Long Overdue

Wow! I didn't realize it had been this long since I've updated my blog. So many things have happened since the last time I wrote so let's get started!

Ryan is officially out of the Marines and we now live in Arizona! We made our journey cross country about a month ago and we're finally getting settled. We had a bunch of little projects to do on our house and the first one is finished... the bedroom! I wish I would have remembered to take a "before" picture because the transformation is unbelievable! It is so nice and cozy and we're so happy to finally have a place to call ours. Here are some pictures of the bedroom and I'll throw some in of the kitchen as well. As we make more progress, I'll add some more!!

Part of the kitchen while we were unpacking

Kitchen Area

Part Of The Bedroom, we added all the wood trim

The 3 cubby things are shelves and mirrors

I don't know why this one is blurry but thats the door leaving the room and the arched doorway is our bathroom

That's it for now, dinner time!

Babies for The Haley's

Recently I posted on Facebook, and here, about some potential super duper exciting news for Ryan and me and I was surprised at how many people thought that we were pregnant!! I understand why a lot of people would assume that is what I was referring to. We're a newly married, young couple and that is something that newly married, young couples do and look forward to, but that is not what I was talking about. Don't get me wrong, I most definitely look forward to having a family with Ryan and the thought of it excites me beyond belief but not right now. We're 22 and 23 years old, we have a lot of things that we want to do and experience before having children. We have goals we want to accomplish and want to be in a "secure" place before bringing a child into this world. That doesn't mean that I don't catch "baby fever" every now and then because believe me, I DO, and I convince and think to myself, "I want a baby now!" but in all reality, we'd both like to wait. Part of our reasons I guess could be considered selfish... We enjoy our life right now the way that it is, just the two of us. We treasure the alone time we have with each other and use it to truly learn more about one another and fall even more in love than we could have imagined. We like having the option to just "get up and go" as we please. But then there are the reasons we both feel very strongly about. Like I said before, we want to be in a "secure" place in our life. We both want steady careers and a good source of income so we're not worried about living paycheck to paycheck or worrying if our child is going to have everything that it needs. We want a safe and happy place that our children can call home. A place that we are proud to call "ours." A steady, happy, and healthy life. This isn't about being " The Jones' " or even keeping up with them. It's not about having the perfect little house on the corner with the white picketed fence and red front door. I know that even when we feel we are prepared enough for children, we'll still have struggles along  the way and at times feel like we are falling short as parents. Every parents dream is to give their child everything they want and everything they need. What better way to achieve your goals than to start by building a strong foundation in which you can build off of? We want our children to be able to look back on their lives and be proud of the family they came from. We won't ever be perfect parents but we will be the best parents we possibly can for our children. When the time is right for Ryan and I, it will happen and when it does, they are going to be the cutest, most precious little babies you've ever seen.

Super Duper Exciting

So, I have some super duper exciting news that I want to share, but I can't because Ryan thinks I'll jynx it, so when and if it becomes official be on the lookout for a super duper exciting blog.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers!! Yippie!!

2 Years & Counting

Well, today is mine and Ryan's 2 year anniversary! It's hard to believe that it was two years ago today that Ryan and I had our first date. It feels like 10 years ago, but in a good way! We have both grown so much and our appreciation for each other and our love is at an all time high. Two years ago today, I was literally pacing back and forth in my living room waiting for him to pick me up.  I decided to wear a really cute navy blue flowy top with some jeans and some super cute navy blue and white heals. I looked pretty cute :) I watched as he zoomed on passed my house, missing the driveway. I felt a sigh of relief knowing I had an extra minute to chill out and catch my breath. It was so unlike me to be getting nervous over a first date but holy heck, I was more nervous than I had ever been. So anyways. Here he comes, pulling into the driveway as I walk outside to wave him down. Thinking I'd just walk over and get in the car, he surprised me by getting out and giving me a big hug. I don't even think I said hi... all I could say was "Are you wearing Abercrombie cologne?" Really, Ann? That's all you could think of? So, we headed to town and about 3 miles down the road, Ryan completely runs a stop sign while trying to show off his sweet driving skills in his new BMW, almost killing both of us. Jokingly I asked him if I should drive and I think I embarrassed him. The original plan was to just go to dinner and if we ended up hitting it off, we'd go see a movie. I was super paranoid that after dinner I'd want to go see a movie and he'd just want to take me home, a sure sign that he wasn't interested. Much to my surprise though, one of the first things he asked was if I'd like to go to a movie first and then get some dinner. I took that as a good sign :) We went and saw Marley and Me and yes, I cried my eyes out. When I cry, my eyes get suuupper red, suuupper puffy, and my chest and neck get really blotchy. Attractive, right? Haha. Ryan didn't seem to mind though. So, he told me he wanted to take me to this Hibachi Grill and thought he could remember how to get there... Well, he couldn't and we ended up driving around for a good 45 minutes trying to find the place. Needless to say, we settled for Mexican food. I figured that after dinner, the night was over and he'd take me home but out of nowhere he said "I don't know what there is to do in this town. All I know is that I'm not ready to say goodnight to you yet." How perfect :) We ended up spending the rest of the evening talking about everything you could imagine. I think he took me home around 1 or 2 in the morning, haha. And well, that was the start to our journey. Here we are, two years later, husband and wife, living our dream. I couldn't be more thankful to be spending my life with that crazy Marine who ran a stop sign, took me to a movie that made me cry, and got me lost on the way to dinner... Oh, and by the way, I was right about the cologne :)

Happy Anniversary Babe!

New Year...

Christmas is over and the new year is fast approaching. You know what that means! New Years Resolutions! I haven't quite figured mine out yet but the whole idea of having a resolution has me thinking about a lot of things. With a new year comes new things, new possibilities, new opportunities.... room for change! Lots of change! I'll be the first to say that I'm usually not very fond a change. Familiarity is very comforting to me but for some reason, I'm looking forward to some of the changes I'll be making in my life this coming year. Some of them are self-improvement changes like having more self-confidence, being an all around healthier person, to stop worrying so much about things I can't control, etc. Some of them are life-changes like finishing up school, moving to a new place, starting new jobs., etc.. And some of them are just changes I want to make for the sake of my own personal beliefs on having a happier, healthier life... like surrounding myself with loving, supportive, and unselfish people, welcoming obstacles as opportunities, and only focusing my attention on the people and the things that matter. Whenever I seem to be having a hard time or dealing with a difficult person, my Dad always reminds me that "Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Completely true. True family and friends accept you just the way you are... they accept your faults, your quirks... everything about you because that's who you are. I live my life the way I want to. I do the things I want to. I don't do the things I don't want to. If someone has a problem with any of that, why would I want them in my life? That is who I am and I only want the people who love me to be in my life. I am so unbelievably lucky to have grown up with such a loving and accepting family. I am proud of the family that my husband has become a part of... a family (most of which that have not met him yet) that accepts him and loves him unconditionally. I feel so privileged to have been raised with such high morals and values... something I will instill in my own family one day. I was taught the importance of The Golden Rule: "Treat others as you wish to be treated." All of these traits that make me truly proud of the woman I've become. All of these things that make realize exactly what I want in and out of my life. All of these things that I can easily achieve to make my life a happier and healthier place. I have so many things to be thankful for... a loving husband, an amazing family, great friends... the things that truly matter. Why waste my time on anything else?

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.