Please & Thank You



If you've been following the news lately, you'd know that last week, 7 U.S. soldiers were killed by their Afghan counterparts. I haven't heard of any further in the last few days, so I am praying, please Lord, for the safety of our soldiers and no more attacks like this on U.S. soldiers. Josh is working alongside Afghan Army soldiers, and some of these are friendly and dedicated...most are not. It is beyond frustrating to know people who are supposed to be their allies and partners have those among their ranks who seek to harm Americans, or even their own Afghan countrymen. How in the world are you supposed to trust these people in order to accomplish your mission? I just pray God surrounds Josh and his team, and all my friends' deployed husbands, with a wall of guardian angels and that he brings them home without incident. I know he can, and I'm so very thankful for everyone around the world who is keeping these guys in their prayers. Shortly after an attack where one of our 2-502 soldiers was wounded, Josh posted this picture. I can't tell you how happy I was to see this smile. Despite the stress,

anger and frustration he must feel, this is still my guy -

one who is so great with kids :)

Waverly now says "Dada" when she sees Josh's pictures around the house or when we FaceTime with him. Can't tell you how adorable and how much it kills me that the only way she gets to interact with him is through a plastic screen. She's becoming much steadier on her legs and we all think she'll be walking within a month or so. She's quite the handful though...if she doesn't want to do something, she lets you know, and she is SO squirmy. Always wanting to get down and walk. I'll be so glad when she can do it herself, as much as I want her to stay small and not mobile except for her crawling, it'll be better for my back. ;) I look forward to the day when she walks towards her Dada, freshly arrived from Afghanistan. That is what gets me through these difficult days. Unless she decides to be shy and hide her head in my shoulder - which is also cute - but I think she'll adjust just fine to having her Dad back. Cannot wait for that. Lord willing he will be home in plenty of time for Christmas festivities.

If you read this, please just keep Josh and his team, and all our soldiers in your prayers. Especially this last week of Ramadan, when things might get even more sticky. Thank you to those who do pray for him, and for Waverly and I.



Ups & Downs

Almost a month since my last post...full of ups and a few momentary downs. Ups being that Uncle Markie joined us in California a few weeks ago, and we've really enjoyed having him around! Waverly warmed up to him right away, and now I'm pretty sure he's her new favorite person. She loves to look at him while she plays, give him low fives, and tries to grab his face during dinner. It's so cute. I'm glad she gets to be around my dad and him so that when Josh comes home she is still comfortable around guys. She's also gotten so much better with new people - no more crying - and has been great in the church nursery the past few times. It seems like such a milestone for her to be at ease around new people...it seemed like I'd never feel okay leaving her with someone else that wasn't family. I still don't, but if she's not crying I feel way better about it!

Another milestone was getting her two bottom teeth - within a few days of each other. She was fairly good during this phase...cranky a little bit and woke up super early in the morning, but overall no horrible fussiness or drooling. It is funny how pointy and sharp those teeth are! She's our little Sharkie. She also has gotten better at standing on her own and loves to stand up in her crib, by her music table, and by the couch...she's figuring out how to move along these objects. Love to see her growing and learning.

Some of the downs have come from now having no real idea of when Josh will be home. It's an emotional roller coaster - sometimes we think it could be early, sometimes it's the full 9 month deployment, which would be the longest we have ever been apart without some sort of mid-tour leave (7 months in). We were hoping to go to Lynchburg together for Christmas and enjoy the holidays together, but now we just don't know. It's hard to get your brain into gear for a February/March return when you've been hoping for a December return. We will see what happens in the next few months, but I guess we kind of knew when he left there wasn't a definite time frame for their return. There are still things going on over there and an attack on a friend's FOB is a reminder to constantly keep him and our 2-502 soldiers in my prayers. We love him so much and just can't wait to have him home safely.

Thankful

Been awhile since I posted, but things have been going swimmingly, literally!

Waverbug loves my parents' pool and sure wishes she could swim on her own! She loves having Grammie & Gpa help her splash around. As soon as her feet hit the water she wants to be all in. I'd like to enroll her in kiddie swimming classes as soon as I can find a good program. She's also been working on her crawling - it's more of a scootch with her arms and one of her legs, but it's something! This girl will probably perfect her walking before her crawl. I spend a LOT of time everyday walking her around the house with her hands wrapped around my fingers, and if I try to sit her down, she gets maaaaad. So, that's good for my back. ;)

I've been able to get a gym membership and am back to work...this week has been great because my dad has been home for most of it and I've been able to go during Waverly's naptimes. I've never been a runner but I did pretty decently during Josh's last deployment - that's always when the urge hits - and it always works really well to get back in shape. That being said, it's HARD for me to run. It's painful. It leaves me with a beet red face. I hate it. But, give me a good
playlist and I'll do what I can.

I have really, really enjoyed being able to spend time with my parents. After going to college in Virginia, then getting married and moving straight to Georgia and all the places following, I haven't gotten so spend this much time with them since 2003, maybe? Crazy. It's been a blessing. I love the weekends when we can all be together and enjoy the great things to do here in Temecula. Last night we went to Baily's on Front Street in downtown Temecula for dinner. The weather was so gorgeous, and they had some live music and the food was awesome. Waverly loved all the action, especially the music. We took a short walk around downtown Temecula afterwards and it was probably my favorite night here so far. I've also enjoyed going to church with them. Their pastor is great and I'm hoping to get Waverly more used to nursery so she can be well-accustomed when we get back to TN.

Of course, I wish Josh was here to enjoy it all with us! I think he would love Temecula. Praise the Lord, he's been safe so far. They've had several missions on foot, by helicopter and by truck and all of those have been non-eventful, as far as he's telling me ;) The Afghans are rather accident-prone, so I'm glad he hasn't been subject to a super close "desk pop" as he so nicely put it the other day (watch the Other Guys). One thing I'm happy about is that he's working with an Afghan Lt. Colonel who seems to really like him and is very friendly. We are saying prayers always for his safe & soon return and can't wait to have him home.

Shield My Head in the Day of Battle

It's been an eventful 2 weeks since Josh left, for both of us. I am reminded that while I am now enjoying the warm, breezy air and the palm trees and the pool and time with my boo boo and family, that things are not so idyllic or easy for my husband. I found this passage in Psalms tonight and it sure helps to know it still applies to him today. 

Psalm 140

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,
² who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
³ They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.^[b]

⁴ Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵ The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path.

⁶ I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.
⁷ Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸ Do not grant the wicked their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.

⁹ Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
¹⁰ May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,
into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹ May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.

¹² I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
¹³ Surely the righteous will praise your name,
and the upright will live in your presence.

We Made It

I'm in California. It sure feels like we climbed a mountain, really really fast, in one day, to get here.

Right now I'm sitting with a cup of coffee in my parents' family room as the sun starts to peek out from the morning clouds. Waverly is down for her morning nap and my mom's gone to pick up Cobie from boarding.

Yesterday was the most epically crazy day of all time, quite possibly.

We find out at 9:30 that our flight at 2 has been cancelled. So you'd think if you're going to be rescheduled it's going to be on a later flight, right? Well, no. We got rebooked on a 1:15, which meant we had to leave the house by 11 at the latest, and ohmyword, did we have to work really really really fast to finish cleaning and packing - and we left my poor dad with hurried instructions as to what needed to go in storage and what was supposed to go with him...it was insanity. I was also trying to coordinate with the landlords and their contact here as to when they'd pick up the keys to lock up.

Thank the Lord, everything worked out - my dad got everything taken care of at the house and is just hitting New Mexico. Mark was also rebooked to Michigan but arrived safely. Our flights to California were as good as can be expected when traveling with an almost 8 month old who doesn't want to sit down and is confined to the same teeny tiny area for 4+ hours straight. I am so glad I had my mom along to help entertain her and hold her when I needed a free hand. We got to Temecula around 7 (9pm Tennessee time) and thankfully Waverly went right to sleep in her new room (with her sheet from her crib back home which is helping her sleep I think ;).

SO. How do you thank someone for all that? Lots of margaritas? ;) I shall have to do something for my amazing family...they worked so hard and it sure wasn't much of a vacation, but I hope once my dad gets here we can all start to enjoy this awesome opportunity. Mom and baby and I are off to a good start - Panera for lunch is on the agenda today, then maybe some time poolside and a nap. It feels kinda funny to finally be here - after all this planning and talking. My car will be here and it's not just for a couple of days...I can go to the Farmer's Market every weekend and go to wine country and the beach...all good things to keep us occupied while Joshua is away.

I sure miss him though...he is busy over there in Afghanistan and the rest of his team is almost all there, so I'm glad for that. Waverly sure sounds like she's saying Daddy now - not just dada, lol - and it sure makes me wish he was here to do all the fun things we're going to be able to do too. BUT, we will look forward to doing that when he gets home; hopefully before Christmas.

Many things to be thankful for...many things to keep praying about.

Help Will Soon Arrive

It will be a week tomorrow since Josh left, and I am very thankful things have gone as well as they have since he left. He is still traveling to his final destination, so it's been interesting to hear about the different places he's been, what the Afghan people are like, and see some of the amazing mountain scenery in his pictures. I had no idea Afghanistan was so close to Nepal/India. I'm not so much for the geography ;)

Josh's photos while at Bagram AFB

We've had good communication thus far, mostly through Facebook chat. He's been able to access internet every place he's been, thankfully, but I hate that soldiers have to pay for internet. I know it's a "luxury" service that's provided for the troops if they can get it, but I really wish it was something they didn't have to shell out for, as it's the best/easiest way for them to communciate with their families. In my opinion. ;) So I'll just be thankful it is available to them.

I know he's anxious to get where he's going and settle into his own space. I am not so much excited about that as then it's game time and we'll be in this for real. I just pray the Afghan Army soldiers he works with are decent people and they get along fairly well and can respect each other, and that they're safe when they go out on patrols and so forth.

Praise the Lord, Waverly and I have been kept very busy with all our packing and errands we've had to do before our move. We've also gotten to spend some time with new friends. I'm very thankful for connections that are made through the Army - especially when they're also LIBERTY connections! Those are extra special. So Waverly got to meet a little girl who is only a week younger than her, and it was so fun to watch them play together and for me to make a wonderful new friend too. We have now got to get W a ball pit ;)

Waverly and her new friend Onnolee

Praise the Lord x 2, because my parents come tomorrow, and Mark comes Wednesday. Waverly and Tokie are very excited for this. Although we've been kept busy, I know I couldn't do this by myself for much longer. Waverly has been awesome, but it sure is hard to be the sole caregiver for an extended period of time, especially with no family around. Just to have an extra set of hands (or two or three) will be so wonderful! And maybe I can even schedule that hair appointment....

Helping get the guest bed ready

Ready for her own bed

Sidenote: Tennessee seems to disagree with both Waverly and I. I'm on Zyrtec - NEVER before had any issues with allergies and I got these horrible colds/sinus infections month after month once we moved here. Waverly has also been put on it and has some eczema; I feel lately she has just been scratching and itching at everything on her head - rubbing her eyes and her chin, scratching her head, her ears, her face...her little eyelids (above and below) are all red and I just want to get her out of here and see if the drier, less pollen-y California air helps her.

So that's our first week down...please keep Josh in your prayers. :)

See You Soon

Waverly and I said "see you soon" to Joshua yesterday.

But before that dreaded moment, we started the day off with Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It is so funny now to watch Waverly HAVE to get her hands on EVERYTHING within her reach. Menus, straw wrappers, syrup bottles, orange slices. She kept us entertained and happy while we had a good last big meal out. We headed home for her nap, and Josh and I were able to watch some our favorite shows we'd DVR'd from the night before. I had to wake her up to feed her before we left, and Josh started getting ready while I got baby ready. I didn't know how hard it was for him before we even left the house - she was watching him put on his boots with apparently a "what are you doing" look on her face. So sad!

We had to run a few errands before we arrived at the company area; Josh needed some patches for his uniform - thankfully that kept us occupied as we had to try about 4 different stores to find the ones he needed! We grabbed Arby's drive thru and ate in the parking lot before going in to see what was going on. Thankfully, this time around, there wasn't a huge hoopla. We aren't huge fans of hundreds of families all crying in a gym. Makes it 100 times worse in my opinion. We were able to take a few pictures and then say goodbye at the car, relatively privately. It was so hard. It was hard for Josh to say goodbye to Waverly especially. They are such buddies...but I am thankful she is too young to realize or remember any of this. I got my hugs and kisses, but when I thought I had my last one, I just broke down and had to get one last last one. We didn't prolong it - why would you want to do that - and Waverly and I headed back home.

I expected to be a wreck all day. I believe all the prayers from family and friends helped this not to be the case. I wasn't looking forward to crying my eyes out while trying to take care of the baby...fortunately she took a great nap once we got home and I had about 2 hours to myself to curl up in bed and try to get my mind in the place it needs to be. I definitely had some teary moments, especially when we said our prayer for Daddy at bedtime. We pray angels surround him and keep him safe and bring him home to us soon.

Today we got to Skype and chat on Facebook, and it was so great to see Josh and for him to see the baby. She even clapped her hands for him for the first time (on her own ;). Praying we get much more of those opportunities and that the rest of his travels go well. I've made my to-do list for the next week, and it is full of packing, errands, purging stuff we don't need, and hopefully some time with friends before my parents and Mark arrive and we head out to California. I'm so thankful I have that to look forward to, otherwise I'd really be dreading staying in Clarksville while many of my friends here are traveling with their kids. We should be back in the area hopefully before or after Christmas, depending on how long Josh's deployment is.

I'm so thankful for everyone's support - the kind words and prayers have been such an encouragement. I hope the rest of the deployment goes quickly and smoothly and that Josh's experience is rather dull. ;) We can only hope and pray!

times they are a changin...

Well, it's about that time again. Josh leaves in a little over 2 weeks for Afghanistan. This will be his third deployment, the first to that region. It'll definitely be a different experience for him - he's been areas of Baghdad for the first two deployments so this will be a bit more remote. It will also be a different experience for me - I had work to keep me busy previously, but now I have a munchkin! We've decided Waverly and I are going to move out to California to live with my parents for the majority of the deployment. It will give us a chance to spend some quality time with family as well as save some moolah....oh, and did I mention get out of our lease and AWAY from our very annoying neighbors? Even though I know us moving out there means Josh has left, I am really excited about the chance to spend a good chunk of time in Temecula and with my family. So, we are taking the good with the bad.

I'm going to think about the positives instead of dwelling on the fact that our little family will be separated for 6-9 months (so thankful it's not scheduled to be longer). Here's some of the things I can't wait to do once we get out to Cali:

~Saturday mornings at the Farmer's Market, Starbucks in hand.
~Enjoying my parents' pool and seeing Waverly become a little water bug
~Being housekeeper for my mom and letting her enjoy her weekends
~Using my family as guinea pigs for all my new Pinterest recipe experiments
~Focusing on my fitness again...there's a nice YMCA in Temecula
~Enjoying all the fun things to do in the area (SD Zoo, Sea World, Disney, snow in the mountains,   shopping with Grammie....;)
~Having a few extra hands around just in case I start to pull out my hair or come down with a mommy-duty-threatening illness
~Spending more than just 3-4 days at a time with my family


There's probably more but dinner's almost ready and Waverly needs her sweet potatoes.