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Here we are at another intersection of life. I can’t complain because at the last major intersection we came across we at least were afforded a stop sign in order to decide which way to go next. Don’t you just love major life decisions when you actually have time to contemplate the possible outcomes and plan a little?

This weekend I started unpacking the final boxes. When I moved in here in July of last year I was set up and ready for a PCS. I unpacked the day we moved in, but only unpacked the essentials. I put out enough things so that the house felt homey enough for the kids and they could at least feel settled. Prior to that we had literally lived out of boxes and suitcases for 6-weeks.

Now we are on the other side of things and as I type this the paperwork is in motion. We will not have a final answer for probably a month or better, but it looks good for him. He has put in for a direct commission with a semi-local Reserve unit. They are in dire need for Officers (so far there is ONE officer for the entire unit!), and since Mr. Hooah! is not totally green and had really finished all but his book work in OCS he is very appealing to them. His degree and experience makes him eligible for the DC, and now it’s just a matter of dancing the Army Ho-Down of interviews, paper work and trying to figure out what a “form xyz-123″ is.

Slamming on the brakes and throwing her into reverse has been much harder than I had anticipated. It is his career, but we all know that the entire family is on board. I waited before I let myself get settled again. I waited to be sure that he would be content serving in the Reserves because I knew that if the kids and I settled in too comfortably it would greatly impact his choice — and I wanted him to feel all of his options were open and fine with me. I also remember how much mental energy it took for me to get geared up and ready to live out of boxes and to contemplate moving as much as we were slated for it in the first few years. I wasn’t sure if I could regain that much momentum in a short amount of time if need be.

To date this has been the most complex part of military life for me. I know that my attiude and ability to adjust has an impact on the decisions my husband will make. I have learned a lot over the past year and half on how to negoiate matters of the heart, and how to do that fairly. You especially have to be careful in a marriage when desires may not cohese very well. It’s easier to take your spouse as an emotional hostage and hold him for ransom than it is to navigate the matters and reach a compromise. It’s a lot like walking a tightrope after drinking a pot of coffee, only it’s harder and more dangerous.

However, this weekend when I had Mr. H! bring the last couple of boxes of my less essential kitchen equipment up it really dawned on me… I’m home. I have a back yard, a front yard, a mail box and neighbors, and as far as I can see these things won’t change much for us over the next while (as always, God willing).  Mr. H! will get to face the challenge of working in a unit that has great potential and will give him an opportunity to use his skills.

Yep, I’m home.

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