Dusting Off the Old Blog

Seeing as how many things have happened in the last couple of years since I last updated the blog (as they usually do, it isn't called life just to be cute) I figured I needed to get on the ball and start recording some of these things.  Mainly I need to be recording milestones in the babies' lives since I seem to be so ridiculously poor at keeping up with baby books.  I think the farthest I got in Gabe's was bringing him home from the hospital.  Sad, I know.  But that's the beauty of technology.  Now I can record everything once again for posterity while simultaneously checking Facebook. ;)

So here's the skinny to just get caught up.  Mike retired from the military last July (2012) with full retirement.  We were thrilled that he was finally done.  I found out I was pregnant in May of last year (2012) and after a trip to Disney with all the kids (first time for the little ones) I found out it was with twins!  I was not, however, excited about this prospect, but I will dive deeper into that subject on the next entry.  This entry is purely serving as a recap.  So anyway...Mike retired and had a job lined up in Louisianna with the same company his brother works for, Oceaneering.  He was going to be on an oil rig piloting these remote operated repair vehicles, or some crap like that.  He was offered the job and then denied the job after his physical because the quack doctor was lazy and didn't want to think for himself after receiving volume 1 of Mike's medical history from the military.  I will say this, the military may be lacking in many areas, but they sure do love their paperwork and record-keeping! So he was out of a job and back home for the first time in two years.  And by home, I mean home...all. the. time.  I went from running my household to being a bystander and the occasional recipient of unsolicited advice.  This is where my adjustment came into play.  All the books, classes, websites and seminars told us that the reintegration period was an "adjustment" when a solider comes home after an extended period of time.  What they failed to mention was that it was not jacket weather in the seventh circle of hell.  I don't think either of us have ever been so miserable in our lives and he suffered through several deployments to actual hell. Never in my life have I questioned my decisions and existence as much as I did that summer.  We wanted to kill each other pretty much on a daily basis and add in the extreme hormonal imbalances I was suffering and his unemployment and you pretty much have a recipe for Jerry Springer. But we suffered through and held tight to the shred of hope we had left and somehow made it to the other side, albeit a little battered.

In the meantime, Mike was suffering from what so many other people are dealing with in this economy and that was trying to find a job where there are none.  He sent out hundreds of resumes and went to all the job fairs peddling his skills to half interested HR reps just trying to make it to their lunch break.  I think out of all that, he got one interview.  It was disheartening for me to watch him take blow after blow to his ego.  If only these employers could see what I see...that he is a rock star when it comes to work ethic and you will be hard pressed to find a better employee who truely puts his soul into everything he does.  But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

Looking back now I can see that he was supposed to be home during that time.  As hard and as stressful as that was, having no income, no way to pay bills, no way to feed our family and that feeling of uncertainty; it was meant to happen for several reasons.  One being that towards the end of an already unpleasant pregnancy, I was hospitalized more than once and put on modified bed rest, meaning I could no longer work and do the things around the house I had been doing.  This is where Mike had to step in.  He basically had to take over all of my household and family duties, including cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping getting the kids to and from school and all the school duties that come with all that.  In addition to having to drive me to and from all my doctor's appointments (and there were A LOT).  So I feel like he wasn't able to find a job not only because I needed him home at that point but also for him to gain an understanding of what I do as a wife and a mother and how challenging that can be at times.  I needed him to see that.  I needed him to know that even though I stay home with the kids (for the most part) that there is not a moment where I belong to myself.  There is not a moment when someone is not depending on me and the weight of that responsibility can be a heavy burden at times, especially when it comes to shaping the lives of little people.  He stepped up in a big way.  But then again, he doesn't do anything halfway, so I knew he would take care of business.  Don't know what I would've done without him.

So here we are in a much better, although not perfect place.  Mike was offered a job with a company that contracts for Boeing.  It is only a 6 month contract, but the hope is to be offered a permanent position with Boeing when all is said and done.  It is in Delaware, so we are doing what seems to be our lot in life and living apart again, hopefully not for much longer though.  He, of course, is doing what he does best and that's kicking arse and taking names.  The powers that be seemed very pleased with him so here's hoping to better things in the future.

That brings us up to date.  The next post will be about the most fun things that have happened in the last two years...yes, I'm talking BABIES!! But, my eyes are tired and my hands are developing carpal tunnel as I type.  Baby steps.  I can't just jump back into this blogging thing with both feet.  Eh, yes I can. :)