The holidays always mean craziness for our family and this year was no different. But as I look back through the hustle and bustle I can say it was, and always has been, worth it.
As much as I complain about the packing, driving, running around seeing family and unpacking I would not have it any other way. As a military family, we are not used to being near our families for most holidays but Christmas is the one time we make it a point to come “home.”
Home is Buffalo, NY, where my husband and I grew up 30 minutes away from each other. We spend a lot of time running between both sides of the family when we make it back to visit. With two kids, that is not an easy feat!
It’s a little stressful but what family doesn’t feel that holiday craziness, military or not. We are not sure where we will live next year or if it will be possible to come home so it felt extra special to be with our families this year.
With the holidays over I have been reflecting a lot about the past year and looking toward what 2013 will have in store for us. At this time last year we had just told our families we were expecting again. At the time I was nervous and stressed about having kids 20 months apart. I couldn’t comprehend such a big change to our lives.
But here we are. Six months have flown by and I feel like life has been this way forever. Not only are we a family of four but we unexpectedly moved across country and will be moving again in a few short months. We have no idea where we are going and there is a possibility our family will be apart for a few months as we make the move.
Most people think this roller coaster of uncertainty would be enough to drive you crazy. But somehow I feel no stress at all (for now). Maybe it’s because we’ve gone through this whole moving and not knowing where we are going thing before.
Answers that were supposed to come in January are now pushed back to February. We are supposed to move in May so I suppose as long as I know by then we should be ok.
My calmness could also be because I just don’t have the time or energy to be stressed about something so out of my control. My kids were sick through the holidays while we were away from our house and being away with sick, booger-covered kids is absolutely insane and not fun. Now, I am just waiting for it to hit the adults in the house. Because, let’s face it, a sick husband (especially a sick Marine) is 100 times worse than a sick kid. My husband has so much work to do outside of his normal work hours he should probably just move to the library until the sickness has past, for his own safety.
Right now, I am in survival mode and feel like I’m running on a hamster wheel.
But, it’s a new year for this military family and a chance to learn from our experiences and make new memories. Another move means more “see you laters” but also new friends and new opportunities for our family.
I am looking forward to implementing my New Year’s resolutions (taking care of me!) and making a new home for us, where ever that may be.
Anyone who knows me and our current living situation knows how excited I am to have a new home! At this time next year, we could easily be faced with a deployment. So for now, I am going to sit back and enjoy the crazy roller coaster - boogers and all.
