Blog Hopping

Alright, I've already posted about being addicted to blog hopping mil-spouse blogs lately ( see post here) and I stumbled across a few more new ones today ( One in particular that made me BAWL! Check out this, BUT only if you can handle reading about a perfect strangers pain and how she is getting through it. Really made me feel pretty petty about complaining about deployment in my last entry :/)

Well another mil-spouse blog I have stumbled across is holding a small contest, and really I can't help but join. The purpose of me opening up more about everything that's going on in this military life of ours is to meet more spouse and learn from them how they deal! And hopefully this'll help me accomplish that!

In any case, you can check out the contest here, and what she asked us to do was write an entry about what being a military spouse means to me. So here it goes:

Being "in the military" with my husband is the hardest most challenging thing I have ever done. I really didn't know or fully understand what it would mean to be a military wife when we decided to get married. I remember talking with my mom a lot about what it would be like, because my dad joined the Navy and went to boot camp just after they were married and then ensued several years of craziness for her. At that time we both came to the conclusion that I was strong enough to handle it. But I have days....frequently, when I seriously doubt it.

I miss my husband A LOT. He works a ton, even when they're in port, and when they're not...I'm lonely, and feel totally inadequate to being a single parent. I miss my family, I really dislike being stranded across the country from the only other people I really depend on to help me when I need it.

But there are always positives right? It's just about finding them in any given situation. I feel blessed that I can be a stay at home mom for my kids when they are so young. And right now, the military is the only way that we would be able to do that, because in the civilian world one of us would be going to school to finish some kind of a degree and working part time, while the other works full time just to make ends meet. The military makes me and my husband closer. Granted we've only been married under 3 years, but not seeing each other for extended periods really does help keep the spark alive. ( Though, I have to say, at this point I would prefer to be putting effort into keeping the spark alive, versus it just naturally staying lit because of lack of time together!!) I'm proud to be giving silent service to our country, no matter how much I complain on here about it. And I'm grateful that I've had this opportunity, and look forward to the day that we can talk about our experiences in the Navy and be stronger because we had them.

Anyway...in a nutshell, what being a mil-spouse means to me is....well, it tests your limits and you will do things you never in a million years thought you could do. You will cry, and laugh, and be proud, and will dream about running away to Canada on a long weekend when no-one will notice you've deserted until you're already over the boarder! :) But you will be stronger for it, and I think I will always treasure my time with my husband in the Navy.

until next time,
Jen