Woah...

Wow- so much has been happening lately. Travis FINALLY came back from Infantry training and we've had so much fun these past three weeks. Before leaving Georgia we spent a day in Atlanta going to the Aquarium, Centennial park, out to dinner, did a lot of sight seeing (Olympic Torch, getting lost in the ghetto, Braves Stadium, Coca-Cola Factory) and had a great time!! We definitely need to go back sometime.
We came home  and that night stopped by at of my good friend's wedding, Vicky Alvarez now Mojano, right before they left! She looked beautiful and I'm glad we could rush over there.
After getting back to Harrisonburg we spent a lot of time unpacking and organizing, and getting ready for the semester. We spent 4 days in Williamsburg and went to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. We were at Busch Gardens when the earthquake happened and were praying they wouldn't call in the National Guard and shorten our vacation! Then the hurricane closed the beaches so we weren't able to spend a day at VA Beach as we had wanted. No matter what it was still an awesome time!
Our classes started last Monday and we've been stressed already. The biggest issue is getting up with our (my) alarm!! Every day we (I) seem to rush out the door and forget something. We've enjoyed getting back to our ward and our home. We've rented at least 20 red box movies since we've gotten back, made some fun meals together, finally got to eat at our favorite buffet- Aroma. This weekend we went tubing.
When I was younger my family would go tubing each summer. I found a place online, Shenandoah River Adventures, and made our reservation. It was a blast!! The river was so slow- like snail pace- but it was a fun thing to do together (Travis had never been). Next time we're looking for a place with more rapids! We got slightly sunburned but had a great time.
Now we're back to the grind. Travis is busy with ROTC and National Guard and School and I'm busy with all these pre-Nursing classes. Things are stressful right now but we enjoy every day together.
Overall things are going great. We could use more sleep and less homework but we couldn't be happier.
Here are some pictures of our recent happenings:

Turning Blue Ceremony:

 Graduation:

 In Atlanta:

 (Outside the aquarium)

 (Petting sharks and sting rays!!)

 (Centennial Park- made when the Olympics were in Atlanta)

 Atlanta Temple

 Thanks for checking in!!

23 days and counting

Hi all! Well all three of you who actually read my blog...

Things are going well for Travis and I. 23 more days until we are together again! I can hardly wait!! Lots has happened since I last posted so I'll fill you in!

Last weekend Travis was given a 36 hour pass from training. He was allowed to leave post and do anything except travel more than 50 miles, smoke, drink, or drive. Good thing two of those were not issues anyway.

My wonderful friend from high school, Jewelz, lives in Colombia, South Carolina. South Carolina is on the way to Georgia obviously, where Travis is, so I figured it would be a great opportunity to visit her.  It is a 6 hour drive from where I live right now but due to some horrible storms all the way down it took about 8 hours to get there. I got to her apartment Wednesday night and stayed with her until Friday early afternoon. Jewelz moved away from Northern Virginia 5 years ago and I have only seen her 2-3 times since then. She is still the same great person I remember and I enjoyed spending time with her. I had never been to Colombia so it was nice of her to drive me around, see a lot of the sights, talk about the past, and go out to eat. Thanks for a fun few days Jewelz- it was great to see you :)

After I left Jewelz I headed off on the the 5 hour trip to Ft. Benning, Ga. I arrived about 6:30 pm and was literally shaking when I walked into the hotel to check in; I was so excited I would be seeing Travis the next morning! I dropped my luggage all over the parking lot, dropped a pen right out of my hand at the front desk,  signed in with my old initials, listed a car I hadn't even driven there and basically made a fool of myself! After I had been settled in for a little while I got a phone call from Travis! The soldiers got their phones back that night in preparation for seeing their loved ones the next morning. It was so great to hear his voice. Usually the conversations are 5 minutes long and feel so rushed. This was a nice change. He stayed up super late texting me too. You don't realize how much those things mean to you until they're gone.
That evening I went out to Applebees with a couple other ladies who were in town for the pass. There was a DJ there trying to get himself known playing the music SO loud we had to scream to hear each other. You'd think we went to a club or something. It is so nice to have the support of other girls who have boyfriends/ fiances/ husbands in the same company as Travis and know exactly what it is like. I am so thankful that I have people like them, and of course my friends and family, to support me and be interested in what is going on daily at Ft. Benning.

I could not sleep for the life of me Friday night- I was way too excited!! I think I finally got about two hours of rest before getting up to meet with Travis. All the ladies who had stayed in my same hotel met in the lobby at 6 am and we caravaned to Sand Hill. I appreciate them- I never would have found it on my own. We had a "briefing" at 7 am which basically took 5 minutes and just reiterated what the soldiers couldn't do on the pass and when they needed to be back on Sunday. Then we had to wait in the REC center for 40 painstaking minutes until our soldiers were released. There is nothing more difficult than knowing that the man you haven't seen for 12 weeks is in the building right across the street and you can't see him for 40 more minutes! The conversation was minimal and people kept staring at their phones watch the minutes pass by. Finally people started jumping up from the couches in the lobby area where we were sitting and rushed towards the door. We walked outside in time to see all of A company marching together. I was to jitttery to even think to take a video or pictures of it!! They turned and faced away from us as their drill sargent talk-yelled at them. Then they were DISMISSED! Travis turned around and started looking around for me. It was so sweet, he was pushing out his chest to make his name badge more noticeable. He thought I wouldn't recognize him since he has lost so much weight since I'd last seen him. I had kept my eye on him- I could pick him out of any crowd- went up to him and without even saying anything hugged him so tight. It felt so good to be back in his arms. For those few seconds everything about the past few weeks disappeared, everyone around us vanished and it was just him and I together again at last.

The 36 hour pass turned out to be one of the best weekends of my life. We made sure to hit up lots of food places; Travis had hardly eaten in 12 weeks! He had a steak for lunch at O'Charleys... and a steak for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We swam in the pool at our hotel and drove around post and Columbus so he could show me  the places where he lived, went to school, and played when his family was stationed there. Yes- he was in the 2nd grade when he lived there and he remembered how to get all around town. The man has an incredible memory. We spent a lot of time talking about all the things that have gone on while we have been apart this summer too. We even went to Alabama- just minutes away from Ft. Benning, had our own celebration in honor of his finishing the first 9 weeks of training, ate at IHOP, went to wal-mart... obviously, and  mostly just enjoyed being together again. Things were even more perfect than I could have imagined. The weekend ended much too soon. The only positive thing about that is that it gets us closer to graduation and the day when Travis can come home for good.
Here are just a few pictures from the pass. Sorry- I didn't take any the first day.

It was so very sad to see him go again. Travis is my very best friend and the most wonderful husband in the world. He writes me the greatest letters and even though he isn't with me every day he still makes me feel so loved. I am so thankful for the sacrifices he is making for me and is willing to make for this country. We are very much looking forward to the day he can come home to stay and we can really start our lives together!

Sunday night Trav had to be back by 8 pm. Saying goodbye after being together for 36 straight hours was so hard. I thought it would be easier than the first time... but it wasn't. Travis is very nervous for his last few weeks of training. They will be very difficult physically and ask you to keep him in your prayers. I stuck around and watched his company divide up into their platoons for contraband search. After a while, when my brain finally registered that he wouldn't be coming back to the car, I got in and drove away. I wasn't very focused and got lost for 40 minutes on some reservation area of Ft. Benning. At last I made it back to the hotel. Just what I needed- my room smelled horribly of cigarette smoke. We had a non-smoking room but it must have been coming through the vents! The front desk was completely unhelpful so I had to suffer through that all night long.

In the morning I slept in, packed up my things (so sad) and checked out. I dropped a letter with a postman and started the 6 hour drive to Daytona Beach, Florida where my family spent the week at Grandma's house. The first 3 hours of the drive were in the middle of nowhere in Georgia! Seriously- so far away from civilization. Once in Florida it was a lot of fun and a pretty full house. We celebrated my brother's 18th birthday while we were there, went to the beach, ate at a few great restaurants, spent a fun day at Silver Springs, rocked out with my brother and Uncle on their drums and guitar and enjoyed being together. There are WAY too many pictures from that trip to shuffle through. I'll get those on facebook eventually. Here are a few to tide you over:

We had a great time together. Grandma loved having us there and I think I speak for us all when I say I hope we can make it back soon.

Javi and I drove back from Florida to Virginia on Saturday, his actual birthday. We made good time and would have gotten home two hours earlier if we hadn't gotten stopped in traffic. One time, in Virginia, was lame! It was just pointless construction traffic we sat in for about 30 minutes. While we were still in South Carolina, earlier in the day, there was a HUGE accident on I-95. They had to bring in a helicopter, completely stop traffic, and medivac someone out. It seemed to be a family on a trip because there were a ton on their belongings strewn out across the highway and the car was UPSIDE DOWN. It's scary. It could happen to anyone. In an instant that family's life was changed. It was quite an experience for us too. Since we were completely stopped on i-95 people turned off their cars and got out to stretch their legs. Really, people got out for a smoke break and were walking up and down the shoulders to catch a glimpse of what happened. We were scared out of our minds because when we got back in the car it wouldn't start. Both of us were silently praying the car would start since we were sitting in the middle of a lane on the interstate. After a few more tries it started with just moments to spare before traffic was able to get moving around the accident. I'm not a fan of car trips but this one was bearable. We made it home Saturday night. It feels good to be back.

If you read to the end of this post you really are a saint. Soon I'll post more about Travis's daily "activities." For now- he is doing very well. I am so proud of him. He is a few qualifications away from being a US Army Infantryman.
Gotta love my life :)

What we believe

Hey everyone! So, I passed my Summer statistics course by the skin of my teeth. Honestly, I think the professor passed me out of pity, so I'd be out of my misery and not have to endure that again! I think I'll have PTSD symptoms, when I think back to that class!!
Travis is still at training and  is doing pretty well. He says it is very tough there (not to mention blazing hot) but he is getting tougher too. Today they had a 4 hour pass in the morning which was very rare and most appreciated. Poor Travis sat online for 2 hours hoping I'd log into facebook so we could chat since every last pay phone on post was in use. He is such a great guy. How did I get so lucky?
This evening there was a festival in Ft. Benning which the OSUT soldiers were allowed to attend. It sounded like it would be a good time. Travis said he remembered going as a kid and enjoyed it. A plus- there is food there!! Sadly, they don't get Independence day off and have to train right through the holiday. I guess "freedom don't come free." This 4th of July I am especially thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in this country and support our troops 100%.
Travis and I will get to see each other on his 36 hour pass next weekend and we couldn't be more thrilled!! This week I'll head to South Carolina and visit my long-time friend, Jewelz, for a couple days before meeting up with Travis. Then after the weekend I'll drive down to Florida where my family will already have started their vacation in Daytona Beach at Grandma's house. Should be a great two weeks to come- I have a lot to look forward to!
I bet by now you're wondering why the title of this post is "What we believe"... Oh, you weren't wondering? Well... anyway.
I have added a "We Believe" box to the right side of our blog. It links to profiles of members of our church, including a profile I made for myself that includes my personal beliefs. Travis and I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In fact, it is because of our church that we were married, we met when we were 14 and got to know each other through attending church activities and Sunday School. We would love for you to find out more about what we believe through that site or by contacting us. During this tough time while Travis and I are apart we find the most comfort in the Gospel and we feel to thankful for all we have been blessed with. There is nothing more we'd like than for you to share in the happiness that the true Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to us. Please, take a look!!

232 PFC Mueller :)

I found this recent picture of Travis (232 PFC Mueller) on the Fort Benning photo website. I'm a member of a group on facebook made especially for those waiting for loved ones who are in training in the same company as Trav. It is really fun and helpful to see interactions between other people and see that I'm not the only one with questions. It helps to know that there are other wives out there who don't just feel bad or "know what it's like" from past experiences but who are experiencing this at the same time as me. We all discuss what we're told in letters and try to figure out our plans for the 36-hour pass next month and graduation. It's like I found a new group of friends I can relate to. I guess this is what they call the Army family.
Travis is doing really well. Although they only give them 4 minutes to eat he has gotten better at eating faster (what an accomplishment...) so he's eating more. Still, he's lost over 20 pounds. Makes me want to go on the Army diet almost... almost.
In his own words he's "been kicking butt this week." He got perfect on Advanced Marksmanship last week. Here is a large excerpt from his last letter:
"[Battle March and Shoot is] a competition between the platoons which consists of running an unknown distance carrying boxes of MREs, jugs of water, a stretcher with a drill sargent on it and pushing a truck the whole way. When we get to the end we have to shoot at a bunch of targets while controlling your breathing (or else your aim is way off). It was a 3/4 mile run and it was a competition too so my platoon freakin sprinted the whole time. While we ran, there were DSs who would hide in the woods and toss dud grenades at us (the first one scared the piss outta me). It's supposed to simulate like a situation where we have malfunctioning transportation and we have to run to a battle while dodging the enemy. Our platoon had the fastest time but like 5 guys' guns jammed so we lost and were pissed and exhausted. It was pretty darn intense so I thought it was pretty fun."
 "Thursday we had IEDs and mines... they also showed us how vehicles defend themselves from IEDs. Then we were taught how to use a claymore mine. Then we had to march, not walk, march 4 miles back to the barraks."
"Today (the 10th) we had rocket launchers and I did well (blowing stuff up is what I do best). It was the AT-4 if my dad asks. Tomorrow we are gonna shoot the M240 and M249 SAW. They are both BA machine guns so we are all pretty stoked about that."
"We are supposed to do the .50 cal (machine gun) and MK-19 (grenade launching machine gun) sometime soon too."
"Anyway, we had locker inspections today and we passed so we were pumped about that."
"I had CQ (change of quarters) from 8-9 so no fireguard tonite... "
"The DS was cleaning out their truck and gave my buddy and me a soda and granola bar. It was like liquid heaven."
"We have a 3.5 mile run (sprint) for PT tomorrow."

So, things are really rough but he is surviving. We both can't wait for this to be over but while it is lasting he is making the most of every day. I am very proud of how well he is doing. If you would like to send him a card or letter (no packages please. The drill sargents use every excuse to get the soldiers in trouble) here is his address:
 

232 PFC Mueller

Alpha Company, 2-19 Infantry

198^th Infantry Brigade

9050 Kinsman Drive

Fort Benning, GA 31905

Thanks for your support (and for reading all of this!).

Trucking along

Days keep passing and I'm finding ways to keep myself busy. I'm taking a Statistics class at the community college. I'm not a math person AT ALL so it is really rough. It's half done- I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Last month my mom and I spent a long weekend in Florida with my Grandma. She has no internet or TV because she doesn't stay at her house full time so he had a hack of a time entertaining ourselves. We went to walmart more times than I ever have in a weekend. We hit up restaurants, Rita's, rented movies, and drive up and down the beach. My grandma (and mom) like to throw bread to the birds as we drive along in hopes that they will fly behind us. It wasn't too successful this time.

 Cute little grandma in the back of the convertible- we prop her up with her hat and glasses and she doesn't complain.

 There was a FROG in my grandma's shower that my Uncle Robert carried outside to set free. EEK!

Look closely. The epitome of Florida: about a hundred pink flamingos in the front yard!

My younger brother, Javi got his Eagle Scout so he had a court of honor with two of his friends who had also recently gotten their Eagle. It was a lot of work for him (and mom!) to complete and everyone is proud of him for achieving this rank! It was a nice evening. My older brother, Jae, spoke. People are still talking about how great of a talk he gave. Of course there was a shattered picture frame, crazy kids, and cake dropped on someone's foot but would it really be a church event without that??!! We are all happy for Javi!! (And thankful to Jae for taking us to Artie's afterword!) 

Some exciting news: I'm officially a Mueller! My name is changed on all my legal documents to Susanna Mueller. It's different and taking some getting used to. I have the best husband I could have ever asked for. He may be away for a time but he still makes me so happy. I am very blessed (and lucky) to have gotten to marry Travis and I am thankful for him, every day. 

He is hanging in there at OSUT at Benning. He finished Red Phase of training and is in the next phase already. He is learning a lot but they don't ever take it easy on the guys. He has lost about 20 pounds already and is getting in such good physical shape. A lot of his buddies have gotten sent home for various reasons. Trav passed his shooting assessment, made it through the gas chamber, learned how to use grenades and lots of other manly things. I'm very proud of him and know he won't be anything but successful.

My home away from home... away from home

Lately I don't know what to call home. My parents's house, Travis's and my apartment, or Buena Vista, the place where I grew and really became "me."
On the way back from Abby's I stopped in "BV" for the night with my girl, Alyssa. (I don't give her enough credit for being the funniest person I know so here's the credit.)
It's weird to think that things will never be like they were when she, Abby, Becky and I lived together at SVU. We have thousands of memories and jokes that I hope never to forget. Living with them made life so great! The past 3 years have been awesome but I am looking forward to the great things each of us will do with our lives.
Alyssa and I rented a movie and hung out for the night. Of course we had to get some super unhealthy snacks to go along with our girl night! One thing I know for sure: Alyssa is the type of person who if we didn't talk for months or years (heaven forbid!) we would get together and still have the same type of great, funny relationship. Nothing bugs her and she rarely gets offended. I really could take a lesson from her! 

The picture doesn't do the spider justice. I could have sworn this was a mini-tarantula. It was about as big as my thumb!!!

Kentucky and Abby!

The other week I spent Thursday to Tuesday with the Baxter family in Kentucky. My very good friend, Abby, is leaving next month to serve a year and a half mission in Germany for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know she will be a great missionary; I've always thought so. I had such a fun time with Abby and her family.
Abby and I went kayaking- Well, we paddled for a minute and then sat there for a while. That was so fun to be out on the lake!! Another day we went to a Shaker Village where they have reenactments of what the Shaker people were like and did. It is similar to Williamsburg and was a pretty cool place. We got to see a sheep get shorn- now that doesn't happen every day in Northern Virginia! The founder of the Shakers, Ann Lee is mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants even! Saturday I was able to go to the Louiville Temple with Abby and her family- that was a great experience! We watched a few movies together, had Pad Thai, went to Brusters Ice Cream, at at Stake and Shake, watched her two younger sisters' soccer game, walked around Keeneland (a horse race place) and mostly enjoyed each others' company. 
Abby is a great person and I miss living with her. Since she came into my life she truly has influenced it for the better. 
Here are some pictures of our few days together: