I have been working on shipping our first box over to Iraq. Hubby called and needed a few essentials- blanket, sheets, hangars, pillows, bug spray, lysol and a new wallet. Well that
will be easy. Oh the fun of shopping and getting everything packed and
ready to go. I knew I would need a BIG box since he needs pillows and
blankets but once you add everything else it became a REALLY big box. I
stuffed everything in there (lovingly) and prepared to send it.

I thought this would be an easy task but soon found out I didn't know where to send it from. People kept telling me different ways to send
it: use the base post office, call mobility and have them send it over
on a plane, us UPS or the post office. I was hoping that someone would
have an inexpensive way that I could send this huge box without costing
me a weeks worth of groceries. After calling lots of places and talking
to lots of people- I'm sending it through the post office.

Luckily, I found out that after this big box the cost won't always be so high. They now have priority flat rate international boxes that you can use
to ship to the soldiers. I called the USPS and ordered my free military
kit that they have. It is supposed to come with tape, boxes, labels and
customs forms. I need to find a spot in the house to be our new postal
area.

Of course I love shopping so when he said he needed all these things I was excited. Sure- I will go and buy all these essentials for you and have
it shipped out lickity split. The hardest part came when I was putting
his new wallet in the box. Something so simple as a wallet yet it was
so much more than that. As it be, I was told that if you are captured
and they see in your wallet lots of family pictures they see you more
as a human and not just a soldier. Well, I decided to buy 2 picture
holders for his wallet because that was one piece of information that I
wasn't going to slack on.

I printed out lots of different pictures. I made sure there was a variety for him to look at and none of them were him in uniform. I wanted him
to be able to look at those pictures and be reminded of our everyday
lives outside of the military. Pictures of Christmas and his teams he
coached were my favorites.

As I put the wallet in the box I think about how weird it is that something so simple as a wallet can make me cry. Because even though
its just a simple wallet it really is so much more than that. The
thought that those pictures could possibly help him if he is captured
is a thought that I didn't ever think I would have. I know that the
chances of him being captured are remote but that doesn't stop the
emotion that is brought on.

So with that-- I sealed up the box and am shipping it out today. My first of many boxes that will travel through the miles to send a smile and
love to my wonderful husband.