Tender Mercies

Guys, I found a dress! Last week I talked about not having a dress for the formal because I had grown out of the one I was planning on wearing...but the next day I went on a 3 hour shopping trip and found one that worked and was comfortable. It was a pretty awesome deal.  This was my 4th military ball I have been to, and it was my most favorite one to date. The event was held at Abe & Jake's Landing   in Lawrence, a beautiful venue for a formal event. The food was decent, but most of all, the keynote speaker was actually interesting and engaging . He was a retired Navy Captain, and had all of the students and staff laughing, cheering, and participating in his speech. We all left with a renewed sense of camaraderie, morale, and pride for our Country.  I met Marshall's classmates and really enjoyed the evening with them. They were all excited to meet "Adams's wife," and they said I lived up to their expectations. phew! :) It was the mos...

We finally have an answer as to where we are moving to. You think I am joking? I sure hope not. Two days ago we received confirmation that Marshall was awarded the Green-to-Gold scholarship. *happy dance* Originally denied the scholarship for the Fall 2014 semester, he was given another chance back in August for the Spring 2015 semester and he submitted all his paperwork again for that opportunity. After what seemed like continual back and forth communication between him and the offices in charge of the scholarship, losing paperwork, having to re-submit forms, having to get more doctor's appointments and signatures, and a few tears on my part, the journey is finally won! I can't say it is over because, well, another one has just begun! We are so excited to move to Lawrence, Kansas and attend The University of Kansas and become members of the Jayhawk family. It is hard for me to think that I am going to college again, except for this time I will be the wife instead ...

I remember the first time I saw a Bod Pod while touring a potential college during my senior year of high school.  I thought it was so cool that this school had a machine for the Athletic Training students to use to measure and learn about body composition. While I would have loved to have gone to this particular school and learn about and use the Bod Pod, the university I ended up attending and graduating from did not have such luxuries. I never thought I would have my curiosity appeased and actually get to use one until last month when I heard that the Army Wellness Center on post had one.  Naturally, I made an appointment to be tested so that I could have a baseline of what my body fat % is as well as my resting metabolic rate, though I know numbers are not everything.  (If you are interested in this kind of testing and you are in the military, I would highly suggest checking out your wellness center to make an appointment because it is FREE.) It's an egg-spa...

I know I am biased, but I absolutely love this picture After 13 months of waiting, my husband was finally promoted to Sergeant! **Happy Dance** He passed the promotion board in August 2013, but had to wait. and wait. and wait until he earned enough promotion points as well as for the points to drop to a reachable level.  I don't agree with the point system, but since that is the way things work in the lower enlisted side of the Army, I suppose we will just have to play the game until he can switch over the officer side. In terms of pay, he was promoted on October 1, 2014, but he waited an entire week to get pinned, just so that I could do it. I was really surprised he did this because he can't be called Sergeant Adams until he gets pinned. It would have driven me crazy if I were in his position, but I am really touched that he sacrificed so that I could take part in the event. Being in the Army can be silly sometimes. Most of the times.  But, it is the small thing, lik...

Ahh, isn't traveling fun?! It was super great to be traveling with my husband though. I have never done that before this trip, and sitting next to your sweetheart on the plane and having someone to laugh and talk with and a hand to hold or shoulder to lay your head on during the long traveling days makes everything SO much better. Seriously. Because we booked the cheap tickets, we were blessed to enjoy a 14-hour layover in Seattle after a 3.5 hour flight from Kansas City, Missouri. We arrived in Seattle at 5pm and since our next flight didn't take off until the next morning, we decided to spend the night out on the town! I love public transportation: avoiding traffic, not having to worry about parking, and being able to multi-task while you're getting to where you need to be.  Maybe my appreciation for subways and lightrails is because I grew up riding the subways in Tokyo.  Marshall and I walked 10 minutes to the light rail at the airport and rode 30 minutes to downtow...

On my last post, I mentioned that my husband was leaving me again... because the Army was calling him away on a two week field exercise where they are going to help control the wild fires in Alaska. Even though that is a pretty cool job to do, we had plans  together this weekend. Ugh. But seriously, that's enough. I decided I wasn't going to mope around, and I WASN'T going to stay inside all weekend. Not with it being so gorgeous outside. Last night I spent downtown at the First Friday Art Walk with another lovely Army wife, and we had a super time. Today I went to the lake! Earlier in the week, my friend Nicole invited us to go to Chena Lakes for a BBQ, an invitation I had to decline because of our Arctic Circle weekend getaway. Well, the moment I heard our plans were going to be canceled, I texted her back and "re-invited" myself. I hope she didn't mind.  After a relaxing morning of sleeping in and my yoga practice, I headed out to Chena Lakes at...

Ahh sometimes I feel like my brain and emotions are going to go crazy. I keep reminding myself of our vacation planned for this summer, and the long-awaited break and relaxation I will enjoy. Until then, it is just enjoying the crazy and uncertainty of Army and coaching life, and the beautiful Alaskan summer. A random & last minute decision to go floating on Chena Lake this past Memorial Day. It was a good decision. I am learning to take advantage of the time we do have together! This has been such a long a faith-building year for me. Many know of Marshall's application to the Green-to-Gold Army Scholarship program, and many, many of you have inquired as to its status. Well, I would like to know the status too!  This journey, for all intents and purposes, began last June when we decided he would apply for this year and begin school in August 2014, provided he wins the scholarship. Last year, no one applied for the scholarship in Alaska, so we were optimistic about this ye...

It's a pretty common thing to see a toddler with his baby blanket before nap or bedtime. Without it, there are often lots of tears and a child who is not able to fall asleep. I suppose Mom knew what she was doing when she told the babysitter, "As long as he has his blanket, he will be just fine." I have seen first-hand the night and day difference when a two year old has been reunited with a misplaced baby blanket.  My secret is out! You would think I had grown out of this phase by now. I did too! But I mentioned to my husband last night that I had not been sleeping very well lately, waking up every few hours and just not wanting to go to bed when bedtime rolls around. We have been apart many times before, but this month in particular has just been a long one! "Have you been sleeping with my blanket?" he asked over the phone. "Oh no, I haven't! How did I forget that?"  "Well maybe you should get it out of the drawer. It will help ...

Wow, I sure do wear a lot of hats, don't I? And those don't even cover all of my titles or responsibilities. It's a good thing I love everything I do, or I would be wasting my time! As I got off the phone from wishing my Father-in-Law happy birthday the other day, I wondered if people really know what goes on in the day-to-day life of me. I really don't lead a typical Army Wife life, nor does my schedule follow a typical pattern. So what does a "normal" day look like for me?  Welcome to "A Friday in the Life of Me..." enjoy! My body wakes up naturally at 5:30am.  This was the view from my bedroom window as I checked the weather. It was promising to be a beautiful day! One of my favorite morning habits is I listen to an inspirational talk on my phone while preparing breakfast. I do not have the time to read or study in the morning so this gives me the spiritual "boost" to get me going in the right frame of mind. Today...

 We are together at last! Me and my Honor Grad husband :)            I know it wasn't a deployment, but any time apart is a challenge, be it one week or a year.      When Marshall arrived home after being gone at WLC* for 5 weeks, I packed my bags and left the very next day to coach at the Arctic Winter Games for 8 days. That made for 6 weeks of being apart. You're probably asking yourself, "well weren't you apart for an entire semester back at the beginning of your marriage? So why is 6 weeks difficult?" Let me refer to back to the second line above: any time apart, be it one week or a year, is a challenge.  What is the bright side to being apart so often?  I'm trying to be optimistic here...  1). The reunions are that much sweeter. 2). It improves our communication skills, since a lot of it is done over the phone. 3). I learn to appreciate the little things we do for each other. 4). There is quiet ...