I have a sticker on my car that says the toughest job in the army is being a military wife. I joke around with Justin all the time that my job is harder. I really don’t believe that, he is the one that has gone and put his life in danger to protect my right to sit on my butt and type out this blog. So yeah his job is harder.
But, I do have to say being a military spouse is no cakewalk either. We have to give up or significant other for different times some short some way to long and they go for something as simple as a two week training to a year long deployment. It takes a strong person to stick around and do all this waiting, to have to carry on with the home life. And for those who have children they take on the roll of being a single parent.
I do have to say how blessed the military spouses are to live in this day and age with todays technology. I have to give mad props to the military spouses like Nanna who did what I have to do with nothing but a letter every few weeks to hold on to. I at least get to receive snail mail, emails, phone calls, and even video chat.
I remember Justin’s first deployment; it was to Afghanistan for 9 months. We had only been married for 2 months when we found out he had to leave and he was gone 2 months after that. Like many military couples have done we spent most of our first year apart and missed our first Christmas and first Anniversary as a married couple. It sucked I wont’ lie but I took pride in my job to support Justin and re assure him that it was no big deal and I didn’t mind. I was making a sacrifice to my country as well by giving up those memories and time with my husband.
We have spent many weeks and months apart since he joined back in 2000 but I think it has made us an even stronger couple. We both wonder sometimes how different our lives would be had he not joined the Guard. I know there are a handful of great friends, my daughter Renae’s God Mother Leah for one, would not be in our lives. So it makes it hard to regret the decision we made to join and then to re-up after his first 6 years.
It has become harder now that we have kids especially for him. He had become accustom to having to be apart from me but it broke my heart to see him have to be away from the kids. Not only because he missed them but they miss him back. We try our best to make the most of what we can like spending $1000 on plane tickets to fly out to Arizona so they can see daddy. We have also video chat over the computer so he can be a part of a birthday celebration. The hardest was by far when he did OCS because he wasn’t allowed to call home but maybe once a week. So we mailed a lot of cards and pictures and letters during that time.
Fortunately I myself have had a wonderful support system to help me through the separations and just want to say Thank you to my Family and Friends for always being there for me. My mother who’s always there no matter what is going on. Crystal who lived with me during the first deployment and did everything with me. Eric who cut my yard the first deployment. Hanna who practically lived with me during the 2nd deployment and kept me entertained, oh the memories with have :) . Also have to give Major props to my Dad and Father in-law for picking up with the yard work, and house stuff for me that I suck at during the 2nd deployment, OCS and BOLC. My mother in-law, who was always there to go to my Doctor appointments and help with the kids when Justin was at BOLC. She also cleaned my house about a dozen times. I was pregnant with Morgan during BOLC with Renae turning 3 and Allie turning 2 while Justin was gone. And most recently my sister in-law Tati who put her health at risk to come help me get back on my feet after a terrible virus struck the kids and me.
There are a ton of people who have helped me one way or another through all of this and I am sure I have forgotten someone but want to say Thank you!!!
Anyways, this gig isn’t for everyone but for those who can do it with pride will come out stronger in the end. Thanks for reading and God Bless the U.S.A. and all those men and woman who have served, are serving and will serve and the spouses and support systems that make it possible for them to make it through anything.
p.s. If Sarah can be pregnant in Germany with triplets with her husband deployed then the rest of us have nothing to complain about. Well unless you are also pregnant with triplets lol. Sarah helped entertain the kids and I a lot to during OCS and BOLC Thanks S!!! You are a rocking Military Spouse!!!
Justin and I dove into parenthood head first and so far are still afloat. Our oldest daughter Renae turns 5 today. I remember giving birth to her like it was yesterday. I found out just how strong a person I am and that if I put my mind to it I can do anything. and yes I am talking about pushing a 6 lb 3 oz 19 inch long human being out of my wooha with NO epi. (yes go ahead and gasp and say I am crazy cause I am cimh) It started when I had a conversation with my mother in-law who told me she did it some 25 years earlier with Justin. Well I got to thinking if she can do it then why can’t I. I received a lot of negative feed back about my decision to try Epi free. and the more you can’t or why would you do that just made me even more determined. I also began reading more about Epiderals and the possible risks and decided if I could avoid the risk of constant back pain or having to have it done twice like my ex sister in-law did cause it only worked on half of her body I thought why not. 