Best Play EVER!!

I saw this today, and I could watch it a million times. This is the coolest play ever. Kudos to the Coach for thinking of it, and double kudos for the kids who pulled it off brilliantly!!




I think the Packers could have pulled this off against the Cowboys on Sunday Night. Hahahahahaha!
Love you babe!! ;-)

A Societal Taboo?? Excuse me??

Ok- here is it. Aj and I no longer drink alcohol. We haven't for a while now. Aj decided at the end of March that he was giving up alcohol completely for a multitude of reasons, and I decided to follow his lead. We aren't against people who do drink and it doesn't bother us to be around people drinking. We just choose not to any longer. We have both had our fair share of consumption in the past and we're good. It's really not a big deal. At least, I didn't think it would be. But everyone else seems to have this giant issue with it. I really don't understand it.

We have been around family members that tried to insist Aj drink. At one point, putting a beer in his hand and having other family members cheer for it. (Aj didn't drink it.) This wasn't at a bar, but just at a family gathering. We have since then, had friends that have insisted that he can't be from Texas and not drink, or be a real man and not drink. Let me assure you, Aj is not shy. He isn't one of those people who needs a few drinks to loosen up. So people weren't trying to get him to drink in order for him to come out of his shell. He is the life of the party with or without alcohol. So, this constant nagging and pushing is not just annoying and frustrating.. It's also confusing! What in the world is such a big deal?

I have received a different type of response. When I have explained to people that I don't drink, instead of individuals trying to push it on me, the majority of the time, they find it necessary to tell me why it is that they do drink. As if they are defending themselves. Also they find the need to always explain to me that they "aren't big drinkers". I then have to explain to them that, no, I don't mind that they drink and it doesn't bother me. (This said, Aj and I aren't going to have alcohol in our apartment, but that's for a different reason, not because we are against others drinking). On the other hand, recently I told an individual that I would love to come to her house gathering. As we talked about it, she started telling me about the many alcoholic drinks she would be making, I just let her know I didn't drink. She looked at me and said, "Well, you're no fun." Mind you, this was after we had been laughing our rear ends off the entirety of book club, no alcohol required. I told her I would still love to come, and she just said, "Cool." 

(This is also an interesting look at how people treat men and women differently when they decide not to drink. With Aj being treated like a freak and less of a man because he won't drink and I mainly being treated like a "prissy" and uptight woman who people are scared to offend. Also, it's frustrating how people assume that I am being the controlling wife and forcing Aj not to drink. Which couldn't be farther from the truth. Aj is a remarkable man, and he made the decision on his own. I am following his amazing example, and not the other way around.)

Now, I can't say this has been everyone's response. Some people have treated it the same way that we feel about it. No big deal. They offer Aj and/or I alcohol, we say we don't drink, and they say, "Ok, we have soda too.." and that's the only time it's even brought up. No big deal. Frustratingly, this has become the exception and not the rule.

So let me ask all of you, because I know that we have friends and family, who not only were there when different parts of this post occurred, but also because there is such a broad spectrum of individuals who follow along with Aj and I. Some of you don't drink at all and never have, others are still full fledged proud drinkers, and others are occasional drinkers. Different backgrounds and different places in your lives. Explain this to us please. What in the world is the big deal about a couple that decides not to drink alcohol anymore? Why is it a social taboo to say, "No thanks, I don't drink?"

November!!! Need I say more?

Our Decorated Door

That's right, it's November. One more month down!! Hollah!! Raise the roof!! And Woot Woot!! (That's me trying to get psyched up, how's it working for you?) I was so very excited about October, and what a long month it turned out to be. But it now has a giant red X through it and we're starting the next one.
With the end of  October brings Halloween. I love Halloween. I think it's a wonderfully fun holiday that doesn't bring the stress and "obligations" of Thanksgiving and Christmas. (If you want to complain to me about how our society has taken a secular tradition and turned it into a money making scheme to sell candy, you can suck an egg. Cause really, who cares? Who is it hurting? That's a whole other philosophical debate for later..)

This year, obviously Aj was gone. Him and I both like the fun of dressing up and I wasn't too keen on sitting in my living in a costume by myself, so poor Blitz was forced to instead. I decided, for his namesake, and the fact that Halloween fell on NFL Sunday this year, Blitz dressed up as a football linebacker. The poor boy was so miserable in his costume, but I laughed so hard it brought tears to my eyes and so I deemed it worth it. Plus, he had the satisfaction of tearing it off and ripping it into shreds on my living room floor. Which, if dogs get pent up aggression, I'm sure would have alleviated all of it.

Faith and Blitz at her Halloween/ B-Day Party

This blog update is more to share pictures with you that sums up our month of October as best as we can. Blitz's first Halloween, his giant bone that he ate in four days, the Halloween Birthday party, Aj's crazy hours and sleep schedule.. Football football football! My family in Idaho also sent me some pictures of my nephew Jed riding his little four wheeler around with his dad (my brother). I'm including these pictures as well because they are fun too. Love you all!! We're getting there!

Blitz played football with the guys

Blitz in full costume.. With Helmet!! Love it!!! Lol

Blitz with his giant bone that I bought him. This lasted only four days. *Sigh*

Aj had a rough month at work. Apparently he learned a lot about multi-tasking? I don't know. I decided not to ask about this one. :)











My nephew Jed having a blast on the mini four-wheeler. He's so adorable. When Aj and I were there they would throw their hands in the air together and say, "Touchdown!"

 

My brother on his "big boy" four wheeler with his little man Jed. Like father like son. Bobby and I use to race the riding lawn mowers down the drive way.

     

Divorce USA? Not really.

Well Brett Favre, thank you for our newest infidelity scandal. Once again, households are turning on their TV's to hear weeks of "who cheated on who and how" in the news. Sadly, this isn't a new phenomenon, and it seems like one scandal is barely out before the next scandal is in. That's when we hear all the statistics of the "high" divorce rate in America... Then the men bashers come on the tv and we hear how horrible men are and how they are almost certain to cheat and leave. The scum bags! Ugh. I get so tired of hearing this. So thank you Favre. And thank you media.
I am so annoyed with hearing some TV news anchor basically explaining to me that my marriage is doomed because my husband is "systematically" programed to cheat, and there is nothing I can do about it, that I had to send out a little blog about how this stuff is all a bunch of crap. And to take a line from Reading Rainbow, "Don't just take my word for it.."
Here is what is ACTUALLY going on:
The US Census Bureau reports that divorce rates are actually decreasing. In 1980 the divorce rate was 15.9, and has been decreasing with every Census since till we reach 10.9 in 2007. Of those, 17% were for the reason of infidelity. There aren't any hard statistics that show what percent of those were from the MEN cheating, and not the women
So, where in the world do all the crazy high stats come from?
Well, if you have ever taken a stats class (or were in debate for years), you learn that it's all in how you present the data.
For example, "RECORD NUMBER OF DIVORCES FOR 2007", could be the title, and the article can read, "Highest reported divorce rate on record for past decade. Divorces jumped up by 71% in past ten years. The United States is in an epidemic..." All the information in that last statement, is "technically" accurate, but here is what it isn't telling you:
The data described above isn't the national average, it's concerning the rate of divorce for the state of Oklahoma solely. Second, it also fails to mention, that in 1990 the divorce rate was actually still much higher than for 2007 (falling from 7.7 to 5.2). The comparison is from the year 2000, where the rate was 3.7. Finally, in giving you the percent increase instead of the actually percent, it is able to give you a higher number for shock value. The rate increased from 3.7 to 5.2, which isn't exactly a huge leap, but if you give the "percent increase", it makes it sound enormous (71%). (e.g. I have one blue dog out of every 1,000 white dogs. This year that number increased by 100%. I now have 2 blue dogs out of every 1,000).
The one statistic that we hear over and over again is that "half" of marriages end in divorce. But as the NY Times reports, "..one of the most commonly cited statistics about marriage is that half of marriages end in divorce. But that number reflects the expected lifetime divorce rate of people married in the 1970s." It goes on to say, "The story is different for more-recently married couples. A comparison of 10-year divorce rates among college-educated men married in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s shows that divorce is becoming less common..."
So why the all the publicity? Why is it we can't turn on our TV or open a magazine without hearing all about the cheating ways of men and women and the tragic way all of our marriages are going? It's called ratings. You may roll your eyes and it may make you sick, but how many of you clicked on that link about Brett Favre that showed the picture of the girl he was sending dirty messages too? Or how many of you tuned in to hear what his wife had to say about it all? It's gossip at its utmost. People love to hear the dirt on others and as long as we continue to click that link and turn up the volume on our TV, the news will continue to report things that way.

Brett Favre sent some dirty things to a cheerleader and we will be hearing about it for weeks and weeks. Kurt Warner (another All-Pro, Hall-of-Fame Quarterback) has been on Dancing with the Stars this last season. When doing the tango he felt uncomfortable because of the sexual style of dance, so he asked his wife to join him for a rehearsal and ensure that she was comfortable with him dancing like that before he would proceed (she told him yes). Kurt and Brenda (his wife) met in 1992 and have been married since 1997. When I watched this happen, I thought how cool it was. But it wasn't reported on the news, there weren't any articles or even a mention of it anywhere. In fact, had you not actually watched that episode of the show, you would have no idea that it happened. Two pro quarterbacks make two radically different decisions. The only one you hear about is the one that gets the ratings.
My marriage is going to last forever. There isn't a doubt in my mind. Thick or thin, good times and bad, Aj and I will be holding hands till the very end. A lot of us will. And I am really tired of society trying to make all of us doubt it.

Dear Deployment: We're winning.

If I haven't said it before, let me say it now, deployments suck. They aren't "long distance relationships," although the distance is part of it. Deployments are a whole different entity. I can't call Aj when I have had a bad dream. He can't call me when he has one either. I don't have the option of saving money for a surprise trip to see him for Christmas and he doesn't even get the option of asking for the day off. Our phone conversation are limited to the 60 mins allowable calling time per week that he is given. He only gets to use these minutes in his limited free time in a room he shares with several other roommates, with a 9 hour time difference. Our internet conversations are usually 20 mins maximum, due to the terrible service he has where he is at, and opportunities for him to get online are sporadic. We don't get to make our plans for vacation, the military does. And those change randomly at times. Like I said, deployments suck.
But please, don't say that you are sorry. Don't feel bad or upset, or frown because we are "going through this horrible event", because despite the best attempts of the evil Dr. Deployment, we're winning. 
Yesterday, Aj and I got some poopy news, they are pushing back his RR. At least, they are for now. Not a giant amount of time, but even an extra 24 hours at this point is a slap in the face. When Aj told me this, and I in turn, got bummed out, he said to me, "Baby, we are at the end of October already. We've got this in the bag. It's nothing." Although, I disagreed immensely with the "it's nothing" part, which I know he only said to make me feel better, he's right. RR is still less then 3 months away even with it being pushed back. When he leaves again, this thing will be almost over. We will be on the downward spiral, and we will have won.
This last week Aj was finally able to get some regular sleep. The drills they have been doing non-stop were over and the ridiculous hours stopped with them. He was able to catch some football, catch up on his sleep, and even his laundry. He no longer sounded like a robot on the phone but my happy and energetic husband. Although the Cowboys took a blow this last weekend and weren't able to hit their stride yet, the Rangers beat the Yankees and go to the World Series, giving Aj bragging rights still. Plus, both of our fantasy football teams blew the others in our leagues out of the water. Another bonus. 

As I said in a previous post, a couple of other wives husbands came home for their RR time this past few weeks, and I was able to join one couple this last weekend at their daughters brithday/ Halloween party (which I dressed Blitz up as a linebacker for.. hehehe). Jeremy, the soldier, is friends with Aj and the two are deployed together. It was good to see him home, healthy and happy with his family. It also felt good knowing that we are to the point in the deployment where soldiers are taking their RR already. Again, proving that Aj and I are winning.
So, like I said, deployments suck, but don't feel bad. We're winning. Every single day, we've won. And when it is over, we will have gone through a year long deployment and came out better, stronger and ready for the rest of forever.

Real Life "Sitcom"

Since Aj deployed, I hate to admit, I have had a lot more TV time then I used to, or really should. Although, I tell myself it's ok since I am usually multi-tasking when it's on. But I'm just not used to sitting long enough to take in one 30 minute program, let alone two different hour long programs. But my recent upgrade in viewing time has actually brought out some really fascinating sociological thoughts. One of which really hit me this week, thanks to the best gift God has ever given me, my husband.
I am a person with faults (I know, I can hear you gasp in surprise..). In fact, I have many. One of them is my overly emotional immediate responses to different things. I get really worked up extremely fast and the emotions that come with it are just as high, I then spend a good 20 mins venting, at which point, I calm down and become a sensible and rationale human being again (no comments from the peanut gallery please). Poor Aj dealt with one of these "outbursts" earlier this week. I want to add here that I am not in any way saying this is when I get angry. It can be when I am angry, but also happy, sad, or just on a topical soap box. These outbursts are part of the glorious wonder that is me.

I am very aware that I do this, and I honestly try to keep it down as much as possible. I actually feel terrible after I get worked up cause I can be a real pain in the ass. I then apologize profusely for this obnoxious fault. This week, I was apologizing to Aj (I had been crying on the phone to him the night before) that I got so worked up so quickly and that I knew it was stupid. He then told me it wasn't stupid. It's ok, and that he understands. He didn't say it to make me feel better, he said it because he really understands that, that's me. That's one of my faults and it's part of who I am. After we got off the internet from him telling me that I am ok and not to be sorry, I immediately thought of one of my all time favorite quotes: "You don't love someone despite their faults, you love someone with their faults."

That night, I watched one of my newest favorite television shows, Bones. If you aren't familiar with it, it's about a forensic anthropologist named Temperance Brennan who helps solve murders. She is ridiculously intelligent and very beautiful but when it comes to emotions and understanding the illogical part of being human, she is the equivalent of Data from Star Trek. Completely confused by illogical uses of emotions and psychology, she is a wonderful character on the shown because of this "flaw." This got me thinking, all of the characters on sitcoms that are the most loved, are that way because of their flaws. For example, every member in the cast of Friends has different flaws. Joey is a lovable lady's man but not too bright. Monica is OCD and high strung, Rachel a spoiled rich girl, Rozz is like the human equivalent of Eeyore, Chandler a sarcastic mess, and who can forget Phoebe's terrible music and eccentric ways? The flaws of these characters are what we love. Without them, the shows and people would be boring. We love them with their faults, not despite them.

I love Aj. I love the fact that when football is on, despite his best attempts, a conversation is borderline useless. I love the fact that he has so much energy that my dad asked us to go to the park to play (we are both in our 20's). I love that he is so competitive playing Madden that we have agreed to adjust our "title" to boyfriend and girlfriend when we play against each other (so he never has to say the phrase, "My wife is beating me at Madden."). I love how he whistles constantly for no reason. I love him with all of these things, and apparently, Aj loves me for all of my "flaws" as well.
I guess what I am saying, is that we should always try to improve and want to make ourselves better (I still am working on a way to curb my emotional craziness) but that we shouldn't feel guilty or apologetic for our "flaws". They aren't faults, they aren't even flaws, they are what makes us lovable, and when someone truly truly loves us, they love all the annoying things that come with us.

Wild Turkeys and Bob Cats and Boars! Oh My!!

Aj and I talk about how glad we are that we don't have children right now. Aj gets sad missing out on April and Blitz, let alone if we had small Kelly's running around the house. This week, is no exception. I know I put a quick update last week on the shenanigans of those two, but I can't help it, they crack me up.
Yesterday, Blitz and I decided to go to the hatchery (where my office is located for the Department of Wildlife) and goof off for a while. I really wanted to let Blitz run around a bit and he has always loved it there. Usually we walk around a few of the ponds, then I lay a blanket out under the tree next to the building and let Blitz play. This time was a little bit different.

We have a new friend that has taken up home at the hatchery, a young bob cat who lives in a wood pile not 15 yards from the office door, and not 5 yards from the tree that I like to lie under. This particular bob cat, who the guys and I at the hatchery have been watching curiously the past couple weeks, doesn't seem to have any fear of people, and isn't nocturnal. He was wide awake yesterday when Blitz and I arrived and was lounging in the same spot that I was planning on placing my blanket. Probably not my smartest move, but I decided to pull up anyway and just keep our distance. Blitz and I got out of the car and the bob cat didn't move. Just watched. We played around the ponds and scuttled around the grassy area around him, keeping about 10 yards distance at all times, but he didn't seem bothered at all. Finally, I decided to quit pushing our luck and move to the other side of the hatchery altogether, where we found, wild turkeys! Yay! Blitz was so excited to chase the large flock of dumb birds around for a while when I remembered, "Oh yeah, we keep a small boar fenced in to act as bait for larger boars here." So I called Blitz and him and I took a walk over to see her. Blitz was ecstatic! He barked and yipped and chased that boar from the outside of the fence from one end to the other. I firmly believe he thought he had a new friend to play tag with and was frustrated when I wouldn't let him in the fence. I walked away eventually and called Blitz, who followed me back to the car.

Then last night, I was able to talk to Aj for a little while online. He had woken up around 3 in the morning over there in order to catch me online for a bit. While chatting, he made the comment he hopes that Blitz remembers him. I assured him that he would. After we got off the computer, my curiosity got the best of me and I went to find something in Aj's closet that I hadn't washed and would still smell like him to show Blitz. The only two items I could think of were Aj's jacket and his slippers. I brought them out, and showed them to Blitz, and he went crazy! He pulled Aj's jacket from me and ran off, sniffing it and searching every corner. He wouldn't give it back to me and I had to fight him for it. When he finally let go of it, he ran over, grabbed one of Aj's slippers and took off to his bed. Again, I had to fight him for it. It was as if Blitz thought that mean slipper and nasty old jacket were hiding Aj from him and he was going to find him. If I had any doubt before that Blitz remembers and misses Aj, it was dispelled last night. It doesn't surprise me, Aj and Blitz were best buds and partners in crime. I know they can't wait to be together again.

Today is NFL Sunday. Blitz, April, and I chill in the living room together and watch the games and relax. Hoping to hear from Aj. Today he has the day off and I hope the internet works well enough to get to chat with him a bit again. At least the kids aren't fighting today and have decided to play nice and get along. April even ran up and gave Blitz a kiss right after I let her out of her tank.

I feel sorry for my friends and family. Aj and I post all the time about our dog and turtle.. Can you imagine how annoyingly terrible we will be when we have our own two legged children?