THE LAST 5 MONTHS!!!!

Well I made this Blog about 3 weeks ago, but after I spent an entire night trying to get it to look just right, I wanted nothing more to do with it! After about 3 weeks I have come to terms with the fact that the only way to become more technological is to throw myself into it and just start writing. It was also a new goal for 2010 for Andy and myself to start keeping a better record of our new family and our new lives together!!

Andy and I got married on October 2nd, 2009 and I cannot believe that we are nearly approaching our 5 month anniversary. It mostly feels weird to me because Andy has been gone for 3 1/2 of those months. It is funny because people keep asking me how married life is and if I just love it, well to be honest, I do absolutely love it, but it kinda feels like my single life still. Andy has been at Ranger School for the Army for the last 3 1/2 months and will hopefully graduate next week so he can return home to me!!!!

We got married on the 2nd, had an open house on the 5th in Colorado right after the festivities in California, then headed back to Georgia where Andy was supposed to start Ranger School on the 11th of October. That would have given us a grand total of 5 days together before he had to report for the 3 month training. I was quite apprehensive about that. Luckily Andy got the flu or an extremely bad case of food poising, which pushed back his training date to the 1st of November. I GOT AN ENTIRE MONTH (WELL MINUS 1 DAY, BUT WHO'S COUNTING) WITH MY HUSBAND!!!!! I HAD NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY WHEN SOMEONE WAS SICK EVER!!! THANK GOODNESS ANDY WAS SO SICK AND SO DEHYDRATED THAT THEY MADE HIM WAIT!!!!!!! :)

That left us a month to get all moved into our new home (which was actually Andy's old apartment that needed some serious wife help!!!). We spent the month buying everything for our home (furniture, kitchen ware, house decor, ect.), and setting up our home, spending time together, playing, making me an official Army Wife, and just having fun together . It was the most fabulous month of my life, but unfortunately it was also the fastest month of my life!!!

Before I knew it Andy was all ready to report to Ranger School! Now, for those of you who are not quite familiar with Ranger School, it is a super intense training which consists of 3, 3-week phases in different terrain. The 1st phase takes place in the woods at Ft. Benning. The 2nd is in the Mountains in Northern Georgia, and the 3rd phase is in the swamps of Florida. Now you may be thinking, that does not seem too bad, 9 weeks of training... but add in NO sleep, NO food, and NO contact, and it quickly becomes very difficult physically and emotionally to get through. When I say NO contact I mean, NO EMAIL, NO PHONE, NO TEXTS, NO SKYPE... ONLY OLD SCHOOL LETTERS, which they are only allowed to send and receive when their RI's say they can. One instance that Andy told me of, which just shows how intense it is, is that they were preparing for a big ruck trip the next day and getting their gear all together and something happened, someone did something and they all got in trouble, and they had to stand in position all night long. The RI's (Ranger Instructors) finally gave them 20 minutes of sleep and then woke them up, gave them a powerbar and a gatorade, and made them do their 12 mile ruck march with their 70 lbs packs on!!! With only 20 min of sleep, a powerbar, and a gatorade!!!! I would NEVER LAST IN RANGER SCHOOL!!!

He did awesome the 1st phase (which was 3 weeks at Ft. Benning) and he passed phase 1 and then I got to see him for 8 hours before the next phase started again. We thoroughly enjoyed that sliver of time that we were blessed with!!! Then Andy was off to the 2nd phase of Ranger School, which was also 3 weeks long, but up in the mountains in Georgia. While Andy was away during the 2nd phase I took the opportunity to travel home for Thanksgiving and got the chance to play with my family for a bit. Kendall and Larry came home for Thanksgiving, so mom, dad, ken, lar, me, and mad all played the week away!!! On my way back to Georgia, I stopped by Utah to play with my sisters, Sara and Aly, and had the chance to go see my Spring Lake Family in Payson, Utah. I got to go see my old class and give my kids lots of Miss Monty (now Mrs. Archer) hugs!!! I also got to spend a couple of days playing with my dear friends, Mandy and Brandon Christensen.

Finally I was back Home in Columbus, Georgia to pick up Andy from phase 2. He did so well in phase 2 and passed again, despite his broken hands, broken feet, and numb body due to the freezing weather. I was so proud of him and all of his hard work!!! I was so happy because we got to spend Christmas together (our 1st Christmas!!!) and I was so happy because my husband was allowed to eat and sleep a little to try to recover from those gross 2 phases!! (not all ranger school training sessions get that 2nd break, but the ones over Christmas do, so we were so lucky again to get more time together, but then to also get that 2nd break!!!)

Christmas was FABULOUS!!!!! Not only did I get to experience my 1st white Christmas and my 1st Christmas in Colorado, BUT I GOT MY HUSBAND BACK FOR 2 WHOLE WEEKS!!!!!! What more could a girl (a brand new wife) ask for!!!!??? NOTHING, THAT WAS THE MOST PERFECT GIFT OF, ALL JUST WAS BEING WITH ANDY!!!! I did miss my family terribly in California, as it was my 1st Christmas without them, but the Archers helped me feel right at home and welcomed me with open arms!! It was the most fabulous Christmas ever!!! and I am looking forward to many more with my dear sweet husband!!! Maybe next year Andy can help me set up the Christmas Tree and maybe even buy some of the gifts... ha ha ha He so wishes he could have helped me, but we have many years that he can help me with Christmas and this year I just wanted it all set up and ready for when he walked into our home!!! It was so magical when he walked into our home and saw Christmas. The presents, the lights, the decorations!!! We had our very own Little Archer Christmas with just the 2 of us before we left for Colorado and it was so beautiful and just what I wanted!!! :)

We were blessed to have not only 1, but 2 beautiful Christmas' filled with lots of love, laughter, & FAMILY!!!! We had such a wonderful time in Colorado playing with the family and enjoying the snowy season all together! It was not only my 1st married Christmas, but my 1st White Christmas, and that it was... White, White, White. A total Winter Wonderland and a total BLESSING!!!

We made it back to Columbus just in time to celebrate the New Year with some of our dear friends, Heather & Colby, and Paula & Charlie. We had a great New Year's, but unfortunately the New Year brought ONE MORE PHASE!!!

One more phase that should have only been 3 more weeks. We can handle 3 weeks!!! Well, 1 week went by and I found out the best news of my life (besides the fact that Andy wanted to marry me!!!!), but I found out that we were expecting a little baby and that I was pregnant!!!! I was so thrilled, but I could not tell anyone because I wanted Andy to be the 1st to know of this amazing news and he did not want to hear about it in a letter so i had to wait and not say anything... and for those of you who know me, you know that that is nearly an impossible task, be patient and quiet... so not me!

So I spent the next 2 weeks preparing for Andy's return home and how I would share the exciting news with him. The time went by (QUITE SLOWLY I MIGHT ADD!!) and the night when my dear friends, Heather & Paula got their calls from their husbands telling them that they had passed the final phase, I did not receive my call... I got my call the next day and sadly Andy told me that he had missed the 50% passing mark by one patrol. He would have to recycle and stay in Florida for another 6 weeks so he could do the phase again!!! The mood on the phone went from sad and disappointing to happy and joyous in a matter of 10 seconds when I decided that I had to tell Andy over the phone that I was pregnant!! I know that being pregnant was such a huge blessing for both of us at that specific time because Andy did not focus on the feeling that he had let me down and I did not focus on the fact that he would not be coming home to me for another 6 weeks. We were both focused on the JOYS of becoming parents and the miracle that was taking place!! It was a true blessing and such a beautiful conversation that I WILL NEVER FORGET!! We were both elated!!

Unfortunately, I ended up having a miscarriage a few days later. Even though I was only pregnant for about 7 weeks, it was one of the most difficult trials and struggles that I have ever had to face alone. Luckily I have such a strong testimony in my Savior and in His LOVE for me and Andy, that I was able to get through it and trust in God's plan for our family!! I also had incredible support from my amazing family and incredible friends!! I know that I was pregnant for a reason and I believe that part of it was to share that joy with Andy being hundreds of miles apart. Heavenly Father helped us get through the sad news of Andy Recycling, through the Amazing news that we felt to be pregnant. And even though we lost that little sweet spirit, we know that God is aware of us and the desires of our hearts!! Besides, it is a HUGE miracle that Andy recycled because if he had passed and was coming home, I would not have told him over the phone that I was pregnant. I was going to surprise him when I went to pick him, but by then I would have miscarried and would not have been able to share that joy with my amazing husband. Even if it was only for a few moments on the phone!!

So then I had 6 more weeks and a broken heart to mend. So I dove head first into my multiple scrapbooks, arts & crafts, and my many other projects to keep my mind busy and occupied!! That is what sparked my idea for starting Fancy & Fabulous Designs By Paige Archer!! I have always LOVED to be girly and to accessorize. (In fact, Fancy Nancy are my absolute FAVORITE children's books!!) I was also trying to think of something I could do while being a stay at home mom, that would allow me to continue being creative while raising our kids, and that is when I had the idea, why not start creating accessories for girls!!! :) (And literally, even if I never sold one thing from Fancy & Fabulous, I feel, this is such a huge blessing for me because it has kept me so busy and occupied and it saved me from being depressed!!!)

Luckily, when I miscarried I contacted Andy through the Red Cross and while he was waiting for the next phase to start (on February 13th) we were able to talk on the phone every night, even if it was for just a few minutes!!!! I JUST LOVED HEARING HIS VOICE EVERY DAY!!! (we did long distance for 9 1/2 months before we got married, so we know how to talk on the phone!!!! :)

Then when the phase started up again and Andy went back out into the field, where there would be no contact again, I flew home to be with my family for the remainder of the time!! The final 2 weeks!!!! I came home to find flowers by my bed and the most beautiful love letters from my hunk of a husband!!! HE IS SO GOOD TO ME!!!! The flowers and letters were just what I needed to get through these final weeks without him!!!

And now I am down to 1 week until Andy can call me and let me know the dreaded, scary, and yet exciting verdict of if he passed or failed. SO PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR HIM!!!!!!! We will know in a week!!! :) Until then everything is kinda of waiting on the verdict of whether Andy passes Ranger School!!! If he does pass Ranger School we will be moving to Germany on March 16th to be there in time for Andy's orders on March 26th!!!!!! We are so excited for this new adventure in our lives, but even more so we are so excited to just be reunited and to just be together!!!!!! :) I will keep you all posted!!!!! :)