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thin skin

I feel like tomorrow brings a new chapter to this deployment.  For the last 3 months I have enjoyed the comfort and help of friends and family in Georgia while escaping the upstate New York winter.  I have to admit, it feels a little more like leaving home, than going home as we have spent so much time here this year.  .  Going back will bring many comforts of home and plenty of responsibilities to keep us busy, but it will also bring back the sting of single parenting and lonely nights.  I am so thankful for all play dates made, meals severed, baths given, kid free afternoons, games of Monopoly played and hours of conversations given to Addison, Mya and me by our family and friends.  My parents have graciously allowed us to take over their home for 7 out of the last 12 months during our move, block leave and deployment.  Many people can't believe I can stay this long at my parents house and I always say that my parents make it so easy by ignoring messes, pitching in and being very easy to live with.  

As my dear friend so rightly said, an Army wife's skin is a little thin at the beginning of a deployment.  Time brings comfort in routine as the raw emotions ease a little and your skin thickens.  I feel like my skin is a little thin today.  The pain of Chad being away is eased when I am surrounded by so many people and the nights aren't so quiet.  We have been here long enough over the past year that it hurts to think of life going on without us.  When we are away more often we get used to it, but being here so much in the past year, our lives have become interwoven with so many others. 
Addison will miss Masters Club and I will miss those quiet evenings with Beth and Kir.  I will miss hearing about wedding plans and seeing jewelry, shoes and flower ideas.  I will miss swapping kids for a few hours each week with Brooke and hours of genuine conversation.  I hate that I talked my mom into redoing her bathroom and won't be around to help her complete it.  I will miss cooking for people who will actually eat!  I will miss my birthday dinner at Grandmom's...hopefully Chris will pick a meal I wouldn't have liked anyways. ;) I will miss being close enough for visits to B'ham and Clarksville to see dear friends. I will miss the sweet people of Callie Harbin who welcomed us in and made us feel like family.  ...and I will certainly miss the warm temperatures and snow free days!
Despite all that, I honestly do look forward to reconnecting with New York friends, hitting the ground running with FRG responsibilities, getting my girls back in a normal routine, getting back to a strict training schedule for my upcoming triathlon and sleeping in my own bed.  I look forward to seeing what the Lord has for us in the coming months and how He will provide new friendships, opportunities and moments of encouragement in NY.  

Here are a few pictures from the park last week... Hopefully at home I can get caught up on the rest of my pictures to blog!



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