Our day came

I was notified that Mike is now in Kuwait so I can now update y'all.

When it was time to leave to go to the hanger we stopped by a gas station to pick up a few things for him. While we were sitting in the parking lot I gave him a small book I put together with letters from family and friends and of course me and Peanut and Sheba, along with some family pictures. I told him not to open it until he was on the plane. I honestly didn't think it would bother him but he got choked up, well that is all it took for the 3 of us to sit in the parking using the new box of Kleenex I had just bought.

Kyla and I dropped Mike off at his hanger for weapons check and we headed over to the gym. About 2 hours later the soldiers started coming in. It took what seemed like forever for them to get checked in. Mike sat between Kyla and I and I don't think you could have put a piece of paper between us. We sat there for 3 hours just hanging on. As we sat there my heart was breaking but then looking around seeing the young mom's leaving their babies, the dad's leaving their babies and the soldiers, who you know this is their first time, having no one there for them. You could just tell by the looks on their faces. I seen several with heads bowed and hands clasped.

Finally the announcement we had been dreading was made, it was now time to say our by's. The Chaplain said a prayer while you could hear sobbing in the background. Kyla had done really good all day until then. She just grabbed her daddy and wouldn't let go. I hugged and held on so tight so not to let go. Just one more hug, one more kiss, one more scent of Mike's cologne but the time had come. Kyla and I walked out hugging each other. Mike's CO's wife and kids were there, this is also their first deployment as a family. He has 4 children. His wife and children stood outside by Kyla and I waiting for them to come out of the gym and load on the buses.

We stood there with our flags waiting for them. Finally they started coming out of the gym. Of course Mike's unit was the very last one out. We were able to see him one more time and blow kisses and I Love You's to him. The CO's daughter was able to hug her daddy one more time.

We went to his bus and seen him sitting there waving at us and winking at Kyla. The wink did it again to Kyla. She said every day when he used to leave for work he would wink at her. Thank goodness I had a very dear friend there with us with her kids for support and to take pictures for us. Her daughter and Kyla are friends so that helped. Her husband is deployed now. I honestly don't know what I would do without my friends down here.

Kyla and I finally left the parking lot and got something to eat and came home. Mike was able to call me before they left here. The next time I heard from him they were at their first stop in MN. they flew from there to the Netherlands and on to Kuwait. I haven't heard from him yet and probably won't until the weekend but I go nowhere without either the house phone in my hand or my cell phone. Please understand if anyone calls me and suddenly hang up it is because Mike is calling.

Kyla and I have already started a care package for him as soon as we get an address. As soon as I get it I will let y'all know. So now we are adjusting to this and wondering when the lost feeling we have will leave. As most of you know I lost my first husband due to a car accident but this is a lost feeling like I have never felt before and is very hard to try and explain it. Everyone tells me that it will take a couple of months to get into our routine and that feeling to leave, but I wonder if it will leave.

Kyla was hugging me last night and told me that she is going to try really hard not to be a "hecklion" anymore and it took me a little bit to figure it out. She didn't want to say the word hellion so she invented a new word.

I finally laid down around 0300 this morning only to fall asleep 20 minutes before my alarm went off. We sit here now and look around and see Mike's chair empty, we don't hear him making "noises" and blaming it on Peanut, or hear him yelling at the TV remote or the traffic.

It has now been 25 hours since he left. We do not have a time frame yet so we are prepared just in case for the long option that was given. We have also banned a word from our vocabulary, Good Bye, instead we just by or so long.

Please keep Mike and his team in your prayers and thoughts and if you happen to have an extra one please say it for me and Kyla. Again, I can't say enough for the dear friends I have made down here. Everyone I have met has either been thru this before, going thru it right now or expecting the return of their loved ones. It does make a difference to have so many people around you during this time. Please also remember when you see someone in uniform please treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve. You never know what they have gone thru while wearing that uniform.