Whatcha Doin'?

The Holidays can be rough for military families because we often find ourselves separated from either our spouse, or extended family. I remember when I was first married and we would have the single guys over for Thanksgiving. Even if we weren't with our blood relatives, we were with our military family. Good memories....

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? 

Comments

[ArmyReserveWife]

Just our immediate family. We always try to look out for singles or couples who won't be going home and have no one to spend it with, but this year it seems everyone is going somewhere.

So just me, dh and our kiddos, and the dog can't forget her!

[Tamber]

I have no Thanksgiving plan...my husband is missing in northern Iraq...it's been 50 days today since I have heard from him....there are people looking for him...i was supposed to move to our new home back east 50 days ago, meet my new 8 year old stepson....I am, however, sitting in my empty house (ready to move) for 50 days...no job (i was leaving), no income, alone with 2 dogs, 2 birds...waiting and waiting for news....i cry all the time, sometimes hysterically....i can't believe this is happening... i am too new of an Army officer's wife...we have not had a chance to merge our households, or turn in any paperwork to list me as a dependent (because he went back to Iraq supposed to be for 6 weeks, and then retire, but THAT didn't happen..)and now I am in a black vortex...alone...my husband's work is classified, so i can't talk to ANYONE, not even my family....so where can i go for support...i am going crazy with fear, i am so very scared for my missing husband...and i can't make decisions, because i have no information to work with...i am worried about my 8 year old stepson who is staying with an elderly aunt...any ideas on how to deal with this??? i am in a nightmare and can't wake up... holidays? what is that?? i can't go out in public, the decorations and the couples, the children make me cry very hard, i have to go home...music my husband and i love, can't listen to it...makes me cry so hard...i feel as if i am going mad....

[She of the Sea]

We're enjoying the proximity to family and having the man at home...we had a celebration with my father's side of the family last weekend, and we're going to my mother's side tomorrow. Cousins and wine and barking dogs, oh my!

[Penny]

We had planned to visit my family in NOLA and had not made final plans until yesterday.. Well, Murphy's Law struck and half an hour before work ended for DH they changed the list (for the upteenth time) and now Dh has to work. Not on T-Day thankfully but still rained on our plans to see family so it'll be just us.
On the bright side, it's the first Thanksgiving we've ever celebrated together this year :)

Tamber- Is there anyway you can contact the FRG or Rear D? Do you know for sure that his unit already arrived? Also, try to contact his family and see if they've been contacted. It is a really long time for you not to hear from him but remember, no news can be good news. If something had happened, someone would've already been notified. And though his job may be classified, try to talk to your family about how you're feeling. Is there anyway you can stay with them during this time? I'll be thinking of you and GL!

[angela]

We did the paperwork online and called to have soldiers over that didn't have family here. I guess since tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we haven't heard back that means we will be here eating with just the kids. I bought enough food to feed the neighborhood and if its just us we will be eating turkey for weeks to come. I am having a hard time believing that there is noboday here that needs a place to eat?? We tried!

[Linda]

I just posted this same thing on MY blog!

Since my hubby is the unit commander, we always invite the single soldiers to our house, but for whatever reason, THIS unit always finds a better offer, so we haven't had any over in 3 years!

We invited a non-military couple and their infant daughter over. I'll be cooking, and we love to entertain, so it will be fun!

[Penny]

We were actually going to take a single soldier to see his family in NOLA with us if he was able to find someone to cover his shift.. He did but then DH did got listed to work.. Ahh, what are the odds?

Also, I've never actually made Thanksgiving dinner before so I'm nervous about it. Anyone have a candied yam recipe they'd like to pass along? hehe

[mrsacurrin]

Im looking foward to cooking my first thanksgiving this year! All the fixings -- we're going all out. Unfortunately, its only my husband and myself at the table this year. His father will be eating too -- but has to work so we'll be bringing him a plate!

[Sarah]

No kids and a deployed husband...I wasn't sure what to do for Thanksgiving.
I was going to fly to spend the weekend with CaliValleyGirl, but I found out I have to work on Black Friday. So a friend here in town whose husband is retired Air Force invited me to their house. It was really nice of them to take in a lonely spouse! All of you who offered to host people, even if they didn't take you up on it, it was a very gracious thing to do.

[Butterfly Wife]

For the first time in I-don't-know-how-many years, Jack Bauer and I are spending Thanksgiving with my family in SoCal. :D

[Butterfly Wife]

Penny - If you are interested, email me and I will find my family's long-standing orange sweet potato recipe that we've been making for years. Not overly sweet and super easy.
butterfly.wife.life AT gmail.com

[LAW]

Off to some old friends for the Day. DH is home - it's gonna be great.

Happy T Day, everyone!

LAW

[SSW]

Just me and the hubby this year. I think it's the first time in 8 years that we've spent it together and on the actual day so woohoo!

We invited our single guys and geo-bachelors but everyone's got plans this year. And hubby says last night "don't go overboard, it's just the two of us!" He should have told me all this before I stocked up at the commissary. Oh well, lots of leftovers I guess so I'll probably pack up some plates for the guys stuck on cq/staff duty.

Gobble Gobble, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[sweetestsass]

Well, hubby is home this year for Thanksgiving (HURRAY!), the last 2 he has been deployed or training. But go figure, after we make the offer to the single soldiers to share the day with us, we had to dis-invite them. See, 2 weeks ago my OB said that I would probably deliver within the week. Egh, yeah, not yet....So, we are foregoing the big meal and all that preparation, because you know if we had a house full of guests, and a huge feast half prepared. (I LOVE making the traditional holiday meals!), I would FINALLY go into labor. Talk about embarrassing! So, we are offering a rain-check to the single guys to come for Christmas dinner instead, lol. And tomorrow we are having a completely store-bought, scaled down version of Thanksgiving dinner. But with some luck we will be eating hospital food tomorrow night? I sure hope so, I look like im smuggling a turkey under my shirt!

[Tamber]

Hey Penny,
Thanks for responding to me...My husband has no surviving family, only his 8 year old son staying with an elderly aunt. I am too new of an Army wife, I really have no idea at all of who to ask, nothing...its all greek to me... I was told by the diplomat that he's worked with, who is trying to find him, that 25 days ago he went back up to northern iraq (we still don't know why). the camp where the diplomat ended up 2 weeks ago, he said my husband signed up to go to Afghanistan, but was not sent, however, all the guys in the camp said he already left for Afghanistan....how can he leave without permission/papers whatever?? I am in a madhouse! I don't understand any of this...i need a map of instructions here...it's crazy trying to figure out what is happening, let alone WHY this is happening, when he had his paperwork already approved and ready for him to leave...
My family doesn't understand anything I tell them, so it's better if I am quiet...they are too critical, when I need support. I wish that I had money to travel (all my family live far away in other states). I have been out of work, because i was supposed to leave...that is a big problem...i need $$ to live..and my husband is....god knows where for god knows how long....shoot me now, and get it over with!
Thanks for listening, it does help...

[navywifesarah]

my in-laws are coming for the first time since we've been married...AAAHHH! : D i'm actually pretty excited about it, because i will have someone to clean out the turkey for me. (that's what MILs are for, right?) and my husband hasn't seen them in about 14 months, so it will be nice for him, too. we tried to invite some of the singles over here, too, but i guess there were a lot better offers out there! either way, i'm excited. i love thanksgiving!

[HomefrontSix]

MacGyver and I will be heading to the DFAC with some of the guys from work and some families. Then we're off to church to have dessert and play board/card games all night long!

[Jen]

We're having several single soldiers over for dinner - just like we do every year that dh is home. Thanksgiving is my favorite thing to cook!

[Michelle]

Army Reserve Wife,How are you doing