So close to the end! YESSSS!

Yes we are nearing the end of Don's deployment! And i cant wait for him to be home again. This year has been trying but a great learning and growing experience for our whole family. Still, I hope we dont and have no desire to be repeating this refining experience anytime soon! lol. anyways i am really writing this quick blog to say thank you to all of my family and friends who helped me get through the past year. Thank you immensly. I couldnt have done it without any of you. No matter where we may go, know that u all will always be loved and treasured part of our family.

Deployments are like hurricanes and are quite good for making one a better person

So its been months since i have blogged. I am so horrible at it. But I feel I have a legitimate excuse for not doing: deployment. Yes the dreaded word for any soldier/spouse. We hate them. (Other words we hate- tdy, lockdowns, field problems.) Don and I have been married for almost 9 years now-on march 17th-and i did some figuring in my head the other day....we have spent more than half of that apart due to all of those dreaded words i mentioned before. And the years apart have without a doubt been the most trying/horrible of our marriage. Its no wonder- I become a single mother while he is gone and he becomes a geographical bachelor. it doesnt make for an easy ride for any of us. the end of this latest deployment is coming to an end soon- i wont say when exactly due to operational security "OPSEC" concerns- and i am glad that it is almost over. i miss my best friend and my kids miss their dad.

But during these times its when i have found i have grown the most-ive become more self reliant, yet have learned when i need to ask for help; i have been humbled, yet still comforted when in sorrow; shown more love than i have known how to thank for and have had the chance to love in return, and ive come to know myself even better than before. they say it takes a storm to lead u to a place where u can grow. well i think deployments are hurricances in that aspect. im being refined daily and i remind myself of that as my world continues to be turned and my ship rocked daily by the small and big waves that have hit me. And if these storms are what it takes for me to make it to paradise on the other side....well then bring on the deployments because one day there wont be anymore and ill be able sail my ship without any storms