Special guest post by Lawman

In late September 2011, I was told I would be deploying to Afghanistan. An all expenses paid, 1 year trip. I love my country and would do anything for it.

I have always thought about a tattoo but never really knew what I would get if I were to get one. In October I came home from drill weekend with the National Guard and had it all figured out. There are three things that I feel very strongly about - - my God, my Country, and my Girls. I had made up my mind, I was going to get a tattoo.

Last Friday I spent 4 hours at the tattoo parlor. Nancy and one of the girls came down to check on me while I was in the chair. It was uncomfortable. Ok, it hurt. I hate to admit that being the alpha male that I am but that's the truth of the matter.

The cross represents my God and the sacrifice He made for me. The flag, my country and the freedoms I have.  The names of my girls are a reminder of my family. It's located near my heart as a reminder of the love we share.

I'm just over 90 days out from the date I report for duty.  Once you receive word you'll soon be deploying, you begin to see the daily things with a different perspective. Every minute counts. Every thing matters.

I ask that you remember those that serve this great country. They are every day people - - just like you. Just like me.

I got my tat. My one. My only.

it's been a good weekend and i've still got a full day left!

last night, miss madison thought she and i needed a mom/dot date. so, dinner and shoe shopping it was. for months i've been trying to convince her to try a new restaurant that opened this fall. finally, last night she decided she was up for it. and, at her suggestion. she loved it! that means it will be a place we can go again and again. their dishes are so good and i especially like that not every sauce is a butter and cream base.



after dinner it was on to the mall for dessert which was shoe shopping! she's got a dance next weekend and we have the dress but needed a nice heel to go with. first store didn't have her size but we were able to find the same shoe at another store in her size and with a lower price tag. score!



since we'd done two fun things, i decided we were going to tackle the grocery shopping before we headed home because it would mean i could possibly make it the entire weekend without having to make another trip to town. as we were walking down an aisle, i hear her say, "maybe i want to cook when i grow up." my ears perked right up. not sure if she was thinking as a profession or just in general but she was in the kitchen today.




it was cookie baking day. makes me smile when she does this sort of thing.

full disclosure this morning. that is my night stand. please don't judge.

i am a book girl. i'd say that's obvious considering the photo i just shared. i love books. is it possible to have a book addiction? if so, i probably need to attend book-lovers anonymous...

now here's another full disclosure statement. e-readers. i never thought i would want one. i always felt that there was something about holding a tangible book. turning the pages. the smell of fresh print. but i think i've changed my mind.


i've been researching e-readers for weeks now. i've settled on a kindle. i've been looking at the kindle touch and the kindle fire. i've heard good things about both from friends that have one or the other. the only downside i've heard is that the kindle fire may be more difficult to read on as it does not have a matte screen (so there is a glare depending upon the light).

there are many blog related books available in only an e-format. they'll never go to print. i would like to read them. there are also books for my book club that i think i would purchase in an e-format vs. print. i have purchased many of our book club books for reading and then they've remained in my personal collection yet they're not ones that i care to keep.

given the fact that i've been considering this purchase for 3 weeks now, i think it's safe to take the plunge. surely 21 days is long enough to contemplate, right? do you have a reader? i'd love to hear your feedback.

it's 2:34pm as i sit here. usually i am at work, not home. change of schedule today brought to you by mlk day. first time in my working history that i've had today off. such a pleasure.

it's been a day of mixed blessings. we loaded alison's car this morning and sent her back to campus. we followed her into town (it's only 15 miles) and had lunch with her before she 'officially' left us again. as lawman and i were driving, we had a wonderful discussion about her, about us as parents. we are so very fortunate to have her as our daughter. she's got a good head on her shoulders. she has dreams. she has common sense. she has smarts. she has compassion.

this semester will be a different beginning for her. she's not a 'first time' college student anymore now that she's got a semester under her belt. she knows what is expected of her. what is required to succeed. she has a better understanding of time management skills. of balancing fun with responsibility. yet, it will continue to be a learning experience as she is faced with new challenges. what a wonderful time in her life. i pray that she be like a sponge and just soak it up.

so now it is quiet(er) again on the homefront. alison's bathroom has been cleaned. her sheets have been washed and are back on her bed awaiting her next visit. lawman is preparing to go to work. madison is not home from school yet. i am taking advantage of this time. a cup of hot tea, the computer, a book (which i saw here last week and prompted me to pull my copy out), and me.

i turned to january 16 in my book to read today's writing. i found it to be just what i need during this day of sending one of our own off and the changes we are going through once again.

"...-instinctively i turn to homegrown rituals to restore my equilibrium. there is an immediate emotional and psychological payoff to getting our houses in order. we might not be able to control what's happening externally in our lives but we can learn to look to our own inner resources for a sense of comfort that nurtures and sustains."

it's been just over 4 weeks ago that she came home from college for the christmas break. it was an adjustment for all of us to have her here again, but one we were glad to be making. we had all fallen into new rhythms when we became a family of 3 living under this roof - - the little sister got used to not sharing a bathroom, or make-up, or hair products; i became accustomed to the basement always being picked up, fewer dishes to wash, less laundry to do, one less plate to set at the table for our meals.

within her first week home, we figured out how to operate as a family of four again. we fell into the old rhythms without much effort. now don't think it was completely natural because there were plenty of days where i'd hear little sister hollering at big sister because a certain hair product had disappeared and big sister  accused little sister of raiding her closet because a particular shirt couldn't be found. sisterly love at it's finest, i tell ya!

i saw evidence of personal growth in our oldest girl. her world had gotten a little bigger over the last 4 months and her eyes had been opened a little wider. she learned that she's blessed. and that not everyone else is as fortunate as she is. she's met young adults from all walks of life. made lots of new friends. has been faced with making choices on her own which until now had been made by us, the parents. she learned that sometimes you can't always do the 'fun' stuff. sometimes you have to say no and be the girl that chooses to do homework v. a social function. sometimes you have to forego sleep to meet commitments.

i was sure that after a couple of weeks at home she'd be climbing the walls to get out. that she'd say it was 'boring' here at home. that she'd had enough of the family time and couldn't wait to get back to her own schedule which includes more social activities in a week than our calendar does in a month. to my pleasant surprise, that's not exactly what happened. her first 2 weeks at home were just that - - at home. time spent napping, catching up on tv shows, reading something other than text books, enjoying a full-access pass to a stocked fridge and pantry, and home-cooked meals. not once have i heard her say that 'she can't wait to go back.' it's been the opposite. she isn't ready to go back, to give up all the comforts of home again.

today is the last day of her break. tomorrow morning we will load her car and send her on her way back to campus. it will be like a lot of things in life - - the getting there is the hardest part. once she gets there she will be thrilled to be among her friends again, to once again have a whole new semester in front of her, to start with a clean slate, to meet more new people and to do some more growing into her own. and us, the ones left behind? well, we'll find our new rhythms too and we'll be counting the days until march when she'll be with us again for spring break.