He's HOME!

Bill is HOME!! I can't tell you how happy that makes us!

Yesterday was filled with lots of time changes and lots of little frustrations. The time kept getting earlier and earlier. This is good in a way since that meant we were going to get Bill home sooner, but it also meant waking the boys up at 2 am and going to Ft Hood in the middle of the night. It also meant no special outfits and really more of a just get there and get it over with. The rear detachment wanted the families in the gym at 2:30am. This ended up being way too early. Nothing like the Army way of "hurry up and wait." Any military family can appreciate what that really means! We were there for 1.5 hours before we saw our soldiers. I did get a text from Bill at 2:26am that they were successfully on the ground at Gray Army Airfield. But just because they were on the ground did not mean that they were on their way. They had to turn in weapons and load bags, etc. So they had us at the gym which was mildly warmer than is comfortable. They gave us lousy snacks and had a DJ. The floor was filthy. The kids were so good for the first hour of our wait. But that was their threshold. Who can blame them? I was getting impatient, too. But finally the buses arrived to cheers. Bill's unit was to be the last ones in the gym and we saw him walk in. And then Ian took off after him so I had to chase him. Poor kid. I wanted to run after Bill, too, but you know the Army. They make everything have some sort of formality. So I did manage to catch him and heard the chuckles from the wives behind me knowing that if their kids were any younger that they would have been doing just what I had done. LOL.

The short address of the soldiers was nothing short of lame. The speaker didn't even say my husband's unit correctly. I mean if that doesn't put a bad taste in your mouth then I don't know. So he finally said "Released!" Ian ran. He ran right to Bill and jumped. It was sweet and then Bill came toward Aaron and I and grabbed Aaron, too. It was so great to see him. So we relished the moment for a few and then started our way out of the gym. We put the kids in the car and Bill went to retrieve his duffle bag. Then it was homeward bound!!

It almost doesn't seem real. Aaron has warmed up pretty well. He didn't cry, but was a little hesitant. He seems to be much better today, but still prefers me. Even Ian, who is overtired, is still preferring me. (Much to Mommy's relief!) We have had a fairly laid back day. Lunch at a local eaterie and then a trip to the commissary on a payday during a case lot sale. (We were definitely NOT thinking on that one!) Then home for naps!

Day 366

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13


I can't help but to reflect today on the past year. April 20, 2009 was one of the hardest days in my life. I packed up my family in my minivan in the wee hours of the morning and deposited my husband at Ft Hood with prayers of hope for a safe return the next spring. I smiled through tears for a photograph. I reassured my boys that everything was fine and I returned home as the "head of household" steeling myself against the harsh reality of a year without my husband here helping me.

I've learned a lot about myself in this past year. Things I knew deep down, but never really had been tested or tried. Yes, I've cried some tears and sure I've had my days of pretty low lows, but I've learned that I can pretty much find a way to accomplish most anything. The last deployment I was still pretty carefree. I lived in a town where I had been for many years and still had my old friends and family there to keep me busy. Nothing was new. I had no kids. It really was just another day of singlehood without the demands of dating. This time I had to find a way not only to go through the motions, but actually to find a way to nurture and raise my kids to feel safe and secure in spite of their father's absence (if even only for a year.)

I've also learned that it's okay to ask for help. I'm typically a "I'd rather just do it myself" kind of girl. Well, I've learned that always doing it yourself isn't really the best. I've also learned that it's okay to use opportunites that are presented for your benefit and that it's not really taking advantage when you really could use the time to yourself. I'm a better mom when I am getting a little TLC of my own.

I've been amazed at the support of this Army town. Before moving here, I've made it a point to steer totally clear of anything associated with the Army. Well in a place like Killeen, that is next to impossible. I've found out that in spite of some of my previous encounters, there are some really awesome Army wives out there and I am glad to call them my friends.

I have looked over some of the things we've done over the past year and realized that we have occupied our time pretty well. Playdates and day trips, visits from friends and family, and even a 2 day each way journey on my own with the boys and the dog for the holidays. Yes, we've celebrated in a different way, but we've managed to celebrate. We've had fun. Yes, we missed Bill, but we still found joy in our days.

Bill is due home on Monday. There is always a possibility that Monday will come and go and he still won't be home, but I am optimistic that he will definitely be home in the next 10 to 14 days. I know that this year has been equally hard on him living in less than stellar conditions without the comforts of home. I know that he has missed being with his boys and seeing their day to day antics.

I've watched some other pretty amazing wives go through this very same trial and I am glad that they have shown me such a wonderful example and I am humbled by their strength and poise.

Deployments aren't easy times in families' lives, but I can say for certain that that my family is contributing to the continued freedoms that our great nation enjoys. And while our sacrifice has merely been time without our loved one, we remember those who were not so fortunate.

Praise God that the end of this deployment is near. We continually pray for a safe journey for Bill and those traveling with him.

The Sweet and the Not So Sweet

Ian has had a bit of a rough time adjusting to his daddy not being around. He thought that I had taken Bill out to Ft Hood, left him there and that now Bill is lost. Ian started being aggressive toward me and his brother which was not normal. So I tried to explain to him that Bill was at work far, far away, but he continued to be mean to kids he was playing with. He even shoved one kid and I know he hasn't ever done that unless someone provokes him in the past. ARGH. So now I feel like the mom of the kid that no one wants to be around. Bill did finally manage to get a call through to us and he did talk to Ian. He told him that he wasn't lost and to be good for mommy. He has been a bit better since then. I'm hoping to see a marked improvement by the end of the weekend.

Ian does still have his sweet side though. He was so cute out picking "flowers for Mommy" while we were at the park today. We were there for the "predeployment party" and Ian did pretty good minding, etc. It also seems to have helped that we've been able to SKYPE with my inlaws and my parents. Just having that interaction seems to help keep Ian in check. Here's a picture of my sweet boy with his flowers for mommy.

God Bless Daddy and All Those Who Serve

We spent a lovely weekend in Arlington and Bill was able to share a couple of his loves with the boys before he left this morning. We drove up on Saturday morning and got stuck in a horrible traffic jam on the interstate, but still managed to get there in time to enjoy some baseball and swimming. We were able to get some great seats to the Rangers/Royals game and also a good deal on the Embassy Suites.



(and mostly because I think it's so stinking cute!):


Bill also took the time to teach Ian how to hit a ball off a T in a moment of spare time between packing. It was so fun to watch those 2 out there playing together.


This morning was the "dreaded day" for me. I am so very proud of my husband and all of the servicemen that do such a wonderful job keeping our country safe, but part of me is very sad knowing that he will miss so much here at home in the next year. I had the pleasure of reading one of my friend's blogs this morning before I came here to write this. She is much more eloquent than me and also is a military wife, but is also a military mom. Her two sons have followed in their dad's footsteps and have gone on to become military men in their own right. Her second son is on his way to MEPS today. She writes of her pride and her sorrow. It's the letting go part that seems the hardest regardless of how many times you've come across the path of separation. I took great comfort in her words because they seem to be very much how I feel even though I am sending off a husband this time and she is sending her son off to basic training. (I'm going to ask her permission to link her blog to this post and will add it when she says ok.)

So our prayers today are with the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that serve our fine nation. We pray especially today for Bill and for "Carkiller." Bill and his unit are on their way to Afghanistan to serve for a yearlong deployment and "Carkiller" is on his way to MEPS, his swearing in ceremony and then to basic training at Ft Jackson, SC. We pray for their safety and their success. We pray that God places His hand of protection over them. We pray for the families that are left behind. And we pray that His Will be done in all of the lives involved.