Hero of the week!

The commander for 8-1 Cav. sends out an update pretty reguarly (Bless him!). In each update he identifies heroes of the week. This week, Jeff was one of them! Here is what LTC Clark had to say about he and Spc Karr.

"Over the past two weeks, CPL Davis and SPC Karr have helped numerous Afghan children while on patrol, assisted the Squadron Aid Station in caring for wounded Afghan Border Policeman, and continued to support the battery. They continually checks on Soldiers and are in the process of renewing our CLS skills to prepare for the upcoming summer heat. These two Soldiers have done an outstanding job taking initiative, being prepared, and ensuring that leaders are prepared to care for our Soldiers. They are our heroes this week"

A Glimpse

I have quite the treat for you today! Some pictures of what our soldier and his buddies have been up to lately!

Lots of Stuff Today

I think we'll start today with some photos. Jack and I ventured to grandpa Kevin's house today, to do some laundry and visit with him. It had been way too long since they had seen each other and they played until they tuckered out! The funniest thing was that they were both snoring!

Last Thursday included a trip to Aunt Kelly and Unlce Tom's house to pick up some stuff. Ethan and Jack are almost always happy to see each other and finally have someone their own size to play with. But in this particular stretch of time, Ethan was very hungry and his mama was not moving fast enough. He started crying. Jack stared at him for a second, and then reached over and stuck his hand in Ethan's mouth. I guess he was tired of hearing that crying! haha

Now that we're all caught up on some cuteness, on with some news. A deployment update made it's way into my inbox today. The weather there is back up into the 90s on the FOB, and their only expecting it to get hotter. But being in theater for 8 months as opposed to just arriving has allowed them to prepare for the heat a little more efficently this summer. They have ice readily available and refridgerators stocked with water waiting for our boys, should they need it, and I'm sure they will. Like with every deployment, there have been rumors about redeployment circulating back at Fort Lewis, but the update concurs with the original orders 365 days. Please be aware, that this timeline is an estimate for homecoming, and does not reflect the exact date that Jeff will be returning stateside. CPT is recommending that no plans be made just yet and reassures us that he will let us know about any information he can, as soon as possible. I won't quote the rest of the email, because in my opinion it's written in quite a negative tone. It says we should focus on the last 25% of deployment, and not our soldiers' homecoming. I'm not usually ignore advice from an FRG update... but I'm for damn sure going to be focusing on Jeff's homecoming for the next couple months.

For those of you that ordered from my mom's Silpada jewelry party, she closed it today! So we should be recieving our goodies within a short time. I'm so excited to see my jewelry. I ordered some very cute two-toned earrings. I lost my favorite pair last month. I also ordered a two-toned ring with a cross on it and a 3 pack set of smaller more simple earrings. Hopefully they are as beautiful as they were in the catalog. I consider my order my early Happy Easter present from Jeff :) hehe. Thanks, dear. You're soooo thoughtful! ;)

Dinner was a gift from my dad today. Bob Evans, very yummy. Man, I'm going to miss that place when I go back to Washington. Speaking of moving, I will be calling the Fort Lewis housing office tomorrow morning and speaking with them about a move in date. So I should be able to give everyone an exact date Jack, Luna, and I will be departing Ohio after that phone call.

Closing the blog with some good grades sounds like a good idea, too bad I don't have any... Just kidding! I got a B on my Nutrition final today! I was not expecting a grade higher than a C, so I was pleasantly surprised with the results. My Sociology final is on the schedule for the coming week and then I will be done with Spring Session A! I'm still undecided in my attendence for next session. As soon as the decision is made, you all will be the first to know! Well second to know, after Jeff of course. Love to all and goodnight!

Just as good the second time

Picked up my copy of The Twilight Saga: New Moon today. I must say I was very impressed all over again. Bella is so frustrating. How anyone can stand there and look at Jacob and chose Edward over him is beyond me. I'd much rather have the Jacob's warmth (among other things) than Edward's coldness. Not only is he cold to the touch, but cold describes his personality too! To each their own but I'm definitely Team Jacob when it comes to The Twilight Saga. But, when it comes to my life, I'm team JEFF!

Has anyone else been loving this sunshine? It just starts my day off right, when I can wake up to the warmth and light coming through my windows. I went with mom and Avery to a place in Circleville called "The Weekend Outlet." For lack of a better way to explain, it's much like a cross between a Goodwill, Ollie's, and a big yard sale. I bought a few odds and ends, including summer shorts for Jack, a pair of shorts for me, and a car charger for my cell phone. We enjoyed lunch on the patio at Sonic after shopping and headed home so mom could make it in time to pick up Max from dress rehearsal. (His play is next weekend, be sure to see a showing!). Jack was snoozing in his carseat when we arrived, so I took advantage and cleaned out my car of trash and things that needed to go inside. I had planned on taking it to the carwash to be cleaned inside and out, but they were closed for the day when I passed by so that will have to wait until tomorrow. We went to the flood wall and met Erin and her mama to walk a while and chat, but our walk was cut short by Jack's hungry whining. A stop at Sams Club for apple juice and milk, and we headed home. A surprise visit by Troy, Ramalee, and Alex made our day! We have missed them and were very happy to hear their knock on the door. It was great to catch up on what's been going on in their lives, and update them on ours. They left about 8pm and Erin and I were too hungry to cook, so we had dinner at Frisch's. But, as usual, we highly overestimated our stomach capacity and barely finished half the food on our table.

We finished the night with A New Moon screening and I worked on some more vacation plans with Kaylee! It's looking like we will be taking a trip to San Antonio, Texas at the end of April sometime. We are very excited and can't wait to work out the details and finally hang out! We're also excited for our boys to meet. Kaylee's son, Parker, is not much younger than Jack. Kaylee, once again I want to say I'm SO excited! I hope you are too. I think this will be a good way to get our minds off deployment a little bit, as I've heard time slows way down towards the end.

Sorry for lack of creativity in today's blog. It's late and as you can see we've had a busy day, so I'm exhausted. Love to all!

Ipod in Singin' T.Swift

That's how Avery walked in my house this morning. Blarin' out her little lungs. If there was a cuter word than cute, that would be her. She spent the next half hour singing to Jack and booy dancing all over my living room. Next on the playlist were, "Flat Top Box", that song that plays while the vampires are playing baseball in Twilight (in her words), and Veggie Tales. She has quite a taste for music, just like her sister! Thanks mama, for passing on the gene!

Jack is finally back to his normal sleeping pattern 2030-0700. It's wonderful. For about a month, he was waking up around 1am to eat. So mommy is relieved to be able to enjoy some sleep. However, my sleeping has been quite a mess. Hopefully I can get back on track soon as well.

The best news I have recieved recently is that my grant for college has been RESTORED! I will be able to continue my education! Phew, it's a big relief for sure. I've been so busy this quarter, my classes have required much more work than the ones I took in the first quarter. I think I will try to schedule some easier classes for next quarter, as I will be making the big move across the country towards the end of it.

There's just over 100 days left of Jeff's "vacation." Just kidding hunny! But really I can't explain how excited I am to see those numbers going down. I've yet to find a house in Washington that I feel good about but it's a work-in-progress. I'm sure everything will work out, I just have to calm done and focus on one thing at a time. Breath in. Breathe Out. Simple as that.

And old essay brings many memories

As most of you know, I've been very busy with schoolwork lately. Writing papers, completeing quizzes, etc. Browsing my computer, I came across some old school papers. One in particular caught my eye, and created a tear in it too. It's an essay I wrote for my English 151 class that I took at OU-C in the fall of 2008. Some of the things I stated in it just hit a special place in my heart. I wanted to share this essay with you because it's reminded myself of that special day, and how happy I was. I wrote it before I knew which direction my life was headed, before I got married, before I had Jack, before Mrs. Weisenberger passed away. The things in this essay are distant memories now, but I'm so very glad that I will always have this piece of writing to aide in my rememberence. And oddly this essay was written exactly one year before my joyous little love was born.




17 September 2008

Here Comes the Rest of our Lives

Although we arrive in separate cars, underneath each of the blue or white gowns, the anxious excitement is constant. Each car and each parent equipped with cameras, tissues, and pride, each of us ready with nervousness, anticipation, and happiness. We open the car doors, see each other, and immediately smile; knowing that today is the day that we’ve been waiting for. We hug one another, reinforcing that May 24th is the correct calendar date. Cameras flash like lightning right and left, trying to capture the once in a lifetime balance between relief and nervousness.

I look to my mother, and wonder how long she’s waited for this moment. A slideshow starts to play in my mind, beginning with a younger woman and a little blonde toddler, learning her colors from the nail polish bottles. Then comes a school bus, and a petite child wearing a sunflower dress and boots, ready with her power rangers backpack, quickly kisses her mother goodbye. Next I see a middle-aged woman, face pressed to the fence, yelling “Go number twenty-five, let’s go!” and the crack of a bat initiates the “woohoo”s and “good hit”s. The flash of a camera transforms the scene to a school gymnasium where I hear the National Honor Society pledge being repeated, and a teenage, blue-eyed blonde walks up to sign a book and receive a certificate. She looks into the crowd and sees one tear fall from the blue eyes identical to her own. Once again the background changes, to the sidewalk outside my high school. I see the building behind my mother now, rather than a crowd in a gymnasium, but the one tear still exists on her face.

I see a dark-skinned girl running towards me, trying to keep her feet in her red and black plaid pumps. The Brazilian accent I hear has become so familiar and comforts me. She smiles, I smile back, but we both know that those won’t last, tears will soon replace them. We certainly are a picture, she and I. Her long, brown curly hair is certainly a distinction from my short and platinum blonde style, and her deep brown eyes contrast my grayish blue ones. Her caramel colored skin definitely varies from mine, which is closer to that of a porcelain doll. But as we walk up to the building for the last time as students, I realize that we’re not that different. Our clothing consists of the same white gown, the same blue and white tassel, heck, even our dresses look alike. The most alike thing of all, however, is our need for friendship, and that’s the common ground on which we met.

We walk hand in hand through the doors of the school, our classmates following a step behind us. Walking leisurely down the hallway, I try to make the most of this experience, advancing as slowly as I can, and remembering all the memories made here. I can tell by the split emotions on their faces, that everyone about to enter the gymnasium with me is doing the same. We line up from “Baxter” to “Zapata” just like we practiced the day before. I hear the processional coming through the trumpets and clarinets and I know only seconds remain until we’ll be the focus of everyone’s gaze. The seconds pass and my feet begin to move. I feel like I’m walking in sand, each step taking twice as long as it normally does. Entering the full gymnasium, each of us looks around for those familiar faces that raised us, but I soon realize that every face is a familiar one. These people have all raised me.

I see the curly, redheaded, spanish teacher that taught me the language and also about how to love myself. I see the family-man softball coach that taught me the game and also how to trust people. And then I look to the crowd and see my crazy, untraditional, incomparable family. I see my little brother, his ash blonde hair, a mess as always, and his army green eyes scanning the sea of blue and white looking for me. I see my father beside him. He has the most proud look on his face that I’ve ever seen. Dad’s rough hands, from years of hard work, fumble with the small buttons on his new digital camera. My grandma and aunt sit, staring, critically analyzing our entry method, and then they wave to me. I wave back and I know their thoughts are already on to another questioning, but in my heart I know they admire my accomplishments. And then I see her, she’s not photographing me, but everyone and everything else, so that I can look back on these pictures and remember everything about it, but I’ll remember her the most. How pretty she looks in that black and white dress she’s wearing, with the white cardigan overtop she added to make herself look more mother-like. She’s had that camera glued to her hand all night. I see her look down at the program and tell the rest of my family what’s next to come.

Arriving at my seat, I turn my attention toward the stage. The document I’ve worked so hard for sits in one of those sixty-seven white envelopes stacked up on the table, and I’m a mere hour away from reading my name on that certificate. Three close friends speak to us and I remember how hard they too have worked for this day and their right to make their speeches. All three are girls, one with red hair, one with brown, and the last, a blonde. They read their thoughts to us, each speech as unique as each of their personalities.

Looking down the row, I see the difference in all of us. Just by glancing at the shoes on our feet you can tell, white thongs, pink heels, white tennis shoes, black dress shoes, and those red and black plaid pumps. Some of us have served on student council, some have played basketball, football or softball, and yet still others have sung in the choir. Then of course there are those of us who have done it all, National Honor Society, show choir, student council, softball, color guard, etc. We are a soup of vegetables, fruits, spices, and broths. Despite the path each of us has taken, we all sit here today, wearing the same white gown and getting ready to receive the same credential. It’s because of this I wonder if it has all been worth all the extra hard work I’ve done writing six pages when only five was required, completing extra-credit assignments when I already had an “A” in the class, was it really worth it?

I rise in time with the person beside me and we begin to file out of our row, preparing to accept handshakes and congratulations, and especially that white envelope sitting up there for each of us. The superintendent calls my name; I walk up the one, two, three stairs, take four more steps across the stage and I’m there! It’s in my hands! I turn, smile, say thank you and walk down the three stairs on the other side. The five most important people in my school shake my hand, I receive a blue long-stemmed flower, and I return to my seat. Yes, it was worth it. It was worth this sensation I’m feeling right now.

So many times over the past four years I’ve wondered and pondered what this would feel like. The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that I feel right now, feels nothing like I thought it would. I knew it would be a wonderful sensation, but now the bitter-sweetness starts to set in.

The song we chose for us, the class of 2008 to claim as our own plays in my mind, but I soon recognize that in reality it’s playing over the loudspeakers of the gym. The lyrics say “the best days” are yet to come, but I have had the time of my life in high school, so how could life get any better? In my head I know it will, and I can’t wait to start college and not have class every day, then pick out a dress and veil and have my best friend beside me as I start my life, and then have little blue-eyed blonde mini-me’s running around my house. But right now, my heart is saying that these people walking out these doors with me, the times I’ve spent with them in this place, and the memories we’ve made together in these hallways, these are the things I will to remember. I hug my best friend; we throw our caps into the air. The music plays (in my head this time), “here comes the rest of our lives”.

Soldiers Surprising Their Loved Ones

This blogger has been SUPER busy lately, but I haven't forgotten about you all! Don't have much time to write tonight but a friend shared this video with me and I cried some very happy tears.