Deployment

There aren't a lot of things to say about the weekend Lyle was deployed. It was sweet to see him one more time before such a long separation. It was sad too. So sad. It was a proud moment, watching him in this army role-- one I have never been a part of before. A lot of strong emotions.

And since a picture is "worth a thousand words"...


First, we were at the family event pre-ceremony. Lots of vendors and activities for kids-- this was a fun part :)

The ceremony...

Picture time before lunch...

Walking over to the lunch area....

Heading to the buses and the final goodbyes...

This boy has the sweetest heart. This was a very hard day for him.

Barely holding in the tears.

Waving goodbye...

Mom had a very hard day too. We all did.

Photo credit goes to Courtney for this shot. One of my favorites from the day.

We are counting down the days until Lyle comes home. Leaving for a lengthy deployment would be hard at any time, but 2016 was a difficult year for Lyle and the kids, and for the rest of our family. One day I may share some of those things from the last year, but not quite yet. I am fiercely proud of Lyle. He was a good  man before the trials of the last year-- and he is a great man now. He stood up under the pressure and was refined in fire over the last months. It was not easy, but he has shown more character and integrity than I would ever be capable of.

I love him more than I can say. Can't wait until he is home and I can't wait to see what God has planned for him and his kids in the coming years.