What works and what does not.

What works: Feel good music, music you can dance to...and I mean really dance to.
What doesn't: Not feel good music. Anything with the word(s) heart break, sad, cry, pain, baby-what-will-i-do-with-out-you...those are a no go.

What works: Surrounding yourself with people who bring you up. I have the best family ever. I'm so lucky to have the love and support from my parents and sisters as well as Lance's family. It's nice to all be in it together, you guys are wonderful.
What doesn't: Taking to heart small things out of your control. If you stress about the little things, the big things hit a lot harder.

What works: I've realized EVERYTHING in my life I truly have to be thankful for. Quick warning...Im about to get cheesy...that's just how I am :)
I'm thankful to have a boyfriend who can make me smile and who i can grow closer to even though he's half way across the world. I can't tell you how proud I am of you, there isn't many strong enough to go through that and still make their loved ones feel like their your number one. I'm thankful to have the wonderful support group of loved ones that I have. And I'm thanking my faith, for keeping Lance safe. The more you focus on everything you are blessed with suddenly the hardships don't seem unbearable anymore.

What works: PAINTING! and letting my creative side show. It's not only relaxing but it saves you a ton on home decor :)

In order to keep myself busy busy buys during my FIVE days off!!! I'm taking Cassidy and Abby to the Gilbert House in Salem to enjoy a nice girls day outing :) and for the next four days I will be sleeping...yep all four days.

Good Music, Good Friends, Good day.

Sunday I had a lovely 9 hour shift at work. While I complain during the process I know in the end it's exactly what I want in order to keep myself busy. I really do enjoy my job. I have the best co-workers. To bring my Sunday night to an end, Hanna, Becca, Emily and myself embarked on a lovely journey to Fred Meyer, dressed in our finest attire and finished up with some dancing in Becca's living room. Oh a girls night :)
I was introduced to Florence the Machine, a new band I had never heard of and it is the best feel good music I have found yet. So good that it spiced up an eight and a half hour shift with Sara, Emily, Ross and I. Though it made have driven Ross insane that we listened to the same song...over and over again. It turned all of our days right around.

August is coming to an end and though I hate to see it go..I'M ECSTATIC that September is just around the corner, one more month down :)

Switchin' Things Up.

After looking at blogs from different families, significant others, wives, etc. going through exactly what we are going through right now I realized how helpful they are and nice to see what little things work for them to get through such an event in life. I feel like if I can be one blog that helps someone get through their deployment then I should switch things up a little bit. This is now becoming sort of my online journal...rather than me writing in an old spiral. Lindsey brought up a good point the other night that her blog is her old spiral, it's something that she will always have and she can keep it to remind herself about their season changes :) and it also gives updates to the entire family. So that's what I intend on doing. This is just the beginning and we're learning what things work with deployment and our relationship in general and using what doesn't as a learning experience along the way. This is something we'll have forever :) Today Linds and Alicia left for Sunriver for the weekend, which left me with the adorable Ms. Bria. I am sooo lucky to have this day with her, it's our first whole day together, just the two of us. We went for a little drive and went outside and went down the slide over and over again just enough to wear her out for a nap. Now she's down and it's my thinking time. After she wakes up we'll play some more until Brian gets home from work and then I'm going to take my little sister out to a movie for her birthday. She's turning 14 this year and I'm not 100% okay with the thought of her being able to get her permit next year. As for me I'm ten days shy of my last year of being a teenager. very weird. I'm not sure what you do for a 19th birthday...celebrate that you still have 2 more years until you can legally drink? Be able to vote...again? Well I will figure something out :)

August 1st

Wooohooo it's August!! This helps a ton knowing that we almost have one month down. Can you believe that? I have been staying busy at work and trying to get things squared away for school. There is a mix up in my financial aid and that's never good so once all of that is figured out I'll be set and ready to go :) I'm taking microbiology, math..something, sociology, lifetime fitness and health, human sexuality, and i feel like I'm missing one other one but I don't believe I am. So my fall term will be very busy which is just what I need. Also after talking to Good Sam about our CNA business I am really considering going to volunteer there and get in good with the staff so they know us well by the time you get back :) Since I talk about you enough and all. There isn't a whole lot of updates that I have except for that my car isn't broken!!! so that was a huge relief to only have to pay for new tires and ninety other new things. Brian and Lindsey just had an open house today so keep them in your prayers that their house sells quick. You are in all of our prayers every day Lance! We are so proud of you and can't wait for you to come home safe and sound. Like I've said a million times over it takes a very strong person to go through what you are going through and you are a very strong man. I'm sorry this update is so short I don't have a ton to tell. But as soon as I get updates from the rest of the family i will post again right away :)
I love you! i hope you have a great day!

July 24th

Packing day for the Holcombs and another work day for me. Before work today i caught this little snippet of Bria playing with the pictures of you that we took to Shasta. she loves them and carries them around all the time. She has mastered saying "Buddy" now we're working on "Lance" Linds got her to say Lance earlier today but I couldn't get it on tape. Anyways here is her saying your name :) I hope you have a great day! We love you!

And the big countdown begins

It's been about a week since you've been gone to your final destination. I know that counting weeks is not the most effective way to pass time, I definitely think we should stick to months. As far as me there isn't a ton to update on. I'm just working...a lot and it's allll going into savings since I'm living at Brian and Linds and my parents. Look at me go babe, I've got two houses!! only joking :) I have been working Wednesday to Sunday and my shifts are pretty random. Ashlee is going to graduate school so she resigned as our manager and so we have a new manager from Timberhill. I know I know even while you're gone I'm jabberin about work, I'm sorry ha. I'm pretty sure I've already told you the big news about Brian and Lindsey but Brian got the job at Intel!! And it's in Portland, not Arizona! Though we would have been happy for them either way, Portland was just a preference :) Jenny is starting her summer clinical for her dental hygiene program and I am all registered for classes for OSU!! All in all things are going rather smoothly here and I'm so happy that you had a safe trip to where you are. I'm working on my first of seven-ish projects that make our monthly milestones. I can't go into details about this one though because it's a surprise for when you come home :) After this one Jenny and I are going to refurbish our end tables and coffee table and attempt to fix our wobbly kitchen table ha. Be expecting some goodies here soon. Your mom, Anna, sisters and I will be working stuff up here real soon :) We are all so proud of you Lance! You are such a strong man and this is only going to make you that much stronger. I can't wait until we break into a routine and this time ticks a little faster. But I am so so thankful to have you and your fantastic family in my life. I wouldn't have it any other way :) We love you and can't wait for updates from you!

Mississippi, Round 2!

Yes I was most definitely fortunate enough to get to fly to Mississippi for the 4th of July weekend. I truly truly felt so unbelievably blessed to get to spend one more wonderful weekend with him again before. Two weeks before Lance had been at Camp Shelby. Don't let the name fool you, there were no camp fire songs, s'mores or anything like that. The poor guy couldn't shower for over two weeks, he had to eat MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), the weather was less than ideal, and he ran off of very little sleep the whole time. Already I have the most respect ever for him and then to go through that and survive. Hats off to you without a question. He was able to recover a little bit from the great "camp" and started in on another two weeks of class.
But the day finally came for me to come visit and midnight could not come soon enough. I flew out of Portland Friday the 2nd at 12:45am and landed in Mississippi around 8:40am. It was phenomenal to be able to actually hug him and not just see him across a computer screen. Don't get me wrong though, I'll take whatever I can get :) We went out to breakfast that morning and just got ourselves situated with our hotel and rental car. Later that day we went to the mall along the beach and bought some dinner attire for a pretty dinner at a nice Italian restaurant called Salute. Saturday morning we woke up and went to breakfast at my very first Waffle House which was really close to the beach. There's a reason they are called a Waffle House, that was the best waffle I have ever had. It was as big as the plate and I managed to just about eat it all. After that we went to a little surf shop and bought a kite and a bucket and headed to the beach. We rented a wave runner and took it out into the gulf. It's so different riding a jet ski in the ocean than on a lake, as I'm sure anyone would imagine. But it was so much fun. It's a really good thing I trust Lance so much because according to the guy running the wave runner shack we were vertical at one point, I only screamed a little. But it was so fun especially be able to just laugh and let loose with him. After our time was up we put together our kite and attempted to fly it. The thing should of had a warning label, it was a stunt kite, not easy. However, it did make for a few laughs so it ended well. Following that we decided to build a sand castle which ended up being a lot of buckets full of sand and a "mote" it was beautiful. We finished off that evening with some wonderful southern bbq and a movie. The next day was the 4th of July and we had an adventure to Alabama that ended up with us back in Gulfport about 2 hours later. It wasn't exactly what we had pictured. But just spending time with each other was exciting enough. And we were able to sight see in Alabama...while driving and Alabama is gorgeous. We ended back up in Gulfport where we got dinner and went to watch the fireworks that night on the beach. It was beautiful. I realized a million times over just how lucky I am to be with him. And I know he felt the same way when I sang Lady Gaga to him :)The next day was Monday and we had to pack up our hotel room and head back to base. That night I was able to go to his muster which is a meeting with his whole Battalion basically explaining what they need to finish up that week and what will be going on the next day, kind of. It was crazy seeing how everything worked and is broken down. I was also able to meet some of the guys that he'll be deploying with.
The vacation was everything and more that I could ever ask for. The big count down is starting and this is bringing us one step closer to him being back home for all of us to enjoy.

Lance left last night to Maine where he has so many different destinations in between until he heads to the middle East. I was able to talk to him last night but haven't been able to talk to him today so I'll keep waiting for the call so I can be sure to update everyone else as well when I find more out about what he's up to.
The updates will shift a little bit more now to what's going on with myself and the family so you feel a little more in the loop Lance and so you don't miss out on anything :) We all love you more than we could ever explain and want you to know how much we are thinking about you and that you are in our prayers. We are so so very proud of you and everything you are doing. It truly takes a strong person to go through. Keep your head up like we all know you will and we'll see you soon :) This is the big count down and everyday we're just a little bit closer, so you stay busy and we'll stay busy and we'll see each other before we know it.