10:39 PM
MorethanaMilitaryWife
Things not to tell your wife while she is deployed to the other side of the world:
1. I lost my wallet with a large amount of cash in it.
2. Oh yea, the credit cards were in there too.
3. Don't forget about the debit cards.
4. And my ID.
Things to tell your wife after you told her the things you weren't supposed to ever tell her in the first place:
1. The MPs just brought it all back to me.
In other news... we have been at Camp Spann for over a month. Everyone is finally getting into their schedule, and is eager to keep the deployment moving. Last night was our company's patch ceremony. By regulation you are authorized to wear a combat patch after being in country one day. However most units wait until around the 30 day mark. Ours was last night. My Battalion XO, who's mentored me since I got to my unit was able to put the staff's patches on them. I know a lot of people say it's no big to have the patch ceremony, but I'm not one of those people. That combat patch is a source of huge pride for me. As I was growing up in Picture Rocks, PA (population of like literally 500 people) I was too caught up in cheerleading, boyfriends, and social circles to really give the military a thought. Now here I am today in Afghansitan. It's very surreal, and sometimes I have a hard time believing it. That patch ceremony meant so much more to me than just another piece of material on a uniform. It symbolizes the sacrifices that all Soldiers that have deployed have faced, the countless hours that have been spent at work, and the missions that people have gone on to make this area a better place. Oh yea... and I beat Nate to it. HAHA
2:45 AM
MorethanaMilitaryWife
Here's a group shot of the ladies of 1st BSTB. Thank goodness they are here, because without them... well, who would I have "girl talk" with? The other night I went to dinner with three of the guys in our unit. The entire time they talked of lifting weights, No X-plode, and ear wax. Really.... Ear wax. There is only so much of that a girl can take. Luckily I do not have to subject myself to that kind of torture often, but when I do, it makes me miss my Fort Drum friends a ton. (Hi Kayla!)
Nate is STILL siting at home waiting for his flight. It's been a bad couple of days for him. He's had his "fifth last meal in the states" last night. He insists that our brigade is not on a deployment, but instead partying in Las Vegas and he just wasn't invited. Rest assured blog readers, because I am NOT in Las Vegas. I wish.
3:07 AM
MorethanaMilitaryWife
Sometimes I get the feeling that I am a bad wife. No, not in any kind of harmful or destructive way... just in a way where I feel like I'm not the wife I "should be." Being deployed keeps me busy, but also gives me a lot of time to think. Especially at night, when my Nate isn't around for me to talk to. All that I am left with is my thoughts. Now I know I do a lot for my husband, and he is the first thing on my mind every day when I wake up and the last thing before bed. However sometimes I feel like I'm not there enough. Like I can't commit as much time or energy as I would like to to him and our relationship. I can't have dinner ready for him when he gets home from work at night. I can't take care of the finances and household things right now. And unfortunately,I can't hug him goodbye before he leaves for his deployment. I just can't do all the same things that I feel like other wives can. That makes me feel helpless and like my life is out of my control. Which, technically it is. The only thing that makes me feel better about this situation is that I know Nate is ok with all of it. If he gets home from work before me, he makes dinner. If I'm not there to take care of the finances and household things, then he is the one setting up allotments and making sure the electricity is shut off for the year. And let me tell you... that hug he gave me before I left for deployment was the best hug I have ever received. I think when I lay down before bed tonight, I will think about that.
8:47 PM
MorethanaMilitaryWife
Happy Easter! It's Easter Sunday here on Camp Spann, but it doesn't feel like Easter. I guess I really have nothing to compare what an Easter on a deployment is like... but it feels like any other day. My Soldiers did have an Easter egg hunt this morning, complete with plastic eggs and jellybeans. I think CSM ended up finding more than me, and he wasn't even participating. The sad thing is that Nate will be at home today eating a microwaveable turkey dinner (since our house is STILL in chaos due to the pipes breaking over the winter...) instead of having to sit through one of my "delicious" holiday feasts. Now that I think about it... he probably enjoys the microwaveable meal more. Last year at this time Nate had just moved up to Fort Drum and we had recently bought our house. Our Easter dinner was the first "real" meal we made together. This year I am eating an MRE for lunch. My how a year changes things. However, in that year we have learned so much and have continued to grow as a couple, so for that I am thankful.
As I write this, Nate is also getting ready to leave for the deployment. He will be on the opposite side of the country, but I am excited that he will be in the same time zone. I'm sure he is too, so that when I do get a chance to call I'm not accidentally waking him up at odd hours of the night.
Besides that, Camp Spann has been great. The Soldiers are eager to do their jobs and I am excited to see what the next year continues to bring.
