It's been a long time...

It's been a long time since I've updated. We're not doing anything much different these days.
On Nov. 30, D and I went to a Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals hockey game in Raleigh. I was in full Capitals gear and a little afraid of the Canes fans. Luckily, most of them were very pleasant. I met an awesome family from Virginia Beach, VA who gave me a ticket to sit RIGHT BEHIND THE CAPITALS BENCH with them. It was almost more than I could handle! If not for the plexi-glass separating me from the team I think I would have hugged them all. To sit that close to Ovechkin...there are no words!! And now I have new friends who may move to NC in the near future. YEAH!!
P is doing well in school. She really likes her new teacher and enjoys going to school again. She's taken a break from horseback riding which is fine with me. I'm not a barn girl and it was getting a litte too intense. She's now taking piano lessons and really enjoys being able to play actual songs instead of just beating on the keys. Her best friend this year is S and she spends the night with us almost every weekend. P and S get along so well and have so much fun together. We love having her over and she's always welcome. We may even take her with us when we move :)
J is getting through this deployment day by day. They have moved to a new location that is a bit more remote. He hasn't had running water in about four weeks and he just got heat in his sleep tent on Christmas day. From what I understand things will get better. It just takes time. He'll have to depend on wet wipes for showers for a while. He's eating well and working out which is good. This is definitely the hardest deployment so far for both of us. I can't even describe how much I want him home and he wants to be home just as much. We're hoping that after this deployment we'll have a good year and a half together before he heads out again.
Thanksgiving was a lot of fun this year. We celebrated with our neighbors and a good time is a given when we hang out with them. L is one of the most awesome people I've ever met and her boys, N and A keep us laughing. They are fabulous "big brothers" to P.
Our Christmas was good this year. We traveled up north and I have to say, it was the most interesting trip I've ever had. Due to the weather it took P and I 21 hours to get to our desitination which is less than 10 hours away. We sat on the WV turnpike, literally not moving, for 7 hours.
While in our home state we were able to visit with a lot of friends and family but there were so many that we didn't get to see. I always come back home with some guilt for not being able to fit everyone in. P got everything she wanted and more. As did I. Next year will be even better when J is with us.
Our New Year's celebration took place in Raleigh at J's uncle's wedding. It was a beautiful little ceremony at his house with food, fun and hockey :) We left the crowds at his place around 10pm and went to Aunt J's house for a quieter New Year. Our fabulous friends D and D were with us and they can light up a room with their presence. Good times were had by all.
As far as the adoption goes, we're still waiting. Our profile is out there and getting good exposure. I'm pretty sure the deployment is hindering us but I try to think positive. When the right baby is out there, the birth mother will choose us.
In order to stay sane while waiting I got a job substitute teaching on post. I took on a position in a special ed inclusion class for 7 weeks replacing an aid who was out on maturnity leave. There were 5 kids in that class and I really enjoyed my time with them. Now I'm taking positions here and there in the different schools. Just today I subbed in an elementary Spanish class. I don't speak Spanish so it was very interesting. I'm shooting for 2-3 days per week.
So that's my update for now. Everyday I hope to get a call from the Agency. When I do, you'll be one of the first to know.
Happy New Year to all.