I figure since I put pictures of me when I was little, I'd put the only one I have of Joe on here. I see a little bit of Tristan in this one. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 5:19 AM  |  comments: (1)

Was at a friends house the other day and was talking about wanting to go fishing. I started thinking about it and missed my dad. I was real young when he taught me how to fish. I wish I could be with you right now with a cooler, couple poles, and a nicely packed tackle box. I love ya Dad. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 5:12 AM  |  comments: (0)

Well, I got a phone call today from one of the wives in the squadron. She told me what time to be at the hangar to pick up Joe and to let me know that NEWS CAMERA CREWS WILL BE THERE!!!!! Holy crap! American and Japanese. And I was worried enough about what to wear for Joe, now I might have to worry about cameras. They are telling all the wives to keep topics on the homecoming. Right before the squadron left, a helicopter crashed into a university off base. No one was hurt but the people on it. The Japanese were irate. They want the base closed down and the squadron to never come back. So they being there at the reunion makes me a tad nervous. On top of that, I know stupid wives will wear something slutty and make Americans look even worse to these people. The news I bet will only be the local AFN and the Japanese. My friend in the squardon has quit talking to me, so that means I have to stand around by myself at the hangar. I don't think it will be that long though. Joe said he will be the first wave to come in. They said it will be a few hours before we'll be able to leave. So they will set up a bouncy thingy and coloring for the kids. I'll take pictures if I remember. I am going to take one of Joe and Tristan when he gets there.
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:00 AM  |  comments: (1)

There is only about 4 more days until my husband gets home. It almost seems like the hardest time right now. I'm sleeping even less than I was before. I'm getting excited and anxious to see him, but I'm also getting nervous. I went to a "Reunion and Readiness Brief" that was "strongly recommended" to give all spouses a good idea what to expect. They also told us what to look out for. Now I know my husband, and I know he loves me. But I know he's not invincible. They briefed us about combat stress and post traumatic stress disorder and what the symptoms are. I don't know what all Joe saw over there and what he had to do. Of course being the oblivious wife back at home I automatically think that it was just a routine deployment in a new location. I thought the same thing when my dad was there. But there's a big difference between being a daughter in grade school, to a wife with a child. I'm nervous about how it will be. Every time he comes home from a deployment is the same. It's like a first date all over again. I think it's cute. This time it's different. He's been in a different enviroment, and he's coming home to a baby who was 6 months old and just started sitting up on his own when he left. Now he's crawling jibbering and getting into everything. Who also is learning discipline. So much has changed since he left. We've been apart for long periods of time before. The first year of our relationship he was here in Okinawa, and I was back in the states. He came home for a 3 week leave for us to get married, and then came back here. It took 6 months to get our tour conversion approved and all the paperwork finished. I'm just confused. The whole 4 hour brief tells me to pretty much walk on eggshells for the first 4 to 6 weeks. And to not take him in to large crowds for pete's sake. They say no spicy foods(yea right. all who know Joe know that's not going to happen.)That sudden noises and flashing lights could startle them. That habits they had back in Iraq could linger for a while. For example: One guy who did the brief said every time he went on his patio to smoke, his old habit of picking up his rifle would show. Not to ask questions about over there, and not to pressure him to do anything. Joe says not to listen to them and that I know him better than some protocal brief. I know all will end up fine, but like I said, the last few days of waiting are the worst.
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:00 AM  |  comments: (3)

I just noticed his shoes are off. I took them off for the bouncy thingy. It's still a cute picture. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 3:09 AM  |  comments: (2)

It's been a little bit since I have really posted on here. I've been cheating and putting pictures up. Which I don't think some mind. Joe told me in an e-mail today that he is back on the boat and on his way home. They had a 5 day pit stop in Thailand for a liberty port. Needless to say, he had fun. He had shore patrol the whole time, but that doesn't mean he didn't have time off. They've changed the date to April 1st now. One day sooner is fine with me. They had a little Easter night at the E-Club tonight for kids. I took Tristan. They had a bouncy thingy and I tried to put him in it. He screamed bloody murder and wouldn't let go of my arm. So that was a no. He decorated a cookie with icing and sprinkles. He decorated the table too. I got to color an Easter bag as well. He tried to eat the crayons after a while so that was cut short. I got his picture taken with the Easter bunny. Which wasn't an easy task. I sat him down in the bunny's lap(Which I think the bunny enjoyed because without me knowing, Tristan had pulled my shirt really low in the front and I had to lean down and hand him to the bunny). He started to cry when he saw me. So I had to hide from him so he wouldn't cry. I think it's a cute picture, but the look on his face is funny. It's like, "What the hell is going on and where is my mommy." Hey, it was free. Well, the next pictures I put on here I hope will be ones of Joe holding the boy when he sees us again.
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 2:59 AM  |  comments: (0)

My little naked boy. This was after his cake eating. I need to get new pictures, i guess because his birthday was a month ago. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 7:10 PM  |  comments: (0)

I was going through Joe's pictures today and ran across this one. It's a couple of years old, but his job hasn't changed. The other pictures Joe must have taken himself while flying. I thought I'd share this one of him and a bit of a view where I live. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:29 AM  |  comments: (3)

The water here is very pretty.... 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:26 AM  |  comments: (0)

A helicopter view of somewhere here in Okinawa. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:25 AM  |  comments: (0)

A little extra picture from his birthday. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 7:26 PM  |  comments: (0)

I talked to Joe last night. He told me that it's a good thing that I'm not going to Thailand. He will have duty the whole time he's there. On top of that, they don't get overnight liberty. He will be with a small group who will be first on and last off the island. He gets a free hotel out of the deal though. So I'm glad that I wasn't planning on going. Anxoiusness is really getting to me though. He's almost home.Only 3 more weeks left. Might seem like a while to some people, but picture 3 weeks out of 7 months. Not very long for me.
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 7:16 PM  |  comments: (0)

A year ago this was my little boy. He didn't get into everything, he didn't hear the word no all day long, he didn't spit out food for fun. He didn't look up skirts of random mannequins, pull down shirts of women who come to talk to him, and didn't try to pull my shirt down for guys in line behind me at the phone company. But I wouldn't go back to the beginning if I had a choice. I love how Tristan is now. He's fun and keeps you laughing. But I love to look at his old pictures. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:56 PM  |  comments: (0)

One Cool Dude!!!!! 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:43 AM  |  comments: (1)

Happy birthday Missy Poo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Today is my friend Jesse's 23rd birthday. My days are a bit off here because of the time difference from half way around the world. Gifts will be on their way soon, when I get the time to it on Monday or Tuesday. I have a WIC appt. on Tuesday, and need bloodwork done for it on Monday. Anywho, Happy Birthday!
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:34 AM  |  comments: (0)

One of the days I have been waiting for has finally come. Joe has left Iraq in is on the boat now. It will still be about a month until he is actually home, but this is a good step in that direction. I got a box from him the other day of stuff he didn't need and didn't want to take on the boat with him. He made a Joe and told me he sent me a pair of underwear. Well, they were filthy long john underwear along with 3 pairs of boots and a pair of desert cammies. Imagine the smell of sweat, sand, rain, and being in a box with boots for almost a month. Yummy. The estimated date(if I haven't said it already) is April 2nd. So we're looking to come back to the states this summer. But as for now, the best news so far is that he no longer has feet in Iraq.
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:12 AM  |  comments: (0)

Sorry it has taken me a while to update, but as you can see I had my hands full. I wanted to put birthday pictures up when I talked about it. On my roll of film you can see the bite by bite replay of the icing mess. It starts with a blob on the nose, then to the chin, cheeks, eyelashes, eyebrows, then forehead and hair. The food coloring in the icing stained his face and hair for 2 days! He had a great time and got plenty of annoying toys. One year old and I can't believe it. Only now do I feel the the overwhelming joy a mother feels. It took me a year of watching him grow and learn to see how much I truly love him. When I first brought him home it hadn't hit me yet. Now a year of folding his clothes, kissing his boo boo's, teaching him to communicate. It really got me when he hugged me back. 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:10 AM  |  comments: (0)

Tristan's birthday! He had a great time! 
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:01 AM  |  comments: (0)