Busy.

   Long time, no post! Wow. Life has been crazy busy since the last post. Chris made it safely back to his COP after R&R. We miss him like crazy! R&R is such a tease! They give you long enough to get into a routine, then they take him away! But, Declan and I have been back into a routine since Chris left, and it definitely doesn't get easier. Things have been so rough lately. We've been super busy and Daddy has been super busy so we haven't been able to talk to him much lately.
   School has kept us busy. The classes I'm taking definitely aren't getting easier, so I'm having to keep up with my studying. But, finals are almost here and I can't wait for a break! Tomorrow is the only day I have class, then I'm done for the week. The professors however, decided to assign us a butt-load of homework. But, not too much longer and I'm done for he semseter! Next semester I'm taking Microbiology, Genetics, and Chemistry II. That will definitely keep me busy until Chris comes home!! I'm so excited!
   I was thinking the other day how awful it's gonna be waking up on thanksgiving day and christmas day without our Hero. =( Poor Dec. He has no idea. We are definitely ready for March to get here! We are SO anxious. We're gonna be SO busy next month! My sister-in-law is graduating from Nursing school in Virginia and Dec and I get to see her graduate! We can't wait to see her! A few days before her graduation, are my finals. Right after my last final, Dec and I are flying to Baltimore to stay with my brother-in-law and his wife. It will be an awesome break from school. We're gonna have a blast. Everytime I ask Dec if he wants to fly to see them, he says, "No, see Dada." It totally breaks my heart, but I just keep telling him that we'll see Daddy soon!
   Besides being busy, we are doing pretty well. I'm planning on working on Potty-Training Dec over thanksgiving break, so hopefull we'll see some improvement. We talk to Chris some, but he's been so busy lately. He's doing well, but he doesn't get to sleep as much as he should. They keep him busy with a lot of over-night duty, then has stuff for him to do during the day. He needs sleep so he can stay alert! We definitely appreciate all the prayers. They are keeping him alive! We're so thankful for all of the support we've been given as well!

R&R

Draft from September 22.
 Yesterday was the 10th "goodbye" I have said to my husband the past YEAR. That's how many times he's had to leave his family for training or deployment. You'd think we'd be used to it by now, but no. It's the hardest thing I have had to do. Especially this last time. R&R is such a tease. The army allows him to come home long enough to get into a routine, and then they take him back again. But, while Chris was home these past 2 weeks we had a BLAST. Declan, now being older than when daddy left in Febuary, had so much fun with his daddy. They wrestled, played basketball, football, and golf. They jumped around and ran like crazy! You can just tell that Dec loves his daddy so much. Chris couldn't believe the stuff Dec does now. You can have mini-conversations with him. He is such a little rascal and would say the funniest stuff! I was so happy to see that they were able to spend so much time together. But, it also made it SO much harder to watch him kiss and hug daddy "bye". While Chris was here, we took Dec to the Jenks Aquiarium, and the Gentry Safari. .We had so much fun and were so happy to be together and be a family again!
   When Chris first arrived, his family had absolutely no idea that he was here! Chris had been wanting to surprise them for a really long time, so I agreed to it. We found out that his parents were eating out with our pastor from our church and decided to surprise them there. Then, I called my brother-in-law and asked if he was able to get his little family to the same restaurant. We walked in, and just surprised them!! They were SO shocked to see Chris! It was such an amazing and memoriable moment! AND we were able to get it on video!! Everything turned out perfectly. It was such an amazing start for his R&R.

Here's to Another Change

   Man, oh man. I definitely miss the beach. Since we got back, Dec and I have been on the move non-stop! We finally got home from Florida at 4:30am on a Sunday. Then, I had all day to rest up and prepare for classes the next day! Yay for going back to school!   
   Poor Dec. He has gone through so much change the past few months! But, I feel like we're on a pretty good routine now. Fall semester started about 3 weeks ago and while I'm at school, Dec is also at school. He loves it! He's having a blast with the other kids and always asks to go outside to play.... even in the heat!! He continues to amaze his teachers everyday with his quick learning! I am so thankful and blessed! He is truely, an amazing kid. Apparently, he doesn't like to get messy. When they finger-paint at school, Dec refuses to paint with them. Do we have a clean/neat freak? Maybe... But I'm not complaining!;-) Declan still plays with my phone and watches videos of him and Daddy. He giggles so much at him, and I'm so glad he still remembers how goofy Daddy is! Every time Dec sees a bus of any kind he'll go, "Dada's bus. Dec drive Dada's bus." It's so funny. But, then I've been telling him that next time Daddy comes home will be on an airplane. Then he says, "Dec drive Dada's airplane." It's precious. He can't wait to see Daddy, and I'm excited too! We want him home so badly!
   Like I said earlier, classes started up and I have been so busy! I've been doing homework and studying, but also spending time and taking care of my precious 2-year-old. It's hard. It's REALLY hard, but I'm doing the best I can. I try to finish stuff while Dec is sleeping. And Dec also going to school helps me a lot. I've been doing well so far at this whole school thing, I just hope I can keep it up! It's so easy to choose Dec over school! =)
   I've been able to talk to Chris quite a bit still. I am SO thankful! He's alive and doing well, so far. Dec and I (and our familes) continue to pray for him everyday! Chris is ready to come home, and wants to be with us so badly!! He hates it there. He'll be so glad when April is here, and we will too! And if we continue to stay as busy as we have been, these next months will be a breeze!!!
   I've been so focused on Dec and school, that I can't believe it's already September! Which also means it's FOOTBALL SEASON!!!! This is my favorite season!! And now that Dec knows what it is, and likes watching the tackles, we've gonna have a blast. And hopefully Dec will learn how to throw a spiral by the end of the season. ;-)
   Anyways, I need to get back to studying. Thank you so much for reading and keep praying for us, please! We definitely couldn't get through all this without the One and amazing, God!

Bye Florida!

   I can't believe we are heading back to Oklahoma in a few hours. These past two weeks have flown by SO fast. Everyone is in bed, but I am awake writing this post, amazed at how fast this went. I am so glad Dec and I came. We got to spend an awesome time with the Chris' whole family! Including their cousin and his wife! I am still incredibly sad that Chris was unable to join us, but this break is definitely what I needed. I truly have the most amazing in-laws I could ever ask for. We had a blast going to the beach, the pool, out to restaurants, and we LOVED taking pictures! But, most of all, we loved being together. I'm so sad to leave because when we leave, Cherée will go up to Liberty with Melanie because she transfered from NSU. Melanie has one more semester of Nursing school and is graduating in December. That leaves Merle and Carol, Me and Dec, Laurel and Laney coming back to Oklahoma. (Josh left early because he had to go back to work after a week.) So thank goodness I have at least 1 sister who will be close to me!    Declan has done so well here. But, his terrible 2's definitely started showing. It's awesome... But, hopefully as we get home and get back into a routine, he'll get better SOON. He has an amazing tan from being outside so much, too! Maybe he's starting to look a LITTLE like an indian boy.... =)
  I've been able to talk to Chris quite a bit while we've been here. Poor guy... This has been so, so, SO hard on him to not be here with everyone. And he's so jealous that I get to spend time with HIS family. Everytime we talked, he would just wish he could have been here. He's been going to a rough time lately. He's been having to go on "Guard Duty" and his shift has been 1:00am-4:45am several nights. And he can't sleep much during the day, so he's been completely EXHAUSTED. When Dec is in the mood, he'll talk to Daddy and will answer Daddy's questions or he'll sing to him. It is SO precious. Chris can't believe how much Dec talks! Well, we're leaving pretty early in the morning, so I should probably get some sleep. Please pray that we ALL have a safe trip to our destinations and that God continues to watch over Chris and the rest of our soldiers! Thanks for reading!

Another Month

   Man, oh man. Since the last post, things have been rough. Chris' birthday is on July 4th, and I was so upset we couldn't be with him to celebrate! He wasn't too happy to be spending his birthday in Afghanistan, either. But, that day I just keep reminding myself that before too long, we'll be together and celebrate ALL the holidays he has had to miss. The day after his birthday was our son, Declan's 2nd birthday. That was another rough day to go through! I just can't imagine how he feels to be so far away from his family. But, I am SO thankful he is okay! That Saturday I decided to celebrate Dec's birthday. He had a blast. And he got so many new, annoying toys that I'm sure Daddy can't wait to hear! ;-)
Also, my English class ended and I am so grateful that it ended! I am NOT good at English. I had my sister-in-law proof all my papers, and she made some comments about my lack of writing skills. Good thing my major isn't in that subject! =)
   Chris' family likes to go to Florida every couple of years, and this year was the year to go. They invited Dec and I to come along, and we accepted the offer. This decision was very hard on me because the last time we were at the beach, was right after we had Dec and he was only a few weeks old. So, we were here together as a family last time. Our time here has been a lot of fun. We've been at the pool quite a bit, and have gone to the beach a few times as well. Dec and I have awesome tans to go back home with. Chris' cousin and his wife got here the same day we did, and stayed with us for 5 days. The day before they left, Chris' brother and his wife arrived and they will be here for another day. It's been fun spending time with his familiy, but it's also sad that Chris is the only absent one. We've had a lot offun, but it hasn't been easy on me to be here without HIM. This weird schedule that we've been on has put a damper on Dec's sleeping schedule. For some reason, he's been waking up early! When at home, he usually sleeps in until 10 or 11! I guess it's because he doesn't want to miss out on spending time with family, because most of them have to go far away after this! =(
   So, our Anniversary was a few days ago... That day was the hardest day to go through, yet. I miss Chris more every day, but that day was insanely rough on me. We have been married 2 years, and I can't believe how fast it's gone by! I am so thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life with such an amazing man! He's doing so much for us AND for this country, and I couldn't be more proud of him! I'm so upset that we could celebrate together, but I am insanely thankful for his family who tried to make that day a happy one for me. They tried so hard, and I appreciate it so much!
   The past couple weeks, Declan has been putting words together to make sentences. It's adorable. He's also been praying by himself before he eats! And when he prays, he prays for Daddy! It is THE most precious thing EVER. He'll say, "bring dada home", "Jesus loves dada", etc. I love it. And when I told Daddy, he couldn't be more proud. I can't even express how happy it makes me that Dec loves Jesus! It's so amazing, and I'm gonna continue to work with him on it! That's the most important and number one thing that I want to teach him: Loving Jesus.
   Since Chris has been in Afghanistan, he has seen some action. He's isn't really allowed to tell me much but he did tell me this, "Just keep on praying for our safety, because i know God has definitely protected me from things a few times so far. i won't get in to it too much [detail], but i've had a couple of [stuff] fly right over our heads, and one that hit right outside the building that i sleep in. i'm not trying to scare you, but just let you know that I know that God is protecting me over here and i'm not worried about it because i've seen that He is definitely taking care of me." Not exactly the words I like to read, but it just makes our faith grow stronger! Also, our battalion lost 4 soldiers in ONE week. SCARY. I was a mess after learning this information. I can't help but worry about my husband, but I know that God has Chris in his hands. But, these events happening, hasn't made this any easier. All we can do is continue to pray, pray, pray for Chris, and the rest of the soldiers fighting for us!
   I know this post has kind of been all over the place, but it's really late, and I'm just killing time until Chris calls me again! Enough for now, as always: Thank you for reading!

Happiness. =)

   Hello all! Sorry it's been so long! You will NOT believe how busy we've been since the last post!! Chris has been training until recently. He has done amazing at his job!! I'm so proud of him! They changed locations, but then we back to were they were previously staying. Chris has just been working so hard, to be the best Mortarman he can be! I'm so thankful he, and his other guys are doing well at their job! Definitely makes me feel a little better.
   Since April, Declan has learned his ABC's, his numbers, AND his colors. He's not even 2 yet!! He's also been putting words together to make little phrases! It's absolutely insane. Chris and I are beyond blessed to have such a smart, healthy, precious baby boy!! He's been amazing. He's just willing to learn and WANTS to learn as much as he can! If only i can get him potty trained... ;-) I can't even imagine how Chris feels to have to be left out of watching him learn new things everyday...
   May was quite a busy month. I've decided to go back to school while Chris is gone. I knew I would always go back, but now seems like the perfect time to go back. I tried to enroll and start classes in May, but that didn't work out. Instead, I started in June. I'm working on being a Medical Technologist. And hopefully, if it works out, I can try to get into dental school eventually. While I go to school, I found this "school" for Dec to go to. I really like it. It seems cleaner than anywhere else around here. AND they have individual education plans! Not sure if that's what they call it, but something like it. I can tell the teachers what I want them to help Dec with, and they'll work with him! It's perfect since he's so willing to learn! He's been going the past week and seems to like it! He also needs learn some social skills. I'm just not looking forward to him getting sick with colds and such...
   At the end of Chris' training we got to see him!! We left almost 2 weeks ago, and headed to Mississippi! Declan knew who we were going to see and he did so well in the car!! He was absolutely amazing.(no surprise there. ;-)) Chris' parents, Merle and Carol, went with us to see him!! I can not even express how excited we were to see him!! Chris said the feeling was mutual. We picked him up on a Saturday and drove down to Gulfport, MS to a hotel we had booked months before. We got joining rooms with his parents and it was perfect!! We had such an amazing time!! We didn't do a whole lot mainly because we were just focused on spending as much time together as we could so we just hung out in the room, the pool and was at the beach a few times. It was truly amazing to be with him! He's worked so hard since late February and he definitely needed a break! He was SHOCKED to see how big Declan was. AND to see what all he was doing since he had left. We are so blessed to have been able to spend time with him!! We had a blast! I'm getting butterflies just thinking about our time together. We all were SO happy to be together!! The feeling is just unbelievable!!
   Well, that's all for now. Please continue to keep us in your prayers! We appreciated them SO much, you have no idea!! Thanks for reading!!!

We're back!

We're back! This past month has been a crazy one! Chris got to come home at the end of March and left April 1st. That was a pretty rough day. The night before I didn't not sleep more than 10 minutes. I felt like if I did fall asleep, the remaining time I had with him would go a lot faster... Not so much. I stayed awake enjoying every last moment I had. I watched him sleep and couldnt' believe I wouldn't be able to be near him for a whole year. It was so heartbreaking that the clock just kept going. I wanted time to stop so badly. I was just so thankful for the time we got to spent. We had a blast. Chris and I went to Eureka Springs for a night and stayed in a Bed and Breakfast. We had such an amazing time! Could NOT have asked for a better time. I don't even remember now what all we did that week he was here, but it was definitely much needed. Declan had so much fun being with Daddy. He still asks for him daily, which is a little sad, but I continue to tell him, "Daddy is at work, bub." or "Daddy is in the Army". We continue to receive phone calls from Chris daily, so we both get to talk to him. Chris has been doing well. He's a little sad lately because he feels like his missing out on so much of Declan's life. Dec has been talking more and says a few new words.
Sorry, this post is so short, but I MUST get this kid to bed! More later! Thanks for reading!

Siiiiick Baby

   These past few days have been a little rough on us. Saturday I worked all day and was eager to get out of there because it was my last day to work for the next week! That same morning I woke up to a very congested little boy. He sounded horrible. I could tell something was coming because the night before he had been a little restless and just different. So before we went to bed, I cleaned and loaded the humidifier, hoping it would help some... Uh, not so much. I felt horrible I had to leave him with my parents all day because all I wanted to do was stay home with him and cuddle him. After work, my parents had told me he had a fever on/off throughout the day. I'm glad he decided to wait until Daddy left to get sick! =/ I mean, I don't know what to do with a sick baby! He's been sick with a cold, maybe twice since he's been born. Apparently he threw up and slept most of the afternoon. My mom told me he acted like how I use to when I was younger. Back then they didn't know what was wrong. But, now they know they were MIGRAINES! Dun-dun-dunnnn. I pray so hard that he wont get my migraines! They are horrible! Those who have been around me when I've had one... NOT so pleasant. Anyways, I took him home and he was so stuffy and tired, that he climb up on the couch with me and fell asleep on me. The most amazing feeling ever. I am truly thankful for that little boy!!! He's been doing better, somewhat. Definitely has more energy now! I just continue to pray he gets better! As cute as his voice his, I'm sure his throat isn't doing so well.
   Since Saturday Chris has been at a different camp in Mississippi. He seems to be doing very well. I should have brough him ear plugs because he's such a light sleeper-- and those boys snore REALLY loud. He's been doing really well at all of their activities they've been making them do. He's also been having to do some Physical Training, and he seems pretty confident at how he's doing. I'm so thankful he's doing so well! We miss him a ton! Another day is another day checked off! A week from tomorrow he'll be able to come home for a few days! Excitement is definitely an understatement. It's kind of hard to believe it's gone by so fast, but I hope it stays like this! We're doing so well so far, but keep praying! We appreciate everything that everyone has done for us. God has blessed us with so many amazing people in our lives!
Thanks for reading! 

Another Goodbye...

   It's been almost two weeks since we had to say good-bye to our soldier. We had an awesome opportunity to see him yesterday!!! We were SO excited!!! It was so amazing being able to see him again! Although, it was only two hours, we had a lot of fun. Chris said that Declan had definitely changed since he last saw him. When we got there, we had to wait for over an hour before we saw Chris because the truck that they had to load wasn't there yet. But, when he came looking for us, Dec saw him and ran to him with open arms saying, "Dada! Dada!" It was pretty much the most precious thing ever. It was just like something you'd see on TV. Chris was so happy to be able to hold his "baby" boy again. We got to hang out for a little bit, chased Dec around, and talk. It was really nice. Then they served the soldiers and their families pizza. We got Dec's stroller out and fed him some pizza and some other food I had brought. Chris was trying to help, set his pizza down, and right after the wind blew it away! =( He was NOT happy. That's the only thing he had to eat that day!! Needless to say, he went ahead and ate it! Haha. Then later, he dropped his last piece in the dirt!!! =(  Poor Chris. He was so exhausted and so hungry! (He didn't waste that last piece either. ;-)) Soon after we ate, we had to say good-bye, AGAIN. It was a little harder this time, but we know we'll see Chris soon in about two weeks. Chris said it was so hard on him watching us leave. I told him I'm sure it was harder on me having to leave him again. Chris and his company left camp around 6:00 that evening to head to Mississippi. It's a 12-hour drive, so the guys were expected to sleep on the buses. But, they kept movies playing all throughout the night so Chris didn't get but an hour of sleep. They arrived at the camp around 6:00am. Since they drove through the night, they got to sleep in until 12. Apparently today was a recovery day, and Chris said that hopefully tomorrow will be a recovery day as well. Pray he can get some sleep!!! He said it's so hard to sleep with all the those guys being loud.
   Declan and I have been trying to keep busy. Thursday we got to a doctor appointment with his Aunt Laurel who is due in about 5 weeks!!! We had fun, and Dec got to listen to his cousin's heartbeat! I've been working a lot this past week because we will be closed all next week. That has helped a bunch with keeping us busy. I'm not sure what we're gonna do this next week though!
   Chris and I have been doing amazing while he's been gone. We're as happy as we could be apart. There are some hard parts, but it definitely hasn't been as hard as we thought it would be. We're so blessed to have so much family and friends who pray for us!! It's helped us out a lot. We know we couldn't go through this without God. He's so amazing and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us this year!!!
Thanks for reading!

Our First Few Days...

   A month before Chris and I meet, he signs up with the Army National Guard. I never thought he'd actually get deployed! Reality definitely hit me last week... As we prepared for Chris leaving, I just couldn't help but think about Dec. Poor kid... He doesn't know or understand what's happening. But we took in every moment we all had together last week and tried to enjoy as much as we could. Last week we took Dec to the zoo for his first time, and that was so special! We had an amazing time. Declan definitely had a blast. I bet it was weird seeing those animals in person rather than in a book!
   Friday was our last day together and we spent the day doing laundry and packing. That was a rough day knowing that I wont have to do his laundry anymore. Later that night we had to take Chris to the armory so he could stay the night. He had to be there at 7:30am the next day, and I was NOT up for getting up at 4am. Saturday was a half day, so we got to see him after. We ended up staying in a hotel so we wouldn't have to drive home, then back early the next day. That's was Dec's first time, too!
   Sunday was THE day. =( We got there 7:30am again. But this time there were other families there! So we stuck around as long as we could. His sergeant let us go to McDonald's to get some breakfast! He told Chris to spend as much time as he can with family! I was so excited! Soon after Declan was getting tired and kept trying to escape so we had to leave. Saying goodbye was as bad as I thought. Heading home was the worst. I'm surprised I made it home okay because I couldn't see very well from crying. But, I made it home on time for church! It felt so good, there. So many people told me they were praying for us, and just comforting. Declan, however, did NOT want to go in the nursery.
 Since Sunday, he's been very attached to me. Not liking me to go in the other room. It's been a little rough for him. During the day we're okay. In the mornings, Dec will wake up and want his daddy immediately. That breaks my heart every time.
   Tuesday night Dec and I met up with Jamie, another army wife, and we went out to where the husbands were training at and brought them some goodies we got from Walmart. So glad we got to seem them even though it wasn't for very long. We miss Chris so much! We're so very thankful for all the support and prayers that are being sent our way!
   Check back for an update!