take a deep breathe and remember what makes these days so special. not the date on the calendar, but being with the ones you love the most. and with that said, no one every said you could not trick-or-treat in march or eat turkey in july or have christmas in august. it's up to you and your loved one to decide how you will celebrate these holidays, but here are a few ways we managed.
our first thanksgiving together, my then boyfriend was stuck in afghanstain. so, i packed him a box with Jones turkey soda and those gummy fruit thanksgiving dinners you find at target and had my students make turkey handprints and made sure that he knew just how thankful we were for him and all of his soldiers. he returned home a few weeks later and we had our thanksgiving dinner then. sure, it was the middle of december on the calendar, but to us, it was thanksgiving.
a year later my husband and the father of our newborn son was gearing up to leave again. we had thanksgiving according to the calendar, but a few days later we did christmas. we put the tree, unwrapped our christmas pjs and watched our favorite christmas movies, even though it was only november. i had made a deal with him that when he would return home, 15 months older, we'd still have the tree up so that we could celebrate the christmas he would miss. so, 14 months later (he came home early), we picked him up, did our thanksgiving in january and the following weekend had our christmas, in january.
aaron's wifey
army
2 deployments
the holidays are always the hardest during a deployment, which most of us already know being through it a few times already. but for those going through it for the first time ever, i say having damily and friends around always helps. i've been through 3 deployments and with each one having my family around during the holidays made it a little more bearable. if family isn't/can't be around, then gather your friends who are in the same boat as you and enjoy the holidays together, because we all know that family isn't just brothers, sisters, moms and dads when your an army wife.. it's any wife who is alone due to deployment.
stacy
army
3 deployments
spend the holidays with all the friends and family you can. consider video taping the holiday so that you can send it to your hero overseas so that they can feel apart of it. if possible, save the gift unwrapping for when your hero can be on the webcam and share in the excitement. stay strong throughout because sometimes the soldier gets a bit grouchy and doesn't want to talk about it and it's usually because of the holidays and having to miss out.
lauren
army
2 deployments
ideas for care packages:
for halloween:
- trick-or-treat bucket with goodies
- halloween decorations
- fake pumpkin that can be carved (check Michael's)
- a desktop scarecrow
- a box of leaves from the front yard
for thanksgiving:
- Jones soda in various thanksgiving favorite flavors
- gummy-fruit thanksgiving dinner
- handprint turkeys
- thankful turkey: make a construction paper turkey and on each feather write all the things that you are thankful that year
for christmas:
- countdown calendar to christmas (either buy one from the commissary or make your own with special little treats like love notes or trinkets)
- mini tree and ornaments (you can make your own ornaments, think pictures, to personalize it)
- make your own stocking and stuff it
- do your own 12 days of christmas
- holiday boudoir pictures are always a nice little something to tuck into a book
- homemade cookies are always nice (don't forget to put a slice of bread in to keep them moist)
- and don't forget the hot cocoa mix with marshmallows (paint your own mug)
- send party hats and poppers, but remember to keep one for yourself so you can ring in the new years together (twice)
- Welch's sparkling grape juice is a nice substitute for champagne
- 365 love resolutions (love notes)
