The US Army!
Love this sign!
Source: folkartfromtheharbor.com via Leanne on Pinterest
February 11, 2012 1 Comment
Guest Post: Sending Mail to Your Recruit at Basic Training
February 11, 2012 1 Comment
I asked Michael from UltimateBasicTraining.com to guest post with some information for those with a loved one in basic training. My husband went to basic before I met him so I no nothing about the experience.
Sending Mail to Your Recruit at Basic Training
For a lot of recruits, basic training is the first time they receive and write actual hand written letters to friends and family. With e-mails, texting and instant messaging, there isn’t much reason to write letters to friends and family anymore.
Being unable to send abbreviated messages every other minute to your boyfriend or girlfriend is just one of the harsh realities of being in a basic training environment. Without these modes of communication, letter seems to be a recruit’s only viable option of communication.
If you have a loved one at basic training, make sure you are aware of the following guidelines about sending mail to recruits in the military:
1. Do not send anything that is prohibited. A list of prohibited items can be found in The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook. Among these are candy, chewing gum, cookies, soft drinks, and tobacco products. Avoid sending any food. Any packages received during basic training will be opened in front of Drill Sergeants and the rest of the recruits.
3. Don’t send clothes. Not only will your recruit not be able to wear it, but they will have to pack it wherever they go, and space is very limited.
4. Don’t send letters that smell of perfume or cologne. This is a favorite for drill sergeants when they are handing out mail. This tactic gives the drill sergeants fuel to endlessly make fun of your favorite little recruit.
5. Don’t send pictures you don’t want others to see. Any pictures that you send will be passed around. Provocative pictures will be confiscated and who knows, may even appear on the internet some day.
What you should send are letters filled with words of encouragement, love and support. Those words of encouragement go a long way and are exactly what your recruit will want to read.
For more tips on training for the army or any military branch, visit UltimateBasicTraining.com
Running for Cookies
February 6, 2012 5 Comments
Source: skechers.com via Julie on Pinterest
I don’t like being overweight. I love cookies. This is a problem.
When I was in high school I was on the swim team. I woke up every morning and had to be at the pool at like 5:45 am and would swim for 1.5 hours. By doing this I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted to eat. I didn’t have to count calories because I was burning so many of them each day. Now I would love to get back to swimming like that but with my husband’s schedule, our budget and not having all my kids in full-time school yet, it just really isn’t possible. I was thinking about what I could do to burn more calories. I have always loved to walk but just can’t do it every day for the amount of time I would need to do it.
I figured out that I needed to do something that 1) I could do even if Ben is working late or gone and 2) Doesn’t cost any money. I decided I was going to start running. I looked at my backyard and realized that although it wasn’t super ideal, I could run around my own backyard. It isn’t super huge but it works. This means I can do it every single day. I don’t need my husband home to do it, I don’t need to pay anything to do it and some days my kids can run with me too. They did on Sunday and had so much fun!
I also figured that when it starts to get lighter for longer I could run in my neighborhood when my husband gets home from work. I could also do it when I just have the baby. I could put him in the stroller and run with him. I would like to eventually get a jogging stroller.
I started on Saturday morning and I am starting pretty slow. I decided I was going to run for as long as I could and made it 7 minutes, Sunday I did 8 and today I did 9. Tomorrow I will do 10. Baby steps, baby steps. I would like to be able to run for up to an hour eventually. That would be a big goal of mine.
I have to make running apart of my life so coming up with something that will work without having to depend on going anywhere else is really going to help.
I hope that when I have 2 in full-time school I can start swimming again.
How do you like to exercise? What works for you? How do you exercise with little kids around?
Sometimes I wish I lived on post
February 2, 2012 13 Comments
We just bought a house in September. I love my house, love my neighborhood and overall I am happy we live off-post. I like that I can get away from Army post life for a bit. I know my husband likes the distance. We like my son’s school and we enjoy the city we live in for the most part.
Sometimes though, I wish I lived on post. It isn’t even so much wanting to live on post here but it is more what I miss about living on post. When we lived in Germany we lived on post for a little over two years. This was nice for a few reasons. #1 is that I could walk everywhere. I could walk to the commissary, I could walk to the CDC, the PX, the thrift store, the post office, the park and if I was up for a longer walk I could go get the mail, walk to where Ben worked and visit the downtown. I didn’t need a car. We only had one car because we didn’t need two. Even during the deployment I walked a lot because it was easier. I had two little boys who fit in a double stroller and it just made life that much easier.
I miss that. A lot. I can’t walk anywhere but around my neighborhood right now. Clarksville doesn’t believe in sidewalks for some reason. It is pretty annoying. There is no safe way to get to the local stores by my house. And even if I lived on post here I might not be able to walk to most places.
So maybe I don’t want to live on post. Maybe I just want to be able to walk to things. Where I grew up you could walk to a lot of different places. You could walk to the pool, school, park and local shopping areas. You could walk for hours and always have a sidewalk. I miss that. Even though I hated that my parents made me walk home from school, it was nice that I was able to do it.
One reason I do wish I lived on post here is that I keep finding all these activities on post. But driving there everyday is killing my gas budget. I have to pick and choose. And the gate closings drive me up the wall. I can never remember what gate is open when and always find myself at the wrong gate at the wrong time.
Do you prefer living on post or off? Where are you stationed? I know that can make a difference too.
PS: Don’t forget to enter my Amazon giveaway!
Turning 33
January 23, 2012 11 Comments
Last Friday was my 33rd birthday. It wasn’t the best birthday ever. The day was pretty stressful. We went to talk with the doctor about Drew’s diagnosis. I think that just kinda made the day difficult. Friday night the boys wanted to take to me Chick-Fil-A for my birthday so we did that. Love their peppermint shakes.
On Saturday Ben and I were able to get out for a date night which was nice. We went to Outback which is one of my favorite places. Sadly we left our gift card at home which was frustrating. After dinner we walked around a bit, went to a bookstore and went computer shopping. We really need a new computer and plan to use some of our tax refund to get one. I am just not sure what I want to get though. I need to do some more looking around. I would love a Mac but just can’t swing that right now. It was really nice to get out without the boys. Although we did talk about them a lot. We just can’t help it.
So I am 33 now. I feel pretty okay with that. I am pretty much doing what I wanted to do in life. When I was 20 I always said I wanted to have kids by 30. Here I am at 33, been married 9.5 years with three little boys. Although I never thought I would be an Army wife, I feel like I am right where I am supposed to be.
How about you? Do you feel like your age? Have you done everything you thought you would by the age you are now?
PS: Make sure to enter my American Armor Car Cover Giveaway :)
Fears of a Military Wife
January 17, 2012 9 Comments
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
I think this verse in Joshua is my life verse. Whenever I get fearful of things, worried about things or wonder how everything will work out, I should read this verse. It was funny, when I was pregnant with my own little Joshua and worried about a few things, I kept coming across this verse. It really spoke to me then, through the last deployment and even now.I think anyone who has lived the Military life has been afraid at some point. Deployments can be a very fearful time for us. We worry about the worst happening, we worry they will get hurt, we worry they will come home a different person. We try not to. We try to be strong, but deep down the worry is there.
We worry about the Military and how things could change. We worry about the Military cutbacks and wonder how they will affect us.
We worry about money. We worry that we won’t have enough.
We worry about our children. We wonder if this lifestyle will hurt them in some way. We worry that we can’t protect them from everything.
The worries really never end do they?
That is why I need to remember to keep praying and reading verses like the one in Joshua. I don’t want to be walking around worrying about everything. I want to embrace this life to the fullest. Worry gets in the way of that.
What do you worry about the most? How do you help yourself not worry as much?
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