Count Down

Well Chad should be leaving in a matter of weeks. Right now the date they gave us is probably changing it looks like, just by a couple of weeks, but change is change. They are talking of pushing it back and although it's good because we have 2 more weeks with him, it's bad too just because it means that much longer until he goes and that much longer until he comes back.

I had my head wrapped around the date they first gave us and was prepared as much as you can prepare yourself for them leaving, so now it's just all up in the air and that's frustrating.

The kids and and I and my best friend here and her 2 kids are planning to go to Italy in June to the beach, it'll be a great distraction for all of us. Her husband will be coming home with in weeks of our return so it'll be a nice last big trip before he comes back.

As the days get closer I'll write more and hopefully Chad will write as well. We'll see. We don't know what the internet will be like for him when he gets there. I hope he'll have easy access again, but I'm not counting on it (so if he ends up not having easy access I'm not disappointed). 

My only request right now is to pray for us and our kids as we prepare for him to leave and as HE prepares to leave.

Back

I've went public with this journal again, because deployment is looming in for us. We still have a few months, but figured we'll start off with asking for prayers and just continue that way! Chad's leaving soon for field training for a few weeks, he'll be home in time for Thanksgiving so we're thankful for that...we know he most likely will not be home next year for Thanksgiving or Christmas so we will cherish these that much more. This will be our third OIF, 2nd while stationed here in Germany with this particular unit. His battalion has went through a great deal of transformation, it was really an ugly time of transformation, but it's done and over with thankfully. We've lost tons of our soldiers to PCS and ETS'ing and have a whole new batch in and many of them again have never been deployed...oh the joys of the Army life. It's always "exciting" you could say!

I'm hoping to get Chad to write on here a few times before he deploys. We do know where they're supposed to be deploying to, but no idea what the internet and phone situation will be like there. Hopefully it'll echo last deployment and we'll get to chat quite a bit and hopefully talk on the phone a good amount of time too.

The kids do not know and we will not be telling them until next year. We see no reason to ruin their Thanksgiving and Christmas. We'll just simply enjoy our time together as a family, and once he is deployed we'll pick up and keep going.

God Bless

Private

This journal is going private until Chad's next deployment. I'll reopen it to the public in I guess a few months as we're preparing for his next deployment.

Veteran's Day

 

Today let us remember our Veteran's of the past Wars as well as Today's. My soldier

is a Veteran from Bosnia, Kuwait, and Iraq (x's two). I'm proud to be a Veteran and Proud Soldier's Wife. Chad's a brave and honorable man.

 

 

 (Chad in Iraq)

 

Thank you to each and every Veteran Out there, you've done your duty and made our Nation better because of it.

 

 

 

*****DO NOT LIFT The graphics from here, if you're interested in them, click on the graphic and go to the site and ask for permission*****

 

Home Coming & Pictures

Chad's home! I had actually written a very long post and I lost it, ahhh! Well I don't have the time or energy to write it again. So here are the pictures!

Enjoy!

 

   

Our Family Reunited!!!                                 Jacob,Me,&Me

Chad,Jacob,Jack,&Me                                Ready for Daddy to come home!

 

Jacob in front of our fav. banner                       Jacob and Jack holding their posters

                             Waiting             For                  Daddy!!!!              

         

Jack,Chad,Jacob                                                        Jack and Daddy

 

                                                     OUR HERO'S!!!

 

This was made by a soldier's friend              The boys & I made this it says:

and was hung in the gym in Iraq                   Headhunter's Rock HHC 54th

 

I know they're not in order, but here's our night last night! We had a wonderful night and we have our Hero home!!!!

Welcoming Chad Home!!!!

 

 

 

We're down to about 12-13 hrs until Chad will hopefully be in our arms!

Chad's coming home on Tuesday!!!!

Chad will be home in 2 days! We found out this morning!! I'm so excited. I'll update with pictures when he's home! :)

Phone calls and home comings.

Chad called today. He sounded so good! Yesterday when he left the message he sounded tired and sad. I told him that he sounded a lot better today and that I thought he sounded tired and sad yesterday and he sad he felt both yesterday, but that today was a good day (so far). The boys both got to talk to him for a moment. Jack's first thing well only thing he really said was "Daddy, when you come home?" "Soon buddy" was his answer (and we are so close!!) Jacob talked to him a bit longer. I try not to listen too much to their conversations, so that they can just have that. Both boys were thrilled to get to talk to daddy. Unfortunately our phone call only lasted 8 min 37 seconds and his time was up (so much for the 20 minutes that they told him he had!). But, it's ok. I got to at least talk to him and hear his wonderful voice!

The rest of our Advon (Adnvanced Party) came home today. Unfortunately I was not home when they came in. I'd went out with a friend, thinking we had plenty of time but was wrong. We got back on post right about the time the Welcome Home ceremony would have been happening. We were disappointed, but ultimately all that matters are that these soldiers are now home, safe, and with their family and loved ones.

We have 3 units that all deployed about the same time, including our guys. One of them returned home today! After my friend and I left the gym (where the welcome home ceremony was held) we saw the buses! They were escourted by the MP's! It was truly wonderful to see those buses! My friend and I looked at each other and we both admitted to having goosebumps. One of her good friends husband was on that bus and so she called her and told her "they're here"!! To know that at that point soon, so soon those families were all going to be reunited again!

Soon it will be us. We're the last unit to come home. I can't wait!

Got to LOVE the internet!

He was able to get online and we were able to chat! It was wonderful knowing he was on the otherside of the computer! He's good, but tired and really, really stressed out. His job truly is make or break and determines them coming home on time or not. He said he knows he can (and I told him I believed in him probably 10 times!) it's just a lot of work and not a lot of time to get it all done. He's never done all of it himself before. He does have 5 other soldiers, but he has the majority of the work. I know him well enough though to know he does like it, that he's making things happen.

 

He's hoping to get online later or get to the phones, but time is very limited. He's in a very safe place though and for that I'm truly thankful for!

 

Missed phone calls

I ran to the mail room, then over to the PX to see if they had any poster board (which of course they didn't) so we'll go downtown to a store that I KNOW has some and get a couple for the boys to draw on, on Sunday when our FRG gets together to make Welcome Home Signs/Banners. I ordered one and I'm really hoping it gets here next week, because it's now getting a little too close to comfort of when they come home. :)

Anyways.....I got on here about 10:40 am and saw Chad had sent me an email at 10 am. :( Then I get home from the mail room and px and my answering machine is flashing....Chad called at Noon, it was 12:35 pm :( I am truly sad that I missed his call. I do love that I get to hear his voice over and over. My answering machine only holds 16 messages and as of right now I have 15 saved, all of Chad.

We've got about 2-3 weeks left and let me tell you I'm just almost coming out of my own skin ready for him to just be home. He is in Kuwait now. He's safe, but so very, very busy. He sounded really tired. Please keep him in your prayers. I know that he's safe though and I praise Jesus for that!

 

I'll try to keep you updated.

 

God Bless and thank you for any and all prayers. Thank you also to all who helped in donating to the single soldiers either with sending a monetary gift or actual items. This weekend our FRG leader will be buying the towels and sheets and pillows. I know there's still some more money coming from at least one of you and that money will go to the soldiers, we're going to be making cookies for all the soldiers and the money can go towards those! :)

So you know our account went from about $150.00 to close to $3,000.00 in a matter of less than 2 months! Thank you! You truly made it possible for us to make the soldiers rooms welcoming!