Counting Down!!!!

So, the countdown has been on since the day Mike left, but it is definetely on now, he gets home on Saturday, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait at all!! He went up to his parents this weekend and had a good time visiting with everyone, even though my sweet boy got sick :(! I was feeling even more bluesy all weekend because they all got to see him and I didnt, no fair! But I am glad that he was able to spend the time with them, and he said the sweetest thing to me when he got back to Fallon after the trip, just talking about how he really enjoyed it, but how it felt weird to be there without me, that I am his security wherever he is. That made me feel so special, especially when he is gone this much, its wonderful to hear how much he misses me because I am going crazy without him for sure! Only a few more days left, and then dont expect a blog over the weekend or anything, hehe :)!

One more update is about Brutus, he went into surgery a day early thanks to our wonderful vet, and is quite possibly in right now as I type this. They were expecting to send him home today YIKES, but are keeping him until Friday just to make sure he rests and lets the new plate they are putting in take hold. I was really grateful for that because I kept telling Mike how worried I was about leaving him locked in the kennel while I am at work without Mike being able to come home often and check on him, because he hates his kennel. Me and the other three will miss Bruttie the next couple of days, but I am happy he will be getting the rest and the care that he needs, then he is home Friday to get settled back in before Daddy comes home!!!

I just have to make it through Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and the morning and afternoon of Saturday and Mike will be home at last!!!

Building Spaceships

I just got home from the grocery store on base where I watched the gentleman in front of me, perhaps late 30's buy kitty litter and a young boy's lego set. Simple enough purchases, nothing to think twice about on any other tonight, but tonight, it hit a sentimental nerve within my heart. Perhaps its because Mike's gone and I miss him terribly but for whatever reason those purchases, specifically the second one, really got me thinking. At any other store a Target, Kmart, Walmart, I probably wouldnt even look at the items, much less think about the sentiments behind them, but here I stood, behind a man that I didnt know, who was most likely in whatever capacity a member of the United States Navy. Judging by his appearance, he looked like he was old enough to have served at least a 10 year term. Judging by the lego set, the boy he was buying it for couldnt have been more than 9 or 10. Now I know I am making a lot of assumptions here, like if it was for his child, how long he was in the Navy etc, but just humor me. In Mike's almost 3.5 year term so far, he has been deployed over 15 months, not even including workups like the one he is gone on now(which very well could add up to another 5 or 6 months). Thats only a 3.5 year term. Assuming this man has been in for 10, he might have seen anywhere from 15 months, to three years of deployments depending on his tour of duty. How many birthdays, Christmases, Easters, Halloweens, School Plays, Summer Vacations, Bruised Knees and First Times has this man missed over the years? How many times has he brought home items from a deployment, from far away places for his little boy, games and knicknacks, ball caps and books, to show him how much he missed him while he was gone. All the while the dad picturing giving those items to the boy that he left so many months ago, but only to be giving them to a taller, more grown up child, with whom he now has to make up for so much lost time... Did this man just get home from a deployment? Is he going to go home and surprise his little boy with those legos and build the ships together with him? Is it a surprise for tomorrow morning? Are they even going to get the chance to work on it together? I've often wondered when walking through the short aisles of the base store, why there is such a large toy section, but tonight showed me why. It's for mommies and daddies, coming home to their children from so many months away, to buy something to put a smile on their face, perhaps something to work on with them, to spend quality and precious, priceless time with them that they have for so long missed while being abroad. To me it may just be a toy section, but to them it's an opportunity, a chance to catch up on all the time they have missed, and to enjoy the all too far and few between moments they have with their children while they are still children, because one deployment, they will come home, and they will be all grown up... So wherever that little boy and his daddy are tonight, whatever they are doing, whether it be today, tomorrow, or sometime in the future, I hope they build that lego spaceship together, but more importantly, I hope they enjoy building that memory together, and that they store it in a safe place in their minds and hearts, so that next time that little boy's daddy has to go away, all they have to do is close their eyes and go back to a time when they didnt have to be big and strong through deployments, when they just got to be, a daddy and his son...

Praise Report in the midst of Hardship!

Me and Mr. Brutus just got home a little while ago, and the best way to start this post is to say that God is SO good and never ceases to amaze me. I have no news on Brutus' condition, as the doctor's were with other cases, however, all in all, for the surgery and medicine that Brutus will need next week, the vet is only charging us $125-$175 PRAISE GOD! That is amaznig, and is seriously not even an eighth of what the surgery should be. I think my mouth hung open for a good 30 seconds afterwards! His surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday and with any luck he will come home with me that night and Daddy will be home two days later!!!! So thank you all for thinking of us and praying for us, we got a looooooong road to recovery but we are SO thankful for how God is taking care of us in the midst of this hardship!

P.S. I just added the above picture! He is still sleeping like that as I write this, what a goofball!

Sad Day in Our House

Really quick update for you guys while I am on my lunch break. I dropped Brutus off at the vet this morning for his second post-op appointment to make sure everything is healing correctly. Obviously it's not, or this would be a happy post. They put me on the phone with the surgeon who let me know Brutus has been a very naughty boy while we are gone during the day. He managed to bend the metal plate they put in his leg, and I believe re-break the bone in a different spot. I am not 100% sure on all of this, I started crying as soon as the doctor told me what was up. Brutus is going to have to have another emergency surgery next week that is going to be MUCH more invasive and extensive this time around since his plate and screws have to be removed, the bone has to be repaired, and then fixed all over again. This is going to be a very expensive surgery and thankfully our wonderful vet and his staff are going to help us financially as much as they can. It is also going to be a very much more strict and lengthy recovery process to make sure all heals correctly this time.
I will know more information when I pick him up today, and even more next week when the surgeon returns from a trip he is leaving on today. I am very emotional about all of this as Mike, my dad, and my coworkers can attest too, and I feel like a horrible doggie mommy. I know it is not our fault, the vet even said that, but we could have done more to make sure he was resting. Please keep us in your prayers!

More of the Orange and Brown Sky

Here are some pictures from my drive around the base! They really dont do the fires and the smoke and the wind justice, but at least they capture some of it! Enjoy!



http://picasaweb.google.com/MikeandLauraKincaid/VenturaCountyFires02?authkey=ReeoDwBYyxw

Firey and Windy Day

Here are some pictures just from wind damage on base. I couldnt get any real good ones of the smoke, thankfully it doesnt look so bad outside right now, but I still feel like I cant breathe outside but for a couple of minutes. Anyways, here are those pictures:

Some of the smoke, like I said, thankfully its moved a lot, but still feels AWFUL!

I couldnt believe this when I looked outside, I went out front earlier, and this definetely wasnt there, it was blown all the way across the street! I didnt see it happen, but it probably fell over and just tumbled across the street in the wind, still scary!

Can you believe this? Since we live in a duplex, this is the fence on the other side of our house. Luckily our neighbors moved out and dont have pets, but if you can see the break in the other fence, those people do have a dog, which I found roaming around earlier and returned her to them, but geeze, winds winds GO AWAY!!!! More pictures to come! I am going to drive to the beach on base and see if I can get any better pictures over there!

Quote

I saw this quote on a license plate frame and I loved it! I have never heard it before but its quite clever!!!.....

Wise Men STILL Seek Him!!!!!

What do you think? Like it?

Naked No More!

I got some beautiful and priceless artwork in the mail today for Uncle Mike and I's fridge from Artists Gregory and Adam Kraft, I must say, I am one proud aunt! Here are a couple of pictures of their masterpeices, and one of me showing Gregory how proud I am of his schoolwork! WAY TO GO GREGORY!!!!! I love how his pumpkin has glasses, and Adam writing the "A" in his name, is so so so cute! Adam's pumpkin looks like a sad face because of how he put the little ( line, SOO cute! :)! Love you boys!

Lazy dogs!

Me and the "kids" are at home today, watching the very much anticipated Raiders vs. Chargers game for Mike and texting him the scores throughout the game. I cant believe what BUMS the dogs are! Don't know if anyone really cares, but I think they are pretty funny when they sleep!

Also, last night, I had finally got them all in the bedroom so we could go to sleep and I came back in after getting a drink, and this is what I found:

What a bunch of BUMS they are! Mike and I need to get a California King! Mind you, they do have THREE dog beds, one of which is big enough for ALL of them! They just wanted to keep me company since they know I miss Mike so much!

The Pumpkin Patch 10/6/07

Just some Halloweenie photos from our trip to the Underwood Family Farms this Saturday!!!

The "yak" or whatever it was, sure amazed Mike and I, then there is me with my prize pumpkin! Mike got a little overwhelmed in the corn maze (what a cutie!) But we finally conquered it togther! I couldnt believe how high the goats were going in their little maze! And then of course there is me with the John Deere tractor. Mikey with his pumpkin, and another cute little donkey! We had such a great time and really really enjoyed it there! It was a little pricey, but worth it for the memories!

Mike's gone :(

Hi everyone, it's Laura here. Just wanted to let you all know Mike left this morning for some training with his squadron for the next few weeks. It was a very tearfull and hard goodbye this morning for us, just knowing the upcoming months are going to be filled with a lot of separation, but we know God is faithful and in control and that he grows us together and in our love and closer to Him despite any miles and trials we have! He is so very faithful! A girlfriend of mine told me it is a choice to rejoice even in the hardest of times, and its very true. Mike and I, despite how hard the Navy is on us and our relationship sometimes, cant help but be thankful for it, because without Mike joining, we may have never met!


So please keep Mike and the other Sailors and Pilots in his squadron in your prayers over the next few weeks, that they would have safe travels up there, safe training flights, and a successful trip up there, and for protection and comfort for them and their families while they are separated! Thank you guys so much!


I LOVE MY BLACK EAGLE!!!!!

Pumpkin Pie Outcome!

I should have said this awhile ago I guess, I apologize for not giving the outcome sooner! The pie turned out A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I was a little worried because we barely had enough vanilla, no nutmeg and a little extra pumpkin, but nonetheless it was honestly the best pumpkin pie we have ever tasted! I meant to take a picture of it, but alas, we ate it all up before I had a photo op! If you have the chance, time, and money, Mike and I highly suggest trying it sometime, its so much fun and makes a lot of great memories, plus a pretty DOGgone good pumpkin pie! :)!

In the Halloween Spirit!

With Mike leaving next Wednesday (:() for 23 days, we are starting our Halloween festivities early this year. Halloween is one of both of our favorite holidays and we are so sad to miss out on another one together this year! But we know next year will be the last Halloween we are apart for the rest of our lives! Hooray!!! Anyways, we decided to try something new this year that Laura has always been wanting to do, make HOMEMADE pumpkin pies! We bought special smaller "pie" pumpkins and found a great recipe with pictures online, and started making it tonight! We are just working on the puree tonight, then we fridgerate it for 24 hours and finish it off!! Anyways, since we havent had a whole lot to update about lately, thought we'd take some pictures of this fun!!! We'll take more at the pumpkin patch this Saturday, I cant wait! And of course we will be watching Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin, a Laura's mom and sibling tradition!

We hope God is showering you with blessings this Fall season!!

Mike "gutting" the pumpkin! He was a lot better at it than me!

The pumpkins before we scorched them!

And After! Now I just have to wait for them to cool off and then we will puree the insides! We'll let you know how they turn out!

God's Wings

My mother-in-law sent me this email a little while back and I came across it today and thought I should put it in our blog. Enjoy, Be Blessed, and Bless God!

God's wings : A little something to put things in perspective.. An article in National Geographic several years ago provided an interesting pictureof God's wings.After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park , forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. Oneranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but hadrefused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, so those under the cover of her wings would live.
"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge." (Psalm 91:4)Being loved this much should make a difference in your life. Remember the One who loves you, and then be different because of it.