FAQS about This Season
Throughout this season, I have had many people ask me questions about various aspects of our military life, so I thought perhaps I should address them here. This post may be a little random, but bear with me.
When will you get to see your husband again?
We will get to see each other again when he gets home in the spring. The times we were able to visit in May (for 4 days) and July (for 7 days) were his "RnR" - aka the time the military gives servicemembers to spend with their families. Now we are into the long haul of waiting for him to get home.
Why didn't you move to Australia? or... Why didn't you stay in Australia longer on your recent trip?
I have gotten both questions more times than I can count. In short, I felt like it was crucial for Selah to have a little bit of stability in her life in the midst of a very big part of her life (Daddy) leaving for a long time. One of the reasons we made the move to Georgia in December was so that we could set up our house, and it really become our home, before Caleb left.
Selah did have a difficult time adjusting to this new house, and it took several weeks before she settled into a normal routine. I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be to take her around the world and try to set up somewhat of a home environment for about a year before turning around and bringing her back to the States. Additionally, I have a house full of stuff, a dog, etc. I feel very established here. Moving back to Australia would be really difficult with living out of a suitcase essentially and having most of our stuff across the world in storage.
As far as our trip Down Under, I decided three weeks would be a decent amount of time to see family - if only briefly in some cases - but still not be too much of a break from the norm for Selah. Also, I knew there was a slight chance of us getting to see Caleb at some point while he was in Texas, and I didn't want to be gone so long that I missed that opportunity. That's why we went in April - because I knew we definitely couldn't see Caleb that month. And...I had a ton of stuff going on all through the summer - Selah's birthday, family trip to the beach (with Caleb's fam), Yellow Ribbon event in July, school in August. Also, we are hopefully going back to Australia for a longer trip next year, once Caleb is home. In the end, as hard as it was to leave, I think 3 weeks was pretty perfect as far as getting to see family.
Can you go visit Caleb? or... Could you have moved with him?
No...he is in a war zone. Trust me, if I'd had the chance to go with him, I would have.
When does Caleb come home?
Sometime next spring. Please don't ask for specific dates - I am not able to give out that information. Besides, the actual date could change a bunch of times. If I say "soon", I'm not trying to be distant...I'm just trying to protect my husband and the unit by limiting what I share. The more that is shared, the more that can get back to the enemy and delay my hubby's homecoming. So please, understand that I will share what I can and I need you not to ask for specific details.
I don't know how you do it!
I don't either. I just wake up every day and tell God that I desperately need Him...because there is no way I can do this on my own.
I am a person who loves "normal", predictability, home. The military doesn't really fit any of those categories. So, God is stretching me, teaching me to rely on Him when I am weak (which is all the time) and ask Him for the grace to get through.
How are you going to keep yourself busy?
Have you met Selah Grace? :) She is one busy little girl. I am pretty sure if all I did for this whole season was keep up with Selah, I would well and truly have my hands full. But, I also have some other things keeping me busy as well, namely:
- Violin lessons. I am super excited that after 12 years of playing, I can finally get back to taking lessons! Haven't had a lesson in about 10 years.
- Tons of projects, including lots of organization, de-cluttering, healthy living/fitness, and photo projects. :) I hope to get a bunch of them completed before Caleb's return.
- College! I have access to some scholarship money through the military that I am only able to access for now (due to rank restrictions), so I feel like I should make use of it. I will be completing my Associates in Teaching through State Fair Community College (where I attended 2009-10) in Missouri. All my classes will be online. I have three classes this semester (Biology with Lab, Child Psychology and Technology for Teachers) and one next semester (Foundations of Education). :)
- A Bible study with other military wives. This just came about last night, and I am super excited about the opportunity to hang out with some other believers who also happen to have experienced military life!
- Church. This really shouldn't be at the bottom of the list, because it's one of the most important. Anyway. I am enjoying getting involved in church as I am able with various activities and events, and am really loving the sense of community at Beth Yeshua. God has definitely placed me there for this season - the support is amazing!
- Lots of day to day "stuff" - both things I normally do and things Caleb would help with. My to-do list is never ending! I will let you know if I ever get bored. :)
Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you.
Obviously it's not a question, but this is something I've heard repeatedly. To be honest, I'm probably not going to call you at 3pm when my baby has been fussing all day long or my dishwasher stops running. For whatever reason the thought of calling on people makes me feel like I'm burdening them with my problems. What would mean the most to me is just having people offer to do things for me - ie. babysit, bring a meal, mow my yard. Of course, if you can't, don't feel bad. Prayers are wonderful too, and so appreciated. Getting a card in the mail knowing someone is thinking of you means a lot as well. I struggle too, and knowing that people have got my back - whether with food, practical acts of service, or in prayer - really can make a big difference.
Just a little note while I'm on the topic of offers to help. Please *don't* call my house phone in the afternoon/evening hours unless you have arranged this with me ahead of time. Selah naps in the afternoon and goes to bed by 7.30, and my home phone is obnoxiously loud...so for the sake of Selah's sleep and this mama's sanity, please arrange ahead of time if you want to call my house number. You can pretty much always reach me via text on my cell phone.
That's all I can think of for now.
{Any questions you have that I didn't answer? Post 'em below!}
When will you get to see your husband again?
We will get to see each other again when he gets home in the spring. The times we were able to visit in May (for 4 days) and July (for 7 days) were his "RnR" - aka the time the military gives servicemembers to spend with their families. Now we are into the long haul of waiting for him to get home.
Why didn't you move to Australia? or... Why didn't you stay in Australia longer on your recent trip?
I have gotten both questions more times than I can count. In short, I felt like it was crucial for Selah to have a little bit of stability in her life in the midst of a very big part of her life (Daddy) leaving for a long time. One of the reasons we made the move to Georgia in December was so that we could set up our house, and it really become our home, before Caleb left.
Selah did have a difficult time adjusting to this new house, and it took several weeks before she settled into a normal routine. I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be to take her around the world and try to set up somewhat of a home environment for about a year before turning around and bringing her back to the States. Additionally, I have a house full of stuff, a dog, etc. I feel very established here. Moving back to Australia would be really difficult with living out of a suitcase essentially and having most of our stuff across the world in storage.
As far as our trip Down Under, I decided three weeks would be a decent amount of time to see family - if only briefly in some cases - but still not be too much of a break from the norm for Selah. Also, I knew there was a slight chance of us getting to see Caleb at some point while he was in Texas, and I didn't want to be gone so long that I missed that opportunity. That's why we went in April - because I knew we definitely couldn't see Caleb that month. And...I had a ton of stuff going on all through the summer - Selah's birthday, family trip to the beach (with Caleb's fam), Yellow Ribbon event in July, school in August. Also, we are hopefully going back to Australia for a longer trip next year, once Caleb is home. In the end, as hard as it was to leave, I think 3 weeks was pretty perfect as far as getting to see family.
Can you go visit Caleb? or... Could you have moved with him?
No...he is in a war zone. Trust me, if I'd had the chance to go with him, I would have.
When does Caleb come home?
Sometime next spring. Please don't ask for specific dates - I am not able to give out that information. Besides, the actual date could change a bunch of times. If I say "soon", I'm not trying to be distant...I'm just trying to protect my husband and the unit by limiting what I share. The more that is shared, the more that can get back to the enemy and delay my hubby's homecoming. So please, understand that I will share what I can and I need you not to ask for specific details.
I don't know how you do it!
I don't either. I just wake up every day and tell God that I desperately need Him...because there is no way I can do this on my own.
I am a person who loves "normal", predictability, home. The military doesn't really fit any of those categories. So, God is stretching me, teaching me to rely on Him when I am weak (which is all the time) and ask Him for the grace to get through.
How are you going to keep yourself busy?
Have you met Selah Grace? :) She is one busy little girl. I am pretty sure if all I did for this whole season was keep up with Selah, I would well and truly have my hands full. But, I also have some other things keeping me busy as well, namely:
- Violin lessons. I am super excited that after 12 years of playing, I can finally get back to taking lessons! Haven't had a lesson in about 10 years.
- Tons of projects, including lots of organization, de-cluttering, healthy living/fitness, and photo projects. :) I hope to get a bunch of them completed before Caleb's return.
- College! I have access to some scholarship money through the military that I am only able to access for now (due to rank restrictions), so I feel like I should make use of it. I will be completing my Associates in Teaching through State Fair Community College (where I attended 2009-10) in Missouri. All my classes will be online. I have three classes this semester (Biology with Lab, Child Psychology and Technology for Teachers) and one next semester (Foundations of Education). :)
- A Bible study with other military wives. This just came about last night, and I am super excited about the opportunity to hang out with some other believers who also happen to have experienced military life!
- Church. This really shouldn't be at the bottom of the list, because it's one of the most important. Anyway. I am enjoying getting involved in church as I am able with various activities and events, and am really loving the sense of community at Beth Yeshua. God has definitely placed me there for this season - the support is amazing!
- Lots of day to day "stuff" - both things I normally do and things Caleb would help with. My to-do list is never ending! I will let you know if I ever get bored. :)
Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you.
Obviously it's not a question, but this is something I've heard repeatedly. To be honest, I'm probably not going to call you at 3pm when my baby has been fussing all day long or my dishwasher stops running. For whatever reason the thought of calling on people makes me feel like I'm burdening them with my problems. What would mean the most to me is just having people offer to do things for me - ie. babysit, bring a meal, mow my yard. Of course, if you can't, don't feel bad. Prayers are wonderful too, and so appreciated. Getting a card in the mail knowing someone is thinking of you means a lot as well. I struggle too, and knowing that people have got my back - whether with food, practical acts of service, or in prayer - really can make a big difference.
Just a little note while I'm on the topic of offers to help. Please *don't* call my house phone in the afternoon/evening hours unless you have arranged this with me ahead of time. Selah naps in the afternoon and goes to bed by 7.30, and my home phone is obnoxiously loud...so for the sake of Selah's sleep and this mama's sanity, please arrange ahead of time if you want to call my house number. You can pretty much always reach me via text on my cell phone.
That's all I can think of for now.
{Any questions you have that I didn't answer? Post 'em below!}
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