Couldn't do it without him....

On this day 25 years ago I married my very own Aussie Hero, David. I was a Lieutenant in the Navy and my husband was a Flight Lieutenant in the Air Force. 

Please bear with me.

We met at RAAF Laverton, just before I changed over from the RAAF to the RAN.  I was eight years into my 15 years of service, having joined up at 19 and David was a little further along having joined up when he was 18, straight out of school. 

So, why am I telling you this on this Aussie Heroes page? 

Before I started Aussie Heroes I was a stay at home mum. I resigned my commission in the Navy, after just over 15 years of service, when our twin sons were born in 1996.  From that day on my role was to care for those children, my husband and our home.   

My husband traveled extensively, up to 75% of the year from the time our boys were 6 weeks old. I needed to be able to cope when he was gone and so many of you will know what I am talking about (though I do not compare my lot with the lot of the wife of a deployed member for so many reasons!)  I devoted my time to my family ..... and then I decided it was time to give back ......and that was the birth of Aussie Heroes.

On the first of January 2012 I remember walking in to David's home office around lunch time and telling him that I had just launched the Aussie Hero Quilts (and Laundry Bags) Blog.  I also remember thinking at the time that maybe I should have talked to him about it before hand but I just knew I had to do it and I am not sure that he could have (even if he had wanted to) stopped me.

That was just the beginning.......

If you have been to my house you have seen that it has pretty much taken over my home, the living room, dining room, two offices and frequently even more space than that. At times it is hard to find somewhere to sit in my living room for all the quilts various stages of construction, quilt tops and laundry bags.  The lovely dining room table is my cutting and packing table.  Boxes are stacked up ready to use in the corners next to the China cabinet.  You have no idea. I would say that these rooms are doing double duty except that they really only have one duty and that is Aussie Heroes.

If you know how much time I spend on Aussie Heroes you would know that it is often more demanding that a full time job, though a heck of a lot more rewarding.   I work Monday to Friday without fail, and try to take some time off on the weekends, but I don't always succeed.  In coming weeks I have two weekend trips coming up, both for Aussie Heroes.

I get up early and go to bed late.  I spend most of my time in my office/sewing room.

And David never complains.

 He never complains about the mess, even though sometimes it even drives me nuts!  

He never complains about the hours I work.  

Never complains when I take a call from "over there" or from a quilter. 

He does not complain when I head off to Penrith on a Saturday for a sewing day or when I sneak in an extra day's sewing like I will next week with another quilt group.

He does not complain each year when I host what has become our annual dinner in our home.

He never says much

(unless you get him started on Monty Python or something similar and PLEASE DON'T!!)  

He is pretty quiet and reserved, just like me ......

(oh well okay, maybe I am not so quiet,)

but I always know he has got my back.  He always has the right words to encourage me when things are tough.  He lets me know that he believes in me. 

I could not run Aussie Heroes without all the amazing volunteers who support us, sew for us and do all the myriad of things that they do that keep us going, 

and there are lots and lots of them,

 but quite simply

 there would be no Aussie Heroes 

without my husband's unwavering support.  

So tonight, on our 25th wedding anniversary, I want to pause to publicly thank David for his love and support throughout our twenty-five years of marriage and especially for the support he has given me since Aussie Heroes was founded.  

Happy Anniversary David.   Thank you for being you and thank you for being mine.

Till next time.

Jan-Maree xx