This post become lost in the shuffle of moving and the holidays. I'm down in Oklahoma visiting Jordan for some more training, and re-visiting some of our UPT routines & fun. So I thought this would be the perfect time to post this. What days those were & how I wish I could slow that year down to cherish those days with my girls and our amazing friends!
A day in the life at UPT...
We wake up at 0700 to reville, just like at summer camp. A trumpet blowing through the loudspeaker system is a pleasant wake up call, right? Truthfully, I don't hear it anymore unless I'm already awake. Even when we first moved here, it wasn't always reville that woke me up. Its the T-6's that start buzzing the house just after sunrise every weekday morning. I think they fly at about 400ft above our house, which isn't very high, so we hear lots of engine noise every day. Back when I was pregnant I'll never forget trying to nap when Evie napped and I always threw a pillow over my ears so the planes would be a bit muffled.
We have an active playgroup on base for the pilot-trainee spouses and we always have a great time! We go for walks around base, play at the park, go to a local church that has tons of toys, and we rotated playgroups at our houses. I thank God for this amazing group of ladies. Our husbands did 12 hour work days, 5 days a week for almost every day this past year and we filled each others time with friendship & laughter - for us and our kids!
In the heat of the summer we cooled off at the pool on days that Natalie was agreeable to being in the heat. A newborn in 100 degree heat, is not the most fun. She would get so hot so fast, and it was trouble some days to corral Evie in the pool and keep Natalie happy & cool. Again, thank God for my friends who helped me with one of the kiddos so we could get out of the house and enjoy the pool! I was so grateful for them on those days. If I didn't feel adventurous enough to head to the pool, I would fill up our little kiddie pool outback and put loads of sunscreen on Evie and we'd play outback in any shade we could find.
After an afternoon of fun, it was time for me to cook dinner. I won't lie, it took me a while to get in the groove of cooking every night. With working full-time before, I wasn't always cooking dinner with a plan. But I found that meal planning brought me great joy and most weeks I had our dinners cooked and ready for when Jordan got done with work.
At 1700 (5pm) its the end of the work day. Time to hear "retreat" and the national anthem. This may or may not be a highlight everyday for Evie. She stops dead in her tracks, runs over to me and stands and listens. At the park, in the house, out in our backyard, wherever we are she stands and listens to every note and loves every minute of it. At the end, she says "YAAAAY" and claps and jumps around like it's a celebration. Everyday it fills me with so much pride and is so special to be on base listening to the hum planes and the T-6 buzzing overhead, it really is kind of special!
Thats another fun thing about UPT, you can guess when your husband may be home, but he could forget to tell you a change in plans and you could wait and wait for him to let you know where he was! Or maybe that's just my husband. I was usually on board with his plans, but sometimes I wasn't updated. And some days he just had no idea when he would be home. So most nights, I planned dinner for Evie and I, and I made a best guess for when Jordan would be home. Most nights I was pretty close and it worked out!
The best part of the day, hands down, is when Jordan strolled through our door and was home for the evening. Even if he had more studying to do at home, he was here with us! Evie would "help" him study and I was just happy to see my husband!
It took me a good while to adjust to this lifestyle. This stay-at-home mom life. I was not good at it for a long time. I'm still not "good at it" in many ways. I'm past longing for that gratification and satisfaction of going to a job I loved, and I've found a purpose and happiness within my home. For so long I felt lost and wasn't sure how people did this long term. I was so used to basing my life around my career, and knowing I was good at my job. So when that was gone, I was lost on how to feel like I was doing a good job. It is far from easy, this staying at home job. My house is not perfect and clean (although I wish it was!), and I still suck at putting away laundry. I have bad days and good days. But every day I spend with Evie and Natalie is one I can never get back. I'm not measuring my life purpose on a career anymore. Now I focus on having happy, healthy and curious kids. I want to be as much as I can be for my girls now that daddy is gone most days. I am the parent they will rely on for daily needs, and thats a big job. I couldn't do it without my supportive and loving husband, and focusing on what my girls need to continue to flourish gives me such joy. I want them to be and do whatever they can dream, and I hope I can help them achieve those dreams.
The end of the day, at 2100 (9pm) is the playing of Taps. The time when I get teary and honestly reflect on how lucky to have the life I do. For some reason I always picture a military funeral with family & friends mourning the loss of their soldier when I hear the slow, sad notes play over the loudspeaker. Its a reminder everyday of how important our support as a military family is for Jordan and the rest of the armed forces to protect our great country. Its the end of another day, and time to look forward to the months to come.
Now that we are transitioning back to 'real life' as I like to call it, and moving back to Michigan, I am gearing up to head back to work. I'm finally getting into a groove with this staying at home business, but I'm ready to tackle a new balance in our life in Michigan. I won't go back full-time, and I will most likely play a different role than I did as a NICU nurse, but having this year taught me so much of the importance of time with my girls. They will have a new balance too, but I'm confident they will transition and adjust just perfectly.
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