Hi Dawnct1,
I am on the other side of deployment by 2 months. Hubby left out of here in July 2004 and just returned home Christmas Eve 2005. Yup, a whopping 18 months uncle sam had him. Our daughter who was 9 at the time he left was not too happy, pretty sick over the thought of him going actually. He was stationed at an air base about 70 miles north of Bagdad. But he is here now and we are adjusting, just like we had to adjust when he left.
I don't let him forget I was here during 30 snowstorms, by myself, shoveling them all. He is Army Nat'l guard and was ready to retire, he is really ready to retire now,,,,, me too.
Hang in there. My hubby was not one to pick up the phone here, but some how he figured out what one was once he was away from us. He managed to call from the UK while waiting for a flight and called the day after they got to Bagdad. Not to shabby for a guy who would never call to say he was working late etc. He would even stand in line for 2 hours to wait to use the phone for all of his 15 minutes they would allow him!
Anyway, now that he is back, it seems as though he never left, yup, dirty socks on the floor, Sunday paper scattered from one end of the room to the other.
My guy would be the one also asking "what holiday with a tree"
Keep positive, don't listen to the news, and do your own thing and stay busy, the time will go before you know it.
extra pixie dust
tink