I don’t usually post on the weekends, but writing a post sounded like more fun than finishing up my laundry, so just for fun, I thought I’d write a really long run-on sentence share some facts about this here blog.

For starters, I giggled when I typed this post title.

I love writing fun games! This post is the one most visited by Google visitors and gets at least two or three hits each day.

Searching for information on kisses, this post was the one most recently visited (thirty-three minutes ago) by a random person on Google.

Nederland, Texas is the home of the last reader that visited From Inmates To Playdates. And while we’re talking about Playdates, you’d be shocked at the number of people who show up here searching for ‘From Inmates To Playmates’.

I am always shocked when someone out there searches for the information included in this post. It also happens to be one of my favorites.

If this post doesn’t prove I’m crazy, I don’t know which one does.

Hoping to be ever mindful of the thousands of families dealing with this beast, I read this post often myself.

As of 10:51 PM EST, I’ve had 165,406 visitors to this blog. Folks, that is A LOT of crazy people.

One of my most controversial posts was this one. Not sure how there is SO much information out there I know NOTHING about.

And finally, one of MY MOST FAVORITE posts of all time. I’m hoping to have a follow-up post called HOW I ROLL very soon.

For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name.  Isaiah 51:15

What inspires me?

I’ve discovered this week that finding things that inspire me isn’t nearly as easy I thought it would be. When I think of the word inspire, I think of three things, really. My hubby and my boys. They inspire me to be a better person. A better wife. A better mom. Instead of flooding you with pictures of my fellas though, I tried to think of things that inspire me.

Here’s what I came up with:

Before the deployment, I pledged allegiance to the flag, but it never really moved me. After deployment though? The flag means something totally different. There was a huge flag that flew on a mountain top on Guantanamo Bay. I remember riding around in McDaddy’s military vehicle and seeing that flag and thinking that our family was visiting a place that most Americans will never see because 18 years prior to that McDaddy made a commitment to the United States of America to protect our freedoms. And at that moment, we were visiting McDaddy on a naval station full of history and intrigue. I felt blessed to be there with McDaddy. I felt blessed to be visiting such a beautiful place. And I felt blessed to be an American. I will never look at a flag and not remember what it stands for.

This cross hangs in our church. It is a symbol made of wood, yet it inspires me in so many ways. For non-believers this is nothing more than two pieces of wood. For me though? It is so much more than that. The cross has a story to tell and if it could talk, you would hear a heart-wrenching horror story that seemingly ended in death. But then. THEN!, you would hear the beautiful account of the triumphant and glorious day three days later. The cross inspires me because it means that eternity is all that matters and that things and situations of this world are temporary. And THAT inspires me.

That’s all I’ve got unless you count the Saturn Sky and it just didn’t feel right adding it this week to these two very important inspiring things in my life. I’ll just say that the Saturn Sky inspires me to keep asking and maybe, just maybe, I’ll have one some day.

Check out other things that inspire over at You Capture.

I am sitting in my big, blue, bloggy chair watching Big Brother. It has been a long day spent mostly on the road from South Carolina to our home in West Virginia. I spent the day thinking about what I was doing one year ago today. There was the little matter of deployment and on this day one year ago, McDaddy returned home from his stint in Cuba.

This summer has been so much different than last summer. And I am thrilled that we’ve been able to spend so much time together. What a difference a year makes.

We have been home approximately six hours and in that six hours, I have showered, bathed the boys, went to evening service at our church, washed and folded clothes, unpacked and repacked. In a matter of eight hours, I will again take my place in the ghettovan, er, Caravan passenger seat and in the words of Willie Nelson, I’ll be “On The Road Again.”

The boys and I are accompanying McDaddy on a short business trip and if I had any sense whatsoever, I would’ve done our last bit of  laundry before leaving Florida.

And speaking of Florida, ohmyword! I miss Florida. I miss the chaos. I miss McDaddy’s family. And the pool.

McDaddy is the oldest of five kids and all of us (the siblings and their spouses) are close friends.

I feel blessed to be a part of their big, honkin’ family and I enjoyed spending the week with them.

And just look at this view.

We have plans to return next year, but as we all know, a  lot can change in a year.

Happy Monday, y’all! And don’t forget to link up to What I Learned This Week tomorrow!

For more Wordless Wednesday pictures, visit 5 Minutes For Mom!

For more Wordless Wednesday pictures, visit 5 minutes for mom.

Dear Deployment:

It is with great pleasure that I am writing this letter to you.

As of today, you are being banished from our home.

McDaddy has tirelessly and selflessly honored his commitment to you and today, he will return to his civilian job where he will continue to save the world, one control system at a time.

Although we are pretty much finished with you, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that it has not been easy working with you. While we appreciate the nine-month notice, it really meant that you hung over our heads for a long, stinkin’ time. We have been consumed with some part of you for the better part of 17 months.

You forced your way into our lives.

You caused lots of tears

And lots of stress.

Our boys talked about you often.

I spent many a night wondering if you would break me or make me stronger.

With a thankful heart, I can say with certainty, I. AM. STRONGER.

It wasn’t easy, but I made it!

As I said, that all ends TODAY!

Please be advised that as of 8:00 A.M. EST, you are but a memory although I do reserve the right to mention you on the blog from time to time.

Thanks for everything!

Yours truly,

The Major’s Wife

When McDaddy joined the Air National Guard in 1991, he had the difficult task of learning another language.

A language that is made up mostly of initials and acronyms.

A language that I cannot speak fluently, even after 17 years of use. My sweet Mother-in-law and I have been known to roll our eyes when McDaddy and McFatherInLaw talk military jargon. It is enough to make one crazy.

Especially a nosey one that wants to know what they are talking about. Ahem!

Take for instance…

• BDU
• DOD
• ANG
• ABU
• JTF
• AW
• PRIMEBEEF (Seriously – Primary Base Engineer Force)
• AAEFS
• NAS
• NEX
• DEERS
• JDG
• NATO
• AFB
• AMS
• SOUTHCOM
• JAG
• AMC
• FPCON
• FOD
• SRA
• ALCON
• AWOL
• MOOTW (Military Operations Other Than War)

Believe me when I say this is only a small sample.

A new military word I learned recently was Reconstitution.

 The reconstitution stage begins after completing post-deployment recovery and administrative requirements. Administrative actions, briefings, training, counseling, and medical evaluations are completed during the reconstitution stage. Soldiers continue the process of reintegrating into their families, communities, and civilian jobs after deployment.

Main Entry: re·con·sti·tute

Pronunciation: \(?)r?-?kän(t)-st?-?tüt, -?tyüt\

: to constitute again or anew; especially : to restore to a former condition

I am happy for this time of renewal and relaxation for our family.

Reconstitution sure works for me!

———

Visit We Are THAT Family for more Works For Me Wednesday posts.

You may recall that we’ve been dealing with a difficult matter over the past six months.

Saturday, the matter was laid to rest.

I am happy. I am complete. I am content. I am overjoyed.

And everything in between!

For those of you who visit me daily here at Inmates, I know you are probably sick and tired of hearing the words deploy. and ment. Humor me, will ya? Its been a tough journey for the McFamily.

What Deployment Taught Me… (in no particular order)

1. I am stronger than I thought.

2. My boys easily adapt to different circumstances.

3. The flag will forever be more than just a symbol after deployment.

4. The first half of deployment will drag along.

5. The last half of deployment will go faster until the last week.

6. The last week will drag along slower than the first half.

7. I am capable of managing the household finances.

8. I can fix stuff.

9. There is ALWAYS a bright side.

10. Adversity brings you closer to God.

11. Most Americans are truly appreciative and thankful for service members and their family.

12. Appreciate the normal, boring days TOGETHER.

13. Flying AMC (Air Mobility Command aka The Military Rotator) is more relaxed than flying commercial.

14. McDaddy will come home with a lot more stuff than he left with.

15. The E-mail is a wonderful thing

16. I am stronger than I thought.

17. A lot can happen in 26 weeks.

18. It takes a piece of mail approximately 10 days to get from Charleston, WV to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

19. A photocopy of a Power Of Attorney is not considered a legal document. It is simply a copy and it is pretty much useless.

20. Take lots of pictures

21. The time does not FLY BY so please don’t ever say that to a deployed person’s spouse.

22. The days are long.

23. The quiet evenings are longer.

24. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.

25. It is important that you pay attention when taking something apart (ahem!)

26. Friends on Facebook can be a great source of encouragement.

27. The reunion will be glorious.

28. I am stronger than I thought.

We’ve had six months of tears, doubt and massive heartache. I didn’t even mind fighthing with 30 red, white and blue balloons because they were all tangled together and because the wind was blowing like mad.

Folks, its been an exciting week at the McResdence.

I felt like a nervous school girl as I prepared for the homecoming and nervously updated my status on the Facebook approximately 371 times on Saturday.

Because.

The Deployment?

IT! IS! FINALLY! OVER!

My nerves are almost back to normal. Me and the nerves had a time of it the past six months, but we finally made it!

The day went something like this, wake-up, get self under control, take deep breaths, prepare for homecoming, have balloons filled with helium, put up ginormous banner and fight with balloons at various intersections all over town.

Keep self busy with homecoming preparations until 6pm, gather signs, camera and iPhone and make way to Air National Guard Base.

Take a deep breath and try really hard to not have a panic attack.

Walk into the hangar and stand in awe at the sight of this

Pose for one last picture before daddy arrives.

Stand among hundreds of people and take a deep breathe while you wait for the aircraft. Oh, and try hard not to have a panic attack.

Wipe tears the second you hear a loud roar followed by cheers from the crowd because you see this

Take a deep breath and try really hard not to have a panic attack.

Decide that this moment will be etched into your heart for evah.

Pose for a blue million pictures with McDaddy

Take a deep breath and try hard not to have a panic attack. 

Stand beside of him and thank God for bringing him home safely while waiting patiently to wrap your arms around him.

And exhale.

(McDaddy and our boys got some airtime on the news. Click here to see the story)