fort benning...a whole new world

Hey everybody sorry its been awhile we are finally settled into our new home here in Phenix city Alabama because we are stationed here at fort benning georgia. We love it here even tho it was a change of lifestyle we went from a world where people said wuzz up and hey to a world where people say yall and mam and sir. We love it any questions feel free to ask more to come

Natural Disasters and ...God's timing!

Well its been quite a while since i updated you guys sorry been busy! We found out our duty station will be Ft. Benning, Georgia! As with everything there are postitive and negative...so here are the negativies it is a basic training unit for the infantry and is maily and infantry base that deploys alot, the weather in the summer is going to be like death for us california people, its near the coast so it gets lots of hurricanes and tropical storms!! Now the positives....out of 54 people in brandons ait company 34 are getting stationed in Korea..my hearts go out to these soldiers ladies for havving to be away from there men but fortunatley brandon was not one of these 34 sadly he is the only one going to ft.benning. Ft.benning is 6 hours from DISNEYWORLD!!!!!! and we are only 4-5 hours from one of our closest cousins on brandon's side and we are only a plane ride away from our home in california. Life these past couple of weeks tho here in virginia have been no easy task first an earthquake hit and while it didnt really bother me because im from california it was quite intertaining to see east coast people's reacton to it...then later that week hurricane irene hit and it scared me alot!!! The actual hurricane was not even that bad just lots of wind and rain the bad part was the aftermath lots and lots of people were without power for quite some time...me personally had no power for about a week wich also means no water becuase im in the country...lukily for me i had a friend an hour a way that i could go stay with until i could at least see brandon and stay in a hotel!! So it was one crazy week yet it took a big turn even more downward becasue when i got back to where i could have contact with people i found out that my amazing Great Grandma Guiterrez was in the ER back home for the 2nd time in two weeks and this time they were admitting her to the ICU becuase she lost consciousness and has not regained it..she had a stroke and has become progressivley worse and now we are just waiting for the Lord above to take her peacfully..this is a hard situation to imagine my great grandma not being there every christmas eve anymore...growing up she is one of the strongest fighters i know as far back as i can remember everytime something happened she always fought and came out fine but i think shes now at the point where she feels she can leave this world a happy woman...She rasied 7 amazing children (i think thats how many hopefully i didnt leave any out) who have grown up to be a leader in one way or another..the one closest to me happens to be my "papa" med who is also her oldest kid who also had the first grandkid...my mom... hurts me that i am not home for either one of them right now grandma has many grankids and great grandkids and its always puts a smile on my face to see how much she lights up when we all come around! The memories i have with her are ones i will cherish forever and keep in my heart...two that happend most recently was when she met brandon at christmas this past year and we told her we were getting married in february and he was going into the army..my grandma lit up so much hearing that it was almost like she remmembered back to when her own sons were in the military she looked proud! The second was the honor of having her prescencce at our wedding in february...most people never even get to meet there great grandparents and i am fortunate to have two still alive one of wich is grandma guiterrez i loved that she was there to see it! I pray and hope that a miracle happens with my great grandma but if its her time to be young again and running the streets of heaven then it time and we cant control it but know this she will be forever remembered and missed in our hearts!! This Christmas eve will defintley not be the same if shes not around! On a postitive note we will be returining to california on sept 22 for about two weeks and we cannot wait to see our family!!!

My wonderful great grandma on our wedding day!

2 weeks of AIT....Virginia

Hey everybody so I've been in Virginia for two weeks now and I'm loving so far! Its beautiful here and the weather is so nice. Brandon started class on Monday and if everything goes well he will be done mid September. I'm so excited and blessed to have the husband i have he wants me here in Virginia with him and i love it. he is so amazing! Looking back i cant believe basic was really 10 weeks it seemed so much longer but i know i can make it i am a strong army wife and i refuse to be anything less. well nothing exciting has happened in the last two weeks hopefully Saturday i will have more to write about because hopefully i will see Brandon!!! Well that's all for now.

Finally.....One week after graduation/4th of July

Hey everybody sorry  havent updated in a while it was quite heck-tick for a week of my life. Family day and Graduation was an amazing experience and being back in brandon's arms was a feeling like no other!! He sadly didn't get a weeekend pass like we originally thought but i did get to spend 4th of july up here in Virginia with him and i am now getting to stay here in virignia until he is done with ait!! He missed me alot. its crazy what 10 weeks apart will do for a relationship but it was a good thing for us!! Its crazy i have a couple of friends who just went through graduation yesterday and to hear about their experience was awesome to think how far me and brandon have come in this time! These last 10 weeks sucked but i wouldnt trade them for anything as i have said before. now we are on to the next chapeter of our army liife AIT oh my...he hasnt even started ebcuase there are so many people with his mos hopefully he will start on monday! The weather is here beautiful!! Well im off to relax somemore while i wait for my phone call from brandon! 

relazxing on family day

formation on to field

our 4th of july

he loves me...he was kissing me in the rain

can you see the fireworks

Army Strong Marriage 

38 hours left....packing and Reflection!!!

Hey everybody so its finally time for me to pack my suitcase actually its basically packed but i still have my other carry on to finish! I figured id take a break and update you all as i sit here eating a Zero candy bar (my hubby's favorite) as i sit here and reflect on the past 10 weeks of my life! It has been one emotional roller coaster for sure. I knew it was going to be tough i handled it a lot better then i thought i was going to. It sucked being away from Brandon for this long but honestly i wouldn't trade these last 10 weeks of my life for weeks with him...why you might ask let me tell you... Our love is stronger than ever we both will tell you that the age old saying " Distance makes the heart grow fonder" is definitely true. I don't know necessarily if it grows fonder but it grows appreciation and realization. we both have said to one another that really being apart like this makes us really appreciate all that the other one did for the other when they didn't have to. We both realized how much we need each other in our lives because without each other our hearts hurt. we are missing the other puzzle piece that makes  our masterpiece marriage. We look back and valued the time spent with each other constantly as a blessing and will continue to value it a lot more in the years to come because as we all know living as a military relationship time is a valuable thing because you never know when your gonna hear the words...deployment! Those words still are terrifying to me but we got through basic and when the time comes we will get through deployment....i pray to God i never hear pr see those orders  in the next three years  next to my husbands name but it can happen and I'm just going to have to accept it and go about life because i signed on for this lifestyle, it has its own prides that come with it for one when people ask me what my husband does for a living i get to say he's an American soldier and he fights for our country!!! How awesome is that! But hey I'm not trying to be arrogant but any military wife will tell you its hard work being the wife of a military man weather he be in the Army, Navy, Air force, or Marines we all know its hard work but what helps us get through is our friends and family and other military spouses!! This has been a wonderful experience thus far and I'm excited to see where the next chapter of our Army Adventure will take us but you'll get to hear about it every step of the way...Till next time  HOOAH!!!

8 days to go!!!!

                                          
Hey everybody sorry its been awhile since i blogged. Well i have about 8 days left till i actually see Brandon and about a week till i fly out I'm super excited. our love for each other has grown so much and i cant wait to tell him about everything he has missed and fill him in on it. Hopefully the powers that be will let him have all weekend off and ill get to spend the weekend with my wonderful husband in what i consider to be one of the most beautiful states ever...Virginia!!! I have missed my husband so much and it is definitely hard to appear happy to the world and happy to him when I'm not really because reality has set in that the next time i am away from him this long with out talking to him and having to write letters he will be deployed!!! I will make it through a deployment that i am sure of but i have so many fears and worries Brandon is my world my everything if anything ever happened to him i don't know what i would do. it makes me sad to know that he had pink eye at basic and that i wasn't there to tend to his every need like i would have had he been home. Being an army wife and a military spouse in general is definitely a lifestyle where you can't do anything but put your trust and hope in God to keep your soldier safe!! Everyday we get stronger and stronger but nothing compares to the feeling i will feel when I'm back in my soldiers arms hearing the words "i love you" instead of seeing them in a letter or hearing them over the telephone. I will be updating my blog while I'm on the trip so make sure to check in and ill post pictures.

                                                  shooting his M-16 "KAYT"

                                                 Gas chamber day

Memorial Day....and A Phone Call!!!

So yesterday was memorial day and by far it is the best one i have had yet. Sunday was a downer of a day because once again Brandon didnt call and all of his comapny surely lot that they would get a call. We all pretty much gave up hope that we would get a phone call from our soldiers until a couple days before graduation! We were wrong the Lord does answer prayers and we all got a phone call yesterday! For 20 whole minuets i got to listen to my husbands voice and it is an experience  will never forget!  I was in the middle of the checkout line in michaels when i herd his ringtone going off wich was weird because he told me he didnt get service over there with his phone. i screamed so loud people thought i was crazy probably.lol. i was with my mother in law and i basically dropped evcrything i was purchasing on the counter handed her my bank card and ran outside after letting her say hi to him!  i was on cloud nine all day and stll am! He is doing so well and im so proud of him...i have 28 days and a wake up till im in his arms again and i cant wait the reunion will definitely be an emotional one weather it be tears of joy or smiles of happiness   will not know until the  moment arrives. Brandon is in one of the hardest companies at Ft. Jackson and is working so very hard im sure that phone call was a very rewarding one. He shot an expert for his rifle qualification...anialaed at combatives winning in 8 seconds!!! Thats my man!!!He will be probably moved up to the very top running group by the end of this week which closes out his last week of white phase then he starts blue phase which is the last and final phase!! I couldn't be more proud of my soldier. He has been called respectful by his drill sgts which is awesome!! Well thats all for this post ill up date you all soon!

WEEK 5...Half way done

Hey everybody sorry its been a while since i wrote my life has been full of emotions, worry, writing letters,scrap booking, babysitting and hanging out with my mother in law! But i now have time for an update. life has definitely been a little bit more challenging without my other half here. I write him a letter every night and mail it the next day so he doesn't go without mail he writes me when he can....we reassure each other in every letter we write that we love each other more than anything and that's not going to change no matter what anybody from the outside world says!! WE are a STRONG couple with GOD as our foundation. I have 38 days left till I'm in my mans arms safe and sound at least for a night :) I really cant imagine my life without him he truly makes me complete its crazy i never thought id find someone to spend forever with and love as much as i love Brandon he truly is my soul mate!!! I love you baby!!! <3Proud Army Wife <3

Finally Got a Letter...no wait two letters!!

Hey everybody i know its been a while since i last wrote I've been super bummed out because up until today i had not herd from Brandon in just shy of two weeks its been really rough but today i experienced something i will never forget!!! The feeling i felt when i had those two letters from my amazing and strong husband!!! The letters were very very heartfelt and made me fall all over again for my husband but at the same time he had doubts that i know that certain people are putting in his head so he can focus on what his job is...understandably. He's doubting things that in the past year I've known him he'd never even think about so needless to say it kinda broke me that they would tell him stuff but he knows better. Hes doing OK, he said he misses me a lot and can't wait till I'm in his arms again so he can kiss me!!! Awww....! In my past year of life with him i have never seen him write more than a paragraph and i got two letters that were both 2 pages full completely of words i was shocked but so so happy i got them i was on cloud nine today it was a wonderful present to receive on military spouse appreciation day!!! I hope i get to hear his voice soon because i really miss him but am so much better i got those letters now when i miss him and don't get a letter i can just re-read those!! I wrote him a 3 page letter in response to all he had to say in his two letters and reassure him how much i love him and ill be right here waiting for him when hes done with training!!! This is a really long post so ill end it until the next letter! Later.

God answers prayers!!!

So today has probably been one of the most amazing days of my life!!! I got to experience first hand what the Bible says about God may not always answer prayers like we want Him to but how he Needs to, to help us overcome whatever is going on in our lives. I have not gotten a letter or a phone call from Brandon in a week and today tons of girls were getting phones calls from their soldiers so needless to say i was heartbroken. then i wen to Bible study and we talked about having faith in God to handle things because He is the one in Control!!! Boy did i need that lesson tonight. When i got home i had a friend request from girl who has a fiance in the same battalion as Brandon, and we hit it off right away!!! She was so sweet and even though we were both super bummed about our soldiers not calling or getting a letter yet we talked and cheered each other up. if we looked exactly alike you might confuse us we are so much a like and good news shes a christian too!!!! Such a blessing from God we have agreed to skype every night to keep each other going till we see our men!!! I'm so thankful for her!!!

7th day.....Easter

Hey hope everyone had a wonderful easter!!! So today didnt start off very good i was missing brandon a lot and was wondering if i was ever going to hear from him. I went to church this morning then got home and called my dear friend meg up and talked with her we had a long heartfelt talk about the life of being a military wife. Let me tell you she warned me before Brandon left that i wouldn't understand how any other military wife felt until i experienced the same event. Today was one of those days. Yes i have my family and his family here in town but after going to church and seeing everyone with their families i knew i wouldn't make it through the day emotionally so i chose to stay at home and talk with her and prayed and hoped i would hear from my love. Me and Meg talked for about an hour in a half and then we stopped. I was messing around on the PC and then my cell phone rang!!!!! It was my hubby!!! I was so darn happy words can not really express how happy i was it was such a calming moment to hear his voice...sad part was he said he probably wouldn't get to call me till like two days before graduation unless he earned a special privilege. :( kinda bummed but i still got to talk to my baby and it made my Easter so much better then it started. I still have like two months before i see Brandon but i can get through this because i have the help of God and he has blessed me with Megan and her husband who i can call or text anytime i have a rough day!!! Until next time....Later! :)

4th Day!!!...Falling in love alll over agian

So its about 12:30 right now and i cant sleep. this sucks  a lot. Brandon barely made it to ft.Jackson today and we miss each other tons. last night was such a blessing tho for the two of us. his day might not of been so great but i got to talk to him for three hours last night the morning before he left and i so needed that phone call.It was a very heartfelt long conversation of how we both know we are strong enough to get through the next 5 months of our lives together even though we are apart. We decided that its going to be fun and exciting to write letters that are really love letters because it will be the i love you i miss you how are you doing type of letter, and to get to talk on the phone every now and then and sometimes even text....we get to as Brandon put it fall in love all over again!!! i absolutely love my husband!!!! He is so amazing i couldn't have asked for a better man in my life the Lord has truly blessed me. But I'm not gonna lie army life is hard two days apart and i was like oh gosh i just wish i could hold him and kiss him one more time !!! It is definitely a challenge but I'm putting my trust in God because there is nothing the Lord with give me that i cant tack with His guidance and help. well until next time!

Ship Day !!!!!

PVT. Brandon Haws~ He earned a rank before he left!

About 10 minuets before we said see you soon!

The American Legion riders follow ever body who ships out from the office. The are mostly retired vetrens who would be in the army if they could instead this is their service to the Army! Very amazing they prayed before Brandon took off and followed him all the way to Shafter!! Thank You guys.

So Brandon left about 11 this afternoon and i did really good no crying then as he left Bakersfield he sent me a text saying how proud of me he was for having the strength to go through all of this and not give up and thats when i cried for about minuets. These next few days will be hard until my body and life and emotions gets into the way of a new routine but it will work and i will get past all of this. I plan on getting in shape by the time hes done with basic...like being able to run 2 miles and what not!!! Changing the way i eat and exercising and working will be my life for the next 10 weeks while hes at basic then i will see him for 3 days then I'm back to California and new goals will be set!!!

1 Week!!!!

So everybody it is down to one week till my husband leaves for basic!!! This time next week he will be sitting at meps in his hotel room talking to me on his cell phone as much as he can before he falls asleep so he can get up at 4am to get on a plane and embark on his adventure for the next 10 weeks. We will be facing adventures separate and together during this time. then i will get to see him for about 3 days if I'm lucky more lol and then he will have 10 more weeks of job training. needless to say the next 5 months are gonna be an emotional roller coaster of new experiences and adventures. I am so thankful the Lord blessed me with such a great man in my life...We are two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. Please keep Brandon in your prayers that he will be safe in all he does and have the strength to get through everything and for me to stay strong while he's gone so i can take care of the things i need to take care of!! Until next Sunday!

2 Weeks till Basic!!!

Hey ladies well i have exactly two weeks till Brandon leaves for basic and my emotions are running high. I'm scared, nervous,excited, happy,proud if it has a facial expression its going through my body!!! I can't cry in front of Brandon tho because he feels bad he is leaving me and I'm really struggling with this rite now, I want so much to be able to just be held by him and cry but I don't want him to feel bad either. I pray every night that God will give me the strength i need to carry on while he is away. I am so blessed to have many friends and family that are military wives!!! Thank you girls for being there for me and please keep me in your prayers to get through and Brandon the strength to get through basic and for his safety as well!!!!

1 Month to Basic Training!

Hey i know its been a while but I've got a new blog ready! So its approximately 35 days till my husband goes to basic training and I'm so nervous,scared, sad, everything my emotions are running high as a kite!! Recently I have been talking to some of my friends and family that are military wives and this is not an easy job to have in life. From their perspective it is a very rough life and has its moments of weakness and breakdowns, and from my perspective I'm excited but nervous because I am kinda freaked out how I will handle the whole situation when it presents itself to be but they told me this is the life they and I have chose. From a Christian perspective God will not ever give us anything we can not handle and overcome so obviously those of us who are military wives were cut out and designed to handle this because God knows we can handle it! So there is all the encouragement I need! I'm so glad i have friends and family around to help me through the next 5 months!!

2 Months until Basic Training

So everybody i just got married a week ago its not much different then being in a relationship with Brandon. lol. but it donned on me the other day that i have two months until probably one of the hardest 5 months of my life begin. He will be going to basic training all the way in south Carolina. I will probably have many ups and downs and with everything countdowns. I have to go 2months and one week then i get to see him for his graduation! But in the process i am going to try and get back down to my size 12 which i haven't been since high school!!! Any one want to go work out with me! I wanna show up and surprise Brandon at his graduation! So until next time im out!

WEDDING DAY!!!

Valentine's Day is amazing!!! I am now Mrs. Brandon Haws! The day started off kinda ruff with all the pressure and stress and a stupid semi deciding to throw a huge rock at my windsheild not cool!!! But everything turned out great and we had a wonderful time. Now my life as an Army Wife begins. And guess what im super excited to spend forever with him.!!!

JUST A THOUGHT..On army life

As i approach the day of being a married woman I have come acrossed and intresting topic.In the past couple of days I have heard friends talk about people who are engaged to people in the military or just in a plain relationship with them and how well one feels like they are not there for the other. My opinion is I may not always enjoy having a husband in the army becuase of the time he will spend away from me but guess what I love him and because of that I will stand by him and support him in his career choice and many other decisions he makes for us and our future family. He's not the only one signing a contract with the army the minute I say "I Do" I'm signing one with him to be there for him and love him and support him whatever happens that means when army calls army calls and he has to report. A wise army wife and dear friend once told me it takes a special woman to be a good wife but it takes an even stronger woman to be an army wife. So women out there who are either dating or engaged or even married to a soldier whatever force he may be in stand by and support him and where the military wife name proudly!!!

Valentines Day!

So I'm super excited for this Valentines Day because I will begin the adventure of a lifetime! I'm getting married to Brandon!! He made it in the Army and leaves April 18th so needless to say the next couple of months of my life are going to be filled with many emotional and hard times. I'm excited to see where this adventure leads the two of us! Wanted to get an early start on my blog as a married woman and an army wife! I'm glad I will have friends and family around to help get me through the rough spots. So check back Monday or Tuesday for some update on the wedding and how Valentines Day went.