Day 1

This day is usually not fun. Last time we had to drop Dustin off very early in the morning and then had all day to welter in our self pity and sadness. I kind of liked waking the kiddos up, saying good bye, coming home and passing out. Then waking up with Day One as a “fresh start”…even if it was an EARLY one! Gwynn came in at 5:30 and lay in bed kicking the side of it. I asked her why and she said, “Because I am not tired!” Okay, note taken and we got up


We tied a yellow ribbon around the tree in the back yard. Hopefully its not a mug-me sign. I always wonder why people hang huge deployment banners in their front windows or put keep my soldier safe on their car…cute…but it kind of hangs a bulls eye and screams…”There’s no man around here…easy target.”


When Gwynn gets frustrated she gets this look on her face and gets a deep growly tone in her voice. We now lovingly refer to this as “Hulk Gwynn.” She was sad and so I told her to hug her daddy doll. Hulk Gwynn retorted, “I did, but I want my real daddy.” Connor stated, “See mommy, this face, this is the face I miss…see how it’s all nice. I miss his face.” They toted those dolls every where this morning…especially Connor. Both of them got haircuts to “match” daddy’s hair too.

There is always period of adjustment…at least you pray it’s a period of adjustment :0) The kids fought over color crayons, and toys and who got to sit where AND we have the triumphant return of Gwynn’s high pitched screechy-scream!! It’s like she forgot how to speak and use words. Instead she screams. I hope the words come back soon. Since all of the rules have changed, boundaries have to be reestablished in this period of adjustment. At nap time, Connor sobbed for 30 minutes. “Daddy. I want my daddy. Daddy. Daddy.” I sat with him for quite a while holding him and crying with him. I asked him what I could do to help him feel better. He answered, “Well, I really miss playing the Wii with daddy.” I am glad he smelled his own BS as he tried to turn his head into his pillow to hide his smirk. I don’t doubt that he was really grieving and missing his daddy, but he also found an opportunity to push those boundaries! You have to watch out for the sneaky little buggers!! Always looking for an opportunity :0) He did say he wanted pictures of daddy to look at. I had pictures printed out for the kiddos of them and daddy and they each got their own Daddy Book. They were pretty excited.

As you know, we just put sod down, so now my job is to keep it well watered. As I went out to move the sprinkler this afternoon, a snake slithered out of the grass, stared me in the eyes, and then slithered over the side of the retaining wall and into the dirt! I told you there would be excitement!! GROSS! That’s the first snake I have actually seen “in the wild.”

I was pretty proud of myself today. I didn’t take a nap at all! I am starting to feel better…of course after Dustin leaves. I was able to begin picking up my house after the months of neglect thanks to projects. I made pizza for dinner and we had Sean and Elizabeth over. The kids were so excited. They couldn’t calm down at all!! They had a huge bubble bath and made a huge mess on the floor. I really struggled to get them focused enough to take down our first soldier!
Last time I made a tree with leaves on it and ever night we took down a leaf. This time I taped construction paper squares to the wall and then hot glued little green army men to each of them. Every night we will say this cadence…


I don’t know but I’ve been told.
This day is coming to an end.
So take a soldier off the wall.
We’re one day closer, yes we are.
Put that soldier on the plane.
Now march those booties off to bed.
One day closer, one day!!

The soldier goes on the plane and the last one to get on is daddy! My goal is to read the Bible through in the year that Dustin is gone. So, every night I get to cross off my day by spending time in the word! Can’t get better than that!! Like last time, I will write a letter to Dustin every day with pictures of the kiddos so that he gets to “watch them grow up.” This time I will make it to the end…last time I struggled at the end once Gwynn was moving. If you have met her, you know why I struggled! She is constantly on the go!!

The kiddos went to bed quite easily and we talked for a while. Connor is a sleep walker and it wasn’t too much later that I heard him moving around down stairs. I went down and he was sleep walking over to the Wii and trying to play it! I guess he did tell me earlier that he missed playing it :0)

So my Bible verse of the day was: The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer!! (2 Samuel 22:2)



Daily Silver Linings: (I think it’s important to focus on the positives of the day!)
♥Prayer and support of so many of my dear friends all over the world!
♥Text from a random phone number that said, “This is your husband…”
♥Random email from an IPod from Dustin.
♥Dustin calling me from Maine.
♥My favorite flower, the Lily had its very first bloom this morning!
(Thanks God for saving such a special moment for a time when I
really needed the beauty on a gloomy morning!)
♥Calls from my sister Alicia & my Aunt Carol
♥The company of Sean & Elizabeth!

All in all a pretty good day!