One Year

One year ago today I was welcoming my husband home from his third deployment.  This was a deployment unlike the previous ones he had experienced.  All deployments are hard, but I feel like during that deployment I learned how to live without breathing.  One particular image of the homecoming will forever be burned in my mind.

Source

Everyone felt the swell of pride upon seeing the Wounded Warriors leading our Soldiers home, but trust me when I tell you that these were not all the wounded from that tour.  We had many more that were (and some that still are) in treatment facilities.  

I will never forget the relief I felt when my husband was back in my arms.  However, I have to say the effects of deployment do not end when they step off that plane.  We have rode the roller coaster of ups and downs this past year as we adjust back to "normal".  The kids had to get used to having their Daddy around.  Pat had to get used to living with children (and a wife) instead of Soldiers.  He needed time to decompress for the stress of what he'd been though.  We also had a lot of stuff going on in our personal lives during this year since his return.  

In some ways it feels like it's been a very long time since he returned home and yet in others it feels so recent that we shared that first hug in the hangar.  If I had a say, I'd never want him to go away again, but that choice isn't 100% mine.  

While today is an anniversary of such a happy day, it's bittersweet, especially for Pat.  Many of Pat's fellow Soldiers are preparing to leave on their next "rendezvous with destiny", possibly some of the Soldiers seen in the above photo.  It is unimaginable to me to have to be saying goodbye again so soon, but I know that some of the families around me are doing just that.  My prayers are with all of them, and I hope that their time for homecoming arrives quickly.  

So today, please send a quick thought to all the military families out there.  Some are struggling with goodbye, others are dealing with the distance deployment brings, and some are fortunate to have their loved ones home for now.  No matter which phase they are in, military families could always use a good thought sent their way.  

Bits and Pieces

*Pat caught a bit of a cold over the weekend.  He's now passed it on to me.  Thankfully so far it's just been a sore throat and sneezing for me.  My voice sounds all scratchy though.  I am hoping the rest of this week flies by so I can enjoy a restful weekend.

*Ryan has been so much better this week.  His fits and tantrums have completely subsided.  Sure, we still have the normal 4 year old drama, but I have my good boy back.  I'm not sure if he was just overtired, getting over a sickness we didn't know he had, growing, or something else entirely.  It's so nice to see him happy again.

*Pat changed out of Command yesterday.  It sometimes feels like those 15 months flew by.  I know Pat is a bit sad that his time leading the Soldiers is over.  I feel like we waited for so long for this Command that to now to think it's over feels odd.  I am so proud of my husband though.  I know he did a great job in that position, and I cannot wait to see what comes in the future.

*Speaking of the change of Command, the boys, well more specifically Sean, were not so well behaved for the ceremony.  It didn't help that Pat had us arrive an hour ahead of time, and it was during nap time.  In fact at the part of Pat's speech where he was thanking his wife and talking about his children, I was literally dragging my kids around the side of the building absolutely mortified.  Boys will be boys, I guess.

*The weather is back to sunny and warm.  The weather's been a bit crazy lately.  I'm glad that I can go enjoy the sun and maybe a nice cup of warm tea outside with Sean before we pick up Ryan from school.

Chocolate fondue? Yes please.

I don't know if you've heard, but Scentsy Group has added another brand to join Scentsy Wickless.  The Scentsy Wickless brand still includes the fragrance products like the warmers, fragrance bars, personal care fragrance items, room sprays etc.  Now, there is a new brand named Velata.  It is fondue warmers and premium Belgium chocolate.  It will be available for purchase beginning in May.  

I was super excited to receive mine on Friday night.  I had made a special trip to the grocery store to buy various items for dipping.  We planned a family fondue night party and indulged on Saturday afternoon.  

We decided to try the Velata Dark Chocolate.  Dark chocolate is usually my favorite, and this one was definitely good.   It also comes in Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, and Caramel Milk Chocolate though.  You take the package of chocolate and put it in the microwave for one minute.  Then kneed it until it is smooth, and pour it into your Velata warmer.  I had a small self-induced snafu with this, but it turned out just fine.  The warmer is warm enough to keep the chocolate smooth but not scorch it.  And one package of the chocolate was enough for my family with a little left over.  

Pat can be a bit of a snob, especially with chocolate,  and he thought it was high quality and very rich.  We dipped fruits, pretzels, cookies, and rice krispies treats.  (I forgot to buy marshmallows.) 

You can control the temperature of the warmer to what suits your preferences and needs.  

Sean, my sweetie with the sweet tooth, thought it was delicious too!

I had been anxious to try this product to see if it lived up to it's hype.  I have to say, I think it is great, especially if you like entertaining.  One thing I loved about it was that I had something delicious for people to eat, and I really didn't have to cook a thing.  I cut up some fruit and microwaved a bag of chocolate, but the resulting food was top notch.  I think guests would be impressed with the fondue and not realize how simple it was to create the yummy treat.  I am already looking forward to our next fondue night.  I think I'll try the Caramel Milk Chocolate as I've heard great things about that too.  

If you have any questions about Velata or how to buy the products, feel free to contact me.