Has it only been 2 weeks? 50 to go.

Well a lot of shit when down this week! Let me tell you about my saga! It all started Tuesday night when the lovely weather gods decided to cover the road with ice. Long story short on the way home from work around 8pm I hit some ice right before my exit home and fishtailed a few times and then did a couple 360's and thought it would be fun to try to make friends with the cement median....THREE TIMES! By the time it all happened - which seemed like an eternity but was probaly just 30 seconds... I was facing south on a north bound lane. NOBODY stopped. I was furious. The kids seemed fine - no broken windows, no blood - they were moving. I was moving - so I managed to drive the car over to the other side of the road to pull off the side of the road out of traffic. Still nobody stopping with the rear fender hanging off and me trying to pull/kick/yell at it to fall off so I could drive home. I shouldn't have driven it home - but I was panicked and it didn't look there was much damage...remember...its dark and Im panicked and a girl: (I know didily squat about cars). Well I made it home after almost loosing control and landing in the ditch a few times. I call the insurance - get them to tow it. Set up my rental car...all is good right? I call my nurse friend who is getting off work (she works nights) to see if she can come and get me to take me to the airport to get my rental. On the way to my house she gets stopped by a school bus which is sideways on my road - she can't get to my house!! She calls and I try to get her the back way directions to my house. She gets lost - takes an hour to get to my house. I get the rental. We get back home = all take a nap. Alls good right? NOPE - later that afternoon it hits me: BAM: I have whiplash. I call my girlfriend to rescue me again. She takes me and kids to the ER to get checked out. The boys are fine - I have a super duper bad case of whiplash. Heavy duty Motrin and Percocet. Its now Friday and still hurts like hell! Oh yes, let me fill you in what else happens while Im at the ER. My dog, decides to eat Ian's bed. I guess I didn't close the door all the way and he got bored! I was so pissed when I got home all I could do is laugh. My friend was awesome and flipped the mattress over for me and made Ian's bed and helped get the kids ready for bed.

Then comes Thursday. The insurance calls - Im up to 5 grand of damage... but wait... he asks if I hit the front I said yes, but it didn't look at bad. Well funny thing is when you crash into a cement median it does a lot of damage underneath... by Friday its up to 7100. Any more damage and I think they may total it.

To makes matters worse - Jeff is in a place right now that the phones are working very well and I have gotten one email from him. Just sucks. Sucks a big Fatty is what it does. BUT I put on my big girl panties - take my drugs - and suck it up. Things in life happen for a reason and for some reason the Big Man up above wanted me to go through this ordeal. It has made me stronger. There are things in life that just plain stink, but have to do what you have to do. Everything happens for reason - I think. This has definitely taught me to become a better driver, be more aware of my surroundings, not take my life for granted - its ok the house is not the tidiest. I had fun with my kids today - we laughed and colored. That's what matters right, having fun? Our lives could have been over in a blink of an eye. And I have been blessed to continue on living my life with my boys.

I am going to take one day at a time...whatever life brings my way...I can do it.

When life gives me another lemon - Im going to make the best damn lemonade I can make!

Doesnt' look that bad right? Well its bad! Anthing else wrong with it and I think it'll get totaled!

1 Week down 51 to go

Well Ian, Blake and I survived the first whole week of the deployment. So far so good. We have kept pretty busy and have stayed right on our routine/schedule. I had a down day on Friday - first day I actually had nothing to do. It was a great me day - boys took a nap -actually at the same time so I was able to do a super quick cleaning and then thought I should go down for a nap as well because this time NEVER happens. I curled up on the couch and caught up with my TV shows that I had tivoed! It was great. I even caught a quick pick me up nap. However, when the boys woke up they woke up crabby and it really hit me - its going to be just me for one whole year. I got a little choked up, then Ian started crying for Daddy - I tried to hold it together but in that single moment - I just couldn't bare to see my son so upset for his father - Ian and cried for Jeff together. A good boo-hoo-snot-out-the-nose-cry. It was my first good cry since the deployment. I think I have been in denial about the whole thing. At that moment I came to turns and accepted the big pink elephant that I have been brushing off the last few months. Blake wasn't sure what was going on... lol...he just played with his toys. We then made a nice picture for Jeff and put it in the mail. :) He will be getting lots of pictures!

Well on this very day Sept 27th it had been flurrying on and off all day - not enough for a dusting. Well I went over to a girlfriends house to gab and just have some grown-up talk. Well as I attempted to leave around midnight there was 2 inches of snow on the ground! The first snow of the winter! Can you believe that? It snowed last year on October 6th! Yikes. I think this is going to be a winter with a lot of snow. Go figure, when Jeff isn't hear the snow is going to hit the fan!!! I will post a picture tomorrow. Going to go to bed to wake up to more snow probably and take the boys out in it! It will be fun - Blake will be able to play in it this time around.

Deployment Day 2

Yesterday at 830 am I dropped off Jeff at the side of the road for him to drop off his baggage. With a hug and a kiss he was gone - until Feb/March. We are hoping to take R&R then and head off to Hawaii!!

Its so funny. As soon as Jeff sets foot outside the house for any type of training/deployment the house begins to make noises. The first night I kept hearing all these noises that I either #1 never heard before or #2 am just paranoid now that Jeff isn't here so Im on edge. Im thinking #2.

This pre-deployment time went so well. We were relaxed, got along super well (we are usually stressed and end up fighting). Jeff packed early - we spent great family time together. Played with the boys, whipped up some great recipes and had great time in the kitchen - and just plain old had fun. It was sad to see him go.

I am strong and have to be strong for the boys. However it does break my heart when Ian asks when is daddy coming home. This is usually the conversation:

Ian: "Where is Daddy?"

Me: "Do you remember we had to drop him off to catch his plane?"

Ian: "Oh yea, His work - take a plane to the dessert. It's hot there."

Me: "Yes it is hot. He has to work in the dessert and help the people that live there. He will be gone for a while, but will be home in a bit to visit."

Ian: "I want to go on a plane to visit Daddy in the dessert. I will work with him."

Me: "No, Ian. We can't go where Daddy is. Its OK to miss Daddy. We can draw him a picture and mail it to him."

Ian: "Yes, draw a picture. Mail it and get a sticker." (They give out stickers at the post office to the kids. Ian likes to go!

We will be making TONS of pictures for daddy!