My GI Joe is...

Thank you to Amber over at The Survival Guide for the Young, Fabulous and Newlywed for the inspiration of this post. It may be a bit different, but you'll see the pattern.

My GI Joe is my late-night-snack PIC. He's the one who whispers "Go get the chips and dip" ever so convincingly. He makes breaking my diet oh-so-worth-it.

My GI Joe is my support trellis. When I'm crumbling from stress or exhaustion or whatever other nonsense life throws, he's there to hold me up. Even from miles and miles away.

My GI Joe is my Channing Tatum, Mel Gibson, Josh Hartnett, entire A-Team, and every other war-movie character, all mixed into one handsome, charming, loving, ACU-wearing hero.

My GI Joe is a sunny day, in the Jeep with the top down, a song in which we can sing every word, and a hand to hold over the center console.

My GI Joe is undeniable in uniform. No, really. U N D E N I A B L E.

My GI Joe is a cozy pair of sweatpants and an old sweater, cuddled up in the corner of the couch, with a Harry Potter marathon and the cutest CalyMonster in the entire world.

My GI Joe is my shoulder to lean on when I fall asleep at the movies.

My GI Joe is my hero. My best friend. And the one man that I live to wake up next to. When the Army lets me, anyway.

Most of all, My GI Joe is mine. All mine. Lucky me <3

the update

It's been awhile...

again.

I know.

Nonetheless, amongst my MIA-ness, I have been terribly distracted by keeping myself distracted- because....

ROMEO COMES HOME IN 5 DAYS!!

Therefore, my mind has been wrapped around a whole ton of excitement and a glorious array or to-do lists.

Whew.

I'll be so happy when this is all over and he's here and we're back to (normal) married life. I almost feel like none of it ever happened. I feel like when he was here and we were together, I was like a dream. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to re-making my dreams into a reality.

Funny story though, as forementioned, I am currently engrossed in a MASSIVE to-do list. Normal things like cleaning and laundry and whatnot, but then I am also trying to re-adjust my life to pre-earthquake-ridden-country-deployment. As silly as it sounds, Romeo and I share a closet, and I must say, in his absence, I may or may not have taken it over entirely. So now I am struggling to remember where everything was before he left and how things were situated. Who would've known how much of a difference 6 months could make? Closet aside, there are so many other things that I am slowly, but surely, working to adjust. My morning routine, for instance, has been down-to-the-minute (I'm a little OC) and I know once Romeo meanders back from the island, things won't be just so. I'm trying to prepare as best as I can for EVERYTHING to change again. How does one prepare for that? I'm doing my best to learn NOT to get set in any way, but at the same time, I need a little bit of stability. And now, with my own pending "earthquake", how can I get ready for so many things to change again?

I guess I shall soon find out....

Running has been going FANTASTICALLY. J and I are OFFICIALLY prepared. It is a wonderful feeling, but I'm feeling an impending addiction kicking in- we're already planning the next race! It's a great thing, of course, but yet another commitment on the horizon. Oh well. I love it and am having the time of my life preparing. I can't wait for race day!! (2 weeks tomorrow!!) We've also been hitting the pool a lot lately, which has served as awesome cross-training, and a great way to really stretch out during laps. The best part about all of this has been the twice-a-day opportunity to get out of the house, work out, and make time go by just-that-much faster.

Other than that, I've just been doing everything possible to keep the clock moving. Every morning is a great feeling because it is one step closer. And every night is hopeful because it is one more day completed.

Soon enough.

I'll be sure to do my best to keep the updates coming!

Running into a whole new time-consumer

Well hello!

I know, I know...

it has been forever...

But now I will explain why!!

Ok, so as of late, I have been running, running, running like crazy!! My favorite Miami-ian (J) and I are up to doing 2-a-day workouts and seeing TREMENDOUS progress. Starting cold at the beginning of May, both of us weren't sure we were going to make it to Race Day successfully, but now, J and I are more confident then ever, and heading towards Race Day, one mile at a time!

Now, I must say, I'm not sure either one of us would be this dedicated to our training if we had our lovely Romeo's at home, but since it is just us and our girls:

(They're besties)(And adorable)

... we've been a bit more inclined to do ANYTHING to be out of the house. We're both patiently awaiting a plane from Haiti, and hopefully it will be here soon!! (I'm not sure my patience could withstand yet ANOTHER extension)

So, as our countdown to Race Day gets shorter and shorter, the runs get longer and longer, and I must say, it feels great to be so close to our goal. I also know that if it hadn't been for mutual motivation (Thank you so much, J!!) I couldn't have come nearly as far as I have. Having a running partner is not only a huge benefit safety-wise, but it also keeps your mind moving as quickly as your feet, and the conversations DEFINITELY help the long-runs go by. As for the other benefits of running, not only am I sleeping better at night, curbing my appetite, hydrating appropriately, and feeling stronger, watching the inches dwindle right down to bikini-size is wonderful. So, between now and Race Day, I am hoping to maintain, if not exceed my motivation, and hopefully be more than successful on June 11th.

Other than that, all is well. We are not-so-patiently awaiting a homecoming from Haiti. Hopefully (fingers-crossed) we'll be celebrating come June 1st. We shall see..... But between now and then, I'll be a busy girl.

And I'm SUPER thankful for that.

From the Not-Always-So-Silent Ranks...

Happy Military Spouses Appreciation Day!

Now how to celebrate....

Send yourself flowers!

(or just go buy some!)

Treat yourself to a spa day!

(Even if it is in your own home)

Indulge in a decadent dessert!

(Ben & Jerry's!)

And know that we're all VERY lucky to have our very own GI Joe!

(That one is mine.)

Thank you to all of the Military Spouses who offer kind words of wisdom and experience!

The support network that each and every one of you provide is truly a blessing!

Thanks! And Happy MSA Day!

the age of communication

To preface this appropriately, I must begin by saying how thankful I am for modern technology. The internet, cell phones, webcams, digital photos and so on and so forth, are all AMAZING additions to our daily lives. But as it seems, everything has its own consequence, and as such, communication technology has taken every excuse we have to be unreachable.

Sunday morning paper, browsing current events, coupon clippers, and the military section. Amidst another not-so-great day (Why have they been so prevalent lately?) I stumbled across an entire section written for me. First, the article titled Living with Superman written by the acclaimed author of Operation Marriage and fellow Army wife, Rebekah Sanderlin. Sanderlin explains the struggles of living with a superhero. The man who can do ANYTHING he puts his mind to, and how being his wife, and a competitor, often can be a really proud challenge. Now in contrast, Sanderlin's husband up and decided to run a marathon. The night before the race. Without training. All I can say to that is WOW. Now I have no doubt that if Romeo wanted it badly enough, he'd do it too. At the same time, I also know that Romeo can't rationalize running unless it was for his life, so I'm not too terribly concerned about a spontaneous marathon. Either way, spending everyday knowing that your man is a super superhero is a proud event, even if secretly, you'll do everything in your might to keep up.

Next article, entitled An Open Letter to a New Army Wife may have been titled "Dear Meg, READ ME". Brenna Berger, of Home Front, thank you. Thank you for prefacing your article as follows:

I'm sorry to hear that your new husband deployed

much sooner than you had hoped. You didn't get the

luxury of gingerly testing the waters of military life.

Instead, you have found yourself standing on the high

dive with no other choice but to jump right into the deep

end of the pool.

Hah. Oh hello best friend! Have you been spying on my life? How is it that you can read me like a book? Ohhhh, what is that you say? That nearly every new Army wife has to send her man off sooner than she had hoped? That anytime he leaves is too soon? Exactly.

Nonetheless, the article goes on with tips and tricks of the trade to passing the time. SUCCESSFULLY.

Some included dealing with the bad days as you see fit. There is no one procedure that we all must follow. Next, surround yourself with friends. THANK GOD for them. (Thanks ladies!!) And also, remove the excess drama from your life. You don't need it. You have enough.

Mostly though, the tip that I hadn't heard before, and the one that stuck out the most, is called the "Commo Check", and this is the one that has me thinking.

According to Berger, the Commo Check is a nod to the old "Don't go to bed angry." The updated version is "Never send an email/text angry."

Oh, I get it now.

And this is where the age of communication comes in.

I've had a lot (and by a lot, I mean just way more than usual) of bad days lately. The tears, and upset, you know the type. Anyway, as it would seem, Romeo has a sixth sense about these things, and with that, he always seems to call during break-down time. Now don't get me wrong, when he does call, hearing his voice makes things better, but the fact that he's hearing the tears is not what I want. He's been hearing the weakness, and I know that it makes things so much harder for him.

On a rather warm and humid run/jog/walk with friend yesterday, we got to talking about letters. About how letters just seem so much more personal than a phone call or an email, or a text. He touched the letter you're reading. That same exact piece of paper was in his hands, and now it is in yours. There is a connection so much stronger there than through a wire or a signal. Not saying that the same message couldn't be conveyed, but the attachment is just a little bit stronger.

AND

Who ever fought through a letter?

Modern technology is a blessing, but the sum of all of the parts of this post is this: When it is a bad day, a letter, you can walk away from until you're feeling better. A phone call, unless you're strong enough to watch it go to voicemail, you can't walk away from. And as soon as you pick up that phone, if he's anything like Romeo, he'll know exactly what you're thinking before you can come up with the words yourself. There's no hiding. And even moreso, when you're upset, or worse, mad, about something, it is way too easy to pick up the phone, start typing, or start yelling into a webcam about whatever nonsense you're worked up about. Everyone is too reachable.

Romeo, if you're reading this, I AM NOT saying don't call. PLEASE CALL. Like I mentioned, THANK GOD for modern technology. What I am saying is this: Forgive me for my moments of weakness. Forgive me for showing you the bad days. Not that I was trying to hide them, but I would've rather you known about them when you come home, instead of while you're still there and can't see that I am okay. Because I AM OKAY. I can be a baby sometimes, and unfortunately, you've now gotten to see that. I'm sorry for that, because you've got enough to worry about. Please know that I AM FINE and that I appreciate your honesty. It is part of the reason why I love who you are so much. Don't stop being you because I'm being a big baby. It was just a bad day.

The conclusion of all of this is that being able to talk all the time is wonderful. It can be a great comfort. Just make sure you communicate wisely, and TRY to have it all together. Not saying to be dishonest or hide things, but rationalize yourself first. Observe the perspectives, and make sure you're saying what you mean. Don't convey something that you don't want to, and don't lead the other end of the conversation into thinking something different. Be strong for each other, and don't forget that despite the distance, you're still in it together.