If you are wanting your other half to have a 9-5 job, military is not the job
for them. Military of any kind is definitely not just a job but a LIFESTYLE for the entire family.
Whether in schools, doing day-to-day jobs, being deployed overseas, moving every few years,
or traveling across the world just to visit with family and friends; military life will never be a
9-5 Monday-Friday job. Growing up as an Army brat verses now being an Army spouse it is a bit more intense than
before. It has always and will always be an adventure and hopefully soon after we move to our
next post and feel settled, as settled as active military can be, I can start
my own adventures in my career path.
Newlywed life as an Army spouse has taught me many things already and it has been GREAT, except for Eric being in schooling still. Military schooling is not exciting at all for newlyweds. To me, it sometimes feels like he is back in high school with a master’s degree level of studying. He leaves the house around 5 am for PT, does not get out of class until 5 or 6pm, eats dinner, does homework 6 out of 7 nights a week, heads to bed, and then starts the day all over again. Who wants that as a newlywed? (sad face) At least when Eric has had a bad day for whatever reason, he loves coming home to an overly exciting puppy baby Ella, and smiling wife that has a homemade dinner on the table. Yes, I can now cook!! I do have to say no matter how bored or terrible my day has been it is magically wonderful once Eric walks in the front door! (Even though I know I have his undivided attention for only a few minutes while we eat). At this point in time we both have to be grateful that he is coming home every night and not in the field for weeks at a time or deployed overseas.
Newlywed life as an Army spouse has taught me many things already and it has been GREAT, except for Eric being in schooling still. Military schooling is not exciting at all for newlyweds. To me, it sometimes feels like he is back in high school with a master’s degree level of studying. He leaves the house around 5 am for PT, does not get out of class until 5 or 6pm, eats dinner, does homework 6 out of 7 nights a week, heads to bed, and then starts the day all over again. Who wants that as a newlywed? (sad face) At least when Eric has had a bad day for whatever reason, he loves coming home to an overly exciting puppy baby Ella, and smiling wife that has a homemade dinner on the table. Yes, I can now cook!! I do have to say no matter how bored or terrible my day has been it is magically wonderful once Eric walks in the front door! (Even though I know I have his undivided attention for only a few minutes while we eat). At this point in time we both have to be grateful that he is coming home every night and not in the field for weeks at a time or deployed overseas.
Finally, Eric has finished Officer Bullock for Field Artillery
at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. No more schooling for a while!! Now, we will head off to our first official duty station in October
for the next few years. A recap of Eric's military career to date....
* He was selected to be active military heading to OCS to become
an officer in January 2012.
* He started basic training last July 2012 in Fort Benning, GA.
* Once his 10 week basic training was up he immediately started OCS, Office Candidate
School at Fort Benning as well.
* He selected Field Artillery as his top branch choice, and as
top of his class he was also selected by the military to be in Field Artillery (ARMY
BID-DAY)
* He left for Fort Sill, Oklahoma to start Field Artillery
Bullock in late February and will do a small Joint Fire Observer two week
course next before heading to our first Duty Station!
Eric being in school means we are only in Oklahoma for a short period
of time before heading to our next post. In turn, means I, the wife/other
half, have no time to find a job and actually work long enough to count for something. Especially since I
came along only after we were married late May. With not working and being a
summer house wife means I can only do so much each day and in turn I become bored
sometimes. Yes, family and friends back home ask me what I am doing with
ALLL my free time since I am not working. My answer is usually "Oh you
know, keeping the house clean, taking care of our puppy who sleeps 20 hours a
day, and anything else I can come up with to do on a day to day basis." haha!
Such a hard summer for myself ;) ;) I am however learning to cook and planning our monthly budgets!! Yay! for becoming a grownup! Yet, once I had unpacked, redecorated the
apartment a few times, read a couple of books, laid by the pool whenever it is
not raining, and met up with other wives every Thursday for coffee, I now have only official orders to look forward to. Once we have our official
orders I can start looking
for a job in our NEW hometown.
Moving every few years was not in my original plan for my design career, but since it is what God has put into the works for me, I am currently still figuring out what to do as a job/career/something I love for the next 20+ years before we retire from the military.
For now, to fill up some of my spare time, I have started a small online based calligraphy, hand lettering, digital media business, C.Dot Designs! I have a Facebook page with some examples and a business shop page on etsy.com –cdotdesigns. Check me out!! I love to do custom work and I can do just about any type of lettering you need!
****As of last week we received our orders and we are moving to Fort
Bliss, Texas in October. Moving to El Paso, Texas also means I am going to be
learning Spanish since we are on the US/Mexico border. That will be a fun
adventure and makes me question my four years of Latin in High School! ha
