Shaking In San Diego

Today there was a major earthquake that hit L.A. and was said to be about a 5.8 but they later down graded it to a 5.4 which is still pretty major. Luckily, it did not cause serious damage anywhere. We felt it down here in San Diego and it was weird because I was at work when it happened. I was sitting in a chair with the kids and I started shaking back and forth and I asked Desarae (the other girl who I work with) if she felt it, but we didn't think much of the situation or even thought it was an earthquake for that matter. I get a phone call from Kim asking me if everything was ok and that is when I knew...(thanks Kim for checking up on me! ;) I have never experienced an earthquake before in the whole 4 years we have lived out here and I am so glad that it was not bad...I don't know what I would have done! So all is good here!

Lucas had duty last night till this morning and he might have to turn around and go to work, which would be hard on him since he probably only got like 4 hours of sleep. It is hard to believe that tomorrow is already Wednesday...time is going by some what faster now. Just glad I have at least 2 weeks under my belt...wish it was 3 months! It will be here before I know it though! I have been really lucky to get back in touch with some friends out here and I am sure that will help to pass the time! Hope all is well...just wanted to tell you all I am safe...no damage! Phew!

2 Weeks Today! And Excitement Growing!

Flying Over Alaska, Their First Stop
Finally! Arriving In Japan!
This is where he is at when he is talking to you!
Right outside of the front gates of the base...his new home away from home.
The beaches look amazing!

I am sure that many of you received an email with these pictures that Lucas took yesterday on his first adventure of Japan, but I wanted to post a few if some of you didn't. It really is hard to believe that he is over there, but the pictures are just that constant reminder that this dream is true. It is weird to know that he is a world away from us, different time zone, different day, different culture, etc. I can't help to be jealous when I see pictures of a world and culture I may never experience, but in the same breath, I am so glad it is him and this experience is going to be ever changing for him. The beaches and water look so amazing, like straight out of a travel magazine. The water looks so crystal clear, but I don't know if I would get in the water after seeing the warning signs posted, even if the coast was all clear! His new haircut is funny to see. I remember taking him to base to drop him off and all, or most of his fellow Marines had their heads shaved and they were giving him a hard time about it. I guess Marines shave their heads on their first deployment for some reason, and I asked why he didn't and he just said he didn't want to look dumb! But I am sure it is nice to have it all gone...some days I wish I could shave all mine off! LOL. He looks extremely excited and sounds better everyday I speak with him. So far, 2 weeks are down of this deployment and I am starting to just be anxious for this to be over with. Although these 2 weeks seems like a month, I know that the time will pass quicker and quicker and he will be home before we know it. I am just anxiously awaiting more adventures that he takes and pictures which just get me more excited about the deployment! For now, it's another day almost done and a new one to face tomorrow. I never thought I would be so excited for tomorrow to be over with!

Lucas and I found this hilarious! Just thought I would make a less depressing post!

Catching Up To Me

I don't know if it is the whole sleep deprived situation or the combination of that and being stressed that has caused me to just lose my mind. I am forgetting things all the time now, I am scrabbling to get up and get ready for the day, and I am CONSTANTLY tired! I think I yawn about a million times throughout the day and when I come home, I just crash...poor Bandit and Duke! My mind is just pulled in twenty million directions, worrying about this and that, and I think I just need to just chill. I need to remember that I am not super women although I seem to think I am at times! Taking on way too many things at once is my specialty and it is catching up with me. I think this weekend I am going to be doing some major R & R time with just me and the dogs. I feel bad neglecting them throughout the week, but its hard when its just me to find the energy to get pulled around for a walk, especially with Duke! It is hard to have them both for a walk at once...but I should work on that! Here I go yawning again.......I'm off to bed! TGIF Tomorrow, I don't think I would make it through the week if it was Monday today!

One Day At A Time

Lucas and I have finally established a nice schedule of when we are able to talk to one another and when that time rolls around at 2:00 a.m. here, I find myself waking up either to his call or wondering why he hasn't yet. The hard times come when he is unable to call me for whatever reason and it is hard to not know what is going on, but the biggest challenge I face to not being able to just simply pick up the phone and call him just to say I love you! I miss that! It truly takes your friends and family to get you through those times when he is unable to and to be honest, I don't like him to know that I cry sometimes at night and I have my days when I feel like the Marines takes him away from me too much. It is way to easy to let the negative reasons cloud your real feelings. For the most part I have been so positive about this experience and I have established my own routine throughout the day. Between work, working out, and school it has been hard to even have time for the poor dogs, but in the same sentence it is all a good thing right now. I told Luke last night that I feel like he has been gone for months...I wish that was the case. Time seems to be going quickly, I just need to keep my mind wondering away from the situation.
Luke is staying super busy with work. He has been getting up and working out before going to work...he said he has a baby he needs to get rid off...lol. He is able to go off base this weekend, so I am looking forward to pictures of Japan and curious to see where he is going to go. He is anxious to try some new foods...he is so brave! When he gets a chance he will post them for you all to see!
For now, it's just another day gone...I keep telling myself one day at a time! *Sigh*

F.Y.I: If you have any pictures that you have that I don't have up, email them to me and I would love to put them up on here. If you need any of Luke's mail information or anything just let me know! Thanks!

One Week Down, One Week Strong

I couldn't help but wake up and feel good today. It's been a week since Lucas left and I know in my mind that it is one week out of the way...and only about a million more to go...lol, or so it feels like. But not to put a damper on things, I am feeling pretty good today and highly motivated for a Sunday! I went hiking in the mountains and made it all the way up Fortuna Mountain, which made me feel very liberated and accomplished! Even though I go running here everyday after work, it felt good to go above and beyond what I thought I could do. It is very beautiful up here and definitely peaceful, which left me with a great deal of time to just ponder. I know that there will be times ahead that will be trialing and I will miss Lucas more and more everyday, but today I am feeling stronger...one week stronger...and I know I am that much closer to seeing him. I never thought I would be able to get through this, but thank you to everyone who has really supported Lucas and I through this...we know we could never make it through this without our back bones which is our family and friends! We love you all!

Growing Worries

I try not to worry too much about things that I can not change or have no control over, but it is hard to do that when you are a military wife. Everything in your families lives are so unexpected and you just learn to expect anything and everything that could possible get thrown at you. I am so worried that Lucas would have to go to Afghanistan where I hear is getting really bad. A girlfriend that I know, her husband had to leave to go there and will be gone for a year and apparently they are sending 15,000 more troops over to help. I know that during our deployment briefing that I attended before Lucas left prepared us for the possibility of having to deal with them leaving Japan to go to Iraq or elsewhere that needs help but I am just sitting here everyday crossing my fingers hard and praying that Lucas will not be one of them. Is that selfish of me to do that? I feel in a sense it is, but everyone wants to be selfish in situations like this where a loved one is in harms way, but its all the same in the end, fighting for your country is a great honor and something to stand tall for. Stand for something or fall for nothing.
I just recently found out that my cousin Zachary will be heading over to Iraq in September along with another person I know from North Carolina. I have never been surrounded by so many deployments out of 6 years being in the military environment and its starting to hit very close to home.
For now, as hard as it, I am going to try and just concentrate on today and today only, because I can not change tomorrow or yesterday...

The Few And The Proud

No better friend, no better love
A bad boy yet a good man
Strong inside and out
With a gentle heart and hand
Too easy it is to fall for him
And see your future in his eyes
Not worrying then of times to come
Not thinking of goodbyes
So there you stand with dogtags on
Worn close around your neck
Waving goodbye to him and praying
For the day that bus comes back
Then its lonely nights in bed
Waiting for the phone to ring
Dreaming of the times you've had
Remembering everything
You wait for letters sent by him
And cherish every word he writes
Reading them each over again
To help get through the lonesome nights
You wake up to midnight phone calls
To hear how he has been
And say "I love you" enough times to last
Until you talk to him again
You do your best to tough it out
Without a shoulder on which to lean
Smiling while thinking of how it feels

To fall in love with your Marine!