Greetings from Fort Campbell!
Ah, I am finally home.
Teddy and I have been enjoying some quiet time the last few days as we’ve been getting settled in our new permanent home. Poor guy has been back and forth between here and my parent’s house since April 2nd, and though he misses his “grandma” and her dog Lucy terribly, I think he’s enjoying some lazy summer days just as much as I am!
How Ted spent the whole drive up to Campbell. Rough life, bud.
First things first: An update on my hub –
We are nearing 20% of this deployment completed, and that definitely feels like a solid chunk of time! The days have seemed to drag at times, but the weeks keep on flying by. Jamie’s been in good spirits the last few days. Every day that he doesn’t get “in trouble” and Kandahar stays relatively quiet we consider a WIN. There have been a few “win” days in a row lately, so that makes him a happy(ier) soldier and me a happy(ier) Army wife.
Communication got a little better last week when I received a text from a weird number at 3 a.m. saying that he had gotten an Afghani cell phone so that we could TEXT! I immediately upgraded my phone plan to include sending international texts, and now we are able to text back and forth several times a day. I swear, each text is like Christmas morning. It’s wonderful.
The worst moment thus far came two days before my sister’s wedding (in the middle of running around like a chicken with my head cut off) when Jamie called around 3 p.m. and our phone conversation went something like this:
E: “Hey baby!”
J: Erica… (sounding really down and sort of out of breath)… I just want you to know I’m okay…
E: What? What do you mean you’re okay? What happened?!
J: (Still sounding completely out of it)… I’m just calling to say I’m okay. That’s all I can tell you.
E: Jamie, tell me something! Did you see something happen? Is everybody else okay?
J: Babe… I’m just calling because we were told to call our families and tell them we’re okay. I’ll try and call in the next few days and fill you in. You’ll see stuff on the news soon. Just know I’m okay. I have to go. I love you.
E: Okay (feeling like CRAP). Love you too. Glad you’re okay.
Sudden click. Talk about your heart in your throat. Of course my mind starts racing. What did he see? Was he almost not okay? What did he experience today? *cue tears* Granted, I was very overtired with balancing the 8th grade graduation, my sister’s bachelorette party in a few hours, and her wedding in two days, but it was very difficult to hear Jamie in that kind of state and be absolutely helpless.
His unit lost six guys from Fort Campbell that day. The details (I’m positive he can’t tell me all of them) are tragic and heartwrenching, and one of the guys who was killed had become a very good friend and mentor to Jamie since he’d been in Afghanistan. How awesome though that his friend, John Runkle, went from helping a wounded brother-in-arms to immediately walking into the arms of Christ? Incredible, no?
Switching gears to some less-serious subjects, 🙂 here’s a very brief summery of what I’ve been up to the last few weeks:
Mother’s Day brought the absolute most deserving mom in the world a brand spankin’ new iPad! All three “kids” plus her two new sons all helped to contribute. She had been using old, refurbished laptops for years now because every penny in our household has been going towards college tuition and two big weddings. Now that two college degrees are in hand and two weddings are done, we figured that what better year than now to get her something she’d really, really enjoy and NEVER buy for herself. We love you so much, Superwoman!!
She was a little shocked, to say the least!
Mid-May brought a quick trip to Clarksville with one of my best friends, Emily, so that I could grab my mail and mow the grass. One of the best qualities Em has is that she is so “go with the flow” and up for anything. When I called and asked if she wanted to tag along and keep me company for my 2.5 hour trip up to Clarksville, she didn’t even have to think about it!
We enjoyed eating/drinking downtown…
sleeping in and watching Lifetime movies…
and giggling over my inability to start the lawn mower until my 10th time trying. Love you, Em!
The last half of May was sheer madness. Finishing up a school year is challenging for any teacher, but adding in that I was a first year teacher and had no idea what I was doing, balancing my sister’s nearing wedding, helping to plan the big 8th grade graduation and activities, and trying to move OUT of my classroom was just a WHIRLWIND.
My students gave me a huge laugh (and SCREAM) when I unlocked my door on their last day of school, flipped on the lights, and hear them SCREAM “War Eagle!!” all while noticing that my ENTIRE classroom was COVERED in Auburn paraphanalia. Auburn basically threw up in my classroom. GROSS! I had NO idea and was so surprised. They know I can’t stand Auburn, but I found it hilarious that they are comfortable enough with me to play such a huge prank on me! The decorations include Cam Newton posters, Toomer’s Corner, an Auburn cake, balloons, streamers, etc. HILARIOUS! I had such an awesome first set of students, and I already miss them like crazy!
The same day as the 8th grade graduation brought attempt #3 at Jenn’s bachelorette party/lingerie party (thank you deployment, college exit exams, and the Tuscaloosa tornado). They say third time’s the charm, and we had a blast!
Any of my best friends know that I have a hard time staying up super late (yes, I’m a grandma and a morning person!), so naturally I CRASHED around midnight. Hey, I’d had a LOT going on that day! Ashley Martin can vouch for my stress because she definitely received the “OMG I’m stressed and I just need to talk to somebody!” phone call. We’re all a little dramatic sometimes. 🙂
Jenn’s wedding weekend was gorgeous, wonderful, fun, and every other adjective that would describe a near perfect wedding. My nasal cavities decided about two hours before the rehearsal that they did not want me to breathe throughout the wedding, so that caused me a few issues, but I still had a great time. Jennifer’s 19 months of wedding planning are over! She and Josh are finally a family after six years of dating, and they are happily settled in their new home in Enterprise (Fort Rucker). Jenn’s bridesmaids were her best friends and a lot of fun, Josh’s groomsmen were hilarious, the New Yorkers were all in town, and overall it was an incredible and memorable weekend for the entire family and all who took part in the week. Thanks to all who helped make Jenn and Josh’s wedding weekend perfect.
We all got ready in my parent’s beautiful home. When they bought the house a few years ago, Dad dreamed of us girls taking wedding photos on that staircase. Too bad I ran away to the beach, but Jennifer definitely got some stunning photos!
I can’t wait to post the professionals!
Love has definitely been in the air lately… Amberlee and Brandon are ENGAGED and Mary Katherine and Andrew are MARRIED! Hooray!
I am thrilled for Amberlee and Brandon. There is no guy who is more perfect for her, and they are so happy! They are already beginning to plan a March wedding. Can’t wait!
These beautiful friends were my dates to MK and Andrew’s wedding 🙂 Lucky ME!
Former roomies, minus Mal! We miss you so much here in Alabama, Han!
Isn’t her dress gorgeous? She truly looked like a princess!
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Bartlett
Okay. I’m blogged out. I will never go that long without a post again. 🙂 Hope everybody is staying cool in these crazy temps.
xoxo-
Erica
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo