The longest days of deployment

As you read this I am spending some quality time with the hubby, for the first time in about 8 months. I am writing this prior to his homecoming ceremony because between his return and Thanksgiving, I may not be able to blog for a few days. But while I’m sure there are a lot of emotions going through my head right now as I hug and kiss him for the first time in what feels like forever, the days leading up to it were loong. So looooong.

Circle banner hung on the mantle with care. Photo by Jessica Hall
Circle banner hung on the mantle with care. Photo by Jessica Hall

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5 Things Military Spouses Don’t Like to Hear

Warning: This post is a bit snarky, I won’t lie to you. So now that you are prepared, proceed…

Since my husband and I got engaged I’ve been asked a whole lot of questions about my military life but there are a few that irk me. And it’s safe to say that some of them I have had to restrain myself to not just glare at the other person. And I’m not alone, my fellow military spouse friends and I talk about weird things we hear from people. (All time favorite: “Can you visit him (in Afghanistan)?”)

I know that not everyone understands the military life, which is what prompted this blog, so I try to be kind and give people the benefit of the doubt. But if you’re talking to a spouse, think twice or try to find a more considerate way to say on of these phrases.

I’ve heard some of these first hand, but others come from an informal poll on my Facebook page and here are the top 5:

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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

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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

 

 

Tips for Cooking for One

Last week I talked about deployment and how living alone can have its pluses. One of the major downsides though: cooking for one person. The absence of one person who eats  a bit more than me is a big deal, I think it took me months to get used to cooking for both of us, and having leftovers galore for lunch for both of us. And then boom, back to cooking for one! Here are my tried and true tricks:

Egg Salad, my go-to recipe for cooking for one

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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”

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

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