MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.Does your Significant Other read your blog? Why is this a good or a bad thing?
He used to read it a lot, now he seems to stay away from reading it. For one, he's too busy with work, plus I think once the novelty of me having a blog wore off he lost interest.

2.What is one item in your house that holds the most sentimental value and why?
My picture albums/scrapbooks. I'd be devestated if I ever lost those memories.

3.When it comes to water fun in the summer do you prefer the beach, the pool, a lake, or the sprinklers?
I prefer the pool. I'm not a fan of being in water that I can't see what is around me. It freaks me out.

4.What is the one special thing that you do for yourself to get you through the first week of a deployment/separation?
Chocolate, wine and girl movies. Lots of them.

5.What is your biggest guilty pleasure website?
Texts from Last Night, my friends and I have this thing where we go through the texts and then copy and paste them to each other's Facebook pages. Hilarious. I'm also obsessed with Pinterest.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

1.Have you (spouse) ever considered joining the military and what do you think of dual military couples?
I've never thought of it, but Sean keeps wanting me to go through OCS and become an officer. However, I zero interest in being in the military. As far as dual-military couples, if you can do it, kudos to you. I'm not sure I could do it and be married. I would think it would put a lot of strain on your marriage.


2.What is your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon?
Sun, swimming and family. Oh..and some tasty food too.

3.What do you usually do for the 4th of July holiday?
Fourth of July just happens to be Sean's birthday and the next day is our anniversary, so the last few years we've gone on trips. This year however, I think it's going to be low-key. We'll probably grill and just hang out and enjoy the day.

4.If they could make an Olympic event JUST for you that you know you’d medal in, what would it be?
Wine drinking? Maybe marathon reading?

5.What have you been doing to get yourself bathing suit ready for the summer?
Every year I say I'm going to be bikini body ready and I never am. This year though I'm doing Crossfit three times a week. Today I'm also adding in some yoga. I'm hoping by the end of the summer my body looks bangin'.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

I haven't participated in awhile, so I thought I would this week. Join in over at Wife of a Sailor!

1.Are you a different person than you were five years ago?
I'm not hugely different. I've grown-up a lot (or at least I like to think I have). Five years ago I was fresh out of college and thought the next few years would be a big adventure, with me working at some National Park in another state and living the single life. I was right about the next few years being an adventure, but that's about it.


2.If you could go on Amazing Race, who would you take with you as your partner and why?
Hmm...not Sean because he doesn't even like the show, so I can't see him even wanting to be on it. Probably my friend Brittni. She's very outgoing and I think she'd be great on a lot of the different tasks. Plus she's very city-savvy, so that's a plus.

3.Does Facebook or Twitter actually bring more stress or good in to your life?
I rarely use Twitter, so that's never a problem for me. Sometimes Facebook just feels like a big drama fest, but normally I just put those people on ignore.

4.June is National Soul Food Month- what’s your soul food?
My mom's potato casserole. It's seriously one of my very favorite foods. Going hand-in-hand with that would be my Grandma's homemade mashed potatoes. They taste like heaven!

5.If you could live in any other era than the current, which one would it be & why?
The 1970's. Because I love the music and I think it would have been AWESOME to go see all those artists at their peak at concerts.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.Have you and your spouse agreed to live in separate locations (a geographical bachelor tour) knowing that the short-term inconvenience would have long-term benefits for your family? How did it work for you?
Well, when we first got married I was still living in Oklahoma and finishing out a job contract that would allow me to pay off a large chunk of my student loans. Sean was in Louisiana at the time, so we spent the first five months of being married, living apart. It was hard and if I could do it over, I'm not sure I'd live apart again.

2.What is your favorite thing about being a MilSpouse?
The travel and exploring new places. I could never have seen all I have or had the experiences I've had, without Sean being in the military.

3.If you could still have your spouse/significant other and your family, but take the military life out of it…would you?
I'm iffy on this. I love certain parts of the military life and yet I hate parts of it too. The military doesn't define us, but it has made us grow as a couple. I wonder how we'd be if the military had never been a factor.

4.What have your homecoming experiences been like after a year long tour of separation?
Although Sean was slated for a 12 month deployment, he was hurt and only ended up being away for six months. I won't lie...our reunion was not a joyous, happy occasion. I was happy to see him, but we'd had a very difficult R&R just a month prior to him coming home, so we were still dealing with that.

5.If you have a child(ren) why you chose their name(s)? If not, why you would name your child something?
I've had my (future) children's names picked out for a long time. Then I got married and Sean hated every, single name that I had picked out. I still have no idea what we will name our children because we can't agree on a single name.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-IN

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1.How many pets do you have? And what type?
We just have one dog, Boomer who happens to be the most spoiled and naughtiest Min-Pin alive. Sean and I treat him like he's a person, which is probably why he is so naughty. Seriously though, he makes me laugh every single day with some hilarious antic of his. I'm so glad I picked him at the shelter that day!

See? He even sits like he's a person.

2.What are your favorite projects to do while hubby is away?
Photography and scrapbook projects and basically anything that I pick as a goal while he's gone.

3.What are the must-haves in your deployment care packages?
Sean really isn't too picky about what he wants in his care-packages. I usally try to include a card, books I think he'd like and soup. He's a sucker for soup.

4.If you could star in any TV show, which would it be?
Can I go back in time and pick one? Because I'd pick I Dream of Jeannie. Hello? She was a genie, Major Nelson was hot and she wore the cutest outfit ever. What's not to like?

5.What was the biggest hurdle that you faced during your/your significant other’s first deployment?
Arguing about small stuff. Sean got super sensitive about the little things (like the quickness of his care packages getting to him) and it nearly drove me nuts. Next time we both need a reminder not to sweat the small stuff.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.With PCS moves happening every few years, do you take the time to paint and decorate your home?
 I haven't yet. Our landlord here wasn't too keen on painting and quite frankly the make-up of the walls here is craptastic so I haven't even tried. I'm excited to paint and decorate at our next place though!

2.If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be? Carrie Bradshaw's apartment on Sex and the City. I loved it, plus it was rent-controlled. What's not to like?

3.What inspired you to start your blog?
I wrote in a journal for most of my teen years and then had blogs on Xanga and MySpace. Once I married Sean I wanted a new blog for my new chapter in life.

4.What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen on base?

Besides the crazy get-ups that some wives/girlfriends wear? Probably the wild pigs that live on Fort Polk. Thank God I never ran into them out of my car. Those things are mean!

5.Which historical figure (politician, writer, artist, scientist, actor, etc…) would you like to have dinner with?Ansel Adams. I find his work spectacular and amazing. I'd love to talk to him about his inspiration for the photos and how he captured America in such an amazing way.

Giveaway! and MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

First things first, I wanted to let you all know that JG over at Me and My Solider Man is having a giveaway palooza over at her blog to celebrate two years of blogging. Today is the first day and the giveaway prize just happens to be 2 8x12 prints from my Etsy shop. Go check out JG's blog to find out more!

Now for the Friday Fill-In!



1.What romance movie scene reminds you of your s/o or spouse and the LOVE you share?
Anyone remember the scene in Walk the Line when June starts throwing bottles at Johnny and his friends who happen to be a bit drunk? Yeah...that's totally something I would do. There's a lot about that movie that reminds Sean and I of ourselves.

2.If you were allowed to deploy with your husband to a war zone would you and why?
No and the reason why is if I was there, I'm not sure he'd be able to concentrate on the job he has at hand. I wouldn't want him to feel like he had to protect me and thus not be able to do his job 100%.

3.Have you ever done anything (intentionally, or unintentionally) to embarrass your spouse/significant other in front of his military cohorts?
Are we talking away from work too? Because if so, then yes. There was one Halloween party where I was drunk tipsy and ended up laying on top of a table. I have no idea why or how that happened.

4.What is your most irrational fear?
I'm terrified of tripping on stairs and breaking my teeth on a step. Really weird and irrational I know.

5.If you could only live in one kind of climate for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
I'm sure a lot of people will say someplace like Hawaii, but honestly I have to have four seasons. It makes me appreciate each season when it finally rolls around.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.What is your must have gadget?
My camera. I don't know what I'd do without it.

2.How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid?
I thought I'd have a husband who was a combo of Ken/Prince Charming (not to say he isn't) Ha ha! And I thought I'd be a trapeze girl in the circus.

3.What is your favorite chocolate recipe?
My Mom makes fantastic Caramel bars that have chocolate in them. I'd post the recipe,but I'm not sure I actually have it.

4.How do you deal with military life when it gets to be to much or to hard?
I call my best friend. Even though she's not military, she's so understanding and she gives me the best advice. Sometimes I drink copious amounts of wine too, that always helps.

5.What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment?
Don't fight about small things, be independent and make some goals for yourself. That always makes a deployment easier/better in my opinion!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.What are some of your ideas for staying connected with family…you know, those people we moved thousands of miles away from?
I call my parents a couple times of week and Skype with them usually once a week. I stay in touch with friends via Facebook and e-mail and sometimes I like to send fun things in the mail like little cards or postcards.

2.What’s the most romantic gift you have GIVEN?
Hmm..I made a photo book of our first three years of marriage for Sean. In my mind, that's romantic.

3.Would you encourage your child, if they came to you and wanted to join the military?
I wouldn't discourage them, but I'd tell them they really needed to research their decision and also talk to people who'd been in the military to give them a better idea of what they might be getting into.

4.What is your least favorite bill to pay and why?
Rent, because I think our rent is ridiculous for the place we live. Just one of my pet peeves about living overseas.

5.What is the proudest moment you’ve had as a military spouse?
When Sean came home for R&R last year, he was stopped in the airport by a man who shook his hand, thanked him for what he was doing and gave him all the money he had in his pocket. I don't think I've ever been so proud of Sean as I was at that moment.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.During military separations (whether short or long) how do you keep yourself positive and motivated?
I keep busy with my list of goals and I talk to my friends and family a lot.

2.What is your favorite concert you have ever been to?
I've only been to a couple of concerts, but I'd have to say George Strait was my favorite. I've loved George for a long time and he sounded exactly like he does on the radio.

3.What do you miss most about your “hometown”?
The fact that most of my family is there and the delish Mexican restaurant we have in town. Best salsa EVER! Also, I hear they've upped the ante and now have a mariachi band that plays in the restaurant, I'd like to see this.

4.If you could run in any race, which charity would you choose to support?
Something for the homeless, pets or education.

5.You find out Willy Wonka is your father, what 3 course meal do you INSIST he create in that stick of gum?
This is by far one of the most fun questions that's been asked on Friday Fill-Ins, I'm going to go with Mexican food because I miss it so much. So..chips with salsa and guac. Tacos and enchiladas with rice and then some flan.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.Do you or your {spouse} ever wish your {spouse} was in a different branch of the military?
Yeah, we've discussed that we wish we were Air Force sometimes. I think there's a lot of great options regarding duty stations and I think overall their bases are better than Army posts.

2.What duty station(s) are on your “No Way, Hell No, Not Going, Have Fun Unaccompanied” list and why?
I actually don't really have any on my list. I'm pretty much ok with wherever we get sent. Although I could do without Ft. Bragg or Ft. Hood. I don't like huge posts and those are the two biggest. Sean doesn't want to be sent to Ft. Drum or either post in Alaska. He hates the cold.

3.If you could be one age forever, what age would you choose and why?
Anywhere from 25- to my current age of 27. I'm older, wiser and still don't have a lot of wrinkles.

4.If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be?
Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds. It's quite simply the best!

5.What is your morning beverage of choice and why?
Currently? Either coconut milk smoothies or raw milk. In the summer I like to put OJ and fresh strawberries in the blender and drink that.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.What is your favorite MilSpouse blog?
I read so many MilSpouse blogs that it's hard to just mention a few, but there are certain ones I check everyday. Sgt. and Mrs. Hub is one (and also happens to be the first blog I started reading) Jesstagirl and her Officer, Blonde Glambition, Just Another Day in Paradise.

2.What are your favorite perks about your s/o being deployed (we all know there are perks)?
I eat better and work-out more when Sean is gone, so a perk is that I'm healthier. I also get to watch things like Top Model and Jersey Shore instead of UFC fights and other sports crap.

3.How long did you date your before getting engaged? Married?
Well...we talked online and on the phone for 7 months, he came to see me for block leave and we got married two weeks later. For a more detailed account of the story, click here.

4.What do you think your would do if s/he wasn’t in the military?
I think he'd do something in journalism, though I think he should write a book. He really has a gift with words.

5.If you could talk to the Secretary of (fill in your appropriate branch) what is one suggestion you would like to bring to their attention in order to improve the lives of military families?
Dear John McHugh, (Secretary of the Army)
I'd like to bring to your attention the issue of funding. I see so much waste in the Army and the military in general, why not put those wasted funds towards more money for college classes for soldiers, building a hospital here in Italy that will service all our needs so we don't have to continually go to Germany for any health issues or towards the improvement of the facilities on each post. The lack of parking at our small post is beyond ridiculous and I can't fathom why money doesn't go towards a parking garage, rather than making the headquarters building on post some new fancy columns?

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.If you were a famous movie star, what types of movies would you star in?
Comedies, because they're my favorite. But I'd love to throw in a crazy film like Charlieze Theron did with Monster.

2.What is a vacation you would like to take if money were no object?
African Safari and extensive tour of Asia

3.Did you have pets growing up?
Yep, I had cats and a two dogs for years. We also had horses, baby deer, rabbits and other assorted creatures.

4.What do you do for exercise?
I run a couple times a week, do free weights about twice a week, Turbo Jam and the Shred from time to time and I recently got into Zumba.

5.What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received as a MilSpouse?
Don't plan anything.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.What do you usually want to know about someone when meeting them for the first time?
Where they are from.

2.Would you rather know everything about your spouse, or be regularly surprised?
Be regularly surprised. I like finding out new things about Sean.

3.If you could live in one city for the rest of your life, where would you live?
I've never been here, but I'd say Austin. I feel like it would be a really interesting place to live, plus since my family is in Oklahoma, I wouldn't be too far away.

4.When you go out of town, what one material thing do you ALWAYS take?
My camera. I can't go anywhere without it!

5.Using no more than 10 nouns, and ONLY nouns, describe yourself.
Blogger, Photographer, Oklahoma, Memory, Trips, Questions, Wife, Dog-Mom, Entertainer, Love. (Whew that was hard!)

Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-In

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1.What are you looking forward to most in 2011?
Travel! We have a big trip coming up in a couple of weeks and we're planning a lot more trips this year too.

2.What is something random you do on a boring night when your significant other is away?
I dress up, do my make-up and hair and then take new profile pics of myself.

3.What has been your greatest adventure as a MilSpouse?
Oh that's easy. Moving to Italy was the biggest adventure I've had yet!

4.What is the ugliest fashion trend you ever bought into (I’d like to make fun of you, so can you please provide a picture as well)?
Remember the biker shorts, with the slouched socks and the t-shirt tied to the side? Yeah...I used to rock that.

5.What was the high point of last month?
Christmas. Even though I was away from my family, I had an awesome Christmas here with Sean and Boomer.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.What is the best gift you have ever received or given?
Hmm...I got a horse one year from my grandparents, but that actually wasn't my favorite gift. I think one of my favorites is the Barbie Dreamhouse I got.

2.Do you celebrate holidays differently when your loved one is deployed/gone or do you keep tradition?
When Sean was gone last year I went home and so Christmas was as it had been before we got married. This year since we can't go home I'm continuing the traditions that my parents started with me.

3.If you celebrate Christmas, do you put an angel, star or something else on the top of your tree?
I actually have nothing at the top of my tree. The PX here has a craptastic selection and so this year my tree is naked up top.

4.What are your three favorite websites?
www.flickr.com
www.oldnavy.com
www.thepioneerwoman.com

5.On your man do you prefer… boxers, briefs or boxer briefs? Or commando?
Honestly? I really don't have a preference. I'm not a fan of briefs, but other than that I really don't care.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.What do you see your life like in 10 years?
With the military there is no telling and of course that all depends on if Sean stays in or not. So...regardless of where we are and what Sean's job is, I'd like to have a couple of children and a successful photography business.

2.What do you like most about your job?
I sleep as late as I want, make my own schedule and do whatever I want. That's right! I'm unemployed. :)

3.What are three things you do every day, no matter what day it is?
Blog or edit pictures, walk the dog, apply make-up

4.What would you do with an extra five hours in your day today?
Edit pics I took in Verona today

5.What is your favorite Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate) cookie recipe (please share!)?
Well it's not really a cookie, but it's still delish. They're called Cream cheese clouds. Check out the recipe under my recipe tab at the top of my blog.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.If you were given $1,000 right now, how would you spend it?
I'd probably buy some cute boots, some new clothes and would put the rest towards my car payment. The sooner I get it paid off, the better!

2.If you had to choose a movie title (a real one that already exists) for your life story, what would it be?
Legally Blonde. I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

3.If you were a teacher, what subject would you like to teach?
History! My favorite subject ever.

4.Has being a MilSpouse changed how you view holidays or how your holidays are celebrated? If so, how? If not, what hasn’t changed?
It has. Until I got married and moved away I didn't realize how lucky I was to always spend the holidays with my family. Now that I can't do that every year, it makes me cherish those times more.

5.What is your favorite Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) memory?
Any memory from Christmas was always great. I loved putting the tree up with my Mom and brother and talking about the ornaments as we put them up. I loved spending time with my extended family on Christmas Eve and eating all the goodies that everyone brought. Christmas is my favorite time of year!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.Were you named after anyone?
Nope. My parents couldn't decide between the names Melissa and Vanessa and finally agreed on Melissa.

2.What color, if any, are your toenails usually painted?
During the summer it's usually pink. In the winter it's usually red or dark red.

3.How do you flush a public toilet? Hands? Feet? Something else?
With my hand. In Europe, using any other part of your body really isn't an option.

4.When you were a little kid, which TV character did you have a crush on?
Anyone remember the show Teen Angel? I had a crush on the guy who played the angel. I also was a fan of Sam on Cheers.

5.Let’s say you had to lose one of your five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell). Which one would you choose? Why?
I've actually given this a lot of thought, I'm going with hearing. Sight is way too important and I am very big on smells and taste. So hearing it is!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

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1.A different twist on last week’s question. This week, the first question is: what’s the nicest thing a MILSPOUSE has ever done for you?
Oh this is easy. There is a certain blogger, who I won't say her name because I'm not sure if she'd want me to or not, but she's been awesome to me. She and her husband generously let us use their extra car for over two months when we were waiting on car parts and for my car to be fixed. She dogsits Boomer for me and takes wonderful care of him. In short, she's great!

2.How often do you drive faster than the speed limit?
In Italy? All the time. The speed limits here are more like suggestions.

3.Did you have a nickname in school? If so, what was it?
Not really, I mean my friends called me by my last name, one guy in band called me Marshmallow and for awhile a few people called me "Cominasty" because they were in Spanish class with me when I conjugated "we eat" in Spanish to "cominasty". Yeah..it was embarassing.

4.If your life was a book, what would the title be and how would it end?
Oh, I've had the title picked out for awhile, "Me and You and a dog named Boomer" Playing off the Lobo song, "Me and You and a Dog named Boo". How would it end? I'm not sure, in a blaze of glory I guess!

5.Look back (in your planner if you have one) to September 14th… what did you do that day?
I don't have a planner, so I'm guessing that day I spent doing errands and blogging.