What a military spouse knows...

http://herwarhervoice.com/blog/?awesm=fbshare.me_Aa7RT&p=1313&utm_content=fbshare-js-large&utm_medium=fbshare.me-facebook-post&utm_source=facebook.com

I really liked this article. We are not going through the deployment this year with the rest of the post, but I know all too well how it feels, and how it hurts, and although Preston will be gone a CRAZY amount this year on TDY off and on...he isn't deploying, and that absolutely makes it worth it. It is a side of the deployment we haven't been on yet. We have never been one of the families that is whole during the deployment. I am...I don't know if excited is the right word, but I am looking forward I guess to helping, and being there for others...like others have helped me through deployments. I think it will be a cool experience for Preston to be one of the husbands not deploying, and get to help out the other families as others have taken such amazing care of his family while he has been gone. It is definitely a great blessing that the military has taught me that you have to be willing to accept service. That definitely wasn't something I was good at, until the last deployment in Anchorage. One of my good friends Dory taught me it's ok not to be perfect, and it's ok for the house to not always be clean. It's okay to have down days...as long as I always get back up. In each deployment we have been through...Heavenly Father surrounded me with the people he knew I needed. The ones that taught me so much about myself, and that it isn't a bad thing to take time for myself every once in a while. I couldn't possibly mention everyone that helped me through each deployment, but I know that Heavenly Father knows who and what I need to be able to come through these deployments and I am so excited to be a tool in Heavenly Father's hands and help some of these amazing ladies up here in Fairbanks get through this deployment with flying colors. It's not easy, but there are some amazing blessings that do come out of deployments. Hard to imagine when you are standing at the front of the deployment waving goodbye, but wow I could definitely tell you our marriage is stronger, our kids are stronger, and I am stronger. You push yourself to accomplish things you never thought you could. I watched my sons stand up and be men...even during the first deployment and Derek was only 10. He gave Travis the hemlich when he choked on a small toy, after just reading about it on the back of his science book. My boys are going to be amazing husbands someday. They have learned to read me by just looking at me & seeing that look in my eye that I need just a minute or two of peace and quiet, and grab their little brothers and camp them out with popcorn and a movie in their rooms....or surprise me with a clean kitchen. I know it's hard on the kids, but I watch all military brats with AWE and think wow you are amazing.