Thankful

So for those of you living under rocks with no calendars, it's NOVEMBER!!! I really like November and everything that comes with it. Normally these things happen in October, but apparently Oklahoma threw a fit and waited until November to let the leaves change and the weather start to get cooler.

I'm excited for boots, scarves, jackets, and hot cocoa. If I had a fire place, I'd be excited to put that to good use, too, but alas, no fireplace for Stephanie. And yes, in a few months, I will be complaining about the cold, but for now. I'm okay with it.

On Facebook, people are saying one thing they are thankful for each day. I'm going to that here. :)

November 1: I am thankful for my parents. They have always supported me and been my biggest fans. They let me grow up and make my own mistakes. They let me become me. I can't thank them enough for everything they have done for me.

November 2: I am thankful for my Marine. We aren't always on the same page and we can drive each other crazy, but I have never doubted that he loves me as much as I love him. He gives me strength and courage to do things that I never thought possible. I am excited to see what God has in store for the two of us.

November 3: I am thankful for my school. Yes, there are some days where it looks much more appetizing to drop out and become a hobo, but I thank God for my ability to attend a school that has a good Deaf Education program and that is close enough to home for a quick trip.

November 4: I am thankful for Sulley, my monster car. It may not be the highest quality car, but it has allowed me to travel many different places that I need to.

November 5: I am thankful for my sister. She has always been there for me and will continue to be around for me. We may not always get along, but I know she's always on my team.  She's my biggest cheerleader and the best big sister I could ask for.

November 6: I am thankful for the time I get to spend with so many amazing children. Every where I go I find some kids that are just absolutely fantastic. I'm especially thankful for the ones that love me just as much as I love them, Gaby Lynn, Kami Janae, Isabel Sophia, and Major Everett (who has kind of forgotten who I am) along with so many others!

November 7: I am thankful for my friends. Old, new, together, or far apart. Without all of them, I would probably be crazy by now! They are always around when I need them and I couldn't have asked for a better group of people!

November 8: I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given throughout my life to explore and see the world around me. I am never quite happy being in one place. I love to see everything I can lay my eyes on. Even though I can't pack up and leave any time I want, I have been given many amazing opportunities to explore in the short 19 years I have been around.

November 9: I am thankful for my second family. Once the marine and I started dating they just took me under their wing and accepted me as one of their own. They are an absolutely amazing group of people and I can't imagine what I would do without their love and support to help me through those many days.

November 10: I am thankful for the beautiful language that is American Sign Language. I have seen how it can change somebody's life and I hope it never gets diminished through technology. While being on the campus at Gallaudet, I really learned the importance of this beautiful language. I hope that it continues to grow and flourish despite the advances in technology.

November 11: I am thankful for books. Escaping into somebody else's world for just a little bit is amazing to me. It helps me stay sane when school is over the top of my head. I use them as a stress reliever and it starts to show when I haven't gotten enough reading done. My head looks like it's going to pop!

November 12: I am thankful that I have a bed to turn to every night. There were 4.6 million people homeless last night. It's a heartbreaking number and I am so thankful to have a roof over my head and food in my fridge.. that may just be expired after the trip.. I better check that.

November 13: I am thankful for my teachers. There are not many teachers in the Deaf Education department but each and every one of them knows me. They know who I am and what I want to do. They know where I'm from and where I'm going. I picked a school that was small enough to not overwhelm me and I'm thrilled I did. I love the connection and interaction I have with my professors. Even the one at home with her babies right now..

November 14: I am thankful for technology. Without it, I would probably just collapse. It has made this long distance relationship so much easier. Granted we did go old-fashioned during boot camp, but even then I used technology to talk to both of our families which helped immensely. Loving the advances for many reasons, but that's a big one.

November 15: I am thankful for my Grima. She's absolutely the best. There aren't even really any words to describe her. She is just my favorite. I love her so very much. And trust me, if you met her, you would love her too.

November 16: I am thankful for a place to sleep and my homes. Sometimes I wonder where exactly my home is, but then I realize that I have so many different homes. Each one of them is as much my home as the next. And I really like sleep. So that's good.

November 17: I am thankful for Thanksgiving vacation! Being away from home and my family during school is a good thing on many levels, but it is still always wonderful to be able to go home and see exactly where I came from.

November 18: I am thankful for the beautiful beach, the coffee shop, and the nice hotel man. All of which have made my 12 hour trip with no sleep much, much better!

November 19: I am thankful for birthdays that give me a WHOLE day to be thankful for somebody :) Especially today.

November 20: I am thankful that good-byes aren't forever. I suck at leaving, but I'm reminded that this isn't forever. I am so happy that there are always mini-reunions.

November 21: I am thankful for all members of the military. No matter their branch. They have given up and sacrificed so much. I am thankful for both them and their families. Without them, our country wouldn't be what it is today. I'm also thankful for the Marines. I am thankful that I can trust them to protect and teach my Marine to be the best he can be so that I don't have to worry about him.

November 22: I am thankful for a church family. Especially one that loves me. That supports me. One that I love right back. :)

November 23: I am thankful for quality time spent with different people. Each and every person gives me a different perspective or lights up a different part of my life and I love all of you. So thank you for spending time with me and just being you.

November 24: I am thankful for Black Friday. I can't wait! Christmas shopping is going to be conquered!

November 25: I am thankful for the delicious food I got to eat on Thanksgiving. And that I will now get to eat for leftovers for the next few days. :) I know many people go without a lot of things and I am very thankful to have everything that I do have.

November 26: I am thankful for the closing of the semester. A little less stress on my plate for a couple weeks can't be a bad thing. It also will be the opening of another semester. I'm all for change.

November 27: I am thankful for the weather. While it has finally started to get cold, it has stayed incredibly nice for a while now and that is just brilliant. I love being able to go outside without a jacket and be perfectly reasonable.

November 28: I am thankful for my roommates/suitemates. They have made dorm living a whole new experience from last year and we all know that is a good thing.

November 29: I am thankful for Netflix. I'm facing a few days of nothing between my last day of classes and my first final. Netflix will be on the go!

November 30: I am thankful for pictures. I love being able to capture moments and see other people's moments that they felt were worth sharing. I'm thankful that facebook is so easily accessible and I can watch all my favorite littles grow and change.

A Fairy Tale?

I'm in a relationship that most of you won't understand. One of you knows exactly what we go through, but the rest of you are just as clueless about my relationship as I am about yours. I don't say that to be rude. It's true. I don't know your relationship and I doubt you know mine.

Some of you that happen upon here understand to a degree. Maybe you're in a long distance relationship while one (or both) of you is at college. Perhaps you're dating the military, too. Even if you're simply dating a boy some of this will make sense.

Our relationship is ours. You only hear and read what I want you to. You don't have the full picture. I once got "yelled" at about my relationship. It was through text message and I made the decision that not responding was my best option. She only knew my relationship through Facebook. Nothing that I had ever told her.

This lovely gal was going on about how I thought I had the best relationship ever and that I was just living my fairy tale life, but that I really had no idea what a real relationship is and the two of us were never going to make it because I was incredibly naive. It went on like this for some time.

Please note that this was while the Marine was at boot camp. Last I checked, boot camp is nothing like a fairy tale. . . What do I know?

We may not be living a fairy tale exactly, but we do choose to make the most out of everyday. We may not know everything about relationships, but we're learning. We are far from perfect and that's just the way we like it. We fight until we're blue in the face some days. Well I'm blue, at least. He's just quiet.

Through all of that, we love each other. I am proud of my Marine and I wouldn't trade a day of this crazy, hectic life with my frustrating, yet fascinating, Marine for a simple, predictable day with an accountant. He is my fairy tale.

I mean come on. He's like a Marine Burrito..

Almost there...

Shooty shoot shoot. Who knew ten weeks could by so quickly. This week is week two and I get to tell you two songs. I really wish it were more specific. What type of songs are we looking for? I guess maybe that's the point. Creativity or something. Silly.

2. Red Solo Cup. Gosh this song cracks me up. I always turn it up as loud as it will go on my computer so the roommate can sing along with me.

1. The song that I look forward to being played a lot lately is Amen by Eden's Edge. I don't know what it is about it. I just love it right now.

School

Here I am. Sitting in Starbucks trying to write a final paper that is due on Tuesday. Yes, I procrastinated once again and am paying the price. If we're honest, I probably won't get the paper written tonight either and I'll be stuck scrambling around trying to get it finished tomorrow night.

All of my classes chose the week after Thanksgiving break to have all their major projects due. Or at least some sort of project. My homework is scattered around me and I'm stressed out! It has got me to thinking....

I grew up knowing that I would attend college. I didn't even realize that there was another option until I was in high school and couldn't imagine doing something else. I don't exactly know where that mind set came from.

Don't get me wrong, I have never once regretted my decision to go to college. I have met many, many amazing people that I would never have had the chance to meet if it weren't for TU. Every once in a while though I do wish that I had taken a year off after high school. School is just exhausting. It's probably a good thing I didn't. I would never go back.

So now as a junior, I'm starting to give graduate programs a glance. And they are scary. My plan right now is to not attend graduate school right out of the gate. Most people would probably suggest I do, but I just don't know about that yet.

Recently, I got the opportunity to go visit Gallaudet University in Washington DC. It was fantastic. The group of girls was great and there were enough of us that we could break up into groups and not get totally sick of each other. We will save that trip for another post. While we were there we visited Gallaudet's graduate programs open house. Neat, right?

At first, I just kind of scoffed at the idea. I had/have/whatevs no real intention of going to graduate school. My idea was that I'll leave school and go get a job (I do have a grant that I have to work off still....). Get my masters later through some online program.

But once I was there, I found this amazing program. It just seemed to fit exactly what I want and what I need. It's not a Master's program. Simply a certification program. It's all online for one calendar year. The only time you have to be on campus is three days at the beginning and three days at the end. The best part? The program is something about working with infants and toddlers who are deaf. Perfect, right?

Fingers crossed everything continues to work out. If I survive this week that is...

Birthday Boy

I got the joy of spending this past weekend in Pensacola with the Marine. The best part about it was that he celebrated his 23rd birthday on Saturday! Okay, I celebrated. He threw a fit. Classic.

I found out while I was in Washington DC that the boy wasn't going to be able to make it home for Thanksgiving. I knew there was a chance that he wasn't going to, but I had kept my hopes high that he would surprise me.

We decided in October that if he didn't come home for Thanksgiving I was going to visit him for his birthday. After missing the birthday ball, I wasn't going to be missing both his birthday and Thanksgiving all this month. I'm not given a lot of opportunities to decide what I get to celebrate with him and what I miss, but his birthday is one that I did get to decide. So, of course, I went.

Here's a series of pictures.. I'm simply trying to convince him to smile. You wouldn't think it could be that hard. Say Cheeseburger! I wish..

Not even the birthday hat could get him. There are a couple that get close to a smile. My favorite part is that his eyes are closed in nearly all of them. It's like if he closes his eyes I will disappear. What a mess.

Anyways...

Happy Birthday, Marine! (I'm a few days behind on here, but pretend!) I hope your next 23 years are filled with amazing things! In the 4 years I have known you, you have grown, changed, and become somebody that I cannot imagine my life without. You are going to go on and do great things with your life and I can't wait to see what those things are. You have one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen and I am thankful to be able to witness that. The love you have for your family, fellow Marines, and even me (baha shocking, I know) is something I hope you never lose and only continues to grow. You are one fantastic person, even if you are the biggest pain I know. I love you and miss you. See you soon.

All my love.

Three!

Three Films. Meh? Movies, I suppose. I love watching movies. They are a great way to spend an evening, or an entire day. Kind of like books, I don't have a favorite. I just like them all.

3. If I ever did make a list of "favorite" movies, Bridesmaids would be close to the top. I make everybody I know watch it. It absolutely cracks me up.

2. I watched Horrible Bosses this weekend with the Marine. It was funny. I enjoyed it.

1. I don't know if I want to go see the new Twilight or not. I loved the books, but this crazy teenage girl, "I love Edward more than you do" nonsense makes me slightly sick. I might brave it. I might cower in my room and hide from all of it.

Girlfriend Status

Everyone hears of the Marine Wife,
Her trials, sacrifices, and devoted life.
She is strong, she is brave, and she is loving indeed,
Standing by her man in his time of need.


But what of others in a similar situation,
Who have made being a Marine girlfriend their main occupation?
They suffer many of the same trials and many of the same fears
Without the security of future years.


Will there be peace or will there be war?
You try to be hopeful but it's hard to ignore.
The world seems to be falling apart
When to a Marine you have given your heart.


Your love runs too deep to escape from it now.
You hope to be together somewhere, somehow,
When his duty is over and your life can begin.
You wonder if it will happen but don't question when.


The many heartbreaks and times you did weep
When he made promises the USMC couldn't keep.
But you have learned so much together and come so far.
Others warned you not to fall in love but you already are.


His job is ever-changing and takes him far away.
You think of him always and pray every day--
For his safety, his courage, and his love for you
That he may remain steadfast, loyal, and ever true.


Nothing is sure and nothing is set in stone...
Except that he will leave again and you will be alone,
Holding tightly to your dreams of a future together
When you will at last be able to say the word "forever."


Tears have become anything but a stanger.
They fall freely in sadness, loneliness, and anger.
But he will never know because you will never tell.
You've learned to hide your misery only too well.


A few years? That doesn't sound like so long.
The letters and phone calls keep your love going strong,
Even when they are few and far between,
In them, his love for you can clearly be seen.


So keep your chin up and a smile on your face.
He is protecting your freedom and keeping you safe.
His heart is strong and his love is true
And don't ever forget that he is missing you too


I definitely didn't write this, so if you have any criticism about it, I'm not your gal. I simply stole it off of Facebook.

I didn't take to Marine Girlfriend easily. I took to civilian girlfriend very easily, but when we added Marine, I got thrown off track. It had nothing to do with me not wanting the boy to join or anything at all like that.

I have always felt that I am below wives and fiances being just a girlfriend, even though I realize that they started out as girlfriends, too. Is our relationship any worse than a married couple because we're just dating or just boyfriend/girlfriend?

No, of course it isn't. It's actually probably better than some married couples. We are no less than any other relationship. We have many of the same struggles and even a few different ones. We don't have kids so there is no raising them alone. I do face the struggle of dealing with people that don't understand or don't agree with it. I am just a silly girl dating a Marine as far as they're concerned.

This has changed recently. I made the choice to embrace what I am. There are many days to come that I can be a wife. Or a fiancee. I'm not either of those right now, but I am a girlfriend. And a darn proud one at that!

The other day I took my car in to get my oil changed before I left for Florida. The customer service guy was inquiring about why I was driving so much and I told him that I was dating a Marine who was stationed in Florida. As I was leaving he said, "Thank you for everything you do." It took me a second to realize what he meant when he said that.

And then I just smiled. Because maybe, just maybe there are people out there who appreciate the girlfriends.

Reading Reading

It appears as though we are on week four. Which means books. For those of you that don't know me very well, I love books. I want my very own library filled to the brim with books of all shapes and sizes. Children's books, novels, biographies. All of them. So picking four books is probably not going to have any real meaning. I don't really have favorite books... Just all of them.

4. I just finished Star by Danielle Steel. I got it off eBay in a box of 15 pounds of books for $15.

3. This week in Washington I bought Rapunzel and Press Here for children. Not that I have children, but that point is moot.

2. Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics is what I should be reading currently, but I am not because textbooks are the one type of book that I don't read just for kicks.

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is another book I finished recently and I suggest it to you. It ended on a note that may lead to another one. I hope so. It may not have been the best book I've ever read, but it was incredible and definitely interesting. Check it out.

Nom nom

Five foods. Well I really like food so this shouldn't be too difficult!

5. My favorite food is fruit. Most fruit that is. I love grapes, apples, strawberries, peaches. Pretty much all of them. Except bananas. I do not like bananas. Nope.

4. Mashed potatoes. Mmmm. Grima makes the absolute best. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving!

3. Chicken. I prefer chicken over anything else. I don't really eat steak, instead I pick chicken.

2. Chinese. It's probably my favorite type of food. Probably. Because, as I said, I really like food.

1. Sugar. Chocolate. Yum.