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."

Friday Fill-in!

Be sure to link up at Wifey's blog!

1. My favorite thing that happened this week was....My week was pretty uneventful lol. Maybe it was buying my new pair of gray Toms :)

2. Find a penny, pick it up and wonder...where that penny has been. germs D:

3. Autumn is officially here and my favorite part of the season is...no, I live in Texas. Autumn is NOT officially here, it's still hotter than shit outside. At least we're down to the double digits and late evening/early morning is pretty cold, which I like :) It was 63 degrees this morning when I left work and I thought it was so cold! I had to turn up the heat and had a chance to use my heated seats in my car :) But anyway, to answer the question, my favorite parts of the season are the color-changing trees, the cooler weather (Autumn is my favorite season!) and pumpkin spice lattes haha :)

4. One of the things I would like to do before winter arrives is...I don't know. Maybe go mountain biking at BLORA.

5. I (would/would not/might) be willing to participate in MilSpouse Secret Santa. :)

Milspouse Friday Fill-in!

1. My plans for Labor Day included being lazy! That's exactly what hubs & I did :) We had some pool time because it was in the 80's that day and GORGEOUS (I have been trying to avoid going outside because Texas has been so damn hot!) and I'm still as pale as ever haha. I would have loved to grill out but we don't have a grill and we're not allowed to have them because we live in an apartment, or hang out with friends, but that's the problem - we really don't have any "friends" here!

2. Call me crazy, but sometimes I just need to be alone.

3. One of the funniest things I've seen lately is the show Arrested Development! Hubby and I decided to randomly watch it one night on Netflix and it's hilarious! I recommend watching it :)

4. It's strange...a messy kitchen drives me crazy...but if any other place in the house is messy that is perfectly fine with me!

5. One, two, buckle my shoe...three, four, shut the door! :P

Milspouse Friday Fill-in!

It has been awhile since I have done this. Go link up with Wife of a Sailor!

1. The first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning is...Dammit, do I really have to get up? or I really have to pee. But I think I'll just lay here.

2. Lately, I have been craving...A nice big bowl of pho.

3. Whenever anyone says the word Horse, it reminds me of my childhood because...of that basketball game called Horse? lol idk.

4. The happiest word I know is...Love. All you need is love.

5. My spouse may hate it, but I love...Frozen yogurt. He actually doesn't hate it, he secretly loves it. He just refuses to get any with me because to him frozen yogurt isn't "manly" yet he is always trying to steal bites from my bowl :)

friday fill-in & quick update

1. Have you (spouse) ever considered joining the military and what do you think of dual military couples?

I thought about it before I met my husband. I would join the Army or Navy to become a nurse. I also thought about it again once I married my husband. I think it's a really hard life for dual military couples. All of the training and deployments, I would feel like you would literally never see your significant other. Or do they do same deployments? Regardless, I think it's hard and not something I could do, I don't think. And my husband said he wouldn't let me join even if I wanted to haha.

2. What is your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon?

Depends on my mood. Sometimes it's just lazing around, cuddling and playing video games with hubby or lazing around by the pool lol. Either way, I prefer my Sunday afternoons to be relaxing.

3. What do you usually do for the 4th of July holiday?

That also depends...when I was younger, we would always set off fireworks in a drive way. Since then I usually go to whatever 4th of July event that is going on in the area. This year we're planning on going to San Antonio :)

4. If they could make an Olympic even JUST for you that you know you'd medal in, what would it be?

Lol oh I don't know...Facebook/Twitter-stalking? hahaha

5. What have you been doing to get yourself bathing-suit ready for summer?

Honestly, nothing...I know it's really bad, but I never really work out. I consider my "work out" at work because usually I'm always running around like a maniac. I also literally eat like a bird...but that's just me.

And speaking of work, I LOVE MY JOB!

There are a lot of things that I do not know. Even the simplest things...like how to work the dynamap, the IV pumps, and even the IV insertion catheters because everything is DIFFERENT from what I have been used to working with for the past 3 1/2 years! And I did not know that you could put Nitrobid on the leg. I thought that stuff (and patches) always went on the upper body while rotating sites.

The charting is such a bear but I'm getting the hang of it...doctors still scare the crap out of me and a lot of times I'm unsure of when I should be bothering them. They don't really teach you this stuff in nursing school - we were never allowed to put orders in, talk to docs on the phone and take orders, call lab, pharmacy, do this and that and blah blah blah.

The first night I had to send one of our patients off to ICU. My preceptor was on the phone giving report to the ICU nurse when the doc calls, so I had to take the call. I explained what happened and what I did, and first he said I did a good job and did everything right, which made me have "warm fuzzies" (as my NCLEX class instructor would say)...but then it is just trying to figure out what else he wanted lol. My preceptor was helping me out, but it still made me nervous.

Last night was SLOOOOOOOOW. Painfully slow. The census has been low lately, and I'm assuming it is because of the upcoming Independence Day (census is always low on holidays!) I was floated to TCU and including myself, there were 4 nurses with 6 patients, but there were 2 orientee RN's. I took care of one patient in her entirety (the previous night was just assessments and documentation) but this patient was such a breeze. Completely ambulatory and only had like 3 meds.

I'm back again tonight, this time either on my home unit or ICU. Hopefully it goes smoothly like the last two nights :)

Then it's off to San Antonio after I get some sleep, yay!

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.

Friday Fill-in!

1. Underwear Parties, how old is too old?

Underwear Parties? lol I'm not sure if I have ever heard of this one...

2. What was your favorite class in high school?

Biology and Chemistry! And then when I was forced to take General, Organic & Biochemistry as prerequisites to nursing school, I have since then despised it :)

3. Have you ever convinced packers/movers to pack something they aren't supposed to for PCS?

No...but I'm sure that will happen at some point.

4. Blogging plays a growing role in the media. If you were asked to embed as a blogger with a deployed military unit, would you go? What do you think your blog would be like?

I would go in a heartbeat! and I could double as a nurse and take care of the wounded! But I would blog from a military perspective, of course. Maybe occasionally about my job, but my purpose would be documenting the events of the deployed unit, yes? all while maintaining OPSEC/PERSEC, of course :)

5. Do you think kids should attend year-round school?

When I used to live in Florida, we had school year-round...not sure if that has changed since then. I really don't think it's that big of a deal and I think it's easier for the parents, too. I remember getting a 3-4 week "summer break" and of course we would still have spring break and things like that. As long as there some break somewhere in there, I don't see a problem with it. No one can go to school non-stop and be successful.

Friday Fill-In

1. When you vacation what type of vacation do like to take?
One where I can relax but also have the chance to go sight-seeing.

2. What is your best memory associated with a song?
Our first dance song...Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk.

3. If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with your time?
Travel to lots of fun places! Go to Germany (since hubby wants to go back so badly), go to Asia, Fiji, the Caribbean, maybe Africa...I just want to travel!

4. What is one thing about you that people do NOT typically notice at first when you wish they would?
Hmmm I don't know...

5. It's a summer of sequels and if you had to live in one of each of the following "worlds" which would you choose and why?
-X-Men: Be a mutant, what would your power be? The power to read minds!
-Harry Potter: be a Witch or a Muggle? Mud-blood.
-Twilight: be a vampire or werewolf? Werewolf. They're cooler than vampires anyway :P

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #42!

Head on over to Wifey to link-up :)

1. Do you think civilians, in general, understand the meaning of Memorial Day?

I would say yes, but most of them don't. They're happy about all of the sales, picnics, food, hanging out by the pool...which I will admit, are all very nice, but let's not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day.

2. What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend?

I have no idea...not sure if Fort Hood has anything going on to commemorate our soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice...but if there is something going on I would like to attend. Otherwise just hanging out with the hubs :)

3. What skill/talent do you wish you had?

I wish I was really good at photography. Oh, and better at cooking. I'm still pretty mediocre. I might attempt to make some mango-habanero salmon later, though, now that we finally have our awesome cooking knives!

4. What came first: the chicken or the egg?

I say the egg. Probably buried underneath a bunch of stuff to keep it warm ;)

5. What is the best thing about your post (base)? The worst?

I haven't gotten acquainted with Fort Hood much (yet), but I do like how it is close to pretty much everything, unlike Fort Leonard Wood. And with any military installation, I love the PX & commissary! And Fort Hood has 2 of them! As for the worst? I haven't decided yet.

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!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in!

Head over to Wifey's blog to link up!

1. What is your must have gadget? submitted by Flying High With My Flyboy
Oh definitely my phone. It's like my life-line!

2. How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid? submitted by L to the Third
When I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I loved animals. I still really love animals, but yeah that didn't happen...and now I'm a registered nurse :)

3. What is your favorite chocolate recipe? submitted by Our First Deployment
I don't have one yet.

4. How do you deal with military life when it gets to be to much or to hard? submitted by Combat Boots And Pointe Shoes
I blog, try to stay busy or hang out friends.

5. What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment? submitted by The Albrecht Squad
I haven't been through a deployment yet...but I know it's going to come eventually. E & I have been separated a few times before...just keep yourself busy! It will make the time go by much faster and your husband will want to hear about how you went out and did stuff, not about how you sat around at home all day and did nothing. I know we have our good days and our bad days, but things get better with time.

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.

MilSpouse survey!

MilSpouse survey from Erin @ Moore to Love :)

1. How long have you been a military wife?

Girlfriend: close to 3 years

Fiance: a little over 3 months

Wife: it will be 3 months on March 29th :)

2. What branch of service is your husband?

Army!

3. Active/Reserve?

Active

4. What is his job?

Military Police (don't hate!) He's at BOLC right now and will probably be on a staff position initially but once a platoon leader spot opens he is going with them.

5. How many deployments have you gone through?

None yet, but we have been separated before. 2 summers ago he went to LDAC and to Germany for CTLT and now he's at BOLC...but thankfully I see him pretty frequently, either through Skype or monthly visits. I know it won't be like that whenever he deploys.

6. ACU's or Class A's on your man?

I LOVE both, but I would have say dress blues :)

7. What do you like about being a military wife?

I haven't had any homecomings yet because I haven't been through a deployment yet (except for when he came home from CTLT), but I would probably have to say after being separated for awhile and then finally being with your man - waiting months just so see him, for a hug or a kiss (among other things ;) haha!) makes that wait worth it and it is such an incredible feeling!

8. Do you live on base?

Not at the moment. I'm not sure if we're going to live on-post at Fort Hood or not. As of now E would rather live off-post, but it all depends on what we can find down there!

9. What is your favorite base so far?

I've only been to Fort Leonard Wood, and honestly it kind of sucks haha.

10. What's the hardest part of the military life?

Being separated. Deployments. Having to constantly worry if your husband is okay and sometimes having to wait weeks (or even months!) just to hear from him.

11. Do you go to the grocery store or commissary?

Both. if I'm buying a lot of stuff, then I'll go to the commissary.

12. Do you work or stay at home?

I work!

13. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?

Not really. I'm hoping to meet a lot of fellow wives when I go to Fort Hood, though.

14. Do you prefer Walmart or the PX/BX/MCX/NEX?

Other places, only because those other places generally have a better selection of things; however, if I'm buying something a little more expensive (such as a GPS or some high-end makeup or some high-end fragrance) then I'll just go to the PX for that because it's cheaper. Oh, and same with Coach purses, too!

15. How did your husband propose?

First we went to our favorite sushi restaurant and indulged. Then we were going to go get some ice cream from my favorite parlor by his house and then he wanted to go take a walk on the towpath. I was stuffed on sushi so I passed on the ice cream, but we still went for a walk. I was wondering why we were walking here because we've never just "randomly took a walk" on the towpath before. We went bike riding down there before but that's pretty much it. Anyway we were walking and talking and the towpath has a canal with a canal boat that comes by that is pulled by horses and you can take rides on it and stuff. My first thought as E was explaining this to me was, "is the water shallow enough for those horses?" LOL he always makes fun of me for that now. I'm smart, but sometimes I say the stupidest things. It made sense to me that those horses would be in the water pulling that boat, but they actually pull from the side. Whatever, I didn't know haha.

Anyway, we kept on walking and then he stopped, faced me, gave me a hug and a kiss and told me how much he loved me, got down on his knee and popped the question. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a guy riding his bike our way but then he stopped and turned around - he didn't want to ride by during our moment haha. OF COURSE I said yes and I jumped into his arms.

16. Did you marry him after he joined or before?

After.

17. How long have you been together?

This fall will make 4 years.

18. Any kids yet?

Not for at least another 5 years. I actually can't ever see myself having kids haha

19. Any kids yet to come?

No!

20. Is your husband one of those "I am a soldier hear me HOOAH" kind of guys?

Absolutely not.

21. Have you ever done combatives with your husband?

hahaha yes! he was teaching me ground fighting. we did the same stuff in this self defense class I took in college because I needed a PE credit. One of my friends said, "I'm pretty sure this is called sex in my house" haha.

22. How many bases have you lived at?

This will be my husband's 3rd (Fort Lewis for LDAC, he was somewhere in Heidelberg (can't remember the name) for CTLT in Germany, and now he's in Fort Leonard Wood)

23. If you could change one thing about the military?

Shorter deployments!

24. Do you like military balls?

I love them! There is one coming up in April just before E's MPBOLC graduation :)

25. Where does your family live?

Ohio & Connecticut.

26. What do you do for a job?

I'm a nurse tech...basically an intern. I will almost have that RN!

27. Have you ever gotten in a fight with an NCO's wife?

Nope.

28. Name one thing you do when your husband is gone?

I become a work-a-holic! I also might start to continue my education once he deploys by working on my master's to help keep me busy. It all depends on when that will be, though. I also spend more time with friends.

29. Do you think other wives do that too?

I know a lot of other wives do anything to keep themselves busy. It helps make the time go quicker. Your husband doesn't want to hear about how you lock yourself up in the house and don't do anything. He wants to hear about you doing things and having fun (within limits, of course).