Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Much needed family update!
I know, it has been awhile since we have posted anything. I am having some problems with my laptop and am unable to post pictures on here right now. I will send some via email soon!
As you can imagine, there has not been any downtime here since Kevin came home from the deployment! Kev arrived at the airfield here on December 8. After waiting all day, I was able to see his plane land around 6pm and was finally able to see him a little after 7pm. I cannot even begin to explain the relief, joy, excitement, pride, and so much more this brought. It is not possible to put it into words. It seemed so surreal to have him standing right there, in front of me. A moment that I had been waiting for had finally happened. The girls were at a friends house, but Nicholas was with me. At first he just looked at Kevin, probably trying to put everything together. I showed Nic pictures of Kevin everyday that he was away. Kevin, of course, had a bear for him from Germany. Kevin held Nicholas and he did great with him! After getting bags and loading the car, we headed over to get the girls. They had no idea that I would come home with Daddy! They thought that I was out Christmas shopping. Honestly, I think we had the best Christmas gift we could ever ask for! A Christmas to always remember. When they first saw Kevin, they just stared at him. I guess in disbelief. It took a minute for them to realize he was really home. Caitlin was the first one up and in his arms, followed by Breanna. Of course, there was not an early bedtime for the girls that night! For the first time in months, everything felt complete!
Christmas was wonderful! The kids all had a wonderful time. The girls had so much fun opening their gifts and Nic had a great time playing with paper and boxes! He was into everything he could get into.
The transition has been problem free! I know everyone has been worried how everything would fall back into place. It has been better than we could have expected. Kevin has been fine with life here compared to life in Iraq. More than anything, he has just been glad to be home with us. Kevin has loved that he can just relax, whether it be doing something around the house or playing one of his XBox games. Usually, it is hanging out, playing a game! No complaints here, at least he is home! He did take about a month of leave to get away from work, which was much needed.
I have obtained my real estate license. I am now a realtor with Coldwell Banker. I am now in and out of the office pretty much daily. With Kevin being home it is easier to work. Of course, he has been to a couple open houses with me that I have held. He has helped me out so much with everything.
The kids are all wonderful! The girls are both doing great in school. Breanna is above average on many things in school. Her teacher is still giving her extra work on a daily basis to keep her busy. Nicholas is crawling all over the house and into things. He will stand for a couple of seconds on his own...which only means that walking is right around the corner! I have loved every second with him, watching him grow. Since discovering my food, he refuses to eat baby food now. Every night we have to make sure that some of what we cook he can eat. He has such a happy personality and such a mama's boy! He says mama and bye bye now. Every now and then, he will say dada. He has six teeth with another one trying to come through. It is amazing how quickly they change and grow! Nicholas will be one in a little over a month. That is so hard to believe.
Overall, everything has been terrific here! I am sorry it has taken so long to get this update out. I will get pictures on here soon! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I know we sure did! Thanks to all the ones that kept us and Kevin's safety in your prayers!
As you can imagine, there has not been any downtime here since Kevin came home from the deployment! Kev arrived at the airfield here on December 8. After waiting all day, I was able to see his plane land around 6pm and was finally able to see him a little after 7pm. I cannot even begin to explain the relief, joy, excitement, pride, and so much more this brought. It is not possible to put it into words. It seemed so surreal to have him standing right there, in front of me. A moment that I had been waiting for had finally happened. The girls were at a friends house, but Nicholas was with me. At first he just looked at Kevin, probably trying to put everything together. I showed Nic pictures of Kevin everyday that he was away. Kevin, of course, had a bear for him from Germany. Kevin held Nicholas and he did great with him! After getting bags and loading the car, we headed over to get the girls. They had no idea that I would come home with Daddy! They thought that I was out Christmas shopping. Honestly, I think we had the best Christmas gift we could ever ask for! A Christmas to always remember. When they first saw Kevin, they just stared at him. I guess in disbelief. It took a minute for them to realize he was really home. Caitlin was the first one up and in his arms, followed by Breanna. Of course, there was not an early bedtime for the girls that night! For the first time in months, everything felt complete!
Christmas was wonderful! The kids all had a wonderful time. The girls had so much fun opening their gifts and Nic had a great time playing with paper and boxes! He was into everything he could get into.
The transition has been problem free! I know everyone has been worried how everything would fall back into place. It has been better than we could have expected. Kevin has been fine with life here compared to life in Iraq. More than anything, he has just been glad to be home with us. Kevin has loved that he can just relax, whether it be doing something around the house or playing one of his XBox games. Usually, it is hanging out, playing a game! No complaints here, at least he is home! He did take about a month of leave to get away from work, which was much needed.
I have obtained my real estate license. I am now a realtor with Coldwell Banker. I am now in and out of the office pretty much daily. With Kevin being home it is easier to work. Of course, he has been to a couple open houses with me that I have held. He has helped me out so much with everything.
The kids are all wonderful! The girls are both doing great in school. Breanna is above average on many things in school. Her teacher is still giving her extra work on a daily basis to keep her busy. Nicholas is crawling all over the house and into things. He will stand for a couple of seconds on his own...which only means that walking is right around the corner! I have loved every second with him, watching him grow. Since discovering my food, he refuses to eat baby food now. Every night we have to make sure that some of what we cook he can eat. He has such a happy personality and such a mama's boy! He says mama and bye bye now. Every now and then, he will say dada. He has six teeth with another one trying to come through. It is amazing how quickly they change and grow! Nicholas will be one in a little over a month. That is so hard to believe.
Overall, everything has been terrific here! I am sorry it has taken so long to get this update out. I will get pictures on here soon! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I know we sure did! Thanks to all the ones that kept us and Kevin's safety in your prayers!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Carlsbad Caverns, NM
We decided to take a trip to Carlsbad, NM with the kids to check out the caverns. We all had a fun-filled day. The drive seemed to go on a little too long with the girls in the back constantly repeating "Are we there yet?" "I am tired of being in the car"...and so on. We stopped at the park area of the Guadelupe Mountains to walk and go through the small museum they have. Very interesting! After that we headed to the caverns. We had to end up purchasing a snuggli for Kevin to strap on him and tote Nic in. Of course, we were not thinking about the fact we could not take a stroller in! We took an elevator down, I cannot recall how far under we were. The girls were just as amazed as Kevin and I were. Kevin and I are making future plans to go back without the kids so we can do more advanced cave tours. We are wanting to do the ones where we actually have to get down and crawl through the narrow cave passages! We all had a great day in NM!
For more information on the Caverns and the National Park, check out the website, http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm. We took the kids on the self-guided tour.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Welcome Home Kevin!!!
After the long wait, the day is finally here! Kevin is home! This day seemed like it would never get here. The girls stayed with friends of ours while Nicholas and I waited at Biggs Army Airfield airstrip. We were able to be in an area on the airfield to watch the plane land. Amazing is all I can say about this! The plane landed and we watched our guys walk by us! They had to check in all weapons before we were actually able to be with them. After about an hour of waiting inside, they finally announced that our soldiers were standing outside, waiting to be let in. They opened the gate and the guys marched in! They had to stand in a formation for no more than a minute before they were released. After that it was just a matter of finding Kevin and being with him, in his arms again! Our day is finally here! The kids and I have Kevin back home, safe where he belongs!
The girls had no idea that Kevin was coming home on this day. They thought that they were staying at a friends house so I could go Christmas shopping. Little did they know the best Christmas present ever was going to walk through the door within a couple hours!
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support!
Patiently waiting for the plane to come in....
Kevin seeing Nicholas for the first time since he was a couple weeks old!
Nicholas seeing his Daddy for the first time. What a look. Nic never cried.
The girls had no idea that Kevin was coming home on this day. They thought that they were staying at a friends house so I could go Christmas shopping. Little did they know the best Christmas present ever was going to walk through the door within a couple hours!
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support!
Patiently waiting for the plane to come in....
It has been way too long!!! He's home!
Kevin seeing Nicholas for the first time since he was a couple weeks old!
Nicholas seeing his Daddy for the first time. What a look. Nic never cried.
Nic with his Daddys hat
Just where Caitlin has wanted to be. Bre could not believe Kev was really home.
We could not ask for anything more than this for Christmas! It really will be a Christmas wish come true.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Letter from a civilian wife to a military wife
A friend of mine sent me an email that had this letter attached. I am not sure how she came across this email. I can never thank this woman enough for all that she has written. There is no way to truly explain the way this letter makes me and many other military wives feel. Thank you!
Dear Military Wife,
I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news. I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for. I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband. I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so. I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren't yet old enough to understand. I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home. I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with. And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting.
For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel. I can not tell you that you must be strong. I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man". I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes. What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another soldier" - -I will never have to walk in your shoes.
I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now. I have figured out that you are not like other women. You are of a special breed. You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess. The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America. You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American. I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment.
Until this moment I could never put into words exactly whatAmerica meant to me. Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you. Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family. You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down.Military families make this nation what it is today. You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Because of you and your family...I am able to be me. I am able to have my family. I am able to walk free in this great land. Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay. Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday. I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom. I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable.
However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...what you are doing...what has happened today...or what will happen tomorrow... Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me.... And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten. You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely. May God Bless You. Military spouses make daily sacrifices while their spouse serve our country. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
Dear Military Wife,
I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news. I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for. I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband. I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so. I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren't yet old enough to understand. I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home. I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with. And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting.
For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel. I can not tell you that you must be strong. I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man". I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes. What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another soldier" - -I will never have to walk in your shoes.
I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now. I have figured out that you are not like other women. You are of a special breed. You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess. The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America. You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American. I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment.
Until this moment I could never put into words exactly whatAmerica meant to me. Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you. Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family. You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down.Military families make this nation what it is today. You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Because of you and your family...I am able to be me. I am able to have my family. I am able to walk free in this great land. Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay. Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday. I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom. I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable.
However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...what you are doing...what has happened today...or what will happen tomorrow... Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me.... And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten. You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely. May God Bless You. Military spouses make daily sacrifices while their spouse serve our country. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
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