Full of thanks this Thanksgiving.

I have to admit I have been feeling very happy and uplifted these couple of weeks. Our lives are great right now, KS just got promoted, Kiale is doing better in school, Colin is doing great, and Cayleigh-Grace is just her sweet self. I am so thankful for everything God has given me. For my family and friends, for those people that I am blessed to see on a daily basis and for that handful of people that light up my life whenever the phone rings and I see it is a number from across the world or just across this continent.

Being in the military as a service member or even as a spouse really changes you as a person. It makes you look at life in a whole new light. In many ways it creates long lasting bonds between people and in other ways it divides you from people. I guess you could say that your life becomes more streamlined. It has been a year and  ten days since I said goodbye to KS and prepared for the ups and downs of basic training followed by a move to his AIT without him. I never would have guessed two years ago that I would be strong enough to pack up and move my entire household of three kids and pets halfway across the Untied States to rejoin my husband who I had just spent 4 months living without. This upcoming year with be filled with many ups and downs I am sure. Our life will go in directions we have never imagined before but for that even I am thankful; and I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am for my husband and for the Army. Yes in many ways the Army makes things harder for families we cannot always be together even though "normal" people are always with their spouses, "normal" people also don't have to deal with the constant nagging anticipatory grief that floats around in my head on an almost daily basis, but that goes with the territory. For some reason I am thankful for all of that as well. The Army, including the good, bad, and ugly parts with always be something I am grateful for even though our lives may be difficult at times it has insured a way of life for my husband, children, and myself that I will always be proud and thankful for living this life.