My Love-Hate Relationship with the Army

So, after seven years of my husband being part of the Army I really should not be surprised when the unexpected happens.  This past week we were told my husband has to be part of a month long Squadron training on another island.  This normally would not be a issue to either of us, but it just happens it would be over my due date so he would most likely to miss the birth.  Obviously I was devastated to hear this and my husbands COC was not willing to work with us at all.

Well on Tuesday this week I had a major baby scare and my husband rushed me to the hospital after several hours of almost no fetal movement.  Well the doctors quickly did an ultrasound and some blood tests and after some Q and A we discovered I had not been consuming enough calories or drinking enough water for the baby.  In addition, my iron and thyroid levels have significantly dropped.  Now I am on a much stricter food routine and the baby is doing much better. 

After our dramatic week Michael got called into meet with his CO and suddenly they are convinced it is important for him to be here for the birth.... Really?  Isn't this what we have been trying to tell them?  Anyway, I am so thankful they were able to work out a schedule where Michael would go with them and train for a week or two and then head back a week before the due date and hopefully be here when our little man meets this big old world. 

No one can say that the Army life is boring and I wish this kind of organization was rare.  However, now that we are on this side I am just thankful that an understanding was met.  I cannot imagine going through labor without my husband by my side.

Patchwork for Preemies

We all know that I don't do well being bored when Michael is away.  I end up going a little crazy which isn't good for anyone.  So during these times I tend to dive into all my crafts and projects. 

Well, last fall Michael was on the mainland for two months and I caught wind that the local military hospital here was in need of quilts for all the babies in the NICU.  I thought this would be a great way to use my love of sewing and also give back to my community.  So, I turned so my ever loyal facebook page and informed my few Hawaii friends at the time that I would be sewing and if anyone wanted to come join, they could.  Our first sewing day had four of my closest friends here, two of which had never sewn.  We raided my tubs of fabric scraps and made some beautiful scrappy quilts until two in the morning.  Two weeks later we had a second sewing party at my house and 14 people came!  Even though we were cramped in my little home we were able to make eight adorable baby quilts and made our first delivery to the NICU.  And this is how Patchwork for Preemies was formed!

Sitting here just over a year later I am amazed at how much the group has grown.  We now have over 100 members some which have never touched a sewing machine and others with years of experience.  We have to book the local community center on sewing days and generally sew for about 12 hours straight.  We try to make monthly quilt donations ranging for 8-12 quilts and have had the joy of seeing our tokens of love gifted to families within our local community.  It has been amazing receiving the support from the rest of the community and now we run completely off of donations and are in the process of making the group official through ACS.

I have met some amazing women through this group including Nikki at Lacey. To those new to the military life or struggling at a new duty station, I would encourage you to find a group to get plugged in with, a way to get involved.  That is how you will meet those people who will be there for you where ever life takes you.  

Always Getting Ready

So, when the guys are home they are never really home, home but they are always getting ready for what ever their next job may be.  What does that mean?  That means packing and repacking.  Leaving for the field or range for three, four, five days at a time.  The closer it gets to deployment the more often they go and the longer they stay.  

Michael headed out this past week for a 7-8 week field problem.  It is always hard to be apart but I am thankful that thus far he has been able to call me.  He is enjoying being on the mainland, west coast even, but it does make him a little home sick.  We both miss Southern Oregon in the fall.  

Anyway,  I am much looking forward to November when I get my man back.  Trying to keep my chin up though because I know there will be a lot more training in the coming months. 

Aloha!

I can't believe Michael and I have been in Hawaii for almost eight months!  I didn't fully appreciate how much this place has become home until I visited Oregon last week.  I love going back to the place where I grew up, the place Michael and I fell in love, and the place where so many of my friends and family live.  While I was there though I had time to think about my life now.  How blessed I feel to have my little family together, living in this beautiful place!

Moving Again

July 2010  -->  Erinn moves to Texas

August 2010 -->  Michael deploys to Iraq

August 2010 -->  Erinn moves back to Oregon

July 2011  -->  Erinn moves back to Texas

August 2011 -->  Michael Returns to Texas

Friends, I am happy to announce that in less than three weeks Michael and I will be moving together to Hawaii.  The best part about this move is that we should be stabilized for 1-3 years.  I cannot express how exciting this is to both of us.  Our household goods and car have all ready been shipped to Oahu and hopefully should be there soon after we are.  Michael is working hard to finish clearing Ft Hood so that we can set up travel arrangements and hopefully we will be in our new home the first week of December :)

Michael and I have been together for over five years and it feels so good to finally be able to be in the same place at the same time without any separations planned n the future!

Two weeks of Bliss

What can I say?  R&R is suppose to be amazing and it was.  I felt so blessed to have Michael here for my graduation and also to spend time with family and friends.  The cherry on top of the trip was being surprised with an extra day on the end!  I love my man and can't wait for him to be permanently home in the fall!

Orders, Races, and Awards!

How many things can happen in a day?  I think this was a challenge to me this weekend and let me say, my head was spinning.

Saturday morning I got a call from my husband saying the re-enlistment ceremony had happened and all the papers had been signed.  It is official people we are heading to Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii!  When we got married nine months ago, I never would have thought that we would finally get to be newly weds on an island in the Pacific!  I am so very excited.  Excited to be together, excited for new adventures, excited for new opportunities!  I am still planning on moving down to Texas in July and it probably wont be until winter or spring for the big move.

Another thing that happened Saturday morning was the 10 mile race I have been half-way training for.  Now I decided that the worst part about this whole idea is that I am not a morning person.  Who would have thought that half the city would be downtown at 6:30 AM and they are all so energetic.  Needless to say, there were so many cameras out that I almost freaked out!  Well that is just pre-race.  I must say the running part went much better than planned.  I did not walk for the first 6 miles and for the last 4 I did a run/walk deal because I had some pretty bad leg cramps.  I impressed myself with my time, though.  My goal was to be under 2:10 and I crushed it by finishing at 1:39 at 9.58 pace!  Who would have thought?  Three days later and I am still sore but who cares :)  Guess it is time for my to set a new goal!

That is not all that happened this weekend either!  Sunday night ended on a very happy note when I got a phone call.  I was informed that I had been voted SOU Outstanding Cultural Anthropologist of the year and nominated for the National United Society for Outstanding University Women!  Kinda made my night.

Anyway, these things have really motivated me to finish my undergrad well, but it has also put a lot of pressure on me knowing that all my profs are expecting so much. 

So much to do, so little time!

PCS

So Michael and I are quickly approaching his first reenlistment which means we are also looking at our first PCS.  Ft. Hood has been fun but picking where in the world we would like to start our new lives has been more exciting.  I am bursting inside to let everyone know where we probably be heading but I am trying not to get too excited and we are waiting tell everything is official.  Needless to say, I am so excited it all.  Excited to see and live in a new place, excited about new opportunities, excited about meeting new people, and most of all, I am excited to be newly weds again!

Seven weeks 'til R&R!

Love, Sweet Love

I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man.  Someone who, though thousands of miles away, can still comfort me when deployment days get to long or when life simply gets to be too much.  Seven months into our second deployment and let me say, some days are hard.  I love that we can be on the phone for all of five seconds and Michael can tell when something is wrong and everything stops until he knows I feel better.  I feel blessed!

Difficult Days

Every once in a while deployments get to just get to me, and I think it is ok to admit when it happens.  You would think after 18 months of collective deployments I would have this down. 

Tonight in class I had to watch Black Hawk Down and analyze it from an anti-war perspective.  It was harsh.  I guess it was just a reminder of how far apart we are and how much I miss him.

I am so thankful that my man is in a "safe" area, calls me every chance he gets, and is so supportive and understanding with all my ups and downs. 

<3 Praying every day for my loves safe return and my sanity while he is away <3

Right about 3 months!

Now we all know about army time, right?  The fact that you are given a date and know that it will be sometime around that date but it definitely wont be that exact date... :)  Well that is how R&R is going to be.  So for me, I am planning on my husband getting his short two week leave at the end of may or beginning of June.  That means we are right about three months away!  Three months sounds so much better than four months right?!?  So, today I can't help but be thankful for February being a short month, the distraction of school, and the ability to check days of my calendar.  I so can't wait to give my man a hug!

Michael and I got some great plans for R&R which include my graduation, car shopping, and running away for a week together to see the Oregon places we love so much!  I am not normally a big counter of the days when he gets back just because I know from experience that the dates are always flexible and also it can just get so downright depressing seeing how many days left.  Instead I count the months and obstacles in between us.  This is what I have come up with...

1. Finals next week
2. Spring break trip to see Drew
3. My first 10 mile run
4. My final term at SOU

Of course my list changes and grows but these are the big things I get to look forward to before we are reunited.  I have to look forward to the small things, even if they aren't much fun like finals, in order to better appreciate the big things in life!

Chocolate Milk

There are things that remind me of him.  Tonight it was seeing chocolate milk in the store :)  In Texas we use to go on date nights and just go driving or stargazing.  Michael would get his Mt. Dew and I would get a chocolate milk.  Seeing it in the store just sent me back there.  

Long days without the love of your life teach you to appreciate the simple things in life.  Seeing couples holding hands, eating lunch together, even just texting remind me of him and to appreciate all the moments together.  The Army separates us for months at a time, but it also teaches us how to love.

Only about 14 weeks separates me from my baby!

My ACU Quilt

I finished my quilt this weekend.  It has been keeping my warm all day.  I like feeling like I have a piece of my husband close by me during this long deployment.  

encouragement for the wives

To all those military wives out there looking for some daily encouragement while your husband, fiancé, or boyfriend is deployed here is a boy I have really enjoyed.  In the short chapters it discuses some of the challenges we face and how to keep your chin up during the hard times.

Recycling 101

So I have had this idea for a while, but have only just begun to put it into action :)  When I came back from Texas I brought back some ACU pant legs Michael had cut off when he converted some old pants into shorts.  We come from a hippy town... We are all about recycling!  Anyway, I saw great potential in the fabric of those pant legs.  I have had this idea to make a throw quilt with some of the ACUs so that I can have it when ever I am missing my man :)  I finally got around to making my weekly trip to Joann's and with my mom's help I found some adorable fabric to pair with the Army greens.  I through a little bit of pink in there for good measure.  This is as far as I have come...

Obviously there is still quite a bit to do but I love the way it is turning out!  I am planning on framing it with two or three colors and most likely backing it with pink.  It is always fun to see what can happen with some old pieces of fabric.  I will post more pictures of the progress when I get time to work on it again! 

Skype

I find myself very thankful tonight for the wonderful technology we have been blessed with.  I was able to skype with my husband for over an hour tonight.  Even though the picture was blurry and the audio was going in and out, it was such a huge blessing in our otherwise crazy weeks.  Several years ago we would not have had this blessing and I can't imagine waiting for a letter or weekly phone call. I love my husband so much.  Four and a half months down!

Thank a vet for the huge sacrifice they have made.

This Crazy Thing Called Life

I started this blog not only because I thought It would be a fun place to keep up with my busy life, but because I thought I might be an encouragement to others.  However, after I put my husband on a bus and said goodbye, knowing that I would not see him for the next ten months, I was afraid my thought I would put down here would sound like I was simply venting to cyber space.  This is the main reason why I have been so very idle on this blog.  Tonight while doing research online I stumbled across a former army wife's blog.  I was so encouraged to read her stories through deployment ups and downs that I have a renewed inspiration to take on this task. 

I am so blessed to be the wife of such an amazing man who will give up so much to not only provide for me, but serve our country.  During Michael's first deployment he was active in helping the Iraqi people gain many of the freedoms that we Americans dwell in every day.  This deployment is very different in that Operation New Dawn is simply the US troops training and assisting the Iraqi military.  Michael tends to be a ping pong ball going where ever he is directed whether it is analyzing intelligence, leading missions, or working with the Iraqis.  The key to working in the military is to be very, very flexable.

Though deployments are hard I cannot stop from seeing all the ways we are blessed this tour.  We are blessed that Iraq is much more stable of a country than it was two years ago.  Though there are still instances of violence, I do not live in the worry I did last deployment.  I am so thankful that we are able to communicate often.  Though most of the time it is a simple, short phone call, I occasionally get to see my love via skype.  I am thankful for these small blessings because I know many other military families do not have this right now.  I also know that it is something many of use take for granted each day.  Deployments teach us to value each moment together, each conversation, each touch.

We have just past the 4 month mark in this 12-15 month deployment and I have my eyes set on June when I can simply hug my best friend!

Day 3

Today is day three with no Michael.  Don't worry, I will not count down the next 365 days... At least not out loud. I got a call from Michael today which was short but wonderful. They are in Kuwait for in-processing and some classes before going in country.  Michael has never been a fan of Kuwait and it's 115 degree weather.  He sounds like he is doing well though. We are thankful that this deployment will hopefully not be as dangerous as last time but that also means he will have a lot of down time on his hands.  He has already sent me a little of thinks he would like me to ship over including elmo - last deployment's toy - his xbox, and legos...  Priorities right :)

I am finally out of our little duplex.  It was such a wonderful place for us the last few weeks but the moving and cleaning was a big job by myself.  We managed to get the few items we own into a 10x10 storage unit - those things are really small :)  My landlady was being much less than understanding about us moving out before our lease was up but thankfully the government is on our side and with military deployment orders she was forced to let us move out.  I am not very good at being pushy to get my way but I succeeded yesterday :)

I decided that the worst part of moving and cleaning the house without Michael there was the fact that I had to murder and dispose of all the huge bugs hiding within my home!  Now these bugs are not here because I am a bad house cleaner.  Actually I am very close to being a clean freak.  The bugs are in my home because this is Texas and they are every wear.  I don't like them to say the least.  The most terrible part is killing the ugly creatures because when you crush a cockroach they make a horrible crunching noise.  Anyway, you get the picture.  I added a picture I found of one simply for your enjoyment.  This is not what the bugs look like when I am done with them!

Anyway, tonight I will be staying with my friend Sarah whose husband deployed with Michael.  It is so nice to know that we are not alone through this trial.  I am excited to fly back to Oregon tomorrow.  Excited to see my friends, parents, and siblings.  Hannah told me yesterday we will be going shopping when I get home to find her a new comforter for her "pink" bedroom :)  I am glad I get a few weeks to let everything sink in before the rush of school starts.

Love you all and thank you again for your support through this time!

Emotions

Sometime I tell Michael that I don't know what to do with the emotions that I am feeling.  I love to be happy.  I love to smile, laugh, and I love how contagious these feelings can be.  Now I am not saying I am always this way, far from it actually, I simply strive for it.  Because of this, I tend to take all the emotions I do not care for and hide them deep within myself.  One of these emotions overtook me like a storm yesterday.  Yesterday I was overcome with sadness.
Yesterday when I woke, the first thought that passed through my mind was the knowledge that I would have to say good bye to my husband who I would not see again for several months.  I had no desire to even move.  As I laid there I started to pray for strength to get through the next few hours.  To be thankful for all the wonderful moments we have had together this summer.  One of my favorite passages flashed through my mind at that moment James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing.  Needless to say, God gave me the energy and joy to continue through the day.  I was able to spend several hours laughing and crying with my husband before he had to leave.  We know that this next year will be difficult but we know that God has a reason for this separation and from experience we know that the deployment will make us stronger.  Please keep us in your prayers along with all the other troops who are deployed. 

A week of love

Few words can express the feelings and emotions that one experiences the few days before a loved one is sent off to war.  This feeling is not new to me, however, I still do not know how to process it.  Michael and I have learned to live the days before saying goodbye, spending time with each other, enjoying the moment, and not dwelling on the upcoming sadness. 
Last Saturday Michael took me on a road trip down to Austin to spend a day with each other.  We went to all my favorite stores including Lucky Brand, Calvin Klein, Fossil, and Oakley...  Michael spoiled me :)  We drove around the big city talking about what life would be like if we moved down there in a year to pursue our career. It was so nice to get away.

This week we started to pack up the house, rented a storage unit, found a place to leave the truck, and Michael started packing his bags.  It has a sad few days but it is exciting to think that a year from now I will be moving down here permanently, I will have my BA in Cultural Anthropology, and Michael will have completed his second combat tour.  How can so much happen in such a small amount of time?
Yesterday Michael took me out to my favorite restaurant, The Olive Garden, then we went and saw The Switch, and ended the evening by driving out to the training grounds and watching the shooting stars.  The past few weeks have been amazing and I would not change anything.  Deployments can be good for a couple.  They teach us to lean on the Lord for our strength and cherish every moment, every e-mail, every phone call.  We will covet your prayers as my husband heads out soon and I finish packing up the house.  Love you all and Oregonians...  See ya soon!