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My Inspiration, the Veteran in my life
Veterans Day, a day to honor and thank veterans, has come and gone. However, the opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate a veteran should never be passed. As an Army National Guard wife I swell with pride whenever my husband wears his uniform to serve our country. When I remember deployment and months that I have been without him I shed a tear but then think to myself we did it! When I think about how his very basic need to serve has driven him to do just that, and to do that with honor, I remember the many qualities that attracted me to him so many years ago. But my pride in my husband stems much further back…
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Apple Chips for your Next Care Package
Are you looking for something new to put in your next care package? How about a slice of home? A reminder of autumn? The taste of crispy apples. But how do you get it overseas without it turning bad, mushy, yucky? Enter the power of the dehydrator! To make these yourself you will need: Apples – 4 or 5 per batch An Apple Peeler / Corer (Here is an example over at Amazon) A Food Dehydrator (An example at Amazon) Wash and core your apples, but leave the peals on for some yummy added fiber. If you use a corer similar to mine you can simply push the peeler-arm back and it won’t…
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Watch out for Scammers during the Government Shutdown
The government shutdown is having an impact on Americans (and the military community specifically) in numerous ways. The added inconveniences, costs (commissary closings), loss of income, reduced training opportunities and much more are adding stress to military families too. With this turbulence comes the opportunity for scammers to target you as well. These folks are out there and they take advantage of everyone; but the military lifestyle creates some unique challenges and many times the bad guys know this. With the current reduced government protective resources the identify theft folks are working overtime right now; the new health care law is new and a bit confusing which opened the door…
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The Gold Star Family & Our American Flag
This past weekend was out of this world. Boating, Bike Riding, Ga-Ga Ball, Campfire & S’mores, and much more, all wrapped in time spent as a family. A huge thank you to Ohio’s Operation Military Kids and the USO for supporting programs like Military Family Camp. This was top-notch support! I desperately want to share more about the weekend but need to take the time to share this solemn moment and give it its due “time in the spotlight”. In our group of about 50 there were three Gold-star families, enjoying the weekend just like the rest of us. On Sunday morning a Gold-Star Dad and his three grandsons, one being a Gold-Star…
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Universities that Support our Veterans
I read a recent article about two universities that ‘get it’. Rutgers University and the University of Arizona; The Lumina Foundation highlighted them in their recent magazine, you can read more here: Lumina Foundation Features Two Colleges for Their Work Serving Student Veterans; America Needs More Vets with Degrees to Meet Attainment Needs Just think, only three years ago Rutgers didn’t have any type of Veterans Program and now they are receiving national recognition. It goes to show you don’t have to jump through hoops to make it happen you just need to make a plan and stick to it! I love support like this for our Veterans and I certainly…
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On the Road Again, A Military Journey!
What a journey life has taken me. Right now I’m in the passenger seat, in more ways then one. Learning to be the mom that lets their children make their own choices, loving letting Hubs set the pace for this stretch and taking in the beauty of life as it whizzes by. I am very content in the passenger seat of the family mini van, the toddler fast asleep, Boy 1 intently watching a video on the DVD player and Boy 2 plays with a new stuffed animal and filling his face with goldfish crackers. We are off to see Josh, our oldest. He graduates from Basic at Ft Leonard…
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Wrapping up Month Of The Military Child: Brat Town Bugle
Today is the last day of Month of the Military Child; but isn’t it something we should celebrate all year long? We highlighted some great resources throughout April on our Facebook page. We shared Tips on Relocation, YMCA’s Operation Kid Comfort Program, and most importantly a reminder that YOU are the ultimate resource for your military child PLUS so much more. (Scroll through Facebook.com/MilitaryAvenue to see them all.) One more resource I want to share is Operation We Are Here‘s Brat Town Bugle ™. The Brat Town Bugle is a wonderful way for your child, children, whole family to showcase what is happening at home. It could be a monthly project to…
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Tutor.com for Military Families
My poor blessed children. When I was a child I wanted to be a teacher. The need to teach is somehow still ingrained in my bones. Now the need to teach and the need to see my children succeed are intertwined. We finished up Spring Break last week and much to their groans and moans we did 30 minutes of reading and 30 minutes of education… EVERY DAY of break. “BUT MOM we are on vacation”“BUT MOM we would rather be playing”“BUT MOM …” Didn’t matter. For us education was either time spent on some workbooks I had stored in the closet, time on educational website I had approved, or doing some creative…
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Month of the Military Child
Some articles related to our military children you might find of interest: Military Children Express Sacrifices Through Art, Writing Military Child Month Salutes Children’s Contributions Learning to Save is Key to Financial Responsibility Children Need Routine Environment During Moves, Official Says Helping Children Solve Problems Find more in our Reading Room We are sharing a “Resource of a Day” related to our youngest military-heroes, our military children, on our Facebook page throughout the month of April: http://www.facebook.com/MilitaryAvenue (Just a few examples: MilitaryKidsConnect, Military Youth on the Move, The National Military Family Association toolkit.) Find more resources on our ‘Ways to Support Military Children‘ board and lots of great images of…
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On Your Way to a Smooth Move: DoD Roundtable
It is that time! PCS season is upon us and many military families are negotiating orders and beginning the process of planning for a move. With that in mind, I had a great chance to listen to and speak with Barbara Thompson, Director, Office of Family Policy/Children & Youth, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense. We all know that a PCS can be an amazing adventure but also an incredible stressor on families. I have an example for you; in the late 80’s my family moved from Ft. Walton Beach, Florida to Keflavik, Iceland. Can you say, “Change of scenery”? In the end the move to Iceland was…
