One last time.................. in Durham(for me)

I just thought that I would let ya all know that this will be the last time that I put a blog message up while I'm in Durham. Yep that's right I'm moving again. Only this time Lisa and the kids don't get to go with. So that means that I am getting deployed with the NC National Guard to go over to Iraq for a year or so. We leave around the January 2 to do some trainning in Mississippi and California and then off to the big dessert. This is a little faster than we had planned on but knew it was coming when we moved out here. We were hoping to go with a different unit but things fell through and I got stationed with this one and bam off I go. Please get often for updates and for those who have her number call Lisa and check up on her.

We would also like to wish everyone a happy New Year and to remind you to say that you love each other often you never know how so your love will be gone. Lucky for us it is only temporary and we can talk inbetween or visits. Thank you technology. What a wounderful thing cell phones and internet are. Just think of the distances that are covered by such devices so that we can see and hear each other so quickly. It such a waste that people use it for other distructing, mind numbing things. Anyways thanks for all your love and support. See ya soon.

Mac

Friends

I have not cried about moving until today. I had to say good-bye to my best friend. I have had two best friends in my life. I have a lot of friends but only two best friends. When I was growing up Sharon Drowns was my best friend. Sharon is everything I wish that I could be: athletic, outgoing, everyone loves her and she is beautiful. She is just a wonderful person. I missed her and her influence after I left North Carolina. Even after I got married and had kids we didn't have best friends. I think I have kept myself from getting too close to people because we were always moving. While we were in Cedar City we met Rick and Holly in SUU's ROTC. We really liked Rick and Holly but we never really had the chance to get too close to them in Cedar. Then Rick and Ken went to Oklahoma for OBC at the same time. They rode together and the kids and I followed. Holly decided to stay in UT. She came to visit and we got closer while she was there. It didn't hurt that Rick was always at our house studying, eating, playing with our kids, watching football, and taking home leftovers. :) When we came back here we were close enough to where they lived that we saw each other quite a bit. Our kids love them and we love their daughter Katie too. When we decided to move I was sad about not seeing them all the time. They might move back east too but not for a while and it will still not be in NC. We saw Holly and Katie for the last time today while we were packing. Suddenly I realized that I was going to cry so I got out of there. Ken laughed at me and sent texts to Holly teasing her. Evidently she was crying too. Holly is not like Sharon. Holly seems to be more like me. That is not a bad thing. I still wish that I was all the things that Sharon is but I have realized that I like who I am too. I can sit with Holly and admire her for the qualities that we share and just for the joy of spending time with her.

The point of telling all of you this is to say how much I appreciate their friendship and all that they have done for us and with us. I can't tell you how much their friendship has meant to us. We love you and your family and we hope to reunite with you soon. By the way Holly, I agree with you. It was like saying good-bye to a sister. Write often and call too.

One last time.....................in Utah

Today we would like to thank everyone for there love and support that they have given us especially over the last few months. Thanks to Mike and Elayne for letting stay with them when we had no where else to go on such short notice. Thanks a bunch to Matt and Kara for allowing us to invade their home for three months and putting up with the additional stress of a whole extra family in the house. We truely appreciate and love ya all for doing this. We never would have made it through these tough times with out the support of family. I am so glad that we are a close family and have the ability to help each other out in times of stress and need. We are also thankful for Gramama (Brona) for letting us come and stay at her house to start our next stage in life out in North Carolina. We are so excited about this move and step in our life. We are sure that everybody back east is excited too. They will finally be able to see little Reba in person and get love and cuddle her along with her brother and sister. The kids are way excited about going to Gramama's house and having a dog to play with again along with new cousins to play with. The worst part about this whole thing is leaving behind family and friends that we have grown close to and love. If we could move everybody out with us that would be great. Doesn't that sound like a good idea? Everyone could just move to North Carolina! Anyway, to top things off both of the units back east that I have talked about transferring to for guard are both being deployed to Iraq in the next few months. I am going to miss so much while I am gone but we have been waiting for this time to come and feel comfortable with the decision to go with either unit and get the experience over with while the kids are young. It will also help us out with the whole money situation and get us back on our feet. Hope all is well with everyone and hope to see ya soon.