Just one week

Daniel has one week left at home before he leaves. How can the time have gone by this fast??? I swear, it seems like just yesterday when he got that call to be on "alert for orders" but it really was last October. And, while it's been a few months since I started this blog, I still remember writing the first post, and it seems like just a blink of an eye ago when I wrote that there was one month left. Oh, how I wish I could have some sort of magical power that would stop the time from marching on. We had the reception for Daniel yesterday. It was pretty nice. (Thanks to everyone reading who came.) But, on the way home, Daniel made a comment of "another step closer." I asked him what he meant and he said in his mind, in addition to the steps the Guard had him go through, he had his own count-down points. His sermon that he preached was one, then the family/friends reception, next is his last day at his civilian job, then the statewide send-off ceremony, the day he goes to Weatherford for 4 days, and finally, getting on the bus at Weatherford to head to Fort Hood. I guess I have been ticking off those steps as well. And now, here it is, another step closer as the time he has left slips from weeks to days. I want to cry, but at the same time, I don't want to waste my time with tears. The state-wide send-off is this Saturday afternoon. Daniel got his information on the where and when for his reporting. He'll be seated with his unit, so I am so incredibly thankful that I have an awesome supportive family to go with me so I don't have to face it sitting there alone. I better go to the store and stock up on purse sized tissue packs sometime in the next few days.