Introducing nicole_scraps!

I have finally created a journal for my scrapbook pages! It will be a tedious process to take pictures of my pages and put them into my journal, but I intend to get them all done... someday. For now, I have a few of my "works-in-progress" up, and if you are so inclined, you can hop over to that journal to see more.

nicole_scraps

I don't plan to add any friends back to this new journal, as I don't plan to really *read* anything from it, but feel free to add it to your friends' list if you want to see new pages as I add them. I won't be posting my pages in my regular journal, as I don't want to bore those of you who couldn't possibly care less about scrapbooking. :-P

But just for a little teaser (click on the pics for links to bigger files):

(no subject)

It is becoming a very real possibility that I may have lost a friend of mine in the earthquake/tsunami tragedy.

I do not know what to think right now.

It's time.

This is pathetic and sad, and I'm being a big baby about it, but...

I need some big-time virtual support and hugs right about now.

...

I just decided last night to let you guys in on something. It was in our best interest to not go blabbing much earlier, back when we first knew 2 months ago or so, but now is the time to spill.

Philip is going to Iraq. And he's not just going to a regular camp over there.

He's going right to the very middle of the worst place. (I can't say anymore about the assignment, so please don't ask.) He was hand-picked for this mission... and it's bad.

And... I was okay with this. We had a reached a somewhat peaceful place in our hearts and minds about this deployment. He was supposed to leave March 5th or a few days later.

As a result of his going into very real danger, his family has made impromptu plans to visit him in these next few months. (It's very hard to not think of these as "in-case-I-never-see-you-again" type of visits... as that's really what they are.)

In preparation for this deployment, Philip's been assigned to several training schools in the next weeks. (We've known about these ahead of time, as well.) He leaves on Sunday (Jan. 2nd) for Nevada again (remember, he left in November for 2 weeks?), and he'll be back on Friday (Jan. 7th). He is supposed to leave again Jan. 23rd, going to San Antonia for training, and he'd be back on Feb. 5th. Then he was supposed to leave on/about Mar. 5th, to be gone for 6.5-7 months (October-ish).

But... those plans have changed.

He now leaves Jan. 23rd... and he won't be coming back.

Not until October-ish.

...

I am NOT ready for this now. It was a completely different thing when we just kept telling ourselves, "Oh, but he's not leaving until March. It's okay."

Now it's NOT okay. He leaves in less than a month. And he'll still be gone until the same time - not coming back 2 months early or something. I just can't seem to get a grip on this right now.

I am a blibbering, bawling mess today. We have 25 days left with Daddy... except not even that, really. He'll still be in Nevada for 6 of those days, plus he'll still have to work at least one week when he gets back from there. (They *should* be giving him an automatic 14 days 'personal time off' before a long deployment like this, but it's not in the works.)

We have 19 days with Daddy.

*cries*

(no subject)

My friend - Esther - she's okay! I just got word from her now!

ThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouGod!