Almost Time

Well, it's about that time.  It seems as though we've been talking about it for a while now and it is very quickly becoming a reality.  Zach is leaving.  And in a few days.

His leave date is coming a few weeks earlier than expected.  So as prepared as we were for him to go, we were totally unprepared for how everything unfolded.  We shouldn't have been, because it's the military.  Nothing is certain until their boots are on the ground. 

Zach's original assignment was cancelled early last week.  Then it became a waiting game.  Was he going to get another assignment?  Or was he going to stay put?  A few days later another assignment was in the works.  The next day it fell through.   Then it became a waiting game.  Was he going to get another assignment?  Or was he going to stay put?  Then early this week, another assignment came through.  He would be leaving as early as next Monday.  Wait, it could be later than that.  Oh wait, could be Sunday.  Nope, Saturday, definitely Saturday.  (See how nothing is certain?!)

So the past few days have been a bit of a blur.  He's been busy out processing at work and I've just been processing.  Let's be honest, I've really just been a bit of an emotional hot mess.  I'm perfectly fine one minute and the next I hear our song on the radio and tears just start pouring out.  Or someone does a very sweet gesture because of what Zach is doing and the tears just start pouring out.  But I really am prepared.  Promise. 

Truthfully, I think we are all ready for the deployment.  Sometimes it's difficult to explain to non-military people.  Obviously, we don't want him to go.  Of course we're going to miss him like crazy.  But on the other hand, we want him to go.  Deployments are part of the military life.  He gets to play GI Joe (sort of).  What guy doesn't want to do that?!  He's ready.  I'm ready.  The girls are ready, we think.

We've been talking to the girls about it a little more every night.  "Daddy's going on his big work trip, the deployment.  Remember?".  At this point, I think they are super excited to take him to the airport, because it's the airport and that's pretty cool.  I don't think they will quite get saying "good-bye", but then again, maybe they will. 

They have enjoyed playing with all of Daddy's new clothes.

But in the end, we have only a few days (or a day and a half, really) to prepare.  Maybe we are as prepared as we will ever be.  We will be fine.  Lots of families go through deployments.  We can DO this!