Wisdom Teeth

Even with Jared gone, I had to have my three wisdom teeth pulled. They were really crowding my mouth, and I didn't want to wait til after the deployment to have them pulled. I honestly had such a great experience with everything. My appointment was on a Friday at 4 (so the last appointment of the day). My dentist numbed my mouth and the next thing I knew...all three teeth were out. I asked him, "Is that it??" I couldn't believe how quick and painless it was. After the appointment I went to straight to Walgreens to pick up my pain medicine. Once I am at the counter, the gal at the counter says that she can't fill the prescription because the doses don't match on the paperwork. I am thinking AHHH my dentist has already gone home for the day!! After about a half hour of waiting for my dentist to call back (I left messages on his emergency line), I finally went home. I cried the whole way home because I was so worried that the numbness was going to go away and that I would be in unbelieveable pain. After being home for about an hour, I got a call from my dentist!! He called Walgreens to clarify the dosage, and I was finally able to get some medicine in me. After taking the pain meds that night, I went to sleep. With no pain. I woke up. NO PAIN. So I took another pill just in case the pain would come...BAD MISTAKE!! I drank a fresh fruit smoothie right before that, and then all of a sudden my hands were sweating, my head was spinning, I was extremely fatigue, couldn't stand, and was very nausus. About 20 minutes I threw up...pretty much fruit in reverse is so gross. After throwing up twice that day due to the pain meds, I decided not to take anymore. I still to this day have not ANY pain whatsoever.  At least I had a few days off of work that weekend. I was busy with scouts and house searching for a friend, etc...but I honestly feel so blessed. I felt very comforted the whole time, and I feel as if God was really watching over me. I know that Jared was really worried about me, but I knew that I would be just fine taking care of myself. I have been doing it for so long, that it just comes naturally now. Now no more dentist visits for at least another six months :)

Valentine's Day

One of these years Jared and I will be able to spend Valentine's Day with each other. Last year Jared was in Louisanna for JRTC for all of February, and then the year before that we had only started to date. This deployment has been so much easier than I thought it would be...due to five ladies: Laura Johansson, Taylor Lanthier, Rachel Abair, Angelica Medrano, and Shelley Prescott. All their husband's are in Jared's platoon too, so they are all deployed together. We started to do a "Sunday Family Dinner". We all get together every Sunday at 5:30PM. We still get together a few times during the week, but if we can't, we always know that every Sunday we will see each other. They are the best support system that I could have ever asked for. They all totally undestand exactly how I am feeling. I get to share the good with the bad, and they always seem to comfort me. We all come from TOTALLY different backgrounds. They know I am a Mormon, and yet they don't care. I know they drink and party, but yet I don't care. I feel as if our difference have made our relations much stronger.

This Valentine's Day was actually really fun. We all got together at ITZ here in Colorado Springs. There is a food buffet, and then there's a hurge game room. The kids LOVE to go there! Here are a few pictures of all us Army wives :)

Super Bowl Sunday

Go Giants!! All of us Army wives got together for a Super Bowl party last Sunday. Laura is a HUGE Giants fan, so she gave us all jerseys to wear for the game. The game would have been much better if the husbands were there, but we always have such a great time together. I love these ladies to death!!

Visiting Teaching Rocks!!

Can I just say how much I absolutely love visiting teaching!! Last night I went to two sisters in my ward. They both really intimidated me at church and at activities for some reason. When I found out that they were the ones I am supposed to go visit teach I was not too excited. They both have kids, and it just seemed like they didn't care to be friendly to me because I was some stupid young girl. I really wanted to go visiting teaching to get to know more ladies in the ward, so I just called them to set up an appointment....now after knowing them...I LOVE THEM BOTH!! Wow they are great women and it turns out I have so much in common with both of them on different levels. I relate to one, because she is kind of shy to new people, and worries about what others think of her. I am totally that way!! She was so much fun to talk to. Then the second sister I go to is shy at first too, but her husband is in the military. So I feel like naturally we have a lot to talk about. I stayed at each house for about hour. Time went by so fast, and I can honestly say how happy I was on my way home. I never really liked to go visiting teaching in my college wards, because I was always hanging out with anyway so I didn't see the need. I understand more the importance of visiting teaching now. I honestly feel like I am supposed to go see these sisters. Not only for them, but for MEEEEEE. I am so excited to go see them again next month!

January Leave

Jared's leave days for R&R were January 4th - 19th. I wasn't quite sure what time he was getting in on the 4th, so I just made sure I had the whole day off, and that the house was clean for him. It was two full days of not hearing from him, so I knew at any moment he would call from the airport telling me his flight was in. Then finally about 8:30am he calls telling me he is just getting on the plane from Dallas to Colorado Springs.... I was so excited, twitterpaited, nervous, anxious..etc (you get the point, kind of freaking out). It was so hard to imagine that after 7+ long months of not seeing my husband, that I was actually going to be able to hold him again. The picture below is of all us Army wives waiting patiently to reunite with our husbands again. This was taken only about 30 seconds before we saw all the guys coming down the hallway.

My heart just dropped when I first saw Jared. All I could do was run towards him and put my arms around his neck. We just held each other for a minute, neither of us wanting to let go. The physical feel of holding him again, was all I ever longed for doing. At that moment, I had no other worries in the world. We both couldn't stop smiling, and we couldn't wait to spend every minute together for the next 15 days. I had to mentally take note to myself, that I only had two weeks with him. I had to make sure that I didn't get too attached to the idea that I finally had him home.

Our first night out, (of course) was Texas Roadhouse! Jared got the 20 oz steak, and I only got the 8 oz. He couldn't even finish his, because of how small his stomache really was. They really don't eat that much meat over there. Either because of missions all the time, or because of the fact the food is gross. You can only eat so many MRE's in a deployment. That is why Jared is so grateful for the food everyone sends to him at his COP.

We had such a great time with all our family in Utah. Everyone was so anxious to see Jared, and I know he was really looking forward to see all his neices and nephews again. The top picture is of us on our 1 year anniversary. We were just waiting to go out to dinner with my mom and dad, and Auntie Jo and Uncle Ted. We went to Chili's in Harrisville. While we were eating dinner, my mom went and told our waitress that it was our 1 year anniversary. She then came back and surprised us with a big chocolate cake to share. She was so cute! The second and third pictures are with Aiden. We both love that kid to death. We talked with Kris before we came home, and Jared wanted to surprise Aiden. So Kristen and Nate didn't tell Aiden that Uncle Jared was coming home. You should have seen him when he saw Jared. It was so cute!! The fourth picture is of Jared and his three cousins. We had a family party on Greg's side of the family, and of course he had to go and lay across them. We miss seeing Jacey, Shawny, and Whitney! There have been a few babies born since Jared first left. Paizlee Ray is one of those cute babies. I was so excited to see her in the army outfit I gave to her a few months ago. She looks just like Royce!! It was hilarious to watch her and Jared though. There is just something about his voice that she did NOT like. She cried everytime Jared looked at her and spoke. I hope she grows out of that though haha!

Titan and Tundra LOVED having Jared home. It actually made me really mad of how well behaved they were both being. The boys immediately recognized him as the alpha leader, and they obeyed whatever command Jared gave them. It was ridiculous really. The boys traveled really well when we made the trip back to Utah. They would every so often poke their big heads up in the front by us, or out the back window. They love the view and all the fresh air.

One of our fun date nights we did was go to the Nuggets-Jazz basketball game. We found out the tickets were really cheap at $7 a person. The seats were really high up, but we never really care about that. Unfortunately, the Nuggets lost to the Jazz. It was kind of a boring game, but it is just about the experience of going. 

Since Jared was home, I had him doing all sorts of honey do's for me. I really don't mind keeping the house up, doing repairs, taking care of the vehicles, etc...but there are some things that I just can't lift myself. We ended up moving our computer downstairs in the living room. I hate having to go upstairs every time I want to get on the computer. I like having it in an open area. Then we bought another bookshelf. Jared did a great job putting it together for me.

It was finally time for me to say goodbye for the last time...ever. We are now good at saying goodbye. You have to say it quick without thinking about it. The longer we drag goodbye out the more I cry.  For me, the goodbye process has been easier every time we have to do it. I am so grateful for the amazing two weeks I had with Jared. I feel like I blinked and the days were over. I felt like we just picked up where we last left off last May. Now we only have 3-4 more months to go until we get to see each other again. I hope time really flies by. I can't wait until the FINAL homecoming of 1-67!

I love you babe!!

Deployment Summary 2012