A Few of My Favorite Things...

...for Christmas!

 For the Puppies

Clockwise from left:

Coal Dog Treats...because you know your puppy has been naughty!

Posh Rhinestone Collar

Cuddle Cup Dog Bed

 For Hubby

Monogrammed Polo 

The "Maybe When He Makes General" Watch

The Only Thing Guys Really Want

For Baby

Cash to Save for College

Learning the True Meaning of Christmas

Bomber Jacket Like Daddy's

Happy shopping!

Homesickness...

Homesickness is that ever-lurking feeling that takes us all captive at some point in our lives.  It is that intense feeling of melancholy and longing for a place or state of mind different from our current circumstance.  At times, homesickness might sneak up on us--hearing a song from our childhood, catching a glimpse of a current family picture in which we aren't included, or meeting someone new that reminds us of a loved one.  At other times, you know that homesickness will rear its ugly head--spending holidays away from family or PCSing, which leaves us longing for the familiarity of the home we just left.

As military wives, we face our fair share of homesickness and have ways of coping with this demon.  For me, sometimes the cause can be part of the solution.  I enjoy reminiscing by listening to old, familiar songs and looking at old pictures, but my favorite method of coping is wandering through Target.  Most of these stores are identical in layout, making my walk through the store like a walk down memory lane.  Strange?  Yes, but it works for me.

One thing I rarely think about is homesickness in my dogs.  Our last move demonstrated that my emotional Little Puppy was more affected by our move than I would ever have imagined.  Hubby and I kept finding her in what appeared to be odd places, but the more we thought about it, the more we realized that she was just probably feeling a little homesick herself and was finding her own way of coping.          

In my overnight bag at a hotel during the last PCS...

 In my suitcase in our new house before the rest of our stuff arrived...

Wandering around our new house with her towel on her back...

 In the Boppy...

In our childhood stuffed animals that we got out for Baby...

On our newly unpacked slipcovers (with Big Puppy)...

 
I still can't decide if these pictures are really funny or really sad.  I'm leaning towards funny now because she's totally adjusted to our new home. 

How do you cope with homesickness?

Top 5 Things I love about living on a jet base...

1. Having the McDonald's drive-through guy telling me to "hold for jet noise."
2. Seeing tons of bumper stickers that say "I *Heart* Jet Noise."
3. Hubby telling me about a bumper sticker around base that says "I Hate Jet Noise."
4. My house shaking from jets with full afterburners flying over.
5. The smell of jet fuel...and I HATE the smell of jet fuel. 

Thankful...

This year I am thankful for a fully-cooked, no-need-to-reheat turkey that arrived on my doorstep via the United States Post Office (courtesy of my family).  One more year of not having to attempt cooking a turkey.  Thank you! 

Top 5 things born in 1775...

1. USMC.  Oooo-rah!  Happy birthday, Marines!

(This post was really just to say happy birthday to the Marines, but since it's a Top 5 post, I will continue.  Prepare yourselves for randomness.)

    2.  Jane Austen.
    3.  The modern toilet.
    4.  Johnny Appleseed.
    5.  Pencils.

Just keep singing...

The USMC has put us in a less-than-pleasant situation, as many of you are very familiar with.  To be honest, I've been struggling more than I thought I would with this situation.  I'm trying to take each day as it comes until this little hiccup is over (in just a few days).  My only consolation has been trying to rely on God's sovereignty, the joy of our 12 day old son, and knowing that this will be over soon.

Another rainy day
I can't recall having sunshine on my face
All I feel is pain
All I wanna do is walk out of this place
But when I am stuck and I can't move
When I don't know what I should do
When I wonder if I'll ever make it through

I gotta keep singing
I gotta keep praising Your name
Your the one that's keeping my heart beating
I gotta keep singing
I gotta keep praising Your name
That's the only way that I'll find healing

Can I climb up in Your lap
I don't wanna leave
Jesus sing over me
I gotta keep singing

"Keep Singing" -Mercy Me

Birthday Ball...

It's almost time to celebrate the most sacred day to all Marines---their birthday.  With just a few weeks until the big day, I have begun obsessing about what to wear to the birthday ball.  Unfortunately, I'm running into the same problem that I do every year.

The Culprit: dress blue pants, winter version.  OK, ladies.  Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE the Marine Corps dress blues on Hubby...from the top up (unless it's summer, then the white pants and top are enough to make me weak in the knees).  I know there's all kinds of history associated with these blue pants, but they just aren't my favorite.  And they are nearly impossible to coordinate with a fabulous dress for the Birthday Ball.    

In my humble fashion opinion, for picture-worthy coordination, you can really only wear red, white, or black, which leaves fewer options than I'd like.

So in the spirit of playing Cinderella, for my dream ensemble, if money and a shopping black hole around our duty station weren't obstacles, this is something I would love to wear.  

This is my "just for fun" creation! 

Birthday Ball by semperwifey featuring a satin handbag

Featured...

Thanks to Amber at Wives of Faith for featuring Semper Wifey in the October Blog Spotlight!  If you haven't heard of it, check out Wives of Faith.  It is a great ministry that offers encouragement to military wives!

Top 5 excuses for why I haven't blogged in almost 4 months...

1. For the past year, I have been working on my M. A. in English.  I will be finished in the next month, when I can say that I crammed a 2 year master's degree into a little over a year.  However, my expedited thesis might be the death of me before then. 
2. Because of my schooling, my creativity has been spewing into research papers instead of witticisms for this blog.  I can only write so much, and unfortunately Semper Wifey had to give.
3. We moved cross-country...again.  After a year and a half in our previous duty station, we moved about a month ago for Hubby to continue his training at yet another base.  Y'all know how it goes with moves...the uncertainties of when, where, logistics, etc. can be killer, or at least very distracting!
4. Our first BABY is due next week.  Baby stuff can sometimes be a lot more exciting than blogging. ;)
5. I'm obviously out of practice for my blog because I can only think of 4 reasons for a "Top 5" post. 

Thanks for sticking with me through my blogging silence.  While this is my comeback, it will be a very slow one since we'll be having a wee one moving in with us very soon!

Generations...

I'm still around!  Thanks so much for sticking with me during this hectic time in our life!  My blog isn't a "personal" blog, so I won't go into too much detail, but y'all know how life, especially military life, can get crazy! 

"Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we've ever known." -Ronald Reagan

Think about such things...

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

 

-Frederick Lehman (1917)

 

God's love for us is so great that were we all tasked with writing about it, we would run out of materials and space on which to do so!  AND...God is so incredible that he gifted Frederick Lehman with being able to write such beautiful words!

We like lists...

Yes, we do!  We like lists, how 'bout you? 

For one of Hubby's recent dets, he felt the need to make a packing list for himself. 

Yes, this is normal for around here.

Top 5 Bible verses for military wives...

1. "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."  -Hebrews 11:8
2. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  -Jeremiah 29:11
3. "And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  -Luke 18:27
4. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  -2 Timothy 1:7
5. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  -Philippians 4:13

Any others that you cling to as a military wife?

In a magazine...

Whoa! I'm in a magazine!

Military Spouse Magazine listed this blog in their March 2010 issue as one of the military blogs "they like!"  Thank you so much to Sara Horn and Military Spouse Magazine for the recognition, and to some of my great readers for tipping me off about this!  I feel truly honored and humbled!

Valentine's Day...

This past Valentine's Day was a very special time for Hubby and me.  Normally we don't believe in celebrating on this particular day, but this year we decided to make it a little festive.  I made chocolate-covered strawberries, (I say I "made" them, but I really just heated up chocolate and dipped the fruit in it.) and I bought a special bottle of bubbly.  Hubby filled our glasses and we made a toast: "To one year in one place!"

We celebrated the anniversary of living in our current duty station for one whole year!  This is a huge deal for us since this is by far the longest we have lived anywhere together.  Our previous stints at duty stations have been 8 months, 3 months, and 8 months. 

This is such a great accomplishment (in a very strange way) and made for a very special Valentine's Day celebration!

Winner...

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first Semper Wifey giveaway, and welcome to all of the new readers! 

There were 26 entries.  I went to http://www.random.org/ to generate a winner.  Each comment was numbered chronologically, with #1 being the first comment received and etc.  Lucky #7 (His Wife) was selected by random.org.  Congratulations!

The first giveaway...

I might be starting to make it in the blog world! :)  I was contacted by a representative for Sears and KMart to give my readers an opportunity to win a fabulous piece of jewelry from their company. 

So without further ado, all you need to do to win the jewelry is:

1. Be a follower of this blog (look to your left and click the link).
2. Comment on this post to be entered to win a necklace from Sears/KMart.  That's it!
3. The winner will be chosen and contacted on Sunday, February 14.

Everyone can earn one entry by following the rules above.  The necklace is gold and diamonds (1 CTW) in a heart shape and valued at $300!  Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Comment away!  Good luck!

Think about such things...

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."  Philippians 4:8

When you pray for rain, do you carry an umbrella?

Serenity...

“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wannabe domestic diva...

Around my kitchen, I am often referred to (by myself) as a domestic diva. I cook, I bake, I do it all! However, I oftentimes ignore my little mishaps around the kitchen, such as almost setting the house on fire every time I try to fry okra, or giving us salmonella poisoning by undercooking the chicken, or (maybe worse) causing TMJ because I have overcooked the chicken and turned it to rubber. But sometimes one cannot ignore the signs of a wannabe domestic diva.

The Perfect Brownie pan is probably the only thing I have ever considered ordering after seeing the infomercial on TV. After countless attempts at baking my own perfect brownies (without the fancy pan) and failing miserably, I knew I needed help. Lucky for me, my mom bought me the "As Seen on TV" brownie pan for Christmas, saving me from the humiliation of calling a 1-800 number to order this kitchen gadget and, in turn, admit that I am not a domestic diva.

Unfortunately, the brownie "machine" (as Hubby refers to it) is not foolproof. Even with this gadget that assured me that perfect brownies would be awaiting me in my oven when the timer dinged (dang?), I managed to produce little brownie bricks. Actually, one large brownie brick with the divider stuck in the middle. I have been assured by Hubby that it was strictly user error and that I should give the "machine" another chance. I think that I should face reality. Baking brownies will always kick my butt, even with a foolproof Perfect Brownie pan.

Top 5 most amazing things the military has let me do...

Being a Marine wife doesn't bring too many perks, so when they do come I just eat them up and enjoy every second!

1. Marry a man in Marine dress blues. Y'all know what I'm talking about! ;)
2. Participate in spouses' day. TBS offered a warrior day where I got to shoot an M-16 and a grenade launcher. One squadron offered a taxi day where I got strapped into a plane and took a little ride around the runway. His current squadron also let me get into his jet, though sadly we didn't go anywhere.
3. Meet the Commandant of the Marine Corps. All the married guys and their wives from TBS were invited to a cocktail party at the CMC's home in DC where we got to meet him and snoop through his house.
4. Travel to Europe for (almost) free. Yup. We flew to Germany Space-A (click here to read about our experience) and enjoyed a ten day excursion through Germany and Austria.
5. Move. As tough as a move can be, we actually enjoy the experiences that a move brings. So far, we have lived in four completely different towns, each of which we have learned to love for their unique qualities. If Hubby weren't a Marine, we would probably live in one city for our entire lives and miss out on living in and exploring all of these areas. With these moves also comes the best friends in the world! It creates a lasting bond with those friends even if our moves take us to opposite coasts.

Your turn! What amazing things has the military allowed you to do?

Consider rescuing an animal...

Hubby walked out the front door to take the dogs out for their last evening potty break. The sound of vicious barking from my own dogs outside startled me, and the next instant the front door flew open and the dogs were practically thrown inside. Just as suddenly as the barking first began, it picked up again with my dogs now viciously barking at the back door. To my surprise, there was a big, sweet puppy, happily wagging his tail, staring through the glass door while my dogs went crazy.

Confused, I immediately asked Hubby why there was a dog on our patio. He said he thought it was a stray and that the dog had just been sitting calmly in our front yard.

We immediately made our powder room into the new dog's temporary hotel suite by putting up a baby gate, covering his shivering body with towels, and offering him food and water. Then we began trying to figure out where he had come from.

By asking around, we discovered that he had been in our neighborhood at least since the previous weekend. Most of the neighbors had seen him, some had given him food, but none knew who he belonged to. We decided to keep him inside (near-freezing temperatures outside) until we could find a place for him.

After the first night, we took him to the vet to see if he had been microchipped. Unfortunately, if an owner doesn't bother to give him a collar, he probably hasn't bothered to chip him either. No information. We decided to put flyers around the neighborhood, realizing that we probably wouldn't hear from anyone. We then asked several people if they would adopt him (as well as posting it on facebook), but nobody was looking for this kind of dog.

The only other thing left for us to do was to take him to a shelter. After spending another night at our house, the next morning we loaded him in the car and took him to the nicest shelter in the area. They were completely full and would not accept him. We asked what we were supposed to do, and the lady at the counter handed us a list of all of the other local shelters to call, which we did. None of them had any room for another dog, and those that might have considered it refused when they found out the dog was a pit bull. We even offered to sponsor the dog by paying for his vet bills and food. He was still refused. Our final option was to take him to the city pound and pray that somebody would see this sweet boy as the perfect addition to their family. It was devastating to leave him there.

This situation has highlighted so many things that are wrong. To some, stray animals might seem to be a minor concern in comparison with other issues in our society. To me, it is heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking that there are so many homeless animals that there is no room for another at the shelters. It is heartbreaking that a handful of irresponsible people have forever tainted an entire dog breed (Staffordshire Terriers, a.k.a. pit bulls) so that they are not welcome at most places or by most people.

My plea to my readers is this: please consider adopting a dog from your local shelter. Give these animals a chance. If you are absolutely set on a specific breed, do a little research and find the breed's rescue organization, and adopt from there. Please do not go to breeders. For every dog that is bought from a breeder, another animal spends another lonely night in a shelter, and the cycle is perpetuated. If you are not looking for another animal, please consider donating to your local animal shelter.



This is our baby that we rescued from the shelter in June 2009. She brings so much joy to our family.

Perspective...

“The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.” -Norman Vincent Peale

Cheers...

A new year inevitably brings about a time of examination. How have I spent the past year, and how can I bring about positive changes in the year to come? A new decade, on the other hand, begs for a deeper reflection. How have the last ten years made me who I am today?

Without giving my age away (a lady never tells), ten years ago I was in high school, hopelessly struggling with typical adolescent insecurities. I was painfully shy and spent my days reluctantly wading through the high school social scene. At home, my life appeared to be quickly crumbling, but through it I learned (and witnessed from my mother) an incredible sense of perseverance and strength within myself.

College was my opportunity to become the person I knew I could be, someone completely different from the high school girl that I was not fond of. I embraced the excitement and beauty of life. I experienced heartbreak and true love and all of the lessons that come with both. I was blessed to meet my BFF early in my college days, and we have enjoyed a wonderful friendship for many years. I was also blessed to meet my best friend and husband during my college years. We have spent half of this past decade together, with our love growing stronger and deeper with each passing day.

I experienced alienation and reconciliation with family and friends while simultaneously growing stronger relationships with those that supported me through those difficult times.

I graduated from college, was engaged, and became an "independent woman" (holla!) in the span of two days. I became roomies with my older brother and had the opportunity to continue our sibling friendship as "adults." I began my professional career which emotionally and socially stretched me far beyond my comfort zone, but learned valuable life lessons that still affect me today.

I rededicated my life to Christ, was rebaptized, and "will never be the same again."

Hubby responded to God's calling for his life and was commissioned in the USMC, beginning a pathway which has brought us where we are today.

I planned a wedding in a different city from where either I or Hubby was living. We had a gorgeous wedding but realized that the details of the "big day" were completely insignificant compared to the vows that we promised God and each other.

The USMC has made us move four times, but I wouldn't change that for anything. We have gotten to live and experience life in several parts of the country and have made some of our best friends through these journeys. Being forced into unfamiliar places and situations, Hubby and I have learned to rely solely on one another which has built a strong foundation for our marriage.

The past ten years have brought about life lessons learned (many times) the hard way, internal struggles, and God's ever-present guidance for my life. The past ten years have brought pain and feelings of hopelessness, but have also brought a greater happiness than I thought I would ever know.

"I could have missed the pain, but then I'd have had to miss the dance." -Garth Brooks

Here's to another decade of no regrets, of life, and the excitement of new and wonderful experiences to come.

Cheers.