Finally an Update

As promised, here is the long-awaited update of our lives.

The day we found the blue suburban (almost three months ago!)we had driven out to a school in Gilbert to drop off a resume and cover letter for a job that I applied for that morning. After dropping the documents and receiving a call just a few minutes later to come in for an interview two days from then, Abram drove into the neighborhood with the suburban. So the day after we bought the suburban I went for the interview and thought that it went great! I really enjoyed the people interviewing me, liked the school and the job description. To jump ahead, four days later I had the job. Now I'm two weeks into the school year and really enjoying it. :) I teach three orchestras, two women's choirs and a theory class and will get a drama club going soon. The theory class is my most difficult as it's made up of 15 boys and 4 girls and they're the kids that are mostly what teachers like to call slackers. Ha. So anything they can do to get out of working, they'll do. To make matters even more difficult, I actually have first year theory students and second year theory students in the same class. So I have to work with one half of the class while the other is supposed to work. That's when the screwing around happens. I'll become a better teacher dealing with it, that's for sure!

In other news, we were pre-approved for a home loan at only $10K less then we were hoping for. We think that we can find a decent house in that price but since we are very picky about the location we want (as in three and a half very specific neighborhoods), we're just waiting until we find something in that area. We've seen a couple that we loved but they were off the market by the time we were approved! We know the perfect house for us will come eventually.

Abram went back to school for the first time in almost 4 years. He hasn't been to school since right before we met! He's taking 18 credit hours at ASU with classes in German, Construction, Astronomy, and ROTC. Some he's already enjoying and others he's not so sure about.It's nice that he has something to do all day now other than sitting around watching TV and doing the occasional chore when it was needed. I will miss him having that time to do things around the house for me, though. :)

Oh in June I was also elected the co-chair of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) for Abram's National Guard Unit. The FRG mostly is responsible for fundraising for and putting on family events as well as supporting the families of the soldiers during deployment. I've been enjoying participating in that on the occasional weekend and this weekend we have an all expenses paid trip to Flagstaff for FRG school, where we'll learn how to do everything. Since all our officers except the chairperson were elected over the summer, we're all going as a unit, including the commander, and our husbands get to come, too. Yes, the FRG is pretty much all women. Oh and by all expenses paid I mean we pay for it and they reimburse us for it. It will sure be nice to get out of this extreme heat for a couple of days, though!

I think that's pretty much it for now. My summer was fun and filled with teaching summer camp and preparing for the school year. We're doing well and looking forward to what the near future holds for us!

Happy Anniversary!

I will write a good update of what's been going on the last 5 weeks soon but I won't do that while we are on our trip right now.

I just wanted to say happy anniversary to the love of my life! I can't believe it's already been one year and I am so excited for the many, many more years to come. I love you! :-*

A New Addition to the Family!

No, not THAT. Really. That's not happening in the next 9 months. I promise. But here is a picture of the new addition to our family today with it's Daddy!



I must've been pretty crazy to let him buy another Suburban but he's been bugging me like crazy lately to get a Blazer so when we found this one across the main street from us for just a few hundred bucks I said sure. His reasoning was that he can drive it around while he takes his other one completely apart to restore it. So we'll see what happens to it after that period is over. It doesn't run yet but it's diagnosis is a bad wiring harness so once we get that fixed, which will cost between $50 and $300, it'll be good to go. It's a 1975, so a year older than our '76 but the body is really pretty good on it and everything else looks rather nice. And it's painted exactly the way Abram likes! For your pleasure, here are some more pictures:








Since it doesn't run we got to tow it the roughly one mile to our house. We towed it using the '76 Suburban. Abram drove and Ciara and I sat in the '75 to sit on the brake and steer. It was a little rough getting started but after the first couple turns I figured out how to do it and we made it home without incident. Two of my younger brothers then helped Abram push it into the driveway, again with me in the driver's seat. It was a fun experience. :) Haha. So now it gets to sit in the driveway for three weeks while Abram is at training before we transfer the title and register it. Oh, and get it running. We're going to see what a mechanic in our ward who lives three doors down can do for us. So that is the story of our new baby, Baby Blue!

On another note, I've been working on finding a teaching job for the school year. I had one interview last week for a job that turned out to be for a dance teacher! But I have another one tomorrow for an orchestra/choir teacher at a 7-12 school in Gilbert and another on Monday for a part-time job teaching orchestra at a junior high in Mesa. Hopefully the right job will come some time soon!

Recent Events

It's been quite awhile since I last posted anything but I've been enjoying my time with Abram since he got home. I decided it was time to record a few things now :)

Abram made it home safely. His graduation came and he was surprised with the news that he was the honor graduate! Basically that means he was the valedictorian of his training class by achieving the highest overall total score. Along with that honor he was promoted a rank to Private First Class! The good news is he goes up a grade on the pay scale. The bad news is he's no longer on active duty so we're really not getting anything from the military in the form of money right now. He has been attending his first drill with his unit this weekend and has already figured out that they are very disorganized. They had a hard time getting his paperwork processed and he had been getting mixed messages on what he would be doing for drill this weekend and exactly how long it is. Things have started to make sense to him now that he's been there, though.

Abram also has been reaccepted to ASU, has met with his advisor and is registered for four classes. He is working on getting all the paperwork done to enroll in the Army ROTC program there. We were quite surprised when ASU told us he was classified as a non-resident. So we went to find out why and they said because he's been on military active duty in the last year they need to verify that he is an AZ resident. So now we get to fill out a packet and submit it so they can decide something they should have already figured out. Oh well. A small price to pay for several thousand dollars less in tuition every year I suppose.

I completed my student teaching last week and had a blast. My time at the high school since spring break seemed to just fly by! I passed my certification exams and received my teaching certificate from the Arizona Department of Education last Wednesday. Then I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree on Thursday! I really have gotten nowhere on my job search but I am staying optimistic that I will find something.

I had my violin recital about 5 weeks ago and it went pretty well. I had a nearly full house to play for where I estimated about 75 people showed up. So that was really neat. My dress rehearsal the day before the recital was absolutely awful but then the recital went very well. At least it didn't go the other way around. Ha.

We are excited to spend some time together this summer. I will be teaching summer camp in Phoenix again and Abram will be gone for 3 weeks in June for his military duties up north but we are trying to reserve some time for each other. We can't believe our first anniversary is coming up so fast! It's really been quite the first year of marriage but I am sure they will only get more and more exciting!

Spring Break Fun

I can't believe it's almost Friday already! A couple days ago I was thinking that I had tons of Spring Break left and now I realize it's almost over and I still have a ton to do.

Abram and I both couldn't help but think that today was his original graduation date so he could've been home today or tomorrow. But we'll live with another 6 days from now (almost 5!). Instead this morning he took off for his 3-day Field Training Exercise so I won't hear from him until Sunday some time. He finished learning how to use all the vehicles yesterday using the road grader and the scraper in the last two weeks. He still has very much enjoyed the training part but has grown continually more and more frustrated with living arrangements including barracks and people. Last week he had his 23rd birthday and for a present his platoon had to move, which they were all frustrated with. Their sergeant was so displeased that he told them he wouldn't inspect their stuff anymore and they could just throw things into their wall lockers since they would be leaving in 2 weeks. A group of soldiers he lovingly calls "the retards" have really been getting on his nerves so he will be glad to be rid of them. Though he said one of them is from the Valley and will be flying home with him. But his battle buddy, who he knew before going to training and has become really good friends with the last 2 months, is also from here and will be with him, too. So that's what's been going on with Abram.

I have been on Spring Break this week and have spent it working at theater camp. I love it so much it hardly feels like work, though! We have a few hours tomorrow to put the finishing touches on our showcase and perform it for the parents the last hour of camp. They have been a really well-behaved group of kids this year and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have had a few hours of extended care either before or after camp hours (it's basically babysitting while the kids watch movies and stuff) so I have used that time to study for my exams this Saturday. This is my one and only chance to take and pass my teacher certification exams before I graduate. If I don't pass one or both of them, I can't retake them until the fall which means I can't teach in the fall! So wish me luck, pray for me, and I'll let everyone know how I did as soon as I know.

And that's what's been going on with the Joslins. This set of Joslins anyway. I will keep everyone updated about the reunion next week, which will happen on Wednesday night at 7:19pm!

28 Days and Counting

Things have still been pretty calm in our lives the last couple weeks. We are down to 28 days, or 4 weeks, from today until Abram gets home from Missouri. A couple of weeks ago they decided to make his class a test group to add a Field Training Exercise (FTX) after their construction vehicle training. So that extended his stay by 5 or 6 days. He will for sure be home on March 23rd though. They promised this time. Ha, anyone familiar with the military knows that doesn't mean anything...

Abram is still enjoying his training. He likes the training part but isn't crazy about the downtime and living situations. He is dealing with it, though. Today they found out they're moving next week so maybe that will make his living situation a little better. He did pass his final PT test yesterday. He scored 229 and needed a score of 180. So he passed with no problem. He's worked with four vehicles now; the dump truck, the scoop loader, the back hoe and he just finished with the hydraulic excavator today. Tomorrow he starts using a bulldozer. He loves driving and operating all the different vehicles.

I have continued with student teaching. I'm coming up close to the end of my middle school stay and moving to the high school. I still enjoy it a lot and am learning new things all the time about teaching such as, walking around the room more, making eye contact with students while playing music, catching students by name when they start side bar conversations, and how to run a music program. I've been busy outside of school with teacing private students, teaching theater classes, talking with Abram, and cleaning a little. I had to finally clean out everything in my room at my parents' house because my room is being taken next week by my brother.

It's crazy how fast 2 years goes by. Even looking back at Abram's two-year mission it feels like it wasn't a whole two years. This last leg of his training feels like it is lasting forever and we get to talk on the phone every night! But anyway, my younger brother is getting home from his mission in Toronto, Canada next Wednesday! We are so excited to see him. I can't believe it's time already. His room was taken over by another younger brother so now he needs a new room and mine is the only free one right now. So I had to clean it out. :) When Abram was home over Christmas we brought home a few boxes of about the last of his stuff at his parents' house. Those boxes are sittting in our work room and now the boxes of my stuff are sitting there, too. So guess what we are doing on the weekends when Abram gets home? :D

The Friday before Valentine's Day a large box was waiting for me at home. I was on the phone with Abram when I walked in the door and found it and when I looked at the label and told him where it was from he told me I wasn't allowed to open it till Monday! So I waited patiently all weekend and this is what I found when I opened it Monday night:



It is so cute :) The dog is holding a little version of itself! Hopefully this year was our third and final Valentine's Day apart from each other. And that's a little of what's been going on with the two of us!

Not much going on

There's hasn't been too much to write about the last three weeks. I've kept up with my student teaching and he's been busy with his training. We are getting more and more anxious to finally get to be together for more than six months in exactly 39 days and more than 3 months together as a married couple! When we are both busy with our respective duties we are fine but when we're not, all we can do is be anxious.

But the good news is that we do get to talk every day. He usually texts me a few times early in the morning (he's up at 4am, which is 3am in AZ) and lets me know when he's leaving for the course. That's about the time I get up to get ready for school. Then in the evening after we've both made it "home" we are able to text some more and then talk on the phone the last 30 minutes before he goes to bed. It is so nice to be able to talk to him every day. And on the weekends we get to talk all the time!

Speaking of Abram's training, he has been enjoying it a lot. The first week (weeks go from Wednesday to Tuesday) they just spent time in the classroom and had a couple tests. He got 100% on the first quiz and then 96% on the big exam. He was a little upset that he missed that one question because it was silly, of course. But I was still proud of him. :) After that first week they started on the dump truck, which he loved. They hurried up and finished it this last Monday, a day early, because they were expecting a snow day on Tuesday, which they did have. They had another one on Wednesday and finally got back to almost full training on Thursday. Now they are using the scoop loader. They trained on Saturday this weekend because they thought Monday might be a snow day so we will see what happens.

I have been able to teach a lot, especially this last week as the teacher was out sick. So it became my classroom (with a sub on the side, of course)for four days. It was so fun! I gave out lots of grades, changed 6th grade seating, handed out new music, and wrote bus passes. Oh yeah, and I taught 6 classes a day. I really got the full teaching experience (well, minus some of the extra clerical work) and I loved it! So I guess I'm in the right field. :)

So that's what's been going on with us lately. We are excited to know that February is a short month and Abram gets home in March. That makes it seem sooner.

Christmas, New Years, Student Teaching and Graduation

It's only taken me 3 weeks to finally get back with news but I did make it! As I said in the last post, Ciara finally made it home and we went over to see her on Christmas Eve. It was a glorious reunion! We spent some time just talking and starting to catch up but we barely made a dent. Most of it will have to wait till March when we can all be together again but we plan to share pictures, videos, and stories. Here is the picture I had been waiting to take for over a year!



After visiting Ciara, we spent the evening at Abram's parents where I got to participate in my first Christmas Eve with the Joslins. Even though it's the third Christmas I've known them, it was the first time I've participated in those festivities. I liked it! Abram was getting pretty anxious to find out what his Christmas present was and somehow talked me into doing Christmas the European way. Maybe it was the fact that he was only home for 2 weeks and I wanted us to have a good time that I said yes. So when we got home I let him open his present that evening. Here's one of my trees (we had another in another room) and Abram anxiously opening:





And the gift is......



All 11 Star Trek movies! I knew I would regret it probably some day but so far I'm good. :) We watched the first one a few days later and I actually liked it. Now I need to watch 2-6 again. :)

Christmas Day we went back and forth between both of our parents' houses. We started off at the Joslins for present opening. Since they had a 7-year-old there we couldn't start too late and my family always starts really late. So after some fun over there, we went to the Benitez house for breakfast and present opening. That was fun too and about the time we finished with that, we were back to the Joslins to talk with Abram's brother, Joseph, who is in the Philippines. After a little time doing that, we came right back to my parent's for dinner and then talking with my brother, Daniel, who is in Canada. He gets back in just a few weeks from now and celebrated his 21st birthday today. It was a busy but fun Christmas!

New Years was similar to Christmas. We spent New Years Eve with my family (and Ciara) playing games, drinking cider and having fun. Then we had the annual Joslin New Years Day dinner the next day. I decided after the holidays that having two families is more fun then I ever expected!

I started my student teaching the first week of January on Tuesday after shipping Abram back off to the base on Monday. I was thrown into teaching pretty quickly and it was so fun! I felt ready to go for it and my mentor teacher thought I was ready so she let me go for it. I had made a connection with so many kids in those first four days that I hope it's still there when I return this week.

I took this past week off from student teaching to go to Missouri for Abram's basic training graduation. His parents and I went together and had a blast! We flew out on Monday night, arriving in St Louis just before midnight. We were able to get into the USO at the airport with my military ID so we went there and spent the night on recliners. Not our best night's sleep but it was free, warm, and convenient so we appreciated it.

Tuesday morning we took off in our rental and headed to St. Robert, MO. It had snowed all day Monday and all night so it was pretty wet out there but we made it just fine! When we arrived at our destination that afternoon we just took things easy and went to bed early since we needed to catch up on our sleep. Wednesday was family day, but really it was 4 hours in the afternoon and by the time we got out of there late and had to get him back early, we had just over 3 hours together. But it was fun and SO good to see Abram. He looked so cute in his ACUs and Eyepro.



We went to the museums on base, had lunch, and he showed us some training sites on base. It was fun! Thursday was the big graduation. We were up and out the door early and it was worth it. Here is at the graduation in his seat:



He looks so good in his dress blues! And lucky for me, he had to stay in them all day. :) We didn't do much that day but sit around at the hotel and relax because there's not much to do in rural Missouri in January. But the time was SO nice. Here's a few more pictures from the day:








It was a great trip and we finished it off with a stop by the St. Louis Temple on our way back to the airport on Friday. Unfortunately, we had to leave Abram behind at Ft. Leonard Wood to start his advanced training this week in horizontal construction in the Corps of Engineers. The Temple there is beautiful and easy to find!




And that is what has been going on the last few weeks! If you're still reading either you really care about what's been going on with us, or you like to waste time on the computer like me! ;)

Update :)

Just a quick night before the night before Christmas. Abram made it home with no problems on Sunday morning. We have been enjoying our time together and are looking forward to our first Christmas together in the next two days. Ciara, unfortunately, was not so lucky. She got snowed in! I guess Europe, and definitely including England, got a lot of snow real fast so she was stuck there an extra FIVE DAYS! She did finally make it today about 4 hours ago. We have yet to see her, as we thought it most appropriate to let her family be with her today and for us to stay out of the way. However, we will probably stop by to see her for at least a few minutes tomorrow. We are very excited to see her!

In other news, we learned today that Abram's brother and his family will be moving up here to the valley from Tucson soon since he was offered and accepted a job in downtown Phoenix! That means our only niece will be up here close to us now :) Things are great and I am sure will stay that way for a couple more days!

This Weekend!

The weekend I've been looking forward to for weeks is finally here! I officially finished up school early this week and my grades are very good so far! There's only one I think might be lower than an A but I'll have to wait and see. Maybe it'll be an A-. I spent the rest of the week since finishing my finals on Monday playing Pooh shows, cleaning house, running lots of errands, and spending some time with my sister. I also supervised junior high kids this morning at their school music assembly. I've been sure to keep myself busy so the time passes quickly as I get more and more antsy.

So what do I have planned for my last day before seeing my best girl friend and husband on Sunday? I have five gigs! Five! Well, sort of. I start off with a one-hour rehearsal with my cousin who is getting ready for a music competition in January. Then I go and do three Pooh shows. There's at least one Saturday each year where we do three shows in one day and tomorrow is this year's day. Haha. After that, I am headed to play a choir concert at a church not far from the theater, meeting my Mom for some dinner on the way. We're playing the concert together and she's coming from another show out a little further. By the time I get home in the evening I'll be ready to sleep the night away and see my husband in the morning!

Abram's experience at basic training has been good overall. He said he enjoyed it and still likes the Army, which was good news! He's all set to graduate when he returns in January, having qualified in everything he needs to. He was a little disappointed that I was doing all the holiday decorating without him but since I haven't gotten either of the Christmas trees up yet and Grandpa and I just decided this week to get some lights up outside and bought the hooks and lights today, Abram will get to help with almost all the decorating next week! We'll have to work fast to get it all done before Friday...

I will be sure to bring an update next week on how the glorious reunions were for your enjoyment but until then, enjoy the weekend. :)

Almost There

I just got back from ASU where I was working on the last assignments for my computer class. I did get them done and a few hours before it was no longer December 10th but it feels so good to have another class crossed off the list! I only have two more classes to finish up. One of them all I have to do is go play my violin for a few minutes. Although, it takes several hours of practice to do that well. :) Then I have to film myself teaching for 20 minutes and write a 5-page paper for another class. I will be all done with all of that by Tuesday morning so the end is in sight!

Just like I've almost made it through the semester, Abram's almost made it through boot camp. We had a little concern when he had trouble passing his shooting. He didn't qualify the first two times he tried but I knew it would happen the third time because there was a lot of fasting and praying going on here at home. Those things haven't failed me yet! He called yesterday and said he finally qualifies on Wednesday. Not only did he qualify but his score was pretty good. He had to score 23 and scored 27 this week. Great blessings come to those who wait! :) He finishes up his training next week and will be headed home that Sunday for his two-week break. While we were on the phone yesterday he asked me if we could plan a little get-away for a couple days during that break. He wants to repeat our honeymoon with the same hotel and everything. I guess it was good the first time ;) So while we talked I booked it for a couple days after Christmas.

In work news, Winnie the Pooh is up and running. We opened last week after a long week of rehearsals. It runs through the 23rd so I will stay pretty busy with that on the weekends and the week leading up to Christmas. I've got a couple extra holiday jobs to play next week, too. My work schedule is lighter than in years previous this year. I'm not sure why that is but I'll take it so I can spend time with Abram.

As a quick end note, military health insurance is wonderful. I highly recommend it ;)

Thanksgiving Fun and More

My first Joslin Thanksgiving was wonderful! It was my in-laws' year to have as many of their children as possible over for Thanksgiving and most of us made it. We had three complete couples (two of Abram's brothers and his sister along with their spouses) and then two halves. I was just a half unfortunately this year, but next time we will both be there. :) It was a day filled with surprises and lots of fun.

I had planned to sleep in Thanksgiving morning but about 7:20am I woke up when I received a text message. Usually I don't wake up to them because all they do is vibrate, so I must've already been partially awake or something. Either way, I was happy I saw it right when it came because it was Abram! He had been given his phone for the entire day so that was a great way to wake up. He was very sad to missing all the festivities at home but knew that he needs to finish what he went there for and that he'll be here next time.

He is doing overall very well in training. He is passing everything or in the position to pass everything, which is great news, except for one area. Earlier this week he had shooting qualifications and didn't pass. He needed a score of 23 and only received a score of 20. But they made them test on a range they had never practiced on, it was extra windy, and he was one of a few that didn't get a second chance to try and with a drill sergeant coaching him. So it seems things were a little unfair...BUT! He has been told they will probably get another chance in a few days so let's hope all goes well! Or else he's stuck there a little longer...

I will be starting tech week with Winnie the Pooh tomorrow and the show opens next Friday! So this coming week will be very busy with that and the end of school. It is the last full week of classes! Only 23 days until I get to see my husband and my best girl friend! Life is feeling pretty good right now.

And now that I have been running Abram's Suburban for 15 minutes (I try to take care of his stuff for him!) as I've been typing this, I will call this good and return later with more news. When there's something worth writing about. :)

Christmas Village

I love having my own house to decorate the way I want :) Ok,it's not really my house but really, I run things around here. Since Abram's not here and Grandpa doesn't have much energy to decorate, I get to do it! And that's totally fine by me because I love doing it. :) I'm trying to make my living room look good so I took out the summer fans sitting underneath the piano and am going to move the stacks of records sitting under the other piano to another room and will get most of the books and magazines out of there temporarily.

Last night I finally (after 3 and a half months, oops) finished getting all the contents of the kitchen put back away after the remodel it had. Those contents were sitting on the table in the formal dining room, which is directly adjacent to the living room (and looks like a part of that room). I had better plans for that table for the next 6-7 weeks.

My grandmother passed away over 8 years ago and she loved decorating her house for the holidays but in the last 2-3 years of her life had a lot of trouble doing it herself. So her granddaughters (my sister and I) would come to help. I kept up with her traditions the first 4 years or so after she passed away but the last 4 years or so have not been so good. In addition to the Christmas Tree, the other main attraction in the house was the Christmas village. For years she collected items for this village and ended up with 12 buildings and plenty of figurines, trees, and other accessories to make the most adorable village. I always enjoyed setting the village up but the last few years it just hasn't happened. So I decided to put it up this year!

For years the village was set up on top of an old, large stereo (which consequently, the aforementioned records were inside of). Abram and I talked Grandpa into getting rid of the stereo, which doesn't work well and I have never seen him use, when we moved in. So I needed somewhere new to put the village. Enter the formal dining room table! So I spent 2 and a half hours setting it up tonight and it looks beautiful! The next phase of decorating won't happen until next Friday so I will enjoy just this one for now.

Here is a picture of it tonight. The lights were off in the room but the flash gets rid of that effect. I wanted to take a picture from the long side, too, but the camera battery died just then! So this is it for now. Hopefully the picture does it justice!

4 weeks to go!

I just realized that in four weeks from today, I will be completing my last day of classes in my undergrad career. Well, I still will be in school next semester and won't graduate until May but I will be student teaching so it will be a little different. :) Eight days after classes end I will be all done with finals and will almost be ready to celebrate. I'll still have to wait four more days for my best friends to get home! Abram will be home for his two week Christmas break that weekend but the night before that our best friend who introduced us to each other will be home after her 18 month mission! I am so excited to see her! So just shy of 6 weeks from now I will have a great weekend. :)

In other news, I didn't get a phone call from Abram this week. Something must have happened that kept him from being able to do that. I did get a letter from him last week and an email on Sunday, though. He made it through the gas chamber experience better than he thought he would and has been performing well on his physical training. He didn't do as well with the rifle simulator as he had hoped but I am sure he will get better. He still has plenty of time to go!

I am keeping busy with school, work, and Winnie the Pooh. This is the 15th year in a row that the theater company (VYT) that I work for has put on a production of A Winnie the Pooh Christmas Tail and the fourth year in a row that I have been on the production team. I have been the assistant music director and I have such a great time doing that every year. I have been going over to rehearse with the cast at least two nights a week and then some time on Saturdays. So that keeps me busy and away from home. Since I have nothing to come home to now anyway :) Well, I better get back to some school work or something!

I Love The Holidays!

I have never been a big Halloween lover. Ever. When I was a kid I played along and would decide what to dress up as a few weeks in advance but as I moved into my teenage years my imagination diminished. I guess I didn't like dressing up or something. Seems funny for an actor to say.... But one thing I love about Halloween is that it is the start of the holiday season. I love the sights, smells, and sounds of the last two months of the year but the thing I love the most is the way people are with each other. People seem happier, kinder, and more loving.

For almost three years I have looked forward to my first holiday season with Abram. Our first two were spent thousands of miles apart. While it was fun to exchange loving gifts across seas and talk on the phone for a few minutes on Christmas morning (I still can't thank my in-laws enough for that one!), it wasn't as fulfilling as being physically together. So I was looking forward to the 2010 holiday season when we could finally be together. But I decided several months ago that I would give him up for one more season. :) But at least this year he will be home for Christmas Day. And he's only a few hundred miles away this time. And we get to talk about once a week so really, this year is still a lot better than the two years before. :)

Speaking of Abram, he called today. We had almost a full 30 minutes to talk this afternoon. He is doing well. He had his first physical training diagnostic this week and he passed with no problem at all. It didn't really mean anything towards his graduation. It was just a practice for the real thing but it seems to put him on the right track. As usual, he gets hungry between meals, especially at night before bed time. At home he would usually get up and get ice cream about three hours after dinner when he would get hungry. But over there he's eating dinner at 5pm and then is up for another 4 1/2 hours and doesn't have access to food so that's when he gets hungry. But he said he is making it okay still.

I start rehearsing my Christmas show this week. It's my fourth year in a row doing it and I look forward to it every year. I love directing theater shows. Even though I just assist on this one, it is more fun than I need sometimes. It also helps the time to go by faster :) So welcome November!

The First Post!

Hi everyone! Welcome to our blog. Well, for now, it's just my blog because Abram doesn't know about it yet. Hee hee.... About 4 months before we got married (that would also be a month before we even got engaged) my now sister-in-law told me that when I married into the Joslin family I was going to have to make a blog. It's just what is expected! I told her that her brother probably would say he didn't want one and I was indeed right. But after he signed with the Army National Guard and we knew he would leave for training I thought that I could secretly start one while he was gone. Almost as if he read my mind, he asked about 3 days before he left if I was going to start a blog while he was gone! I can't remember my answer but here I am, starting it.

Abram and I were married on July 8th of this year and almost everything has been perfect since then! The only flaws have been a lack of money and the fact that he is now gone for 10 weeks. We are much happier when we are together rather than apart but really, what's a few weeks? We made it through a two-year geographical separation before we were married and it worked out just fine.

As I said before, Abram is a soldier in the Army National Guard. He is currently at his basic training and in January will return after the Christmas break for his individual training in engineering - heavy construction. When all of that training is done in the spring he will be ready to go back to school next fall. He plans to study German and history and will probably be stuck in school for about three more years to finish that. I am in my last year at Arizona State in Music Education. I am super excited that this is my last semester of classes and will be able to just student teach in the spring before finally earning that piece of paper that says I have a skill and can get a job now. I stay busy outside of school with teaching private piano and violin students, playing concerts and weddings and church services around the Phoenix area, and teaching theater classes at a local youth theater. I love my work!

Well, that's a good start for those of you reading. Many of you probably knew most of that already but for those of you that learned something new I hope it was worthwhile. I'll be back later with more Joslin happenings both here at home in Tempe and over at the military base in Missouri!