This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HonoringOurHeroes #CollectiveBias David… Read More
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
We all know that moving can be such a pain in the bum. But a move in the middle of winter?! UGH! Big, fat UGH. Have you ever moved in the Winter? Our little family has, and a lot of our friends’ have moved during the winter season. There’s just a lot more thought that needs to go into it. Thankfully, the people over at CORT hit the nail on the head with their post about “Top 7 tips for a winter PCS move”. Top 7 Tips for a Winter PCS Move
Did you know that Winterizing your car was a thing?! It was not something that crossed my mind until we found out we were getting sent to live in Alaska for a few years. Thankfully we bought a new (and already winterized) vehile once w actually got up there, but I had NO clue we would even need a winterized vehicle.
Another helpful tip, make connections locally. In today’s world, this isn’t really a challenging thing to do. The internet makes a GREAT source for meeting new people & making new friends. When we first got our orders to Alaska, I joined a local AK group and met a few people. I only joined to get tips to help prepare myself to move to a totally different climate than what I was used to (Tennessee girl), but also on how to prepare with tiny babies! (Fin was 2 and Maddie wasn’t even 1 yet). Thankfully, through that internet group, I met a few ladies that were so beyond helpful! Two of which I’m still really close to now, years and years later.
Winterizing and connecting are just TWO of the SEVEN wonderful tips put together by CORT Furniture Rental. Read those tips and more right here –> Top 7 Tips for a Winter PCS Move
People keep asking me how we’re doing, and how life is now that David’s out of the Army. I thought I’d take today to just update you guys on our new life.
It’s weird. It seems surreal. It seems like David’s just on a vacation, or on leave still. Yesterday was his last official day in the Army. (He had 2 months of leave saved up and took full advantage of that PAID time). But it’s officially official. We went yesterday morning to get our new I.D. Cards. His is blue, blue = retired!
Life so far for us has been … interesting. Again though, it doesn’t seem like he’s actually out of the Army, it just seems like a long mini vacation so far. We’re in that weird month of no paychecks coming, so that’s TONS of fun (read: VERY stressful for Amber, the bill payer, and money controller) but other than that, I’d say we’re doing OK.
College is going well. The only class he’s not loving is the “Welcome to college/ how to be an adult” class, but he’s an almost 32 Combat Vet and it’s full of 17/18-year-olds that are fresh out of High School. And it’s taught by a former Mil spouse that emphasizes that she’s a FORMER Mil spouse (divorce that left a bad taste in her mouth about Military members). That’s been interesting to say the least, but overall classes are going well for David.
As far as the kids and I adjusting… well, the kids are excited that Daddy now takes them to school in the mornings & they don’t have to ride the bus. Otherwise, I think they’re enjoying having him home for longer periods than what they’ve ever been used to.
I have witnessed my children approach him and say, “Daddy… can I blah blah blah” <-- Do you know how HUGE that is?! Usually, it's "Mom! MOM! MOM! Dad, have you seen Mom?!" because I've been the main parent for so long. I've been the parent that they rely on, that they know will be there. It's so weird now that David is that parent too. We like share responsibilities, you guys. If you're a Mil spouse with kiddos, you totally get how huge of a deal this is!
They keep asking when Daddy has to go to work again, or if Daddy has to go to the field anytime soon, or if Daddy's gonna leave again soon which breaks my heart, but I excitedly get to say, "Nope! Daddy isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Remember, he's OUT of the Army now, so doesn't have to do that anymore" and they skip off happily. Seriously, it's a dream, you guys! IT IS SO NICE HAVING HIM HOME STEADILY!You guys, I like our new life. While we definitely have our struggles with David's medical stuff, life just seems a lot calmer without all of the day to day Army life stressors. Don't get me wrong, life is far from perfect, but I definitely am enjoying spending more time with my husband. That's a huge bonus.And in case you're wondering how he keeps in shape....
Haha. Bo is loving all the extra attention he’s been getting as well. (Missy too). Even the cat seems happier. <-- THEY GET ALL THIS NEWLY DISCOVERED LOVE AND ATTENTION!I don't really have much else to update with. We've honestly just been enjoying having David home and just hanging out as a family.
This post is a bit difficult for me, so please just be patient while I ramble my thoughts out.
Well, it’s officially a retirement. If you remember this post, I didn’t know much details. We do now. If you remember, we were a bit worried that it wouldn’t be a retirement and it’d just be a severance check. While that check would be nice, losing health insurance, dental, and access to on-post amenities would’ve sucked.
It’s definitely Medical Retirement, which is great because we’ll keep all on post access (Owen’s preschool, commissary -where we grocery shop, PX -the Army’s Walmart, etc etc), we’ll keep health insurance & dental (Thank God for that), and he’ll get a monthly amount instead of just getting booted out with a big ole severance check.
David is a combat soldier. He’s definitely seen combat. He has 3 tours under his belt & each tour was bloody, gory, and hard on him. It’s always been a bit challenging living and dealing with David’s ticks, but it’s a whole nother world when those ticks are put into the form a diagnosis or two.
The main three things that equaled up to the retirement: His back, PTSD, TBI (Traumatic brain injuries) 7 documented ones. This is really hard for me to open up about. I’m usually very “keep things private” which is weird since I have a very public blog and public social media accounts. Those things rated high enough to kick him out of the Army. Can we just stop and focus on that for a second? My husband suffers from PTSD and has brain injuries… enough so that he can no longer do his job. Aside from his brain, his body is failing him too. He has arthritis in every major joint, his shoulders, his back, his knees, his ankles, his hearing… the list goes on and on. (On his Medboard papers, he has 27 different claims that the DRs found). It’s really sad to think about. He’s 31 yeras old. But he’s a trooper. He’s always just toughed it out, worked through the pain, and he’s always been good at his job. Ask anyone that knows David and they’ll completely agree with that statement. David has always been damn good at his job.
Up until now. For the past few months, he’s taken soldiers with him to meetings because “my brain isn’t what it used to be”, he constantly thinks he says things that he didn’t, he can’t walk for very long without hurting, he can’t even bend over to pick something up without his back screaming at him. It’s hard to see him going through this. Part of me wants to barf just typing this out. It’s so personal and really hard to share.
After 13 years, he’s almost done. He was a “Lifer” meaning he’d reenlisted to go Indef (Til retirement at 20+ years) We’re not sure the exact date that he’ll be out, but it’s coming quickly. They don’t expect him at work anymore and get shocked when he stops in to check on things. Aside from DR appointments and wrapping up the MedBoard, he’s basically already done. A few weekends ago, we sat in the basement going through all of his Army gear and sorting it for keep/turn in.
It’s just so weird to think about… as long as we’ve been together our life has revolved around whatever Uncle Sam has told him to do. I’m really excited to see what life is going to be like for us. It’ll be a weird adjustment, that’s for sure. The first few months will be a struggle, financially as well. We’ve heard a lot of “this will start up 45-60 days after such & such” and “they usually hold your last Army paycheck”… great, right?! Yikes. I’m freaking out a little bit, but we’ll be fine. Things will be tough for a bit, but once everything kicks in and adjusts, we’ll be fine. His finaling out should fall around tax time, so our tax return will help hold us over until things kick in. Financially we’ll be fine 6 months from now… getting there though might kill us.
He enrolled in college (classes start in January). He’ll be going from an aggressive combat soldier to a college kid. He’s going to be surrounded by young people all day that won’t at all understand him or the way he is. But we’re working on that as well. He’s taken up Yoga (because he had to), he’s going to college for photography (and a backup in case things go south – we’re smart people, we have backup plans for backup plans), he even started a blog of his own. We’re working on bringing out his inner hippie self. You can follow him on Instagram or Bloglovin’ to keep up with his transition. I’m not sure how active he’ll be on either, but he’s giving it a go
Just the very idea of him not being in the Army anymore is so strange. It’s just such a foreign concept. He still had a good 7 years of Army until retirement… We had a plan for that… we had 7 years still living our normal day to day life… Now… now we have a few months to figure out our plans and set things into motion.
Life is about to get really interesting, guys. I’m excited and I’m completely terrified.
1. I have some news. Some like life changing (not a baby) news. David’s in the process of getting medically discharged. He’s getting the big ole boot right out of the Army. It’s a weird thing to think about. It’s scary. It’s seriously stressful, the Army has been part of our whole live together up to this point. David was a “Lifer”, in til retirement. We had planned for this lifestyle for another 7 years and now in a matter of months we’re having to plan out a whole new future. We don’t really know all of the details yet, and won’t for a bit still, but within the next few months, aidios, Army! We already have plans for every which way this could play out. But I’ll update here and there as we go along and as we find things out.
2. I almost have a 9yr old. Like, what?! WHAT?! Fin will be nine next week. He’s counting down the days! I’m counting down because I love birthdays! And since his birthday falls on a weekday, that means we’re going out this weekend to celebrate! Yay! And he has no clue.
3. I finally signed up to get Glam Bags from ipsy and I think I love it. I am really really excited to try the exfoliant. I’ve heard really good things about Paula’s Choice. Do you get the bag? I figured $10 a month couldn’t hurt. (obviously that’s my referral link. Why would I NOT link that up?!) I’m excited to see what comes in next month’s bag!
4. Owen loves preschool. Hooray! I knew he would. I wasn’t sure if he’d be a bit nervous like last year, but I think he was itching for it to start up as much as I was. While it’s in a new building, it’s the same teacher with a few of his friends from last year’s class, so he was thrilled about that.
5. I threw on jeans and a shirt this morning and asked Maddie to grab me some shoes and a scarf. She brought me boots because she was wearing boots. She then threw on her scarf with tassles too. I feel like I need some cat ears too to be as cool as her. :p
Do you move often? Do you have a funny story about moving? I wanna hear all about it! We’ve moved more times than I can even keep up with. Our most recent move was the most ridiculous… just all around, but we won’t really go into that right now. Today I wanted to share with you a few funny photos of this last move.
When you remember to pack a baking sheet, but not an oven mitt, you get resourceful. Thanks, husband of mine for letting me borrow your bandana. Haha.
Cooking up some hotdogs in this skillet because it’s what we had with us.
Spatulas are important too! I made one out of a cardboard tag from something we’d purchased earlier that day. It worked, if I was careful.
Being military spouse, I’ve been through more than my fair share of moves. I’ve learned quite a few things along the way. I like to share the things that I know, so today’s post is all about the 5 things (All available at Walmart) you should buy the day you move in. This really applies for any move, not just military moves.
I always like to do a quick over of our new place before we unpack and settle in. You should start by wiping down everything before you settle in. I do. It makes me less weirded out thinking about whoever lived there before us. I recommend Bounty®. Each roll lasts longer thanks to them being more absorbent so you can use less with each mess. Plus, being able to select a size is a huge bonus.
You’ll want to wash those curtains, and bedding that have been sitting in storage. I recommend Tide® PODS® Laundry Detergent. With their 3-in-1 laundry solution (detergent, stain remover, and brightener), just pop one in your laundry and go about your business. These pods dissolve in any temperature and can be used in any washing machine.
Swiffer ® WetJet Mop Starter Kit- you just never know who lived there before you, or how well it was cleaned. This goes right along with wiping everything down. With Swiffer® WetJet mop is an all in one mopping system! It traps and locks dirt and it’s designed to give tough messes a more powerful clean.
The ease of using the mop helps teach my kids responsibility. My oldest spilled something the other day, all down the cabinets and himself. He grabbed the Swiffer WetJet and started cleaning up his own mess. I’ve told the kids over and over that if they make a mess, they clean it. Easy as that. And I’m thankful that the WetJet is easy enough that they can use it as well.
Sometimes you end up in a house that just kind of smells like fresh paint or cleaning products, or even pets. Our house gets smelly with the dogs, so I rely on Unstopables™ Air Refresher. I love the long lasting, boutique-worthy scent.
Last but not least, Charmin® Ultra Strong. Toilet paper speaks for itself, but Charmin® allows you to use 4x LESS and is 4x stronger (than leading bargain brands).
Moving can be a stressful time, but quality brands like Bounty® , Swiffer® , Tide® , Unstopables™and Charmin® make your move clean and simple.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HonoringOurHeroes #CollectiveBias
David really isn’t a fan of this photo of him, but I love it so much. It’s not often that he smiles in a photo, and it’s less often that he’s smiling while in uniform. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a happy person, just keeps things on the more serious side when he’s at work.
Did you guys know that he is in the Army? Well, he is and has been for 12 years now. Isn’t that just insane?! David and I have been together for 10 now, so this Army life… it’s just our life. It’s what we know, it’s how we know. Civilian life throws us off. This is the first time in YEARS that we haven’t lived on base and that alone is just so abnormal for us. I have such a strong love for our Military members, and not just because my own husband is one.
David stems from a family of Military members. His father, and his grandfather were both Infantry men. My little brother just joined the Air Force, and the majority of our friends are members of the Military. Every time I think about any of them, I just can’t help but think about how thankful I am for them. Each and every one of them have sacrificed so much more than you or I can even imagine.
David has spent more of our life together away from us than he has home with us. He has seen some things that you just can’t come back from…. done some things that you just don’t come back from. Military members these days definitely get a bit forgotten, or taken for granted with all of the other issues happening, and with the world’s opinion after opinion, but please… let’s all take a second to really stop and think about it… think about all of the sacrifices that have been made for you and your freedom (of speech as well).
As sad as I am when it’s time for him to be away from us, I respect his choices and support him in doing what he does, what he knows, what he’s good at. I am grateful for him and the sacrifices he has made for us. I am thankful for the Military members and their families. I get it. It’s a rough life sometimes. Our house is CONSTANTLY stocked with Kleenex® Brand items. You NEVER know when you’re going to cry.
Currently, if you buy one Kleenex® Facial Tissue 4-pack bundle from your local King Sooper and other Kroger stores and Kleenex® Brand will donate one pocket pack to the USO. Isn’t that just great!
Did you know that there are more than TWO MILLION Americans currently serving on Active Duty or in the reserves? Including Associates of Kroger stores? Honoring Our Heroes is their way of saying “thank you” to our active duty service members and our nation’s 23 million veterans. Working together, The Kroger Co. Family of Stores and the USO stand behind our nation’s military community. Their stores have raised more than $14 million since 2010 to help support USO programs – the largest cumulative gift to the USO in its nearly 75 year history!
We have more not so fun adventures of the military life coming up, so I headed to my local King Soopers and stocked up on the KLEENEX® Facial Tissue and other Kleenex® Brand items.
Lucky for you, there will also be 13 giveaways, one from each Kroger family of stores, with a prize valued at up to $100. Those who want to enter, can enter the giveaway by sharing their “Hero Story” socially. Just tag it with Krogers unique hashtag, #HonoringOurHeroes and you’ll be entered to win. So easy! Head and enter! And, good luck!
