It’s hip to be square these days. The market has exploded with monthly box deliveries of ready to make meals, dog treats and baby toys, a blessing for military families overseas whose shopping choices may be limited.

Mark one more item off your shopping list: beauty supplies. Glamorous, big name brands such as Sephora will deliver the monthly box of goodies to your door, but so will Walmart and Target. Most will deliver to overseas APO and FPO addresses.

The boxes include samples and deluxe- or full-size products with a value of four to five times what you pay after standing in line.

For example, a $10 box may have $65 worth of beauty loot, such as brand-name cosmetics, perfumes, shampoos, skin creams, and other goodies. The boxes are sent out every season or monthly from a number of well-known companies. 

Target is the only retailer that launches boxes monthly and can be ordered by month, without a subscription. This means the boxes are on a first-come-first-serve basis - and they are usually sold out within a few hours.

New Beauty magazine’s TestTube was the first beauty box, launched in 2006. But in the past five years, a beauty box explosion has occurred and many new retailers are launching each year.

Macy’s has one in the works called Spotlight. More are sure to follow. Here are some of the most popular ones to look into:

Walmart Beauty Box

Cost: $5, quarterly (subscription)

Shipping: Included in price

Inside: It’s a surprise! You’ll get approximately 5 premium beauty products per box

Value: $25+

Target Beauty Box*

Cost: $5, $7 or $10, depending on box (no subscription; buy online when available, usually around the 1st of the month.)

Shipping: Free

Inside: What you see online, you get. Usually it includes a variety of 5-10+ products from national beauty brands.

Value: $25-$50

Play! by Sephora*

Cost: $10, monthly (subscription)

Shipping: Free

Inside: It’s a surprise! You’ll get 5 deluxe samples and a fragrance sample sold at Sephora

Value: About 4-5x the cost of the box

Ipsy Glam Bag

Cost: $10, monthly (subscription)

Shipping: Free

Inside: It’s a surprise! You’ll get 5 deluxe or full-size beauty products based on a beauty questionnaire you complete.

Value: About 4-5x the cost of the box

BoxyCharm

Cost: $21, monthly

Shipping: Free in U.S.

Inside: 5 full-size beauty products (makeup, fragrance, and products for hair, skin and nails)

Value: $100+

New Beauty TestTube

Cost: $29.95, six times per year

Shipping: $8.90

Inside: It’s a surprise! You’ll get a variety of high-end, luxury beauty products in full size or deluxe.

Value: $130+

FabFitFun

Cost: $49.99, quarterly (subscription)

Shipping: Free

Inside: It’s a surprise! You’ll get beauty, wellness, fashion and fitness products.

Value: $200+

Want to find more boxes? Go to mysubscriptionaddiction.com or Boxy Ladies, where you’ll find box reviews (and photos of box contents) for hundreds of subscription boxes. You’ll also find boxes with other themes—lifestyle, men, babies/kids, fitness, kitchen/food, clothes, pets, crafts, and more.

By Amy Nielsen

We woke up this morning to see Papa off to work early for a change so no breakfast games at our house. He works a second shift job and has morning duties with our daughters so I can finish my school work. This usually means he makes breakfast, packs lunch, and sorts out what stuff we need for our lessons. We homeschool and at this time of year, school is usually at a local playground or library.

Today my girls had a class held at a local state park and preserve. This was the last class in the session. We meet up weekly to observe and try a new medium for drawing or painting. The class has been meeting somewhat locally to us but this week the teacher decided to go a bit farther out meaning a longer drive for us. When we travel out this far, I plan to spend the day there which means more stuff to bring. It also means a later arrival at home in the afternoon cutting into my “slop” time before dinner.

As this week has been a bit busy in the mornings with other appointments and such, I have had a hard time getting my lessons done. I had a 45-minute lecture and a few shorter ones still to listen to. Then the slides to read, essay questions to answer, and finally the quiz to take. I estimated it would take me about two hours to finish all of the work.

We managed to leave sort of on time, and, with a bit of luck at the stupid long light in town, were not too late for class. I spent a delightful hour watching my girls and their class work on watercolor landscapes and nature scavenger hunts while painting my own little sketch and listening to the remainder of my lectures on my phone. I cannot describe how gratifying today has been.

If I had chosen a more traditional school at this point in time I would be stuck on that schedule and we would have a much harder time finding childcare for our daughters. I realize that we are lucky in that we live in an area of the country where one income suffices to have a decent life. I can also say that without his military retirement we would not be able to do this either.

The ability to take school on the road, both mine and my daughters', gives us the flexibility to still have time with my husband. If our girls went to public school the bus would pick them up before my husband woke up, and, they would be in bed before he returned home. Granted, I would certainly have plenty of time to get my school work done if they went to school, but there are extenuating circumstances and we chose to school at home. The flexibility of homeschool means we can tailor our learning schedule to our life schedule. Because life is, after all, what we are here for.

By Christine Cioppa

Having a hard time concentrating? Feeling like coursework is tougher than normal? You may need more water.

Under-hydration affects most Americans, according to The Gale Encyclopedia of Fitness. Even mild dehydration can affect your ability to think and how you feel. One study from the British Journal of Nutrition found that mild dehydration impaired cognitive performance (working memory, vigilance) and mood (tension, anxiety, fatigue). Another study in The Journal of Nutrition concluded that mild dehydration lowered concentration and increased women’s perception of task difficulty.

If not for your studies, stay properly hydrated for your heart. New research, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, shows that being just 2 percent dehydrated (when you start feeling thirsty) impairs cells inside the blood vessels and the heart comparable to smoking a cigarette. Study author Stavros A. Kavouras, FACSM, FECSS, acknowledges that this impairment, which is more specifically known as “endothelial impairment,” can affect heart disease and/or stroke risk, but adds that “endothelial function is only a snapshot of cardiovascular health.”

In addition to the heart relying on a hydrated body, every organ and cell in your body needs adequate water to function properly.  The body is, after all, half water.

SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION

Dehydration in adults:

• Thirst (mild) or extreme thirst (moderate-severe)
• Dry mouth/thick saliva (mild-severe)
• Dark urine or no urine (moderate-severe)
• Lightheadedness/dizziness (moderate-severe)
• Urinating less (moderate)
• Feeling tired/fatigue (mild-moderate)
• Headache (moderate)
• Shriveled and dry skin with little elasticity (severe)*
• Rapid heartbeat (severe)*
• Low blood pressure (severe)*
• Fever (severe)*
• Lack of sweat in combination with other moderate dehydration symptoms (severe)*
• Delirium/coma (severe)*

* Severe dehydration requires immediate medical attention. Many moderate symptoms also occur with severe dehydration.

For adults with mild to moderate dehydration, Gatorade, Powerade, and other sports drinks can help, according to the Mayo Clinic; however, see a doctor if you develop severe signs of dehydration, such as extreme thirst, shriveled skin, dizziness, confusion, and an inability to produce urine.

Dehydration in babies and young children:

• A dry diaper for three or more hours**
• Crying without tears**
• Unusual sleepiness**
• High fever (over 100°F for newborns less than 3 months; over 102°F for other children)**
• Dry mouth and tongue**

** If your child is dehydrated, check with your doctor immediately.

DRINK UP

Kavouras says, “An easy way to evaluate if you are drinking enough is by checking urine color. Dark urine means hypohydration [dehydration]. If you are going to the bathroom at least 6-7 times a day, you are probably in good shape.”

Also, “Keep water close to you in work and at home. When you have your water at sight, you tend to remember to drink more. By the time you are thirsty your body is already running low,” advises Kavouras.

According to FamilyDoctor.org, drinking six to eight 8-oz. glasses of water each day is “a reasonable goal,” though some people may need more, and some people may need less.

Not big on water? There are other great ways to hydrate (though water is a great choice compared to high-calorie sugary drinks). Not the best choices for hydration are liquids with caffeine or alcohol, which increase urination and fluid loss. Foods that you consume (fruits and vegetables) keep you hydrated too. Actually, 20 percent of water comes from food. Some of the foods highest in water content are watermelon, iceberg lettuce, orange, cucumber, grapes, broccoli and apple.

Here we are in the second week of school, away from home at Nana’s house. And, it’s now Friday, 0600 on Memorial Day weekend and I have not yet started on either of my school work lessons or my blog!

Perhaps taking classes the month before summer starts with two very active homeschool children wasn’t my smartest move.

However, being the smart, technologically advanced, tool-using mom that I am, I have wi-fi, three different devices loaded with the app for the learning center, earbuds that won’t make me insane and the ability to multitask. It also helps that both of this week’s lessons are on topics I am already very familiar with.

That doesn’t change the fact that unless I watch the whole thing and record the answers to the quiz, I will lose a week before I have even really started.  Which means time. Time to sit and do it.

Unfortunately, my children have other plans for our morning. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Picture this: behind me my 8-year-old has her head in Nana’s fridge where she and her 6-year-old sister have discovered the hidden whipped cream. They’ve decided apple rhubarb pie is for breakfast. But first, they are shooting shots of whipped cream into each other’s gaping mouths.

Half the earbud is dangling in my coffee, the other half is blathering in my ear about cooking spaghetti squash to replace carbs. I’m attempting to compose a coherent, somewhat witty blog on my laptop, while sitting at the kitchen counter and trying not to splatter bacon grease on the screen.

I do have two more days to complete all of these assignments. But, over this first holiday weekend of the summer I have to take the time to finish them both. This is the part where I have to buckle down and “eat the frog;” do the thing that I don’t want to do because there are so many more interesting things I could be doing.

And, so much for sleeping in.

This is where planning what I call “slop time” becomes vital. I learned a valuable lesson this week. I need to plan at least half a day to be used when I have run out of time.

Let’s be clear, this is not unscheduled free time. I have that planned into the schedule too. This, instead, is time specifically dedicated to doing that which has been missed in the week. I had been planning in a few hours each day, but, have found this small amount of time to not be realistic, or, enough. Time to shuffle the calendar again. I hope that by the end of the first month of classes I will have a pretty solid, regular weekly schedule to follow.

It may be wishful thinking, but for now I’ll take it.

Have you made your vacation or PCS travel plans yet?

Don’t finalize a thing until you check out the extensive list of museums across the nation that are offering free admission to military families this summer.

Every summer since 2010 The National Endowment for the Arts has collaborated with more than 2,000  museums, attractions and nature centers nationwide to allow free entry to military family. The free tickets are usually good between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

New locations are added each year. The full list should be announced in the coming days.

You can visit the organization’s website which has a user friendly map that you can click on and find a complete list of museums in that state.

The program is geared toward active duty families, so retired families generally are not included. Active duty military can receive up to five free family members at each location.

Spouses of deployed military members can receive free entry for themselves and their children with their military ID card.

To read the full Q&A regarding the program, visit https://www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums/frequently-asked-questions

To check out the map of thousands of free places to visit this summer, visit https://www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums

Happy Travels!

By Amy Nielsen

Think of your body as the box you have to unpack, to empty out the trash, so you can put more good stuff in.

Unless you get all the way to the toes, there is still junk in the trunk. Since many of us are going back to school on our own schedule, we have the luxury of setting ourselves up for success by taking the time to take out the trash in our brain and body before putting new stuff in.

What on earth is this woman talking about? I am talking about taking the time before you start school, work, or any new endeavor to make sure you are emotionally, psychologically and physically ready to take on the added stress.

When you become a student later in life, this is a really big undertaking. Unpack your junk so you have as clean a slate as possible.

What does that actually mean?

Take the time to check out your health. This can be as simple as making sure you are taking the best multi-vitamin you can and purchase new tea mug with calming tea. Clean out your fridge and cabinets of the junk food. The better you feed your brain the better it will learn the new stuff you want to put in there. If you haven’t had one in a while, get an annual checkup. It would be a huge shame to enter a new set of studies and have to quit because of some stress induced, physical malfunction that could have been avoided with a simple check-up.

Emotionally I’m still in the giddy, new toy stage of this all. I haven’t quite realized just how much more work I have loaded upon myself. I know that in due time, I will want to shut myself in the closet and make the world stop for about fifteen seconds; but right now I feel like I’m on top of the world and can conquer anything!

However, I am finding the psychological de-crapification of this process much harder. My choice to go back to school, again, is laden with baggage for me. This is where the majority of my junk is. I have already had two major careers. This will make number three.

 I already hold a bachelor’s degree in Technical Theater with a specialty in Lighting Design for dance, rock and roll, and musical theater; a field that is very small and very technically specific. I used that degree professionally for 12 years. I loved and still love that job and that profession.

But, that job was very physical and pretty unpredictable in an era when the norm for my cadre of friends was to work in a corporate cubicle. My career, meanwhile, was haphazard. I moved from midlevel job to midlevel job, twice refusing opportunities that, looking back on now, could have led to bigger opportunities, if I had had the guts to jump for it. In the end, I also went corporate, working for a distance learning company as a technical supervisor and learning center manager. The company I worked for went bankrupt in the dot bust of the late 90’s.

Months after the company closed, I had two deaths in my family and a health crisis. I was fortunate enough to be able to support myself through friends, family and governmental assistance. I, in essence, took a year off of life. In that year I decided to go back to school for the first time. I decided to follow my second passion and train professionally as a chef. I found a small school near my house with a good reputation and applied.

My very first day of classes was 9/11.

I finished the program with high marks and was asked to return over the summer to assistant teach the public programs. I also found a job in my new career in a niche that fit my personal history but was far from what the school had intended for graduates. I really thought I would come up with something while I was in school. Or perhaps I was hopeful something would fall in my lap? I just know I had lots of ideas but no real direction.

Fast forward a few years and several life events to include marrying a Navy sailor, the births of two children, including one with special needs, multiple moves, and retirement from the military. And, I am here again on the verge of returning to school. Much later in life.

I know how long it took me to get here and I am afraid of wasting this third chance. I get to choose what I want to be when I grow up, again! How exciting!

If the Navy taught me one thing it is that diversification as a spouse is key. If you can have several small things going you are more likely to be able to have a good ebb and flow of income as you move from place to place. Having a child with special needs opened my eyes to a whole set of people who need the kind of help I can deliver specifically because of my diverse background.

What is hard is looking back and remembering the feelings of doubt I had when I looked carefully at what I really wanted to do with my earlier degrees. I didn’t have a very clear idea of what I wanted to do then. In college, I had friends who wanted to work for specific industries, or directors, or in specific theaters around the world. In culinary school, I had many classmates with specific chefs they wanted to work with, places in the world they wanted to study, or career paths lined up. I wasn’t as sure of where I was going either time. I really have never known what I wanted to do when I grew up.

I feel a bit that way now, but I know that I can use all of the other careers I have had in my life to bolster this new career. My theater career gave me the tools to work in a team environment with highly creative people in a project based style where personal connections lead to collaborations, i.e. jobs.

I have the technical skills for my new career from my culinary training. I have been practicing school with another class I am taking that has a similar workload over a longer time period. Not only is it adding more knowledge base in a related field, it is helping me to work in a study time to our busy schedule a few hours a week rather than all at once. Even my “career” as a Navy spouse has lent its own skills to my choice. Semper Gumby!

So, while I feel like I have it together and ready to go, I still need to work on a more concrete plan for exactly what I am going to do this time next year when I graduate from this program. I need more direction as to why I chose the school I did this time around.

In my program there is time devoted specifically to helping students narrow their focus and set up a viable business for their post-graduation life. The school spends so much time on this topic that I feel like they want their graduates to be set up for success from the get go.

So, my junk is less but I think my left pinky could use a bit more tending to. I know I am physically and emotionally ready, and I am working hard at being psychologically ready too.

By Christine Cioppa

There’s a seek and destroy mission going on in millions of Americans’ bodies. The enemy: pollen, grasses and weeds.

The immune system of seasonal allergy sufferers acts as if these allergens are harmful, releasing chemicals that trigger symptoms (itchy eyes, stuffed or runny nose, breathing problems, etc.). The body is actually overreacting to something considered harmless.

Popping pills may help some, but there are natural ways to manage allergies. Surprisingly, even some foods are connected with seasonal allergies and cross-react, making things worse. So, for example, eating raw celery can trigger an itchy throat in people allergic to birch pollen. Eating tomatoes can cause a food allergy reaction in those allergic to grasses. Sunflower seeds can cause an oral allergy in people who eat them and also have ragweed allergies.

Jennifer Johnson, N.D., clinical associate professor in the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University, can help take the mystery out of your seasonal suffering with great tips so you can plan the best course of action to make it to finals without carrying a box of Kleenex.   

Q.  What are natural ways to fight spring allergies? 

A: As much as possible, limit exposure to the allergen (e.g., better to go outdoors on rainy days— rain helps keep pollen count down). Eat foods to lower overall inflammation: salmon, fatty fish, and walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can naturally lower inflammation.

Drink green tea; new research shows this acts as an antihistamine (histamine release in the body creates the symptoms of allergies). Take the herb stinging nettle (in capsulated, freeze dried, or dried herbal tea form) three weeks before allergy season. This may be difficult to predict in a new town.

Q: Our readers are from across the country, and some are living on bases overseas. How do seasonal allergies vary by region, and how does that change the treatment?

A: When we move to a new location we are exposed to new plants for the first time. That initial exposure may be a time when we do not react. So being in a new place may provide a break from allergies for the year. In years two and/or three, this is when the reaction may pop up. And the allergy season may vary from location to location, depending on how long the growing season is and/or when the spring starts, so be aware of the season changes. Allergies are best treated a bit in advance before the symptoms intensify.

Q: What are your thoughts on over-the-counter oral antihistamines, and which, if any, do you ever recommend?

A: I usually have my patients try natural options first; if less invasive treatment can work, then this is ideal. First: Clean up the diet—lower sugars and alcohol/caffeine (helps the body to be in the best shape to be less reactive). Second: Reduce exposure (rinse hair after being outdoors, wipe off pets, change clothes, try an air filter in the bedroom, etc.). Third: Try the natural options above (also vitamin C with bioflavonoids). If these don’t work, then try the oral over-the-counter antihistamines; they are usually safe. Check with a healthcare provider/pharmacist if taking other medications, though, since some patients experience a sensation of dryness that is just as bothersome as the allergy symptoms. If needed, try Claritin or Zyrtec (max 10 mg per day)

Q: What are your thoughts on over-the-counter or prescription nasal spray antihistamines or corticosteroids, and when, if ever, do you recommend them?

A: I would first recommend a “neti” pot or nasal saline wash or saline spray.  This is a gentle way to help soothe the nasal passages, making them less reactive to the allergen (e.g., pollen). Some patients benefit from gargling with salt water. It’s best to use sea salt or salt without added iodine; the iodine can irritate. The first line for nasal steroid is Flonase. Caution: Patients can have a sensation of extreme dryness and irritation with nasal steroids, though for some patients they are a godsend.

Q: Can airborne allergies during spring and fall increase a person’s susceptibility to food sensitivities and food allergies?

A: Yes, patients who react to seasonal allergies (especially ragweed and other weeds) may cross react to:

melon

banana

cucumber

sunflower seeds

herbs: Chamomile and Echinacea

If eating these foods trigger a similar reaction, then it’s best to avoid, especially during allergy season.

Q: Aside from the typical symptoms of seasonal allergies (runny nose, coughing, sneezing, stuffed nose, itchy eyes), are there other symptoms, not so obvious?

A: Shortness of breath, low mood, fatigue, sore irritated throat.

Q: How do things like sugar intake, alcohol, a poor diet, a lack of sleep, consuming processed foods, and stress affect the body’s ability to handle seasonal allergies?

A: Alcohol and excess caffeine can dehydrate the body, making the histamine levels more intense, worsening symptoms. More sugar/processed foods, lack of sleep, and stress all drag down the immune system, making is harder to fight off other infections if in an allergic state (e.g., may make people more susceptible to sinusitis).

Additional resources:

When seasonal allergies peak by region: http://www.hsallergy.com/patient-education/pollen-calendar/pollen-calendar-northeast/

How foods are linked to seasonal allergies: http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/outdoor-allergies-and-food-allergies-can-be-relate

By Christine Cioppa

With all the demands in our day—caring for our families, taking classes, going to work— it’s easy to think, what’s an hour less of sleep? But, people who sleep six hours or less put themselves at risk for accidents and chronic medical conditions.

Adults need seven to eight hours of sleep per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but 83.6 million U.S. adults (1/3 of people) get less than seven hours. Those who skimp may be driving tired and are more likely to be among those who fall asleep at the wheel or crash. “Drowsy drivers” cause 83,000 car crashes, several hundred of which are fatal.

Aside from clumsiness and fatigue, sleep deprivation can also be costly to your health.

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association links respiratory infections with poor sleep. This is one study in a long line of others linking health conditions and a lack of sleep.

A study in BMC Public Health in 2013 found that insufficient sleep (14 or more days per month of inadequate sleep, often less than seven hours per night) is linked to high blood pressure, asthma and arthritis. Researchers have also reaffirmed the link between lack of sleep and obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Another study in Psychiatric Services in 2013 found that insufficient sleep was connected to anxiety and depressive disorders.  

According to a recent report by the CDC, “At present, no professional sleep organizations have issued consensus statements or recommendations about the efficacy or safety of either over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids for improving sleep duration in the general adult population.”

If you’re doing too much and then having trouble unwinding when your head does hit the pillow, you may want to talk with a sleep specialist or your doctor.

What do night shifts, hormones, jet lag, and more, have to do with sleep? Find out and get a good night’s sleep. Find your guide to healthy sleep here: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.pdf

Did the gate guard stop you from entering base over the weekend? If so, it may be because of your driver's license.

As of this month, all military installations will no longer accept driver’s licenses from Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, Washington and American Samoa as proof of identity.

The ban is due to the REAL ID Act of 2005.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Congress began examining how states issue driver's licenses and ID cards when they realized most of the terrorists involved had licenses issued from Virginia and Florida.

Legislators put security measures in place that make the new licenses harder to duplicate or tamper with. The new licenses can also be read by machines that are now located at all DOD facilities and airports. While states do not have to comply with the new rules, if they do not, their citizens may run into headaches, especially when they travel.

Residents of the five states that have yet to comply will not be able to board a flight without an alternate form of identification. The same is true for friends and family of military members who try to visit a military facility. Without an alternate form of ID, such as a passport, they will be turned away at the gate.

Service members, family members, DoD employees, and federal employees with the DoD common access card, DoD uniformed services identification and privileges cards, federal personal identification verification cards or transportation workers’ identification credentials are not affected.

For a full list of facts regarding the new IDs, visit the Department of Homeland Security facts page at: http://www.dhs.gov/real-id-public-faqs

They tell you labor gets easier and shorter.

Well, I had a 10-hour labor with my first child, a four-hour labor with my second, and a 48-hour labor with my third.

It was long, painful and shocking. My son was born at home after almost two days of labor.  He came into the world face-up, with both arms by his head, weighing nine pounds and a full inch longer than both his older sisters.

He also was born hours before his father deployed.

It was the biggest shocker about his birth entirely.

Due to a series of weird, unpredictable events that only a submariner would understand, my husband didn’t deploy when he was supposed to.

It was pushed off by days, giving me just enough time to go into labor and have our third child – our first son – less than seven hours before he left.

He held our little bundle, tucked me and him into bed – after the long, hard labor, I was struggling to walk and sit up – and started to throw the last few things he still needed in a military-issued duffel bag.

He dozed on the couch for an hour so as not to jostle me and cause me more pain, and then he woke me up, helped me to the bathroom and helped me change our little guy’s diaper, before kissing me and our now three kids good-bye.

My father drove him to the checkpoint, and then he was gone.

Hours after our child was born.  Hours after he held me while I screamed and cried, pushing our son out.  Hours after our entire world changed.

I woke up that next morning, a sleeping bundle on my chest, still in shock.

I waited for him to come in the door.  But he didn’t.

Six days later, my parents went home.  They had to get back to work, and I was back up and on my feet, holding the hands of my 4-year-old and 2-year-old, with the newborn strapped to my chest.

I was scared straight.

And still, my husband didn’t walk in the door.  And reality hit.

He was gone.  Like he had been eight times before.  But this time I hadn’t prepared.  I hadn’t said a proper goodbye.  I hadn’t dealt with it.

Instead, I had had a baby.

A beautiful baby boy who I fall more and more in love with every day.  A love so strong that it almost outweighs the touches of sadness I feel, knowing his father is missing this.

Knowing that he might as well not know him at all, knowing those seven hours with his son were precious.  And knowing they made it that much harder to walk away.  From me.  From us.  From him.

Our son will have a birth story unlike most.  A story of his brave father, who somehow summoned up the courage to walk away when he wanted to leave even less than he normally does.

It may be one of the most stalwart, strong, patriotic things the man has ever done.

And it will be one of our saddest, proudest moments as a military family yet.

A hello and a goodbye, all tragically combined.