Finish Line

My deployment countdown is running out of time--hallelujah!  Ben called me from Bangor, Maine this morning to tell me he was finally STATESIDE!!!  After a year long deployment to Iraq nothing could have sounded sweeter.  The Maine Troop Greeters were there with there free cell phones and photographers snapping pics.  I hope those people know how much we appreciate them taking care of our soldiers as they re-enter the US again for the first time in months.  It is so nice to be able to see pictures of my husband back in the states and here is voice as soon as he gets here. 

Ben and my friend Jasmine's husband on the phone with us thanks to the wonderful volunteers in the Maine airport!

A couple of the volunteers that were there to welcome the soldiers back onto US soil for the first time.  These people are amazing!!


It's hard to believe that I have survived another deployment when you consider my past experience.  In the beginning of this challenging year I kept praying for the Lord to take this trial away, but now that I have endured something so difficult I am grateful for what I have learned about myself.  I'm also grateful that a happy ending to this extremely challenging year is finally here!

A dear friend asked me what the most difficult part of this experience has been.  I said without hesitation it has been to have hope in spite of the things I have already lived through.  In the beginning it was a daily task to remain hopeful.  As I worked hard everyday at having hope that Ben would come home safe it got easier along the way. 

Looking back now at how I just got through it one day at a time I can see that it really was only a moment of pain and discomfort.  I never looked too far ahead and I always tried to focus on my goal of just getting through today.  Before you know it the day has passed and then a week and then a month and now here it is a year later. 

You can do ANYTHING if you work on it just one day at a time.