Ryan and Christy's Place

I'll begin by saying that MATT IS HOME! And Erika has a new, awesomely titled blog: Just 'Cause We've Made It This Far Doesn't Mean We've Made It."

She writes that she wants to start fresh, and I kind of admit I am feeling that myself. Maybe it's the start of spring, my wedding anniversary coming up -- so many things. I haven't really updated because honestly, a lot's been going on.

I like the title of Erika's blog because it conveys to me the fact that when it's over, it's not OVER. A deployment, I've found out, seeps its way into every bit of your life long after the welcome home ceremony and the uniform is cleaned and hanging in the closet, patiently waiting for the next drill weekend. It's in every sad feeling, every happy one, every up and down.

The common thought for many people, I think, is that when the soldier is home, all is well and easy again, when the truth is we still have to work hard for our relationship. Sure, the initial "honeymoon" phase is great, but real life comes, too. That's not to say real life isn't great -- to me, just having Ryan home for the ups and downs is a triumph in itself. But we're growing as a married couple, and much of what we are now is tied to what we went through then.

So I'm not sure what this post is ... a hello, a "we're still here" and a common cry maybe to people dealing with post-deployments -- and the happy, sad and sometimes bad moments that follow. Sometimes I wonder if I even want to chronicle "post-deployment" life. Some parts of it seem mundane, but some seem intensely personal to us. Which is funny, considering how personal some of my other posts got.

Bottom line is, we're happy. We've learned that our love and committment to each other is far stronger than anything that may come our way.

I guess I'm saying, to people out there and to myself: Don't be scared when it's hard. There will always be hard times. Just remember what you went through, and that you did the thing you thought you couldn't do.

--Christy