The final weeks

It's definitely crunch time here at our house, and I couldn't be more excited.

The last time I talked to Pat he said that he was going to start sending home his stuff in the next few weeks. That is the best mail a person can get! I remember last time when it arrived all I wanted to do was open it and feel like a part of him was already home. Of course Pat wouldn't tell me the combination for his locks because of gifts for us, but I did manage to pull out a few shirts that smelt like Iraq. He made me promise not to break into his footlockers this time when they arrive....we will see. I still don't have any new news on a more accurate time frame of his arrival, but, like I always say, I will keep you posted.

The girls start softball and tee ball this week on top of all their other activities. I am so happy that Pat will be home for most of the season this year. He wasn't able to make it to any of their games last year and I know it is going to mean so much to all of them to have him here. I'm excited because of all the sports I know about, baseball is not one of them. I just wish he was here in time to take them to pick out their mitts and bats.

School is keeping me so busy. As much as I enjoy it, I wish I could just take a break for a few days. I have been spending so much extra time on my classes so I can get ahead and focus on the small things to get done around the house the last few weeks before Pat gets home.

Britnie has TERA NOVA testing this week and of course, her yearly allergy fit started over this last weekend. She is growing up so fast, and is becoming such a lady. She's like a Minni mom. For almost a week now she has woken up before me and started my coffee. She puts about 3 spoonfuls of coffee in verses my 1/2 cup of grounds, but I love waking up to fresh Britnie coffee.

Bianca has been all about the kitchen lately. The other night she wanted to "prepare dinner" for us, so I was all for it. She said she wanted a healthy dinner so she made a fruit and veggie salad. She peeled her own cucumbers and cut her own apples (after I took the cores out). She was so proud of herself and her salad. It was a mixture of grapes, apples, oranges, cucumbers, carrots, and we had beets on the side. She is getting ready for a growth spurt because she has been eating so much lately. For anyone who knows Bianca, she is a very picky eater.

I can't believe how fast this deployment has gone by. Although it seems like an eternity since I have seen Pat, it also feels like yesterday that he left. I am so glad that I booked our schedules full of activities and things to do to help pass the days. It makes such a difference. These last few weeks are no exception. Next week I will start pulling out all of his clothes to wash and put away, as well as try to get our house in shape. After finding out we aren't getting one of the new houses until July or August, I decided to try and make this house a home for when he gets back. It is nice not having to walk around boxes in every room.

So for now this is the update, but I'm sure there will be a wide range of emotions on this blog over the next few weeks. It is so awesome to say "only a few more weeks" instead of "a few more months."