Break Stuff...

It seems like when one thing goes, everything goes around our house. Our refrigerator has been leaking water from the freezer down through the refrigerator and ruining produce (and leftovers) for a couple of weeks, and try as we might to get it fixed ourselves (or hope it had stopped and now be aware that it hasn't) we have finally called maintenance. At the same time I placed that order for a fix up, I had to schedule a light bulb replacement appointment because a bunch of our bulbs have decided to simultaneously go out. Lovely. And to top it all off, we had a goodbye dinner for some of Erik's single friends who could not go home to see their families before the big D. Well, at said dinner the boys decided to have a few drinks and one friends incessant need to "plop" down harshly onto my couch appears to either have broken or loosened a support in the back of my couch and now I can see the end of it poking the fabric from the inside out and feel the lack of stability on the far end. Gah!
On top of all that, I am trying to get myself ready to really hit the books when Erik goes but all I keep thinking about is money and how to save some more of it. He wants his phone shut off while he's gone, but I don't know how much money, if any, that it would truly save us, or even if it would save us any since we're on a family plan, not to mention the selfish part of me wants it left on so that those times when I miss him I can call to hear his voice on the voicemail. (Silly, I know, but at least it's something!) Additionally, we're considering switching car insurance to USAA because we've have people tell us how much cheaper their insurance is now with them and though I love cheaper, I just battled it out on the phone with out current insurance company to get out things straightened out because we're military and they wanted us to switch agents every time that we move (not happening) and so I'll feel a little like a jerk if I pull the rug from under their feet now and bail on them.
Then there is the constant battle within myself to decipher what my husband truly wants. He wants money saved while he is gone, yet we has a list of things he wants while we are gone. The list of wants is as follows:

• A desktop computer for hubby
• A cheap truck/suv/car (preferably not the latter)
• A laptop for myself
• Paint for the house
• Patio furniture & a fire pit
• Clothes

That list may seem short, but its big-ticket items. I'm primarily focusing on the 2nd vehicle and the cheaper things. The desktop computer and laptop are nice ideas, but we don't -need- them. Not too mention, I have to get a passport in case something were to happen and I want there to be savings when he comes home. I've already figured that most likely the bills, especially food & gas, will be cheaper for us for a while. The fact that I don't eat pizza very often will cut out the 2-4 pizza orders a month, not to mention I'll be ordering half (or less) of the usual order. I know he won't go crazy spending either, mostly because I don't think he'll have the opportunity, but at the same time I want him to know he can get something if he wants it.

In addition to everything, I've heard the same advice from everyone concerning passing the time: Fill your schedule and countdown to closer, smaller events to make time fly. I think the first two weeks will be the hardest and our anniversary will follow then perhaps the ball will start rolling and I'll begin to toughen up. April brings our 2nd anniversary, my trip to Atlantic City, May brings possibilities for either a visit from my sister or a drive to Tennessee, June will be a baby shower and I hope to fill the remainder with classes at ACS, July will bring my birthday and the second baby shower, August brings the birth of a friend's child, September another birth, October the cruise wedding as well as Fluffeh's wedding and the rest remains a mystery thus far. At some point, R&R will come and go, then finally when its all over he'll be home again. Time has flown by so far, and I pray it continues to.

<3s
Fae