Long time...

No post.
I know it's been a while. Sorry to keep every one waiting. I'm doing really well, I have gotten to hear from Ben quite a few times. He started his 6th week today according to him. I have received many (okay, not many, but you know what I mean) letters since I last posted. Ben is an Element Leader in his flight. That means he is in charge of about 15 people out of their flight (group), and what they do wrong he can be accountable for right along with them. I got to talk to him yester day on the phone and have had the opportunity to a few times before that. He said this coming week they are going to "The Beast." I know, ominous right? It is their simulation of a deployment. BMT stands for basic military training. So last week he got gassed in a gas chamber. They have to go in and they set off a tear gas or something and then they are called forward one at a time. They then have to remove their mask and recite a phrase before they can leave. It commonly produces reactions such as vommiting, running noses, and head aches. So that sounds like fun. Ben said before he did it that he heard it produces more fluid from the nose than you could ever imagine. He didn't really go into any details about it yesterday, so I don't know how it affected him. Back to "The Beast" - they are "deployed" for the whole week. They will go on a bus to the location. They will then be camping the whole week and eating MRE's, so hopefully he'll at least be able to eat more now that he's not being rushed by the people in the mess hall. That would be a plus. He said that he is so hungry all the time. Poor baby. So they are camping and they will be in tents and such for the whole week. They will practice with their guns and all the equiptment they would have if they were in a war zone. Last week they got to qualify with their guns and do drills with shooting. So when he get's back from "The Beast" he will only have about two weeks left. YAY!!
It is amazing how quickly the weeks have gone by. Every day is torture, but when I think back to how far we've come it is amazing that their are less than 20 days left until I get to see my husband! Woo hoo! If anyone has any good tips on toning up fast let me know. I've been slacking off these past 4 weeks and just gotten really serious about getting toned. I know it just takes hard work and time, but if anyone wants to impart any wisdom on me feel free. Skdohm@yahoo.com
These next few weeks will probably go by quickly. The week before, which is the week after this coming week - holy crap- I am going home to CA to go to my sister's wedding (Ben's sister). Then the weekend after that I go to see Ben in San Antonio!
I have some shopping to do too. I bought some really cute shoes and some tops (shoes and one top shown below), but I need some more.

I need to create 4 outfits, and I don't really like to dig for clothes like at Marshall's. I like to go there and look, but I don't like to have to stay there for hours to find one good thing. I guess it's because I work with clothes and I know I can get them easier and with more luck. So give me some more help with that too. I got the shirt(s) at BCBG at the outlet mall, and the shoes I saw at Marshall's first, but they didn't have my size. So I went on a hunt on the internet for them. I ordered them, for $40 more, and never got them. The USPS person that delivers my mail apparently put the key the my parcel locker in someone else's mail locker. We have mail lockers like an apartment complex has. So they never turned up, even when a note was left by the Post Master in every one's mail box. So I got my refund from the first company, because they didn't have any more of my size left!!! Then I searched and searched again. I found a company that still had my size so I called to see if they would do a price match since their price was $50 more than the first company. The shoe brand that mine was part of doesn't participate in the price match, but when I told the lady what had happened and she felt bad and gave me a coupon code that made it so it was only about $5 more than the first time I purchased them. I got them on time from UPS on Wednesday.

Ben asked me to send him a picture of myself a while ago so I had some fun doing a self photo shoot with the timer on my camera! ha ha It was pretty hard to get a good, close enough shot to show what I looked like. He just wants to be able to look at a picture of me, since I've been telling him about how I look at his picture every day.
So here's a few of my favorites! Apparently I have no upper lip...

Missing You Girls!

Valerie, Me, Kim, Ashley
Congratulations to Kim! She's engaged and getting married in November! Yay! I can't wait!


Trine, Kim, Ashley, Valerie


Trine, Ashley, Valerie

Another

LETTER!!!
Yay! I got another letter today. Ben let me know that he loves me and misses me and that he can't wait to see me! I feel exactly the same! That's it, short and sweet! Talk to you soon!

I recognize that voice...

Well, last night I got to talk to Ben! He called me while he had 15 minutes of leisure time. It was so great to hear his voice. I didn't recognize the phone number, but I knew the area code was San Antonio, so I picked up. When I answered all he said was "Hey." I didn't say anything. I was just so excited and shocked that it was him. All I said back was "Hi." I just didn't want to make myself wake up from the best dream ever! Then we started talking and it was like he was just on his way home from work and I was waiting for him. It is amazing how wonderful a voice can make you feel! I was so glad to talk to him and hear his voice! Thanks for calling me on your leisure time babe!
We talked for about 10 minutes and he had to go. Some one was waiting for the phone and he had to go to the mailbox to drop me a letter. Then a few minutes later I got another call from a San Antonio area code. So I answered and it was him again! He had a few minutes left over and had a free phone. I was so grateful to talk to him and hear what's been going on. He is really not liking the boot camp thing, but I'm pretty sure he knows it'll get better soon. He can't wait to see me, and I can't wait to see him either! It's going to be so great to see him! He told me I need to hurry and get my military ID so I can go to church on base with him. He won't be able to sit by me, but at least I could see him and maybe talk to him! Wow! That would be awesome!
Well, that's my update for now! I'm still on cloud nine! Hopefully, knock on wood, I'll be able to talk to him every weekend! My phone is permenantly attached to my hip! Love you all! Thanks for the calls, emails, and prayers. Pray this week that Ben will get his fire job or be at peace with what Heavenly Father wants him to do! Thanks, and I love you all! Can't wait to talk to you all! I can't believe we're on week 3 now!

Finally!

I GOT A LETTER TODAY!!
Yay, I am so excited.
I have felt like such a bad person and so disappointed in myself the past few days. Most of you don't know that Ben was able to call me on Sunday. He snuck in with a group who had to call to get in touch with home. Sneaky guy! Anyway, he called and I was at church, in sacrament meeting. So I was a good girl and had my phone on vibrate. I had to move over to take the sacrament and so I was away from my bag. I didn't feel it vibrate. I noticed about 20 mninutes later that I had two missed calles and a voice mail! I ran out and listened to it. It was BEN! He sounded a little disappointed that I didn't answer. I got so upset at myself I had to call my mom to help me calm down. Then Ben's dad called me becasue he felt like he needed to. It was just a horrible day. In his voice mail he said that they had to earn the privledge to make phone calls and even to write/read letters.
Anyway, today I got my first letter from Ben! It was written on 9/26 and mailed on 9/28.
He is fine. He closed the letter by writing:
"Time is up for writing letters.
My TI is screaming"
I am hoping to talk to him soon!
Thanks for reading!

Happy Birthday Airman Basic Benjamin Dohm!

(Note: I did write this on Thursday, September 24th, but somehow just saved it instead of posting it!)
Even though you're not here I am celebrating you today!!
28 years ago you were born! What a wonderful day that was! I'm sure I was there cheering you on, letting you know I'd be there soon to find you! And that I did. I found you and "made" you love me in high school. It is amazing that we fell in love, and so young! I wrote to you your whole mission! I waited for you to come home and I loved being around you, even when we weren't "boyfriend/girlfriend" the whole time. I missed you when you moved to Louisiana, and I even came to visit you twice out there. Then finally somehow I managed to "make" you come back to me! :0}
I love you so much! I could go on and on about how much I love you. There are so many things about you that are wonderful! I am so blessed to have you in my life. I am so blessed to have you love me. I am so blessed to be your wife! I love you so much! I miss you so much while you'e gone! There isn't a day or minute when you don't cross my mind! I can't believe you're not here with me! I can't wait to see you in November! You are my life and my future! I love you every breath I take! You are with me every minute!
Be safe and I hope you don't get yelled at too much! I know how hard you worked to be able to accomplish your goals! Thank you for your example! You are amazing!
I love you! Happy birthday from your wife!

Missing you, but glad to have new updates...

Look how cute you are when you let me take pictures of you close up!


Again with the funny stuff. I miss your face!


This is the chapel Ben goes to on Sundays. By the way...this and the following two pictures are from the couple on the base who are serving a service mission there. They took pictures of him and some other members there at the time. Ben gave them my email and they sent them. What a welcome surprise that was! As soon as the email they sent said "pictures" I was already crying! I was so EXCITEED!


This is the bridge that runs from one side of the base over the road to the other side of the base.


This is the group of five guys in their basic trainings. I don't know any of their names or how far they are into it. Ben is in the bottom left corner. He's so cute. His uniform looks huge on him, but I like it! He's so adorable! I love him so much, and I write at least a little to him each day. I don't mail it every day, but I try not to wait too long. Just a couple days and I mail it. I write little letters every day to tell him what I've done each day, like a journal entry. Then throughout the day I try to write more notes on my breaks etc. Click for a larger view!
Thanks for reading! I love you all! I hope you enjoy the updates as they come. I know I will! Stay safe and do well in all you do!