Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Honoring Military Spouses Everywhere!

I got this email from a friend and thought it was good enough to post and so very true :) Enjoy! P.S. Even if you are not a military spouse, read it anyway. It's a good way of  trying to understand what the wives and husbands experience :) 


You might be a military spouse if...

...You live on your own, by yourself more after you're married than before you were married.

...You know all of your husband's coworkers by their last name, and rarely know their first name or even gender.

...Your husband's work and dress clothes cost more than yours do.

...You only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change.

...You know that a 2 month separation IS short, no matter what your civilian friends say.

...You have enough camouflage in your house to wallpaper the White House.

...You don't bat an eyelash at 22:45 and 0300 duty times.

...You are asked to stop talking in acronyms and translate it all to English.

...You've done more oil changes than your spouse, and even when your husband is home the mechanic asks to speak with you.

...You ask someone to hold on a second by saying, "Stand by."

...Military homecomings on TV bring tears to your eyes because you can relate so well.

...You've ever checked your email multiple times an hour in hopes your spouse has written you, and know how horrible email being "down" is.

...You wouldn't dream going anywhere without your cellphone, and all your other numbers forward to it.

...You've researched ways to surgically attach your cellphone to yourself.

...If you have a power of attorney, USE it, and freak out when it expires.

...If you know that not everyone accepts a power of attorney, despite the fact it gives you permission to practically BE your spouse.

...If you've ever argued that fact with someone in person or over the phone and gotten nowhere.

...Your husband spends more time getting ready for a formal function than you do, and on an average day spends way too much time ironing, polishing shoes, and shaping his beret.

...You can literally hold down the fort while your spouse is deployed or in the field.

...You know that 'dependant' means anything but.

…the floorboard of your car is littered with french fries, yellow foam earplugs and chem lights.

…you’ve shopped in the Class Six while being noticeably pregnant and explained to the unfazed clerk that you’re “just buying stuff for my husband.”

…you lean to the right while driving on post so the MP’s won’t see you talking on your cell phone.

…you’ve ever wished your husband would get the Medal of Honor so you could get front row parking.

…you know better than to shop the Commissary on the first or fifteenth day of the month.

…you have a “favorite gate guard.”

…you don’t feed your kids before FRG meetings but plan to let them fill up on brownies and Sprite once they get there.

…you watch “Army Wives” just to yell at the TV whenever something is unrealistic.

…you’ve ever stopped your husband on the way to work because of pair of your panties was stuck to his velcro.

…you plan a special day because of the words “Case Lot Sale.”

…you’ve ever had a nightmare that involved not knowing ”your sponsor’s last four.”

…you know all the words to “Blood on the Risers” but still cringe when you hear it.

…you save an especially stinky shirt to get you through a deployment

…you think the only thing sexier than ACU’s on a man are ACU’s off a man.

…your sentences start containing more [acronyms] and numbers than actual words.

…you refer to everyone not in the military or dating someone in the military as a Civilian, you can rattle off the time in perfect military time without having to think.

…you start referring to all girls & women as “females”

…you tell the timeline of your past through deployments.

…you think 6 months away from your husband is “not bad”

…you can’t remember the last four digits of your own social security #

…you constantly have to explain to businesses on the phone that your
husband can’t call to fix the problem because he’s in the middle of a desert somewhere.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Happy Anniversary!!


Jeremiah & Mary-Anne
September 22, 2007



~After our wedding vows and kiss~



~The best kiss from the most amazing man~



~This day I will marry my friend. The one I laugh with, live for, dream with and love.~

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JEREMIAH! 
I LOVE YOU!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving & into His courts with praise"
~Psalm 100:4



You probably thought I was talking about Christmas...oh, no. For anyone who knows me, Fall is the most beautiful time and is totally my favorite season. Keri, Skylar, Ethan and I made a day trip to see the colors of the aspens, eat at K's and to get the kiddos out of the house :) We drove to Buena Vista, CO to see the autumn season that is upon us. We were not disappointed!



Ethan just recently started to walk. This was his first big trip where he got to walk a lot outside. He was a rockstar!



Mommy and Ethan's hands holding an aspen leaf. A Chaplain I know once told me that aspens on the ground look like little potato chips :) I've never forgotten that.....and I'm sure one day I'll tell Ethan too!



Ethan was not interested in sitting still for a photo. He was on the move and just had to see things! I love that he is so curious! I just like this photo of him and Skylar.



ASPENS!



Ethan was mesmerized by the delicious chocolate and vanilla cone at K's in "BV" (as the locals call it!) It was his first ice cream ever. He had lots of fun and I didn't mind at all that it got all over his stroller. I have accepted that boys are messy :) So, I'm just embracing the fun and messy part of being a mommy :) (For anyone who knows me, I'm like Monica off of Friends as far as cleaning. But not as bad! I promise :)



Getting some chocolate kisses from my little E-man! I love his squissy little cheeks!



Seriously, who would not love the beautiful scenery?





We had an awesome day! The kiddos crashed out on the way home from all the excitement and adventures they had partaken in. Skylar and Ethan have become fast friends! It was the most precious thing when they were reaching for each others hands in the back seat! Priceless!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Moving, a New House and a Get-a-way Weekend



Ah, Moving Day! A common word known amongst us Army Wives and Husbands. I never thought that they would fill this ginormous truck with our stuff, but I assure you, they did. I was very fortunate to have one of my best friends, Brianne, helping me to man Ethan. She was a big help. Thanks, girl! After one full day of packing boxes and a half day of filling the truck....we were done! I haven't fully realized that we are leaving Colorado yet. It's been a very special place for me over the past 4 1/2 years. I'm sure I won't realize it until we hit the Texas border, my hair turns into cotton candy from the humidity, and I'm drenched with sweat that it will truly sink in. Needless to say, I'm very excited about the new adventure that God has in store for Jeremiah, Ethan and I. I love this quote, I've heard it tons of times but not sure who actually wrote it...."You never really leave a place you love. Part of it you take with you, leaving part of you behind."


It has truly been a joy to see Keri's little girl, Skylar and my little dare devil, Ethan play together. Keri and I have known each other for 5 years. She knows the in's and out's of my life, and was there for the worst and best moments! I will miss you girl and thank you for being a sister to me!
So, Keri bought Skylar a cardboard play house (super cute)! Well, I'm not sure if they had more fun playing in the house as we did taking their picture. This also allowed my son to learn to climb through the window of the house. (Should I be worried about this later on in his teenage years?!)



My little munckin! Brianne and I went to the Broadmoor before she left Colorado. We had a fun time, did some shopping and took a few photos. This was one of Ethan in exactly the same spot that Jeremiah and I were married. Little did we know 2 years after we were married, we would have a 13 month old baby boy. God truly works in ways I never knew possible!



Yay, for a get-a way weekend with my hubby! We had a fabulous time in Destin, Florida. He has been at Fort Rucker (Mother Rucker, as it is more commonly known) for 3 weeks for Flight Medic School training. We thought it was long overdue for a much needed weekend with just the two of us, no Ethan. Thanks to Haley, Andy and Keri, it totally worked and it was a weekend that I will never forget. Since we married in September 2007, we've been together for a total of 10 months, with a deployment in between and a child :) Talk about your fast track in the Army ;) We ended up shopping, getting a massage and eating lots of great food (that normally would have gotten cold if Ethan had been there :) I'm totally and madly in love with my husband! (and of course, Ethan too!)



My son loves cottage cheese! Well, all I can say is that he didn't get it from me. I just wanted to document the event and to show everyone just how cute he is, even with rasberries and cottage cheese on his face!