Finish Line

My deployment countdown is running out of time--hallelujah!  Ben called me from Bangor, Maine this morning to tell me he was finally STATESIDE!!!  After a year long deployment to Iraq nothing could have sounded sweeter.  The Maine Troop Greeters were there with there free cell phones and photographers snapping pics.  I hope those people know how much we appreciate them taking care of our soldiers as they re-enter the US again for the first time in months.  It is so nice to be able to see pictures of my husband back in the states and here is voice as soon as he gets here. 

Ben and my friend Jasmine's husband on the phone with us thanks to the wonderful volunteers in the Maine airport!

A couple of the volunteers that were there to welcome the soldiers back onto US soil for the first time.  These people are amazing!!


It's hard to believe that I have survived another deployment when you consider my past experience.  In the beginning of this challenging year I kept praying for the Lord to take this trial away, but now that I have endured something so difficult I am grateful for what I have learned about myself.  I'm also grateful that a happy ending to this extremely challenging year is finally here!

A dear friend asked me what the most difficult part of this experience has been.  I said without hesitation it has been to have hope in spite of the things I have already lived through.  In the beginning it was a daily task to remain hopeful.  As I worked hard everyday at having hope that Ben would come home safe it got easier along the way. 

Looking back now at how I just got through it one day at a time I can see that it really was only a moment of pain and discomfort.  I never looked too far ahead and I always tried to focus on my goal of just getting through today.  Before you know it the day has passed and then a week and then a month and now here it is a year later. 

You can do ANYTHING if you work on it just one day at a time. 

Mom's Patriotic Strawberry Pie

 This is a lovely strawberry sauce my mom made for her strawberry pie.  Trust me it was delicious--I should know since I stuck my finger in it to find it.  I came home this weekend to visit my family and this was something fun we did.  Actually mostly my mom did--taste testing deserves credit though.

 Sliced strawberries also for the pie.

 A pie crust with a layer of sauce.

 That's my mom she always wears something patriotic when she makes this pie.  Then again I could just be making that up so that my title makes sense ;)

 Mom really likes making this pie and everyone really likes eating it.

 Now this is what a fruit pie should look like!

 My dad claiming the sauce pan for himself.

 The sauce pan was not enough!

He thinks my mom made the pie just for him.  She might have I dunno.  It's ok though I already got my taste when no one was looking!

To my good lookin' husband Ben

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67WWkLXM3gQ

P.S. Thanks Sam for putting this video together...it takes a strong person to stare at our pictures long enough to make us a video!

HOT MAMA

Melissa is one hot mama! Since we are on the topic of hot lets talk about heat. Yesterday it was 127 degrees. I walked outside at about 2200. Just before I opened the door I thought to myself "self, it is nighttime now. Thank goodness the sun is finally down and I can enjoy the cool air. That cool air was 100 degrees. The low that night was 93 degrees.

Because it has been so HOT I decided to fry and egg on the cement. After it was done I just looked at it...the ground is way to nasty to eat a fried egg off of it. In the end there are 4 major blessings that are just around the corner...not cool weather...see 5 day forecast below.

5 day forecast for Iraq: 122, 122, 122, 113, 113. On Thursday the low will be 83 degrees! I love the early mornings here. If I was aloud to take pictures I would show you how beautiful it is...that is as beautiful as cement and dust can be. The mornings are cool and quite, a peaceful time to contemplate my life and all that I have been blessed with.

4 Blessings Just Around the Corner

1) Football Season
2) Leaving Iraq
3) Going back to the USA
4) Holding my best friend again

Taking the GRE

I took the GRE last night.  I almost didn't.  I kept trying to think of excuses for putting it off until I had the right amount of time to prepare.  That is until I spoke with the adviser for the program I'm applying to at the University of Utah, and she told me that the GRE is being revised to be more challenging after August 1st.  Full blown panic ensued!   I frantically began watching for cancellations at any testing center within 200 miles...like I said frantically.

Finally an opening in Pocatello!  But the drawback was that it only gave me a week to study for the exam.  I called one of my life lines to help me make the decision--Cassie.  "Do it!"  She said...several times actually because I kept asking if she was sure.  Later after I took the test she told me she scheduled 3 months in advance so she would have that much time to study...good thing she didn't tell me that beforehand!

I was a nervous wreck.  I mean I read all the fine print on the instructions in every single email they sent me...I never ever do that...I always skim.  I took exactly 4 freshly sharpened No. 2 pencils, plenty of scratch paper, 3 forms of photo ID, water, snacks...I thought of everything!  I must have looked like an eager beaver when I arrived at the testing center. Actually, more like an eager beaver that had peed her pants.  Yes you read that right.  In my haste to refill my water bottle I spilled it all over the front of my pants...well not all over because it looked like I had peed my pants. 

Before starting the test I had to sign a confidentiality form and rewrite a short paragraph in cursive.  I was so nervous & focused on filling it out exactly right that I couldn't remember how to write some letters in cursive!  I snapped out of it and pulled myself together. 

Of course it didn't help my nerves at all when they had me lock all of my things in a locker, turn the insides of my pockets out, and scan me with a metal detector.  I tried to imagine I was going through airport security, and about to embark on an exciting vacation!

So about an 1.5 hours into this grueling examination of my mind...my brain turned off.  It just quit and I had to kick start it again, by reminding myself that I must not quit or give in.  My brain may be almost 30 years old, but so is my determination!  The week of studying 2-3 hours a day paid off.  I learned strategies that helped me talk myself through each problem to come up with the best answer.

I did a lot better than I expected and it boosted my confidence.  It's one of those small triumphs that makes you think you can do anything.  Then you get yourself into some really hard and wonder why you did that to yourself.

31 Reasons I love Ben.

Reason #1

Trying to take a picture of Ben is a lot like trying to take a picture of a puppy...

 I believe he was doing the funky chicken dance in the photo above.  See I told you guys he could dance!

 Ben has just one speed....full speed ahead!

That's ok though, because he always takes time out to come up with a plan using charades. See figure above. His mastermind is hard at work in that photo!  What can I say? I married a smart guy that moves so fast you can never get a picture of him.

Ben married a pretty clever gal.  The only known way to get a picture of Ben (besides begging and pleading) is to create a diversion or a distraction.  See line 1, this paragraph.

 Hey hon you shoud see what your brother just posted on facebook!

 I am brilliant.

I begged and pleaded for this one.  He complied.

Ah yes back to the reasons I love Ben...let's see what number are we on?  How about #14?   Sounds good to me. Great, then we have an agreement.

Reason #14 he looks great in a hat...actually he looks great in ANY hat!

 Reason #18 he's a lot of fun at a parade.

Reason #19 he's fun to swim with.

 WARNING!  Pictures below may be unsuitable for some viewers as they depict interrogation methods currently being used in Iraq.  View photos at your own risk.  Or take notes like I did!

Yep. That baby talked!

Reason #7 he is a cowboy.

'nuff said.

Reason #2...gosh he's cute.

 Let's get practical.  Reason #48  he has big muscles.

June 25th

Saturday June 25, 2011

We took our time getting ready this morning and left for my parent’s house after lunch.  My parent’s didn’t waste any time putting us to work.  They are getting older and they are opportunist’s when young people show up.  Especially that young studly guy I married…he’s a hunk and he has big muscles so I don’t really blame them.  I mean shoot as soon as he showed up I quit opening my own jars. 

I fired up the grill for my pops—er well I attempted to but first I had to change out of my cute outfit and put on my “proud army wife” shirt.  By the time I got out there the old man already had it going.

Ben played—I mean mowed the lawn for my folks.

We played with our puppies in the backyard and took a walk down the street to my sister’s old house.  It’s just not the same with out her kids here.  We miss those cute little boys!

Ben sat down and took sometime out for my 102 year old grandma, Irma.  I walked in just as she said “So are ya surprised to see me alive?!”  followed by her big laugh.  She’s a witty woman even at 102 years old!  I discovered last year that Irma’s name means ‘goddess of war’, so we have enjoyed teasing her about that.  Ben named his rifle for this deployment ‘Irma’, when I told her that early on in the deployment she told me she thought it was a great honor!