Spouses Appreciation Day

The Friday before Mother's Day is also known as Military Spouses Appreciation Day. That means that the base does everything in they can to give us a day to see what our spouses do every day. It is also a day that celebrates spouses and all their hard work while the spouse is working, deployed, TDY, or whatever acronym you can think of.  This year Ellsworth AFB, SD has a new commander.  With the new commander came news ways of celebrating the day.  This included asking the military members to share something about their spouse.  Jason did it and because he did I won't $40 to beginners yoga classes. This is what he wrote...

From Jason about Missy

My wife Missy deals with a house full of testosterone with myself and our 3 boys Cody, Wyatt and Garrett. Not to mention all of our men egos, attitudes and my hunting trips. I know she feels odd one out most of the time, but she handles things better than I ever could. Somehow she keeps things running in the house, with the normal day to day chores, shopping, appointments, baseball practices/games, church activities, planning, finances and still makes time to make cupcakes for the neighbors and is going back to college. All of this being a military spouse, which she is proud of. She asks me what would I do without her and I always tell her I would be fine, but we have been together for over 10 years now and if I didn’t have her, my world would fall apart and I know it. I tell her every day that I love her before I go to work in the morning, but that isn’t always enough. So, I try to tell her that more often. Our children and everyday lives seem to take up most of our time and we don’t get to do the things that we use to when we were younger. But we have both said we are stuck with each other no matter what. I’m proud of what she does as a mother in raising our 3 boys. I’m proud of her being a key spouse for my squadron and wanting to help out the other spouses. I’m proud of her making that leap back to college so she can get her teaching degree. I’m thankful to have married someone who is glad to be a mom, and a wife and someone who will put up with my everyday frustrations from work, my addiction to hunting, my mood swings and ocd. There isn’t to many wives that would put up with the things that my wife does and I’m thankful and blessed to have found her. It’s still hard to imagine that over 12 years ago we met in an online chat room and started talking and here we are today having lived in 4 different states, having 3 children, a home and friends and family spread out all over the country. Thank you Missy for saying yes, even though I didn’t get on my knees ;). I Love you babe!!!

South Dakota spring

I recently read a post a friend had written on Facebook.  She mentioned a blog she used to write in about her family.  That was until the kids got older and life got too busy to post.   After the last two days I realize how much the comment meant to me.  It has been a VERY long time since I have written in any of my blogs.  I write blog posts but those I sell, they are not about my family and the things I hold dear. This week started off as any normal week would for us.  Monday the boys went to school, Jason went to work, Garrett and I headed off to the gym.   When we left the wind was blowing.  It reminded me of something my dad said to me when I was a teenager.  "The calm before the storm".  In South Dakota there is no such thing as a calm before the storm.  Here the wind blows.  The meteorologists warned of a winter storm headed our way.  Considering we haven't had a winter storm to brag about since we have been here, we didn't expect much. Monday afternoon before the boys got home from school the wind invited rain to the party which quickly turned into snow.  Before I knew it we had a dusting of snow all over.  Before Jason got home from work there was snow on the roads and blowing everywhere.  By 7 or 8pm we knew the boys had a snow day on Tuesday and soon found out Jason did as well.   The wind was horrendous which made going out in the snow absolutely unbearable.  We tried, the boys and I got all dressed for the snow.  Wyatt was upset with some piece of clothing so he didn't go out at all.  Garrett and I last for about 2 minutes and Cody may have made it to 10 mins before we were all inside and Cody was begging for hot cocoa. We knew quickly that there was going to be another snow day for all again on Wednesday.  Wednesday was an amazing family day.  Filled with snowman building (by Jason and I since the younger two got bored quickly). snow ball fights, sliding on the massive snow hill that was created after plowing.  Which reminds me.  The grown boys got to play in the snow too.  Jason got to use his 4-wheeler to plow our driveway, tried to get some of the road and sidewalk but there was just too much.  He as well as another gentleman in the neighborhood tried to use their wheelers to rescue a neighbor who got is SUV stuck in the snow in his front yard.   We got to spend time talking with the neighbors, reminiscing about Alaska and just enjoying the day. Garrett and I spent all day, minus an hour or so for lunch, outside in the snow.  Because of it we have windblown faces.  Today Garrett and I still have bright red cheeks not to mention Garrett's Rudolph nose. All in all, those are the moments I will cherish forever.  There is nothing more special to me than sharing these precious family days with my family, as a family.

Today though, is another special day.  Even though my family (the one I created) are all going their separate ways today.  There is one special person I would like to celebrate. My Grandma Beadles is a special woman.  I will always cherish her and the memories I have of her.  I wish I could be with her today.  She hasn't had an easy life.  She did marry young to the man she will spend the rest of his life with, my amazing Grandpa Beadles.  Together they created a family of their own including 10 children.  Unfortunately they lost on son as an infant to SIDS and then a daughter to breast cancer.  My grandfather developed diabetes and my grandmother was there to take care of him until the day he lost his battle.  I remember that day so clearly. But their life together remains in the lives of their children, the grandchildren and their great-grandchildren.  So many I am not sure if I can count them all.  A great big family for two people who have been through hell and back. My grandma is 95 years young today.  We had the privilege of helping her celebrate her 90th birthday and I couldn't have been happier to be there with her.  This time I am half way across the country but in a couple of months I will be with her again and I can share with her I much I adore her and so glad to have her in my life.  Most importantly I hope she is there for many more years. I left California thinking there was a good chance I would never see her again.  Now that she is 95 and the day grows closer that I see her again I am excited.  But I also worry that when I leave California again to rejoin my husband in South Dakota that I may never see her in this life again. It reminds me to make every day special, every day is worth treasuring.  It is a lesson I try to teach myself all the time but one I struggle with.  It doesn't need to take a special occasion to make great memories.