From one wife to another

so now that I'm officially on the countdown, I thought I would share a few helpful hints for any other Army wives that happen to stumble onto my blog. Being that this is my 3rd Deployment I have a few :-)

1. Use to the full extent those 16 hrs a month of free daycare on post! If you don't know what I am talking about then run run run and knock down someone's door and ask them! Those beautiful 16 hours a month, 4 hrs a week! Oh how lovely. Go get your hair done, go get your nails done, go take a nap, go do SOMETHING!

2. take care of yourself! you cannot give what you need to give, especially if you have kids if you don't. Eat healthy, exercise, get sleep,take vitamins. Easier said than done, yes, I know, but do take care of yourself. If you come to the end of the deployment exausted, worn out, stresseed to the max, you are no help to anyone!

3. My kids go to bed early...people dont understand why my kids go to bed early..*Respectably, for a 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 yr olds I dont think 7 and 8 pm is extremely early, but whatever* There is a method to my 'madness' I need 'me' time. I need peace and quiet. Sure, my kids get up somewhat early, but they get up early no matter when they go to bed so I might as well utilize that time, give them extra rest and me the 'me' time that I need. I am a better mother when I have a couple hours in the evening to decompress. This also works in my favor when my husband is home, kids in bed early and we get a quiet evening just us without the stresses of kids around.

4. Now, heres where I need to take my own advice, bc I struggle with this one. When offered help..TAKE IT! Do not let your pride get in the way.
If you are visiting family and they offer to get up with the kids while you sleep in...for goodness sake..Let them! I will say, I am getting better at this but its a work in progress.

5. Have a support system. I have wonderful family and friends that I can vent to and yell if needed, or cry if needed and they don't judge me, they try to understand as best they can, if they arent military. A support system is your key to getting through hard times! One of my very best friends lives in Hawaii *also a military spouse* but the time change doesn't matter, I know if I need her she's there and if she needs me she knows I'm here!

And for those that aren't military..please don't judge us. It's hard for those outside of this world to understand the daily stresses or too understand why we do what we do, or say what we say, or the way we parent our kids bc when our spouse is gone we're tired, stressed to the max, and our whole world is sitting on -our- shoulders we don't always make the right decisions in what we say or do or in how we parent, we don't always respond the nicest but that may be because we haven't heard from our spouse in a week and they were supposed to go on a mission and we are worried or maybe it was because we didnt sleep the night before, or 3 nights before bc the baby is teething. Just be our friend, love us in spite of our shortfalls and our moods :-) There are days when we get up, survive, go to bed.

I totally completely understand everything thats on a wifes plate whose husband is gone. You are mom/dad/gardener/trash taker outer..you run it all and its exausting..its daunting, I know. But remember, Each day that passes, is one day closer to when you will see your spouse again.

And I promise you, one day you will see those beautiful white busses and your spouse will be home!! You will survive this! You will make it! Time does not stop..even though it feels like it, it doesn't.