Living in the Military

We are a military family. A military family has many ups and downs.  You get to explore new places, see new things, make many friends.  You also have to say good-bye to those friends and places.  As a military wife, I quickly make our new homes as much of a home as possible.  Not just for myself and my husband, but our boys.  Their rooms are always the first to be set up so they can have somewhere familiar to go and play.  Then comes trying to make our furniture fit into the new spaces...always a fun chore!  I grew up in the military, so I know what the life is like moving every few years, making new friends, etc.  However, the life is totally different as the wife/mother than as the child.  That was easy!

As I look out my front room window this morning, I see my neighbor preparing her house for her husbands return from deployment.  How exciting for her and her boys!  There is a welcome home Daddy sign and her flag is flying, as are many in our military housing, but it's different when you know a parent/spouse is returning home from duty.  So emotionally overwhelming and exciting.

Then I turn around and look at my house...fatigue bags are packed, extra suitcase is out and packed, my boys are running around trying to help their daddy get ready to leave for his deployment.  It has been almost 10 years since his last deployment and I know he is excited to go.  To get back to what he's "supposed to do."  At the same time, this is our first time with children, so he is sad he will miss watching them grow.  Watching the baby learn to crawl and possibly start cruising.  It was a lot easier when it was just the two of us saying goodbye, see ya in a few months, be safe, I love you!!!  These boys are so attached to their daddy it should be an adventure trying to keep them occupied and distracted while he is gone.  I am so thankful and lucky to have a family that is willing to travel to us and accept us as company to help the time go quickly.

I know we will be fine and the time will seem to drag on, but it will go quickly.  We will be busy with our family to help pass the time and we have an amazing cul-de-sac that will help at the drop of a hat if you need them.  However, I can help but long for the day we are preparing our house for Daddy's return home.