SWISS!!!

Shutthefrontdoor!!! SWISS! That is SWISS!!!! ZOMFG!!!! This is the first photo I have seen of him in 6 months. He surprised me with 10 minutes on the webcam. I don't have one yet, but I got to see him. SEE! Not just hear! Oh Lawdy I love that man! He looks so great and the webcam is awesome (now must find an old iCam or whatever for my old iMac... or, you know, buy a MacBook) and I am beyond grateful to have gotten to actually SEE him! WITH MY OWN TWO EYES! LIVE!!! Squeeeeee!!!!

When it first came up, dude I will not lie, I BAWLED. Happy bawling mind you, but bawled big fattie tears. I got to see him smile! IT WAS FABULOUS!!! Sorry if I am totally geeking out right now, but seriously, this was beyond words. I am such a happy girl right now! God Bless teh Interwebz!!! I LOVE YOU SWISS!!!

Teh Kitchen

HOORAY! I have a semi-new kitchen! The remodel is thisclose to being done... just some finishing touches and I can put her through the wringer, so to speak. Anyway, I thought I would give you a good old fashioned, HGTV inspired before and after. This was totally like a Design on a Dime episode, only with a Brother In Law, a bunch of Mountain Dew and an abundance of fart jokes. What can I say, my BIL is one classy guy.

So, without further adieu...

BEFORE: (ugh, what a mess! Sorry!)

AFTER! (oooohhhhhh! aaaaaaahhhhhhh! *golf claps*)

New sink: $185

New faucet: $114

New countertops: $178

New dishwasher: $297

Fixins: $75

TOTAL: $849 (plus $300 labor)

Aren't y'all proud of me!?!?! And doesn't it look lovely?! Sigh... I'm a happy girl and pretty sure this will go a long, long way in helping us sell this house. YAY!

PHONES!!!

Okay, this is one happy girl you are talking to (um, er, reading?). Swiss got phone service yesterday and we got to talk not once, but TWICE! And the last time for an hour! (of course it helped that it was 0300 there so everyone else with a normal sleep schedule was slumbering) Anyway, I am super happy and I feel relieved and joyful and can I just tell you how good it was to hear him laugh? le sigh.

Anyway, it is rainy and cold here, so I am staying in, painting and chilling out... and waiting for Swiss's next phone call. Squeeeeee!

You are special and make everything better.

Well, at least that is what Matthew said to me when he and his brother and Mom stopped by our house last night. Matthew belongs to my wonderful and amazing friend Val and he may be the sweetest child I have ever met. I adore him (and his brother Sam) to no end and have considered kidnapping them both.

Anyway, he invited me to brunch on Sunday with his family for strawberry pannekoeken and told me it was because I was special and make everything better when I am around. (Val tells me he came up with that all on his own) Don't you love it when a 9 year old makes you melt? So here's a big, heartfelt THANK YOU to Mr. Matthew, for making my day, making me feel special, and inviting me to brunch. You are a doll and have no idea how much that meant to me.

I would also like to extend the same big, heartfelt Thank You to all you wonderful readers who gave me great advice and super support yesterday. Things are better today, all because of y'all and a sweet 9 year old. Well done!

Happy little trees.

Today is my first oil painting class. I am just a twee bit giddy!

I have wanted to take this class (through Community Ed) for ages and it always filled up or conflicted with my schedule. But now I get to go! Even Swiss is stoked. He has a million ideas for me to paint... now I just need to know how to do it! I'm hoping it goes well and that I really like it.
So, I am going to chanel Bob Ross and am off I go to paint happy little trees, happy little streams, and happy little clouds. Wish me luck!

PS: I've been putzing around with a second blog with my paintings and photos... check it out if you like, it still needs tweeking... Tucker & Swiss Part 2: Art Supplies and ACU's.

I love you Alexander Graham Bell.

What a difference a phone call makes.

Swiss called this morning... we actually got to talk. Really talk. Not just 5 or 10 minutes of catching each other up and saying our I love you's. We got to talk about how things are going over there (and found out some disappointing information about his leadership... but that's another post), talk about our future, talk about anything & everything. It left me feeling recharged, happy, like I really can do this.

And of course I always could do this, I always have had it in me to get through this. It's just that sometimes it feels like a lot. It feels unfair, it feels frustrating, it feels lonely. It feels like we have a long way to go- and we do.

But today? Today I am good.

Just the basics.

So yesterday, Swiss and I were sitting/laying on our couch/bed/air mattress and I was looking around at our sparse digs. We only have the all-purpose air mattress, a TV, and XBox 360, and our computer... and a couple of chairs too. That's it, other than the necessary kitchen goods. Its a far cry from the cozy comforts of our well stocked and furnished home. Dare I say it's even a little worse than dorm life.

But you know what? It doesn't matter. Not one bit. Because I am so freakin' happy.

Swiss and I are blissfully, disgustingly happy... and I realized, with great clarity, that we don't need any of the superficial stuff to be happy. Just each other. (Don't get me wrong, I like the superficial stuff... I adore my sofa, my KitchenAid mixer, my tchotchkies, all of it. I like my stuff!) Its just that when you boil it all down, all we really need are the basics, everything else is just details. Swiss is what makes my life good (along with a couple of really special folks like my parents), he is what makes it full of fun, comfort, safety, joy. Being together is all that really matters. And that is pretty cool.

Happy Monday internets... I hope your week is off to a good start!

The other shoe.

Okay, how many of you saw the Sex and the City movie? Do you remember the part where Carrie confronts Charlotte (who recently found out she was pregnant) about not running anymore? And then Charlotte said something that broke my heart (and hit home BIG TIME): She was afraid to run because everything in her life was so good. She had a wonderful husband who loved her dearly, and beautiful family, and knowing that bad things happen to good people all the time, she was afraid to do anything (even the things she loved, like running) that may put her pregnancy in jeopardy. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop. (And yes, that was me, the one sobbing at that point in the movie.)

And I ask you readers: Is this normal? Waiting for the other shoe to drop? Do any of you feel like this? Because let me tell you this: I do.

Honestly, my life is SO much better than I ever thought it would be. Swiss is a truly amazing person... and I am lucky enough to call him my husband and best friend. I cannot imagine being any happier than I am right now. I have a good job, I have an incredible family, I have lovely friends. I have a home, I have my health, I have a comfortable, happy, wonderful life. It makes me acutely aware of how fragile life is, how tenuous our hold on this life can be. Which makes me wonder when the other shoe will drop. And that terrifies me.

I am sure there are some of you who will tell me to not worry about things that may not happen, not to dwell on the unknown, or worry about things I cannot change. And you are right. 100% right. But the thing is that I see so many stories about wonderful, good people who get cancer and die far, far too early, I can't ignore that soldiers are still dying in this war, and I can't get past that fact that sh*tty things happen to good, kind, incredible people all the time.

What makes me immune? What keeps Swiss safe?

What is preventing that other shoe from dropping? Faith? God? Luck? Fate? All of the above?

And then I wonder about tempting the higher power or "fate" or whatever it is... it is hard enough to get through this life unscathed. But what about sending your husband off to war? Doesn't that change the odds? Knowing that a loved one has a history of cancer? Doesn't that too change your odds? At what point are the odds stacked against you? Do we just hope and pray that we are the lucky ones? And how do you find comfort in hoping to be lucky???

Gaw, if you think about this stuff too much you will drive yourself mad. And reading too many stories of families who have lost so much will make you paranoid. I might be there. I promise: I am generally not neurotic, I am not one who loves to create drama that isn't there. But how, dear readers, do you separate yourself from these sad tales? How do you not let them hit home?

How do you not worry that some day, it might be you?

The joy of cooking.

Since I am officially not working due to a sabbatical from BigHospital I have felt it necessary to stay relatively busy. And yes, "busy" does include time on the internet, reading home decor and cooking magazines, and most certainly includes quality time with the Food Network. Ina and Alton are my friends... only they don't know me...

Anyway, the best part of not working? The time and energy to cook real, tasty, big meals. I am loving it. And that is saying something since all we have is a tiny galley kitchen. We have an awesome gas range which I am loving and I packed just enough kitchen utensils, pots & pans to keep the dishes coming. It is gooood.

Last night? Killer enchiladas. I used an Emeril recipe but boiled chicken instead of roasting a pork butt. (I said butt.) The night before? Garlic herb pork tenderloin with roasted veggies and quinoa (our new favorite grain- try it, you'll dig it). Next week, my intention is to roll on over to The Pioneer Woman and steal a bunch of recipes for dinner.

Anyway, I've never had so much fun cooking and it's been the second best part of this time off. Of course the first is getting oodles of extra time to hang out with that handsome soldier of mine. Did I mention that said handsome solider has one heck of an appetite? That helps too!

Anyway, have a splendid weekend Internets! Go eat some quinoa!

Life on Post.

HOORAY! I am finally down south with Swiss after two pseudo-Thanksgivings with the families and a real Thanksgiving at a Cracker Barrel somewhere in middle-America.

Life on post is good. Our digs are fine... lots of white walls and odd brown carpeting but they are clean and cozy and life is good with our new HDTV and air mattress bed. It's like posh camping or something. And as you can see... we FINALLY have internet. Double Hooray!

It's been a bit of a trip getting used to living on post. Something I suspect most of you are already familiar with. But it is good. The PX is swell and the Commissary is good too... so many groceries so little time! The things I haven't gotten used to yet? Max speed limits on post of 40 mph. Hundreds of people that look just like Swiss from a distance (ha!). The blaring of "Reveille" throughout the PA systems at 6:30 sharp every weekday and "Retreat" at 5pm sharp every weeknight.

But I will say that I am LOVING all the extra time with Swiss. We get a nice breakfast together after morning PT... generally get to eat lunch together and then all night just hanging out like the normal folks. It is grand.

We got word about the deployment and that is good. Not good that he has to go, but good that we now know details and can make arrangements. His new unit is interesting to say the least and I am sure, like every deployment story I've ever heard, things will change. But I digress, life is good and I'm really liking being a housewife!

Until later... Happy Holiday Season Internets!

Hostage no more!

HOORAY! I am FREE!!!

I got the approval from my most fabulous employer BigHospital to start my leave on Monday thanks to an amazing supervisor and some creative thinking. Swiss leaves (in theory) tonight to come get me(!!!). I could not be happier or more excited to get on with this chapter of our lives. I am excited to see what living on post is like... have my own firsts at the commissary and meet other MilSpouses. I am excited to be with Swiss for the longest continual stretch we have ever had. (And I will be honest, I am thrilled to escape the ever tightening grip of the bitter winter that has descended upon us here in the Midwest). So, South I go... on to new adventures and time with my incredible husband.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone- I know I will!

Army Wife I am.

Hello Internets!!!

I am back... the honeymoon was lovely and I am officially an Army Wife now. The PCS is looming (read 5 days away) and our time together is getting short. This I do not like. I am prone to bouts of tears when I think about not being able to curl up next to him at night, etc, etc. But I am trying to focus on the positive (the wedding was great... things with us are wonderful) and not dwell on the twee details the Army's plans for him.

Right now, our biggest problem is 8th grade algebra. Yes, 8th grade. I suck at math. Swiss Jr. brought home 20+ algebra problems and our attempts to help just gave us shocking proof how quickly this stuff leaves you when you don't need it for a test next week!

Anyway, I hope all is well with you all and I'm glad to be back! Take care and any algebra-related tips would be greatly appreciated! :)

It begins.

Okay- the madness that is our wedding officially begins today with the arrival of my dearest Mom and her best friend (my second Mom) Carolyn. HOORAY! So I am signing off for a few weeks. We are off to wine country for the honeymoon and I will get back to blogging when we return... likely after Swiss' PCS move in early November. Boo hiss.

I'm off to become Mrs. Swiss and I couldn't be happier! Fingers crossed for good weather and thanks for all your well wishes! Take care internets! :)

Love,

Tucker

A fortnight.

Dude. (yes, I did just say "Dude")

We get married in 2 weeks. That is bananas (maybe even Bananas Foster! Yum!). Everyone is asking me if I am nervous. Lord no! I am not nervous! I am marrying the man of my dreams. Come on people! Oh, and pending deployments tend to put things into perspective, no? Now THAT is something to be nervous about!

Anyway, it is good to have the dress greens in the closet, and the ruck sacks have now made their way into storage downstairs. It feels like home again and that is good. Things are blissfully uneventful around here (save random family drama that we are trying to dodge) and it is grand.

Now for a random thought to ponder: What is your favorite highly-processed food? Mine is Velveeta. Yes, Velveeta by a mile.

Have a stellar weekend Internets! :)

Chapter one.

So "Chapter One" of our life is coming to a close... Swiss moves from his ROTC post this Monday and we will be ending our dating/engaged life in a matter of weeks. The PCS is looming, as is the deployment. Life is changing... big time.

As I reminisce I can't get over how much has changed, with me, with Swiss, with our relationship and our lives in the last year plus.

Just over 14 months ago I has just bought my first house. I was happy, if not a little lonely... but I had my job, my friends, my hobbies... I was doing pretty good for myself. And then I met Swiss on a whim. After a few little speed-bumps we went on our first date July 24th. And I knew. I knew that was the last first date I would ever go on. I knew that he was exactly the man I described to my best friend Beth when she asked me EXACTLY what kind of guy I was looking for. I was looking for Swiss.

And here we are... with a bounty of changes on our horizon. We will be Mr. & Mrs. Swiss in just a few short weeks. We will have a whole month of being "normal" (by that I mean actually living in the same state, zip code, and home) together. We have a PCS in a matter of weeks and more than likely a trip to the Sandbox in the next few month. Both of which I am dreading... not just because it means a deployment, but because it means so much time away from Swiss. I hate time away from him. He makes me feel whole... feeling not-whole isn't much fun.

But as I look back on this past year (plus) I am always in awe of the joy, the happiness I have found, we have found. I am blown away by the changes and unexpected events that have come our way. I am proud of the challenges we have overcome. I am comforted and elated by the contentment, the respect, the friendship and the love we share.

So here is to Chapter One. You were great. You were bursting with surprises, you were stocked with fun and memories, and you were full of firsts.

You were the beginning of the rest of our lives.

She's alive!!!

Good news!

My dear little iMac is alive. She is healed up and doing great... she thanks you all for your well wishes. I get to bring her home tonight, all fresh and new.

HOORAY!

Bad news... $400 worth of repairs. Bah. And now I am phobic so I need to go get an external hard drive. Double Bah! Anyway, do any of you have recommendations? What do you do to back up your computer???

Explosion.

So Swiss is home this week. He has a one week pass to go deer hunting and hang out with his beloved. And it has been wonderful. All sorts of alone time, family time, just hanging out time, go out to dinner and run errands time, watch TV time even! I love it. What I don’t love, however, is that fact that my living room now looks like an IED that was made out of tree stands and clothes all packed into luggage went off square in the middle of my living room.

Boom. Fabric shrapnel has made a mess of my home.

It doesn’t make me mad though. It makes me giggle a bit, actually. See, I am not a neat-freak or super anal about cleaning (though I do have my bouts of both)… so I have been able to shrug it off for the most part, figuring it was only temporary. But this morning I had to trudge through the mess, in the dark, while trying not to sprain an ankle or ungracefully bite it face first into the coffee table, in high heels.

That was when I decided we might have to make tonight’s “us” time “cleaning” time. How utterly unromantic of me!

Slacking.

My Mum is in town for the week. I will try very hard not to use this as an excuse to slack off on the blog. We have lots of fun wedding stuff to get done and Swiss, being the Prince Charming that he is, is taking my mom and his out for a day of fun on Friday. Isn't he the best? Anyway, I will try to sneak some posts in this week... promise! Have a Happy Tuesday Internets!

Sleepshirts.

I have a silly habit. I will only admit it to the likes of you ladies, those of you who know what it is like to be away from your DH for more than just a business trip or a weekend with the guys. Here it goes...

I sleep in Swiss's t-shirts when he leaves.

I know that doesn't sound so bad. But you see, it's not the clean ones in the drawers. It's the ones he just wore this weekend. Yes, I sleep in Swiss's dirty laundry. I know. Gross. But there is something about the smell of Swiss and dryer sheets that is positively intoxicating. Not to mention it is the same wondorous smell that I am greeted with every time I see Swiss, that would be when I burry my head into the nook of his neck and shoulder... same smell. And I love it. As sappy as this sounds, it makes me feel like he is there in bed when he is hundreds of miles away. His arms might not be there to surround me, he may not be there to curl up with, but at least it smells like he is there. It might not be a lot, but hey, I'll take whatever I can get.

Now you know one of my dirty (literally!) secrets. Do y'all have any of these silly quirks?

Alone time.

No, this isn't about being left alone when Swiss heads back to his current post (although it does suck, always will. And somehow it never gets easier... sigh).

This is about having a whole 28 hours to ourselves. Alone. No family. No responsibilities. No one else to attend to other than each other. And it was fantastic. We spent so much time curled up with one another I was a twee bit worried we might begin to physically grow together. And it was blissful! It is times like these that make me so sure that we are meant for one another, that we really are each other's perfect match. We get along so well, we have so much fun, we have so much love and admiration and respect for one another. There is so much affection and tenderness, so much support and comfort... and we don't need anyone else or anything else to keep us happy and content: just each other. He's the One. And it makes me so giddy to have found him!

PS: I finished two paintings this weekend... I will post the pictures this week! :)