friday!!!

tonight I have plans. I am going to see, "The Lorax", with a group of little girls, and one of the moms, my close friend, Patty. Then to her house to celebrate a birthday, Irene is ten years old, only two weeks older than Sonja K.

Today, I also have plans. I have to bake those cupcakes. It is sunny today, and is going up to sixty. So my other plans: sit in the sun. Ahh, love to sit in the sun.

Weight loss: A new number!!! Yay!! Now, the pounds are NOT melting off effortlessly. No, it is ever so slow. But seeing that new number is so freakin' awesome, as my kids would say. (and of course I would respond, "don't say "freakin'")

Yesterday I did have a softserve ice cream cone for lunch. 8 of my kids went shopping with me. Joseph, Samuel, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Charlotte Claire, and Camille. Going through the Dunkin'Donuts drive-thru with them was an experience. The ice cream there is only 99 cents, and it is Baskin-Robins. I wanted a coffee for the long drive home...and I had only had a few almonds and an apple since breakfast....so, I had an ice cream. I ordered six cones, two donuts with pink frosting, and one with chocolate frosting, one large coffee with lots of cream, and two ice waters. Eleven dollars and some change. As we pulled out, Sam complained that he didn't get a donut. I pulled back in and parked, and as we waited for Evelyn to go in and get his donut for him, he 'fessed up that he had an ice cream, he just wanted a donut too. rrr. It was all quite hilarious though.

And the ice cream was so good. I always seem to lose a pound the morning after I have one for some reason.

I was really good for the rest of the night though, and I went to the pool, too.

News from Benjamin:

"we were told that a soldier from B Co was killed. When that happens they black out the communication until the family was contacted. They just lifted the blackout. I knew him, but just knew who he was. Its still sad. Glad I'm not with B Co anymore though. Anyways, we received other news. Today we are heading out to --------, I don't know how long we will be there, anywhere from 2 weeks or more. Most likely more. I don't think I'll have wi fi so I won't be able to text. Everything is going well here. We got new trucks, ones with ac, and are getting ready to roll out in an hour or two. I will be absolutely fine...." He goes on to say how much he misses and loves us...

Now, I would be lying if I said I just went ahead and believed that he would "be absolutely fine". I want to believe it. I will believe it. But that tiny bit of fear that wants to get into my heart and make me terrified for him, I am fighting that. And of course there is the full knowledge that some other family is getting the Dreaded and Horrible visit from some Army Captain, delivering them the news that their son died for his country. This whole thing is just more than I bargained for, not that I had a choice in the matter. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't know it would be THIS hard.

My cashier in the grocery store really blessed me yesterday. I have "known" her for years, her son fought in Iraq. When she asked how I was doing, I told her about Benjamin, and she was so encouraging and understanding. She told me that her son was in a terrible firefight three weeks into his deployment, ect., and that when she was in the mall one day, she got a call from him on her cell phone, telling her that he was okay. She said she walked around that mall crying like a fool, telling people that her son was okay. Tears of happiness, of course. Relief. Thankfulness. She told me that she is praying for Ben, and that she knows he will be fine. She has been through this, and she knew just what would be comforting. I think God knew what check-out line I needed to be in yesterday.

Well, the sunny day is going on without me, I shall get moving so I can enjoy that elusive sunshine.