On January 5th after a very painful week (felt like a month) of delays we were reunited with Terry. The one of the best moments had to be the next morning when we went to wake Tyler up for school, and told him happy birthday, he was just waking up and said "Daddy, I am so happy you made it home for my birthday!" Jason asked Terry about a dozen times whether Terry had to go back..was he home for good.
Reintigration has been painless for the most part...we seem to have all found our way again with a family of 5.
January has been very busy for me with work, volunteer opportunities, and unit functions. The Financial Readiness manager encouraged us interns to sit thru the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) class here on post. That took 3 days one week and then we decided to do the certification (taking a test) to be able to volunteer at the Tax Assistance Center here on Fort Drum. Let me just say that the test was very painful, even open book working with someone...but we did pass and will probably donate some of our time (like we have any extra) to helping soldiers do their taxes.
Our St. Barbara's day ball is on Jan 29th and I have been helping with that...we are making some ceremic cannons (45 of them) and it has turned into quite a project. Many Saturday mornings have been spent at the Arts and Crafts center working on them.
Some kind Veteren donated a ton of money to throw 3 BCT a party. It was a great turn out and alot of fun.
February is block leave for 3 BCT and things will quiet down, and then in March gear up again with people coming and leaving....and then in April we'll have Change of Comands...
Terry is starting to work with Branch on our next assignment...we could very well be moving from Drum, bittersweet this Army life ,hate leaving all the wonderful friends we have made, but would love to be closer to family...

Today is the anniversary of the day my husband left for Afghanistan a year ago....and I learned this morning that he would be delayed at least few more days to get home. My goal of getting him home in 2009 is fading and so are my spirits. I know it isn't 15 months and he is on his way and really he was here for Christmas last year (not really but I won't argue that point with anyone whose husband was actually out of the country).

I'll have my pity party in the privacy of my own home, won't let my kids see me down only happy thoughts about how Dad will be home soon...just not soon enough for me.

Terry should be leaving FOB Airborne in a couple of weeks or so and then another week or two after that he should be landing at Wheeler Sacks Airfield here on Fort Drum....WOW our "YEAR" is almost over and dang am I happy about that.

As Capt Gardner wrote in the newsletter there is nothing more moving than watching families reunite after a deployment. The kids and I have had a very long year and can't wait to have our "moment" with Terry.

Looks like a big storm is headed out way and the weather man used the words significant amount of snowfall...not to mention wind, wind, wind. 50 to 60 miles per hour gust. Should be a fun weekend....

Someone I know from our days at Ft. Carson lost her mother this week when someone ran a red light and hit her car. As soon as I read about it on Facebook, my own heart skipped a beat and I felt the same pain/shock as the day I heard about Kirk...

There are no words that can make this person feel better, all you can say is that you care and you are praying for them, and that means the world.

Losing someone is devastating...but losing them suddenly, accidentally brings a whole new dimension to the devastation. There is no time to say good bye...there is no time to come to terms with it...there is no time to adjust to life without them. It is sudden and quite simply takes your breath away, and you have to remember to breath.

Even after almost 2 years I find myself thinking of Kirk, and then suddenly my breath changes and I remember he is gone...

Today I wrote on Facebook that I would start my last month count down tomorrow (Dec 1)...As I was thinking about that earlier tonight I almost started crying. I can't believe that we are so very close to being done. He has been gone for 11 months, all of 2009 (except 15 very short days). That is all we have seen each other in the past 11 months, 15 days....

And to get my husband home and the rest of 3 BCT someone is starting their 12 months apart, an unending cycle that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. So even though I am thrilled to death that our deployment is almost done, I will be thinking and praying for those who are just starting.

Today I am thankful for so many things, my husband, for serving his country for the past 23 years. I would like to share a small quote a friend recently wrote to me "I feel grateful for having been there with Terry...and I do recognize the sacrifice he makes...but he does so gracefully and with a humility, setting an example for all of us lucky enough to know him."
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, I certainly can say that I can't imagine my life without him. We were certainly meant to be together.

I am thankful for my kids, even though some (most) of the time we don't see eye to eye, I know that at the end of the day that they know I love them with all my heart, and that they love me with at least part of theirs....

I am thankful for my family spread out across the country, how I wish I was with you during these holidays. Thank you for your love and support.

I am thankful for my "Army Family". Everywhere we go we add to the family, I have been very blessed to have so many extraordinary people come into my life. It is how we thrive in this crazy life we lead, we meet more family at every location we move to. Thank you friends.

I am thankful for the good health we have had on this deployment, with all those nasty germs out there we have managed to miss most of them.

I am thankful for all of this incredible weather we have been having.

I am thankful for my memories of Kirk, not a day goes by that I don't have a thought of him pop into my head, only to have my heart hurt when I think of the time we won't have with him.

And I am thankful for Mick, Liz, Derek and Ashlee, for surviving an unimaginable event and getting up every day and putting one foot in front of another.

Okay so between being really busy and not knowing what to write, I have been a very bad blogger. Will regret it someday when I want to look back and know how this year long deployment went.

Everyone is doing well, this week was Dylan's teacher conferances, there are no appointments you just go and wander around and sign up to see a teacher. I met with most of his teachers and all had great things to say about him. More than once I heard "he is a pleasure to have in class" WOW my kid!!! I am thrilled that his grades are closer to where his abilities are. I know with just a bit more effort he could have all A's, but he has to choose that is what he wants, and he isn't there yet.

The little kids started after school care this week, so I could get more hours in for work and wouldn't you know that this week was so busy with other things that I really didn't get any more hours into work.

Work is great, just a few bumps in the road, but I hope that in the next couple of weeks those bumps get smoother. I am still enjoying it. I think in just the short time I have been doing this I have already helped lots of people.

The deployment is winding down quickly, we already have one flight home and are expecting another one on Thanksgiving. In December they should be coming every few days. Terry was due to come home between Christmas and New Years, but I was told this week that often they don't do flights during that week, so who knows when he will get here.