Happy Anniversary to Us!

It's been three years since Karl and I said our vows: three long years and three very short years all the same. We will have to wait until his deployment is over to celebrate together, but I will celebrate today anyway because he is my husband, and I am the most blessed woman in the world because of him. I am a cheeseball, I know, but I am a happy cheeseball! Below is the poem that I wrote for Karl and put in his anniversary present. He still hadn't received it as of this morning, but since he can't read this blog where he is, it will still be a surprise when it arrives there. (Don't spill the beans!)



THREE YEARS

One-thousand ninety-five days have now passed
Since the one when I pledged you my life.
And each day I feel more amazed than the last
By the blessing of being your wife.

The love that we share is a gift from above;
There is no other way to explain it.
Only our God could construct such a love,
For this world could not ever contain it.

The first time we met, it was part of His plan
Spun long before we ever knew.
My heartaches were mended as only God can,
By the precious and dear gift of you.

Each moment together affirms that our love
Is more than most people will know.
The strength of our marriage, most only dream of.
As we weather the storms, watch love grow.

We are blessed by our children, some near and some far,
And the joy of their love and their laughter.
We are a family, wherever we are,
Today and from here everafter.

I treasure this gift which is more than I dreamed
When I prayed; for I waited so long.
How could I have known how much more He would give?
A true love, a soul mate, my heart’s song.

Too much fun

Garin and I ran errands all morning and grabbed lunch at Sonic on the way home. As you can see, he didn't have the energy to finish his food before taking a nap. It was all just too much.

TGFB

Thank God For Benadryl! Garin and I both woke up yesterday having allergy fits: sneezing, watery eyes, runny and itchy noses. I took Claritin but couldn't find anything for an 18-month-old for allergies. I gave him decongestant, but it just didn't touch it. After another crabby, miserable morning for him, I called a friend who has an allergy child. The doctor told her that you can give Benadryl at a dose of 0.5ml per pound of weight. So off we went to buy some Children's Benadryl. The very first dose made a HUGE difference in his comfort level and demeanor. The nose has almost completely stopped running, and he is acting like my baby again! Anyway, thanks Kim! I felt so guilty about taking Claritin when he couldn't have any that I skipped it this morning to suffer with him.

And more good news...We each got a letter from the State of DE, Division of Family Services, stating that we had passed our FBI and SBI background checks, which are required by the Federal Child Protection and Safety Act in order to be a foster or adoptive parent! Of course, we weren't worried that there would be a problem, but now we have the proof that they need, so it puts us one step closer in our faith journey as we work to adopt D and K.

I was in a bowling tournament today and placed fourth on the women's side. There was a small monetary award, but my scores were more exciting than the payout. I had a 163, 177, 135 and 159! That is a 159 average!!! I'm rather pleased about that.

Hope you've all enjoyed a day as beautiful as we have! Have a great weekend!

TGIF!

It's funny how we grow to appreciate some days of the week more than others because they symbolize relaxation, freedom, family time, etc. It seems that mindset lingers even in the desert, where there is no such thing as a weekend because there are no days off. There is a Friday ritual among Karl and his new buddies on the base where he is deployed. Instead of going back to their bunks to sleep (or in Karl's case, to work on his Masters' classes) after work, they change out of flightsuits and into PT uniforms (basically Air Force P.E. uniforms), which are much cooler in the sweltering heat. Then they meet up to talk, laugh, talk about home and relax. I get the impression that it's the one time of the week when Karl feels normal, and that makes my Friday happier just for knowing it. I've been hearing about these fellas for almost three months, and I was tickled to open my email this morning and discover that he FINALLY sent photos! I thought you all might like to see him and his friends too. (The guy in the picture with Karl is also from here and also a devoted family man who is very homesick. Sounds like he and Karl have really looked out for each other over there.)

Update: I had to crop and reattach the photos for two security-related reasons: One, the file names of the photos had the guys' names. I didn't realize that those file names came up when you clicked on the photos in the blog. Two, our camera is way too good! When enlarged, the military ID's on some of the guys were totally readable....WAY too much info. Not that I think any of you would misuse the information, but this is out there for everyone to see if they can find it. It might not be that big of an issue, but I'd rather err on the side of safety for our men in uniform! :o)

The New House

One evening this week, Garin and I took a walk over to the construction site to get new pictures of our house in progress. Here they are! In the first photo, our house is dead center. In the second, our house is the one just to the right of the house that is being blocked by the truck in the picture.
Karl is doing well today, and so are we! After a week, okay weeks, of meetings and obligations, starting tomorrow I will have a number of free days. The ones that aren't free are at least not overbooked. There is hope!

The Week in Review

This much I know: God is present in the details! I can't begin to tell you about all the little moments this week when I realized how perfect God's timing is, but how it is! I realized it again today when I thought of the timeliness of Karl's deployment. I mean, obviously, it makes my life more difficult right now, but in the grand scheme of things it is perfect timing, especially in regard to the adoption.

Garin had his 18-month checkup this week. He's grown 3.5 inches in just over 5 months! I knew he had been holding out on us. I guess he was saving his growth spurt, so he can surprise Daddy in October with how big he's gotten. Three shots this time, but thankfully there was no fever to speak of!

We had a blast at story time on Tuesday at library. Garin loves music! Of course that shouldn't surprise anyone; it's in his genes. He is keeping me on my toes these days, climbing on everything. His laugh is always at the ready these days. All I have to do is look at him just right, and he cackles with delight. I enjoy him so much, but I look forward to October when I can do the hand-off to Daddy now and then and make a meal (or even just take a shower) without interruption.

Matt is getting back into the swing of things with school. They are having band practice and cross country practice daily. He is registered for classes, and they'll start in another week. Of course, the kids are all reconnecting after a summer of mission trips and vacations, and they are reinstating their Saturday afternoon hang-out at Perks (think Friends....Central Perk).

After a hiatus from the praise team, I'm going to be helping with music for the service at the new satellite location in Dover, starting in September. Should be fun! It will be great to get back into it with only one service per week. It was just so hard on Garin to be at church for five hours on Sunday morning.

Other than that, I'm just getting ready for my first real OSC Board meeting as President on Thursday and trying to get finished up with my Hermeneutics and Music papers and my Greek and Music tests, so I can stop stressing out about school for a little while. I guess I'll take Greek II next semester, but I think with all the other things going on I had better take just one class.

Well it's time to bury my nose in my Greek textbook again. Happy weekend to all of you!

Oh, the excitement!

We're moving right along at a rapid pace here. So much to get done and never enough hours in the day, but life is good! I'm finding it difficult to work on school, OSC, move preparations, adoption, keeping up with Garin and still find time for blogging. My apologies to those of you who have shown concern that we might have fallen off the face of the earth, and my thanks to you for caring enough to check!

This week has been a hodge-podge of multiple meetings and doctors' appointments, and the time I have left goes to Garin or school work. Although last night I gave myself an assignment-free evening, put Garin to bed, popped some popcorn and watched "The Holiday" on pay-per-view. I really needed and enjoyed that! I ADORED the movie, but there is something about a good love story that makes you think about your own. When the movie ended, I just wanted a big hug and kiss from my husband, and I was a little bit sad.

I've turned in three papers so far this week and am feeling good about getting it all done. I'm still terrified of my next Greek test and am praying that my brain will hold all of this information at least long enough for me to finish the semester.

It's been hotter than Hades (okay, a slight exaggeration) here for the last week or so, with temps in the mid to high 90's, and the East Coast humidity is alive and well. I'm so thankful our A/C was fixed last week, but that leads me to this week's mini-crisis: my brand-new dryer isn't working, so I'm trying to get someone to come fix it. It's still under warranty, but the two repair shops that Whirlpool authorizes aren't answering the phone or returning my calls yet. Hopefully I'll hear from them soon, as I really don't have time to sit at the laundromat.

I got some good news/bad news today from housing. I ran into the housing administrator this morning and asked her how things were going. She said that the construction schedule has been pushed back, and she has to send out new letters to everyone with new move dates. On one hand, it's good news for me because I don't have to rush home the day after my class reunion to be here for movers on Monday. It's bad news because it gives me less time to get our new house in order before Karl gets home. I really don't want him to come home to chaos. He deserves a chance to rest and enjoy his family rather than unpacking. Plus, it will rush us to prepare for the home study visits that should happen the following week.

This is where I just give it to God and know He is in control, as there is not a thing I can do about it!

I'll try to better about posting more often, so don't give up on me!

Stress

So here's the rundown on what I'm doing and what's happening:

Deployment
Adoption
3 College Courses
OSC President
Moving again on Sept. 24
Being Mom and Dad
Maintain Household
Various Other Stuff

Now I'm not looking for pity or a pat on the back here, but I wanted to give some indication of the craziness of my life these days. These things are really all great blessings in my life, and I will not complain about a single thing.....okay, so I'm not loving the deployment thing, but this deployment is shorter and easier than most.

I was starting to feel like I might lose my mind earlier in the week, so I made a list of every single thing I could think of that needed to be done (except daily things like meals, laundry and housework) between now and Karl's return. Then I put them in order of importance/chronology and put each one on a specific day in my calendar. Now my days are all full of tasks on the calendar, but it finally feels manageable. I can handle doing 7 things a day and feel like I've accomplished something this way. Before, I was flailing about trying to knock things off a list so long I couldn't process it all and feeling like I was never getting anywhere.

Isn't it funny how perspective can completely change the way you see something? And it can also completely change your attitude toward it. Thank goodness!!!

Matt's doing great. Karl's great, too, except for some homesickness. Garin is picking up new words all the time and is all over the place.

Garin and I went out for a crab dinner tonight at the Officers' Club with my next-door neighbor, Julie, whose husband is also deployed right now, and her daughter Cadence. It was nice to get dressed and go out for dinner!

Saturday will be devoted to homework, laundry and my little boy. Sunday morning is worship, and Julie and Cadence are coming over for supper that night.

I hate to be so short and sweet, but I wanted to update before I fall asleep on the computer. Have a great weekend everyone!

Volleyball Champs

Karl's intramural team won the championship game last night, and he sent me the first picture since he's been there that he is actually in. In the others, he was always behind the camera. It is good to see him! He was also chosen to play on the base team (Good for him!), which means he may do a little traveling in the area (I'm not so happy about that part!) to play other base teams. It is good that he has things to look forward to while he's there though.

Two Handsome Boys at the Shore

We had a great afternoon of sand and surf, and I was there with the two most handsome men on the beach! Garin called out "Bah-buh" (brother) to Matt several times when Matt came back toward us from the water. It was so sweet! Garin had so much sand on him that even after his bath, I'm not sure we got it all, but he had a blast playing in it! Matt spent most of his time riding the waves on his boogie-board while the girls nearby watched closely.

Our New House

We took a walk down to see the house under construction last night. There was no gate, so we were able to actually walk through it and see the layout for ourselves. Our neighbor had told us that it was open. I wish I had taken my camera because tonight they had a gate up. There were a few other people going back last night, so I don't know if they needed to stop it, or if it depends on who closes up for the day. I couldn't believe how much they did today!!!!! Yesterday, there was only framing, no walls or roof, and tonight it looked like the outside walls and roof were almost all covered! Anyway, tonight I took some pics from a distance, so here they are! The first is on zoom, obviously, and the second is from the end of the street. It will dead-end where we were standing. Our house is in the middle (pointed roof) in both pics. We also got notice today that the moving company is sending someone out on Aug. 1 to inventory our stuff, so they know how many boxes, etc., they'll need. This is standard procedure, but it means things are moving along!

Matt's visit with the adoption caseworker went fine. She spent maybe 5 minutes with us and just wanted to make sure he knew what was going on and that he wasn't violently opposed to the idea. I felt rather encouraged after talking with her today. It is starting to seem more real.

Afterward, we went to Rehoboth Beach and got some great clothes for Matt and Garin (oh, and me too!). I've lost 3 more pounds since I got back to Dover (imagine that), and although it's only three pounds, my jeans were already getting saggy. I found a couple of pairs of jeans to get me through the next month or so, and then hopefully they'll be too big too. Yeah, right. A girl can hope!

Reality and Possibilities

Today was busy, busy and quite productive! We got our new house switched to a 4BR, and they gave me new move date of September 24. This should be interesting, since my 20-year high school reunion is the weekend before, but I'll make it work. We also received our criminal background clearance from the State of DE, which we need to complete the home study. I got a bunch of things Karl wanted in his next care package and am now just waiting on back-ordered PT uniform shorts which should be in by Wednesday (we hope) before mailing. We went out to lunch then did some major grocery shopping this afternoon. Tonight has been pretty laid back. I made stuffed peppers for dinner, and Garin played outside awhile. I also stopped by to visit my next-door neighbor, Julie, for a few minutes. Her husband left for his deployment this morning, and I wanted to check on her. She's doing okay - not great, but okay is the best you can hope for sometimes. Last July, her husband was finishing up a 6-month deployment when she was diagnosed with cancer, and he was rushed home. She's a bit uncomfortable with him leaving again. Their daughter is confused about when Daddy is coming home. She thinks he's coming back everytime she sees a jet, and Julie keeps telling her he won't be home until it's cold outside.

We're planning a trip to shop at the Rehoboth Beach outlet malls and then to Cape Henlopen for the sand and surf on Thursday. One day, maybe tomorrow, we are going to look at bedroom furniture for Matt. I won't be buying yet, but I want to know what he's thinking as far as what he likes. If D and K come to us, we'll need two beds in that room, and I want the furniture to match. I think I'll pass Matt's set down to Garin in the new house. It's not fancy, but it's still in good shape and will be good for a mischevious little boy who has not yet learned how to take proper care of his things. When he gets past the magic-marker-on-furniture stage, he can have his own nice bedroom set too. Either that or we'll sell Matt's stuff and buy a new kid-friendly set for Garin....we'll see. The pretty daybed in Garin's room can go in the girly room, which I can't wait to decorate in feminine colors! If something happens, and we don't get the kids, it will be the guest room, and the guest(s) can enjoy something pretty while they're here.

I miss being in Texas, but it's also good to be home.....especially now that there is SO MUCH to do! I was just starting to think I was reaching a plateau....that'll teach me to think! What a wonderful life this is, full of joy and excitement and possibility!!! Blessings to you all...

Random Thoughts from a Tired and Busy Mind

It's been way too long since I posted, and for that I am sorry. I have spent the last six weeks back home, where I have been spoiled and loved, and I didn't feel like taking the time away from family to write down my thoughts. I managed to take four tests in one week, putting me closer to finishing the semester in a somewhat reasonable time frame, and then I just enjoyed the comforts of home. I am always thankful to be there, but this time was particularly special. Perhaps it was because Karl is gone, or maybe it was because we could be there long enough to get past the rush of seeing everyone and getting everything in that we want to do. But no, it was just the joy of family, all together again. I know you will probably all read this, so I'll try not to be too mushy.

My parents still take care of me when I'm with them, and it's so reassuring to know that you're never too old to be babied a bit. It's also nice to share the grown-up things with them and know that they will stand behind me no matter what. My grandparents....I get teary-eyed thinking of them....have always been such a special part of my life. I dearly enjoy sitting in their living room or around the table with them. I love to hear my Memaw pray before a meal. You can feel her heart pouring out before the Lord, and I just wish I had a little tape recorder in my pocket sometimes. There is something so precious about seeing the way Garin loves them and wants them, and how they satisfy him in ways the rest of us don't. And then there is my sister, Marci. Marci is that one person that has always known me inside and out and always will. There is a comfort in that which is hard to explain to anyone who isn't so privileged to have a sister who is also her best friend. I'll leave that there because it is what it is, it is a relationship that is larger than life and cannot be put into words. Sandra, Eli and Emma - my nieces and nephew - each one is very unique and equally easy to love and admire. Two came through adoption, one by birth. It doesn't matter which is which, so I won't tell you. They were all sent to us by God and are amazing, beautiful people. I am so proud of each of them. My cousin, Doug, must also be mentioned. He was my favorite playmate when we were children. He pretends to be tough, but he is as soft as can be on the inside. He has always been there for me and will forever be one of my best friends. He is a deep thinker and understands more than most of us ever will, and he loves just as deeply. But he somehow still manages to be the funniest person I've ever known.

I also had the chance to spend some time with some very special family members who adopted me by marriage. I am so thankful for my mother-in-law, who accepted me and loved me from day one, and who always has a kind word and an understanding heart. My father-in-law and stepmom-in-law were kind enough to make a long trip down to spend a couple of days with us. They have big hearts which they share without reservation, and we had a great time with them. Jill, Trint and Clancy - Karl's sister, husband and son - are some of the coolest people I know. They work hard, love deeply and make life more pleasant for everyone around them. I had more fun with them! And I was so happy to see Karl's sweet Memaw again!

Stomach flu was everywhere while I was down there. Memaw got sick first, followed by Garin and me. Trint, Susan and Jill were next. And just when we thought it was over, Dad and Sandra got sick just a couple of days before we left. Thankfully, no one else caught it, and we made it home without having to deal with illness!

Two more of Mom and Dad's friends were diagnosed with brain cancer: Rudy and Ron. And Jill lost a dear friend, who was wife and mother to four small children, to an aneurysm. It seems to be a terrible trend. Ron seems to be doing well with chemo and radiation. Rudy was rushed into surgery on Thursday because he suddenly became paralyzed from the waist down. They feared another tumor on his spine, but I have not yet heard the results. I do know that God does miracles, so please keep praying!

God worked an amazing miracle in the last few weeks for another friend of my parents. Glen Schmucker is a pastor in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and he is one of those people with an amazing gift for compassion and understanding. I have never actually met him, but I have considered him a friend, or maybe a kindred spirit, for some time. It is odd how someone whose face you've never seen can be so close to your heart. Glen suddenly became ill three or four weeks ago. On July 9, he was so bad that his organs were failing, his blood pressure was dropping and his children were called in to say their goodbyes. But God DOES work miracles, and Glen has gone from unconscious with liver failure, heart problems and more to being taken off the transplant list. His liver function is back to normal, he is off the ventilator, and his body is healing. Why? Because some doctor made a very good educated guess about treatment and gave him an antiviral medication that happened to target the virus he had....all before they even knew he had a virus. It's a God thing!

After a long but blessedly uneventful three-day drive back to Dover, I am exhausted. I have a big list of things to take care of this week. The big thing is that I have come back to the news that our housing is being demolished on October 15th. We have been assigned a 3 bedroom house and are to move on Sept. 27th!!! I had been told in May that we would move in November at the earliest. There are a couple of issues to consider here. One is that we need at LEAST a 4 bedroom if D and K get here before we leave Dover. That should be easily taken care of. I have been told that if I have a letter from the agency stating our intent to adopt, we can get the larger unit. Of course, had I known they were pushing everything up, I could have gotten it to them prior to housing assignments, but I think it should be cleared up easily when I go in and talk to them tomorrow. The other issue, of course, is that this will be the third move in three years that I have done without Karl. He always manages to be gone when we move, but it's not his fault! It will all be worth it, though, because if all goes well, this would allow us to be in the home D and K would come home to prior to the completion of our home study. This means the home study won't have to be updated before the kids can come. Of course, I'm assuming that the kids will be approved for us, and the adoption will go through as we hope. Please remember this in your prayers. God has a plan for us and for these children, and there are so many steps along the way. Please pray that God will open the right doors, close the wrong ones and make His will the reality!

Now it's 10:00, and I need some sleep!!!!!! I'll say good night for now. There are a bunch of great photos to post, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow for that, I'm afraid. Love to you all!

Clancy & Garin

Garin "riding" Spirit (with help from Grandma)

It's been too long......

I find it difficult to make time for writing when there are so many more exciting things to do! Garin and I have really enjoyed our time back home, and Matt flies down to join us tomorrow after spending two exciting weeks on mission trips to Tennessee and Virginia. We are so looking forward to seeing him!!!

We spent last weekend in Idabel, OK, with Karl's mom. We celebrated her birthday and got to spend some really special time with her, her mom, and Karl's sister's family (Jill, Trint & Clancy). Clancy is four months older than Garin, and they had a wonderful time playing together! It makes me wish once again that we lived closer. Clancy is such a doll, and he calls me Aunt 'Ori. There is something so sweet about hearing your name from the mouth of a little one you love!

We have done some good shopping and lots of visiting with family and friends. The weather has been crazy, as in power outages, over 5" of rain in less than 3 hours one night, and heavy rainfall almost daily. After the drought and fires here the last couple of years, there aren't many folks complaining, even as they watch their fields flood and their dams and bridges wash away.

Garin is a full-fledged walker now....FINALLY! Although he's been able to walk for a while, he did it rarely and preferred the speed of crawling. I had begun to believe that he would wait until the peer pressure of preschool forced him to travel upright!

I have spent a good deal of time (but not enough) working on my college coursework. A man from the church I grew up in has agreed to proctor my exams while I'm here, so I'm scheduled for four tests in the next two weeks. I'm a little nervous about cramming them together like this, but now's as good a time as any, since I have built-in babysitters.

I'm looking forward to the Fourth of July! I always enjoy the fireworks shows and patriotism that is lacking so much of the year, but it has special sentimentality this year with Karl overseas. There is a really good show in Gilmer and an awesome one in Longview. The decision as to which we'll attend hasn't been made. The Gilmer one has a nice small-town feel and will be easy to get in and out of. The Longview one will be crowded but a better show. They are charging $100 admission per vehicle at the Longview Fairgrounds, but we could get in free with my military ID. Tough decision!

I'll post a few pics of the last couple of weeks, too!

Far Away Father's Day

Here are a couple of photos from this afternoon. We took several to email to Karl for Father's Day. As you can see, Garin enjoys driving the golf cart with Grandma or Grandpa. His other favorite activities here involve turning fans or lights on and off climbing on everything in sight. He is fortunate to have a couple of very indulgent adults around who have already succeeded in spoiling him absolutely rotten only one week into our six-week visit!

Karl received his Father's Day care package from us much too early, on Monday, but in an impressive show of willpower, he waited until today to open it! It sounds as if he's really enjoying it, and I'm so pleased about that! In an unexpected and happy turn of events, he arrived at work tonight to discover two more packages: one from his mom and one from his squadron at Dover! He was so excited to tell me about them. His commander even sent a handwritten note asking how he was doing and how our trip to Texas was going. That is so far above and beyond the call of duty and is greatly appreciated!

Karl has a bad cold, sore throat and cough. In typical fashion, he has been procrastinating about visiting the doc. When he called today, I told him he needed to go (He sounded awful.), and he said to give it a day or two. I said, "Cough for me." I think he couldn't believe I asked him to do that, and he tried to make a joke of it. He did finally cough and sounded horrible, so I made him promise me that he would go to the doctor as soon as his shift is over in the morning. I know this sounds bossy and nagging, but anyone who knows Karl knows that he will bend over backward to make sure everyone else is okay, but he won't take the same kind of care of himself. Plus, he's very prone to bronchitis. I am hoping that this doctor can help him get better before it comes to that!

Garin and I have been reminded in the last couple of days that we aren't in Delaware anymore, thanks to the mosquitoes that think we make a tasty lunch! I have almost 40 bites after a few minutes outside one evening. Thankfully, Garin only has four - probably because I have only let him outside during the daytime. We're going to have to be very careful and use repellent!

I have had fun this weekend visiting with old friends! A dear high-school friend and her family were in town Saturday and today from the Dallas area, so we spent some time together yesterday afternoon, catching up and making plans to see each other again in July. She and her husband met when I and my then-boyfriend introduced them. Debi and I went to one high school, and my boyfriend, Kevin, went to the rival school with his friend, Peter. Our hope was that they would accompany each other to their respective proms, as both needed a date. Now, twenty years and three beautiful children later, they're living their happily ever after. There are so many neat twists and turns to the story, but I'll spare you the gory details. It is, however, a real privilege to call them friends! I also have gotten a chance to see Kevin a couple of times at church. Although we stopped dating as teenagers, we are lifelong friends, as are/were our parents. Sadly, cancer took his father last July. I really felt for him and his family today as we celebrated Father's Day. Hopefully we'll get a chance to catch up before I head back to Delaware. Another friend, Courtney, whom I've known since the diaper stage, lives here in town. I saw her briefly today, and we plan to get together in the next week or two for lunch to try to cover the events of the last 10 years! I'm thinking she and Kevin would make a cute couple...............hmmmmmmmmmm.............................

Well, I'm doped up on Benadryl, and it's getting late. I think it's time to say goodnight! Everybody sleep tight!

Three Weeks Down....Seventeen to Go

I guess it's about time for an update! I'm starting to hear from disgruntled blog readers who want to know how we're doing. I'm sorry I've been so slow to get around to it, but I've been so busy....or maybe just lazy.

These photos are from Garin's romp in the kiddie pool on Tuesday. He has no fear and had a great time in the water!

Dad flew to Philly on Tuesday, June 5, and Garin and I picked him up. He came to drive back down to Texas with us and help keep me sane. I am so thankful that he did. The trip was long, but Dad and I had a nice time just being together. Garin was good, considering we spent almost three days on the road, and the animals cooperated exceptionally well!

We arrived last Saturday around lunch time and got to visit for a little while with my great-aunt and great-uncle, who had driven in from Georgia earlier in the week to visit my grandparents, before they headed out. Dad and I got on riding mowers that afternoon and mowed my parents' and grandparents' yards. They've had tons of rain here, and the grass is growing like crazy. Sunday, we went to the contemporary service and Bible study class at church and then out for some good Tex-Mex.

This week has been a blur for me. On Monday, Mom drove down to my sister's house to deliver her pets to her. (They had stayed here while her family was on vacation.) My grandmother's Sunday School class had a social at one of her friends' homes, so I drove her there and ran some errands. After I picked her up, we met Dad for lunch at the best place in the world for good, Southern sweet tea. Garin, Dad, Doug (my cousin) and I have all had a cold, but I think we're all on the mend now. Mostly, I've hung around here with the exception of a couple of trips to the store for this or that. We did make one run to Bodacious BBQ, my favorite barbecue place for dinner, on Thursday night in a pouring rain. We got drenched getting in and out, but the food made it all worth it.

Karl has been doing better, I think. He still has his moments of homesickness, but he's had some successes and some fun this week, which seems to have lifted his spirits. He participated in a 4-man volleyball tournament. They did very well, but the tournament was set up in such a way that his team ended up playing seven straight games! By the time they met the last team they played, he said they were just too tired to win, even though they were the stronger team. But he had fun and got some good exercise.

Karl's big news, though, is that the guy who's in charge of the day shift had to attend a meeting Friday, so Karl had to fill in for him for the first four hours of his shift. Karl, therefore, worked from 12am to 12pm that day. He is normally responsible for preparing the briefing for the day-shift guy to present to the general and colonels, but yesterday he had to not only prepare it but also present it. He did a very good job, of course! His boss was very pleased, as were those in attendance. I think it did him a world of good to have that kind of success, as he struggles with self-confidence. He seemed much "brighter" afterward.

We have had several inches of rain since I got here, and four trees uprooted from the soggy soil last night here on my parents' property in the pasture between the house and the road. Of course, it had to land on a fence, which will have to be repaired to keep the horses out of their and my grandparents' yards. It was a very exciting start to the day!

I'll try to be better about updating from here on!

Update

I thought I'd just take a minute to catch you up on our boring lives.

Karl is working hard and staying tired, but he's doing well. He's homesick, though. His first practice with the praise team will be on Wednesday.

Garin is doing great. He started hugging me back this week, and I am soaking it up like a sponge! He laughs a lot and climbs a lot. He gets told no a lot (usually for climbing), gets mad at me and asks for DaDa a lot. He falls a lot, and when he does, he cries a lot. Today when we got to church, he started clapping in the parking lot because he heard the music. He did okay in the nursery, but as soon as I picked him up, he started clapping again and trying to steer me into the worship center, so we stayed for the music part of the next service. He danced and clapped and "sang" loudly, even during the prayer. It warmed my heart, and I know it warmed God's!

I cleaned like crazy yesterday! I rearranged the kitchen counters, vacuumed and mopped all the floors, polished the furniture and cleaned bathrooms. I love coming home from church on Sunday to a clean house, so it motivates me on Saturday afternoon.

It rained all day today. We desperately needed it. It is supposed to continue until noon or so tomorrow. The bad side of that is that it is NASCAR race weekend here in Dover. Traffic starts getting bad on the Monday before the race on Sunday and clears out on Monday after the race...normally. Unfortunately, the rain means the race has been delayed a day. I'm hoping people have somewhere to be tomorrow (work maybe?) and will go home anyway. Otherwise, we're fighting traffic again tomorrow if we want to leave the base.

Life is good! Don't know much else. G'night!

Garin's First Artwork

Garin created his first masterpiece today! Note the artistic creativity of using saliva (bottom right) to punctuate the meaning of the piece. He clearly enjoys stippling, but his favorite part is putting the crayons neatly into the box. I have to say that I am pleased to see his penchant for cleaning up after himself. I have noticed it several times lately and am hoping that it will continue through his teen years and into adulthood! Daddy, your artwork will be on its way to you soon!