Not So Wordless Wednesday #WW - New Orleans

This past week marked six years since the massive levee failures in Greater New Orleans.

New Orleans was our home over 13 years ago and I can't begin to tell you how much love this city. There is just something about the French Quarter, the Garden District, Second Line parades in Treme, the music, food...

I could go on forever.

As I watched the news footage, I so desperately wanted to be there to help. Because my husband was in in Iraq at the time, I didn't feel like I could leave five kids at home and go into, for all intents and purposes, a war zone.

The Soldier and I were finally able to go back for a few days this past November - over five years since the catastrophe. The spirit of NOLA is alive and well, but I was shocked at the neighborhoods that are gone. Stores and schools that have never reopened. It was heartbreaking.

The destruction of NOLA and St. Bernard Parish was not a natural disaster, but caused by poor design, inadequate construction and failed projects by the Army Corps of Engineers (like Mr. Go). For more information on why, visit levees.org or watch "The Big UnEasy".

If you ever have the chance to visit NOLA, do. It is the most unique and beautiful city I have ever seen.

Linking up with Adventures of the K Family for this week's MilSpouse Weekly Round Up!

 

Love,

MilSpouse Friday 9-2-11

Oh, how I have missed MilSpouse Friday! I love connecting with and reading about my fellow MilSpouses - one of the greatest communities in the world.

I can't believe it is September already. Wasn't it just June? This summer has flown by! Which isn't a bad thing I guess, when you have been trying to survive a 400 day deployment. Thankfully, we are almost done and the Soldier is on U.S. soil! Now we are counting in weeks and not months.

For my book friends, don't miss the current giveaway of "Blue Skies Tomorrow" (a great MilSpouse book!) or the latest free ebooks.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In is hosted each week by Wife of a Sailor. Come join us and link up.

1) My plans for this weekend include cleaning like crazy before the Soldier comes home, but what I’d really like to do is curl up with a blanket, my Kindle and a nice pot of Irish tea (it’s freezing here!).

2) I consider the Labor Day holiday three days to celebrate our anniversary, we celebrate 19 years on Sunday!

3) My favorite meal for cookouts is hot dogs (because they are easy!), but my kids wouldn’t agree. They are spoiled and want steak.

4) So far, my favorite part of summer has been taking a birthday trip (given to me by the Soldier) to see my favorite singer, Anthony Kearns, in Steamboat Springs, CO. (click for pictures!)

5) When it comes to deployments, my philosophy is “what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger” – however, if I have to take a child to the ER/urgent care one more time, I will be in a straight jacket sucking on Valium lollipops.

Linking up this week with Mrs. K and Captain J for the
MilSpouse Weekly Round Up.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Military Friday 6-24-11

Yay! Another Friday and I am still alive and blogging. I am sorry I missed last Friday, but I was on a beautiful farm in the Midwest with hens and cows and no internet. I had actually traveled to Minnesota for not so fun reasons, so it was great to get a few hours respite visiting old friends and enjoying the quiet. 

If you are here for the free books, I haven't had time to put up posts lately, but I have been putting them up on the Facebook page when I find them. I would love to have you 'like' my page so you don't miss out on any downloads. 

Don't miss my current giveaway for a copy of  My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren. It was a great book and your odds of winning right now are really good ;)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in is hosted by Wifey at Wife of  Sailor. Come over and visit all the wonderful MilSpouses that link up each week.

1) Are you a different person than you were five years ago? submitted by Sisterly Thoughts

I hope so, in a good way. I think change, for the most part, is a good thing and we should always be growing and developing who we are.

2) If you could go on Amazing Race, who would you take with you as your partner and why? submitted by Thoughts from a Poekitten

Well, if the Army would let me have the Soldier back, obviously I would choose him, but if not then my friend Jennifer, because she knows everything (really).

3) Does Facebook or Twitter actually bring more stress or good in to your life? submitted by Just an Arizona Girl

Twitter = stress. I am still trying to figure it all out. However, I love Facebook and I appreciate that it keeps me connected to friends.

4) June is National Soul Food Month- what’s your soul food? submitted by NH Girl Displaced

K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen

I love Creole/Cajun food. I want to move back to New Orleans just to eat at K-Paul's every day. Pretty sure we would be broke in a week, but if you ever go there, you have to try the blackened drum. It is to die for! (Click on the link to see amazing pictures of the Crescent City!)

5) If you could live in any other era than the current, which one would it be & why? submitted by Sugar in My Grits

I could never choose, but I am sure I was born in the wrong time period. Even my husband agrees. It would be a toss up between the antebellum south (I want to be Scarlett), Regency England (but only if I was part of the ‘ton’ – say a Duchess…) and the Scotland of William Wallace (and the Soldier would have to be a big braw highlander).

Um, maybe too many romance novels lately... 

Linking up today for MilSpouse Weekly Roundup with Mowenackie:

Have a great weekend!

Love,

MilSpouse Appreciation Day 2011

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day and I want to take a minute and say thank you to all the wonderful military spouses out there! It is not an easy job to support a Soldier/Sailor/Airman/Marine, in fact, some days it is the hardest thing we will ever do.

I am very proud to be a part of such a wonderful and strong group of women and men. I am thankful for the support and community I have found in the MilSpouse world. Thank you. You are appreciated. 

In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Wife of a Sailor has compiled a great list of "You Might be a MilSpouse If..." Come over and share a laugh and leave a comment to say "Thank You" to a wonderful group of MilSpouses.

 Linking up with Personalized Sketches and Sentiments for today's MilSpouse Weekly Roundup!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Pity Party

Today I threw myself a pity party. I even celebrated with a Starbucks Frap and a mini peanut butter cupcake.  

There goes the 15 pounds I just lost… 

Although I totally blame deployment for this breakdown, it doesn’t help that - after being on a no sugar, carb-free diet for six weeks - I gorged myself on half of the 3 year-old’s Easter basket’s contents yesterday or that I am majorly PMSing.  

I am sick and tired of being alone. Yes, there are six kids here to keep me company, but it isn’t quite the same as adult interaction. What I wouldn’t give for an hour at Starbucks with a friend… 

I know all about taking care of yourself during deployment, I wrote the book (well article anyway) on that. I even wrote the book (okay, okay  - article…) on how to help a fellow mom going through a deployment. But here I sit, having my pity party.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of wonderful friends. The problem is that most of them live all over the world and not here. I guess we haven’t done a very good job of making friends since we have been here. I thought we had done better. Or maybe it is just that everyone is sick of asking “how are you doing?” and “when is he coming home?” – I know I am. 

Going to church yesterday didn’t help. Because of Easter it was held in the auditorium of the local high school, the one where they hold services if the unthinkable happens. I spent a good part wondering what it would look like draped in red, white and blue bunting. Morbid, I know, but that is where I am at. 

Add to all of that a 9 year-old having her own breakdown and a 15 year-old who enjoys making me angry and we have the perfect conditions to make one very tired mama want to run away. 

Thankfully, my amazing friend called me (not sure how she knows when I am losing it, but she always does) and told me enough. I just wish she was close enough for Starbucks. 

Pity party officially over for now, but I won’t promise that it was the last. We still have another five or six months to go… 

Linking up for the MilSpouse Weekly Roundup! Come over and join in at The Tervo Times! 

Love,

Military Friday 4/15/11

Yay! I made it to another Friday and for that, I am thankful. I think I will celebrate by sleeping in and doing nothing all weekend :)

I need to take a minute and wish a Happy Birthday to the most wonderful man. Today is my Soldier's 41st birthday (I married an older man, way older...). We have been together for almost 20 years and celebrated our 18th anniversary this past September. He is a wonderful husband and an amazing father. I am very proud of him and thankful for the blessing he is. I can't imagine life without him.

I love you baby. Come home soon. 

Have you entered my contest yet? I am giving away Amazon.com gift certificates so you won't want to miss it! Head on over to enter now. (Giveaway ends 4/17.) 

For my Kindle friends, the latest list of free downloads is here. Don't forget to like "Our Crazy Life" on facebook to be notified as soon as I find a new one.

And now for the MilSpouse Friday Fill In. If you are a MilSpouse, head on over to Wife of a Sailor to link up! 

1) With PCS moves happening every few years, do you take the time to paint and decorate your home? submitted by Life as Mrs. JPT

 

The Soldier is National Guard, so we don't PCS. However, we moved a lot for his civilian career - seven states in 4 years. We bought this house almost 10 years ago. I still haven’t painted… 

2) If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be? submitted by Standing By Him

The house in “Good Luck Charlie” on the Disney Channel. It is a Craftsman and I love the size of it (we live in a very small place), plus the fridge is a really cool chalkboard. Don’t judge me, I have children and I am forced to watch things that I should never have to...

3) What inspired you to start your blog?  submitted by Pink Combat Boots

I needed an outlet to write about life and our upcoming deployment. I know my IRL friends get a little tired of it, so this is a way that they can tune me out. I am so thankful for the MilSpouse community. I have enjoyed getting to know many of you and you never seem to tire of my deployment rants. Or at least you don't complain about it!

4) What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen on base? submitted by Adventures in Life

We live near an Air Force Base and they have a giant red horse statue on the main road. I have heard that it used to be anatomically correct, but some higher up’s wife didn’t like it and they ‘fixed’ the poor thing. 

5) Which historical figure (politician, writer, artist, scientist, actor, etc…) would you like to have dinner with?  submitted by Army of Two

This is a hard one, there are so many. I think I would have to go with Michael Collins. I am obsessed with history and especially love reading about and studying the Irish fight for independence.  

This week's MilSpouse Weekly Round Up is hosted by
Churchy & Her Sailor. Stop by to link up. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,