Written 11/4/2020
We have settled into a kind of routine here in Enid without Josh. Mostly it is me just trying to keep up with the kids' activities, but there are moments to be cherished. We talk to Josh twice a day. He and I catch up in my morning, his early evening, and he talks to the kids before they go to bed and before he starts his new day. Thank goodness for FaceTime. The kids don't act like they are pining for Josh, but they certainly look forward to their nightly calls with him. I like to listen, like a fly on the wall, to hear what daily news they find is important to share. The kids also send Josh weekly emails which he responds to. I keep them in a Word file so that we will have a record of their correspondence during this time of distance.
We were so lucky to have Grandma Gayle come and stay with us for a few weeks in October. She helped around the house as I ran the kids to and fro. We also played together as I love to find outings. We always enjoy her company!
Halloween Shinanigans!
Josh is the Director of Operations of Camp Simba. A big part of his job is overseeing the transfer of military members as they begin or end their deployments. This can be complicated at times as flights get delayed due to COVID positive tests. He spends a lot of time coordinating with the MajCom in Germany. Josh can explain his duties better so here are his own words:
"As the Director of Operations I am over all things base support. My main daily responsibilities are to track the movement of people when they deploy to our base and then when they leave back to home station. That is a very big task about once every four to six weeks. I also report the progress of construction project to the wing. I will help facilitate tasks that the wing or group might ask us to accomplish such as getting the entire camp flu shots or setting up a special Thanksgiving meal of the base leadership and the Kenya military leaders. I help the commander review policies and other strategies for the management of the base. I do not take part in any discipline because of the conflict with my mental health role but I will talk about different options and be a sounding board for the commander and the enlisted leadership. I am engaged in discussions and activities that I never would have been in at my home station and that has been a great blessing."
He is also the unofficial photographer of base. The base commander has asked Josh to take pictures of the squadrons in action so this means that he will often accompany them on exercises around and just off base. Some of his pictures have been featured in Air Force publications. He is so happy that he chose to bring his camera along!
Featured photo taken by Josh
While Josh was photographing this exercise, they let him try his hand at shooting the machine gun
In many ways, we are thriving here in Enid. I have plenty to do, and while my days feel very long, the weeks seem short. The kids are thriving in school and in their activities- Bear in ballet, jazz, modern dance, and cello, Bub on swim team and guitar, and Pants in gymnastics and piano. I try really hard not to dwell on the time that Josh has been gone and how much longer he has (he is likely to be delayed due to COVID complications.) Josh is busy with his work on base and he is learning things about the administration of the Air Force that he likely would not know otherwise. He is participating in field exercises due to his photography. I am sure we will look back on this time and notice some blessings. And the days roll along....
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