What The Military Has Given Me

So often we hear from spouses what the military has taken away from them, now I am not diminishing anyone's feelings or saying that I haven't gotten annoyed or angry because we all deal with situations differently. I have seen so much negativity lately directed at the military and I wanted to share some pretty amazing things that the Army has given me.

1. Healthcare- In no way is the military healthcare system perfect (but to be honest what healthcare system is) but there are no words to describe how much I appreciate it. We have been blessed to have wonderful doctors and those who have advocated for our fertility journey. To have to pay next to nothing for treatments and have a significantly reduced cost for IVF if we have to go that direction is a lifesaver.

2. Culture- I am city girl, born and raised in Las Vegas. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision myself moving away from home and living like a nomad. Moving homes every 2-3 years and seeing new places. We have lived places that I had never dreamed of seeing, being immersed in the culture of new places is incredible. Being able to have family visit us in new places is pretty cool too, sharing new places with them is always fun.

3. Friendships- How many people can say that they have friends all over the world? Some of my dearest friends I have met because of the Army and I will be forever grateful. I know that any given point I can call them and they will be there. It's a good feeling. 

4. Independence- I have always been a fairly independent person but this life has pushed me even further. Taking care of everything when Kyle can't has taught that I can do it. To go through a deployment and come out of it stronger and better was a great feeling. 

5. Education- There are no words to describe how grateful I am for the GI Bill. When Kyle opted to give it to me, it extended his service and he didn't think twice. I was able to achieve something that I likely would not have done had it not been for the Army and GI Bill. 

 6.  Greater Appreciation for Family- Since we don't live in the same place as our families our appreciation for them has increased tremendously. We make the most of the time we get together and it is something that we don't take for granted. Living this life has forced us to make every moment count. 

 Kyle and I will always be grateful for the lessons we have learned and the opportunities that we have been given. Life isn't perfect but we choose to always make the best of it and realize that we are stronger because of it.

Recovery and Running

It doesn't feel like a normal Monday in our house because Kyle is off work. After his surgery last week he is on convalescent leave for 7 days. Speaking of the his surgery, it went really well. The doctor said everything went according to plan and that we will begin to see results in 3 months, however the full effect of those results won't be seen for roughly 12 months. It is still a step in the right direction and something that needed to happen. Now we don't know for 100% certainty that the problem is on his end because I could still miscarry but we are willing to do whatever is necessary. 

His recovery is going well but he is sore and uncomfortable, plus it doesn't help that he can't do anything physical besides walking for 4 weeks. Try telling that to a very active and fit soldier, it doesn't go over well. I am basically the enforcer of said restrictions lol.

Since Kyle is sidelined I ran another race solo on Saturday morning, Running for a Cure 5k. This one was very special because it was for cancer and I ran it in memory of my amazing Mom, Kathy. I felt her the whole way and just wanted to honor her in the best way I could. 

I felt really good this race, that hasn't been something I have felt lately. I look at these pictures and I realize that I don't need to be stick thin, I would rather be fit and healthy. To me these photos show that. I know my Mom would be proud of how far I have come.

This upcoming week is going to be busy, taking care of vehicle inspections, oil changes, cleaning, and running various other errands that didn't happen last week. :)

I hope you all had a good weekend!

Fall Is Here

*Thank goodness for scheduled posts. 

Yesterday was the first day of fall and I couldn't be more excited! However, when you live in Louisiana fall is more than likely weather in the 70's but I am totally okay with that. I am ready for all things sweaters, scarves, and boots.

As a runner I am so thankful for the cooler temps especially with my marathon training beginning on October 1st. There are several things that I am looking forward to this fall. I have finally started putting together my list.

*Go to the Anderson Farms Pumpkin Patch. (My sister and the kids get to go with us!!)

* Fort Polk MWR Hay Ride, this is a free event and I know it will be fun.

*Angola Prison Rodeo. Please look this up, it's a rodeo actually held at a prison, the inmates make crafts to sell. It happens every Sunday in October.

*Chennault International Airshow. I haven't been to an airshow in ages so I am really looking forward to it.

*Dark Woods Haunted House, I am still somewhat on the fence about this but Kyle just may talk me into it.

*Trick or Treating with my sister and kids. I'll be in Florida for Halloween and I can't wait. 

*Inglewood Fall Festival in Alexandria. 

*Historic Rapides Cemetery Tour

*We also have a few races planned, which will pair nicely with cooler weather haha.

What are your plans for the fall?

Semi-Wordless Wednesday

Race #50 is completed! We had such a blast, can't wait for the next one.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

A Turning Point

This week is a pretty important one in our house. We are leaving for San Antonio tomorrow for Kyle to have surgery. As most of you know this is for fertility purposes and we are hopeful that it will be a turning point in our journey. To be honest it could be THE turning point in this entire journey and that is exciting. 

As you all know I have been more than transparent when it comes to this journey but of course there are things that I don't share, that I do feel are personal. I have always tried to find a happy medium between not sharing and oversharing. There will never come a point where I stop sharing because I have been there before and it is not a fun place to be. Sharing our journey has brought me a sense of peace because it has opened my eyes to a community that I had no idea existed. 

With any journey you will encounter those who feel that how you are going about things isn't right. Throughout this journey I have had people tell me that running isn't healthy, going on vacations isn't right, or that I am sharing too much. I cannot let this journey consume every aspect of my life because if I do then I will miss out on so many other amazing experiences. We choose to embrace every moment that we have together and that is important to us. When it comes to the depression side of it I have been working very hard to get better, I cannot be afraid to live and I won't let anything stand in the way of that. Everyone's journey is unique and it's important to do what is best for yourself and your situation.

Infertility is all about timing, timing of treatments, timing of blood tests, etc and there will always be waiting involved. No two journeys are alike and ours is unique to us because our circumstances are unique. We are choosing to exhaust every option we possibly can, we have done everything from timed intercourse to IUI and those were experiences that have given us a lot of information. Again, these are choices that we have made that have been the best for us. 

I will likely be somewhat off the grid this week taking care of Kyle and focusing on this very important step in our journey. We are hopeful that this is the beginning of something amazing.

I hope you all have a very wonderful week!

My Favorite Things

I haven't done a favorites post in quite a while and I figured today was a good day. :)

I am in love with this stand that I found on amazon. I have been looking for something for our 1/2 bath downstairs and this jumped out at me. It's perfect!

I was never a dancer so I'm not sure why this show has sucked me in haha. Probably because I could never do it but I am loving this show!

These pajama pants, I mean come on aren't they amazing?! I found them at a local store here and I could not walk out without them.

Fishy, I mean come on how can you not love him especially when he sleeps like this. He is pretty much the best cat ever.

My journal. I have to say that this has helped me so much lately. Spending time each day writing down my thoughts has helped me get through my struggles more than I ever thought it would (or could).

I hope you all have an awesome weekend! We are running a 5k Mud Run tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it. :)

Small Town Charm

One of the best things about Louisiana are the small towns that make up the fabric of the state. One of those cities is Natchitoches (it is also the oldest town in Louisiana). Kyle had Monday off so we headed out to do a little site seeing. We have been here once before for the Christmas Festival last year but it was so packed we didn't really get to explore.

Not many stores were open but the ones that were open were adorable. I love family owned businesses they just provide something extra special.

We had lunch at a place called Maglieaux's on the Cane. It's an Italian/Creole restaurant and it was delicious, I didn't take pictures of the food because I was too busy stuffing my face haha. We sat out on the deck and enjoyed the amazing 75 degree weather.

Afterwards we walked around and explored a bit. The gardens on the river are beautiful and there were a few historic houses that dated back to the 1740's.

Our last top was the house where Steel Magnolias was filmed. It is now a bed and breakfast but you can also tour the house. It's one of my favorite movies so it was awesome to see the house in person.

My sister and the kids will be coming to visit at the beginning of October so we can't wait to take them here.

It's always fun to play tourist, do you enjoy doing that?

Have a great Wednesday.