Serious About Faith. Light-Hearted About Life.
Listen VERY closely… Do you hear that?
It’s my own personal internal tick-tock clock as I anxiously await for this New Tiny Human to be born. (I am writing this post a little bit in advance, because hopefully, by the time this post is published in late February, this kiddo would have been evicted and settling into the “real world” in our arms.)
You may recall that last month, I wrote a post about how pregnancy was like being a military spouse. Well, my love for analogies hasn’t stopped, so today I would like to share 6 Ways Parenting a Newborn is like Being a Military Spouse.
(Sidenote: The kid we are preparing to birth is our second Tiny Human… so I am also tapping into all the things we learned in Round #1 a few years ago.)
Let’s hop to it.
1. Both parenting a newborn and being a milspouse are MESSY jobs.
And I mean that very literally. Those of you who have ever had a newborn in your home, you are probably picking up what I am laying down. The amount of laundry that results from the bodily fluids that just seem to ooze out of someone so tiny are almost mind blowing. And sometimes, bless my dear husband, I think the same about him! The sand tracked in on his boots. The smell of unwashed ruck-marching feet and B.O. Random pieces of TA-50 scattered in every room, every vehicle, every nook and cranny of our abode. Yes, both are physically messy… but they can both be emotionally messy too…
Want to keep reading about the other 5 ways these experiences are similar? Jump on over to Army Wife Network.
Also, don’t be shy– if this post made you grin, be sure to leave me a comment. (I always love reading your feedback!)
Blessings to you all- whether you are in a season of parenting a newborn (or not) or living the military wife life (or not.)
All For Him,
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” ~Isaiah 66:13
Some people say that there can be “too much of a good thing.”
I *might* agree with this statement if talking about rich cheeses, excessive exercise or Netflix binge watching.
But I just can’t agree that there is ever such a “thing” as too much military spouse pride.
You might remember that last month I shared the first installment of our series “Reasons from Milspouse Pride.”
As promised, today we share Part 2…. Brought to the generous and loving hearts of military spouses and viewers like you.
Read on to see more ways that…
“I am proud to be a military spouse when I can smell the dirt from the field as he walks through the door because that means we both survived another round of training.” ~Lacey R.
“I am a proud military spouse when my husband is thanked for his service. It doesn’t happen much because we live in a very military saturated place.” ~Lisa H.
“I’m proud to be a military spouse when I see my husband in his dress uniform. He wore his blues at our wedding in 1994, and it always makes me happy and proud to see him in them again. He’s been through a lot in his career, and each of those ribbons and pins shows how much he loves being a soldier and serving his country. And he looks so handsome in his blues, too!” ~Christie P.
“I was the proudest military wife when I seen my husband walking down the airport corridor at the end of his deployment and could see the look on his face, meeting his son for the first time.” ~Nikki H.
Dear readers…there is MUCH more where this came from! (And did we mention this post also includes a link-up and easy-t0-enter giveaway?) Swing by Army Wife Network to tap into some more milspouse pride and enter to win!
Thanks for your support… And stay tuned for our final installment of Milspouse Pride (with giveaways) on the first of next month!
Proud in so many ways,
I have a confession to make. (You didn’t know this post was going to get so juicy so fast, huh? You are welcome.)
Sometimes, in the day-to-day shenanigans that IS army wife life, I forget about the pride the comes with this calling.
And I don’t mean pride like, “Look at me, I am so awesome” pride… More like, “Wow. My spouse is the bomb dot com. This life can be hard but I sure am PROUD of what he is doing for our country/world/family.”
Maybe, hypothetically, kinda-sorta you find yourself sometimes forgetting the pride-part of this milspouse ride. [Read more…]
I am no Emily Dickinson. Definitely not even close to Robert Frost. And even though I might add a “-th” to random words and say “thou” or “thee” on occasion (just because I can) I will never be a great playwright/poet like William Shakespeare.
But sometimes, I get to feeling a bit salty and try to bust out my mad rhyming skills. Because it makes me feel cool and I think of how to rhyme words like “fo-shizzle” in my head. (Note: I will not be a rapper anytime soon either. So don’t panic. Please put down the phone if you were planning on calling your Congressman.)
Today, I would like to share what Christmas means to me by way of a poem. This won’t be winning any poetry awards anytime soon, but if I have fun writing it (and you get just a tiny bit of enjoyment out of reading it) then I vote yes. Here goes…
You probably know that I am a proud Army Wife,
It’s no real secret to anyone around,
I, out of necessity, often do things differently,
Living life with “boots on the ground.”
Being married to a soldier,
Changes my perspective on much,
Especially when it comes to holidays,
How we celebrate special occasions and such.
Every year right after Turkey Day,
Seems the fall air and attitude shifts,
So many in our world change from thankfulness,
To the chaos of who gets what gifts.
But to me, Christmas is greater,
Much bigger than shopping and decor,
More profound than feasting and vacation,
Oh yes, to me Christmas is much more.
Don’t worry… The poem doesn’t stop here. Jump over to Army Wife Network to discover what Christmas REALLY means to me.
Dear readers… What does Christmas mean to you? I would love to hear your heart on this subject. Feel free to join the conversation and leave a comment below.
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Happy Birthday Jesus,
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” ~Isaiah 9:6
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… Not just because Christmas makes us feel all warm, fuzzy, snuggly and gives us the perfect excuse to eat #AllTheThings. But because I have a new reason to create yet another “batch” of humorous holiday hacks…
These Humorous Holiday Hacks are tips and tricks that, while entertaining, may or may not make your holiday season easier. (But hey, if it puts a smile on our face, that’s something right?)
Before we dig in to this fresh round of all things humorous, holiday-ish and hack-like, feel free to hop over and check out our previous hack batches by clicking here and here.
Now, let’s get down to business. And by business, I mean let’s get ready to laugh about all things holiday.
1. Every holiday season, I just get so dang overwhelmed. I tell myself every year that I am going to keep from getting stressed but it never seems to work. I feel like I am running in a million different directions with my hair on fire yelling ‘What do I do with my hands?!?!’ Talk about a joy sucker. How can I keep the Christmas spirit without losing my mind?
Hack: Ah, dear reader… Solidarity! Most of us, at some point, have probably been there, done that, spilled spiked egg nog on the T-shirt. But now, I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite terms, actually adopted from this army-wife life. Are you ready? Say it with me: VOLUNTOLD. This delightful word is the key to all things sanity, especially around the holiday season. It’s that odd hybrid of getting someone to volunteer, but in reality its more of a command than a request. (See the connection with the army now?) We personally have to muster up the courage to say, “No thanks” when someone tries to back us in to a corner and voluntell us to do something. (If you struggle with telling others no, you can always pretend not to speak English OR wear earbuds wherever you go so as to pretend you can’t hear anything around you.) Also, be bold and start voluntelling other people in your circle to get to crack-a-lacking and help you out.
I’ve got three more humorous hacks to share with you this year (AND an Amazon giveaway going on– you don’t need any military affiliation to enter/win) over at Army Wife Network. Pop over, check it out and enter to win some extra spending money for this Holiday season.
Which humorous hack was your favorite? Do you have a humorous (or real) holiday hack you would like to share? Feel free to comment below!
And have a very Merry, non-stressful and humorous holiday season!
Laughing through the Holidays,
“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” ~Job 8:21
We’ve all heard that oh-so-delightful <sarcasm here> quote, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Several years ago, this quote always ticked me off. Mainly because I wanted my dearest, darling, most-handsomest-stud-of-a-new-husband around all the time.
Most of our courtship was long distance, a few short months living four hours apart, then 12 months of a deployment. By the time our wedding day rolled around, I was over the “absence” part and all geared up for some lovely together-til-death-do-we-part time.
But we all know how the army rolls. And my new stage five clinger self didn’t take it well. [Read more…]
Deployments are a funny thing.
They are (of course) very much a challenging part of this army wife life, and they are always full of surprises. As I type this, sitting in the Fort Lewis Starbucks, we are in the homestretch of our latest deployment. (Yes. We see the humorous signs that homecoming is coming!)
Hopefully by the time this post publishes, my Beloved Husband and I will be back in the same zip code. (Pending broken planes, incorrect scheduling, etc.) [Read more…]
Can we just all take a collective, deep cleansing breath?
I don’t know about you, sister… But sometimes the holidays stress me out.
Sure, last month I made the vow to switch things up a bit this year for the holidays, transitioning from stressed to blessed.
But let’s be honest. Even in a “perfect” world, that would be a tall order… let alone trying to mesh that vision with the craziness that is Army-wife life.
One of my coping mechanisms for stress is humor. (Usually this is a good thing… Usually.) Last year, I shared some “Humorous Holiday Hacks” here at Army Wife Network. Apparently, they were well received. (That or people were so desperate for a laugh.)
Either way, I have been asked to expand on my “hacks” from last year, adding some fresh ones to the mix. [Read more…]
I eyed the calendar suspiciously.
I blinked. That can’t be right. Didn’t we just do this like five minutes ago?!?
But as I looked again, I realized it to be true. The holidays are upon us.
Sure, that sounds a bit cliche, but seriously– it seems the older I get, the faster the pages of the calendar turn.
Don’t get me wrong– I am not stunt double for the Grinch that Stole Christmas. I like the holidays. I really do. The fun, the family time (when applicable– hey, it’s the army!) and the festivities make that little spot in my heart get all warm and fuzzy.
What I DON’T appreciate is the stress that seems to come with the holidays.
Because really, if I am wound up about the holiday season and stressed to the max, I fail to enjoy it. I spend more time worried about all the things instead of reveling in the blessing that comes with all the things.
So this year, I am going on strike regarding holiday stress. Starting NOW, I am making a holiday switch from stressed to blessed. And I wanted to share with you some of my proactive techniques and expectations I am setting in advance.
Keep on reading about my switcheroo techniques over at Army Wife Network.
Dear reader, which of these tips resonates with you the most? What would you add to the list? I always love to hear feedback. Chime in and leave a comment.
And may you have a beautiful holiday season as you make the switch from stressed to blessed!
So Blessed,
“May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” ~Psalm 115:15
Linking up today with Kelly, Laura at Playdates with God, Joan’s Beauty in His Grip, Jen over at Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, and Hazel via Tell Me a Story. Be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
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