Solo day 1

Rusty left yesterday morning for 2 months. He has gone to Ft Lewis Washington to train the cadets at advance camp (now called LDAC for you military professionals). I was really lucky because my father happened to be in town this weekend for a family reunion. He came on Friday night and watched Reese so that we could go on a date and stayed home with him on Saturday morning so that I didn't have to haul him to the airport at 6 am. He stayed through lunch today and was able to help me last night-- one of the most difficult nights I have ever had getting Reese to bed. Maybe he knows something is different. Rusty and I take turns putting him to bed so thats nothing new. My Dad claims its all the salsa he ate at dinner:)

Reese has been looking out the front window and saying dadda. Today he heard a lawnmower going and started screaming dada because he thought it was him. While I will miss Rusty while he is gone, I have known this is coming for a long time and I am prepared. I did 14 months without him -- I can do 2-- the difference is now I see the sadness in my childs eyes when he looks for his dad and cant find him. I think this is especially hard on Rusty because 2 months at Reese's age is a lot and he is going to come home to a different child. Just think, 2 months ago he couldn't even walk!

The family reunion was a lot of fun. It was at Washington on the Brazos State park. Since the reunion is always somewhere in the B/CS are, I am always the one with the short drive! There wasn't a huge turnout but it was a lot of fun. Reese and Conner were the only kids there, so he got alot of attention. My Dad and my cousin Shea helped out with Reese tremendously. It was especially nice to get to talk to my cousins Matt and Shea who I rarely see. Shea actually lives in town and now I have her information so we can hook up. She is also a great babysitter so that is very handy. Its interesting how many relatives I have in town (seeing as how my Dad's side hails from this area I have alot of cousins here) and never run into them. I was reminded when talking to Shea about how precious life is. She is 20 and fighting cancer and I can't even imagine what that is like. All of the students around her live a much different life than she does. I am so impressed she is still in school and still has a positive attitude.

There was nothing on tv last night so my Dad and I watched the Doors movie. I wanted to see that so bad when it came out but I wasn't allowed. I read the book and had the cd's but never saw the movie. It was a huge disappointment and very strange.

Reese took a great nap this afternoon which was a huge blessing!!! I never take a nap when he does, but today I did for sure. Reese was a handful today and half way through the afternoon it hit me that its just me and relief isn't on its way. I spend every afternoon with Reese but today he was especially cranky for some reason. Daddy missing maybe? I am going with teething.

THANK GOODNESS for the church picnic tonight. I was watching the clock all afternoon. We were both exhausted from all the climbing on the playground he did, but it was alot of fun. We went to a great park with a playground for kids more his age and I was so excited. Of course 5 min later he was on the big kids playground next to it. That's my climber.

I am especially grateful to Chris and Angela and Charissa for helping me. I was thinking today how lucky I am to have such great friends in this town and to have such a great church. I am going to be really sad when the army moves us away! Charissa gave me a hug and said I needed it. Angela was so great for helping me and for giving me plans for the week!

Next weekend I have no plans at all and I am trying to create some. Too bad it costs so much to drive to Houston all the time! I always counted the weeks when Rusty was in Afghanistan by focusing on what I had going on the next weekend. I think it really helps to go week by week rather than looking at the long term. I of course never hope you are in a deployment situation and have to think like that

Sorry this is so long. I decided to start this so that I could document the daily happenings for Rusty and to help with my sanity of not speaking to an adult all day!

Here are some pictures from our watermelon eating experience on Friday