Seriously?

I have not slept in two nights! I am a Grey's Anatomy fan, so the title of this post is "seriously?" I'm laying in bed thinking about all my seriously? moments throughout the year. There's been a few. The most recent one being that I woke my dog up at 3:00 a.m. this morning to talk to her, and she's looking at me like, seriously? That's sad. So, you're thinking, seriously? how can the dog be saying seriously? Well, this picture is her seriously? look. I was teaching her not to eat chocolate kisses. Which brings me to another of my seriously? moments when we first got here; we got a free box of Girl Scout Cookies from a Deployed Spouses Dinner. My son put it on our table, and the dog ate the entire box. Thin Mints. I mean, first of all, Thin Mints? Those are my favorite. Second, I mean, seriously? that was a free box from the Deployed Spouses Dinner, that dinner is supposed to support me, not cause me more trouble. And lastly, I was definately thinking seriously? as I rushed her to the emergency vet. You get the picture. That's her seriously? look.

I was thinking about when the whole experience started. I decided to move on a Friday afternoon, the packers were there on Monday, and soon after that, I'm driving down the highway thinking seriously? I had just left a very dear family who lived two doors down, who I love, and I was thinking seriously? I think I cried until my head throbbed. Then there was the time my dryer stopped working again, soon after he left. Seriously? But, hey, I called him, and he said go out and buy a new set. Get a good set, like a front loading set. So, dude, I was there. I bought the set. The delivery people installed it. I washed my first load. Water was everywhere. Seriously? I called the "home improvement" store where I bought it. They said they couldn't help me, it was the delivery people's problem. I called the delivery people. The lady on the phone actually said, "well, can't your husband just fix it?" Seriously? I mean, really, aren't there single women in the world? Do you just assume everybody is married? So she told me to call the company who made the washer and dryer, and they said it was the store's responsibility. Seriously? So, my only choice was to waltz right back in that store, and...well, cry my eyes out and tell them the whole story about my husband being gone and everything. They had someone over the next morning.

Then there was the time the light in my husbands car said "check tire pressure". Seriously? So I went to the tire store. Wendy said they'd fill it up for me. The man looked at my back tires, and said, um, ma'am (seriously, must you call me that?) you need to come look at this. I knelt down, and he proceeded to show me how the metal was exposed on the tire, because all the rubber had worn off. First of all, seriously? he left me with tires like this? Secondly, seriously? I don't know how to pick out tires! So, I just told him to put on tires he'd choose for his own car. Did I get a good deal? Seriously? I have no idea. I had to get tires put on the van within a month also. Seriously?

When summer came, I thought, I can do this mowing and edging thing. I went to start up the lawn mower. Nothing. Seriously? After I got that fixed, I was thinking everytime I mowed, seriously? There was also the time my son was going through a "counting money" phase. When the disposal stopped working, I was thinking, hmmm, wonder what's wrong with it. When the repair man pulled a penny out of the disposal, I was thinking, seriously? "Collin, could you come in the kitchen please?"

I could go on for hours at this rate. I've had so many seriously? moments this year, I just can't remember them all. But, as I do that, I think, seriously? I'm so lucky. I'm so lucky I've had the opportunity to step up to the plate and do things I've never done. I'm so lucky I have a car at all. I'm so lucky I have a house, and a washer and dryer at all. I keep thinking of the Casting Crowns song, "I Will Praise You in this Storm." I have listened to that song this year. It's helped me through it. But, seriously? It really hasn't been a storm compared to what some people endure. It's been more like a gentle spring rain compared to some.

So, I'll close with a picture of the t-shirt I got my husband for a homecoming gift. Do you think he'll like it? Yes, those are crumbs on the table. Sorry. I'm not the best housekeeper in the world, but I try!

I also wanted to mention that my background is definately different, as people who have been here before would notice. It's more me, definately. My friend Wendy did it for me. Seriously? She was up late last night trying to fix my background and make it look more like me. She's not done yet, I don't think. She's going to try to add a graphic. So, seriously? What a good friend! Thank you Wendy!