At Home with Heather

Ok, I can tell this story, now that I have told Sam. So the other day while I was driving home from grocery shopping I got pulled over. About 8 months ago, Sam got pulled over at almost the same spot. I should have known, it is a speed trap. The speed limit changes from 45 to 35. So I get clocked going 50. I see the blue lights and the cop motions me to pull into the nearest open parking lot. So, I pull over. He asked for license and registration. I hand them to him. He then tells me to get out of my car and sit in the passenger seat of his car while he writes me a ticket. A bit odd, per say??? I don't quite understand why that happened. He was chatting it up as he wrote me the ticket. I answered his questions politely because he is authority, but I did not "chat it up." I felt very uncomfortable the whole time. I find it odd because they have cameras outside of their vehicles, so if he thought I was going to run, (which come on, do I look like the type that would run???) he would have no worries, he has all my info right there-in his camera...anyway, I thought this was odd. Is this standard procedure??? I am confident I could have gotten out of the ticket, but I didn't really feel comfortable trying to talk my way out of it.

Has this ever happened to anyone else??? Maybe you all are exceptional drivers that never speed. Anyway, I thought this was odd and I was wondering if anyone knows of this happening before....

Well it has officially been over 5 months that Sam has not lived at home. First, that seems crazy to me. Next, people have told me from the beginning that it would get easier. They were wrong.
Each day carries new challenges. Whether it's trying to fix a crazy problem, I know nothing about, or not hearing from Sam for several days.
Recently, it has been a bit difficult because we have not been able to communicate as much as I would like. It's hard not hearing from Sam because our entire relationship is communication. They have him running around like a chicken with his head cut off, I have been working a lot and we have to deal with an 8 hour time difference, so it is really no one's fault, but it is difficult none-the-less.
I can't tell you how many people tell me we have the ideal relationship. "He pays the bills, but you never have to see him." I am always insulted when people say they wish they were in my situation. It really is sad to me, that people do not put enough effort into their marriages to make their relationship work and happy.
I know that both Sam and I have been through our own battles in the time we have been a part. I feel that is has gone smoothly for the most part. But missing him is missing him, it doesn't get easier or less painful with time, I promise. I know we have both learned a lot, especially me it seems, and somehow I know that all this is suppose to happen, but I will be happy when it ends.

Honestly, sometimes I get so jealous of couples who have not had to spend significant time a part. It seems so unfair sometimes, but it's in those times when you feel like you can't control a situation that you really have to trust God.

Every relationship I have had in my life has been, or turned into a long-distance relationship. It's almost like God was preparing me all these years to endure the pain of being a part from the person I would love the most, my husband.

The thing that has made this bearable is A. Sam's constant effort at connecting with me in emails or cards or phone calls. And B. having people that care about us and make an effort to connect as well.

I am so thankful and lucky to have so many loving people around me in this time. Sam doesn't really have that. So please keep him and us in your prayers. Really if we didn't have God to depend on I'm not sure how we would make it through this.

All this to say, thank you all for being there for us and also never take advantage of the fact that you have your loved ones near. Give the people you love an extra hug today or a "thanks for being so great." Having people you love around you is the best gift ever.

On Monday night I went over to my in-laws house to help decorate the Christmas tree. I was really excited about it, because honestly it has been YEARS since I have decorated a tree. Ever since my mom passed away, Christmas has been kinda hard for my family. She always made Christmas amazing and it was hard to be motivated to take her shoes in the Christmas cheer. For years I have looked forward to being married and having a family of my own to start Christmas traditions with. The Chapins got a beautiful tree and all of us girls had a GREAT time decorating it. After the tree was decorated Rachel and I went on a "hot chocolate run" because you have to drink hot chocolate and listen to Christmas music while decorating a tree. =) We also started to get motivated to make cookies, but we didn't quite make it because it had gotten so late. I had many other pictures I wanted to post, but they were either blurry or the lighting was wrong. I can't say I am talented like BA AT ALL when it comes to photos!!!!!
I have a small tree I am going to decorate so look for that post too!
I can't WAIT to have Sam home to do Christmas together, but I am happy and thankful for the friends and family around me that have made this time a part from him so much easier. Thanks and love to all! =)

This year Thanksgiving took place at "our" house. Minus a few members of the family, my dear other half, Sam, my brother Sean and my brother in law-Eric, they had to work. =(
So it was just me, my sister-Katie, my brother-Brandon, my nephew-Adien and my dad. We still had fun even though so many people were missing from our family.
Sam bought me a new camera so we took lots of pics, but the lighting didn't really turn out on a lot of them. And there is also a pic of our semi-Thanksgiving dinner-the table wasn't totally set. We did have the traditional Thanksgiving meal though-minus the cranberry sauce. For some reason we never did cranberry sauce in our family. =) And I have to admit-my dad did most of the cooking.

I am really looking forward to next year when Sam will be home for the holidays. Believe me I would have never thought at Thanksgiving last year that I would be married to the love of my life, but he would be away at war! It's really crazy when I start thinking about it.

It was fun to have Thanksgiving at our house for the first time, but I am really looking forward to next year when the whole crew will be present and I will be able to spend Thanksgiving for the first time with my husband.

So, I realized I have not given a "marathon training" update. Here we go:
Since the weather has gotten so cold, I have to admit I am slacking. It is so great to just go outside and run and let your mind wander-that is a lot harder to do on a treadmill that is counting calories and distance. And with working two jobs, sometimes it is hard to fit in the time to run 8 miles.
Nonetheless, I am still determined to train and hopefully after this crazy Thanksgiving week I can get back on schedule.
While I was in WV, the kids mom got me a week pass to her gym and also a private pilates lesson. She is the one that got me into yoga too. So, I had an hour long "lesson" in pilates-which is very similar to yoga, yet very different in many ways. The girl giving the lesson, also named Heather, gave me a physical assessment. She said yoga has helped a lot with my flexibility, so I am very flexible, but she also I noticed I had a "runner's body." She said I had very strong outer thighs but very weak inner thighs and that contributed to my knee problem-whenever I bend my knees they make a *beautiful* cracking sound. So she gave me all these tips on how to strengthen my inner thighs and give my knees more support. She also noticed that my left elbow-hyper-extended and asked if I have ever injured anything. Well I broke my left wrist when I was 11, and she also told me how to fix that. It was really cool. I know how I can strengthen the weak parts of my body and how to adjust so that I can continue running for a long time.
I was able to run a lot this week at the gym. Needless to say I am looking forward to the cold weather leaving and the warm weather coming back. Outdoor running is SOOO much better! Hopefully the next time I give an update it will be to report I ran 10 miles straight without stopping in record time! ;)

It's time I wrote a new post too. =) Sorry, to say I do not have any pics either!

I am in West Virgina visiting the family I nannied for in Charlotte. They moved here about 6 months ago because their oldest daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia. Their family is here and the hospital here treats many children with the same condition. She is actually doing really well and has grown two inches of her hair back. They also have two rambunctious boys, who I also love. I was with the youngest when he was 3 months old. He's kinda my baby. We have a special bond and I have missed him so much since they have left. Now he is 2 1/2 and he can say my name and speak in full sentences and he is crazier than ever! I love it. I have had so much fun with the kids.

They are all sooo smart too. The oldest is 6 (She doesn't want their names exploited on the internet=) She is homeschooled for now, but she has a 4th grade reading level. It is insane. "The baby" knows all his sounds, letters, colors and numbers. I am not joking. I've witnessed it with my own eyes. Both of their parents were #1 in their class though, so I'm sure some of that brain power was passed on. =)

Well, since the kids don't go to school now, they sleep in, so this has been like a vacation for me. Sleeping in, hanging out, having fun. Whoo hoo!!! I am going to be sad when I have to leave them on Friday.

This week has gone by sooo fast, actually this whole month has. I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving next week and then Christmas is just around the corner. I was telling Sam though, that things may go pretty slow after that, because I will just be counting down the days until March when he gets to come home on his R&R. It just seems so strange we are living such different lives right now and then he'll be home and everything will be "back to normal." I think it will be way more of an adjustment for him than for me. I will just come home or wake up and he'll be there. I'll be living in the same place, doing basically the same thing, but he will be by my side. He will have to change everything, but from what I can tell it will be a much better, positive change. =)

Anyway, I have gone off on a tangent. Hope everyone is great! =)

About four days ago our computer monitor decided to give it's last "breath" and go out on me. So Sam spent some time researching monitors. He found one on Circuitcity.com, ordered it and said all I had to do was pick it up from the store. If only it would have been that easy...
I arrived at Circuit City to find they had no record of the order and had no idea what I was talking about. At this point I could not call Sam on his phone for various reasons, so I had to wait for his phone call to explain what was going on. Also, I could not email him for the information I needed because we did not have a computer monitor.

Sam called me later on in the day to tell me he had a confirmation number and they would be waiting on me at Circuit City to give me my monitor. Yeah, wish that would have happened too. They couldn't track the order and because the emails didn't match on the order and the credit card. They were telling me my credit card was reported as "fraudulent." Wow. I don't deal with these things very well and I hate to say it, but I'm not great with dealing with stress either.

So I texted Sam to tell him what happened and he called me in the morning to tell me, the money was taken out of our credit card, he called circuitcity.com, got a very rude "customer service representative," who told him that she did not have a supervisor and that the store was closed because it was a holiday. Does anyone know of any "holiday" on November 1st??? He called Discover for like the 10th time and Discover TOLD him THEY personally talked to Circuit City to verify our credit card was not fraudulent and that they had already received payment.

So then I go into Circuit City for the THIRD time and ask to speak to a manager. The woman at the front desk informed me they were all in a meeting. Wow. Just my luck, huh? Well, I had my husband who is in the military FROM KUWAIT on the phone and he needed to speak to someone A-SAP. I seriously was on the verge of tears at this point. How hard can it be to pick up a monitor that was ordered online?? Seriously.
Luckily, I talked to a supervisor, who was polite and willing to help. Basically, I handed the phone to him and let Sam explain the situation. After a whole bunch of craziness I FINALLY got my monitor and a $24 Circuit City gift card for waiting WAY over 24 minutes to receive my order placed online.

I am leaving many details out to spare you all from stress I incurred from the situation.

Wow. Needless to say, I have just recovered from the migraine this has caused. Sam was trying to make it easy for me, by just buying it online and sending me over to pick it up. But no, it couldn't be that easy. Plus, it's really hard to communicate when you are a million miles apart and the situation is beyond crazy on the other end.

All I can really say is that I am very happy I have my monitor and therefore online access now and I hope I never have to go through anything like that again. I think I need a week of yoga straight to recover from the stress this all caused!

When we moved into this house we also "inherited" a refrigerator and a stove among other things. The stove was unused, which is really nice, but the refrigerator was a little bit on the older side. At the beginning of last week, I noticed that the light in the refrigerator was flicking on and off. I didn't think it was a big deal, I just thought, "well it's ok, I don't NEED a light." It was actually a sign that the refrigerator was going out.
A few days later, I noticed my water was luke warm, even though I had taken it directly out of the frig. The strange thing was that the freezer was still working.
I told Sam we needed to do something, because all of the stuff in the frig was getting bad. So he told me to go out and compare prices and research reviews etc. I did just that, non-stop for two days. I must admit it was a bit stressful for me because I am not good at these kind of things, but I didn't have a choice.
I had found some sales and looked at reviews and Sears was having a big sale on appliances the very week the frig went out. So I found the above Kenmore side-by-side refrigerator on sale and we would save $150. Sam made sure that I found out if it had a changeable filter. It does. =)
Before I actually went out and bought it though, Sam's dad came over to see if he could fix the refrigerator with a ten dollar part, because if it was only going to cost ten dollars, we definitely wanted to go that route. It turned out to be WAY more complicated than expected and we just decided to go for the new frig, since the one we had was pretty old anyway. I appreciate that he tried to fix it though.
I wish I had a camera to take a picture of the old refrigerator. This new one has quite a bit more space and it's just new, which is always fun and cool.
So I am very happy and thankful we were able to get a new refrigerator AND proud of myself for feeling good about the one I chose. =)

I have been looking for a second job for awhile. Well, actually thinking about getting a second job for awhile. =) I went into the Carolina Place mall last week and decided to scope out some of the stores that I would potentially want to work at. I have worked retail many times in my life and liked the experience for the most part, I just wasn't crazy about the pay.
So, I went into New York and Company, because I saw a lot of cute stuff in there a few days before. Plus, my husband would love for me to move on from wearing "teenage" clothes and onto "grown up" clothes. And New York and Company is known for the business/business casual look. So I applied, got a call a few days later and got a job. I even got the Store manager to pay me a little more than most retail stores and he told me to "keep it confidential." =)
I started on Tuesday and it was actually a lot of fun! PLUS, I get a discount on clothes-MY DREAM COME TRUE!!!! For serious. I am really excited about that.

I wanted another job to keep me busy at least until next semester and while Sam is gone. So this is something fun and low-key at least for the holiday season. Plus, did I mention I get a discount on clothes???!!! =)

I have been running for about 10 years.
I started running with my dad when I was 14 and have continued to run since then. I was a sprinter in high school track.
I have always enjoyed running for all the various benefits. The health benefits are wonderful. It helps tone the body completely, especially the legs. Running is great for your heart as well. Also, running is great to clear your head and send happy endorphins to your brain. When I am really upset about something often I will just go take a run and feel much better and have more clarity about any given situation. I can't tell you how many ideas have popped into my head while running. If I don't run for a few days I miss it and my body starts to feel sluggish.
So it has always been my life-long goal to run in a marathon. Recently, I realized that I was running between 4-6 miles 6 days a week, which puts me right at between 24-36 miles a week. I know I can run a marathon. So I looked into it. I thought it would be wise to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) first, rather than just jumping into 26.2 miles for a full marathon. I looked up training for a half marathon and it actually was advising me to run significantally less than I have been. This is actually a relief because I was beginning to get burnt out of running so much.
There is a half marathon in Charlotte on April 18 that I am going to run in. I am really excited about it. I also hope to one day run in the famous Chicago Marathon.
I feel really focused and encouraged to be doing this.

Running gives you a high like no other. I hope to be one of those people that runs throughout their life. I was able to conduct an Aid Station in Hawaii for the Ironman. I saw people of all ages doing this triathlon. Talk about inspiring! I hope to be in my 60's and still running strong.
If anyone wants to come cheer me on, on April 18th-you are more than welcome. I'll keep everyone updated on the training!

Sam's sister gave us each two books as wedding gifts when we got married. She gave us each a copy of the book Love and Respect. I just finished it and I have to say it is THE most amazing book on marriage I have ever read. Believe it or not, I have read quite a few marriage books in my day, especially in YWAM, but this book takes the cake by far. There are so many words of wisdom and revelation packed into this book.
I think it is especially helpful to wives who wonder what the missing link is to reaching their husbands-respect. The book is very well-rounded in explaining what specific needs a wife and a husband have.
I can not say enough good things about this book! I am so thankful that it was put into my hands as a newlywed. I hope it can help us avoid many common upsets and also help us start our marriage off right.
I encourage EVERYONE to read this book. If you have an amazing marriage, a so-so marriage, a difficult marriage, you are engaged, or you ever want to get married at all!!!! Even if you never want to get married, but are in a relationship, the information in this book can really improve your relationship with your significant other.
It's amazing. highly recommendable by me. I think I am going to start it all over again now that I am finished, it was just that good!

*heather joy*

I remembered two more serious pet peeves I have. Chipped nail polish. Can't stand it. In fact I looked at my nails this morning and realized that my nail polished was chipped due to washing my hands multiple times working in a restaurant. I immediately fixed that problem. I'm sure someday soon I will avoid painting my nails at all, because I get annoyed that the polish chips all the time.

So, I always carry large purses because I don't like to leave home without feeling secure that I have almost anything I could need. Well, because I carry big purses, I can never seem to find what I need. I can seriously spend about 5 mins looking for lip gloss or something and it annoys me sooo much. I guess I need to get a big purse with many pockets so I can find things easily.

Anyway. That's all.

Ok, I just saw 11:11 totally randomly right now. That has not happened for a "hot 5." I am ecstatic right now.
All who know me know that seeing 11:11 is like essential to my life. To me it is a sign that I am on the "right track." I am heading in the right direction. I know it may some strange and superstitious, but it has nothing to do with superstition for me. It just gives me peace. Some people say, "Oh that's silly, it's just numbers..." but I'm sure everyone has their own little thing that comforts them or brings them peace, like spotting a bright star on a cloudy night, or getting a phone call at just the right time. Sure most of the time I try to wait until the clock turns 11:11. Ok, that doesn't count, but you know when you just see it, out of no where, that's when it means something. For those that are interested, ask me about it. It's a vulnerable topic, but I'm willing to share if you want to know.
Anyway. Just thought I'd share, that I actually saw it without cheating. Made my night for sure! =)

So, I always find it interesting to know people's "pet peeves." It is especially good to know the pet peeves of those you spend the most time with, to avoid doing those things in their presence! I can only recall a few things that really get on my nerves. One is when I am pumping gas and as I lift the pump out of my gas tank, there is still gas dripping from the pump. It annoys me SOOO much!!!!! I paid for that gas AND who wants their hands to smell like gas b/c it was dripping from the pump??!! People who drive incredibly slow also make the list-I think everyone has that pet peeve. When you go to a restaurant and they no longer carry one of your favorite items...
Ok and here is a loaded one...proceed with caution. It really bothers me when people say, "You know they are Catholic..." Like they are not Christians. They believe in Christ, the trinity and salvation. Sure to Evangelical Christians they have some rituals and ways of doing things that seem foreign, but that does not mean they do not love God. Every denomination in Christianity has put in their own two cents about how we should live our lives as Christians. No one denomination is completely right. I think as long as we are all out to find the truth and serve the Lord that is what He sees. I could go on about this for a LONG time. My husband hears about it all the time. I guess I want people to see GOD and not religion and rituals. I'm sure a blog is not the best place to discuss religious or political passions or views, but I can't help myself sometimes. It's hard for me to get in these discussions with many people because I am not an argumentative, confrontational person, so I usually avoid talking about these issues all together. But some of this stuff gets bottled up and you have to let it out!!!!

So what are your pet peeves???!!! I really want to know! =)

My dear husband, Sam has started his very own blog-check it out! I think he is a great story teller and it is interesting and funny to read all the crazy stuff that goes on over there! =)
There is a link here on my blog...
http://samuelthomaschandlercollins.blogspot.com/

I love living in Mount Holly/Belmont. It is a great place to live.
The one complaint I did have though was the lake of coffee shops in the area. A few days ago, I decided to check out this independent coffee shop right by my house. I looked at the menu-not too bad (if you know me, you know I am a coffee snob!). So I proceeded to order and asked if they carried soy milk (b/c I am lactose intolerant) and to my dismay they were out! =(
So later on that morning some of us at work were talking about how Gastonia/Mount Holly needed a Starbucks or SOMETHING to caffeinate ourselves and get the energy flowing in our blood! One of the girls there, who is a master chef, told me about the coffee shop she helped open at Belmont Abby College, which happens to be literally 2 minutes from my house. So I decided to give it a shot. The place is called "Holy Grounds" really cool if you ask me. Not only do they make an acceptable iced, SOY caramel macchiato, this place also provides a great atmosphere to hang out or read/study. I think I still look young enough to blend in with the college students that inhabit the place!
I am a coffee shop nerd. My siblings used to make fun of me in high school saying I always went to coffee shops to "read poetry and sip coffee." What can I say?? It really IS something I like to do! So, today, on my day off, I chilled there for about an hour and a half reading (not poetry though=), writing in my journal and "sipping" coffee. It was very refreshing and I enjoyed it a lot.

I'm sure this is all to my husband's dismay, but this discovery may just help keep me sane while he is gone!

I think fall is officially here. All the kiddies are going back to school, and the weather is definitely cooler here in North Carolina. This morning when I went out side to go to the gym at 8 am there was definitely a bit of a chill in the air!
I love fall. It is my favorite season. I love wearing sweaters and hoodies, crunching through fallen leaves and seeing them change colors; having an excuse to start a fire and drink hot cocoa. =)

Yesterday, my family and I took another infamous trip to the mountains. We decided to go to Blowing Rock. We found the most pretty and quaint place. The weather was just right, sunshine with a bit of a cool, fall breeze. We explored a few trails and then ended our trip with yummy ice cream from Kilwin's. =) We are all looking forward to mid-October when the leaves will be bright orange, yellow and red.
I loved fall growing up in Michigan too. The leaves changed colors quite quickly there, because it is so much cooler.

I looked up the "official day fall starts" and it seems to be September 22nd. But can vary from the 21st to the 25th. I say whenever the air starts to get cool and brisk, fall is here. =)

What is your favorite thing about fall? =)

"If we are addicted to people's approval, we will always experience pain when that approval is withdrawn-as it always is, at one time or another. However, if we look to God for our approval we will never experience the pain of withdrawal because we have a constant, steady flow of His love and acceptance. It is always available for the taking. It is free and abundant. We suffer much agony because we try to get from people what only God can give us, which is a sense of worth and value. Look to God for what you need not people."
From the book, Approval Addiction By:Joyce Meyer

Always a self-professed, "people-pleaser" this is the story of my life. I really, honestly think that this is what this year of Sam being away is about for me. The Lord really wants me to depend and relay on Him for everything I need. I hope to finally learn this lesson, because so many people have come in and out of my life because I chose to seek their approval and acceptance instead of the Lord's. Which is known as, "fear of man." (attributing actions that keep us in our comfort zone or "approval pool" to avoid rejection from people). When really all that matters is what God thinks about us. This is going to be a hard one for me. Hope I can pass the test....

I was just commenting on Renee's blog and thought I would write my own on the topic.

When everything happened 6 years ago I was a senior in high school. I was in my government class and we turned on the television in the classroom right before the second planes hit. I remember everyone feeling so helpless and confused about what was going on. Later on that day, I was in my journalism class and we were reflecting on how we could write about this in the school newspaper and how we could look at it from a journalist perspective. Actually, the coverage from this event actually inspired me to go to school for journalism. A dream that was lost, due to mission work and deciding I wasn't cutthroat enough for the job.

I remember thinking of all my 18 year old guy friends and how they would be old enough to be drafted now, if the events from the day lead to a war. Which they did.

Now I am married to a man in the military and because of the events on that day he is now being deployed for a year. AND the ironic thing, is that he was deployed on September 11th six years later.

I participated in a moment of silence this morning with the rest of the nation. No matter what our political views on 9/11, the war, and the current situation in Iraq, I do believe we all feel for the lives that were lost that day.

(Yes, I stole pics from BA's blog for now, b/c our camera went to the bottom of the lake a few weeks back and I need to get pics from Sam's brother, David... =)

My dear husband Samuel Thomas Chandler is going to be leaving the country in less than 24 hours. His "big" send off was on Saturday at Fort Bragg. I am actually really glad that his unit did a send off for him because I know it meant a lot to him that everyone came to see him off. And it was actually really fun to have that time with him and all our close family and friends.

And SURPRISINGLY, he got an extra day. His Lt. told him he could spend the night off base and wear civilan clothes. YEAH!!! You have NO IDEA how that made my day and the whole trip. After everyone else headed home, we still had a whole day together. That last 24 hours with him was perfect. I wouldn't change anything about it and it made it a little bit easier to say goodbye on Sunday, ending on such a good note.

I am sooooooo, so appreciative of everyone that took such a long trip to come see Sam off. It meant SO much to him and us. So, thank you from both of us, you all are the best. =)

Please, continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray for Sam's safety and quick return. We love you all!

So here it is, my new PINK dyson. Target was having a sale on dyson's and we have been looking to buy one for awhile. So when I saw the add in Target on Sunday, we went straight to the store and bought it, b/c the PINK one is exclusive there. Plus the offer included a $100 Target gift card too. Yeah! More Target shopping. So I was pretty excited to get a pink vacuum cleaner. I used it today and it is great. It almost makes cleaning fun! =)

Sam has returned to Fort Bragg as of yesterday. I am very thankful I got to have about 5 days with him before he leaves on the 11th. We had a lot of fun just being together and enjoying each other's company. I will get to see him at least one more time at his "going away party" the Army is putting on for his team on Saturday. His brother David is probably going to come at the end of the week and we are going to try to spend a few extra days with him. As hard as it is to say goodbye over and over, I would never turn down the chance to see him even for a half a day. I know again someday we will be like normal married couples and be able to see each other every day. Absence DOES make the heart grow fonder for sure. It was nice to not have to sleep alone and I slept better the 5 nights I was with him than I have the last two months he has been gone. So as great as it was to see him for a few days I am anxious for the time he gets to finally come home for good.

Today, I finally went back to one of my loves, Yoga. I started going to Yoga consistently about a year ago. I had always been interested in trying it out, so when a friend asked me to go last fall I decided to give it a shot. I was hooked from the first class! I go to a place called "Yoga One" in Charlotte. It's pretty intense yoga. They call it, "Power Vinyasa Yoga," which basically means you're getting any amazing workout. It really is cardio and strength training and stretching all in one! Most classes are an hour and a half, so you're really getting a workout.

They have a great studio which is decorated amazingly and really gets you into the feel. AND to spicen things up there are individual heaters all around the room, so the room is SUPER hot, like you walk in and you're like, "WHOA!" Kinda like a sauna. It really helps loosen your muscles and cleanse your body as you sweat it out. =) Plus, for me I tend to have a bit of trouble tightening up my stomach and arms, but yoga will do that for you.

Besides being a great workout though, I really enjoy yoga because it is all about mind, body and spirit. My instructor always seems to throw life lessons in there while you are suffering doing a "vinyasa" (a move that takes a lot of determination and strength) to help you push through and continue doing your best. I always feel better coming out of yoga.

After moving and getting married and wanting to spend every waking moment with Sam, I took a hiatus from Yoga. But I'm back now. I can only imagine how sore I'll be tomorrow. =)

So yesterday I spent THREE hours at Central Piedmont Community College trying to register. I had to take a placement test and the like as well. I scored 99% on the English test, but TOTALLY BOMBED the math. The last math placement test I took at my other school allowed us to use calculators. No such luck this time. =( I was seriously not happy with my results, but I guess math is Sam's specialty so I decided to just go with it. What can you do?!

After the placement test I proceeded to start to register for classes. I had about 6 classes as options to take. I was in utter disbelief when EVERY single one of them was CLOSED-filled up! WHAT?! CPCC has 6 campuses and NOT ONE has a single class opened that I needed. It was insane. I am feeling a little discouraged because I really wanted to get some of my schooling out of the way, especially while Sam is gone. I guess maybe there is something else better out there for me this semester. Usually when crazy things like this happen it is not too long before I see the reason things didn't work out the way I thought they were suppose to.

We'll see...

My birthday was yesterday. Sam's birthday was on the 4th. I sent him a book/poem/photo collage to help cheer him up. He loved it, but told me he was so sad because he couldn't do anything for my birthday, 4 days later, because he was out in the field. I honestly didn't think he would do able to do anything, so I didn't expect anything either. Well, I woke up on my birthday and went on my usual morning run. When I returned I saw the roses, balloon, cake and gift bag on my stove. I was SOOO excited. Sam had called our really cool neighbors, the Cauthens and asked them to make a special delivery for him for my birthday. I was totally surprised and elated! =) The gift bag had a "Full House" season 6 DVD in it from the Cauthens. I really like Full House. =) So then I went to lunch with BA, Eli, Renee, Haylee and Mrs. Swaringin. It was fun times. Later on I spent the night with my fam. All in all it was a good birthday. The surprise from Sam really made my day though...

p.s. he comes home three weeks from today-Hurray!!!

On Saturday night some family friends from MI came down to visit. My whole family came and hung out at my house and we had SO MUCH FUN laughing and reminiscing about old times.
On Sunday after church, we went to the mountains of NC and went hiking. We stopped in Boone and visited the hippie shops and took in the culture there. Then we headed to Blowing Rock and had a great time hiking on the trails and taking pictures. We found a great spot to chill and had lots more fun laughing and relaxing.

You know how your parents always tell you when you are young that when you get older you will love your siblings and actually WANT to hang out with them?! Well it really is true. I had a GREAT time with my family this weekend and we made some cool memories to add to our collection.

Sam update: He has semi-official word that he WILL be going to Kuwait and NOT Iraq. His four day leave should be from August 30th-September 2nd. He will fly out of the US on September 10th-ish?. I miss him so much, but I am so proud of him for being strong and doing what he is doing for our country. Please keep praying for him and us.

Love to all-
*heather joy*

This is how my dad's car looked after they found it after it had been stolen...That was the rock that they apparently used to smash ALL the windows. All the tires were slashed and the side mirrors were busted. We'll see if the insurance company covers the damages...

Last night was the first night I slept at home alone. I was really proud of myself, because I have been avoiding it since Sam left. Everything was fine. I have to admit I did fall asleep with the lamp on as a precaution, but turned it off when I woke up in the middle of the night. It was nice to sleep in MY bed again and I was pretty exhausted from all my travels this week.
Unfortunately, Sam is going to train in "the fab" as they call it-or "the field" to us civilians-starting tomorrow night. So I will not be able to see him this weekend. so that means...the job search starts tomorrow...

This week has been very adventurous! I have managed to spend the night in 5 different places in the past week, to avoid sleeping at home alone!

On Thurs-Saturday I went to Family Camp with some friends. Their church has a camping excursion every year called "Family Camp." It was actually a lot of fun. The good thing was we didn't actually camp. We got to stay in the cabin dubbed "The Mansion" and actually had beds and showers, as well as a t.v. That is what you call "Spoiled Brat Camping." =)

I went tubing with Bette Ann and another girl, Molly. It was a lot of fun despite the spiders and knocking into trees and crashing my tube over-bringing me under! We had fun making the memories.

Earlier this week, Sam called me and told me that he didn't think I would be able to visit him at Fort Bragg on the weekends. Fort Bragg is in Fayetteville North Carolina-about 3 hours away. Sam is doing his training there before deploying overseas. On Friday he called me and told me I COULD visit him on weekends, he just couldn't go off base or stay with me overnight. My whole world brightened when I found that I could see him. We arranged it so I could stay with his cousin, who actually married us. It worked out great because his cousins were very close to base and it was not hard to get there.

I had so much fun seeing him and being able to spend time with him. I think it was extra special because we realized that we weren't going to have much more time together, so we cherished every moment.

I think I will be able to see him next weekend too, before he goes to "the field."

So, I actually had a great week and a lot of fun. I'm going to head over to my sister's house tonight-but I think tomorrow I will attempt to sleep at home alone...eeek! =) Wish me luck!

So the past few days have been pretty emotional, with my husband gone to prepare for deployment. We had a very emotional goodbye at the airport on Sunday and it felt so real that he was leaving. We both felt like it was the last time we were going to see eachother for a year, but while he is training in NC, I should be able to see him a few times.

So, all I have been doing is distracting myself from the fact that he is gone. I came home from the airport on Sunday and took a little nap to calm down. Then my sweet neighbor Haylee called and asked if I wanted to have lunch with them at her Grandma's house. I did and it was a great distraction. The first hour it was hard to hold back tears, but I made it through with the help of friends. I love how I felt loved there. =)

I then went to my sister's house in Hickory and stayed there for the night. My amazingly cute nephew, Adien kept me laughing and distracted too.

My best friend was in Georgia from Texas to visit with some family, so I spent Monday with her. It was actually the most fun I have had in a LONG time. It was sooo good to see her and talk over coffee about everything. It was the best way to spend my Monday. I ended up spending the night there and staying up until 3 am! In the pic with her I am wearing Sam's dogtags, it makes me feel proud of him and it is a way to root for him while he is over there...

I went back to my sisters the next day and spent the night at her house again. Being around people is really the best therapy in this situation and I am so thankful for good friends who care about me and are reaching out to me.

Soon I am headed over to Bette Ann's house. I am going to spend the night there and help her with Eli at family camp the next couple of days.

Really I will do ANYTHING to not have to sleep at home alone this week. =(

My adrenaline junkie husband went skydiving for the third time today. His brother David went with him and our friend and neighbor Chris. It was a rather crazy day, with the weather not willing to cooperate...It was sunny skies for the first set of 6 jumps, but then the air started to get a little cooler and a few minutes later we had ourselves a downpour. Renee, Haylee and I were there for support-we should get a BIG reward for waiting five hours for our men to jump out of a plane!


The whole time I was trying SO HARD to convince myself that it wasn't to scary and I was going to go, but I didn't quite get to that point in the FIVE HOURS we waited before the guys finally had their turn. I PROMISE though, I will jump next time!

I actually had a lot of fun hanging out, there is excitement in the air around the place, which makes for a laid-back, fun atmosphere.
Here is some pics of Sam's jump. They jumped just in the nick of time it started raining again about 10 mins after they landed! Hopefully next time I write about skydiving, it will be a first-hand review on the experience...

With Sam leaving, I need to find myself a job. I have been quite spoiled by staying at home for the past 4 months enjoying this time with my husband before he leaves for war for the next year. I am just not sure what I want to do! I was a nanny for an amazing family for two years. That is something I would like to continue to do, but with school I think the scheduling would be conflicted. I have also been waiting table for about 3 years and I would like to avoid that at all cost. Sure the money's pretty good, but it's not always worth the hassle, depending on tips from ungrateful customers.

I thought about a "fun" job, like working at Starbucks, or a bookstore. I have always wanted to learn to make all sorts of coffee and here is my chance! I know the pay isn't great though, so that may deter me.

Sam suggested working for an airline. I love to travel, and this is the perfect opportunity with him being gone. Free flights for the family! I would enjoy that, but again it interferes with school...

So what is a girl to do? I have NO clue what to do, and with time ticking away at his departure I need to decide soon. I will need as much distraction as possible to survive the heartache of him leaving...

My husband Sam has a borderline unhealthy obsession with Apple products. After playing around with his brother's Apple laptop for a week he decided he HAD to have one. And being the Leo that he is, he had to have the BEST Apple-The Macbook Pro. It finally arrived about two weeks ago and it was like Christmas day to him. A few days ago though, his beloved Macbook, who he likes to call "macky" started to freeze the screen. Immediately he called Apple support and pleaded with them to help him fix the problem. Many attempts were made, but to no avail, the Macky was just not going to be fixed! Sadness, filled Sam's eyes as he felt a pain rush through him at the thought of not having 'macky" by his side in Kuwait. After being on the phone with Mac support for many hours, Sam was able to secure a new "macky" to be sent his way immediately. He even got a free Apple Megasafe Airport Converter-a $60 value. Believe me anything. free makes his day!

I have to admit, I am jumping on the Apple band wagon too. He gave me his 30gb iPod when he updated to an 80gb, with the purchase of his beloved Macbook Pro. Now, I want a Macbook. I sneak away and indulge in playing with it sometime. Maybe if I am good I'll get one for Christmas....!

So, about a week and a half ago, Sam and I got into an accident with the Jeep. It had just started raining and we went to exit onto 85, but it was at a dead stop. Before we knew it we were hydroplaning and the breaks locked up as we avoided to hit the car in front of us, that was stopped ON the exit. Well we hit the car in front of us and shattered their back window, as you can see the front of the jeep, got pretty crunched too. Sam decided to sell the jeep to his brother, who is a mechanic. He sold it to him for $600, considering the damage that would need to be repaired and the fact that Sam only paid $1,200 for it. It's great b/c his brother is paying us in wrapped up quarters-we have $200 so far! Well, we are now a one car family, until he returns from Kuwait and we purchase another one.

I use to have a blog back in high school, but have reverted to "myspace" and "facebook," which seem to be more for socializing than expressing thoughts or ideas.
I love to write and freely express my thoughts on paper. I think that this blog may be "raw" at times, because I express myself best with words. Often, I hold my emotions in about situations and write about it later in my journal. I have countless journals with all my feelings through out the years.

I have been feeling especially emotional lately, knowing that my husband Sam is leaving for Kuwait in just over two weeks. I know that I am very dependent on him in many ways, especially emotionally.
I know that the Lord is allowing this for a reason and that it is suppose to happen. I know this is yet another attempt of the Lord's to make me dependent on Him and trust Him.
It's hard because I feel like it hasn't been easy for me to let my guard down for many years because so many people have come in and out of my life.
My mother died when I was 17 and in the six months following her death, my boyfriend at the time moved to California and my best friend moved to Hawaii. I felt really alone in those times, but it turned my eyes more to the Lord and made me completely dependent on Him for all I needed, including love.

I feel I am in that place again. Where the Lord is asking me to turn my eyes on Him and trust Him despite the fact that the people who I love and who love me are dwindling around me. The family that use to nanny for moved right after our wedding. They were like family to me. I miss them everyday.

More than anything I want the Lord's will in my life. I feel empty without fulfilling the Lord's will. I pray everyday that He will do whatever it takes to help me fulfill my calling.

Free will is a gift. I hope and pray I make the right choices in life. We have only this brief moment in history to take for the rest of eternity, I want to spend my time here wisely.

Starting a blog, folks....