"Aaaaaand, we're back" ~ John Madden

OK, I know it's been a while; I had a husband to send off, give me a break! Oh, let's be honest, I totally stink at blogging. Please blame my brother-in-law Maximus for this; it was NEVER my idea. :) I prefer pages of a book to looking at a computer screen. What can I say? Isn't it a delightful thing to creep into the wee hours of the morning turning PAPER pages of a glorious book, as opposed to getting a headache looking at blogs? What are we people doing anyway? OK I'd better get on with it. Tonight my subject is military children and the deployment of their parents (or mine, anyway).

Many things have happened with my children already since Tommy has left. I am an extremely private person but I thought it might be fun to copy/paste my last email to Tom about our lives here without him and how God has helped us. Yes, Collin still screams out the window for Daddy at night, hoping Daddy can hear him. Yes, Kate still asks other children if they have a daddy and if they ever see him; yes Cora still climbs into my lap as a long, lanky six year old just needing held, unfortunately grasping the meaning of time now, and realizing it will be a long time before she sees her Daddy. But, we do occupy ourselves, and things are a bit fun now that "Aunt Cordie" ( my cousin) has joined the household. Here is my letter to my beloved and I am happy to say that WOW, God has really taken care of every need. I really want to say something: I know that some feel that God doesn't care about the little stuff. Let me tell you something right now: God is taking care of every small need of this house wife. Every need. Here's the letter. (By the way, the reference to the hanging tomato basket was my neighbors seeing me trying to hang it in a good spot and came over with a step ladder, and did it for me. Seems silly because I could have done it myself... eventually, but they saw I had a need. Oh yeah, and I showed Collin a Ray Charles song on youtube and he has since then said "that's [Ray Charles] my Daddy!") OK, moving on...

Master Farley,

By no fault of your own, you call me when I am trying to get the children to bed, which means brushing of teeth, changing into pajamas, going potty, fighting over which story is to be read...you know the drill. As mothers call it: "the witching hour". At that point all I can think of (because I'm tired) is all the naughty things they did during the day because everyone is tired and everything is a fight. When I have time alone in the quiet to reflect the day and think of how things went as a whole I realize that I have only told you very partial truths, yet made the children seem naughty. For this, I apologize; to you and the children both. Let me please give you a few fun, endearing and non-naughty examples of our days:

One day while trying to plant some herbs and tomatoes and peppers, Collin ran into the garage unattended. This, as you know, is always a red flag. What I found him doing after I raced around the corner was holding his Nerf baseball bat, tapping in on the ground and then swinging so hard into the air, just waiting for that ball. I stopped in mid yell and looked at him and said "Good swing, son. You're your Daddy's boy all right and just KNOW what to do with a baseball bat!" That boy is just like you, Tommy and I love him dearly. He, even with all of his "curiosity", is such a sweetie and he misses you so, but tells me that Daddy is at work... unless he's talking about Ray Charles. Some times he just needs to watch "Daddy Ray" on YouTube. :) Actually a lot lately. He wants to watch Ray more than Elvis now! I think it's because he really thinks Ray is Daddy. Too cute!

Kate: Kate is going through the nightmare stage. Tonight she woke up with one where she thought Collin (who was sound asleep) was stealing a toy from her. Oh the travesties of the middle child with a younger brother. I mean, come on!! Is there a worse lot in life?!??!? Kate and I have a new game at the park. We hunt for a stick and she writes letters in the mulch or sand and I have to guess what letter it is. I usually need help (not because of her beautiful handwriting, mind you, but because she is so smart) and she tells me what sound the letter makes. We always high-five when I finally guess it. She spends her quiet time going through anatomy books... you know, like every other 4 year old on the planet. What is better then science, I ask you??

Cora: We were at the park with friends and that precious thing kept crawling in my lap. I swear the kids and the dog think I take you for a drive and ditch you. She understands the concept of time now and realizes it will be a LONG time before Daddy gets home. Her need is to have a lot going on. Robyn called me tonight and told me that she had a doctor's appt. tomorrow and was taking her kids. I told her "No; I'll take your kids and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." Cora (along with the others) will be happy for another play date. I have made a point to hold her and read/rock her. She is six years old, but still needs it in times like these. As her mother, I am ever so happy to do this... even if she's long and lanky now, she's still my baby. She is trying so hard to be grown up, Tommy, it almost bothers me. Yet she is still fun, girly and has created new ballet dances to songs.

Our favorite book right now is the one about Mr. and Mrs. Mallard finding a suitable home for their ducklings and of course Lewis' Narnia series. We are up to our ears in the year's science projects and that is an absolute blast for me. If only it was warmer the tadpoles and monarch caterpillars might be out. It's frustrating but at least we have our seedlings to watch. At this point we have both flower seedlings herb and vegetable seedlings to watch so of course we're quite busy with that task. 12 days to sprout must be torture to a young soul.

How's the wife you ask? I am fairing well. I get into the "witching hour", finally get the kids prayers said, tuck in everyone and go down stairs to clean up and Cordie has done it all. The funny thing, I told her and Kristin today, is that she thinks that some day she'll move out. Maybe when the kids are in college!! Maybe.... depends on if you're around to do dishes or not, HA! No, things are gong well. I feel like I can do this and that I have support where I need it. You talked to me for a record 39 minutes Master Farley! I thank you. No, I cannot thank you enough, actually. It was nice to feel the pressure of a quick report of the home and children was off and I could ask you about my concerns with bills, listen about your day and thoughts, and tell you mine. Thank you so much!! I need that.

Robyn called me tonight and told me that she had spoken to Sarah and Tom Yager early today and they wanted to call me just to check on me. She didn't think he needed the work as much as they wanted to see how I was doing. Those people are gold. I think if we look around we can see we're pretty rich in friends. Dory and Nathan, my Bible study group, Tony and Mel, Yagers, Cordie, Kristin and the Rubys, the list goes on. We're blessed. I was so worried when my folks moved back home, but God is assuring me that He really does want to help me, even with the little stuff. Funny thing is, it's the little stuff that counts. In the big stuff, people always show up; with the little stuff no one really cares. God does and He sends people with talents in those areas to help. Even if it's just hanging a tomato basket!!

Hope you're still feeling like this course you're taking is speaking to you, like God is speaking to me through your absence!

all of my love forever,
Missus Farley and the children