Our Journey Through Infertility.....

Final Stop

2009-09-14T12:51:00.002-04:00

Wanted to write and let you know that Michael has made it to his final stop in Afghanistan. He is getting settled in and hoping to start a routine. We were able to video chat this morning. We never had that opportunity last time, but since we both have Macs we're able to do it. It certainly does help!!!

If you would like his mailing address, let me know and I'll get it to you! He can start getting mail now.

Until next time....

Moving slowly....

2009-09-09T13:06:00.002-04:00

It's day 6 of Michael being deployed. He's made it to Afghanistan and is waiting for the move to where he will be stationed for the next 349 days (not that I'm counting!). We were able to chat online yesterday, which is what I needed. I'm having a bit of a rough start with this deployment. I think it's because I'm not working at the moment, if I was I know that would keep my mind of things. He had Tim Horton's the other day. The base is part of NATO so they have forces from all over the world there. So to represent the Canadians, Tim is there!!!

So with me, I'm planning on going to Jersey in 2 weeks for a wedding, then heading to Canada with mom to visit my grands. I can't wait for that trip. I kinda need the break from being down here. I love spending time with my grands....grandpa makes breakfast every morning, but if you're not downstairs by 9am then you've missed it, grandma makes wonderful dinners and butter tarts!!! I'm hinting grandma - butter tarts with no raisins for me!!!

Thank you for all your prayers. We appreciate it. As soon as Michael gets to his next place I'll let you all know what things he'd like or needs. If you want his address, just let me know.

Until next time....

Day 2.....

2009-09-05T11:29:00.002-04:00

Well my friends. It's day 2 of the deployment. Michael is officially gone and I have moved into trying to some sort of routine. I spoke and saw Michel this morning on iChat. He looks good and I really miss him. He has updated his blog, so take a look at it. Hopefully he'll be able to post pictures and keep up with it while he's gone.

I'm doing well. Still a bit new being alone again. But I've got many things coming up in the next few months that I'm really excited about. Almost every month I'll be heading up north for different events. That will certainly make time go by so much faster.

Thanks for all you love and support. A few of you have asked for his address, and I am grateful for that. When he gets to his final place, he'll send me a list of items that he could use. As our family and friends keep us in your prayers.

Until next time....

It never ceases to amaze me.....

2009-09-03T21:11:00.002-04:00

Well today was the day. It came out of no-where. In the Army things can change whenever they want it to. We were told that Michael may not be deploying until mid-October. That changed yesterday. We went to the battalion where we were told that he may or may not be leaving today. Ended up that off he went. So my wonderful, loving husband is gone for the next 365 days. I was very proud of myself for not crying though. He doesn't like to see me crying so I kept a brave front for him. It was a different story when I got home though. My wonderful neighbor, Brooke, had me come over when I got home just to chit chat. It's wonderful to be around women who are going through the same thing I am. We are each other's support and I thank God for them everyday.

I love Michael and am honored to be his wife. Sometimes his choice of job sucks, but I knew this when I married him. What he does is amazing and I know he loves what he does. He's great at what he does.

Please keep him in your prayers. If you would like his mailing address, email me and I'll send it to you. I don't want to post it here. He's keeping up with his blog while he's gone, so take a look over there for his updates. I will update here as much as I can.

Until next time.....

No news is good news.....

2009-08-31T20:15:00.002-04:00

Here we are on the verge of a deployment and we are in complete limbo. Michael officially does not have a deployment date. Let's just say it's anytime in the next 6 weeks. Let me tell you that this is really frustrating. I had gotten myself all mentally prepared for the deployment. Now we're in limbo. This does give us some more time together which is really nice. If we can try the IUI this month, then at least I'll have him here with me through the process. I'm praying hard for it to happen this month.

I got my first sub job tonight, and it's going to last for the rest of the week. I'm really excited for it! What made me giggle when I got the phone call, was the teacher I'd be subbing for - it's the music teacher. Now all you Salvationists know that our first instrument is a brass instrument and for the next 15+ years we play and play and play. And most of us played in high school bands too. It just makes me giggle that my first sub job is as a music teacher! Will let you know how it goes.

Until next time.....

Patiently waiting

2009-08-25T18:58:00.002-04:00

Well this blog won't have any info on doctor appointments, but it will have an update on Michael & I. Michael is getting ready for his 4 deployment. We have about a week left until he leaves. He has started blogging again, www.thebigcheeseburger.blogspot.com, where he will be able to hopefully post what he's up to in Afghanistan. I'm hoping to get out an address to our family and friends so that you can send Michael cards, notes, and care packages if you like.

This deployment will only be 12 months in length. And as I type that, I can hear most of you saying "Only 12 months!", well last deployment was 15 months. I think that was the hardest ever. Deployments don't really get easier as you go through many of them. This time around though, I have decided to stay at our home on Ft. Bragg. I have become very involved in our FRG, Family Readiness Group, and have responsibilities that include managing our FRG's online store. I also have gotten a job - substituting at the high schools off post. I'm really excited for this opportunity.

Please pray for Michael and the other soldiers in the battalion as they deploy. Most of the soldiers are already gone and are getting situated in Afghanistan. We know that God will provide protection to Michael and the people of Afghanistan that he will meet on a daily basis. I will post items that you can send him, if you would like, once he gets to Afghanistan and knows what he needs.

We are grateful for your love and support. Until next time......

Today's Experience

2009-08-17T16:57:00.003-04:00

I've changed the title of my blog from "Mrs H Does Italy" to "Our Journey Through Infertility". At least when Michael's deployed in a few weeks he'll be able to follow me through the blog since we won't be able to chat about things face to face everyday.

This morning I went and had another ultrasound done to do some measuring. My blood work came back at 25, whatever that means, but that's a good thing. I started off the beginning of last week at 2500 then went down to 230, then this morning I was at 25. We have to wait another month or so to try again. I'm not going to get explicit about the other "adventure" of the day, but let's just say we will continue to try while Michael's away.

This experience is certainly teaching me patience. I've never been tested like this before. I thank you for all your prayers and comments. I will definitely keep up better with this blog. I'm hoping as this goes on that the title will have to change and I'll be able to post pics of ultrasounds and my pregnant belly.

Until next time....

Another day....another blood test

2009-08-13T07:36:00.002-04:00

Well it's been a whirlwind of emotions this week. After my tests on Monday and the emotion of finding out we had to wait another month to try again, I spent the next 2 days on the couch with some serious nausea. I ended up vomiting Monday night, which was not a good sign. I had to go in Tuesday for blood work and my levels are just starting to come down, which is a good sign. I went to the doctor this morning and I've lost 2 pounds of bloating and water weight, which makes me feel good. I haven't really eaten anything besides toast in 3 days, so that helps too.

I found out from the ultrasound technician that I have great ovaries for an IVF patient. I hope I never have to go through IVF (we can't afford it anyway) since it's painful and emotional. I also found out that since my ovaries reacted somewhat well to the meds, they were concerned that I would have 4+ kids at once. They don't want to put my body through that. I couldn't imagine going through that alone. I don't know what I'd do being pregnant with that many babies all alone. CRAZY!!!

So, now we're waiting for next month to try again. I'm so thankful for all the love, support, and prayers that you are giving us. We are blessed to have so many friends and family who are praying. Maybe I should re-title my blog - I'm not living in Italy anymore. Maybe I should rename it My Fertility Journey or something. If you've got any ideas, let me know.

Until next time.....

The Fertility Game

2009-08-10T12:57:00.002-04:00

I've been reluctant to post about the past few weeks. It's been a whirlwind of emotions for me. So let me just start.

We've been trying to have a baby off and on for about 3 years. I knew it was going to be difficult, but I didn't realize it would be this difficult. Due to deployments and training it's hard to "schedule" the perfect time to get pregnant. I don't ovulate on a regular basis which makes timing difficult. This brings us to moving to Ft. Bragg. There are very few reproductive endocrinologists in the military, but there is one here. I've been through tests, trials, and more tests over the past 6 months that it's ridiculous. The last round of tests showed that I have PCOS. For the past week I've been doing injections to help stimulate my ovaries for an upcoming IUI. I had an ultrasound this morning and some blood work done, and it showed that I have hyperstimulation of the ovaries. At this point I have too many follicles, nausea and heavy cramping. They can't do IUI until my levels come back down. I'm off the injections as of this morning and started another injection to help bring down my levels. I go back for another ultrasound on Thursday morning to see how everything is.

The stress for me is that Michael's leaving in 21 days. I knew I'd have to do a pregnancy alone, which I'm perfectly fine with. I have my plan in place in my head. They said we can try again next month. I think they only allow 4 tries with IUI. We're going to keep trying while he's away though.

Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this process. It's an emotional journey and at times I just want to throw in the towel. We know that God has so much in store for the both of us. I guess I just need the patience to know that it's all in His timing.

Until next time....

Tests

2009-06-16T13:58:00.002-04:00

Well friends, things are going well here. I've been doing a lot of praying about a specific issue and I think it's time to give you a specific issue to pray for. I've been going through a lot of fertility treatments over the past 4 months or so. They've put me on prednisone, a prolactin leveler, and clomid. I'm not having much luck with any of it. Today we both had some blood drawn for genetic testing and some more hormone level testing for me.

It's getting very frustrating, but I'm so thankful that we don't have to pay for any of this. We're lucky enough to be on a post where they have a fertility doctor. If we were not here we'd have to go to an off post fertility doctor and we would most likely have to pay out of pocket for that.

With Michael deploying in 2 months, I keep having second thoughts about all this testing and trial that I'm putting my body through. I've gained a bunch of weight from the meds, which makes me quite unhappy. I'm blessed that my husband loves me no matter what I look like, I just hate the way I look. We've been told that we can continue the process while Michael is deployed since they can keep Michael's "boys" on ice.

I've been toying with whether or not to post about all this. It's such a personal process to go through, but with family and friends reading this I know that you will keep us in prayer. I know that no matter what, God knows what's in store for us. He doesn't give us anything we can't handle. I'm not getting any younger and the odds of issues goes up as I get older.

Thanks for reading my rambling. Please keep us in your prayers.

Until next time.....

Busy next 2 weeks

2009-06-02T16:02:00.002-04:00

My next 2 weeks are going to be crazy busy, which is what I like. I have meetings this week for various things, plus the battalion ball is next week. I can't believe that it's coming up so soon. On top of that I can't believe that it's already June!! Where have the last 6 months gone??!?!

We are doing well here. Let's see what May held for us......we headed to Bolton, CT, for Mother's Day weekend. Michael and I were able to finally see Andrew & Patti's house. My grandparents came down from Canada for Mother's Day. It was so awesome to spend the weekend with them. Memorial Day weekend my parents came down to visit us here. This was the first time since Michael and I got married that my parents came to see us. We've always gone to them - granted we lived overseas - but still it was really cool for them to come to us and see where we live. We showed them around the post, cooked out every night, and even put them to work on helping us with our little garden.

Vacation is coming up quickly for us, which means that the deployment is not too far behind it. We're planning on going to my parents the last week of June and into July to see everyone up there. Then we're going on a cruise to Key West, Belize, and Cozumel with my parents, grands, and Andrew & Patti. Michael is so excited for this. He got the cruise bug when we went on our first one for his R&R during the last deployment.

We don't know when he's deploying, just that it's sometime in August. Once vacation is over it can happen at any time. This one is only scheduled for 12 months, so it'll be probably September 09 to September 2010. As time gets closer and I get more info I'll fill you in.

I guess I should ask for a prayer request though. I went through some medical trials and testing over the past few months. Nothing serious, please don't worry. I know I'm being vague, but the whole world doesn't need to know everything. The next month or 2 will be a big turning point in our marriage and it happens to be that this will all be taking place right before he deploys. So keep us in your prayers as we move into the next phase of our marriage. We're praying that God will grant our request and answer our prayers.

So that's about it down here. We're doing well...enjoying the time we have together.

Until next time.......

Not much here....

2009-05-20T19:23:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a while, but there's really not much going on here. I've been keeping really busy. I had been asked to be the battalion treasurer so that's keeping me busy. I've also been volunteering with the Family Readiness Support Assistant. She asked me to help set up a database of all married and single soldiers with their next of kin information for the upcoming deployment. I'm having a great time with it and I get the opportunity to see Michael at work, which is always nice. On top of that I am the Ball Decorating Committee Chairperson, so that's another thing that keeps me busy. I am working on my Substitute Teaching packet for Cumberland County. I'm hoping to do that during the next school year.

Speaking of Michael, he is doing well. This week he has been away at a medic training with some of the younger soldiers. They come back sometime tomorrow. His Officer's Candidate School packet is officially going up the chain of command, which is awesome. He's hoping for a school date for sometime in 2010. He spent about 35 days at Ft Polk, LA, for pre-deployment training. It was a long 35 days.

We're excited for our upcoming vacation. We've been alloted June 26-July 12 for vacation. We will be going on a cruise with my parents, grands, and Andrew & Patti. We're so excited for it.

Michael is still deploying sometime at the end of the summer. We don't have an exact date, which we know we won't get.

So that's the update down here at Ft. Bragg. We hope all's well with each of you.

Until next time....

We're

'Will You Choose Joy?'

2009-04-27T21:28:00.002-04:00

Today in the mail we received my 'heavenly' mother-in-law's new book. I personally have been quite excited to read it. We opened it up right away and looked at the pictures, and then promptly inserted the dvd. It was amazing to hear her voice again. Of course I'm sitting there listening and watching while tears are rolling down my cheeks. You see, I knew my mother-in-law growing up. I had the honor and pleasure to have conversations with her. She was an amazing woman. it's funny because there are many times being with michael, steve, and ally where she shines right through them. don't get me wrong, they are their dad too, but there's something about a mom in her children's life that leaves a mark. Michael is an old soul, and chivalry is not dead with him. He's definitely his mother's son. There have been times where i know mom is laughing at me having to deal with michael and his strange silliness.

this book that she wrote is a compilation of sermons based on the book of philippians, but with little 'joyisms' from her life thrown in. There's also a great dvd with michael's dad's recordings.

i am honored that she is my heavenly mother-in-law. while i have an earthly mother-in-law in aunt carolyn who is a blessing to me, our children will know about normajean and al. they were such special people. i'm honored and blessed to call them my in-laws.

so yes mom, i choose joy!!!

Long time no post...

2009-04-09T14:21:00.003-04:00

I know my grandmother will be happy that I finally posted something. I'm sorry I haven't posted in 2 months, but there really hasn't been much going on here.

February went by with Michael being away most of the time. They were on post out in the middle of no where doing trainings. Michael was in charge of putting medics in different scenarios to see how they would react. I on the other hand continued to job hunting and started classes toward another degree. I attend a Care Team training the end of the month. Care Teams are teams that are put together by the battalion in case there is an incident where a soldier is killed in action. A group of 3-4 ladies would come at the request of the spouse and be there to give support to the spouse in ways of making sure pets are walked and fed, play with the children, accept food from neighbors and others, etc. I'm excited to be apart of this.

In March Michael left for Ft. Polk, Louisiana, for pre-deployment training. He left 10 days ahead of everyone else so that he could help get things set up. I've been job hunting still. I actually also have become the Decorating Committee chairperson for our upcoming battalion ball in June. Michael is so excited for this.....he can't wait to get me all dressed up and try to get me to dance. I've also been volunteering at the battalion in getting info into the database for the Family Readiness Support Assistant.

So far in April the same continues. Michael's still away for another 2 weeks and I continue to plow away at job hunting. We've started with fertility treatments in February. Please keep us in prayer as we'll be starting something new in the next few weeks. We only have 4 months until Michael deploys to Afghanistan again, so every moment counts in the "infertility" area. We're praying that something will happen.

Yes, Michael will be deploying again. This will be deployment number 4. He leaves for 12 months in mid-August.

I know you're all praying for us as our life always seems to be in upheaval. We are so happy for the time that we get to spend together and we know that someday all this will be over. I promise not to let so much time pass again on posting.

Until next time....

Snow Day!

2009-01-20T09:30:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, as we were driving home from Target, they announced on the radio that there was snow coming and were "pre-salting" the roads. Michael and I looked at each other and laughed because the sun was shining and it was in the 40s. Michael got a call at about 930 last night that there would be a 9am report time. Then 11 pm another call saying that report time was 10am. Then around 6am Michael got a call that post was closed.

So I thought I'd post some pics of the snow. I was shocked when I woke up this morning and saw that it was snowing.

This is the view Stud has from his tower in our bedroom. He can't really see much but he tries.

The communal backyard from our deck.

Looking out the front door of our house.

So that's what's going on here. We're both probably going to stay in our pjs all day and watch the inauguration.

Hope all's well with eachof you. We're waiting to see who our first visitors are going to be. Who wants to come visit??!!

Until next time...

Raleigh Corps

2009-01-11T21:16:00.002-05:00

Today Michael and I had the pleasure of attending the Raleigh Salvation Army. We had previously attended the Fayetteville Corps. We didn't feel that it was the right match for us. So we drove an hour to Raleigh and were pleasantly surprised. As soon as we walked into the corps, there were 2 familiar faces sitting in the last pew - Majors Navarro who were the corps officers at the Perth Amboy Corps for probably close to 20 years. They knew both of us since we were kids. They were surprised to see us. After we explained why we were in Raleigh, we sat near them and enjoyed a great service.

Michael and I were both raised in very traditional corps, and this corps is a traditional corps. They have a large corps band, but also an amazing praise band. I was surprised when half the band stood up and were playing these great arrangements of praise and worship music. This corps is a multi-national corps, but has a large influx of people from the Congo. Mrs. Navarro started to tell us that they came for the International Congress in 2000 and actually defected to this country. So they came to Raleigh and make up a large part of the congregation.

We are both excited to be attending this corps. I am hoping to get involved in some capacity there. Maybe I'll get back to either playing my horn or timbrel again....who knows.

We have moved into our house. I promise to post next on that with pictures. I want to get it a bit more organized before I start taking pictures. Let me just say we were quite shocked when we walked into the door and saw where we would be living. All of our "stuff" is here, our new washer and dryer arrived, a new dresser for Michael is coming this week, and a new dining room table will hopefully be coming soon. We've gotten quite comfortable with the setup. Michael has started back to work. He will hopefully be going to the board in the next few weeks for his promotion to Staff Sergent. He is hoping to become the section chief in charge of the ambulances for Headquarters Company. He is quite excited for this. I am patiently waiting at this moment for a job. I have applied to a few job postings. On top of that, I am starting classes tomorrow night for another Associates Degree in Accounting. I'm quite excited for this....this time around will be quite different...I'll take it more seriously.

We hope all's well with you. Keep us in your prayers. We are not sure what the next 6 months will hold. There may be another deployment for Michael by mid-summer. I am hoping not, but we never know. As of now there is a likelihood that it may happen.

Until next time....

Moving Day

2009-01-05T15:47:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is moving day!!! Above is a picture of our house on post. We're so excited for it. It's a 2 bedroom standalone, which I can't wait for. No annoying neighbors above us! We'll be without internet for a few days, but as soon as it's up I'll post pictures of the inside. Actually, we don't even know what it looks like inside. We were only allowed to see the outside of it. I've become a stalker though. We've known that this would be our house for about 4 weeks. So on ocasions I would drive past it and stalk it.

Here's our new address: 321 Grimes Place, Ft. Bragg, NC 28307. I think I'm more excited about having a real kitchen more than anything else. Michael can't wait to get our wedding presents out of boxes and actually see what's there. He has no clue what I received at my bridal showers. It'll be like Christmas all over again!

Thank you for all your prayers. Michael should find out his assignment on Thursday or Friday. We're praying for one specific assignment, but we will let you know what it is when we find out if our prayers have been answered. So my next post will have pictures of the house and hopefully almost everything unpacked. We'll even be able to hang all our pictures!!!!

Until next time...

Doctor's appointment

2008-12-19T19:27:00.002-05:00

Today I went to the fertility specialist/endocrinologist on post for my first visit. I was diagnosed at age 5 with an endocrine disorder that has played with my hormones since that age. My period is very unpredictable without the help of birth control pills. I went off everything in May and was put on prednisone to help with ovulation. That didn't work, but I had to get off of it for my surgery. So then I decided I'm just going to go by faith and not go on anything. I had been on clomid in 2007 but that didn't work at all and I had horrible side effects from it. So 7 months later and still no period, the gyn in Italy put me back on the pill until I saw the specialist when we moved.

I was quite shocked when I was able to get an appointment so quickly. He is a great doctor and is ready to help us get pregnant. Today I did blood work that needed to be done anyway. I also will be having a sonogram or ultrasound done in the next 2 weeks to see what's going on. So hopefully by mid-January we will have some kind of plan of action.

Keep us in your prayers as we go through this next journey. I'm trusting that God will provide the answers and will guide the doctor.

Until next time....

Long over due.....

2008-12-16T20:47:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends!! I know it's been a while since I've updated so I thought while I drink some chai, I'd take a moment to fill you in.

We made it to North Carolina on Dec 5th with some issues. Our flight left 45 minutes late from Venice which made us miss our flight to Atlanta at JFK Airport. They wanted us to spend the night in Atlanta and catch a morning flight to Fayetteville, but we had Stud and couldn't really do that. I was so overtired that I was almost in tears, so Michael spoke with Delta. They put us on a flight to Charlotte and we drove the 3 hours to Fayetteville. So by the time we made it to the hotel is was 3 am - but for us it was 9 am. We had been up for about 20 hours. We slept for about 4 hours and then decided to go to post. Let me tell you, Ft. Bragg is nothing like Vicenza. It's its own town with its own zip code.

We've driven to South Carolina to pick up my car. It was quite a nice trip and I'd like to go back there to actually get to see something. We drove to Raleigh last Saturday to go to the big mall and we're thinking about going back up there to walk around the downtown.

We already have a house, a 2 bedroom standalone. Unfortunately we can't move in until Jan 6th, and all our things will be moved in on Jan 7th. So it'll be a busy first week of the new year. We'll be sending out change of address cards after we move in. I've met the principal and teacher who I will be working with. They seem great and I can't wait to start there the first of the year.

So for now, Michael's working and trying to get settled. He's not assigned to a specific company yet, but he's enjoying meeting the soldiers and learning his way around post. I'm just hanging out for the moment, trying to find my way around, and needing to START Christmas shopping. We're so excited to be going to Jersey for Christmas! I can't wait to see everyone!!!

We hope all is well with each of you and are praying that you have a blessed Christmas. Until next time....

Flying stateside.....

2008-12-03T11:19:00.002-05:00

Well friends, tomorrow's the big day. We will officially be leaving Italy for North Carolina. Now I must say, I am having some very mixed emotions about leaving. I have made some wonderful friends here, and Michael and I have made some amazing memories together here. I haven't really been saying goodbye to my friends. I've decided to start saying "See ya soon!" Because that's basically what we'll be doing. The Airborne community is a small community and I know we'll run into each other at different bases.

Michael, on the other hand, is not quite sure about all this. This will be his first move in the Army since he enlisted almost 6 years ago. In that time he has embraced Europe and Italy as his home. He says he fits in much better here than he does in the states. I think it's just the uncertainty that's getting to him. He doesn't know who he'll be assigned to or what he'll be doing. He doesn't know about OCS yet. He doesn't know if he'll end up deploying again in 2009. Please keep him in your prayers as this is a big adjustment and upheavel for him.

I am ready to go shopping this weekend in a mall with Starbucks in hand!!!!! Yes friends, I have already scoped out the nearest mall and Starbucks. I have to start my Christmas shopping!!! I am not the best flyer and I get bored quite easily. This drives Michael crazy when we're on a plane. He's going to download some movies to his iPod to keep me busy!!!

Well, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. Keep praying for us. Can't wait to see you soon!!!

Until next time....

PCS

2008-11-30T07:25:00.002-05:00

PCS: Permanent Change of Station

I wanted to share something with you that I heard on AFN (Armed Forces Network) the other day. Acronyms are a huge thing in the military, but I had never heard PCS put this way......Positive Change of Station. It made me smile. Most people who experience a PCS move have different reactions and experiences. I've heard horror stories. I am so grateful that ours has gone quite smoothly.

Don't get me wrong, I have had my shares of stress through all this. I'm a planner. Not knowing what's going to meet me on the other side is driving me crazy. I set up plans on how the move day should go, and then they fall apart or change. That throws me all off. Michael will look at me, smile, and tell me to breathe. He just kind of rolls with it. I, on the other hand, can't just roll with it.

I'm trying to have positive thoughts about this move. I'm excited for what awaits me, but not having a home is a bit nerve-wracking. I already have a job, but I don't even know where the school is located on post. We live on a very small post. We're moving to a post that takes up 2 counties!

Last night I said good-bye to my closest friend here, Tammy. Most of you have heard me talk about her. She came into my life when I needed someone the most, and I know that was God's working. She was, and is, my first Army friend and confidante. She got me through my Army transition and even let me work with her when I needed something to do. I didn't realize how hard it would be to say to her "We'll see each other soon", because I know we will. She's gone to California for a conference so I won't see her before we leave, which is why we sad good-bye so early. The minute and a half that we "talked" on the phone was mostly crying. I'm so blessed to have her in my life. I've got a friend forever and we will meet up again.

So friends, this PCS is going to be a rough one in some aspects, but it's also going to be one where I will learn new things. I know that God knows what we're going to face. He'll have it all worked out for us. I just need to get that into my thick head.

Until next time....

Just to fill you in....

2008-11-28T13:40:00.002-05:00

I wanted to fill everyone in on what's going on over the pond. At the moment I am sitting in The Arena near the bowling lanes updating since we don't have internet where we're staying. We had a great Thanksgiving yesterday with some friends. The last of our things left on Monday and then we moved into the hotel where we are staying for 10 days. Our flight to Fayetteville, NC, is on Thursday so we have about 5 days left in Italy. I can tell you that we're both, Michael and I, a but nervous and excited for this move. Michael doesn't want to leave Europe yet and I am going to miss my friends like crazy but we knew this day would eventually come. I have made some great friends, but I know that we will meet again. The Airborne community is a small community with few posts around the world.

There are many things that we will miss, but we know the next adventure is going to be exciting. I've never been to North Carolina so that makes me a bit apprehensive, but we are already planning on going to the corps the first Sunday we are there. Our car hopefully gets there before us, which will make the transition a bit easier. Stud on the other hand, may not adjust as quickly as we will, but he'll be ok. The most nerve-wracking part for me is the wait for our new house. At the moment we are #105 of 146. We're hoping that the list will go down fast, but one never knows. I just don't want to live in the hotel for long than a week or two if necessary. One room for 2 people and a cat can be kind of crowded. But we'll make do.

We thank each of you for your prayers and support these past 2 1/2 years that we have lived here (sort of off an on). We're very excited to be closer to family and friends. Know that you are welcome at any time to visit us in NC, especially if you want to help unpack boxes!!!! :)

Until next time.....

Andrew & Manuela Bramsch Wedding

2008-11-18T09:30:00.006-05:00

One of Michael's closest friends here got married a few weeks ago to an Italian girl. So Bramsch asked Michael to be his best man. Here they are standing outside the municipal building waiting for Manuela to arrive.

In Italy, and I'm not sure if it's because Bramsch is an American, they do a court room ceremony with the mayor and then a church ceremony. Bramsch has to become catholic before they can get married in the catholic church. Here we are in the mayor's office.

Here's the wedding party outside the restaurant where we had lunch. There we about 15 of us there.

Let me explain this whole restaurant fiasco. So we had an apertif time, or horsdouvers, while they did some pictures outside. Afterward we went into the restaurant where they had menu cards out. We Americans thought that we had to choose what we wanted, but that's not how it worked. We were given each item under each course. So here's appetizer #1 - proscuitto and a type of whipped cheese.

Appetizer #2 was my favorite. It was a pancake with puree pumpkin and ham, and a cheese sauce on top. It was divine!

First Course #1 was risotto with radicchio, which is a type of lettuce. First Course #2 was ravioli with a cheese sauce and walnuts - I didn't really like it so I didn't take a picture of it.

Second Course #1 was filet with rosemary oil and roasted potatoes.

Second Course #2 was chicken with mushrooms, pepper, zucchini, and roasted eggplant. It was different but by the time we got to this course I was completely done.

Dessert #1 was ice cream with blackberries and I think pommegrantae, but I'm not too sure on that. It was good though.

And here's the wedding cake!

Now we didn't get the food all at once. We were there for about 4 hours. There was a break for about 20 minutes in between the first courses.

We had a great time and are sad that we'll miss the church ceremony. We were certainly full when we got home. I jokingly asked Michael if he wanted a snack. We kinda looked at each other and laughed because we knew we wouldn't get anything in our mouthes.

Hope all's well with each of you. Will keep you up to date on the goings-on in the Honsberger house as our time in Italy comes to a close. I guess I'll have to change the title of my blog. If anyone has any good titles, pass them on!!

Until next time.....

3 weeks to go

2008-11-13T15:42:00.002-05:00

Well my friends, Michael and I have 3 weeks left in Italy. By this time in 3 weeks we'll be in North Carolina....hard to believe. I just sent off my application and resume to the school where I'll be working at Ft. Bragg. I can't believe that I've already gotten a job before we even move there. That is a HUGE answer to prayer. I'm also thinking of taking some classes at the community college in Fayetteville. Not sure what in. I've been tossing around Accounting or Secondary Education. They have a branch at Ft. Bragg so maybe they'll be able to help me out a bit.

We went to a wedding this past weekend - I need to post pics from it. The reception was a 10-course meal and boy was I overstuffed. Of course I took pics of each meal as it came. One of Michael's closest battle buddies married an Italian. Here you have a civil ceremony and then the church ceremony. Andrew, the battle buddy, is not catholic so they can't get married in the catholic church until he becomes catholic. He wanted Michael to be his best man so he had the civil ceremony before we move. I'm sad we're going to miss the big church service though. It would've been nice to experience that.

Not much else going on. We're looking forward to Christmas in the states. It will definitely be a big change but we'll be 8 hours from my parents doorstep so we can go up for long weekends.

Until next time.....

Weekend in Paris

2008-11-03T10:11:00.003-05:00

This past weekend Michael and I went to Paris. We really needed a break away and I've always wanted to go to Paris. I wanted to post a few pictures from our trip.

Here's the Eiffel Tower from the top of Notre Dame Cathedral. It had just stopped raining so the sky looked amazing.

We went to the Louvre. It was absolutely amazing inside, but we only wanted to see 3 things in it. Here's the Mona Lisa. Not as big as I thought but still breathtaking.

Here's the Louvre...I wanted to point it out for you in case you didn't notice it.

We only have 3 weeks left in our apartment and 4 weeks left in Italy. We're looking forward to what's next. Hope all's well with each of you.

Until next time...

Better late than never....

2008-10-25T15:37:00.004-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, but it's been a bit busy and hectic in the Honsberger house. I've posted pictures of the house packed when the movers were here last week. Our house feels so empty and it echoes in the living room. I'm so grateful that the day went so smoothly....I actually got compliments from the movers and transportation lady on my organization.

Poor Stud had to spend the day outside. He wasn't to happy about that, but Michael was able to come home for a bit and spent some time with him outside.

The living room almost completely packed. All I had to do was stand around and watch, which was quite annoying.

They actually have bubblewrap for couches! Quite amazing.

Our kitchen all packed up. It's the only room in the house at the moment with furniture in it.

This is the front bedroom that we actually used as storage. Before the movers came it became the place where we would put things as we went through them. Made it much easier for the movers.

We are headed to Paris next weekend for our anniversary. Our actual anniversary is in June but we seem to only be able to celebrate it in October. I'm so excited to see Paris. I've always wanted to go there.

We are slowly realizing what little time we have left in Italy. I'm getting quite excited for North Carolina, but Michael on the other hand isn't ready to leave Europe yet. I think he will have the hardest time adjusting to being back stateside. He hasn't actually lived in the states for almost 6 years, so this will be a shock to him.

So we're doing great. I promise to post more. Keep us in your prayers as we're winding down here.

Until next time....

2008-10-09T12:09:00.002-04:00

Well my friends, moving day is fast approaching. There was a walk-through today in our apartment for the company to see how much furniture we have. I met with a friend of mine today who has moved 13 times. She gave me some great tips and ideas. After meeting with Stacey, Michael and I realized that we won't be spending the whole 4 day weekend working on getting ourselves prepared. I'm quite excited for this because the weather for this weekend is supposed to be beautiful here this weekend and I'd like to get to see Lake Garda before we leave.

I'm a bit more relaxed now and excited for what's next. I'll be taking pictures while the movers are here - before and after shots. Our apartment will be quite empty.

Hope all's well with each of you.....we miss you all and can't wait to be closer.

Until next time....

So long kitchen table....

2008-10-03T14:41:00.002-04:00

This week we said farewell to our kitchen table and 2 chairs. I loved this table, but with our move coming up we couldn't take it. And speaking about our move, on October 16th the movers come to take almost everything in our house. We've been making appointments for terminating our housing, arranging to ship our car, and pack up our house. It'll take about 2 months for all of our "stuff" to arrive in the states by ship, our car will take about 40 days, and then the rest of our stuff will take about 3 weeks. It's all a little nerve-wracking.

Michael and I are going to start taking pictures and organizing our things starting next week. It's a good thing we don't have all that much, but our house will certainly be empty. I've also already started looking for a job when we get to the states. I'm hoping to continue with the job I presently have, as a tutor at the Middle & High School on post. I'm going to miss the kids and the ladies I work with. This past week, one of the juniors asked me to help her with her Pre-Calculus work....so I've been attending her class so that I know what she's learning and can take my own notes. I actually got some homework to do....it's been a long time since I've done College Algebra so I'm getting some help from Michael.

We hope you're all doing well. We only have 51 days left here. It's so hard to believe. Michael's going to miss Europe very much since he's spent 5 years here, but we know we're going to have a good time in North Carolina too.

Until next time....

My Husband....

2008-09-18T13:32:00.002-04:00

There are a few things that my husband does well, but there are other things that he's learning to do. I was making brownies tonight for my AVID kids for tomorrow and asked Michael to help me out. He's normally very nervous in the kitchen, but tonight he was a trooper and made the second batch for the kids. I was very proud of him in trying something new.

I know I haven't updated in a while...sorry about that. Things are well here. We've gotten into a normal routine living together again. We've been to Germany for a marriage retreat, or as the Army likes to call it marriage "training". It was held in Garmisch, Germany at the Army's resort. Absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking are the words I would use to describe this area of Germany. The mountains are just glorious.

Caryn Scheibner and Zack Hodgson are coming for a visit next week, and I'm really excited for them to come. We'll take them arounnd and show themt he sights.

I want to fill you in on our "move". Michael has not received his orders yet, but we're still going to Ft. Bragg. We're waiting to get the orders so that we can get moving on shipping our household goods and car, and I want to get our housing application in. We are looking forward to living in the states again and being closer to all of our family and friends.

I promise to update more often. I have some pictures from Germany that I need to post for you to see the area.

Until next time....

Soave, Italy

2008-08-09T10:36:00.004-04:00

Michael and I took a little day trip to Soave. We've passed the castle a dozen times onthe Autostrada, so this morning we decided to go there. We had an awesome thunderstorm with hail last night, so today the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. The sky has been so blue, the temp much cooler, and you can actually see the mountains in the distance.

Thought I'd post some pictures from our little trip.

The entrance to Soave. It's a walled city and absolutely beautiful.

A view of the city of Soave from the top of the castle.

This is right by our house. Because of the heat and humidity here, the view has been non-existant. But since today was a beautiful clear day, I couldn't resist taking a picture of the Julien Alps. We are surrounded by them. Thought I'd share it with you.

Until next time....

Time of Adjustment

2008-08-03T04:21:00.002-04:00

It's been about a week since I've posted, so I thought it's about time to let you know how Michael's first week home has gone. It has been absolutely wonderful to have him here. Of course being apart for 15 months, there is a period of adjustment. The first few days we were kind of tip-toeing around each other. Not sure what to do. But we've fallen into a rhythm of sorts. He had a week of 1/2 days for re-integration. During that time, my friends Jenni, Abbey, and Sheila came from England for a brief visit.

Michael is doing well....though his allergies and asthma are driving him a bit crazy. He's still adjusting to being able to sleep for longer than 4 hours at a time and also the time change. It'll take a few weeks for him to get acclimated.

We are both looking forward to our trip stateside. Being able to spend time with family is what we're both looking forward to. That, and Starbucks of course!!! OK maybe that's just me! :)

I can't stop saying thank you for all your prayers and support. The deployment is over. Michael has already started our paperwork for our move back to the states. We're both excited for what the next adventure is. We know that God will lead us exactly where he wants us to be.

Until next time....

Michael's Home!!!!

2008-07-27T14:49:00.002-04:00

This isn't the greatest of pictures, but here he is!!! I wasn't really that nervous, but it was so hot that day. We're both adjusting to being together again. We had a date today which was awesome. He's not in a sleep pattern yet. We were both awake at 3am this morning, but he kept going and I went right back to sleep.

He looks great. He hasn't told me too many stories yet, but I know as time goes on he'll tell me the ones that won't scare me too much. It's just so amazing to have him here. I couldn't stop staring at him yesterday because it didn't feel completely real yet.

I just want to say thank you to everyone for all their prayers and support. We wouldn't have made it through the past 15 months without them. Keep praying for us though through this adjustment of being together again. We actually will probably have the next year together, which will be a shock because we're so used to him going away every 6 weeks.

Until next time....

Friends

2008-07-23T13:51:00.002-04:00

This is my friend Tania and her daughter Emily. Our husbands are in the same company. Her husband, RT, came home on Monday. I have made such wonderful new friends from all over the US. Tania from Georgia and definintely a southern girl...accent and all. She's a blessing to me and such a great friend. There's 4 of us from the company that go to the same church service....and it's funny to see a row of Legion ladies sitting together in church. For the past month about 8 of us have been getting together twice a week to get the barracks ready for the single soldiers. We have lunch and just a great time together. I'm so blessed to have made such wonderful friends. It's so nice to have friends that are going through and dealing with deployment. We've been able to share our frustrations together.

So thanks Tania for being such a great friend!

Until next time....

Still waiting....

2008-07-22T12:52:00.002-04:00

Last night 500 soldiers returned home. I got to welcome one of Michael's medics home. I think I have about 3 more sleeps until Michael gets his boots on the ground. I spoke with him briefly today and he sounded really upbeat, which is good.

Just wanted to keep you in the loop. Keep him in your prayers and we're hoping for him to be home on Friday.

Until next time....

Still not home yet....

2008-07-20T11:58:00.002-04:00

Michael still isn't home yet. He's in Bagram and should be home this week. We've got about 500 soldiers coming in tomorrow and then, from what I hear, the rest are coming on Wednesday. Hopefully that includes Michael. It's getting exciting to finally have him home.

I know this is short but there's really nothing going on here.

Until next time....

Excitement

2008-07-18T04:45:00.002-04:00

Well family and friends....I want to update you on what's going on over here. Michael made it to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan on Wednesday. I'm hoping and praying he gets on the plane tomorrow which would mean he would be home by Monday!! There are over 400 soldiers that need to come back.....they're just hanging out at Bagram waiting to get out of there.

I'm just happy he's out of the COP where he's been for 14 months. He's one step closer to coming home.

Keep him and the guys in your prayers as they're making their way home.

Until next time....

Getting Frustrated

2008-07-16T14:42:00.003-04:00

OK....so I've started a countdown for Michael's homecoming. Unfortunately the Air Force has a different countdown than mine. Michael is not sure when he's going to leave where he's at. The group that was supposed to come home yesterday or today still hasn't left Bagram. The Air Force has a mind of it's own. And they don't deploy for long periods of time, so they don't understand the anxiousness of families waiting for their spouses to come home after 15 months of being away. I guess I'm just so ready for Michael to come home that I'm ready to fly a plane to Afghanistan and pick the guys up myself. Now, if I only knew how to fly a plane then we'd be set!!! So there's my frustration in a nut shell. It doesn't help that the guys are getting frustrated also. On top of that they have nothing to do, so major boredom has set into place.

Hopefully the Air Force will get themselves put together and fly out there to get my husband!

Until next time......maybe i'll have better news!!!

This weekend's skirmish

2008-07-15T05:12:00.003-04:00

I wanted to write about what happened this past weekend in Afghanistan. I know my mom and grandmother have been a bit worried, so I wanted to just post what I know. Michael is fine. We chatted online last night for his birthday. The 9 soldiers killed were all from our post. They were with the 2nd battalion. This battalion has lost many soldiers. The sad thing is, they are starting to come back to Italy in the next 3 weeks as their deployment is also ending. They did not have any family in this community, but please keep their families in the states in your prayers.

We are down to the final week of Michael's deployment. I am so excited that he will be coming home next week. As I was telling Stephanie Baker yesterday that I am so nervous. We were both saying how quick this deployment has gone. Even though there were some days that I would sit in her office on the verge of tears complaining that this deployment was just dragging and I wanted Michael home, there were the days where I was shocked that another month was done.

We are both looking forward to having at least 8 months straight together. This deployment has made us both stronger. I never thought that this would be my life. I had always envisioned having a marriage like my parents - you know seeing each other every day, going on trips together, having dinner every night together. But every moment that Michael and I get to spend together, is precious.

So thank you for all your prayers and support. Please keep them coming! We'll need it as we are getting to the end.

Until next time....

Another Homecoming

2008-07-13T06:38:00.003-04:00

On July 10th, we welcomed home about 250 soldiers. I just wanted to share some of the pictures with you.

It was a mad house. My friends and I were trying to figure out how we'd be able to find our husbands in this mess. 250 soldiers, all wearing the same uniforms, can be a bit confusing. I've already told Michael what i'd be wearing so it's up to him to find me!! Just kidding. We bring a company banner and all stand in that general area.

Of course the mad dash to find your husband. it was a bit easier this time......still had goosebumps but I didn't cry. We have a group of guys coming in this week. My friend Tania's husband is coming in so i've promised her i'd be there to support her.

The countdown has started for me. Roughly 10 days until Michael will be here!!! Keep him in your prayers as he should be starting his travels on July 18th'ish. Could be earlier, we're just not sure yet.

Until next time....

OH Sweet Freedom!!!

2008-07-08T11:43:00.003-04:00

Well, not complete freedom, but at least I can leave the house on my own. Ludwig picked me up this afternoon and took me over to post. It took the PA a while to cut through all the stuffing, but alas my hairy leg saw the light of day. Here's what it looks like:

Ludwig and the PA thought I was weird for bringing my camera with me, but I had to have pics for Michael and whomever else is interested. Then it was off next door to the cast room to have my new cast put on. The cast guy looked at me and said you have 2 choices, black or stars & stripes. SO what do you think I chose???? HMMMM......

Of course...stars & stipes it was!!!! Very patriotic I must say, especially if Michael comes home before this comes off. This one is on for 2 weeks and then it's a boot. At least I can walk around and leave the house, which I am so grateful for.

We're getting ready for another group of our guys to come home on Thursday. I'll take my camera with me and hope to get some nice pictures. This is a few days earlier than expected, which is what I like to hear. Maybe Michael will come home ealier too?!?!? Who knows!

Until next time.....

YAY for July 8th!!!

2008-07-07T15:42:00.002-04:00

I know this is a weird title for a post, but a this moment I have an itch on my ankle that I am unable to reach due to this stupid cast on my leg. Tomorrow this cast is coming off and something else is getting put on. At least I'll be able to drive so that I can leave the house. Not sure what my leg looks like, besides not having shaved in 12 days, but I will take a pic of the scar and post it.

Saturday evening, Tammy's husband Jason arrived home. She was caught off guard with her phone call that morning because she wasn't expecting him for another 2-3 weeks. She hadn't gotten her welcome home decorations up yet, so as we were chatting that morning she was trying to hang them up. I'm so glad Jason made it home safely, but to be quite honest I'm a bit jealous. It would be nice to have him home for some company. But I know he'll be home in 2-3 weeks, I'm just going a bit stir crazy because it seems so close to him coming home.

I was able to chat with Michael yesterday and he is doing well. He's counting down the days to come home too. It's been a long deployment but it's gone by pretty fast.

Until next time....

Asking for prayer....

2008-07-01T13:53:00.002-04:00

This week there will be soldiers returning from deployment. And thus begins the return. If you could keep the soldiers in prayer for travelling mercies and for their transititions back to life away from Afghanistan, that would be great. Michael is not returning in this wave of soldiers, but he will be returning soon.

I'm doing well after the surgery. I spent the day at post with the ladies from our company working on plaques for the soldiers. I came home completely exhausted. Carrying around this extra 10 pounds on one leg is exhausting. This cast comes off July 10th and then I get another one put on that I'm hoping is much lighter. I now have tendonitis in my right knee from the cast, so now I have pain in my knee.

Other than that, things are going well. We are planning on coming to the states for 2 weeks in August - around August 12-26. Our plan is to make a trip or two to Star Lake Music Camp to see everyone there.

Thank you for all your prayers and support during this LONG deployment. I cannot wait for Michael to come home and know that he is safe here. Knowing that we had family and friends praying for us constantly, made this deployment bearable. We are both grateful for all of you.

Until next time....

What would you do without friends?

2008-06-28T10:09:00.002-04:00

My friend Tammy is an amazing woman. She has been coming over everyday with Kyle since my surgery. Tonight she's cooking dinner for me. I'm so grateful to have made such a great friend in Tammy. We met about 4 days after I moved here 2 years ago. Our husbands roomed together for a few months in Afghanistan 3 years ago.

I was fortunate that when I came back to Italy in February, she asked me to babysit Kyle when she went back to work. He was able to stay in his own house and not go to day care right away. It was a fun time and I just love him.

So today I thank God for Tammy and Kyle. I know that no matter where we move in this military life, I will always have Tammy in my life. So to you Tammy I say thank you for being such an awesome friend and for taking care of me after my surgery.

Surgery Day

2008-06-26T10:13:00.004-04:00

Well today was the day. Tammy picked me up at 430 this morning and then it was off to Aviano Air Force Base about an hour and a half away. I went through the series of questions that repeated about 4 times with 4 different people.

The anesthesiologist ( i know i spelled that totally wrong) gave me this LOVELY narcotic to help and boy did that help. Supposedly I kept asking questions, but I have no memory of it. Tammy thought it was hilarious and so did the 6 doctors and nurses standing around me. I was the first surgery of the day, so I got the attention!!

Anyway, they found that my ligaments were a bit looser than they expected so they did a bit more work. I was out of surgery in under 2 hours.

I'm now at home and this is what i'll look like for about 2 weeks. I don't think i'll move from the couch tonight...i may just sleep out here. Keep me in your prayers, as I'm alone and the pain is just starting.

Until next time...

Ankle Surgery

2008-06-25T11:29:00.002-04:00

This is my right ankle that will be having surgery tomorrow. I call it my wrankle - wrecked ankle. Anyway here it is all swollen and sore. I did get a pedicure for the surgeon and for my toes to look pretty sticking out of the cast.

Surgery is scheduled for 615 am tomorrow. Way too early, but then i'll be able to be home at a decent hour. I'll post pics afterwards so that you can see the cast. I'll be non-weightbearing for about 2 weeks. Then I'm 6 weeks in another cast. Oh the joys of being in plaster in the middle of the summer.

We're counting down the weeks until Michael comes home. It's about 4 weeks away. We are planning on coming stateside for about 12 days in August. Haven't booked it yet, but we're excited to be able to see as many people as possible. We are also planning on showing up at Star Lake Music Camp to see everyone.

Hope all's well with each of you. Until next time...

Have you ever....

2008-06-22T15:13:00.002-04:00

Have you ever seen a cat sleep with flip flops?? Anytime I take my flip flops off in the living room, Stud makes his way over to them and lays on them. I think it's quite strange, but it's also funny. He actually put his paws through like you would put your feet through.

That's about all the excitement here. This is a busy week for me. VBS starts tomorrow and I'm helping with the pre-schoolers. We have 110 kids participating on post, and there are 24 pre-schoolers so they're separated into 4 groups of 6 with crew leaders for each group. I can only be there for the first 3 days, but it's going to be alot of fun.

Ankle surgery is scheduled for this Thursday. Please keep me in your prayers. I've never had surgery before. With Michael still deployed, I'll be alone in the house trying to manuever on crutches and take care of myself. I'll be fine though. This surgery needs to be done and they've actually said that my left ankle needs to be done next. All I can say is once I'm healed I'm going shoe shopping for heels!!!

Michael is doing well. The countdown has started. We've got about 4 weeks left, give or take. There's another meeting on the 30th to talk about the guys coming back. We're both just ready for this to be over so that we can get with life and have some time with each other.

Hope all's well with each of you. Until next time....

Advanced Party Arrived!!!

2008-06-19T11:15:00.002-04:00

Today the advanced party arrived to post. They come in about 2 weeks before the guys start arriving to get things prepared and ready for the first wave of soldiers. Above is a group of spouses from our company meeting Ludwig who came home! We were all so excited to see him. There were actually 2 other soldiers with him but they went off and we didn't know who they were. All three are single soldiers so we wanted to make sure they had a warm welcome. I was all choked up and a few of us were ready to start crying. It's just so surreal knowing that he'll be home in 4 weeks. Not sure what to expect, but we've all decided to be there to support each other at their arrivals.
The 2 buses arrived safe and sound from the Air Force Base in Aviano.
Then they get into formation. Now this is a small group compared to those groups that will be coming in the next 2 weeks.

Now in case you're wondering, Michael was not part of this group. He's not expected for probably another 4 weeks'ish. I just wanted to share this with all of you just in case I don't take pictures the day Michael arrives....I may be too nervous for that.

Until next time....

Happy Anniverary Michael!!

2008-06-17T04:45:00.003-04:00

Two years ago today, Michael and I got married. And in those 2 years, I think we've spent a total of 6 months together. But understand the whole time we dated, we were apart. We know that no matter what, we'll have the rest of our lives together.

So to Michael I say Happy Anniversary babe! Can't wait for you to come home!!!

Home

2008-06-05T13:43:00.002-04:00

I bought this sign at a bazaar at the Air Force base a few weeks ago. I had seen a sign like this in Patti's aunt's house. I thought this would be perfect for our home.

And that leads me to this post. Our home will be changing in about 6 months. About 2 weeks ago Michael received orders that we were moving to Ft. Bliss in El Paso, TX. Now I know some of you are thinking TEXAS???!!! My initial reaction was exactly the same. The Army is sending all medics to hospitals in order to give them a break from deploying. I am grateful for that, but it's Texas. Michael had found this out while I was in England on vacation....so being the wonderful husband that he is, he did some research on where the local corps were, Starbucks, and malls. He checked on housing situations and airports too. So some of you are thinking, Great, they're going to Texas. But the story doesn't end there.

Michael and I are both East Coast people. And he wants to be closer to family and have the opportunity to jump more often. So he made a few calls and send some emails to see how he could get the orders changed. So as of this week, we are now moving to Ft. Bragg, NC. We are both so excited for this. We'll be about 9 hours from Philly and Jersey, so long weekends will be spent with family.

"Home is where the Army sends us". This is now my life. When I had just started getting used to the idea of 2 seasons - hot and hotter - we'll maybe have 3 seasons in NC. So keep us in your prayers as the next step in our adventure happens. Who knows, his orders could change again!!

Until next time....

Trip to England

2008-05-31T08:51:00.006-04:00

Over Memorial Day weekend I went to visit my friend Jenni who I met at Camp Tecumseh about 6 years ago. So I thought I'd post the few pictures that I took. I'm horrible at remembering to take pictures.
Jenni will kill me when she sees this picture, but I went to school with her. She teaches 10 & 11 year olds. They were funny kids and were intrigued by the way I sounded. I even got to have a potato jacket with cheese and beans for lunch. Yummy!!!

Of course Starbucks was in order while I was there. We went to the outlets after school on the Friday and did some shopping!

My first Starbucks of the trip. I spent 4 full days enjoying my delicious Chai. Even though I can order it online from Starbucks, it's just not the same heated in my microwave instead of by a Barista. I was also able to get an England mug to add to our ever growing Starbucks mug collection.

OK...so we went to a farm that makes ice cream and on the way to Jenni's parents for dinner we got completely lost. The trees made this "tunnel" like effect of the roadways. It was absolutely beautiful.

Another tunnel like picture with me on the wrong side of the car!

Jenni on her mobile in a phone booth. Couldn't resist taking a picture of it.

So sad to say, that's my trip. It was a relaxing time. She's coming to see me the last week of July which will be nice.

Things are well. I met with the surgeon yesterday and my ankle surgery will either be the last week of June or the first week of July. He's going to repair the ligaments on the outside and the back of my ankle. It'll be so nice not to be in pain and be able to walk without the worry of falling or twisting it. The recovery time in total is about 6 months - 2 weeks non-weightbearing, 2 months in a boot, and 4 months in a brace. So i'll be meeting Michael when he comes home with a sexy black book on my right leg.

Hope all is well with each of you. We're looking forward to the move back to the states in 6 months and being able to spend Christmas with family and friends.

Until next time....

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T16:34:00.002-04:00

I'm typing this note from Chester, England, where it's a bank holiday and I spent the day shopping in Liverpool. But in the states everyone's remembering those who have served and are serving in our military. At this moment my husband is serving in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and I couldn't be any prouder. Even though we have spent 12 months apart and even though I miss him like crazy, I am so proud of what he does. I know he's fighting for our country and our freedom, but he's doing something that he believes in. He sees what we do not see. He gets to do something that is making a change not only in his life but giving hope to people who might not have been giving the chance to have a fulfilling life.

I love you Michael and I am so proud of what you and your guys do. I know they're reading this over your shoulder so to them I say "Thank you and stay safe!"

Until next time......

Going Away

2008-05-22T04:37:00.002-04:00

Hey friends! I'm going away for a few days to England to visit my friend Jenni from camp. I'll post pics when I get back.

Things are going well here. The weather's been kinda yucky with loads of rain, but hopefully that'll keep the pollen down a bit. Michael is doing well. He's been at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan for a few days working on his Officer Candidate School physical. So now his packet is complete and it just needs to be sent in so that it can be in on time for the August board date. We're hoping to hear something before we leave Italy for the states. Other than that the countdown is probably around 10 weeks, but that's just an estimate.

Love and miss you all. Until next time....

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T14:39:00.006-04:00

Today Tammy, Kyle, and I spent Mother's Day in Asiago, Italy. It's a beautiful town high in the mountain. Unfortunately for us it was chilly and very very cloudy. So we didn't spend a lot of time there. But we did have a great Mother's Day lunch and bought some Asiago cheese. YUMMY! Here are some pics:

The road up the mountain to Asiago.

The Alps in the distance

The busy streets of Asiago. It was reposo time while we were there.

The American Sporting Hotel in Asiago.

You can tell we're getting close to Germany because the building have a Germany influence. It's like this all across Northen Italy where towns border with Germany and Austria. It's so awesome to see the complete difference. You feel like you're in Germany but you're still in Italy.

A mural dedicated to the Alpini

The Alpini Memorial in the distance.

Tammy and Kyle at a fountain

Every Italian town has a church in its center.

Here's Kyle with his new shades on. He wasn't too happy with them.

Stud enjoying the terrace...

2008-05-07T13:35:00.002-04:00

So I know you're probably wondering about the towel. Stud is supposed to sit on it. Unfortunately he only sits on it when I'm out there. We spent a good 2 hours out there reading and him sleeping today.

As I was chatting with Michael online tonight - I looked out the terrace door and he had his head stuck through the railings. There must have been something interesting going on down there.

Then something exciting happened under the terrace. He's a crackup!!!

So that's about it here. Michael wants to see about some plants out there - so I'm gonna head to Ikea tomorrow to see about some planters and/or pots. I can get some nice plants on post.

Hope you're all doing well. The weather is gorgeous.

Until next time....

PS Hello to the guys looking over Michael's shoulder as he's reading this!!! Can't wait for you to come home!!

YAY for patio furniture!!!

2008-05-03T05:42:00.003-04:00

Because Michael only saw what it looked like online, I thought I'd post some pictures of what it looks like.

The sofa is a glider. There's this extra box that I have no clue what it's for, but I think it has to do with the glider. I'm gonna put it in the garage and save it for when Michael comes home. I think he'll probably need something to do anyway. Sorry Andrew & Patti that we didn't have anything for when you came. It's much more comfortable than the kitchen chairs!!

Another big thing happened yesterday. I have been wanting taylor ham, egg, and cheese on a roll so much lately. And at the commissary yesterday they had Canadian bacon!!!! And to add to the happiness of them actually having that - they had Kozy Shak Rice Pudding too!!!!! It was a happy day yesterday for me. I know that doesn't sound exciting to some people, but it excited me.

Until next time....

The annoyingness named Stud

2008-04-29T14:02:00.004-04:00

So I bought these pads from Petco that cats sleep on and collects their fur so it doesn't get on the furniture. I'd like to show you how Stud uses one of them....

He's supposed to lay on top of it, but obviously he won't. He has another one which he sleeps on top of. He's on the terrace now and it's a bit chilly out but the bugs were terrorizing him.

Michael is doing well. The guys are getting sick with allergies and some with fluish symptoms. They have a countdown started, down to about 13 weeks. My patio furniture arrived at post so now I have to get it home for the terrace. I'll post pictures when I get it.

Hope all is well with each of you. Until next time...

For Kathy Koza....

2008-04-27T05:27:00.002-04:00

My parents are in DC until Tuesday and I was able to speak to my cousin Kathy yesterday, and she was complaining that I haven't updated in a while. So here's an update.

My parents are in DC with my dad's side of the family burying my Aunt Jo at Arlington. She passed away in November and because she was a Captain in the US Army, she has the honor of being buried at Arlington. My parents never took Andrew or I to DC, and I don't say that to be mean, but I actually looked at flights to fly over for 4 days but they were a bit expensive. I know they'll have a wonderful time seeing all the sights with everyone, and they will have the honor of witnessing a military burial. At her funeral an honor guard came and did the flag ceremony. It was a touching and moving experince, one I hope never to experience for a good 80 years.

I went to the orthopedist on Friday, and the MRI said that my ankle is perfectly fine. Now most of us know that is not true. I'm meeting with the surgeon on May 30th, so I'll be able to take my trip to England to visit Jenni and be able to enjoy myself without hobbling all over the place.

Nothing else exciting going on. I need to start driving with my camera in the car. Yesterday on my way to Tammy's, the mountains and Alps were so clear which doesn't happen all that often. I promise from now on I'll keep my camera in my purse.

Michael's updated his blog and seems to be doing well. He was on a walk this past week so we haven't been able to chat online. I'm just waiting for his call.

Until next time.....

Kyle Thomas Wilbur-Hoistad

2008-04-20T12:30:00.006-04:00

I'd like to introduce you to Kyle, my friend Tammy's baby, who I babysit every morning.

I tried to video him 'chatting' away with me but as soon as I started the camera he decided to stop. He's 3 months and a big flirt. I take him to PWOC with me on Tuesday mornings and the ladies love him.

Nothing else going on here. I pick up my MRI films tomorrow and take them to the clinic to get read. Hopefully i'll get some sort of news then. The weather was absolutely beautiful today. I actually sat on the terrace and read for a bit hoping that some of my freckles would pop out. Michael's doing well. Check out his blog for his exciting moments. He told me today there's about 100 days left!!

Until next time...

Body Balance

2008-04-17T12:03:00.002-04:00

Today I went to a class at the gym called Body Balance. It's a mixture of yoga, pilates, and tai chi. It's taught by a friend of mine who loves to kick my butt! By the end I was a bit sore - used muscles I haven't used in a while - and I realized how much stress I seem to have. When I had my car accident a few years ago I went to physical therapy. At the end I always got a deep tissue massage. The therapist always said that I carried my stress in my shoulders. As I type this, my shoulders feel heavy and I'm trying to relax them. Guess I should see if I can make an appointment with the masseuse on post.

The weather today was gorgeous even though it's calling for rain until Tuesday. Hope all is well with each of you.

Until next time.....

MRIs

2008-04-15T09:15:00.003-04:00

Today I had an MRI done on my right ankle. I was told 2 years ago that I needed ankle stabilization surgery. But with an upcoming wedding and move, I decided to put it off. Lately my ankle has been really bothering me and it's been rolling more often than normal for me. I was supposed to go to Germany to visit Landsthul Medical Center and have an MRI done up there. That consisted of the following schedule: April 28th, leave post at 7am, travel by bus for 12 hours to Germany; April 29th, 6am MRI, then get on bus at 845am to travel another 12 hours back to Italy. The thought of being on a bus for 24 hours did not excite me. Especially since I'd have to sit still and I'm convinced I have Adult ADD, I'd probably get very cranky. So I decided to cancel that appointment and go to an Italian facility to have it done.

Well my experince happened today. Normally Michael does most of the translating, but I can get some words. It was an experience to say the least, and that was before the MRI even happened. The poor girl couldn't figure out how to say a word in English. There was an Italian paramedic standing behind me and he was trying to help translate. After a few minutes I got what she was trying to say. We all got a good chuckle out of it, but there were a few annoyed Italians behind me.

I go back next Monday to pick up my films and I'm hoping that I can see the surgeon while he is here from Aviano Air Base. I'd like to get the surgery done as soon as possible. I promise there will be pictures posted of before and after. And maybe someone will take a few during the surgery!!!!! Kinda reminds me of Kyle Townsend's heart transplant. Remember him carrying that photo album around of his heart transplant?? It was amazing to see those pictures.

Well that's about it for now. Time is winding down on Michael's deployment. Yesterday was 11 months deployed. They're going to be going on more walks for about the next 2 months and then it's time to start the progression down the mountain. That'll take a while, but it means it's sooner to him coming home.

Love to you all!!!!

Italian Food

2008-04-08T12:52:00.003-04:00

Now I don't post this to make Michael, Andrew, and Donna jealous. I do this because I LOVE Italian food.

This is my favorite pizza, Carciofotto, or Artichokes, artichoke cream, mozz, and tomato sauce. It's lovely. The pizza here is unlike anything you'll find in the states, even New York City. It's super thin, not oily, and a perfect amount of topping. Except tonight the artichokes were large ones. My other favorite meal to order is gamberetti, which is shrimp. There's this one restaurant where I always order the same thing, salad, gamberetti with pasta.

So for those who are coming to visit us in the fall, you will definitely enjoy Crazy Pizza. Hopefully you like seafood too because that's what the Veneto region is known for.

Love to you all!!!!

Nothing really exciting

2008-04-04T15:26:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry to say there's nothing really exciting going on here. I'm going to Germany the end of the month for a day. I'm having an MRI done on my right ankle. I've had previous injuries to it and was told 2 years ago that I needed ankle stabilization surgery. So to say the least, I may be having surgery in the next month or 2.

The baby that I'm watching in the mornings is great. My first week with him I took him to PWOC with me. I said to a mother at Bible study that I don't know how mothers with infants do it. It took me forever to figure out how to get myself and him out of the house and not forget anything. She said to me, "It's hard, but you learn. That's why I get up at 4:30 am." Of course my mouth fell open at this sentiment. I can barely get myself out of bed at 6:00 am. But I've been told that once you have a wee one in the house, everything changes in your life for the better. I'm trusting that will be true for me too. I love a good sleep in - just ask Michael.

Speaking of my husband, Michael is doing well. We chat everyday online and we get to physically speak to each other on the phone once a week. The countdown has begun in Kamu - 16 weeks and counting. His walks will become more frequent as the weather gets warmer, which means we won't be able to chat as often. But I'm looking forward to the day when he gets off the bus at post and I can hold him in my arms. Until then, chatting online is almost as good.

The weather's gotten warmer, the cherry blossoms are blossoming, and leaves are starting to pop out on trees. I love spring. I love the idea of newness. We are both looking forward to moving stateside. We're looking at furniture and all kinds of kitcheny things. Know that we think about you all and miss you daily.

Until next time....

What a day....

2008-03-18T13:20:00.002-04:00

Today was a blessing. But I'll start with yesterday. I started to watch my friend Tammy's wee one, Kyle. She's gone back to work part-time so I'm at her house from 7:00 am to around 1:00pm. He turned 9 weeks today. I'll take some pictures of him tomorrow so that you can see him.

The theme this year for Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC) is Prepare for the Bridegroom. We had a guest speaker today named Amy Stevens. She is a chaplains daughter who does speaking not just in the military world, but elsewhere. She spoke on the theme for the year. She was amazing. It was amazing how she put into retrospect being a military wife. By the end of her speaking, women were on their knees, weeping, and just praising the Lord. It was definitely a blessing. I could not get on my knees in worship due to feeding Kyle, but I was able to worship right in my seat and just soak it all in.

I'm grateful for this wonderful community of women. I'm also grateful for being able to get back involved with PWOC.

To change the subject a bit, my brother called me yesterday a bit confused about my last post. Michael did not re-enlist to stay in Afghanistan an extra 5 months. He extended his, I guess you could say 'contract', an extra 5 months into 2012. Sorry if there was any confusion.

Until next time.....

Michael's Re-Enlistment

2008-03-12T07:31:00.004-04:00

Michael called yesterday to talk about re-enlistment. He wanted to see how I felt about it. He said it would only extend him another 5 months, but there wasn't a bonus attached. The good thing is we will definitely be moving to Ft. Bragg, NC, the end of the year. Here are pictures that were sent to me. I didn't realize it would be happening right away, but that's the Army for you.

Things are going well here. I'm starting to babysit for my friend Tammy next week. The weather can't make up it's mind on Spring or Winter, but thank God no snow!!!!

I'm Back!!!

2008-03-07T05:30:00.002-05:00

Now I know some of you have been a bit worried about me, Kathy R. I'm talking about you, but I haven't had internet or a land line in the house since I got back 4 weeks ago. Which means I haven't spoken to Michael either in that time. It is great to be home. I barely made my flight in Germany, Stud cried the whole way here, and I didn't sleep at all due to a drunk rock band sitting in front of me.

I've already had a visitor. My friend Donna came and spent 8 days here. We went on a trip to Parma and say cheese being made, went to Venice and the water level was really low, went to the ceramics store and purse factory (of course), and just hung out. I had only been here for 4 days when she came so I was still a bit jet lagged.

Not much else going on. I'm getting involved in PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel). I will post more soon. Hope that all is well with each of you. Keep us in your prayers. Michael should be back in 5 months.

Love you all!!!

Pictures from Michael

2008-01-06T16:59:00.000-05:00

Michael sent me some pictures recently and I wanted to share them with you.

My parents sent him 2 Christmas trees that he received maybe 2 days before Christmas. This, I'm assuming, is his desk area.

This is their new kitchen that has recently been built. This facility feeds over 150 guys.

Michael has been receiving some stuffed animals from Operation Red Shield. This is a program that The Salvation Army New Jersey Divisional Headquarters does. They send care packages to soldiers who are deployed. Elaine, the director, added Michael to the list and has been sending him blankets and teddy bears for the kids who come into the aide station.

The children are more afrais of Michael than the soldiers with guns. So giving them a teddy bear gets their mind off of what Michael is going to do to them before he starts any procedure. From a bandaid to a shot, a teddy bear helps out a child.

The boxes that Elaine sends are always filled with goodies. At this point, Michael has so many boxes that he doesn't know what to do with them. He's not complaining at all.

I'm not sure who sent this package with the beanie babies, but he's grateful for everything.

Just another thing thing to add, I will be going back to Italy February 6th. I thank you for all the love and support while I've been stateside these 8 months. Michael has applied for Officer Candidate School and is hoping for a June acceptance. We're praying hard for this next step in his career. He will no doubt make a wonderful officer. We thank you for all the support that you are giving him.

For my Grandmother

2007-12-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

So I spoke with my grandmother over the weekend and she spoke sternly to me about how I've not updated my blog and that she was sick of seeing the Thanksgiving post. So this is for you, Grandma!!! MUAH!!!

I wanted to share a few pictures that Michael sent me of his Aid Station. I sent Christmas lights to help decorate it a bit. This is not just the aid station, but he also lives here. I think that's what the curtains are for. As you can sort of tell, there's alot of 'things' in here.

Christmas was wonderful. It was very different from last year. Last year we went to Australia to spend Christmas and New Years with Michael's Uncle Jim and Aunt Carolyn. This year I spent it with my parents, Andrew & Patti. It was great to be able to spend 4 days with them. Even though Michael wasn't here, he sent presents and I was able to speak with him on Christmas. We are so looking forward to next year, being stateside for Christmas and spending it with family and friends. He is doing well. He received 15 packages Christmas day and about 10 the Friday before. I just want to say thank you to all who have sent him packages, not just for the holiday, but all year long.

I wish you all the best for 2008. Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Thanksgiving Part 1

2007-11-26T09:12:00.000-05:00

I'm going to do this in two posts. I have alot to show and say. On Wednesday I drove to Connecticut to spend Thanksgiving with Andrew & Patti. Of course I hit traffic, but made it up there in pretty good time.

Thursday morning Andrew & Patti ran a 5 mile road race in Manchester. It is the oldest race in the country. Now for those ofyou who know Andrew, he is not a runner. But I must tell you, I'm very proud of him. He finished in about 55 minutes. There were 12,000+ people who ran the race. It was interesting to see people dressed in different costumes and actually running.

The picture below is at the starting line. It's not even half the runners.

This is (L to R) April, Patti, & Andrew before the race.

This is right in front of the Manchester Corps. They had an ensemble playing. I was able to stand with Karen Krinjak and cheer the runners on.

Then it was back to their apartment to get ready to go to Patti's aunt and uncle's home in Salem, CT. Her Uncle Joel is a Navy doctor and is currently stationed in Djubuti, Africa (pronounced Jubuti). He'll be coming home in December when his tour is over. I had a great time with Patti's family. I was able to talk "shop" with her Aunt Karen which was really cool.

Tomorrow I'll post duck pin bowling pics and Patti's birthday. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I can't believe December's almost here. How crazy is that!!!!

Until next time!!!

What a day...

2007-11-02T14:22:00.000-04:00

I got a phone call from Michael yesterday as I was leaving work. He made it safely to Kuwait and is just awaiting his next flight to Bagram. Not sure how long he has to wait, but at least he'll be able to call everyday while he's there.

Can you just keep me in your prayers. I'm wanting desperately to go back to our home in Italy. I think I'm just missing our stuff and space. I'm happy to be home with family and friends, but I miss my military family in Italy. I just need patience and guidance in what I should do.

Will keep you filled in on Michael's travels.

Time with Michael

2007-11-01T11:08:00.000-04:00

Our time together officially came to an end yesterday at 10:00 am. Now I'll have to wait about 10 months until we're together again. I've got to tell you though, this was time that was needed together. We had such a blast and the cruise was the perfect start to it. I've posted pics on our Flickr site - so just click it on the right.

He arrived safe and sound on October 12th, looking a bit disheveled, skinny, and tired. We spent that day together and then it was off to places on Saturday. Andrew & Patti came down Saturday night and we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving after church. Then we left for our cruise bright and early Monday morning. After the cruise we spent time with family and most importantly each other.

I am so proud of Michael and proud to be his wife. He told many stories of what he's been doing this deployment. Some of them were scary and I didn't want to hear about them. Others were things he just needed to say to someone. Of course I've come to learn in 18 months of marriage to a military man, that I need to be a listening wife. There are times he just needs to talk for the sake of getting feelings out. Post tramatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a big part of military life. He is constantly on alert even when he's on vacation. The slightest movement or sound makes him perk his ears up and become "Army Mike". That's when I give him the slightest hand squeeze and he calms right down. I've had to learn that this is part of our life now and I need to learn when to be the supportive wife and when to be the caretaker/calmerdowner. But I am glad to do that for him because I love him.

Please keep him in your prayers, as the next 10 months will hopefully fly by. I am praying for his safety everyday. They have lost many men in the first 5 months and it hits Michael hard sometimes. We are hoping that this may be his last deployment, but you never know what will happen in 2009.

Going on a cruise.....

2007-10-14T21:11:00.000-04:00

Michael and I are leaving for our cruise in the morning. We are flying to Orlando at 7:55 am and then cruising out of Port Canaveral to the Bahamas. We are so excited for a vacation. I promise to post pics as soon as we get back!!!!

Have a great week!!!

The long wait....

2007-10-11T20:31:00.000-04:00

Hopefully the long wait is finally over. Michael made it to Kuwait yesterday. He called me this morning with his flight information and should get in sometime tomorrow. He's hoping once he gets to Atlanta, he'll be able to try to catch an earlier flight up to Newark. If not, he should be in by 5:30 pm. The wait will finally be over. Which means he won't have a lot of time to rest up before our cruise on Monday, but he can sleep on the plane to Florida!

We're hoping to meet up with my aunt and uncle who live in Orlando on our way back. We've got alot of time to kill at the airport after the cruise and they live close to the airport. Michael hasn't met them. They came to visit us in Italy last October but Michael was in Germany for training while they were there. It'll be nice to see them again.

Will keep you posted.

Busy Weekend

2007-10-09T09:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went to Andrew & Patti's to hang out and go to a fall festival where Patti's grandmother lives. I got to see a lumberjack competition and tractor pull. I must tell you though, the lumberjack competition got addictive. I've never seen one, but it was awesome. If you check out their link to the right, you'll see some pictures.

Yesterday I went to my parent's house where Michael and I will be staying while he's home on R&R. Stud came with me and he's a bit nervous. He doesn't do well with moves. Hopefully he'll have a good day home alone and get himself used to new surroundings and sounds. He's normally very skittish, but it's a bit worse now.

Michael should be home sometime tomorrow if all goes well. At least that was the plan still as of last night. Things can always change in the military. I will post when he gets here so that you all know he's landed safely.

Have a great day!!!!

The life of a military wife!

2007-10-05T13:04:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you how the US Army can be dumb sometimes. Michael called at lunch today and he arrived at Bagram Air Force Base very early this morning. It seems that he's not getting to Kuwait until Monday, which means he may not get here until late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Repeat this word after me: FRUSTRATING!!!! I was so in the mindset for him to come home in 4 days that now I have to get myself into the mindset of 5 days instead.

He sounded pretty good over the phone. The nice thing about him being there is that he can call everyday, which I am taking advantage of. Kinda gave him the order to call everyday.

So for now, I'm anxiously waiting for his arrival. At least I'm keeping myself busy this weekend. I'm going to Andrew & Patti's for the weekend. I get to see their new place and go to a fall festival where her grandmother lives. I'm looking forward to spending some time with them.

Please keep Michael in your prayers as he is preparing to get home in the next few days.

Just thinking.....

2007-10-03T16:04:00.001-04:00

Today I had my follow-up appointment at West Point for Prozac. They told me to come back in 6 weeks just to see how it's going. I've gotta tell you, I battled depression during my last semester of college and it was probably one of the worst times in my life. I weaned myself off the meds after a year hoping that I'd never have to go on it again. After Michael deployed, I prayed that I would manage my feelings and just keep myself going. But as time went on I couldn't have a normal conversation with anyone without tearing up. It felt like the walls were crashing around me. I knew I needed help right away. Once I started the meds, I was able to have normal conversations with people without crying and tearing up. It's a wonderful feeling to have control over myself in a better way.

I'm greatful for my family's support and love. I'm greatful for the prayers that were given on my behalf. I know that this is where I needed to be during Michael's deployment, but there are times when I long to be back in Italy. Just keep the prayers coming.

Single Digits

2007-09-30T14:38:00.000-04:00

The countdown has now reached the single digits. Nine days and counting from today. Michael called yesterday and he sounded really good. He's just hanging out at the base, but catching up on movies, email, and sleep. He's hoping to be to Kuwait by next weekend.

My mom is doing great. Thanks for the prayers. Will write more soon.

Update on my mom...

2007-09-27T21:08:00.000-04:00

Thank you so much for your prayers. Mom got home from the hospital this afternoon and is trying to take it a bit easy. They're not sure what prompted her passing out or her blood pressure to go up, but she will be going back to her doctor in a few weeks for a 24-hour blood pressure monitor. She sounded much better over the phone this evening and was making the first batch of zucchini relish. For those of you who know my mom, know that she can't sit still. But she will be cooking for the SAROL luncheon at the corps on Saturday.

Again, thank you for the prayers. She'll be back to her crazy self by tomorrow. Someday she'll learn to sit still for a few moments. Gotta love her!!!!

PS I'm nothing like her!!! :)

Prayer Request

2007-09-25T20:16:00.000-04:00

I've got a prayer request. My mom was taken to the emergency room yesterday afternoon after passing out at home. Her blood pressure went throught the roof. She's spending 2 days in the hospital to undergo some tests. For those of you who know my mom, know that she can't sit still for longer than 2 seconds. She's going crazy because she's the caregiver. She's going home tomorrow, but if you could just remember her in your prayers that would be great.

I was able to speak with Michael this evening. He couldn't sleep so he gave me a call. We hadn't spoken in 3 weeks, so it was nice to hear his voice. He's getting closer to being home. He is spending a week at a base and then hoping to get to Kuwait. He has updated his blog, so click on his name to get to see an update. Pics will be posted when he comes home. Keep him in your prayers for safe flights.

Until next time.

Emma's Story

2007-09-21T12:18:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if anyone's reading my blog anymore since I'm not technically in Italy for the time being, but my last post said a little something about Emma Bate. Let me expand on that for you.

While I was at the Bate's house this week, Carole was trying to get to NickJr for Emma to play some Dora games on the internet. When she got to her home page she read an article about how people can sell their daughters for marriage on the internet and if you see it, it's a scam. I jokingly said to her, well you've got 4 girls you should try it. Carole said that she already had a husband for Emma, she would marry Noah Kelly. Emma, with all seriousness, turned to us and said "We're already married". We kinda looked at each other with a look on our faces, and Carole proceeded to ask her, "What?". Emma replies, "We're already married and I have the pictures to prove it.". Off she walks to the fridge where a pictre of Noah, myself, and Emma and sitting at my wedding all dressed up. Emma turns to me and says "See, we're already married.". Carole and I just smiled, looked at each other to stop from laughing, and said ok. I then obnoxiously said to Carole, "Well you certainly got off easy. You didn't have to pay for a thing!".

So that's my funny Emma story to go along with my last blog about Noah.

A quick prayer request. Please pray for Michael as he will be starting to travel stateside for R&R in the next couple of days. He's hoping to be here either October 8th or 9th. I'm so excited!!! You should've seen me walking around DHQ yesterday in a daze. I told the DYs that I would do absolutely anything they wanted in the next 19 days. As of today, according to my countdown on my office door thanks to Major Scott Kelly, there are 18 days to go!!!!

Until next time! Have a great day!

Out of the mouth of babes....

2007-09-19T10:14:00.001-04:00

I love the Kelly boys. For those of you who know Chip and Jo Kelly's two little ones, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Noah was my ringbearer in my wedding and he was just priceless. Yesterday I was having dinner with Carole Bate and she called Jo about a funny Emma-ism that had happened while I was at their house - that's a whole other story for another day. When Zach was at Star Lake for Territorial Music Camp with Chip, we had sent an email to Michael. Everytime I saw Zach after that, he kept asking me if Michael had emailed us back. On Sunday I sent Michael an email asking him to email Zach telling him about Afghanistan, what his job is, what he does daily, what he sees, etc. Michael emailed him back yesterday, and Zach was so excited. Zach promptly emailed him back. But this is where the cuteness factor comes in. Noah, now just know he's 5 and doesn't understand what war is or what's going on, says to Zach "Tell him thank you for fighting for my country!". A 5 year old said that!!! Some adults can't even say that. I had goosebumps all over my body and tears in my eyes. The innocence of a 5 year old and saying that to my husband is just amazing.

I thank God for Noah. I thank God for his parents and grandparents, whom I know very well and are very supportive to myself and Michael. I thank God for Zach in wanting to be a pen pal with Michael. I thank God for my husband fighting for my country. I hope that little story brings a smile to your face. As I'm recalling it now, I've got a tear in my eye and a smile on my face. It just shows you that when a child is raised by a Godly family what can happen. So thank you Chip & Jo for such wonderful and caring children that they would take the time to write to Michael. And thank you for all the love and support that you give the two of us. I hope you know how much it means!!!

Update on Michael

2007-09-14T11:29:00.000-04:00

I just want to give you a brief update on Michael. He is at his new post somewhere in Afghanistan where he is in charge of the Aid Station and a few local nationals. He will not be able to update his Blog until he comes home for R&R in a few short weeks since they have blocked Blogger. Also if you have Facebook, he is unable to update that as well.

As of last week, they have not received any mail for 3 weeks. If you have sent him anything, I promise he will receive it. I'm just not sure when. I will hopefully be able to let you know when he will be home for R&R but it will be sometime in October.

Thank you for all your prayers and support for both Michael and myself. Four months down today and 11 more to do. Not that anyone's counting!!! ;)

Jessica Kate

2007-09-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

We went for a walk on Saturday morning while Alison went to take her Maine Teacher's Certification test. So Jessi and I got to spend some time together. We went to the pier and I almost got us lost on the way back. We talked about the motorcycles we saw, the dogs, and the beach. Well maybe I did the talking but she pointed!

Alison yelled to me to get my camera ready. This was right before bed. She was hilarious with her cowboy boots and hat. Gotta love her though!!

She got into Alison's cleaning gloves and wanted to walk around the house with them one.

So my weekend in Maine was great. Alison and I did a some shopping, spent time together, and just hung out. It was great to be able just to rest but also spend time with my best friend for 20 years. We don't get to spend alot of time together anymore since we've both moved. But when we can, it's the best. I still can't believe we've known each other since we were 10 years old.

So if you read this Alison, I love ya and am so blessed to have you in my life!!!

Mini-Vacation

2007-09-05T21:12:00.000-04:00

Well friends....I am off on a mini-vacation tomorrow morning to Old Orchard Beach, Maine, to visit Alison and Jessi until Sunday. I start work at DHQ next Monday, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to go away and spend some time with my best friend. I'll remember my camera this time and post some pics when I get back.

I've added a new blog to the right hand side. My friend Lindsay and her husband Ian are in London for the next 3 months. He was offered an exchange experience, so up they went to London. She's posting pics and tidbits of what they're up to. I know none of you know them, but Lindsay and I have known each other since we were probably 3 or 4.

Have a great few days. I'll post when I get back.

Christmas presents to Soldiers

2007-08-30T11:19:00.000-04:00

Hey Friends!! I know it's early to start talking about Christmas presents, but I received an email today from my FRG in Italy that includes mailing deadlines for Christmas presents. So I thought I'd share them with you in case you'd like to send anything to Michael or his medics. Hopefully you're not offended by this at all, I just know he'll miss being around family for Christmas this year. I'll even include his address for you and names of his medics.

So the date for Priority Mail (which is the best way to send anything to a soldier) is December 4th. Now those of you who want to send Michael a Christmas card, it's the same date. We will not be together for Christmas this year, but I'm hoping we will be stateside for it next year.

Please know that whatever you send to a soldier is always appreciated. Here is Michael's address:
Sgt. Michael Honsberger
(Legion) Troop 1-91 CAV
173d ABCT
Task Force Saber
APO AE 09354

Also here are the names of his medics:
SPC James Thomas
SGT Justin Crain
PVT Chenowith

Things can be sent to the same address as Michael for the other guys. Just let them know that you're friends with Michael and myself. I'll let you know if there's a different address in another post for the other 3 guys. Believe me the guys appreciate anything that you send them.

Have a great day!!! And from a military wife, I thank you all for your love, prayers, and support. Michael will be coming home in about a month for his 18 days of R&R. I'm so looking forward to it because we're going to try to take a cruise for our honeymoon, 1st & 2nd anniversaries, and birthdays all rolled into one.

I made it down alive....

2007-08-24T10:04:00.000-04:00

Here I am on the phone with Alison Baker before the hike. I carried the first aid kit, 4 bottles of water, a sleeping bag, and my woobie. This thing weighed about 20 pounds.

The view of the lake and the Stoops' house from almost the top.

It took the girls from Columbia to get the fire started. Here is Adrina, Monica, Capt. Aida, and Laura.

The comfy tent that I slept in. Michael you should be so proud of me!

Sleeping in the tent. Yes I did sleep outside!!!! It can be done.

Camping

2007-08-23T13:49:00.000-04:00

Well friends, I just wanted to let you know that tonight I will be sleeping out on Torne Mountain with our Wilderness Girls. Now for those of you who know me well, know that camping to me is a hotel. My husband will be so proud to know that I did it. I'll be taking pictures and posting them as soon as we get back tomorrow morning.

Pray for me as I sleep under the stars with the bugs!!!

2 more sessions to go....

2007-08-21T16:12:00.000-04:00

So we're on our next to last session of camp. We have 21 girls here for Wilderness Camp and it started with rain today. There was no hike this afternoon or scavenger hunt this evening. I'm in charge of Girl's Night In tonight.

Michael called this past Saturday. He's doing well and looking forward to his R&R coming up in about 44 days'ish. They're in a stable place right now just waiting for their next assignment. He's not sure how long he'll be at this one base, but he's enjoying some relaxing time. We are so thankful for all of you who are praying for both of us.

That's about all the excitement here. Will write when something else happens.

What a week!!!

2007-08-16T12:25:00.000-04:00

Well, here at TMC things are going well. Andrew & Patti are here and it's great being able to spend some time with them. They brought Stud down with them because he's going to be living with me now. He's gotten so big, and not fat big, just long and tall. Michael is going to freak when he sees him.

Speaking of Michael, he's updated his blog so take a look. We were able to speak for a whole hour 2 weeks ago, which was so welcomed. There wasn't even a delay on the phone line which made it even more wonderful. There's about 48 days until he comes home for R&R. I'm so excited for that.

That's about all for now. Prayers have been answered by the way. I have a job starting on Sept. 10th at New Jersey Divisional Headquarters. Right now it's a trifecta type of job, working in the Youth Department, then with Janette Barrington in Human Resources, and then helping Major Vicki Berry in her department. Not sure what it all entails, but God is good!!! I've come to learn how faithful He can be once we put our trust in Him. It's been an amazing summer of changes for me in my faith. Please continue to pray for me as I'm dealing with a bit of depression at the moment. I'm not ashamed or afraid to admit it. I've dealt with it for years, but lately it's been a bit of a downer right now. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I'll be asking for something to take the edge off things.

Hope all is well with each of you. Until next time.

Prayer for Michael's Company

2007-08-01T18:03:00.000-04:00

Friends,

I received an email last week about the company Michael is with from Germany. There was an altrication with some Afghan fighters and there was a loss of the company commander and the second in command. Please note that this did not involve Michael's company but has had some affect on his company. Due to the death, they will be in a time of transition as Michael's company will now be moving to different locations. I am not exactly sure what this means, if he will go somewhere safer or what, but I do know that contact with him at this time will be minimal. Please keep them all in your prayers, both companies and the families of those who were killed.

Also, please keep our friends Josh & Patty in your prayers. I received an email from Patty the other day, they are Army friends in Italy, and Josh has been leading the 21 gun salutes in Italy for the fallen soldiers. He has also had to escort a body of a fellow medic home to his family. He is just needing prayers because this is a very hard job both mentally and spiritually.

It seems that everytime I post something it turns out to be not so exciting news. Camp is going well. We are in our last session and I'm looking forward to Territorial Music Camp next week because both Andrew & Patti will be here. It will be nice to spend some time with them. Michael will hopefully be home somtime in October for his R&R and we're hoping to go on a cruise to celebrate our first & second anniversary since he will have missed both. It will be nice to be able to spend time with family and friends.

Until next time, I will post some good news!!!!

1SGT Michael Curry

2007-07-25T15:14:00.000-04:00

Friends, I'm requesting prayer for the family of 1SGT Michael Curry. I received word today that he was killed in an IED accident in Afghanistan. He was Michael's 1SGT when Michael was with Delta Company from July through the end of November. He was a wonderful man. While Michael was away last October for school in Germany, he helped me out alot with answering some questions. He leaves behind a wife who is Italian.

At this time Michael does not know, but I was able to forward on the email that I received regarding the incident. Along with the 1SGT, there were 3 others killed. Please keep their families in your prayers as well.

Just a bit stressed....

2007-07-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

So friends, here it is. I'm just stressed at this moment in time, so I thought i'd vent to you all who really can't do anything but pray for me. So my dad helped us buy a car for the time I am home and then for when we move back to the states since it will take almost 3 months to ship my car over from Italy. Anyway, I got this car and had it for about 1 mile when the check engine light came on. So I called the dealership the next morning and they told me to drop it off. To find out the other day that they are replacing the transmission in it. I got a call yesterday from the warranty place wanting to know what was going on. I told the guy that I haven't even had a chance to drive the car anywhere yet. Gave him the whole story and he said he'd look into it. I got a call this afternoon, amidst kids needing to be spoken sternly too, from the warranty guy again asking me to take the car to another shop. I explained again that the dealership has the car and the service guy at the dealership informed him that the car is undrivable. So at this moment I have a loaner from the dealer that needs some transmission work and the air conditioning fixed, and the car that has been paid for is supposedly "undrivable". So I'd like to say WELCOME TO MY WORLD!!! CAN ONE MORE THING GO WRONG!!!! At least if Michael was here he could handle it, but I'm doing fine just completely stressed!

Getting Old

2007-07-11T14:23:00.000-04:00

Well friends! I think I've finally realized that I'm getting old. I don't do the whole staying up past 10pm, but it's worse when you're on curfew duty from 1130pm to 1am'ish. I've never been one to stay up late, but Lord knows that I get cranky. On top of that, it's miserably hot here. I'm praying for rain to cool it down a bit. We are in our second week of camp with Sports Camp going on this week. The kids look so hot running around. Thank God it's not me!!!

Michael called about a week ago. He had gotten back from a "walk", and was sore and tired. His birthday is this Saturday (July 14th) so send him some birthday wishes! He seems to be doing well, but looking forward to his R&R in hopefully 3 months.

Will try to post more often and hopefully get some pictures up.

Camp has started!!!

2007-06-30T15:27:00.000-04:00

Well friends, camp has officially started. Today 181 Music & Creative Arts kids arrived for a week of music and art. It should be fun. Registration went well. I've got to do a WalMart fun for underwear and other goodies that children don't have.

Other than that, things are well here. I have internet in my office so hopefully i'll be able to update every once in a while. Haven't heard from Michael in 2 weeks, so I don't really have any updates for you.

Until next time!!!

Few and far between blogs

2007-06-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

So friends, since my last post things have gotten better. I am working at Star Lake Camp for the summer as the caseworker. Now all I need to do is to find something for after camp. God will provide though. Michael and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary last Sunday and then my birthday on Monday. We were able to talk for a few minutes before his end of the line was cut off. Keep him in your prayers and for more info on that check out his blog.

My posts will be few as getting to a computer with internet will be hard. I'm actually supposed to be doing some work, but I thought I'd sneak on the Program Director's computer to check my email. Shhh don't tell Baron!

Anyway, miss you all!!! Until I can post again!

Some Pics

2007-06-13T20:43:00.000-04:00

This is the pic taken right before he went to formation to leave. No tears yet!!!

This is Michael, Spc Thomas, and Cpl Crain; the medics for Bravo Company. Keep these guys in your prayers.

Things are going well here. Please keep me in your prayers as I did not get the job at THQ so I'm not sure what I will be doing yet. I'm praying that God has something else in store for me, I'm just trying to be patient. As of right now patience is not my strong suit.

Michael is doing well. I talked with him last week. He's lost 20 pounds since he's been there. Not particularly the best diet, but he's received rations thanks to Alison!! Our 1 year anniversary is on Sunday and I turn 30 on Monday! EEKK!!! I can't believe it's already been a year. It's been exciting, difficult, and definitely a learning experience. But I've been experiencing such wonderful things with a wonderful man!!!

Until next time!!

Pray for Michael

2007-06-04T16:15:00.000-04:00

Hey Friends!!! I'm writing to ask for prayer for Michael. I received a phone call yesterday right when I got to the Montclair Corps. There had been a confruntation with his company - not sure of all the details - but Michael is fine. There were 7 injuries and 1 death. Please pray for the family of the soldier who passed. I don't have any names or any other information. Please just pray for Michael and his company. We thought that he'd be in a safe area, but I guess things can change so fast over there.

Thanks for all your prayer and support already. Will update again when I have more information.

A call from Michael

2007-05-26T16:06:00.000-04:00

Seriously people, I will get pictures up. You see I left the camera stuff at my apartment in Italy, but it's in the mail!

I got a wonderful phone call from my husband today!!! It was so wonderful to hear his voice. He is doing well - check out his blog for some pictures and what he's been up to. He's only been there for 2 weeks, but it feels like so much longer! I know that there are many of you who are praying for the both of us, and I am so grateful for that, but please keep him in your prayers. Morale is a hard thing to keep up when you'd rather be home with family. He just sounded a bit tired over the phone. We're hoping to be able to talk to each other every other Saturday unless he has a mission.

I've had a relatively boring week. I had the ever present migraine, which I think is stress related. I went to Star Lake on Thursday with my mom to help clean her cabin. We're going up there on Tuesday night, and I'm hoping to go and help Suzanne a bit at THQ during that week. I interviewed at THQ on Monday for a job in the Youth Department, so there's a waiting period going on right now. I'm hoping to hear something by Friday. Keep me in your prayers for that.

All is well here - Mom and Dad are fine. Keeping busy as usual.

Till next time!!

2 days left...

2007-05-18T07:34:00.001-04:00

Well, there's 2 days left for me here in Italy. Andrew and Patti flew out this morning to head home and then I fly out at a ridiculous hour of 630 am which is 1230 am for you. I'll head to Madrid and then Boston where Andrew's going to pick me up. This flight will be different as I will be travelling with the cat. Have no fear, he will be drugged.

All that's left now is to finish packing, clean the house, and cover the furniture. One of the guys from Michael's company is taking me to the airport.

Michael's updated his blog. I haven't actually gotten to speak to him yet, but I know he's doing well. He hates to wait, so being stuck in one place is probably driving him crazy!!! (Luv ya babe!)

Hope all is well with each of you. I'll update when I get to my parents so I can put some pictures up.

Halfway There

2007-05-15T08:08:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to update you on what's going on over the pond. Michael has made it halfway to Afghanistan. We said our good-byes yesterday morning, and I promptly started the month count until his 2 week break. Only 5 more months to go - we hope. I did pretty well not crying in front of him, but going to bed was a different story. I called my mom around 1030 pm after taking some Tylenol PM to help me sleep. I ended up falling to sleep quickly, which was a blessing.

Please keep us both in your prayers. I have a few days left here and then I get to come home to start some sort of consistency for the next 16 months. I'm looking forward to working, and spending time with family and friends. When I get home, I'll post some pictures from yesterday that we took.

Love to you all!

Prayer Chain

2007-05-11T09:02:00.000-04:00

Friends, I'm asking that the prayer chain get started. Michael will be deploying on Monday. Please keep him and me in your prayers. If you could add him to corps prayer lists and church prayer lists that would be wonderful.

We are enjoying having Andrew and Patti visiting us. They arrived Monday afternoon and we were able to take them downtown and out for some gelatto. Tuesday we took it a bit easy and waited for Michael to come home from work. We then got on the train and took them to San Marco in Venice. Patti is a brave girl because she fed the birds. She has the pictures to prove it. I woosed out and just laughed the whole time. Wednesday we went on a trip from post to an olive oil tasting and a wine tasting. It was really interesting to see how they make it. Thursday we went to Verona in the afternoon, and walked around the city to see the sights. They got to have REAL pizza and they seemed to enjoy it. This morning we went ceramic shopping and are waiting for Andrew & Michael to come back from picking up the BMW that we were able to sell the other day. We are then going to Asiago and back to post to see Spiderman 3 (we hope). Tomorrow we are off to Florence and then Sunday they are going to Pisa. Michael and I will be staying home to spend some time together before he leaves in the morning.

I fly back on May 20th. Thank you so much for your love and support. I know you will be praying for the both of us during this 16 month tour. We will need it.