Military Homecoming, the embarrassing truth.

I NEVER go overboard with the homecoming attire (oh how I wish this statement could end here.) However, since this is homecoming number 632 (sarcasm, but not that far off base,) I thought I’d spice things up a bit. Ha. First mistake! I wore a black and while polka dot number with some sexy black wedges -second mistake and covered up the bursting cleavage with a cute crop cardigan buttoned up- gotta keep it PG ladies. I had my hair and nails done in advance and arranged for a friend sleep over at the house with the kids, as it was suppose to be a 0400 ceremony.

He calls me at 1230 saying they were leaving location X and its only about a hour long flight so I needed to start making my way over to the ceremony location, STAT. wtf, over.

The time ended up being bumped to a 0130 ceremony, which totally messed up my time management planning. This should have been a sign that things were not going to go as I had hoped.

So I jump up out of bed (was trying to get a little pregame rest) and quickly got dressed, put on a little make up, flipped my hair over in hopes of bringing some life and bounce back to the curls, then darted out the door.  I stopped in the lobby to talk to the hotel receptionist for a minute, verifying that I’m not actually a prostitute leaving all dolled up at 1am even though I will be returning with a man. She laughed. I needed a little lighthearted humor.

By the time I made it to the ceremony location the parking lot was FULL. Was I the last to be informed of the time change? Man, I miss the good old days of FRG leaders actually making it their duty to make sure everyone knows where to go and called with time changes. Here in 2013 we have to click refresh on Internet browser to see if the webpage has been updated with changes, which it rarely is. So I parked my car, give my lips a little color, tried to tame the now unruly bedhead curls, and I took off in almost a sprint- clearly forgetting I went sans flats this time. Immediately I caught a rock awkwardly with my heel and twisted my ankle. Twisted my fucking ankle and fall in the parking lot at 0130, skinning up my knee a bit on the loose gravel. I was mortified, crushed, humiliated to the max! How could I forget I was 4 inches taller than normal?

With all the courage I could muster, I stood up, brushed myself off, and gingerly headed to the gate with a conspicuous limp. My ankle, now very weak, wobbling, and throbbing, my knee scraped and bleeding, my pride depleted.

I trudged forward.

I had a man to watch exit the plane, signifying the end of a deployment. I am determined to walk it off and not let the throbbing pain interfere. Just as I’m approaching the building, my ankle gave out. It completely gave out on me with no advance notice. There I go, falling again, only this time in front of some 4 soldiers on redeployment bag detail.  At this point, it was all I could do not to bust out in tears. My ankle is the size of a engorged orange, all pride and self-confidence – shattered. I just wanted to get my man and leave. And that’s exactly what I did. I took off those beautiful godforsaken damn shoes, waited patently for him to find me, we both got a good laugh out of my misfortune, and he helped me back to the car.

All the pain and embarrassment I had endured was nothing compared to finally feeling whole again. My partner in crime is back from another deployment. My heart is happy.

Apparently this should be my theme song...
 

Carepackage Idea List

Recently, I've had a lot of friends and family requesting a military carepackage idea list. I typed one up real fast and wanted to share it with all of you looking for something new to send your service member. Remember this is just a list I threw together. Feel free to add suggestions in the comments.

A few care package ideas:

• Oral care: Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Floss
• Deodorant
• Fitness/Car/Truck/Gun/Tattoo Magazines
• Deck of Cards/Uno/Dice
• Hacky Sack
• Black/White/Olive Green Boot Socks
• Gold Bond Foot/Body Powder
• Sunblock
• Eye Drops
• Vitamins
• Q-Tips
• Chapstick (tubes only)
• Nail Clippers
• Lotion
• Liquid Body Soap
• Shampoo/Conditioner (2in1 is best)
• Razors
• Kleenex (Travel Size)
• Twin Size Sheet Set
• Bath Towel/Washcloth
• Books
• DVD’s/CD’s
• Headphones/Earbuds
• Word Search/Game Books
• Instant Coffee
• Power Bars/Protein Bars/Granola Bars
• Chicken/Tuna Lunch Kits (Pouches)
• Nuts/Sunflower Seeds/Pumpkin Seeds/Dried Fruit/Trail Mix
• Hard Candies
• Cookies
• Pop Tarts/Cereal Bars
• Bags of Snacks/Box of Crackers
• Gatorade Mix
• Crystal Light
• Beef Jerky
• Jelly Beans/Licorice etc.
• Gum
• Mints

Deployment 101

Deployment 101: Whatever obscure, weird, random thing that could go wrong- WILL. Save yourself the added headache and just be ready for it. If you're standing next to your printer/copier and you ask your soldier to please make a copy of his ID for your deployment binder, just grab that ID from him and do it yourself. Fifth deployment and that man still forgot to leave me a photo copy of his ID and guess what! I needed it the week he left to mail off his drivers licensed renewal stuff.  Luckily, he was able to copy it and email it to me within hours of asking for it. But the point is, try not to rely on him/her being able to send you what you need. YOU, as the spouse, need to make sure you're ready for what ever comes your way.


Here is a quick run down of a few things that you are going to want to start a handy dandy deployment binder.

 

You can request a Deployment Kit from USAA here. Some FRG's will provide this for you. I didn't want to use this big bulky thing, so I used some of the info and put into my binder.

Power of Attorney: You want a General POA for sure. Don't forget a Special POA if you are planning on any major purchases while your soldier is gone.

I had my man get a special POA specifically for taxes and one for anything dealing with the house. We own our home and I just wanted to have it JUST IN CASE something was to happen.

Passport: I still haven't taken the steps to do this, but I do recommend it. If your soldier gets hurt in combat, they are most likely sending him/her to Germany. If you want to be with them, you need your passport!

Customs forms: You know how friends and family are always asking, "Hey get me ________'s address & I'll send them a box!" but when they get to the Post Office many are faced with the challenge of figuring out a customs form. Filling those babies out are second nature to many mil spouses, but not all civi's know what its all about. What I do at the beginning of each deployment is go to the Post Office and grab a handful of forms and fill out the addresses in advance. I try to keep them in both my binder and in my purse. This saves the lovely friend wanting to help out, the headache at the Post Office and its a lot easier on me as well.

 
Soldier's ID: Copy his/her Military ID front and back as well as their drivers license. You just never know what you will need! {{{Having a copy of military ID is against DOD, do this at your own discretion. We have needed it in the past, but often times you are fine with just having a copy of his/her state ID}}}

Red Cross Info: In case of an emergency, before calling your local Red Cross chapter make sure and have the following information handy: servicemember's rank, address (unit, company and location where he or she is stationed), social security number, and branch of service.

I keep a copy of all this in my binder just in case something was to happen to me.  I have also told a trusted friend where my binder is if she needed to be the one to contact him.

FRG info: I, for one, am not big on the whole FRG thing. I know they are there for a reason and they are a very important part of the military. They are there to help! I recoment keeping the phone tree roster in your binder as well. You may need to contact someone if they have not contacted you about Home Coming information. No one wants to be the spouse not at the dag/hanger/field when your honey gets home. TRUST ME. It almost happened to a friend of mine a few deployments back. Right, Rain.

There you have it. A few tips that have helped me in the past. This is a tried and true method of keeping all info right where you know where it is.

Reminder: You will have sensitive information in here. Keep it in a safe, but convenient place.

Chapter 2013 Page 1 of 365...

 Peace Out 2012. 

Unfortunately I will spend the majority of the year away from my hubs. I still have a hard time believing that he is actually gone again. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time this go around, but I am. 

Up until now, I have spent the past 37 days mostly doing nothing but willing the next day to hurry up and get here so that it too may pass.  

I was lucky enough to have my sis and niece come spend a little over a week with us. It was a nice distraction to be around family. We took a mini road trip to New Mexico and explored a little over there. [More on their visit to come.]

As for now, it is high time to knock off the Poor-Pitiful-Me BS and get back to reality. He has his own time consuming daily agenda  and I need to get back to mine as well and get out of this damn rut once and for all.

 

So here's to a 

New Year, New Adventures, 

New Friends and Cheap Wine!  

{CHEERS}

Money & Attitude

I was the person in our relationship to take care of all household finances. Was, being the key word. Admittedly, I have a bad habit of taking things the wrong way (almost always. I'm working on this) and lets just say that my hubs had asked too many questions about our accounts one day. I took it as him questioning my abilities and maybe I told him he could F himself and do it alone. Maybe.

Fast forward a year and a half and he is now deployed and I'm back at the budget stuff again. Now that I have the bad ass Mac I'm looking for an awesome app to help me keep track of everything. I'm still used to living on post and them automatically taking out our rent & utilities. I never realized how spoiled I had gotten. 
Do you use one of these apps to help you keep track of everything?

Deployment Tip:

• Call your cell phone carrier and suspend your soldiers phone line. 
• Also ask if you should lower your minutes now that you're the only one using them. (Between suspending my Mr's line and lowering my mins. I was able to knock $30 off my cell bill. SCORE!)
• Soldier and Sailor Civil Relief Act info here
• Deployment Checklist here

And I will wait, I will wait for you

The hugs are a little bit longer, the kisses are a little softer and the I love you's come just a little more often… 

We are in our last few weeks together as a whole family.  My heart is already starting to ache. 
 
The garage is full with a combination of new gear and old memories.
 
Our Thanksgiving feast will be intimate and private as we share what we are thankful for then proceed to putting up the tree. Our Christmas will take place just days later and then we will say our goodbyes.

I apologize, again, and in advance, for being MIA for the past month and some of the month still to come.

Quick Note:

Hey Guys-

Just a little update here. I will be back to blogging regularly, soon! The Mr. has been on block leave and we've been spending some 'quality' time together for the past month (ish). I'm not gonna lie, its been nice acting like we were dating again. [insert mushy love junk here]

Then he even offered to clean my Dyson- I Know!

But then he broke a piece to the beast and now we are waiting on our part to be shipped from Dyson HQ. smh. Well, Dream Hubby was nice while he lasted.

USPS ~

a true story of humans acting awesome

Isn't it funny how you can remember things at the most unexpected times?!

Today, while standing in a busy Post Office I thought about ...


A few years back (probably in '07) I was struggling to stay sane and make it through another busy day as a deployment-induced "single parent." I had a wild toddler son and a needy baby girl, who demanded my attention every second of every day. I had just finished filling two large boxes with all the fake Christmas spirit I could muster up.  There was a small wooden Christmas tree, cookies, letters, pictures, candy, peppermints, snow flake confetti, and many many other goodies nearly busting out of these two boxes that the kids had scribbled "pictures" on. 

After loading the boxes, the kids, and the stroller into our car we headed out the Post Office off post in Savannah, Ga. We parked, Dollface went in the stroller, Redd was holding on to my back packet, and the boxes + customs forms were being balances on the stroller. I'm pretty sure my hair was a mess and Dollface was missing a shoe. We ventured on and made our way in the Post Office and found ourselves at the end of a very long holiday line. Redd was an active toddler and trying his hardest to have fun and play, Dollface was getting fussy and I was trying to fight off the empty feeling of sadness from spending another Christmas without my husband-their father.

I was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel; we were next to be called to the counter. Dollface was starting her soft cry she used to let me know shes had enough and its just a matter of time before she goes full blown spaz-child on me. Perhaps the lady in line before me over heard Redd and I talking about sending Daddy his boxes? Perhaps she could see the desperation on my face? Maybe she had planned on paying for someones packages before she ever went in there? I don't know what inspired her, but when the postal worker turned to me, and asked if my boxes were addressed properly with customs forms ready, then said to go a head and sit them on the counter and to have a happy holidays, I about fell over in shock/gratitude/disbelief/love. 

I some how formed the words Thank You then turned and walked away. I wanted to hug her, and I probably should have, but I knew I needed out there and away from all those people before the tears came. After I had kids in their car-seats and everything ready to go, I couldn't leave the parking lot without saying Thank You one more time. But I couldn't find her. It was busy, it was crowded, it was prime shipping time for the holidays. She was no where to be found. 

Every year I think about that nice lady at the Post Office. Though I never properly thanked her, or expressed my true gratitude for what she did that day, I still think fondly of her. I hope she knows that she reaffirmed my faith in humanity. 

Thank you, sweet southern lady in Savannah, Ga. 

9/11/2001

This time, 11 years ago, Patrick & I had just started seeing each other. We were maybe three weeks into our young relationship. Little did we know how how our lives would forever be changed from what was taking place. A trip to the recruiters office in Rolla, Missouri, a promise to each other, and far too many deployments later, we find ourselves in Texas and preparing for another year apart. We have lost friends, we have lost family, and we will never forget.

 Deployment Day November, 2009

photo cred: Sweet Green Tangerine

source

 

Love you like a box of kittens

 

Maxwell Poirier via pinterest
((Fricken Awesome Movie)) 
 

I've been thinking an awful lot about the upcoming deployment recently.  It's hard not to when its so close. He will absolutely be gone before Christmas; this we know for sure. We have also heard that he is on ADVON  so if this is true, not only will he miss Christmas, but Thanksgiving as well. 

I hate to think of another year of holidays without him. 

As I was sitting in the pickup line outside the kids school yesterday, I was poking around his ugly old truck when I noticed that he STILL has my blue ribbon from our wedding day attached to his sun visor and  an old ankle bracelet of mine on his 4WD shifter thingy. I'm not going to lie, I teared up a bit. 

These things have been in his truck for 10+ years! Seriously. This man is either sentimental or lazy.  

The day my husband cried

and it went a little somethin like this... 

me: we need to get rid of the mustang 

to which he typically responses with: 

"I have a buyer lined up. A kid a work..."

(crickets chirping)

A little back story 

We bought the Mustang at the worse possible time; right before a PCS and buying a house. We didn't need the car, we wanted the car. It was a 'welcome back from deployment #839, we missed you. Heres a cool car to show we care.' kinda thing. Completely irresponsible and impulsive and exactly what the military tells you NOT TO DO. And man was it fun... for a little while. Then reality set in. The military only allows you  2 vehicles if living on post (which we were in post housing at that time) and only compensates you for 2 vehicles during a PCS move. We had to come completely out of pocket for the trailer to pull the car across country causing many delays in our travel here. It was a huge pain in the booty. Then it sat in the garage. Just sat there. Started regularly, but we put maybe 20 miles on in it the past year. It was a pointless added expense. 

Yea, it was cool. Yea, it was all manly and he loved to brag about having it, but it was POINTLESS.

Fast Forward

{Yesterday}

me: we need to get rid of the mustang 

him: sell it

(crickets chirping... keyboard clicking) 

me: a guy will be here in 2 hours to look at it.

him: wait, what? what did you do? ... 

me: you told me to sell it. I did. 

awkward silence.... 

{Just like ripping off a band aide, it was over before he knew it} 

A kid, smiling from ear to ear, showed up at our door with his parents. Once we started up the car for them, it was over. The guy was in love. His dad was in love. And his mom couldn't control her smiles as she watched her oldest son and husband beginning to bond over this classic beauty already. It melted my heart to see them all so happy.

Ironically, the kid is an 18 year old new recruit to the Army. He saved up every penny from basic training to buy a car before leaving for AIT.  I can't put into words just how perfect the whole experience felt. Here my husband is, an 'old vet' at this point, and on crutches to top it off, handing over the keys to his beloved 1969 Mustang GT to a brand new soldier. It was a sad day for the Mr.

"Treat her well, kid. Treat her well." 

I'll leave you with this catchy tune to start your weekend.
The song currently on repeat on my phone because my kids FREAKIN LOVE IT!

Eels - Flyswatter

oh is that stuck in your head now? you're welcome :)

WANTED: Life Coach or Mental Hospital

I don't think I'm cut out to be a grownup. Ever feel like this? It simply doesn't feel right. I shouldn't be a 30 year old mom of two! Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change any of it for the world, but some days it feels like I'm wearing someone else shoes.

I'm mostly just joking when I say I want a mentor or life coach, but not really. Right now I feel like I'm at an impasse with furthering my education and career choices. I do not know which path to follow. This is especially concerning now that Dollface will be going to Kindergarten all day, this is my time to finish my education. MY TIME. We've said this ever since we started having kids. I know this mess is my fault- I chose to run off and marry the love of my life and leave school way to young.(Kids- Don't be a love struck 19 yr old & get married at 20!)  

Pat and Becky

sitting in a tree:

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

First comes love,

then comes marriage,

then comes baby

in a baby carriage!

We've said all along, that after both kiddos are in school full time, all day, then-FINALLY I get to do the same! MY TIME.

The school I was enrolled in had a BS in Human Services degree & I was working on that. My plan was to finish getting my BS and then transfer to UTEP. At UTEP I wanted work on getting a masters in Occupational Therapy. PERFECT! We are stationed at Biggs Army Air Field (Ft. Bliss) and there is a university right here in town! WHAT! It sounds like it was meant to be, right?! ha Unfortunately I took an almost 2 yr hiatus due to deployment homecomings and PCSing to Texas. In that short time my original school no longer have that program available. Of Course. So now I am trying feverishly to figure out what my next step is. I'm at a loss. A different degree program? A different school? Which school/university? Will my credits transfer in a beneficial way? Oh and there is always that sweet little gem about us only being here for another year or so that plays a huge part too. All the joys of being a military family. Instability at its best. 

***Sidenote: Happy 10yr Anniversary to my Mr.

Who's that knocking at my door...

Sweet Green Tangerine - say what-what! It had been a YEAR! A year, people! since our families last saw each other. A YEAR! and the last time we did see each other, it was on I-10 at a truck stop McD's while she was traveling East & us moving West.

Luckily, her folks live about 7 hrs from our current place of residency. ROAD TRIP! It was like these kids had never been apart. They picked back up with their friendships right where they left off back in Georgia.

 

and they were even nice/cooperative enough to let the 'grown ups' do a little antiquing/thrifting big Texas style.

Needless to say, the kids had a fantastic visit! and so did the adults :)

I'd say our friendship is build on pretty solid ground.

Ice Cream & Beer. Now that's living.

 

To Be Continued.

Traditions

Whoa! Where did the time go?
My baby boy. He is now EIGHT. WOW. 
It feels like it was only yesterday that I went for a normal baby o.b. appointment. I had just began to start talking to the doctor about what our plan was going to be if I went past me due date. To my surprise, he called a nurse in & told me "we wont need to worry about that." What?! The nurse enters with a wheelchair to take me up to labor and delivery.
Turns out that our little 'fiery one' was going to make his debut that day!
Fast-forward to major back labor then an emergency c-section and bam. Here he is.
A blue eyed, red haired, button nose, prince charming. 

 

So there you have it. My Aidan. My heart. 
and just a little tidbit- 
In 2004 the name Aidan name was #43 on the most popular list, not #1. We had no idea his name, and several variations of it, would reach such popularity immediately after naming him. 

So that brings me to -Birthday Traditions-

In our house, if its your birthday you are greeted with singing, chocolate chip pancakes and a candle to blow out. Side Note: if your pancakes are still mostly hot, thin candles like these tend to melt and not stand up. 

 

Next weekend is the party. Gosh, I love parties. I'll be honest tho, I'm just not feelin' it this year. Oh well. We are hosting a pool party birthday party this go around. Complete with tons of pool activities and a hotdog bar.Should be a good time & I know I will have camera in hand most of the time, so be sure to come back next week to see the Pool Party post!

I'm interested to know what, if any, traditions you do for your kiddos on their birthdays?!

Monday, monday

Hello, Monday.

Saturday I was featured on a long time friends blog. This girl and I have known each other for a seriously long time. Pretty much our entire adult lives. We have been thru so many ups and downs and deployments and babies and crazy friends, etc. I'm glad we never lost touch over the years. So here you go, check out my friend, Rain @ wtfrain.com. 

Rains blog is not the homeroom-mom/martha stewart-mom type blog (thankfully) . If you like (and I know of so many of you rad readers who do!!) tattoos, cussing, and just seriously keepin it real kinda talk, then you'll enjoy the randomness that comes from Rain.  

Dang, this is an old picture of us! Ah, memories.

Sweet Savannah, Ga.

One of the questions Rain asked me & my answer:

What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life? 

Damn these are good questions.
• Acid Tongue – Jenny Lewis
• Be OK – Ingrid Michaelson
• Sentimental Heart – She & Him
• Queen of the world – Ida Maria
• Electric Twist – A Fine Frenzy
• Factory Girls – Flogging Molly

Because of this, the Manic Monday Music stuck in my head is... Factory Girls by Flogging Molly !
I'm interested to know, are you a Flogging Molly fan?  In general, I love their music, but there has been times where I just had to turn down the volume a little because they can have so much going on at once. A bit overwhelming for the ears.

It was a Marvel Monday

Our Monday revolved around, The One, The Only, The Captain America. 

With kids in tow, my friend Janae and I headed to Freedom Crossing in Fort Bliss, to meet the man of the hour ... along with about 300 other kids. Can we say 'Avengers Assemble!'?

[source + movie trailer]

[marvel.com]

After standing in line for over an hour, it was finally our turn! The excitement was almost overwhelming for the 3 year old, as you can see in the 1st picture. Ah, to be a kid again where everything is a welcomed adventure and balloons cure what ails you. 

- It was a pretty fabulous day & completely kid approved.

“Captain America is not here to lead the country. I’m here to serve it. If I am a Captain, I’m a soldier. Not of any military branch but of the American people. Years ago, in a simpler time, this suit and this shield were created as a symbol to help make America the land it’s suppose to be… To help it realize its destiny. 

Ricocheting from super-villain duel to super-villain duel doesn't always serve that purpose. There's a difference between fighting against evil and fighting for the common good. I'm not always able to choose my battles... but effective immediately I am going to make an effort to choose the battles that matter. Battles against injustice, against cynicism, against intolerance.

Together, you and I will identify and confront America's problems. Together we will figure out what we are and what we can be. Together we will define the American dream and make it an American reality."

 Source: "To Serve and Protect"

*Captain America, I wish you were real.

Random Thoughts Of The Day

1.       Harry Potter marathon on abc family + cat naps + ice cream = one of the most relaxing and enjoyable Sundays I have had in a long time.

2.       Cannot spend two Sundays in a row on my bum. Next week, we are going for another hike.

3.       Glasses: I need them, I own them, I hate to wear them.

4.       Pinterest, if you give me any more damn 404 errors when trying to edit all my many boards and pins, I am likely to cancel my account or scream at my computer. Who am I kidding, it would be the latter.

5.       Socialization, I miss it. In Savannah, I would often run into people I knew near every time I left the house. I miss that...

6.       Turns out I’m a bit on the competitive side. Who knew?  I had never thought of myself as competitive before, but I entered a Valspar contest and I am in 3^rd place and it is driving me insane not being 1^st! It goes by votes only. You can vote once an hour until 30 November. It’s not like it is a talent competition or anything but it's bugging the shit out of me still the same. Shameless plug  -----> http://bit.ly/tUIfrS

7.       Time to think about Christmas trees. Should we go real or fake? Personally, I’m down with a tacky white tree or even pink, but my hubs a much more boring uninteresting traditional style.

8.       Dyslexia. It has been determined that Redd has dyslexia. Can you believe that the public library did not have a single book on this? Off to Barns and Noble tomorrow to find The Gift of Dyslexia Why Some of the Smartest People Can't Read and How They Can Learn.By Ronald D. Davis with Eldon M.Braun.

9.       When filling out your Christmas cards this year take ONE CARD and SEND it to this address: A Recovering American Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20307-5001.

10.   The trouble with spending so much time alone is that my mind tends to run wild and over think so many things.'Nuff said.

11.   I would give anything for someone to wash all the sand and dust off my car. I was not meant to be a southwestern kinda girl.

12.   Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair ☮ (<---♪ ♫ ♬ )

⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘⌘
Ooo and one more thing before I go:

I like change. I get bored easily. Blame my ADD.

BG will have a new look complete with awesome new buttons coming soon!

Today

Even after ten years, I find that the wounds and emotions are still very raw.  The pain is there. We have not healed. Our lives have changed.

In exactly two months from today, nine years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) spoke to a recruiter for the first time. Three months after that, he was off to basic. By March of 2003, we were in the midst of our first deployment. Operation Iraqi Freedom

As I sit here now, typing this, listening to my husband play with our two children, I cannot help but feel the pains of 9/11 again, and reflect on the past 10 years of our lives. Wartime deployments have become the norm. We have lost family members and we have lost friends.

Today, I will do the only thing I know how to do, in honor those who have fallen. Today, I will 
Pay It Forward. I will not allow the tragedy that occurred 10 years ago or the many deaths since, to defeat us. 

Don’t wait for people to be friendly, show them how.  ~Author Unknown

 Army Cpl. James E. Summers III: killed in action 5/28/07

RECONNECTED & it feels so Nice!

I am back from the dead, or so it feels... We are in our new home in HELL PASO, Tx. I am still sad to leave my Savannah behind, but a girl must do what a girl must do when the Army gives orders. But I am back & ready to get at it!!! 

That being said, I regret to inform you that Raw Potatoes will soon be no more. 

I have a new blog name and design in the works! The wonderful designer from Scenic Glory has been whipping us up something grand!! Expect lots of changes & lots of fun after the 1st of September!! Muhahaha 

Ahhh I'm glad to be back, can ya tell? 

RED-Retrofuturist

Evoke sultry retro sirens of the 1940s with this striking red lip shade from Lime Crime Makeup! Each Lime Crime lipstick is cruelty-free, and comes in a spectacular purple tube adorned with a sparkly little unicorn! Pair with a smoky eye, defined brows, a cute vintage frock with a sweetheart neckline, and a feathery fascinator for maximum pin-up appeal!
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Oh you know I'm gonna be kissin on my SoLDIER with some uber red lips on the 4th of July. I am so thankful that he is able to spend this holiday home with us this year. XOXO
Oh yes, There Will Be Fireworks.
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 Each man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn't.  You cannot shirk this and be a man.  To decide against your conviction is to be an unqualified and excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let men label you as they may.  Mark Twain