drill: weekend #1

today marks don's first drill weekend with the army reserves.  after he woke up at 3:30... got ready... and said his goodbyes i felt a sense of comfort seeing him back in his ACU's again.  i have only known him to work for the army and to go to work in his army clothes so now that i rarely see that it is a slight comfort seeing it again on such an early morning.

what i expect this year from my husband in the reserves (i hold expectations for everyone in my life... it is who i am and i expect a lot from people in my life.  not for my personal gain, but to encourage them to be a better them and to find their happiness in life):

1. i am certain my husband will make his E-6 this year without an issue.  the job he is doing in the reserves is actually for E-6 and above yet he is still an E-5.  they out him here because they know he is qualified to be promoted and should make it very soon :).  i am so proud of him and his constant drive to push himself.

2. i would love to see my husband be happy about going to work for the army reserves.  he lost his happiness in active duty which is what landed us out of it.  had he loved his job still... we would currently be in GA so he could go to drill school and move on to Fort Sill where we would be for two years so he could be a drill sergeant.  however, he told me he was done with active duty and he could no longer handle it.  the poor leadership has really taken a toll on his passion to protect his country.

3. finally, i would love to see my husband become an officer.  he i currently working on his degree so he can move up to a whole new level of the army.  the retirement is better and the drill pay is slightly better. more importantly, it is something he will have such pride doing since he has spend so much time enlisted.  he will certainly be an officer that actually knows what he is doing and one that can lead a group of soldiers to success.

i can't wait to see my husband prevail in the reserves and become more than he ever thought he could be when we met.  i love that he has seen my drive to better myself and has taken some of that drive on his own.

more about his college education:

after much deliberation and a few serious life talks and some motivation from our amazing babysitter don has decided to major in criminal justice.  he is starting at st. charles community college and then transferring to UMSL (a well known criminal justice program).  our trusty sitter also received her bachelor's in criminal justice from UMSL and is so excited to assist don in his adventure into his full-time career as a civilian worker.  he may not be protecting this country the way he has the past 7 years but he will be protecting someone, somewhere... always!

happy 2012 and many blessings to all!

letter to a military spouse

While I have never had the pleasure of meeting you or your husband, I felt the need to write you and express a very deep feeling that I have in my heart.

I, as a person, am not brave. I do not tackle things head on, as I hate confrontation. I will travel 100 miles out of my way just to avoid a conflict. I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news.

I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn't know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for.
I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven't heard from my husband.
I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so.
I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn't coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren't yet old enough to understand.
I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home.
I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with.
And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting.

For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel. I can not tell you that you must be strong. I can not say that you shouldn't be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man". I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes.

What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another soldier" - - I will never have to walk in your shoes.

I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now. I have figured out that you are not like other women. You are of a special breed. You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess. The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America.

You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American.
I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment.
Until this moment I could never put into words exactly what America meant to me.
Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you.
Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family. You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down. Military families make this nation what it is today.

You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel.
Because of you and your family...I am able to be me. I am able to have my family. I am able to walk free in this great land. Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay. Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday.

I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom.
I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable. However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...what you are doing...what has happened today...or what will happen tomorrow...Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me.... And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten.

You are all in my prayer's everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely.

May God Bless You!
(Author Unknown)

welcome!

i wanted to provide a way for people to follow my journey as a military spouse.  my hopes are for others to be inspired by my findings, experiences, and challenges.  my goal is to help one military spouse (girlfriend/boyfriend, fiance, wife/husband) become a better support system for their military man/woman.

my background:

i am 24 years old (or young... optimism prevails).  i have a one year old son with my husband.  i have been around the military for a total of about 5 years (counting dating and marriage).  i have been married to my wonderful husband for almost 3 years.  in those 3 years... i have been inspired to be a better person, rely on GOD, and offer others guidance on their journey through military life.  i have a bachelor's in accounting.  i hold a master's in business administration with an emphasis on management.  i am working towards my cpa. 

my husband:

he is about to hit his 7 year mark with active duty army.  he just returned from deployment number 3 as a 24 year old.  he will be switching to army reserves in a few months.  he will be starting school using his gi bill in a few months.  he is our hero.  nothing more to say about that wonderful man!