Chronicles of The BAMF Army Wife

Deployment

2008-04-06T23:11:00.001-08:00

We all know (even if we’ve never been through a deployment) that it sucks. We will all at some point have to go through one. It’s going to be tough and it’s going to suck. We’re going to cry. We’re going to miss him.

One thing we need to remember is that he is a hero and not just our hero. He is a hero to all of the USA. No, the whole USA doesn’t know his name, but they do know we have many many many soldiers over there that they pray for every day. Know that for sure, all of America is praying for him while he’s there (and even when he’s not.)

Keep your head up and know that you are strong enough. God only chooses the best ladies to marry a military men. If you need someone to cry to or someone to talk to for support, know that I am here. Smile. He’ll be home.

Military Support Forum

2008-04-06T23:08:00.000-08:00

I just want to share with you ladies one of my absolute favorite military forumes. www.militaryissuedlove.com. That website is the best. The girls are amazing. Almost as amazing as me. ;) Just kidding! So, check it out. Being a military girl, I think it would really help you all.

Military Inspired Poem

2008-04-05T02:50:00.000-08:00

I found this while browsing the internet and I felt touched, so I thought I would share.

Give me greatness of heart to see,
the difference between duty and his love for me.
Give me understanding so that I may know,
when duty calls him, he must go.
Give me a task to do each day,
to fill the time when he’s away.
When he’s in a foreign land,
Keep him safe in your loving hands.
And when duty brings him to the field,
Please protect him and be his shield.
And Lord, when his deployment seems so long,
please stay with me and keep me strong.

Author: Unknown

A Day in the Life of a Military Wife

2008-04-05T02:49:00.000-08:00

It’s funny how us military wives lose track of so much because of the regular military wife duties. We have to wash and iron his uniforms. We have to make sure his PT gear is clean. We have to make sure he is fed well each day. We act like it’s soooo hard taking care of business while he’s home, but we feel lost when we don’t do them when he’s not.

So ladies, regardless of what is going on and where your loved one is, remember to breathe. Take a few minutes each day to just relax and breathe. Do something for you. Take a bubble bath. Read a book. Listen to soothing music. Do something that will make you feel good.

I know that being a military wife can be stressful at times. Just surround yourself with the people who you know truly care. And know that I am one of them.

Red Friday (contest)

2008-04-05T02:48:00.000-08:00

This is a weekly contest. Submit your best "Red Friday" picture for a chance to win a custom graphic made by yours truly.

What’s Red Friday? Red Friday is when you wear red on Fridays to support our men in women at war until they come home.

Military Prayer Request

2008-04-05T02:47:00.000-08:00

Do you have a deployed loved one? Please e-mail me your prayer request and him/her will be added to the prayer request that will get posted each week.

An E-mail Passed Along (Red Fridays)

2008-04-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

As a Company, Southwest Airlines is going to support 'Red Fridays.

'

Last week I was in Atlanta , Georgia attending a conference.

While I
was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me
beginning to clap and cheer.

I immediately turned around and witnessed
one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.

Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camos.

As they
began heading to their gate, everyone (well almost everyone)was abruptly
to their feet with their hands waving and cheering.

When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and
cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone.

I'm not the only red-blooded
American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their
families.

Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young
unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so
we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal.

Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our
service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old ran
up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said 'hi.

'

The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy
for her.

The young soldier, who didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself,
said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy.

Then
suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the
biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.

The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was
Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had
been in Iraq for 11 months now.

As the mom was explaining how much her
daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.

When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all
of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second.

Then one of the
other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie.

They
started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it.

After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to
Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he
told me to give this to you.

' He then hugged this little girl that he
had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

He finished by saying
'your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and
he is coming home very soon.

'

The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young
soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom.

I was
standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event.

As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people
resumed their applause.

As I stood there applauding and looked around,
there were very few dry eyes, including my own.

That young soldier in
one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney
with a tear rolling down his cheek.

We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and
thank God for them and their sacrifices.

At the end of the day, it's
good to be an American.

RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing
Red every Friday.

The reason? Americans who support our troops used to
be called the 'silent majority'.

We are no longer silent, and are
voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers.

We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing.. We get no liberal
media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions.

Many
Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize
that the vast majority of America supports our troops.

Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity
and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday
until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every
red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear
something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every
Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the
bleachers.

If every one of us who loves this country will share this with
acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family.

It will not be long
before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the
once 'silent' majority is on their side more than ever; certainly more
than the media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is...We need your support and your prayers.

Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and
wear something red every Friday.

"I Like A Boy" really cute video

2008-04-01T04:06:00.003-08:00

A salute to U.S. Troops who serve overseas and at home...and the people who love them.

The song can be purchased at BarelyPolitical.com/music --all proceeds benefit Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org)

Created by: Ben Relles

Directed by: Kevin Arbouet and Larry Strong

Vocals by: Leah Kauffman

Cameo by: Mims

Music produced by: Rick Friedrich

DP and Random Jokes: Patryk Rebisz

Starring: Amber Lee Ettinger as Obama Girl
Amina Sade and Sena Khoda as the Obama Girls
Rebecca Dipietro, Dani Gross and Kristina Adelina as the Giuliani Girls
Carrie, Chrsitine and Carolyn Ditmar as the Romney Girls
Members of the US Military (as themselves)

Special thanks to all the wives, girlfirends and friends of U.S. Troops who appeared in the video... THANK YOU!

For more info: www.barelypolitical.com

For the Army Girlfriends

2008-04-01T03:58:00.002-08:00

Everyone hears of the Army Wife,
Her trials, sacrifices, and devoted life.
She is strong, she is brave, and she is loving indeed,
Standing by her man in his time of need.

But what of others in a similar situation,
Who have made being an Army girlfriend their main occupation?
They suffer many of the same trials and many of the same fears
Without the security of future years.

Will there be peace or will there be war?
You try to be hopeful but it's hard to ignore.
The world seems to be falling apart
When to a soldier you have given your heart.

Your love runs too deep to escape from it now.
You hope to be together somewhere, somehow,
When his duty is over and your life can begin.
You wonder if it will happen but don't question when.

The many heartbreaks and times you did weep
When he made promises the Army couldn't keep.
But you have learned so much together and come so far.
Others warned you not to fall in love but you already are.

His job is ever-changing and takes him far away.
You think of him always and pray every day--
For his safety, his courage, and his love for you
That he may remain steadfast, loyal, and ever true.

Nothing is sure and nothing is set in stone...
Except that he will leave again and you will be alone,
Holding tightly to your dreams of a future together
When you will at last be able to say the word "forever."

Tears have become anything but a stanger.
They fall freely in sadness, loneliness, and anger.
But he will never know because you will never tell.
You've learned to hide your misery only too well.

A few years? That doesn't sound like so long.
The letters and phone calls keep your love going strong
,Even when they are few and far between,
In them, his love for you can clearly be seen.

So keep your chin up and a smile on your face.
He is protecting your freedom and keeping you safe.
His heart is strong and his love is true
And don't ever forget that he is missing you too.

Author: Rosemary Olenski

Dear Military Wife

2008-03-31T14:50:00.002-08:00

This definitely brought tears to my eyes, so make sure you have some tissues handy. The woman who wrote this is an amazing woman and she has shown her support in such a great way. This is a beautiful letter. Get ready to cry.

Dear Military Wife,

I am an American woman that has no idea what is going on in the military other than what I hear on the news.

I have never had to let go of someone so that they could go fight for people that they didn’t know, people that sometimes do not appreciate or understand what they are fighting for.

I have never had a sleepless night of worry because of a report that another bomb has exploded and I still haven’t heard from my husband.

I have never had to wait for months on end to hold the one that I loved so.

I have never had to tell my children that daddy wasn’t coming home tonight because he was so far away fighting for something that they aren’t yet old enough to understand.

I have never had to hold my head high and suppress the tears as I hear that it will be at least another six months of separation before my loved one gets to come home.

I have never had to deal with a holiday away from the one that I thought I would share every day of my life with.

And I have never had to feel the panic rising in my heart at the sound of a ringing phone or knock at the door for fear that it is the news that everyone is terrified of getting.

For the reasons listed above, I can not tell you that I understand how you feel.
I can not tell you that you must be strong.

I can not say that you shouldn’t be angry, because you "knew what you were getting into when you married a military man".I can not say these things because I have never had to walk in your shoes.

What I can say for certain is that because of your unselfish acts of bravery and your husbands willingness to stand up for those who see him as "just another soldier" - -

I will never have to walk in your shoes.

I do understand that as a military wife you are expected to uphold a certain amount of control, but I never understood how you could do it, until now.

I have figured out that you are not like other women.

You are of a special breed.

You have a strength within you that holds life together in the darkest of hours, a strength of which I will never possess.

The faith you have is what makes you stand out in a crowd; it makes you glow with emotion and swell with pride at the mention of The United States of America.

You are a special lady, a wonderful partner and a glorious American.

I have more respect for your husband than I could ever tell you, but until recently I never thought much about those that the soldier leaves at home during deployment.

Until this moment I could never put into words exactly whatAmerica meant to me.

Until this moment, I had no real reason to.... Until I heard of you.

Your husband and his military family hold this nation close, safe from those who wish to hurt us...but you and those like you are the backbone of the American family.

You keep the wheels in motion and the hearts alive while most would just break completely down.

Military families make this nation what it is today.

You give us all hope and you emit a warming light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

Because of you and your family...I am able to be me.

I am able to have my family.

I am able to walk free in this great land.

Because of you and your family, I can look ahead to the future with the knowledge that life is going to be okay.

Because of you and your family, I can awake to a new day, everyday.

I realize that you are a stronger person than I will ever be because of these things and I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to you and your family for allowing me that freedom.

I will never be able to repay this debt to you, as it is unmatchable.

However, I hope that you know that no matter where you are...

what you are doing...

what has happened today...

or what will happen tomorrow...

Your husband will NEVER be "just another soldier" to me....

And you, dear sweet lady, will never be forgotten.

You are all in my prayer’s everyday and I pray that God will bring you back together with your loved one safely.

May God Bless You

I can't believe this

2008-03-31T14:02:00.006-08:00

My friend had brought this article to my attention.

A national tour featuring decorated veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan won’t be stopping at Forest Lake Area High School today as planned, after school leaders abruptly canceled the visit.

Steve Massey, the school principal, said the decision to cancel was prompted by concerns that the event was becoming political rather than educational and therefore was not suitable for a public school.

He said the school had received several phone calls from parents and others, some of whom indicated that they may stage a protest if the event took place.

"The event was structured to be an academic classroom discussion around military service. We thought we’d provide an opportunity for kids to learn about service in the context of our history classes," Massey said. "As the day progressed, it became clear that this was becoming a political event ... which would be inappropriate in a public setting.

"We decided to cancel," Massey said. Organizers of the National Heroes Tour then scrambled to relocate the event to the American Legion building in Forest Lake. The visit, which U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, had been scheduled to attend, is sponsored by Vets for Freedom, a national organization run by Pete Hegseth, a 1999 graduate of Forest Lake Area High School who served with the 101st Airborne in Iraq in 2005-06.

"I think it’s extremely unfortunate that a school would bow to the political pressure of outside groups and not bring in a veterans organization," Hegseth said. "Are we saying that patriotism and duty and honor have no place in our public schools?" So far, the tour has visited one school, albeit a private school.

The stop in Forest Lake was supposed to involve about 150 social studies students and was going to be closed to the public but open to the media. But the last-minute venue change left Hegseth wondering how many people would actually show up today.

"I don’t know if we’ll have a crowd," he said. "We changed venues, but we don’t have the ability to publicize it." He said he had talked with school officials ahead of time and assured them that the presenters would not make any political statements.

"We had a number of conversations at the beginning of this to make sure our message was in keeping with the traditions of a public school," Hegseth said.

"We have not endorsed a presidential candidate. We’re not in the business of doing that." According to the Veterans for Freedom website, the national tour "is about supporting our troops, honoring their commitment and rallying the country to complete the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At this critical juncture in our country, we need Americans, lawmakers and the media to fully recognize -- and appreciate -- the sacrifice of our brave military and the dramatic success they have achieved, especially in Iraq with the new counterinsurgency strategy."

When asked whether the part about "rallying the country to complete the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan" could indeed be construed as political, Hegseth said that the group agreed not to advocate about the "progress made in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"It’s Iraq and Afghan veterans talking about what they saw and what they did there, and about what it means to put on the uniform of your country," he said. The veterans started their bus tour in San Diego on March 14 and will end April 9 in New York City.
Allie Shah • 651-298-1550

This article really upsets me. I don't believe that there is any political about that. It's called patriotism in my eyes. I think that there are several fears possibly in the parent's eyes for if their children get exposed to the information that would have been talked about at the event, but they see the worst on the news because the media doesn't care about the good. As we all know, the media thrives off of the bad news. I think that it would have benefited the students to hear about the good and the bad from Soldier's who have experienced it all first-hand. I can only imagine how these Soldier's must have felt being told no, especially since one of them graduated from that very high school. He was rejected by his own high school. Maybe I'm biased to this because of being an Army wife, but I fully support our troops and would never object to my children being involved in this kind of event. I think it's ridiculous that this high school wouldn't allow veteran's to come speak in their public schools, but it has been pointed out to me that Al Gore's political movie can be shown in public schools. Which is more political? In my opinion, I would have to go with Al Gore's movie. Another thing that needs to be told is that the people may have protested over it, but our Soldier's fight for their right to do so. Let them protest. I think people take our Soldier's for granted and some aren't too thankful for it. I think people need to be more thankful for being American and having the best American Soldier's who will stand up for and defend our rights. The least that could have been done for them to show their gratitude would have been allowing the veterans to come speak.

Recipe: Baked Potato Soup

2008-03-31T11:17:00.002-08:00

Every week I will post one new recipe that is inexpensive and easy to make. This week the recipe is Baked Potato Soup!

Ingredients:

4 baking potatoes
2/3 cup all purpose flour
6 cups milk
4 oz Velveeta, cubed
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Peel and cut potatoes in chunks, boil 20-30 minutes until tender. Drain and cool 5 minutes. Cut with knife to a coarse crumble.
Place flour in Dutch oven (or cooking pot), gradually add milk, stir with whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes). Add masked potatoes, Velveeta cheese, salt and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and 1/3 cup of onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes. Do not boil.Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese, onion and bacon.

Serves: 4

Welcome

2008-03-31T11:15:00.001-08:00

I've come to realize that every life has a story and it's all in how you tell it. My story has it's ups and downs...I am an Army wife afterall. However, I wouldn't change anything for the world. I love my life. I'm sure I will get asked what the point of my blog is. So, before I get comments asking me that allow me to fill y'all in. I'm an Army wife and being a military wife in general isn't easy. I think that some of my daily stories will help all of the other military wives out there. I can also guarantee information, humor, and pure insanity. I am the BAMF Army Wife and I tell it like it is.

I can't believe I have spent all day on this damn thing. I have never had a blogspot before, so trying to figure everything out definitely got the best of me. I'm not technically impaired. I'm just used to the myspace way of life. I had just heard so many good things about blogspot and you don't have to be my "friend" to read my blogs. You don't even have to have an account with blogspot to post a comment.
Every day expect something new because my thoughts rampage from day to day. I'm a thinker and no girl can ever have too many thoughts. Well, I look forward to forming this blog into something of my own.

Chronicles of The *BAMF* Army Wife