Well, our time in Fort Benning is dwindling down...we should be moving by the end of this week! So, apologies if you don't hear from us for awhile after this. The Army is moving us out to El Paso, which means they will come into my house and box it all up for me. Well, let's be honest...I have to have more control than that, so I've basically packed up the majority of our house. I think the movers are going to laugh at me (or be super grateful...) when they walk in! I just had to be sure all those important things were wrapped up well and coated with bubble wrap. Plus, it's helped me not go crazy. It is a bizarre feeling sitting in your house, furniture and belongings intact, and knowing that you're moving in less than a week...it feels like you should be doing something. You know, like packing. So I did. Sorry, movers. But I will gladly let you haul all the boxes and heavy furniture out to the truck. I'll provide the lemonade, snacks, and moral support!
Of course with moving comes lots of goodbyes. Yesterday was my last day at ESL, and it was so bittersweet. It was sad to leave my students behind, especially two of them--Maguey (Maggie) and Maritza (Ma-reet-za). They are from the Congo and El Salvador, respectively, and have been so much fun to have in class. We ended the semester with a Christmas party and we acted out the Christmas story, which was hilarious. One of the teachers also explained all of the Christmas traditions, such as stockings, Santa, presents, and more. While many other countries celebrate Christmas as well, it is a Christian holiday and not all of our students come from "Christian-rich" societies. In addition, they celebrate differently! It was fun to be able to share the Gospel as well as our traditions with them.
Today I went to my last Cardio Core. I don't think I've talked much about this, but it's a class I go to at the gym with Dana and Meghan and it has been kicking my butt since July! Our instructor is great--we love her! She's just the right balance of challenging/encouraging you. We've been using the TRX system lately and I LOVE it. We've done all of the exercises in that picture! It is so hard but you feel so good after you do it--good sense of accomplishment! And you can temper it to your ability level and make it easier/harder on yourself throughout the workout...I am going to miss this class! It has kept me in such good shape outside of running. Hopefully we'll find another class like it in El Paso.
Finally, we're having to say goodbye to all of our friends. You think 5 months really isn't that long, but we have really gotten to be great friends with about 7 other couples. We've had a ton of shared experiences and have had a hilarious time trying to figure out this Army life! The other wives and I have spent many days and nights playing games, eating, and talking while the guys were out training and have gotten so close! Thankfully I get to have two of them with me in El Paso, but it's going to be so hard to leave the others. We're hoping that when the guys have to come back to Benning in a few years for the Captain's Career Course that we'll all be here at the same time :)
When I left Starkville in June, I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this whole Army life. But so far, I have truly enjoyed it. I've learned a lot about myself, Brian, making friends, and a lot of acronyms and Army lingo! I think we've all gained some confidence too, which comes from experience. I was so nervous coming here and now I feel so at home. I'm hoping for the same kind of experience (or better!) out in El Paso.
When I left Starkville in June, I did what I always do when I leave that town for a long period of time; before I get on the road, I take my ritual drive through campus. I go slow and go through all the memories...football games, living in the dorms, going to Wesley, FPC, walking on campus, giving RoadRunner tours, eating outside at the Bakery, meals and fun at the Chi O house, running on South and North Farm, and so, so, so much more. This past summer as I was leaving out the main entrance I (of course) started to tear up, realizing that I really was about to begin a journey I knew nothing about. Up until that point, I had done the predictable and the comfortable: school! But this was new. I was listening to KLOVE, the contemporary Christian radio station, soaking in the warm summer sun, and this song came on...it's by Matt Maher, and it's called "Love will Hold Us Together". These verses hit me:
Love, will, hold us together
Make us a shelter
to weather the storm
And I’ll, be, my brothers keeper
So the whole world will know
That we’re not alone
And then....
This is the first, day of the rest of your life
This is the first, day of the rest of your life
‘Cause even in the dark you can still see the light
It’s gonna be alright, s’gonna be alright
During this verse, I started laughing! Pure, uncontrollable laughter! Well, laughter with tears rolling down my face! Because I felt like God was speaking directly to me and saying, "Rebecca, why are you so upset? It's gonna be alright!" And of course, it did feel like the first day of the rest of my life; I was leaving the world of school and truly felt like I was becoming an adult...It was one of those beautiful moments in life where even though you're sad, you're also inexplicably happy. I love the combination of laughter and tears--it's like your body just can't hold it all in so it has to find multiple ways to get everything out! I started and finished the drive with a light and joyful heart, knowing that God was on my side and that His love would forever be around and in me. Praise the Lord!
Plus, the song has a fun "sound" to it...sorry, I'm totally not musically-inclined, but it just sounds like something that we'd all be singing unabashedly and joyfully because of the promises in it! What joy there is in knowing that with Christ, we are never alone. And He is so good to bless us with people who uplift, encourage, support, and rebuke us in love as well as remind us of His love through their words, actions and life. Praise the Lord!
Blessings to you all! And Merry Christmas! Perhaps by the New Year we will be in Texas! Oh the adventures to come...
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
14 December 2010
06 December 2010
A 6-Week Synopsis...
6 weeks ago, we were told we were moving to El Paso that week...well, that plan changed, and the date got moved back to mid-December, so I pretty much pushed the whole "moving issue" aside and went on with my merry life. Well, it is now mid-December. Annnd where did the last 6 weeks go? I'm not really sure, so I'm going to try and recap them to remind myself!
Let's start with some of life's constants...class at Auburn continued, and I went to my last college class ever last Wednesday-I was thrilled. Still waiting to hear if I have to take the final this week; keeping my fingers crossed that the answer is 'no'!
Dana, Anica, and I ran in the Soldier Half-Marathon here on post on Nov. 13-we had so much fun! It was unseasonably cold that morning (it only got out of the 70's last week!), and we couldn't find Anica, so Dana and I were literally the last people to start the race! We eventually found her though around mile 3, which was good! About 2 miles in, we had to run up this pretty steep, long hill. Well, even though we trained on hills, we weren't looking forward to running up this one! But we didn't dare to stop, because they put drill sargeants on the hill, who were yelling things like "Stay Motivated!" "Keep running!" "Do not stop!" as we ran up the hill. Dana and I died laughing and didn't stop running! It was hilarious. The race went by pretty fast; we clocked a fast few hours, running about 7 miles in the first hour, which was awesome! We slowed down a bit the last 6, bringing us in to finish around 2:03--we were happy about that! Somehow during these races you get to about mile 7 or 8, and you start to think, "Wait, I'm at mile 8?! I've run 8 miles already?! This is crazy!" But they are so much fun and it's so nice to have people to run with! We talked and laughed the whole time!
After the race, I came home and showered off because Lindsay and Allen came up to visit for the day! I made sure to make up the calories I burned off that day by pigging out on tailgate food while watching the MSU/Alabama game! (I think...can't remember if that's who we played that weekend...) We showed Linds and Allen around Benning and had such a great time catching up with them. I'm going to miss having them so close to us when we get out to Bliss!
The next weekend, we trekked over to Starkville for our last home game for who knows how long! We had so much fun; almost all of the old crew was there! Allen and Lindsay, Matt and Leigh, Paul, Mark and Caroline, and all the younger siblings! We had a blast tailgating, catching up, and of course, getting very little sleep. It was such an exciting game, even though we lost! I lost my voice I screamed so much during the game!
After coming back from Starkville, Brian and I stayed in Benning until Wednesday (Brian had to work) and got home Wednesday night. We stayed with my family on Wednesay (my mom's birthday!) and Thursday night and with his family on Friday and Saturday night. It was so wonderful to go home and to get to see both families; I really enjoyed that. We caught up with family and a lot of old friends, which was such a great uplift for us! And we managed not to overeat on Thanksgiving...amazing, since we ate two Thanksgiving dinners! We played a lot of games, saw some movies, and went hiking as well as knocked out some Christmas shopping, which was a plus! But no Black Friday for me...slept in instead :)
Things started to wind down after Thanksgiving; my class finished up, and I'm almost finished with ESL classes. Our last teaching day is Thursday, and on Monday we're having a Christmas party, which I think will be fun! I did do quite a bit of subbing the week before Thanksgiving and had quite a few interesting experiences...did I mention I had two kids named Sean Paul and Shakira? Yeah, it was sort of difficult to call them that all day without smiling to myself...poor kids. Imagine having that name for your whole life...
Family related news: Clay and Lindsay have made some great progress on the wedding and I can't wait for it to get here! Linds picked some gorgeous dresses, from none other than my favorite J.Crew--and they're maroon! Emily got accepted into a summer abroad program at Clemson and is now going to INDIA this summer! I am jealous! And finally, Paige and Eric made the Huntsville Times with their epic deer hunt over Thanksgiving break! Paige came home with 3--she beat all the boys!
This past Thursday-Saturday, the Kisers and Arants came to visit us! Nathan is home on R&R from Afghanistan, and they wanted to get together while he was home. They've been in Mississippi so they drove over on Thursday morning to come see us. We had a great time together catching up, showing Shellaine around Benning and where Nathan lived while he was here for BOLC, watching football, eating, and relaxing! Shellaine, Lindsay, and I also got some shopping accomplished, which was exciting :) It was really nice to spend some time with all of them, especially before we move out West!
Speaking of moving out West, we are in the process of leaving Benning. Brian started "out-processing" today, and will take anywhere from 3-10 days to complete. It's a bunch of paperwork, running around, and contacting different people before you can leave any post. While he's been doing that, I've been cleaning house, organizing our stuff, and getting it ready to be packed. The Army is moving us out there, so I'm purging through some of our stuff and trying to categorize it so that I don't have dishes, sheets, and books all in the same box! Since the Army is pretty volatile with timelines, we won't know our Christmas plans until they are upon us...I'm a little bummed about this because we can't set up a Christmas tree this year since we're in the middle of moving. We probably won't get one either while we're out in Texas, because they don't grow Christmas trees out there...I guess for the first time in my life I'm going to have to buy a fake Christmas tree. Or maybe I'll just buy a cactus. I could hang ornaments off of the little prickles...All about getting a little creative!
It's been a crazy last few weeks and I know the next few will be just as hectic! But it's been a fun mixture of friends, family, and exciting experiences. It's been a good reminder to be thankful for the intangible things in life, as well as a lesson in being flexible and patient. I hope you all are off to a wonderful Christmas and holiday season--I'm living vicariously through your Christmas decorations and trees! One day soon you can sit with me, sip hot chocolate (or a margarita), and admire my ornament-adorned cactus... :) Love and blessings!
Let's start with some of life's constants...class at Auburn continued, and I went to my last college class ever last Wednesday-I was thrilled. Still waiting to hear if I have to take the final this week; keeping my fingers crossed that the answer is 'no'!
Dana, Anica, and I ran in the Soldier Half-Marathon here on post on Nov. 13-we had so much fun! It was unseasonably cold that morning (it only got out of the 70's last week!), and we couldn't find Anica, so Dana and I were literally the last people to start the race! We eventually found her though around mile 3, which was good! About 2 miles in, we had to run up this pretty steep, long hill. Well, even though we trained on hills, we weren't looking forward to running up this one! But we didn't dare to stop, because they put drill sargeants on the hill, who were yelling things like "Stay Motivated!" "Keep running!" "Do not stop!" as we ran up the hill. Dana and I died laughing and didn't stop running! It was hilarious. The race went by pretty fast; we clocked a fast few hours, running about 7 miles in the first hour, which was awesome! We slowed down a bit the last 6, bringing us in to finish around 2:03--we were happy about that! Somehow during these races you get to about mile 7 or 8, and you start to think, "Wait, I'm at mile 8?! I've run 8 miles already?! This is crazy!" But they are so much fun and it's so nice to have people to run with! We talked and laughed the whole time!
After the race, I came home and showered off because Lindsay and Allen came up to visit for the day! I made sure to make up the calories I burned off that day by pigging out on tailgate food while watching the MSU/Alabama game! (I think...can't remember if that's who we played that weekend...) We showed Linds and Allen around Benning and had such a great time catching up with them. I'm going to miss having them so close to us when we get out to Bliss!
The next weekend, we trekked over to Starkville for our last home game for who knows how long! We had so much fun; almost all of the old crew was there! Allen and Lindsay, Matt and Leigh, Paul, Mark and Caroline, and all the younger siblings! We had a blast tailgating, catching up, and of course, getting very little sleep. It was such an exciting game, even though we lost! I lost my voice I screamed so much during the game!
After coming back from Starkville, Brian and I stayed in Benning until Wednesday (Brian had to work) and got home Wednesday night. We stayed with my family on Wednesay (my mom's birthday!) and Thursday night and with his family on Friday and Saturday night. It was so wonderful to go home and to get to see both families; I really enjoyed that. We caught up with family and a lot of old friends, which was such a great uplift for us! And we managed not to overeat on Thanksgiving...amazing, since we ate two Thanksgiving dinners! We played a lot of games, saw some movies, and went hiking as well as knocked out some Christmas shopping, which was a plus! But no Black Friday for me...slept in instead :)
Things started to wind down after Thanksgiving; my class finished up, and I'm almost finished with ESL classes. Our last teaching day is Thursday, and on Monday we're having a Christmas party, which I think will be fun! I did do quite a bit of subbing the week before Thanksgiving and had quite a few interesting experiences...did I mention I had two kids named Sean Paul and Shakira? Yeah, it was sort of difficult to call them that all day without smiling to myself...poor kids. Imagine having that name for your whole life...
Family related news: Clay and Lindsay have made some great progress on the wedding and I can't wait for it to get here! Linds picked some gorgeous dresses, from none other than my favorite J.Crew--and they're maroon! Emily got accepted into a summer abroad program at Clemson and is now going to INDIA this summer! I am jealous! And finally, Paige and Eric made the Huntsville Times with their epic deer hunt over Thanksgiving break! Paige came home with 3--she beat all the boys!
This past Thursday-Saturday, the Kisers and Arants came to visit us! Nathan is home on R&R from Afghanistan, and they wanted to get together while he was home. They've been in Mississippi so they drove over on Thursday morning to come see us. We had a great time together catching up, showing Shellaine around Benning and where Nathan lived while he was here for BOLC, watching football, eating, and relaxing! Shellaine, Lindsay, and I also got some shopping accomplished, which was exciting :) It was really nice to spend some time with all of them, especially before we move out West!
Speaking of moving out West, we are in the process of leaving Benning. Brian started "out-processing" today, and will take anywhere from 3-10 days to complete. It's a bunch of paperwork, running around, and contacting different people before you can leave any post. While he's been doing that, I've been cleaning house, organizing our stuff, and getting it ready to be packed. The Army is moving us out there, so I'm purging through some of our stuff and trying to categorize it so that I don't have dishes, sheets, and books all in the same box! Since the Army is pretty volatile with timelines, we won't know our Christmas plans until they are upon us...I'm a little bummed about this because we can't set up a Christmas tree this year since we're in the middle of moving. We probably won't get one either while we're out in Texas, because they don't grow Christmas trees out there...I guess for the first time in my life I'm going to have to buy a fake Christmas tree. Or maybe I'll just buy a cactus. I could hang ornaments off of the little prickles...All about getting a little creative!
It's been a crazy last few weeks and I know the next few will be just as hectic! But it's been a fun mixture of friends, family, and exciting experiences. It's been a good reminder to be thankful for the intangible things in life, as well as a lesson in being flexible and patient. I hope you all are off to a wonderful Christmas and holiday season--I'm living vicariously through your Christmas decorations and trees! One day soon you can sit with me, sip hot chocolate (or a margarita), and admire my ornament-adorned cactus... :) Love and blessings!
26 October 2010
Living Up to the Name
...The name of the blog, that is, but I'll get to that in a bit. I get the "blog-slacker" award for not updating in a month...but a big thank-you to all of you who consistently write in yours, because I love reading about/seeing your life unfold, even with all the miles between us!
So the month of October has been a busy one! Brian had his cumulative field exercise where they had to assault and take over a village. The allowed the wives to come watch and it was SO. MUCH. FUN. Lots of loud noises, simulation explosions of bombs, artillery shells, and mortars...pretty cool. Their company XO (executive officer) stayed with us on top of a building and explained everything to us; their movements, why they were doing what they were doing, and the final objective: to take the building we were standing on! And they succeeded :) Way to go Charlie Rock! Pictures are on Facebook if you want to see. We don't look so cute because we had to be at the buses at 5 AM, which means ponytail + no makeup = not cute. After spending about a week cleaning weapons, Brian and his classmates graduated last Thursday and finally got to put on their blue Infantry cord. Those pictures are also on Facebook...
On Oct. 14, I flew to Baltimore, Maryland to visit some of my best friends! These are girls I went through life/high school with and we've stayed close ever since. Katie lives and goes to school in Baltimore and they convienently had a half-marathon in the fall--perfection. I've always wanted to run a half-marathon in the fall! So Lydia, Sarah, and I flew up to Baltimore and we spent the weekend eating amazing food, running, and catching up, all while climbing 4 flights of stairs to get to Katie's apartment. After a half-marathon that's all on asphalt/concrete, 4 flights of stairs kills your quads/knees. It was such a fun trip and I want to do it again...now. We spent Saturday after the race at Inner Harbor, sitting on a pier and enjoying the beautiful day! Sarah and I ran the half-marathon together and it was perfect weather; about 70-75 degrees and a nice breeze! We even got a suntan from our running tops! We did deem that Baltimore had a terrible finish line...it was extremely chaotic and the race officials/policemen were not very helpful in terms of pointing you in the right direction! They should basically put us in charge. Duh. But it was an incredible, much-needed trip and it only made me miss them more!
October also (finally) brought around my substitute teacher confirmation. It only took 7 weeks and no updates, but hey, I'm finally allowed to be a sub for the schools on post-whoo hoo!
Auburn class is going well-still enjoying the content, classmates, and my teacher! My ESL classes are also going well; I usually have between 5-12 students each time and we've finally moved off of the verb "to be" and are into new and exciting things like the present progressive tense! (For non-grammarians, that's verbs ending in -ing...) They are truly great students and I really enjoy teaching them.
This past weekend we had a really great time hanging out with friends! Saturday morning Dana, Hannah, and I ran a "Cross Country 10K", and let me tell you, it was truly cross country style! The first 5K was not--easy, on grass/pavement, and we came across the clock at a pretty respectable time, considering I haven't run a 5K since high school! And then...the "cross-country" part started. The last 5K was basically all sand. Yes, loose, beach-like sand! And it was washed out, so you really had to watch your step. Needless to say, we had to slow down! Dana placed 4th in our age group and Hannah and I came in 7th and 8th! Pretty exciting! We went out for Mexican food afterwards which was incredible. That night we had them over as well as our friends Kristy and Kevin for football and a fire outside! The boys watched football while the girls ate dinner, made smores, and talked outside all night long! It was a great day!
Now onto our latest news...Brian was supposed to go to Ranger School this Sunday. Ranger School is a 61 day "school" designed in three phases: forest, mountain, and swamp. Each phase is 3 weeks long, and you can fail or be recycled (start the phase over) at basically any time. It's a comprehensive school to test leadership, physicality, tactical knowledge, and various other components while being under a large amount of stress. Ranger School students typically get about 1-2 hours of sleep a night (or none) and run on about 1-2 meals a day (or none). It is supposed to be worse than any combat situation you'll ever come across. Oh, and I don't see him except once, for 8 hours, during the entire 61 days. But we can write letters :)
Now, having said that, we have discovered that Brian is now not going to Ranger School on Sunday, which means that we're on orders to move to El Paso (Ft. Bliss)...next Wednesday. Ha! Talk about completely being caught off-guard! We knew that if he didn't get a Ranger School slot for October, then he would probably get one for January. We were led to believe that he'd most likely stay here, doing details and odd jobs for the holding company. We knew there was an ever-so-slight chance we could go to Bliss, but honestly, we both sort of dismissed it because A) we thought he'd be going to Ranger school, and B) because if he didn't go to Ranger school, we figured they keep us here. WRONG...So, hence how the blog title is coming true: we are PCS'ing (Permanent Change of Station) NEXT WEEK! Yes, I am still a little in shock/denial. I have really come to love Ft. Benning and I feel like we're are finally getting settled into a routine/commitments. We've traveled a lot the past 3 months so we've been out of town most weekends, but I was really excited about these upcoming months because I thought we would get into a more "normal" lifestyle. I've taken on some newer commitments (substitute teaching, and I also just started working with First Pres-Columbus- youth group 2 weeks ago) and I was excited about getting more involved within those areas. Just goes to show that your plan isn't always the plan that's going to happen! I've gotten some really wonderful encouragement from friends and family and that has made this so much easier--so thank you! It's not that I didn't expect this...I just didn't expect this until May! I think the hardest thing will be to leave my friends--it is amazing how quickly we have grown close over the past 4 months. I guess that's what you have to do though! Thankfully I get to take two of them to El Paso with me, since their husbands are also stationed there! So here goes to step 2 in this grand adventure...the Lord has reminded me, especially through the words of my friends, that his plan is sovereign and that it is also perfect; therefore while this may not make sense to us, there is a purpose behind it, even if we don't see it. These past few months have really been a struggle with trust and I feel like this is just another exercise in learning to trust fully and wholly in Him. But praise the Lord, because He is good! While I've struggled with trusting Him I've also seen firsthand the many blessing He's poured so lavishly upon us, and I know His faithfulness will remain, even in red, dry El Paso.
Speaking of El Paso...there is practically no grass. And the trees look kind of strange...But mom reminded me: I can decorate a cactus for Christmas. And that has always been a dream of mine. (Not really, but it's about to become one...)
Our mission this week: Keep our chin up, and pack some boxes!
It may be awhile before you hear from us...I mean, it only takes 23 hours and 24 minutes to get there!
So the month of October has been a busy one! Brian had his cumulative field exercise where they had to assault and take over a village. The allowed the wives to come watch and it was SO. MUCH. FUN. Lots of loud noises, simulation explosions of bombs, artillery shells, and mortars...pretty cool. Their company XO (executive officer) stayed with us on top of a building and explained everything to us; their movements, why they were doing what they were doing, and the final objective: to take the building we were standing on! And they succeeded :) Way to go Charlie Rock! Pictures are on Facebook if you want to see. We don't look so cute because we had to be at the buses at 5 AM, which means ponytail + no makeup = not cute. After spending about a week cleaning weapons, Brian and his classmates graduated last Thursday and finally got to put on their blue Infantry cord. Those pictures are also on Facebook...
On Oct. 14, I flew to Baltimore, Maryland to visit some of my best friends! These are girls I went through life/high school with and we've stayed close ever since. Katie lives and goes to school in Baltimore and they convienently had a half-marathon in the fall--perfection. I've always wanted to run a half-marathon in the fall! So Lydia, Sarah, and I flew up to Baltimore and we spent the weekend eating amazing food, running, and catching up, all while climbing 4 flights of stairs to get to Katie's apartment. After a half-marathon that's all on asphalt/concrete, 4 flights of stairs kills your quads/knees. It was such a fun trip and I want to do it again...now. We spent Saturday after the race at Inner Harbor, sitting on a pier and enjoying the beautiful day! Sarah and I ran the half-marathon together and it was perfect weather; about 70-75 degrees and a nice breeze! We even got a suntan from our running tops! We did deem that Baltimore had a terrible finish line...it was extremely chaotic and the race officials/policemen were not very helpful in terms of pointing you in the right direction! They should basically put us in charge. Duh. But it was an incredible, much-needed trip and it only made me miss them more!
October also (finally) brought around my substitute teacher confirmation. It only took 7 weeks and no updates, but hey, I'm finally allowed to be a sub for the schools on post-whoo hoo!
Auburn class is going well-still enjoying the content, classmates, and my teacher! My ESL classes are also going well; I usually have between 5-12 students each time and we've finally moved off of the verb "to be" and are into new and exciting things like the present progressive tense! (For non-grammarians, that's verbs ending in -ing...) They are truly great students and I really enjoy teaching them.
This past weekend we had a really great time hanging out with friends! Saturday morning Dana, Hannah, and I ran a "Cross Country 10K", and let me tell you, it was truly cross country style! The first 5K was not--easy, on grass/pavement, and we came across the clock at a pretty respectable time, considering I haven't run a 5K since high school! And then...the "cross-country" part started. The last 5K was basically all sand. Yes, loose, beach-like sand! And it was washed out, so you really had to watch your step. Needless to say, we had to slow down! Dana placed 4th in our age group and Hannah and I came in 7th and 8th! Pretty exciting! We went out for Mexican food afterwards which was incredible. That night we had them over as well as our friends Kristy and Kevin for football and a fire outside! The boys watched football while the girls ate dinner, made smores, and talked outside all night long! It was a great day!
Now onto our latest news...Brian was supposed to go to Ranger School this Sunday. Ranger School is a 61 day "school" designed in three phases: forest, mountain, and swamp. Each phase is 3 weeks long, and you can fail or be recycled (start the phase over) at basically any time. It's a comprehensive school to test leadership, physicality, tactical knowledge, and various other components while being under a large amount of stress. Ranger School students typically get about 1-2 hours of sleep a night (or none) and run on about 1-2 meals a day (or none). It is supposed to be worse than any combat situation you'll ever come across. Oh, and I don't see him except once, for 8 hours, during the entire 61 days. But we can write letters :)
Now, having said that, we have discovered that Brian is now not going to Ranger School on Sunday, which means that we're on orders to move to El Paso (Ft. Bliss)...next Wednesday. Ha! Talk about completely being caught off-guard! We knew that if he didn't get a Ranger School slot for October, then he would probably get one for January. We were led to believe that he'd most likely stay here, doing details and odd jobs for the holding company. We knew there was an ever-so-slight chance we could go to Bliss, but honestly, we both sort of dismissed it because A) we thought he'd be going to Ranger school, and B) because if he didn't go to Ranger school, we figured they keep us here. WRONG...So, hence how the blog title is coming true: we are PCS'ing (Permanent Change of Station) NEXT WEEK! Yes, I am still a little in shock/denial. I have really come to love Ft. Benning and I feel like we're are finally getting settled into a routine/commitments. We've traveled a lot the past 3 months so we've been out of town most weekends, but I was really excited about these upcoming months because I thought we would get into a more "normal" lifestyle. I've taken on some newer commitments (substitute teaching, and I also just started working with First Pres-Columbus- youth group 2 weeks ago) and I was excited about getting more involved within those areas. Just goes to show that your plan isn't always the plan that's going to happen! I've gotten some really wonderful encouragement from friends and family and that has made this so much easier--so thank you! It's not that I didn't expect this...I just didn't expect this until May! I think the hardest thing will be to leave my friends--it is amazing how quickly we have grown close over the past 4 months. I guess that's what you have to do though! Thankfully I get to take two of them to El Paso with me, since their husbands are also stationed there! So here goes to step 2 in this grand adventure...the Lord has reminded me, especially through the words of my friends, that his plan is sovereign and that it is also perfect; therefore while this may not make sense to us, there is a purpose behind it, even if we don't see it. These past few months have really been a struggle with trust and I feel like this is just another exercise in learning to trust fully and wholly in Him. But praise the Lord, because He is good! While I've struggled with trusting Him I've also seen firsthand the many blessing He's poured so lavishly upon us, and I know His faithfulness will remain, even in red, dry El Paso.
Speaking of El Paso...there is practically no grass. And the trees look kind of strange...But mom reminded me: I can decorate a cactus for Christmas. And that has always been a dream of mine. (Not really, but it's about to become one...)
Our mission this week: Keep our chin up, and pack some boxes!
It may be awhile before you hear from us...I mean, it only takes 23 hours and 24 minutes to get there!
06 July 2010
The Best Army Installation in the World !!
So I stole my title from the sign that greets you at one of the entrance gates at Ft. Benning. It exclaims that Ft. Benning is "The Best Army Installation in the World !!"; and yes, with two exclamation points and an inaccurate spacing job...but other than that minor grammatical error, I love it here! We've met some of our neighbors, all who are very nice, and we even made some friends last night! Hooray for friends!
Before I get into Ft. Benning life though I'll update you on the last fews days in Starkville. I managed to fill my last few days in beloved Starkville with all my favorite people at all my favorite places! I got to hang out a lot with the girls, my youth group, and Joey, Kate and the boys. Joseph and I managed to have a lot of fun on our last play date--the good news is, I've found him a reason to come visit-there's a very cute two year old girl who lives below us...maybe she can be his girlfriend :) ha!
The girls helped me visit all of my favorite places before I left town. On my last night, we headed to Bop's for ice cream, and that morning they saw me off after a delicious breakfast at City Bagel! I already miss them so much.
After breakfast with the girls last Thursday, I packed up the rest of the Starkville house and headed home! Here's a picture of the empty living room--it feels weird to know that we'll never go back to this house! The boys lived in it for 3 years before Brian and I got married and it's strange to think it won't always be there for us to come crash in!
The Starkville house--one last time!
My dad and Mr. Page both were in packing industries at one time; Dad worked for U-haul back in his younger days and Mr. Page put in 20 years in the freight industry. Needless to say, I just hauled the boxes...they packed them.
Our living room in Madison-an aerial view. We had furniture/boxes going into the dining room and they were stacked taller than me! No picture can really do it justice!
Packing away! The Pages came over Friday to help us pack up the U-Haul. Thank goodness for parents!
Some how I managed to not take any pictures of us unloading the truck. Probably because it was done in record time! Mom, Dad, Emily, Mr. Page, Mrs. Page, Brian Sells, and two MSU ROTC cadets who are at Ft. Benning in Airborne school came to help unload, so we pretty much had the massive U-haul empty in about an hour! It was awesome. Mom and Mrs. Cindy set up most of the kitchen and dining room while Emily and I worked on the bedrooms/bathrooms/linen closet. By the close of Saturday night, our house was functional!
Before I get into Ft. Benning life though I'll update you on the last fews days in Starkville. I managed to fill my last few days in beloved Starkville with all my favorite people at all my favorite places! I got to hang out a lot with the girls, my youth group, and Joey, Kate and the boys. Joseph and I managed to have a lot of fun on our last play date--the good news is, I've found him a reason to come visit-there's a very cute two year old girl who lives below us...maybe she can be his girlfriend :) ha!
The girls helped me visit all of my favorite places before I left town. On my last night, we headed to Bop's for ice cream, and that morning they saw me off after a delicious breakfast at City Bagel! I already miss them so much.
After breakfast with the girls last Thursday, I packed up the rest of the Starkville house and headed home! Here's a picture of the empty living room--it feels weird to know that we'll never go back to this house! The boys lived in it for 3 years before Brian and I got married and it's strange to think it won't always be there for us to come crash in!
The Starkville house--one last time!
My dad and Mr. Page both were in packing industries at one time; Dad worked for U-haul back in his younger days and Mr. Page put in 20 years in the freight industry. Needless to say, I just hauled the boxes...they packed them.
Our living room in Madison-an aerial view. We had furniture/boxes going into the dining room and they were stacked taller than me! No picture can really do it justice!
Packing away! The Pages came over Friday to help us pack up the U-Haul. Thank goodness for parents!
Some how I managed to not take any pictures of us unloading the truck. Probably because it was done in record time! Mom, Dad, Emily, Mr. Page, Mrs. Page, Brian Sells, and two MSU ROTC cadets who are at Ft. Benning in Airborne school came to help unload, so we pretty much had the massive U-haul empty in about an hour! It was awesome. Mom and Mrs. Cindy set up most of the kitchen and dining room while Emily and I worked on the bedrooms/bathrooms/linen closet. By the close of Saturday night, our house was functional!
Here's me and Em on our front porch-306 D!
Brian and I out front of our 1/4 of the building. I think the housing office at Benning must've read my mind...I've been in love with these houses/apartments ever since I saw them at Brian's Airborne graduation back in 2007. They're called the "White Elephants", and are white stucco with Mexican tile roofs. Hello, I fell in love at first sight! I can't believe we actually live here!
This is us--go in the bottom right door, up the stairs, and we inhabit the upper right hand side of the building! Three other families live in this building with us.
The whole 306 building. It's impossible to get into one picture--it's huge!
My neighborhood! We have this fun little half-circle in front of our house where we can park our cars.
There are also tons of tall trees and the landscaping here is also pretty good! There's some sparse-looking areas around, but for the most part the residential areas are full of old trees and crepe myrtles! The weather has been great here too--it's hot (90's and up) but the humidity has been about 0%...praying that sticks around! Another thing I love is that while we're now in Eastern time (still trying to get used to that...), we get sunlight for longer during the day! For example, it's 8:32 PM and we've still got almost an hour of sunlight left! It's awesome. You should visit. :)
Now I can't take you inside yet...still have a lot of cleaning left to do! I have about 3 boxes left to unpack and then I'm off to Swiffering and sweeping the floors! I should have another post up soon about the interior of the house--Brian has some really long days ahead so I'll be looking for something to do! He left this morning around 4 AM and just got back around 7 PM...looong day. But he says it was a good one and not too much happened!
Brian and I out front of our 1/4 of the building. I think the housing office at Benning must've read my mind...I've been in love with these houses/apartments ever since I saw them at Brian's Airborne graduation back in 2007. They're called the "White Elephants", and are white stucco with Mexican tile roofs. Hello, I fell in love at first sight! I can't believe we actually live here!
This is us--go in the bottom right door, up the stairs, and we inhabit the upper right hand side of the building! Three other families live in this building with us.
The whole 306 building. It's impossible to get into one picture--it's huge!
My neighborhood! We have this fun little half-circle in front of our house where we can park our cars.
There are also tons of tall trees and the landscaping here is also pretty good! There's some sparse-looking areas around, but for the most part the residential areas are full of old trees and crepe myrtles! The weather has been great here too--it's hot (90's and up) but the humidity has been about 0%...praying that sticks around! Another thing I love is that while we're now in Eastern time (still trying to get used to that...), we get sunlight for longer during the day! For example, it's 8:32 PM and we've still got almost an hour of sunlight left! It's awesome. You should visit. :)
Now I can't take you inside yet...still have a lot of cleaning left to do! I have about 3 boxes left to unpack and then I'm off to Swiffering and sweeping the floors! I should have another post up soon about the interior of the house--Brian has some really long days ahead so I'll be looking for something to do! He left this morning around 4 AM and just got back around 7 PM...looong day. But he says it was a good one and not too much happened!
One last note that doesn't really pertain to me...Clay got a dog. A super, duper, duper cute dog that I already miss and that needs to see Aunt Becca as soon as possible. His name is Eli, and he's half lab, half Rottweiler. And he's precious. Blue eyes, all black coat. I think I need one. And as it turns out, the weight limit on dogs for on-post is 100 lbs! That is super great news, considering I love big dogs! But that won't be happening for some time, so meanwhile, enjoy Clay's bundle of cuteness.
Miss you all already--it's weird having to figure out a new town again, but it's been fun so far! If you're bored during the day, feel free to call! I have my first official Army social gathering tomorrow morning--"Newcomers Orientation". Should be exciting. We're pretty sure they're putting us on a bus and giving us a driving tour. A herald back to RoadRunner days...I'll let you know how it goes!
30 June 2010
So long, Starkville...
Well, it's here-the big move! I can't believe it. Today is my last day at work, and tomorrow is my last day in Starkville. I don't actually think it's hit me yet--believe I'm in a stage of denial. Hope it doesn't have too many levels...
To begin with, I can't believe I've already worked a year at my job-that seems crazy to me! And I really can't believe how fast 5 years has gone by here at State. It's all a blur of football games, fun nights at the boys (now my...) house, Chi O functions, sweet memories with the girls, and a lot of time at First Pres, in addition to eating numerous restaurants that I will miss dearly...ha! And so many more memories that I can't start to reflect on otherwise it'll make it even harder to leave! Better to leave it as a blur for at least the next week or so-then I'll start to decompress all the stories, memories, and life experiences that Starkville has shared with me.
Quite possibly the scariest thing to me is not being in school once I get to Benning...Yes, I realize this makes me sound like a complete nerd (which I proudly accept), but all I've done for the last twenty years or so is go to school--what do I do now?! Oh wait, I get to take a class in the fall...life in academia isn't over yet for me! Long story on that one. Let's leave it at the Foreign Language Dept. of MSU sort of messed me up and I will now be taking my last class at Auburn, but my degree will be from State. The end.
Onto the moving saga! If any of you have been to my house in Madison, you will remember how large our front living room is. It's pretty big. Now imagine this: the entire room (and into the dining room...) is completely FULL of furniture and boxes, stacked so high that's it's taller than me! I tried to get a picture, but I just couldn't capture the scope of the madness. My wonderful grandparents/relatives/parents are showering us with furniture--the benefits of everyone being a woodworker in the family! Must...take...up...the...family...trade...I don't want the tradition to end! This past weekend the Pages came down and helped me move everything out of the Starkville house; I ended up having to make an impromptu trip home Saturday afternoon to take a load home, but it was good to see the family and appreciate the furniture store that is our living room. Brian and I are doing what's called a "DITY move" which stands for do-it-yourself. ("Yourself" in our case includes a little help from some family and friends...thank you in advance!)
Brian got to 'move in' to our house yesterday. By 'move in', I mean he's sleeping there...in a sleeping bag! What a trooper. And with no air conditioning...Really hoping that gets fixed before move-in day on Saturday, otherwise we are going to be some really hot and exhausted people! Southern Georgia in July...not really an ideal time for the AC to be broken. Especially when you live on the second floor. My goal this weekend is to get moved in and hopefully share some pictures of the outside of the house with you! I doubt I'll be done unpacking before I want to write another post.
In honor of my dear husband (still weird to think he's actually my husband now, after all these years!), I also decided to be blog-patriotic for the 4th. Happy 4th of July! Hooray for freedom. So thankful for those who provide freedom and protect us. A special thanks to all the armed servicemen/women.
Well that's about all I have time for today--onto writing a final, packing, cleaning, and spending my last precious hours in Starkville with friends!
To begin with, I can't believe I've already worked a year at my job-that seems crazy to me! And I really can't believe how fast 5 years has gone by here at State. It's all a blur of football games, fun nights at the boys (now my...) house, Chi O functions, sweet memories with the girls, and a lot of time at First Pres, in addition to eating numerous restaurants that I will miss dearly...ha! And so many more memories that I can't start to reflect on otherwise it'll make it even harder to leave! Better to leave it as a blur for at least the next week or so-then I'll start to decompress all the stories, memories, and life experiences that Starkville has shared with me.
Quite possibly the scariest thing to me is not being in school once I get to Benning...Yes, I realize this makes me sound like a complete nerd (which I proudly accept), but all I've done for the last twenty years or so is go to school--what do I do now?! Oh wait, I get to take a class in the fall...life in academia isn't over yet for me! Long story on that one. Let's leave it at the Foreign Language Dept. of MSU sort of messed me up and I will now be taking my last class at Auburn, but my degree will be from State. The end.
Onto the moving saga! If any of you have been to my house in Madison, you will remember how large our front living room is. It's pretty big. Now imagine this: the entire room (and into the dining room...) is completely FULL of furniture and boxes, stacked so high that's it's taller than me! I tried to get a picture, but I just couldn't capture the scope of the madness. My wonderful grandparents/relatives/parents are showering us with furniture--the benefits of everyone being a woodworker in the family! Must...take...up...the...family...trade...I don't want the tradition to end! This past weekend the Pages came down and helped me move everything out of the Starkville house; I ended up having to make an impromptu trip home Saturday afternoon to take a load home, but it was good to see the family and appreciate the furniture store that is our living room. Brian and I are doing what's called a "DITY move" which stands for do-it-yourself. ("Yourself" in our case includes a little help from some family and friends...thank you in advance!)
Brian got to 'move in' to our house yesterday. By 'move in', I mean he's sleeping there...in a sleeping bag! What a trooper. And with no air conditioning...Really hoping that gets fixed before move-in day on Saturday, otherwise we are going to be some really hot and exhausted people! Southern Georgia in July...not really an ideal time for the AC to be broken. Especially when you live on the second floor. My goal this weekend is to get moved in and hopefully share some pictures of the outside of the house with you! I doubt I'll be done unpacking before I want to write another post.
In honor of my dear husband (still weird to think he's actually my husband now, after all these years!), I also decided to be blog-patriotic for the 4th. Happy 4th of July! Hooray for freedom. So thankful for those who provide freedom and protect us. A special thanks to all the armed servicemen/women.
Well that's about all I have time for today--onto writing a final, packing, cleaning, and spending my last precious hours in Starkville with friends!
21 June 2010
Going Greene!
This weekend, two of my very first friends at Mississippi State got married-Zach and Stacey! Stace and I have been inseparable since before we even began our freshman year here at State...which is now over 5 years ago! We're are often referred to as "Stecca", due to the fact that for the majority of our time here, we were a package deal!
It was a beautiful weekend. The rehearsal was probably the most smooth rehearsal I've ever been to...it was quiet, organized, and we got done on time-imagine that?! The rehearsal dinner was at The Grill, and we had so much fun! Much thanks to the Greenes for providing us with endless fried cheese sticks (The Grill is infamous for them!). I consumed waaaay too many calories this weekend, and sitting on this couch is not helping that fact! We spent the night at Stacey's house Friday night and woke up Saturday and lounged around, munching on City Bagel (another Starkville favorite) and watching Friends! During our two years of living together, Karen, Krystina, Stacey and I perpetually had a Friends DVD in...this might be why my little DVD player no longer works! Saturday went by without a hitch; we got Stacey beautified (as if she needed it...) and headed to the Drill Field on MSU's campus for her to see her groom! After they saw each other, the bridal party endured temps upward of 100 degrees, but we survived and I cannot wait to see the pictures! I got to ride with the photographers throughout Starkville and it was so much fun getting to know them. Their work is incredible and they are such fun people! I want to be them..... The ceremony was wonderful--Jon and Joey performed it, so it was great to be up there with them for round two! We finished the night off at the Ritz in West Point with a scrumptious dinner (delicious fried chicken, Gouda mac'n'cheese, rolls, green beans --didn't eat those, of course ;)--and homemade ice cream in lieu of wedding cake. It was so wonderful to catch up with some old Chi O friends whom I haven't seen in some time--we danced the night away and then sent Zach and Stacey packing for their honeymoon! All in all, a successful weekend! Jared, Karen, and Krystina stayed in our humble abode as well, so it was fun to have some additional house guests!
Sunday morning I got baptized at First Pres....I've been planning to do this for, um, around 6 years or so?.... but I am so thankful I was able to do it at First Pres. How I'm going to miss that church and congregation! The rest of Sunday Brian and I spent relaxing some and also packing up, complete with a trip to Lowe's. He leaves tomorrow! I cannot believe June is almost over. I am here until at least July 1-have a final that day-whoo fun! Meanwhile, we're working out moving details with our parents. We're coming from about three different places, so it's going to be interesting!
Ok enough words already-I know you want pictures! 
Me and the beautiful bride!
The girls side of the wedding party.
Apt. 3208. We will forever live in infamy!
Leaving! As far as Ft. Benning goes, we're still waiting to hear about housing. Hopefully we'll have an answer by Thursday!
31 May 2010
I love Mississippi
Yes, it's true-I love it here! This was affirmed today as Brian and I took a picnic out to Noxubee, the wildlife refuge outside of Starkville. Being a hazy day, there were a lot of people out fishing. But not swimming nor letting their small dogs run around, because there are some huge alligators out there that would like a tasty snack.
Back to the picnic. Some friends of ours gave us this handy-dandy picnic basket for a wedding present-it is legit! Two plastic plates, real forks, knives, and spoons, as well as cloth napkins, plastic (durable) wine glasses, and a cork screw-awesome! We put it to good use. As we were driving/walking around Noxubee, we saw some interesting things. Artifact 1: people fishing with cane poles. Yep, didn't know people still did that, but we actually saw a girl making one-it was interesting! Then as we were leaving, we saw a car swerve over to the side of the road and man hopped out of his car. There was something large in the road, so we slowed down to see what it was...a huge, scary, snapping turtle! Not something you want to play around with! Oh, but he popped up the back of his SUV, got out a towel, and threw it over the turtle. Next thing you know, he's giving me and Brian a lesson on how to catch a snapping turtle. (we stayed in the car...I've seen what those things can do!) Turns out, if you throw a towel over the turtle, step on the shell (not too much pressure), grab the tail, and hold the turle at an arm's legnth, then you can catch a snapping turtle! Try it and let me know how it goes for you...
So other than our two cultural spottings today, I also realized that Mississippi has taught me a lot while I've been here. While people pick on this dear ole state quite a bit (I hear we're kind of fat...), there's a lot of good here too! I think it has most importantly taught me to slow down and enjoy where I am and who I'm with, and that this aspect of time, friends, and family is more important than money, worldly possessions, and status. I've taken on a new life-perspective thanks to my time here, and for that, I am grateful!
In our daily news, Brian is currently cleaning house (he's earning lots of husband points right now) and I'm locked in the library studying. No, classes have not started yet. I'm studying for my "get out of grad school exams" (aka, Comprehensive exams) which I have to take on Wednesday. It's 8 hours long, all to answer 4 questions! Hooray! I'm going to go ahead and assure you that I will NOT be in there that long. Partly due to the fact that if I can't get my point across in under an hour, well, I must not know what I'm talking about...let's hope that doesn't happen! Basically it's 4 questions from four of my major classes that I've taken in grad school. I'm feeling good about all but one...my research class. I just was not born to do research and state null, directional, non-directional, deductive, or inductive hypotheses...no, gracias!
Brian and I got back to work successfully last week and I start class on Thursday-the end is in sight! Having a bit of a class fiasco with my last course, but more on that later...still no concrete decision. Meanwhile, Brian and I are trying to enjoy our last three weeks in Starkville, which means I'll probably have some more tearful mornings in church, with my friends, and probably in the grocery store. (Not really...let's hope not at least.) While I've known this move was coming for a long time, it never really hits you until it is upon you. I feel like the Lord is constantly reassuring me of the last big change in my life--coming to college. I was so anxious about so many things-finding friends, finding a church, enjoying life-and he was so faithful in all of those things! I would have never imagined my life being as rich and blessed as it is now 5 years ago, so I know I can rest in His providence again during this life change...I just forget that sometimes! Hope everyone is doing well-love and miss you all!
Back to the picnic. Some friends of ours gave us this handy-dandy picnic basket for a wedding present-it is legit! Two plastic plates, real forks, knives, and spoons, as well as cloth napkins, plastic (durable) wine glasses, and a cork screw-awesome! We put it to good use. As we were driving/walking around Noxubee, we saw some interesting things. Artifact 1: people fishing with cane poles. Yep, didn't know people still did that, but we actually saw a girl making one-it was interesting! Then as we were leaving, we saw a car swerve over to the side of the road and man hopped out of his car. There was something large in the road, so we slowed down to see what it was...a huge, scary, snapping turtle! Not something you want to play around with! Oh, but he popped up the back of his SUV, got out a towel, and threw it over the turtle. Next thing you know, he's giving me and Brian a lesson on how to catch a snapping turtle. (we stayed in the car...I've seen what those things can do!) Turns out, if you throw a towel over the turtle, step on the shell (not too much pressure), grab the tail, and hold the turle at an arm's legnth, then you can catch a snapping turtle! Try it and let me know how it goes for you...
So other than our two cultural spottings today, I also realized that Mississippi has taught me a lot while I've been here. While people pick on this dear ole state quite a bit (I hear we're kind of fat...), there's a lot of good here too! I think it has most importantly taught me to slow down and enjoy where I am and who I'm with, and that this aspect of time, friends, and family is more important than money, worldly possessions, and status. I've taken on a new life-perspective thanks to my time here, and for that, I am grateful!
In our daily news, Brian is currently cleaning house (he's earning lots of husband points right now) and I'm locked in the library studying. No, classes have not started yet. I'm studying for my "get out of grad school exams" (aka, Comprehensive exams) which I have to take on Wednesday. It's 8 hours long, all to answer 4 questions! Hooray! I'm going to go ahead and assure you that I will NOT be in there that long. Partly due to the fact that if I can't get my point across in under an hour, well, I must not know what I'm talking about...let's hope that doesn't happen! Basically it's 4 questions from four of my major classes that I've taken in grad school. I'm feeling good about all but one...my research class. I just was not born to do research and state null, directional, non-directional, deductive, or inductive hypotheses...no, gracias!
Brian and I got back to work successfully last week and I start class on Thursday-the end is in sight! Having a bit of a class fiasco with my last course, but more on that later...still no concrete decision. Meanwhile, Brian and I are trying to enjoy our last three weeks in Starkville, which means I'll probably have some more tearful mornings in church, with my friends, and probably in the grocery store. (Not really...let's hope not at least.) While I've known this move was coming for a long time, it never really hits you until it is upon you. I feel like the Lord is constantly reassuring me of the last big change in my life--coming to college. I was so anxious about so many things-finding friends, finding a church, enjoying life-and he was so faithful in all of those things! I would have never imagined my life being as rich and blessed as it is now 5 years ago, so I know I can rest in His providence again during this life change...I just forget that sometimes! Hope everyone is doing well-love and miss you all!
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