Top 10 Things I am learning from my husband in Iraq

Yes the picture above is taken from the internet... Thank you google.

1. Your husband will lie to you to keep you from worrying. DO NOT BELIEVE him when he says, "I will never leave the wire". Thats a lie. Flat out lie. How do I know he is lying? Well, 2 days after he informs me he is never leaving the "wire" aka safe zone. He begins to tell me all about the city streets of Baghdad. About the trash that lines the street, how the Iraqi's dress, hold hands, play with their kids, etc.... Boy was I a fool for 2 days thinking he was never gonna leave the wire. Now my heart skips a beat every time I think of him leaving the "wire."

2. When your husband says that in the next 2 or 3 days the internet will probably be down.... DO NOT BELIEVE HIM. He is lying. That means he is going on some type of mission and will not be in the comforts of his room to call his sweet dear wife anxiously waiting to hear from him. Begin to worry when its more like a week since you have heard from him.

3. When people who have been confined to a certain standard for all their life get a chance to go wild... THEY GO ALL OUT WILD.

4. When he tells you they heard fireworks a few miles away that really means they heard gun fire or some type of bombing or motor shell explosion... and yes it was a few miles away.

5. THANK HEAVENLY FATHER EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR THE SWEET MOMENTS YOU HAVE SHARED WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE. You never know when it will be taken away.

6. Even though you think he is the strong one in the relationship he is just as weak as you are... He even has his bad and horrible days too.

7. He misses you WAY MORE than you miss him. Okay that sounds bad.... but its true. Here I have the comfort of family and friends. He has a battle buddy....

8. God knows exactly what you need when you need it. He will give you guidance and direction when asked.

9. Even if you only send a note that reads, "India Lima Oscar Victor Echo Yankee Oscar Uniform." He will love it and cherish until you send him another note... AND HE WILL KNOW EXACTLY what it means... And KUDOS to you if you know exactly what this means.

10. Probably the most important lesson I have learned so far is to ALWAYS HAVE MY CELL PHONE ON and NEXT TO ME. You never know when he will get a minute to call just to say, "India Lima Oscar Victor Echo Yankee Oscar Uniform" aka I love you. Even if you think peeing takes 2 minutes and it will be okay to leave your phone out of the bathroom that will be the EXACT time he will go... Without fail.