Separation

I just wanted to express my feelings on this subject. I think that separation sucks. I hate to be separated from those that I love for a short period of time let alone for months on end. I don't know why people choose to be away from their families. I understand that at times it is good and refreshing to the relationship but to leave them behind for extended periods of time is just crazy. I think that this is the worst thing that I have had to deal with.

With Christmas just around the corner and Thanksgiving just past I would like to say "Thank you" to all my family for the love and support that they have shown and expressed to my family in NC and to me Iraq. It makes this difficult time a little bit easier to handle. I have never felt this alone around so many people before. I just want to be around family and feel in their love. For all those that have asked this is what I want for Christmas. Unfortunately I will not get what I want this year. I will have to wait a little longer for my Christmas present.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year. May God be with all of you and your families.

Cute Colby

An Update. YEA!!!!

While I am here listening to the BYU football game I decided that I had better update the blog since it has been so long since the last update. So here it goes.

I am currently home for two week leave from a year deployment to Iraq. This has been a very trying yet uplifting time. I say trying because it is hard to be away from family and friends for such a long period with nothing but a phone call and emails to keep updated (at least we have these). I also say uplifting because it has put a new resolve into me to live my life for God and family. I have made the decision that when my current obligation is over with the guard I am done. I know I have put many years in and have many great experiences with the men and women that I have served with but I now want to spend time with my family and be with them growing up and not just a figure that they talk to and see every now and then. If things work out I will rejoin the guard later in life and get my retirement out of it. I have just learned that my priorities have changed. WOW! How things change in life when we think that we have everything figured out.

Lisa and the kids have been enjoying the company of Gramama while they have been here in NC and look forward to the remaining time that is left before I get to join them. We really don't have anything planned for after I get home on what we are going to do or where we are going to live. Again with life changing by the minute who knows what will happen. We thought that we had things planned but then due to the economy our plan fell through when an acquaintance decided not to buy a tanning salon that had a room that I would have been able to do massage therapy in. I was kinda bummed about it but life goes on and nothing was set in stone so it is easy for us to change and readjust.

Anyway I will close for now and hopefully get some pictures but up before I head back to the "Sand Box" for the final leg on the deployment and wait to see what life brings our way. Have fun and enjoy all.

Cute picture

If you want to see an adorable picture of Reba go to my mom's blog. Follow the link from this page to Gramama's blog. Enjoy.

Thinking of Daddy

Just when we thought we knew all of their tricks....

So I thought I knew all of the tricks and hiding places for clean up time. I thought I was so smart. To be outsmarted by your kids brings mixed feelings. I have hidden things under beds and in closets and drawers but this takes the cake. They found that the liner under the box spring on Chloe's bed was loose and starting to come off in one corner so they "helped it along". Then they hid toys in the boxspring. Their only mistake was "helping" the liner too much and putting things that were too heavy in there. I looked under the bed and saw something bulging. I thought one of the pieces of wood had broken so I pushed it up so that I could get a feel for what it was. I felt something round and some other things made jingling noises. You will notice in one of the pictures that Jared is holding the round tube and there is the pile of toys that they hid. In the picture of Chloe you can see the liner that she is on top of. I tried not to laugh. I was kind of proud of them too for being creative enough to think of this elaborate hiding place. I had to take a minute to take pictures before I could get stern enough to talk to them about it.

Update

It seems like I do this a lot but here is an update of the happenings of our family.

Ken- We had a scare about a week and a half ago. I hadn't talked to Ken for about a week but I hadn't really worried because I knew he was moving to a new place and we didn't know how soon he would be able to contact us. I talked to one of my friends (whose husband is a major in the same battalion that Ken is in)and she said that she got an email that said that there was a communications blackout. She said that there are a lot of reasons that they can have a blackout but I was so afraid that it was because someone was killed or hurt. I really started freaking out. That night(4:30 am), Ken sent me a text message that said that he was ok. I was so relieved. We were at a hotel because there was a family reunion that weekend. The guy in the front lobby let me use his computer and Ken and I were able to IM. The reason for the blackout was that three soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber along with some Iraqis. Ken told me that this happened about 2 miles from his area. Scary huh? It brought a lot of things home to Ken and I. I think we both realize how close he is to all of this and how anything can happen. We are grateful to know that we will be together forever even if (Heaven forbid) something happens to him. Ken is ok. He sounds kind of bored with things there. He has a lot of responsibility but he doesn't really go anywhere. The place where he is at is small. He has got to be going crazy.

Chloe- Chloe is almost finished with Kindergarten. Their last day is June 10th. She is going to be really bored this summer. She is used to having friends around and having a lot of structure to her day. It will be an interesting change for us all. She is doing amazingly well in school. Even though she entered school in January she is still above the expected reading level. She gets good comments from her teachers who love her and she is loved by a lot of people in her school. Jared, Reba and I went to her school for Field Day (a day when they have all sorts of games to play as a class) and anytime we were going to the next station all we heard was Hi Chloe! She has a lot of friends from different classes. She is adjusting well to all of the craziness that we have had and are still having in our lives. She is happy and bossy and motherly to us all. She keeps me straight too. She reminds me daily that I need to watch what I say and do because she tries to do things just like me and she is a lot smarter and grown up than I give her credit for.

Jared- Jared has really gotten into movies. He loves to check out movies from the library. Since he doesn't take naps anymore it gives him a time to watch movies and me time to have a break. He love to play with his trains and his sister. He misses Chloe when she is at school. When she comes home they both go across the street to play with the grandson of one of our neighbors. He loves Reba. While Chloe is at school he tries to play with her just like he would Chloe. It doesn't always work and she is not always too fond of it but they get along most of the time and he hasn't seriously hurt her yet. He loves to have friends around. Anytime we go somewhere that he has friends available to him he is happy. He doesn't really play with them a lot though. He likes to have the knowledge that he can play with them if he wants to. Crazy kid!

Reba- Reba is walking all over the place now. She has learned to blow bubbles with her mouth and it sounds like she is saying Mama. She loves to play with shoes. She takes the liner out of any shoes that she can. She took them out of two pairs of my shoes and one of Jared's. I don't know why she does this. It kind of drives me crazy. She LOVES to wear her shoes. If I haven't put them on her yet for the day and she sees them she sits down in front of me and tries to do it herself. When I go to help her she is the one who closes the velcro. We have a shoe girl. She still loves me more than anything and would rather go to me than anyone else but she is starting to tolerate other people holding her. Sometimes she even lets certain people hold her while I am still in the room where she can see me. Sometimes. She loves to talk to Ken on the phone and she gets mad when I try to take the phone away. She says Dada to him and baba (bye bye). If she sees his picture on the comouter she tries to get to it and kiss it. She is also a little monkey. She has learned how to climb into her high chair by herself. Smart little girl.

Lisa- Now for the news that you all have been waiting for. The bottle incident was not a sign. WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!!!!!!!!! He is healthy and he was a pain during the ultrasound just like all of our other kids. We have not settled on a name yet. We are still choosing between two. Neither one of us have any idea which one it will be. I have been having some panic attacks. Some people ask me what I have to stress about and I just look at them like they are crazy. I am keeping busy with my mom's house and the kids. I also have been given a calling to be on the enrichment board at church. I am very grateful for all of the times that others have helped me with taking the kids or cleaning the house. Each time has been a very welcome break.

We hope that you are all doing well. We can't wait to see everyone again.

SIGN???

While we were in Fayetteville with Ken I realized I had forgotten to bring a bottle for Reba. I went to the PX and bought more. In hopes that we are having a boy so that we can keep the pattern going I bought a package that had a blue bottle in it. Today I washed dishes and the one blue bottle that we have got melted around the heating element. Not only can't I get it out but I am wondering if this is a sign telling me that our pattern has ended. What do you think? I finally ran the dishwasher again to melt it more so that I could pull it out.
By the way, melted plastic in the dishwasher doesn't smell the best. :)

29, 4, 1

I didn't know what to name this blog so I went with the years that the birthday people are turning. We had this party a little early so that I could be home for it and have some fun with them. We had dinner at Johnny Carino's. For those that don't know this is an Italian resturant. We had a very good time and enjoyed the presents that we got.


















The following day being Easter Sunday we went to Duke Gardens. This is something that Lisa did growing up and plans on doing each year that we are back here. While we where we decided to take some pictures. I hope that you all enjoy these because it will be a while before you see me in any of them.


















With love
LT McArthur

The following two posts

The next two posts have been requested by several people who haven't seen Reba in a long time. There is one of all of us and the other is mostly of Chloe. Both are adorable and I hope you enjoy it. I'm not going to promise pictures or posts again soon because you all know how well I do with that. Its all I can do to survive normal everyday life without Ken. We miss him so much. The kids tell me that they are ready for Daddy to be out of the National Guard. In a way that is cute and it is also very sad. We have been lucky to be able to talk to him as much as we have in the last little while. From the sound of it we won't be able to talk to him much for a couple of weeks. We are just looking forward to the time we are going to have with him in April before he leaves for Iraq. Enjoy the posts and we hope all is well with you and yours.

Lisa

Our past few months in pictures

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Chloe's two first day of school

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No camera of course

On Sunday night I was talking to Ken and Reba was playing with the garbage. She was standing up and holding on to the side of the garbage can. I told her no and she let go of the garbage can. She was standing all by herself! I couldn't believe it! I couldn't get to my camera and Ken was on the phone so I couldn't use that camera so I was out of luck. I was frustrated but at least Ken was on the phone and got to hear my reaction when his daughter stood for the first time by herself. I know I need to get some pictures on here but that will have to wait for another day. Sorry. By the way, in case you don't know Reba and I get to go to Mississippi and visit with Ken for about 36 hours this week. She is the only kid that I don't have to pay for a plane ticket for and Chloe has school anyway. Chloe and Jared are going to stay at my friend Sharon's house. They are really excited. I am so glad to have her near to help me out. I hope that I don't take too much advatage of it. Also, Reba is walking along the furniture and she runs all over in her walker. Literally runs. Chloe is doing really well in school and Jared is having fun with Mommy and Reba. He misses Chloe while she is at school. Luckily Sharon has a two year old daughter that Jared loves to play with. That's all for now. I hope you are all doing well.

Family Goodbyes

I just wanted to share our pictures that we took in Monroe before Ken's departure ceremony. Chloe especially loved taking pictures. Jared's are the ones of the grass and the ones of Reba were when Chloe was playing with the zoom but they are so cute.

We get to do this all over again when he actually has to leave us. We are grateful that he is staying with us for a little longer but now we have to prepare all over again. Oh well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

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