Monday, November 11, 2013

family

I do not think that I have mentioned that I have a little brother. Well, not so little anymore. He is seventeen and a senior in high school.

Even now as his graduation is approaching it does not feel real. I can still picture him in his diaper and cowboy boots running around and causing a ruckus. haha who am I kidding, he still does that, minus the diaper. I am constantly in awe at what an amazing young man he is turning out to be. Yes, he can be a turd but what teenager isn't.

He is currently working his butt off trying to get a football scholarship. He recently had knee surgery but he is a Nelson and that just made him fight harder to reach his goal. I am so so proud of the transformation he has made over his high school years. The love I have for him in indescribable and as we both get older that love only grows stronger. I have not been there to see him play a game in the past two years and that breaks my heart. Before I was married I would go to every game with our mama and have the time of our lives cheering him on and embarrassing the hell out of him. ;) This last Friday was his last game of the regular season. (they made it to the playoffs..YAY!) Looking back on my high school career I think about our last football game...The bond that the cheerleaders and the football players formed that night was beautiful. Holding pinkys and crying as we sang our school song for the last time on the field. That is a moment that I will hold in my heart forever and I pray that my brother was able to have a similar experience.

Anyways, I just wanted to gloat a little bit about how awesome he is.


So here he is in 7th grade all cute and little :)




 And here he is now. Lookin' all manly and what not.


Time please slow down.
Love with all you've got.
xoxo

veterans day

Happy Veterans Day y'all!

I just want to give a big thank you to all of the amazing men and women that have or are currently serving this country. I have been so blessed to cross paths with some amazing service members and have come to love them dearly. May God bless them in all that they do to keep us safe.





Sunday, November 10, 2013

love

Today marks exactly one week since my beautiful husband left for Afghanistan.

That day was probably the hardest day of my entire life. For weeks i tried to prepare myself for the emotional torment that I was about to endure. Honestly, that was silly of me to think that was even possible. I thought to myself, I made it through all the field problems and all the classes that sent him far away from me, I know I am strong enough to make it through this. Now yes, I AM strong enough to make it, but not without a few break downs along the way. As we said our goodbyes I was emotional of course. Crying and holding him as tight as I could, thinking if I didn't let go I would wake up and it would all be a bad dream. The reality really sank in as I walked into our home for the first time. The silence that filled the air was nearly unbearable. That was it, that moment that I realized I would not be seeing the light of my life for nearly a year. As I cuddled up with his pillow and stared at the ceiling my mind drifted to all the little things I would miss about him. His smile, his laugh, his warm hands, the way he always listens when I talk even if it is completely pointless. I could go on and on for days writing a list about my husbands total awesomeness. haha. Then I started to think about how proud I am to call him mine. Me, married to a soldier in the United States Army, I still giggle when I think about the fact that I married a military man. I never thought I would be an "Army Wife." But I am, and here we are thousands miles apart still loving each other with all we have got. I am so thankful for not only my husband but all of the other amazing men that he is overseas with. They really are all truly AMAZING in their own special ways. Goofy as hell of courser, but loving of not only their fellow soldiers but the families that come along with them.

Even a week later I find myself crying about little things. Like seeing yogurt covered pretzels because my husband loves them so much. hahaha. And I am sure it will be this way the entire time he is gone. But I am okay with that, you know why? Because bad times make the great times even greater. I absolutely love this life that I am living and I couldn't be happier for my husband. He is doing exactly what he wants to be doing all for a country that he still believes in.


On that note, I am fully aware of all the craziness that has been going on in America lately. I think that people have forgotten what it means to truly be an American. Or maybe they forget that there has always been problems in this beautiful country of ours. America ALWAYS bounces back. It could take years, decades even, but we will all be okay in the end. I know I am still proud as hell to be an American regardless if i agree or disagree with the government at the moment. I still constantly see beauty all around me. From people buying coffee for a complete stranger to people taking in those in need. There is so much beauty all around us. Open your eyes and take it all in. Smile at a stranger, hell HUG a stranger. Bask in the beauty of this country that allows us to still do those things.

Like I have said before, love with all you've got.

xoxo