Has It Really Been Over A Month?

Oh my goodness has the time flown by since my last post. The list has been finished and many, many, many more lists have been made, crossed off, thrown away, or misplaced.

Adam has been plugging away at the squadron, flying, studying, and learning his new job in the S-4 shop. He's also been busy every night working on his first grad class through American Military University. There is nothing planned for the squadron at the present moment, which I know is frustrating for the pilots, but perfectly ok with me for now.

I've been planning and teaching away while also working on one of my last grad school classes. (I just have to finish this year.) Our county just went through district re-accreditation and, of course, Stateside was one of the schools visited. Everyone prepared their rooms, their lessons, and their bulletin boards for the visit. The school was shining and spotless, everyone had put up their student's best work, and we were ready to show off all the awesome things we do at our school on a daily basis anyway. It was wonderful and exhausting, but totally worth it for the shining report the county recieved. You can check it out here: http://www.jdnews.com/news/school-73244-first-achievements.html

Now we are into a cold and rainy March and I am so ready for Spring Break.

Lists

I am a list person. I make lists. On any given day you can find lists in my purse, on my desk, on my refrigerator, or in my phone. Lists of things to do, things I want to do, or things to buy at the store. I buy colorful post-its or pretty pads of paper just for my lists. I like being organized and I like to accomplish many things in a day. I like getting up, making a list, and crossing things off of it. I like making a list and including things I have already completed just so I can cross it off the list and feel accomplished.

Today I sat down to make a list. Laundry. Check! (It was already in the washer), lesson plans, blog, bills.....Then, I coded it. I made a star for things that were time sensitive and MUST be done today. I put a mark next to the things Adam could do for me. I circled things that could be done simultaneously. (I LOVE multitasking. I am one of the most efficient people I know.) I felt so accomplished and like a huge nerd. (I pretty sure Adam was thinking what a crazy wife he has.) And I have spent the day completing tasks on my list. I feel pretty good about it. Although, with all the lists I make, I might spend more time making my lists than actually doing the things on them.

I have flowers!

In the midst of the freezing temperatures and empty trees, my garden is yielding these beauties:

Thank you God for the winter-blooming camellia.

He's Home.

Cowboys and Indians

This week at school we hosted a Literacy Night. In an effort to get parents involved we have started a Parent University and try to offer workshops. This week it was about reading with children at home. In the classroom we worked on projects for Read Across America, where each grade level got a region of the U.S. and read books related to that region. Third grade was assigned "The West" and I chose cowboys as our theme. We also tied it in with our social studies unit on Native Americans. So my students studied the Navajo, made slideshows, models of hogans, and read the book "The Toughest Cowboy". I stayed at school until 7:30 two nights in a row, allllllll week we worked on our cowboy character charts, cowboy paragraphs, and prepared our room for visitors. I also got to dress up like a cowgirl, boots and all. Here are some pics:

In other news, as I write this, Adam is making like the Pilgrims on the Mayflower and heading West. He is due to arrive quite soon and I could not be happier. I've spent the last few weeks cleaning and buying him presents. It's been a long year of training and deployment, but I have to say, God has been merciful and loving throughout.

Wasting time...

I was enjoying a conversation with a friend the other day when the topic of Facebook came up. She asked how long I had been friends with someone on Facebook, and I responded that it had been about 4 years. She said, "Has Facebook been around that long?!"

Yes. It has. In fact, I have been on Facebook since 2004. Five years of my life spent on Facebook. I wonder how much time I have actually wasted checking profiles of friends and aquaintances? Probably as much time as I've spent right now writing this post instead of finishing report cards for tomorrow.

Loving and loathing Facebook all at the same time.

P.S. Here I am at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, January 2008.

Untitled

I always think I should write more, but have trouble figuring out what to say. The purpose of this blog was to keep up with family and friends far away or close to wherever home may be. I'm finding it's also a great outlet for sharing what's on my heart. So here's what's on my heart:

The last few months have been creeping by and rushing right on through all at the same time. I'm sure so many of you out there feel the same way often. In the day to day I just can not wait for Adam to get home! But then I look back and think, "My, it feels like yesterday was the first day of school and here I am getting ready to send out report cards." It's a blessing to have this time, and it's also time I'd like to get over with.

Adam is still currently deployed. I'm unsure of his current location with the 22nd MEU, but I know they are in transition to head back home. I do know where they have been since the last few posts and I've gotten some great presents from the port calls Adam has made. Adam was able to spend some time in Bahrain and Dubai, see belly dancers, go shopping, and eat anything that wasn't ship food. The squadron also spent a significant amount of time in Kuwait, flying, studying, and mostly getting sick of the heat and humidity. Since my last post Adam has pinned on Captain and qualified as PQM (pilot qualified model) on the Cobra. Now we're just ready for December to get here. I am so grateful for email and the phone calls Adam has been able to make, but it's no substitute for having him home!

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but I have been taken aback by how emotional deployment has been. I figured if I kept busy enough I wouldn't notice how much I missed Adam or much of how I was feeling at all. Of course I've still got a great big smile on my face and am thankful for everyday with Adam, home or not. But as the months go by I am amazed how much it is possible to miss a person and how magnified even the littlest situations become when Adam isn't around to support me in the ways he usually does. I talked to Nana, Adam's grandmother, on the phone last night. She was saying how you just can't know about these things until you go through them. She's absolutely right.

I know there's so much to catch everyone up on, but it's also time for me to go to bed. I guess you'll just have to wait unti the next time I muster up some words to share. For now, here are some recent pictures Adam sent me:

Belly Dancing Show in Bahrain:

Don't these guys think they're so cool: (Adam is on the far left)

Going through the Suez Canal:




On the ship: