Dismissed
Keith and I have never been that over romantic mushy couple. Not when we were "dating" (People, if you count 20 days of knowing each other "dating" before you get married). Keith and I have always been the kind of couple that can joke around together, argue and talk things out, and hang out as best friends would do. Being romantic to us is grabbing some food, head home for the couch, and curling up and watching either a movie or favorite TV show together. We just simply enjoy each other's company and usually prefer it over anyone elses. In fact we often joke around and say that we are hermits who would much rather live in an underground cave together.
I am not saying that we always get along. We have our moments and when we do it is usually heated followed by a vocabulary that would embarrass his troops. We work it though and that is all that matters.
Through the 13 + years that we have been married we have lived in many places and been through allot. Living in Japan was hell and it only made us stronger as a couple. I think we both learned that no matter where we lived, how little we had, and how badly things seemed to be that as long as we were healthy and had each other that that is what matter most. We know a lot of couples that didn't make it while living there... We know allot of couples period that haven't made it in the military together. We seem to be one of the old farts now in the Marine Corps that have managed to stay married.
We made it through 10 years of infertility... We decided together to stop everything and we were there for each other through that grief and heart ache. We moved on together. When we found out I was pregnant we knew we were blessed and we were happy together. When I got sick Keith held me up through one of the most difficult times in my life. He was my strength and he got me to smile when I didn't think I had anything to smile about. When we found out that Emily had a severe brain bleed we cried together, held each other, and together we decided she would make it and we would be her strength... together.
When I got pregnant with Olivia it was the first time in our marriage that we would have to do something major separate. He would not be able to see my belly grow, hear her heart beat for the first time or see his youngest be born. Yet through the miles he was there with me waiting and rejoicing in her birth and in her being healthy.
We have been through many deployments together and through two tours in Iraq. I can not explain to you the emotions of seeing your spouse after such a long period of time. Like I said, we have never been that mushy love sick couple... but the emotions that take over with him coming home are indescribable. It is like nothing I have ever felt... Many other spouses have said this as well. It is something that you have to experience yourself to know exactly what I mean. It is a cross between relief, joy,excitment, pride, and impatience. Take all of those and wrap them up together and times it by 10 and you kind of have it.
Keith is coming home this weekend. I will see him for the first time in over 7 months once again. During this time he has missed 7 months of Emily's life and all that entails that. He missed Halloween, Turkey Day, our Anniversary, Christmas, New Years, Valentines, and his youngest daughter's entire pregnancy and birth. It is time and events that he can never get back or can never experience no matter how many pictures he looks at. Once again we did this together. No matter what we knew that through it all we had each other, our marriage, and our children. We both had bad days, hard days, sad times and we did our best to be there for each other through it all... When I see him get off that bus and make eye contact for the first time there is a sense of relief knowing that not only he is safe but all the burdens and hardships of the past 7 months are now over. There is excitement, tears joy and we will finally be a family once again. Together.
I think the one thing I have learned repeatedly over every deployment is that I don't "need" Keith in my life but I want him there... I didn't need him to help me with Em, I didn't need him through the holidays or even to give birth. I sure did want him there though every step of the way and I know he wanted us as well.
Finally, I think for those of you that have no idea what it is like to see your Marine or military spouse for the first time in months after coming back from a war zone... I leave you with this song. If you listen to the words it pretty much describes in detail the emotions one has. It IS truly magical as the song says when they get off that bus and then you hear the long awaited command "dismissed" and see the flood of cammies running towards their family. I play it about 100 times a day now for Emily and I... and every time I think of Keith coming home and seeing him for the first time knowing he is breathing, safe, and knowing that everything we have been through the past few months is finally over...and we can "just be".
Thanks to everyone who showed their support and as always God Bless America and our Marines...
I am not saying that we always get along. We have our moments and when we do it is usually heated followed by a vocabulary that would embarrass his troops. We work it though and that is all that matters.
Through the 13 + years that we have been married we have lived in many places and been through allot. Living in Japan was hell and it only made us stronger as a couple. I think we both learned that no matter where we lived, how little we had, and how badly things seemed to be that as long as we were healthy and had each other that that is what matter most. We know a lot of couples that didn't make it while living there... We know allot of couples period that haven't made it in the military together. We seem to be one of the old farts now in the Marine Corps that have managed to stay married.
We made it through 10 years of infertility... We decided together to stop everything and we were there for each other through that grief and heart ache. We moved on together. When we found out I was pregnant we knew we were blessed and we were happy together. When I got sick Keith held me up through one of the most difficult times in my life. He was my strength and he got me to smile when I didn't think I had anything to smile about. When we found out that Emily had a severe brain bleed we cried together, held each other, and together we decided she would make it and we would be her strength... together.
When I got pregnant with Olivia it was the first time in our marriage that we would have to do something major separate. He would not be able to see my belly grow, hear her heart beat for the first time or see his youngest be born. Yet through the miles he was there with me waiting and rejoicing in her birth and in her being healthy.
We have been through many deployments together and through two tours in Iraq. I can not explain to you the emotions of seeing your spouse after such a long period of time. Like I said, we have never been that mushy love sick couple... but the emotions that take over with him coming home are indescribable. It is like nothing I have ever felt... Many other spouses have said this as well. It is something that you have to experience yourself to know exactly what I mean. It is a cross between relief, joy,excitment, pride, and impatience. Take all of those and wrap them up together and times it by 10 and you kind of have it.
Keith is coming home this weekend. I will see him for the first time in over 7 months once again. During this time he has missed 7 months of Emily's life and all that entails that. He missed Halloween, Turkey Day, our Anniversary, Christmas, New Years, Valentines, and his youngest daughter's entire pregnancy and birth. It is time and events that he can never get back or can never experience no matter how many pictures he looks at. Once again we did this together. No matter what we knew that through it all we had each other, our marriage, and our children. We both had bad days, hard days, sad times and we did our best to be there for each other through it all... When I see him get off that bus and make eye contact for the first time there is a sense of relief knowing that not only he is safe but all the burdens and hardships of the past 7 months are now over. There is excitement, tears joy and we will finally be a family once again. Together.
I think the one thing I have learned repeatedly over every deployment is that I don't "need" Keith in my life but I want him there... I didn't need him to help me with Em, I didn't need him through the holidays or even to give birth. I sure did want him there though every step of the way and I know he wanted us as well.
Finally, I think for those of you that have no idea what it is like to see your Marine or military spouse for the first time in months after coming back from a war zone... I leave you with this song. If you listen to the words it pretty much describes in detail the emotions one has. It IS truly magical as the song says when they get off that bus and then you hear the long awaited command "dismissed" and see the flood of cammies running towards their family. I play it about 100 times a day now for Emily and I... and every time I think of Keith coming home and seeing him for the first time knowing he is breathing, safe, and knowing that everything we have been through the past few months is finally over...and we can "just be".
Thanks to everyone who showed their support and as always God Bless America and our Marines...