Here I Am!!!

Well, I fell off the the face of the Earth for a while but I am back! It has been a whirl-wind of fun and adventure since Mark returned home. We went on our vacation to Hawaii and Salt Lake City, which was AWESOME! Our trip started out with a weekend stop in Salt Lake City to visit some close freinds of ours, Bill and Colleen. They have this amazing house in Salt Lake City and we had a fantastic time with them. They took us to this ski resort which has a tram that travels 11,000 ft up this mountain and when we got to the top we were standing in snow. It was incredible. It was like 60 degrees at the bottom and about 30 degrees at the top. After that it was off to Oahu! We had the most amazing time. Zach loved it. The most incredible thing we did was swimming with the sharks! Yes, you read that right, we swam in the ocean with an ass load of sharks. We took this boat about three miles out from the North Shore and then they drop this cage into the water and you climb in and then they throw chum into the water, basically its fish guts, and the sharks swarm around the area. It was the most incredible thing I have seen. Zach had a blast. We werent going to have get in the cage to swim, but the captains of the boat said the youngest person they had get in the cage was 2 years old, so we asked Zach and he wanted to do it, so we all went in together. It was great. We were in Hawaii for two weeks and we relaxed and swam and drank and had so much great family time. By the end of the two weeks we were all ready to get back to our house and enjoy being a family at home again.

We have so much to look forward to over the next few years. Our move to Maryland will be here before we know it and there is so much to do before then, so I am sure time will fly by. The holidays are upon us and you know that those always go by quickly and then it will be the New Year and time to put the house on the market. So exciting, and scary....This is the only place I know, so I am pretty nervous about leaving. And as much as I complain about how little my house is, I love it dearly. It is going to be very had to turn it over to someone else. Lots of good memories in this house....but its time to move on and begin a new chapter in our lives, one that doesn't involve going to Iraq!!!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now. I have things to get done before daddy gets home from work!!

A few more days......

Well, here I am on Sunday afternoon, totally losing my mind. I cannot believe Mark is coming home in a few days! It seems like it will never get here. I spoke to him yesterday and he sounded so great. He is out of that bad place and somewhere a bit safer. He actually uttered the words "I am safe" to me, it was music to my ears. My body is so full of anticipation, I cant stand it. It is going to be the best feeling to have him back in our home.

In the meantime, I have been busy cleaning the house and making his sign, which came out quite good, I might add. I hope he doesnt get upset about what I wrote. He is a funny guy, as most of you know, and he likes to call himself the War Machine. My sign is as follows:
I love you
Captain Liston
War Machine

I hope he gets a kick out of it, I know he says that to everybody, so I think he will get a chuckle out of it. So, now its just a matter of getting thru the next few days. I have been busy researching our next duty station. We talked about buying a real nice house and renting it out after we are done there and then retiring back to that area and maybe Mark could get a job teaching part time at the academy. He had some help coming up with that idea, he told me so.... but I really think its a good one. I have been looking at houses and it is going to be a huge leap from where we are now. I just hope we are able to get something decent and not a total fixer upper for a ton of money. More storage would be nice and an extra bedroom, I dont think thats asking too much is it?? Anyway, it will be a great area to live in with lots to do and alot closer to my family!
Speaking of which, my niece is getting so big, I can stand it. She is so damn cute. I cannot wait to see her in person at Thanksgiving. I cant believe that she is three months old! That time went by fast, now the next few days need to go by fast!
Well, I guess thats it for now. I have a few more things to get done before I can relax for the afternoon. Til next time.....

Almost there........

Can you believe it????? This stinking deployment is just about done. My head is swimming these days. Most days I am not functioning on a normal level. It is rather stupid actually. The other day I am going along talking to Zach and paying little attention to my surroundings and low and behold I get pulled over for speeding!! I was so pissed at myself, can you stand it? What is my deal with cops in this town? I hae to get my shit together or these next few days are going to be torture, well.... more torture than they already are!

Mark got some fantastic news the other day. He found out that he made it into the masters program thru Annapolis, the Naval Academy. He is going to do a year at the University of Maryland and then two years teaching at the Naval Academy. I am so happy I could spit! He wanted this so badly and I so glad that he got it, he so deserves it! So, we will be leaving this lovely city called Jacksonville come April. That is going to be so weird, I have lived here for
8 YEARS, we moved for five months for a school and that was it! This is all I know. It is going to be hard, but I am so ready for a change, to get away from this place that is associated with deploying and sadness, I just want my husband home and to be a family, permanently. These few years have been quite difficult, but I am so very proud of my husband and his marines. They have accomplished things that we as civilians cant even begin to understand, especially since the media refuses to show anything "GOOD". When I start to get down on things ,I stop for a moment to think about what these brave men have done for us and our country and the people of Iraq, and it amazes me. It truly humbles me.

Anyway, Zach and I are doing what we can to make this next week and a half go by quickly. He is in gymnastics and loves it! I love to watch him do all his new stuff. He was doing head stands the other day! This is actually something that he gets excited about and looks forward to; there is no arguing or crying or pleading about not wanting to go, he ASKS me when its time to go!
How 'bout that?? School has officially started for him. He is in Ms. Val's 4 year old preschool class, much more grown up than the three year old class. heehee He has been doing a very good job so far, and has been bringing home wonderful projects and worksheets that they have worked on in class. He is learning how to use scissors and write his name. I love it! With Zach being back in school it gives me time to do my own thing! I make sure and get to Beans, my favorite coffee place, and I read my book and drink my coffee and enjoy the solitude. The good thing about the quiet and the solitude is that it is temporary. I know that in a couple hours my world will once again be filled with endless questions about why we cant get another puppy or hear him change his mind yet again about what he wants to be for Halloween. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
We are so ready for daddy to come home. It will be so wonderful to be a family again. Its been a long time coming. Almost there.......

Back home....

Well, here I am in good ol Jacksonville. I have been home for 4 1/2 days and it has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. I had so many things go wrong within the first twenty four hours I was here that I was ready to hit the road and head back to my sanctuary in RI. I wasn't even home five minutes and my damn dogs took off, they were gone for like 2 1/2 hours. I was so pissed/ frantic. They finally made it home on their own after I rode around for like an hour straight looking for them. UGHH! Anyway, after that crisis was finished it was just the small things I had to accomplish in my house, trimming bushes out front and cleaning bathrooms of dust and grime that had settled over the past three months. Monday morning I awoke and tried to start Marks truck and low and behold it wouldnt start, the damn thing was so tired from the 850 mile journey that it decided it had had enough. So, 117.00 later, I had AAA put in a new battery. Then, a request from my husband had me going to the Wounded Warriors Barracks aboard Camp Lejuene to visit a few marines who had been injured and now reside there to recuperate. I had been in my nice little bubble for three month and now it is all hitting me right in the face. Much to my surprise the marines were in very good shape and had good attitudes to boot. On Tuesday, on my way to the airport to drop off my aunt, I was pulled over by Jacksonvilles finest. I was given a citation because my license plate had expired. So, I got to spend a half hour of my life in the Jacksonville DMV, which is as pleasant as it sounds. Turns out I had been way ahead of the game but since they dont forward anything from the DMV, I did not receive while I was away and they sent it back to the DMV in Raleigh! MAN, this is exhausting! So, after a tumultuous few days, things have begun to settle into place. I finally got together with my girls and had a round of margaritas and some yummy Mexican food. What more could a girl ask for! Ummmm, maybe her husband! Time is marching on and it looks like we have a little less than eight weeks left of this oh- so- horrid deployment. Well, I guess thats about it for now. I am a sleepy gal and I need to get some shut eye! Til next time....

Time to head home.....

Well, can you believe that three months have gone by! Holy smokes! I am going to be on my way back to Jacksonville in five days! It feels like I just left. We have had a wonderful time. I am SOOOOOO happy I made this decision to come to RI. I have done so much and spent so much time with family and friends that it has been a blessing. I have been here for two births! My brother and now my good friend Jen just had her baby this afternoon! A baby boy! His name is Kyle and he is 7lbs 7oz. I get to meet him tomorrow and I am so excited!

We have been swimming and boating and going to pools and beaches. Zachary even had his first sleepover while we have been here! He slept next door at his friend Maddy's house, she is 6 years old and they are best buddies. He has been so great these past few months, I know its been hard for him to be away from his buddies back home, but he has truly made the best of it here. He has made all kinds of new friends. He is an awesome swimmer. He picked right up where he left off last summer and now he doesnt even need floaties or anything. He jumps off the diving board and everything! It is so great to see.

It is also hard to believe that in about EIGHT weeks my loving husband will be back in my arms. If I think about it too much I have trouble catching my breath. I am so happy I could burst. I definitely try not to think about it too much. We have big plans for when he gets back. We are heading back to Hawaii. I have the reservations all made and ready to go! We are staying at the same place as last year, the military resort, but we are staying for TWO WEEKS this time. I am so psyched. We have a brief stop in Salt Lake City first. We were hoping to visit with some old friends but it looks like they will be out of town at the time we are going to be there, bummer. But we will make the most of it.

Anyway, thats about it for now. I have so much packing to do, but first I have to get ready, I am going to the Cheescake Factory tonight! Priorites ,ya know!

I AM AN AUNTIE!!!!!

Well, its official, I am an AUNTIE!!!! My sister-in-law had a beautiful baby girl on June 20th at 505pm. Her name is Anais Adia Degnan. She weighed in at 7 lbs even and is the most beautiful thing I have seen, besides Zach of course. heehee I am so happy, I cant get the stupind grin off of my face. I went down to Long Island to visit with Lt Blowes and his family, who by the way, is doing remarkably well. It was great to see him. But anyway, I knew she was going to go into labor while I was way. And sure enough, my brother calls me Monday night to tell me that her water broke. MAN! I couldnt believe it. She was a trooper, she had a natural child birth, by choice, and she used all her breathing techniques that she learned, she was a good little student. I am so happy for them and us. This is exactly what my family needed, a beautiful new baby to help us forget all our troubles for a little while. I am going to spoil this kid rotten. hahahahaha
The rest of my stay here in RI is going to be baby filled and I couldnt be happier. Makes me want to have another one, well, for like five seconds and then I think how much I love to sleep. haha

This deployment is half way over, and I am so happy I could burst. I hope the second half moves a little faster than the first. I will have this little bundle to keep me occupied. Mark is doing well and wants everyone to know how much he appreciates all the wonderful care packages and the prayers that are being sent his way. It truly means alot to all of us.

Well, Its time to head out, I have a baby to snuggle.........

Almost June.....

I cannot believe it is almost June. Time is definitely starting to go by fast. Zach and I have been in RI for almost a month! We are totally settled in now and enjoying all that RI has to offer. The weather finally cleared up, after 8 days of rain when we first got here. We have been spending loads of time with family and friends. Especially Gina, she has been great. We go shopping and eating together, not to mention just hanging at her house. It is a great distraction. Zach has been going to a gymnastics class on Thursday afternoons. He loves it. He gets to run around and climb on things and play with kids, what more could you ask for?? He is also going to be attending a camp they have. It will be Mon -Fri, 9-12pm, just enough time to give me some alone time and a chance to do things on my own, like SHOP.
I was pretty conflicted about my decsion to come up to RI for an extended stay, it was hard to imagine what it was going to be like living at home again. I wasnt sure how the dogs would be and I wasnt sure if Zach would be totally miserable without his buddies. As for me, I wasnt sure if I could handle being home and having to see my mom struggle everyday. I am not going to say it has been easy, because it sure as hell hasnt been, but I have learned to adapt and overcome. I have to be strong and I cannot let my mom see me sad.I dont want her to see how much it hurts for me to see her like this. She has been having ok days and some not so good days. We do what we can with what good days we are given. We have been able to go out for lunch one day and we went furniture shopping for Zach's room another day. The movies is always a good place for us to go too. We took Zach to see Over the Hedge, it was a great time. So, obviously things could be alot better, but they also could be alot worse. We are grateful for the time we have and we take one day at a time.
After all is all said and done, I truly think it is going to be difficult for me when it comes time to leave. I love being with my family. They truly mean the world to me. I couldnt get thru this without them.