Silly Strawberry

Strawberry got this awesome tutu for Christmas (thank you little cousin K!--his mommy made this) and looooves prancing around being a ballerina. I had to share some of the pictures.

Luke called this morning. They are all settled in to Afghanistan getting training for scary things that I don't want to think about. He says it's a lot different than Iraq, definitely not as nice. Plus it's raining and snowing instead of 130 degrees. He and all the other officers and chiefs are sharing a big tent. So it's fun, like Girls' Camp, right? I wonder if they tell ghost stories and prank each other. He said that in the next few days, he will be taking a 21-person detail out to a Forward Operating Base and expanding it. So it's really good that he will be doing something already. I was worried that he would just be sitting around. He said a lot of the other people will be, but he gets to get out and work. We didn't get to talk for very long. The last thing he said was, "Oh yeah, do you have a piece of paper and pencil ready?" and then it hung up on us. Aauugh. What was he going to say? Now I'm all anticipating. He hasn't had much access to email. So I may have to wait a few days to find out what it was, especially once he heads off for the job. Sigh.

At least we got to talk. He was able to talk to Apple this morning, but Strawberry was at school. He actually just got to talk to her last night when he called for 2 minutes to let us know he was there and told her that he loved her. My poor girls miss their daddy. Apple had me write a letter to him this morning that basically said, "we'll be good if you come home." :( I don't know if it is harder for her since she doesn't understand what 8 months means or for Strawberry who does understand. I've been doing my best to keep them busy and happy. We actually went to Disneyland the day he left. I was warding off the depressed state that Strawberry tends to fall in to when Luke leaves, and it worked, they had a blast. My next door neighbor met us there. Her husband has been deployed since August so she and her kids knew exactly what we were going through. But, I don't know, the last couple of days have been tough for me. I just want to lay in bed and feel sorry for myself, but I can't. So I'm more grouchy than I should be. I need to remember that my girls need me to really hold it together and be happy and keep them happy. It's tough.

Anyway, he's doing fine and we're doing fine. Thanks for all of your concern and love. We have awesome family and friends.