So far, so good!

We made it though week one of "Operation No-Daddy".  Sorry for the cheesy title - that's what the Army does all the time.

I put both of the younger kids in camp this week, because this is not my first rodeo.  I knew they needed to be busy, I needed them to be out of my hair for a few hours each day, and it ended up being a great decision.

Michelle went to Nature Camp with her BFF.  She liked Nature Camp, except not so much the nature part.  She likes the water activities, the playground time and hikes, but not the bees and moths in the bathroom.  I think we need to take this girl camping a little more often.  I can't have a kid who is afraid of bugs!

She also had a couple of playdates with the above pictured BFF.  Good move - between camp, friend time, and the pool, she was too tired most nights to squeak out much more than, "I miss Daddy." as her head hit the pillow.

Josh did baseball camp this week.  On Monday morning he asked me how long he would be at camp.  I told him 6 hours each day.  His response, "So, 6 hours a day for 5 days... that's just awesome!"   He loves baseball in a way that's hard to explain. 

The older 2 were busy with jobs, friends, college summer life. 

I am hanging in there.  Miss my man, but glad this first week is behind us. 

Who seems to be having the hardest time with Dad gone?  That would be our crazy dog.  He is pacing around each night, looking for Bill.  He sleeps by the door, and if he hears the slightest sound outside he jumps up, looking for his Dad.  He barks at the least little sound.  It's sweet, and very annoying.

My New Year Resolution!

I would be willing to bet many of you saw this title and were surprised for 2 reasons - first, you were probably shocked to see I am actually blogging!  And secondly, you probably think I am very confused to be blogging about a new year in July!   In many ways, it is a new year for the Cole family.  Yesterday morning my soldier, my husband, the "Brats" Daddy, got on an airplane to fly to "a-land-far-far-away" to serve his country.  He's only been gone 24 hours, but yea, we miss him a whole bunch already! 

I am trying not to think a year, but think of this as 52 weekends.  Weekends are the worst part - during the week, everyone is working, in school, and life is pretty much business as usual.  But the weekends are tough, because that is family time, and we are painfully aware that our family is not together. The other thing that's hard is holidays, so I'm thinking of this as 52 weekends and one of each holiday.  All we have to do is get through one of each holiday - one Christmas, one of everybody's birthday... etc.  But, even if you look at it as one of each holiday and 52 weekends, or a year, it's still a long time!

So, I am trying to be more intentional about blogging in this "New Year".  I am hoping maybe Daddy can see our blog in his far away land.  But, I am also doing this to keep busy, to keep a record of our year apart. 

I had someone tell me just the other day she could never be an Army wife.  She said we are made a tough stuff, and she just couldn't do it. I thought about that for a while after she left, and I realized how many people really don't understand military life.  If you think we are made out of something different than the rest of the world, that's not true.  We just happen to love a soldier - that's the only difference.  We cry when we are sad, our children misbehave, and we will all walk around with a little piece of our hearts missing until we are together again. 

This was the last picture taken of our family as a "whole".   Only 52 more weekends and a bunch of "ones" until we are together again.