Choices.

Do you think there are ever moments in our lives where if we had done just one thing different, no matter how small, we wouldn't be where we are today?

Think about that.

Now do you believe that our lives are on the courses they're on because that's the way its always been planned? Maybe not destiny per say, but regardless of the decisions we've made, we are exactly where we're supposed to be? Even if we had taken the left fork of the road instead of the right, we'd still end up in the same place?

I've always had the mantra of "No Regrets!" because without every single one of the decisions and choices I've made, the people I've let into my life, I wouldn't be the person that I am right now. I've also been raised with the belief that our lives, our families, every obstacle that is thrown in our way, was CHOSEN by us, for us before we came down here to do the whole Earth thing.
 
I chose to lose my babies?
I chose to be raped?
I chose to not be able to have kids?

Most of the time, that is REALLY hard for me to reconcile myself to but I think deep down, I still believe it.

Back in the summer of 2009, Mr. Superman was gone at BMT and I was living with my parents in Arizona. I ended up having surgery and getting my gall bladder and appendix removed about 3 weeks before I was to drive the 17.5 hours from Gilbert, AZ to San Antonio, TX to attend his BMT graduation. While living with my parents and confined to the couch, I tried to acquaint myself with the military world. I read everything I could, blogged about my end of the BMT experience and posted his letters, discovered military blogs, joined military spouse forums and found a military spouse Facebook group that allowed you to connect with the significant others of the people that were also at BMT and would be graduating the same time as your loved one.

After weeding out the whiners and crazies, or so I thought, I began regular correspondence with 4 military wives whose spouses were going through BMT at the same time as Mr. Superman and who would all be graduating the same weekend as him. It was a HUGE relief to be able to talk with other wives that were going through all of the same emotions as I was and as his graduation drew closer, I got more and more excited to not only see my husband but to also meet these girls who seemed so nice and who had made this experience a tad easier.

Now at this time, I had never even heard any of the stereotypes regarding military wives and tales of infidelity, contract marriages, drama llamas and I had NO idea what a tag chaser was.

My good friend guest blogged for me a while back and actually inconspicuously shared her thoughts about this very thing. Drama Llamas and the very people involved in this story which you can read HERE. She says it perfectly. As new spouses to the military lifestyle, you develop friendships and trust very quickly despite the oft times shallow and superficial nature of the people in the relationship. 

Oh naivety. 

I think I just automatically assumed that other women going through this huge lifestyle change and transition just like me, would be sweet, kind, and full of pride and love for their husbands. Little did I know that one of these women would soon be a part of the most horrendous thing that has ever happened to me.

I made the long drive to San Antonio with a friend and the few days spent there were so much fun. Seeing Mr. Superman at the Airman's Run was a shock. That crazy kid had lost 35lbs and 4 1/2 inches off his waist! Watching his flight at the Coin Retreat Ceremony was the first time I experienced that overwhelming pride inside my chest. The sting of tears in my eyes, my heart beating and racing so fast I thought everyone around me could hear it, the smile so huge my face hurt. I've felt that same pride innumerable times since then and it has got to be one of the most incredible things that comes with this military lifestyle that I am SO grateful for. Being able to come down from the stands and search for my man was chaotic but the minute I saw him and got that first tight hug, everyone and everything disappeared.

In the course of all of the events that weekend, I was able to meet up with two of the four wives I had been corresponding with and it just so happened that one of them had a husband who was in Mr. Superman's Brother Flight. She was a bit young but seemed to love her husband and told me she couldn't stand to be away from her husband for another 3 months while he attended Tech School in Wichita Falls, TX so she was renting an apartment down there. I was a bit envious so without giving it a second thought, I jumped at her invitation to pay half the rent and come down there too.

See Mr. Superman every weekday for an hour or two and longer every weekend? Yes please! Plans were made for this girl to drive down to Wichita Falls and leave her belongings and car with a friend, get on a flight to Arizona where I would pick her up and she would drive with me from Arizona to where our husbands were. She made a point to let me know flying was never an issue because her mom was a flight attendant. Nice! After driving the 17.5 hours from Lackland AFB back to my parents house in Arizona, I packed everything up, picked up this new friend from the airport, loaded my car, and began the 24 hour drive to Shepard AFB.

Looking back now at my choices leading up to me being in Wichita Falls, TX on October 4, 2009, I view everything differently. Every single conversation, every single thought and nagging feeling. Certain things seem so clear and obvious now while others, I don't know if I'll ever truly understand. I told you that I have a hard time reconciling myself to the belief that before I left God, I chose to live this life I'm living. The hurdles placed in my path, the hardships I've faced, and the heartache I've felt... I chose all of it. Regardless of what you or I believe, none of us has the power to hit the rewind button or the delete button. The things that have happened to us, the things we have done, the years that we have behind us, they happened, they were, and that fact won't all of the sudden cease to be.

I was naive.
I was betrayed.
I was raped.
I was choked nearly to death.
I was humiliated.


“But the past cannot be changed, and we carry our choices with us, forward, into the unknown. We can only move on.”
― Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing

To read the other posts where I open up about my attack, they can be found on my 'I Am A Rape Survivor' page. 

How To Be The Perfect Wife

Him: Do you want to sort laundry before I go to the Post Office?
Me: Did you seriously just ask me if I wanted to sort laundry?

SILENCE

Him: Do you want to know why I just asked that?
Me: Hmm...
Him: Do you know how I know it needs to get done?

SILENCE

Him: Do you know what I wore to work yesterday?

SILENCE

Me: What?
Him: I had to wear an ABU top with A1C stripes on it. (He hasn't been an A1C for 6 months)
Me: Epic fail.
Him: Not on my part! Go sort laundry.
Me: Yes sir. In five minutes.

Sometimes I'm terrible at the whole domestic thing. I guess I just need to keep reminding myself of this.

Bahahaha!
Yeah right.

We Are Military Spouses

HAPPY MILITARY SPOUSE APPRECIATION DAY!! 

(Linking up to Riding The Roller Coaster and Household Six Diva)

We laugh, we cry, we live, we love, we breathe.  

We are military spouses.


We know how to mow the lawn, check the oil, and hang the Christmas lights. We know the importance of "Going With The Flow" and "No News Is Good News".

We are military spouses.

Our brains are like dictionaries for acronyms. BCT, OTS, OCS, ABU, ACU, BDU, TDY, MPF, BX, PX, PCS, BTZ, OPSEC, AKA, DEERS, AAFES, AWOL, DOD, CDC, CVR, JAG, MOS, BAH, FSA....

We are military spouses.

We text in military time. "Hey let's meet up at 1300 because I have to have dinner ready by 1800 so Loverface can get to bed and be up at 0500."

We are military spouses.

We may wear red shirts on Fridays, have a Blue Star Flag in our window, a bumper sticker on our car, and a yellow ribbon around our tree. Our hearts are connected to every other person like us and we cry for people we've never met. We feel an incalculable amount of love, respect, pain, and protectiveness over anyone wearing a Gold Star.

We are military spouses.

We know our spouses SSN's better than our own and could answer from a coma, "Last four?" We hate Murphy and laugh out loud when civilians ask us who this prick Murphy is. We say things like, "Dark o' Thirty" and "Hurry Up and Wait". We hate big black tough boxes, white buses, and C bags but when it comes down to it, we are just ready for our loved ones to leave so we can start counting down to their return.

We are military spouses.

Our marriages, our spouses, and even us ourselves are untruthfully slandered and unabashedly judged by everyone who has no right to do so. We are called "The Silent Ranks" because what we do day in and day out requires that we smother all of the things being said to us, about us, and bouncing around in our heads and stand there composed, calm, and collected. What you don't know is the outward display of grace and calm and dispassion is a facade. Its easier to hold our breath and have a smooth outward disposition when we are constantly waiting. Waiting for a phone call, waiting for orders, waiting for a letter, an email, an answer to a million and one prayers... It all requires a semblance of unflappable, quiescent serenity.

We are military spouses.

We've learned to laugh at things so we don't cry and shrug our shoulders at what we know we can't control. It is what is is and we are who we are and we've learned to be perfectly content with it all. Our best friends are often people whom we've never met and our strongest supporters are those who need to know we're there for them too.

We are military spouses.

They call us DEPENDENTS and tell us we're nothing without our SPONSORS but we know the truth. Those words are just titles assigned to us so we fit into the cubbies made for us. We also know if we had a dollar for every time we've heard, "You're just a dependent" then we'd be the rich people everyone thinks we are. We are often overlooked, over-shadowed, and crop up as an after-thought but the truth that resonates within each and every one of us lets us be fine with it all. Our silence is all too often mistook for acceptance, approval, and meek obedience but in reality we are the toughest, most stalwart and resilient people you'll ever meet. If you mess with our lovers, our families, or one of our fellow Milie's you'll be unlucky enough to see just how brawny and backwoods even the most city of us can really get.

We are military spouses.

We laugh because it helps us stay sane.
We cry because we are still human.
We live everyday to the fullest because we know how fragile our world is.
We love fearlessly with our hearts wide open.
And we breathe because sometimes its the only thing we have control over and that helps us have peace of mind enough to do it all again tomorrow.

We are military spouses.

MilSpouse Holiday Blog Swap 2011

(NOTE: The Swap doesn't go live until Midnight EST but my computer was too excited to wait)

Hey there Lovelies!! Merry Christmas! I am so excited to be participating in this year's

I jumped on that wagon as fast as I could! Be sure to head over to Riding the Roller Coaster's wonderful blog (or just click that adorable little button) to check out all of this year's participants and even if its just a few, go visit and leave them some comment love! 

Don't be a blog comment Scrooge otherwise you'll get some ghoulishly haunting visits from the Ghosts of Blog Comments Pas, Present, and Future. 

As for me, today my post for the Blog Swap can be found over at Faith & Deployments and lucky you, its a video blog! Go listen to me jabber on and on about our holiday traditions.

Now to the main event. I have the beautiful and wonderfully talented JG here sharing with us a little insight into her family's Christmas! 

One of my favorite things  about Christmas was always going over to my Grandma and Grandpa's  house. I have something like 60 cousins on that side of the family,  counting all of my cousins' kids. Not everyone gets to make it every  year, but it's the best day of the year, getting to see everyone who has  moved away and only gets to come back once or twice a year. Now, we're  one of them. We  don't do presents, really. The little kids get presents, 12 and under.  But before anyone can open any presents, we sing Christmas carols. Yes, we do.

this particular year was during an Oklahoma-style  blizzard, so it's a smaller crowd than  usual

Every year, we sit around my Grandparents' TV and pop in the old Mickey's  Christmas Sing-A-Long VHS in the VCR and sing along with the bouncing  Mickey head. It is by far my favorite 10 minutes of the whole season.  Everyone sings, the little kids and the parents and the grandparents.  And we've got a lot of talented people in my family, so it's actually a  quite enjoyable experience, with harmonies and embellishments. It's a  blast.

Then the video goes off and the kids say, "Let's open presents!" And my dad says,  "How about we sing the video one more time???" And they all yell, "NO!"  Every. Single. Year.

My Grandpa died a few years ago. My Grandma died in September. Christmas  won't be the same without my grandparents.

This year, we aren't meeting at their house. We're all still getting  together. We're going to do the sing-along. We're going to enjoy our  family. And we're probably going to talk about them a lot. I'm not  really sure what to expect, but I know we'll all miss them. And I know  it'll make them happy to know we're all together.

Sounds like a good time to me. Now get going on making the rounds! 

Merry Christmas Lovelies & Happy Holidays!

Because of Veterans: The Thing That Means The Most

Here I am, another military spouse, writing another post about Veteran's Day on my little old blog. There are a million things I could say, a couple dozen videos I could post, and quotes coming out the wazoo that I could share with you. Instead, I'll keep it fairly simple.

This Veteran's Day, I am even more grateful than usual that my very own veteran husband is home safe and sound on American soil.

No one can really, truly understand the sacrifices of veterans, except for them. I try my best as a wife to do what I can do, and that is show my gratitude. Honestly, that is the best thing in the world ANYONE can do.

No matter what your political affiliations and regardless of what your views on this decade long war are, the truth remains the same. You are here in America, able to align with the political party of your choice, maintain your points of view on issues, and support whatever and whomever you'd like, BECAUSE of veterans. You are able to sit at home, drive your car, read what you'd like, and watch what you'd like, BECAUSE of veterans. You are able to pierce and tattoo your body, cut and color your hair, and wear whatever clothes you choose, BECAUSE of veterans. You are able to protest on behalf of whichever cause you'd like and yell, kick, and scream to get people's attention for whatever reason, BECAUSE of veterans.

Veterans serve this country faithfully, unfailingly, and without complaint. They CHOOSE to serve because they know it has to be done and they step up. Veterans make everything we have, everything we do, and everything about this country POSSIBLE.

Its Veteran's Day so for this one day, why don't we do what we can do, and give them the thing that means most?

Our gratitude and thanks. 

Regardless of their age, when they served, or how long they served, they sacrificed for you, me, and millions of others they don't know. Many of these selfless individuals paid for our freedom with their lives. 

So say thank you. And trust me when k say that it means more than we can imagine.

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." ---Cynthia Ozick

A Way To Help

I know a huge part of this military blogging community has heard about, been affected by, and has been wondering how we can help and show our support to Jessica. If you missed her final blog post, it was a heart-wrenching farewell that threw those of us who read it into a panic, trying to locate her and find out if she was okay. A few hours later, MP's who had been contacted by several bloggers, let us know she had been found in the hospital, physically unharmed which let us know it had been a preset post. After the relief of discovering she was still alive, we all began to question what we could do as a community to show our love and support. In the last week or so we have all been updated through blog comments by Jessica's parents. Today I received an email from them and wanted to pass it along.

"To all the wonderful people who responded to Jessica on her "Misadventures of an Army WIfe" blog,

John and I want to thank all of you for the kind words you have posted on Jessica's blog.  Jessica is currently in the hospital for an unknown length of stay and will require continued therapy afterwards.  I was able to visit with her for about 1 1/2 hours on Thursday, 14 April, and she is starting to realize her actions last week as well as the events that led to her depression and suicide attempt.  I did print out all your comments from her blog and was able to give her a hard copy.

One of Jessica's friends had a great idea that John and I are following up on....an Easter Basket filled with notes and cards of encouragement, empathy, stories, understanding or good 'ole humor!  If we could be so bold to the virtual community, we would like to ask you to send your thoughts, notes, cards, etc. to the P.O. Box below that we have now established:

I will gather them into an Easter Basket of Cheer for Jessica this week to continue to let her know she is not alone nor are the events she experienced isolated to just her. 

Please do not send gifts or money....just your words of encouragement and prayers.

Please let the word spread.....

Thanks again to all you,

 --  From the parents of Jessica....John in NM and now Janein SC"

MilGirl Status With Semper Gumby... The Return of Sunshine!

Lovelies! Here we are again with another fabulous line up of guest bloggers to entertain you all while I am busy cleaning our new house from top to bottom, grocery shopping, and all of the ever-important mani/pedi, spray tan, waxing, and hair appointments in preparation for the big HOMECOMING!! I am so glad I have all of these wonderful Lovelies stepping in for me so I can focus on the important things not to mention so I can be sure to take breathers in between my anxiety attacks. So please be sure to show all of my wonderful Lovelies lots of love because they deserve it. I'm so happy to have Reina here tody. She's a dear friend. When we talked about what she wanted to write about, I was stoked because it hits home with me. Before Mr. Superman deployed I had felt very targeted on several occasion from other MilGirl's. I was told we had it so easy and didn't understand military life because we had never gone through a deployment. So thank you Reina for writing about this!!

MilGirl Status

You're a Miliie/MilGirl, you're proud of your guy for serving our country! Damn right you are! Have you wondered, though, that there are "types" of MilGirls out there.  Even if you don't necessarily think this way, there might be others around you, in your real world or in your bloggy world.  This isn't true of ALL MilGirls; I'm just identifying something that I've observed, a vibe that I've felt...

I've found that other MilGirls judge you based on whether or not your guy's been deployed. They judge you if YOU haven't survived a deployment with him.  They judge you that you're "only dating" a sailor. They judge you because you're a Coast Guard wife, the "other" military service. 

I am attending program for Social Work in hopes that someday, I can become a civilian military social worker.  I started an organization devoted to students at the school to be able to learn about military specific issues as related to social workers in the field.  I am clearly committed and passionate about the topic of serving military service members and military families. I'm also waiting to marry my Marine.

Unfortunately, from the early days of my relationship with Dave, I have struggled with the judgmental, condescending messages from other MilGirls.  No, he's never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.  He has deployed on other missions.  He has served his country honorably and he intends to do so again as an officer.  He has volunteered himself when volunteers were needed for relief missions such as Haiti.  Sometimes, you just don't get picked.

The thing is, though, that it's not about the Marine, or the Soldier, or the Sailor, or the Airman. It's about the larger mission. It's about America and the World. They play a vital part in the functioning of the machine so that those who are on the front lines can do their job. They are also the ones holding down the fort in other lonelier parts of the world.  So, to say that you haven't served as a service member or a family of that service member for their DAILY SACRIFICES, is ignorant and tragic.

Perhaps it's an insecurity on these MilGirls' parts that they feel superior to anybody whose man hasn't been deployed. Or, maybe they feel like they need to strut because they don't have anything else going for them but their service member that they're proud of (which is not to say that that's not something to be proud of...).  If you want to compare the effects of deployment vs. non-deployment, clearly, there are some significant levels of trauma that need to be accounted for; however, there are also significant changes in lifestyle that can also result in severe mood disorders that are manifested in the service member or the family. You're comparing apples to grapefruits, really. They're both fruit.

I think it's completely and utterly unnecessary to compare.  It's one thing to talk about your experiences through deployment or sharing stories, but those people who are being judged sure as heck don't feel like you are better than them.  Because, we're all Team America. We buy into all of it and in the end, we are on the same side. We cheer for our guys and gals. It doesn't matter what your service member is doing to serve his country, he's serving just the same.  We are all proud.

Reintegration With Wife on the Roller Coaster

Lovelies! Here we are again with another fabulous line up of guest bloggers to entertain you all while I am busy cleaning our new house from top to bottom, grocery shopping, and all of the ever-important mani/pedi, spray tan, waxing, and hair appointments in preparation for the big HOMECOMING!! I am so glad I have all of these wonderful Lovelies stepping in for me so I can focus on the important things not to mention so I can be sure to take breathers in between my anxiety attacks. So please be sure to show all of my wonderful Lovelies lots of love because they deserve it. Today we have celebrity status Wife from Riding the Roller Coaster. If you haven't heard of her and you are in the Milie world, I consider you crazy or living under an internet rock. She is one of my favorite bloggers of all time, a phenomenal writer, and a great friend.

Thank you so much Mrs. S for having me as a guest again!

Reintegrating Roller Coaster Style

We all know that sending our husbands off on a deployment is a huge adjustment. And most of us have learned that homecomings also involve a unique set of adaptations. Well it seems I have a knack for making those reintegration readjustments even more complicated by throwing my own personal life changes into the mix.

When my husband returned from his first deployment, my visions of romantic first kisses, cheek-numbing smiles, joy-filled tears, rib-breaking hugs, and repeated I love you’s all came true. As we cuddled in bed together that first night, I truly believed that everything would magically fall back into place and we’d pick up where we left off 6 months earlier. And I was crushed when that didn’t happen.

I kept telling myself that my husband wasn’t the same person he was when he left, that I didn’t know how to talk to him anymore. But somewhere along the line I realized that I wasn’t the same person either, that maybe he didn’t know how to talk to me. When the deployment started, I was a naïve new mom of a 6-month-old. I had just started my student teaching, only a semester away from graduating with my master’s degree. But by the time the deployment ended, my graduation had come and gone, and I was a stay-at-home mom with little adult interaction or intellectual stimulation. I was still trying
to adjust to my transition from full-time student to full-time Domestic Engineer when I suddenly had to learn how to be a full-time wife again. My life had completely changed since the last time I saw my husband.

Flash forward 6 years later to another deployment. This time around we were older and wiser. We both knew what to anticipate before, during, and after the deployment, and I dialed down my homecoming expectations. But I realized that once again, I was coping with another major transition in my own life that coincided with Mr. Roller Coaster’s reintegration. The first time around I was transitioning from student to full-time mom. This time, I was transitioning from full-time mom to working mom.

In a way, the timing couldn’t have been worse. I mean, this was a major lifestyle change for me, and I was doing it in the midst of reintegration when everyone was trying to figure out life as a family again. How was I supposed to reconnect with my husband when I was going through my own identity crisis? How would he feel returning to a wife who suddenly had a different schedule and different priorities than what he was used to?

But in a way, the timing was perfect. We had to get to know each other again anyway. Why not start the introductions with the new me? And I felt that being honest and opening up to Mr. Roller Coaster about my fears and anxieties toward joining the working world again helped to open up the lines of communication that had grown a little rusty during the deployment. Sometimes all you need is a simple conversation starter, and once the words start flowing, they take on a life of their own.

Readjusting to life after a deployment is always a bit tricky, regardless of whatever else may be going on in your life. Men and women have to learn how to be man and wife again after months of living apart. But with a little bit of time, a little bit of patience, and whole lot of humor, normal life does resume. And in the meantime, you get to fall in love with each other all over again.

Now I wonder what my next major life change will for the next deployment. Maybe best-selling author? (Hey a girl can dream right?)

Surviving Deployment on an Island With G.I. Joe's Wife

Lovelies! Here we are again with another fabulous line up of guest bloggers to entertain you all while I am busy cleaning our new house from top to bottom, grocery shopping, and all of the ever-important mani/pedi, spray tan, waxing, and hair appointments in preparation for the big HOMECOMING!! I am so glad I have all of these wonderful Lovelies stepping in for me so I can focus on the important things not to mention so I can be sure to take breathers in between my anxiety attacks. So please be sure to show all of my wonderful Lovelies lots of love because they deserve it. Today I have the beautiful Sarah from G.I. Joe's Wife. She and I have a lot in common and I just adore her. Her middle name happens to be my first name, she was born in England, and she lives in Hawaii. She's the bomb diggity so show her some lovin'.

Surviving Deployment on an Island

Just after we arrived in Hawaii last year, we were informed that my husband’s unit was deploying in a few months. Even though we’d heard rumors, the news was still shocking. How can it not be? What hurt me most was that the Army was taking him again. We’d been separated through BCT and most of AIT (which he’d just finished) and yet they were making him deploy for 12 months already...

When he left, I knew a total of 3 people on this island. Two were wives from Joe’s company. One of the company wives is a woman I’ve referred to on my blog as Annoying Wife. After a week I realized that her negativity was influencing me and I stopped responding to her 9 bazillion FB messages and texts. The other I just didn’t know how to contact. So, that left me with one friend on this island - Mrs. C.

Lucky for me, we’d met via email and phone calls before Joe and I even moved to Hawaii. Her hubby (also named Joe) was nice enough to help us out with some issues we were having before we PCSed. Once we got here, they picked us up and showed us around a bit. After my hubby deployed, Mrs. C helped me quite a bit. She came over and helped me make my house look like a home. We unpacked, through things away, hung up pictures and even locked ourselves out of the house. =) She watched me freak out when my Papa was put in the hospital and I didn’t have Joe here to lean on. She’s quite a friend, that one.

My bestie, Melissa, came to visit for my birthday during July. I don’t think I would have survived that week without her. She kept me really busy and having someone else in the house was very comforting. After she left, I suddenly had nothing to do. I had tons of time on my hands and too many thoughts in my head. As many of you Millies know, this is not a good thing!! At that point, I still didn’t have any kind of talking routine with Joe and I was still pretty concerned about Papa.

Before Joe had left, I decided that I’d volunteer on post. The job market here isn’t the greatest and, honestly, I wasn’t really sure I wanted to teach here. Plus, I’d heard they were already downsizing. No point in trying, really. Around the middle of July, I went to ACS. I wanted to help out there, but they were full. I was given a list of places that accepted volunteers. As I looked through it, I realized that there was a museum on post!

In an attempt to stay busy, I did several things: I decided I’d take on volunteering at the museum 3 days a week for 3 hours. It’s not much, but it breaks up the week and gives me something to look forward to. I also joined the spouses’ club on post, thanks to Chantal. Through her, I also met several
other spouses who have become my closest friends here. We don’t spend just a whole lot of time together, but it’s nice to have other people to talk to about deployment... Their husbands are “over there” with mine, just not in the same unit. I wound up becoming the company FRG’s co-leader as well. It wasn’t something I was thrilled about taking on, but it hasn’t been too bad yet. =)

As much as I try to keep myself busy, it’s still very hard being here alone. I have friends, I have “work,” and I have things to do around the house. It’s never the same though. My house is always empty except for the rare occasion when someone graces it with their presence.

The absolute hardest thing about being here is the lack of contact with friends and family back home. Hawaii is in a terrible time zone. Currently, I am 6 hours behind the east coast and 5 behind CT, where our families and friends live. Half a day. When I usually want to call someone, it’s already 8, 9, 10 at night their time. It makes communication really difficult. Plus, there’s the “out of sight out of mind” thing that happens when you don’t live in the circle. This is going to sound bitter, but it’s the truth. I’m often the last person in the family to know anything that’s going on. On my side, it’s because I’m just not there. On Joe’s it’s either because 1) I’m not there or 2) they’ve mentioned it to Joe and he either forgot or hadn’t talked to me in days. It’s hard to take when you’re used to being in the middle of everything.

I often feel very secluded here. In fact, I’m technically stuck on this island. I can’t go for a 3 hour drive and wind up in another state. I can’t pick up and go visit anyone without it costing $1000. Vice versa if someone needed to get to me. I think I would probably feel different about this place if I’d been able to
experience it with my other half. For the most part, I feel trapped and alone. Even if that isn’t the complete truth.

Despite the crapiness of the situation, I feel like I’m pretty well adjusted. I got out on my own and made friends. I started volunteering. I found a church home for us. I turned these white walls into something a little more colorful. I’ve learned my way around, for the most part. Deployment is an odd thing in itself, and it’s different for all of us.

At the end of the 4 to12 month deployments, all milspouses are the same: We just want our husbands safe in our arms, where they belong.

Military Wifey Survey

1. How long have you been a military wife? A little over two years!

2. What branch of service is your husband? Air Force

3. Active/Reserve? Active Duty

4. What is his job? Munitions Systems (AMMO) working Line D. IYAAYAS!!

5. How many deployments have you gone through? We are nearing the end of our first one.

6. Camo or Dress uniforms on your man? He looks good in both but I love cami's with the sleeves rolled and I love him in his Dress Blues but with the casual zip up jacket.

7. What do you like about being a military wife? Oh I don't know. I just love the military life. I am just so incredibly proud of being married to someone a part of this world. He's everything.

8. Do you live on base? Nah the base housing we qualify for is tiny and trashy. We love living off base.

9. What is your favorite base so far? We are currently at our first, Moody AFB. Its pretty good. Small but nice enough. We are just excited to see where this life takes us.

10. What is the hardest part of the military life? Always being put on hold, never being able to make concrete plans, long separations....

11. Do you go to the grocery store or Commissary? Um mostly Walmart but meat and produce bought at the Commissary.

12. Do you work or stay at home? I'm a house wife! We both love it this way.

13. Do you have a lot of military wife friends? Nope, my bloggy friends are my milspouse friends! I have a few Milie friends IRL but not a whole ton. Too many bad experiences with drama llamas.

14. Do you prefer Walmart or the BX/PX/NEX/MCX? Walmart for sure. Our BX is really small but shoot if we had on like at Lackland, it'd probably be opposite.

15. How did your husband propose? I proposed with a Taco Bell packet after a few months dating ;) Ha ha but really, he got on his knee in my parents foyer. I thought he was kidding until he held the ring out.

16. Did you marry him after he joined or before? Before. We always knew he'd enlist, it just all depended on when we felt the time was right.

17. How long have you been together? Since September 2006

18. Any kids? 3 angel babies

19. Any kids yet to come?  We pray for a miracle every day. There is nothing we want more.

20. Is your husband one of those "I am soldier hear me HOOAH" kind of guys? Ha ha not really. He's proud and he does his job but I am way more about the HUA than he is.

21. Have you ever done combatives with your husband? He says he has batter spouse syndrome from me. Bah!

22. How many bases have you lived at? This is his first duty station but I was at his Tech School base for 2 months.

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

24. Do you like military balls? I want to go to one so badly but Moody rarely does them. They did one right after he deployed so a lot of good that did us.

25. Where does your family live? All of my immediate and most of my extended live in Arizona. His family lives in Utah and a few other states.

26. What do you do for a job? Superwife! I watch kids every once in a while and getting ready to start school again :) 

27. Have you ever gotten in a fight with an NCO's wife? Nope. I steer clear of drama llamas.

28. Name one thing you do when your husband is gone. Ha! Mostly a whole lot of nothing. I do a ton of DIY projects with furniture, painting, I thrift more...

29. Do you think other wives do that too? I think most military spouses do what they can to stay busy and be productive every once in a while. If anything helps pass the time, its staying busy.

Over-Statements

I have been trying to mull this over for a while now. When I am irritated, tact and grace hardly ever come through my words and to say I'm irritated would be a gross minimization of what I'm feeling. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you may have seen me post this article that was published on Examiner.com and written by a military wife. You could have seen it posted by someone else you know as well because I alone had 15 fellow Milie's share it along with their disgust with this woman. What's so wrong with the article? Why am I so fired up?

I am all for freedom of speech and freedom of press, I am. This woman has every right to say what she wants but when she is sitting there blatantly attacking an entire community (and one I am proudly a part of) and is spouting off her negativity for anyone to see or read, you'd better believe I am going to get angry and speak my mind. Even more so when I know that everything that person is saying is false. Grossly over-stated.

We as a military spouse community try so hard to fight against the stereotypes we are ignorantly labeled with and then here is a wife doing nothing to help. I just had to respond.

"After I read your article, I was more in shock than anything else so I had to go take a peek at the woman behind the words.
 
'Debi Ketner, an award-winning military life columnist, has focused on military marriage as a writer in Norfolk for over 14 years. Married to a Navy senior chief, she's also the mother of five sons, one currently on active duty in the Armed Forces. Her articles on military marriage have been featured in Military Times and military websites in the past.'

All I can say is that I feel so sorry for you if you truly believe everything you wrote describing us fellow military wives. It is such a mound of negativity and then reading that you are described as 'an award-winning writer' who has been featured several times in many different online outlets expanded my worries even more to think about the amount of new military spouses and civilians you now have convinced of what you see as the truth. The majority of military spouses I know and have come in contact with, along with myself, try so very hard to dispel the common misconceptions and stereotypes that are widely believed and readily accepted about us all. For a fellow military wife to blatantly spout off negative rhetoric as if its factual is offensive and disappointing but even more so since you are in a position of power to get your ideas published and spread.

I can only hope that someday soon you are able to let go of whatever negative experiences you may have had in the past that poisoned your perception of military wives and the relationships we have with one another. Maybe you'll get lucky and you'll find a hell of a friend in a military spouse because I myself, have found some of the best friends in the world in the 2 years I've been able to call myself a military wife."

This is also the woman that published that article saying that a "vast amount of military couples partook in oral-sex pacts" with other couples while spouses were deployed. Yeah, that's her. I just honestly cannot understand what would make someone do that. She isn't making herself look any better, that's for sure. Thankfully, the majority of feedback she has received has been from fellow military spouses not holding back. I just hope this opens her eyes but I have a feeling she is loving all of the attention and will continue to pollute the internet with her negativity.

Final Salute

"War is hell, but that's not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead." 

 --Tim O'Brien

So a Milie friend of mine had this really heart-breaking photo posted on Facebook and I just had to do some research on it. After finding out all about it, I had to share it.

source

The night before the burial of her husband's body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of "Cat," and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept. "I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it," she said. "I think that's what he would have wanted."

There is an incredible gallery that is a collaboration of photo journalism that was printed back in 2005 and acknowledged and featured in 2006 on Digital Journalist. It's called Final Salute and all of the photos and their back-stories, as well as the piece written all about the photographer Todd Heisler and the reporter he worked with (Jim Sheeler) can be found HERE. I strongly suggest and encourage EVERYONE to go and read these stories and see these photos.

War is real. 

More real than most people recognize it to be. So please, never forget, never push it aside, and never, ever doubt the sacrifices that men and women are making every single day, for YOU.

 source

When 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac. During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as one of the most powerful in the process: "See the people in the windows? They'll sit right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what's going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought him home," he said. "They're going to remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They're going to remember bringing that Marine home. And they should."

source

On the tarmac at the Reno Airport, 23-year-old Katherine Cathey waits in a limousine next to an empty hearse, preparing to watch the arrival of her husband's casket. Five days earlier, she learned of her husband's death in Iraq. Two days later, she learned that her baby would be a boy.

From Civi to Millie

This was the post that Mrs. Gambizzle featured as a part of her fabulous


  

For those who missed it, here it is!

I was asked by Mrs. Gambizzle forever ago to do a post. She suggested I do a post about transitioning from civilian life to military life and I thought, “Oh, easy!” What am I thinking now? “Um, what was I thinking?!” I have also had more than a month to do this post and now I’m sitting here, nearly hyperventilating because not only do I adore her blog and I want to do it, along with all her other guest bloggers justice, but I am so stinkin’ new to the military life that I just don’t feel qualified. I also don’t think that the civilian to military or civi to millie transition is ever complete. There is always a new roadblock to get around, there is always a new burden to carry, there is always a new situation to navigate, there are always new orders, more deployments, new neighbors, new plans, oh scratch those plans, lets try something else…. There is always SOMETHING.

Mr. Superman and I had been married for a little over a year when we started getting feelings and promptings that we needed to look into the Air Force. It wasn’t the first time or even the second but all the other times, it just never felt right. We had recently moved to Utah and both gotten great jobs. A few weeks later, we both got laid off. We prayed and went to talk to a recruiter. He took the ASVAB, blew them all away with his score, and signed papers about a week and a half later. Making the announcement, jumping through hoops, not having things work out the first time, waiting, and finally getting in gave us our first tastes of the unknown, the frustration, the waiting and everything else that comes along with this military world. Shortly after everything was official and we were awaiting his leave dates is when we lost our Angel Baby #2. I was seriously terrified he was going to have to leave before I was healed, recovered, and okay. 

While Mr. Superman was at BMT we hit a few roadblocks. I had to have surgery which was no cakewalk without having my husband by my side. We also weren't one of those lucky couples who got a lot of phone calls and such. We had four phone calls over 9 weeks, two of which were less than two minutes. I would go weeks without letters and for someone brand new to the military life, living in a completely civilian world with no support system of fellow millies, it was really hard on me. Attending his BMT Graduation and spending time with him was absolutely incredible and one of my proudest moments. We had an incident that was semi Air Force related in October of last year that tested us as individuals and as a couple. It nearly broke us but we came out stronger and I daresay, better for it. We were assigned to our first duty station and arrived 2,000 miles away from everyone and everything we knew and loved in November 2009 and started our new life. 

Its been hard. Its been lonely. Its been aggravating, frustrating, and at times, down right depressing but you know what? Its been incredible. I have been doing this for and because of my husband. We are now in a new transition period. The transition of pre-deployment. It was unexpected and the way its come about has been a bit unfair but it is all a part of this life. This unpredictable, roller coaster ride of a life that we chose. Sure its tough. It is also so worth it. I'm already looking forward to our next transition. Next year, when I get to welcome my lovebug home from Afghanistan and we get to fall in love with each other all over again will be a fabulous time. It will be a uncharted waters and I'm prepared to get annoyed and overwhelmed but its a transition that will be amazing.

What It Means To Be An Air Force Wife (To Me)

I've actually been wanting to write a post like this for a while and Nicole and her fabulous Giveaway gave me the push I needed! Make sure you all go and check out Signs of Patriotism as well. Her handiwork is incredible.

What it means to be an Air Force wife, to me, encompasses so many different attributes, emotions, feelings, responsibilities, fears, expectations, and aspirations that it is nearly impossible difficult to put it into words. Let me re-phrase that. It is difficult to put the precise and exact way it all feels and is, into words in a way that doesn't leave anything amiss or misconstrued or misunderstood. That said, I will still attempt it.

The Air Force used to feel like this mysterious and obscure entity. Something I knew about, appreciated (looking back now, my 'appreciation' level is laughable), but it was separate. Separate from me, my husband, our lives, and our future. Seeing my world now, and how utterly blessed and enriched it has become in just a short year, leaves me scratching my head in wonder as to how we ever existed outside of this glorious (and aggravating) military (read: Air Force) world.

For me, being an Air Force wife means representing my husband in an honorable, brave, classy, and strong way. It means being able to carry on conversations about everyone else who works in the bomb dump, who is on leave, who is deploying, returning from or heading to Korea. It means being able to know who is new in Line D. It means knowing how dispatch works, the difference between chaff and flare, bombs, rockets, air to air missiles, and air to ground missiles. It means always being aware of when the A-10's will be night flying and being able to know whether or not it truly is a thunderstorm shaking my house or just the jets. It means being able to differentiate the planes by how they sound flying over my house and being pretty good at guessing where they must be visiting from. It means knowing the gate guards shifts and whether or not my "favorites" are on duty.

Being an Air Force wife means switching my sleep schedule to match that of my husband's so as to get as much time together as possible, helping prep his Dress Blues (holding the ruler and telling him whether or not things look centered), and lint rolling him from top to bottom. It means checking in on him to see how his CDC's are going and offering relentlessly to help him study. It means giving him weekly head shaves. It means making cookies, cupcakes, and other treats for his shop. It means praising the littlest bit of improvement in something or an opportunity to get training for something else, even if it does lessen our "home" time together.

It means living 2,000 miles away from our families, friends, and everything familiar. It means days, nights, weeks, and months of loneliness. It means being overwhelmed and not being able to explain why. It means having so many plans and dreams but also knowing that making plans is a little idiotic because there is no guarantee you'll ever be able to follow through with them. It means my cell phone is an appendage to my body and willingness to walk out of church (gasp!) when it goes off.

Being an Air Force wife means keeping his ABU's clean and hung up, his flight line badges, ear plugs, and ipod/headphones all together so its easier for him to get ready for work. It means being prepared for the worst but readily (duh) accepting the best. It means finding numbered stickers all over everything we own and aspiring to be able to do  DIY PCS but realizing I'll probably never be that brave. It means facing the possibility and eventual reality of many separations, TDY's, deployments, and PCS's. It means hurry up and wait and nothing is for certain. It means we have a steady income, a roof over our head, and food on our table. 

It means tearing up when 'God Bless the USA', 'Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue', 'Letters From Home', and any other slightly patriotic (and chances are country) song. It means having a fabulous network and support system of other military spouses, from all branches, and creating unbreakable bonds with women I have never met. It means my body physically hurting and my heart aching when I hear of another fallen soldier or wounded warrior. Another ultimate sacrifice, another broken family, another pain-filled journey ahead of fatherless children and another widow getting a folded flag. Another Gold Star family. It means being HUA (Hooah, Oorah, Hooyah) through and through. It means immense pride when I see my Airman jump to attention and salute. It means butterflies in my tummy when I see him swagger through a crowd of camo.

Being an Air Force wife, to me, is everything. It is indistinguishable from who I am and who I will continue to be throughout his entire career. Being an Air Force wife is a blessing, a gift, an honor, and it's something I wouldn't trade it for anything in the entire world.

Are You HUA?

Note: I know many of you may have already read this last Friday from when it was a guest blogging post for the fabulous Mrs. Sergeant. I wanted to share it here on my blog as well. Enjoy!

Are you HUA? I am. It gets a little ridiculous at times. What is HUA? Don't fret! I, Mrs. S, am here to help you.

HUA actually stands for Hear(d), Understand(stood), Acknowledge(d) and is a backronym to Hooah. Hooah originated as a battle war-cry used by American soldiers. It stands for anything in the affirmative.  It is a saying used by the Air Force while the Army employs Hooah, the Marines use Oorah, and the Navy uses Hooyah. Huzzah is also sometimes used. Despite all differing slightly from each other,  all of these are terms of confirmation, affirmation, agreement, acknowledgment, pride, and enthusiasm.

All of these terms can be traced throughout history and their influence in Hollywood's view of the military. Al Pacino, Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, The Manchurian Candidate, Black Hawk Down, Lions For Lambs, Jericho Road, Transformers, The Green Zone, America's Army, Crysis, Call of Duty, and many many more actors, movies, television shows, computer games, and video games employ HUA (Hooah, Oorah, Hooyah) to demonstrate and depict the Armed Forces. 

For me, I didn't really know, let alone understand or care about the meanings of such words up until about a year ago. Before Mr. Superman enlisted, I was clueless to all things military. Even after he had signed his life away, I was ignorant. Even after he signed his "official" contract and had left for BMT, I was lost in this wonderful world of camo and acronyms. It wasn't until traveling to and attending his BMT Graduation that I started to get that loving HUA feeling. It was those moments of hearing the cadences during the Airman's Run, seeing him march in formation in his Dress Blues and recite the Airman's Oath that my heart began to swell with this new feeling of incomprehensible joy and pride.

Now don't get me wrong, I have always been patriotic. I have always stood for The National Anthem, placed my hand over my heart, and sang along. I attended an elementary school, junior high school, and high school that based their curriculum on the Founding Father's teachings and standards. My uniform consisted of red, white, and blue polo's, we memorized the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and had the opportunity to go to the State Senate to debate. In light of my patriotic upbringing and education, none of these things even compare to what I consider to be my HUA pride.

When I see a rolling wave of ABU's, my heart flutters. I am HUA. When I can recognize my Airman strutting amongst countless other Airmen, all decked in camo, my heart nearly leaps out of my chest. I am HUA. When I see my Airman jump to attention and salute, it gives me butterflies. I am HUA. When I am doing laundry, and it comes to the part where I'm hanging up his uniform, I often find myself running my fingers over his name stitched across the chest and the stripes stitched on his sleeves. I am HUA. When I see his boots on the floor, I don't move them. I like seeing them there in plain site. I am HUA. I cry at nearly every photo I see of our troops and my heart gets unbelievably heavy when I hear of another fallen soldier. Another man or woman paying the ultimate price and making the ultimate sacrifice leaving behind yet another family to pick of the pieces of their shattered world. I am HUA. I cry at any slightly patriotic song and get giddy over fabulous American style photos and decor. I am HUA.

I feel inexplicably connected to every single person associated with the military. I have made incredible friends through the internet (and a few in real life) because of the fact that I am an Air Force wife.  Its barely been a year since my life changed and I, along with (and essentially because of) my Airman became a part of something bigger. Its only been a year but it feels like its been a part of me forever. The patriotic pride I had before finding myself as part of the military family seems absolutely miniscule compared to the appreciation and enthusiasm I have now. The only way I can explain it is I am HUA.

So let me ask you again. Are you HUA?

 

Linking Up My Lovelies

Note: The pages will be up soon! Be sure that if you are wanting to be linked up, that you become a follower so I can stalk keep tabs on be your blog friend too!

I know a lot of you have used my Lovelies link lists located on the right hand side bar to find other fabulous MilSpouses to network with and befriend. The lists have gotten pretty long and its gotten to the point that they are a bit overwhelming to the blog.

I have been struggling to figure out an alternative. I had an aha moment about 3 weeks ago and am just now finding the time to sit down and set the new pages up. In the next couple days, you will see blog posts titled United States Air Force Lovelies, United States Army Lovelies, United States Marine Corps Lovelies, and United States Navy Lovelies. Each post will be equipped with the current link lists. Be sure that if yours is incorrect or not listed, that you leave a comment on your branches' Lovelies post and make me aware of it!

When I'm all done the pin up pictures of the Lovelies will still be on my right hand side bar and when clicked, will take you to that specified Lovelies page to view the link list. Phew! Any questions or comments be sure to let me know!

MilSpouse Friday Fill In

I ran across this fabulous new weekly meme over at Riding the Rollercoaster's blog (check her out she is amazing!) and got it from the creator Wife of a Sailor. Seriously great idea! Fill in your answers then head back over to Wife of a Sailor's page to link up and discover even more fantastic MilSpouses (and significant others!)

1. How did you and your spouse/significant other meet?

This is a LONG story but if you want to read my shortshort version, go HERE. Its answered in my Dear Mrs. S. page. Let's just say I was a bit of a hooker lady (Mr. Superman says dirty pirate hooker) and was dating his roommate. I use the term dating loosely but yeah... I'll just leave it at that.

2. What is the best thing about being a MilSpouse?

The support! Seriously the support group I have surrounded myself with is PHENOMENAL! Not to mention being married to a man who serves selflessly to protect our country and those unable to protect themselves makes me incredibly proud. 

3. What is the hardest thing about being a MilSpouse?

The loneliness. The heartbreaking silence and overwhelming sense of "alone".

4. What is your favorite dish?

Oh man anything Italian. Cheesey, pasta-y, sauce-y dishes with way too many carbs feed my soul. I also LOVE guacamole and some good Mexican food as well as Asian and Thai!

5. If you could change one thing in this world, what would it be?   

Hypocrisy. I think a vast majority of the worlds issues would be resolved if there was no hypocrisy. No hatred, no judgments, no war... Think of the possibilities.

Three Fabulous Things in One!

First off, I have some insider info on something absolutely fantastic! Lindsay, the saint who designed my layout a couple weeks back, is having a terrific deal on blog designs. She is great to work with! She's having a deal on 5 different layouts at 50$ each. That's a steal! Go HERE to check it out :)

Also, I have found some great new MilSpouse blogs in the last couple of days. One of these fantastic women is Mrs. Top Gun. Her and her hubbs, Mr. Top Gun, have a great love story and I cannot wait to get to know her better! You should seriously go HERE to see all her fabulosity for yourself.

Alright lovelies, I gotta head out for school real quick but be sure to keep up on my 30 Day Meme posts and if you are new to the blog or just a little behind on reading, make sure to read my responses to all of my readers terrific questions at Questions For Mrs. S. PART 1, PART 2, and the brand new and freshly posted PART 3!

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!!!

Oh I am in such a good mood! I love that we as spouses and families (GF too!) are acknowledged and on a National level no less! So here's to you all my fellow women. The bond between us is indescribable and erasable. Even though I haven't met many of you, I have grown to love you! Straight up.

Mr. Obama and I never see eye to eye, and I mean never but this is from him.

Presidential Proclamation–Military Spouse Appreciation Day
By The White House on 05/07/2010 – 7:24 am PDT

A PROCLAMATION:

"When Americans answer the call to serve in our Armed Forces, a sacred trust is forged.  Our men and women in uniform take on the duty of protecting us all, and their spouses and families also help shoulder this important responsibility.  As we mark Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to supporting and honoring the husbands, wives, and loved ones of our Nation’s servicemembers.

At the heart of our Armed Forces, servicemembers’ spouses keep our military families on track.  They balance family life, military life, and their careers all while supporting other military families and giving back to their communities.  Many have served in uniform themselves and, understanding the obligations involved, can provide unparalleled support.  They are pillars of strength in their families, often celebrating their children’s life milestones while the other parent is away.

Military spouses also care for our wounded warriors and honor the memory of our Nation’s fallen heroes, including their own loved ones.  They impact countless lives on military bases and in schools, places of worship, and neighborhoods across our Nation.  Their contributions help protect our freedom by strengthening our communities and our servicemembers.

My Administration is committed to improving opportunities and quality of life for these brave spouses and families who know the separation and stress of war.  We are increasing servicemembers’ compensation as well as funding for better housing, job training, counseling, outreach, and support for spouses and their families.  We are also expanding our ground forces to reduce the strain of repeated deployments, and to give servicemembers more time with their loved ones.

There are many ways for each of us to show our appreciation for military spouses.  Working through community based organizations, workplaces, schools, and places of worship, we can help them support their families, establish or build a career, and address the unique challenges they face.

I am inspired every day by our men and women in uniform and their families.  They are America’s greatest military asset, and my Administration is committed to fulfilling our obligations to them. Today, let us honor the spouses and families who support our servicemembers and, in doing so, help defend our Nation and preserve our liberty.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARRACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 7, 2010, as Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to honor military spouses with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA"

Why thank you Mr. President.

MilSpouse Blog Hop

I'm sorry I didn't do my Thursday Five yesterday. I also missed Kindred Connection but this week was just a very off week. I'm also not doing my normal BLOG LINK PARTY but am opting to go with a MilSpouse one. It sounded like fun okay? I found it over at

Chelle's, or A Muddy Paw's, or It's a Hooah Life

Yes, she is all one person. She found it from

Julie the Army wife at Riding the Roller Coaster

who happens to be hosting this glorious bit of Friday fun. To join up and read the rules go check it out for yourself.

My name is Mrs. S. It's not my real name but it's what Mr. Superman decided to call me. Mr. Superman is my hub-a-lub. We met in a trailer park after his roommate (whom I was dating) introduced us. After weeks of woo'ing (on my part), I convinced him to come be my loverface and we've been inseparable and madly in love ever since. He's tall, skinny, and bald but I like it that way. He pretends to be embarrassed about being bald at 22 but I kindly remind him that him with hair, was never a good thing. I am tall, roundish bodaciously curvy, and we won't even go into MY hair because it'd take a few years. 

Mr. Superman is active duty in the United States Air Force and loves it. He is an AMMO man currently but has high aspirations of being a Captain before retirement. He's quite literally a genius. He can solve any problem placed in front of him without so much as breaking a sweat. I'm a major word nerd. As my hub-a-lub so kindly pointed out the other day when I was disputing this fact, "People call you from 2,000 miles away for help on their college English assignments." Okay I'll claim it, fine. He enjoys football, dirtbikes, Mythbusters, heat, and cars. I like basketball, pursesclothesshoes, cold, blogging, and cars. For the most part we are complete opposites but we like it that way. It makes things more interesting. 

We are parents to two beautiful angel babies that we dream of meeting one day but for now are holding onto our hopes of being adoptive parents. Mr. Superman is a very easy-going, go with the flow, chillaxin' kind of dude. I am a plan it all out, there is a certain way to do it, OCD cleaning queen. We are so grateful and proud to be a part of the blessing and honor that is the Military Family and try to show that to others. We've been taken from the Wild West and transplanted into the Dirty South. Its taking some getting used to but we're doing it our way. We are two crazy 22 year old kids making our way through life, come what may and love it. We are Mr. Superman & Mrs. S.

♥ Mrs. S.