Welcome Home!

It's the moment we've all been waiting for... Nathan is home from Afghanistan! He and his comrades arrived safe and sound around 4:30 am Friday morning. Because the weather was cold and rainy, they had us wait in a building and bused the Airman over rather than watching their plane land and meeting them by the flight line. After nearly five months of waiting, I finally got to hug the love of my life!

Special thanks to Dao for braving the early hours and cold weather to photograph Nathan's homecoming! These photos belong to Dao Standridge Photography and The Carolina Wife. 

If you don't take a selfie, then did it really even happen?

An hour of waiting for his bags later, we were on our way home to see our sweet furbaby! If you know Kuzco, then you know he's very talkative and energetic. To our surprise, poor Kuzce was in shock! He would give Nathan a few kisses and then come running to me to see if everything was okay. After he got used to his daddy being home, he couldn't get enough of him! He's been climbing in his lap and playing ever since.

Of course Nathan requested that his first real meal in Arkansas be Whole Hog! Believe me when I say that he cleaned his plate. Earlier that morning we had a light breakfast of waffles and bacon, and you would've sworn that I'd cooked a gourmet meal haha!

My good friend and college roommate was in town to see her husband arrive from deployment with Nathan. Chris and Jess have been some of Nathan's best friends for years. We celebrated the men's homecoming by meeting up with another couple at the Flying Saucer in downtown Little Rock.

Rose, Clay, Chris, Jessica, Nathan, and I at the Flying Saucer. At this point I had been awake for about 37 hours lol.

After a night out, Nathan and I had to take a moment to stop and enjoy the view and appreciate the life we have built together. I couldn't have asked for a better person to spend the rest of my days with. Our time apart truly put how wonderful we have it into perspective. As always, thank you all for your love and support these past few months. We couldn't have done it without our family and friends!

And God bless America!

Hello, November

Does anyone know where October went? I could have sworn I was purchasing Halloween decorations yesterday, not taking them down! I'm thankful the time is passing quickly though, because this means Nathan has been gone another month. We're now 59 days into this deployment!

October was an exciting month. For me, it meant pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin patches. 

Emma, Amaiya, and I at Scott Pumpkin Patch!

Over on the other side of the world, Nathan flew out to another base and back. I'd prefer for his feet to stay nice and somewhat safe on the ground, but at least we get to see a few pictures!

Nathan isn't one to brag about himself, but that's why he has me to do it for him. This past week he received the wing's Warrior of the Month award. If you're unfamiliar with the Air Force's structure, winning a wing level award is a pretty sweet accomplishment! He also racked up his second Command Chief coin- again, something else that's hard to come by. So proud of my hardworking husband!

One small plus to Nathan being gone for the holidays is that I get to have fun decorating themed care packages. Halloween was our first "holiday" apart. While everyone else was out taking their kids trick-or-treating and dressing up, I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and stuffed my face with mini candy bars. I made sure Nathan didn't miss out on the festivities, though! His package included lots of snacks and candy, as well as cake-in-a-jar! (You bake cake in mason jars and then can them so they stay fresh!) 

The Halloween confetti cakes before they went in the oven!

No package would be complete without a handmade card!

Last but not least, Kuzco is a silly as ever. Please enjoy this video of him picking a fight with a piece of Halloween candy. And as always, thank you all for your continued love and support! 

15 Seconds of Fame

October is finally here! One month closer to Nathan coming home. The first day provided to be an excellent start to the month. In case you've been living under a rock and haven't already seen, Nathan got 15 seconds of fame on the TODAY Show!

I woke up early to watch the show, hoping to catch a quick glimpse of him, but instead saw him standing right smack behind Al Roker. WITN-7 (the local news channel back home) caught a glimpse of the ECU flag and had to know who was behind it. Hundreds of Facebook notifications later, Nathan and his best friend, Chris, found their picture with Jay Leno being passed around Facebook and "liked" over 3,000 times. "ECU Airmen Show Pirate Pride from Afghanistan on TODAY Show" was the number one article on WITN's website.

Check out that handsome man and that gorgeous flag! Go PIRATES!

If you'd like to read the article, you can check it out here. Watch the second video and around 45 seconds, you'll see Nathan mouth "I love you, Ashley!" I was so surprised and for the second time this deployment, a small act of love has brought me to tears. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man!

Nathan and Chris, both ECU Alumni, showing Jay Leno a thing or two about being a Pirate.

Photo op with Al Roker!

Craig Robinson from Hot Tub Time Machine! Nathan has watched that movie probably 20 times.

A signed poster from the cast of the USO Comedy Tour!

Nathan posing with the helicopter used during the show!

I hope you guys were as excited as we were to spot him on the TODAY Show! Word on the street is that the local newspaper will be running the pictures as well, so let me know if anyone spots them. Thank you all for your continued love and support!

A Pretty Awesome Monday

We are now over two weeks in to Nathan's deployment. Time is flying! January will be here before we know it.

Not only did his care package make it to Afghanistan in only a week, but I received a sweet surprise today as well! I nearly cried when I opened the door this afternoon to find chocolate covered strawberries delivered by Edible Arrangements. I'm so lucky to have a husband who spoils me and lets me know he's thinking of me!

Nathan's first care package!

My delicious strawberries. They are heavenly!

Yesterday Nathan gave me a little "tour" around the base. I thought our friends and family might enjoy seeing his temporary home too! 

The bazaar where you can buy local goods.

Anybody need any "Chanel?" ;)

A pretty flower garden that seems a little out of place next to all the dirt and rocks!

I hope you guys have enjoyed the pictures! Thank you again for all the love and support we have received.

17 days completed!

One Week Down

Just in case you haven't heard the news on social media, Nathan left for his first deployment last week. Kuzco and I have survived our first week without him! We've lived off a diet of Cheetos and Pepsi (kidding, mom) and kept busy with lots of walks to the dog park.

A few photos from our last minutes together.

We are extremely grateful for technology! So far we've been able to FaceTime every night.

Before he left, a friend of ours documented our time together and slapped us in the newspaper! I can't wait to see all of the pictures, but until then I hope you enjoy a few snapshots of the article. For those of you interested in reading the full story, the link will be posted on my Facebook :)

I also had the pleasure of assembling my first care package this weekend! I stuffed a large flat rate box full of snacks and other supplies that he requested. It should take about two weeks for it to arrive. I plan on trying to send a little something as frequently as possible- whether it be a box of goodies or just a card to remind him that I love him.

So far, so good! I have school, work, and friends to keep me occupied for the next few months, and I am planning on taking a few trips home for the holidays. Thank you all for your love and support. I'll try to keep everyone updated during this new journey.