ALOHA

We went to Oahu , HI for our first ever in sixteen years kid free vacation! It was magical from the time we stepped off the plane into the tropical breeze. Paul & I couldn't get enough of the beautiful flowers, clear blue waters, & beaches. We snorkeled, we drank yummy tropical drinks,we shopped , Paul fished, & we swam with a real Sea Turtle! It was an amazing vacation that was long over due for just us two. So many times as a military wife you push aside alone time for fear of not letting the children have their time with dad. Fear that if you go away by yourself your being selfish because you have no idea when or if he will get leave again anytime soon. Not this time, this time I was not feeling guilty one bit. Did we discuss the boys, yes. Did we miss them yes. But did we want the with us - NO! We did decide to take some tax money come February & catch a MAC fight back to the Islands with the four boys so they too could experience the wonders of Hawaii. But I would not change one moment of this time with my husband.
 Here a few pictures, but honestly we just snorkeled a lot, cuddled, & acted like we had just got married- it was AWESOME!

The beach in front of the Hale Koa where we stayed

FIrst day on the beach- I was singing " I got my toes in the water Arse in the sand" hehe

Can you tell I was excited to be sitting in sand in 85 degree sunshine!

  My handsome husband

Hanauma Bay a Sealife Reef that is protected. We snorkeled & it was amazing!

Paul fishing on a Flat's Boat- was a really fun day! We saw so many Sea Turtles & beautiful views. Our guide was hilarious & kept us laughing all day.

Lau night was a lot of fun!

We snuck over to the West side of the island on one day for some snorkeling we heard was amazing! It was at the Lagoon at the Disney Resort. What a great quiet beach & Paul found me a Sea Turtle! We where able to swim right with him for about ten minutes! I was thrilled! Paul was so great following him around when I couldn't see him good to make sure I kept right with him. I love Sea turtles they are one of my favorite animals.

This was one of my favorite spots in the hotel. It had beautiful flowers that these pictures don't begin to do justice.

I couldn't have asked for a better getaway with Paul. I am so lucky that the grandparents came to babysit so we could escape. It was nice to have the time to reconnect & enjoy some much needed down time. Now we are home & I am jet lagged. But it was so worth it & I would do it again next week if we could. I can;t say enough about how nice the Hale Koa was. If your husband is returning from a deployment go check them out for a getaway. There is plenty to keep you entertained on site & they offer a generous 30 off as a Thank You to our returning soldier's. There is a lot of family activities if you choose to take your kids as well. But I highly recommend taking some time away with your guy if you can. It was nice to be reminded hy I fell in love with this man & have stayed married to him for the past sixteen years. It is memories I can hold on to should the Army decide to send him away again anytime soon. They are special moments I'll never forget.

Single Digits

All I have to say is Let the Homecoming Beautification Process BEGIN!! It's hair day ladies!! You all know what that means- we are getting CLOSE!! Closer to this...

The first kiss after many, many months.

Closer to these Happy Moments mixed with tears of joy & relief.

Moments that melt my heart & make me pray a prayer of thanks to God for letting our soldier make it home safely one more time.

It won't be long now and I can hardly wait. I may be gone for awhile as I scramble to get things done these last few days. I have a huge list to keep me busy so I don't sit & stare at the clock that seems to have stopped moving! Soon we will be a family again. For how long, well only the Army knows the answer to that. But I am ready to have the first glimpse of my soldier, the first hug, the first kiss all over again. If it's one thing the Army does well it's Homecomings & I can't wait!

 

A little idea for you non- Army bloggers what a week leading up to homecoming & the actual homecoming looks like. It's spectacular time where emotions run high & for a short brief moment you forget all the stress of the past twelve months. All you know is you got your call he is safe & he will be in your arms again soon!

He Did it Again

My soldier husband got a wonderful award for all his hard work this deployment. He never fails to amaze me with his casual conversation on chat that he isn't doing much just his job. Then he casually drops in that he is receiving an award. I have him send me a link to see & found out it is the third highest award for a non-combat job during a deployment. My man ROCKS!! He has worked hard for the last 21 years of hs Army career and deserves every award he has received. Anyone who begs to differ need only look at his record. Last time I checked your superiors don't just hand out the type of awards & NCOER's this man has in his file. Yes I am bragging, but I am proud of my man & the career he has that provides for our family. Love him & am super excited that we are 96.45% DONE with deployment number 4!!

He looks so sad here it bummed me out. I hate missing his award ceremony this is only the second one ever I have missed.

 There is his smile....

Pinning on is Defense Meritorious Service Medal in Afghanistan
The Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense. The medal is awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense to members of the Armed Forces who, while serving in a joint activity, distinguish themselves by non-combat outstanding achievement or meritorious service, but not of a degree to warrant award of the Defense Superior Service Medal.

P.S. 
This has been his only non-combat deployment- a totally new world to us both.

Being Bold

Ok so if you don't want to hear a few of the plain hard facts & truths of how this momma is feeling right now here is your WARNING: LEAVE THIS BLOG NOW!!


Taking a page from a great blogger over at My Camo Kids who decided to tell it like it is about her recent new deployment . I am right there with her at the moment only mine is the tail end of the deployment phase. Here goes hang on folks you may hear things you don't like but guess what ? It's the truth & the way I feel at the moment so deal with it please like grown - ups. Only leave comments that won't get you yelled at & possibly beat up by this tired Army wife & mom.


 First yes I know I should be excited that I am now mere weeks away from seeing my husband after ten long months- but NO that does not make it any easier now then it did when he left. As a matter of fact I'm even more exhausted & tired! Why you may ask because the four boys have now declared WAR on eachother- NON- STOP!! They apparently have used up all their good moods/ manners at school . When they arrive home they argue, fight, yell all night or day long! I'm tired of playing referee!


Second just because your husband is just starting a deployment does not mean my deployment experience is any less valid because my husband will be home . EXCUSE ME- he has been gone ten months while your husband was still home with you & your kids! Please get over yourself and realize we are all going through deployment hell together so shouldn't we all be supporting eachother not comparing who has it worse?


Third stop thinking you are coming to Homecoming with my family if I haven't asked you. This time is so emotional for my boys & me that we can barely make it through by ourselves let alone with others present. We always have one person who I take who is a friend of mine to take pictures. But she stays back quietly we never know she is there. She leaves in her own car & gives me the pictures later. Homecoming is special, private time filled with extreme emotions that unless you've been through it you can't possibly understand so please don't pretend you can. Don't expect because your a friend you get to come. Reintegration to me is THE HARDEST part of a deployment cycle. In our home we barely had Paul home for five months before orders dropped again- so we never really even bonded again before he left. We have a long hard road ahead. He has missed three consecutive birthdays of Jeremy's. his kids have grown, changed not only physically but emotionally- BACK OFF let us get to know each other again. This time would include the first few weeks he is home as well. Call say hello, leave a Welcome Home on Facebook- but please don't be offended if we aren't running to invite you over.


Fourth did I mention I'm exhausted! Maybe even more so then when this started- sleep what is sleep?? So if I act like I'm fine just know asking is a super loaded question so be prepared. You could possibly get the nice " I'm fine" or you could get the total break down in tears me. Emotions are running high- so suck it up & ask with caution then be prepared to accept you may not like what you hear.


Anyway that's my vent for the day- I'm hanging on to my rope for six more weeks. I am on what I call the steep downhill slope of the roller coaster ride from Hell!! We all go through phases this is my phase at the moment. This is my life & I'm Ok with it, but I'm SOOOOO ready for it to be OVER!

** Edit**
Thank you to all my close friends who have read this then chose to send me some outrageously funny emails. You've made me laugh so hard- for that I am grateful ** 

Happy Dancing Through the Post Office

I bet you never would have thought that anyone would be doing a Happy Dance in the post office?? Well this girl did today! We have lived in the same military town for the last three deployments so I know the employees at our local post office. A couple who always chat with me & ask about Paul are super great! I got one of those ladies today as I slung a heavy care package up on her scale. She smiled & asked what I packed this time for Paul? I smiled a huge smile & told her it has all the favorites he requested because it's HIS LAST CARE PACKAGE of this deployment!!

That's right folks we have finally made it through almost 10 months of this fourth deployment. We found out a couple weeks ago my husband's unit will be home one month early- so I only have to hold on to my sanity six more weeks! I can do this I CAN!! Six weeks is a heck of a lot shorter then when we started back on July 5, 2011! It takes his boxes about ten to fourteen days to arrive so I won't mail anymore. I hate that he is spending his big 40th Birthday over there but we can celebrate when he returns. Now is time to buckle down and get all those projects done I said I would finish ten months ago,oooppps. I can barely wrap my brain around the fact that we have almost done it, we have almost kicked this fourth deployment in the booty! I pray it is our last, but who knows what God & the Army have in store for our family. I just had to share with everyone. I hope you all who are just starting your journey can read this & realize eventually they come to an end. Just hang on tight with both hands & go along for the ride!

Thursday's Tune Time is Back

We all took a short holiday break from Thursday's music link up over at Goodnight Moon with Amber. But we are all back & I am really not sure what song I've been listening to this week. Oh that's right I've been trapped inside my home with four boys & three dogs!! I haven't got to listen to much this week thanks to the snow storm. All I can really focus on lately is the fact that my husband will be home in less then a month for R&R. So I am going to stick with a sort of oldie but goodie deployment must have on your playlist song. I am counting down the days until he is home again.Even if it is only for 16 sweet days.

If you haven't listened it's Nickelback's Faraway

It will be 7 months & 2 weeks by the time I hold my soldier again. He has been faraway for far too long.

Now head on over to Amber's to listen to some great songs & link up too!

No Superwoman Here Folks

I am now 6 months into a fourth deployment. I get told a lot of times "Amanda it'll be OK because your Superwoman!". I hate to burst everyone's bubble but I am no different then any other ordinary Army Wife who is only trying to find activities to fill the time while my soldier is away. It may appear to those who don't know me well that I am on the go a lot and juggling fifty different things at once with ease. But appearances can be deceiving. Don't think for one moment that just because I am out doing things for my children or myself that this makes my deployment experience any less exhausting and emotionally draining then anyone else. But above all please no I am NO Superwoman!!

Do I cry , Yes- yesterday it was three times. Am I exhausted & get no sleep? Yes- I am averaging if I am lucky 4 to 5 hours a night 7 days a week. Do I think because this is his fourth deployment I know everything-NO. I called another wife just this week to help out another of our unit's wives because guess what folks- I DID NOT have the answers she needed. Did I know who would, yes I hoped I did. But if I was perfect or Superwoman as some seem to think I would have never had to make a call for assistance to begin with-huh. 

I am not angry that some think I have it all together, just a little frustrated with the title. I still need hugs & told it'll be OK just like any other wife going through a deployment. I still sat in my living room floor on Christmas Eve alone crying with just the three dogs. It's hard work to keep up with all the balls I do have going in my life. But I have four boys to think about & not just myself.

I am not a person who sits around and does the "whoo is me stuff" very well. I have a hard time reading status's on Facebook like that as well when I am in the middle of a deployment. I take the attitude that if you stay busy, keep your kids happy then it just helps. But by no means does it mean I have it all together anymore then other wives out there who miss their husband. I just want my family back together just as much as anyone- but right now that's not going to happen. So I put on a smile, I do endless doctor's appointments, puppy classes, soccer, video games stuff, because it helps pass the time. Not because I want to feel exhausted. But I know sitting in my house moping around will only make the kids sad and worried as well as me a depressed hot mess!

Please remember ladies that we are all in this deployment hell together. Not one of us is any more ready for a deployment emotionally then the other. We may tell our selves "we got this", but yeah when it's time & happening to you- it is never as easy as it looks. It's a lot easier to think a person doesn't need hugs, checked in on, advice, because you are peering in from the outside. Maybe you just need to remember if you feel like crap because your soldier is leaving or gone chances are so does that wife that looks like she has it all together.

I can't say enough how much fun Friday night was for me with the two ladies who enjoyed going out with me on my anniversary. I needed the laughter, the giggles, the silly girl talk. I needed to not worry about one damn thing for those six blissful hours- they will always hold a special place in my heart for taking the time to do that for me.If you know a wife or family going through a deployment it's the really small teeny tiny things that you think make no difference that sometimes mean the most. Walk up give them a hug, tell them they are doing a great job, but you just want to know do they need anything? We may not ask for help ( I know I don't) but it's nice to hear the offer to have the sense that someone knows how hard it really is to go through. For someone to realize, you aren't Superwoman you just need a hug.

Thanks for listening to may rant, every once in awhile I just have to vent. I hope everyone has a great Tuesday this non-superhero is off for my 2 hours of "me time" at the gym, then home to laundry, puppy training, dinner, then more puppy class,oh & setting up pre-op for Jeremy at some point. That is a whole different Post though. I'll share it when I am ready- ta ta for now.

Half-Way Home

Today marks exactly 6 Months ago that I watched my soldier board that ugly yellow bus & drive away. We have seen his face on Skype thanks to technology but we have not held him in our arms. I am beyond excited to finally hit this mark as it seems so much longer then 6 months since he deployed. Now we are on the count down to R&R which is much easier to wrap my brain around then to think about another 6 months until he is home for good. Here is praying that the next few weeks go by quickly, with no Murphy's Law in play . That everyone stays healthy until our soldier returns for some much needed family time.

Goodbye 2011 Hello 2012

I am always grateful when God gives me another year here on earth with my family. But I also wonder the "why" behind the difficulties he places on us during that year. With 2011 finally being over I am extremely happy! It means I hit the half-way mark of this fourth deployment being over! It means that my boys get to see their dad for R&R in a few weeks. It means he will come home- that is so much more exciting then when he left back in July. We had many blessing roll in at the end of the year, but this year has really seemed to creep by at times & fly by at others. I know I should be use to this as it's nothing new. When you say your "See You Later's" to your soldier time seems to come way to quickly to that dreaded send off day. But as usual since he left it has dragged by at a snail's pace,
 We did receive so many blessings of having new friends come into our life as they often do with each deployment. I know God placed them in my life with the specific purpose of getting Jeremy his loveable service dog. I have no doubt in my mind that when I prayed about Jeremy starting school and all doors opening up if that was what was suppose to happen. Well God threw them wide open & Jeremy went to school for the first time . He is loving it and flourishing thanks to the great teachers God provided. With all these blessings I have to be careful and not let the negative out weigh the enormous gifts that God has given me this year. At times it's very hard not to go into my woe is me phase, but I try and that is all I can do.

I don't make New year's resolutions because they are often long forgotten by February. What I do hope for the new year is peace for my worried brain while Paul is away. Activities to fill the time and make it pass quickly. A lot more patience going into the last few months of the deployment so my boys don't catch the brunt of my frustrations & exhaustion.I know in asking God for these he will in his time and way make it possible. I just hope my eyes and heart are open to his answers when he places them in my life. That I am not so consumed with the worldly everyday tasks around me to miss them.
I hope everyone has a safe & Happy New Year's. May all our soldiers serving around the globe come home safely to their loved ones this year as well.Here are a few  pictures , post, & topics that consumed my life in 2011- see you all next year!

Paul's last day on our lake.

The loss of a Beloved friend & soldier 

The faces of a new Gold Star  family

I had to say goodbye to two of my best friends as they PCS to another Post & face the deployment with out them. Losing them both at the same time was so very painful. To loose Romana who had gone through 2 deployments with me was so very strange.

The completion of my 6th ,5k Obstacle run

The last picture of my whole family together.....

Watching the love of my life walk away, not knowing when we will see him again.

First Skype call from Afghansitan

The day we brought home Banyan for Jeremy

There are so many more highlights but these are just a few of the big ones that consumed our lives.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9 

** Borrowed from Skinnie Piggie another great Military Spouse going through a deployment.**

Gooble Until You Wobble

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Soldiers serving away from home & their loved ones this day.I know for my family we are  missing my husband terribly. It's just not the same cooking so much tasty food knowing he will not be here to enjoy it with us all. We love you & miss you my sweet.

 

Handy man, I mean Daddy

Happy Thanksgiving folks - I know I have been a slacker in posting but we have been so busy. My parents flew in on Monday which was only yesterday but it feels like we have been going non-stop! They only come on Thanksgiving when Paul is deployed so the boys & I have some family around. I save all my household fix-em up projects for my daddy as well. Yes folks I am almost forty & I call him daddy still. My dad & I where at Home depot before 9Am today gathering the supplies on his list. He walked through the house Monday evening to see what damage the four boys had done in the two years since he had been here. Well & one girl doggie named Heidi who chewed through my bedroom door frame this summer .  I now have a new door,door frame, picture frame around my world map,& as I type he is repainting the boys bathroom. It doesn't matter that I told him they will have it trashed in a week after he leaves. He still wants it to look nice for thanksgiving day when I have a houseful of guests . I forgot to mention all the little fixes as well- but I am Thankful for every little tiny thing he has done today so my house doesn't fall apart while my soldier is deployed. I am just not a handy girl & thankfully I don't have to spend a fortune to have repairs done.

Mom & I took ourselves into town while dad worked to gather the supplies for Thanksgiving feast. The turkey will be done by our Turkey guru Nathan so we where picking up things for sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pies,green beans casserole & a ham. We bought enough that I was actually given a FREE Turkey from Safeway! Now I have Christmas Dinner in the freezer already! Plus we used all my electronic coupons & regular coupons so I saved us $103.65 on our final bill!! I was super excited! I am also thankful that I have both my parents still to share holidays with some years. I love that they love my kids & take the time to see them as often as possible. It isn't easy as they live in Tennessee but they never let the distance stop them. They see my four boys at least once a year even if they don't see me or Paul.My boys just don't know how lucky they are to have a set of grandparents that treasure them so much & want to be apart of their everyday life from thousands of miles away.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I will be missing my soldier & it breaks my heart to hear how much he is missing us this week. But I know God willing we will have many more holidays to spend together with him in the future. I have his Christmas packages all wrapped I just need to grab a few more little items to put inside his box. I cried while we wrapped his gifts because I hate that we won't get to see  his face while he opens them. I know he will like them all & I pray we can SKYPE at some point. Holiday's for an Army wife stink when they involve deployment. I will enjoy my family time with my parents & my children this week. Then deal with Christmas the best I can. One day at a time, one day at a time.

My Donut of Misery or Happiness....

 I loved when the Deployment first started watching others post about the Donut of Misery-haha I was so, "yeah that's a good name to call it"! Now I am thinking I am going to call mine my Donut of Happiness! I am Happy that everytime I check mine it is slowly & steadily filling up. It may be creeping along but at least it is moving in the right direction.  I am trying to change my attitude & stay a little more positive even though I know I'll still have those  "I hate this & this stinks days !". It's OK to have them, but I hope to have more fun , exciting & happy days instead. Below you can see we are making progress! I am thinking when we finally hit the 50% mark I am taking the kids out for a celebration dinner!! Something to look forward to for sure.

28.35% Completed of your Deployment.

Isn't this GREAT!! I love seeing that we have made progress !! I hope it keeps trucking along at a steady pace- I just love seeing the chart fill up!

 

3 Months & Counting

 I had a very nice relaxing morning visiting with the neighborhood Military wives as I hosted the coffee at my home. I enjoyed holding all the cute snugly newborns. Watched as the mommies tried to keep toddlers out of things in my home as it is no longer baby proof. I thought I had done a decent job of putting things away-lol I forgot how resourceful toddlers can be! After a nice morning I logged into my Facebook to check on my husband only to read  the following status on his Wall "Left Home 3 months ago, 9 more to go...". Ugg,,,,, then my mood changed. I had finally reached that place in the deployment where I am comfortable in the routine the boys & I have established. I had stopped looking at the calender every day wishing time would go faster. But My husband hasn't. His routine seems dull & never changing to him, he misses us terribly. Then to read all the well meaning comments people posted about "WOW it's really only been 3 months, seems longer". you bet you sweet butt it seems longer! Anywhooo going to try to forget that I have nine more long months to go & who knows when R&R will be??? Just going eat my Spinach lasagna for lunch & wait for the boys to get home. Hopefully we come up with something to keep us entertained for the next nine months.

9 Months ago today we said goodbye & had one last hug 

9 months ago today they gave their dad one last hug goodbye....

Looking forward too....... 

 

Dear Deployment......

Dear Monday Deployment,

I HATE YOU!! I have enjoyed the bright sunshine we have had lately in the Pacific Northwest, but it has not brightened my attitude towards you! I have noticed a few things that are different during this deployment #4 compared to the last few times.

1. No matter how many activities I plan for the boys - they still argue at least four times a day! During the previous deployments they where excited ,happy, & worn out after fun pool filled days! No more....uggg

2. I can longer tell the boys that hotdogs,mac/cheese, & chicken nuggets qualify as a meal??? YEP, they are now medium sized men & expect real food- WHY????

3. Even Heidi our dog misses her daddy- she keeps pulling out his folded clothes in the closet & laying on them- can you say separation anxiety?? She has it BIG TIME!!

4. No SKYPE unless we can find time when the husband isn't exhausted from working night shifts to feel like walking over to the MWR tent to SKYPE. So far SKYPE has only happened once & I feel to bad to ask my soldier to stay up an extra hour after his 12 hour shift to walk to the tent to chat, so it stinks!!

5. No FUN care packages to mail every two weeks. Due to limited living space husband shares a room with three others so he can't have a lot of stuff to store. That was how the young boys kept in touch- with art,letters, etc that we mailed. Any suggestions now are welcome?

6. No body to hang with on the weekends that are husband-less- this was a HUGE surprise deployment to us- in a new unit- so all my go-to battle buddies have husbands or have PCS to a new post. It is making this 7 weeks drag so much!

7. I am TIRED all the time!! I actually fall asleep in my man's chair during the middle of the afternoon- what is that about?? I know I am not sleeping well- but nap's during the day has never happened before unless I am sick.....weird!

8.Un-motivated to meet new friends or volunteer- pretty sure I want to do things but lack the motivation to even try- feeling the coming & going of past friends was  IS hard- so why bother to meet new friends who will leave again while I stay??

Yes Deployment right now after only 7 weeks in I feel like you are kicking my BUTT to put it somewhat nicely. I don't like it & I hope the happy face I put on for the kids is working for them. Because it is exhausting for me. That's all for now, just thought you should know I HATE YOU!!

Love,
 Amanda

P.S.
I would appreciate it if you would give me a break soon-thanks-XOXO

Loving Technology

Last night the boys & I FINALLY  got to SKYPE with our soldier for the first time in 5 weeks! It's a long story but basically he is still stuck living in a tent with twenty something soldiers. There is simply no extra room for private living at the moment. He works a late shift & can use his computer at work to chat on Facebook. That has made it easy for me to keep up with him but bad for the kids. It was wonderful to see all their little faces as their dad popped onto the screen last night. It took a couple minutes for him to be able to hear & see us but when he could his whole face lit up!

We laughed because he was in one of the MWR tents & you could hear a ping-pong game  going on during most of the conversation.The boys told him a few of their favorite things they had done while on vacation in TN. He loved their new haircuts- we could actually see their faces. After about ten minutes of chatting with the whole family I got him all to myself for about another 10 to 15 minutes. He did look tired because he had been working all night & it was 7:30AM time for him to go to bed. But it was so nice to actually hear his voice & see his face. He could have slept through our SKYPE time with out me being upset. I loved seeing his reaction on his face as I told him all the latest news from home. Chatting on Facebook is nice, but not the same as actually watching his smile or shocked expression over things we discussed. I miss him a lot but am loving me some technology this morning for sure! We hope to be able to set up some more SKYPE times about three a week now that he has his routine down. We will just have to keep our fingers crossed they eventually get those last guys moved into their own barracks rooms soon. Then he can get a better days sleep as well as SKYPE whenever we want!

Knots in My Stomach

When you wake up to log into your Facebook first thing with your cup of coffee while your soldier is deployed & the first headline you read puts your stomach into knots, makes you nauseous, you know it's going to be a bad day. I knew as soon as I took my first sip of coffee & hit my Facebook icon. The screen popped to life & the first headline I saw was 31 US Troops Killed, 7 Afghans in NATO Helicopter Crash This was a huge SHOCK!! It's no secret my husband is deployed with the NATO team they have pictures up almost daily of his peers. Yesterday's pictures just happen to be of his bosses & his peers as they traveled by Helicopter around Afghanistan. I knew in my heart/head that my soldier was safe, but the dread & sadness at the thought of our friends receiving the news that would forever change their lives, sickened me greatly.

According to all the news reports that are slowly being released this is the single most deadly day for the US since 2005 when 16 Americans where killed. We know now that 25 of those soldier's that gave the ultimate sacrifice where from the Navy Seal family. We pray for them & their loved ones left behind who must learn how to move forward. I also ask that you keep all the remaining soldier's that are in Kabul trying to make sense of this in prayer for comfort. That they are able to focus & continue on in their jobs. This is a sad, dark day for all American soldiers. It is another reality we as spouses left behind to wait must deal with- fear so great you are paralyzed until you hear from your soldier.

31 Special Ops Troops Dead 

See You Laters, STINK!

Everyone in the military world knows eventually you PCS to a new Post or Base when your spouse changes jobs. What I am sure seems strange to most civilians are the strong bonds of friendship that form between us ladies while our husbands work together. Not to mention you throw in a deployment or three in one case & you have huge crocodile tears when you try to say "see you later" to your friends.

Today I had the privilege of helping host a Farewell Luncheon for my friend and my husbands old Battalion Commander's wife. I have to honestly say when I got the call almost two years ago to the day that Tricia & her husband where coming to the FRG potluck I was having with only an hour notice I was extremely nervous. You never know when a new command team comes in if everyone is going to mesh together as well. Especially since I was very sad to see the old command team leave as we had done two deployments with them. But from the  moment Tricia & Mike walked into our little gathering with their children they where welcoming, gracious, and easy to get to know. Tricia walked into a unit that had been together for a couple years & a couple of deployments. We where all ready to deploy again in a month. I knew after meeting her how nervous she was as well. What neither of us could have known was that through out the deployment & into another year how close of a friendship we would form. We have laughed together, cried together, complained together, & just genuinely enjoyed our time together for two years.

We where so glad all our children got along & when our husband's came home it was an instant "family" formed. I can't imagine what in the world I am going to do during the rest of this deployment with out her around? I still have my best friend down the road, but Army Friendships are in a whole different league. They just get it when no other civilian in your life possibly could. They never question why your having an off day, they just say how can I help? As she leaves next month I will look forward to visits & cling to the hope that one day our Army paths will cross again. What I can't believe is that my other battle buddy of six years is leaving next week as well! Romana just happens to be going to the same post as Tricia- which I think is totally NOT FAIR!! But I am happy for them both that they will have eachother. I guess the cell phone companies & airlines will be loving us for the next couple of years! I had the best time with both ladies over the years & am sad to see them leave. As we say in the Army "See you Later" because the Army is a small world- they can't go to far!

 

Romana , Tricia, & I before the tears started.

My battle buddy of six years- Romana. Not happy she is leaving even though I am smiling.

Now a trip down memory lane....

 

 

 

 

 

"A Seahawk,a Cheesehead, & a Bear"....what a Team!