Special Post Nov.17th, 2011

As a family of a soldier I can tell you that I have begun to pray a lot. I need all the strength I can find to get through this deployment. I need all the prayers I can find in me to find that strength. I have to once again be mom and dad to the girls, I once again have to get through the next year of my life as a single mom. Now don't take that wrong, in no way am I saying I'm single. I'm not, I am very happily married to the greatest man in the world.

With your husband overseas away from your family, you have to somehow step up and be two parents. You have to step up and learn to live without the other half of your heart. I don't have a clue how to do that. I don't want to do that either.

I find ways to keep Jon in my families every thought. Now that doesn't mean that he isn't in our every thought. It just means that no matter what we are doing I want Jon to be in the thought at that moment. I believe that is how we can get through this. I believe that keeping Jon in every second of our family's time will keep him in close contact with us.

When I sit and think about him, I can feel him here with me. When I lay my head down at last every day, I can feel his arms wrap around me. I believe that is because he is never out of my mind. No matter what I am doing, I talk to Jon. It may sound strange, but Jon and I always talk about everything together. Even with him being away from home right now, I want Jon to know everything that is going on. So I talk to him, walking through the store or driving down the road.

It's my way of keeping him close to me. Another thing that I do, is I sit and look over all the photos we had taken in the two months before he left. Those photos help me to talk to him too. It's easy to just talk when you are looking him in the eyes. Those eyes make me fall in love all over again. I can truly see his soul through his eyes. And that means more to me than I ever thought possible.

I play around in PSP (Paint Shop Pro) a lot. I have gotten where I take our family photos and see what I can do with them. Tonight I made one that I know will help me in getting through these next months. I wanted to share that photo here.

Jon, my loving husband. Dad to our three girls.

This photo just screams prayers to me. I can tell you, I certainly do feel his love for me. He is such an amazingly loving man. I know he worries about us here at home. I wanted him to know, we are okay. It is difficult having him so far from home, but we are survivors. We will make it through. We know our rock is coming home as soon as he can. That gets us through each day. We feel your love baby. I hope you can feel ours too.

Later love,

Betty