Out of the shadows

Hello there last and final reader that I'm hoping is still out there somewhere.  Ok, so you probably aren't a "reader" per-se since there has been nothing to read. It's me, just popping in for my bi-annual update.

Honestly, I was more thinking about what to do with this blog... it's obvious that it no longer has the same meaning for me that it once had. The whole reason I started this blog was to journal about going through my first deployment as an Army girlfriend. (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2008/01/welcome-one-and-all.html) To find support and encouragement and maybe advice if there was any to be shared. Thankfully, there was!  I had the chance to get to know and even meet some of the most amazing women!  Most of whom I still follow and keep up with.  In spite of being a horrible blogger I am a devoted reader.

Then another big change happened, my then boyfriend was accepted into the Green to Gold happened. (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2008/06/we-are-so-blessed.html)  There was much to blog about then because of all the changes, anticipation, and excitement involving his return.

I sought comfort in blogging about the triumphs and trials of supporting someone who was transitioning out of the active duty Army world into the cadet world and what a transition it was! (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2008/09/tennessee-trip.html) (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2008/10/first-48-hours.html) (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-love-you.html)

We survived through the holidays and then yet another change! Moving in together! (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2009/01/want-to-know-secret.html)  (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2009/03/tennessee-two.html)

I progressively became a more distant and distant blogger over time after the move to TN.... but again it wasn't long before SURPRISE! More new things coming our way! This time, a wedding was in the cards :) (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2010/01/hello-is-anyone-still-there.html ) I still love telling our proposal story!

There was lots of wedding planning, a promotion in February (which in hindsight I should have just stayed a teacher... which I loved... I don't know why I agreed to go into management. It would turn out to be a terrible decision a year later), a friends wedding in August and then our own wedding in October!  You can see some wedding pictures here (http://kjcabinfever.blogspot.com/2011/01/finally-2010-post.html) 

And now we're pretty much here.

There were a few things I didn't blog about between now and then - Sgt. survived a pretty significant milestone in cadet-land.  He graduated LDAC (the month long training they take at the end of their junior year that weighs heavily on how they asses for commissioning) with an overall "E" (highest score you can get) and he was even ranked in the top 5 in his platoon!  He's such an amazing leader and soldier.... I know he will make an outstanding officer. He is now in his senior year and is serving as the cadet battalion commander, the highest ranking cadet in the battalion.  We just received his assesions score and it was GOOD :) in fact, when you plug the score into the "how-you-would-have-done-in-the-last-three-years" machine, he would have consecutively scored in the top 5% of the COUNTRY.  That's the top 5% of all the cadets commissioning in the United States on active duty.  What this means for us (other than it's just a large testament to how hard he's worked) is that if he does score in the top 10% then he is guaranteed his first job choice in the Army. We're thrilled.  We find out his branch sometime in late October most likely and then we will find out his BOLC date in the early spring.  It's all going so fast!!

Back to the start though... what to do with this blog,.  I don't want to delete it because I enjoy looking back but our life is so different now.  I've been considering starting a "public" blog that our friends and family can know about, especially to keep everyone posted as things get busy and we head back onto active duty. If I do I'll post the link here for over there... you'll just have to promise to keep THIS blog our little secret :)

Until I decide... see you soon! :)

The Belle of the Ball

Well it's that time of year folks... the ROTC annual "spring" formal is this February 4th and I need a dress.

I'm taking any and all suggestions really.  I've been to a couple of these things already but the dress I wore last year was an overpriced HUGE mistake and I really didn't even feel pretty in it.  The dress I wore prior to that was lost somewhere between moving... sad, cause it was a keeper.  I know that for most balls a knee length cocktail type dress is appropriate but since this is in-between Army world and not real Army world... it's a little different.

All the dates tend to wear long dresses... and even though I know in the real Army it's appropriate... I don't want to be "that girl" who wore a knee length cocktail dress when everyone else wore long upscale prom type dresses... ick. I don't know, I'm still toying with the idea.  Here's what I'm thinking...

Or the standard simple, long dress.  This one has some beading on the top around the bust.  Subtle but a cute detail.

Both of these are feasible options to rent.  Yes - I said rent. From Renttherunway.com but I figured I'd get your opinion as well!  So, what do you think?  Go with the shorter cocktail length dress? Go with the safe long dress?

Better yet... do you have something you want to let me borrow?  I'm about a size 8-10 fairly short but I promise if I'm borrowing it I will wear tall shoes or figure out a way to clothespin it up at the bottom... trust me, us short people can figure it out. I'd prefer no bright colors but I'm pretty open.  My biggest factor is 1. cost and 2. cuteness.  Cost because Sgt. has not let me live down the ungodly amount of money I spent last year on a dress I do not like... and I'm just not prepared to do that again.  Cuteness factor because lets be honest... I really want to look the best. Bottom line.

Any suggestions?  All are appreciated.  Oh and like I said, if you want to let me borrow something, I'd be more than happy to e-mail you my address :)

** New details... it's almost certainly gata be floor length.  Like I said... in-between Army world can be a little bit different and the "battalion commander's" wife told me that they were making the female cadets bring their dresses in to be approved, and that people with cocktail length dresses were "sternly talked to" - erring on the side of caution.

Finally a 2010 post

I started my 2010 in review post but SO MUCH happened in 2010 that I just couldn't sit down and wrap my brain around the whole thing.  I remember there were LOTS of smiles and some tears.  2010 was without a doubt the best year of my life to date... and I only hope that the years to come will do it justice. So, without further adieu... here's MY 2010.

January:

  

    

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Still on cloud 9 from my mid December engagement.  We set a date for the wedding... and I bought every Martha Stewart Wedding, The Knot, and Brides magazine that I could get my hands on.  This trend continued through 2010.

February:

 


 

In February I was promoted and moved to a new center!  We also attended the ROTC formal... please excuse my husbands depressed and distant look... we couldn't seem to get one good picture both looking at one camera... and this is the best one from the night with both of us in it.  We also celebrated Valentines day the same way we always do - wings and a movie at home! 

March:

         

In March I took my first road trip to Memphis TN and met up with some of my best friends from college!  It was a great girls weekend.  The kitties also discovered a new lounge spot.

April:

In April Sgt. and I finished RCIA and became Catholics!

May:

May was such a BIG month!  We had our amazing engagement session (photos taken by Lindsay Gray Photography) 

   

We also survived the Nashville flood in 2010... my poor car however, was not so lucky. Small price to pay compared to many others in the area, and it turned out a huge blessing when we found out that my husband had added flood insurance to my car policy just a few months before!




May was also the month that I went dress shopping!  First store and last dress I had pulled... and I found the one. :) I still love my dress! It was so beautiful, and yes, I cried.

June and July:

Were both blurs.  I don't even have any photos from June and July!  All I remember is that I was incredibly busy at work and I was planning the wedding.

August:

  

(Sierra Kristen Photography)

August was lots to look forward to!  One of my best friends Regan (check out her blog too!) married her handsome hubby in a gorgeous ceremony near the bay in Camden, Maine.  It was such an honor to be a bridesmaid and I don't know a more perfect and gorgeous couple!

After the wedding I got to celebrate my birthday with the Husband!  Like many military couples, we've had the displeasure of celebrating lots of holidays apart. One of those being my birthday.  This was the first year we were able to celebrate together!



He made all the cupcakes himself! :) Please ignore the poor decorations and clutter.  I promise the apartment looks better now.

September:

Was spent saying _____ days until we're married!! I was also wrapping up things at work preparing for my two weeks of vacation.  And buying mason jars... LOTS of mason jars.

October:

 

 

Pre-Wedding events were a blast.  I had an awesome bachelorette party, fabulous rehearsal dinner, and our bridal party worked LONG hours putting together decorations at the wedding site.

Then came the big day. The best day ever! 

 

     

 

It was the most AMAZING day! (all images captured by Lindsay Gray Photography)

November:

Still blissfully newly married, we decided to host our own Thanksgiving dinner.  We weren't able to go home this year for the holidays but it was nice to have our first married holiday season together, in our home.




November was also the time of the abscess tooth and root canal. Fun.

December:

The air got colder and the tree went up!  We decorated our home and celebrated Christmas, just the four of us... The husband and I and our kitties.

and finally... for December 31st... we rang in the new year with a kiss, a glass of wine, and his wonderful grandparents!

 Here's to 2010!