Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!
Thank you, each and everyone of you military spouses. Your strength is admirable. Your courage is undeniable! Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed. So thank you, for all you do!
In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Wives of Faith is hosting a weekend long blog carnival. I am going to try my best to participate each day, but we have a busy weekend (complete with an FRG yard sale). So check out Wives of Faith and see what other military spouses are sharing during this blog carnival.
Today's topic is:
11 Things I love about being the wife of a soldier/sailor/airman/marine/coast guardsman/national guardsman/reservist!
First, let me share this picture of my hubby and me....whats not to love about him?? ;)
Here's my list:
11 Things I love about being an Army Reserve Wife:
11. The benefits - we have really good and affordable insurance....that is a big perk in my book.
10. Discounts - so many businesses and organizations are proud supporters of troops and offer wonderful discounts to service members and their families. They do not have to do that, but they do and to me, it means so much!
9. Phone calls in the middle of the night - when your the spouse of a deployed soldier, you do not go to bed (or anywhere for that matter) without taking your phone(s) with you. It does not bother me at all to receive a phone call in the middle of the night from my man. I actually got one last night and I seriously think I slept the rest of the night with a smile on my face. ;)
8. Support network - there are so many support networks out there for military spouses to connect through. Being a reserve family, we do not have the advantage of living on (or even near) a base so for me finding organizations online that have supported and encouraged me through deployments have meant the world to me. Wives of Faith has been such a source of support and encouragement for me. I am so glad I found it a few years ago.
7. Pride - I have so much pride being a military spouse. Proud of my husband's (and my brother's) service, pride of seeing a flag, pride hearing the national anthem.
6. Friendships - The friendships, both civilian and military, I have made are indescribable. I have wonderful friends who are with me every step of the way...during deployments, reintegration's, and everything in between. I am forever grateful for the incredible women God has placed in my life and for the impact they have on me.
5. Appreciating the little things - I think when your a military wife, you really learn (sometimes the hard way due to multiple separations) how to appreciate every single moment you have with your spouse. Appreciate having your husband sit next to you in church, appreciate someone to old your hand, appreciate every little hug, never taking for granted a single moment you have together. For us it made us realize how important family time is and how much we just want to be together (when we can)
4. Hand Written Letters - if there is something to love about deployment, for me it would have to be the hand written letters my hubby sends to me and to the kids. They are priceless. They are so comforting to pull out and read (over and over through tear filled eyes) on those days when I miss him so much.
3. Saved Voicemails - Unfortunately, I can not just call my husband anytime I want to because I need to/want to hear his voice...for that matter I can not call him at all. But, it is so nice to have saved voicemails that I can listen to over and over when I just want to hear his voice. To hear him say "I love you girl" I love it when he says that to me...makes me smile (though right now it is making me tear up thinking how much I want to hear that...think I need to go listen to that voicemail again)
2. Homecoming - the feeling you get as you prepare for and anticipate the arrival of your deployed spouse's homecoming...wow...the moment you see each other face - to -face and not on a computer screen. The moment when he wraps his arms around you...the butterflies in your stomach. AMAZING...not many moments in life can even begin to compare to that.
and the #1 reason I love being an Army Reserve Wife:
MY MAN IN UNIFORM =)
