My Babies

I got them all in the tub together a couple of nights ago and they insisted on silly faces for me.

Hair

I wanted something different in the color department. So I went dark!

Princess Ballerina

This is how she INSISTED on going to the library...our little girlie girl!

The Military Wife

I am stealing this from a friend who posted it on FB....But I liked it and wanted to share.

Military Wife

Lots of moving...

Moving...

Moving...

Moving far from home...

Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.

Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house;

Moving curtains that won't fit;

Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.

Moving away from friends;

Moving toward new friends;

Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting for housing.

Waiting for orders.

Waiting for deployments.

Waiting for phone calls.

Waiting for reunions.

Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.

Waiting for him to come home,

For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:

She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;

Handle the yard work;

Fix a noisy toilet;

Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.

She can file the taxes;

Sell a house;

Buy a car;

Or set up a move...

.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.

She reinvents her career with every PCS;

Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.

And learns to call them all 'home'.

She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...

They leap into:

Decorating,

Leadership,

Volunteering,

Career alternatives,

Churches,

And friendships.

They don't have 15 years to get to know people.

Their roots are short but flexible.

They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come

after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:

They connect over coffee,

Rely on the spouse network,

Accept offers of friendship and favors.

Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is

unique.

He doesn't have a 'JOB'

He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...

He's on-call for his country 24/7.

But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign

TDY

PCS

EPR

SOS

ACC

BDU

ACU

BAR

CIB

TAD

ABU

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.

She is the long- distance link to keep them informed;

The glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:

She wants to wring his neck;

Dye his uniform pink;

Refuse to move to Siberia;

But she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days,

A travel brochure,

A long hot bath,

A pledge to the flag,

A wedding picture,

And she goes.

She packs.

She moves.

She follows.

Why?

What for?

How come?

You may think it is because she has lost her mind.

But actually it is because she has lost her heart.

It was stolen from her by a man,

Who puts duty first,

Who longs to deploy,

Who salutes the flag,

And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her

Military Husband,

She will remain his Military Wife.

And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown

Gotta Support!

How's this Anne?????

Lovable

I just LOVE this face! Don't you?

Growing

So it hit me this morning like a ton of bricks...the kids are growing up. For some reason I am having a hard time with Maddie. Not in a bad way, just watching her be so independent and not need me at such an early age is just plain hard. JJ on the other hand would still let me dress him if I wanted. Maddie picks out her own clothes most days, dresses herself, and usually goes to the bathroom with no help needed. She does everything "all by myself." If only you could hear how cute she sounds when she says that.

While we were in the car yesterday John and I were discussing JJ and school in the fall. These next six months will be the last we have of him home all day. I can already see it in him. He is anxious to get out of the house everyday - doesn't want to be home, ever. He is just ready to be going to school and learning. I can't explain the feeling, he is just there, ready to go.

And Zach, he'll be 5 months next week. He LOVES to eat his cereal and veggies. I am so glad he likes baby food because the other two refused it, but that just means he is growing up too! And this morning he had a real poo, not a breast fed poo. It was a food poo.

Do you hear me children? You are NOT allowed to grow anymore! Not one inch!

Taste Buds

Hi, my name is Ellen. I am 31 years old and I like cucumbers. I just discovered them or I should say my taste buds finally like them! I don't know what came over me. I tried them on cute little finger sandwiches at church and have been eating them on my salads ever since that day in August! I can't believe I didn't like them before. Thank you for listening. This is something I needed to share :) Anne, you were in my thoughts while typing this!

Inspired

Today while viewing Mandy's blog, I came across a blog she has listed on her site. One click after another and I am finding myself inspired to try the Eat From the Pantry Challenge. I really want to do this. Starting tomorrow. I am going to spend my day taking inventory and getting started! I'll be trying to blog about as I go. Maybe that will help me stay on track!