I *Heart* My Army Wife Life!

That phrase ("I Love My Army Wife Life") is one of my many mantras. When I start to get frustrated with another "hurry up & wait" situation the military presents us, I try to stop and think how lucky I am.

I have been thinking about this A LOT lately. As we start to prepare the house for the rental market, I had a conversation with one of my main homies, Molly, & we started to discuss what would happen when I had to move. We resolved there would be a huge production of "ugly crying" (face red, eyes swollen, runny nose)...and I honestly started to tear up just thinking about it. I'm super excited to start our journey at our next duty station, but I'm so sad to leave so many amazing people behind.

In all the "bad" that comes from being a military wife, I've been afforded so many opportunities that I am truly grateful for. I was able to live on the beautiful island of O'ahu for 3 years! I lived off base, worked on the economy, picked up quite a bit of pigeon slang, learned some hula, and developed an unhealthy obsession with Aloha Shoyu, Coconut Syrup, Lomi lomi salmon & Coconut Macadamia Nut Tea. I've met people that have truly changed my life & love catching up with.

In "surviving" deployments & TDY's to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Quatar, Jordan, Australia, Singapore & more, Eric and I have learned how to communicate. Whether it's a 5 minute conversation on a Satellite phone that echoes, letters written on 3x5 index cards, or chatting via IM or Skype, we know the importance of every minute. We have a mutual respect of each others roles in our family & how tasking they can be. This is NOT to say we don't disagree, um DUH we're married, but these separations have aided us in communicating our feelings/concerns effectively.

It seems like each move is bittersweet. Although I will eventually leave behind amazing people here, I know I'll learn and grow even more with the experiences that await me after the move! And, just to clarify, even though Eric is now an officer...I will forever be an Army wife... AKA Household 6!

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No matter what branch you serve, the US Military is a family. The heinous act that took the lives of two airmen in Germany last week is a tragedy. The friends of Nicholas Alden have set up an online auction on Facebook to raise money for his family. Please take the time to click HERE and place a bid OR look in the info section to find out how to make a personal donation. Although the military has decent life insurance, it can take quite awhile to receive those benefits, and if you've ever buried a loved one, you know of the immediate expenses. So, please support this family in their time of need.

(if the link doesn't work, do a search for "Auction to Raise Funds for the Alden family")