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.