Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to begin by saying Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone had a wonderful day. Many of us are away from our military man this holiday season, and it is hard knowing they are somewhere else in the world and not right where they belong, the seat next to us at the dinner table. But this year instead of dwelling over our men being gone, we should be extremely thankful. We have dedicated men that are sacrificing their lives, their time and their favorite meal of the year for their loved ones and strangers here in America. Today it was hard to know that K was not here with me, but I also grew extremely thankful. I realized that I am more than thankful and lucky to have someone to love and miss the way I love and miss K. Most importantly, I am thankful for the love and devotion K and I share with one another. 

Going off of that, here is a little story from my day I thought I would share:
It is tradition in my family to go around the table and each say something you are thankful for. My mom started. She said "I am thankful for love. There are so many variations of love. There is love I have for each one of you guys (her children), the love I have for God, the love I have for my friends and the love I have for Tom (her boyfriend). The love I have for Tom is a love I have never felt before. He is very special to me and I am more than thankful to have him in both mine and your kids' lives."

After what my mom said I got to thinking, what does being in love mean? It is something we all fell, but is it something that we really know how to define? Everyone will define it differently, so here is my definition of what it means to be in love:

Being in love to me is when nothing else matters but your other half. It is like your world revolves around each other. With each word spoken and each step taken in a relationship you always find a way to progress. No matter how angry they make you, you always find a way to laugh off the anger. No matter how far they are from you, you always find a way to get to them and be with them. The feelings you have for that person are merely impossible to explain in words, and deep down you know no one will ever replace that person and the role they play in your life. Being in love to me means being absolutely ecstatic about every moment life brings because at the end of the day you know the love of your life will always be there to talk, listen and comfort you while you grow old together. Being in love to me means doing everything you can to make your love smile, make them happy, and make them know that you do not want anyone else but them forever. Being in love to me means never being without your love and always carrying them in your heart. It means getting through everything you encounter in your relationship TOGETHER and coming out stronger than you were before. After two plus years, being in love to me means finding your best friend, a person you see in every aspect of your future, and finding the one person that will love you for all your flaws and qualities that are not necessarily appealing to everyone. Finally, being in love means loving your partner just as much as they love you: loving the person they were, the person they are, and the person they will become.

So today, let us be thankful that we have the ability to love, that we are in love, and that we are loved.  Let us be thankful that we have a man to share that love with, and let us not doubt the love we share with our military man. Being thankful is one of the best things about the holiday season. Every morning think about something you are thankful for right when you wake up. That way, you start every day this holiday season off with a smile on your face! Carry that smile with you throughout the day! Happy Thanksgiving ladies! 

And if you didn't hear from your man today, know he loves you with all his heart and wishes he could have been here with you today.

Happy 237th Birthday Marine Corps!

Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps! Thank you to all the men and women who have served or are currently serving as a Marine in our military. Our country is grateful for everything you do for us, and we are proud of all you. I hope you are aware of the amount of support there is for you here in the states. Again, thank you for all you do Marines. Once a Marine always a Marine!

Loving a Military Man

The Military and Children.

Being a part of the military lifestyle is down right hard in every aspect. The distance, loneliness, stress (just to name a few) can become very overwhelming. Add children into the mix and it becomes even trickier! Getting pregnant and bringing new, little lives into the world is exciting. Whether planned, or a surprise, it's life changing! Of course best case scenario is doctors appointments with your partner, decorating the nursery together, belly rubs and massages, driving to the hospital in a rush when labor FINALLY starts, or anxiously waiting for your scheduled c-section, experiencing the birth together and it forever changing your life. Unfortunately, that's not always the way it happens when you are a military family. Everyone's situation is different, but in my case, I spent my pregnancy alone, had my scheduled c-section with my, absolutely wonderful, mother in the room. Connor's daddy didn't get to meet him for the first time until Connor was 3 weeks old. It was anything but easy doing it without Connor's dad there, but I know I got lucky. I had an amazing support system at home willing to help me with everything and anything I needed. I know that everyone doesn't have the support they need, and I will forever be grateful for the people who helped me when I needed it the most. I can't believe that in less then a month, my then 8 pound baby, will be celebrating his 1st birthday. This past year has been one of the hardest yet most rewarding years of my life. It went by in a blink of the eye, and I never thought I would get to today. As excited as I am for my baby boy to be turning one, I also can't help but to be sad at the same time. I think about all the memories and milestones Connor's dad has missed. I think of all the moments I wanted to rip my hair out and wished his dad was there to give me the much needed break I deserved. I know in the grand scheme of things, one year compared to the rest of our lives isn't that long at all, but Connor will never be a baby again. With that being said, my experience is not all negative. Through everything I have become stronger, learned that I can handle a lot more then I thought I could, and grown as a person. I know the distance isn't permanent, although Connor's dad has missed a lot, we still have our whole lives ahead of us. There will be plenty more memories that we will make together, as a family. Even across the distance, Connor's dad has managed to be an amazing father and role model. Connor will not remember the things that his father missed, but he'll always be proud that his daddy is a U.S Marine! Whether you're partner is home with you, currently deployed, training, stationed in a different state from you, whatever your situation is, being a parent is never easy. Having a child while your partner is in the military is not a walk in the park. There will be tough, frustrating, stressful, exhausting moments, but the joyful, exciting, loving and proud moments you experience will make it all worth it! Keep your head up and be proud to be a Mommy!

<3 B

Our Military Family

Through the military I have learned the true definition of family. Family is so much more than the parents that conceive you, the siblings you grow up with until the age of 18, and the extended family you only see on holidays. Family is greater than the people who give birth to you and raise you. Family is defined by the group of individuals who you surround yourself with in your day to day life.  For me this is not only the family I was born into but also the family I chose.  I chose the military life.  In the military we have an instant connection with one another. We share one of life's greatest joys and hardships. Through "hellos" and "goodbyes", distance, separation, deployment, financial struggles, relationship issues and more we are all in this together.  The military brings us a sense of unity because we relate to one another in a way not many people can relate to. As much as the "civilian world" would like to understand what we go through on a day to day basis, it is merely impossible.  This sense of unity and ability to relate to one another are the two main reasons the military brings us together as a family.  We feel comfortable to share our experiences with one another, comfort one another when we are feeling down and alone, and put positive thoughts into another's mind just to help them get through a hard day.  We encourage our "military sisters" to achieve their personal dreams while also supporting their man. This family we have created in the military helps us to never feel alone. Ladies no matter what struggles we go through, we have some of the strongest relationships on the planet. The love between a Marine, a Soldier, an Airman, a Sailor, or a Coastie and their woman is a love that can never be broken; however, the relationships we make with other military SOs to help us when our man is gone is what is truly amazing to me.  Think about all the women you have met through the military. Each one of them has impacted your life in some way, I guarantee it!

The ladies I have met through the military have brought so much joy and comfort to my life. They have helped me through some of the hardest times in my relationship, but have also been there for some of the best times. Trusting someone can be hard, but for some reason I have been able to trust the ladies I have met in the military much faster than I have been able to in past friendships with individuals.  The relationships I have made with these women are ones I would never give away.  My "military sisters" are the only ones who truly and completely understand how I feel, why I am emotional randomly and why the love for my Marine will never dwindle down.  Our relationships with our men are different, it is obvious, and that is why we all need one another. I am blessed for everyone I have met, and I hope you have met many great ladies too! If you would like to meet more, shoot me an email, and I will point you in the right direction. Remember family is one of the most important things in life, and it is something we choose. Enjoy the military family you have and make sure they know they are each important to you; I know I will let my sisters know right when I log off! Have a great night ladies!     

<3 A