Thanksgiving

Adam and I had a good first thanksgiving together. We went over to a friends house for dinner. It was really nice. I went to the mall on black friday (not at 5 a.m. like all the other people in the world, it was noon-ish), and got some xmas decorations at the 99 cent store. Adam was really surprised when he came home from watch. I must say that I'm actually excited for xmas this year. Tonight we're going to see Dane Cook which should be a good time.

Update

Wow I haven't been very good at this! Things are going well for Adam and I. My parents are coming to visit in December for Christmas, so I'm definitely excited about that. I'm a little bored not having a job, but I have things that I could be doing in the meantime to keep me busy. Right now I'm trying to design my wedding album, and keep the apartment clean. Because it's so small, it gets dirty fast, or so it seems.

We are still waiting for orders. Adam has been in contact with his detailer though and he's getting a time frame narrowed down. We are looking at February sometime to leave. But with everything with the military, nothing is for certain until we get the hard copy of his orders. Adam thinks we'll be getting them soon because they were just waiting for funds to release them, and apparently the budget was signed last week sometime. We do know that we are going to go straight to Whidbey Island after this. There was a time when we thought that he would go straight to school and then I would have to go home for that time before we both to to Washington. This is nice because we can put our names on the housing list and get moved in sooner (hopefully). I am just so excited to move out of this place and live with our own stuff. There's just something about using other peoples belongings.

Halloween was pretty mellow for us. We spent the night at the Hale Koa (a military hotel in Waikiki). Adam dressed up for work on Friday as Michael Jackson, but neither one of us dressed up Saturday night. It was a very nice evening. We did a little swimming, then went to dinner and drinks, then we sat on the beach and listened to the entertainment at the bar for a while. We are thinking of going back for Thanksgiving weekend. We have tickets to see Dane Cook that weekend and thought we could make a whole weekend out of it.

Moved

Well we made it to Hawaii! The apartment is a little small, but it's perfect for just the two of us. We do have an amazing view from our living room and front deck. Adam told me what the name for it is in Hawaii, but I forget. I most likely wouldn't know how to spell it anyway.

Our plane ride here wasn't too bad. It was about an hour and a half from Midway to Atlanta and then it was a 9 hour flight from Atlanta to Honolulu. At least on the plane there were mini screens on the back of each seat so we had control of our own entertainment. so I slept, read, and watched 3 movies on the flight.

The weather has been perfect, low 80's everyday and mostly sunny. This morning I realized that I really wasn't in IL anymore because I was in the shower and all of a sudden I spotted a gecko in there. It definitely startled me. Adam said that I had to be nice to it because it saves us 15% on our car insurance... I just wanted it out of my shower!

Adam's Home!!

Adam finally made it home yesterday. His flight got in about 3:30 pm and they made it back to town a little after 6 pm. They made excellent time! I wasn't expecting him back until at least 7 because I was imagining rush hour traffic to be much worse than what it was. It was a nice visit last night though. My parents came down and then friends came over to visit. Adam was really tired by the end of the night though cause he had been up for over 24 hours with all the time change and traveling he did. Now we just have to get the wedding plans in order cause we get married in 11 days.

Orders!!

Friday, Adam looked at the orders list and he got selected to go to Washington State in January. I'm excited that we now have somewhere to look forward to after our time in Hawaii us up. I was hoping for someplace a little warmer to move to in January, but I guess I'll take whatever. It'll be nice cause people will now be able to afford to come and visit us, and hopefully we'll have the room to have people come and stay with us!!

Adam comes home on the 17th!! I can't wait to see him! It's been 13 months since I've seen him last, and I can't wait to start the rest of our lives together!

Makenzie Rae DeLong

Makenzie Rae DeLong

Born July 6, 2009

8:35 a.m.

7 lbs 1 oz  20 in

Jesse had one hell of a time during her labor! After countless hours in labor and an emergency c-section.... Makenzie arrived! Mommy and daughter are doing well. (The IV was just a precautionary thing.) They are both recovering, and I can't wait to see them!

ALOHA!

Well.... last night was pretty exciting. I was on the deck w/ my maid of honor, enjoying a cold drink, trying not to sweat to death and be eaten alive by all the bugs, when Adam called. I answered and he says "I have one thing to say to you... start packing for Hawaii!" Well I'm sure you can imagine how excited I was! That phrase means that Adam's housing allowance got approved and he's getting an apartment, and we're MOVING TO HAWAII!!!! Well by "we" I do mean "me" because Adam is already there! So on our honeymoon, we'll leave on schedule, only I won't be coming back to IL!! It's still settling in a little bit cause now I only have 2 months left in IL. I was expecting not to be moving until Jan 2010. SURPRISE! It's hard to describe how excited I am though. Not many people can say "Yea! I lived in Hawaii!" I'll only be there for a few months though becuase he'll be transfering stations at the end of the year. Hopefully we find out next week where that will be. He's thinking California, but I don't care. Well I'm hoping for anywhere in the continental U.S. so it's cheap for people to come and visit us!

95...94...93...

Yep, there are 93 days and counting until the wedding! Time is really flying by. We still have a couple big things to figure out, but I think it won't take long to get it under control. We need to get someone for flowers, limo, invitations... but we already have people in mind, it's just a matter of calling them and seeing if they are available. 

I graduated college a couple weeks ago. It's such a nice feeling finally being done with school. I now have my nights to focus on things like getting my room cleaned! I've kinda been neglecting it for the past couple years because of school. It's a little more overwhelming than I thought it was going to be. I've been more of a pack rat than I thought that I was. 

Adam tells me that orders come up again in a couple of weeks, and then he'll get to put in for some. I'm not sure how many requests he's able to put in. But we won't find out until July where we are going (if he gets orders!). Hopefully we find out sooner rather than later. It's not really fun sitting here in limbo wanting to make plans for our future, when we don't know what city we'll be living in. I guess that's part of the whole military life style that I'll have to get used to. 

And the wait continues...

Well, Adam looked at the list yesterday and found out that he didn't get picked for orders this month. It was a little disappointing, but then he told me that since he didn't get picked for the 5 orders that he put in for, he can put in for new orders! So the doors are wide open again about where we can go. I suppose I should get used to this, cause it's the military!

I took my first test on Friday. I think I did alright on it. Now I have two more tests and three assignments to go. It's really getting down to the wire, and I'm getting really excited! Saturday is the big day! I still have a lot of work left in order to get there, but it's close! Very exciting!

Jesse made it back to North Carolina on Saturday. It's hard to believe that she was home for a whole month. She had her Explorer packed full. It was so cute; Allie had a little spot in the back seat. It's so weird, she rides in the back seat whenever they drive anywhere. She's an odd dog, but fun and full of personality. I hope she gets along with little Mackenzie Rae (I think that's how they are going to spell it). 

Update

Wow how time flies by! A lot has happened since my last post. School is almost done. I can finally see the end of the tunnel, and I think I've gotten a really bad case of senioritis!! But I only have two more weeks until graduation! I'm really looking forward to not having anything to do. 

Zack and Jesse found out that they are having a girl! We went today to a 3D ultrasound, but the little pain wouldn't cooperate! She must take after her dad, cause she seems to have to make things difficult already! LOL Jesse is going back on Tuesday night to try one more time to get some good pictures before she has to go back to North Carolina. I can't believe that she's been home for a whole month already! I guess that time flies when you are having so much fun! 

Adam has had a lot of interesting news. His first request for reenlistment got denied, but thankfully his second request got approved, and we should find out in May where we are going to live. Adam got to put in for 5 different orders, and I think that he gets one of them. One is in Washington State, and the other 4 are in south California. I don't know what Mom and Dad are going to do with Zack and I on different ends of the country! I guess they'll rack up a lot of frequent flier miles. 

Wedding plans are going fine. Nothing new has happened in a while. School has been a little to busy for my stress levels, and I couldn't handle anything else in my life! LOL We still need a florist. Somehow that keeps slipping our minds until someone asks how things are going, and then I remember that we still need to do that. Times running short cause as of today, we only have 125 days until the wedding. I'm getting more and more excited for it every day, and now that school is about done with, I can focus on the Wedding and trying to figure everything out. I've been registering a little bit here and there. It's a lot harder than I thought that it was going to be. I think I'll be a lot more excited once I know where we're going to live and I can figure out all the different places that we can see in the area. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!!! I think my favorite part of the holiday (besides celebrating the fact that I'm Irish) is all the corned beef and cabbage that I get to eat. This year I am definitely getting my fill of it. Two sundays ago mom made a big crock pot full of it. Last Thursday dad and I went to the VFW for it. Saturday my Aunt Bev made corned venison (deer) and it was surprising excellent. It tasted just like beef, and the only difference was the texture (it wasn't as fatty). Tonight mom made corned beef and cabbage again. I just love this time of year! Although I'll be happy when it's over, cause I need to lose a couple pounds to fit better into my wedding dress and all that cabbage and potatoes aren't good for the "girlish figure"! LOL

Spring Break

So I just finished up my last spring break... for a while anyway... and boy was it an exciting one!! (Not Really!) I had jury duty, which kinda screwed the whole thing up, but what can you do?? It's not like I could have just not gone! Actually I got to learn a lot about the judicial system. I guess I didn't realize how much sitting and waiting I would be doing. I got to sit on 2 juries with a different Judge for each one. I must say that the personalities of each Judge really did shine in the court rooms. It's nothing like what you see on TV though! Those screen writers really do use their imagination to liven things up.

My week started on a rough note. Actually I was really lucky, but after I got the bill, I didn't feel so lucky. I got in my car Monday morning to come to the court house for jury duty, and I backed up maybe 4 inches and I got a flat tire. So I called Dad to come to the rescue, and he came and gave me his truck for the day while he called the Route to come and fix it. I had a long day sitting in a court room, and when I got out, I called dad to see if my car had gotten fixed. He said no. I just kinda paused (all confused), and he said that they came and got my car, but it wasn't fixed yet. I kinda said OK in an even more confused way, cause the Route is always really good about getting things done the same day. I thought that maybe Joe was really busy cause it is kinda getting to be farming season, and they all kinda come in at the same time. Well, Dad had mentioned at that point, while I'm thinking of all kinds of reasons for the delay, that "You have major problems!" I cringed and asked him what the problem was, and he just said that he'd talk to me when I got home. So I get home, and Dad tells me that... here's where I forget exactly what he told me but basically some coil had broke and poked my tired and caused it to blow up. Dad said that Keith was going to work on it the next day. So the next day I drive dad's truck again, and I got really used to it. I get home that night expecting to find my car in the drive way, and it's not there. I ask Dad what's up, and he tells me that he told Keith to basically put a whole new front end on my car. (How nice of him cause I'm the one that's paying the bill! LOL) So I didn't get my car back until Wednesday night (with a $700 bill in the front seat!).

However, my week ended on a very happy note! Friday I received an email from David's Bridal saying that my dress had come in. I was in total shock because it wasn't supposed to be here until the middle of April. I called that night on my way home and they said that it had indeed arrived. Mom and I went up on Saturday to pick it up, and it is just so pretty! We stopped at Grandma's on our way back into town to show her before we got it home, and I think she really appreciated that. She said that she really liked it, and that made me happy to hear an other's opinion that it was really pretty. I just can't wait for August to get here and I can wear it and show everyone!

175 Day and Counting

Wow! Days are really moving quickly! There are still a couple big things that we have to get done, and I'm starting to realize how quickly time is moving! Adam called me this morning with our flight schedule. He's so good... we are sitting next to each other on the same plane on our way to Hawaii. I must say that he's got a little learning left to do though. We fly out of Midway at 6 a.m. (in the MORNING!), and I'm quite far from a morning person. Plus, I don't know who is going to take us to the airport! But, we do get into Honolulu about an hour and a half before we get to check into our hotel room, so I guess there is a plus side to leaving so early in the morning! 

My dad really makes me laugh with his golf schedule! I get into Midway about 5 p.m. which I thought would be fine for mom and dad to come and get me. I didn't realize that there is a big golf outing that weekend that dad golfs in every year. He's made it clear that he's going to golf, and he'll ride up with mom to get me if he has to. I'm sure it's just a joke though. He wouldn't really leave me to find another ride!

Best Experience Ever!

Today I went wedding dress shopping with my mom. After last weekend, we decided that David's Bridal would be the best next step in this process. So Sunday afternoon I called the Orland Park location to set up an appointment for today. We got up early this morning and made the hour - hour and a half drive up to Orland Park (into the city) and realized that we were about an hour early. (You never can tell when you're driving up north how long it's really going to take you to get up there!) We stopped at Kohl's to waste a little time, and I have to get "presentation" clothes for one of my classes this semester. I didn't find anything, and we decided (about 30 minutes before our appointment) that we should get over to the store (since we didn't know exactly how long it was going to take to get over there). 

We got there, got all registered, and met with our consultant. I must say that out of the 3 consultants that I've had in this process, today was the best BY FAR! She was so nice and helpful and honest! I tried on the first dress, and I liked it. Then I tried on the next dress and I LOVED it! The next one was a bust, and the last one was also a close contender. Mom really liked the last dress that I tried on, but I really loved the second dress that I tried on. So I walked around the store (in my dress) and found a veil that matched, and shoes that are so comfortable that I can't wait to wear them, and accessories for my hair. I could have came home with the dress, cause it was my size, but mom and I decided that we want a brand new dress to wear for the big day. They said that it would be hear about the middle of April, and I must say that I absolutely can't wait to try it on again! I understand now how brides feel when they find that one special dress that is right for them. It's just so perfect!

Another Long Weekend

Well, another weekend has gone, and I feel like I got nothing accomplished! Friday I got home from school, after stopping at Wal-Mart, and did some laundry and homework. Saturday I had to bar-tend, and I don't think it could have been a slower night. It felt like the longest day EVER! I did get a little homework done in the morning, but after work I went to the neighbor's for the annual beer and wine tasting party. Dad makes the homemade wine, and Mark makes the homemade beer. I must say, that both are mighty tasty!! It was a fun night, lots of fun people there. I was drinking the blackberry wheat beer, and it was REALLY good! Mark always makes excellent beer though. Mom was hilarious that night!  

Sunday, Mom, Jennifer, and I went to Morris and Ottawa shopping for wedding dresses. I must say that it was... not as productive as I was anticipating. I did find a dress that I LOVED in Morris, but it was about twice the amount that I wanted to spend. Had it ben half (or more) cheaper, I would have ordered it right then and there! Ottawa was even more disappointing. The prices were a little more in range, but the dresses were so... not what I was looking for. I made an appointment with David's Bridal for this weekend, and I hope that things go a little better. I'm kinda running out of time to get this done. 

Jeff Dunham

So this weekend was pretty busy. Saturday (Valentine's Day) I went to see Jeff Dunham. He was performing in Bloomington, and my neighbor was able to score some tickets. I must say, that he is just as awesome live as he is on Comedy Central. I think a big highlight was that Guitar Guy (Brian Haner) opened the show, and, you don't get to see this on TV, but he's actually very funny. He did a couple of songs, and they were hilarious. It was definitely a fun night. Before the show, we all planned on eating at Logan's, but like us small town people, it slipped our minds that Saturday was Valentine's Day and we were in Bloomington with A LOT of people, and the wait by the time we got there was 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then we went to the microbrewery and the wait was 2 hours. Then we went to (can you see a pattern?) Alexander's and the wait was 2 hours and 30 minutes. By this time we were running out of time and growing more and more hungry, so we settled on Pizza Hut. Our waitress was hilarious and a true sport. Especially since most of us were buzzed when we got there. Going into the place, we were assuming that they once served Bud products (and you know we are all Miller people). We saw the Corona sign on the wall and decided to settle for that, but when the waitress mentioned Miller Lite, we all got really excited. (It was that kind of night!) We got to the show, and got our drinks and got settled. Then we all laughed our butts off! Well most of us laughed all night. Mark ended up falling asleep before Jeff was done performing. I think he works to hard! It was a fun night though, and I would most definitely go see him again.

200 Days and Counting

Well we've hit a mile stone on the countdown to the wedding! 200 days and counting! Things are starting to come together. Adam seems happy with my decisions (which is encouraging), and I am starting to get really excited. We still have a couple big things to decide on (like my dress!) but we've still got a little time to work them out.

School seems to get busier and busier each week I go. I just keep telling myself that it's my last one and I graduate in May! Adam is ready to come home, but I think that he's really looking forward to the wedding. He keeps talking about getting the plane tickets soon because the prices are reasonable right now (at least as reasonable as you can get for Hawaii). He's also been thinking a lot about where he wants to re-enlist to. He gets to make that decision pretty soon, and we're both looking forward to that. Of course I'm still rooting for Hawaii so I don't have to move back to IL by myself after our honeymoon, but we'll have to wait and see what happens!

Another Year Older

Yesterday was my birthday. The 23!! I guess that it is true that after 21, all other birthdays are really just another day. My day was pretty mellow. I had school, and then came home and had a birthday beer with the boys at the Route, and had dinner with Mom and Dad. I think the best birthday gift that I got this year was my phone call from Zack on Tuesday night. That was the best surprise this year that he remembered and that he thought enough to call me. I don't think he realized how special that was!

Wedding plans are coming along pretty well, we've booked our cake. Well we've booked our cake maker I should say. We still have to decide what we want to do and how we want to decorate it and what kind of topper to put on it. Which really, if you think about it, is a lot of decisions for something that you're just going to eat! But it's tradition, and according to Adam - "It's what you're supposed to do..."

Well, the closer we get to the wedding, the more real it all gets. Mom and I decided that it's about time to start shopping for a wedding dress. We also realized that we should probably send out "Save the Date" cards. Since we had to change the date... Mom said that it was probably a good idea to do that. I think that Adam is starting to trust me a little more when it comes to the plans. Before he was real nervous about being a part of all the planning, but now I think he's starting to realize that I'm capable of planning it. I think Adam is more focused on getting home right now too.

Zack has made it to Iraq. Last I heard, he was doing fine. Dad mentioned to me the other morning that he and Mom now realize what I go through when Adam is overseas, with the worrying and the time zone difference. Dad said that Zack called at midnight one night and 4 a.m. another night. They deffinately aren't used to that. Although, I must say that I haven't gotten a 3 a.m. phone call in a while. Thank God!

Brrr!!!

So the high temperature today was -4 degrees. Yes... that's a negative sign in front of that 4! And that is without the wind chill factor. ISU cancelled classes today, but of course I didn't have school. The one time that there's a snow day, I don't have school. Figures! But tomorrow is supposed to be just as blistery cold out, so maybe I'll get lucky and not have to drive to Bloomington. 

Zack gets deployed to Iraq tomorrow. He's not sure how long he'll be over there. I'm hoping not long. His baby is due in July (the 19th if I remember correctly), so I hope that he's home for that. And of course I hope he's able to come home for Adam and my wedding along with Jesse and the baby. 

Adam is counting down the days until he gets to come home (and so am I). He got promoted back in November, and he starts getting paid for it in March, so we're excited for that. Communication has been a little rough for us lately, with me starting school this week and having a new schedule. Plus the cell phone connection is really bad unless Adam uses a calling card to call me. But that gets expensive after a while. I try to email him at least once a day, but the internet is really slow, and the computer lab is always packed. So it's hard for him to check his email and respond. But it's only 225 days until the wedding and then things will be easier. I can't have a countdown until he's back in Hawaii because neither one of us has any idea when that date is. Before he left they told him it would be around the end of June, so I'm hoping it's not that far off. 

Happy New Year!

Wow! I can't believe that it's 2009 already! Last year went by SO fast! A lot happened though. Adam and I got engaged, and my brother got married, and I found out I'm going to be an Aunt. It definitely was an exciting year! This year is going to be amazing also! My little niece or nephew is going to be born, and Adam and I are getting married, and then we'll be moving to where ever it is that we'll be moving to (hopefully that happens in 2009!). 

We definitely kicked off 2009 with a party! Zack and Jesse had invited some people over and Mom and Dad had invited some people over. There was a nice mix of people. It was a blast too. We had 2 beer pong tables set up and a ton of food. It was a blast, and I think that everyone had a lot of fun. I went to bed at 2:30 in the morning and everyone else stayed up to at least 5:30 or maybe later (or earlier if that's how you want to think of it). All of Zack's friends stayed the night, and Mom made a breakfast casserole in the morning for breakfast. Well we didn't eat until like noon, but it was still good. 

New Year's Day was pretty mellow. I got in a little nap in the afternoon (I needed it cause I was just a little bit hung over). Then Mom and Dad woke me up to tell me that we were going out to eat with Jesse's family and friends before they leave. We went to Turtle's to have dinner, and it was really good. Zack and Jesse got on their way today. Zack has to report back on Monday, and they wanted to get back and get unpacked. Some friends of theirs is moving, and they wanted to help. All in all it was a really nice visit with them, and I can't wait until I get to visit with my new niece or nephew! I still have a while to go though (like the end of July!).