July Has Been Good…
…to me so far this year! On the first of the month I went to see the doctor and she reported that I am healthy and looking good and that my tests all came back normal meaning that Angel and I are good to go for starting our own little family. It’s so exciting and such a relief because we’ve been actively trying for about 7 months now and I had gotten nervous that maybe something was wrong. Now I know that it’s just not our time yet, and that God has a plan in store and when it’s the right time it will happen. The only thing I need to do is gain a little bit more weight and I’ll be set. I guess between moving and trying to find a job and Angel possibly deploying and then not and his doctors going back and forth about his surgery, I lost a little bit of weight and since I’m already tiny to begin with it is not so good. Turns out it’s also darn near impossible to gain it back quickly. Between my already fast metabolism and size, it’s hard to gain the weight. I eat more and try to eat more often but it’s hard to eat when you’re full or not hungry. I’m doing it though and I’m getting there, it’s just a process. My doctor was really happy with my progress and has given me the green light so I’m pretty proud of myself.
Then on top of that, Angel and I made friends with a couple that lives in our development a house down from us. We have really enjoyed spending time with them and on July 4th we all went to the beach and had an amazing time. We took a tent and had a couple coolers full of beer and water and snacks. We were there for like 10 hours it was insane. The fireworks were absolutely beautiful and we had an amazing time. It’s nice having friends that live so close and that we’re able to hang out with. On top of that my most awesome mommy sent us our wedding anniversary gift a few months early so we could enjoy it this summer. She got us our very own charcoal grill and we love it! We were able to use it for the 4th and it was great.
I also was able to get a job! Woot! I’m a working woman again! Oh yeah! lol. I’m only working like 10-15 hours a week so my paychecks aren’t much to write home about but it does feel great to contribute in some way and do something productive with my time. Angel is really happy that I’m out of the house and doing my own thing and as usual has supported me in doing whatever I want or feel I need to do. It’s been fun and I’m enjoying my new schedule. I’m feeling very blessed and grateful to God for all the wonderful gifts and opportunities He’s given us and I’m excited to see what is next. :)
Been a while…
…since I visited. The last time I tried to write, I had technical issues that ended up deleting everything and left me so frustrated that I kinda forgot about it. So many things have happened. We’re now in June and I find myself having a hard time believing that we are at the midway point for the year already. In March Angel and I celebrated our year anniversary of our engagement, he proposed on March 27, 2010. Two weeks later we celebrated a year of marriage on April 11! A whole year of marriage down and done. It’s funny to me because I can remember in vivid detail the night we met and it feels like yesterday. At the same time, I feel like Angel has been apart of my life forever and I find it hard remembering life before him. Almost as though we’ve been together for years and years now when in reality it’ll only be 2 years this September.
Love is a crazy thing. I know that it’s what has brought us to not only where we are as a couple but it’s brought us here as individuals as well. By seeing the best in him, he inspires me to be my best. I feel so blessed. We have been given so many opportunities and blessings. It feels like we’ve taken the world on together and have already conquered so much. We have definitely had our ups and downs, but through faith, love and some determination (slightly stubborn at times) we have found our way. God is good.
Craziness!
It’s already the last week of February! Wow! This month has been a blessing which is crazy to me because I had been dreading this month for a while now. So many updates and amazing things have happened. Angel and I have been enjoying our new home and loving life here in Cali, it’s a little colder than we’re used to but we manage.
Valentine’s Day was amazing. Angel and I went to the beach to lay out and enjoy the weather, however we froze a little and cut that visit short. We then came home for a bit and Angel told me to prepare for the evening’s festivities. I had no clue what his plans were. I was only told to dress comfortably and warmly. He had a surprise in for me. He disappeared for about half an hour while I prepared. When he came home he told me to stay upstairs while he prepared, he then ushered me downstairs and outside. Instead of making our way to the parking lot to the car, we went the opposite direction. I was confused but upon rounding the corning I saw that he’d set up a candle light picnic under the stars. He ordered Olive Garden take out and had set up our little romantic dinner all on his own! It was an incredible night!
A couple days later, my mom flew all the way from FL to visit! She was here for 5 days and it was incredible. I showed her around and introduced her to our life here. She was able to experience Del Taco (which I’m obsessed with) and she loved it! We went to downtown San Diego and to Disneyland and just enjoyed each others company. It felt good to have her here and show her Cali and let her see for herself how beautiful it is here. I have fallen in love with this place and wanted so badly to share it with her. It was a great and much needed visit.
February was a month full of blessings and one of the greatest blessings was finding out that Angel would NOT, I repeat NOT, N-O-T, be deploying due to a hernia. Praise God!!! We have been dealing with this for the past two months and had been getting mixed information about their diagnosis and whether or not he would be deploying with his unit. And then at the last minute, they finally figured it out and made the decision. It was such a relief. Not only for obvious reasons, but I was relieved that he wouldn’t be going because I’d been scared that the pain from the hernia would hinder his ability to protect himself out there. I want him to be at 100% whenever he is deployed in the future. That gives us more time together and I couldn’t be more grateful for this blessing.
There’s still a week left of February and more opportunities to grow and be blessed. We’re working towards starting a family and getting back on track with our degrees. I’m excited to tackle these challenges head on and see what God has in store. :-)
It’s Official…
It’s happened, I never thought it would so quickly, but it has. I’ve crossed over to the darkside with Angel. I have taken my Nerdiness to new heights. A week and a half ago he bought me a laptop, and with that laptop he also bought me DC Universe Online. Yes…a MMO PC game. He is a nerd trapped in a jock’s body and I always just accepted that about him and loved it since I too have my nerdy tendencies. He loved his WOW and his Call of Duty and his XBOX is his prized pocession and I love that about him. It added to my affection. I always wondered how a person could sit in front of a screen and play the same game for hours and not notice the world around them. Now, the past few nights have been spent sitting side by side on the couch with our laptops and controllers leveling up together and saving the world one villain at a time.
The game is amazing, I have to say. I originally just went with it so that I’d take interest in the things that he enjoyed and share that with him thinking that my involvement would be minimal. He’d always tried to get me into WOW and it just wasn’t a game that interested me much. When he mentioned DCUO though, I thought, “Ok cool, at least I can be a superhero.” Now, I can’t get enough. We are hooked. Just goes to show that you should never judge a book by it’s cover and that we should be more open to trying new things sometimes because you never know. I never minded video games, I was just never very good at them. However, I have found a new type of joy in playing this game with him and sharing his passion. I love asking for help when I can’t beat a boss or when I don’t understand. When I’m being ganged up on, my Superhero Husband shoes up and demolishes the bad guys with me. I can see how happy it makes him to have me enjoy what he loves and the smiles when I’m stuck and need him.
I also found another use for the game. When Angel eventually deploys, the game can serve as a means of communication. I’ll take any form of communication I can get. If I see that he has improved in the game, then I know he’s ok. It’s something we can do together even when he’s far away with half a world between us. It’s all about perspective and I’m working on looking to new horizons and finding the silver lining in everything.
Lessons Learned…
Thought I’d compile a list of things I’ve learned since getting married and moving across the country, here goes…
1. Crock pots are AMAZING
- We received one as a wedding present and I’m not that much of a chef and had never really had to prepare full on meals for myself or anyone for an extended period of time and I was in awe the first time I used it. I was terrified to leave the house and called my mom twice to confirm that that was what the Crock Pot was intended for. It’s too good to be true. After using it a few times now, my confidence has grown and I’m looking for more recipes to try out and conquer. It’s not my favorite way to cook, but it definitely has it’s perks.
2. People suck.
-Not all people, but a small population make a big impact. The development we live in has laundry rooms and they are a short walk from our house (not too much fun when you have multiple loads and have to balance detergent bottles on top). I usually sit there for the entire wash and dry cycle for fear of people messing with our clothing. I had never seen anything to make me believe that people would, but I had always figured, “better safe than sorry.” Last week however, I had to go get another load from the house because it was too much to carry at once (thanks to Angel’s Field Op all his cami’s were dirty). I was gone maybe ten minutes tops and when I returned, someone had helped themselves to some of the clothing in one of the washes. I was furious. They were just sweats and pj’s but they were OUR sweats and pj’s and I wanted them back. I went through all the washers and dryers and finally found our stuff. The audacity of some people astounds me sometimes.
3. Have a little Faith…
- This is an important one that I really feel that God has been reminding me of lately. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves and our situations that we forget that at the end of the day, it’s not really up to us. God has a plan for each of us and if we have some faith in the fact that He knows what He’s doing, then we’d really save ourselves a ton of worrying. I know that I’ve been running around like a mad woman going back and forth on certain issues and stressing about things that are beyond my control and low and behold it gets thrown in my face time and time again that having faith is what I need to do. I’m not saying that a little stress or worry isn’t necessary, we need to be mindful of things, but when it’s all said and done remembering that it will all work out in the end is really all we need to hold onto. Remembering past experiences when I thought my world was ending and the fact that it obviously didn’t and that I somehow made it through those moments gives me greater hope and faith in my future knowing that I’ll make it through these things as well. After all, I’m not alone, I have the best husband in the world and an amazing family that loves and supports me. <3
Just an intro…
My name is Barbie, I’m 23 years old and I just moved to Southern California with my husband Angel. He’s my best friend and my hero and I don’t know where I’d be without him. He’s a United States Marine and I couldn’t be more proud or excited to stand beside him and follow him on this adventure. Things are pretty amazing in my life right now and I have to give thanks to God for blessing me so abundantly. Two days before Christmas I was reunited with my love after 6 long months apart (due to Bootcamp/MCT/MOS) and we’re now living in our own place and have slowly turned this house into a home. I love trying new things and experiencing every second of this life we were given because you never know how quickly it’ll all slip away.
Since moving here, I’ve learned so many things about myself and life and what being an adult is actually like. I’m 23 but had never lived on my own fully. I’d always been with my mom or with family while attending a university in Florida. I see independence in a new light. This is my adventure, this is my life…
On the road!
