The Things We Do When the Boys are Humping in the Field....

Definitions from the "USMC spouse dictionary" that will aid in  the reading of this post:
(hump): Marine Corps Dictionary: A field march or extended hike.
FEX, abbreviation for : Field Exercise, usually 1 or more weeks in duration

Believe me, when Jordan first told me he wouldn't be coming home for a week because he had to go HUMP with the boys, I about passed out. Thank goodness the only thing that I was able to utter through my shock was "HUH!" Which allowed him the time to explain yet another Marine Corps term (see above). Since this mis-communication, I have picked up an amazing book, Confessions of a Military Wife, written by a Marine officer's wife, which has helped me through this crazy new adjustment to military life. It has been so entertaining to laugh through a fellow wife's experiences as she too transitioned into this new crazy world and her similar confusion of all the military base rules, acronyms etc.

Anyway, although Jordan is only training here, he is still gone 2 weeks out of every month out on FEXs and HUMPs. This involves a week or more of being out in the field 24/7, where the guys sleep in the woods and do not have contact with home.

You can always tell when that dreaded FEX time rolls around again, because all of us wives begin swapping netflix recommendations. On the first day of the every FEX, without fail, the weather is miserable. There is usually a heat warning suggesting limiting outdoor exposure (like that's going to stop the Marines), followed by terrible thunderstorms. And as soon as us wives begin to feel sorry for ourselves because we are home alone and the storm has knocked out the power, we think of the boys sleeping outside amongst the ticks, snakes, and all kinds of other creepy crawlers, being thundered and lightninged on.

It also gives us time to bond with eachother, and form tight connections as Marine wives. I have always heard that the friendships you form through the military become stronger, faster, than your civilian friendships, and I am starting to understand that. There are certain commonalities built in to all of us in the Marine Corps family, which allow us to instantly connect. The extra time together, without our husbands, allows us to build upon these friendships. Those of us without children bond over our 4-legged babies. I am sure the mothers in the group roll their eyes as we show pictures on our phones of our puppies and the cute things they did that day. We have doggy play-dates regularly! It's amazing. The dogs usually wear themselves out, and sleep for the entire next day!

I feel like, as with most things in life, these weeks are only as bad or as good as you make them! So instead of sitting home and feeling lonely, FEX weeks are usually full of social activity! We fill these weeks with lunches,  dinners, shopping, and wine tasting! All of the sudden, these FEX weeks aren't something to dread, but something to look forward too, we look for the positive in having time alone. Whether that be having less laundry for the week, or not having to make dinner every night, or just having time to do girlie things like shopping and watching chic flicks; we make the best of it! Undoubtedly Jordan, and a few of the other wives' husbands, come home to some new home decor or piece of furniture that we have refurbished to keep ourselves occupied....

Marine wives are also the best bodyguards! Story: I had a few girls (and their dogs) over this last FEX for a doggy play date :) . We were sitting out on the front porch chit-chatting, when I explained my neighborhood schematics to them.... Across the street-Marine Captain. Next door-Reserve Marine Major/current FBI agent. Diagonal across the street- CREEPER! Literally... 20 minutes after explaining the street dynamics....2 of the 4 girls that were still out on the porch saw the Creeper coming down his driveway and towards the house. All the sudden he is scaling up our steep driveway and approaching my friends on my front porch. Apparently at 10:30 at night, he wanted to share 2 yellow squash...?  Maybe sharing vegetables at 10:30 at night is the norm here on the east coast, but it definitely creeped all 4 of us out! All I know is I am thankful for my girlfriends that kept me company that night, as well as my alarm system that will allow me to sleep safely while Jordan is gone! I am also grateful for all my friends that offered to have me and Gunnar stay over with them until Jordan came home, and those that offered their guns as protection (seriously haha). Oh the joys of meeting people from the midwest!

P.S. thought it might be good to mention for anyone concerned for my safety.... one of my girlfriends took home one yellow squash that night...not to cook...but to hold as DNA evidence in case I go missing ;)

Marine Wives at Buffalo Wild Wings during a FEX week