We can do it!

Ah Rosie...... who knew we'd be such kindred spirits?  This, my friends, is my new mantra!

Jaren is officially in Afghanistan.  And the long dreaded wait for his departure has come and gone.  Thank heavens too - because that goodbye ranks up there with one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  I am so grateful that I don't have to keep saying goodbye.  No we are just doing it!  No more waiting, and honestly, I feel like a weight has been lifted.

I am learning so much already.  First of all, I already knew this - but not like I do now...  I married the best man alive.  Honestly, I am just so thankful for him.  He is brave, courageous, and loving.  He is an excellent father, and watching him say goodbye to his little girls will stay with me for the rest of my life.  It was a sacred, and special time.

 

Secondly, I am learning that I am stronger than I thought.  I mean, there are those moments of absolute sadness, and where I just want to give into the "woe is me moment."  But overall, I'm already feeling that sneaking smile on my face.  The one where I know that I just might have a fighting chance of actually becoming one of those women that I have looked up to.  You know the ones - they face tragedy and hard things with bravery and courage.  They don't shrink at the fight... they get in there - get their hands dirty, and WORK!

I am seeing miracles in my life every day right now.  I know that I am being guided by the Lord's hand.  I have been given an extra allotment of patience.  I am not looking at the clock as much.  I am living with a peace, that thus far in my life - I have never known.  It is incredible... and I believe that it is truly God's hand in my life.  He has taken up the yoke and has eased this burden to the point where I can keep walking.

Alta and Mila are adjusting.  Alta asks for Daddy all the time.  Right before he left, he took the girls on a "Daddy duaghter date".  He took them to build-a-bear.  Alta picked out both of the bears, and they made them together.  He put a little recording in each of them, that tell them how much Daddy misses them, to take care of Mommy, and that he will be home soon.  They picked out little Army outfits.  Anyhow, needless to say, Alta hugs and kisses it all the time, and when she asks for Daddy - we have her go and get her bear.  She plays the recording, and then gives him a kiss.

Another thing that I have come to realize is how much I love my little family.  A good friend of mine taught me a saying that she uses with her children when their Daddy is at work, or gone.  She says, "Daddy is gone so that Mommy can be home and stay with you.  Isn't Daddy great?"  She turns it into a positive, and her kids think of their Dad as their hero.  It is awesome, and something I have adopted.  

Thus far, Jaren is doing well.  He too, is making the adjustment.  As hard as it will be for us to have Daddy gone, I need to remember that Daddy is away from all of his girls.  We pray for him to not be lonely.  We pray for his safety.  Alta said a prayer all by herself yesterday, and I'm pretty sure that it was what she was saying, because she repeated "Dadda" 5 or 6 times in that prayer.  

I am also grateful to be where I'm at right now.  It's hard to not be in Utah, with all the help and support that family and friends provide.  But I will say this:  My Army wives, and especially my fellow Church wives have been amazing.  It is just kind of understood here that you take care of each other.  So many people are in the same position (and many of them have done it multiple times before).  So you have this wealth of experience, knowledge, and camaraderie that wouldn't exist if I were in Utah.  I find that even my friends from Alabama are pitching in and making sure that we are okay.

The other nice thing about North Carolina is that these wives are amazing, so you don't get to stay in a pity party for long.  They do everything with a smile on their face.  They remind me of that woman I want to be, and help me to keep optimistic.

They say that the first two weeks of the deployment are some of the toughest.  I'm praying that this is true.  I'm hoping that I can continue with this momentum that is building in my life.

Jaren, I love you.  You are my hero.  You are the girl's hero too.  Years from now we will look back at this time, and thank God for the way that it has helped us to appreciate what we have.  We are so blessed, and I am already so grateful for this experience.  15 months will be long... but hey - it's already 14 1/2 now right?  We got this babe!  We can do it!