In the Nick of Time

I kind of thought it would be smooth sailing through these last weeks of deployment.  I knew I had a lot to keep me busy, and I thought that would make time fly by.  Time is flying, but the closer it gets the more stress I'm feeling.  The stress isn't so much about the homecoming or the excitement, it's more the coordination of issues and finding time to get all the things done.  And these aren't the little things like cleaning the house or plucking my eyebrows (although that is no little task right now).

Pat and I have been working with some very generous people/groups who are putting together items for the single Soldiers that will be living in the barracks.  Well, the first flight is coming in SOON, and I haven't received anything yet.  I was starting to really stress and get cranky about it this afternoon, plus Pat has virtually no communication now so it's all on my shoulders.  (And that means Pat won't see the nasty-grams I'm sending him, yet I send them anyway ;-) But tonight I received an e-mail from our generous donors saying the packages are on the way and will be here in the nick of time.  I cannot tell you how thankful we are for the kindness so many people have shown in helping support and welcome home the Soldiers.

It seems everything is working out just in the nick of time these days.  I'm still a little apprehensive about the homecoming T-shirts I've ordered for the boys a few weeks ago.  I've already had to call the company twice, change and replace the order, and the shirts still say "in production" despite the promise that they'd be here already.  I'm losing faith that they'll be ready in time.  If they haven't shipped in the next day or two, you better believe I will be a very angry customer when I call them again.

Speaking of shopping, I've been doing so much shopping lately it really isn't funny.  I think I'm trying to buy all the things we need and want now before we go back to regular pay.  Last night it dawned on me that I may need a cardigan or something to go over my dress.  I'm not sure a cardigan will look good or if I got the right color, but I don't want to freeze my arms off if we have a homecoming at a less than sunny hour of the day.  Let's just wish me luck that my clothes coordinate, and I don't look funny.  It won't be too long now before I can post some photos.