The Ramblings of a Marine Wife

Focus on the Good!

2012-02-10T09:07:00.000-06:00

This week has been crappy, but I can't let it get me down!

So, let's focus on the good.

I had dinner out with two lovely pregnant ladies tonight.

Sure the kids were bad, but it was still nice to see them and have adult conversations.

And cake.

I had chocolate cake.

Tomorrow night is pizza and movies with another friend and her kids.

4 kids under the age of 6 and all the movies will be geared towards them, but we'll have fun.

I've got times set up next week to meet potential sitters.

I have a daytime sitter and she does watch the kids occasionally at night or on the weekends, but she has a family too and I hate asking her to help me out all the time. They also might be PCSing in April, so I need someone else anyways. I've tried the CDC route since I get so many free hours a week because hubby is deployed. I've been calling for over 2 months and they never have anything available. A new CDC opened a couple weeks ago and they still don't have any hourly care spots open. Ridiculous. I was mad earlier this week, but now I'm over it and will find another option.

Hubby and I have talked about things we want to do when he gets back.

Like get our certification in scuba diving and travel.

I'm cheap and don't want to pay for plane tickets, so anywhere we can easily Space-A.

How about Seoul?

Or maybe Tokyo?

Taiwan is 1.5 hours away by plane. Closer than Japan. Tickets aren't too bad either.

These cities all look alike don't they? And why do they all have big towers that are tourist attractions?

Come April, I'll be able to wear cute summer dresses again!

I've been doing some wishlist adding lately.

Hubby's truck is almost paid off!

I happened to see the remaining balance tonight and I got excited. We could actually pay it off now, but I'm not going to. It'll be paid off in a few months and then we'll have no car payments!!

I was so upset about Little Missy breaking my Magic Jack. Someone told me to get ahold of their customer service and, bless internet chat, I did. They are sending me a replacement and I get to keep my number. It cost me $20, but well worth it. Especially since we just renewed it for another year.

Song Link Up!

2012-02-09T01:20:00.001-06:00

It's Thursday and time for another song link-up!

Head over to Goodnight Moon to link your song.

She posted about their wedding anniversary this weekend,

so I have to post about mine too.

Our anniversary is Monday.

We don't really have a song,

but I've declared this to be our song.

If you know us, the first few lines of the song sums it up

(and we totally love Stoney Larue).

I remember when I met you, big city boy small town blues
This town seems so small to me well I was used to the blvd
When I saw you I fell so hard now I never want to leave
Girl I’m here forever

When hubby got stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, he hated it.

He's from California.

He hated the midwest and it made it harder that there isn't much to do at FLW.

He had that attitude when we met.

I'm a small town girl from the midwest.

We come from two totally different worlds, but it worked.

Deployment Slump

2012-02-08T06:46:00.000-06:00

I'm finally to the point where I need a break from my kids. We are almost halfway through this deployment, so I actually think I'm doing pretty good.

I stayed up late last night to make a couple phone calls to businesses in the states. The time change can really screw that up. You have to stay up till 11 or 12, just to call someone. At 10:45 last night, I picked up the phone to make a call and had no dial tone. After messing with it a bit, I realized my lovely daughter had broke my Magic Jack. If you aren't familiar with it, Magic Jack is this little box that plugs into a USB port on one end and your phone on the other. Like magic (hence the name!), you can call anyone. I can use my house phone and call anyone in the states since we have a stateside number. Little Missy managed to break off the part that goes in the computer from the rest of it. I cried. I broke down and cried. My first thought was how was my husband going to call me? Who cares about needing to call the student loan company that had been calling at all hours of the night/morning, leaving obscure messages about who knows what. How was my husband going to call me? I went to bed and bawled. I was upset about the phone and for some reason, I was mad that I couldn't sleep in. I set my alarm for 6:15 the next morning and burst into tears. At that moment, all I wanted was to sleep in. My kids don't sleep in, so I can't sleep in.

All was better today. I went to the office and the kids were at school/babysitter. Same thing tonight again. I just wanted to watch NCIS. They both kept talking. Loudly. Someone was on my lap, with a bucket on her head, blocking my view. No one wanted to go to bed. One got up to ask me if we were going to dye Easter eggs. Then again to inform me that he liked the stuffed animals at his dad's house better. The other one kept getting up and asking for a cookie. I kept saying no, so she just started sneaking in to steal cookies. Don't they know that from 8:00 on, is my time? My me time?

A friend called then to ask me a plumbing question having to do with her toilet. She has a 2 and a 4 year old. Her husband left last week and will be gone for the next three months. We cheered each other back up, so all is good again. I could just really use a day to myself. Many days, I want to clean the house in silence, by myself. Maybe read, watch a movie, anything. I only have a daytime sitter and I only use her when I actually have stuff to do. It's the little things, you know?

Days like these, I count the days till he gets back.

More Parks! I Love Parks!!!

2012-02-07T05:36:00.000-06:00

Sunday was so gorgeous, I decided to take the kids to more new parks.

Like all the rest, these didn't disappoint!

Yes, I know that it's weird to blog about parks, but I just can't get over how much more fun they are here!

The first park we went to was one big tree house.

The kids loved it, but someone had an accident and we had to leave.

We went home, changed Little Missy's clothes and headed to the next park.

We had driven by this one when we went to the best roller slide ever.

This one also had a smaller roller slide, but it was a great slide!

The zipline made the park though.

The kids were too chicken, so old Mom had to demonstrate first!

These finished off my list of parks, but a friend just posted pics of her kids and at park I've never seen.

The park posts will continue.

Featured Post

2012-02-06T15:59:00.000-06:00

Go check me out!

I'm featured on Handling with Grace's Military Monday!

Cherry Blossom Festivals

2012-02-06T05:35:00.004-06:00

Saturday, the kids and I drove up north to catch the last of the cherry blossom festivals.

Is it weird that it's warm enough here they start blooming in late January?

Not all of the trees are in full bloom yet, but we did see quite a few gorgeous ones!

First, we went to the festival on Mt. Yaedake in Motobu.

I went to this one last year, but with a friend.

It's a small festival, but there were still the usual food stands and games for the kids.

There was also a park, with a big playground and a roller slide.

Little Man said it was the slowest roller slide ever though.

Then we headed to the Nakijin castle site.

It is a fairly large castle site that just happens to have a large number of cherry blossom trees.

We hadn't been here yet, so we had fun looking around.

There was vendors set up selling food, jewelry, and such.

The kids had their usual Blue Seal ice cream and I bought them some small flavored sponge cakes.

When we were driving up Mt. Yaedake, we passed a couple, in full wedding garb, getting pictures taken.

At Nakijin there was a sign at the castle entrance for a wedding.

We got there as the guests were leaving, but there were a handful of women and girls in traditional kimonos.

I wish we would have been there early enough, so I could have got a peek!

What a gorgeous place for a wedding!

Kids and Allowances

2012-02-05T05:32:00.000-06:00

Little Man is 6. He is to the age where he is starting to want things. Sure, he will ask for things at the store, but I'm talking about bigger things. Last spring, he started telling me he wanted a DS. That isn't something that I'm just going to buy. It needs to be a birthday or Christmas present. I told him he could earn the money for one by doing chores. I added a few extra chores on to what he already did. He had to take the dog out (he does this at least twice a day), picks up dog poo, puts his clean laundry away, takes out the trash, keeps his room clean, and any thing else that comes up. When he went to his dad's for the summer, he kept it up there and his dad kept track of what he earned. He got the DS for Christmas (and dropped it in the toilet a week later, so now he has no DS). Now, he is wanting another DS as well as characters for a Wii game he has. I'm not about to buy him another DS anytime soon and I really don't want to buy these characters. He has 8 already and I understand why he wants more, but I don't want to buy them. They are $10-$15 each, so they are affordable.

I wonder if we shouldn't start giving him an allowance. I don't remember how old I was when I started getting one, but we were given $2 a week. We only ever saw $1 of it. The other dollar was put aside for savings.

What's a good age to start giving an allowance and how much should I give him. I was thinking $5, but is that too much, too little. Input please!

Sunflower Festival

2012-02-03T05:31:00.001-06:00

Kitanakagusku Village has a small sunflower festival every year.

Farmers planted large plots of sunflowers between their other crops.

The flowers are now around 4' tall.

A few vendors were set up selling food, but not near what you would expect when you hear festival in Okinawa.

I actually heard about it from a friend. She suggested not going on the weekend, so I took the kids on Thursday afternoon.

It was drizzling and there was no one there, besides the two lone people selling food.

I'm not a photographer (I just like taking lots of pictures), but you get the idea from the pictures.

Random rhino in the middle of a field....in Okinawa

And an even more random baby dragon/godzilla thing.

Hell and Back Again DVD Winner

2012-02-02T04:52:00.001-06:00

The winner of the Hell and Back Again DVD is....

Rosemary!

Instead of random.org, I had Little Man pick a number and he chose 8.

Congratulations and thanks to all who entered.

National Freedom Day

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

February 1 is National Freedom Day

National Freedom Day commemorates the signing of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery on February 1, 1865 by President Lincoln. Major Richard Robert Wright Sr., a former slave, originally came up with the idea for the day. He organized a group of leaders to write a bill for a national holiday that would celebrate freedom for all Americans, the holiday would take place on February 1. It was first commemorated on February 1, 1942, although it was not an official holiday yet. On June 30, 1948, President Harry Truman signed the bill. Every Year on this day, a wreath is laid at the Liberty Bell in celebration.

Lincoln freed the first people of our Nation, but we continue to free people from their governments.

I'm a Dumb Foreigner, But I Can Laugh at Myself

2012-01-31T05:43:00.000-06:00

So.......you know how I said yesterday that I didn't have hot water all weekend? Funny story about that.

There's a small box on the wall in our hall. When we moved in, hubby was playing with it and told me it was for the doorbell. I never messed with it. On Saturday, it was flashing E3 and a little red light on the top was flashing. I figured the batteries were dying, so I just turned it off. It's only the doorbell, right? Saturday night, I took a shower and the hot water ran out halfway through. It was slightly annoying and had never happened before, but I wasn't too worried. Sunday, the kids were outside playing and got all dirty, so when they came in, I made them get straight in the bathtub. When I went in to wash Little Missy, the water was freezing cold. Little Man had run the water and he prefers his baths on the cool side, so again, I thought nothing of it. At some point that day, I turned the kitchen faucet on to let the water warm up so I could wash dishes. I checked it once and it wasn't warm yet, but then I decided I really didn't feel like washing dishes, so I just turned the water off.

Monday morning, I turned my shower. It normally takes a minute or two to warm up, but it just stayed cold. I called my housing agency and she said she would send out the guy to fill my kerosene tank. He showed up Monday afternoon, filled my tank, and I still didn't have hot water. I waited over an hour and tried again, nothing. While I was sitting on the side of the bathtub, waiting for the water to warm up, I could see the box on the wall. It hit me then that the kerosene guy rang the doorbell and it worked. I turned the box back on. The screen was no longer flashing anything, but the little red light was. I called the housing agency back and told her I still didn't have hot water. She asked me if I pushed the button in my shower. There is no button in the shower, just a normal faucet. She said she would call the kerosene company and call me back. I went next door to ask my neighbor. She nicely laughed at me and told me that box was for the hot water. The housing agency must have had a good laugh at me.

I think I was actually out of kerosene though. The bill he gave me was a lot bigger than the last one I got in September. I'm thinking the box was trying to tell me it was out. I'm blaming this one on a pain induced fog. Hubby said he knew it was for the hot water, but he's the one who originally told me it was the doorbell. A lot of places have labels on everything with the English translations and nothing in our place does. My poor neighbor has also had to help me figure out my A/C remotes.

Sometimes my hair color shines!

Weekend Recap, an ER Visit , and Murphy's Law

2012-01-29T22:47:00.000-06:00

This weekend started out great. On Friday, the kids and I picked up Darlene and her son from True Love Conquers All. We took them to our favorite parks and out to lunch. The kids all had a blast, my Little Man and her Little Man are the same age. They've been stuck in TLF since they got here, so I was more than happy to get them out and show them around a bit. We all had a good time.

At one point Friday, I picked Little Missy up and felt it in my back. The rest of the day, it started to hurt a little worse. The weekend before, I had slept wrong or something, and it had been bugging me a little all week. This was the worst yet. I had planned to take the kids to a cherry blossom festival, but by the time I went to bed Friday night, it was bad enough that I knew I couldn't chase the kids if we did go.

Saturday morning I woke up, flat on my back, and it wasn't too bad. I tried to get up and about screamed. I swear the pain was worse than childbirth. I couldn't stand up. I managed to make it to the end of my bed and was going for the dresser across from the bed. Next thing I know, I'm laying on the floor. I'm guessing I passed out, since I don't know how I got there. I finally managed to get back up and passed out again. It was seriously worse than when I had either kid. With Little Man's help, I managed to make it to the recliner. I knew I needed to go to the hospital, but I hate asking for help. Someone was going to have to drive me and watch the kids. I went back and forth on it for a while. Everybody has kids and I don't want to ask anyone to add my kids to their chaos. After not being able to get out of the chair, I called my neighbor and she came to get me. She dropped me at the ER and took my kids back to her house.

The ER wasn't busy, so I was only there about 2 hours. They gave me a big shot in my rear, tortured me by making me bend over, and gave me the usual motrin with tylenol thrown in for good measure. They figured I sprained or pulled something. It's all muscle and nothing to do with my spine. I thought maybe I had pinched a nerve since I had been all tingly, but whatever. My neighbor texted me to ask if I wanted to go eat lunch with them or if I wanted to go home and rest and she'd take the kids to lunch. I decided to go since I hadn't eaten anything yet. We went to a small pizza buffet. Part way through eating, Little Missy announced she had to go to the bathroom. I took her and then realized she had pooed in her pants. It had been there awhile too. It was on her legs (as well as everywhere else imaginable), so I took off her pants, undies (and threw them away!), and did my best to clean her up. We managed to have no wipes, so poor girl, I was using paper towels and toilet paper. It took forever and I didn't get her as clean as she should have been. We finished lunch, headed home and made a stop at the Shoppette so I could grab a soda. When I came back outside, all the van doors were open. My neighbor's 6 year old had thrown up in the backseat. Little Man almost threw up when he saw it. I tried to help her clean it up, but I couldn't bend far enough to reach it. I was feeling better from the shot by this point, but I was still hurting.

Thank you hospital. I now know exactly how old I am.

We get home and the rest of the day is fairly uneventful. Sunday morning I woke up and managed to roll over a few times with minimal pain. I got up, slowly, and made it to my bedroom door. Next thing I know, I'm laying in the doorway of Little Man's room. How do I not notice I pass out? I don't even feel the fall. I thought maybe it was because the pain was so bad I wasn't breathing, so I made a conscious effort to breath that morning and I still blacked out. Who knows. I didn't pass out this morning, so we're improving!

Saturday night I took a shower and halfway through, the water turned cold. Freezing cold. I thought nothing of it. Sunday, I turned the faucet on to warm up water to wash dishes. I checked it once and it wasn't warm yet, but then I ended it up turning it off cause I really didn't feel like doing dishes. The kid's took a bath Sunday evening and when I went in to wash Little Missy's hair, the water was cold. That's not uncommon though. Little Man likes cold baths and he had ran the water. This morning, the water for my shower would not warm up. Not even a little. That's when I realized I hadn't had hot water since Saturday. I called housing and the gas man is supposed to be here soon. How do you not notice there is no hot water for 36 hours?

Light duty isn't possible when you are a single parent

Everything always goes wrong when they leave. Nothing had happened yet since hubby had left. I guess it all wants to go wrong at once. It always comes in threes, so I'm just waiting on the third thing. Knock on wood.

Free Stuff!

2012-01-26T08:22:00.002-06:00

I have 2 free movie tickets.

They have to redeemed by January 31.

Anyone want them?

I don't have a link for valid locations.

TICKETS ARE GONE!!

I also have a code for 50 free 4 x 6 prints at Snapfish.
These expire January 31 too.

Leave a comment if you want them.

Hell and Back Again Nominated for an Academy Award

2012-01-26T07:37:00.000-06:00

Hell and Back Again was nominated for an Academy Award!

It's out on DVD now or you can enter to win it!

Go! Enter!

I'm giving a copy away!!

Song Link Up!

2012-01-26T00:53:00.000-06:00

You know those days when everything makes you miss your husband?

Probably not a wise idea to listen to his iPod then. This song is on my iPod too, so it doesn't really matter.

This song reminds me of how I miss him now and reminds me of him way back in the beginning of our relationship.

We had some tough times in the beginning and it takes me back to those times.

Not in a bad way, more in liking how far we've come.

But, while I was waiting to get the kids from the bus today, this came on.

Like 3 times.

You have to have the studio and all the live versions, of course.

Alabama

Cross Canadian Ragweed

Go link up!

I Want, I Want, I Want!

2012-01-25T01:53:00.000-06:00

I've gotten to the point where I don't buy near the amount of shoes and clothes that I used to.

I used to go shopping and think nothing of buying as much as I wanted.

I don't do that anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I still shop.

I just tend to do it in moderation and it always involves lots of clearance shopping.

I sometimes get bored at night and start shopping online.

I'll have 4 or 5 windows open and just keep adding stuff to my cart.

Then I think I'll buy it tomorrow and I never buy any of it.

I never want it after a day or two.

Which makes it really weird that I'm lusting after shoes.

I found these last week at the PX.

I haven't gotten into the platforms yet, but I want these.

Bad.

I sent the link to hubby while we were chatting last night and he told me to buy them if I wanted them.

They are $79, which isn't bad for shoes, but it's hard for me to justify.

I did go to the PX today to drool on them, but there were closed for inventory.

Then, there's the shisa dogs.

They are dog like creatures that according to Japanese legend, will keep evil out of your home.

They are everywhere here and it seems like most Americans buy them in some form or another.

I want a set, but I want a good sized set, not little dinky ones.

They sell cheap sets everywhere.

They are all either painted like this

or they are unpainted and the lovely color of a terracotta pot.

You can buy them for $20 a pair.

I want a set that are different.

My sister bought a gorgeous pair for about $250 I think.

These are at one of the vendors at the PX and I want them.

See that price?

Yeah, no.

I know they'll be cheaper if I find them off base, but I just don't normally go to places that sell them.

I may end up going back to where my sister got hers.

How come everything I want is super expensive?

Lose Weight by Chasing Your Kids!

2012-01-23T23:49:00.001-06:00

You know those celebrities who say they lose weight by chasing their children?

I call bull.

I chase my daughter all the time.

I have chased her more times than I can count through the PX, shoppettes, and any other store she is not forced to sit in a cart at.
On average it's 3 times a day that I have to chase her. By chase, I mean tear after her sprinting.

She says we should run to and from the bus stop (1/4 mile at 2 trips a day).

She insists I play with her at the park.

She asks to go for walks in the new stroller.

On top of that, I can't watch a whole TV show without getting up to get someone something to drink, stop a fight, or look at what someone just pooped into the toilet.

Usually it's all three during a half hour show.

I googled it and the first page of results had all sorts of people saying they lost weight by chasing their kids.

We all know they are lying, so why don't they just do us a favor and tell us they have a trainer and a chef.

I chase Little Missy way more than I ever thought about chasing Little Man.

You think it would aid in losing right?

I'm not talking that alone, but maybe it could keep me from gaining?

Yeah, no.

Weekend Recap

2012-01-23T03:54:00.005-06:00

Friday night I went out to dinner with some friends. It was a dinner to celebrate the birthday's of 2 girls, but really, it's just a good excuse to get together. We went to Poco a Poco. Only one of us had been there and she raved about it, so it was a go. It's an all you can eat and drink (including alcohol) restaurant, but it's not a buffet. You order what you want and as much as you want for 3000 yen ($40). They will charge you if you have an excessive amount of leftovers, but we love to eat, so that wouldn't be a problem. You get 3 hours to consume all this food. After 3 hours, they won't kick you out, but they do cut you off. Check out the menu!

I'm not exactly sure how much we actually ate, but I know we got our money worth. There was ten of us and I know we had (at least) 3-4 pizzas, 5 plates of rice, 5 orders of fried tacos, 10 plates of the Grilled Diced Beefsteak (it was like butter in your mouth), 5 plates of Carpaccio, 4 desserts, as well as spring rolls, a few different shrimp plates, edamame, the best potatoes I think I've ever had, and lots of other things we tried and crossed off our reorder list.

Carpaccio

Spring Rolls

After dinner, I wanted to go next door to see what Pachinko actually is. We attempted it, but now I have absolutely no idea. Gambling is illegal in Japan (they have back door ways of getting around it), but there are casinos everywhere advertising Pachinko. I always thought it was some kind of slot, but pictured Plinko from the Price is Right. I'm not sure how to play it. There are a lot of little silver balls and you turn this wheel and that's about all I know.

Saturday, I had planned to take the kids to see the Cirque Dreams tour. It was a free show and MCCS had said they weren't giving out tickets. They never do. We got there 2.5 hours before the show, but I wasn't about to wait in the line after I saw it. Come to find out, people had started getting there like 4 hours before the first show. Then, MCCS did hand out numbers, but not to the people in line. They just gave them out to whoever asked for them. Some people ended up waiting like 6 to 8 hours to see the show. I would have loved to see it, but I can't wait that long with the kids.

Rain was in the forecast Sunday afternoon, so we got up early to go to the Yamauchi Park. We are on a mission to visit all the parks we find out about. This one didn't disappoint! It had a roller slide, not as good as some others, but any roller slide is a good slide. It also had a drop slide and lots of things for them to climb on. It did start raining, so we decided to go to Kadena and get some donuts for a late breakfast. We ended up passing a Japanese donut shop, so we stopped there instead. It was really good and a lot cheaper than I expected!

All in all, not a bad weekend (if you don't count the huge fit Little Man threw, which got him stuck in his room for all of Saturday)!

Hell and Back Again DVD Release and Giveaway

2012-01-22T05:42:00.001-06:00

Hell and Back Again

DVD Release Date - January 24, 2012

In 2009, U.S. Marines launched a major helicopter assault on a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. Within hours of being dropped deep behind enemy lines, 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris’s unit is attacked from all sides.
Embedded in Echo Company during the assault, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis captures the frontline action with visceral immediacy. When Sergeant Harris returns home to North Carolina after a life-threatening injury in battle, the film evolves from stunning war reportage to the story of one man’s personal apocalypse. With the love and support of his wife, Ashley, Harris struggles to overcome the difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life. The two realities seamlessly intertwine to communicate both the extraordinary drama of war and, for a generation of soldiers, the no-less-difficult experience of returning home. An unprecedented exploration of the moving image and a film of uncommon intimacy, HELL AND BACK AGAIN comes full circle as it lays bare the true cost of war.

I have not seen this docudrama yet. I honestly had not even heard of it until I was emailed about it. Obviously, I'm very interested in watching it. Movies and documentary's have been made about Iraq, but Afghanistan hasn't been covered as much. My husband does this for a living. I'm interested in all aspects of it, especially since he doesn't always talk about it. I also like the fact that the general public can get a glimpse of what the military does to help defend their freedom. So many Americans don't appreciate what is done to help protect their way of life and they need to see what these service members do.

Hell and Back Again has won awards at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, the 2011 Camden International Film Festival, the Moscow Int'l Film Festival, and was nominated for multiple Cinema Eye Honors and Gotham Independent Film Awards. It was also just nominated for an Academy Award!

The DVD comes out Tuesday, January 24.

You can buy it then or you can enter to win it here.

To enter:

Leave a comment telling me why you would like to see this (mandatory)

For additional entries:

(leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Blog about the giveaway

2. Share on Facebook

3. Tweet about the giveaway

Giveaway will end on February 1 at 11:59 CST

Stupid Deployment

2012-01-19T23:46:00.000-06:00

Stupid deployment.

I'm mad at my husband.

I'm sure he has no idea, since he hasn't responded to my last email.

It's not any fun being mad at someone who is far away.

You don't get the pleasure of ignoring them,

screaming at them,

or any of the other fun things you get to do when you are mad.

By the time he gets back to me,

I'll probably (no, not really) be over it.

Deployments suck.

Song Link Up!

2012-01-19T01:26:00.001-06:00

Yea!

Our weekly song link-up courtesy of Goodnight Moon is back!

Go link up.

Empire Records is one of my all time favorite movies and has been since the mid-90's.

I'm showing my age again.

I have the soundtrack (it's in our storage stuff in the States though),

but this song wasn't included on the soundtrack.

Romeo and Juliet

by Dire Straits

The original video is below, but it's long and bad in an early 80's, we didn't know any better type of way, so I put the scene from Empire Records first.

Banana Republic Military Event

2012-01-17T18:24:00.000-06:00

Banana Republic announced a new program geared towards the military.

It's called 'Our Program To You'.

From Jan 19-22,

all military, veterans, and family members

will receive 50% off any 3 full price items.

From Jan 23-Dec 31 15% off will be given on full price items.

Check their site out for more info.

A few select stores will also be holding a special shopping event on Jan 20 from 10 am - 1 pm.

They will be offereing styling advice and serving light refreshments.

Persuasion

2012-01-16T05:35:00.000-06:00

I was watching Persuasion last night.

The Jane Austen movie version from the mid 1990's.

I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, but I find that I can't really say that since I've never read any of her books.

I've seen multiple movie versions of her books, but that doesn't totally count.

I've since started to fix that.

Amazon has all her books as free Kindle downloads, so I am now reading Persuasion.

But, anyways, when Capt Harville and Anne were talking about which sex has stronger feelings, Capt Harville says:

"Ah, if I could but make you comprehend what a man suffers when he takes a last look at his wife and children, and watches the boat that he has sent them off in, as long as it is in sight, and then turns away and says, 'God knows whether we ever meet again!' And then, if I could convey to you the glow of his soul when he does see them again; when, coming back after a twelvemonth's absence, perhaps, and obliged to put into another port, he calculates how soon it be possible to get them there, pretending to deceive himself, and saying, 'They cannot be here till such a day,' but all the while hoping for them twelve hours sooner, and seeing them arrive at last, as if Heaven had given them wings, by many hours sooner still! If I could explain to you all this, and all that a man can bear and do, and glories to do, for the sake of these treasures of his existence! I speak, you know, only of such men as have hearts!"

I realize this was written by a woman, but you don't always hear it from the man's side.

It hit home with me.

I know my husband loves me and misses us something horrible.

He tells me in every phone call and email, but he is still not one to go overboard with talking about his feelings.

This just made me look at his side from a new angle.

MilSpouse Quiz

2012-01-11T02:39:00.000-06:00

I might as well jump on the bandwagon.

1. How did you and your spouse meet?

I met him at work. I thought he was hot from the get go! You can read the whole story here.

2. How old were you when you first met?

I was 26, he was 34. I know, he's old.

3. How long have you been together?

All together, we've been together over 4 years.

4. Where are you and your spouse originally from?

I'm from Missouri, he is from Southern California.

5. How did you feel about him joining the military?

He was past the halfway point when I met him. It was more like how did I feel marrying another man in the military.

6. Where did your spouse go to basic training?

MCRD San Diego

7. Has your spouse ever been deployed?

He is currently deployed and it's not his first.

8. Ever been to his promotion ceremony?

He made rank right before I met him, so I have not had the pleasure. It'll happen again though!

9. How long have you been a military wife?

This is a trick question. 7 years. 5 of those were from my ex. Before hubby and I got married, we were living like we were married, so I felt like I was then, even though I really wasn't.

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

I was a freshman in high school when he joined. I think that answers that question.

11. How did your husband propose?

He didn't really propose. We knew we were going to get married. It was just a matter of when. A couple days before Christmas, he loaded us all in the truck and said we were going to get my Christmas present. This was after we agreed we weren't going to get anything for each other. He drove me to a jewelry store and told me to pick out my ring.

12. Where did you get married?

Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.

13. How old where you two when you got married?

I was 28 and he was 36.

14. Did he wear his uniform on his wedding day?

Of course! He and all his friends did.

15. Where are you and your spouse currently stationed?

Okinawa, Japan

16. Do you live on base?

Currently, no. We prefer it off. Even overseas.

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

A little over a year. He originally came to Okinawa unaccompanied. 3 months later, we finally joined him. We are now on separation number 2.

18. What is your favorite base so far?

This is only the second I've lived at. I like them both, but for majorly different reasons. I'm all about making the most of any place they stick us.

19. Do you think your spouse looks good in his uniform?

That's a dumb question. Of course I do. He looks good in any uniform he puts on.

20. Do you think the military life is more advanced than the civilian life?

That depends on how you look at it, but overall I would say no.

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

Overall yes. I like not directly having to pay for my healthcare, the cheaper prices at the commissary, military discounts, etc., etc. There are way more perks being overseas though and you better believe I take advantage of them. All the free shows and activities the military provides, especially for the kids, and Space-A flights (which we haven't attempted, but plan to when hubby gets back).

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

We are overseas. All my friends here are military wives. I still keep in touch with friends from home, but the majority of my friends, near or far, are military wives.

23. What is the hardest part of the military life?

I think it's being so far from home. Everyone probably thinks it's the separations and yes, those are extremely hard, but being away from home is the worst for me. I haven't lived in my hometown since I was 21 and I have no desire to live there again, but I still want to be relatively close to my family. I want to spend weekends with my sister and let my parents see their grandkids all they want.

24. Do you own a lot of military wife stuff?

Not really. I have a couple shirts, but I only wear them around the house.

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

I wouldn't have married him if I didn't fully support him. We talk about everything, but ultimately, it's his career and I support him in what he decides (unless I'm totally against it, then I just convince him otherwise).

Deployment Update

2012-01-11T01:44:00.000-06:00

Hubby has been deployed for a few months.

We aren't to the half way point yet, but we are getting there.

Everything is going almost too good.

(Knock on wood.)

Nothing major has happened and I haven't had a breakdown yet (not that I recall anyways).

We talk about once a week, sometimes more.

We skype when we can, but his internet is horrible, so usually only one of us has the video on a time.

He seems to be doing good, which I am extremely glad for.

I'd much rather him be happy in his job than be miserable and just missing home.

I'm just doing my best to keep us all busy.

I volunteer 2-3 days a week and I search for fun things for us to do on the weekends.

I signed Little Man up for soccer today. That will take us close to the end of the deployment.

As long as things keep going this well, he will be back in no time!

This is the most recent and pretty much the only picture I have of him since he's been gone.

I'm just pretending his mustache isn't there.