Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Julie

Paradise Springs at Gaylord Texan

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I love to travel! Sadly I haven’t been able to for a while and probably have to wait a while more to be able to do it again. So I decided to look for some guest posters to talk about great places to travel.  Heather from Dallas Single Mom is going to be talking about the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, TX.  It looks like such a fun place to visit!  Thanks so much Heather 🙂

Paradise is coming to Grapevine, TX.  Grapevine, Texas is located right between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and minutes from DFW airport in the middle of North Texas.  In beautiful Grapevine is a hodge podge of many family friendly resorts and activities.  The Travel Channel has profiled a special resort and called it the 2011 Best Family Getaway in Texas.

Grapevine’s Gaylor Texan is an entertainment resort that has just recently opened a brand new indoor and outdoor water park called Paradise Springs! This water park opened this past Memorial Day weekend which kicked off the summer season of splashing fun for DFW families. Featuring 10 acres of outdoor pool adventures and a lazy river complex, Paradise Springs boasts pools, outdoor recreation, and and outdoor pool bar with large projection screen movies for dive in movies. This new outdoor pool is also a part of the Gaylord’s 8th annual SummerFest with pool activities, culinary programs, firework shows, live entertainment and much more for all ages.

We are extremely excited to add this new amenity to our resort property,” said John Imaizumi, Senior Vice President and General Manager. “It is a spectacular pool with great features for both our leisure and group guests.

Paradise Springs at Gaylord Texan treats resort guests to a 600-foot-long winding lazy river with entertaining water features throughout and a 6,000-square-foot family lagoon with a walk-in beach, two horseshoe-shaped hot pools, a 27-foot water slide, a designated toddler pool, and water basketball. For those craving outdoor adventure between dips in the pool, the unique game pavilion offers a large campfire pit, bocce ball, croquet, tossers, and shuffleboard. Sun bathing is available on any of the pool’s 1,270 seats including chaise loungers, beach chairs, and family-style rounds. Those wishing to upgrade their pool experience will enjoy three sets of private cabanas available to rent daily, some of which will have their own flat screen televisions and fire pits for roasting marshmallows. Yummy treats will be served up by Gaylord Texan’s executive resort chef, Ty Thoren, and his culinary team with fresh and creative menu offerings for the full-service pool bar and grill, a quick bites concession stand, and poolside menus.

SummerFest 2011 activities will feature a variety of pool events, culinary programs, firework shows, and strolling entertainment. Guests will also be delighted by the resort’s two new restaurants, Zeppole Coastal Italian and Riverwalk Cantina; live music at the Glass Cactus nightclub; the 25,000-square-foot Relache Spa; unique retail shopping; and luxury accommodations in 1,511 guestrooms.

For more information on Gaylord Texan’s Paradise Springs pool, SummerFest 2011 activities, or special room packages for those wishing to “stay & play” this summer season, please visit http://www.gaylordtexan.com or call (817) 778-1000.

The Gaylord Texan resort is located at 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051-1945

*All photos are from gaylordtexan.com
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Blogger Bio – Heather Buen is the official Examiner.com writer for all culture and events activities for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  To read about more Dallas events, please visit her Examiner page! Heather also has a personal blog where she offers advice and tips for single mothers at Dallas Single Mom!

 

Financial checklist for soon to be deployed military members

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My next guest post is by Matt Polsky from the VA Benefit Blog.  He is going to be talking about how to prepare financially before going on a deployment.

Financial checklist for soon to be deployed military members

Horror stories of soldiers accruing debt while serving are far too numerous.  Financial preparation could lessen the nerves of the moment and save money for both the service member and his or her family. However, how does one save? And what are some last minute tips for soldiers with no emergency fund?

Things to Do Before Deployment

Military members could save a lot of money while deployed. They could even potentially end with more money than they started. How?

  1. Create an emergency fund. It is extremely difficult to put money aside. However, everyone should try their best to throw a few extra dollars every week into the bank and forget about it. This is the most effective way to meet emergencies and life-changes head on. Try paying yourself first, aim to deposit 8-10 percent of your paycheck and try to forget about it until an emergency arises.
  2. Start researching what creditors offer military members on duty. Some creditors have military discounts and forbearances. Call them to find out what a military member can do in the case of deployment. Many of them will have an answer. However, some will not want to offer any leniency. In that case, all service members leaving for active duty should utilize the protections provided under the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act. The law protects military members from financial burden. They can eliminate or lower income tax, credit card debts, mortgage payments and rent while on duty. For members with families, the law gives them peace of mind because banks are not allowed to evict or foreclose on a home while a service member is on duty. This law still requires the military member to give the bank or property owner and other creditors proper notice of deployment.
  3. Making small decisions lead to big savings. For example, store the car away and do not let anyone use it. Insurance companies will lower plan rates for a car not in use. Not to mention, a stored car runs no risk of repair or damage if it is not being used. Another way a small decision could save money—suspend cell phone coverage. Many mobile providers can suspend your coverage and let you keep your same number for up to 18 months and reactivate the phone upon your return. This makes perfect sense for soldiers who regularly use online phone services such as Skype as well as prepaid phone cards and email to communicate with their family and friends back home.
  4. Obtain legal protection of finances. Assigning a trusted Power of Attorney to manage accounts and budgets could help to limit big spending and protect from theft or loss while gone. It would be a nightmare to come back only to find an empty bank account.

It is important to make sure family and friends are on the same page about the actions taken to protect funds. Assure them of insurance coverage as well as the protections under SCRA. Be strict about spending and the use of personal property while away. Taking the above precautions will leave one with money in the bank as opposed to substantial debt.

Matt Polsky is a blogger associated with VA Benefit Blog, a blog focused on providing veterans and service members with current news and information on the benefits they have through serving our country.


Dinosaur Deploys

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My next guest poster is Laura from Military Word of Mouth.  She has a great idea for kids to help them through a deployment!  I know my boys would have loved something like this 🙂

Lately, I have been going through things trying to get rid of some stuff to prepare for our next move. Probably, pretty soon our landlady will be calling to let us know that someone is coming over to see the house to potentially rent for next year. While going through a bookshelf, I found one of my son’s photo albums from last year.


It’s just a small 4″x6″ album that I found at Walgreens for like a $1.00, but to him it was priceless. You see it contains photos of his dinosaur on an adventure, and not just any adventure, but an adventure with his daddy. When my husband deployed last January, my son gave my husband one of his dinosaurs to hug whenever he missed him.

So, my husband took pictures of the dinosaur on his deployment adventure and would send them to my son either by email or by snail mail.


I can not tell you how much my son loved this, but when he saw the pictures, his face would beam. He even asked if he could bring the album to show and tell to share with his friends at preschool.

Having a parent deployed is such a hard concept for a young child to understand and accept. This is such a simple way to help ease their pain, if only for a bit. If your spouse is deploying shortly, ask your child if he or she would like to share one of his/her small stuffed animals. If your spouse is already deployed consider sending it over in the next package you mail out. Have your child be the one to put it in the box so he feels like he is helping his daddy miss home a little less. If your spouse doesn’t have a camera, throw in a disposable one.

Top 25 annoying Army Deployment Questions and Comments

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Stephanie has offered a guest post to me 🙂  She blogs over at Mama Clementine!  She is a SAHM of four, been an Army Wife for 11 years and been through five deployments.  Thanks so much for the post Stephanie!

Top 25 annoying Army Deployment Questions and Comments

 

annoying Army Deployment Questions
Rakkasan  Deployment 2007
Matthew 11, Dylan 7, Lauren 5 

This morning I was reading a post over at Caffeinated Catholic Mamaof how people have lost all sense of personal-space and privacy, either because of our over sharing techno culture or maybe just a general lack of manners. She gives her wonderful list of Top annoying and prying questions from absolute strangers, Here.

While writing in her comments I was thinking that for me, being such a Counter-Culture Mama, the lists of random rude questions and offending comments from those that it just does not concern, could go on and on…ad infinitum. So, I thought for fun, I would make a small project out of several lists of obscenely annoying Questions and Comments that I have gotten from strangers, all neatly compiled into categories. 🙂
What follows is a list of my TOP 25 way too personal, yet oh so popular questions and all to common comments, that I have received during my husband’s Deployments.
      1. Oh, is your Husband Deployed ?
      2. Do you Miss Him ?
      3. Is it Hard ?
      4. Will they send Him home for the Birth ?
      5. Is it your Husband’s Baby or Jody’s ?
      6. Does your Husband know you’re pregnant ?
      7. Do you know who the Father is ?
      8. What will you do / How will you have a Baby by yourself ?
      9. Why do you have / keep having kids if he is gonna be gone so much ?
      10. Your children are so young, If he gets killed, they won’t remember him.
      11. Why do you have kids when, He could get killed anytime ?
      12. Your so Lucky you live off the government, the rest of us have to work.
      13. If you didn’t live off the government you wouldn’t be able to afford all those kids.
      14. Maybe your husband will die and you’ll get all that money.
      15. You should take out some more insurance on your husband, because he has a good chance of being killed.
      16. But, just think of all that extra money at Tax time.
      17. I don’t know how you could do that, I could never let my Husband do that.
      18. (My Sister-in-laws fave way of relating to me)…I know just how you feel, my Husband was out of Town, on the road, for two weeks last month !
      19. How can you be Faithful for 15 months ?
    annoying Army Deployment Questions
    Deployment 2003
    Dylan 2yrs

    20. Do you worry about your Husband cheating on you ?

    21.  You don’t think your Husband will wait a whole year do you ?

    22.  Don’t you all just sleep around with each others Husbands anyway ?

    23.  So, has your Husband Killed anybody yet ?

    24.  You could have gotten out / why would he stay in / It’s his fault he is Deploying / So he’s getting out after this right ?

    25.  Using up my time by going on a long rant about how you feel about the war and whether or not we should be “Over-There”

    ….and the  ***** Extra Credit Bonus*****

    So Wow, it is Just like Army Wives on The    T.V. Show

     

    100 Postcard Giveaway from Uprinting.com

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    How would you like to win 100 postcards from Uprinting.com?

    You can use your own artwork & photos to come up with a pretty cool card.

    Uprinting offers postcard printing as well as other online printing services such as brochures, calendars, business cards and more.

    This is going to be a quick giveaway!  It starts right now and will go to Thursday June 2nd at 8pm Central time.

    One winner will receive:

    100 Postcards
    5″ x 7″
    14pt Cardstock Gloss
    Front Only printing
    2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time
    Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only.

    To enter:

    Mandatory: Please leave a comment about who you like to send snail mail to 🙂

    Extra Entries: Follow me on GFC (1 entry)

    Tweet about the giveaway (1 entry per day)

    Follow Uprinting.com on Twitter (1 entry)

    Make sure to answer the mandatory question and leave 1 comment for each entry.  Winner will be chosen by Random.org on Thursday night.


    This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive postcards for hosting.

    For more information about postcards, please visit UPrinting online printing services.

    Memorial Day Pictures

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    In May of 2009 my friend T and I had just hit the 6 month point of a year long deployment.  We both wanted to go to the US for the summer and decided to try Space-A.  I got to my in-laws house right before Memorial Day.  We visited a local cemetery that was having an event.  It was emotional to see so many people from the area together to remember those who had lost their lives.

    I think it is very important for all Americans to not just look at Memorial Day as a day to bbq, find a great deal and have a day off.  Those things are great but each and every American must remember the sacrifices that our American military has paid over the years.  I know most Americans do think about this on some level.  How could you not? But it is really important that it is #1 in our minds.  That we remember that our freedoms are not free.  We need to remember that on Monday there are wives, husbands, sons, daughters, moms, dads, sisters, brothers, grandparents and friends missing someone who paid the ultimate price.

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    All these photos were taken at the Santa Rosa Memorial Park in Santa Rosa, CA

    Joining Forces For Military Families

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    America has been involved in two wars for 8+ years now.  Many military families have been through deployment after deployment during this time.  We are two months into our 3rd deployment and I can feel the weight of the last two.  And I know I am not alone in this.  Many other families are going through the same thing.  I am not sure when these rapid deployments will end.  When there can be YEARS between them.  I have been praying this can happen for a long time now and I just have to hope it will.  They tell us we will get two years between deployments now.  But really?  I am not sure I can believe this.  Especially since things are going on in other places in the world besides just Iraq and Afghanistan.  And although I hope for years I am preparing myself.  We just started this deployment and I already have to mentally prepare for a fourth which could happen just a year after he returns from this one.

    I was so happy to see this website  Joining Forces.  This is a national initiative started by the First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden.

    The website says this, “1% of Americans may be fighting our wars, but we need 100% of Americans to be supporting our troops and their families. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden are asking Americans to get involved in any way they can.”

    This needs to happen!  Deployments are not going away.  And the more deployments families go through, the more support we will need.   I hope all of America can help in some way.   While part of our family is off fighting in a war, we need to know that America cares and respects that.  Over the last 5+ years that we have been a military family we have seen such wonderful support from friends and family.  Thank you all so much!  Your support means more than you will ever know.

    So no matter what your political beliefs are, no matter if you support the war or not, check out that site and find a way to help a military family 🙂

     

     

    Where To Travel To

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    travelingAfter our cruise in December 2009 & our PCS back to the states we knew we had to take a break from doing so much traveling.  We are still in that break.  One because of not having the extra money to do it and two because we have a small baby, plus Ben is deployed.  I know there will be a time when we can travel again.  There are a bunch of places I would love to go…even if I don’t get to go for a long time.  I just love to see different places, take lots of pictures and I just love staying in a hotel.  I know a lot of people hate them but I love doing it.  I also fell in love with cruising excited to go on more cruises in the future.

    This is my wish list of places to see…

    1) Hawaii.  I was able to visit in 2000 but Ben has never been and I would love to go with him and my boys.  I think it would be a lot of fun.  But who knows, maybe we will get stationed there someday?

    2) Scotland, England and Ireland.  I can’t wait to visit these places!  We didn’t get a chance to go while in Europe so it is one of the first places I want to go when we can afford to do so.  I think it would be such a fun trip to make when Ben retires.  You can Space-A over there too.

    3) Australia. I am not sure how we will be able to get over there because it is SO expensive.  But it is on my list for sure.  I am in the middle of watching The Boys Are Back and it makes me want to go even more.  I would love to spend a whole month there!  And maybe see New Zealand too.

    4) The Baltic. When we were on our cruise we kept running into people who had been on the Baltic cruise and said it was amazing!  So this one is on my list too.  Thinking it will be in the far far future though.

    5) The USA.  All 50 states.  I think I have visited 27 so far.  But I really want to see all 50 eventually.  Not all at once…but eventually.

    What is on your travel list?  Are you getting to visit anywhere fun sometime soon?

    Right now I just hope we can get out to California for Christmas so nothing too big in my plans but that is ok.  There should be time for that later.