Dreaded Deployment

Well, Chief left almost 1 week ago.  Our lives have been turned completely upside down, but we are doing pretty good!  The first day was so hard, and I cannot remember the last time that I had a bad day like that.  I came home and did what I do best when I am upset.....I cleaned house.  Yep, I don't eat, but I vacuum, mop, change sheets, do laundry, make beds, and clean toilets. 

 

Chief and I took the kids to school that morning, and he said his goodbyes to them before school.  I am so glad that we made the decision to not take them to watch Chief get on the bus.  I was a wreck, my friends were crying, other wives were crying, and of course soldiers were upset.  Monkey Doodle is so sensitive , and his heart hurts whenever someone else's heart hurts. Anything we can do to protect their little hearts, we are going to do!

I couldn't take my hands off of him and just wanted to hold his hand and hold on for dear life!  After many kisses, hugs, and goodbyes, I watched him leave on the bus for the air terminal after about 2 1/2 hours of waiting.   My heart was in pieces, and I was barely holding it together. 

Thank goodness that our amazing friends asked us over for dinner that night to take our minds off of it.  I know it helped me and the kids.  The next day was a whole new day, and we had a really good one!  I am trying to keep the kids in a routine with a lot of structure, and it is working.  They truly have been angels, but Monkey Doodle is taking it the hardest.  He didn't get to say goodnight to Chief on Thursday night, and he cried himself to sleep that night.  I snuggled him and tucked him in, but I couldn't do anything to mend his heart that night.  He told me that he got up and turned on his air conditioner so I could not hear him crying because he didn't want me to cry too.  Bless his little heart!  Miss Priss misses Daddy mostly at night too because he was 90% in charge of their nightly rituals.  

 

Chief made it to Camp Liberty in about 30 hours, and he got settled in to his chu "trailer" pretty quick.  Being a CW5 has some major perks, and he has his own bathroom, cable, WIFI, and doesn't have to share a room with anyone.  He is right on "Z" lake and can even go fishing!  It is amazing how much has changed over the last few years and how many more luxuries they have now.  The guys that he is replacing left him with a refrigerator, microwave, TV, a wing back chair, and he is even getting a full size bed soon! We also set him up with Magic Jack, and I can call his room whenever I want!  It is a U.S. phone number, and it is only $20 a year. 

 

I talked Chief in to blogging about his adventure in Iraq over the next year, so here is the link www.livingthechieflife.blogspot.com if you would like to follow his story.