Remembering today. Cherish those you can hold close, be grateful for those who are serving today and honor those who have gone before them. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who are remembering someone on this Memorial Day.
Monthly Archives: May 2011
Life After Deployment. Homecoming, Honeymoon, Arguments?
Life after deployment
Homecomings are the best part of deployment. The build up alone can bring a smile to your face. Children make signs and talk about all the things they’ll do with their dad, women pay extra attention to appearance, and husbands count down the days till they hold their wives in their arms and sleep in their own beds. It’s a wonderful time filled with anticipation and happiness. But what happens after all the banners and streamers are taken down? You are thrown back into a life that you haven’t been apart of in months. Things are different. Children have grown, expectations have changed, and lives went on. I see so many people go through this transition period and it really is different for each family. I’d like to believe that my marriage is strong and that we handle this life pretty well together. But after all the honeymoon fireworks, I find that it takes work to keep our marriage “in shape”. Continue reading
Deployment Brain
Posting some older stuff : ) This is from 2009, but new to this blog.
Do you suffer from Deployment Brain?
Have you ever heard of having “Baby Brain” or a “Pregnancy Moment”? Recently a girlfriend that is due next month to have a beautiful baby Boy mentioned she forgot to do something and claimed “Baby Brain”.
This made me laugh out loud. Every mother knows that while you are pregnant you feel as if you have lost a few brain cells, especially if it is not your first pregnancy. So, I have come up with a new one, “Deployment Brain”. It’s the perfect excuse, err, reasoning behind some of the completely stupid things I do. I swear I’m not like this when my husband is home, but I am also glad that he isn’t here to tell me I’m wrong. Continue reading
4:45AM National Anthem. . .Happy Monday!
The National Anthem is a symbol of freedom and patriotism. You hear it at sporting events, memorials, special occasions and I heard it this morning at 4:45AM blaring from my husband’s iPhone. Why? Because he is evil. Ok, not *evil*…he is just starting his day off with a smile by making my eyes pop open and heart race. He could get up quietly, but I guess he was feeling a little mischievous this morning. Just hilarious. <–Sarcasm.
We have been together 12 years ( That’s like 50 in military years) and still we keep each other entertained. How are we still married and happy? We laugh. A lot. And when the National Anthem wakes me hours before my alarm goes off, I don’t throw my pillow at him. I roll over close my eyes, and fall back asleep smiling. How you ask? You have to. Just like how my husband can laugh at the fact that I bedazzled his collar device and nametags on his inspection coveralls knowing he puts them on in a dark bunkroom and wouldn’t notice it until someone pointed it out. 
What? Who doesn’t want to *sparkle*? Life is what you make of it, Happiness is a choice, and laughing is required. Have a great Monday!!
Friday Family Fun Night
Do you have rituals or traditions when it comes to your routine? We have tons when it comes to Holidays and events, but our biggest and “bestest” would be our Friday Family Fun Nights (FFFN). Every Friday when the kids get home from school, the backpacks are put up, clothes are changed into something comfortable and easy, and all work is set aside. This actually started during a deployment. I was trying to find little things for the kids to look forward to while Dad was away. These nights became once a week parties for us in our countdown to homecoming. 
It started with special dinners. I enjoy cooking and eating healthy and the kids are great about trying new and interesting foods, but lets face it, they are kids and what is more special than pizza, chicken nuggets, or anything else you can eat with your fingers?? Oh, and lets not forget things that come on a stick! So, I would let them pick from a choice of two or three things and then I would get things for ice cream sundaes or root beer floats! YUM! Continue reading
Still trying to find what works
For those of you that don’t know me, I’m very detail oriented. So, don’t be alarmed when you check in after this weekend and everything looks different. I’m still trying to figure out what works for me and how I want everything to look for you.
This means there is going to be changes and a lot of mumbled “descriptive” words while I mold this Blog into an extension of myself. This personality trait of mine is a blessing and a curse. I love organizing, but I’m always improving on it. I have trouble leaving things alone. I LOVE moving furniture around and re-decorating. I love change. (It’s like I was destined for military life) This has led to more than just one stubbed toe or bruised shin for my husband. I guess I should leave notes on the front door when he is about to walk into a dark house that’s been “re-arranged”. Oops. Continue reading
When does venting become whining?
Successes during Deployments
We’ve all been asked the question, “How is your deployment going?” And we have all taken a deep breath and started from the top of our “What Went Wrong List”.
The list can be pages long. We blame Murphy’s Law, the military, and even our husbands. My favorite debate to watch is when two women go back and forth about who had the worst deployment! They act as if there is a reward for the number of ER visits and broken appliances. And if you have heard a wife tell the same story again and again, you’ll notice that it can grow like a great big fish tale. I always feel as if I should be sitting and eating popcorn as the conversation goes from one to the other. It’s better than dinner theater. Continue reading
ME vs THE JIGGLE Day 9
Shhhh, don’t tell anyone I skipped Day 8. I am just starting to feel somewhat normal and it’s great. I got a pretty good workout in while cleaning and doing a little yard work. It feels good to be moving like that again. I am going to do 100 crunches and a few sets of arm exercises before I jump in the shower tonight. Tomorrow morning I start running again and I look forward to it! I need to make a good playlist for my runs. I’d love to know what songs everyone else works out to. If you have some favorites, please share!
ME vs THE JIGGLE (AND SINUS INFECTION) DAY 6 & 7
Yep, 6 (Mon) & 7 (Tues). Still sick, but the headache is improving. Tomorrow it’s back to some form of working out. Let’s just pray I don’t need a second round of antibiotics. Sheesh.
Washington or BUST (2010)
For new readers, a little catch up:
Here is how we ended up in Washington State. My husband was stationed here a year before we were able to rent our home out in GA and make the cross-country journey to be with him. It was the longest year…ever.
Washington or BUST
Ah, the chaos of Navy Life. My husband received orders for a “hot fill” job the last week of November 2009. He then moved 3000 miles across the country to Washington the second week of January 2010. Since we have school age children and own a house, I have stayed behind to sell the house and let the kids finish their school year. It sounded good when the husband and I sat down and talked about it one evening, but now I think we must have drank more than tea and coffee. Continue reading
