He's Back

Our foster son has come back to us! He'll probably only be here for about a month. Dan is not home yet and may not make it home in time to see him before he has to leave. This is definitely a bittersweet situation. I'm glad that I get to see him again. I'm glad that when he needed me I was here. But it is going to be doubly painful to let him go again.

Camp

My daughter Bethany just went off to camp for a week. It is called Operation Purple and is for children whose parents are deployed. It is supposed to be a special week for these special kids. When I dropped her off for the week the counselors made a big deal about how much they appreciate the sacrifice that our children make for our country by giving up their parents to serve. I thought that was very affirming for the kids to be honored for their sacrifice in all of this. It is wonderful that they have this camp. Bethany was really looking forward to going and had already made a friend before the bus left. So far I haven't heard from her so she must be having a wonderful time. Saturday I go and pick her up from camp. She is supposed to get to show me around and introduce me to her new friends. I can't wait to see her again. It's amazing how much of a mom I am. I really had to try not to cry when I dropped her off. My baby girl is ten. Ten. The time goes by so fast. I am so lucky. Both of my kids are unbelievable.

Bases

The list of available bases has just been released. We are PCSing (moving) in January. Alaska is considered an overseas assignment in the military. So, we are supposed to have some preference in our next assignment. The available locations are Beale AFB in California, Davis-Monthan AFB in Tuscon, Arizona, Cannon AFB in New Mexico, and Barksdale AFB in Louisiana. We are hoping to get Beale or D-M. Beale's main attraction is that it is located in California. I'm from Cali and I love Cali. The more places that I live the more I love the state I came from. If only it wasn't one of the most expensive states to live in! Beale is a smallish base but it does have an Olive Garden and a Target nearby. Two places I miss a lot. I can't wait to live near a mall again. D-M is probably a nicer base and Tucson is probably a bigger city. Both of these things would be a breath of fresh air after Eielson. Plus Arizona isn't too far away from family. It has been really tough being a deployed spouse while stationed up here in the middle of nowhere. It has been challenging to find things to do. The nearest city to visit is 7-8 hours away. So, there are no day trips. Also, Alaska is very much a tourist state--especially in the summer. Which unfortunately means that the $60 motel room in the winter becomes a $150 motel room in the summer. Most of the activities here are quite expensive as well. I am looking forward to our move and hoping that God chooses to bless me abundantly in my next base. This assignment has been quite difficult. In almost every aspect I have been tried. God has really used the last couple of years to push me and grow me. I have been sifted like wheat. I am ready for some rest. I haven't seen my husband since March. Early March. I believe he left here on the 4th. He was gone quite a lot before that as well. One of the deployed spouses here informed me that the guys were only home 24 days this year. I have only seen my husband for 24 days since Jan. 1. There is no way to describe how it feels--the struggles, the challenges, the exhaustion, the aching, the stress. Every day gets longer and harder. I am desperately ready to see him again.