Tag: soldier

The Best News I Have Ever Given

Posted in Get to Know Me, Life, Lifestyle, Marriage, Military, Military Life, Oh Baby, StorytimeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

He carefully lifted the last lid and then froze right there on the spot. I watched as his facial expression went from surprise to pure bliss. I took a deep breath as tears began to flow from his eyes. What a special moment. This was so surreal…

There were only a few days left to go before Christmas and the holiday spirit could be felt heavy in our home. We had gone with our favorite Winter Wonderland theme. I looked around at our living room all dusted in white and reached for a log to light the fireplace. My phone vibrated with a text from my husband that read ‘All done here baby, I’m headed home. Can’t wait to see you.’

I gently loaded the log into the fireplace and watched as the fire rose from a spark to a full on flame. Today was the day. I had some very special news to share and I could hardly contain my excitement. My husband was about to find out that he was going to be a daddy! I nervously straightened out the hem of my dress and settled into my favorite spot in front of the fire. It wouldn’t be long now.

I heard the beep of the car alarm and then the sound of his heavy boots as they climbed the stairs outside. I counted down the remaining flights in my head until he was right outside. His key turned in the door and as it opened, he smiled and looked over at me. ‘You look so cozy babe.’ He started to get prepped for a shower.

As he undressed, I watched him closely. He unbuttoned his jacket and lifted off his undershirt. I quietly studied his mannerisms, imagining in my head what a mini version of him might be like. I smiled to myself as I realized that I was excited to find out. I was even more excited for him to find out. ‘Hold off on your shower for a minute babe, I want to show you something.’ He froze and looked at me as the biggest smile of anticipation spread across his lips.

He happily took a seat in front of the fire and with shaky legs, I headed down the hallway to collect his surprise.

One by one he read each riddle and smiled until he had reached the final box. My heart began to beat a little faster as he lifted the lid. I had an idea of what his reaction would be and it brought me so much happiness to be providing this special moment for him. As he raised the lid, time stood still. He froze and stared in awe at the tiny onesie and booties, positive pregnancy tests and adorable baby rattle. Then he looked over at me.

His eyes became misty as he verified what he was seeing was indeed real. We were going to have a baby. ‘Really?!’ he looked to me for confirmation. I smiled proudly and nodded my head and then watched helplessly as he began to cry.

What a special moment.

He extended his arms and I accepted the invitation. We embraced in front of the fire with him sobbing into my arms, realizing that he was about to be a daddy. Seeing his reaction, his pure excitement alone, made my entire day.

Hearing the impromptu speech he recited for his unborn child left me speechless. In that moment, I knew that I couldn’t have picked a better man to be the father of my children.

He was happy. I was happy. It was going to be a very Merry Christmas indeed.

Better Than The Last Time

Posted in Beauty and the Beach, Life, Lifestyle, Marriage, Military, Military Life, Wanderlust: Travel and AdventureTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Sitting in the passenger seat, I looked over at him and smiled. The sun seemed to be resting happily on his shoulder. He kept one hand steady on the steering wheel and stretched the other out to me. I closed my eyes as he lifted the back of my hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss. Life sure had a funny way of coming full circle…

A loud buzzing rang out and filled the room, startling me from my sleep. I reached over and quickly turned off the alarm then looked over my shoulder to see if my husband was awake. He was still resting peacefully, eyes closed tight. I decided to take a moment to reflect.

Today was the day. The first day of summer leave. We had waited so long for this vacation. It almost didn’t come. I still remember the day I received the email. It came from my husband’s company. These days, the emails that came could have literally been anything. For a moment after my phone vibrated, I just stared at it. One new message. What could it possibly be? The entire world seemed to be in both a fragile and hostile state. The perfect recipe for disaster. Regardless of how nervous I was, I knew it was going to be information that I needed. I swiped down from my notification bar and my eyes instantly grew wide.

‘Great news!! The travel ban has been lifted and we have official dates for summer leave.’ I teared up as I read it over and over. ‘Please check with your paratrooper for further details.’ I sent my husband a screenshot of the email and he replied back with about a million smiley faces and exclamation points. This is what life had become. Celebrating the smallest of things. Every positive was a victory. We were definitely grateful. I couldn’t wait to start planning!

‘You awake baby?’ He pulled me from my thoughts. When had he climbed out of bed? Did I fall back asleep? Last night had been a restless one for me. I was so excited that it seemed like sleep never came. It was like the night before the first day of school when your outfit is already picked out and you can’t wait to see your friends. ‘I’m awake!’ I jumped out of bed and right into his arms. The adrenaline rush had set in. It was time to start our vacation!!

The next two hours were a whirlwind of showers, breakfast and packing up the car. Finally, the time came to get on the road.

I picked up our puppy, Noelle, with one hand and slid my purse over my shoulder with the other as I stepped outside. The sound of the door locking behind us made me let out a little giggle. I instantly felt silly. He must have noticed. He flashed me a smile as he slid the keys into his pocket and let out a chuckle of his own that was clearly meant to match mine. It didn’t seem so silly after all. He reached for Noelle and she dove into his arms, leaving me with free hands as we made our way down the steps. The three of us piled into the car and we would soon be on our way.

I looked around at the bags surrounding us. The last time we were all in the car like this, we were headed home to prepare for my husband’s rapid departure overseas. I glanced over at him as he slid on his sunglasses. I called him Mr. Smooth whenever he wore them. He cracked his knuckles and put the car into drive.

I looked down at Noelle, she had already cuddled up to her favorite toy and was setting her sights on a good nap. Everything felt normal. It felt perfect.

My husband passed me the aux cord as the sunshine hit my face. It felt SO good. We were on the road again! But this time was different. This was better than the last time.

Love In Lockdown

Posted in Life, Lifestyle, Marriage, Military, Military Life, Relax and RejuvenateTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I slowly opened my eyes and was immediately met by his gaze. For a moment we just stared at each other in silence. Finally, I smiled and asked him ‘How long have you been watching me?’ He didn’t give an answer, only smiled in return…

I rolled over onto my back and looked out of the window. The sun was shining bright through the blinds. It had to be at least 10 o’clock.

We had slept in.

Memories of the night before flooded my mind. We stayed up all night laughing and talking and just enjoying each other’s company. It had truly been a wonderful night.

The warmth of his hand grabbing mine broke me from my thoughts. ‘Stay in bed baby, I’ll get us some breakfast going and we can enjoy it together.’ He flashed that killer smile at me and headed towards the kitchen.

I propped myself up on my elbows and watched him as he worked. Quiet, yet diligent. Out of nowhere, he stopped and glanced at me. A sly grin crept across his face. ‘Alexa, play…’ Suddenly, music spilled into every room of our home. He was dancing and swaying to the music while I held back my laugh. This was what happiness felt like.

Outside, the world was not so happy.

My eyes landed on the papers stacked on the bedside table. “‘MANDATORY 14 DAY QUARANTINE’ They were my husband’s official orders. We were home and enjoying special time together, but we were in quarantine. The world was in a state of what could only be explained as pure chaos. I shifted my gaze from the papers to my husband, who was now loudly singing to our puppy as he prepared bacon.

Regardless of the circumstances, I was blessed to be spending so much time with the love of my life. I threw my legs over the side of the bed and headed up the hallway, eager to join in on the fun. This was going to be a long couple of weeks and I planned on enjoying every minute. I had never been more excited to be in lockdown.

https://youtu.be/dGBU1utoO5w

An Overseas Valentine’s Day Surprise ❤️

Posted in GIrly Things, Life, Lifestyle, Marriage, Military, Military Life, Something to CelebrateTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

‘I almost didn’t realize I was holding my breath as I shakily reached to open the trunk. Confusion and excitement overtook my thoughts. As the screen lit up my entire face, I became overcome with emotion. In those first few moments, I didn’t know whether to smile or cry…‘

It was a day like any other. The sun sat high in the sky and a light breeze filled the air that seemed to bring the perfect mix of wind and warmth. Birds were chirping in beautiful harmony. The general mood was a peaceful one.

It was Valentine’s Day. The day of LOVE.

More specifically, my third day of love without the love of my life by my side. I wasn’t in much of a mood for celebrating.

I glanced down at my phone, hoping to see a new message from my husband. It had become a bit more difficult to communicate again. We were blessed if he got the chance to say ‘I’m safe. I love you.’

‘Heard from Sean?’ I looked up to see my sister standing in the doorway. I quickly put on a fake smile. ‘Not yet, but hopefully soon.’ She stood there staring at me for a moment. Looking back, I should have known that she had a secret from the way the corners of her lips slightly curled upward.

‘Get dressed, come run some errands with me.’ She disappeared down the hallway as I reached for my outfit. I hadn’t realized that I was excited to get out and get some fresh air. I was excited to clear my mind.

I threw my purse over my shoulder and turned towards the window just in time to get a glimpse of her driving away. ‘What in the world?’ I couldn’t help saying it out loud. My phone vibrated against my leg and I pulled it out in time to see the words New Message flashing across the screen. It was my sister. I read it out loud. ‘Meet me at the park in 10 minutes.’

There were no other messages.

The moment I arrived at the park, I was instantly blindfolded. Standing there in the middle of the grass, I smiled as I heard her doing her final touches. It was obvious that she was trying to make me feel better but all I really wanted was a message from my husband letting me know that he was okay.

‘Okay, open your eyes!’

I blinked a few times to adjust to the sun. The first thing that caught my eye was a teddy bear that stood as tall as me, his neck wrapped in a cascade of pink ribbon. Beautiful pink and white roses were arranged neatly in a bouquet, mixed amongst a sea of pink and white gifts.

I became instantly overwhelmed, cooing over everything and holding back tears as I read my cards. The words were so beautiful. I could tell they had come from his heart. Due to the fact that we were in the middle of a deployment, he wasn’t able to physically write out his love letters to me. Still, he had taken the time to figure out a way to my heart.

My sister took the words he’d typed, printed them out and gently placed them in the card. They were just as beautiful as the ones he usually wrote by hand. I had to blink back tears once again. I wanted nothing more than to speak to him and thank him for making the day so special for me.

Little did I know, the biggest surprise was yet to come.

I nervously stood in front of the trunk, wondering what could possibly be waiting inside. For a moment, I allowed myself to believe that he was going to jump out and pull me into his arms as he had so many times before.

Wishful thinking.

I gently lifted the trunk in anticipation. The rush of pink and white balloons filled me with an unexplainable feeling of happiness.

But it left as quickly as it came, floating away into the air with the balloons.

My fingers wrapped around the ipad sitting in the trunk. It was all that remained. ‘Turn it on!’ I glanced over at my sister as I shakily pressed the power button and held my breath.

There he was! My husband!! I was speechless.

‘Hey baby, Happy Valentine’s Day From the Other Side of the World’…

He had recorded a beautiful video message for me. I watched it from start to finish. I could see the hurt in his eyes but I could also hear the love in his voice. I didn’t care about holding back the tears anymore.

I must have thanked my sister a million times for helping him plan it all out. My entire day had been made.

He called and we spoke for what felt like hours. I giggled like a school girl the entire time.

We were thousands of miles apart, but we had once again found a special way to celebrate our love.

Just as we always had.

https://youtu.be/cUDcFFPg6ag

For Our YouTube Family ❤

Posted in Empowerment, Life, Lifestyle, Marriage, Military, Military Life, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

My phone dinged again. I looked down at it just in time to see the notification for a new comment disappear and be replaced with another. I smiled. Our YouTube family. A huge unit comprised of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and more…from all over the world. Standing in our corner. It was amazing. It was inspiring…

I was worried and I was scared. I wanted to reach out to our online family to let them know what was going on. They had become a big part of our lives and we shared many aspects of it with them. Many had already started to ask questions. I wanted to include them in this huge moment.

I stared at my phone in my hand and almost changed my mind. My finger shakily pressed the button before I did. In a moment, I would be live. Who would see this? I had no clue. I tried to pull myself together as people started to appear. Someone asked ‘What’s wrong Sierra?’ and I lost it. Tears caught me by surprise as they spilled from both eyes.

I became angry at myself. I was here for a reason. To inform them of what was going on. I could barely get the words out. ‘Sean has been deployed.’ I said it through tears. I felt so vulnerable, but these people loved us so much. They were our family. The outpouring of support was almost immediate. I confided in them. Talking slowly and covering one point at a time. I told them as much as I could without compromising the safety of my husband and his unit. I asked for prayers. I wanted all the prayers that I could get and I smiled as they started sending them immediately. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. There was power in prayer. There was safety in numbers. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so alone.

The comments came in from everywhere. One behind the other. Heartfelt messages filled with concern flooded our DMs. I felt so much love. I wrote down every scripture. Agreed with every prayer. Accepted every well wish. I felt covered from all angles.

We now had an army standing in our corner.

I was so grateful. I am still so grateful. Some of my toughest times were in the beginning. Everything was a blur. Tensions were high. Heading into the unknown, we were all scared. ALL of us. I had my faith. I had my family. At the time, I didn’t realize that I had even more.

I love you guys so much.

From the bottom of my heart, Thank you.

More Than Just a Day at the Beach

Posted in Life, Lifestyle, Marriage, Military, Military LifeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

‘Wanna swing by the beach baby?’ He looked over at me with a smile. ‘Sure! It looks so nice out. We’ll just stop for a little while.’ We turned at the stoplight and parked. He opened my door and I climbed out of the car, stopping only to briefly change from sandals to flip flops. It almost seemed deserted. Barely any people. Just the way we liked it. We walked hand in hand towards the sand. We were definitely going to be here for more than just a little while…

2020. It was a new year. A new decade. So many plans. It’s crazy how life has this way of surprising you. I remember posting a photo on our social media with the caption ‘Excited to bring in a new year happy and together…’ At the time, I had no idea that my husband would soon be unexpectedly deployed. Hours notice, that’s all we got.

I remember the day we spent at the beach. It was such a perfect day. The sun was peeking from behind the clouds, providing the perfect amount of warmth and shade. It was deserted that day. We walked right up and got front row seats to the amazing sunset. ‘So beautiful.’ He and I had whispered that at the same time. ‘Yes, you are.’ I looked over at him. I had been talking about the sunset. He had been talking about me.

Oh my goodness. Why was I blushing??

I sometimes look back at the photos we took that day and smile. Such fond memories. We were blessed to have that special time together. It was so much more than just a day at the beach.