Preparations

He will be gone soon. "Down Range" as they call it. So we in addition to making every moment this Christmas count, we have been preparing. Buying odds and ends: sleeping bags, toiletries, new running shoes. Asking parents for care packages that contain items we couldn't find like reading lights and electric blankets (apparently it is really cold in Afghanistan). Then packing all these things into two standard issue green duffle bags. Checking and double checking (and then The Man triple checking and quadruple checking cause well, that is what he does). Making lists of things for me to remember, and then him putting them on my iCal (he even put "feed cat and dog" on there everyday until he gets back). We took care of bills to be paid, figured out the budget, found his will (just in case), and got all the recycling organized so I can take it to the dump.

Then soon, he will go. Until then, we are enjoying every single moment together as a family.