Sgt Wally Goes Back...on his BIRTHDAY

Well...two weeks of bliss have come to an end and Sgt Wally is now on a plane somewhere between home and Iraq. What a shame that he has to spend his birthday cramped up in an airplane seat!
It was really nice to be able to walk with him to his gate this morning, I'm glad that the airport can relax the security restrictions a little when it comes to our soldiers. It killed me when I finally had to let go of him, to say goodbye AGAIN, but we tried to take comfort in knowing that this was our last goodbye. I miss him so much already...
I thought I'd cheer myself up a bit and post this pic of my in-laws' puppy being a lil romantic with the big fake rose I gave Sgt Wally for our anniversary (aka Valentine's Day). Isn't he tute?

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Well, it's been awhile since I last blogged, due to the fact that I have been spending the last 10 days soaking up Sgt Wally while he's on leave! Since he's still snoozing away this morning, I decided to take this time to blog a little about the wonderful anniversary we just spent together!
We got married on February 14, 2003, and that was the last Valentine's day we had spent together until this year. Deployments suck. So anyway, since we were making up for three anniversaries in one, we decided to splurge a little (with our 50% military discount) and went up through the Laurel Highlands and spent the night at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. All I have to say is WOW! The place was simply breathtaking. About 5 minutes after we got settled in our room, a woman came up with a bottle of Cabernet and a card for us as an anniversary gift from the hotel. The bathroom in this room was literally the size of our living room at home. All marble. Just amazing! Our bedroom had TWO chandeliers! Like one wasn't quite enough.
We had dinner at one of the several restuarants in the resort. You can get to everything indoors, so no coats are necessary. We took about a 5-10 min stroll past libraries, marble rooms with fountains, sitting rooms with crackling fireplaces, a replica old towne road where each faux building is duplicated after an actual historical landmark...until we finally got to the end of the line, The Tavern. The pocket billiards were free, so we played a few games, had a few drinks, had a fantastic dinner, then strolled back through the hotel to a place called the Cigar Bar. Sgt Wally was dying to have a cigar since he had been home, so we decided to check this little place out. Aside from the bartender, we were the only people in the dimly lit room with dark leather couches around another crackling fireplace, bookshelves up to the ceiling covered with old books. Sgt Wally lit up his CAO Cameroon (with amazing cigar matches that the bartender gave him), then we leaned back and melted into the couch. The room was just so relaxing it was beyond description.
Once we stepped back into our room for the evening, my ears perked up to the sounds of jazz. My first thought was that a previous guest had an alarm set on the radio. But as we get closer into the room, we see that a jazz CD has been put on for us and more chocolates were placed on the bed (I ate one before dinner)! It's like these people were watching our every move! I definitely could have gotten used to that lifestyle....
We also splurged a little on the anniversary gifts this year (three gifts in one, really). Sgt. Wally's gift was a 46-in. Samsung HD TV. He had been wanting a big screen for some time, and I finally caved. It's incredible! We've got surround sound, our vcr/dvd player, our xbox & xbox 360 hooked up to this bad boy. My gift was the same price, but much much smaller...just big enough for my lil ring finger. When Sgt. Wally and I got married, he had given me his great-grandmother's ring as my engagement ring. The ring is antique and beautifully intricate, and I am getting it resized to wear on my right hand, but the diamond was tiny! So now I have a giant (for my size 4 finger) diamond ring! I can't stop staring at that sparkley thing.
So it was an exciting and romantic anniversary all around, and I can't wait to spend at least 60 more with Sgt Wally.

Keeping Sgt Dan & family in our prayers.

WAY TO GO, STEELERS!!!

I can't believe it!!! We finally got the "one for the thumb"! (and when I say "we," I realize that I myself had absolutely nothing to do with it) I'm glad that the Steelers were able to pull this off, especially for Jerome. Ben made him a promise to get him to the dance, and boy did he! Ben may have thrown 2 interceptions during the game, but he definitely saved the post season with that tackle he made at the end of the Colts game! This was a team of DESTINY! The way the game was going during the first half, I was getting a bit concerned, but we managed to fenangle a WIN! The first 6th-seed to make it to the Superbowl, the first 6th-seed to win the Superbowl! We DO like being the underdog, don't we? Maybe that's why we struggled so much in this game...there were too many Steeler fans! It was a sea of black and gold and whilrling terrible towels! Wish I could have been there.

Heeeeeeere Wo Go!

Well, we are fast approaching the "big dance" in Detroit...SUPERBOWL XL! Those lil seagulls aren't gonna know what hit em. I was watching a rerun of David Letterman the other night and he had Tiki Barber on the show. It must have been a few weeks old because they were discussing their "picks" for who would play in the Superbowl. Letterman was picking the Colts to go all the way, but Tiki argued that ol' Tom Brady hadn't lost in the post season yet and he was picking the Patriots & the Seahawks to play in the bowl, with the Patriots coming out on top. Well, they were BOTH WRONG! I guess they made one obvious mistake when deciding what team would dominate in the end...they underestimated the Steelers with Cowher Power!
Heeeeeere We Go, Steelers, Here We Go! Pittsburgh's Goin' to the Suuuuperbowl!