Fabulous Army Life

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!