tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35046487003259868732024-03-05T13:17:26.044-06:00Have Monkeys - Will TravelLife adventures and moments that my family and I experience while living the military life.Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-27320858599558784902012-12-31T08:40:00.002-06:002012-12-31T08:40:36.264-06:00A look back and a look forwardI sit here thinking back on 2012, just as most people are today. Where have we been and just look how far we've come has been the biggest things on my mind. Leaving the military life was oh so bittersweet. And it's definitely been a change. It's weird because I've been the civilian. I've lived in the regular world. But just the past six years have changed so much in my life. How I see things. Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-75061938985045462862012-12-12T20:51:00.000-06:002012-12-12T21:05:56.194-06:00I am so honored!!!A few months ago, a dear friend of mine asked me to write a blog to appear on her website. The amazing Her War Her Voice group that I have come to hold dear to my heart, including the ladies that participate.
Today...my blog post was published on their webpage.
Can I just say I am so honored to have been asked.
Here's the link to what I wrote....
How Did I Get Here?
I look forward to Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-82059520552357261142012-11-18T07:41:00.003-06:002012-11-18T07:41:46.899-06:00Where has the time gone??It seems just yesterday that we left Kansas and moved back home. We've gone through some challenges and struggles, but we are finally getting settled. We've closed on our home. I have a job. Life is becoming routine. Psh yeah right. Life is never routine around here. At least we try to have a routine.
I still have those moments that it all feels very surreal. Like we're really not here to live. Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-69803869530550445302012-09-05T10:15:00.003-05:002012-09-05T10:15:57.291-05:00I once was lost...Now I am found...Oh sheesh...where should I start?? I'm so far behind on my blogging.
Uhh...fast recap.... We have moved away from Kansas. We're in Tennessee. We still have no home. We are hanging in there, living with family and friends helping us out.
I'm still looking for a job. Hubby is officially retired from the military now. And we're still waiting on retirement and/or VA benefits to kick in.
We're Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-78523506295272730832012-07-17T12:59:00.000-05:002012-07-17T12:59:34.424-05:00Expectations?When going through the medboard process, how do you know what expectations to have? I feel like we've prematurely expected everything to be done by now. We've packed our home. We've painted. We've cleaned. We've done our housing pre-inspection. I've withdrawn my daughter from school. The people who know things first told us a couple of weeks until we would have orders in hand. Now, we're hearing Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-38831880773047015552012-06-13T11:02:00.000-05:002012-06-13T11:02:00.476-05:00The next chapter....It's the beginning of the end of this chapter for our family. My husband's medboard process has moved along. He received his percentages from the VA and the Army. We are very pleased with the outcome. They will be medically retiring him as well. Which is amazingly wonderful! The bonus to that is the kids and I will keep full benefits! I'm beyond relieved!!!
So, now begins the bittersweet Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-81313303725530118492012-05-22T18:03:00.001-05:002012-05-22T18:03:31.329-05:00It's scary out there!I've been thinking lately. (I know that's nothing unusual and yet scary all at the same time.)
I'm officially unemployed again. The school year has ended, summer vacation has started. And so begins the countdown to moving away from Kansas back home near our family.
There's alot of things that I'm going to miss about the military life. Weird, strange things that we take for granted. The civilianSharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-88913576993437201632012-05-03T20:58:00.000-05:002012-05-03T21:02:37.449-05:00Nothing is certain...I'm feeling a bit bipolar the last few days. Too many highs and lows in my moods for my liking. Maybe it's hormonal instead of bipolar. Oh but wait...they're very similar.
My daughter had her last choir concert at the high school she attends the other night. Those kids are amazing. Here's a peek............ (warning...I'm a photographer...not a videographer! lol)
I wish I had half of their Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-51399413250742945892012-04-22T22:46:00.003-05:002012-04-22T22:46:47.161-05:00Productive DayIt's been a very productive day. I am completely exhausted now.
I had three photo sessions today for my project Operation Me: Project Army Wife. They were all amazing. I can't wait to get edits done. Which, of course, will have to wait. I'm so behind on edits from other shoots as well. So, I guess I should get cracking on that this week.
We had so much fun with the shoots today though. Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-80646794018880173092012-04-20T21:33:00.002-05:002012-04-21T09:31:52.456-05:00Operation Me: Project Army WifeI mentioned in my last post about a photography project I'm working on. I've gotten a blog started for that project.
You can find it here
http://operationme-projectarmywife.blogspot.com
Please check it out.
For more info regarding this project, please message me on either blogsite.
ShariSharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-33985620242664833112012-04-17T22:30:00.001-05:002012-04-17T22:36:00.526-05:00I once was lost....I've been discussing PTSD with a friend who's husband has recently been diagnosed. Not something that I would have ever imagined I'd be giving advise about in my lifetime. But there it is. During this conversation, I brought up how wives change. And this could be any wife, not just military wives. We bend and change ourselves to fit into our husband's life. And it's true. I've changed so much in Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-73940326594154860302012-03-21T17:27:00.000-05:002012-03-21T17:27:37.408-05:00One day at a time....Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
So true.
And it's like the saying about You'll never see the trees if you keep looking at the forest.
mmm hmmmm
I'm a here and now kind of person. Live in the moment. Granted, it's good to have goals and a plan for the future. But sometimes...you gotta just live for the now.
And God love my Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-70027678970383166912012-03-11T11:09:00.000-05:002012-03-11T11:09:49.919-05:00Breathe....It's a dreary Sunday morning. A little chilly and everything is wet from rain. But it almost has a spring-like feel to it. What happened to winter? Whatever it is...let's just keep moving forward. After the tease of warmer temps, I can't imagine the thoughts of snow or a blizzard now. Spring fever is officially hitting.
I spent some time with my neighbor sitting on her front porch drinking Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-54931931317139062742012-03-01T23:08:00.000-06:002012-03-01T23:08:41.485-06:00Famous Quotes of the WeekQuotes that may not be famous yet...but they should be.
"Sheesh Mom....grow some ovaries!!" - my 16 year old daughter
"Ay. Ay. Ay. Ay" (as said in the tone of the seagulls on Finding Nemo) - my 16 year old daughter and her two 16 year old friends on a car ride home.
"Mine. Mine. mine. mine." - the soldier working gate guard duty after hearing previous quote and spoken in the same tone of the Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-58865955544761316072012-02-26T13:18:00.001-06:002012-02-26T13:34:11.373-06:00It's getting real.I've been working pretty hard on the photography thing lately. I have finished all my classes and I'm down to the last two projects. I've been racking my brain on one of the projects for weeks now trying to decide what to do. It's a still life project with the scenario being for an art gallery. I'm trying to stay away from anything that looks commercial, which is what my thoughts tend to drift Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-6792848997845861562012-02-07T19:57:00.000-06:002012-02-07T19:57:12.764-06:0010 for TuesdayThe weeks 10 random thoughts...
1) I've been working on a blog for a few days now about "my story". Actually it's titled "My Totem". It will all be explained when I post it. But I am working really hard on it and hope to have it perfected in a day or two.
2) It snowed today. We've gone all winter with very little snow. As compared to last winter when we were hit with blizzards Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-37434519701297969182012-01-22T10:20:00.000-06:002012-01-22T10:20:41.253-06:00Stop and Listen/LookI woke up this morning, way too early for a Sunday of course, and took the pup out. As I stepped out on the porch, in Kansas, I had a feeling of being at the beach. The wind is crazy out there today. The air has a touch of warmth to it, but a damp warmth. It must have rained sometime in the night so everything was soggy. The air smelled of moisture and earth. It was somewhat nostalgic to say the Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-28307999707822905622012-01-20T20:08:00.001-06:002012-01-20T21:16:51.227-06:00Commissary Coupon MusingsI feel hyper. I have an unnatural high all related to couponing and the commissary.
I went to the commissary (for you civilians...grocery store) today by myself. It was a rather enjoyable experience even though I sat in the parking lot for a moment dreading the hassle. I only had a partial list of what we needed which could be a disaster because a) I would buy more than I really Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-597769737377094582012-01-18T17:10:00.000-06:002012-01-18T17:10:05.961-06:00One stack or two?I haven't blogged in a long time. Lots been going on here. Some good stuff. Some not so great. I miss the days that I have some random story that I can write about and be creative through the words on the screen. But, alas, my muse has gone mute.
Although, today, I had a weird conversation at work. How I get sidetracked onto completely random topics is beyond me. But, I was talking about Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-1932307433656924182012-01-03T20:18:00.000-06:002012-01-03T20:18:25.053-06:00I Know I'm Alive!!Some days I wonder why do I feel so.....old. It's hard to start moving first thing in the morning. By the time I get out of the shower my legs already hurt. While drying my hair, I spend a good 5 minutes blow drying my legs just for the heat. It is comforting. By the end of the day, my legs have stabbing pains, spasms, tightness and constant ache. Not to mention the arthritis in my knees and the Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-39018428433186063142011-12-31T10:29:00.000-06:002011-12-31T10:29:15.403-06:00A Little PerspectiveHere is sit at the end of 2011 and thinking back at what kind of year we've had. Good times, bad times. Happiness, loss. And definitely lots of changes. Makes you wonder what 2012 has in store. I'm definitely thankful I had my husband home the entire year. And dealing with the PTSD, although its a life changing illness, at least we learned alot about it and how to approach it better. Granted Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-91368119394715679202011-12-28T13:28:00.000-06:002011-12-28T13:28:49.202-06:00On my soapbox...How unprofessional of you!!!I gotta say something that has really rubbed me the wrong way...yet again.
It really annoys me when you are a "professional" in your field but find it necessary to bad mouth amateurs who, from what I've been told, are doing the exact same thing you did to get started. I find it very unprofessional and very unbecoming. I can understand it takes alot of work to get to the point Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-8401710074003885382011-11-20T09:54:00.000-06:002011-11-20T09:54:41.707-06:00Stop and ListenI woke up this morning with an update from my cousin about how my grandmother was doing. She's been sick for a very long time now. And the past few days have been really bad. Her organs have begun to shut down and the doctors say its a matter of time at this point.
What bothers me most is that I'm not there to help my family right now. We're a tight knit clan who have always been there for each Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-87491036408561042022011-11-18T21:20:00.000-06:002011-11-18T21:20:26.019-06:00What to do...besides make excusesOnce again, I had a visit with my counsellor yesterday and she asked me what I've been doing for me. And, as per the usual, I couldn't think of a darn thing. I always use the excuse "I've been doing photo shoots. I really like doing those." But of course that doesn't qualify because technically: a) it's "work" b) it's not for me and c) it really is ALOT of work. So, here I sit on a Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504648700325986873.post-22710101881679479182011-11-13T08:34:00.000-06:002011-11-13T08:34:00.214-06:00Hindsight and Me vs. the curbI can't believe it's Sunday, again, and I don't remember Friday and Saturday. I think that's because I've been working the past several weekends. Working, meaning photography stuff and photo shoots...ie: my second job. In the past week, I've done 5 photo shoots, which include a wedding. I think this is amazing! But of course, I'm still busy even after the shoots are over. I have tons Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17500123619904553002noreply@blogger.com0