Here and now

I can't believe it's been more than a MONTH since I last blogged. Time has just flown by the past several weeks. We have been thanking God for the opportunity that we had to be together in Virginia Beach. We look back on the memories and are so grateful for every moment, what a blessing it was indeed! I have so many memories to blog about from our last few weeks in Virginia Beach, but I'll write about what's going on right now in our lives. 

Caleb left early this morning for a one month training exercise in the mountains. The Gowan girls are already feeling his absence so much. When he gets back, he will have four days with us before he goes for another week for training. Although he's gone for a little over a month, this is the start of him leaving in and out for training purposes until he leaves on his next deployment. We have been told that a MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) deployment is probably one of the hardest for the family because all the training that leads up to it is basically like a deployment in and of itself. Because we have heard so many negatives about it, we are praying that we can beat the odds and grow closer despite the distance...and with God anything is possible! 

It is definitely harder not having an extra set of hands to help out with Sophie at night...and at the stage she's at, every bit of help, HELPS! She is discovering the world with a force, and always wants what she can't or shouldn't have. Discipline will be in tow in the near future! =) 

Before Caleb left, we heard that the reception service is terrible up in the mountains, so he told me that I shouldn't really expect to be in communication with him, but he's been able to text and even send me a picture of the scenery, and will be calling in 10 minutes! God is good indeed, and my prayer is that I will continue to seek Him and draw closer to Him through these times and show the abundant love that He gives me to our precious Sophie. 

Picture he sent me of his view when they got there...

This was my view tonight that I sent him! 

And Sophie basically sums up how we feel about 'dada' being gone!

And if you can, please also be thinking and praying for my sister, her husband, and their baby as he will be deployed very soon...for God to make time go slower until he leaves so that they can also soak up as much family time as possible!

XOXO