This page is dedicated to all Military Spouses and the men and women who serve their country with pride. It takes a great deal of courage and strength to be a part of the United States Armed Forces. As I mentioned in my front page we are an Air Force family so most of my information here will be USAF related but I would love to hear from all branches. Your thoughts and comments will always be welcome here. I am just getting started, so bear with me. I only have 7 years of experience at this and I would love to hear from those of you that have lived this life longer than I. I still have much to learn. There is a certain measure of pride in being a military spouse that runs so deep that I have trouble putting it into words. It's the kind that brings tears to your eyes when you hear the National Anthem or just seeing your husband or wife walk out the door in their uniform. It is not always an easy life as any military spouse will tell you, but it is an honorable one.
About Us
My husband, Ron, and I are both from a small town in Ohio (Shadyside). I know, you never heard of it, right? No one ever has. : ) We met in 1992 and seemed to fall in love almost right away. No, it wasn't a love at first site kind of thing but close enough. He and my daughter, Shannon, hit it off right away also and the rest, as they say, is history. He joined the Air Force in 1993 and we married a year later. He went to basic training at Lackland AFB and then on to Lowry AFB for tech school. He was then stationed at Charleston AFB, Charleston, SC. We spent 5 years in Charleston, completing our family there with the birth of our 2 sons, Andrew in 1995 and Matthew in 1997. Ron is a Supply troop but spent the last year in Charleston working in the Civil Engineering Squadron. We are now on the Naval Air Station in Keflavik, Iceland and will be here for at least the next year . The move here was my first time overseas, actually, it was my first time on a plane! We learned alot with this PCS and hopefully the next one will go smoother. There have been alot of ups and downs in the past 5 years but I've learned that you just have to take the lemons that the military throws at you and make lemonade. We celebrated our 6th Wedding Anniversary on May 21 and we spent it having dinner at a quaint little Icelandic restaurant and then spent the next day sightseeing at the most spectacular waterfalls and glaciers and black sand beaches. Now that was some sweet lemonade!
No matter what, no matter where, it's always Home if Love is there.
Being a military family usually means moving often. This can be a very stressful time and the best advice I can give is to be prepared. If the Base your leaving offers a Smooth Move Workshop---take it. If moving overseas and shipping your vehicle, I would suggest that you ship it early. It's easier to find rides to and from places at your old Base where you have already established friendships. Carefully select what you put in your Express shipment. There are usually weight limits with these and you need to decide what you will really need in that time before your Household goods arrive. Also, I would suggest that you don't send valuable items in your Express shipment. This shipment is usually not security sealed and I have heard of many thefts occurring with the Express. Once you are settled in, get to know your neighbors and surroundings and get out and enjoy your new assignment as much as possible.
On a lighter note---here are a few poems that show that moving isn't always a terrible thing in the eyes of a child.
Moving
I like to move. There's such a feeling
Of hurrying and scurrying,
And such a feeling
Of men with trunks and packing cases,
Of kitchen clocks and mother's laces,
Dusters, dishes, books and vases,
Toys and pans and candles.
I always find things I'd forgotten,
An old brown Teddy stuffed with cotton,
Some croquet mallets without handles,
A marble and my worn-out sandals,
A half an engine and a hat . . .
And I like that.
I like to watch the big vans backing,
And the lumbering and the cumbering,
And the hammering and the tacking.
I even like the packing!
And that will prove
I like to move!
---Eunice Tietjens
The New Neighbor
A New Friend
Have you had your tonsils out?
Do you go to school?
Do you know that there are frogs
Down by the Willow Pool?
Are you good at cricket?
Have you got a bat?
Do you know the proper way
To feed a white rat?
Are there any apples
On your apple tree?
Do you think your mother
Will ask me in to tea?
They've taken in the furniture;
I watched them carefully.
I wondered, "Will there be a child
Just right to play with me?"
So I peeked through the garden fence
(I couldn't wait to see)
I found the little boy next door
Was peeking back at me.
---Marjorie Allen Anderson
---Rose Fyleman
Some Local News
CONGRATULATIONS!
To my husband, Ron, on his promotion to
Staff Sergeant
We are very proud of you!
Love,
Missy, Shannon, Andrew and Matthew
The 85th LS Spouses are very busy these days with many projects in the works. We are doing Welcome baskets for incoming squadron members, Hail and Bless dinners, a "Meals on Wheels" program for anyone in a situation where a hot meal prepared by someone else might be needed, a Smoothie Sale at the Fall Carnival and upcoming parties for the holidays. We also have a sunshine girl who is sending cards and lending support to those in need. We have a wonderful group with lots of involvement. I'm proud to be a part of it.
Links
NAS Keflavik's MWR site.
Provides info on what there is to do
during your tour in Iceland
The official site of the U.S. Air Force
This is an excellent site!
Provides tons of info on all bases for
all branches of the military.
The most informative site I have found so far.
The official site for Charleston AFB,
Charleston, SC.
Main Index/ Family/ GWTW/ Holiday/ Iceland/ KidStuff/ Kitchen/ Links/ Military Spouses/ Mom's Egarden/ Poetry/ Shannon's Page/ Andrew and Matt's Playground/ Ron's Realm of Fantasy and Sci-Fi