Being Thankful

Its been a long week. I know, I know its only Wednesday. It is Week 5. Week 5 is the half way point for the first quarter of Brian's Masters Program. For the second Friday in a row he didn't arrive home until after 7pm on Friday. Saturday he spent most of the day writing a report that he didn't expect to take so long. Sunday he spent the entire day doing homework. Emma and I were both shocked when he walked in the door at 3:40pm on Monday, but he was home to work in the office. Tuesday he was home just in time for a 6:00 dinner. Today he came home for dinner,visited with his two favorite girls, said goodnight to Emma and headed out to a homework study group. He has his first midterm on Friday. The Professor has already told them they won't finish the test... nice guy huh?

So I'm sure you can understand a little now how come I say its been a long week and it is only Wednesday. I think Brian and I and yes probably even Emma are feeling a bit overwhelmed. Today I just wanted to complain, actually to be honest I think I've been complaining a bit (though not to my dear husband as he's already having problem getting enough sleep without stressing about my stress), since Friday.

Then I had a an AAAAH HUH moment, and decided to pick myself up out of my grumpiness and be thankful. I'm thankful that Brian is safe, that Brian comes home every night, even if it isn't an ideal time or on an ideal schedule. I'm thankful that he gets to come home and sleep in our bed, in our house every night.

Our Country is at war. A long nasty war. Being in the military we have met a lot of people in the four years Brian has been in. A woman he worked with at Holloman was left with her young infant here in the US while her husband went to Iraq for 6 months. They recently found he is being shipped out again. A husband of a friend volunteered to go to Iraq and was gone for 3 months. Ryan, a friend from Oklahoma just left this week for a deployment, he has three kids, ages 5, almost 4, and 2. He had to celebrate his son's 2nd birthday with him over the Internet using skype. A civil engineer from Holloman whose husband worked with Brian found out she starts training in the next week or two, and will be headed to the sand box for 12 months in February. Our neighbor in New Mexico did a year in the sand box and got back this summer. Not to mention all the pilots we know who are always flying missions and don't get to come home and sleep in their bed every night.

Those of you who pray, or take a moment to reflect on those things you're thankful for, I ask as we approach the season of reflecting and being thankful that you say a pray for all these people that we know personally serving our country over-seas and here and their families that support them unconditionally through their journey. I'm going to spend the next 18 months minus 5 weeks being thankful that my husband gets to come home and kiss Emma and I every day and be less grumpy about only getting to sleep next to him these days and not much else.

To those of you who I mentioned above, thank you for your sacrifices, as a military member, and a family member.