Is it Over Yet?

We have been in Missouri now for 29 months. That would be 2 years and 5 months. I say 29 months so it doesn't seem so long. As soon as you say the word YEAR, my shoulders slump with the weight of it. My husband and I were on a trip together a few hours away from home (just for the evening), and we were able to talk. I never hear from him how he feels about this duty station, and the goals he made or missed. This time he put it in perspective, and I agree with him. These are the things we talked about:


"Our first year here was rough, it was, but we stuck together as a family and we did everything to survive. No arguments, not pushing each other away, no fights...just us against the rest of this place. I was disappointed in what we found, but we were determined to make it work and find the good in it somewhere. Our first year here was hard but it was GOOD."


"The second year was all about everybody doing their own thing. Schools were set, doctors were set, kids had their needs all met, the housing was straight, our jobs were straight, but we all started going out in 6 different directions. No one communicated anymore, all of our problems were THE problem and no one listened. So everything was set on the outside but our family was falling apart. The second year was our hardest."


"But it's over. We have gone 5 months into our last term here. We have nine months before we pull out of hell. Nine, that's it. We can pull together enough to last nine more. I have a better job, I have better hours, I can go to school and move up in rank where I couldn't before. The kids will have you and me to get them back on track, and we WILL spend more time as family and pull back together. We will NOT let Missouri win. We will leave this state the same way we rode in, TOGETHER."

I have to admit, there were times I thought about packing the van back up, shoving the kids and the dog in it with just enough money to make the trip back home. There was once that I even had bags packed and loaded in the van, but being broke at the time meant I wasn't getting further than the church parking lot. I can't say my feelings have changed much. I still want to pack that sucker up. BUT, I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and 9 months doesn't seem that long.

We might not be going home, we may be getting put into another po-dunk down like this one (if it weren't for the post/base then the town wouldn't exist), but I can guarantee that our lessons learned means we WILL survive and grow stronger. Two of my babies are almost ready to fly from the nest. They have plans, and those plans mean they won't necessarily going back to the place we call home. That frightens me. But I know I have brought them out to see what else is there, and how to find the 'fun' in even the deadest of places. They are going to be okay.

But now that they learned that lesson, can I please be settled? I would like to find my spot, get my house, just relax for a little while if possible? I know, that's not much fun and I am young. I know I know I know.

9 months. Just nine more month until we start a new adventure. :)