Catching Up

For those of you who actually read my blog, I owe you a big apology. I actually have not posted in a very long time because I forgot my password. Funny on some level I'm sure, but very frustrating for me. I think it might have been due to the tons of excitement over the past months. Since my last entry Christopher came home from Iraq and came home to visit, Troy came home from Iraq (oh the stories there!!), I started a new school year in a new school with a new principal and Jeremy and Harris have deployed. It has been an emotional roller coaster the past months.

Where to begin? I guess at the beginning of the adventures. While I was in Alaska, Christopher returned to Fort Drum, New York from Iraq. He was stuck there for 30 days before returning home to Texas for 30 days of leave. While I was waiting for him to come home, Jeremy and Harris were in Fort Knox, Kentucky from late July to late September and I started a new school year.

I am having an amazing school year this year! We have a brand new beautiful school (pictures on my FaceBook), a new principal and my class schedule is awesome. I am teaching 3 classes of honors 8th grade English, 2 classes of honors 7th grade English and one remedial reading class. I am also department lead for ELA (English/Language Arts). Our new building is two stories and I have a window! I my view is a green pasture with grazing cows. It is relaxing and gorgeous! My room is actually very chilly which is a wonderful change from the previous sweatshops I have been in over the past three years (three different classrooms in the same building!). My kiddos are pretty awesome, too. I love being able to teach something and they get it the first (or sometimes second) time I present it. My remedial class is a huge challenge, but some days the only way to get through that class is to remember that my conference period is right after it and I get a small break.

My principal is amazingly positive and supportive this year. I was on the verge of quitting education all together after the past two years I had at the junior high with our previous principal. I was always getting "in trouble" with her for things I didn't do or for something she heard from someone else that I had said. Some of my friends who had worked with our new pirncipal at another campus asked me to hang on for one more year so that I could experience her leadership abilities. It was a hard choice, but I also decided that after six years and three classrooms in the old (at least 30 year-old) building, I deserved at least one year in the new building. Our principal has been nothing short of incredible so far this year. During inservice she made everyone feel welcome and we actually were looking forward to all of the changes she was planning for our campus.

My favorite story so far is happened the second or third Friday of school. Every morning our principal comes on the intercom after the first bell of the day and presents the pledges and the moment of silence after which she completes the daily announcements. This particular morning she goes through the process with her usual cheery cadence, but at the end she pauses and changes her tone. She then proceeds with the following:

"I have heard through MySpace and texting that today is 7th grade jump day (where 8th graders terrorize and harrass the 7th graders). I just want you to know that nothing will be happening to any one today because if any one is going to jump any one on my campus, it will be me."

My class of 8th graders were stunned into silence. A grand task for that class! I had to turn my back to them due to the wave of laughter that came over me. My co-workers expressed later they had the same reaction. We love our principal! She stands her ground and the kids and the staff respect her.

Alaska 2010

Alaska, oh beautiful Alaska! It was my favorite trip of the summer so far (sorry family!). The weather was a balmy 65-70 degrees the entire trip and despite the many showers, it was incredible! The green mountains and beautiful summer flowers were picturesque (I actually did not take many pictures at all this time).

I truly enjoyed spending time with a dear friend who understands the depths of "sucky-ness" of the military life. Here in Texas people don't have a true grasp of the challenges of daily military life, especially when a spouse is deployed long-term (like Troy's 400 days). All of us who are experiencing this deployment are scattered and do not have a strong support system. I am currently working on that through our FRG since we have a large number of soldiers deploying in a few months, but I have not had that during Troy's deployment.

April and I have known each other for more than 7 years now and she has survived 3 deployments and Clayton is gone a lot for his Air Force job. She understands the daily grind of single parenting and managing a home on her own. It was good to just be with someone you could relax with and discuss the problems without having to worry about someone not understanding or trying to one-up you on the problem scale. I love my friends here more than I can express, but it really is a different lifestyle with the military and a deployment that most will not understand unless they live it for more than a few months at a time.

While in Alaska, I went to the anual Elmendorf/Fort Richardson air show and saw a variety of military and civilian airplanes and helicopters. We saw F-22's, the Blue Angels, a Harrier jet, lots of small planes and even some Blackhawks and Chinooks! It was a fun day with the Johnson kids while their parents worked the airshow.

April and I got to do a lot of girly stuff too while I was there. We spent time shopping, going to the movies (with the kiddos) and just hanging out and talking. I think I needed that the most. I really miss our girl-time!

Surprisingly I made it through a 9 mile bike ride around the inlet. April and the kids had bikes and so I rented one downtown and we rode for a couple of hours along trails around Cook Inlet. We had to stop at one point because a mommy moose and her calf were on the trail. The calf was on one side of the path and mommy moose was on the other. All Alaskans know that you NEVER get between a mommy moose and her baby because she gets very defensive and often attacks. We waited and watched as the calf moved back to mommy moose's side of the trail and then went off into the woods. I tried to take a picture, but it didn't come out very well on my phone.

I did get to enjoy fresh-caught salmon and halibut on many occasions. The flavor is unmistakable and I have never had any as good here in the lower 48! Next year it would be worth going back to fish and bring it home. I think I'm already planning our next trip to Alaska! April and I talked about renting an RV next year and going down to Seward and Homer for a few days to take boat trips and maybe fish. Sounds like fun to me!

The trip was way too short, but I was rested and ready to face the world again! It was wonderful to catch up with April, Clayton, Kara and Clay-Clay for the week. I can't wait to start planning our trip back next year. Love you all and thanks for the wonderful hospitality! Also hope you have a great time in Arizona with the family!

A mini-trip to Austin

Since my last blog about my "Wicked" Weekend, I have done a bit more traveling. Upon returning from Houston, I went with my son Jeremy and his friend Harris to Austin. Since both boys are about to deploy, Harris needed to go to Austin to finish up some things there before he left, so we made a mini-road-trip out of it!

We started out late Monday evening because we were waiting for a fourth person to join our party, but they decided last minute to not attend. This was a bit frustrating and caused us to leave much later than anticipated, but we headed out late any way. Not too far down the road we became inundated by a rain downpour. Not a problem if we had been in the Jetta, but we were cruising in the Jeep with the top down. We had to make an emergency stop to put on the top (and get gas). Harris and I were laughing the whole time, but Jeremy was a bit irritated and very grumpy about the whole ordeal!

We arrived in Austin late, around 9 pm, and checked into a hotel. We then went to play pool and drink beer with some of Harris' friends as a good-bye. I met new people and had fun playing pool for the first time in many years. The next day we ran some errands and spent some time playing "Super Mario" on the Wii at his friend's house. We headed home late Tuesday evening. The boys had to report to NAS/JRB on Wednesday for classes and stuff before they headed out to Fort McCoy.

They boys and I had a great time hanging out and just relaxing before we all went our separate ways. I was to be heading to Alaska at the end of the week and they were about to leave for Wisconsin and Kentucky for two months. I'm going to really miss them and the fun we have had together these past several months they have been at the house!

"Wicked" Weekend

If you haven't had the opportunity to see the musical "Wicked," GO AND SEE IT! I went to Houston this weekend with a good friend to see it and I was smitten with the theater bug! I already have the sound track and want to see it again! The story is about the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz story. It tells her life story and how she became "Wicked." There are some definite plot twists one would never expect.

My friend Leslie has friends in Houston and we stayed with them while there. We drove down Friday; had dinner and played games. Saturday we played more games, went out to lunch and watched movies at Shannon's house. That night, the group of six of us went to see the play. For Leslie it was her third time to see it and Shannon's fourth time. I think it was the first time for the rest of us. It was awesome. I can't say enough about it!

We slept in on Sunday and after lunch with Shannon, Trey and his daughters; we drove home. It was an amazing weekend spending time with a good friend and making new ones.

It's all in the STARS...

The weekend of July 17th & 18th was the change of command for our battalion, 90th ASB (Aviation Support Battalion) out of NAS-JRB and Grand Prairie. LTC Notch left us after 22
months. During his leadership our small unit of about 250 soldiers grew to a nearly full battalion of 600+ soldiers. I will miss his friendship most of all. The events began with a Dining-Out formal event Saturday evening and a Change of Command Ceremony Sunday morning.

I had never attended a Dining-out event before and the evening was quiet a spectacle! The LTC of the 11th was there with his CSM, our out going LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) and his CSM (Command Sargeant Major) as well as the new LTC (who keeps the same CSM). All in attenendace were either in Class A's (formal uniform) or civilian formal wear. I enjoyed the evening with a good friend and had a wonderful time. At the end of the event, my friend asked me to go with her to talk to LTC McLeary for a few minutes. Monica has known LTC McLeary since he was our unit commander several years ago and was located at Fort Hood, Texas. He is now over the unit Troy is deployed with in Virginia. As we spoke he mentioned meeting me at the Yellow Ribbon Event for the 5/159th back in August of last year. He asked how everything was going and mentioned the problem we have been experiencing since November with Troy's flight orders.

If you haven't heard, Troy has been a Flight Engineer on a Chinook helicopter in Iraq since he arrived. He was never issued orders to be flying, but "they" said that would come. Without flight orders, you do not receive flight pay. See the problem??? Well, it worsens, of course! Troy had exhausted all sources in Iraq to get to the bottom of the flight orders/pay issue and was told to get a congressman involved in the process. I was sure we had not exhausted all alternatives before going to a congressman, so I went to work on the problem here at home. Kudos to LTC Notch, our outgoing Commander for his assistance. I went to him one day at Headquarters in Grand Prairie and asked if he could help with the problem even though Troy is no currently in our unit (because of the deployment with the other unit). LTC Notch assured me he would put out a few calls to see what could be done. No discernable results of course.

One of LTC Notch's contacts was LTC McLeary back in Virginia. That is how we get back to the weekend of the Change of Command... After dinner, LTC McLeary told me that the next day General Quinn would be at the Change of Command and he wanted me to meet him so that he had a face to go with the situation that needed General Quinn's assistance.

Our soldiers looked so good standing out on the flight line (in 100 degree heat at 11am) in front of an Apache helicopter, a Blackhawk helicopter and various other vehicles our unit maintains. The Chinook stayed in our hangar during the ceremony unfortunately. I was honored to meet (one Star) General Quinn as per LTC McLeary's suggestion. During our conversation, LTC McLeary informed General Quinn of my service to our battalion as the FRG Leader for the past three years, that my husband as well as my son were serving concurrently in Iraq and that my youngest son was about to deploy later this year. General Quinn assured me that he would look into Troy's problem and that I would receive an answer or an update from LTC McLeary by Wednesday.

I truly felt we had exhausted all military sources at the end of the day. Not many people are allowed to take their personal issues directly to a One Star General. It is not usual military protocol. I am blessed to be in a very unique position and was afforded a rare opportunity to do so! Tuesday morning I received two emails and a phone call stating the Troy's flight orders had been cut and were in the process for back pay!! One day ahead of schedule! Texas-sized Thank You to General Quinn! Big Thank Yous to all of the others who assisted in this challenge!

Wow... what a difference a STAR can make in one's life!

July has arrived!

Welcome July! We celebrated the 4th with family and friends in Oklahoma. During that time I received two very important phone calls... one from Christopher's unit about his eminent return and from Troy's unit in Virginia about going there to prepare for his return, too. Both are great news!

Christopher should be returning to his "home" unit some time between July 18th and the 29th. We won't know the date of his actual return until we are called 24 hours in advance. They will be having a welcome home celebration for his unit when they get back. After that he'll have 3 day weekends for the first month and then be home for 30 days. I'm hoping the days coincide with his father's return and before his brother (& Harris) leave for their deployment. It will be a challenge to get tickets to New York in that short of notice, but I'm planning on trying!

Troy's unit (the one he deployed with) also called and said they are having a "Redeployment" Yellow Ribbon Event mid-August for the families of the returning soldiers. It will deal with the changes the soldiers will experience, have experienced or how they have changed as well as we have during the deployment and how to work through it all. I know Troy's leave was a challenge, so re-adjusting to civilian life on the long term will also be a long bumpy road. We will deal with what happens as it happens and get through the challenges as they present themselves.

I've become more self-sufficient out of necessity and it will be challenge to give up the control over everyday things that I have had to take on over the last year. One interesting thing is that Troy will be the only one home to deal with my bossy-ness! Jeremy and Harris have been under my "rule" now for three months and they are often put to work on command. I won't have them to put to work or do the things I don't want to do. They have been gracious and most helpful. I'll REALLY miss their company and our wacky outings like bowling until 2am on a weeknight and going to see random movies.

Troy and I'll have to work out a new system of checks and balances. Should be interesting.

Let's not concentrate on the "far out" future of two or three months when the first two return from the sandbox. I need to focus on the here and now of summer and enjoy what life brings on a daily basis. I'm sure July will continue to bring lots of Army business and various surprises.

Where did June go??

How did the end of June get here so fast? I guess the trip to Orlando the first weekend, the trip to Los Angeles the second weekend, a Saturday with dear friends the third weekend and a very quiet time this weekend does equal a month!

Two major events have occurred since my last entry: The trip to Los Angeles and the moving out of our "room-mate" from Hell. Both were actually great in their own ways. First, the weekend to Los Angeles was again with/for the Army but was actually fun, too. I learned a lot about how to run an FRG correctly and met many new friends and contacts across the country. Wonderful Army women who are strong, smart, inspiring and definitely energetic as well as encouraging! We shared funny stories from our FRG's (Family Readiness Groups) and cried and/or laughed with each other over deployment stories, too. I learned that being an FRG Leader for our battalion is a job that I love even more now that I know how to do it correctly! My absolute favorite time on the trip was our adventure to Manhattan Beach where I had a yummy dinner of freshly grilled swordfish steak on a bed of spinach and shrimp risotto and a walk on the beach at sunset! It would only have been better if Troy had been there to share it with me!

Our second major event was the moving out of our three year roommate. It was OK in the beginning, but he decided he didn't want to pay rent any more once Troy left and the stress was really getting to me. When Troy was home on leave he gave him until the end of July to find his own place, but he did so by the end of June! I am so relieved to have my home back! Our newly spare room is going to be painted and our now mostly empty garage will be cleaned and prepared for a garage sale in August or September. I'm elated to be back to "normal" again around here. I'm sure it will take some time to readjust, but I'm ready.

Time is winding down in the sandbox for two of my soldiers. Can't say when exactly they will both be home (we don't have firm dates yet), but it should be soon. Also Jeremy and Harris are preparing for their pre-mobilization triaining they will be heading out for, too. Due to OP-SEC rules (Operation Security), I cannot publish actual dates of deployments (newly learned information from my trips to Orlando and Los Angeles), but if you read this and are interested in finding out, you can email me at michele.brannon@yahoo.com or find me on FaceBook and I'll let you in on the latest information.

I have a story from the sandbox for you readers, but it will have to wait until I can actually write it without crying through it! Patience, my readers!

First Summer Update

The summer of 2010 has arrived! The boys (Jeremy and Brandon), Grandma and I have been to Orlando, Florida for their Yellow Ribbon Event with the Army. I have been to Los Angeles, California for formal FRG (Family Readiness Group) training and my classroom is all packed up and ready to move to the new junior high school. Whew, we've been busy and today is only June 17th!

Our trip to Orlando the first weekend of June was great! Despite sitting through some informational classes on Saturday, we got to spend quality family (and friend) time and hang out around Downtown Disney. Not any of the actual parks, but it was fun and less expensive. Great seafood and crazy conversations! The Army paid for our fabulous trip via private chartered jet (for 50 soldiers and their families) and a lovely stay in a suite at Buena Vista Hotel and Spa.

The following week (last weekend) the Army sent me and my FRG treasurer Janet to Los Angeles, California for official training. We had a few airport SNAFU's, but arrived just in time Friday evening for our first class. That evening we went on a trolly ride through some scenic areas and down past Manhattan Beach. Saturday we had classes all day and at 4pm we were let loose to have fun. Two new friends went with Janet and me back to Manhattan beach where we walked on the beach and had an amazing seafood dinner. I had a swordfish steak on a bed of spinach and shrimp risotto. So Yummy!! We came back on Sunday and I had two days off but have been back at school/work Thursday - Friday of this week for a summer planning academy.

Jeremy quit his job so we can hang out and travel until he and Harris (Brandon) leave next month. We are planning trips to Six Flags, Sea World (San Antonio) and hopefully the beach. I almost forgot we are also headed to Tulsa during July to spend time with family! I'm excited to spend time with them before they deploy this fall.

More good news: Christopher should be home sometime in August and Troy should be making an arrival sometime in September. I'm excited to finally have my boys all together (a big maybe...) for Christmas this year. Jeremy's group will probably not leave the U.S. until sometime January although they will begin their deployment process (and countdown) around late October.

So far this is shaping up to be an action packed summer, so I'll keep you updated as often as possible! Hope you enjoy sharing in our craziness!

Good News and more good news!

Well, we have a new guest at Brannon Manor (aka Funny Farm)! Jeremy came home from three months of training and brought another soldier home to stay with us until they both deploy late summer. Jeremy is a kind-hearted soul like his mother and asked if Harris (of course his last name) could stay with us because he didn't have any where else to go since his other arrangements fell through. With Christopher being overseas, I thought it would be nice to have another "son" around the house for while. It is actually been a blessing to have Harris with us. He is a very kind 22-year-old young man who is very respectful and helpful around the house. We all get along exceptionally well. I actually have no complaints about the current living arrangements. By the way, I finally learned his first name is Brandon.

More good news is that we are losing one member of our household at the beginning of August. It is time to say "Goodbye" to dear Philip and his three vehicle entourage (PT Cruiser, motorcycle and giant work truck). It has been a long three years and to save any level of friendship, the time has come to go our separate ways!

All else is calm and quiet at the moment. Only 8 more days of school; lots of summer travel planned and some much needed time with family and friends is on the calendar. I am headed to Orlando, Florida; Marina Del Rey, California; Houston, Texas; Eagle River (Anchorage), Alaska and Tulsa, Oklahoma at various times this summer!

I am actually pretty excited about my new schedule for school this fall! I am only teaching honors classes! That is an entirely different level of students. I was at first a bit stressed at teaching Language Arts (writing only) since I have taught mostly reading the last six years, but I will have 7th graders in the morning and 8th graders in the afternoon. This is especially awesome since the 8th graders don't have a state test for writing. The 7th graders do, but with the honors kids that won't be a problem. I have already gone through the training this year for the writing program and my "partner in crime", Mr. Marley, will be teaching the same kids for reading! The honors classes will be our own department, we'll be continuing our school newspaper, moving into a brand new building and getting a new principal who has a reputation for being a pretty tough on disciplinarian! WOW!!

For now I am just waiting for this horrible school year to wind down and summer to heat up with fun and relaxation! Call or drop by to hang out with me... that is if you can catch me this summer!

Back to "Normal"

Well, we survived the two weeks of leave. No small matter when you have 8 months of separation to overcome in two weeks. This is inclusive of spending 2-3 days of preparation for his return to the battlefield. Again, an unnecessary statement: I hate the Army!!! I now have six more months of Skype and long distance romance to endure until another homecoming. Next time I will also have to work because it will be right after the new school year has begun.

We managed to squeak out more time together, no thanks to my job (with one small exception I'll explain shortly). We managed to enjoy the time we had left and were even able to spend a few days with Jeremy when he came home a few days before Troy's departure. I miss having a house full of family, particularly my guys! I truly realized this upon Jeremy's return with a friend who stayed with us Saturday and Sunday. We went to dinner together on Saturday and out to breakfast on Sunday as a "family" and it was wonderful. Jeremy and Harris (the Army last name thing) told us funny stories about their training days at Fort Knox, Kentucky and asked Troy about stories and information about his time in Iraq.

I missed my Christopher even more those days, too! I had not heard from him in over a week and was wondering how he was doing when I saw the photos of him and several of the New Orleans Saints Cheerleaders on his Facebook. He appeared quite happy in the photos! Glad to hear he is out of Baghdad for a while and able to have a better change in scenery.

I had to work that last week Troy was home due to state testing. In my contract it states that we are not permitted to miss those days for pretty much any reason other than hospitalization. Troy was scheduled to fly out on Thursday and a few of my co-workers in charge of the testing blessed me with an afternoon off to spend with my husband after the students I was monitoring finished and were moved to another group on Wednesday around 1pm. I was able to spend an extra 3-4 hours at home with him rather than be at work. The small things in life are often big blessings!

This last week I also received a call from Christopher's unit stating he would not be home early as they had anticipated. He now will be returning around October instead of this summer. I'm sad, but it is the way of the Army. Christopher will be home after Jeremy leaves for Iraq or Afghanistan (not sure yet where he is headed). We are hoping Troy will be home by late September and be able to see Jeremy before he deploys in October. All of this means I will not have my family together again for at least a year and a half. Again the statement: I hate the Army!

I am adjusting again to the quiet life at home. Jeremy is at Fort Walter this weekend for range exercises with his drill unit. I have two bridal showers this weekend and a graduation. It is hard to believe that my first group of 7th graders are graduating this year! One of my students graduated today from a Christian private school. She has returned to see me several times over the years and her sister was one of my students last year. She was struggling academically and is now pregnant, so the private school option was perfect for her. I am proud she made the effort to continue and graduate rather than drop out and be a statistic! She has a very difficult home-life and to see her succeed despite her "issues" is wonderful! I plan to attend the Everman graduation this year to see others from my first class of kiddos.

Counting down the weeks and days until school is done for the year. I am soooo ready for summer! I am planning lots of fun stuff and looking forward to trips to Nashville, TN; Marina Del Rey, CA, Houston, TX and Eagle River, AK! I am also expecting family here for the 4th of July! The summer also comes with a Family Day for our unit, a change of command ceremony and an opening ceremony for our new facilities just off base (with a new office for me!)

Lots to tell about in the upcoming months!

Homecoming / Visit

Let me start by stating the obvious: "I hate the Army." I know this sounds silly, but I just have to get that off my chest first.

Second, I find "homecomings" to be very difficult adjustments. Despite the obvious adjusting to each other again moments, there are many little things one does not anticipate to be hurdles. For example, the time change: I am awake during the day and he is sleepy/grumpy. He is up at 3am wondering why I am still sleeping and wasting time while I am wondering why he is asleep at 6pm and not spending time with me. Frustrating. He has forgotten what American food he likes. I am in fear of choosing a restaurant or food he does not like and what he liked before, he now questions or dislikes. Confusing. He now has rock star status and everyone wants to see him. I am clamoring for his attention, too and I still have to go to work almost every day he is home. Irritating.

I am trying to be understanding, but my emotional strength is waning and we haven't made it through the first five days yet. I planned a quiet first few days alone since it was our 22nd anniversary. We take turns each year to plan our anniversary celebration. I thought it was up to me to make the plans. I guess not. We spent the evening with friends, not a problem in the big picture of life, but sure monkey wrench in my plans for a quiet first four days together. Tomorrow will be with more friends and so forth on Sunday.

I find I am struggling to find a way to spend time with my husband and not be bitter at the same time. We have shared a hard won 22 years together and this deployment has been the longest we have ever been apart. When he was at training three years ago, I did not know about the concessions I would be making but got a crash course lesson. At the time, he was in a hotel in Virginia for four months sleeping in a queen size bed and I was doing the same here at home. I loved sleeping where and how I wanted all by myself in the bed while he was gone and he did the same. When we returned to sharing the same bed it was like a combat zone. We had to learn to stay on our own halves and compromise on space. His return from this deployment has been easier on that front because I learned from that lesson. I knew Troy was going to be sleeping in tents, on cots or something similar (a twin size or smaller) so here at home I made sure I stayed sleeping on my half of the bed. I blocked his side by keeping my laptop, cell phone (and the cats) on his side of the bed. This prevented the combat zone problem upon his return. It was a fairly smooth transition this time.

I am still learning that compromise is the name of the game. I'll let you know how the rest of his leave goes as we work through it day by day.

T-shirt Funnies

I was on the Army Wives Network FaceBook site yesterday and the topic was "Favorite sayings for t-shirts." I'm sharing some of my favorites! I'll also be using some of them for my FaceBook posts over the next weeks. (Feel free to add any military branch for Army!)

"If you don't stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them!"
"Love the soldier, hate the war"
"My husband fought for your freedom today. What did yours do?"
"True love survives any amount of distance and time: I'm a Soldier's Girl"
"Army Wives are angels with cammo wings"
"Be safe, sleep with a soldier: Just not MINE"
"I ditched Ken and found me a GI Joe"
"Army Wife: Don't confuse your rank with my authority"
"I legally mess with government property"
"Not everyone gets to sleep with a hero. I do, I'm an Army Wife"
"Some heroes wear capes, mine wears combat boots"
"The Army is my husband's mistress and sometimes that BITCH gets all the attention!"
"The Army isn't the only one that makes my soldier say HOOAH"
"Army Wives are made of: courage, commitment, toughness, sacrifice, talent, heart, determination and guts ... To Heck with sugar and spice"
"Don't give me your sob story about your husband being gone on a business trip... try a deployment"
"My husband serves so yours won't get drafted"
"Keep your shining armor, I love my soldier in dirty ACU's"
"Keep your prince in shining armor, my soldier comes in body armor"
"I'll take my dirty GI Joe over your pretty Ken any day"
"You dream of a hero... I married mine"
"My husband and my sons serve in the US Army... do you really want to mess with me now?"
"Sexually deprived for your freedom"

The one that fits me the best right now is:
"Surviving my first deployment...bitching and erratic behavior possible"

If you have others, please share them.

Just saying...

What a week! Christopher is moving somewhere new in Iraq. Troy is still flying in Chinooks somewhere in Iraq. Both very busy with the national elections this weekend over there. Jeremy is still training on Apaches at Fort Knox and doing pretty well also.

My week?? Well, I went back to the doctor a third time in three weeks for my ears. The lingering cough from the pneumonia will be around for a couple more weeks according to the doctor, but I'm now working on unplugging my ears so I can hear like a normal person again. My kids at school (7th graders) took their 1st of two state assessments (in Writing this week and Reading will be late April) and the district "Axe Lady" with pink slips made a visit to our campus. I am not on the chopping block, but it is still stressful when several friends lose their jobs. Despite all of that, I'm feeling much better and FRIDAY has arrived. Yeah Weekend!!

Missing my boys terribly about now. It has been too long since any of them have been home. The sons were home in January and Troy November. I probably sound like a bipolar person right about now, but that is how it goes for me if I have too much time to think. I'm very proud of what my men have chosen to do with their lives, but as a wife and mother it is nearly impossible to ignore the pain and anxiety of separation that comes with the choice of military service. I have friends who understand that point deeply. Thank you April for teaching me so much about sacrifice and separation long before I knew I was going to be learning any lessons on the issue! Your friendship has been a godsend as well as your blog!! I deeply miss you and am planning to come sometime in late June or late July. Still looking at some dates, so please pencil me in at Johnson Inn!!

I always thought it would be so wonderful to be able to have control of the remote whenever I wanted to have it, but now I don't care so much. At first it was a power rush just to know that I could watch what I wanted when ever I wanted. Not so much any more. Sometimes I just sit in his chair because it is his and it is all I have right now besides an empty space in the bed we have shared for so many years. I knew it would be a difficult sacrifice, but my heart is aching so much more than I ever anticipated. The boys' room is empty, too. No one to randomly come in and say, "Hey, Mom, how was your day?" or "Hey, Mom, I love you." The silence is often deafening around here.

I am incredibly grateful for my friends! I appreciate the calls, texts and FaceBook posts with words of encouragement. Thanks to those of you who let me hang out with your families and have adopted me as part of your own. I am deeply grateful for company and occasional shoulders for support. My friends at work have been incredible, too. I don't know how I would have made it this far without so much encouragement.

I'm not sure too many people want to read the rantings of an Army Wife/Mom, but I'm posting for my sanity whether anyone else cares to read it or not!

Beginnings

Welcome to our crazy life! Our family consists currently of two soldiers in Iraq, one at Fort Knox, Kentucky, a son who lives here locally and ME! I'm the crazy mom who is holding down the homefront, my blood pressure and a job as a middle school teacher!

My life is not easy, but I love it and my guys! I would not trade it for the world!

Welcome to my foray into the world of blogging. We'll see how it goes for now. I'm just beginning, so bear with me please.