Fabulous Army Life

Making snowman snacks The finished masterpiece! Cute little sugary snowmen! My oldest son made these adorable powdered donut snowmen for his class Christmas party but they would be perfect for any wintery snack.  The nutritional value is low but they're oh-so-cute and perfect for an occasional treat! He used: mini powdered donuts for the body  pretzel sticks for arms Jelly Lifesavers for hat base Kissables candy for top of hat almond slivers for noses gel icing for eyes and buttons Fruit by the Foot for 'scarves' sifted powdered sugar for the 'snow' Here is a cute video of my oldest son making his Snowman Snacks, complete with narration! Note little brother sneaking snacks as the video progresses.  

Okay, I know you're out there ... overachieving shoppers who already have a neatly crossed-off holiday gift list and a pile of sparkling gifts, wrapped, tagged, and displayed under your flawless Christmas tree, placed there just as the Thanksgiving turkey was cleared away. That's the kind of shopper I want to be. Every year, I vow that THIS will be the year that I shop all year, a little at a time, get the best bargains, and have beautifully wrapped presents, color-coded by family and displayed under my tree on Thanksgiving weekend. Well, it's the Monday after Thanksgiving and we just dragged all the decoration boxes from the garage this morning and Black Friday was the first of my shopping for the season (and I am nowhere close to being done!). Sometimes I wonder about this person I want to be. Where is she? I know all about her, but not how to find her. She is energetic and organized, friendly and fun, savvy and smart, and loving and kind. She's a great mom, makin...

I admit it; I have committed what a good friend terms a "Mommy Foul." I was not diligent enough in checking my creepy-radar before I took my nine-year-old to see "A Christmas Carol" this weekend. I carelessly assumed that a Disney movie with Jim Carrey targeted to kids would be .... well, not so creepy. I envisioned more of an animated, humorous, Mary Poppins-like, don't-we-all-feel-like-a-Merry Christmas-now kind of movie. What we saw was a very dark, scary, and creepy version of this classic tale. I know, I know. You're all shaking your fingers at me and thinking, "Hasn't she heard the story of 'A Christmas Carol' before?" Yes, of course I have, and yes, I knew it would have ghosts that visit, but I was fooled into thinking that they would be a happy, Casper-like ghosts, smiling and gently reminding our beloved Scrooge to be more giving and kind. These ghosts were more of the 'your-soul-is-bound-for-Hell' kind of ghosts an...

Our family has (somewhat inadvertently) started a tradition that we've grown to absolutely love ... parent/child dates! These started out as "Daddy Dates" to ensure that both boys got their share of time with Dad before and after deployments but have grown into events for us both to enjoy with our kids. When Dad has a day with one child, I get my time with the other! Last weekend, Nate took Trey for his day. They chose to hunt (at some ungodly hour in the morning), ate an early lunch at Ghengis Grill, came home for a quick rest, then off again to fish for the afternoon. Youngest and I followed the plan he made of: breakfast at a local doughnut shop, a trip to Barnes & Noble to read and pick up a favorite book, then back to the house for an afternoon of board games. He's quite the homebody, so it was no surprise he wanted to spend the afternoon home alone with Mom. It was a great time for us ... and we ended up tied at four wins each at Flippin' Frogs and pla...

The more I get into the blogosphere, the more fun I have! Today I wanted to share a cute idea posted by “The Mrs.” at Trying Our Best. See her post: Christmas Ornament Swap Sign-Up to sign up for an ornament swap among bloggers! I can't wait. I love, love, love Christmas! Besides the fact that we celebrate this as one of the top holidays for our faith, I love the entire season associated with it. I love tinsel and trees, lights and luminaries, wreaths and wrapping, ribbons and reindeer, snowmen and sparkles, bags and bows! I also enjoy collecting ornaments. Each year, I try to talk Hubby into another tree (yes, not just more ornaments, but an entire new tree!). We have our main family tree with lots of fun ornaments from places we’ve been, kids’ crafts, and other ornament exchanges. A second tree is our patriotic tree … all white with ornaments that are shimmery, sparkly and (of course) red, white, or blue. A third smaller tree holds all of our hand-made ornaments from Korea....

I've come to the conclusion that everyone deals with stress in their own way ... and that there are many 'right' and 'wrong' ways to do that. I have also discovered about myself that I tend to deal with immediate stress fairly well. Tragedies bring about a calm in me that seems uncharacteristic for my highly emotional normal self. I can make good decisions, help others, and present a reassuring demeanor on command. I think clearly and do not show any signs of panic in the heat of the moment. But when the heat of the moment has cooled ... it's an entirely different story. After the danger is gone, the stress sets in. When my family and I spent the afternoon on Fort Hood on Thursday, there were wild rumors and inaccurate reports flying about. The news channels continually blared information about a shooter (or shooters) on post, reported shots fired in several additional locations, and detailed information about the entire post being on "lock down....

PHOTO: The line of cars leaving Fort Hood with us last night after the post was re-opened. In a strange twist of fate, my husband and I were together with our two boys on Fort Hood on the afternoon of November 5, 2009. Killeen ISD had an early release day so we headed to post about 1:00 p.m. to get our H1N1 flu mists. We ended up being 'locked down' in the clinic for about six hours as we learned about the shootings taking place nearby and waited to hear resolution of the safety lock-down. It was a long afternoon of fear, rumors, and uncertainty. Yet even within the tragic circumstances that were unfolding as we waited, we found many things for which to be thankful. We were together. I can count on one hand the number to times that my kids and I have been with our Soldier on Fort Hood in the middle of a school day. I was so thankful that we were in the same place at the same time and had each other throughout the ordeal. We had friends with us. We didn’t know anyone i...

 1st grade stories My first grader was excited when he came home from school today.  His teacher had asked the students to vote on their favorite creative writing stories and his story won first place ... "for the first time ever!"  The topic of the day was elephants and Joshua chose to write his story from the elephant's perspective.  His elephant has a little attitude but told a fun story of his life in the wild.  I love this teacher's writing lessons.  She encourages creativity and works with each child individually to proofread, correct, and 'publish' a variety of stories.  Joshua is learning so much about the writing process and enjoys getting stories from his head onto paper.  Plus, I'm gathering lots of great stories to keep for myself in his 1st Grade classwork folder.  I love going back and seeing the progress my kids are making in school ... and it's fun for them to see their 'old' work, too.  Thanks, Mrs. Norman, for...

We had a great time on Halloween! We started by hosting a potluck dinner before trick-or-treating began. We provided a big pot of chili, cornbread muffins, and beverages. Friends brought some really fun side dishes to share.  Check out our menu and a few photos below.  The dishes turned out really cute! I managed to talk Hubby into a vampire costume this year, I was a spidery witch and the boys chose alien and ninja warrior as their costumes.  It was a lot of fun. The Menu Count Chili Crazy Cornbread Monster Toes Curdled Crab dip Monster Mash guacamole Hallow-bean dip Monster Muffin Cups (cupcakes baked in ice cream cones) Bloodshot Eggs: Monster Bites: Creepy Carrots: Mummy Dogs: Marshmallow Ghosts: After everyone ate and we took a few photos, it was time to trick-or-treat together. We all had a really fun time and look forward to days (and weeks and months ...) of candy! =) Our cute neighborhood kids before trick-or-treating:

My hubby has changed jobs which, in the Army, means a round of "farewell" events. We were farewelled from the brigade a few weeks ago at a brigade staff "Hail and Farewell" and I was farewelled last night from the brigade Coffee group. For my civilian friends, a "Hail and Farewell" is a regularly scheduled social event for the Soldiers and spouses of a unit to welcome new members to the unit and to say goodbye to those who are scheduled to leave. Welcomes include a quick summary of the Soldier's previous assignments and jobs plus information about his/her Family and interests. Farewells generally include a nice speech about the value the Soldier and Family has added to the unit and may include a farewell gift (framed prints and unit colors are popular). A nice touch is that incoming spouses usually receive a yellow rose and outgoing spouses receive a red rose. A "Coffee," by contrast, is a social event exclusively for the spouses of Soldi...

PHOTO: Neighborhood kids at the 2008 pre-Halloween Dinner! I'm not sure who is more excited about Halloween ... the kids or me! First of all, this will be the first Halloween in three years where dear Hubby is here with us; that alone is worthy of celebration. Secondly, we're all set! Kids have costumes they love, the house has been decorated (and scented with yummy pumpkin candles all month!), and candy is ready to be distributed. Also, we're continuing one of my favorite seasonal traditions since we moved back to Fort Hood. We're hosting a pre-Trick-or-Treat dinner and moving through the neighborhood with a group of friends. We love having people over and this is a super-fun event. We cook up a big pot of chili and everyone brings spooky sides to go with it. Most recipe ideas are from http://www.familyfun.com/ and include things like "Monster Toes," "Apple Bites," and "Pizza Mummies." I will put out a few easy crafts to occupy the ...

I'm excited to visit family this weekend for the 4th Annual Halloween Hayride hosted by my my mom's side of the family. It's a great time and my boys are always thrilled to attend. In the crazy way of the Army, my husband has never been able to attend. Two of the past three years, he was in Iraq, and the other was spent at NTC. So I'm really excited to share this fun event with him this year, too! It seems that Halloween is a little taboo in some circles, but we enjoy the holiday for its fun ... costumes and candy; what's not to love? Because my parents live in Texas, I am able to attend and participate in many family events that would not otherwise be possible. One of these is my mom's annual Halloween Hayride and Cookout. My mother and stepfather live in a wooded area in north Texas. They have created a trail through the woods in the backyard, just big enough for their John Deere "Gator" to get through. For this event, my family gathers to dec...

If you haven't seen The Price of Peace video sung by two daughters of an Army National Guard Soldier, get a box of tissues, settle in, and click to watch. Make sure all Soldiers with daughters see this, too. It's a sweet tribute to Dads in the military.

I absolutely love Autumn. It's my favorite season ... even in Texas where there is no dazzling display of leaves changing color. I love the cooler air after months of oppressive heat and humidity, the crisp smell of outdoor barbeques, the enthusiastic sounds of football teams and cheering crowds, and the many delicious flavors of Fall … pumpkin spice lattes topping the list. We decorate for Halloween, carve (or paint!) pumpkins, adore Trick-or-Treating, and enjoy a season a thanksgiving with family and friends. What’s not to love? This Fall, I was happy to participate in a brand-new event for me. Because my husband will be taking a battalion command in the Spring, he is currently going through a series of courses to prepare him for this adventure. One part of the training includes spouses and I was able to spend an entire week with my husband at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, attending classes and getting to know others preparing for command. I was excited for a million reasons … a we...

Growing up in Texas, Autumn has always been a long-awaited joyful break from the oppressive heat and humidity of Summer. Yes, I love my time at the lake, wearing flip-flops, and a season with my kids at home ... but I always welcome Fall with much enthusiasm and fanfare ... a time for new decor, new foods, new clothing. Here are just some of the things I love about this season: Fall wardrobe!! Sweaters and jeans great boots fun trench coats, jackets, and blazers Friday night football games complete with ... crowds-a-cheering bands-a-playing lights-a-blazing The Weather! lower temperatures and cool breezes colored leaves that fall from the trees All things pumpkin! Pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, Vanilla-pumpkin candles from Candle Queen, Pumpkin foods -- pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin-walnut bread! Halloween! Costumes and decorations Carving (or painting!) pumpkins Parties and crafts Trick-or-Treating and candy! Fall Fun for Kids hayrid...

So I had this hilarious conversation with my six-year-old recently as we were decorating for Halloween and putting together a PVC pipe skeleton ... Him: Mommy, did you know that you can't really tell if skeletons are boys or girls? Me: That's a good point. I hadn't thought of that. Him: Yeah, because you can't tell if it's a boy because it doesn't have a weenie. Me (suppressing a smile): That's true. Him: You know, there is no bone in your weenie if you're a boy so it's not on a skeleton. Me (trying harder not to smile): Yes, I think I knew that. Him: But, Mommy, sometimes your weenie feels like it's a bone, even if there is no bone there. Me (choking down laughter): Is that right? Him: Yep, that's right! But then it goes away and it doesn't feel like a bone anymore. Me (turning my head to "cough"): Good to know!

I come from a long line of educators ... the kind who decorate their classrooms and change themes every month. In fact, I was one of those teachers for 8 years before I became a mom. Ever wonder what happens to all that stuff when a teacher stops teaching? Well, I have all of my stuff plus all of my mom's stuff (who recently retired after 25 years of teaching!) and it's all got to go somewhere ... So ... much of it helps decorate our home during every conceivable holiday! Back before Halloween became taboo in schools, my mom could decorate with seasonal icons, so I have lots of the traditional stuff -- witches, ghosts, mummies and the like. While I was teaching, most Halloween themes were not allowed, so we focused more on the acceptable items ... human anatomy (skeletons), mammals (bats), a literary study of Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (spiders), and harvest (pumpkins). All of that to say ... not only did I inherit much of my mom's fun decor, I also inherited her ...

I am an Army wife of 15+ years with an amazing husband and two wonderful little boys. Hubby and I grew up in Texas so we're happy to be stationed at Fort Hood, near both of our families! I was a teacher before I became a Mom and now work parttime for a fabulous company that focuses on DoD websites. I enjoy working on the Army websites and love the opportunity to provide news and resources for Army Soldiers and Families. I also spend my time volunteering, reading, digital scrapbooking, blogging, and doing lots of things my sons enjoy ... fishing, camping, baseball, soccer, basketball, and Wii! I am a brand-new blogger on blogspot and love it already! I've always enjoyed writing and hope my posts will encourage Army Families everywhere ... or at least connect me with them.  I look forward to meeting lots of military Families online. Thanks for stopping by ... please follow and let me know where your fabulous Army blog is located!

It seems every generation has at least one major event where they can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when the event occurred. From the “date which will live in infamy” to the assassinations of world figures like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., those who remember these events can tell you exact details about that moment in time. For me, I have very clear memories of the space shuttle Challenger launching, then exploding in air. I was a freshman in high school, watching the launch on a television in the school cafeteria when the tragedy occurred. I can remember the shock and confusion of that moment … immediate questions about what happened? Is this real? Will they be okay? Could they possibly be okay? How could this happen? The second event that will forever live in my memory is the attack on our nation on September 11, 2001. I was teaching middle schoolers, a part-time job, in Georgia at the time. My first class didn't start until 9:...

Our first Coffee with the new leadership in our brigade was a fun "Bunco Queen" theme, complete with pink boas, tiaras, cutesy paper goods, and a gorgeous pink cake.  Fun idea!

PHOTO: One of many suicide prevention posters from the Department of Defense. I like the "Have the Courage to Help a Buddy" theme. I have been reading a lot about suicide prevention this week. DoD is hosting "Suicide Prevention Month" alongside many other organizations to assist in identifying and preventing suicidal behavior and, especially, actions. This is a hot topic in the Army right now, with concerns about suicide rates, PTSD and other behavioral health issues, and the ongoing deployment cycle being discussed continuously. As it stands, it seems to me that suicide is one of the last standing "hush" subjects that no one really wants to talk about. With what I see as an "expose all" society (think Jerry Springer and similar shows where folks tell every minute detail about some really humiliating life event), it seems odd to me that this is still such a taboo topic. And I hope this is changing. I have known one person in my life who com...

PHOTO: Our children with their good friends who moved away last summer. We were so happy to be together and catch up on each other's lives. I think that the old saying, "Make new friends, but keep the old ... One is silver and the other gold ..." has a profound significance in Army Families. First of all, you generally have no choice but to make new friends. You're either constantly moving to a new place where meeting new people is essential or you're the one left behind while good friends move away, making the task of making new friends equally important. For my children, making friends has become somewhat of a life skill, polished by years of practice. I am amazed by their resilience and ability to strike up conversations with just about anyone, just about anywhere. In fact, the traditional safety lessons about "Stranger Danger" just don't work with our kids. To them, there is no such thing as a stranger ... what we would call "strange...

I absolutely love Autumn. It's my favorite season ... even in Texas where there is no dazzling display of leaves changing color. I love the cooler air after months of oppressive heat and humidity, the crisp smell of outdoor barbeques, the enthusiastic sounds of football teams and cheering crowds, and the many delicious flavors of Fall … pumpkin spice lattes topping the list. We decorate for Halloween, carve (or paint!) pumpkins, adore Trick-or-Treating, and enjoy a season of thanksgiving with family and friends. What’s not to love? This Fall, I was happy to participate in a brand-new event for me. Because my husband will be taking a battalion command in the Spring, he is currently going through a series of courses to prepare him for this adventure. One part of the training includes spouses and I was able to spend an entire week with my husband at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, attending classes and getting to know others preparing for command. I was excited for a million reasons ...