2012

   This is my first post for the 2012 year. I haven't posted much, because honestly nothing has really changed. Ross started Primary, had family day, passed his check-ride, started instruments, had Thanksgiving DONSA where we got to come home, he continued instruments when we got back, then I left two weeks early to help mom & dad out, he joined me later for Christmas, now we are back at Rucker and he is finishing up his instrument course and will be assigned his map project next Friday. Which means, this is his last weekend of freedom before I take away all electronics from him until he completes every last map! They are very time consuming and he has to have them all completed before he starts his next course, which is Basic War Fighting Skills, where he will be flying some old Kiowas.
  Christmas time with our families was much needed. Ever since SERE it has been an emotional roller coaster ride for us and I think time away from Rucker with our family help get the old Ross back. SERE was a marriage tester for sure. I don't think civilians will ever understand what military wives/familes go through whether it's just training or an actual deployment. Sometimes men come back a little different & you learn to give them their space and have patience. Don't push them to talk, just support them, and be there for them to help them recover.  We, wives, change too. We are like pancakes. We are flip-flopped back & forth & change to meet their needs. Not that it's a bad thing, it has helped me become a better, stronger, do things on the spur of the moment,  and more independent kind of woman.
   We were stressed for months with the Jeep. Not financially, but when we would have people ask us to go do things in our free time, we would have to say no after seeing that $500 payment and $140 insurance payment JUST for the Jeep. When the word "children" came up, Ross would always stress about how unsafe the Jeep was. We know children is in our future...the payments were making us bitter....so Ross took one for his family & sold it, to save up to buy a safer, family car.  Instead of being "Fun Guy Ross" he decided to step up and start trying to be "Family Man Ross". I just wish he wouldn't worry as much as he does about our future. It's not like we can snap our fingers & be prepared for our children's college & our retirement, We've only been married for a little over  a year and we don't even have a child yet. One step at a time. Even though after going into the stores he picks up baby items and says "Kassie! Look! haha! my kid is so wearing this!" For an example: Baby Crocs shoes...or the time I lost him in Toys R Us and found him looking at safety ratings on baby strollers.....yeah he is thinking about little Hunters running around. Maybe in about a year.
  Towards the end of February we will know what airframe he will be flying & a little after that we will know what base we will be moving to.  So we are trying to enjoy the last 4-7 months left here at Rucker. We are hoping we stay in about a 7 hour or less driving time distance to Tuscaloosa. But we know God will put us where we need to be. After we move Ross, will have 3 months at the base. So we officially have 7-10 months together before he is ready to be deployed. Chances are, he will be.

I will be posting more this year, due to more things are happening. I will try to keep everyone updated as much as possible.

Here is a video of Ross' Family Day I created. I hope you get to see how awesome my husband is! First scroll down & stop my music player before playing the video! The audio will mess up!