Can't pass this one up!

6 Weeks Down...

6 Weeks Down! Mark is doing well. He is averaging 18 hours a day of work. That translates to about 4-5 hours of sleep a day. I mean day b/c he works the night shift. He’s got a lot and I mean A LOT of responsibilities and the work load is rather stressful. He’s mentioned several times that this has been his most stressful of all of his deployments to date. He is on a huge base over there but he still doesn’t get to see many or any of his friends over there (that are in other units) because of his work load and the hours he works. Most people work days over there and since he’s on nights it’s almost impossible to catch up w/ them. He still lives in the “tin can” and works in a “tin can”. He is doing well otherwise, he’s only lost 10 pounds so far. The first time he was over there at 6 weeks he had lost over 18 pounds and last year about 12 pounds. Mark is a strong guy, he knows he has a purpose there and is working hard to finish the job so “everyone” can come home. He misses home, all the soccer games, cub scouts, computer games, butterfly kisses and cuddling w/ Katie in the lazy-boy during football. He’s bummed that he can’t watch Ohio State or the Bengals play but he always wants me to send him the scores! He longs for warm fires in the fireplace, homemade pizza and ice cold Jones Cream Soda.

Here are a few exerts from the emails he’s sent to me in the past few days…

It is pouring rain outside right now, first real rain since I got here. The
thunder and lightning is intense. The wind cutting across the desert has
nothing to slow it down or take its edge away. With every passing minute, the mud is getting deeper and more soupy. We are going to have some serious cleaning to do.

We have regressed to picking people we look like out here and posting their visages by our desks. I have been deemed Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movie series. I thought it was funny. We have Drew Carrey (Gamble), Cleveland (off the Family Guy, Williams), Scott Evil from the Austin Powers movies (Curbow)... we are at least taking our minds off of the job for a little while in making fun of ourselves.

He feels horrible that he is not emailing and calling more often and sending info out to you all personally. Please know that he deeply appreciates your prayers, your letters, emails and packages that are being sent over there. He says he certainly doesn’t feel forgotten like many of the other guy and understands the time and sacrifices made by you all to keep in contact and support him. I am personally sincerely grateful for all of you. Thank you for keeping us and Mark in your prayers.

We’ve already had the appliance demon visit us, so that is already done and over (he killed the sump pump for the pool cover, my curling iron and the heating pad! Nothing too big! Yeah!) Things are running rather smoothly around here. Soccer season is almost over, tournaments this weekend. Looking forward to sleeping in on a Saturday!

On a personal note from me, this has been a different deployment so far for us at home too. The kids are getting older and much more knowledgeable of what is going on the world and in their little world. We are beginning the “coming of age” stage of life and I understand and get how to talk to and deal w/ girls, but wow, this boy stuff is strange. So keep all of us in your prayers, pray for Godly friends, good mentors, and courage to do what’s right when no one else is doing it.

I read quite a few blogs...

I read/follow about 15-20 blogs a week. Some I ready daily others about once a week. But something crazy is going on in the blog world.

I have to put this out there. I know for many a blog is their escape, their way of venting. But I wonder if the bloggers who write like this realize or remember that their family and often their spouses read their blog. Or even better their spouses co-workers / friends read their blog. I feel like the new "bandwagon" for blogging is Spouse Bashing. I understand people have marital issues, but do you really think your marriage or your problems are gonna get any better by posting your issues all over the internet!

When did people stop thinking?

D-Day Pictures

The night Daddy left. These pix were taken at around 2:45AM, yes you read that right AM! He left in the middle of the night again. For those of you who are thinkin' crazy thoughts, those are IBC Cream Sodas... not beer. He got several strange looks that night from junior Marines, but once they realized it was cream soda they all laughed. He can't get cream soda in Iraq so he had to drink several bottles before he left. I love you Mark... God Speed and come home safe.

D-Day...and a Give Away!

Today marks the day that Dad left again. So in honor of that a fellow military spouse blogger of mine (I know her in the blogger world only) is having a give away.

Just click on this Trying Our Best, and you can register for this beautiful Give Away on My D-Day! FYI: contest is open until Friday, September 18Th at noon EST!

Here is a picture of what you can win... I love it, and her mother made it! Won't it look beautiful in my home! So if you win, please give it to me.... or not.

The death of an old friend...

I am so sad to report the death of a very close and protective friend. I've had this friend for something like 27 years. He's been through the winds and the rain with me, never failing me... it's my rain suit. Many of you will remember me in my bright blue rain coat and pants set. One time I recall someone nicknaming me the new blue Gumby, "always flexible even in the rain." I got this lovely name probably from life-guarding in the pouring rain wearing my blue suit (with my Speedo underneath!)

We've had a lot of rain in North Carolina this summer (which is very unusual) and one Sunday, I pulled out my trusty rain suit so Mark could stay dry ushering at church. And NO we do not have an outdoor church but the men of the church do "fetch" cars and escort members to their vehicles on rainy days. We've had soooooo many rainy Sundays that Mark was tired of being soaked to the bone, and isn't it obvious that he would NOT be allowed to wear his all weather gear issued by the Corps. Yeah, not so much. So he pulled out my trusty rain suit... sadly it wasn't trusty anymore. He got just as wet wearing my jacket as if he hadn't worn anything at all. He threw it away... do you believe it? Don't worry he got the stink eye, the ugly eye and possibly even "the look!"

So many memories in that suit, I remember kissing a boy (I won't mention any names!) in the rain at camp wearing my Gumby suit. There was the time I built a fire in the pouring rain wearing my suit, gosh darn it if I didn't get that log cabin fire going too. And that time I fell in a hugely gigantically enormous mud puddle in my blue suit, my clothes stayed dry but I still wasn't allowed in the dining hall. And let us not forget the numerous times walking across campus in my blue suit headed to yet another class in the rain! I miss my blue suit. I think I'll buy another one... look what I found! Think they make it in my size? It's PINK! I love it, if I ever get to be a camp counselor again I am buying one... promise!

Good Bye Rain Suit... I'll miss you..... hello stupid umbrella that flies away in the wind!

Summer Time Laundry