Fort Hood, Texas Shooting ~ my experience

This morning I went to work, not knowing the horror that would be unfolding later that day, only a few minutes from our house. I only had to work until noon, taking over half of a shift for a fellow team member. After work I had to deposit a check at my bank, got some food for lunch, I live on Fort Hood and thus entered post around about 1300hrs. to go home. Once home, let the dogs out and I got changed, and knew my husband was online, so I started chatting with him. My husband J. is stationed in Iraq right now.
Then the sirens went off, with an emergency message. Looking at the clock and knowing it was Thursday, the weather was gorgeous, this was very weird to me. I listened to the message which said “Close all windows, shut doors, shut off heating and ventilation systems, and remain inside”. J. mentioned that there could be a chemical leak. Not feeling good about this, I called my friend B. She said her husband had just called and the reason for the commotion was that there was mass shooting in the Theater area.  Post was on lockdown because the shooter was on the lose. No one could get on post, and no one could get off post. Schools were also on lockdown, which means kids had to stay at school until the lockdown was lifted, can you imagine the scared parents? Soldiers that were at work, were not allowed to leave either. And as I told J., he told me to stay inside, away from windows. So I did. I’ve had the news on ever since.
Ofcourse all speculations went on all day from being multiple shootings, multiple shooters, and the shooter being dead.
The sirens didn’t really help, it made the situation even more scary. Peeking outside from time to time, the neighbourhood looked like a ghost town. J. was calm all throughout our chat, but I am sure he must have been scared, but he stayed strong for me. He knew I was very shaken and scared. And telling you about this, helps me cope. The community is very shocked and shaken. It has been a very devastating day.
Immediately after the first set of sirens, my phone started ringing and ringing. The first ones to call was my work and my editor for Army Wife Magazine. Then my brother in-law about 2 hours from here called me to see if I was alright. I notified all family, the news had even spread to the Netherlands shortly after it happened.
I am still a bit shaken, my throat still hurts and my stomach is in a knot. But I have calmed down a bit since the lockdown was lifted at 7PM tonight, as sirens went off and let us know the state of emergency had ended.
I am glad to hear all my friends and their loved ones are safe, but my heart goes out to those that did lose their loved one today during this shooting, the ones that got wounded, and all the people living and working at and around Fort Hood. My prayers are all with you, and please keep me in your prayers. This is a day I won’t ever forget!

In memory of the ones that lost their lives today, and those that got wounded, spread around the word to wear a yellow and black ribbon ribbon with a patriotic pin on. I made my own tonight and used a US Army pin. If you are on Facebook, please go to this link to spread the word; http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=165773171341&ref=ts

(Wo)Man’s Best (Girl)Friend(s)

Why the weird title? Everyone knows the saying “Man’s best friend”. And with that is meant, the wolflike species called “dog”. With (Wo)Man’s Best (Girl)Friend(s) I am talking about our two lovely furdaughters called Lotte and Daisy. Yes, Jon and I call them our daughters. Because, as a Childless couple, that is what they are to us. Some people will call us crazy. But we want the best for them, and spent nearly a thousand dollars in the past 10 months on medical care for our girls.

Lotte and Daisy are a blessing to the both of us. To me, because they have been the best company ever when Jon was deployed (he still is, mind you). And to Jon, because he knew that these two girls, would be an awesome company to me.
I thank God for bringing these two awesome living beings into our lives. They are always there for me, and coming home from work to two exciting dogs, because they are happy you are home, is the second best feeling in the world (first is my husband being excited about me coming home from work, but he isn’t here right now, so that is why it is awesome that our dogs right now are one of the best things ever happened to me and my husband).

God bless our doggies for being this Woman’s Best Friend.

A Congratulations to Army Wife Magazine

From its roots in 1996, until the launch of this magazine on October 22nd 2009, this magazine has been on the minds of Moni and Brandy.
This magazine is called Army Wife Magazine, and the only Army magazine for Army Wives, run by Army Wives. It is filled with a lot of information, experiences, and fun interviews.
This is a big launch, since they were able to interview a very important person in the US Army Family community. You will have to go have a look at www.ArmyWifeMagazine.com, to see who I am talking about.

For me, this is a dream come true, to write for a magazine. This magazine carried my first every published article. I am featured on page 15 under Operation Spouseformation. My husband also wrote a paragraph about me on page 43. And they used our picture on the homepage . I did not expect that.

I came to this magazine, when an advertisement for contributors, freelance and regular, for the magazine was place on an Army Wife forum. I responded to it, and had been in contact about it with Moni. We had some wonderful conversations, and I felt that I could put my knowledge as an Army Family Team Building Instructor and former Family Readiness Group Leader to use.

Congratulations to Moni and Brandy, and my thumbs up for putting so much time into this magazine! You ladies have done a wonderful job. And to the rest of my fellow writers and team members, I have really been enjoying reading your articles! You all did an awesome job! I am honored to be part of this team!

Keeping a positive look on Deployment

Recently I responded to a post of a fellow Army Wife, that was struggling with their deployment. I gave her some positive advice and encouragement. She told me she could not believe I was so positive while going through our second deployment. She said that she should take an example from me. It felt great to hear that. Eight and a half months into this deployment, I am looking back that this was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. And even though I’ve encountered some difficult obstacles in the past year, I overcame them. I did not go through this alone, there were others that helped and guided me.

The first deployment together we were engaged. I was an Au Pair and I worked 45 hours a week, and went to school taking 6 credits, 2 mornings a week while the kids were at school. It was a different deployment to me, because I was completely new to the Army Life. The wife of my husband’s best friend guided me towards preparations of the Army Life and I had a friend I stayed at in the weekends, and even though she did not know what it was like to have a loved one overseas…she did know how to cheer me up and take my mind of off the deployment. This time I was near and now am on an Army Post and surrounded by Spouses that know what I am going through. They are my “family” here, and they always are willing to either help or we encourage each other.

I try to keep a positive outlook on this deployment, otherwise it will drag me down. I do have a small break down from time to time, but that is normal.
It is my husband’s job, and I cannot change the fact that he is deployed. He asked me to marry him during the last deployment (it was his 3rd, he was deployed to Bosnia before in 1998), and I made that decision right there, knowing that more separations like this would be a possibility in the future.

We, as Military Spouses, need to be there for each other, encourage eachother, support eachother, and look out for eachother and our families. Especially when our Spouse is deployed.

For with God, NOTHING will be impossible

After I saw the movie “Facing the Giants”, I was touched and inspired to share the following with you.

This movie portrays the life of a High School Football Coach, his wife, the students, teachers, and parents.
This High School Football Coach called Grant, is struggling as a coach, the team is not doing well, and next to that back at home, things aren’t going well either. The car breaks down constantly, there is an awful smell in the house they are dealing with, and him and his wife have been trying for a child for 4 years.
My husband was watching this movie this afternoon in Iraq (and he did mention a few times he had dirt in his eye, uhuh!). Thus I decided to watch it with him here at home. We both decided that this movie really hit home. My husband is not really happy with where he is at in the Army, he is not getting ahead and is working on changing paths within the Army. We also thought we would be further ahead in certain things, and would have children by now. When my husband comes home, it will be 4 years since we tried for a child. Both me and my husband know the pain that the coach and his wife are going through.

The coach, at one point, sees that he needs to change his approach, his plan, towards this goal on getting the team back on track. He talks about giving God the glory. To not make the game about “us”, but about Him. That hit me. I need to make my about Him, not about “me”. I need to give God the glory.

This new game plan, really got the team back into place, their play was much better, and in the end things fell back into place. I won’t go into much further detail *SPOILER*, because I want to give you the chance to watch the movie, if you haven’t yet.

This also made me do research on the barren woman in the Bible. And the Bible and infertility in general. I had forgotten how many women in the Bible were barren. They gave God the glory, and trusted Him with their sorrows. God all blessed them with a child in time.

Psalm 113:9 says;

“He maketh the barren woman to keep house and to be a joyful mother of children”.

This is so true. And except for the woman Machal, God opened the wombs of all barren women named in the Bible. Some were past child bearing age, but yet God blessed them with sons of promise.
This gives my heart hope, that God will be able to perform another miracle. I pray He will open my womb one day, so I may bear children of God. That I may make my husband, a father.

And with this I know, as said in Luke 1:37;

“For with God, nothing will be impossible”.

Chickensoup for the Pet Lover’s Soul

It sounds like a book, but it is actually pet food. I learned recently, by doing research, that foods like Beneful, Iam’s and others that are praised highly, might not even be that good for our beloved fur-babies. If the first 4 ingredients incl corn, corn products and meat by-products, they are not healthy for dogs and cats. They cannot digest corn very well.

You are better off getting holesome food for your pet. I found a brand called Chickensoup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, and they have them for dogs, in different kinds. And for cats. I picked up a bag of large breed adult dog, for our oldest who is a big one (incl. glucosamine,…which large breeds need), and a bag for adult dog for our youngest, a 16lbs. Chihuahua/terrier.

Do some research what foods would be best. Lotte, our oldest started to not being able to keep in Beneful Healthy Weight, and I started to worry. It is said to help clear this up with the holesome foods. It is also said it clears up allergies, which our smallest dog has.

Holesome pet-food, give your dog or cat what they need! Our puppies seem to love it and it is so good for them! Available at most Feed Supply Stores in dry and canned food.

www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com

Couch to 5k – W1D2 (Week 1 Day 2)

Today is my 2nd day into this journey to running 3 miles. I’ve been on my feet for 3 days long, and I am exhausted. Going back to work after 3 weeks off, is a getting used, too again.
I’ve done my W1D2 for today, with all the running around at work I did today. But I decided to double my efforts and do the running tomorrow morning. This morning was such a cool morning, that it would’ve been ideal to run. Thus, tomorrow morning will be my run day.
I have lost four pounds so far. I am very proud of myself.
And I know it is going to be a long, long road to the full 3 miles. But with some encouragement from friends around the country, I know I will make it. Having a running buddy would’ve made it much easier. But most of my friends are mom’s with a busy schedule, or pregnant and not able to encounter this challenging adventure.

Going back to work, even though I am exhausted right now, has been good for me. Time has passed very fast, and a week already has gone by ever since my husband returned back to Iraq.
By now he has settled into his new room. They had to move from their tent to a trailer, which he now has to share with a fellow soldier. They do not have as much space as before, and less privacy, but it will do. There are only a few more months left of this deployment and we’re counting down to homecoming.

Couch to 5K – W1D1 (Week 1 Day 1)

Couch to 5K — C25K — W1D1 — Done — Temperature outside: 95F — Time: 30 minutes — 5 min warm up walk, then reps of 60 sec. jog, 90 sec. walk for 20 minutes, 5 minute cool down walk. I can’t stand up anymore, but it feels good. Lol. I am going to take a shower soon, sweating like a pig. But FEELING AWESOME! I have to start work in 2 hrs. So I’d better hurry up.

From Couch to 5K

An Army Wife friend of mine, addressed a Running Plan on one of the Army Support Forums I am on. First of all, I have to tell you all, that I am not a runner. I absolutely hate running. Right now, maybe that may be because my legs aren’t strong enough to run.

Last week my husband introduced me to running. How to start up, by walking some, running some and to repeat that for about half an hour. We did that one morning, and I haven’t done it since.
Then tonight, I read the fundamentals on this running plan, and saw the schedule of this plan called “Couch to 5K” or “C25K” in Facebook terms. I got really inspired by the testimonies and updates of those that are doing it, through Facebook. You spread 3 running days over the week. You start off slow and build it up, where you end up being able to run 3 miles straight without stopping after 9 weeks! I’d be thrilled if I were to achieve that, and some of my friend throughout the country have been inspired and we keep each other encouraged and updated on our progress. My goal is, to be able to enjoy a 3 mile run with my husband, once he is home in a few months.

Go here: Couch to 5K to read more about it. And if you are a Facebook-er, become a fan of their Facebook site, so you can read tips, encouragements and information on this Running Plan.

So I have a question for you: “Who is with me?” “You can dooooo iiiit!” I start tomorrow, we can keep eachother encouraged throughout this.

The reason of my absence

I’ve been MIA for a few weeks. The reason being…my husband was home on Mid Tour Leave! We have had an awesome 2 weeks together. We took it day by day, and visited places like Sea World, and the Alamo and Riverwalk in San Antonio. Taking it day by day certainly made it feel like time was going very slow. And that’s a great thing! But the last day, when he was packing his bags, and I was cleaning up the house so that I did not have to do much after he’d left, made us a bit grumpy towards each other. But then he put his arms around me, and I broke down and cried. We did spent our last night together seeing the movie “Julie & Julia”, where we were the only couple 30 and under. I love cooking, and I am trying to better myself every time. My husband has been complementing me on my cooking a lot lately. I’ve been perfecting my cooking of venison during this Mid Tour Leave. My father in-law sent me home with a cooler full of venison when I spent a week in North Dakota. I saved it for my husband for when he came home. And he really enjoyed it.
After seeing Julie & Julia, I now really want to get Julia’s cookbook “Mastering the art of French cooking”. And next paycheck I will. Those receipes looked very delicious!

So on my book-list for this month is the book “Julia & Julia”. If a movie is made after a book, I always like to read the book, too. Most of the time, the book is more detailed than the movie. It makes the story more interesting. I used to read a lot. But with a full time job, and a household to keep up with by my own, I hardly have time anymore.

Work starts wednesday. Which means that I can recover emotionally in the next few days now that my husband has left for overseas again. I dealt with the goodbyes at the airport much better than I thought I would. Maybe it is because we’ve survived more than half of this deployment and he’ll be home soon again. And yes, it was hard to say goodbye, I did get teary eyed, but it was easier. I am becoming more experienced every time. Right now, I am just going to relax and sit here in bed with a good book.