Cards from Daddy!

Dear Daddy,

We got our cards from you! We were SOOOOOOO excited as you can see. Thank you for sending them to us. We loved your picture. Bubba thought your gun was so cool and Katie loved your Santa hat. Neither one loved your "stache" though. : )

Keep sending us mail, Daddy. We love getting mail from you!

Love, M~

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

I love your carpet you sent me! I'm gonna play with the carpet with Kim. But I was thinking about putting it in the toy room floor by the door when you first come in if you look down when you first come in you'll see the carpet. The weather is slowly dying but the beer is so delightful and since we have no place to go let it snow let it snow let it snow let's go to the beer store. The end now it's Katie's turn.

Love, bubba





Dear Daddy,

I miss you daddy. I loved how you watched us open our presents. And we watched you open your presents. It was a fun time. I'm sorry you didn't get to be there when we were opening our presents so you could see them. I love the new pony and the fairy on the pony. I loved how she had glittery wings with diamonds on them and they were gold wings. She had a pink dress, blonde hair, and pink shoes. She was beautiful. The pony was golden her tail was very golden too. Thank you for sending her to me. I can't wait to see if mom will let me play my hannah montana wii tonight. I will see.

Love, katie

What I've been doing...

Here are a few pictures of what I've been up to tonight. It's so much more enjoyable when you are here to help and enjoy the festivities together!

I miss you so much.

Love, M~

Celebrating daddy...

Dear Daddy,
A few nights ago we did one of your favorite traditions....stringing popcorn for our tree. Though it was not the same without you here, it was fun to do something that we know you enjoy so much. It was a neat way to bring you closer to us and celebrate you being our daddy and how much we love you! We miss you daddy, Katie & Bubba






Love, M~

Thank you Daddy!

What a surprise we got today when the lady rang our doorbell and presented us with this LOVELY arrangement! And it's REAL pine! It has made the back of the house smell so Christmasy and we all just love it! Thank you! The only thing that would've made it better is if you had been delivered with it.

Counting down the days......

Love, M~

Rainy Day

Hello sweetheart!

It's a rainy day here and the kids and I have stayed in our jammies with the fire lit watching Christmas shows all morning. Now it's time to get back into reality and get them ready for gymnastics and AWANAS tonight. : ) Such a hard life, right? *wink* Katie has taken up the job of getting Maggie dried off when it rains - we've had a few of those days in the past couple of weeks. She steps right up to the plate and "attacks" Maggie with the towel as soon as she gets back in the door. Here is some photographic evidence.

We love & miss you! Enjoy~
Love, M~

The kids have been totally insane today. It was cookie baking day part 1, so they are so sugared up that they would probably test positive for diabetes.

In between the madness, we made a few videos for you. Enjoy, my love!

Love, M

PS - Yes, Katie is wearing a bathing suit. I would say it is because we live in CA, but it was actually cold and rainy here today so I don't know.... : )

Katie take 1


Katie take 2


Katie take 3


Bubba take 1


Bubba take 2

Fun Night!

We've been trying to get more into the Christmas spirit around here - it has been hard without you here....hard for all of us!

Yesterday the kids and I made gumdrop trees & a wreath; then after dinner we went Christmas caroling with Maggie around our neighborhood; then when we got home we watched the Santa Claus and made peppermint brownies. : )

The last picture is a nighttime picture of the cross we made.

Enjoy!

Love, M~

Santa is here!

Remember this (the original)?


Well, I finally gave up on ever having him. *Sniff*

Meet the "new" Santa. He's growing on me with his blue eyes. : )





And here's where he ended up. I need him to be someplace where I can enjoy his beauty every night. : )



Love, M~

My heart is aching for you....

I find this Christmas song sad, but cathartic at the same time. I miss & love you!

Love, M~

Reaping all the benefits...

What's good about your sister being sick?



Reaping all the benefits. :) (Did that make you think of the Jon lovitz line from the wedding singer? Me too.) ;)

Love, M~

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

What are you doing right now? I hope you're having a great time. Did your friends enjoy the pumpkin cookies? I know they liked them. I hope you send pictures of the cow to us soon. It would be very fun to see what the cow is doing. Is the cow funny? Or are you speaking for him like a puppet? Or are you not? I love how you're my good daddy. One day we'll send you a picture and a note. I hope you have a good time the next day. We have the night right now and you have the day. And tomorrow, you'll have the night and we'll have the day.

Love, bubba

****************************************************

Dear Daddy,

What are you doing right now? Are you having fun? We went to a new church. It was great. We went back there tonight for dinner but I felt sick so I didn't want to do my class. I didn't eat much of my dinner. I saw dessert and bubba got ice cream. I didn't get any cause I was too sick. And I didn't eat my dinner. I have to eat all of it to get some dessert. The election was great. Guess who won! Barack Obama! Hee hee hee (doing a happy dance). We're trying to find a new church so that we can all go to church together when you get home. The church we went to before was boring. The one by the airport I mean. So we're looking for a new one. We loved when you were dressed up in a chicken suit. We loved those pictures. Don't you remember about when we went to vacation? It was so fun. Don't you think we went to the castle and even the aquarium. I think alot about when we went on vacation because it was so fun with you. Because I had you then.

Love, Katie

Three Weeks Down

Dear Sweetheart,

Time is going by a little more quickly now and I am so thankful. We seem to have found our new "normal" and are doing pretty well. Though we never miss you any less, it is always nice to get back to the comfortable place where life seems stable again.

The kids had a great Halloween. We did our usual traditions and as they get older it just gets more fun. We missed you so much and wished you were there with us!

Election Day is finally upon us. I am happy that all of the political mess will be over for a few years at least. I have been sick of all the banter, commercials, and name calling for many months now. Let's just get it over with already. We know the outcome.

Have a good week and know that with every breath I am thinking of you and wishing you were beside me. Nothing can take your place. I love you madly!

Love, M~

Bubba-isms #2

Overheard this morning after breakfast. Bubba was playing with Boo and reciting commercials he had heard.

"I'm George W. Boo and I approve this message"


Love, M~

Happy Halloween Daddy!

We hope you had a fun Halloween! We can't wait to wake up tomorrow and it will finally be Halloween at our house.

We miss & love you!

Love, Mommy, Katie, Bubba & Maggie too

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

What are you doing right now? Are you sleeping right now? I think it's night at your house because the sun is shining here.

We went to the Pumpkin Patch this week. There was a huge pile of cottonseeds and we got to slide down them! There were little plastic saucers that we slid on. It felt soft. I was going so fast I was like a zooming car. There were lots more kids beside me. We also went on a hayride. We went around and saw where the cows slept. It smelled very yucky there. We also petted the animals. My favorite was a little black baby goat.

Happy Halloween daddy! It's almost here. I am looking forward to dressing up and getting lots of candy. I am going to be Cinderella.

Have a nice week.
I love you!
katie

*******************************************************


Dear Daddy,

I love you. I think you're having a good time. What are you doing right now?

We goed to the pumpkin patch. It was fun. At sports class this week, I did baseball. I pitched. And it was fun. And we went to the Apple Orchard. I love you daddy!

Love, bubba

Two Weeks Down...

Dear Sweetheart,

I can't believe it has already been two weeks since your departure. The first week drug itself out slowly and painfully, but this week has gone surprisingly fast. I hope the remainder of this deployment keeps speeding up this way! ; )

This week has been a fun one. We were very busy with the regular Fall activities...The apple orchard for apple picking and apple pie tasting; The pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins for this year and to have a hay ride and other little fun activities; Topics like apples, nests, seasons, and hibernation in school this week. This week was packed full to the brim!

The kids are bursting at the seams for Halloween to get here. I am excited too and am really enjoying the chill in the air each morning. It has gotten so that we have closed the windows at night and re-open them a few hours after waking. I just wish we had some lovely fall foliage to go along with the slight change in weather! Maybe in a few years time.

On the schedule this week? I will be pulling out a few of our favorite fall recipes to enjoy together - chicken pot pie, chili, pumpkin cookies, applesauce, and hot chocolate of course. We will be attending a small halloween carnival at the community center and then trick-or-treating at our usual place. This week in school we will be continuing our study of fall things - nests, birds, hibernation, weather, and seasons. Soon we will be adding in Thanksgiving to the mix!

I am thankful today for the timing of your departure. As we know, after Halloween, the holiday season officially begins! The time will quickly pass by and before we know it, Christmas will have arrived in all it's glory! Though we will miss you like crazy during the holidays, it will definitely make these next 2 months pass by more quickly. Then after the new year, we will have only 4 more to go! How we long for that day when you return.

I am also thankful for you...a man of integrity, loyalty, and passion who is not afraid to carry out what he stands for and is not ashamed of standing for something substantial. In this crazy world that we live in, men like you are becoming less and less common. I am so grateful for the gift that God gave me in you. Thank you for being the man that you are. I am so, so proud of that man today and every day.

I love you,
Love, M~

Special Sister

The Santa Ana winds have arrived and are causing a ruckus around our yard. Tonight Bubba called me from upstairs, scared, because the wind was blowing the flags and they were making strange scratching noises on the roof. I explained what was happening, but he was still frightened.

From the bottom bunk, Katie made a suggestion:

Katie: Bubba, why don't you come down here and sleep with me?
Bubba: Um, ok Katie.

He gathers his Boo, blanket, and pillow and slowly descends the stairs to hunker down in the safety of Katie's arms.

After he gets situated, she smooths the covers and starts rubbing his hair.

Katie: Now, isn't that better my little boy?
Bubba: Yes. Can I sleep here the whole night?
Katie: You sure can. Don't you worry. Your sister will be right here the whole night long. After all, that noise is just the flags, right moma? (in a worried voice)

I assured her that it was nothing scary and they lay snuggled together content that they were safe in each other's arms.

And there's nothing wrong with showing a little kindness to your brother if you get some safety in return for yourself, right? ; )

Love, M~

Bubba-isms #1

During lunch or dinner lately I have been quizzing the kids on the things we have been learning in school. Tonight...

Me: What are the 2 main parts of the Bible?

Bubba: The old part and the new part.

Love, M~

The minions are revolting

This was the look I got tonight when Bubba served Maggie her delicious and nutritious dinner.

Do you think that she possibly has gotten over her brief enamor with the dry dog food?

I hope I don't find a pile of poop on my pillow tonight.

Love, M~

Stinky Signs of Progress...

Tonight the kids and I were lying on the couch watching Cinderella after dinner.

The quiet was shockingly interrupted by a loud passage of gas from Bubba.

Me: "BUBBA!!!!!!!!!!!" (trying to get away and find clean air)

Bubba: "Don't worry mommy - that was just my defense mechanism."

Moral of the story: Just when you didn't think he was listening during science time, guess what...he was!

Love, M~

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

We've been eating all your kisses that you left us. I like to eat mine in the morning when I wake up and think of you. I believe that you're having a great time. I hope you get to do something so fun that you hardly can't believe it. Do you do exercise? Or do you just do work? I hope you do exercise cause you want to be healthy. I know you will have a great time. I had to get shots. I had 5 shots and I didn't even cry. I love you daddy.

Love, bubba (I typed my own name)

***************

Dear Daddy,

I'm glad you made it there safely. We're having a fun time. Are you having a fun time? Sarah and Lauren and their mommy, Bubba, me and mommy went to the apple orchard yesterday. I didn't feel good because I had 2 shots. But I didn't cry at all, just like Bubba. We went and rode bikes tonight at the school parking lot. Mommy let us ride far away past the poles. But we were careful. I don't feel very well today. Because the shots made me sick. I'm having very much fun with mommy, Bubba and Maggie of course. I wouldn't forget her. I love her so much. Maggie's my best dog friend. Today Maggie made me feel better when I was sick. She licked me. She gave me some kisses. How are you doing? I love you!

Love, katie w.

One week down...

Dear Sweetheart,

It has been one week today since your departure. I wish I could say that it has been easy to bounce back and that our lives have gotten right back to normal. But that would be a lie. Instead, I will be honest in saying that we all survived this week pretty well. That in itself, I believe, is an accomplishment.

Driving away and leaving you there was just about more than I could bear. I know without a doubt that God was with me because there is no way I am strong enough to leave you like that. It just hurts too much.

My first night alone in our bed was extremely hard, as it always is. I slept with your pillow hugged against me so that I could smell you as I fell asleep. I thought about you flying in your plane to that far away land and knew that your heart must be aching terribly for us too.

School and the kid's activities have helped the week pass pretty quickly. The nights are the hardest, though, after the kids have gone to bed and I am all alone. The hole left in my heart when you leave is indescribable. It is honestly like a piece of me is missing. Well meaning friends say to "keep busy" so that I won't miss you so much.

I have found that advice to be far from the truth for me. I find that my healing happens when I let myself sit in my pain for a little bit, rather than ignore it or try to redirect it somewhere else. As with all my trials, it brings me running to the feet of Him who knows me best. Not only that, it helps me truly appreciate how much you mean to me and what an important part of our family that you are. The wisdom learned in those two lessons alone far surpass the cost of the pain that I feel. It is well worth the price.

I know the weeks will pass and that our pain will not be as sharp. The first weeks are always the worst part of all. It's not that I miss you any less, I guess it's just that we get more used to our "new, temporary normal". As it always seems to do, life does go on.

So we will rejoice that you made it to your destination safely and that you are doing well there. We will rejoice in having communication with you there and look forward to every moment we can spend together - whether in voice or thought.

More than anything, we will praise God for you and ask God's constant provisions for you and all of our military members who are far from home.

Not a breath goes by without you in it.
All of my heart,
Love, M~

Weathering the storm together

Katie was abnormally snippy this morning. At first, I overlooked it but then I let it get to me and started snipping back.

After a few minutes of this I excused myself to the bathroom where I sat and prayed, pleading for a hefty dose of self-control and insight into Katie's heart.

When I went back out, her whole attitude changed and her heart became tender. It's funny how our spirits react toward another spirit when they are mean versus full of love. I have no doubt that she could feel the change in my spirit and that's what made hers more tender.

After a few minutes of holding, singing, crying and praying together she decided to share.

"I feel like I am in a thunderstorm and I can't get out. The only thing that can get me out is daddy."

Heartbreak.

So I did the only thing I could do. I gave her all the love I could - snuggles and tickles and kisses galore - and then promptly made us big steaming cups of hot chocolate.

Marshmallows among friends can't replace daddy, but they can sure mend a broken heart.

Love, M~

What will Bubba be?

After seeing this scene this morning,



I wonder, are there any old style boy's choirs left?



Pondering that thought.

Love, M~

Profound thoughts

My butt is big, but so is my heart.

Love, M~

Gratitude

So thankful for friends who know what we are going through.

That is priceless beyond measure.

Love, M~

I wish I were more limber

My back itches and I have noone to scratch it.

At least I have a bristly brush.

Love, M~

What made me sad today

Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Love, M~

Countdown...

1 day down

Approximately 209 to go

Hmmm...Maybe this isn't such a good idea yet

Love, M~

How to make yourself feel better

Watch movies back to back to take your mind off of the reality at hand - preferably the little mermaid, cars (make sure you have your lightning mcqueen pillow), and mrs. tiggy winkle (in that order).

Eat pre-packaged chunks of cookie dough with your fingers instead of a spoon.

Eat pre-packaged warm, gooey cookies straight out of the oven and laugh when you purposefully get melted chocolate all over your face like the kids do.

Chase it down with a big glass of cold milk in one gulp while the kids ooh and aah over your amazing skillz.

Remember how much fun those last 3 moments were when you have an awful tummyache 2 hours later.

Make a pallet on the floor with your kids and have tickle wars.

Pretend like rubbing your feet is a super huge deal then get them excited about it when you "allow" them to do it. Say something like, "I don't know if you're ready for how much fun that is".

Stay in your pajamas all the live long day.

Don't brush your hair, though it might be a good idea to quickly hit your teeth with some toothpaste (learn from my mistakes).

Let the kiddos camp out in the bedroom floor and the dog camp out in the bed. Resist the urge to complain when the dog has you trapped in fetal position at 2am.

Pray for daddy often and talk about our very favorite things we love about him...ALOT.

Missing you!
Love, M~