We absolutely LOVE it when family comes to visits. But dang, the see-ya-laters get us every time. Malick looked how I felt when we dropped Aunt Denise Wysong off to return home earlier today. We miss you, ‘Neese!! And thanks for blessing us with your presence and help the last 12 days. So glad I could catch my breath!
Now if everyone will excuse me, I have to go solo adult again. #Gross
The Knobloch children are in fine form today. Conspiratorial shenanigans before school, now this, 15 minutes after school gets out.
Me: “All right! That’s IT! This is your LAST warning! If you two do not stop fighting, there will be TIME OUTS FOR EVERYONE!”
Charis: *Pauses from the impromptu youth MMA match in the kitchen* “A time out even for you, Mama?”
Me: “Baby, I would LOVE a time out.”
#SomeonePLEASESendMeToMyRoom#IWillComeOutWhenThisDeploymentIsOver #WhenThreatsBackfire
Fifteen (FIFTEEN!?!) years ago today, my Beloved graduated from basic training!! Since then, a lot has happened: 5 deployments, 6 duty stations, 1 wife (you are welcome, by the way!), three pregnancies, two Tiny Humans, 1 dog, 4,329 inside jokes and about eleventy billion prayers.
Thanks for doing what you do, Brandon We are so dang proud of you… And cheers to being 75% (ish) done with your army career!!#HowSoonIsTooSoonToStartPlanningTheRetirementParty#AskingForAFriend
#KiddingNotKidding #ButSeriouslyImKidding
***
Deployment Log, Day 210:
1. So, hypothetical question… how close does one have to be to the end of a deployment to start using the phrase “homestretch?”
2. Now? OK. CHEERS TO THE HOMESTRETCH OF THIS DEPLOYMENT!!! And hello, month seven.
3. Disclaimer: No, we never know when exactly he’s coming home. And yes, it can always change. And no, I can’t post it on social media anyways… OPSEC (operational security is mucho importante).
4. I feel like the last couple ish months of deployment are a lot like the last couple months of pregnancy. It seems to drag on, and we all look like a hot mess, even though we are really doing ok. And my apologies in advance to anyone who asks when he’s coming back and I give kind of a short, snippy, general answer. I don’t mean to have an attitude. And you can totally ask me. But it is really the only way I can keep myself from getting TOO excited TOO soon. Again, kind of like a baby’s due date. Both my kids were overdue and those last few days when someone said, “GOSH, YOU ARE STILL PREGNANT?!?!” I wanted to cut them. Similar-ish feeling. Only I don’t get as much heartburn and can walk to the mailbox without losing my breath.
5. I have began the redeployment (homecoming) nesting process. Not that my husband cares if things are organized and clean. But I finally have time to get some stuff back in order…
6. BECAUSE I AM DONE WITH SCHOOL FOR THREE MONTHS! #AndAllGodsPeopleSaidAmen
7. Oh, after 6 weeks of hoopla and literally 12 trips between emissions testing, dealership and car registration place, THE TRUCK IS OFFICIALLY REGISTERED IN TEXAS. Although you might think I would have cried happy tears, I almost cried tear-tears… Because they made us pay sales tax on the truck. PSA to all my military friends: IF YOU EVER BUY A TRUCK IN GEORGIA, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, opt to pay the Ad Valorem tax, even if it “appears” to be about a hundred bucks cheaper. Because Ad Valorem tax does not count as sales tax in other states, say Texas. Now we have two license plates for the truck that are literally the most expensive piece of metal we’ve probably ever owned. #ByeMoney
8. Aunt Denise introduced me to the glory of wet brushes for thick kindergartener (and mama) hair. My life has been changed for good. #ItsTheSmallStuff
9. Charis has just over two and a half weeks of school left. That’s craziness, I tell ya!
10. Malick and I have continued to work on his vocab when we are on our stroller walks. Today was brushing up on more patriotic words: Infantry, Regulars (our battalion), America, and his personal favorite HOOAH.
11. Prayers: For peace, kindness and gentleness in these final weeks-ish of deployment. Although homecoming is a good thing (a VERY good thing) there’s a lot of chaos that normally comes with it and reintegration isn’t typically like it is portrayed on the Hallmark channel. Oh, and prayers that I can REST now that school is done for me and focus on spending time with the great people in my life and filling my bucket.
12. Parting thought: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. ” ~Philippians 1:16 NLT
