Perks of deployment

I remember Kent saying last year that as much as it stunk that Ben was gone, he enjoyed all the extra blogging it brought.  Yes, it's true...Ben being gone=more writing for me.

This coming deployment, we are trying to focus on the blessings and choosing each day to be thankful.

#1 perk: more pictures and stories of our family.  I saw an inspiring instagram hashtag #extraordinaryintheordinary.  Essentially encouraging moms to embrace the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life.  I hope to do this the next 7 months.  I've only had a few freak out moments and one of them came when I realized Ben would come home just in time for Eli's 7th birthday.  SEVEN.  I'm not okay with that.  So, I choose to soak up every bit of 6 I can.

I am thankful that Ben has a job and for technology that allows us to talk to each other even when he is across the world.  I'm thankful he'll be on a base and will, Lord willing, be safe.  I'm thankful our kids are old enough to help me around the house and can do some things for themselves.

 

In a way, I'm thankful for deployment.  It makes us really cherish our time together and it gives us time to miss one another and really remember how much we love one another.  Plus, the moment that we are reunited, is one of the best experiences in life.  I'm also thankful that it enables us to sympathize with so many other families.

Sunday breakfast together

You may be wondering how we are doing, leading up to deployment.  It's easy to type that we're trying to see the positive, but it doesn't always mean we feel that in our hearts.  It still stinks.  I've had lots of questions and all I can answer is, "I don't know".  My brain is having a hard time processing all the change.  Not only is Ben deploying, but we are about to start up school and activities and trying to figure out what our year looks like is a big mystery to me.  I just know we're going to take it a day at a time.  I don't feel anxious about taking care of the kids or the house and I feel very safe where we are.  Our neighbors are boarder patrol and police officers and Ben has talked to them about keeping an eye on us.  Plus with our furious puppy, we'll be well taken care of :)  Actually, deployment was one reason we got Maya.  Research shows that military kids who have a dog, fair better than those who don't.  It gives them a constant in their life, even when homes changes and daddy's are gone.  That's a lot of pressure on a dog, but I'd say she's been really good for our kids so far.

Colin's perk of deployment is that he gets to keep sucking his thumb.  This stinker.  I put the yucky nail polish on his thumb this week and he just kept on sucking.  But Ben feels too bad to take it away right now, so I guess he's just going to suck his thumb forever.

We have less than a week together and they say this is the most stressful part (they also say that the second deployment is harder than the first).  If you think of any more positives, pass them our way!