Posts Tagged ‘Marine Corps’
These are the things that we teach our children, when was the last time you read these books for you?
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
Happy Birthday to You!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
Horton Hears a Who!
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
The Lorax
“You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way!”
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
“You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.”
I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
“You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.”
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Yertle the Turtle and Gertrude McFuzz
I am a Mother. To three beautifully energetic, independent, happy children.
I am a Wife. To an amazing husband and father. I devote myself to him and to his Corps.
I am a Friend. To wonderful people all over the country that I have had the pirvelage of knowing.
I am a Daughter and Sister. To my best of friends.
These are the words that Describe me but they do not Define me. Many women hold these titles, but the difference is what we choose to do with them. Our actions and effort towards these titles that describe us are what define our true selves.
The biggest roles that I play in this world are Wife and Mother. This is what makes up the core of my being. I am a perfecitonist, often to a fault, but in many cases I believe it drives me to be the best of who I am for everyone. Do I fail? of course. Nobody is perfect. But, what makes the diffenece is the time that you have tried and whether or not you will continue to try after failure. I love what Thomas Edison said; “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that will not work“. So much of that applies to motherhood and marriage. Both of which are life long journeys with people growing and changing. The effort we put in and how we manage ourselves after failure it what determines the outcome.
As a military wife I am faced with a whole new version of the word ‘Wife‘. They weren’t joking when someone said “If the Marine Corps wanted you to have a wife they would’ve issued you one“. As wives, our needs are often set aside and we have to be able to deal with that. Just as the military is not just a job but a way of life, I am not just married to my husband I am married to the Corps. He follows orders and I follow him, supporting the whole way. I am a lover and a friend to my husband. Together we go through life and together we raise our children. It means long days and nights without him, sudden changes in our ’plan’ and when he leaves I am left here to wait. I am here to take over and continue our lives with him in the distance. Keeping him in my heart the whole time and waiting for him to come home so that we can pick up right where we left off. It is not a life of sacrifice, although sometimes hard, it is a life of pride. No matter where life leads us I will be here to be the person he laughs with and shares his frustrations with. The person he can be himself with. I am his wife and his home.
As a Mother I am a caregiver, a friend, a teacher, a confidant, a disciplinarian. I am a shoulder to cry on, and a hand to hold. I don’t like to put limitations on myself with the label of ”mom“. I devote myself to raising them. To teaching them and encouraging them to Do and Be better. I want to show them the world and give them experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. I want them to grow up to not just be adults but to be responsible, respectful, happy and successful. I want them to contribute to society and not just take from it. It is my job and my duty to give them the tools to be able to do this. So I try, and I try again. And when I fail I will certainly do my best to make up for it. Their futures lie in my hands and as much as I’d like to I cannot hold them forever. I can just take the time to be with them now, teach them all that I know, and show them all the love that is in my heart.
These are the words that Define ME…that make me who I am. Nothing else. I am not just a mom or just a wife. Those are simply words that give me the inspiration to do all that I do.
My alarm went off. It was 4am Saturday, August 6th. Even though I had gone to bed at 10pm the night before I couldn’t have slept more than a couple of hours. Today was the day. The one we had been counting towards since that morning we said goodbye in the parking lot of the armory, watching the bus drive off and wiping away tears. It had finally arrived. We had crossed off all of the days on the calendar, taken down all the ‘links’ on the paper chain, and eaten all of the ‘daddy’ kisses. 7 months I had gone without my husband. 7 months they had gone without their daddy. 200 days.
200 days we had operated as a family of four instead of five. 200 days I had been both woman and man of the house, acted as both mother and father, comforter and protector, friend and enforcer. 200 days we spent co-parenting via email, telephone calls, and the occasional skype. 200 days of good and bad, milestones and celebrations.
At 4am I was literally shaking. From excitement, nerves, and anticipation. I had everything ready. The house had been cleaned, the signs were hung, and the children were dressed head to toe in their patriotic red, white, and blue. I had found the perfect dress and my hair was done just right. We were ready!
I drove our decorated car the 20 miles down to base, although I don’t remeber actually driving, as if in a dream. The children were antsy. They knew today was the day their family would be whole again. We arrived at the PAX terminal to find ourselves amongst 100 other families all full of the same excitement and anticipation. We waited, we chatted, we moved outside and then…there is was.
As we watched the plane decend from the sky and onto the runway, the band began to play, and the crowd was cheering. Moms, Dads, Wives and Children holding their signs proudly. This is what we had been waiting for. This is what had gotten us through those 200 days and nights. The plane touched down right in front of us and every emotion that I had experienced in the past 7 months washed over me. I felt my eyes well up with tears, with joy and relief. They were HOME! The door opened and one by one more than 100 Marines filed out of the plane and down the stairs…
Today, Marines all over the world will celebrate the 235th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps!
As the proud wife of one of those Marines, I wanted to give you all the brief history behind this very special date:
During the Revolutionary War, a committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern. It was here that they decided on the formation of two battalions of Continental Marines…and so on November 10, 1775 the Marine Corps was born! Since then our Marines have fought in and won key battles throughout history. To learn more about your USMC visit http://www.marines.com or http://www.marines.mil
Every year, each Command celebrates the Birthday with the ‘Birthday Ball’. During this event there is a ceremonial cake cutting as well as remarks from the Commander and Special Guest Speaker, followed by dinner and dancing. We look forward to this formal event every year; it is such a fabulous night of celebration!
July 1st was my husband’s promotion to Staff Sergeant. Since we were in the middle of our move and the kids were with my mom, I was able to go and take some great pictures! The Promotion Ceremony took place on the Parade Deck at Marine Barracks Washington, 8th & I…the perfect way to end his tour as 33rd Color Sergeant of the Marine Corps! I am so proud of him!
With his CO
Receiving a Navy Commendation Medal
Staff Sergeant Promotion
Pinning
Swearing In
Color Guard Marines
Grab Some Deck
Photo taken on the balcony of our hotel room at this year’s Marine Corp Birthday Ball. We had a blast, if only we could leave the children and do this more than once a year! 
Today, Marines all over the world will celebrate the 234th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps!
As the wife of one of those Marines I wanted to give you all the brief history behind this very special date:
During the Revolutionary War, a committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern. It was here that they decided on the formation of two battalions of Continental Marines…and so on November 10, 1775 the Marine Corps was born! Since then our Marines have fought in and won key battles throughout history. To learn more about your USMC visit http://www.marines.com or http://www.marines.mil
Every year, each Command celebrates the Birthday with the ‘Birthday Ball’. During this event there is a ceremonial cake cutting as well as remarks from the Commander and Special Guest Speaker, followed by dinner and dancing. We look forward to this formal event every year; it is such a fabulous night of celebration! Happy Birthday!
