Phines Family Updates: 2009

November 14, 2009

Well 2 months later...

Things have changed dramatically. Josh has been gone for 2 1/2 months and we are all well adjusted to him being gone. Our communication is unbelievable and we talk almost everyday sometimes 2 or 3 times a day depending on how late he stays up and if he has missions the next day etc etc LOL. It is SO much easier than last time in that sense. Josh re-enlisted indefinite on Sept 22nd and so we have 8 1/2 more years left in the Army LOL. It has been decided that we will be staying at Ft Riley, so our plans have drastically changed!
We have our house on the market!!!

From 2009-10-23

The movers will be here on the 9th of December to pack up our stuff and the 10th or 11th to pick up. My cousin flies in on the 12th and we will start driving on the 15th or 16th to Montana. Yep thats right I am going home!!! I have always sworn that I would NEVER move home during a deployment, but this seems to be the best for everyone. The kids will be going to the school I grew up in and Savannah will have my Auntie as her teacher. My mom is right there too so it should be an easy transition. I will be able to continue my school work and have some help with the kids. We will then move to Kansas next summer sometime!!!

So soon we will be living in the land of snow instead of land of heat hehehehe.

Now to leave you with picture catch up!!!!

From Halloween Weekend

From The Fight in Our Yard

From A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

September 07, 2009

A Major Update

Well as some of you may know Josh is officially gone. It has been almost a full week of not hearing from him now :( We have all settled into our routine fairly quickly since he has technically been gone since April. Not being able to talk to him 20 million times a day has taken some getting used to, but I know soon he will be settled and we will establish our communication and life will move on. Communication I found is so very important now that the kids are older. He missed Savannah loosing her first tooth and still doesn't know. He doesn't know that JT and Nan will be testing next month for Jui Jitsu belts. Doesn't know that Jake has decided to actually learn his letters. All little things that shows that life really does move on without him and all in a weeks time...it makes me sad to realize how much he will really miss in a full year.

Anyway enough down....we have decided to sell our house!!!! Yep we decided that it was best if we try to sell. If it sells before May AWESOME..I am moving the kids home to be with my family in Montana. If it doesn't, well renting is an option and we WILL be moved to Ft Riley when Josh comes back. Living apart is not an option at this point. So we could really use some prayers that our house will sell quickly so that I can move my babies to be with their Grammy and then to their Dad (not to mention I miss living w/ my best friend LOL). So now we are busy getting the house decluttered and everything ship shape to sell. That is a lot of work for just me LOL. Oh yes and I am supposed to try and sell the drag car also LOL. That would be a HUGE help to get things rolling on the house!! Hopefully that will happen soon :)

Please keep Josh and all those guys in your prayers as they head out to do their jobs. I will be posting pictures probably next weekend as it is late and I will be busy busy this week!

August 21, 2009

Trash Fridays

From Trash Can

As the next year progresses, you will see this picture on the side of my blog. Every week we will be marking an x to show one more trash day gone!!! It is much easier to count 54 trash days than 380 some days!!! Hopefully before we know it we will have a page of mostly red X's :)

From Trash Can

August 20, 2009

Montana Home

Here is where we were for 3 weeks enjoying our beautiful surroundings and "relaxing" while planning for my sister's wedding :)

From Montana Take 1

It was a VERY cloudy day :)

From Montana Take 1

Looking out over the valley.

From Montana Take 1

Just our outhouse in the field LOL

From Montana Take 1

Yes people still have wagons :) and use them!!!

From Montana Take 1

The Tobacco Roots in all their glory!

From Montana Take 1

There is nothing like a sunsest in the Big Sky State...one of the most beautiful things you could ever experience!!!

August 19, 2009

As We Face Our New Adventure

I found this poem/prayer. How perfect it fits...I know as that day of actual feet leaving US soil actually arrives we will have another day of sadness. But as the time approaches we have no choice but to know that God has a plan...a plan that we can handle with his help and love. Whatever road lies ahead I look forward to the challenges and chances to lean on him, even though I will be missing my best friend and love of my life.

Military Wives Prayer

At night when I crawl into bed,
My lonely pillow 'neath my head,
I close my eyes and say a prayer.
"God keep him safe way over there,
And make me strong so I won't cry.

It's kinda hard to be alone and
teach the kids when they're half grown,
without the strength of a father's hand
to guide them in this troubled land.

So I'll need a little help from you,
to let me know what I should do.
And God please will you let him know,
How much we love and miss him so.

And then I feel across the bed,
To where he used to lay his head,
and I close my eyes so very tight,
so I won't cry again tonight,
and whisper to the evening air,
"Good night my darling way over there."

JT can...

SKI!!!!!!

Yep he learned to waterski while we were in Montana!!!

From Lake Days 2009 Montana

Uncle Ed helping him go!

From Lake Days 2009 Montana

Oh boy here we go!!!! I wish when we had learned, we had trainer skiis like those!!!

From Lake Days 2009 Montana

Takes a lot of concentration :)

From Lake Days 2009 Montana

WOOOHOOOOO SOOOOO Happy to finally go...and go he did...it was not fair that he had to let other people have turns. Now he can't wait to grow to start wakeboarding!!!!

August 18, 2009

It Has Been A LOOONG Time!!!

Well we have had great adventures lately! We took a trip to Montana for my sisters wedding that I will post on later. The kids had a blast w/ Grammy and skiing and all sorts of fun adventures. We came home to get ready to see Josh one last time before he heads to Iraq. He came home this last weekend and we had a wonderful time spending time as a family. Our Skittle Jars are full again and Trash Day countdown is on!!!! 54 Trash Days until this deployment is finished!!!! Here are some pictures from this last weeked!

From Josh's 4 day

LOL We had fun with this picture!!!

From Josh's 4 day

Daddy and his babies

From Josh's 4 day

Finally a normal picture LOL

July 19, 2009

Our Skittle Count Just Increased!!!

Our Skittle Jars have gone back to 30 until we see Josh again. This time we will be visiting him in his new place. We will be heading to Ft Riley to say our goodbyes until RR. This was a WONDERFUL two weeks. We had so much fun hanging out and being a family. It is amazing how quickly we can adapt though. Today lie returned to normal like he had not even been here. He left at 5 AM and we were all up and moving about 9. We all returned to our previously established schedule and found that it was an easy adjustment-THANK GOODNESS!!! We will not be filling our Skittle Jars to see him b/c ...
WE LEAVE IN 2 DAYS FOR MONTANA!!!! WOOHOOOO!!!!

I will be updating from Montana as much as possible but it is going to be an INSANELY busy time with a wedding and visiting :) Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our time with Josh!!!!

Josh Playing Football w/ The Boys

From July 2009

Josh Showing Jake How To Go Under

From July 2009

When Josh Is Home The Rules All Go Out The Window...AKA A Lake Was Formed Under The Trampoline!!!

From July 2009

A Tadpole to Frog

From FlatRock July

Watching Airplanes

From FlatRock July

Watching His Babies

From FlatRock July

Helping Jake

From FlatRock July

July 17, 2009

Off to the Beach We Go!!!!

We decided that we would take a small day trip to Panama City Beach. What a wonderful time we had. The sun, the water, the laughs and the smiles all made for a beautiful combination that was a much needed distraction from the coming moments. The kids had not been to the beach since they were TINY...Jake was about 5 months old and it was winter on Pismo so no swimming in the water...it was more like this
Yes this is JT and Savannah LOL They were so little :)