Halloween Has Been Shipped .. all the way to Afghanistan

Deployments suck. They just do. There is no if, ands, or buts about it! They're ridiculously hard. They stress your relationship, they can drive anyone to drink, and they are notorious for sending a perfectly sane person crazy waiting for a skype date, a phone call, an email ..hell, a postcard. I'm not going to say there is an "upside" to deployment .. because I really can't think of one. Let's be real, he's fighting in a war zone and I'm sitting in my apartment having petty arguments with a roommate and blogging my life away (and this is just the randomness that has been done tonight!). I mean really though, how is this fair?! He should be here!

When he's gone, I do everything possible to make sure he knows how much I care, that I'm still here for him, that I love him, that I'm not going anywhere! I send care-packages galore. I send letters and emails and cards. Literally, I send him the world in a box or envelope. And even though I'm not really girly, I send a lot of girly gifts like Hello Kitty coloring books and pink cookies - you know, just so for that one moment when he opens it, I know he's thinking about me! I mean, I'm pretty positive he thinks about me a lot. We are getting married sooner or later and he calls and emails whenever he can. Its just nice to KNOW know. Ya know?!

Care-packages are seriously the funnest things to make - that is if you can put out of your head for a minute or two that it's going to Afghanistan! I'm pretty much a pro by now at putting his where-abouts in the back of my mind. Any.way. with Halloween right around the corner, what better way to say "Happy Halloween" than a wonderfully decorated care-package. Right?!

What's in it you ask?!

• (2) Halloween boxes with protein bars and cutesy Halloween cups and hot chocolate
• One for him ... One for his friend of course!
• LOTS of Halloween bags. You know, for his friends! (:
• What's in them?!
• Milk Duds - Danny likes them. And even if they melt, they'll melt together. No harm, no fowl.
• M&Ms - the hard shell protects them from melting too much.
• Tootsie Rolls.
• KitKats - yeah, these might melt. But Danny LOVES them! ..oh well. haha.
• Chocolate is a pretty tricky thing to send overseas because it tends to melt. I've always heard the rule that you should only send it between October and March ..but I still worry! :/ 
• Rule of Thumb: just be aware of what you're sending, where its going, etc!
• Cookies! Snickerdoodle of course! Isn't that some kind of fall-like cookie?! I mean it has cinnamon. 
• Danny isn't too big on sweets, but he says when he's overseas, he loves to have something sweet - like a little taste of home. I guess you never miss what's always around you.
• Letters. Letters. and more letters!
• Kissed and sprayed with perfume of course! ;)
• "Care cards" - a card for an emotion he may be feeling and inside each one there is a quote or message or something to make him feel better!
• PICTURES!
• I always send pictures in these boxes. I know its hard being away so I want him to feel like he's still here .. for everything! Because I know he would be if he could!
• Halloween decorations.





• Literally, deployed military men (women too) turn into 12 year old boys! (For his birthday, I sent a Nerf gun..oh dear Lord, the stories I've heard! smh.) I can already picture the pranks that will be pulled with the fake spiders, rats, etc.

Here's the boxes ..

In the making ..

And after .. 

With cards on top ?! of course! (:

*of course I also added captions to most of the pictures! like ..

"Look Uncle! I'm standing now!!"

"This is me, missing you!"

"I love you .. even more than I love Luke"

"Downtown - wish you were here!"

...I think y'all get it! I'm a big sappy, cheeseball! But only when it comes to him! ;)

until next time - stay safe, stay strong, keep your head up and keep pressing on

-V-