So I was in the bathroom getting ready for the day. Avril's hanging out in my room, just doing her thing, chattering like usual. I wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying until I heard, "Mommy, I just really need you to focus right now."
I wonder where she picked that up...?
Ok, I've never actually run a marathon, but in my mind it compares to this quite easily. Derek has been gone for 5 1/2 weeks. He flies into Columbia Friday night at 10:30pm... it can't come soon enough! It's gone by pretty fast, actually, but it's also been the longest six weeks of my life-- depending on which day it is and my frame of mind. Boy, do I miss that boy! I'm so grateful for the wonderful family and friends that I have had out here to support me.
Thanks to Camas my cousin for coming out to little K-ville from the Big Apple and spending who-knows-how-much time traveling for a weekend. Thanks to my mother-in-law Zan for coming out for a week to play with me and my girls, to paint Avril's room and to otherwise keep my mind off of my missing husband, my problems and my guilt (refer to Jayne's post on the subject...). Thanks to great friends like Brenda, Melody, Tara and many others who kept me occupied and shared their concern and time with me.
You all offered so much... but no one could give me the one thing I needed most: my wonderful husband! Thanks anyway; it's the thought that counts.
Melody reminded me that I had yet to get her a copy of her yoga pictures... 
Which were taken in May! I haven't had a chance to look at them on my own yet; here's my list of excuses:
-when I got them Derek was still here and he's a major computer hog
-the old computer's cd burner doesn't work-- nor does it even open
-as soon as Derek left for Texas, the new computer stopped working
-it finally started again, but by now I'd just forgotten!
So, I decided I should probably post a few pictures...
thanks to our generous photographer for taking the time to do these with us for nothing.
First, this seems more scary to me than interesting: my toothy little almost-eight-month-old thinks it's a good idea to start trying to crawl up stairs. Do you have any idea how many stairs are in my house?! I knew this day would come. I was just hoping it wouldn't be for another couple months! Also, she's got two more teeth coming in on top! Or she will soon.... I can't believe how big she's getting and how fast! I'm so sad Derek is missing out on so many of these fun developments.
Which brings me to my second point of interest: Derek in Texas. Yeah, that just plain and simple sucks. I mean, how do you tell your two (almost three)- year-old that Daddy isn't coming home for THREE MORE WEEKS? It breaks my heart 
every time I hear her crying about how much she misses her Daddy. She fell off a chair today and after I comforted her and she calmed down enough to talk, all she could say was, "I want my Daddy!" I just feel so inadequate! I know I can only fulfill half of her needs: I can't imagine trying to be a single parent. And every time I have to tell her she won't see Daddy for three more weeks (2 1/2 now), I torture myself by trying to imagine what it would be like to tell her Daddy's never coming home. It makes me sick to my stomach.
Anyway, I didn't bring that up to complain. What I really wanted to say was that Derek is loving The Texas. Although it's so hot he feels weird if he's actually dry, he's really enjoying his combat training, land navigation and weaponry training. I'm so proud of him for following his patriotic sense and serving his country this way. I miss him something fierce and hope he never has to leave again. But underneath it all, I'm just proud to know I 
married a man who won't shirk his duty when it calls.
On the other hand... when he loses his rifle during night navigation, I kinda have to wonder what's really going on over there!
