Battalion Ball Photos

Here are the photos I never posted from our Battalion Ball back in May.

I was waiting to share them when the professional photos came in, but those are taking their sweet time. In the meantime, here are a few snaps of the evening from our phones.

That's Sgt. Babysitter to you!

The closer we get to the end of Army life, the more often we are asked "why?" Al will have served for 8 years, and that's a long time to invest towards a career only to walk away. At the same time, no one should pursue a career that doesn't make them happy (at least in theory.) 

The answer to the whys has always been the same: I signed up to defend my country, not be a babysitter. I want to mentor and be a leader, but I don't want to teach a grown man how to tie his shoes.

Obviously, he's exaggerating a little bit. But honestly, only by a very little bit.

For example, Al came home the other day - after a longer-than-normal day - frustrated. I asked him what happened and he proceeded to tell me that he had to counsel quite a few of his soldiers for "defacing government property." Now, the actual story is that one of the guys drew male genitalia on a vehicle in the motorpool, which subsequently washed off with little issue. Nevertheless, it was a minor act of vandalism that required punishment.

I personally think it's possible to go your entire life without drawing a penis on something, but, if you absolutely must, doesn't it make more sense to draw it on a post-it or something you can easily dispose of? And if you're trying to be "funny" or perpetuate an already existing office prank (as was the case here), then the even bigger issue is why a group of adult men think this is funny in the first place. But before I digress too far into the crevasses of the male psyche that makes up the "fart jokes" of the world, I'm led to a new question... 

Is dealing with these minor infraction (while insensitive and juvenile, it is still minor) the best use of my husband's time? 

Certainly part of his job is to counsel the younger soldiers through disciplinary issues in order to teach structure, discipline, and mutual respect. And it is certainly necessary to get through some of those problems in order to teach them how to do their actual jobs. (Those problems, by the way, my husband is more than happy to mentor them through.)

If incidents like this were rare and the majority of his time was spent doing tasks related to his MOS or his role as an NCO, things might be different. As it stands, stuff of this nature is relatively "normal" and consumes more time then it should. Which leaves Al feeling unmotivated and less than useful, not mention downright fed up.

Maybe it is integral to the Army mission that he handle the less significant matters. Maybe with the draw-down and decrease in military funding, this is going to be a bigger part of the day-to-day. If that's the case, however, then it might not be the right place for us. 

Fart jokes and penis drawings aside, the Army is transitioning out of war time and into a garrison Army. We are starting to see a big shift in how the Army spends their limited resources and the military as a whole is in a huge holding pattern. That holding pattern is impacting many MOS's and altering their job descriptions and, ultimately, removing any flexibility or control over your own military career. 

So, it seems we have reached the perfect time to walk away - the perfect time to find a new way to serve. One that suits Al better, utilizes his full potential, and provides him fulfillment he deeply deserves. Hopefully, one that doesn't involve male genitalia prominently displayed on his work vehicle.

The last time...

It seems like many of my experiences these days are accompanied by the phrase, "this is the last time..."

Today I have the pleasure of attending our Battalion Ball. I get to put on a pretty dress, get a mani/pedi, and curl up my hair. I get to join my close Army friends for dinner, drinks, and dancing. Even better than that, I get to watch my husband put on his Class A's, steamed and pressed, with all the brass, bells, and whistles. This might very well be the last time I see him stand proud in his uniform and it is most likely the last time I will be on his arm when he does.

Along with the celebratory air of the evening, will be moments of reflection. Some moments will be happy, and others somber. But tonight, for the last time, I will raise a glass and toast this amazing ride we've had with the Army and focus, instead, on the many firsts to come in our lives. Cheers! 

MSAD: Reflections of a Spouse

(photo credit: BSF)

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day! 

I've talked about the purpose of the day and its meaning previously. I've talked about what it means to me to be a military spouse. I've shared those feelings with you on numerous occasions. And they are still true.

But today is different. Today is special. Today is the last time I will celebrate May 10 as a military spouse. Last month, we entered our last year as a military family. We started down the homestretch towards our ETS date and have begun planning for our lives as a civilian family.

Looking toward that transition is bitter-sweet. We are so proud to be a military family. My husband loves serving his country and I love supporting that mission. We have met an amazing community of people, of family, really, who are impossible to replace. We have lived many places and experienced many things. All because the Army gave us the opportunity. 

On the other hand, we have sacrificed a lot. We spent many years apart while I pursued my own path. We endured deployments, field trainings, and other separations. We encountered loss and said "see you later" to too many people. We had to adjust our goals, and plans, and timeline innumerable times. 

While the sacrifice was undoubtedly worth it, it is time to shift the focus to us. To make Al's dreams, my career, starting a family, and regaining control over our life, a priority. It is time to be a little selfish and put "us" first for a change. 

But even in walking away from the life in which we've grown so accustomed is sacrifice in itself. Al is allowing a younger soldier, with military career aspirations, to step up and take on a leadership role. He is allowing his position to be filled by someone who finds it better suited to their goals. 

It is also a financial sacrifice. A unsettling (so scary!) move into something less secure and less constant. My business is still in the beginning phases and Al wants to return to school. We want to start a family and keep working on projects around the house. All of these things cost money at a time where we are walking away from a steady paycheck. 

But reward takes risk. And security isn't everything. Happiness is.

Back to the reason for this post: I've only been in this life for 5 years (and a spouse for even less) and have encountered numerous women who have enriched my life, supported my dreams, and walked me through this crazy military world. You've let me cry, laugh, celebrate, and complain - and hopefully I've done the same for you! There are not enough words to describe how much this community of women means to me and how much I will miss it when I'm gone. 

One thing is for certain, you are what I will miss the most about this life. So, on my last MSADay as an "official" spouse ('cause I know I'll get the honor forever,) I have one last thing to say: 

Thank you. Your commitment is incomparable and your friendship, invaluable.

Army Wives: Episode 1 and 2

I originally intended on doing my review after the premier, but it was really a two-parter, so I waited until after Sunday's episode to comment. They sure jumped right in with the high-emotions, didn't they? I am pretty sure I was teary for the entire first episode, which made doing my nails awfully tricky. 

I will break it down a little bit, so if you would like to avoid any spoilers, click away now!

Episode 1:
The focus was entirely on the passing of Claudia Joy Holden. That meant we only saw the characters we know and love - including Pamela and Roxy who returned for the funeral. I have to give major respect to Brian McNamara (who plays General Holden) for his superb acting. He plays the grieving widower very well and was the most convincing crier in my opinion. 

The other part I enjoyed was the discussion of the ceremony. CJ didn't want a traditional funeral, but rather to be cremated and celebrate her life with only those close to her. I have always thought that was precisely the type of ceremony I would want, so I really enjoyed that less-traditional view. The episode ends with the four (Roxy, Pamela, Roland, and Denise) discussion "tomorrow's" ceremony. 

Episode 2: 
We pick up where we left off and spend most of the episode focused on CJ's ceremony and how Emmalin and General Holden cope with their grief. Claudia Joy's self-written eulogy is beautiful and poignant. More tears ensue from the cast and viewers. Once again, we say good-bye to Pamela and Emmalin heads back to college (though after much debate.) 

We get to see a bit of Gloria (whom I really like) when Roxy stops by the Hump Bar. This also creates the perfect opportunity to introduce many of the new characters. I like that they used the Hump as the scene for bringing the characters together, in keeping with the spirit of the original group. That is, however, where my "likes" stop.

Ashanti is an awful actress, as I already suspected. She plays Latasha Montclair and lives in Roxy's old post housing. She simply isn't believable and I find her hard-edge attitude disingenuous. When Gloria is showing her roots and that she has some toughness, she is genuine and believable. Ashanti is not. So far I am not impressed by her or her character.

We also meet the young girl (Holly Truman, played by Elle McLemore), recently married and spending her time baking to avoid any real interaction with the world. She is 19 and has never left her hometown (where she is well-known for her pies.) She is cute, blonde, and wears funny glasses. And while I found her acting to be above-average, I simply don't like the character design here. It's not crazy to have a young wife who is new to the Army and still learning her way (Roxy was that way to a large extent) but I can't stand that she's so...helpless. And meek. We will see if she shows her color as the storyline develops and there is enough good in her for me to hang on for more. 

The other new character we meet (along with her family) is the prior service wife of a current soldier (Maggie Halls, played by Torrey Devito) and their blended family. She rides a motorcycle and is not afraid to spout off about her frustrations. (They even film a fairly provocative shower scene, granted with her husband, that is out-of-character for the show. I suspect it is to set her apart as an edgier character, but we will see.)

These ladies are brought together at the Hump when a man hits on little ol' Holly and she turns him down. They other ladies come to her rescue when he doesn't take no for an answer and all of them (including Roxy and Gloria) end up in the hospital with bumps and scrapes. At the end, Roxy leaves and we're left with Denise, Jackie and Gloria (Roland is planning a temporary move to take on a job and will be gone much of the season, though presumably will return) and the new lot of ladies. 

I just don't know...I was moved by much of the story surrounding CJ's passing, but even some of that felt forced. And I just wasn't overly impressed by any of the new blood (or their stories) to know where this is all going. I fully believe that if you want to revamp an entire shows with an all-new cast, you have to make those characters engaging from second-one and I don't know that they did that here. 

Then again, that's what Army life is all about. Constant change, leaving the ones you love, and starting over at square one. It's always awkward at first and no one fits in right away. We all come from different walks of life and bring new experiences to the table. And you don't have to like everyone to like this life. So maybe the writers know what they're doing. We'll just have to wait and see how they develop (and whether Brooke Shields - who we haven't met yet - totally kills any positive feelings I have.)

Until then...

New Army Wives season starts tonight!

I have watched the show from the beginning and I've loved it. So long as I approached it from an entertainment standpoint and never expected "reality." Of course, it is drawn from reality and there are many relatable characters and realistic story-lines. And there is the Lifetime-network magic that gives the show a little "oophm" when needed.

The new season - number seven - starts tonight and I have mixed emotions. I have said (probably for the last three seasons) that the show could have had a finale and been wonderfully complete. Last season that was especially true. The standard characters (and my most beloved) are almost all gone. The show did a great job of using the story line (PCS, deployment, death) to remove the characters from the show, but since most of the actors are on to different projects and they've released a huge line-up of new characters, the show is going to look drastically different.

{Side note: two of the new characters are pop singers: Asanthi & Jesse McCartney. I'm not sure about McCartney, but Asanthi is a singer/performer first and an actresses...probably fifth. Another new addition is Brooke Shields who is a great actress, but I simply can't stand her. I can't pinpoint why, but I never have. Perhaps these new additions is the biggest road block in my mindset for the new season.}

Frankly, it looks like a completely new show. Which could be wonderful, or totally awful.

I am going to watch with an open mind and report back with my thoughts next week. In the meantime, head over to the show's page and watch the preview. And tell me in the comments if you're a fan and what you think of the new season!

AFTB

Not long ago, I spent three days in training to become an AFTB instructor on Ft. Carson. In my experience, the Army is known for over-exaggerating training needs. For example, in order to serve hot dogs in the motorpool to our guys last summer, we had to become "certified" in food preparation. To put a hot dog on a bun and hand them chips.

Now, as an attorney, I get it. You have to be cautious and cover your bum, but it still seems like overkill. I can honestly say I did not learn any safety or health measures to make the food process any better. The class was a merely a stamp so the Army could say they took the extra precaution. 

Nevertheless, when I decided I wanted to teach AFTB courses on post, I signed up for the class. Three days, all day. And it was a wonderful experience - as well as a necessary one.

Before I tell you about my experience, let me first explain more about the AFTB. AFTB stands for Army Family Team Building and is a component of ACS (Army Community Services.) At it's most basic level, the AFTB provides free classes on a variety of Army-related topics. More specifically, it is a resource of information and a collection of tools for spouses to better understand the Army, how it works, and what it provides. The AFTB is often the first point of contact for young (or new) spouses entering the Army family.

I have always had a special passion for young military families, and becoming an instructor allows me to mentor some of those newly-minted spouses and help guide them to success in the Army lifestyle. Some of them are starved for information about even the smallest details - like where the Commissary is located and what the heck zero-nine-hundred means. Some of them need deeper mentorship and a guide to staying clear headed and healthy during many scary transitions. 

Think about it. How many careers out there have a built-in system of networking and information to guide you through the process? I've worked in the business world for many years and I can tell you that few of them do. I decided that this was a great opportunity to help spouses on the path to success, whether they simply want to be a happy, fulfilled military spouse, or pursue career options and volunteer opportunities. The great thing about the AFTB is that it offers a vast array of information services, classes, resources, etc... and can be suited to every single person's desires and goals!

I am certified as a Level 1 instructor, which is all the basic military info and resources for incoming spouses, but I have the ability to train in higher levels and to branch into other classes. Of course, with recent budget cuts, they are not training as many people or offering the same amount of services, but I hope to do as much as I can with the experience.

It was a great experience I can't wait to teach my first class!

A Veterans Day Guest Post

I normally don't post on Sundays, but today is special. Today is Veterans Day and I have a special guest to share with you some great facts, tips, and fun activities that you can use to celebrate this date (and honor our veterans!)

Please give a warm welcome to Courtney from www.militaryvaloan.com: 
______________________________________

What is Veterans Day?

Veterans Day comes around every year on November 11^th. It’s a time for remembrance, gratitude, and honor. But just how did it come about? It dates back nearly 100 years to when President Wilson declared November 11, 1919 as Armistice Day. A year earlier on that date, the United States signed a peace armistice with Germany, marking the end of World War I.  The armistice went into effect at eleven o’clock on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, and The United States Congress made it an official holiday in 1938, though many states had already declared it a holiday.  In 1954, Congress changed the name of the holiday from Armistice to Veterans Day, and set it apart as a day to celebrate all American veterans who had served in all wars.  Today, we celebrate a long line of rich history and countless brave men and women who have served throughout the past century to protect the freedom that makes our country unique.

Ideas on How to Celebrate

Make the day more meaningful than just another day off of work. These are some ideas to help the real meaning shine through.

1.       Do some Veterans Day crafts. Help your kids understand what the day is about by spending some quality time together making cute crafts that have Veterans Day tie ins. Think patriotic pinwheels, wreaths, popsicle stick flags, or a string of paper stars to decorate the house. If you’re feeling especially adventurous, try your hand at baking some yummy red white and blue treats! Rice Krispy treats work well, as do cupcakes.

2.       Go to a flag raising ceremony. These events can include reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing the National Anthem. It’s a great and easy way to get out of the house and into the spirit of patriotism.

3.       Write a thank you note to a veteran or service member from you and your family. It’s a meaningful way to show gratitude to those who have defended our country’s freedoms and liberties. It may be to your husband or wife, son or daughter, to a friend or to a stranger. A little note goes a long way.

4.       Find a way to be a good friend or neighbor to those who are family members of a deployed military member. This obviously is something to do every day, not exclusively on Veterans Day, but it is a good time to reevaluate what can be done to help these families out. Offer to listen, to babysit if appropriate, to help out with yard care, just get out there and serve.

5.       Have a moment of silence at 11:00am. Remember those who have fought for our country and for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice of giving up their very lives in our behalf. 

This year, November 11^th falls on a Sunday, so Monday November 12^th will be a holiday.

_____________________________________

Courtney writes about VA news for MilitaryVALoan.com, a VA home loan refinance site that helps veterans and their families save money on their VA mortgages. 

Thank you, Courtney, for stopping by! I hope y'all take a moment this Veterans Day to do one of the above things and honor the veterans in your area. Oh, and check out the restaurants in your area. Many of them give free entrees, dessert, or at least a discount to those with active military ID's. 

Time

August is almost over. Again.

Four years ago, I started dating the man that is now my wonderful husband. Three years ago, I was starting law school and preparing to say goodbye to Al as he left for Iraq. Two years ago, I was a month from Al's return to the states and would soon after be engaged. Last year, I was leaving Ft. Bliss, TX to return to Minnesota and finish my last year of law school.

August has always been a turning point for me. It has always commemorated big changes: school, travel, work and the beginning of fall! This year, as August comes to an end, I find myself reflective. I am starting a new job and we are weeks from closing on our first home. Once again, August marks big change in my life and I am grateful.

I am grateful that, as time ticks by - as seasons change and years pass - I am blessed with a great life. Sometimes I wish I could speed things up, to get through something difficult or to fast-forward to a special day. Other times, I want to slam the brakes and slow life down a bit. I want to stop an enjoy the moment. 

That is how I feel right now. I want to step outside and breath in the crisp, mountain air. I want to hug my husband and just be still. For a moment. For a couple moments. Alas, time has a funny way of moving along no matter what. August will always come and go. I can only hope that each August milestone is as good as this one!

Military Voter Protection Project

Next week, I'll pick back up with the fashion segment, but for now, I wanted to share this really cool program with you!


The Military Voter Protection Project is a organization designed to promote and protect the right of service members to vote. As you may know, absentee ballots are one of the biggest struggles our country has with voter processing. Often times, the failure to accurately count those ballots, or the failure of the voter registration policies in various states to accommodate for military service-members and their families means those votes simply are not being counted. 


This topic is so personal to me. As a political science major, a former voter outreach volunteer, a military wife and, hell, a citizen of this country, voter rights are very dear to my heart. Especially the rights of the men and women giving so much of themselves to serve this country - only to have the inadequacies of the program fail to count their votes! This program is such an amazing way to make sure military service-members and their families are ensured that their votes will count! 


Did you know that this week (June 28th - July 7th) is Armed Services Voters Week? 
MVP President and Founder, Eric Eversole, released this statement: 

“The right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights of American democracy. It has been defended for well over 200 years by the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. 

“With frequent deployments to war zones, constant moves between duty stations and confusing state absentee voting laws, military members need to register and request an absentee ballot on a frequent basis.  As we kick off Armed Services Voting Week, we encourage all active duty service members and their spouses to make sure they are election ready.  They have an important voice that must be heard on Election Day.”

Head over to the MVP website, watch the video on their homepage, donate some money to the project, or become a team-member to help spread the word! And, for those of you stationed overseas or facing a deployment this voting season, register for your absentee ballots now!

Seriously, if there is anything you do with your weekend, do this. 

It really, really matters!

Reflections

I have been living in Colorado a little over a month and a half and we are finally settling into a groove. It helps that we have done this before (sort of), when I spent the summer in Texas last year. But to say that the transition has been flawless would be a lie. As you might expect, we've had our share of complications. Arguments. Compromises. It's all normal and it's all really good for us, but it does make for some interesting stories. So, let me share what I've learned so far in the transition from being a wife to being a wife who lives with my husband. 


1. He is cleaner than I am. I am not a slob by any stretch of the imagination, but he is an official neat-freak. If the living room gets a little cluttered or the dishes are left undone for one evening, he gets a little crazy. 


Example: I stayed home and studied by video today. I had been up for a couple of hours, sipping on cup #2 of coffee and gradually preparing to start homework (i.e. clearing out email, Facebook and Google Reader.) He comes home between PT and work call and in the 45 minutes he's home, tidies up the living room and clears the clutter off the dining table. Basically, in that chunk of time he was more productive than I had been yet that morning. 


Instances like this, and the occasional, "you didn't get the dishes done today?" make me feel lazy. Or like he thinks I'm lazy. And I'm not, at all. It is just one of those transitions there we're making: where he needs to learn to relax a little and I need to learn that I don't live alone anymore.


2. He is a cuddler. I am so not. It used to be that we would see each other for short periods of time, so the desire for physical connection was high for both of us. Now that we are together all the time, I feel a little smothered by the constant day-to-day touching. Don't get me wrong, he knows how to make me feel sexy and beautiful and I appreciate that, but sometimes a girl just wants to drink her coffee without being groped!  


3. He treats me like I am in the Army. This has without a doubt been the hardest transition for us - shutting off "Army-mode" at the end of the day and remembering that I am his wife, not one of his Joes. Sometimes it comes from vulgarity and inappropriate commentary, sometimes it's a complete inability to have a conversation without making jokes, but either way, it's hard for me to deal with.


And the change is mostly on me. He has been working on this significantly, and it has greatly improved. I need to lighten up a bit and continue encourage the positive behavior that comes out of his Army personality - the sexy confidence, great leadership and sense of humor. And the fact that he usually makes dinner, always has coffee ready in the morning and has been super-supportive of my joblessness. Working out these kinks is a part of any marriage and, really, I have it pretty darn good!

Memorial Day

I thank you, deeply, for all my tomorrows.

MilGirl Interview

The lovely Melissa Jaine interviewed me for her military spouse series on her blog.
The interview is also featured on Sisterhood of the Camo Pants.








Please head over to both sites to read my interview! I tried to keep things interesting and provide information that even my long-time readers would find new and fun!


Let me know what you think!

7 Money Rules for Life: A Giveaway

I am hosting another giveaway!

This time the prize is a book: 7 Money Rules for Life by Mary Hunt

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full disclosure: I won this book from HUN, but after scanning through it, decided that it would probably serve others better than it does me. 

The contest will run until I return from my Minnesota graduation weekend on Monday!

Good Luck!

MiLiTaRy SpOuSe ApPrEcIaTiOn DaY 2012

Today, HH6Diva and Riding the Roller Coaster are hosting a Military Spouse Appreciation Day blog-hop. Many of our amazing blogger cohorts are traveling to D.C. this weekend for the Milblogger Conference and Milbloggie awards! I am so proud of all those amazing ladies and secretly a little jealous that I can't be there with them. There's just not time on the calendar or money in the pocket for those adventures!

So, instead, we are having a internet-wide blog-hop for MSADay - How fun!

I suppose you're wondering who I am? 


My name is Melissa, but I go by Mel. 

I've been a military spouse for just over 14 months. Prior to that I was a military fiance, girlfriend, officer candidate and lifelong supporter. You could say that the military has always been a part of my life. You can definitely say the military has shaped who I am, for better or worse.

I am an almost-JD, with my law school graduation ceremony next weekend! It is just my soldier-husband and myself, no animals, no babies. For now, that's enough for us. We've both spent a lot of time focusing on our dreams, as individuals and as a couple and we are happy, after 3.5 years apart, to be living together in the same state. 

We are stationed at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs, CO and before that, we were at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, TX. (Shout out to my Bliss ladies!) I love Colorado so far and look forward to making a life here. I have a huge list of things I want to accomplish in Colorado and we will see where the Army takes us from here!

Lastly, I want to take a moment and appreciate all the wonderful military spouses I've met on this journey (you know who you are!) I love this community of women (and men) more than I could express on this humble blog. If you're a milspouse, consider yourself thanked and hugged. If you're not, please take 10 seconds out of your day and say "thank you" to one of these amazing and beautiful people, who sacrifice every single day!


Happy Milspouse Appreciation Day!

First Impressions

I had the pleasure of meeting a few of Al's co-workers and his Platoon Sgt this weekend. They all seem like great guys and Al has spoken highly of them thus far. In fact, when we went to lunch, his Platoon Sgt toasted me and my success in graduating law school. I'm fairly certain his last chain of command couldn't care less about the wives' successes. It was a sweet gesture and a pretty good indicator that we are going to get along with him and his family. 

In fact, Al is enjoying his new unit so much there have been rumblings of staying in again. You see, prior to Ft. Carson (and my arrival here) it was almost a guarantee we'd be done when his current contract was up. He'll be past the 8-year mark so there would be no chance of stop-loss or getting called back. He could still go Reserve if he desired, while going to school, but he would be done with AD.

Now that things are going well - he's got a great command and is doing his actual job - he is on the Army-love bandwagon once again. We always knew we would take each enlistment as it came and not solidify any plans until we had to and, frankly, I'm not surprised that Al is considering staying in. He's happy again and fulfilled in his job.

If he stays in, (and we're still a very, very long way from deciding anything) it would not be enlisted. He talks about going Warrant and flying choppers or some other Warrant artillery jobs. In the meantime, we're loving Colorado, his current command and our prospects for making a life here. If I can get a good job, we can really make this a home. 

First impressions are everything and this place has left me with a good one!

I Live in Colorado

I don't know if you've heard the news, but I live in Colorado. Seriously.

I'm not just visiting, it's not just an extended stay for the summer...

I live here.

It's unreal to think that this day is finally here. I feel as though every thing I've been doing for months, hell, years is for this. This, right here.

I'm still getting settled in and tomorrow is my birthday (28 - eek!) so I'm still too busy to write a real post. After this weekend, I will be back with a more complete update and to tell you just how fantastic my new home is.

Did I mention that home is in Colorado?


(Enter my giveaway before it ends!)

On the Road Again...

Today, I am off to Colorado, with my car stuffed to the gills. I am bringing one of my favorite ladies with me, so there will be the perfect blend of snacks, tunes and snarking and I have someone to help keep me awake. We may use the time to teach her how to drive a stick so I have a little break from the pedals. 

Really, though, I'm just hoping I don't get pulled over (like the last time...and the time before that.)


Please check back here tomorrow, when I will launch another great giveaway.

Courage Cakes: A Giveaway

I cannot even tell you how excited I am to host this giveaway and introduce this company to you. The company is called Courage Cakes and it was started as a school entrepreneurial project at University of Washington, but quickly turned into a business and charity venture. When you take one look at the company website you will see why!

Courage Cakes provides that "taste of home" to your loved ones by sending a single-serving cake-in-a-jar. The recipient simply opens the jar, adds water, and microwaves for 30 seconds in order to enjoy warm, gooey, delicious cake! What a great way to celebrate an anniversary, birthday or holiday while your loved one is deployed! You can even personalize the jar with a photo or special message. 

The essence of the company is summed up nicely in this quote from their website: 

Courage Cakes allow you to encourage the troops with fresh, hot cake that's ready in seconds and a personalized message that lasts a lifetime. Share the taste of home with those serving our country and we'll send another on your behalf! Celebrate, encourage, and stay connected with Courage Cakes.

We all know so well how important these little gifts are for the men & women deployed or in the field (or even for their families waiting for them at home.) Some might say that cake is not a "need" - but we know that, in fact, something that warms the heart and gives them a reminder of home is so valuable. These cakes do just that!

My favorite thing about this Courage Cakes is their +One program. If you purchase a Courage Cake for someone, the company will donate an additional cake to Operation Gratitude to send to someone else in need. I strongly encourage you to become part of that program.

Today, I am teaming up with Courage Cakes to give away...

1 Courage Cake with 3-pack refill and customizable lid
To three lucky winners!

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Words on Separation: Then and Now

While putting together my 30 by 30 list (to be revealed on my 28th birthday in May) I scrolled through my archives for ideas and some reflection. I stumbled upon a really cool post that I wrote back when Al was deployed - Almost exactly 2 years ago. 

~~o~~o~~o~~o~~o~~

1. The heart really is a lot tougher then I'd initially thought

2. Talking on the phone over thousands of miles is a much different kind of communication

3. Absence does NOT always make the heart grow fonder

4. But absence DOES help teach you what's really important

5. Emotions are more intense and conversations more vital when you can't have them face-to-face

6. Being able to "kiss and make up" is hugely underrated

7. So is make-up sex, morning sex, and really any kind of sex we don't get to have

8. I miss fighting over the covers and explaining why I bought another pair of shoes

9. Even when he's crabby, smelly and sweaty, a soldier still looks hot in uniform

10. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world

(from this post on April 19, 2010)
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It's funny how I read that list and still agree with everything on it. I'm not even sure I would change it in any way. 2 years ago, we were dating, going through a deployment while I was in my first year of law school. Now we are married, I am weeks from graduating and moving in with him in Colorado. We've come so far...

But the basics...those are still the same. My heart is strong (but not fonder) and boy do I need those arms around me! That will never change. Thank God for that!