11 Things I Love About Being an AF Chaplain's Wife

List 11 things in 2011 that you love about being the wife of a soldier/sailor/airman/marine/coast guardsman/national guardsman/reservist!

1. My husband's home more often as a chaplain than he was as a pastor (deployment is different, but TDYs are about the same for him as when he went to conferences or conventions.). It's awesome.
   
   
2. He gets to rotate his on-call times with his coworkers. When he was a pastor, it was just him, 24/7, year in and year out.
   
   
3. Having professional movers pack us up and move us out! It's just one less thing to deal with when moving.
   
   
4. My husband looks REALLY good in his dress uniforms. Mmmmmm!
   
   
5. I can choose my level of involvement in the chapel. I don't know if it's just my experiences or that I've matured into myself more now, but if I don't want to be involved, I just say no. I don't feel nearly the level of obligation that I did when my husband was single-staff pastor of a small rural church. Of course I support my husband's chapel ministry, but *I* choose what I want to do and feel gifted in. That freedom is precious to me.
   
   
6. We are financially a whole lot better off now than when we were in church ministry.
   
   
7. PWOC. I could not be a part of Protestant Women of the Chapel if he wasn't in the military. I love this organization!
   
   
8. New friends, old friends, ALL friends. I treasure each friend I make in my heart. Good thing God made my heart flexible enough to stretch to include each one, and they span the globe now.
   
   
9. Being a military wife has opened up a whole new culture for me--and new writing opportunities are opening up for me as well.
   
   
10. I'll just go ahead and say it: moving so often helps me purge. Packrat me is sometimes sad, but minimalist husband is glad. And in the end, I'm glad too.
    
    
11. My girls are having so many more opportunities for activities, for learning, for service, for travel, and to grow as young ladies, than they ever would have if we'd stayed put at home.