So Long, Farewell....

If you haven't figured it out by now, I've pretty much given up on this blog. I seriously don't know what I was thinking when I started it - - I can barely keep up with my original blog, much less, two of them! So, if you'd like to read about our deployment, you can just read it all at the original Way Out West. The good, the bad, and the ugly! It is mostly all good, but every now and then I'll need to let off a little steam and do some venting, so consider yourself warned! Hope to see you there!

Man Chores

First let me start by saying that I am a completely capable woman. I have been through deployment before, and in my husband's absence have supervised home construction projects, dealt with electrical problems, mowed the lawn with one arm while balancing a baby on my hip with the other, dealt with plumbing problems, automobile problems, etc.. You know what I'm saying - - pretty much anything that can go wrong usually does while your spouse is deployed, and you just get through it. That being said, I just have to tell you how much I dislike, and dislike tending to, Man Chores. These are the things that yes, my husband typically does, when he's around. The main two are taking out the garbage, and taking the recyclables to the recycling center. I don't know what it is, but I just have the hardest time working up the ambition to complete either.

Since our garage really isn't being used for anything other than a place to house Steve's car while he's away, it has been way to convenient for me to let the recycling pile to the ceiling. It also has worked as a great "trash room" - - much easier to set the bag of garbage out there, rather than have to "suit up" and walk it out to the alley way. The only problem is, I do it over and over, each time conveniently forgetting that I put trash out there. The next thing I know, I've got 7 bags in a heap, and they still need to make it out to the alley for trash pick up.

Over the weekend, I started the process of trying to reform my ways. All of the garbage bags are in the proper place - - in the cans in the alley. All the recycling has been recycled, although it took me two trips to get it all there. The neighbors must have wondered where I had been storing all of that cardboard.

A New Book and a Letter

Camden came home from school yesterday with a book that his teacher gave to him and it is so cute! He was also extra-excited, because in early December, each student in his class wrote a letter to Steve. Today, the class received a letter back from him. I could tell how proud Camden was to have the letter read to his class, and that they spent time talking about his Dad. Steve plans to go in and visit with Camden's class when he's home on R&R, which I bet will be a huge hit.

Counting the Days...

...until R&R, that is. Let me just say it is getting very close. With all that the boys and I have going on right now, it will be here before I know it. I had a nice, long chat via Skype with Steve this morning, and it was just what I was needing. Camden and Griffin were both at school, so we were able to really talk about a whole bunch of things. I've been missing Steve so much lately, and I wish I could get a grip on that. It's a combination of things really - - post-holiday let-down, cold & dreary weather, not seeing many adults. I'm really making a concerted effort to get out of these doldrums and get on with it.

Steve and I spent a lot of time talking about what we'd like to do during R&R. I'd mentioned that I'd really like for the two of us to get away for one night - - go out for dinner and stay overnight in Boise, but getting Steve to spend even 12 hours away from the boys is going to take a miracle - I could tell from his response. I'm going to keep working on him though because I think it is important for us to have at least a little time alone. We also talked about how we just want to "disappear" for a few days when he gets here. We discussed a few different options and they all sound like fun!