Light at the End

I was thinking: Steve has been gone over a year in the past 22 months, about 1/4 of our marriage, and 1/2 of Christian's life between his lengthy TDYs (Fort Bragg and Hurlburt Field) and this deployment. Needless to say, it will be so nice to have him home. Hopefully he can stick around for awhile. In some ways I don't remember what it was like to have him home...how sad is that? I guess I have just gotten used to the solo days and evenings. Setting up new routines in hopes that it will help Mommy and Christian get through the day. Sometimes we are just in survival mode. And in the end, we have nearly made it. I am not quite sure how some military families have been able to sacrifice so much of their life together. I am grateful that this was a shorter deployment compared to the year-long+ commitments, and I am thankful that Steve will (cross my fingers) not have to go back soon. God has kept him in safe territory and I am incredibly grateful that he is not on the front lines. No, this lifestyle is not ideal, but I am SO thankful that God has given us the grace to get through these rough separations. So...as we look at these last couple weeks, I am just so thrilled that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And can I just say, "Thank You" to all military members and families, past and present, who have served (in a multitude of ways) for our country. We have gotten just a taste of what that sacrifice looks like.

Flying With an *almost* 1 Year Old

Come September, Christian and I will be flying home to Colorado to visit with our wonderful families/friends and to celebrate the big FIRST birthday of our little man. What? How did that come so quickly? Anyway, I was hoping for some helpful suggestions on how to keep a one year old busy and happy on our flights out and back (we have a layover both times in Atlanta.) I know snacks and toys will help, but specifically are there certain toys/activities that you know of that might make the time go faster? This will not be Christian's first time flying (we flew to Florida from Colorado when C was almost 5 months to visit with Steve while he was at a training at Hurlburt Field) but I was able to coax him into taking a nap on my shoulder after nursing on those flights. This time it will be a lot different, and I don't expect him to want to sit in my lap for such long periods of time. Thankfully, my wonderful mother-in-law will be flying into SC a few days prior to help me fly with Christian out to Colorado. The extra set of hands and another lap will be SO helpful. The trip back will be just C and I. So...what advice do you have?

Moving Part II...A Sweet Reunion

We made the first part of our move across the country from Edwards AFB (California) to Shaw AFB (South Carolina) in December with a 3 month "pit stop" in Colorado. Steve left in January for 9 weeks of trainings at Hurlburt Field in Florida while Christian and I stayed behind with family. Fortunately, we were able to meet in Orlando for a long weekend in the middle of Steve's trainings. Now we are FINALLY together again! Whoo hoo!

The journey from Colorado to South Carolina went really well. My mom, Christian, and I traveled for 3 days and made good time except for when we had to make a detour of a detour...but that only cost us an hour. The drive for Christian wasn't as easy as it was from CA to CO (because he didn't sleep nearly as much) but overall he was a really good boy and we were able to entertain him with toys.

We arrived on Wednesday afternoon and began to look at homes that Steve had previously viewed. These past few days we have been house hunting almost non-stop and have been getting a better feel for the Shaw AFB and Sumter area.

It has been so nice to be together and to see Steve with Christian. We are really looking forward to being able to settle down and to get the chance to explore the east coast.

Getting Ready for Move Part II

We are getting ready to make our 27 hour drive to South Carolina in 2 weeks! (My mom will be helping me drive out to SC.) Crazy how fast these (almost) 3 months have gone. It has been such a blessing to be home in Colorado while Steve has been at his trainings in Florida. Can't beat the comforts of home and being near family and friends. I am really thankful that our families have been so welcoming, and that Christian has had a chance to see both sets of grandparents, his aunts and uncles, and cousins often. We have certainly been spoiled here, and we will miss the privilege of seeing family everyday. We are really going to miss you all!

On the other hand, we are excited to be a family again...to actually be together. I know how excited Steve is to see us again and to stop living out of a hotel room. Poor guy...he has been away at trainings (Fort Bragg and Hurlburt Field) about 6 of the past 12 months. So it will definitely be nice to settle down...at least for a little while.

We haven't ever been to South Carolina so we are excited to see new places and meet new people. A fresh start and a new perspective. A little scary in some ways, but exciting all the same. A whole new adventure awaits us....

Weekend in Orlando

"Oh Daddy, how I've missed you."

All bundled up, glad I brought his hat and some warmer clothes.

This past holiday weekend we visited Steve in Orlando. Steve drove 7 hours from Hurlburt Field and we flew in Thursday afternoon and left early Monday morning. Christian had a few outbursts on the plane ride there and it certainly was difficult trying to manage a large car seat, suitcase, stroller, and baby, but we made it to the hotel. The weather was cold and rainy but it became warmer each day that we were there. On Sunday we even got to take off our jackets and get a little sun. We went to EPCOT twice (my favorite of the Disney World parks,) the Magic Kingdom, and Downtown Disney every night...Ghirardelli hot cocoa anyone? Simply Amazing. Steve held Christian or had him in the baby carrier majority of the trip, as expected. :o) On our flight home we had a stop in Chicago which made for a VERY long day, but Christian was wonderful and slept on my shoulder during both flights. What a good little traveler. The weekend really flew by as they always do when you are having a good time. It was so nice to be able to spend some time together again as a family in between Steve's trainings. A little refresher and encouragement to keep going. We cannot wait to see Steve in 4 weeks when we meet up again at our new base and home in South Carolina. A whole new adventure awaits us!

13 Days!

We are SO excited! Christian and I get to visit Steve in Florida over Valentine's/President's Day weekend which falls about halfway through Steve's trainings at Hurlburt Field. Little C and I will be flying into Orlando and will meet Daddy at our hotel. Guess where we will be going? Disney World! ** Surprise! ** Well, those of you who know us, know this is not a BIG surprise....At any rate, we are really looking forward to seeing Steve and getting a few days to spend together before meeting up again at our new base in South Carolina mid-March.

Sick Days and Another Goodbye

This past week was a little crazy...okay, really crazy. All three of us (as well as my parents, SIL, and niece) were sick with colds which was not the best way to spend our last week together in Colorado. Poor Steve had a nasty stomach bug and was literally in bed for 3 days without eating (which is SO unlike him.) I was able to finally convince him that he needed to see a doctor and I took him to Urgent Care where they gave him 2 bags of IV fluid and medications. Christian had a nagging cough all week and I took him to the pediatrician...fortunately he just has a cold, but the cough could last for 2-3 weeks, not fun. Even though I tried to protect myself from the germs, I inevitably caught a cold as well and continue to have a stuffy head and headache. Unfortunately because I am nursing there is very little medications that I can take. I am basically fighting the cold naturally which takes longer. On a lighter note, it does seem that we are slowly but surely becoming healthy again.

I spent the first half of the week making countless phone calls to Tricare, Edwards AFB, Buckley AFB, and Peterson AFB simply trying to set up a well-baby checkup for Christian and then with the colds, that's a whole other story...ugh such a pain...they certainly don't make it easy when you are en route between bases.

Steve was feeling better and had enough strength to begin his 3 day drive with his mom on Friday to his TDY destination at Hurlburt Field in Florida. He has 9 weeks of training before taking up his new position at Shaw AFB mid-March. Christian, Phoenix and I are staying back in Colorado since family is strongly discouraged from joining. It's always difficult being apart even though we have experienced several lengthy separations while dating, during our engagement, and now 2 since we have been married, but now it seems even more difficult now that Christian is here. At least this TDY is not 15 weeks like the one this past summer and this time we are hoping to be able visit Steve. Also, Christian and I are very blessed to be able to stay with family the entire TDY...yay for Colorado and our supportive families!