Its been way too long!

Man...it has been way too long since I updated our blog last. Life has definately kept both Brenton and I busy these past couple of months! Brenton is currently in Fort Knox, Kentucky waiting to start tank school. He has been told that he will pick up in January...so as of now he just works out, cleans, and hangs around his barracks. He says it is super cold there right now and snowing! It has been quite the opposite here in SoCal. It is always sunny, although it is starting to get a little on the chilly side. I have been busy working and hanging out with our puggle Hurley. Hurley is quite the spoiled dog and requires a lot of attention...haha! Work for me has been okay. I have been told that I am going to Labor and Delivery sometime after the new year...but I was told I was going there this past fall as well. So we will see. I am anxious to get out of Postpartum for a while. I really enjoy taking care of mommies and babies...but I need some change...and lets say excitement! It gets very routine after a while.

As for the holidays, Brenton will be coming home for a couple of weeks. When exactly he can come home is still up in the air. Hopefully we will know soon. My parents are currently in the process of moving back to Okinawa, Japan. My mom leaves this Saturday and my dad the following. Brenton and I will be moving into their house. It will be nice to get out of this one-bedroom apartment and actually have some space to walk around in and a nice backyard for Hurley! So a lot will be happening here in the next few weeks.

Brenton and I wish everyone a HAPPY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! We will be sure to post some christmas pics and our latest updates! We love and miss all our friends and family back home in Oregon. Wish we could be there....maybe next year!:)

xoxo

Mel

Beautiful day at the Beach!

My Marine!

He's gone again!:(

So Brenton has been home and is now gone again! I dropped him off at the School of Infantry (SOI) around 1230 today. It was sad to see him go again...especially since he was only home for 10 days. We definately enjoyed those 10 days though! I had to work some of those days, but Brenton was such a sweetheart and spent some of those days at work with me...he must have been so bored. But I enjoyed every minute of it. Well....I am now on night shifts. I start on Halloween night and work the weekend. I reallly do enjoy working nights, but I often have a hard time adjusting to the schedule. I should be sleeping right now, but I am wide awake! haha! Brenton will be gone for about a month...I think 29 days to be exact. I am hoping to see him on the weekends if he gets them off. Hurley loved having daddy home. I think he knew he was leaving again today. He saw Brenton pack up all his stuff. Awww...poor little guy! Well I hope everyone is doing well. I am doing very well and just hope these 29 days go fast. I already want Brenton home again.

11 more days!

That's right...11 more days and Brenton will be home! I am getting so excited for his graduation. I am so proud of him. I will have to admit...it is going to be a little weird having him home. Hurley and I have gotten into our own routine...but daddy is always welcomed home...haha! So C4 was fun and I really liked Texas. I learned a lot and found out that I love trauma nursing. Maybe I don't want to be a labor and delivery nurse after all. The good thing is that I am still so young and have plenty of time to really figure out what kind of nursing I want to do. For now...I can just have fun with the moms and babies. Well....fun with the babies! :) I heard from Brenton on Sunday. He got to call me from church. He really sounded great. He is excited to come home....I think I write that in every blog...haha. But that is really all he talks about. He starts the big ole' Crucible tomorrow and it last 3 days. It is going to be 3 days of non-stop marching and food/sleep deprivation. They do team obstacles and stuff too. I hear it reallys sucks, but it is the crucible that really marks one as a marine. After the crucible he will receive his eagle, globe and anchor. I hear it is a very emotional time for those guys. It is the eagle, globe and anchor that marks them as marines. Then after all that, it is marine week!!! Time to prepare for graduation! As for me, I start back at work tomorrow and pretty much will be working lots until he graduates. I am hoping time flies. Well need to get back to household chores. Will keep everybody posted on any upcoming news. Please keep Brenton in your prayers while he is out conquering the Crucible!!!! love and miss you all!

Hurley a Rooster!

SO I just bought Hurley's holloween costume. He is going to be a ROOSTER...haha! Brenton is going to kill me!!! He told me I was never allowed to dress Hurley up as anything, but I could not resist. Target had the funniest holloween costumes. I will definately have to take pics and post them on here.

Texas here I come!

So I leave on Thursday for San Antonio, Texas. I will be there for I guess 9 days. I am going through a Combat Casualty Care Course (C-4) for the navy. I will also get my trauma nurse certification while I am out there. I am actually really excited to go. We will be doing some field training which I am really excited about. On another note, I heard from Brenton yesterday. He got to call home to arrange everything to come home. Too bad we live right here and we just got to talk to whole time...haha! He sounds so good... he is so excited to come home and be with his family. That is all he ever talks about. Boot Camp is pretty much all down hill from here. He got fitted for all his uniforms and has been working out (PT'ing) tons. He still has to master the crucible, which he will do here in a couple of weeks. The crucible is the long "march to becoming a marine." They will be food and sleep deprived during this long march that I believe occurs in three days. Ahh...3 weeks and 3 days and Brenton will be sitting right here next to me. I can't wait!!!! I can't wait to see how Hurley reacts...I hope he doesn't bark and get scared of him. Well, I need to get working on some chores, pack for c-4, and pack up Hurley's stuff. He will be staying at my parents house for those 9 days...lucky them...haha! Miss and love you all!

Wednesday

So I decided to post a blog today...mostly just to vent a little. I had a terrible day at work today. So right now I am currently being trained to be charge nurse, which is fine, but being a charge nurse is never something I asked for. I don't feel ready and I really don't want that responsibility right now. I am still a brand new spakin nurse with so much to learn. It sucks when you know you are not ready to be charge and your staff tries to tell you what to do ALL DAY LONG! I don't know...I could just sit in my bed and cry all night long about the way I have been treated at work or I could just think about Brenton and how he loves and cares about me. I know I can't let these people at work get to me. Half of them are "lame" anyways and still think they are in High School. So here I am...writing a blog about it...haha. This is my way of brushing it off my shoulder and saying hey "I don't care...it's not like you affect my life anyways." haha...I know that is mean...but you know who really matters (hint: my family and friends). So...on a happier note...I GOT A LETTER FROM BRENTON!!!! YAY! I needed it. I think God planned it to be honest. It said everything I needed to hear. I feel so blessed to have a husband who cares so deeply and loves me so much! I love you too Brenton! He is doing a lot better. He was able to get some eye drops for his eyes and that it is getting better. I guess the drill instructors are being a lot nicer and FINALLY talking to them like they are going to be marines. He just sounded so happy in his letter...but it is also probably because he got to see me on Sunday and I guess that was the best thing in the world as he stated! I would definately have to agree. I miss that kid so much. Our apartment is so boring with him gone (Hurley didn't hear that). Speaking of Hurley...he is being so good lately. He is so cute...I really need to find Brenton's charger to his camera so I can take some new pics and post them. Well I am off to babysit for the night. I get to watch my buddy Carter tonight (my two year old friend...haha). Will write more later!

My Marine in the Making!

So before I head off to work early this morning, I wanted to update everybody on Brenton. I got to see him at church yesterday and yes, I got to sit by his side for a whole 3.5 hrs. It was the best moment I have ever shared with Brenton in such a long time. The minute I walked into the room where they hold sacrament, I first realized that I was not going to be able to recognize Brenton. I was staring at a bunch of bald recruits all dressed in there cami's and all looking the same. I here a voice in the corner go "there she is" as Brenton is whispering to his friend. I look to the right and there he was....huge perma grin on his face. HE LOOKED SO GOOD! I have to be honest, I was expecting him to look a little weird bald. But NO, he looked AMAZING! It hit me real hard that he is becoming a marine. He has not changed one bit. Still joking around, still my sensitive little guy, and still so very handsome. We got to talk the whole time, but remembering that we could not touch eachother; not even hold hands. That was very hard. But at the very end he was ordered to give me a hug and a kiss, Brenton just said "yes sir" and did what he was told...haha! I was able to go into a room with him as he received a blessing for his pink eye, upper respiratory infection, and infection on his foot. Seriously Brenton, go see a Doc! haha...Three recruits were baptized yesterday. I got to attend there baptism's as well. Brenton comfirmed two of them. It was just a really exciting, fun, and emotional morning for Brenton and I. He is officially in Phase III, the last phase, of bootcamp. They headed back to MCRD, San Diego yesterday after church. So he is almost done. Less than five weeks! Please keep Brenton in all your prayers, especially with all his illnesses. Brenton is so stubborn though, he will not let anything affect his training. From what I was told yesterday, he is doing very well at bootcamp! I am so proud of him! Well off to work I go, first of three twelves in a row. I will be very exhausted come Wednesday! Miss you all!

My Life!

So I think it is about time I update this thing and write a new blog. It feels like it has been forever. So what have I been up too....WORKING! haha. I feel like I work so much...but when I sit down and add up hours...it is only like 90 hrs every two weeks. Thats not too bad...it must be the 12 hour shifts. Working twelve's is exhausting. You never get anything done on those days because when you get home you just want to eat and go straight to bed. But I can't usually do that. I have a very hyper puppy that just wants to play and run after being crated for 13 hours. So he usually gets his nightly walks and we have play time right before bed. My parents have been a big help lately. They usually come and get him while I am at work and let him play with his best friend "Shobo." Shobo would be my parents 100lb. yellow lab. They are literally best buds and could play for hours. I really can't wait for Brenton to be home to help me with this dog. Whats sad is that Hurley isn't even a real human baby....and he is still a lot of work. I guess that is why people recommend getting a dog before having a baby...haha. Anyhoo....I have not heard from Brenton at all this week. From my understanding he is out in the field and most likely unable to write and/or receive letters. It is amazing to know the kind of training and skills he is learning. I never thought this is something Brenton would choose to do...but I am so proud of him and proud of the fact that I can call him "MY MARINE." Not everyone chooses to join the military and serve and I am so very thankful for those who step and say "hey....I will so that that man or woman doesn't have to." GOOD JOB BRENTON! I know Brenton and I will have a lot of obstacles to face in our future....but I know God is by our side and will help us get through anything! This is the life we chose and WE ARE SO PROUD OF IT! Well I am hoping to see Brenton at church this Sunday. There is just some confusion if he will be at Camp Pendleton or heading back to MCRD, San Diego. I need to make some phone calls today. He has 5 more weeks of bootcamp left. I bet he is getting so excited. I know he misses home a lot and can't wait to see his family. I have seen his friend Caleb a lot lately. That crazy kid! I plan on seeing him again this weekend. Caleb will be going with me to see Brenton at church. We are excited and can't wait to see him in UNIFORM! It is just all too crazy for us. Ah...I can't wait...will Sunday come any faster! I will give you an update on Sunday. Hope all is well with everyone and I miss you tons!

Phone call, letter, and more!

This has been such a great week for me. Brenton is finally on Camp Pendleton training...I don't get to see him, but I love knowing he is so close. Actually, it kind of makes things a little tougher. But I am still receiving my letters, which I adore, treasure, and love so much. I really really really miss that Brenton. Who's idea was it to get married and have their husband go off to boot camp as Newlyweds? I promise it wasn't mine! haha! I will have to have a talk with this guy....he is not allowed to ever do this again. Let's just hope he doesn't get deployed right away! Any hoo...he is doing well like always. He has been going to church every Sunday and being a very active member. The Bishop from his ward called me this past Sunday to give me an update on Brenton. Of course he said he is looking very handsome and in good health (I wonder if that is something they tell all wifes and parents...haha). He also said that Brenton helped him give many blessings this past Sunday...which we all could see Brenton doing. He is so loving, caring, and outgoing. I am so proud of him. On another note, I was able to meet up with his friend Caleb. Caleb is doing very well...and if you know him, he is the same Caleb as always. He actually went to church with me on Sunday and had a great time. We are all very anxious to see Brenton when he graduates and see what the Marine Corps has done to him. Hurley is doing okay. He has become quite the dog. I swear dogs can go through the "terrible two's." I think Hurley is in that phase right now. He loves toilet paper and trash. I am no longer able to leave trash cans on the floor or toilet paper on the role thing. Everything has to be put up high or it will be chewed. And yes, he doesn't care if he gets in trouble. It has become a fun game to him. He loves watching me trying to chase him to punish him. But....I still love him to death and I promised I would keep him...haha! It's just like having a kid...there's no refunds or exchanges at this point...this dog has my heart. Well this has become quite a long posting...so I will go for now. Will update in a couple of days. Miss you guys!

He Called!

Yay! I heard from Brenton! He called me yesterday while I was at work. Like usual though we didn't get to talk long...maybe 3-5 minutes. But it was the best 3-5 minutes ever. He didn't sound to bad. You could tell he is losing his voice from all the yelling. He said that it has been tough, but he is improving in everything and is in the best shape of his life. He misses his family and friends and can't wait to graduate on Oct. 17th! He is heading to Camp Pendleton today (Saturday) for his start of 2nd Phase. Yes, he completed 1st phase....the toughest and the roughest. Only two more phases to go baby! I am so happy and proud of him. He wanted me to let everyone know that he is receiving everybody's letters and pictures and he loves them. He is so greatful for them. Keep writing him! Also, I don't know how many of you know his friend Caleb. He is down here to at Camp Pendleton going through the School of Infantry. I have heard from him as well. He is doing well and I am actually hoping to see him today after work. It is so neat to have people from home down here in these new surroundings. I hope all is well with everyone. I love you and miss you all.

Tuesdays!

So Tuesdays have now become my favorite day of the week...why? Cause I always get a letter from Brenton. He is always able to write letters on Sundays while at church and I happen to get one every Tuesday. I absolutely love Tuesdays now. When I am working, you should see me rush home after work to the mailbox. Nothing matters to me at that moment but getting that letter. I don't even care if I am running out of gas....I hit up the mailbox first. When I am not working, I like to hang out by the mailbox between 2-3 and I impatiently wait for the mail lady to slowly put mail in everybody's mail boxes. Why does she have to close off the whole thing while she does that? It seriously takes this lady about an hour to put all the mail in everyone's mailboxes. I know she has a lot of mail to pass out and stuff....maybe I am just too impatient...haha! Anyhoo...so Brenton is doing well. He misses home a lot and can't wait to see his wifey and Hurley...but at the same time he is happy and excited about this new adventure for us. He wants me to say hi to everyone...so if you are reading this...Brenton is thinking of you and says Hi. He appreciates all the letters he has received thus far. He wants me to specifically tell his nieces and nephew that he loves them and misses them. Oh he will be home so soon...9 weeks from today and you betch ya I got that day off work. As for me, I am doing well. Working tons. I have been charge nurse a couple of times now at work. Only in the military do you move up to charge nurse within 7-8 months of being a nurse...haha. But it is fun and I enjoy it. I have already learned so much about nursing since being in the military. Well I hope everyone is doing well. We miss you all and love you!

Oh Hurley!

So what am I going to do with my dog???? Yesterday he found it a great idea to tear up my parents screen on their screen door that goes out to the backyard. Yeah he is just a puppy...but he is acting so crazy these days!!! Anybody want a puggle? haha...I am just joking. He is not for sale nor am I giving him away. Brenton would be so upset if he came home and his dog was gone. Just a few more months and he will be out of this puppy stage...I hope. Now I must look in my savings account and see how much I have because I have to buy my parents a new screen door...arrgggghhhhhh! Oh Hurley!

Letter #1&2

So I have received two letters from Brenton in the last two days. The first letter was really a standard letter all family members get with his address and a letter from his drill instructor. The other letter, which I got today, was a more personal letter from Brenton. He is doing well. He says it is tough...but he knew that before going in. He was able to go to church on Sunday. Which I received a letter from my Bishop today with an update on Brenton. I think the church is going to keep me up on everything Brenton is doing as well as himself. It feels so good to hear from him. He misses home, but states he will pull through these three months. I am so proud of Brenton. Even though Hurley and I miss him to pieces, we know how much this means to Brenton. If you wish to write him, let me know and I will send his address to you. Thanks for all the prayers and support!

Boot Camp!

Well Brenton took off on July 21st for Marine Corps Boot Camp! I was able to spend the day with him before he took off on the exciting bus ride to MCRD, San Diego. Brenton was full of smiles and excitement and I couldn't help but smile and feel happiness for him. Some people find it odd that I am doing okay. But in reality, I am so happy right now because I know Brenton is doing something he feels so strongly about. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see the man that he will become after this exciting and long stage in his life. I sit here on Sunday, July 27th, thinking of Brenton and hoping he made the right decision for himself. Did he go in fully understanding what he was doing and what to expect? I hope he is doing okay and taking each day one day at a time. I miss you dearly Brenton and I love you! Hurley says woof woof and he can't wait to snuggle with you! Mommy just isn't as comfy! haha....I will try to write on this more and keep everyone updated. I have not received any letters from Brenton yet, but as soon as I do and I get his address, I will let everyone know! Luv you all!
~Mel

Mel's 25th Birthday!

So I had a wonderful 25th birthday. I woke up to a delicious breakfast made by Brenton. After breakfast, it was Brenton's idea to have my mom and I go get pedicures! It was so relaxing! After that, Brenton took me to the mall to pick out a new purse, wallet, and sunglasses! Everything a girl could ask for! Later in the evening, my parents took Brenton and I out to a fabulous dinner at King's Fish! So Good!!!! After dinner, Brenton and I headed to Boomer's to meet some co-workers. There we played minature golf, went Go Kart racing, and even went water bumper boating. We all pretty much left soaked, but had a fabulous time. I could not have asked for a better birthday...and the best part about it....I didn't have to work!:)