362 days and counting

Is it too early to be counting down to when Tim comes back? Ha. Saturday was his send off. We woke up at leisure....at least I did. Tim woke early and watched the last of his fishing shows on the DVR. He was trying to convince me to tape a few for him while he is gone and keeping them until he gets home. Don't think so. We did some last minute checking to make sure he had what he needed which turned into "let's go to Walmart..." So we got everyone ready, into the car and then went to the PX. It was closer. After that we picked up some BK lunch and picked up his Chaplain and I dropped them off at their first of many lines to stand in for the day. He had to draw a weapon(both a handgun and a rifle) and get accounted for. They wanted to make sure it was really him and not someone taking his place(I would like to meet the person who can get away with that...Ha.) We didn't stay for all that cause we weren't allowed into the building so we went home and sat around until he called us around 3pm. We could go to a gym to hang out until they loaded up onto buses to go to their flights. Walking in, there was a sea of BCU uniforms huddled into groups with civilians hanging near by....some hugging,some laughing and talking,and almost all of them taking pictures. It smelled of hot dogs and packed in bodies....not my favorite smell. Anyhow, we hung out with Tim for about an hour. We talked a bit, ate some picnic type food(source of the hot dog smell), was introduced to others and took some last minute snapshots ourselves. Then he walked us out to the sidewalk, squeezed us all 2 or 3 times a piece one last time(I got a couple of kisses too) and with a few last word to the kids on how he wanted them to act while he was gone, he turned and went back to start the loading process. I felt a little lost the rest of the day, but it hasn't hit me really that he is gone.....FOR A WHOLE YEAR...again! I will be fine though.

We didn't make it to church the next day. Laurel was up and down all night with every excuse under the sun. I am sure that she was just echoing what I was feeling internally. I was going to go anyhow, but when Connor woke up and told me that he had thrown up too, I threw in the towel. Monday was a relax at home kind of day and then we went to the neighbors and hung out until way too late. Today, instead of cleaning or watching the inauguration(I am such a bad example,but politics really bore me no matter who is involved), I was on the computer helping Gavin work out some issue with his DS lite for most of the morning and a couple of hours past lunch. I have to give my self a huge pat on the back for figuring it all out and becoming the hero of the afternoon for doing so. We then ran some more errands which bored my kids to tears and to reward them for their patience went to a movie-Hotel for Dogs, ate and came home. All in all, not bad for my first extended weekend without the hubby. I hope all of them are this smooth....yeah right. But if they aren't I am thankful for bedtimes and heartfelt prayers that I know are heard.