Two Months Down

Tomorrow Drew and I will celebrate two months down and ten more to go! It feels like we just celebrated our one month. Time can fly as fast as it would like to. I'm not stopping it! This past week at home was great. I was able to see tons of good family and friends. As many of you know, one of the exciting highlights from last week was that Drew was interviewed on Fox News. It was a spur of the moment thing but luckily we had a little bit of time to start a phone chain so many people were able to catch it. He did great! I don't have a link yet but I have it on VHS which I will convert to a DVD soon. My camera is not letting me download it so I ended up sending my copy to Drew. I also sent him the cute and thoughtful video that we made over the numerous Christmas parties between our families. I'm sure he will love it and I'm guessing some parts will make him laugh!
On Christmas Day, Drew earned his combat patch. A picture of the ceremony is below. Drew was able to have the day off and did some much needed relaxing. Or in Drew's words from Fox News - chilling out. :) He was also able to open presents with us on Christmas morning which was amazing!! He really just hung out while we opened presents. And of course, you know Drew, he added his funny little side comments which made everyone laugh. It was a different kind of Christmas with not being together but it was definitely still a special one. Thank you to everyone for your warm wishes and generous, thoughtful presents!
Drew's team of three has the day off tomorrow. His Sgt is a big GA football fan and wanted to watch the game this evening. The game this evening means in the middle of the night for them so Drew was going to wake up and watch part of it with him and catch up on sleep tomorrow. It's kind of fun they can do that!
It's hard to believe that a new year begins on Friday. We are looking forward to the new year and all it has to bring- especially Drew coming home!

Here are pics of the combat patch ceremony.

The guy in the corner is the same reporter who interviewed Drew.

I sent Drew pictures all week long. He loved seeing everyone! Here are some of them:
Dinner with the girls.

Gram and I waving hi to Drew.

Here are Sarah, Wade, and Drew on Christmas morning. Sarah has her arm around Drew. :)

A couple of boy cousins.

The Girl Cousins (Missed you Colleen!)

Can't wait for Drew to be in these pictures next year! And can't wait to see you all again soon!

Home for the Holidays

Today I am heading to St. Louis for the holiday week. I'm excited! I am also already looking forward to next year when Drew can join me. Today is a quick post but wanted to share these pictures. I look forward to seeing many of you soon!

This is the group of guys that Drew is in his vehicle with almost everyday. They did a serious picture and a smiling one.


I like the smiling one better. :)


This is Drew inside his vehicle.


Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas is in the Air

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This weekend I hosted an ugly Christmas sweater party. Not so much that the sweaters are ugly, but we wanted to go all out for Christmas. We of course wish our husbands could have been here but as I have said before, the show must go on. We had a blast!! I had about oh twenty people here maybe. We had Army wives but we also had neighbors which included husbands and kids. I have never really planned a party quite like it. But boy did we get decked out to deck the halls this year!! We played lots of games with prizes included and laughed the entire night away. I have tons of more pictures to share but my camera cord for downloading is in St. Louis so more on that later. Before everyone arrived it was myself and two other wives that I am close with. We raised our glasses and I simply said here's to six glasses next year. That was enough said. We are happy with three but cannot wait to have our better halves next year. You can point out an Army party from a mile away. We all had our cell phones out and one wife had my laptop out in case her husband got on Skype. Around 11 o'clock (7 am their time), Drew was the first to call me and all the other ladies followed suit. We talk to those men any chance we can get!! Drew called while I was in the middle of a game where you have to put marshmellows in your mouth and still sing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. (Pretty fun- I would highly suggest it.) Needless to say, I had to disqualify myself by spitting out the marshmellows so I could talk him. :)

Here are the Army wives that were in attendance:

Drew is doing well. I have sent him a few packages with things he has asked for from here. We have been surprised so far that it has only taken about 6 days to get there which isn't too bad. Drew ended up getting a third roommate but luckily he is an easy-going guy. And, as always, we are learning to be flexible so we talk with a combination of speaking and instant messaging so that Drew can try to talk to me without everyone hearing his stories. He has been working hard over there! He enjoys his missions and has continued to spend some time working on his vehicle. We don't have anything too new or exciting to share but I did want to show you some pictures from Thanksgiving. (These are not Drew's pictures but another soldier's.)

Looking at this Thanksgiving spread makes me realize Drew wasn't kidding when he listed out all of the food they ate!! It's comforting to know they are welll taken care of over there on the holidays. I'm curious to see the Christmas spread. (Sorry for so many but I enjoyed looking at them so thought you might too.)

Kid Rock and Carlos Mencia visited a couple of weeks ago. Drew thought Carlos (a comedian) was hilarious! He only stayed for a couple of the Kid Rock songs then went home. It's neat they do that for them.

I'm heading home for Christmas on Saturday! Can't wait to see my family and friends but also my dogs!! Grandma and Grandpa are already getting them in the holiday spirit. They are so excited. (Yeah right!) :)

December

It's hard to believe it is already December! And nearly a week into December at that! Time continues to go by quickly. Drew has put in long days this week with early formations and PT, patrols and missions, and more meetings and training at night. He was hoping to have the day off today but had to push on with getting their gear and plan in place. He likes it though and knows they have to put the time in now so they have a smooth transition when the teams that have been there leave. They are now in the lead as they transition the other guys out. Drew enjoys investing the time and taking full accountability for his vehicle, gear, and guys. He has some neat stories about the culture and city of Kirkuk too. Talk about an experience!!?! (I know I always say that but I am always thinking that!) He is there working among the locals and interacting with them as they go about their daily routines. He says it is quite different but is surprised to find similarities as well. Bad news is that he found out he might be getting a 3rd roommate...UGH. They have more guys joining them and have to make room for them. We are hoping that it does not happen but when they tell you to move your furniture around to make room- I would say that implies someone else is moving in. Drew does not want another roommate, not only for the glaring downside of lack of space, but he enjoys having his down time and his privacy. With another guy that chance of privacy decreases. But that is okay. We will be flexible and it will work. Privacy and downtime at this point still includes his singing roommate in the background so clearly we learn to adjust. :) Our fingers are still crossed that they have other rooms for them. We'll see. In the meantime, Drew continues to work hard and we continue to talk as much as possible.

I returned home to GA on Monday and was happy to be home. As I told my mom, it was great to be there and it is great to be here. I feel lucky that I feel so settled here but also have such a great place to go back home to. I have been busy getting ready for Christmas. Drew was able to take a tour of our house and our Christmas decorations via Skype and he approved. He also approved of the tree and has been helping me with ideas for presents. It is sooooo nice to feel connected. Next weekend I am having a Christmas party which should be a good time. We all wish our husbands could be there but we are looking forward to next year. As I told my family this week, the show must go on. Drew would not have it any other way. We are looking forward to having a Merry Christmas and will celebrate while we keep Drew in our minds and our hearts. Love that man. Here is another picture of him on Skype. His camera is dead and he is waiting for guys to send him the pics they have but this is what I have for now.

1 Month Down 11 More to Go

Today Drew and I are celebrating our 1 month anniversary! Well, not that kind of anniversary but Drew has already been gone for one month. Good news is that it is going by quickly. We only have 11 more of those to go. Definitely doable! This year was a special Thanksgiving for us and we had a lot to be thankful for. Of course I got choked up at both Thanksgiving dinners when I said that I was thankful for my husband. It's neat to me that regardless of your political views, Drew (along with tons of other men and women) are selflessly sacrificing to serve their country. This year I was thankful and proud. Drew and I were also very thankful for technology. We have been able to see each other and talk to each other everyday this week. It may not continue like that but we soak up that time whenever we can get it. He had a nice Thanksgiving too. I hope I get this right... (I know Drew is reading this) but they had crab legs, turkey, all the sides, ice cream, pecan pie, and coffee. He said it was great. He is really happy with all of the food and they also let them take more things back to their room. His chu (or room- it stands for combat housing unit) is great. He is right there with all of his guys and his roommate is a good one too (once you zone out the singing while we are talking). :) Having that little bit of privacy each day really helps Drew to unwind. He has been watching movies on his laptop too. Again, thank God for technology! But he is doing his thing and really liking it. He is working with the guys that are getting ready to go home and he says they are super excited to get back home. I sound like a broken record, but I am happy my husband makes that possible. Drew will be showing the new guys how to take over his role so he can come home before we know it!

I have been super busy with my marathon trip home to St. Louis. Each leg of the trip was great. From deer camp to KC to visiting with close friends to our friend's wedding... loved seeing everyone. I am flying home tomorrow morning but will be back soon for Christmas. Can't wait to see everyone soon.

Drew hasn't sent pictures yet but I will share when I get them.

The Margarita Night Group:

First Skype Date

Here's the most recent picture of Drew from this morning. It is soooo great to be able to see each other and talk at the same time!

All Settled In

Drew has made it safely and is all settled into his new room. He arrived on Thursday and quickly began the cleaning and organizing process. He will share a room with only one roommate. This is a HUGE improvement!! He has been living in one large room with tons of guys so he was more than excited to have his mini-dorm/apartment, not to mention a flushing toilet! He built himself a front porch with things the previous soldiers had given him or that he found. He also set his little room up nicely with a coffee maker and... his own internet! We are sooooo excited that he has internet in his room. We are looking forward to talking and being able to see each other. It makes us feel even more connected. I must say that with Thanksgiving coming up I am very thankful for technology. It has cut the gap between our countries and we feel so close. Today his mom and I were talking to him from the dock at the farm and he was in Iraq. How neat?! I was telling my family today that I feel so lucky and privileged when I can pick up my phone and send my husband an email. I usually have to wait for him to call me but I feel empowered that I can send him a note when I want to. I know, I know, my sister always tells me I am easily amused, but the little things like that are priceless.
Besides getting settled, he has continued with training and working out. They have met up with the team they will be replacing and will spend the next 2-3 weeks transitioning into their role and getting briefed on what they have been doing. I have said this before, but I am proud and honored that my husband's presence in Iraq means that another soldier goes home to his family.
As far as I go, I am doing well and keeping busy. I have been home for a week but I have been all over the place. This week I traveled for business, had margarita night with the girls in Drew's family (cousins and aunts) and went to deer camp this weekend. This coming week I am getting ready to go to Kansas City and come back to Illinois for a wedding. It is great to see everyone and catch up!
Also, I have been given the green light to begin sending mail. Drew continues to say he doesn't need too much because he has everything over there that he can buy. Like I said before, please let me know if you would like to send him something and we can coordinate it. Now that he is there I am sure he will start thinking of things that he would like to have so I will let you know. Drew should be sending me some pictures soon so I will post some of him when I get them. :)

Iraq

The time has come for Drew to leave Kuwait. He will be in Iraq by the end of the week! I talked to him today and he is talking a mile a minute because he is so excited to be going. Unfortunately I did not get to talk to him for as long as I would have liked because I was in work meetings but he is excited to head out and get set up in Iraq.

This past week, Drew has been fully immersed in training. Among other things, he has learned how to operate a MRAP which is a really big, neat looking vehicle, call in back up with specific grid coordinates, and run his entire team. Yes, Drew took the lead role in his group training. He brought back his motivational speeches among the privates which he has not done since basic training. While they were waiting to run through a training, Drew stood up and gave a motivational speech in hopes to unite and refocus his team, and it worked! After that speech they had the best training ever. Drew is also getting good exposure with the higher-ups in that he was challenged with leading his entire team and did great! They challenged him, he rose to the occasion, and he loved it. He has also been going to the gym and eating with his sergeant and lieutenant which Drew enjoys. They are already talking about how to improve their gym once they get to Iraq. Drew likes working out over there because he feels like he is at home. He said he forgets he is in Kuwait which I’m sure it is nice to feel removed from that sometimes.

Many of you are anxious to send things to Drew for good reason!! I am too. And we are thrilled that so many people want to send him things. But we have been told that because they only have so many people to operate the mail room and Drew only has so much space over there, it is best to organize the packages through me. I have still not been given the green light to begin sending things but will do so as soon as I can. Do NOT feel like you have to send him anything, but if you would like to, please let me know and I will coordinate that with you. (I feel like his secretary!) :) I mean that in a good way. I see it as a huge compliment to Drew that so many people love and care about him and want to show their support. Thank you! I will keep you posted. Onto the next chapter of deployment... time for the mission!

Happy Birthday to Drew!

Wanted to quickly say that today is Drew's birthday!! I talked to him this morning and he was doing well! He was getting ready to go to dinner when I talked to him. He has been training all day and has a night training exercise tonight as well. It just so happens though that tonight at the dining facility is steak and scallops night. Even though we can't celebrate together at least he will have a nice birthday dinner. :) I passed along all the warm birthday wishes for you too!

Kuwait Update

Drew was originally supposed to go to his FOB (forward operating base) this coming week. Drew was excited and thought it would make a great birthday present (his bday is Tues) if he could go to Iraq then. Unfortunately, they found out today that their battalion is being redirected to a different FOB in Iraq. This change of plans equals more time in Kuwait while they sort out the details. Drew and his team are not too happy about this just because they are ready to get to where they are going. As many of you know by now, Drew is very excited to get the game started! He is not one for waiting around but prefers to be working hard. But even with the changes, he is still doing well and remains focused on the task at hand. This weekend Drew was out in the field for two nights training. In Kuwait, "out in the field" translates into Drew was sleeping in the middle of the desert. And yes, he loved it! That's my husband! (And your son, brother, cousin, nephew, friend...) :) He also received a great compliment during training in that Drew and his partner identified and eliminated a target on the course that everyone else had missed in his class and previous classes in the history of the training course. The trainer was extremely impressed with how sharp Drew was which is neat to hear. But I think Drew was more excited about what he saw while he was on night guard. He was sitting in his truck with the door open when he saw movement in the desert. He then watched as a fox ran all of the way up to him and ducked under his car door to look in. He then ran off. Drew thought it was so neat that he came that close to one! Oh the experiences he will have!

Drew and I are also doing well. We have been able to talk everyday this week except this weekend while he was out training. We have quickly transitioned from getting excited to see each other at the end of the day to getting excited to talk to one another. For lack of a better word, it is comforting. It's comforting to hear each other's voices and connect for that little bit of time. If nothing else, this experience makes you appreciate every little thing and you miss little things that you may have overlooked. For example, when I was struggling to stand on the back of our couch while trying to hang up our deer head mounts above my head after I had taken them down for the family room demolition, I really missed my big man! But I managed. :) And yes, the house is finally put back together again! The week long event wrapped up yesterday with the carpet being put back into place. I have a new found appreciation for our family room!

This weekend I spent time getting to know my new friends even better. It is nice to be able to get to know the wives whose husbands are right next to Drew day in and day out. We've found our husbands not only have a lot in common but we do as well. Even with the new friends, I can't wait to come home and see our family and friends soon! For Drew's sake, I hope he is able to leave Kuwait soon!

Here's another picture from our last hooray night in Savannah. Lindsay and Jason are on the left. Johnathan and Ruth are on the right. Johnathan and Jason are best friends from previous assignments and both ended up here. Jason (left) is not in Drew's group but deploys soon. Johnathan (right) is in Drew's small group of three guys. Both couples live in our neighborhood.

Kuwait

Drew has arrived safely in Kuwait and is enjoying it. He has been able to call everyday since Saturday and thinks he will be able to call me everyday this week. Woo hoo!! It is a short conversation but I LOVE that I get to talk to him!!!! He has been doing more difficult PT and more training which he loves. He says the guys are in good spirits and they are excited to be there. It looks like he only has this week in Kuwait and will be on his way to Iraq next week.

Even though our conversations are short, I have been trying to fill Drew in on everything that is going on here. He has not even been gone a week and things keep happening!! Early Sunday morning I woke up feeling horrible. I knew I had a fever, my throat killed, my head hurt, my body really ached... so I went to the urgent care. I usually don't rush off to the urgent care but my mom wanted me to start on antibiotics if I needed them. I knew something wasn't good when I could see the white patches in my throat just by opening my mouth. So long story short, it looks likes I have strep. I started on meds yesterday and am already feeling sooo much better. Poor Drew called me only to learn I was sitting on an exam bed at the urgent care... No fun!

Then today he calls to learn that guys are at our house tearing up our carpet and using a jackhammer on the concrete foundation to get to a leak in our water pipes. I had called the property manager because the carpet in the family room was randomly wet and they were here immediately. All I can do is laugh though! The last thing I wanted with being sick and Drew gone was a torn up family room but what can you do?! Drew and I got a good laugh out of that one. :)

Hopefully when Drew calls the rest of the week I will have a much more boring report! But things are going well with Drew and he is looking forward to his time in Iraq. So proud of that man!

This is what they found when they first pulled up the carpet.

Then they started digging.


And they continued to dig.


Then they decided the leak was really in the kitchen.

They are still here and it is 6 pm so we'll see!

Successful Deployment Day

Drew is officially off to Iraq!! You may think the exclamation points are superficial, but we are honestly so excited! The best way we can describe it is that you practice all year but never get to play a game. Well game day is here and the clock has started!! We are excited for Drew to serve his country this year and get home safely. Today went really well. We had about 3 hours overall to hang out up at the company between formations to check various things such as gear, dog tags, ID cards, weapons...etc. It was neat to see the soldiers preparing last minute details for their deployment. Drew and I were emotionally prepared for the day but of course we both shared tears, hugs and kisses. And yes, I gave him hugs and kisses for everyone in our family, our friends, and then some! I am going to miss my big man but I am so proud of his service. We will now look forward to the little things like the next email or phone call. I was reassured again of our sacrifice last night when we came home from running errands. One of our neighbors had tons of posters up on their garage door welcoming "Daddy" home and two little kids were running around the yard with their dad. Very cool. I mentioned this in an earlier post but it really eases the sadness of not seeing Drew for a period of time knowing another family is getting their soldier home upon Drew's departure. Drew cannot say it enough but he feels so lucky to have the love and support of our family and friends. And I have to say- this week was so neat. This experience has been a great opportunity for our family and friends to share their thoughts and show how much they care. Thank you to everyone for your warm wishes, thoughts, and prayers. Drew jokingly told me that he thinks he could fly on his own to Iraq using his angel wings that he has grown from all of the love and prayers. :) Saying thanks does not do our appreciation justice, but thank you from the bottom of my heart! This is an opportunity to see the strength and love of our loved ones shine through... and it sure has!! And now, for what you really want to see: the pictures!

This is from Drew's last day of work which was Tuesday. He was off Wed and reported to deploy today. (obviously)

Drew asked me to shave his head last night so he is now bald!


Drew showing up at the company and unpacking his bags.

Drew added his bags to the stack.


Do you see him yet? :)

This is his weapon.

Thanks again to everyone. We have officially begun a new chapter in this Army Adventure.

Gearing Up for Deployment

We are down to the wire for Drew's deployment. He leaves on Thursday. This morning I jokingly asked Drew what he was doing this week and he casually responded that he is headed to Iraq. Pretty cool if you think about it. Last year Drew turned 30 and this year he will celebrate his birthday in Iraq. A year sounds like a long time to be at war and apart from each other but a year flies by!

This week I've had a lot of fun getting to know our new friends, neighbors, and Army wives better. I volunteered to be a point of contact (POC) for the brigade. So once a month I will call about 5 or 6 wives to make sure their numbers are correct so we can get a hold of them if we need to give them company updates. I'll have to take a class soon and be registered to serve as a POC. I figure it is the least I can do! I'm happy to help in anyway possible. We are also planning to have get togethers about once a month. We are already planning what we can do or make to send our husbands. Girls are not allowed in the infantry division so don't think I'm not recognizing the women- it's just that there aren't any in Drew's group. So when I say we'll send our husbands things, it's just husbands so you know. :)

Last night we had a really fun night in downtown Savannah. We went out with 2 couples who live in our neighborhood. We were all responsible and got hotel rooms ahead of time because we knew we might tie one on. And yes, we did! :) It was a really nice time. We (the girls) are making plans for when the boys are gone. We have to stick together! I also was able to catch up with our neighbors more this week. They are more than happy to help if I need anything while Drew is gone. I might take them up on the offer of watching the dogs if I have a business trip. One wife gave me good advice in that if people offer to help me I should take them up on it. So I will!

So for the next couple of days it will be more Drew and Jess time. Drew doesn't report back to work until Tuesday. Tues and Wed should be fairly short days as they have everything packed up and ready to go. Then Thursday I will take Drew to work and send him on his way. I don't really like to think of it as saying our goodbyes because it is more a see you later. :) I also find comfort in that as I see Drew off, another family sees their soldier come home. I'm proud of my soldier and look forward to the day that I see him come home again to me. I can't say it enough. Thanks for all of your love and support. It's an emotionally charged time for everyone but it really does ease Drew's mind to leave knowing I am in good hands. As my mom told Drew- we've got her back. :) And he is in good hands over there with the love and support he has here. With the technology today, we will be able to see each other while we talk. That is pretty neat! We think of our grandparents who had to write letters and wait to hear from a loved one. I'll still have to wait but will be able to correspond so much easier. I told Drew he'll be my favorite pen pal. :) I'll be sure to take pictures of Drew on Thursday and will update you soon.

Everyone says they like pictures so here a couple from this week. Jake is definitely a Daddy's boy at heart. With Drew leaving we have been bending the rules a little bit with Jake getting on the couch. Shhh... don't tell mom. :)

Here is one from last night. Another wife took all of the pictures which I will get soon but here is one I have. Sorry it is so dark.

I won't post the small pox vaccination picture... Gross!

Family Meeting Update

Wanted to give everyone a quick update. As we get closer to deployment I may post more often so you are up to date. I sent an email to our immediate family this morning after our family readiness meeting last night but know many of you are anxious to learn more details as well. So here is the just of what I sent them:

My job as Drew’s publicist is starting to pick up again. :) We had a great meeting on base last night. Drew and I had a date night as we like to call it where we went to the family readiness group meeting. It was cute because the volunteer wives call to remind you and also email you. They definitely keep you connected! I am going to email them today to let them know I am happy to help where they need me. But anyway, the meeting was awesome! The information was helpful but it was even more special to see a huge ballroom size room full of people that were there to support their soldiers. I felt really proud to be standing by Drew’s side as his wife. It’s empowering!!!! Definitely a neat thing to be a part of. I met some more wives and was able to see friends I have already met. I’m already in good hands with the support of our family and friends but definitely have a good network here too. I went through a fragile, emotional time before this deployment but now I am excited, proud, and ready to get this show on the road!

At the meeting, we were able to see pictures of where Drew will be living, the recreational sports fields, the dining hall, the grocery store, the coffee shop…etc. It seems to be a pretty good set up. And… even better….the base is set up with full internet and phone access. Now, having said that, Drew will not be able to call or email all day long but it sounds like the communication system is pretty advanced. And once they get over there, they have to test it, but they may have personalized internet available so Drew could have his own internet on his laptop in his room which would be awesome!! But we have to see.

Drew’s window for deployment is somewhere between Wednesday and Sunday of next week. His boss said to plan on leaving the 28th and every day you get after that consider it a bonus. I will take Drew to work that day (whatever day that may be), hang out around the company, they will give us a ten minute warning for final goodbyes, and Drew will then get on the bus. They then have to make a few more stops around base to finish their packing and signing out, and they are off to the airport. He will be traveling for about 24 hours but I should be able to hear from him hopefully within 48 hours of leaving. YAY!! Obviously, things happen and they may get there and have meetings, but I’ll at least hear from him soon.

I know everyone wants to start sending packages but we have to wait a little bit to do that. Drew and I have been talking about how to coordinate that and have heard some helpful hints on how to organize efforts from other Army wives. But we can talk about that a little bit later. :)

This is a pretty neat experience! Not everyone can say their husband served his country in Iraq. Not to mention, Drew is going down in history as the last of the troops to support the locals and leave Iraq. That is awesome. If you can’t tell, I am damn proud.

Fall is Here

Fall weather has finally reached Georgia. It is gorgeous outside! All weekend has been sunny and in the sixties! We are loving the jeans and sweatshirt weather. Last night we went to the local seafood festival about five minutes from our house. We jumped on a shuttle at the top of our street and spent the night tasting all of the local seafood. It is a huge bragging rights event so we got to enjoy great food for great prices while restaurants compete for the trophy. They also had a fair with all the rides and a good band. It made for a fun date night. The cooler weather also makes watching football more fun and we had to make chili. If you can't tell, Drew and I have been relaxing and enjoying our time together.

This morning I was brushing my teeth and walked out into the family room to tell Drew that he deploys next week. That realization was a big one. So next week Drew goes to war. Talk about a loaded sentence!!! In this case it is not a saying but a truth. Drew gets to fulfill his dream of serving his country. I could not be more proud. Proud is not a strong enough word. But the time before deployment is winding down. He'll have a four day weekend this coming weekend and he will likely then leave next week. We don't know a specific date and may not know one until the day arrives. But we are ready to get the clock started! I know I have said it before but we are ready to get Drew over there so he can get home.

Last week Drew finished getting all of his shots and taking care of last minute details. Besides packing up the last of his things he is ready to go. Tomorrow night we have a family meeting on base which will be another good opportunity for me to meet more wives. Everyone I have met so far is nothing but nice. We will keep you posted if we learn more. So the plan for this week: spend more time together!

Last of the Family Visits

Pete and Ashley's visit this weekend rounded out the last of the family visits. We had great weather and they were able to stay an entire extra day thanks to Columbus Day. Drew also had a four day weekend so we picked them up Friday morning and didn't have to return them until this morning. We were in three states in 3 days- Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. We hit Jekyll Island, Tybee Beach, Savannah, and Hilton Head. As always when Pete and Drew get together there were lots of laughs! And Ashley and I just laugh which only instigates more jokes so they just kept coming. Really a nice visit!
Now that the family visits have come and gone, deployment is getting more and more real. Only about 2 weeks left before Drew leaves. As I have told my family, I am definitely fragile. It is quite an emotional thing to say the least! But in the same breath I must say that we are as prepared as we can be and are ready to start the clock. Drew wants to get going so he can get home. In the next couple of weeks we are getting prepared and running lots of little errands. At work he will get more vaccines and should have fairly short work days. Everyone there wants as much time with their wives and families before they leave. Like I have said before, thank you to everyone for your outpouring of love and support. We couldn't do it without you. And Drew feels so much better leaving too knowing I will be well taken care of between our family and friends. So thanks again.

Here are a couple of pictures from this weekend. We took most of the pictures with Ashley's camera so I will share more once I get those. She has cute ones! Here are some of us hanging out on Friday night after a fun day at the beach.

Continued Training

Just a quick update this week. Drew has been in training this past week and continues with it this week. He is having fun and is excited to shoot this week. He is expecting to deploy in late October. We are gobbling up every minute together! This weekend we went to a festival in downtown Savannah with a couple of Drew's new friends that was really fun. We also checked out the neighborhood pool which turned out to be really nice. We always head straight to the beach but found the pool to be great. We are especially excited because Pete and Ashley are headed down here this coming weekend!! They will be here Friday through Monday. They are the last of the family to come visit before Drew leaves. We can't wait to spend time with them! More to follow next week but wanted to update everyone quickly. Drew is excited to deploy and serve his country. More training this week and the work days should then get shorter before he leaves. Drew and I plan to spend as much time together as possible. It is a new experience for us to plan for such a long time apart with Drew at war but we feel as prepared as possible. We are lucky to have a strong relationship and the support of our family and friends. Thank you for your support. More next week!

So fun!

We had the best time on Drew's leave! I also took a week vacation so we were able to play the entire time. Last weekend I had a chance to meet wives of guys in Drew's company. We went over to watch the GA football game. Around here, GA football is basically a religion. It is really fun! We are definintely still Mizzou fans though! It was great to meet the wives and they were all cute and fun. I have a standing joke with many of my friends that I feel like I am dating again trying to pick up friends that are girls. I guess I've still got it because I got some digits before the night was over. :) They all live in our neighborhood too which is convenient.

Sunday we left for the GA mountains. The first two days it rained but the rest of the time was sunny and seventies. We didn't have a chance to fish because the river water was moving too fast with debris and was murky, but we had plenty of other things to do. Our cabin had a hot tub, ping pong table, and was set up for bonfires on the river. We took advantage of all the amenties. We also hiked, went horseback riding, checked out the small towns, and even found a pumpkin patch! We are really going to miss our annual pumpkin carving contest with our friends in St. Louis! The last day we even went kayaking on class 3 rapids. In retrospect it was pretty dangerous going over waterfalls as a beginner, but it was awesome!! The entire trip was amazing.

Here is a picture of our cabin. The backside opened up to two levels of decks that overlook the river. It was gorgeous.

This waterfall was well worth the hike up.

We started with these sit-on-top kayaks the first run. The second time we did sit-in kayaks which was even more nuts! It was awesome.

We found this lake the last day. Of course we saw huge fish swimming by from the banks and didn't have our rods in the car. That will be on the agenda for our next trip!

We caught the pumpkin patch on a Tuesday so we had the entire place to ourselves. That just meant we could choose our pumpkins in peace and quiet. Choosing the right pumpkin is a serious decision! And no, Drew's shirt is not wet from sweating over choosing the right pumpkin. He had just stuck is head under a nearby waterfall. :)

We ended our vacation with a fun visit from Drew's parents. We picked them up on Friday and it was nonstop laughter and good times until we dropped them back off at the airport. We had great beach days and they were able to see all the sights. So far both sets of parents approved of our new location. :) We even caught a flounder and a sting ray! As I said in the title... So fun!!

So now it is back to work for both of us. Drew starts his training tomorrow to get ready to go to Iraq. He is ready to get going on it. We could not have asked for a better vacation!

A Weekend to Remember

We had an amazing time with my family! It was non-stop action and fun from the moment they arrived until we dropped them off at the airport. We had a blast!! We were all so happy that the six of us could get together before Drew deploys. Friday night we went to downtown Savannah, Saturday we went to the beach at Jekyll Island and came back to our house and had a low country boil dinner, and Sunday we showed them the base and went to Tybee Island. It was non-stop laughs and good times. Thank you to our family for making the trip and for all of your love and support. We truly could not do it without you.

We are now switching gears and getting ready for Drew's leave. Starting tomorrow he doesn't have to be back to work until Monday the 28th. I am also taking vacation from work next week and we are headed to the GA mountains! We have a neat cabin in the mountains booked where we can fly fish in our back yard which we love. We are really looking forward to vacation together. So for the next 12 days it is vacation time for Drew! Then we are really excited too because Drew's parents will be here next weekend on the 25th. We are excited to show them around town and have a fun visit! It will be a great way to wrap up our vacation.

Here are a few pictures from last weekend:

Here are the brother-in-laws.

Everyone is laughing so hard in this picture because we (the girls) thought that we were being funny by doing the typical napkin in the shirt for our seafood dinner but Dad beat us by turning a trash bag into a shirt. He won! :)