Five Years Of Marriage

I was never the little girl that dreamt of a wedding growing up. Sure, I played house when my friends wanted to, but that was the extent of my outlook for the future. For some reason, I never saw myself growing up or becoming an adult, so marriage was the last thing on my mind. Maybe if Pinterest had been around back then I would have a wedding board with a million pins, but as it were, up until I met Will...I could NEVER wrap my head around marrying someone for a lifetime that I couldn't even see myself in.

Seven years later and five dedicated to a marriage with the man better than my dreams, it's impossible to imagine life without him. Even though we were both young and all over the place when we met, some outside force took two kids on completely separate paths and turned our lives upside down. Using the word 'love' doesn't seem good enough, and 'true love' is uber cheesy, but unless you know the effect that love has on two people firsthand,  it's impossible to comprehend the connection it creates between two strangers. From strangers, to our own family unit and now our love and our family are still growing...

Dear Will, 

I could never tell you enough how proud I am of you, and I hope you know that no one in the entire world compares to you in my eyes. With each passing year you continue to amaze me, but most importantly, you still manage to love me and we continue to grow together. We make the world's greatest team {IMO}, and surpassing each milestone, each set of goals, and tackling every new adventure with you makes marriage, and life in general, more fun than I ever thought it could be. We are embarking on what I think might be our greatest {and scariest} adventure with CQB, but I know that we have an immeasurable amount of love and dedication to each other and her that will get us through. There will be times when she takes over our hearts, but I hope, no I PROMISE, to remember that I'm a wife first. Always and forever. Happy five years, lover, and cheers to 50+ more!

Seven Year Itch

On this day seven years ago, Will and I had our very first date and according to the old adage 'the seven year itch' we should begin declining interest in our monogamous relationship pretty soon. Psychologists call it a titular phrase {which is way more fun to make up the meaning than the real one}, and still I must say I think the seven year itch isn't going to be an issue.

The other day, I realize I've told you about the actual first 'date' we had, but I never told you one of my favorite parts. On Will's way over, he called a bit nervous, and said "Don't judge me for my truck." With no clue what that meant, I simply replied "Don't judge me for my house."

You see, I was living in the "Mother-In-Law Suite" at my grandmother's house, so as my automatic wrought iron gate cleared to reveal his 'GEEP' pickup with the top cutoff...all we could do was laugh, and not a single judgement was made on either side.

I'm thankful that we were two crazy kids that appreciated our differences as much as our similarities even though that was hard to see at first. No, I'm not talking monetarily because a) that would be repulsive and b) he wasn't poor and I wasn't rich in spite of first impressions. What I'm talking about comes from his use of logic and my habit of er...a more emotional approach, little things like my love for Jack Johnson which he didn't share, and especially his free spirit that had him moving every few years while I never wanted to leave Florida. Those things could have and almost did end things before they even got started, but I am truly grateful everyday that the very things that could have torn us apart actually brought us closer together. Well with a bit of compromise, of course.

"Who wears the pants in our relationship?' We prefer when neither of us wear pants." That, my dears, is the secret to it all.

The Year That Was 2014

You just can't finish out a year without a good round up, am I right or am I right? Usually it takes me all of fifteen minutes to pick my favorite shenanigans to share and call it a day, however, this past year turned out to be a doozy. It just goes to show, you never know where life is going to take you if you are open to experience it.

January || Had us packing up all of our household goods, saying goodbye to breathtaking Colorado, and retiring my orange shorts. All in all, it was a pretty big month for us full of many changes that were exciting and scary at the same time.

February || Moved to Enterprise, Alabama! Actually more exciting than it sounded, and now we never want to leave. We want to find out what Will is going to fly and chill here.

March || We ran the McGuire's 5K {mostly for the free booze}, and I was able to spend two glorious weeks at home with family and witness my niece's baptism.

April || Was my proudest month as Will graduated from WOCS and became a Warrant Officer, the first step on the journey to becoming an Army helicopter pilot. Mmmm mmmm....I love my man in uniform!

May || With warm weather came lots of outdoor activities, and our new favorite was by far tubing. The beach was fun, but you really can't beat hopping in a river on a whim and heading down your own Redneck Riviera.

June || I got to see my baby brother graduate from High School. Ten years my junior, I begged my mom to let me do anything and everything for that sweet baby, so it seems so surreal that he's an 'adult'. Eh...he's still a baby to me!

July || Will was safe in my arms after three weeks of zero communication while he was in Survival School, and I got turned away from a bar for my 'fake id' in Destin, Fl. Oh, and I shotgunned a beer like I was 21 again.

August || I painted a lot of owls.

September || We soaked up the last bit of summer in Panama City for Labor Day.

October || Man, oh man...if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be October. We spent the month planning our big Halloween/Haunted House party {that I still haven't blogged about}, attended the good ol' Ten Year Reunion, got new ink done, had a blast with all of our besties in Jacksonville, actually had my husband WITH me for my big day, and possibly had the best Birthday month of my life. I never wanted it to end.

November || Celebrated Veterans and raised $1,000's for Charity {$23,000 to be exact}, which still makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

December || We took a leap and started the home buying process. We area learning the ups and downs and waiting to see if our house goes through {inspections on top of inspections}, and trying to remember to enjoy the process. We are learning, we are growing, and embracing this adventure...at least we are in it together!

If we didn't have all this fun stuff to look back on, I wouldn't believe 2014 even happened. It went by WAY too fast, which I say every year, but that doesn't make it any less true. I don't know what 2015 is going to bring us or if it can hold a candle to 2014, but I am most definitely looking forward to enjoying the South while we are here, Will graduating, and BOTH of us turning 30 this year. I guess that means I'll be leaving the 'Twenty-Something' blogger club soon. Oh well, I ain't scurred. Age before beauty ;)

Peace Out 2014...It's been real!

My Three Favorite Words

If you've ever been or ever will be around Will and I, you will probably hear us say 'I love you' ten-fifteen times...in an hour. Well maybe not that many, but we do say it quite often and in spite of people claiming that it cheapens the meaning by overusing it.

NEWSFLASH:

YOU CAN'T OVERUSE I LOVE YOU.

The trick is that each time you say it, you have to truly love the intended more than the last time you said it. For me that's easy, because every day I wake up and am surprised to find my heart harboring more love than it did they day before. I know it sounds like a fairy tale, but after four and a half years of  marriage I'm starting to believe that fairy tales are real. With love, compassion, and humility anything is possible.

We also use it as a sort of love language. Sometimes we say I love you at the end of a conversation, with a question mark at the end to ask if everything's okay, definitely before we go to bed, and most importantly...when we are in a fight. Those three little words really are the most powerful in any language and can reduce a fight to nothing in the blink of an eye. I guess you could say it is an implement for peace in a world full of sticks and stones.

"Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse I love you." Tell your family, your friends, tell a stranger by simply sharing a smile. Just believe that it is impossible to overuse I love you as long as you mean it, and in case no one tells you today...I love YOU! Mean it ;)

My Veteran

It's 10:15pm, and I'm just starting this blog post. I swear I really was planning on starting it this morning, but I woke up sick. Then I was going to work on it this afternoon, and the dog distracted me because he's having heart problems {super sad face}. Finally, I planned on starting when Will went to sleep, but he fell asleep on me. Not that that's unusual, it's just that he usually rolls off after fifteen- twenty minutes. An hour and a half later...

I can't even tell you how many pictures I have of him like this. Several appear throughout my Instagram already, and I'm sure there are more to come. We've spent so many nights apart in the last almost seven years, that I still appreciate every moment of snuggles, and I hope it never gets old.

I've been a little sick off and on this week, and he's made me meals in bed, doted on me, and helped around the house. We have our 'moments' just like any other couple, but I can't be anything but thankful for my Prince Charming. If I wasn't already, I'd totally marry him again.

Well, now that this has gone completely off tangent, I will go ahead and wish a Happy Veteran's Day to all the Vets out there. You are all pretty great, but he's my fave.

Hope you all have a Happy Veteran's Day, and eat lots of yummy food. We've mapped out our meals based on the specials in the area, and I'm feeling pretty confident that our guys are going to be FAT and happy afterwards. It seems like an odd way to celebrate, but hey...I'm not here to argue when it comes to free food. Speaking of, remember that your food may be free, but the service isn't. Don't forget to tip and for gosh sakes don't be a cheap @ss. Secondly, for all the military spouses- DON'T get all offended when establishments don't give you free food. YOU weren't the one living in a dessert, eating MRE's, crawling with bugs, and in danger. I'm not saying it wasn't hard, but this is NOT your day. Mmmmmkay?

I don't care what those viral posts say, thank a Veteran!
PS. If you are a Blog Designer or interested in sending Care Packages to soldiers, I have TWO female Veterans that you can support. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will be happy to work with you!

Corks And Cattle

Remember that fight I was having with myself? Well, we finally got it all talked out, and my wonderfully sweet husband surprised me with a Thursday night date last week. We've been wanting to check out a local  wine and meat chop called Corks and Cattle, so he told me to dress fancy and whisked me away on an impromptu date.

We drank wine, shopped their great wine selection, and enjoyed the ambiance until we got hungry. We weren't paying $24.99 for a plate of cheese, so Will took me to my favorite place in town for my newest obsession, Taj Gyros. I was happy as a clam already, but THEN he set out candles and Jazz music for some living room slow dancing. Be still my heart...We have been lacking in the romantic moments category with everything going on lately, but not anymore! Slow dancing in your living room should be on everyone's date night list, and I can suggest a few bottles of vino to spice up the night.

This is a picture of me ecstatic that Corks & Cattle has two of my favorite brands, and subsequently inspired me to share said favorites with you. Now, you can't go wrong with Pinot Grigio or a Reisling, but that's just the beginning. I've moved on to drinking Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, and I'm always discovering new wines that surprise me. I used to only check the alcohol content, but after visiting Napa I got a little spoiled and enjoy it on a new level. You can make any wine taste okay {Sangria, Spritzer}, but if you are in the mood for a party on your palette, you need to try the following.

Honig Winery || You see two Honig bottles above, and that's because it is my favorite! They have amazing wines made using honey, which yields the only dessert wine I'll ever drink. I'm telling you, that tall skinny bottle is worth every penny they charge {hint: It ain't cheap}, but the other wines they offer are much cheaper. Find in specialty shops and World Market.
Cakebread || I'm sure you've all heard of Cupcake wines, but I'll tell you a secret.. it's a knockoff of Cakebread {Gasp}. This is mainly because Cakebread isn't as available as I'd like it to be. I was actually surprised to find it in a store, because typically they exclusively distribute to restaurants. Needless to say, if you like Cupcake, you will LOVE Cakebread.
Conundrum || Is a go to brand for us. We know that it will always have a smooth taste, lots of flavor, and a reasonable price tag. I love that it's pretty available in stores and restaurants.
Opus One || I saved for last because it is $200+ a bottle. I'm sure you can find a cheap version that is just as good, but I sure haven't. Maybe it's the memories attached to it, maybe it's the grand vineyard that transports you, or maybe it's just that they make a damn good wine. Anywho, it must be on the list because this is my list, and I love it. #winesnob

If you ask me whether I'd like to go out or stay in, I will almost always choose staying in for a romantic evening. The wine is cheaper, it's more relaxed, and it takes less time to get to the boudoir. However, this was a lovely way to have the best of both worlds. These intimate moments are what make marriage worth it, and I live from moment to moment.

The Best Four Years Of My Life

Yesterday, was our four year anniversary. FOUR YEARS!  It is passing by in the blink of an eye, but holds the memories of a thousand years. It's so strange that neither of us ever daydreamed of marriage growing up, and look at us now- we wouldn't be who we are without this union. We've both always been 'happy' and content people, so we weren't looking for happiness in another person, and yet, we are now celebrating the happiest four years of our lives.

Is this to say that we haven't had our fair share of problems?
Absolutely not, and you all know that I enjoy telling you about the lows just as much as the highs, because I cherish the good as much as the bad. Every problem has added richness to our story, and I am so thankful that I have the capacity to see it that way. As Will put it to me once, you don't have truly funny tales to tell without a bad situation from whence they came, and he couldn't have been more correct.

As a matter of fact, we have a new story...

Scene 7:00AM on the morning of our anniversary.

Will: Momma and I are going to the store to get tea, and it'll give us some time to hang out.

Me: We have plenty of tea here, so don't go buyin' me anything.

Will: {deer in headlights, thinking how did she see through me?}

Me: {cue tears, assumes the worst}

Will: {swoops in, envelopes me in his arms} Yes, I'm going to Walgreen's to buy you a card, but I swear I ordered your present last Monday and didn't forget.
Me: {cue more tears, mostly of joy with a dash of shame}

Moral of the story guys? Waiting to say 'Happy Birthday' or 'Happy Anniversary' could bite you in the butt. Even if you haven't bought that card yet, make sure you recite those salutations so she knows you at least remember! He's not the only one that learned, though. My lesson is not to underestimate my wonderful husband. The man has been living in barracks for five weeks, under intense pressure, building our future, and he STILL remembered our anniversary. Shame on me for underestimating him...How did I get so flippin' lucky?

Now that things have calmed down around here, we'll be hittin' the town tonight to celebrate his promotion, being reunited, and our marriage all in one. I don't know if we can do it all justice in this little town, but we are sure going to try. As long as I get to make some more memories with my prince charming, I'll be one happy girl. Cheers to sixty more years, my love!

The Real Military Wives Of Blogland...We Ball So Hard

Today is one of the most exciting days of this Military life we live, because the day of Will's WOCS graduation is officially here! That also makes today the perfect time to celebrate the life we live with Samantha and Mallory, as they try to break the stereotypes that we Military Spouses are inundated with. As Sam puts it, Most people think military wife? You must be overweight, cheat on your husband, have 800 kids, and wed straight out of high school. Yes, this applies to some people I've come across during my time as a military spouse but majority of the time, this couldn't be further from the truth.

Those of you that have been around here for awhile know that Will and I don't fit into any of those stereotypes, and those of you that are new? Well, let me tell you a bit about our story. Meet Mr. Bogert via 2010 Basic training...

But really, we should go back a bit farther than that. I am originally from Pensacola, Florida, and I wanted to get the heck out of that 'Military town', heading straight to Florida Atlantic University post high school. About two years in, I happened to work with a cute boy named Will, and whodathunk, my life changed forever. He always knew that he wanted to be in the military, and I always knew I never wanted to leave Florida or date a military guy, so obviously, we were a match made in heaven.

Long story short, after two years of dating, I was ready to sign my life away right along with him, so he enlisted, he put a ring on it, and we eloped surprising no one.  Since then, we've been stationed in Georgia, Colorado, and now Alabama, and {other than the actual moving process} we love every minute of it. One day we may have kids, but for now? Raising my 29 year old man-child  and six year old fur-child are MORE than enough.

Now, we are only supposed to share one thing that we wish people knew about being a military spouse, but I could share pages worth of 'things' you should know. In order to maintain brevity, you should check out 35 Things We Want Civilians To Know, and then I'll just tell you that when you truly love someone, it doesn't matter where they work, where you will have to move, or how much time you will have apart. Sure, I could pick a guy that had a stable job, but there is no one else in the world I could love the way I love him. Somedays, I feel like I was meant to be a military spouse, and others, I was just meant to be his wife. I live a life I swore I wanted no part of, and now I wouldn't trade it for the world. You either satisfy your heart or your brain, but you really can't be happy unless you lead with your heart.

At the end of the day, we are just two people in love that live for each other. Take away the Military, the deployments, the stress of this high speed life, and we are no different from anyone else. The funny thing is, I wouldn't have picked this life six years ago, but now... I don't think I could ever go back to a 'normal' life. Home is where your heart is, and right now this #milspouse is heading to watch her heart become a Warrant Officer!

Wish me luck that I don't fall on stage when I pin on his new rank ;)

I Call BS On Conscious Uncoupling.

Dear Gwyneth Paltrow,
I have no problem with divorce. I would much rather someone get a divorce than remain in a bad or loveless marriage, but glorifying divorce so that you can make it 'cool' is wrong. You can tell the media that you are doing this for your kids until you are blue in the face, but it's pretty obvious that you are simply trying to validate your choice for the 'Big D'. It would be nice if people took your lead and had amicable divorces for the 'kids', but I forsee couples giving up on their marriages instead of putting effort in 'because Gwyneth Paltrow did it' and Conscious Uncoupling becoming the cool thing. Especially when you tell people that we aren't meant for monogamy. THAT IS NOT YOUR PLACE TO SAY JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE A CELEBRITY. You need to stick to following scripts that are written for you, because you are not the screenwriter for our society.

Dear Anyone That Ever Gets Married,

Be in a relationship that you would want your children to have. If you haven't found your life partner, look for the caliber that you would want for your children, and don't settle for what you think you deserve. I can guarantee that you deserve more than you think. If you have found your life partner, you {both} need to put the effort into have a good relationship, and you need to make sure that you are achieving a marriage that will show your children what they deserve. People say that our marriage is 'perfect', and even though there is no such thing as perfection, what we do have is because we WORK for our marriage. We put in 1000% effort, because the more effort you put into the marriage, the more love and happiness you get out. It's a proven fact, people.

Dear Husband of Mine,
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing this magical adventure of true love. I really can't think of something to call it other than magical or true, because I don't know how we have reached this euphoric level of love, we have become one heart, one brain with two bodies, and we defy all odds. No matter what life has thrown at us: debt, distance, immaturity, ego, fear, deployments, etc., we have found a way to work through it, and I am happy that we can give hope to others. LOVE IS REAL, and I can honestly say we prove that. As my cynical friend Todd says, "If you two don't work out, there is no such thing as love. Don't f#$% it up for the rest of us." I know we will never let Todd down, and that is the most comforting bit of knowledge I've ever come across.

Feel free to forward this on to Gwyneth, I'd love to have a few choice words with her. If she can tell the world that monogamy isn't real, then we should be able to prove to her that it is. Mark my words, she will eventually find her soulmate, and she will be eating this crap she's spreading around. Mark my words.

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action. ~Mother Teresa

Dear Life

You know, I don't know if I've ever done 'Friday's Letters'. I've seen it floating around for years, but I guess it just never struck my fancy. However, I wanted to include a note I wrote to Will before he left, so it seems appropriate.

Dear Netflix,

You are my hero. Between you and eating my feelings, this month will go by just fine.

Dear dishes,

I MOTHEREFFIN' hate you with a MOTHEREFFIN' passion. We are not friends and never will be. Oh, how I wish this new dishwasher didn't suck. The joys of renting.

Dear me,

Don't rent the wrong movie from Redbox. Let me explain...I'm kind of behind on the Hunger Games craze because I really don't like children killing children and the message that sends, but Will talked me into watching it. He already had the first one on digits, so then we decided to rent the second one. Silly me didn't think that Redbox would have both of them at the same time, and I ended up renting the first one. I had a free rental, so technically it didn't cost anything, but I still felt like a big dummy. I will tell you that when we did watch the second one, I liked it better than the first since no children were harmed, and think I may even read the books before we see the third. I still won't watch or read Twilight, so let's not even go there. I really mean no offense, Twihards. I just don't do vampires.

Mi Amor,

The day has finally come...We are embarking on our biggest adventure thus far, and I have never been more proud of you. You have truly earned this step in your career, and I am honored to be standing next to you for this process. It's funny that six years ago you were searching for direction in all the wrong places, and now it's as if this job was made for you. You are the epitome of a soldier, and you are definitely going to make the HOTTEST pilot I've EVER seen. Just thinking about that...dayum. This next month is simply a means to an end, so I hope it flies by as quickly as possible. Try to have fun {without getting an Article 15}, and I'll see you at church! I love you with all my heart, and you are my everything. You won't truly be gone because you are always in my heart.

I really have no complaints {other than the aforementioned}, and I'm just going to make the most of the time he is gone. I'm just a lucky girl to have someone to miss this much. Hope y'all enjoy the first weekend of Spring! It's lookin' like we're gonna have a bit of one around these parts, and hopefully you do too. At least some of you?

He {Almost} Tricked Me For Valentine's Day

Now that I don't feel like I'm dying anymore, let's recap a perfect Valentine's Day that I didn't think was going to happen. I didn't tell y'all because the internet wasn't hooked up yet, but last Wednesday was the anniversary of the day we began dating and our proposal. We usually do dinner, cards, and such, but this year the 'rents were in town and we had a million things going on. I got him a card, and he got me a big fat nothing because he didn't remember. I didn't make a big deal about it, but I definitely let him know that I was disappointed.

Cue to Valentine's morning, and I woke up half expecting a card, flowers, or some other indication that he didn't forget. Instead, he comes in, mumbles happy Valentine's Day, and asks if I want to do anything tonight. Ummmmwhaaaaa? I was instantaneously PISSED. He forgot Wednesday, put ZERO effort into VDay, and expected ME to come up with some type of plan as an afterthought? I think not. I sat there boiling and unwilling to say anything, but as I usually do when I'm mad, I typed it up in an email and sent it to him. This may seem strange, but I can be more clear, honest, and not so mean if I communicate via written word in moments of anger. You could say it's our 'love language'.

Guess who was trying to trick me and had everything all planned out? Guess who also learned that it's not a good idea to pretend like absolutely nothing was planned? That's right, sir William. He apologized for lending me to believe that he had forgotten, and {for once} he didn't give the surprises away, just told me to be patient. {For once} I was patient, and simply enjoyed the rest of the day. It wasn't extravagant, but it couldn't have been ANY more perfect. I guess you could say that the crisis was averted!

In other news, we hopped in the truck, and this post is coming to you live from Pensacola, Florida. Spending the weekend at home was definitely the icing on the cake, and we still have two days here. Cheers to the simple life, sweet tea, home-cooked meals, and front porch sittin'. The next two years are going to R-O-C-K.

How was your Valentine's Day?

The Real Star Of This Blog...

Today is Will's 29th Day of Birth, and I would love for y'all to celebrate with us. We all know that he is pretty popular around here {for good reason}, so let's wish him well!

Let me tell you 'bout my beeest frand...

He puts up with all my crap.

Let's me take a million pictures of him, with him, using him.

Still gives me butterflies.

Kisses me so that my foot 'pops'.

My hand fits only in his.

He holds me when I cry.

Makes me laugh when no one else can.

Has grown into a greater man than I could have imagined.

Sexier than I imagined too...

And he somehow makes me proud every day in every way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope that waking up to the following will show him a small amount of my gratification. I have a feeling that it's going to make him feel pretty happy considering I'm incorporating whiskey, food, and a comedy show...his three favorite things!

Cheers to many more birthdays and many more adventures. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you! You sexy studmuffin, you ;)

Sincerely Your Ever-Loving Wife,

He Tricked Me, And He's HOME!

Well, good morning!

I had a post scheduled, but now it doesn't seem appropriate, and let me tell you why...

Yesterday, I had anxiety to the max.
Only one day until Will would be home, and a million things I wanted to accomplish. I needed to detox after eating like crap while home hello bloat, the sheets needed to be changed, there was laundry to be done, I hadn't gone to the grocery store since he left, and the beer wasn't even in the fridge yet! Then, I got off work late because I was managing, and Buck was bugging me about meeting him at the house under the ruse he had left something there. I told him I had to go to Wally World, so then he said we should grab dinner at Applebee's (of all places), since it's right there. I would have said no, but didn't feel like figuring out dinner with everything going on and headed there first.

As I walked up, I saw Buck through the window and wondered why he was waiting. It was a Thursday night, so why would he have to wait for a table? Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Will walk around the corner. My heart stopped, and my jaw dropped...was I seeing what I thought I was seeing? I, of course, ran and jumped on him, and the people sitting by the window must have gotten a good show. The tears were flowing, and my heart was full. My soldier was home, and had completely tricked me!

Guess what? None of the stuff I thought I 'just had to do' before he came home mattered. We had a few drinks at dinner, we changed the sheets together, the last thing on our minds was the groceries, and he didn't think I looked bloated at all.

He is home, we are happy, and life is grand.

Happy weekend, all! I know ours will be <3

The Richest Birthday Present

First off, let me say that my birthday went off without a hitch. In fact, I think it was the FIRST time that zero drama occurred, and that's a feat. The bad part was getting a frantic phone call at 8AM from the newest manager on our team. Her key wasn't working for the door, and the GM said he couldn't come because he lives 30 minutes from our store. Um...SO DO I, and last time I checked...I'm not on salary, AND not the one responsible in times like this. Lily was going to drive all the way to my house to get the key, but that didn't make sense in the grand scheme of things.

So what did I do? I rushed right up there and we busted our butts setting up the kitchen to open on time. Only, that wasn't the only issue. We were short TWO cooks, we had three trainees scheduled and only two trainers, Murphy's Law made sure that customers were pouring in, and then the worst part...I had a guy PUKE in my section. He then proceeded to pay in exact change. Homeboy is NEVER sitting in my section again.

The day didn't exactly get better from there, but I did make the executive decision that everyone needed a pizza party, so I ordered up enough food for the whole staff. I'm pretty sure that is the only thing that got us through the shift. Pizza for the win! The GM sure wasn't appreciative of what we went through, but I thanked all of my peeps, and they seemed extra appreciative of me. It's a good thing that I bend over backwards form my love bugs, and not someone that has less compassion than a zombie.

When I was finally able to flee the scene, I rushed home to the puppy, and practically fell onto the bed. At about 9PM, I decided to check my FB messages {that I am really bad at checking}, and within seconds, my heart skipped a beat. I saw the 4th Brigade avatar, and remembered that I had messaged them with a request for a picture of Will for my birthday. You see, they take pictures and videos to share with families during the training, but they are pretty random and I knew that finding one soldier out of 2,500 is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

 I tried not to get my hopes up, but when I saw that tiny little avatar, I KNEW I got my wish! Who knew that a cardboard message could be the richest birthday present in the world?

Perhaps the most surprising to me, is that this person running the FB site thanked ME for being a supportive Army wife. I requested a picture of my soldier, which seemed selfish to me, and here was this unnamed soldier thanking me. I've sat here for about an hour, and I'm still reeling from this simple gesture. I remind myself that no matter what, I have everything I could need in life. I miss my lover, but he is a part of me and never truly gone. Halfway there, and he'll be home for the holidays <3

Handsome, Intelligent, And Shopped Pinterest For My Presents? Unbelievable.

Okay, so I know my Birthday isn't until the 31st, but in my eyes, it already happened and by far surpassed my own imagination. Picture it, Prince charming cooking your dinner, dipping fresh strawberries in chocolate, followed by a cake that HE baked, and presents that he found on your Pinterest board, while you take it all in from the fireside of the mountain cabin he secretly reserved for the weekend. I shit you not, I have THE PERFECT husband.

For three years, I have wanted to see the leaves change, and every year I am left unfulfilled. That is, until Will took charge and planned our weekend getaway in Florissant, Colorado. Welcome to our humble abode for the weekend {insert Vanna White hand wave}.

After a leisurely afternoon stroll through the autumnal paradise, Will hopped in the kitchen to make those fresh chocolate covered strawberries and one of my favorite meals. Even though we ran out of propane in the middle of cooking the steaks, they still came out perfect. To be honest, the whole dinner reminded me of one of our first dates and the beginning of our relationship in general. Just like the days of our humble beginnings, he made me Steak Au Poivre in the skillet, and it still melted in my mouth.

After dinner, he banished me to the bedroom, and I wasn't allowed to come out until the following was set up. Take special note of the Coconut Carrot Cake that he made from SCRATCH. Apparently, he went over to Buck's to bake it that morning he disappeared. 

Well played, sir.

Our third guest didn't seem thrilled, but this party wasn't about him. His birthday isn't until November, and now I know that I don't have to wear a party hat for his birthday.

As I sat there taking it all in, I was completely in awe. 

With tears in my eyes, I read the letter he wrote to me...

To my love,

I don't even know where to start. I spent all week trying to come up with the right thing to say, but it wasn't until tonight that I found the words. Something you said this evening struck me.You said, "You are so amazing...like a fairy tale", and I thought to myself, I have never found myself to be that incredible. I do these things because you deserve nothing less. You are my rock, my launchpad out into the world, and my safe haven when I push it a bit too hard. You sacrifice so much in support of me and the Army, so this weekend I wanted to be sure you know just how incredible YOU are. I'd be half the man I am today without you, and I can't wait to spend my life with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY QUEEN.

I love you,

Will

I won't go into details about what happened next, but I will tell you that there was a Jacuzzi involved, and I properly rewarded him for making me feel like a princess. Or queen, as he called me. I'll take either title.

Come Sunday, the fun wasn't over. 

We got the inside scoop on a local spot, and ventured out to find "The Falls". They really do keep the secret quite well, because even the directions are quite confusing. Like the parking was just a "pull off on the left, past the house with the moose statue". For reference, we never found the moose, but the good news- is that we did find The Falls!

We were kind of expecting something along the lines of Niagara Falls with the hype this place got, but we still weren't disappointed by the beauty of the hidden gem. It might have been the tiniest waterfall I have ever seen, and yet, even the rainbows managed to find their way to greet us.

Afterwards, we decided to relax and soak in the Jacuzzi one more time. I feel so blessed that we can spend every moment together, and then still lay back and talk for hours. After five and a half years, we still chat it up like when we are dating. Possibly more, actually...he intimidated the shit out of me when we first got together, so I might have talked less back then ;) Sssssshhhh, don't tell him I admitted that.

Now, we have a week until my Birthday, and I already feel incredibly fulfilled. Thank goodness, because the Army took all their phones away for the next nine days, which lends me on the empty side. That means I may or may not get a birthday message or call from him, but I can only hope that he can call me {without getting into trouble} on the day I will need to hear his voice the most. Only time will tell!

Have a great weekend, all!