Well, today is the big day. I am headed off to Iraq some time today (won’t say when due to opsec). Just like when I was in the Marines, this will only be a six month long deployment but it is the first deployment I will have away from my kids. So for the rest of the day, the PC’s and Laptops are getting shut down, and I am going to focus on playing with and loving on my kids and wife as much as possible. All week (and through the weekend of the fourth) we have been doing fun things and going out to fun places to eat. We went bowling and took family pictures. We went to a carnival and fun pizza places. That’s what it’s all about. Those fun little things are going to be memories I take with me and cherish for the next six months. I hope every father or mother headed overseas soon takes advantage of the time they have here and spend it wisely.