Week 4 - Day 2

3 days... oh my goodness I have so much to do before my soldier comes home.  Messy corners to clean up, a gingerbread house to finish, groceries to buy, presents to finish wrapping, etc...

Oddly, today has been such a slow day at work, I'm sitting here just listing all of the stuff I need/want to do also looking at the radar hoping there is no impending weather which will prevent me from running any errands.

The major achievement of today was finishing my gingerbread house.  Turns out the mortar (icing) consistency is very important.  I was a little worried it wouldn't turn out right because I didn't have enough confectionery sugar, but I altered the egg white proportions and I think that helped.  I ended up having plenty.  And the house stands!!  It looks a little messy, but the house looks like it had a heavy snowfall.

The next step is to decorate the CRAP out of it with candy, woohoo!  That will most certainly be the fun part.

1) Get a Christmas Tree
2) Decorate mantel shelf
3) Go see the Nutcracker Ballet
4) Attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony
5) See the Macy's Center Light Show and the Comcast Holiday Spectacular
6) Visit the Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum
7) See A Christmas Carol at Walnut Street Theater (I bought tickets for us 12/21, shh don't tell him it's a surprise!!)
8) Make a Christmas ornament wreath 
9) Sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate
10) Sing Christmas Carols - Singing in a holiday concert (with my husband) on 12/22
11) Volunteer and donate
12) Finish my Christmas shopping/wrapping before husband gets home
13) Bake Christmas cookies
14) Go ice-skating
15) Make a gingerbread house

1)      Work out, work out!!

Now that my health is more under control, more or less, I am going to start this up again.

2)      Write to Adam every day

3)      Learn one new aria

Nope.

4)      Audition for local community theater

I have two auditions scheduled for after New Years.  Even though the shows are not my top choices.  At least they are musicals.

5)      Lose 8 lbs.

Surprisingly, halfway there, 4 lbs down!

6)      Finish decorating the apartment

7)      Reorganize

I have done a lot of reorganizing, but I was recently informed that my husband will be using his super army techniques to reorganize my sock drawers.  Awesome.

8)      Finish sorting thru wedding stuff

9)      Complete Christmas Bucket List

Almost done!

10)   Finish EMS Continuing Credits

2 credit left!!!

11)    Finish designing this blog

Nope.

Week 3 - Day 5

7 days until my husband comes home, well, technically it's more like 6.5 since he's coming home in the morning, but still.  It's so soon!!

Welp, so far this day hasn't improved.  As of this morning the gingerbread making class that was supposed to take place tomorrow is cancelled "due to inclement weather" aka 1 BLOODY INCH OF SNOW!  I'm so ticked off!  Oh but it's rescheduled for next weekend, which I can't do.  Uggggghhhh.  Which means I'm going to have to bake my own damn gingerbread house.  Time to raid the candy store for roof shingles.

Today was our department office holiday party, for which I baked delicious cupcakes.  There was a ton of food, my goodness!  I squirreled away one of my own cupcakes so I could taste my handiwork.  I'm happy to report that I am a cupcake master!  I have to say, I think the secret to amazing baking creations is patience, monitoring the cooking time, and knowing your oven.  And the key to amazing frosting?  A KitchenAid standing mixer.  I'm so thankful I got one for our wedding, it's my new favorite thing.

Office party food

The best cupcakes

Tonight I am going to see my Mom play with her band (concert band not rock band) for a Christmas concert.  My Mom, for those of you who don't know, plays the flute.  She's very talented, both my parents play/ed multiple musical instruments.  No surprise I turned out musical myself.  I miss my time playing in a concert band and a jazz band.  I used to play the trumpet in high school and college and I was pretty decent at it.  Once in awhile I'll pull my horn out and honk a few notes out.  All the calluses in my mouth are gone though so it's pretty shaky.

I think playing a brass instrument messes with the voice too, because of all the tension and movement needed with the tongue.  Once I stopped playing, my voice improvement significantly.  Could also be because I had more time to devote...

1) Get a Christmas Tree
2) Decorate mantel shelf
3) Go see the Nutcracker Ballet
4) Attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony
5) See the Macy's Center Light Show and the Comcast Holiday Spectacular
6) Visit the Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum
7) See A Christmas Carol at Walnut Street Theater (I bought tickets for us 12/21, shh don't tell him it's a surprise!!)
8) Make a Christmas ornament wreath 
9) Sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate
10) Sing Christmas Carols - Singing in a holiday concert (with my husband) on 12/22
11) Volunteer and donate - donated a toy for tot - volunteering 12/16 with MANNA
12) Finish my Christmas shopping/wrapping before husband gets home
13) Bake Christmas cookies - this weekend!
14) Go ice-skating (including getting my ice skates sharpened)
15) Make a gingerbread house - TBD.... curse you snow!!!!

Week 3 - Day 1

The good thing about not writing blog posts over the weekend is that I was too busy having fun to have time!  I had the best weekend I've had in a long time and it was full of holiday activities and checking things off of the old Christmas Bucket list and my actual list of non-holiday things to accomplish.

The one great thing about being a child (or rather adult-child) of divorce) is double the fun with your parents.  I spent Saturday with my Dad and his girlfriend and Sunday with my Mom, sort of a girl's day out.  The last time I was local during the holiday season was the Christmas before I leave for college, I was 17.  Also before my parents split up.  After that I moved far away for college, I didn't usually come home until after finals which was 3/4 of the way through December usually.  Then after college I was in NYC which still isn't super close.  Being nearby my family has allowed me to enjoy the mundane holiday traditions that I haven't enjoyed for awhile.  Even enjoying these things solo has its own advantage to it.

I had asked my Dad if he would help me with getting my Christmas tree.  I'm more than comfortable dragging a mini Christmas tree down the street on foot, believe me I've done it, but this is the first year I could fit a substantial sized tree and I was worried I might not be able to handle it on my own.  He volunteered and we trekked out in the cold to pick a tree.  I ended up with a beautiful Fraser fir.

Lucky I had help from my Dad, it was tricky to get the thing on to my dinky little tree stand.  With a little engineering, we got it up and it looks GOOD!  I can't get over how huge it is, I love it!  After we got the tree, we drove over to the Morris Arboretum to see the holiday trains.  It was so neat!

It reminded me a little bit of when we used to have trains set up around our Christmas tree when we were kids.  My Dad would set them up and my brother loved them a lot.  It makes me want to carry that tradition on with my kids, I don't know what it is about trains and the holidays but they are festive.  We stayed there for about an hour and then went home for dinner.  So that was Saturday, oh, and when I got home, I put lights on our beautiful tree!

Then yesterday, it was a girls day with my Mom.  I walked in the glorious snow to the train station, thank goodness, the roads were bad!  It was so serene outside.  Completely peaceful.  I met Mom at the station and we went to the Comcast Holiday show.

It was super cute.  Full of music and snowmen and a Nutcracker preview.  It was funny because it "snowed" inside and it was snowing outside as well.  Very Christmasy.  Christmasy, the word of the week!  After the show was walked around in the show until we arrived at the tea house.  Few things in life are sweeter than afternoon tea... we could have used more sandwiches though...

Then we moseyed over to see The Nutcracker.  It was so wonderful.  We went last year and it really gets you in the holiday season.

I came home late but we still in the mood to listen to more Christmas music and start decorating the tree:

Can't wait until my husband sees!!!

1)      Work out, work out!!

Due to recent health issues, this one is definitely one hold until I go to the doctor

2)      Write to Adam every day

I am definitely accomplishing this and now he can finally start getting my letters!

3)      Learn one new aria

Nope.

4)      Audition for local community theater

This one may have to wait until after the holidays, I just haven't found a show I'm interested in yet.

5)      Lose 8 lbs.

Surprisingly, halfway there, 4 lbs down!

6)      Finish decorating the apartment

7)      Reorganize

I have done a lot of reorganizing, but I was recently informed that my husband will be using his super army techniques to reorganize my sock drawers.  Awesome.

8)      Finish sorting thru wedding stuff

9)      Complete Christmas Bucket List

See below.

10)   Finish EMS Continuing Credits

I gotta get moving on this one, I have until the end of this year to complete 24 credits, 19.5 down....

11)    Finish designing this blog

Nope.

1) Get a Christmas Tree
2) Decorate mantel shelf
3) Go see the Nutcracker Ballet
4) Attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony
5) See the Macy's Center Light Show and the Comcast Holiday Spectacular
6) Visit the Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum
7) See A Christmas Carol at Walnut Street Theater (I bought tickets for us 12/21, shh don't tell him it's a surprise!!)
8) Make a Christmas ornament wreath 
9) Sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate
10) Sing Christmas Carols - Singing in a holiday concert (with my husband) on 12/22
11) Volunteer and donate - donated a toy for tot
12) Finish my Christmas shopping/wrapping before husband gets home
13) Bake Christmas cookies - this weekend!
14) Go ice-skating (including getting my ice skates sharpened)
15) Make a gingerbread house - 12/14 :-)

Week 1 - Day 7

Hard to believe two weeks ago I was getting ready to say goodbye to my husband and start a stint of "single life." (Single life without dating that is of course!)  I won't say it's gone fast in it's entirety but it hasn't been completely miserable.  I have been enjoying my family and friends and a little bit of time to get to know myself again.

In Army news, no mail or contact from the solider man since Thanksgiving.  I am supposed to be getting a few letters soon as well as a letter from the army telling me where to send my 100,000 letters that I've been writing.

The Friday after Thanksgiving I attended my annual tree lighting ceremony in Btown with my Dad.  We have started this new tradition where, the day after Thanksgiving, we decorate his apartment Christmas tree and go to the tree lighting.  It's pretty fun, it's a great way to kick off the season.

We also walked around the town and went in to a few shops, looked at some holiday ornaments, and in general enjoyed the merriment of the impending season.

I can't believe it's December already, unfortunately I'm experiencing my first bought of married person missing items.  I can't find my advent calendar and I know that Adam knows where it is.  I was hoping to find it before the work week started but alas.  I did spend the weekend decorating and cleaning though.  I don't have my tree yet, that's coming next weekend, as in this coming weekend, but I think the place looks great!

My mantle!

I added these ribbons to my cabinet for impending Christmas cards

 I also made my first ever ornament wreath this year.  Total DIY arts n' crafts project which I had a blast doing.  Luckily, I have the best dad ever who gave me leftover Christmas ball ornaments that he doesn't use so I had a great place to start.  Using this tutorial from LiveLoveDIY I ended up with....

Before balls...

Tiny balls...

After LOTS of hot glue...

Woo-hoo, it's a wreath!

I think it looks pretty spectacular myself.  My Mom helped add a wire to the back to hang it (I didn't use the wreath holder from the tutorial).  

Oh also this weekend I started stuffing my holiday cards and finished up a few remaining wedding thank you notes.  I think I'm finally done with most of my post wedding stuff, minus the whole name changing thing.  Unfortunately, I can't finish that until my husband sends my documents back.  *Sigh*

All in all, I think I'm doing pretty well here!

1) Get a Christmas Tree - going 12/7
2) Decorate mantel shelf
3) Go see the Nutcracker Ballet - going 12/8
4) Attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony
5) See the Macy's Center Light Show and the Comcast Holiday Spectacular
6) Visit the Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum - planning this with my Dad
7) See A Christmas Carol at Walnut Street Theater (I bought tickets for Adam and I 12/21, shh don't tell him it's a surprise!!)
8) Make a Christmas ornament wreath 
9) Sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate
10) Sing Christmas Carols - Singing in a holiday concert (with my husband) on 12/22
11) Volunteer and donate
12) Finish my Christmas shopping/wrapping before Adam gets home
13) Bake Christmas cookies - in two weeks!
14) Go ice-skating. (including getting my ice skates sharpened)
15) Make a gingerbread house - 12/14 :-)

Week 0 - Day 5

Some updates from my soldier!  Of course, I MISSED his call yesterday!!!  Major, major sad face.  I must have read every existing army wife/spouse/girlfriend blog on the planet and all of them warned me to keep my phone on me, on the loud ringer, at all times, in case you get a phone call.  The 90 minutes I was in getting a much needed massage, he called me right at the tail end, so in theory, if I had heard my phone, I definitely would have answered, despite the lavender, drugged state I was in.

Sidebar, if any of you are looking for a good Christmas present for me, I would love a lavender scented microwavable heating pad.  I had one over my shoulders while waiting for my massage yesterday and it was heavenly.  I highly recommend it.

So I missed the phone call, but I got an extra long text with some new details.  He says that I should book his Christmas vacation transportation soon (which I sort of already knew and was told to wait by him and now airfare is all jacked up, but whatever) as well as a "bus" from the Fort to the airport.  Not sure how that's going to happen, although I'm tempted to get him a limo... anyone want to go in with me to get him a limo?

He gave me the details of his pay, and told me that because he is a higher rank than most of his peers (he's E4), he's getting more responsibility and respect.  I'm so happy he is getting leadership experience and thriving with it.  Those of you who know my husband know that he tends to be more of a follower than a leader, however, he has the ability to command attention and command a room so his potential to lead is very great.  With being a leader comes the fear of failing and making mistakes which is a big one for him so I am so thrilled that this experience will give him some positive growing points and help him conquer some of those fears.

I was also told that he would have more time to talk since he started official basic training TODAY!  So yay for more phone calls.

On the home front, my house is getting messy.  I always appreciated how he would be home to help with general apartment upkeep, but I'm really appreciating it now.  The downside of trying to have a life (which I feel like I've been doing well so far) is I'm never home.  As it is, my weekend is almost completely booked up.

Here's how I am doing with my lists:

1)      Work out, work out!!
So far I am really sucking at this.  There is a yoga class today at 12 pm.  I will make an effort to do this today.

2)      Write to Adam every day
Four letters down... waiting for an address to send them all, I will let those of you know if you want to send him something.

3)      Learn one new aria

0% complete

4)      Audition for local community theater
There are auditions coming up in Chesnut Hill for some straight theater also I submitted for two local auditions via e-mail.

5)      Lose 8 lbs.

I'm going with too early to tell.

6)      Finish decorating the apartment
Yesterday, a wedding photo I had blown up was delivered so I'm on my way...

7)      Reorganize
 Nope

8)      Finish sorting thru wedding stuff
Nope

9)      Complete Christmas Bucket List
 No updates

10)   Finish EMS Continuing Credits
Completed another credit course yesterday.  4.5 down 19.5 to go...

11)    Finish designing this blog

 Nope.

Week 0 - Day 4

I did not get a phone call from my soldier yesterday, poor guy had a headache, but I did get a lovely text and this gem of a picture:

That's my husband.  He looks so severe to me, and I also got some pictures of his newly shaved head.  Ick, not my favorite.  He looks good in his fatigues though.  So proud.

I'm feeling kind of melancholy today.  I think maybe because this is our 2-month wedding anniversary.  Luckily, I don't have a lot on my agenda accept a much needed massage tonight.  Going to have to force myself to cook some kind of meal.  I should probably add "don't get take-out" all the time to my list of goals, but I'm trying to be moderately realistic here.

After yesterday's post I got two more great Christmas bucket list ideas which I am now going to add to the list:

13) Bake Christmas cookies
14) Go ice-skating. (including getting my ice skates sharpened)
15) Make a gingerbread house (more to come on this soon!)

I have some great things planned for the weekend so I'm excited about that.  I have also been very diligent in writing a letter every night.  I'm trying to keep Adam up on some of the shows we watch but certain shows are a little complicated to put on paper.  Maybe I should just print up a synopsis from somewhere on the Internet... cheating?

I also need to start writing my Christmas list to Santa.... I swear this gets harder every year.  As a kid, it was the easiest list to write in the world, heck, I could start it in July.  The only thing worse is trying to get my husband to give me a Christmas list.  I'm hoping to get a letter soon with some ideas!

Week 0 - Day 3

The time after Halloween and before Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year.  I love the crisp feel of the air as fall takes over for summer, the beautiful leaves changing colors, and the smell of winter with a hint of smokey bonfires and frosty dirt.  Where I now live, on my walk back from the train, I get the most beautiful views of foliage that I never got living in New York City.  You never really got that country fall smell either.  Somehow, Fall in NYC is still amazing, just different.

Here in the 'burbs I feel just like a kid again with the feels and smells I grew up with all around me.  This time of year is wonderful also because of the anticipation building up to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Not to say that I approve of all the over zealous Christmas marketing in NOVEMBER, but there's a certain something in the air that you don't get the rest of the year.  Christmas and Thanksgiving seem to make the coming of Winter more bearable, cozy not cold.

This time of year is tricky with the emphasis of family and holiday spirit, it's a tough time to be alone, for anyone.  Luckily, I am no where near completely alone and I have the wonderful support and kindness of my family, my in-law family, and friends to keep me company.  There's something about an empty house during this time of year that is especially depressing.  Of course Ebeneezer Scrooge hated Christmas, it's hard when you're all alone.  Therefore, I plan to keep my spirits up, and enjoy as much wonderful holiday stuff as I can.  Even if it's not 100% with my husband.

I was lucky enough to get a phone call from my husband yesterday when I was out to dinner and he sounds a little nervous but he said he was feeling much more confident today.  He's adjusting to the new order and the way that all of the soldiers are responsible for each other.  He had his physicals, dental and eye also, apparently he's more blind in his right eye, haha.  He also got his uniform clothing, shirts, boots, etc.  He's waking up and 4:30 am and working on drill formations.  He hasn't gotten his official unit information yet, probably next week.

So here is my Christmas bucket list that I hope to accomplish:

1) Get a Christmas Tree
2) Decorate mantel shelf
3) Go see the Nutcracker Ballet
4) Attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony
5) See the Macy's Center Light Show and the Comcast Holiday Spectacular
6) Visit the Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum
7) See A Christmas Carol at Walnut Street Theater (I bought tickets for us 12/21, shh don't tell him it's a surprise!!)
8) Make a Christmas ornament wreath
9) Sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate
10) Sing Christmas Carols
11) Volunteer and donate
12) Finish my Christmas shopping/wrapping before Adam gets home

 I will probably add to this list as things get checked off (hopefully), but what is on your Christmas Bucket list this year?  Is there anything important I'm missing?

Week 0 - Day 2

Today is the second day since my husband of almost 2 months shipped out for basic training with the US Army.  My husband is in his mid-thirties, an amazing singer, and is doing this so he can sing for a living with the army chorus.  It's a fantastic opportunity, marred only by a period of absence during our newlywed period.

I really wanted to not only document the experience, to have something for him to read in addition to the letters I sent him, but also as a way to hold myself accountable to continuing to live my life and have my own basic training.  I'm not going to just sit here and wait for him, he wouldn't want that.  I'm going to set some goals, have some adventures, so he will be coming back to an even stronger wife.

My husband will be gone for 5 weeks, have a 2 week break for the holidays, and be off again for another 5 weeks.

So far I have set for myself these goals for phase 1 of his basic training:

1)      Work out, work out!!

2)      Write to Adam every day

3)      Learn one new aria

4)      Audition for local community theater

5)      Lose 8 lbs.

6)      Finish decorating the apartment

7)      Reorganize

8)      Finish sorting thru wedding stuff

9)      Complete Christmas Bucket List

10)   Finish EMS Continuing Credits

11)    Finish designing this blog

As you can see, this blog is pretty rough right now.  I'm working on it, I'm trying to come up with a cool design.  So far this is what I've got, what do you think?

©2013 The Barmy Wife

Yes, that's clipart and WordArt.  Yes it's VERY rough right now, but I like the general gist.  Me as the crazy, bouquet throwing bride, but I think I should have more stuff in the air, because we wives tend to have more than a bouquet flying around in the air.

I'm counting on you, Internet, for your company, advice, support, and keeping me honest as I start this new journey along side my incredible husband!

Goals Achieved Today:

Wrote 2 letters to Adam

Walked 1 mile today