Trials and Tribulations of Military Life

Making friends is hard, no matter where you are in life. It is made even harder when you are in the military. You move constantly, or your friends move constantly, and it is hard to maintain lasting relationships over long distances. I don't have enough fingers, toes, or other appendages to count the amount of friends that have come and gone in my life. Every once in a great while, you meet people you REALLY connect with and that is a total blessing in its self. Then again, every once in a while, you meet people that are desperate for friends, and while you feel bad for them, you just don't connect with them on that level. This week has been very hard, as certain situations caused friendships in my life to be tested, and other relationships caused strain and drama. As if, being a military wife, there wasn't already enough stress and drama!!!! I love the friends I have here in Virginia, and when someone comes along who threatens those relationships, I am like a momma lioness! I just wanna roar and strike out. I know that everyone needs friends, and relationships! I get that. But sometimes there are people you just don't click with. I guess what I am trying to say is life is frustrating enough without added drama! I want my friends for ME!! I don't want to share. I don't want anything to change. And watch out, those that threaten my relationships with my friends. LOL In the military, your friends are what keep you sane, they are what keep you going, when your spouse (aka best friend, other half, partner, lover etc) is gone. That makes these relationships all the more important than regular friendships outside the military, because they are short, they are fleeting, but they are also precious, blessed and oh so appreciated.

Close Friendships

It has been a really long time since I have had a close group of girlfriends. Tonight I was thinking, the last time I was this tight with a group of women was in high school. In the military life, it is really hard to get to know someone really well, much less have them get to know you really well. You move every three to four years, and while you may make some lasting friendships, noone ever really knows the REAL you. Not so here in Virginia! I have a core group of about 5 woman that really know me! I spend a lot of time with them, and we do things together often, so I guess that helps us to know one another better. Sometimes it is hard to believe that I have bonded so quickly with these 5 women, but I have. It is going to crush my heart when one of them has to leave. They know me, understand me, and totally get me! That is super hard to find, not just in the military, but anywhere. I usually find it very hard to be myself around others, but with these women it is so..... easy and natural. They are my rocks, my comforts, my friends and my sisters in the military. Today I am truly grateful for their friendship and companionship. We always have such a great time together, and we know that we can depend on each other no matter what!

Life continues on, day after day.

Well all I can say right now is..... SNOW, SNOW, SNOW! It seems as soon as the latest round of snow melts, more is on its way. Last night it poured down rain, then this morning it was snowing. The ground is blanketed in white, and area cancellations and closings are rolling in. Don't get me wrong, I love snow, but when you have a 4 year that LOVES to attend school and you have to tell her that school is cancelled, yet again, it is no fun! Hannah misses school. That is all there is to it.
On another note, Chris is working mids now, and I have to say that it sucks. It is almost like he is deployed, but still in the same house. He does nothing but sleep and work, and I feel like I never see him. We pass by each other as I am on my way out, and he is on his way to bed. Weekends, he still sleeps most of the day, so that he can stay on his mids schedule. So time together is sparse. But I guess that is part of the military life. Sometimes I think there should be an extra stipend for military wives. I mean, hello, does the government realize how much us military spouses do? We keep EVERYTHING together while our active duty counterparts work. We pay all the bills, do all the cleaning, do all the kid stuff (carpools, appointments, conferences, homework help, counseling, etc), we wake them up, we wash their uniforms, we pack them up for deployments, and on and on the list goes. Ummm, hey Congress, I think I might need a raise too! LOL I love my job as a military spouse and wouldn't trade it for anything, but I do think that I should be compensated, and not just with medical benefits and housing allowance!
Well that's enough for today. I have to get Hannah working on her Valentine's for her class party and Jade should be home from school soon to tell me whether she has to go to play practice tonight. The life of a military spouse never stops.... it's go, go go!

Things I am thankful for....

Yesterday we celebrated Thomas' 3rd birthday here at my house. My friend Tamara lives in a really small apartment, so I loaned her my house for the party. We had a really great time. Thomas was so cute opening up all his presents. Tamara did a fantastic job with the party. It was a Wubbzy party and she made a cake, centerpiece, craft and treat bags. It was all very crafty and beautiful. After the birthday party, we all met at 3 Amigos Mexican Restaurant for dinner. It was a little chaotic but good to get out as families, together. And hence, the reason I am writing this blog today.
In military life, I find myself without my husband regulary. Whether it be deployments, TDYs, late shifts, rotating shifts or just him being busy with his job, I am alone a lot more often than I would like. That is why I am so thankful for my moms group and all the wonderful friends that I have in the group. They are my support, my comfort, my shoulder to cry on and my ear to listen if I need them. I am lucky to belong to a group of women that mesh really well together and compliment each other. Sitting at dinner last night, I just realized how blessed I am to have them all in my life. Each and every one of them plays a different part in my life, but my life would be missing something if just one of them were to leave. They are my friends, my sisters, my partners in crime, my therapists, my babysitters, and sometimes they are just there! My job as a military wife and mom is made easier by their presence! I love you all, Tamara, Victoria, Rhiannon, Olga, Leah, Cara, Sandra, Kristine, Jessica, Meghan, Leslie, Jeanine, Maria, Ashley, and all your children as well. Thanks for being a big part of my life and sharing your lives with me! :)

Big day for our little moms group!

Today was a huge day for our moms group, Military SAHM of the Peninsula. I subscribe to a magazine that is carried in all Walmarts called All You Magazine. Every month, they send out an email asking questions about story ideas. A couple of months ago, they sent out an email asking about what people were doing to save money during the recession. I wrote in and told them about our group and the babysitting co-op that we host every month. Basically, 2 moms host each month at a different moms house, and the rest of the moms get to drop their children off and have a few hours out. This is very important to us, especially when our husbands are gone. It gives us a much needed break. One of the magazine writers wrote back and said they were interested in including our co-op in the story they were doing and needed to ask me a few questions. I answered the questions and thought that was it. Then, surprisingly, a few weeks later, she writes me again and says that the editor liked the military angle of our group and wanted to do a feature article on us and our babysitting co-op and would we mind? I immediately wrote back and said of course we wouldn't mind. She then sent me another list of questions to answer and I responded. Once again, I thought that was the end of it. Well, right before Christmas, she wrote me yet again, and said that her editor liked our story so much, that they wanted to send a professional photographer here to get photos of us and our children to include with the article! We were all ecstatic! For our little group of 20 women to get an opportunity like this was amazing! Today, at our monthly babysitting co-op, a professional photograher came and photographed us and our children. It was so much fun! All the children were smiling and posing, just lapping it up! Our article will be featured in the April 2010 issue of All You magazine and can be purchased at Walmart! Please check it out!

The Gall, I just cannot believe it!

So today, stories were flying about an attempted child abduction in our military housing area. Supposedly, the 9 year old little girl was grabbed by a man as she stooped to tie her shoes. She fought back and got away. Police were called, news cameras arrived and the entire community was in an uproar. Parents were scared, and standing at bus stops waiting for their children. The people who run our community printed out thousands of fliers printed with the information about the crime and a description of the supposed attacker. This little girl described her supposed attacker in minute detail, down to the jewelry he was wearing. Parents were frightened. Then tonight.... out it comes that the little girl made up the entire story!!! No reason is given for why she did it, and police are not even going to charge her! It is unbelievable. I don't believe in spanking, but if my child told a whopper like that, and got everyone all riled up and working hard, I think I would have to spank! Granted, I am glad that the story was false, and that nothing like that really happened in our neighborhood, but I am angry as well, at all the wasted man hours, paperwork, worries, etc that were wasted on this lie. The military gets enough crap as it is without some little girl bringing more bad publicity to our military. All I can say, is that I hope her parents give her a good talking to, and teach her a good lesson about lies and how they can harm people!

Finally in Virginia

We are all settled in at Langley AFB, and we love it! We have been able to go home and hang with friends and family twice now, and even be there for my niece's birthday, for the first time in a long time! We love our house. Yes, we have base housing, but it is beautiful. It is two story, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, with plenty of storage and space! We live in an enclosed military area, so our kids are safe and have lots of freedom that they wouldn't otherwise have. Jade is settling in nicely at her new school. Hannah and I have found a playgroup that we like so far! Chris seems to like his job, and doesn't complain much. We are looking forward to a real fall and winter, with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner.