I know the women who read this site understand the meaning of courage.

I have been brave enough to smile as I waved goodbye to my deploying husband. And I have been brave enough to hand my first baby over for heart surgery.

It takes a brave woman to say that violence is unacceptable in a loving relationship. To break the uncomfortable silence and say to a friend, “Do you need to talk?” and then to really listen…

My husband deployed at the beginning of December in 2005. Although we did not realize it at that time, I was pregnant with our first child.

I packed up a miniature Christmas tree, tiny little ornaments, and my best cookie recipe in a Christmas Stocking to send him a little Holiday cheer. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, after all.

Six years and three kids later, we treasure each Holiday we have together…

Growing up in New York, military service seemed a thing of the past: faded sepia-tinged photos of grandfathers in uniform, History Channel specials on the battles of World War II, and quaint propaganda posters urging apple-cheeked children to recycle tin cans.

Never would I have imagined that I would find myself married to an officer in the U.S. Army.

“Is Daddy coming home?”

My husband is off on a month-long National Guard drill and “Is Daddy coming home tonight?” became, “When is Daddy coming home?”, and eventually transformed into, “Is Daddy coming home?” Asked at least 20 times each day by my two eldest.

The last time my husband was gone this long, he was deployed to Iraq. He missed our entire first pregnancy, the birth, and most of the first three months of our first child’s life. At the time, people said, “I don’t know how you do it!”

But all of that is nothing compared to explaining to young children why Daddy is not there to cheer for them, to dry their tears, to lift them up…

My husband is on a month long drill and this morning my three year old woke up screaming that “Daddy is downstairs! Let me go downstairs! I want to see Daddy!” When I finally calmed him down, he asked, “Is Daddy coming home tonight?”

Cue the sound of my heart breaking.

At least Daddy is coming home. And at least he is coming home in a couple of weeks. And at least he is not overseas…

Army Wives: The Complete Fifth Season is available on DVD starting Sept. 27 and I have a giveaway for you courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s ABC TV on DVD!

An hour ago, he received a call that he is being activated to help with the emergency efforts.

We are, ourselves, directly in Hurricane Irene’s path…

Here are some great care package ideas from a fabulous reader, and Facebook fan, Heather E. Sosa!

I think I’m going to call this the exhaustion edition! It isn’t so much the parent-of-newborn lack of sleep…I have three kids under five so…sleep? What’s that?
It is more that I bit off more than I could chew! I set aside time this summer so I could work on some personal projects and then I just took on too many other things. I have a Smart Summer Challenge over on my education blog and I am a community leader over at the Random House Kids Read …