Filed under: family news
Just thought some of you might like to see some of the latest pictures of the children. .
Elijah talking on the phone to Daddy
Sweetest smile in Charleston!
Caskey Family latest addition – a perfectly-timed blessing from the Lord due to arrive November 15 2008
Jeremy (and his group, I think) is being moved to an undisclosed location tonight. . .but we have talked every day for the last four days, so I feel relieved to know that things have gone very smoothly so far. This is actually happening! I can’t believe it, and I am actually very proud of my military man and all that he is doing. We love Skype and have used it every day so far. I’m so thankful for technology.
We are still reeling from the goodbye in many ways. The children are doing well, and my spirits are up, simply because of the Lord and HIS great mercy and care for us. I want to get on and really blog with some pictures and video, but it is 10PM and I’m so beat. My sister Naomi will come to spend several days helping me next week, so perhaps I will get some time then. By the time I get to blogging it is late and I have so little emotional energy. I am just so grateful though that I have been able to keep up with my bible study (only two weeks left of teaching!) and that the children are eating a fairly balanced diet and we get outside for fresh air as much as we can. My goal is to survive. We will get to having fun soon, I know that. Right now with bad colds and being sad from Daddy leaving, we just hang on because we know it only gets easier.
Both children love their “Daddy ball” as they call it. . . a ball with photo frames built into four sides and a battery compartment and speaker on two other sides. I put in pictures of them with Jeremy and he recorded four different messages to each of them into their respective balls. It is so cute to hear Elijah ask “where my daddy ball, mamma?” at different times during the day. Mimi finds hers and hugs it and says “dada” and “bye-bye” when she listens to it. Elijah usually coaches her on how to play it. . .so cute! We got these things at Brookstones and they are perfect gifts – I couldn’t find anything as good as this anywhere. Worth the $15 each investment already in just four days.
Thank you to each of you who pray for us regularly. . . God has obviously heard! Please keep praying! We still need it!
TSgt Jeremy Caskey
Combat Camera
MNC-I (Carty) G-1
APO, AE 09342-1400
Although Jeremy would love care packages, notes and letters will mean so much to him (they did when he was away at training – thank you to those of you who wrote him!) He will most likely be able to get all his basic necessities, so sending him fun stuff (baby wipes, gum, soap, etc. would be passed on to other military members who have greater need of them if he got them), or letters would probably be the best during the first half of his assignment (he doesn’t have his assignment for the second half of the deployment)
When/if care packages are sent, we have been advised to avoid sending the following items:
- NO Pork
- NO Chocolate (it will melt)
- NO Tobacco
- NO Raw Fruit or Uncooked meat
- NO homemade cookies (I despise this one!!! Supposedly they don’t get past the inspection)
- NO religious material IN BULK (please send for his personal use – not extras for him to give away)
- NO glass or glass bottles
- NO weapons of any kind
Maybe I’m stating the obvious, but you don’t have to pay international shipping for these packages or letters, because they are only sent to a processing location here in the US by the USPS, then taken overseas by military means. So if you send a letter or card, just put one regular stamp on it and stick it in your mailbox. Thank you all ahead of time for your encouragement of Jeremy! You can begin sending things today, as they take 2-4 weeks usually to get to their destination. We will have to stop sending things after he’s been there 5 months (Lord-willing!)
Filed under: family news
This afternoon we said goodbye to Jeremy as he started his journey to his 6-month deployment. Elijah was very cute, telling Jeremy that he “can’t go on the airplane.” When he decided that wasn’t working, he insisted on going with him, saying when we told him that Daddy had to go by himself, “I HAAAVE to go!”
God was very merciful to us to give us about ten days together between training and his deployment. It helps us to know that Daddy will be coming back (he did after being gone over a month) and that we can handle it with God’s help. I think the children do understand that he will return. The time went slowly and sweetly. We enjoyed some fun things together, and as you all have noticed, we stayed quietly to ourselves for the most part. I even fasted from blogging. . .can you believe it?!
More news on our family later – I will try to catch up on what I have missed documenting in the last month and a half of my blog-neglect!
Today, Psalm 84 and 86 have been great comforts to me – the Lord truly is merciful, good, and He gives peace and strength!
The Caskey Family 