My summer to do's

I am setting some goals for myself for this summer.  I am going to be reading again. I stopped and am sad I did.  I love reading.  I have just let myself get more into other things like new fun presents such as my Itouch, running, and school. (I guess I should add a baby in there as well)  so here is my list:

run four days a week consistently
run a 5k in twenty-seven min (how I started that adventure will be a blog soon)
read at least two books a month from The list (unless I read Sophie's Choice...that might take longer
complete two of my college classes (which is also another blog soon)
lose twenty-four pounds (about  eight pounds a month-my summer lasts until the end of August)
visit the different beaches here in Coastal Georgia at least twice a month
stick to natural eating as much as possible.  (not raw just not processed,enriched, or sugar added)  this will be a hard one.  the hubby comes home and he loves Oreo's.  I can not find natural Oreo's, that wont taste gross anywhere.  We also go on vacation to visit family.  I am just not going to be a stickler while visiting.

Memorial Day thoughts

So today is Memorial Day.  This year it has completely new meaning for me.  It was not until my husband joined the army that I started to grasp what it truly means.  To some it means no school.  To some it means BBQ and family time.  For me in one way, it is an easy way to remember when the pool opens here on post.  For us it is all these things, but this year in particular I am reminded of what it is for because it is personal.  I guess it always should have been .  I did have a cousin who lost his life in the Vietnam War but I was not even born when that happened and it was never really talked about nor do I know much about him.  I have seen a picture of him and all I knew is that he died in the war.  Today I remember SFC Clifford Beattie.  This year I can say I know somebody who sacrificed his life for our freedom.   news article on him  I am thankful for all those that sacrificed.  I am also thankful that my husband gets to come home soon.  This leads to slight "army wife guilt" because I know there are those, like Karen, who will not have that privilege.   I will be bittersweet today.  I will be more quiet and reflective than I normally am, I may even shed some more tears today as I still process this.  It is so unfair but war never is.  It would be nice if we could all work it out like kids in the sandbox but that is not reality.  The reality is that war is sometimes necessary.  You reading this may not agree with it or why we are there.  I don't like we are there.  I do however enjoy posting blogs, enjoy being able to express my opinion, enjoy being able to worship God without fear of death, enjoy wearing whatever clothes I feel like and not having to cover up every ounce of skin, and I enjoy that I get to call myself an American.   That is what soldiers are defending.  So pause today while doing what you are doing and be thankful for our military in what they do and have done, especially those who have lost their lives defending it.

marriage in this deployment

My heart is just filled to the brim in writing this today.  I hope it gives encouragement.  Marriages in deployment go through changes.  some of them are good.  some of them not so good.  Ours thankfully is good and for us, even stronger.  There are the horror stories you hear which makes some husbands fearful, and rightfully so.  We as wives get a power of attorney.  This is intended for our protection and to be able to handle things when they arise such as financial, car insurance, car loans, military ID etc., moving.  Well on the very bad extreme some wives have been known to clear housing, drain the bank accounts, and move as if they did not exist.  The soldier comes home to no home and no money.   Some spouses cheat on each other whether in secret or in the open.  Some soldiers come home and wonder what happened to all that extra deployment money.  thankfully, I can say, that none of these things happened with us.  For us this deployment has changed both of us.  It has made us both better to each other.  We are better than ever before in communicating.  We are better than ever before in the area of finances and understanding each other.  The saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true.   Sometimes it takes a separation that you did not choose to do, to realize what you are missing.