Scentsy Referral Contest!

I'm holding a referral contest for my Scentsy Independent Consultant Facebook Page.

All you have to do is tell people about my page, have them like the page and leave a comment stating who referred them.

The person who refers the most people will win 2 Free Scentsy Bars.


Here's the link to my page: http://www.facebook....7508879?sk=wall 

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Your New Scentsy Consultant

Well there you have it.  I've joined the band wagon.  I'm really excited about it, though.  I love Scentsy and I've never heard of any complaints from anybody who's ever used Scentsy's products.


For those of you who don't know what Scentsy is, let me give you the run down...


Scentsy sells wickless candles that slowly burns Scentsy Bars (Bars made up of food-grade paraffin wax), contained within various burners of different shapes and sizes, that fills your house with these beautiful fragrances.

All of the warmers use a low-watt bulb and warm the Scentsy bars to a safe enough degree that even children, pets, etc can touch the liquid and not burn themselves.

As for my experience with the product:  I have a plug in and a full sized warmer.  They make my entire house smell like the scent within moments.  I've honestly never found anything as successful as Scentsy in making my house smell so delicious.


If this sounds like something that would interest you,  I invite you to checkout my website or contact me via Facebook, my website, or leave a comment :).  


And even if YOU are not interested, I'm sure there is somebody you know that would love Scentsy.  They make great Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers ;)




https://herreramich.scentsy.us/Buy

He's Home!!!!!!!

I have waited 363 days to make this post.

First off, let me assure you that the end of this deployment was nothing but horrendous.  We encountered 100 bazillion delays including DH contracting Malaria 24 hours before he was supposed to fly to Germany.

After 2 weeks of delays and giving up hope that I would ever see DH again, he came home.  He arrived *on time* on Sunday at 6:45pm.  I saw his plane flying towards us in the distance from the hangar.  It was… surreal.  Knowing that my husband, who I hadn't seen in 9 consecutive months and had traveled 7,000 miles to make it home, was mere yards away was the most exciting experience.

He was one of the first people off the plane and we saw each other right away.  After seeing him, I ran inside the hangar, stood by the stage, and waited as they marched in.  He was right in front of me after they marched in.  I was so excited I was literally shaking.

When they were released for 15 min, I ran to him and was embraced in the biggest/ most emotional hug of my life.  It couldn't have been better.

Reintegration (which consists of the past 4 days) has gone very well.  We're not suffocating each other with 24/7 contact, nor are we distancing ourselves from each other.  Everything just seems… normal.


In 2 weeks we'll head to NJ and Vegas for block leave :).  Can't wait!

Helloooo August!!!

This is MY month!







Need I say more? :)

DOM Check!!

Here is the moment we've all been waiting for!!!

1.5% left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you that know the basic percentages for a DOM, you know that there is practically no time left.  I've had to resort to Tylenol PM in order to get any sleep.  My mind is racing, my stomach is in knots, and I suddenly feel like there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done that I need to.

But none of that really matters does it?  Because DH is coming hoooome!!!!  It's amazes me that a year has come and gone, but it did.  I think I'm still in shock.  Could this deployment really be ending???  Believe it or not, it is.

Ah yes, the end is near :)

Reflection

As this deployment comes to an end, it's made me reflect on the past year.

Deployments are never fun.  I think that goes without saying.  However, they are memorable.  For better or for worse, it's an experience you will never forget.  It's something that shapes you, changes you as a person whether you were overseas or "left behind."

These past few weeks have just about killed me.  It is the VERY last bit of this deployment and it started to frustrate me, anger me, drive me insane.  I began to wonder how on Earth I could have possibly survived 11 months when I can hardly get through 3 weeks.  But as I see and hear about other people beginning a deployment, it has reminded me of this past year.  The start of their journeys have reminded me of mine.

Of course things always look better in hindsight.  Still, I can almost look back on this year with fondness.  It was a year that I learned a lot about myself and DH.  It was a year that I learned how much I could handle, how independent I could be, how strong I am.  It taught me to be self sufficient, to rely on myself for entertainment, to find peace in the simple things because there wasn't much peace left.

Optimism kept me sane.  At times I was blindly optimistic with the hope of early homecomings, and hours-long Skype dates.  But sometimes being blind isn't so bad.  Sometimes we need to close our eyes to the reality of life in order to cherish hope.  Hope kept me alive.

No, he didn't come home months early.  But we made it.  Whether I made it by living off of the hope for better things to come or by simply ducking my head and running through the days that I didn't want to remember, doesn't matter anymore.  I made it.




We made it.

Happy Anniversary to Me

Today is my two year anniversary.

It is definitely bitter-sweet.  Of course I'm thrilled that we have survived two years of marriage (especially since 19 of those months were spent apart).  However, it's bitter because not only is my husband still deployed, but I haven't been able to talk to him today.

The good news is, this weekend marks 2% until DH begins his journey home from Afghanistan :).  That is tremendously exciting news in the world of deployments.  It is *almost* finally over!

In other news, I've decided to go to The Melting Pot for my 21st birthday on August 6th!  I've never been to The Melting Pot or any fondue restaurant so I'm super excited.  I think it will be a fun, unique way to spend my birthday.

I also got my Japanese Straightening Perm!  I mentioned awhile back that I was planning on getting one and I finally did it.  I am VERY happy with the results.  Never in my life have I been able to hop out of the shower, brush my hair, and go.  If I did, I ended up with a wavy, frizzy, poofy mess.

Yesterday (after not being able to wash my hair for 72 hours - gross!) I washed my hair, hopped out of the shower, brushed my hair, and went.  And you know what?  It came out great!  It wasn't frizzy, poofy, or the least bit wavy.  Below is a picture of what it looked like after it dried.  It's a miracle!

Although today itself isn't such a great day, great days are just around the corner!  Hold on tight, this deployment rollercoaster is almost over!

Is it Just Me?

Or is time draaaagging.  I'm pretty sure it's just me - and possibly everyone else in the homestretch of a deployment.

Well, July has finally arrived.  Woohoo… Do I sound less than enthusiastic?  Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that July has finally arrived.  It's just that now, July isn't my month -_-.  I am angry, sad, frustrated, and essentially at the end of my rapidly fraying rope.

But let's look on the bright side.  I only have to finish off this month and then we are X days from DH being home :).  For the sake of my sanity, we'll still say that July is "my month."

I swear this last month feels like it's taking years.  Back in the day (as in, every month leading up to month 11) a couple weeks was nothing.  I flew through this deployment with single-minded optimism.  Month 11?  My optimism has flown out the window or I just may have run out.  Not quite sure which.

I'm just tired.  I am tired of sleeping alone, killing spiders alone, dealing with my sciatica alone, taking out the garbage alone, cooking alone, eating alone, being scared because I'm alone, cleaning the yard alone, walking Jack alone, and numerous other things that I have done alone for 11 months.

I know that deployments end.  It's just a matter of when.

DOM Check!!

2 posts within 2 days?!  I know, it's hard to believe.  Almost as unbelievable as my DOM.

9% to go!!!!

We are in SINGLE DIGITS!!!!

Unbelievable right?  I never thought I'd see the day.  In fact, I never thought I'd see the day that May arrived, or June, or single digits, or July (but that has yet to be seen).

Well folks, there you have it.  Proof that the end does exist, or at least the homestretch.

I'm Alive!

I thought about posting a new blog post about a week ago, but I was not in the best frame of mind at the time.  I was under the impression that I would die before this deployment ended.  We are definitely in the home stretch now, but the days were dragging for awhile there.

I am happy to announce that everything is back on track now.  I have booked our flight and hotel for Vegas!!! Wooooo!  We will be staying at The Signature at MGM Grand in a one bedroom suite! I cannot wait, I'm so excited =D.  And it was very inexpensive (due to a promotion that reduced our room rate by 20%).  Sooo glad I put forth the effort to save a bunch of money during this deployment so we could have a nice block leave vacation.

Let's see.. What else?

Jack has worms =(.  I took him to the vet yesterday to get his annual shots and found out he has whipworms.  Not a good thing.  But not to worry, he has meds and heartworm prevention which will prevent him from getting worms after he's finished his medicine.

I have a lot to do before DH comes home.  I need to tan (yes I actually have to put forth effort to make this happen), find a nice top for homecoming, buy heels to go with my birthday dress and my cocktail dress for DH and I's fancy dinner in Vegas, workout (somehow I'll manage this despite my ruptured disc), and get my hair done.

Which reminds me… I booked my Japanese Straightening for July 16 with the owner of Lee's Salon, and I'm having my hair highlighted/ lowlighted at the same salon on July 30.  Super excited!

Oh and I have started a new series.  As I have mentioned before, I am a HUGE fan of Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series and of Karen Marie Moning herself.  I have even joined her message board to find other KMM fans such as myself.

Through their recommendations, I have found Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniel Series.  It is such a great series.  From every review I've read, the first book Magic Bites, was the slowest of all of the books throughout the series.  It has been unanimous among readers that the series continues to get better and better with each book.

Since I read Magic Bites and enjoyed it, I'm excited to read the rest of the books.  It is similar to KMM's Fever Series in that it is Urban Fantasy and the dynamic between the Hero and Heroine is amazing!  I cannot wait to see how their relationship (which is more of a tolerate/hate relationship at the moment) progresses.

I'm very happy to find another series/author that really knows how to bring realism to a fictional relationship, and create characters that readers can fall in love with.  That is what made KMM's Fever Series phenomenal.

DOM Check!!

**Drum roll**

300!!!!


300 days since DH officially left our home for an entirely too long deployment. 300 days since I've seen him walk through the front door after work. 300 days since I've had to wake up at 0500 (aka: way too early) to take him to work. 300 days since I've completely relaxed. 300 days that I've had to live alone, sleep alone, eat alone, and do everything without my other half.

I've waited for this moment for 300 days and I can't believe it's actually here.  This (besides homecoming) is the biggest milestone in the deployment.


Goodbye quarter mark, goodbye halfway mark, goodbye three-quarters mark.  Hello finish line!

I've Caught the Fever

And no I'm not sick.

It's the fever series by Karen Marie Moning.  I've always been a big fan of hers as a romance author, but this series blew me away!  I am officially addicted.  I fear that no other series/ novel will ever compare.  I've been spoiled by the best.

She says she's coming out with another series that features the fever world and I am soooo excited about that.  I don't know what I'd do if I never got to "see" those characters again in another story.

Anyway, aside from my newest obsession, I have other good news…

We've got a homecoming window!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did I mention that we've got a homecoming window?  Yes, that's correct, deployments really do end!

I won't tell you what the window is, just rest assured that it is in the not-so-distant future.  With the days flying as they are with my renewed obsession of reading, DH will be home in NO time.  I honestly never imagined being at this place.  I know I've expressed my astonishment before, but actually getting an email with a [relative] homecoming date is still so amazing to me.

I also plan to go to my mom's tomorrow for a few weeks.  By the time I come back, I will have a very short amount of time before DH comes home.

Oh happy day!

Why, hello there May

A lot has happened in the past two weeks (when doesn't a lot happen in two weeks?)

DH and I tried to get him home on Emergency Leave for my surgery, but it was denied because my condition is not life threatening.  Yes it is disappointing, but what can ya do?

So I have rescheduled surgery for mid-September.  This will give DH plenty of time to come home and it should be during his block leave.  My back does hurt a lot still, but I can survive a few more months until he comes home for good.

Speaking of coming home for good…

We are in the home stretch of this deployment!  80% done!! W00t!!!  And no this is not my attempt at cheating on my DOM to convince myself that the end is closer than it really is.  DOM really does say 80%  =D

We only have X amount of months before he comes home.  And by X, I mean a very small single digit number.


I also finished my first year of college with a 3.26 GPA.  Not as good as I had hoped, but as long as I keep it above a 3.0, I should have no problem getting into Grad school.

So here it goes… The calendar for the remaining months of this deployment.

May:  Going home to watch the foals be born on my stepdad's farm.  This should be very exciting as there are still two more mares that are going to deliver babies in the next couple of months.

June:  Spend half of the time at my mom's and the second half at home.  The second half will be time for me to prepare myself for DH's homecoming.  Hair, nails, working out, etc.

July:  Last month of this deployment.  I will probably spend most of this time dancing, freaking out, smiling, and grocery shopping.

August:  Relaxing for the first time in 12 months.

September:  New Jersey, Vegas, and surgery.  A pretty exciting month =)


May has always been the epitome of the end for me.  It represents the final season of this deployment, the end of school, and the home stretch.  Everything after May seems minuscule in comparison to what I've already been through.

It still amazes me that it's May.  For months I dreamed of May.  In October I felt that May would never come.  Even in February I felt that May was just a distant goal that would never truly be accomplished.  Well here it is...

I made it.  WE made it.

Updates, Updates, Updates

Alright, it's only been two weeks since I last posted, but a lot has happened!

First, my friends got their husbands back from deployment.  Yay for them!  Homecoming was awesome and I was more excited than they were (seriously).  I can't wait until my homecoming.

I also finished all of my school work for the year! Woooo!!!  All I have to do is take 3 finals during this week and I'm free for 4 months!

I also had my appointment with my spine specialist for my re-evaluation after 6 weeks of physical therapy.  Since physical therapy didn't help at all, my doctor and I have decided to go along with surgery.  Surgery is scheduled for mid-May.  I have done my research and the surgery itself isn't too too bad.  I'm not scared now, but I'm sure I will be when I'm actually lying in the operating room.  That is, IF surgery happens right now.

IF is a big word.  I will go along with surgery if, and only if DH is allowed emergency leave to come home.  He won't be here for the actual surgery, sadly, but he will be here to help me post-operation.  IF he is allowed to come home.

The reason I say that I will only go along with surgery if DH is allowed emergency leave is because I am essentially helpless for the first week or two following surgery.  I'm sorry, but I do not want anyone besides my husband to have to bathe me. So if he is not allowed leave, I will simply have to reschedule for block leave once he's home for good.  This is not exactly ideal as I am in a lot of pain right now, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I am awaiting on the hospital to call me to confirm the surgery date, and the hospital is waiting on Tricare to confirm the date.  When I was waiting on confirmation for my wisdom teeth extraction, it took a matter of a few hours for them to get back to me.  It's been 4 days.

So I called Tricare.  Apparently they haven't received any of my paperwork.  Then I called the hospital and am waiting for them to return my phone call so I can figure out why on earth they haven't sent Tricare any of my paperwork yet.  Sigh…

Once I get the confirmation, I need to simply take my doctor's note (that he wrote up specifically for this purpose) to Rear D and have a message sent to DH's commander so that he can decide if he is going to allow my husband emergency leave for my surgery.

IF he is allowed emergency leave, I will get to see my husband VERY soon! Yayyy!!!!  If not, I'll still get to see my husband fairly soon.

I'm contemplating calling the hospital back.  It's only been 30 minutes, but it doesn't take that long to return someone's phone call =)

Aaaand DOM has recently hit 75% done =D

Ah yes, the wonderful world of the Army.  Can I checkout now?

Scentsy?!

Alright, I have to admit that I have fallen into the trap of Scentsy.  I was able to resist for a long time until I walked into my friend's house and was engulfed by the amazing aroma floating about her rooms.  Scentsy definitely gives off a much stronger scent than any candle, incense, or plug-in I've ever seen.

I had been searching for a specific smell that I have in one of my candles that my mom got for me years ago.  Unfortunately I had NEVER found another candle that smelled just like this candle and I was in love with the scent.  Then I found Scentsy.  Mums & Marigolds was the answer to my scent-searching prayers.

Anyway, a friend of mine is hosting a giveaway and you'd be a fool not to participate.  I'm also hosting a party where you can order Scentsy products through the website.

Here is the link to the giveaway:
http://juliethearmywife.com/2011/04/11/scentsy-full-size-warmer-bar-giveaway/

And here is the link to my party:
https://lorimills.scentsy.us/Buy?partyId=33751472

You HAVE to try Scentsy.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

Hello April!

One more month down in this awful deployment.  For some reason, March decided to take its sweet time moving along.  However, I am happy to announce that I am still alive and chugging along.

A lot happened in DH's world as well as mine and March just wasn't that great of a month, but it's in the past so let's move on shall we?

School is going well.  This is officially the last month of school!  W00t!!

Physical therapy is going ok.  It's not offering me the relief I thought it would.  It's looking like surgery is becoming more and more a possibility.  The good news is, physical therapy has taught me spine-safe exercises and postures that I can use for the rest of my life.

The rest of this deployment (which continues to shrink as we speak) is carefully marked with things to help speed the remaining time along.

April:  My friends' homecoming for their husbands.  This is exciting for them, but I'll definitely be attending the homecoming ceremony to offer emotional support and just enjoy being in a room full of love.  This is also the last month of school.  Less than 3 assignments per class left!

May:  I'll be going to Texas with my friends on their block leave.  This should be exciting since I'm going with one of my best friends and I've never been to Texas.  I may have mentioned this before, but I plan on moving their when DH ETSs so it would be nice to see the area I plan on moving to =P.

June:  My Texas trip will last until the end of May and then June will be only a week away.  I'll be going to my mom's house and my dad will be visiting sometime this month.  I haven't seen him in 4 years so that is very exciting!  I'll also be getting my hair done, nails done, etc for DH's homecoming =D!!

July:  The last month of deployment!!  Need I say more?

When I list the months like that, it doesn't seem so bad.  If April hurries along, I'll be happy.  In fact, if April, May, and June hurry along, I'll be even happier.

Finally!

Finally another good day!

Today was fantastic.  The weather was perfect.  70 degrees, with a nice breeze.  I took Jack for a walk with Monica while she walked her little dog, Baby.  Afterwards, Jack and Baby played in her backyard and cracked us up with their crazy antics.

I've become very close to Monica and Lori and I finally feel like I have a best friend again.  I've had plenty of close friends, but it's been a long time since I've had that friend that makes me feel like I'm in High School again.  That kind of friend where you practically live at their house, and do everything together.  It's been a long time and I'm so happy that I have that again.

In 1.5 weeks my DOM will read 75% =O.  I know, I can't believe it either.  75%???  How can that be?  It's been a long time coming, but I'm just now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Could this deployment REALLY be ending?!

In other less exciting news, I've been going to physical therapy a lot.  I'm getting a great workout while I'm there, but my back is starting to hurt worse.  I'm not quite sure if this is normal, or if I'm doing something wrong, but it's starting to discourage me.  I'm almost in as much pain as I was when DH left after R&R.  It was so bad that I had to go to the ER to get a prescription for Vicodin.  I hope it doesn't get that bad again.  Oh well, I have many more PT visits so hopefully it will only get better from here.

DH has been doing well too, surprisingly.  There's a part of me that expects him to be miserable all of the time, and I'm surprised when he's not.  I don't want him to be miserable, but I'm just surprised how much he can put up with and still be ok.

I've got a lot of homework to do tomorrow, but I'm not stressing over it.  Soon school will be over, and with that, the end of this deployment!

A Little Bit of Everything

Sorry blogger peepz.  I've been busy actually getting out of the house lol.

I started physical therapy.  It's been going really well.  I'm going 3x a week for a few weeks and then will change to 2x a week until I no longer need to go.  My physical therapist is really nice and she basically has me doing stretches and exercises the entire time.  Perfect.  I get a workout and fix my back all at once.  She's trying to help me build up the muscles around my back to help support it.  A lot of core and glute workouts.  The only thing I'm afraid of is.. My core and leg muscles are already strong so I'm afraid it's not going to make that much of an impact, but we'll see.  She also said that in a few weeks I'd most likely be able to get back to running =)

School has been going well.  It's spring break haha!

DH has been gone a lot for various reasons.  Thankfully I have my friends to keep me company and pass the time.  Next Tuesday I'm going shopping in Nashville for summer clothes and to replenish my supply of heels and tennis shoes since they were stolen from our storage unit.  I feel that I deserve this little shopping spree because I've done exceptionally well at saving during this deployment and taking a little break from saving $1000+/month won't hurt anything.

I also changed the return date on my DOM.  For those who know me, you know this is nothing new =P.  However, I don't really feel like I'm cheating because I simply changed the date to when DH will go to his transition FOB before he leaves Afghanistan completely.  I've said time and time again that this deployment will end for me when his quality of life has improved and he is safe.  I'm 90% sure that his quality of life will improve and he will be safer once he is at the transition FOB.  I may not see him for a little bit after the date I chose, but for now that's the date I'm aiming for.  I couldn't stand to see "40% left" on my DOM so I needed to change it.  Now I see "34% left" and I feel much better.

I'm also getting a little cold.  How could this happen? I've been taking my vitamin everyday =( .  Stupid hospitals and their germ-infested elevators… (I had to take a friend to the hospital about a week ago and the only thing I touched was the elevator).

I can't wait until the title of my post says, "He's Home!!"

It's a Good Day

I have such a big smile on my face.  Where do I begin?

First and foremost, I finally got to talk to DH 1.5 days ago.  Yayyy!  And I got to talk to him again last night.  Another yay!

Today I woke up early (9:00 haha) and went to IHOP with my friend for free pancakes.  I ordered a slim-fit omelette complete with swiss cheese and turkey bacon (yum!) and a stack of pancakes.  I had to cut back somewhere and it certainly wasn't going to be on my carb intake LOL.

Then I went to APSU to have my math midterm proctored.  I was pretty nervous because the material is a little difficult for me because 85% of it is word problems.  I despise word problems.  Good news is, I think I did pretty well.  Only a couple (out of 50) confused me a bit.

Then I came home and checked on my school work to see what has been graded.  My public speaking mid-term speech outline (aka: midterm speech essay) has been nagging me for the past two weeks.  I wanted to know how I did since the teacher is a very difficult grader (I may or may not have mentioned this before) and she was returning many outlines to people to redo them.  I was nervous, to say the least.  However, I am happy to announce that she gave me a 95 (Yay!) and put "a very strong outline."  The nerd in me is on cloud 9 right now.

I also got a 92% on my pop music quiz.  I keep getting 92s and I think it's hilarious.  I'm glad I'm keeping my grade up, but 92 is such a random number and I have gotten it four times in a row now.

I also had ice cream for dinner.  No it's not healthy, no it's not going to help keep my girlish figure, and no it isn't going to keep me full for the rest of the night.  It is, however, something I think I deserve right now.  Or maybe I just don't care about counting anymore calories and have convinced myself that it is fat free.

Did I mention that today is a good day?  If I haven't, I'll say it again… It's a good day =)

The Perfect MilSpouse

I read a blog post yesterday that was so inspirational and true that it has forced me to be "real."  Not that I'm not always honest, but sometimes I refrain from complaining on Facebook or my blog because I want to seem strong.  I want everyone to know that I can handle this deployment without flinching.  And just as the blog post said, I am infected with "Perfection."

The post basically said that everyone is trying so hard to be perfect all of the time.  The perfect wife, mother, sister, daughter.  We are infected with this need to have a perfect body, be perfectly generous and selfless, and independent.  We do not allow ourselves to have weakness because that is imperfect.

I suffer from this disease called Perfection.  I do not cry when I feel that I need to because I need to be perfectly strong. I do not complain because I need to be perfectly self-sufficient.  I do not ask for help because I need to be perfectly independent.  Well screw it.  I'm not perfect.

And that is why I have decided to write this post.  I am going to complain about life because I'm not perfect and sometimes I need to rant about things.

I have not spoken to DH in 7 days.  It is a short amount of time compared to others who have gone months, but right now I do not care.  It bothers me, a lot.  I have a lot to tell him.  I really want to tell him about the doctor appointment I had a few days ago about my back because this is something that has plagued me for two years.  I want to tell him about school and how nervous I am about midterms.  I want to tell him about all of the activities I've been doing lately, and I want to know what he's been doing.  I find myself losing my optimism right around day 6 of not talking to him.  I should be stronger, but I guess I'm not.  I've been taking care of myself, our house, our dog, my school, our finances, our computers, our car, and our life for so long that I have forgotten what it feels like to have help.

I can handle most things by myself and enjoy doing so, but sometimes I want help.  His computer in particular has frustrated me because that is something he can do, and I can't (well I guess I can now).  It takes me 10x longer to figure things out and I do not have hours upon hours to try and fix a computer and its corresponding devices.  It's just a computer, but it symbolizes his absence.  I feel his absence most strongly when I'm dealing with that because that is something he should be doing.

We only have less than a handful of months until this deployment ends.  I know that I can handle it.  It's just days like today that make me hate D more than usual.


Below is the post I was referring to.  I urge everyone to read it.

The disease called "Perfection"

The Verdict is in

I have a herniated disc.  Somehow, I thought I was too young or too healthy for a herniated disc.  Don't ask me how I thought that was logical.  Good news is, it will heal itself over time.  Bad news is, it'll probably take a few years.  The doctor offered to do surgery.  He said all he will do is insert a small tube and remove the bulge that is pinching my sciatic nerve.  Eh, no thanks (at least for now).   So what we're going to do is take oral steroids for 6 days, and do physical therapy.  I am optimistic about this plan for two reasons.

One, I am 95% sure that these oral steroids were the same ones I took when my back first started hurting (2 years ago) and it made the pain go away for 1.5 years.  Second, I was speaking to a female soldier in the waiting room who has 100 different things wrong with her back and she said that she has had no pain since she started physical therapy 4 weeks ago.  I figure, if physical therapy can make her pain go away, I'm sure it will make my pain go away.

I have also not taken any pain meds for about 3 weeks and the pain is manageable.  I'm certainly not going to be doing gymnastics or running 5 miles, but I can at least do the things that I need to do.  Hopefully these steroids will decrease the pain though.  And if they do work, I might have them give me steroid injections which will be a bit stronger and last longer (if the oral steroids work, but I feel that I need something stronger).

So there you have it, a herniated disc.  20 years old and I have the spine of a 50 year old.  I may always have back problems, but at least pain doesn't have to be a permanent fixture in my life.

There is hope!

DOM Check!

**Ahem**   DoM says…




200 Days!!!!  =D


Finally here!  Woot woot!!

It's a good day =)

It's Valentine's Day

And it is starting off pretty good!  I just found out that I got a 97 on my Biology homework!  For those of you who don't know, I have been getting really bad grades in Biology lately due to a crazy teacher and this was the true test of whether a good grade was even possible for this class.  I am happy to announce that it is.


I was also looking back at older posts and I saw a post a couple months ago outlining 2011.  I can't believe I've already hit one of my mile markers, V Day!  Wow.. Soon March will be here, then April, then May, then… =D

In other news, it's Valentine's Day.  I am staying home, doing a little bit of homework, eating pizza, and playing video games.  Yep, just another day.  Except I don't think I'll be able to talk to DH for X reasons.  It's alright though, maybe tomorrow =)


In better news, a major DOM mile marker is coming up very soon.  Stay tuned!

Dear Deployment, I Hate You

First, the bad news.  I have been beyond stressed the past week or so.  DH has gotten screwed over time and time again by his CoC and I'm tired of it.  I'm tired of seeing him stress out, I'm tired of him getting no free time at all, I'm tired of him getting sick because they dont believe in giving anybody a break.  I'm tired of his CoC being sadistic asses (to put it nicely).  I know this all sounds pretty dramatic, but I promise I wouldn't make a big deal out of nothing.  I wish so much that I did not have any of this to worry about.  I wish more than anything that he was stationed elsewhere so he could live out his deployment at coffee shops and warm showers.  But that is just not the case…

Many husbands shield their spouses from all of this stress and worry.  They are essentially ignorant of the crap they live through and deal with on a daily basis, and I think that's perfectly fine.  Ignorance is bliss.  As much as I want to be DH's outlet and someone he can rant to, it's wearing on me.  I feel like I am shouldering his stress as well as mine.  The difference between his stress and mine is, I can't do anything about his stress.  

I feel so weak.  I'm supposed to be able to carry my stress and his.  I am supposed to be there to provide an outlet and emotional/ moral support, and I'm having a hard time doing that.  It's hard to be uplifting when you yourself don't feel very optimistic.  However, I'm trying to find things to be positive about to give me another boost.  Hopefully that will sustain me for the rest of the deployment.

None of this would be so bad if I wasn't already so stressed out about school.  In fact, I could handle one or the other.  School or DH.  Not both.  But I guess I can handle both because that's what I'm doing right now.  I can't say I'll be sane afterwards, but I'll survive.

Now for the good news.  We're over 50% done with this deployment, and I got a 92% on my Popular Music (Popular Music History, more like) quiz  =)

In the words of Robert Frost, "it goes on."

Sex Therapy

Pshh I wish!  Haha ok sorry, I'll keep it PG.  But seriously, Sex Therapy - Robin Thicke is an amazing song.  I am officially addicted.  And it makes me miss DH even more, if that was possible.

I feel like I'm treading the line of TMI so I'll just say that I've been missing DH a whole lot lately.  I don't think I'll ever recover from R&R.  I was supposed to be "better" by now right?  Nope.  I'm not crying every night or depressed, but I miss him with this deep ache that just won't go away.  I used to be able to handle him leaving for days and weeks at a time without a flinch, but now I feel every hour that he's gone.

The days are flying by though, thanks mainly to WoW and school.  I dread homework and I have to have it done by the end of the week, so of course the end of the week approaches at an alarming rate.  Oh well, works out either way.  I was pretty stressed out this morning when I found my horrible homework grades for Biology.  Yikes.  So today I spent 5 hours answering 6 questions.  I better get a good grade this time.  But in all fairness, it was not college level work that I was turning in.  No worries though, seeing those grades was just the kick I needed lol.

Over halfway done with this deployment.  Come on Summer!

The Good Ol' Days

So today I took a trip down memory lane as I youtubed "90's music."  Ah how I miss the 90's.  It sounds weird to say "the 90's" as if it is some far off decade, but I guess it is now.  It's already been 11 years O.o.  Anyway, I love love love the 90's and I fear that I will be embarrassing my kids by listening to this "old" music in 2020 haha.  It's not just the music that gets me though, it's the nostalgia.  It reminds me of so many happy, simpler times in my life, also known as my childhood lol.  Just listening to these songs make me happier and make me feel as if I'm still living in those simpler days.  The days without bills, and deployments, and stress.  Gotta love the 90's.

On another note, I'm sick.  It's just a cold, but UGH I hate being sick!  I feel like such a baby, but this horrible sinus headache and stuffed up nose and coughing and fever is just Ahhh!  Ok on to other news…

I have convinced DH to play WoW with me again once he comes home.  We both quit about 2 years ago, but I've recently gotten back into it and I'm sooo glad I got him to agree to play with me.  We had so much fun when we played together before (or at least I did =P ).  And I'll admit, it wasn't an easy task, but I succeeded.  Muahahaha victory! <3


What can I say?  I'm becoming nerdier everyday? That may be true, but at least I'm having fun =D

Enter the World of Nerd-dom

I have spoken to DH a total of one time in the past two weeks.  As sucky as that is, I have found ways of making the time pass and taking my mind off of the situation.  School has kept me pretty occupied, but even that cannot "entertain" me all day, everyday of the week.  And that is where WoW comes in.

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I play World of Warcraft.  >_< What a nerd, I know.  Oh well, I enjoy it and I play with my friends and my brother so it's a lot more fun than it would usually be.  I'm not addicted or anything, I mean, I do have a life and school.  It's just a fun way to pass the time and I get to interact with my brother (who I usually don't speak to very often when I'm not visiting) and DH and I's friend.  I find it pointless to start going into detail of what I have accomplished in the game or what I'm looking forward to since probably 100% of my followers dont play haha.

Anyway, as for school, my workload has tripled since last semester.  I spent 6 hours on one essay for my public speaking class, and another 6 hours on math.  I actually don't mind school work.  Like I said, I have plenty of time so that's not an issue.  I just stress out about getting good grades and the more work I get, the more work that gets graded and thus the more often I stress about grades.  I'll get over it lol.  I just need to figure out how strict or laid back my teachers are.  So far I've found that my public speaking teacher is pretty strict and so I'm a little worried about the essay I turned in.  Usually I never stress about essays and I get 100 on them, but she worries me.  Math is another issue.  It's either right or it's wrong which I like.  However, math can also be a little tricky since you're working with letters and crazy symbols and it's hard to know what AUB U CUDUF = .  Now, that may look weird, but that's actually a pretty simple problem.  Anyway, I enjoy math and I (as crazy as this may sound) actually enjoy essays as it gives me an opportunity to write/talk about something.

Besides school and WoW, not much has been going on.  And now I'm off to level my mage LOL

I'm such a nerd...

DOM Check!

We are officially over 50% of the way done with this deployment!  We're on the downhill slope.  I feel like for so long we were crawling on this never-ending uphill slope to a moment in time I wasn't sure even existed, but we made it.  We're finally over the peak of this deployment. We've still got a long way to go but at least we're walking towards homecoming now.

The ride down is so much sweeter.

A Rough Week..

Where do I begin?  Well, first I got my wisdom teeth out.  That was fun, and still is.  I can hardly open my mouth, it hurts to cough, yawn, talk, smile, and eat, and I look like a chipmunk.  I've also decided to give Rocky back to the breeder.  This is still a very difficult decision on my part.  I don't feel that I have enough time to devote to him with physical therapy, school, and just the emotional strain of this deployment.  I'm still not completely sure I'm making the right decision, but it is what is is.

DH also just left for xx amount of days.  I just love when I can't talk to him for long periods of time *insert sarcasm here*.  I am also completely stressed about school.  There are some supplies I still don't have and new requirements for a few courses that are going to be a pain to obtain.  This week sucks.  I sure hope next week is better..

Great Minds Think Alike

So one of my fellow Army wife friends chooses a word for each year.  Instead of a new year's resolution, it's a word that encompasses the coming year.  As I was reading one of her posts about 2010's word of the year, I started thinking what word might fit for me.

The word that came to mind was patience.  This choice was easy considering that DH will still be gone for most of the year.  I thought, "Alright, patience works.  I'm going to need a lot of that in 2011."  How right I was.

As I was catching up on her blog (see My Blog List), I was reminded of the word of the year.  It's funny how many times I am going to need patience this year.  Today I was struggling with the fear of inadequacy in regards to training Rocky.  He isn't stubborn, but there are certain things (such as chewing on things he's not supposed to) that he's taking a little longer to learn.  Yes I know I've only had him a week lol.  I never said I was patient.  It's just funny how I was reminded of my choice of word on the day that I was lacking patience the most.  I'll have to remember this for the rest of this year.  With Rocky's training and DH being gone 75% of 2011, I'm going to need it.

And it just so happens that this friend of mine chose Patience as her word as well.  I guess great minds think alike.

Happy Anniversary to Me!

It's DH and I's third anniversary of being together today (not our wedding anniversary).  Wow, a whole three years.  That's like 14% of our entire lives!  Just figures that he has to be doing OPSEC and won't be able to talk to me for x days.  Oh well, I'll live.

And you know I have to update on Rocky!  He's doing pretty well.  I'm teaching him to not nip on people's hands and feet and he's catching on quickly.  I also gave him his first bath today.  He did really well, he mostly just stood there for me.  Him and Jack are growing pretty fond of each other as well.  If I'm not around, Rocky seems to accept Jack as my substitute.  I'd like to think Jack has bonded as well.  He even allows Rocky to play with his ducky!  Rocky has his next set of shots on the 20th, yay!  The more shots he gets, the closer I get to being able to take him on walks with me <3

My orthopedic specialist appointment is today too.  I've been very curious to see how they will deal with my back problems.  For those of you who do not know, I've had Sciatica and sacralization of the 5th lumbar for about 2 years now and it is getting increasingly worse.  Basically my sciatic nerve is being pinched (Sciatica) because the vertebra above and below the nerve are trying to fuse together (sacralization).  I really hope they can do something about my back because I cannot continue to take pain meds for the rest of my life.

I'm also getting my wisdom teeth out next Tuesday.  Fun fun!  I've never had surgery before so I'm a bit nervous and excited.  I know.. I'm weird lol.  It's a good thing my mom will still be at my house because I'm going to be a little loopy from the anesthetic and pain meds for a day or so and won't be able to take care of my furbabies very well.

Lots of doctor and vet appointments this month.  Let's hope February is a healthier month!

The Power of Music

Oh the power of love music.  Rocky was having a bit of a hard time settling down last night (since he had just slept 1.5 hours <_<).  Reading that a ticking clock would help, and having already tried that, I figured he needed a little white noise.  Since the ticking clock noise (using a sound effect on itunes) kept me awake the night before, I decided to try a little music instead.  Hello Celine Dion!  I put on My Angel - Celine Dion and he settled in almost immediately.

Celine Dion = Love <3

Exhaustion at its Finest

Rocky and I have been together for a total of 36 hours now.  Boy oh boy have these past 36 hours worn me out.  It's not that he's super active, he actually sleeps a lot during the day.  It's that he wakes up every three hours at night to go out.  I understand he can't hold it that long and he's really young, that's not a problem.  And besides that, he did pretty well for the first night.  But regardless of how well he did or why he woke me up so often, I'm still tired lol.

It was strange actually waking up before noon this morning though.  I haven't seen the early morning dawn for quite some time (approx 5 months) and this was a nice change of pace, even if I was very tired.

He's also teething and trying to teach him bite inhibition and what is appropriate to bite and not bite is the most tedious job.  He's done VERY well at potty training.  He goes potty immediately when I take him out, and he did pretty well last night sleeping in his little box.  It's just this biting thing.  However, I've done a bit of reading and I have a new strategy lol.  I may not have been teaching him the proper way for the past day, but I'm about to change that.  It's a little tiring right now, but I'm determined to work hard at this so that I have a well-behaved dog in 6 months or so.

I really think Rocky is going to help me get through this deployment.  Instead of staying up all night waiting for DH, or sitting around feeling lonely, I take care of Rocky.  Instead of counting down the days until we are at 50% or 75%, I count the weeks until Rocky gets his next shots, or goes to puppy class, or is able to go for walks with me.  I'm very optimistic about all of this.  I really think he's going to help me get through this last stretch of the deployment.

Speaking of deployment, DH got to see Rocky via Skype today!  It's a bit sad that he can't be here to share in his puppy days, but Rocky will still be fairly young when DH gets home.

Let's hope this night offers me a little more rest.

Introducing… Rocky!

I picked up my puppy today!  He's so sweet and he has really adjusted well to his new home.  Jack won't leave him alone and just wants to play.  However, I don't think he realizes that Rocky is only 5 lbs and can't handle wrestling right now lol.

So how did we decide on the name you ask?  Well, as I mentioned before, his mother (CJ's Rocky Blue Lady) was killed when he was a week old.  In honor of CJ's Rocky Blue Lady, we have decided to name him after her.  Hence, Rocky!

Here is a picture as promised.  6 weeks old <3

Bringing in the New Year with a New Furbaby

You may not know this, but I have wanted an Australian Shepherd for some time now.  However, I was perfectly content with Jack.  I love Jack, but I had expressed to DH that I wanted another furbaby.  I wanted one to be a playmate for Jack and, just as I cannot have only one child, I could not just have one furbaby.

So that brings us to today.  Or rather, a few days ago.  My mom, Kyle (her husband), and I went to Petsmart to buy dog food.  We saw this man with a few puppies on the grass a ways off from the store.  My mom said that it looked like he was selling them and I disagreed saying that it was perfectly normal for people to put their puppies on the grass to let them out. Anyway, we walked over there and the gentleman told us this heartbreaking story.

Apparently his Aunt was an Australian Shepherd breeder and her female was shot while herding cattle by a  drunk man when the puppies were only a week old.  Now, this may sound like a ridiculous story, but my mom lives way out in the country.  This story is by no means ridiculous for this area.  Anyway, they had to hand feed them from 1 week on.  The aunt is in her 70s and reasonably heartbroken over her loss so she has discontinued breeding and is simply trying to give her puppies away.  Australian Shepherd puppies (with AKC registration) typically are $1,000+ and she was selling them for $200.

I have had many opportunities to get a puppy, but have easily dismissed them because I wanted DH to be here when we got another furbaby.  However, these puppies would NOT leave my mind.  I asked DH what he thought about the situation and he agreed that I would probably never find this quality of puppy for this price again so I should just get one since I was planning on getting another dog anyway.  Well, not needing anymore encouragement, I contacted the breeder and met her and the puppies.  Now, I had worked myself into such a nervous frenzy that I was prepared to tell the breeder I was no longer interested.

And that brings us to today…  I went and met the puppies.  Most of them were running (if you can call it running with their cute, stubby little legs) around and whatnot.  However, there was one that was as calm and sweet as can be.  He came and sat in front of me and just looked at me, so I picked him up.  When I put him back down he cried until I pet him again.  Obviously this was the one for me.

So yea, what can I say?  My logic melted in the eyes of this precious puppy.  It was obviously meant to be.  And they were born on the last day of R&R.  This is our version of an R&R baby LOL

Don't fear, I'll post pictures soon.  I pick him up this coming Monday =)