Wrapping Up 2010

I hope that everyone is enjoying their holiday season. I know I am, but I'm also looking forward to it being over. Holidays are too hectic and busy of a time these days. It seems as if we can't slow down for a single minute to just simply enjoy them anymore. With the year 2010 quickly coming to an end, I wanted to take the time to do a "2010 Newsletter." Kind of like a quick wrap up of what's happened in our life this past year. Many things have happened, most of which you all already know about, but I thought that this would be a fun tradition to start now that I'm married and starting a new path in life.

So, we'll start with 365 days ago :) Wow. 365 days ago I was still trying to adjust to Ryan and Charly being gone. The three of us live together and each and every night, I had both of them coming home to me, I had both of them to cook for, I had 2 people to share everything with. On December 11th, 2009, Charly left for his 4th deployment and on December 15th, 2009, Ryan left for his 2nd deployment. Having both of them in Afghanistan at the same time was one of the scariest times in my life. It took a lot of adjusting and it wasn't easy. Many tears were shed and there were countless sleepless nights. But here I am, I made it through and I feel I am a much stronger person! More importantly, Ryan and Charly made it through! In July, both of them returned home from a difficult 7 month long deployment. They came home on 2 separate nights and I can honestly say that those were two of the best nights in my entire life. I will never, ever forget searching for Charly for what seemed to be forever and finally turning around and seeing him standing there with a huge smile on my face and finally being able to hug him. I will never, ever forget the way I felt when I finally saw Ryan pass by me as he and his platoon marched up. I screamed his name at the top of my lungs and began to run with his platoon, sure that right as he stopped and was released, I would be there to finally wrap him in my arms. 7 long months were over. 7 months of worrying were over. It felt so good to have My Marines home. Here are a few pictures:

My Homecoming Sign For Charly

"CPL Mabry, You are the best POG ever. Welcome Home"

 

Welcome Home 1/6 HARD! 

The Day Charly Came Home

My First Hug With Charly :)

I pretty much tackled him.

My Homecoming Sign For Ryan :)

"CPL Haley, Tonight I am teaching you the big bang theory"

Everyone tries to come up with something silly to say :)

My Very First Hug With Ryan :) 

It lasted for about 20 minutes.

 He's Finally Home. 

I couldn't stop smiling, even through the kisses :)

Wow, that sure does bring back some memories... and some tears for sure! So, that was a quick 7 month sum it. A few things happened in between there. I want to take a minute to remember our dear friends Tank-A-Roo and Willy Buddy. They were our English Bull Terrier's that passed away this year, Tank in May and Willy at the end of September. Charly got Tank when he was stationed out in San Diego 6 or so years ago and he quickly became a huge part of our family. Anyone who has met him will tell you what an amazing personality he had... how he could make anyone laugh. Willy became a part of our family in July, right after Charly came home from Afghanistan. We were skeptical about getting another English Bull Terrier... too many "what if's?" after losing Tank, but we got him anyways and were most certainly NOT disappointed. He had an amazing personality as well... brought so many laughs and smiles to our lives. Losing a pet is like losing a part of your family. They were both very difficult times. Especially because they both passed so unexpectedly. Tank was my rock while the boys were deployed. Always willing to listen when I wanted to cry, as long as he could lay under the covers. He was so silly. He was human like... such a personality. We still miss him every day but he's in a better place now... hopefully God is letting him play with all the socks that he wants because he sure did love that! Willy did a great job at filling up my empty heart after losing Tank. Wrapping my arms around him filled my heart with so much love. He was a cute little guy and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss him or Tank. They will forever be in our hearts.

 

I miss you Tank and Willy. I love you boys so much. 

Thank you for bringing so much happiness to my life and so much love to my heart. 

Okay, I promise, the sad stuff is over. I'm going to try to wrap up the rest quickly since I'm going to make a big pot of chili for dinner and I forgot the cornbread mix and want to have it all ready before Ryan comes home.

On July, 24, 2010 I married the love of my life and my best friend, Ryan J. Haley. We had a very simple ceremony. It was simply the most beautiful day of my life. I relive the moment in my mind and tears fill my eyes. I have been truly blessed with the most amazing man to spend my life with. I don't know how I got so lucky, but I did and I am so unbelievably excited to spend every day of forever with him by my side. My brother put together a little video for us so we can always have a piece of Our Special Day. Watch it here. I hope that those of you that have not met Ryan yet, get to soon so I can share the most special part of my life with you. And for those of you who haven't met me, trust me, you'll be pretty impressed as well :) Haha. Here are some photos from our wedding day:

In November, my Dad and Kim came for a week long visit and we had a total blast. I wrote a blog about it if you want to read about what we did. It was awesome for him to finally meet Ryan... they got along great just like I knew they would. We were planning on going home for Christmas... to Arizona and Wyoming, but plans changed and we'll save that trip for sometime in early 2011. And well folks, that's about it. I'm sure I am forgetting 2/3 of the things I wanted to write about... if I remember, I'll be sure to write a part 2 but til then, this is all I have. I hope you are all enjoying your Holidays and keeping warm. We have had a rather cold winter here and are already ready for it to be summer. Many new and exciting things happening in 2011 so I will keep you posted!

Merry Christmas and  Happy New Year!

Military Widows

So, after telling one of my friends today that I was thinking about deleting my blog, I find myself here at the kitchen table ready to write again. I just realized that even if nobody reads this, I need this place to vent.


I just finished reading a few entries from a fellow Marine wife's blog whose husband was KIA just a couple of weeks ago. I don't know this woman personally, her blog was recommended to me by a friend, but my heart just absolutely breaks for her. It truly amazes me how strong these women are after experiencing something so traumatic. All I can think about is how bad it must hurt to marry the love of our life, expect to spend years and years with that person, and then all the sudden, at the age of 20, find yourself widowed. This girl wrote in her blog: "God chose me to be His wife because I am strong enough to get through this, and I will, for Him." Just rewriting it makes me cry. I wish that I knew this girl, I wish that I could be there to give her a hug... I just wish there was something I could do because I can not even begin to imagine the pain she is feeling. I feel so selfish because I want to update my Facebook status and say something about how I can't wait for Ryan to come home... I'm so lucky that he's even able to come home. She won't ever get to see him walk through their front door again. I feel so selfish because as soon as I close the door when he leaves for work in the mornings, I already miss him. I'm so lucky to even have a husband who I can walk to the door. She has to wake up alone. It honestly makes me want to get down on my knees and thank God from the bottom of my heart for bringing my husband and my brother home safely. It makes me think to myself, "I'm going to stop taking the little things for granted." I don't try to but sometimes it just happens. I complain about Ryan taking forever to text me back... those girls would kill to have just one more phone call. I just want to pour every ounce of love I have into Ryan because someday, he just might not be here. Life is so unexpected and so unfair and so cruel sometimes. I just wish there was something I could do for these girls. They are living my worst fear. They are living every military wife's worst fear. And most of them do it with so much pride. I have so much respect for the women who continue to honor their husbands even after they've passed. The ones who honor them with dignity. The ones who stay strong because they need to for their children, their families, for themselves. I don't know how they do it, but they do. I admire them for their strength and the courage they have to get up each day and face the world when their world has been torn apart. I don't even know what else to say except thank you. Thank you for being so strong. Thank you for standing proud. Thank you for your husband's unselfish service to our country and the sacrifices you are facing. I am so unbelievably sorry for your loss.

The Kissy Face & The Pouty Face

What is it with girls these days posting pictures of themselves making what I like to call the "kissy" and "pouty" faces? I have seen girls who don't have a single picture of themselves where they're not making that asinine face. Do you seriously think you're being sexy or that somehow that face makes you look cute? It looks absolutely ridiculous! I mean, I can understand taking a group photo with your girlfriends, joking around and making a funny face, but seriously... when you're taking pictures of yourself with your cell phone in the restroom while making that stupid face and throwing up a peace sign, it's a sure thing that you're NOT turning anyone on! If you're 14 a freshman and high school sure, take all the pictures you want, but I think there comes a time where you grow up and just SMILE!

The "I'm about the barf but I better make the kissy face" Picture

"Yo, yo, yo.. who wants to kiss this face!?"

I forgot this face... the "Oh my gosh, you just take my breath away" face

Put your damn peace signs away.

This guys "pouty face" looks better than yours.

Picture can't be complete with just the pouty face... someone had to double the amount of stupid and throw in the peace signs.

So, there you have it, my rant on the infamous "kissy" and "pouty" faces. Next time you enjoy your strawberry smirnoff, leave your camera at home.

Goodbye Thanksgiving, Hello Christmas....

Can you believe it's already December? Before we know it, Christmas will be over and we'll be welcoming in the year 2011!  It seems like yesterday the world was frantic and preparing for Y2K. Wow, time really does fly... whether you're having fun or not!

So, Thanksgiving was nice. Ryan and I made a yummy ham as we had planned and spent the day watching episode after episode of a TV series that we are following. And for the first time in my life, I did some Black Friday shopping! Not near as crazy as I had expected and definitely worth it (even though we woke up at 1:30 am)! We made out like a couple of bandits! We bought a really nice sofa, love-seat, and recliner from Ashley Furniture for $400! You can't beat a deal like that! We have decided to start buying little things that we will need once we move away from here so we have the essentials in our new home right when we move in... like a really cute new set of dishes, cups and glasses, some other kitchen supplies, and a few other things. Plus we already have a bunch of nice art work and pictures to decorate with, our bedroom set is amazing, our bathroom is complete, and with our new living room set and kitchen stuff we're pretty much set! I can't wait to get to wherever and just decorate my little heart out! I lovvvvve decorating and making things pretty and nice! I get so excited at the thought of it and then realize that when all of that takes place, I'll be in a completely new place without my brother :( I don't know what Ryan and I are going to do without him! Definitely miss him, that's for sure! I know I've rambled about this before... so anywayyys!

Our Christmas plans have changed and as much as I would have liked going home to spend it with our families, I'm slightly relieved that we'll be celebrating here in North Carolina. The main reason... trying to fit alllll of that traveling in a 2 week time span during the holidays was really turning into a nightmare... an expensive nightmare!! We've decided to try to head out at the end of January which will be way less stressful and we can spend as much time as we'd like and save lots of money! And this way, we get to spend Christmas here with Charly before he deploys to Afghanistan again. I'm so excited to eventually take Ryan back to Arizona! My bestest is going to try to make a trip out from California to see me and to meet Ryan! January will be a year since I have seen her and that is just too long so this is super exciting! I have so many things that I'd like to take Ryan to do/see. First thing is just showing him where I grew up. Taking him to all of my old forts around our property that I played in as a kid, showing him where I went to school, where I liked hanging out. I'm most definitely taking him to downtown Prescott. I love the historic feel of my town and I can't wait to share that with him! Then I want to take him to meet the rest of my family. They are going to go absolutely crazy over him! I have such a warm, loving, accepting family... we're going to have a great time. Oooo, and I can't wait for him to meet Grandma! That will be funny... she'll always be reminding him of how handsome he is, for sure! Then off to Sedona and Flagstaff and hopefully if we're there long enough we can take a trip to the Grand Canyon because Ryan's obviously never been there and neither has my Dad... a native to Arizona and he's never been to the Grand Canyon! Ha! So many things to look forward too!

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