Appliance Love

We're all guilty of it. Whether it be newly married or moving out on your own into your first place, we've all bought that crappy first vacuum cleaner. It took probably a good two months before Matthew and I bought our first vacuum. It was that fifty dollar Walmart special that was "such a good deal". It was a great little vacuum at first. But then as soon as we got our cat, it seemed like it started losing suction. I don't know if it's just me or what, but I love seeing those lines are my carpet that makes my carpet feel so clean. Well, with my pervious vacuum, the lines went away probably about six months after we bought it. When we moved to North Carolina and adopted buddy, the vacuum turned into just a joke. I clogged all of the time and after hours of taking it apart and cleaning it, it would clog up the next use. I'm not sure if it's because of the animal hair or it was just a bad vacuum. One thing I was sure of, was that I needed a new vacuum stat! 


In a perfect world where my husband was higher ranking or I had my degree, I would have gotten a Dyson. My sister has had her Dyson for years and absolutely loves it. However, right now we just can't fathom spending that much on a vacuum. In a few years, maybe it can be a tax check purchase. But as for this moment in time, I had to find a great vacuum, in our prices range, and also that will last for more than a year. I looked around and asked around with some of my friends. I decided to buy this baby. 

You can read all about the features and such here. Basically if I could be in love with a household appliance, it would be the Shark Navigator Lift Away. The perfect lines are back in my carpet. The canister is full of pet hair, and my carpet actually looks clean. Now, I've only had it for a few days but it came with all of the warranties so if it breaks I am sending that bad boy back! I never thought I'd see the day that I would be so excited to get a new vacuum, but that day came and it is amazing! 

Military Monday: Sucky McSuck

   As I embark on the third month of deployment this month, I have finally realized just one conclusion. Deployments are difficult really really really suck. It's not the "oh your dog got hit" by a car suckieness. Or even the "having to change a flat tire in the rain" type of suckieness. It's just the flat out sucks. I can honestly say this is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. Don't judge because I've gone through my fair share of "my life sucks" moment.
     Death, sickness, and the common trails of life have all entered my life at one point or another. I had to deal with the alcoholic parent, the loved one walking out of my life, and being thrown into a completely different life all before I was a teenager. Even if it sucks at that moment in time, I always see what God's plan was eventually. Alcoholic parent? I don't drink or harm my body. Plus, it lead to me pursue a degree in psychology. Loved one walking out? It made me a guarded person and that has prevented me from getting hurt, plus another reason why I'm pursing a degree in psychology. Being thrown into a completely different life? It took me a while to realize, but gained an amazing father figure, a sister, and a grandmother. But this deployment is really testing me.
    I think every married person should have to endure some sort of deployment. It really helps people realize how they want their life to be, and see what really matters in their relationship. Does it really have to be an argument if he, yet again, leaves clothes on the floor? Is it really that important to have the garage organized all the time? It's really not. It'd be nice, but it's not important and not worth putting a strain on your relationship.
     Another thing that this deployment has made me realize is that no matter what situation you're in, it still sucks. Oh your spouse is in the Army, Air force or Navy? It's still hard. Just because I'm going through a Marine Corpse deployment doesn't mean that it's any more or less hard on me than if he was in any other branch. Oh you have a child? I'm sorry that because I'm not a mother, you think it's not that hard. And same vice versa. Just because you have a child doesn't mean your deployment is harder. Oh your spouse is going on a "actual combat deployment" while my husband is on a MEU. It doesn't make it any easier. Oh your spouse is admin or a machine gunner? It still sucks for the loved ones at home. So what I'm really trying to say is that no matter what way you spin it, deployments absolutely SUCK!
    Don't get me wrong, I don't always sit around and ponder about how much this deployment can just be over and Matthew will be home with me. I have tried everything. Doing crafts for the house? Check. Girl's nights? Check. Trips to be with my family? Check. Cleaning every surface of my house? Check. Studying at the beach? Check. No matter what I do, I know that when it comes time for me to lay down at night, that's when I will miss him the most. When I wake up in the morning, I just lay there with my eyes clothes just smelling his pillow. I pretend he just left for work and think of what I can make him for dinner. I plan a date night all in my head, before I even open my eyes. Then, I open up my eyes, look at the date on my phone,  and go back to reality. I plan what I would make myself for dinner. I try to figure out what I can do that day to just leave my house. Instead of date nights, I gussy myself up to take photo's for his next care package. But I know that this is one of those situations where a few months, or even a year or so down the road, God will show me how this benefited my life.

I can't promise this will be my last point about sucky deployments because I have over five months of deployment left. But, it used to be eight months so I feel accomplished. The bottom line of this? DEPLOYMENTS SUCK. End rant.

super late birthday post

 Well, now that it's June I thought I'd post about my birthday gifts from Matthew. Better late than never right? This year was the big 2 0 for me. I was just excited that I'm no longer a "teenager" and saying that I'm married at 20 seems to get less weird reactions than when I said was married when I was 18 and 19. Now, I only have to start looking like I'm twenty rather than 17 and I'll be set to go! 


This was the third year in a row that I wasn't able to see Matthew on my birthday. The first year I was in Indiana and he was in Georgia. Last year, we were stationed in Georgia and he was doing his 5 day rotation at work on my birthday. And this year, he was obviously deployed. It was still a great birthday! I went to Georgia to see my best friend and her family. They made my birthday awesome! 

Every year I get an ice cream cake. It's the only time of the year I eat it. My outlook is that even if I have nothing special to look forward to, I know that I am getting my ice cream cake. It's lame, I know, but it's just something that I do every year and Becky didn't forget! I am so grateful to have such amazing friends! 

My frist initial gift from Matthew was something that I picked out on my own and Matthew just gave the okay for me to get it. I found it on Etsy from this shop and for the date I put the day we started dating, 11-05-09. I put that date rather than our wedding date because that was the day God really gave me him. He bought me something when he ported in Spain but I didn't receive it until May 31.

When we went to Disney World for our honeymoon I commented on the fact that I wanted a "Karen" type small purse that would fit my keys, my phone and some cash. He remembered me saying that and bought me this amazing leather and suede bag when they ported in Spain. He said he was walking past the shop, saw it and thought of me. I married the greatest man in the world! So even though this post is almost a month late, I had an amazing birthday!