My little sister Molly

It is funny how sometimes you will put a title before someones name when you are introducing them. This is so and so my boss or this is bla bla my brother's friend.

This couldn't be more true for Molly...my little sister in my sorority. I always have and think I always will refer to her as my little sister Molly.

I am not sure why but I think it has to do with that I couldn't be more proud to call her that. Being blessed the only girl in my family, I didn't grow up with a sister. Molly has been a best friend, running partner, church buddie, and a wonderful person to share life's crazies with. I couldn't imagine life without her.

This morning was bitter sweet. It was our last coffee date. Molly being the wonderful person that she is got a job at a hospital in Nashville. She is moving there and starting in June. I know that we will ALWAYS be friends so I am not worried one bit that she is going to be hours away from me, but like I said...it is bitter sweet.

I love you little sis!

This picture is from the night that we told each other that we put one another first on the big sis little sis list! Where it all started...

The rest of our cute little Chi O Family!



Molly you are so beautiful inside and out. I love you!

He is done!

The best news that I could have hoped for came today in a letter... just proving that my mail box drama was well worth it. :)

Wyatt got his last and final go! He is going to graduate Ranger School THIS FRIDAY!!!

I couldn't be more proud for him.

Some statistics on Ranger School....

On average 366 men will start Ranger School....only 99 will finish without recycling. That is a 27% pass rate!

It is common for soldiers to lose 20-40 pounds during these nine weeks. (I can't wait to see him!)


With those odds, may all the glory be to God. I know that He was with Wyatt and I each and every step...or for Wyatt crawl of the way. Thank you to everyone for the kind thoughts an many prayers!

Wooooo HOOOOOOOO!

The Mail Man thinks I am crazy...

Have you ever lost your phone and you look everywhere but it is nowhere to be found? You flip over ever couch cushion, look under every pile of whatever but still you can't seem to find it.

Well that was me today, but not with my cell phone, it was with my key to my mailbox. AHHHHHH How could this happen? I hang it up on a hook next to my door everyday....EVERYDAY!

And it is that everyday part that is killing me. As I try to backtrack my steps, I can't remember yesterday from any of the other days because I do the same thing everyday for lunch! AHHHHHH!

1. Get home.
2. Grab key and Ranger. Head to mailbox.
3. Open mailbox and a. GET SO EXCITED BECAUSE I HAVE A LETTER TO READ. b. quickly close the mailbox and leave with stupid stuff like bills or catalogs for nurses from the chick who lived here before me.
4. Sit in the backyard and read my mail while Ranger runs around.
5. Go back to the house and HANG UP THE KEY!

You should have seen me today. I was looking in the bathroom for my mail key I was so desperate.

So with the haunting idea that there might be letters just sitting in there, I headed to the post office. I told the Mail Man that I needed a new key and he kindly handed me a form to fill out. As I gave it back to him I asked how long it would take to get my new key. He responded with a "NEXT WEDNESDAY." Well, Next Wednesday sent me to tears. I was overwhelmed and I think under normal circumstances that next Wednesday would be fine, but these by no means are NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

Confused and maybe a little scared, he tried to calm me down and I then explained the military thing. Kindly, he headed to the back to "see what he could do." Jeremy is the man! I am getting a new key by 3:00 tomorrow.

I am so ready for Ranger School to be over...I can only imagine how Wyatt feels.

Thankfully and hopefully only 8 more days left of Ranger School!

Love, American Style

I came across this cute article online. Right now we are 1 for 8 on the list.

1. JFK Park; Philadelphia, PA: While Robert Indiana’s famed LOVE statues can be found in a handful of U.S. cites, we’d like to steal a kiss in front of this one — now that the spot's been nicknamed LOVE Park.

2.Times Square; New York, NY: Mimic the famed post-WWII kiss by smooching in the middle of this iconic locale. (But do watch out for cabs, please!)



We had such a great time ringing in the new year in Times Square. Although it was raining and snowing and super cold, because Wyatt is military, they have a special section for soldiers and their friends and families. As some people spend all afternoon saving their spot, we walked up at 10:45 with the best seats in the house. It was so cool. We were in front of the front row!



Just so you can see truly how close we were to the ball!

3.The Kissing Camels; Colorado Springs, CO: This rock formation in the Garden of the Gods makes for an awe-inspiring geological kissing post.

I Map Quested this one and it is only an hour or so from my parents house. Totally achievable this summer!

4.Niagara Falls; U.S./Canadian border: Since the 1950s, these roaring rapids have been known as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World.” More recently, TV couple Jim and Pam from The Office said their vows here

5.Paris hotel; Las Vegas, NV: Can't make it to France? Here's a romantic substitute for the real Eiffel Tower — and this one's got a prime location in the middle of the fabulous Vegas strip.

In Wyatt's last letter to me mentioned that all his buddies want to head to Vegas after Ranger School...This might just happen this summer too!

6. Paradise Cove; Maui, HI: As the most popular wedding destination in the U.S., this is the site of many couples’ first married kiss — or "honi" as they say in Hawaiian.

7.Northern Lights; Fairbanks, AK: To steal an Eskimo kiss in front of this aurora-borealis background, your best bet is to visit in the winter when the colors are most vibrant.

8. Union Square Park; San Francisco, CA: Pucker up in front of one of these pieces of urban art, found throughout the city. You never know, you may just leave your heart here, too, while you're at it.

Monkey See...Monkey Do

After many attempts to teach my dog to swim...all it took was for him to see another in action. THANKS BO!

I was very excited when Ranger and I were invited to join a friend for a day of fishing and hanging out at a pond and hunting camp. I spent most of the morning trying my best to get Ranger to swim. I thought I would break the ice and throw him in off the dock. He didn't like this AT ALL. He would tease me by putting one or two paws in the water or even sitting in the water just off the bank, but NO swimming.

A new dog friend Bo joined us later that afternoon. Bo loved to swim and was fetching after every stick I threw out into the middle of the pond. I guess a few of them got away from him because as I turned my back, there was Ranger swimming out to get a twig Bo had left behind. I was so proud of him!

Now Ranger's resume includes...Sit, Shake, Speak and SWIMMING!

Ranger Swimming!

Ranger and Bo

Lawton, Oklahoma

I am guessing that most of you have never been to Lawton and I am also going to assume that most of you will never go to Lawton. But for me, Lawton will always be a special place.

After only a week of meeting Wyatt, he had to move to Lawton. I was really upset and to tell you the truth, I really wasn't sure what was going to happen with us.

About a week later, I was sitting at work and had this overwelming feeling of "What if I never see him again." I have never felt that way before and as soon as I got home, I bought a plane ticket and was headed to see Wyatt two weeks later.

My flight left early Friday morning and I was so nervous/excited that I didn't even bother sleeping that night. I left my house at 2 am and thought I would sleep on the plane, which didn't happen. But once I got there, it didn't matter that I was tired, I was so happy to see him.

Wyatt took the time to show me around town...which took all of 45 min :) Here are some pictures from the tour!




We spent the rest of the weekend in Oklahoma City with some of Wyatt's friends. Dinner at the Melting Pot with Colin and Katie was EPIC. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life!

Phases

Well I did it. I am becoming a blogger. Please bear with me as I learn how to write a blog. I figured since I have two months of letter writing to Wyatt under my belt that now I might be ready to blog to the world.

For those of you that don't know, which I am not sure how because I talk about it all the time, Wyatt left for Ranger School http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzg3_LC3bGU 47 days ago. In those 47 days I have seen him once for an 8 hour break ( Picture below is from the break), talked to him on the phone for 5 minutes and 58 seconds and received many wonderful letters (mostly talking about food) from him. It has been a roller coaster of emotions, especially during those first few weeks. I am so lucky to have old friends that check in on me and to have made new friends that always seem to know what to say through this entire process.

Ranger School is divided into three phases: Benning, Mountain and Florida. We too have three phases that were handed to us right from the beginning of our relationship.

Phase 1: Oklahoma.
Phase 2: Ranger School.
Phase 3: Deployment or as I like to call it
“Wyatt’s Business Trip”.

I am hoping to keep up with this blog and be able to check off each phase!


Phase 2: 47 days down, hopefully 15 more days to go!



A sleepy, hungry but happy Ranger. Wyatt and I during his 8 hour pass.