Navy Wife Life

I have been feeling really homesick lately. Being a Navy Wife, I don't actually know where home is, but it is becoming more and more apparent to me, that it is definitely not here. Don't get me wrong, this is a beautiful place with a lot to do, and it is a place we are forever tied to because it is the place where we said both hello and goodbye to our precious firstborn (and the place where he is buried so it will be very hard to leave here), but it doesn't feel totally comfortable. In fact, most of the time, it feels downright lonely.

There is a HUGE different between "east coasters" and "west coasters". We have lived in DC Metro for a year and a half and I have given up on making friends, and stick to dreaming of a time when I can get back to the ones I already have. I have never had such a hard time with it in my life, I just don't understand people here. And maybe I could put myself out there more, but I am a stay at home mom to a very cranky baby so I rarely get out. Or maybe it is due to the fact that we are a Navy family living in a non Navy world. Of course there are tons of military families, our ward is full of them, but it seems they don't take care of each other like Navy families do. Even David admits to me that the little Navy presence there is here is not close knit like it is on the waterfront. I never thought I would start to miss ship life…just a little bit though.

Despite all of this, I have come up with a ton more reasons to be grateful for this military life that we live. Of course there are hard times, and it really stinks when we have to be far away from each other, but there are good things too. Not only is the military the thing that pays the bills around here (thank you to my amazing husband who works so hard so I can stay home with Jax), but it has been helpful in so many other ways.

I also think that being a military family provided us early on with the unique opportunity to really create our own identity as a family. We are far away from all of our family so we have the great chance to always turn to each other, and an even greater opportunity to always turn to God.  It is so easy to be best friends with your spouse when there really is no one else. It is easy to have meaningful prayers when the person on the other end has really become a much needed friend.

Now that you made it through my entire rant, here are some pictures of Jax. Because lets be honest, that is why people visit this blog these days. But who could blame them? He is so cute!

This boy thinks his daddy is the comfiest thing around. It is his favorite napping spot. 

This is Jax a few nights ago…until the game (Miami Heat) got good. Then he was wide awake watching it with David. Boys must just be born with a love of sports.