MilSpouse Life
If I’d known better, I would’ve stayed home until I got the “official” phone call. My husband was finally coming home from deployment after months away on ship. 36 weeks pregnant (with a soon to be 10 lb baby) with a very energetic toddler in the peak of an oppressively hot summer, and I was so ready for my husband to hurry up and get [...]
DeploymentThe Surprising Thing You’ll Miss Most During Deployment
It’s 2:37 am. My husband’s awake. I’m trying to fall back asleep and forget about what is about to happen, but my heart won’t allow my mind to shut off. I walk into the living room and there he sits, eating his breakfast in the middle of the night. It smells like eggs and toast and coffee. I can’t help but think this is the last time he [...]
10 Things Military Spouses Don’t Need to Do Anymore
I've been a military spouse for fifteen years. I enjoy it for the most part. I've gone through multiple deployments. TDYs. Daddy dolls (using this daddy doll tutorial). PCS moves. Having a baby with a service member. But I notice I'm different in what I choose to do. Maybe it's because I'm an introvert. Possibly it's because I'm rather [...]
9 Reasons Why It’s Okay When He Deploys
It's always a shock when my husband tells me he has to deploy. I go through various emotions coping with deployment separation: I cry and ask if the military can send someone else. (No.) I panic and think I can't do it all on my own. photo credit: Kristen Wong After that comes acceptance, but it's generally a nervous acceptance. I [...]
10 Things Military Spouses Won’t Tell You About Deployment
I remember the first time my husband called me after returning from Iraq. I was a military girlfriend and living long-distance at the time. Hence the phone call. So…We were chatting away, and I was feeling all sorts of happy butterflies because he was finally home. And we were—finally—going to see each other and spend time together! [...]
21 Long Distance Friendship Truths Only a Military Spouse Will Understand
I stood in my living room looking out the window when I saw her. She was walking her golden retriever around the neighborhood, and I vividly remember—as if it happened this morning—seeing her bubbly brown-haired self and the dog walk past the front of my house in slow motion. I was dealing with some major PCS anxiety because all I kept [...]
Military ResourcesMilitary Base Gate Etiquette: 10 Small Ways to Avoid a Giant SNAFU
Ah, the military police at the gates. They’re the ones who stand in the intense heat, bitter cold and torrential downpours as they check ID cards. They stand for hours and skip meals. If they have a moment, it’s a quick one to swallow a few bites. My husband was military police—or rather, since he is in the Air Force, he’s known as [...]
10 Things Strong Military Spouses Do Differently
It wasn’t good news. “My husband’s leaving tomorrow,” she said. She just got word from her husband that he would be deploying within the next 24 hours. There was no notice. There was no quality family time with the kids at the park. It was simply pack your bags and leave. Gulp. [...]
You Know You’re Living In Base Housing When…
Living on base is something many military members and military families decide to do. After all, it means you can call someone if something breaks. Some housing companies don’t even require you to pay electric and water bills, so it can be a good deal. I’ve lived in military base housing for fourteen years and have encountered all sorts [...]
I’m Terrible at Being a Military Spouse
Last week my husband and I attended an annual military family mandatory fun party. This party included a meal, live entertainment, and of course, a bouncy house for the kids. Secretly, I was dreading it. As a military spouse, I should be more enthusiastic about these “family fun nights,” but often times we get there, spend the [...]
