Pre-Deployment

Joe's deployment is right around the corner. He reports in on Sunday, October 14th, and leaves for final training with his unit at Fort Dix soon after (We have yet to know the exact date. The military is awesome). After a few weeks at Fort Dix(again, no exact dates yet on how long he will be there), he will continue on to Kuwait. That being sad, "pre-deployment" phase has been in full effect for our little family. Since I know so many people who are deploying in the near future, I figured I'd put together a list of things that Joe and I have been dealing with in preparation for this deployment. 

1. Soldier's and Sailor's Civil Relief Act (SSCRA)- LOOK INTO THIS!!! Any interest rate in the deploying spouse's name can be reduced! All they need is a copy of deployment orders.

2. If necessary, use deployment orders to cancel a lease, phone contract, ect...

3. Thrift Saving Plan (TSP)- Also something to look into. While your spouse is deployed, some of their deployment money can be put into an account where interest can grow on it...very quickly.

4. GI Bill and MyCAA- I just so happen to be using both of these during Joe's deployment, but you do NOT have to wait for a deployment to use these benefits. The military spouse is able to give some or all of their GI Bill to their spouse and/or dependents. I am SO thankful that Joe has been kind enough to give me nine months of his GI Bill so that I can go to school while he is deployed. It will help keep me busy! MyCAA is a military spouse "scholarship" fund that allows a substantial amount of money to go towards the spouse's education. There are some requirements that you need to meet in order to be eligible for the money which you can find here. 

5. Get a passport or make sure that your passport is updated. Its not easy to think about, but if something were to happen by your spouse while he/she is deployed and they are in serious condition, you want to be able to pack up and get on the first flight out to be with him/her. This was something that was brought up in a deployment briefing for the spouses who are being left behind or else I would have never even thought of it! I'm still in the process of checking this one off of my list...

6. Scan in deployment orders so that you have easy access to them. I can't tell you how many times Joe and I have been out to cancel a phone contract or drop an interest rate and we haven't had his orders with us. It just created more work for us later to go back home and fax the orders in to the people who need them instead of having access to them right away. 

7. Discuss finances. Make sure that the spouse staying behind knows about all the bills that need to be paid and when they are due. Make sure that you have written down all usernames and passwords for online payments. Joe is the finance guy in our relationship, so I had to sit down with him one day and write down what bill is due on what date, how much, which account it comes out of, usernames, passwords, etc...It wasn't a fun conversation but definitely needed to be done! 

8. Make sure you know where all important documents are. Remember, you aren't going to be able and pick up the phone to call your spouse and ask them where they put the marriage license or their social security card or whatever the document may be. When tax season rolls around, your going to have to know where the power of attorney document is so that you can file taxes for your family. Have a folder or a safe where you have easy access to all important documents. 

9. Discuss how deployment money is going to be spent. One of the benefits of deployment is the extra money that is going to be brought in. BE SMART. HAVE A PLAN. I can't tell you how many stories that Joe and I have heard about wives who just blow all of their extra money while their husband is deployed and are in a deep hole financially when he comes home. Use the extra money to pay off some debt or save it up for a down payment on a house. Also remember, chances are your spouse isn't going to be blowing a ton of money while they are deployed (if they are smart). And to say that he/she is going to be "roughing it" while they are gone is an understatement. When they come home, they are going to want to spoil themselves a little bit with their hard earned money. Do you really want to tell them they can't treat themselves because you couldn't refrain from shopping? I shudder to think how that conversation would go...

10. Try to think about all possible case scenarios that could happen and have a plan. Yes, its impossible to do that, but try. For example, I plan on going back home to Pennsylvania to spend Christmas with my family. Usually, Joe and I drive up so that we can take our dogs with us and not have to pay for a kennel. I know there is no way I'm going to be able to make that nineteen hour drive from Florida to Pennsylvania with two dogs by myself this year so I am going to have to pay for a kennel. That means I will already be spending more money than usual in December. That means I'm going to have to start setting money aside for that now.  Are there things that are going to happen that you didn't expect? Absolutely. But try to plan ahead as much as you possibly can.

11. Don't be afraid to ask for help. You can't do it all on your own. It pains me to write that because I am someone who likes to think that I can do it all by myself. I'm strong, I'm independent, I'm used to Joe being gone and handling things on my own...but I can't do it all by myself. Definitely not for a whole year. For example, I know that I will be moving in December. I can't move our couch by myself, I can't carry the dresser downstairs by myself. If our sink starts to leak, I don't know how to fix it. You will need help while your spouse is gone. Don't be afraid to ask for it. It doesn't mean your weak. 

12. STAY BUSY while your spouse is gone. The worst thing that you can do is have a lot of free time on your hands!

13. Sit down with your spouse and make a list of things that he/she will want while overseas. Family and friends are going to want to send packages and goodies to your spouse while they are gone. However, there is no need for little bars of soap or large bags of candy. Only have family and friends send your spouse things that he/she actually really wants or really needs. The last time Joe was deployed, his unit had a table where they dumped things from all their packages that they didn't want or had no use for. If the table got too full, they burned all the contents on that table. If friends and family want to help, and show support that is wonderful. But make sure that their money and efforts are actually going to be used. 

14. Find out benefits that you have while your spouse is deployed. Get on google or talk to FRG. There are a TON of benefits out there that you, as "the spouse left behind", have. For example, I get a free membership at YMCA for a whole year! 

Some of the hard stuff...

15. Know your spouse. You need to talk before your spouse deploys. Some of the conversations will not be easy. Your spouse is going off to fight for our country. There is a chance that he/she may not come back. Both of you need to seriously sit down and discuss your spouse's living will.  If your soldier becomes severely injured, will you be able to make the decision of how long to keep him/her on life support? Or will someone else (mother, father, brother, etc) need to make that decision for you in that moment? It's a hard, very difficult conversation, but it needs to happen. Also, do NOT be offended if your spouse discusses whether to give you general or specific power of attorney while he/she is gone. There are soldiers who give general power of attorney to spouse/girlfriends/boyfriends, etc. who end up basically stealing their life while they are deployed and they come home to NOTHING. Giving general power of attorney to you while your soldier deploys is a huge deal. Talk it over very carefully with your spouse. 

16. Be prepared for feelings to change. You would think that if your spouse is going to be leaving for an entire year that the two of you would be connected at the hip, not wanting to be apart for even a second leading up to deployment. Not true. You both are going to be experiencing the idea of an approaching deployment differently. I've found that at times Joe is a little distant and a little harsh. But, I've found that I've been worse. I know he's about to leave so I start pushing away. Its almost a feeling of abandonment yet you know thats not at all what he is doing. At the same time, I feel as though I'm preparing to being alone for a year. I need to get used to doing this alone. Its actually very easy to get annoyed with one another the closer the deployment comes. Don't take his harshness personally and be careful how you are treating him. You do want to treasure the last couple weeks (days) before he leaves for quite awhile.

For the deploying spouse (these came from Joe)...

17. Document everything. Every time you go to sick call/sick bay, make sure that it is documented. This will come in handy later on when you spouse may file for disability. Documentation is SO IMPORTANT! 

18. Pack up early. It will give you time to double check things before you leave. 

Some fun things...

19. Plan how your going to spend your last week together. You may have some extra free time together so decide how your going to spend it. Don't be too selfish. Remember friends and family are going to want to say goodbye as well. 

20. Finally, plan how you are going to spend the first month or so together after deployment. It is hard when your spouse leaves for deployment. Its harder when they return. While your spouse has been gone, life hasn't stopped for you. You've had to carry on as normal. You are going to get into a routine that you become very familiar with- a routine that he/she isn't familiar with. Your spouse is going to come home and want to jump right back into life as normal when they left, and it isn't going to be that way. So, that being said, Joe and I are planning a vacation for when he comes home. We are going to go away together and have an amazing, carefree vacation- almost like a second honeymoon. But then we are slowly going to integrate our lives back together. Going from spending zero time together for a year to spending every second together immediately may not be a good idea. Its something that is going to need to happen slowly. 

These suggestions are things that Joe and I have experienced from past deployments and this current, upcoming deployment. If you've found these suggestions helpful, please leave a comment and let me know. Also feel free to leave a comment to add to the list! I'd love to know about other people's experiences as well. 

A later blog post to come with Joe's addresses and list of items (which I'm sure will change as deployment goes on) that he would like while overseas. We both would appreciate your prayers over the next year! 

The End of a Beginning

Next Tuesday, I will officially finish my first term of photography school. I can't believe how quickly the last nine weeks have gone by! I have learned SO much over that time and am feeling slightly overwhelmed because I know that the work ahead of me isn't going to get any easier. But, I am also so excited to see what is in store for me next term. Today, I spent the entire day finishing up final project for my last class. Other than final exams, my term is basically over. So, I figured I would share some of my favorite photos from this term with all of you! 

This was a project based on balanced light. I loved the background that the seat cushions gave though! 

I was given a project where I had to find a picture that inspired me to take a picture. I hadn't done any people photography yet, so I decided to look at some engagement pictures. This was the outcome of my "inspiration" shoot. I loved the color of the bridge! 

Another assignment was to take pictures of bold colors. I went to a outdoor market and there was just color everywhere! I spent a long time taking pictures of all the different foods that were at the market.

This image is from my favorite assignment. My professor gave me a list of words and I had to choose two and define the word in a photograph. This is my "DANCE". 

Another image from my "DANCE" session

These next four images are from my final project that I worked on ALL day today. I had to emulate a photographer who established his/her career before 1980. To challenge myself, I wanted to choose a photographer that took images that wouldn't typically be my style. I research Jan Groover who is most famous for images that she took only with items found in her kitchen. So, this morning I woke up early and started a photo shoot that confined me to my kitchen for hours. I learned that still life photography is HARD work!!

One thing I noticed about Jan Groover's work was that she only did partials of her subjects. She also had a reoccurring theme of green hues pop up in her images. I was so relieved that I had green dishes! 

Jan Groover also used a lot of shadows and reflections in her images. I had to really scrub and polish all my silverware and stainless steel to get some good reflections! 

Finally, Jan Groover just seemed to throw a lot of random things from her kitchen into one place and photograph it. I was standing on the counter to take this picture and slammed my head on the ceiling when I stood up too quick! 

This was from a composition assignment. This is an example of framing. I fell in LOVE with this picture! I was in downtown St. Pete with some friends who pointed out this archway. I quickly asked them if they wouldn't mind modeling as a couple in love for me and I'm so thankful that they agreed! 

Ok, so this picture wasn't from an assignment. I won tickets to the PBR that was being hosted down here in Tampa. What made my night was when I was able to go down and meet the top 15 bull riders in the country AND get their autographs!!

So there is a little peak of what I've been working on for the past several weeks. Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Dani Lee Photography?

I had an evening completely to myself tonight so I decided to grab my camera and head down to the beach. It was the first time I was at the beach by myself with my camera. I quickly learned that when people see you taking pictures, they suddenly are very eager to have your to their picture. What I thought would be a nice quiet night on the beach ended up being social hour for me. But, I really enjoyed it. I met some very interesting people- people that I would probably never talk to or approach because I'd be way too intimidated but theres something about the camera that pulls out a more outgoing side of me, I guess. Below is the first group of characters that I came across:

They were SO excited about their picture when I showed it to them!

After a quick convo with these fellas, we went our separate ways and I began snapping pictures here and there, trying to get a better feel for my camera and all of its settings. Below are just a few shots I took before I met my next subject:

 As I was getting ready to leave the beach, I noticed a guy who was skim boarding. He had gathered quite an audience since he was the only out there and he was a little bit of a show off. As much as I wanted to take photos of him, I figured I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of an audience and a photographer (I kind of have a thing about feeding into people's egos. It drives me crazy). BUT as I was walking away, he asked me if I was able to get any good shots. He then offered his services and said that he would do his best to give me a few good shots. I really wanted to take some pics soooooo I gave in. I'm glad I did. I'm happy with some of the shots that I got of him. Afterwards, he of course was curious to see how they turned out and I showed them to him. He was thrilled and even asked for copies- how could I say no? Next time, I'm charging for my services :-) But, shame on me for being judgmental because he ended up being a super nice kid and was very kind and respectful. Below are some of my favorites that I shot of my new friend Travis:

While I was taking pictures of Travis, another gentleman (with an EXTREMELY nice camera) joined me and my little photo shoot and even gave me a few pointers as the night went on. While I had expected a quiet night, I loved meeting and getting to know several different types of people. I think I will end up visiting the beach with my camera more often! 

I know some of you out there are incredible photographers already, so please don't judge me too hard with these pictures! Like I said, I'm learning and I've got a long way to go but I really do love being behind the camera. I don't know where I'll go with photography- maybe do some freelancing or work for National Geographic (BIG DREAM!) or maybe I'll end up starting Dani Lee Photography, who knows?! But I've got some time to figure it out. Hope y'all enjoy the photos! Oh and if you would like to have a little photo shoot of your own, just let me know;-)

Never Forget

I actually liked freshman spanish class in high school. I felt as though I was pretty good at it too. On September 11, 2001, Miss Parroquiano began teaching us how to say the family tree en espanol. She flipped on the overhead (remember those?) and a large tree appeared on the board. I remember scribbling down notes furiously and even drawing my own tree. Suddenly, that familiar "beep"of the intercom sounded in the room and our principal's voice filled the classroom. 

"Our nation is under attack."

I will never forget where I was or how those words silenced an entire school so quickly. The principal continued to explain the terrorist attack that was currently ongoing in New York City. He then said a quick prayer and the room went silent again. No one really knew what to do. Miss Parroquiano continued to teach, but I wasn't worried about taking notes anymore. What was going on? What was happening? 

I went on to my next class, but by this time no one was really focused on the school day. Every television that we had in the school had the news on. For the rest of the day we went from class to class watching all the events of September 11 unfold. When it reached the news that the Pentagon had been hit, I remember a girl began crying loudly. Her father was working in the Pentagon that day. Soon after, we heard about the plane going down in Somerset County, only about eight counties away from school. Thankfully, no one at our school was directly effected. The girl whose father worked at the Pentagon was able to get word to her that he was safe. But it will always be a day that I will never, ever, forget. 

While I won't forget about the horrible events that happened that day, I don't think I will ever forget how we came together us a nation. I remember driving down the streets in small town Pennsylvania and seeing the American flag fly from almost every home. I remember how kind and helpful everyone was. I remember our nation coming together in a way that I have never seen before. 

I wish our nation would be that way again. 

On this day, eleven years later, I still get teary eyed thinking about those innocent people who lost their lives that day. I think of their families who have to live each day without their loved ones. I think about those soldiers who have left their families and friends at home to fight for our freedom and protection. I especially think of those soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom and my protection. I also think of their families who have to continue life without someone that they love. 

Finally, I think that we need to wake up as a nation. We say that we will never forget, but is that true? Where have the American flags gone? Or the appreciation for soldiers who die everyday for my freedom, for your freedom? Where is the kindness and the selflessness that was shown for weeks, even months after the attack? 

Please, America- Let's not forget.

Change

Todays thoughts have been on my mind for a long time now. I've sat down to write this post several times within the last several months, even more so within the last several weeks, but something has always stopped me. I didn't know if it would be too much information to share, too personal, and it very well may be; but then I remembered part of the reason I started writing these posts was to help me open up and be a little vulnerable. SO here goes...

My brother graduated from Marine Boot Camp in Paris Island, South Carolina when I was fifteen-years-old. I remember being so impressed with the graduation ceremony and the sense of pride from all the new Marines and their friends and family was just overwhelming. I remember saying to my family that I was going to do it too. I was going to be a Marine. 

I will never be a Marine.

My family got to know my brother's recruiter fairly well, so when he came to my high school later on that year, I decided to talk to him about my interest in the Corp. Thats when he told me that it would be impossible for me to be a Marine because of my heart murmur. I wouldn't go as far to say that I was devastated, but I was disappointed. I couldn't be a Marine, but the desire to join the military never left me. I ended up going to college for Secondary English Education and immediately got a job after graduating college and have been teaching for the past three years. However, around October of last year, the desire to join the military hit me again full force. I discussed it with Joe and we started looking into different branches of the military and possible careers but didn't tell anyone about it. In December, Joe and I travelled up to Virginia and spent some time with my Grandma and Great-Grandma. I love talking to them. My great-grandma is a wealth of information, knowledge and incredible stories. As we were wrapping up our visit, my great-grandma looked at me and told me to live life with no regrets. She told me to pursue any dream I ever had even if it seems a little bit scary. I found the timing of her advice slightly ironic considering what my current thought process was towards the military. As Joe and I continued traveling north to Pennsylvania for Christmas, we decided I would once again pursue my desire to have a military career.

As soon as we returned home from visiting family, I immediately met with an Air Force recruiter. It took a couple weeks to see if I qualified to even be looked at by an officer recruiter. I finally got the word that everything looked good, except for my heart murmur. I was told that if I got a clearance from a civilian doctor that I was able to do extreme physical activity than I would be able to pursue the career in the Air Force and meet with the officer recruiter. I did get the clearance and was told to begin studying for the AFOQT (Air Force Officer Qualifying Test). I wasn't scheduled to take the test until late March of this year. I've never studied so hard for a test before in my life. As my test date was looming near, I got a phone call from my recruiter saying that he was PCSing and I would have to wait to continue until the new recruiter arrived...in two months.

When I finally met with the officer recruiter, things didn't exactly go as planned. I told him that I wanted to be a special investigations officer and he basically told me the chances of getting that job were slim to none. He could get me in immediately if I took a flight job, but I just didn't feel right taking any of those jobs. That day, I walked away from a career in the Air Force. While my name is still out there, the possibility of getting the job that I want is high unlikely.

I got all this information recently- around mid June. I had already quit my job as a teacher, hoping that I would have been gone for boot camp over the summer or in the early fall. Obviously this is not happening, so I was stuck. What do I do now? Joe and I decided to take this opportunity for me to go back to school. SO, three weeks ago I started school for Professional Photography. If all goes to plan (which it never seems to) I will be done with school by next fall. My plan then is to start doing some freelance photography. I'd love to take pictures for magazines and travel the world doing so. The ultimate goal that I'm holding for myself is to get one of my photos into National Geographic. While I never thought that photography would be easy, I'm learning that it is a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. So for the next year, I will being diving head first into learning the profession of photography.

All that goes to say, a lot of changes have happened in my life that I hadn't really anticipated. I hadn't planned on not teaching, I hadn't planned on the Air Force not working out, and I hadn't planned on going to school for photography. But considering Joe's deployment is getting closer (only two months away now), I feel as though I'm exactly where I should be. I'm learning a new craft which I enjoy and it will be a good distraction while Joe is gone. So if anyone knows of a good place to shoot some pictures, or is willing to be a model for some of my shoots I'm going to have to do for school or has any advice- I'm all ears!  

Sweet Summertime

Teacher: "Are you excited for summer?"

Student: "Yeah, I guess so"

Teacher: "What do you mean you guess so?! Since the beginning of the school year, 

summer break is all you've talked about!"

Student: "Yeah, the break is nice. But then, it gets boring and I miss being in school."

Teacher: "I completely understand."

If you are a teacher or a student you probably have had a similar conversation to the one written above. I know I've had the conversation multiple times with several different students and I couldn't agree more with them! Summer can get boring. Teachers and students alike look forward to summer break, but after a few weeks you typically miss the hustle and bustle of school. Now I say typically because I can honestly say I haven't had that thought once since school has let out! I have had a surprisingly very busy summer and I've loved every second of it so far. In fact, thats why I've been MIA for several weeks. I just haven't had the time to sit down and blog about the current boots and spurs* of my life. So this is a "catch up" blog post. There are three wonderful things that have happened to me so far this summer and ironically they all, literally, involve boots....

1. Line Dancing

For my 25th birthday, my husband took me line dancing at the Waterin Trough and I've been hooked ever since. I used to go to square dances when I was younger, but it had been such a long time since I've been able to do some good ol' country dancing! I do enjoy the dancing, but I think I'm hooked on the Waterin Trough for a different reason. As odd as it sounds, I feel almost at home there. Its like stepping out of Florida and into the middle of a small town out in the midwest somewhere. There are wrangler jeans, boots, cowboy hats, and belt buckles EVERYWHERE. And of course, lots and lots of country music- all. night. long. I love it.

Line Dancing at the Waterin Trough

2. In the Breeze Horse Ranch

At the end of June, my friend Abby and I participated in a 5K Mud Run (which was awesome by the way). However, the best part about this run was that it took place within a horse farm. Incase you haven't read my past blog posts, I am in love with horses. I've been told that I could ride before I could walk. I feel most comfortable and in my element when I am on a horse. So, when I showed up for this mud run and saw several horses on the property, I immediately went is search of the owner to see if I could work at the barn. Before I knew it, I was filling out paperwork and was told to show up at the barn whenever my schedule would allow me to be there. I am SO grateful for the opportunity to work with and be around horses again. So if anyone in Florida wants to go for a horseback ride, schedule an appointment with In the Breeze Horse Ranch and ask for me to be your guide! I'd love to show you around the farm :-) 

Bentley and I at In the Breeze Horse Farm. Bentley is the horse that the barn has "given" me to work with!

3. A Dear Friend's Wedding

Finally, I had the wonderful opportunity to witness Dana Marie Yarbrough Griffin's wedding. Whew, thats a mouthful! Dana and I have been friends since '08 when I spent the summer working at a camp in Georgia. Her family took me in and even referred to me as their "adopted daughter". I love Dana and her family dearly, so when she asked me to come up early and help her out with some wedding details I obviously could not and would not deny her request! Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Debbie had other ideas and delayed my trip a couple of days. But once, I was back with Dana and back in Georgia I felt like we picked up right where we left off and I had an absolute blast! Not only did I love being back in Georgia with Dana's family, but I also just loved being back in the true south. I love the culture, I love the way people talk, and I love how absolutely kind and charming people are. So I wanted to take the time to say thank you to Miss Penny for all your hospitality(and margaritas), to Kip for organizing an incredible bachelorette night, to Miss Michele for your photography tips, to Grannie Fran for your advice, and to Mama Brenda for opening up your home to me. And finally, happy one week of being married to the wonderful couple- Tyler and Dana Griffin! 

The beautiful bride and myself! 

The kiss

Bachelorette Crew! 

Newlyweds

So that has been my summer so far in a nut shell. Its been busy, but full of just fun. The only negative or spur* of this summer has been the absence of my husband as he has been away. However, I look forward to being with him in about a week and for the adventures we will have on the family farm up in Ohio. While it is already July, I feel as though summer has just begun and I have plenty of more fun to look forward to! 

Happy Anniversary, Love

"Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite". Thats probably a quote that most women would one hundred percent agree with. I am definitely a part of that "most women" category. Today is our second wedding anniversary. I know we haven't been married long (especially compared to those people out there who have been together for fifty plus years) but every time our anniversary rolls around, I love reflecting back on how it all began for us. I may be a little biased, but I do believe that our love story is something very special and very different than most people. But the reason why our love story is so amazing, is because you can definitely see God's hand in bringing us together. There are so many tiny details and decisions that had to be made at a precise time in order for our lives to cross paths. While Joe and I didn't meet until I was a senior in college, our story begins back in high school...

Joe grew up in the small town of Travelers Rest, South Carolina and attended Hampton Park Christian school from kindergarten to twelfth grade. He graduated in 2005 with a pretty small class so he was close with most of his classmates. Several of his classmates decided to go to Christian colleges but, in order for us to ever have met, the decision of one of his classmates named Julie to attend Northland Baptist Bible College was crucial (you'll understand why as the story continues). Joe had already decided that he was going to join the Army after high school. Both his father and his older brothers had served and he felt led to enlist as well. He went through boot camp and was stationed in Hawaii for a couple years before he was told that he would be deploying to Iraq in 2007.

     

Back in the small rural town of Elverson, Pennsylvania, I was completing my senior year at Twin Valley High School. I had transferred to Twin Valley my junior year, and while I made some great friends, I wouldn't say that I was especially close to anyone. It was tough transferring in to a new school and by the time your junior year rolls around, your pretty set with your group of friends. It didn't help that I was extremely shy when I was in high school and had a hard time opening up to others. After graduation, I still didn't know exactly where I wanted to attend college and what I wanted to major in. I eventually ended up enrolling at the local community college but only attended there for a semester. Over the course of the next year and a half, I attended two different colleges. Every summer I worked at a summer camp. For two years, I was the horse wrangler at High Point Camp. My last summer there, I met a great group of people who attended Clearwater Christian College. I had a blast with them and decided to change colleges once again, so I moved to Florida to finish out my degree in Secondary English Education. 

Working as a wrangler at High Point Camp. Spreading hay for the horses! 

My favorite horse was Macon- he LOVED to go swimming in the lake!

more camp fun with fellow Clearwater Friends! 

My first year at Clearwater was tough. I got into a little bit of trouble which made me re-evaluate my life and where I was headed. I started dating a guy who I was absolutely head over heels with. He ended up breaking it off with me the summer before my senior year of college. It was hard, but I learned a lot about myself and now, looking back, it was probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me. So going into my senior year, I decided NO BOYS. I just wanted to hang out with friends and enjoy my last year of college. 

During my senior year, I roomed with my friend, Jen, who was from Oahu, Hawaii. We became very close and did pretty much everything together. She was aware of all the trouble I had gotten in before, and how heart broken I was over the break up I experienced over the summer. She also knew how important the military was to me. My brother had just returned from a tour in Iraq, and I had shared with Jen how I had missed sending packages and supporting a group of soldiers overseas. She then informed me that she knew of a guy who was currently serving in Iraq that she had met at her church in Hawaii. See, before Jen attended Clearwater, she went to school at Northland Baptist Bible College and knew Joe's classmate, Julie, from high school. Julie had asked Jen to get in touch with Joe (since he was stationed in Hawaii) and help him find a good church. So now, Jen started to play matchmaker for me. Jen got in touch with Joe and told him about me. We started talking through facebook messages, which turned into facebook chat, which eventually turned into phone calls. At first, I just enjoyed being there for a soldier. More than once, Joe told me he just appreciated talking to me. It kept him grounded while he was over there; it reminded him that he would eventually be coming home to a "normal" life once again. But somewhere after the second month of talking, things began to change. I began looking forward to these phone calls and checking my facebook often, hoping for a message from him. I began to become seriously worried and concerned when I didn't hear from him after he had told me he was going on a mission. But, I didn't want him to know my feelings were changing. I didn't want to ruin what we had, especially for him. I didn't want him to become distracted or annoyed while he was overseas. 

Jen and I

late night studying for finals

Basketball nationals

College graduates! 

Hawaiian tradition

But everything was all put out on the table in October of 2008. I was on a soccer trip to Atlanta when I got a phone call from Joe late one night. He was going on a mission the next day and wanted to talk before he left. We talked about everything and anything. Towards the end of our conversation, Joe dropped the "L" word. He told me he loved me. I was blown away and didn't quite know how to respond. I hadn't even technically met this guy and he was saying he loved me; yet, I oddly felt the same way. But how could that be? Again, we hadn't even met! I asked him if he realized what he had just said. How strong that word was. He explained to me that he knew exactly what he was talking about. He told me that when death has stared him in the face several times while going on these mission, you don't want to have any regrets. Your view on life and what is important changes. So he told me he did love me. And he understood exactly what he was saying. 

The soccer trip where the "love" word was dropped for the first time!

After that conversation, everything changed for us. I knew then that I was going to marry this man. After he returned from Iraq and was able to go on leave, I flew up to South Carolina and met him at the airport where we met for the first time. It was as if we had known each other for years. We were completely comfortable around each other and things just felt right. I spent my spring break with him and then he flew back to Hawaii. Once I graduated from college in May, I flew out there to be with him. 

Seeing one another for the first time

what a wonderful day

first kiss!

Seriously one of the best days ever. I will never forget it!

And the rest is history. We were engaged in October of '09 and married June 4, 2010. Most of our relationship has been spent apart. While dating, Joe was in Iraq and Hawaii. While engaged, Joe was in Florida and I was in Pennsylvania. While married, Joe has been gone for training at several different schools for months at a time and has been gone on several missions as well. This year, on our anniversary, Joe is gone on a mission. Next year, on our anniversary, Joe will be deployed. While we aren't able to spend much time together, I wouldn't change anything about our relationship. It isn't quite a "normal" marriage, according to most people, but its perfect for us. And if you know Joe, he wouldn't want us to be "normal" either. He is all about being different! 

Two years ago today, I was so blessed to marry a man who truly makes me happy. Who loves me and makes sacrifices for me endlessly. I married a man who is unbelievably selfless. He has the biggest heart and cares deeply for people. We have so much fun just being completely crazy together. He is an incredible leader in our marriage and I respect him so much. I love him more than anything and look forward to many more anniversaries, whether they are spent celebrating together or apart. 

Thank you for two amazing years, Joe. I love you and I love our story that we share! 

June 4, 2010

June 4, 2011