The Story of Ted's Homecoming

Wednesday, May 16, turned out to be the day God chose for Ted to come HOME!  The original information we had was that Ted would arrive in Dayton on Thursday morning, May 17.  While we were delighted that he would be coming home sooner, that meant some changes in our plans!

Back on the home front, the family went into a flurry of activity!  Unbeknownst to Ted, his mom had made plans to fly out in order to be here to welcome him at the airport.  However, her original flight was scheduled to land late Wednesday night--which meant she would have missed his arrival!  Thankfully, she was able to change her flight and left Denver late Tuesday night, arriving in Dayton Wednesday morning.  Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, my dad and brother began the drive to Ohio late Tuesday night after Dad got off work.

The only information we had to go on when we were frantically making calls and changing our plans on Tuesday was that Ted was supposed to arrive in Indianapolis on Wednesday around lunchtime.  He planned to call us once he had the final flight details, but we assumed that he would go through customs and hop on a flight to Dayton from there.

Since Dad and John would be driving east on I-70, I asked Mom (who was here in Ohio with us) if she thought the guys could pick Rhonda up from the airport, since it is right off the freeway, on their way here.  When Mom and Dad talked on the phone, Dad agreed that would be a simple matter, and so it was settled...

Wednesday morning I was running around like a crazy woman!  I heard the phone ring while I was cleaning the bathroom, but since I wasn't expecting Ted to land in Indy until lunchtime, I didn't bother rushing, and Mom answered it first.  I heard her say, "Oh, you're at the airport?  Well, your mom is there now, too!"

ACK!  That part was supposed to be a surprise!!  Apparently Mom didn't realize that, though!  "NOOO!" I called out.  "DON'T TELL HIM!"  But it was too late.  I got on the phone and learned that Ted was about to go through customs and that he would call me back once he had information about his arrival in Dayton.

Meanwhile, Rhonda had arrived in Dayton.  She and my dad had connected by cell phone, and she was waiting for him to pick her up.  When I talked with her to let her know Ted had arrived in Indianapolis, she was watching for my dad's minivan but not finding it.  When she mentioned something about Dad being on a different level, I began wondering...anyone who's been through Dayton knows it's a small airport, and everything is on the same level!  I called Dad, and...sure enough...he was driving around the Indianapolis airport looking for Rhonda!  Somehow the tiny little detail of WHICH airport didn't get communicated clearly!

What a comedy of errors the morning was turning out to be!  Since Dad and John were still so far out, I just hopped in the Suburban and drove to pick up Rhonda myself, figuring maybe I just needed to get out of the house before I went stark raving mad!  A detour along the way (off I-75, of course) had me driving all over downtown, laughing at the craziness we were experiencing on the most exciting day of our year.  I was so glad none of this was a surprise to God...and all I could do was pray that Ted's actual arrival would be much less traumatic than the morning had been.

So, in the midst of all this chaos, Ted got his final flight arrangements--to Atlanta and then to Dayton.  If it weren't for the fact that he was transporting weapons, I would have driven to Indianapolis myself to get him (for that matter, Dad and John could have picked him up, LOL), but we weren't allowed to carry the weapons that far in a vehicle.  And...surprisingly, there are NO direct flights from Indy to Dayton.  So, Ted had to wait another 8 hours or so before actually getting home.

The good news, though, was that it allowed his crazy family a chance to get our ducks in a row before going to greet him at the airport!  Those who had traveled all night were able to get naps here at the house, and I was able to get word to local friends about the details for those who wanted to meet us at the airport.

Rhonda rode with the kids and me to get to the airport early enough to get special passes to go back and meet Ted at the gate.  My friend Becky from church had graciously agreed to be our photographer for the special occasion, so she went back with us as well.  I was so glad she came!  It was fun to just be caught up in the moment and not have to worry about trying to capture those moments for later.  You can see some of Becky's beautiful work in the photos in this post!

The kids had made signs, and we found flags at the dollar store that were actually MADE IN THE U.S.A. to wave.  Charis made a sign for Rhonda to hold since she was traveling all night. :-)

Oh, it was so fun to watch the kids!  Lucan was so excited at seeing the airplane actually land!  In fact, he nearly didn't leave the window because he wanted to see the plane so badly.  The rest of us were as waiting eagerly at the end of the walkway, straining to catch a glimpse of our tall, handsome airman!

Needless to say, Ted was accosted as soon as the kids saw him!

The applause from all the people in the airport was overwhelming and brought me to tears--if I weren't already that way from the emotion of the moment.

Ted was greeted by more enthusiastic family and friends as we walked to baggage claim.  Both my parents, my brother John, and some friends from church were there as well, holding flags and signs and ready to welcome their hero!

We drove from the airport to base to drop off Ted's weapons.  While Ted was inside the building, I called the PR gal from Chick-Fil-A, with whom I had been in touch with regarding a welcome-home lunch/dinner for Ted.  I had asked him where he wanted to eat when he arrived, thinking it would be easier to go out to eat than come home and fix a meal.  When he said Chick-Fil-A was fine with him, I thought of my friend Stefanie, whose husband had said the same thing when he returned from his year in Afghanistan.  She told me she had talked with the manager of CFA, who set up a nice welcome-home dinner for them, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to talk with them.  Wendy was very sweet and enthusiastic about helping us.

So, when we arrived at CFA, not only was there a section of the restaurant reserved for us, there were also friends (and strangers!) clapping and cheering and welcoming Ted home!

The folks at CFA were so kind.  They gave EVERYONE in our family (including our parents and my brother) a free meal!  And there were stuffed cows and balloons for everyone, to the delight of the children.  Since Ted landed right at the time the AWANA closing ceremonies were starting at church, we missed attending the service, but friends dropped by afterward to say hello and shake Ted's hand (and have some ice cream!).

All in all, it was a wonderful, special, extremely memorable day for our family!  We are so thankful for God's grace, for His tangible presence in our lives during a long and difficult year.  Without Him, we would not have even made it through the year, let alone come through even stronger in our faith and more confident of His good purposes.  What a blessing to look back and see the growth in each and every one of us, the work of HIS Holy Spirit!  What a blessing to have had such dear friends and family praying us through this journey!  We have learned to appreciate the Body of Christ more than ever before.  Thank you, dear friends, for sharing this journey with us.  If anyone has been blessed or encouraged by our family at all over the course of the deployment, it was worth every moment.

To God be the glory--great things HE has done!

The Wait Is Almost Over!

So...life has been speeding by since I last posted, and while our days have been anything but boring, I simply haven't had time to update this blog.  And frankly, I don't really have time now...but for those who don't yet know, I wanted to say that...

TED IS COMING HOME!!!

HE'S IN THE AIR!!!

WE'LL SEE HIM TOMORROW, GOD WILLING!!!

This is over a week earlier than we anticipated getting to welcome him home.  I'm overwhelmed with thankfulness and the desire to spin in circles while cleaning my house.

I think I'll settle for being thankful.

And maybe a little bit of circle spinning. :-)

Waiting for Daddy!

So ever since Ted notified us on Thursday that he would be on a flight from Afghanistan to Kuwait, we've been on pins and needles waiting for his arrival!  We didn't have much communication from him during the duration of his travels, but we did learn that he was going through Germany to Atlanta and finally to Dayton.  His scheduled arrival time was 5:36 pm on Saturday.

I was guardedly optimistic about this time, and the kids were doing happy dances all throughout the day.  I hadn't planned anything at all for Saturday, not knowing exactly what would be happening.  I was pretty much useless all day, although I did get one load of laundry finished and made 4 dozen banana muffins.  Other than that, I spent my time reading, playing Wii with the kids, checking flight statuses online, and wandering aimlessly around the house, picking up random things while not being fully engaged in any sort of cleaning project.  The kids were delighted to have such a distracted mom, as they ended up spending 98% of their waking hours in front of the television, first watching Animaniacs DVDs from the library, then playing Wii, and later watching a movie.

When the phone finally rang and I got to hear Ted's voice for the first time in a number of days, I was first relieved to hear he was stateside, but then disappointed with him that plans seemed to be changing.  Atlanta was pretty much shut down due to poor weather, but his plane had needed fuel, so they stopped in Alabama, where they waited on the plane for 2 1/2 hours before getting refueled. 

We next heard from him once he arrived in Dallas, where they had been rerouted because of the situation in Atlanta.  He sounded SO exhausted!  But the good news was that once he had cleared customs, he was able to get on a direct flight to Dayton.  New expected time of arrival: 10:55 pm.

By this point it was close to dinner time at our house.  I had originally planned for us to have snacks in the afternoon and then eat dinner as a family at Cracker Barrel after we picked up Ted, since we had eaten there the day we took Ted to the airport when he left for his pre-deployment training in New Jersey.  Obviously this plan was going to have to change!  Thank goodness for Trader Joe's frozen dinners, LOL.  We enjoyed orange chicken and rice, and then, since the kids were driving me cuh-razy, I sent the boys to my neighbor Chris's house to borrow some movies. 

They took a vote and settled down to watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and by the time that was over, it was time to pack up and head to the airport!  I had decided not to worry about the late time and to just take everyone along.  I mean, really, how often do you get to welcome your dad home from a war zone?!  The good thing was that Lucan had napped from about 3:00 - 6:00, so he was definitely recharged and ready to go!  Zaden, as usual, was on his perfect little schedule, so it was no problem getting him ready to go.  We started the Suburban and let it warm up so I wouldn't have to kill myself chipping off a half inch of ice from the windshield!

We arrived in plenty of time...I had planned for us to get special passes and go through security to meet Ted at the gate.  However, I neglected to update my plan with the change in arrival time, and security was closed!  So we simply sat in an area across from the ticket counter and waited.  I nursed Zaden, the kids played "football" with Lucan's stuffed dog, a pair of socks, and a scarf, and the kids took turns chatting with Grandma J, who kept us updated as to the plane's progress since she was watching online.  "Now Daddy's in Indiana!  He's crossing into Ohio!  He's a quarter inch away from the airport!"

It was rather quiet at the airport at that time, which was just fine.  The girls had made signs to hold up, and we made our way as far up as we could go without crossing the red line where the security guard sat.  Finally...FINALLY...after 8 months...we saw Ted walking toward us!  My tall, handsome, exhausted husband was finally HERE!  I captured the reunion with the kids on video, then gave the camera to Charis, so the latter part of the reunion video is sideways, because she turned the camera.  Still, it's pretty sweet. :-)

So, here we are!  I didn't think to ask anyone at the gate to get a picture of all of us.  I think Ted and I both felt a little awkward about making a scene...there weren't tons of people around, but everyone who WAS there was definitely watching our large family!  I saw a lot of smiles, but no one talked to us, and I was kind of in my own little happy bubble.  So the idea of getting a family picture never even occurred to me!  I took this one of Ted with all the kids once we got to the parking garage.

So, he's finally here, for 15 days, anyway.  But I suspect those 15 days will be most memorable!

So Faithful

Eight months ago today we drove Ted (and his weapons and his ginormous deployment bags) to the airport.  The year loomed before us, along with a considerable amount of fear, uncertainty, and worry.  I remember going to church immediately afterward and sitting in the front with my friend Shirley, weeping my way through the song list.  Every song that was picked that day was just what I needed, and I truly meant every word.  Right now, all I remember is that we sang "Blessed Be the Name!" 

(And as a side note, I've learned over the years that the sweetest times of worship are when we're going through hardship and STILL sing, whether a literal song or a lifesong, an offering of worship, a sacrifice of praise.  Sometimes simply praising God truly IS a sacrifice--a sacrifice of our pride, our selfish desires, our agenda.)

Today, we are 2/3 of the way through this deployment, and Ted is home for 15 days of R&R.  Once again, the songs at church were so meaningful!  Before we even left for church, I was thinking of how faithful God has been.  And one of the songs we sang was "Faithful God" by Josh Helms.  It's my new favorite song. :-)

So I'll close this little post with the lyrics.  I pray others will find this to be true for themselves!

Faithful God
Josh Helms

Closer than a brother, truer than a friend
Through valleys and mountains, the beginning to the end
For every failure, and every victory,
In every battle, you've been faithful to me!

Victorious, my redeemer
Glorious, brilliant dreamer
Faithful God, you have been faithful to me
Majesty, filled with wonder
Lavishly clothed in splendor
Faithful God you have been faithful to me

Author of redemption, creator and king
Before I drew breath, you were thinking of me
My past is forgotten, my future's secure
Faithful God, I am faithfully yours

Victorious, my redeemer
Glorious, brilliant dreamer
Faithful God, you have been faithful to me
Majesty, filled with wonder
Lavishly, clothed in splendor
Faithful God, you have been faithful to me

And as sure as the sunrise pierces the night sky
You will be there, you will be there
And as sure as the mountains, reach for the heavens
You will be there, you will be there

Victorious, my redeemer
Glorious, brilliant dreamer
Faithful God, you have been faithful to me
Majesty, filled with wonder
Lavishly, clothed in splendor
Faithful God, you have been faithful to me

Planning Our Getaway

So in roughly two weeks Ted should be en route for HOME!  Only for 2 weeks, but still.  We've spent the last 8 months apart (with one week together between training and deployment), so as you can imagine, we're just a TAD bit excited.

We're trying not to plan TOO much, but some things simply must be scheduled, starting with our number one priority--our own time away without the kids!  Rhonda will be coming for a few days in the middle of Ted's R&R time so that she can spend some time with him plus help babysit the kids so we can go away for a night.

So the past couple of weeks I've been scouring web sites, trying to find a B&B.  Things just were not really coming together; either it was kind of a lengthy drive, or a little on the pricey side, or already booked.  So I finally just made a reservation at a nice inn on the recommendation of a B&B owner who was booked.  I found that I could get a luxury suite with king-sized bed and a jacuzzi for $99.  That seemed like a great deal!  But I was rather disappointed that it wouldn't be a B&B experience...we'd be on our own for meals.  Still, a jacuzzi!

Well, last night I got a voice mail from a soon-to-be B&B owner.  I had called the location to inquire and was told that they were in the middle of selling the place!  They took my name and number, but I wasn't sure whether to actually expect a call back or not, and after a day or so, I just booked the aforementioned luxury suite.  After reviewing the voice message, I decided it wouldn't hurt to call the new owner today and see what she had to say.

I am SO glad I called!  We had a lovely conversation.  She is a believer in Christ also and purchased the B&B partly for ministry opportunities!  We will be her first customers (and the only ones that night), so we will have the place to ourselves.  She wanted to give us a special deal because of our unique situation, so she is only charging us $75!!!  She offered to go and get us dinner if we want to order out rather than go back out after checking in, and she said we could stay as long as we want on Monday.  She even offered to let Grandma and the kids come and check the place out on Monday--there are 3 acres and a barn to explore!  She didn't even take my credit card info over the phone...it was really a God-directed opportunity for us both, I think.  Of course there will be a nice breakfast spread for us, plus fresh fruit and snacks.

Because of the set-up...she offered us access to the other room, which is adjoining...I actually think we will take Zaden with us.  I was a little concerned about trying to pump the whole time we're gone.  But if he can sleep next door to us, we can still enjoy couple time and I will be much more comfortable while we're away from home.  Plus, it will give Ted some extra time with his new son whom he has yet to meet as of right now!  Zaden is such a sweet, easy baby that I think it won't take away from our couple time at all to have him with us.  And hopefully that will make things easier for Rhonda, who will be home with the other 5!

I'm deliriously excited!

The Hardest Part of the Day

For those who pray for us, I thought I'd share an almost daily struggle so that when you think of us, particularly during this time of the day, you can pray more specifically.

First of all, let me say that there is no way on God's green earth that we would be coping as well as we are if it weren't for God's grace and the power of prayer!  I can really tell that people are lifting us up.  Things are never perfect, but amazingly, my attitude has mostly stayed positive, and I'd like to think I've grown up a little since our last deployment!  I have fewer pity parties, for example, but then again...that could be because I don't have time to even think, let alone throw a party that no one else is invited to, LOL!

That said, there are predictable times when I just want to turn in my military spouse badge and call it quits.  This is the after-dinner-before-bedtime Crappy Snappy Hour (I'll try to keep it as positive as I can while still being real, how about that?!).  This fun time happens on evenings when we don't have any other activities away from the house such as AWANA.  Dinner time is usually a reasonably pleasant affair.  We've been doing "Joy, Junk, Jesus" around the table, taking turns telling about a joy or highlight from the day, a "junk" (or low point) from the day, and a moment during the day that pointed us to Jesus.  I got this brilliant idea from my friend Megan, who maybe does it with her kids at bedtime--I couldn't remember.  But I was tired of having the kids eat and literally run away from the table.  Darn it, if I spend upwards of an hour preparing the food that you mow through without even tasting, you'll at LEAST sit at the table and talk to me while I enjoy what I've made!

Ahem.  Anyway.  After dinner is over, the "fun" begins.  It's definitely worse on evenings when the weather doesn't permit me to send the boys outside.  At any given moment, any or all of the following could be happening in this house:

• I am on the couch, nursing Zaden.
• Lucan is heaven knows where, dumping who knows what onto the floor.  When he finally passes close enough to the place where I am nursing Zaden, I catch a whiff of a different type of dumping.
• Kenna is running around in her 26th outfit of the day, singing at the top of her lungs a song that only she knows.
• Tobin and Arden are running cartoon-like throughout the house, i.e. in a puff ball of smoke, from which can only be seen various appendages and exclamation points.  As they tumble through the house, the decibel level rises with their grunts, shouts, guffaws, and/or cries of alarm or rage.
• Charis, my dinner-cleaner-upper-helper, has disappeared to read or craft without doing her job.  Since she helps me in SO many ways, I try not to begrudge her alone time, but it IS frustrating that the one reliable offspring is nowhere to be seen in the midst of utter chaos.
• The remains of dinner still need to be put away, and dirty dishes are pretty much on every horizontal surface of the kitchen.
• The floor is covered with crumbs stuck to random spots of goo.  And we just mopped yesterday!
• The phone rings.
• Someone knocks at the door.

And when I said earlier that any or all of the following could be happening, I am NOT kidding--quite often ALL of those bullet points are happening AT THE EXACT SAME TIME!!

So you get the picture of the frustrating level of chaos going on.  Now add to that the fact that I most likely am functioning on sleep that happened from 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., with no nap in the afternoon.  Because I physically cannot do a whole lot during this time period--I'm either nursing/caring for Zaden or trying to reduce the kitchen's level of chaos--my tolerance for shenanigans and noise has increased.  A little.  Why add to the chaos by yelling?!  Oh, but I do.  Just not (so much) for noise.  Mostly for trying to stop an argument or to prevent something bad from happening.

Until.

It gets remotely close to someone's bedtime.  Then, the chaos MUST STOP.  I can't handle it anymore.  I am tired of stepping over random toys and books.  I am tired of walking into a different room and having my shoulders automatically slump because I'm so overwhelmed by the mess and disorganization.  I am tired of the bickering, the complaining, the tattling.  I am just tired of NOISE and MESS, and I want it to go away RIGHT NOW.

"Right now" to a grown-up = at least 45 minutes to a kid.  Multiply that by 5 mobile children, and that is approximately how long it seems to take us to get the house and kids clean and ready for bed.  I start this process at 7 or 7:30, hoping (in vain) that THIS will be the night that EVERYONE is in bed early so that I can enjoy some quiet alone time.

However, by the time everyone is in bed, it's time for Zaden to nurse again, and I'm so tired I can't even think straight, not that I've been able to do that all day.  And of course once Zaden has finished nursing, I HAVE to get to bed immediately so I can have some hope of getting a decent stretch of sleep.

This part of the day is often challenging enough when Ted is home to help.  We're both tired, and there are times we just look at each other and ask, "Do you think the kids will put themselves to bed?!"  But it's infinitely more exhausting when I can't tag team with anyone.  I do pray a lot during these hours...and while Jesus is a wonderful comfort and friend...well, His presence hasn't yet manifested in such a way as to clean the kitchen or change the diapers for me!  But at least I know He IS with me!

I'm not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me.  Probably 99% of the time I don't even feel sorry for me.  This is just the way it is, and we get through it.  And we'll continue to get through it.  But I recognize this is a consistent challenge for me, and I could use all the prayers I can get!  For patience, nay, "longsuffering;" for endurance; for joy and contentment despite circumstances that, humanly speaking, would typically drain anything of the like from one's heart.

And with that, it's time to nurse Zaden again and get to bed!

Thirteen on Thursday

In lieu of a lengthy update trying to recall all we've done since I last blogged, we'll do bullets...

1.  Preggo update:  34 weeks and counting.  Total weight gain so far:  23 pounds.  The boy is head down, face up.  Praying he turns before delivery...remembering Lucan's difficult delivery almost makes me want to schedule a C-section!  I do NOT want to go through that again!

2.  Swollen ankles, lots of pokes and jabs, multiple night time trips to the bathroom...yes.  We are ready to have this baby.  I'm praying for an early birth date.

3.  Hot.  Very hot.  And humid.  But I suppose I'm describing a good portion of the country when I say that, not just our little corner of the world.  See last sentence of #2.

4.  Community garage sale this week.  Yes, the hottest week of the summer!  We were "open" for business from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and made $160.  Not bad, considering we didn't really have much "big" stuff for sale!  I plan to open up tomorrow morning only and close before lunch.  A friend came over with a table and some stuff and her girls, and it was great to have company and help.  The kids sold water bottles and snow cones and made a bit of money that way.  But mostly they stayed in the house keeping cool and watching the little ones!

5.  Got another family (military) pass to the Boonshoft Discovery Museum.  We had one 2009-2010 and let it lapse, but I decided it would be a good option for getting out of the house and doing something educational.  The day we went (a couple of Fridays ago) we took along 3 kids from a family who are friends of ours.  It was cuh-RAZY, with tons of kids in buses showing up the same day!  But on the plus side, we got to watch the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis while seated in the planetarium--very cool!

6.  My good friend Jennifer T, whom I met in Idaho, came to visit for a few days last week.  I loved having a friend come to visit!  The kids loved it, too.  We played lots of games of Bananagrams and set, took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda 2, and Jen and I got to go out for lunch and the Harry Potter movie.  Good times, good conversations and prayers together.

7.  Just finished reading the second book of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, The Hidden Gallery.  GREAT books!  The kids wanted me to finish tonight, so they got to bed late.  (I wanted to know what would happen, too.  Darn it, though, there will apparently be another book after this.  Guess we'll have to wait a few months.)

8.  After MONTHS of sleeping on the top bunk, with no incidents or issues whatsoever, Kenna rolled out of her bed and landed on the (carpeted) floor at 12:30 a.m. last night.  She cried hard for a few minutes, resisted my efforts to comfort her, climbed back up to her bed, and promptly fell asleep.  She seemed none the worse for the wear today, and when I asked, she said she only had "a little tiny spot about this big" on her back that was hurting.  ???  I guess she's OK???!

9.  Lucan can officially climb in and out of his crib.  One afternoon this week during nap time, we checked on him and discovered he had thrown all of his stuffed animals out to make room for the doll stroller, which was in bed with him.  He was asleep under/beside it.  This evening, he had crawled out of bed and was playing happily when Tobin went to check on him after we heard some thumps.  He let me put him back to bed, but he was still awake when I checked on him at 9:45!  (Still in the crib, though.)  It may be time to make the transition to the big boy bed that is already in his room.  Sigh.  My baby's not a baby anymore!!

10.  Saturday marks 2 months down of our deployment.  This month has absolutely dragged as far as marking deployment time goes.  Our weeks seem to fly by, but it seems we've been close but not quite there (to the 2-month point) for ages now.  Strange, this time warp.

11.  We are finishing week 7 of our Bible Bee studies.  Charis is in week 4 of her memory verses.  I've managed to keep up with the Primary National Track memory work, thanks to my morning walks.  Charis has a lot more verses than I do to learn (500 vs. 250)...I'm praying she doesn't get discouraged.  It's not that she hasn't had time, but she has chosen to spent the majority of her days reading her stacks of library books...

12.  I have not given a single thought to school, although I suppose I should seriously look at the Sonlight catalog and start preparing our order.  Hoping that Baby arrives in mid-August, I'd like us to try to stick with our usual Labor Day start to the new school year.  We'll see if that ends up being a realistic plan or not.

13.  Looking forward to having my parents come soon--still working on the dates, as it depends on my dad's work schedule, but hopefully they'll be out here the first week in August or so.  Then Mom will stay here to help me get through the final days before Baby arrives and help with our transition.  I could cry I'm so happy to have her come!!!  Having Jennifer here for a few days reminded me of how nice it is to have another adult in the house...someone else to talk with and pray with, someone else to help keep kids entertained/occupied, just another responsible grown-up...I guess I hadn't realized really what a burden it can be to be the ONLY one responsible for so many other people.  If it weren't for God's sustaining grace, there is no way I could even face a tomorrow, let alone a whole year's worth of them.

How We're REALLY Doing

We're 6 weeks into this deployment now, and I suppose it's pretty safe to say we're in the "new normal."  Of course, I'm no longer sure what normal is around here, seeing that it's summer and our routine varies so much from day to day despite my best efforts at keeping some sort of schedule for sanity's sake!  But even if Ted were here, that would likely be the case, as we try to make the most of our time "off" school and enjoy the good weather when it's here.

This morning at church I saw a fellow member of my Sunday school class before the first service.  I asked him how he was feeling--we had prayed for a specific health issue for him last week.  He replied, "Do you want the quick answer or the five-minute answer?"  I got a pretty good update on him, but I liked his response to my question so much that I may have to start using it.

People ask me often how I'm doing or how our family is doing.  I can easily give a quick answer:  "We're hanging in there," "We're doing pretty well, considering," or "Not too bad, thanks."  But there is so much going on that it's hard to capsulize our circumstances and our responses to those circumstances in an answer like that.  I'm thankful people ask, but I know it's always going to be difficult to know just how to answer.  There are some days that if I were to be around people who ask, "How are things?" I would burst into tears.  And there are other days that I can honestly and cheerfully respond, "God is so good!  We're doing just fine right now!"

So, in the interest of keeping things real, here's our first 6-week check-up.  How are we REALLY doing?

PHYSICALLY
We have had no sicknesses or physical problems at all--if you don't count my puffy, swollen ankles, leg cramps, and pregnancy varicose veins, ha!  Lack of rest can be an issue for all of us at times, and I probably feel that more keenly with being in my third trimester.  I simply don't sleep as deeply as I would if Ted were home.  I do make naps/rest time a priority and probably nap at least 2-3 times per week, but I also cherish my early morning quiet times and consistently wake between 5 and 5:30, most often without an alarm clock.  (The baby squishing the bladder may have something to do with that, LOL.)  So, bottom line, we're doing well in this area.  I've been able to go on morning walks more often than not, and I'm feeling healthy overall.  The pregnancy is going well, and our little guy is kicking more and more each day.  I'm so very thankful for all of this.

We're still following the GAPS diet...more or less.  We seem to be cheating more often, but "cheating" for us means eating buns with cheeseburgers or sneaking some popcorn with a movie.  (OK, OK, so I've had some M&Ms too.  Sue me.)  The good news is that we don't really see any symptoms appear as a result of our cheating...so...I'm not exactly sure what that means for us, but the plan is to at least attempt to remain on the diet as much as possible through Thanksgiving.  Following that, I am hoping that the baby will be sleeping through the night and I'll be more coherent and better able to transition us back to eating bread (prepared properly) and so on.  The boys haven't had any need for their inhaler, so that's a very encouraging sign.  It will be interesting to see how they do in the fall, as that is typically a bad time for their allergies and asthma symptoms.

MENTALLY
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Col. 3:2).  I've known from way before Ted left that our minds would be an enormous battleground during our time apart.  What perfect timing that we began our Bible Bee study soon after Ted left--we've all been making a concentrated effort to memorize Scripture as well as study 1 Peter in depth.  "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).  I know all too well that fear, doubt, depression, and other negative emotions can set in if our minds are not set on Christ.  So, while I must confess that I had my doubts about this aspect of my health (I think I even told Ted, only half-jokingly, that it would be a miracle if I didn't end up having to check myself into Mental Health Services in the next year), I can at least say, "So far, so good."  I've been keeping myself mentally girded by memorizing Scripture plus have spent more time reading for learning and pleasure than usual (magazines AND books--something I don't often allow myself time to enjoy during the school year, aside from the books I read with the kids).

EMOTIONALLY
This is probably the toughest one for me.  Number one, I'm a woman.  Number two, I'm pregnant.  Add those together and you get a hormonal wreck on occasion!  When Ted first left the country, during that first week, I physically FELT the prayers of many people.  I was strengthened in so many ways, encouraged by countless little things, and I just knew we'd make it somehow.  And not just survive, but thrive--we've prayed from the beginning that God would be glorified through all of us, no matter where we are.  I braced myself for difficult days to come, but it seemed remarkable to me that we went for seemingly such a long time without any major mishaps or crying fits (on my part anyway, LOL).

As we knew it would, though, "stuff" began to emerge.  First it was behavior issues with Tobin--as in hearing bad reports from his Sunday school teacher, plus my own observations of the way he was treating his siblings (with malice) and responding to me (with disrespect).  Then it was the escalated bickering amongst all the children (even Lucan, sigh, who has learned to say, "Stop it, Arden!").  Then came my own meltdowns--frustration at the children's lack of self-control, bad attitudes, etc., and my own weepiness the night I felt I just hit a wall; we had only made it 5 weeks, and the year loomed so long before me that I just felt utterly defeated.  For about a day and a half I could barely do anything without crying.  I felt like a failure...we hadn't even made it very far, and I already felt like giving up.  But what can you do?  It's not as if I can pop out the DVD and change it for something else I prefer to watch.

"Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak."  (Isaiah 40:28-29)

I memorized those verses on my morning walk the day after I had felt so down.  They were familiar before, but now they're locked into my brain.  God used His Word along with His servants to encourage me:  not only did I receive many uplifting comments on Facebook (sometimes it pays to let people know you're down!), but out of the blue a friend called--without knowing anything about my present state of mind--to inform me that she had a meal she wanted to deliver to us which could be used that day or kept for later.  (Since I was in no frame of mind to cook for people who typically mow through their food without tasting it, I was especially thankful for a ready-made meal that night!)

I have to expect that the emotional part of this whole ordeal is probably going to be the hardest because it will be the most unpredictable.  For one thing, I never know when something will hit me and cause my feelings to crash, yet I can't live life based on how I feel.  (Otherwise there would be days or even weeks when no one would eat anything and nothing would get done around the house!)  I'm trying to prepare myself for even bigger highs and lows after the baby arrives and my hormones are in their full, raging glory--that, coupled with the lack of sleep thing, just may send me over the edge!  Dear friends, PLEASE keep asking how I'm doing then! :-)  But in addition to my own emotions, the kids all have their own ways of handling their dad being so far away for so long, and that in itself is a huge challenge.  (As an update for those who have prayed specifically for Tobin, I've seen efforts on his part to at least TRY to be more peaceful, and his attitude toward me has definitely improved.  We've spent some one-on-one time together, and I think he's learning to communicate a little better as well.  Thanks to those who have prayed--it's helping!)

SPIRITUALLY
This is the best part.  God really is so good!  While I chafed at all the time we had before the deployment ("just hurry up and go already so you can come back!"), at least we had more than adequate time to feel as prepared as we possibly could for this thing to happen, to acknowledge that despite it being a "fluke" (given Ted's medical coding and all the waivers that had to be signed) it was, in fact, a God-given assignment for our family.  I feel absolutely no resentment toward God regarding the path He has set before us.  Ted and I both view this year as an opportunity to grow in our walks with Christ and to be conformed more into His likeness.  We know it will stretch and challenge us in all areas of life, and we pray that we will bring our Lord glory in the process.

I feel more focused on my relationship with Jesus, as He truly is my Help and my Strength, my Refuge and my Rock.  It's as if everything else that doesn't matter has simply faded away--life, in a sense, is so much simpler now.  I walk with Jesus, I take care of my family, and I do what I can to support and encourage Ted from a distance.  That's it!  Other things are either on the back burner or even off the stove for the time being!  I haven't missed a morning quiet time yet; though there are days when kids wake earlier or I wake later and I have to rush a bit, my prayer and Bible study time is sacred to me, and I feel that God is honoring my desire to keep Him first.  I desperately need God's wisdom and strength to get through each day--that was apparent the moment I first became a mother, but my awareness of that need has only grown by leaps and bounds over time!  I often feel that most of my days are somehow a prayer poured to the Lord, as the Holy Spirit intercedes for me "with groans that words cannot express" (Romans 8:26).  Being more aware of my dependence on Him, I am also blessed with a deeper awareness of the countless ways He blesses me and upholds me.

So there it is...how I'm REALLY doing, as of this moment, 11:11 p.m., Sunday, July 3, 2011. :-)

Dayton Dragons Baseball

At the pre-deployment fair in April (the event where the kids got their Build-A-Bears with Daddy's voice recorded in the paws) we were able to pick a date to attend a local baseball game courtesy of the "Hometown Heroes" program.  I picked a Friday, today, thinking it would be easiest to get a babysitter for Kenna and Lucan, as I didn't really think taking the WHOLE crew would be super enjoyable for anyone.

So tonight was our big night!  Jessica C babysat, which thrilled Kenna to no end, as she adores "Miss Jessica."  After an eventful day--the kids finished swim lessons by passing their level 4 swim test this morning, then stayed at the pool with the C family for a picnic lunch and more swim time--we took off for downtown Dayton.  Thankfully the stars aligned so that I could get a nap myself; otherwise I may not have had energy for all of this!  Actually, a big thank you to my friend Stefanie, who thought of the idea of having the kids swim with her family for awhile, then have some down time at her house until I let her know that I was awake from my nap!

Anyway, our evening was more than just a baseball game.  We were to meet an hour and a half before game time for our VIP treatment!  We got free parking, then met our tour guide, Jeff, at the entrance to Fifth Third Field.  He took us behind the scenes, down the hallways to the locker rooms (of course we didn't go inside, but we did see pictures!), to the dugout, out on the field, up to the press and video/radio rooms, and various suites.  The kids got to push the button to make smoke come out of the Dragons' mouths on the scoreboard, something we got to see several times later in the evening, as we witnessed two home runs and the Dragons won the game!

In addition to the tour, we got $40 in baseball bucks to use towards concessions (and trust me, we used all of it for dinner!), plus a bag filled with goodies:  4 baseball hats, one extra-large t-shirt (which I ended up wearing, since my own white shirt got some of my dinner on it...darn that pregnant belly!), a couple of posters, and a ceramic dragon mug.  And our seats were fantastic!  Right along the third base line, just a few rows up from the dugout.

I figured we'd be cheating on our diet, but actually, we didn't do too badly!  The kids all chose cheeseburgers, while I enjoyed a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich.  So, OK, we shouldn't have had buns, but I figured it was much better than cotton candy!  And the boys got some popcorn, which Charis and I ended up finishing when the bags were too big for them to eat by themselves.  I also brought healthy snacks (clementine oranges, dried plums, and fruit leathers), and we pretty much ate our way through the game!

It was a beautiful, clear evening--most of the heat of the day was over, and we enjoyed some cooler breezes.  And, best of all, no rain, though the forecast called for possible thunderstorms in the evening.

We brought along our "Flat Daddy," since if it weren't for his deployment, we wouldn't have been attending (or at least in such grand fashion!).  We had our picture taken by the Dayton Daily News team...not sure if it will show up in the paper, but I think Flat Daddy caught their eyes!  They asked our names, etc., just in case they do use the picture.  So I guess we'll look for it!

Here are the pictures of our adventures...

Outside the entrance to Fifth Third Field

Looking out of the press box

Making the scoreboard dragons' eyes light up and causing steam to come out of their nostrils!  The kids thought this was way cool.

Charis poses by the ball that stuck in the wall of the TV room!

At our seats...the empty chairs were mostly filled by the time the game started.

Heater and Gem, the mascots

Is anyone really surprised that Tobin spent the first half of the game reading and eating?!

Arden had a blast--can you tell?!

We girls had fun, too!

Mom, when can we have more snacks?!

Woohoo!  We won!  (Note the red eyes and nostrils spewing steam!)

Red Tape

I woke this morning after a very poor and short night of sleep...reading the mail right before bedtime is NOT something I recommend.  Yesterday I got a fat packet from the Colorado DMV, which included all the items (even the payment) for the registration renewal of our Suburban, which we had mailed in mid-May since it was due at the end of the month.  The letter simply said that the form we had sent was outdated.  Never mind the fact that Ted had printed it from THEIR web site, and never mind the fact that it was dated 2010, whereas the "right" form had 2008 on the upper left hand corner!

But that wasn't all--they also sent MORE paperwork that needs to be filled out: an out-of-state form to verify that yes, we do have insurance (never mind that we sent copies of our insurance cards), PLUS a form for verifying our VIN, which, it was indicated, should be done by a military policeman since the whole reason we're in this mess is that we're not living in the state of Colorado at the moment.  All this because we don't have current emissions test results saying the Suburban doesn't cough black smoke as we run hither and yon...in a state two time zones away.

My stress level shot up after reading all of this.  It seemed utterly overwhelming at 10:30 p.m.  It took me awhile to get to sleep, because I just wasn't sure what I needed to do about it all.  I stewed about how government agencies certainly don't make being in the military any easier and ranted inwardly about how every time we renew the registration, SOMETHING HAS CHANGED and we have to fix it and mail the packet back again.  This time definitely surpasses any other, though, with all the extra (and seemingly unrelated) paperwork.

This morning, I stumbled into the kitchen after my alarm went off at 5 a.m., made some hot tea, and settled down for my quiet time and lots of prayer.  I became convicted that no matter how absurd the circumstances or requirements, I was responsible for MY response alone.  God does not call me to infuse a government agency with common sense; He DOES call me to be like His Son, Jesus.  I repented (reluctantly, it must be admitted) of my bad attitude and asked for God's help in doing what I needed to do with grace and humility.  My human nature wanted to fire off some spicy correspondence, but really, what good would that accomplish?

Part of my morning walking and driving time involved reviewing all the chapters of Scripture I've been memorizing of late, and I had to stop when I got to Proverbs 31..."Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."  I had sent some messages to Ted asking what to do about various aspects of the situation, and let's just say I probably did not leave him with a feeling of confidence that I could handle this well!  So again, I determined to let the Spirit direct my actions and attitudes.

I am pleased to report that I am nearly finished with the paperwork.  Further review this morning revealed that it's not as terrible as it might be, and the fact that I was able to get an MP to sign off the paperwork with absolutely NO wait time or hassle was a HUGE blessing and, I think, a confirmation that I was right in thinking this situation is not simply a mass of red tape but an opportunity to glorify God.  I still think a lot of the boxes that need to be checked are less than relevant; for example, I need to locate our tape measure and figure out how long and how wide the vehicle is, plus find out where to get the GVWR and CWT figures.  (What exactly do those mean, anyway?!)  Ted said if in doubt to leave it blank. :-)

So, Lord willing, I will get these papers in the mail in the next day or two, and this will all be behind us...just in time for the van registration to be renewed!

13 on Thursday!

1. Ted returned home Friday evening, having graduated from his deployment training at Ft. Dix, NJ.  He caught an earlier flight, and we were delighted to pick him up in time to enjoy a family dinner at the Cracker Barrel.  (Yes, we did cheat on our diet again!  But not too badly.)
2. Despite my fantasies of hiking and picnicking as a family during Ted's week off, the weather has put a literal damper on any outside activities.  In fact, we had to kick the heat on a couple of nights.  Curse you, La Nina!
3. Various things have been checked off the honey-do list...just a few more to go.  Mark my words, though, the biggest things will happen AFTER he leaves.
4. Lucan has been beside himself to have Daddy home again!  Life has seemed almost "normal" this week.  I'm trying not to think about how confused the poor li'l guy will be next week...
5. I got a nap 3 days in a row!  And I've been sleeping in until 6:30ish!  I'm trying not to think about how poorly I'll sleep next week...
6. The kids were so excited to watch the finale of The Amazing Race (which we DVRed) once Ted got home.  It was a rather disappointing finish for us, as our favorites had dropped out in a line before the final 3 teams.  Ah, well.
7. On the other hand, GO BOSTON ROB!!!  (The kids did NOT watch that finale with us...we're pretty protective with TV time, and Survivor is not on the docket anytime soon.)
8. Owing to the fact that it has been cold and/or rainy most of the week, the boys have been delighted to play Wii with Ted, who has obviously become addicted to the Lego Indiana Jones game the boys bought with their spending money just before his training.
9. Kenna and Lucan have, quite possibly, heard more stories this week than in the previous 2 months combined!  Between Ted and myself having extra time to sit and cuddle, they are loving all the attention.
10. Ted and I got away for a quick date last night.  Eilene offered to let the boys come over to play for an evening, so after dinner was over, Charis got to experience her first official babysitting job!  Armed with our cell numbers and Eilene's home number, plus instructions to help the evening go smoothly, she very capably organized a fun evening for the younger two, successfully put Lucan in bed, oversaw the final chores and clean-up, put Kenna to bed, and was enjoying some reading time when we returned home after seeing Soul Surfer.  The movie was incredible--but coming home to a bubbly, confident Charis and hearing her tell about her evening as Babysitter Extraordinaire was just as wonderful!  I can't believe our baby is so mature and responsible!!  I feel so grateful and blessed!
11. I've been trying to take advantage of our relaxed week to catch up on some scrapping.  I completed our 2008 family album Stampin' Up! style using the My Digital Studio program.  (To see pictures of the pages, go here.)  I've even begun working on our 2009 album!  I have high hopes of finishing it this month as well so that I can get a good discount on the price of printing the books with the special going on this month.  But even if I don't finish that one, I can at least print the 2008 book and know that I'm well on my way!  Digital and DONE means more to me than beautiful, hand-crafted pages that are only designed in my head!  I've had to face reality...and my reality includes 5.5 wonderful children. :-)  So here's hoping that I can set aside more time to capture our memories!
12. Lots of errands this week...got my hair trimmed, eyebrows waxed, one-hour glucose test completed, OB appointment, groceries, blah blah blah.  It's nice to be able to leave the house with OR without kids!
13. While it's not fun thinking about what's just around the bend, I'm so thankful for God's peace and sovereignty.  A recent ladies' Bible study I was involved with delved into the topic of FEAR.  (Appropriate timing, eh?  Amazing how God works like that. ;-)  One of my favorite quotes from one of the ladies was, "Feed faith, starve fear."  I've gotten back into the routine of memorizing and meditating on Scripture, and I fully intend to feed my faith this year and not give fear an opportunity to get its claws around my mind and heart.  Will you pray the same for our whole family?  We would certainly appreciate it.

Blessings Amidst Difficulties

Ted has been gone just under two weeks, and we've already had our share of tears, bickering, and breakdowns.  And he's not even overseas yet!  The first week he was gone, I truly felt the prayers of MANY people.  I actually felt calm and patient under circumstances which were less than ideal.  By Thursday of that week things were falling apart, though!  I'm sure the entire training and deployment period will be similar, full of ups and downs.  While I don't look forward to being apart for so long, I do look forward to seeing how we all grow throughout the experience.

I had tried hard to get us on a fairly predictable schedule, and then this week's testing schedule kind of threw that off, so we're just taking it a day at a time right now.  I am desperate to get a better chore system in place--we've done different things at different times, and since starting the GAPS diet, things just got all out of whack.  I have a tool that I plan to use, but I just need to find/make time to sit down and get things together for it.  In the meantime, the kids are getting pretty used to me asking/telling them to do whatever is most urgent!  I even gave Tobin his first laundry lesson today...on Wednesday, when I was finishing up everyone's laundry, I realized I had piles for Charis, Arden, Kenna, and Lucan, but none for Tobin.  I'm not sure how this happened, since HE was the one who supposedly brought the dirty clothes downstairs from the boys' room.  Anyway...I was not amused, and I decided he should be the one to wash that extra load of laundry.  So he has folded half of the clean clothes, and the rest are in the dryer now.  He mentioned, "Hey, Mom, this is fun!  Maybe I can do this to earn tickets some time!"  I'm sure that enthusiasm won't last too long!  But I have to say...it is a blessing to see that my children are becoming more independent.  I can't imagine facing a long separation with children who are ALL needy.  Even Kenna is quite the little helper, and she can do far more than I give her credit for, I'm learning!

Another big blessing I had this past week was my friend Erin coming over Thursday afternoon with a meal for us.  She came early enough (having cleared the times with me beforehand) that we could have tea and visit while our girls played together.  I really enjoyed the company, and it was so nice to not have to worry about dinner!  (I actually got a cooking-free day that day, since we heated up leftovers for breakfast, ate out for lunch, and had dinner delivered!)  I met Erin about a year ago at a stamping party I did, and we connected right away.  We have several things in common, first and foremost being our faith.  She lives on the other side of our town, but it's not a far drive, and we've gotten together a few times back and forth.  Then, our daughters were in the same play this spring, so they got to know each other better and have become good friends.  I'm always glad for Charis to find a good playmate...the girls in the neighborhood are too "old" for her in more ways than one!  (Including the one who is her age, if you know what I mean!)

Anyway, Erin was aware of our dietary restrictions, but she insisted that she loves a good food challenge and wanted to bless us with a meal now and then while Ted is away.  I so appreciated her taking that step to ask what kinds of things we can and can't eat, then following through with, "Pick a day next week and I'll bring you dinner!"  Such a blessing!!  Just knowing I have friends who are praying for me and who WANT to be a help is very encouraging.  (By the way, in case you're wondering, Erin brought us turkey chili, salad/veggies, and a fruit tray for dinner!  It was all very good!)

This might sound odd, but my Bible-reading schedule has blessed me these past couple of weeks.  See, Ted and I have been part of a class at church that is going through a chronologically-laid out Bible.  It seemed we were going through the Law and other such things for an interminable amount of time, followed by the depressing saga of Judges.  Things were getting interesting with David's account, and now--praise the Lord!--we're reading through the Psalms, topically arranged.  (The ones that went along with David's life story were inserted into the narrative, which was really cool.)  I have to say, the timing couldn't have been better!  The Psalms I've been reading each day have been just what I've needed.  I'm so thankful for God's Word and its ever-present power!  Having this community on Sundays is also a source of encouragement as we discuss the Bible and share and pray for one another.

Today, the sun is shining, and it's actually warm enough to be outside and ENJOY it!  Another blessing!  I'm sure we're not the only ones in the country who have experienced higher-than-normal levels of precipitation.  I do believe we set the record for the rainiest April (in this area), having surpassed the previous record of 9-something inches.  Waking at night for thunderstorms and howling winds hasn't exactly been the best way to stay well-rested, but I am SO thankful that we have NO leaks in our house and that the basement has NOT flooded!  (That happened several times in our previous Ohio house, so it's not something I take for granted!)

All in all, we're doing pretty well.  The road before us is long, and certainly there will be more trying times than what we've been through.  But it's good to take note of all the ways, big and small, that God is taking care of us.  Every blessing He pours out, we'll turn back to praise, and when the darkness closes in...we'll still say, "Blessed be His name."

Pre-Deployment Update

I've been holding off on posting anything about Ted's deployment, because it seems the government can't make up its mind about anything these days, but people have been asking, so here's what we know so far.

Ted leaves on Monday, April 18, for four weeks of training, which will include several hours a day of language lessons.  He graduates from this on May 13 and has a tentative load date of May 20 (the day he leaves to begin traveling to his final destination, which can take up to a week because of all the stops the rotator makes along the way) with a report-no-later-than date of May 28.  The "rules" are if your load date is less than 7 days from the end of training, you just stay in place and leave from the training site for the deployment.  If your date is more than 10 days from the end of training, you return home and leave from there.

So what if you fall between that 7-10 days?  Obviously this dilemma puts the government workers in a complete kerfuffle, and no one seems to know what to do with Ted.  (How hard can it be to make the policy greater than or less than 7 days?!)

As you can imagine, planning has been next to nonexistent, since we really have had no idea how to prepare.  Trying to be prepared for every scenario is exhausting.  It's easier just to live in denial and deal with what we need to as it arises.  I'm sure that's not the best approach, but it's the only one I have energy for these days.

After much back and forth between various offices, the "final" word we have as of now is that Ted will return home after his 4 weeks of training.  HOWEVER...there is a 50-50 chance that the powers that be will change their minds during his TDY and decide to move his load date up, thereby sending him directly from training.  This REALLY complicates things...for example, Ted is supposed to be carrying weapons overseas.  He will not carry them to training, so if the plans change, that puts a lot more wrinkles in the process.  And that doesn't address the "stuff" question--should he carry ALL his deployment gear to training just in case?  Or just what he needs for the 4 weeks and presume that if the government has to get weapons to him, they may as well take care of the rest of his stuff too?!

Not to mention the emotional aspects of this.  Do we tell the kids Daddy is coming home for a little bit--hopefully?  Do we prepare for a 13-month separation by saying all our goodbyes just in case?  And if so, and Daddy returns between training and deployment, will it actually be harder to say goodbye all over again for a year?

Meanwhile, time is ticking down...