HEBRON, Ky. — Spectrum News 1 is celebrating National Veteran and Military Families Month by taking a look at the sacrifices Kentucky’s military families make to keep their fellow countrymen safe.

One of those families is now back home in Kentucky after years away, now using their experience to help other families take on the challenges that come with a life of service.

“The person you love does put on a uniform that says I’m here to protect. And that can be tough,” Tara Jo Thomas said. (Thomas family)

Josh and Tara Jo Thomas being able to find time in their day for their woodworking business on top of everything else they do is really no surprise after getting to know the Louisville natives.

Even so, it wasn’t always a guarantee this dynamic duo was going to form.

“We met when we were 18. But you know, we were 18, so it didn’t pan out for the long haul,” Tara Jo said.

A decade later, Josh was back home from his second tour in Afghanistan.

“His mom actually reached out to me on Facebook, and said that we know that you love the military, and I’m like, 'Well yeah.' So she played that card on me, and said that he needed some support, so I met him for dinner,” she said.

Support has been central to what blossomed into their marriage, and now a family with two kids. Of Josh’s roughly 18 years of service, 14 were spent active duty in the U.S. Army, fighting in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Deployments, and training and time away, and all of that. It’s never easy,” Tara Jo said. “You kind of roll with the punches, and when you truly love someone that puts on that uniform, you kind of accept that role, as in, I love this person enough. They’re going to go away at times. I’m here to hold down the home. And you have bad days, but shake it off, and keep going forward.”

After some moving around, including a stint in Maryland, they’re now back home in Hebron, Kentucky.

Thomas Woodworking KY, their etsy shop, started as a way for Josh to keep his hands busy. They’ve built it into what they call a “full-time, part-time business.” (Spectrum News 1/Sam Knef)

Josh is now an Active Guard Reserve with the Army National Guard. He’s full-time active duty, and is still set to retire at his 20-year mark in about three years. He’s also home a lot more often, and that support is just as important – both from his family and his community.

“I can’t tell you how many times I get thanked everyday when I’m going to get lunch. We may say you’re welcome, and you may think we don’t appreciate it, but every single one of us do, I can tell you that right now,” Josh said.

“When we first had kids, he was gone more than he was home,” Tara Jo said. “So the big adjustment was now we’re living together, and they’re like, ‘Dad’s here all the time.’”

Tara Jo is using her experience to help others as a Soldier Family Readiness Group volunteer.

“I’m there for morale. I’m there for help and support if a wife or a husband or a son or a grandmother of a soldier is having a rough day, or just wants to talk, I’m there. I also provide cookies,” she said with a grin.

Thomas Woodworking KY, their etsy shop, started as a way for Josh to keep his hands busy. They’ve now built it into what they call a “full-time, part-time business.”

It’s no surprise. When these two work together, anything is possible.