One Month Down

I know I haven't been very good about keeping my blog updated. I'm just so busy that in the little time I have after the kids go to bed, I'm either trying to get stuff done or sitting in a coma like state on the couch. I'm going to try to update more because I have a lot to share.

Today marks one month that my husband has been gone. Since we are keeping so busy, the individual days fly by, however, collectively they pass a bit slower. I'm proud of being one month down, and in some ways it did seem to pass quickly, but in others it seems like it's been more than a month.

Pat is at his final living place over there. He doesn't have adequate access to e-mail, but the phone reception the other day seemed good. There are frequent communication black outs, which means we cannot talk often. As long as he is safe, I will make it through. I've sent him a hand crank washer for his clothes, and he does have a cot to sleep on so he has the bare necessities. My mother pointed out to me yesterday that a couple days ago Pat's Division was featured on Nightline. It was actually his BDE. For me it was nice to see what they are really doing over there, but also a bit worrisome. Thankfully because of Pat's current job he should be safe for the next few months until his job changes.

The kids are doing well. I'm currently having a tiny pity party for myself over the fact that I will probably never sleep later than 6:15 a.m. this entire year. It seems that one of the children consistently wakes up before 6:00 a.m. every single day. They take turns on which one will get up, and it is getting to be so tiring and frustrating.

Sean is 9 months old now. He is army crawling and rolling everywhere. He is always up on his hands and knees, but hasn't seemed to figure out the coordination needed to crawl properly. As I said in a previous post he now has 2 teeth. He seems to be working on some more, but I'm not sure. He loves to feed himself finger foods. He goes to the doctor on Monday for his well baby visit. I'm hoping to get some advice from our doctor then because I really would like to get him back into his own crib, but that is a post in itself.

Ryan has been a very good boy lately. He LOVES to play with kids and is much less shy than in the past. I'm so proud to see him blossoming and having confidence. When I bring him to the splash park or playground now he goes off to play immediately and often makes a friend or two. I think he's going to love going to his preschool starting next month. I am so happy that I decided to let him go, I think he needs more activities with children his own age.

Deployment Goals Updates

Reading: I'm 50% done with Little Women. I'm really enjoying it, but only get the chance to read right before bed. Being so tired, I end up fall asleep shortly after I begin to read. I am glad that I shortened my goal to 6 books, but I hope that I do more than that. I'll give you my complete thoughts on Little Women when I finish it.

Get Fit: I've lost 5 lbs since Pat left, so that is good. That brings my goal down to 5-15 lbs left. I've mostly dropped the weight by eating healthier and portion control. I know that I really need to get more active, but that is hard between the HOT weather and the two children that are always with me. I'm hoping that as Ryan starts school I can walk more often with Sean in the stroller.

Cards and Business: The new 2010-2011 catalog was released July 1. It has some great stamps and accessories in it. I am getting my shipment of new stuff on Monday, so hopefully after that I will be able to share some new samples with you. I'm also planning on making our Christmas cards this year, so hopefully in Aug/Sept I can show a sample of that too.

FRG: After a couple of days where I wanted to rip my hair out for volunteering, I think things are settling down. We had our first FRG meeting, and I think it was a big success. There was a much better turn out than I had hoped for. Our next meeting is already planned and should be a really fun one. I'll probably talk about that next month though. I've also collected some great ideas for future events. I think this goal is really coming along.

So that has been our first month in a nutshell. I hope the next 11 are as successful and fast as this first one.