Settling in

I am not as good at blogging as I thought I would be. When I first thought of blogging, I had envisioned myself recording all of the important moments of each day, so you would not miss a thing. It was going to be my way of keeping you in our lives, the best way I can. In the beginning of this deployment there was maybe a little bit of a high, awestruck that we were actually doing this, and making it just fine. It was a sense of victory. I am to a point where that has quickly worn off and has been replaced with the aching sense of our loss. Loss you say? Yes, temporary thank goodness, but a loss. Your absence is felt so keenly and it no longer feels like you are just away for a while from us. Your absence feels like a gaping hole in our lives. I know you are lonely on your end too, maybe that just makes it harder. And so I don't blog as often, because it is difficult to express what I am feeling and going through and yet it is impossible to act like everything is "normal". I am always afraid I will do *THIS*! Unloading! I am so good at it! I sometimes wish I could be the type of person that rides through the storms of life with a steadfast gaze straight ahead, focused on the journey's end. Instead, the rockiness disturbs my very being and does not let me rest inside. I have been watching the news and seeing the reports of the many mortar and rocket attacks on the Green Zone where you live. It brings me to a place I don't often have to go, a place where you dare to hope for the best outcome possible, and at the same time you fear the worst. A constant struggle to want to control your destiny and then offering that up to His plan in trust. A place where I offer you and your life completely to God. And so my faithful blog readers, we ask for your continued prayers for strength, peace and perserverance.

I do want to take the time to thank all of the wonderful people who continue to show their support and love for us, your care means so much to us! Starting with Famous Dave's restaurant in Waukesha, what a treat it was to come and eat for free! That is something my children rarely do (eat out!)and so they were very excited! It was good to meet a neighbor Beth Von Rueden who provided a meal for us, so yummy! She motivated me to start walking again after hearing she is training for a race!

Noelle Tessmer provided a delicious meal the night I went out with friends and that was a huge help! Noelle, I appreciate you taking the time especially when you must have been so busy with the preparations for the expectation of your newest little one! The children enjoyed the meal and I was so grateful I did not have to prepare anything before going out! Thank you Noelle, I hope to meet you someday! Jean Pritchard sent a delicious meal we thought tasted like breakfast burritos (which we love) and so all was pleased with that, thank you so much Jean!

Our faithful neighbors the Schoepkes came through for us again to watch the children so I could accept an award for Mark that was a distance away. I came back to their place to find all five children (I had taken P) asleep on the floor. They told me to go home and rest and upon their advice I even slept in and had a good cup of coffee while I read the newspaper, ALL TO MYSELF! Well, o.k. I did have P, but when your downsizing from 6 to 1 it felt pretty darn close to being completely alone! :) A huge thank you to Ellen Schlosser for helping me out with an outfit for the event and watching the children so I could run numerous errands again, ALONE! This time completely alone!:) Signing off with just a couple of pics from around the house..

Here is the new kitchen set we got for the two girl's birthday's, they love it!