Re-Enlistment 2010

so charles signed his re-enlistment contract today for another 4 years of service.  he had 2 left, but when you re-up it starts over again, so he has just a straight 4 years left.  at that point, he'll be almost to 10 years total, so he'll re-enlist indefinitely next time. 

i doubt there is anyone who reads this regularly who isnt in the loop, but just in case - up until yesterday afternoon, we were under the impression that he was signing his re-enlistment contract to send us to Germany in August.  well that didnt happen.  apparently uncle sam is quite the practical joker because since finding out that our plans had fallen through, i have talked to many current and former military wives who have had the same experience.  lovely.  but alas, there is a reason for everything and i have accepted the situation with the knowledge that God is keeping us here for a reason and i'm sure it's a really good one.  so i'm ok.  but i sure was excited to go!  so now's not the time, but eventually it will come.  yes mom, it will come.

**

so in a ceremony that was supposed to be much cooler and involving an authentic Storm Trooper costume, my most excellent husband volunteered to serve us for another 4 years this morning.  here he is with LT Tabares.  "The LT", as he's called, joined the Army as an officer so he was pretty "green" (inexperienced) when he first came here.  Charles greatly admires him and we have all gotten to know him.  he's a really nice guy and does well to work for his soldiers and the company.  naturally, it was he who charles wanted to be the officer for his re-enlistment.  now the poor LT has only re-enlisted one other person before charles, so he was pretty nervous.  there is a whole "repeat after me" thing that he has to say and he can't mess it up.  he only flubbed on one part but was able to do it without notes.  afterwards he admitted that he has been practicing at home in front of the mirror for the last week so that he didnt screw up.  :)

LT talking about what an honor it is to be asked to re-enlist Carlitos.

"repeat after me"

i get a certificate too because "the army doesnt just re-enlist soldiers, they re-enlist families".  it has a whole speel on it about how much my service is appreciated and is very nice.  i am wearing heels today, just so you know.

LT had initially forgotten to give me my certificate and he had also forgotten to sign it.  he was flustered and nervous, as previously stated.  so about the time they started snapping pictures he realized that fact and everyone laughed at him - thus my laughing.  still a good picture though.  he offered to pose the picture again with the "signed" certificate, but i declined.  :)
after all the photos and certificates, charles is given the floor to make a speech.  he's a good speech-maker and this was no exception.  he spoke first about me and how much he appreciates me and my support.  it was very nice.  my favorite part, though, was that he publicly acknowledged that he is grateful for my optimism.  (check that out mom!)  "without my wife and her optimism and positive attitude, i would not have anything to look forward to."  which sounds depressing as i type it and read it, perhaps i am remembering it incorrectly, but it was very nice.  and for him to say out loud, even in front of people, that he appreciates that about me is very big.  usually he gives me crap about it because he prefers to be "realistic".  it was just wonderful.  afterwards he went on to thank our friends and his co-workers who were there and speak about how they are all part of our military family and he appreciates them and that we are family for life.  it was very nice.  :)
so there ya go, i had hoped this post would be the WE'RE GOING TO GERMANY! post, but instead it's just another day in our fabulous life together.  it's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and i am married to my best friend the soldier.  life is good.

Slim Down Fort Leavenworth - the conclusion

So my big 3 month Fat Fest 2010 work event has finished.  this last saturday i co-sponsored a 5K "Fun Run" with FMWR (Family, Morale, Welfare & Recreation: military-wide organization in charge of making life suck less).  it was about 40 degrees outside and raining like crazy.  all things considered, we had a pretty awesome turnout.  all those diehards with super cut legs and tiny shorts were there and the top 10 finishers ran between 18 and 22 minutes.  i suspect it was to get it over with sooner, but i doubt it.  they seemed to be enjoying it.  freaks!! 

yes, people brought their kids.  here was a cute little pre-run stretch fest, thought it was pretty cute.

that 12 foot tall skinny man in the front was one of the top finishers.  he ran the course for a warm up, ran it in the race, came back first or second, then ran it again just to do it i guess.  pretty hardcore.

there were many strollers.  again: 40 degrees and rainy. 

this kid has a pretty decent cheering section.  his dad runs marathons and he has been training for this race with his dad for some time now.  he's 7 and was extremely proud to be finishing his first 5K.

more public speaking Michelle-style

due to the weather, these 4 were the only of my participants who stayed till the end for the awards ceremony.  it's a good thing though, they won all the awards anyway.  my winning team of 4 people lost a combined 74 pounds.  the couple on the left were 1/2 of the team.  the person who logged the most time exercising is the woman on the left, 4975 minutes - 82 hours, 55 minutes.  this is in 11 weeks.  and the Biggest Loser is her husband, second from the left in the light shirt.  he lost 40 pounds or 18.6% of his body weight.  quite impressive!  i had such a good time with this event and i'm very proud of it.  a total of 375 pounds was lost by the whole group, which is pretty amazing. 

so now it's done and i'm on to planning my next big event: Spring Fling.  should be quite a gaggle.

next update: Charles' Re-enlistment and its effects.  oooohhhh yeeeaaa.

lazy sunday

i dont really have anything of importance to share, i was just reading the updates on life from my dear friends and thought i'd add one too.
- exercising has been going pretty well.  i really like Body Pump class - it's like total body strength training death to funky upbeat music with nice instructors telling you new ways to cause yourself pain.  oddly theraputic, plus, i've been able to add more weight, so that means i'm getting stronger.  and that's nice.  i have noticed minor differences in the level of fat on my body, but have not weighed myself for a few weeks.  the last time i did, after working diligently for a few weeks at the gym, the scale was the same.  i was so pissed i decided that i didnt need to look at it any more for a while. 
- along the same lines, my Slim Down Fort Leavenworth work event ends next Saturday.  i'll post pictures and results - not necessarily because people care, but because i'm really proud of it.  definitely a job highlight.
- this wednesday i will go to the Black Eyed Peas concert.  i have floor tickets - which means thursday i'll have a headache, probably an unknown and unfamiliar version of a contact high from something or another, and most likely some bruises.  should be fun.
- thursday i have an appointment with my doctor to get probed.  i'm hoping very much she will be able to look at me and say "yes, THAT right there is why you are not yet pregnant.  let me just take a second to remove it and you may now go forth and multiply."  say some prayers.  i have been doing better with my patience, but charles will be gone to school for a month and a half starting the end of April, many changes are possible once he returns and i struggle not to let myself feel the time crunch.  i know God has His own timing, but i would appreciate it very much if His timing included the possibility that my husband and i could deliver a baby side by side... and preferably in the same country as our families (although that one is less important to me than his presence - sorry mom, it's true).
- we cleaned the house this weekend.  i have a roast in the crock pot and it smells good.
- i have learned how to play poker and i like it.  i picture myself winning thousands of dollars some day.  i'm also full of crap.

and since i have no cute kid pictures to post, here's an eyebrow-raiser for you:

Living the Life

Anyone who knows me well would know how much i LOVE the military life.  I have been reflecting on this lately because, now that the weather is nicer, there seems to be an influx of people out and about in the town.  I have seen a couple of people in full uniform with a ruck sack practicing for a march of some sort.  (translation: full daily uniform plus massive backpack with 50+ pounds of gear stuffed inside.  backpack is called "ruck sack" and marches with them are called "ruck marches".  often, for a competition or as a part of some sort of test, soldiers have to do a 20 or 50 or whatever mile ruck march.)  i have also seen a lot of people running around town in their PT (physical training) uniforms.  i just love it!  i love to be on post and be surrounded by so many people who are disciplined, clean cut, upstanding citizens.  i love to go to walmart and see the distinction between people.  men with facial hair are not in the military, men without usually are.  even without that, military families carry themselves differnetly.  it's difficult to describe.  i can tell who the young soldiers are and i can tell who is higher ranking.  pride.  wisdom.  duty.  it's all very much a "worn on your shoulder" kind of thing around here and it's beautiful to see and exciting to be a part of! 

i live for such occasions as above.  charles is the guy closest at the head of the rows, he is giving the commands for the retiring of the colors.  not only do i love this life, but i am beyond proud of my husband.  he is a great husband and will be an amazing father at some point, but he was made to be a soldier.  it's who he is.  i understand and deeply respect that about him.  when we first were married, it pissed me off when he'd say "i love you, and you're my wife.  but i'm a soldier first."  well, it's just true.  he is a man, yes, he is human.  but he's a soldier.  it just is.  and i love that about him!  i dont like to be apart, but that's part of the life, taking the good with the bad.  he is a leader, he is a person with integrity, and he serves.  every good woman has a great husband with those same qualities in some form or another, but i guess i feel cool because living those qualities is my husband's job. 

i never imagined that i would be considered part of a "military family", but i am.  here is my brother.  another amazing man of whom i am extremely proud.  cameron has been in the air force for 12 years this fall and has made his way up to the same rank that my grandfather was when he retired.  God bless my parents for supporting their children and our decisions to live this life.  i know it is not easy for them but they understand why we do it and why we love it and they are amazingly strong people.  (plus they love to take trips to see us, even if cameron gets cooler duty stations than we do)

here is charles "living the life".  if you've ever wondered what Guantanamo Bay, Cuba looks like, now you know.  here's the bay.  :)  He has gone twice, both times were great learning experiences (for both of us), and both changed him.  just based on the few things i am allowed to know about his time there, i can tell you - pray for our soldiers now and always.  do NOT pay attention to the media slander.  you want to piss me off?  start a conversation about GTMO and that whole situation.  the freedoms that this man and so many others fight to protect are daily responsible for besmirtching the reputation of our country and its soldiers. 

and finally, this one.  bar none, the best part about this life is my love.  this was taken shortly after we got home from the airport when he took his mid-tour leave during his last deployment.  we will be married 4 years in may, and my honeymoon period starts over after every absense.  you want to put some spark in your marriage?  send your husband to hell for 6 months, get a couple weeks with him, then send him away again for another 6 months.  i consider myself lucky to have every second that i do with this man, and i know full well that all too soon the time will come again when i drop him off at an airport for a year or so.  he does what he does for his country and for his family.  he does it well and i appreciate it.  i am happy to take some small part in his sacrifices by supporting him and being a strong wife while he is gone and when he needs my help.  our military family is our family.  we support each other in many ways.  sometimes he gets frustrated with his job and talks about getting out but i admit, i always try to talk him into staying in.  not only would he be miserable as a civilian (no matter how much he denies it) but, selfishly, i dont want to give this up.  good and bad - it's my life.  and i love it.  :)