Where did November go?

Is it seriously Thanksgiving next week? Where in the world did the month of November go? And October, September, and August?! Time has gone by so quickly these past 4 months. It's so hard to believe that this time last year, I was preparing for Ryan to deploy to Afghanistan. It doesn't seem like a year ago to me at all. Each month was a complete blur while he was gone. People ask what it's like being away from someone for that long or how the time passes.... The only way I know how to describe it is that the days went by extremely slowly but the months went by quickly. I know that doesn't make much sense when I say it but it's true. Every day seemed like a lifetime without him. Days drug on and on and on but then I'd wake up one day and it'd be April and for the life of me I couldn't believe that I had made it 4 months already. The 4 month mark is a crucial point in a deployment because you've made it over half way. It's a  great feeling. Anyways, I don't know why I'm rambling about that. Point is, I think back to this time last year and how very different things are now and it just simply blows my mind. I am so happy and unbelievably thankful for where my life is now.


Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I think what I love most about it is how relaxing it is. To me, the holiday truly is about giving thanks and being grateful for what you have. It's the least selfish holiday, in my eyes. People aren't frantically running around trying to pick out the "perfect" gift for so-and-so or worrying if their gift is going to be good enough and all the hype that some of the other Holidays bring. It's just about being with the people you love, eating some yummy food, and taking a day to slow down and reflect on what's really important. Ryan and I were able to enjoy Thanksgiving together last year, just the two of us, and it was so nice. We made so many yummy things, the house was warm, it smelt amazing, we relaxed... just how I like it. Although we get to spend it alone again, this year will be extra special. This will be our first Thanksgiving as Husband and Wife. How exciting, right? I get to celebrate the holiday with a whole new meaning. What better way to spend my day than with the person I am most thankful for? I can't wait to cook all of the amazing foods... we had such an amazing dinner last year... I know this year will be even better! And every year after that, it will just keep getting better and better! And the best part... leftovers! Yes! I am a fan of Thanksgiving leftovers! Especially the ham (we cook ham instead of turkey)! You can cook it for breakfast, put it on sandwiches, make different kinds of soup... it's just the best! All this talk about food has got me hungry! 


Anyways. I hope that next year Ryan and I can spend Thanksgiving in Arizona... it's been a long time since I've celebrated Thanksgiving with my Dad and that makes me sad. When I think about the things I am most thankful for, he is most definitely one of the very first things that pops in my mind. I owe him all the thanks in the world because without him, I would be nowhere near the person I am today. He's the greatest. End Of Story. 


Christmas plans are still coming along. As of right now, it looks like we will be visiting Arizona and Wyoming. Pretty crazy, right? We will be doing tons of traveling within those couple of weeks hitting up 3 different states... I forgot to mention we're stopping in Colorado too. 


So, I expect December to pass by just as quickly as November did... and then it will be January and who knows what life will be life then :)I'll be sure to keep you updated though.


Enjoy your weekend!

Celebrating 235 Years of The Marine Corps

So, we're home from the Marine Corps Ball and it feels great! I can not put into words how unbelievably tired we were once we finally got home and settled. We played a game of Skip-Bo while we were waiting for dinner to finish and between turns I was seriously having to rest my eyes... I was soo exhausted! BUT I did manage to win the game! Go Me! Ryan almost always wins and if you know me, you know I'm a sore loser so it was nice to finally win and be able to prance around the house singing the "I won Skip-Bo" song for once! I absolutely hate losing and since Ryan is very well aware of this, when he wins, he makes his victory speech a little louder, a little longer, and a little more obnoxious. We have this playful competitiveness that is pretty darn funny and definitely makes for an interesting time. Anyways! We had a pretty good time at the Ball... not all that I had expected it to be but it was still a good time. It was nice to get dressed up and feel pretty for the night. Ryan looked handsome as ever in his Dress Blues. I'm so proud of him and when he puts that uniform on, I'm filled with even more pride knowing that I have the privilege to be married to one of The Few and The Proud. It's a feeling that only a Marine Wife (and girlfriends and fiancees too!) can feel... you can't really describe being in love with a Marine and all the feelings and emotions that come with it. All I can say is that I am so amazingly proud of my husband for everything he has done. So, here are some of the pictures from our night. You can find the rest on our facebook :)

gettin' ready to head out

 k, a serious one

 Caitlin, Nicole, and Me

at the ceremony :)

And well, that's about it. Back to the grind this week. I've been spoiled with so much time with Ryan lately that I missed him before he even left for work this morning. I don't think he's had a full week of work in the past couple of weeks so this is a bummer. On a positive note though, we are still playing the powerball and every week, we have a winning ticket... not "THE" winning ticket, obviously, but "A" winning ticket so maybe the big win is around the corner... keep your fingers crossed! 

Enjoy your week!

Hello, Winter.

Brrrr! Winter is coming that is for sure! Time to pull out all of my favorite coats, scarves, hats and gloves! Last week we didn't have a single day in the 60's! It feels like fall more so than winter today though, I believe it's 68 out right now which is pretty nice. It will get cold tonight though! I hope the rest of the week stays nice too since Ryan has a super long weekend coming up for Veteran's Day (Remember to fly your flag in honor of our Veterans) ! This weekend is also our Marine Corps Ball so it better stay nice so my hair doesn't go nutzo and get all frizzy! I hate when that happens! Anywho!


So, my Dad and Kim left last Friday and that was a total bummer :( We had such an amazing time while they were here visiting! I wish they could have stayed much longer but we're planning on going to Arizona sometime (hopefully soon) to see them again and so Ry can meet the rest of The Fam. While he was here we did a lot of fun things! We took him to the place we got married and showed him around Beaufort. We took him to the boat house where they were currently working on 2 new boats and also to the NC Maritime Museum which was so cool! We got to see actual artifacts from Queen Anne's Revenge... The pirate Blackbeard's ship! The ship sunk right off the coast of NC back in the 1700's. It was so amazing to see such a neat part of history! They're starting up their Fall 2010 diving expeditions again and you can follow their progress on their facebook if you're interested. My geeky side totally just came out :) Anyways! So, we did that and we also went to Fort Macon... another awesome piece of history (you can look that one up on your own). We visited the NC Aquarium also and had a blast. My Dad is such a cutie... he walked up and down our beach collecting bags and bags of seashells to take back to Arizona. Like I said in a previous blog, this was his first time to the East Coast so it was like seeing a kid in a candy shop once he got to the beach. The simplest of things make him happy and I just love that about him! We ate lots of great food, played several games of cards, and spent hours and hours relaxing and just talking away. All in all, it was a fabulous time and I am so happy that my Dad and Ryan finally got the meet each other!


Hmm, what else? Nothing really so off I go :)


Stay classy,
A.Haley