OC Military Family Examiner!

I was honored recently to start writing for the Examiner.com as their Orange County Military Family Examiner!!  I LOVE to write and this is such an amazing outlet for me to promote military families and all that is important to us.  Please take a moment to subscribe to my articles and let me know what you want to hear about!

I wrestled with writing as it’s been tough some days to keep up with my blog BUT I thought about all the fun free offers I see for military, the organizations that help families out that many of us don’t know about, homecomings that (sometimes bitter sweet) we love to see and thought, WHY NOT.  Why not help out other families that may or may not know all that is out there for us, good bad or indifferent.  I know that when Hubby was gone it would have been nice to be able to know about some things that Diva and I could do that was free or less expensive because of his service or read articles on the changes that Tricare CONSTANTLY makes without telling us (dealing with that fun right  now!).

My first 2 articles have been about families of our fallen and an organization that I am part of – we are taking 9 families to Miss America this week for a Princess filled weekend in Las Vegas.    I will be writing daily during the trip thanking sponsors and just chronicling the trip, next week I will be talking Tricare and any current event that comes up.  I want this to be about us all... MilSpouses and MilFamilies.

OC Military Families Examiner

Jack... JUST Jack

Everytime I say his name I have my jazz hands out and reminisc of Will and Grace....

Diva’s little buddy Jack... ahh the Guinea Pig.  Let me tell you that he is sweet and cute but a warranted purchase as she made an agreement with her daddy that IF she could keep the beta alive his ENTIRE deployment we would talk hamster upon homecoming.  Well – that stupid fish lived until 2 weeks AFTER he came home, so she earned her hamster.  Although I will admit that a few drops of bleach were thought of throughout the year to avoid this discussion.  I NEVER thought that a hamster was a good idea because mommy realized that hamster + cat = a MESS!  We currently have a dog and a cat... and a fish.  So we talked, debated and talked... then consulted her and the Petco people and decided on the guinea pig.  She is a GREAT and responsible guinea pig mommy.  Loves that thing to death... I am glad because I am NOT cleaning it’s nasty cage.  Its a great thing to teach her responsibility and its all about growing up - she is almost 8 years old.  By this point I had an 8 year old Collie that I walked, brushed and took care of.

Yesterday it needed a new water bottle (the one that came with his cage is a piece of crap- sad but true) and he needed vitamin C to keep him healthy, yes really!  So at this point we have spent far more than I planned on for this little love of hers BUT she kept her end so I guess it’s our turn. 

So far for Jack we have had to purchase...



His first home...




Daddy's first toy for Jack




must have good bedding




and hay... need to the fiber



don't forget his vitamins



and a worthwhile water bottle that SHE can change on her own



But to see this every night... it's totally worth every penny.

Aww... it's 2012

I woke up this morning realizing that I have been to my special blog in quite a few days... sorry!   Its just been crazy lately... family, work... NEW GUINEA PIG for Diva... school, trip coming up to Vegas with my FAVORITE charity.  Oh yeah, it’s been a little nuts.  Oh and Diva and I get to go to the Miss Ca USA pageant this weekend with some GREAT friends to support my sister titleholders from last year (Miss Greater Long Beach and Miss Mission Viejo!)  I am so excited...sharing my 2^nd favorite pastime (HOCKEY is my first) with my Diva. 

I have spent so much time lately thinking about 2011 and all that came with it – new friends, loss of friends, deployments, homecoming, trips to new cities, sickness and new babies.  What a year it was, I must admit that I am glad it’s behind us.  I am thankful to each person in each memory last year, you have taught me much more than you can ever imagine.  I don’t know where I would be in my life if it wasn’t for the memories I have been able to create each year with some of the most remarkable people.  I want to be the old lady in a rocking chair talking to her grandkids about “the olden days” and all the fun we had.  I remember how many NYE I spent being thankful for my HT friends, for my job... for my own place, for my life.  Then my first year of being thankful for my daughter (that would be the year that I passed out on the couch with a migraine watching Anastasia with her in my arms while Hubby was on the computer).  Watching Diva and how much she has grown in the past year is just amazing to me- she continues to be the light of my life (hence the tailless rat AKA guinea pig).   This year she was passed out in my lap while I watched Dick Clark commenting on how blessed we truly were. 

Last year on NYE I got an email from Hubby, just starting his day in Iraq – this year I got a kiss.  Last year I was praying for the new year to be over as quickly as it began – this year I pray it slows down so I can enjoy it.  What a difference a year makes – this year the plans are to just BE.  Be Princess, Be family, Be relaxed... BE US!

Oh and I will be having a date night this weekend with Hubby that will include a FABULOUS RomCom and a date night bundle from my amazing secret santa – so no I haven’t forgotten to write it (the amazing glowing wonderous write up is saved and will be published very shortly!)

I wish each reader, friend (new, old, current or lost), loved one and person I have come across in the last year a very Happy New Year, blessings of a wonderful 2012!  To all of my friends/readers that are expecting this year, blessings to your new baby... kisses and hugs as the day is long.