A Barton kind of Family

I can honestly say I am one of those people who do complain about the Military. I don't complain about my husbands job or things like that though, I am a complainer who misses family. Everytime I say I miss my family I feel as if I'm really saying, " I dislike the military because it makes me live away from family." Someone can say something about seeing their in-laws, or parents to much, and I will not hesitate to say that I wish I could see my family enough to say that. I understand those who truly just don't get along with their family or in-laws, I've had my times too, but ultimately I just wish people who lived by their families while in the military were more thankful.
I've always been a family girl. My mom has 8 brothers and sisters, and her mom 11, and my father is one of 4. So we have a pretty large family, I have cousins I've not even met yet! I'm used to at least once a week going over to grandmas and in summer/fall having bonfires and cookouts constantly. Every get together was like a family reunion, and for as big as our family is we all grew up fairly close to each other. R has a smaller family, but every Sunday as well they all get together and do dinner. So even while we were dating we would go back and forth between grandmothers places and just be surrounded by family. That was the only hard adjustment R and I had to make when we got married and moved away. If we didn't have each other I don't know what we'd do!

For someone who does not understand the family lifestyle of someone who lives far away from family let me narrow it up. First off, because of the military you cannot just take off a day early on the weekend and finish up your work to go see family for a long weekend. If your lucky enough to even have your husband home you don't leave your home. You barely get to see your husband, especially those who are going on underways/training/or deployments. If you are lucky you get to see your family more than once a year. The last time we were home to see family was before Christmas, and felt that we were spoiled since my mom and two aunts came to visit for about 4 days, and his family for a few days as well. If it was not for the baby being born this year we wouldn't see any of our family again until next year, but hopefully weather will be nice enough to let my mom travel down. It has been over a year in a half since I have seen my brother, and I have no idea when I will see him next. And If R and I can't get home in the next month or two then it will be over a year- almost a year in a half till we are able to go home again.

I know this was a complaining post, but let me just finish by saying how blessed we are to have such amazing family. I talk to my mom about every day- she truly is my best friend and I feel at a loss when I can't talk to her. We are blessed to have family this awesome to miss, and I guess I should be complaining about why is my family so helpful and worth missing because it makes it harder! lol .