"Medics Save Troops with Horrific Injuries"
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Military Amputations
Ever since Chris was injured and lost his leg, I have wondered in the back of mind what the exact numbers were for amputees from OIF and OEF. Personally knowing and having met so many amputees definitely puts so much more meaning to the numbers on a screen. I found this information very enlightening, interesting, and emotional. I teared up reading this, as it really touches close to home for me. Please take some time to look over these numbers, read the article, and understand the reality of the lives affected by these injuries.
"Medics Save Troops with Horrific Injuries"
"Medics Save Troops with Horrific Injuries"
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Veteran's Day 2012
I know so many who have served this country, and I am forever grateful. No words can truly express it, and this image I made only touches the surface of my gratitude for them. Right after high school I became the wife of a soldier, which in turn allowed me to become the friend of many other soldiers. The journey that I have led in the world of the Army has been indescribable. The bonds I have made with the people I have met along the way are different then anything else I have ever experienced. So many memories...I look back at them and know that this life has defined me forever as a person, and the way I view things in my life. There have been struggles, sadness, and heart break by being close to so many who have been called away to serve, and the ever lasting effects of war...but that is never over shadowed by the love and pride I feel in knowing so many great Americans. Their service means so much to me, and I will forever and always hold the military near and dear to my heart ♥
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Fabulous Fall
There are certain things that make each season unique and special. So of course Fall has its own things that make it fabulous.
Caramel Brulee Latte at Starbucks is definitely one of those things. Every year I anticipate its arrival, and dread its end. So hooray for it being here now!!!
Caramel Brulee Latte at Starbucks is definitely one of those things. Every year I anticipate its arrival, and dread its end. So hooray for it being here now!!!
Another thing is the extra accessories that come with a Fall wardrobe. I love boots, scarves, and jackets. And I absolutely adore these new legwarmers I got from Grace and Lace on Etsy (compliments of a birthday gift card!)...
Hey, you have to find joy in the simple things! :)
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
President Barack Obama Victory Speech 2012
After work Tuesday I grabbed 2 bottles of wine and headed home to tune into the election night unfold. I decided how much wine was consumed would be a direct result of how the election was going. Tried as I might, I unfortunately did not remain awake until the end. By the time I had gone to bed the electoral votes were neck and neck, but the odds were in Obama's favor. I went to bed hoping, and woke up and immediately grabbed my phone to verify that Barack Obama was still my President. I was filled with happiness and relief. Four years ago I was granted the privilege to vote for the very first time, and voted for Obama. The last four years have been tough but I see us moving in the right direction and I have faith in his guidance of this country. I voted for him again and as I watched his victory speech (which I watched on youtube as I got ready for work this morning), I was filled with emotion. I followed this campaign closely and felt very invested in it. And of course, when he made the remark about a soldier re-enlisting after losing a limb, in his speech, I broke out in tears. And I must say I am especially proud of my state of Colorado. We were a huge swing state in this election, and our votes truly did matter. I am happy for those who got out and voted, and made their voices heard. I feel that we will move forward from here, and all the election ads are finally over!!! :)
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Military Family Appreciation Month 2012
I got this from The White House website:
"Since our Nation's earliest days, courageous men and women of all backgrounds and beliefs have banded together to fight for the freedoms we cherish. Behind each of them stands a parent, a sibling, a child, a spouse -- proud family members who share the weight of deployment and make profound sacrifices on behalf of our country. During Military Family Month, we honor our military families and recommit to showing them the fullest care and respect of a grateful Nation.
In our military families, we see the best our country has to offer. They demonstrate the virtues that have made America great for more than two centuries and the values that will preserve our greatness for centuries to come. With loved ones serving far from home, military spouses take on the work of two. Their children show courage and resilience as they move from base to base, school to school, home to home. And even through the strain of deployment, military families strengthen the fabric of each community they touch and enrich our national life as shining examples of patriotism.
We each have a solemn duty to serve our Armed Forces and their families as well as they serve us. Through First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative, we have worked to fulfill this obligation by mobilizing all Americans to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Last year, we challenged American businesses to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013. To date, they have already exceeded that challenge, hiring over 125,000 veterans and military spouses. From helping military children succeed in the classroom to increasing support for those who care for our wounded warriors, Joining Forces will keep fighting to ensure the well-being of our troops and their families.
When a young woman signs up to defend our Nation, her parents are enlisted as well. When a father deploys to a combat zone, his children are called to serve on the home front. And when the men and women of our military serve far from home, their families feel the strain of their absence. In that absence, let us stand together as one American family. Let us honor the brave patriots who keep our country safe, and let us forever hold close the memories of those who have perished in the line of duty. This month, we reaffirm that we will always lift up our military families -- not just when their loved ones are away, but also long after the welcome home ceremonies are over.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2012 as Military Family Month. I call on all Americans to honor military families through private actions and public service for the tremendous contributions they make in support of our service members and our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
"Since our Nation's earliest days, courageous men and women of all backgrounds and beliefs have banded together to fight for the freedoms we cherish. Behind each of them stands a parent, a sibling, a child, a spouse -- proud family members who share the weight of deployment and make profound sacrifices on behalf of our country. During Military Family Month, we honor our military families and recommit to showing them the fullest care and respect of a grateful Nation.
In our military families, we see the best our country has to offer. They demonstrate the virtues that have made America great for more than two centuries and the values that will preserve our greatness for centuries to come. With loved ones serving far from home, military spouses take on the work of two. Their children show courage and resilience as they move from base to base, school to school, home to home. And even through the strain of deployment, military families strengthen the fabric of each community they touch and enrich our national life as shining examples of patriotism.
We each have a solemn duty to serve our Armed Forces and their families as well as they serve us. Through First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative, we have worked to fulfill this obligation by mobilizing all Americans to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Last year, we challenged American businesses to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013. To date, they have already exceeded that challenge, hiring over 125,000 veterans and military spouses. From helping military children succeed in the classroom to increasing support for those who care for our wounded warriors, Joining Forces will keep fighting to ensure the well-being of our troops and their families.
When a young woman signs up to defend our Nation, her parents are enlisted as well. When a father deploys to a combat zone, his children are called to serve on the home front. And when the men and women of our military serve far from home, their families feel the strain of their absence. In that absence, let us stand together as one American family. Let us honor the brave patriots who keep our country safe, and let us forever hold close the memories of those who have perished in the line of duty. This month, we reaffirm that we will always lift up our military families -- not just when their loved ones are away, but also long after the welcome home ceremonies are over.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2012 as Military Family Month. I call on all Americans to honor military families through private actions and public service for the tremendous contributions they make in support of our service members and our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA"
Thank you Mister President. I hope every American thanks a soldier...and thanks those standing beside them ♥
Thank you Mister President. I hope every American thanks a soldier...and thanks those standing beside them ♥
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Birthday Celebration Begins
This weekend I celebrated my birthday with Chris since he will be gone next weekend, which is when my birthday actually is. No surprise that he was scheduled to leave for training just a few days before my birthday...the Army has always had impeccable timing with things like that. So Saturday he had me open my gift, which my friend Megan secretly gathered info as to which color I wanted. Not too long ago on my blog I mentioned wanting one of these, and now I have one. Let the baking begin! Just in time for the holidays :)
Then we headed off for a two hour horseback ride through the Garden of the Gods. I love horses and horseback riding, I however never get around to going so I was super excited to go do this. My horses name was Pearl and she enjoyed moving at a quick pace. It was a beautiful ride, definitely the way to see and experience the Garden of the Gods. And I must say I feel like a more experienced rider after going up and down rock formations on horseback. It was exciting and a little scary at times. But Pearl did a great job at keeping her footing and staying on track. We only had one "incident". They tell you to keep a one horse distance in between you and the horse in front of you, well my dear Pearl had no interest in moving slow whereas Chris's horse Socks had no desire to go faster then a stroll. At one point while going up a hill Socks stopped and began to back up, he ended up backing up into Pearl. He then kicked at Pearl, who jumped and turned around and began to run down the hill. Luckily I pulled back on the rains quickly and steadied/calmed her. All were ok, but it was definitely an interesting moment in the ride. I really enjoyed myself though and would love to go back and do it again, and think those of you who are lucky enough to have access to the Garden of the Gods should take advantage of it. We used the Academy Riding Stables . It's a great memory to have!
That evening we went to dinner at Mackenzie's Chophouse in downtown CO Springs. IT was delicious! We started out by ordering the Artichoke dip which was served in a warm bread bowl along with chips, and veggies. It was one of the best artichoke dips I have ever had, and I loove artichoke dips. For dinner I had bacon wrapped filet mignon, and Chris has a super thick new york strip. Very good steaks. By the time dessert came, we both knew we were eating too much but couldn't resist. I of course had creme brulee and he had cheesecake. There dessert menu was very impressive. Complete with desserts, dessert martini's, coffee'sm whiskeys, scotch's, and a full cigar list. We both decided we should return for dessert and drinks sometime! I definitely recommend trying Mackenzie's Chophouse if you're ever in CO Springs (don't bring your kids though, definitely for a date night out!)
The rest of the weekend was pretty low key, hanging out and enjoying each others company. We did go to American Furniture to look for an entryway table. I saw one and absolutely fell in love with it. I am not so sure it would have been something Chris would have picked without me there, but I am glad he liked it as well and bought it.
It was a great weekend and am so happy we got to spend it together before his month away. Now hears to hoping the next few weeks go quickly and I stay busy to pass time!
Then we headed off for a two hour horseback ride through the Garden of the Gods. I love horses and horseback riding, I however never get around to going so I was super excited to go do this. My horses name was Pearl and she enjoyed moving at a quick pace. It was a beautiful ride, definitely the way to see and experience the Garden of the Gods. And I must say I feel like a more experienced rider after going up and down rock formations on horseback. It was exciting and a little scary at times. But Pearl did a great job at keeping her footing and staying on track. We only had one "incident". They tell you to keep a one horse distance in between you and the horse in front of you, well my dear Pearl had no interest in moving slow whereas Chris's horse Socks had no desire to go faster then a stroll. At one point while going up a hill Socks stopped and began to back up, he ended up backing up into Pearl. He then kicked at Pearl, who jumped and turned around and began to run down the hill. Luckily I pulled back on the rains quickly and steadied/calmed her. All were ok, but it was definitely an interesting moment in the ride. I really enjoyed myself though and would love to go back and do it again, and think those of you who are lucky enough to have access to the Garden of the Gods should take advantage of it. We used the Academy Riding Stables . It's a great memory to have!
That evening we went to dinner at Mackenzie's Chophouse in downtown CO Springs. IT was delicious! We started out by ordering the Artichoke dip which was served in a warm bread bowl along with chips, and veggies. It was one of the best artichoke dips I have ever had, and I loove artichoke dips. For dinner I had bacon wrapped filet mignon, and Chris has a super thick new york strip. Very good steaks. By the time dessert came, we both knew we were eating too much but couldn't resist. I of course had creme brulee and he had cheesecake. There dessert menu was very impressive. Complete with desserts, dessert martini's, coffee'sm whiskeys, scotch's, and a full cigar list. We both decided we should return for dessert and drinks sometime! I definitely recommend trying Mackenzie's Chophouse if you're ever in CO Springs (don't bring your kids though, definitely for a date night out!)
The rest of the weekend was pretty low key, hanging out and enjoying each others company. We did go to American Furniture to look for an entryway table. I saw one and absolutely fell in love with it. I am not so sure it would have been something Chris would have picked without me there, but I am glad he liked it as well and bought it.
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