Randomness: Can we count summer over now?

When it was time to leave, Alida was still hanging on to the pole and I had her horizontal trying to pry her off.

When I asked her what kind of birthday cake she wanted she said a purple one with a horse. I will learn to smooth buttercream one day.

Elaine just said she wanted a pink one. So she got the one decorated second when I only had the big fat piping tips left. It was nice to eat something not baked from a mix for the first time since deployment however.

When I picked up Patric, one of things I made sure to do was get a picture of the teddy bear on the right. Patric confirms for me that I'm in love with him for good reason--he's a great guy.

He just looks it, no?

We fed the goldfish with my parents at some point this summer.

It was as disgusting as it ever was.

My first thought: that's not even all of them.

Second thought: why don't they at least have the same hair color?

Man. When he's in the mood, he's in the mood.

Wren's birthday party.

She spent most of the cake time making sure the Chik-fil-A cow didn't come anywhere near her.

Jenny.

She came over to visit and we all played right there in the entry way the entire time.

She also came over to visit faithfully on Sundays when Patric was gone to fold my kids' laundry. That was the biggest help.

I took this picture for a reason other than to point out what a mess it was. I cannot remember now why I did that.

The latest beach game: get wet in the pool, flour yourself in the sandbox, bake in the sun.

She still comes out of no where and scares me with that baby every once-in-awile. It's creepy, and she remembers that it creeps me out.

So if I had to say I missed something from Patric being gone, it would be the out-pouring of support from friends and friends of friends and strangers. That was amazing. I will remain amazed for the rest of my days. And that will be what I remember from this past year: the year that people overflowed with good will.

Even when I took rotten pictures of them.

Dork.

Not Yet Son

Not for anybody for awhile.
This stuff has been stored.
Daddy has his normal life to-do list.
We're getting it back together.
We have one video to post from the homecoming soon, and then I think the newness will wear off and we'll be back to tales of exasperation.

All Smiles

Welcome Home

Queue The Wait On Hold Music

Today is the day.

Shhhhhh...

Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed your cake and gifts from grandma and grandpa on your birthday!

(nice job getting doing-in the icing first girl.)

I'll be bringing home your next gift tomorrow, and it is a big one.
I can't wait to see the surprise on your faces.

Closer Still

3:30 a.m.: text from Bangor, Maine
8:00 a.m.: phone call from Gulfport, MS--destination Camp Shelby.

Getting closer and closer. Wonder if he still has the 'stache. Forgot to ask.

Update from Kuwait

Yes, Kuwait.

Flying soon.

Home sooner than we'd hoped, at least that was the last story I heard.

You know, they still have to delouse, deIraq, demobilize, deSomething when they get back...

Funny. I'm starting to really miss that guy now.

Update from Iraq

"We are in transient housing and closing out the last of the issues here in theater. No internet/phone connection, except what I pirate. Will try and ring you in a bit once I get my inbox knocked out...not too long now. Still on for the 12th, wheels up from here..."

Lovely.

Make sure you pick up a can of shaving cream and a sharp razor before you hit the states.

Travel and de-Iraqing or whatever it is called puts him home on the 24th we're guessing.

Update From Iraq: Leaving Their Mark

"G Troop"

"The Gunslingers"

The tribute to themselves they'll leave behind--this month!

(Patric drew the creepy skull soldier thing--oddly talented that man.)

His room.

There are so many things wrong with the layout of this room, I can hardly comment.

Doesn't his bed look like it's propped up by three-ring binders? And who uses teal in interior decorating these days?

Leaving behind--red buildings.

This is the "Eastwood Briefing Room"

Yep, Clint Eastwood; they're painting the town red.

Something else to certainly leave behind.

Although, I think one managed to hitch a ride in one of the boxes he sent home. It was a very dramatic night when I took apart an entire roll of paper towels to squash one hoping against hope that I had the correct balance of cushion so I wouldn't have to actually feel the thing in my hand and not so much cushion that I couldn't exert enough force to kill it dead a couple of times over quietly screaming the entire time I did it.

Kleenex Please

I haven't actually made it all the way through this yet, but can't wait for our own:

Soldiers Surprising Their Loved Ones

Really Flat

Forgot one. Not too rambunctious really.

Flat Daddy

It took three adults to figure out how to put our large daddy sticker onto a board. The assembly wasn't as long as the swing set but sheesh!

Jennifer and Mark, once again, pitching in right after they got all of my children and their child to take a nap on a Saturday afternoon.

Flat Daddy is just that--a flat daddy.

We were gifted our life-size daddy by a friend of the Dukes, who I don't know.

Friend of the Dukes--thank you. I love the kindness of others.

The unveil went much more serenely than I imagined it might.

And much more sweetly I might add.

And they haven't kicked him around or broke him or used him as a sled on the stairs yet.

He's in the living room as you walk in the room from upstairs. In the morning the girls say good morning to daddy and stumble off to find their juice and milk.