Changing the saying.....and T-yous!

They have that saying... " Good friends will help you move..." There is nothing wrong with that saying- I totally agree. I have to make a new one though;

"REALLY good friends will drive twelve hours STRAIGHT in snowy weather with only a one hour break in the middle to watch you give a presentation"

We left at 11:00AM and pulled up exhausted at 1:30AM(the following day). What a way to pass a day!

There are good things about deployment.

You learn a lot about yourself(what you can accomplish!) and about your family and friends. Yesterday I learned that I have two amazing people that I can truly depend on. Thank-you Stephanie and Eric. I couldn't have done that trip without you. I'd be in a ditch. I think it goes without saying that Joe thanks you as well.

My parents who have been lovingly supportive throughout my life and have continued(I'm so lucky) this love and support during my adult hood. It has been a constant during this deployment.

I got an email from Joe's mom that said... Don't forget to breathe. I smiled and thought- now she's starting to know who I am.

Home Coming is getting closer! Woot-Woot

Current feelings about HC:

1. If I have one more list of things I have to do..... (that I'll never do in time)- I'm really going to barf.

2. This Home Coming stuff is the best diet plan in the world. The thought of food makes me want to hurl.

3. I ran a load of towels. Will he care about the clean towels? He better notice the clean towels... Ah, it doesn't matter if he notices the clean towels. I think I might ralph

4. I really hope my dad can figure out how to hang the banners outside. The one inside looks great. If he can't hang the two outside-I'm going to puke.

5. I better stay calm or my face is going to break out and then when Joe sees me... he will blow chunks.

6. There are a lot of words for throwing up!

7. I can't wait to feel his arms around me.

8. I'm excited to wear my new red jacket and thin black scarf(that was a personal mission of mine and Steph's to find!!!)

9. I have a lot of cleaning left to do.

10. I couldn't have done this without a fantastic support system. I can't end this blog today without thanking them:

-My family: For asking all the right questions and having sympathy in all the right places. For taking time to send Joe all the cards and packages you all did. Meant the world to us both. I love you more then I could explain- Thank you!
-Stephanie: My partner in crime. Thanks for passing the time with me.
-J: For understanding every SINGLE feeling I had or at least for pretending to. For calling Ken whenever I clearly needed to be saved from jumping and getting the answers I needed. For...the best two minutes of my life- " Are you sitting down?", " Yes, Is everything okay?", "Yes- Are you ready to be a chiefs wife?". I'm glad it was you who told me. I wouldn't want that memory any other way. I heart you always.
-Ken, Illene, Erica S: For making the Chief transition easier for me- I needed it!
-Making It Count: Two trainings, Two weekends with no deployment in mind. You are all amazing. Always. Thanks for listening and loving.
-Pete and Sue: For a freezer full of food, good conversation and tears during deployment. It was piece of mind for Joe. And I'm glad.
-Civilian friends: For doing your best to understand. For sending cards to Joe because I asked. For loving us from far away places even when this life is confusing. We have appreciated it every step of the way.

... And to Joe. Thank-you. For helping me appreciate the little things. For being SO good with email(142 of them!). For finding time to call. For all the times you say.."our career". For the best email I've ever received(We made chief!). For making me proud over and over and over again. I will love you until the end of time. We finished this deployment with a lot of laughs, tears, and respect for each other. We finished this deployment knowing how strong our marriage is. We finished this deployment eager to start the next chapter in our lives. We finished this deployment excited. Oh and I can't forget the $75.00 sweater we have to show for it! We can do anything. As we like to say-we're super heroes. I always thought that was just a funny joke we had- now... I know it's true.

xoxo
Samantha

less-LAME

I miss you and cant wait to come home. Please dont kill your self getting ready for me to come back, I know you want everything to be perfect but if you are there and I get to go home with you then that's more perfect then I need, dont worry about the signs and lights and food and everything I just want to get home with you and be together. I love you and miss you and will be home soon.

Love
Joe

LAME

Every time I open an email from Joe- I think "Lame"(thanks for the great new word Steph!). Either he's not getting my emails or doesn't want to respond to my question about a $75.00 sweater. I'm asking other things as well -millions of them- like will you be getting off the boat in time to see my banners or do I need to spot light them? I mean I need to know these types of things! Mostly I want to know about the $75.00 sweater. I need to know if it's lined with gold? Or doubles as a recliner? Or can also be used as a space mobile? It can't just be a sweater if it was $75.00 These are important questions I have.

... Then I try to remember that Stephanie keeps asking about a $2200.00 charge that when looked up says it came from a "floor covering" store. We've decided that we are giving Jimmy the benefit of the doubt and that he didn't really spend $2200 on rugs. Still- I feel slightly better...(Sorry Steph- I love you and Jimmy!)

After I think his email is lame- I re-read it and think he might off himself before they get home. He sounds miserable. He's worried about ORSE. Annoyed with basically everyone. Exhausted. Ready to be home... I won't go on and on and on...but.. Yeah. Totally ready to hang himself in the bathroom.

My current thought is I should have laid low on the cliff bars and packed him some scuba gear. I could have hidden it in SOME locker - right? Then he could scuba home. Wouldn't be the same Home Coming-but at this point... I don't care.

Time has basically stopped. But it's not going slow enough that I'll ever get everything done before Home Coming. It's a weird slowness.

xoxo
:)Samantha

And they're OFF.....

Joe and I enjoyed quite a bit of skype time in Gib. He had already been there in 2004 and had no interest in going out and seeing much. This worked out well for me who had a lot of interest in talking to him.

Christmas was difficult. I know it's just a day-but it was difficult to not be able to share it with him. His stocking is still hung up in our living room waiting for him to plow through it when he gets home.

I'm ready for him to be home. I wasn't always ready for him to get back here either. I had my own agendas and things I had planned to complete during deployment. But I'm ready now. My heart aches for him all day. Just to touch him. To cuddle. To feel loved. It's not easy to keep the home fires burning. To plan our BBT trip* to Rome this Spring. To giggle. To laugh. To hear him yell..where is my liddle monkey? Or...when I try to wake him up...to hear him say- liddle monkeys should be sleeping. Just to laugh again. To truly be happy.

Whew!
Lots of love to all the wives who tend to the fires- It's exhausting.

Almost done! Almost done!
Whew!
Samantha:)
BBT trip = Before Baby Trip