Overhead and 4 10s

End of August in 2011 I started working for Liberty Mutual, Safeco Insurance.  Brandon left about 3 weeks after my first day.  Its crazy how life works, if I had been at my previous job when he got the call, honestly I would probably be on the road with him.  I didn't want to stay here for a $12 an hour job.  Of course life is not that easy, I got a new job weeks before he left, with a significant raise and many opportunities that is not so easy to walk away from.  I am very thankful to of found this job, It is really flexible with our life.  I get 112 hours of vacation time a year plus 30 hours of personal holiday time that can be used at any given time.  This has allowed me to have enough time to take a week for the wedding, a week for the honeymoon and a couple weekends here and there.  All the while, working 4 days a week! I've never had a job where I worked 4 days a week and I honestly LOVE it! I've always had it in my mind that I could take time whenever and go see Brandon.  Well I did the math the other day and I have enough vacation time for the things I have planned (wedding, honeymoon, two weekends and a few just in case days (sick, stuck in the snow, ect)) no time left for occasional visits to see Brandon :( I started to really freak out a week ago.  Our plan was I would go see Brandon in March and then I realized I didn't have time, what was I going to do, when would I see him again?!?!  Not knowing WHEN you will see your love again is really a terrible feeling.  Our only option would be to fly brandon home, Late friday nights and leave early Sundays for a lot of money and not much time spent together, literally hours together :(  I felt like I was going to break down, how in the world would I survive this next year??
Then Brandon got transferred to a new crew on Monday!! He is staying in the same yard, but working on a new crew.  He is working overhead construction now! This crew works 4 10's.  The answer to all our problems!!! He can fly home late Thursday night (cheaper flights) and leave Sunday, giving us much more time! This crew also works a lot of overtime when the storms hit nationwide and they work overtime locally as well.  This crew is working on the biggest project in their yard right now so there is a lot of work to be done and Brandon gets to do it.  He is very excited, this is what he has been wanting for years!

The wedding is really coming along well.  I got most of the things together for the invites this week.  That had really been weighing on my mind but I just didn't really know where to start, I feel good now that they are in the works (THANKS MONI!!)
We found an amazing new photographer who I absolutely adore! Rayla Kay Photography is so amazing and I am so happy she is our photographer for our wedding day! Here are a couple of my favorites!

I miss Brandon.  I have a great life here, I have such a wonderful group of friends that really make my life fantastic.  Every week I have something to look forward to, some get together with friends and that is so special.  I have such wonderful REAL friendships with so many people and I feel so lucky for that.  Everything is perfect, I finally have the friendships Brandon and I had wanted for a really long time.  It makes me sad that now that we have such great friendships in place, Brandon is not here.  That is hard.  I worry that when I do leave to be with Brandon, while we may be gone for a year +, I worry some of my friendships may fall apart or weaken.  I certainly do not want that.  I enjoy everything I have going on now and  I hope to have lifelong friendships.  I guess that is stuff I can't put too much worry into until the time comes.

"Never get to busy making a living that you forget to make a life"

"Family isn't always blood.  It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are.  The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what"