Thank You, Veterans.

As I was just typing, I realized my Veterans Day post was going to be so similar to last year's, I might as well just link to it:  

Dear Veterans

Last week, we did a photo analysis using a photo of a disabled veteran to introduce Veterans Day.

The kids answer the following: What do you see? What do you think? What do you wonder? After, we discussed what a veteran is and how brave our military service men and women are. 

We wrote thank you cards to mail to David's deployed squadron.  (They arrived in time!)

Since we are so close to a large military base, I thought it was important that we do something for our local veterans as well.  Yesterday, we made American flag thank you cards and I delivered them to Applebee's to include with the free meal they offer veterans. The lady who accepted them was so happy she gave me a hug! She also said she has a daughter in kindergarten so it made her happy for multiple reasons. :)

Again, David is deployed on Veterans Day.  My dad is TDY and away from my mom. My brother-in-law just returned from a lengthy deployment, a couple months before he and Mandy get stationed overseas.  Away from each of us to protect all of us.  

Hopefully, David will be home by the first week in December.  Mandy made me this beautiful deployment countdown vase to have something to look forward to each morning:

It was really depressing seeing how many rocks I needed to fill the vase when she first gave it to me. But, each morning, it's the first thing I do after waking up.  I read the message she hand-painted and smile that we're another day closer. And now it's so close! (It's slightly deceiving in its current fullness; the 20+ remaining rocks do fit in there.)

One of my favorite things (said sarcastically) about David being deployed is getting asked, "but what do you do when he's gone?" YOU GUYS. I did have 24 years of my life as an unmarried human being, and I am still my own person. I do the exact same stuff I do when he's here, just without him. I go to work.  I stay too late at work.  I go to work #2.  I play with the dog and cat.  I may watch a little more TV or YouTube videos. I may get scared more often. And I may eat the same thing for dinner 7 nights in a row.  Oh, cereal again? And stuff is generally not as fun, because my best friend isn't here to laugh at me when I'm talking to myself, sing to the dog with me, or sit beside me when I go out for froyo.  But, I still talk to myself, sing to the dog and grab froyo on the reg. 

I spend a much greater amount of time on the phone and Hangouts and have long-distance movie dates and get really angry or sad when I've missed a phone call or am too tired to stay awake and talk.  Because I am also missing him.  Every second.  And I worry. 

Worry, worry, worry. 

Of course, what don't I worry about..?  

But no, I don't just sit around missing him, doing nothing, like your question suggests.

For laughs, lets include a link to this "Things Only Military Brats Understand" video.  (I took out the video I had embedded when I realized the YouTube ad prior to the video was inappropriate. Sorry about that. Accept this as my warning before you choose to watch it! The video itself is hilarious if you grew up in a military family.) 

Happy Veterans Day! 

Thank you, Veterans, for your service to our country.