To expect or not to expect

I never expected to be so overwhelmed with emotion when the curtains opened and the cavalry horse led in the troops.  You can hear the crowd yell with surprise and excitement.  I think this is a moment in my life I will never forget feeling.  It was one of the most patriotic moments I have experienced.  This was Brady's sending ceremony.  He is in the very back row on the left side in the middle.  If you watch closely, you will catch a peek of him.  I never expected that my youngest son would capture this moment on my camera.  And I was thrilled to find it a couple of days after the ceremony and relive it.  Brady has only been gone a couple of weeks.  My expectations are that time will pass quickly.  I hope my expectations don't let me down. 

I've been told that my expectations are usually too high.  Some things you just expect.  I expect to be paid on payday.  That's easy.  I expect my children to always do their best.  That ones tricky because my idea of their best is usually different from theirs.  I expect people to do or call when they say they will.  That one gets me in trouble a lot.  But for the first time in my life I set myself up with no expectations.  And actually that's an expecation in itself.  That expectation was wrong.

Eric has spent the last three weeks traveling with their cargo.  He has had quite an amazing journey on a very large plane.  I can't really describe everything because I don't know everything.  But I expected that once he left I wouldn't hear from him at all.  But we've had continuous contact almost the entire time.  He flew from Indiana to North Carolina to Delaware and then on to Spain for a short stop.  From Spain he quickly found himself in Iraq where he reports temps of 130 degrees.  He was there for a couple of days and then he moved on.  He spent a week at least on an air force base before heading to his last location before the FOB.  I am happy to report that he has made it to his final destination!  I'm sure his expectations were just fine through all of this but I never expected it to take as long as it did. 

We are expecting Brady will leave his current location sometime mid-September and then he will return to it before shipping.  But until it is after the fact there is nothing to really expect.  He is very busy and doing fine. 

Feel free to send either one of them an email.  They will reply if they can.  Most importantly it is good for them to receive support from family, friends, and well-wishers.  I have addresses for both of them.  If interested, you will have to contact me by email, phone, or in person.

So I'm learning daily.  I'm putting my expectations aside...even my no expectations.  Because I expect they will both have lots of stories to tell when they return. 

Prayer requests:
1) Praise for safe travels.
2) Continued prayers for safety.
3) Praise for just settling in and accepting life as it is with surprises each day brings.

Love,
Monica

August what?

I had to pick up my phone and look at the date twice this morning. I really can't believe it is August 14th and school is just around one more weekend corner.  Logan will start his college classes, Laramy will be a junior, and Ayden will attend Mom's Academy for one more year.  More amazing to me is our two year anniversary of living in this house.  And even more amazing to me is Eric informing me today that we are 1/6th done!  I can do six...six of something is easy.  Six miles on my bike is nothing..I can't even remember my sixth birthday...and eating six M&M's...well, you can't even remember that it happened before you've eaten six more.  So I'm counting down to six.  I love time...it ends and yet it never ends.  So we'll count down to six and then we'll figure out something else to count down to.

I originally intended for this blog to keep everyone informed about Eric.  But being unable to share many details about him in written form has turned this blog more into how you cope as a wife and family of a military member.  And for Eric, sometimes we are so busy taking care of details over email or phone, he enjoys reading a story about his family.

Everyone around me has been awesome about keeping me busy and checking on me, the kids, and asking about Eric.  Work is keeping me busy in the evenings which is a difficult time for me. I even went and volunteered at the State Fair yesterday!  I'm not sure Eric believes me on that one..but I did.  Next Tuesday, Brenden and I will go to Iowa City for his cardiologist appointment. And I'm sure the trend of staying busy will continue once school starts.  I am looking forward to Labor Day weekend and our trip to Mt. Rushmore with Ayden and my parents. 

I have been sorting, organizing, and rearranging.  Last Thursday I had to be up early to meet Jayme and her mom for a little more wedding gown shopping.  If you don't know, I am not the best morning person...okay, I'm not a morning person...and sometimes I don't even remember getting dressed in the mornings.  I was running a little behind so as I searched for my lighter denim jeans I grabbed what I thought was the pair I wanted, put them on, and kept going.  And I was out of time to make coffee or stop for coffee to wake me up.  After the first shop, Shellie stopped at Kum & Go for me.  And that is when I became very conscious that I did not know what or whose jeans I was wearing.  But they fit and they were comfortable.  But the hems were worn away and tattered which was confusing to me. I shared this with Jayme and Shellie and we shared a laugh...it is bizarre to not know  whose jeans you are wearing.  I wore those jeans all day long and until I got a chance to visit my half-organized closet to see if I could find the jeans I had intended on wearing.  And it turns out that I was wearing an old pair of Logan's jeans!  So I'm going to finish organizing my closet today.

It was very special to go with Jayme and her mom this week as she searched for her wedding gown.  Brady is going to have a stunning bride!  I can't wait to see his face as she walks down the aisle.  And I loved the grin on her face and the twinkle in her eye when she knew she'd found the one.  She was so beautiful in the dress that we'll forgive her for being a... choking here... Hawkeye.....  ;)

Prayer requests:
1) Please pray for Eric as he is still traveling and hoping to reach his final destination very soon.
2) Pray for Brady as he is adjusting to being away from home.
3) Safety always for both of them.
4) Praise for my health.  I am feeling awesome, well-rested, lots of tears and saliva, and lots of progress with my tennis elbow.  Please pray my Sjogrens stays in a upswing as I manage the house through the coming seasons.

Romans 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with the hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

love and blessings,
Monica

She wore a yellow ribbon

We arrived home from RAGBRAI Saturday night.  I was very blessed to be able to text with Eric all through the week and tell him what we were doing and even send him some pictures.  We saw some amazing things during the week including The Grotto and St. Francis Xavier's Bascilica.  Sunday morning we went to church and then had a few errands to do including a pedicure for my tired feet after all of that pedaling!  As I left the nail place and walked towards Victoria Secret, I received Eric's text that he was leaving within 15 minutes.  I kind of froze and wasn't sure what to do...step forward or run back....but I did have a free panty coupon and Eric did tell me to continue on with life while he was gone so...I decided there was nothing to do but run my last errand and then gather up the boys.  But emotions are a funny thing during deployment.  I stepped into the store where an associate quickly saw my coupon and whisked me to the area where I could pick something out.  And as she talked, I choked up and started to cry.  And here's how God works... she said, "Oh..I am deploying in a few weeks, too, and you need a hug".  And so right there I found myself being hugged by a stranger who understood.  And then we laughed and cried a little more while we rummaged through the drawers of panties. 
The evening continued with some texting and eventually Eric landed at his first destination.  He could not get a bed on the base and they found themselves in a hotel waiting.  And all day Monday he waited.  They finally took off again but to a second place for a 16 hour layover to have a repair done on the plane.  And as frustrating as that was for him to wait, we found ourselves with a valuable day of texting and even an afternoon skype session between just the two of us which I will cherish.  And then finally that night I received his last text.  He said he would call at his next destination if he could but unbelievably I slept through his phones calls.

I was assuming I wouldn't hear from him for quite awhile but by late afternoon Wednesday my phone was ringing off the hook telling me that Eric had posted he had a good connection and was looking for me.  And before you know it we were all sitting in front of my laptop skyping with him for just a few minutes.  I was also able to talk to him a couple of times including early this morning before he left again and before we left for Brady's sending ceremony. 

And then we left.  We were a parade of five cars.  Brady and Jayme, myself and Ayden, my mom and dad, Bren, Sarah, Laramy and Sarah, and Logan and Jenna managed to stay together as we drove to Ankeny High School.  I wish so much that Eric's travel didn't have to happen while we could have no contact during the ceremony but that was God's plan so we'll run with it. 

When they opened the curtains today and the crowd saw the horse and our cavalry...wow..what a response.  It is a moment I will never forget.  And to know that Eric was a part of the cav for so many years and now to carry on that tradition with Brady was a very cool moment for me.  I am not just a military wife and mother, I am a cav wife and mother.  I was reminded of a couple of  cav sayings when we attended Brady's family picnic on Monday.  "First in, last out" is one which I think truly speaks to how a cavalry soldier operates.  And so I came home and dusted off Eric's stetson.  And I look forward to Brady returning with his stetson. 

Most of you know that even though Eric can be a tough soldier he is one of the most tender men I have ever known.  He has a very strong faith, huge visions for things that most of us can't imagine, and a heart that cares and feels.  The night before his sending ceremony as we lay talking before sleep, he started singing "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" to me from John Wayne's cavalry movie.  Yep..that's my soldier.  That's why I can stand strong and support him and Brady. 

Prayer requests:
1) Safety, safe travels, and rest for both and all soldiers.
2) Praise for awesome friends and family who came out for Brady's ceremony.  Thank you so much.
3) Praise for all of the support we have been receiving especially my friends who have been calling and constantly checking on me.  I can't express how much I appreciate it.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Love,
Monica