Week 33!

33 weeks and almost done!! The excitement here (and I am sure in Afghanistan too) is building! Every day, every week, is closer to Chris coming home. As of today it is looking like about 2 weeks until he leaves Afghanistan!! This journey is almost over but not over yet. It will not be over until he gets off the plane in September. Until then we are chugging along. Last week I began to try and organize all of Audrey stuff from when she was a baby. I have been organizing our attic and trying to sort the 15 totes (literally) of her baby clothes. I have kept everything! So I have been going through stuff that I can give to Carter and pack the rest away. Yes, that is right as the question continues to pore in... Audrey will be waiting for a brother or a sister for awhile. Initially, we wanted our kids close in age but the military had different plans. So what is the rush now. We are just enjoying time as a family before we add onto it :) Plus, Carter takes care of all the baby fever I have! Anywho, last week was pretty exhausting for me as we had tractor pulls and move in weekend at BG so that makes for very busy and long days but I made it out alive. And Sunday we spent with the family for my Grandmas 80th birthday party!

 Looking at this week, school has started for me and I cannot say I am as excited with the amount of things going on this fall but this must be done. Only three classes left to take before I finally graduate and this has definitely been a long road but soon it will come to an end and I could not be more excited :) Chris has been my biggest supporter and without his support and us making the decision for me to only work part time while he was deployed I probably would have never been able to finish up school.  So even with homecoming, vacations, family time, holidays and everything he missed last year I must still keep my head on straight to finish out my degree.

This week is also Fleet Week here in Toledo. Saturday we will be running the Heroes Run in Downtown. Actually we will be walking it because I want Audrey to be there and I will be walking with my good friend Katelyn, who due to military injury cannot run. What a great cause and what a great way to support Heroes in Action who have supported our family and Chris through this whole deployment. Without organizations like these it would make deployed life much harder here and in Afghanistan. 

 I have been having some disciplinary problems with Audrey in the last few weeks. Tantrums, screaming, everything I say to her she says no, you know the typically 3 year old attitudes. And while sometimes I feel like I am at my wits end with her I think she has fared pretty this year. She is perfect for everyone else but when it comes to me she thinks she can get away with crap... I guess this is pretty normal :) She is a good kid she is just under excruciating circumstances and I think she has done amazing! She is definitely not the baby Chris left in December and we not only realize that but others do as well. Look at the picture at the beginning of the blog and look at her now. Look how much she has grown up in the last year. She is turning into a very smart and beautiful kid! I know how excited Chris is to get home with her and make up for the last year. And she is just as excited :)) 

So here we have it folks, down to the last few weeks. This is almost over. Within 2 weeks Chris will fly out of Afghanistan and then within 10 days (hopefully) he will be in Ohio! This week is half over already and time is really moving now. We have begun plans for a Coming Home party as well as finalizing details for vacation! We are getting there :)))