Dear Deployment 4 months later

I have DREADED this past weekend since the moment Troy came home in September. It was the first weekend Troy had to go back to drill. Thank goodness he didn't have to go to Idaho for it, he was able to drill here in New Mexico.

When he came home I washed all of his uniforms and PT clothes and stuffed them all away in boxes in the back of closets. I wanted anything and everything that had to do with the military gone. Well, Friday night Troy had to dig out his uniform for drill.

*sigh*

I pretended I was sleeping while he dug them out. Inside I was crying.... I tossed and turned all night and when his alarm went off my heart sunk... I know it sounds crazy to some of you but it was very emotional for me to have him leave in his uniform...

I pretended to sleep as he got ready. I could hear his Velcro jacket going on, his socks being pull up and his boots being laced. I started to get emotional. He kissed me good-bye and after he walked out the room I cried.

I know... I know he would be back by 5:30pm, he wasn't going in harms way, I could text him and call him during lunch but deep down it hurt so bad to have him leave. I have some resentment towards his deployment (like that wasn't obvious) and believe it or not after the weekend was over I feel better. I still have some things to work through but its a start...

So Deployment I still hate you. I am dealing with you better now then I was 6 months ago. But I still hate you....


This is the pillow I sent to Troy when he first got there. It has been washed and used so much but he still sleeps with it every night. If this pillow could talk it would give you a book of information!
Below is a picture I took AFTER the weekend was over... After I washed it, I hung it back up in his closet... Thats a step closer then a box in the back of the closet...
I am taking baby steps with dealing with deployment. We are taking other baby steps in other aspects in our life. More details to follow!!!!

Preparing for Daddy to come home

Yes we are preparing for Troy to come home. We found out today that if he were to stay in Fort Lewis Washington he would have to wait until the 22nd for the MRI. Well, thats a no go... he needs to be home. So he has declined treatment there and will receive treatment here. He should be home this week!!! Okay I really shouldn't say that because that may jinx us....

This was Chandler today

This kid cracks me up! He is like a pregnant woman. He will eat one thing everyday for a week and then he is done. This week is cantaloupe.
The moon was coming up tonight over the mountain and it was SO amazing... The picture didn't come out.
We made this poster tonight for FHE. Well, I basically made it. So I think tomorrow I will let the boys color a poster to hold at the airport.
I think it came out nice! There are 13 stars on this poster for the 13 months he has been gone!
I bought this glass chalk to write on my van windows when we go to pick him up!!!!!!!
This is my birthday/anniversary/Christmas present. Its a new iphone. I AM IN LOVE. I think all that complaining about my droid got to Troy and he decided to give up his upgrade and give to me. Is that not sweet?! Dang I got a good catch...

Changes

Monday was a busy shopping day for me. We bought a fridge and a kitchen table and almost bought a couch. Goodbye savings account... Hopefully we will have a house to put it in. We checked out the house today and its looking great!

Here is my new kitchen table! It has the 2 ladder chairs and 2 benches.

The middle has an extra leaf that folds INTO the table! It is amazing! I LOVE IT. It was a bit pricey but we did get it on sale and I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!

Chandler has decided to sleep in a big boy bed. He isn't even 2 yet! My baby is definitely NOT a baby anymore!!!!!!

I stress so much about my boys falling out of their beds. But thank goodness for guard rails

We had a crazy afternoon! 2 busted lips, a broken door jam, internet out, 1 broken tooth, a filing fell out, a wire on a braces has decided to poke out and eat up my cheek, a bloody nose... Lets see that was all within about a 2.5 hour time frame. IT WAS CRAZY!

You know what is interesting is earlier today I just had this overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I am grateful I was home when both my babies busted their lips today and I was the one who got the bloody shirt cuddling my sweet babies. I am grateful for my screaming almost 2 year old because that means I have ears to hear.I am thankful for the 2 car repairs we've made in the last month because that means I have a mode of transportation. I am thankful for my $400 contacts/eyeglass purchase because that means I can watch my babies grow up. I am glad I have a chewed up cheek because that means I have braces on my teeth to fix them.

Troys coming home dates have been pushed back again *sigh* but really its the army and things change a lot. But a few days or weeks wont mean a thing in the grand scheme of things. PLUS he is on American soil! SWEET!

OFFICIAL WORD

I can now officially say my husband is back in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Here is his first picture of him arriving in Maine. You can see the back of his head he just shook the guys hand with the black shirt on!

I was actually talking to Troy on the phone when they took this picture. Look how happy these boys look! I LOVE IT!

I really feel like a weight has been lifted off my head and shoulders. I wonder if I have been walking around frowning or with this concerned look on my face the last 13 months because I feel AMAZING! I can not describe the feeling but truly feels like a huge weight has been lifted off and I have gained 10 years back on my life!

He will be there in Fort Lewis for about a week or 2. I can't believe we are SO CLOSE to him being home.

BY the way you should totally check out the pictures at this website. It brought tears to my eyes mostly because we know so many of these men and women who are "COMING HOME!" So emotional and I LOVE IT!

MAINE WELCOME HOME

If you click on the link above it will take you to the pictures of his unit who went through Maine today! 1.2 million soldiers they have welcomed home since May 2003, WOW THATS IMPRESSIVE!

goodbye IRAQ

Today I got an email from one of Troys buddies. It was so sweet. He said that Troy asked him to email me and tell me he was safe. That is it. Well, his buddy told me what a great hubby I have and some other really nice things about me and my family but that was it as far as where he is.

Can you read that sweet little sign on my van???

It has been on there over a year now
This is what it looked like an hour ago. It took me over 10 minutes to scrape it off! It has been on there a long time
This is what my van looks like now! SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!
PEACE OUT IRAQ I WILL NOT MISS YOU ONE BIT!

funny story from Iraq

So before I forget Troy got a very special award in Iraq the other day! I am so proud of him! They kept telling him they weren't going to give to him because he is flagged (because of his weight, even though he beat the commander on a muck run? yea doesn't make sense) BUT they came through and gave it to him. Once I get the exact name of the medal/award and pictures I will give you more information. But MAN I AM ONE PROUD ARMY WIFE!

Okay onto the story. So a week or so ago Troy had a very scary moment in his room. Basically if we didn't have the technology we do today he would be dead. I want him to share the story and not blotch it. ANYWAY, so today we are chatting on skype today I hear this LOUD BANG on his door. It was unsettling to me and to Troy so he paused the skype and I was getting kind of worried. About 8 minutes later he starts the video again and he was literally rolling on the ground laughing. And I see about 4 guys in his room standing around laughing.... holding a door.

So once Troy could compose himself enough he tells me that some guys were going to prank him. They banged on the door really loud and then blocked the door. Well, Troy being the amazingly strong person he is and with the things being on edge being in Iraq and all he goes into survival mode. He gave a warning push against the door (he thought there was insurgents blocking his door and was fully prepared to fight for his life) and then busted the dang thing DOWN! The boys on the other side of the door were so shocked. It was like some crazy kung fu moment.

And man did we ALL LAUGH FOR A LONG TIME. OH man it was hilarious. To see these guys trying to piece together this door was pretty darn funny. They kept saying, we are sorry Mrs Carter.... Our apologizes Mrs. Carter.

Okay I know its not as funny to you but man it was so funny to see it play out. And I needed to document it!

BRING on the COUNT DOWN

So I thought I would update you all with a little more accurate count down for Troy coming home.

HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO PICK HINCKLEY UP FROM SCHOOL BEFORE HE COMES HOME? ABOUT 10

HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO WASH MY FACE BEFORE HE COMES HOME. WEIRD I KNOW..... ABOUT 32

HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO CHANGE THE SHEETS BEFORE HE COMES HOME....

2 POSSIBLY 3

HOW MANY BED TIME STORIES UNTIL I HAVE A PARTNER IN CRIME......

48

HOW MANY TIMES I WILL BLOG BEFORE I BLOG ABOUT HIS HOMECOMING???????

LETS SAY ABOUT 10

I stole every one of these pictures off of google. AND I kind of like the comforter on that bed... Maybe not that exact one but it gives me some ideas for our house! AND with the military all things are subject to change at any given moment so these are not set in stone and could change!

House update, dancing & a red head

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO WROTE TO ELLEN. I am sure there are a million and 2 who wrote to her but it was kind of a thrill to be eligible for one of her EMAIL ELLEN things! PS RACHEL I totally sent one in for you too!

Chandler found these slippers in my moms closet. He was just too adorable NOT to take a picture

Just before we had a dance party with our flat daddy
Is that a football move?
I told you we like to dance
This flower Hinckley brought home from preschool back during Mother's Day... Look how it has grown! He picked it out for me out of the garden the other day.
Our kitchen that is NOW drywalled!
Some how we got a foot print on our ceiling. YES this is our ceiling. Somebody must have stepped on the dry wall and then put it up on the ceiling.
Right after I took this picture Hinckley some how turned himself around and slid into the fresh concrete. HA! Its permanently marked by him. LOL
This is our secret door AKA our door under our stairs

Troyism

STUPID DFAC IRAQ

(I ate an iraqi falophal a type of sandwich from a street vendor in Baghdad and didn't get sick but eat at the American run food chow hall place and I a pooping my pants)

Sign me up for make your own tampon day!

I was telling Troy about a Relief Society event our ward had a few months ago

Oh TROY I MISS YOU. COME HOME SOON!

PS Troy and I always say STUPID IRAQ when silly things happen... Like when I forgot to dress Hinckley for school today in NON uniform clothes we say STUPID IRAQ. As if to blame Iraq. So if you ever hear us saying those 2 words thats why

A few of our favorite things

YES! These 2 guys are my favorite things

YES these two are my favorite things!!!!!!!!
Our countdown chain. We may have to add another chain.. BLASTED ARMY! They keep changing dates, pushing it back. URGH. OH WELL. The chain on the bottom is our Sundays we have left... Might be 1 less but who knows! The chain above is our days left... YES we are talking days not months anymore!!!!!

So I finally decided to open Troys foot lockers. We have 3 them.... I kept thinking I would find one of these in a box....

(PICTURE STOLEN FROM GOOGLE)

By the way these camel spiders can be found in...... NEW MEXICO!!!!!! SICK....

1 of 5 combination locks I had to pick... I mean figure out the combos
The list of combos it possibly could be.
Then I saw the combo on the back. SILLY TROY, YOU FORGOT TO TAKE IT OFF!
His work gloves...
Can you read this note from a little girl here in NM? OH man touched my heart.
These letters and cards brought me to tears. In fact this picture shows only some from friends and doesn't include a lot more and all the family letters and notes. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO SENT HIM PACKAGES AND LETTERS! They completely touched my heart
Don't ask me why he had 4 pairs of sunglasses in there...
All the flags and prayer rugs and a rosary? If I remember right the guy who sold Troy these rugs knew Troy was a religious man and so he gave him the rosary for free. And it has some special wood and stuff... I need to find more information on that
Chandlers prayer rug
I LOVE THIS FLAG! I love, LOVE, LOVE the 116ths motto DONT TREAD ON ME. LOVE IT! And I love how the snake represents the Snake River...
Hinckleys prayer rug
This hat is one of my favorite things
The knitted had on the left I believe is from a lady who knitted ALL the soldiers a hat before they left. I am excited to wear it this winter. The little flag is for the guys to put in their pocket on missions so they have a piece of America with them. Also given to Troy.
Troys medal from his championship football game
This race Troy beat his commander... SO PROUD OF YOU ON THIS RUCKIN FUN march. Funny how those two words together look bad... PS If you dont know what a ruck march or ruck run is you should google it.
He sent a whole bunch of teeshirts home. Like 2 or 3 of each. Hard Rock Cafe Baghdad?! LOL Oh and did you know there is a Harley Davidson in Baghdad too? No there is NO Hard Rock Cafe there or a Harley Davidson
I like this motto... NEVER GIVE UP!
AND I FOUND NO CRAZY CAMEL SPIDERS THANK GOODNESS!

PS Good thing our new house has 4 bedrooms because one of them will be dedicated just to IRAQ and ARMY stuff...