Valentine's Day...What it's like for a former Army wife

I believed that all I was going to get this Valentine's Day was a new tire. No, really. My van blew a tire last week and rather than a cheap $10-$15 patch, it required a new tire.

So that's what we had decided would be our Valentine's Day present. But I was surprised this morning. My wonderful husband decided to go and get us doughnuts. And he brought home a rose and a chocolate cake for me. The best part? The cake had a heart that said "E-mail me". He knows me.

On days like this, I remember what it was like when he was deployed. The Valentine's Day he was in Iraq, he made sure a dozen roses was sent to my work. He also had his dad obtain a giftcard for a massage for me. While it was a nice gesture, I would have given almost anything for a hug from him that night.

And I remember that. So while most women would scoff at a tire, I'm thankful for it. Because I can give him a hug at the end of the day. And that's worth more than all of the roses in the world.

A Veteran's Day Thanks From an Army Wife

I am SO VERY thankful to have my husband with me this Veteran's Day. It's hard to believe that three years ago, he was over in "the sandbox". I was sending weekly packages to him, taking care of a very curious (almost) two year old and working full time. But I knew it was 10,000 times harder on him.

So this Veteran's Day I'll snuggle with my Vet and say an extra prayer for the wives, husbands, children and parents who are hugging pillows and saying prayers to keep their loved ones safe.

Thank you, to all Vets who have fought wars past and those currently fighting. Thank you for our freedom. Thank you for your sacrifice.

Thank you.

David and Liam just before Deployment

Wordless Wednesday: Happy (Early) Veterans Day!

What?? An update??

Yes. I'm updating. I've been so busy with weddings, family events, trying to get our room in order...I haven't had a chance to update!!

Another reason I've been slacking is because, while I have been online, it hasn't been with you guys. MY HUSBAND HAS THE INTERNET!!!!!! It's SO great being able to IM and Skype with him. Being able to see my husband for the first time in two months was so bittersweet. I cried the first time I talked to him online. If you would like his e-mail address, just e-mail me and I'll send it to you. It's sure costing us a pretty penny for him to have his own internet connection, but its worth it. It'd be nice if it was something the military would pay for, but oh well.

I've been reminded that our first anniversary is on Sunday. *deep breath* I'm not going to lie to you, this is really hard. Everytime I think about it, I get tears in my eyes. What I wouldn't give to be able to give him just a hug on our first anniversary. I'm trying not to think about it and I've decided that the only thing I want for our anniversary (I mean, OTHER than my husband) is for the Cubbies to win--that's assuming they don't win all of the first three games, which would be sweet too. :) Goats, you're on notice. I'll be watching the game (again, keeping my mind off of what DATE it actually is) and once that's over (and the Cubs win) I'll be watching football.

I should be able to talk to David that day, so that will be nice. I've already sent him his anniversary cards and gift (he wanted Superman bedsheets).

Rest assured, I'll be back tomorrow for Love Thursday. It'll be a sappy wedding post. :)

Amazing...

I found this online and I wanted to share it with you. It's so true. SO true.


She stands in front of you in line at the post office with the big box and the customs form.

She parks next to you at school, her car sporting the latest "Support the Troops" magnet or sticker.

She sits a couple seats down from you in class or at work, but she is too distracted to carry on a real conversation.

She carries herself with poise and elegance.

A grown woman in a young girl's body, she has dealt with more heartbreak than she could ever wish on another human being.

She's the girl with the bloodshot eyes and her cell phone always on.

She is always anticipating his phone call, and when it comes, the first thing she asks is, "How are you doing?"

She is becoming more and more selfless with every passing day, and finds herself thinking about his friends more than her own.

Every night she says a prayer for him, and thanks God for bringing her one day closer to his homecoming.

Every time she hears their song on the radio, her expression goes blank as she fights back the tears.

Sometimes the pressure is too much to handle, and she snaps, usually at the expense of the people closest to her.

The tears flow easily these days, and they seem to have no end.

The stuffed animal he sent her soaks up the tears she cries in his absence as she recounts all the days apart.

Any talk of deployments, extended tours, or re-enlistment makes her stomach tie itself in knots because she can barely handle the time and distance now.

But he will never know any of this.

He got the best training in the world to do his job, and she is expected to be SuperWoman with no manual.

She knows that he needs her to be the strong one, and so she is.

Without the pay, benefits, or training, she is supposed to be just like him...

ARMY STRONG

Love Thursday/Funny Fhoto Friday...

It's a two for one deal...

When Liam and I went up to visit Dave, I finally had the chance to try on his armor that he's been complaining about for the last few months. He was always saying, "This HAS to be worse than pregnancy!!" Really? Let's see. And I told him I'd put it on if he agreed to wear a sympathy belly the next time I'm pregnant. And it was a deal.

So I put it on. Sure, its heavy, but its EVEN weight...not all out front. It doesn't make your hips ache and there is no one kicking you from the inside when you're trying to sleep.

So it's nothing like pregnancy. Now I can't wait for Dave to get home and get a picture of him with the sympathy belly on...LOL.



Love is the ability to be goofy with your husband...just before saying "See you in a few months".

No Sympathy....

I was watching the news last night. I saw another Army wife talking about how she needed to raise money to see her husband for his 4 days of leave before he goes to Iraq. First thing I thought? Wow. He must be far away...Texas, California...some place that wouldn't be financially easy to drive to...some place far.

Then I saw the news piece. The unit is from Ottumwa. They are at FORT MC COY. FORT MC COY IS FOUR AND A HALF HOURS AWAY FROM HERE. Good Lord. She was crying on TV talking about how she wants to see her husband one last time before he goes, and another Army wife, who'd just married her husband a week before he left for training was all, "You never know when you kiss him if its going to be the last time you see your soldier alive." Oh, Please. It's Army wives like this that give the rest of us a bad name. Suck it up.

He's four hours away. Drive up there and get him. DON'T go to the media, crying about how you need money. And you know what else? This isn't their first deployment. So it's not like these four days of leave were a huge suprise either. Save your money so you can go get him. Or have everyone pool their money to get a bus. Don't go crying to the media about how you won't get to see him for a year...there are other Army Wives out there who've been without their husband longer (these guys have been gone for one month--Dave's been gone three months) and will not see them for a year either.

Suck it up and put your big girl panties on. You KNEW that deployment was possible when you married him/he joined the Army. Deal with it. Don't go crying to the media. Don't make all of us Army Wives look like sniffling little babies.

Maybe I'm the "Rosie the Riveter" or the "Dottie Hinson" ("A League of Their Own") of the group...but like "Jimmy Dugan" (Tom Hanks) said..."There's no crying in baseball."

It's time to suck it up, ladies. Deal with it. You're an Army Wife. It's going to get a lot harder before it gets easier. Go to your underwear drawer, find your big girl panties and put them on. While our men are gone, we've got a job to do...and I don't mean going to the media and crying for money. Suck it up. We have to be tough for our men. Because I can promise you, it is 10 times harder on them to away from home. You need to remember that.



I'm not saying its not hard on those of us who are at home. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm not saying that I never complain about my husband being gone, because I do. But I plan for things. I work things out. And I DO NOT go crying to the media.