Places, Places Everyone!

Places? Places for what? I'm not really sure how I'm going to go about this just yet. I could give you six places that have a special meaning for me. Or where I want to go. Or where I've been. Hmm.. How about a mixture!

To start us out, where does/has Stephanie live(d)?

6. Pratt, America

Home. This is where I grew up. I wanted out of there as quickly as possible. I always said that once I left I wasn't coming home for any longer than a visit. Now that I'm out, I may just go back. Then again, if you know me, you know nothing in my life is set in stone because of that marine. So it could be a while before I go back. It may be small. The drama may push you under every once in a while You may have a "friend" or two that you have weed out of your life. But as far as I'm concerned, it's home. It's where my family is. It's where my second family is. It can't be replaced.

5. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Definitely didn't see this one coming in my life. I was all set to go to KU after I graduated. I was am a Jayhawk. Unfortunately, KU doesn't offer a Deaf Education program. I actually don't think they even offer ASL. Now, I find this to be incredibly strange since they're all of 30 minutes from The Kansas School for the Deaf. But it lead me to looking for a new place to head to, and aha! Tulsa it is! I wasn't all too excited about the idea at first. It took some getting used to, but I have really started to love it here. Except for the fact that it's in Oklahoma that is. It's not home, but it's a good substitute.

Well that's it for places that I have lived.. What next.....How about a couple places I want to visit? Okay!

4. Greece.

Or really wherever this picture is. I don't really care. I just want to live right there. In that sailboat. You can visit me. All of you. We will own this village. Which is probably a lot larger than a village but if I'm going to be owning it, we're calling it a village.

3. La Ceiba, Honduras

Some of you will instantly know why. Some of you will think you know why. And the rest of you are going to learn about it right now. I want to go to La Ceiba and volunteer with deaf children. You can do some research here! I really feel that it's a great opportunity and I hope that God leads me in that direction. It's kind of what I'm planning on doing this summer if I can get away with it :) But in the mean time, I'm going to be looking for other programs, just in case this one doesn't happen!

Alright the last two...We shall do two places that have some sort of special meaning for me....Yikes.

2. MCRD San Diego

Bahahahahha. This is what popped up when I googled. Those of you that went on this trip.. Well you know why this is funny. Those of you that don't. I'll explain in a bit.

First, with a show of hands, who is tired of hearing about the marine?! Sucks to be you! :) He is a part of my life. If you go up, you can see that not everything in my life is based around him. There are already four other things on here that have nothing to do with him. Those are all The Girl. This is The Girl + The Marine. MCRD San Diego has a special place on my list. For one reason, I don't think I've ever cried that much in one place, that quickly, before or since. Another, it fried me like a lobster quicker than anybody else. And the final, it was the first sort of legit reunion we have had. And it felt great. Now to explain the picture. There's not exactly a whole lot on this fairly large prison recruiting depot. I mean sure there's lots for recruits to do. Like run, sleep, and study. But for us? Yeah not too much. So on graduation day, Marisa and I went to watch the colors being presented. When it finished we headed to Starbucks, which was packed (because there is nothing else to do). During the, oh 30 minutes we were there. Three people called us asking where we were...Doing more push-ups, of course!

1. Happy Hands Education Center

This place will always hold a special place in my heart. The adults there are so very much committed to what they are trying to teach and instill in those young kids minds. They believe so much in what they are doing and that kind of faith just gives you hope. The kids there, though, they are amazing. They made me realize within the first week that I was definitely picking the correct major for myself. I have loved watching them grow and change just within the year that I've been around. When the day comes that I have to leave Happy Hands, there will be tears in my eyes, but so much joy in my heart for what I have learned there.

Blessed

There are so many different things I could write about. I could pick one or two or I could write about all of them.

I could tell you about the weekend that four of my favorite ladies came down to visit.

And we went to Toy Story on Ice which was just amazing. Both of the little ladies sat very well and just loved it. I am so glad that they got the opportunity to come down and see me. I miss all of them so very much!

They are a big part of my second family and I can't really imagine my life without their presence. These ladies have been around supporting me from the word "go." They never once looked at me and told me that I didn't fit. They just accepted me as a part of their family. When the boy left for boot camp, they were there. Not once did they try to tell me they knew what I was going through. Never once did they say they had it worse. They just helped me get through those days where getting out of bed was a chore. I am blessed.

I could tell you about the weekend my mom came down and we went to the Dolly Parton concert together.

She won tickets to this concert and decided that she should come see me and take me out on a lovely date. My mom and I are from the same tree. She pushes my buttons and I push hers. I think it's kind of how teenagers and their parents get along. My mom, though, has always made sure I have whatever I may need. Now I didn't get a new car on my 16th birthday. My clothes aren't always new or the latest fashion. But I grew up knowing that my mom loved me and would always be there for me. Even if I was a horrible teenager on some days. I am blessed.

I might even tell you about the weekend I spent in Pensacola with a certain boy who was very excited to see me.

Can't ya tell? ;) 

We spent the weekend exploring an old fort on Pensacola Beach. It was a really neat thing for us to do. I know he loved the history and being able to climb around inside of it. I loved it not only for those reasons, but watching him was worth every sticker I pulled out of my shoes.

This boy. I could write for days about him. I ran from him for quite some time. He's quite persistent though and he didn't give up. By the time I agreed that we could be "facebook official," I wasn't letting him go anytime soon. We got married on a post-it within 2 weeks of dating. Although it didn't count as a real marriage or anything like that, I think we both knew that this was something to hang onto. He has held my hand through every step of his Marine Corps journey. It isn't always easy on us, but he has never faltered. He's my rock and for that, I am blessed.

I might even tell you the story of how my dad came down this weekend. Just when I needed somebody from home. I haven't been home since the start of the semester and I really can't wait to get home. There just always seems to be something in my way that stops me from coming home. My dad has always played a role in my life that nobody else could ever play. Although my parent's relationship was less than ideal, I have never once doubted either of their love for me. Dad has always supported me and my decisions to do what I feel my heart is telling me. We may not always agree on our viewpoints, but he is always my dad. I am blessed.

I could tell you about the race my sister and I are going to run this weekend. How I'm sure it's going to kill me, but I know that Jess will be there by my side no matter what. She may get on my last nerve. I may want to disown her on certain days, but she is my sister. She's the only one I was given and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I love my sister and, believe it or not, she loves me. I am blessed.

If you really wanted to hear it, I would tell you about all the other people in my life who make me who I am and who bless me on a daily basis. I was born with two large families who I love to death and who I know love me just as much. I wouldn't trade any of them for anything. I found a boy who loved me and he let me be a part of his large family, too. I call them my second family and they are all absolutely wonderful.  I came to school and found all sorts of people who wanted to be a part of my life and for all of these people, I am blessed.

I could tell you about how I have had a rough week. I could give you the dirty details of my life and my relationships. Sometimes I do need to write about those less than perfect days just to blow off steam, but most of the time, I don't. I do my best to focus on the positive things in my life. I try to accept the bad as it comes and always focus on the good. I am blessed in many ways and it just doesn't seem right to dwell on the negative.

And down we go...

Today is number 7. I have started all of these on a Monday, but if you've noticed, they never seem to get published on a Monday. I'm not sure what exactly the deal is with that. I am fairly good at talking on Monday. Perhaps this just doesn't intrigue me enough. Who knows!

7. I want a pony.

6. I want world peace.

5. I want less hairspray in the ozone layer.

4. I want a happy ending.

3. I want a birthday cake on my birthday.

2. I want to see three blind mice run.

1. I want my homework to end.

Clearly, I am very good at wanting things.  :)

Happy Tuesday to all y'all!

The Marine Vs. The Girl

I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what the boy and I could possibly have to talk about on some days.... Here's a little peek into our lives.

The Marine thinks he knows everything. He probably does, but don't let him know I said that. He also thinks that I need to be a Marine. I laugh in his face every time. Tonight he decided he was going to train me in the art of...well just read it.


Girl: How was your day?

Marine: Do you need a bigger hat?

G: That would be what you choose to talk about.

M: ;) well I got to train you in combat warfare survival

G: Through hats?

M: Good to go? The 1st step in survival is to always be prepared.

G: I'm not prepared then. My hat is too small. My brain cells do not get enough oxygen. Can I wear my pink hat?

M: No, what size is that hat?

G: Why not? I'll hide around dead zebra carcasses so I blend in.

M: No, second you will lose your fear of knifes

G: Knives. If I'm going to be trained in this you can at least spell things correctly.

G: And why? I'm perfectly happy not liking knives.

M: Well that's to bad.

G: I'm wearing my pink hat. Final answer.

M: Well the zombies will get you first then

G: Zombies are blind. Why else would they walk with their arms out like that?


And that was the end. Clearly I prevailed. I did not give away the size of the hat, I got to wear my own pink hat, and he had no response to blind zombies.

P.S. This is the hat that is WAY too small.

Care Package

On Wednesday, the boy and I will have been dating for exactly 22 months. I don't celebrate each month, or really even notice them, but this time I decided to pay attention to it. Not because the number 22 holds a special place in my heart, or because I just love October. No. It happened because I wanted to make the boy a care package. Except he told me "Don't send me things. I always get in trouble." Blah blah blah.  We all know how well I listen, right?

But I saved some money and didn't send him the box through FedEx, UPS, USPS, or the Pony Express. I sent it through the VossMen Carrier System. VCS, if you will.

This wasn't an ordinary care package. It wasn't just filled with magical things that people Gaby's age would enjoy, it was filled with magical thing that people Gaby's age would enjoy that also correlated with our relationship. Awesome, right?

Literally, the lady at Target asked if I had kids. I told her I have a Marine, it's basically the same thing. She gave me a funny look after that... Pshhh.

To give you an example of what was in there that Gaby aged people would like,  I put play-doh, army men, and those awesome sticky hands that you slap people with, but leave giant pink marks on ceiling tiles.

Now, I know it sounds awesome already, but just wait. I had to find 22 different things that worked for our relationship that a 4 year old would enjoy that matched a certain month we had been dating. Do you have any idea how difficult that is? Nope.

I'll give you an example (Cody, here's your first answer).

For the month of May 2010, one of the big things that went on in our relationship was he had decided he wanted to join the Air Force. Neat-o. So the item in the box? A Red Bull. Because? Red Bull gives you wings!

Yes, they are all something along those lines. Check out the pictures. Be jealous.

The Box...

This envelope included the instructions and notecards.

The notecards included in the lovely package gave him an explanation for every item. Kind of. They really did nothing but keep me from doing homework for a few days. The AF/Red Bull one said something along these lines: Wings to help you fly. Ha. Good luck Cody.

Reading the instructions like a good Marine.

By this point in time, he was really excited about this idea. Can't ya tell?

Some of the goodies I included. :)

I even included this really handy cheat sheet that is well secured to the inside of the box, just in case the Marine gets tired of decoding my messages :)

Yes. I'm fabulous!

Counting down...

Today is number 8. So I guess I get to tell you eight of my fears. Since the others have gone so incredibly smoothly, I will assume this one will go the same. You probably won't learn anything about me. But maybe you will.

8. I'm afraid of spiders.

7. I'm generally scared of the dark, but I'm getting better at that. I have yet to have anyone come out and murder me so I think I'm doing pretty good.

6. I'm afraid of Oklahoma drivers.

5. I'm fearful of knives.

4. Those folks driving golf carts around the TU campus scare me because I'm certain they are going to run me over.

3. I'm afraid of stalkers. They be creepin' in my window

2. I fear failing at school.

1. Flag-covered casket.


Like I said there isn't a whole lot to learn, but hopefully it was at least a little bit enjoyable! 

This is my life.

You know how there's always that kid that does the most ridiculous things? They come in with stories that make you cross your eyes and wonder how on God's green earth they managed to do that. Well... I was that kid for a moment on Thursday.

It all started when I decided that Army Wives was more important than sleep, homework, and all other things useful. I was just hanging out in my room watching it on my laptop with my (Cody's) earbuds in. Unfortunately, I was having difficulty with the right earbud. It wouldn't fit right and I couldn't hear what was going on. So I moved it around a little.

And the little piece of the earbud comes right off and plants itself inside my ear. Now like any normal human I decided to flip out for just a small moment Which didn't help because I'm sure I probably made the situation worse. Imagine that.

I ended up contacting Jessie and having her take a look in my ear to remove the earbud. She did so with little complaining or taunting which I am forever grateful for. I thought we should have had my hearing tested while it was in there, just to see, but I wasn't cool with sleeping with it in there and since it was 11 at night we decided breaking into the audiology lab was a bad idea.

The moral: Don't lose things in your ear.

Get on Our Level

And you thought you were the cutest ever... Pshaw.

Nine!

Today will hopefully be easier than ten secrets. Gah. That was horrible. I technically started it on Monday and didn't finish until Wednesday. It took me forever.

Lesss go.

P.S. These are in no particular order. 


9. I love books and reading them. I try to always find time to read something that's not a textbook.

8. I love God. He has given me the strength to get through many, many days.

7. I love children. I have a few that are favorites, but all of them are so special and love to watch them grow and become real people.

6. I love water. Drinking it. Swimming. Rain. All of the above.

5. I love my family. All of them. The first one that I was born with. The second one that accepted me as their own. Both. All.

4. I love the boy. Clearly.

3. I love Christmas. I like all the happy people. I also really love Black Friday. I like all the really crazy people.

2. I love obstacle courses, ropes courses, and things along those lines. I may not be the most athletic or anything, but I still love them!

1. Mashed potatoes.

Sacrifice

I have thought long and hard about how exactly I want to write this post. I knew I wanted to write about this, but I was never quite sure where to start. Here's to a successful post!

I've seen the sayings,

Now, I know I'm not a spouse, but all the same, this stands out to me. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it. I don't think I really have it harder than the boy. There's a good chance that military spouses will argue with me, but you see...

I will never be separated from my family for 9+ months because of deployments.


There's a pretty good chance, I will go my entire career without having anybody shoot at me.


I won't be told that I'm missing holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries because of work.


I probably won't miss major milestones in my children's development.


At the same time...

I will be single parenting children.


I will spend sleepless nights worrying about where he is and if he's okay.


I will get to explain why Santa can't bring Daddy home.


I get left with a lot of the emotional aspects of this since I was not given proper training in handling these situations. It's more of a crash course.


Many, many many things can be added to both lists. I would never tell the boy that what I'm doing is harder than what he is doing, because I don't feel that's true. At least not right now, maybe some day in the future I will feel more along those lines, especially when I'm living on a Marine base and he's off somewhere else.

While I have not decided who has it harder (because let's be real, neither is optimal), sacrifice is definitely a big part of everybody's lives in this crazy game called the military. I pray that he never has to make the ultimate sacrifice, but I know that he is prepared to do such a thing if that is where he is lead.

Nobody has it easy. We all have hardships, but we all have celebrations, too. In order to get to those celebrations, we all must sacrifice at some point in time. Sometimes he has to miss a Thanksgiving, and I have to be thankful that, even though he's not with me, he's safe.

Pride

There's a kind of pride. You don't know it until you KNOW it. It's not a halfway thing. I think everybody who has somebody special in the military will understand what I'm saying. Yes, I'm proud of my dog when she doesn't pee on the floor. I'm proud of those kiddos when they do something new. But this is something special.


I just got back onto Facebook and a lot of big military related things are going on right now. One just got a ship date. One was recently home for boot leave. One is graduating this weekend. I am reminded of that overwhelming sense of pride each time I see somebody celebrating a milestone in their military journey.


Anybody that knows me, knows this hasn't been an easy journey for me. I struggle with it fairly often, but I wouldn't trade a day of it for anything. There is so much pride for that boy and everything he has accomplished so far. I'm proud of him for completing boot camp and getting meritoriously promoted. I'm proud of him finishing MCT with all of his body parts. I'm proud of him for staying on top of his school work.

I'm one proud girlfriend.

Wordless Wednesday

A Challenge

I will go ahead and tell you now. This isn't going to happen in 10 days. It will probably happen in 10 weeks. I'll try to do one a week on the same day, but that could end up failing. We will see.

As for today's topic, secrets, I'm not sure how well this is going to go. I don't actually have a lot of secrets that most of you don't already know. Scratch that, I don't have a lot of secret's period. I will do my best to come up with 10 things about me that are similar to a secret.

10. I stole one of Duh-manda's spaghetti-o's last year. Probably why she hated me.

9. I don't drink, not only because I'm underage, but because I'm not a fan of what it turns other people into, so I don't think sober me would like drunk me.

8. When I get worried about a test or anything, I clean. And then watch mass amounts of netflix. It's rarely good for my GPA.

7. Jessie got me to thinking about if I really belong at TU. To be honest, I have no idea the answer now.

6. I want to get Facebook back, but I think I might get sucked back in and I will probably fail all of my classes if I have the ability to creep on all of those people.

5. I have a thing for shaved arms.

4. I want to learn to run. Not become a runner. Just learn how to run without dying or wanting to kill myself.

3. I can't handle watching people embarrass themselves on TV or anywhere.  I suffer with them.

2. Sometimes when I think about how the boy is now a Marine, I get the beginning signs of crying. Generally it's because I'm so proud of him. Other times it's because I miss him. It really depends on the day.

1. I am getting my hair cut in two hours and nobody knows but me!