The 11th day of the 11th month

Veteran’s Day.
What more fitting of a day for RJ to finally be home.
Daily they toil for freedom and lay their blood sweat and tears at our feet. To all those who have served, still serve, and their families who serve behind the scenes, Thank You.
Please thank a Vet, everyday…

 

Wedding bells are ringing

Our very favorite cousin and his amazing lady got married, and they asked FJ to be a groomsman. Jeff served as his legs when walking down the aisle, even though he was petrified. Pictures turned out fun and lovely, and it was great that he could be there, even from the other side of the country!

 

Happy Halloween!

We had a pretty fun Halloween in our new home. We live in a great neighborhood for trick or treating and the weather was warm enough that we even went out without our jackets, I love it here!

Look, we found FJ’s twin!

There are a few pictures from our trunk or treat at church, but they are on our other camera and I’m having a little trouble locating the transfer cable for that one(Disorganized? Who, me?) so it might be a bit until you see those.

 

No dirty looks please

Yes, with summer quickly coming to a close and school and work we have been busy little bees. Here’s a quick glimpse at what we’ve been up to:
We went to a park at the beach. One of the things we love about living here is being so close to the water and so many amazing public parks.

It was windy and we couldn’t leave poor FJ all by himself, so he and Jason surfed the internet while I ran off to play with the kids.

We went to cousin B’s birthday(let’s hope I post the right picture this time):

And Eric got a little goofy, as he’s wont to do from time to time:

 

Is that…?

Why yes it is, none other than Seattle Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, mugging for the camera with our very own Flat Jared. This was a really awesome experience, the kids and I had a blast. We LOVE our baseball

And this was us chillin in line waiting to see Franklin Gutierrez:

 

More zoo pictures

This is a replica of the cages they use to ship walruses between zoos

Hanging out in front of one of the fish tanks

*cue Jaws music*

 

Mommy’s little animals

 

First things first

The kids are in day care now, with RJ being gone and me working right in the middle of the day. They don’t quite love it, but they don’t seem to hate it either, small miracles!

 

Well, it’s come and gone

Real Jared came home safe and sound and everyone was beyond happy to see him. Even the baby (now 2) didn’t shy away and I credit our Flat Jared with much of that.
It’s been quite the adventure since RJ came home, nothing’s really the same after so long apart and it’s hard to figure everything out. Accept that it’s much like starting all over and try to keep the right perspective. Be willing to talk and be willing to ask for help. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America website has links for soldiers about the transition, as well as a section for friends and family. Remember that it won’t be perfect and you’ll at least start out headed down the right path.
We had a fun family vacation a few weeks after RJ returned and it was a ton of fun watching him and the kids interact. Mira became quite the daddy’s girl and the boys were just happy to have someone to wrestle with. Now RJ is back to work and almost done with his degree. FJ is tucked away in a closet awaiting his next adventures, though we’re not really in a rush for that to happen!
I hope to have very random updates about other Flat Daddy news from time to time, and please send the link(or at least the Flat Daddy idea) out to anyone you think could use it. Deployment can be excruciatingly lonely for families, particularly Reserve and National Guard families, and it’s always nice to have a connection to others in your position. Thanks to all of you for your visits and support here. Lots of love from our family to yours!

 

My how time passes

when you’re going a little crazy…
Well, after 13 long months it’s finally here. Real Jared is scheduled to fly in tomorrow and we are all on pins and needles around here. It’s been a very busy few weeks, and it was easier to just forget about this blog rather than try to post something worthwhile
So, until I can get around to posting about something else, here are some pictures my sister in law took of their 4th of July with Flat Jared…