Weclome!

I've titled this blog 24/7/52. Because it's about a deployment. And how I miss my husband 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. I know most folks would put 24/7/365, but that is technically incorrect, and I know my husband wouldn't like it...and I don't either!

I've been a blogger for a long time, but I've never had to blog about a deployment.  There's a lot of backstory, though.

My husband is CW4 Scott MacDonald. He has been in the US Army for 20+ years. He started out as a trumpet player. He did that for 10 years. (we met somewhere around his 4th year in). 12 years ago, he decided to become a Warrant Officer, and is now a Bandmaster for the US Army Band field. He loves his job. I love what he does too.

A few years ago, after living in Lexington, SC for almost 3 years, he discovered he was due for reassignment. (sadly, in the band field, they don't offer the "family stability" like they do in the other fields...nowadays, you can stay at a post for 5 or more years!) After a lot of discussion, we decided that it would be best if he took an assignment to Ft. Campbell. The kicker was that the kids and I would stay in Lexington. We had a home we loved, a church home and family, and the kids loved their school. There were financial concerns, and we also knew that a deployment was most likely to happen. So...in August 2012, we became a geographically separated family.

It hasn't been easy. Scott's visits home were usually monthly, though, from time to time, there were "long stretches"...and those were usually 6 weeks or more. His visits home were usually only 4 days. It's hard to cram "being a family" into 4 days. We did our best to maintain normalcy. We did have block leave time in the summer and at Christmas. 15 days of blissful family. Together.

Separation can be hard on a family. It's hard for the spouse "at home" who is trying to hold the family together and maintain some sense of normalcy, routine, rhythm of life. It's hard for the spouse "away" who misses out on so much of the family. Kids grow, teeth fall out, report cards are issued. So many little things that we take for granted...these are all missed by the spouse who isn't there to see it all happen.

And separation can wreak havoc on your relationship. If there were any cracks, any fissures, any doubts, or lack of trust...a separation can make that even worse!  But if your relationship is strong, grounded, and filled with love and trust, nothing will shake it.

So...this begins my deployment blog. After a 16 months of "stateside deployment", Scott prepared to go to a God-forsaken country to protect OUR country.