What are we up to?

Some people say that journaling is a good discipline and also a way to relieve stress. I don't know about that, but it is at least a method of letting people look into our lives and know what is going on that week.

I guess the first entry will be easy. What's going on with Chris and Sandra? Well, we are currently 2 1/2 months into our FINAL 7 month deployment. So that puts Sandra in Mukilteo, WA and Chris in the Persian Gulf on the USS Abraham Lincoln. We are still not aging this year and remaining newlyweds (no spouse=no birthday, no anniversary) - that is my spin on the situation in order to maintain a positive attitude.

Chris will be busy keeping the ship running so that they can use the catapults to launch planes. Usually he is helping to propel the ship, but they are parked for awhile (we think). He is of course keeping up on his workouts and is trying to start a Bible Study again. He has had two different sailors show up on Sunday. His work is starting to wind down as they slowly give other sailor's his responsiblities.

Sandra is currently itching to get going on packing. It is still a little too early for that, but there are always cupboards and drawers to go through and mental planning to be done. It is my job to empty fridge and freezer and do the logistics of our coming move.

So where are we going? We were accepted to Ambassador Baptist College beginning in January 2009. We are more than a little excited about this new adventure. The real packing will begin in August and I will move out of our cute little apartment here in Washington at the end of August. Chris is due home mid-September or end of September (that is Navy time for you). He will do official separation paperwork and then we will pack up the Storage Unit and head across the country again. Hooray!

Until then, I must check my enthusiasm. There are still a few months ahead of us. Of course, I am reading, teaching piano and flute lessons, teaching Sunday School, and accompanying congregational singing. During the week, I am crocheting blankets for a program called Project Linus. It fills my time, uses up yarn, and aids families facing severe illnesses. I am also sewing dresses for some of my students and attempting to teach myself to play the violin. Again, discipline will be the key. And the exercise endeavor, which my husband has instilled in me - with gas prices rising and an unpredictable fitness center at the apartment complex, I am trying "real" running in place of my treadmill. I am currently doing 5.5 miles in just over an hour. I am in training so that I can run with Chris without slowing him down. I have a little way to go. I guess I can make some progress in my remaining 4 months of training.