I recieved your comment on my blog it's a waiting game, I am not completely in your situation, I live on a military base so I am around a lot of military people, but I have few friends I don't trust easily, and oddly the few friends that I do have, their husbands just came home this week, so when I am going through the grieving phase in a few weeks they are still going to be going through the honeymoon phase and really just aren't going to have much time for me. I have been a military spouse forever, but we were guard for a while so my husband never had to go anywhere because he was recruiting, so this is our first time being seperated. I believe I will be busy over the summer because although my 17 year old will be leaving 7 days after he does to visit her dad, my 12 and 14 year old will be leaving their dad to be coming to visit me, kind of a trade off I guess and so having them around will be great for me, since I don't see them often, I think if one of them sleeps in here with me it would be better but I think they are bedhogs so that wont work...lol. I have 7 girls between my husband and I. In 20 minutes his leave officially begins which means he is really leaving really soon. Our Church honors our soldiers by posting a flag in front, for each deployed soldier that is a member of our Church there is a flag in front our Church, over the last several weeks when they have been posting the flags I cry during the prayer because I know in 3 weeks time it will be our flag that is going to be posted outside and then DH is going to be gone for 15 months. That is a long time, no one really understands how close I am to my husband, he isn't one of those annoying just do something and get out of my hair guys. We litteraly spend every second of every day that we can together, it is rather sick, he is my absolute without a doubt best friend! I am losing a lot when he leaves. I know how hard it is having your DH gone for the holidays, mine missed his first thanksgiving, halloween, his bday, easter, and I think there is another in there as well this last year as well, to do the training for Iraq. And he is going to miss them all again! On halloween he left at 1:30 in the morning, wow talk about harsh for the kids, one day later and they could have at least had a memory! He is leaving 4 days before fathers day! R U kidding me! I swear the people that set these dates don't have lives or children. I know I will have a great support team through my church, I just don't like living the miltary lifestyle, I never have, we only have 4 more years and then DH can retire so I can just count the time I guess, but I will definately keep your hubby in my prayers, when my DH was in the guard we lived in VT talk about living in a non-military enviroment- wow they are tree huggers. There is no support there. If you ever need to vent or talk or anything I am here. Just let me know. We can go through this together. It is always nice to have someone to lean on.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family
Mel