Settling In...Finally

September 29, 2016

     It has been almost 3 months since we moved to Twentynine Palms. In case you're wondering where our new "city" is located, here's a map:

     Saying there is not much around our new home would be an understatement. I often feel the need to be in "civilization" again, which normally involves a day trip to Palm Desert (an hour away) or at least Yucca Valley (just under half an hour away). Here in the town of Twentynine Palms, there is little to do. Most of the shops lining the streets are either tattoo parlors, smoke shops, barber shops or fast food options. The Marine Base itself has much more to offer than the town itself. It has a movie theater (with $3 movies- we go a lot), a bowling alley, several gyms (one of which has a rock climbing wall), a pool, a commissary (grocery store), military exchange (like a small Walmart), home goods store, several restaurants and 2 churches (one of which has become our home church). We live off the base, though, so it is about a 15 minute drive to get to any of these places. 

     When we first arrived here, we were awaiting our placement into the military housing system. We lived in a small house that belonged to the aunt of good friends of ours, coincidentally. She only uses it occasionally as a second home, so it was vacant. We were able to live there and be together until we received our new home here at the Vista Del Sol military housing complex. Even though the house was very bare bones, it meant we could live together, rather than Josh having to live in the barracks with other single Marines on base. We were placed in our new housing after only a few weeks, some of which I spent in Roseville buying a car, a beautiful red Toyota Camry. Once I returned, we were given the keys to our new townhouse, which is a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath (bigger than we had expected). We spent the first few weeks here living with just the bare minimums, a blow up mattress, folding card table, basic kitchen supplies, etc. Josh was given 10 days of family leave to move all of our items and get us settled in our new place. He could choose when to take it, however, so we chose to take it later- in mid August- so we could attend his brother's wedding reception in Roseville. Those first few weeks were interesting, and made us discover just how little it takes to function in a household. We did find great deals on a kitchen table, couch and love seat during that time, though, from other Marines who were moving to different locations. One of the benefits of being in such a transient setting. 

     At the end of our trip to Roseville for the wedding reception, we went to Chico and packed up all of our items from our storage unit there into a Uhaul. We drove it all the way back to Twentynine Palms, pulling our Camry behind it. This was a very long trip- made longer by an alternate route we were forced to take due to wildfires and frequent stops because of traveling with a puppy. Oh yeah- forgot to mention we are now officially dog owners! We found a Belgian Malinois puppy on Craigslist in Indio and went and picked her up at the end of July. We figured it was a great time to have a puppy since we had a nearly empty house and tile floors. Perfect for training her in potty training and lots of room to play. Josh had researched this type of dog, which is technically a short-haired German Shepherd and chosen it because they do well in the heat. They are often used by the military and police force, especially in the Middle East. It has definitely been quite the wild ride adjusting to life with a puppy. We both grew up with dogs, but having one of our own- especially a puppy as energetic as this one is- had been a lot of work. Even as I write this, she is snuggling up by my feet and nudging a toy towards me to throw for her to fetch. She's a good fit for us, though, and we have already taken her on some long hikes and trips to Big Bear, Roseville, Lake Tahoe and San Diego. Plus, anytime I start to get too frustrated with her, I can't help but be charmed by how darn cute she is. Here's a pic: 

     The other tricky part of life, for me, out here has been job hunting. I have been actively looking for a job since June, before we were even living here. The problem with living in such a sparsely populated place is the options for employment are very limited. I had applied to a dozen or so jobs, and had several promising interviews, but none moved past that. It has been a frustrating, and humbling, few months. Once my house was painted and decorated, I found myself with little to do during the days while Josh was working. I dedicated a lot of time to the new puppy, giving her lots of love and discipline, but was really craving human interaction and mental stimulation! The community we are living in is nice, but the people I have had the chance to meet seem to want to keep to themselves, which makes finding friends difficult, It wasn't until we were able to get plugged into a small group and I also started attending the Christian Women's Fellowship weekly that I have started to form friendships. These did not start up until the week of Labor Day, so it has been less than a month. They have both been immensely encouraging, though, and have become some of the highlights of my week. Josh and I attend a small group with 3 other couples from our church, and I attend the women's Bible study Tuesday evenings. Hopefully these will continue to lead to more friendships. 

     I was extremely discouraged for a while, several months in fact, about not having a job. I have not gone this long of a stretch without working since I was 16, and it was a shock to me- mentally and emotionally. I felt like I was letting our family down by not contributing financially. I also had too much time on my hands. I always try to stay busy and productive, but as the weeks went on it became more difficult. It has been a rough season to come through, one that would have been even harder had my encouraging husband not been by my side. Having him around really did make a huge difference during this downward time for me. I am happy to say that things have improved significantly! I now have 2 jobs and am excited about both. I have started substitute teaching for the local school district here, which has been a lot of fun so far. It is wonderful to have the flexibility to say yes or no to jobs and days that I want to work. It is still very new to me, but is going well so far. We live within 2 miles of 3 of the schools, which makes it even more convenient. The other job, that I was just officially offered on Tuesday, is a part time dietitian job, which I am thrilled about! I will be working for a contract company that hired out dietitians to local companies, like long term care centers and hospitals, for a certain amount of hours per week. It will be wonderful to be working in my field again and having variety in where I am working will be nice as well. I will start out as part time, probably 2 days a week, but there is chance of moving up to more soon. It feels so exciting to have more purpose now, and more opportunities to meet and interact with people. 

     The transition to settling in has been a lengthy one here, and we still do not feel very established- but we are moving in that direction. We feel encouraged by the people we have met and had a chance to get to know. Living out here is going to be difficult, but it will be as good as we aim to make it. And for now- our little home is decorated, Josh comes home almost every night, we have a sweet little puppy to look after, and God has provided jobs for both of us. Hallelujah. We are thankful for the ways He has provided, even in the past week. 

Here's a few pictures of our new home: 

And one more of the pup, because I couldn't resist...

Life in The Palms

Many changes have taken place for both Josh and I since I was last able to write. The past 2 months have brought a whirlwind of changing and new experiences. I will provide a list of some of the notable ones:

• I moved out of the house I had been renting with my sister and sister-in-law in Chico at the end of May. It was bittersweet- moving out meant I was getting closer to living once again with Josh, but also meant this unique stage of my life of getting to live with both sisters was now coming to an end. 
• I went to Maui at the end of May/ beginning of June to nanny for a family whose daughters went to the preschool I taught at in Kapalua. I got to spend a lot of time with my Mom, Dad and brother Chris, which was very refreshing! Being able to enjoy the ocean and outdoors of the beautiful island was also great. 
• I returned to California and lived in Escondido for 2 1/2 weeks, house sitting for my aunt and uncle. I was able to reconnect with friends I had not seen in years, as well as my cousins who live locally. Being able to spend time with people made living in a house by myself bearable! I was able to babysit for my cousins' children as well, and cook for a few families my aunt connected me with. 
• During the months of May and June, Josh went through School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton. The first 4 weeks were basic infantry skills, and the second half was his specialized school for his chosen MOS (which means Military Occupational Speciality). He chose (and was chosen due to his high academic scores) to be a tow gunner, or anti-tank missile man. This meant he was learning how to shoot a very specialized missile. 
• Josh and I were able to see each other each weekend (after I returned from Maui). His Mom and sister graciously drove down to spend Memorial Day weekend with him while I was still in Maui. His liberty (freedom allotted to him during training) was different each weekend. He was able to leave base with me one of the weekends, and I was able to go on base to spend time with him the remaining ones. 
• We both got to attend Josh's uncle's wedding one weekend in June. It was, coincidentally, in Oceanside, which made it very convenient for us. We were able to spend time with his immediate and extended family, which was really nice. 
• I was able to see my Mom and her side of the family at a family dinner in Irvine. It was fun to spend time with family I had not seen in a long time, and hear old stories of the hilarity of my grandmother and great grandmother. 

      Josh graduated from School of Infantry on June 21st. Prior to this date, we had been waiting to hear his orders- which would determine where we will be stationed and living for, most likely, the next three years. He did not receive his official orders until the Friday before his graduation, which made for a painfully slow few weeks for me.  When we finally did find out, we were told Josh would be stationed with an anti-tank unit in Twentynine Palms, CA. If you have never heard of it-there's just reason for that. It is a "town" made up primarily of Marines in the Mojave desert east of Los Angeles. The only time I had been close to here prior to moving here was driving through the desert to Lake Havasu. 

      Receiving the news of our new placement was harder for me than I had hoped. I had been trying to mentally prepare myself for this option, since I knew it was one of the top three places we were likely to be stationed. Emotionally, though, I had my heart set on Camp Pendleton. Living in Escondido for the month of June reaffirmed my love for the area, and being so close to many friends and family made the idea of living there much more appealing. I had even been looking into the job market and found some promising options. Needless to say, hearing about Twentynine Palms was hard to swallow. 

     The same day Josh graduated, just 2 hours after the program had ended, he was driven out to his new unit by several Marines who had attended the graduation, along with 3 other new graduates. I did not accompany him, of course, since he was being introduced and getting checked in (which is a very extensive and long process). At that point, we were not sure of when I would be able to move out there and live with him. He would not know more information on that until he was there and able to ask questions directly. We also did not know whether he would be able to attend, and be the best man, in his brother's wedding. The wedding was in Alabama on June 25th, and in order for Josh to be able to attend, he would need permission for time off and also permission to travel that far. Normally, weekend liberty allows for travel about 300 miles away from the base, but we were asking for 1,900 miles away! 

     With the lack of clarity on whether Josh would be going to Alabama, I had grappled with the decision to attend. In the end, I decided it would be best for me to go, to provide support our family and of course the bride and groom. I flew to Birmingham on Wednesday. The next two days were full of anxiety- as we waited to hear from Josh about whether he would be coming or not. It was not until Friday afternoon that we received the call- he was allowed to come! He booked his flight out, and I quickly got on the phone with Southwest and was able to get both of us return tickets on Tuesday. He had been given time off until Thursday- which was great. His flight arrived Saturday morning, the day of the wedding. We picked him up and rushed him over to where the groom and groomsmen were having brunch and then getting ready for the wedding. It was a joyous occasion to witness the family being together for such a beautiful wedding! 

     Josh and I returned to California on Tuesday, after enjoying a few days of family time with The Hills in Alabama. We picked up our car, spent one night in Oceanside soaking up the cool, coastal air and then drove the 2 1/2 hours out to Twentynine Palms. In another crazy, God-ordained situation, we had landed a place to stay together just a few miles off of the base. Our good friends from Maui, who now live in Orange County, have an aunt who happens to own a small house off of base. They do not live in it full time, but just use it for occasional weekend trips. She was gracious enough to say we could use it until we find out about the military family housing here. It is not much- very primitive, no internet, surrounded by dirt/sand roads, but it means we can live together. For that we are grateful! 

     It has already been an interesting adjustment, moving here to the desert. I have been here less than a week and already feel extremely isolated. I have been searching for jobs, but there are very limited options. We have not made any friends yet or been exposed to community. We are waiting for on-base housing to allow us to move to a more permanent place. I am praying God opens up more doors for us soon, and that I can seek out opportunities until then. My Dad recently told me he keeps thinking of the phrase "Bloom where you are planted" when he thinks of this new endeavor God has placed Josh and I on. I am trying to cling to that, and remember that God has a plan in all places, even when I am surrounded by desert on all sides and it is 120 degrees out. Life is about much more than the view from our front porch or our proximity to shopping. 

     Please keep us in your prayers- they are much appreciated. The good thing is, there are many weekend excursions to take from The Palms. We were able to celebrate out 4 year wedding anniversary in Big Bear this past weekend, and are planning other trips to Lake Havasu, Las Vegas and Palm Springs at some point in the future. There is always a silver lining- we just need to look a little harder to find it here. Thanks for reading. 

Josh's graduation

 Our new terrain

Anniversary dinner in Big Bear

An Unexpected and Much Welcomed Surprise

This weekend turned out to be another wonderful example of God’s grace and favor on Josh and I. As we have been walking through this new road of the Marine Corps life, there have been countless blessings that have come alongside the rough times we have been facing. The funny thing is- the blessings seem to be coming at the exact moments we need them the most. It is amazing how God can work in such varying ways to show us how deep His love really is for us.

I had planned on going down to Oceanside this past weekend about 3 weeks ago. My car has been continually having issues (never-ending, expensive issues of course), and I wanted to have it down in San Diego to be looked at and hopefully fixed by a family friend of ours who is a mechanic. I also wanted to leave my car in San Diego so I could have it when I fly into the airport there at the beginning of June. Josh and I planned for this weekend because it would have been over a month since we had last seen each other, which is more than long enough for both of us!

One of the things I have been learning most about the USMC is to be flexible with changes and uncertainty that may come around every corner. Some weekends, Josh has gotten his freedom, or liberty, granted earlier on Friday, sometimes on Saturday, and sometimes not at all. He turns in his cell phone to his commanding officer at the end of the weekend (Sunday evening) and gets it back when they go on liberty either Friday or Saturday. You can imagine my surprise, then, this past week, when I received a call from Josh on Monday evening. He called from an unknown number and left me a voicemail saying he did not think he would have liberty to even leave the area of the base surrounding his barracks. His officer had told them this would last for the whole weekend. As I listened to this voicemail, I became frustrated- not with Josh, of course, but with the current situation we are in. As the week continued, I found myself dreading the idea of going down to Oceanside. I already had an airline ticket back for today, Monday, so I knew I had to go through with the trip, but it did not excite me. The idea of having to sit outside the barracks with Josh, probably in the overcast weather, with little to do sounded like a bummer. I know he had been looking forward to having me there and being able to explore the base, since he had been very limited on doing that so far.

By the time Thursday came and I was driving to Roseville to stay with my li-laws before the early morning drive to Southern California, I was still not in a place of excitement, or anywhere close to it. I left at 4:30 AM on Friday morning and drove straight down the 5 freeway to Orange County. As I drove, I felt the urge to pray for the situation we were being put in. I knew Josh’s orders could have changed, it was definitely not too late for him to have more freedom than he had thought initially. I prayed fervently and repeatedly that God would allow a change that would create more time and privacy for us. I stopped on my way to Oceanside in Orange County to see two close friends, which was really refreshing and fun, and then drove to family friend’s house in Oceanside where I would be staying. I had no idea when Josh would be allowed to call, and waited to eat dinner or make any plans until I had heard. He called at 7:00 PM and said he had liberty that evening until 10 PM. I hopped in the car about 5 minutes later and sped over to see him. It takes about 30 minutes from there to the base, which left us over 2 hours of hanging out. We had to stay close to his barracks, which meant we were sitting on the concrete curb, with mice scurrying often on the hillside behind us. But we didn’t care- we were happy to be next to each other, eating pizza and catching up on the week. The best news of that evening was Josh’s liberty for the weekend had changed. His officer was now allowing them to have freedom across the entire base. We were stoked!

I said goodbye to Josh that evening and headed back to Oceanside. The next morning, I had breakfast with a friend and fellow Marine wife and then drove to the base again to pick Josh up. He got off at 11:00 AM and didn’t have to report back until close to midnight! I had looked into hotel rooms on the base, to avoid having to drive back and forth from Oceanside, and to have a place where Josh could change into regular civilian clothing! He had spent the past 6 weeks constantly in uniform and the idea of being able to lounge around in comfy clothes made him almost giddy. I had brought him homemade enchiladas and other goodies, which he much appreciated after eating the MRE’s offered when he is out on the field in his training (think backpacking food, but less appetizing). Needless to say, we ended up having a great weekend- so much h better than either of us had thought would be possible. We were able to go bowling, watch a RedBox movie, eat at a 50’s burger joint, go to the beach, and shop for items Josh needed. It was refreshing to be together and reminded us of how closely we are being watched over and provided for by our Lord and Savior. It was the reminder we both need to endure the next 5 weeks of training that remain.

Although we still do not know more about what our future holds- where we will be stationed or what type of job I will find or where we will live, I feel more at peace than I have in a long time. I know one thing for sure- wherever we are stationed, it will be amazing to be together. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I can’t wait to be living with my sweetheart again. For now, I will finish out my last week in Chico this week, head to Maui for 12 days of nannying and visiting friends and family, and then spend the rest of June down in Oceanside. I want to be as close to Josh as I can be so I can go see him whenever he has that freedom. As far as past June 21- we have no idea where we will be or what our plans are. But I am thankful to have had this past weekend and for all of the amazing friends and family we have surrounding us with love and support. We seriously would not be able to make it through this season without them. So if you are reading this, thank you for your support! We love you all!

Where Is Home?

I have been grappling with the uncertainty of where we will be living when Josh finishes SOI at the end of June. It is getting old to always have to tell people we do not yet know where we will be stationed, or when we will know for sure. We will hopefully know in June, but even that is not certain. As of now, here are my thoughts regarding this upcoming placement- it does not matter, ultimately. I know God is going to bless us wherever we are stationed. There will be upsides and downsides to wherever we are. It will be hard at times and fun and exciting at times. More than anything, we will be stationed somewhere together. We will be able to have a space that is just ours, we will be able to decorate it the way we want to, we will be able to finally hang up our wedding photos and unpack our items from a storage unit. The last time we lived together in our own space was in November, so by the time we reach that point again, it will be only too welcomed by both of us. So whether it is Pendleton, 29 Palms, or Kanehoe Bay I will be grateful! I will be with my husband, and that, in itself, will be bliss. 

I had my first extreme wave of loneliness and sadness last night since boot camp. During boot camp, I felt extremely emotional and unstable- with everything and anything making me cry. Since Josh left for school of infantry, though, I have not had that extreme sadness that I experienced before. Last night, though, I was reading some of my journal from September of last year, and I had written one day about all of the little things I love and appreciate about Josh. I had written about how much improvement we had seen in our marriage, and the joy and fun we had in spending time together. As I read this, I was struck with an extreme loneliness, almost an ache to be with Josh. I want him to be with me for the little, mundane, trivial things that come up throughout the day. I have been attending a marriage Bible study through Grace Community Church here in Chico, and had it last night. We had talked about how to treat our spouse with respect and assume the best about them, rather than the worst. As other couples shared about little antics they want to stop getting worked up over, like leaving toilet seat up or not taking out the trash, I found myself longing for Josh to be around- even with all of  those trivial things. I wanted to have something current to share, something that had come up recently in living with Josh. It is those little things, living and sharing life with someone everyday, that I miss during this season of life. 

I have the opportunity to go back to Maui again soon- which I am very excited about! One of the families I used to babysit for often, and whose two daughters I knew well from the preschool I worked at, are traveling for their jobs and need a nanny during that time. I am only too happy to fly over and help them! This means, though, that my time in Chico is drawing to a close even sooner. I am leaving on May 22, and then returning on June 5- although that will be to San Diego. I will then live at my aunt and uncle's house in Escondido until Josh is done with SOI on June 21. Josh's brother is getting married on June 25 in Birmingham, Alabama and we are praying and hoping Josh will be able to go. He may not know until the middle of June, so I am planning on flying with or without him. I just hope, selfishly and for the family's sake, that it is with him. So far God has been ordaining the timing of Josh's training in amazing ways, and I have no double He can do so again. We just need to wait patiently until we find out. It is always in the Lord's timing and not our own! I am learning this more now than ever before. It is this constant need trust and rely on the Lord that is changing me with each and every day. That, in itself, is a reason to rejoice at what this season will do for me, for Josh and for our marriage in the long-term. 

The Waiting Game

Josh mentioned to me before he even left for boot camp the mantra of "Hurry Up and Wait", which is often used jokingly by Marines. The life of a Marine is dictated and run by a strict schedule and plan, but it often leads to waiting for long periods of time. For example, when Josh signed up for the USMC initially in Maui, we thought he would be sent to boot camp soon after (which would have been July 2015). We later found out he would not begin boot camp until December 7th. Now he experienced another delay in starting his next phase of training, School of Infantry (SOI). He was supposed to begin 10 days after boot camp ended, which would have been March 15th, but he started yesterday- April 19th. I feel like this has already become a common theme in our lives, and we have only been part of the military officially for 4 months. 

The waiting game has greatly affected me as well. I feel as though much of my life is on hold currently, waiting for the next chapter to begin. Every decision banks on another, and yet I can't make any further decisions until we know where we will be living. It is a frustrating cycle for me, and one I am having to continually surrender control in and give control to the Lord. As of now, we are scheduled to find out where we will be living after SOI sometime in the first two weeks of June. But, even in my limited experience, I am preparing myself for that date to be extended. The main USMC bases we could be stationed at are Camp Pendleton (in Oceanside, CA- where Josh is currently), 29 Palms (the middle of no where in the Mohave Desert), Camp Lejeune (North Carolina), Okinawa (Japan), and Kanehoe Bay (Oahu, Hawaii). From what we have been told, we will be allowed to give a preference of either West Coast, East Coast or Overseas. Ultimately, though, the decision lies in the hands of the Marine Corps and where the greatest need is at the time of Josh's stationing. Another aspect of Josh's current training is his ability to choose a Military Occupational Specialty (or MOS). This is basically the specialty within the infantry division where Josh receives additional training. Common infantry MOS's include rifleman, sniper, reconnoissance, machine gunner, mortarman, and many more. Since Josh scored extremely high on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test during boot camp, he should be able to have his pick of MOS. Once again, we will see if that actually happens. We are learning to be both patient and flexible! Too bad those are two of the hardest attributes for me to live out on a daily basis. 

Josh has been down at Pendleton since March 28th, which was the date he was assigned to report. Since his start date for SOI was delayed, he was assigned to a waiting barracks, which meant he was placed on different working parties to perform menial tasks, chores, maintenance, and whatever else was needed on the base. He was not happy to be assigned there, but not starting his next round of training. He is chomping at the bit, as much as I am, to find out where we will be stationed. However, he was able to spend more time with many of the other new Marines who were in the same situation as him. Many of these men were the same ones he had been with at boot camp, although he knew nothing about the details of their life. He was able to talk and get to know them, and share about his life, our marriage and his faith. It was great to hear how many questions about marriage he was receiving and answering from all of the 18 and 19 year olds surrounding him! I am happy he can pass on the wisdom we have gained during our first four years of marriage. I am praying God will continue to place particular men in his path who need to hear words of encouragement or hope from Josh. I am also praying Josh will have the energy and the motivation to take those opportunities! 

I went down to visit Josh at Camp Pendleton the second weekend he was there (April 8th and 9th). He had called me the previous weekend and explained his "liberty", or freedom, situation to me. Since he had not officially started SOI, there was a much greater chance he would be granted the highest level of liberty ("alpha") which meant he could leave the base for the weekend. I jumped at the opportunity to see him for the weekend, and drove all the way down to Oceanside, thankfully accompanied by my mother in law. We would not know officially what level of liberty Josh had received from his staff sergeants, but made the drive anyways- hopeful we would get to spend time with him. He had told me the second best case scenario would be "bravo" liberty, which meant he would be allowed off base for both Saturday and Sunday, but have to return to sleep in the barracks both nights. I found out around 1:00 PM that afternoon, as we were arriving in Oceanside, he had received "bravo". I was disappointed somewhat, wanting him to have freedom from the base for the weekend, but was thrilled I hadn't driven all that way in vain. I was able to enter onto the base Friday early evening and have dinner with Josh. That was quite an experience in itself. He only had about 2 hours of freedom that evening, but I had wanted to spend as much time with him while I was in the area as possible. We ended up being confined to the area immediately surrounding his barracks, which limited our dinner options to the mini mart (with frozen foods and a microwave) and Domino's. We decided to go with the pizza. Walking in to the Domino's, I quickly realized I was the only female surrounded by about 40 Marines (most in uniform, some in civilian clothing). All heads turned towards me, which made me very self conscious. The worst part was the moment of panic I experienced when exiting the bathroom. I scanned the crowd for Josh, but couldn't pinpoint which one was him- since they were all dressed the same. Thankfully he soon walked towards me, which helped! We were able to spend two full days together after that. We played disc golf, walked on the Oceanside Pier, ate delicious Mexican food, and spent time with his Mom. It was nice to be together, especially with the uncertainty looming in front of us of when we would next get to see each other. 

Since then, we have been able to talk on the weekends. Josh has to turn in his cell phone during the week, but has been getting it back for the weekends. I am praying this continues as the intensity of SOI training increases. I am hoping to go visit him sometime soon, but am waiting to hear how his new instructors are in SOI, and what kind of weekend liberty he will most likely be receiving. I am also planning on living down in that area for most of June. I want to be close enough to the base to be able to go see him on short notice. Having to make a 8+ hour drive to get to him is not ideal, although it does have its benefits currently. Chico is amazingly beautiful, and I am trying my best to soak up all of this warmth and sunshine we have been having. I have been loving riding my bike, hiking and sitting by the creek. What a beautiful place to be living during spring! 

A Day In The Life...

It is funny how situations change, and just as often we change with them. I never would have imagined, looking ahead into the future several years ago, that I would be the wife of a Marine. I never would have imagined I would be sharing a house in Chico with my sister and sister in law. I never would have imagined I would be working odd jobs, waiting for our placement to find a full time job once again. Most of all, I never would have imagined having to go months  without talking to or seeing my husband, followed by more months of very limited amounts of communication. It has been an interesting season, and one I know will continue to be interesting, challenging, and molding for me. 

In this season, though, I never would have imagined the blessings that have popped up, seemingly around every corner. It has been an immense blessing to live with Rachel (sister in law) and Caroline (my younger sister). Being a part of their lives daily, and getting to share mine with them has been so awesome. In some ways, it feels like college all over again (living with other girls), but it is deeper than that in many ways. They are my sisters and I love sharing in life with them. It is something I never expected to be able to experience, almost 4 years into marriage, and I am so thankful for it. Another blessing that has arisen in this season of uncertainty has been the amount of time I have been able to spend with Josh's parents in Roseville. Even before Josh and I were married, I have felt welcomed into the Hill family. They are loving, care deeply, and will go above and beyond to make someone feel loved. I have been the recipient of this love often over the last 5 years, and living in Chico again since December has been a reminder of their awesomeness! I have been going to Roseville often- many times during the holiday season, on my way to and from other destinations, and just for a comforting place to get away to. Their home really has become my home away from home, and for that I am so thankful. I had never envisioned being so close to my in laws, and I continue to be blessed daily by having them in my life. 

God has certainly been working in my heart these past 4 months. I have developed a more pressing need for His guidance in my life, with all of the uncertainty. Prayer has become an outlet for my anxiety, and I find myself turning to it almost involuntarily throughout the day. I have been discovering new things about myself, especially areas I need to improve in and be humbled in. The idea of surrendering my own will, and getting away from my own selfishness has been recurrent. Ideally, this is not the place I would want to be in. I would want to be working full time, have Josh home every night, and have our future planned out. I would want comfort and security. But that is not what life as a follower of Christ looks like. We are called to a life set apart from others. We are called to an uncomfortable life. When God works in and through us, it is not often in the way we would have imagined or hoped. I know God is teaching me to surrender to the leadership of my husband, as a submissive wife. I need to trust that God is speaking to him and leading him in the way that he feels we are called in to. God is also teaching me to wait on His timing. It never seems as timely as the plan I would have envisioned, but it is so much better. There are things we learn through waiting that we would not learn otherwise. I have been learning to be less selfish, thinking less of myself and more of others. I have been learning to be less concerned with working to make money in every spare moment of the day and use that time to invest in others, and invest in my relationship with the Lord. 

I am hoping the things I am learning during this season will prepare me for the next one we enter into- wherever and whenever that may be. It may be hard to spend evenings by myself, eat meals by myself and handle all of the financial decisions that arise when my husband is out of touch. But I know I will come out of this time stronger, and more able to cope emotionally with the next season God calls us into. Until then, I am taking one day at a time. I am choosing to invest my time well, and be thankful for the extra time I do have. I want to remember that there are so many blessings the Lord wants to give us, but we must stop and be still before Him in order to see them and receive them. I hope this can encourage you too, as you read this, to see what blessings the Lord may have for you. 

Reunited

After the separation of 13 weeks apart, being reunited with Josh after boot camp was bliss. The final days leading up to seeing him on March 3rd were anxiety-ridden for me. I had spent so much time thinking about seeing him again, and waiting anxiously for that day to come. When it finally did, I found myself feeling the butterflies and nervousness I hadn't known was building up inside. The biggest fear I had leading up to the end of boot camp was the change I expected to see in Josh. Yes, I had expected he would look differently than when I last saw him, but I was also fearful he would act differently as well. In my mind, the Marine Corps would have anted to strip him to down to nothing, and build him up as the new man they wanted him to become. For me, thinking about that was difficult. We had put in so much work on our marriage leading up to boot camp. The first two years of marriage were extremely difficult for us, and we had both noticed the changes the following year and half. I felt like we were finally beginning to understand one another and work well together as a couple. I feared boot camp would change all of that, and take us back to the beginning in many ways. 

I also had anxiety about spending so much time together in the days following boot camp. I had planned a road trip for the two of us, after the first weekend with his family down in San Diego, to the Grand Canyon and Sedona in Arizona. Since I had not known what he would be in the mood for after his rigorous training and rigid schedule, I left the details unplanned. I had brought many of his belonging from Chico- enough to be prepared for relaxation or adventure (depending on what he would prefer). I also brought several of the food items he had requested to family day (including homemade hummus, ingredients to make Greek pita sandwiches, pasta salad, and Oreo cheesecake). 

After the long drive to Souther California on March 2nd, we prepared to see Josh for the first time on Family Day (March 3rd). His Mom, Dad, sister and I went to MCRD San Diego early on that morning. After having our car inspected and showing our ID's to get onto the base, we entered into the hours of waiting until the afternoon to come to spend it with Josh. The schedule had said Family Day began at 9:00 AM, so we arrived before that time. We then endured different instructors speaking to us, both outside and inside the auditorium. We (briefly) saw Josh and his platoon jog by on their final motivational run of boot camp. Then they went back to their barracks to shower and change, while we waited even longer to actually speak to them. Over the next two hours of waiting, I found my anxiety level raising even more. I eventually had to leave the auditorium, where a long presentation on Marine Corps 101 was being held, and walk outside. My mother in law, Mary, followed me outside, and she and I were able to talk through and process some of what I was feeling. I felt excited to see Josh, of course, but nervous about what it would be like. I was afraid the 10 days of leave he had would just feel like a tease, and then he would be back at his next training. I was also feeling overwhelmed being on the Marine base, and seeing what my life as a Marine wife would look like for the next 4 years. It was a whole different world, and one that I knew nothing about. The unknown of what this new chapter would be bringing for us was a lot to take on. Mary was kind enough to pray with me right there and then- specifically praying that God would send me a sign of reassurance that we were doing His will, and that He had a greater and deeper plan for us in all of this. Neither of us knew then how quickly He would answer this prayer! 

Around 12:00, the new Marines marched in and lined up in front of all the family members present. They were officially announced as the newest Marines of the USMC, and then released to us for their on-base freedom, until they had to report back at 5:00 PM. I rushed forward to find Josh, while his family stayed back on the steps. After looking past him once, I did find him and then we walked back up to where his family was. After working our way past the crowds of people, we were able to find a picnic area where we could eat a leisurely lunch (which Josh loved, after the stress that meal times had become for him) and begin to ask some of the questions we had about boot camp life. Before we were able to get into our questioning and meal, however, Josh said he had a change of schedule to inform us about. The last I had heard from him, via his final letter, he had said he was scheduled to have the normal 10 days of boot leave and report back for school of infantry on Tuesday, March 15th. I had planned to fly out that same day to Maui to surprise my parents and be there for their 60th birthday party. I hadn't had a chance to tell Josh this, though, because he told me not to send letters the final two weeks of boot camp. So, to hear him say there was a change in his schedule made my heart drop. I figured he was saying he would have less time, and couldn't go on the trip I had planned for us, or he had more time- in which I would be in Maui already. What he did say made me realize God was ordaining this entire situation- and in a way that was much better than I could have dreamed up! He told me the school of infantry was backed up, and that he would not be reporting their for an additional two weeks. He would not be off that entire time, however, but would be working with the recruiter for the USMC- on Maui! He was scheduled to start there the exact same day I was flying over, so we were able to be on the same flight together. He would be working with the recruiter during the day, but have evenings and weekends free.  After he finished telling us this, and I told him of my existing plans to go to Maui we just sat there in amazement. There really was no other explanation for how our plans alignment so perfectly, except for being God-ordained. He had this in mind all along. 

After figuring out about our extended time together, we were able to enjoy the rest of Family Day. We had a picnic and visited with his family. They left base a while later to get him a burrito to eat for dinner later, which gave us some one-on-one time. We had to say goodbye to him for his final night in the barracks, and we returned to the house we had rented nearby. Josh's brother Jeremiah flew in that evening to surprise him by being there for the graduation. The next morning, we left early once again for MCRD. The lines to get in were even longer that day, but we did manage to find a row of seats together- with enough room for my aunt and uncle, my grandma, and a friend of the Hills from Roseville who is a Marine wife stationed at Pendleton. The graduation ceremony was well done, but too long in my opinion! I just wanted Josh to be done so we could take him home with us! We were able to exit quickly after the ceremony ended, though, and already had a meeting place set up with Josh. Jeremiah met him there, and Josh was surprised and thrilled to see him. We took some pictures there and then headed back to the house for lunch with the family and my relatives. The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing and spending time with Josh's family, which was great. 

Josh and I left for our Arizona trip on Sunday, after spending Saturday night at a Bed and Breakfast at Cardiff by the Sea (a gift from my aunt and grandma). Our road trip was great- full of adventurous hikes, relaxation, good food and wine, and lots of time together. We spent two nights in Sedona at my great aunt and uncle's house, which was really relaxing. They were amazing hosts and cooked for us and directed us on where to hike. Then we spent two night inside Grand Canyon National Park. Josh had never been here and loved seeing the canyon. We went for a 17 mile hike down the canyon one of the days there. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I had ever been on. Then we drove back to Roseville (in one long day of driving) to spend the final weekend in California with his parents and sister. On March 15th, we flew to Maui and spent 12 more days there together. It was such a blessing to have extended time together, and to see all of my family over there. My sister and brother flew over too (sister from CA and brother from Washington DC). We were so blessed to have time with both sides of the family. 

Being back together was so much better than I could have imagined. We said many times that it felt like we had never been apart. All of my anxieties about Josh being changed faded once I spent time around him. We could still be just as silly together, go on crazy hikes, watch movies snuggled on the couch, and relax over a glass of wine. He was also much more open and talkative about boot camp than I had imagined him to be, and was always sharing some story or experience. I loved feeling like I was getting a glimpse into what his world looked like there. Having spent time apart made us savor and cherish the time we had together. Every day was a gift, and we realized that and tried to make the most of it. I pray we will continue to do so with the time we are given together in these next few years as well. It is a reminder to never let moments pass you by, or become too busy to enjoy one another. 

Here's a few pictures from Family Day, the first time we had seen each other in 13 weeks