Thankful Thursday.

Three and a half years ago when Dave chose his first set of orders, I was shocked and a little disappointed that he got orders to some island in Washington that I had never heard of. I had pictured us taking orders to sunny Florida or tropical Hawaii. When we were driving to this island I was skeptical but excited. Then we got here and I was shocked at how small it was. I was picturing a huge shipyard with lots of carriers and big ships. That isn't what I got.

Now, here I sit in the place that I call home. This is where David and I have built our life. This is where we truly became a family. This small town on this beautiful island is where I became an adult and where I learned to flourish as a mother and as a wife.

People ask me all the time if I am going to go "home" while Dave is deployed. I am home. I have this place where I have amazing friends. I have friends who are moms and who have similar ways of parenting to my own. We go to play dates and we do fun things. I know my way around and I know which restaurants are good. My son was born in the living room of this house.

When I think of Dave coming home and where I feel safe, it is here. It's within these four walls. When I consider what will grant my family the most stability in a really unstable time, I know that I belong right here. I belong in this town house on this island.

I have no idea how it happened. I have no idea why reality and my expectations are always so different. What I do know is that I am on this island for a reason. I was put on this cold, windy rock because I was meant to grow into myself here. I am so glad that a simple twist of fate led me to Washington.