Friday Reflections

So much has happened in the last six weeks I don't even know where to begin. It's snowing ... I guess we can start there. It's the beautiful kind of snow, but it's not going to last long with rain projected for later this week.

Zachary was up all night sick. I'm hoping he's going to pass out for a nap here shortly. JG got up with him at least once an hour all night long ... poor Zachary hunched over or on the toilet. Most people blame being sick on the last thing they ate ... we had Five Guys so it HAS to be a virus and not a food-born illness.

JG reenlisted yesterday to serve another four years in the Air Force. This decision did not come lightly in the midst of the hardest time in our career field I've seen in 13 years. On the way to pick up the kids for the ceremony I broke something. Anticipating the boys and another passenger I immediately opened the trunk to put in my gym bag to make room for another one of JG's colleagues who wanted to witness our family's committment. The key was stuck going in so I shoved it in hard, popped the bag in, shut the trunk in a hurry, slid into the drivers seat and starting to put on my seatbelt as I crank the engine. Well, it didn't crank, it was stuck. I pull out the key thinking I may have put the wrong one it. But, no, it was the right one, crooked and all. WHAT?

As I bring the key upstairs to my office where we have a drawer full of hammers I wonder if someone tried breaking into our trunk and that how the key thingy broke. I pass by our deputy director in the hall and show him the damaged key. The colonel did a really good job, but unfortunately it didn't work, the HOV lane turned into 3 passengers only and I only had about 15 minutes to make it to the Air Force Memorial. I was so bummed we wouldn't be able to have our boys there. My husband drove to work that day and had the other car key on him. So, with car filled with moral support and the presiding officer he hands off the key and I say "I'll see you there."

Usually, when I break something, it's far worse than I first realize. So, as I'm in the elevator going down into the parking garage I hoped that I didn't bust the ignition by forcing the broken key in it too hard. But, luckily, the car started without incident and I was on my way. Seven of us, freezing cold, stood underneath the three spires of the Air Force Memorial in 20-degree weather.

Also, yesterday, I found out that I'm going to the NCO Academy in April - a six-week course in Alabama. Two weeks of Combat Skills Training happen two weeks after I return from there and about a week later I'll be on my six-month deployment. I can't tell you how relieved I am that I have firm dates to plan around.

I've come to the realization that we're not going to have a sense of "normal" between now and the time that I leave. JG made the comment the other day that he doesn't feel "home" yet. There's been a lot of adjusting for all of us since he's been back. I'm so thankful that we get to spend our first anniversary together. To make up missing the reenlistment to the kids, maybe we'll go visit the Air Force Memorial on the day our family became official.