Home at Last!!

Our good news has finally come - James got home on Friday!! And Maiby has had a lot of fun getting to know her daddy, and hasn't been scared of him at all! We are leaving Coeur d'Alene on Friday for Moscow so James can finish school - we're hoping he will be done in May, and then who knows?

Good News No Longer a Secret

So we have decided that we will no longer keep our good news a secret - James is coming home! He will return in the middle of August and we will be moving back down to Moscow. He is already registered for classes and we are looking forward to being all together again. He received his extention papers in April and we decided that he shouldn't sign them, so he will only be gone for the initial deployment of 150-something days. His captain there also told him it was a good idea, and we feel really good about it.

Not Much to Report

Hello all - I don't really have too much to write today, but I just feel like adding something. Last night I was working on the quiet book and ran into a snag, or at least made a whole page into a bunch of snags. It was pretty sad, but at least I have plenty of fabric for that page to try again (and a time or two after that) if needed, since I bought enough to make two, but after cutting out the pieces for one discovered I have enough for more than two - who determined the sizes of fabric needed, that's what I'd like to know!

On a better note, James is doing well. And I would be doing even better without him if the post office would cooperate with me a little more...I am waiting for 4 letters in the mail, and have not received them yet - it's been 2 weeks since the first one was sent, which is WAY too long. Hopefully today (which of course I tell myself every day and then my hopes are dashed as soon as I turn the mail key in the slot). Oh, the woes of the military wife.

What is the matter with people?!

Can I just say that I am thoroughly annoyed and angry at the reaction of people to James leaving?!! It's not everyone -- it the ones who have known James for a really long time. Anytime someone in Lewiston hears that he is being deployed, they are shocked and think he is crazy. This was a decision that was made by both of us....he didn't get called up, he volunteered to go, which apparently makes his leaving even worse!! "How can he leave you and the baby?" "I can't believe this! What does his wife say?" (This one is aimed at his parents) Let me tell you the reaction we get in Coeur d'Alene/Spokane: "Thank you", "We'll put him on our church prayer roll"(from a complete stranger, accompanied by a hug, to MY mom), "Good luck". Are such reactions alien to the rest of the world? I cannot believe that no one around here can even PRETEND to be supportive of the decision we have made.

It Might Not Be Much More Than a Year

James has been down in Boise for a couple days before heading to Georgia tomorrow. We thought that he would have to be in Georgia for a few months before heading to Afghanistan, but he found out a few days ago that he will only be in Georgia for a couple weeks. So that is pretty good news, because we are thinking that it will shorten his total deployment length. It has not been my favorite having him gone, but we made the decision together and I still feel good about it. It was even a better goodbye than when he left for basic training - not as many tears and it was a lot easier on me.