Whoa...

So it has been quite a long time since I last blogged and I totally apologize! I have been extremely busy with school and while it is going well, I am in need of a much deserved break. By the time this class that I am in concludes on August 31, I will have been going to school for 5 straight months. I am going to take a 2 week break starting then because Chris will be coming home on leave for 2 weeks! I am really excited but really nervous at the same time. It is definitely going to be weird seeing him for the first time in 7 months. I think we are just going to relax as much as possible and go out to eat a few times as that is all he seems to talk about! Other than school and Chris coming home on leave, I really don't have much to update about. I hope all is well with everyone and thank you for following!

3 Months

Sorry it's been awhile since I last blogged! So it's been 3 months...9 months to go! Or 25% of the way through it as Chris would say. Things seem to be going well for him. I know it's getting hot there, over 100 daily, and he says he's tolerating it well! I told him not to get used to it because he will come back to winter temperatures.
Things are going well for me too. I made it through my first graduate class and I am half way though my second. It is definitely keeping me busy! I also have a friends wedding coming up in a couple of weeks to look forward to. Work is slowly starting to pick up as well so that is comforting since things really slowed down there for awhile! Well, not too much to report but I will write more when Chris tells me new things happening!

Going Good

Well, I spoke with Chris again today and he seems to be doing well. He got my package that I sent to him and his troops today. I sent him a very late Easter basket with tons of candy for him to share! He tells me that the temperatures keep rising and it was about 105 degrees there today. He went to some base on Friday to do a day of training and he got to see his friend Wyatt. Wyatt is deployed with the WI National Guard and what are the odds that they got to run into each other half way around the world?! I know Chris really enjoyed seeing him.

I can't believe that we almost have 3 months down already. Some days it seems really long and other days it seems like he just left yesterday. I definitely wouldn't go back to February but I would love to fast-forward to next February for sure! The day I get to see Chris come home will be so bittersweet! I know it doesn't look good for him getting R&R so I am just looking forward to February. Well, if anyone wants Chris mailing address please email me at ocoolwatero@hotmail.com. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Kuwait

Well, Chris called me last week on Tuesday at about 5:30 in the morning to tell me that he made it to Kuwait safe and sound. He totally forgot about the 8 hour time difference but I was up anyway for work! It was so good to talk to him after not being able to for a few days. He also called me again this morning. He said things are getting really busy there with them trying to take over for the unit that is leaving. He is getting his address tomorrow but we will see how long it takes him to email it to me! I am hoping he does it as I still have that Easter basket/care package to send to him yet! Well, I best be off as I have a feeling it is going to be a long week at work. Please feel free to email me at ocoolwatero@hotmail.com if you would like Chris' address. I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

And He's Off...Again

Well today is the day that Chris is supposed to leave the U.S. He was actually supposed to leave yesterday but they apparently had some problems with the aircraft they were taking over. I know he was really frustrated yesterday considering half of his platoon left yesterday and his half had to stay behind. I just hope they get to leave today! I am sure I probably won't have contact with him for at least 2 days as I have heard it is a minimum of a 22 hour flight and they have to stop somewhere in Europe for a layover. He keeps telling me that he will call me the second they land but I keep telling him to keep in mind the 8 hour time difference....meaning please don't call me if you know it is 2 am here! I will let everyone know when he finally lands in the Middle East!

Getting Ready

Well, I know it has been a long time since I have blogged and I sincerely apologize! Things have actually been busy here in Rochester since Chris left. Work has been keeping me busy and I am starting school next week at University of Phoenix to obtain my master's degree. Other than that I have been looking forward to a couple of weddings in the next few months that I am in so I know that will also keep me busy!

Contact with Chris has been fewer and farther between lately as they are planning on heading overseas next week. I know he has said that he is more than ready to just head over and get things started. The picture above is a picture of Chris (on the left) with his troops in one of the many classes they have to take prior to heading overseas. He's kind of getting sick of the dreary, wet weather they have out at Ft. Lewis! I am fortunate right now to be able to talk to him every day or almost every day but with him leaving next week I know the contact will get much harder especially with them 8 hours ahead time wise. I know that Chris has access to the blog as well and I am hoping that once they get over there and get things settled that he will blog some as well since I can only speak so much for him and his experiences. Also, like I said before, if anyone wants his mailing address please email me and I will email you back. Just for security reasons, I really don't want to post it on here as anyone can see the blog. Well, hopefully I will blog within the next week or so of Chris leaving and give everyone an update. If anyone is reading this, please become a follower so I know who is following the deployment!!

Going on Week 3

Well, it's been about 2.5 weeks since Chris has left and it's been going okay. I have been pretty much been able to talk to him on a regular basis although it has been brief sometimes. It's okay though as I know it will only get worse when he goes overseas and I will probably be lucky if I get to talk to him once a week! Not a whole lot is new in Roch though....just trying to keep busy with work and waiting to see if I get accepted into grad school. I think if I got into school that would help me keep my mind busy with other things besides worrying about Chris all the time. Not to say that I don't think of him every day but I think I just get more depressed when I think of him all the time and wonder what he's doing and just plain missing him. I'm trying to stay positive for all the things that we have to look forward to when he gets back but in the same sense it's really hard as he has only been gone about 3 weeks and there is so much more to go.... Well, I suppose I should go get ready for bed as I have to work in the morning. Hope all is well with everyone!

And He's Off

Well, Chris is officially gone. Last Thursday he left from the Inver Grove Heights armory around 8am. He is now out at Fort Lewis in Washington state for about 6 weeks and then he will be headed overseas and expects to be there the beginning of April. It was incredibly sad and hard to say goodbye but I am glad that that part is done. There was a wonderful sendoff ceremony at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul for the troops and they had a nice dinner for all the soldiers, friends and family members afterwards. According to the press there was almost 7000 people there! If you would like to read more about Chris' unit you can visit their website at http://www.theredbulls.org/. I really haven't cried since that morning and I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing! I am trying to stay strong and I did go back to work today after having a week off and I think that will keep my occupied. I am fortunate enough to have a great group of friends here in Rochester and of course my family back home. I am still trying to figure out how to get pictures up here on this thing and hopefully I will do soon because I know blogs are way more fun when there are pictures to look at! I have also encouraged Chris to try and blog on here occasionally...so don't expect him to get on here a lot but maybe a posting here and there! Well that is pretty much it for now. I will post more when I hear from Chris!

PS: If you would like to send Chris some mail please send me a personal email and I will let you know his address! My email is lindsaymeeusen@gmail.com

It's almost time...

Well, just a little over a week from now, I will be sitting in my home all by myself and Chris will be on a flight to Washington State. I am really not looking forward to this long journey but I am hoping that it will go as fast as this date has approached. I really don't like this being in limbo business either. What I am talking about it the 10th-12th where Chris has to report for duty at the armory and he has to stay up there too because we live more than 50 miles away from the Cities. So while Chris has to be there I am kind of obligated to stay up there too until he gets off because it makes no sense for us to have 2 vehicles up there. I just don't know what I am going to do while he is at the armory all day. On the 10th though, they are having a dinner for the members' family and friends and fortunatly Chris' parents and my dad are able to come to the dinner as kind of a last goodbye type thing. My mom will be in Arizona visiting her sisters so she won't be able to attend but I'm glad, and I know that Chris is too, that my dad can at least come. I know my dad is really excited that he can give his son-in-law a good send off. There will be lots of picture taking I am sure and I just have to figure out how to put pictures up on this thing so I can keep everyone updated!!

I am also kind of sad that I don't get to see him off at the airport either! Chris pretty much told me that I just get to drop him off the morning of the 12th at the armory and that's it.... :-( I know my mother-in-law, Jane, is very worried about me driving home that day.... I know I will br crying, a lot, but I told her not to worry as I will have my trusty waterproof mascara for those 3 days!

Well, I suppose there is no sense in dwelling on it as it is inevitable no matter what! I really just wish it was this time next year where I could be writing to you all that Chris is coming home soon....hopefully it will go by super fast! I best go start that grill as I have to make Chris his last homemade steak dinner he will get for awhile! I will post more soon! Thank you everyone for your prayers and support..... :-)

New Year, New Challenges

Well, it's a new year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and joyous new year! We started off the holidays with a bang. We spent one weekend, well day I should say, driving home to have the annual Semb-Althoff Christmas. We decided to leave really early from Rochester to drive to Rockland, which is about an hour and 15 minute drive, because there was an impending snow storm. I was insistant that we go and get back to try and beat the storm, or most of it anyway. Well, we had a wonderful time at home and we ended up driving back in less than ideal conditions. Our normal drive time was nearly doubled! I really wish we had 4-wheel drive that day although it didn't seem to help everyone! Our Jetta handled quite nicely I must say! Between Rockland and La Crosse we saw at least 6 accidents. Closer to Rochester, we saw a big Tahoe flipped on his roof and no one had stopped yet, so, being a nurse I legally have to stop if no one has or there are not emergency vehicles there. Luckily, the driver was just fine and his only passenger was his dog, who was also fine. On Christmas Day, Chris' family came up and spent the day with us. I made a big dinner and we just relaxed and exchanged gifts.




Not going to lie, it is going to be challenging being apart from my one and only for a full 365 days but I know I will make it. Since this is Chris' first deployment I am trying to figure out everything that I need to do to have all my ducks in a row. For example, insurance with work, bills, and I am hoping we can get our taxes done before Chris leaves so I don't have to try and struggle through those without him. I am just hoping that I can get everything squared away before he leaves. Although I am not looking forward to Chris leaving, I would almost like for him to just go so he can be back sooner. I am taking the week off that Chris leaves and I am looking forward to spending some time with him before I won't get to cuddle with him again for a full year. To be honest with you, if I didn't have the animals, I think I would go nuts! When Chris was in Georgia a couple of years ago I had Beanie with me the whole time and he was my sanity and my little companion. Well, now I have Middy and Boog to keep me company too. Well, I suppose..Chris should be getting home soon and I should maybe think about getting something made for dinner. More postings soon!