Far Away But Never Forgotten

The last few days have been tough ones. Sometimes during a deployment it's easy to get depressed when things at home aren't going well and friends aren't there for you when you need them to be. I know that I had about 2 days where I didn't want to leave the house, I probably ate too much and watched too many sad chick flicks during that time too! That was before I took a moment to regroup, to think about others before myself (sort of like Service Before Self which I learned in the AF).
Instead of focusing on how sad I was, I wrote my husband and told him how much I need him in my life and appreciate him. I told him I was proud of him and that he will do great things in his career, and I'll always be here waiting for him to come home no matter how long the wait. I realized that no matter how much things suck sometimes, when people aren't treating me well, when I get sick, when I have a huge list of things to do alone, A. It is all worth it and B. He has it worse. So instead of nursing myself back to happiness with doughnuts and Drop Dead Diva, I wrote him and I cleaned, and I thought of sweet things for us to do together when he gets home. My mom gave me good advice once when I was younger, she said that you'll never be happy if you are always focusing on yourself, on your flaws, on your problems. But once you start to look at others, look at what you can do to help them and make them feel good, you'll find your own happiness.
So yes, I'm not perfect. I have my off days where I want my husband home so bad I cry. But I am very happy for the life we have, and I feel blessed for all that God has provided for us. I think sometimes I need those days, where I don't have to do anything, I can rest and have my emotions and cry. Then the next day I can start over, work out, do chores, be strong again and renewed. No one keeps going at 110% every day. If they tell you they never break down, they are lying. Everyone needs time to recharge.
Anyways, today I got a letter from a friend that had written "You may be far away, but you are NEVER FORGOTTEN." I think that's a good message, and I think it's important for me to keep that in mind when talking to my husband, to include him in my life as much as I can. And also to be understanding when he comes home and needs to recharge. I feel forgotten being 3,000 miles from home, months go by without calls from my family and sometimes I get tired of always being the one that has to call and make a point to leave messages and try hard to get through. So it is hard not to feel alone. But for my husband, it is unimaginable. Being so far away while life goes on for your friends, family and wife back home. I just hope that I can remind him that he is always in my thoughts and prayers and that writing him is all that I need to get out of a slump.

What The Navy Gave Us

I have often found myself getting caught up in the negatives of having my husband in the Navy, I won't lie and act like I've been perfect and positive this whole time. It seems like it is expected of you to be sad, to be lonely and depressed the whole time your s/o is deployed or even when talk of deployment is brought up.

People often say thing such as: "Your husband is leaving again! He just got home! That must be so hard. I don't know how you two make it." Yes of course, it is hard for us to be apart. We haven't had much time together. But I know exactly how we make it :D We communicate, we always are open about our feelings, we respect each other, and we truly love each other.

But do you know what really keeps me grounded and positive? My husband from the start of our relationship would tell me "The Navy gave me you, it's the least I can do for them." It makes me tear up just to write that. I was in the Air Force and we were working together at the same base. As soon as we spent time together outside of work we feel fast and hard in love. We both admired each other for having the guts to voluntarily sign up for military service and go through training and give up our homes and move thousands of miles from our families. He always told me he was meant to join the Navy so that it would not only bring him to me, but prepare him to be my husband.

You see, the Navy taught him to be clean (who doesn't want that in a husband!). The Navy gave him the ability to not only provide for a family, but to be independent of his parents and start a new life. It gave him the tools to further his college education, to travel, to save for retirement. He believes the military made us better for each other, and better as people.

So when I start to feel like complaining about "The Navy taking my husband away for months at a time." I also remember the Navy sent my husband to my base where we met, they gave us a place to live, they pay our bills, they take care of him, they take care of us.

Of course, I'm not saying it isn't ok to be sad. I do miss my husband every second, of every day for the last 4 deployments. But I don't blame the Navy. He has a job to do, and he can't do it if I'm not supporting him and the service that he is in. I am so grateful to the military for all that they provide and for keeping my husband safe every time he goes out to sea. I could not be more proud of him for managing his job so well, his duties at sea and at home. He intends to stay in for about 17 more years and I will stand by his side through those years remembering where we came from, how we met on that Air Force base many years ago. I never want to take for granted or forget what the Navy gave us.

Til Debt Do Us Part

I have been watching this show on CNBC 'Til Debt Do Us Part.' As a woman who grew up poor, knowing that I would need to get a scholarship to go to college and rely on myself to pay for my own car and rent, I know the value of money. My husband comes from a different background, he had a steady home life and family income. I've always heard that money is a big issue in marriage. We have really grown as a couple and been able to increase our communication on money, I think the biggest mistake I made at the beginning of our marriage was NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY. Worst thing you can do is not talk! You must talk about what each of you brings to the table, income, debt, savings, retirement, etc. Especially before deployments so that you both have an amount worked out that is ok to spend. Deployments are also a wonderful time to put some money in a savings account.

My husband is very receptive to ideas that I have to save money. So when I found this worksheet and 'money jar' method to manage money he was on board. It will be an interesting experiment. I've read online reviews and people are raving about the money they have left over each month from using this method. So I am sharing it!

About the money jars:
http://www.money-saving-ideas.net/money-jar

Budget worksheet:
http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/resources/interactive_budget_worksheet

Reciepes I Heart

I enjoy using deployments as a time to practice new recipes or try to get creative with old ones. Because I am the only one that has to eat it, no one will judge me if I was a bit heavy on the pepper or if it didn't come out looking too appetizing. When my husband first left on this last deployment, I was not eating good! I thought "Why cook when it's just me here?" but I realized that I didn't have to be cooking for 2 in order to take care of myself and eat good food while actually enjoying trying new recipes. I also lost weight after cooking for myself versus eating out or eating boxed dinners such as Lean Cuisine (they aren't really that Lean I guess). And I've saved money because I freeze or refrigerate the extras and eat later. Of course I love saving money, who doesn't?

Here are some of my favorites! Let me know if anyone tries these and how it turns out :)

1.Easy Chicken Pot Pie
1 2/3 frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cut up cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Original Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 400. Mix vegtables, chicken and soup in ungreased 9" pie plate.
Stir remaining ingrediants until blended. Pour onto pie plate.
Bake about 30 min or until golden brown. Serves 6. (You can freeze the rest for later!)

2. Monkey Bread
2 16.3 oz cans of biscuits
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 350° & grease a tube pan. Place a layer of tin foil on the rack before you set the pan in the oven. TRUST ME. It drips.
Mix your sugar and cinnamon in a large ziploc bag.
Cut your biscuits into fours.
Shake a handful at a time in the cinnamon and sugar mixture until covered.
Arrange them in a greased tube pan as you go.
In a saucepan, melt your butter, brown sugar & vanilla on medium
Pour your mixture over the biscuits in the tube pan.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. (check to see if they’re done, and watch to be sure they don’t burn)
Be careful when you take it out, the sugar/butter mixture is hot and messy. Let it cool a few minutes before picking it apart and enjoying!

3.My Momma's Chicken Enchiladas (I don't know where she got the recipe but they are my favorite!)
Heat oven to 325
You need: 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced.
1 small pkg. Corn tortillas
1 large can cream of chicken soup
2 cans chopped green chilis
1 loaf hot pepper jack cheese

Take your 9X13 pan (my mom wraps it in aluminum foil)
Spread 1/4 can of soup in pan bottom and sides
Fill each tortilla with the chicken and green chili's and cheese (you can add jalapeno slices if you want, I don't like them)
Roll them closed and place them in pan.
Cover them with rest of soup
Bake for 1 1/2 hours, peel back foil and top with more cheese. Bake an additional 15 min or until cheese melts.
Enjoy!