long overdue update

I know I’m terribly behind on posting. It’s been a hectic few weeks! Josh came home on Saturday, April 25th and we headed out the next day to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando the next day. It’s about 10 hours from our home so we decided to just do 5 hours each day. We arrived on Monday afternoon and the kids were quite excited. We left one week later to head home and after 5 hours, we decided to just go all the way home. We wanted our own beds!!!

The next day, Tuesday, Josh’s dad came up and he stayed for 24 hours. Josh and I had both been sick since before the trip to Disney so we went to the doctor to get some relief. Josh had a bacterial infection so he got antibiotics. I have a viral infection so they can only treat the symptoms. We basically had sinus infections. BLEH!!! Thursday morning Josh left to go back to Kansas to gather his team and gear and prepare to head to Iraq. Friday I spent the day trying to unpack from our trip, get some rest, run errands, etc. Saturday my niece, AB, had her senior voice recital. There were a lot of preparations to be done and I helped my sister keep her sanity through it all. Saturday my parents and my other sister and her 3 children came to visit. It was crazy!!! At one point we had 5 adults, 7 children, 2 cats and 2 dogs in my house!!!! By the way, I don’t own any pets! My sister and her 3 children spent the night and left the next day. It was a nice visit, just a little crazy with all that led up to the visit (the trip, Josh leaving, etc).

Sunday was Mother’s day. Mother’s days are bitter sweet for me. I remember a time when I dreaded Mother’s day and would spend the day in bed depressed because I wasn’t a mother. Although I think of my childrens’ birthmothers pretty regularly, I think about them even more on Mother’s Day. I truly pray they feel peace in their hearts with the selfless choice they made for their children. I’m so grateful to them that they gave me an opportunity to be a mother. I sit in church and, although I’m happy to finally be a mother, I feel sadness for those who want to be mothers but haven’t had the opportunity yet.

I feel I was quite spoiled with gifts. Josh came home before our trip with a Glock 19 for me. I told him that was NOT my Mother’s Day present!!! I didn’t ask for this, but I understood why he wanted to give it to me. We went out to a range and fired it, etc. I admit, it’s kind of fun to hit the targets. Of course, I have a laser grip on mine, so it’s not quite as hard. :)

When we were at EPCOT, we went to the Japan pavilion and I had Andrew pick an oyster for me for my Mother’s Day present. Inside was a 6.75mm beautiful snow white pearl. I got a cage to hold it and a chain. After the trip, Josh took me to our cell company store and got me an iPhone. My regular phone was on its last leg and I wanted a way to check my e-mail on the go since e-mail will be our major form of communication while Josh is in Iraq.

Andrew wanted to paint a flower pot for me because his class painted flower pots while we were at Disney. I got him some paints and he made me a VERY colorful flower pot! At church, all of the women were given carnations in a nice, simple vase and Andrew made me a bookmark. The Nursery Leader went all out with the girls! She gave me a bag of roasted peanuts and a card that said something like “Even though we may drive you nuts . . .” :) It was very cute. They also made “flowers” with cookies and gumdrops and the teacher took their picture and put it in frame. Needless to say, I felt quite loved on Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day (yesterday) was also the day that Josh flew out for the Middle East. We had our last phone conversation for a while and right before he had to turn off his phone, he sent me the sweetest text message. He wrote “Taking off. Love you. You’re the most wonderful person in the world to me.” I love that guy!!!

I’m ok. It will hit me in a few weeks that he’s really gone when I want to call him to tell him something cute one of the kids did or when I have a bad day and I realize that I can’t. I will miss the frequent visits like we’ve had these past 10 months that he’s been gone. We won’t see him again until his mid-tour leave in November. After that, we’ll see him when he returns for good in May 2010.

I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a husband who is wonderful to me and our children. I have my sister and her family, which includes 3 teens, to help me when needed. I have food on my table and a roof over my head. Life is good.

The next several posts will have pictures from our trip. Enjoy!