Goldie Checked Off of the Boat

Woo hoo! On August 27th Goldie checked off of the boat and hopefully will never have to work on a boat again. I really shouldn't say that because God has a sense of humor. When Goldie got home that afternoon we all as a family danced a jig in the living room. We were all so excited! That actually might be an understatement. We have learned a lot over the last two years and have seen God's hand at work. However, it was a hard two years.

We knew this would be a hard tour but we had no idea just how difficult it would actually end up being. As I reflect on the last two years not everything is negative. However, things are always what you make of them and we try to approach things with a positive attitude. We have made some wonderful friends who helped pass the time more quickly. We found a great church where we are able to be involved. We have been able to share the good news of Jesus with several friends. God placed some wonderful mentors into our lives (again)! We have fabulous babysitters who the kids adore! Goldie and I have both stretched ourselves far beyond our comfort zones and seen growth in our own lives. We have two darling boys that we get to experience life from their point of view. I am fortunate enough that my parents are retired and my mom was able to come spend most of the time that Goldie was at sea with us.

So out of curiosity I figured up how much Goldie was home versus at sea during this tour. Trust me, there are other families that sacrifice so much more and I am not trying to get sympathy or praise. From July 6th, 2008 until July 28th, 2010 Goldie was gone 494 days (this included the almost 3 weeks at shooter school) and he was home 260 days. During the time that Goldie was home he had duty every 4th night (roughly 60 or so nights) and spent the day at work and then stayed the night on the boat and came home the next day after the work day. That roughly averages to 18 months gone and 6 months home.

God is good and faithful! We look forward to what He has in store for our future.