Crazy Monkey

This Moma is tired. G is a crazy monkey! He did finally sleep from 1130 to 630 without waking up! Yeah! He has had a total of one 45 minute nap. As I type this I am trying for nap number 2. How does he not need sleep? On a happy note, I woke up to a text of AJ's leave dates. He gets a shorter time then many because he is in the command element. Oh well I'll take 12 days. We have plans to do Graycen's birthday a few weeks early, and take the kids to the Indianapolis kids museum with an over night hotel stay. I made sure to locate the Trader Joe's and Cheescake Factory already! It will be fun to have a little family getaway. We now can begin the countdown !

Support

It is very true if you have never been through a deployment or loved a Marine, you have no idea what it is like. I am struggling a lot with people this deployment. I know that during a deployment, I become a person that has to survive. I think of my family and what they need in order to get through this awful time. I have people close to me, who I think forgot my husband is not just going off to play Marine. He is going to war. He is going to do a dangerous job, and although any ones days can be numbered it is much more realistic in our situation.

I know even from being on the outside, while friends are deployed... I don't always have the right words. I want to help, but don't know how. No one can replace the emptiness that comes with a deployment or separation. I just ask that people care. People show compassion. I understand that there is not one person in this world who doesn't have stress. But, in order to feel those stresses and live, people like my family and my husband have to make sacrifices. I just ask that you check in on those who have a loved one deployed. Don't ask... just do something nice for them. Go just be with them. See if there is anything that can be done. 99.99 percent of the time, I will tell you no and a lot of my friends would too. But, you never know... you may just get us on that off day.

This deployment I will surround myself with supportive and loving people. If you are not one of those, I have no time or energy for you. That is how it is.

Week 2

I am not doing well with keeping up with my blogging. I had a lot go on last week. Found out that one of our kids took the week off of school and served his first detention. It completely through me off, and AJ and I had never talked about what we would do in that situation. Other then that, I just survived. Worked, kept the house up, and took care of the boys. I honestly can't recall much of the week. That is horrible! This week I feel much more settled. I feel like I am in a routine, for AJ to come back home and disrupt it next week. I am getting the itch to start my book. Especially after reading a book that really is written so simply, I can certainly do better! I just need to start gathering my thoughts. It definitely is a deployment project!

One Week Down

It has been an exhausting week trying to figure out how to be both Mom and Dad. I fell asleep at 7:30 last night. I just hit a wall! Here are some photos from the week. We are all adjusting well and miss AJ terribly. The beginning of the week had no communication, and it has gotten better as the week has gone on. So excited for a date with my big boys to see Wicked tonight!

Spinning and Spinning

AJ got home safe and sound and we have really enjoyed each other's company the past few days. We spent the morning at the drill center, meeting with local family support agencies. Looks as if the time line is being readjusted once again. I of course can't discuss, but I can say that I am so tired of things changing. I told AJ that I wish we could just get going on active duty now. But, because of the new fiscal year... October, nothing can be one until after that. I dread him going back to nights tomorrow. He is going to have such a limited time with the boys. We are trying to figure out if we can have a "couples" weekend before he goes. He does have a few days to use before he goes. I just feel like the walls are caving in a bit. It all seems to be coming so fast. Trying to enjoy every minute and put it on the back burner, but it is so hard to ignore it.

Graycen loves having his Dad home. He woke up the night Aj got home and just kicked the whole time he drank is bottle. He also would lay in between us and hold both of our faces. So sweet. The boys are adjusting into their school routine pretty well. The tackle practices are exhausting Brayden. We are working on getting an earlier bedtime then we have been, because Mommy needs the extra half and hour. Not sure they agree.