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It Only Takes a Minute

You hear that as parent, that anything can happen when you turn your back. Well I was changing the load of clothes over and came back to find stickers all over Aaron. Dakota had found my calendar stickers.



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The First Days of the Up Hill Climb.

With David gone not even a week and my "other" parents (don't like calling them the in-laws) back home safe and sound in Harrison. My house feels sad. I dare not say quiet; this house will never be quiet. I feel lost now, yes I have lived without my other half before for almost a year but, David brings humor into my life and makes me laugh when all seems lost.

I hear my three oldest upstairs fighting over some toy that Dakota took away from Lilli. Now all is forgiven as he is now laughing and telling them, "Come on lets go go go." My children are in better sprints today. They have pictures and letter ready for me to mail ASAP when David gets his address. I have my list of stuff to send.

I look across the room from my spot on the couch and see that poor, over-worked, broken-down, any-minute-now-it-will-collapse maroon recliner that has made three moves been repaired, re-braced, and re-screwed together to many times and no matter how bad it really needs to go to Recliner Heaven it is still in my living room because my kids (and cat) fight over who gets to sit in "Daddy's Chair". God help me, I cannot find the inner strength to drag it out the backdoor and down the driveway next Tuesday for the trash man to haul to the dump (I found myself asleep in it last night after I talked with David on Skype). It was a broken hand-me-down when we got it from Bob and Dora. I tried to take a vote on removing from the house so we can get a new one for Daddy, "Daddy really likes his chair he will get really mad at us it we throw it outside. (There went that family vote and so much for my plans to throw the poor thing out. I am going to have to wait a while before I can drag it down the driveway.

I miss my David calling me more than once a day to check on me and the kids even though he is just on the other side of the post. I miss the ten or so text messages I get to remind me of this or that, the cute random MMS with pictures from his day. I wonder how long my heart will "skip a beat" when I see his Hemi parked in the front yard and out of habit smile because David is home only to remember I parked the truck there the day he left when I drove home fighting back the tears.

I will not matter that out of the six year we have been married we had two Anniversaries together for one thing or another that had to with his Army career, or how many birthdays and holiday’s we are apart. It will not matter that I depend on my computer to keep my family link together across the miles sleep with my cell phone next to my pillow so I will not miss his calls. This is our life and we make the best of it each day. We depend on prayer and love to get us through the day. This deployment will end soon and the little things I take for granted will be even sweeter.

OPSEC "Operation Security"

For those who ask me about David I am limited in what I can tell you. so as a gudie please read the following:

OPSEC Rules for (forum, blog, chatroom name): 

1. Do not post exact deployment dates or redeployment dates
2. Do not reveal camp locations, including nearby cities. After the deployment is officially announced by Military officials, you may discuss locations that have been released, normally on the Country level.
3. Do not discuss convoy routes (“we travelled through Takrit on our way to X”)
4. Detailed information on the mission, capabilities or morale of a unit
5. Specific names or actual nicknames
6. Personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (Example: pay information, powers of attorney, wills, etc)
7. Details concerning security procedures, response times, tactics
8. Don’t discuss equipment or lack thereof, to include training equipment
9. Don’t speculate about future operations
10. If posting pictures, don’t post anything that could be misconstrued or used for propaganda purposes. A good rule of thumb is to look at your picture without your caption or explanation and consider if it could be re-captioned to reflect poorly on coalition forces. For example, your image might show your Soldier rescuing a child from a blast site, but could be re-captioned to insinuate that the child being captured or harmed. (it’s happened!)
11. Avoid the use of count-up or count-down tickers for the same reason as rule #1
12. be very careful if posting pictures of your loved one. Avoid images that show significant landmarks near their base of operations, and black out last names and unit affiliations
13. Do not, ever, post information about casualties (coalition or enemy) before the official release of the information.
14. Do not pass on rumors (“I heard they’re coming home early”, etc)

If you have any questions, contact your (or your sponsor’s) unit OPSEC manager.

These OPSEC rules aren’t meant to limit your free speech or restrict your liberties- that’s exactly what our Men and Women in uniform fight to protect. However, they are designed to help ensure the safety and security of the Service Members in your life.

Remember, no matter your affiliation, status, rank or age- you have a part in the security of your loved one! 

Surgery Sucks

I had planned the Essure procedure and NovaSure procedure done on Monday but when they started the NovaSure they punctured my uterus near my tube. They could not do the Essure coils and ended having to do a lyposcopic tubal ligation. I then got sick and sore, then got skin rash from the surgery scrub, then found out the hard way that Phenagren and I don't mix.  Confusion, blurred vision, hallucination and facial muscle numbness I truly thought I was having a mini stroke, just side affects from Phenagren. My stomach and upper thighs still itch and are bumpy but I am alive and "fixed". I am still sore my stomach is itchy and bumpy and on lifting restrictions under 10 lbs.and can not bend.  (Yea right my husband is soon to deploy and I am not allowed to lift ANYTHING!) 

Bob and Dora are coming this weekend to see David leave and are staying a few extra days so they can do the NovaSure.

A New School Year

As kids we would mark important milestone like the last day of school, Easter, our birthdays, the Fourth of July, the fair, Thanksgiving, Christmas... As parent I too mark those milestone but in a whole different light. I watch as my children grow and change and I see these milestone as bittersweet moments. It is odd but I get very sad this time of year, my babies are growing up. I know that they can not stay small forever. It not that I feel older I can only watch and wonder.

Monday marked the new school year for James and Lilli. We went to the school last Thursday and meet their new teachers. Lilli has Mrs. Manch and James has Mrs. Leoveno. 

I should blog more.

I should blog more often. I just have a hard time remembering to get on here and blog.

Aaron Paul is here

Aaron Paul Marshall is here. Aaron was born on April 17. Aaron weighted 7 lbs and 8 oz and was 20 inches long. He was born at Carl R. Darnell Army Medical Center here at Fort Hood. Born at 8:32 pm after three hours of labor.

Busy weekend

This weekend was busy for us. We went to the movie The Spy Next Door with our neighbors the Amiller's on Saturday. Then we had the Aumiller's watch Lilli and Dakota and then then David, James, and I drove to Deer Park to help David's cousins clean out and prepar for the year sale of his aunt's estate.

We found some of her old furniture and other things we are keeping. There is still so much to do in her old house.

I had my ultrasound to check the the heart and facial profile picture that they could not get last time in October.  "Baby Boy Marshall coming April 16, 2010" Flickr set

A New Year

I had great plans for the kids brithday, but James was grounded this year for something that we found out had happened before Christmas. And poor Lilli I got the stomach flu and could not make her cupcakes. 


It turns out I was sick for two days and I ended up having to go to the Woman's Clinic for two bags of fluids and medication to settle my stomach.


Other then that everyone but Lilli got sick this time. 


Not much else earth shattering has changed our new year.


It was so nice to have David home this year and so nice that he got to be on a off-on schedule.


Our Congratulations to our dear Friends on the birth of their new daughter Sophia Short. She was born on James birthday.