Little ones

I thought I would share some stories of Dylan's experiences since he became an "Army Brat" 

      When Mike first joined the army it wasn't easy for Dylan. 3 years of having his daddy everyday to not seeing him for 5 months was an emotional ride. There was tears at night that he wanted his daddy. I had a picture of daddy in a frame hanging above Dylans bed. (8by10) I would find the picture on the floor, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, in Dylans bed. I wasnt sure why so I continued to hang it back on the wall. One day I walked in Dylans room and his daddys picture (frame and all) was laying next to Dylan on the floor while Dylan was playing with his toys. I stood at the door way and watched him play and he was talking to the picture as if his daddy was right there playing with him. Dylan would take the picture everywhere with him. (frame and all) Since then I upgraded to a daddy doll.
      While Mike was in training I made a chain countdown and every night Dylan would tear off a chain it meant closer to seeing daddy. One day he decided to take all of them down except one and he said " WE GET TO SEE DADDY IN ONE DAAAAAY" It made me laugh and cry at the same time. I thought it was cute but I also thought it was sad he was definitely missing his daddy.
       Every time daddy is gone, doesn't matter if he is in the field or training Dylan will walk into my bedroom, grab daddy's pillow, lay it in his bed, and tell me " I miss daddy and want to sleep on his pillow." After he does that he will walk back into my room in his underwear only and say " I want to sleep in daddy's shirt" these are a few of the things I started for him to comfort him. Now they are just routine when daddy is gone.
      MOVING!!
     When we move it is EXTREMELY difficult and exciting for Dylan. We have moved twice in a 2 year period which was alot for Dylan. When we first moved to Alaska there was tears he missed his family and wanted to move back to South Dakota. Then when we moved from Alaska to Colorado he cried because he missed his friends. Its difficult to adjust to new schools, new surroundings, a new home, and making new friends who move (bc they go to their next duty station) To help Dylan cope with missing his friends I take plenty of pictures and make a small album, we exchange phone numbers with his friends and keep in contact. It will get easier for him. 
      When Mike was coming home from California which he was there training for Deployment for a month Dylan fell asleep at Mikes work on a couch. While I was helping set up tables of goodies for the soldiers, hanging up Welcome home signs and getting ready for the Arrival. The soldiers started walking in and I thought " Well I better wake up Dylan" but then I thought "hmm I will let daddy wake up Dylan" Mike walked over to Dylan touched him and said " Hey bud!" Dylan opened his eyes, closed them again, opened one last time and said "Daddy?" "DADDDDYYYYY" and jumped up in his arms and held him tight! Wish I would of recorded that one. Soooo sweeeeet! 
      SECURITY
      Getting on an army base we have to go through security, show our military id. The guards wear a gun and of course every time we go through security Dylan has to say something to them. One time Dylan says "umm excuse me? Is that a gun? " I start driving off and Dylan screams out his window "Shoot the bad guyssssss!"  Or he will say " Hi I'm Dylan remember me okay?" then the next time he rolls down his window like a creeper and says "Ummm do you remember me or not?" hahahahahahaha.


There is plenty more to add to this butttt I'm calling it a night. to be continued...

      

      

Things I have learned

• Things would be a LOT easier if the government gave you "moving/travel money" in advance, rather than reimbursing you after you've spent all your pennies on gas and hotels
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• There are higher rank that are AWESOME and there are some that SUCK! 
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• Live from your OWN experience. Everyone's experience is different. 
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• Stay positive
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• Appreciate the little things
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• Its easy to make friends. Doesn't matter where people come from but in the army you have something in common with EVERYONE on an army post. 
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• Deployment isn't the only time you don't see your soldier
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• Don't get paid enough 
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• Don't trust everyone
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• Communication is EXTRA EXTRA important
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• Being a part of the army is like having 20 moms
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• Being a part of the Army and getting involved is SUPER important
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• Your away from your family but you bond with people who become part of your family
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• Soldiers get issued TOOO MUCH STUFF
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• Goodbyes are HARD
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• Alaska is Beautiful
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• Colorado is Gorgeous
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• I realized I love love love change
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• I learned that there are ALOT of soldiers who own Mustangs at Fort Carson
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• I learned there wasn't ALOT of moose in Alaska like I was promised
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• I learned that my soldier looks great in Camo :p 
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• I learned Tricare is GREAT

Fun Army Wife Quotes

• Live everyday like he deploys tomorrow.
• The military is my husband's mistress & sometimes that bitch gets all the attention.
• Put on your big girl panties and get ready to deal with a lot of $#!%
• My Soldier makes me scream Hooh-ah.
• If you love a Soldier, raise your glass. If not, raise your standards.
• Army wife… the H-E-R in HERO.
• You go fight for the world. I'll be home fighting for us.
• Why play with Ken when you can have G.I. Joe?
• Army wives get to legally mess with government property.
• Sexually deprived for your freedom.
• I make his dog tags jingle.
• Forget Prince Charming, I have a U.S. Soldier.
• My high heels need your combat boots.
• My man serves so yours won’t get drafted.
• God found some of the strongest women and made their match a Soldier.
• Be jealous, my Soldier is better than your civilian.  ok...so, that's just mean)
• I’m the Pink in his world of Camo.
• If the only place that I could see you is in my dreams, I'd sleep forever.
• We are the perfect couple, we're just not in the perfect situation.
• When you feel alone, just look at the spaces between your fingers, remember that in those spaces you can see my fingers locked with yours forever.
• Don't measure the distance; measure my love.
• Close together or far apart, you're forever in my heart.
• Love puts the 'fun' in together, the 'sad' in apart, and the 'joy' in a heart.
• I miss tripping over combat boots.
• Every Soldier deserves a trophy wife.
• Draft beer, not people.
• Military wife:  one of the toughest jobs in the military.
• The girl he left behind is still behind him.  I support my hero!
• Real love is trading in your diamonds for his dog tags.
• Stay safe; sleep with a soldier (one that isn't married anyways)
• Tough times never last, but tough people do.
• Together forever, never apart; maybe in distance, but never in heart.
• If you think soldiers are strong, you should look at their woman.
• My heart belongs to a soldier.