The Long and the Short of It.

Its been awhile since I blogged so I'll just get down to the nitty gritty and show you pictures of our latest adventures.

 Chillin' on Mother's Day.

 Desmond (Jax, too) is growing like a weed, we had to buy new clothes for him, but I overshot the size, he thought it was very silly! =)

 Trying on our new goggles since we will be doing swim lessons soon!

Practicing our goggles in the bath.

 Brand new (free) sunglasses from an event we walked through.

Jax helping spruce up Dad's boots for a mission (Army speak for gig).

"No, Dad, I will show you how to do it."

Tana has had to step it up in the "kind pet" department to start earning her keep around here. She is doing well, with it although wouldn't participate if I didn't make her!

 She even lets Jax hold her now! =)

This is a silly picture of Dad and Des sharing their portion of free cake and ice cream at the Cold Stone Grand Opening here on base.

 Jaxter "smiling".

 They had a video game set up where you dance to the instructions, the boys had fun with that although Desmond just kept his hands in the air, never did quite get the concept that they were supposed to move around.

Making fruit Kabobs for dessert.

Des and Jax have started a new game where they where this Cat in the Hat hat, but before they can put it on they stuff it full of toys and tools just like the real Cat in the Hat does.

 The 3rd ID Band put on a full formal concert this last Friday night at a nearby Retirement Community that consists mostly of Veterans and their spouses. It was a great concert. This is Marc in his Class As.

The Band.

Jaxter mesmerized. He later assumed the director's responsibilities from his chair in the audience but the first 20 minutes was just like this.

 Desmond watched quietly the whole time, except the last 10 minutes he chose to do a sticker sheet (I brought in quiet activities, just in case).

 Marc.

 Saturday was beautiful so we headed to the beach before the "hurricane" came. This is the boys just enjoying the waves coming and going.

This is Desmond "going for a swim". He did this quite a bit letting the waves come in an out while he stroked and kicked.

Getting brave, letting the water wash over him.

"Take a picture of the shell, Mom." 

 Jumping over waves.

They love the beach! And they are getting more and more fearLESS each time they encounter it. 

Desmond swimming.

Jax dancing and conducting the band. =)

We are watching the edge of the tropical storm swirl past us on the horizon and generally taking it easy on this day to remember. Have a happy Memorial Day and remember to remember.

Finally

We have been in Georgia for a month now and today was the first day that we *finally* got to hear Marc play in the band! A local community was having their annual Sweet Onion Festival complete with parade and mini concert by the band. 

Hoorah! 

The boys loved looking for the Dad amidst the marchers but, I won't lie, they liked, even more so, looking for candy! 

We sat by a Veteran and his family and so I was regaled throughout the parade with all sorts of stories and kind conversation from him and his 3 friends that were sitting by us, they even offered me their extra chair, which was very handy toward the end when the boys wanted to sit with me rather than run along the street.

Afterwards we purused the activities as a family, feasting on a bloomin' onion, fresh french fries and frozen strawberry lemonade. 

It was 80 degrees, partly cloudy and, other than an unfortunate incident involving Jax and an angry mob of fire ants, an all around great day.

Waiting, oh so patiently, for the parade to start.

The BAND! =) Can you see Marc? I'll give you a hint - he's not carrying the sousaphone. 

Adding to the loot....

Mini-concert, Marc is much more visible here. =)

Why I Love Being A Military Wife

Last post for the Wives of Faith blog carnival. Visit www.wivesoffaith.org. Its been fun reading all the blogs and I hope we can do it again soon!! =) Thanks to all the ladies who contributed this week, it was great to get to know you!

Even though I am a new military wife, I already like it. I like the community, the resources, the activities sponsored by Army, the post we are at, the sense that everyone here is working towards the same thing, the training holidays, the ease at which you can make friends just by saying, "My husband is in the military, too."

Above all, I love being the backstage to my husband's service. Everything he does is to either serve others or prepare to serve others and better their lives, to touch and support them through music. I get to be an active part of supporting that mission. Even with possible deployment I am anxious to be able to support him in his adventure because he will be helping people, which is what he loves to do, and I will be helping him, which is what I love to do. I love being one of the bricks that is the foundation of our military as a whole. While I would strive to support my husband in whatever he chooses to do, I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment to have it be noble service in the U.S. Army.

The other side of that coin is that, while bittersweet, the service my husband volunteered for requires a great deal from me. The thing I love about this is that it absolutely requires me to pull up my big-girl pants and do things that I wouldn't normally do, in fact, would think that I *couldn't* do. But, as so many of my military sisters shared this week on their blogs, all it takes is a little determination, a little belief in yourself, trust in God and the magnificent website Google and viola - you've learned something new, accomplished a task, grown and learned all at the same time. I have come a long way in personal and spiritual growth since my husband shipped for BCT and it is all attributed to my husband being gone for so long. I can be a stronger brick in the foundation because I've embraced what God has had for me in my difficult times. My strength does not come from within, however, and I will continue to lean on the Everlasting Arms and open myself to what He has for me.

My soldier and me.

Picture It

Post #4 for the Wives of Faith blog carnival. Visit wivesoffaith.org.

This picture is neither unique nor artistic. And all of you in the military will recognize it. There is no other image (from our married life) that speaks the volumes that this picture does. This very moment was the distinct and abrupt beginning of our new chapter of life. The feelings that accompany this picture are too complex and weighted to share here in a short blog post, but those that attended a similar ceremony that this picture depicts will know exactly what I am talking about.  Hope, optimism, devastation (because DH was leaving), pride, uncertainty, many more.

(my Husband is the one on the right, red shirt)

Favorite Military Wife Memory

Third entry for Wives of Faith Blog Carnival. Check them out at wivesoffaith.org

I am a very new military wife so my favorite memories center around the *end* of tough times of separation. 

Tied for favorite moments are the following:

The boys seeing their Dad after him being gone for AIT (they had seen him after BCT for Christmas Exodus). I had seen him two weeks earlier at AIT grad, but we hadn't been able to afford the boys coming to so they had to wait till we arrived in Georgia to see their Dad.

My other favorite memory is the moving van pulling up in front of our new house at our FDS (where we are currently). It was the final step in starting our new life together in our new place and I was absolutely ecstatic to see it come! As were the boys. =)

A very close second to the above mentioned memories would be our reunion after BCT, it was so bittersweet and I was just so broken after our physical separation that it was akin to having a massive splinter pulled from your body - hurts so bad, then its done and there is such relief but a little bit of an ache that takes a little while to fade. 

One more, if you'll indulge me. Seeing my husband graduate as Distinguished Honor Grad was awesome. Seeing him lead his class in the Soldier's Creed and being given all due respect, that he deserved/s made my heart burst with pride. I had always thought I was already as proud of him as I could be but he proved me wrong ... 

The Dream Sheet

Another post for the Wives of Faith blog carnival. Visit wivesoffaith.org.

In the Military there is something called The Dream Sheet - basically a wish list of duty stations that you would like to be stationed at sometime in your military career. Today's topic is for wives to detail their own dream sheet. 

Despite sounding cliche, I will tell you the truth, I don't have a dream sheet.

All my life I have pined for something different, something better (a common malady, I think). Then my husband left for Basic Training and somewhere in the middle of having to do life as a geographic bachelorette, with two toddlers, I realized: life is what you make it. I looked back and saw that each place I had been in my life, that I had deemed "not the one", had some great characteristics, wonderful people and quirks that were unique. Each home that we had made, once unfamiliar and new, eventually had tough times that we grew from, fantastic memories that we cherish and outstanding friends that I still hold dear. I also became painfully aware of the concept of embracing life where you are. Of not stopping the sweet experience of living just because the one(s) you love are not by your side, or the routine you love is not by your side, or the climate you love, or the salary you love. I learned somewhere in that time what home really means, as well.

Even above all that was this: living life with my husband gone to training, I was suddenly aware and very confident that *this*, this very place, this very day, even in the hardest moment, is where God wants me to be. And despite all the logical reasons there are to be content wherever you are, the only reason that is needed is: you are where you are ON PURPOSE, God's purpose, that is.

So, while a dream sheet fulfilled would be nice, even better and more fulfilling is knowing that I am right where God wants me to be and no amount of promised amenities (or brand new readily available on-post housing) could lure me away from the sure path that I have set my feet on. And I am absolutely positive that that path is directly beside my soldier husband no matter where he is stationed or deployed to, because, thank God, he is my home.

You Know You're a Military Spouse When....

This blog is for the Wives of Faith (wivesoffaith.org) blog carnival this week. It will be a fun activity for me and perhaps a way for you to see a glimpse into my new life as an Army wife. 

You know you're a military spouse when...

Your daily commute includes pedestrian crossings, duck crossings and tank crossings.

You get carded for everything: shopping, driving, talking... (exaggerating a bit, but its still true!)

You know all the time frames that the PT uniform is authorized in all retail type establishments on-post.

Your husband takes up twice as much closet space as you do and has an extra TA-50 closet.

You are fluent in acronyms, both official and unofficial.

You are fluent in paperwork.

You, ashamedly, have a little trouble spotting your husband at work, cuz, let's face it, they all look the same.

Helicopters fly over your house at 11:30pm but you don't turn on the news to see why.

You have lunch dates cancelled because the President came to town.

You know your husband's social security number better than your own.

You don't know any of your husband's co-worker's first names, only last names.

You are good at making friends with as little as a wordless hello, because you never know if they are just getting here or just leaving.

You are always helping someone get through what you just went through at the same time that someone is helping you get through what you're going through.

Its an odd day if you *don't* see at least 2 moving trucks in your neighborhood.

When home is not about the door you routinely unlock but about who comes through that door.

You learn the true meaning of bittersweet and beauty from ashes. When the worst times in your life have produced the best fruit in your life.

When you are good at making sure Dad is home, even when he can't be home.

You cherish everyday, even while preparing for someday.

You've learned BALANCE.

You've learned FLEXIBILITY.

You've learned STRONG. 

Hooah!