Memorable Milspouse Moments Part 3 (AWN Giveaway)

The last couple months, we here at AWN have been reflecting on some of our most memorable milspouse memories. (If you missed Part 1 or Part 2, I will wait while you catch up.)

Today, we wrap this mini-series up, and you can probably guess the main topic of discussion:

Yep, you got it. Homecoming and deployments. (With a few extra bonus memories sprinkled in there.)

I have my fair share of reunion stories too, so it would be hard to narrow it down: When he came home on R & R and proposed during a 12-month deployment. Drill sergeant school graduation. Ranger school graduation. The deployment homecoming when my daughter was old enough to sort of “get it.” And more TDY’s than I can even remember.

I want to take this time to focus most of this post on our AWN fans and THEIR memories (coupled with a few pictures.) So let’s get to it, eh?

My most memorable MILSPOUSE moment is… I have so many to choose from. I’ve been an Army wife for over 14 years now. Deployments, even AT and classes, seeing my husband in his uniform, everything. I cherish him so very much. I’m so proud of him I can’t even explain it. I guess if I had to choose it would be the day he came home from Iraq and stepped off of that bus. The butterflies in my stomach, the feeling of being in his arms after so long. He’s amazing. And I’m so glad that I’m his wife.  ~Bobbie W. 

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My most memorable milspouse moment was the day after we got married. We drove from Ohio to Savannah, Georgia and we still joke that that was our “first honeymoon” since my husband had to report back to work the next day. I vividly remember thinking on the drive how my life was changing and it all felt like such an adventure that we were embarking on… 12 years later and it’s still an adventure and life changing! ~Tiffany B. 

Want more memorable milspouse moments? Click here to read on over at Army Wife Network AND enter to win our giveaway!

Thanks for joining us for this month’s Recon Rendezvous gathering… Catch us again at the beginning of next month as we kick off a new mini series!

Always Remembering,

 

 

“Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” ~Genesis 9:16

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Memorable Milspouse Moments Part 2 (AWN Giveaway)

Imagine this: A handful of close friends (or in our case, battle buddies) are miraculously back in the same zip code, be it for a few months or just a few moments.

You gather around the fire pit on the back patio. You pour yourself a beverage of choice (for me, this is Lime La Croix in a wine glass #PartyAnimal) It takes only a couple of seconds before someone says it…

“Remember that time when…”  [Read more…]

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Memorable Milspouse Moments Part 1 (AWN Giveaway)

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like our military family spends a good deal of our time dreaming about the future. Our next duty station. If/when we will make that next rank. What our next assignment will be. And yes… Even imagining (and sometimes dreaming about!) what life after the army will be.

Oftentimes, thinking about the future can be a great motivating factor, especially when the going gets tough. But you know what? Looking back at where we’ve been, what we’ve experienced and how far we have come can also provide that #GoAmerica fuel we need to face the next milspouse challenge… Or adventure.

And so that brings us to this new Recon Rendezvous miniseries: All about our Most Memorable Milspouse Moments. (Bonus: It’s also a fun tongue twister.)

For the next three first-of-the-month posts, I will be sharing with you one of my most memorable milspouse moments, as well as some military memories submitted by you, our AWN fans and followers.

Let’s get started, shall we?

In the years that I have been a military spouse, I (obviously) have a lot of memories– some very sweet and wonderful, others… not so much. But to get this memorable party started, I think I should share how I got my army wife start.

And yes. I know you don’t have all day. So this will be the abridged version.

I was in college at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS– forty days from graduation. In my 5 years of college (well, my entire life) I never had a “real” boyfriend. (Don’t get me wrong– I went on a handful of dates, but it was like, “Hey bro, thanks for the supper… But I’m good.” #ColorMeUnimpressed

Anywho: It was literally one of the most painful days of my life that day– lots of super sad, heavy stuff going on (several people in my network of friends/family had passed away that very day.) I had spent most of the afternoon holed up in my room, sobbing my eyes out, grieving for my friends/family.

So the last thing I wanted to do was “go out” that night. But we had some college friend in town from Minnesota, so I rallied (aka, was Voluntold) to be their Designated Driver as they toured Aggieville.

Long story still long: That night, some random dude started dancing with me in a bar. It was his birthday. I was a bit cautious… But we started talking (what?!?!) and the rest, as they say, is history. (That was TOTALLY not part of my no-plan-plan. ) This blonde-haired, blue-eyed infantryman ambushed my heart. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the corny analogy.)

We did the long-distance relationship thing for the remainder of the summer and he deployed at the end of August. He came home in April and proposed, right there in the teeny-tiny Columbus (Missouri) Regional Airport. His brother was home on leave from Germany and had purchased the ring while staying at my house. And I had. no. idea. (He slipped my husband the ring right as Brandon was proposing… My now-husband jokes that he was worried, because he thought he was going to open the box and there was going to be a twisty-tie ring in there.)

I, of course, said yes. And here we are.

So that’s ONE of my many memorable milspouse moments… But enough about me. Let’s check out what our readers had to say on the subject over at Army Wife Network. 

Like what you see? Join the beginning of each month for a link-up and giveaway! Til then– cheers to our memories!

Remembering Jesus,

 

 

“I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.” ~Psalm 45:17

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The Wheels on the Bus

Hi friends! I am taking a quick breather from creating new material on Wednesdays as I prep for an upcoming conference and lay some foundational leadership work with a one of my local organizations. I was digging through the archives and found this post worthy of a re-share. I pray you enjoy it! Thanks for the grace. 

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It’s been years since I’ve ridden on a school bus route for the sole purpose of getting to and from school.

Even now though, I still can’t see one of those big, yellow behemoths without being briefly taken back to my youthful days of riding the bus.

When I was in elementary school, we lived in rural North Central Kansas. North Central as in, seven miles from Nebraska. And rural as in, 90 (yes 90!) miles from the nearest Wal-Mart. So five days a week for year after year, I rode the big yellow school but from our house ten miles to town and back again.

[Read more…]

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Playground Guardian

You might have noticed that in this current season,  Wednesdays are my days to work toward some super-awesome God-sized dreams. So here is a blast from the past straight from the archives. Enjoy, dear friends… and thanks for the grace. 

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We waited for this precious experience every single day.

Small children snarfing down their lunch, tater tots flying, ketchup splattering, milk dribbling. We were racing against the clock.  We had to get to recess.

Sure, recess came three times a day throughout my years of very early youth. But the length after-lunch recess was solely dependent on our ability to inhale our food and power walk from the cafeteria to the outside door. (Note: Sometimes a second grader’s definition of “not running” is different than the principal’s definition. And you had to walk that line carefully, or the five minutes you spent in the office during recess for “running” would nearly break your heart. Not that I would know.) [Read more…]

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Jesus Likes to Party Too

You might have noticed that Wednesdays are my days to take a breath. To rest. Recharge. To work toward some super-awesome God-sized goals for 2014. So here is a blast from the past straight from the archives. Enjoy, dear friends… and thanks for the grace. 

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Balloons…Games…Cake…Hats…Loud noises…music… laughter…chaos…sugar…presents…toys…pictures.

Kid birthday parties rock.

When I was little, birthday parties were practically the highlight of my life. (It ranked right up there with our annual trip to the Missouri State Fair and calving season.) It didn’t even have to be MY birthday party… just the prospect of socializing, games and CAKE were enough to make us talk about upcoming party for weeks. [Read more…]

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The Ultimate Hero (Five Minute Friday)

Five Minute Friday

Happy Friday, all.

With Friday comes a special writing challenge, Five Minute Friday. Each week I link up with Lisa-Jo Baker (who has a book coming out April 1st– no foolin’– you should pop over and check it out!) She give us a prompt. Then, yep, you guessed it, we write.

For five minutes flat.

No extensive strategy or thought process. We just let the words flow.

Here we go!

Today’s Prompt: HERO

AND GO! [Read more…]

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The Wheels on the Bus

It’s been years since I’ve ridden on a school bus route for the sole purpose of getting to and from school.

Even now though, I still can’t see one of those big, yellow behemoths without being briefly taken back to my youthful days of riding the bus.

When I was in elementary school, we lived in rural North Central Kansas. North Central as in, seven miles from Nebraska. And rural as in, 90 (yes 90!) miles from the nearest Wal-Mart. So five days a week for year after year, I rode the big yellow school but from our house ten miles to town and back again.

[Read more…]

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In the Garden (Revisited)

I am smack dab in the middle of learning what it means to be a new Mama while moving across the country. No big deal, right?  (It is an adventure, that is for sure!) So today as I considered what bloggy ministry message God wanted me to share, He put this one on my heart. (Actually, He put the song on Pandora which made me think of this post written a little while ago…) 

As my Beloved Brandon and I make new memories with our little one as we seek out our new home with the army, I couldn’t help but get all gushy thinking about my parents. This post recalls one of my favorite childhood memories with my dad… and my heavenly Father. 

Where do you go to meet with the Father? I would love to hear all about it. Feel free to comment below! 

Praying today is full of Him!
SGK 

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Growing up in northwest Kansas as the daughter in a farming/ranching family provided me with many chances to “get away.” Ok, let’s be honest– we were 90 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart. We were always “away,” so actually going somewhere aka civilization was a big deal. [Read more…]

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Jesus’ Funniest Videos

Let’s all be honest… Sometimes life is HILARIOUS.

I grew up watching America’s Funniest Home Videos (originally with Bob Saget.) While I never really understood why people thought that dudes getting hit in their uh, nether regions was so funny, I still enjoyed it. Plus it was relatively family friendly.

For me, most of the funniest things came from young kids.

Which brings me to share with you some of the hilarious things I did when I was younger. (Too bad we didn’t get them on tape. Maybe we would be a few thousand bucks richer?) [Read more…]

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