Bye bye Blair..until fall...

Last week was my last week babysitting Blair. I'm going to miss spending lots of time with just her. She is a wonderful girl. It has been such a tremendous joy watching her grow! When I first started babysitting her she was 6 months old. She was eating baby cereal and formula from a bottle and could barley sit up by herself. Now she is one and eating a lot of adult food and drinking milk from a sippy cup and practically running. Oh, she is just so cute! can't wait till fall!
Elyzabeth Jacobs

FIVE MONTHS DOWN!

So, it has been five months since Steven has left for his deployment.  I've had bad days and good days; which is to be expected.  I have been trying to keep myself busy. 

My brother-in-law has helped me fix up my living room and kitchen (pictures to come soon) and I have been cleaning the house.  I have 6 weeks till Steven comes home for his R&R and I want to have it lookin good.

I started my training for my second half marathon.  I actually have people to run with this time, my sister, Jeanna and my friend, Tami.  I won't have to do it alone!  The other good thing is Steven will be home to cheer me on for my half marathon! :)

I start full-time at Sherbondy's next week, and then soon I start working weekends, so I am going to be one busy girl.  I have been hanging out with friends and family.  I have family game nights twice a month, once on my side at my cousin's house and once with Steven's mom's side of the family.  It is a lot of fun! I love to play games and just have a good laugh.

Steven has been doing great! I haven't talked to him for long periods of time. But I have gotten some emails, here and there.  With winter over, his unit is getting really busy working on things that weather wasn't permitting them too.  Hopefully this makes time go by a lot faster for them.  There has been a few articles about his unit and the awesome progress they have been making.  Once I figure out how, I will post them on here.

No more brace face!

After almost four years, I have finally gotten my braces off! I just love not having them!
Elyzabeth Jacobs

Yay! He shaved!

thank gooodness! I didn't really like Steven's facial hair. I'm glad that he was getting tired of maintaining it!! He is sooo handsome!
Elyzabeth Jacobs

Full blown Stache!

Steven really took on the moustache. That is all I'm going to say about this...haha
Elyzabeth Jacobs

Steven's stache!

Steven and his platoon have started growing mustaches. I guess they called it "cheesey moustache month" it has been a month since they started, Steven still has his but I'm not sure if anyone else does. He wrote in an email once that he has been compared to Tom sellack. I am not a fan of facial hair so I don't care who he looks like, I don't like it! Haha
Elyzabeth Jacobs

Steven 1st Care Package!

Jeanna, Abi and I may have had way too much fun getting stuff for Steven's care package.  We wanted to make sure it was extra good since it was for Christmas.  We included things he needed, like socks, trail mix, ziplock bags, containers, chapsticks, etc.  And we included things we thought he would enjoy like a football, frisbee, men's health magazine and Teen Bop (we sent that out of fun...he needs to keep up on important news!..haha)

I posted some pictures of all the stuff we got (which he loved all of it by the way):

Fun with my new camera!!

While Steven was home during thanksgiving; we decided to upgrade our camera.  This is good news for me, because I get to use it while he is gone.  It is a really nice camera and I really like taking pictures with it.  Here are just a few:

A phone call...

Well, Steven is in Afghanistan.  We got the address for their unit, so now it is time to send some care packages.  First, I have to think of things to send him.  I have a few ideas, but I still don't know.

Steven called me last thursday.  It was so great hearing his voice, but it makes me miss him even more.  He said that they are still settling in and doing admin things.  They should start their mission soon!

Last weekend, we had our FRG Christmas party.  My niece, Abi went with me and we both had a good time.  When it was time to leave, I asked Abi if she wanted to go and she responds with "I guess"! haha  She said she wanted to always come with me to FRG events; which is fine because it is for the family.

A late Thanks-giving thought!

With Steven being home over Thanksgiving break, I didn't get to post what I was thankful for.

I am EXTREMELY thankful for Steven being able to come home for a visit.  It was really nice seeing him.  We had a busy thanksgiving, did a little shopping and saw the latest Harry Potter movie that just came out.  It was really hard this time to say good-bye because it may not be for another 11 months till I see him again.  But I have been doing well and keeping busy.

I am thankful for my family and friends.  I may be getting annoying or overreacting or sometimes underreacting to things, but they put up with it.  My family and friends are there for me when I need them and they are very understanding with what I am going through.  This experience, I have said many time before, has made me closer to them.  When I say my friends and family, I am also including Steven's family and friends!  Because I have for sure gotten closer to them, even just in the last couple of months.  I love having a wide variety of people in my life, it never makes for a dull moment; which is exactly what I need.

I am thankful for my FRG family.  They are included in family and friends, but I wanted to mention them seperately.  Last year I almost left being the treasurer for the FRG because it was stressful and I figured I could live without it.  I thought to myself that, I am so far away from these people, I could never really get to know anyone and that they have their own lives, so way would they want to get to know me.  Well there were changes made in the FRG, good changes, and I decided to stay in it.  And boy am I glad I did.  I love being in it, the drive isn't always fun, but it's worth it.  I have gotten close to the girls (there are men, but I mostly talk to the women) and it is nice to be able to talk to someone and they are going through the same things.  It nice; because we can help each other out and talk about what works for them.  They are a great support system and I don't know how I could do this without them!!

I am also thankful for God.  God gives us challenges in life, not to be mean, but to grow.  We may not like the challenges he has planned for us, but he knows what he is doing and he has a reasoning for all challenges.  In the little time that Steven has been away, I have become stronger and I continue to grow as a person with each day that passes.  I am thankful that God believes in me and Steven and that he gives us opportunities to grow as a person and as a couple.  Not to mention our relationship with God, himself, to become stronger and closer.

It's nice to hear it from stranger....

Today I got an accounts payable call at work.  I won't bore you with all the work talk, but at the end of our conversation she said that she knew that my husband was deployed because of a previous conversation she had with Kip.  She also wanted me to know that she has been thinking about my husband and I since then and wishes us well. 

I just thought it was really nice of her.  Most strangers, and even some people I know, just say "oh that's awful", "I could never do that", "How long is he gone?" or "well, a year will go by fast" and that is about all for the conversation.  I do understand that not everyone knows what to say in these types of situations, because like someone mourning a loss and saying to them "I'm sorry", it is the normal thing you say.  Steven hasn't even been gone for a month (but close to it) and I am already tired of people asking how I am doing, because what am I suppose to say.  I'm sure people will get annoyed if everytime they asked, I say how I really feel which is terrible, sad, angry, annoyed and all other emotions like that.  So, I just usually respond with a "oh, I'm good or okay.  How are you" and then they always snicker like it was silly to ask how they are doing.  I'm trying to return the politeness.

But this lady that doesn't even know me or knows what I look like, just knows my voice has thought about me and my husband.  Instead of asking me the question I dread, she just wanted to tell me that she has thought about us and that she hopes we have a great Thanksgiving and that this period of time goes fast.  I just thought it was really sweet of her.

Wish it was a year from now....

So...it has been about 4 weeks since Steven left.  It has been rough for me.  Yeah, I have good days but I have a lot of bad days too.  I am really hoping it gets easier.  But I have AWESOME friends and family that really help me out.  I don't know what I would do without them. 

I have been crying at weird times, like just walking out of our garage I get sad because I see his truck.  I get sad when he isn't here to talk to like when I am sad about losing my friends or when I got my speeding ticket.  Yes, SHOCKER, I got a speeding ticket!

There are a few things that I am getting used to, like, when I clean a part of the house, it stays clean.  I save money on water and heat.  I don't have to do laundry as much and I save gas.  But, I still want this year to go by really fast.  I hate wishing a whole year of my life away, but I don't like going a year without my best friend!

I do have one goal by the time Steven gets back from his deployment: reading the entire bible.  I am going to read the bible in chronological order.  I think this will help me get through this rough time and for me to work on "me" spiritually.

Letter to a military spouse

While I have never had the pleasure of meeting you or your husband, I felt the need to write you and express a very deep feeling that I have in my heart.


I, as a person, am not brave. I do not tackle things head on, as I hate confrontation. I will travel 100 miles out of my way just to avoid a conflict. I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news.

I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for.

I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband.

I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so.

I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren't yet old enough to understand.

I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home.

I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with.

And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting.

For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel. I can not tell you that you must be strong. I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man". I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes.

What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another soldier" - - I will never have to walk in your shoes.

I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now. I have figured out that you are not like other women. You are of a special breed. You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess. The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America.

You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American.

I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment.

Until this moment I could never put into words exactly what America meant to me.

Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you.

Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family. You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down. Military families make this nation what it is today.

You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

Because of you and your family...I am able to be me. I am able to have my family. I am able to walk free in this great land. Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay. Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday.

I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom.

I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable. However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...what you are doing...what has happened today...or what will happen tomorrow...Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me.... And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten.

You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely.

May God Bless You!

(Author Unknown)

Military Pictures!!!

We got military pictures done before Steven deployed.  There are A LOT of they are all sooo good.  I only added a few of my absolute favorites!

 

 

 

A Military Wife's Prayer

Give me the greatness of heart to see,

The difference between duty and his love for me.
Give me understanding so that I may know,
When duty calls, he must go.

Give me a task to do each day,
To fill the time while he is away.
When he is in a foreign land,
Keep him safe in your loving hand.

When his duty is in the field,
Please prtoect him and be his shield.
And when he is gone for so long,
Please stay with me and keep me strong.

Well, that time has come! Steven has been deployed. The unit had their send off ceremony Thursday, October 28th. There was an awesome turnout and it was so wonderful to see all the people that cared about our soldiers! If the send off ceremony was this awesome, I can't wait to see what the homecoming ceremony is going to be like.

This is Steven's first deployment; but he has been away from home before, just not for more than 3 months (for the academy). I always go through an adjusting period where I don't want to do anything or be around anyone, I get really moody and snap often. By for some reason, I haven't been that way a whole lot. I still have my moments where I snap but it isn't as often as I thought it would be. I think me praying to God for strength has really helped. It just goes to show that God does listen and helps us out when he know that we truly need it!

I have great family and friends who check up on me and see how I'm doing. It may be a text or short phone call but whatever the form of communication is, I am very blessed to have people in my life that care so much about me. I truly think because of them, I am going to come out of this experience a better, stronger woman! When you have a situation like this, you can only look at the positive of things. I know, every now and then I will be sad or angry but if I always focused on those feelings, this year would be hell and go by slow. I wouldn't take any good out of this experience and that isn't what we should do. We should take this opportunity to work on ourselves, on our relationships with others and more importantly on our relationship with God, because he will always be there for us!

Two friends that will always be remembered!

Two saturdays ago, I lost two friends that I have known since elementary.  Josh Royer and Cory Geise were in a horrible car accident on Saturday, October 16th.  Cory was speeding and lost control of the car and they crashed into the ditch.

This is Cory.  He just got out of the military and started going to UNO for engineering.  He has been to Iraq and helped out in Haiti.  Steven and Cory had recently started talking because Cory was thinking about joining Steven's national guard unit, which is the engineering unit.  We saw Cory the week before he passed away at Steven's going away party.  We weren't very close friends, but he was a great guy and so nice.

This is Josh.  I was closer to Josh and I saw him last at my birthday party on the 2nd of October.  He was so nice and had a great smile.  Every time I think of Josh, I just remember he would always be smiling while saying "Hey Lyz".  Josh just recently got engaged to a very nice, wonderful girl.  I miss him terribly!

Death is always sad and even harder to handle when the ones that past were so young and just started really living their lives.  With Josh getting engaged and Cory going back to school to do something he has always wanted to do, it just seems to soon.  But we all know that everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for all of us.  And right now, he really needed Josh and Cory!  I will love and miss both of them and they will always be in my heart!

Three days after my friends' passing, my brother-in-law, John Paul's grandfather, Richard, passed away.  He was 85 years old and lived an extremely wonderful and fulfilled life!  I saw him as a grandpa figure and always called him Grandpa Peterson.  Him and his wife, Pat, were the only ones out of this family to attend University of Iowa, the rest went to Iowa State.  So, knowing I went to U of I for a year and was a fan of the Hawkeyes, every time he came into the Sherbondy's store, he would talk about the U of I and sing me the Iowa fight soon.  He was always so nice and was interested in what was going on with everyone.  Richard will also be missed very much and he will be in my heart as well!

“If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.”


The Crow (1994)

Half Marathon

October 17th, I ran my first half marathon!  My friend, Jamie and I participated in it in Des Moines, IA.  I trained for about 3 months for it.  My time was 2 hours and 45 minutes.  I wanted to get it done in 2 hours and 30 minutes, but being off by 15 minutes isn't bad I guess.  I did enjoy it and I do plan on doing the Council Bluffs one in May.  Some people have told me that it is strangely addicting, and it actually is.  It was fun participating in the race and having people that don't even know you cheer you on and tell you how great of a job you are doing.  I got an awesome medal just for finishing it too!

This picture is me and my friend, Jamie, right before the race. It was a little chilly in the morning, but I knew I would warm up as soon as I started running. Jamie is pretty much an expert runner, she has done many half marathons and one marathon.

 

This is me at the finish line.  I was sooo tired by this point but I just wanted to be done.  I don't remember people being by me, that's how zoned out I was! hahaha

Steven was so proud of me!  You can also see the awesome medal that I got!!!

IT'S ALMOST HERE!!!

So, we are winding down to the last month before Steven leaves for deployment.  So many things that we have done and still need to do. 

Steven and I got our pictures done by McKenzie Ring.  She is a wonderful and talented photographer and I would recommend her to anyone.  We did a military theme and McKenzie got some great shots!

We went to visit Steven's Uncle and Aunt in Spirit Lake.  It was a great time.  We participated in Tottie time; which is pretty much cocktail hour at 5pm.  I learned how to play Domino's; which is a really fun game and we played the card game Golf.

We celebrated my sister and mine's birthday just last saturday with a Hog Roast.  It was mighty delicious.  It was great seeing a lot of friends and family.

Next saturday, Steven, friends and family and I are going out as Steven's going away party.  It will definately be a good time.  But it is also sad to think that this is the last time some people will see if him for a whole year.

Steven and I are procrastinators, so there are still some important things that need to be done; like sign up for military healthcare.  That is probably the main thing we still need to do. 

With the 28th getting closer and closer, I get a little bit more sad each day.  It is hard to think for a whole year I have to live without my husband, my best friend, someone that I go to when I need advice, need to be cheered up or if I need a bowl from the top shelf or if I need a spider killed.  We learned that you can't put your life on hold when someone is deployed, but with this being our first deployment; it is hard not too.  I feel like a lot of the things I want to do, I want to do with Steven.  But I am going to work hard not to always think about it and to keep busy.

Prayers for all the soldiers and their families!

Yellow Ribbon Event

This saturday Steven and I had to go to Lincoln for the Yellow Ribbon Event.  No, it's not where we make yellow ribbons..haha  We learned a lot of things about deployment, things we should and shouldn't do, how to communicate with each other and others and most importantly, health care while Steven is deployed.  They do offer healthcare; which it is pretty good coverage, the only thing that stinks is that I may have to go to Offutt for my doctor appointments, it depends on what kind of coverage we decide on though.

They have a lot of information available and different resources for the soldiers and their families to use.  It will be nice to be able to take advantage of them.