home at last

Words do no justice to how amazing it is to have the family back together again. Saturday brought him home, and it couldn't have been a more perfect day.

Even though the flight was delayed by a few hours, it played well into Eli's nap schedule. I was able to get myself all prettied up while Eli got his beauty rest.

Of course, the preparation started the night before while I cleaned up the last little bits of the house. And then at one point found myself sobbing (sobbing?) because I couldn't believe the day was almost here.

And on an almost total coincidence we had figured out that Jim would have a layover in the morning 45 minutes from his parents' house. So I was on and off the phone with my MIL trying to make the logistics of the morning work. And it all payed off!

At about 7 in the morning, and to Jim's utter surprise, he was greeted off the plane in Norfolk, VA by his parents and two of his greatest buddies.

He enjoyed a leisurely lay-over and some Panera take-out while catching up with the east coast.

A few hours later he flew on to El Paso! Which is my favorite part. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story. It's a pretty amazing one.

Waiting for the plane to land.

They're HERE!!!

Coming in the hanger. Very dramatic.
They even had a smoke machine.

Can you spot Jim? (Third on the left.) We were so close but had to wait through the 5.5 second speech. Seriously, it was almost funny how short it was.

Reunion!

I had a hard time keeping it together. Truthfully, I didn't even try. His first hug just left me crying in his arms.

Eli, on the other hand, had a deer-in-the-headlights look. Poor guy, he was very overwhelmed by all the commotion.

Checking out daddy.

I need to give a shout-out to my friends who came to take pictures and generally be supportive. Crystal, Liz and the whole Dykema clan cheered almost as loud as I did when the guys marched in. And I have to laugh, because the Dykema's had never even met Jim. They are just those kind of awesome people.

- - - - -

Thanks to all of you who prayed through the last year with us. Believe it or not it was an amazing year. Only God can turn what seems like bad luck into His perfect will, ya know? So if your prayers were not just for safety, but also a thriving marriage and a growing understanding of family, then consider them answered. I also got a stronger relationship with a God who makes all things GOOD to those who LOVE Him and are CALLED to His purposes. Romans 8:28. Check it out. It is well worth the ride..

so much to be done

(image and pad available by finchandhawk.)

So what does a girl do to fill the days before her man comes home after a year??

Man, it's a long list. Partially because the list started before he left.

There have been things that I'd planned to do while he was gone, you know, to pass the time. They are still sitting staring at me. Really? You've had how many days, Karen, and that pile you vowed to go through is in its same exact spot? Sigh, yes.

So in an effort to have Jim think that while he was gone, I had it all together all the time, I still have to:

• Empty out the big bin that's been hiding on the other side of my bed. It's full of notebooks, mail, and other stuff I pulled off of my counter the day I hosted a baby shower for 20.
• Get my husband's favorite picture framed that he asked, "Maybe while I'm gone you can finally get that done?"
• Wash the dogs. It's been a while.
• Clean out the garage. Baby stuff has taken over and I'm not sure he can get his motorcycle out.
  
• Organize our bathroom closet. It's only gotten worse over the last year.
• Get a pedicure! Because I'm pretty sure one of the first things he's going to notice is my feet. Ha!
• Speaking of, I should probably shave my legs, too.
  
• Shampoo rugs.
  
• Clean the house. (more on that later.)
• Wash our sheets and comforter.

Slowly things are being crossed off. But time is a'tickin', people!

51 weeks down, 1 more to go?

Jim left a year ago next week. And I can't wait for him to get back. The countdown is at days now, not even weeks! So, so exciting.

Today Eli and I went to welcome some good friends home. The flights have been coming in and Facebook has been a-buzz with reunion pictures and tear-inducing statuses.

Eli with some recently returned friends.

If you've never gotten to see a military home-coming, try to. It's so worth it. The kids are all running around in their patriotic t-shirts. Banners line the walls. And when the crowd sees the plane land, there is a cheer that you can only appreciate in person.

My favorite moment of the day was when, after many of the initial hellos were done and the crowd was starting to break up, I turned around just in time to catch one of Jim's co-workers lean his wife back and give her a big ol' smoochers. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one that saw it. But it melted my heart and made me secretly hope Jim gives me one like that.

So today got me all the more excited for "our day". Which is pretty ridiculous since my insides are already fluttering in anticipation.

He can't get home soon enough!

But I know he's working on it. Because I've gotten word that he's probably on a plane somewhere at this very moment. Which means he can't Skype anymore.

Which is fine with me because that means that the next time I see him, I'll SEE him!

from Jim, with love

There are two things that make any deployment go faster for a soldier overseas. Facetime with the fam, and goodies in the mail.

Skype has made this deployment different and better than I ever expected. Words can't express my love for the inventors of free little internet electrons that shoot through the air between Iraq and America. I could kiss them. The inventors, not the electrons. Whom are from either Estonia or Sweden. Wikipedia can be so unclear.

But Eli doesn't care about any of that. He will spend his first year thinking his dad lives in a box. But at least that box has a face and smile. Not like that archaic and impersonal thing we used to know called a telephone.

As for the care packages, my husband has been the grateful recipient of many. Thanks to you who have gone out of your way to bake, tape and drive your way to the post office. Some with multiple kids in tow. You can't know what your selflessness does for the moral of a soldier overseas.

Jim would like to thank you in his own words for being the envy of the FOB Warrior post office. And offer advice for anyone wondering what they should jam into those handy Flat Rate boxes.

(Keeping in mind that only my husband can simultaneously thank people for sending him mail while asking for more.)

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Top 10 Care Package Contents
2009-2010 OIF Deployment

First and foremost, all deployed Soldiers LOVE care packages. On behalf of every Soldier that has been too busy or forgetful to ever send a “Thank you” note. . . Thank You. You could send a box of rocks and Soldiers would be happy to get a package in the mail; so if items from your care package did not make the Top 10 List, don’t think they weren’t appreciated. All of your mail have been and will be the brightest part of our day. Some additional notes: *Notice “2009-2010 OIF Deployment” in the title; often folks send the same items they send during Desert Storm. Truly, there are some classics (see #9 baby wipes and # 10 fresh baked anything) but Care Packages trends change from deployment to deployment. And of course this is all subjective. But what follows is my Soldiers' and my Top Ten List. So without further ado. . .

• 10. Fresh Baked Anything – Yummy and it reminds us of home. (Taste vary on this one; but G. Nittle has kept me well supplied in TASTY “friendship bread” during both my deployments)

• 9. Baby wipes and hand sanitizer – Iraq is a dirty country; that’s why we are here to clean it up. We have to get our “hands dirty” from time to time.

• 8. Hygiene and pamper items – I have not yet figured out how to use the “bubble bath” someone sent me, but all the bath and body works shampoos, conditioners, and body washes are GREAT! Bonus if they are travel size.

• 7. BULK (Anything enough to share with the entire unit or half of Iraq) – JEB Little Creek Chapel sent over 50 stockings for my Soldiers for Christmas. (Because of the busy-ness of having just arrived in country, we were unable to get a great “stocking group picture.”) Churches from Clarksville have also sent some MASSIVE care packages our way. The exciting thing is after all the Soldiers go through the boxes, our advise and assist unit gives the rest to our Iraqi Army partners, who are a close second for gratitude when it come to accepting your generous gifts.

• 6. DVDs – Anything new and exciting to watch.

• 5. Mix CDs – What’s new? What’s hot? (We have no idea, so I have always appreciated mixed CDs from any genre)

• 4. Anything organic or healthy (that can be mailed overseas) – There are no Trader Joes in Iraq. (frown)

• 3. Junk food – Yeah, we miss our favorite candy, chips, and jerky. Just don’t send these in BULK.

• 2. Pillows, sheets, and blankets – This one is a unique request, but one that effects almost half of our time in Iraq. Soldiers usually don’t have room to take nice pillows and sheets to Iraq, but when B. Robinson and the gang from Dominion Power sent pillows and a twin sheet set . . . JACKPOT! And the good news story is that I plan on giving the pillows and sheets to an Iraqi family before we leave.

AND THE NUMBER ONE CARE PACKAGE CONTENT . . . (drum roll) . . .

• 1. Pictures or videos from home – We miss you all very much! And if we have an office, we tend to litter the walls with pictures of people we love.

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And for a bonus feature, I will include:
MY personal Top 10 Care Package Requests
2009-2010 OIF Deployment.

• 10. Fresh Baked Anything = currency with local nationals here. (One of the famous artists here is going to paint a portrait of Karen because I shared cookies with him)

• 9. Anything organic or healthy (that can be mailed overseas) – There are no Trader Joes in Iraq. Gonna run out of my flavored organic oatmeal soon. (frown)

• 8. Cigars – I know many of you are surprised that this didn’t rank higher, but I’m pretty much stocked up on “Vitamin C.” I always love getting cigars though; it encourages me to share. (My favorite right now is the Gurkha Platinum & Grand Reserve and the Acid Roams.
  

• 7. U.S. Savings Bonds or Gold Bars – This would truly help send Eli to college. What is the tuition at Grove City these day?

• 6. TV series on DVD – I don’t have time to watch movies, so this is a nice compromise.

• 5. Mix CDs – (I need to stock the iPOD with some awesome workout music . . . any suggestions? PS Thanks to the Whaleys I have some serious Amazon bucks.)

• 4. Frocs – Yes the inexpensive “fake crocs.” Any cheap knock off of a genuine creature comfort is great. I won’t feel bad giving it to an Iraqi before I leave. “I’m a size 9, just like everyone else here.” – I can’t recall the name of the Soldier in Band of Brothers.

• 3. Rubber duckies and nice, big, fluffy towels – “You make bath time so much fun. . .”

• 2. Crazy random stuff from Party City, Dollar Store, or Spencers – Makes for great goofy pictures! (Warning: Spencers stores are not for the faint of heart.)

• 1. Small fishing lures – Yep, I plan on some serious fishing with Brandon when I get back. One small fishing lure a month will keep me motivated and focused on the finish line.

a full week and a full heart

These have been on my camera. They're snapshots from the last seven days before Jim left. Thought I'd share, because why not? They make me happy.

Remember at the beginning of the year when Jim took command? Well, last week he handed his unit off to another and took a different job within the battalion. It's a bittersweet day when you watch your husband fall into the formation of soldiers he's worked so hard for, instead of being in front of it. But for Jim this is a step up. I'm very proud he's been selected for this new position. Eli is, too. Can't you tell? Or maybe he's trying to escape...

One of our goals before Jim left was to ride the tramway up the Franklin Mountains and watch the sunset. Thanks to some friends who were willing to watch Eli, we had a delightful night just the two of us. It was crazy windy, but crazy worth it. If not just for that last picture that makes my heart skip a beat every time I see it.

As we waited Sunday morning for Jim's flight to leave, we found a warm corner and played one of our favorite games, Cribbage. Now it should be noted that I've been playing this game all my life, and Jim hasn't. So, I like to think of myself as way better than him. After all, it's about numbers and counting and I'm into that. But this last game I wasn't so lucky. Jim only needed seven points, and he got exactly that. Seven. Before the hand was played he told that if he wins I had to deploy for him. Gratefully he didn't hold me to it. Because among other reasons, I don't look good in camouflage.

These are my favorites. There have been many bonding moments with Eli. He smiles alot now and even coos back when we have conversations with him. He is definitely our favorite kid in the world. Jim soaked him in and is looking forward to running around with him when he returns.

_____________

I want to thank you all for blowing my inbox away with all the warm sentiments you left in my comments and on Facebook. It's hard to feel lonely when you guys have me surrounded. Your prayers mean the world to me, as the power of God in our lives can make mountains move. Let alone comfort a grieving heart. My heart is full. Which is quite an accomplishment. You... and I mean it... you have helped me get through the last few days.

Thank you.

and, he's gone...

Yesterday we said our goodbyes. We've been anticipating this day for a year, and yet that out-of-control feeling still caught me by surprise as I watched the mass of uniforms move towards the buses.

I'm still grateful to those ladies walking about with their boxes of tissues. I don't cry very often. But yesterday as I stared at my steering wheel, I sobbed.

There was no hopeless "woe is me", or "how am I going to get through this". The tears were just sadness and the realization that it's finally happened. Jim has deployed.

I drove to Starbucks and had my customary frappachino. Why I chose to go in and melt into one of their couches, I'm not really sure. I didn't want to go home, I guess. Yet there comes a peace when a little baby falls asleep on your chest, and Eli played his part well. It all started to soak in. Sort of.

It's really hard to wrap your mind around a year.

But I don't think I really have to. It's more like, he'll be gone, then he'll be back. I'll wake up at the beginning of the day, and at night I'll put my head on my pillow. After enough of those, Jim will be home and Deployment #2 will be over.

Until then, I'll be thinking a lot about Romans 8:28, hanging out with Eli and waiting with bated breath for that next phone call from Jim.

That is one good thing about the Army. The honeymoon phase never really disappears.

I love you, hon. Stay safe out there. Your little family is missing you every moment.

Dang it. Where are those tissues.