All year I have completed LOTS of 10 Good Things Lists. At the conclusion of 2021, I’m writing a series of blog posts on some of the best things that got me through this year. This list is dedicated to the top ten items I would say made the biggest impact on me during 2021. … Continue reading Top 10 Purchases That Defined 2021
Category: military
February Wood Family Adventures
One of the things I have done over the years that has added immense value to me is to regularly document our family life. The benefits include: a succinct way to organize photos and memories, a digital scrapbook/record book of daily life that will be archived in a way that brings our entire family joy … Continue reading February Wood Family Adventures
January Wood Family Adventures
One of the things I have done over the years that has added immense value to me is to regularly document our family life. The benefits include: a succinct way to organize photos and memories, a digital scrapbook/record book of daily life that will be archived in a way that brings our entire family joy … Continue reading January Wood Family Adventures
Christmas Letter 2020
I've been writing these year end reflections for over a decade now but the last few have also served as a digital Christmas card in years when I haven't sent them at all or only sent a small stash to blood relatives. Photo credit: Liz MacMurray (Read previous letters here: 2017 || 2018 || 2019) … Continue reading Christmas Letter 2020
Fort Polk: Letters to Myself
The time has come to write my traditional "Some thoughts on __________ and why Fort _________ is the Army's Best Kept Secret" post like I have done at Fort Bliss , Fort Gordon, and for our short stay at Fort Jackson. I have found that writing these reflections are a vital part of my own closure … Continue reading Fort Polk: Letters to Myself
When a PCS and a Pandemic Collide
I know that everyone has it hard right now. There are dozens if not hundreds of extenuating circumstances that theoretically feel 100 times worse because you are adding the weight of that hard and terrible thing to a pandemic. Within my own personal circles I know of friends who are grieving lost loved ones during … Continue reading When a PCS and a Pandemic Collide
Notes From a Reporter’s Desk: United Through Reading
"Once Upon a Deployment" for Books Make a Difference appears here. When the assignment first came in to cover United Through Reading, I imagined writing this type of article to be a slam dunk. I’d read up on UTR, write up my draft, and hit submit to my editor, Terri. After all, it combined … Continue reading Notes From a Reporter’s Desk: United Through Reading
Already–But Not Yet
There are a lot of areas of nearly-constant tension military families endure. (Yes, I know ALL families endure tension as a normal part of life, but we get some extra layers baked in as a result of our commitment to serve our nation. Please bear with me.) ***** There's the tension of never knowing where … Continue reading Already–But Not Yet
10 Reasons Why Margaret ‘Marmee’ March is the OG* of all Military Spouses
*OG is a slang term for "someone who's incredibly exceptional, authentic, or old-school, and has come to be a hip way of referring or showing respect to someone who’s an expert in any facet of life" according to Dictionary.com. || S P O I L E R S -- A H E A D || I … Continue reading 10 Reasons Why Margaret ‘Marmee’ March is the OG* of all Military Spouses
Christmas Letter 2019
The past two years, I have done a digital Christmas card/blog post update. You can read 2017 here and 2018 here. And while I did actually mail out about 25 paper Christmas cards (to family only), I have had so much fun doing a year-end wrap up previously, I decided to do it again this … Continue reading Christmas Letter 2019
the story of our lives 