Deployment Log, Day 95:
1. Routine is great. It was a slightly bumpy transition back into things this week after vacay and traveling, but it suits us well.
2. I purchased a sort of fuzzy (on the inside) zippy sweat-jacket coat thing (for $12). It’s camo patterned. So Malick has spent the week pointing at me saying, “TREE! TREE!” Thanks, buddy. #JustCallMeSharitaTheSycamore
3. We’ve lived in this hacienda nearly 8 months. And the sunrises from our backyard viewpoint still blow my mind (and make my heart swell with joy).
4. Sunrises/Sunsets are one of my Beloved’s favorite thing. I am so looking forward to sharing those moments with him again. Eventually.
5. Conversation as we are getting in the car to go to school yesterday:
Charis: “Hey Mama! I just saw a cat!”
Me: “Cool, what color was it?”
Charis: “Black and white. *Pause* You know… Maybe it was a skunk.”
Me: “EVERYBODY IN THE CAR!”
6. I didn’t really think it was a skunk. Until I let the dog out before daylight this morning and it STUNK like skunk. EVERYBODY BACK IN THE HOUSE!
7. Malick was up at 4:45am today. Charis was up at 5:45am. Neato.
8. Did I mention as part of our corporate church fast I gave up caffeine for 21 days? Neato again. #JesusBeMyCaffeine
9. I successfully made and canned salsa today. All the jars seals. Nothing exploded or broke. I didn’t get burnt. Talk about adulting victories!
10. As much as I love our daily/weekly routine, I still miss those extra Grandma hands (and Fort Couch in South Dakota!)
11. Communication with my Beloved is still sporadic. Between his odd schedule and the time zone difference, connecting to have a real conversation is quite the task. But you know what? I’m gonna be grateful that this is a noncombat deployment and he’s not currently getting shot at. #WinningIThink
12. Malick watched some animated video on YouTube the other day. It was about a fire truck. Then a mouse made toast and caught the house on first (hence the need for the fire truck). Now I’m afraid to make toast.
13. Just kidding. Toast for the kids is a staple this in this deployment household. As are mac and cheese, pancakes and Goldfish crackers.
14. I’m so grateful for Whole30. It’s Day 7 and I already feel so much better, physically and emotionally.
15. Class starts Monday for me. Great news: NO GROUP PROJECTS! (I love it already).
16. Prayers: Successful start to my Christian Ethics class, adequate time to accomplish the tasks the Lord has set before me (I’m not worried, I just need to be a good steward of my time), and continued perseverance for the kids and I (and my Beloved during this separation).
17. Parting thought: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” ~Ecclesiastes 3:11
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Apparently Flat Daddy and a 10:00am ice cream cone make everything better… even a kindergarten girl who is out of school for at least three days because of strep throat. #MamaWantsIceCreamToo #Whole30Probs#DeploymentLife #StopEatingAndDrinkingAfterYourSisterSON#ForTheLove
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Deployment Log, Day 100:
1 . Well, we have hit the ONE HUNDRED day mark with this deployment! I’m not sure if I should be like “Happy One-Hundredth Day!” or what. And how do you celebrate 100 days of deployment? I know at school, they do fun/cute things to celebrate 100 days of school, but deployment? I really think cake, a glass of wine or a large coffee would be appropriate, but my current fitness/Jesus calling says no dice on all of that. So I guess a Facebook status update will have to do.
2. It’s been a wonky week. For some reason, Malick is STILL getting up at like 4am. He rarely goes back to sleep, and when he does, it’s like 90 min later (then Charis is up!) It’s a kidspiracy, I tell you.
3. He has also recently decided he does not like the melatonin gummies for bedtime (That was a lovely week while it lasted). I found one discarded gummy behind the shower curtain and the others he has fed to the dog.
4. In related news, the dog is sleeping better than ever.
5. Who am I kidding, the dog always sleeps awesome.
6. In fact, when I grow up, I want to be our dog. Sleeping probably a good 12-15 hours a day on a variety of locales (couch, queen bed, twin bed, toddler bed, recliner, dog bed or, the current favorite, in the hamper of clean laundry(!!?!)), subsisting primarily on a diet of mac and cheese, goldfish crackers, peanut butter, Teddy Grahams, pizza, scrambled eggs and the occasional strawberry. That life.
7. Charis was home with me Monday-Wednesday with strep, and Malick’s daycare schedule wasn’t our normal routine of MWF. There is a 4-day training holiday F-M this weekend, so daycare tomorrow was already full up with no space for him.
8. I awarded myself extra adult points for not letting the temporarily pessimistic feeling bubble out and say something like, “TRAINING HOLIDAY?!? I WANT A TRAINING HOLIDAY!” #ComeOneJuly
9. By a miracle of Jesus himself, I was able to get my sermon written for this coming Sunday and my paper done for the first week of class. I realized if both were formatted like a PhD paper, it would equate to 27 (double-spaced) pages written in 3 days with a sick kid in tow. So that made me feel better.
10. I’m doing everything in my power to still engage in self-care. It’s minimal now, but a hot bath after the kids go to bed and just 15-30 minutes of “alone time” to breathe or read are keeping me going. That and still exercising and not eating crap. #ThanksWhole30
11. My tribe is awesome. Prayers and offers of support. So grateful, even if I don’t know how/what to ask for help. (Wanna come match socks? Get up with me son at O’Dark Thirty?)
12. I’ve not been great about asking for help, but when my good friend Megan called this morning and asked to let Malick hang out with her daughter tomorrow morning just so this Mama could have a minute, I had to build a bridge and get over my pride. Tomorrow’s gonna be a great day…
13. … As long as Malick stays healthy. He is super cranky today, and I don’t know if it’s because he is tired or coming down with something. All he’s done all week is steal his sisters food and drink. #STOPDRINKINGAFTERYOURSISTER!
14. I really wish there was a way to bottle “Husband Hugs.” Because I would have tapped into that this week for sure.
15. Overall, celebrating that we are pressing on and I can feel God’s presence. Again, not a bad week and plenty of victories, I’m just dang tired right now. It’s been Blessing Box week extravaganza! Also, there’s still been pockets of laughter for me. Because even when sick/tired, kids still say funny things.
16. Prayer requests: That Malick and I will stay healthy, that these sweet children will sleep in at least until the sun starts to rise and that I will have the brain/heart capacity to focus on my sermon and bring God glory on Sunday.
17: Parting thought:
“When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.” ~Isaiah 43:2
*Ugggg. Update: I picked Charis up from school today and right as I was opening my door to get Malick out, someone drove by fast and too close, so my door took her side mirror clean off. Then she proceeded to cuss me out. This is the first time I’ve legit cried since my husband departed. I’m kinda done with this week. (And please pray for this other lady. She was not super kind, even to her daughter while we were standing there.) Now if you will excuse me, I need to rally, dry my tears, drop Charis off at ballet and call my insurance company.
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This week has been a little rough and left me a bit weary. So Flat Daddy, in all his wisdom and kindness, asked himself “WWBD?” (What would Beloved do?) Thus, to cheer my tired heart, he decided I needed more romantic dates in my life.#CloseEnough #PunDayFunday
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It’s fiiinneee… #SenseOfHumorStillIntact#EmbraceTheSuck #America
Saturday Flat Daddy wanted to get his 80’s groove on with the 3rd Brigade Soto Fitness sampler event. After sampling classes like Bodypump, Spin, Pound and Yoga, my friend Charlsey and I were sweaty with tired legs. But Flat Daddy still had that gentle laminated glow and said his legs felt light as air.
Even after a sorta-wonky last week, Jesus got another “W” (win) by allowing me to join Him in his work and preach about the Seven Realities of Experiencing God at church today. (And of course, Flat Daddy was there to cheer me on.)
