I’m Thankful: US Navy {and all the veterans!}

Today I’m thankful for all the brave men and women who have served our country.

They’ve all made sacrifices and endured hardships to keep our country safe and free.

Their spouses, children and families have also sacrificed so that the rest of us can enjoy life in this great nation.

This year I’m particularly proud of my Navy man :)

Andy swore into the United States Navy on May 29th of this year and although his current orders are to complete medical school which makes life still feel pretty “normal” for us, I’m so proud that he’s serving his country and that he’ll continue to do so even more in a few years when he’s a doctor and an officer.

We prayed long and hard about what God might have for our family in this phase of our journey.  It was a desire of both my heart and Andy’s heart that I be able to stay home full-time with our kids.  It was also very clear that God had given Andy the dream of becoming a doctor.

Those two desires seemed at odds with one another for a long time.

I had a great job with an even greater boss and that job allowed me to comfortably support our family while working from home a majority of the time.  It wasn’t always easy but it was a tremendous blessing that made it possible to get to where we are today.

Deciding to actually leave my job was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made.  I was equally thrilled and devastated to close that chapter of my life and move into a new phase of life.

It was only made possible by another dream that kindled up in Andy’s heart…

The dream to serve our country as a doctor in the Navy.

As Andy considered what a privilege it would be to use his medical degree to serve the Navy and Marines and be a part of something so much bigger than himself, he took more and more initiative to see whether it would be a good fit for our family.

After meeting with one of the most engaging and sincere recruiters we could have possibly been matched with, everything seemed to be confirmed beyond a doubt.

Not only would I be able to move into a more homeward role in our family, but Andy could focus all of his attention on school and still be able to provide for all of us.  We’ll have opportunities to move around the country and the world, Andy will be able to practice medicine in an environment free of some of the less desirable civilian politics and we’ll see all kinds of places and meet all kinds of people that we’d otherwise never encounter.

I know it will bring its share of difficulty and sacrifice, but life is going to dish that stuff out anyway.  Why not do something bold and trust God that it will be the adventure of a lifetime, right?

Today and everyday I’m thankful for our service people and I’m particularly thankful for the US Navy.