Too Easy

To be honest, a lot of the time I am jealous of civilian marriages. Although there are definitely times that I love being married to a soldier, I mean that pride you feel whenever people talk about the "great" men and woman who serve this country or whenever someone thanks your hubby for his service is great. And lets be honest, he looks pretty amazing in his uniform. But there are days like today you wish you were in a civilian marriage.

Today is mothers day, and to be more specific today is my very first mothers day. But Zayne couldn't be with me today because he is still in Army Basic Training. Which, to be honest sucks. Like I am so very proud of him and what he is doing so he can serve this great country, don't get me wrong, but of course being away from him for so long with little to no communication sucks. (I did understand that was part of the deal when we decided after we were married that he should join.)

Anyways, back to my story. So it's my first mothers day and I think that they will for sure let them call us today. I was counting on it. I'm not even sure why I counted on it. I already no that you can't count on the Army for anything unless it is that the Army always comes first. (That of course is on anything personal. Of course we can count on them to keep us safe and to do the best they can in any task they are given) But I got my hopes up and waited by my phone all day. Jumping at any notification hoping just hoping it was a call from him. 21:00 rolls around and I know that is around the time lights are out for them and they are in bed and I come to realization that no, I am not getting a call today. No, I won't get to hear from my husband on my first ever mothers day.

So yes, today is one of those days I wish I was in a civilian marriage. But at the same time I know this is what God wanted for me and my family and it is the best thing for us. Sometimes the best things are the hardest things. So I'll just embrace the suck and remember that this is all for the best.

Letter To My Husband at Basic 2

Dear Loving Husband,

I hold our baby close for you and whisper to him that his daddy loves him. I tell him stories about you so he knows who you are. I let him play with your dog tags and tell him what everything means on them. I pray for your peace and protection with him every night.

We make this separation work. We walk this path not alone, but with Christ, helping us through times of loneliness reminding us we aren't alone. I pray you look to him in this time of need. 

Together we count the days until we can see you next. Stay strong for me until then and we will stay strong for you until then. 

Forever yours,

            Your Loving Wife

A Letter To My Husband At Basic Training

My Loving Husband,

I wear your RSP dog tags everyday so I have you close to my heart. I count down the days until I can see you next. I hear you telling me I'm strong and that if anyone can handle the distance I can. I imagine you laying next to me every night before bed remembering the times I would keep you up because I had to tell you everything I was thinking. I still tell you everything I'm thinking, just in written form. So of course sometimes my letters don't make any sense. But that's okay because you know me and you will understand. My loving Husband, I'm grateful for the sacrifices you make for our family. but most of all, I'm grateful for you and for the strength you give me through the things you have told me in the past. Those things help me get through this time we are apart. My loving Husband, I'm proud of you and what you are doing. I love you and miss you. Stay strong.

Forever Yours,

                   Your Loving Wife

How To Get Little Ones Involved In Writing Letters

My husband Zayne is currently at military boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri. I write him every day, but my son, being 3 months old can't really write him. And I know he would love to get anything from him so I came up with ideas to help Eli get involved.

1. Use paint to make hand prints and footprints on your letters. 

Eli can't write or draw yet, so I write letters and use his foot prints or hand prints for him to sign our letters. This way Eli has a part in the letter and Zayne can watch as his little hands and feet grow.  

2- Pictures, the kind you draw

If your child is old enough to scribble on a paper to any extent, then have them draw a picture and send that to your loved one. No matter how messy or crazy the picture is send it to them. I promise the color and the thought will make their day!

3- Pictures 

Now this one is kind of a no brainer. Take pictures of life while your loved one is gone and send them to them. I also am going to get professional pictures done, my sister is a professional photographer (Bekah Hatch Photography) and I am having her take pictures of me and Eli to send to my husband.

5 ways to show your husband you love him

I'm lazy. I HATE doing laundry. I HATE cleaning at all. I procrastinate. I start fights with my husband over absolutely nothing. But he still loves me. He still tells me I'm perfect. And he still acts like I'm the most amazing person in the world.

Zayne is the most unselfish person. He is so amazing and kind. He works hard for our family and is willing to put himself last. I love him so much, but sometimes I feel like I don't show it enough. So I have come up with some fun ways to show your husband you love him.

1- A book of love notes.

I got this little notebook for a buck from Wal-Mart before we were married and started writing love notes to him in it. I would write about fun memories we had and add pictures, movie tickets, concert tickets, etc. to help save our amazing memories we have together. I wrote in it from the beginning of August until Christmas eve when I put it in his stocking.

 3- Puns!

I LOVE puns. I think they are the most hilarious thing ever. So I found a bunch of cute ones about love on Pinterest drew them on a note card and taped them up to the bathroom mirror for him to find.

LIST OF PUNS

I cannoli be happy when I'm with you

I love you berry much 

You're my butter half

We make a nice pear

Owl always love you

I love you from my head tomatoes

I lava you

Olive you

4- Notes

In addition to my book of love notes I like to leave random notes around the house. I'll leave it on the door for him to see when he gets home from work. On the bathroom mirror for him to see when he wakes up to go to work. Just anywhere that he could find them and they would make his day. 

5- A chatbook dedicated to showing him you love him.

Dual Military Couples

Two different branches. Two different bases. Two different deployments. Two different people serving our country. But they are one family. One love. One dual military couple.

Dual military couples have the strongest of marriages. They live each day not knowing when their next deployment is going to be and whether they will both be deployed or just one. Not knowing whether they will be deployed to the same place or two different places, miles apart. That would have to be the hardest part of being a duel military couple. But having that possibility of being far apart makes the time they do spend together even more special.

But when a couple makes the decision to go dual military (if they were not both previously enlisted before they met) people seem to look down on that decision. Like when I first told my mom that I saw a career opportunity in the military that I was interested in the first thing she said was, "Yeah, but you don't want to do that. You shouldn't have both parents in the military and I don't like that kind of stuff for girls." and, "Remember your aunt was in the national guard and got deployed and your uncle had to take care of the kids?"

Now I love my mom and I respect her opinion but this is one area where I don't agree with her.

First off, a lot of people are married with kids and are dual military. It's completely possible; it may be tough at times but it is doable and if you think its what God wants you to do then don't let other people tell you its the wrong decision.

Second, the military takes care of its military families. They make sure you have a plan for if both parents get deployed and they make sure your child has enough food and support. The military does try to not deploy both parents at the same time but, sometimes that just isn't possible, and by joining the military both spouses understand that that is a possibility.

If others can do dual military so can I, and so can you if that what you feel is right for your family. It may be tough. There may be a lot of obstacles that you and your spouse will have to go through. But it is completely possible and is full of so many great opportunities that maybe other wise your family wouldn't have. So if you have the desire to serve this country and join the military then do it. If that's what God is telling you to do then listen. God knows all. He knows if you should join or not. So if you have the desire but are unsure if its right for your family pray. You will get your answer. Do what is right for you and your family, not what society tells you is right.

The Veil Is Thinner Than You Think

I believe that the veil that separates this life from the life beyond is thinner than we think. Especially for babies and toddlers. They are fresh from the pre-mortal life in the presence of God and in the company of our ancestors and the veil separating them from that is very thin.

Like when my husband and I found out that we were having a boy. We decided to name him Elijah. a few days later we were babysitting my niece and nephew. While we were babysitting I would show pictures of people in our family to my two year old niece and asking her what their names were. With each picture she new exactly who they were and would tell me their names. Then I got to a picture of my ultra sound and thought it would be fun to ask her who it was to see what she would do. "June, who is this?" I said as I pointed to the picture of the ultra sound.

Without even hesitating she looked at the picture and said, "Elijah," very matter-of-factly and went back to playing.

I looked at Zayne and by the look on his face I knew he had heard it too. I knew at that moment that Elijah and June had spent time together in the pre-mortal life and that they knew each other. How amazing is that! That many of us knew each other before we were born? That a lot of us were friends before we were born! I think that's why with some people we just click and it feels like we have known each other forever, because we actually have! MIND BLOWN!

The veil IS thinner than we think, and we DO have help from BOTH sides of the veil.

Another example from my son is after we had decided on the name Elijah we were trying to think of middle names and I just felt like he had a very close connection to my grandpa so we named him Elijah Seymour Glatz after my Grandpa Seymour. And through out the whole pregnancy I felt as if my grandpa was there helping me through it. "Sometimes the veil between this life and the life beyond becomes very thin. Our loved ones who have passed on are not far from us." (Ezra Taft Benson)

I just know that he and Eli had spent a lot of time together up in heaven. I feel that through out Eli's life my grandpa will be there helping him, even if he doesn't know it. Like the pioneers that felt someone pushing their handcart from behind but when they looked back they saw no one. It was because they had help from the other side of the veil. "You have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike... remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection." (Jeffrey R. Holland, 'For Time of Trouble' March 1980) 

CHILLS.

How great is it that not only people we know here on earth are cheering us on and helping us, but people on the other side of the veil are too. We have the help, we have the encouragement. We can beat Satan. And we can make it back to our loving Heavenly Father again. Remember, "heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever." (Jeffrey R. Holland)