Ok, leave dates are in finally. I've been told I'll have my leave starting the 14th of this month. Not holding my breath for that not to change at some point, but that's what I'm planning for. I'm really sorry I won't get to see everyone, but there's a limited amount of time and my first priority is obviously to my patient, loving wife and sons. Speaking of sons, Lucas James is now a healthy growing boy of what... over a month now. I can't tell you how agonizing it has been to first of all find out he was born more than 24 hours after the fact, and now to know he's growing and getting cuter without having ever seen him. I still feel a very strong connection with him, even having never met him, but I lack the intimacy that will only come with changing his diapers :-). It is certainly WAY harder to know that I'm missing a ton of Isaac's firsts. Steps, words, problem solving, jokes, self knowledge, self will... the list goes on. I mean he started walking 1 measly week after I left for trainup... how's that for bad timing. At least I have the one comfort of knowing that I managed to completely convince Lucas' mom that he was a girl and so when he was born she was understandably shocked to see a boy. I think a lot of wives would have been upset at that, but not mine. Of course I knew she wouldn't be, otherwise I wouldn't have done it. At any rate, now she knows that when she tells me she wants to be surprised she'd better really mean it.
If anyone wants me to get a silk or wool rug, just let me know, they have some really beautiful rugs of all different sizes and I can get really good deals. Or if there's anything else you think I could get over here that you have a hankering for, I'll do my best to find it for you.
I miss all of you in a very bad way, honestly I try to not think of any of you at all because it makes it so much harder for me to remain calm. I'm really not ignoring you guys, I'm just trying to survive this ridiculous deployment without going crazy. It's like I was discussing with a bunch of guys the other day, this is a deployment that it is impossible to be proud of in any way. Oh well, they can't all be winners. The only upside is that no one from my unit has died or been injured from anything enemy related. Honestly, the safety aspect means a lot more to Bonnie than it does to me... but I suppose that is good enough.