We quickly moved to Jacksonville, NC where John was stationed in the Marine Corps and started our lives. This is the picture John sent me of the house he found for us! I couldn't help but laugh at the overgrown yard and the shutter propped up against the house. Thanks to his and his parents hard work, it was all fixed up by the time I moved up from Florida. We started out with absolutely nothing. John found a washer, dryer, and futon for $75 and we had a 12 inch television with a tape player that I borrowed from my mom and dad. Our futon was a couch by day, and a bed by night, but was a little lopsided. John and I would play Rock, Paper, Scissors every night to see who had to sleep on the sloped side of the futon, which meant the other person was practically sleeping on top of you all night long! Luckily, Johns Aunt and Uncle were remodeling their home, and were very generous in giving us their old furniture. ALL of it. We felt so blessed when that Uhaul pulled up! John wasn't home very often due to his training schedule in the Marine Corps, so I filled my time by going to the beach and searching for a job.
We had only been married for five months before John deployed to Iraq. I had moved in with a friend who was staying in Jacksonville so I wouldn't be alone during his deployment. The first two months were very difficult because I didn't get a phone call, letter, or email from John. They didn't even have showers, so I guess a phone was out of the realm of possibility. I remember the first phone call I got from John. He sounded exhausted, and said, "Babe, I'm so nasty, I don't even want to touch myself"! (not like that;) I was so furious at the conditions while they were deployed. No showers for two months, no contact with family, and a mild Cholera breakout among the battalion. But after that it leveled out. I heard from him almost every day and conditions had greatly improved. There was one particular conversation that will stand out in my mind because I heard gun fire in the background, and John said, "Oh F***", and the phone was disconnected! I thought I was going to die right then and there. No phone call the next day...(River City) had my stomach in knots. Luckily the next morning he was able to call, and I had never been happier to hear his voice!
John's homecoming was April 16th 2008. I was so nervous! We waited for hours for the buses to show up, and once they did someone lost a compass so we had to wait another hour. It was unbearable! But finally, they were released into our arms!
We were enjoying our married life. Just the two of us. Oh and our dog Suda! We bought our first house, a townhouse, and got pregnant on New Years Day 2009! John reenlisted in the Marine Corps, and had three years non-deployable so it was the ideal time for us to add to our family. It was just me John and Suda, and occasionally John's daughter, Kylieann, but our world would never be the same after Collin was born!
It is my personal belief that ten months is way too long to be pregnant! Although my pregnancy was pretty normal as far as sickness goes, I was ENORMOUS!! We would go out and people would ask me if I was having one or two babies! I wish! It seemed like such a waste of space! When I saw family, they would look at me and say, "oh hunny! I'm sorry!". I had a lot of fluid! I mean A LOT! A Tsunami of amniotic fluid! My poor bestie/sister in law got leaked on! I was in labor for 36 hours and ended up needing a C-section. Horrible experience to say the least! Traumatizing! But, as soon as they put Collin in my arms, my eyes welled with tears of joy! It was all worth it!
Now our lives are so filled with love! Love for each other and love for our baby boy! Collin was born October 4th, 2009 at 11:45 pm. We are so lucky to have a perfectly healthy baby who is a good eater and sleeper! He is almost 18 months old and I am in awe of how much he has grown and how amazing this love feels! I can never get enough of him! He keeps us busy! If he's not sleeping, he's on the run! He's such a little talker and so curious! He loves music! Any time a song comes on tv or the radio he does this little dance with his shoulders and claps his hands! It's the cutest thing I've ever seen. Every day is an adventure and a new lesson learned. For me and for him! Collin and daddy have such a cute relationship. When John gets home from work Collin lights up and runs right to him. John is such a great daddy and he honestly LOVES just spending time with his son. He can't wait to take him fishing, and coach his t-ball team! I can't wait to see that!!
We are getting ready for another deployment, this time to Afghanistan. None of us are looking forward to it, but we are looking forward to it being our LAST ONE!! We are very proud of the time John has had in the Marine Corps, but it's not as family friendly as we would like. We are looking forward to starting a new "civilian" chapter of our lives! Until then, John will be relying on his skills as a Marine, and a damn good one at that! I will be relying on my great family and friends! Thank goodness for my sister in law, my Mego, my Wifey! She keeps me sain! I LOVE all of my Dozier family! I'm so lucky to have married in to such a great, close family!
March and April are going to be very emotional months for everyone! March brings home our Dozier heroes! John returns home from a five week training in California, and Mark returns home from a seven month deployment to Afghanistan! April brings baby Macen into the world! I have ten bucks on April 3rd!! I can't wait to meet my nephew! April 7th is our FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! I'm so proud! I can't believe it's been four years already!! John leaves for Afghanistan with 2nd LAR at the end of April. I am dreading it with every cell in my body, but I am encouraged that this will be it. This is the last time we will ever be apart from eachother due to a combat deployment! I am so ready for THAT day! To breath easy knowing I don't have to say good-bye to him ever again!
I will use this blog to keep everyone posted on everything going on with us. Check in to the Daily Dozier for updates!!
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