Just call me Mrs. Simison!

It's final!! Robbie and I are now married! Our marriage date is August 26 which was last Thursday!! :) We are both so happy and joyful that this has finally happened. It is awesome and surreal. At this time we are planning on me having the baby here due to time constraints on getting everything taken care of. Robbie is excited to come home and see everyone. We are both excited to see each other and spend some time together. This 5 months has been/is torturous! The next few months are just going to fly by. The month of September will be spent preparing for Robbie and the baby and doctor appointments and what not. And then October it's all happening!!! Ahhh!! Where did the time go... I mean I know where it went... lots of hours watching tv, being bored, trying to find jobs, spending lots of awesome time with my family and best friends... that was the best part obviously. Well it's going to start happening. And it will be exciting to be here for the baby. We are excited about it.

Finally! Some great news.

From the marriage company today:

"Yes! This morning, we received Robert's marriage documents and your marriage file is going through preliminary processing. Moreover, your marriage file should be in the Montana system by tomorrow.

In the next couple of days, the Clerk of the Court will issue your marriage license, and, within 3 days of the Clerk's issuance of your marriage license, we will solemnize your marriage; and you will be married! Yay!

We look forward to bringing you the very good news of your marriage!"

Praise God!

Prego pics at 7 months!

This weekend was great. I spent it with one of my dear friends Becca, who excitedly came out to create some amazing photos and memories of me and my son. I have just chosen a few of my favorites to post here. I haven't even worked on photoshopping these yet. (hey i'm a designer... no photo shall go untouched!! haha)
I hope you enjoy them!! Thanks!!
Love,
Jennie

August is looming.

A lot is trying to happen.... I think...

This past monday we finally received Robbie's divorce paperwork it the mail. Yay!!!! Slight problem is the dates are all screwed up and the date that matters is completely illegible even on the original. Yay!!!! Seriously would be nice to catch a break.
THANK YOU TEXAS.

Ok so nothing changes until we can sort out this issue. All the marriage papers are pretty much ready go to. So we are just waiting on the D papers still.
Please keep us in your prayers as far as getting me shipped off.

I did have a doctors appointment today, and me and Baby are doing well. I do not have gestational diabetes, so bring on those cookies!! haha :P Just kidding. All my numbers are good and things are progressing normally. So we do have that GREAT NEWS to lean on.

Until then...
- Jennie

Summertime!!

HOly Moly it's hot out there! Thank God for cotton summer dresses, flip flops, and hair ties. Without them I would surely melt.

This summer has been so extremely busy for the most part. I have been so blessed to have the time to spend with family and friends. I have been out to eat more in the last few months than probably my whole life. Breakfast lunch and dinner. And I'm not complaining! haha. In fact I have lunch plans today and tomorrow! I am also going to Ellenton Outlet Mall today. I gotta hit up the Carter's Store!! I am very excited about that one! :)

Well I had my 3 hour Blood Glucose test this week. They drew my blood a total of 5 times within 3.5-4 hours. While fasting, and only had this pure sugar drink. I don't have the results yet, but I do have a bunch of tiny bruises to show for it. Seriously they should just give you an I.V. and a sedative and wake you up when it's over. It wasn't a big deal, besides the starvation, and then the messed up stomach after finally eating.. haha. It just took all day and they stuck me 5 times. So you can see my logic, no? :) Hopefully everything will come out normal, and I can get back to eating my dessert!! (just kidding... sort of) I have a doctors appointment a week from tomorrow, so we'll know then!

As far as Germany goes, we are still waiting on Robbie's divorce to be final... stupid paperwork keeps getting messed up. In any case, movement is happening so that is a blessing!! Keep praying my warriors!! Hopefully we'll have a resolution to that in the next week or so. And our marriage paperwork is almost complete and to the place who will be marrying us. All they need is that divorce paper. Once that happens, hopefully things will be full speed ahead.... I know I'm going to freak out slightly when that does happen, because I will be getting closer to leaving. As excited and happy and joyful as it makes me to join my hubby, the daddy of our son, and our new home... I still get anxious about leaving my life here. Again... easiest and hardest thing in the world.

This Saturday, we are having the worlds most awesome yard sale at the Carlisles! Jason has been and will be the most biggest help with all of this.. I think he shouldv'e been a professional yard saler.. he gets so excited about it! :) In any case, he is transporting my JUNK all over the planet getting it to his house and they have allowed me to store my JUNK in their garage for a while now.... I am so greatful for the Carlisle's! They are my awesome friends and I am so greatful for the time I have had to spend with them and their family. So COME OUT TO OUR AWESOME YARD SALE!!! AND TAKE HOME SOME TREASURES!! haha

Alright, well I better wrap this up, fixing to get my shop on!! Yes!!
check back for more!!
Love ya'll!!
Jennie Almost Simison!!

Belly moving!

Hey guys,
I made this video for Robbie.. getting creative so he can see the belly move!! :) haha I noticed at night when I'm watching tv that when I rest the remote on my belly it moves all around! So cool. And this is the easiest way for me to share it with Robbie (that I know of as of yet). Will be learning more about our new camera, we used it to make this and my computer of course. Hopefully they will get more professional as time moves on!! :) Love ya'll!!

P.S. This is approx. 20 minutes of footage cut down to about 2 minutes of the best stuff! Enjoy!!

Shower and Sonogram Update!!

So my shower was completely awesome. Seeing my girls was wonderful. I didn't want anyone to leave!! haha. Crystal did an excellent job planning! And mom and Sandy and Katie and Andrea and Sherry and all the helpers that helped out did an awesome job setting up, cooking, and making it happen! Thank you ladies so very much for throwing such a wonderful party and making my day, week, month! We are so prepared now for Baby Robbie, it's awesome. Thanks everyone for all the wonderful sweet gifts. I can't wait to dress up Baby Robbie and take pictures in all his cute outfits and using all of his precious gifts! And Dad was sure excited to see everything. He sends his love and his gratitude for the shower and all the gifts. He couldn't believe it all!!

Today I had my sonogram and it went wonderful! Baby Robbie is 2 lbs. and 6 oz. so far. :) Right on schedule. All his parts are in place and functioning as they should be! Here are some pics of my sweet baby boy.

It's Shower Day Shower Day!

YAY!! I get to see all my ladies today. I am really excited now. Only 1 hour to go, and I just want to go up there now! haha I know I can't do that.. But I wanna.

Wow it's so hot today. The room where I get ready is not air conditioned so I am taking an AC break! Hot Hot

Ok so I will post pics after the shower!!
Much love!
Jennie and Baby Robbie!

Good night to all!

So I had a wonderful time with my 2 girlfriends who flew in for my shower tomorrow. I got to spend the day with them eating and shopping and eating. haha It was such a wonderful thing that they flew in to hang out before I go to Germany.

Speaking of I'm getting very excited about. I think after my shower tomorrow, I am going to be so much more antsy to get over there and set up our nursery! haha. It's going to be hard to be patient after that.

Also for some reason I am getting anxious about the shower tomorrow. I don't know why, I am just excited and tired maybe. I don't know. I know it will be wonderful and I can't wait to see what my ladies have planned!

I miss my Robbie so much. My belly is getting so big, he is going to be shocked when he sees me in person! haha. I send pictures all the time but it's not quite the same. I don't like the fact that my weight is now spreading to other regions of my body... I know I'm pregnant and all, but I can't wait to start running again hopefully by the end of this year.

Robbie is doing well. He is still working hard and resting hard on the weekends. :) He has met some friends and been jamming on the guitar some weekends, so that is good. He cannot wait for me to be there too though. We are getting excited at the near future.

ok well I better head off to bed so I can get my beauty sleep for this party tomorrow! And Baby Robbie too!
Love ya!
Jennie Sue

Newfound energy surges within me, and my heart fills with optimism.

My devotion today was on confidence. I have always thought that my fruit of the spirit was faith. Throughout all the trials I have faced, I have always been faithful in knowing that God was by my side, and no matter what it would work out as long as I was true to my faith.

The section in my devotion that stood out for me today was: "I then turn to God in prayer, allowing God's presence to illumine my mind and heart. In the silence, I reconnect with the essence of my being. Newfound energy surges within me, and my heart fills with optimism."

It is interesting that today Robbie and I had this very conversation about how we were both feeling optimistic about obstacles in our life. And we have both been praying like crazy about this specific thing that is out of our hands. Regardless of the outcome, we must remain faithful. I think faith is half the battle in keeping optimism and sanity. ha :) I know that it sure beats the path of worry.

I am steadily challenged to keep the faith. And that is what I am going to do...

On a completely different note, my baby shower is this Saturday! And my girls have something cooking that I can't wait to see! I am so excited about seeing all my girlfriends from around everywhere. I also have this weird but happy feeling that like I am finally getting prepared for Baby Robbie. And that I will have a child soon. And my heart is overcome with joy that I just want to cry sitting here typing this.. although I'm trying to stop.. haha

I hope I don't cry at the shower.. man. That will be embarrassing, but sometimes I just can't help it! Ok I'm good. This baby has been kicking all around. I started feeling him this week above the belly button. haha. Im thinking.. uh oh.. the painful part is coming.. I just know it. :) But so far, I love all his little flips and bumps. They are precious, and I just rub him with cocoa butter, haha, and tell him that rub is from his daddy. And to go easy on the stretch marks... none yet, but I'm prone to it..eep!

My grandmother has been so gracious letting me stay here. This has been the perfect place for me to be. Right in the center of everything. And I have such a big and spacious place to live. And privacy of my own. We were so blessed to have this room available. And I thank God for her everyday. Don't worry Grandmother, I will be out of your hair someday!! haha :)

On doctor visits, I have a Genetic Counseling appointment on Monday the 12th at 11:00 where they are going to go over some genetic stuff... We have some weird thing in our family that we just happen to know about that is similar to lactose intolerance, so we are going to learn more about that (my mom is accompanying me, she loves all that genetic doctor stuff) and then on Wed. the the 14th, I have a Level 2 Sonogram, this isn't the 3D one, I believe they just take a long look and make sure all the organs are there and growing. My mom and Robbie's mom Sandy are going and Sandy is going to try and video tape if they will let us so we can send it to Robbie. I also have blood drawn around the 20th, and my next doctor appt. is the 22nd I think... gotta check on that. So anyhow, July is looking to be a BUSY MONTH!!!

Ok well that's all I got for now... I will upload some new pics for your enjoyment!
Love ya'll.
Jennie

P.S. If anyone knows anyone who wants a piano, I have one for free. They just have to move it.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

"Strength is in quietness. The lake must be calm if the heavens are to be reflected on its surface...Oh, for the lost art of meditation! Oh, for the culture of the secret place! Oh, for the tonic of waiting upon God!"

As I thumb through a book I am looking to purchase I came across this. The first devotion in a book dedicated to military wives whose husbands are deployed. The first day titled "The Gift of Solitude". :) In all things give thanks, right? I think I will be picking this one up...

Thought I would share, because the above can relate to anyone these days in the busy-ness of life, sometimes it is forgotten to be still and know that He is God.

Fishing With Moses

Today marks the 1 year point of my dad's passing. Here is my blog entry from 1 year ago today:

Friday, June 26, 2009
Fishing in Heaven
My daddy passed away last night around 1:15am. He was very peaceful and comfortable. Doug, mom and myself were there. We rubbed his head one last time, held his hand, and cried on his shoulder. Trudy, Bobby, Timmy, Lindsey, Baby Ansleigh, and Ryan all joined us to see Dad and to have prayer and comfort each other. Dad is now in a much better place and his suffering is over. He is probably fishing with Moses as I type. :)


You can visit my daddy blog and re-enjoy the slideshow at:
http://frankgavin.blogspot.com/

Recent pics and more!

So I bought my wedding ring today!! It's a simple white gold band. I can't help it. I'm a traditional kind of gal. I even tried on several diamond bands and wraps and bla-diddy bla bla, but nothing looked as good as the simple to me. So that's what I did. Robbie is looking at black and gray Tungsten rings. They are very pretty and I saw some in person today. I can't wait to order his!

Progress!!

Ok So I am legally not married anymore!!!! We've got one down and one almost finished. Robbie and I both have our marriage papers and are sitting on go to fill them out once old strings are tied. Mine will be filled out tomorrow! And then we will both send them to Montana with our D papers and they will legally marry us!!! From 10 million miles apart! Crazy I know. AND it's only June! We may be married by super early July. Which would be great! That's what's going on with that situation.

I am doing well, picking up some freelance here and there. Shopping for Baby Robbie. Feeling him doing somersaults in my tummy all day long now!! :) I love it. Spending much needed time with family and friends. I am going to miss everyone so much it hurts to think about it. I gotta stop now or I will bust out crying. My mother does this to me. Anyhow, I hope everyone knows that while I am confident in the path my life has taken and am very excited to live in Europe with my best friend and new hubby and new Baby Robbie, and so ready for my baby boy to be here, I do leave a piece of my heart in Florida. There is nothing that can replace the physical company of another. And I will think of all of you everyday... in between diaper changes... wishing one of you were there to change a diaper.. haha J/K... But seriously I have been blessed with amazing people in my life. Amazing family and friends and it is definitely going to be the easiest and the most difficult thing to get on that plane. I find much relief in the fact that my mother will be visiting in October for the birth of our first son. And we are wholeheartedly serious when we invite anyone to come for a visit. We will need it! :)

On the complete opposite side of things, I cannot wait to be in Germany. I miss my Daddy Robbie so much IT hurts. We are communicating solely through email now, which has been fine. But we cannot wait to be back together as a family planning for our puppy as Robbie calls him. :) I am excited to finally be in OUR first home as husband and wife and to be setting up our nursery. We also are going to be meeting with the chaplain for marriage counseling and a proper mini ceremony. Plus I just can't wait to be with my Robbie again.

Ok I'm done crying now..

Robbie is going great. He is constantly impressing the big wigs and getting talks of promising positions etc. I believe he is enjoying the work he is doing, but again misses me when he comes "home" at night. He has met some friends though and has taken up watching soccer with them. He is quickly becoming an avid soccer fan. haha. Which is good, because it takes up the spare time. If I didn't mention it, Robbie did get his German license!! Which is great. Now we can drive to the hospital to have Baby Robbie!! haha

Well I think that's all for now, my next baby doctor appt. is next Wed. I will let you all know how it goes!

Until next time,
All my love!
Jennie

ADDRESS

Hey ya'll,
Here is Robbie's address if anyone is interested. He has said that care packages are better sent when he is deployed, BUT I KNOW that he is super bored and if anything maybe a letter or a card would be nice to get.

SSG Robert L. Simison
CMR 432 BOX 193
APO AE 09081-0002

Love ya'll
Jennie

Pregnancy and jobs

Pregnancy!!! As Robbie would say! haha. :) Yep so I'm starting to grow a baby in there! He's moving all around and it feels amazing. So cool to actually feel my baby moving inside of me, like Hey mom... I'm in here.. haha.. Anyways, Everything is good here on my end. And not much has changed with Robbie OH except he passed his German driving test!!!! So he is officially a German Driver!! yay! :) He is really busy with work and enjoying it so far. He is not enjoying the loneliness though.. :( We are both ready to be together putting our home together and our nursery! :) I am getting excited about the upcoming baby shower! I have friends coming in from all over for it and I can't wait to see everyone!! It is going to be a wonderful day.

On another note, I am still looking for the right job. Have been applying places, and also signed up at a temp agency. Haven't gotten any serious leads yet, but I have hope!!! Please pray that something comes along soon! There is a really cool one I applied for at the Motorcycle Riders Association for Web Design/Data Entry. That would be a cool position!! :) hehe. And it's in Lakeland so not too far. I hope I get a call back on that! Anyways, that's all the news I got.. Love ya'll!!
Jennie

I SOLD MY CAR!!!

So, I sold my car!!! It's gone. Paid in full. My cousin bought it! And she is coming from NC to pick it up in 2 weekends. YAY!!!

I love my car. It's great. I might get the same one when I come home... we'll see. :)
Anyways, not much is new. Robbie is doing great. His people and bosses love him and may be offering him a higher ranking position because they love the job he is doing now. Another soldier is supposed to join him and take over the job he is subbing for now, but we'll see what happens!
My D Day is 2 weeks and 3 days away. As soon as we both get our paperwork, we will be looking into getting married!!! Which we will be doing through a Montana Proxy Marriage service. Neither of us have to be their and basically lawyers stand in for both of us. Only state that offers it. Once I arrive in Germany, we are probably going to be doing marriage counseling with the chaplain on post and having a mini-wedding ceremony with just the 4 of us, Me, Daddy Robbie, Chaplain, and Baby Robbie!!!! :) Hey he is everywhere I go.
The baby is rolling all around! I feel him everyday now. And it's very exciting to know he's really in there.... haha. BTW, an official shower date has been set as July 10th. And invites will be going out soon I hear.
Also Robbie's MD house was rented!! Renters move in July 12. So good things are happening!!!

Love you guys! Be back soon!
Jennie

Wednesday Wednesday

Sooo I am feeling so much better today. I got out of the house with Crystal and had a good day. Antibiotics are awesome and working. I also had Kraft Mac and Cheese for dinner and that is my ultimate favorite. For future reference. Ummm.. let's see not much has changed here. Baby Robbie is good, I got to hear his little heartbeat this week. :) And that as awesome. Now that I am getting better I can get back to life and not lying around all week.

Daddy Robbie started working this week and he is enjoying that. It's keeping him busy anyways and that's good. He's been working out a lot and went on a 5-6 mile run today with his whole group of people. It's a company or battalion or something like that... Anywho, he said he did pretty good and others were dropping like flys and he had to run around and check on them. :) I thought that was so cute. hehe.

We miss each other a lot, but we web-cam almost everyday which is awesome. We both can't wait for me to be there getting ready for the baby. I know my mom is anxious and excited to join us in Germany and help out with the little man. :)

I know in reality these months are going to fly by which is both exciting and also makes me a little anxious. haha. I have a lot going on here between now and then so that's good.

Ok so this post has been a lot of rambling but I'm trying to watch American Idol and write this at the same time, which is probably not the best thing to do. So I am leaving you with that.

Love ya'll!
Jennie

Then and Now!

Wanted to share this. :) Love these people.

Colds are for the birds...

Ugh.. so I have been sick for 6 days now with a cold. Achy, fever, congestion, sore throat, bad cough, and now an ear ache... What did I do to deserve this!!! I just got back from the docs and got an antibiotic! Yes! So I am fixing to run to my favorite place (Plant City Walmart) and get it filled. I am also supposed to get some Robitussin DM to take care of my cough. And I think I will treat myself to a McDonalds cheeseburger on the way. Hey I haven't had fast food since like Maryland so it's all good. :)
Anywho, I got to hear the baby boy's heartbeat today! It's still beating fast! Also I am pretty sure I started to feel all those "flutters" you guys have been telling me about this week! :) Very exciting. I like to feel him so I know he's doing ok in there. It has been very exciting.
Ok well pray that I start feeling better soon. I need to get back to life and not laying around. I can't stand it!!
Love ya'll
Jennie Sue

Nursery Stuff!

Picked out the nursery bedding this week!! I love it!

Have I lost it?

So with the design thing..I'm trying to find my mojo. I think it got packed up for Germany, which means it's somewhere in a storage facility in Orlando. I have the number. I could call and see if they have it. hmm....

On another note, I was asked for some design advice, and well in the past I have been much of a "I find it hard to criticize because I might step on toes" type of designer, BUT in my mid-level years here I am coming into my own as far as that goes and am learning to be a leader in this crazy world I work in, and sooooo I told the truth! HEY sometimes the truth hurts. BUT when asking a professional for their professional opinion, wouldn't you want the same? Especially if the advice you might take from some random "Advisor" will do damage to your existing image?? Of course I gave my opinion in a very professional manner and gave many examples and weblinks to back up my claims so I am not alone in my design conviction... and of course I apologized at the end.. haha.

Ok well, I'm sure I will get nothing but support on this subject, but I'd love to hear your comments none the less!!

I'm back!

Ok so I am back. Here I go!

Updates on life...
I feel really stupid right now cause I just got off the phone with someone and I thought I was talking to someone else, so I'm going on and on and about the time I realize its not the person i think it is, I've already said too much, so I'm all ok gotta go bye!
Anyways.. weird!

Ok, not a great update I know, but hey it's the truth. Sooo, updates on me. I am doing fine. Physically I am healthy and have a growing baby boy on the way! Robert Thomas Simison! So it's time to start planning my nursery! I'm going to be finishing my registry with an expert tomorrow (Crystal), so that will be fun. I am freelancing now with my great friend Janna in California. She is an amazing designer and has allowed me the privilege of joining her in conquering the world (or Redlands, CA) with design. So far so good, I have started on my first project and, unless she is lying to me, Janna is happy with what I am doing. :) So onward I go!

So, updates on Robbie, he is in Germany. And doing well. He is kind of bored because he is going through all the motions of getting setup on post and what not. He has moved rooms 3 times. And hopefully is finally set where he is. He has a nice little room. It's kind of like a studio apt. It has a little living room sitting area, and a desk, a queen size bed, and a kitchen area with fridge and microwave. And his own bathroom. It looks much like a dorm room. He has been working out and frogging around Germany. Learning some German, and trying to navigate public transportation, which has not been easy... it took him about 3.5 hours to get home the other night and finally gave up and took a cab. eep! Luckily he wasn't alone. But I have been able to talk on the phone and now web cam with him almost everyday so that's great! I miss him a lot and we are continuing to plan for the next few busy months ahead of us!

So this week I got this book called "Married to the Military" and it is great (Thank you Gretchen) I am learning a lot about the life I am joining. Let's just say that it will be a major learning experience. Kind of like joining a lifelong country club. haha. Well it can be if you make it that... There are all kinds of social aspects to this deal and it will be interesting to see what lies ahead. I am lucky enough to already have some girlfriends and family who are military women to email quickly if I lose it.. or need a decoder. That is when Robbie is not around. He is great at explaining everything and helps me out when I'm like "huh?"... I think I should make some flash cards or something, cause I have to ask numerous times. Oh and Crystal I was wrong...the commissary is the grocery store and the PX is the department store... so PX does NOT stand for publix... think I can remember that? We'll see. :)

OH, I am living at my grandmothers and things are going well here. My grandmother actually bought a wireless router for the house so I could have internet here and no longer have to go to the library or moms to use the internet.. So helpful!! Also my vehicle is FOR SALE!!! So if anyone knows anyone who knows anyone looking for a rather new car ($18,500) please send them my way!!! I have a craigslist post that I can email should anyone need it. I know I'm using my own blog for solicitation but HEY! It's cool. :) Ok I'm done now.

Ok well I gotta get back to work! So I will try and update this regularly again!
Love ya!
Bye

Jennie Sue

Baby's-A-Comin!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I'll love ya, Tomorrow!

It's only a day away!!!!

That's right folks. tomorrow's the big day!! I will be driving my little self all the way down the eastern seaboard. Sounds exciting I know, but trust me, it won't be. :) haha
Just kidding. I will have my tunes cranked and the wind blowing through my hair. Going 1,000 mph so I can get home to see my family and friends! :) haha just kidding. I'll cruise control it around 80-ish.

Ok well I love everyone and keep me in your prayers tomorrow!! I will be fine, but always better going with God! :)

Till then....

No News is Good News??

Nothing much has changed. I will hopefully be on the road either Friday or Saturday. I would love to be home for Easter, but we'll see. Some new plans that I do know of, Robbie and I are going camping in the Keys with his parents, Sandy and Tommy! We are so excited, I cannot wait. I love the keys, and the ocean, and the sunshine, and fishing. So it will pretty much be awesome. That will be the week of the 25th for those wondering.

Robbie leaves May 5th for Germany, so we have to squeeze in lots of hugs and kisses in the 3-4 weeks that he is there.
Love ya'll see you soon!!!!!!!!! Happy Easter!!!!!

Jennie & Robbie

Sunday Sunday

The house projects are really starting to wind down. It's very exciting to see it all coming together. The floors, when finished, are going to bring it all together. Major projects almost finished now are the old pink bathroom. It's no longer pink! It is green; with a white tub that Robbie wonderfully refinished; and all brand new tile. It's 1,000% better than before. Also the kitchen has been tiled with giant 18" tiles. It looks wonderful. Still need grout there, but it will be done this week. the countertops have been refinished in black and look amazing. And the paint has started on the kitchen cabinets (the will be a cream color; primer has begun). Hopefully we will finish up the kitchen this week. Also painting the dining room area. And then the major thing will be the floors and touching up of any paint. I wish I was going to be able to stay and see the floors finished. It's going to be beautiful.

I still don't know exactly when I will be traveling home. Some time possibly Wednesday?? It is unclear as of yet. But I will post it when I do know.

OK that's all I got for now. Love ya'll!
Jennie & Robbie

Ghost house....

"It's spoooooky"

Ok so it's not really. But all of our stuff is definitely gone. With the exception of our clothes and Jerad's room whom unfortunately for him, we all share now. :) hehe
Anyhow, the movers came around 7:45 and left around 4 I would say. It took them quite a while to pack all our stuff into the truck. They did move the piano though without any problems.

Robbie is now working on finishing up the kitchen countertops (refinishing them). And Jerad went to go get sized for his mother's up and coming wedding! :) I can't wait, it's going to be great fun!

Anywho, I have had a headache today, probably from doing nothing. I basically just sat around and (supervised) watched movies in Jerad's room while the movers moved. The boys were down at one of Jerad's clients houses working all day to make a buck so that was good.

It's going to be weird living with no furniture! Like camping basically in a house. We have lots of pillows and blankets though so we will be good to go for sleeping. We all three cozied up in Jerad's room last night to watch a movie. (our tv was packed) haha. And Jerad was kind enough to make a blanket and pillow pallet on the floor for himself. It was very nice of him.

It won't be long till we're in Florida!! Getting excited here. It's getting a little cold here again and I need some warmth! Please! and Thank you! :)

Alright that's all i have for now. Love ya'll
Jennie & Robbie

Packing Day!!

Ok so as of right this very moment, 2/3 of our house is packed up. (well the part that is being packed anyways; we have a whole bedroom full or Robbie and my stuff that is accompanying us down to FL and Jerad has a whole bedroom+ that will be accompanying him to FL, but that still leaves A LOT OF STUFF). Anywho, the packers have been going at it since about 7:30 and are almost done. Another hourish. There are 4 of them. 2 men and 2 women. We all went through the house last night and sorted through most of it, so it is pretty easy today. Just get out of the way and let them do there thang! All of this stuff will be stored in Tampa for 3 months at which point it will come to Lakeland, FL to be stored by us. (At which time we will find all the boxes marked yard sale and HAVE A HUGE YARD SALE!!!) :)

Robbie is at Walter Reed right now with Jerad. He had a wisdom tooth pulled today. They put him out for it, so I am expecting him to be out of it when he returns home. I gotta move all this stuff off the bed so he can crash! (Having my 4 wisdom teeth removed was the worst physical experience of my life!! boo!!) But anyhow, I know Robbie had his others pulled while in Iraq on not much if any painkillers, so I can't imagine what could be worse than that. He made sure they were going to dope him up this time!! :)

As far as coming home, we still have a few things going on here. Robbie will not officially be on leave until sometime the week of the 5th I think. He is going to try and get out of there early, but that is up to chance right now. Once everything is out of the house (tomorrow) we won't have ANYTHING ELSE TO DO but work on the house. haha! :) Or sit and stare at each other. That could be good too. ;) So that is exactly what we will be doing (and have been doing). It's really coming together though. We are feeling confident that the house will rent for the price we need it to and quickly. Our friendly neighbors across the street just rented theirs out for around the price we are asking and ours is very comparable to theirs. Jerad will be renting some kind of uhaul trailer to bring all of his newly found belongings home with him. And the rest we wil be cramming in the back of all our vehicles. And that's right we have 3 vehicles all driving home this trip. One animal per car! :) Brody will be front seat of Jerad's truck; Rema will front seat of Robbie's truck; and Gray Baby will be under the seat in my truck. :) haha. Another unsure thing is I might be leaving a few days earlier than the boys to escape the labor of sanding and staining the floors. Once the little things are done and painting is complete I will most likely not be as needed. So that is something that has been discussed. I'll keep ya posted on that.

All in all, we are all looking forward to coming home to our family and friends. And can't wait to relax a little and enjoy everyone's company. And also the sunshine and the beach and fishing and southern food like okra and chicken and dumplings oh oh and maybe a pressed cuban and sweet tea, which by the way none of these things exist here... :(...
I have been so craving some good southern food. I think I will definitely have to hit up The Farmer's Market oh and cracker barrel once I get in. The closest we have to southern food here is KFC..... sad.......very........sad..... but we ate it anyways. :)

I might just stop at every cracker barrel along the way until I get home. mmmmmm!!! Sounds delicious!

Alright, well I hear some stirring, so I better go check on the movers and make sure they don't have any questions for me.

We love you all and look forward to seeing you!!
Jennie & Robbie

Time draws near!!

Alright, well we have been in full house mode this week since Robbie had off work. We got a ton of stuff done including remodeling the pink bathroom which had originally been up for debate. Needless to say, it's half way done a complete re-do. :) And it looks great. I will post pics when it's done. The living room has been painted and the bedrooms are almost all done as well. The last big projects will be the kitchen and the floors. And we have plans for both so thats a start! :)

The movers come on Wed. to pack up all of our belongings minus the things that we will be bringing to FL. Jerad will most likely rent a trailer because he will be bringing home a lot of inherited furniture and tools. :) Also I might come home a few days earlier than the boys to avoid the fumes from refinishing the floors. Also because I will need to drive during the daytime and not night. We each have a vehicle so there's no escaping me driving this time. :P

Other than that, there's not much going on. I am getting very excited to be home and see all my dear family and friends! I have been homesick here and there and it will be refreshing to hug each and everyone of you! :)

Alright well we love you guys!!
Jennie & Robbie

Life continues

Hello all,
This week brings some warmth!! As in the sunshine kind! I have actually been hot this week. Thanks to the 60 degree weather outdoors. The snow has almost completely melted and people are venturing outside of their homes. I have been running twice this week! And it was great to get some fresh air. Especially since I live with 3 animals... but anyways...
Things are in full swing here. We are still working working working on the house. It's definitely coming right along. Also the motions are going to move all of our things to storage. The army will store our things up to 3 months. Upon which they will deliver them to Lakeland and we will store them until I join Robbie in Germany. (later this year)
I have been doing a lot of freelance with the company that I worked for in Tampa. They still can't find a replacement and are swamped so I told them I would help out. The good thing is I am making like twice as much freelancing and I only have to be available half the hours... So it's working. Robbie has been busy at work getting final preparations taken care of and wrapping up his job here at Walter Reed. One awesome thing that happened this week, some big wigs flew in from somewhere and were I think unexpectedly dropping in to evaluate the department that Robbie has pretty much set up by himself and another few guys. He was nervous at first, but for no reason, because they gave him "stellar" reviews as Robbie called it. :) And I had no doubt they would! If it weren't for one tiny little paper being outdated they would have received the best facility of the year... now I know that I am saying this all wrong, but you get the general idea here. :) They highly commended them for the job they had done and even offered Robbie a position at their post in Texas. Of course, he said that he was on his way to Germany as of now. But it's nice to know he has connections! I am very proud of him.

Robbie acquired 2 tickets to the Washington Capitals Hockey game last night and we went to that. It was a lot of fun. We rode the metro into the city, and got a bite to eat at this sports bar. And then enjoyed the game, ate some junk food and went home. :) It was a great night out. Anyhow, that't about all I have for now!

We love you all and will see you soon!
Jennie & Robbie

NYC PICS PART 2

Click here to see ALL the pics from NYC!!

It's still cold here!!! :P

Hello there!
Well I know I haven't posted much recently. So here it is. Our tentative date to leave the cold and return to (hopefully) sunny Florida is the first week in April!! So, we are in full speed ahead mode to complete this house! The basement is almost complete. Touching up paint today! Laundry room drywall is complete and painting will commence today. The boys are working on painting the stair area which is going to be interesting as the ceiling goes from the basement floor to the first floor ceiling height... So I don't know how they are going to get up there! I am sure I will take pictures though. :) Upstairs, the Master Bath Granite countertops have been ordered and paid for! We should be picking those up first thing next week. Then that room will be 100% DONE! yay!! We have been using the Master Shower and the rain shower and it is awesome. Well worth the boys hard work! The room we moved out of has been drywall touched up and painted and Jerad will move into that room today so that we can start on his room. Things are really starting to shape up around here! The movers come to pick up all of our belongings on March 25. We plan on refinishing the house floors after that date so that the house will be empty. (except for our bare essentials) Once the house is complete, we will hit the road!! Yay!! I look forward to seeing everyone. I have been homesick this week, missing my mom! and my crazy siblings! and all my family! And the SUN! haha. I can't wait to go outside again. That will be nice. :P
Anyhow, let's see well last weekend for my bday Robbie took me to NYC. And it was awesome! We had a blast. We went and saw 2 shows, one being Wicked on Broadway. They were both great, but Wicked was AWESOME! I hope to see it again with my girls in Tampa. We went to several cool restaurants and ate a lot of great food! Including Giant NY pizza! yum! We went to the Statue of Liberty and we took a horse carriage ride through Central Park. We rode the subway, which was extremely intricate and detailed, but we figured it out. Also Robbie asked me to marry him!! haha! In which I said yes! yeehaw! It was very romantic and beautiful. I cried... of course.... Anywho, let's see, we took a few cab rides, which were like riding a rollercaster! Crazy!! We had a blast and I can't wait to visit again. :)
Not much has changed besides all that. I think that my brother Ben is going to come help us out with the housework in a few weeks! That's right I'm putting him to work! It will be a huge help though. :) And I can't wait to see him! Jennifer might come up too for the weekend. (his wife) and I look forward to showing them around. It will be nice to have family here. Robbie has that week off, so we will be getting a lot of housework done. A lot!!!
Alright well I better get back to painting! Love yall! Miss yall!
Jennie Sue

NYC PICS PART 1

MANHATTAN!!


LINCOLN TUNNEL


CARS STACKED UP!


SCARY CAB RIDE


TIMES SQUARE!







ROCKEFELLER CENTER ICE SKATING



ROCKEFELLER CENTER... BEAUTIFUL NIGHT! (BUT FREEZING)





WE'RE ENGAGED!!!!

STYLIN AND PROFILIN


NYC PIZZA

AWESOME BROADWAY SHOW; WICKED!!! MOM WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS WHEN I GET HOME!!


MY AWESOME GREEN SHOES. :)
I KNOW I'M COOL.

I GOT YELLED AT FOR TAKING THIS PIC! OOPS!