Izabella Laynn

We spent the day at the Lake yesterday, we had been planning it all week, but once we were there Stevie told me she had been having labor pains all night.  She decided to hang out at the lake rather than rush to the hospital, so we spent a few hours watching the kids swim and trying to relax, we headed off to the hospital when she was having contractions at 6min apart, made it to the hospital fine and Bella was born less than two hours later.  Stevie did great!Sienna has been so excited to be a big sister, she was very happy when she got to come in a meet her new baby sister.

here she is just moments after she was born, you cannot see all her black hair with her little hat on, but she has a head full.  She weighed 7lbs 12.5oz and is 20 inches long.

deployment when and where

We have been planing for deployment for some time now, it looked like Richards battalion would deploy in November to Baghdad, then he was told to plan on being gone by Halloween, but no one ever had orders, just speculation, then a few months ago we started to hear rumors, well the first thing I learned being an army wife was you can NEVER listen to rumors, by the time you hear them any truth there was will be long gone, so we just continued to plan for October.  In July while Richard was gone we were called to a steering committee meeting to discuss the upcoming deployment and we were told that 1st Brigade would indeed not be deploying to Baghdad this year, the reasons are all the same ones Richard kept bringing up when he would tell me deployment there did not make much sense to him (though he will willing go wherever they tell him) they are a field artillery brigade with his company providing support, there is not a lot of call for that in Baghdad right now, since we really are pulling our troops out and turning it back over to the Iraqi, so the official word is a different battalion is going in our place and their mission is indeed to provide support and training to the Iraqi Army, so they are better suited for this particular mission.  For about 10 seconds that was the best news I could of received, but then we got the rest...we are still set for deployment, we just do not know when and where yet, training will continue as planned and they will go as soon as they get orders, my first thought is that will mean they will go to Afghanistan, that is where we need troops right now, especially field artillery, infantry and support.  Right now Baghdad is relatively safe, but Afghanistan is still very much a war torn country with lots of stuff going on, scary!!! 
I think the hardest part for me is just not knowing, I can deal with most anything if I have the information, so when I could plan for October I was doing OK, not thrilled by any means but I understand this is his job, I understand he loves what he does, and I understand they are very well trained to do what they do.   I hate not being able to plan, having to just wait and see what happens, I guess the one plus to this is he is not one of those units that can be anywhere in the world in 48hrs, we will have a could months notice at least when the time comes, they have equipment that has to be shipped so it takes a little time, but all the same I wish I had more information to get prepared with, a year is a long time, and that is how long they deploy for now (better than the 15 to 18 mo is used to be I guess) so for now we are trying to make the most of all our time, continuing to live like deployment is just around the corner and doing all the things we were before.  An upcoming deployment makes you realize how very important family is and how precious time together is, rather than focusing on what will happen when he is not here we are trying hard to enjoy our time while he is.

summer so far

I have been working lots of crazy hours the last couple weeks with almost no time to do much of anything, but I did get some of the pictures of our summer so far loaded up so I could put on here.We went to our little zoo one afternoon, it is small but nice and we had a fun time

Levi turned 18 I cannot belieive how quick that went byThe three younger kids went to Utah to visit family and while they were there they took a trip to San Fransico with Grandma Bonnie and Uncle Robert, they had a ball, they took the train there and then saw all the sights.I got them home just in time for the fourth, our town puts on one of the biggest 4th celebrations I have ever seen with concerts, booths, art shows, car shows a petting zoo and so on, it was fun, then we came home and let the kids play with fireworks here before they headed out to the see the ones in townWe had a family day for Richards Company one afternoon, he got in and played volley ball I wartched and took pictures, it was fun.

I hope to take the kids on a couple little day trips and maybe a quick vacation before school, I cannot believe summer is almost over already!!!