See Ya Soldier

Well its time again for me to say goodbye to my soldier tomorrow.  Its never easy getting into a new routine without my other half.  There are days that I definitely need him so that I can "tag out".

So, I will now be resuming ALL parental duties 24/7.  Thankfully Grandpa and Grandma will be able to spend at least a week with us to lighten my load, AND to visit.  I also have a fabulous neighbor (turned good friend) who has volunteered to help keep me sane during this time.  Which, I am grateful is only going to be for 5 weeks.

I am so proud of him.  Being a soldiers wife is a full time job in its own right.  And I wouldn't change it for the world.

P.S.  I made him take some photos in uniform for our church bulletin board that honors the members serving in the armed forces.  Besides that he hadn't had one done in quite a while.

Blog Neglect

I promise I haven't forgotten about my blog!!  Life calls and non essentials get put to the back of the list.  I have been working on a session that I did with my own daughter on my mother in law's farm back in July.  I plan on posting the complete edited session once I've finished them all.  There were so many different, exciting, creative possibilities that made this SO exciting!  Not to mention the yummy light I got at the very end!  But, as most of us know that the attention span for a 5 year old is about an hour.  So, I pushed my limit to about an hour and half of shooting time to squeeze in the perfect lighting with promises of a four wheeler ride and some cake!  Here are a couple of images from the session that will hopefully tide ya'll over till I can get them all posted at a later time.

Remembering My Aunt Ranaye

I don't even know where to start.  How about three years ago, when I learned that my Aunt Ranaye had some bad news.  Breast cancer.  I was devastated.  But, my Aunt who has always remained positive was going to beat this.  Chemo began, and it had worked...only for a little while.  The cancer returned.  This time she had a double mastectomy, hysterectomy, and lymph nodes removed.  In addition to all the surgery, more chemo.

Since first learning she had breast cancer flash forward three years.  Her last chemo session was in June.  I got to see her in July.  Now flash forward to the end of August.  She thought she had flu like symptoms and was just not feeling well.  Made a trip to the doctor and after multiple tests, scans, ect....learned that her cancer had metastasized to her liver.  Multiple tumors in her liver.

I last talked to my Aunt on August 30th.  Little did I know that this was the last time.  (Unless a divine miracle takes place soon.)

I can't help but feel guilty that I can't see her, be there for her.  I will most likely not be able to make it to her funeral.

The last two days I've dread my phone ringing.  Knowing that every time its my Mom calling with bad news.  Today is no different.

I am very close with her, and when she finally goes with God, I will be grateful that she will no longer have to suffer here on Earth, but will be deeply saddened that she did not "make it."

I have been trying to remember all of the things we have done and talked about together, but the one thing that I remember most is her laugh.

I don't know where I'm going with this, but I just thought I'd share.

Please pray for her, my Uncle Larry, my Grandparents, my Mom, and the rest of us who are going to be losing a very special person in our lives.

So don't put off that hug, that phone call...because you never know if it will be the last.