2008

Mikes sleeps in the middle bunk, number ten on the ship.
http://www.mtwhitney.navy.mil/default.aspx

Mike and the kids when he arrived home from Germany in May.

We were SOOOOO EXCITED to pick Mike up from the airport!

2008 started off a little different. Mike is in the Navy Reserves, he meets once a month in Crane, Indiana and then for two weeks in the summer. In February he was deployed to Germany for three months. That was the first time that we have been separated more than his two week summer drills. That seemed to be the longest three months of my life. He came home after his three months and had to do his two week drill. The following week we spent together and had so much fun. We spent the evenings going on bike rides, cooking out, and getting the hang of being a family again. Mom kept the kids over night and we went on a date, just the two of us to Indy. We rode our bikes on the Monon Trail, and had dinner all by ourselves! Then BAM, we found out that he was going to be leaving AGAIN for 45 days. So as of now it's just the kids and I here while Mike is on a ship in Italy. Claudia and Cort miss their daddy and I miss my husband!

I am so blessed to have a wonderful mother and amazing friends that help keep me going. Our summer seems to be going very quick. We seem to have something special to do almost every weekend until school starts again. It's been less than a week but I have been able to talk to Mike everyday for about 5-10 minutes a day. He has sent pictures of his bed and his office on the ship. EEK! I can't say that I am jealous of the tiny living space. I give a big kudo to the women and men who stay behind while their loved ones are deployed. My brother has been deployed over seas three times since he has been married. I now have a small taste in my heart of how Christy feels being left behind for a year at a time. I will continue to pray for our troops and their families!