52 Down, 30 To Go!

Hi friends! I'm finally posting another update, and I am including pictures of one thing I've been working on to prove that I've actually been quite busy this summer. Enjoy :)

Cards for Curtis! A week before he left, I started imagining what I'd do for writing letters to him every night. I pictured fun little doodles and quotes on notecards. The day he left, I went and got a few art supplies - watercolors, colored pencils, and sharpies, then went crazy. Since then, I've made an original card for every day. That's 80ish cards...yeah, it's taken up a little time, but proven to be therapeutic and a great way to encourage both of us. I can't promise that I can do this every deployment, but for now, I still have plenty of ideas. :)

Not going to lie, a lot of ideas came from Pinterest, and I've tweaked some a little to make my own. It's been a long time since I've done so much artsy stuff, and it feels so good to get back into it!

Well, somehow we have made it almost 8 weeks through this time of separation! I am so excited for September to get here, but I have to say I feel guilty wishing for it. I've always loved summer, and while I love fall too it's always a little sad when school/obligations/routines kick back into gear. This year, seeing back to school things on the shelves and the words "pumpkin spice latte" appearing in ads is making me grossly excited. I'm all about relishing life and that each day is a gift, but there's nothing wrong with some eager anticipation for the next time I see my love. :)

By the way, I've never even had anything pumpkin spice. Last year, Curtis and I went out to get BOGO pumpkin spice lattes, and ended up falling in love with a puppy. Who we brought home 2 days later. That "cheap date" idea ended up to be our most expensive. Love ya, Charlotte. ;)

Last I wrote was on our anniversary. The day was as good as any day could be while we're apart. We talked on the phone the day before, we emailed back and forth all day, I received letters in the mail, and I saw pictures of him posted online! All these things have been my favorite things to look forward to this summer! Then I also had my family keeping me company and showering me with love, my grandparents stopped by for a visit, and received many happy wishes from friends. It was a great day, and I felt strengthened and refreshed and ready to take on the next 6 weeks.

Reaching the halfway point was both a relief, yet the end still felt (and feels) so far away. I compare it to swimming across the ocean. When you reach the halfway point, you can celebrate all you want, but I realize we still have to go through the same amount of time that we already endured, and you have to keep swimming. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... The only time that having 6 weeks left so much less was when we had no idea where we'd be living at the end of them. We weren't even sure which state we'd be in. That feeling was stressful for someone like me who likes to have life planned out, yet I kept reminding myself at least we'll be together!! And I knew that's all that matters.

But last week, we finally got the exciting news of where we go next...Drum roll please! We're going back to Arizona for a few more months! We are SO excited about it! Last May when we left, we were both thinking and kind of hoping that they would move us right along to the next thing after training. We just wanted to keep going and knock it all out, one thing at a time. But after being apart, we both realized that every week we had in between is a week we get to spend together, and it delays the next inevitable time of separation. We will have about 4 months in between now, and we both think that's a perfect amount of time to relax, get caught up, and have some more adventures before moving and beginning the next thing. So come this December, we get to make another cross country move, from one warm and gorgeous climate to another! Until then, we'll be relishing another few months in a state we love and know so well. :)

I'm very thankful for all the ways we've grown together through this time. There have been bad days for both of us, ones where we just want to throw in the towel and be done with this, but God has given us both strength and hope to press on and live day-to-day. I have loved getting to know Curtis better through his written letters and emails. I love all the reflecting we've been able to do on our love and life together. I love how we've grown stronger in our faith and closer to God as we experience the trial, and continue to learn from each other's discoveries. Even though we aren't experiencing life side-by-side right now, we are both still very involved and invested in each other's lives. In distance, we are far apart, but in our hearts and minds, we've never been closer. We're still counting down the days when we can close the gap and be together again.

It's so hard to believe that at one time, my countdown said 82. I can't imagine or even remember how we managed that, but now that we're here, the excitement is building and it'll be so worth it the moment we see each other again! I know that there will be many other times through this that we'll have to be apart. This is kind of just the preparation for what is to come. I know that we'll face this a lot and we'll both learn how to function without having each other there all the time. I know one thing for sure though, is that I don't want to get used to it. I don't want this to ever be something that is normal or just happens - "oh yeah, my husband and I are separated half a year, no biggie!" I want it to be a big deal, and I want to miss him and think of him and long for him every day that he's gone. I believe it's normal and healthy and that all that comes from God. Every deployment will be a trial for us, and I pray that we will always see it as that and that we will "consider it pure joy" and learn something new from each one - learn something more in our faith, and in our marriage.

That's all for now! Ok, so I really do still enjoy writing little updates, but I have to say I'm REALLY looking forward to the ones I'll publish in a month. But that's just me. ;)

Today, I had another Military Wife milestone - I mailed my very first care package! Come back later next week for the details - Curtis is able to access my blog sometimes, so I can't give away any spoilers! (Love you babe. ;))

2 Years in Numbers

Today, we're celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary. Even though we're a thousand miles apart with limited contact, we can still celebrate the 2 wonderful years of adventures and loving each other. Curtis called me yesterday and we were able to talk for 15 minutes (and let me tell you, those minutes went faster than any others so far this summer!)

Here is what our 2 years of marriage looks like in numbers:

730 days of being husband and wife, best friends, roommates, hiking partners, traveling companions, secret sharers, letterboxing buddies, professional sushi tasters, and puppy parents together.

15 vacations taken together.

At least 30,000 miles driven.

(Going from as far North as Nipigon, Ontario, and as far South as Nogales, AZ; As far East as Buffalo, NY, to Santa Barbara, CA to the West.)

Almost 500 miles hiked together.

Probably 437 apples dehydrated for these hikes.

Approximately 58,398 pictures taken on these hikes.

At least 14 utterly terrifying moments while hiking.

98 weekend adventures together. (missing out on 12 this year)

1 adorable child.

Countless accidents, walks, games tug of war, and puppy kisses.

867 letterboxes found.

 46 letterboxes planted.

Kissed under/by 17 waterfalls.

4 trips to Iowa and 2 to Michigan to see family.

Being in temperatures from 116 in Desert Hot Springs, CA, to -30 degrees windchill in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Visiting 21 states and 1 province. 

Owning 2 vehicles.

And having to be towed twice. (Though it should have been more!)

Visiting 27 National Park Administrated Sites. (Thank you military pass!)

And hiking the Grand Canyon to the Colorado and back 2 times.

1 college diploma. 

Like 30 cheesecakes.

(Pretty sure it was all those cheesecakes that gave the motivation to work for that diploma.) ;)

2 anniversary trips celebrating us!

44 days spent apart, and counting.

88 letters written between the 2 of us during that time.

3 phone calls.

Hundreds of emails. (Thank God for that!!!)

Our 3rd year of marriage will look a lot different than the last 2. There are so many uncertainties (like where are we going to be living in 6 weeks??) but being apart has really showed us how much we really rely on each other, and we know that it doesn't matter where we live or what happens next, because at least we'll get to be together again!

I love you so much, Curtis, you bring so much joy into my life, and I'm proud to be your wife. Here's to another amazing year together!

50 More Days - An Update

Hello again, friends! I know it's been a while. I thought that I would have so much time to blog and write thoughtful posts all summer, but as it turns out, I haven't had time! Everyone is doing a great job at keeping me busy, and I feel like I'm doing more than just making the time pass, we're actually making the most of it. And that's making time go faster than I thought it would!

My husband, looking amazing in his uniform :)

Curtis has now been gone for 33 days. It's been challenging, yet easier than we had originally thought. I say that because we were expecting to only be able to write and receive letters, but we've had much more communication than that. We've been able to email often and I have gotten 2 phone calls from him! On top of that, he's writing me a letter every day and mailing them once a week. So despite the distance, I still feel very close to him and am very grateful to know how things are going in real time. He told me that this is the most challenging thing he's ever had to do, and will likely ever do. I can't imagine all that he's going through, even with the detailed descriptions he's given me. It sounds intense and is hard to process all that he's going through. However, he has seen God's hand at work in many ways throughout the experience, and views this as a trial he must endure day by day. I am inspired by his strength and perseverance. Now, he is so close to the halfway point, and we are both getting excited for graduation and all the festivities that go along with that. 

I have been continually blessed by my friends and family here at home, who are all very supportive and listen to me talk about Curtis non-stop. ;) I was able to get away and enjoy a vacation with both my family and Curtis' in the past couple weeks, and I will be sharing about those adventures soon! As I mentioned before, I have been much busier than I expected, and haven't had much time to sit around and feel lonely or discouraged. I miss Curtis all the time, but I am not alone, and I am thankful for everyone in my life who's been encouraging me through this. To my surprise, I haven't even had time to do things like binge watch TV shows or other "time wasting activities." Maybe that day will come, but with all that's on my "summer to-do list" I don't see that happening anytime soon!

In more exciting news, we now have tentative dates for the next big step which will begin at the end of this year, Lord willing. However, there will be a few months between this training and the next one, so where we will be this fall is currently still up in the air. 2 months ago, before all this began, I would have been incredibly stressed to not know where I'd be living less than 2 months from now. But being away from Curtis has put it all into perspective - while those months are a huge uncertainty and come with all sorts of complicated logistics, those months are all more time that we get to spend TOGETHER!! And after being apart for almost 3 months, it doesn't matter where we end up, because we always find ways to have fun together!

All in all, even through this trial we are still incredibly blessed, and God is always good. I'm just really excited to reach the end of this and be able to experience the next step together. Thank you to everyone reading who has prayed for and supported us - we are blessed by you!

Thankful Thursday

So, what's been going on since our vacation?

Curtis has been gone at training for 1 ½ weeks. This is our first time being separated since May of 2013, when he came back from college for the summer and then married me and brought me back with him. Obviously, this is challenging for both of us, and I miss him like crazy. But I don't want to dwell on that right now. Today, I'm sharing all the things I'm thankful for, because despite this time of trial, God is still good, faithful, and sovereign, and with Him we're going to make it through this.

The day before he left - I tried to take pictures whenever I wasn't teary eyed.

I'm thankful for every second of our first 1 year and 10 months of marriage. We were incredibly blessed with so much time together. We made so many memories and grew closer together every day. 

Our last dinner together.

I'm thankful for all the people God has placed in our lives. Our families, our friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ, those who teach us the Word, and everyone who is supporting us and praying for us during this time. They've given us everything from loving support and advice, to great adventures with memories we'll cherish forever. 

We let Charlotte ride on his lap for her last car ride with him.

I'm thankful for Charlotte, our adorable puppy, and my companion for the summer. She is just the little blessing and distraction I need to get me through the summer. She's also been getting a little more mature as the weeks go by, while still keeping her adorable little personality. She is my sunshine. :)

One last family picture (We were at a red light!)

I am thankful that even while we're apart, we are joined by a bond in Christ, and though we can't cling to each other, we can cling to Him and He showers His love, joy, peace, and hope onto us every day. Great is His faithfulness, His mercies are new every morning!

Curtis says goodbye to Charlotte.

I am EXTREMELY thankful for my family opening up their home to me again. I don't know how I'd be able to get through this on my own. I am thankful I have this time to grow closer to them and get to know everyone better after being away for so long. They mean the world to me and I'm so glad I get to be a part of their lives again this summer. I'm also thankful for Curtis' family and their support. Julie (his mom) invited me to help her out with their church's Theater Camp, and it's been a great distraction and reason to get up every morning. Family is everything. :)

Airport goodbyes.

I'm thankful that I can write to him, and know that he'll be able to receive and read those letters. Our separation is only for a little while, and we will be reunited again someday. There is so much sadness and loss in the world that when I put this in perspective, we have nothing to complain about. 

I'm thankful for the military. They saw what great potential Curtis has and offered him a job that he wanted and hopefully will be a good fit, and definitely a good experience. We wouldn't have been able to have so many great adventures together without it. Even when it is difficult or seems unfair, it has provided us with a comfortable lifestyle, and I know we will grow stronger because of it. 

I'm thankful that God's plan is sovereign and He planned this from the beginning of time. All things work together for the good of those who love Him, including this trial. I can cling to that truth and know that we are in this situation for a purpose, and even if I don't know what that is I can continue to pursue Him and worship Him through it all.

Thank you to you for reading - please be in prayer for both of us as we work through this. Through Christ we can do all things!

And a side note - I am back in the Midwest, so if you want to do anything, from get together to go on a great adventure with me, let me know! I have a little time on my hands that I'm trying to make go by fast. ;)

Goodbye Arizona

I remember crossing the border into Arizona for the first time as a married couple, on August 16, 2013. While it was a relief to finally be in our home state, each passing mile of the drive reminded me of how far away I was from my family. After all the love they had showered on us on our wedding day, I realized how much I was going to miss them, and the days we spent driving to our new home were the hardest I had ever experienced. I learned that even though one long distance relationship was now over, another had started, and my heart felt torn in two.

I reflected on the story of Abraham and Sarah, and how they had faith in God when He called them to move to a new home, away from everything and everyone they knew, and they followed His calling to a place they had never been. I thought about Rebekah, and the huge amount of faith she had to leave her family and go with Abraham's servant so that she could marry a man she hadn't met and live in an unknown land. I knew I had it so much easier than that - I was with my new husband, who had lived here for 2 years already, we had friends waiting for us, and modern technologies would make keeping in touch with family infinitely easier. I knew that trusting in God and clinging to His promises would get me through, as well as clinging to Curtis.

God is faithful, and He provided us with a cute little apartment in a great location, wonderful people to be our friends, and a great church where we could grow together in our spiritual walks. While Tucson became my home, it still always felt like I was just on vacation because it was so beautiful! When we were driving into town for the first time, I remember looking at the mountains and wondering if I'd ever get used to seeing them. The answer is no...they always amaze me and they look so different even from day to day!

Tucson gave us a warm welcome when we first arrived!

Our first letterboxing hike in Tucson at sunset.

My first time going to Sabino Canyon.

There are so many aspects of Arizona that we will miss. The mountains, the deserts, the plants, the canyons, the history, the different climates, the beautiful national parks, and the weather. 

Our first weekend adventure - to Nogales, with several letterboxing stops along the way!

But it isn't so much the state itself that we will miss. We loved living there and experiencing all that we could, but there's so much out there in the world that we want to experience ourselves. To me, what made living here great was the fact that we had so much time to ourselves to travel and get to know this area better, and most importantly to grow closer together through experiences. We will miss that freedom so much now!

On the AZ/Mexico border!

And of course, we're going to miss all our friends in Tucson most of all. They made our time there so enjoyable, and because of them we have reasons to visit! We are so blessed by the wonderful people we met!

Our favorite way to bond with friends: crazy hiking adventures!

The canyon behind those clouds is pretty grand. ;)

When I remember our years spent in Arizona, I'm going to remember how we grew closer to each other through all our hikes and travels. I have nothing but fond memories of our days in the desert.

Our last letterboxing hike at sunset, the day before saying goodbye.

And now... On to our next adventure!