A vacation I hope to take this year...

In 2010 I had to attend my step father's funeral near Mobile Alabama. We had never been there before. We visited Daulphin Island but it was dark and we couldn't do anything but there was this really cool Civil War Fort. Fort Gaines Its one of the nations most endangered historical sites! Article : Here
So I would like to go back to Daulphin Island and explore it more and take the ferry over to Gulf Shores Alabama and enjoy a day at the beach. Maybe we could even find a cabin or hotel at Gulf Shores and Ferry over to Daulphin Island. Then after a day or two of enjoying the Gulf of Alabama maybe head over toward Mississippi or Louisiana and visit a long time friend Danielle.

My Family reuniting after more than 6 years.

You see I run a Mommy Support Group Online and I have ran it for 11 years this past October. Danielle was one of my first members. We were just discussing the other day how we met and we have conflicting stories about how I found her or got her to join. Anyways we talk almost every day by phone but we have never met the 10 years we have known each other online and through the phone.  I have met several other mommy loop members including close friend Kristin. I have actually gotten to see her twice! She is from New York, There is Michelle that conveniently lived 20 minutes from me as well as Lindsay. My Mommy loop has been a blessing for me over the years. Most of us have children that are nearly adults or entering into teen phase but some of us are new or once-again mothers as well. If your interested in joining my mommy loop leave me a comment or email at bellassecondlife@gmail.com for more information. Hopefully I get to meet another Mommy Loop member next month so naturally Danielle wants us to meet up soon! Danielle's daughter as well as Kristin's daughter have been talking to mine! Its so neat! I wonder if I had a bunch of money could I fly all my mommy friends to one resort and have a blast or even bring their families? Can you imagine!

Danielle and Darin's kids

Danielle and Darin

Kristin and I in 2010

Kristin and I in 2011

Chelley, Skylar & I

Thoughts of a Dysfunctional Veterans Wife

We saw this on a patch once and we joked whether it meant I was dysfunctional or was he the dysfunctional one. I decided to leave it up to the reader of the patch.

Watching my husband march a few weeks back in the Veterans Day Parade I got a little emotional. Emotional for the pride that I have. I am so so proud of him and Alex too. Both of them are so brave and don't even realize it. Emotional over the times I had to say goodbye as he went to Iraq. Alex going to Afghanistan. Feelings and emotions that an Army Wife can't explain to anyone else. Feelings and emotions she should HAVE to feel. At hte same time I am glad I did. I am thankful for what my love for him has taught me surviving and thriving during his deployment. I learned the true meaning of inner and emotional strength. I learned survival and tough love like no one could ever teach me only I could teach myself.

I had a fabulous time at New Moon with my dear friend and old neighbor Danielle. There was a preview for a movie coming out called Dear John. Again seeing a Soldier deploying and doing what he was taught to do brought me to tears. Duty, Honor, Country... Words I still don't grasp, But I know they are everything to Rick. Sacrafice. If I were to ask you what have you sacraficed this month? Does your answer seem so petty compared to a soldier who says my life for your freedom. I can betcha that alot of Soldiers can say they sacraficed hearing their child's first cries, first words or first steps. I betcha a lot marriages that would have lasted decades broke apart due to a Soldiers Duty. Do we even want to pretend to understand how it feels for them to not comfort us wives and our children during one of the hardest trials of our lives?

I think back on my short time as an Army Wife. I look at Army Wives who've stuck by their husbands through decades of service, 4 or more deployments, countless times where they didn't come home to tuck in their children. Countless times the wives kept watch over their child who is sick in the hospital... alone. Although compared to me I have never had to PCS and move to a different city except this once. I never had to drive days just to get to him. I never gave birth without him by my side. Those are the true Army Wives. The true Military Wives. While the average person complains that her husband can't come home for dinner, or he didn't take out the garbage, or remembered their birthday... at least he was there. I am selfish too... my husband had CQ Duty twice this week and I complained (not too much I knew I had to suck it up, but it sucked none the less) at least my husband came home from his deployment, he came home from Korea the two years before that. He comes home to me every night that he's not pulling duty for the Army. At least he comes home. So many families won't ever have a Holiday with their loved one again. I just missed one Thanksgiving, One Christmas, One birthday... just one. So I try to remember how selfish I am and calm down and just suck it up. I miss him much but he will always come home to me and that should be enough. Shouldn't it?

If you really think about it. The emotions over come you. They do with me and I lived it.

Be Thankful that your husband comes home most nights. If he's gone working be thankful he has a job and is willing to support your family. He works hard and he is always thinking its just not enough. Be thankful this Thanksgiving your husband is there to watch football with his buddies LOUDLY. Some wives would give anything for that sound. Be Thankful you have a wonderful family some of us Military Wives haven't seen our families in years.

Please be sure to remember what you should be Thankful for our freedom to celebrate Thanksgiving a soldier gave us that right. Be thankful for the chaos of Black Friday and be gracious to each other. Pray for our troops serving over seas and their families who are worried about them.