Crystal

April is the month of the military child. In this blog post, we introduce you to one of the moms in our community...Crystal. Crystal is a military veteran, military spouse, and mom of 2 boys. Here is her story.

Hi! I’m Crystal. I am a military veteran and spouse. I served on active duty in the Army for 14 years and my husband, Michael, is still serving. The military is a huge part of our family’s lives and our family has a proud history of military service. Our first born, Hudson, was born into the craziness of both mommy and daddy working long hours, our having to be gone for training, short deployments or work trips. Hudson has had to adjust to all that goes along with being a part of a military family. At 4 years old he has moved two times already to Michael’s and my seven each. We moved to Huntsville about two years ago right at the start of the Pandemic while I was pregnant with our second child. I was transitioning out of the Army and into my new role as SAHM and Army Spouse. I am not going to lie, it is hard meeting, making and keeping friends with each move. To do so requires a level of vulnerability, openness, and commitment to put yourself out there every couple of years. Hudson is a trooper though, and this upcoming summer he gets to show little brother, Cade “how to survive” this latest military move with a positive spirit and a hopeful outlook. For our kids (and us), it is a jumble of emotions to manage -excitement, fear, fun, stress. But Michael and I happily chose to serve our country as Army Officers and have been honored with all the opportunities we have been afforded over the years. If we have learned anything from the military, it’s to be flexible, enjoy the moments together as a family, and know how to respond to change. For our little ones, it means having resilience and strength of character to bloom and thrive wherever they are planted with each move, and especially when a parent is gone away for a time due to a deployment or training mission.

Hudson and Cade will soon leave this home here in Huntsville that we have known and loved, and will need to have open hearts and minds as they adjust to living in a new place, making new friends, meeting new neighbors, and developing a new community all over again. I am so very thankful that both boys have such adventurous and happy spirits as Team Sims fully adopts the old saying “home is where the Army sends you”.

I am SO glad I found this Fit4mom community when I did. Surrounded by so many amazing mamas and kids who share a love for fitness, wellness and fun- it truly is one of our happy places during the week. But most of all, I love that I have a place for my boys and I to find connection and friendship. While I wish we were here longer, I appreciate having been a part of this group in Huntsville and will look forward to when we come back. Thank you for welcoming my family - it means more than you know!

#MOMC #MilKidStrong #MonthoftheMilitaryChild #PurpleUp #Fit4MOM-Madison