends on what we can find down there!

9. What is your favorite base so far?

I've only been to Fort Leonard Wood, and honestly it kind of sucks haha.

10. What's the hardest part of the military life?

Being separated. Deployments. Having to constantly worry if your husband is okay and sometimes having to wait weeks (or even months!) just to hear from him.

11. Do you go to the grocery store or commissary?

Both. if I'm buying a lot of stuff, then I'll go to the commissary.

12. Do you work or stay at home?

I work!

13. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?

Not really. I'm hoping to meet a lot of fellow wives when I go to Fort Hood, though.

14. Do you prefer Walmart or the PX/BX/MCX/NEX?

Other places, only because those other places generally have a better selection of things; however, if I'm buying something a little more expensive (such as a GPS or some high-end makeup or some high-end fragrance) then I'll just go to the PX for that because it's cheaper. Oh, and same with Coach purses, too!

15. How did your husband propose?

First we went to our favorite sushi restaurant and indulged. Then we were going to go get some ice cream from my favorite parlor by his house and then he wanted to go take a walk on the towpath. I was stuffed on sushi so I passed on the ice cream, but we still went for a walk. I was wondering why we were walking here because we've never just "randomly took a walk" on the towpath before. We went bike riding down there before but that's pretty much it. Anyway we were walking and talking and the towpath has a canal with a canal boat that comes by that is pulled by horses and you can take rides on it and stuff. My first thought as E was explaining this to me was, "is the water shallow enough for those horses?" LOL he always makes fun of me for that now. I'm smart, but sometimes I say the stupidest things. It made sense to me that those horses would be in the water pulling that boat, but they actually pull from the side. Whatever, I didn't know haha.

Anyway, we kept on walking and then he stopped, faced me, gave me a hug and a kiss and told me how much he loved me, got down on his knee and popped the question. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a guy riding his bike our way but then he stopped and turned around - he didn't want to ride by during our moment haha. OF COURSE I said yes and I jumped into his arms.

16. Did you marry him after he joined or before?

After.

17. How long have you been together?

This fall will make 4 years.

18. Any kids yet?

Not for at least another 5 years. I actually can't ever see myself having kids haha

19. Any kids yet to come?

No!

20. Is your husband one of those "I am a soldier hear me HOOAH" kind of guys?

Absolutely not.

21. Have you ever done combatives with your husband?

hahaha yes! he was teaching me ground fighting. we did the same stuff in this self defense class I took in college because I needed a PE credit. One of my friends said, "I'm pretty sure this is called sex in my house" haha.

22. How many bases have you lived at?

This will be my husband's 3rd (Fort Lewis for LDAC, he was somewhere in Heidelberg (can't remember the name) for CTLT in Germany, and now he's in Fort Leonard Wood)

23. If you could change one thing about the military?

Shorter deployments!

24. Do you like military balls?

I love them! There is one coming up in April just before E's MPBOLC graduation :)

25. Where does your family live?

Ohio & Connecticut.

26. What do you do for a job?

I'm a nurse tech...basically an intern. I will almost have that RN!

27. Have you ever gotten in a fight with an NCO's wife?

Nope.

28. Name one thing you do when your husband is gone?

I become a work-a-holic! I also might start to continue my education once he deploys by working on my master's to help keep me busy. It all depends on when that will be, though. I also spend more time with friends.

29. Do you think other wives do that too?

I know a lot of other wives do anything to keep themselves busy. It helps make the time go quicker. Your husband doesn't want to hear about how you lock yourself up in the house and don't do anything. He wants to hear about you doing things and having fun (within limits, of course).

meet me in st. louis...

Friday was oleoresin capsicum day. Saturday was stay-up-all-night and drink in St. Louis day (or night?). Saturday itself was pretty low-key and then we all decided to leave at 5pm. It takes a little over 2 hours to get there from Fort Leonard Wood but we made and we decided to check into our hotel before heading off. We stayed at The Hyatt right by the Arch. Here's the Arch from our window :)

We went to Ranoush for dinner, which is an Arabic restaurant. I've had Arabic food before and when I had it (which was like in 8th grade lol) I didn't care for it too much. A couple of weeks ago I went to Aladdin's and I was blown away by their food. I had their Arayiss "pita-pitza" which was a toasted pita with hummus, seasoned lean ground beef, parsley and pine nuts. It was SO SO GOOD. Since then I have been craving Arabic food, so going to Ranoush was nice :)

The food was excellent. They ran out of a lot of things though, including lamb, and lamb & rice is apparently a very popular dish in the Middle East. We ordered quite a few appetizers:

- libbeh - Arabic yogurt with olive oil and spices...kind of reminded me of sour cream. I do not like sour cream, so I didn't like this one very much.

- hummus - best damn hummus I have ever had!

- falafel - it's made from ground chickpeas and some other things, then deep-fried. Vegetarian. It was delicious.

- kibbeh - seasoned lean ground beef in a little shell that's deep fried, like the falafel. Also very delicious.

Of course everything was served with warm pita bread :)

For our entrees, I ordered the beef shawarma. I didn't really understand the difference between that and the beef kafta which sounded the same, but the beef shawarma was amazingly good. It was lean seasoned beef that almost had a chargrilled taste to it with sauteed onions. It wasn't salty or greasy at all and the beef itself was flavorful but light. It was served on more pita and with a huge vegetable salad on the side. I didn't finish it and I felt bad, especially after Zaid told me that I didn't eat anything lol but I stuffed my face. It was just like a never-ending plate of food! E had the chicken shawarma, basically the same thing. It was also very tasty!

Afterwards we went to the Nara Cafe & Hookah Bar for drinks and hookah, obviously :) Last time I smoked hookah (before going to Missouri) was probably 2-3 years ago at this place by campus. I probably won't smoke it again unless E & I go back to Zaid's house when I go back to Missouri in April for E's MPBOLC graduation :)

Mingo (his nickname) and Zaid

After staying there for awhile, we barhopped. Lots of cool little bars, but my favorite was the Jive & Wail. Underneath it said "dueling pianos" so we decided to check it out.

It was 2 dudes and 2 pianos on stage who take requests and will practically play ANYTHING. When we walked in, we saw this:

This was at like 0130 and there was this old guy dancing on stage. He was so cute! They were playing "I've Got Friends in Low Places" :)

I was OBVIOUSLY drinking :)

They played some other stuff including "F*ck You" by Cee Lo Green but at 0200 they kicked us all out because by then it was 0300 and that's when the bar closed...

it actually sucked going that night because EVERYTHING closed an hour early. Zaid kept telling me how there is "24 hours of drinking in Las Vegas and that we need to go" haha. I don't really drink all that much, just once in awhile, and when I do it's not very much. I get drunk the quickest but also sober up the quickest. A few sips of wine will get my face turning red like in the picture above...it's quite sad, really!

I can understand Zaid for wanting to go out and drink and party. In Saudi Arabia, people drink, but it isn't socially acceptable...you drink in the home, but you don't go out and party like you do here. He graduates at the same time E does but then has another two weeks in Missouri for a course that he will have to take, and afterwards he goes back to Saudi Arabia.

We took a shuttle back to our hotel at like 0530...there were some other people who were very drunk riding with us, along with another man who just so happened to be black. I'm proud to be an American, but sometimes my fellow Americans are so damn ignorant. They said a few racial slurs to the black man. Then one of the guys (who had a scarf) wrapped it around his head and said to Zaid "look, I look like someone from your country" and Zaid just gave him this look...then one of the girls with that guy mentioned how Zaid kept giving him looks and asked "are you going to kill us because he said that? Just so you know he isn't with us!" :/

We finally got back to our hotel room, had a good time ;) then passed out and woke up 4 hours later. We went back to the area where Ranoush was because the other night I saw some plush Chain Chomps (Mario, anyone?) in the window, but when we were finished with dinner they were already closed. There just so happened to be a Chipotle next door, so we ate there :)

We then went to FroYo, which I've always wanted to try. They didn't have the taro flavor which I really wanted, but what we got was delicious.

Low fat red velvet yogurt on the bottom (that tasted just like red velvet cake!) and low fat cake batter yogurt on top with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and slivered almonds. We devoured it. E loved it, and so did I.

We went into a few stores then headed back to Fort Leonard Wood. For the rest of the evening we just relaxed, played COD4 nazi zombies and watched The Living Dead. Him & I are perfect for each other :)

And now I'm back in Ohio :( I almost contemplated staying another day, because Missouri randomly got hit with a lot of snow/freezing rain this morning. It wasn't bad by FLW, but about 45min out it was REALLY bad. I saw a lot of accidents, including a flipped-over semi. I decided to just keep going, because according to the weather forecast, Illinois and Indiana and Ohio would be fine. The beginning of Illinois was bad but the rest of the drive was fine.

Oh, and today must have been "cut off Melissa" day. The worst was when I was in St. Louis...the highway split off into two exits and this woman went into the wrong exit then quickly crossed over and cut right in front of me. The weather was bad, there was a lot of pick-up off the road from her car and for a moment I couldn't see anything. The exit ramp was also a turn so I was very scared that I would either hit her, hit the barrier or have the car behind me rear end me. Thankfully none of the above happened, but it still scared the shit out of me. Stupid drivers :(

Oh, and I still do NOT have my wedding band. We placed the order before the New Year and still nothing. I called Jared today and apparently the band did come in, but it didn't pass their inspection standards. So that's good that they're picky and they want to make sure you get a quality ring. The bad news, is that their vendor is over in Japan, and with everything that is going on over there, the band probably will not come in until May, probably after the wedding. They said they have another vendor that they use that will create a replica of the ring in the size that I need in about 3-4 weeks at no extra charge.

And speaking of Japan, I still can't believe everything that is happening over there. Still keeping them in my prayers ♥

Yesterday, E and the rest of his group got OC-sprayed.

the spray went from ear-to-ear, then they had to go through an obstacle course. They had to knee and punch some targets (30 seconds each), OC spray a target (but that was just water) and then arrest someone. Afterwards they went to the decon station.

I felt so bad for all of these soldiers because I can only imagine how much it must suck to get sprayed in the face like that. Getting gassed or tased is nothing compared to getting OC-sprayed. Gas is like 10 minutes of suck, tased is a few moments of suck but OC-spray is like over an hour of suck. I captured pictures of E going through the obstacle course and then followed him to the decon station where I helped him and the other soldiers. There wasn't much I could do, other than pouring water on them, offering them paper towels and getting them baby shampoo and telling them to face the wind to help with the burn. One of the soldiers said to me, "you know, you're a very nice person. thank you." That made me smile :) I told E to slather sour cream on his face after flushing with water because it will help neutralize the burn. A lot of the other guys laughed, but once they slathered some sour cream on their face they realized how much it helps :)

Now E can no longer make fun of me for slathering sour cream all over my fingers and hands one day. We made guacamole and added some finely-chopped jalapeno to the mix. I didn't wear gloves and failed to properly wash off those capsacein oils. I just used some soap and water. That didn't work. Later that night I took a shower and rubbed my eyes and they were burning and then my fingers and hands felt like they were on fire. It was miserable. There was nothing that really could be done because the pores in my skin were already open and the capsaceins have already penetrated into the skin, but sour cream and dairy provided temporary relief. Once some ibuprofen kicked in I felt a lot better. Now I'm NOT comparing the burning from the jalapeno to the burn in your face/eyes from the OC spray, but it really helps to neutralize that burn! Now every time I chop up jalapenos I rinse with sour cream/yogurt/milk and then soap & water. I haven't had a problem since :)

(click to see full pictures because of my stupid layout...)
































































Lol aww...so proud of him! His face is fine now :)

Last night we went to The Hub which is a German restaurant. I don't mind German food, but I've never been "blown away" by something by so much where I *HAVE* to have it. I got the zigeur schnitzel, which intrigued me because of the "jalapeno & mushroom sauce." when I got it, it just looked like a bunch of brown gravy...wasn't spicy at all. There was only like 1 little slice of jalapeno and that wasn't even hot. At least the pork was tender.

E got the kaiser schnitzel with spaetzle. The kaiser schnitzel had some sort of weird creamy sauce on it that tasted like it was mustard-based (and I hate mustard) but it had a really good flavor. E loved it. Everything was good, but I would rather go to Seoul Garden or El Jimador the next time I come here. Plus the service at The Hub was VERY slow. We waited over an hour just to get our food.

Tonight we're going to Saint Louis so that should be interesting :) We're going to an Arabic restaurant for dinner which I'm excited for! :)

Day 7!

Day 7: Post a picture of a wonderful friend you have made because of your s/o being in the military.

I haven't really met a lot of people since E commissioned (hopefully that will change once we PCS in May). Through ROTC I have met a lot of people, but more notably these two:

This is an older picture of him, but he still looks EXACTLY the same. He's one of our good friends and happens to be E's best man for our formal wedding in May :) He was formerly enlisted as an MP and was stationed in South Korea. Now he's finishing up ROTC and will commission in May as a 2LT. This time he's going MI.

Aaaaand:

Sorry Lauren, I totally yoinked this from your Facebook page :)

I wouldn't have met her if it weren't for the Army. Both of our boys lived together and we practically lived with them in that house together haha. She's very sweet :) She also has a blog, go follow her @ Killer Words From A Queen! :)

Edit: I hate my layout for not being able to display pictures properly, even though I choose them to be small! Oh well, click to view them better, I guess :)

Friday-Fill-In!

1. During military separations, how do you keep yourself positive and motivated?
I become a work-a-holic. I also have great family & friends who keep me busy :) We haven't been through a deployment yet, but we've been separated before and with the formal wedding coming up in like 2 months, that also keeps me busy!

2. What is your favorite concert you have been to?
It has been awhile since I've been to any concerts...but Taking Back Sunday :)

3. What do you miss about your hometown?
I consider two places my "hometown" - my home back in Ohio and Clearwater, FL, which is where I practically grew up. I miss the gorgeous weather and living only 20min from the beach...but moving to Texas in May will give me similar weather :) Back in Ohio I will always miss my friends and my family (even though everyone else lives in Connecticut) but I'm sure my mom and/or my brother will probably move close to where I will be just to get out of Ohio, even though they know we'll be there for 2, maybe 3 years maximum.

4. If you could run in any race, what charity would you choose to support?
The American Cancer Society.

5. If you find out Willy Wonka is your father, what 3 course meal do you INSIST he create in that stick of gum?
Oh geez, I LOVE food! but let's see....I would love to start with some Korean banchan (side dishes)...some of my favorites include the radish with kimchi flavoring, steamed lotus root (it's sweet!), fish cake and bean sprouts. Then I would like some kimchi jjigae, or kimchi stew (it's very hot and spicy with kimchi, tofu, chunks of pork meat, green onion/onion) and then finish off with a taro bubble tea for dessert :)

Thursday Five & What's Your Song week 3!

Nicole over @ Flip Flops and Combat Boots is doing a link-up called Thursday Five. Here are this week's words:

Peaceful

Loved

Awesome

Lucky
Smart

1. The most Peaceful part of my day is in the morning - drinking coffee and getting my morning fix of Blogger, Twitter, Allnurses and Facebook!

2. E makes me feel Loved every day! The way he makes me feel and the way he treats me is exhilarating...no one else can compare! I feel so Lucky to have such a wonderful husband.

3. Although I haven't done a whole lot (because there isn't much to do here at Fort Leonard Wood lol), so far it has been Awesome because I get to spend quality time with E :) Unfortunately I have to go back home soon :( But I will be here again in about a month for E's military ball and MPBOLC graduation :D

4. Lately I've been feeling Smart...nursing school friends have been asking me a lot of nursing-related questions that I've been able to answer! I better be able to, I've got this NCLEX coming up lol.

And this week is also week 3 for What's Your Song, hosted by Goodnight Moon!

Another favorite song of mine happens to be called Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley. Above I was talking about how well E treats me and how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband. Before I started dating E, I was dating this asshole named Greg. He was nice at first, and pretty attractive at that time. Then as time went on I guess he started to get "too comfortable" and started to treat me like crap. He would always check out other girls and say to me how pretty and hot and sexy they were and say "why don't you wear something like she is wearing?" One night we were sitting in his kitchen eating dinner and out of the blue told me, "you know, a little bit of makeup wouldn't hurt you." His mom was sitting right there and ridiculed him for what he said, saying it wasn't nice but he just shrugged and said "but it's true." It was just things like that. He also could NEVER admit when he was wrong. I was always wrong and he was always right. He wrestled in high school and thinks that is the "manliest" sport that exists.

I'm sorry, but honestly, I think wrestling is kind of gay haha. Nothing like having two guys rubbing up against each other. :X

Then he went to Florida for a week with some friends. The FIRST thing one of his friends told me was "don't worry, he didn't cheat on you." 8 months later (and by this time I moved on and was dating E) my friend Nicole found out that he did cheat on me. It pissed me off because I was still with him for 2 months after he got back from Florida, but oh well. He was really upset when I broke up with him, but whatever, it's his loss. Then he messaged me on Facebook saying I was dating an ugly guy and that the military is for pussies....later he messaged me telling me he was going to join the Marines and be "a real man." He never did.

E would NEVER say things like that me. He ALWAYS compliments me and tells me how pretty and beautiful I am. He always treats me with respect.

This song reminds me of my ex but also where I am today and that I have someone so much better. I was your silver lining, but now I'm gold.

Day 6 - Fort Leonard Wood

Day 6: Post a picture of the base your man is at and tell 5 cool things about the base.



Oh what to say about Fort Leonard Wood lol... (I'll try my best!)
1. Obviously, E is here! That is the BEST thing about this post ;)
2. It's warmer here than back home (OH-IO!)
3. It's got a cool MP memorial. I love the bronze crossed pistols statue:



Along with that memorial is also a chem and engineer memorial.

4. The post isn't overly huge which in a way is nice. I know when I move to Fort Hood in May it'll be a big change, but I'm ready for that (and nicer weather!! lol)
5. There is a really good Korean restaurant (Seoul Garden) and Mexican restaurant (El Jimador) off-post.

That's pretty much it lol.

such a sweet story.

Wish Comes True for Cancer-Stricken 10-year-old Inducted into Army

Most kids might hope to get an Xbox or an iPod Touch for their 10th birthday. Brennan Daigle got a reception from a formation of soldiers, a ride in a camouflaged National Guard Humvee--and induction as an honorary member of the Army.

Since October 2009, Brennan, from Sulphur, Louisiana, has been battling embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma--a rare form of cancer in which muscular tumors attach themselves to bones, reports the Fort Polk Guardian. Last month, doctors told his family there was nothing more they could do, and gave Brennan just weeks to live.

Brennan has always loved the Army. His mother had created a Facebook page--Brennan's Brigade--to keep family and friends informed of his condition. People from around the world, including soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, have left comments of encouragement and support. One group of soldiers in Afghanistan posted a picture of themselves holding an American flag, and told Brennan: "We're flying this flag in honor of you; we're here to back you. Stay Army strong."

Becky Prejean, who runs a charity for sick kids called Dreams Come True of Louisiana, heard about Brennan's illness, and got in touch with his mother, Kristy Daigle. Brennan's greatest wish, Daigle told Prejean, was to meet some soldiers in person, before his illness worsened. So the two women contacted the Fort Polk Community Relations Office, which put out a call for a few soldiers to attend Brennan's tenth birthday on Feb. 26.

Forty showed up.

Brennan had been told he was going fishing with his father. But when he got out of his dad's truck, he was greeted by a formation of 1st MEB soldiers, standing at attention in front of a National Guard Humvee. After a moment, they all shouted "Happy Birthday, Brennan!," and broke into applause.

Brennan was speechless, according to his mother. "All he could do was giggle," she said.

Brennan and his best friend Kaleb were invited to check out the Humvee, and Brennan sat behind the wheel. Then soldiers took the two boys out for a spin. Afterward, Brennan and Kaleb put their heads out the hatch on the vehicle's roof, while the crowd snapped pictures.

But it wasn't over. Brennan got out of the Humvee and was led to the front of the formation, where he shook hands with each soldier. He was inducted into the Army as an honorary member, then given a coin symbolizing merit and excellence, as well as a military jacket with his name on the pocket, and other Army-themed gifts.

"Brennan, you exemplify what personal courage means," Pfc. Kamesha Starkey, 1st MEB, told him.

Finally, the mayor of Sulphur, La., gave Brennan a key to the city, and the title of Honorary Mayor of the Day.

"Words can never express what I felt seeing all those soldiers there, knowing some of them had just come back from Iraq and still took time out for just one little boy," Kristy Daigle said. "Just to know that they care enough to give their all, to give their love and support to a little boy is phenomenal. It says so much about our men and women who serve our country in the armed forces."

Some of the soldiers said the event helped put things in perspective for them. "It was good to be able to give back," Pfc. Kyle Frederick said. "It opened my eyes to a lot of things: How I take my kids for granted, how lucky we are, how we complain on a day-to-day basis and we really have it good compared to others."

As for Brennan, it took a while for his new honor to sink in. The next day, he asked his mother, "Am I really in the Army?"

"You most certainly are," she answered. "They don't swear in just anyone."

"That's awesome," said Brennan.

Facebook page for Brennan's Brigade is HERE.

Getting to know each other.

Lou @ Guinn & Bare It is doing a link-up to get to know her new followers. Check out her blog to link up!

Getting to know me: Melissa!

1. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
Laundry, because between my husband & I it's a lot of loads. I blame him though lol. He waits until ALL of his clothes are dirty and I don't. I also hate doing dishes because it's very gross...and my husband will just leave dirty dishes in the sink at times and sometimes I really have to scrub to get some of that shiz off!

2. What is your favorite body part?
I guess my eyes.

3. What celebrity do you get mistaken for?
I have never gotten mistaken for a celebrity, but I've been told that I look a lot like Jessica Alba, just a slighly more Asian version of her lol. And sure enough, I took one of those celebrity look-a-like tests and I got 70% Jessica Alba as a result lol.

4. What was the last movie, TV show or book that made you cry or tear up?
I watched Restrepo a couple of days ago with E. It's a documentary of 2nd Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team who all go on a 15-month deployment to the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. The Korengal Valley was considered to be one of the deadliest deployment areas for soldiers to go to. The platoon was under fire every day. It was good considering this was all real footage. So far 50 American soldiers have died in the Korengal Valley, including some members of this platoon. Afghan civilians and soldiers have lost their lives here, too. Some parts were very sad...but that's with any war movie or documentary. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I find war films/documentaries to be so interesting but at the same time they make me so sad because I think of all of those men and women in uniform who have lost their lives and it is mind boggling to think of what these servicemen and women have to go through every day. It also makes me think of E and what he will have to endure once he deploys.

5. What story does your family always tell about you?
I will actually have to come back to this one. There are stories but for some reason my mind is blank at the moment!

6. What do you love about blogging?
I can share my feelings and have met a lot of online bloggers through the MilSpouse blogging community which is such a plus!

7. What are your passions?
Nursing and helping people, supporting and respect for our troops (obviously! I really really REALLY hate those WBCers!!) and cancer awareness/fund raisers/etc, especially for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is one of those silent killers because you don't know you have it until it is very advanced. The chance of surviving when diagnosed as a stage IV is 4%. I lost my father at 51 to pancreatic cancer 4 years ago (it will be 5 years this October). I really hope we can find a cure or at least a way to catch this early.

Day 5 - Branch

Day 5: Post a picture of the branch he is in and list your favorite thing about him being in the military.



That he takes pride in making a difference in the world and serving his country and defending our freedoms.

hooah! :)

Military Monday!

@ Marine Parents :D

True love is forever...even if it's in military time :)

day 4! Family

Post a picture of the family he had to leave behind to protect his country.


I can't find a picture of his ENTIRE family but here is one :)

day 3 - how we met

Day 3: Post a picture of how you met. Did you know then that you'd be where you are with him today?


We met at college. Not at this building, but this is a picture of part of the campus.

E actually requested to be my friend on Facebook before I even moved into the dorm I was living in that year (which was the townhouses). One of my roommates knew him. One day all of us (as in my 4 other roommates and E's 5 other roommates) met and E and I instantly hit it off together. The chemistry was definitely there :)

I honestly knew that I would be where I am now with him, and he felt the same way :)

military photo challenge days 1 & 2

I saw that Beckie @ Turn for the Nurse was doing this and I thought it was a cool idea. Katie @ Every Day That You're Away is doing a link-up for this photo challenge! Here are days 1 & 2, I'll include 3 when I have more time.

Day 1: Post a photo of your military SO and list 10 facts about him.



lol I love this picture of E, from his ROTC days.

1. E drives a Subaru WRX and absolutely loves it. I joke around with him and tell him it's his girlfriend because of how he is with it. He loves cars in general and wants to race someday. He keeps talking about bringing his car to a track or bringing it to the Nuremberg Speedway in Germany. He has already tuned his car which is now as fast as a stock Subaru STI. He used to own a '96 Mustang GT and spent way too much money on that car lol.

2. E is a middle sibling. He has an older sister who is 24 (and she is married to an Airman!) and a younger brother who is 20.

3. E is a beer connoisseur. He loves craft beers and IPAs.

4. E is also a Chipotle addict. The closest Chipotle from him is 2 hours away. He drove one day just to get it

5. Although E hasn't been in the Army for long (he's a newly commissioned 2LT) he is a great soldier. I couldn't be more proud of him!

6. E loooooves anything and everything spicy!

7. Playing video games is one of his favorite past-times.

8. back home he has a german shepherd named Mercedes :) Unfortunately we can't take her once we PCS to our new duty station, so we're going to get a shepherd of our own :)

9. E's guilty junk food vice is Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

10. E graduated with a bachelor's in political science, associate's in criminal justice and minor in military science.

Day 2: post a picture of you and your military SO being silly

Lol we do not really have any silly pictures!


this one was awhile ago


more recent :)

FLW: Day 1 1/2

For some reason my other post deleted my little blurb about what I did yesterday in FLW.

I drove all day yesterday and actually made good timing - left at around 0615 and got here around 1600, Missouri time. I had to wait awhile because E had a briefing from some Army general about how four officers got DUI's this past weekend (not in FLW, I guess just throughout the Army).

We went to Seoul Garden with Zaieed, a member of the Saudi Arabian Royal Guard (they guard the royal family) and Mingo, another 2LT. Zaieed and three other members from the SARG are here training with the Army to learn tactics and other things. Dinner was delicious, we tried some sushi which was good but the Korean food was amazing! I got my usual kimchi jjigae and E tried the yook gae jang (which is a spicy shredded beef soup with clear noodles and other veggies). Zaieed got this seafood pancake (similar to kimchi pancakes only with chunks of seafood, including octopus...mmm) and Mingo got some spicy chicken bulgogi. The meal came with traditional Korean banchan or side dishes, and they had a new one that I tried - lotus root. it was soooooo good...can't really describe it but it was very sweet and tasty :)

After dinner we went to Zaieed's house and met his cousin and another member of the SARG. I tried some Arabic tea, which tasted a lot like honey, but oh my it was so good! Then we smoked hookah lol - double apple rose (which tasted different than the one I had back at the Firefly and the Miraj....this one had a strong licorice aftertaste) and grape, which was my favorite. I haven't smoked hookah in who knows how long.

Afterwards we went to The Blackjack Lounge on-post so that E could play some pool. He remained undefeated with his partner, but at one point I told him to either lose (lol) or to have him give me his room key so I could go back. I only got 3 hours of sleep the night before and was exhausted and cranky. We went back, I showered, and passed out.

Today we went to El Jimador, drove around FLW, spent a bunch of money at the commissary and then played some Black Ops Nazi zombies :D

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in!

Hosted by Wife of a Sailor! Sorry I'm a day late. I spent all day yesterday driving to Missouri and now I'm back in Fort Leonard Wood with E :D <3>