Thank A Soldier This Christmas Season

I posted this photo and the below comment in my instagram feed the other day. Because it stands to be said over and over again, I'm posting it here on my blog, too. It's my prayer that our fallen soldiers are never forgotten...especially not Andrew "Hutch" Hutchins. 

Each time I've walked past my Christmas tree this morning I've glanced at this ornament. I bought it when we lived in Ft Campbell, when my husband was deployed to Afghanistan. I never want to forget his service to our country. I'm so proud of him. 

This year, though, it hit me that this was also the Christmas {2010} that one soldier, Andrew "Hutch" Hutchins, not only wasn't home with his family, but he wouldn't be with them for any other Christmas. His wife and unborn daughter would never get to sit around the Christmas tree with him. His parents would never get to see the joy on his face as he opened his presents from them. His brothers would never get to play whatever new video games they got for Christmas with him. 

I have no idea why this popped into my mind today when I saw this one ornament. I've pulled it out and put it on the tree for 4 years now. Maybe it's because his family has become our family and they mean so very much to us. Maybe it's because I never want anyone to forget Hutch. He meant so much to my husband, they became like brothers while they served together. Whatever the reason, I'll say this...thank a soldier. When you see them out as you're shopping, thank them. Thank a military family. Some of them are missing their soldiers during this Christmas season.

Sometimes I Dream of Lobster Stew {Our Trip to Maine, part one}

On November 8, 2010 a tragedy happened that would soon bring two families together. Andrew L. Hutchins was killed in Afghanistan. 

"Hutch" served with my husband in the 101st Airborne Division with the 3rd STB, 3rd BCT Rakkasans. They were Military Policeofficers. Soldiers. Friends. Brothers in Arms. It's hard to believe that one day, one single moment, can forever change a life. Many lives. 

After Hutch was killed my husband vowed to always stay in touch with his family. Not in an intrusive way. If they didn't want him around then he wouldn't push. Luckily, they welcomed him with open arms. Not only into their lives but, into their home. Into their family.

The first anniversary of Hutch's death my husband went to Maine to be with Hutch's wife and infant daughter, his parents and his brother. That would only be the beginning of an amazing connection between all involved. 

When Hubs took me with him last year I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't sure I could handle the emotions around it all. I didn't know Hutch, yet I cry each and every time I sit and write about him and his family or I talk about him in depth....and even when I think long and hard about our daughter's name, Mabry Mae Hutchins. {she is named after him to honor his sacrifice} I certainly didn't expect to fall in love with the people that Hutch loved so dearly. He has an amazing family. His dad met us at the airport with great big hugs and kisses, took us to his home and made us dinner. His stepmom made sure we saw as much as we could see in the short time we were there. His young wife brought their now toddler daughter to visit with us. We enjoyed those three days more than I think I will ever be able to convey to them. I will forever treasure the days spent in Maine. {and look forward to many, many more!}

I don't know why I feel compelled to write about Hutch and his family so often. I won't apologize for it. He deserves to be remembered. So MANY soldiers are forgotten. Or, their story is told once or twice and "that's enough". I think I will come back and write about Hutch and his sacrifice and his family often. VERY often. He will not be forgotten. Not by his family. Not by my husband. Not by me. Not by any of you if you stick with my blog long enough. :o)

I sat down to write today because I found some pictures from last November when we went to Maine. I wanted to share them with you. And then I just started typing and all of that above came out. Now, I'll share the pictures. And why this post is titled what it is titled.

The day after we arrived in Maine, Hutch's dad took us to this amazing little restaurant on the water.


Cook's Lobster House on Bailey Island, Maine. Seriously, if you find yourself in the area, GO! Have the Lobster Stew. Thank me later.

Lobstah Stew, y'all. {that's Maine talk and Southern talk right there!} See those enormous chunks of lobster? Heaven in your mouth. No joke.


Fresh Maine Lobster, or Lobstah, if you're reading from Maine. {Hubs had already taken two pieces off of my plate before I got a picture. Did he forget I'm a blogger and take pictures of all of the food???!!?!}

After we ate lunch, we walked around the tiny island for a little bit. It was cold and dreary but, like nothing I had ever seen before. Simple beautiful.















While we walked around in the cold, Hutch's dad sat in the warm truck and loved on our Mabry.



Until November of this year, I'll keep looking back on these pictures. I can't wait to get back up there and hug the necks of a family that I never knew I had...and would've never met under any other circumstances.

{there are more pictures...waiting to be edited. Coming soon. *wink*}

Never Forget

On this day each year America stops to remember our fallen heroes. It's Memorial Day, after all. For my family, though, we remember every day. We think of the fallen every day. We think of my husband's dear friend, Hutch.

I've told you about him before. But, I'm gonna tell you about him again. And again and again. I'll tell you about him often so that he isn't forgotten.

Andrew Hutchins, better known as Hutch by his closest friends and family, was an American Soldier. He was a son. A brother. A husband. When he was killed his wife was pregnant with their first daughter. So, while he was also a daddy, his daughter, Allyssa, will never know him. Hutch was never able to hold his baby girl in his arms. He was also a great friend. I'm told he was as good a friend as any guy could ever ask for. He loved hard and he worked hard.

This past Fall I had the privilege to meet Hutch's family. His dad, step-mom and brother invited Hubs and I into their Maine home and we spent a few days over the anniversary of Hutch's death together. {this was Hubs' second trip up there but, my first} Those few days were so special for me. I was able to meet the family of a man who served beside my husband and hear stories of their time together. Hutch's dad shared stories of him when we was a little boy. We remembered Andrew. It was good.



Hutch's wife and daughter met up with us at the cemetery on the date of his death. We laid flowers at his headstone, paid respect at the Memorial Wall and shed tears as 3-year-old Allyssa gave love to her daddy. {I can't even write this post without tears streaming down my cheeks}

Today, and every day, we remember Hutch.

I challenge you today to enjoy your day off and grill your hamburgers and hotdogs but, remember that you have this day as a holiday because of the men and women who died for your freedom. Think about them. Pray for their families that they left behind. If you find yourself out and about and see a veteran or serviceman THANK THEM. If you're too shy to thank them say a silent prayer for them.

Jeff, Betsy, Ben, Heather and Allyssa, we love you! Your son, brother, husband and daddy will NEVER be forgotten!

she carries the name of a hero.

Mabry Mae Hutchins {insert last name here} is finally here!  She was born August 25.  {I'm excited to share with you her birth story but, you'll have to wait for another post.}

"Why such a long name?", "She has four names. Why?", are questions we've already been asked.  I'll tell you why.  Mabry is named after a hero.

CPL Andrew "Hutch" Hutchins was a soldier in Hubs' platoon in Afghanistan in 2010.  I don't know the details.  I don't know exactly how he died.  I just know that he and Hubs were close...Hutch was like a little brother.  And I know he died proudly serving our country.

When we found out we were pregnant in December we knew two things; we didn't want to find out the gender and we wanted the baby to be named after Hutch, regardless of gender, the baby would carry his name.  Naming the baby after Hutch was Hubs' idea.  I didn't argue a bit.  I knew it would mean a lot to both Hubs and Hutch's dad, whom Hubs has become close to, as well.

Why Mabry?  Honestly, it's a name I found online while searching for French names that begin with M. {Our last name is French}

Why Mae?  My maternal grandmother's middle name was Mae.  And after we had already named her, my dad told me that my paternal great-grandma's name was Mae.  Everyone called her Momma Mae.  Double win!

Yes, it'll be a mouthful when this little girl gets in trouble.  Yes, people will continue to ask why her name is so stinkin' long.  Yes, it appears that she has two last names.  That's okay.

Mabry Mae Hutchins {insert last name here} has quite a story of how her daddy thought so much of a fellow soldier, an American hero, that he named his daughter after him.  I'm pretty sure she'll be proud.


You'll never be forgotten, Hutch.











 

Today We Remember

{Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:13 NIV}


We will never forget the sacrifices made by the men and women who laid down their lives for our country.

Preparing for Deployment

From time to time I get emails asking for advice from an army wife's perspective. It flatters me that I'm asked. I love being an army wife. I'm daily proud to be married to my American soldier.

A few months ago I was asked, by a new army wife, about deployments. This was my response to her...

Yes, my husband has deployed. Twice. The first time was in 2003. He was gone for 16 months. That was before the 12 month "boots on ground" rule. The second time was in 2010. He was gone for 12 months.

{He's also left us for months at a time for schools and training. These can be equally as hard.}

Preparing for a deployment is never easy. Emotionally, it's tough. Physically, it's tough. {because you are now mom and dad and everything in between} Financially, it can be tough, if you don't prepare for all the stuff he'll need and want to take with him so he'll have some comforts from home.

Deployments are hard. For you and your soldier.

My biggest piece of advice would be to be patient. With your soldier and yourself. {especially if this is your first deployment} He has so much going through his mind as far as leaving his home and you and family and you and the house responsibilities and you. He's going to miss you. And if there are children involved he'll miss them too.

Have I said deployments are hard?

Be patient with yourself. You are trying wrap your mind around being without the man you love and can't live without for at least the next nine months. It's going to be hard. The first few weeks you may walk around in a cloud of sadness.

It gets better.

You'll get calls from him and emails and letters. You'll hear his voice and know that he's ok. Every day is one day down. One day closer to having him back in your arms.

Start thinking now on who you can go to for support. Who can you call when you're sad? Or, you may not want to talk to anyone at all. I didn't want to for the first few days. I just wanted to be alone. Watch a movie alone. Read a book. Go to bed early.

But, there are times when you want to talk to someone. Need to talk to someone. Who is that someone for you? Do you live on post? The army has moved you far away from close friends and family? Are you friends with another wife whos husband is deployed? If you don't know her well, get to know her. One of my very best friends now is someone I could call at any time, day or night, and she was there. Her husband was also deployed.

You don't live on post? That's okay, too. Are you close to your sister? Have a best friend you can talk to? They may not completely understand what you're going through but they can help pass the time.

A tip: Use the deployment as a time to do things you may not have been able to do while your soldier is home. Like, stay up late, go to a chick flick at the movie theater, craft all night, leave your crafty mess all over the dining room table, watch soap operas, eat junk food for dinner...ha! These are a few things that just wouldn't fly with my hubby.

Of course, these aren't all of the answers to preparing for a deployment. But, it's a good start.


Do you have questions? Suggestions? Leave me a comment. I'd love to add to this. Let's make prepping for a deployment as easy as possible for our fellow military spouses.








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let's talk about cub scouts.

my jonah joined cub scouts this year.



i knew when jonah expressed interest in scouting that it would be a good fit for him.

he loves the outdoors.
he's eager to learn.
he loves to fish and shoot guns {with supervision}.
he plays well with others.

he's been going every thursday for three weeks and LOVING every minute!
i go, too. and i'm loving it right along with him!!

our first week we were late because i misunderstood the calendar...but, it was raining so they didn't do much anyway.

our second week the boys covered their books with paper bags that they colored with markers.



last night the boys worked from their handbooks on the flag ceremony achievment.
the american flag is very special to our family, since we're a military family.
to see all of the boys so eager to learn how to be respectful of the flag was super!





one more thing jonah loves about cub scouts?
he gets to hang out with his new bud.




remember how i told you i am super excited about scouts, too?
i am.

in a couple of weeks jonah and i are going on our first cub scout campout!!!
and sleeping in a tent.
on the ground.
for real.
{well, i will be taking an air mattress...}

on our camping trip jonah will earn his fishing and swimming badges.
there is also an enormous rock climbing wall that jonah's pretty stoked to climb!

i can not wait to share those pictures with you!!!



since joining cub scouts i have searched and searched the web looking for anything and everything cub scouts.
and there's not much.

in an effort to give a mommy perspective on scouting, you will be hearing about all of our cub scout adventures!
get ready! we're going to have LOTS of fun!!!



one more thing.
jonah's cub scout pack began selling popcorn last night.
if you would like to support jonah please email me at jakemelissajakea AT aol DOT com and i will give you the information you need to order online.

if only for a season.

a few times over the last couple of weeks i've missed my friends in fort campbell.
like, missed them bad.
like, totally miss the daily connections we all shared.

we all had iphones so we had a big group text set up.
we would tell each other good morning {sometimes WAY too early}, we would send out requests to borrow team jerseys during spirit week, we would ask if the kids are riding bikes or walking today, "is today the deadline for fundraiser money?"...

that group text was also handy for dinner time when you head to the pantry for a can of chicken broth only to realize you were out.
send out a text and someone would almost always respond that they had a can you could have.
"send a kid" is what we would say. {you would then send a kid to get the can of said chicken broth}

those friends were there for early evening sitting-in-the-driveway-while-the-kids-play days, "who's coming to my thirty-one party?" parties, halloween chili and trick-or-treating nights, and SO MUCH MORE!!!

we did secret santa at christmastime and we "boo'ed" each other at halloween.

{between us we had more than 25 kids.
of the 25 more than half were at the ages to play well together...
and play well they did!
our kiddos were as close as all of us moms were.}

don't even get me started on what a supportive bunch they were during deployment.
when hubs was deployed for one year during our time in fort campbell those girls were my rock!
there were meals shared, shoulders to cry on, countless sleepovers for the kids, and late nights around the fire pit.

i miss those girls so SO much.
i long for a group of friends that special again.

oh, they're all still there for me.
i'm still on that group text.
now, i get a kick out of them asking if anyone has a cup of milk and me responding "me!"
{i live much too far away for them to have my cup of milk. LOL}
when they ask who's coming to the next thirty-one party i respond "i can't this time."

when i'm feeling sad, like today, i let them know.

jamie, christy, hollie, laura, sandy, jen, and gina, i miss you girls terribly.
you all are more than friends...you're family.
thank you for being so great for the short time we were together!

one day soon we will make it back up there to visit. pinky promise.
if you're ever in florida you better stop in and say hello!



linking up at {in}courage where we're discussing community for the next five weeks.

in her daddy's arms.

this princess will always have her daddy wrapped around her finger.
and he'll always keep her safe.

11.11.11

my week has been a bit emotional...

monday morning hubs woke up early to head to the airport.
he was on his way to visit a now new forever friend and her daughter, heather and allyssa.

i think because i am so proud to be his wife that i must have cried everyday this week.
for reals.

a little background...
heather is the widow of one of jake's buds from afghanistan, andrew hutchins, also simply known as "hutch".
allyssa is the precious baby girl hutch was never able to meet.

jake was there from monday to wednesday.
tuesday was the one-year anniversary of hutch's death.
{only three days before veteran's day}
he wanted to be there for so many reasons.
to finally meet heather and allyssa.
to meet hutch's parents.
heather's parents.
to visit hutch's grave.
some reasons i may never know and even more so will never understand.

there is a significant age difference between jake and hutch.
jake thought of him as a little brother.
and now...heather is a little sister.
and allyssa a niece.
to us both.

thank you, heather.
veteran's day has been dear to me for the last ten years of being an army wife, but it now takes on a whole new meaning.
my husband lost a brother in afghanistan.
my heart hurts for him.
you lost your husband, your best friend.
my heart hurts for you.
for allyssa.
she lost her daddy.

i will NEVER take for granted my freedom.
because of my husband and because of hutch.
because of all the brave men and women who served before them.
and who are serving now.

{these are a few few amazing pictures from jake's trip}

is she not the cutest?!?!


this is my favorite.
he loves her so much.






allyssa giving her daddy some lovin'.









one final picture...
this is sunset on fort campbell.
just before the lowering of the colors.


r.i.p. cpl andrew l. hutchins
04.30.90-11.08.10

you will never be forgotten.

today...he marches.

if you would, will you pray for hubs today?
he has a TWELVE mile ruck march at 3am.
{i'm actually awake right now at 12:57am to make sure he doesn't sleep through his alarm...he needs to be up at 1:00am.}

today is also the day he will graduate from air assault school.
WOO-HOO!!!

i am so proud of him.
he is the most amazing man in the whole world.

so, please pray for him and this ruck march.
thank ya!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

yay!!!!
hubs texted me this morning at 7:08 and let me know he finished his ruck march!!!
thank you so much for praying...i'm sure getting up at 1:00am and marching twelve isn't the easiest in the world to do.
but, with God all things are possible!

{about} one year ago.

i'm feeling lazy so i thought i'd post a post that i posted about this time last year.

my hero.
my love.
my man.
my Hunky Hubs!


i fall more in love with him everyday.

have a happy day!

if...

if our grandparents and great-grandparents who waited weeks, sometimes months, for a handwritten letter from war could see us now...

look at him. all smiles.
this was the first time we've skyped since he's been gone...boo!
but, it made it all the more special!
he'll be home soon!!!!!!

please keep our soldiers in your prayers.

it's veteran's day.

what does this day mean to you?

yes, your kiddos are out of school, the mail won't come to your front door, you won't be able to take that rebate check to the bank...
feels nice to have a day off of work, huh?

to my family veteran's day means so much more.

{hubs, march 2010, military police corps, 101st airborne division}

it means that hubs served in iraq for sixteen months in 2003-2004 for our freedom.

it means that hubs is currently down range defending our freedom.

your freedom.

it means that thousands and thousands of soldiers have put their life on the line or given the ultimate sacrifice.

it means that many families are without a loved one...right now or for the rest of 'this side of heaven'.

pray.
never stop praying for the Lord to watch over and keep our heroes safe.
never stop praying for the Lord to wrap His arms around the families who have lost a loved one.
pray always.

RIP SPC Andrew Hutchins

{April 1990-November 8, 2010}
...you will never be forgotten.

a poem for us army wives.

one year ago i doubted why God would take me away from the comfort of home, jacksonville, fl, and put me in a place where i knew no one and no one seemed my kind of kind.
the short story?
people around here were down right MEAN!
i would have never said i wanted to go home.
this (active duty army life) is indeed what we signed up for.
if living on post around a bunch of ugliness were part of the package then i'd have to make do.

after a few weeks of living on post and sticking close to the few girls i knew i could count on i was beginning to think i could handle this whole army life.
and i've done great.
of course, there have been low points...we'll leave that to another post.
or a personal conversation.

fast forward to a few days after i arrived home from my florida vacay.
my immediate neighbor friend had told me that we had a new neighbor that had kiddos about all of our kiddos ages.
that makes her an instant 'must get to know' gal.
you moms with kiddos so know what i'm talking about!
there are play dates to plan, picnics to go on, festivals to attend...and all with instant kiddo friends in tow. because they are all the same age.
perfection!

i introduced myself...
probably while chasing one of my rugrats back inside after an escape from the front door...
while she was walking back to her house from somewhere.
i didn't ask details.
i do remember that my pasta was on the stove boiling and our conversation was long enough for me to come back inside to very sticky pasta.
good friends are worth sticky pasta.

laura and i have been good friends since.
i think so anyway.
laura, julie, and myself.
we sit outside with the kiddos,
we take them to the butterfly festival (a post for another day),
we do jillian michaels' 30-day shred (julie will so be there next time!),
we eat each other's dinner...
stuff friends do.

ok, so you're caught up.

laura is an aspiring author.
she did not ask me to say all these kind things about her.
i asked her first, of course. i didn't want to show you all her fabulous work without first asking.
she's a writer.
a poet.
she uses her words so well.

i've read two of her childrens books and one poem (that i'm about to share with you) and i've been so touched by all of them.

this next poem brought tears to my eyes.
really.
i'm getting teary eyed thinking of it.

please read it and take in every word.
if you're an army wife, or any military spouse, it will stir emotions within you.
grab a kleenex.

Missing Him
I'm sitting at home with so much to do,
My cell phone not ringing with a call from you.
Wish you were here to ease my mind,
But these old college pictures are all I can find.
The kids are growing fast, growing up every day,
They're sweet and funny as ever with the things that they say.
"Is Daddy coming home? Will he be here soon?"
But all I can tell them is to send a message with the moon.
"Maybe he's looking and he'll hear you speak.
Just look at the moon if it's Daddy you seek.
He'll look too and he'll send his love,
The moon is our messenger from up above."
We keep ourselves busy as the year goes by,
We make lives for ourselves and try not to cry,
But there's a sadness deep down that only you can replace,
And I cannot wait till you get home and put a smile on my face.
I'm amazed at the strength that the kids truly show,
Knowing you're gone for so long, wondering where you did go.
They are the ones who hold it together for me,
They bring laughter and hope and joy and glee.
I miss you so much but I'm so proud of you,
This is just life in the Army and what soldiers' wives do.

laura just started her new blog at www.squigglydoodles.blogspot.com.
she's not new to blogging, just blogger.
if you love what you've just read please follow her.
i'm sure there will be many more inspiring, tear-jerking, captivating words to follow!

where were you?

where was i?
i can't remember where i was on november 14th, 2004.
nor can i remember where i was on september 1, 2010.
but, i do remember where i was on september 11, 2001.

i was pregnant with my first son, jake.
i was living on the west side of jacksonville, fl with four of my girlfriends.
when the first plane hit i was still in my warm bed.
the first person to call that horrific morning was my mom.
"are you watching tv?"
no, i'm in bed. where else would i be on a tuesday morning at 9 o'clock in the MORNING??
"go turn on the tv."
ugh...ok, fine.
i dragged my feet and probably grumbled all the way into the living room.
i am not a morning person.

once i plopped my very tired, very pregnant bum onto the couch and flipped on the tv i saw it.
i questioned what i was even seeing.
how could this happen?
was it an accident?
who would do this sort of thing?

then it became real for me.
for my unborn son.
for my fiance.

hubs (then fiance) was in the army reserves in 2001.
i was crying and worried and sick to my stomach.
would he have to leave us to go fight these mean people that have nothing better to do with their time than to attack the most amazing country in the whole world???
would he be by my side as i delivered our baby?
would he help me raise him and any other blessings we received?
would he come home?

my question on september 11, 2001 was answered in february of 2003.
hubs was called to iraq. for a twelve month tour that turned into a sixteen month tour.
then, he came home.

we are in the middle of another deployment now.
still for the same reason he, and thousands and thousands of other brave men and women, were called in 2003.
prayerfully hubs' twelve month tour will only be twelve months this time.
until he comes home...we are proud. so very proud of him.
and love him more than words can say.

while we had many years in between deployments.
and many babies.
and houses.
and memories.
there are so many families in america that were stripped of those dreams in just seconds.

i didn't understand what it meant to be proud of your country until that day.
it didn't matter to me if i had an american flag flying outside my house.
i half heartedly said the pledge of allegiance.
the national anthem had little meaning to me.

today, i'm proud.
i have a flag flying outside of my home everyday.
i stand tall with my hand planted firmly over my heart.
tears fall down my face every time i hear the national anthem.

we will never forget september 11, 2001.
it has forever changed our lives.

are you a proud american?
will you say a prayer for those who lost a loved one as a result of september 11?
will you fly your flag today? and everyday?
will you thank a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine?
this army wife thanks you!

may God continue to bless AMERICA!

pray for our soldiers.

{hubs, Sept 1, 2003, operation iraqi freedom/operation enduring freedom, iraq}

life is good.

...for the next two-ish weeks anyway.

Happy Memorial Day

maybe it's because i'm a little older and a little wiser.
maybe it's because i have a soldier actively serving.
maybe it's because my soldier has also already served.
maybe it's because both of my grandpas served in world war II.
maybe it's because i'm a little older.
oh, i already said that.
i'm getting old...
i think it's absolutely because i love my soldier!
and my country!
i have a greater appreciation for this holiday weekend.

memorial day is a day to remember our men and women who are serving our country.
a day to remember the fallen...
the ones who paid the ultimate price.
for you.
and me.

as you eat your hot dogs and hamburgers and dig into your potato salad, say a prayer for a soldier.
as you pour yourself another cold drink, say a prayer for an airman.
as you run through the sprinkler to escape the hot sun, say a prayer for a marine.
as you send your guests home from a day of super fun, say a prayer for a sailor.

these men and women are in afghanistan and iraq without the comforts of home and the loving arms of family and friends on this holiday weekend.

we celebrate on a four-day weekend because of thier sacrifice.
say a prayer.


mckinley says hi.
one shoe and a too small dress and all.
hi.

i leave you with these funnies...and i use the word funnies loosely.
we should really look at these and think of what's most important on this memorial day.


i love american idol just as much as the next gal but, well, just take a look...

a question.

i got a convo on etsy the other day.
i always get super excited when i get these...
it usually means an eager buyer needs a quick question answered before they hit commit to buy.
well, this time was a little different.
it was from a sweet momma who has a son who is considering joining the army.
HOOAH!!
ok, only soldiers say that.
it's not pretty coming outta my mouth.
let's just say i was SO excited to hear that her son was thinking of the army!!
but, then i realized she was wanting to know an army wife perspective on the army.
what should she expect.
any words that she may not have already been told.
from me?
huh?
i was flattered!
and then scared to answer cause what if i said something that turned her and her son away from choosing the army.
well, i'll let you read what i said.
these are my honest to goodness thoughts.
i think if you've been reading this blog for any length of time,
or even if only for the last three months,
then you'll guess what i told her.

Hi {future army momma}! (this isn't really how i began...i just didn't want to share her name)

Well, being an Army wife is a challenge. It's also a blessing.

Gosh, I'm searching for words...I think the one thing about being an Army wife that stands out the most to me is a great sense of pride in America. I don't think even the most proud American can truly feel the sense of pride an Army spouse/family member can feel. We stand apart from the rest of the country. We know the sacrifices made to make this country great. We understand the heartache of hearing our loved one say "I've got orders." We know more than ANYONE what it feels like to miss our soldier/spouse/family member for ONE WHOLE YEAR...and sometimes longer!

We, as Army spouses/family members, also see what the Army does for our loved one! I'm pretty sure my husband was a proud American before he joined the Army. (He comes from a long line of police officers) But, I think that being an American soldier has given him a deeper sense of pride. There's a glimmer of something special, sometimes even a tear, in his eyes when he hears The National Anthem. He enjoys the 4th of July more than anyone I've ever known. The Declaration of Independance has taken on a whole new meaning. These emotions are ones I, as an Army wife, will NEVER understand. It is only truly understood by the soldier, the one who stands on the "front line" for our freedoms.

Yes, some of all of this pride and understanding comes with age and a smidge of wisdom. However, it is my opinion that the Army has played a part. Even if only a small part.

I'm not sure I answered your question or even helped you in feeling better about your son's decision. I hope I did a little.

Will you tell your son that my husband and I are very proud of him thinking of becoming an American Soldier? I think he'll be glad he did!

Blessings,
Melissa


I love you, Hubs!
Thank you for all you do for our family AND this country!!!!!