The Streak Has Ended....

I almost hate to say this.

In the 22 years that Gunner was in the Army......are you ready for this......they never screwed up his pay.  Never ever.  During the almost 17 years that we have been married, we have been paid once a month....religiously....and lived happily ever after.  Well sort of....

When you retire, your last paycheck is delayed--anywhere from 2-6 weeks.  How's that for planning purposes? 

It's totally crazy, but I know so many people that look at Finance with such disdain, that I will not complain.  I happen to appreciate their timeliness. 

It's official, I am married to a civilian.  A full time student.  A retired GI.  I feel old. 

Sad part is that I have to get a new ID card, and I don't want to waste time off of work to get it done.  Here's hoping that I don't get sick!  (knock on wood)

I thought we could celebrate, but real life called and Gunner is off doing the student thing. 

I'm sad to think that it has all come to an end, but also thankful that we have survived it.  For the 18 years that we have been together, I have always been second priority.  Always.  Sure I know he loves me most of all, but there is no arguing that you are always going to be pushed to the side if the Army calls.

The Army doesn't care if you just had a baby, your dad passed away, your lawn needs to be mowed, or that your inlaws are coming to visit.  She also doesn't care that you are in the hospital, or that you have to somehow figure out how to be 3 places at once. 

For the FIRST time, I am his first priority.  Well of course there are three kiddos too, but I don't have to fight for his attention.  He won't deploy.  He won't get late middle of the night phone calls to check the alert roster (rest assured, in 22 years, it never failed).  There will be no lockdowns due to missing items.  No one will write me a ticket if my lawn isn't mowed.  He won't be gone for years at a time.  I can make plans, and the Army won't interfere at the last minute.

There will be no PT.  No piles of dirty ACU's to wash.  No mandatory fun days.  No deployments.  No Staff Duty.  No CQ.  No being responsible for Soldiers that make poor decisions. 

Not everything is peaches and cream.  There will be no dressing up for balls.  No homecomings.  No ACU's.  Will I ever move again?????  Not to mention, the boy will be home all.the.time.  (Come on now, he's been home off and on for 18 years, plus gone for 5 years, a girl gets used to that!  Surely I am not the only one that treasures some alone time!  (For the record, the year deployments suck!)) 

We are adjusting to our new norm.  I go to work and he goes to school and takes care of the kids.  I can actually make plans, and then at the last minute not have to cancel due to the Army.  The lawn needs to be mowed, and I just point it out.  I haven't taken the trash out since he returned home from Afghanistan.  I've learned that I have a love/hate relationship with the Army.

When push comes to shove though.......I will always love the Army and the life it provided for the last 18 years that I've been with Gunner.  For that I am grateful, but I am going to miss it......terribly......

Retirement

There are a lot of reasons that our retirement is different from a lot of other people's.  

We still have a 4 year old.

I went to a Pampered Chef party the other day, and all the women who had husbands that were about to retire...had grown children off at college.

Can you imagine?  We would have had to jump on the breeding bandwagon right away after we were married!  I was in no way ready, and when I finally did get pregnant the nurse was shocked that I was having my first at age 25.  Did she think I needed to be welcoming grandchildren?  

So while so many people look at retirement from the military as a time to breathe for a little while....there's no doing that here!  Our oldest is only 13....I say "only", but then I think in 9 years she would be the age that I was when I got married!  Why did my parents let me get married so young???  (I had finished my undergrad at least.)

Gunner has hit the job market full force.  Today he spent the day taking classes put on by business leaders in the community with a special interest in hiring Vets.  We put together a resume, and he has a local job fair tomorrow, then another one on Wednesday.  He.needs.a.job.

Anyone want to hire an Army Vet with over 22 years of military service?  He's dedicated, smart, hard-working, and an all around good guy (cute too!).  We'll even move anywhere in the world, and I am the most non-complaining (unless my house floods) wife, of all times!

Surely something will workout....right????

In the meantime, the kids continue to keep us on our toes.  Junior needs surgery and it could totally explain why he wasn't potty trained until recently...and he's almost five.  Abs has turned into quite the violinist.  We have been through the ringer with her this year, but we are finally making headway.  Finally.  Em is as sweet as ever, and has a love of Shakespeare and sewing that translated into her being the costume designer for the school's performance of A Misummer's Night Dream.  I had never read the story before--although I probably crammed the cliff notes the night before the test--so it was nice to sit back and enjoy it.  I can't believe that next year I will have an 8th grader, a 5th grader, and a Kindergartener!  (Ummmmm.....when Abs entered Kindergarten, Junior entered the picture.  I PROMISE you, that will not happen this time!!!!!)

So as life continues to change at a moment's notice, I look at retirement as not the end, but a brand new beginning of all that is to come!  I'm only hoping that someone has a plan for us and it is put into place before our last Army paycheck arrives.  If not, look for us under your local bridge!  (Don't worry, we have started an "under the bridge" fund!)

Thank you Army

Every once in a while I am thankful for things that the Army does.  Not too often, but they can surprise you.

Gunner got his flight delayed three days because of the move.  Every little bit counts.

The Army is letting them off about thirty minutes early every day to have more family time.  Not a whole lot of time, but I'm not going to complain.  This past week they had half days, 4 day, then half days this week.  

Paternity leave.  While we are done, done, done, having babies, I like that they give paternity leave to the Soldiers.  If you have a child due during the deployment, your Soldier will get paternity leave when they return.  Funny thing is that Gunner had a great chain of command when Em and Abs arrived and he got paternity leave.  With Junior, not so much, but that's okay.


I love, love, love, love that the Army moves you.  They are not moving us from where we live now to where we are going, because it is a local move.  This boxing up crap, renting a truck, and paying for everything with blood, sweat, tears, and a ton of money is not my idea of fun.  I'll leave it to the Army from now on.


I love that they don't charge leave for R&R.  They did during the first deployment, and there were guys who weren't able to go home because you had to have more than 15 days saved up.  Glad they are with the times now.


I love that housing means I don't have to worry about a mortgage and all that goes along with it.


I love homecomings, and the anticipation of a homecoming.  There's nothing like it.  (the 12 months leading up to the homecoming is for the birds!)


Is there anything that you love about the Army?

Missing Kid

Maybe one day this will be funny.

Abs was in the basement playing.

It got quiet, very quiet.  Em was doing homework and Junior was playing nicely at the kitchen table.

I was enjoying the peace.

Then I noticed how long it had been quiet.  I knew Abs was up to something.

I tore downstairs to the basement to search and there was no Abs anywhere.

I ran to her room and no Abs.  I yelled for Em, and we took off searching the house.  We covered the basement again and turned off the lights.  We covered the house.  We went outside.

We searched her normal hiding places.  Panic set in.

We kept searching.

Time passed.

More panic ensued and we were all frantically searching for her.

I went in my bathroom, which is above the TA50 corner of the basement.  I hear a muffled tiny voice through the vent yelling for help.  I scream for Em to grab the phone, because I envision the 20,000 pounds of TA50 on top of my Abs.

We rush down there and still can't find her.  We start searching and then Em hears a noise from........

A tiny suitcase.

The girl had zipped herself into a little suitcase to see if she could fit and had gotten stuck.

This is my life.

Gunner's flight got moved and he will miss the triathlon.  They told him he would be back, and we are now out the money.  I'm pissed.  No, I am beyond pissed.  I hate the Army.

Junior's last day at his school is on Friday.  Don't get me started on that.  

I really, really, really, want to runaway, far, far, far away.  

Not so much

That's how much I love the Army right now.

The search for the perfect dress...

is not going so well. I went to JC Penney's--it was raining and close--and there was nothing. I asked the lady working if they had a bigger selection, and she took me down to Junior's.

She showed me the prom dresses and then chose three that she "thought" would be perfect for me. Oh, and the saleslady was so excited because it was buy one prom dress get the other for half off. I could hardly contain my excitement.

I do not wear flowers.
I do not wear yellow.
I do not wear teenage prom dresses.

The old me would have tried them on to appease her.

I told her that while they were beautiful, I thought that they were a little young for me. She seemed shock. I am 36, not 16!

So I am back to square 1.

All my old dresses don't fit.

I've got a week and a half to find a great dress at a great price. Wish me luck!