Well, he’s off. The house seems so empty. There’s nobody around to chat with in the morning when I get up for work. I’m trying to eat healthier than my husband wants to, so I’m trying to readjust my meal planning. I’ve had to throw out more food in the last several days than I can stand; it’s unimaginable when I’m working to squeeze every penny that I can from the budget!

The going-away party went well. My house is relatively small (just under 1200 square foot) so it was quite literally elbow to elbow for a while. With the help of Joshua, and my oldest stepdaughter, Jess, I managed to finish the food less than an hour before the party was scheduled to start. Whew!! That is the first time I’ve ever multiplied a recipe by 10… lol!  What a wonderful time of fellowship with friends and family. I now have a composition book full of hand-written notes of encouragement and love to mail out to him while he’s at boot camp.

During his last morning in Iowa, I drove to Camp Dodge and enjoyed the morning with him while they finished up all the processing. I was called in when he was being sworn in. The woman in charge had quite a sense of humor, making everyone a little more comfortable. I took pictures while they gave the oath, marveling at how young they all look.

Finally the time came for them to depart for the airport, so I hugged him and told him how proud I am of him. I actually managed to keep the tears to a minimum (didn’t want to make it any harder on him), at least until I got out to my truck. Then I really let loose. I cried again and again all the way to the hospital to visit a friend who’d recently had surgery.

Turns out, though, his flight was delayed and he ended up spending another night in DM at a hotel. The next morning I received my first text message from him at 6:30 a.m., and they continued all the way to South Carolina. I just LOVE modern technology! There was no more word from him after lunch, so that was it. That evening I drank an entire bottle of wine while watching home videos of the kids when Josh was 4, Heather was 8 and Jess was 13. And I cried.

That Sunday evening, the 22nd, I was pleasantly surprised to see his cell phone number pop up on the caller id. He was still in processing, so he was allowed to make a call during his free time. He sent me a picture of his bald head. The very next picture he sent me was of his “awesome new flashlight.”  There’s still so much boy in that young man of mine.

He also told me he’d filled out a postcard they would be mailing to me. I waited and waited for that thing. It finally came last Friday… with no address. I started my first letter that day anyway, in anticipation of when the address would finally arrive. Saturday I received a lengthy letter from Fort Jackson informing me of nearly everything – when he gets to leave for the holidays, what not to send to him, when his graduation will take place – everything but an address. Arghh!
I finally called his recruiter yesterday morning to ask if Josh would receive a letter if I mailed it out with all the information except for his company and platoon. Sadly, he said no. But he was good to share with me how it all works and told me that I would likely receive my first letter from Josh either that day or today. Praise God, he was right. I could hardly contain myself until the mail came today, and there it was. I brought it in and my husband told me to read it out loud. He sounds like he’s doing well, in spite of his encounter in the gas chamber.
Now, the writing marathon begins. I wrote out Christmas cards to six of his relatives with his address enclosed (I promised them I would send it out as soon as I got it), and I wrote a long letter to him. I enclosed some pictures of his sister, his nieces, and Caesar. I also threw in several of the notes people wrote out while at his going-away party. I managed to get it all done before the mail was picked up at the local post office, so it all went out today.
Rick said I need to set aside time every day to write. As one might note by my sporadic posts here, I lack a little of the discipline required to write every day. This will be good training for me.

In all my self-pity over the Thanksgiving holiday, I failed to post my list of blessings for which I’m thankful. So, it may be a little late, but here goes:

I’m thankful for
…my salvation, that I no longer walk through this life alone but walk alongside my savior, Jesus Christ! How could I NOT be thankful for a savior who delivered me from a life of drug addiction, alcoholism, selfishness (OK – He’s still working on that one!) and self-centeredness, who patiently intercedes on my behalf when I get frustrated with the circumstances of my life and choose to ignore Him. What a mighty God we serve!
…my husband; in spite of the difficulties we’ve endured, we’ve shared what seems a lifetime together. After all, he was by my side as we said goodbye to my mom, and I was by his side as we said goodbye to his. God is forever faithful and I’m looking forward to even better times in the upcoming year.
…our three children. I’m especially thankful that two of them walk with the Lord.
…my brother and sisters, and my dad
…Becca, my granddaughter – she just gets cuter every year!
…my wonderful friends – Maki, Kerri, Amy, Wanda – who pray for me, and watch out for me, and warn me when I’m being a poop. I really didn’t understand true friendship until God showed me – I love you guys!
…our 40 acres, a gift from God Himself. We are surrounded by the beauty of what He created, and by the peace and quiet that helps us stay centered.
…snow. I’m patiently waiting for the first snow of the year.
…the modern conveniences we enjoy. Sometimes I just marvel that I can start up the dishwasher and throw in a load of laundry… and then climb into bed allowing the machines to do all the work while I sleep!
…modern technology. I can communicate with friends and family all over the world. I can send a photo to someone who will receive it nearly immediately. Instead of shopping at stores in the middle of the night on black Friday, I can order gifts online, sitting in my nightgown with a cup of hot tea, to be delivered right to my front door. Wonderful!
…our country, established on the basis of freedom.
…the young men and women of the military who have fought for, and some died for that freedom. There’s no greater sacrifice they could make.
…our jobs that provide money for the things we need and the things we just desire. I was especially saddened by a news story last night about a local ministry providing food for people in a shelter. One man said he had worked at the same job for 25 years, had a house and food, then he lost his job. Just like that, he’s in a shelter. We are SO BLESSED that God has provided us with the work that we have (gotta remember that if ever we feel like complaining about our jobs).
…pets and all that they offer. Caesar is 100 pounds of pure love!
…bubble baths.
…hazelnut coffee!

The list is a little longer than I intended, but there is just so much we have to be thankful for – God’s goodness always at the top of the list.