Just Simply Jen

I feel like someone hit me with a very large very heavy truck. Most of this is emotionally although I am starting to feel the physical strain. I knew that my husband leaving for a year was going to be hard, but I had myself convinced that I was going to be strong and not fall apart. For the past few days I have felt like the seams are coming apart and I'm waiting for all that is in me to pour out on the floor. A friend has been telling me that I will feel some relief when he finally leaves and I can start counting down to when he comes home and I really beleive her. I'm ready for him to be gone already. It's like the song on "Clifford's Really Big Movie" says. You can't come back 'til your gone...or something to that effect. Hopefully this year will go by really fast.

There is a sweet boy in SC in my thoughts tonight as well. He has lukemia and is doing really well with his treatment so far, but there is such a long road ahead of him. Please keep him and his wonderful family in your prayers. You can read his storry at www.caringbridge.org Click on visit and type jamesgoff in the blank. It is so amazing to see how well this family is holding up with all of this.

We had our gift exchange last night. I loved the gifts I got. Keith gave me the movie "The Story of Us", a blue topaz ring, a silver heart shaped trinket box with my initials on it, the Harry Potter box set, a snowman ornament with all of our names on it, a hooah coffee mug, a wallet that hangs around your neck with the army logo on it, a tshirt that has the name of our post on it, two cd's I have been drooling over for a while now, and a US army hat. My son gave me some apple bath things and Mary Poppins. I absolutely love that movie! I know this sounds really extravagant, but since we have been married we have never been able to afford much. For many years we didn't buy gifts or gave things we had made. Those things are very dear to me, but it was nice to be able to spoil and be spoiled.
I gave him a mp3 player already loaded with his favorite cd's, a webcam with mic, a smores maker with all he needs to make smores (he absolutely loves smores), two books on origami andsome paper, a book on figure drawing, a men's manicure set, and a game for his computer that turned out to only be the expansion pack...not feeling so smart on that one. From both my son and I he recieved a calendar that I made on kodak gallery that had pictures of us and our family for him to use while he was gone. my son gave him a small sketch notebook and a four piece mind teaser set. my mom sent him a calling card.
I'm not even going to begin to list all of the things that my son has recieved over the past few weeks. He has so much between his birthday and this christmas celebration. My favorite thing that he has recieved so far is the puppy toy he got for his birthday. It is called "Scamp myplayful pup" but we named him oreo. He responds to commands and is fun to play with. I feel like it was a bit of an expensive gift but it was so worth it. besides, it was a gift from Grandma.

All in all I'm not looking forward to the rest of the holiday season. I would love to just ignore it, but I can't do that. I will do what I can to make it a wonderful one.