So today marks the first day of my writings about the adventures (and misadventures) of a soldier and his family. I am of course not the soldier, but the faithful wife. I am starting this account at the beginning, as history plays a large part on the present. I must be careful as I publish my posts. Anyone who has ever been in the military understands why. If you are a civilian, well nevermind. I am choosing to type in red because its the color most people associate with the cost of freedom....
It all began in 2000. My husband and I were married and had a baby when he first wanted to join the military. Naive wife that I was, I was terrified for my husband to join the military, and upon seeing the distress across my freckled face, we decided to remain civilians. (why did I ever decide that living close to poverty was better than a guaranteed paycheck and amazing medical/dental/life et al benefits?)
Fast forward to 9/11. My husband worked nights and was just coming in when my mom called. "Amber turn on the TV!! We have been bombed in New York!" My husband was trying to go to sleep and kept telling me to turn off the TV. Obviously not. I watched enough to get all worked up and then took our son to daycare and I went to work. I cried the entire 30-minute drive. Why did I even GO to work that day?? I should have gone to my mother's house and watched the news all day. Alas, poor people can not watch TV during business hours so off I went. When I got home that afternoon my husband decided he was joining the Army and that was that. Well of course I decided that he couldn't possibly join the Army at this time because his decision was completely emotional (what I meant was I was emotional). In any event he did not join and we were still living close to poverty. (see my regrets above...)
Our children grew and so did our bills. A recruiter approached my husband one day at the mall and after a few lengthy talks, LOTS of prayer, and a call to my mother we decided to join the Army. My mom, God bless her. When I called and said "what would you do if Dad had wanted to join the military?" and her answer still rings in my mind "well Amber I'd follow along. If that's where the Lord is leading then that's where we'll go". How am I supposed to argue with the Lord? So as a family we joined the Army. When a person is part of a family and joins the military, the whole family joins.
So he leaves for MEPS and I am home with a new kindergartner and a first grader, no husband, and no more daycare. (my daycare kids were school age at this time and we had to move so that was the end of that.) If you have ever had kids at your house you may have a small idea of the noise level and energy required to keep up with 5 bosses under age 5. Well they were all gone and I was tasked with packing the house up. I finally get a quiet house and I have to stuff it in boxes. Oh well! So begins my life as an Army wife. :-)
