June 2010 will always go down as an important month in getting me where I am today.  It was the month I left the Kansas City suburb I still call home for a bustling east coast town in Maryland.  It was the month I jumped head first into my new life as a wife to an American soldier.  It was the month my midwestern mindset was shattered into a million pieces as everything I knew was left in the rear view mirror.  It was the month I stumbled into life and started living fearlessly.

For years my life goals were simple and fairly in line with just about everyone else I grew up with.  Four years of school after high school, get a degree, start a career, get married, have kids and raise them near my family.

I graduated in 2008 from high school, started school at the local community college that fall, and by winter break I was dating Rob.  He was still in training and our love story started over quick visits home and a long distance relationship.  We got married in March of 2010 and lived apart until I walked the stage for my Associate's Degree two months later.

Finally we loaded down my Toyota Corolla with all of my worldly possessions and drove into my new life as a wife to my husband.  We'd only ever dated long distance and now all of a sudden I was leaving home, moving over 1,000 miles away and the only person I knew was my husband.  Can you hear that ideal list of life goals blowing up?

Back then I didn't see my decision as a giant adventure or a chance to live fearlessly.  Lets be honest... I was terrified.  Looking back at my 20 year old self, I am proud of that choice.  I grew up.  I faced life.  And I've learned so very much in the years since.

Being a part of the military world is an adventure in and of itself.  But nothing can truly prepare you for it.  Each day presents itself as a great list of unknowns.  We could get orders tomorrow to move to another country.  My husband could find out he is deploying for months on end to a war zone.  The travel distance between here and home could grow immensely.  My family may never get to experience certain milestones with my kids.  The hardest moments of my life will probably be mastered without my village.  I may know no one in my new city when I need someone the most.

But at the end of the day... you put all of that aside.  You live fearlessly.  Tomorrow will come.  Challenges may present themselves, but we will cross that road when we get there.  Together.  Because after all, I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for love.  Something I never could have experienced had I not been willing to live fearlessly.

How are you living fearlessly?

Share your story using the hashtag #LivingFearless and be entered to win a grand prize get away from Protection 1.  For more information click here.



always,
amanda

June 2010 will always go down as an important month in getting me where I am today.  It was the month I left the Kansas City suburb I sti...

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.


We moved six hours north from Georgia to Tennessee last fall.  We have been in our current house for almost 9 months and we finally have a complete house.  Decorated, unpacked, the works.  We went from a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house - to a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house with a bonus room.  It has been quite the transition... and I've learned a few things along the way.

1. Keep hardware for things you take apart, WITH the thing you took apart.  We have replaced almost all of the hardware to go with the crib that was in Grace's room at the old house and now Brooke's room here.  I have not a clue where the original nuts and bolts went.

2. Purge pre-move.  My husband packed almost our entire house as we got the final word from the Army and had a deadline of moving out just two weeks later.  We decided to move ourselves instead of having the Army do it.  So the weight was good, but the extra stuff not needed here in TN, was not fun to move up the fifty million steps our current home has.

3. Sell furniture you want to replace before you move it to another state.  In our case, I REALLY wanted to replace our old dressers that are literally falling apart.  My husband wanted to move them with us for the extra weight on the truck that translates into money later.  Here we are, 9 months later and these atrocious dressers are still housing our clothing.  Had I gotten rid of them before we moved, we would have been forced to replace them sooner.  See what I did there?

4. Don't let the boxes sit.  It was challenging to actually get all of our boxes unpacked (which is a stretch as Rob still has most of his garage stuff in boxes...) as I was in my first trimester when we first got here and literally wiped out from doing nothing.  As a result, we weren't really moved in for almost six months.  SIX MONTHS.  That's insane.  I sat up our entire house in Georgia in one week.  Just do it and you'll feel SO much better.  (And maybe try not to move while pregnant...)

5. Consider renting furniture for your transition period.  Because we went from a 3 bed/2 bath to a 4 bed/3 bath with an extra living area, we had entire rooms empty when we first moved here.  EMPTY.

CORT Furniture Rental a Berkshire Hathaway Company, is a furniture rental company that easily could have helped us fill those rooms for as low as $119 a month*.  When you rent furniture, it is there when you need it and gone when you finally figure out what to do with that extra square footage.  It's less hassle and can help a home really feel like home.

I mean, who doesn't crave convenience when moving?  That is what CORT is all about.

Now that we are finally settled - I know it is just a matter of time before we are counting down the days to our next duty station.  That is the life we live after all.


What tips would you include for moving?

*$119/mo military pricing is only available on military packages.  Customer must present valid Military I.D. before delivery.





always,
amanda

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA . All opinions are 100% mine. We moved six hours north from Georgia ...

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day! Today I am celebrating all the unique and fabulous women that make up this military spouse comm...

The month of April is coming to a close.  Rob left to go TDY (military lingo for temporary duty - or in this case, training, elsewhere) yesterday.  It's a short separation.  Thankfully.  But it is just another reminder of this crazy lifestyle we are associated with.

This month, the month of April, the nation takes a moment to celebrate all the military children in this nation.  The kids born into this lifestyle and not given a choice.  The resilient kids who grow up far away from family and friends but somehow manage to make the best out of every situation.

I am the mother of not just one, but two, military children now.  One born in Georgia while stationed at Fort Gordon.  The other born in Tennessee while stationed at Fort Campbell.  The chances of them graduating in the same state they were born in are very slim.  Who knows where we will be 16 and 18 years from now.

Both girls have now gone through separations from their daddy, and it is certainly not going to be the last time either.  They will look back on life and have periods where their parent is missing, but they will carry on in the face of adversity because it will be all they have ever known.

Do I wish sometimes my kids could live down the street from their grandparents and grow up next to their cousins and aunts and uncles?  Yes.  More than anything.  But I know that my children will grow up with a unique set of personality traits and life memories that others may not get.  They will grow up strong - partly because they are military children.

So today... I thank the Lord for these amazing little people who take this lifestyle by the horns and don't look back.  Today, I celebrate them.  Through all the stresses of being by myself with them, I am thankful to have these sweet little girls to help me through the trials of the military life.



always,
amanda

The month of April is coming to a close.  Rob left to go TDY (military lingo for temporary duty - or in this case, training, elsewhere) ...

I've typed and re-typed a hundred times the thoughts in my mind... and everything sounds like a bunch of whining or a bunch of "we-haven't-finished-unpacking" nonsense.  So I'm going to keep it simple and bullet point my thoughts...

• While there are still boxes in the house, Rob moved everything remaining to unpack inside from the garage.  So now there are boxes in the guest bedroom, our bedroom and the top of the stairs.  It sort of puts them in your face... which hopefully means I will tackle them sooner.
• Being pregnant has made it so my motivation to unpack is null and void.
• Our next visitors are coming in less than a month... aka my have the house finished deadline.
• We went from a super large master bedroom closet in my little one bedroom apartment in KC while Rob was in Kuwait, to a manageable master bedroom closet in Georgia, to an even smaller master bedroom closet here.  I've still got like two boxes to unpack of closet stuff and I'm not sure where it is all going to go...  definitely first world problems.
• We got two extra linen closets in both of our upstairs bathrooms, so one of those will probably turn into extra master bedroom storage.  There is no shortage of closets in this house, we just got jipped with our master one.
• I'm looking at joining some groups out here to get my social game going strong.  A few of these potential opportunities are giving me anxiety because they are out of my "social norm".
• A Pray and Play group offered by our new church.  I haven't been a part of a prayer group since high school probably.  Sometimes I worry I am not Catholic enough to study His Word every week.  It sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it is so so true when I sit here and think about it.
• A MOPS group on base.  There next meeting is tomorrow and I am still on the fence about going.  Which I can't figure out why!  For some reason I think I have a stigma around moms groups of any kind because they can be full of super crunchy moms, which I am not.  So will I fit in?
• Then we have the groups that I am not worried about.
• The Fort Campbell Spouses' Club, of course.  While I don't plan on joining the board for awhile, if ever, I am excited to get out there and going to socials again.  AND we have decided to get Grace booked into hourly care while I go to these type of gatherings... so once or twice a month (maybe more?) she will be in childcare.  Crazy!
• The Clarksville Library story time.
• ACS playtime.
• I'm excited to be involved in activities that will benefit Grace as well.  She has definitely reached the age where other kids interest her more.  She WANTS to play with others, and I want to give her those opportunities.
• I'm trying to be the mom that stops at the park more often.  Long day of running errands?  Throw the park in between.  Accompanied mom to a doctors appointment?  Go to the park after.  Even thirty minutes seems to make things better for Grace and I.
• Grace is still not really a coherent talker.  If you ask her a question she says "ya" to basically everything.  She knows what you are asking her though, she just doesn't verbalize much of a response.  We have been trying to work with her to get her to say words when she wants something, but she would rather grunt or whine to get what she wants.  Most of the time I can figure out what that means, but it is getting old y'all.  Any advice?
• I can't keep up with the laundry.  At all.  It is a nuisance.
• When I went to get in-processed in to the OB department at the hospital on post, they could not find ANY of my records from Fort Gordon.  I had a bunch of extra tests done and I even saw a specialist and none of that came with me.  Thankfully they found them under a different name format.. so apparently I have two medical files... but I still don't know whether they will consider this pregnancy high risk due to my blood clot issues or just regular.  (I was considered high risk at Fort Gordon and seen in the OBGYN department as opposed to Family Medicine--here it is the difference between being seen by a midwife and being seen by an OB.)
• Isn't it crazy how different things can be from place to place?  I'm still adjusting.
• There is no Warrant Officer Association Auxiliary here yet... which sort of has me bummed out.  But Rob went to the Warrant Officer Association gathering today and had a really positive response to the whole thing.  Which makes me very excited.  Plus they even decided to nominate him for a secretary position because he is new blood.  ;)  I'd vote for him.

always,
amanda

I've typed and re-typed a hundred times the thoughts in my mind... and everything sounds like a bunch of whining or a bunch of "...

If you follow me on Instagram you know that almost a week ago we got the keys to our new place here just outside of Fort Campbell.  By Saturday evening the moving truck was unloaded.  Wish I could say the same for the boxes.  I have had zero motivation to put this house together.  Part of that is we gained a ton of square footage and honestly... our house looks almost empty in some areas.  I'm giving myself credit though because the kitchen is fully done and so is Grace's room.  Rob's man cave can basically be considered done too, because I'm not in charge of that room.  Which leaves the master bedroom, three bathrooms, the spare bedroom, living room and dining room.  No big deal.

Other than not getting unpacked quickly, we have had a chance to get out and about in Clarksville.  So far I am not sure what to think of the area.  It is certainly different than what we left in Georgia.  I'm not sure yet if it is a good different or a bad.  I am excited to get further settled and involved on post.  Until then I will try and stay alive on certain roads that crazy drivers seem to love.  It is yet a different kind of crazy compared to what we had when we were stationed at Fort Meade and different still from Fort Gordon too.


We did have our first visitors this last weekend.  My parents were able to come down for the weekend (because now we live close enough to do that... weekend visits!!!) and help us unload the truck and get some things set up.  It was awesome having the extra hands to help with Grace.  Grandparents don't mind chasing toddlers who are only entertained when undoing whatever you just finished doing.  Both parents enjoyed their time here I think, even though they were put to work and had to sleep on an air mattress.

So that is what is happening in our new neck of the woods.  I think I am going to be buried in boxes for basically ever.  Not to mention we randomly decided to vacation before Rob signs in... so there goes that time too.  I'm not complaining though.. I will take vacation over unpacking ANYY DAYYYY.  Hopefully  the next post up will be the best and worst of Augusta.. I've been working on it for awhile now and want it to kind of be a conclusion to our time at Fort Gordon.  But I can't guarantee when or if that post will go up.

Happy fall y'all!


always,
amanda

If you follow me on Instagram you know that almost a week ago we got the keys to our new place here just outside of Fort Campbell.  By S...

Today we got the e-mail we were waiting on.  The one that told us... your wait is over, get on with it to Fort Campbell.  It may not be what my husband was hoping for, but for now... we are okay.

It means a deployment is more than likely in the future.  It means we have a little over two weeks to pack up this house and get to the TN/KY line.  It means we have that same amount of time to say goodbye, cut off utilities and transfer our life about 8 hours away.

There are pros and there are cons.. but it was the hand dealt to us.  And more than anything, it is an answer.

So if you need me, I will be packing the house... and eating my way (with the help of my family) through the $250 worth of groceries purchased yesterday.........



always,
amanda

Today we got the e-mail we were waiting on.  The one that told us... your wait is over, get on with it to Fort Campbell.  It may not be w...

Let's face it... being a military spouse does not makes it easy to have a career.  The whole moving from duty station to duty station business is not ideal for a long term career solution.  As much as we would love to stick it out with that absolutely amazing job that popped up at duty station A... we find ourselves preparing for a move to duty station B because we go where our heart goes and they unfortunately have to listen to their boss, the United States Government.

It is a fact that when the military is a part of your marriage, you have to plan accordingly.  When it comes to your career, it must be portable.  It must work at duty station A, B, C, D and Z too.

Whatever it is you decide to do with your career... choose a school that will back you every step of the way.  Martinsburg College is one online college that keeps military spouses and our lifestyle in mind every step of the way.  Whether it is a certificate or a degree you are looking for, they offer a wide range of schooling solutions including Financial Management and Accounting, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Office Administration and so many more.

When Rob and I got married, basically forever ago now, I was still working towards finishing up my schooling.  I had a quarter life crisis and went through three degree programs.  Teaching... probably would not have survived dealing with other parent's kids. Interior Design... unless you live in NYC, the midwest probably will not provide too many career opportunities. Before I eventually settled on graphic design. The absolute best part of graphic design is that I can work for a design company or I can work for myself and do freelance design. Freelance = portable.  I can work with clients from a distance.  I can have clients from duty station A, B, C, D and Z too.  I don't have to be local to make it work.

I was sold.

Have I done much with my degree since getting it?  No.  Nothing major, but I do little projects here and there.  Knowing that I can eventually do something with it, no matter where we are, makes it valuable to me as a military spouse.  I don't have to worry about where we may pop up on orders to (except for when life is put on hold waiting to know if your orders may or may not change at the very last possible minute... making your current move stressful!  I digress...) because I know that my career can easily go with me.

Choosing a portable career is definitely the way to go when it comes to being a military spouse.  I've got friends that went to cosmetology school and take their hands, their talent, from duty station to duty station.  I've got friends that got business degrees and can rock out a front desk or run an office like a champ.  I've got friends that I'd trust with my accounting and taxes any day of the week, because they are that good with numbers.

Keep in mind that if your spouse is an E-5 or lower, you qualify for MyCAA funding.  Take advantage of this and get a portable career... and this crazy stressful life, will be a little less crazy and a little less stressful.

For more information about MyCAA and Martinsburg College, please visit this special Facebook group full of helpful resources and information for military spouses.

Disclosure - I received compensation for this post, but all opinions and stories are my own.



always,
amanda

Let's face it... being a military spouse does not makes it easy to have a career.  The whole moving from duty station to duty station...

The silence on the radio for the last 11 days brought to you courtesy of life.  A couple of posts ago I was all like... I've got nothing to do but pack.  Then our packing/moving plans were put on hold.  And now?  Now it seems like all hell has broke loose.

We still have no word on where we will 100 percent finish the year out at.  As of now we will be moving in October to Fort Campbell.  There is a month and a half between now and then though and as we all know with the military, a lot can happen.  So we are just buckled in and waiting for board results to come down so we know if this Cyber deal is a go or not quite yet.  It's fun.  Said in my most sarcastic voice ever.

Next week is my big event I've been preparing for since May.  Things are crazy chaotic getting vendor lists finalized, volunteers scheduled and just about every other little thing taken care of.  I'm on the computer when the internet isn't down responding to five billion e-mails and I've got to do lists a mile long when I'm not e-mailing.  But in t-minus 9 days, it's over.

My house has fallen apart in the mean time.  We ran out of dishwasher soap and used just about every dish in the house before I got more.  Nobody has time to hand wash dishes, so you can imagine the chaos that is/was my kitchen.  Rob cleaned out the garage.  Which is great.  Except a bunch of stuff made it's way inside to the dining room and so far hasn't been gone through.  AND did I mention I have a crazy toddler that delights in destroying as many rooms as possible in one day?  I'm drowning in chores y'all.

On the plus side, next week Rob is finally done with his WOBC schooling.  I know he is ready to be done with classwork and just get on with it.  It was made all the more real when I dropped off his dress uniform at the dry cleaner today.  I'm excited, he is excited, we are all excited for that final ceremony!

Anyway when I'm not trying to catch up on chores, or working on the Expo... I'm sleeping.  I can't get enough.  Mom life, for realz though.  I've been sleeping not so hot at night, which leads to the desire to nap during the day more.  So Grace naps?  I nap.  Which works great about 2 days out of the entire week.  But hey.. I will take what I can get.  You can NEVER have enough sleep.

I've got a book on my nightstand I've been reading for a solid month now probably and blogs out my butt to catch up on... but it's 12:30 in the morning and I'm joining my people in an evening slumber.

What are y'all up to?



always,
amanda

The silence on the radio for the last 11 days brought to you courtesy of life.  A couple of posts ago I was all like... I've got noth...

So the minute you put out into the world that you are ready to move in a month... something happens and you are stuck in a holding pattern with everything more or less on pause.

Rob is currently almost done with his schooling to become a Signal Warrant Officer.  But a new branch is being set up in the army - Cyber... and the deadline to drop a packet for that was last week.  So at the very last possible minute, Rob dropped one.

After a few phone calls we were essentially told to pause our plans to move to Fort Campbell.  Four scenarios could play out in the next two months:

1. Rob is selected to become a Cyber Warrant Officer and our orders to Fort Campbell are cancelled and we stay put here at Fort Gordon.

2. Rob is selected to become a Cyber Warrant Officer and our orders to Fort Campbell are cancelled and we are put on orders back to Fort Meade.

3. Rob is selected to become a Cyber Warrant Officer and we follow our orders to Fort Campbell as planned.  We move, Rob deploys, we are put on orders either back here or to Fort Meade a little less than two years later.

4. Rob is not selected to become a Cyber Warrant Officer and we go to Fort Campbell a few days late.  Rob would drop a cyber packet again at a later date.

In my opinion one of the first three scenarios will happen.  I am secretly still hoping we go to Fort Campbell and spend a few years being closer to home before moving further away again.  Obviously it would be better to not go there as we would avoid a deployment... but I am craving somewhere new.

Fort Meade and Fort Gordon are not new.  They are best for Rob's career though.  If selected Maryland and Georgia will essentially be our only choices for a few years before more locations open up in this very new branch of the military.

So, surprise... we will not know anything until the end of August at the earliest.  Since Rob is currently on orders we are hoping to know something by mid September, but it is always a waiting game in this life.

Just say a prayer I can keep my stress levels down.  I thought we were past this whole not knowing what the end of the year would look like business, and surprise, here we are again!

It's never dull around these parts...


always,
amanda

source// So the minute you put out into the world that you are ready to move in a month... something happens and you are stuck in a hol...

The ink on our orders to Fort Campbell has hardly even dried and the D word has already come up.  The one D word all military family members hate to hear...

Deployment.

I knew going into this PCS that a deployment was probably not far off.  Did I think we would already have a time frame and a location?  No - I didn't.

We've done this dance before.  Rob spent a year in Kuwait.  But it was just Piston and I left at home.  This time... our sweet girl will have to experience life without daddy for an extended period of time.

And that?  That breaks my heart.

It is a new kind of dance that will hopefully go a little faster, but will probably be a bit harder to learn.

Luckily this is 2015 and technology has advanced to the point that I will be able to keep a little piece of Rob with Grace wherever she goes.  By using recordable teddy bears and other battery-powered devices such as a recordable storybook, Grace will have the reliable comfort of her daddy no matter where he is.  That is worth a million bucks.

Duracell recently had the honor to meet a military family in California whose young daughter showed them how she was able to have the comfort of her father’s voice during his deployment through a battery-powered recordable teddy bear.  Duracell was so moved by this family, that they made a film inspired by their story.

I'd be surprised if your eyes are dry now...
"Since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001, more than 2 million American children have had a deployed parent. Many of them have seen multiple deployments:  3, 4, or even 5 family separations.

In honor of all of the families who stand beside our troops, Duracell wants to power more comforting moments for loved ones through a donation of $100,000 to USO’s Comfort Crew for Military Kids. Continue the conversation by sharing the film and find out how you can donate to the cause through the USO at http://www.uso.org/donate."

I know when our time comes to say goodbye to Rob, Grace's teddy bear will be powered with Duracell batteries... because reliability will hold so much power when everything else will be so unknown.



This review was made possible by iConnect and Duracell. I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions are 100% mine and Rob is really deploying next year....


always,
amanda

The ink on our orders to Fort Campbell has hardly even dried and the D word has already come up.  The one D word all military family members...

Flashback seven years ago.  Rob and I had just graduated from high school.  Our plans were big.  Law school for Rob at KU.  Elementary education for me at KSU.  Rival colleges.  We spent the month between graduation and June 25th doing summer things, because we were 18, young and free.  At the time we were just friends - the best of friends.

About a week before June 25th Rob dropped a bombshell on all of his friends.  He had decided to enlist in the United States Army.  Nobody expected that.  But we all accepted it - and knew he was destined to kick ass and take names.

June 25th, 2008 - Rob was officially in the Army and leaving for BCT in Georgia the next day.  Our only contact would be letters for the next ten weeks.  A flurry of text messages were sent the night before.  Tears were shed.  And he was off.

Here we are seven years later.  Married, parents, on his third assignment.  Rob has gone from BCT to SSG to Warrant Officer.  He has stepped up and lead.  He has learned and specialized.  He has grown up so much.

The Rob from June 25th, 2008 would not recognize the Rob of today.  He makes us all so proud.

Happy Army-iversary Rob!  You are my best friend and I am so proud to be your wife.

Here is to the next 13 plus years...



always,
amanda

"No matter where I go or what I do in life.  One thing is for sure you're in my heart forever and always." -Rob June 25...

If you didn't already know, we finally found out where we will finish the year out at.


Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

We were lucky and we got our first pick.

So why was Fort Campbell our number one pick?

• Going to a BCT/tactical unit is best for Rob's career at this stage in the game.  Like I said here, so far all that I know is strategic units, so this will certainly be an adventure.  To say the least.
• We are under eight hours from my parents and under seven hours to Rob's parents.  That's a win, win in my book.
• The houses we will be able to rent off post are exactly what we need right now, if not more.  4 bedrooms and some place to put a man cave other than the living room?  Check and check.
• Rob is particularly excited for the insane hunting and fishing.  Me?  I'm excited he is excited... but having a kiddo I don't get to enjoy that excitement on a personal basis.  #MomProblems
• It is not Korea, Fort Wainwright in Alaska or Fort Irwin in California.

always,
amanda

If you didn't already know, we finally found out where we will finish the year out at. Fort Campbell, Kentucky. We were lucky and...

Finally.. last week the list came down as to where we could possibly go.  While I'm not going to give specifics... it was not what we were expecting.  Although I don't know what I was expecting... I just know, it wasn't this.  I thought waiting around to know where we could possibly go was bad.  No.. now that I know where we could go, waiting to be assigned one of those slots is way way worse.  But as it goes in the military life.. we hurry up and wait my friends.  We have done what we could do and it is 100% out of our hands.  Hopefully we will know by the end of June.  Hopefully.


In other news, we finally watched American Sniper last weekend.  My thoughts?  Holy. Crap.  Saying Chris Kyle is an American hero is an understatement.  I can't imagine what he battled when he returned home.. after a career like that.  And then to know that he came home and was killed on American soil in a country he loved so deeply, makes me irrationally mad.

And Taya?  My heart aches for her.  I can't imagine the phone calls left dangling in the battle field.  The pain of knowing how much her husband was hurting inside and not being able to take it away.  Then loosing her other half way way too early.  Being a military spouse, it hits way too close to home.

This movie made me cry.  Not just because of the loss of this hero.. but because the next part of our military adventure is very unknown to me.  Rob likes to call it the "real Army".  In the five years we have been married, Rob has been stationed at Fort Meade, Kuwait and now here at Fort Gordon.  Two non-deployable slots sandwiched around Kuwait.  I haven't yet experienced what so many military spouses experience when it comes to deployments.  Rob spent a year in Kuwait.  It was hard and he has mentioned that he was boots on the ground in Afghanistan at one point or another, but I was blissfully unaware.  We were able to talk daily and except for the giant timezone difference, it was like we were just doing the whole dating long distance thing again.  Our next duty station will very likely include a deployment or two.  And I'd be lying if I said it doesn't scare me.

But I'm ready.  Or as ready as I can be.  So if you need me, I'll be anxiously awaiting Rob's RFO so we can finally figure out where we will be come September - and the end of WOBS.

Story of my life.



****thanks to all that entered the Sesame Street Live family 4 pack giveaway!  The winner is:


always,
amanda

Finally.. last week the list came down as to where we could possibly go.  While I'm not going to give specifics... it was not what we...

The Wednesday before my parents got here was the last event of the 2014-2015 Fort Gordon Spouses' and Civilians' Club club year.  And unlucky lucky for me it was an event I decided to take charge of.

With a lot of hard work and a great group of ladies helping me execute, it was a fairly successful event.  I think.  I spent the majority of the event inside Quarters One with the baby because it was 239851938 billion degrees (like 90) outside and I had just spent two hours sweating my butt off.  Then I helped serve the food and before I knew it... the event was over and we were sweating again loading way too much stuff back up.


Regardless, I am very appreciative that our adviser let us use her house, Quarters One (also known as the Commanding General's quarters) and that it went off without (mostly) a hitch.

The general gist?  We brought in tables, chairs and tents.  Went out and got tons of donations from club members and CSRA businesses.  Put together awesome goody bags.  Served a light lunch.  Played an ice breaker game.  And gave away lots of great prizes.  It was free to all of our members and guests - as an official send off to the club year.


And I'm not sad about it being the end of this club year.  I've mentioned the club on here before.  It has kept me the busiest this entire year while also keeping me in a constant state of frustration.  I took on two board member slots, membership chair and webmaster.  So that is the busy part.  The frustrated part?  It was a year spent fixing the constitution.  Working with conflict among other board members.  And battling roadblocks at every turn.  It wasn't always enjoyable.  So I am very glad it is over.

To the ladies I served on the board with... thank you.  I know it wasn't easy this year but I am a better person for knowing all of you.  I wish those departing nothing but luck and I wish those staying a successful 2015-2016 club year.


I'm not 100% done with the club yet.  I was talked into taking over the expo chair.  The FGSCC sponsors the CSRA-Fort Gordon Community Expo in August.  This will be our second year hosting it and thankfully last years chair ROCKED.  She took great notes and everything is completely laid out for me.  The expo is one day before Rob graduates.. so cutting it a bit close.  However, I think with the help of an expo committee and the incoming board.. we will rock it.  Hopefully. ;)


Regardless.. that quiet lull has fallen on my calendar with no immediate meetings in the future.  I'm okay with that... I really, really am.

always,
amanda

The Wednesday before my parents got here was the last event of the 2014-2015 Fort Gordon Spouses' and Civilians' Club club year.  An...

Friday May 8th.
The Friday before Mother's Day.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

Since 1984, our nation has taken this day to recognize military spouses.  "It was created by President Ronald Reagan, who wanted to raise awareness about just how much spousal commitment helps military personnel get through the worst of times, as well as celebrate the immense love these husbands and wives have for each other that makes this commitment possible." Source.

Today I am celebrating my friends in this journey.  The countless military spouses I have ran across in my 5 years as a military spouse.  The bloggers that have virtually connected with me to provide support when needed most.  To say this is an amazing and special group to be a part of, is an understatement.

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!




This also marks my second year of hosting the Military Spouse Appreciation Day link-up.  This year Jen is helping me host and it is EASY to join us.  Just answer these questions.. and then add your link!

//Tell us about yourself and your blog.

//What branch of military are you affiliated with?

//What is one thing you enjoy about the military lifestyle?

//What advice would you give other spouses who are new?


//My name is Amanda and I blog here at Somewhere Over the Camo.  My blog is a mish/mash of raising my sweet Grace, being a fur-mom to Piston and Rob's wife.  Rob has been in the Army for 6 years and we have been married for 5.  We've been to Fort Meade and now we are here at Fort Gordon.  But I am originally from Kansas - and will FOREVER be a Kansas Princess.  Rob just went Warrant in December and so we are awaiting orders to our new home.  Until then we are enjoying life in Georgia with some great friends and a busy calendar.

//One thing I love about the military lifestyle is the small close knit community that is formed by service members and their spouses worldwide.  It is hard to move all of the time, but also fun. And getting to meet so many people you may not otherwise meet (my best friend here in Georgia is originally from Massachusetts and our paths never would have crossed if it were not for the Army!), is something truly amazing.

//The best advice I can give is to GET INVOLVED.  You will hate always moving and never making friends if you don't put yourself out there.  I see so many spouses that have a rough go at it but they never volunteer on post or attend functions designed for meeting other people.  It is hard, but it is what you make of it.

Now it's your turn...



always,
amanda

Friday May 8th. The Friday before Mother's Day. Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Since 1984, our nation has taken this day to reco...

Lately there have been lots of little things adding up to an overall feeling of this life is good.  I guess we could call it spring.  Because spring and fall tend to bring the same feelings for me.

I'm loving how last Thursday went down.  I snuck out of the house after getting Grace down for a late nap.  Rachel picked me up and we were off to the CSRA Signature Military Spouse Appreciation Event.  This was my third year going and I am sad that it will be my last for a while (chances are we will return to Fort Gordon at some point!) - this event rocks!  Just being surrounded by so many amazing military spouses can put a smile on your face.  After an evening of good food, lots of pictures, some fun games and lots of goodies, I arrived back home to a happy baby and a happy, but tired, daddy.  Success my friends!  This was the first time I was able to go out and truly enjoy myself because Rob had things under control at home (we have had some issues when she watches me leave - and that she is still breastfed around sleepy time).


I'm loving that our sporadic stop in to Target last week yielded a Lilly Pulitzer for Target romper for Grace.  I like Lilly outfits, but don't think I could pull it off.  But I was browsing online to see what they had for littles - and shocked to see the sticker price on some of those Ebay and Instagram ads.  So hello $20, perfect shape, size 2T (next year!) romper.. I snatched that up real fast y'all.


I'm loving our weekend.  It was pretty low key.. but we spent basically the whole weekend with Nick and Abby.  The patio at the Mexican restaurant Friday night - Pizza and the fight Saturday night - and a chicken casserole that Rob threw together Sunday night.  Have I mentioned how thankful I am to have such great friends here?  Grace treats Abby like a second mom and it warms my heart to know that I have someone like that here.


I'm loving the way our summer is starting to look.  Starting with Memorial Day and my parents coming into town!!! Then July 4th in Tampa with Rob's grandparents!!! HOPEFULLY my girlfriend Kara from back home visiting shortly after that and maybe just maybe a visit from my sister before leaving for wherever!!! All these exclamation points just show you how excited that makes me!!!

I'm loving the link-up Jen and I have planned for Friday aka Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  Are you joining?!  All military spouses (girl/boyfriends, fiance/ees) are welcome to link up with us!  Check out this post for the prompts.


I'm loving that Rob fixed the mower and the Big Green Egg!!! I am hoping to get our back patio cleaned up and buy a baby pool for Gray.  She LOVES to be outside and darts to the door whenever it is open.  Unfortunately we don't have any trees that would work real well with a swing, or I would have already gotten her one of those!  Desperately wish we had a park close to us - but alas, we do not.

So that is what I am loving lately - what are YOU loving lately?



always,
amanda

Lately there have been lots of little things adding up to an overall feeling of this life is good .  I guess we could call it spring.  Becau...