Leaving for Korea

Well, I stand corrected. Back in September I said that the hardest thing I have ever had to do was to send my husband off to war. Even knowing that we would be facing this challenge a few short months later, I still thought that would be worse because of where he was going and because we would be able to visit him in Korea. I was SO wrong! While the time leading up to Bill leaving for Korea was easier, dropping him off at the airport was THE hardest thing I have ever had to do. My family's heart was breaking and there was NOTHING I could do to make it better.

Kaity helping Bill with his bags in the check in line (I missed the really cute part).

We enjoyed the short period of time we had together that morning and everyone was doing really well. Until we got to the airport and Kaity started asking questions with tears in her eyes. How do you explain to a four year old why her daddy has to leave for so long? She helped him with his bags (super cute, but I was a bit late with the camera and missed their interaction) and after he got them checked in, we started to say our goodbyes. Kaitlyn did so well, emotionally speaking, with Bill deploying, so we were not prepared for her response to this move (I can't really call it a trip). It is so hard to be strong when your child's heart is breaking. She was so upset and just kept asking for tissues, which was kind of cute and grown up and made us smile a little, through our tears. She cried all the way to security where we said our good-byes and left Bill to be on his way. We opted not to get gate passes, since there was not really enough time to wait in line again through Delta (Korean Air doesn't give them at their counters for future reference) and we also feared that dragging it out would be so much harder on us all.

Bill and Kaity awaiting check in.

It turned out to be a good choice. After saying good-bye Kaitlyn turned hysterical. We couldn't even make it to the car. We got as far as check in when she said she just wanted to sit down. She was sobbing so hard, she couldn't even walk. We sat down on the floor of the airport and just cried together. What do you say? I knew there was nothing I could do but comfort her. She hit the nail on the head while I was trying to comfort her. I was telling her that we had just had a really great couple of months together and that we have had so much fun the past few days hanging out as a family. Really just trying to say something that would get her to focus on the happiness instead of the sorrow. Her response..."Well it just isn't fun right now!" What do you say to that? I absolutely agreed. My response..."You're right, right now it just sucks." I know that you aren't supposed to use that language with a four year old, but that was just how it was. It seemed to be the only thing that fit. She responded with, "Yeah, it's really bad." Fortunately, Ryan was oblivious and was just hanging out in his stroller. That made my job a bit easier and I could just focus on her. I have no idea how much time passed, but Kaity finally said she was ready to go home. I was relieved to get to the privacy of our car.

We got to the car and prayed for Daddy, for the safety of our family, and asked the Lord to provide us all with some much needed strength and comfort. Through our tears I thanked Him for this challenge he has given our family and we asked for His help to get us through it. And I truly believe He will.

Saying good-bye at security. Ryan's blowing Daddy a kiss good-bye.

After a few hours Kaity seemed to be doing better, and I had a 4 1/2 hour drive home. Many thanks to my dad who added me to his Audible account and to Bill for my ipod. Listening to books on the way home while the kids watched movies was a huge distraction for all of us. Bill definitely had the worst end of the stick on this one. We all left him and were going back home to our house to get on with our already established lives. While it was heartbreaking to walk through the door of our home and know that he probably wouldn't be back before we sell or rent it, we still had church, school, dance, friends, and each other to get us through. He, on the other hand, left all of us to board a plane for a 14 hour flight, alone with just his thoughts, and start a new life for himself 7,000 miles away.

Bill left the States on Saturday, January 17th and arrived to Kunsan, Korea very early in the morning on Monday the 19th. He had welcoming arms and some familiar, smiling faces to greet him at a stop in Osan (many thanks to Tess for meeting him and lifting his spirits) and at his final destination in Kunsan (also a ton of thanks to Chad for setting everything up and making his transition easier). We are all settling into a routine and are adjusting to the new normal. Most days get easier, but it does feel a little like two steps forward, one step back at times. Bill got internet in his room last week and the communication has been wonderful. Both of the kids are really cute with it, but I will write more about that (and other fun stuff) later.

Atlanta

We drove to Atlanta on Thursday looking forward to spend a couple of fun days as a family without the distractions of home before sending Bill off to Korea. We had a great time together enjoying each other as a family. Thursday evening we went to the American Girl store with Kaity and she had a great time looking at all of the dolls and their accessories then we walked over to the Cheesecake Factory and had a great dinner sampling a variety of items off the bar menu. We tried some new things and enjoyed some old favorites. Then we were off to check into our hotel for two nights near the airport.

Wow!

We woke up the next day to a very brisk 15 degree morning. I had no idea Atlanta got THAT cold. It was FREEZING, but refreshing all the same. We had a great breakfast at the hotel and headed to the Georgia Aquarium. Kaity had a great time with the touch pools and touched some rays, starfish, and sea anemone. Ryan was very hesitant to even go near the touch pools, but warmed up to them a little. He was torn between touching and being too scared to touch. He opted to point instead. Both kids really enjoyed the exhibits, especially the beluga whale exhibit and Ryan kept running up to the exhibits pointing and saying wow, which is either a new word for him or I finally just figured it out (most likely the case with him). He also started saying (and doing) the Gator chomp at the alligator tank (and the beluga whale tank, but we'll keep that on the down low). :)

Kaity was full of great questions, like how do belugas sleep and how long can they hold their breath. We all learned something new. A beluga's brain can't shut down and breathe at the same time, so they sleep with half their brain at a time. The right side shuts down to sleep and the left stays awake so the whale can breathe and vise versa. The only way to tell that they are asleep by looking at them is that they have one eye shut. Cool huh? They can hold their breath for 20-25 minutes. Not nearly as cool, but something new we learned.Holding our breath like beluga whales.
"I'm a hammerhead!" Ryan was one too, but too quick for pictures.

We went back to the hotel and took late naps, woke up refreshed, and headed down to the Manager's Reception. To keep it simple, stress free, and enjoyable, we ordered take out and had dinner at the hotel. It was a great decision! We brought wine back up to the room, got the kids bathed and ready for bed and put Ryan to bed. Then Bill, Kaity, and I played go fish. Kaity loved playing a big kid game and we enjoyed the time with her. After a couple few rounds, we put her to bed as well and enjoyed a quiet evening together drinking wine and playing rummy. It was a great, tear free way to spend our last couple of days together.

American Boy

We are travelling to Atlanta today to spend some family time having a little fun before dropping Bill off at the Airport for his year long remote to Korea on Saturday. One of the fun things on our list is to take Kaitlyn to the American Girl store. She is really into the babies. We just stopped at a rest area a little while back and took turns running in so we wouldn't have take Ryan out of the car. Bill left first and I stayed in the car while Kaity put her shoes on. Kaity asked where Bill went, then quickly answered her own question. Maybe he went to the American Boy store. Too cute!

Welcome Home

Well, I figure that I should probably blog our deployment reunion before we send Bill off on his remote or we may confuse people. Bill went to Iraq for two months this fall with his squadron. We were quite fortunate that he was able to return just before Thanksgiving and that we had the whole holiday season together as a family before he had to report to Korea. I had this grand and glorious vision of a picture perfect reunion. That was SO not what happened. A week and a half before Bill returned home I drove to Florida to see my parents and grandparents, because I wasn't sure when I was going to see them again. When I got word that Bill was on the way back to the states, I loaded up the kids, the dog, and the car and headed back to South Carolina. I returned home to a broken refrigerator and freezer and spoiled, yet fortunately not stinky, food.
I woke up to Bill's phone call at 5 saying he was back in the states and that his flight would be arriving around 11:00, six or seven hours earlier than expected! Too excited to sleep, I started getting the house ready and daydreamed about our long awaited reunion over a hot cup of coffee. I had it all planned out! A couple of hours later I get a message on my cell phone that Bill's flight was delayed due to a mechanical issue and they were awaiting a part which would be arriving on another plane sometime later in the day. Bill didn't know when he would be getting in. To make matters worse, Cingular screwed up and Bill's cell phone wasn't working and there was nothing they could do to fix it that day. Leaving us with no way to communicate regarding his arrival. GRRRR!!!
Meanwhile, I called the repair guy and got that scheduled. Around 1:30 or 2:00 I get a call from Bill saying he is at the Columbia airport and could I come pick him up. That was an hour away and the repair man was at my house fixing the fridge and the kids and I weren't even ready for the day. Yikes! SO not what I was daydreaming about. I got the kids ready and hung the sign that was supposed to be held by us at the airport when he came through the gate on our garage door, paid the repair man, jumped in the shower, and drove (probably a shade too fast) to the airport to pick him up.

We were so excited to see each other! Ryan couldn't take his eyes off of his daddy and Kaity wouldn't let him put her down. He carried both kids all the way to the car. Even after the three day journey home from the desert, Bill was beaming. Exhausted, but beaming. There have only been a few times I have ever seen him so happy, and those had to do with marriage and babies! So, even though the reunion was not ANYTHING like I had envisioned, it was so incredible to actually be reunited that no one even really cared (except me maybe just a tad) and we had a very quiet and extremely enjoyable Thanksgiving where we were especially thankful for the opportunity to be together as a family. It was a blissful reunion, that fortunately went so very smoothly and didn't have any of the hiccups we were told to expect. Another thing to praise God for! Such HAPPY guys!

We are so thankful to have had a wonderful opportunity to spend the past eight weeks as a family and have had a lot of fun and have spent a lot of great quality time together. These are the times that make being apart bearable. Knowing that we be reunited and that the time apart will make us not only a stronger family, but also a family more appreciative of the time they have been given to enjoy together.

Bill...on a stick.

Bill returned a couple of months earlier than the rest of the squadron since he was going to Korea. Well, turns out those guys are missing him and having a little fun (and making a little fun we are sure) pretending he is there. Bill celebrated Christmas with them, grilled out with them, and was even in a group picture. Here is (drum roll please)Bill...on a stick!

Bill's Fini Flight

Bill's last flight at Shaw

Bill had his last flight at Shaw today and had initially thought that he didn't want to make a big deal about it. He just felt like it wouldn't be the same without all his bro's there and just being attached to a different squadron. We were talking last night and it came up that this might be the only time we would be able to be there for one of his Viper fini flights and I told him again, that if he wanted us there we would be there. This morning on his way out the door he told me that he thought he may want to order pizzas and have us come up if we could. Of course we could! So we scrambled to get things in order and do a few extras. After I picked Kaity up from school (and tracked down a picture), I started the process. Knowing how much it would mean to him if the rest of the squadron could be there, I decided to print a picture of the guys that was recently taken in Iraq. It turned into me getting it blown up, mounted, and laminated. It wasn't the same, but it was still fun.

Kelso's crew and the Shooters celebrating the fini.

We brought the guys to the fini, had them hanging out while we were eating pizza, and had them drinking at the bar.
One of the funniest things is that we were actually ready, out the door, German Chocolate cake (Bill's fav) made, cookies made, and pizzas picked up, and at the squadron EARLY. By 20 minutes. Bill landed 45 minutes early. I know! Not quite what we had envisioned (like the deployment reunion, which I will blog before he leaves again), but they wouldn't let him shut down his jet before we all got out there, so we missed the taxi, but that's okay, it worked out.

Bill's legs are taped so he can't run away. If our squadron would have been here, he would have also been taped to the ladder in the background. He was glad he didn't have to go through that, but it would have been worth it to have his bro's there.

We have some cute pictures of Kaity hosing Bill down at his fini flight at Laughlin when she was 15 months old and thought Ryan would be all over it, especially with his love of inappropriate uses of water, but he just stood back, took it all in, and let Kaity do all the work.

Not only did she hose her daddy, but she also sprayed some innocent bystanders. Ooops! Bill was very thankful that we made a big deal out of it and also that we thought to include his bro's the only way that we could.

Us with the VERY MISSED Shooter guys (and out of town gals). Thanks for the ride! We will miss you dearly friends.

The Power of Advertising

I just sat down in the living room with the kids and thought I would blog quickly about Ryan and our trip to the park yesterday while the kids ate their snack and watched a little bit of a show. I had just got them settled and logged on when Kaity engages me in conversation.

Kaity: Mom, do we have ly-salt?
Me: Ly-salt?
Kaity: Yes, ly-salt...do we have it?
Me: Do you mean Ly-sol?
Kaity: Yes (in a very excited voice).
Me: Yes, we have something like that. Those are the wipes we use in the bathroom (of course we use the Costco brand), why?
Kaity: Because I can make a mess with sugar and you can clean it up with Lysol.

Ahhh, the power of advertising.

This brings up another sweet and funny moment we shared through advertising when Kaity was two and I was pregnant with Ryan.

Kaity and I were shopping at Target and I was just aimlessly chatting with her as we were walking through the baby section when something we passed grabbed her attention. She told me we needed to pick up some Johnson's so her baby brother could sleep better when he was born. The week before we had been watching tv and a commercial for Johnson and Johnson Lavender baby wash had come on, informing the viewers (my daughter apparently) that if you bathe your child in that wash it would help the baby sleep better. Well, the advertising worked, because a week later when she spied it on a shelf at the store she remembered the commercial and told me her brother would need that. She is a thoughtful girl!

I just recalled another advertising moment and thought I would write this one down too. On the weekends Bill will watch have the news on while we are getting up and around and there is an infomercial (I know, even worse) trying to sell a blanket with sleeves. This contraption is called a Snuggie. One morning last weekend we were all hanging out and I told Kaity I was going to get my robe because I was cold and she told me that I needed a Snuggie. Because then I could be all wrapped up in a blanket, but my arms could be free, but still warm. :)

Happy New Year!!!

 

We rang in the New Year with Bill's sister, Teresa, and her family. We wrapped up the six day visit enjoying drinks, spades, and each others' company. It was a great trip with many adventures. You will want to check back and catch up on our adventures with a cabin in the mountains...you will be laughing out loud! I will try to get it blogged soon.

 

As we wrap up the old and start with the new, I find that I am having a huge internal battle that started when Bill was deployed and is only getting worse as he is getting ready to leave again. A huge part of me just wants to skip 2009 because we will not be together as a family and know it will be a very difficult year. I joke that I am ready to ring in 2010! I am torn because I want this year to go by fast, so that we can all be reunited again, but I don't want to wish away the time that I have with my children at this age. I know that time already goes so fast and I really don't want to miss a thing. I feel like as adults Bill and I don't really change too much, but the kids...that is a totally different story. The bottom line is, even though I struggle with wanting time to speed up while we are apart, I truly am looking forward to ALL of the adventures that 2009 will be bringing our family, both together and apart. It will be a memorable year for sure and will make 2010 that much sweeter. We wish you and yours a Happy, Healthy, and very Blessed New Year!

Merry Christmas

We enjoyed a wonderfully quiet Christmas just the four of us. In fact, we even stayed in our pajamas and played all day long. It was fantastic. The kids were a lot of fun this year and played with their toys all day. We really delighted in having young children on Christmas morning, and tried not to get too wrapped up in the Santa and the presents, but that is so hard with the excitement of giving and the joy on the children's faces. In order to keep the meaning of Christmas in our home we have a couple of traditions. When Kaity was a baby, a very dear friend told me about a tradition someone she knows does with their family and I thought it was a great idea for our family. On the very first Christmas, baby Jesus was presented with three gifts from the wise men. Now, each Christmas our children are given three gifts by us. Before we let the kids open presents they (really just Kaity for now) have to tell us why they get three presents from us. This has worked out really well. First, Kaity can tell you why we celebrate Christmas and can tell the story of the wise men and it is meaningful to her. The second, is that it keeps Christmas under control. I love giving people gifts and seeing the happiness on their faces, so I tend to want to go crazy even if we can't afford it. :D Our next tradition, which we stared this year, is to bake a birthday cake or cupcakes to celebrate the birth of Christ, because, after all, it is His birthday. Hope you all had an enjoyable day and made some wonderful memories!