Deployment

So it was that time again. I dont post on the blog leading up to his deployment about dates, and I dont post until he is safe in the new place. This is a security thing, and many many spouses do not understand it. I am setting a steller example here.

Onto sadness and lonliness, Frank did depart from our home a short time ago, and he is now deployed. He didnt go with a large group this time so it was a middle of the night drop off, no pomp and ceremony like last time which was simpler. Before deploying he was home 13 months, though the kids say 1 mo doesnt count as he was at training and they didnt get to see him the whole month. Who am I kidding I agree with them!!!

He spent many wks, days, hours, well really the whole year preparing us to be alone. We have a lot more going on this yr than the last time he deployed. More animals, larger operation, more vehicles, a tractor that (usually) runs, which I will need to care for. And we make our own fuel, and just a number of things. The kids are older, in higher grades and thus take more time for homeschool which leaves me less time for all of these things.

All that being said, this time is already easier than last time. The kids are more prepared, they had a couple of months to make lists and say daddy can you do this and this and this with me and he obliged each request, often making fun trips more than once for their enjoyment. We saw movies in theatre, took long walks, read many books, played clue and dominoes, go fish and wrestled. Jumped on the trampoline, played shoe ball and many other in house games that most mamas would cringe at. I taught the children that these fun memories are like having a full battery and we are sure that we are full up for more than a yr. We can make it, we can last on what we have. We also have skype, yahoo chat and phone calls. We have a 2 wk visit to look forward to and thats the recharge time.

Some poeple say the 2 wks makes it harder because its 2 goodbyes. I say take what you get and make it good, make it happy. But in all honesty, the soldier needs the 2 wks, the family needs it as well and if people will look at 15 days (bc it is, its not 14) of fun, and just an hr of goodbye they would see its worth. This is one of those things the army started doing to take care of soldiers and families, there was no r and r leave our first deployment. We are grateful for it and look forward to it already, and the kids have it halfway planned out! Kansas city zoo here we come... months from now but anyways.

So pray for us, that we will stay happy and find all the enjoyment we can within this yr. Pray that I do not waste our time, it would be hard to look back and say I wasted a year with my children out of sadness. Instead we make it a great year, we did last time, we will again even better with better technology. Better ways to communicate. Hey, maybe he can grade their math books and listen to their reading assignments! Score...

Here is to staying positive, there are more good things about life than there are hard things. Not bad, hard. And they can be dealt with, I have a wonderful husband and my kids have a great daddy. He may be far away, but even from afar he is better than anyone I have known.