Military Spouse Appreciation Day

We ARE the silent ranks. The ones that stand behind the lines, and wait at home. We are the ones that hold things together when the going gets tough, we are the ones that sew the house back together when the seams start to rip. We keep the house up, food on the table, do the shopping, and all the dirty work. We are feircly proud of our husbands/wives for the sacrifices they make. Their hard work, and dedication does NOT go unnoticed by us. We greet them with a smile on our faces when they walk in the door, even if our day was terrible to say the least. THEY are our heros. But also, today, take a moment to Thank those that go unnoticed. The Military Spouses that support all those amazing men and women that sacrifice their lives for yours. For our job is a tough one too.

Just a couple poems that do a great job summing things up.

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The Silent Ranks

I wear no uniforms,
No blues or army greens.
But I am in the military
In the ranks rarely seen.
I have no rank upon my shoulders.
Salutes I do not give.
But the military world
Is the place where I live.

I am not in the chain of command,
Orders I do not get.
But my husband is the one who does,
this I cannot forget.
I am not the ones who fires the weapon,
who puts my life on the line.
But my job is just as tough.
I am the one that is left behind.

My husband is a patriot,
A brave, a prideful man
And the call to serve his country,
Not all understand.
Behind the lines I see the things needed
to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice,
but so do our kids and me.

I love the man I married,
Soldiering is his life.
But I stand among the silent ranks
know as the Military Wife.

***********************


Silent Patriot

A woman for all season, a woman for today
She stands to meet all the challenges
And grows along the way

Her life is not an easy one
With many loads to bear
But she proudly serves her husband
And the uniform he wears

Although she didn’t take the oath
To preserve democracy
She’s there each day on the home front
To keep our country free

She’s foreign-born or a country girl
Diversity you will find
But to be a military wife,
It takes a special kind

She’s one who keeps on going
Through adversity and pain
She’s the steady strong foundation
When nothing stays the same

She’s the one who sheds a tear
As Old Glory passes by
But couldn’t give an answer
If you were to ask her why?

Throughout the years she marches on
Through tears and joy and strife
She’s America’s unsung hero ~
She’s a military wife

Thankful Thursday & more pictures

Austin showing off his gun & holster while talking to Gramps

Sydney at bathtime. She's learned how to pull herself up to her knees...uh oh.

Watching Petey lick up all the water that she splashed over

My handsome little man

The kiddos. And Sydney eating a big girl lunch!

Mama and my baby girl

Daddy and Austin... I love this picture.... such a sweet moment

My little man again... look at those eyelashes. Aren't they to die for?!

Nom Nom... this grass is delish!

Mama's toes are so fun to play with

Racing around the backyard

Playing fetch with Petey (Read: teasing Petey)

My baby. Look at that bed head=)

Now, on to Thankful Thursday:

*I am thankful for 2 new packages of Bandaides- Spiderman & Cars- to keep my son entertained for 4.2 minutes today. He had a lot of "ouchies."

*I am thankful I have been able to put my daughter on the floor to play for the past week for more than a mere 10 seconds before screaming for momma.

*I am thankful for a handy husband who knows how to do things. Like drop Sydney's crib mattress down to the lowest level so she wasn't konked out on her head when I went to get her from naptime today. She was sitting up happily playing. For sure she would have been on her head today. I just have that feeling.

*I am thankful that Austin has such a silly personality. Funny at times to me, not so much to him. Like yesterday, when we were getting into the car, he tripped over the garden hose and skinned his knees. He of course, crying big fat crocodile tears. Me, shoving a granola bar in his hands after large amounts of crying to quiet him down. He told me, "I can't eat this right now, I'm crying at the moment." Ooooookay.

*I am thankful that Sydney seems to be hitting her milestones. She's finally scooting across the floor on her belly, pulling herself with her hands. She's going from a laying to sitting position all on her own. She's eating big girl foods & small amounts of whole milk, all with no issues.

*I am thankful for Cash -N- Carry in Boise. This is the wonderful place that I can buy my 10 pound box of white chocolate powder for my morning 32oz (yes, I said 32oz) latte.

and sometimes I have two.

xoxo

k.

Wordless Wednesday

A storm rolling in

10 for Tuesday & some pictures

*note... I started this Tuesday, and finished this morning, so technically, it's still Tuesday for my blog =)*

Blogger stopped letting me upload pictures after these few, so I'll load a few more in a couple days!

Petey. He's just over 6 months old now!

The kids in the backyard a few weeks ago, it was GORGEOUS for a few days!

Sydney doing her silly "stink face" =)

Austin and Sammy riding the 4 wheeler

Momma and the babes at Chuck E Cheese

Austin and Nehemiah giving Chuckie some lovin'

Austin & Nemo

Sydney... she's growing up!!!

YUMMY, that was a GOOD LUNCH momma!!

My babies at the grocery store

And now, for the main event: (Say that in an announcer voice, it's more appealing) =)

10 for Tuesday:

1. I went to Boise Saturday with Sydney. We went on a mission to find her birthday invites and decoration. I scored BIG TIME at a place called Zurchers. Great stuff there, and bargain prices. I was more than thrilled.

2. Bryant is on nights again this week. It's getting a little easier for me. And while I really dislike night shift for him, I'm slowly getting use to it.

3. 6 months. That's all the time we have left at Mountain Home AFB. It's a little surreal, and a little exciting. We are so anxious to know where our next assignment will be after his return from Greenland.

4. I'm in the process of getting a list together of things I want to do for the kids, and for Bryant before he leaves, and while he is gone. I'm going to make both kids either a blanket, or stuffed doll type thing with Bryant's picture in his uniform screen printed on it so they will always have Daddy, even when he's away.

5. I went on a retreat with PWOC last weekend. It was a ton of fun, and I really stretched my comfort limits. I didn't know many women there, three or four to be exact. I tested my limits with my fear of heights by climbing 40ft up a tree and jumping (harnessed of course.) It took me awhile once I was up on the platform, to actually get the guts up, but in the end, I did it. I do want to say that my fear of heights is cured, but um, no... not so much.

6. My sewing machine broke. I am not happy. One day it was sewing beautifully, and the next day, nada. NOT HAPPY. Maybe I'll get one for Mother's Day. hint hint

7. Our Wii also broke. We were NOT happy campers. Ok, I wasn't a happy camper. Bryant was secretly happy though. He was able to get his x-box360. Wait a minute... how does this work? His Wii breaks, and not even an HOUR later, we were at the BX buying a new game system. But my sewing machine breaks, and it's been almost a MONTH without a new one... I see a problem here.....

8. Sydney is sort of pulling herself up. Not up to standing position, but up to her knees. She's done this on the couch a few times, as well as a couple of her toys, and sink. I think it's time to move her crib mattress down a level before we have a baby falling out, hmmmmm?

9. Sydney is also eating a lot of table foods now. While she still eats baby food mixed with rice cereal, she's also eating pears, peaches, fries, chicken nuggets, Gerber snacks, Nutri-grain bars, Mac N Cheese, chicken....... I know there's more that I'm leaving out, but you get the drift.

10. Sydney's new word is "No No." For a few days I thought she was just saying "Nana" in a different way. But last night, I was giving her a bath, and she was turning to reach down the disposal of the sink, and I told her "no no" and she looked right at me and said it back! And then proceeded to do it every time after that when I told her "no no." Yes, it's cute now... until she's older and understands what it really means and still says it. =)

xoxo

k.