Today is our last day in Florida. I have such mixed emotions about this. I have just loved being down here for the last 14 months. The weather, having people to talk to all of the time, and the friendships I have made here are just a few of the things that I am going to miss the most.
I was lucky enough to meet another Army reserve wife, who was pregnant, and whose husband is deployed as well. We have spent lots of time at Olive Garden talking about everything from our husbands, to kids, to in-laws, and everything in between. It has been so nice to have someone right here that really understands all of the feelings that I was going through while my hubby was away. I was even lucky enough to go with her to pick up her husband when he came home for R&R. I was so happy to be able to keep her company and have my hubby take pictures of them. Not to mention that we already knew her husband so it was nice to welcome a friend home as well. I feel awful that we are leaving now, while her husband is still "over there". We did get to have one last Olive Garden date on Saturday night then we all went to BWW's for lunch on Sunday.
Kathryn- I am going to miss you so much. I hope that you really know how much I appreciate having you here to talk to. We will be back soon, hopefully we will be able to come back shortly after your hubby gets home. You better keep me updated and let me know when he will be home (that way I can get anxiety with you!!!)
I am a little bit excited to be leaving as well. We are going to be able to start fresh as a family. Pretty soon we will be relying on one another and not other people, which will be nice and stressful. I will be looking for work, which I am sad and happy about. The hubby will be doing odd jobs at his parent's house and at my dad's house for the Spring and Summer while he waits for the fall semester to start. I am so excited for him to start his college career. He is a little nervous about it but I think that he is really looking forward to starting school again.
Of course our last day here in nice warm Florida our little man is sick. He woke up covered in puke about 1am. So he got a nice bath then went to sleep with us in our bed. He woke up again at 7am, nursed, then preceded to projectile vomit all over me while we were still in bed. He is napping right now, for the second time today. Poor kid, even though he isn't feeling well, when he is awake he still has a smile on his face. I hope that he feels better by tomorrow morning or it is going to make for a very interesting flight for us tomorrow.
Well, Good bye for now Florida.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The "real" reintegration
So many people that are not army spouses think that "Homecoming" from a deployment is just the hugs, kisses, and tears of joy. Its not. I truly believe that its the toughest part of the deployment process. Going from doing everything without your spouse for a year to trying to figure out how to let go of some of the responsibility is tough. The soldier has to figure out where they fit in, because their family just survived a year without much help, if any from them. I am thankful that our reintegration process has gone better than I had expected. Of course we have had arguments, those are to be expected. Our biggest argument is how much I use my phone. I tried to explain it to him that it was like another limb for the better part of a year and its a little tough to get out of that habit. I am getting better about it so our arguments have been less and less.
Being in the reserves gives people another challenge after a deployment. The hubby's civilian job had laid off just about everyone while he was gone and he was going to be next. We were actually happy that he was going to get laid off because we didn't want to live where his job was. While we were in Iowa he had a meeting with his employer and was told that he would be laid off. The hubby got everything that he wanted. We are now officially homeless and unemployed. I will pat myself on the back for this, I did a good job saving us money while he was gone so we can afford to stay unemployed for a while.
I know that we are a lucky family because reintegration really has been "easy" for us. I have heard of husbands that won't help with their children and a few divorces or separations within the unit. My heart breaks for those families. And if someone can explain to me why you would marry someone that either the soldier or the spouse can't wait a year for (meaning sex), I'd appreciate it. I just don't understand that. I know it happens more often that we would all like to think, but seriously. I want to scream at these people. HOW FRIGGIN STUPID!
Ok, short rant over.
I love having my hubby home, even when we do argue. We have become a well rounded family. And I realized that what I missed most about the hubby was the times that we are laying in bed and he or I say something stupid and we can't quit laughing (we tend to do this on a very regular basis).
I'd go through a million and one deployments if it meant that I get to spend the rest of my life calling my husband my husband. I love him more than I will ever be able to explain!
Being in the reserves gives people another challenge after a deployment. The hubby's civilian job had laid off just about everyone while he was gone and he was going to be next. We were actually happy that he was going to get laid off because we didn't want to live where his job was. While we were in Iowa he had a meeting with his employer and was told that he would be laid off. The hubby got everything that he wanted. We are now officially homeless and unemployed. I will pat myself on the back for this, I did a good job saving us money while he was gone so we can afford to stay unemployed for a while.
I know that we are a lucky family because reintegration really has been "easy" for us. I have heard of husbands that won't help with their children and a few divorces or separations within the unit. My heart breaks for those families. And if someone can explain to me why you would marry someone that either the soldier or the spouse can't wait a year for (meaning sex), I'd appreciate it. I just don't understand that. I know it happens more often that we would all like to think, but seriously. I want to scream at these people. HOW FRIGGIN STUPID!
Ok, short rant over.
I love having my hubby home, even when we do argue. We have become a well rounded family. And I realized that what I missed most about the hubby was the times that we are laying in bed and he or I say something stupid and we can't quit laughing (we tend to do this on a very regular basis).
I'd go through a million and one deployments if it meant that I get to spend the rest of my life calling my husband my husband. I love him more than I will ever be able to explain!
In the last 2 months
The same day the hubby made it home we went to the beach house. What a great week that was. We spent time shopping (he had to get new clothes of course), we went to Bass Pro (pretty sure he would live there if it was possible), going to the beach, and just enjoying time as a family without thinking about him having to go back. He got to watch our son in his jump-a-roo, which is one of the funniest things in the world. We had our first anniversary (nice quiet supper at the beach house). And we got to start a new bed time routine! There was no better way to spend our first week together. After that first week we spent 2 more weeks at my mom's house then headed to Iowa so he could see his family.
It was SO nice to have help while flying. Our little man did great and of course he flirted with EVERYONE. His parents picked us up from the airport and we went to my dad's house for lunch. We got to his parents house about 3 hours after we landed and I was ready to get settled.
We spent a week at his parents house. Exactly one month after he got home, he bought a truck. I was hoping that we would wait on it until we figured out what we would be doing and where we would live. No such luck. Too bad for him we had to wait to pick it up because the dealership wanted to clean it all up for us. He went on his ice fishing trip the night that we bought the truck so for an entire week I got to drive it. I went to my dad's house while he fished. The night that he was coming home I went to our friend Karen's house and her and I went to supper at Bluff Lake (BEST PRIME RIB!). The hubby was with her hubby fishing. I was so weird, I knew that he was only leaving for 5 days but so didn't want him to go. When it was all over I had to laugh at myself. 5 days...really...I just did 354 days!
We spent a few days in Wisconsin, not finding a house, another week at his parents, and another week at my dad's house. We decided that we were going to drive back to Florida. Oh boy was I stressing. A 7 month old on a 26 hour drive. I don't know why I ever stress about anything with our son. He was a champ! Only really fussed the last 20 minutes both days. Yes, that means we spent 13 hours in the truck each day.
We are back in Florida now but will be moving back up north in less than 2 weeks. So I am trying to enjoy my Army wife time while I can get it. (Thank you Kathryn for loving Olive Garden as much as I do!)
It was SO nice to have help while flying. Our little man did great and of course he flirted with EVERYONE. His parents picked us up from the airport and we went to my dad's house for lunch. We got to his parents house about 3 hours after we landed and I was ready to get settled.
We spent a week at his parents house. Exactly one month after he got home, he bought a truck. I was hoping that we would wait on it until we figured out what we would be doing and where we would live. No such luck. Too bad for him we had to wait to pick it up because the dealership wanted to clean it all up for us. He went on his ice fishing trip the night that we bought the truck so for an entire week I got to drive it. I went to my dad's house while he fished. The night that he was coming home I went to our friend Karen's house and her and I went to supper at Bluff Lake (BEST PRIME RIB!). The hubby was with her hubby fishing. I was so weird, I knew that he was only leaving for 5 days but so didn't want him to go. When it was all over I had to laugh at myself. 5 days...really...I just did 354 days!
We spent a few days in Wisconsin, not finding a house, another week at his parents, and another week at my dad's house. We decided that we were going to drive back to Florida. Oh boy was I stressing. A 7 month old on a 26 hour drive. I don't know why I ever stress about anything with our son. He was a champ! Only really fussed the last 20 minutes both days. Yes, that means we spent 13 hours in the truck each day.
We are back in Florida now but will be moving back up north in less than 2 weeks. So I am trying to enjoy my Army wife time while I can get it. (Thank you Kathryn for loving Olive Garden as much as I do!)
Its been a while
I had started a post less than a week after the hubby returned, but pretty much gave up on it because all I wanted to do was spend time with him and our little man.
His return was AMAZING! We went to the airport, myself, our baby, my mom, my step-dad, and my sister. My sister took lots of pictures for us, I haven't seen them yet, but I know that they are going to be great. As we were sitting there waiting for his plane to come in another mom and her daughter came up to me and they had tears in their eyes. Both are Army wives and could remember when their husbands came home from a deployment.
I seriously think I wanted for an hour just staring at the runway and asking my step-dad to refresh his phone (he was watching the hubby's flight for me). Then, there it was! My hands started to sweat, my heart started to race, and the tears started to well up. As I stood up to walk to where he would be coming out I heard the music that was playing in the airport. It couldn't have been a more perfect song. It was "All I Want For Christmas Is You." As I watched his plane taxi all I could think was, "Seriously? Could they taxi any slower??" Apparently I wasn't the only person in the airport thinking this because a man said the exact same thing to my step-dad.
I took our son out of the stroller, held our sign, and waited. I saw what was probably the entire plane get off before he did. Some people even asked if it was ok for them to stay and watch.
FINALLY, I saw that MultiCam uniform, and totally lost it. I had to bury my head into our little boy because I wasn't sure if I was going to throw up, faint, or quit breathing all together. Then he was just inches away, I threw the sign down and felt his arms around me. Let me tell you, THE MOST AMAZING FEELING IN THE WORLD! Actually being able to feel and smell him and knowing that he was really ok was better than the best feeling in the world. There were thunderous applause and tons of people cheering and yelling welcome home. (We have the whole thing on video as well) We probably stood there hugging and kissing for a good 10 minutes. I handed our son to him and the hubby couldn't believe how big he was.
As we walked to baggage to pick up all of his stuff every single person that we passed thanked him and said welcome home. We got into the elevator and there was a man, about 27 years old, in a wheel chair. He talked to the hubby and asked him where he had been. He proceeded to tell us that he had just returned in September. At this point I looked down and saw that his legs were just not right. I don't know how to explain it, you could just tell that something wasn't good. It took every part of me to not cry uncontrollably. That could have been my husband! I am so sad for that man, and so happy for my husband all at the same time.
We drove home and the hubby got to see all of the yellow ribbons that our entire street had put up. Once we got inside the house the neighbors started to come over to welcome him home. Mind you, most of them had never even met him. As we were sitting in the living room playing with Trace someone knocked on the front door. I answered it and it was a reporter from the newspaper. (We found out later that one of the neighbors had called and told them that there was a story that had to be told) The very next day, on the front of the paper, above the fold, was a huge picture of the hubby and our son. It was a great article!
It was so nice that first day just playing with our son TOGETHER!
His return was AMAZING! We went to the airport, myself, our baby, my mom, my step-dad, and my sister. My sister took lots of pictures for us, I haven't seen them yet, but I know that they are going to be great. As we were sitting there waiting for his plane to come in another mom and her daughter came up to me and they had tears in their eyes. Both are Army wives and could remember when their husbands came home from a deployment.
I seriously think I wanted for an hour just staring at the runway and asking my step-dad to refresh his phone (he was watching the hubby's flight for me). Then, there it was! My hands started to sweat, my heart started to race, and the tears started to well up. As I stood up to walk to where he would be coming out I heard the music that was playing in the airport. It couldn't have been a more perfect song. It was "All I Want For Christmas Is You." As I watched his plane taxi all I could think was, "Seriously? Could they taxi any slower??" Apparently I wasn't the only person in the airport thinking this because a man said the exact same thing to my step-dad.
I took our son out of the stroller, held our sign, and waited. I saw what was probably the entire plane get off before he did. Some people even asked if it was ok for them to stay and watch.
FINALLY, I saw that MultiCam uniform, and totally lost it. I had to bury my head into our little boy because I wasn't sure if I was going to throw up, faint, or quit breathing all together. Then he was just inches away, I threw the sign down and felt his arms around me. Let me tell you, THE MOST AMAZING FEELING IN THE WORLD! Actually being able to feel and smell him and knowing that he was really ok was better than the best feeling in the world. There were thunderous applause and tons of people cheering and yelling welcome home. (We have the whole thing on video as well) We probably stood there hugging and kissing for a good 10 minutes. I handed our son to him and the hubby couldn't believe how big he was.
As we walked to baggage to pick up all of his stuff every single person that we passed thanked him and said welcome home. We got into the elevator and there was a man, about 27 years old, in a wheel chair. He talked to the hubby and asked him where he had been. He proceeded to tell us that he had just returned in September. At this point I looked down and saw that his legs were just not right. I don't know how to explain it, you could just tell that something wasn't good. It took every part of me to not cry uncontrollably. That could have been my husband! I am so sad for that man, and so happy for my husband all at the same time.
We drove home and the hubby got to see all of the yellow ribbons that our entire street had put up. Once we got inside the house the neighbors started to come over to welcome him home. Mind you, most of them had never even met him. As we were sitting in the living room playing with Trace someone knocked on the front door. I answered it and it was a reporter from the newspaper. (We found out later that one of the neighbors had called and told them that there was a story that had to be told) The very next day, on the front of the paper, above the fold, was a huge picture of the hubby and our son. It was a great article!
It was so nice that first day just playing with our son TOGETHER!
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