Top 'o' the morning

I have now arrived safely in Shannon, Ireland, after a very long and uncomfortable 7-hour flight from Fort Benning. There were about 250 of us on the plane - 100 military and the remainder civilian - so it was a pretty full flight. The service was amazing and, surprisingly, the food was, too. It was like the old days of domestic travel when travelers enjoyed hot food during mealtimes and friendly service all the time.

We have a four-hour layover here in Shannon. The airport is a welcome reprieve from the tiny airplane seats. There is a very complete gift shop - I had to restrain myself from picking up Toblerone and various irish-themed gifts. There's even a pub here! (Of course, we aren't allowed to drink on our way to theater, but maybe on the way back.....) In addition, the bathrooms have showers, and while I didn't bring a towel with which to take a 'real' shower, I was able to take a bird bath and change my clothes. I feel like a real person again.

I was also able to talk with my mom and James on skype for about an hour. Skype works pretty well with a reliable internet connection (the airport has free wi-fi). It was nice to see their faces and hear their voices, even from thousands of miles away. I'll bet skype time will be even more coveted from Afghanistan.

Next stop is Kuwait!

Departure from the US

The day started early with chow and baggage line up and inspection (see picture).
It took around 5 hours to get to the tarmac. I have been waiting most
of the day at a holding area near the flight line (see picture), and
we have now been staged to board our aircraft. It happened sort of
unexpectedly (if not quickly) so I haven't had a chance to call
everyone I wanted to call before my departure. To those I have not
spoken with today: I will update the blog just as soon as I have
arrived in theater and have access to the Internet. I promise that I
will be safe in Bagram and will return home soon. Thank you for taking
such good care of Matthew while James and I are away. I love you all.

Uncharted Territory

It's Thursday at CRC, and I am just about ready to get out of here!

It's been something of a long week. Although I never felt really busy (because I was always standing in line), our training lasted well into the evening several days this week. Some of the training was physically exhausting, namely anything that required us to wear our body armor. We even went to the range this morning, and despite the 12 years since I last shot an M9, I managed to qualify!

I took only a few pictures of the CRC, and here they are in slideshow form:



I'm supposed to fly out to Germany or Kuwait tomorrow on a contract charter flight. I will have four duffel bags, a small carry-on bag, and my weapon with me when I fly. I don't have all of the details yet, but I imagine that it will be an interesting day.

Goodbye Party for James and Autumn, Hello Party for Matt

(I'm not as creative with the titles as Autumn).

Just had a chance to post a few pictures of the goodbye party we had 2/15/09 for James and Autumn. While it was sad to say goodbye, it was certainly familiar - living 1,000 miles away has a way of doing that...

BUT the mood was not somber as we focused on welcoming Matt to California. We are so happy to have him here even for a short time. We're certainly crossing our fingers that the whole family will be living here soon!

Matt is such a beautiful boy. I absolutely love his curls although I don't have a clue where he got them from??? And his laugh is contagious. When he smiles he proudly shows off all 6 of his front teeth. Although mom is quick to brag that he has molars too! When did that little baby grow up so fast? Last night Uncle Chuck said he really misses Cheekfeast so we'll have to visit very soon!

Checking In with Matt

Hi All! I'm Matt's Aunt Shannon. Autumn gave me access this morning to post in their blog and send updates about Matt. Please bear with me as this is my first blogging experience...

I spoke with Matt's nanny, Loretta. They seem to be doing just fine. Maybe too fine in fact! :) Everyone wants to check in and visit with them and make sure that they are comfortable in their new digs. Loretta says everyone has been so generous and they are fully stocked up right now - no more supplies needed at this time! Too many diapers and too much food... But I'm sure she'll call when she needs something.

Grandpa Frank visits atleast twice a day (Loretta says while giggling). Matt runs to Grandpa when he comes now. I guess they get along quite well seeming as how they share so much in common - they both nap atleast once a day, sometimes twice, they both get grumpy when they're hungry, they love to feed each other (much to Autumn's chagrin), they enjoy exploring and finding ants, and Uncle Charles says they are the same mental age!? Yikes! :)

Apparently, Matt was a Walker from an early age (no pun intended on the middle name). He certainly is a very active boy now and not just walks but runs everywhere! Loretta said he has begun to crawl again. Particularly under the kitchen table. They have a fort under the table and Matt crawls around down there (I assume he is chasing his dog, Dakota). I guess since Mom is at Fort Benning, Matt wanted to build his own fort too! Like mother, like son... Pictures coming soon.

Day 2 at CRC

Those of you in the Army know the tried-and-true saying, "Hurry up and
wait." The CRC (Continental US Replacement Center) is no different
from the rest of the army in this respect, as we reported at 0700 this
morning just to be moved to a holding area to wait for an hour prior
to clothing and body armor issue (see picture). Well, at least it's warm and dry in the holding area, and the cadre provided hot coffee.

All in all, this doesn't seem like too bad a place. I have a four-
person room to myself with an indoor bathroom/shower and heating/
cooling that actually works. The DFAC (dining facility), troop
store, day room, and gym are within a few minute walk. We can buy
wireless Internet too!

We are located at a place called Harmony Church at Fort Benning. I
have never been to this part of the post before, even though I have
been here four times. On the way from the airport yesterday, I smiled
remembering my first four trips here. All took place in 2002 when I
was in medical school. The first trip was in spring 2002 for the
Military Rugby National Tournament; I can't remember much of that trip
(for obvious reasons). I came down in the summer to attend James'
basic training graduation, and I remember that the heat was
astounding. The most interesting trip was in the fall during which
Tonya and Michael drove me down to Columbus after I missed my flight
out of Baltimore. What stories we have to tell from that trip! My
final trip to Benning occurred in December, and it started out pretty
badly when I boarded a flight to Columbus, OHIO!!! (I can't even
believe the airline staff allowed me to board, sit, and fasten my seat
belt before figuring out that there were too many people on the
plane!) But it was a fabulous trip because I was afforded the
opportunity to commission James when he completed OCS (officer
candidate school). This visit to Fort Benning will no doubt also be
memorable, as it will serve as the introduction to my first overseas
deployment and my first extended separation from Matthew.

More updates to come!

Leaving on a jet plane

Finally! After 8 weeks of preparation, many hours of packing, too-numerous--to-count goodbyes, and more than a few tears, I am on my way to Afghanistan via Fort Benning, Georgia.

Packing was quite an ordeal last night; I thought I would be able to just throw everything in my duffel, since of course I travel light. :-) Ha ha!! It took me two tries to fit everything into the duffel, and I still had to leave a box of stuff for my neighbor to send to me once I get to Bagram!

I also have a new and different perspective of airport screening procedures. It's no fun in general, but it's really no fun in boots, dog tags, and a very full carry-on!!

Now it's just a matter of doing what I am told for a week at Ft. Benning. Images if ROTC Advanced Camp have been bombarding my brain all morning, but I can only hope that this experience is more personally rewarding and more interesting than that one.

Heartbreak Airport

I have just left my husband, my son, and the rest of my family to start this adventure in Afghanistan, and my heart is breaking. Although I still have 1.5 days until I officially report to Fort Benning, I already feel alone. I only hope that these feelings will pass and the sadness in my heart will diminish with time.

1,000 words

Pictures are really worth 1,000 words.

Today, I just want to show you two slideshows: the first includes professional pictures taken by Guadalupe Dove of GDove Photography in Marana, Arizona. She is a volunteer in an organization called Operation Love Reunited and kindly offered to take photographs of Matt and me during James' deployment. She also sent James a beautiful album of proofs!



This second slide show consists of pictures taken during our second professional photo session, this time by Rebeca of Rebeca Irene Photography in Fontana, California. She is also a volunteer photographer, and the pictures you see here are a "sneek peek" of the proofs from our session. (Interestingly, I downloaded them from her blog at rebecairenephotography.com/blog.) The full set of proofs are available at http://www.rebecairenephotography.com/logon/OnlineViewing/session.php (username: Richards, password: Autumn, both case sensitive.)

A child's dream

One of James' requests during R&R was to go to Disneyland. We both love everything Disney, and I suspect our admiration is derived from our childhood memories of Disneyland and Disneyworld. (We also have taken 2 big vacations to the parks as a married, child-less couple.) We decided to take advantage of the awesome deals Disney has to offer members of the military in 2009, and although we had to drive out to March Air Reserve Base to get the tickets, so far we're enjoying ourselves.



We arrived at the Disneyland Hotel this afternoon, and I was reminded of the reason I love to stay in Disney hotels: they do everything right! Seriously .... from the bell hop to the front desk staff, everyone we came into contact with was courteous and helpful, even when we requested complicated stuff like early check-in. :) Our room, of course, is gorgeous; it's rather large and well-appointed even though it's a 'regular' room. I am always amazed at how well everything is maintained at the Disney parks and resorts; at the hotel, for example, there is not a leaf out of place on any shrub or tree on the grounds!

The land of Disney just exudes happiness. It's impossible not to be happy here. However, I am starting to get that deep-down dread in the pit of my stomach when I think about leaving California for El Paso next week. (I even have trouble writing that - 'next week' - since it seems so close when I type it out.) I was warned by the doc I'm replacing in Afghanistan that I would begin to count the days until leaving, and that I would begin to think, 'This is the last time I'll do X before leaving.' I'm trying my best not to allow this type of thinking to permeate my attitude, but it's surprisingly and impossibly difficult. These 2 weeks are a weird time for James, Matt, and I, with James in the middle of his deployment and with me preparing to leave for mine, so the emotions we feel are understandably jumbled and sometimes convoluted.

Everyone keeps telling me that I'm dealing with this dual-deployment situation very well, but no one has access to the self-talk that is constantly streaming through my head. Outwardly, I appear to be dealing well, but inside is a slightly different story. I have been trying very hard to focus on the positive aspects of this deployment (e.g. James and I will only be separated for 12 total months instead of 24, Matt is too young to remember us leaving and will have excellent care while we're gone, I'm going to a large and safe base, etc), and thus far it seems I have fooled everyone. I started to admit to myself a few days ago, though, that I can't always be the reasonable, logical, rational person everyone makes me out to be. For example, several days ago I cried for the first time since learning of the deployment. Additionally, I woke up exhausted this morning after a dream - a nightmare, really - of leaving Matt at the airport in 10 days and flying halfway around the world without him. I'm sure these thoughts, feelings, and dreams will only become more and more evident in the next 10 days; let's just hope that they won't prevent me from enjoying the time I have left with James and Matt before reporting to Fort Benning.

Surprise!!!

Matt, Loretta, and I awoke this morning and got ready to go to our new pediatrician for Matt's first appointment. As I prepared to leave the apartment, I checked my email and found a three line email from James:

"Hi honey ... I'm in Germany right now and I only have a second - I'm coming into Ontario on American flight 1649, arriving from Dallas at 1410 on Tuesday. See you soon!!! Love, James"

The second suprise of the day occurred via text message while at the doctor's office: James had caught an early flight and would be arriving at 10am! We rushed from the office to the airport to meet him, and although he had to wait a few minutes for us, it was excellent to see him!

Any of you that know James probably can guess what he wanted first: Tolteca!! (It's his favorite mexican food restaurant and a Richards family hangout for half a century. There's even talk that one member of the family - who will remain nameless - has the recipe for Tolteca salsa ...) So we went straight there and gorged ourselves on the best mexican food north of the border.

He had been traveling around 48 hours to get from Baghdad, to Kuwait, to Germany, to Dallas, and finally to Ontario. He was ready for a shower and a nap, then we took off for my parents' house where something of a family reunion was to occur. Everyone was there, from my sister and her kids to James' dad to Loretta and me. (The only Rabe missing was Jonathan, who of course was in Reno at college.) We spent entirely too long there, but of course there was a lot of catching up to do! By the time we got in the car, Matt was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open, but we made it home and Loretta and I put the boys to bed. They are both sleeping soundly now, happy to be under one roof. ;-)

I imagine some of you are wondering how Matt took to James after not seeing him for 3 months (except in videos of James reading Matt's books, which we play every night as Matt gets ready for bed). The pictures on this page tell it all! At first, he was understandably a bit unsure. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the big dude in an Army uniform and boonie hat chomping his cheek. But he warmed up very very quickly, to the point that by the time we went to lunch, Matt allowed his dad to carry him around inside the restaurant. He really did much better than any of us anticipated!!

Small victories

It's the small things in life that keep me going. Mostly, it's just ONE small thing. He's a relatively small 25-pound 1-year-old who never ceases to amaze me. (I say relatively because he's big for his age, but small enough to pick up and cuddle!)

Today's small victory: Matt learned to drink from a straw.

"That's your small victory??!!" you say, exasperated and mildly annoyed that you're reading a blog about a one-year-old learning to drink from a straw.

Hear me out.

Drinks with straws are ubiquitous in today's society; just about every eating establishment will provide a cup with a straw for a small customer. Of course, this accoutrement is useless if the child cannot use the straw.

Other parents reading this blog know how much stuff has to be packed for even a small outing with kids. When they're infants, you have to bring everything from a change of clothes (since they will inevitably make a monster poop when you're out) to bottles and formula or milk to toys to keep them occupied during the outing. As they get older, fewer and fewer items are required; however, the parent is always required to have some drinking equipment packed (e.g. bottles and formula/milk for infants or sippy cups for toddlers).

That is, the parent is always required to have some drinking equipment packed until the child learns to drink from a straw!!

This "small victory" frees me from the annoyance of packing leak-prone sippy cups in his diaper bag. In fact, it may free me from packing a diaper bag at all; a diaper and a small pack of wipes will be all that's required for short trips!! And that, my friends, might even be considered a "large victory." :-)

Fun at Finkbiner

Finkbiner Park is a very large public park right next to Matt and Loretta's new apartment. I took Matt there this morning after walking through downtown Glendora, and he had a fabulous time! It was only my second trip to Finkbiner Park, and it brought back fond memories of my first trip there.

The date was February 15, 1997, and I was a senior in high school. James and I had known each other for years by this time, but we weren't romatically involved (yet). A week or two before, we had gone to a semi-formal dance together, and for Valentine's Day, we bought each other flowers. (He also bought candy and filled my bookbag .... but that's another story for another day.) He asked if I wanted to go out to dinner on the 15th, and I got all dressed up in anticipation for this wonderful restaurant he told me about. He picked me up, and informed me that we needed to go back to his house because he had forgot his wallet. When we arrived there, he had prepared a beautiful candlelit dinner complete with appetizers and dessert. I was flabbergasted. We then went for an after-dinner stroll to Finkbiner Park, where we kissed for the very first time. I think the rest is history ....

Taking our son to the same park where James and I started our fantastic romatic journey was a real treat for me this morning. When James arrives in a few days, I imagine he will also enjoy lingering in his memories of Finkbiner Park.