MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #39

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

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? submitted by When Good People Get Together

Oh man, Captain Husband has spent more time as a geographic bachelor than he has as an in-house husband.  He spent six months out in Oklahoma last year because it just didn't make any sense for me to quit my job and move out to Oklahoma with him for such a short period of time.  And now he's living it up as a geographic bachelor in South Korea, although his time there is almost done.  So far it's worked out pretty well for us; talk to me about three months after our upcoming reintegration to see how I feel about this latest go-round.

2. What is your favorite thing about being a MilSpouse? submitted by Sarah Ruth Today

The sense of community that I've found, especially online.  I don't know many milspouses in real life, so being able to connect with other people that I can go to for advice at the drop of a hat is pretty awesome.

3. If you could still have your spouse/significant other and your family, but take the military life out of it...would you?  submitted by Trust. Love. Believe. Bake.

I'm going to have to go with a firm probably.  But only after Captain Husband and I sat down and crunched the numbers to see how the decision would affect our financial future as a family.

4. What have your homecoming experiences been like after a year long tour of separation? submitted by Army Soldier, Army Wife

I'd have to say CH's return from Afghanistan was pretty good; sure, there were some rough period, but that's to be expected during any reintegration.  I'm hoping that our next homecoming will be as good as the first one was, but there's a lot more going on, like having a baby in the house and preparing for our first PCS as a family.  Ugh.

5. If you have a child(ren) why you chose their name(s)? If not, why you would name your child something?  submitted by Tiara's & ACU's

CH and I both like using family names when possible; Sammy is actually named in honor of his paternal great grandfather, Salvatore.  And since CH got to make the final decision regarding Sammy's name, I totally get to name the next kid.  I've already got a short list.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #38

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. How many pets do you have? And what type? submitted by Life and Times of a Displaced Jersey Girl 


I currently only have one pet, a very fluffy and lovable cat named Sandy.  She also answers to Sandine, Fuzzlebut, Sandy Pants, and high-pitched baby squeals.  My husband is convinced that she is a Siberian, due to her unusual triple-layered coat and insane leaping abilities (someone was watching Animal Planet), but there's really no way of knowing.  She and Sammy are totally BFFs.

 2. What are your favorite projects to do while hubby is away? submitted by my-inspired-nest

Home improvement projects--things like painting, installing new light fixtures and rearranging furniture in the house are some of my favorite things to do, mostly because he's not around to render a dissenting opinion, ha!

3. What are the must-haves in your deployment care packages?  submitted by Christine's Little Blog

I've been a very, very bad military spouse this time around and have only sent Captain Husband one care package in the nine months he's been gone. (I haven't even sent CH his Christmas presents.)  I'm not a completely horrible person, though; CH has said time and time again that he hates having to bring the extra stuff home, so I've just been holding them for him here at the house.  But on the few occasions I do send him something, I always make sure to include something that will make him laugh, like novelty underwear or something cat related.

4. If you could star in any TV show, which would it be? submitted by Just a Girl

Nerd alert: I would want to star in the History Detectives.  Or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia--I bet that set is hilarious to be around.

5. What was the biggest hurdle that you faced during your/your significant other's first deployment? submitted by The Pavlik Perspective

I adopted a cat named Josie shortly after CH left for Afghanistan; unknown to me at the time, Josie had a large, cancerous tumor that would eventually take her life only six short months later. I had never cared for a sick pet before, and she and I grew very close simply due to the amount of time I spent with her, bathing her, giving her her medications, and eventually hand-feeding her. Putting her to sleep was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and I was already at my limits with the stress of dealing with CH's deployment...ugh, my chest tightens just thinking about that time and that was more than two years ago.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #37

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. With PCS moves happening every few years, do you take the time to paint and decorate your home? submitted by Life as Mrs. JPT

I haven't had to PCS yet (don't hate me) but I've got one looming on the horizon this summer and you better believe I'll be putting my stamp on wherever we live next...you know, as long as the landlord is okay with it.

2. If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be? submitted by Standing By Him

I am currently coveting the 1920s Spanish-style bungalow in the HBO mini-series, Mildred Pierce.  So many lovely architectural details--not too mention all of the fabulous period accessories!

3. What inspired you to start your blog?  submitted by Pink Combat Boots

Captain Husband and were just about to get married, and I wanted a way to record all of the little details of the time leading up to and including his deployment; several of my friends had started blogs, so I jumped on the bandwagon and have been enjoying the ride ever since the summer of 2008.

4. What is the weirdest thing you've ever seen on base? submitted by Adventures in Life

I don't really have an answer for this one as I only find myself on base about once every few months, generally to pick up my prescriptions or take Sammy in for another well-baby appointment.  I've always been a little weirded out by the cart pushers at the commissary, however--does that count?

5. Which historical figure (politician, writer, artist, scientist, actor, etc...) would you like to have dinner with?  submitted by Army of Two

Oooo, good question!  If I can only pick one, I would want to have dinner with Dorothy Parker; I imagine it would be a boozy evening filled with raucous laughter followed by us getting matching star tattoos on our elbows.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #36

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. What romance movie scene reminds you of your s/o or spouse and the LOVE you share? submitted by Simply Sunshine and Daisy's

Um, the Princess Bride?  (Sorry--I don't really watch romance movies, so this was the only one I could think of, twue wuv and all.)

2. If you were allowed to deploy with your husband to a war zone would you and why? submitted by I & J

The stress of being in a war zone and the resulting temptation to misuse my weapon would be too much for me, so I'm going to have to go with a firm no.

3. Have you ever done anything (intentionally, or unintentionally) to embarrass your spouse/significant other in front of his military cohorts?  submitted by Marrying the Navy

Not yet, at least!

4. What is your most irrational fear? submitted by Eights on the Move

Cockroaches.  Just typing the word gave me the chills.  **Shudder**

5. If you could only live in one kind of climate for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?  submitted by Many Waters

Indian summer in Virginia; crisp fall evenings with warm, sunny days, temperatures in the 70s and low humidity.  What's not to like?

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #35

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. What is your must have gadget? submitted by Flying High With My Flyboy

My iPhone.  I am addicted to it.  A close second would most definitely be my laptop.

2. How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid? submitted by L to the Third

Crap.  I submitted this one so I better give my answer some actual thought.  Well, I certainly didn't grow up to be a mover, a carpenter, a marine biologist or a Japanese teacher--all occupations I thought I have as an adult at some point in my childhood; I never would have guessed that I would go on to find a career focusing on the decorative arts.  Ultimately, I wanted to fall in love with someone and start a family with that person; granted, I also thought I would meet that person in college and get married shortly thereafter, but better late than never, right?  At the end of the day, I'd have to say that my adulthood is pretty close to how I imagined it would be (minus the crushing student loan payments, of course).  However, I never imagined in a million years that I would find myself married to someone in the military; it can be really rough at times, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything else.

3. What is your favorite chocolate recipe?  submitted by Our First Deployment

Triple chunk brownies. It's a little recipe I picked up from someone named Betty Crocker.  And by recipe, I mean a box from Target.

4. How do you deal with military life when it gets to be too much or too hard? submitted by Combat Boots And Pointe Shoes

I'm pretty lucky in that I can always give my family a call when things get to be too much, and I also have a great network of friends who are ready and willing to help out when things get rough.  I've also been known to turn to retail therapy when things get really bad (nothing cheers me up quite like a trip to Target), and brownies are great, too (see #3).

5. What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment?  submitted by The Albrecht Squad

Don't be afraid to actually take people up on their offers of help.   People sincerely do want to help--they're not just saying it to be nice.  I promise.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #34

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. What are some of your ideas for staying connected with family...you know, those people we moved thousands of miles away from? submitted by Live it. Love it (or not). Write About It.

Thanks to things like blogging and Skype, I manage to stay pretty connected with my family; sorry--not a very helpful answer.

2. What's the most romantic gift you have GIVEN? submitted by Painting My Canvas

I don't do romance very well...most of my gifts are of the humorous variety (think along the lines of novelty underwear); however, I did buy Captain Husband an antique pocket watch and had it engraved with "Welcome Home Sloth Bear" (it's a long story) for when he returned from Afghanistan.

3. Would you encourage your child, if they came to you and wanted to join the military? submitted by Perfectly Imperfect

To be honest, I wouldn't encourage my child but I wouldn't discourage him, either.  I would listen to his reasons and and then we would discuss the ramifications of his choice as a family.

4. What is your least favorite bill to pay and why? submitted by A Little of This, A Little of That

My student loan bills...ugh.  My stomach ties in knots just thinking about how much I owe and how long I'm going to be paying for my higher education.

5. What is the proudest moment you've had as a military spouse? submitted by Our Okinawa Life

I wasn't technically a milspouse when this happened (I was a milgirlfriend) but one of my proudest moments was when Captain Husband told me that he was volunteering for a year-long mission in Afghanistan; initially I was pretty conflicted about the whole thing but once I had time to process everything, I was just so incredibly proud and in awe of this man and his convictions.  (And I still am!)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #33

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. During military separations (whether short or long) how do you keep yourself positive and motivated? submitted by Married/Single Parent 

I just tell myself over and over that this too shall pass and all deployments/separations must eventually come to an end.  Captain Husband likes to say that we're getting all of the hard stuff out of the way first; I sure hope he's right!
 
2. What is your favorite concert you have ever been to? submitted by Young but Not (Completely) Dumb 

Um...I can't remember.  I haven't been to an actual concert in almost a decade (though I've seen plenty of bands play in my friends' basements in the interim), so I'm going to have to go with the Warped Tour back in 2000--I remember having a great time there and there were a lot of different bands to take in.  Seeing Green Day perform live was definitely a highlight at the time.
 

3. What do you miss most about your "hometown"?  submitted by A Florida Girl and Her Soldier 

I miss having all of my family so nearby; most of my immediate and extended family (with the exception of my youngest brother) lives within a half an hour drive of my hometown.  I would love to be able to buy a summer house there at some point so that Sammy could spend quality time with his grandparents, uncles, and [future] cousins.

4. If you could run in any race, which charity would you choose to support? submitted by Wookie & Co. 

There are so many worthwhile charities out there that it's really difficult for me to choose just one...however, given the current political climate, I would most definitely don my running shoes in support of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

5.  You find out Willy Wonka is your father, what 3 course meal do you INSIST he create in that stick of gum?  submitted by A{muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench

Can I just skip the gum and take the great glass elevator out for a spin instead?

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #32

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. Do you or your {spouse} ever wish your {spouse} was in a different branch of the military? submitted by The Turner Family

I'm pretty limited in my knowledge of the other branches, so I don't really have any strong feelings one way or the other (I'm sure each branch has pretty similar lists of pros and cons).  However, I do know that when Captain Husband was just a wee lad he wanted to be a fighter pilot.  Unfortunately his less than stellar eyesight kind of put the kibosh on those plans, so into the Army he went.

2. What duty station(s) are on your “No Way, Hell No, Not Going, Have Fun Unaccompanied” list and why? submitted by Every Branch

My list is currently comprised of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.  Now to be honest, I've never been to any of these locations, but Captain Husband has been stationed at all of them at one point or another.  Based on what he's told me, Texas is a big no-go for me primarily because I wouldn't be able to handle the heat, the lack of green foliage and having to check my shoes for scorpions on a regular basis.  Oklahoma and Kansas are on the list because I need to have a major city within an hour's drive to escape to when things start to feel a little claustrophobic around the house...and the locations we would likely be stationed at do not meet that requirement.

3. If you could be one age forever, what age would you choose and why? submitted by Three Krakens

I suppose if I had to be one age forever, I'd probably go with my current age (31).  I'm at a point now where I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin and truly like the person I've become; while many of the experiences I had in my late teens and twenties made me the person I am today, I am in no way chomping at the bit to relive them if you know what I mean.

4. If you were a breakfast cereal, which one would you be? submitted by the C.W. 

Honey Nut Cheerios.  Sweet and just a little nutty.

5. What is your morning beverage of choice and why? submitted by NH Girl Displaced

It used to be a medium iced caramel latte with sugar and whipped cream courtesy of my local Dunkin' Donuts.  However,  I haven't had one in months.  Yes, you read that correctly: I have kicked my DD addiction to the curb.  So now my current morning beverage is water (ooo, exciting!) or some sort of juice.

Have a great weekend everyone!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in #31

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. Aside from no deployments, what is one thing you would want to make the MilSpouse life "perfect"? submitted by Oh How Delightful

I touched on this last week; I would love it if there were longer tours of duty at permanent duty stations.  I want Sammy to have a stable childhood and make long-lasting friendships, which is going to be difficult if we're moving every three years or so. 

2. Just how many peppers did Peter Piper pick? submitted by Married into Army

He picked a peck and since a peck is a measure of volume and not an actual count, the answer is "it depends."  Wow, this was a spectacularly boring answer.  Sorry!

3. If you could have any career in the world with nothing holding you back, what would you do? submitted by It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To

I'd love to be a prop manager/set designer for period films/television shows.  I would give my left arm to work on something like Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men.  (One of my favorite things to do, which is probably super annoying to everyone else, is to watch period films and point out all of the inaccuracies in the set design and costuming--I'm such a nerd.)

4. Do you have a service oriented tattoo and if so what is it. If you don't what would you get? submitted by The Squid's Accomplice

I don't currently have a service-oriented tattoo, but if I were to get one, it would probably something Sailor Jerry in style, or a Gil Elvgren-type patriotic pin-up girl.  I like to keep it old school.

5. Imagine a block of time has opened up in your busy day for you to take a class in anything you like. What subject would you choose?  submitted by To The Nth

Digital photo editing.  I pretty much taught myself the basics of Photoshop but I would love to learn how to use all of its tools to their full potential.

****

 
Speaking of Photoshop, my entry in the Love Letters to Kitty Paw contest made the top ten!  Sandy Cat sure would appreciate it if you could click below and give us a vote--our entry is listed at #9.  Thanks and have a great weekend everyone!

Milspouse Friday Fill-In #30

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. What is your favorite MilSpouse blog (not including Wife of a Sailor who we all love, or your own)? submitted by Our Crazy Life (Wifey note: whaaaat? You can't say my blog? No fun! LOL, just kidding)

I've started following so many MilSpouse blogs over the past year that it's going to be hard to choose, but I'm going to have to go with Army of Two; Natalia is a fellow history dork and has recently made the decision to go from Army spouse to Army soldier.  I'm really looking forward to reading more about this new chapter of her life and living vicariously through her adventures!

2. What are your favorite perks about your s/o being deployed (we all know there are perks)? submitted by Ramblings of a Marine Wife

Having free-reign over the appearance of our home's interior; when Captain Husband is gone for extended periods of time, I amuse myself by painting, rearranging and/or refinishing furniture, installing light fixtures, ripping up carpet, etc.  He's really lucky that I'm not into wallpaper because every room would be covered in the stuff by now.  

3. How long did you date your before getting engaged? Married? submitted by Utterly Chaotic

We were engaged after dating for a little over seven months and married two months later.  Nothing like an impending deployment to speed things up a bit, right?  Ha!

4. What do you think your spouse would do if s/he wasn’t in the military? submitted by Adventures of M-Squared

Hmmm, well CH is currently working on his MBA so I'm going to guess he'd do something business/financially-related.  Though he's also supposedly on board with the idea of us starting our own antique shop after he retires, so it's really anyone's guess.

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?  submitted by My Life as His (Air Force) Wife

I honestly haven't really thought about this so much; while CH and I have spent about six months together in the 2 1/2 years we've been married, we really haven't had it all that bad especially since I've been able to stay put in Virginia while CH did the bulk of the packing and moving during this time.  That said, I am definitely not looking forward to our first PCS, which will likely be taking place this summer (you know, during the same time that CH, Sammy and I are reintegrating after a year apart--should be super fun), so I'm going to go with longer tours of duty at permanent duty stations.  I thrive on stability and the thought of having to move every two to three years makes me feel slightly nauseous.

Have a great weekend everyone!  

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #29

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. Since most if the country has had nasty weather, what has your weather been like this week? 

Cold, windy and filled with flurries.  But then again that's pretty much par for the course this time of year in western Pennsylvania.  (I'm visiting with family this week.)


2. What is/are your best money saving tip(s)?

 I find a lot of deals online and I'm a huge fan of buying gently-used items from thrift shops and consignment stores.  Most of Sammy's clothing is second-hand and that has saved me a ton of money these past few months.

3. What was your favorite vehicle you’ve ever owned?? 

I'm going to have to go with my current vehicle, which is a 2006 Ford 500.  It's the nicest car I've ever had the pleasure of driving--never have I had a car with so many bells and whistles.  I love that it has all-wheel drive (it came in really handy during last year's many snowstorms) and that the front passenger seat folds down as well as all of the back seats, so it has awesome storage room (I once fit an antique full-size tester bedstead in there); it's an amazing work-horse of a car.

4. What is a question you’d like to see asked in a future fill-in? 

How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid?


5. Fill in the blank: You might be a MilSpouse if…. 

you know your spouse's social security number better than your own.  (I am constantly confusing the two these days.)

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #28

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. If you were a famous movie star, what types of movies would you star in? 

Horror movies and indie films--it would be so awesome to be in the film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (seriously, I'm not making this up).

2. What is a vacation you would like to take if money were no object? 

I would love to explore Europe for a year or so; I've always wanted to go to England and Scotland and of course, I'd have to visit Captain Husband's family in Italy. Then I'd take in Oktoberfest in Germany and trace my family's origins in Belgium, Germany, Holland, and Ireland.

3. Did you have pets growing up? 

We had a Great Dane named Fred, a beagle named Ethel and a cat named Ricky. Sadly, we had to find them new homes when my little brother was born (I've never really forgiven him for that).

4. What do you do for exercise? 

I've started using the eliptical machine twice a week over at the gym, plus there's toting a twenty-pound baby in his carrier and all of his various accoutrements up and down several flights of stairs on a daily basis.  My left arm is beginning to look like Popeye's.

5. What is the best piece of advice you've ever received as a MilSpouse?

Live in the moment and stop worrying about what the future may entail; something I'm currently struggling with a bit, but I'm trying, darn it.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

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

 I am always interested in learning about a person's passions, hobbies and interests.

2. Would you rather know everything about your spouse, or be regularly surprised?

I definitely enjoy being surprised every now and then...especially if the surprises are pleasant, like finding out that my husband is a big Star Trek fan.

3. If you could live in one city for the rest of your life, where would you live?

Hmmm...I really enjoyed the years that I lived in Philadelphia, although my husband isn't really much of a city person (and especially not much of a Philly person; he really hates that place for some irrational reason).  I loved the different neighborhoods and the history on every block; it's a great walking/biking city and there is always something going on, be it a new art exhibit or a band playing in someone's basement. 

4. When you go out of town, what one material thing do you ALWAYS take?

My cell phone.  I actually get nervous if I don't have it on me (that's sad, isn't it?).

5. Using no more than 10 nouns, and ONLY nouns, describe yourself.

Woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, dreamer, optimist, historian, antiquer (yes, I made that up).

It's baaaaaack: Milspouse Friday Fill-In

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions. 
  
1. What are you looking forward to most in 2011? from Jessica Lynn Writes 

Being reunited with Captain Husband in just six short months and celebrating Sammy's first birthday together as a family.

2. What is something random you do on a boring night when your significant other is away? from Lovin Ma Soldier 

Lately it's been playing furniture tetris and rearranging just about every single room in the house.  Thank goodness for those nifty furniture slider thingamabobs.

3. What has been your greatest adventure as a MilSpouse? from Misadventures of An Army Momma 

I'd say I'm living it right now--taking care of a baby on my own while ensuring that the house remains standing and functional.  Woohoo!

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)? from More Than An Army Wife 

I never really was one for trends...in fact, I pulled out my photo album from my senior year of high school and I realized that I haven't really changed so much in the sartorial sense.  In fact, I wish I had been more comfortable with my body back then and flaunted it a little more rather than wearing oversized t-shirts all the time.  I can confidently say, however, that I was a fashion victim from about fourth grade through seventh grade and here are some pictures to prove it (I call this my collage of shame; from left to right we have old lady glasses complete with chain and adult-size footie pajamas, the infamous roller skating outfit, and last but not least a crushed velvet dress--with attached lace-trimmed shawl, naturally--and a giant bow jauntily askew on top of my dome):

5. What was the high point of last month?

Finishing Sammy's nursery and getting my own room again.  Now I can watch all of the late night cartoons while in bed that my little heart desires--that is if I can actually stay up past 10 pm.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions. 

1. What is the best gift you have ever received or given? from Jessica Lynn Writes  

Hmmm, the best gift I've ever received would have to be the amazing dollhouse that my mom and dad made for me for Christmas when I was 10 or 11; it was three-stories plus a basement and had an (hand-cranked) elevator and everything.  I spent hours--heck, years--playing with it (it's now been handed down to a friend's daughter).  I don't know if this is the best gift that I've ever given, but it's definitely one of my favorites: my dad is a notorious gift-guesser and he's almost impossible to surprise but a couple of years ago I managed to get one past him--a mug emblazoned with one of his favorite quotes from the classic BBC show, Keeping Up Appearances: "I'm sitting here completely surrounded by no beer."  He loved it!

2. Do you celebrate holidays differently when your loved one is deployed/gone or do you keep tradition? from The Albrecht Squad  

We haven't really had enough Christmases together to really have any established traditions, though I was able to convince Captain Husband to get a real tree the first year we were together and we've had one every year since (and a related tradition is finding pine needles in unexpected places for at least six months after).

3. If you celebrate Christmas, do you put an angel, star or something else on the top of your tree?   

My tree has a boring gold star as the topper; I've been searching for something fun/vintage but so far I've come up empty-handed, so I keep going back to the trusty old star that I've had for nearly a decade.  However, I did make an awesome pine cone elf that's now serving as the tree-topper for my aluminum tree (I know I already posted a picture of it earlier this week, but whatever, it's cute so I'm going to post it again):

4. What are your three favorite websites?  

The websites that I visit most often are Jezebel, Apartment Therapy, and, when I need a laugh, Texts From Last Night.

5. On your man do you prefer... boxers, briefs or boxer briefs? Or commando? (yeah, I'm starting to get desperate for questions!)

I prefer boxer briefs, though I'm also fond of the occasional pair of novelty boxers.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions. 

1. What do you see your life like in 10 years?

Captain Husband and I would like to have three kids if possible, so 10 years from now I see myself sending the youngest off to preschool and re-entering the workforce; my future plans include becoming an accredited appraiser of antiques so I might be working on getting that business underway.  CH will still be in the Army (although retirement would only be a few years away, woot!), so who knows where we'll be living at that point but as long as we're all residing in the same time zone, I'll be happy.

2. What do you like most about your job? 

I like that I get to spend so much time with my son during this formative time of his life.  Everyone always says the first year goes by so fast, but I had no idea just how the quickly the time would fly by.

3. What are three things you do every day, no matter what day it is? 

Go to Dunkin' Donuts for my caffeine fix (seriously, if I ever just up and disappeared one day, the cashiers at Dunkin' Donuts would probably be the first to report my absence to the police); Skype or talk on the phone with Captain Husband; and last but not least I wash diapers and baby bottles every. single. day.

4. What would you do with an extra five hours in your day today?

I would probably try to catch up on some sleep.  I've been burning the candle at both ends this week.

5. What is your favorite Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate) cookie recipe (please share!)?

Is it horrible that I don't make Christmas cookies?  However my favorite ones to eat are gullets; my grandma and my uncle used to make dozens of them every Christmas.  Don't know what a gullet is?  It's a French-Belgian waffle cookie--kind of like a pizzelle, but thicker...here's the recipe (for more info on gullets, click here).

Gullets

1 pound butter
3 cups light brown sugar
6 eggs
7 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat. Add remaining ingredients. Roll into 1-inch balls and place in the center of Belgian cookie iron for about one minute or until golden brown.

Yield: About 7 dozen.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. If you were given $1,000 right now, how would you spend it? 

I would put it towards a plane ticket to South Korea; how sweet would it be if Captain Husband, Sammy and I could all spend our first Christmas together as a family?

2. If you had to choose a movie title (a real one that already exists) for your life story, what would it be? 

Um, I have no idea...how about The Historian (I cheated a little bit, because this movie is currently in development)?

3. If you were a teacher, what subject would you like to teach? 

American History, with an emphasis on material culture and what it can reveal about certain moments of time.

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? 

Well, I certainly don't take spending time with my loved ones for granted, although Christmas has always been up in the air ever since I finished college.  Work often made it difficult to travel, so I would usually go home for New Year's Eve instead, which also happens to be my mom's birthday.  Not much has changed since meeting CH; our first Christmas as a couple was spent meeting each other's parents; CH was in Afghanistan for our second Christmas so I celebrated the holiday with some friends in Annapolis; our third Christmas was spent with CH's parents (we went to my parents' for New Year's); this year, I'll be traveling to my in-laws' earlier this month and then I'll be taking Sammy home to my parents' for his first Christmas, because the thought of spending the holiday alone in my house is über depressing.

5. What is your favorite Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) memory?

It's a memory that's been transformed into something of a family tradition in recent years.  My family would spend Christmas day with my mom's side of the family at my maternal grandmother's house.  Every year, without fail, she would put a box of crackers and a can of spray cheese out on the coffee table and us kids would go crazy making cracker and spray-cheese sandwiches.  My grandma died seven years ago, but we still put a can out in her memory--it's just not Christmas without processed cheese.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

1. If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs - such as food and water - were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?

My laptop (with an infinite supply of batter power) and a wireless internet connection--assuming, of course, that Captain Husband, Sammy & Sandy were out of the question.

2. If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?

Raspberry vinaigrette.

3. If you had to live on a ranch, what kind of animals would you raise/own?

I think I would have a ranch full of cats.  And then I would do this:



4. If your life was was portrayed as a movie, who would you choose to play you and your significant other?

Hmmm...Zooey Deschanel for me (I wish) and Edward Norton for Captain Husband.

5. What was the last thing you put a stamp on (envelope, duh, but what was in the envelope)?

My registration form for the Burgettstown Turkey Trot; it's a 5K fun run/walk held every Thanksgiving that my family has participated in since it began in 1993.  I don't feel so guilty about eating that second piece of pumpkin pie after having walked three miles first thing in the morning.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.
  
1. Were you named after anyone? 

I don't want to name names (ha!), so let's just say that my mom was a big fan of the show Little House on the Prairie, so I'm named after one of the main characters...if you read last week's MilSpouse Fill-In, it should be pretty easy to figure out.  My middle name is my dad's first name.

2. What color, if any, are your toenails usually painted? 

Usually some version of fuschia/hot pink although at the moment they're peacock blue.

3. How do you flush a public toilet? Hands? Feet? Something else? 

I'm totally a foot flusher.

4. When you were a little kid, which TV character did you have a crush on? 

Magnum P. I.  I knew that Tom Selleck's mustache was a special kind of awesome even at a young age.

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 think I'd have to go with smell; trust me, if you had to change Sammy's diapers, you'd totally understand.  And I could certainly live without having to smell a litter box ever again.

Have a good weekend everyone!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

In an effort to learn more about fellow MilSpouse bloggers, Wifey from Wife of a Sailor started this weekly meme;  here are this week's questions.

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? (brought to you from navy_smurfette) 

I'd have to say it was when my friend, Lindsey, volunteered to watch Sammy for a few hours so I could go out and get my eyebrows and toes tamed for my brother's wedding.  I don't really know many other MilSpouses in real life.

2. How often do you drive faster than the speed limit? 

All the time.  I have a lead foot--it's an inherited condition.

3. Did you have a nickname in school? If so, what was it?

Not really, at least not one that anyone used to my face.  A few people called me L-cubed because all of my initials are the same, but that's about it (now the name of this blog makes a little bit of sense, right?).  My name doesn't really lend itself to nicknames, which is part of the reason why I like Samuel for our son--he could be Sam, Sammy, Sam-a-lam-a-ding-dong, etc.

 4. If your life was a book, what would the title be and how would it end? 

This is probably the hardest question yet; I'm quite fond of my tag line, "Adventures in Embracing the Suck," so I think that would make a good book title.  Hopefully the book would have a happy ending in which Captain Husband and I and our small brood of children make it through the suckage relatively unscathed. The book would end with us embarking on our next adventure: starting our own antique business. 

5. Look back (in your planner if you have one) to September 14th... what did you do that day?

This year's September 14th was empty, which likely means I spent most of the day in my pajamas taking care of Sammy, possibly with a Target or Babies-R-Expensive run thrown in there.  Just for fun, I checked my planners from 2007, 2008 and 2009: nothing going on then, either.