So much to catch up on

I was going to do a catch up post but as I type this of course having 3 kids ages 1, 3 and 5 life is busy and they need mama. So I will try again.... soon? Hopefully. Daniel is gone to basic and here he is:

super hot!

So....I'm an Army wife?!

Oh my goodness, where do I begin with this? ok, so it is a given by the title: I am now an Army wife. "What in the heck" you ask?? Yeah... I am still asking the same thing. Believe it. Let me explain. I have mass amounts of respect for the military. I don't understand it, what all it entails or what most the "military lingo" is or means. I respect it, I just don't get it you know? Anyway so Daniel has said a couple times he used to have a desire to go in the military. Well since he was now married and had 3 kids, there was no possibility of it happening. He had a friend recently enlist and is in training and leaving for active duty soon. Scary but exciting! Daniel approached me (not wanting to do it, just casually mentioning it)and saying if he had ever joined he would do this or this or that. We laughed how "too bad it can't happen now." So one day I was laying there and the feeling came over me that he was supposed to join the military. Uh....NO!! The feeling came many, many times. I pushed those thoughts out and assumed it was just the random discussions getting to me. I didn't say anything to Dan. Well this continued and I felt an overwhelming feeling I needed to tell him my thoughts. Absolutely not. not happening. It all was so scary to me. Well Daniel comes in one day to say something and in my head I am actually arguing with myself after a strong feeling to talk to him. I was actually debating in my head how dumb it was to say anything. He starts to walk away and I called after him: "we need to talk!" WHAT?! ugh. So he sits down and I start shaking. I say I think he needs to join the military. I think his jaw may have hit the floor. I am pretty sure he thought I was kidding. Apparently I wasn't. He didn't want to join. It's not what is right for our family for him to join at this time in his life. Who knows at that point what came over me. But we actually discussed it. Then prayed. Then prayed again, again and again. Then prayed some more. Then fasted. Then went to the temple and fasted and prayed more. This went on for weeks! We both got our overwhelming yet very clear answer: Dan was supposed to join. WOW! Anyway he wanted to join the Marines- that was always what he thought would be cool. They turned him down because he "had too many dependents." So we kind of took that as a "maybe this wasn't meant to be" kind of thing. Not the case. We still kept getting the feeling he was supposed to go. He tried the Army- they gave him a test called an ASVAB test where you need a 31 to get in. The highest you can get is 99 and the national average is a 53. well Daniel got a 97! So... he got the waiver that basically said it's ok that you are married with 3 kids- we will take you! I guess he did well enough that he could pick any job he wanted in the Army. how cool! He went in to do all the physicals and tests and all the things to make sure he is good to go. He was. Oh except he has some sort of weird color blindness that makes no sense and they even said it was a weird case because he can see all colors just not when two certain colors are put together or something. anyway that was enough to knock down pretty much all the jobs in the army except for 2! Sad. They said it was a waste because of his scores, he could have had any job he wanted. My heart was sad for him. Anyway this is all still new to me so I am not sure what to make sense of everything still. I honestly am not sure ALL the reasons he is supposed to go- but he is. Sounds insane- it is! But we have already figured out several reasons how this will benefit us and bless our family in so many ways. He will not go into active duty- unless there is a draft. He is signed onto the Army Reserves for 8 years. Oh! I have to tell my nightmare story about him being sworn in. I was under the impression we wouldn't see him get sworn in. So I was at a friends all day while he did all his physicals and such. We were in the parking lot waiting for him to finish. We had been swimming all day. Sweaty, dirty, covered in sunscreen, unbelievably tired!! I had just given the kids gogurts in the car, which of course were all over faces, hands and clothes. Just then Dan says "come on in- you can see me swear in!" yay! but ugh look at us!! We were gross, tired and just- not public appropriate. ha ha. So I pull the kids in there thinking it would happen right then. We sat on some benches and I discovered Ash had a messy diaper. Well since we were going right back, I didn't want to leave to change her, wait outside, get let in just to be wanded and asked if I had drugs or weapons on me just to chance missing my husband. So.... I let her be for a minute. Which turned into an hour wait!! The kids were bored and so grumpy.Of course there were no other kids and I am sure people were annoyed with my monkeys. I found a pen in the bathroom and let them draw on paper towels! Then a cool guy came over with a bag for each girl that had pencils, bracelets, stickers, coloring books, crayons, a toy, etc. yay! I kept thinking we would go back any minute so we stayed put. Then they just came and said time to go. We went back and it was time to swear him in! I was emotional, proud and excited. Ready to take pictures. Too bad the baby decided right when they were swearing in to start screaming! Not a mad scream, a high pitched- ear piercing- I am so happy I can't stand it scream! The more I shooshed her, the more she thought it was hilarious! Nothing would distract her. She also kept trying to pull the flag down by pulling on the pole. Could you imagine if the FLAG fell especially during the ceremony?! ahhhhh. Pulling her off it made her laugh and shriek more. I was humiliated and couldn't quiet her. Nothing that usually distracts her would work. I had my back to Dan the whole time and I didn't dare leave in the middle of it, with the soldiers in front of the door and me having to walk through the men swearing in. I couldn't just leave. We were at the very front and the door was behind everyone. Anyway the second they were done Ash was silent. I apologized over and over and over. Everyone was nice and said they knew how kids were or saying "she was fine" ha! Anyway it happened so fast (but in the moment felt like FOREVER!) and it was just one of those things. *dramatic sigh* Looking back now I just laugh. That's life and kids are unpredictable. :) ANYWAY Daniel is officially signed on to the United States Army and we are so so so proud of him!!! He leaves for basic training in a month and a half. he will be gone for 17 weeks. ugh. How sad is that?! Well now that everyone knows this, it might make more sense why we felt we were supposed to move back to Salt Lake despite our immense love for St. George. It was mostly so I can have help while Dan is gone. (I will be living with my sister) None of this was a rushed decision. It may seem insane to some! Some may say we are complete idiots. That's fine. This is our choice and what we feel is best for our family. We are so proud of him and his choice and support him 100% He is an amazing, selfless man who does what he can for his family, his Heavenly Father and his country. We hope everyone can be as supportive and excited as we are for him!! And that is my story of me becoming an Army wife. yippee!! here is one of the few shots we got at his swearing in:

Also.. I realize I sound so negative about it (well before we decided he would go.) I think it was because I was so scared that he might actually go and have to leave us for so long. Now that I realize it is right and all that is involved with it, I am actually really excited!!