Life now

Well we are more than 2 weeks into this and life is starting to flow again. Busy, busy, busy seems to work right now.We have had lots going on with Abbie starting the volleyball club team and Shawnie will be on the karate competition team. The younger 2 have lots of stuff happening at school -Valentine's Party, Bingo night, Field Day and a couple fundraisers. Me? I have committed myself to get back in shape. It has been 7 weeks since I delivered the surro-babe and I am ready. I bought a treadmill last week. It was delivered Thursday, and they are coming back today to replace it. (Had a minor assembly issue...screwed a screw up too far in the handrail and now its sticking out and cuts me when I grab a hold of the rail.) Anyways, they are coming back to replace it. I love it so far. Have been speed-walking 3 miles a day, and should be jogging here in the next couple weeks.
Mark is doing well. We get to talk daily right now thanks to Magic Jack,  Skype and Yahoo Messenger. He has already received 2 of the boxes we sent. The total shipping time is just less than 2 weeks. He loves his job and the people he works with. He is in great spirits, that makes me happy.

Blah..

Some days are good, others plain ole suck.  The rest are blah.  I'm in the Blah stage right now.
I have no motivation, or energy. Haven't been sleeping well at all leaving me exhausted in the morning. Its a good thing the kids have to go to school, otherwise I might not even get out of bed.  I have a gazillion things I could and should do, but I just don't want to.
blah.

One week down. Many more to go.

Our first week is history. It's typically the hardest. Saying goodbye is still fresh in our minds. Remnants of life with him here lingers throughout the house. I still come across some of his clothes when folding laundry. I find snip its of little reminders he wrote himself floating on the desk. The empty chair at the dinner table. The tons of recorded COPS shows filling up space on the DVR. 

It seemed harder this time. I thought maybe it was because the kids are all older now and they understand more. I am starting to think not living on base and being involved with other military families on a day to day basis might also play a role in it. I look back at how things were smoother when preparing for his OIF deployment. Seeing others go through the same thing we were. Watching neighbors welcome home troops, while others were sending them off made us realize we were not alone. 

This is what WE do. It's not an easy life and it's not for everyone. However, it works for us. I like to think my children will be stronger because of these experiences. They will have a better appreciation for the time we have together. They will know firsthand that their freedoms come at a cost to others around this wonderful nation. 

My kids will be able to say they sacrificed for others. They gave, so that others could have. Hard as it is somedays, this is what we do. We whole heartedly support Mark and his job, together - as a family. 

So yes, we have a week in the books. With that comes care packages. Here is some of the goodies that will make it to him in the first batch of boxes headed across the Atlantic. 

This is a picture of the sun setting in the back yard a few nights ago. I know Mark loves to see the sun going down over the water. It might not be Clearwater Beach, but it's a lot closer than where he is.