Millstones, the key to survive deployments.

On the long drive back home (10 hours) I find it easier when I break it down with little things like at about 3 hours is s great rest stop with a huge area the kids can run around for a few, the giant Jesus come up out of the lake holding a cross in front of a church. (Not poking fun it really was huge!) It breaks the drive up and makes it more manageable. Same applies to deployments. 

I never count down to home coming because sometimes that changes and can be heart breaking when you've had your eye on a certain date. So I count things that have already passed like first month, 100 days down, we write something that happens each week that we want to share with daddy and put it in a jar so we do weeks down too. Or small easy to mark points ahead, like certain care packages for holidays or special moments for us. Small things that are happy and for the most part the dates shouldn't change. It helps to have a goal in mind to break up the large time frame with small things, trips, weekends, girls night, whatever helps ya. I like to have personal ones, family ones, and ones for us as a couple. 

Do you have any millstones you use to mark the time? Or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or message me if you rather.