PCS

Every few years the military sweeps us from coast to coast and sometimes even OCONUS (Outside Continental United States). For a woman who grew up with a very defined hometown (hands up for Dallas, Texas!), a cosmopolitan upbringing, and...

First, a story: I was traveling from Dallas to Miami to visit my mom for Easter. I had my three children — ages 10, 6, and 2. I had my backpack. Each kid had a backpack crammed with lollipops...

I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I adore my hometown, and I love telling people where I'm from and how great The Good Land is. I love telling people about how beautiful and cold Lake Michigan is, about the city's...

Did you know there are apps to make mom-friends? Instead of going on dates to find a compatible partner, you are mom speed dating to find your ultimate mommy friend match. No, I’m not lying. This is definitely a...

Call me crazy, but I absolutely love PCSing! It is a great opportunity to purge all the junk in our house, find a new place to call home (usually with more space, maybe a pool, and better appliances), redecorate/buy...

P.C.S. aka “Permanent Change of Station”: Isn’t it funny how something so simple—a single phrase, the arrangement of three seemingly harmless letters—can completely throw you for a loop? When I fell in love with that tall, rowdy and reckless, Texas boy...

Here is a little known military life truth:  Making friends and keeping them is no easy task. We all know how it feels to be the "new" person, trying to make and establish connections while adjusting to life in...

I've been secretly watching my preteen a little closer lately- not because she's bad. In fact, quite the opposite. She is young, impressionable, and naive as many "good girls" are. She is the teacher's pet; the overachieving hard worker...

It's that time of year again. We know it well.  It starts around mid-May and goes through late summer. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Season. My Facebook Newsfeed is flooded with posts and pictures of my military friends who...

"Because getting there is half the fun. You know that." -- Clark W. Griswold (National Lampoon's Vacation) Sometimes I feel like this quote from one of my favorite movies should really say, "Getting there is half the work ..." When it...

Several weeks ago, I came home from work to find my husband grinning mischievously in the kitchen. Never a good sign. He played coy for several minutes, no doubt enjoying the forboding sense of doom that crooked smile cast across...

Every mother needs a tribe: Other mothers who understand her; who don’t judge her; and who are willing to lend their support and time when needed. But for military mothers, who move every few years, finding a tribe can be downright...