Riding the wave

Today is just one of those days...one of those roller coaster days.  I have had a lot of things happen (car issues/leaky pipe/dental insurance) one thing after another.  So I'm riding the roller coaster of emotions today and missing both of them very much.

I thought you might all like to see a current picture.  This was taken a couple weeks ago.  He is well and settled.  I think he looks quite a bit thinner.  I don't have a current picture of Brady.  But he is spending his leave days with Jayme and I'm hoping she will bring back a few pictures to share.  I am so thankful they get to spend a few days together.  And I pray they really have a fun and relaxing time together, too.

I have had a wonderful response to my crayon and marker request.  Thank you everyone who has contributed. It will really bless him and help him do his job.  I am still gathering them and will start sending them soon.  I have had very generous donations for shipping as well.  If you are interested but haven't heard what I am doing, please contact me and I'll give you the information.

Labor Day weekend found Ayden and I taking my mom and dad to Mt. Rushmore.  I have always been fascinated with watching my sons see things for the first time.  Watching children be amazed at something is awesome.  This was Ayden's second trip and he was amazed in a different way this time.  But I have a new perspective after watching my parents view Mt. Rushmore for the first time in their lives with all of their life experiences.  I am very blessed to have experienced it with them and I am so thankful we made the trip.  Every moment in my life is a learning experience and I learned a lot about myself during the trip, too. 

So while today has been a wave of emotions, it is also a learning day, too.  And tomorrow is another day and one more day passed until the guys return home. 

God bless,

love,

Monica

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

Tidbits

This year will pass and so many things will happen.  Days will go by and not all daily tidbits will be relayed.  So I will be highlighting happenings at times so Eric will be in the know.  I decided you all should join me in the fun because there is never a dull moment in the Pugh household.  So here are just a few life lessons we have all learned lately.

*When you take a box to the to the post office, if you expect it to go to the address you intend, you must pay postage.  The same rule applies when you take a box to UPS to be shipped.... and so now we have two stories instead of one...thank you Laramy.  That being said, Logan has successfully mailed two packages to his dad due to the lessons learned from his brother, Brady, and his brother, Laramy. 

*We just found out that Ayden thought all of his life that hamburgers came from ham.  We have informed him that they are beef and I believe his fog has lifted...life seems a little more clearer for him now.  Maybe I have cleared up some questions for some of my blog readers as well.

*When you go out to eat and order a grilled chicken salad, you should expect to receive a grilled chicken salad for your meal complete with the salad dressing of your choice.  If by chance you receive a burger and fries instead, don't look at your server and ask, "Is this the grilled chicken salad"?  Because I can guarantee that your server will go back to the kitchen and burst into uncontrollable laughter at your expense.  And you all ask why I still wait tables? 

*When you eat lunch out with your friends and an older lady approaches your table to tell one of your friends she looks just like Julia Roberts, make sure you encourage the lady to say whatever else is on her mind.  In fact, if she wants to take a picture of your friend, let her!  And then just continue to call your friend, Julia, even if her real name is Melody.

*When you are teaching your children to drive, make sure they understand that occasionally a parent might scream.  This will more than likely happen if your child doesn't put the car in park before he decides to take his foot off the brake and you are rolling towards the car in front of you.

*If you happen to have a car that syncs to your phone through bluetooth, it is not necessary to put the phone up to your ear.  It should take you only once to learn that lesson but some of us are a bit slower and it might take twice.  This is especially important to learn if you only have one good hearing ear and can't figure out why you can't hear the person on the phone that you called. 

Laughter is a great way to relieve stress!  Read between the lines...I'd be more than happy to elaborate on each of the stories!

Love,
Monica

How do I talk to thee? Let me count the ways.....

I have been too busy communicating with my husband to blog I guess.  Seems like a lifetime since he left and it has only been two weeks.  But many things have happened in those two weeks and even though we've been able to communicate daily right now I still haven't managed to keep him updated on all of the things happening with our family and friends.

Eric left on the bus and we waited a few hours and started texting.  We decided he would take his phone with him for this first month to ease communication.  I am very thankful because we've been able to text daily.  I will miss that very much.  He also had his laptop but had no internet connection for the first few days and even then it is not the best connection.  We did finally manage to skype for a few minutes before the connection was lost.  And while we were trying to get the connection going again we had texted a few things and then he called to say it wasn't working or something.  So we hung up and texted some more.  It is very difficult to text a whole conversation.  But his evenings run late and lights go out so that's all we've had most of the time.  After the failed skype session and more texting I stated in desperation that I would just send him an email.  And then I received a text back...CTM and TIME.  Well, if you've read my previous blogs you will know that CTM means chuckling to myself and the new one TIME means tears in my eyes.  He was chuckling so much about our communications that he had tears in his eyes.  And then he said, "Do you realize we have texted, skyped, talked on the phone, and now emailed?"  There was no CTM for me...I bursted into laughter and LOL'd for quite awhile. 

I am thankful and know that communication will soon change.  His phone will arrive home for safe keeping until he returns.  And depending on connections and time, it sounds like we will be down to every other day for a call or email. I am still thankful and will look forward to emails and maybe even a few hand-written letters. 

In my two weeks I have updated my auto insurance information, called a tree guy to have a large broken branch removed from our oak, changed the furnace filter, priced and compared belt sanders, researched porch paint, had the oil changed in my car, bought a stake for our little redbud tree, bought lube and lubed our bike chains, and even (don't pass out honey) got my hands muddy in the garden.  I'm capable.  I'll manage.  But there have been moments when I've had to text him TIME because that's just the way I feel even though I'm okay.

Prayer Requests:
1) Safety
2) RAGBRAI is coming up and Ayden and I will be riding every day with Brady and Jayme as our crew.  Please pray for good weather and no scary storms this year.
3) Brady's sending ceremony is quickly approaching  and we'll be faced with saying goodbye once again

Thanks and Love,
Monica

Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song, he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Skipping

As we drove away from the sending ceremony, I found myself thinking about how much better I did than I thought I would.  I had such a constant, crippling feeling thinking about that last goodbye.  And I found myself just being okay.  I had asked my doctor for anxiety meds just in case.  But I was bound and determined to not use them and just feel every moment.  On the way to the ceremony, it was just Eric and I in our car.  We prayed almost the entire way and I found myself in a wonderful place of peace. 

I don't often get the chance to see Eric march and behave as a soldier.  I see him in his uniform almost daily since he is full-time.  But as the soldiers marched in,  there was a magical sense of pride that happened...good, acceptable pride.  And I always feel such a sense of protection around all of them in uniform. I love seeing him be a soldier.  And I am so thankful for all of the other soldiers he is serving with, including my oldest son.  I can say that now with more acceptance than I could when we were younger. 

And then it was over.  Hugs were over and goodbyes were done.  I was afraid I was going to have to medicate all the rest of my family with my pills!  But we were soon on our way home and all okay. I was fine all evening at home.  Eric was able to text me later into the afternoon and while he was unpacking and settling into his bunk.  And we said goodnight.  I am so thankful for texting right now. 

Morning came and I had a few unexpected tears as I awoke.  But I was fine.  I was fine all morning until I decided to go to the grocery store.  And then I found myself tearing up in the chip aisle!  I was fine all the rest of the day until I got to work...had another unexpected moment.  They were starting to surprise me because I thought I was doing fine. 

Friends and family have been awesome in the last few days...calling, texting, checking on me.  And I kept reassuring them I was fine.  My Christ Renews sister and dear friend, Liz, called and we decided she would come stay for the holiday weekend.  We got up and went to a few garage sales with Melody and then stopped for coffee.  At the coffee shop...more tears!  Liz said right there that we needed to come up with something every time I choked up...something to do instead of tears....yes!  let's skip!  And then later in a little shop...the lady said something to me that totally choked me up... Liz says, "Do we need to start skipping?"  Which brought me to tears and laughter.

Later that afternoon Liz and I went to the grocery for some holiday fare.  Fareway is loaded with flags in the windows in support of the soldiers.  In the first aisle is the Dr. Pepper display...and she looked at me and said, "Do we need to start skipping?"  And so right there...we skipped past that display and broke into crazy laughter much to the shock of my youngest son who wasn't sure he wanted to be seen with us. I kind of shocked myself with the ease at which I skipped!

As we walked into church on Sunday I asked Liz, "Would it be appropriate to start skipping here?"  And then after church in Old Navy I almost had to skip by myself after I saw the table where you could stop to write a letter to a soldier....Liz was farther into the store.  I had to find her and we broke into more crazy laughter thinking about skipping again.  We laughed our way through the store with more skipping comments. 

Skipping is working for me.  Will you know if they are tears of sadness or tears of laughter if you see me skipping in a public place? 

Well, at this point I would maybe post a picture.  I have an awesome one of Liz in Old Navy but I am under strict instruction that it is for my eyes only in case she's not with me and I need to skip with tears of laughter. Thanks Liz for skipping with me!

Love,
Monica

Isaiah 12:4 "...Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known to the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. "

Prayer Requests:
1) Praise for everyone who has supported the soldiers by buying a flag or buying Dr. Pepper products in your neighborhood grocery and convenience stores.  It was a huge blessing for them to receive the gift card and phone card.

2) Praise for the gift of technology and ease of communication.

3) Praise for the publicist catching our last goodbye hug and kiss.  This was a huge blessing to me when I discovered it later that day.

4) Praise for friends and family watching out for me and supporting our family.