Weeks to a New Life...

Our little family is PCS'ing (Permanent Change of Station) to Germany in 10 short weeks!  My husband will be home for a short visit in 5 weeks, and then life will finally start for us!  It's almost impossible for me to believe that we're just weeks away from starting what we have been working towards for so long.  

It's been a long road....

The same year Eric and I were married, Eric felt that serving the military full-time was the path God had chosen for him.  So, after graduating with his master's degree in Leadership while simultaneously going through ROTC, and after 16 years enlisted in the Nebraska National Guard, Eric was commissioned into the Army.  His transition from Guard to Army came after years of discussion.

Before the transition, I'll admit that I lived exclusively in the civilian world.  I didn't try to be apart of or understand the National Guard.  I put no effort in being a National Guard wife, I couldn't even tell you what that meant.  Aside from Eric's drill weekends, our lives were in the civilian world, and since that's all I knew, that's where I stayed.  Of course, I am extremely proud to be married to an Iraq veteran, I cried when he was awarded The Soldier's Medal, and I love seeing him in his uniform, but beyond that, other than worrying if he'd get deployed again, I wasn't bothered with anything that had anything to do with the National Guard.  That was "his" thing, I thought. 

I just didn't get it.

So, after years of discussion, hard work, and what-ifs, we decided that we would only do this if we committed to it completely.  We weren't going to sacrifice stability, close proximity to our friends and family, and my career, for any regrets!  This was going to be his career and we would make it an adventure!  And Germany, seemed like the best way to start that adventure!!

I knew that I would have to adapt to and learn a totally different way of life (and I am now painfully aware of how little I know about being in the Army lifestyle and how much I have to learn)..... 

....But, Eric understood all that we would be giving up, and I understood all that we would be gaining.  Ultimately though, we are on God's path, and with Him in the lead, we will lovingly and faithfully follow.