3 weeks today...

I have officially been away from my family 3 weeks today. It is so hard to believe it hasn't been that long. It really feels like it has been longer, months actually. I remember the day that I left like it was yesterday. Gabriel knocked on the glass of the security check point as I was going thru it and he waved to me and blew me a kiss. Amanda was holding Lily right behind him and waved to me. My chest hurt and my stomach dropped. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, and I hope that after this I will never have to do it again. A family belongs together, we belong together.

The official word came yesterday that by the end of the day Monday, I should have internet, phone, and my household goods all set up and ready to go in my new room. To me that is when this journey officially starts. It will be like sealing the deal that this is actually going to me my home for the next 11 months or so. Bare white walls and a thin old carpet. A 20 year old bed and a community shower. Some home...

Do any of you ever put off going to sleep because you just get this gut feeling that you shouldn't? Like if you go to sleep it's like you are wasting time or you won't wake up? I feel that way sometimes here. I don't know if it's the fear that something will happen to me in the middle of the night or fear that I will have a bad dream about my family. I have found that most nights I have to actually count sheep in my head in order to get to sleep, otherwise I will lay there for hours before falling asleep. One of the many joys of being here I guess.

In addition to it being my three week anniversary here, today was also my promotion ceremony. I thought I would be a lot more excited about it when the time came, but I wasn't. I have been working so hard for this promotion for a long time and when I finally make it, my family and friends couldn't be here for it. Just like they won't be here for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's. Wow I am in a really depressed mood today. Definitly not my strongest moment since I have been here. I guess there will be good days and bad days. Today is just the worst I have felt.

I am going to post the pictures of my promotion ceremony on my facebook page because there are to many to put on here. As the New Zealand officers would say...Cheers! Until next time...

The Second of Many to Come...

"I still press your letters to my lips,

and cherish them in parts of me

that saver every kiss.

I couldn't face a life without your light..."

~ Snuff by Slipknot

Today is the beginning of my second 3 day shift up at work. I only got one day off this week with all the other crap I had going on. My day off (yesterday) however was very nice. I spent most of the day on the internet with the kids, my parents, and my wife. Amanda and I have this thing that we do where we get on the webcam and play games thru Windows Live.

I really think that being here is making our marriage stronger which is definitely not at all what I thought was going to happen. I mean we still fight sure, even on the phone, but it doesn't last. I just can't bring myself to be mad for more than a few minutes before the situation hits me and I instantly cool off. Without her being there for me I definitely could not make it thru this.

It still kills me that I am missing so much stuff with the kids, but Amanda is doing such a great job of taking pictures and videos with her phone and then emailing them to me. Not to mention I try my best to see them on the webcam every chance I get. Hopefully in a few more days I will have internet and phone hooked up in my room and most of my stress and being bored will be gone for good.

I am going to leave off today with a picture of Gabriel and his new hair cut. I absolutely love it.

Until next time...

The beginning of a beautiful friendship

Yesterday something amazing happened to me. Some of you may know, that shortly after I started a web blog, Amanda decided to do the same. Well yesterday she made her first post and wrote something very special about me in it.

After I wrote my post yesterday and headed back to my room, I really started to think about what she wrote. Well some of you may know that years ago I used to write, poems mostly, and since have found next to no time to start again.

Years later, I have found the perfect place and plenty of time to start again. So last night I cleared my mind, put on some music and went to work. A few hours later, this is the result. I think it turned out great. Possibly the best I have ever written. And all thanks to my beautiful wife, Amanda. I love you hunny...

The most amazing person
that I have ever known
Raising our beautiful children
completely on your own

As the days pass by
that we are apart
My love for you grows
inside my lonely heart

Days come and go
as if you were right here
But when night comes
I wish you were near

My dreams are filled
with the beauty of your face
I hold you very close
in a very special place

So when the day comes
when we can be together
We will hold each other
and be together forever

Until next time...

The Promotion Ceremony of a Life Time...

I just realized today how many freakin hills there are in Korea. We drove down to Seoul for like the eighth time since I have been here. The difference this time was the person driving. This dude was driving so FAST (probably 120 MPH) I thought I was going to be sick. Thank God we made it there alive, lol.

Anyway when we got down south I finished up my in processing that I was about a week overdue on and then went to take my driving test (which I failed BTW). We stopped by chow to get some food and I picked up my uniforms from alterations. On our way back my supervisor called and asked me if I wanted to have a promotion ceremony and for once I was really excited and said yes. I even get to pick where it is going to be. Sooo...I picked the building that is on the Korean border (we call it the T-2 building).

That's right, I am going to be one of like two or three people ever to be promoted in North Korea, in a building where 60 years ago the peace treaty was signed that ended the North Korean War. How freakin cool is that? Once more whats cool (other than just pictures) is I can record the whole thing on the security camera and have it forever. Sorry to be all over the place but I am just super excited about it! So when that happens (Friday I think) I will be sure to get pictures up on here.

Until next time...

Goodnight Moon

"Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me." ~ Isabella Swan (New Moon by Stephenie Meyer)

Saturday night was the first night I can remember since I have been here when the sky was clear enough to see the moon and all the stars. Before I left Gabriel, Amanda, and I sat down to watch an Elmo video about deployments. From it, we got the idea to say goodnight to the moon every night before bed. Not too long after I left, Gabriel started doing so, in return so did I. Only until last night it was just me saying goodnight to a black sky.

Sunday morning when I woke up I was extremely happy to be getting off of my first work rotation and heading back down to the closest thing I can call home here. I actually got to drive for the first time as well, which was nice even if it was only three miles on a military base. I took my time so I could soak up as much of it as possible.

It's funny how people always tell you that life is too short, don't take anything for granted. Most people when they hear that they immediately think of family, time, meaning of life. Well being in a place like this, makes you think about things even smaller than that. I think we take things for granted like a clear night sky or just being able to get in the car and drive, no matter where you are going.

I think even sex is taken for granted. And no I don't mean everyone should go and have sex all the time just because they can. I mean the actual act of making love to the person you care about most in the world. It seems like now a days, people are just doing it because they have to. Whatever happened to, because you love them. Because you need them. The feeling you have when you hold them, making every moment special and exciting because lets face it, you never know when you are going to be able to have that feeling again. The world is a mystery and no one knows what will happen tomorrow.

I am not really sure how I got on that subject, I guess maybe its just me missing Amanda. I think when I get back home I will do things a lot differently than I did when I left. More kisses, hugs, holding hands. The longer your with someone things like that seem to start fading. Not that you do it on purpose it just kind of happens. I guess just another one of those little things that people take for granted. Well not me, not anymore.

Not much else going on to report. Amanda got the kids pictures taken yesterday so I soon as I get to see those I will put some up here.

Until next time...

R-E-D...RED! R-E-D...RED!

Picture of the Day!

This picture was taken two days ago from a Helo flying back and forth from Camp Bonifas to the DMZ. Every month they make this flight 4 times to make sure everything in the chopper is working the way it should. In case of an emergency the chopper has a 3 minute response time to head up to the DMZ to evacuate all US and ROK personnel in the event of an attack. The flag that you see is the tallest standing flag in South Korea to date. The flag stands in the center of a rice patty farm just minutes away from the DMZ.

Today is my last day working before a nice 4 day break. Although one of my 4 days off will be spent down in Yong San, taking my driving test, completing my inprocessing, and buying new uniforms to put my new Staff stripes on! That's right people. You are looking at SSgt Martinez now :)

But enough about me, I want to tell you about my babies. So this week is pretty special as far as the kids go because both of the kids have learned how to do something new. Lily has finally rolled over completely on her own. Granted Amanda has to set her up just right and she can only go from her stomach to her back, but still, she did it. Gabriel (who just started half day pre-school a few weeks ago) can spell his first word, RED! They taught him this little song in school and O-M-G is it the cutest thing I have EVER heard! I am so glad that we can at least keep in touch the way we have been. It helps keep my mind off the fact that they aren't here.

I finished watching season 1 of Heroes last night and HOLY SHIT! I can't beleive how awesome that series is. I can't wait until season 2 comes out on DVD so I can catch up. I have a feeling a lot of my money over here is going to be spent on buying series of TV shows I have never seen and watching them. It's actually a really cheap way to keep myself busy. I also made the mistake of watching the movie "For love of the game". I have seen it before but never really realized how much of love story it really was rather than being about baseball. It made me miss Amanda so much that I had to turn it off. So I have a new rule. No more movies that involve kids or love while I am over here. From here on out if shit isn't blowing up or I am not laughing my ass off, then I am not watching it. I made this same mistake when I was deployed. I watched the "Notebook" all by myself, first time away from Amanda, and it took days to get it out of my head. I have been doing really good so far and I don't need some stupid movie messing it up for me.

Anyway it looks like that is it for now. Until next time...

I think I got it...

So I think I have this blog figured out so I am just going to get right into it.

If you don't know me or know anything about my current "situation" then head over to my about me profile. It should give you a little information and the rest you should be able to figure out based on the information I write in here.

I have been in Korea two weeks tomorrow. I have to admit that it has gone pretty well. I still have my moments where I miss my family so much that it hurts my stomach and I feel like I am going to be sick. I hope that will pass.

I started my job yesterday. Blah, I hate it. My schedule right now is 3 days on, 3 days stand-by, and 3 days off. To most of you that may seem pretty easy, but its not. When I am on duty, I am on duty for a full 72 hrs. That means I have to eat, sleep, and work in the same building without a break. Imagine being stuck in a hospital room for three days with out being able to leave, only you are completely by yourself with nothing to do and no one to talk to. That's my life for the next year.

The good news, if its even considered good news, is that on my stand-by days and my off days I get to live down at Camp Bonifas (about three miles south of the DMZ). The only thing I am on stand-by for is to take pictures for very important tours that come through. That only seems to happen around once or twice a month so it will be 6 days off most of the time.

My first night here (last night), I spent about 4 hours making a Twilight Music Video for my wife Amanda. I think it turned out really good. There are some spots I am going to have to have to touch up but I am going to wait a little while until more movie content comes out. I already posted it on Facebook, and I am sure I will post it on YouTube but I think I am going to post it here too.

Its getting pretty late so I will call it a night. I will write again when I can, although I am going to try and write everyday. Until next time...

New Blog to Talk about my new life...

I will be the first one to admit that there is probably no one out there that will read this. The thought of that bothered meat first, but for some reason it doesn't anymore. I have thought many times about keeping a journal, I even bought a composition notebook for that reason, but decided the blog seemed like the way to go.

So here we go, on to the blog writing. So where do I begin. I could tell you all about me, but there is an about me section for that. I guess I will have to fill that out when I get done with this.

I wonder if this blog lets me add pictures and videos. I will have to check that out too. Holy crap I just realized I know nothing about this site. Alright well I am done for now. Let me go and check out this website and I will get back to you...