Letters from Training

I have been doing some serious cleaning. All week I have been scrubbing our home from floor to ceiling. Even through my birthday this last week, I cleaned for the majority of the day. We decided not do to anything for our birthdays (on our actual day of birth) this year and instead do a camping trip later this month. Since the decision, there was no shame in doing hard labor on my birthday since my day of rest and being pampered would come soon enough.

The bedroom was the last room on my list of cleaning and as I was going through the clutter that is currently no more, I found our memory box and in it was sweet letters from Steve when he was in Basic Training at Fort Benning. Sitting there, losing motivation to continue cleaning, I was reading them and enjoying the memories it brought back. I was his fiance at the time and waiting for him to graduate and to be married to my soldier. I was working my last months at Taco Bell about to move to a new country (Germany) and become a Homemaker. I remember I could hardly hold my excitement in when thinking about what was to come just around the corner. Such wonderful memories.

Another wonder treasured item I got to see that has been awhile is my engagement ring. We were so young, in love, and broke but wanted to be as traditional as possible with what we were given. So a small, but beautiful, ring would have to do. That was on my finger for almost three years until we got married and got the bridal set I have on my finger now. I love my engagement ring and hold it dearly to my heart. I would still be wearing my engagement on my right hand but its now too small from a bit of weight gain over the years and have not been able to get it sized. 

My engagement on the left and bridal, that I put in there for the photo, on the right. Its now back where it belong; on my finger.

 And the awesome box you see? That was a wedding gift from my wonderful Mother-in-Law (Steve's Mom). Its our keep sake box that holds all our wonderful memories from when we were young including the letters from training and my beautiful engagement ring. I also found letters/notes in there that I kept from when we were courting in High school. Completely made my day.