BABY HALL!!!

Doug left me a nice present before he left!!! Yes, after trying for several months... I'm pregnant! I went to the hospital, don't be alarmed... everything is okay! But while I was there they did my first ultrasound. It was an amazing experience that I wish Doug could have experienced with me. He will be home in a few more weeks & we are both really excited for my next ultrasound! I keep praying that I will have a good pregnancy & a healthy baby. I'm only 5 weeks & 1 day pregnant right now. The baby should have a heart beat in the next week or two =).

It has been awhile...

I can't believe I haven't updated this since Christmas! Wow! Well things have been very busy & somewhat chaotic here on the island. Doug has been gone on and off since I moved here & will be on the mainland for another month =(. I miss him like crazy! Life has been like a rollercoaster, but we've made so many good memories along the way. Some really fun things that we have done are: Kayaking @ Kailua Beach, Going to the Shack w/ our friends again, paintball, & a photoshoot w/ 2 beautiful horses @ North Shore. Other than that, we have watched 2 full seasons of Friday Night Lights (looking forward to the 3rd season!), I've convinced him to run with me outside (he's hard to keep up with), and we've just spent alot of one on one time together. Since we've been apart again, we have both started working out again & eating really healthy. I'm actually starting to love doing cardio! I used to HATE it, but I'm getting great results from it & it also gives me so much energy. The gym is seeming less and less like a chore, I actually look forward to working out. What counts the most is the diet part though... 85% of your healthdepends on it, the rest is exercise. Even if you look skinny on the outside, it doesn't mean you're skinny on the inside =). Doug is really busy with the Marine Corps... so we have been trying to make the most of the time we do get to spend together. I'm going to start my new job in the near future & hope to be enrolled in school again by this summer. I have made some really good friends here in Hawaii, which has made military life easier to deal with. It's nice to be around girls that are going through the same thing at the same time. I love them all! I've learned so much in the last few months... And I feel as if this sums it up...

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's desire.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your sorrow,
if you have been opened by life's betrayals,
or have become shriveled and closed for the fear of future pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain,
mine or your own,
without moving to hide it, fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy,
mine or your own,
if you can dance with wildness and let ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic,
or to remember the limitations of human beings.

It doesn't interest me if the story you're telling me is true.
I want to know if you disappoint another to be true to yourself,
if you can bear the accusations of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty,
even when it is not pretty every day,
and if you can source your life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure,
yours or mine,
and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver moon "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done for the children.


It doesn't interest me who you are now or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments
Your life is not a coincidence, it is a reflection of you.

- Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Our First Christmas

Doug and I just shared our very first Christmas together! This was the first Christmas we have ever been away from our families on the mainland. Although we missed our families very much, it truly felt like we were beginning our own family and our own holiday traditions. Doug & I couldn't wait until Christmas to open our gifts from each other! We opened them about 5 days before Christmas haha! But we really enjoyed celebrating early together. On Christmas day, we spent time with our friends in Hawaii. We had an awesome cookout on the beach. I made lots of appetizers & dessert for everybody & it was all eaten very quickly! I guess I'm getting better at this cooking thing haha! Now that the year is ending, I must say that I am beyond blessed! I am so happy to be here with my hubby!

We are TOGETHER!

I have been in Hawaii with my husband for 2 weeks now and I am beyond blessed to be here by his side. Even the boring things like grocery shopping are now fun =). I have a new appreciation for my husband... He has worked 15 days straight and by Friday... it will be 20 days without a single day off. He wakes up at approximately 4.30am every morning. I get up at about 5 or 5.30am to drop him off at base. I get to come home and go back to sleep for an hour or two while he's already working. He sometimes doesn't finish work until 10pm. Yet, he always has a smile on his face when I come to pick him up. There are days that they tell him he's about to be released, so I come to get him... and he has to work another 3 hours or more. This weekend he is in the field and it has been pouring rain almost constantly here. I'm ready for him to get home. I hate being in our home without him. Last night was the first night I had to be away from him since we've lived together. I stayed up most of the night... I couldn't sleep. I missed him more than I think I ever have... and that's a lot! Needless to say, we are more than ready for his leave that begins on Friday. The only pro to him being gone is that I've gotten most of my Christmas shopping done! I can't wait for Christmas morning to see his reaction! I love him so much. We've lived together two weeks, and I find myself learning new things about him. He is the most amazing man & I'm so very grateful for him.

As most of you know, our reception is cancelled. Not because we are having troubles... like some have asked lol! We are more than amazing! We would just like to wait for warmer weather so more of our friends and family can attend. So this means we will be spending the holidays in Hawaii. I'm very happy to be spending our very first Christmas here with just the two of us, although we will miss our families on the mainland very much!

I started my new job last week. I'm working part time on TumbleBus Hawaii. It's a mobile gym that travels to different pre-schools and daycares. It's so much fun and stress free! I'm hoping to get another part time job as a cheerleading coach soon. I'm just waiting to find a gym or school that will fit what I'm looking for. It only took me a week for me to realize that the first gym I got hired at wasn't for me at all. I'm glad that I left sooner than later!

Well, we hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and a safe & happy New Year! May God bless you all this holiday season!

UPDATE!

As most of you know, Doug & I are newlyweds that have been living thousands of miles apart. Not fun at all! I will be moving to Hawaii to be with my husband THIS WEEK! This past month has been very stressful for both of us. Not only because we've been apart, but because all of the things we've had to take care of...

Getting our place in Hawaii was our first challenge. When the Marine Corps is paying for your housing, they must look over the agreement before they give you any allowance. Doug has taken care of all of that & we can move into our place now! It is a small place, perfect for the two of us. Our home is right behind a beautiful canal that leads right to Kailua beach! Our landlord has several kayaks that we can use to go down the canal... it's only a 15 minute trip to the beach. I can't wait to start picking out things for our place together. We've already been shopping for a couch, tables, dinnerware etc.

The most complicated part of this entire move has been getting my car shipped! We had to get his orders, letters of permission, and other documentation. We are still waiting on one more letter then I can take it to the Dallas shipping company. I'm praying that I can do this by Wednesday so I can be with my husband on Thanksgiving.

Another complication was getting my dog, P.nut, to Hawaii. Nutty would have to be quarantined for at least 5 days. If I didn't have every single medical document they needed or for some reason they couldn't scan his microchip, he would have to stay in a cage for 120 days! Nutty gets very depressed when he is alone, so I decided it was best to leave him on the mainland with my family. My mom & brother met me in Arkansas over the weekend to get him. Thank you guys so much! Although I knew it was the best thing for my dog, it was very sad & depressing. I finally smiled & told my mom that I was leaving my "small bald head to be with my big bald head" =). I kissed my Chihuahua's head and cried most of the way back to Texas. I'm embarrassed to say that it was a 7 hour drive! Anyone that has met P.Nut knows that we are very attached! I never go anywhere without him. But... it was something that had to be done to be with my husband.

Yesterday, I quit my job... I have been working there for over 2 years. It wasn't too difficult because I have wanted to get out of the oil & gas industry for awhile now. The pay was excellent... it helped me live on my own & pay for school... so I'm thankful for having that job, but I wasn't really happy sitting behind a desk every day. I'm simply not meant for a desk job! When I went to Hawaii for our wedding, I also had a job interview. I am now the gym manager, tumbling & cheerleading coach on base. I'm so excited to be doing what I love again! Doug is really happy about me coaching... I think mostly because he can play on the equipment LOL!

Before the wedding, I completed my massage therapy internship. But the hour requirements in Hawaii almost double the requirements in Texas. I may come back to the mainland at some point to get licensed and that will allow me to work on cruises. It's really not a priority right now... Doug & I just want to be together!

The day I married Doug, I realized that my entire life was about to change. Some things have to be put on hold or even left behind. Regardless of the changes and sacrifices, I'm so excited about this move! I can finally be a real wife! I will let you all know how the move goes & we will keep you updated after we are finally together as husband and wife!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Hall