It's Ok To Be Morbid

Being married to a member of the military presents all sorts of challenges. The moving, the separations, and the demands of the army can all be stressful. One of the factors to which I am starting to get accustom is the chance of something bad happening to my soldier. Before deployment you talk about wills, power of attorney and funeral arrangements. That was bad enough and I had to take multiple breaks to go cry in the kitchen. During deployment, it is a different kind of anxiety. 

Now that Lane is gone, the chance of something happening is always hovering around my mind. Lots of military spouses have ways to deal with the anxiety of their husband's being in harms's way. I have gone with the "pretend it's not happening" approach. Now because of Lane's position this might be a little easier for me. However, every once in while something happens and I am hit square in the face with intense anxiety that something will happen to Lane. I have developed a highly scientific strategy for dealing with different high stress situations.

My thought process when someone knocks on my door: 

• "I talked to Lane a few hours ago. There is no way the Army has its act together enough to get a notification officer out here this quickly."

Also, I want to pass a law that no one can knock on your front door or ring your doorbell during deployment. I am thinking about getting a sign that says, "Please call before knocking on the door."

When I haven't heard from him: 

• "Oh look someone from his FOB is on facebook. There would be blackout if he were hurt or dead. Therefore nothing bad has happened."

When there is a blackout 

• If I just keep staring at his name on fb chat sooner or later that dot will turn green. It's literally the same as a middle school girl staring at the phone waiting for it to ring. Only much scarier. Seriously the worst. 

For my civilian friends, a blackout occurs whenever something happens to a soldier in the area. They want to make sure that no rumors or stories slip out until they can actually notify the family. There is zero communication.

When I hear about yet another helicopter crash or service member death 

• Do an immediate calculation to the last time I heard from him and if he dropped any hints he would be leaving the FOB. 

These may sound ridiculous, but they seriously are what goes through my head in any of these situations. 

What were y'all's coping mechanisms? 

Little Reminders

It has been interesting to hear how different military spouses handle the emotional parts of deployment. Some of my friends keep their husbands stuff exactly where it was when he left. Toothbrushes in place, jackets hanging on the door and all of their clothes hanging in the closet. I have gone pretty much the opposite direction.

Almost immediately after Lane left I moved all his clothes to the other side of the closet. It's not that I don't like little reminders of him, but I like having all the closet space more. For me, it is easier to return to how I lived when Lane and I were still long distance. After he left, I switched back into single-living-Molly seamlessly and almost immediately. I don't yet know if this is a good or bad sign. I am hoping that I will switch back into married-mode as soon as he returns. I know there will be major bumps along the road, but I also know we can handle it. 

I definitely don't think there is a right or wrong answer on how you deal with the separation. I personally like having my own space modifying our house to fit my needs. I will definitely change a few things back before Lane comes home, but for now I am going to keep a million pillows on the bed and completely take over both sides of the bathroom counter. 

I would love to hear how my other military ladies have dealt with their husband's stuff while he's gone. Or even my civilian readers if your husband travels for work or is gone for other reasons. 

5 Love Languages

I am sure that most of y'all have heard about The 5 Love Languages. If not, it is a book that helps couples figure how they express their love. Everyone shows love differently, and this book helps you understand the different methods. I have read it several times, and think it is really helpful and insightful. A few weeks ago I saw that there was a new version coming out. 

Amazon

The description reads; 

"Marriage is hard enough for the everyday civilian. But imagine marriage when you're separated by thousands of miles . . . when one of you daily faces the dangers of combat . . . while the other shoulders all the burden of homefront duties. Add to that unpredictable schedules, frequent moves, and the challenge of reintegration, and it's no wonder military marriages are under stress. Husbands and wives in all five branches of the military need a special resource to help them navigate marriage in the midst of it all. These men and women who are giving so much for so many need a way to love one another - a way that powerfully communicates to the heart.

The 5 Love Languages has a successful track record of helping military couples heal broken relationships and strengthen healthy relationships. Now this #1 New York Times bestseller has been adapted specifically for military couples.

Special features of the Military Edition include:

1. Stories of military couples from every branch of service who have found ways to use the 5 love languages in their unique lifestyles
2. A Decoding Deployments section at the end of each love language chapter, offering tips on how to express love when you are apart.
3. A new chapter, Love Language Scramblers, explains how to speak the love languages through some of the most challenging times of a military marriage.
4. An updated Q&A section to include questions specific to military marriage.

The 5 Love Languages profile will help you and your partner identify your love languages so you can put the principles to work for you immediately. Guided by input from dozens of military couples in all stages of their careers, authors Gary Chapman and former military wife Jocelyn Green offer you an unparalleled tool for your marriage with The 5 Love Languages Military Edition." 

I am really excited for this. It doesn't come out till September, but you better believe I will be ordering this puppy. It will be a needed check-in as Lane and I head toward homecoming and reintegration. 

My love language is Acts of Service. I would love to hear if any of y'all have used this book. Anyone else planning on picking up the new one?

One Year Ago

Very dark picture into the cave of our moving truck 

Exactly one year ago, Lane and I arrived in Fort Drum, NY. We drove our Penske truck from Fort Benning, Georgia to our new home in the frozen north. Honestly, I was very nervous about moving up here. Drum doesn't have the best reputation among Army posts. After a year, I can say that I really like it here. Yes, it is cold. Yes, it snows a lot. However, we had gorgeous weather up until pretty much December. The summers are beautiful and honestly, shoveling snow is a great work out. I am very happy here, and hope this blog post might be comforting to any nervous army spouses about to make the move up north

 In celebration of our one year at Drum, here are my top ten (not in any particular order) favorite things about Fort Drum.

Adkins Facebook Page

1. An awesome gym

I absolutely love the Adkins Functional Fitness center. It is the newest gym on post and is a great place to work out. 

2. Mustard Seed

This is the health food store in Watertown. This place has very tasty snacks, and also has a cafe open during peak hours. I love being able to get my paleo snacks here. They have awesome employees and great products. 

3. Coleman's

My favorite restaurant in Watertown. It has Irish pub food, but everything is delicious and it is so much better than all the chain restaurants around town. I am always shocked that not many military families know Coleman's exists. 

4. Gorgeous summers

I don't mind the southern humidity, but the summers here are just about perfect. It is cool enough in the evenings to take walks and enjoy sitting outside. 

5. My huge house

Ok, so clearly this is not going to be the same for everyone. We really lucked out with our house on-post. There is definitely a wait for on-post housing, but it is totally worth it. I absolutely love our house. They come with some problems, but the convenience and size cannot be beat. I love the red door, open floor plan, and massive kitchen. 

6. Multiple dog parks on post

I am lucky to have a dog park two blocks from my house. There are three dog parks on post, and it has been a wonderful resource for me and Asha. 

7. Syracuse is only an hour away

We have driven down to Syracuse a few time and always have a blast. We go down for Lane's tattoos, visits to Barnes and Noble, and trips to Hobby Lobby and Wegmans. You can definitely get the big city feeling and not have to travel that far. 

8. Great yoga classes

This might be the same everywhere, but I never went to the on-post gym at Fort Benning so I don't know. Fort Drum has a lot of different group exercise classes available at the on-post gyms. Monti has yoga both in the morning and in the evenings a few days a week. They have excellent teachers, and I try to go whenever I can. 

9. Thompson Park 

This gorgeous park is in Watertown and not too far away from Fort Drum. They have a small zoo and gorgeous green areas. We took our Christmas Card pictures there. 

10. Awesome people. 

There is a lot to be said for southern hospitality, but I have found wonderful people here in the North Country too. People stop to help strangers who are stuck in the snow. My neighbors have shoveled my driveway for me. People are very helpful and willing to pitch in. Maybe it comes from living somewhere with pretty harsh winters, but there is a sense of community even among strangers. 

So there you have some of my favorite things about Fort Drum. I am happy to talk to anyone PCS'ing up here, and provide any assistance I can. I was scared at first, but it has turned out to be wonderful for Lane and for me. I love my job, my house, and my friends. What more could a girl ask for? 

Brigade Ball

Hello Friday =) I am thrilled to see the weekend right around the corner. My plans for tonight include; Big Bang Theory, the latte my incredible husband brought home for me, and figuring out something for dinner. Before I jump into all that wonderfulness, I wanted to share my pictures from the brigade ball last night. I attended the squadron ball in June, but all of the brigade got together last night to celebrate the holidays and have some fun. 

I borrowed a gorgeous dress from a friend which ended up working perfectly. Getting ready was a bit abbreviated. I got home from work at 4:15 and we had to be at the ball at 5:00. Not my ideal getting-ready-scenario, but it all ended up ok. 

We had a really good time. It was nice to get to know a few of the leaders and their spouses. We even got to witness the Commanding General rock the electric slide. I was a little whiny about this event, but once I got there it was great. 

No More Butter Bars

My lovely husband was promoted yesterday. Originally he was going to be promoted last Wednesday, but due to scheduling craziness it was pushed to Monday November 26th. I was a little nervous because it was scheduled for 10:00 and I had to be at work at 11:00. Lane assured me it would only take about fifteen minutes and I would be on my way to work. I should have known better. I show up at 9:45, and immediately find out that it won't start till 10:30, then we hear 10:45. I start to get a little panic-y. I really didn't want to miss it, but I also didn't want to be late for work. This is where the angel of Lane's Team Leader swoops in and saves the day. The power of that oak leaf on your chest clearly means you can move mountains. He got the LTC to agree to promote Lane separately and early so that I could be there. Perfect, all our problems are solved. However, the LTC was about a half mile away. We set off from the Squadron headquarters and trudged through the snow. 

This is chivalry 

In my desire to be cute for Lane's promotion, I wore heels and a dress. Fort Drum winters and heels do not go well together. Lane, being the gentlemen that he is, carried me through the snow. He had a quick promotion ceremony and I was there to put on his new rank. I was really grateful to his Major and Lieutenant Colonel for allowing him to be promoted before the rest of the group.  

I love the stetsons

I am so proud of everything that he has accomplished so far in his army career. It hasn't been that long, but he has excelled at every task presented to him. He made it through Ranger School without recycling. He was chosen to be part of the advising team during deployment. I am so lucky that he married me and I get to be a part of this wonderful adventure. 

Short But Sweet

Lane returned Thursday night (yay!). His flight landed around 11:30 but he had to stay in squadron until much much later getting all of the equipment from NTC sorted. I tried to sleep a little bit, but I was just too excited to see him. Once he got home we threw in a load of laundry (most disgusting aspect of being married to a soldier) and hit the hay. It was about 3:00 AM at this point and I was ready to crash. We spent Saturday mostly curled up on the couch watching Netflix, but we did venture out to Starbucks for a reading and coffee date. 

Via Amelia Lyon Photography

This has always been our preferred date. Even in high school we would bring books to the local coffee shop and read together. When we were long distance, we would sometimes do long distance reading dates. We would read the same book and chat about it over text or AIM. Oh yes, AOL Instant messenger has been one of the greatest assets to our relationship. 

Now for the not so great news. Lane found out on Thursday that he had to head almost immediately to another training. So this morning at around 5:00 AM I dropped him off yet again. This one is only a little more than a week, and we will be able to have phone contact the entire time. I was definitely a little bummed when he told me, but I have been trying to look on the bright side. 

We are able to talk.

 It is only a week(ish)

If he didn't go now he would probably have to go in November or even closer to deployment. 

He will have loads of free time and be able to work on his language training. 

I know that this is part of the deal with the Army. We are very small parts of a very big machine. I am feeling pretty good about the week ahead, and it will be crazy busy. It was almost a good thing we only had two days together. We spent virtually ever minute together, and were able to focus on the short time that we did have. I should be back to regular blogging this week and lots of exciting things are happening. I teach my first class on Tuesday and there is an FRG pumpkin carving event on Thursday. 

Single Living

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Lane has been gone for a little over a week and I am settling back into my single living mannerisms. Yes, he will be back in a few weeks, but I am thinking of this as practice for deployment.

 I always have a hard time cooking for one person. During deployment, me and a few of the girls on my street are going to have a rotating dinner party so that we actually have a reason to cook. Cooking for Lane is one of my main ways to show love, and that extends to cooking for other people. For myself, eh not so much. I have been existing on a few main staples; coconut flour pancakes, scrambled eggs with bacon, sweet potatoes, and almond milk smoothies. They are all easy, fast, but still nutritious and tasty. 

I have been trying to prepare myself as best as possible because the next time Lane leaves it will be for a lot longer than a month. Here are some of the things I have been trying to focus on while he's at NTC. 

1. Get our bills sorted out. 

I have made an exact calendar of when all the automatic bills are paid and the due dates for the other bills. Tonight I discovered that my name isn't on one of our accounts. Clearly this could be a problem while he is unreachable for vast amounts of time. 

2. Focus on my friendships

I have been really lucky to meet some awesome girls who will be here through deployment. I want to make sure I have people around who I trust and will be able to lean on during deployment. Some of them will also have deployed spouses, and some won't. An awesome girl moved in across the street and I have loved spending time with her this week. 

3. Do all the legal stuff 

I think this is fairly standard across all army units, but I want to make sure we are up to date with POA's and wills and such. 

4. Make sure I love my house. 

I want my house to be somewhere that I am happy to come home too. I love how it has turned out, and it makes me happy when I see all the DIY projects and framed photographs. I want to do a full house series of pictures, but I have a few projects to finish first.

I would LOVE to hear any great recipes for one person. I am all about easy, healthy and tasty. Military spouses, what do y'all do to get ready for deployment? Any advice? 

Perspective

This link has been floating around Facebook, but in case any of y'all haven't seen it I wanted to share here. In 22 pictures it tells the love story of Danielle and Taylor and the sacrifices they have both made. Here are a few of the pictures from the Buzzfeed site. 

I have thought about being in this situation for as long as Lane has been in, or even planning on joining, the Army. I can't imagine the kid of sacrifice that Danielle has had to make to support Taylor through his recovery. She deserves a giant parade in her honor just like he does. 

The Chive, a website I look at occasionally and my husband loves, has been supporting Taylor and Danielle since his accident. They posted pictures last week of Taylor's homecoming back to Iowa. I love seeing all the people lining the street and celebrating Taylor's recovery. 

Y'all should definitely go take a look at these. I would like to think that I would be as supportive and steadfast as Danielle if I were put in this situation. 

Definition of Supportive 

If you want to read more about Taylor and his journey, here is his website. I am completely blown away by the photographs on all these sites. They display such perseverance and heart within all the pain and challenges. 

Coffee

I have my first spouses coffee next week hosted by the Colonel's wife. I have read the protocol for these before, but I have a feeling this will be slightly more casual than some of the coffees I have read about. For instance, I strongly doubt the other women will be wearing gloves. 

I still plan to dress up and bring a hostess gift. This is what I am planning on wearing. I purchased this gorgeous lace dress from Ann Taylor for my bridal shower last summer. I know it is a little summery, but I am going to wear a sweater and belt it. 

In terms of the hostess gift; I haven't quite figured out what I want to bring yet. Pinterest has, of course, given me loads of ideas. I would bring a plant, but it is about to get really cold here. All the plants are going to die. 

Couldn't Find Actual Source- This is the Pinterest Page

I really like the idea of something like this. A little coffee/ hot chocolate gift set. I might just get a mug, a small tin of tea and a small jar of honey. 

via

I love those little rock sugar sticks for tea. There is a wonderful tea shop in Sackets Harbor and I hope they have some. 

If anyone has any suggestions for hostess gifts I would love to hear them. 

Blog Award Catch Up

I have been lucky enough to get the Liebster Award from two lovely ladies. Amy at Running Army Wife and Allison at Keep Calm and Soldier On. For this award you have to:

Post 11 Random Facts About Yourself
Choose 11 deserving bloggers and tag them in the post
Answer 11 questions the tagger has asked you and give 11 questions to the people you've tagged.
No tag-backs

Firstly, 11 facts about myself. 

1. I have the big and little dipper tattooed on my feet. They are practically unnoticeable to  anyone unless you stare at my feet really hard. 
2. My favorite work outs include lifting pretty heavy weights. I am a huge believer that women should lift heavy. You won't get bulky, but it will burn calories and help prevent osteoporosis. 
3. I am 5'8
4. I got my Masters Degree from Georgetown University last year. 
5. I took a year off from college and interned for a presidential campaign. 
6. Lane and I have been in different countries for a cumulative of 2 years of our relationship. 
7. I have been with my husband since 2003. Nine years this fall. 
8. I read constantly. I am also an extremely fast reader. At Oxford, I once read 1,000 pages in one day. 
9. I want to get another degree in Anthropology. 
10. I am teaching political science to soldiers this fall. 
11. My best friend and I look a lot alike. People always think we are sisters. She just started reading my blog ( Hi Jen) and I love her more than anything. She is a hardcore bad ass. There is almost universal agreement among our friends that she would win the Hunger Games. 

Here are the 11 questions from Amy: 

Have you ever read a book more than once? Oh I have read countless books more than once. I have read the Harry Potter books at least five times each. I also have read and then immediately reread The Time Traveler's Wife which is one of the most beautiful books of all time. 
What were you like in high school? I was very focused on academics and school. I fenced in high school and was also on the sailing and lacrosse teams. I started dating my husband my sophomore year of high school so he was already a big part of my life. 
Describe your perfect date. (and do not answer "April 25th".. I'm not talking about a calendar date) My perfect date would be an all day affair back in Arlington/ Alexandria. We would start out with brunch and then take a stroll through old town Alexandria. We would stop in coffee shops and bookstores. I am assuming since this my perfect date I also have an unlimited budget. We would shop for art and gorgeous home decor. I just love spending time with Lane and we have such wonderful connections to that area. The date would finish with dinner and gelato. 
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Washington D.C 
Favorite actor/actress? Anne Hathaway 
Favorite TV show (current or past)? Past: West Wing. Current: Doctor Who and Sherlock 
Favorite dessert? Paleo does limit dessert, but my favorite paleo dessert is actually one we just made for the first time. Lane made paleo cheesecake using cashews and it was amazing. My favorite non-paleo dessert is carrot cake. 
What the most recent movie you saw in theaters? How was it? We saw The Dark Knight Rises and it was good. I didn't like it nearly as much as the second one, but I absolutely loved Anne Hathaway. 
What do you do to relax when you need to de-stress? Read and drink tea. I also try to do yoga once or twice a week. 
What your favorite specific location in the world (that you've been to)? I have been so lucky to travel a lot. However, my favorite is absolutely Oxford, England. I have such amazing memories of attending a term there. I can't wait to get back. 
If you could go back and tell yourself something 10 years ago, what would it be? I was just about to start attending boarding school this time ten years ago. I would tell myself to enjoy life and work hard. I would also say NOT to take Algebra Two my freshman year of school. It was a miserable experience. I would also tell my 14-year old self that I should keep my eyes open for a cute boy in my sophomore English Class. He will end up being pretty important. 

Here are the 11 questions from Allison: 

When did you start your blog and why? What was your very first post (link to it)? I first started my blog because I loved reading about other people's lives and decided, after years of reading them, to start my own. Here is my first post. 

What is one thing you like to brag about, about yourself?  I finished my Master's Degree when I was 23. Planning a wedding, working full time at the Pentagon as well as grad school was a lot. I am very proud of myself for finishing my education before the Army took over my life. 

What is the best advice you've gotten? " Live life as an adventure. If you do it any other way, you will regret it" My grandfather told me this right before I left for boarding school. 

What is the best recipe you've ever tried? I have tried so many recipes. I guess that my go-to is the Primal Palate Paleo Short Ribs recipe found Here. I make it all the time and it is absolutely delicious. 

What do you wish your parents had been more strict about when you were younger and why? Oh I LOVE this question. My parent's were pretty lax with me growing up, but it taught me to manage my own time. I am extremely independent, and I credit my parents giving me my own space for that. I sometimes wish they had set more strict rules. Sometime they would get mad for something that I didn't realize they didn't want me to do. I wish the rules were more spelled out. 

What was your favorite thing to play with growing up? American Girl dolls and Littlest Pet Shop. 

What is your most vivid childhood holiday memory? The year I got a boom box and a lava lamp. I thought that I would never need anything else to be happy. Ha, clearly this was the 1990's. 

What is a "best kept secret" that you found out about? Ha, it wouldn't be a secret if I posted it here. 

What is one thing on your bucket list you're worried you'll never get to do? Have a long term career I love. 

What is the best item in your wardrobe? My caramel leather jacket that I bought in Italy. I absolutely love it. It is one of the more expensive items I have purchased for myself. However, it is gorgeous and fits perfectly. 

What unique item do you always keep in your fridge? Almond Milk? I guess this isn't the most normal thing to stash in your fridge. 

I already won this award earlier this year and awarded a bunch of people then. Since I already tagged a whole buncha people last time I will just tag a few this time. 

Chelsea at Not Your Ordinary Anything 

Sarah at Dandelions and Daffodils 

Alyssa at Life Love, and All That Army Stuff 

These ladies are all with men in the military so I am going to have military themed questions ( for the most part) 

1. How did you meet your husband/fiance? ( I just really love Sarah's answer to this question so I wanted to hear it again)

2. What is the best way you have found to pass the time while they are gone? 

3. What is a base/post you've loved/hated? 

4. What is your favorite military tradition? i.e balls, promotion ceremonies, etc

5. What is your favorite book you've recently read? 

6. Did (Will) you have a military wedding? 

7. What do you think about ACU purses? Look here for examples if you don't know what I am talking about? 

8. Do you have pets? 

9. What area would you like to be stationed? 

10. What posts are you trying to avoid like the plague? 

11. How desperate do you have to be to brave the commissary on pay day? 

Whew that was a long post. Yay for blog awards! If anyone else wants to participate, just let me know and I am happy to add you to my tagged list. 

Deployment Prep

VIA

In the coming months I will probably start blogging more about my husband's upcoming deployment. Obviously I can't give tons of details, but it will be an increasingly dominant part of my life. I have already started to think about what I want to accomplish while he is gone. I know that having goals and plans will help make the time go faster. I also view this deployment as the chance to be a little more selfish. As much as long distance sucked during college, it was sometimes nice to have an entire afternoon to browse Crate and Barrel and drink latte's at Barnes and Noble. I want to make sure that I am giving myself a little extra TLC. Here are some of the goals I have already set to accomplish while he is gone. 

1. Achieve my work out goals. 

A) Five pull-ups with no assistance

B) Dead lift my own body weight for 5 sets of 5 

C) Get to the point where I feel comfortable jogging in just a sports bra 

2. Frame:

A) Diplomas ( VMI, UGA and Georgetown) 

B) Wedding Guest Signature Print 

3. DIY projects 

A) Bench for the foot of our bed 

B) Desk for my side of the office 

C) Buy sewing machine and make throw pillows for living room 

Anyone else have projects that helped pass the time during deployment? I am already planning a massive road trip for the whole month of June. I can't wait to make stops all over the east coast to visit friends and family. I know the amount of time will be the same whether I am super busy or spend my time moping around. I ready to face this thing with a full To-Do list and positive outlook. 

This is what I don't want: 

VIA

I understand that this attitude prevails concerning deployments in the Army. However, my life is not entirely centered on my husband. I have interests and friends which are entirely separate from him. I think this attitude is dangerous and sets you up to be miserable for however long he is gone. If you don't even consider the possibility that you could be happy, you won't. There will be days where I am sad. There will be days where I stare at my phone and pray for a call. However, I am going into this as positive and motivated as possible. It doesn't do anyone any good for me to put my life on hold for a year. A perpetually depressed Molly isn't helpful to Lane, the soldiers I serve at work, or my friends and family. 

I am ready to kick this deployment's ass. 

Spouse Spur Ride

Last Thursday my husband's unit hosted a sort of "Take Your Spouse to Work Day". We got to climb all over the vehicles, shoot some of their guns (with blanks) and do the obstacle course. I had a complete blast and can't wait to do it again

Then this happened:

The sound seemed a little out of sync when I loaded this, but you get the general idea. 

Which resulted in me looking like this: 

I was super excited about climbing the cargo net. Right up until I actually started climbing. It was moving and swaying like crazy. I did make it to the top, but it was NOT my favorite part of the day. 

I had a really good time and think it was such a fun event for families and spouses. 

Single Living Again

First, Our wedding was ten months ago today. I can believe it has been that long. I have moved twice since then, settled into our new life in NY and started a job I love. I can't wait to see what life has in store for us next. 

Photograph from Studio Sequoia

The next few months are going to be pretty husband-free. My husband will be in the field A LOT in the near future and it has me returning to my single-living habits. I leave the TV on more and don't cook nearly as much. I love cooking for other people, but would rather do something quick and easy for myself. I am going to hang out with the other wives a good amount, but also spend some time just reading and finishing a few house projects. 

I love Fifle        From Pinterest

A lot of Army spouses have a really hard time with their husbands leaving. I don't think anyone likes their husband to be gone, but I really try to keep busy and looking forward while he's gone. We were long distance for such a long time, that him not being around has been the norm for most of our relationship. In the next few months I want to: 

1. Take Asha for long walks

2. Watch a lot of chic flicks

3. Re-watch some of my favorite Doctor Who episodes

4. Go read for a few hours on the Starbucks Patio 

5. Try out 3 new recipes to debut when Lane gets back 

6. Finish my fall lesson plans 

7. Go to Zumba or yoga at least a few times a week 

Do any of my milspouse readers have certain things they do more of when their husbands are gone?

One a sad note, I was so sad to hear that Sally Ride passed away. I can remember being inspired by her when I was a kid. My parents always taught me that regardless of gender, I could be whatever I wanted when I grew up. This song might not actually be about her, but I think about Sally Ride whenever I hear it. Thanks for inspiring a generation of women. 

Blog Housekeeping

I like to check my blog stats ever few weeks. Even though I haven't written about it in forever, I get tons of Google results for people looking for information on Ranger School. If anyone stumbles upon my little corner of the internet and has a question, please please please e-mail me. I love talking about my limited Army experience. Ranger School is a weird and confusing experience. I never quite knew what going to happen, and I would love to help anyone else going through the same thing.

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Also, Doctor Who fans rock my world. That is another common search and makes me deliriously happy. 

I am really approachable (and I try to respond to all my comments) so please contact me if you have questions. 

More housekeeping; I am always very sad when I go to respond to a comment and there isn't an e-mail address. I can't tell you how many e-mails I have sent off to the dreaded no-reply blogger e-mail address. This Blog has fantastic instructions for changing your profile.

These aren't actual links. The link below has the sources for all these buttons. 

I used This fantastic tutorial to add the fun social media icons to my sidebar. I have tried several times, but this is the first time it has actually worked for me. I love the look of the icons.

I am relieved to finally have my icons sorted out. I like that I was able to pick and choose which icons I wanted to have on the blog. 

Memorial Day

When I was younger Memorial Day was just another day off from school. Now however, I have a deeper appreciation for the holiday. I hope that in between the margaritas and time at the beach, everyone can take a moment to remember the sacrifice made by so many service-members throughout American history.

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The first time a KIA hit home was my Junior year of high school when Marine 1st LT Andrew K Stern was killed in Iraq. He wasn't that much older than me and had shared so many of the same experiences. It was so strange that someone so similar to me could be killed while serving our country. Although I didn't know LT. Stern, I felt a connection to him and his family. A few years ago Lane and I went to Arlington Cemetery. I happened to mention that it would be nice to visit LT. Stern's grave. Not five minutes later we happened to walk directly in front of it.

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There are so many ways to help service members and their families. The USO is a wonderful organization and you can help send care packages overseas here. My Memorial Day will be spent with my wonderful soldier husband in Syracuse. I love being a part of the Army family, and feel blessed to experience the military in a way which is unknown to so many Americans.

Milspouses- I Need Help

I was so excited to find so many amazing milspouse blogs through the blog hop earlier this month. I am hoping that some of y'all will help me out. I am trying to figure out what I will wear to the Squadron Ball. I am planning on wearing a white dress, and was told in the protocol class that white was perfectly acceptable. However, I don't want to look like a wanna-be bride. Here is the dress: 

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Oh and here is me in the dress. Man I look so young even though it was less than three years ago. 

I fell in love with this dress years ago, and purchased it for VMI's Ring Figure Ball. I got it during an incredible sale from Bluefly. It fits me perfectly, and I only wore it once. Question, is it too bridal-ly for the Ball? Have y'all worn white or seen other women wear white?