Reunited: Weekend Wishes

We are finally over our first deployment hump! Picking J up and bringing him home was honestly one of the best feelings ever. Even though this one was only a few months long, it was very weird being away from him and not being able to communicate freely. Not that we haven't had a decent bit of practice in our relationship with being long distance. The limited communication however, really made things much harder.

But now that he is back, just in time for all of the fun holidays, I am ready to fully embrace the season and enjoy our time together. If there's one thing deployment teaches you, it is that the little things truly are the "big things" when you look at the grand scheme of your life. Being able to cook dinner together after going to the gym, watching Netflix, taking day trips to the beach on the weekend, even just walking the dogs together at night. These are the little moments that matter.

I feel so much gratitude for everything in our life right now, and many of those things are just that, THINGS. But the living things, the people and furry friends in our lives, are the things that don't change despite the ups and downs. Surrounding yourself with a good tribe of people who support you, and root for your success make any challenge possible.

The wonderful group of women in this squadron made my first deployment experience absolutely great. While nothing compares to having your partner home, being surrounded by kind, compassionate, hilarious, intelligent people (who are in the same boat) definitely takes the edge off! Facetime is also a wonderful thing! Getting to talk to my family back home each day and update them on everything made this time so much easier <3

It was especially nice to have that support as a first time mom to be. On top of the emotional roller coaster that deployments cause on their own, having to ride the pregnancy crazy train added a whole separate level of angst to this experience (0/10 do not recommend). But being around other people who have gone through the same thing or who were currently going through the same situation almost completely eliminated that sense of loneliness. I am so thankful for all of the Tiger spouses!

Now that J is back, we are enjoying the last few months of that no-kid life! Doing a little bit of last minute traveling, enjoying the peace and quiet, and sleeping late on weekends. Taking advantage of the freedom that is allowed us right now and getting ready for our little girl to make her way earth-side in the new year. J finally got to feel her kick and see her wiggling around which was fun, because its definitely hard to explain via email! Maybe now that he is back we will start getting the nursery organized, but knowing us, we will wait until the last minute on that one...oh well!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Remember to take a little bit of extra time to appreciate the special people in your life! Give them an extra hug or just take the time to really be in the moment with them, intentionally.

Happy Saturday from Oki!
Em