The L. Michael Kay Family: Deployment Day 44: My Crazy Kids! And Questions Answered

My children make me smile! They are so silly. Today was a good day. The last few days have been extra challenging so today was so refreshing. I am having trouble sleeping again. This morning I was exhausted but the chapel service today was so uplifting that after church I felt refreshed. We made stepping stones today. We formed them today and tomorrow we will paint them. We watched Star Wars, read Narnia, played piano together, and just acted silly.

Michael may kill me when he sees the pictures from today! His very first deployment my oldest son was almost 2. He carried around purses. I would send Michael pictures without realizing that all the pictures I sent to him he was carrying a purse. Well....now both of my boys are wearing my high heels! Aidan said that my high heels were very comfortable heels! Those boys were being hams tonight.

Alexis loves to cook and tonight I let her cook dinner. We were pretty full from our Thai lunch so it was more of a snack supper but it was GOOD! I am thankful for her desire to cook. What a blessing it is to watch her delight in something and then to be delighted in. She received lots of compliments on dinner tonight! It is a keeper for sure :)

So thankful for my precious children!
Angela

Below you will find my response to some questions I was asked recently. If you have any questions you would like to ask me please post a comment at the end of this post and I would love to answer them.

Questions from a friend:

For those of us who don't know, what truly helps a family during deployment?

I think this question is very personal. I cannot provide an answer that will work for each family. The only universal way to help a family during deployment is to pray for the family. All of the family members. Not just the soldier but the spouse and the children and the soldiers Mom and Dad. One thing that really helps our family is opportunities to just be together. Being a temporary single mom is hard. Keeping up with the kids, house, and healthy meals is a challenge. Offering to bring a meal once a month is such a blessing. A family adopted my family during our last deployment and they cooked us a meal once a month, offered childcare once a month, and wrote letters often or checked in with a phone call or email. The family also adopted Michael by sending care packages and remembered holidays and his birthday. Those are some tangible ways to help. Being available is such a blessing to a family during deployment.

How can your friends who are going about their "normal" life support you and actually make it "better"? This question makes me think of something that makes me sad. All too often my friends apologize for venting or sharing their problems or challenges with me because they feel like they have to downplay their issues because it does not compare. I certainly don't feel that way and am not thinking that their issues are less significant than mine and my heart is sad when I feel my friends pull back. My desire is to continue to be present. The presence of others is often more important during a deployment because it is a lonely place. For me personally I don't want to burden my friends so I don't always ask. I have learned to ask but it is still hard. I love when people just make themselves available because it is easier to ask. One thing that blesses me is when people send me a simple note that simply says they are thinking of me and praying for me. These words bring so much comfort.