Olivia Eileen

Words cannot express my relief that August will soon be here...although I know full well it will bring challenges of its own...ending one month and starting the next is like a breath of fresh air and boy do I need some fresh air. Fresh salty air with sand under my toes would be really nice, actually. July essentially compounded the stresses of this first deployment experience. Because on top of the obvious: being a solo mommy to our toddler living 12 hours away from both sets of doting grandparents; the less obvious: is that I am the FRG Leader for my husband's Company. What the heck is an FRG Leader? Basically, aside from having a toddler in the house, its the sole reason I haven't had the time, nor the energy, to blog this deployment. And probably is the reason why I don't respond to your emails or text messages in a timely fashion, if at all. But really, FRG Leader stands for Family Readiness Group Leader. In the Army, it's the leader of a volunteer organization that...

Words cannot express my relief that August will soon be here...although I know full well it will bring challenges of its own...ending one month and starting the next is like a breath of fresh air and boy do I need some fresh air. Fresh salty air with sand under my toes would be really nice, actually. July essentially compounded the stresses of this first deployment experience. Because on top of the obvious: being a solo mommy to our toddler living 12 hours away from both sets of doting grandparents; the less obvious: is that I am the FRG Leader for my husband's Company. What the heck is an FRG Leader? Basically, aside from having a toddler in the house, its the sole reason I haven't had the time, nor the energy, to blog this deployment. And probably is the reason why I don't respond to your emails or text messages in a timely fashion, if at all. But really, FRG Leader stands for Family Readiness Group Leader. In the Army, it's the leader of a volunteer organizat...

 "A person can discover that no matter where he is right now, he is still the creator of his own destiny."  Joseph Zinker Not much about this first deployment went exactly as I "perfectly" plotted and planned it out in my mind. Especially my high hopes of blogging regularly about the experience. I shift all blame of my unintentional blog sabbatical to our sweet easy going non demanding 18 month old (when my husband first left) who turned into a much more attention needing toddler almost immediately! :-) But, here I am. It's July 2012 and we are about to finish up our 5th month of this deployment. Our house is still standing. All the appliances are still working. Both cars are still running. The cat is still alive. The bills have been paid on time every month. Our daughter has been bathed and fed each day (okay, well, maybe not bathed each day;)). I've even managed to keep my small garden alive. At this point since our deployment length has been changed I am ...

 "A person can discover that no matter where he is right now, he is still the creator of his own destiny."  Joseph Zinker Not much about this first deployment went exactly as I "perfectly" plotted and planned it out in my mind. Especially my high hopes of blogging regularly about the experience. I shift all blame of my unintentional blog sabbatical to our sweet easy going non demanding 18 month old (when my husband first left) who turned into a much more attention needing toddler almost immediately! :-) But, here I am. It's July 2012 and we are about to finish up our 5th month of this deployment. Our house is still standing. All the appliances are still working. Both cars are still running. The cat is still alive. The bills have been paid on time every month. Our daughter has been bathed and fed each day (okay, well, maybe not bathed each day;)). I've even managed to keep my small garden alive. At this point since our deployment length has been chan...

I cannot explain the heartache I feel on a day to day basis missing my soul mate. It's truly an indescribable feeling and was nothing I could have ever "processed through" or "prepared for" in advance of this deployment. And believe me I "processed through" as many emotions as I could before my husband left. Just ask him how many tears I shed in "preparation" for his departure.  We both did. And while that curbed *some* of the emotions on departure day, it definitely didn't curb them all.   Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation. -Kahlil Gibran Daddy's girl. So, now that we are a month and a half in (and I'm no longer in total survival mode) the aches have arrived. The "funny" thing is, though, my heart aches for my husband during the happy moments. Especially when sugar bean achieves a new milestone. It's almost like my heart looks to my side for my husband to share the mome...

I cannot explain the heartache I feel on a day to day basis missing my soul mate. It's truly an indescribable feeling and was nothing I could have ever "processed through" or "prepared for" in advance of this deployment. And believe me I "processed through" as many emotions as I could before my husband left. Just ask him how many tears I shed in "preparation" for his departure.  We both did. And while that curbed *some* of the emotions on departure day, it definitely didn't curb them all.   Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation. -Kahlil Gibran Daddy's girl. So, now that we are a month and a half in (and I'm no longer in total survival mode) the aches have arrived. The "funny" thing is, though, my heart aches for my husband during the happy moments. Especially when sugar bean achieves a new milestone. It's almost like my heart looks to my side for my husban...

Well, technically, we are 5 weeks down...but who's counting weeks?!  Counting months is WAY easier! The first month flew by as sugar bean and I have been keeping a healthy level of activity during our daytime hours and we were able to Skype pretty regularly with hubby. While I haven't had a "meltdown", by God's grace alone, this last week has been a bit challenging, but God has been sweet, and I'll post about that later this week. Our exciting and "look forward to" activities for month one were a FREE weekend getaway to the beach and then a 10K road running race for mommy. Nothing like sunshine, sand, and endorphins to boost my mental state! Myrtle Beach, March 2012 Self Portrait Beach LOVER Probably more exciting than the free trip to the beach was the 10K road running race. A girlfriend (and fellow army wife) also ran the race with her TWO kiddos. We set our goal at averaging 10 minute miles because it was rolling hills and we were both pushing our...

Well, technically, we are 5 weeks down...but who's counting weeks?!  Counting months is WAY easier! The first month flew by as sugar bean and I have been keeping a healthy level of activity during our daytime hours and we were able to Skype pretty regularly with hubby. While I haven't had a "meltdown", by God's grace alone, this last week has been a bit challenging, but God has been sweet, and I'll post about that later this week. Our exciting and "look forward to" activities for month one were a FREE weekend getaway to the beach and then a 10K road running race for mommy. Nothing like sunshine, sand, and endorphins to boost my mental state! Myrtle Beach, March 2012 Self Portrait Beach LOVER

While this first deployment was a long time coming the last three or so months have been quite the whirlwind. One of the privileges we have with being stationed at Ft. Bragg is that my husband has learned how to do things the "right" way in the Army (or maybe it's just the Bragg way...). Anyway, what I mean by this is that hubby didn't get a nice break or many shortened workdays leading up to this deployment (except for Christmas block leave). So, right when you've got to finalize your personal and family life in preparation for a deployment, my husband was working from before sunrise to well after sunset nearly each and every workday. In all the hubbub and emotions whirling around I had this grand idea that I wanted to pursue one of my personal dreams and compete in my first Ironman while my husband is off pursuing one of his dream.  It only seemed "fair" that I get to "do" something I'm passionate about too... Well, that idea sounded real...

While this first deployment was a long time coming the last three or so months have been quite the whirlwind. One of the privileges we have with being stationed at Ft. Bragg is that my husband has learned how to do things the "right" way in the Army (or maybe it's just the Bragg way...). Anyway, what I mean by this is that hubby didn't get a nice break or many shortened workdays leading up to this deployment (except for Christmas block leave). So, right when you've got to finalize your personal and family life in preparation for a deployment, my husband was working from before sunrise to well after sunset nearly each and every workday. In all the hubbub and emotions whirling around I had this grand idea that I wanted to pursue one of my personal dreams and compete in my first Ironman while my husband is off pursuing one of his dream.  It only seemed "fair" that I get to "do" something I'm passionate about too...

I'm pushing my luck starting this blog because my little sugar bean has been down for a nap since 12:30pm...and it's 2:22pm! But here I am with my coffee hoping to get this blog updated. I wont be too sad if she wakes up though, because I have been productive in other areas of my life so far today: swam about 2200 meters, made dinner (in the crock pot), sent out FRG e-mails, paid a bill I forgot about (BUMMER!) blah blah blah :) Unfortunately, blogging has had to take the back burner the last month. I mean, we did move into a new house and sent my husband off on his first deployment this month... Two TOTALLY normal life activities occurring nearly simultaneously, right? Only if your military! But my husband is off and sugar bean and I are about one week into holding up our home front.  Last week I was very intentional about getting to the gym. I knew that if I did not make the childcare reservations for the entire week ahead of time I would not have been getting out of bed ver...

I'm pushing my luck starting this blog because my little sugar bean has been down for a nap since 12:30pm...and it's 2:22pm! But here I am with my coffee hoping to get this blog updated. I wont be too sad if she wakes up though, because I have been productive in other areas of my life so far today: swam about 2200 meters, made dinner (in the crock pot), sent out FRG e-mails, paid a bill I forgot about (BUMMER!) blah blah blah :) Unfortunately, blogging has had to take the back burner the last month. I mean, we did move into a new house and sent my husband off on his first deployment this month... Two TOTALLY normal life activities occurring nearly simultaneously, right? Only if your military! But my husband is off and sugar bean and I are about one week into holding up our home front.  Last week I was very intentional about getting to the gym. I knew that if I did not make the childcare reservations for the entire week ahead of time I would not have been getting ...

This song brings our hearts great hope and peace and sums up where our hope currently lies at the dawn of a deployment. Olivia

This song brings our hearts great hope and peace and sums up where our hope currently lies at the dawn of a deployment. Olivia

My husband's first deployment is right around the corner. To say emotions have been up and down over the last three months is an understatement. There is much that comes with a deployment, besides the obvious long separation. On top of anticipating your loved one being in harms way for 9-12 months, there are many things the soldier has to prepare for himself and his family before he leaves... He has new equipment to be issued/organized/laundered. He also has a huge list of extra supplies to buy in order to be prepared and comfortable (new socks and ground coffee are two of my husbands "necessities":)). Then all of his stuff is shipped out in stages over the course of, about, three months prior to the actual departure. Seeing my husband for the first time in his new Multicam uniform was quite the tear jerker. The Army is retiring the ACU for the Multicam , which is currently only being worn by soldiers deploying overseas. Then there are all the financial and legal issues...

My husband's first deployment is right around the corner. To say emotions have been up and down over the last three months is an understatement. There is much that comes with a deployment, besides the obvious long separation. On top of anticipating your loved one being in harms way for 9-12 months, there are many things the soldier has to prepare for himself and his family before he leaves... He has new equipment to be issued/organized/laundered. He also has a huge list of extra supplies to buy in order to be prepared and comfortable (new socks and ground coffee are two of my husbands "necessities":)). Then all of his stuff is shipped out in stages over the course of, about, three months prior to the actual departure. Seeing my husband for the first time in his new Multicam uniform was quite the tear jerker. The Army is retiring the ACU for the Multicam , which is currently only being worn by soldiers deploying overseas.