Flag Day 2013

Flag Day each year is a day that many people typically overlook. It isn’t Memorial Day and it isn’t Fourth of July, we don’t get the day off to celebrate and people don’t host BBQ’s for family and friends. But for Payden and me, Flag Day this year would be a day that we will remember forever, a day that will completely change our future and start this new chapter in our lives together. Flag Day 2013 was the day Payden and I made the serious decision to start the process of him joining the United States Air Force.

I have spent several years preparing myself to become a Police Officer’s wife, which in itself is a lot of work but after a few years of trying to join the Wichita Police Academy and having no luck due to the low acceptance number (and the large applicant numbers) we started to discuss other options. While dating in High School; Payden always made me very aware of the fact that he wanted to join the military and I know still to this day that the reason he did not join then was due to the fact he knew I was not at a stage in my life where I could handle being a military girlfriend/wife. I look back now and wish I hadn’t made him make sure a dramatic decision based on my selfish needs. But on the bright side of that situation, we graduated college together as a married couple and now we both know I am all the ready to have the responsibilities (and the stress) of not only being a military wife but to be a military officer wife. Since he now has his Bachelor’s Degree, he will be able to enter into the Air Force as an officer, which means more responsibilities for not just him but for me as well.

I could not be more proud of the man that I married, although I am beyond nervous for this new journey in our lives together, I know that we are both very excited and ready to see where this journey will take us. You know that we are both serious about a decision that we have made when we are both doing research on what the next steps would be for both of us. I know that he is the real hero in this relationship but I am his support system and there are many things that I have to learn on my own to be the best support system and wife to him as I can be. He has a lot more to do and I will be behind him every step of the way but I do not want to not know what is expected of me at the same time. Who I am reflects upon him more in the military then it has ever before and I want to be the best example of the wonderful man that Payden is to everyone around us.

Here is to the start of this new journey, knowing full and well that there will be weeks/months at a time that I will not be in contact with him; and knowing full and well that most likely by this time next year we will not be living in Wichita. By the end of this summer we should have a start date for his training and an anniversary date of when he signed on that dotted line. Until then, we have a lot of preparing to do, a lot of time that we need to cram in ‘couple time’ and a lot of appointments with recruiters. Again, I could not be more proud of the decision that we have made together and of the man that I married. Every day I am constantly reminded of the good in him and he has been and always will be one of my heroes and one of my biggest fans. So now it is time for me to return that favor and do everything in my power to make this transition easy for him and easy for our ‘family’ together.

Yes, I know and understand that things are not official and that there are still many, MANY things that we have to get accomplished and organized before I can say that my husband is officially in the United States Air Force, but this process is starting very soon and the decision has been made. Our new goal in our marriage is to become a military couple. I understand that this journey is going to be hard, and it might be long but I am excited for the process to start and excited to try and document this transition the best that I can through this blog.

Payden is my high school sweetheart, my husband, my hero and soon will be my airman! 

Again, I know that not many people celebrate or even really think about Flag Day but from this year on, this will be a day that we will always remember. It has to be a sign that this decision was made on a patriotic day.

 

 --Amber