It's a lot of work to move overseas!!

Wow- life has been a whirlwind!!   Once we got our orders to Germany it has been simply chaotic.  So much to do and check and follow up on.

We finally received our official orders.  You really can't do all the super important stuff without those. Now we can finally schedule our household goods to be picked up and ship our vehicle. Plus add in the Holidays at the same time make for some serious chaos.

We took a trip home to see family and left our 2 dogs with them.  :-(   It will be a much easier move without them plus we can travel freely while overseas but I sure do miss them.  I fell like I lost 2 of my kids.  I am SOOOO thankful that our family was able to take them in. It is such a huge relief to know that good, caring people are giving them the love they need. It has made for a much easier transition then I expected for our daughter and me.

We still haven't sold our house but it IS the Holiday season. Not too many people looking to buy a house during Christmas. Luckily we have 2 prospect even though they want to wait until January.

I know that God has a plan and it all will work out.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. Remember to say a prayer for all our troops and there families left behind.

Next episode

Well, we are on to the next episode....... selling our house-- for real this time. LOL

We met with 2 realtors and are getting new carpet put in so that buyers will not have a reason to say no to our house.  :-) Luckily our house is only 5 years old with the biggest yard in the neighborhood. We are banking on the yard to seal the deal.

Our goal is to sell it in 60 days and then possibly leave early if the commander approves it. Once the house sells we really don't have any reason to stick around.

We found homes for both dogs. My mother in law is taking our yorkie. I knew it would be easy to find her a home- who doesn't want a 3 pound cutie patootie yorkie???  Every time I would ask someone if they could take our big dog Copper they would ask about our yorkie. LOL We did find Copper a home- pending that he gets along with the other dog in the house. My brother in law will be taking him. I will be so sad when we drop them off but fortunately we found family that could take them. Copper was such a pain to start with but now is a FABULOUS dog. He has his moments but we ALL do!

It's so weird knowing that we are actually leaving. I waited so long to get orders and it seems too good to be true. I am weird and I always think-- "Life can't be THIS good. When is the bad stuff going to start".

I will continue to enjoy the high of the good life and be SO THANKFUL for all our blessings for they are many.  GOD is good.

Have a wonderful and Blessed day!!  :-)

WOW- What a Whirlwind!! ORDERS

Goodness- time is going by fast. It is so different with him home now. Still readjusting and getting used to things. He is used to just taking care of himself and I am used to making all the decisions. Sometimes is tough and we seem to be disagree a little more but it is getting better.

And we FINALLY got our much anticipated orders.

WERE HEADED TO RAMSTEIN!!! 

I am so beyond excited. It is weird that we finally have orders. I have been of course looking up tons of stuff and it can get overwhelming but it is worth it. The hardest thing right now is going to be selling our house. We will NEVER buy a house again while we are in the military.

The market is so rough right now and we only have a short time to make it happen. It should go on the market next week and hopefully sell soon. Such a stress just thinking about it. YIKES

Anyways- back to Germany. WHO has been there recently????

Dish the goods folks!

I need some good info. Base housing,  schools, cell phone service..........  You know- the usual stuff.  :-)

I kind of want to live off base but we can't decide. SO if you have been there do you prefer on or off base?????  You are going to be my poll. LOL

Have a fabulous week!  :-)

HE'S HOME!!!

Hubby is officially home from Iraq!!!  I cannot believe he is actually home. He returned a couple of days ago and I think the weirdness of having him home if finally wearing off.  Just having him drive home from the airport was weird. I am so used to being the sole driver-- amongst other things. It's weird having a second parent and decision maker. It's weird having a problem with the car and he deals with it. It's weird going over the bills together. It's weird having a body sleeping next to me. It's weird not being by myself during the day while the kids are at school.  It's weird, just plain weird!!

And OH SO LOVELY AND THE MOST WONDERFUL THING EVER!

Even though there is so much weirdness I know that will all go away and we will be back to our routines.  I am sure he had information overload the first day with the kids talking a mile a minute and checking out all the changes around him. Plus just seeing so much color as opposed to all the grey, blah, dirty, dusty place he was in.

He has 2 weeks off of work and he is enjoying every minute so far. We have plans to go out of town the next 2 weekends to just do fun family stuff.

I was so nervous about so many things and so far everything is fine. I think it really helped that we both took a reunion and reintegration class.  The kids are thrilled he's home- especially our daughter who is daddy's girl.

I have to catch myself correcting the kids when I now have another parent to help. I find myself not allowing him time to discipline and I really need to stop that. There is a ,ot more other things that I have to think about and consider in dealing with things. Me being the sole decision maker is now done and yet I was used to it by this time. It's hard to not want to just keep doing what your doing and allow them to help only when you are desperate. You feel like you have accomplished so much by surviving and dealing with everything and then its over. It's a weird feeling-like OK-I have done everything myself but now I need to stop myself from doing everything. lol

It was great last night to see him and our son wrestling like old times. It is so wonderful that he can give our daughter kisses goodnight and she goes to sleep with no more tears. She feels safe and secure again. Our dog was happy he was home until he noticed he was spending a little more time outside. I had spoiled him and let him stay in with me most every day. He provided a sense of security for me and he is a GREAT listener. :-)  Hubby thinks he needs to spend more time outside since he is an outside dog. Well- he is inside today.  I am not going to kick him to the curb just because hubby is home. After all- he still is a GREAT listener.

One of my friends told me to now be a stranger now that my husband is home. I know what she means. Sometimes when our spouse is deployed we find a surrogate parent in a friend who we can rely on and call anytime. Then we can forget about them when our spouse returns.  I had this happen to me and i was very hurtful. I know that the person did not mean for me to be hurt and still wanted a relationship but it all changed. She would call everyday and we would go shopping and so forth. We had built a bond from the deployment. Then her hubby came home and I rarely heard from her. It's not her fault and I am not mad because of this BUT it still was hurtful.

 I am so thankful for God and all the many blessings he has provided our family. So thankful this deployment is over and we can move on.

NOW WHERE ARE OUR PCS ORDERS!!!!!    I'm ready to move  :-) On to the next thing..........

We decorated the front yard

Our free banner we got from Buildasign.com/troops

We can see him coming!

A long awaited hug!!! 

He's coming home- mixed emotions!!

I can't believe it but hubby will be coming home in the next few weeks. It seems so surreal. Like it is not true. I think about how long he has been gone and wow it's time for him to come home.

I am of course BEYOND excited! Finally another parent to help out. He can fix all those things on the house that have been neglected. Someone to watch TV with at night. Just to be able to get a hug is going to be phenomenal.

Then I am worried because I didn't accomplish everything that I thought I would while he was gone. Plus- the kids and I have really become closer and I am slowly figuring out my teen son. My son and husband are so alike it is amazing. I am worried about them fighting and butting heads since they are both so stubborn.

I have been taking care of everything and now I am not going to be the sole decision maker. Time to share the responsibilities.

I also know that all my worries need to not be worries. LOL  Silly emotions.

Back on track

Ok- so my smiley face is back. I feel much better.

Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for ALL your comments. It really, truly helps. I feel so much better when I can read that other people are going through the same things and all your words of encouragement.

I am still keeping really busy to help the time fly. Actually- I think I just keep busy because I like it.  :-)  All has been going good these last few days. My daughter has started volleyball and school is going good for both of them so far. I really enjoy my free time during school hours. It is so peaceful!! Just me and my doggies.

It's funny because this weekend is a holiday weekend but it is just another weekend for us. The kids get out an extra day on Monday but hubby isn't here to get it off. We don't have any plans so really it is just another weekend with an extra sleep in day- woohoo. I think I will have a "Lost" marathon with a nice glass of wine.

Here is a picture of me and my wonderful kiddo's at a local garden.

Hope you all have a great rest of the week and enjoy your weekend.

Bizarre-Strange-Confused

Those are just some of the word describing me right now.

Wow- not sure what I am going through. I need to look up emotional stages of a deployment. I am feeling so weird. I am tired all the time now. I don't really want to do anything. yesterday I sat on my couch and stared aimlessly for over an hour. BIZARRE!  I never take naps- NEVER- I took 2- yes 2 this week. BIZARRE I forced myself this morning to go meet some other spouses for coffee. I typically love going and look forward to it each week. not today! BIZARRE

I'm feeling so many emotions at once right now. I am so mad at my van- I just got it fixed yesterday and spent $370 on it. Today- it dies on me. The exact reason why I got it fixed yesterday.UGH So far this deployment- my heater broke, garage door opener broke, van broke-twice-, fence broke, mower broke, sump pump broke and flooded some of the basement, master bath toilet leaked into downstairs room and my kitchen sink leaked. I'm sure there is more.  All while I am taking care of 2 dogs, 2 vehicles, a house and bills. Not to mention my 2 kids- my daughter who absolutely adores her dad and is going through some self esteem issues. Plus-my son, which is a 13 year old teenager-UGH!!

I feel so tired, worn down, sad, angry.......

I literally would love to just sit at my kitchen table- put my head on it and just let my arms hang down for hours and hours. Not moving or thinking. Just sit there. I don't even want to sleep- even though I am SO tired, I don't want to sleep.

Call me a whiner, complainer- whatever. Don't really care. I know that we signed up for this and I am not saying that I don't want to be a military spouse or that I can't handle it. I'm just saying...........

I don't know what I'm saying really. LOL Maybe I'm just going through a moment. I hope it ends soon. I have so much I need to be taking care of and yet I can't seem to accomplish anything.

I know there are worse situations. I am aware that I truly don't have it that bad. I am thankful that we are all healthy and blessed with a roof over our head. I am thankful for the love of my family and all they my husband provides for us. I am thankful that we are ending this deployment soon. I am thankful that his job does not regularly put him in harms way. I AM thankful.

But still----  I feel..........................BLAH      (blank face staring at computer screen)

I'm sure none of this has anything to do with the fact that my husband has been gone since Jan 30th and I miss him more than I could ever explain.

What was I going to write??

So- I am having a brain fart!  As I lay in bed last night I was thinking about writing and had a great title and everything. My brain was flowing and was excited to write today.

Apparently while I slept the anti blog fairy came and stole my thoughts.

I've got nothing!! Yep- NOTHING.  :-(

It will bug me all day. I have learned my lesson to at least get up and write myself a note or just get the computer and write.

Here's to hoping your mind is processing better than mine.  :-)

Did time slow down??

Good golly it feels like time just slowed way down. It is probably due to the fact that we are on our last few weeks before this deployment is over. Everything has just been speeding along and now that it is so close it feels like it is farther away than before.

It doesn't help that I am real excited to get our orders in Oct and know that we will be starting a new adventure. So much is going to be happening starting in September for us. I guess i should brace for the storm to come- homecoming, orders, selling house, promotion.................

I will enjoy the slow time because I am thankful that it felt like time was going somewhat fast since he has been gone. I almost thought that maybe I wasn't busy enough- and then I looked at my calendar and KNEW that wasn't it.

Hope all of you who are going through a deployment that the time continues to go quickly.

We put our base choices in!

So after reading everyone's thought and getting many opinions from friends- we finished our list.

Our choices are:

Livorno, Italy- Army Base
Aviano, Italy
Ramstein, Germany
Hickam, Hawaii- this was not on his original list b/c he is not sure if he qualifies for the job. So this is our hail mary of sorts.

Eglin, FL

We don't find out until October. Now is the dreaded wait time. I am not looking anything up or getting my hopes up. It is so hard when you spend time researching a base in hopes of getting it then you don't.  I REALLY want us to go overseas. It is just such a great time for us to be able to go and our kids to remember and enjoy it.

Off to pray to the PCS gods for the next couple months!!  :-)

UGH- Homeownership AND hubby deployed

Man oh man. You know Murphy's Law. Of course we have our own Military Murphy's Law that we all are aware of. You know- everything breaks when your husband leaves. Well, that is currently what is going on in my world.

I had that leak a few months back and turned all the water off in my bathroom. Well, I had the plumber come yesterday and everything was fixed. Turned out to be my toilet seal- $100 and all fixed. I was THRILLED!!! So worried that it was going to be some major leak or something and dreading to find out reality.

Well- I was excited too soon. This morning my sump pump went out. After all night and morning of rain it decided it was done working for me. ( a sump pump is in the basement of some houses and removes the water from the foundation) Anyway- I went to go start laundry and saw some water. Hmmm I had the plumber here yesterday and I thought he fixed everything. great- he must have missed something--- right!

NOPE

Whole new problem. My sump pump stopped sending the water out  but it is still coming in and now all my lower drains are stopped and overflowing. Just fabulous!!  I start trying to self fix the issue. Power is on, breaker is good and the pump is just making a weird clicking sound. Oh wait- no time to try and fix the issue the water is coming and now overflowing in the bathroom next door.

I call the plumber and he is at another job but will get here as soon as possible.  Oh No!!  please be soon!!


I start bailing water. One pitcher at a time, up and down the stairs. I have to pour it outside since my drains are full. After 12 dumps the water looks the same. :-(

Plumber calls and is on his way- it had only been 20 minutes. THANK GOODNESS

He was wonderful- Started working fast right away and fixed the problem quickly. He could tell I was a little frazzled and was so nice.  So I now have a new sump pump, lots of towels to wash and a new bill on the way.

Honey- are you coming home yet????????

Recipe Swap!!!

HOW FUN!!   

Is having a Recipe Swap.  I LOVE recipes so here is one or two that I would like to share-- ENJOY!!

Easy Crab Cakes

1 cup boiling water
1 pkg stove top stuffing
3 eggs
2 cans crab meat
1/4 cup butter
1 lemon

Add boiling water to stuffing mix in large bowl. Stir until moist.  Let stand 5 minutes. Mix eggs and crab meat in separate bowl. Add crab meat mixture to stuffing. Melt butter in pan and shape crab meat into patties. Cook on med heat until lightly browned.

Marinated Cheese- SO SO yummy!! Serve this cheese over crackers to WOW your guests.

Block Cheddar Cheese
Block Cream Cheese- extremely cold. Set in freezer for a few minutes before cutting
-MARINADE-
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white or red wine vinegar
1 bottle diced pimento's (drained)
3tbs parsley
Garlic Cloves chopped or minced
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp basil

Mix together all marinade ingredients in a pourable container. MIX WELL and place in fridge.

Cut both cheeses in same size small rectangles. Place cheese in container alternating between the 2 slice into rows. cream cheese/cheddar/cream cheese/cheddar.........

Pour marinade over cheese and let sit in fridge for 2 hours. Serve with crackers.  :-)

We got orders to Italy!!

Ok- maybe we didn't!   WAIT- don't leave. I agree that was a mean thing to say just to get you to read this blog post BUT- I do need your help.

We got our available bases for our upcoming move in the spring. We have to pick 5 bases that we would like to go to. Not that they are 100% going to give us one of those choices- after all it is called a "dream sheet" for a reason. BUT- (yes, I know I say that a lot) we still want to pick 5 and dream about them .LOL

So, we have 4 picked out. They are Livorno, Italy; Aviano, Italy and 2 Ramstein jobs. That leaves us with one more choice- stateside. We are stuck between Eglin-FL, McGuire-NJ and Fairchild-WA.

Eglin- we were stationed at Hurlburt before this assignment so we know the area. Don't really need info, just want to compare.

McGuire- we visited for 5 days this March and really liked it. But- yes I said BUT- we weren't living there.

Fairchild- never been

So here is where I need your help. Have you actually been stationed at any of these bases?  I need   info and good info! I used to know of a website that wasn't military governed and people wrote there actual experiences but can't remember the site- do you know it? We have 2 kids so I am interested in high school and middle school info.


Thanks!!  :-)



Oh- and don't forget about -------->GROUPON   

Being a homeowner stinks!

UGH- my head hurts. I took a Motrin-800 and am hoping it takes away my pain. I also bought a box of  Milk Duds because I just needed a little bit of goodness in my day.

I haven't been sleeping well lately and I am sure that has to do with why my head hurts. So much on my mind lately. We got our base choices and are now picking our top 5 for our list. I am WAY excited about this. BUT that means it is time to sell the house again--DREADFUL!!

Have I mentioned I hate being a homeowner!! So not fun when you are in the military.

I had turned the water off for my bathroom sink 2 months ago because there was a leak. Yes- I know that doesn't fix it but I was hoping it would sustain it until hubby got home. Well, today I went in the laundry room (downstairs below my bathroom) and noticed a drip of water. I knew that when I looked up I wouldn't be happy.

I could have just kept my head down, turned off the light and walked away. That would have been wonderful and easy.

BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I know that is not the right thing to do so I DID look up. Bummer!! The leak is back and now I turned off all the water to my bathroom. So I am now on a mission to find a good plumber.

   

Head hanging down as I heave a heavy sigh with a sad face.

It is such a pain to find someone that you can trust to come into your home and hope they don't scam you and take you for all your money. I will have faith though and be diligent in finding one. Otherwise the problem is going to get worse and I don't want hubby's return to be filled with fix this and fix that. ( although I do have a list going- of course).

Anyways, I just couldn't seem to recover from the leak and headache so my day went down the toilet faster than the leak under it.

But I do have children and I must make a speedy recovery and put on my brave happy face-- insert smile here!

After all- tomorrow is a new day

Nothing Scheduled- Not good

WOW- I have nothing scheduled for the next several weekends.  This is not good. I thrive on being busy so the time passes quickly. Luckily- DH comes home next month so I really don't need to keep myself too busy anymore but still. Maybe I am just too used to being busy. I probably should just enjoy the weekend and relax for once. BUT- then time goes by so s-l-o-w.

I do have lots of paperwork type stuff I could do for the key spouse program and the spouse club.

BUT- I would love to just do nothing maybe all day. Not sure the last time I just became a couch potato and watched tv all day. Not even sure if I could do that- I probably would drive myself crazy just sitting there. Knowing there are things I could be doing.

Is it payday yet??? LOL  It always helps when we have money then we can do things. This paycheck went quick with school supplies and registration. Yes- I PAY for my kids to go to public school. It is so crazy. My son in 8th grade cost $92 and my daughter was $60 for 5th. That is just so they can go and sit in the classroom. It does not include supplies and yearbook. Plus, last year my son lost a book and we had to pay for the book again. No- they are not getting new books every year- they are using repeat books. I have no idea why we have to pay here. I have asked several people and nobody knows.

Ok- off to do nothing or something. LOL   Hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend.

Ten Commandments of a Military Spouse

During my Key Spouse training someone mentioned the "AF 101" handbook for Air Force spouses.

It is HERE

This is a FABULOUS handbook for any branch of the service even though it focuses on the Air Force.
By far my favorite part was the ten Commandments.

So here they are:

The Ten Commandments of a Military Spouse

1. Thou shalt not write in ink in thy address book.

2. Thou shalt not covet choice assignments.

3. Love thy neighbors from other branches of the service no matter how superior the Air Force may seem.

4. Honor all thy benefits for as long as they all shall live.

5. Be thou kind and gentle to retired, white-haired Commissary, Exchange, and Thrift Store customers, because someday thou too will be a retiree.

6. Thou shalt not threaten to, or kill thy children or spouse when your spouse is TDY or Deployed.

7. Thou shalt look for the best in every assignment even though the best may refer to “most childhood diseases in one year” or “record snow in one month’s time”.

8. Thou shalt remember all thy friends from all thy assignments with holiday greeting cards, for thou never knowest when thou may wish to spendeth the night with them while enroute to a new duty station.

9. Thou shalt not curse your spouse when s/he is TDY/Deployed during moving days, holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries.

10. Thou must never arrive at a new duty station and constantly speaketh about how much better thy last base was.


LOL  LOVE IT!!

 Which ones are you guilty of? I am definitely guilty of #10 BIG TIME- especially since I was in Florida before. #2 is big for me as well since I am awaiting our orders.

Next month- so weird

WOW- I can officially say that next month my hubby will be home!!

I CAN'T believe it.  I am so excited . It seems like it was forever ago that he left and now he is pretty close to being home. THANKFULLY!  I am so dying for one of his hugs.

It always seems like ti is going to be forever and so lllooooonnnngggg until they get home but all in all I am thankful for the short time he has been gone. He hasn't been gone for a year yet so I really can't complain---yet! lol

I know that keeping massively busy has helped the time fly. We have had such a busy summer and accomplished a lot.   Next week we get our base possibilities for our move and then we will have orders. Time is flying~~

Fun= Guilty

I always feel guilty when the kids and I are having a fun day. Yesterday we went to a theme park for the day. We are a big theme park family so it was weird not having hubby there. My daughter kept saying-"we need to come back here with dad". 

I feel sometimes like its not fair that we are having a good time while he is over there. I know it is silly but it still is a feeling I have. He loves us having good times and tells me to have fun BUT I still feel guilty. I hate for us to be laughing when he calls because I don't want him to feel like he is missing out and get sad. I always tell him we are only having 75% of fun. He completes our 100%.

I'm a silly girl with silly feelings. LOL  The key to this deployment has been to keep real busy but then we are doing so many things with out him that it kind of bums you out.  But then we have lots of things to look forward to doing together when he returns.

FREE welcome home banner

I just wanted to pass along this site for you all. I ordered my banner and am so anxious for it to get here. Several of my friends have ordered one and they said they are awesome! They are giving away free welcome home banners for troops. You can pick your size and completely customize it.

----------->Build a sign<--------------

Check out the website and get your free banner today. You do have to pay shipping but I think it is worth it.


 I have no affiliation with this site nor do I know anyone who works there. I receive no benefits from telling you about this I simply wanted to let you know. So please don't think this is a scam or something.

Time just went by me

WOW- summer goes by fast! Yes, I know- it's still summer.  I remember just several months ago thinking about my family coming to visit and all the things we will do.

Now they are gone and school registration starts soon.

WOW

My brother and niece left this week.  We had a great time and were able to see and do many things. But then it felt like we should still have time to do more things and hang out. I am sure it is because we were having such a good time and I really enjoy their company. It is so great to have family over and you can just be yourself and enjoy the little things. I was very fortunate that my mom, brother and niece all were able to come visit.

It's weird because I know now that Aug is right around the corner. Which brings us closer to our base availability list. Which brings us closer to hubby come home. Then that brings us closer to us having orders and then we are GONE!!

WOOHOO

I look forward to where we will be next summer and can't wait for another visit from family.

My daughter and niece

Send some cyber love to G.I. Joes Wife

So I was reading a blog post by Beka-another military wife who is going through some tuff times. Please head over to her blog and give her some words of encouragement!!!

Here is her post-----> True Life "Army Wives"

" Army Wives"

I don't know about you but it seems impossible to watch this show and not cry. I can't last any episode without breaking into tears.

That show is so great and spot on. Something about that show just makes me feel validated in how I feel and how proud I am of our life. I can relate so much and I am sure that is why it is so popular. It is great how realistic it is and not over the top ridiculous. Even though I am an Air Force wife it still is pretty much the same things.

You know your husband is deployed when....

  Diamonds and Dog Tags posted this list


1. You cook something one night and the leftovers are still there in the morning

2. You know how to fill out a "customs form"

3. You only shave your legs when you think someone might see them

4. You get excited about "unknown" phone numbers calling you

5. You've exhausted every idea you could ever have about what to put in a box.

6. Your fridge resembles a liquor store and you suddenly find yourself accumulating wine by the case load

7. You walk outside to get the mail and immediately run back in to get your cellphone

8. Your idea of "cooking" is microwaving a lean cuisine

9. You enjoy weekdays more than weekends because you don't like watching other families

10. You lose all concept of time and/or day of the week, all you know is "x-ish" number of days until he's home

11. You go to the bathroom, in the middle of the night, with the lights out, and the toilet seat is still down.

12. You feel like you're "married" to one or more of your friends

13. You see a couple kissing in the supermarket and immediatly run to the tools section to find a sledgehammer...

14. You find yourself standing eerily close to strange men on the street just because they're wearing cologne..and you haven't smelled cologne in a looong time.

15. You put a bag of trash on the porch and it's still there 3 weeks later

16. You know when the best time to go to the post office is

17. Your two major purchases each week are kleenexes and wine

18. You check your email every 15 minutes

19. You know what a "freedom 'stash" is...and secretly hate them.

20. You make friends with a bunch of strangers on the internet just because you're all going through the same thing ;)



                     The only one I don't know is #19. So if you know it then please tell me-LOL

I also would add

21. When listening to the radio you can change the channel quickly when you hear the first notes of certain songs that you KNOW will make you cry

22.You save messages he has left on the answering machine just to hear his voice at a later time

23.You think its funny when civilians complain about their husbands being gone for 3 days

24. You don't have to do laundry for 2 weeks- and that's with kids

And of course-- don't forget to check out     GROUPON  for great half price and more deals in your city.

Moving??

I am so excited!!!  We will finally be on the next move list. Our assignment possibilities are going to come out next month and I cannot wait to see whats available.

People always ask me how I can move so much but I LOVE IT!!  How boring it would be to me to live in the same place for so long and never see what else is out there. I am SO appreciative that we are able to move all over and experience so many things. When the kids don't like a place they know in 3 years they will be able to move and start over. When they do like a place and its hard to leave you are thankful for having the opportunity to be there and all the people you met.

I am hoping that we get orders to England, Hawaii, New Jersey, Italy or Arizona. Those are my top 5 places.

We will know in Oct.  I can barely wait!!!!!!!




Don't forget to check out some GREAT deals and ways to save some serious money at -------->GROUPON
We bought museum tickets for $4 that are normally $11. That makes it very affordable for our family to go. Plus the tickets usually have an expiration date several months away.

Amazing Blog Support

I just wanted to say that I think the blog world is AMAZING!!

Since starting this blog I have felt some awesome love, compassion, understanding, friendship and more. I am so thankful of all the support and being able to read other peoples stories.

I just wanted to thank everyone for all the wonderful love they have sent along the internet waves to me. It really has helped and made a difference. 

Great American Quotes

Just wanted to take the time to share some great quotes that I LOVE and hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th.

My patriotic heart beats red, white, and blue. ~Author Unknown

 

Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all!
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.
~John Dickinson

 

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

 

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. ~Thomas Paine

 

"A true soldier doesn't fight because he hates what's in front of him, but because he loves what's behind him."GK Chesterton

 

The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.–Douglas MacArthur

 

 

 

 

If I don't call don't get worried

That's what my husband said to me a while ago.

He let me know that if he didn't call for a few days to not be worried because he would be on a mission.

UM OK.

I worry even if he does call everyday. But today he didn't call. Ironically last night I was not able to sleep and tossed and turned all night. Plus my daughter couldn't go to sleep because she said she felt nervous. I told her there is nothing for her to be nervous about. This is all BEFORE he didn't call today.

So I have had a sad face today

I know he told me not to worry but that is not possible. I am always worried- I only take a break when he comes home.

Of course it is 4th of July weekend. I'm having another family over for some fun plus my brother and niece are here. So glad that I have been fortunate enough to have family here this summer. It has forced me to keep a strong face even when I felt it might not be possible. Today is that day. I went to TJ Max and saw the sign "keep calm and carry on" blaring in my face. I know God put it there for me to see. I'm trying my best and thank you God for the reminder.  :-)

This is for my hubby--

Thanks to:









for my blog award.

Wish you were here

Our daughter is playing on a traveling softball league this year. She has been playing rec ball for the past 2 years so we wanted to step it up this year and get more competitive. Last year her dad coached her team and they did awesome. This year she is on a traveling team that does lots of tournaments and she gets lots more play time and her dad is not here.

So bummed he is not able to be here and see her play and help coach her. She was used to his calm and positive coaching skills and now she gets a coach that yells a lot and says a lot of " great win but.....". The team has been improving greatly. It is wonderful to see them getting better on little things that need improving.

These past 2 weekends they played in the championship game for the tournaments. She plays 1st base and has turned out to be quite the hitter when she can get over her nerves. Her team won 2nd place both tournaments.  So wonderful considering how they played when we started.

He called during this last tournament and I was giving him some play by play info. It was great to let him know when it was happening what was going on. I take lots of pictures and videos but it just isn't the same.

Here is my daughters team with there medals.

SO PROUD!!

Win a BLOG Makeover and HUGE Oakley discounts

Just wanted to share a giveaway.  Head over to:









to check out her Blog Makeover giveaway.  :-)  Good Luck

Also, if you were not aware of it Oakley gives a HUGE discount to ilitary on a wide variety of products. Their website for this is HERE   The discount is so good you do have to prove you are military. They have some great boots and I bought replacement lenses for my Oakleys for only $20. Check it out.  :-)

Have you gotten your Groupon yet??????????

I am all about saving money. Well, there is this company where they send out AMAZING discounts on restaurants, museums and more. I just bought tickets to a museum near us that I have been wanting to see but the tickets are too pricey. They have a sale right now for $4 per ticket! That is so wonderful. You can only buy the deal of the day that day but they are wonderful.
Check them out here---------------------> GROUPON

SAY WHAT!! Flags on the ground!

My fabulous daughter had a softball tournament this weekend (like every weekend it seems ). Anyway, it was in a town about 30 minutes from ours. We arrived ready on a Friday night for some games. She played and won her first game so we didn't need to return until Saturday morning.

We arrived Saturday around 11 to the complex. The ball fields were beautiful with shaded bleachers and all. They decided to line the walkways with American flags. OK- that looks nice and all BUT and the is a big BUT --there were 2 that were lying on the ground. OMG this is of course not ok. So I pick them up and notice the sticks are broken. Not Cool!

I take the two flags and start to look for someone in charge. I find a women and  ask her if she knows the rules for flags.

She says " yes, these are our flags".

I said" I know, I just want to know if you know the rules for US flags. These were on the ground on the walkway".

She says  as she takes them from me " Yes- I do know the rules. The wind probably knocked them over".

I said" I don't think so because the sticks are all broken. I think they are getting trampled on because there are so many people here".

She walks away.

I go back and sit down.

OK- so, I can't stop thinking about our interaction. I start to feel bad because maybe I came across too strong. I wasn't trying to be mean or aggressive towards her but I am a LITTLE sensitive to the fact a flag is on the ground especially since my hubby is currently in Iraq. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!!

Anywho- part 2!!

I see her again and walk over to her to apologize for coming off too strong. As soon as she see's me she starts to walk away from me. So, I stop her and say-
" I wanted to apologize if I made you angry. I wasn't trying to be rude."
She says ok and starts to walk away.
I say "wait, please don't walk away. I am trying to apologize here because you seem upset."

She says " well, I am too busy to make sure the flags aren't on the ground".  AND WALKS AWAY!

Oh holey hell!!!  You have got to be kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!    I so wanted to go to her and just say a thing or 2 to her about what the flag means and if she can't watch them then don't put them there. They are not meant to be a decoration so that your complex looks nice. I was so furious. So I took a DEEEEEEEEP breath and calmed myself down. I know that she OBVIOUSLY does not truly know what that flag means. She has never felt that pride that military wives and husbands feel when they see that flag knowing their active duty spouse is overseas fighting for our country. She has never had her husband away in a foreign country in adverse conditions. She has never had to explain to a crying child why their daddy isn't there. She has never had to take care of the house, pets, kids, cars, bills...... and so on while her husband is gone.

Silly Civilians!!!  Some just don't get it.

So as we walked away that evening we picked up another flag on the ground and took it with us. SHAME on her!!!!

Respect The Flag
by Linda Todd
Respect the Flag and let it always be,
Enjoyed by all in the land of the free.
Soil not the Red - White - and - Blue,
Preserve the colors - oh so true.
Evidence of the Nation that we love,
Calling down a blessing from God above.
Treat our flag with tender loving care,
The privilege we have in America of prayer.
Hang it proudly for everyone to see,
Emotion when it flies always engulfs me.
Fly it high and fold it - oh so right,
Let it be preserved with care each night.
Always a symbol of freedom that was earned,
Gladly should it wave and never be burned . . .

My Hubby

Here's my hubby somewhere in Iraq.

 And the song that breaks it all down!!

BLOG HELP

Ok- So I have emailed the lady who did my blog 3 times and am not getting a response. Can someone tell me how do I separate my main post area from the sidebar area??  I don't want it separated just by the dotted line. I want it separated by space.  Also, on my scrolling marquee I cannot get it to scroll continuously. After the last blog it has a large space before it starts again.

ANY help would be SOOOOO aprpeciated. Thanks a bunch!!  :-)

I am trying to make a space between the sidebar and the main post area. Or just a wider space between the two so theya re not so close together.

Summer Fun (chaos)

Well, my mom and son left earlier this week. My mom was able to come out and visit for 5 weeks. It was great to have her around and the kids really enjoyed spending time with her. When she left my son went with her. He will be back in 4 weeks. WOW- that is a long time. I really missed him last night when I had to mow our backyard that is 10K sq ft. YIKES- talk about tiring. We have a self propelled mower so that helps big time.

So my daughter and I are keeping real busy with her softball. She is playing 5 days this week and that includes a tournament on Sat which will probably be 3 games. I love that it is keeping us busy so time goes by faster. My brother and niece are coming to stay with us for 4 weeks starting next week. I sure love having company over- plus my brother can mow the lawn. wink wink

After my spider incident I have been on alert. LOL  Last night I went into the garage to get my mowing shoes. I am always paranoid that something started living in them since the last time I wore them so I always step on them and bang them to make sure I have no new friends in them. As I was grabbing my shoes I saw a BIG BLACK thing. Oh No- It can't be!! YES- it was huge and REAL! UGH All I had near me was wasp spray. You know how wasp spray is- it shoots really far and hard. So I spray the spider and it gets shot across the floor. Luckily I think it was already dying from previous perimeter spray I had done. It was moving slow before I shot it with wasp spray. I grabbed the broom and swept it out of the garage. YUCK!! That thing shriveled up and got on his back. My daughter started freaking out when i told her to be careful.

Spider Paranoi In Full Affect!!

AAAAAHHH Spiders!!!

OMG  I thought I was going to die and my kids find me in the laundry room. I was doing the laundry- Like always- when I pulled a shirt out of the dryer. THAT is when my heart stopped beating!!!
This is what flew on my arm and then to the ground

I HATE SPIDERS!!  I remember our first deployment and towards the time when he was going to be coming home, due to weather changes, we started having lots of spiders in the house. Sometimes they would be crawling on our carpet and I would grab a coffee cup and place it over the spider. When he came home he had several cups with spiders in them waiting. again- I HATE SPIDERS!

So- after my heart stopped and I lost all sound- I realized it was my daughters plastic spider she got out of the candy machine. Well, I don't think I need to explain where that went next- THE GARBAGE!!

Spouse Conference

Today I went to my first ever Military Spouse Conference.  WOW- it was SO fun!! The conference started at 930 am and was over by 330pm. Before the conference started there was an information fair in the hallway. We were able to get information on the various things the base has to offer and get some freebies.

The conference started off with guest speaker Ellie Kay. She is a former Air Force spouse whose husband has since retired. She is also a financial consultant for Wal Mart and other places. She gave everyone a FREE copy of her book "Heroes at Home". She was a great speaker who talked about different aspects of the military life. Here website is HERE

During the conference we had 2 breakout sessions where there were 4 rooms to choose from. I went to the travel room and learned all about how to get discounted tickets and hotels through our base plus they gave us online military websites and phone numbers.

Here is what I learned today in my breakout sessions:

TRAVEL

call these numbers for installations near you to get lodging at a great rate
AF- 1-888-AF LODGE
Army- 800-GO ARMY1
Navy- 800 NAVY INN

Sandals and Beaches Resorts have the best deals for military. Their rates are usually 65% off.
Carnival has the best cruise discounts

Armed Forces Vacation Club offers weekly accommodations for $369 at over 3500 locations. You can call them at 800-724-9988 or visit AFVCLUB online. The fee is for 7 night condominium lodging for the condo NOT per person

COUPONS

A local mom who is not military came and talked to us about how she saves money. She had a receipt for $300 worth of groceries she bought for $15. You can find her in yahoo groups under couponsanddeals. She watches ads and uses triple and double coupons.


After the breakout sessions lunch was served. Outback donated chicken Caesar salads and their yummy wheat bread. For some lunch time entertainment 13 of us did a skit on the little black dress. It was tons of fun and the audience loved it.

After that we had a game show skit and our final speaker came out- Mollie Gross.

Me and Mollie

She is a comedian and a Marine Wife. She was hilarious. Very off the cuff and no holds barred. She talked about being a military wife and all the funa dn interesting things we go through. In out goody bag was a CD from her.

For Dessert they had set up a dessert bar. OMG It was yummy. They had lots of choices and it was a buffett- that could be real dangerous!!  :-)

Over all it was a GREAT day. Just what I needed to get me pumped up and remind me how special us military wives are.

CAUTION- I may cry at any moment

Oh goodness. I'm feeling so weak, emotionally drained, tired, frustrated,tense, sad...................



The list could go on. It's been just one of those days where I know I need to cry and let it out but I just keep hanging on. I feel so sad and lonely even though I am surrounded by family. I have all these emotions building up.

UGH  I hate that feeling. I wish I could just fly to hubby and get a quick rejuvenating hug to last me these last couple of months. My son is not helping with the stress part. He's 13 and a great kid but he can send me to the end in a flash.

Several times today I just wanted to cry for no reason. I keep busy so the days will go fast but maybe were too busy. I don't know- every time I think we are going good it doesn't of course change how much we miss him. Another hard thing is that my son is going to fly home when my mom does next week and spend 4 weeks there. I had planned that me and the kids would go but financially that is not going to happen. Plane tickets nowadays are so expensive plus to add the baggage fees. It's N-O-T gonna happen.  :-(

I love how they offer spouses of deployed members a free flight on  military aircraft anywhere---OVERSEAS! What- my family lives in the US. This does not help me. Apparently it is so that the airlines do not lose money from the spouses who do go home. Geesh! Give me a Space A flight that I can actually use and will boost mine and my children's morale.

Yesterday  I had to talk to my daughter's softball coach about something and I couldn't get through the conversation without crying. I hate showing weakness and people thinking I'm losing it.

So- on to other things (lol)  here is a great poem :

I AM A MILITARY WIFE

I am a military wife -- a member of that sisterhood of women who have had the
courage to watch their men go into battle, and the strength to survive until
their return.

Our sorority knows no rank, for we earn our membership with a marriage license,
traveling over miles, or over nations to begin a new life with our military
husbands.

Within days, we turn a barren, echoing building into a home, and though our
quarters are inevitably white-walled and unpapered, we decorate with the
treasures of our travels, for we shop the markets of the globe. Using hammer
and nail, we tack our pictures to the wall, and our roots to the floor as
firmly as if we had lived there for a lifetime. We hold a family together by
the bootstraps, and raise the best of "brats," instilling in them the motto,
"Home is togetherness," whether motel, or guest house, apartment or duplex.

As military wives we soon realize that the only good in "Good-bye" is the
"Hello again."

For as salesmen for freedom, our husbands are often on the road, at sea, or in
the sky, leaving us behind for a week, a month, an assignment. During
separations we guard the home front, existing until the homecoming. Unlike our
civilian counterparts, we measure time, not by years, but by tours -- married
at Knox, a baby born at Portsmouth, a special anniversary at Yorktown, a
promotion in McDill.

We plant trees, and never see them grow tall, work on projects completed long
after our departure, and enhance our community for the betterment of those who
come after us. We leave a part of ourselves at every stop. Through experience,
we have learned to pack a suitcase, a car or hold baggage, and live
indefinitely from the contents within: and though our fingers are sore from the
patches we have sewn, and the silver we have shined, our hands are always ready
to help those around us.

Women of peace, we pray for a world in harmony, for the flag that leads our
men into battle, will also blanket them in death. Yet we are an optimistic
group, thinking of the good, and forgetting the bad, cherishing yesterday,
while anticipating tomorrow.

Never rich by monetary standards, our hearts are overflowing with a wealth of
experiences common only to those united by the special tradition of military
life.

We pass on this legacy to every military bride, welcoming her with outstretched
arms, with love and friendship, from one sister to another, sharing in the
bounty of our unique, fulfilling military way of life.

Author Unknown

Summer Freebies

I LOVE free stuff!!!!!!  It makes me so happy to get free stuff and when I save money using coupons.  Just wanted to pass along these FREE things in case you didn't know about them.

Krispy Kreme gives FREE doughnuts for grades each semester. Have your kids bring in their report cards and they recieve1 free doughnut per A. Even if they are in elementary school and don't get actual A's they still get doughnuts.  This is not on their website but I have several friends who use this in different states.  :-)

Two free bowling games every day in the summer!  Kids Bowl Free lets you sign up your kids to get 2 free games EACH day in the summer. You can also buy a family pass for 5 adults for $24.95 to get 2 free games EVERY day as well. These people DO NOT need to be relatives. You can even sign up your babysitters. It is wonderful way to cool down and get out of the house.

Air Force DePLAYment pass. If you are an Air Force family with a member deployed or currently returned from a deployment you can go to FREE shows and other events through the base. Go to the website at My Air Force Life to check it out and then visit your Airman and Family Readiness Center to get the goods. We even received a FREE large soft cooler filled with goodies- camera, mouse pad, 2 puppets, 2 kids books and more.

FREE movies at Regal Theaters- They have free movies on certain days of the summer. Check out their site for all the info: ----->  Free Family Film Festival

AMC has movies but they are not free just $1. Can't beat that.  Plus they have cheaper kids combo packs for their summer movies. Check out their website:  --->  AMC

FREE Outdoor Film Festivals.  Have a picnic and enjoy the beautiful weather while you watch a movie. How fun!!  Check it out---> Free Outdoor Films

Free Book from Barnes and Noble. They offer a free book when your child reads 8. Visit their store to get the form and then turn it in before it expires to pick up the free book.

Well- that is all I can think of for now. Do you have any freebies to share????   :-)


Many Blessings

Military Life Survey

Well- I finished my Military Life Survey. It was interesting to say the least. I was glad to give my input but wish sometimes they would have more choices for answers. I left comments for them about older children of the deployed. Everything in the Air Force for supporting kids through deployment is geared for really young kids. I find it harder for them now when they are older rather then when they were little. It seems a little unbalanced as far as support goes in that area. My kids don't watch Sesame Street or Mr Po, nor do they use coloring books and those are what they have for kids to deal with deployments. The only older age thing is a writing kit that I have found.

We are signed up for the new DePLAYment and have been using that. So far we have gone to "Walking with the Dinosaurs" for free and are signed up to go to a wildlife center next month for free. They had "Star Wars" in concert as well but that was the day of my incentive flight and I was SO not going to miss that.

But- I am so appreciative of all the progress support has gone. I know that there is so much more support these days than there ever was for past wars.

I wanted to say a big THANKS to

Sarah @ Diary of a Navy Wife and

Elizabeth @ The Young Retiree

For giving me the following award:

Head on over to their blogs and check them out.  :-)

Many Blessings

Rainy BBQ

I had a BBQ at our house this past weekend. Of course it was a beautiful day BEFORE the BBQ. When it came time for the BBQ a storm rolled through and it rained and rained. I had rented 2 bounce houses from the base and we never got to use them.  :-(  Amazingly though- 27 people still came over. It was fun even though we were in the house. The kids went downstairs and played games while the adults chatted upstairs. When the rain paused the kiddos went outside and jumped on the trampoline and ran around having a blast.

It just goes to show that you can have fun no matter what.

Here is a picture my Mom took of the sunset. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!

The next day was a gorgeous day and would have been perfect for a BBQ. We still had the 2 bounce houses in the garage in the back of the truck. It ould have been great if we could have used them. My kids kept asking me to get them out BUT I knew I would never be able to get them back in the truck. They are SO heavy. Such a bummer. Hubby is always the one to take care of the bounce houses and it would have been so much fun to use them.  Our daughter was very dispointed that she didn't get good use out of them. I learned not to rent them unless I had someone to help me put them back. LOL

Into the groove

Well, I think I am at that part of deployments where I am into the groove. Kind of used to him being gone now and just living day by day. Trying not to really take the time to think about him being gone. I keep us pretty busy so that our days go by quick. Anything to help time fly. Our daughter is on a traveling softball team so she has tons of games.

Even though we keep busy it never fails that when night time comes it gets hard. I am sick of sleeping with an empty space next to me. Sometimes when he calls just his voice makes me cry. It's hard when I have a daughter who is real sensitive so I can't show in front of her that I am sad. I think I just kept letting it build up and then one day I lost it in the shower. Not a good thing.  I felt like I just needed a real good crying to let it out. Unfortunately I just couldn't get it out. I had lots of streaming tears but it was a weird feeling of knowing there was so much there but it wouldn't release itself. I just wanted it to be over with so I could move on.

On a good note- another month is down.  :-)

Skype/ Magic Jack/ Post Office Kit Questions Answered

I have been getting questions about Skype , Magic Jack and the free post office kit.

Magic Jack information is here:

Magic Jack

You can buy them at Best buy, Wal- Mart and other electronic places. We bought ours for $30 at Best Buy. It has been wonderful except for a small time when it didn't work
_________________________________________________________
Skype info is here:    SKYPE

You download the program from your computer and use it to video chat with a webcam, regular voice chat with no camera or just instant message. When we use skype we also can play games against each other. My daughter loves this- they play backgamon.
 _______________________________________________________
POST OFFICE


You can read what is included HERE

I received several boxes, huge roll of first class tape, mailing labels and customs forms. You can reorder by calling the number back and they will send more supplies. 

To obtain a free kit of shipping supplies, simply call the USPS' packing supplies order line at 1-800-610-8734 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-610-8734      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, select option #1 ("Express Mail, Priority Mail or Global Express Guaranteed products"), and ask a customer service agent for CAREKIT04 (or a "military kit"). You need supply only your name, address, and phone number, and they'll get a kit off to you that should arrive within 7-10 days. We've tried this service ourselves: it was easy to use, the USPS customer service agent we dealt with was courteous and efficient, and we were supplied with a customer ID number to expedite the process of ordering additional supplies. (This offer includes only packing materials — senders who use these materials still have to pay the requisite postage themselves.)

Skype/ Magic Jack update

Ok- so the Magic Jack is working again. With the Magic Jack he can call us for free from his computer. You set it up with a local US number and then he call any local number for free including cell phones.

We do have Skype but it is only free if you talk computer to computer. The monthly fee was if he wanted to call my cell phone.  So we have video chat and free calls to my cell phone.

Any ladies with deployments coming up- feel free to ask any questions.

You can also call the post office and get a free package kit with tape, boxes and labels to mail.

No, Freedom isn't free

When I think of Memorial Day I think about all those soldiers who have lost their lives. I really don't like it when people say Happy Memorial Day. I am not one who is ever happy about memorials and funerals. I guess with my husband deployed I think even more about what that means and could mean to me.

 History of Memorial Day:

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.
Local Observances Claim To Be First Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places. One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.
Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.
Official Birthplace Declared In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.
By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.
It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.


©Copyright 1981 by CDR Kelly Strong, USCG (Ret).

Watched an F-15 get refueled

OMG!!!  I cannot explain how awesome it was to watch an F-15 get refueled. WOW!

The base had a spouse incentive flight and I was able to go. I missed the first one and they rescheduled because they never got up in the air. So I was able to make the next one- thankfully. They had 4 F-15's scheduled to come and refuel from us while we watched from the boom area. We took turns taking tons of pictures and watching the action. I HIGHLY suggest you take the opportunity if it comes available to go on a spouse flight. You can ask around and maybe someone will set one up. A commanders wife set it up and asked if they could make it happen. They were happy to do it since they want the spouses to be excited about the Air Force so we encourage our hubby's to stay active.  Here are some of the photos that I took.  :-)

Before we got on. It was VERY windy

                                                    He's just hanging out waiting his turn

Video I took while the plane was leaving.