Hinesville, family, pictures
Last Friday morning I went to work for a couple of short hours, came home and finished my laundry and hit the road. I was pulling out of the driveway and Paula (patiencepm) called. They, too, were just leaving home and were therefore four hours behind me. I called my uncle to let him know that I was on my way and even though I had directions, it was decided that I would call him when I got close and he'd come to where I was so I could follow him to the house. So after nearly being rear-ended FIVE times on the interstate (!!!!!!), I make it safely to Hinesville. I called Uncle Dick when I finally got coverage on my cell and told him what intersection/gas station I was at. He wasn't exactly sure where that was, but said he'd be there in just a minute. Several phone calls and being sent in the wrong direction later, he sent Ben after me. As I suspected, I was THISCLOSE to the house when I was finally able to call him. Anyhow. What's important is that I made it there safely and instantly got hugs! Paula, Matt, and their kids were unable to make it down due to their STUPID VAN!!! For that reason, we must make plans for another trip so we can meet! (Btw, that girl rocks my socks y'all!)
Friday evening was very low key, relaxing at the house. Just in case anyone was wondering, watching my cousin pack to deploy=NOT.FUN. I just wanted to dump everything out so he couldn't go anywhere! Ben and I got in some quality time, including trying to track down one of his soldiers that's a total SHIT BAG! (Key word there...trying...said shit bag did however show up Saturday)
Saturday was....emotionally draining. But there are pictures!
And I'll even put them in the order that they were taken:)
This is Marylee (technically, my second cousin by marriage....but for practical reasons, she's a cousin) and her youngest for the moment, Hunter...blocking his sister's face...taken just a little while before leaving for the base.
This would be the oh-so-adorable Harmony. When I arrived Friday, she was very hesitant and within an hour she was crawling into my lap and she would hardly let me out of her sight most of the rest of the weekend.
We were at Company by 1100 and first formation was 1130. Final formation was scheduled for 1730, got bumped to 1630 before we even got to base...and then right before or right after first formation it got pushed to 1830. Gotta love the military!
Uncle Dick and Hunter in the six foot playpen:)
Harmony and I...Hunter was wanted for the picture too, but he had other plans. They included running in the opposite direction.
He couldn't quite escape this one though, hahaha!
Harmony looooves taking pictures and Mommy was first on the list
Papa was next
And then Daddy
There were then SEVERAL fabulous pictures of her little fingers taken and when I managed to finally convince her it was okay to hold the camera without covering up the circle on the front she took a picture of
Chrissy...Marylee's step-mom
I took the camera away from Harmony at this point and told her she could take more later. In the mean time I saw a Kodak moment that had to be captured.
Predeployment photo albums are not complete without a picture of a mom and her baby.
The guys were allowed to have family in formation with them for the first one, but not for this one...and as I picked Harmony up, she yelled 'Daddy!' over and over, wanting desperately to run to him and play with him. It was a very sad sight.
*Sigh* It's really happening. Third man of third squad.
Third man from the left.
Such a cute family!
We followed him to weapons call...which took FOR-E-VER!!!!
Squad pictures are a necessity...and of course the one I was most interested in getting had to turn his head. What a punk.
So I took another:)
I just started getting to know him and now he's leaving . . .
Husband (complete with red bull) and wife, partners for life
Right before final goodbadbyes
Harmony didn't forget that I promised her she could take more pictures later!
I had done really well up to this point. We then watched them get into their final formation, and this is when the water works started slowly. When they did a right face and marched off, leaving behind tons of loved ones, I lost it. I was holding Harmony and she asked me if I was okay. I told her that yes, I was alright. She saw Marylee crying and asked me 'What's wrong with Mommy? Is she sad?' I can't lie, so I told her that yes, Mommy was sad. And then I was asked the saddest question I've ever heard in my life.
'Is Daddy going to work for a long time?'
I was totally caught off guard and the look on her little face and the tone in her voice broke my heart. How do you tell a three year old that her daddy's going to another country and she'll see him again in six months, at best? I told her that yes, Daddy was going to work for longer than normal but he would be home before she knew it. She accepted the answer, gave me a big hug, and told me that she loved me.
I cried all the way to the truck and all the way back to the house. I had decided earlier in the afternoon (right after weapons call) that I was going to leave that night and drive home. Being there with everyone after Ben leaving would just draw everything out and make it even harder. Uncle Dick and Aunt Michele didn't want me driving that late by myself. Uncle Dick was so set against it in fact that he called Mama (ppuyear) and she understood without me telling her that I really wanted to come home that night, but convinced me to go ahead and stay the night. So I stayed, and silently cried myself to sleep. Hinesville in general holds some very sad memories. Granted, it holds one of the best memories ever too...but the sadness came first. Being on base for just under 8 hours, primarily doing a whole lot of hurrying up and waiting....it gives one a lot of time to think and think and think. Seeing Ben around his soldiers, seeing the Army side of him...made me think so much about Jimmy's deployments. They're both total goofballs. But put them in uniform and they're completely different. They become (for the most part) extremely smart, level headed, responsible men.
Sunday morning
Harmony wanted to take another picture
And she wanted one of us
I wish I knew more of my family. I wish that I had been given the chance to get to know them as a kid. I wish Pops hadn't have been such a dick the whole time we were growing up....maybe then I would've met my cousins (And aunts and uncles too for that matter) a couple of decades ago. But the way things are now, I finally got the chance to meet some of them...and I love them to pieces. And just as I'm getting to know Ben, he leaves. It hit me harder than I thought it would. I mean, I knew that it was going to be hard...but I didn't know it was going to be this hard.
I thought, for the most part, that I was done sending boys to the big sandbox. Maybe after this one I'm done?
I love you Ben, come home soon.
Friday evening was very low key, relaxing at the house. Just in case anyone was wondering, watching my cousin pack to deploy=NOT.FUN. I just wanted to dump everything out so he couldn't go anywhere! Ben and I got in some quality time, including trying to track down one of his soldiers that's a total SHIT BAG! (Key word there...trying...said shit bag did however show up Saturday)
Saturday was....emotionally draining. But there are pictures!
And I'll even put them in the order that they were taken:)
This is Marylee (technically, my second cousin by marriage....but for practical reasons, she's a cousin) and her youngest for the moment, Hunter...blocking his sister's face...taken just a little while before leaving for the base.
This would be the oh-so-adorable Harmony. When I arrived Friday, she was very hesitant and within an hour she was crawling into my lap and she would hardly let me out of her sight most of the rest of the weekend.
We were at Company by 1100 and first formation was 1130. Final formation was scheduled for 1730, got bumped to 1630 before we even got to base...and then right before or right after first formation it got pushed to 1830. Gotta love the military!
Uncle Dick and Hunter in the six foot playpen:)
Harmony and I...Hunter was wanted for the picture too, but he had other plans. They included running in the opposite direction.
He couldn't quite escape this one though, hahaha!
Harmony looooves taking pictures and Mommy was first on the list
Papa was next
And then Daddy
There were then SEVERAL fabulous pictures of her little fingers taken and when I managed to finally convince her it was okay to hold the camera without covering up the circle on the front she took a picture of
Chrissy...Marylee's step-mom
I took the camera away from Harmony at this point and told her she could take more later. In the mean time I saw a Kodak moment that had to be captured.
Predeployment photo albums are not complete without a picture of a mom and her baby.
The guys were allowed to have family in formation with them for the first one, but not for this one...and as I picked Harmony up, she yelled 'Daddy!' over and over, wanting desperately to run to him and play with him. It was a very sad sight.
*Sigh* It's really happening. Third man of third squad.
Third man from the left.
Such a cute family!
We followed him to weapons call...which took FOR-E-VER!!!!
Squad pictures are a necessity...and of course the one I was most interested in getting had to turn his head. What a punk.
So I took another:)
I just started getting to know him and now he's leaving . . .
Husband (complete with red bull) and wife, partners for life
Right before final goodbadbyes
Harmony didn't forget that I promised her she could take more pictures later!
I had done really well up to this point. We then watched them get into their final formation, and this is when the water works started slowly. When they did a right face and marched off, leaving behind tons of loved ones, I lost it. I was holding Harmony and she asked me if I was okay. I told her that yes, I was alright. She saw Marylee crying and asked me 'What's wrong with Mommy? Is she sad?' I can't lie, so I told her that yes, Mommy was sad. And then I was asked the saddest question I've ever heard in my life.
'Is Daddy going to work for a long time?'
I was totally caught off guard and the look on her little face and the tone in her voice broke my heart. How do you tell a three year old that her daddy's going to another country and she'll see him again in six months, at best? I told her that yes, Daddy was going to work for longer than normal but he would be home before she knew it. She accepted the answer, gave me a big hug, and told me that she loved me.
I cried all the way to the truck and all the way back to the house. I had decided earlier in the afternoon (right after weapons call) that I was going to leave that night and drive home. Being there with everyone after Ben leaving would just draw everything out and make it even harder. Uncle Dick and Aunt Michele didn't want me driving that late by myself. Uncle Dick was so set against it in fact that he called Mama (ppuyear) and she understood without me telling her that I really wanted to come home that night, but convinced me to go ahead and stay the night. So I stayed, and silently cried myself to sleep. Hinesville in general holds some very sad memories. Granted, it holds one of the best memories ever too...but the sadness came first. Being on base for just under 8 hours, primarily doing a whole lot of hurrying up and waiting....it gives one a lot of time to think and think and think. Seeing Ben around his soldiers, seeing the Army side of him...made me think so much about Jimmy's deployments. They're both total goofballs. But put them in uniform and they're completely different. They become (for the most part) extremely smart, level headed, responsible men.
Sunday morning
Harmony wanted to take another picture
And she wanted one of us
I wish I knew more of my family. I wish that I had been given the chance to get to know them as a kid. I wish Pops hadn't have been such a dick the whole time we were growing up....maybe then I would've met my cousins (And aunts and uncles too for that matter) a couple of decades ago. But the way things are now, I finally got the chance to meet some of them...and I love them to pieces. And just as I'm getting to know Ben, he leaves. It hit me harder than I thought it would. I mean, I knew that it was going to be hard...but I didn't know it was going to be this hard.
I thought, for the most part, that I was done sending boys to the big sandbox. Maybe after this one I'm done?
I love you Ben, come home soon.