The good news is we made it through the holidays without having to dodge too many questions about my husband’s next deployment. A few family members and friends asked, but we just told them that we aren’t talking about it right now. We are focusing on just enjoying the holidays with Mike home.

I knew I eventually was going to have to come to terms with Mike’s next deployment. With the holidays behind us and finally getting back to normal from Mike’s last deployment (he got home late Dec.), I felt I could face the timeline. It wasn’t a complete surprise because I knew he was going to Afghanistan, but I had a feeling the deployment was pushed up and I was right. We have about 6+ months on the clock until the next deployment and I already feel the time is ticking.

I want to ensure the time we spend over the next 6 months is well spent. At dinner tonight we already planned a few trips where we can spend quality time together. Some are new places we haven’t been together and another has somewhat of a history. I’m so excited to have the time to make new memories to help me get through the work up and the next deployment.

I cannot believe this will be number six. That is a lot of time worrying about him leaving, a lot of time apart, a lot of time worrying about him in a war zone and a lot of time reuniting. The only thing getting me through number six is knowing we should have a break from deployments for a few years when Mike goes on his B-billet.