I know it has been a while, but I am still here. Ritzy and I are still in Wisconsin visiting family. He and a sister and their Dad are at the hospital right now because his father has to have an ateriogram this morning. It will tell the doctors which action or choices are available for "dad's" foot or leg. The foot doesn't look very good and is causing Dad a LOT of pain. I just hope they come up with a solution fast!!!!
This test starts at 10, although he had to be there at 8am and will take 8 hours counting recovery time. Ritzy drove the truck so he could leave if he wanted. During Dad's recovery time (4-6 hours) there isn't much Ritzy can do, so he may be back here at the house.
I am staying with "Mom".......not much to do except wait......
I told dad last nite to tell those doctors if they didn't do something fast ---- "heads were gonna roll" ;-)
It is going to be hard for Ritzy to leave for home in a couple of days. Not sure if we will know by then what is going to take place with Dad's health. Oh well, we have decided that if we are needed that we will just head back to Wisconsin. That's about all we can do at the moment.
The kids are holding down the homefront, anyways that's what they tell me, hahaha. I hear from at least one of them every day.
Well, Ritzywife is gonna have another cup of coffee and try to wait patiently on news from Ritzy. Out for now........

Yeah, I know it has been a while. Ritzy and I are still in Wisconsin enjoying our visit with his family.
The visit has taken some unexpected turns and kept Ritzy busy, but he is enjoying being able to help his parents. Also, I am so glad we are here to help out.
We all (brothers & sisters) met the other night and had dinner. This is the first time in 24 years that Ritzy and ALL of his brothers and sisters have been together. That's kind of sad, but you know everyone gets their own schedule and life and it's hard sometimes to get together. I will just say we had a wonderful time catching up while enjoying a wonderful dinner.
I guess we have another week to stay here before we head back to Oklahoma. It is supposed to "cool off" tomorrow. In Wisconsin terms its gonna be kind of cold when factoring in the wind chill.........I think the wind is only supposed to be blowing 40 mph ;-)
I haven't been doing much, just helping out when I can and cooking which I love to do.
Sure hope them kids are keeping the homefront going........they better be!!!!!!!!!
I sit here looking out the dining room and the leaves sure have been falling. This time of year always makes me a little sad. I love to see everything in full bloom and all leafed out. Although Fall is a very pretty season, it still reminds us that Winter is not far behind.
Ritzywife is going to have another cup of coffee and think about what the day holds...Out for now....

I am sitting in my husband's parent's dining room right now. Which means that Ritzy and I made it to Wisconsin. YEA!!!!!!! It was a long trip, but a good one. The traffic wasn't too bad and we had great traveling weather. I found out that Ritzy's youngest sister from Tennessee is going to be here this week. That is great news since it has been 25 years since we last saw her. Her timing and ours could never work out. Not this time, tho. Looking forward to the visit...
I am so happy to be with Ritzy and his family. We do not get to see them often so we are going to have a wonderful time this year.
The leaves are falling off the trees, which always makes me a little sad. I don't like the bare trees and everything that goes with cooler weather. I love the cool part, tho......Guess I better make up my mind, huh???? ;-)
Time to take a deep breath and start relaxing.......Ritzy is home to stay, we had a safe trip and we are up here getting ready to have a wonderful visit, & our home is in the capable hands of our grown kids.......
Ritzywife is about ready to start a much deserved vacation. ;-)
Catch up with you later........

Ritzy and I had to get up way too early this morning so he could get the last of his paperwork turned in to his unit. After that was finished, we set out for Wisconsin. We are now somewhere east of Des Moines, Iowa. It has been a long day and we have about another 6 hours of driving before we reach our destination tomorrow.
It has been fun so far. We kid each other, talk, and of course the one not driving tries to take a nap. I sit here writing this and Ritzy has crawled into one of the beds in our hotel room. I am pretty tired too, but it is a "good" tired. Since Ritzy has been back I have slept all the way thru the night. That is something I have not done for a long time. It feels wonderful to get uninterruped sleep.
We have left our home in the capable hands of our kids. Let's just say, I told them what I expected out of them while we were gone and they know that Mom means business ;-)
I better get off here and get some rest. Tomorrow will be here before I know it.
Ritzywife is out for now.

I have waited a long time to be able to post this message. Ritzy returned home last nite. The family was all there to welcome him. After a few miutes everyone left. It was hard to believe it but he was finally home. I kept trying to tell myself this was not a dream but it was really happening. We had some running around to do today and it sure was a whole lot more fun doing it with Ritzy than having to do all that running by myself.

Looks like we got to hang around here for a couple of days before we can start that trip to Wisconsin.

Our church is having a party for him tonight. That ought to be fun. After all the running was finished and we returned home, he has been outside the rest of the time piddling, and just doing what he wants.

It will be time for him to come in to get ready for church soon. I already told both kids if they want anything to eat tonite they had better come to the church, or they were on their own for supper ;-)

How else can I say it except to say that :"Ritzywife is happy and so thankful to have Ritzy back home!!!!!"

Yes, that's how long it will be before I get to lay my eyes on Ritzy after not seeing him since January 2nd. I am anxious, nervous, excited, etc......
Anxious and excited to see Ritzy, and nervous about the drive, hoping I will find the place without any problems.
Even tho it will be late when we return home, the family will be in the yard with the welcome home banner, flags, signs, lights, & fireworks.....
They are anxious to see Ritzy too, expecially that great-nephew. He has really missed his buddy (ritzy).
I was afraid it was going to be raining, but it looks like the rain is staying in western Oklahoma today. Thank you Lord!!!!!!
I am just about ready to leave and begin my trip to Ok City. It takes about 3 hours. I still have to stop and fill the truck up with gas, and wash it. Last nite while talking to Ritzy, I asked if he could still drive after little or no driving this past year, and he said he guessed he could. I told him that I would take the chance and let him drive that new truck home if he wanted. We'll see how that goes later.
Mom just called and asked if I wanted to use the GPS , she is bringing it down here so I can see if I want it or not.
Ritzywife is outta here for now on her way to pick up Ritzy who she has missed dearly during this deployment.

This morning my cell phone rang, I looked at the number and saw that it was a number that I was not familiar with, so I thought....... YES!!!!!!!
It was Ritzy. He was telling me that the phones were down and that he could not call. He was calling on a DSN phone. He was also able to confirm when he would be leaving for Oklahoma....
After waiting all these months I will finally get to see Ritzy next Tuesday.
This is going to be the longest weekend ever!!!!!!! I am so looking forward to seeing my "honey". I was telling my sister about when the ceremony is and I informed her that it would be 10pm or after when we would arrive at home. Since that was the case I mentioned that I don't know when I would be able to put up the "WELCOME HOME" banner that I had made cause he could not see it. She told me not to worry cause her hubby and son-in-law have these REALLY bright spotlights and some fireworks just waiting on Ritzy's homecoming. I said "Go for it!" The neighbors might not appreciate it, but this time they can just get over it ;-)
I have a feeling the whole darn family will be in our yard waiting on us next Tuesday when we come around that last corner........
I guess the soldiers should be finished with all the required "stuff" and now for the next 3 days they are just passing time waiting for their flights back to Oklahoma......
Ritzywife is going to try and wait patiently these last few days on Ritzy's return........

That about sums it up for the day.. I still have not heard from Ritzy since 3pm Tuesday when he informed me that they had landed in the U.S. I thought " Ok he will be able to call me each day and night if he wants and we can keep up on what is going on." It sure looks like I was wrong.
I know they are probably busy with paperwork and meetings and stuff, but, geez this is crazy.
I got information today online from our FRG (Family Readiness Group) about when some of the units are to FINALLY fly to Oklahoma. But.......I won't believe anything I see until I hear the information from Ritzy with my own 2 ears!!!!!!
I sure hope he calls soon, this waiting is not fun........it's not that I am worried, I just want to hear Ritzy's voice and tell him how much I love and miss him......
Ritzywife is thru with thinking for the day and out of here for now..........(your mind takes you to strange places when you let it think too much) I am thru wondering what the heck is going on for the night. Tomorrow is the same story, different chapter all over again........

After Ritzy's call telling me he was in the United States yesterday I was so happy. I am still happy that he is here, but..........I have not heard from him since and that was at 3 yesterday afternoon. I am wondering "what the heck?".........I thought when he returned that he would be able to call. I know they are busy, but there should be time to make a call. I know my hubby and he would be calling if he were able. So, today I have been kind of anxious for the phone to ring and him be on the other end. The phone has rung all right, but of all those calls, he was not there. I still don't know exactly when he will be flying to Oklahoma.......I would appreciate a little 'information'........
I have been in contact with other Oklahoma National Guard wives and hopefully between all of us we can contribute enough info that we can "kind of " figure out what is goin on.
All I know for certain is the fact that we are ready to have our husbands back home!!!!!!!
This is about all Ritzywife has thought about for the day, all day!!!

YEA !!!!!!! I was on my way home from town today and my phone rang, I have a radio/cd player that has bluetooth so instead of grabbing my phone I just talk thru the radio. Don't ask me to explain it....I just do it.......
Anyways, there is no caller id on the radio so I never know who is calling. When I "answered" it was Ritzy's sweet voice. He was letting me know that they had landed in Maine and would be taking off for Ft. Bliss in the next hour. I was ectstatic!!!!!! I got home and looked up his flight and sat and worked around my computer for 4 hours tracking that flight. It just helped knowing where he was and that he was on his way to being able to come home.....
I got very little sleep last nite, wondering what was happening.
My mom was with me when I got the call and she and I were very happy. We had stopped earlier to see that brand new great-nephew. Oh My Gosh....... He is a doll!!!!!! SO CUTE!!!!!!! I even got to hold him. Forgot my camera, tho.........That is definitely one kid that is going to get spoiled.
Now all I have to do is wait til I hear when I can go to Oklahoma City to get Ritzy and bring him home!!!!!! This deployment is winding down, FINALLY. I never thought the day would get here. I can hardly wait to see my hubby, I miss him so much. We should be able to talk more now at least, that is if he can find a phone......His cell phone "died" in Iraq. He didn't use it there, he was just plugging it in to see if it still worked after all these months and it would not come on. I have already bought him a new one, but he did not want me to send it so he will be using those AT&T calling cards. I went online and purchased a lot of minutes for him to use, so we should be ok.
Thinking about our soldiers and how the weather change is going to affect them. Going from 120 degree heat to barely in the 70's, they are going to "freeze"........
I hope to get some better sleep tonite, unless I am too excited. Geez, if it ain't one thing- it's another.
Let's get some NORMAL going on here ;-)
That's about all I have for the night.
Ritzywife is out of here!

Here it is after midnight and I am still up. Why, a person might ask. Well, Ritzy is supposed to leave Kuwait the 7th of October ((((today))))... I didn't hear from him today so I am assuming that he is either on his way back to the United States or he will be shortly. There is an 8-hour time difference between Kuwait and Oklahoma. My poor little mind won't stop thinking about him and that trip home. I am so anxious for him to be back.......

I miss Ritzy a lot!!!! This deployment has just about come to an end and I think all the emotions are ganging up on me. I broke down and cried like a baby this morning when I read about the first wave of Oklahoma troops landing in Ft. Bliss, TX.........I guess it's just relief knowing this is about over.

One thing I know for certain is that I had better carry a LOT of Kleenex's when I go to pick Ritzy up. My family has not said anything about going. So I don't know if I am going alone or not. The place where I am supposed to go for the "short" (um-hmm) ceremony is about 175 miles away.

It is going to be so hard waiting after he lands in the U.S.!!!!!!!! He will only be 800 or so miles away. That seems like nothing after his being thousands of miles away for these last several months....

I have to do some running around tomorrow, so I am really hoping to get some sleep tonite. Guess I had better go at least try.
Ritzywife is outta here for now, hoping to be rested by the morning, oh wait........it is morning....oh well...........

I flushed the toilet last nite, came in here to get online for about an hour, then checked everything before going to bed, and I hear something that sounds like water running. You guessed it!!!!!!!!! It was the toilet. It seems there was something wrong with the "Fluidmaster" and it wasn't letting water in the tank. I thought "wonderful, it's 1am and I am NOT going to deal with this now!!" First thing this morning I changed it out and fixed it. Luckily I had an extra one on hand. For those of you who know what I am talking about, good for you.. For those who don't have any idea.................."google it" ;-)
Ritzy called today and he will be flying out of Kuwait very soon. He told me there is a very good chance that I will not hear from him until he actually gets to Ft. Bliss. ;-(
I know why, but that doesn't mean I have to like it........I was on the phone the other day "recharging" a calling card so he would have plenty of minutes to call home while in Kuwait and when he gets to Ft. Bliss. Looks like I have 1 more full week and part of another to go on this deployment before I see "my honey"...........
Can hardly wait til he gets home and we can head to Wisconsin, leaving the kids, family and Oklahoma behind (for a little while at least).......
I have a new great-nephew being born today, yea!!!!! Another one to spoil rotten!!!!!!!!
I told his mamma that I sure hoped she had that baby before Ritzy and I left. Baby's grandma called last nite and told me that he was going to be born today. This is my brother's grandson.
Geez, here I am the oldest of 4 kids and 2 of them are already grandparents..........c'mon kids of mine------get with it..........in the right order of course ;-)
Guess that's all I got for now. Ritzywife is out for now.......................