The Milspouse Quiz

The MilSpouse Quiz

1. How did you and your spouse meet? Through a mutual friend. This girl was in ROTC with hubby and one year we got a townhouse along with some other girls. My hubby (and his other ROTC buddies) just so happened to be our neighbors :)

2. How old were you when you two met? I was 19, going on 20. He was 19.

3. How long have you been together? 4 years.

4. Where are you and your spouse originally from? Ohio.

5. How did you feel about your spouse joining the military? I was so proud of him. I knew our relationship in college was serious, though, and all of the talks of deployment and things really scared the crap out of me.

6. Where did your spouse go to Basic Training? He didn't go to basic training...instead he went to BOLC, which stands for "basic officer's leadership course." Kind of like basic for officers, but very different from basic training.

7. Has your spouse ever been deployed? No, but he will be deploying very, very soon!

8. Ever been to his promotion ceremony? He hasn't been promoted yet. He should be making 1LT later this year. I went to his commissioning ceremony and his MPBOLC graduation ceremony, though :)

9. How long have you been a military wife? 8 months.

10. Did you marry him before or after he joined? After. The military has been a part of our entire relationship, even though in the beginning it was just ROTC stuff.

11. How did your husband propose? We first went for sushi at our favorite sushi joint in Fairlawn, OH, then we went for a walk along the towpath in his hometown because it was really nice outside that day. As we were walking for awhile and talking, he stopped, kissed me, and got on his knee :)

12. Where did you get married? Wadsworth, OH.

13. How old were you two when you got married? 23.

14. Did he wear his uniform on his wedding day? No he didn't. He wore a snazzy all-white tux, tho :)

15. Where are you and your spouse currently stationed? Fort Hood, Texas. So far I really like it.

16. Do you live on base? Nope. About 5 minutes from the main gate :)

17. How long were you married when you had to go through your first separation? For months lol

18. What is your favorite base so far? I have only been to Fort Leonard Wood (which I hated) and Fort Hood, so I'm going to go with Fort Hood.

19. Do you think your spouse looks good in his uniform? Oh absolutely ;)

20. Do you think military life is more advanced than civilian life? This question is dumb. So I'm ignoring it.

21. Do you like the benefits you receive as a military dependent? Indeed.

22. Do you have a lot of military wife friends? Not really. I wish I knew more spouses around here, but at the same time sometimes the spouses can be really nerve-wrecking, always all up in your business...oh, and those "rank-wearing wives." UGH!

23. What is the hardest part of the military life? Obviously the separation. Your SO going into dangerous territory. Military life definitely isn't for everyone.

24. Do you own military wife stuff? Of course :)

25. Do you support your spouse as a member of the military? 110%.

this too shall pass...

Finally got our tree up! And of course my favorite ornament on our tree:

Bought it for $10 at Target the other day. Money goes towards charity for books and things to help children of deployed soldiers help cope during that time.

And speaking of deployments...hubby is deploying, and relatively soon, too. We lucked out, though. He's only going for a few months as opposed to 8 or 9 because the unit he is going to is already there. Hubs jumped the gun and was able to work it out so that he can go over there.

He really wants to deploy. I don't blame him. You don't go through 4 years of ROTC and 4-5 months of MPBOLC to sit on staff duty for the rest of your military career. I'm so proud of him. He thinks I should be happy about him deploying, but I'm not. I'm happy for him because this is something he has been waiting for and with things sort of toning down in the sandbox and Mr. President slowly withdrawing our troops, he's afraid he will never deploy as a PL. From my point of view, though, I don't think any milspouse can be thrilled about a deployment. Even though it is only for a few months as opposed to 8-9 which I am so thankful for, a deployment is still a deployment, and I'm still very scared.

Lots of thoughts racing through my head...

It's been awhile...

Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been busy with work - on for 3 nights, off for a day and a half then on again for 3 nights - and we had our first visit from our in-laws this past weekend!

They flew into Austin on Friday for Veteran's Day. We took them to lunch at The Salt Lick in Round Rock (very yummy BBQ place, featured on Man Vs. Food!) and took them around Fort Hood.

On Saturday, we drove to San Antonio and went to the zoo there. Afterwards we headed to The Alamo and had dinner on The Riverwalk at Landry's (best seafood ever!) and spent the night at The Marriott, about 8 miles from downtown. I love The Riverwalk and I want to go back there for the holidays because I heard that is when that place really "comes alive" (it's always busy, though!) The place was already decorated with lights but I guess they don't come on until closer to Christmas.

Sunday was a lazy football day. I'm not a big fan of football, to be honest. I would rather just know if someone wins or loses instead of sitting there watching the game. I always fall asleep lol. That doesn't mean I don't have favorite teams, though :) The Browns lost which is no surprise to me (I hate the Browns anyway) but I'm happy the Texans won :)

On Monday we had lunch at Pappadeux, another seafood restaurant. For my Ohio followers, there is one in Cincinnati ;) You supposedly get 30% off if you are military, but this one in Austin said you only get the discount if you are uniform. WTF! Unless you're coming home, who has time to drive all the way out to Austin during their lunch break lol. Anyway, Pappadeux was decent, but still doesn't beat Landry's in San Antonio. Hubs' parents are a fan, though, so we took them there. Afterwards we drove them to the airport and they were off to Ohio :( This weekend went by way too fast.

Overall it was a nice visit. Eddie & I suggested to take them to Houston/Galveston or Corpus Christi on their next visit. We even thought about renting a condo for a week at one of those places, or at South Padre Island. Something different instead of going to Myrtle Beach or Seabrook (SC). It will be like another family vacation :) I also want to do that for our wedding anniversary.

Hubs was talking to me the other day on how he may never deploy as a PL. He kind of got screwed on his assignment, I guess. The Army was thinking about sending him to Iraq back in July, but instead they chose the other PL because that guy isn't married and obviously my husband is. I was happy because that meant my husband would be home but at the same time I felt bad because I know how badly my husband wants to deploy. You don't go through 4 years of college/ROTC and then 5 months of BOLC to sit on staff duty for the rest of your military career. That would be like me spending $80,000 on my BSN/RN and never getting a job as a nurse or something.

His unit is non-deployable at the moment because they just came back in August. Another unit was going to go sometime this year but they didn't need a PL...and then those deployment plans fell through so they are no longer deploying. Yet another unit is to deploy early next year. Hubs' CO is trying to get him a spot on that deployment but as of now, no luck.

In March, hubs' unit is going to be doing a CCMRF ("see-smurf") mission. I forgot what it what stands for, but basically my husband and his unit have a 72-hour response time to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, zombie apocalypses, etc. that happen here in the U.S. It doesn't "count" as a deployment and during the whole CCMRF period, the unit is non-deployable. Hubs' PL time ends sometime this upcoming year so basically, unless he gets a spot in another unit, he will not deploy as a PL. If he deploys afterwards (say if he is a CPT or something) he said he'll be stuck on staff duty. I don't know how true that is...I've seen pictures of CPT's and even majors out doing patrols and stuff.

Things can change, though. And I know you never know with the military. So I guess we'll see. Regardless if my husband deploys as a PL or not (or ever, since we're supposedly slowly pulling out our troops from the sandbox), I'm still so proud of him and thankful for his service. And no one better ever dare say that my husband "never made a difference."

what a military spouse knows. A MUST READ.

I saw this on Facebook and just had to share this. Hubs and I haven't been through a deployment together yet (there is a possibility of one coming in the near future, but as always, you never know with the military)...but this really moved me.

***

As many of you know, my husband came home from our third deployment not too long ago. During the deployment, a reporter asked me to share “What I Knew” about deployments and military life. This was my answer:

As I forced my hands to unfurl from his neck, feeling the familiar sting in my nose as tears pushed against my will, the words rattled and echoed in my brain. “Not again.”

I watched him walk away–that uniform, identifiable gait—and my heart bent and splintered as the reality of a third deployment began to shower over me.

I picked up the phone, dialing the numbers my numb fingers always meander toward, and sat in silence while she tried to ease my pain. “I can’t imagine…He will be home….I’m here.”

And then she said six words that shot through my ears, penetrated my brain, and stiffened my spine: “You know how to do this.”

She was right. I do know how to do this. I intimately know the all-too familiar lump in my throat. The year of being both father and mother, making the best of a situation. I know exactly how one year feels as I X each day off my calendar. And I know how to ensure that while our lives are on hold, we still live.

The truth is I know a lot:

• The thought of being alone for a year doesn’t bother me. The fear of being alone for a lifetime—does.

• Flat rate boxes can hold twenty whoopee cushions, four kindergarten projects, and five perfume-scented letters.

• Technology can be a double-edged sword—one side delivering his face; the other a brutal live-action feed of explosions and camouflaged body parts.

• Murphy’s Law is a constant companion. The moment he walks out the door, anything that can break, collapse, bleed, or explode–will .

• Five hours of uninterrupted sleep is a gift from the deployment gods

• Holidays are hard, but manageable.

• Deployments come and go, but sand from his boots never leaves.

• Nothing can replace a handwritten letter. Through those beautifully folded pages, he is holding my hand again.

• When the National Anthem is played, I know goosebumps will rise on my arms, and a lump will fill my throat.

• The silence in communication following a war zone attack is agonizing.

• Laughter is a powerful ally.

• Each deployment offers two options: grow or regress. This is a choice.

• Cereal is always a dinner option.

• Videos of lost teeth, ballerina recitals, and preschool graduations can be emailed to Iraq nearly instantly.

• Five powers of attorney and the intimate details of his will are needed to navigate a deployment.

• White out blizzards can actually bury a truck in five minutes.

• Rosie the Riveter was right: We can do it.

• Children cling to hope and the promise of tomorrow.

• Living in each moment together is possible when facing the fear that it could be your last.

• Welcome home kisses are sweeter than the finest chocolate.

• Anger will grip me and depression can hold me, but another military spouse will steady me.

• A six-year-old child can feel the absence of her father so deeply that she can suffer from clinical depression.

• A military spouse will often hold her/his tongue, silencing a story, for fear of sounding “unpatriotic.”

• The sound of a bugle can make my heart swell with pride or collapse in sorrow.

• Duct tape and a monkey wrench can fix nearly anything.

• Despite the protestors and those who tell me I “knew” what I was getting into, I know there are countless American citizens who will go above and beyond to show they support us.

There are many things I know.

I know how to change the brakes on my truck, rappel from the side of a cliff, shoot a double-barreled shotgun, balance a checkbook, earn my keep, and kiss a child enough to feel like two.

But there are still so many things I don’t know.

• I don’t know how to start my heart again when I see a death notification car on my street.

• When that knock echoes on the door of my neighbor, I don’t know how to forgive myself when I am relieved.

• I don’t know how to hug him enough to last a lifetime, or kiss him just so in order to feel satisfied—should our reunion be at the foot of a pine box.

• I’m not willing to learn how to pretend he doesn’t exist, to keep him out of our life while it goes on without him, or to build a wall so high he has no way to scale it.

• I don’t know how to stop his panic attacks, and I have no idea how to make my nightmares of rampant bombs and lifeless limbs disappear.

• I don’t know how to adjust to his presence in my house when our floor rarely feels the weight of his boots.

• I don’t know how to tell his small children that, yes, he leaves them all the time. But because he loves them so deeply, he is willing to die to keep them free.

• I can’t understand those who would question my desire to stay with him, or how I can peacefully sleep beside a “killer.”

• I am amazed and confounded that despite all he has seen, he still has the courage to laugh.

• I don’t’ know how to give up on my family.

But, most importantly:

I have no clue how to still my pounding heart when he finally walks through our door again, I don’t know how to pull my hands from his sand-stained neck and say goodbye, and I don’t know how to ever walk away from a man who stands while many choose to sit.

appreciation day for milspouses and nurses!

Today is military spouse appreciation day.

This is for the husbands and wives who wake up early when their soldier leaves for PT.

This is for the fathers and mothers who hold their children tight when they cling and cry for a parent overseas at night.

This is for the men and women who avoid the news, watch the news, or are glued to the news every day for months on end, hoping for good and not bad.

This is for the cooks who learn the gobbledygook acronyms and threaten to serve MREs if they are faced with a caselot sale on a payday at the commissary again.

This is for the lovers who touch photographs and hold back tears.

This is for the actors who put on a happy face when their soldier takes one more look over a shoulder while the transport is moving out.

This is for the comedians who crack jokes on the phone over webcams, just to see their soldier smile thousands of miles away.

This is for the tired whose hearts break at the thought of just one more day alone, much less several more months.

This is for the strong who keep moving when they all want to do is stay under the covers and curl up in a ball.

This is for the "dependents" who know that a greater oxymoron was never coined, who rise to the call of independence in order to keep the house running smoothly, or to move it across the country alone.

This is for the proud, whose hearts are full to bursting as their loved ones step off that plane, that bus, that boat to stand in formation and affirm that they have served and will continue to serve their country.

This is for those who also serve, by making their own sacrifices and supporting their military loved one on the homefront, giving them assurance that all is well and that they can focus on the job at hand until it's time to come home.

This is for us, military spouses! Appreciate yourself today!

Today is also national nurses day, and May 6th-May12th is national nurses week!

We would all be worse without a nurse.

Nurses are more than just people in white;

They are mediators between human suffering and human wellness;

Where what they do goes far beyond what is seen.

Happy national nurses week!

5/1/2011

I was 14 years old, sitting in my 8th grade math class when there was an announcement on the school intercom - "there have been terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon." The school did not give any further details nor did they show the news broadcasts on TV. We were sent home early that day, and then I saw what had really happened on the news. I was in shock & disbelief.

A year later I went to NYC and went to Ground Zero. They were still clearing out the rubble and outside of a church there was a huge memorial, filled with flowers, signs, cards, balloons and stuffed animals. It really moved me emotionally. Nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost because of this attack.

Last night I got a text from E asking if I was watching the news. Since the cable is kind of funky in my room, I did some Google searching instead and saw the Breaking News headline: Osama bin Laden is dead. Twitter was blowing up with the news. I went to msnbc.msn.com and watched the live video feed about the issue and also anxiously awaited Perez Obama's address to the nation. Honestly, never once in my life have I been so interested to hear what the president would say, except for this time. I don't really care for Obama, but he made a wonderful speech in my opinion.

I'm glad Osama is dead. I know it's not right to "rejoice in someone's death" but don't forget, we lost nearly 4,500 American soldiers trying to hunt this man down. It took 9 years. Then finally a team of very badass Navy Seals got the job done.

In a perfect world, this would mean that the war would be over and that all of our soldiers can finally come home; but in reality, that isn't the case. Killing Osama was a key point in the war no doubt, but that does not mean that all terrorist attacks will cease. To all of my friends currently serving, my husband, and to all U.S. Military personnel serving overseas, please stay safe and stay vigilant. I have a feeling this isn't over yet, and there may be some backlash.

God Bless the U.S.A., our citizens, and all of our Military personnel who keep us safe.

Until they all come home...

happy military monday!

:)

E's MPBOLC graduation was also today, how fitting for Military Monday! I couldn't be more proud of him :)

what's your song?

I'm back in Fort Leonard Wood, and I made it safe and sound :)

I left at around 0445ish this morning and got here at 1530 (1430 central time). Eddie assumed that he would be done by noonish but of course that didn't happen lol...he wasn't done until around 1645ish. So I went to the PX and uh...yeah. Drove around. So much to do! haha.

I'm so happy to see him :) We're planning on getting Korean food with some friends tonight. Tomorrow is milball and Monday is his MPBOLC graduation! I'm so proud of him :)

Once again, Goodnight Moon is hosting a weekly "What's Your Song?" link-up. Head over to her blog to participate!

This week I chose "One and Only" by ADELE, because I think it is a beautiful song and I honestly CANNOT stop listening to her! She describes her style as "heartbroken soul" which I think sums it up pretty well. When you can't describe how your feeling, Adele just kind of puts it all in a song for you, if that makes sense.

Military Monday bloghop & Something About ME!

Head over to Marine Parents to link up!

Go to Keely's blog to participate! This week's questions:

1. Do you watch/read the news?

I try to stay updated.. I get my breaking news updates from Twitter and I'm an avid USAToday reader.

2. How would you describe your "look"?

Comfortable and relaxed :)

3. Did you play sports in high school or college?

I think marching band should count as a sport...seriously! We were a competitive marching band and a lot of our shows were hard...it takes a lot of stamina to be marching at literally running speed while playing all of these ridiculous melodies on your instrument. Don't hate it unless you've tried it! I played mellophone in marching band, btw. I was also in Taekwondo, even though that wasn't school-related. Mostly through middle school and some of high school, but I quit because of school...and moving around was also another issue. I started TKD when I lived in Florida (WTF, that stands for World TKD Federation, not "what the eff" haha) and got to the lowly rank of orange belt, then I moved to Wisconsin (ITF, that stands for International TKD Federation) and got all the way up to a 1st degree blackbelt...then moved to Ohio which was another WTF school and I didn't like the school very much, so I quit (also because of school as I mentioned before). I really miss it, though. I'm thinking about getting back into it. Especially since I kicked some serious ass at it (literally!) haha.

4. Would you rather give up lipstick or high heels?

Seeing since I NEVER wear lipstick and I rarely wear heels, it wouldn't matter to me...but honestly I would rather give up lipstick, only because I wear high heels sometimes.

5. What's your favorite show to watch on TV?

Grey's Anatomy, even though I am waaaaay behind...I also like those wedding shows like Say Yes To The Dress...South Park/Futurama, and practically anything on the history or military channels.

6. Would you rather bake or cook?

Bake.

7. Shorts or skirts?

I hate my legs, but I would rather wear skirts than shorts.

8. What's your favorite scary movie?

I love scary movies, but I do not really have a "favorite."

I also got my outfit for E's MPBOLC graduation! I was originally going to wear this shirt dress from Target, but I saw this dress from American Eagle and I fell in love:

Paired with a short black cardigan if I get cold and I was going to just wear some jeweled black flip flops (they look a lot nicer than those $5 ones from Old Navy). I'm praying for NICE, WARM weather that day. According to the forecast, it is supposed to be rainy :( and graduation will be outside :(

Military Life From Alpha to Zulu!

Link up with Riding The Rollercoaster! Here is my list:

Alpha: American, AAFES, Afghanistan, Army, ACU's, Airborne, Acronyms, Abbreviations, "Assist Protect Defend," Apache

Bravo: Bravery, BLS, Boots, Brigade, Battalion, Beret

Charlie: Company, Commissary, Coveralls, Camouflage, Courage, Camelback

Delta: Deployments, Dog Tags, Dependent, Dress Blues

Echo: E-mail

Foxtrot: FSA, FRG, Freedom, Flag

Golf: Guns, Gear

Hotel: Hazardous Duty Pay (HDP)

India: Iraq

Juliet: Jets

Kilo: Kevlar, KBAR, Kuwait

Lima: Love, Long Distance, LES

Mike: Military, Moving, Military ID, Military Police, Military Ball, Military Wife, Murphey's Law, Mail

November: NCO

Oscar: OPSEC, Orders, OPORD, Overseas, Officer

Papa: PCS, Patriot, Pride, Proud, PERSEC, Paperwork, PX, Perseverance

Quebec: Qualifications

Romeo: Reunions, Rank, Ribbons, R&R, ROTC, Retreat

Sierra: Skype, Security, Spouse

Tango: Tricare, Training, Tours, "This We'll Defend," Tank

Uniform: USO, United Concordia, USAA, Unit, United States

Victor: Veterans, Valor

Whiskey: Waiting, War

X-Ray: XO

Yankee: Yellow Ribbons

Zulu: Zero Dark Thirty, Zip-Lock Bags

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in!

What are some of your ideas for staying connected with family...you know, those people we moved thousands of miles away from? submitted by Live It. Love it. (or not). Write About It.

Facebook...especially with E's mom and his family. but for my mom and some of my other family members who do not use Facebook, we just call them.

What's the most romantic gift you have GIVEN? submitted by Painting My Canvas.

Honestly I haven't really given anything "romantic" to E...just stuff that he either has been wanting or needing.

Would you encourage your child, if they came to you and wanted to join the military? submitted by Perfectly Imperfect.

sure, why not? I definitely wouldn't discourage them. I'm sure E would definitely encourage them to join the military, being a fellow military man himself lol.

What is your least favorite bill to pay and why? submitted by A Little of This, A Little of That.

cable...it's somewhat expensive for something I don't really use that much and there's never anything to watch on TV when my shows aren't on. it just seems like a waste of money sometimes!

What is the proudest moment you've had as a military spouse? submitted by Our Okinawa Life.

When other soldiers tell me that E is a good soldier and any platoon will be lucky to have him as their PL. I'm always proud of my husband, but hearing that made me really proud! I also had some E's friends from BOLC say that E is a very nice guy with a good heart and they told me that I am very lucky...and I truly am.

Yesterday, E and the rest of his group got OC-sprayed.

the spray went from ear-to-ear, then they had to go through an obstacle course. They had to knee and punch some targets (30 seconds each), OC spray a target (but that was just water) and then arrest someone. Afterwards they went to the decon station.

I felt so bad for all of these soldiers because I can only imagine how much it must suck to get sprayed in the face like that. Getting gassed or tased is nothing compared to getting OC-sprayed. Gas is like 10 minutes of suck, tased is a few moments of suck but OC-spray is like over an hour of suck. I captured pictures of E going through the obstacle course and then followed him to the decon station where I helped him and the other soldiers. There wasn't much I could do, other than pouring water on them, offering them paper towels and getting them baby shampoo and telling them to face the wind to help with the burn. One of the soldiers said to me, "you know, you're a very nice person. thank you." That made me smile :) I told E to slather sour cream on his face after flushing with water because it will help neutralize the burn. A lot of the other guys laughed, but once they slathered some sour cream on their face they realized how much it helps :)

Now E can no longer make fun of me for slathering sour cream all over my fingers and hands one day. We made guacamole and added some finely-chopped jalapeno to the mix. I didn't wear gloves and failed to properly wash off those capsacein oils. I just used some soap and water. That didn't work. Later that night I took a shower and rubbed my eyes and they were burning and then my fingers and hands felt like they were on fire. It was miserable. There was nothing that really could be done because the pores in my skin were already open and the capsaceins have already penetrated into the skin, but sour cream and dairy provided temporary relief. Once some ibuprofen kicked in I felt a lot better. Now I'm NOT comparing the burning from the jalapeno to the burn in your face/eyes from the OC spray, but it really helps to neutralize that burn! Now every time I chop up jalapenos I rinse with sour cream/yogurt/milk and then soap & water. I haven't had a problem since :)

(click to see full pictures because of my stupid layout...)
































































Lol aww...so proud of him! His face is fine now :)

Last night we went to The Hub which is a German restaurant. I don't mind German food, but I've never been "blown away" by something by so much where I *HAVE* to have it. I got the zigeur schnitzel, which intrigued me because of the "jalapeno & mushroom sauce." when I got it, it just looked like a bunch of brown gravy...wasn't spicy at all. There was only like 1 little slice of jalapeno and that wasn't even hot. At least the pork was tender.

E got the kaiser schnitzel with spaetzle. The kaiser schnitzel had some sort of weird creamy sauce on it that tasted like it was mustard-based (and I hate mustard) but it had a really good flavor. E loved it. Everything was good, but I would rather go to Seoul Garden or El Jimador the next time I come here. Plus the service at The Hub was VERY slow. We waited over an hour just to get our food.

Tonight we're going to Saint Louis so that should be interesting :) We're going to an Arabic restaurant for dinner which I'm excited for! :)

my charm bracelet finally came!

(took it on my phone, but of course I couldn't figure out how to rotate the picture!)

I got it this morning and I absolutely love it! Of course if I could add more charms now I probably would because she is getting some new stuff. I suggested an Army branch insignia, but for now in this bracelet that star is representing it...and also MOS insignia. E is an MP (don't hate!) and she ordered some crossed pistols charms :) And in the future I would probably add a cadeusus because I think she is getting that one too - guess that means I'll have to order another one! ;) But regardless, I love this bracelet - especially the combat boot & flip flop :)

Go check her out on Facebook: Melissa's Marvels

Randoms

I cannot figure out for the life of me how to change the background on this blog! I found a really cute layout from The Cutest Blog on the Block and I'm following the instructions but it only sort of works, and I have no idea why!

So far I haven't done much today ha. I went to Starbucks at the PX this morning and decided I would be productive and make lab value note cards (NCLEX stuff), then I decided to go to the other PX to look around. That one is set up much like a Walmart and everything is discounted by at least 20% and non-taxable. They had like a mini Ulta/Sephora (carrying Smashbox, Too Faced, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Elizabeth Arden & Philosophy stuff, + fragrance and drugstore makeup), they had Bath & Body Works stuff, Coach/Dooney & Burke purses and Vera Bradley! Of course they don't carry EVERYTHING but I thought it was pretty cool that I can get this stuff on post. I wanted to buy a Coach handbag sooooo badly but I still can't afford one at the moment lol.

I went looking for "military pride" things. I ended up just buying this water bottle lol, but I love what it says and I needed a new water bottle anyway haha:



And speaking of other military pride things, my keychain from Just Initials came in:

Honestly, I've seen keychains like this that are made better (and better quality!) than this...this one is just a single piece of fabric with embroidery. I have not, however, found a business with keychains similar to this that make Army-themed ones. Regardless, I still love it!

I also wanted to showcase Melissa's Marvels. She makes really cute custom-made military-themed jewelry! I've been meaning to order a charm bracelet from her, I'm just waiting on $$$. Definitely check her stuff out, though :)

For now I'm just hanging out in Eddie's room until he comes back for his lunch break, whenever that will be :)

The Making of a Military Wife

When the good Lord was creating Wives, he was into his sixth day of overtime.

An angel appeared and said, "You're having a lot of trouble with this one. What's wrong with the standard model?"

And the Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be completely independent, but must be sponsored to get on post; have the qualities of both father and mother during deployments; be a perfect hostess to 4 or 40; run on black coffee; handle emergencies without a manual; be able to handle flu, birthdays and moves around the world; have a kiss that can cure anything from a child's torn Valentine to a husband's weary day; have the patience of a saint when waiting for the Unit to return home; and have six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her hand slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands... no way!"

And the Lord answered, "Don't worry, we'll make other military wives to help. Besides it's not the hands that are causing the problem, it's the heart. It must swell with pride in her husband, sustain the ache of separations, beat on soundly when it's too tired to do so and be large enough to say, "I Understand" when she doesn't, and 'I love you' regardless."

"Lord," said the angel, touching his sleeve gently. "Come to bed... finish this tomorrow!"

"I can't," said the Lord. "I'm so close to creating something unique. Already I have one who heals herself when she's sick, can feed three unexpected guests who are stuck in the area due to bad weather, and can wave good-bye to her husband, from a pier, off a runway and understand that it is important to his country that he leaves."

The angel circled the model of the military wife very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed.

"But tough," said the Lord excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this woman can do or endure."

"Can it think?"

"Can it think? It can convert 1400 to 2 p.m."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear."

"What's it for?" asked the angel.

"It's for joy. Sadness. Disappointment. Pain, loneliness and pride!"

"You are a genius," sighed the angel.

The Lord looked somber and replied, "I didn't put it there."

~Anonymous