Guest Blog: The Little Things

Submitted by a AWN reader: Jennfer Shores Status: Husband Deployed


I ALWAYS miss my husband, but usually I can handle whatever life throws at me and go on. I mean, I can mow the grass, take care of the house and car, call a plumber or repairman, but it's days like today that make me really appreciate the small things he does for me..............

There was a lizard in the house today. It was on the wall by the ceiling in the kitchen. I called my dad to see if he would come over and get it (it's only a 12hr drive), but he said it wouldn't hurt me and it would eat spiders. Okay- I can handle something that will eat spiders but, I DO NOT want to wake up to it crawling on me in bed!

I get on the chair (while I'm talking to dad) and I have a plastic cup and the dustpan. I think I can move it in to the cup and then cover it with the dustpan to get it outside. Sounds workable, right? Do you think it worked out that way??? No. It climbs further up onto the ceiling, so now it's right above me. I think I can just cover it with the cup........nope- it lets go of the ceiling and falls to the floor. Yes- I squealed like a girl and dropped the phone on the floor........and the lizard went between the fridge and the cabinets.

I decided to watch TV for awhile and I kept checking back like a crack head looks for the cops, to see if it had come out yet. I'm ready to go to bed (1am) and the thing still hasn't made an appearance- and then I see it on the counter, but it is hiding behind the dishes I did earlier. I start moving the dishes and I hear it move but I can't see where it went- it blends in pretty well with the color of the counter. Finally I spot it at the edge, so I take the dustpan again and move it towards the cup and finally get it in there and I cover the cup with the dustpan trapping him.

I go to throw him outside and remember that the alarm is on- LOL. Anyway, I finally get the alarm off and throw him outside. It would've been so much simpler if my husband had been here- he would've just picked him up and been done with it.

I can finally go to bed and not worry about lizards crawling on me. I just thought I would share my adventures with friends- go ahead and laugh at me- I did.

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..HomeCommunity.Spouse’s FEX creates time for bonding

by Glen Paddie, Courier staff

Fort Campbell spouses had a lot of fun and got some special “peer” attention this past weekend from the Army Wife Network and the spouse’s Field Exercise at the Family Resource Center.

Founders of AWN and the FEX, Tara Crooks and Star Henderson, know first-hand, at home and at work, how to make it all work while being apart.

“We work virtually, so we have our own separate offices,” said Henderson. “We’re across the nation from each other [Fort Sill to Arlington, Va.] and we’ve both been through PCS’s and deployments, too.”

Crooks and Henderson, popular radio show hosts on AWN, met at Fort Stewart, Ga., back in 2007. Immediately, they wanted a way to make the spouse’s FEX more than just a written column. They wanted a way to take it on the road.

Fort Stewart is where the two pitched their idea to USAA. USAA bought into the concept as title sponsor. All of a sudden, the spouse’s FEX now had life, legs and “shoes on the ground.”

“It started out as a much smaller event,” said Crooks. “It started with Military Spouse Appreciation Day in May 2007. Now we appreciate our military spouses every day.”

“The reason why this program is so popular now than when we first started is we looked at it as meeting our own needs,” said Henderson. “Figuring out what we want has helped us present it to other spouses like us with the same needs.”

“This program is four hours of relaxation, fun and networking. The spouses get to meet new ‘battle buddies’ or even have their battle buddies come with them for the evening,” said Crooks. “We talk about deployment and all the different cycles of the deployment phase. We laugh with each other. We make light of some of the really tough things that happen in deployment, but in a way that makes us all feel like we’re normal.”

Over the past three years, Crooks and Henderson have figured out certain nuances that would make a military spouse want to attend the event outside of even having fun and networking.

“We wanted an event that would furnish child care. We wanted to be able to hang out without our kids being at our feet for the night,” added Crooks. “We wanted to be able to be in a place where we’re not cooking, where we had free dinner offered to us. We didn’t want our gift bag to have ads all over it or stuffed with a bunch of flyers. We wanted good stuff.”

This year’s event at Fort Campbell almost didn’t take place as the spouse’s FEX slate was already filled by other installations. However, at the last minute, one installation had to reschedule. Crooks and Henderson immediately picked up the phone and knew exactly where to call.

“We talked to Fort Campbell in August because we have a six- to eight-week planning process for this event,” said Crooks. “It was very quick notice for them, but they were really good in answering the call because they wanted us there anyway. Fort Campbell responded very fast.”

The appreciation from Fort Campbell spouses for the rescheduling was evident by those who attended.

“I think it is great that somebody would come out and make the spouses feel like they are appreciated,” echoed spouse, Monica Rosado. “I think it’s good for our morale while so many of our husbands are away right now.”

Rosado’s “battle buddy” for the night, Tara Adams added, “It’s something to do while our husbands are deployed. It’s a good meeting place for other spouses.”

Tina Tucker, Army Community Services program administrator at FRC, was very pleased at the turnout.

“I attended the event in 2008 and it was great then, but actually being here and helping them put on the event this time around was amazing. I love it. Everything went off perfectly,” said Tucker. “Any installation that wants to do this program should do it. They are so easy to work with and it’s so much fun.”

MWR Director of Marketing Melissa Schaffner said, “the encouragement and advice provided to our spouses of deployed Soldiers by the ladies of Army Wife Network was truly a ‘priceless package.’”

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Today, I received a cd of photos from a recent Spouses Field Exercise (a chance to visit the field during our husbands 3 month time out there this Summer) that I attended this Summer. As I browsed thru them, it reminded me of a conversation that I had with one of the younger soldiers wives. She had no interest in coming, since she knew nobody and thought it would be boring.
I had known that there were a select few that stayed home, didn't make lots of time to go out and explore or attend FRG or battery events. When talking to their husbands, they were miserable, lonely and hadn't met anyone yet. I made it my goal to try and help them on their path to bettering their experience.

I was THRILLED to see that as the day went on, I sat back quietly after introductions and watched battle buddies blossom. By then end of the day, there were multiple phone #s exchanged, laughs shared, lunch buddies and even an event set up for a later date. The girl that originally wanted nothing to do with coming, in the end was the most talkative and open to planning new "dates".

It really opened my eyes and want to share with all my AWN battle buddies. All it took was attending that ONE event. Now. This is not me saying that all it takes is showing up to one event at a new place to meet your best friend, but it is me saying that you are not going to meet a battle buddy sitting on the couch talking about it. It might take 5 things, but hey, it gets you out and you meet people and learn new things.

Who knows, your new best friend could be out there just ready and waiting for you to get up, get out, and meet them!

Here's to new friends, and new possibilities!!!

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AWTR Show 288: AUSA Family Programs

Presents Army Wife Talk Radio

Proudly sponsored by K12

AWTR Show 288: Week of Oct 25, 2010

This week on AWTR we’re featuring AUSA Family Programs Director Sylvia Kid to discuss what is going on at the AUSA annual conference. Resource of the Week: Federal Voting Assistance Program, The Me Minute, Real Life Warrior, and Household 6!


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His Last Request...

Well it is that time of season, deployment. The deployment date has come and gone this past week and I am glad to say I haven’t totally flipped out. You know, I can not decide if it’s because of denial, awesome preparation, and just the simple fact I trust God with my husband…and one friend mentioned to me today ~ it’s probably all of it combined! What a combination I dare say!

Yet, the only thing that is bothering me more than anything is what my husband requested of me while he was to be away… of course, aside from the very important matters like, keep the kids alive, the house standing, and the cars in one piece, was the matter of his plants. UGH! Did he have to go there?

My husband has the most green thumb of anyone I know aside from God. LOL!!! He can take my dead tree/plant (or whatever species it is) and turn it from brown to a glorious shade of green. The audacity of him to think I will keep his plants green much less alive for a year!!

Before his several weeks of training, he brought home his plants (from his office) and said, “Hey honey, I brought you a present.” I am thinking, “Oh goody, where is it?” He said, “On the window sill next to the kitchen sink.” Okay. That’s a weird location, but whatever. To my dismay it was a plant. {Sigh}

He said, “You better not kill them. I have had these plants close to a year now.” Really. Hmm. I can’t keep a cactus alive, but you want me to take care of these plants? --what I was thinking to myself. Well, during the several weeks of training before the deployment, I so seriously wanted the plants to die. Not trying to kill them of course, but I wanted the stress of keeping them…off of my conscience.

Well, how are they now you ask? I am happy to report that neither plant is dead. HOOAH!! I didn’t say they were perfect though…but, now I am glad that he gave me this task. Why you ask?

By watering the plants and taking care of them…I think of him. It’s a two-edged sword, but instead of taking good care of my husband by feeding him dinner or giving him that glass of water every night before bed…I give it to his plants. I say, “Good morning plants.” “Here is your water.” And, “Don’t die on me.”

So, needless-to-say, I have formed a ‘relationship’ with these plants, but I am now wondering, will my husband get jealous? {Smile}

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That Darn Anouncer Guy....

Okay, let me begin by letting my dear friends out there who have been privileged enough to listen to the announcer guy from the bleachers… I AM TRULY HAPPY FOR YOU! However, in an attempt to vent my sleepless night frustration, I am tired! Tired of hearing the Fort Stewart announcer guy say “Are you ready to wake up Fort Stewart”, or “They will take even longer if you don’t yell louder”… sometimes he says “Are you ready to welcome these soldiers home?”… All to which a very excited crowd respond happily and with a ton of gusto! For the past three days, I have had to answer about 1 million little questions, all phrased differently I might add, about daddy coming home. Yesterday at the PX, we saw a car that had writing all over it when my 3 year old (who cannot even read) spunkily announced “There’s a daddy home! Is my daddy coming home now?”… My reply was a less than mediocre; “nope, not yet, we still have a loooong time”. And then, on our way out of the PX another “Is it time now? Are we going to get daddy?”… Again; “no not yet”. This morning my ten year old came and curled up in my bed, and announced to my dismay, the torture of living here so close to all of the happy shouts. I did my best to happily explain to her how excited she should be for her friends and all the families that are getting their mommy’s and daddy’s back. I told them that they had served their time, and now it was daddy’s turn to serve his. Do you know just how hard it is to explain honor to a 10 year old who just wants her dad? Imagine my happy face explaining as I am trying my best to hold my tears at bay… while I am explaining thinking to myself “my poor kiddos, they did not chose this life; we chose for them”. Don’t get me wrong, I love this life and so do my three little ladies… but that announcer guy makes it pretty hard sometimes.

Now, let me play devil’s advocate for a minute. Because I spend a majority of my life in deep contemplation and thought, I sat silently this morning just kinda venting to God. As I sat there, I thought about the legacy of Welcome Home ceremonies that have taken place on Cottrell Field. I am honored to listen to them because, if nothing else, they symbolize freedom to me. Not many people in the US, let alone the world, will ever get to experience those sounds- joy in the very purest sense of the word. So, I will continue to be happy for you guys who are in your moments of complete peace and exhilaration. For one day, I know it will be our turn to get all glammed up and sit on those bleachers awaiting our handsome soldier to squeeze the life out of us. However, right now, I still want to go and knock the announcer guy out. I won’t (probably), but I’ll want to just the same.

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Fresh eyes

I was driving on post today in my usual rush-rush and turned down the street towards my house. All of the sudden I was taken back to two years ago when we drove down that street for the first time. When the houses were all mysterious and I didn't know where we would live. When the place we called home was Army lodging. When the PX was foreign and the gyms and commissary hadn't even been visited. Back when it all was new to our family. I don't know what it was that sparked it but I started to notice things around me again. I looked at it like I looked at it when I had fresh eyes on the installation.

You see, I've driven down that road a hundred times or more since then and sometimes I drive down it and don't even remember because it's become so familiar. (Uh oh, you know what that means don't you? It means it's almost time to PCS.)

Sometimes in our lives we get so used to things. We find our comfort zones. I love the feeling of knowing something. It's so less anxious feeling and controllable. But this life isn't all about comfort and stress reducing. The military journey throws us (and our soldiers & children) loops that we can't even dream up. There are ups and there are downs. There are hellos and goodbyes. There are lines and there is confusion. There are tears and there are joyous moments. There is pain and there is celebration.

Still, as I looked through it with fresh eyes I realized how lucky we were as military families to be given the "fresh eye opportunity" (even though it is sometimes unwelcomed and forced) so often.

I remember some of my greatest moments were those done with fresh eyes. The first day I laid eyes on my husband. The first time I met my baby girls. The days where I met some of our best friends on this journey. The day my soldier stood across the parade field after months of being away and our eyes met as they came running towards us, finally home. Our new home being built and the excitement of watching it go up. Moving from installation to installation and the thrill of exploration in our new surroundings. Visiting overseas for the first time and flying Space A in a C17 across the ocean to visit military friends. None of those times, did I think fresh eyes seem so bad.

So today, I vow to look at this journey with new eyes, fresh ones. I know there will be days that I will need my vision correction glasses. There will be challenges along this journey but each challenge will be seen as an opportunity to grow; an opportunity to learn. That's what I see now....

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4 days | 22 hours | 13 minutes : Army Ten Miler Recon

The Army Ten Miler race is around the corner, so to speak.

I have the advantage of living nearby, so I promised the team and any other listener runners a few pictures of the run. They were not easy to get, what with the new "hands-free" laws; I'm sure I wasn't supposed to be driving and snapping pictures.

George Banker, Army Ten Miler operations manager had already wrote out the route in text. http://www.armywifenetwork.com/?p=2990 was his most recent posting. I used that as a guide to do a camera recon. Here they are: 10 pictures for 10 miles!

All runners will proceed north up Route 27 and just prior to reaching the Arlington Memorial Bridge the 1 mile mark will be passed. As the runners cross the Memorial Bridge the Lincoln Memorial is head on.

 The course will make a left turn at 23rd Street (a change from 2009) and then a right turn onto Constitution Avenue and pass mile marker 2 and continue up to 19th Street for a left turn. At Virginia Avenue a left turn and above 20th Street will be the first water station with Gatorade (first few tables) and water. 

The course will continue up to Rock Creek Parkway and then turn left towards the Kennedy Center. Beyond the Kennedy Center the course turns left and the 4 mile marker is passed before reaching Independence Avenue (all runners stay on left side of the road).

At Daniel French drive will be water station 4 (same set up).

Prior to reaching 17th Street on the left side is the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument.

On the right side across the Tidal Basin is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

















The course continues towards 15th Street (5 mile marker) where there is a timing station to check for those who are not maintaining the 15-minute pace per mile.

All runners who do not maintain the 15-minute pace per mile will be directed to turn right at 14th Street and then follow the course back to the Pentagon. This will be around 9:35 a.m.


This is Smithsonian's "Castle" aka Visitor's Center, along Independence Ave.




















The main course continues along Independence Avenue and prior to 3rd Street is the 6 mile marker.















At the corner the course turns left at Third Street and water station three is located between Jefferson and Madison (both sides of the street).

The course makes a right turn at Constitution Avenue and continues to First Street, NW where a right turn is made. The course stays to the left and goes to the left around the Peace Circle and Garfield Circle. There will be another timing station between the two circles.

The course will continue to Independence Avenue where a right turn is made. The course continues and across 3rd Street is the 7 mile marker. All runners will stay on the left side of the roadway.

National Museum of the American Indian, along Independence Ave.




















The course will continue to 14th Street for a left turn and across D Street is the 8 mile marker along with another water station. This will be the LAST water station prior to the finish line.

Pentagon, in vicinity of the Finish Line!




















The course will continue to the ramp for the 395 HOV Lanes (the Northbound Lane). Prior to reaching the end of the bridge there will be the 9 mile marker.


The course will exit the ramp for Eads Street where it will turn right and then another right turn at South Rotary Road. At this point the finish line is right in front of you. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Well, I hope that excites you. I know one of the reasons that I heartily agreed to do this race is because of the nation's sites that we'll be able to run by. They're tough enough to drive by and get good pictures, so a running tour will be right up my alley.


See you all there. Good luck.

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AWTR Show 287: Household 6

Presents Army Wife Talk Radio

Proudly sponsored by K12

AWTR Show 287: Week of Oct 18, 2010

This week on AWTR we’re featuring AWN’s top 3 Household 6 contestants. Resource of the Week Military Ride Share, The Money Minute, AWTR Music, Army Wife Life, and AWTR Post with the Most!

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Congratulations AWN HH6 top 3 Contestants!

Ladies & Gentleman Army Wife Network presents our TOP 3 Household 6 contestants! Voting starts Monday night (Oct 18) at 10:00pm EST via our website http://www.armywifenetwork.com/.

Name: Danielle Hurst-Crose
City: Killeen
State: Texas
Closest Military Installation: Fort Hood

Tell us about your “Army Wife Life” Experience: I LOVE living this life! My husband went from National Guard in Colorado to active duty 4 months after returning home from a deployment. I learned from that deployment to become involved to be informed. So that led me to be a CARE team member first, then our Fund Custodian and now the leader of our FRG. I wouldnt trade this for anything. I love knowing all the soldiers and their families by name. I am family oriented with having a daughter of our own and we have my husbands brother living with us also. We are a team! Emma ( my daughter) is 3, Kerry (husbands brother) is 20 and a college student, Clint (my husband) and myself tag team everything we possibly can. I've worked with my volunteers, and had a job for the whole time we have been in Texas (almost 2 full years now) and gone to school (just graduated May of 2010). I as a person love doing everything in my power to help my husband, the company my husband is in, and our military family and normal family! Hands down the BEST experience of my life!

How long have you been affiliated with the military? 3-5 years

What is your family size? 4

Are you currently employed? Yes

If yes, please tell us about your work experience: I work as a waitress in the evenings and do my FRG tasks during the day. Dont be fooled by my small position as a waitress. I am also a Registered Dental Assistant graduating from a CODA accredited college in May. I love every decision I've made in my life. From my husband to my choices of work. I get to do EVERYTHING I want everyday. I get to contribute to my families well being in so many ways it is truely a blessing.

Are you currently volunteering or have you in the past? Yes

If yes, please tell us about your volunteer experience: I love being able to say I am a volunteer! I started small just doing CARE team volunteer. Once i felt comfortable there I knew I needed something more. I jumped at the offering of Fund Custodian for our company FRG. Now after we have gone through 4 FRG leaders I am very proud to say I am the FRG leader of the company my husband is in. Along with my military volunteer, I also volunteer every year as a dental assistant for dentists here in texas at our dental needs for the underprivilaged. It is once a year event but takes 4 full days! It is amazing how many people are really in need of assistance and how the most common of factors in life are really taken for granted.

Are you comfortable with media & interviews? Yes

Are you comfortable speaking in large groups? Yes

Are you comfortable speaking in small groups? Yes

Rate your Army Wife Network experience Intermediate

Tell us how you utilize Army Wife Network? I jumped on board as soon I found out there was such a place as Army Wife Network (back when ya'll were armywifetalkradio!) I started out with listening of course, then grew to a comfort of being in the chat room! (and winning book give a ways I might add) then as soon as I heard you were having a Field Excercise at Fort Sill I jumped online registered and drove the 5 hours to be there and recieve more info ( by the way.. I hand out different ideas that were given for care packages there at all our of FRG meetings). I love your blogs, book list, EVERYTHING! It has truly blessed me even with more friends by being able to talk to other wives on the facebook page!

Of the seven Family Management departments, which three are your strongest and why? Explain. I feel family and friends are my (our) strongest we always have a full house! We moved to Fort hood with 300 dollars to our name and by the grace of god we were taken in by friends for 2 full months until we could get our on post house. I was so blessed by their giving that I knew we had to pay it back everyway possible. Due to that we have always been able to help any friends that have ever needed a meal, a talk, a shoulder to cry on, a place to stay, anything. Being able to do this I have also been able to pass on knowledge and experience with the hope that they too will pass it along!

Which three of these adjectives best describe your home? Relaxed, Unique, Organized

What motivates you to help others (i.e. why are you committed to helping Army wives)? I am motivated because everyone starts out new sometime. When my husband was deployed with our National Guard Unit we were so scattered that information came slow and only in a newsletter. I learned then newbies had some hard tmes, and I was no exception. So when we became active I decided then I would work my hardest to not be uninformed. I also lucked out with a husband who always brings home new soldiers to our unit and I get to help new spouses to the army, post, ect. As long as I can help it I dont want any other spouse to ever feel like they dont know or have no where else to go to find out!

Summarize why you feel you should be the 2010 Army Wife Network Household 6? As an Army wife and person who sacrifies I feel all of us embody the household 6 life by being able to manage everything back home while our soldiers are down range, in training, or out in the field. I am no execption, do I sacrifice more than the other, NO. do I get selfish at times and want to give the army the finger.. Absolutely. I'm human, but I feel I am extradinary and a wonderful person. I eat, sleep, and breathe the army life and I love the values it stands for and everything our family has sacrificed. Being in a loving relationship having a wonderful family and a great support system has helped me embody the household 6 feeling and life!

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Name: Kristen Smith
City: Clarksville
State: Tennessee
Closest Military Installation: Ft Campbell

Tell us about your “Army Wife Life” Experience: When I met my soldier, I was finishing my Bachelors in Marketing and embarking in a career in Nonprofit public relations and special events planning. Now, I utilize all of the same skills (and many more new ones!) managing our home during the frequent TDYs and deployments that his command in an Special Operations unit requires. I also have a 1 year old son that is the most beautiful complication imaginable. Early in my time as an Army Wife, I found myself overwhelmed with information and resources and unsure of where to begin applying it. I was fortunate enough to find some fabulous mentors who got me going in the right direction. I have found a great deal of satisfaction in mentoring other Army Wives through personal friendships, my blog, and on post volunteer opportunities. The primary strength of the Army family is how we help each other.

How long have you been affiliated with the military? 6-8 years

What is your family size? 3

Are you currently employed? No

If yes, please tell us about your work experience:

Are you currently volunteering or have you in the past? Yes

If yes, please tell us about your volunteer experience: I currently volunteer in the following capacities: Company FRG Co-Leader Therapeutic Riding Instructor Misc tasks with OSC At previous installations: OSC Board Member, Recording Secretary AFTB Instructor Therapy Dog Handler, Wounded Warrior Battalion Women's Empowerment, Event Planner

Are you comfortable with media & interviews? Yes

Are you comfortable speaking in large groups? Yes

Are you comfortable speaking in small groups? Yes

Rate your Army Wife Network experience Seasoned

Tell us how you utilize Army Wife Network? I enjoy both the blog and facebook page as source of tips and resources. I am looking forward to a Field Exercise coming to Ft Campbell as I have heard wonderful things from previous participants.

Of the seven Family Management departments, which three are your strongest and why? Explain. I would say Food, Self Management and Time and Scheduling would be my strongest departments. Food has always been a passion of mine: finding wonderful ingredients, experimenting with recipes, and offering my family healthy, fulfilling meals. I discovered how vital self management was during my second deployment experience- school, work and setting up a home wore me down to a point that I was no longer the person I wanted to be. I had to make a very concerted effort to makeover my priorities, but I truly grew as a person in the process. Time and Scheduling has become a strength over the last year. With the addition of our son coinciding with my Soldier taking a demanding Special Operations assignment, I have been a combination of chef, CEO, personal assistant and receptionist. I've had to learn effective, flexible ways of managing my self and my home in a way that meets the needs of the whole family.

Which three of these adjectives best describe your home? Balanced, Nurturing, Uncluttered

What motivates you to help others (i.e. why are you committed to helping Army wives)? I have met the most amazing women through the Army. We are tremendously diverse, amazingly strong, and a valuable part of the larger military community. I had wonderful women mentor and help me (they still do!), and love to provide that same assistance to others.

Summarize why you feel you should be the 2010 Army Wife Network Household 6? My diverse professional and personal experience gives me a considerable well to draw from as the 2011 Army Wife Network Household 6. I am confident that I could be an asset and a positive voice for both AWN and Family Manager. More importantly, though, I am passionate about helping Army Wives make the Army experience their own- to find opportunities to grow, develop, and make their own happiness. Working with AWN is a powerful way to live that passion.

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Name: Carrie McDowell
City: Walthourville
State: GA
Closest Military Installation: Fort Stewart

Tell us about your “Army Wife Life” Experience: Dan, my husband joined in Dec2008 as an Active Duty Military Police Officer for the Army. After his training we had a few weeks together, then he was off to his first duty station in Ft. Stewart, GA. I had been trying to sell our home in NH while he was in training, but the market was not favorable and so we decided to rent it out. There was SO much that I learned on my own. Dan was extremely busy in GA with reception, training with his new unit, being new to the Army, and trying to find a place for us to reside in GA, he wasn't able to be much support for me. I asked a lot of questions from what little resources I had at the time. It quickly became apparent that much of my new life as an Army Wife would consist of stepping up and asking questions independently. After 8 months of separation, I joined Dan in GA in Sept2009. He deployed for Iraq late in Oct2009. It has been an amazing adventure, this Army Wife Life. We've experienced happiness, stress, depression, death of a beloved family member and many other emotions that go along with deployment. Through & through I've stuck with the attitude of "One day at a time" and put one foot in front of the other. There is always positive that comes from even the most negative situation. I choose to see the positive in life and it has proven to be my savior throughout this journey. I'm excited to see what our future has in store for us. I look forward to re-uniting with my soldier and getting to know each other again.

How long have you been affiliated with the military? 0-2 years

What is your family size? 2

Are you currently employed? No

If yes, please tell us about your work experience: Not currently employed, but working toward my Certificate as a Nursing Aide. Past work history focuses heavily in customer service and sales.

Are you currently volunteering or have you in the past? Yes

If yes, please tell us about your volunteer experience: Key Caller Chairperson, volunteer for every FRG event I'm available for, take all ACS classes that I'm able to attend, anything that involves helping our soldiers and their families.

Are you comfortable with media & interviews? Yes

Are you comfortable speaking in large groups? Yes

Are you comfortable speaking in small groups? Yes

Rate your Army Wife Network experience Newbie

Tell us how you utilize Army Wife Network? AWN is amazing!!! I have learned so many valuable tid-bits of information from the network. I absolutely loved the episode on reasons to be happy, and frequent the website to get a boost if I'm feeling down. AWN is truly an Army Wife's best friend. Simply put.

Of the seven Family Management departments, which three are your strongest and why? Explain. #1: Home & Property We live off-base with two lovely dogs. I am strong in this area because I've gone through two moves by myself. The first was a PCS move, with packers & movers. But the most recent move was in GA and I was by myself. I was blessed to have the help of a couple friends, but I didn't feel bad about doing it all alone. Taking care of our most important tools for living gives me great pride. This new home for us means that I am responsible for a lot more landscape care. But I have come to enjoy the additional exercise and have come to understand why men are so fond of power tools... they make life SO much easier!!! If only there was a powered pooper-scooper! As for our vehicles, I keep an eye on the mileage of our newer rig. I make sure it goes in for routine care. I do my best to start my husband's vehicle, while he's deployed, to make sure it still runs when he returns. #2 Family and Friends Oh boy, is this ever a strength of mine! I have discovered that I am the "glue" in people's lives. Meaning... when the family has a crisis, they call me. When someone wants to know what's going on, they call me. When a friend's marriage is beginning to crack, they call me. I don't have a counseling degree, but I've been considering getting one so I can finally charge for my services! (totally joking) I sincerely enjoy being the "rock" for so many, even for those that are new to the family & friend circle. People are comfortable with me and open up fairly quickly. So I become a trusting source they can turn to at their most vulnerable moments. But also someone they can turn to when they just need a smile & warm hug. #3 Self Management This has not always been a strong department for me. I've been overweight my entire life, picked on HORRIBLY all throughout school. I was chunky when chunky wasn't the "norm". With that came a lot of pain & insecurities. Over the past two years that my husband has been in the Army, I have learned about the Army Values and I've adopted them into my life. There are so many that have such negative things to say about the Military, and I acknowledge that some certainly have a much worse experience than others, but there is so much to be thankful for. We get free gym membership, free healthcare, free trainers, free support in various areas... all we have to do is open our eyes and see with a new perspective. Sure, it sucked that my husband joined and lost a lot of weight & I was still heavy. But I chose to take advantage of all the resources & blessings we're surrounded by and I am happy to report that I'm 30lbs lighter and excited to see more drop! The Army, and my husband, have been such an inspiration. I can't wait to keep going!

Which three of these adjectives best describe your home? Nurturing

What motivates you to help others (i.e. why are you committed to helping Army wives)? During this deployment we have heard of SO many marriages falling apart. It is so tragic to see people's worlds crumble, and mostly due to lack of communication. I'm not talking about getting to Skype with your soldier and listening to each other's daily struggles... I'm talking about TRUE communication. Like sharing with your spouse what dreams & goals you have, creating them together. Or sitting down to truly listen & talk with each other. Most times we're busy checking facebook, catching up on our shows that we recorded, taking care of the kids, texting, checking email... we forget to just stop and be. Be with each other, Be thankful for the time we have together, Be grateful for the food on our table and the roof over our heads. I enjoy listening to others and helping them heal. Providing the support and tools they need to begin healing and becoming more peaceful in this stressful world that we're exposed to. Life is tough as it is, added stress tends to make it unbearable. I love being there to aide in relieving the stressors as best as I can.

Summarize why you feel you should be the 2010 Army Wife Network Household 6? I'm longing to reach out to more Military Spouses, to support them in their journey. It's been very intimidating to find resources on my own and to step out and go to ACS classes alone, to attend FRG meetings before I knew anyone, etc. Deployments are so rough, but they don't have to be horrible. I look forward to turning frowns & sadness into a smile and slight relief. I am very excited for the opportunity to be a sister for the wives of the network.

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WINNERS of our Cafe Press AWN Logo Wear Contest!

Congratulations winners of our Cafe Press AWN Logo Wear Contest!

To see the original post and the comments that won click here!

1st Place – AWN Tshirt GOES TO: Gayle Jones
2nd Place – AWN SIGG bottle OR Coffee Mug GOES TO: Kerry Benson
3rd Place – AWN Calendar/Bumper Sticker Combo GOES TO: Jodi Foster

Winners please email info @ armywifenetwork.com to claim your prize!

Army Wife Network's Marketplace is brought to you by Cafe Press.

CafePress offers millions of personalized sweatshirt hoodies, 2011 monthly calendars and funny t-shirts for any brand, topic or interest!

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11 days | 17 hours | 19 minutes: Army Ten Miler Update

The Army Ten Miler is less than two weeks away.
20,000 + people will be on site: How WILL you find us?

Never you fear, a lot of care and teamwork has been gone on behind the scenes to make sure

you'll be able to find TEAM AWN.

Those who have been following along on Army Wife Talk Radio:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/awtr/2010/08/31/awtr-show-280-army-ten-miler.mp3

know that we are going with a "Household 6" theme aka "HH6"!

Imagine us trying to explain HH6 to those in the crowd who have never heard of it!

It's going to be fun watching the light bulbs go on and heads of everyone in the know nodding.

It has been especially fun to bring on board Build A Sign who knows the military but not a HH6.

But they got it now, and we owe them a huge thank you for the Signs and Banners they helped us

create to get the word out. And of course their signs will be a big help to you all when you come find us

at the Army Ten Miler. Here's one to look for!

HH6s have been around since Martha Washington, serving their service members and families with distinction, bringing credit upon themselves, their family and the Army Wife Network! The head of the household, the one that keeps up with the arduous tasks of washing uniforms, picking up smelly PTs, going to the commissary and PX, packaging care packages…you are Household 6!

AWN is dedicated to making your “Household 6″ life easier!

Build A Sign has helped us get that word out as well.
Here's another example of a banner they helped us make!

has been around for a while now, and we hope you've heard of them before. We know we have spread the word of all their help in getting the troops and their loved ones free Signs and Banners that show support for our mlitary. You can search our blog for "BuildASign" to see related posts.

Also, check them out at www.buildasign.com/troops. Their gallery is FULL of ideas!

And we're proud of our partnership with them.

See you at the Army Ten Miler. Just look for the Hall of HH6s!

and more!

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Fun Fall Activities for Your Military Family

Welcome to fall ya’ll. It’s a wonderful time of year packed with great weather, colorful leaves, and family-oriented festivals galore. What does your family have planned this weekend? I suggest the following activities:

Take a Hike: Plan to hike the same trail each weekend during fall. This may sound repetitive, but hear me out. If you do this you and your family will witness just how much the landscape changes throughout the season.

Leaf Peeping: This autumn activity gets family outdoors to photograph the changing fall foliage.

Pumpkin Patch: Head out to the local pumpkin patch. Visit this website to find a pumpkin patch near you. Don’t forget, medium-sized, fully orange pumpkins are best for carving.

Pick Apples and Berries: There’s nothing like a freshly picked apple or the taste of seasonal berries. Plus, your children get to see how fruit grows and everyone enjoys the “fruit” of their labor.

Craft Away: Gather twigs, pine cones, and leaves and make your own fall crafts. Check here for some for some great fall craft ideas.

Scavenger Hunt: Challenge other families or your own to find seasonal foods, a leaf of every color, fall flowers, acorns, and more.

Fall Feast: Invite the neighbors for a fall potluck and whip up some homemade goodies — pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin pie, or toasted pumpkin seeds.

Fall Movie Night: Fall may bring a few rainy days, but don’t despair. Pop some caramel popcorn and snuggle the family up for a good flick.

Decorate: Get the whole family involved in decorating for fall. Use colorfully painted pumpkins, mums, or holiday-themed items to create a spectacular landscape for your front porch or sidewalk.

A’Mazing Corn: Corn mazes abound during this time of year, and some corn mazes are open all day and into the night. Visit this site to find one in your area. Many corn mazes have other activities for families, such as ring toss games, pumpkin painting and snacks.

Outdoor Sports and Games: Get your family involved in outdoor sports. Football season started, and days are still warm enough to play baseball, soccer and other games.

Autumn Festivals: Seek out fall festivals. Many communities have fall events, such apple- and pumpkin-themed celebrations where local businesses will contribute activities and meals for everyone to enjoy.

Whatever you choose to do this fall celebrate the season with new joy for your military family and take time to reflect in the beauty of our Earth and the bounty it provides.

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AWTR Show 286: Space A Travel

Presents Army Wife Talk Radio

Proudly sponsored by K12

AWTR Show 286: Week of Oct 11, 2010

This week on AWTR we’re featuring Joy Awe from MyMilitaryConcierge.com to talk about Space A Travel. Resource of the Week: Military Money, The Relationship Minute, Real Life Warrior, and AWTR Book Club!


Visit Army Wife Network and Loving A Soldier Blog

Click here to download the MP3

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Life lessons...

It's that time again. PCS time that is. I have begun making my millions of lists of things to do, lists of things to make lists about, and scheduling everything possible within the next month. (Not to mention using all of the resources on www.armywifenetwork.com in the relocation section.)

It always seems that once those orders drop, and it is "official" (well, as official as it can be in the Army life) you seem to learn that the place you thought you would hate, or felt like moving there was the end of your sanity....well...it turns out, you are really going to miss it. I will admit, when we found out we were leaving Fort Sill 2 years ago and headed to Bliss, there were a few tears- probably since we had only been at Sill for 6 months at that point, but mainly because so many people had made my opinion for me about this place before I even got here based on their opinion or experience.

It took a few months....okay, let's get real- more like 6 months....but I paved my way here. I couldn't find a teaching job, so I threw myself head first into volunteering at a hospital in Marketing, made bunches of friends, and look back at the amazing things I have learned and people that I met along this journey. When my husband was home, we were careful to spend lots of time exploring everything El Paso and all places within 4 hours (or a mileage pass) have to offer. I feel blessed to have experienced places and things that I might not ever have if I had not forced myself to get off my butt and stop playing the poor me game. After all, like I always say- it IS what you MAKE of it. I just needed to heed my own advice.

The lesson I learned during our 2.5 years here....do not let others make your opinion for you. Just because one person had a negative experience somewhere does not mean that you will, too. Go in to EVERYTHING with an open mind and make your own story, and your own opinions.

Heck, while deployment/field time is not a fun time, you could realize there is a hobby that you are super at or how you actually can fix the disposal/car/lawn mower/etc. Challenge yourself every day to try something new and learn the valuable lessons of just how much you can take, and how amazing you really are.

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Birthdays for kids... for real!

Recently it was my grandson's 6th birthday, and his Daddy asked if I could get the gift since he is now in Germany and we are here in Colorado.

After a look at the toy aisle, and seeing that most of the toys are either electronic and require hours looking at some hand held device, or that they are made of plastic and likely to break before the party is even over, I decided on a real two man tent from the Sporting Goods section.

I argued with myself, about what a small boy was going to do with this thing, but instinctively I knew is was a cool thing for a 6 year old to get. Wanting to be a cool grandma, I marched to the checkout with my tent, a canteen, and a set of Tupperware containers that looked promising for rock collections...or with the addition of a few holes punched in the top, a home for bugs.

My grandson was thrilled and I was proud of myself for getting something that will last, and will be fun when his Dad gets home, when the two of them can sleep in there together.

I am thinking of how something real, can get a child's attention. Years ago, all gifts were either made, or had some purpose. Kids got real tools and someone taught them to use them. A real musical instrument, and someone to teach them to play. Real art supplies, make a huge difference in the creative process, and are worth getting over the ones made for kids, which rarely have the quality to make the child excited about what they are making. Real cooking equipment can be used to learn to cook, but also starts the collection that will be with them when they leave home. Real is fun, real makes a kid feel like they are growing. It's not that kid things are bad, they are not, they have a purpose as well, especially when the real thing would be too big to manage as in the case of a baseball bat or soccer shoes!

When a parent is away, we tend to want to make a big splash with gifts. It helps us, since we have to cope with being far away. There is nothing wrong in that, it is normal. Maybe what I learned was that they things the kids think they want,(they are influenced by advertising as we are) are not necessarily the things that are best to get them. I know that the toy of the day is always going to be what they clamor for, but maybe, we can find something just a bit better!

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ENTER TO WIN AWN LOGO WEAR from Cafe Press!

Army Wife Network's Marketplace is giving away some AWN Logo Wear for our fans! To enter: reply ON OUR BLOG in a comment with your answer to the question below. **Please include some online contact information or you can't WIN because we cannot contact you - blog registration, facebook registration, or email address is fine.

The holiday's are quickly approaching. Being military, not many of us are able to celebrate with our extended families, but, we hope you have new "military families" with which to celebrate. What new traditions or ways to celebrate do you have as a result of being away from the family you grew up with? (For example: my family always sets an extra spot at the table on Thanksgiving, in honor of our deployed soldiers)

Winners will be chosen from the replies on our blog between now and Tuesday October 12th at 11:59pm EST. Winners will be announced here and on facebook www.facebook.com/armywifenetwork on Wednesday October 13th to claim their prize.

1st Place – AWN Tshirt
2nd Place – AWN SIGG bottle OR Coffee Mug
3rd Place – AWN Calendar/Bumper Sticker Combo

Army Wife Network's Marketplace is brought to you by Cafe Press.

CafePress offers millions of personalized sweatshirt hoodies, 2011 monthly calendars and funny t-shirts for any brand, topic or interest!

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Halloween OPORDER for Fun

Halloween OPORDER for Fun
© Tara Crooks

“Rats?” “Check.” “Bats?” “Check.” “Spiders?” Check. Do you know what that is? That’s the sound of my children curiously scavenging through their Halloween decorations boxes. This fall our neighborhood is buzzing. The great PCS (Permanent Change of Station) boom of 2010, as we like to call it, brought us bounties of new playmates and the hope of a spectacular Halloween. Halloween is a holiday deserving of a big bash but up until this point there weren’t enough people in our neighborhood to even try to make that happen. This year is different though, and preparations are already underway.

There are so many themes and types of Halloween parties to choose from I don’t know how we ever decided on anything. We want our Halloween party to be filled with Halloween treats for the kids mixed up with fun Halloween cocktails for the adults. Tons of scary jack-o-lanterns and mounds of sweet candy treats!

We began our planning meeting as all great organizers do, with food; a potluck dinner in our collective “front yard”. Being military, we all know about prior proper planning so we created what is now known as the Halloween party operations order (or HPOP for short). The HPOP identifies resources such as which families had the strobe light, spooky music, and fog machines, which is bringing the apples and the bucket for apple bobbing, and who had the grill.

This HPOP is no laughing matter either. After all, we are true professionals. We created stations for maximum Halloween impact, further detailing which family has to budget and execute each station. We have stations ranging from hot dog grilling and beverage dissemination to haunted basement, apple bobbing, and pumpkin painting. I’m sure it’s going to be nothing short of spooktacular!

This Halloween I encourage you to come out of your comfort zone and try to something bigger and better than turning off your porch light and pretending you don’t hear the doorbell. Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore, so don your best homemade costume and let loose for a few hours. Even though at times the thought of meeting new people can be scary and creepy you can turn the holiday into something fun by creating an amazing opportunity to build camaraderie amongst your neighbors and others in your military family.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

For great craft ideas for a children’s party visit Amazing Moms.

For Halloween party ideas for adults and kids visit HalloweenPartyIdeas.org.

For an amazing party planning checklist that you can adapt to any party visit Party411.

Check out these awesome homemade costume ideas (with pictures) at CoolestHomemadeCostumes.

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Moving on...

Our family has spent 13 years in the military. We've been to four installations. I can say that each installation has had it's own unique challenges and it's own unique celebrations. We've had experiences (and yes, I do say WE) in FORSCOM and TRADOC sides of the Army.

Recently we moved from the TRADOC side to the FORSCOM side. My husband had been an instructor for the Captain's Career Course here at Fort Sill, OK. We moved over to a "regular unit" on the FORSCOM side and he was given a new job. I found myself in an odd emotional place. First of all, who gets emotional about the Army? Ok, I'm guilty. It was a hard transition. Leaving the TRADOC side meant so many things had changed - two of our best friends (also instructors) had moved on to other installations. I had lost one of my "battle buddys" here at Fort Sill in this transition as oddly enough she chose to move with her husband (joking!).

I had given so much of myself to support my soldier (and the families) in the TRADOC unit. Kevin and I did socials for the different classes, my battle buddy and I had started a coffee group for the student's spouses, and we had even been part of a ground level Commander's Spouses course for these future leaders. It was a time in my life where I looked forward to the Army life every day because there was someone out there waiting to be a sponge and soak up everything we could teach them. Everyone's spouse was the same rank so there was little to no Army related drama involved in any of the events. It was a truly fun time for me.

There was a certain fear, too, of moving to a place where deployment loomed overhead from a place you knew he wasn't going anywhere. A certain fear associated with walking away from everything you had built as a spouse. We work hard as spouses to pave the road for those that come after us. It's a small Army, I like to say, some day those spouses would be FRG leaders in a unit where I might be an advisor. I want to make sure they knew what was going to make their life easier and what RIGHT looked like. Seeing someone "get it" in this Army life brings me more joy than any other thing I've found on this journey. So, as I said, it was hard to go.

Last night my husband and I were discussing the differences in the units and the moves that we've made in his (our) military career. What was funny was the perceptions that he and I had of some of his jobs and how competely different we could see things. For instance in this last job he never saw himself as a teacher. He felt that this wasn't the best use of his skills. While he enjoyed the job he missed being in the "trenches" as he said. He loves the job he has now. Now, remember I just described my time in that same job that he didn't really care for as my best time in the Army thus far. Funny huh?

It goes goes to show us that it's all what you make it and it's all perception. One person may think something is wonderful while another is cringing to make it happen. One post might be someone's absolute nightmare of an installation because that time in their life was rough or something didn't jive while another might have had the best moments of their journey on that very same post.

We agreed, it was all part of the life. There will be ups, there will be downs. But, in the end we wouldn't have it any other way. When we look back on this entire part of our lives both of us will still be able to say "that job/post was the best time in the Army". Only we just might be talking about different ones.

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AWTR Show 285: Military Education Benefits

Presents Army Wife Talk Radio

Proudly sponsored by K12

AWTR Show 285: Week of Oct 4, 2010

This week on AWTR we’re featuring authors David Renza & Edmund Lizotte here to discuss Military Education Benefits for College. Resource of the Week: Metaverse Mod Squad/Second Life, The Parenting Minute, AWTR Music, Army Wife Life, and AWTR Mess Hall!


Visit Army Wife Network and Loving A Soldier Blog

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Win! Around the Water Buffalo!

WIN! Around the Water Buffalo: October 4 - 18: Taking Care of You
Here’s how it works: on our Army Wife Talk Radio show each Monday night (for more info check out the PODCAST tab of the main site) during the Army Wife Life segment we’ll talk about a chosen topic. We will post the topic to our message boards (with reminders on our blog and FB page) for you to comment http://www.armywifenetwork.com/forum in our AROUND THE WATER BUFFALO section.

TO WIN all you need to do is TALK!! We’ll draw a name from those that reply. Every post on our boards for the topic counts as an entry so get talking for more changes to grab a prize!

The bi-weekly winner will be announced the following AWL segment - LIVE on the air. To claim your prize you must email us at info@armywifenetwork.com which means you're going to have to LISTEN to the show (LIVE or ARCHIVE) to see if you won!! Listeners/Viewers have 2 weeks to claim their prize - once we've announced the next AWL winner you must have already contacted us or you'll forfeit your prize!

GATHER AROUND THE WATER BUFFALO and WIN!!


Click here to visit the message boards and WIN!

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