Days 249-267

39 weeks down…

99 days left…

R&R on the horizon…

As an Army wife you take on so much. Every marriage, every life has its own unique challenges within the organization. No two experiences are alike. There are a few things I think we can all agree on. No matter how long our soldiers are gone, it’s always too long. Even though we are grateful for our free medical, it might be nice to get an appointment sooner than a week or two, have the same doctor at least once, or have a doctor that isn’t well into retirement… Although we’re grateful for all of the “extras” we get in addition to our base pay, it’s still nice to be paid.
Apart from what I, as an Army Wife have already taken on, the above mentioned have recently expedited my transition from pepper to salt (and while I am thankful for the coupons, I’ve heard “Nice n’ Easy” doesn’t cover white!!)

Had a doctor not said, “He’ll grow into them,” I may not have had many sleepless nights coaxing my terrified sleep walker back to bed. I may not have had to lay in my bed wondering if I needed to wake my daughter up in the middle of the night to take her brother to the ER because he had just stopped breathing in his sleep. I may have had way fewer sheets to wash. I may have had a much happier, better rested little boy. Had that silver haired Dr. not said that, I wouldn’t have had to go through a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy recovery without daddy’s help! But, I digress. I did. As thankful as I am that we got to have this procedure done with skilled surgeon and staff and the Children’s Hospital, it wasn’t fun. Poor Gwynn just had to say good-bye to her best friend. She had to say good-bye to Grandpa and Grandma. Now she has to put up with her brother at home for another week, messing up HER routine! Connor was miserable and constantly needed something. You can imagine the power struggle that ensued. We survived! By the grace of God I SURVIVED!

Just in time to be hit by another major blow…the national BUDGET! I have never in my life been the political type. Sure I have my ideals. I have just never felt the passion or need to get involved in politics. I tend to take a back seat. I observe. I research. I speak to those I feel it is pertinent. I guess the gloves come off when I feel that people that I dearly love are in unnecessary danger. Let me go on the record here. I am a Conservative. I am about as Conservative as they come. HOWEVER, what happened last week made me sick to my stomach. What a mess!! Here we are fighting over the budget like immature teenagers playing Chicken. Who will cave first? Who is going to turn first? Not me! I don’t care who gets hurt, I will win!! One might wonder, what on earth can keep the Congress from agreeing on a budget that will pay the people of their country? Apparently all it takes is Planned Parenthood.

I watched the debate for a majority of the day. How disgusting that something like cutting the funding to Planned Parenthood was what threatened 800K+ people being paid! I understand. This is a very important debate. However, there is a time and a place!! I don’t believe that God would have been proud about a “win” that occurred in such a low, sneaky, and underhanded way. If you ask me, if you REALLY cared about your people, you would pay them and take up this “fight” at a more appropriate time.

I recognize the Conservatives felt like they had the upper hand!! What a great time to strike! No one wants to shut down the government, so let’s add these few “riders” to the budget and cut funding to Planned Parenthood…it’s the only way to Get ‘Er Done! Come on. We’re better than that. To claim that Planned Parenthood is, to sum it all up, immoral, yet behave so immorally to get its funding cut doesn’t make sense to me. I understand that intentions were good but can’t you see the hypocrisy? I’m not saying I’m right and I wouldn’t dream of saying I know what God is thinking or how he sees this mess, but I just refuse to believe that he would condone such behavior. If your will is GOD’s will…he will make sure you are victorious! Look at battles in the Bible. Did God say, “Okay, you’ve got them by the balls…let’s go!” No…he took the most unlikely Heroes in the worst of circumstances and made them victorious!! I guess what I am saying is, there is a time and a place for everything and I felt like what happened wasn’t a win for anyone, but Satan. With all ears on them, people said some pretty ridiculous and unfounded things that only made them sound foolish. With all eyes on them, they fought dirty and looked weak. The sides were pushed even further apart. Nothing was accomplished and we get to go through this whole mess again tomorrow. Satan won.

My husband, Dustin is gone. We haven’t seen each other in 39 weeks. We will have surpassed the 9 month mark by the time he gets to come home for R&R. This is getting long. I am tired. I am greatly anticipating our time together. God could not have picked a better man to be my husband. I know that as soon as we’re in each other’s arms, our graying cord of 3 will overcome all the painful, stressful messes each double strand has been through. Two strands, even with God as the other, simply aren’t as strong as three. I can’t even begin to imagine going through all of this as a single strand!!

Matthew 6:10 "THY will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven."

Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."