Dmitri and Jenna Schumacher

Welcome to Virginia Beach

2012-02-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

View from our bedroom. Buildings on left- VB Boardwalk

A few weeks after new years we finished moving our stuff in storage, threw what we needed into the car, and drove three hours south to our new temporary home in Virginia Beach. We were excited for the new adventures we can have in a new place but it was hard to say goodbye to friends and my kids-- I've been teaching the 3 and 4 year olds at church since April.

View from our living room

Now we are settled in our hotel room and Dmitri is working/going to school everyday of the week. I am applying for jobs, keeping myself busy with anything I can think of, and hoping to meet some other wives soon. Needless to say it's going to be a very long 11 weeks before we move again -- especially for Dmitri who works 7 days a week usually until about 10 each night only to go to sleep and wake up to do it all over again.

But while there are some negatives to living here there are also some great positives. Our backyard is literally the beach/ ocean, housekeeping, doing laundry is free, and great location (church, boardwalk, restaurants, and the commisary are all close to us.) I just hope we get to take advantage of this beautiful place before we have to move again.

On our side of the dunes we have a gazebo, bbq area, and a set of stairs/bridge that take you over the dunes.

End of 2011

2012-01-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

OK this one is long -- so read bolded words if you're in a hurry or if you don't want to read the whole thing :).

Our 1st 2011 Move
As 2011 came to a close Dmitri and I spent time with family and got ready to move again -- sounds an awful lot like last year.....? YUP we're moving again but this time it's not across the country just a few hours south of Stafford to Virginia Beach. We'll be living on base in a hotel room for 3 months. At first I thought this would be pretty glamorous. Since it's an extended stay hotel I assumed it'd have all the amenities of a home just in a smaller space. We called to have a better idea of what to bring and what to put in storage turns out the only parts of our kitchen include a small fridge/freezer and a microwave. Needless to stay I freaked out a bit but found comfort in my crock pot -- they save lives, it's official! We'll be moving again in April -- don't know where yet.

Uncle Joe's Retirement
We took a break from packing and work to celebrate! Dmitri's uncle retired from the Marine Corps and ALOT of his family came into town for the festivities. That weekend we went to see the lights at the D.C. temple and had family get togethers at Joe's house. After his beautiful retirement ceremony- where we learned more about his uncles personal history in the Marine Corps and how much he'll miss it- we attended Handel's Messiah in D.C.

One of the coolest things I learned at Joe's retirement ceremony is that my husband is a 5TH GENERATION MARINE! I'm very proud of his Marine history, as is he.

A Very Michigan Christmas
Second stop was Michigan to spend Christmas with my brother and his family! As soon as we decided we were going there I got REALLY excited! My brother and I have always seemed to have lived far away from eachother, since I was 12-- so yes VERY EXCITED. I also was looking forward to them getting know Dmitri better. We got to Michigan and it was fun from the beginning! We played with the kids, went bowling, ate delicious food (provided by my amazingly talented sister-in-law Jenni), played games, and went to a place called Pump It Up where everything is inflatable (slides, obstacle courses, boxing bouncy houses) and did I mention that adults get in FOR FREE!!

D.C. Temple, bowling with the Tolboes, and Dmitri sitting on Landon's lap telling him what he wants for Christmas

And between all of that we celebrated Christmas by reinacting the Nativity scene and remembered how grateful we are for Him and for our families.We had so much fun visiting-- even though several of us got the stomach flu :(-- we didn't want to leave! Thanks Tolboe family for having us for such a long, fun, vacation!

Happy New Year!!!

We rounded off the holidays with New Years Eve in Maryland at Dmitri's grandparents house with the (almost) the whole Lopez side of the family. We ate yummy food, boogied with the kids, and I got a BIG kiss from a sexy Marine at midnight -- then I let him take me home . HAHA ;-)

Post TBS

2012-01-22T16:29:00.000-08:00

Shortly after Dmitri graduated from TBS we had the Marine Ball. We attended the one in Richmond, Va with a handful of our friends. We had so much fun. We got there early for the cocktail hour followed by the ceremony, which was absolutely wonderful. The ceremony itself made me so proud of the Corps and my husband who is a part of it. The man I married is dedicated to a cause bigger than himself - I love him!

As part of the ceremony they brought in the colors, had a video message from the commandant, a live speaker, traditional cake cutting, followed by a sit down dinner - YUM! Then I danced with my husband until we headed back home.

The next week Dmitri got his wisdom teeth pulled, poor thing. He was on bed rest for awhile and ate LOTS of Jello, go gurts, and pudding. He's doing much better now and is back to work. He's in Mike company right now -- a holding company-- doing jobs here and there until he starts school in January.

For Thanksgiving we went to his parents house in Maryland. We had delicious food, hung out, watched movies and (my favorite thing about Thanksgiving) brought home LOTS of leftovers!

Now we're packing and getting ready for Virginia Beach. I've been looking for a job and we've been trying to prepare for whatever our orders may say come March. We are loving life and enjoying our time together before his training starts again and makes him super busy. I don't say this on this blog enough but I'm so happy. I'm married to my dream guy.

October 2011

2011-10-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

October has been an extremely busy time for us.

We had fun with friends!

We went to a Halloween party as Popeye an Olive Oyl. Dmitri had his mess night and I had mine. Tea parties with the wives. Played golf for the first time.

Dmitri graduated from TBS last week!
In the morning we had Warrior Day. They gave friends and family a taste of what our Marines had been doing for the past 6 months. (shooting guns, obstacle courses, martial arts etc.) Then that night the Marines got to walk the stage in their dress blues. My husband is so handsome.

Dmitri took me to Annapolis to show me around the Naval Academy.

It's been so long since he'd been there but the memories rushed back as we walked around the BEAUTIFUL campus. We found the cheer squad practicing and Dmitri ended up stunting one of the girls and coaching a little bit. He just couldn't resist!

My Mom flew out from California to visit with us.

While Dmitri was out in the field for the war my mom and I went apple picking, went to Monticello, showed her around the base, went to the Marine museum etc.

My Birthday!
It was a weekend of celebrating. Dmitri took me out to dinner the night before. After church on Sunday we spent at home watching childhood Halloween movies, Dmitri made dinner, talking to family, and enjoying a pumpkin birthday pie.

When we weren't going out on some wonderful much needed date time
Dmitri worked hard to finish up TBS and I've been coaching soccer three times a week.

MOS: Air Intel

2011-09-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

TBS is coming to an end! Dmitri's company is graduating the end of October!

We officially know that his job will be an Air Intelligence Officer (0207). We are very happy! It was his number one pick! He worked very hard in competing for it. School starts January 30th

We don't know: any details about when we're moving, how long we'll be there, or where our duty station will be just that his training will be in Virginia Beach.

This website is a break down of what his job means. Except the part that says how long the training will be - we don't know if that's true yet.

We'll keep you posted on future

Happy Anniversary

2011-09-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

I got the best anniversary gift ever! Labor day gave Dmitri and I a 4-day weekend to celebrate together! Dmitri got off work on Thursday and we jumped in the car and drove down to Virginia Beach for a fantastic long weekend. We checked in to our hotel and had a yummy dinner at The Melting Pot. The next day was our official one year anniversary! We spent at Virginia Beach Boardwalk and when we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner I went to pick up the edible arrangement that I had ordered for Dmitri and I. On our honeymoon we had chocolate covered strawberries and since this anniversary was my job to plan I wanted to make sure we had them. So you can imagine my surprise when there were two bags under my name and I found Dmitri behind me taking pictures. That night we went to a restaurant on the beach with great musical entertainment and a romantic walk on the water for dessert. We took a remake of one of our wedding pictures (I thought it would be a fun tradition) and then our personalities got the best of us and we ended up chasing crabs the rest of the night. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Saturday we went to Little Creek Naval Base. I had planned on touring the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse but the earthquake the week prior had damaged the area and it was considered too dangerous to be allowed inside. However, we were still able to follow through with my planned picnic in view of the lighthouse :) The base provided us we a beach that wasn't crowded and a great place to take lots of pictures. Afterward we rented a jet ski for an hour. Dmitri threw me off twice and when I drove I enjoyed scaring him. I didn't throw him off because I knew that if I succeeded in doing so he'd just take me with him. Sunday we relaxed in our hotel and had a great dinner at Aberdeen Barns. Monday we had planned to go to Water Country USA but the weather changed our mind. We continued our drive home and celebrated the rest of the weekend together watching movies at home.

Only to find out the next day that we'll be moving to Virginia Beach after TBS. Go Figure!

Our first year of marriage has been fantastic -- although difficult with the times we've had to spend apart. Dmitri is my best friend and we're still falling in love.

Happy One Year Anniversary!

Answers to FAQ

2011-08-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

So with all the acronyms causing confusion and everyone's busy lives that make it hard to keep in touch I thought I would write a quick post with answers to the most frequently asked questions :)

Q: Am I working? What do I do everyday?
A: Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a job that I wanted and since we'll be moving around soon I gave up on trying. But it's worked out really well because Dmitri's schedule is so unpredictable that sometimes I need to drop everything to bring him a change of clothes or pick him up. So I've been finding tasks around the house that need to be done and things I need to do to make life a little smoother for him. I love getting together with the other wives (at least once a week) and have been loving to prepare menus to avoid spending too much money. Trying new recipes has been one of the most enjoyable things I have to do at home. I am looking forward to finding a job I enjoy ASAP. Doing house chores (without children) can only be so fulfilling -- i want to do more.

Q: OCS? TBS? MOS?
OCS: Officer Candidate School -- Dmitri and I were apart from January to March for this. It is an intense boot camp to prove that you have what it takes to be a officer in the Marine Corps. Physcial fitness, leadership capabilities, and academics are a portion of what determines if you will become an officer. People are kicked out and quit through the process and you are not a marine until you complete this school and are commissioned (take an oath swearing your allegiance to the country)
TBS: The Basic School -- TBS is 6 months long (We will finish in October). TBS trains every officer to be capable of leading an infantry platoon. So big guns, navigation, class time, obstacle courses are ALL involved. ALL MARINE OFFICERS GO THROUGH THIS -- whether they are lawyers, pilots, or they want to be infantry. In case of an emergency a desk job Marine would know how to take up arms and lead a platoon into the battlefield. (Which is why Marines are awesome)
MOS: Military Occupational Specialty -- without fancy words this is their job. We will be assigned his job in about a week or so. Following TBS Dmitri will undergo another set of training solely focused on the skills of his particular job.

Q: Where are we moving next?
A: We don't know when we'll leave Stafford for his MOS training or if we will, where we'll be going, or where we will be moving next. hopefully we'll find this all out soon.

Q: What job interests Dmitri?
A: Right now Dmitri is most interested in Aviation Intelligence (training in Dam Neck, Va ) and Combat Engineer (Camp Lejeune, NC).

Q: I'm always saying that his schedule is crazy. How often do we see eachother?
A: The great thing is that he comes home almost every night. The problem is I never know when. I have to reheat his dinner almost every night. Has he come home at 2:00 am ... YES. Has he come home at a normal time? Yes. Does he wake up before 6 every morning? Yes. and sometimes he wakes up as early as 3. He gets sent home with homework last minute to see how he can handle it and how good his work will be. And tests (like in college) always seem to arrive at the most inconvenient times. I wish he would get 7 hours of sleep a night at least once a week but it's usually not the case (even on weekends). And he doesn't get to just leave his work at work. So we see eachother it's not like OCS where we have to spend months at a time apart.... a week or so here and there max.

Q: "I thought military stayed in one place for a few years. Why are you guys moving so often?"
A: It's because of his training we'll get our "duty station" soon which is the place we'll be able to call home for awhile once his training is over.

I hope that helps. If anybody has any questions let me know

Belated Updates

2011-08-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long time since I updated this.... sorry everyone. Our laptop is dead and I do not have the patience to update our blog on my ipod. Lucky for us some good friends (Jena and her husband Kelly) lent us their laptop so that Dmitri can do his homework (and so I don't go completely insane while he's gone.) So here's what's been happening with us!.

We are still in Stafford, Va (right near Quantico) while Dmitri finishes up TBS (The Basic School). We'll be moving again soon -- I'll keep you all posted.

June 20th was Dmitri's birthday!! He turned the big 2-7!!! And in the military it's considered old so he got his "old man discount". This means his requirements to get good marks on his physical fitness tests and obstacle courses have gone down. You can imagine how much he LOVES that! So I threw together a cake for the occasion. I made barbed wire out of aluminum foil setting them over a "muddy ditch" (crushed oreo cookie) to simulate one of the obstacles of the obstacle course. It didn't turn out very good (I actually think it's the ugliest one I've made) but considering the little time I had to do something it served it's purpose. OF COURSE I didn't have candles so I stuck some lit matches in the cake and started singing "Happy Birthday". Dmitri laughed so hard when he saw the cake that the matches were almost out by the time he blew them out.

We've also had good times with friends! To be honest I would be SO lonely with out them! The marines have crazy hours so their wives are the best friends I could have hoped for. They all know how frustrating being a Marine wife can be and alot of them are newlyweds just like us :). So when we know the guys are going to be gone for a long time we make plans to go to D.C., see movies, have lunch/ dinner (cause eating alone sucks), getting pedicures, having potlucks, pampering parties, etc. (sorry I haven't been taking very many pictures)

(BYU friends in town- outside our complex)

(At Luray Caverns with our friends Russ and Amy)

Other then our/ my outings with friends we also visit his side of the family alot. His parents live just across the river and his uncle lives in Stafford near us.

Other belated updates from Virginia?: cuts and lots of bruises on Dmitri's end. The weather here is so crazy! Lightning and thunder storms that come out of no where and don't cool anything off... just ADD to the miserable humidity. It's almost our 1 year anniversary! (no i can't believe it). Dmitri finds out what his job will be in about a week (which determines where his next set of training will be which means we'll find out where we'll be moving to next) I'm guessing we'll be moving to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina (for at least 9 weeks) or Dam Neck, Va, which is south of here near Virginia Beach, for at least 8 weeks. We are so anxious to find out!!!

Semper Fi

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

We had a - much needed- extra long weekend for Memorial Day! And I must say it was a great weekend!
Dmitri got home early on Thursday, early even for normal people! Home by 3:30. He got a little (much needed) shut eye and we met up with our friends Sarah and Alex for dinner and frozen yogurt a few hours later. Then Dmitri really shocked me when he had enough energy to go see a movie after! Fast Five -- not too bad for the fifth one. But you can't really go wrong with beautiful cars, Brasil, and good looking people.

Friday we had a bbq at a friends house. An unexpected tornado warning came our way which took us down to the basement for awhile and we had a candlelit dinner because the power went out. But it was a very fun night with a very tasty dinner.

Saturday Dmitri had planned a surprise for me and I was pretty clueless on what it would be. He did a very good job keeping me out of the loop (even getting on the freeway just to get back off it again) We pulled into a marina where his uncle was putting his boat in the water. Dmitri pulled out the cooler with our snacks for our little boat ride just the two of us. We had a lot of fun spotting different animals and I got very homesick for Guatemala. We ate on the water until Dmitri pulled several party poppers out of his bag and popped them into the air yelling "Happy Graduation!" (His orders to come to Virginia interfered with me walking at my graduation.) In short it was a great day! and my husband is the best! :)

Sunday we went to church and later went to his Uncle Joe's house to have a bbq with visiting family (Dmitri's dad, sister (from Maryland), Aunt Helen, Uncle David, and cousin (from Kansas)). The food was great and playing games with family was even greater!

Monday we spent the whole day at home -- and I wouldn't change it! :)

TBS

2011-05-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

The Basic School, TBS, has begun. Dmitri and the rest of the members of his company have crazy hours and a whole lot of studying and tests ahead of them. I've made friends with one of the other wives and we met more wives yesterday at a Spouse Day held on base. We have a long road ahead of us and it's been lonely already but we're both going to stick it out cause we know that it will be worth it in the end.

Semper Fi

The LONG Road Travelled

2011-04-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Dmitri and I left for Utah the following Sunday so we spent Saturday with family. We visited his grandmother- Mama Angelita . Then we had dinner with his parents, sister, and brother in law. Afterward Dmitri and I went to Great Falls. It was so beautiful and I loved having that time with him. We may or may not have acted like kids and etched our initials somewhere... I guess all of you will never know for sure :) It was a great day before a very long road trip ahead of us.
Our long road trip started in Utah.

Utah-----> Wyoming: where we realized that wearing all BYU attire may have been a bad idea in Laramie (Wyoming cowboys territory)

Wyoming ----->Nebraska: where we slept in the back of our Uhaul in Lincoln. We also decided they have the nicest cops (no we didn't get a ticket)
Nebraska------> Iowa: which was surprisingly beautiful (i'm also stumped on how the pioneers crossed the Mississippi River. Iowa also had the weirdest names of Exits (including What Cheer)Iowa ------> Illinois: we slept at his aunts house which was conveniently on the way. Did i mention that we had Chicago deep dish pizza? regular pizza will never be good enough!

Illinois------->Indiana----> Michigan: we visited my brother and his family in Detroit and decided to stay an extra night. The kids were great entertainment and Christian and Jenni were very hospitable. We even got to see Sister Burnham (Jenni's sister who is serving her mission in their ward).

Michigan--->Ohio ----> West Virginia ----> Pennsylvania----> West Virginia ---> Maryland

-----> Washington D.C. ---- FINALLY TO STAFFORD, VIRGINIA!

Second Lieutenant Schumacher

2011-03-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

March 18 -- COMMISSIONING!

Dmitri's commissioning was in The National Museum of the Marine Corps. The building is so cool! After all the soon to be officers took their seats I snapped alot of pictures of my handsome Marine and a Lieutenant General spoke to the Marines and their families. I don't know what it is but this speaker got me crying too - but I was tryin to control it as much as possible since I was holding the camcorder. They took their oath (the same oath that Uncle Joe and Dmitri had already done) as a group and were officially given the label of Second Lieutenant. They were dismissed and as soon as I got to hug Dmitri tears came to my eyes because I knew how long he'd been waiting to accomplish this and I'm so proud that he never gave up in accomplishing his dream. Afterward Dmitri's mom and I pinned on his gold bars to show his rank. Sadly I don't have any of those pictures but I hope to get them soon.

We exited the building and Dmitri's dad got to give him his first salute as a Marine. I really loved this! I could see how proud Mike was just by looking at his face. Dmitri's worked really hard to get to this point and we all know it but I feel like it means something even more to Dmitri's dad because he was in the military too.

We all went to Uncle Joe's house afterward while Dmitri and Uncle Joe went to sign Dmitri in for his next set of training (The Basic School - TBS). I fell asleep as soon as I got to the house. An hour later I woke up to my handsome husband walking into the bedroom in his uniform holding red roses. How great it is to have my husband back!

We've been inseperable ever since and are so very very happy!

Candidate Parade

2011-03-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 18 2011 - GRADUATION

Oh man did that morning come early! We drove back to Maryland after family day and the excitement of getting my husband back the next day kept me up until about 3:00am. We woke up around 4:30 or 5:00am so that we could get back to the parade deck at Quantico as early as 7:00 to watch the candidates parade practice. We were all so excited for the graduation. Along with my father and mother, my sister Lubi, Uncle Joe, Grandpa Joe, Grandma Sharon, and Uncle Bismarck (all my in-laws) were able to come as well. The parade began with introductions of the quantico marching band (by far the most crisp marching band I've ever seen), Marines responsible for training, our awesome Marine candidates!, and a speech by a woman who had just been promoted to Brigadier General whose words made me cry. It is such a huge responsibility that my husband has taken upon his shoulders and I felt so proud of him and all those who serve our country. Just being at this parade was a learning opportunity -- an eye opener to me.

At the end of the parade all the candidates turned to pass in front of us. They'd been standing at attention for so long I'm sure walking felt amazing! I am so proud of my platoon sergeant -- did i mention he was in the top 10% of his class. WOO HOO! Right after they passed us they all went straight to the armory to return their guns. We made our way over to a location to await Dmitri to come over only to hear his voice yelling as he ran by directing his platoon on what they had to do. It wasn't as nice of a yell as his "cheer/yell leading" voice though. That's my husband ;)

After what felt like a lifetime Dmitri came out to us in his service uniform. And my oh my!!! After 2 1/2 months was he a sight for sore eyes! I hugged and kissed him more than was really allowed (now that he's the face of the Marines PDA is a no no). We took lots of pictures! The photos looked great with so much family there not to mention the amount of people in the group that serve/served in the military. His uncle and dad were in their uniforms and his other uncle and grandfather were Marines also (although they aren't in uniform). There was alot of pride in the group! I sure did marry into an awesome AND patriotic family!

Dmitri's Uncle Joe -- who is currently a captain in the Marines-- swore Dmitri in. It really was amazing to hear my husband's commitment to this country, everything it stands for, and his family.

Next stop? Dmitri's commissioning

a.k.a. officially become a 2nd Lt in the Marines!

Family Day

2011-03-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post so here's the latest!

Family day was March 17th. Me and Dmitri's parents sat in a orientation which started at eleven. I was so antzy to see him that when the Q&A went over time I could barely stay in my seat. As soon as they let us out I bolted for the door and was one of the first people out to the parade deck where my handsome Marine candidate was standing in front of his platoon at attention. I sat directly in eye shot his eyes immediately darted side to side to cue me to move over and I slid over anxiously awaiting my hug! It broke my heart watching all these boys at attention. I had seen Dmitri the weekend before but other guys in his platoon hadn't been with their parents, spouses, and kids for months! They were all doing as they were told but when you'd look at their faces you could see the tears welling up in their eyes and they desperately tried to contain themselves. Dmitri was instructed to dismiss his platoon. As soon as he did it was a mob scene of family and Marines in their civilian clothes.

We DARTED to the car so we could avoid traffic on our drive to Stafford --(which is where we live now). BEST DECISION EVER! We dropped by the club and I met several of the Marines that had been making my husband's life CRAPPY -- it was difficult to shake their hand and smile. Then off to the commisary to grab groceries.

We made it to his uncle Joe's house in Stafford and it was a relaxing day until we had to return Dmitri to his barracks at 6:30pm.

(Dmitri's tan line from his cover - "it's not a hat, it's a cover")

Destination: My Husband

2011-03-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

I was too impatient to wait even a second more to see Dmitri so I went to the east coast a week early! Dmitri's parents picked me up at the airport on Friday night. (and thanks to my mother-in-law Cristel we have pictures of the whole weekend! Gracias Cristel)

Saturday we left their house (in Maryland) and drove to Quantico, VA around 2 or 3 in the afternoon! We went on base and shopped, walked around, looked at everything that had the word "Marines" on it, ate -- ANYTHING to pass the time.We had no idea when he would get to take liberty so I kept my phone on the loudest ring and wouldn't let it go!

At 6:05pm I got a text that he was changing and that I should order food- meaning he'd be there in 10 minutes! That's when I got really antzy! (and Cristel got plenty of video to prove it!) The line was long for him to check out so it took way longer then he planned. Meanwhile I was pacing inside the food court, outside the store, and looking at my phone while waiting for him to show up. An hour later! HE DID!!We went to a hotel that night -- Dmitri got to watch his first basketball game in 9 weeks and we lost!? But for the first time in our lives!! we couldn't be upset that our team lost.

Dmitri left the hotel at 5:30am Sunday morning and we met up on base at 10. At 1:30p he had to check back in so we said our goodbyes until THURSDAY! When we'll see each other again. AND then again on Friday when I FINALLY get to take him home!

Videos are posted on my facebook page and are all viewable to "friends of friends")
(Video 1 & 2 are pretty boring -- just me anxiously waiting. Video 3 I SEE HIM!)
Video 1: waiting in the food court
Video 2: waiting outside the store
Video 3: TOGETHER AT LAST

Quantico to Provo?!

2011-03-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Week nine of Dmitri's training is over and we celebrated by getting to see each other! FINALLY! (pictures and video coming soon!) He's looks great (although he does look different since he's lost weight). He's still the amazing man I married!I'm in Maryland staying with his parents for now.

This is the week we have to look forward to.

THURSDAY: Family Day - we'll visit him on base and he'll get to show us around
FRIDAY: Graduation - a parade of all 4 platoons in Dmitri's company (on the fields where he was trained.)
Commissioning - he'll be dressed in his "greens" and officially be Second Lieutenant Schumacher! His Dad will give him his first salute and his uncle will pin on his insignia showing that he's an officer! Dmitri has been anxiously awaiting this day for 9 years!

this will happen in the National Museum of the Marine Corps. (isn't this building cool!?)
After this I will finally be able to take my hubby home!
http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=grad (for more info about graduation)

SUNDAY: But why is "Provo" in the title of this blog? They are giving us a short time to move our stuff from Utah to Viriginia! We're flying to Utah on Sunday(20) after Dmitri's graduation -- for a very short time-- to grab our stuff and GO! No word yet where we'll be stopping but we'll keep you posted. :)

Semper Fidelis

Bragging Rights

2011-03-08T02:46:00.001-08:00

Another week has passed which means another phone call from my wonderful husband!

Dmitri told me all about this past week.
For those of you who read my previous posting this past week was worth 50% of Dmitri's grade at OCS! You can imagine what I was thinking "He's been there since January 7th and a whole half of his grade was in one week!" It was crucial that he do well because even being in his 8th week he could still be sent home if he gets injured etc. Turns out that he was extremely successful and we have all those who prayed for him to thank for some of that! So thank you :) !

"A dangerous storm rolled in on Monday so we got to sleep in our warm beds instead of in the field [woods] as planned"

Although Dmitri was very happy about this I was even happier to hear about the rest of the week! Amazing scores in leadership, drills, combat fitness, endurance tests, as well as the best PFT (physcial fitness test) score he's ever gotten (just two seconds off 100%)! A timed 9 mile hike with their gear strapped to their back and my man succedded with flying colors for each one!

This week? (not even a days worth)
He'll learn about TBS - his next set of training- medal of honor run, receive their uniforms! etc etc!!! Can you guess what my favorite part is? It's Saturday! The day I get to see him! (Can't believe how soon it is!) Then just one more week from Friday and it's GRADUATION! I'm so proud of my marine! SEMPER FI!

Virginia or Bust

2011-03-05T00:47:00.000-08:00

Dmitri graduates from OCS- Officer Candidates School- in 2 weeks! I'm flying out there in a week to see my man and most of you already know that we are moving there. He'll officially be a Second Lieutenant in the Marines and will have his next set of training (once again) in Quantico, Va called TBS- The Basic School. However, I just found out this week that TBS will start a few days after OCS
graduation!

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

We had planned to visit family & friends while driving across the country with all of our stuff in tow. But now when I fly to Virginia a week from today - we won't be coming back. No visiting my parents in Cali, our friends and family in Utah, his aunts in Chicago/Kansas, or my brother in Detroit. It also means that we will be living out of our suitcases for the next six months- while the majority of our possessions are stuck in a storage unit in UTAH!

Yes we know - "that sucks"- and it does! but we'll make it work! :) Dmitri's uncle lives in Stafford, VA and we have Mama and Papa Schumacher in Maryland if all else fails. We'll learn how to "rough it"! It's weird when you think about how small things make your life so much easier. SIX MONTHS from now we should for sure have everything back (hopefully no later than that). When that moment comes we'll appreciate all that we have so much more!

We were really hoping to visit with so many people before moving to the East Coast so I hope you ALL know how bummed out we both are that we don't know when the next time is that we'll get to hug you all again! Just know that we're thinking of you and we will see you again -- we don't know when but it WILL happen :)

We love you all,

Dmitri & Jenna Schumacher

Semper Fi

USMC Candidate

2011-02-26T20:06:00.001-08:00

Dmitri had liberty this weekend and we got to video chat! This was more difficult than hanging up a normal phone but it was well worth it. Dmitri has had two billets (jobs) so far. They put each candidate into a leadership position and it is their job for several days. About two weeks ago Dmitri was squad leader and this past week he was the platoon navigator. He received a "favorable" evaluation for both! AND is currently ranked #2 in his squad. The evaluations comes from the sergeants in charge of Dmitri while the rankings (3 in total) are purely peer based. No one had received a favorable as a squad leader so you can imagine how excited I was when I found out. Dmitri's too modest to brag about these things to all of his friends so I guess it's a good thing he married me!!! I'm more than happy to brag about my candidate! Not to mention the fact that I knew he could do this all along! Hate to say I told you so babe! **cough** told ya so **cough**. I mean how could he not be successful?!
He's getting healthier (with the help of his mom taking care of him each weekend) and is working so hard! I'll see him two weeks from today and then he'll graduate in 3. He says they are already measuring him for his uniform and it's exciting to feel like he's almost done it! I ask that all of you who are reading this please do us a favor and pray for him. He's very close to graduating and he deserves it! I can't wait to see the pride and joy fill his eyes when he gets his bars pinned on. So please pray for him that he will avoid injury and stay healthy. This next week is going to be a very important one (this next week alone is 50% of his grade!). Thank you!
Love, The Schumachers

SEMPER FI

Review & Dmitri

2011-02-19T01:29:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anyone is actually interested in the occassional book reviews that I've done recently but here's another one that I just finished a few days ago. For those of you who are already bored with my historical fiction choices this won't be any different. However, in January I did read all three books of The Hunger Games -- if you're interested in reading something not history related these books are an easy read and are going to be made into movies soon. The summary on the back of the first book explains it perfectly so I'll let you check that out for yourself.

The book I most recently read is called The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society -- don't worry the name weirded me out too. This book is, once again, about the German Occupation. However, this book talks about the effects the Occupation had on the Channel Island of Guernsey -- located between England and France. It was a different view and written solely in the form of letters to and from the main character. The book is not all sad/scary wartimes-- there are happy moments-- since the letters are written concerning the Occupation which has already passed. While my favorite book concerning these times is The Hiding Place -- which is a true story-- this one gave insights to the times and once again left me counting my blessings. Maybe I'm reading too many historical fiction war books while my husband is in OCS- Officer Candidates School- and may seem like a bad idea. But the stories of past wartimes gives me a sense of pride of what my husband is doing. He may not be out in Iraq or Afghanistan -- and for those who are my hearts go out to them and their families. BUT I know that all in all this is what Dmitri is going into the military for -- to protect and to serve. There is one part of the book where a man is sent out of a concentration camp to bury bodies. He's frail from not having enough to eat and has fallen on the ground waiting for death -- then the American soilders arrive. They are scrambling forward to help him and he noticed that they all "even the officers, were crying." I immediately imagined my husband with tears in his eyes seeing the state of this man and reaching out to help him. It filled me with such pride and joy. Dmitri is such a huge blessing in my life and I whole-heartedly support him in his choice to serve and protect.

Semper Fi

Count your blessings

2011-02-11T16:27:00.000-08:00

Dmitri has been in training for 5 weeks (and we've been apart for almost 6). The amount that I miss him has been growing exponentially to a point that I can feel how much I miss him. In an effort to stay sane and not pity myself I've been starting to think of what I'm grateful for.

Several women that I go to church with have had an MRI in the past year (including my Mom). I've heard them talk about how horrible it is to be laying in that machine for almost an hour. Women- who aren't even claustrophic- feel the fear and discomfort of being in such a small space for that amount of time. One of these women mentioned that what kept her in control was that she counted her blessings for that hour. It is something I am striving to do each day.

I have read several blogs in the past few weeks that my friends write. One of my friends entitled one of her blogs as "Heavy" describing multiple stories of people she doesn't know and their struggles in life. These stories are not to be taken lightly and truly make you embarrassed for the little things we complain about everyday.

Other than blogs I've also been reading books. I have never been much of a reader but have recently found a joy in reading that I never felt when I was in school. Two of the books I have in the past few weeks are Sarah's Key and The Help (soon to be made into a movie). Both of these books are fiction but they speak of true time periods. I enjoyed both of these books but if you only read one I would recommend you read The Help. It is a book closer to our time period which makes it so much more real.

Sarah's Key is a book about the French Jews during the Holocaust. It jumps between the perspective of two people. One is a Jewish girl named Sarah in the actual times of the Holocaust. The other is an American woman who lives in France. These two characters reside in different time periods; however, the American woman feels driven to find what happened to Sarah when she is assigned to write an article about the anniversary of when French Jews were taken captive by French policeman-- and eventually sent to their deaths.

The Help is solely focused in the 1960s and the segregation of whites and blacks in Jackson, Mississippi. The story is told in the point of view of both a black and a white woman. You learn the good and the bad of the time. The author (a white woman) mentions it is truly impossible for a white woman to ever understood what life was like for a black woman/ or man in these times. I completely agree with her. But she does a great job of creating the characters in this book and giving you tastes of what life was like for them.

Although these books at times made me ashamed of how people have treated eachother in the past I learned a little history and an immense gratefulness from reading them.

I think everyone has at least one moment of weakness where they are so focused on themselves and their problems that they forget to think of other people and what they've gone through. I'm not saying I'm exempt from this group which is why I'm writing this entry. Who knows maybe when I do have those miserable moments what I've written in this post will remind me to turn my thoughts to my blessings.

Focusing on the bad things won't make life any easier and it won't help anyone else either. Think of others and maybe even serve those that you know are having a difficult time. Something as simple as a smile, a hug, or even a note saying you thought of them can make a huge difference. Because one of the things I'm grateful for is the people in my life who have done those things for me when I was down.

We all have so many blessings-- count yours.

4.5 Down -- 5.5 to go!

2011-02-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

Dmitri called this weekend and I sure was excited to hear his voice. Now that he can call on the weekends it makes it so much easier to countdown each week until I talk to him instead of the weekS until I actually get to see him. It's making time go by alot faster for both of us.

I booked my plane ticket to go out and see my handsome husband! I'm so excited about seeing him that I've kinda spaced the crude awakening the weather is going to be (California to Virginia? EEK!) So I'm trying to prepare myself and buy a few warm things before I see him so that I won't be complaining about how cold it is. (I don't want to get on his nerves too early ;) ) I'll be seeing Dmitri a week before graduation (4 weeks from this coming Saturday-- instead of 5)-- I just couldn't stand having to wait one extra week! I'm really excited to spend that weekend with him and be there for one of the proudest moments of his/OUR lives. :)

He's been doing really well on his exams and other tests. The above picture is of one of the many obstacle courses he's had to do. I'm so happy he didn't have another one where he gets soaking wet because he's been getting sick off and on from the cold. I can't wait to have him with me again. I'm looking forward to having a new adventure and moving to Virginia with D. It'll be cold but at least I'll finally have him back to keep me warm. I LOVE YOU HONEY! I'm so proud to be your wife!

SEMPER FI

3 weeks down!!!

2011-01-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Dmitri and I got to talk to eachother for the first time since he went into training! His voice is a little hoarse but other than that he's doing fantastic! He's working hard and showing what it really means to be one of "The few. The proud." and I personally am in aww of his devotion and drive to do the very best he can!

(me with my Dmitri pillow (My Christmas gift from D) -- he's been keeping me company!)

We miss eachother like crazy!!!! and are crazier in love than we were a month ago! Hearing his voice was exactly what I needed to be strong enough to get through the next week until I get to talk to him again. Another thing that helped me so much is knowing that his parents and older sister, Lubi, went to go visit him this weekend. They took care of him and his poor sore throat and i COULD NOT be more grateful for them! Taking care of him and being there for him when I can't be takes so much stress off my shoulders. I realize he's their son/brother and it was their job to take care of him long before I ever came along but it means so much to me that they were there taking care of him and making him feel loved. I don't think I'll ever beable to describe to them how much I truly appreciate them doing that.

Dmitri has finished 3 weeks in Quantico, Va with only 7 more weeks to go (I'm planning on going out early and seeing him in 6 weeks! I love my husband. Keep working hard sweetie we're all rooting for you! We know you'll do your VERY best and that will be more than enough! I speak for myself and so many others who care for you D, you are truly loved! We can't wait to all see you again!

Love,
Your friends and family

Semper Fi

Life in Limbo

2011-01-27T00:07:00.001-08:00

I sure am proud of my Marine, or my "Candidate". I've been getting actual letters for the past week. Sometimes I wish I could be there helping him with the grueling process of boot camp (i'm beginning to think that they call it "boot" camp because they're kicking your butt so much - took me long enough to figure out). But Dmitri is taking everything like a champ- not that I ever doubted him :).
His letters aren't always about the sucky lifestyle. and although I love knowing what he's doing so that I can imagine every bit of it I have to say that the butt kicking isn't my favorite part. (go figure) :)

Dmitri's humor and charm shines through each letter. It makes it difficult when I run out of words to read (and often catch myself reading his letters more than once). I'm looking forward to hearing his voice on the phone this weekend -- that is if all goes to plan and his platoon doesn't get in trouble. It's becoming more difficult being apart but we're pushing through.

I love him so much. My husband is my best friend and my biggest role model. Him being gone is temporary -- just a little speed bump. It's crazy that I'm lucky enough to have him for time and all eternity no matter what happens.

SEMPER FI

OCS

2011-01-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

On January 4th I moved back to California and left Dmitri in Utah. It was really hard to say goodbye but we kept trying to tell eachother that time would go by fast. He went into OCS (Officer Candidate School) 3 days later in Quantico, Va. It's been hard not being allowed to at least talk to him but I'm looking forward to hearing his voice in two weeks when he'll be allowed to call me for the first time.

My parents have made living at home so comfortable for me. I'm so glad that I'm here with them instead of living alone because I know it would be 10x harder to not have Dmitri around.

I got a short note in the mail from Dmitri the other day telling me how much he loves me. I never thought a letter would make me feel like a kid on Christmas but it did. I've been writing him letters and looking at the OCS website to try and spot him in some of the pictures. The uniformity of everyone makes it harder than I thought it would be but I think I may have found him a couple of times.

You can keep an eye out for him too! The website is http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=cco

SEMPER FI

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-28T13:52:00.001-08:00

We had a fabulous Christmas -- although sadly we didn't take ANY pictures to prove it! :( I can't believe I didn't think to bring my camera. Anyways, we went to my sister Kelly's house and enjoyed Christmas and Christmas Eve with her family and my parents (who flew in earlier that week). The Christmas atmosphere is so much more enjoyable when you are with kids who are filled with wonder of how a fat Santa Claus can get down there chimney!! Pretty magical, huh!? The house was packed with all our gifts -- i don't think that house was built for that many people (my mom and dad, me, my AWESOME husband, kelly, my brother in law Jeff, and there FOUR KIDS!!! yes yes it is crazy to me that my sister already has FOUR KIDS!

Dmitri and I are looking forward to celebrating the new year -- we'll probably just light something on fire HAHA. We know, however, that the new year comes with the step into our new lives. I leave a week from today (January 4, 2011!?) to move in with my parents in my old hometown of Modesto, Ca. Dmitri will be heading to the Marine Corps the next day in Virginia and sadly will be in training for 10 weeks (I won't be able to talk to him until he completes his first FOUR WEEKS! -- believe me I'm not looking forward to that part.)

He's been working out everyday to be ready for the Marine Corps. He's so dedicated -- one of the reasons that i'm so crazy in love with him! I admire his will power and his desire to provide for me and our future family. I will miss him TERRIBLY!

However, I am well aware of how blessed I am not to just have an amazing husband but GREAT parents as well who are letting me live with them to make the transition A TINY BIT easier

Bleed Blue

2010-12-16T00:26:00.000-08:00

So the last month has been pretty crazy for us. (More hours of work for both of us, Dmitri is working out TONS (and eating probably fewer than 500 calories a day), moving -- and ALL that comes with that, and me finally wrapping up school.

I went to campus this morning -- and again tonight after a a really long day at work. And I couldn't help but feeling a little bit of sadness and honestly, regret. I walked around the building that I know WAY too well and started thinking of all the memories I had in just that one building. I thought about classes I despised, lessons learned, the naps i had here and there, the countless hours I worked on the computers in the ad lab, etc. I moaned and groaned a little bit about going back to school tonight. I was tired and just wanted to go home and spend time with my husband before he fell asleep. But at the same time I kind of treasured it as one of my last times on campus as a BYU student.

I don't regret how I spent my college career. I made loads of friends, married my best friend, and had fun every chance I got! What I do regret is all the moaning and groaning I did. I was truly blessed to attend Brigham Young University. All the tests you take and all the stress doesn't seem to matter when you look back at the memories you were making all around that stuff. I realized that when I thought about studying every day in the library-- the semester I met Dmitri-- and a smile came on my face.

This is the place that I made some of the most defining decisions of my life-- both smart and stupid. It's the place I met my husband. On that note it goes even deeper--It's the place that my mom and dad met and BOTH my sisters met their husbands. It's a college campus that has buildings built by my great grandfather.

For all that and so much more -- I should have appreciated it MORE in the actual moments.

I don't know if anyone will ever read this but I guess this is my sign off to BYU-- my goodbye. maybe another generation of mine will come to appreciate it the way that I have-- I hope so! :) ***GO COUGS!!***

End of November

2010-12-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Our last bit of November was fun. Dmitri enjoyed the Turkey bowl with some guys from church. Too bad he got rocked in the face with someone's elbow :(

We got to go to the last BYU home game. It was weird thinking that it would be my last home game as BYU student. THAT'S RIGHT! D graduated in April and I am graduating (FINALLY) in December! No homework? just work and being a wife? I THINK I'M GROWING UP!!!!?

Sadly we don't have any pictures of our Thanksgiving. We had an early Thanksgiving with our ward. Del Taco on Thanksgiving day. And a double dinner date with friends that turned into a belated "Wanna be" Thanksgiving. (It was a wanna be Thanksgiving because I some rotisserie chickens for us instead of turkey.)

As for the friends we had dinner with (Chris and Chelsea Hill). We found out that they officially got Chris' dream job in Norway and will be leaving Utah the same time as us. WE WILL MISS THEM!

Our last November in Provo

2010-12-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

Before thanksgiving we had a great surprise. Dmitri got into the Marines as an officer. He's VERY excited! He reports on January 7th for 10 weeks and while I would be dreading the beating his body is about to take he just smiles and looks at Marine Corps training videos-- EVERY NIGHT! He's excited for the awesome workout and the great friends and time that he claims it's going to be.

I think he's crazy but I'm happy he's happy. He's wanted to do this for so long. And although it sucks that he's going to be away from me for 10 weeks (i'm not allowed to go) at least I get to go to California and get out of the snow :)

Fall Fun

2010-10-27T14:51:00.001-07:00

It's been a very busy fall for Dmitri and Jenna Schumacher!

We celebrated Jace and Kyler's birthday
Dmitri and I were the cool aunt and uncle at the party and provided the pinata!

(It was a HIT)

We carved pumpkins with friends

Dmitri's sister came into town for the MTC! So we got some time with her and -- since Dmitri has been working his butt off at his job in SLC-- we went to visit him on his lunch break.
UP NEXT? MY BIRTHDAY!

Mr. & Mrs.

2010-09-14T20:05:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our honeymoon spot in Ogden Canyon.

We had our own little cabin!

On the weekend we went sister's house to see Logan (my oldest nephew) get baptized and Elijah (one of my brand new nephews get blessed

After our honeymoon we had a fun trip home to our new apartment
Wedding gifts! - Thank you everyone!

Reunited at LAST!

2010-09-07T19:42:00.001-07:00

After two months of being apart I finally flew to California to visit her parents and see my handsome fiance Dmitri. It was a busy yet relaxing week. We went to the Oakland Temple.

I had a bridal shower.
(My first one was in Maryland with my awesome inlaws)

Then we went back out on the road to Utah to finish final preparations for the wedding!

Invites

2010-07-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATE

2010-06-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Jenna and Dmitri are getting married the 2nd of September 2010 in the LDS Mount Timpanogos Temple. A reception will be held in their honor that night in Provo, UT. An open house in Modesto, Ca will follow that next week. And a get together is to be announced on the east coast (most likely in December)

So Save the date!!! we hope to see all of you there

The bride and groom are registered at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond

Getting to know us

2010-06-22T20:10:00.001-07:00

Jenna Lynn Tolboe and Dmitri Scott Schumacher met at their BYU ward in Provo. He was the attractive male cheerleader and she was the advertising student trying her hardest to finish school already. When they finally started dating Jenna's career and graduation plans were falling into place and Dmitri hung up his megaphone and graduated in April 2010. They were engaged the end of April and are getting married in the Fall. Jenna is currently working as an intern at an ad agency in New York City while Dmitri is in Utah working a full time job. She'll get back in late August... we miss eachother terribly.

Hobbies: Salsa Dancing- with eachother ;), sports, playing games (board games, video games etc), movies, going on walks, food -cooking and eating it, travelling, speaking spanish together, goofing off, laughing really loud, etc.

US!! in a nutshell... a very very small nutshell