Saying Goodbye, for Now and Christmas in MD

Here is a quick picture of the family. The cats didn't seem so excited to be scooped up and forced to be still for a few moments. We didn't prepare them for the photo... :)


Well, Daniel and I had to part on December 9th. It was and will probably always be one of my least favorite parts of the deployment for obvious reasons. When I dropped him off, of course all his team and several other teams were in the same parking lot saying goodbye to families and just passing time before orders were given to move on out. It can be awkward staying there too long, as a wife, but every part of you wants to stay. I had to force myself into the car and drive away. It was no good.

Here we are with another couplef rom his team giving a smile for the camera. I had to stay as positive as I could that day. It was important to be strong for Daniel, the other wives, and for me...

Thankfully, Daniel and his team arrived safely to their final destination and they are adjusting accordingly. He has good things to say. He has a general good spirit about the year's work so he has been encouraging to me already. He enjoys the team and now that the team that was there prior to their arriving is coming back to the US, they can really get into the groove of what they need to accomplish.

I was able to travel up to Maryland to spend Christmas and New Year's with my family. It was a quick drive up there with both cats. They kept me company by constantly letting me know when they needed something or by just sitting in the passenger seat and looking out the window. They really are good companions while Daniel is away.

Sharing Christmas with family was special this year because last year Daniel and I were in Hawaii having our own strange Christmas. We knew he had to deploy the day after Christmas so the day was difficult. I was thankful to be with my loving family during the holiday this year. We celebrated on Christmas Eve Day so we could all be together. It was a good time of reading the prophecies of Christ's birth in the Old Testament and the fulfillment in the New Testament. Sarah and I sang a song for the Christmas Eve service at church. I always value the times I am able to worship side-by-side with my family. It is a true blessing on this earth!

Mom and Dad in DC in front of the Christmas Tree across from the White House. Daddy's big smile is too cute!

I was able to spend some valuable time with my old church family, the Life. New Year's Eve I celebrated with Katy and her family as well as a couple other Lifers. We were able to play some games, chit-chat and most importantly jam through the night. Robert, a wonderful guitarist and violinist, and Katy, a rockin drummer, are very talented musicians and they make it easy to just play for hours and celebrate with music. The night was made even more special when Daniel called me at 12:02 am. I was surprised and ecstatic to hear from him. He knows how to make his wife feel special!

I had an other excellent opportunity to spend time with some Lifers when we all piled onto the metro and visited the Sackler Museum in DC. The museum had a featured exhibit titled, In the Beginning, on ancient Bible manuscripts. I was amazed at what all the exhibit included. There were pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls and codex scraps from the Dark Ages in ancient manuscript. I was truly amazed at how vast the exihibit was. I was honored to be able to view it all. It is such a blessing to have a God who loves us enough to ensure that we have His Word to read daily. Through the ages the Bible has stayed the most important book to ever be written, copied and read. What a blessing! It was a truly great day!

Left to Right: Me, Katrina, Katy, Jenny

After the museum we crashed at Jonathan and Kartina's house for an evening of pizza, conversation, and a truly "illuminating" movie. (Thanks again you two for opening your home on such short notice to a full day event.)

Quick Picture of the Adorable Family: Katrina, Jonathan and precious Aliyah

I headed back to NC on the 2nd of January and have stayed busy since. I will continue on with another post soon.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We love ya'll.