It’s 5:30 am here in Okinawa.
I’m sitting on my balcony today looking out at the beautiful island sunrise. I feel the dew on my cheeks from the warm winter air. It’s 70 degrees here, and it doesn’t feel anything like the cold bitter Midwest winters I grew up with.
Both my kids lay nestled in their beds, while I sit here drinking hot black coffee in the peace of early morning.
It’s incredible the places military life takes us–emotionally, physically, spiritually. It all feels like a whirlwind most days. My heart aches during deployment, mends during homecoming, and somewhere in the middle of it all, I find peace.
I find peace in days like today. A day that is normal. A day when we are just a regular family. A day when I am a regular woman who gets up, showers, and drinks coffee while her husband and kids are asleep.
Looking at the sun rising out here in the middle of the pacific, I can’t help but think how darn lucky I am to experience this. It’s incredible the places military life takes us.
Over the course of 2015, military spouses bloggers all over the world were taken to emotional highs and lows via the avenue of military life. They experienced deployment, homecomings, PCS moves, relationship challenges and victories, long-distance phone calls, career searching, soul searching and so much more.
That’s what makes military life and military spouses one incredible group of crazy, messy beautiful people.
Today I wanted to share something special with you–a collection of amazing stories and posts written by military spouses for military spouses. This is each writer’s top post of the year. They are the best of the best. Some have viral shares, some have hilarious jokes, some make your heart ache. But together, they are all amazing.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Best Military Life Posts of 2015
7 Ways Military Homecomings are Nothing Like They are on TV (via NextGen Milspouse)
15 Things to Know About Dating a Military Man (via Semidelicate Balance)
Losing Things (via Military Life Military Wife)
More Than a Hundred Sleeps: A Father Deploys (via T.T. Robinson)
Keeping Up With Who? (via She is Fierce)
Dear Military Wife Facing Her First Deployment (via Whimsical September)
Solo-parenting: Alone but Not Alone During Deployment (via In-Dependent)
Printable Smooth Move PCS Binder (via The Homes I Have Made)
Military Life Newsflash: Your Drama is Toxic (via The Direction Diva)
I’m Terrible at Being a Military Spouse (via The Military Wife and Mom)
Keeping in Touch Despite the Distance (via The Coastie Couple)
Stop Complaining About Military Life (via Royal Little Lambs)
4 Truths About Navy Life I Didn’t Believe Until They Happened to Me (via Of Sea and Sundry)
How the Military Changed My Thanksgiving (via SpouseBuzz)
15 Military Spouse Facebook Groups You Have to Join (via Singing Through the Rain)
What are a Military Widow’s Death Benefits? (via The Reluctant Landlord)
19 Ways to Prepare for a Military Ball (via Seeing Sunshine)
Why You Should Say Yes to a PCS to Germany (via Soldiers Wife, Crazy Life)
What Military Spouses Wish They Were Thankful For (via An Aiming High Wife)
Homeschooling During Deployment (via Only Passionate Curiosity)
Struggles with the Military Spouse Stereotype (via Hippy Milspouse)
Military Spouses and Driver’s Licenses (via Kate Horrell)
16 Cheap Care Package Ideas That Fit In A Large Envelope (via Happy Fit Navy Wife)
10 Books for Milspouses During Deployment or Anytime (via Cammo Style Love)
102+ Open When Letter Topics for Deployment, Bootcamp and Other Separations (via Jo, My Gosh)
Cheers to a wonderful 2016
Thank you so much for stopping by to check out these beautiful posts written by a very diverse group of military spouses!
As this year comes to a close, I wanted to thank you for reading week after week. One and half million people stopped by The Military Wife and Mom blog this year. I am blown away, humbled and so thankful for all the blessings of 2015.
You are what keeps this blog going.
You are what makes this site possible.
I can wait to see what 2016 has in-store for us!
Pam
What a great round up! I can’t wait to read all of them!
Kathryn H.
You have a gift for gratitude, Lauren, and for expressing the beauty in the everyday. I’m looking forward to your writing in 2016!
Lauren Tamm
Thank you so much!
Michelle
I would love to discuss partnering! My website is MilSpouseJobs.com and it is composed of job listings that are ideal (remote) for the military spouse! Please feel free to email me at michellepenczak@gmail.com 🙂