Deployments: Good, Bad, and Ugly!

If you have never known anyone in the Military then it is normal not to really know what to expect, or what the service member and their families go through.  This was me!  My Grandpa Lawson was in WWII, but he never spoke of it.  While in High School my boyfriend (now hubby) had decided he was signing up for the Army.  Before leaving he asked me to marry him. Awwww...:)  While he was going through training, I was planning a wedding.  He finally finished with all of his training and was sent to his duty station.  Around this time is when September 11th happend.  Our wedding was scheduled for December 29th and we found out on Christmas Day that he would be leaving on December 26th.  I, of course, was freaking out!  NOT because of a deployment and him leaving into war, but because this wedding that I had spent months on was not gonna happen!  lol  (I know, I know, how aweful of me)  I see life this way...when its your time to go, you will, no matter where you are at the time.  So, that is why I wasn't worried about my honey.  I knew God would take care of him. :)  Back to the story.  This was the beginning of my love hate realtionship with Deployments!  Yes, it is a love hate relationhip.

The GOOD!  Less laundry!  HA.  The hubby changes clothes THREE times a day!  PT (workout), Uniform, and then what he wears at home after work.  So, laundry goes down a LOT!  Less cooking!  Yep, I'm one of those moms.  If I do not have to cook a four course meal...I do not.  My kids would much rather nuggets and fries, or pizza anyway!  Why waste all that food??  Family, I get to travel to Arkansas a lot more and see my Niece, Grandma, Cousins, and so on.  When you normally only get to see them at holidays every year....this is a BIG deal.  Then there is all the fun involved.  Yes, I make deployment times more fun for my kids because I realize they are already missing daddy and I do not want to make it a big deal.  I feel that if children's lives are turned upside down when a parent deploys then this will impact them more.  But if a child gets to do many things out of the norm to take away some of that pain they feel, its better for them.  Thus, we get to have cookies for breakfast ( I can only imagine what you are thinking now!  lol), and movie nights, and camping in the living room with a home made fort, and sleepovers in moms bed, along with many more things. :) (Below was the sleepover in my bed this Wed.:))

The BAD!  Hubby goes on his first deployment the DAY your wedding was scheduled forcing you to marry at the justice of the peace without any family, three days earlier! :(  (yes, his date to leave was pushed back three days.  Giving us time to marry the day he was "supposed" to leave.)Taking care of the hubby's dog!  (this may be moved to the Ugly, very soon!)  I am not a pet person.  I have kids...why have pets??  I just don't understand it!  If you love animals, I'm very glad for you.  I just don't!  The daily questions about when daddy will be home.  My kids are Army Brats.  We had all three of them while in the Army.  They are so well adjusted to deployments, but still want dad.  Murphy's law......something will BREAK!  Never fails.  I promise.  I have yet (after 10 years) for something not to break that the hubby would normally take care of....but he's deployed!  It's not a matter of IF this will happen...but WHEN this will happen.  Well, this had a hand in what inspired this post today!  I was mowing yesterday and the stupid lawn mower decided to break on me!  UGH!  That's all the bad I have for the moment.  I'm sure as this deployment goes I can add to this list.  lol

The UGLY!  My how I hate the ugly!!  Being away from my love for months at a time.  (Although, its like were newlyweds again when he gets home! :))  Night time!  Nights are the WORST part of my day!  The kids go to bed, the dog goes to bed, its quiet.  Night time is my and hubby's time.  This is when we get our time togeather, without the world messing with us.  When he is gone....I hate nights!  And the worrying for him.  I KNOW God will take care of him.  I KNOW that if its his time to go, he willl no matter where he's at.  BUT, I also KNOW I don't know what I would do without him and I love him with all of my heart!  You can't help but worry when they are deployed.

I get so many people (including family) that appoligize and worry so much for me while the hubby is away.  And I love them so for it.  I just wanted them to know that its not all bad.  This is life.  This is our job.  This is what we signed up for.  It's what you make and do with the time you have while your hubby, or father is deployed that counts.  And we wouldn't trade it for anything!