Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.

So My husband and I have been married now for just over two and a half years. And unfortunately we are already on our 2nd deployment leaving us with just over a year of actually being in the same house, let alone the same state together. One of these days soon though we will reach a time were we have been together more then apart. And I know allot of other military wives can relate well to what I am talking about. Although I guess between all the schools and training we have actually been together less then that. And even though I hate that fact, I am reassured in it because with all the time we have had to spend apart our marriage is always getting stronger and more beautiful every day.
Before I met my husband, I never imagined that I would be married to a soldier. The town I am from isn't very big and everyone in it knows someone who knows you. This town is also an hour away from any sort of military base and even though I have retired military extended family it's never really been a life style I've known until now. And I must say it really has grown on me. I love the camaraderie that you can find in many of the wives here. The fact that your neighbors and friends and even people you run into at the commissary know exactly what deployments are like, and what it's like going home to an empty bed night after night during those times.
One thing I have learned over our times apart is how to laugh. To be able to laugh at myself and to find the joy in life. Even during the times all the joy seems to be sucked out of it. I love reading books written by other military wives who know how to find the joy in life as well. Because even though there are so many many times all I want to do is curl up and cry I try and find things to make me laugh. It's keeps my spirits strong and my outlook so much more bright. Which is very important or you'll tend to sink.

I remember one afternoon some of the girls and I decided to take our kids and have a day at the beach, (Which is definitely one perk to being stationed in Hawaii!) there are many secluded beaches, and it's easy to find a spot away from roaming tourists and new Privets trying to pick up chicks. We planned the night before to go and I was very glad we did once I got in the shower that next morning. Knowing we were about to have a day at the beach I of course dug my razor out of the bottom of my cosmetic bag where it had been living for the past almost 3 weeks. And I swear once I got started it took all of 20 minutes to actually shave every unsightly hair off my body! Once my husband deployed I saw no need for this sort of extra maintenance, and had neglected it badly. I had razor burns in places I didn't know you could get razor burns! When I finally finished and my daughter and I were beach ready we headed out for our day in the blue waters. It was all fun and games and we were hunting for shells just under the shallow waves when a bit of seaweed floated over my girlfriends leg. "What was that!" she asked while pulling her legs back. I told her it was just seaweed as I looked down at it. Then I saw this seaweed scurry sideways... We all ran screaming from the waves toward the sand. It was a huge crab! When we realized what we just did, and what we must look like we collapsed on the sand laughing hysterically! And I know that we all very much needed that afternoon. I went home feeling so refreshed and energized. All because a crab turned us into screaming little girls.
It's those little things we learn to laugh at and use to make our day joyful.

-This is the life!-

It's D Day (Year) Again.

So I really did mean to write more often on this blog then I have lately. But things just got so hectic with my husbands deployment. He flew over seas a couple of weeks ago and we have now begun our next deployment together. Something I have been dreading, but honestly I can't complain too much because we did get over a year together between deployments. And he was able to be here for the whole first year of our daughters life. We were very blessed for that.

Now I am just trying to get into the swing of deployment again. Even though we did get so much time together it just seems that it's come too soon again. And while I was hoping that maybe this deployment would be a little easier for me because it's not our first together and I have our daughter to keep me busy and so many great friends here and family we will be going back to visit, I really think this one is going to be harder just in the sense that over the past year and a half we have grown so much together and so much closer together. We were only married for a few days before last deployment and had only been a couple for about four months. And while I loved him very much we were still new to each other and hadn't grown as close as we are now.

And even though deployments are the worst part of Army life I am so very proud of him. And I love that he loves his job so much. Sometimes I think about what it would be like for him to just have a normal 9 to 5 job and not have to be away from him for years at a time. But I know that he wouldn't be as happy in that type of job as he is being a soldier. And I would rather have to deal with deployments and him love his work, then for him to be miserable in his job. And I really do enjoy the Army life. I love the community, the pride, the ability we have to travel. And I like that in my own way I can be involved too, as part of the FRG and volunteer positions.

I am as prepared as I can be for this deployment and all I can do is wait, and pray, and do my part from home to let him know that we are here for him till he is home to us. We have already sent him letters and a care package. =) And our daughter loves to color pictures for him. In between tasting the crayons of course. So hopefully this deployment goes quickly and safely for him and all the men over there. So for now I'll just try and stay busy and try not to watch the calendar too much. Even though I know every day how many, months, weeks, and days we have left.

This is the life.