Military Life

Kris sent these to me a few weeks ago.  Enjoy!

Here we come!!!!!!!!!!!  We are leaving in the morning to Florida for 6 weeks (June 12- July20).  It is so hot up here and we just about cant stand this heat wave.  On Monday it was 102 degrees and hotter here than it was in Iraq Kris said.  ME NO LIKE IT!!!!!!  Its bad when I have to shove my dogs out the back door to go pee.  So many things to do this summer!!!!!  Florida beaches, amusement parks, my cousin Sharon’s bridal shower at mom’s house, a high school reunion 80’s party with great friends, kissing all over my nieces and nephews, and spening quality time with family and friends!  I’m so excited!!!  We are going by my in-laws in Perry, Fl 1st to spend a week with them and then on into Lakeland.  We cant wait to see everyone!  By the time we get back to NC we will be more than half way thru the deployment…..  we really need this to help pass the time quick.  Its so hard with Kris being away from us.  He is our world and we feel the void of him being gone every day, even the doggies feel it.  He will be back in October and that will be right around the corner when summer is over.  Woohoo!  Then Kris and I head out on a week cruise to get some alone time while the kids spend Thanksgiving week with grandparents.  Pray for us.  Its a hard trip to make by myslef with 3 kids and 2 dogs.  YIKES!  Oh and I had to sell a kidney to get gas money since gas is $4.10 a gallon up here….  Can you say

Is finally at an end until I get back from Florida for 6 weeks.  At the begining of this I could not run a lap due to my back problems over the past 3 years.  But both the trainers worked with me, encouraged me, and told me I can over come the hurting if I set my mind to it.  Well, I still hurt and eat Motrin like there is no tomorrow and try not to take the narcotics unless I am dying.  I am happy to report I ran 4 miles on Friday!!!!!!  YEAH TEAM TRACY!!!!  I am so thrilled with myself!  Mother look out cause when I get to town your getting your kiester up and working out too!  Your going to love yoga and be able to twist your self in a pretzel when I am thru with you!  HA!

I layed accross her bed and watched her so graceful getting ready and laughing at some show on the Disney Channel.  She is so beautiful to me!!!  Long legs, she is so tall and yet so petite, green eyes, sun bleached hair, and tiny freckles on her face.  Will I remember all the little things like today?  She so neatly color coordinates everything from her jean shorts, stripped orange and white polo shirt, a orange fru-fru hair tie scrunches her shirt, orange flip flops, orange dangly earings, hair in piggies half pulled thru on the back of her head, and lastly her dad’s dog tags around her neck with a picture of him that reads, “My Hero”.  She is growing up.  It’s all so overwhelming as she moves further and further away from me telling me, “mom I can do it by myslef”.  Today is her last day at Tarawa Terrace II Ele School.  WOW!  Her fifth grade end of the year photo slide show was on Monday along with the class pool party.  The video they showed was about 20 minutes long. So many pictures from the entire school year.  Her teacher did a very nice job capturing moments thru out the year.  I am going to add here that my daughter is all over this video.  Which I noticed how popular she is with the kids in her class and how well she is liked by her friends.  She has had a great year!  I’m so proud of her…..  Here Terra Nova testing scores came in the mail which is like the FCAT is Lakeland.  She scored very high in all of her subjects and putting her above average in most categories.  WOW!  I just might have a Vetrinarian on my hands one day for real.  That is her hearts dream.  She loves animals and will probly own a farm or rescue shelter one day along with it.  They grow up fast.

Zack, my baby, turned 15 on Sunday.  I feel too young to have a 15 yo.  Where has the time gone?  My little buddy he is!  I guess I should say my little man now….  He and I have always gone every where together and conquered some pretty big life situations side by side.  WOW!  The memories, the fun, the laughs, the tears…..  He is one of my very best friends and so good to me.  He is never ashamed to say, “Mom, I love you” in front of his friends.  He is always the first one to steal a kiss before he heads out the door.  He is sensative and I am thankfull for that.  During the midst of his bowling party we talked about Linda (his MiMi that died 6 years agon on his birthday).  Its a bitter sweet day for him as we celebrate his life but also remember a lady that was 1st class in our lives.  We miss her, love her, and not a day goes by that we all dont think of her.  I still hear her clear as day singing, “Zachary Todd Church of God”.  What an awesome thing to proclaim over a child as a silly song so many years ago.  Zachary’s body is the temple of God and Zachary belongs to God.  That profound little song rings loud in my head as we over come the past together and heal from things that are burried so deep.  So…….  15 means look out!  He is trying to drive! Lock up your small kids and animals.  He has a goal to work towards to get his learners permit.  Which means, “Grades”! Not our favorite subject I might add…..  I have been letting him practice in the middle of no where on base.  He did a quick break that his Dad taught him before he left for Iraq.  He was dying to show me on Sunday……  my mind is hearing him say, “Mom do you trust me”?  My knees are telling me, “HELL NO”!  Not only amd I in the car, Emily, and Gavin are also.  Emily is begging me not to let him behind the wheel and Gavin is dead silent with the deer in the head lights stare.  I trusted him and he did me proud!  As a MP Kris has cutsie little tricks he wants to teach him and Quick Stop must have been one of them.  He is 15 and I cant wait for the next 15 years!!!!!