MilSpouse Holiday Blog Swap
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
I am excited to be participating in a holiday blog swap today, hosted by Wife on the Roller Coaster!
You can find me over at Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life, talking about traditions.
Guest posting here today is Sarah from G.I. Joe's Wife.
I really enjoy reading Sarah's blog, and following bits and pieces of her story.
Not only does she love Jesus, Grey's Anatomy, and is pregnant with a little baby girl,
but she also currently lives in Hawaii - and I must admit I am tad bit jealous!
So, without further ado, I'll let Sarah take it away!
Not only does she love Jesus, Grey's Anatomy, and is pregnant with a little baby girl,
but she also currently lives in Hawaii - and I must admit I am tad bit jealous!
So, without further ado, I'll let Sarah take it away!
A Deployed Christmas
As with most things, the Army messed with the plans we had for last Christmas. You see, the plan was for Joe to be on a plane home by mid-December. He’d put in for his mid-tour leave in December, and had told all of the “higher ups” that he wanted to be here in Hawaii with me for the last few weeks of December.
On November 29 {or 30th, I really can’t remember now}, I got an unexpected phone call from him. He called occasionally, but we Skyped more often than anything else. He’d just gotten back from another FOB, where he was having a full physical, when he was told he’d be leaving for Hawaii in about a day. ONE. DAY. We were both pretty upset, even though we were absolutely looking forward to being able to see each other after almost 6 months. This meant one huge thing to me: I’d be alone on Christmas.
Cue tears, freaking out and basically everything else you can imagine. We did have extra money in our savings and I was able to purchase plane tickets home for the holidays, but.... It wasn’t the same.
By the time he got here {about 4 days after the call}, I was just excited to see him.
We spent a wonderful two weeks together...
We celebrated Christmas, albeit a bit early:
Our “Christmas morning.”
And we spent every single minute together we could. Even with me catching a cold, we had a great time.
But, as it always does, the time for him to leave came too soon. We had a great time together but as many of you know, that two weeks goes so quickly. The only thing that kept me from falling apart was knowing that the next day I’d be on my own plane headed home for Christmas.
Somehow, I thought that going home would cure me of the my-husband-just-left-to-go-back-to-war blues. It was much harder than I thought I would be even though I knew what to expect this time around. Seeing my family was great, but it was very hard for me to be there without him.
When I went to visit his side of the family, I found that his grandmother had put a flag in his stocking. It was very sweet of her to do that, but of course that didn’t make it a whole lot easier. Oddly enough, spending time with his family did make things easier. Seeing them, hearing them... I don’t know what it was, but being around them helped so much. Maybe it was because they are his family and they missed him just as much as I did. My family didn’t completely understand and asked so many questions {Have you heard from him yet? Where do you think he is?} I could barely handle it.
While last Christmas was nearly unbearable for me, it makes me even more thankful that he is here this year. Every holiday since he’s been home... I don’t know, I just have a better appreciation for the fact that he came home alive, healthy and safe.
Not only is he home this year, but we are also expecting our first sweet little baby girl. Just an added blessing to his homecoming. We’re also going to visit our families on the mainland. It’s sure to be a wonderful, blessed, happy Christmas!
I hope all of you have an enjoyable holiday season as well!
And as the locals say, Mele Kalikimaka!
9 comments
It's wonderful that you were able to bond with your husband's family during the holidays when you couldn't be together. I'm sure they loved having you visit them to share first hand how much fun you had during his two week R&R visit home!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your "welcome home present" little girl! ;) Our children are often referred to as the 'newlywed' baby, the 'welcome home' baby, and our 'R&R' baby! :) Gotta love the Army Deployment Family Planning Method! ;)
Beautiful pictures, Sarah. The stocking with a flag tucked inside made me a little misty. I am so glad you and your husband get to spend the holidays together this year; I know it will be all the sweeter after last year's separation.
ReplyDeleteBlog Swap jumping!
ReplyDeleteSarah I am so glad you get to have your hubby home this year! I can't wait to read all about it on your blog (:
So sweet. (And congrats!!)
ReplyDelete*hopping around the Milspouse Holiday Blog Swap!*
i absolutely loved the last picture! i'm just so excited for you!!!!!
ReplyDeletebeing in the military, we are always having to get creative on how to celebrate birthdays/holidays on nonbirthdays/nonhlidays. it's the magic that we get to create and make special all on our own!
Oh my goodness, I remember. I'm so glad you don't have to worry about any of that this year and just get to enjoy each other and day dream about celebrating next year with baby girl!
ReplyDeleteThis year is going to be such a great Christmas for you! That will be so nice.
ReplyDeleteI loved this!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love that flag in the stocking. Have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed. But I'm even more thrilled about your little baby girl and that you'll have your hubby home for Christmas this year. Hooray! What a joyous Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you both for participating in the blog swap. I wish you both a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!! xoxo