Feeling better and so much more!

Ivie has made a wonderful recovery over the weekend. Her cold symptoms have diminished to a runny nose and a very occasional, little cough. Elly seems to have just the similar cold that I did, and she's even doing better. I think her little body is still working hard at recovering (she's still not her sweet, little self) but seems to be improving a tad each day. I am definitely feeling better too, having just very mild cold symptoms! I guess the nice, relaxing weekend was something we all needed!
Since Ivie was feeling so much better, and since the doctor gave us the go ahead yesterday, she started preschool today. She was super excited when we got to her school, peeling her coat, hat and mittens off while I was still getting all her paperwork squared away. We walked into her class and she sat down and started drawing circles while waiting for the rest of the students to arrive. She came home with a couple of newsletters, more papers for me to sign and homework! We had fun doing her little bit of homework and I was telling myself I need to remember just how fun this first assignment was 5 years from now when she's got a backpack full of worksheets and spelling words and anything else that will fit. Maybe I should record these little assignments so I can remind Ivie as well!
My friend C's husband returned from Afghanistan yesterday. I am beyond excited for her and their daughters. He had been deployed for 12 months, but prior to that, he had spent a bit of time away finishing up schooling and training, so it really seems like he has been away for a lot longer. They are all in Kansas while he outprocesses and will be returning, together, to the Springs later this week. For me, it's so wonderful seeing their reunion shortly after Mike's departure because it reminds me of that wonderful, wonderful feeling of being together again. It's all part of the deployment cycle. We all take turns sending our husbands to war and reuniting with them. Growing individually in each others absence, and bringing all that new growth to a newly reunited family. Sure there are many struggles along the way, both during the deployment and reunion, but God is faithful and sees us through the struggles. He knows how this is all going to work out, and we just need to sit back (in a matter of speaking) and trust. I don't mean literally "sit back" of course, for their is much we must do (prayer, spiritual growth, spending time in the Word), but to "sit back" and trust God with the trust of a child; to know that He is with us every step of the way and we need to give it all to Him. That's the beautiful part of all this military/deployment craziness: GOD.
God is good! God heals, gives us strength, and is with us always.