BASIC TRAINING GRADUATION!!

Last Tuesday my parents, my little brother and I headed on a 21 hour road trip to Lawton Oklahoma to see Brandt graduate from Basic Training. For those of you that have not traveled I-70, 191 or the I-40 THERE IS NOTHING THERE!!!! Most boring hours of my life... Trying to stay composed from the excitement and nerves from seeing my husband to trying to stay awake from the night sky and no one around was seriously the hardest thing ever! Getting to Oklahoma was a big relief. I think they want to make you unsettled by making you drive right next to the base for the last 10 miles and knowing your husband is just on the other side of the fence is NOT fun! It is torture! We got in to Oklahoma around noon on Wednesday. We weren't able to see him until the next morning. Tire and exhausted we decided to stay in and relax! BEST IDEA EVER!!!!

Thursday we got up around nine and got ready and head down to what they call Family Day. It is the day before Graduation. They do  few skits for you and show you what they have been up to for the last three months. This is who I ran into!

There he is right in the middle! He was so hansom. More so than I remembered! I was so happy to see him after three months of only looking at pictures! I was so relieved! He was going to be participating in the skit about shooting combat. He was awesome! First thing he said was "Babe did you see me tackle that guy!!" He had fun. After skits he had to go change out of his full combat gear into his class B uniform. Then we got to take pictures and meet everyone! It was so much fun to meet his battle buddies and even the missionaries who helped him through Basic Training. Here are some of those pictures!

This is brother and sister Larkin! They are from Logan! They were awesome in helping Brandt when he needed a little encouragement and to help the others who went with Brandt to church understand the gospel! It is amazing how much going into the military is like serving a mission! I never would have thought that this would be how I served my mission but I am ready to do the work! 

On Thursday we went out to lunch after we left the base. We took Brandt to Golden Corral we figured it would be a good place where he could get ANYTHING he wanted. He did just that after eating chicken, pizza more chicken and pizza oh and three mountain dews, he was done for the moment. We went back to the hotel and went swimming and then just rested. (something he had not done in 3 months) was get time to just lay down and watch a movie and rest. :) It was perfect to just be with him again! It is weird how whole you feel when you are together again after being apart. It was like we had never been apart! We took him to Taco bell (at his request) for dinner Where he could get more mountain dew but this time it was two large Baja blast Mountain Dew. Steak casadilla (forgive my spelling Spellcheck is not my friend) and two taco's. We headed back to the base to take him to the barracks for the evening. On our way all he could say was how bad his stomach hurt from all the food he ate. Go figure after not getting that kind of food for months! :)

The next day was Graduation! I was so excited to see him graduate! I couldn't wait to see him in his class A uniform! He graduated with honors with the Marksmanship honor award! (something we have kept in the family, My dad won this and my brother in law won it as well) 

The program with his award announcement in it! I was so proud of him! It was so fun to see him graduate and have so much pride doing so! We got to meet up with our soldier outside after graduation and I got to meet some of the awesome guys who are going to be with us at warrant officer training and flight school training as well. 

The last picture is of the guys going to warrant officer and flight training (minus 1) together and the one dad who was a retired warrant officer helicopter pilot.. So the Incoming and outgoing as they called it! IT was so fun to see Brandt with his friends he made.
After all was said and done at graduation we went back to just hang out and relax a bit. we went shopping for a while and then just laid poolside to relax and enjoy each others company. At the end of the day it was a bitter sweet goodbye! We had been together for only two days but it felt like forever and then we were being ripped apart again.. The plus side is I have gotten through the 10 week portion now I only have 7 weeks until I am with him again for good. :) (until the next training or deployment but you catch my drift)
That night at 1am he got on a bus and was on his way to the airport in which he was to be heading to Fort Rucker Alabama! This will be our new home for the next two years. He got there safe and sound and before I had even eaten breakfast still in Oklahoma!
I have been talking to him about Alabama and he says it is gorgeous and the weather although it is humid is perfect! Anything beats the 109 Degree 90% humidity we had in Oklahoma! I am so excited for this part of our lives to start I can hardly contain myself! School is in the week of finals already! I am seriously trying to buckle down for it and get through it. I will be starting to work at the Bountiful sport clips again for the month of august to keep myself busy. Brandt will Graduate Warrant Officer school or WOCS on September 13th then he will head back here to help me get our things packed and ready to move to the SOUTH!!! We will stay in town for a few days to try and see everyone and say goodbye to the ones we love. It will be hard cause we have 10 starting the 14th to get back to Alabama.  We are so excited for this part of our lives to begin the excitement it overwhelming! But, We are so thankful and blessed to have great friends and family that support us! Thanks y'all! We love you so much!
The DaNiElS!

Pure EXCITEMENT!!!!

      Okay so as of right not I only have 16 days, 19 hrs, 39 minutes, 40 seconds... Until  10:00am on July 18th (family day) When I get to see Brandt again!!!! Words cannot even express how excited I am to see him! I keep thinking to myself that this last two months of having him being gone may have been hard but, nothing will more worth it then when we are reunited even if it is only for two days!! I will take what I can get.. The idea of seeing him again is so overwhelming I keep thinking to myself, "Make sure you are wearing water-proof Mascara cause your gonna need it" And of course I keep FORGETTING to pick it up!
      I have however, got my outfits for graduation! I am excited for that... I just got my phone call in the middle of writing this post! :) I love hearing his voice! Today he said that he was tired and having a hard time with some kids in his battery. I hope that he gets through it okay! I know it can't be when others are holding the whole group back. oh well. I hope taht someday I can understand what he is going though at this time and that he can understand how it is for me too. That would really help us to both grow if we knew how it was for the other. I know he cares even when it takes him a few weeks to get me a letter. I love him and love to hear from him!
      Here back home things are crazy!!! School is taking over my life.. And not in a good way! I don't mean it is consuming my life due to being busy with it. I mean I am not doing well in school and it is freaking me out for real!!! I love being in school but it is really kicking my butt.. I have a really hard time with math and English is killing me with all the sections we're going over and then all the papers I am having to write. I can't wait to  have the semester be over! (5 weeks)  Then it is time to PACK!!! I can't believe it is coming so soon!!! It scares me to think about moving more just the packing all my stuff on my own! :) I know i have done that before cause our pact is I pack the house he loads and unloads then I unpack. To keep him from having to pack things. so it wont be too bad but just the fact that he is not here to help when I know I will need it.
       Best thing is I will have my husband in SEPTEMBER!!! I can't wait to be with my husband! Have it just be our little family! YAY!!!!! I was so happy he told me he is getting 5 days of leave between boot camp and  officer school, however, we decided to move it to September so we have more time here in Utah to say goodbye. This will make it a lot easier to have the time with our family! Seeing as there are A LOT of you here and instead of just saying good bye to one side cause one of us is leaving we will now have to say goodbye to both sides of our family! So here is to Barbecue's in September hope you all will be there. I wont have dates for a few months but I will let you know as soon as I can! Thank you for all your support!
Here is a view of what our home could be when we get to ALABAMA!! We are so excited!
http://www.circlepix.com/tour/Nitro/loadingPage.htm?tourId=930652

Shauntel

SO BLESSED TODAY

Today I got another phone call. He really likes to call while I am in primary teaching :) But, I will take it. My partner for my class is fabulous and understands exactly why I leave to take the phone calls! I was so happy to hear his voice and hear how he is doing! First off, I need to brag for a bit! Last week he told me he was made Assistant Platoon guide, was one of two that scored 100% on their red phase exit test, is in charge of the fire guard (where people take hour long shifts to make sure no one runs) schedule, and then he told me he won first place in shooting! He was so excited! It is so good to hear this side of him!
This week I got two letters! I got one Monday and another on Wednesday! It was so nice to go through his letters and hear how he is doing. He was given a calling at church! He is the Priesthood Blesser. Which means exactly how it sounds. He gives blessing to those in need! He said it has helped him so much to grow stronger to our heavenly father! It is incredible to see him grow up even though I can't be there with him.  I am excited to tell you that today I got a message from another wife saying thank you. Brandt has been such an example to her husband that he is going to church with Brandt and he talks frequently about how much he likes Brandt. :) My heart melted! I have spent all day (after church) talking to other wives and trying to set aside a night when we all get into town for graduation to go to dinner and meet each other since we have been each other support. I am so excited!
I just need to take a moment and say that even though I STRUGGLE with Brandt being gone, I am so blessed and insanely PROUD of my husband! One of his letters said to me that I am the strong one for being a Firemen's Wife and an Army Wife. But, here is the deal! I love my husband more than anything! I know that he is the patriarch in my home and I wouldn't care if he were a sewer cleaner! I would shout it at the top of my lungs that I am a proud supporter of the one I love no matter what their profession! I know that some people think it would be hard to be a firemen's wife or an Army wife but I honestly think it would be hard to not be! This is my life and I embrace it with all my being! 

To my family (both sides Even Extended) and friends I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate the support and love you have shown me with Brandt being gone! I have had so much anxiety these last few days about moving away from all of you but, I know that this is the life that Brandt and I have had in our plans even before we knew it! It will be hard to be away from you and I hope and pray that you all know of our love for you if we don't get to see you before me move! I love all of you and am so blessed to have you all in my life! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! 

Sincerly, the Daniels

Alone. So alone........

     Sorry but, This is going to be a sad sappy post. I just need somewhere to talk to.. Today has been quite a hard one. The thing that makes no sense is that there is nothing that has made me feel this way on purpose. I have just feel like crying every minute today. As I sit here waiting hoping that I might just get one phone call or text or email or anything I realize that no one is calling or texting. Why did I seriously want to be left alone after Brandt left? Now that I am completely alone I feel like I have no one. The dumbest part is my family is so close! I know I love them I just don't have the energy to keep going to Salt Lake to see everyone. It would just be nice to have someone to talk to other than my dog. ha ha ha ha I sound so ridiculous!
     I know that I have tons of friends and family I just am not in the same part of life at all with any of them. All my friends are new moms, have been moms. Family is all so busy and trying to get on with their lives. I just feel like here I am husband less, no kids to occupy my time or give me something in common with my friends, waiting for school to really pick up so I can stop being so self loathing! Today I miss Brandt more than words can say! He is the one I go to when I can't go to anyone else. He is the one I say goodnight to every night, say my prayers with, eat dinner with I do everything with him and right now I do everything Alone. Sounds fun right? Maybe someday I will get used to the idea of being alone but I am not ready for that day!
     I am speaking on Sunday in church and all I can think of is how I wont have my husband there by my side to take up the extra time that there most definitely will be after I speak since my anxiety gets out of control and I ramble for a maximum of five minutes. I am so nervous and scared that my talk will not appeal to anyone. The worst part is that I wont have anyone to come home with to laugh about how fast I talked or mumbled over my words. I know I have a great ward but nothing makes up for the absence of your eternal companion. I really want to go to the temple but it is hard to go and know I don't have my husband sitting across the room from me , checking on me to make sure I am awake and wink at me.
      Like I said I am so sorry if you read this and all your thinking is wow she is nothing but whining. but really I feel like I have no one I can just vent to that will even understand me or just listen and actually care what I am feeling. Please do no be offended by this i just really needed to share how I was feeling tonight. I am going to go take something to hopefully help me sleep since I dread going to bed every night for the fact of sleeping alone. Have a good night and again I am sorry for seeming melodramatic.
Good Night , Here are today's pictures.

 Playing with rope

 on left

walking the board.
Shauntel Daniels

And He's Gone..

Well.... Thank you to all of those who came out to support about Brandt! I was so thrilled to see everyone who came out to show him how much they support him! Now that he is gone it has been a little crazy! Life unfortunately Doesn't wait for anyone! I feel like I had so much to do! I have been fixing cars, paying off bills, getting ready for school. Man, I wish life just gives you a little bit of a break cause right now that would be nice!
   Since he has left I have gotten a grand total of 8 phone calls which have now decreased to once every three weeks. He is doing great! He is now officially in Basic Training. I will attach some photos so you can see what he is up to. There is a captain who is going on to a Facebook page every night posting about the day they had with the soldiers and pictures sometimes as well. If you would like to "like" the page here is the URL
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Echo-Battery-1-79-FA-Basic-Combat-Training/177742102252327
Check it out! It is pretty cool! I have absolutely loved being able to see him or hear about him since I wont be hearing from him for a while!
    Here are some pictures of him in Basic

If you couldn't tell he is number 34.
    I just wanted to make sure I said THANK YOU to all of you who have been there for me! I am so happy that I have such good friends and family! I know I am having a really hard time and am a stickler about hanging out and can be a huge flake. I am sorry I am really trying to get used to not having Brandt home. I am getting there. I like to be home and in my comfort zone but I know that I need to get out as well. So I just want to say thank you for being patient. I am sorry if I say I want to hang out and then don't I really do like hanging out I just have a hard time leaving the house.
   School Started this week. Well, some of my classes. I woke up early thinking my first class was Thursday at 6 am. A boot camp fitness class. But, however it does not even start until the second half of the semester.. so I went back home to change into regular clothes and then headed back for math, which I had found out that Thursday was NOT the first day of classes. There were two before that and I was six sections behind. oh and there was a quiz first thing! What a to start math after not taking a math class in 3 years! I was so overwhelmed I seriously cried my way through the quiz and didn't even answer a single question. I was so relieved when it was over! I literally wrote "Sorry I missed the first two classes I am lost" on the bottom of the quiz. Then I had English at the redwood campus that started at 1130. It was only 930 by the end of math. So I went from south city campus to redwood where I found a table and worked on my math homework.
   I went to my English classroom and found out ANOTHER one of my classes didn't start until June 04th! I was so frustrated for the day I just wanted to go home and cry myself into a year long sleep! I did go home and take a nap. Then ate something I knew I shouldn't have eaten. So naturally Friday when I woke up for American Civilization I felt like I was going to DIE! I was so tired and sick to my stomach. I went to class anyways, good thing I did. If I wouldn't have I would have been dropped from the class!
   On a lighter note I met with my Bishop on Wed I am getting a teaching calling. I was also recommended to be called as a temple worker. Needless to say I am just waiting for school to REALLY start and to be busy busy busy! In the mean time I have signed up for a few running races. So I will just be training for my half marathon in august and will be enjoying time with you all! Thanks again for all your support!

Time Flies!

   So apparently I am not keeping track of how many days until Brandt leaves. I have been trying to focus on the time we have together rather than what little time we have left. The other day I get  phone call from him while he is at work and he insists on letting me know he only has 43 days left until he is officially gone for basic training. This is so crazy to me! I just keep thinking of all the things we have to do before he leaves. All the family parties, friend parties, work parties, etc. So many people to hang out with and really NOT that much time!!
    I am getting excited to get people together to celebrate his awesome accomplishments. However, I know that doing so means the time is coming when I will be sitting at home on Friday nights alone with the dog and the lame "Twilight" movies..
 Ha Ha Ha Ha Yes I am that boring when I am home alone!
    I am getting excited for this weekend, It is kind of starting off the family outings and fun festivities. I was super looking forward to conference. First we are going to the Jazz game Friday night. It will be fun and what Utahn doesn't want to see Jimmer? Then Saturday although I have work I will be doing the annual dinner with the men after priesthood with Kami Daniels, and Patti Daniels. Then baking after to make my yummy gluten free devils food cupcakes for Patti's annual Easter party. We were trying to get tickets to conference on Sunday morning (me thinking it was 8-10 not 10-12) Then I realized the actual time and we have our family Easter party that morning. So I went on the hunt!!! I emailed my bishop hoping that him knowing we are leaving in September and don't know the next time we could attend conference would be asked if he could help. I got an email from a member of the bishopric and he was able to pull some strings to get us into the afternoon session. We are sitting right up front and center on the floor right where all the authorities walk in front of! So needless to say I can have my cake and eat it too!! I can go to the Awesome family party and go to conference which I really wanted to be able to manage. I am so excited for everything we are doing this weekend.. It will be amazing!
    To top it all off Sunday night at midnight I can register for my classes! I am taking Math 990 English 2010 History 1700 and then the Yoga Teacher courses! I can't wait to get back to school and start learning again!
     Brandt is getting excited / nervous for everything to come! He is slowly getting more excited as the time comes closer for him to report to his dream job of flying helicopters for the United States Military! I know he will be amazing and I am so happy to know that I have a husband willing to go out and strive for greatness! I am lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life and I am so thankful for the light he gives me!!

AVIATORS FOR MY AVIATOR!!!

      Yesterday I spent the day shopping for a good Valentines day gift for Brandt. I vaguely remembered him saying he wanted a cool pair of aviator sunglasses since he was going to be an aviator now.. I laughed but I then thought to myself this would be a good "funny" gift. So, I found a pair and bought them of course! I was so excited I couldn't even keep them from him. Go figure..
      Any ways I am getting a little nervous for all the changes coming ahead! Brandt leaving, going back to school, then BAM!!! Pack up and move to ALABAMA! I am starting to get nervous about the fact that we will be so far from home. I know it is going to be fabulous but I can't help but think about the things that could happen here or there and it wouldn't be as easy a 25 minute drive to comfort those family and friends. We are going to miss all our friends and family here. I guess it is part of the adventure right?
       Well, I am thinking of throwing a "farewell" party for friends in April probably towards the middle of the month. So just keep that in mind. I am setting aside the last week he is in town for me and him to go out of town and get away for a bit before I don't see him for four months.. :) So if you want to see him word to the wise, Start calling. He only has 87 days left here in Utah. Pretty much he will be gone and not coming back to Utah (except to help me move) for about 8 years after that.. :) I know it is CRAZY to think about.. well I love you all and let me know if you would be interested in coming to a party when i throw it! Thank you love you all!