New Orders

As most of you know, Scott has been assigned to a unit that stays State-side during deployment. This has certainly been a blessing to our family and we have truly been grateful to Heavenly Father for bringing us here. We have seen many of our friends face deployment and watch their loved ones leave to fight for our country and it has made us appreciate even more the time that we were given. It seems that it is now our turn to serve as Scott has received word that he will be going to Iraq for six months this June.

While we would all prefer that he stay home we are willing to make this sacrifice, it was always something we expected, even when Scott first enlisted. Our country is at war, it wouldn't be reasonable to expect that he, an Arabic linguist, would get through his career without going away. And the timing is as good as it can be, I am not pregnant and we don't have a very small baby. It will mostly be the summer, when the kids are healthiest, our schedule isn't so hectic and life is just a little easier to deal with. Plus, we have the advantage of going home to visit for a while. He'll miss a few birthdays but be home for Christmas.

I feel pretty peaceful about the deployment, whether it be because of all of the reasons I already listed or just ignorance and denial. We'll discover which it is soon I am sure! I am grateful mostly that it is only for four to six months and not eighteen like everyone else we know. We will certainly miss him but it isn't going to cause as big a disruption in the family. Another positive is that he will be stationed at Ballad, (I have no idea how it is spelled), which is the largest and safest base in Iraq. I feel that Heavenly Father is continuing to bless us and watch over us. I know that he will keep us all safe and our family will be reunited again. I so am grateful to Him for that.

While Scott is gone we will hope and pray for his safe and speedy return, especially that it be for only four months instead of six!