Military Lifestyle

Lawton, Oklahoma, is where you wanted to spend your first anniversary, right? Me too. I had traveled to visit my husband who had just completed Basic Training and was at Ft. Sill for Advanced Individual Training. I spent our...

It was perfectly planned. My husband and I would take our youngest son with us, stop at my grandma’s house, stay in a hotel halfway to our new state, and arrive at our new home the next day. My...

When I married into the military, I wasn't thinking about the perks. Mostly, I was thinking about the challenges, such as long separations and frequent moves. However, there are benefits to being a military dependent.  I totally married my husband...

“I need to withdraw from the program.” These are words that my brain would not have even considered in 2019 because I thrive on craziness.  To illustrate my love of craziness: last year my daughter had spine surgery, we sold our...

Lingering moving boxes remain tucked away in our basement, filled with donations or items to sell. My son’s artwork covers the fridge, proud trophies from his days spent at his new school. Toys scatter the yard, loved on by...

Here’s an unfortunate fact: If you once served our country and are now dealing with physical or mental health issues, you might be leaving money on the table when you apply for veterans disability benefits with the Department of...

Ever feel like you’re on a merry-go-round of negativity? Like your gut reactions line up a liiiiittle too well with Debbie Downer? Then you might need a little cognitive restructuring in your life, my friend. ** Essentially, cognitive restructuring is taking...

It was my most difficult goodbye. We spent a month leaving jobs and schools; friends and people who had became family; favorite places and foods. I ate more currywurst und pommes and drank more espresso doppio and Hefeweizen than...

  I recently read Chip and Joanna Gaines' The Magnolia Story.  I loved the book. I love every story that births something from the bare dirt into something so much more. What I love most about these stories is that...

When I was a little girl, I had a diary with a lock and key. The hardest part was keeping up with the key since I did not want my brother seeing my deepest, private thoughts. He grew up to be...

Communicating the difficulties of military life to our civilian friends is something with which milspouses are intimately familiar. They often struggle to grasp the logistical hurdles and emotional strain unique to this life. And who can blame them? It’s...

‘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...