Posted on

Stressed until the end

When I found out when my husband was due home I was ecstatic, but the stress and anxiety that has gone along with him being gone, hasn’t gone away. And I don’t think it will until he’s home.

At a recent event for spouses in our brigade prepping for redeployment (homecoming) we talked about the reintegration after they come home, what to expect and look for, but the chaplain asked one question that has stuck with me, “When will you stop holding your breath?” we all answered: “When we’re holding each other here in our arms.”

We’ll probably be this happy when we see each other again. Photo © Casey Fatchett – www.fatchett.com

Continue reading “Stressed until the end”

Posted on

Check out my guest post on SpouseBuzz

Today I wrote about 5 lessons I learned through our first deployment for SpouseBuzz. The 5 are:

  1. You can still work on your marriage.
  2. Don’t freak out when your loved one isn’t online.
  3. You can and will make amazing friends.
  4. Halfway point is not as joyous as you may think.
  5. The strain of deployment lasts until the end.

To read the full post head on over to SpouseBuzz: http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2012/11/first-timer-deployment.html

 

 

Posted on

Learning about myself during deployment

While the hubby was away on his deployment I had a lot of “me” time. Nine months of me time. And facing that prospect earlier this year was scary. I’ve always had roommates, I went from college dorms to a shared apartment to married life. The few months here and there that I was totally on my own, mainly a summer during college, I was miserable. I talked to a counselor to work through all of my feelings, something I am very glad that I did. So with the prospect of 9 months in my much larger space with a few friends was scary. But there was something about living in “our” space that actually made it soothing. And my packed schedule. I made sure that I had stuff to do, maybe too much, with work, volunteering, and now school. Plus my newfound friends. So over those months between girls nights, long drives, and self reflection, I started realizing what I truly need and want out of life. Continue reading “Learning about myself during deployment”

Posted on

Care Packages 101

I am dedicating this week to the not so fun reality of deployment. And while it had its ups and downs, my absolute favorite part was sending my husband care packages! After sending them for months I got a system down, and my packing skills were impressive. While my hubby’s stop mail date has passed, I’m preparing to send more packages to our friends that are deployed. Here are my tried and true tips:

My last care package. Perfectly fit. Photo by Jessica Hall

Continue reading “Care Packages 101”

Posted on

How I am making it through a deployment

I have been quiet about the fact that my husband is deployed to Afghanistan online. This is to protect his safety and mine (see OPSEC in the glossary). But as the deployment winds down (countdown is in double digits!!) I want to share what it was like for me.

Me with my “Flat James” as I like to call him, which I got made so James could be at his brother’s wedding this year. This is us on our one year anniversary. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Hall)

Continue reading “How I am making it through a deployment”