R&R Days 8-15

On with the recap of our amazing R&R.....(check out the first 7 days HERE) Bare with me, apparently I'm really chatty tonight and feel like giving lots of detail haha.

Day 8: On Wednesday I decided to go to work.  In the meantime, I sent Ricky on a mission with Shane, his best man, to pick out his tux.  I wanted him to do this so all the other groomsmen and ushers could get theirs fitted and ordered while he was gone, just in case he got home later than expected.  At one point I was having nightmares he wouldn't come home until the end of May and there would be no tuxes! Oh the horror!!! haha So just in case, I had him go ahead and pick out what he wanted.  I won't share just yet, but they will look amazing and Ricky is super excited about them.  That  night we went over to Ricky's aunt and uncles house for dinner and to spend time with family.  The best part is all the little children! There's Ellie Kate (Ricky's sister) who is almost 4, the Jude who is almost 3, and little Presley who is almost 9 months.  The can entertain you all night long!

Ellie Kate riding the horse

Day 9:  Thursday morning we were both bums.  I don't remember what Ricky was doing (watching sports center I'm sure, or checking his fantasy football teams) but I was paying bills and working on my budget.  Fun huh haha.   We were scheduled for our final cake tasting at 1 but no one was there, and no one answered the phone either.  So we just left.  We went straight to the mall, because we had to finish coordinating our engagement pic outfits!! Ricky found his stuff much quicker than I did, but no surprise there.  My best friend, Meredith, came over after we got home to curl my hair.  She's excellent with hair, especially mine since it will not  hold curl at all.  After she finished making me all beautiful, we headed to Camp Loughridge for our pictures! We had an amazing time and Ricky got to meet our wedding photographer finally. If you are now thinking, didn't they already take engagement pics?? Yes we sure did, but this session came with the wedding package I picked out.  Plus, who doesn't love professional pics?  After our pictures, we finally had a date night! I wanted to take Ricky to the restaurant of his choosing to celebrate his belated birthday and every other holiday we're going to miss while he's gone.  His choice? Red Rock Canyon Grill of course haha.  We ate and ate and ate until we couldn't eat anymore.  It was a wonderful date night, with no cell phones or sports lol.

Sneak peak of our engagement pics

My cute hair thanks to Meredith!

Day 10:  Friday was another relaxing day for me :) I got up and went to Bootcamp while Ricky went to run some errands.  He stayed out most of the afternoon so I had some good quality time with my couch haha.  At about 5:00 we headed out to OKTOBERFEST! Ricky loves Oktoberfest and last year was my first time to go.  We had people meeting us but there wouldn't be there till about 6:30, so what do you do to waste time?? Drink beer, what else! Ricky introduced me to a really good German beer that has become a favorite of mine.   We had a great time dancing and singing in the big tent!

Ricky, Jeff, and Shane

tiki taki tiki taki, oye oye oye!!!

Day 11: Saturday was one super busy day.  We got up and ready with the intention of leaving town by 9:30, however that didn't happen and we didn't leave until about 10:30.  We were headed, eventually to Norman, and since we were halfway we called up my parents and they met us in OKC so they could see Ricky for just a couple of hours.  So we got to my aunt's house about 1:00, to eat lunch and watch the rest of the OSU Cowboys football game.  At about 3:00 we headed to Norman to meet his friends at Ricky's favorite eating place in Norman, Rudy's.  It's a BBQ place.  After eating, we headed to campus (where we walked 3 miles trying to find these people) and eventually to the OU football game.  A thunderstorm came through right as the game was about to kick off, so it was postponed for almost 2 hours.  So we sat under the stadium to keep dry until it started.  After the game finally started, it was FREEZING! The game didn't turn out so well for Ricky's team.  But I didn't say one unkind work :) The game didn't finish until about 12:30, we didn't get to our car and out on the highway until 1:30, then we couldn't find a hotel room, so we ended up driving to Pauls Valley and finally bedtime at 3:00 AM.  It was one long night. I somehow didn't take one picture on this day....how did that happen???
Day 12: You might be wondering why we didn't go back to Tulsa after the OU game.....well we had tickets to the DALLAS COWBOYS GAME SUNDAY!! We got up and drove straight to the stadium.  This is our second Dallas Cowboy game and I'm really hoping it will be a continued tradition :) Ricky splurged and got us the club seats and they were sure nice! The club section have their own level with their own bar and food.  And the seats are cushy ;)    The cowboys had a good game (they played the Rams who are terrible this season) but it was nice to see them win.

Our amazing seats!

Ricky's BBQ beef nachos

After the football game, we walked right by the Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers.  They just so happened to be playing game 4 of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals!!! Ricky was so close to buying tickets but we didn't and headed to our hotel for dinner to watch it on TV.

Day 13: We spent the whole day in Dallas.  I finally convinced Ricky to go check out Ikea! And he of course fell in love the second he walked in.  Totally going back there once we get our own place together.  To kill some time we stopped at this pub called The Ginger Man to watch the start of Game 5.  Then we met my good friend Kathryn and her husband for dinner at a really good pizza place.

My dream kitchen we found in Ikea

Day 14: On Tuesday we got up and drove to Ada, where Ricky's grandparents live, so he could spend some time with them.  It was nice to see them.  By the time we got back to Tulsa it was about 8:00 and we stopped by his parents for some dessert.  His mom made an amazing apple pie, Ricky's favorite.
Day 15: I had to work one more day, so while I went to work, Ricky went to play one last round of golf.  Once I got off work we went for our last dinner together at Los Cabos, he had to fit in one more mexican meal before he left.  Then we had to take his clothes back to his friends house for storage.  Our last evening was quiet.  Neither of us said much.
Leaving Day:  Goodbye's are always tough and no one ever wants to experience them.  Again, not much was said that morning as we were getting ready and packing up all his stuff.  I was afraid if I opened my mouth I would lose it.  I was trying my hardest to keep it together.  Once we got to the airport, they gave me a pass to go through security so I could go back to the gate with Ricky.  By the time we got to the gate though, his flight was already boarding.  Which was probably a good thing. Not much time to linger.  We gave each other a hug and a kiss and he said he'll see me soon and he loved me.  It wasn't until he turned around and walked toward the gate that I lost it.  The tears were already rolling down my face (as they are now as I'm reliving this).  I didn't stay, I walked back out to his truck and stayed there until I could regain my composure.  The rest of the day for me was a blur.

I snapped this pic right before he got on the plane.

It was a fantastic 15 days, probably the best I've ever had.  As of now, he is scheduled to be home some time in March.  So there are 4 months to go.  And then hopefully I will never have to say goodbye for this length of time again.

R&R Days 1-7

R&R was the best thing every created for Ricky and I.  Some families (I have been told) do not enjoy them because it's really hard on children.  Since Ricky and I don't have any children, it was really nice to get to re-kindle over the 15 days.

You can view our homecoming pictures and video again if you would like ;) I like them. So I'll do a couple of posts of our time together.  Just so you know, he got 15 full days, so the day he arrives doesn't count, neither does the day he leaves.

Arrival day: After Ricky got into Tulsa, his whole family went out to dinner and it was nice for everyone to get to see him.
Day 1: Our first day was a Hodge Podge of things.  We had to go to his friends house to get clothes out of his attic and since we were in the area we decided to do some apartment hunting since that's where we will be living after the wedding until we can find a nice house to buy.  We then headed to his parents for dinner that night to spend more time with family.
Day 2:  I went to work this day (even though my boss was very understand of the situation and let me some extra time before Ricky got home) I was still going to have to work a couple extra days.  So while I was at work, Ricky went golfing with his uncle and cousin.  He wanted some down time so we stayed home that night and I made him some dinner.
Day 3:  On Friday, we headed down to Prague to see his dad's side of the family and spend some time with them.
Day 4:  Saturday morning we had stayed in OKC and met his dad for lunch at RePUBlic, which is delicious and you totally need to eat there.  Then we headed over to his house to watch the OSU vs. UT football game.  After the game we headed to downtown OKC for the Needtobreathe/ Taylor Swift concert!!! We LOVE Needtobreathe and saw them in concert at the Cain's last year.  So when we found out they were opening for Taylor Swift we HAD to go.  Sadly, the concert in Tulsa was happening while he was still gone.  But once we found out his R&R dates, he looked it up and found out they were playing in OKC while he was home! It was an outstanding concert, and I love Taylor Swift too so it was a double bonus for me.

House divided cheering on our teams

At the concert

Ricky got us really good seats

Jamming out!

If you purchased Needtobreathe's newest CD, you could get a wristband to meet them after the show! So Ricky got the CD but they only had once wristband left, so I didn't think I was going to get to go.  But they lady at the door was so nice and let me go through too! We couldn't take any pictures with them but they signed the CD's Ricky bought.

Day 5:  Sunday we headed to church and lunch with friends.  Then it was of course nap time in the afternoon for me and NFL football for him haha.  We headed back up to church that evening for the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class I've been taking and wanted him to get a taste of.
Day 6:  Monday was the first day of wedding planning for him :)  I had lined us up with several appointments so we could get some things planned and decided while he was home.  First up was a meeting with a travel agent about our honeymoon.  Going into it we just knew we wanted somewhere tropical and with a beautiful beach.  By the end of the meeting we didn't really even need to discuss it, we are going to JAMAICA!!! Next up was our first cake tasting that afternoon.  We went to a total of three to get price comparisons.  That evening we went to Ricky's cousin Shane's for dinner to spend time with Shane, Jennifer, and their precious 8 month old Presley.  Last time Ricky saw Presley, he was about 2 months old.
Day 7: Tuesday we had 2 more cake tastings.  The first one at 10 (yes I realize a little early for cake lol).  They specialize in a certain type of sponge cake which we weren't too fond of.  So crossed that place off the list.  Since we had some time to kill, we drove around to search for the nearest hotel for our out-of-town wedding guests to stay in after the wedding.  We got some price information from them and then decided to do some more apartment shopping.  That alone was exhausting haha.  But I think we found a good place for the price.  We then headed to our final cake tasting which went really well.  Then we headed to our wedding venue to taste our reception food.  Which will be delicious by the way!!! :)  For dinner we met some of Ricky's cousins from McAlister at Teds.  They came up here to see him.

Cake tasting, yummm!!!

Check back for the rest of our amazing time together later :)

Coming to a computer near you.....

Have no fear readers......very very soon I will have lots of updates of R&R and also a revamp of my goals and what I expect from myself weight loss/cooking/planning wise.  It's time to get super serious about getting healthier for the wedding (the honeymoon is booked)!!!

Gotta get bathing suit ready for paradise!!!!

R&R Homecoming!!! (video included)

Ricky was supposed to leave for his R&R on a Friday, but then he kept getting delayed so he didn't get out of there until Saturday.  So was waiting on pins and needles to see what day he would arrive.  So he sent me a facebook message Monday morning saying it would be Tuesday sometime in the afternoon/evening.  I was sooo thrilled! Then about 4 hours later he sent another message saying he had his ticket to Tulsa in hand!  The entire next day was a blur, I couldn't sit still. 

I arrived at the airport about 45 minutes before his flight was supposed to land just because I couldn't sit at home anymore.  I literally paced the floor for about 15 minutes until I made myself sit down haha.  His family started showing up and I was up and pacing again checking the flight board.  Then before I knew it, his flight had arrived!  I waited by the gate and I finally spotted his face!! He came through the gate and I was standing right there and gave him a big 'ole hug and kiss :) Then the rest was history.  Lots of pictures and hugs.  Below are just a hint of the day :)  

Little Presley decked out in his camo! What a cutie!

Me patiently waiting for him to come through that glass door!

More waiting.....

The sign for him!

He's here!!!!! First embrace :) 

First kiss after 4 months :)

Picture time!

Ellie Kate and I

Family Picture

Leaving the airport :)

Siblings

First time driving a civilian car! 

I'll update more later on all the fun we've been having but for now enjoy this video of our homecoming :)

Finally an update!

I know I know! I have been WAY behind on blogging! But I finally had a "free" evening so I'm doing lots of updates...go get ready!

I you didn't already realize by reading THIS POST, I love fall :)  What comes with fall is more football and the Tulsa State Fair!!! I love the fair for people watching, the food, and walking through all the vendor buildings.

Wine-a-rita!!!!! Best invention!

Quick, staring contest, you and me....GO!

Krispy Kreme burger?? 

yep we totally tried it...and the deep fried kool-aid

Following another great time at the Tulsa State Fair, was another great Cowboy game day!!!

The Walk

Matching sunglasses...awesome!!!

Here comes the storm!!!

Another great weekend and at the time there was only 3 more days until Ricky was home! (Of course he's home now, but more on that later)

Hello October!!!

I am beyond excited about October finally being here for two reasons:
1) It's my favorite month of the whole year with football, crisp weather, pumpkins, leaves changing, etc
2) Ricky comes home this month for R&R!!!

I know I know, I talk about it non-stop but hey, if the person you loved most in the world had been on the other side of the Earth for 4 months in the middle of a war zone, you would want to shout out on the top of mountain that they are coming home too.

So yes, Ricky will be home sometime next week actually :) We will have 15 wonderful days together before he has to go back for the rest of the deployment.  Here is what we have planned:

1.  Time with family
2.  OKC for the Taylor Swift/Needtobreathe concert
3.  Cake Tastings
4.  Book the Honeymoon
5.  Engagement Pics
6.  Oktoberfest
7.  OU football game (his request of course)
8.  Dallas Cowboy Game
9.  Do some actual rest and relaxation!

I'm so excited for the next couple of weeks! I'm beginning to get antsy and nervous like it's our first date all over again.

I am a Warrior!

So sorry my dear blog readers.  Life has just been pretty crazy lately and I haven't had much free time to update everyone on my life.

Before the race

Whole Group

 Two weekends ago I participated in the Warrior Dash.  For those that don't know what it is....check out this website.  Warrior Dash  It's really hard core.  It was a 3 mile race through Turkey Mountain which is a lot of trail running, mixed in with a bunch of obstacles.  It was definitely grueling and I really had to push myself to finish, but I did it!  And yes we did all get those Viking Hats just for participating as well as a sweet medal.  Who doesn't like to finish something and get a medal haha.  Oh and yes Meredith and I made our own t-shirts that said "Shut up and Dash".

Right after I finished (the others were faster than me ha)

True Warriors!