{Let Freedom Ring}

Yesterday makes one month to the day that I watched my husband's plane take off for Afghanastan. I can honestly say that I never thought that I'd be married to a man in the military. To have a husband that is half a world away, putting his life on the line for this country, is hard to swallow. How blessed I am, though, to have such a curagious man for a husband & father to my children.

I'm trying desperately to cling to God with all my strength and let him lead me in this new season. Being a mother of *one* while Tony was in training was difficult enough. Those days were *cake* compared to now, though. Holding down the fort is proving to be quite the callenge. Between Ava (19 months), Bella (8 weeks), and Sweet Pea (our 3 1/2 year old Cocker) I've got my hands more than full. All I can do is take life one *sweet* moment at a time.

We've been able to communicate with Tony most days. This has really helped me & Ava. I will never forget the first time Ava saw Tony on the webcam. She held her arms up to the screen and said "daddy! up..peas?" (Daddy, up, please?) Talk about a tear jerker! She then proceeded to bring him every book she could, hold it up to the screen, and ask him to read to her. How do you respond to that? It's the hardest thing in the world to explain to a 1 1/2 year old that daddy can't pick her up because he's not really *here*, he's just on the computer. Nevertheless, the video calls have been amazing. Every time Ava sees the computer she says "daddy?!" and wants to get on. I'm so thankful for the internet!

The following months will be a rollercoaster, I am sure of that. I am clinging to Psalm 91 (specifically 91:7) and embracing the ride.