We spoke to Nick the other day and in the middle of the conversation he said he was being deployed to Afghanistan in October. Of course I thought it was rumor, but he said he heard it from a sergeant. So I assume there’s some truth to it. They’re talking about increasing troops in Afghanistan so it makes sense. And I knew when he enlisted that it was a distinct possibility. But still.

We picked up Nick from the airport on Christmas morning. He stayed four days and headed back to Missouri. It was a nice visit. But, at the same time, he was eager to get back. Turns out he really likes being on his own. Being an 18-year-old with his own place and some freedom is pretty exciting for him. Still the holidays were better with him around. He made it to both family’s gatherings and one of his gifts was a videocamera. He said he needed it for when he gets deployed. Great.