Daddy's TDY trip to Afghanistan

We arrived home from all of our travels on Monday night January 4th and Bill was leaving for his TDY (temporary duty) trip to Afghanistan very early Friday morning. As some of you know, we were supposed to go right from Las Vegas to Orlando for a week at Disney World. Bill was supposed to run the marathon there January 10th. When the word initially came down that the key leaders' PDSS trip (pre-deployment site survey) would likely begin on the 8th, we were disappointed. What was the best course of action? Still go to Disney? We would have had 3 days before Bill would have had to leave. Cancel all together and tell Drew that not only was Daddy going to Afghanistan but we also weren't going to see Mickey? We initially thought we would go and Bill would just leave early but then came a tentative plan for the PDSS that had them leaving on the 3rd. Playing the "What if" game with this new set of possible circumstances we determined that it was best to just cancel on Disney World for January. It's not much of a family vacation when 1/3 of the family is going to miss half of the trip. Instead, we decided that we'll plan to go to Disneyland (drivable and more flexible) in the block leave period just a couple of weeks before he deploys at the end of March.

Fortunately we had booked our hotel through a military-related website, so all they required to cancel without penalty was a copy of the deployment orders. With US Airways, we hoped we would get a refund of Bill's ticket and credit for Drew's and mine. We called to cancel and submitted a refund request electronically with a request to call us so we could fax in the deployment orders. Just a few days later we received three separate credits in the amount of our airline tickets from US Airways...no questions asked. No copy of the deployment orders necessary. No nothing. Just our money back without even the tiniest of hassles. We were very grateful for that.

The night after we returned from Vegas Bill and I gave Drew his Daddy Doll and explained to him that Daddy had to go work somewhere else, something we've told him before when Daddy has had field training exercises. We showed him on the globe where Afghanistan was and explained how many airplanes Daddy would have to take to get there. Drew seemed to understand (as much as a 4 year old can) and he took the Daddy Doll right to bed with him and it has hardly left his side since. Here he is the next morning.

Daddy and Drew the night before Daddy had to get up VERY early to start his journey to Kuwait and ultimately Afghanistan.

While Daddy was away we kept busy with lots of Mommy and Drew time, and playing with our friends.

Here's Drew at the park waiting for our friends to arrive.

Drew helping Mommy make cookies

Drew enjoying a blizzard at an afternoon "Sundae Monday" playdate

Drew watering our new herb garden that he helped Daddy plant while I was at a meeting. He waters it every morning and is very proud of how well he's taking care of the "green things" that are starting to grow.

Sliding on the playground before our FRG meeting

Opening a new Trio building set that I decided to reward him with for his extraordinarily good behavior (Also, I was growing a little bored of building the same thing over and over with the one Trio set Drew got for Christmas so I thought I'd add a little extra to our building creations).

Drew painting a ceramic football at a friend's birthday party

Thanks to our friend Steve, Drew had a sleepover with his friend Danny and I was able to get out for a night with my friends too.

Kimmi & me

Drew was a complete angel while Bill was away. He talked about missing Daddy and giving him lots of hugs and kisses when he got home and we wrote him emails. He only had one "I Want My Daddy" meltdown, which broke my heart (Mama shed some tears too) but that also sort of relieved me because I don't want him to feel like he's got to hold his emotions in.

We resolved the tears with some extra snuggling, shooting Daddy an email, a quick read of "My Daddy is a Soldier," and putting Drew's Army PT shirt on over his pajamas. Before my last kiss to him that night I snapped this quick picture with my phone. It has quickly become one of my favorite pictures of Drew EVER.

Bill safely returned from Afghanistan earlier this week with plenty of pictures of his travels to show us. Overall, we're pretty pleased with the facilities at the FOB (forward operating base) he is headed to (will try to share some pictures in a later post). We are hopeful that the WiFi network on the FOB will provide a strong signal to Bill's living area so that we will be able to webcam with Daddy in his room.

Drew was thrilled with Daddy's return but had plenty of questions about where he'd been and why he had to go there. So, we decided it was best to bring up the full year deployment with him now. He seemed to take this information in stride, but we recognize he doesn't really understand what "Daddy's going to be gone for a whole year" means. At least now we have opened the dialogue with him and we expect it will be an ongoing conversation over the next few months.

Here's a couple pictures of Bill and Drew since he's been back.

Sleeping soundly after Daddy was able to read him stories for the first time in a week and a half. Definitely have to get some story-reading on video before Bill leaves in March.

Our Return Trip Stops...

Since our stop in Williams on the way to Vegas didn't permit a trip to the Grand Canyon (darn snow), we decided to give it another try on the way back. The remnants of the winter storm we experienced were still evident, with plenty of snow and a fair amount of icy walkways too. Because of that, we didn't stay long, but we did go.

After our visit to the Grand Canyon we stayed overnight at a hotel in Flagstaff. The next morning, we ventured off to our final stop on this 2 week roadtrip of ours: Winslow, Arizona. Eagles fans will recognize it as THE Winslow, Arizona of "Take It Easy" fame. There wasn't much happening in Winslow and we drove about 2 hours roundtrip out of our way for what was less than a half hour visit to the Standin' On the Corner statue and surrounding area. But Bill and I determined we couldn't live in the same state as Winslow and NOT go see the famous corner.

Drew & Daddy standin' on the corner

Drew & Daddy in front of the "flat bed Ford" (decorated for Christmas and all)

Mommy and Drew standin' on the corner

Photo Review of Christmas and New Year's

Where has the time gone? Middle of January and I still haven't put up the pictures from our Christmas trip to Las Vegas. As always, I've posted entirely too many pictures, but what can I say...our kid is cute.

Family pic before Christmas Eve mass

After mass, Bill prepared a seafood feast for us (a Cherkauskas family tradition on Christmas Eve) that was DELICIOUS. Then we had just enough time before bed to...

Decorate gingerbread cookies for Santa

Open just one present (new Christmas PJs)

And cuddle up to read the Polar Express.

My parents' Christmas tree shining bright on Christmas Eve

Drew showing off a new fire truck (that came with a fire station too!) from Santa

Drew with Aunt Katie & Uncle Johnny yelling "SANTA!" on Christmas morning

Drew carefully placing napkins at the breakfast table on Christmas morning.

Family shot Christmas morning

After presents were opened Drew set about playing with each and every one of them right away. Here he is flying his new Trio building set helicopter around the living room.

The morning after Christmas we went to lunch at "The Top of the World" restaurant at the top of the Stratosphere hotel (or, as Drew refers to it the very tall building with towers). Here's Drew with the view from our lunch table.

Family shot at the indoor observation deck

John, Mom, and Katie at the indoor observation deck

Sibling shot at the outdoor observation deck, which was (if it's not obvious) quite chilly and windy

Drew with Grandma and Grandpa at the top of the Stratosphere

That same night Bill and I had a date night down on the Strip, enjoying a wonderful dinner at the Monte Carlo's steakhouse, a little dueling piano bar at New York New York, and then the Zumanity Cirque du Soleil show. Thanks to the grandparents, Katie, and John for keeping Drew entertained.

One of Drew's presents from us was a 540 piece globe puzzle. We spent the better part of one morning putting this together, as I sorted the thankfully numbered pieces and Bill put them together. Here's Drew with a 2/3 completed globe on his head.

What's one difference between Christmas in Vegas and Christmas in Northern New York? That it's warm enough to go outside and play with BUBBLES! Grandma and Grandpa gave Drew this bubble gun that entertained him for a good half hour one brisk morning.

We brought our Nintendo Wii with us and had some regular Calnon Rock Band concerts. Here's Drew rocking out on the drums.

To fill an otherwise empty afternoon, Bill, John and I brought Drew down to the Circus Circus Adventuredome.

Here's Drew on an airplane ride

Drew & Dad on a ride I never would have taken him on, but Daddy is far more adventurous than I am.

Drew & Dad on their first of three trips to the Bumper Cars

Family pic inside the Bellagio Conservatory

Grandma, Grandpa, Drew and a polar bear made of carnations in the conservatory

Drew & Uncle Johnny watching a little TV in their nearly matching shirts

After a breakfast buffet at the Santa Fe (closest casino to my parents' house) we decided to check out the hotel's bowling alley.

My mother hadn't bowled since the 70s (so she claimed) yet stepped up and hit a strike in her first frame. Here's Drew congratulating her. It was all down hill from there, so we're pretty sure she was telling the truth.

Uncle Johnny helps Drew count the number of pins he knocked down

Katie celebrating a spare on her last frame

Stellar bowlers we are not...

Grandma, Grandpa and Drew before New Year's Eve dinner

Family pic

Drew trying to get away from the picture with Aunt Katie and Uncle Johnny

Aunt Katie and Drew at NYE dinner

We had a great trip and a wonderful time with my family. In the middle of New Year's Eve dinner it hit me that Bill will be missing all of this next year, and while it produced some tears at the moment, it also just made me treasure each memory of this year's holidays that much more.