Another Anniversary, Another Promotion



Marine Corps Ball, Japan, 2003 (Just married)

From meeting in Japan, marrying in Australia, honeymooning in Mexico, back to Okinawa, we eventually headed to Southern California, and then Northern California.  Now we find ourselves in Guam, part of the Marianas Island chain in the Pacific.  I need a world globe on my car dashboard just so I remember my way home each day. 






As Jed and I celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary, and tenth year together, we also celebrate a promotion.  Nine years ago, in Okinawa, I popped off Jed's Marine Corps single bars and pinned on his double ones as he promoted to Lieutenant.  This week Kai and Jana had the privilege, and this time slid on his shiny new double gold bars at a Coast Guard promotion ceremony in Guam.  Woo-hoo. 

I realize we have done a lot together, seen a lot together, and travelled a lot together. We have such a crazy, mixed up, mobile military lifestyle.

As of today, we have slept on airbeds for 5 months and 25 days, while all of our "worldly possessions" are probably baked into a melted glob in Pacific Island Movers' hot, humid storage shed somewhere here on the island.  To know that my sewing machine and art supplies, the kids' bikes and toys, the pots, pans, knives, forks, and dishes are so near and yet so far, while we continue to eat from paper plates and use plastic cutlery, and "do without" for yet another week, is challenging.  But we have each other and we have our kids.  We have our cars and our kayaks.  Jed has his surfboards.  One day I'm thinking "what more could we want?" and the next day I'm thinking I'll go crazy living like this.  But I'm grateful that we are together.  Many a military spouse has spent her wedding anniversary alone.  While we have our little family intact, we'll do without our toys, bells, and whistles a little longer.  Oh, and hey, we will definitely enjoy that pay-raise!!