A Salute to the Military Family

I’ve long held a deep respect and gratitude for our military and their service to our country even before becoming a military spouse. Our service members are willing to lay their lives on the line so that others don’t have to experience how war touches their lives. Since joining the ranks of military spouse several years ago, I’ve also grown to greatly appreciate the sacrifices of the families of our service members as well.

November is Military Family Appreciation Month, as declared in a proclamation signed each year by the president as a way of honoring and celebrating military families and recognizing their sacrifices and dedication to our nation.

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Pregnancy Loss and the Military Spouse

Pregnancy loss, miscarriage, stillbirth—there are difficult subjects to talk about and even more difficult to endure.

Statistically, one in four women will suffer pregnancy loss. That translates into one in four dads and one in four families that have experienced the loss of a baby—and one in four military families.

The military doesn’t shield us from this sad statistic. Pregnancy loss touches the lives of nearly everyone we encounter each day in one way or another.

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5 Tips to Prepare Your Child for a PCS

The orders come telling you it’s time to move…again. Your heart fills with anxiety and anticipation, all at once. So much to do to get ready! So much to pack! How in the world did we accumulate so much stuff? Your mind is spinning with a to-do list that keeps growing with each new thought and idea.

How will I get it all done?

But wait! There is one very important item to add to your agenda—your child.

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Parenting is More than Macaroni

Kids create cute artwork with macaroni noodles. They learn to count with it. They string elbow macaroni on yarn to wear as necklaces around their neck. And of course, they love to chow on macaroni and cheese lunches.

Life for a child can seem as simple as macaroni, but parenting these little darlings is not so easy and carefree. For us, it’s much more than macaroni.  Parenting gets complicated, demanding, exhausting, and is often a thankless job with little recognition for all the hard work and sleepless nights you put into it.

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6 Ways to Make Friends at a New Duty Station

Recently, our family PCS’d to my husband’s new duty station assignment. Granted, it’s only about five hours south of the post he was previously assigned to, but for me, it might as well have been a world away. I’m an introvert by nature, and admittedly, I’m only three years into my military spouse journey and still on the learning curve. Although, I’ve been told the learning curve never really goes away because, as soon as you figure out how the military system functions, they decide to change things up!

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7 Keys to Achieving Resolutions

It’s that time of year again. The time when we turn our attention to the coming new year and begin to ponder all we hope to accomplish in it. Goal setting is healthy, even necessary. As Benjamin Franklin said, “He who aims at nothing is bound to hit it.” This is surely true. Waking each morning with a goal or two in mind gives us a sense of purpose, and accomplishing a goal drives us to pursue another. 

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