Airport

Since I had an early flight this morning, I gave myself an hour and a half to check in, get through security and find my gate. That's plenty of time, right?

Apparently not.

Fast forward through having to show three forms of I'D since I booked the flight under my maiden name. Fast forward through the 5 yr old who sat on my foot for 20 minutes while we waited in line for security. Fast forward through the strip, squat, shuffle, oh, AND the full body scan in order to get through the checkpoint. My flight was taking off in 5 minutes and I had to get clear across the terminal.

Apparently God wanted me on the flight too, because as I was half-running, half skipping through the airport, with ny carry on in one hand and my jacket on only half of my body, one of those golf cart shuttles came up and asked if I needed a ride.

"Never more in my life." I squeaked out while catching my breath."Thank you, thank you."

I gave him a $5. That was probably too much, but he literally saved my ass. I can't imagine what I would have done if I had missed my flight. Probably curl into a ball and cry.

The ticket clerk smiled, said "you just made it, take a deep breath" and helped me to my seat. By the time I sat down, we were starting our taxi to the runway. I seriously BARELY caught that plane.

Now I'm sitting here at O'Hare waiting for my connection to El Paso. I'm giddy like a school girl to see my husband. Next time, though, the trip could be just a little less exciting and I'd be OK.

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Blog-a-Versary Celebration: DAY Three

Welcome back to day three of my blog-a-versary celebration!

{Don't forget to go back over the last couple days and enter my giveaways.

So, far entries are limited so you have a good chance of winning something.}

Today, I want to look forward to the next year.

Things I expect will happen; things I hope will happen.

This year...

...I will finish my second year of law school

...I will move in with my husband in El Paso, then back to Minnesota, and then into a home with my husband in Minnesota (whew! That's a lot of moving!)

...I will write my long-paper for graduation

...I will complete my summer goals list

...I will get a job for my return to Minnesota

...I will learn to cook a week's worth of amazing meals

...I will spend 3 whole months in the same state, city AND house as my husband

...and I will love on him every second of every day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do have a prize for the third day, but I am not going to reveal exactly what it is.

I leave in the morning for El Paso, to visit Al for a long weekend.

{Hence how late this post is. I've literally been scrambling all day to pack, run errands and get various other things taken care of. Oh, and, well, I've just had other things on my mind.}

So, the prize for this week will be El Paso themed. Something kitschy from the airport or a random tourist gift shop. Something so tacky it's awesome, because, that's how much I love my readers!

You don't need to enter for this final prize. Anyone who is entered in the previous two, will automatically be entered for this one. You can NOT enter this giveaway by itself. If you want the El Paso prize, you must enter one of the other 2 giveaways.

Stay tuned Monday when I announce the winners and reveal the third prize.

Have a great weekend (although I definitely think mine will be better!)

Blog-a-Versary Celebration: DAY Two

Welcome back to day two of my blog-a-versary celebration!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway from yesterday, by clicking the link at the top of the page.

Today, I wanted to reflect on this past year and everything I have been through since I started this blog in March of last year.

In the past year...

...I celebrated my 26th birthday at Target Field, keeping the tradition alive

...I paid off my car and my credit cards, eliminating all debt other than my school loans

...I finished my first year of law school (and actually didn't totally and completely hate it) making some great friends along the way

...I celebrated my sister's 21st birthday with her

...I got a new job (and left that job 10 months later to focus on school)

...I moved from one apartment to another, losing a significant friendship

...but gaining a new one

...I welcomed Al home from Iraq

...I started my third semester of law school (which turned out to be the hardest so far!)

...Al proposed while home on post-deployment leave

...then we enjoyed our first Christmas together in 2 years

...married my best friend

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You, my beloved readers, have been through all of these things with me.

I can't begin to thank you enough for your kindness and support during the tougher times and your friendship in sharing in the good times.

Today's giveaway is this cute bracelet I found:

I thought it had a fun nautical feel to it. It could be worn with jeans and a t-shirt or with a dress and cardigan. Either way, it's fun little bracelet.

And it can be yours with one very simple step:

Simply tell me your favorite post from this past year.

Scroll through my archives, or perhaps you have one that stands out.

Just leave me a note in the comments and you're entered!

This contest will end, along with the others, at 23:59 on Sunday night.

Have fun!

Happy Blog-a-Versary!

It's my blog-a-versary!

I have been blogging for ONE YEAR. Such an occasion calls for celebration!

My blog-a-versary celebration is going to last for THREE DAYS!

Each day I will give away a lovely prize to my readers who join the party.

Tomorrow, I am going to look back over my last year and give a highlights reel of where I've been. Wednesday, I will look forward to the next year and what it has in store for me.

Today, however, I want to open the proverbial door of communication and give everyone an opportunity to ask questions they might still be wondering about me. I encourage you to look at the Me, Him and Our Story page above and look through the You Asked page first to get an idea of where to start with your questions.

The give-away part is simple:

You get one entry for every question

{I will not avoid any questions without a reason, and it's unlikely I will even do it then. I would like to avoid as many duplicates as possible, so look through the links above first!}

Now, what do you win?

I have another copy of "Jenny the Milspouse" Comic Book

(like the one I gave away earlier this month)

This contest, along with the other two, will close on Sunday, March 27 at 23:59.

Millie Survey

It's going around. Kind of like the cold I have.

I'm pretty busy today and when I'm not busy any longer, I will be sleeping.

It's been a long week.

So, this is all you get from me for the day. Enjoy!

1. How long have you been a military wife?

45 days!

2. What branch of service is your husband?

Army

3. Active/Reserve?

Active

4. What is his job?

Mortarman - Infantry

5. How many deployments have you gone through?

One - a little over 9 months

6. ACU's or Class A's on your man?

Both are great and as much as I love the Class A's, ACU's just make me smile every time.

7. What do you like about being a military wife?

The fact that I can say it's MY husband who stands up for things bigger then we are. That MY husband fights for our country, no questions asked and doesn't even want a thank you.

8. Do you live on base?

No. He is in Texas, I am in Minnesota. Story of our long-distance life.

9. What is your favorite base so far?

In the Army, I've only known Ft. Bliss. My good friend going up was in the Marines and I spent a short time in the Navy. So out of all the bases/posts I've known I would say I like Naval Station Newport (because of it's proximity to Boston AND the beach!)

10. What is the hardest part of the military life?

Having to ask for permission to do absolutely EVERYTHING. I would love for Al to just take off for the weekend without getting a pass or letting his COC know.

11. Do you go to the grocery store or commissary?

I don't go to either, because I am not on post. Wal-mart pretty much rocks, though!

12. Do you work or stay at home?

Full time student. Work part-time. No kids.

13. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?

Very few. We are close with ONE couple at Bliss and ONE couple in Minnesota he's known since childhood. The rest of my milspouse friends are bloggy-gals!

14. Do you prefer Walmart or the BX/PX/NEX/MCX?

Call me a weirdo, but I am really excited to shop at the PX. The time I was in the Navy, I really like it and since I haven't experienced any "post-life" in the Army, I at least want the experience. I'm sure the excitement will wear off and I will go back to Target and Walmart after a little while.

15. How did your husband propose?

With a ring, on his knee. Ha ha! He proposed after a Jimmy Johns dinner and scrabble date-night, in my bedroom, while we got ready for bed. He was on leave after deployment last fall.

16. Did you marry him after he joined or before?

After. He had 5 years in before we got married.

17. How long have you been together?

I've known him for over 6 years. We've been together for a little over 2.

18. Any kids?

No. We've only been married a month and a half!

19. Any kids yet to come?

Maybe 2 years.

20. Is your husband one of those "I am soldier hear me HOOAH" kind of guys?

No. In fact, he is not Mr. Army at all. He likes his job and does his job well, but he leaves it at the door. I love that he is many things, including, but not exclusively, a soldier.

21. Have you ever done combatives with your husband?

Naw. But I'd totally kick his ass.

22. How many bases have you lived at?

None, with him. One, by myself when I was in OCS in the Navy.

23. If you could change one thing about the military?

Efficiency. It always amazes me how the greatest fighting force in the world can't file paperwork with even the remotest amount of efficiency.

24. Do you like military balls?

No! But I've been promised that I get to attend one this year. I WILL be holding him to that!

25. Where does your family live?

Both my family and his family live here in Minnesota where I am going to school.

26. What do you do for a job?

I am a legal research representative for an online research organization. I have done work in law firms as a clerk, but took time off from that to focus on school until summer hits.

27. Have you ever gotten in a fight with an NCO's wife?

Umm...I am an NCO's wife. And I've never gotten into it with any other wife, of any rank.

28. Name one thing you do when your husband is gone.

I get a little lazy sometimes. I am definitely less motivated to do school work and go to class. He calls me on it all the time, but I get so tired of all the work of long-distance and sometimes I just need the morning off so I don't go postal on someone's ass.

29. Do you think other wives do that too?

I am sure they do. Especially the ones with kids. Sure, kids are such an amazing blessing, but they only add to the difficulty of missing your husband and increase stress levels. On the other hand, I sometimes think I'd rather have a couple kids then law school text books to keep me busy.

Presents

I am leaving for Texas in ONE WEEK, just to visit and finally get entered into DEERS.

I will be an official Army wife when I return.

In preparation for my trip, I am bringing a BIG suitcase of summer clothes that I will leave down there. It will be one less box/bag to pack into my car when I make the drive in May.

And since I will be leaving Minnesota in early-May, it's unlikely the weather will get so warm that I will need much of my summer attire here.

I also figured that since I got rid of so many clothes this winter, I owed it to myself to purchase some new items for the "new life" in Texas. I went on an online shopping spree last week and purchased quite a few tops, a few pairs of shorts, some summer-y accessories and a new bathing suit.

The packages started rolling in this week and I thought I would take a study break to open all my presents and "model" them for ya'll. Tell me what you think!

Athleta two-piece bathing suit

I figured it was about time I spent a little extra money on a "big girl bikini."

Usually I just spend $30 on a cheapy one at Target and then throw them after a season or two. More than just a quality bikini that would last longer, I wanted a supportive bikini top that I can actually run around by the pool without worrying about it. Which led me to an athletic bathing suit from Athleta.

Light pink button down top and hot pink skinny belt

Sure, I probably won't wear this much in the scorching heat, but I figured it was a good transition top for spring weather.

Three flowy, ruffle tops: pink "ribbons," yellow checks, and white peasant top. Pair any of them with a pair of jean shorts and I will have my eternal summer wardrobe.

Two belted tunic tops: blue floral with brown rope belt and yellow tee with natural rope belt.

Dressy navy stripe tunic top

This came with a leather hot pink belt, but that's not really my style.

The other item is a heathered pair of cropped sweats, because, let's be real...I will be spending some time lazy'ing around in Texas.

Suede natural sandals

I can NOT wait to wear these with a cute sun dress or cropped jeans.

Purple & grey oversize envelope clutch, which comes with a chain strap to wear it on your arm. I might give this to my sister for her birthday since I won't be here to celebrate with her and she mentioned an adoration for it.

We'll see. If not, it will be a great new, summer, going-out clutch.

There you have it folks! Time to make room in my closet. Happy Thursday!

Summer Goals

Things have been crazy around here.

In addition to my insane schedule, missing Al tremendously, and battling on-and-off sickness, I am looking toward all the things I have to do this summer for my move to Texas.

Which, by the way, happens in 55 days!

It's amazing to me how fast that's coming up.

Al and I have talked a lot about whether or not I would work this summer.

Originally, I didn't consider any other option. In fact, I would have never expected to not work or attend classes. Since I was 16, I have worked full time usually while going to school also. I've never really NOT worked.

After a lengthy discussion, Al's conclusion was this:

"Honey, you work hard all-the-time. Why not take the summer off? You can spend time working on your other school requirements, all those hobbies you've been wanting to pursue and well, the rest of your time can be spent just being my wife."

It was a pretty easy decision after that.

So, for the first time in my life, I will have "free time."
I'm not entirely sure I know what that is like.

I figure, however, that the first place to start is to come up with a list of things I want to accomplish will all my free time, such as those aforementioned hobbies and school requirements.

And since I'm taking a quick {VERY QUICK} study break, I figured I'd share those goals with the blog-world. It gives me an easy way to store the list and some minor accountability if I start slacking off by the pool this summer.

(Some of these are borrowed from my 101 in 1001 list.)

1. Take a boxing class

2. Work on my long-paper

(Ultimate Goal: complete research and first draft by summer-end to be reviewed by Prof.)

3. Learn how to cook at least a week-worth of meals

4. Get my conceal-and-carry permit

5. Re-take the MPRE (August test date)

6. Visit family in Arizona

7. Revamp my resume and cover letters

8. Read 10 books from my reading list

9. Take at least one weekend getaway with Al

10. Put together list of employment opportunities for my return to MN

11. Volunteer with an on-post organization

12. Get another tattoo

13. Find bike trails in El Paso and start riding a bike

14. Volunteer with a community-based organization (off-post)

15. Renew my CPR and First Aid certifications

16. Strip and paint the bedroom shelves

17. Learn how to make homemade sushi

18. Sew covers for couch pillows

19. Determine a solid work-out routine

(Ultimate goal: lose 20 lbs, tone muscle and re-gain strength & flexibility)

20. Get boudoir photos taken

21. Determine my final-year game-plan

22. Put together Shutterfly wedding album

23. Make new headboard

24. Practice and re-new my German knowledge

25. Take care of my husband in every way possible!

Cyber Garage Sale

So, here's the deal...

I got rid of A LOT of stuff from my closet over the past few months, as you may recall.

Since then, the bags have been sitting in the entry way waiting for my sister and BFF to look through them. Every time I walk into my house, I am reminded that I really need to DO something with them.

Which gave me an idea...

Why don't I pass them along to my fellow blog-loves, by having a cyber-garage-sale?

Before I put together a post with the items and prices, I wanted to get your take on it.

I've seen people do similar things in the past, but I'm not sure how successful they've been.

Instead of just posting my own items, I thought I could make it a link-up and have a mil-spouse cyber-wide garage sale. If you've got clothes, shoes, accessories, or other nice things lying around that you want to get rid of, sell it online!

Would anyone be interested?

Should I just scrap the whole thing and donate the items?

Please let me know your thoughts and if you have any ideas!

Book Report

Does anyone find it weird that I am writing a "book report" for a law school class?

Don't get me wrong, we had a whole list of books to choose from, could pick a book that aligned with our interests, and it's a very lax requirement of what the "report" includes.

In reality, I am required to teach my fellow classmates what the book was about and the "report" is simply my outline on what my discussion with encompass.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the book.

It's one that I already owned, with the intention of reading it someday. For leisure.

But turning the reading into an assignment made it a LOT less fun.

I feel like it's an adolescent assignment.

One that is taking far too much time considering I have so many other class assignments to accomplish. I feel like it's simply "busy work."

Why is it that turning a leisure activity into a required one sucks all the fun out of it?

Oddly Ill

On Saturday night, we had the Law School Blackacre Ball.

We jokingly call it Law School Prom, because everyone gets dressed up fancy and goes dancing. However, this event includes drinking and other debauchery. And a whole lot of fun!

Towards the end of the night, I started feeling sick.

I had been drinking, but not an irresponsible amount. I had eaten a big meal and was spreading out my drinks. It was weird that I got sick, but I equated it to a combination of the drinking and motion sickness (from the "sober bus" that brought us back to campus after the party.)

Sunday I felt OK. Mostly tired and low-energy, but not hungover in any real way.

I ate some healthy meals and stayed in to work on homework.

Last night, around 9PM, I started feeling sick again. This time, mostly headachy and really warm throughout my body. I hit the sack early hoping to kick it before it started.

And here I sit, in bed and running a mild fever.

I am mostly just extremely tired and feverish, switching between the sweats and the shivers.

I am finally shaking it, I think, and I am going to try to make it to my evening class.

Still, I can't help but wonder if this illness was actually a few days in the making.

And since it's not really in line with the flu or a cold or any other recognizable illness, I can only suspect that lots of rest, Vitamin C and fluids will be the cure.

Here's hoping because I have WAY too much to do this week to be laid up past today.