It's the beginning of a new week (well, sort of). So in this post I wanted to share with you a bit about what happens in an average week for Ben and I. If there is such a thing that is, as there is rarely an "average" week in the military life. There are many sudden changes in plans, which for anyone who is more acquainted with me, knows I find it hard to deal with those. But I am learning more that you just have to go with the flow. This blog update though is about what happens when things do pan out according to how they should! Read on...
Monday: It's back to the normal working week for Ben after the weekend, so naturally it's a bit of a slow start. He is currently on the swing shift at work, which means his working hours are from 3pm until 11pm. Turnover starts half an hour before the next shift begins, so that means he must get there no later than 2:30pm. But being an NCO (non-commissioned officer), he likes to get there for about 2pm to get organised for the up coming shift. If the shift leaves on time then he's usually back home by 11:30pm. For me this is usually a day for washing the bedding, and doing a bit of cleaning. I also write a shopping list to plan ahead for Tuesday.
Tuesday: I'm more of a morning person than Ben so Tuesday mornings (or every morning really), I usually have a couple of hours to myself. A couple of weeks ago I started to do some exercise first thing in the morning after I wake up. So on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, I'm endeavouring to get up at a reasonable time (usually between 7am and 8am) to walk, jog and stretch. Some mornings are harder than others to do this! But I love being outside first thing, it makes me feel more content. Some of the time there is a bit of a coolness left in the air, but the rest of the time like this morning it's ridiculously warm and humid. It's normal working hours for Ben, and for me I usually do a weekly shop at the commissary on base and do the usual washing up of dishes.
Wednesday: Everyday after Ben has woken up and we've spent some time chatting, checking emails/facebook and sometimes watching an episode of a TV series, I start making lunch for us and a packed meal for his dinner at work. When Ben was on day shift hours (7am to 3pm), we used to have our main cooked meal in the evening. But since he's been on swing shift hours I've been having to plan ahead the day before so we can sit down together and have a decent meal at lunchtime instead. It's a time together that I value and I know he does too, so I like to make it a priority. Sometimes my tiredness levels can get in the way, and if I really don't have much energy Ben is wonderful and puts something nice together instead. Then it's on to work for Ben, and I do the normal cleaning of the dishes, perhaps a bit more cleaning and sometimes Skype a friend or family member from the UK.
Thursday: I'm back to jogging again after a day of rest. Something I've found to help me get through the times when I'd rather stay in bed, is the thought of a cup of tea and breakfast. I make that my reward! Sometimes after Ben has gone to work I meet up with a couple of other ladies who's husbands are in the air force. We found each other on the spouses facebook group for the squadron our men are in, which is the 23rd CMS (Component Maintenance Squadron). Although this will soon be merging with another squadron and will have a different title. We first met up at a Mexican restaurant and have done other things since, like a colour walk/run and going thrift store shopping! It's great to have made some friends here who you can relate and talk too about the military lifestyle. We're all from different backgrounds, and our husbands have been in the air force for different lengths of time so it's really valuable to hear about their experiences.
Friday: Morning exercise again for me, and I'll take the time I have in the morning to think about what I could write next for my blog. I also like to read other peoples blogs about natural living, which are spurring me on to think about what I could do differently in the house we're living in at the moment. I'm really getting into DIY cleaning and personal products, and over time I'm going to be experimenting with these and hopefully share any with you that are good enough. But anyhow, I digress! It's Friday so Ben and I (Ben more so) are both looking forward to the weekend. Otherwise I just do the normal everyday things in the house, and maybe watch some of a TV series.
Saturday: It's the weekend, woohoo! We usually like to get out of the house on Saturday's even if it's only to go out for a meal, or peruse a couple of shops. We are currently looking out for a new sofa and some bedroom furniture so we're always trying to look out for deals at the moment. We've recently bought a really solid second hand dining table and chairs, which we're really pleased with! It needs a bit of TLC, but it's perfectly usable for the time being. We have also been a bit further afield on our Saturdays and explored some natural springs in Florida (see photo). It's great to make memories together, so make sure you get out there too whether it's with your significant other or family and friends!
Sunday: This is usually a down day where we go to church, occasionally Skype my parents back in the UK and just chill out at home. As I do most of the dishes and organising of meals during the week, Ben does the lunches and dinners on the weekends. I of course enjoy this because I don't need to think of what we're going to have to eat! My main love language is acts of service, so this is something I really appreciate. I'm sure many of you can relate to that feeling?
Sadly this isn't our back garden. It's Ginnie Springs in Florida.
Obviously the daily activities I've written about are not all reserved for those specific days, and there are other things that happen that I haven't included. I've just written about a bog standard week for us. I hope you've enjoyed reading!
What does your "average" week look like? Do you have one, or is it different each time round? If it's getting a bit mundane, then mix it up and do something new! I'd be interested to know what your week looks like, so let me know in the comments section below.
Until next time everyone,
Kathryn.