I'm sitting here on a Saturday night listening to my daughter cough. Last night we spent the evening at the urgent care facility getting her diagnosed with bronchiolitis. She now has an inhaler that she uses every 4 hours and I can't see it doing any good. Thankfully she hasn't passed it to her brother or to me.
Right now I should be walking through a corn maze with a flashlight in my hand. My kids should be laughing and trying to find their way out with me. I should have spent the weekend attending a conference in a hotel. The kids would be doing crafts and swimming in an indoor water park. But no, #3 got sick so #2 and I had to stay home. Don't get me wrong! Being a mom comes first to me! But I can't deny the fact that I really wanted to go to this conference.
As I sit here on this Saturday night listening to the persistent cough, I realize that this is my last Saturday night alone for a while. Tomorrow my mom & step-dad start driving here from California. Not for a vacation, but for good, they are moving here. I'm very excited that they will be here in about one week. It will be wonderful to have them here and I know the kids are very excited to have all of their grandparents close by.
One month. That's about how long I have until I see my husband again. In about a month he'll be leaving Afghanistan. From there he'll make his way back to a base in the states and back home. He thinks he'll be home around the 1st - 2nd week of December. I'm just counting it at about a month. It will be wonderful to have him home again. Not just because he could stay home and watch sick kids, but because he is an integral part of my life and I love him.
It's been a long year. It's been a happy and sad year. We've had ups and downs but really, they would have happened no matter where Seth was. I've tried to make it the best year possible for the kids despite daddy being gone. I've tried to have a good year myself despite my husband being gone. No matter how many fun things we did, we will forget all of it once Seth returns home to us.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Happy Birthday to Me!
Happy Birthday to me! Yeah, well, it was my birthday on Monday and today is Saturday, but I'm just getting around to blogging about it. Quite frankly, I have been out of the loop of blogging this year. Best laid plans... been busy... school started for the kids... Seth's been home and left... I've got 100 excuses and they are all 100% real. So now that I've made my excuses for not blogging, on to the blogging!
I had a wonderful birthday. I actually started celebrating in September while Seth was home on his two-week leave. With his birthday being in August and mine in October, we split the difference and celebrated together. We got each other some presents, went to dinner at Red Lobster, and sent the kids to his mom's house for a birthday weekend to ourselves. Other than an intestinal virus I picked up that weekend, it was wonderful!
Last Saturday the gals took me out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse which was a blast! I didn't know where we were going or who all would be there, which made it much more fun. I did get coerced into riding the saddle (there are pictures on facebook to prove it) and everyone "yee-haw'ed" for me.
On Monday, my official birthday, I baked a cake and my kids each got to decorate half of the cake. It turned out very cute. My son's side was a picture of my red car and 3 green dots in it representing him, his sister and me. We are on our way to California Pizza Kitchen, where we had my birthday dinner. My daughter's side was her and I holding balloons and there was a big heart. Then the sprinkles attacked her picture and all "fell" out of the sprinkle container. At least I got to see it before it was attacked.
Honestly, I had a great birthday. I didn't get all sad and mushy that Seth wasn't home or that my best friend didn't realize that Monday was actually October 4th and not the 3rd and missed my birthday. (<3 you Becky!) I just had a great day. My husband did send me flowers and made a special call to us early on skype so he could wish me a happy birthday. Overall, the friends and family I have went out of their way to make sure that I didn't feel that way. And it wasn't just that, it was a peace in my heart knowing that God loves me and pours out that love through others around me. Even my kids were extra special to me all day long. Do I need to have everyone give me an "all about me" day? No, but it was cool to have it!
On a quick Seth update, in 49 days he will be leaving Afghanistan and starting his journey back home. Needless to say, the kids and I are very excited. Having him here for 2 weeks in September was wonderful, no one can replace him in our lives. I certainly am looking forward to the day when he's back here in my arms for good.
I had a wonderful birthday. I actually started celebrating in September while Seth was home on his two-week leave. With his birthday being in August and mine in October, we split the difference and celebrated together. We got each other some presents, went to dinner at Red Lobster, and sent the kids to his mom's house for a birthday weekend to ourselves. Other than an intestinal virus I picked up that weekend, it was wonderful!
Last Saturday the gals took me out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse which was a blast! I didn't know where we were going or who all would be there, which made it much more fun. I did get coerced into riding the saddle (there are pictures on facebook to prove it) and everyone "yee-haw'ed" for me.
On Monday, my official birthday, I baked a cake and my kids each got to decorate half of the cake. It turned out very cute. My son's side was a picture of my red car and 3 green dots in it representing him, his sister and me. We are on our way to California Pizza Kitchen, where we had my birthday dinner. My daughter's side was her and I holding balloons and there was a big heart. Then the sprinkles attacked her picture and all "fell" out of the sprinkle container. At least I got to see it before it was attacked.
Honestly, I had a great birthday. I didn't get all sad and mushy that Seth wasn't home or that my best friend didn't realize that Monday was actually October 4th and not the 3rd and missed my birthday. (<3 you Becky!) I just had a great day. My husband did send me flowers and made a special call to us early on skype so he could wish me a happy birthday. Overall, the friends and family I have went out of their way to make sure that I didn't feel that way. And it wasn't just that, it was a peace in my heart knowing that God loves me and pours out that love through others around me. Even my kids were extra special to me all day long. Do I need to have everyone give me an "all about me" day? No, but it was cool to have it!
On a quick Seth update, in 49 days he will be leaving Afghanistan and starting his journey back home. Needless to say, the kids and I are very excited. Having him here for 2 weeks in September was wonderful, no one can replace him in our lives. I certainly am looking forward to the day when he's back here in my arms for good.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Just Another Journal Entry
With the best of intentions, I decided earlier this year to journal about my life while Seth is in Afghanistan. Looking back over the old posts, I don't seem to be doing a great job with this. It's been an interesting summer for me. I had a great time visiting with my mom & step-dad who came out for a few weeks, just finished a week of VBS at my church and am looking forward to a week in Pittsburgh later this month.
In the beginning of June, my kids finished school with superb grades. On the 3rd I had some surgery which so far has had the best possible outcome. I did have an infection from it, but once we figured out what was wrong, I got on the right medicine and it cleared right up.
I've had happy days and sad days during this deployment. I had a very sad day recently where a friend's husband returned from a month in Afghanistan. We were at the church when he returned home and I was there to see the family reunion. Truth be told, I was overwhelmed with anger and jealousy that my friend's husband returned home and mine was still there. The feelings were so bad that I couldn't even speak or look at them and I finally had to just leave the room before everyone in there saw me cry. Thankfully, God sees me through these difficult times. The next day she and I were able to talk and I told her everything and apologized. I'm so glad that I have a wonderful church family who is understanding and forgiving.
Tonight at the VBS Carnival, I was able to talk with my friend and her husband and truly enjoy the conversation. He told me that he had been on the base with my husband, but it's such a large base that he wasn't able to track Seth down. I really am happy and thankful that he is home with his family (and I really did feel that way when he returned that night) and think it is sweet that he wanted to go see a familiar face and try to say hi to Seth.
In 29 days, Seth will (hopefully) be boarding a plane to come home. It's not a permanent trip, it's just his 2 week vacation so he'll be going back over there by the end of September. But still, a countdown has begun. I won't see him right away, it will take at least 2-3 days before he'll be back here, but once he's in PA, he's mine, all mine! Oh, I'll share him when I feel like it, but for the most part, I'll be staying within arms reach of him. More than anything I just want to hug him and tell him in person how much I love him.
So for the next 29 days I'm trying to keep us busy. A trip to Pittsburgh, some fishing, even some days with friends are planned. I hope this month passes by quick so Seth can be home again.
In the beginning of June, my kids finished school with superb grades. On the 3rd I had some surgery which so far has had the best possible outcome. I did have an infection from it, but once we figured out what was wrong, I got on the right medicine and it cleared right up.
I've had happy days and sad days during this deployment. I had a very sad day recently where a friend's husband returned from a month in Afghanistan. We were at the church when he returned home and I was there to see the family reunion. Truth be told, I was overwhelmed with anger and jealousy that my friend's husband returned home and mine was still there. The feelings were so bad that I couldn't even speak or look at them and I finally had to just leave the room before everyone in there saw me cry. Thankfully, God sees me through these difficult times. The next day she and I were able to talk and I told her everything and apologized. I'm so glad that I have a wonderful church family who is understanding and forgiving.
Tonight at the VBS Carnival, I was able to talk with my friend and her husband and truly enjoy the conversation. He told me that he had been on the base with my husband, but it's such a large base that he wasn't able to track Seth down. I really am happy and thankful that he is home with his family (and I really did feel that way when he returned that night) and think it is sweet that he wanted to go see a familiar face and try to say hi to Seth.
In 29 days, Seth will (hopefully) be boarding a plane to come home. It's not a permanent trip, it's just his 2 week vacation so he'll be going back over there by the end of September. But still, a countdown has begun. I won't see him right away, it will take at least 2-3 days before he'll be back here, but once he's in PA, he's mine, all mine! Oh, I'll share him when I feel like it, but for the most part, I'll be staying within arms reach of him. More than anything I just want to hug him and tell him in person how much I love him.
So for the next 29 days I'm trying to keep us busy. A trip to Pittsburgh, some fishing, even some days with friends are planned. I hope this month passes by quick so Seth can be home again.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Help Bring Him Home
In order to help them raise the money, the family is hosting several fundraisers. There is a yard sale on June 18 - 19, a Blog Auction, and a Father to the Fatherless Father's Day Fundraiser. Many people from our church and other family and friends have been donating for their yard sale, even my kids gave up some of their toys for them to sell. I'm also helping in another way, I'm donating some cards for the Blog Auction.
I used to be a demonstrator with a rubber stamping company. I never made enough sales to keep with the company, but I still love to stamp and make various cards and gifts. Christmas cards have always been fun to make and up for auction is a set of 35 Christmas cards that I hand made.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..." The card is set on red and green card stock overlaid on cream card stock. Unfortunately, the cream didn't show up very well when I scanned the card. The inside of the card says "Merry Christmas" in the same color green as the words on the front of the card. All cards come with an envelope.
Also up for auction is the "Handle With Prayer" cards. These are a single sheet and do not open. They are perfect for a quick note of encouragement. I love making these cards and sending them to others. There are 30 of these cards and they also come with envelopes.Both sets of cards will be up for auction and all proceeds will be donated directly to the Peoples family. I will cover the cost of shipping to the winner of the cards. For more information on bidding on any item in the auction, or if you've got something that you would like to donate to auction, please visit their blog post Sew, Want to Help Too? You can also follow their progress by visiting their facebook page Bring Joel Home.
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