Dear God ...

I believe that prayers are meant to be personal - between you and God. But today, I feel as if my prayers just aren't getting through, my heart isn't being comforted and I'm not seeing that pretty light at the end anymore. I know God isn't meant to give us everything we want and that sometimes what we want doesn't line up with His plan and His will. I'm not really sure how much I'm allowed to say, probably not a lot, but I got a call today and basically there's been some activity with Danny's troop and he's currently suffering severe internal injuries. I don't know the extent of his injuries or anything else really. My whole world feels like its ending but at the same time, it feels like it isn't real. :'(

Dear God, 
I know we haven't been on the best terms lately. I've done some things I shouldn't have and I've said somethings I know I shouldn't have. I haven't behaved like I'm one of yours lately and for that I'm truly sorry. I know I should be doing better - striving to live my life for you. But if you could please let me keep him .. i don't even know. I know better than to bargain with you and my track record for keeping promises isn't great .. but please, please, please. Don't take him! I'm not ready! But God, if he's in pain - like pain no medicines can cure and no doctor can help - please let him know that I'm with him. Forever and for always! And You please be there with him and comfort him like I know You can. And please please please, if You do decide to take him before I can speak to him, please let him know that I love him - that I'll always love him and that I'm so sorry I'm not there to hold his hand through all this. And if You do decide to take him, please do it before the pain is too bad. I don't want him to suffer. He's a good man! The best that I know!
Amen.

Operation Merry Christmas

Christmastime, like many other holidays and special times throughout the year, is extremely difficult with a loved one who is deployed. Whether that is a husband or wife, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a fiance, a brother, sister, mom, dad, it doesn't matter! It's the same pain, the same longing, the same desire for them to be home with you during this time! I think Christmas is the hardest for me just because I love it so much! I love the festivities, the parades, the parties, the decorations, the gift-giving, the food - literally, everything! even the smell! It absolutely kills my soul when he cannot be here and my heart breaks a little more when I think that he's going to be spending Christmas alone (well, not technically alone, but not with his family and friends and you know...me! lol) and in that stupid sandbox!

So...being the most amazing girlfriend in whole entire world, Christmas is being sent to Afghanistan! WooHoo! Cause if he can't come to me this year, I'm gonna make sure I get to him! Even if its just through a ridiculous cheesy, Christmas-tacular care package! And that's exactly what he got this year! (:

Included:

• Christmas Tree
• Decorations (because decorating the tree is the best part!)
• red balls
• green balls
• gold tinsel
• gold star
• Candle 
• Battery operated of course! (No Lithium batteries though!)
• In memory of his mama! (He always does a candle light for her and his friends who have passed on Christmas Eve. This way he has a way to do this all the way over there.)
• Stocking (filled with candy!)
• Snacks
• Beef Jerky
• Almonds
• Granola
• Hot Chocolate Packs
• Candy Canes
• TicTacs
• Candy (it's winter now so chocolate is a-okayy!)
• KitKat
• M&Ms
• Milky Way
• Twix
• Cards/Letters
• From me and my lovely bestfriend! (:

I'm not sure how much is known about custom forms, but ever since Danny deployed the first time, I've always been told that in the box telling what to do with the box if it is lost or can't be delivered that you ask for it to be redirected to the chaplain. No big deal right?! Well, I go to the post office today and the clerk is checking everything..blah, blah, blah.. but then she goes: "Girl who told you to redirect it to the chaplain! You're so smart. Most people don't know that...blah blah blah". Literally, the lady went on for a good minute about it! It was definitely the highlight of my day! I may just be an army girlfriend or fiance - but I apparently know more about this lifestyle and the workings of the system than most others! And that puts a smile on this girl's face! (:

Pictures! Pictures!

Operation Merry Christmas

Finally Got It All Tucked Away 

Letter Writing! (:

(please ignore my messy table!)

Mandi's letter! Can I please point out where she say I'm mean?!?!

Custom Forms! They are the worse things on Earth!

Letters on top! (: 

Hi.Ho. Hi.Ho. To the post office we go! (:

Until Next Time - stay safe, stay strong, keep your head up and keep pressing on

-V-

Veteran's Day 2012

Veteran's Day is a special day for everyone - a day to honor our veterans, every man and woman who has served our country. As such, this day also holds a special place in the heart of all military men and women and their families who support them in everything they do.

I do not view active duty or reservist or any military personnel who is currently serving as a veteran. I know that sounds really weird as most of the military friends I've made view their "currently serving" boyfriend or husband as a veteran. But, to me, they aren't veterans - at least not yet. A veteran, the way I look at it, are the service men and women who have served our country and are either retired or have been discharged or for whatever reason are no longer a member of the military. These are the people that should be honored on this day - you know, for everything they did for our country.

I don't proclaim this lightly though because many of the military men and women STILL serving our country have done amazing things and they should be honored as well. I just don't think Veteran's Day is the day to do that because as I already said, they aren't veterans yet.

However, with all of that being said, I still celebrate and honor my own, personal soldier on this day. He, like many other military men and women, has served our country to the best of his ability and I have no doubt that he will continue to do amazing things throughout his service. And whether he chooses to get out of the army when his contract is up or continue to make a life within the army, I will support him and stand by him.

This Veteran's Day though, Danny and I spent the day apart...again. This whole separation thing is becoming way to routine for my liking! Anyway, Veteran's Day with a deployed boyfriend is really tough. I hate when people thank me for his service - and that's what happened. I am not serving. I have not served. I am not a soldier. So why am I being thanked for everything that he's done?! No. Thank him! Ask for his email! Tell me to thank him! You could even thank me for putting up with the army shindigs or for putting up with a deployment (like the worry, loneliness, distance, etc). But do not thank me for HIS service because I didn't do anything. Another thing I hate about this day when D's away is the mere face that everyone wants to talk about him. I do a fairly amazing job at not thinking about Danny when I'm around other people and I do a fairly decent job at hiding my fear for him and the jobs he is doing overseas. Therefore, when you feel the need to pat me on the back as if you feel sorry for me - I lose it! (yes! this actually happened - and in church at that. seriously lady?!) And in the process you've pissed me off because I do not need anyone to feel sorry for me! At the end of the day, I knew what I was signing up for and I knew the pressures that comes along with the army life. So just don't do it! Like at all! Then again these are the thinks that piss me off everyday, not just on Veteran's Day. Veteran's Day just seems to amplify the amount of times it happens within any given day! I was not a happy camper!

But on a brighter note - and I know it's late, forgive me?

Happy Veteran's Day! (:

Until Next Time - stay safe, stay strong, keep your head up and keep pressing on

-V-

For All My Writers Out There (:

Apparently, November is considered National Novel Writing Month. How did I not know about this for 21 years?! I love writing. I love the concept of being able to write something that is new and exciting or something that portrays all your wants, wishes, and desires. Come on now, doesn't that sound like fun?! I think so!

Any.how. There is this wonderful website I've been told about so I figured I'd share with all of you. You know, so everyone else can procrastinate on all those papers you should be writing, the test you should be studying for, the homework you should be doing, the house you should be cleaning, the food you should be cooking, the children you should be tending too :P The website is -duhduhduh- www.nanowrimo.org and I'm finding it awesomely exciting. Just go to the site, create a profile and start writing. A novel is defined as 50,000 words and you're suppose to write it all between November 1st and November 30th. It sounds tedious I know, and to be honest, I'm not even sure I'll be able to finish it all but how fun does it sound!

I encourage all of you to sign up and get those creative juices flowing. You all can do it! Of this I am certain. Don't stress, just write! It's only a month right?! DO IT! (:

Until Next Time - stay safe, stay strong, keep your head up and keep pressing on

-V-

Letter Writing 101

As a military girlfriend, I send lots and lots of letters! I have lovely MilSOs that I write to and of course I'm always sending some kind of snail mail to that boy of mine! Writing letters and cards take a lot of time and effort but I think that's the thing that makes getting a handwritten letter in the mail so rewarding - that and of course the fact that someone was thinking of you! Seriously, who checks the mail and doesn't act like a kid at Christmas when they get a letter?! Umm - no one!

I was talking to my friend the other day and she was telling me about her boyfriend (who is in prison) and how that now he's been transferred to a new location they are writing letters to one another. Okay, he's in jail and can't talk too often, I get it! But this girl didn't know how to even label the envelope - her mom showed her! lmao. Seriously?! Didn't we learn this is elementary school?! lol. I love her though - she's so funny!! I just like giving her a hard time! :P

While we're on this topic, I figured I'd give the low-down on letter writing!

1. Always mention the funny things that have happened to you since the last time you wrote or spoke! Yes, you may have the opportunity to tell him over the phone or skype before he gets the letter, but that just means that when he rereads the story he'll think about that conversation the two of you had - your voice, your tone, and he'll hear your voice in his head when he reads it! ♥
2. Put some really cute lyrics or quotes in there - just to make it really cutsy! You don't get to see each other for months at a time so you've got to let him know you're still in this relationship!
3. Cutsy pictures and drawings/doodles are also very good! It makes him feel loved - that he was worth the effort.
4. Always decorate the envelope too! Put stickers on the envelope flap and write cute stuff on the back! (:
5. His address goes in the middle; yours in the upper left hand corner! I didn't think this needed to be specified but I suppose it does! lol.
6. Don't forget the stamp (top right corner) !! I'm cheap so I just use the regular ones. But you can get really cute ones if you want AND if you're really into it, you can customize them too with whatever you want on them! There are some really cute ones in zazzle.com.

Happy Writing! (: Make sure to tell your loves hello from me! ♥

Until Next Time - stay safe, stay strong, keep your head up and keep pressing on

-V-

Spooktacular Pictures - as promised (:

As promised, here are the wonderful pictures of last weekend!

The sign at Check-In

Friday! setting everything up, laying around, hiking around the lake, you know - living the life ♥

I make my little brother do all the work :P what are big sisters for?!

The View

Laying on the Dock

Hiking/Checking out the Place: 

Jonathan thinks I need protection! Really now?! lol

Seriously?! Do cars go this slow?!

On Deer Hill (:

He thinks he's sooo cool!

Sitting on the side of the road - you know, waiting on a deer! we shoulda been drinkin beer and wastin bullets! lol - Luke Bryan logic

A new dock = impromptu photo shoot (: ♥ only me and my JDub ♥

Jonathan wasn't as into it as I was! It must be a boy thing - Danny is the same way!

Saturday: watched the boys build a catapult, flag retirement ceremony

For the Pumpkin' Chunkin':

Team Work (:

That boy on the far right - his name is Ryan and he's 16 years old. He reminds me sooo much of Danny. The way he talks, the way he acts - literally everything! I really hope he earns Eagle Scout like D did! ♥

The Crew Taking Down the Flag:

Flag Retirement:

Yes! He asked, she said yes! ♥ I was already emotional, and this topped the cake! While I do feel like there was probably a better time, but whatev - to each his own!

The Ceremony:

Randoms:

We even keep the bugs away patriotically!

Me and Snick trying to stay warm! We're missing #3 of our trio!

Two of my main men! ♥ Jonathan and my Daddy ♥

Until Next Time - stay safe, stay strong, keep your head up and keep pressing on

-V-