The Last 8 Weeks - Chris

So, one of the things I loved most about Chris in April and May was that HE WAS AROUND!!  It was fabulous to get to actually see my husband (sometimes coherent) and have him engaged with the family and all our activities and craziness.  He took me on a couple of lunch dates, we read a little bit of our book, and we also enjoyed just chillin' on the couch watching Once Upon A Time while folding laundry or laughing at Psych with smoothies or a huge bowl of cereal!  Oh yeah, when Chris came to the couch with that bowl of cereal I had to get a picture.  Love it.

Here's a picture of Chris with a mother duck and her ducklings we found waddling around Universal Studios (more on that later).  I so love hanging out with that man.

As you can see, the girls also love hanging out with him, whether hiding in the pillows or wrestling, everybody's got to be near Dad when he comes home.

Chris also made a huge effort to attend as many of the end of the year activities for the girls as he could.  It meant so much to Analise and Aly when Chris came to their plays, field days, and Evening of the Arts. 

I also love Chris' playfullness and that he will actually play with our children.  Here's the lego tower he made as tall as himself.  The other girls had made towers as tall as them, but obviously his took the cake.

Since Chris was going to be gone over Father's Day, we celebrated early.  We surprised him with a bunch of Nerf Guns so we could have an all out war!  It was awesome - everybody against everybody with Kylie just running around like a mad woman squealing.  So, so much fun - we were finding darts for days afterward.  We'll definitely need to have repeat when Daddy gets home.

And probably the biggest event for Chris over the past two months (and probably year) was his Change of Command ceremony.  Being a Company Commander was a lot of work, but it was good to see Chris enjoying what he was doing - totally in his element.  He was always looking out for his soldiers, regardless of politics or personal sacrifice.  He referred to this time as his most enjoyable in the Army thus far, and I know he served well.

This is a picture of all the Commanders of Charlie Company in succession from Right to Left.  The guy on the far right is Chris' current Battalion Commander, which is kind of neat.  Chris will be working with all of these guys (except maybe the guy 2nd from the right) as the S3 in his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.  It's good to know that Chris will be working with a good group of guys and I know his personal strengths will benefit the Battalion greatly as well.

So, recently Chris shared with me one of his favorite quotes from Tolkien:

War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory.  I love only that which they defend.

I absolutely love this quote because it encompasses so well who Chris is and what he stands for.  It reminds me of the scripture found in Alma 60:36, "I seek not for power, but to pull it down.  I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, an the freedom and welfare of my country."   I love Chris for who he is and what he stands for.  I love that I can support someone who will give of himself so selflessly and wholeheartedly to a cause worth fighting for: our freedoms, our families, and the privilege of worshiping the almight God.  Yes, I am married to my own personal Captain Moroni.