Counting up vs. Counting down

Part of my daily routine is reading through the blogs that I follow. One in particular that I am ever so grateful for is Dana’s who has a “Happy Life as an Army Wife” (that’s the title of her blog) and for someone that I have never met, or even spoken to, she has helped me immensely through this deployment and really in a strange way I look up to her. And I say all this trying not to sound like some crazed Internet stalker…I don’t know how well I am doing haha.

I assume that she is in her early 20s and you would think that she has 100 deployments under her belt. She is creative and honest with her posts. On bad days she writes about them. On good days she writes about those also.

Today’s post was really... well really...convicting. She talked about a lot but at the end she had this…

"Anyways, I think that everyone who is having a hard time with deployment should make a list (I love list making) of everything that they want to accomplish, try, and develop this year. I know most of us have our deployment "to do" lists. But go a little deeper this time. What type of person do you want to be at the end? What do you truly want to accomplish? Deployment doesn't necessarily need the soul sucking demon we make it. Our trials are opportunities. "

Wow! What a great way to look at it...and I am not sure that I was too far from this before Wyatt left, but with each day that he is gone, I have been focusing more on counting down than counting up if that makes any sense. Just trying to stay busy for the sake of being busy... so busy that I don't have to feel the deployment. I would do this when I was in college but the problem is that eventually I crash. I can't afford to crash right now. Don't you worry I still have my paper chain and calendar that I cross off every morning (feels so great to say goodbye to August!) but I am hoping to spend my time now becoming the person that I want to be for Wyatt and more importantly myself. Right now...I have my To Do List listed at the top of the blog. A list of things, not to keep me busy, but to make me step by step closer to the person that I want to be. Plus anyone that knows me and my Type-A personality knows that I too LOVE a good to do list!

I never thought the day would come that I would work in a bar...don't freak out I still am working for Auburn but I needed something else to keep me busy on the weekends.

Weekends have been the toughest part of this deployment. That was the time that I would spend with Wyatt and with most of my close girlfriends in Birmingham or really just not in Auburn, I would spend most of my weekend nights at home. At home, watching shows like Supper Nanny or Project Runway and talking to Ranger… like he can even understand me. As much fun as that is... (Kidding) I am happy to be doing something more social. Plus having a little extra cash NEVER hurts!

So, I know, how did I even think to work here? Well if you read my Trail Mix post from last week I had mentioned that I went out with a coworker to this great place...8th and Rail! Well what I didn't post was that when I was there I inquired about being a cocktail server! By Wednesday they contacted me and I had my first night on Friday! It was so much fun. It is an adjustment for me. I haven’t been up past midnight well since Wyatt left and apparently know nothing about alcohol. Here I thought that beer choices were Budlight, Millerlight and Bud Heavy. I couldn't be more wrong. Beers like White Hawk, and PranQster are commonly ordered. Who would have thought…needless to say I am learning!

I like it for now. I guess only time will tell! I am sure that it is going to provide for some funny stories! If you are in town please stop by!

On a way more exciting note Katie and Colin got engaged this past Friday! Three days later I am still freaking out and so excited for the two of them! Next plan of action is to find a way for Colin and Wyatt to be at the same base so we can live near each other! For those of you that don't know Katie, she is my "army friend". Our friendship started with a phone call during Ranger School that had both of us tearfully thinking that the guys had fallen out of love with us due to a lack of letters. It is funny to think about now...definitely NOT funny at the time. It is such a blessing that God has given me a friend like her. There are just some things that only she can get! Congratulations you two! I am so happy and excited for your future!

Living in Auburn has its pros and cons. There is no place like it and if you have never been I suggest coming for a football game or if you are feeling really brave the Rodeo. It is a town, where I at age 23 feel old....really old...major CON.

But one of the cool things about living in this college town is I get to be exposed to some really exciting projects that our faculty and students are working on...life changing projects! For example, last night PBS aired nationwide a film titled "Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio ." A film documentary of some of OUR students designing and building homes for families in the balckbelt of Alabama!!!! How cool is that? Major PRO! I wanted to share this with everyone especially since most of you are not from Alabama and might not know what is going on down here! Click Here for the link to the film! Below are some images from the some of the student's work. Imagine not having a home to keep your family safe and then getting to live in an award winning homes like these...pretty cool!



If you want to read more about the projects at the Auburn's Rural Studio Click Here!

Now...don't you want to look up on PBS and see when this is playing in your area? I thought so...so DO IT or attend one of the film screenings all across the United States! In the words of the Rural Studio...Proceed and Be Bold!

August 23: NATIONAL PBS BROADCAST!
August 30: University or Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR
September 7: MFA Applied Craft and Design Program in Portland, Oregon
September 8: Architecture Week Film Series in Memphis, presented by AIA Memphis.
September 15: Starz Denver Film Center, Presented by the Denver Film Society
September 23: The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York
September 24 and 26: Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, IL
October 6: City Arts Center in Oklahoma City, OK
November 3: University of Maryland in College Park, MD
November 4: Montgomery Museum of Art in Montgomery, AL
November 18: The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art in Charleston, SC

Ps. 11 more days until Auburn Football! Another major PRO!

Trail Mix

In the past week... I have finished decorating my house…excuse me my home! I had a few last minute additions to my furniture collection…thanks Mom and Dad. Boy what a difference an area rug and a few lamps can make! I love coming home to this place. I am a very lucky girl!

I have also got back into my workout routine. It felt good to sweat it out! Circuit Training starts back up tomorrow! Yayyyy!

Two nights ago… Went to a local bar/lounge called 8th and Rail. It was my first time and I had such a great time. The music was a little loud but overall it was a great night to get out of the house and chill! Not to mention the band that was playing was awesome! I forget their name...but I know they are on Pandora. I will find out and report back!

Yesterday….I added a visitor tracker thing to my blog because I wanted to see who it is that is reading my blog! I have been so excited to see the response to my latest post. Thank you to everyone for the sweet emails and comments. It is truly humbling that people are actually reading this. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

Today… I had my first Junior League “Leaguer in Training” meeting! I am very excited about the opportunity to be a part of such a grand collection of women. I have been assigned the communications council and just love everyone in my group. They are really sweet women with such passion to serve the community!

About an hour ago… I got to Skype with Wyatt! Until then, I hadn’t seen his face in over a month. Talk about a wonderful moment! I miss my best friend so much. I can’t wait for him to get home. He looked and sounded good!

I must give credit where credit is due... the title of this post and this collection of random thoughts was inspired from my coworker Melissa and her blog . Whenever she writes a compelation of random thoughts she calls them Misellany Stew. What a great creative idea! So here you have it... a mix of posts from the "trail less traveled!"

Two [trails] diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less
traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost

Football

As I drive around Auburn I get excited because I see the University getting ready for the fall semester A.K.A football season. The RV lots are ready to go! Regular hours for Starbucks and students are back on campus. Everyone is posting the latest Auburn Football Video (I like this one the best!) to get their fellow alumni pumped up for the season. I can’t wait!

With another football season approaching, I can’t but be reminded of how much my up bringing as a “coaches’ kid” has prepared me for sharing a life with Wyatt in the military. Just about the time that Wyatt left for his “Business Trip” my father reported to training camp. Both …if all goes well...GO BRONCOS…will finish in January.

This was normal in my household. My dad was pretty much gone for five months out of the year. He would get home late. Way after we had been put to bed and would leave before we got up for school in the morning. My Mom had to run the household on her own. She showed me how to be independent. She can fix things probably better than my Dad now! Here are some of the things I have to remember...

1. Home is not a house. Home is being with the people you love. Home for my family has been in many cities and I know I am not done moving around.

2. Holidays don’t have to be celebrated on the actual day. Okay I know this kind of defeats the point of a holiday but if we got upset about every time we had to open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve because Dad had a game on Christmas Day. Or watching my poor mother pull in and out of the oven the turkey because the game just went into overtime and Dad won’t be home for an extra hour; life would be hard. Or what about how one of the two years our team made it to the Super Bowl my birthday lands right smack on game day. I know you are thinking “Wow what an awesome birthday.” Well rethink that… and pretend that you are a 13 year old girl who could care less about football :)

But the truth is…we celebrate with everyone when we can. Birthdays, Christmas, or Thanksgiving we just wait until we can all be together…even if it is three or four days late.

Well in the case of Wyatt's birthday, five months late. This is something that was getting me down. I wanted to make it really special like he had with my birthday. But with the mail being less that dependable I am going to have to wait for him to get his birthday celebration! But it is A-Okay because when we do celebrate it…we will be together and that is way better than anything I can send to him!

3. You will make time for the ones that you love. One of my favorite childhood memories was getting up before school and going to breakfast with my dad. BayFamily Breakfast....Green Bay's finest! We both loved this time that we got to spend together that it didn't matter that we had to leave at 5:00am to make sure that we would get to work and school on time. Wyatt and I don't get much talk time now a days but when we do, it is special.

4. Don't read the news paper! When you are a coach, one day you could be the hero and the next day the dumb bum that should have never been hired. It is just part of the job and it is printed and read by everyone. I stopped reading the paper after we left Green Bay. Not many kids have to read about their parent's job performance in the newspaper. This was something that I forgot for the first few weeks of deployment. I would watch the news on my lunch break...NOT A GOOD IDEA. It really will just upset you. But hey I shouldn't be so hard...sometimes the media will surprise you with THIS.

5. Support Support Support! My mom couldn't have been a better role model if she tried. By far one of the most supportive women I know and has been there with my father in thick and thin. You better think twice about saying something rude about my dad because she is as loyal as they come. And don't worry...she will tell you that what you said was wrong. :)


Today marks 10 months... I got a sweet phone call from the man I love. I couldn't ask for more. I think I am even going to treat myself to dessert tonight!

Surviving the Cut

Back when Wyatt was in Ranger School, I remember one of his first letters mentioning that he got interviewed for some Discovery Channel Show. Well four months later...here it is! I am not sure if he is on it but don't you worry I will be looking for him!

Surviving the Cut

" Follow some of America's toughest men as they push themselves to the limit in hopes of joining the most elite ranks of the United States Military."

The Series Premiere is Wednesday August 18th 10:00PM Eastern. (Way past my bedtime...what are they thinking?)

Click here to see the promo video! Surviving The Cut

A Year Ago Today

As I was driving to work today I passed a group of early risers and surely over achievers since it was 7:30, taking their graduation pictures out of Samford Lawn. Graduation was such a special weekend for me. Dad and the boys were all in Training Camps and so it was just us girls but boy did we have fun! Three generations of women out on the streets of Auburn. But what I can't believe is that an entire year has passed since that day! Ahhhh where did the time go? I can't believe how much my life has changed in just one year.





In a year...

• (cue Miss Independent by Ne-Yo before reading haha) I have moved into a one bedroom house. Living without roommates and financially on my own. It feels really great not to call my parents for money all the time and I find myself buying things like vacuum cleaners instead of sun dresses.
• GOT A JOB...and have worked there for a year next week! Again...where did the time go? I guess I can't call myself new to the College of Architecture, Design & Construction anymore.
• Met the most amazing man that I fully intend to spend the rest of my life with. Even though he is a millions miles away and half -a -day ahead he still finds the time for me. I have also realized in this year and not just with him, but with everyone in life...you MAKE time for those that you love.
• Grown my hair longer than it has ever been. Yes it does take longer to get ready in the morning but there is something really fun about having long hair.
• GOT A DOG...Ranger has been such a blessing and I love him very much. See RANGER DOG for a complete bio ;)
• Traveled to...
Denver, Colorado on more than one occasion
New York, New York
Lawton, Oklahoma
Dallas, Texas
Baltimore, Maryland
Destin, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Tampa, Florida
New Orleans, Louisiana
Nashville, Tennessee

No wonder the time has flown by!

On another note, Wyatt finally sent me his address. Email me if you want it!