Sweet Nectar of the Gods

The planets have aligned, the heavens have opened, and a Starbucks has just opened, less than a mile from my home in our teeny, tiny little town. I may just survive this deployment after all!

Thoughts

Steve is still in the state of Idaho for a few more weeks, but in that time, the boys and I will only see him a mere handful of days. For all intents and purposes, we are now officially in Deployment Mode. It is kind of funny how many "slaps of reality" I've had over the past few days. The biggest one? I need to get in shape, in a MAJOR way. Seriously. I am so tired these past few days I can't even believe it! Our normal routine is that when Steve would come home at night, the boys would be all over him, and he basically played with them until they went to bed. During that time I'd have time to relax, tend to a few chores, etc. Now that he's not here, I'm going full-tilt from the time I get up (usually 6:00 a.m.) until their little heads hit the pillow. For my sanity, I really must make exercise part of my daily routine, I need to lose some weight (after all, I did have my "baby" almost four years ago now!), and put my well-being high on the priority list. This is something I have always struggled with, especially since becoming a mother. No time for me...need to tend to everyone else's needs first. So, we shall see what happens...

My Boys

Packing

A Blessing

We are very lucky to have found a wonderful church in the past year. It is literally right around the corner from our house. Neither Steve nor I were really church-going folks, although we'd both attended church growing up. However, we found ourselves at a point in life where something seemed to be missing - - something we wanted for our boys, but didn't know exactly where to start. One day I called the pastor of our local Presbyterian church and asked her a few questions, and liked her right away. So we went and checked out one of their services, and have been attending ever since. I love this church because it is warm, welcoming, and accepting. Our pastor is very open-minded and knowledgeable, and the sermons are interesting and relevant to every-day life.

This past Sunday, Steve was to receive a special blessing from our pastor, as it was the last Sunday he would be attending church before he left. Unfortunately, she and her husband were on their way home from Canada and experienced a cancelled flight and could not make it to church. Fortunately, the woman who plays the organ at church, Jackie, stepped in. Jackie is an amazing woman who knows exactly what it is like to be without her husband for long periods of time. He is a physician who does mission work in Pakistan and is gone for months at a time.

Jackie had some of the church elders come to the front and lay hands upon our shoulders as she blessed Steve. It was really lovely and it took a lot of concentration not to break into the "ugly cry" in front of everyone. The gentleman standing next to Steve served in the Army in World War II.

Our boys are the only small children in the entire congregation, so as you can imagine, they get quite a bit of special attention. They especially love Miss Cathy, who does Sunday school with them. Since Camden and Griffin are the only children, there isn't a traditional "Sunday School" for them to attend, but Miss Cathy takes them to the classroom and they read stories and put puzzles together and have a great time. As you can see, she also brings them Push-Pops.

So, today I am feeling extra-thankful that we have such a loving congregation of people who will be thinking of Steve and looking out for us while he is away.

A Title Escapes Me

I try, I really try, to keep an open mind and remember that most people have good intentions (or at least I'd like to think they do). Then, there is a part of me that just doesn't care, and I often find myself getting angry at the lack of sensitivity some people exhibit. Deployment is challenging, but it is part of military life. You will find that most military families are strong, well-prepared, and just do what they need to do, without complaint. It doesn't matter where a soldier is deploying to -- separation is STILL HARD. Wives miss their husband's companionship, children miss their father...I could go on and on. In a nutshell, if you have not experienced a deployment on a personal level, you do not understand. I am very lucky in that I have some very good friends who, although not even remotely connected to the military, seem to get it. I am so thankful for their encouraging words and kindness. I am also very lucky to have family members who get it, too. I do not know what I would do without them. I'm not really sure why I am even posting any of this. I think sometimes I just get frustrated and need to vent.

A Lovely Send-Off

Yesterday, the mayor of our little town hosted a huge send-off for all of the Army National Guard soldiers in our community who will be deploying to Iraq in the coming weeks.

The turnout was HUGE. It was so comforting to see so many family members, friends, and neighbors coming together to recognize all of our soldiers. I think it was really good for me, because I have been very focused on my little family of four, and the emotional challenges we've been facing, so this served as a reminder that we're not alone in this, and that possibly I can offer support to another spouse or family member who may need it.

I'm feeling extra thankful for our mayor today - - thankful that he went to the trouble of organizing this event. After all of these years, I think it is easy for the general population to forget that there are service members serving in Iraq anymore.

Not Much

Not a lot to write about right now...I'm currently battling with that dreaded feeling that I wish time would quit rushing by, but on the other hand I'd just like to get this show on the road already. OPSEC says that I can't blog about the details, but let's just say we are gearing up for big changes around here. So, not a lot to write about while we soak up family time and continue to make preparations. I'm thinking this space will be relatively quiet for the time being. I will update when I can.

Bliss

Pretty busy around these parts, soaking up every bit of family time we can squeeze in...