Change of Plans

We found out this past week that Luke will no longer be deploying to Japan, but will be going to Afghanistan as part of the troop build-up. We were, or at least I was, pretty surprised, but the more I thought about it, I realized that I should have known that this would be happening. I mean, it only makes sense. This is what Seabees do! More troops means there needs to be more places to live and it's the Seabees job to build those places. This will actually be pretty good for Luke's career, especially coupled with his previous deployment to Iraq.

We also found out that he will be leaving at the beginning of January instead of the middle of February, which definitely interfered with our holiday plans and we therefore will not be coming to Oregon for Christmas. We're disappointed (especially Strawberry and Apple) that we won't be able to see everyone that is going to be there, but we really need to be alone as a family right now. This is going to be a very hard goodbye. I mean, it always is, but it was sooner than we expected and will be for longer than we expected and probably won't be able to communicate as often as we expected. Thanks for being understanding of that.

I will definitely be using the blog to keep everyone updated on how he is and what he is doing. And of course, how we are doing here at home. That was one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.

We hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas. Be sure and hold your loved ones tight and remember what a blessing it is that you have each other. Military life is hard on family, but it has definitely given us the opportunity to have a closeness and gratitude for each other that we didn't quite have before. Our most precious experiences have been coming back together as a family after long absences. Anyway, we love you all and miss you and are grateful for you. Have a beautiful Christmas.