Here Comes the Bride!

As promised I am here to deliver the details of Becca's wedding and what all has been going on with the Kennedys in the last week, and as always it is nothing short of entertaining. Where to start on this quiet night.....Dereck is out at the office all night on Staff Duty, and normally I wouldn't be too worried about the fact. One night of staying awake and being the point of contact is acceptable, but doing so after going on a land navigation maneuver the night before at 1am means this kid is going to be awake for three days straight. And to that end I am certain that I would never hack it in the Army. The mere idea of staying awake that many hours without naps makes my head hurt. So far he is doing ok, but he had a tired air at dinner when he came home for a few minutes. I won't be too worried until he starts hallucinating or calling me monkey or muffin or something else silly and nonsensical- that can be expected of me at any time, but not Dereck!

So, the Friday before Becca's wedding kicked off with the Bridesmaid brunch and pool time. My luck however would be that I read the invite to mean that we come in our swimsuits to lounge at the pool after eating and getting some of the wedding items ready, in reality however everyone else came in nice dresses with hair and makeup done. And to that end I owe Sarah Toles a big hug, especially since she called the night before and I convinced her that we should just wear our swimsuits and coverups. Then when I walked in and saw everyone looking spiffy in their dresses all I could think was, "thank goodness they love me the way I am," and Becca might be one of the most low-key brides ever and laughed with me at my "appropriate attire." So, after eating a delicious brunch, preparing last minute wedding items, and painting our toenails, we hit the pool, something I had been ready for the whole morning. Spending time with my girls from high school, laughing about how crazy our lives are, and basking in being around such special people absolutely made my morning- I knew at that moment it was going to be a fun weekend. After cleaning up and making myself presentable we hit the dress rehearsal and proceeded to be one rowdy wedding party. But what can you expect when it is Becca's bridesmaids? Chaos and fun, plain and simple. Luckily we had a super sweet woman from Asbury moving us around, and before I knew it, we were headed to the rehearsal dinner at a beautiful outdoor nature reserve in South Huntsville. True to Becca and Brian's personality we had BBQ, cornbread, sweet tea and tons of other Southern fixings, which I stuffed myself on past the point of return- a girl's gotta get good BBQ while she can! Finally, we hugged Becca goodnight and got ready for the big day.

Saturday morning the bridal party met up in the morning for communion and prayer time before the business of the day kicked up, and it was such a special time to be still and have bonding time together. The girls then went out for lunch at Cyn Shea's downtown and we got a sneak-peek of the reception site. Before I saw the site I had millions of ideas of what it might look like- afterall, it was an old lumber yard that's been renovated for parties. The cool part about it was all the porches with antique bicycles and benches scattered around and framing the dinner tent and dance floor. We all loved it and couldn't wait to get our dancing shoes on. Finally, we hit the church, got dressed, checked each others' hair, and then ran out to take pictures. The photographer is the wife of our old youth pastor from Asbury, so it was fantastic to have a familiar face telling us what to do in the battery of shots, which I have a feeling turned out super. Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony, and there I found myself standing near the altar watching Becca become Mrs. Page. Yet as excited as I was, I also felt this sadness that we are all taking steps in different directions across the country. Basically, we need to quit growing up! The reception was a blast even in the sweaty summer heat of AL and I have to admit that I had some tired feet at the end of a night full of dancing, hugs, and conversations with people from my Madison life. All in all, I think the wedding was a blast, but that may be the yummy wedding cake swaying my judgement!

Sunday and Monday were fantastic too since Dereck and I got the opportunity to relax and spend some great quality time with our families. Dereck hasn't been home since the wedding, so it was a great time to hang out, and the longer we were home the more it felt like a vacation. We had awesome food, saw our families, and got to sleep in, and if that isn't the definition of vacation time what is? Tuesday we drug our feet and finally came back to Washington and life as normal. We were sad to leave all of our friends and family, but it was also nice to come back to what is now our new home and to see our crazy puppy. Ritter survived boarding super and came home full of spunk and energy, which made me feel silly for being so anxious the whole time I was gone. I think I was secretly worried he would get sick or die while I was gone, leaving me to feel like the worst pet owner ever. Ritter in fact has helped me to get a job, so I should be taking him on million-minute walks as payback.

Last week when I walked in to talk with Ritter's boarding place I randomly met the owner and struck up a conversation that led to me being offered a job, provided I show him my credentials, which I was more than happy to do. So, I am thrilled to say that I am now the Public Relations Specialist, aka Marketing person for Ritter's boarding place. I am more than excited to be on the team, but also am full of that nervous energy that comes with starting a job, especially that fear of not being good enough, or prepared well enough. I have so much to learn about the pet industry and have a big job ahead of me, but I am incredibly happy to also say that God answers prayers in His own time, and I am uber appreciative of the opportunity ahead. More details on what I am doing and planning in blogs to come, but I had to share the happy news while I still had energy in my typing fingers.

All in all life isn't too shabby on this side of the country, even if it is only 50 degrees during the day. I love wearing my sweatshirt at the end of May! Ok, not really, but life is going too well to complain!

Chuck-It

At this moment I am sitting in bed while my two favorite boys take a nap. Dereck had an eight mile "ruck" (long hike with a heavy backpack) this morning and is recovering a little before hitting work, and Ritter is using the excuse of being a puppy to take yet another nap. Both of them look so calm and serene when they're quietly sleeping, I need to bask in this for a minute while I listen to the sweet sound of a still house. Ahhhh, so relaxing. Life otherwise for the Kennedy family has been going well over the last two weeks, including one fun trip back home for Becca's wedding, and a potential job for me!

Dereck and Ritter had a great meeting when he got back from the field two weeks ago, and have been the best of friends since then. Last weekend we finally started working on the fence for the backyard that we scored for free from another Army family moving away, and it was much more complicated than I thought it could be. First, we had to go to Home Depot to get a couple more feet of fencing and I had a vague memory of dogs being in the store when we have gone there before. So, we decided to load the puppy up and hit the road. When we got to Home Depot Ritter wasn't too sure about all the noise and commotion, so I put him in our shopping cart, and I felt like a rockstar with all the attention we got. Everyone and their mom wanted to pet Ritter and play with him, even the Home Depot workers. Ritter managed to also get a dog bone from the cashier and we had to promise that we would bring him back in the future- what a dog. After Home Depot we went by a dog store called Posh Paws (the name always makes me giggle) and got the best toy known to man-kind: the Chuck-It. Simple in design and effective in use, the Chuck-It is simply a stick with grip that holds the tennis ball and helps to launch it extra far when you flick it, great for people like me who lack those baseball throwing skills. Ritter somehow managed to charm his way into another dog treat from the cashier, and then we took him home before he could connive any more people into feeding him. During the afternoon Dereck worked on the fence, Ritter followed him around chewing on zip-ties and I managed to pick up our house that looked like a tornado had hit it. We then decided to take Ritter out to the lake on post and see how he likes water. Vizslas are supposed to be water dogs if introduced early, but Ritter put one paw in the cold water and refused to try another time, so we mostly stood on the shore while he found weird things to eat and chew on. Finally we pulled him away from the lake and tried taking him on an off-leash walk, which went really well. I, having grown up with Beagles who always run away when not leashed, was terrified of letting him free, but Dereck convinced me he would be, and luckily it was all good. Until the car ride home that is. Apparently something Ritter ate at the lake was not agreeing with his stomach, and before I knew it I had dog barf on my lap and towel. When he barfed onto the towel I thought I was home free, and then it started to seep through, I started yelling, and Dereck got the message to pullover ASAP. I then had to ride home with a huge barf spot on my pants while Dereck laughed and Ritter simply looked miserable. I can't wait for the tables to turn and he is the one getting barfed on! Sunday we spent the day relaxing and taking naps since Ritter wasn't making it through the night too well yet, and by the end of it all we were ready start the week.

At the beginning of last week I had every intention of packing for Becca's wedding beforehand. When did I do this in reality? 10pm Tuesday night, with a flight at 7am the next morning. In case you were wondering, I do not recommend this for the novice. I blame my procrastination slightly on my severe sinus infection that kicked up on Monday and led to doctor appointments, followed by physical therapy and allergy shots. Call me the Madigan Hospital groupie. Dereck finally got to meet our new small group from church at a cookout Monday evening, and we brought a coffee cake I made, along with skillet cookies we decided couldn't stay in the house anymore (too much temptation). We had a great time meeting people in the group, and much to Dereck's happiness, the vast majority of members are military families just like us. Tuesday Ritter and I spent some quality time at the park, my friend Lindsey came over with her dogs, and I ate some homemade nachos with her before heading out to coach the little kids' track practice. Everyday with them is hilarious, frustrating, rewarding, and exhausting. Not only do we have to corral them in and get them to listen for two seconds, but we also have to explain the track differences and get them to participate without too much complaining. A tricky task every time.

Wednesday morning I kissed Ritter goodbye and had Dereck drive to the airport at 4:45am, a time that shouldn't be crowded on the interstate, but in Seattle always is. 9 long hours later, I landed at home happy to be off airplanes and back in reasonable temperatures. I was greeted by my mom at the airport, and we then went to a restaurant called Stem and Stein, where the owner told me he was from Seattle, and introduced me to some of his favorite Washington wines. What a small world, and good wine I might add. Thursday I was lucky enough to hang out at the pool with the bride and her family and soak in all the glorious sunshine I could while home. I laughed about forgetting that my body knew how to sweat, and after taking a shower and grabbing some lunch, I headed over to my friend Erin's house to watch TV and catch up on life. With all of the state schools being out for the summer Madison had a very relaxed feeling that I loved. I didn't feel the need to be busy or work hard, and being able to see my best friends made it all the better. Thursday evening the Ellers had a family dinner, even though I am a Kennedy now, and we managed to get my brother to sit still long enough to hear that college was "good" and that he had "made friends." That's it, an entire freshman year of college was summarized in three words. I love boys and their disdain of talking more than absolutely necessary.

The rest of the weekend was devoted to Becca's wedding festivities, and as such shall be saved for a better, more detailed and separate blog. How's that for a cliffhanger? And, in reality I started this blog Friday morning and have lost the writing steam to finish it on this lazy Sunday when relaxation is calling, and who can fault that?

Puppy Days

There are three reasons why this is one awesome Friday, and therefore blog-worthy: 1) It is sunny and 60 degrees here (a small victory and wonder to see) 2) Dereck is FINALLY coming home from the field tonight (it has been two loooonnnnggg weeks) and 3) there is a cute puppy sleeping on my lap as I sit here and type this very sentence. I am tired from the lack of sleep and playing with him in the living room, but it has been nothing short of an utter joy to have him home at last. Somebody told me that Vizslas are "velcro" dogs, but I never fully understood that until now. This dog won't let me out of his sight before he starts crying like someone ripped his little leg off. And he has to be touching me, being in the same room will simply not do. When I dry my hair in the mornings he likes to sleep on my feet- it's hard to do things with him on my feet! Hopefully he doesn't want to do this when he is full size, or I am going to be squished.

Last Sunday I woke up determined to go to church by myself, and with Dereck in the field, this is how it had to be. So, I woke up early and dragged myself around the house enough times to look presentable and then drove I-5 while sipping my thermos and praying the caffeine would kick in soon. When I got there, I sat near people we met last week, and while I felt a little lonely, it was nowhere near as bad as I worried it might be, so I chalk it up to a successful church outing.The rest of the afternoon was spent bumping around the house, ignoring how messy it was starting to look, and finding a good book to read Good books are fantastic on rainy days, and with the abundance we have here I think I could easily become a reading machine over the next couple of years, or however long the Army decides to let us stay here. The highlight of the day was watching my friends Jenny and Michelle get baptized at their coffeehouse church in Dupont. These ladies have been extra sweet at PWOC, and I was more than happy to support their public profession, and they did it outside in the cold, so I was even more impressed. I have been super blessed to meet as many friendly people here as I have so far.

Monday I spent getting ready for the puppy arrival, going to physical therapy and allergy shots, and hanging out with my friend Scarlett. If there was a job where I could hang out at coffee houses and chat with people all day than I would be good to go, like I did with Scarlett for the afternoon. I love the freedom that conversation has to go in any direction when there are comfy chairs and coffee (or chai lattes, as in my case) for the taking. We sat there for almost two hours, and finally decided that we needed to move on with our lives, and so I headed out to try a new small group for my church. This was also part of my "I don't need Dereck to do things" kick, and I saw at myself as an ambassador for the Kennedys, looking at the small group and deciding whether it was somewhere I would bring him. The group was awesome, and I am so glad that I went even though I wanted to chicken out at the last minute and run home! We all are about my age and older, some couples, some single, lots with deployed spouses, and the majority were military- something I had no idea about when walking into the situation. By the end of the night I already felt more plugged into the church, uplifted, and encouraged, and to think I almost missed out.

Tuesday my wonderful friend Scarlett and I headed out on the puppy adventure. We had to leave at 6am since it takes 4.5 hours one way, and she had a meeting on post later that evening. We began with tons of energy as we fought Seattle traffic, and noticed that the traffic got lighter and lighter as we hit the mountains. This would be because there was massive amounts of snow falling, and I had missed the memo to check for snow. Funny, I never thought snow could be an issue in May! Luckily, we never had to chain my tires and we made it through the winter wonderland in one piece. The drive was going smoothly until I noticed I must have missed a turn due to my bright idea to leave my Garmin on silent. Normally missing a turn would be no big deal since you can take the next one and make it up, but not in the mountains. I had to make a monstrous big detour that tacked on 45min to the already 9 hour drive! Scarlett and I got the giggles really bad about how long the detour was, but I really blame the giggles on delirium. Hours later we finally hit the dry, desert portion of Washington State and made it to the breeder's house. When we arrived all the little puppies were barking and trying to get our attention, and I could barely believe that I was finally going to get one of my own after months of planning and debating. Ritter was happy to see us until he realized that we were leaving the house, and then he made the most pitiful cries that made me feel like the worst person on the earth to be ripping him away from mom and littermates. Scarlett worked her charm and he finally calmed down enough to go to sleep in her lap, and I was beginning to think that maybe the drive home wouldn't be all that bad. Until we hit the mountain pass again that is; the notoriously curvy mountain pass. Little Ritter had been doing so well, and then he got this crazy look in his eye and I knew that barf was going to follow, and barf he did. I was surprised to see how much a puppy stomach could hold, and the part I have to give him props on is his choice for projection. He didn't barf on the towel on Scarlett's lap, or the floorboard, or anywhere that could be easily reached. He barfed between the seat and middle console of my compact Civic. Talk about a rough spot to reach! I started laughing so hard I could barely see as I tried to clean with little success. Ritter watched at us with this look of satisfaction that he had evened the score, and for the rest of the ride back I kept one careful eye on him. Once we got home he proceeded to explore the living room and pee all over the carpet before I could reach him. Vizsla puppies are quite agile. At this point I started to wonder in my exhausted state whether the puppy had been such a bright idea afterall. This was then compounded by the longest night of my life that I spent with one angry puppy. He barked and cried for hours straight, and I have to give his determination credit. He did not like his crate and he was going to let me know it! Finally, after a few hours of sleep, two middle of the night pee runs, and one morning that started at 5am, Ritter and I were into our first day at home. After PWOC I took him to the vet, and he was the star of the show, demanding the attention of every person in that room. He also decided that with this new fame he had the license to chew on table and chair legs with his razor teeth. I forgot that puppies have razor teeth, and so we have been working on not bitting everyday. We rounded out Wednesday night by watching TV on the couch even though I told Dereck "no dogs on the couch." He gave me the dreaded puppy eyes, and I knew I was toast, but I figured this was just reward for not peeing in the house the entire day.

Thursday morning Ritter and I went about registering him on post and applying for a dig permit to use for building the fence in the backyard. Military housing is great, but you also have to jump through tons of hoops to do anything, like own a dog, build a fence, or even plant flowers. In the afternoon my friend Lindsey came by with her dog and then we took Ritter over to her house to play and socialize. Ritter was not a fan of being around big dogs at first, but by the end of the playdate Ritter was looking less timid and more happy as he ate bark and pinecones. This puppy has one "Fiberlicious" diet as he tries to eat pinecones out of the yard every stinking time we go out. Sometimes I stop him and sometimes I tell him to go to town and have fun, which he always seems to be doing anyway. The crazy thing about chilling in the backyard is that I found out my next door neighbors have a dog, named Chandler. And Chandler looks like Ritter. Exactly like Ritter. So I asked what type of dog Chandler was, and that's right, you guessed it- a Vizsla. I have never in life heard of this breed before, and our neighbors have one too. Coincidence? I think not! And, after I got back from track practice, Ritter figured out that biting his alligator toy in one specific spot made it squeek, and proceed to do so the rest of the night, much to my chagrin. I like to say that he is lucky he's cute, much like Dereck.

Today the puppy saga has continued as Ritter somehow pulled the blanket off the top of his crate and into it while I was at spin class. They say that covering the crate calms the puppy down, but apparently Ritter said "no way Jose!" and pulled it in. I was honestly impressed that he managed it in-between the slim wire spaces, and he seemed quite proud of it also. I am super excited for Dereck to meet him tonight, and to know that there will now be two of us being attacked by velcro dog. A girl needs a break every now and then, and I feel like I am always being watched. The weekend should be nice and relaxed as Dereck needs to catch up on sleep, and I am beginning to be super drained of it also. Hopefully Ritter complies!

S'more S'mores!

I am currently in the middle of one of those perfectly lazy Sundays that happen every so often. I of course have things that I should be doing, like the giant heap of laundry, buying groceries for the super empty cupboards, and hunting for more job opportunities, but the more I thought about what I needed to do, the more I realized what I wanted to do. And that would be blogging happily away in my cozy office and every so often staring out the window at life passing by on this chilly gray day. Dereck is in the middle of a two week field tour, and so I have been left to my own devices and entertainment, and those of you who know me also know how dangerous this can be. You never realize how much you talk until there isn't another person captive in the house who has to listen. My days have been busy, and so I don't notice him missing so much as the nights when I sit around and think about something to say or laugh at something on the tv and notice there is no one around to laugh with me. Houses can get creepy quiet. The two times I have talked to him (averaging at 5 minutes) he sounds tired and hungry, and I can't blame him. I would be tired and hungry after camping in the field and playing war games all day too. It also doesn't help that the puppy was supposed to come home last Friday but now isn't coming home until later this week due to some scheduling conflicts for the breeder. I have been so ridiculously excited about the puppy, and his not coming home paired with Dereck being gone makes for one empty house. Life has not been all that bad the last few weeks however, I am simply an impatient girl who wants to be playing with her puppy already.

Dereck and I spent last weekend actually getting ready for the puppy on Saturday by driving all over the area looking for puppy items like gates, crates, and food and trying to price compare all at the same time. And, as you might imagine, that meant we were in the car a ton and spent too many minutes standing at displays and weighing the merits of random chew toys' durability to the price points. Dogs are expensive, especially now that I don't have parents paying for all the food and vet visits. At the end of the long Saturday we came home in one full Civic and set about opening all the supplies and putting things together, just like Christmas. The puppy has also been a great excuse for Dereck to set about using all his power tools. When I was home for Lydia's wedding he made a dog house, complete with shingled roof and rain gutter, and he has since made a holder for the dog bowls (to elevate it) and I got to paint the box blue and then speckle it with neon green. When you lack creativity or artistic skill, speckling and flicking paint all over something makes for a pretty good substitute, and I have to admit that I am halfway impressed with how it turned out. Last Sunday was spent getting Dereck ready for the field, going to church, and meeting neighbors on our evening stroll. This is one area where I am particularly glad for getting a dog- it gives me a great excuse to get outside and talk to all those other people that like to be outside.

I am also glad to report that I finished the final level of Army Family Team Building, and am now looking forward to taking the instructional courses to become a teacher for the classes. I am currently of the frame of mind that while I am looking for a job, I might as well be a good citizen and give back some time, like my new gig as Track and Field coach for the Army kids. Every Tuesday and Thursday I get to hit the track for a couple of hours and hang out with the most hilarious kids in the world. In between all the giggles and hugs I am trying to teach them to enjoy running the way I do, even in my gimpy state. They "love" running laps and always look at me like I am asking them to rip their legs off when I say to run a lap or two, so I have had to be creative in how the workouts are scheduled with my friend Lindsey who is also coaching. We try to keep them engaged and having fun, which says something when some of those kids have the attention span of, well, a kid! This also is compounded with our beautiful weather here, and means that I come home from many a practice soaking wet and chilled to the bone. I am not a bath person, but lately it has been the only remedy for being cold down to my fingers and toes. The kids had their first track meet yesterday, and I think that it went as well as a meet full of little wiggly kids could. It was quite the adjustment to see little people jumping around, rolling on the ground, and playing tag on the infield where I used to see college athletes getting in the zone for respective races. The day was long too. I forgot how long track meet Saturdays can be, and spent most of my time wrangling kids for their events and trying to get them to stop playing long enough to stretch. Some of the kids I saw at the meet really epitomize the idea of great athletes being blessed with talent. I think that some of the racers could beat me in a sprint with their little speedsuits and spikes. What I liked best of all was how much fun everyone was having. It is hard to not smile when you see six five-year-olds racing 100 meters, and reminded me about why track was fun in high school. Some of the kids are competitive, but the majority are out learning the sport and enjoying the day. When was the last time that I was happy to simply compete and finish, instead of agonizing over a prize? It was great perspective, and I left feeling very content and wind-burned.

This last week I also got some great excuses to hang out with friends and get back to my normal weekly schedule and rhythm. Between going home and finishing AFTB, I have missed three Wednesday morning bible studies with PWOC, so I was more than ready to get back this week and see all my small group. And so much has happened in this short time! Several of the women are having husbands return from 12 month deployments over the weekend and this coming week, and the excitement on their faces was contagious. You can tell from looking at them that they are ready to have their husbands back and be a team instead of solo parent. My friend Scarlett is also back from her trip home, and so I got the privilege of being with her on her birthday, eating cupcakes in Tacoma, and going out for a celebratory dinner with friends at Panera. And on that note I hope Dereck doesn't look at the checking account when he gets home. I have been living large and enjoying the company of friends over going to buy groceries, and so have probably killed the budget for the end of April. I like to justify it in my mind by thinking that making and keeping friends is more important than that which I can't take to heaven. Right? This week also included my second Battalion coffee (a gathering with the other officers' wives in Dereck's engineering group), and we met at the most gorgeous house on a lake. All of the kitchen and living room are walled with windows facing the lake, and with the evergreens framing the landscape, it looked like a picture from some weekend retreat magazine. I am happy to say that I am feeling more comfortable with the women in the coffee group, and despite the age and background differences, think that it will be a great fit in the long run. Everyone brought kids to the coffee since the battalion is in the field, and it made me think about my mom's coffee groups when I was little, and how much I loved eating all the treats and playing with other kids. I cannot believe that I am on the other side. Much of the conversation centered around teaching and children, both of which I managed to miss the memo on for Army wives. It's ok though! God made me the way I am, and that is not a teacher or a mother for the time being.

Friday my friends from the gym finally dragged me to the pool for a workout and I have to admit that I liked it more than I thought I would. It isn't so much that I hate swimming as I don't like being cold on the way to the pool, being cold when I drop my towel, and then being cold when I jump in the water. My reward for finally coming? Going out to dinner and a movie with the girls, which was fantastic. We had delicious wood-fire pizza and then saw the new Jennifer Lopez movie. Not a bad movie, but not one I would run around recommending to anyone either, just right for girls' night out. And, after the track meet yesterday I helped to host a party at my friend Jackie's house. Jackie is one of those crazy original people you meet and immediately are drawn to. She managed to invite a great variety of people- wives with husbands deployed, a husband with a wife deployed, a civilian government person, her cousin, people from PWOC, and myself. We grilled hot dogs in her fire pit and I managed to eat more s'mores than any one person ever should. Ever. My stomach still hurts a little just typing about the s'mores. I blame the hot, gooey marshmallow and chocolate for my over-indulgence. We didn't even have any fire emergencies, which is a miracle considering the wind we had last night. I had a fantastic time meeting new people, and the more Army people I meet, the more I know that I like where life has me. You can't beat the friendliness anywhere. In fact, I have already watched pets for two neighbors and have people lined up to help me with the puppy when he comes home. I like that network of help. Makes life all the more enjoyable, even when I am pining for my husband and puppy, and even those I will have by the end of this week!

Now Boarding: Atlanta, Huntsville, and Nashville

I don't know why it takes something as big as a wedding to remind me that all of my best friends have lives that continue when I am not around. Somewhere in my head I like to think that life takes a short pause when I'm away, and that the moment I come back home everyone will be there waiting, just as they were before. Yet every time I see them we have all changed, grown and gone through experiences that don't involve one another, and to that end I am even more grateful for the closeness I share with them. Despite all the time, miles, and moments spent apart we are always able to pick up right where we left off, even if that now includes things like husbands, finances, and grad school all over the country. Lydia's wedding was just that reminder to me that she had met someone, fallen in love, and now is a working, married woman who lives in Nashville (not sitting and waiting for me back in Madison until I return again). But I still secretly wish everyone was on pause. I think my friend Becca said it best when she mentioned that the weddings are so much fun, and so hard because they stand as a reminder that our lives are in a constant motion of change and maturation. We are quickly becoming adults, while we grew up together as high schoolers, and that is quite the adjustment. Nonetheless, Lydia's wedding weekend was a blast in its simplest meaning, and I loved every minute I got to spend with my friends filling in the blanks of life that happen each time we're apart.

Friday morning I dragged myself out of bed (I would like to blame the time change at this point), showered, packed, and hit the road for Nashville. This in fact turned out to be a jam-packed day of pre-wedding festivities, and so I paced myself at the bridesmaid brunch with lots of sugary and sweet foods while forgetting the promise of a sugar crash later in the afternoon. At the brunch I had the opportunity to meet tons of Lydia's family, new family, and friends from college, something odd that also happens in the spaces when we don't see each other- we make new friends. The highlight of the morning had to be Lydia's mom and two aunts serenading us with the songs that made them famous enough to appear in a Burt Reynolds movie of the 70s. From the brunch we headed to a lingerie shower at Lydia's cousins' house, and I am proud to say that we Madison girls managed to wrangle in as many raunchy jokes as we could given that Lydia's younger sisters were there. We simply said them to each other in a huddle on the couch and to that end I am fairly confident that Lydia's family and other friends think we are slightly nuts. Luckily it wouldn't be the first time, and Lord knows it won't be the last. What good are friends if you can't act like a fool and laugh until your sides and cheeks hurt? After the shower we quickly got ready for the wedding rehearsal and met with our super strict wedding coordinator. The best part of having this super strict lady was that Lydia doesn't even go to this church, it just had enough seating for the ceremony. So we bridesmaids made a valiant effort to have as much fun and giggles as possible under her eye. I also realized when being paired with a groomsman that we were the tall couple. I don't think of myself as exceptionally tall, but being in the back of the line made me wonder. I blame the cowboy boots I had on for line dancing later in the evening. And to that point, I want everyone to imagine what I looked like in the Seattle airport with cowboy boots on (since everyone knows those things don't pack well in carry-ons). One security guard even stopped me to look at them in amazement and I had to explain that I was going to a Nashville wedding! So, of course I wore those boots as much as possible the entire weekend. My airport trials would not be in vane, nor would wearing them six-plus hours on the airplane. Therefore, I wore my boots to the rehearsal, dinner, and then for line dancing at the Wild Horse Saloon. I am proud to say that I hit the dance floor and line danced for a good while, and I have now decided that I am not a horrible dancer provided someone is showing me exactly what to do. Maybe one day I will return to the saloon and show everyone my mad skills.

After dancing and talking way too late into the evening, I woke up Saturday and headed to a clubhouse to get ready for Lydia's wedding. Becca, Katie and I jammed into one bathroom and spent time spraying hairspray everywhere, trying to get make-up on, and making jokes. My guess is that our lungs are already permanently damaged from running indoor high school track in Alabama, and that the hairspray is simply added to the masses. Again, I ate a whole bunch of sugary foods and I would like to blame it on being "on vacation" more than my inability to control myself or make healthy decisions, and that sugar rush matched nicely with the Disney and late 90s pop music we had blaring in the clubhouse. We shortly thereafter headed to the church to get dressed and take pictures for the rest of the morning before the big event kicked off. I really have to give Lydia credit here. She was the calmest and most collected person the entire day, and when she smiled it was the most genuine and sweet thing, a lovely bride to say the least. My NW living gave itself away when I got sunburned from being outside for wedding photos. My poor skin didn't know what to do with sunshine, and warm sunshine to boot. Luckily Katie burned too, so I didn't feel quite as alone. The ceremony and reception were awesome, and I have to admit that I almost started sobbing when she came down the aisle. Being a bridesmaid allows you to think much more and reflect on life than being the bride trying to not trip on her hem, and so while I cried none at my ceremony, it took all I had to hold it together at Lydia's. We even had a dancing entrance into the reception, and Katie, Becca, and I chose to do some awesome moves that equally impressed Dereck when I showed him later. The best part of the reception was being around so many people that I know and love in my life, and don't get to see now that I live on the other side of the country. I spent a majority of my time hugging necks and catching up on life post-college. After the reception Erin, Sarah, Katie and I went back to the Wild Horse for one last bit of line dancing, and by the time I crept back into bed, I knew I had had an unforgettable day. There is something so precious in seeing people that you love get married, and that alone would have made my cowboy boot journey worth the effort. Seeing my friends was the spectacular icing on the cake.

I didn't realize how relaxing it was to be around people who know my name, story, and beliefs until I got home. No more asking names and going through that awkward first conversation that has dominated my life since I got married. When friends ask what it's like to have moved to Lewis I like to compare it to that freshman year of college. It may have been fun, but there were also lots of spots of loneliness and energy spent trying to find your space. My goal is to be out of that phase as quickly as possible. Sunday I drove back to Huntsville and relaxed all day before going to see friends in Birmingham on Monday. That day was as good for my soul as the wedding trip, and I have to give props to God for giving me what I needed so badly but never could have formulated into words, like a funny old joke, or warm and familiar hug. My last day at home I spent time with my grandma, aunt, and mom and simply basked in being home and relaxing on the couch. The trip overall was the perfect amount of timing. I loved being home, seeing everyone, and watching Lydia get married, but I was also excited to come back to my new home with Dereck, and by the time my plane landed in Seattle, I knew I am right where I am supposed to be, freshman feelings and all.

As I mentioned in the last blog, I am now coaching 9-11 year olds in track, and Thursday was my first practice. I had more fun than should be allowed. We did a ladder workout (100m-200m-400m-200m-100m) and I quickly learned that I am going to have to change my thinking on track distances for the little legs. Most of them want to be sprinters, much to my chagrin, but I have a goal of making a few distance runners bloom along the way. I even got called coach, and that feeling of age sticks to me even now. Since when am I old enough to be a coach instead of athlete? I cannot wait for the next practice with my crazy kids, they make me smile so much on top of the ridiculous things they say, like whether someone can run faster forward or backward. I also went to a retreat this weekend held by PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) and it was called "The Husband Project." Based on a book, the author came in and shared with us over two days how to better love our husbands intentionally, and I figured at 4 months, I still have a little to learn. In fact, I won a prize for being married the shortest time (the oldest was 48 years) that included spaghetti, sauce, recipe cards, magnets, and a magnetic calendar which I was super excited about- call me a nerd if you wish. The retreat was awesome and wonderfully informative. We all got to share with each other in addition to hearing the speaker, and I think I may have made a few friends along the way. Hearing so many other women talk about their deployed husbands made me realize how blessed I am to have Dereck home. In today's Army it is almost unheard of, and I intend to treasure every moment while I have them. Between going home, loving on my friends, and learning how to love on my husband I have to admit that I am one happy clam. Two weeks until the new puppy comes home!

Underground Seattle

I sit here in utter disbelief that it is the middle of April. The lack of school semester craziness and never-ending projects seems to make time move that much more quickly, and if I had to think of a way to summarize April thus far it would be: family! As hinted at the end of the last blog, Dereck's mom and sister came April 1st and spent a long weekend with us in the NW. Besides the fact that it was awesome to see them, it also gave Dereck and I that final kick to get some things done around the house that we had put off since throwing out the last moving boxes. This included putting pictures in photo frames and buying curtains for 90% of the house. In fact, the night before Marcie and Lesli came in, I spent hours ironing curtains while Dereck hung rods and drilled screws into our lovely Army-white walls. Simply ironing the curtains really came to solidify the fact that I hate ironing. There- I said it. I hate ironing with a fiery passion. Curtains are especially evil because they have these creases in them from packaging that must be older than time itself. No amount of work and steam is going to get those creases out, and at a critical mass point late in the night, Dereck and I said "to heck with it," and proceeded to hang wrinkly curtains all around the house. I also got some quality time cleaning those weird spaces in a home that never seem to bother you until someone is coming to visit. That red towel lint around the shower door has gone months without any concern from the Kennedys, but I would be a liar if I said I didn't Swiffer that stupid door until every piece of lint was gone. To mark the momentous cleaning of the house I even took pictures as proof that at one beautiful moment in time the house was sparkling clean, and it was a glorious twenty seconds until Dereck walked in with his Army magnet-to-dirt boots.

Having Marcie and Lesli visit was a great excuse to finally get out and see some of the museums and sights that I have been putting off simply because I was thought to myself, "I can't go there yet. I need to take visitors!" So, on Friday morning we loaded up and went to the Tacoma Glass Museum. Tacoma is world famous for its glass productions, and I have to admit that I underestimated how cool a glass museum could be. My favorite exhibit is a portion called Kid Works where kids draw all types of fanciful creatures and one gets chosen every month to actually be made in glass. The sketches hang next to the creations, and the kids think of the craziest things, like a "handyman" made of hands, or a coyote wearing rainbow socks (simply because the kid said he likes to think of the coyotes near his house prancing about in socks, and rainbow socks no less). Tacoma Glass also has what's called a Hot Studio where artists create glass pieces throughout the day while visitors sit in theatre-style seating and stare at them. I couldn't help but wonder if they felt like monkeys being watched at a zoo, and very skilled monkeys at that. We wrapped up the museum by visiting the overpriced gift store and staring at glass baubles while school kids ran around trying to find the cheapest piece of junk to take home and promptly lose. After that, we headed to lunch at Cheesecake Factory (gotta love having parents visit!) and then went shopping to find Lesli a dress for her military ball. The impressive thing about the dress shopping is that we found the perfect dress in record time- maybe I should shop with these girls more often. The downside to shopping? Evil I-5 Friday traffic. I never cease to be amazed by how this interstate can have traffic 24/7, and to make matters worse I was driving Dereck's truck which feels like a monster compared to my little Civic, and did I mention it was raining like crazy? After all the hustle of the morning, lunch, and shopping, we rounded out the night making soup at the house and watching tv to prepare for Saturday's adventure.

Saturday we made a huge breakfast and then piled in the car to go to Bremerton and catch the ferry to Seattle. This is the same route we did on my birthday, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time, even if it was twenty degrees colder. We girls were all decked out in my random winter layers, and being from Alabama points out the irony that I even own any. But despite the chill and freezing rain we stood on the deck and watched the skyline move from epic evergreens to giant houses and then the Seattle harbor, all the while drinking our Starbucks coffee and letting the warmth and espresso make us excited for the day. Our first stop was the Underground Tour as recommended by my friend Scarlett. Much to my surprise, the history of Seattle involves several rounds of sinking, filling in with sawmill dust, and then sinking again. What do I really remember about Seattle history? That it was one of the first cities to receive a Crapper Toilet from London- call it selective memory. The underground comes from the fact that the city had a massive fire, rebuilt, and then built new roads more than 5 feet above the previous level, thereby creating an underground world around buildings at the old street level. It even remained open until a serious of plagues shut down the area, and it then promptly became a playground of drug addicts and gamblers in prohibition times. It was one of the best city tours I have ever been on, and I would go again in a heartbeat! After the tour, we walked up to the market and grabbed a quick lunch. Lesli and I ate monster crepes, but the best part is that this guy came and sat next to Lesli the whole time we were there. I could tell he wanted to talk so bad, and I thought that he might have eventually had stinky Dereck not come in. We even have a photo of us and our monster crepes with him smiling at the camera in the background- he just never had the guts with Dereck scowling at him. We then proceeded to wander the market for a good while, and finally got into the truck and drove into the mountains to see Snoqualmie Falls. Apparently while we got all the nasty rain the mountains had been getting powder-perfect snow, and we took advantage of this by stopping and jumping in it, and of course catching it on our tongues. I hope I never get too old to stop and let snow fall on my tongue. And the falls were awesome! I had only heard of them from friends, and so never really knew what to expect, along with a fear that they might be a tiny trickle making me look like a fool. Suffice it to say the falls are huge and spectacular, thank goodness!

The next morning we waved goodbye to Marcie and Lesli and promptly came home for a huge nap. Between me getting ready for guests and Dereck having a full work week, we were two tired kids. Last week however had no rest for the weary as I packed to go home for Lydia's wedding. There is nothing like packing to make you realize how much you need to wash clothes, and so I tried to pack, run errands, and finish all my chores in two short days before flying home Wednesday morning. I don't think I comprehended the distance between myself and Alabama until I flew 5 hours to Atlanta and then another home. At this rate I could have been two hours short of making it to Germany from Atlanta! I was so happy to see my mom and feel the wall of warm air hit me. Gone was the rain and 40 degree weather of Lewis and in front of me was sunshine and flip-flop weather. I spent Thursday running errands I needed to get finished at home, like cutting 3 inches off the nest I like to call my hair and finally getting all the wedding pictures chosen for an album with the photographer. It was weird to be home after not seeing it for four months, and it was weird how quickly it became familiar to me. I am happy to report that Madison is still looking the same, and my pirate Beagle is still kicking, although we now like to call her Methuselah since my mom fears she will never die (Brooklyn is about to hit 14).

Friday came around quickly enough, and I found myself driving to wedding festivities for Lydia, one of my best friends from home. However in order to give the weekend the full amount of space it needs for proper blogging, this one will have to roll to an end. I would hate to try and squeeze it all in only to leave you the reader with an entire novella. And to that end, I shall bid adieu and head out to coach 9-11 year olds in track. Now all I need is a really loud whistle.

Bremerton Ferry

This morning I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to go to Physical Therapy at the Army hospital near my house. The good part about the Army is the amazing health insurance, the bad part is all the waiting and crazy appointment times, like 7:30am. The more I think about it though, the more I realize that I might be more prepared for socialized healthcare than most (even if I don't want it after seeing all its "disfunctions" in Europe). I got a call yesterday about having a class on my new allergy shots, and the lady informed me the first opening was in late May. Maybe I should schedule my sicknesses more carefully to work with the Tricare system; psychic ability would be a fantastic help at this point. In all honesty some of the delays are just an overloaded system, and other delays are because I fall under soldiers in priority for treatment. And I guess if the Army is paying them to work and be healthy, then they probably should be seen first. I just am impatient and want everything super fast, like the rest of my microwave generation. One thing I did notice this morning at PT was that the more I looked around at the soldiers in there with me, the less sorry I could feel for myself and my little knee problem. This last Monday in fact I had a soldier next to me that came in on a cane and had major skin grafts on both legs. I later heard him talk about his upcoming surgeries to have remaining shrapnel removed and saw how he couldn't have some of the therapies since he has no sensation in one leg. It's hard to feel sorry for myself and my one little knee problem when I am sitting next to a guy that almost had both legs blown off in Iraq or Afghanistan. Funny how humbling perspective can be. And that's in addition to the guy I see at the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays who is missing an entire leg but still does a weight workout and uses his other leg on the rowing machine. It's easier than some might guess to get so completely buried under the dependent/spouse/family side of the Army that you forget the real and dangerous side the soldiers go through.

That said, I have been enjoying my side of the Army life the last couple of weeks. Besides going to Physical Therapy and harassing my therapist, I have been enjoying the first bits of spring here. We still are getting the typical Seattle weather with tons of rain and overcast skies, but last week was especially beautiful and I even got to jog around the track in t-shirt and shorts one day! The biggest accomplishment of late is that we have had our first official dinner guest, and I chalk it up to a success since nothing caught on fire and to date no one has any reported food poisoning. I feel like a cheat in saying "official dinner guest" since we had our friend Aaron over, the guy that Dereck replaced in 570th Co. and had taken us to his church one weekend. I decided to make the infamous Cheese Celebration Soup since Dereck only had a little bowl the night I took it to bible study and came back empty-handed, and it's a crockpot cooking soup- can you say easy? So, Aaron came over, we ate a yummy dinner, and then ended up playing "Settlers of Qatan" or whatever the heck it is called. Again, it's a super popular boardgame with the deployed crew, and while Dereck and Aaron strategized and played the game with deep thought, I just decided to block as much of the board as I could so they could earn less points. I call it strategy, they called it mean. We rounded out the night talking about budgeting and financial planning- am I becoming an old fart or what? Overall, I am happy that our first dinner with a guest went well, and it forced me to clean the house beyond the normal standard. Thursday night we went out to dinner with our friends Rick and Scarlett. Scarlett is the friend I met way back at the Newcomer Orientation and has been my buddy at lots of events on post. The best part about having dinner with them is that they are in the same shoes as us (Dereck and Rick went to school together, they are also newlyweds) and so we have tons in common. The dinner was bittersweet in that it was the last time we would see Rick before his deployment to Iraq, again solidifying to me that there is a heavier side to this lifestyle. As we hugged him bye that night it was hard to comprehend that it will be a good while before we see him again. His wife is handling things beautifully though, and I am so impressed with her faith and maturity about the whole situation. You hear so many stories about the wives who collapse in on themselves when the husband deploys and live in dark caves of houses for the entire year he is gone. I am incredibly proud of her for not being a victim of the deployment, and for understanding that being sad is totally fine, but digging into a hole of pity is not. I can only pray I do that well whenever Dereck's time comes up (which keeps changing, so I have stopped trying to plan).

Friday night I met up with some of the women from the Wednesday morning Bible study I go to, and I had the best time. Going into it I was nervous to say the least. I barely knew the women Jenny who invited me and Heather who was hosting, as for everyone else there, complete strangers to me beforehand. Luckily, from the moment I walked in these women were nothing but inviting and friendly, and funny. I drove home that night with my cheeks aching and my sides sore from laughing, something I am so thankful for. Last week was a little slow for me, so the girl time was invaluable and much needed. I ate till I was throughly stuffed and sat there chit-chating until I decided I should go home and check on Dereck, who ended up being sound asleep on the couch. He had been a busy beaver while I was gone, and I came in to notice a beautiful arrangement of flowers and a birthday cake, funfetti of course. I have to admit that I am proud and surprised at Dereck's baking skills. The cake was delicious and not burnt- there are pictures on facebook to prove it! And to top off all his hard work, he had put my bicycle together- woohoo! It finally made the trek from Alabama and is currently sitting in my guest bedroom waiting to be fitted at Tacoma Bike. I love that bicycle and cannot wait for good weather to hit the roads here.

Saturday was my actual birthday, with me hitting the unimpressive 23. I feel like that is one in-between number in life. It shows that I am out of college and living the adult life somewhat, but still lacks that weight of older age and wisdom. I wonder if I will feel that way until I hit 40 and suddenly feel old instead of wise. When do I hit the age of confidence in the adult world? The day started off with a bang, or cinnamon rolls to be more exact. Again, facebook has photo evidence of the whole day, so check it out. The cinnamon rolls were huge, unhealthy, and delicious and made the perfect treat before driving to the ferry. Seattle can be reached by driving 50 min up the interstate, or by driving 30min to the port of Bremerton, and then taking a 45min ferry ride, and believe it or not, the ferry is 100% more worth the trip. The bay is beautiful and between the huge mountains to the east and watching the Seattle skyline come into focus, we were mesmerized on the deck. That's right, we stood on the deck in freezing weather with our Starbucks (like good Seattle folk) simply for the view. When we drove our car onto the pier we headed for the Coast Guard station. Parking in Seattle is nothing short of an expensive nightmare (think $10 or more for deck parking with street spots never open), so free parking at a guarded military base sounded like a great idea. The only catch? We had to walk 2.5 miles round trip from the heart of Seattle's Pike Place to the station, but to Dereck and me, it was a great option. The only time I regretted it was at the end of the day when I was tired and hungry and faced the walk back. We spent most of the day exploring the market and the downtown shopping area. The fresh floral arrangements are everywhere and tulips and daffodils are the "flowers du jour" right now. North of Seattle is a famous spot called Skagit Valley that holds annual tulip festivals, and I am trying to plan a trip with friends right now. We also stood looking at all the different stalls of seafood, fruits, veggies, and any other weird hippie item you can imagine. We even saw someone get proposed to in front of a street band, and that was pretty awesome. Once we finally made the trek back to the car and got home, we got ready for a nice dinner out, and topped off my birthday in great style with a fondue meal at Melting Pot. Nothing says love like hot chocolate/peanut butter and strawberries. Nothing.

Sunday I experienced a first in my life. We went to a new church in Puyallup that had been recommend to me, and to that end it shall remain unnamed. We love the Mars Hill Church, but I wanted to try this church also since it never hurts to be sure that we are going to the best church for us. There are several reasons I should have been worried from the beginning at the this church, and they go something like this: 1) The bulletin only had 4 blanks for the topic sermon of "pressure"- Dereck and I like pastors to preach on the Bible, not "4 ways to do this" or "5 steps to that," and it was Palm Sunday to boot. 2) The pastor came out and had props on the tables, and 3) he was using the props to loosely explain pressure while throwing in random scripture. It was at this point the first came into play; I thought I could sit through the bad sermon and we could runaway at the end, but the more he spoke, the more we realized this guy was a nut and it made me sad to see so many people enthralled with what he was saying. So I scribbled a note to Dereck and we left in the middle of the service. When we got to the car all we could do was laugh in disbelief at what we had just seen, and so we went home to watch a Mars Hill sermon online. At least the new church solidified our previous choice of Mars Hill. Who hammers plates inside a bag to demonstrate pressure during a sermon? I am laughing and shaking my head even as I write this.

And so the blog rolls into this week. Dereck's mom and sister are coming Thursday afternoon to visit over the weekend, and I am seriously behind in getting ready for their arrival. I haven't cleaned any, need to buy groceries, and need to plan what exactly we are doing with our days. At least I have the laundry going, or that's how I validate sitting here and writing in the blog rather than being productive. Dereck and I did get curtains up in most of rooms last night, so I will add that to the tally of tasks complete. Denial can be such a lovely state, and typing at my desk allows me to be a creeper and watch people walk by outside. Call me the crazy neighbor, it's okay- at least I have curtains now.