Sincere Thankful Words

" Today is a day of giving thanks, celebrating what you have in your life and what is good or what good is going to come. Today is a day of spending it with those you love and who love you, sharing memories and moments together with friends and/or family, all coming together, eating delicious food, and most importantly, remembering what is important -- life. You're only given one chance to live, so try to live it as best as you can, take chances and risks, enjoy each day even if all you did for that day was breathe. Let go of grudges and push arguments into the past, because letting it go helps bring you that much closer to better tomorrows.   And as you go on with your Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations of eating, smiling and laughing, enjoying the time spent with family and friends, some houses will have an empty chair at their table where their military loved one should be sitting. Some whom gave up their time and others who gave up their life. So always remember of those who are currently serving and have to be apart from their loved ones and family, and for those who did not make it back. "
--- Bridget Lacey, wife to a Sgt in the Marines, currently serving.


I truly am thankful for so much. I really feel blessed.

Insomnia In Full Gear

It seems that each time Matt has to go away whether it's just for training, work-up, or a deployment, I become an extreme night owl and a long sleeper. I normally do prefer night time over morning, but deployments take it to a whole new level. And I tend to sleep for hours upon hours, like 11 hours of sleep. Insane right?

Anywho, I had a point to this post and it was that with all my insomnia, I was able to make a deployment paper chain to help celebrate each day going by. It's a way of me counting down and it's something I can look forward to each day!  It did take awhile to make because there are A LOT of days. and the fact I felt I had to take it one extra step by writing a little note inside because I plan on mailing these to him in the letters I write to him each day. 

 Cut a piece of construction paper or scrapbook paper (I used scrapbook)

 Write a message inside. This is an example since I used brown for the beginning of my chain

 Make a loop and staple or glue the ends together. Then each one after that loop it through the first.

 The entire chain. I can't wait until it's so short to where it doesn't even hang over the mirror!!

The best one by far --- homecoming (although I'm sure it's not the right date since I guesstimated)

 Taking the first chain off, it can only get smaller from here.

 5 down already just waiting to be mailed.

And for those who keep seeing this frame in the background of the other pictures, my best friend growing up, Monica, made this for me a few Christmas's ago in 2007. It's very thoughtful and showed how good of a friend she is, so it always has a place on my dresser.

7 for 7

Before Matt left on the deployment, I made him a little gift without him knowing! It was 7 letters for the first week (7 days) he was gone. This way, he at least had something to open since I know that the mail I would be writing and sending wouldn't get to him until the second week or possibly longer. So, when I met him down by the boat the night prior to him leaving, I gave it to him.

I cut out map pieces to fit inside the envelope to make it a nicer background than the plain envelope. It would have been better if I had a world map, but I just used a state map.

 I glued the back piece of the map and then applied it to the inside of the envelope.

 Then, glue the top, and lick the top portion of the envelope and attach it to the front part of the other envelope above.

 Here you can see what I mean about how it's supposed to attach. I also added days of the week to each envelope by stenciling the letters so he would know which to open next on what day.

As to what I put in there? I just stuck little notes in each envelope to get him through that day and then put a little item inside (mainly what we had around the house) that went along with the message.

Once that's completed, fold it up accordion style and tie a pretty little bow around it.

I mean seriously, what's better than Dove chocolates and sentimental letters??

And He's Off...

We all knew that his training for the deployment was going to come to an end and the real deployment would be here. So, it has. It came, saw, and conquered. Conquered in meaning it took all the Marines and Sailors away from their loved ones.

We enjoyed our time spent together on his leave that he took before he had to leave. It was the longest he has actually been home since May. Or was it June? That's how much he's been gone for his job that I can't remember, haha. 

Although, this is our third deployment together (one in 2009, one in 2010, and of course this one in 2011), this is the first MEU deployment. So, this is a whole new experience for the both of us. We both don't know what to expect so we shall see how it goes.  All that I know, is that I will miss him greatly.
  I love you, hubby. See you sometime next year

  Nothing beats fake smiles on the day of deployment.