Our weekend guest

This is what happens when you come for an overnight visit to the Kendrick house. You think you are going to relax, watch the NFL football playoffs, but instead three little people dogpile you and try to suffocate you with blankets. You can tell that Karen is traumatized.

Karen is one of our former App. State students when Justin was a campus minister.  It is amazing to think my goofy 20-year-old friend is now 26, has a 14-month old son, has been married for six years, 

has been deployed to Iraq with

 the army and her husband is now over in Afghanistan on his second deployment in their marriage.  She said they have been together for one wedding anniversary and have spent about two of their six years in the same living space.

Can you believe that?

We talked a lot about what being in the military has meant for her, and she says she knew when she got in that deployments were a part of life.  However, when the powers that be talk about sending her and her husband over to the Middle East at the same time...that just doesn't seem right.    But so far it hasn't happened, and she hopes it will stay that way.  They are "working with her", she says, half-laughing.

Jason (Karen's 14-month-old son) was in bed when we broke out the camera, which is a shame because he is a super-cutie.  He liked Justin more than me at first, and I was so mad because all of the babies like him.  Maybe they relate to his goofy grin and delight in having his mom feed him, I don't know.

Thanks for the visit, Karen! We're praying that your man stays safe overseas and comes back home to you soon.  And if you ever need some more quality time with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around your head by a seven-year-old, you know where we live.