I love this story! I die laughing every time we reminisce of Texas trips. For the record I was half right, which is why my bullshit is so easy to believe. Butterball turkeys were the first to come pre-basted. Here is the story: https://www.mashed.com/147688/the-untold-truth-of-butterball/. And of course you can always go to butterball.com.
As I was again in Texas for pre-deployment training this year over the Thanksgiving week, I got to thinking that this time was different. We were not going to be able to make any touristy Texas trips. When Erin wrote this blog post, I was reminded of what it is to be a military family. I am sure all of you have thanked a service member at some point. And probably participated in some sort of “boxes for boots” type drive. Thank You so much cause those boxes are a life saver! But have you ever considered the family? Have you ever thanked a wife? Or a husband? Or mother, father, bro/sis, in-law, child, etc, you get the point.
I tell Erin the military is probably harder on her when I ACTUALLY have to go do my job. Normally I am just a weekender. Maybe a couple weeks here and there for training, fires, riots, or whatever State response. But my JOB, most simply,is to deploy around the world wherever the need is.
If it were not for Erin, I could not do what I do. Albeit begrudgingly, she supports me. But I leave. I think she thinks to some tropical resort, but I leave. I have very little to worry about downrange, don’t die and find food. (That’s just how I rationalize deployments) Erin has all the tasks of life. House, kids, pets, work. Everything falls on Erin’s shoulders. Unintentionally. She makes it work. And she does a phenomenal job making it work. This is the second time in our short life together I will be gone for an extended timeframe and Erin will be doing everything.
The trip over Thanksgiving Erin refers to in “Butterballed” was when I was stuck at Lackland Air Force Base for three months for training. Erin made all the arrangements to come to Texas to be together for a bit when it was seemingly impossible for us to be together. This is what being a military family is. Finding the ways to see and be with each other against all odds. Because the military very much cares about its numbers, not its holidays.
Erin, Oliver and I were able to pack in as much adventure as one rental car could hold in a weekend. I do not know if we would have ever toured Texas, but it was an incredible weekend. She says, “the stars aligned.” I don’t think is was chance. Erin very much aligned the stars. She very much went above and beyond the call of duty. And these moments of her thinking outside the box and making things happen are why I love you so much babe. Thank you.