I DO have Nathan's mailing address at Manas! If you would like it and didn't get an email from me, please let me know and I will be more than happy to get it to you.
He is going to be working night shifts starting today (right now actually- there's an 11-hour time difference). It's kind of nice actually, because that means he's awake when we're awake and he sleeps when we sleep :)
He'll also get a secure military email address, which I will have in the next day or two. Right now he's using his regular email address which is being monitored by the Russians- not so secure... and it's creepy. He will get twice-weekly, 15 minute phone calls home and told me to make sure I answer any weird numbers that show up (I never do). We will also get to use our Skype soon! I will get to see his handsome face!! Yay! Can't wait to see him and hear his voice!!!!
I'm so ready to get all this up and going... those first few days when we didn't hear from him at all were A.W.F.U.L. ick.
I'll keep you all updated!!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
My Fair Lady
Layla competed in the Fairest of the Fair pageant at the County Fair Wednesday night and my baby got ripped off!! I mean, come on, she should have at least made the top 15 for goodness sake! Lol. No, I'm not normally one of those parents and of course, I said NONE of this in front of Layla, but this is my blog and I can say whatever I want to :)
In all seriousness, she had loads of fun and is thrilled to pieces with her little green participation ribbon, but darn it! The director of the pageant actually grabbed me from behind after the pageant and told me I *BETTER* bring her back next year or she would come hunt me down! And SEVERAL (seriously... like 16) people stopped us between the stage and the bleachers to tell us she had been robbed or that the judges were idiots... so I know it's not ALL just my swayed protective parental disappointment. Layla did have fun and that's truthfully all I care about- it's just kind of fun to get riled up (at home)!
Here she is on stage... not quite sure where the head tilt came from. I think maybe we've been watching too much 'Toddlers & Tiaras'.
After the pageant... Still smiling from ear-to-ear!
Her cheering section:
Nonie, Meme, Mommy
I emailed the pictures to Nathan, who of course, showed them to everyone at Manas AFB... they then emailed me back a custom made First Place ribbon for Layla! (It's hard to see in the picture, but it has the Manas emblem on the top, the Security Forces badge in the middle, and the "First Place, Most Beautiful, Layla West" on the bottom). So sweet!
Also....
when we got home from the pageant, guess what was waiting on the back porch for me? ...
My husband is AMAZING.
And oh so thoughtful. The gerbers also reminded me that there was a letter attached to the fridge that I had been instructed not to read until we were separated by a 12-hr time zone, which was right about the time the flowers arrived. Sigh... I love him.
In all seriousness, she had loads of fun and is thrilled to pieces with her little green participation ribbon, but darn it! The director of the pageant actually grabbed me from behind after the pageant and told me I *BETTER* bring her back next year or she would come hunt me down! And SEVERAL (seriously... like 16) people stopped us between the stage and the bleachers to tell us she had been robbed or that the judges were idiots... so I know it's not ALL just my swayed protective parental disappointment. Layla did have fun and that's truthfully all I care about- it's just kind of fun to get riled up (at home)!
Here she is on stage... not quite sure where the head tilt came from. I think maybe we've been watching too much 'Toddlers & Tiaras'.
After the pageant... Still smiling from ear-to-ear!
Her cheering section:
Nonie, Meme, Mommy
I emailed the pictures to Nathan, who of course, showed them to everyone at Manas AFB... they then emailed me back a custom made First Place ribbon for Layla! (It's hard to see in the picture, but it has the Manas emblem on the top, the Security Forces badge in the middle, and the "First Place, Most Beautiful, Layla West" on the bottom). So sweet!
Also....
when we got home from the pageant, guess what was waiting on the back porch for me? ...
My husband is AMAZING.
And oh so thoughtful. The gerbers also reminded me that there was a letter attached to the fridge that I had been instructed not to read until we were separated by a 12-hr time zone, which was right about the time the flowers arrived. Sigh... I love him.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Saying Goodbye...
I forgot my camera (it was 5 o'clock in the morning, I barely remembered Cale), so these were all taken on my phone.
Everything went pretty smoothly. There was a lot of waiting around.
Apparently, the guys who got the plane ready were not aware that they would be stopping in Louisville to pick up another 28 people, so we had to wait an extra 40 mins while they made room. And then after all that waiting, I took Cale to the restroom and all of a sudden they were telling us to say goodbye and rushing the guys (and Lisa) out to the plane. I mean, gave us NO TIME to say goodbye. It was very rushed and we were pretty disappointed with our goodbye. We watched them all load the plane and then about ten minutes later... we watched them all get back off and walk back over to us!!
Sargeant Kelley explained that we would get another hour with them due to bad weather in Louisville :)
Poor babies were getting exhausted at this point though...
After about 45 mins. it was time to say goodbye again. This time, we had time for a proper farewells, good long hugs, and hundreds of kisses.
Watching Daddy board the C-130 (Cale's little face breaks my heart!). Had to have ear plugs cause the engines were so loud:
Nathan text us as soon as he was seated on the plane. This was his ride all the way to Norfolk:
They got to watch the plane taxi onto the runway and then take off and fly around the building until we couldn't see it anymore!
After we got home, all four of us went back to bed and slept for almost 4 hours!! Layla still has a lot of questions. We thought we had prepared her really well, but I'm already seeing now that she doesn't quite grasp the whole concept. Heck... I'm not even sure I do! We'll just take it one day at a time! We are going to be SO busy over the seven months and Skype is really going to soften the blow- I have a feeling this is going to by faster than we think!
*p.s. I have resigned myself to the fact that my next several blogs are going to be completely out of order and we're just going to have to get over it. ;)
Everything went pretty smoothly. There was a lot of waiting around.
Apparently, the guys who got the plane ready were not aware that they would be stopping in Louisville to pick up another 28 people, so we had to wait an extra 40 mins while they made room. And then after all that waiting, I took Cale to the restroom and all of a sudden they were telling us to say goodbye and rushing the guys (and Lisa) out to the plane. I mean, gave us NO TIME to say goodbye. It was very rushed and we were pretty disappointed with our goodbye. We watched them all load the plane and then about ten minutes later... we watched them all get back off and walk back over to us!!
Sargeant Kelley explained that we would get another hour with them due to bad weather in Louisville :)
Poor babies were getting exhausted at this point though...
After about 45 mins. it was time to say goodbye again. This time, we had time for a proper farewells, good long hugs, and hundreds of kisses.
Watching Daddy board the C-130 (Cale's little face breaks my heart!). Had to have ear plugs cause the engines were so loud:
Nathan text us as soon as he was seated on the plane. This was his ride all the way to Norfolk:
They got to watch the plane taxi onto the runway and then take off and fly around the building until we couldn't see it anymore!
After we got home, all four of us went back to bed and slept for almost 4 hours!! Layla still has a lot of questions. We thought we had prepared her really well, but I'm already seeing now that she doesn't quite grasp the whole concept. Heck... I'm not even sure I do! We'll just take it one day at a time! We are going to be SO busy over the seven months and Skype is really going to soften the blow- I have a feeling this is going to by faster than we think!
*p.s. I have resigned myself to the fact that my next several blogs are going to be completely out of order and we're just going to have to get over it. ;)
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