February 2009

Please don't hate on my blurry pictures in the beginning. I was stuck using my cell phone as a camera. But as of last Friday...I have a REAL camera! :) So now I'm gonna be snappin pictures every chance I get!

Cawrse Family Update

Ok...so there has been a lot going on. Where do I start?

Chris has been gone to WLC for about 2 weeks now. He will be graduating on Saturday! I absolutely cannot wait! This school has been SO hard on me. I'm sure I'm just reading too much into it but my heart just bleeds for Leland everyday. I wonder if he knows what's going on. His separation anxiety has really gone into full blast! I wonder if the reason he cries so much when I walk away is because he thinks I might leave like his Daddy did and not come back for a while. It just really breaks my heart. Like I said, I'm sure I'm just reading too much into it but I guess that's what a Mommy is supposed to do. Overthink things and stress about it...

Ok, so as if it wasn't enough for us to deal with Chris being gone....Leland has surgery tomorrow. He is getting tubes in his ears. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about the proceedure. It will only take about 15 min. and he'll be in and out but I have to worry, you know? This will be the first time he's ever been "put under". I'm sure everything will go very smoothly but it's just rough on my heart strings. Especially having to do it without his Daddy here. Luckily, my mom will be staying with me tonight and tomorrow night to give me some moral support. I have the BEST Mommy!! :)

Oh...and we will be taking Leland out of daycare. Don't get me wrong...I absolutely LOVED his daycare!! He has just literally been sick ever since he started there. His little immune system can't handle all those germs yet. So, I had to give my two weeks notice last Monday. I cried that night about it because I have really come to love his teacher, Ms. Gwen. She and I have more than just Leland in common. She was a Navy brat growing up so she always has something uplifting and comforting to say when she knows Chris is gone. I got all her info yesterday so that we could keep in contact. I think we will have a long friendship! ;)

hm.....so I think that's it. I'll let everyone know how Leland's surgery goes. Love yall!

Ok....so I haven't had much time to blog or do much of anything on here. I'm sorry but I did find time to make this video of some old and recent pictures of our family! I just can't believe how fast my little man is growing. He started crawling yesterday. And when he did it, he acted like he'd been doing it all along! He crawled all the way across my living room. It was pretty slow but he still did it! I was SOOO excited! I don't get anything done at home now...I am just constantly watching him play and explore. I just love him SO much! He is my entire world! I know I've said this a hundred times before but I just don't know what I ever did with myself before him. Anyway....let me know if you like the video! Oh, and the song is a cover I recorded in 2006 while Chris was gone to Basic Training.

Leland with Santa!

A Soldier's Christmas Poem

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF

PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO

IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED

A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO

OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT

BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES

AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

'SANTA DON'T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,

I CONTIN UED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED

FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,

IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'

This poem was written by a Marine.

Thanksgiving

So...Leland's first thanksgiving went pretty well. We had a great time visiting with all of our family. I have attached a few photos of Leland at my Mom's house. That's all I have time for at the moment. Sorry!

A video I made for Leland in August 2008.