Something about me Saturday Blog Hop!

I am having so much fun with these blog hops!  Thanks to DisneyBird for hosting!  Be sure to check out the other posts HERE!

Since my hubby left this morning for 2 weeks of training I figured I would blog about my life as a Military Wife.

I am the proud wife to an Army National Guard Soldier.  Mark has been in the military for 12 years now with no plans for getting out.  We have been through 3 deployments together since 9/11 and are gearing up for another one possibly sometime in 2012.  People ask how I do it.  That is an easy one.  I love him and I have no choice.  I would never leave him and I support him 110%.  He is my hero! 

Deployments are hard but I have learned after 3 some things to help pass the time.  get involved in family support in your unit----being around others that are going through what you are going through is the biggest piece of mind.  Also we had so much fun sending Mark packages.  We sometimes sent fun things like wiffle ball bats so they could play on down time, crayons and coloring books, and then of course things that remind them of home.  BIG TIP HERE!  Don't package soap and homemade cookies in the same box.  Poor hubby got Irish spring flavored cookies one time.  LOL!  I have learned since them.  You never have a date that they are coming home but we had fun gathering supplies and planning Mark's homecoming.  Also to help the kids while he was gone---we went to build a bear before he left and made them each daddy bears complete with camo outfits and we did the record a voice for each so when they pressed the bear's belly they could hear his voice.  these proved to be invaluable.  I have tons more tips and maybe I will do a whole post about surviving deployment in the future.

Sorry for the digression, i do that alot.  As I was saying Mark has been deployed 3 times since 9/11.  His 1st started the day it happened---he was sent to the Pentagon to help with recovery and security---he is military police.  He was there a few weeks before being sent to Fort Stewart, GA.  Before they were sent to GA, he was granted leave to come home so we could get married.  As soon as 9/11 happened, we decided to move our wedding up (was supposed to be August of 2002) and I planned it all in 3 weeks---thank goodness I already had my dress.   It was beautiful.  We had one night together and he left the next day.  I visited while he was in GA and then they finished their year off back at the Pentagon.  That was nice because he was able to come home on weekends---that is how Roseanna happened.  Luckily Mark was home from deployment well before I had Roseanna. 

Mark was home a short 8-9 months before being told they were going to Afghanistan.  We were given 1 week's notice before he had to report to NJ for training.  Mark left when Roseanna was 7 months old when Mark left and it was the hardest year of my life!  But it would prove to get worse.  At his homecoming, Roseanna was petrified of him and would not even go to mark.  It took months before she would be alone in a room with him without me.  It broke my heart!  Thankfully she is now a HUGE daddy's girl!

We had years between deployments.  #3 came while Roseanna 4 and Russell was 1.  this time it was Iraq and to compound the stress, my little brother was sent with the Marines at the same time.  Mike is my  only brother and I was so worried about him.  It was yet another stressful year.  But they both arrived home safely within a week of each other.  Here are some pictures of the last homecoming (get your tissues ready)

banner we had made for our house

had to decorate the car

Roseanna and Russell waiting for the buses with our soldiers

the local fire dept sent 2 ladders to raise a flag at the entrance

Wait that flag is not big enough, let's get a bigger one

Roseanna under the flag

Russ and my dad watching (I MISS YOU DADDY!)

the BIG flag waving in the wind

my attempt at a cute poster

kids posters

the family waiting

everyone waiting at the armory

more people waiting

The freedom Riders escorted the buses

THEY ARE HOME!

Daddy missed his baby girl!

HUGE relief!  Russell remembered Mark and was so happy to see him!

he would not let Mark put him down

Roseanna gave Stitch to mark before the deployment and Mark took him everywhere.  To this day Stitch rides in Mark's car with him in the backseat (he even wears his seat belt!)

YEAH!  DADDY IS HOME!

the excitement was too much for him!

her too!

Told you to get your tissues out!  The homecoming is the such a reward for a year of heartache and worry.  I know I will face these moments and again and hope I have the grace, love and patience to raise 3 kids alone and give Mark nothing but support.  I truly love being a military wife and would not trade it for anything.  My heart swells with pride every time I say:  My husband is a solider!

Thanks for taking a peek into my life.  Be sure to check in on the others blogs on the hop!

see ya real soon!
Nikki