Big News

So I am sure if you are on your computer that you have not missed what happened yesterday in our great nation. It is hard to be joyous at the death of another but I feel that in this case it is justified. I know that not all of my followers are military so it is hard to explain the feelings that I have had running through me the past few hours.

I just want to take a minute to honor all of those who currently serve, those who have served in the past, & those that gave the ultimate sacrifice especially to see this day come....

Honoring my Marine today and all that he has given to see this day come......

Now I lay me down to sleep, one less terrorist this world does keep. With all my heart I give my thanks, to those in uniform regardless of ranks. You serve our country and serve it well, with humble hearts your stories tell. So as I rest my weary eyes, while freedom rings our flag still flies. You give your all, do what you must...with God we live and in God we trust. Amen.

My friday memes on a Saturday

I must apologize for getting all of these up a day late! Normally, Friday is my favorite day to blog because there are so many fun memes to do. Yesterday, I had many things on my to do plate and couldn't get to the blog. So without further ado......

In honor of all those who lost their lives 9 years ago and those still serving our great nation
Ben and I before a September 11th tribute
Pensacola, FL
2003

1.Do you set goals for yourself during deployment? What are some of them? (from Military Mommy)

Yes. I normally write out an entire list of things that I would like to accomplish. In the past 3 deployments, I think that I completed about 25% of the lists. Life also has to go on while they are gone!
2.What would you say to someone dating a military guy or gal? (from Mothering Off the Cuff)
Don't just fall in love with the uniform. I have met many young wives that got swept up in all the "Top Gun," "An officer and a gentleman" type mentality to find themselves miserable in the relationship. Being a military wife is a HUGE job and it is an even bigger responsibility.
3.If you have children, how do you prepare them to move to a new place? (from The Random Ramblings of A Household 6) We have never moved with the kids. We might be possibly moving next summer so we will see.
4.Name one hobby that gets you through alone time. (from My Sailor’s Mistress)
Just one? Sewing, scrapbooking, photography, time with friends, walking, playing with the kids.
5.What’s the one food you don’t ever get tired of? (from That Army Wife Life)
  Spaghetti

1. The strangest thing I've ever eaten is Indian Fry Bread.
2. I wouldn't be caught dead in fur.
3. When I am 75 I will.... hopefully be surrounded by friends, family and a lot of love .
4. If I had to be named after a place I would want to be named Greece. (Because I really want to go there!)
5. My name is Jamie (after the bionic woman).
6. My all time favorite photo is a picture of us in the hospital after Isaac was born.
7. If I could afford it I would go on a month long trip to Europe.

1. Do you feel guilty spending money on yourself?
Yes, unless I get a KILLER bargain.
2. How well do you know your neighbors?
I know them to wave hello and chat when we are out by the mailboxes. We are really not home a whole lot so I miss seeing them!
3. What age are you looking forward to being?
I look forward to every year equally! I must say that my 30's have been the best decade so far though!
4. Do you get excited when the mail comes? Why?
I love getting mail! Even though I am a technology junkie, there is just something about getting something through snail mail esp. when you are not expecting it!
5. What is your earliest childhood memory?
I would have to say riding on my great-grandpa's tractor. I loved sitting up on his lap, feeling the wind on my face, and looking at all the pretty scenery.

Last but not least a tribute to all the wonderful mom's out there!

What the "Army Wives" don't tell you.

I was reading a fellow military blogger's post from this morning. She was talking about a person that told her she knew "how military wives felt or what we go through after watching the show army wives." This fellow blogger was "speechless." (As was I after reading about it!) Now I was not there for their conversation & I am sure that this person meant well but comments like that leave military spouses all over the world feeling more lonely and irritated than ever. Being a military spouse is like nothing else that I have ever experienced.

Now it is not my intent to complain about "Army Wives" because I watch & enjoy the show myself or to belittle civilian wives. (Marriage is a hard job no matter whether it is military or civilian.) The show is entertaining and does show the public some of what we go through as military spouses. However, unless you have lived, ate, and breathed military life, there is really no way to describe it in words, a television show, or think that you "know how we feel."

This fellow blogger posed the question

What have you done, felt, learned as a military wife that you don't think you quite get from Army Wives?

So here are a few of mine in no particular order.....

how to prepare to have your firstborn baby by yourself with your husband in Iraq.

how to build a house for the two of you without your spouses input and opinions.

how to keep your husband in the loop of your children's lives through pictures and videos of their first steps, birthdays, words, and other activities.

how to hear your husband cry for the first time ever and not be able to reach out to hold him because he is at war

how to pull on base & not cry when you see someone else's welcome home banners and yellow ribbons when you know you have 7 more months to go

how to comfort your children when they cry for their daddy, look at you with tear filled eyes & say "I miss my daddy," or explain that daddy really doesn't live in the computer or phone

how to plan a vacation around deployments, training exercises, and the squadron's schedule

how to roll over at night and not sigh wishing that your husband was lying there next to you

why you carry your cell phone with you ALL the time even to the bathroom for fear of missing a precious call. Crying when you indeed MISSED one of those calls or crying just to hear his voice. Having so much to say and not having anything to say at all but not wanting to waste a single second

mourning family members passing alone because your husband cannot be returned home during a time of war

Murphy's law of the military that everything CAN and WILL go wrong when your spouse is not there to lean on

And mostly, hugging and kissing your husband (possibly for the last time) to watch him turn & leave to go to war.......OVER and Over again.

Wordy Wednesday

My parents and I in 1999.

I am hunting up pictures for father's day. I wish that I had my parents stash at home!

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Wordful Wednesday
at

So beautiful and willing to be photographed one moment........
Not so much the next moment.....

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Wordless Wednesday (Last day of Fun at the cabin)
Saying, "FUN!!!!"

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Word FULL Wednesday
I received this in my daily encouragement from Proverbs 31 ministry a few days ago. I need to read this DAILY because I am a big worrier/stresser. I hope that in sharing this, that you are as encouraged as I was when I received it from the Proverbs ministry!


"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19 (KJV)
God must have anticipated certain events in the lives of His children that would cause them to become "worry-warts." Even the most mature Christians today are quick to labor under the burden of anxious and excessive care. We worry over personal concerns, family woes, financial woes, cares of the past, and cares for the future.

The Apostle Peter saw this anxious care as a heavy burden and offered us some wise counsel for dealing with it. Peter's advice is to cast all our cares upon God. We are to throw the cares that distract us, wound our bodies and souls, and lay heavy on our hearts, upon the wise and gracious providence of God. You can do that because "he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) Isn't that awesome? You and I don't have to carry the burden of our worries. God is willing to release us from our cares, and take our concerns upon Himself.

That sounds great. I have no problem casting my cares upon God. At first, the weight is lifted. That is, until God doesn't respond to my need like I think He should. Then it becomes hard for me to not retrieve the burden.
What was the point of giving my burden to God in the first place if he wasn't going to make it all go away? I wondered.

The point is this: when you and I cast our cares on God, we are acknowledging that it's His responsibility to care for us. We often forget that God is painting on a large canvas. He sees the big picture. We only see what's happening to us at the moment. That's why God allows events to come into our lives—good things and bad things; things that make sense and things that don't.

What you and I may think is harmful and destructive God can use for our good—to bring us to completion in godly conduct and character. He will allow nothing to happen to us that isn't first filtered through His screen of protection.

Ultimate harm would be if God left our character in the state that He found us in. During turbulent times, you and I have this promise, "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despai r; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4: 8, 9; NIV). God will not let our hardships destroy us. Though they may be tragic in and of themselves, He will use them for our good.

You and I can cast our worries on God because it's His responsibility to care for us. As we trust Him with the bigger picture of our lives, the weight is lifted and peace washes over our anxieties.

Dear Lord, When hard times come, I will not be afraid. I trust in Your loving care to provide for my family and me. Take my burden, Lord, and replace my worry with peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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I found this blog this morning. It is a place for military spouses and/or supporters of military spouses to go and find others like us. Hope you enjoy! Happy Wednesday!

Murphy's Law for military wives

There is such a thing as murphy's law for military wives. I know that I am not making it up in my head. I have not been blogging as much as I want to & normally do because the past few days have been so horrible in our household.

So this murphy's law thing? Anything and everything that can possibly go wrong while your husband is deployed/detached/training will go wrong. Yeah that about sums it up.

It seems that all of this occurs to make you a stronger person and wife.....hmmmm I am pretty sure that is a strength that I don't need!

My allergies have been horrendously bad this past week. (Now that is not bad in the scheme of things and plenty of people have seasonal allergies especially in Jacksonville, Pollen capitol of the world but coupled with what I am about to tell you, it makes for murphy's law in my life.)

Tuesday night, I was putting groceries away (while my children are eating so my 20 month old was not getting everything right back out) when I see some canned goods start falling. I tried to move as fast as I could but alas I smacked my left temple HARD on the metal shelving on the pantry door and still got pummeled in the right temple HARD with a can of Vegall. It was enough to bring me to my knees and (don't judge!) cuss in front of my children. I am still having headaches on and off today. Yesterday was just a headache all day.

Wednesday morning, I wake up to find the spot on our ceiling downstairs growing. (Need to figure out which bathroom and what is leaking.) I can't find a plumber that has an opening anytime soon........

The icing on the cake is Kendall (my almost 4 year old) having a probable UTI and Isaac having conjunctivits in both eyes.

Oh yeah....Kendall (who has been potty trained for nearly 2 years) peeing 3 seperate times on the floor too. Not sure if it is the UTI or a reaction to daddy still being gone.

Arrrrggggghhhhhh!

Murphy's law!

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Military Spouse Appreciation Day is the Friday before Mother's Day; May 7, 2010. "The first Military Spouse Day was first celebrated in 1984 when then-President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the observance to honor the contributions of military spouses. The military now sets aside the Friday before Mother's Day each year to pay tribute to the spouses who play a vital role in the nation's defense." (http://www.army.mil/spouse/)

Military Spouse Appreciation Day is celebrated each year on the Friday before Mother’s Day. It is part of National Military Appreciation Month, which also observes Memorial Day, Victory Day and Armed Forces Week.

Strong family support is seen as key to military readiness because it allows servicemembers to better focus on the requirements of their missions without worrying so much about what is happening back home. In addition to taking care of family details while their spouses are deployed, military spouses must cope with a family life punctuated by several moves during their spouse’s military career, which complicates the spouse’s employment opportunities, housing and their children’s education.

We come in all...


Shapes
Sizes
Ages
Backgrounds
Colors
Theologies
Ideologies
Societies

Some of us are Army-strong, others of us are in the Air Force-blue, there are a few proud Marines, a wealth of Navy and the ever-vigilant Coast Guard.

We love our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coasties. Most of us don't wear the uniform but all of us swoon (deeper than a civilian can understand) when we see the uniform.

We keep the home-fire lit and our babies at bay. We manage the home-front with grace and ease mixed with a few fumbles and a bit of heartache. We may not be "issued" but we are chosen!

We depend on friends, mentors, networks and far away family to get us through the tough times.

We use strength to carry us. Distance to mold us. Tears to soften us. Laughter to brighten us. Perseverance to humble us.

(Source: http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com/2009/05/military-spouse-appreciation-day.html)

The Military Wife


The good Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared. She said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one. What's the matter with the standard model?" The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be completely independent, posses the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect hostess to four or forty with an hour's notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, ever if she's pregnant and has the flu, and she must be willing to move 10 times in 17 years. And oh, yes, she must have six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head. "Six pairs of hands? No way!" The Lord continued, "Don't worry, we shall make other military wives to help her. And we will give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in her husband's achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it's over-worked and tired, and be large enough to say 'I understand,' when she does not, and say 'I love you,' regardless."

The angel circled the model of the military wife, looked at it closely and sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft." "She might look soft," replied the Lord, "but she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced. "Something is wrong with the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model."

The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence. What you see is not a leak," he said. "It's a tear." "A tear? What is it there for?" asked the angel. The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride and a dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold dear."

"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel. The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it there."

For all of the other military wives that have touched my life in one way or another over the years....I salute you!

Military Spouse Blog Hop

Hey everyone! Today I am joining in with the MilSpouse blog hop over at

Ok so my brief (and I am not known to be brief so bear with me!) bio....

My name is Jamie. I have been a Marine Corps wife for a little over 6 years. I love being a chrisitian, my family, and my friends. I am an Oncology RN by trade but I have decided to hang up that hat to be a SAHM. (At least for the time being) I have 2 small children. Kendall (almost 4) and Isaac (20 months.)I am from a small town near Pittsburgh PA. I love football and hockey. (Steelers, Penn State, and Penguins fan but I also root on the Dallas Cowboys and Texas A&M for my husband!)

I dabble in photography, scrapbooking, sewing, crafting, and a few other hobbies.

In my 6 years as a military wife, I have learned a lot about myself (and my strength) & have made more friends (more like family) than I could have ever imagined. I love being a USMC wife. Where else can you find more patriotic people & those dedicated to the service of others?

That's not to say that it doesn't have its sucky (AHEM) I mean more challenging moments. We are coming to the end of my husband's 5th detachment (varying in length from 4 to 9 weeks) right now. He has also served 3 back to back seven month long deployments to Iraq. (That means home 5.5 months and gone 7 months 3 straight years in a row.) I have friends who have been through many more so we are indeed lucky to have only done just these.

Take time to check out the blog hop and find some more lovely military spouses!

Wordful Wednesday

2005 Homecoming

One of my favorite military photographs of us.

We have had A LOT of homecomings from deployments (3) and detachments (5) in the past 6 years.

Friday will be a first for us.

I will get to smoosh on my hubby mid-detachment in Yuma, AZ.

I am beyond excited!

Faces Behind the Hero

http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com/2010/04/faces-behind-hero-jamie-marine-corp.html/
Leanne at http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com/ is doing a series every week on the spouses that stand behind our military heros. I was priviledged enough to be selected. If you want to check it out just click on the link above. Thanks Leanne!!

Today is the day....

That I need some of these........

Military Wife's Prayer
Submitted by: BulldogLover
Author: Unknown

Give me greatness of heart to see,
the difference between duty and his love for me.

Give me understanding so that I may know,
when duty calls him, he must go.

Give me a task to do each day,
to fill the time when he’s away.

When he’s in a foreign land,
keep him safe in your loving hand.

And when duty is in the field,
please protect him and be his shield.

And Lord, when his deployment seems so long,
please stay with me and keep me strong.

___________________

A MARINE WIFE
Submitted by: JuJuBee76
Author: Alexandra Benakis

A Marine Wife has so much to bear,
She's everything at once, no one could compare,
When God made her, he had perfection in mind,
For nowhere on Earth is another of her kind.

She leads a life not many would choose,
For her job is the hardest in the military to do,
She is courageous and strong, one would say made of steel,
But way deep down is a heart that can feel.

She stands by her husband, so proud and so tall,
And waits many night by the phone for a call,
She's Mommy and Daddy all rolled into one,
She'll never rest easy until her job's done.

She sits all alone and in silence she cries,
Did I do a good job, is my family alright?
But deep in her heart she knows that it's true,
God is right beside her helping her through.

Atta girl award!

I discovered Atta girl from a friend of mine here in Jacksonville. I really liked the concept behind it so I asked for a few for Christmas. (They are kind of on the pricey side so I wasn't holding out much hope!) I got my first one from my mother and father in law. I thought that I would pass this along to all of my military real life friends and bloggy world friends. These are like the Italian charm bracelets and are approximately the size of 2 of those together. You receive an "award" similar to those that your spouse recieves with each new ribbon that they achieve. (Honoring the ones who hold down the homefront....)It comes in a pretty blue box (not Tiffany's but doesn't it get you excited;-)?!) with a certificate.

The top one on my list was the "Had a baby on Deployment" achievement because I feel that anyone who can accomplish this feat has only the sky as their limit!! This is what my charm looks like and I proudly wear it on a chain right now. (That's right you can convert them into a pendant too!)

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My certificate reads........

IN RECOGNITION OF HEROIC DUTY ON THE HOME FRONT INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO

Feeling like you were the only one there to hear your baby's first cry

The long nights made even longer because you were alone

Because your baby's little nose and beautiful eyes look just like your husband's, if only he were there to see them

Despite everyone coming to visit and help with the baby, the only one you wanted to see was your husband

Because two should be playing this game, not one

Your exceptional skills in strategic planning in preparing for the birth

The courage it took to feel labor coming on; knowing that you would do this without your husband's arms around you

And despite all of this, you can still laugh

FOR THIS AND SO MUCH MORE, WE HONOR YOU.

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Color meaning:
First and Last Crystals - Because you deserve
diamonds for this achievement!
Rose - was your baby a girl?
Crystal - for the love you have for your child
Aquamarine - or was your baby a boy?
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Intrigued? You should be! Go check them out at http://www.attagirlgifts.com/