Homecoming Happenings

As my husband's homecoming gets closer and closer it's the little things that have finally made it start to feel real for me. Last night I finished the amazing homecoming sign I made for him, (with the help of the always lovely Brittany, my bloggy & real life friend & her AWESOME cricut) and I am so proud of how it turned out. I hope he loves it and it makes him smile. :) I would post a photo but my dear husband actually reads my blog so I'll have to keep you in suspense until the official homecoming post, sorry to be a tease! ;)

I also got an email last night from our FRG about the end of deployment party and I am so excited. This deployment has seriously felt NEVER-ENDING and so the fact that it is finally almost over is a little hard for my brain to process. I attended a homecoming readiness and reintegration meeting through the fleet and family center and it was actually really great to talk about the feelings this event brings out in all of us wives waiting eagerly for our husbands' returns. The excitements, fears, worries, things we plan to do etc. 

We actually wrote them all out on some posters and the women from fleet & family took them to the ships and had the same meeting with the sailors on board my husbands ship. I got to send along with them a card to be hand delivered and I loved hearing from my husband how much he loved it. Today they had the meeting and he said it was actually helpful and made him feel like it was finally real as well. He also informed me of a few sweet things he has planned for me the day after he gets home. ♥ 

 Although my husband is far from perfect, (as am I) he is the one person on this planet that really gets me. He knows me inside & out and I am always amazed at how hard he tries to show me his love. Sure we've had more than our fair share of disagreements over the last 11 months but any couple who says they "never fought" during deployment or that they have a "perfect marriage" is full of crap. (Excuse my french).

Marriage is hard. You have  to consistently try to be a kind and loving spouse, to make time for one another, to make each other feel loved & valued and all that is hard enough without throwing the military & never-ending deployments into it. The navy has thrown a wrench in our marriage several times and there were a few I'll admit I wasn't sure we'd make it through, but somehow we have.

Were there times we both wanted to call it quits? Sure. Giving up is always easier than trying. But I am so proud of us both because neither one of us did. I love my husband 100 times more today than I did two years ago when we said "I do." We've been through hell and back but it's all part of our journey. The love we share isn't perfect, but it is real. And for me that is more than enough. ♥