Another good day

Wow! What a Monday! They are busier since the girls get out of school early. Accomplished quite a bit today though. Got a work out in, hung out with the little man, and made it to a softball game! Add it all up and it makes for one exhausting day!!
But it is so awesome to be surrounded by family. Not biological family, the family that is created out of necessity! You bond with those around you because they are experiencing or have experienced the same things! Our Army family is amazing and it continues to grow with every passing day!
Growing up in a small town, there are few places that you feel unwelcome at. Having that feeling everywhere we have been is phenomenal! Leavenworth and Texas well I would run out of days of the week before I ran out of family either place. Ft Carson has been a learning experience to say the least. However, after two years it looks like we have found our groove!
The kids and I went to the championship softball game (759th Military Police vs The DFMWR guys). Well it was storming when we left the house. I half expected them to cancel the game, we would have been very upset! We took a detour and said hello to one of our other great families (the Wards). We got to the game late, but it was like we had been there all along! Snacks were passed around, seats were shuffled and we were caught up on all the big plays.....It was great to feel at home!!
Overall it has been a great Monday! Got to hear his voice, even though it makes me sad it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to know he is ok! We opened an email account for the oldest, we hope it will help with her coping skills. As hard as it is on us grown ups, we have no idea how hard it is on our little people. Right now we are focusing on lots of good rest, healthy meals and plenty of safe places as an outlet! The staff at Soaring Eagles Elementary has been phenomenal! I am looking forward to volunteering at the school this year!

It isn't any easier this time around. I am still sad that he is so far away. I am sad that another year will go by that he will miss. But we will get through it. We have faith in God and faith in each other. We have amazing people in our lives both near and far. Above all, we love each other and our family.

Sunday

The best thing about Sundays....not having anything to do. We are not church goers, not because we don't believe in God, but we haven't found a church that fits. So we enjoy a big breakfast, time on the couch, maybe a movie with a snack. Nothing like being surrounded by the people you love. If we could only get the minions to sleep past 0630......Really is it to much to ask to stay in bed until 0800?? I prefer 1000, but I will take 0800! They are the funnest people around, but I do not like to be up early!!

Monday will be filled with chaos...The first day of the week and an early day for the girls. I am so glad that they both enjoy school. They have some pretty awesome teachers and the rest of the staff is pretty amazing as well. Knowing that they are surrounded by amazing people makes the hard days a walk in the park!

Another day closer to the day he gets home..... :)

Class of 2011

My baby is a graduate!!! She completed Kindergarten with flying colors!! How cute she looked in her little uniform and oversize tshirt! haha!! I am amazed at how fast time seems to travel. It seems like it was yesterday that she said her first word. Now here we are crossing Kindergarten off of her list of things to do.
We often think of Graduation as an ending. I believe it is a begining. For some it is the begining of a new chapter in childhood, for others a new beginging of adulthood, and for those college graduates a new chapter in the adult book of life. Graduation is the completion of hard work and hopefully the end of cram studying and test day jitters.

where has the time run off to?

Seven years ago today I committed my life to my best friend!!! I am so happy that the good times out number the bad times!! We have built a beautiful life and I look forward to the rest of our lives together.

..........

Almost 36 hours into this and it feels, I don't know what it feels like. I just know I hate it. I have said this before, I hate how everything is just waiting for him. From his shoes to his dog. Everything is in the place he left it. Most things will be moved either to be put away or because I find a new place for whatever it is. Last deployment there was a granola bar and a dr pepper that sat where he left it for 9 months. I couldn't move them. It looks like his shoes have taken residence on the side of the bed this time. The laundry is done so all remnants of him coming home from work have been set aside. I don't even get to move his razor....since he took it with him.
Back to hearing the phone ring when it really doesn't. Back to taking a deep breath before opening the door when someone rings the bell.

....and away he goes

Well he is on his way. Much to our disbelief time has passed and this journey has begun. What amazes me are those around me. People very rarely surprise me. Today they have. My friends have put aside their own burdens to assure me that they will be there to help me get through this.
I already have a list of things to put in the mail for him, imagine that! HAHAHA I wouldn't have it any other way.
Little miss is going to have a hard time with this. I am amazed how much she remembers from the previous two deployments. Her daddy is her guy and it is very hard for her to be away from him. I don't think the other two remember quite as much. I do know I need to find some friends for my little guy, or he is going to drive me batty!

**cheers** to life and whatever it may bring in the next 10-12 mos!

life continues

I feel like I am standing still. Like the whole world is rushing by. Friends are having parties, getting their kids ready for school, starting new jobs etc., etc. What am I doing? Waiting on the day he flies to get here. Why? So we can get back to life. Right now he is home at all hours of the day. Since the Army has nothing for him to do. Yes, we will get used to him showing up for breakfast or lunch unannounced. We will get used to him being home to take a nap with all of us. As soon as we have adjusted to that, he will be gone and we will have to get used to the fact that he will not be home for dinner! It is so very frustrating. I am not excited about this deployment to say the least. I am angry and frustrated that he is deploying AGAIN! I know we are not the first family to do three deployments in less than 5 years. I am frustrated because of how it all came to be. How is it possible that the slot he is filling went vacant for almost 12 months? Two weeks before this unit deployed they realize they need ONE person to fill one slot and our lives are affected again. How with all the technology we have at our disposal does one spot go unnoticed? And is it me or do some service members put more into it than they get? What about all of those that are sitting at home while others rack up deployment after deployment? Is the Army not tracking any of this?? Yet they can see who has 13 months of dwell time. We all know no one can have that much time at home! Especially if you have the job he does. No, I am not just an Army wife that complains. I gave my country my time, I would have given even more but life happened. I have stayed involved as much as possible. I donate not only time but money and skills where I think I can contribute. In doing all of this, I see who busts their behinds and who uses others to get themselves ahead.
I think I am in the worst place an Army wife can be. Frustrated and unhappy with the Army. For me that is a bad place. I love the Army. I think it is a great place for those that have a lack of direction or lack the desire to go to college straight out of high school. I think it provides some of the greatest traveling opportunities in the world. We have a great lifestyle, thanks to the Army. The pay will not make you a millionaire but if you watch your nickels and dimes it will keep the wolves at bay. Right now, even all of that is not helping me get over my frustration with the Army and those that run things. The Army would be perfect, if it wasn't run by people.