A Series of Unfortunate Events

Hey y'all!

    I know... Some of you probably want to put my head on a spike and march around town. Please don't! I know I didn't give you any warning about it nor did I even update you guys on what was going on during this period of time. (Awesome Blogger Award goes to me.... not)

    First off, I am so very sorry for not updating you. The whole point of a blog is to tell the story of our day to day lives and talk about things that bother us and what not... And I knew that I would have felt so much better during this time if I had blogged, but I would open up a new post and stare at the screen. I had no idea what to say... or how to even put my feelings into words.

    Secondly, I promise to update you all more. I am going to work on posting every morning again. Because, when I did that Challenge, I actually felt better. Like, my heart was content with everything that was happening.

    Thirdly, (Is that a word? Well... Now it is.) I am still dealing with some emotions and feelings that I can't express appropriately.... So, please, if you are reading about one of these things, have some patience... 

    Now, where to begin.... well, my last update to you guys was that I hated Hawaii (still do)... and that I really need to learn to not drink sweet tea anywhere near my bed time... Back in March... So... yeah. I have a lot to tell y'all about. 

    Shortly after my last post, Trent deployed. Yep. Deployed. Back in March. Right at the beginning of the PCS Process. Lucky duck. But he left with the ship and just because he's gone doesn't mean the world pauses here. So I had to get the move process started and get organized for it. I mean, moving across country doesn't exactly equal a cake walk.

    Then I started training for the Ford Island 10k. That was a struggle to begin with because I kinda love-hate running. But I signed up with a bunch of friends to do this with and I didn't want to let them down. So there I was, running on a treadmill and praying that I didn't bail and end up on YouTube in one of those gym fail videos. Oh, and all that training? It went down the drain day of the race because all those times I prayed not to bail? Well, apparently I forgot to pray, because I totally face planted/action rolled/rolled the ever living life out of my ankle at the 2 mile marker. Lost like, all of the cool points. Ended up gimping the rest of the 6 mile run. Ended up having to wrap my ankle for like a week and stretch it. #FunTimes

    After that ordeal, I went ahead and made the appointments to have my move inspection done and an appointment to ship my car all the way to SC. Once I get relatively organized and feeling like I was ahead of the game, I wake up and find a swarm of ants have infiltrated my home via the window in my stairwell... My stairwell. Not the kitchen, not the living room... the freaking stairwell. So I call the office to have someone come out because, at the time, I thought that it could be termites. (Which at the time was totally plausible in my brain seeing as a house was tented behind me...) While I was on the phone with this super nice lady, I realize that my downstairs bathroom sink is leaking. So I mention that to her as well and she sets up the appointments and I go on with my day.

    Basically, at this point, I was pretty much in the "Bring it, stupid deployment" mode. 

    *Now, let me interrupt my "catching you up" story... Do not, under any circumstances, ever say/think/write out/draw/do an interpretive dance "Bring it" when it comes to deployment. Why, you might ask? Because, my friends, it does "bring it". *

    My grandfather has a heart attack, (survived thank God), but now sounds like the Godfather... Which I am totally okay with. Then, my great grandmother has a severe stroke at the age of 93. (She is okay. She has trouble with certain words and has to use a walker now.) My Mom was super sick with some stomach bug... and I was stuck out here because with a move coming up, I couldn't just up and fly home and back. We literally couldn't afford it. This has all happened the last month-ish. 

    And then, May 21st was Mine and Trent's 2 year wedding anniversary. It was our first one where we weren't together to celebrate. Which was very weird for me. But he surprised me by sending me a video of him saying Happy Anniversary and that he loved me. :) It may not have been flowers or chocolate, but being able to see his face and hear his voice... It really made it special.

    That's pretty much all that has been going on during this unexpected hiatus... I promise to be better about my blogging. But know that it might get a little bit spotty in the end of June/through to July area as we will be traveling.

    Moving Tip #1: When you are moving, make sure you go through and clean out and organize ever room. That way you aren't carrying any extra weight, and anything that was broken or maybe damaged from the previous move isn't still hanging around! 

    Do y'all have any moving tips? Comment below!

    Would y'all like it if I did a "What's in my PCS/moving binder" blog? If so, comment below and I would be more than happy to do so!

    That's all for now! Talk to you all later!

-Haley 

Sentimental Saturday

Hey y'all,

    Today's prompt is "My Dream Wedding" Well, I already am happily married. So I will take their prompt and tell the story of my wedding! Muahahaha!

    Trent and I got married May 21, 2013 at 5:00 pm in Chandler, Arizona. We planned our wedding in 9 months and I started with a crazy idea, and ended up going a more simplistic route. He wore his choker whites, and I found my dress at Brilliant Bridal at an amazing discount. 

    Our colors were Navy Blue, Gold, and Bright White. Very elegant, and simple, which fit my personality pretty well. My bridesmaids wore Navy Blue dresses and gold jewelry. His Groomsmen wore dashing suits. Mini Groomsmen copied their bigs, and my flowergirls wore simple dresses. 

    Now time for the story, the night before the wedding we had the rehearsal and it went smoothly. The entire family got together and we ate a fabulous dinner cooked by my uncles. At midnight, Trent got kicked out for tradition. After that, I took my tipsy self upstairs to bed. Cause I was tired. 

    My Mommy came and woke me up the next morning to get my hair done, and the entire way there, my Mommy and Auntie kept asking if I was nervous. My response?

"I'm hungry. Can I get a burger?" 

    The looks on their faces were hilarious. But I did get my burger. We got our hair done and then went home where the boys were put to work with getting everything to the venue. I got to play Mission Impossible and get the dress out of the house without my Daddy seeing it. (YESSS!) I then proceeded to get to the venue and start getting my makeup done. I had my Mommy do my makeup because she had always done my makeup for every big event in my life. 

    After that, I put my dress on. In the words of my Great Grandmother: " Where have you been hiding those curves" I always wore baggy comfy clothes. So something like my dress was a culture shock.

    My Daddy walked me down the aisle and I kissed my husband at the end of it all. :) It was such a magical day and I would not have changed anything at all. 

    What was even more amazing, was the fact that below, you will see my wedding cake. Which was done by my Mama (Gramma)! It was a wonderful night and I married my best friend. :)

-Haley

In the Shadow of the Mountain

Hey y'all,

    For the 10th day of this challenge, it told me to take a picture of something green. And, because I am who I am, I am taking it a step further. I am taking a picture of something green and something that meant the world to me.

    You see, Trent and I never had a honeymoon. We got engaged and 9 months later were married so that I could move with him. Add to it the fact that we have moved 2 times in a year and a half of marriage, and we really don't have the time or the funds to go and do something fun and crazy. 

    Well, during Trent's holiday leave, he surprised me and signed us up for a tour of the island. We went all the way around and saw some absolutely beautiful landscapes and scenery. 

    The picture above was taken at a macadamia nut farm. It was in the shadow of that huge mountain, and everything was so green. There were even wild roosters and hens walking around. They had the best macadamia nuts I have ever had. The locals there were beyond friendly and I was completely and totally content and happy. We did this trip on New Years Eve, and it was so wonderful.

    What is one thing that you and your spouse have done that just left you feeling loved and content?

-Haley

My Best Friend

Hey y'all!

    I want to talk about the beautiful woman in the photo below. No, I don't want to talk about me, I want to talk about that woman that I have been through Hell and back with. I want to tell you about my best friend.

    This woman and I have been best friends since 7th grade. Which, when I think about it, I have absolutely no idea how we worked out to be such fantastic friends. I was the quiet orchestra chick that stuck to a routine, and she is the one that you want to go with a party and drink with.

    God and the Universe put us together and it took me years before I figured out why. It took our second year of college when it finally clicked. You see, in life you meet a whole different variety of people. You get a taste for each kind of person and you like and dislike various traits. But every blue moon, you meet someone that you kinda click with. Where you find that your brain waves are singing some "Jack and Diane". 

    I have been through so much with this beautiful woman. Her and I have helped each other when we have been at our lowest, and have had some serious fun when we were at our highest. The photo I chose was before I got married... Why I chose it is because this woman took a chance and could have ended up arrested, but didn't. Why you ask? Well, you know the saying when you get married? Something New, Something Old, Something Borrowed, Something Blue? Well one of my Something's was my garter and it decided to go missing as I was getting dressed. (I ended up finding it like, two days later.) What did my best friend do? Drove 80 mph to get me a new one, and still made it back with plenty of time to spare.

    I would kill for her. We have laughed, we have cried, we have screamed, and we have put up with the most insane shenanigans that you could possibly think of. But I know without any shred of doubt, that if I needed her or she needed me, we would be there for each other. That's what best friends are supposed to do. Hell, that's what SISTERS are supposed to do. And I couldn't be more grateful to have her in my life.

    Love you Gorgeous George!

-Haley