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.......