Korea Prep 2

My neighbor was kind enough to hook me up with an old friend of his who is stationed in Korea.  It was really nice being able to have another single mom connect with me about her experience.  She told me about the room I'd probably be living in and gave me some tips on what to bring, what not to bring.  She also let me know about the base and what the dining facilities were like there, so I'd probably need a crock pot. 

My feeling about Korea today is ... okay.  It feels good being able to talk with someone who can actually let me see, mentally, what I'm getting into. 

I received a phone call from a good brother-friend of mine, J Guy.  He was so upset that I'd be leaving my kids to serve this tour.  I was pretty encouraged by him calling to comfort me and share his brotherly love for me.  I felt loved.

I'm trying to get a hold of my friend, Daniel, who is currently struggling with a divorce.  He and his family are a beautiful thing and I always admired them as a unit.  To know that they are suffering so much hurts me and I'm so concerned for them all.  He hasn't written me back in almost a month and the last e-mail he wrote expressed how frustrated, angry, and hurt he is.  I sent him another e-mail today.  Tomorrow, I will try to call him.

Patrick and I are about to Skype tonight.  I sent him part one of two Christmas gifts and I want him to open it tonight.  Partly because I was worried when he told me that the FedEx guy tossed it onto his porch.  It's a wooden humidor!  I'm worried it might be broken and I want to be able to have him return it in time for him to receive part two-- eleven very fine Dominican cigars.  I couldn't get Cubans.  Anyway, I'm excited to see how he'll react if the humidor is in good shape.  He likes cigars.

Lastly, I hate keeping this Korea a secret from the kids.  I won't break, though.  I don't want to hang that over their heads during Christmas.  I'll wait til after my oldest boy's birthday in January.  Sigh.  I hate thinking of leaving them.  If you're a parent, you know the feeling.

I wish I could bring Bruce with me.  He's my companion, my friend.  He may be a dog but he's my favorite person aside from my human-family.  He looks at me with giant eyes and I hate knowing I won't see them for a whole year.

Finally, I just want to say that I praise God.  For everything.  He never wastes a hurt.  He never wastes tears.  He is my Father.  And I love Him so much.

Goodnight, all.

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Korea Prep

So far, I have A LOT of things to do to prepare for this remote tour.  I have four different checklists.  I just prepared about fourteen powers of attorney.  I have to get an anthrax and smallpox vaccine, which is gonna SUUUUCK.  I guess it's about time though, right?  When I deployed a few years ago, I had to get a rabies and Japanese Encephalitis vaccine.  I might as well get the rest of the crazy ones. 

I'm not telling the kids about Korea until after the holidays and birthdays.  I've decided to use the time I have with them to create some awesome memories.  So far here's what I've done:

I convinced them I'm a ninja. 

Been trying to do this for a year, but my kids are too smart. 

 

We went to our first college football game.

 

I took them to the top of a mountain

 

We made our first-ever snowman!

We didn't have enough snow to make a big one.

 

We have Grandma here!

 

 

I'm going to keep trying to make opportunities for cool memories.  But more importantly, I'm just trying to make sure that we're spending good, quality time together.  They're worth it.

 

More to come on Korea prep.

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The Dreaded E-mail

So once every few years of an enlisted person's life, they will receive an e-mail that makes them hold their breath.  The "From" is usually "System Generated E-mail" and you know that's always some kind of official notification e-mail box.  Well, I got my own e-mail last week shortly after returning home from work.

"Congratulations!  This is to notify you of your selection for a Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS)..."

What??  I immediately remembered receiving a call for volunteers for Korea, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and England two weeks ago.  So Big AF didn't get enough volunteers and now here I am with an assignment.  The e-mail is a teaser.  It congratulates you, but doesn't say where you're going or when.  So I was left with anxiety and worry.

If I got Germany or England, it would be a long tour and I would get to take my kids and pets.  But we'd have to stay for 3 years.  And if I got deployed from there, I'd have to spend thousands of dollars to send my kids back to the CONUS to live with my family.

If I got a short tour like Korea, Spain, or Portugal, then I'd only have to serve 15 months.  But I would have to leave my children, pets and belongings behind.

Needless to say, I would've been unhappy with either.

I got to work and logged onto my computer.

Korea.  I got Korea.  

And guess what, I leave in just a matter of months.

So here we go again, Combat Boots Mama is leaving home without the kiddos.  Ahhhh.... such is military life.

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