Military Lifestyle

I have 3 Army kids. 2 are walking and talking and school age. The 3rd is a roly-poly baby with no opinions except that she loves blueberries and the dog. So for the sake of this piece we'll focus...

‘Where do you call home?’... an innocent enough question on the surface, but what home means to a military family is far from simple. It’s no secret that being in a military family often means moving, A LOT.  Sometimes you...

I can't help it. I get misty-eyed every year on Veteran's Day. I see men lined up in uniform on a stage at the local elementary school. I see them saluting the large flag that stands proudly over our...

I have been associated with the military my entire life; an association that spans three generations of service. In a previous blog I wrote about the phenomenon of the military being a statistical ‘family business’ and when I took...

After a thousand mile road trip, I finally asked my sister the question I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer to, “Do you think she’ll remember who I am?” I held my breath, anticipating her response. She pulled...

"You should write novels with military themes since you're a military spouse." I cringe every time I hear these words. Not the part about writing novels. No, I fret over the words, "you're a military wife." Am I, though? Really? My...

Hearing “Happy Memorial Day” never sits well for me as an American, veteran, and military spouse.  Although often well-intended, Americans muddle the greetings with those of Veterans Day or Armed Forces Day. Please take time to learn the differences,...

Our grey Toyota Corolla shuddered to a stop again, wrenching my body. I looked at my dad with tears in my eyes. “I’m never going to get this!” I said. Dad exhaled through his teeth, a little whistle coming...

I have recently become the Ombudsman at my husbands command, and this is my first time in this role. I really wish I would've known more about this role as one of many resources available to Navy families. Ombudsman History In...

I am no stranger to packing or unpacking a home. When my husband and I were both active-duty and dual military, we moved numerous times in the span of eight years, both separately and together. Career changes, new units, deployments,...

“Why do we have to move again?” my 10 year-old asked, demanding an answer. “Well, because the Army gave us orders to move to Germany,” I calmly explained. “I’m not going. I refuse to move to Germany,” she stated...

It formally began on a cold hard chair in an impersonal room, as so many of these lessons do. I’d had smaller assignments for this particular topic before, but this was where I began to take the advanced course. No,...