Happy Thanksgiving

Marley had a great second Thanksgiving! For some reason I love waking up with extended family when it's a holiday. Eating breakfast together and always having someone to talk to make it such a happy day to me. And there is always someone to entertain Marley! That was definitely one of the best parts. I put Jack in charge of taking pictures, and he was completely thorough in his picture taking. He would get so excited and come show me when he got a good picture of someone.We started the day with breakfast and Joel taking Marley outside to tour the yard. It's so funny to me that taking her outside is the magic trick to making her happy. All weekend when she was nervous with someone, we would just tell them to take her outside.

I wanted to help as much as I could with the cooking since I might be doing it myself next Thanksgiving, but it was hard to handle with Marley. Like I said, there were people there to entertain her, but I felt bad dropping her off with people all day.

She sat in Emily's lap through lunch, barely eating anything. She ate some bread... that was pretty much it. Emily tried to give her everything that was on her plate, but evidently she didn't feel like being adventurous that day. She would have liked it if she had tried it though, because she has since eaten some and loved it.

But, Marley has never been the baby to skimp on dessert! She ate almost an entire slice of pie! I really wouldn't have let her eat the whole thing normally, but it was Thanksgiving, so I figured it was okay. She did end up really wanting a banana later though. She kept pointing at them the entire weekend. So, we would open one for her and she would take a bite. But then she would either try to eat the outside of the banana, or she would try to put the peel back on and point for us to put in back on the banana hanger.One thing she also ate a lot of was apple cake. That also has a good amount of sugar in it, but it also has apples and nuts! So, I let her eat that too. I'm a softie...
She loved flirting with Pawpaw Gene while we were there. She would smile at him or say something to him, but as soon as he wanted to come near her she didn't want anything to do with him! The day we left, he was standing on the other side of the living room from us rubbing his eyes. Marley started trying to play peek-a-boo with him!

It was sad to be without Asa for Thanksgiving. I am so glad he will be home for Christmas, but I wish he could have been with us for this also. Or I at least wish he could have called and actually had a conversation with him instead of what we had. I hope they at least served them some turkey...

At the end of the day, we were all so tired. Marley stayed up pretty late because of all the excitement going on. But once we got in bed, she didn't wake up until morning!

Confused Feelings

Once I finally got to take a shower today was when I heard the phone ring. Asa has his own special ring, so I knew immediately it was him. I turned off the shower and ran to get the phone without grabbing a towel.

Hey! I was in the shower… Do I have time to dry off?
No, I only have one minute.
Okay.
This is just our call to let you know we are at basic.

I could hear his drill sergeant in the background shout “30 seconds!” And then it was like a mad rush to get everything in that we both wanted to say. It’s like you just start rambling off all the sentences you have time for, and sometimes they don’t even make sense.

How are you? Did you just now get to basic?
Kiss Marley for me.
I’m sad you aren’t here for Thanksgiving.
I love you.
How are you?
I’m okay. I have to go now.
You don’t sound okay. I love you too.
Bye.

That conversation left me feeling concerned about him, happy I got to hear from him, and basically just confused about how I should feel. My grandfather said that Asa isn’t supposed to be happy right now, and I know that, but I at least thought he might be happy when he got to talk to me. Instead he sounded distraught. It was hard to hear Asa sound that way. I am relieved that I can send him letters now and hopefully that will brighten his day a little bit to be able to hear from all the people who love him.

It’s so exhausting having this cloud looming over you all the time, but I honestly don’t know what to do about it. When I am smiling and laughing I feel guilty for feeling that way when I know Asa is probably not. But at the same time I know he doesn’t want me moping around feeling sorry for him. I hate to admit this, but before we were in this situation I never understood why people acted like it was such a big deal to be away from your husband for a little while. But it is a big deal, no matter if your husband is gone for a year of a few weeks. It is hard on a daily basis to not know what is happening and not know how you feel about it.

I hope it gets easier.

The nicest park Marley has ever been to

We are in Austin for Thanksgiving and on Wednesday we took Marley to the park in my Mimi's neighborhood. It was such a great park, and /i heop we can back tomorrow and feed the ducks in the pond!

Getting to Austin for Thanksgiving

On Tuesday we made the long trek to Austin after my mom got off of work. We planned it for right when Marley needed to take a nap, and that plan worked out great! Marley was asleep before we even got past the loop on the way out of Nacogdoches. Mimi was not long behind her. Marley slept for about an hour and a half, and woke up right in time for us to stop in Centerville.

Emily was very excited because that meant she got to buy some jerky and her favorite candy!

After Emily got some gas in the car, it was time to go shopping!

She really wanted us to get her some beef and turkey jerky, so we did.

She also wanted some chocolate covered almonds, so we got those.

She tried to talk us into one of these lollipops, but she couldn't convince us.

She picked out many many things on this aisle, but we only let her get a few.

After we had spent way more money than people should spend at a gas station, we were back on the road with 3 more hours of driving. Surprisinly, we did not have to stop again and Marley was a great sport until the end. I literally think she ate for the entire rest of the drive: cheese, turkey jerky, wheat thins, vanilla wafers, and yogurt covered pretzels. Towards the very end when her Mimi ran out of things to entertain her with, she had to resort to Emily's favorite candy. She only got a few little bity pieces, but she loved them. Before it was even in her mouth, she was doing the "more" sign for the next piece.

We got to Mimi and Pawpaw Gene's house just in time for dinner and then all crashed as soon as we could. I really hope she does as well on the way home. Maybe she will be so tired from seeing everyone that she will just pass out on the way home. That would be perfect!

Asa's Address

Asa called my this morning! We got to talk for a total of 1 minute, and I was sopping wet since I jumped out of the shower to answer it. But he did give me his address, so if anyone wants to send him mail here it is:

Pvt. Vermeulen, Asa
3rd Plt Saints
A Co., 35th Engineer Battalion
Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473

I really hope that it is right, but I have no clue. He sounded a little down, so please send him happy uplifting things! No bad news! You also need to send it in a white envelope with no other wording or drawing on the outside except for the return address. Supposedly they get a hard time about that and that is probably the last things he needs right now.

If I have it wrong, I will let you guys know!

Please send him something to brighten his days!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder... not that it wasn't fond before, but now it's even fonder!

It has been three full days since I have heard from Asa. I know that as far as Army wife loneliness goes, three days is nothing. But it's a start. We have gone this long without seeing each other, but we could always talk to each other. It is just so different now, so many things to adjust to: bringing in the groceries by myself, Marley and I eating lunch alone, and when I want to do something I can just do it. And I all the sudden have all this free time that I am currently using up by scrap-booking.

I just wish I knew how he was doing. They have things online that tell me what he is doing, but I want to know how he is feeling about everything. I'm sure he isn't overjoyed at what is happening right now, but is optimistic? Angry? Sad? I just wish I knew and could help. But I guess that isn't what the Army wants, right? I can't imagine they want him calling me telling me that they are being mean to him and me telling him how to fix it. They probably want to handle that themselves.

I miss him though. I really didn't think it would be as hard as it is, and I am so thankful it is only for four weeks this time. After Christmas will be even harder than this. Marley really misses him also. We have been watching a few videos everyday that we recorded of Asa before he left.. and she loves them, smiles at him, and kisses the screen. And every night before we go to bed, she kisses and says goodnight to Asa is the family picture we have hanging in our room. It breaks my hear that she has to say goodnight to him that way, but it means so much to me at the same time.

We also have a video of Asa that he sent us from the airport in Dallas. Marley and I were bored so we were texting him pictures and videos of what we were doing. I asked Asa to send us a video of him, but he said he couldn't because he was surrounded by people. I told him to go to the bathroom, but I guess he didn't like that idea either. So, he sent us this.


Awesome video, huh? Haha, it does the trick with Marley. She lights up when she sees him on the screen.

Tomorrow is Sunday, so maybe I will hear from him. But if not, I really don't expect to hear from him until the next Sunday. Maybe they will let them call on Thanksgiving? Who knows, but I sure hope it's sooner rather than later. I am still excited about our decision, though. I think it was the right one for our family and I am so proud of my Army man!

Growing Up

So, for the last 9 months, finding something Marley will eat has been a hassle. At first she liked bananas. Then she grew out of that and only ate Cheerios. For the past 3 months or so, it has been cheese and bread. No matter how hard I try to get her to eat something healthier, she would not do it. I kept think, maybe I am nursing her too much. But if I tried to not nurse her and give her food, she just cried and made it an even more miserable experience. But, about a week ago, she just decided to start eating. I didn't change anything with nursing, she just wanted food. She ate half a bowl of chicken-pot-pie, an entire Mandarin orange, half a banana, five strawberries, grapes, bacon, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It just makes me feel so much better to know that it wasn't anything I was doing wrong, she just wasn't ready yet!


For the past 15 and a half months, Marley has been nursed to sleep. Like I have to wait until she falls asleep and then I can sneak away. I have been trying to figure out how to fix that, fearing that she would never be able to fall asleep on her own. I bought a book called The No Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers, but was doubting it would work and dreading what I would have to do to teach her to sleep by herself. But, like she was reading my mind, she went to sleep without me last night. I nursed her until she was relaxed, but then she rolled around in bed for another ten minutes. When she got tired, she just plopped her head down on a pillow and held her bear until she fell asleep. It must have been a fluke, right? That's what I thought, but she did it again tonight! I don't know if it's the bear or just the fact that she is growing up, but she can go to sleep! You don't know how excited this makes me, just the fact that she can do it! It just makes me feel so good to know that I haven't screwed everything up like I was thinking I had. She is very attached to me, but it just proves that she is going to grow out of it. She just wasn't ready to be as independent as everyone thought she should be. But I am so proud of her, even if my little baby is growing up.

Goodbye

Yesterday, Asa left for boot camp. We had been trying to spend as much time as possible together and with our families, but I had a presentation to give that morning at school. As soon as my class was over, Asa picked me up and we spent the morning together making sure he had everything ready. We went out to lunch with most of the family at Peking and Asa said goodbye to his dad and Mary and his sister Noah-Beth there since they all had to go to work.

After that, Asa's mom and sister Emily came back to our house to hang out with us before he left. One of the things we needed to do was take our Christmas card picture! So, Donna and my sister Emily helped us get that done. Donna was literally jumping up and down behind the camera trying to get Marley to smile, but she wasn't in a fantastic mood. I think we got a few we can use. We even convinced Asa to wear a Santa hat in some of them!!
We spent some more family time playing Yahtzee and talking to people who called. Asa's stepbrother Brett, who is in the Army, called and wished him luck and gave him a little pep talk. And Asa had friends texting him all afternoon with good luck messages also.
But, the time quickly came. He said goodbye to his sister Emily, my sister Emily, and then finally his mom. I was so sad when it was finally time to leave the house. It was stressful having to make sure he had everything for the next month and that I had everything for the trip to Shreveport to see him off.

He didn't want me to come inside the office with him because he didn't know how long it would take. So, I just dropped him off and then headed to pick up my mom and get on the road to Shreveport.

Marley was less that happy to be on the road, but my mom entertained her with a Cheerio throwing contest and waving at the trucks that passed by. We were actually ahead of Asa and his recruiter, since he had to sit around the office for a while so they could get his paperwork together.

We arrived at the hotel where Asa was staying at the same time they did, so we waited in the lobby to find out what was happening. We went up there not knowing if he could leave the hotel or when he had to be back in his room. Thankfully, he found out he was allowed to leave and he didn't have to be back until 10:30. So, we asked the front desk where we should go and she directed us to the Boardwalk.
It was so cold, but we still loved walking around outside. The Boardwalk was beautiful and my mom and I are definitely coming back to go Christmas shopping.
We decided to have dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. Asa asked for a table away from everyone else so we didn't have to make Marley sit in her seat the whole time. We ordered a huge bowl of crab and shrimp and enjoyed sitting around together smashing on crab legs.
On the way to dinner we had seen a Build a Bear store. We all decided at dinner that we should go there and make Marley a bear from Asa, dressed in the Army uniforms they sell. It was so neat! You get to pick out a bear, decide how much stuffing you want, what clothes you want. We even got it a heartbeat that bumps very lightly when you press it.
She really loved the bear before it got dressed, but she wasn't such a fan of the outfit.
It turns out she really likes him now. Once she woke up this morning, she hasn't wanted to stop playing with him. We took a few family pictures in front of the river and then we really needed to get out of the cold.
We got in the car with the intention of finding a coffee shop to waste the rest of our time in, but Marley was asleep within five minutes of getting in the car. We decided it was probably best to drop Asa back off and say goodbye now instead of waking Marley back up to do something else.

So, for weeks I have been talking about how I probably wasn't going to cry when we left Asa. But I did cry. Just a little at first and then really hard once it was really time to say goodbye. Watching him kiss Marley on the forehead broke my heart for some reason. I was sad she wasn't awake to tell him goodbye and kiss him. I know we will only be apart for four and half weeks, but when I think about how much Marley will learn in the time, it breaks my heart. He is giving up so much for us and for our happiness and I just couldn't thank him enough. We will all miss him terribly, even if it is only four weeks.

Happy Birthday to Me

I am officially 22! Sometimes I feel like I am every day of that and sometimes I can't believe it. We started the day camping, so we woke up under the trees with a campfire waiting outside. I had forgotten how much I miss camping, since I haven't done it since I got pregnant with Marley. I drank a cup of delicious hot chocolate and then everyone helped make a big breakfast. I don't really know why, but camp breakfasts are always so much better than breakfast at home. We reluctantly packed everything up and headed back to Nacogdoches.

We went to Asa's last Sunday lunch at his dad's and ate with everyone. Marley loved eating the icing from the cake we had the night before.
We spent the afternoon hanging out at the house while my mom made me chicken pot pie. She originally told me she didn't want to do it Sunday because she didn't think she would have time. But, she impressed me and got it all done! We had my favorite meal, followed by my favorite dessert, strawberry pie. And MArley even helped me blow out the candles!We talked at dinner about how much of a home-body I am. This was a perfect birthday far me because it involved family, food, and relaxing around the house. I will never be the girl that invites everyone to the bar with her for her birthday. I am so glad I got to spend it with my family!

Marley's First Camping Trip

Asa and I used to go camping all the time. We made it our vow when we started that we would go once a month, even if it was just out to Ratcliff. But when I got pregnant, camping fell through the cracks and I hadn't done it since. Asa had been talking for years about how he wants to camping as a family, just like both of our families did. He has been a few times with his friends, but it was really important to both of us to introduce Marley to it also. We decided that the weekend before he left for boot camp, we would do just that. It turns out we picked the perfect weekend, with the perfect weather. And we got to have our first family camping experience!Marley helped Asa his mom set up her tent.
She loved having Kima there! The entire time, she was pointing her her, wanting to hug her, and giving her treats. They really will be best friends once we live all together again.
We got the lights set up and the tents set up and then we waited for everyone else to come. Eventually Asa's sister Noah-Beth came, as well as my mom and Joel.
Asa made us chili over the fire in his dutch oven, which was that much more delicious since we were camping!
That night, most everyone was pretty tired. So we sat around the fire until we all passed out and went to sleep. We actually slept pretty well, except for the fact that our air mattress was majorly deflated. We are definitely investing a bigger air mattress before we go camping again! The next morning, Marley slept in later than all the rest of us. The nature sounds and crackling fire probably provided the perfect white noise for her to sleep through. She was so adorable laying there, that we all had to take turns looking at her and taking pictures of her.
Bill and Mary came out to Ratcliff in time for breakfast and spent the day with us. After breakfast, my mom and Joel left to go to Emily's swim meet in Lufkin. The rest of us decided to take a hike on one of the trails that Asa and his dad had mapped out. Marley hung out in the backpack until we were almost done. Noah-Beth carried her, then Mary, and then me. She loves that thing, but she was done way before we were. Of course, that wasn't really on purpose. We got lost a few times, a couple of people fell, and we had an argument along the way.
Asa and I had to slow down because of Marley. I took this once she got sick of being on my back. This pictures just makes me smile.
We did eventually make it back safely. We all had a big lunch and then everyone else played cards while Marley and I took a nap.
Emily joined us that evening after her swim meet was over and she got her things packed. That night we had a delicious taco dinner and s'mores for dessert! That was Marley's first time having s'mores and she loved them!
The next day was my birthday, so we had a little birthday party for me that night. My mom and Asa had tried to surprise me by bringing a cake, but I accidently saw it before they brought it out. I seriously thought they were about to forget about it, so I gently reminded them once everyone started talking about going to bed!
The next morning was my birthday!
So, Asa made breakfast for all of us, which was absolutely fabulous! Why is breakfast always so much better when you're camping?!
Once we got our cars packed, we headed toward the entrance to take some family pictures by the lake.
We actually got a lot of good ones, considering the fact that none of us had had a great shower in a couple of days. While we were taking pictures, Asa had tied Kima up to a nearby pole. Well, she's stronger than he though because next thing we know, Kima is swimming toward us in the water.
That didn't really put Asa is a very good mood for the trip home, but I know he had a great time camping with all of us. It was a great last weekend in town, and definitely something her has been wanting to do with Marley for a long time! And hopefully there are many more camping trips to come!