Many of us who have suffered infertility have had multiple surgeries. Your life is scheduled around treatments and procedures. This can be very stressful so it’s important to remember to take every opportunity to relax while you recover. Ask for help from your community with meals. Ask for support when you need it. Know that this stressful overwhelming experience will pass and you will find peace again. Take it from someone who is now on the other side. Stay encouraged!

Fertility treatments are very overwhelming and stressful. These procedures are physically painful for women. Emotionally it is extremely painful. It can make anyone anxious and especially if you have to schedule your entire life around pills that have terrible side effects and shots that make you irritable. Getting shots from your spouse is not a great experience for a couple and it’s a very tough experience for everyone. Remember to talk it through and support one another. Have some fun together when you can fit it between the doctor appointments!

This week we will be talking about infertility. Many people struggle with the grief of infertility. Did you know women who suffer infertility are at higher risk of anxiety and depression? This experience is centered on waiting. Waiting on the tests to come back, waiting on the diagnosis, waiting on the treatments, or the funds to afford the treatments. Waiting on a miracle. It’s a very painful and exhausting experience. Remember while your life may surround waiting, there are those around you who may be waiting too or those who have experienced waiting to support you! Surround yourself with support and hope.

Finding ways to reconnect after spending months apart is very important. Expectations run high and this can make reintegration very stressful. Imagine spending time trying to communicate with your spouse through text messages or hit or miss connection through video conference. Then coming face to face with them! This can make anyone nervous! All the questions rush in, that moment of embrace is almost surreal and talking in the same room is strange and wonderful at the same time! After homecoming find time to reconnect emotionally with your spouse! Go on a date, share a meal, hold one another and enjoy each moment of intimacy!

The weeks following homecoming come with challenges mainly because we have all experienced changes and growth through the time spent apart. In fact reintegration is the toughest part of the separation cycle! This feels much like filling an empty house and starting over in many ways. We are finding a new normal within our family system. We have to get used to the changes that come with life after separation. This may come with actually settling into a new house and community. In the midst of reintegration remember to stay positive and look for the bright side to the new routines. Yes everyone and everything has changed but you have lots of love to offer one another. That is always a beautiful

Many military families spending months or years apart and when the homecoming day finally comes it is filled with so many emotions! We are excited, nervous filled with anticipation!! We don’t know what to expect really but hope for the best! We pick out the perfect outfit, make special banners, hire a photographer invite friends to welcome our love one home! It’s a very special moment and one many of us will never forget as long as we live.

In military life we are required to move quite often. We go through quite a few houses but it’s important for us to make our new house, home. Home is not so much about furniture or decor, although those things are nice and helpful. Home is about family relationships. We need close connections with our spouse and kids to feel at home. So when you unpack in your new house remember to connect and spend time loving on your family. They are the best home you will ever have!

The best part of relocating with the military is getting opportunities to see new things and places! However getting there can be painful especially for younger families! Finding songs or games you can play on the road can help your littles pass the hours of driving! Make sure you have snacks and toys or movies to keep the kids entertained! Remember to focus on the excitement of the new adventure ahead and know the discomfort of being in the car will end! Best wishes for your PCS road trip!

Moving can be a huge undertaking! We are thankful to have new adventures at new locations and to meet new people along the way! On the long road trips remember to make the most of the quality family time you have together! Even in the middle of moving your entire life to different states or countries you can enjoy the journey! When you must stop for food or bathroom breaks enjoy the scenery around you! Make it all an exciting adventure especially for your little ones! Here’s to all you moving military families!!

In the midst of deployment or unaccompanied assignments in a time when you are juggling a lot responsibilities alone remember to reach out for support! People in your community may be able to offer help if you ask. So when the kid gets sick and you have an all day conference call those in your community for support! Life is difficult enough without the extra stress of family separation and it’s during these times that one can feel overwhelmed. If you are in that spot, I hope you find people to bring a helping hand and an encouraging word to move you forward.

When you are faced with spending a year separated from your spouse it’s important to remain positive. There are lots of things to stress about but taking a moment to focus on something positive can help. Many military spouses choose to focus the nights they cannot sleep on special projects. Some of us start businesses or write books. All these things are great and can help pass the sleepless nights. Don’t forget in the middle of that project to take time for rest and self care! It may just be reading poetry as you enjoy a hot cup of tea before bed. Whatever it is it should help you focus on the positive.

Separation is something many military families are very familiar with due to the demands of the military mission with deployments and unaccompanied assignments. Many military families spend months and sometimes years apart. This is a major challenge and sacrifice for the entire family. What can we do to help get through those difficult times? We take the separation one day at a time and sometimes one minute at a time. The photo above is from our military family’s countdown for my husband’s short tour assignment overseas. This is the kids’ daddy corner in our living room. It is a simple way to help the kids get through the months without their daddy. I have clocks displaying our time compared