Anniversaries

Today and tomorrow are important dates for Hubs and I. Today marks the fifth year of us being together, while tomorrow is four years married. Kind of cool how we got married a year-and-a-day after starting dating, very symbolic of ancient contracts.

Bittersweet, though, since he will miss next years dates, which is also worse because we had been planning and dreaming on 5 year vow renewals. I suppose we might be able to do a virtual one while he is in theater (IE, Over There), and plan one for when he returns shortly (ish) after.

And this deployment? Could be between 365 and 400 days, the Army's way of covering their extended deployment pay clause. (Something about any time over 365 days is a pay bonus, UNLESS it's been stated as more or extended formally.) Ugh.

He will also be missing- my birthday, the second year in a row- he missed last year because of Basic; his next birthday; our oldest niece's 4th birthday; our youngest niece's 2nd; his parents birthdays, anniversary; Halloween, Fourth of July, Labor day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines, St. Patrick's Day...you get the picture?

He, like thousands of other soldiers, gets to miss an ENTIRE year-or more- of his family's life, all for our freedoms. And for not that great of pay, but at least it is steady and guaranteed. And good benefits.

But it is time they never get back, and although they might get some sort of involvement, with today's technologies, they aren't present, and they don't get the hugs and kisses and loves. Sad.

But, I too will miss a lot of that, since I am in a different state then my family and his. I choose this, though, to be able and focus on him, and be available for the FRG. And I can vacay anytime I want.

Guess I am ranting. Kinda heartsick for my honey...already missing him, and that's an evil thing to do while he is here. *sigh*

Last of our weekends for this year.

Hubs came home yesterday and informed me he has only less-than-a-handful of weekends to go before he deploys. That makes me a sad penguin. I know- he enlisted and we are both well aware of the all the ramifications of Active Duty, and are proud to serve. Here's the issue- it's STILL AN ENTIRE YEAR APART FROM EACH OTHER!!! And, we don't feel prepared- or at least, maybe I feel that he isn't prepared enough to go.

Neither of us feel that he's been trained well with this company since he joined them. They have pretty much ignored him and the handful of others in his MOS, since the company they are in don't have more than these 8 guys as this MOS, so they don't have the training available for them. And, they won't have anything specific for them to DO where they are deploying.

So, these guys aren't being used for their Army trained jobs, but hey, I guess that it's OK, because they won't be with the rest of the gung-ho guys in the middle of nowhere with no FOB, but instead left behind with Headquarters. That makes me a Happy Penguin, since Headquarters= phones and internet and bunks. The other guys? May not have any of that for at least 4 months, if not more! Which makes me very sad, especially if Hubs actually ends up with them all. Which could happen. It's the Army, you know...

We should know if his dental delays his deployment by Monday. Obviously, I would like him to be delayed a while, but it doesn't matter, since he WILL be going. I'd just like it to be any number of days/weeks/months shorter than the year. But, also, I'd like our first deployment to get over with.

I fully expect to grow and get stronger together over this and following separations, I'm just scared of the worst. I think it would be strange if I'm not, but I have hope, and heart, and faith he will be alright and come home to me.

The biggest thing I look forward to about this deployment? His Homecoming.

Moving!

We're old pros at it, by now. We actually voluntarily moved, without being ordered to do so. Actually, a roundabout way, we were, but lets not get into THAT, hmm?

We moved, a whole 10 miles away from where we were earlier. A smaller, cheaper apartment with lovely amenities- washer and dryer, and dishwasher...screens on windows (odd, hmm, but Hubs was ASKED if that was a perk of the new place, lol!), a pool and fitness center. AND, they allow big dogs. And I mean BIG...when you call to ask a housing manager if they allow large dogs, and they say "Yes, up to 60 pounds" and you LAUGH...that is NOT a big dog, in fact, by definition that is a medium dog.

Our year old, small for her breed, pure bred SAINT BERNARD, at just over 100 pounds, is a BIG dog. And yet, she LOVES apartment living. In fact, I usually mistake her for a large panting floor rug. Apparently, St's are actually perfect for small houses/ apartments, being low energy and happy to lay around. We read that at 2- fully "grown up," she will be even LAZIER than now, and now, she only gets excited meeting new people, and that is getting better and better, the more we take her and her (small buddy, a 60 lb female shepherd mutt) to the nearby dog park. The first 10 minutes are them dragging us to the park, freaking and barking and jumping...then, they are WELL behaved, socially gentle and friendly dolls. Off leash. In a giant park. It. Is. A. Maz. Ing.

And the shepherd mutt, who we've had aggressive/protective issues with, seems to only dislike new people in the house, and is lovely and friendly at the park.

But beyond all that.

The little fuzzies, the cats, have adjusted well. We now live in a 2 bed, 2 bath just-over-800 square foot apartment, bottom level, back of the building apartment, built in 1996.

We are saving a good chunk of money on rent, not to mention utilities. We love that, but, we've also added (in a way) to the current bills- we traded in the truck, which was acting funny and beyond our patience and ability to repair, for a 2006 Mercury Milan. We LOVE it, and took it on a quick jaunt to MT home for a bit of work-style leave/vacation. We now have it's payment, and insurance for it, but with the rent and utility savings, we even out.

When Hubs leaves for the giant sandbox in about a month, we/I will be able to save a lot of gas and groceries- the man puts it away, burning so much for the Army PT. Food, I mean. Fuel, of course, will only be for me running to the store and dog park, because I plan on taking- drum roll, please- online Financial Accounting classes while he is gone.

Yes, I will be going back to college, in a way. Exciting.

With the Accounting, I can branch into home business courses, etc, and go ahead and do accounting for businesses from the home.

Also...

New pictures will come up soon, we aren't completely unpacked, but if I wait until we are, no one will see the apartment.

We will be seeing an Infertility Specialist early July, and get some things started/handled, however, Hubs should be gone by then, so all I can do is my stuff. Since it's all me anyways, that's ok, but we are a little upset we can't store his stuff IN CASE. (I HATE that phrase!) So, we will try- again/more- during R&R, and when Hubs gets home.

He is getting his teeth worked on, which MIGHT delay his deployment- all four wisdom teeth, as well as an extra tooth under his lower teeth that requires reconstruction of his JAW. And since he is deathly allergic to penicillin, any infection caused by the teeth over there can't be handled...so, he needs them all dealt with here, now, before he gets sent over. He doesn't want to be delayed- he enlisted to serve, but of course, he won't argue a shorter-than-12-months deployment.

But, above all else, we are praying for his safety, as well as all the other soldiers serving, and that they all return home safe and on time to their families and homes.

God Bless the US Soldiers!!