Piper!!

Wow it doesn't feel like my last blog post was just 6 days ago.  It is like night and day difference from the place I was emotionally less than a week ago and where I am now.
I was in a really rough spot for the last few weeks, which is crazy because this should be the happiest times of my life, I just got MARRIED! On one hand I feel really guilty for not being stronger, however on the other hand, feeling really low makes me realize I AM human.  Sometimes life gives you reality checks so you are reminded to wake up and figure some things out.

I felt really stuck, I hate clutter and that was the only option in Thor.  We used EVERY spot we could for storage, our bathroom, tub, sinks, table and seats all had stuff on them.  I prepared dinner outside on the picnic table and we ate on the picnic table. Earlier this week we were running errands until really late at night, we didnt get to eat until about 9:30 so we ate in the dark outside because we had no other options.  Its nice to eat outside but not when its your only option.  I didnt realize how hard and frustrating it would be not having the basic luxuries of every day life like running water and counter space to prepare meals on.

Brandon and I talked and we had originally wanted to upgrade to a new fifth wheel in Oct/Nov but we decided that it was not worth the wait, if we found one we loved we needed to upgrade sooner rather than later, our day to day quality of life needed an improvement.  So with that said Brandon and I set out and went shopping.  We decided to buy new for a few reasons.  The biggest reason was for the size of fifth wheel we were wanting, they were going for the same price or more used on craigslist than NEW!  Second, this is going to be our HOME for the next few years.  We are going to have a baby in this fifth wheel and we wanted it to be OURS.  We didn't want to have to worry about the pipes, appliances or what not with a used one...and not to mention other people living in a very small space doing who knows what before us... that we would be living in after them.... yeah we wanted it to be ours!  I swear we probably looked at over 50 fifth wheels in a two day period.  We went to 4 RV dealers, which meant 4 sales guys and their pitches...It was funny as first but quickly got draining.  We had been looking at Forest River Sandpiper fifth-wheels online and we really liked them.  They had a lot of the features we wanted for a fraction of the cost.  We could not find a Sandpiper dealer to save our life though!! We finally found one about an hour outside of Salt Lake so we headed down to go "look" to see if we liked the quality of the unit.

We got there and looked at a 2013 Sandpiper 346RET and really liked it a lot.  We went back and forth with them 3 times on the price and they finally came down to the price we wanted.  HOLY SHIT we just bought a fifth wheel! We went home to spend our last night in Thor, then we tried to pack as best we could to get it ready to transfer into Piper.  We went and picked up Piper and they walked through EVERYTHING with us, which was really nice because there is so much to know about these dang things.  Then the fun part of transferring all our stuff.  It took us almost 3 hours (in 90+ degree weather, by the way)  to get everything out of Thor and into Piper, we were dead on our feet by the end of the day.  It had been such a crazy few days we didnt even realize until we signed the papers on Piper that it was 8/28/12.....1 month of marriage!! It was really cool to have our first night in Piper be on our month anniversary.  We went to go tell the RV park we needed to upgrade cause we bought a new fifth wheel.  The lady at the desk goes "oh I am all booked up until Sept 4th"...Apparently Salt Lake City is popular for Labor day..shoot, didnt think that one through!  She put us in a 40 ft spot, our trailer is almost 39 ft so we dont really fit but we're making it work and its cheaper rent than the 70ft spaces so we are not complaining :)

I have been unpacking for the last two days and I am very excited to say we are ALL moved in!! It is so funny because this is the first home Brandon and I have ever moved into together! He already lived in our house back home when I met him so we never got to do the "lets decorate together" thing.  I gotta say its pretty funny and I'm happy we're already married so he cant leave me :)  When I shop for things I like to KNOW I'm getting the best deal so even if I see something I want at one store I have to make sure its not cheaper somewhere else before I buy it.  This causes me to go to the same store 2, sometimes 3 times in one day.  Normally this is fine when its just me but when I'm dragging Brandon around, its not as fun for me OR him! We've agreed on pretty much everything so far except dinner plates.  He wants these REALLY ugly ones from Walmart, I wont give in so we still dont have plates.  I'll probably just find some while he is at work one day :)
I am so excited to show you all our new home!!

Getting ready to Tow Thor for the last time!

Transferring our stuff....took so long!

Yay!! Ready to go home now!

Our cozy living room 

Brandon's only concern was getting recliners...bonus they rock too!

Couch/ fold out guest bed :)

Dining room table

My beautiful kitchen, I have SO much storage space!! Costco time!

Kitchen

My kitchen sink AND RUNNING WATER!!! :)

Coffee maker!

Hallway to the bedroom and bathroom

Bathroom

Shower

Potty

Bedroom, king size bed....Now Brandon doesn't have to lay diagonal!!! :)

Closet! Bonus, I'm so short its a walk in closet for me, haha :)

Dresser! I can actually find my clothes again! 

Remote to get Piper all set up when we move :)

Thanks for reading, cant wait to post pics after I have time to decorate!! :)

I thought I would see MORE of him....???

So I had this crazy idea of how life on the road was going to be.  It was going to be this super fun environment where I got to decorate our new home on wheels and make dinner for my husband every night.  He would come home from work and we'd talk about his day and then every weekend would be a super fun adventure.  Well I have no idea what world I was living in or where I got those crazy ideas because it has been nothing like that so far.
One of my good line wife friends told me there would be an adjustment period.  You will go from having things to do in your life, your passions, your job, your friends, ect to having nothing that is yours.  These 3-4 years are for our guys, we are there for them, to support them in EVERYTHING they do.  Their job and them are number one.  When they are done, it will be our time to be a priority.  She couldn't of been more right.  This is the hardest transition period ever and I'm ready for it to be over.
I need to find a purpose to my days.  I need to have a reason to get up in the morning and have something to do each day. I realized I HAVE to do my hair and make up every day.  Even if its just to sit in the trailer until Brandon comes home, at least it makes me feel better.  I've looked into classes at gyms but I don't want to get a membership because word through the grapevine says we wont be here for long...I think I would really like to start another 8 week challenge, it would be good for me mentally and physically!!
To make matters worse we are living in Thor (our travel trailer) which is fine.  Its a roof over our head and a place that is ours.  We dont owe anything on it which is nice.  The problem is we have no running water, the pipes are cracked so we cant run water in them.  Its frustrating to not have my own bathroom or be able to wash dishes after dinner in the sink.  We have no storage, I have about 3 outfits I wear now because I can't find anything else... and I just feel really cramped.  Its been 3 weeks and I am ready for some space.  I want to have ROOMS instead of "here is our kitchen/diningroom/bedroom"  If it were up to Brandon he would have upgraded us 3 weeks ago, he wants me comfortable and he wants me to love our home.  I'm the one putting it off.  I just want to pay off a couple bills so if / when a layoff comes we are still able to live comfortable.  By my calculations we should be able to upgrade to a new 5th wheel in 5-6 weeks or so, knowing that is making my days a bit easier.

I just miss Brandon.  He has been working 6 days a week or like last weekend, he had class saturday  and sunday. He comes home from work and showers and eats.  If I'm lucky we get an hour of face to face time with each other but usually its a half hour before he is passed out cause he is so exhausted. People have asked how married life is and how baby making is coming along and my answer to both is: I don't know, I haven't seen my husband!  I just need time with him and it sounds like we are going to get it this weekend.  Saturday we are going to go 5th wheel shopping so we can see what other options are out there, decide what floor plan we like and go from there.  Then Saturday evening we are going to go to a rodeo, I am so excited!! Its going to be so fun!!

Hopefully things will pick up from here and it will get easier, I'll keep you all in the loop :)

Sorry for my debbie downer post but some days are harder than others...Thanks for hanging with me!

Mr. and Mrs. Underdown!!

What a whirlwind of emotions I've gone through in the past 4 weeks, I'll try to sum it up best I can....

The weekend before our wedding, July 21st Brandon had his lineman rodeo in Great Falls, MT.  He had been to one in Utah already but I hadn't been so I was very excited to watch him compete.  Our friends Shannon and Tyson came with which was a very fun unexpected surprise :)  Brandon flew into Bozeman, MT which turned what would had been a 5 hour drive into about a 9 hour drive!! We got to the airport and we were an hour early because I can't do math...Shannon and Tyson were troopers though!! Friday night we went to the rodeo and Brandon got signed in, there was a fish fry, drinks and karaoke :) ( no I did not sing!).  It was really fun, I got to meet a lot of brandon's friends and people he went to class with so that was really cool! Its fun to meet other people in the trade, especially their wives and girlfriends :) Brandon did great in all of his events, but he won first place in the hurt man rescue event, completing it in a whole 65 seconds!! I am so proud of him!!!

After the rodeo Teresa road back with us to Idaho for a week full of wedding fun before the big day.  It certainly was a interesting week and did not go as I had envisioned my whole life.  I always wanted to have a longer engagement so I wouldn't be that "stressed out bride"  well I did not accomplish that task, I was the epitomy of stressed out bride.  I let a lot of things get to me, built things up in my head and made them much bigger deals than they needed to be.  I am really sad about this and wish I would have been a stronger person.

The week of the wedding, Monday or Tuesday I believe, we received the worst news possible.  Two guys on Brandon's crew were severely injured in an accident at work.  His journeyman and groundman were injured and we did not know if they were going to make it.  I will never forget the feeling I got in the most bottom part of my stomach when I read that text.  I felt like someone had hit me in the stomach over and over again.  I cried for hours.  I cried for Wendle and Lyle and Brandon, as well as myself.  I knew that if Brandon had not been home for our wedding I would have been flying down to the burn center in Salt Lake City to see him.  Brandon has always told me that he knew throughout his career he would go to the burn center many times and attend a few funerals of good friends, this is a very very dangerous job.  I know that, I just didn't think it would happen in the first year of his career and I certainly didn't think it would be so close to home.  I am trying to stay strong and not worry.  I haven't been able to sleep all the way through the night these last few nights because I know he is going to work the next day.  Every time I hear an ambulance my heart stops, I hope this goes away with time.
Today as far as we know Wendle and Lyle are going to survive, however their injuries are severe.  Wendle has had both legs amputated and Lyle has lost one leg above the knee.  Please pray for these two gentlemen and their families, their lives have been forever changed.

During the week of the wedding I also realized I was leaving after the wedding...for good.   Not for 3 weeks or a month, for the duration of Brandons apprenticeship.  I knew this was coming and it was my decision but it doesn't make the reality any easier.  I have the most amazing friendships with the best guys and gals in the world.  My friendships grow deeper with all my friends each time I hang out with them and each time I leave thinking "how did I get so lucky to have so many GOOD friends".  Its hard to leave that, its hard to think I can pause all those friendships and come back in 3 years and they will still be there.  I just have to have faith....

Our wedding day was by far the best day of my life!! Everything was absolutely perfect! The only thing I wish I could change is I wish the day was even longer, I never wanted to it end!! We are so lucky to have such amazing friends and family in our life, people came from all over the country to attend our wedding and celebrate us!!! It feels so great to have so much support, I can't even put in to words how special we feel!

After the wedding we got to spend a very fun week with our family from the east coast.  We go to do everything that north idaho has to offer and it was one of the funnest weeks of my life! I made so many memories and everyone welcomed Brandon into the family like he has been around for years! THANK YOU!!

Now we are on the road....we started out getting sent to Tooele, UT, about 30 minutes away from Salt Lake City.  We were there for 2 days (which felt like 2 weeks cause of the Villa Motel!!) Thank goodness we ran into Brandons friend Chance and he let me hang out in his trailer during the day so I didn't have to stay at The Villa! Tuesday night we made a long 5.5 hour drive to Blanding so Brandon could work Wednesday morning.  We will be here until Friday and then it sounds like we will be moving on to Ogden, UT.  Ogden seems pretty nice, its about 30 miles outside of Salt Lake so I am sure there will be a lot more to do than in Blanding...I am excited about grocery shopping and hopefully cheaper options than Clarks Market in Blanding!!

I know this was a long one but thanks for reading, I'll post more as our adventure continues!!

"We're right where we need to be, not knowing where we are going"