Fourteen years ago today I married my best friend. I married the man that regardless of anything never stops loving me. The man that can always make me laugh. The man that is always there for me to cry on his shoulder. The man that sometimes drives me completely nuts. The man that is always by my side. The man that I am privileged to grow old with.
Life hasn't always been easy and we haven't always seen eye to eye. We've faced many difficult times along with all the fun exciting times. Like any marriage it isn't always easy and we constantly have to work at it. The great thing is that we have done it all together. We have always overcome our obstacles to find that spark that it all started with in the beginning. Today, 14 years later, I can honestly say that we are even more in love than we have ever been. One of my favorite quotes is from my husband and I's favorite movie, "The Notebook". "So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday." That quote fits my husband and I perfectly! However, as time has gone on, it really isn't as much work as it was in the beginning. Over time it gets easier and easier. We have come to appreciate our differences instead of trying to justify them. We've come to realize that it isn't worth it to make an issue out of the little things. The most important thing is that we're together and that one fact will never change.
Today I choose to marry you,
For love is patient, love is kind.
Our love is strong and deep; unique,
Our hearts forever intertwined.
Today I shout "I DO! I DO!"
Today I take you as my spouse,
I'll be your partner, hold your hand.
We'll face tomorrow's challenges,
Together all things we'll withstand.
We'll build our castle, fill our house.
Today my life begins anew,
Today I shout for all to hear:
This is a union meant to be,
for all my life, for all my years,
Today I give my heart to you.
-Karen Burniston
Trinity,
I love you so much baby! I wish we could be together today. Thank you so much for the 14 beautiful red roses that arrived at our door this afternoon. I sat them on the table and I smile every time I look over at them. The words on the card are beautiful and they remind me of how blessed I am to spend my life with you. I love you more than all the circles that ever existed. Right now we are simply sleeping under the same stars, but soon we will be back under the same roof. I can't wait for that day. I miss you terribly. Happy Anniversary Baby, and a lifetime more to come! XOXOXO
All My Love,
Shawna
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
"Terrible Too's"
I love writing, so the fact that I haven't written anything on here lately surprises even me. I certainly haven't been lacking for things to say. The only thing I can figure is that the kids and I have been so busy that I've just shut down in some areas. When we're at home with nothing to do, like that happens very often, I just seem to sit in front of the t.v. to catch up on shows I've missed. If not that, I'm on the addicting website that everyone knows all to well, facebook. So anyhow, by the end of the day when the kids are finally tucked into bed I'm usually heading that way myself. Throughout the day I'm thinking of things to write, but by the end of the day when I have free time, my mind seems to shut down. Tonight however, I've started enforcing the dreaded school year bedtime. I now have a little time to myself in the evenings so maybe I'll start blogging a little more.
We had a guest speaker at church this morning and I'm really glad that my daughter made such a fuss about making sure we didn't miss church. The only reason we would have missed was because Tristan wasn't feeling well and I didn't really want to leave him here alone. I told that to Shay and she got tears in her eyes and started crying. She cries a lot in these emotion pre teen years so that was no surprise. Because of the reason for her tears though, I just couldn't make her stay home. Who wouldn't be over the top about having a child who would actually cry about missing church. Tristan was still sleeping and I knew he would most of the early afternoon after not sleeping all night so I knew he'd be fine. He could always call if he started feeling worse or if it was more of an emergency, we have many neighbors we can turn to.
Pastor Bruce Ho was our guest speaker today. His message was rather simple, "Trust God"! Sounds simple enough, that is until some crazy outlandish circumstance jumps in front of you and stares you down. Something that well known facts could totally prove wrong. He used the story of Elijah and the widow found in 1 Kings 8-16. God told Elijah to go to Zarephath where he had commanded a widow to give him food. This widow had a small child and not much else. She had only enough flour and oil to make on more meal of bread for herself and her child. She was ready to give up and die knowing that they would be out of food as soon as they ate this last meal. However, Elijah did as God told him and went to her and asked her to make him a cake of bread. Regardless of the facts, she had only enough to make one last meal for her and her son, she followed God and did as Elijah asked. In the end, God provided this widow with enough flour and oil to continue feeding herself, her child, and Elijah. Her bowl of flour was never emptied and her jar of oil never ran dry. For the full story you'll have to open your bible and read the reference above. The point of this story is that by simply trusting God everything will work out in our favor. Even if the facts point to other things, God can make it happen. He can lift us up above any fact to bless our life and to provide for us. All we have to do is look past the facts and trust in God!
He also talked about how we can rise above any circumstance in our life by trusting in God. His wife sang the song, don't know the exact name but it says, "God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you". I love that song by the way. After she sang, they told the story of how they met. I won't go into detail, but after breaking off an engagement, and 10 years of waiting to find that perfect guy that God had promised her, she finally met Bruce. She broke off the engagement because God was leading her down a different path and she heard Him tell her that he had a husband for her. She trusted what God had told her and waited 10 long years for her promise from God to become her reality. She never lost faith and even when she questioned why she hadn't met him yet, she continued to trust in what God had told her. Just three weeks ago, God followed through with his promise and they were married. She went through hard times and had many broken roads, but by trusting in God, everything worked out in their favor.
I love how Bruce said that we all go through the "terrible too's" when God is trying to tell us what he wants us to do. I know I'm a big culprit of that. We're always too tired, or too busy, or too broke, or too rich, or too this or too that. In reality, if God says to do something we aren't too anything. Nothing is too big for God. If He says it, He will do it. His word never changes, not the words in His Bible nor the words he whispers in our ears. When we do what he says, regardless of facts or circumstances, the results will be so much more than we could have ever imagined.
The message as a whole brought me back to this deployment we're going through. It reminded me that no matter how long some of our days may seem, there's a bigger purpose behind the entire circumstance. God has a purpose for taking my husband to another country for a while. He has a purpose for separating our family. If we just embrace the fact that God knows best, that He will get us through this storm in our lives, we will come out in the end as stronger individuals and as a stronger family. We just have to trust God with everything that we have and with everything that we are.
After church the girls and I made a quick stop at Wal-Mart, mainly for coffee filters because I'm almost out and can't live without my coffee, and came home to check on Tristan. He was feeling a little better and was ready to try to eat something. Since I completely forgot to get bread for toast, he decided on ramen noodles. Throughout the day he felt better and better. Tonight his throat is sore, but he'll be back to normal in no time. My kids hardly ever get sick so they don't know what to do with themselves when they are. Many times I really don't think it's quite as bad as they let on either, but I just go along with it.
This evening, Syd and I decided to go for a walk. It was more like a skate/run, but that's even better. I'll tell you what, keeping up with her on the skateboard wore me out. Going downhill was the worst. She would just stand on the board and let the wheels do the work. I, on the other hand, had to run twice as fast to keep up with her. I need to take her with me all the time. She mentioned tonight that she wants to go every night that we're not busy. Sounds like a good idea to me. Not only do we get exercise, but we get to spend time together too.
My husband called in the middle of my writing so it's getting pretty late now. I think I'll sign out and get myself to bed. Good night!
We had a guest speaker at church this morning and I'm really glad that my daughter made such a fuss about making sure we didn't miss church. The only reason we would have missed was because Tristan wasn't feeling well and I didn't really want to leave him here alone. I told that to Shay and she got tears in her eyes and started crying. She cries a lot in these emotion pre teen years so that was no surprise. Because of the reason for her tears though, I just couldn't make her stay home. Who wouldn't be over the top about having a child who would actually cry about missing church. Tristan was still sleeping and I knew he would most of the early afternoon after not sleeping all night so I knew he'd be fine. He could always call if he started feeling worse or if it was more of an emergency, we have many neighbors we can turn to.
Pastor Bruce Ho was our guest speaker today. His message was rather simple, "Trust God"! Sounds simple enough, that is until some crazy outlandish circumstance jumps in front of you and stares you down. Something that well known facts could totally prove wrong. He used the story of Elijah and the widow found in 1 Kings 8-16. God told Elijah to go to Zarephath where he had commanded a widow to give him food. This widow had a small child and not much else. She had only enough flour and oil to make on more meal of bread for herself and her child. She was ready to give up and die knowing that they would be out of food as soon as they ate this last meal. However, Elijah did as God told him and went to her and asked her to make him a cake of bread. Regardless of the facts, she had only enough to make one last meal for her and her son, she followed God and did as Elijah asked. In the end, God provided this widow with enough flour and oil to continue feeding herself, her child, and Elijah. Her bowl of flour was never emptied and her jar of oil never ran dry. For the full story you'll have to open your bible and read the reference above. The point of this story is that by simply trusting God everything will work out in our favor. Even if the facts point to other things, God can make it happen. He can lift us up above any fact to bless our life and to provide for us. All we have to do is look past the facts and trust in God!
He also talked about how we can rise above any circumstance in our life by trusting in God. His wife sang the song, don't know the exact name but it says, "God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you". I love that song by the way. After she sang, they told the story of how they met. I won't go into detail, but after breaking off an engagement, and 10 years of waiting to find that perfect guy that God had promised her, she finally met Bruce. She broke off the engagement because God was leading her down a different path and she heard Him tell her that he had a husband for her. She trusted what God had told her and waited 10 long years for her promise from God to become her reality. She never lost faith and even when she questioned why she hadn't met him yet, she continued to trust in what God had told her. Just three weeks ago, God followed through with his promise and they were married. She went through hard times and had many broken roads, but by trusting in God, everything worked out in their favor.
I love how Bruce said that we all go through the "terrible too's" when God is trying to tell us what he wants us to do. I know I'm a big culprit of that. We're always too tired, or too busy, or too broke, or too rich, or too this or too that. In reality, if God says to do something we aren't too anything. Nothing is too big for God. If He says it, He will do it. His word never changes, not the words in His Bible nor the words he whispers in our ears. When we do what he says, regardless of facts or circumstances, the results will be so much more than we could have ever imagined.
The message as a whole brought me back to this deployment we're going through. It reminded me that no matter how long some of our days may seem, there's a bigger purpose behind the entire circumstance. God has a purpose for taking my husband to another country for a while. He has a purpose for separating our family. If we just embrace the fact that God knows best, that He will get us through this storm in our lives, we will come out in the end as stronger individuals and as a stronger family. We just have to trust God with everything that we have and with everything that we are.
After church the girls and I made a quick stop at Wal-Mart, mainly for coffee filters because I'm almost out and can't live without my coffee, and came home to check on Tristan. He was feeling a little better and was ready to try to eat something. Since I completely forgot to get bread for toast, he decided on ramen noodles. Throughout the day he felt better and better. Tonight his throat is sore, but he'll be back to normal in no time. My kids hardly ever get sick so they don't know what to do with themselves when they are. Many times I really don't think it's quite as bad as they let on either, but I just go along with it.
This evening, Syd and I decided to go for a walk. It was more like a skate/run, but that's even better. I'll tell you what, keeping up with her on the skateboard wore me out. Going downhill was the worst. She would just stand on the board and let the wheels do the work. I, on the other hand, had to run twice as fast to keep up with her. I need to take her with me all the time. She mentioned tonight that she wants to go every night that we're not busy. Sounds like a good idea to me. Not only do we get exercise, but we get to spend time together too.
My husband called in the middle of my writing so it's getting pretty late now. I think I'll sign out and get myself to bed. Good night!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Three Months Down
Today marks three months since my husband left on that dreaded, horrible, ugly, white bus! It may not seem all that long because 3 is a pretty small number, but to me it's 3 months closer to being back in his arms. Instead of dwelling on the fact that he has been gone for 3 months, I rather look at it that he is 3 months closer to being home. I guess it just sounds better to me that way. More positive I suppose. I'm grateful that time has been ticking by so quickly. The kids and I do what we can to keep busy day by day. The more we have to do, the quicker the day comes to an end. It isn't that we want to wish time away. We enjoy our outings and have fun while we're busy, but at the end of the day we can mark one more day off the calendar. One more day closer to daddy!
As we all know, when our spouse is gone something is bound to go wrong at some point. It may not be a huge disaster, but even something minor that just makes us wish he were home to deal with it. You all know from earlier posts that I've already had an ordeal with my truck. I ran over a thorn, they kind of fixed it but not really, and in the end I had to get a new tire. It took a wonderful friend changing my tire for me and two very long trips to the mechanic to get it done, but it ended up being an easy fix. Last night when we went out to the truck after Shay's hula class, my truck decided to give me more problems. The battery decided it had worked enough over the years and it needed a break. I'm so thankful to my husband for making sure I have an emergency kit in my truck that includes jumper cables. Shay's teacher kindly pulled her car up to my truck to help me out. Unfortunately it didn't work. My battery was corroded and so was hers. A good friend lives just up the street from where we were so I called her for help. She brought her husbands truck over and we got the cables all hooked up. Who said women can't solve any problem on their own?! Okay, here's the rest of the story. Her neighbor, who happens to be a guy, stopped by for added support. Okay, we let him take over. HeHe However, I can guarantee you that we would have done it on our own if we would have had to. There's no problem too big for an Army Wife! All said and done, my truck is now running again and he even was so kind as to clean off the battery for me. It looks like I'll be buying a new battery in the near future. I hope my truck enjoys his early Christmas present. HeHe I'm so overly thankful for my amazing friends who are willing to come to my rescue. Life is so much easier, especially during a deployment, when you have people going through it with you!
I spent my morning making phone calls to get everything taken care of before school starts in three weeks. My kids all need their physicals updated for CYS, they all need eye appts which I still need to make, and I needed to figure out where on earth my youngest would be going to school this year. The doctor apps are scheduled, I finally found a number to the optometrist so I can schedule that tomorrow, and I am happy to report that my daughter will be able to stay on post next year. I'm still uncertain on which school she will attend, but at least I know she'll be on post. That is such a relief to me. It will make it way easier to get all three of them to and from school with no added expense or having to rely on someone else for help. If you know me, you know that I don't like having to rely on others and I prefer to just do things on my own if at all possible. So... I called Wheeler, my preferred school since it's right next to the middle school and they told me they don't do their GE's until a week before the start of school. That's a little late in the game for having to get school supplies, but I'll take my chances. When I got off the phone with them, I called Solomon. That's where Syd attended last year. She was there on a GE so I didn't know if it would carry over or if I had to submit another one. Fortunately it does carry over. Once a school accepts a GE it continues to carry over throughout the years unless that child is always in trouble and the school decides to pull the GE. I'm certain that won't be a problem. We're still going to wait to see if she can get into Wheeler, but I'm okay with either of the schools. Getting them all to school on my own worked out last year so I know it will work out again this year. Praise God for answered prayers!
Month number four is going to be here in no time with everything we have going on this month. Between rock band, hula, theater, cooking class, church camp, big r movie night, church, family day at church, practice for family day performance, doctor appointments, small group, and hopefully eye appointments, we will be pretty busy. I might add that Shay is performing a hula dance this Sunday and Syd is singing. She even has a solo. She's so excited to finally be able to sing in front of an audience instead of just in the shower. HeHe
Cheers to three months down and just six more to go until R&R! I can't wait to see you baby! I miss you and love you soooooooo much!
As we all know, when our spouse is gone something is bound to go wrong at some point. It may not be a huge disaster, but even something minor that just makes us wish he were home to deal with it. You all know from earlier posts that I've already had an ordeal with my truck. I ran over a thorn, they kind of fixed it but not really, and in the end I had to get a new tire. It took a wonderful friend changing my tire for me and two very long trips to the mechanic to get it done, but it ended up being an easy fix. Last night when we went out to the truck after Shay's hula class, my truck decided to give me more problems. The battery decided it had worked enough over the years and it needed a break. I'm so thankful to my husband for making sure I have an emergency kit in my truck that includes jumper cables. Shay's teacher kindly pulled her car up to my truck to help me out. Unfortunately it didn't work. My battery was corroded and so was hers. A good friend lives just up the street from where we were so I called her for help. She brought her husbands truck over and we got the cables all hooked up. Who said women can't solve any problem on their own?! Okay, here's the rest of the story. Her neighbor, who happens to be a guy, stopped by for added support. Okay, we let him take over. HeHe However, I can guarantee you that we would have done it on our own if we would have had to. There's no problem too big for an Army Wife! All said and done, my truck is now running again and he even was so kind as to clean off the battery for me. It looks like I'll be buying a new battery in the near future. I hope my truck enjoys his early Christmas present. HeHe I'm so overly thankful for my amazing friends who are willing to come to my rescue. Life is so much easier, especially during a deployment, when you have people going through it with you!
I spent my morning making phone calls to get everything taken care of before school starts in three weeks. My kids all need their physicals updated for CYS, they all need eye appts which I still need to make, and I needed to figure out where on earth my youngest would be going to school this year. The doctor apps are scheduled, I finally found a number to the optometrist so I can schedule that tomorrow, and I am happy to report that my daughter will be able to stay on post next year. I'm still uncertain on which school she will attend, but at least I know she'll be on post. That is such a relief to me. It will make it way easier to get all three of them to and from school with no added expense or having to rely on someone else for help. If you know me, you know that I don't like having to rely on others and I prefer to just do things on my own if at all possible. So... I called Wheeler, my preferred school since it's right next to the middle school and they told me they don't do their GE's until a week before the start of school. That's a little late in the game for having to get school supplies, but I'll take my chances. When I got off the phone with them, I called Solomon. That's where Syd attended last year. She was there on a GE so I didn't know if it would carry over or if I had to submit another one. Fortunately it does carry over. Once a school accepts a GE it continues to carry over throughout the years unless that child is always in trouble and the school decides to pull the GE. I'm certain that won't be a problem. We're still going to wait to see if she can get into Wheeler, but I'm okay with either of the schools. Getting them all to school on my own worked out last year so I know it will work out again this year. Praise God for answered prayers!
Month number four is going to be here in no time with everything we have going on this month. Between rock band, hula, theater, cooking class, church camp, big r movie night, church, family day at church, practice for family day performance, doctor appointments, small group, and hopefully eye appointments, we will be pretty busy. I might add that Shay is performing a hula dance this Sunday and Syd is singing. She even has a solo. She's so excited to finally be able to sing in front of an audience instead of just in the shower. HeHe
Cheers to three months down and just six more to go until R&R! I can't wait to see you baby! I miss you and love you soooooooo much!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Personal Goals
If you remember earlier postings, I talked a little about how I'm the girl that doesn't say no. I have a hard time letting people down and I've recently come to the conclusion that it's because I don't want anyone to be mad at me. People can be brutal and a lot of times if a person gets mad they go to their other friends and tell them just how awful you are. They expect them, as their friend, to side with them simply because they are mad and things didn't go their way. All to often, that's exactly what happens and then you have even more people mad at you. I've too many times been the one that had to listen to these complains. (This is what many adults call high school behavior. Personally I really don't get that statement, because it happens in adult life more often than high school so maybe teens should call it adult behavior.) I didn't want the complaints to actually be about me, though I'm quite sure it happened. In turn, I've been the one that went to a friend to vent too so why that concerned me, I have no idea at all. On the flip side of things, I believe it's okay to go to a friend with your problems and process through them. We all need someone to talk to when we're frustrated or irritated. However, there's a distinct difference between processing life and expecting the other person to take sides. In the greater scheme of things the only thing that really matters is what God thinks of me. It's not the opinions of others. Too bad I couldn't have put that into motion a long time ago!
God created us all equal, that's a true statement. However, He did not create us to all be alike. We all have our different ways of handling disappointment, different things that make us happy, different ways of raising our kids, and the list goes on. Who's to say that one persons way is better than another. In reality it's not better, simply different. Who are we to judge. I realize we're also all human and in reality we do judge others. Everyone has. If you saw a guy walking down the street with multiple rings, covered in black from head to toe, and his pants riding down below his butt, would you not do a double take and wonder "What is his problem" or "What was he thinking leaving his house like that". Of course you would. However, that person could be the kindest person you have ever met. A person that hasn't been in trouble a day in his life. You just don't know.
That last paragraph was a little off subject so I'll get back to it. I've always known this, but it finally became reality to me, after hearing our pastor speak on boundaries, that I too have boundaries. I have all to often let people cross those boundaries. What he said about becoming bitter with the person that crosses our personal boundaries, rings very true. However, when a person like me can't seem to say no, the boundaries get crossed time and time again. Once a person learns they can always come to you and know that your answer will always be yes, they will continue to come to you on a regular basis. That's no ones fault but my own. If I had learned the power of no to begin with, the problem wouldn't have existed to begin with. However on the other hand I feel that a person who really cares wouldn't put you in that situation to begin with. People need help sometimes. We all do. I get that. I'm happy to help out too. Please don't take this as me not wanting to help anyone ever at all. That's certainly not the case. I feel good when I'm able to be there for someone and to help them out. That's what we're here for, to live life together and to be there for one another. Sometimes however, it's just not a good time. Sometimes we go the distance so much and actually put ourselves out there, simply because we're afraid to say no, that it interferes with our family, our finances or even our sanity. Then there are those times that it's not a need you are asked for, simply a convenience. A convenience that the person could do on their own, but they don't because they know you will say yes. There is usually more than one option to solve a problem and if I need to say no than it's okay. I have realized that there are other options for people if they look for them. I don't have to feel bad because I have something else planned or I just don't feel right doing what's asked of me.
I'm still working on it, but I must say that I'm getting better at saying no. It's amazing how many friends I have that stand beside me and that actually don't get mad when I say no. Friends that completely understand and that actually push me to better myself and to accomplish my goals as an individual. To them I say a big THANK YOU! Thank you for your words of encouragement, thank you for allowing me to say no, and thank you for just being you! I'm calmer with my kids when things aren't stressful, I have more time for them, and my family as a whole gets along so much better. There will be bumps in the road I'm sure, and people that don't understand why I have to say no and stand up for myself and my family. That's okay. They just think differently than me and that's fine. To be a better wife and mom I feel I need to devote more time to my family without the stress of so many unnecessary obligations that pull me away from them.
So for my next goal in life, I plan to continue on making wise decisions and knowing when to say yes and when to say no, along with devoting more time to my family. My kids are individuals themselves, with different personalities and different ways of doing things. I want to enter their worlds a little more and understand them on a deeper level. Hopefully in this process, they will come to understand each other a little more and accept that things aren't always black and white.
God created us all equal, that's a true statement. However, He did not create us to all be alike. We all have our different ways of handling disappointment, different things that make us happy, different ways of raising our kids, and the list goes on. Who's to say that one persons way is better than another. In reality it's not better, simply different. Who are we to judge. I realize we're also all human and in reality we do judge others. Everyone has. If you saw a guy walking down the street with multiple rings, covered in black from head to toe, and his pants riding down below his butt, would you not do a double take and wonder "What is his problem" or "What was he thinking leaving his house like that". Of course you would. However, that person could be the kindest person you have ever met. A person that hasn't been in trouble a day in his life. You just don't know.
That last paragraph was a little off subject so I'll get back to it. I've always known this, but it finally became reality to me, after hearing our pastor speak on boundaries, that I too have boundaries. I have all to often let people cross those boundaries. What he said about becoming bitter with the person that crosses our personal boundaries, rings very true. However, when a person like me can't seem to say no, the boundaries get crossed time and time again. Once a person learns they can always come to you and know that your answer will always be yes, they will continue to come to you on a regular basis. That's no ones fault but my own. If I had learned the power of no to begin with, the problem wouldn't have existed to begin with. However on the other hand I feel that a person who really cares wouldn't put you in that situation to begin with. People need help sometimes. We all do. I get that. I'm happy to help out too. Please don't take this as me not wanting to help anyone ever at all. That's certainly not the case. I feel good when I'm able to be there for someone and to help them out. That's what we're here for, to live life together and to be there for one another. Sometimes however, it's just not a good time. Sometimes we go the distance so much and actually put ourselves out there, simply because we're afraid to say no, that it interferes with our family, our finances or even our sanity. Then there are those times that it's not a need you are asked for, simply a convenience. A convenience that the person could do on their own, but they don't because they know you will say yes. There is usually more than one option to solve a problem and if I need to say no than it's okay. I have realized that there are other options for people if they look for them. I don't have to feel bad because I have something else planned or I just don't feel right doing what's asked of me.
I'm still working on it, but I must say that I'm getting better at saying no. It's amazing how many friends I have that stand beside me and that actually don't get mad when I say no. Friends that completely understand and that actually push me to better myself and to accomplish my goals as an individual. To them I say a big THANK YOU! Thank you for your words of encouragement, thank you for allowing me to say no, and thank you for just being you! I'm calmer with my kids when things aren't stressful, I have more time for them, and my family as a whole gets along so much better. There will be bumps in the road I'm sure, and people that don't understand why I have to say no and stand up for myself and my family. That's okay. They just think differently than me and that's fine. To be a better wife and mom I feel I need to devote more time to my family without the stress of so many unnecessary obligations that pull me away from them.
So for my next goal in life, I plan to continue on making wise decisions and knowing when to say yes and when to say no, along with devoting more time to my family. My kids are individuals themselves, with different personalities and different ways of doing things. I want to enter their worlds a little more and understand them on a deeper level. Hopefully in this process, they will come to understand each other a little more and accept that things aren't always black and white.
Air Force Brat to Army Wife
On this independence day, I first want to say thank you to my dad and my husband for their service to our great country. I'm thankful to all of our military, in every branch, for the sacrifices they make in order for us to be a free nation.
I grew up enduring many days, weeks, and even months, of separation from my dad while he was traveling around the world with the air force. Fortunately those periods of separation weren't as long as many of our military families face today and his job didn't require him to be on the front lines, but for a young child, even those shorter periods of time seem like years. I remember many nights crawling into my mom's bed to fill that empty spot where my dad was suppose to be. I remember the phone calls he made to check on us and to make sure we were all doing okay. I also remember all the t-shirts and trinkets he would bring home for us from around the world. My dad was in the Air National Guard so we didn't have to move around at all. My sister and I grew up going to the same schools with the same friends clear through high school. I really think that experience growing up was just one of God's steps to prepare me for the life I now have as an Army wife, raising three Army kids.
It's a lot different for my kids than it was for me growing up. In the 6 years we've been in the army, they've already faced two pcs moves, two lengthy deployments, weeks of daddy being away for training, and currently our third deployment. I'm so thankful that God made our kids so resilient and so willing for change. They handle everything that our Army life throws at us with so much courage and strength. They embrace the changes, even through the difficult times of saying goodbye to daddy and saying goodbye to the friends they've made as we pcs to another station. They don't like the goodbyes, no one does, but they are always looking forward to the welcome homes and to making new friends. They always stay so positive and focus on the good things that are to come. From day one of daddy stepping on the ugly white bus they talk about what we will do for him when he comes home. During both of our moves, they have all made new friends from day one of being in our new place. That may be one of the benefits of living on post too. There are kids everywhere that are willing to welcome their new Army friends in with open arms. After all, they were that new kid once and will be again one day as they too move on to another station.
To the general public it may seem like a lot to go through. They may wonder why we put ourselves out there and actually volunteer for this lifestyle. There are many reasons that a soldier joins the service. Maybe it's to get help in furthering their education after high school. Maybe it's just to prove that they can do it. Maybe it's to carry on a family tradition. Maybe it's for the stability the military provides or the benefits that come along with it. Regardless of the initial reason they join, it's always for their country. It's always to stand up for the rights of our American citizens. It's always to protect our freedom and our way of life. As for the families, we voluntarily welcome this life with open arms because we too love our great country. What's greater than that, we love our soldiers with all our hearts and we would do anything to stand beside them. We will go the distance, no matter what that entails, to be sure our soldier have the strongest support system while deployed, or while away at training, and even when they're home. We will endure uncertainty, separation, anxiety, loneliness... Just to be able to spend our lives with the one person that God has created just for us. The one person that takes a piece of our heart no matter the distance between us!
Just remember as independence day has come and gone, that our troops are fighting for our freedoms every day. Let's not only pay tribute to them on those specific days we have set aside throughout the year, but honor them in our day to day lives. Keep them in your daily prayers, give them a hug, say thank you, or even just simply nod your head at them and smile. They are very humble in what they do, but in their hearts, those kind gestures make a world of difference. God Bless America and God Bless Our Military!
I grew up enduring many days, weeks, and even months, of separation from my dad while he was traveling around the world with the air force. Fortunately those periods of separation weren't as long as many of our military families face today and his job didn't require him to be on the front lines, but for a young child, even those shorter periods of time seem like years. I remember many nights crawling into my mom's bed to fill that empty spot where my dad was suppose to be. I remember the phone calls he made to check on us and to make sure we were all doing okay. I also remember all the t-shirts and trinkets he would bring home for us from around the world. My dad was in the Air National Guard so we didn't have to move around at all. My sister and I grew up going to the same schools with the same friends clear through high school. I really think that experience growing up was just one of God's steps to prepare me for the life I now have as an Army wife, raising three Army kids.
It's a lot different for my kids than it was for me growing up. In the 6 years we've been in the army, they've already faced two pcs moves, two lengthy deployments, weeks of daddy being away for training, and currently our third deployment. I'm so thankful that God made our kids so resilient and so willing for change. They handle everything that our Army life throws at us with so much courage and strength. They embrace the changes, even through the difficult times of saying goodbye to daddy and saying goodbye to the friends they've made as we pcs to another station. They don't like the goodbyes, no one does, but they are always looking forward to the welcome homes and to making new friends. They always stay so positive and focus on the good things that are to come. From day one of daddy stepping on the ugly white bus they talk about what we will do for him when he comes home. During both of our moves, they have all made new friends from day one of being in our new place. That may be one of the benefits of living on post too. There are kids everywhere that are willing to welcome their new Army friends in with open arms. After all, they were that new kid once and will be again one day as they too move on to another station.
To the general public it may seem like a lot to go through. They may wonder why we put ourselves out there and actually volunteer for this lifestyle. There are many reasons that a soldier joins the service. Maybe it's to get help in furthering their education after high school. Maybe it's just to prove that they can do it. Maybe it's to carry on a family tradition. Maybe it's for the stability the military provides or the benefits that come along with it. Regardless of the initial reason they join, it's always for their country. It's always to stand up for the rights of our American citizens. It's always to protect our freedom and our way of life. As for the families, we voluntarily welcome this life with open arms because we too love our great country. What's greater than that, we love our soldiers with all our hearts and we would do anything to stand beside them. We will go the distance, no matter what that entails, to be sure our soldier have the strongest support system while deployed, or while away at training, and even when they're home. We will endure uncertainty, separation, anxiety, loneliness... Just to be able to spend our lives with the one person that God has created just for us. The one person that takes a piece of our heart no matter the distance between us!
Just remember as independence day has come and gone, that our troops are fighting for our freedoms every day. Let's not only pay tribute to them on those specific days we have set aside throughout the year, but honor them in our day to day lives. Keep them in your daily prayers, give them a hug, say thank you, or even just simply nod your head at them and smile. They are very humble in what they do, but in their hearts, those kind gestures make a world of difference. God Bless America and God Bless Our Military!
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