100 Days Without Daddy

One of his first nights in Afghanistan

We just marked off 100 days without John.  That's a lot of days.   Many hours, cuddles, kisses, laughs, dinners, bedtimes, moments, memories that we can never get back.  For John, 100 days without us is very lonely but when you work 15-20 hour days and have the BEST SFAAT Team in the VERY VERY BEST Brigade in the 1AD and in the US Army :-) HIGHLANDERS!! the time passes somewhat quickly. (Yes, shameless Highlander Pride there)  He misses us though - you can tell as he calls us, sometimes twice a day and says nothing; he just listens while we go about doing whatever it is we are doing at the moment.  We may be getting ready for bed, getting homework done, grocery shopping, breaking up a fight, playing loudly or watching a movie.  But he lingers anyway, listening silently....that part makes me a bit melancholy.  For me personally, I could give thousands of reasons why it's hard for ME to have him gone for such a long time. But that is nothing at all compared to how hard it is for HIM being away from home, separated from us in a strange country, unable to cure the stress of the day with a hug, a laugh or a sleep in your own bed.  It would be easy for me to say that the Army owes him - but he doesn't see it that way.  He is proud to serve his country.  He is more than willing to give up his own bed, homemade food, church, hugs from his little girls, talking to his Mom and Dad...all to get up each day and work 7 days a week so that more than 99% of this country doesn't have to do what he's doing, and can live in peace, in the comfort and love of their own home.  Emma, Lily and Jana pray each night for God to keep their Daddy safe in Afghanistan.  They each kiss their Daddy Dolls good-night and hug him to sleep.  We eat ice cream every Tuesday and cut a link from our 40 week chain (16 links down I think!) If any of us deserve anything extra from this deployment, it's our girls - they serve greatly by giving up their Daddy for 9 months!! There are days when I feel sorry for them but I know that they are blessed! This Army life is a special one! Special experiences, loads of friends in many states and countries, different foods, Army traditions... How many kids do you know that stop and stand up, hand on their heart, when they hear the national anthem played on TV in their own house??!! Most kids in their generation will never understand what service and sacrifice really means the way that they understand it. I pray they use that understanding to serve their country well, each in their own special way.  Our girls watch their Daddy each day, go to work to serve our God and our Country.  Still....We miss him - these holiday times without him feel a little empty and a little lonely.  The girls and I spend each day knowing we are one day closer to Daddy coming home.  We spend each day trying our best to love each other well and do our best with what God has given us to do.  We try to eat dinner together at the table every night (lots of paper plates though). We read the Bible together each day. We go to church each Sunday.  We brush our teeth and take our vitamins.  We make our beds and try to do our chores as well as we can.  We try to have lots of fun without have too much fun without Daddy.  We work hard to serve our neighbors and our Army friends by volunteering.  We try to find our rest in quiet times together. We know that Daddy is doing his best and we want him to know that we are doing the same!
Here are a few moments in the last few weeks that have been missing our Daddy.  These are the days we wish we could share for real.  But, we have 176 days to go....seems like a lot when you look at the number...........

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze in Las Cruses

Pumpkins with pumpkins!

Just missing our prince!

Family picture minus one :(

F

First day on roller blades!

A trip to White Sands

A special big girl hike at Hueco Tanks

............But in our hearts we see the day..... when we spot him..... in a room full of camouflage.... we cry and hug him and start making our family memories together again!!

Last years home coming!