{2 Months Down}

Today is SUNDAY and a big one indeed!!

Today is special for so many reasons. Not only do we get to pull a link off of our Daddy Chains but we also get to celebrate a whole 2 months down!!! Can you believe it?!?! A whole 2 months!!

You can only imagine how excited we are around here. This is a pretty big milestone and one that deserves a grand celebration, which we happen to share together at a table set for 4 with a bowl full of Daddy’s favorite Ruby Tuesday’s croutons right in the middle, for all of us to share.

Here are a few reasons why 2 months down deserves a bit of a grand celebration. 

We only have 4 months until we get to see Daddy again!!


We only have 4 months until we get to hug Daddy again!!


Our next monthly count down will mark our official “hump” celebration (our half way point).


2 months are behind us...GONE...HISTORY...ADIOS...BYE BYE!!!

WE ONLY HAVE 4 MONTHS UNTIL WE GET TO SEE AND HUG DADDY AGAIN!!!!

This is for you Daddy!




Oh and did I forget to mention that today is our 12 year wedding anniversary!! Not that I would ever forget this special day, after all 12 years ago today, I promised to cherish and love my best friend for the rest of my life. How lucky am I to get to love & kiss this gorgeous face for the rest of my days?

Pretty great, right?!?!



I couldn’t let the day go by and not share this because it is one of the sweetest things that has ever been done for me. Trav had a play-date today with one of his best buds. When he walked in our house, he gave me a special gift.

This was a flower just from Trav's best buddy because today was my anniversary!!

Yup, this is exactly why children make this world a better place to live!!

{The Ugly Truth}

So you say you want to know? Well this is what I have to say.



One of the many faults on the long list of qualities that makes me the person I am is keeping things bottled up. Here’s the problem with having this trait, after years of build up, one wrong thing will set me off. For years, I sat back and never said a word. I listened to what others said, I saw what others did, and I never once said a word. I don't always agree with the choices people make but, I learned along time ago not to place judgement on anyone. When others took it upon themselves to take advantage of me, to purposely hurt me, and to talk about me behind me back, I just sat and did nothing. Why? I don’t know if I have an exact answer but, if I had to take a guess I would say it’s because I am not a fan of confrontation. I’m not a fighter. I don’t go out of my way to hurt others. I don’t look for others to use them as scapegoats. I don’t hold grudges. I don’t even like the word revenge. What exact purpose does it serve to “get back” at someone?


Before you say something like “she’s” having a bad day or bad week or before you put it in your head that I’m some neurotic military spouse who can’t handle life because “her” husband is deployed, let me clarify that I’m not. I will say that a lot has changed for me. When Jason left something happened. Among the many changes that have taken place, I had to learn to stand on my own two feet. I had to learn how to stand up for myself. For the most part I keep myself pretty calm. Yes I vent and yes I cry but, when you cross the line and throw my husband or my children into the mix, I will snap and I will protect them.


I don’t by any means consider myself to be the world’s greatest parent and I know that I am speaking for Jason on this one but, I’m pretty sure that he feels the same way. We do the best that we can and we do things the way we feel is right for our family. I don’t think we have done a bad job raising our children so far and to tell you the truth, I am very proud of the family we have. We aren’t a perfect family. If anything we have mastered the imperfect family life. We actually like the fact that we are imperfectly perfect. Unless you were given the title “Holy Family”, your job isn’t to be perfect and you have no right to place yourself in that category. So, if you want to question the way Jason and I raise our children please do me the favor and at least do it to my face or pick up the phone because I will gladly have that conversation with anyone at anytime.


I know that I am not the best at picking up the phone. These days, it’s much worse because I do wait for that one phone call that I might get from my husband. I’ve learned that whether it’s a quick “I love you” or a real 20 minute phone conversation, I look forward to just hearing his voice. However, I do my best to keep my family and friends as informed as I possibly can. The whole reason for our family blog was to keep everyone informed on our crazy life. I realize that most of the emails that I send out are mass messages but, this is the best way for me to keep everyone up to date. There have been several times that I have made phone calls or sent personal messages just to say “I love and miss you” or just to let you know that I was thinking about you. Not for anything specific, simply just because. I won’t say that they go unnoticed but if I don’t get a response back I understand that life can just be busy. One thing that does bother me is the fact that there are those individuals out there who only want to be a part of my life when something just happens to be “wrong”. There is a difference between being supportive and just being plain nosey. It’s been my experience that when you have a relationship with someone, you want to know about the significant, the insignificant, the good, and the bad. You want to chat via phone or messages here and there just because. Once again, not for anything specific, simply just because.


I think that it’s important for me to say that I know a lot more than anyone probably thinks I do. I know the many things that have been said in “confidence” throughout the years. Things always have a way of slipping out. This probably clarifies some answers as to why I don’t talk to others much about myself. This is where a lot of my build up comes from. I have heard things for years and I have never said anything. Before this, I would cry to my husband or to my best friend but I’m at the point now where I have had enough. It takes a lot to break through these walls but, I will say that once I’ve been pushed too far (little or big), I will break.


If you were to ask my children what our golden rule is in our house, all three of them would have the same answer for you; “Treat Others As You Wish To Be Treated”.


This is a big rule, not only in our home but in our lives. I have always told my kids that they don’t have the right to treat others badly. They don’t have the right to make others feel bad about themselves. They don’t have the right to talk down to others or talk bad about others. In turn, no one has the right to do these things to them. Why? My answer is simple. I don’t care where you have been or what you have experienced, no one is better than anyone else and no one deserves to feel like they are less of a person because you want to feel better about yourself. Yes I have been asked more than once and yes we have had the “bad people” conversation.


I know that I have A LOT to learn in my lifetime. Call me crazy but I actually like the fact that every day is a learning journey for me. I just don’t understand why there are people out there who say the things that they say and who do the things that they do.


I promised myself that I wasn’t going to be negative. Life keeps throwing me curve balls but I know what I have to do. So this is it. This is me, it’s just a small part of me but nonetheless, it’s still a part the makes the whole me.

{Friday Fun With Military Spouses: Feb 25th}

It's Friday! You know what that means right?? Its time to answer some questions and then link up with Wife of a Sailor.

This week’s questions are:



1. Aside from no deployments, what is one thing you would want to make the MilSpouse life “perfect”? submitted by Oh How Delightful


If I could have just one wish, it would want be to be able to move with friends. Over the years we have been fortunate enough to meet people that we consider our family. Being separated is tough. I know that we can always visit, call, email, text, etc. but, there are those moments when you just really miss your family.


2. Just how many peppers did Peter Piper pick? submitted by Married into Army




If Peter Piper is a military spouse, I’m sure that Peter Piper picked more than her share of pickled peppers and even better she probably shared the pickled peppers she found with other military spouses because if Peter Piper is a military spouse, giving from her heart is the golden rule she follows as she leads the life that helps to define the woman she is.


3. If you could have any career in the world with nothing holding you back, what would you do? submitted by It’s My Party and I’ll Cry if I Want To


I would do exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. I would teach :) The other thing I would love to be able to do if I could, would be to write a book.


4. Do you have a service oriented tattoo and if so what is it. If you don’t what would you get? submitted by The Squid’s Accomplice


Hmmm...I do have tattoos but nothing to do with the Military specifically unless you count my hubby. Every tattoo I have on my body represents something in my life.


5. Imagine a block of time has opened up in your busy day for you to take a class in anything you like. What subject would you choose? submitted by To The Nth


There are three things that are at the top of my list and one of them will be fulfilled in the fall: Writing, Art, & Photography.


I will be taking my first ever writing course in the fall. One of my goals on my “Life List” is to write a children’s book.

As always, the weekly fun continues!! Link up with this weeks host at Consider the Lilies to meet other super awesome Military Spouses!! 

{Grandmas Hold Our Hearts Forever}

I have learned that more often than not, life will take you by surprise. However, there are those moments when you are actually expecting things to happen. You know something will eventually happen because after all, the inevitable always happens.



Last night I got the phone call that my grandma, my grams passed away. I can’t say that the news was a shock because her health had been deteriorating rapidly over the past 2 months but, when my phone went off at 10:30 last night, I felt like I had been hit in the chest by a ton of bricks. I thought that I had prepared myself for this moment. I thought I would be able to handle the fact that I would never be able to see her or hold her again but, I was wrong. My grams got really sick over Christmas and I knew then that it was only a matter of time before she would leave this life and venture on to her new journey in heaven.


My grandma lived to be 96 years old. She was born in 1914. Can you imagine? I was always in awe over the fact that my grandma got to live through some of the most amazing moments in our country’s history. What amazed me even more was just how much she survived during these times. I have to admit, these were always some of my favorite stories to listen to.


When I was a kid, I always thought that the year 1914 was a magical year and now I realize that it truly was. In the year 1914, the world was sprinkled with a little stardust as Marion Alice Hartmann graced the earth with her presence.


My grandma was a very special lady. I was one of the lucky ones. I was fortunate enough to have a relationship with my grams. Through the years, I got to experience life with my grandma. I got to know her in ways that others will never understand. I learned about all of the hardships she faced not only as a child but as an adult. I got to watch her expressions as she shared her stories of joy and happiness.


As a kid, I tagged along everywhere with my grandma. I was with her at the craft store picking out different colored yarn for her latest crochet project, which usually was a gift for someone. I was with her at every swap meet outing helping her set-up her famous Christmas trees. I helped her serve food and wash dishes at her favorite hangout spot (The Landers Moose Lodge). I can’t tell you how many times I sat with her in her white Toyota pick-up truck listening to the infamous story of Old Mother Springs Road and Willy Boy, the boy who traveled the mountains. I didn’t have an I-pod or a DVD player to keep me entertained as we traveled through the hot desolate desert on Highway 247, I had my grandma.


My grandma never stopped living. She never let life get her down. She drove until she was well into her 80’s. She bowled and played pool with the best of them. She loved the fact that she could fit into size 5 jeans and prance around with her granddaughters. No job was ever too big, hence almost cutting off her foot with a chain saw because she just had to cut up some wood.


She was always there for everyone. Biologically, my grandma only had four grandchildren (3 boys and 1 girl). Over the course of her life, she adopted more grandkids than anyone I have ever met. She has “grandkids” spread out all over this country. She wasn’t known as Marion, she was known as Grandma.


During the big Landers quake in 1992, my grandma was featured on the news as the local hero who was out to make sure others had what they needed. My grandma didn’t let a little ol’ 7.3 disastrous earthquake get in her way. She had a store to open. She had to be there in case people needed supplies. We still aren’t quite sure how she made it there that day but she did and she worked all day and into the night helping out her fellow neighbors.


My grandma was the strongest women I ever met. She was stubborn and strong willed. She always walked with her head held high. She had her own set of rules and no one was going to tell her how to live her life. She carried the weight of the world on her shoulders but she never once let her family know it. Her family was everything to her. The moment she became a grandmother, life became all about her grandchildren.


My grandma was so proud of her family. Whenever she talked about any of us, you could see the pride pouring out of her soul. She always made sure that she was accounted for at any and every family event. It didn’t matter how she got there, she always found a way. She loved with all of her heart. She gave so much of herself and never once asked for anything in return.


I have so many wonderful memories of my time with my grams. She was the one who taught me how to play games like Yahtzee and Gin Rummy. She didn’t like to lose which meant that I had to really watch my back =] She sat and did puzzles with me. She taught me how to make banana bread and pumpkin rolls. During Christmas she would shove me out of the way because her chocolate chip cookies were more important than mine =] When I had my own kids, she made room in her heart to love a little more. I asked her one time how she felt about being a great grandmother and she said to me that she never could have imagined having a family as beautiful as ours.

My grandma got to experience the joys of being a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother, and a great great grandmother. She once told me that her greatest blessing in life was being able to sit in a room with ALL of her grandchildren. She was the type of grandma who had to hold every grandchild just once even if her strength wouldn’t allow her to.


My grandma always shared such special words with me. I loved going out to lunch with her or going for a walk with her in the yard. She was always so proud of me. She told me that I was special and that I was going to be the one to make a difference in our family. She never doubted who I was. She once told me that my spirit would take me to places I never thought possible and that my heart would help me achieve all of my dreams. I didn’t know it then, but this is a trait I got from her.


I was so lucky to have my grams!!!


This morning, I woke up and my heart was very heavy. I knew something was off yesterday. Little had I known that my beautiful grandmother would take her final breathes on earth. I rolled over expecting to find a little comfort in my husband’s arms only to realize that I would have to hug his pillow a little tighter today. It dawned on me as I held My Jay’s pillow that two years ago almost to the day, I lost my other grandmother. The day before our 10 year wedding anniversary my father’s mom passed away and now just four days before our 12 year anniversary my mom’s mom has passed away.


I know that they are in a better place and that they are not suffering anymore and for this I am extremely grateful. I can’t begin to describe how honored I feel to have been a part of both of these women’s lives. They were both fighters and survivors. Their whole reason to live was for their family. They both taught me so much about life.

As I walked my little girl to the bus stop this morning our hands clasped a little tighter than usual, she looked up at the skies and said “Mommy, you said Grandma is heaven and that she is watching us right?” I said yes. She said “Well does that mean that Grandma can see Daddy too?” With tears forming in the corner of my eyes I shook my head. She then said “Mommy, Grandma is pretty lucky. She gets to see us and she gets to see Daddy too!”  

There are so many reasons why grandmas are special. This is one of my favorite quotes because it is so very true!

“Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever”

{Embrace the Camera: February 24th}

With all of the excitement going on around us, I decided to surprise the kids with a King Cake. I mentioned yesterday that a King Cake is a traditional Mardi Gras food although, you can get them here year round. I am pretty sure that my kids were the only kids in their school who had never eaten King Cake but in my defense, there was a reason. I purposely waited until now for us to experience our first King Cake. I know, I’m not exactly the most “normal” mom out there but I really wanted to wait until we made it closer to Mardi Gras before we sampled our first King Cake. After all, it is a Mardi Gras tradition!!!



And here is our lesson for the day:

The making of a King Cake is a New Orleans tradition. It represents the three kings who brought gifts to (in Miss K’s words) baby Jesus. As a part of the celebration of Mardi Gras, it is traditional to bake an oval cake in honor of the three kings. The shape of a King Cake symbolizes the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the 3 time-honored Mardi Gras colors. Purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power. A small plastic baby, symbolizing baby Jesus, is baked into each cake. It is said that the person who finds the baby in their slice of cake, will be rewarded with good luck. Whoever receives the baby in their piece of cake must in turn make or buy the next King Cake or throw the next party.


Here is our first King Cake experience!

If you have never had a King Cake, you must try one at least once!! I am kind of glad we waited until now because the goodness of this cake has not done me any favors in trying to fit into my cute jeans before My Jay makes his way back home this summer.


Our first King Cake was apple flavored. Did I mention how delicious it was? On Saturday we will try the traditional cinnamon flavored one and yes I am excited to experience that one too!! I think we are slowly on our way to becoming official Louisianans =]

Oh and I almost forgot, I don't know if you noticed in the picture but our baby was in the middle of the cake (I guess when you buy a cake, you are supposed to put the baby in before you share it with others ~ I'm still learning =]). Trav said that we all have good luck now because our baby Jesus was in the middle of the cake. I like that analogy! 

Happy Thursday!!!




 

{Gearing Up for Mardi Gras}

One of the Louisiana holidays that we are learning all about, is of course Mardi Gras. Just the name “Mardi Gras” probably conjures up images of drunken, bead-wearing revelers dancing through the streets of New Orleans. At least this is how I have always pictured the big Mardi Gras celebration. I have to admit, this California girl had no clue as to how meaningful this annual celebration truly is.



Mardi Gras has stirred up several conversations in our household pretty much since the beginning of the New Year. From what I’ve noticed, as soon as Christmas decorations come down, Mardi Gras decor goes up. For those of you who don’t know, the Mardi Gras season begins on January 6th and continues until Fat Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) which this year happens to fall on March 8th.


We had a lot to learn about this annual holiday so of course we went to the book store and found a children’s story that gave us an insider’s perspective on the significance of the traditions for this much celebrated holiday.

~Here are some of things that we have learned so far~

• Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” in French.
  
• There are different variations as to how Mardi Gras was brought into the United States but by the 1820s, Mardi Gras was well-established in the New Orleans culture.
  
• Mardi Gras begins on the Twelfth night of Christmas (January 6th) also known as the Epiphany.
  
• Mardi Gras can fall anywhere between February 3rd and March 9th.
  
• Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday.

• Mardi Gras  is the last day of the carnival celebration (“one last fling”) before the Lenten period.
  
• The official colors for Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold, which were chosen in 1872 by the King of Carnival, Rex.
  
• Purple represents justice.
• Green represents faith.
• Gold represents power.

• Parades are hosted by carnival krewes (organizations). The parades host different floats and are made up of a king, a queen, and their royal court which can include maids, dukes, pages, captains, and jesters (dressing up is pretty much required).
  
• People who belong to the krewe ride on the floats and toss beads, doubloons, cups, and trinkets to the crowd.
  
• The best way to get something tossed your way is to shout “Throw Me Something Mister”
  
• You might ask, “What are doubloons?” Doubloons are different colored coins that are stamped with the krewes emblem and theme for the year.
  
• The King Cake is a traditional Mardi Gras food. (I am saving this for tomorrow. You know what tomorrow is right?!?!)

This weekend the kids and I will be experiencing our first family friendly Mardi Gras parade. I think I am more excited than the kids are to partake in all of the festivities (and I think my dad is more excited than me). When you see the pictures of my kids in their t-shirts, beads, and special purple, green, & gold sunglasses, you will know exactly who went out of their way to prepare three grandkids for their first official Mardi Gras celebration.

Mardi Gras:

Jazz music...Dancing in the streets drunk beyond recognition...”How many beads can I get for showing my...”

You know, all of the pre-Lenten/one last fling before I have to be on my best behavior for

40 days and 40 nights celebration.

Fun stuff right??? Okay so maybe not the drunk beyond recognition and well I probably won’t be showing anybody anything that shouldn’t be shown for a strand of beads and OH YEAH wait, I have kids! Now don’t get me wrong, Jason and I will experience the “real” Mardi Gras just once before we leave here because after all, you can’t live in Louisiana and not go to Mardi Gras!!!
 
Although I have to be honest, the kids and I have spent a lot of time trying to embrace the Louisiana culture. It’s been quite the experience for all of us and I know we still have so much more to learn!! One of the things that has made this Mardi Gras extra special well besides it being our first one, has been being able to sit and create things. This is ALL very new for us which makes it pretty dang exciting. The kids each made a mask to wear and this year as a big kinder kid, Trav had the opportunity to create his first ever Mardi Gras float. This by far was one of the best projects we have ever done together. I had no idea what I was doing and google was no help AT ALL!! A friend of mine told me to start with a shoe box. That was all I had to go on. So after some brainstorming and digging through my craft buckets, this is what Trav and I came up with.

I am so proud of myself because the only thing we went out and bought was the alligator!!!

When we are all done, Trav hugged me and said “That’s the best boat ever Mom!” It completely made my day. I have to admit, it turned out A LOT better than I expected (considering I had no clue as to what I was doing).


I’m sure you have guessed by now that we will have plenty of Mardi Gras festivities to share over the next couple of weeks. We are all pretty excited about what’s to come. Don’t forget to check back tomorrow as we {Embrace the Camera} with...some delicious King Cake!

{Disney Dreamer}

I feel like I’ve been spreading a lot more negativity lately and I really don’t like how it makes me feel. My better side hasn’t been shining as brightly as I’d like it to shine. I have never been the type of person to look at the world through a glass that is half empty because it has always been half full in my eyes.



I’ve had this unsettling feeling and I thought that I had pin pointed the source but to be quite honest the feeling hasn’t left. I woke up this morning and I started asking myself some questions. I have so many goals yet somewhere deep inside I can’t seem to take the steps forward to get them accomplished. This is not who I am. I have always been a very goal oriented person. When I set my sights on something, I go after it with everything I have.

My Jay once told me that one of the things that makes me so unique and one of the things that sets me apart from anyone he has ever met, is the fact that once I set out to accomplish something, I give it 110% and then some. All of my effort, all of my energy, everything I have goes into the things I aspire to have in life. Before I finished my degree, he told me that he had never met anyone like me before. He had never met someone who was so driven and so determined. He actually told me that I would change the world some day  =] (I guess you can see why he literally makes my world a better place). Unfortunately, I am my worst critic. I don’t like to see myself fail.

I had to ask myself some questions. What exactly is wrong with me now? Why do I feel the way that I do? I’ve had a few setbacks but that has never stopped me before. So what it is? Is it fear, disappointment, apprehension, frustration, or maybe even defeat? I racked my brain this morning but nothing came to me. For the first time in a long time I feel like I have let myself slip. It dawned on me this morning that this must be the source of those feelings that have taken over my typically optimistic way of life.

I said an extra prayer at church this morning. I normally don’t request any special words for myself unless you count my weekly prayers since Jason left which have been for some extra patients to get me through each week =] However, this week I asked for a little guidance and a little extra support to help me find my way again.

I feel like I am one of the lucky ones. I say this because I know what I want to gain from my life. I know what I want to do, I know where I want to be, and I know what I need to do in order to make my dreams into a reality. To top it all off, I have my amazing family supporting me every step of the way.

I forced myself to take a good look in the mirror. I know I have it in me to keep moving forward. I know I am strong enough to get through whatever battle sits in front of me. I have come so far in my life. There have been so many hoops I have had to jump through. There were obstacles that tried to block my way. I never let anything get me down. Somehow, I managed to reach things in my life that I never thought possible.

I made a list of the things that I want to accomplish by the end of this year. I know that you all remember just how much I LOVE making those fancy lists =] As I was making my list, I remembered a few of my favorite quotes that I always kept with me as I was pulling those dreaded all nighters either studying for a test or piecing together one of my lesson plans.

Here are some of my favorite "Words of Wisdom" by the man who started all of his dreams with a mouse.

It’s kind of fun to do the impossible

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

If you can dream it, you can do it.

Get a good idea and stay with it. Do it, and work at it until it's done right.

When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.


~ 2 more that I just really love ~

The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island.

{Friday Fun With Military Spouses: Feb 18th}

1. What is your favorite MilSpouse blog (not including Wife of a Sailor who we all love, or your own)? submitted by Our Crazy Life



I truly have found so many wonderful Military Spouse Bloggers. I don’t think I could pick just one because I look forward to reading so many posts. I have found a lot of strength and hope within this little screen over that past couple of months. So, I don’t think that it’s fair for me to choose just one.


But I will say that My Bloggy Bestie over at Plant Caddick is my favorite person to visit every day :)


2. What are your favorite perks about your s/o being deployed (we all know there are perks)? submitted by Ramblings of a Marine Wife


Ha Ha I don’t know if I have found the perk just yet….But I will say that I am learning A LOT about myself!! The one thing that I can say for sure about this “our first” deployment, is that I have literally fallen in love with my husband all over again. The little messages I get here and there. The late night phone calls. Sometimes life gets a little busy (with three kids and all) and over the past two months, we have both taken a step back and just learned to appreciate what we have right in front of us (even if we can’t see it).


3. How long did you date your before getting engaged? Married? submitted by Utterly Chaotic


Well…We dated in high school for three years, went our separate ways for a while, got back together. He asked me to marry him during the summer of 1998. He left for Basic Training in January of 1999 and in February I hopped on a plane, found him, and married him :) On the 27th we will celebrate our 12 year wedding anniversary!!!


4. What do you think your would do if s/he wasn’t in the military? submitted by Adventures of M-Squared


He pretty much had his mind made up about going into the military but if things had been different I think he would have found a way to go to school to become a physical therapist.


5. If you could talk to the Secretary of (fill in your appropriate branch) what is one suggestion you would like to bring to their attention in order to improve the lives of military families? submitted by My Life as His (Air Force) Wife


There is probably a lot I could fill in here but to be honest, we have it pretty dang good. We’ve been through a lot and we’ve learned a lot. That’s one of the perks of being a military family, you learn to adjust fairly quickly and you always make the best with what you have. But...if there is one thing that I could bring to someones attention, it would be to make it a little easier for spouses to get their degrees. I know what I had to go through and what I am going through now in order to get my Master's Degree and I just wish that we didn't have to jump through so many hoops in order to get things done. 

{A Little Reassurance}

Over the past couple of days, I have seen numerous posts on Facebook about an article written by a military wife/author named Melissa Seligman. I have to admit, I refused to read it at first. Not because I didn’t want to read what she had to say but simply because I knew my emotions would probably turn to mush.



The past two nights have been fairly restless nights. I’m not quite sure why but I have learned that these nights just tag themselves along throughout the deployment journey. However, there has been something that hasn’t been settling rather well. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until today.


Two days ago, I received a letter in the mail from Jason’s commanding officer in Afghanistan. Let me just remind you that this is a first for me. The letter was short, sweet, and to the point. Basically, he wanted to thank me for providing my husband with support and he wanted to reassure me that his job as a commanding officer is to make sure that his Airmen stay safe while completing their mission so that they can return safely home to their families. Before he signed his name with his contact information, he proceeded to explain to me that re-deployment is not that far away and that he expects that my husband will re-deploy with a great sense of pride and an eagerness to meet the new challenges he will face.


My first reaction, okay maybe you don’t want to know my first reaction or maybe I should say that it’s best not to share. I looked at that letter and thought Wow can we at least get through this deployment before we start talking about new taskings and providing support for the next assignment. Please don’t get me wrong, I am here for my husband every minute of every day and I know what my role is as his wife but gosh I just need to focus on getting my kids, myself, and my husband through this deployment before I can start focusing on another deployment. Seriously, can I just get him back home and put my arms around him before we start throwing the words new taskings and eagerness to meet new challenges on new assignments that DON'T include taking his family with him?!?!


Part of me was mad that I got this letter in the mail but the other part of me was a little happy to have someone within his command reach out. Although, I’d really like to know who writes these letters because they need to find a better format or at least use better wording.


The day got even better when I found out that the tasking list actually came out. Jason’s name is on the April 2012 list. Just so I understand things correctly, Jason is due to come home in July and then 9 months later he will leave again? I know that this is not 100% guaranteed but honestly it’s enough to make my stomach turn a little, okay maybe A LOT.


I have had some people say some rather hurtful things to me since Jason left. Why, I don’t quite know but, I got to thinking about it (because that’s what I do best when I don’t sleep). I have come to the conclusion that I don’t have it any easier than anyone else and I am really getting tired of hearing others say that. I have had the opportunity to be a part of different military communities. I have stood with family and friends in different branches as they have had to say goodbye to their loved ones. I have also been with them when they got to welcome them home. One of the things that I always thought was truly inspirational was how the spouses formed a support group for each other. Their husbands (or wives) deployed together as a unit and the families that were left at home bonded. It was fun to watch families join together at the “over the hump” parties. I would always smile whenever I would drive by my neighbor’s houses at Port Hueneme and see them outside painting their welcome home signs together. I could feel their excitement from inside my car. To be able to have a support system by your side and to be able to have others relate to you has to be absolutely incredible. I don’t have this opportunity. When my husband deploys, he will deploy on his own or he will go with two or three other troops. I don’t have the opportunity to form a bond with other wives who are going through the same thing. We don't have the opportunity to enjoy little festivities with other families that are hosted by my husbands squadron. Granted the Air Force does provide a lot of support and services and we are taking full advantage of them whenever we can but, it’s not the same.


Anyhow, for some reason I decided to click on the link for the article "What a Military Spouse Knows" written by Melissa Seligman . I’m not quite sure why but if I had to take a guess, I would place my bet on a little bit of faith, trust, and pixie dust =) (Can you guess what movie we just watched?) Something or someone out there wanted me to read these words.

If you didn't get a chance to read this amazing article, here is the link to "What a Military Spouse Knows"

http://herwarhervoice.com/blog/?tag=melissa-seligman


P.S. Thank you Melissa for sharing these words! Yes, my emotions turned to mush but, these words truly provided me with a little bit of strength and some extra reassurance; two things that this military wife needs from time to time. 

{Embrace the Camera: February 17th}

The kids were a little giddy on Valentine’s Day. I wish I could say that it was all of the cute treats I left all over the house but, I’m pretty sure they were all on a sugar high from all of the fun Valentine goodies that were passed out at school.



 

This week Bry decided that she wanted to take over the camera for our Thursday pictures for Daddy. She chose to take some pictures of us on Valentine’s Day after we were all finished going through all of the cute little Valentine cards from school. Of course once big sister gets to take a few pictures, the other two want to follow in her footsteps.

This week we included our Millie girl into our picture taking extravaganza. I couldn’t leave out the last picture because it’s a one in a million shot. Our Millie girl is quite the old lady but every once in awhile she gets a puppy spunk attitude and gets a little wild. That night she got a little crazy. I'm kind of wondering if her Valentine Bone gave her a bit of a puppy high...

Hmm...

We laughed for a long time that night.

It was definitely a night of much needed laughter.

We were all missing Daddy a little more on Valentine’s Day (he always adds special touches to our celebrations).

I was reminded that night that

“laughter truly is the best medicine.”

We are pretty sure that Millie is part Giraffe =)

"All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other" ~August Wilson

Happy Thursday!