Rewind

I just realized that I never told you guys about Grace's Christmas program at church. I can't say much about how the other kids did because my eyes were trained on our girl! She did all the motions and sang all the songs. Sometimes, she would forget the words, but when she remembered them, she sang them louder than anyone else. It was hilarious! A few of our friends said "Grace really knew those songs!" If they only knew how often we had listened to that CD. I am glad it's over!

Last night, Jasen and I got a sitter and went to see "Rocky Balboa." Yes, it was a cheesy Rocky movie, but if you loved the original ones, you'll love this one. Then, we went and grabbed some ribs at Buffalo Wild Wings and came home. It was a good night.

This morning, Davis was up at 6:15. Gotta love that! Grace requested waffles so we had waffles for breakfast and then I ran to Wal-Mart. I tried to beat the crowds and I succeeded! Hopefully, I won't have to go again until we're in Texas!

Jasen and Grace are outside right now with Jack Roberts, installing a garage door opener. Whoop!! I am so excited. Sadly, baby Ryann won't be home until closer to New Year's so Julie is still in Topeka with her, Jackson is in Texas with Julie's parents and Jack needed something to do to take his mind off of things. The Grahams were happy to supply him with some work!

Santa Visit

Yes, we visited Santa Claus last night! We finally made it to the Manhattan mall for the kids to see Santa. Grace was beyond excited. The girl was thrilled. She was ready to tell him all that she wanted. Can you tell by the picture that she was happy? I think it's one of the best pictures we have of her EVER. She told Santa she wanted an Easy Bake Oven, Baby "A-lie" (Alive), and floam.

Davis, on the other hand, did not want to see Santa, as evidenced by the picture. Poor guy. First, Grace went to tell Santa what they both wanted. She told Santa that Davis wanted 2 diapers, 2 "clothe," 2 pacifiers, and 2 bottles. Davis only wants necessities, you see! Anyway, as Grace was talking to Mr. Claus, I was asking Davis if he wanted to go see the old guy. Of course, he was confused. I knew it probably wouldn't go well, so we told the photographer just to take the picture.

As I went to put Davis on Santa's lap, he immediately stiffened. When I sat him down on Santa's knee, the screaming started. I mean, he let us all have it! He looked at me like I was a traitor and started wiggling. I don't know how we got a picture even this good.

Once we took Davis off of Santa's lap, he just sat there in Jasen's arm, with the most stunned look on his face, eyes all round and mouth puckered and round. It was the funniest look! Jasen and I have laughed over and over about it.

Today was Grace's last day at school before the break. She cried when we left, thinking she wasn't going back. Silly girl! We've been busy delivering bread today. It's been fun because Grace has gone with me. Now, we'll just be cooking for the family!

Decorating

Last night, after Jasen got home, we ate dinner and put Davis down to bed, the rest of us decorated the tree. We had such a good time, Grace especially. Most of our ornaments are hung at 4 year old eye level, but that's okay. We helped her move some of them because they were all in a clump.

After we finished with the tree, the Christmas music was still playing. Grace treated Jasen and I to a dance recital. That girl is hilarious! She had such serious facial expressions while she danced. Some moves were of the "Kim Possible" variety; more martial arts than ballet. It was so funny to watch her. We all had a great time.

This morning, Grace had dress rehearsal for the children's musical at church. The actual play is tomorrow night. Jasen took both kids (!!) and I went to run some errands. When Jasen and Davis came back for a few minutes, Jasen had taken Davis to get his haircut!! It was such a nice surprise for me. Davis has needed a trim for quite some time now and I'd been asking Jasen to do it. He didn't want to and I understood why. Davis cried pretty hard this time, just like last time. But what a nice treat that I didn't have to do it! Anyway, Davis has an official high and tight. It's so short, but precious!

Jasen is now off of work until Jan. 5th, when he has to sign back in by midnight. I know he's glad for the time off. We're going to be able to spend a lot of time together, which we need. His work has been so stressful lately. Sadly, we also have to talk about the deployment. Once we return from Texas, we'll only have three weeks and it will be time for him to leave. So, although neither of us wants to, it's time to sit down and get our lives in order for this Iraq rotation.

Sick again

Davis and I are currently fighting another illness. I think we both have colds, but he's having a real time trying to shake his. I just started feeling yucky yesterday. I don't feel bad today, just sound awful. Davis has been hacking a lot. Just in time for the holidays, of course.

We finally got our tree up and put the lights on. Still no ornaments or stockings hung. Baby steps, I guess!

Jasen's stuff is on the way to the desert. He packed up most of it Tuesday night. Then yesterday was a busy day for him, getting the Conex's packed with all of their stuff. It's been a stressful time for him, trying to "split" his property book. Not all of the equipment he has signed for will go to the desert with them. Some will stay back here. Jasen is trying to stay on top of everything so that, when the time comes for him to give up this command, he won't have to pay for anything that is missing. He's in a tricky position for that because he has so much stuff under his name.

Our friend, Julie had her baby night before last. Ryann was born here at Fort Riley then had to be flown to Topeka because there is no NICU here. She's doing really well, though. Breathing on her own, but with a feeding tube. I think she's going to be in Topeka a shorter amount of time than the doctors think. At least that's our prayer!

Tonight, after Jasen gets home from work, I am going to Topeka to pick Jack up. Julie wants to have a car there but Jack needs to be back here for a hearing. So I'll go look at Ryann through the glass. I won't get near her with this cold!

Grace had her Christmas party today at school. She was very excited, of course!

Been awhile

Yes, it's been awhile since I last blogged. I have no real excuse, although we've been busy. I guess it's just the time of year for little downtime. We have definitely been crazy busy. So what have we done this past week? Let's see if I can recount it all!

Last Monday, Grace was off from school, so we had a little downtime. We didn't do anything special that I can remember. It was just nice for the kids and me to be at home together, without having to rush around and do anything. Aside from Friday and Saturday, we're usually out of the door by 8:30, except for Sunday, when we get to stay at home until 8:45. I can barely remember the days when Grace wasn't in school, when we really didn't have to be anywhere on most days. Those were the days!

Tuesday was the last day of my Bible study at PWOC. I did a good one this time, on Proverbs, where we did a lot of scripture memorization. I was sad to see the study end, as I usually am. It was a great group of ladies, too, quite a few with older children and couple of chaplain's wives. Lots of wisdom to learn from! I have agreed to facilitate a study in the spring, too. I'll do the book "The Lies Women Believe" which is one I have done before. I loved it before and know I'll learn even more. I am also going to have a co-leader, too. Her name is Susan and we have a "Germany Army friend" in common. (Jen Gration Yoder, for those of you who know her) Anyway, Susan knows Jen's mom. As soon as Susan and I met each other, we had a connection and that's so important. She's a chaplain's wife with older kids so I know she'll be a mentor to me.

On Wednesday, Grace had school, of course. She took four cans of food for their Christmas tree. Until the 15th, they bring in things to give back to the community. I am glad Grace is learning to give already. She's come up with a new desire for Christmas, too. Baby Alive, or Baby "A lie" as she calls it. Oh good, a baby that drinks, poops and pees. I can't wait.....

That night, I had my final coffee with the field artillery battalion. There weren't many people there, but it was nice. The farewell gift is a precious hand-painted beverage tub with 2-32's crest on it. I have so enjoyed Kim Gadson, the battalion commander's wife. She is just so genuine and real. Anyway, it was sad to say goodbye to that unit, but I am glad that I didn't actually leave. After the coffee, I went to the Gadson's to get their take on some FRG issues. Kim is such a great mentor; just really down-to-earth and logical. I am going to be using her a lot while the soldiers are gone.

Every time I write "soldiers," I have to go back and change it because I usually type "guys" or "men" then I remember that some of Jasen's soldiers are women. It's such a strange thing!

Thursday, Grace had school. Jasen got off work early and we went to get a tree. Jasen managed to buy a damaged tree stand, so the tree spent it's first few days in a mop bucket in the garage!! Boy, that garage smelled good! :)

That night, one of our Germany Army friends came for dinner. Chuck Walters was the signal officer in DIVARTY while we were there. So Jasen worked with him for awhile. His wife, Kathy, was one of my really good friends while we were there, too. He was here at Fort Riley, visiting with signal officers about their next jobs and what was available. The Walters used to live here, in a house I can see from our backyard/kitchen window. Believe me, there have been days I have looked back there and wished they were here with us now!

Chuck works at the Army equivalent of human resources. He had some good advice for Jasen regarding his next Army job: shoot for the moon. He told Jasen that with two commands, two deployments and decent officer evaluations, Jasen should decide what his dream job would be and go for it because he'll likely get it. So right now, Jasen and I are discussing what a dream job would be. There are two ways of thinking: close to home and very far from home. We'll keep you posted.

So visiting with Chuck was wonderful. I've said it before and I'll say it again: we miss our Germany Army family so much. You can't understand how close you get to people until you live in a foreign country with them. They were our family away from family and miss them like we missed our family while we were in Germany.

Friday Grace had a dental appointment, Davis went to a sitter and after her appointment, Grace and I had some mother-daughter time. Grace's teeth are doing well, and her dentist gave me some ideas to help encourage her to quit sucking her thumb. I was glad to hear him say that until she gets her adult teeth, there's no reason to worry that she's damaging her mouth in anyway. After the appointment, we went to the Manhattan library. They have a great facility there. We had lunch at McDonald's then came home because...

My sister, Katie, and her husband, Clancey came in around midnight. Saturday, we took them on a drive-by tour of Fort Riley and stopped at the Cavalry and 1ID museums. That night, we had a sitter and went out to dinner and to Aggieville with the Kilcoynes. We had a great time. Jasen and Clancey are two peas in a pod, which is sometimes surprising. They are different in some of their views, but so much the same in the way they act. Clancey was the perfect choice for Katie and so much a great choice for Jasen. hahahaha!!!!

Yesterday, Jasen narrated the Christmas cantata at church. Katie and Clancey left around lunch. The Grahams all took naps, then picked up the house a bit. With the exception of the Cowboys losing big time last night, we've had a great week!!

Parties' Over

The pictures above are of Jasen in his Texas shirt, and one each of us getting our awards on Friday.

Thank goodness, our wild weekend is over! It wasn't so wild as just busy. Last night, we returned home from the Wine and Cheese party at Jasen's brigade commander's house around 9, about an hour after we really wanted to be home. I told Jayme, our babysitter, not to feel slighted if we didn't call her again for awhile; goodness knows she's gotten enough of our money this weekend!

Do you want to know what a great sitter this girl is? First off, she let Grace help her feed Davis. Wow, that's something Grace's mom doesn't even do! Grace said Davis had two sitters last night: Jayme and Grace. So Grace got to help a lot. Then, when I was trying to pay Jayme, she kept refusing to take our money, saying we had already paid her enough for the weekend. She ended up taking some of the money, but not as much as she should have gotten. She's a sweet girl and the kids like her, too, which almost seems to be bonus!

The Hail and Farewell last night was really nice. The garrison (meaning Fort Riley) commander and his wife were there, acting as "hired help" for Col. and Mrs. Gibbs. They are both Aggies (well, I guess she isn't but both their families are) so we had a great time visiting with them. One of their oldest friends in the world is the (a?) professor of military science (PMS) at A&M right now. That's a good contact to have, especially as Jasen gets back from Iraq. We don't know if we'll be able to go straight to Jasen's next school, which is at Fort Leavenworth, outside of Kansas City. Anyway, last night we were talking again about the option of going to A&M as part of the ROTC cadre. Something not to get too excited about right now, but Jasen's keeping his options open.

We were welcomed into the new unit last night and Col. Gibbs could not have been more nice to us and about us. He said he only keeps Jasen around because of me. I think that might partly be true, because all he says about Jasen is a "darn Aggie." And he doesn't say darn. I don't know if he knows that I am the one that actually went to A&M! I'm pretty vocal about my support of the Aggies, but I think Col. Gibbs thinks it's just because Jasen likes them.

Anyway, it was a sticky situation for Col. Gibbs last night because the commander Jasen replaced was there, too. So he couldn't talk about all the work we'd done already without being ugly about the old guy. However, Col. Gibbs did tell us (and Jasen's new first sergeant and his wife) how much he appreciated our hard work and that we'd already done priceless work for the unit by getting the FRG going. His wife, Nolly, was especially complimentary in front of the whole group of people, which I appreciated. The fact is, I couldn't have done what I did without her.

Party Time

Whew, it has been a busy, busy weekend. And it's not over yet. First, a little update. Julie was able to come home from the hospital on Thursday. Jackson did go home with her mom, though. It's going to be a tough few weeks for her, being away from her first baby, but she's doing a good job of keeping it in perspective that it's what is best for her second baby. Keep them in your prayers.

I am sitting here writing this update, listening to Grace and Davis play together. It is the sweetest thing, when the two of them play together. Sometimes, I'll have my back turned and hear them laughing away. It's a special memory I'll always treasure.

So, Friday was our big St. Barbara's Day ball. She is the patron saint of field artillery and every year, the FA battalions have a ball in her honor. Jasen received his St. Barbara's medal and I received a Molly Pitcher award. We had a great time. Possibly the best part was that Jasen was able to unveil his Texas tuxedo shirt. I was able to get the back part replaced with a nice satin replica of a Texas flag. Jasen has wanted to do it for a long time and we finally were able to get it done. Everyone at the ball was quite impressed. And Jasen was able to show it off when we danced the second dance. We tore that dance floor up! So much so that no one else danced with us that dance. They didn't want to have to compete with us.

The next morning, our friends, Art and Christine Weeks came out to see us. Art is doing the pre-battalion command course at Fort Leavenworth and Christine had to join him for a week of the class. They were with us in Germany; Jasen worked for Art for much his time in Bamberg and Iraq. Christine was one of my closest friends there and their kids, Arfur and Brittany, were like Grace's older siblings. They currently live in England but will be making the move (probably to Fort Bliss) in the next year back to the USA.

We had a lovely visit with them. Just as it always is, though, it was just too short. Christine and I were able to go shopping and leave the guys to their shop talk. Alex Lee came over, too. He was with Jasen and Art in Iraq and commanded Bravo battery here at Riley, alongside Jasen. Anyway, we visited all day long.

They left the same time our babysitter came and Jasen and I left for a hail and farewell. We had a nice time at the dinner, sitting with Jasen's new first sergeant and his wife. Then we went to their house. It is so beautiful! They live in Manhattan and recently completed their basement. They created almost double the living space by finishing the basement. It was awesome to see the work they had done.

After that, we headed to Aggieville in Manhattan where four of Jasen's former lieutenants were having their promotion party. It was okay, but after about ten minutes, Jasen and I looked at each other and agreed we were too old for that kind of party: loud music, lots of drinking, etc. So we said goodbye and headed home.

This evening, we have another hail and farewell. By being in HHC, Jasen belongs to two units: HHC 4IBCT, and the STB. We went to the STB dinner last night and have the HHC dinner tonight. UGH!! My kids have had sitters every night this weekend. I am ready for the party season to be over. I can't take much more and neither can our pocketbook!

Romper Room

The past few days have been eventful, to say the least. It's a long story, but I have been helping with Jackson for Jack and Julie. Julie, who is 32 weeks pregnant, had to be taken to the hospital in Topeka. She's been there since Monday night. I had Jackson yesterday morning and today. Julie's mom is coming up today to help with Jackson and possibly take him back to Texas. Julie isn't happy about that option but the fact is, if and when she's released from the hospital, she'll probably be on bedrest. She can't be running after Jackson.

Anyway, so I have been chasing around three kids. Yes, we are very done with having kids! I made a joke last week with Jasen that when he returned from downrange, I'd re-evaluate whether I wanted anymore kids or not. He laughed that "I" would decide! Well, no need to wait! I'm done!

Last night, I met Christine Weeks in Topeka for dinner. It was great. We had so much to talk about. The two hours we were together weren't enough. I guess that means it's a really good thing that she and Art will be coming here on Saturday to see us. Yippee!!! I think I said that already!

We have a really busy weekend coming up. Friday night is our field artillery ball. Saturday, the Weeks' will be here. That night, we have an event with the Special Troops battalion. Then Sunday, we have a wine and cheese party for the brigade. This year is so busy. We still have no tree up and I have no idea when we'll do that. Maybe next week?? At least we got the lights up outside.

Grace and Davis are doing well. They like having Jackson here. It's a little entertainment for them!

Yesterday, we had a high of 73, which is a record. Today, we'll barely get above freezing and the temperatures will begin to fall. We're under a freeze warning for tonight and the wind is howling. Who says Texas weather changes all the time?? Kansas is just as bad!

Thanksgiving

We trust you all had a good Thanksgiving! Ours went pretty well for everyone but me. I had strep throat. It was awful. I was in bed most of the day on Thursday. My mom got here that morning and she, Jasen, and Grace went to Jack and Julie's for dinner. Davis and I stayed here and slept. I felt awful. This is the second time I have been sick on Thanksgiving. The last time was when Mom came to visit in Germany. I wonder if she shouldn't stay home? ha! Anyway, I went to the doctor on Friday. He said he could swab me but what would be the point in that, as the test would take until Saturday to come back and then I wouldn't be able to get medicine. So he went ahead and gave me some antibiotics. I am feeling much better now.

Wasn't that A&M/t.u. game something? We whooped up on ole Colt McCoy and reminded everyone that t.u. in 2005 was all about Vince Young. The Roberts did come watch with us and we had chili. We had a great time.

That night, Jasen and I went to the movie and for a quick bite. We saw "Stranger than Fiction" and it was pretty good. Our dinner wasn't so great. We hadn't had a chance to talk deployment so that's what we did. Not a talk we enjoyed but one we needed to have. We'd been dancing around the elephant and that is no fun.

Oh, a funny Grace saying. We were out of her 2% milk that comes in a blue container. She told Mom that she couldn't drink our milk (skim, purple container) because she had to have "blue percent milk." ha! Davis has been giving kisses, too. They are open mouth and he clicks his tongue instead of smacking, but it's precious anyway. Especially when he leans in for it.

Saturday, Mom, Grace and I went shopping for a St. Barb's dress and ended up not getting one. I had tried on one of my old but new long holiday skirts (I bought it on sale a couple of years ago and have yet to wear it) with my black velvet top Friday night and really liked the way I looked. Jasen and Mom agreed. I decided that unless I found something that really, really knocked me out, I would just wear what I already had. Suffice to say, I didn't find anything that special. So I'll be wearing old stuff. I did get a new pair of shoes and some jewelry. It's always nice not to spend too much money!

This week is going to be busy. Our friends, Art and Christine Weeks are in Leavenworth for the week. I am going to Topeka tomorrow night to meet Christine for dinner. I am so excited!!! I have missed her so much. Then on Saturday, they'll head this direction to see all of us. Yippee!!

He's home!

Jasen arrived home yesterday morning around 5 a.m. Poor guy, Grace came in at 6:30 and wanted him to do her breakfast. He's such a good dad; he got right up and fixed her cereal for her. It took Davis a few minutes to warm up to Dad. Funny how you forget that they need a refresher at 10 months. Anyway, after his bottle and cereal, Davis remembered who Jasen was.

We had a good day yesterday, of course. When Davis went down for his nap at 10, so did Jasen. Grace and I went to the commissary to give the boys time to sleep. I let Jasen keep sleeping until it was time for the kids to go down for their afternoon naps. He looked really tired all day, but handled it pretty well.

We spent the kids' nap time in the garage reorganizing and talking. The deployment is not something we want to talk about, but it occupies so much of your mind that you can't help but talk about it.

Grace got to go to Target yesterday with her own money, earned by good behavior. Her Great-Gran and Great-Grandad sent her some money for no meltdowns. It was $10 and I made a little adjustment to the qualifications for the money. We got it shortly after Jasen left and I told Grace that we would keep the money in a jar until Jasen came home. Every time she had a meltdown, though, she would lose a dollar. Well, yesterday, she got to buy a Doodle Bear (she's wanted one for awhile now) with her $10. I was probably a little too lenient, but I'll tell you, anytime she was threatened with losing a dollar, she quieted up fast. So I think I'll use that discipline tool again.

We've got a busy week or so ahead. My mom is coming up tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving. While she's here, Jasen and I will go out for some alone time, and Mom will go with me to buy a dress for our formal on December 1st. It's a big deal this year; Jasen will receive his "Order of St. Barbara's" medal and I will receive a Molly Pitcher award. So we'll be onstage at some point in the evening. It will be fun, no doubt. And I want to look good!

The kids are really enjoying Jasen being home. Grace wants him to do everything: bath, bedtime, breakfast. Because Jasen has gotten down on the floor while Davis is crawling around and chased him, Davis now thinks everytime he sees Dad, he needs to crawl away. It's precious.

Dealing

Things here are going okay. After FRG leaders were alerted about the deployment, we then had the daunting task of trying to alert every spouse possible. For me, Thursday night and most of Friday were spent on the phone, calling as many people as we could. Thankfully, I have 9 points of contact who made calls, too, but this is a large company so there are lots of people to call. I was glad to call our rear detachment commander today and let him know that we had contacted all the people that we had phone numbers for.

Grace is feeling much better. Davis still has a lot of drainage, but he seems to be dealing with it okay. He is such a fantastic baby.

Our doctor's appointment on Thursday went well. Grace did have an ear infection. The doctor calmed my fears about Grace catching everything. He reminded me that when you are fighting one thing (scarlet fever) it makes you more susceptible to other nasty viruses/bacterias. He gave us a stronger antibiotic, which, of course, made Grace get sick in her bed when I gave her only milk with it. So more washing of the sheets. Ugh! But hopefully, our illnesses are almost over.

Today, we've got a lot of fun planned. First, we have a coffee to go to. Normally, coffees are reserved for spouses only. Because our soldiers are gone, the kids are invited to this one. It's at the bowling alley and Grace could not be more excited. I am excited, too, because it will be a lot of fun. Hopefully, Davis will allow us to bowl a little!

After that, I am taking the kids to a Parent's Night Out event put on by a campus ministry group from K-State. Two of the girls (Jayme and Sarah) from this group babysit routinely for us, so I feel good about taking the kids. Jack and Julie are taking Jackson, too, and they said they wanted to do dinner with me. So sweet for them to take along their geographically single friend!

Jasen is supposed to be home sometime early on Tuesday morning. We are so excited!! Then we have Thanksgiving. We'll share that day with the Roberts. The next day is the THE GAME, meaning A&M and t.u. We'll share that day with the Roberts, too. It so nice to have old friends here for us to share things with.

I am doing pretty well dealing with our news. In many ways, I am just relieved to know it is really coming. We'd been living in limbo, hearing rumors of deployment, not wanting to believe, but knowing it was probably on the horizon. There have been moments I have allowed myself to get emotional, but my "job" (FRG leader) has kept me busy, busy. That's good I suppose. Last night was a hard one, as I laid in bed alone. You just have those moments of utter anger, despair, etc. Then you try not to think about it anymore.

And I have to say that we've been so lucky. If Jasen really leaves in February, we will have had two years together since he last returned from deployment. As crazy as it sounds, we are so blessed to have had that long; it's a luxury these days to have longer than a year between deployments. Of course, if he does deploy for year, that will be the third year of separation we've had since we've been married. That doesn't seem right, but it's the Army way of life. That doesn't make it easier to swallow!

Thanks for all of you praying for us.

Wit's End

I've reached my wit's end with illnesses around here. Davis has had a stuffy nose the past couple of days. Due to the drool he's also had and the clear drainage, I've been attributing these issues to teething. Yesterday evening, though, I decided it must be more. Our boy cried almost non-stop from 4:30 p.m. until I put him in the bath at 6:45. Those were two really long hours. Just ask Grace! He has been pulling on his left ear, so I decided I would call and make an appointment for today.

Then, at about 10:30 last night, Grace woke up screaming, absolutely hysterical, crying that her ear was hurting. She also had that funny sore throat voice. From that time on, she was back and forth from my room to hers, alternately crying that her ear hurt, that she was hungry or that she missed her daddy. I laid down with her in her room, she came into ours, she was alone in her room. Almost the whole time she was sobbing. Because after an hour or so, I realized she was not going to calm down for me to get any amount of sleep, I became less than sympathetic. I tried, I really did, but it was hard.

We finally fell asleep together at 2, then she was awake and crying again at 4. When I got up with Davis about 7, she was running 102 temperature. So, we're back to the doctor for the third time since Jasen has been gone. She just finished penicillin on Sunday. So, we've had scarlet fever/strep throat, a stomach virus, and now, I am pretty certain, an ear infection.

So I called to make the appointment. Can't see our primary doctor, so we'll be seeing someone totally new. The last time we were at the doctor, they couldn't locate Grace's chart, so I had to fill that doctor in on what had happened before. I am beginning to be concerned for Grace, especially since we were just on antibiotics. When I called her in sick to school, her teacher all but agreed with me. I had chronic ear infections as a kid (and tonsilitis), which ended up being attributed to allergies. Grace doesn't have those (the chronic ear infections), but something is up with her immune system. I am bound and determined to find out what it is. And if I can't get answers at the military hospital/clinic, Jasen's just going to have to suck it up and pay for us to change our TRICARE to something where she can see the same doctor. Because, as I mentioned before, I am at wit's end.

Oh, and to top it all off, I got a call from our rear-detachment officer yesterday. That's the guy left behind to help us out here. He said he's getting a lot of emails about making sure we have correct numbers for all spouses. He also told me to expect a 5 p.m. meeting sometime in the next week. That doesn't sound promising. I want to know if they are going to deploy, but if they've made us wait this long, I wish they'd let us wait until after Thanksgiving. Although, I know most of the families already think it's a done deal anyway.

Sorry this post was a downer. I guess I am feeling a little down. But hey, tomorrow will be a new day. Hopefully, the kids will get some good care at the clinic today. And Jasen will be home in less than a week. So there is always hope.

Nice Surprise

The kids and I got a nice surprise yesterday afternoon: Jasen called! He told me he had been very good about obeying the "rules." His brigade commander wanted everyone to pretend they were on a real deployment to Iraq, which meant no calling home. Evidently, Jasen was feeling down yesterday after his church service. He said he got to thinking about his previous deployment and how Sunday was always the day he called home. So he checked his cellphone and saw he still had two bars worth of battery and he decided he would pretend he was in Iraq and call home on Sunday!

He sounded really good and said that things were going okay in California. He mentioned that he's still feeling his way through his job. It was such a lift for all of us to get to talk.

We were able to talk about all the illnesses that have affected this house and how pitiful the Aggies have played. Wait, that's not right. The Aggies have been playing great. It's the coach that's disappointing. UGH!

Yesterday morning, after church, we went to see our neighbor, Brendan, be baptized. Brendan is the infant son of Katie and Anthony, brother of "little" Ashleigh. It was really neat to take Grace to see an infant baptism and then talk about when she'll be baptized and why we believe that way. I am so glad to have the opportunity to expose Grace (and Davis) to different religions and then talk to her about those differences.

Doing better

Grace and I have fully recovered from our illness. We even enjoyed some Mexican food today! That means we must be all well!

There isn't much to report from here. Just passing time while Jasen is gone. Grace went back to school yesterday and earned a certificate for tying shoes. She had to tie five and she said she did them "all in a row." I think that means she did them without any mistakes in between. Can you believe she's old enough to tie shoes? I can't.

Davis is throwing everything. If I give him a ball, he throws it. If I give him his pacifier, he throws it. If I give him a Cheerio after lunch, he throws it. I wonder if he'll be a pitcher or quarterback? I am voting for pitcher; they don't get hit!

Sick again

Yes, you read correctly, we are sick again. Grace and I have had a nasty stomach bug the past 24 hours. It has been absolutely no fun around here. We are starting to get back on our feet, keeping down crackers, jello, and applesauce. I think we are on the road to recovery.

I am tired of us being sick.

On a happier note, sorry for all of you Aggies out there, but I couldn't be happier that Robert Gates will be the new Secretary of Defense. Whoop!

Scarlet Fever

Grace did indeed have scarlet fever. We found out on Friday and she started antibiotics. That made a world of difference! She's feeling much better. Thank goodness. She's still got a little bit of a cold, but all in all, she's doing very well.

I've been looking for signs of the illness in Davis, but haven't seen any. Praise the Lord!

I am trying to think of any other news to tell you guys about. There really isn't any. Just staying busy with Jasen gone. I talked to him last Thursday and he was sick, too. I think it was going to the desert air and all the dust blowing around. That was the last time I will hear from him for a couple of weeks.

Speaking of Jasen, I would like to request your prayers. I think if his unit is going to deploy, we'll be hearing it officially in the next week. Would you please pray for the soldiers, spouses, and families of 4th Brigade? I am concerned about an announcement coming while the soldiers are gone. I know for me it will be devastating, but I worry more about younger spouses. Having a deployment order come down with your soldier at home is bad enough, but to hear it while they are gone will be very hard for some people. Especially for those who haven't done this before. Or maybe for those of us who have.

I feel a real responsibility to the spouses in Jasen's unit, too, to support them should anything be announced. Pray that I will know what to say, when to say it and to be compassionate when I lose my patience with some of the spouses. I had a call from a spouse in the middle of the night on Saturday and I am still not very happy about it. It was not something that warranted a call to me, thus my frustration. I handled it well at the time, but the more I think about it, the madder I get. So prayers for me are a must! There are some new spouses that will look to me for guidance and I don't know that I am prepared for that job.

Along those lines, pray for Jasen, too. His unit is made up mostly of senior guys; most of the soldiers in Jasen's command are of equal or greater rank to him. I think his company being so top-heavy makes it more likely that a newer soldier would fall through the cracks on something like this. Please pray for Jasen and Sean (his first sergeant who wants me to call him by name) and their leadership, particularly their leading younger/newer soldiers.

I ask for all the prayers knowing in the back of my mind that there is a chance they will not deploy. Pray for that most of all!

Quick Update

I am going to make this quick, as I have little desire to be on the computer right now.

We had a good Halloween. It was cold and we walked the neighborhood early with the neighbors. Grace was a pretty Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Davis was a Yellow Jacket, although a black one. I'll post pictures soon. Grace was tired of handing out candy very early. First sign something was wrong.

The next morning, she woke up with a fever. I made an appointment because she's had a lingering cough, too. We left the clinic with the same ole, same ole: it's a virus, give it a little while to run it's course.

That afternoon, Grace came up with a rash on her trunk and arms. By after nap, it was beginning to get on her legs. After some research, I discovered she had all the signs of scarlet fever. We went back to the doctor yesterday who swabbed her throat for strep (the same virus that causes scarlet fever) and said it was either that or a virus. So I'll be calling shortly to find out what is wrong with our girl. She has now developed spots on her face, but they aren't like the rest of the rash. We'll see....

On top of all that, I've been working like a dog on this darn FRG roster. I cannot tell you how stressful this job currently is. I am thankful for Nolly Gibbs' help, because without her, I don't know what I would do. I've been on the computer or phone for most of the past two days, trying to get good contact info for all the spouses. It's not fun and I am tired of it. Once we get all the information correct, though, the workload should lessen. Famous last words!

Still busy

Jasen left on Friday morning and since that time, the kids and I have just been really busy. That's always the best way to deal with a soldier's absence: fool yourself by not having time to think about him being gone! We haven't heard from him and I am surprised. Although the brigade commander (Col. Gibbs) had said no cellphones, Jasen was under the impression he'd be able to take his and call us until they were "in the box," which is when they will be training out in the boonies of NTC. Since he hasn't called, it makes me wonder if his cellphone was confiscated! Either he's afraid or unable to use it or he's very busy. He was a little anxious about this training because he went to NTC not fully knowing what was expected of him.

I have to tell you how proud I am of Jasen. I know I've mentioned how many of his superiors have said he has a big challenge in front of him. It really hit me this weekend that they must think he can get the job done or they wouldn't have put him in the job. There's no way for me to truly convey what a mess this HHC is in. Well, I can tell you one thing: there was over $700,000 worth of equipment unaccounted for by the previous commander. Yes, 3/4 of a million dollars worth of stuff that no one could find. Now, Jasen thinks it is there somewhere, but the previous commander couldn't find it for Jasen to sign for. That should give you an idea of how poorly the unit was managed before. I think Jasen was brought in to clean it up. And I trust he will!

On the topic of Jasen's unit, I've been working hard to get the FRG (family readiness group) running. There pretty much wasn't one before now. There were a couple of rosters floating around, but they are all incomplete. I feel a real need for accurate information, especially with rumors of deployment running rampant. In the event of a deployment order coming down while the guys are at NTC, I want to be able to let each spouse know from me, because I am the "official" civilian contact for them. And I can't contact them if I don't have good information. I am working with brigade commander's wife, Nolly, on this. She's super supportive of Jasen and me, and feels strongly that we need to get information out quickly, when and if the need arises. She hasn't said this, but her actions indicate that she knows she can get people to act quicker for her than they would for me, so she's being pretty hands on with the whole thing right now. That's a huge help.

While Nolly and I were talking the other day, she mentioned that I shouldn't worry about a deployment order coming down for the next ten days. She and her husband have pointed out more than once that they expect any announcement to come after election day. So I'll be holding my breath until then.

The kids are doing well. Davis says "Dadadadada" all the time. We're all Dad to him! He's crawling all over. I am going this week to buy gates for the stairs. Of course, that's his favorite place to play. I have to put an end to that!

Grace is doing okay. She has cried for Jasen a few times. It helps that she and Jasen marked on her calendar when he was leaving and when he expected to be home. Today, they dressed up in their Halloween costumes for school. She was so excited to be Princess Aurora. Last night, I called her "Princess Grace" and told her how there was once a famous Princess Grace. She asked if it was back when the dinosaurs lived. I got a laugh out of that!

One more funny thing Grace has said; a few weeks ago she made reference to her "leg wrist." Any idea what she was talking about? Yes, her ankle! Too funny!

All Done!

We are finished with the changes of command! It was pretty stressful, having two in one week. Now that they are over, Jasen and I both feel a great sense of relief. Yesterday, after we left the reception, we just took a deep breath because they were finally OVER!

My day started early yesterday. Up at 6, ready by 7. I ran to the commissary to get the cake and fruit trays. I'd already purchased the drinks. We also borrowed a "silver bullet" coffee maker from our church, which was great, since it was an early reception. Anyway, I met Jasen at the battalion conference room at 8. We set up with the help of three soldiers. Once the room was ready, I raced home where I got the kids and myself dressed. Granny and Papaw had come early, early and stayed with Davis and Grace so Jasen and I could get those early morning things ready.

We had about the same attendance at this ceremony as we did before. At least from our friends. We are so blessed to have neighbors who care enough to come to things like this. There were a few more higher-ups this time, notably Col. Gibbs and his wife. Col. Gibbs is Jasen's brigade commander. He chose Jasen, after some input from Jasen's battalion commander, Lt. Col. Gadson, for this second command. He is known by various nicknames by the soldiers and officers of Jasen's brigade. I can't print many of them. Let's just say that most of his unit fears him. I have never seen grown men look so nervous around their boss. It's kind of funny to me.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the incoming commander's speech is supposed to be short. As Jasen went to the podium, Col. Gibbs looked at me, then looked at his watch, making sure I knew he was timing Jasen. Jasen's speech took 24 seconds, which elicited happy chuckles from the soldiers. Col. Gibbs mentioned he hadn't been to one that short (which is good) in a long time!

After the ceremony came the reception. We had a great turnout. Col. Gibbs reminded me that we would be judged on our food. I reminded him that we might have had more to offer if the ceremony time hadn't changed four times, just in the last week!! He laughed. I am not sure he knows what to think of me. I am respectful, but I don't quake like most people do around him. He's also a tea-sipper (a fan of "the" university of Texas), which means we are always giving each other a hard time. Davis' sweater did have a little burnt orange in it, which I pointed out to the "Gibber." That's one of his printable nicknames. He was impressed that Aggies would put their child in any orange at all. Oh, he said our food was acceptable, except the cake wasn't all chocolate. Note to self: chocolate is good for the Gibber.

Oh, I didn't get any pictures from yesterday. I was too busy running around. But I have to tell you that Grace looked like a million bucks. I mean, really. I got her some black, white, and pink plaid pants from Boutique Target. I also got a velveteen blazer and pink tank top. She looked absolutely precious. When it was Jasen's turn to speak, she said "Okay, Dad, it's your turn." It was pretty funny. Again, she sang the Big Red One song loud and proud.

I am hoping someone else got some pictures from yesterday. I have some more from the Alpha change of command that I'll send out soon.

Jasen leaves tomorrow for NTC. It's only a month, but when I look at Davis, I am reminded how much can happen in a month. The way this boy pulls up, I would not be completely surprised if he isn't walking by Christmas.

One down, one to go

Whew! One change of command down, one to go! If the second goes as well as the first, we will be very blessed! Yesterday was a really special day. My dad and Jasen's mom's parents were here, so that was nice. We also had some friends come to the ceremony, too. The picture above is the beginning of the ceremony. That's the first sergeant holding the guidon. Jasen is on the right. LTC Gadson has his back to us and Brian McCall is facing Jasen. The public affairs officer for the brigade said he got some great shots that he put on disk for us. I'll get those up when we get them. I'll also send out all the ones I got soon.

It was very chilly yesterday morning, but it was bright and sunny. We were at the ceremony at nine and it started at 9:30. I got some pictures of Jasen and his lieutenants and one more of the 1SGT and Jasen. The first order of business at a change of command is the handing over of the guidon. The battery is standing out in front of the crowd. The battalion commander and two battery commanders (incoming and outgoing) march out to the battery. The 1SGT hands the guidon to the outgoing commander, the outgoing commander hands it to the battalion commander, then the battatlion commander hands it to the incoming guy, who then transfers it back to the 1SGT. It was moving yesterday, seeing Jasen pass the guidon to LTC Gadson, knowing his time as Alpha battery commander had ended.

Then they all march back and the speeches begin. LTC Gadson had some really nice words to say about Jasen. Then Jasen made his speech. It was really sweet and strong. He thanked the soldiers for the job they had done and he thanked the NCOs for their efforts as well. He thanked his lieutenants. Then came thanking the 1SGT. I choke up just thinking about it, knowing how very much Jasen has appreciated 1SGT Johnson. I don't know if I've ever seen a better one. I know I've seen worse, which makes me appreciate how much 1SGT has done for Jasen.

Then, Jasen talked about the kids, but not before he got choked up. He told them that no matter how hard his day had been, seeing them at the end of the day made it all better. I think he made most of the audience tear up with that one. Then he was very sweet about me. He gave me too much credit, but I appreciated his words nonetheless. I don't think I've felt more of a team effort from the two of us than I have experienced these past three weeks. We've been working together, not pulling apart, which is what we've done in the past. So I've felt really blessed.

Then, Brian McCall spoke for the thirty seconds he was given. They say the change of command ceremony is for the outgoing commander and the reception is for the incoming. Anyway, we sang the "Big Red One Song" with Grace singing proudly, the "Army Song" and then we were done. We had a receiving line right there and then that was it. No one was around except our family and Jasen's time as Alpha battery commander was over. For me, it was a hollow feeling, but Jasen said it felt like a relief. He hated to give up this command, but knows there is a huge challenge waiting before him. He's ready to take command of HHC so he can start facilitating some good changes. Be in prayer for him!

The kids were great yesterday. Grace sat on her granny's lap and Davis sat on mine. Davis started to get unhappy near the end of the ceremony, but when we stood up to sing, he was fine.

Tomorrow will be a little more stressful. The ceremony will be at 9:30 and we'll have the reception afterwards. That means I'll have to be up there preparing for the reception around 8. Then I'll rush back to get the kids and me ready. I think my neighbor is going to watch the kids for me. No rest for the weary.

Oh yeah, and after all of this, Jasen will leave on Thursday. No rest for the weary.

Riding on Caffeine

I don't know how Jasen is surviving this week (we haven't seen too much of each other), but I can say I am living on caffeine. Things are just too crazy. Thank goodness, Davis is finally getting well. Otherwise, this whole week would be a nightmare.

What are we so busy with? Mainly, making the arrangements for Jasen's changes of command. Are you sick of me writing about this yet?? Well, until they are both over, they are our lives. Poor Jasen is running back and forth between Alpha battery, where he is trying to stay plugged in, and HHC, where he is trying to inventory all the stuff there. Yesterday, he was inventorying computers (towers and monitors) until almost 8:30. He had trouble sleeping last night and he said it's because his mind wouldn't slow down, thinking of 15 digit serial numbers. Today, he had to rush home to pack for NTC. I feel really bad for him.

I am trying to take care of the "woman" side of the ceremonies/reception. Making sure the kids and I have appropriate things to wear, getting tablecloths, plates, napkins, etc. I also need to order the cake, fruit trays, and buy all the drinks. Really, there is so much to do and so little time to do it.

Oh, I wanted to tell you about Jasen's new command. It's not a great situation Jasen is going into. It's been evident to Jasen for awhile and has crystallized for me just this week that things are not in order in his new company. Let's put it this way: the lieutenant colonel that Jasen will be working directly under told me that Jasen has a "significant challenge" in front of him. Oh good! Poor Jasen. He really is busier than a three legged cat in a sandbox. I've said this before and Jasen reiterated it to me this morning: there's a real disappointment that this new unit is so messed up because it's taking time away from Jasen's current command. His last few weeks in Alpha battery, he's not even there because he's so busy trying to get things in order in HHC, which isn't even his unit yet!! UGH!

This afternoon, we have a meeting with the colonel and his wife and the new first sergeant and his wife regarding the new unit's FRG. Tomorrow night, Jasen is going out to dinner with the NCOs from Alpha battery. Saturday night, we'll be cleaning (I'll be cleaning tomorrow, too!), I'll get my hair done, then out to dinner with the lieutenants from Alpha. Sunday, my dad and Jasen's Gee grandparents arrive. Then Monday morning, we get the emotional change of command out of the way.

Sick and Busy

As the title suggests, we are indeed sick again. It seems we all get over something just to pick up something else. I am hoping that because we are sick this week, it means we'll all be well next week, which is when we will be extremely busy, with both of Jasen's changes of command.

Davis has been really sick since Friday night. His fever got as high as 103 degrees yesterday. That's my cut-off point for comfort, so I called the ER. They don't want to see a baby with a fever until it hits 105 or their are seizures involved. So we were given an appointment for today. There's nothing wrong with him (ears, throat or chest) just a little cold and teething. I knew that would be the case!!! Anyway, we were given the proper dosages for ibuprofen for him. I was glad about that because, just like Grace, Davis' fever has not been responding to Tylenol. Hopefully he'll be feeling better now.

Grace had a great time at the football game on Friday night. One of her babysitters, Bethany, is a Junction City High cheerleader. We had to take her down to the railing numerous times to yell at Bethany, who only heard her once. But that was just before we left and Bethany waved to her. Oh the joy of being waved to by your favorite cheerleader!! Grace also got a football, which we all know means the night was a success! So we came home happy campers, even though Junction City lost to Manhattan High. Oh, Kansas football does not compare to Texas football!

Jasen continues to work like a dog. He was up at work on Saturday and Sunday nights until quite late, working on evaluations that were due this morning. We had some conflicts in scheduling as far as meetings go. 2-32FA (his current unit) and 610 (I think?) BSTB, which is the new company's next level of organization (very confusing, I know), were having their "deployment" to NTC (National Training Center, the place they are going to for the month long training) meeting for the FRG's (Family Readiness Group, the support for families, way for them to get information on what is happening with their soldiers, on-post, etc.) tonight at 6 p.m. Although Jasen is still a commander in the old unit, the new unit wanted both of us (I will be leading the new FRG, we think) there for some face time. After talking to some people, we were encouraged to go to the new unit's meeting, because by this time next week, Jasen will be out of the current unit. Whew! All of this is happening so fast. New unit, old unit, change of command, reception for one change of command, dinner with Jasen's lieutenants, etc., etc. Then two days after all of this dies down, he'll be gone for a month. I'll get a chance to catch my breath, but he won't.

I was sick this weekend. I think I mainly got rundown because Davis wasn't sleeping at night. Those of you who know me well, know that I am emotional, especially when I don't get my eight hours at night! Anyway, I began to really think about Jasen being gone for even a month and I have to tell you, it really upsets me. I rely on him so much, especially now that we have two kids. I don't want him to be gone from us for one minute. Just pray for strength for both of us because this is a crazy time and then he'll be gone. It's not going to be a lot of fun for any of us.

NTC date

Jasen will be leaving on October 27th for his training at NTC. That's only two days after his second change of command. Nothing like being brand-new in a job when you leave for major training. He's been busy, busy this week, inventorying (is that a word??) the new unit. The current commander has not kept up with things very well, so Jasen hasn't been home a lot. We miss him!

Grace has finally decided what she wants to be for Halloween: Aurora a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty. I am not sure why she changed from a bunch of grapes, which was her first desire for Halloween. When she changed her mind, I asked Jasen if he wanted me to get a cheaper, generic princess costume or if I should buy the real Sleeping Beauty costume. He gave me permission to get the "real" one. Grace needs a new dress-up outfit anyway.

Now that Davis is crawling, he is ALL OVER! If I put him down in the living room and go to the kitchen, he takes off after me. He's very clingy right now, the result of his new teeth coming in. Oh, and yesterday, he had a poop accident while napping (the new Huggies stink!!) and proceeded to play in it for awhile. Such a special time for Mom, cleaning her precious boy's poop off the wall --- GAG! He's standing in his crib now, loves to play Pat-A-Cake and peekaboo, too.

Tomorrow night, Jasen and I have a date, with Grace. We're all going to the Junction City/Manhattan football game. Grace has been dying to go to a game. She loved the Yellow Jacket games we went to last year and one of our babysitters is a cheerleader for the JC Blue Jays. Davis will have a sitter, as it's too cold for me to feel comfortable taking him out to sit at a game. The little toot wants to go to sleep at 7 p.m. anymore, anyway. So the game starts at his bedtime!

Some in 4th Brigade are being told that they'll deploy in February. We just don't know though. No one will commit to anything official, of course. And even if they do, it would likely change. Just like I listed Jasen's change of command dates, I am sure his NTC date will change, too!

Busy times

Sorry it's been awhile since I blogged. When Jasen is in the field, like he was last week, lots of things fall by the wayside. Now that Jasen is home, I am playing catch up: catch up on laundry, dishes, etc. And since my mom was here this past weekend, I didn't catch up on much then!

We had a great visit with Mom. She came in on Friday morning. We went to pick her up in Kansas City. She flew in at 8:00 a.m. so it was going to be hard for me to pick her up. So my cousin, Jennifer, who lives in Kansas City with her husband, Jimmy, and son, Joe, picked Mom up. We went to Jen and Jimmy's house, then we all went to the Legends, a shopping area on the west side of KC. We walked around and ate lunch. Sometimes, you forget how much fun it is to visit with your family! Then we headed back towards Fort Riley.

Saturday, Jasen and I were able to go to the A&M game with our friends, Brian and Amber. Yes, the Aggies won, but I have to tell you, we weren't that thrilled. You always want your team to win, but the Aggies were so flat the whole game, we left with a bad taste in our mouth. So much for Coach Fran being A&M football's savior. I don't think so anymore. After the game, Brian, a KU alum, took us to a great restaurant/brewery. Then we came home. It was a beautiful day for a football game. Sadly, the Fightin' Texas Aggie band wasn't there. We knew the game wouldn't be the same without them!

Sunday, we had church and small group. Mom was a big help with the kids and getting ready. Jasen and I are really enjoying our small group. It's just very real, for lack of a better word.

Monday, the kids and I took Mom back to the airport. We were able to eat at Abuelo's with Jen and Joe. Then we shopped around the Zona Rosa area of KC. It's a very nice shopping area. After that, we headed to the airport. Grace cried and cried saying goodbye to her grandmama. Those two have a special bond. I can remember feeling much the same way when my grandma ever left me. The only thing I could think to make Grace feel better is that her grandad, granny, and papaw will be here in just a few weeks. That made her smile. Of course, she wanted to know how many days!

Davis has been extremely fussy these past couple of days. I think his teeth are bothering him, again. He's a slobbering machine and just miserable at night. Hopefully, he'll cut the next two and move on!!

Another year together?

Jasen and I celebrate another year together today. We're not together, of course, courtesy of the Army, but we are still married so we'll celebrate when he gets home. He did steal away while he was out in the field to call me and tell me happy anniversary. I was so glad to hear his voice.

Anymore, I don't fear what might go wrong physically (car breaking down, A/C going out, etc.) when Jasen leaves as much as I fear Grace's behavior. When he is gone overnight, I can almost guarantee that Grace will have a meltdown. This morning, it was about her shoes and socks. (thanks, Mom) When Jasen called and I told her we had some trouble this morning, he said "Let me guess: shoes and socks." She is very, very specific with how she wants her shoes and socks to be put on. She can do the shoes, but she needs help with the socks.

For whatever reason, I didn't get the socks on right. She melted down. And when I say melted down, I mean, screaming, thrashing, crying, snotting, you name it. She's impossible to deal with in those moments and I don't handle them very well, either. Davis just sits and stares with wonder. After threatening to leave her at home, she finally calmed down, but not before her Aunt Amy heard her through the phone. I called Amy to get some reassurance and Grace kept on going nuts. It made her stop and think when she learned that Aunt Amy could hear her. Maybe I'll call someone every time!

That Davis is a crawling machine. He goes from room to room. He isn't fast yet, but when he wants to get somewhere, he stays on task. His favorite place to play right now is his sister's room. He just wants to be in there!

Remember that food booth Jasen's unit had for a fundraiser? Well, each battery made over $400!! All that work was worth it!

Oh, and I offered to facilitate a class for PWOC in the spring. I might live to regret it, but I doubt it. I think God has given me a love of talking and I might as well use it for His advantage!

Davis crawls!

We have a crawler on our hands. Davis really started crawling last week, but this weekend, he decided to take off. Everyday, he crawls another step. I put on his A&M t-shirt today and was sad to find it now shows off his mid-riff! He looked hilarious, crawling around with his shirt rolled up over his belly. He has to be getting more teeth, with all the drool coming out of his mouth.

Grace got up this morning and immediately said "I am so glad my grandmama will be here in four days!" It's all she can think about. Her class has grown to five kids! I am excited and Grace is, too. Her friend, Avery, from last year, joined her class this week.

Jasen left for the field today. They are just here on Fort Riley somewhere. And he'll be going back and forth from the field to do some inventories. That means just what it implies: counting and making sure whatever is on the books is there. The new person taking command must do it so that he doesn't sign for equipment that isn't there.

It looks like my dad is going to come up for Jasen's first change of command. We are so thrilled that someone will be here!!

Sinus infection

Yes, that's what Grace has: a sinus infection. She woke up today with more swelling in her eyes and fever. I was glad they were both still there when we went to the doctor. We saw a physician's assistant, which upset me as I wanted to see a doctor, but oh well. She's on antibiotics and Dimetapp. Evidently, giving her Zyrtec was not the thing to do. Instead of draining the congestion out, I was trying to dry it up. Because it couldn't drain out, it got infected. We'll see how this goes.

Davis is doing so well. Man, he wants to crawl so bad, but won't move those knees once he gets up on them. He spit up quite a bit today, which concerns me. Every time I think we're over that, he does it again. It's quite frustrating. Along those same lines, I'll be renting a carpet cleaner soon. We've got spots all over from his eruptions.

Okay, here are the "final" dates for Jasen's changes of command. I don't think they'll change, but you never know. He'll give up command of Alpha battery on October 23rd at 1:30 p.m. He'll take command of HHC on October 25th at 3:00 p.m. Again, we hope some of you can make it but know that the times are not great. The times are really bad for our kids; that's nap time for both. I don't know what I am going to do. Davis will be a pickle the whole time, I am sure, and I would be so upset if I had to get up with him during the ceremony. I am hoping one of our friends from church will be there to help me! And Grace will miss a field trip to go to the second ceremony. Hopefully, she'll be excited to sing the Big Red One song at an official ceremony.

Our schedule is just busy, busy, busy the next few weeks. This weekend is the Fort Riley Open House, and Jasen's battalion is doing a fundraiser food booth. That means we'll both have to work it, I'll be making kebabs and baked goods, hosting a sign making party, etc. Then our church small group begins meeting on Sunday. We are excited about this new group! My mom will be up the next weekend, too. So many things to do!

The week begins

Before I forget, I have a funny Grace story for you. Yesterday, Grace wore her red boots to church. On the way, she said she wanted to take her socks off. Jasen and I both told her wearing her boots without socks would be uncomfortable. Jasen told her she might even get a blister. She matter of factly told him "Dad, you only get blisters from boots when you road march." Only an Army kid would say that!

So Jasen was home to go to church yesterday and small group meeting last night. He's feeling very anxious right now: about his changes of command, the changes to their training, and possible deployment. Most units that go to NTC (where he's going in late October) deploy withing a few months of training there. We have no definite word and I am trying not to worry about it. Jasen is really feeling uptight about the possibility. You might say a prayer for him.

Davis is trying to crawl! He's getting up on all fours now and rocks back and forth. He loves to get on his belly from the sitting position, but can't get back up. It's a little annoying to all of us. He just shrieks until one of us gets him off of his belly.

I am going to take Grace to the doctor tomorrow. Our Sunday school teacher is also the head nurse at our clinic. I was telling him about Grace's fever issues yesterday. This morning, he called and made sure he understood what her problems seem to be. He talked to one of the doctors and then called me back. He even gave me my choice of appointments. That's unheard of from a military facility! It's nice to have such good care!! But it makes me sad that we had to know someone from elsewhere to feel like we matter. Anyway, hopefully we'll get an answer about Grace's fever. I am also going to ask about allergy testing.

Today, Grace is going to the afternoon preschool class. On days that there is something special going on, her class will combine with one of the others. This afternoon, they are hosting a Junction City police officer. She's very excited. We're making some brownies for him to take back to the station.

Oh, the gourmet dinner party was a blast! Julie and I had a really nice time. One of the other couples goes to our church, so we knew someone else there. We had such a nice meal. First time I'd ever had lamb and it was very good.

I have struck gold with our current babysitter. She watched Davis once for me this past spring, but spent the summer working at a Christian camp, so I hadn't used her since. She did a great job with the kids, complained I was paying her too much, even cleaned up the kitchen. Jayme will be back, for sure!!!

He's back

Jasen's home from the field for a few hours. Because half of his unit is out in the field and half have come in, Jasen and the first sergeant are taking turns coming in for awhile. Jasen has to be out there when they are firing live rounds, which is at night. So he'll be here until mid-afternoon today, go to the field for the night, then do the same thing tomorrow. We're glad to see him!

Yesterday, Grace woke up with a fever and terribly swollen eyes. I asked her if anything hurt (ears, throat, face, etc.) and she didn't complain of anything. I gave her some decongestant and acetaminophen, which helped her a lot. I am afraid she would really benefit from some allergy testing. I think shots would be bad for her right now, but she's taking Zyrtec everyday and still wakes up with "allergy shiners." We'll just keep taking it and see what happens.

One thing she said the other day was that she was going to have a son and name him Jasen Davis Eelin. Eelin is her made-up name right now. If we play anything with her, Eelin is the name she gives us. This morning, on the way home from a nice breakfast at Panera Bread, she said "Maybe Mom and Dad will give us another baby, Davis." Jasen and I looked at each other and told her, only slightly nicer than this: "NO WAY!" She put her pouty face on and said "Maybe God will give us another one." Jasen and I both agreed it would have to God's doing because we are not interested!

Davis woke up extremely unhappy today. I am not sure why, but he just cried and cried. He is cutting more teeth so I'll attribute it to that. He loves to stand up these days. I put him on his feet and he can balance for a short time. He loves holding onto the coffee table, but can't do it for very long. He pulled his legs up underneath himself the other day, but was not really interested in going forward.

Jasen told me there is a chance he'll be able to go to the A&M game. His battalion commander is trying to make sure they come in from the field that Friday instead of Saturday. We'll hope for the best. It looks like Jasen will be relinquishing command sometime between October 2nd and November 2nd. He thinks they'll probably both take place the last week of October. He doesn't think they'll have much hoopla surrounding either event. We are both a little relieved but a little sad.

Jasen will be training at NTC November 2 through November 17. Of course, there will be some travel time on either side. I am hoping he'll be home for Thanksgiving!!

Date change?

Jasen called me today from the field. Looks like training is changing for his brigade. Sadly, he'll be out in the field when we are supposed to the A&M game. So will Brian, the other guy we were going with. I'll try to unload the tickets on Ebay, but I told Amber, Brian's wife, that we might have to go for a few minutes of the game to say we used the tickets, then shop in Lawrence while everyone else is at the game.

It also appears the dates for Jasen's changes of command will change. We don't know how they are going to change or to what. Leave it to the army to change stuff as soon as you tell people a date is definite!

The reason for the changes in the change of command is that the brigade will be going on a rotation of training at the National Training Center (NTC) in California from late October to late November. I don't know what this means for all the plans we had made about the holidays and such, but we'll see. Like usual, we'll try to stay loose and flexible and we'll keep you posted.

Just another day

Well, today was another day. It's amazing how mundane life can feel when Jasen isn't here with me. Grace woke up with a slight fever. She had no other indications and it went down as soon as I gave her Tylenol. So I went ahead and sent her to school. Besides, if she gets anyone else sick, it's only two other little kids! ha! On a happy note, Mrs. Peggy told us that she's going to leave the class the way it is indefinitely. I think she's really enjoying having just three kids to corral. Grace loves it because she gets some really good one-on-one play time with Mrs. Peggy.

Oh, a cute thing: Grace can sing the "Big Red One" song. It's absolutely precious. I am a proud Army wife!

Davis has started throwing some real fits. I've just let him roll around on the floor when he does it. He loves to hit his highchair tray when he wants more Cheerios. Then he hits the table when I get up. It's quite annoying.

I've joined the Gourmet Dinner Club through the wives' club. We have our first dinner on Saturday night, so Jasen won't be there. Darn it. My friend, Julie is going with me. She needs a night out, just like I do! I have to make two frou-frou dishes to share so it will be interesting, getting the kids ready for a sitter, getting myself ready (and staying clean until time to go!) and making Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes with Herbs and Bacon-Wrapped Dates.

Davis and I went to church tonight. I've been anxious about it because he usually is in bed at 7:30, but he did okay in the nursery. Theresa, one of the child care workers who also works for me on the side (some things never change!), gave him his bottle and kept him happy until I returned. The class I am doing is about the priniciples of discipline from James Dobson. I really value his child-rearing ideas. I was reminded the best thing I can do is clearly define the boundaries for my kids and follow through on them. I need to be better about defining the boundaries!

Good visit

We had a really nice visit with my uncle Tommy and aunt Pattie. They arrived here on Friday afternoon. They arrived bearing too many gifts!! Aunt Pattie and Grace had a great time and Davis was enthralled with his Uncle Tommy! We took them to Jasen's favorite restaurant, Little Apple Brewery, on Friday night, then Saturday morning, we went to Jasen's office and around Fort Riley. They left on Saturday after lunch. When they were leaving, Grace got quite choked up. After the kids went down for their nap, I told Jasen I always feel really far from home when someone leaves us up here.

Saturday evening, we went to a birthday party. The Ewings, Mary, J.R., Bethany, and Alicia, were in Bamberg when we were. I played Bunco with Mary, Alicia and Bethany babysat Grace, and Jasen kind of worked with J.R. when we were in Germany. It was great to see them and reminisce. They miss our community in Germany as much as we do. We also got to meet some of J.R.'s family and Alicia's friends. I love big Catholic families: I don't think I held Davis but a few minutes the whole night. It was great to be with old friends. We'll be seeing more of them, I am sure!

Davis was not very nice to his dad this evening. Grace went with me to the small group facilitator's training at church and the guys stayed home. Evidently, Davis cried and screamed the whole time we were gone. I feel bad because once we got home, Davis settled down.

Jasen heads to the field tomorrow for about 9 days. He'll be able to come home once during that time, but just for a little bit. We're going to miss him!

Davis' First...

This is Davis getting his first haircut and the results from that cut. He sat up in the chair like a big boy, but was none to happy once the actual haircut began. I felt bad for the barber! By the time it was all over, Davis had gotten me all slimy with tears, slobber, and snot! Gross! I thought Davis needed just a little trim around the ears, but the barber did a complete high and tight. Can you believe it?? He still looks like a baby! Amazing how he has his great-grandad Thomas' head! He might be the carbon copy of Jasen, according to many, but he has the Thomas head!

Davis is also feeling much, much better. I think part of it is that he slept almost the whole night last night. He's finally able to breathe. The wind has been blowing here, so I am afraid we'll all be fighting allergies.

Oh, here is a picture of Grace from his first day of school. Doesn't she look grownup??

Getting better

Things are getting better around here. Grace appears to be completely well. She got a prescription for Zyrtec yesterday when we went to the doctor for Davis and I think I can already tell that it's working better than Claritin ever did for her. Like mother, like daughter, because I have always been the same about those two medicines.

Davis is getting better, I think. He's still horribly congested and has a terrible cough, but his ears and lungs were clear when we went to the doctor yesterday. He got some Dimetapp, so that's helped loosen up the congestion. Sadly, he's not sleeping very well, which means I am not either. Poor thing can't suck his pacifier because his nose is all stopped up. He wakes up in a pool of drool, too. I am ready for this all to be over.

We're having visitors this weekend. My aunt and uncle, Pattie and Tommy Thomas are headed this direction and are going to stop in for at least Friday night. We are so excited! Grace is especially excited because she has some questions for her Uncle Tommy. There is a huge building project going on here on Fort Riley and lots of excavation right now. Grace is anxious to learn the names of all the big machinery.

Sick and School

I am running a sick house today; both of my babies are ill. Jasen had the crud last week and I thought we had all managed to avoid it. Then, Davis started running a fever on Friday. He hasn't been particularly congested, although he has developed a cough in the last two days. He's drooling a lot, so I think his might be related to teeth. He's sleeping with the humidifier on, just in case. Davis and I stayed home yesterday from church as a precaution.

Grace was fine until this morning. She got up and said she didn't want to go to school. I told her if she didn't go to school, she'd spend the day in bed. That got her going right quick. After she ate a couple of bites of breakfast, she said she was tired and not hungry. That was a warning sign right there; Grace always wants breakfast! After she got dressed, she laid down on her bed, then got sick a few minutes later. I think it's all related to congestion. Let's hope everyone is well soon! And I hope not to get any sicker. I've just had some congestion.

Grace's first two days of school went well. She loves Mrs. Peggy, of course, and likes the two boys who are in her class. A girl from her class last year was supposed to start in her class today, but her mom has decided to keep her in the afternoon class. So we need three more kids to sign up by the end of September to keep this class time going. I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but Mrs. Peggy said she would probably combine the two morning four year old classes if we ended up not getting enough (she wants at least six) for this class. We'll see what happens; I am considering the afternoon class, too. It all depends. I am trying not to worry, but we'll see.

Yesterday, Grace and Jasen were dressed up in their Cowboy finery. Grace was yelling hard for the 'boys, to no avail. I didn't watch the whole game as I had a meeting. But I think Grace and Jasen enjoyed watching the game together.

My mom is coming up for Columbus Day weekend. We are very excited because that will allow us to go to the A&M game at KU! Our friends, Brian and Amber are going to go, too, as Brian is a KU alum. It should be a fun time and we are already looking forward to it. My sister, Angie, might come up too, but we aren't sure about that one yet.

Jasen's unit is very busy right now. Besides preparing for the field, they have command inspection going on. The big guns from 1ID are going to be inspecting every unit here at Fort Riley to make sure everything is up to snuff. Jasen's battalion is the first unit to go through this process so they are all a little anxious.

The 9/11 rememberances have had me all emotional this morning. Grace has been really confused and I've tried to explain it to her on four year old terms. It's hard to believe it's been five years. Then, I think back to that day. I was still working at "the Farm," getting ready for work when the first tower was hit. I was at work when the Pentagon was hit and called Jasen who was still at home getting ready for work. He hung up on me when he realized what had happened, feeling like he had to be at work immediately.

That night, with the fear that Jasen might be going to war soon, we decided to suspend our efforts to have a baby. Little did we know we already had our precious girl on the way. It's strange to think back to that time, when Fort Sill was all locked down and it would take hours, I mean HOURS for us to get home if we even went to Lawton. And we were so convinced that Jasen would be leaving immediately, then he didn't go to war for another two and a half years, not to fight Al Qaida in Afghanistan, but Sadaam in Iraq.

Replaying all of that in my mind reminds me not to worry: half of what you worry about won't happen anyway!!

Labor Day

This morning, we went for a walk as a family. Then Jasen and Grace went fishing at Moon Lake here on Fort Riley. Isn't the picture a hoot? She's stylin', isn't she? She had to get her hat before they went to the lake.

Yesterday, we had church, of course, then we had small group last night at South Park in Junction City. It's a really nice play area and the weather up here could not be better. It looks like Jasen and I will start facilitating a small group for church. We'd like to do it for a few ones, but we'd really like to host it in our house, so we don't have to drive into Junction City. It's hard with little ones to have to make that drive to and from.

Beyond that, there's not much to report from here. We've really enjoyed Jasen's four day weekend as we always do. I've posted a picture from the Eisenhower museum, too. I'll be sending more pictures soon!

Road to Abilene

We had a good visit to Abilene, Kansas, today. The weather was gorgeous again. The Eisenhower Center is really interesting. His boyhood home is in it's original location and the rest of the center takes up the acreage around it. There is a meditation chapel, where Ike, Mamie, and their young son are buried. The library is there, of course, and a really good museum. I'll post some pictures soon.

After our visit there, we went to Kuntz's, the local drive-in, then took our burgers to Eisenhower park. We ate our lunch on a picnic table, then let Grace play for awhile. There was a little boy there that she was having fun with, until he followed her down the slide a little too close. She didn't want to play with him after that!

Grace's open house went well at school. I was more than a little disappointed to find out that no kids from her class last year are signed up for her class this year. Most of them are going to the afternoon class Mrs. Peggy offers, and the other one is going to the two day a week. Grace will be going three days a week for almost three hours. The real kicker is that there are only two other kids signed up for Grace's class!!! Mrs. Peggy said we'll go September with the current situation, hoping there will be more kids who enroll in Grace's class. If that doesn't happen, then she'll look at combining the two morning classes. What was something I was really looking forward to has become a stressor for me. I am trying to remain calm and not worry!

Beautiful day

We are enjoying a beautiful day up here in Kansas. Bright blue skies and temperatures in the 70s. It doesn't get much better than that!

We have a date for the first of Jasen's two changes of command. He'll give up command of Alpha Battery on November 17th. We still aren't sure about the second one. More than likely, it will not be on December 1st, which is what Jasen thought originally. I'll keep you posted.

And while I am on the whole calendar topic, I just wanted to let those of you who care know that we won't be coming to Texas for Thanksgiving. We'll stay here for Christmas day, too, but we'll come to Texas a couple of days after Christmas to stay for a week or so. A lot will depend on Jasen's work and our pocketbook. We just can't afford to come home twice and pay for the change of command reception we are responsible for. Ugh!

Grace's school Open House is today. We are all so excited! I even dreamed last night about who would be in her class. That will be the most exciting part of the Open House, seeing who will be in her class. School will start one week from today. Yippee!

Davis has two more teeth! I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but he now has six teeth. As a result, I am considering weaning him to the bottle. No wonder he's been fussy lately. The boy was essentially cutting four teeth at once. All the top ones. Thank goodness that is over!

This weekend, we're going to the Eisenhower Library and Museum with the Roberts. Then Saturday, we plan on watching some college ball. I sure wish the A&M game was on; we have a neighbor who went to the Citadel, so we could have fun watching together. More than anything, I wish I could be there to go to the game! I guess the rest of my family will be there.... Another UGH!