O Christmas Tree

What kind of Christmas tree do you get? Growing up we always had a real tree. I love the smell, the feel, and the look of a real tree. I have fond memories of going to the Christmas tree farm and cutting our own tree. The joy of decorating the tree was glorious.

Thankfully, we have had several opportunities in Little Bear's lifetime to go cut down our own tree. When we lived farther north it was wonderful at Christmas time. The tree farms were like magic. Living here the soil is sandy and the very few tree farms are different. The type of trees is just not the same. They consider juniper's to be Christmas trees and some other strange varieties as Christmas trees.

I had my first fake tree as an adult. I was newly married to my first husband and he wanted a fake tree. Not gonna lie having a fake tree broke my heart a little.

Now, with Popeye, we have decorated fake trees more often than I would like, but sometimes it has been out of necessity. We have celebrated Christmas with extended family at Thanksgiving several times and put up the fake tree before tree farms were even opened. Then, there have been a couple of times that we have had an extremely early Christmas before deployments. A fake tree works for that and I still find joy in decorating it. Honestly, some of my most memorable Christmas decorating memories have been with fake trees.

First, there were several years my grandparents had a small fiber optic Christmas tree. This little tree was in style when they bought it. My grandparents thought it was so neat. The rest of us liked it the first couple of years and then the tree started making a high pitched noise. The noise was terrible. We mentioned it to my grandparents for a couple of years and they could never hear it. They finally agreed that it must be true since we all complained about it two Christmas seasons in a row. That was the last of the fiber optic tree.

This year and last year we had a small fake tree. We decorated well before Thanksgiving last year. Decorating that small fake tree as a family knowing we would not actually be celebrating gathered around it together on Christmas morning was a mix of sadness and joy on my part. The best part was in the several months we left the Christmas tree up Little Bear and I laughed about decorating with Popeye. We wore our Santa hats and decorated. We laughed and made memories.

This year we decorated that same little fake tree before Thanksgiving. We celebrated Christmas at Thanksgiving with Popeye's parents. I won't let the fake tree stop me from joy at Christmas, but I won't lie and say I don't miss a real tree.

Shacke XL Duffel Bag

This duffel bag by Shacke is huge. When I read the listing to get the size and saw how big it is I thought, “Oh, neat. That’s pretty big.” In reality, I had no idea how big it would really be until it showed up and I started filling it up. It says the bag can hold 75 pounds and I do not doubt that it can.


Be warned if you fill it that full, it will be extremely heavy and awkward. My husband used this to carry stuff when he came home from an extended overseas trip. He filled it up with tons of stuff. It was heavy and horribly awkward to carry, but it held everything he needed it to and it could have held me. Although more would have made it nearly impossible to carry around. It has a shoulder strap and handles so you have the option of hand carrying it or putting it over your shoulder.


When the bag arrived at my house, my son and I tested it to make sure it was what my husband needed. He was gone and did not have enough bags to get everything home so I had to order him a bag and ship it to him in a care package. Little Bear and I fit 3 huge pillows in it and had room left over . It is really a huge bag. You could hold more than enough stuff for one trip. Little Bear also tried it out and asked if I could mail him in it since he fit. 


One of my favorite features besides its giant size is that this bag folds up into a nice neat square for storage. The zipper goes all the way around so it does not come unfolded. When it is folded up the handles tuck in and you don’t have to worry about it hanging down or getting caught on anything.

You can buy the Shacke XL duffel bag here. 

Ten Years

As a wee lass, ten years seemed like forever. I could not wait to be sixteen so I could drive. Then, I was waiting to be eighteen so I could buy lottery tickets and after eighteen I was waiting for twenty-one. Time could not move fast enough in those days.

Now that I am an old lady time seems to fly by. The last ten years have gone by with amazing speed. During the last ten years, I got my first real job. My divorce was finalized. I got married to Popeye. Then, Little Bear was born. 

I never knew how time would fly by and I would be looking back wondering where all those years have gone, but here I sit wondering how time passed by so quickly. This year marks ten years of Popeye's career. 

Popeye's job is hard. Some days it is because the work is hard and other times it is because being away from his family is hard. He misses out on a lot of family time. He misses school plays, birthdays, holidays, and just life. While Popeye is deployed we don't get to put life on hold. We cannot press pause on Little Bear growing up. We cannot stop time to wait for our anniversary. It's hard, on Popeye and on Little Bear and I. 

The hardships make the easy times sweeter than ever. The times when Popeye is home we cherish more. We relish in the time we spend together. I don't have the heart to count how much time we have missed out on during our marriage, but I know that the time we spend together is worth so much more. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. 

So, here's to you Popeye... Happy Ten Years! You make us proud daily with the sacrifices you make. You sacrifice your time and energy to protect the freedoms we hold most dear. Thank you for your sacrifices and thank you for your service!

Some Simple Ways to Help Our Veterans

As a military wife, veterans have a special place in my heart. We all know military life is hard on its members and their families. Veterans have been through things most of us could never imagine. I am grateful for all the work they do. I am grateful for their sacrifices, even when those sacrifices make life hard.

Many of our countries veterans need help, Often they try to hide that they need help. Even if you do not know anyone who has served in our countries armed forces there are a few things you can do to show your support.

 1) Pray for them. 

A friend of the family always says "Praying is the most and the least you can do for someone." You don't have to know a person to pray for them and prayer can always help. 

2) Write a letter or send a package. 

There are several organizations that can connect you with veterans. Operation Gratitude has several ways to connect with veterans as well as active-duty service members. They have a lot of other volunteer opportunities you can check out.

You can also share letters with veterans through A Million Thanks. They have some sample letters available on their websites. 

3) Share their lives. 

If you know a veteran with a wonderful story you can share that story as part of the Veterans History Project. The Veterans History Project is a really great project that helps people to preserve and collect stories and record them. There are lots of forms to fill out and information to help you prepare for interviewing the veterans. The project will help to tell the stories of veterans who served in many of the wars the US has been involved with. When the stories are completed they can be turned in to the Library of Congress to be archived for generations to come. 

4) Spend time with some veterans. 

Often times you can visit veterans at your local VA hospitals. You can also sit and talk with veterans through many local organizations in your area. A great organization to volunteer with is DAV. They have many opportunities to volunteer such as hospital visits and driving disabled veterans to appointments.  

5) Help build homes for troops. 

Homes for Troops is an awesome organization that provides help building or renovating homes for wounded veterans and service members. If you cannot physically help with their projects you can make donations through their website. 

Take this Veteran's Day and thank a veteran. Show them you care! 

My Happily Ever After

Image Captured by Fischelli Photography

I am not always a sappy person... Okay so maybe I am, but I would typically portray myself as more sarcastic and harsh. My relationship with my husband is not exactly a fairy tale, but it is ours.

So, how did we meet? We met as babies. Yup, that's right we have known each other our entire lives. Just because we knew each other as babies does not mean we got along or even wanted to see each other growing up.

When we were elementary school age, Popeye, and his family came to visit us. I somehow convinced him to reach out and grab a prickly pear pad. If you have never gotten pricked by a cactus you won't understand exactly how painful this can be. Not only do they have long sharp thorns, but they also have fine hair like thorns. These thorns are nearly invisible, which makes them extraordinarily hard to pluck out. Of course, when Popeye grabbed the cactus his hand was covered in thorns both large and small. This was not a great start to our relationship.

The next time I really remember seeing Popeye was when we were in middle school. My family had spent about a week at the beach and I had gotten a horrible sunburn. I had blisters on my shoulders and across my face. I was so embarrassed to be going to see them after years looking like a boiled lobster. I don't remember much more about our visit than that. This visit was when we became friends. We started writing each other letters after this.

We wrote regularly over the years. I would sit in class at school and write long, chattering letters. I rambled about school, church, life, family, love, and more. He told me about his family, being home schooled, his church, and the places he had lived. In high school, we tried really hard to get our families together. It didn't happen often.

When we were 16, Popeye confessed his love to me. I was a jerk. I laughed at him. I had a boyfriend... I was stupid. I should have spent more time getting to know Popeye then.

When we started college, Popeye and his family stopped to visit us on their way to take him to college. He asked if he could kiss me and when I said yes he shyly gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek.

College included the most turbulent and unstable years of my life. Popeye and I got in a fight and quit talking to each other completely during those years. I missed his letters, not that I ever would have admitted it then. I got married. Shortly after graduating college I got divorced. When I got divorced, I moved back home to live with my parents. It was not really by choice, I had no money and was just starting a job that made enough to pay the bills.

While I lived with my parents, Popeye's parents had a going away to the Navy party for him. My family told me I had no choice, but to go with them. So, I drug my feet and went, begrudgingly. While we were there I avoided people. Eventually, Popeye cornered me and we talked. It was wonderful. I felt like he understood me, even though we are as different as day and night. We spent most of the weekend together talking.

Our Wedding Day

Afterwards, we talked for days on the phone. Then, we started a long distance romance.... and it did not go well. We broke up after a few months. I was not ready for a relationship again, especially a long distance one.

A year or so later, I was out of town for work and happened to be in the same city Popeye's sister was going to college. I met up with her and we had a great visit, but it made me miss my friendship with Popeye. I ended up calling him. We started talking that October. He decided to come home for Thanksgiving and we weaseled me into getting an invitation to his parent's house for the holiday. It was then that we had our first real kiss.

That Christmas, Popeye came home again. He spent some time with his family and then spent a few days with my family and I. We got engaged a few days before Christmas. Then, he went home, across the country again. Thankfully, we had a short engagement. We were married three months after we got engaged. It was wonderful and being married to him has been one of the best things to ever happen to me.

We keep to ourselves a lot. Popeye and I are two very different people, but sometimes I think that is what makes us work. My dad says that when you put the two of us together we make one whole functioning person and he is right. When we got married two became one. Popeye and I work. Don't take that wrong and think we are perfect because anyone who knows us knows that's a lie. We fight and we disagree, but who we are together works.

I love Popeye with a deep enduring love. Even in the worst of times, I know he returns my love and devotion. We have our fair share of fights and then some. We struggle. We have been through separations, by distance not choice. We have been through illness and pain. We have moved multiple times. We live far from our families, but we have each other. My husband is my best friend, my love, and so much more. I am grateful every day for his support and encouragement. Thank goodness for forced encounters that led to my happily ever after.

A Magical Moment

We have all seen the homecoming videos where a dad comes home and surprises their kid at school in his uniform or a daughter comes home and surprises her parents at a party. I know I have watched more than I could possibly count and each time they bring tears to my eyes and on my emotional days they can be enough to make me cry, big crocodile tears.

Well, we had our own homecoming recently. Let me tell you something... the truth about homecomings is that they are not all rainbows and sunshine. They are stressful for everyone involved. The planning and the thought that goes into homecoming is ridiculous. The stress and uncertainty that homecomings bring is hard to describe unless you have been there. 

Little Bear and I had been anxiously awaiting homecoming. I had been dreaming of the magical day since before Popeye even left. I did not want him to leave and could hardly wait for his return. 

As the time got closer, I got nervous. For the almost two years we have lived here Popeye has been gone about two thirds of it. He has hardly lived in the house that has become our home and my comfort zone. Little Bear and I do nothing the same way as when Popeye left. Our routine is ours, with Popeye home we knew that would change. 

I was also nervous because I am a very different person than when Popeye left. I am more independent. I have friends, hobbies, and things to do that keep me busy. I didn't know if Popeye would like the new me. I still look the same, but I am different. Popeye was nervous, too, I think. Not that he would ever say it.

In the last few months before Popeye came home I planned the perfect outfit. We made yard signs and signs to take to homecoming. We cleaned house. We did yard work. We made plans for when he would be here in our home again.

And then NOT a thing went as planned. Homecoming ended up getting scheduled for the middle of the night. I did not wear the dress I bought for it. I wore jeans and a nice shirt. It was dark when he got home so our signs and yard decorations were not well lit. Little Bear ran around in the heat and got all gross and sweaty while we waited.

Even with all the things that went differently than we had hoped.... It was magic. It was our own kind of magic. I won the raffle for first kiss and Popeye was the first one off the plane. Seeing his smiling face was glorious. It made all the messed up plans and the stress and anxiety melt away. As we got to each other, that first hug was blissful. The first kiss... enchanting. Everything was in place. We were back to a family of three, just the way God meant for us to be. 

In the weeks since homecoming we have had frustration and arguments. Homecoming is not easy. We have all changed and grown. The adjustments have been difficult, but it is great. The magic has worn off and we are back to real life and trying to settle into a routine, but we are oh so grateful to be together again for a while. 

Photos by Fischelli Photography.