Fond Fairwells

It's so odd to be finally leaving McChord.  There is no secret that we have wanted this move for awhile, but definitely not under these circumstances. I know that folks say that goodbyes are always bittersweet and I think I am finally understanding that.

I am a very different person that I was when I arrived here. We moved here with a beautiful little girl who wasn't even 2 years old yet. She sat in the back seat of our Toyota Camry surrounded by things that the movers didn't pack but we couldn't leave behind. I was a 22 year old married woman who was head over heels in love with my husband (still am:)  ) and we were expecting our second child.  We drove cross country on the longest route possible (Route 2) and did it on less than $350.00.  We left the east coast on the night of July 4th and arrived on McChord AFB on July 9th, 2003.

I sit here now with 3 beautiful daughters and the man of my dreams (still the same amazing husband) and it's almost 7 years later to the day.  I have changed so much but not in many of the ways I had wanted and thought I would. I thought I would have graduated college by now. I thought we would have 4 children and I wouldn't be as fat as I am. I thought my husband would have his Masters' Degree. I thought we would be "more successful" in the more obvious ways. But, I really believe we are successful in the more subtle ways.  Our marriage has survived 2 deployments, several pretty serious health scares for myself and our daughters.  We have endured the heartache of hearing that two of our daughters being diagnosed as "Autistic" and the months upon months which evolved into years upon years of therapy and testings.

Our eldest daughter is still our favorite puzzle. Roo is an absolutely beautiful girl. (I know I'm biased, but she is).  She's tall, thin, legs for days and piercing blue eyes.  She has a smile that melts your heart and a temper to rival, well.....mine.  We know what we believe to be her long term challenges along with her Autism. But she has this passion for reading and math that I love to see in her "impaired cognitive brain".  She is so compassionate and loving.  She is an amazing big sister. The protectiveness she shows for Maggie and Ella has brought them so close together and eases my fears for a strained relationship between them.  When she moved here, she wasn't even 2.  Now, we're moving back to North Carolina and she's 7 years old and in first grade. I can't imagine the future this amazing child has.

Our middle girl, was still a "unknown gender" when we moved here. I was just about 5 months pregnant with her when we arrived here. I'll never forget the drive and how swollen my legs got.  I'll never forget any of my pregnancy with her.  When we found out that we were having another girl, I was so nervous. I wanted to give Cory a son, but at the same time I was so happy that Riley would have a sister.  It took us forever to decide on a name for her. I knew what I wanted to name her, I knew she was my Maggie. I knew there was something different about her. I knew she was going to be special. She was due on November 28th, 2004. The one year anniversary of her grandfather's death. I thought that was remarkable. Our unexpected miracle was born on November 20th.  She was a mama's girl from the start.  Still in my heart, I knew she was special.  It was pretty apparent from the time she was 4 months old that she was special.  Time quickly showed that Maggie was special and we have been treating her specialness since she was 6 months old. She was diagnosed with Autism close to age 4.  She's my heart and soul. Don't get me wrong, I love all 3 of my girls, but with Maggie, it's different. Each smile, laugh, snuggle, means so much more because it took so much longer to see.  She's 5 now and doing amazingly well. Some days are still hard, but without question, Maggie is a beautifully remarkable girl.  Her mama's hazel eyes, her light brown hair and big smile. I think in alot of ways, Maggie is the heart of our family.


Our 3rd little girl was a HUGE surprise.  Not 6 months after Maggie was born, I was pregnant again.  Needless to say our birthcontrol didn't work, but now, I totally see God's hand in Ella's life.  Ella was a "pre-deployment" baby. She gave me the hardest time during the pregnancy, but has also brought so much into our lives.  During the normal baby ultrasounds the ultrasound techs and doctors thought Ella didn't have a "normally formed brain" or heart chambers. They did several follow up scans and then decided to encourage me to "terminate the pregnancy".  I refused and they brought home Cory from his deployment to encourage me to terminate the pregnancy. Of course we didn't and Ella is our most "normal" child.  "Normal" in the sense of development. But she's just a riot.  I really think Ella will end up on Saturday Night Live or something. She's hilarious.  Ella was also a Mama's girl from the start. She still is.  She has these dark chocolate eyes and tan complexion that will make her a stunningly gorgeous girl as she grows up. Ella wasn't even in the picture when we moved here and now, she's 4 years old. She's a hilariously funny little girl.

Being here, has brought amazingly gifted therapists into our lives. They have helped our daughters become wonderfully talkative, caring, thriving girls.  We have been amazingly blessed to have the doctors, therapists, care givers and friends in our lives. They have been angels to us. And they will NEVER be forgotten.

I have also been given the fortunate experience of meeting some amazing women while we've been here. Some have left, some are still here. One of those amazing women helped me through some very difficult times during our last deployment.  She truly saved me.  Another I met when she moved in next door and at first, she came across as a more "rough edged" chick. But once I got to know her and her family, I realized that the "rough edge" was part of what I admire about her.  She's not afraid to be herself and doesn't give a flying fart in space what anyone thinks about it.  I really admire that. She's raising 4 amazing kids, dealt with alot of drama, stress and frustrations during her time here at McChord. I'm going to miss our chit chats and laughs. We've grown to be good friends and I know that distance isn't going to change that. She loves to change and I'm sure we'll be stationed near each other again. (And if she has her way, it'll be some place like Wyoming or the Dakota's) 

Another person I'm going to really miss is someone that I have a freakishly common life with.  Our daughters are best friends and she and I have shared some interesting experiences together. She is so passionate about some things and I wish I had that level of dedication to things. She saw that she needed to make some changes and did. She committed to things and kept them. She's not much older than me, but I hope I grow up to be just like her.

I think the person I'm going to miss the most is my dear red head. She's embarking on a new journey herself so I'm not sure if or when we're going to see each other after I leave McChord. I know that I'll be keeping tabs on her and her family. I want to see her achieve the things she's been working so hard for. I want to see her dreams come true and her eyes well up with tears of joy instead of sadness.  I want her to see herself the way that she imagines her life to be. I know these things will happen for her because she is so dedicated to making the effort to achieve her dreams and that no matter what, she won't give up. She knows that she has friends that love her and a man that would walk the earth to make her happy.  She has supported me through some challenging times, I've supported her. I think our friendship is one that will endure distance and that we'll be experiencing.  I hope to also be there when her dreams finally come true and share in her joy.

I love these women so much.  They have each brought so much into our lives and words can't express how much I'm going to miss sharing the base with them. I'll miss seeing their cars on base, smiles through windows as we pass each other on the road. I'll miss seeing beautiful smiles at the school or on walks. I'll miss seeing their dogs running around and their husbands smiles when they are with their wives. I'll miss seeing everything with them. I know we have the internet and facebook and cell phones. But, I also know that nothing can or will replace the love and appreciation I have for their friendships. I hope they know how much they mean to me. They are truly remarkable women and I am better for having known them.

I hope too, that they know that I will ALWAYS be here for them and their families. Without question, they can count on me and I know that I can count on them for support and love.

So with that being said, good bye McChord and see you later to my amazing friends.