This post is not meant to upstage anyone who is struggling this Memorial Day due to the loss of a loved one or with PTSD of lost airmen, soldiers, and sailors. This can be a difficult holiday for so many … Continue reading
Veterans Day has become a special day since we became a military family. We have been active duty for 3.5 years now and anticipate our first deployment this time next year.
Back when we had no clue what we were getting into!
In honor of the holiday, there have been many videos and television specials about the military and deployment homecomings. Yesterday, we saw a video about a young man enlisting in the Marines and the impact it had on his family, friends and other relationships. I cried. Being part of the Air Force is a challenge and the video had a quote that summed up why:
Active duty people and their families sacrifice their freedom to protect ours. (Paraphrase)
Military families give up the freedom to choose where to live and work; time to travel to see family is limited and you are often separated from each other. It’s hard, but not without pride and reward. There is special bond of camaraderie with other families experiencing the same, often transient life.
It’s the great exchange: giving up the freedom to live as we’d like in order for everyone else to be free to make those choices. Not sure what that really means: check out 50 Reasons Why You the Military Wife Deserve a Standing Ovation and Medals over at Chasing Blue Skies.
All this reminds me that the freedom we experience as a nation as a result of the sacrifice of military members and their families is a striking allegory for the freedom I experience from sadness, grief, loneliness, burdens, circumstances, fear, addiction, anger, bad habits, etc. because of Jesus. He was willing to leave the comfort of Heaven to come to a world full of people who do ugly, messed up things; he was willing to die in order to clean up our mess. He made the ultimate sacrifice so we could live in freedom daily.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)
Because I have been freed of all my fears, I am not afraid to give up control of my life. I may be nervous to get out of my comfort zone, but I know life is bigger than me.
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)
This Veterans Day, would you consider two things?
1) What are you looking for freedom from? Where are you going to find it?
2) Serving one another is not just for military families. What will you do to love on your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers today?
Lately, things have been crazy. All our stuff got packed up and moved. We are now camping in the apartment.
Lately, we’ve been into reading books and using them as pillows.
Lately, we’ve been experimenting with growing lettuce.
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the fact that I can successfully regrow lettuce. This is only a week’s worth of growth. I can’t wait to do more of this in Maryland.
Lately, we’ve been obsessed with standing and watching the movers.
Lately, we’ve been using sippy cups and sometimes not using sippy cups.
Lately, we like smiling and snuggling with our bear and sitting up all by ourselves!
Lately, we love going to meet Daddy at work and helping him present.
Lately, we roll around everywhere and often get ourselves stuck in nooks and crannies.
Lately, we’re learning the fine art of moving (back) across country and saying goodbye to the family we’ve made here in Las Vegas.
Lately, I’ve been feeling really sad about leaving, but am excited to make a home at our new address and be able to visit the ocean and family!
Lately, (as always) the little monkey has been giving us giggle fits and keeping our spirits high!
(the video will not embed for some reason, so you can see it here)
In three weeks, we’ll be gone.
It’s a sad/scary thing to say goodbye to the people who have been our family for the last few years. The worst part is not knowing when you’ll see your best friends again. Some of them are Air Force and will leave the area eventually and others aren’t planning on leaving Vegas any time soon.
I know we’ll have new friends at our new home, but I don’t want new friends. I want to keep the friends I have now. I want the friends who have been by my side through Caleb’s birth and dad’s death to be with my on Caleb’s first birthday and the first anniversary of losing dad. It breaks my heart to leave behind friends that I have come to love as family.
Honestly, I never thought I would have such a hard time leaving, but as each of the “lasts” happen, I find myself a hot mess. I cried through the service at church on Sunday. Our church family has been irreplaceable. If you’ve never experienced that, you’re missing out.
The blog will probably be relatively quiet over the next few weeks as I soak in each of my “lasts” in Las Vegas, but I promise to leave you all with all of my Las Vegas favorites. I’m working on posts recommending my favorite restaurants, activities, tourist destinations, and local vendors (dentists, salons, photographers, etc.).
Thank you all for being such encouragers and supporters for us during our Air Force adventure. Please pray that we would make the most of our transition.
The letters ‘p’, ‘c’, and ‘s’ hold a lot of meaning for military families. Our Permanent Change of Station is coming at the end of June and it seems so much more real now that we’ve gotten our assignment.
That’s right – we found out where we are moving! A few weeks ago, I was so nervous about the impending change that I had to write a post to process my thoughts. I thought about making this a long post where you had to guess (like I did when we moved to Vegas), but I don’t have the brain cells. Haha.
So…here it goes!
We are leaving Vegas at the end of July for Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. It will be bittersweet to leave our wonderful friends and church family here, but it is exciting to think about the new adventures waiting for us.
It is certainly disappointing that there aren’t any options for getting closer to “home”. With the context of having lost my dad, we desperately want to be as close to family as we can, but D.C. is still somewhat of a home coming for me. My grandmother grew up in the Capitol City and much of our family still lives near by. It’s a city that gets me excited with the wonderful museums, parks, history, and political prestige. I can’t wait to bring Caleb to the National Zoo and the Air & Space Museum to experience some of my favorite childhood places and memories with him.
There are many other things I want to share about our transition, but this will have to do for now. Especially looking forward to living near this bunch.
My aunt and uncle came into town this weekend! We had a blast discovering a new part of the grand canyon, revisiting the Hoover Dam, and enjoying the entertainment of the Air Force Thunderbirds.
We did so much, I thought it would be better to share the weekend through pictures:
Hoover Dam with Auntie K!
We walked across the bypass bridge!
Nothing screams "FUN" like silly cutouts!
Uncle P is such a good sport :)
At Grand Canyon West!
Eagle Point is named for the rock formation that appears to be an eagle stretching his wings wide and looking up to the sky. The right wing starts in the middle of the photo and extends to the edge.
I survived the skywalk and got up the courage to climb to a high view point!
Beauty!
This little dude was prepared for the air show!
Thunderbirds!
My favorite formation - the Mirror!
Amazing!
So proud to be a part of the USAF!
So wonderful to be a part of generations of Air Force supporters!
It was so wonderful to have time with family! We ate lots of yummy meals and had a wonderful time adventuring together!
The last Monday in September! How on earth did that happen?!
a. The Ball
I know most of you are waiting for ball pictures, so here are two of my favorites! It was a fabulous evening. The dinner was incredible and the comedian was so funny! I can’t remember his name, but he won Last Comic Standing.
At the most scrumptious dinner ever :)
At the Bellagio gardens - one of my favorite displays ever!
Sea Bass & Steak - it all melted on the plate before it even got to our mouths!
b. The Dancing Frog
My Etsy shop The Dancing Frog has had a lot of action lately! I have been working on several custom orders and am dreaming of more autumn and Christmas themed items to load up on. My friend recommended this crocheted Halloween costume for infants. I can’t wait to make it!
How cute is this little guy?!
c. Belly Issues
Thank you to everyone who has kept up on me and my belly issues. I spent last week going gluten free and saw a huge difference. At the ball I accidentally ate the bread (and didn’t realize it for at least 10 minutes!) and felt horrible through last night. I haven’t eaten any gluten since yesterday morning and am feeling infinitely better. To help get things back on track – or at least maintain until I see the GI doc – I’m taking this yummy stuff.
I keep trying to convince myself it's Tang - remember that stuff?!
d. Netflix
Have I ever told you how thankful I am for Netflix?! Not only has it provided me with unending Gordon Ramsay, but it gives me something to do while I can’t do much more than sit around and knit or crochet. Right now I’m watching Vanity Fair. It’s one of my favorite novels and I swear it has nothing to do with the fact that the heroine’s name is Becky (if you can call Becky Sharp a heroine).
Reese Witherspoon plays the coquettish Becky Sharp
e. And…they’re back…
We’re not a huge TV family (we don’t even have cable – imagine that!!), but there are a few shows that I care to indulge in as often as possible. I’ve got three favorites and one runner up!
Modern Family is always full of one liners that leave me guffawing and crying!
I don't know what is going to happen at Dunder Mifflin without Michael Scott!
I'm a physics teacher, of course I watch this show!!! Smart IS the new sexy :)
and my runner up…
My mom and I would rock this show. Just saying...
f. Brilliantly Sarcastic
I saw this link yesterday and it cracked me up. Here’s one of my favorites.
Beware The Crane, haha!
As always, it’s a party! Linking up to lowercase letters:
Our Life in Four Bags 