What have I accomplished this year??

Well, this year went by in a flash and much was done!!! January started off with a bang as we learned the move to Georgia was fast approaching. It was a dilemma for Brandi and finishing school. She wouldn't have finished in time at Cole so we enrolled her with Penn Foster and she finished a year earlier. That was great.

In the early spring, I shaved my head completely bald for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's 'Totally Baldacious' campaign. I raised nearly $800 and it was a great feeling. Not just having a clean shaved head and the invigorating sensation of a newly found freedom, but more so the gift of doing something so good for someone else. I have always gotten satisfaction from giving, but rundraising for me takes it to a whole new level! The family also participated in the Relay for Life in April which was great. We sold coffee to help keep everyone awake all night!! There was so much love and devotion on that track and field that night it was electric!!

Work was moving along good and we started our purging at the house. We had accumulated a lot in San Antonio. Many friends and much stuff in our house. We didn't purge the friends of course, but the stuff had to find a new home. Got rid of most of it on Craigslist and Ebay, then the yard sale. The rest we got rid of here at the Thrift Store. We still managed to have around 16,000lbs of household goods.

The summer was coming around the corner and many things needed done yet in preparation. The deck needed disassembling, the plants dug up and transplanted in my in-laws yard, the garage cleaned out, the basement cleared, the attic emptied. But for a moment in May, time seemed to stand still while we watched the life of a great man come to an end. He was a man that served his country honorable, cared for his Soldiers and loved his family endlessly. Cancer sucks.

I left my beloved optometry clinic and the doc I have worked with for years in June. Dr. L is a great mentor and I have thanked him profusely for the many memories and learning lessons; especially morning math!!!! He taught me not to say 'good-bye' but rather 'see you later' as the Army is a small world and we will see each other again.

It was time to move on to a new 'flavor' as we have come to affectionately call frequent moves. Home is where the Army sends us and as long as we're together!! It truly is all we need. The house doesn't mean anything, the place we live doesn't mean anything. The only thing that matters is us!!! Our family. We could be in a mansion or a cardboard box and it would all be good.

The following months were busy. Brandi's Disney vacation with her family, Matt moved the animals and I to Georgia, Madi went to camp and then Matt brought them to Georgia. Matt finished his duties in San Antonio and then joined us in Georgia, but for just a short stint as duty calls.

He is in school for five months for the Army learning how to be a Senior Officer leader and doing a good job at it already!! When he returns in March, he will be in charge of the Fort Benning Blood Donor Center, which has the Army's highest number of donor collections.

While waiting to return to work, I embarked on another fundraiser for my friend from high school. She and her husband are in the process of adopting two awesome boys from Africa. We hosted a Tupperware fundraiser and every penny counts!!! It was great to help someone bring the pitter patter of feet home....they aren't here yet, but will be soon!! Being a parent is the best and I can't wait to read her posts about the challenges and triumphs of motherhood!!!

I returned to work in September at my new clinic and love it. I love caring for our Soldiers and their eye care needs. I have contemplated going to school to just be an optometrist but I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

I have enjoyed reading for the first time. I never thought I had the time and wasn't sure there was anything I would enjoy reading; however, I found I like non-fiction and biographies. I have read all three of Tori Spelling's books and she is a hoot. I have read several other books and now am reading Elizabeth Edward's book. I also ventured in an endeavor I never thought I would have never thought I would...I wrote a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. It was National Novel Writing Month (NanoWriMo). I was exciting and addictive!!!

What will next year hold for me?? Well, I would like to think many great things!!! I am still contemplating working on my Master's, I will continue to read good books, I plan to continue walking at lunch to keep my mind clear and burn off some steam and will love more and more about my life!!

Veteran's Day

I think it's cool that Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving are in the same month. A month in which we can reflect on what we are thankful for. When we are thankful for the roof over our head, the food in our stomachs, our jobs, our families, our health or whatever it may be, we need to always be thankful to a Veteran.

Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Seaman or the Coast Guard; they are all worthy of our thanks. Because of their sacrifices this country has sustained peace and tranquility for which we are thankful. Because of the Veteran we can be thankful for the roof over our head because we choose where we want to live instead of the government telling us where to live. We don't live in a Socialist or Communist country where we are told where to live, they provide the repairs to our homes and regulate our heat.

We can be thankful to the Veteran for the food in our stomachs not because they put it on the table but because it's available to us. We can choose what to buy. What to eat. What to indulge in. We are free to buy the food we like.

We can thank the Veteran, not our government for our jobs as we choose where we want to work, whether we stay or not, and how much money we want to make because we have an unlimited potential available to us. We can go to school to better ourselves. We can learn a trade to work in better jobs. We can also choose to do nothing and stay right where we are in our jobs. It's our choice.

We can thank the Veteran for our families as they fight for our freedom and stand guard in the night. This ensures we aren't ripped from each other's grip and put on a train to nowhere to be put to death or imprisoned!

We can thank a Veteran for our health as they also provide the freedom to make choices about our health. We can choose to eat well, see the doctor we want, the dentist we like and take medication we need. We can also choose to eat poorly, disregard our health and not visit the doctor or dentist.

Every choice we make or have available to us was made that way because of the sacrifices of a Veteran. Some served for a short time while others made it a career. Some went to battle and some never came home. Some sat at a desk their entire career while others suffered unimaginable pain. The sacrifice is all the same.

These individuals stand with pride on their day of induction and raise their right hand, swear on the bible to defend our country against all enemies; foreign and domestic. They leave their families for days, weeks and months on in. Some leave their families forever because they gave their life for their country.

They have worked long hours, trained hard for their jobs, focused on the mission, watched out for their battle buddy and stood the night watch so we can enjoy what we take for granted!

Whether you agree with me or not, take time to thank a Veteran. Actually look them in the eye, tell them thank you and say it with sincerity. It's not chore, it's an honor to do so.

All day long at work today, I said to each and every Soldier I encountered 'thank you for your service.' Whether it was over the phone, in person, or passing them on the sidewalk. I said thank you!

For my heroes on this approaching Veteran's Day:
Delbert Parshall, US Air Force - my father
Ivan Herchenbach, US Army - my brother -in-law
Garry Swingholm, US Navy - my father-in-law
Dan Reynolds, US Marines - Matt's uncle
Sonny Raabe, US Marines - my uncle
Stanley Tamillo, US Army - my grandfather (deceased 1991)
Patrick Lunkenheimer, US Army - my friend (deceased 2010)
Seth Olmstead, US Army Active Duty - my friend
The Soldiers of the 440th BSD and anyone associated with the unit, all our friends who serve or served
and
most of all, to my awesome husband, MAJ Matt Swingholm. The Army's best blood banker and the world's best husband!! My ultimate hero. One team. One fight. Total victory. Nothing less.

Time flies!!!

I can't believe it's almost the end of October and the year is almost over. Soon we will be busy with the holidays with Turkey day and Christmas. But first, we have to find pumpkins which aren't 8 bucks!!!! I can't believe how high the prices are for those little boogers!!!! We need to find some since we HAVE to carve them and roast pumpkin seeds, right!!!

It has been a busy week to say the least. School, work, kids, etc, etc. I love life. It's good cause it keeps me sane. I fully processed into work and settled so that's good. Collected and spent my very first paycheck at said new job. Our goal is to pay off some small debt while we are here which won't take very long at this pace. You know; little student loans, furniture, Bran's truck, a bit of a credit card bill and then straight into building the savings account back up and save for vacation.

We are planning a 7 night trip to...you know Walt Disney World in June 2011 and a cruise on the new Disney Cruise ship in 2012 for 7 nights. I love vacation and live by it almost everyday. I keep an island pic with blue Caribbean pic on my desktop at work, drag around my many Disney bags, drink from my Castaway Cay coffee mug, wear my Disney Cruise line lanyard with my work ID and have Disney characters on my Crocs. Yes, you can say I'm addicted.

My kitchen is slowly transforming into a black and red Mickey themed kitchen. I have all black kitchen utensils, just bought some much needed red pots and pans, have red and black rugs and hand cloths and just need to put some Disney paraphernalia on the tops of the Cupboards. It will looks nice especially since housing decided to outfit the kitchen with black appliances!!! Perfect fit!! Went from rooster to Mickey in a flash!!!! I have had roosters in my kitchen for the past 9 years and it's time for a change. Just after I bought my first rooster items, my nephew was flogged by a rooster and he lost on of his baby front teeth. Did I ever get hell from the kids for that because I decided to keep with the rooster theme since I had already invested money in it!!!

I love Disney because it takes all the guess work out of vacationing. As a mother, I don't worry about meals, laundry, entertainment and so on. The beds are always made, the bathrooms cleaned, the meals are the best and too bad it's only for a week every year. UGH. I want Disney 24/7, but that's hard to keep up with on my own!!!

Cruising is the ultimate since I don't have to do anything but show up and have a good time. 'Oh, you are hungry?' go hit the buffet or get pizza/hot dogs/hamburgers/salads...etc. 'Oh, you are bored??' go see a movie/catch a character/hit the pool/go to the game room/sit on the veranda/ etc, etc. 'Oh, you are tired??' take a nap in the room/nap on the lounge chairs on the top deck/ nap in a lounge chair next to pool and listen to live island music!!!! It's nice.

Glad I work my fanny off all year for that little piece of luxury!!! We deserve it!!

So, now that I off subject...I don't know whether to send out Christmas cards or not. Every year I send out about 60 but only receive 20 from the SAME people!!! What's up with that anyway!!??? Oh well. At least they know I think of them and read our little 'sum it up in a year' letter and a pic of us!!

Til next time....weez

No NanoWriMo writer's block

So I signed up for NanoWriMo this year and I'm not even a writer let alone a reader. I like to read non-fiction. I like biographies and real material. It came to me this morning while in that foggy asleep yet mindful of my surroundings point of the morning where I'm cuddled in bed with my dog and husband. Note how I put the dog first. Just kidding. She is my bedmate though when the hubby is out on Army duties.

My novel is going to be a mix of fiction and non-fiction with real characters, in a real setting but with a non-fiction twist that I wish could really be true. For privacy reasons I may change some of my characters names to protect them, but their stories and lives have touched me so deeply.

I'd like to thank first and foremost Tammy and Deanne for being my motivation for undertaking such an endeavor as this as I really haven't ever put such a demand on myself. Sure, I joined the Army and that was demanding. I'm married and that's demanding. I'm a mother and Lord knows that's demanding, but this is something that I have never even contemplated doing EVER in my life. Never thought of myself as a writer but have thought of writing a series of children's books when I'm older just to see if I could do it.

Next a thank you to Kat for the inspiration in my thoughts on what the main point of my novel will revolve around....a telephone. Kat, don't give it away!!!!

Thanks to Matt for supporting me in this and for the evenings I will be spending writing while laying in bed while you are watching your numerous TV shows. I am always 'checked out' anyway, so I may as well write.

I hope everyone enjoys the final product and I am looking forward to taking on this endeavor!! Pray I have patience and order as I don't even know where to start or even what to title the novel, but thoughts are swirling so that's a good sign, right????

Until later....write, write, write!!!

Glad to be back to work!!!

I am really glad to be back to work!! It's going good and smooth with the exception of inprocessing which is never easy or fun!!! But, hey...I'm getting paid either way.

Matt is home and that is great. He has been so helpful around the house while on leave and needs a break to just breathe from his work demands. It's nice having a man's touch on things around here. He has dug me out of the technical hole I always fall into when he's out. I swear I would have an old black and white TV with rabbit ears and tinfoil, an old home (corded) phone, and no internet. I really would. That's his part of this marriage contract. To keep up with all the electronic stuff here and I take care mostly the rest. Fair to me since I just don't like the kinks with that stuff!!

Bran is busy job hunting and hopefully will have a job soon so she can start saving money!!! She has a great boyfriend and he's become a main staple at the Swingholm casa. It's nice since she hasn't ever brought/had a boyfriend come over EVER!!!!! He's a great guy too!! Works hard, going to night school and has great future plans with the Department of Homeland Security!!!!

MQS is doing well in school and still hates the uniform. Can't say I blame her but it's nice not having to figure out what to wear in the morning. Shaves time off our morning routine!!! YAY me!! We need to figure out a solution to her bag situation though since she is carrying a heavy shoulder bag and she is too small!!

Back to a routine!!

I am a creature of habit...I think I mentioned that in my last post!! Thankfully, I started work yesterday after a 2 1/2 month hiatus and am glad. I'm tired, but glad. I am blessed with work!! Life is good and I am glad to be productful again. I was getting bored at home and glad to be busy again. Don't get me wrong, I love to stay home and take care of my fam, but there is only sooo much I can do without having a schedule of 'something' to keep me sane.

The kids are older, the house can only be so clean and the errands don't take that much anymore!! I am glad to spend my days helping others!! It occurred to me the other day just how much the kids are self-sufficient! They cook, clean (sometimes), get themselves off for the day with minimal prompting and showered at night!! I have little to do with the logistics of their lives, but have much to do with guidance.

The transition is strange as I am so use to being the 'go-to' mom. "Mom, can you take me....?" Mom, can you make me something to eat?" "Mom, I need clothes washed." "Mom, can you take me to the park?" I am no longer needed for those minuscule tasks anymore, but rather to just hang out with. They like to make me something to eat, wash their own clothes (I guess it makes them feel grown up). They let me know where they are going and when they will be home!! I like it. I never did miss the diaper bag, the warming bottles, teething, crying, tantrums (although they sometimes still throw them), poopy diapers, always hungry, daycare day in and day out!!! I love having older kids. It suits me. I knew I would be better at being a mom to older children than to little ones. Don't worry...I loved every minute of it, but this is great too!

Having wrote all that, the routine is falling into place. Lunches packed the night before. Showers on time. Bags ready to head out the door. Glasses are misplaced nor are keys!! Breakfast is eaten and I didn't make it.... I can take my time getting myself ready without just a quick run through the shower and out the door with taking care of the kid's needs in between. There is actually some time for ME!! It's a nice routine.

I suppose the transition to empty nest will be difficult. I know it will. I am use to a certain level of chaos, even if the kids are self-sufficient. It will be great having Matt all to my own since we never started out as a couple by ourselves. We were a ready-made family and it was great, but it will be nice to have some 'alone' time. Less cooking, laundry, groceries, messes, and trips to kid events. Time to relax, travel, save money, downsize to a single-level house, and so on.

The routine will change several times before this is all said and done with and I am looking forward to every minute of it!! Change is good, but routine is a saving grace!!

My wonderful life!!

Well, here it is. My first Blog!! When I first heard this term I felt like Gibbs off NCIS. He's the main character in one of my fav TV shows and is a bit inept when it comes to electronic gadgets. I am as well. If it weren't for my chip-head hubby, I wouldn't have this blog!!! Thanks babe!!

Well, about me...hmmm, where to start?? The beginning would be good! Two people fell in love (that would be my folks), got hitched, had me, added a little sister and brother, raised us in a small town in Nebraska (it's this whole other country~get it, like Forrest Gump-my fav movie), I went to school with the same kids from kgarten through Senior year, took yearly family vacations to Milwaukee to see my mom's side of the tribe, had my oldest offspring, joined the Army, met my husband, gave birth to my youngest offspring, finished college and love where I am....and BREATHE!!! That's it. Really the nutshell version, but quite an adventure!!

I loved every minute of it. I have my parents first and foremost to thank for raising me to be the responsible and productful adult I have become.

I thank my oldest daughter for making me want more out of life for the two of us. Every push-up in Basic Training had your name on it. Look where it got us today!! A little hard work sure paid off!!

The Army for making me not just strong, but Army strong (remember this is a copyrighted slogan so I am giving credit where credit is due~thanks US Army).

To my lil' peanut for keeping me busy with being a replica of me when I was a child, just as my mother cursed me!! She always said I would have children just like me and here she is....my lil Miss MQS!!

For my sister, Karen Ann for always listening to me rant and rave on the phone for hours on in over the course of the past decade or so!! For sharing your life with me and allowing me to share mine with you. I'm so proud of the woman you have become!!

And most of all to my husband, Matt of 15 years!!! He is my rock, my soulmate, my one and only true love. He has seen me in good times and bad, at my prettiest and ugliest, when I am happy and sad, and loves me when I spontaneously cry or combust!

He puts up with my addiction to adopting several cats and a dog, to Tupperware (another credit is due here), to scrapbooking and chick flix!! He tells me he loves me all the time. We even have a secret 'love language.' It's hard to explain. We even talk about our kids in front of them without them even knowing it....no, it's not ESP, it's phonetic spelling and we are good at it!!!

I have lived a simple, yet blissful life. I have met so many wonderful people over the years of my life and have been blesed by each encounter. I consider myself a people-person as I like to serve and love people. I find satisfaction from volunteering, being there when a friend needs me, helping others in a time of need, and I recently became a big fan of fundraising. I figure a little pocket change can make the world of difference for someone else.

I believe in paying it forward. There are so many people who helped me get to where I am today and I don't even know who some of them are!! Thanks to the lady who helped me pay for groceries when I was 50 some cents short of my bill and ready to put back a jar of baby food. To the guy in North Carolina who helped me with a stuck gas pump lever when I was almost late to work---and I AM NEVER LATE!!!! These are just some examples of why I pay it forward!!

I believe that hard work will get you a long way if you really want it to. I believe in paying your debts when they are owed and I'm not just talking about money. I'm talking about being honest and forthcoming. When the neighbors see my trash can on the street and bring it in, I return the favor. When someone crosses me I tell them how it is and say my peace!!! I try not to intentionally hurt feelings, but if that is how it is perceived then let the chips lie where they fall.

I believe nothing is more important than family. My little fam of four is the best thing to ever happen to me. As we grow together, it's exciting to see what the future holds for us. Nothing but unconditional love!!!

I loved being a Soldier and I love being a Soldier's wife, but I would rather wear the boots than the high heels!!! I love being an Army wife because I simply love being a wife, but more so one of a Soldier. I love making sure he has packed everything he needs to survive whatever the Army holds for him. From clothes to floss, I got his six!!!

I love knowing what he does at work so I can relate to him on topics he discusses when he comes home each night for work. (you know Matt, it's not too late to go to med schoool...you already know more than the docs!!) I accept the fact there are seperations we have to endure and look at it as a different chapter in our life together. I grow from them.

I have learned to be flexible, which for someone like me is hard. I am a list-maker, a rule-follower, a creature of habit and I don't adapt to change well ( I know you are chuckling Matthew)!!! Anyone who really knows me, knows this!! Yet, I do it because this is our life. We serve our country and we take care of our Soldiers. Home is where the Army sends us and as long as we are together. We may not always be 'physically' together, but we are together! Our hearts talk when we are not together!!

I love the Army life and wouldn't trade one moment of it for anything. Now, don't get me wrong. It's not all fantastic and there is a silver lining most of the time, but for the most part I love it more than I dislike it!! Of course I don't like being away from him, I don't like that my children have been in too many school systems to count, I don't like meeting new people and then leaving, I don't like learning my way around a new place, but I adapt. It's what has been instilled in me with Army life.

The flip side of all those negative things are this: Distance DOES really make the heart grow fonder! My kids have been in large schools in DC and small schools in Nebraska. They have lived in the big city and the farm. They have had experiences most kids haven't.

They have seen both coasts, been ALL over DC, and love NYC. They have lived in at least 6 different states and enjoyed every flavor. They have friends of different race, religion and nationality. I have met some wonderful people and some I have come accross more than once. I love the new 'flavor' we have each time we live in a new place and it doesn't take me too long to know my way around. A few wrong turns and then I know where I am going. That is a great phrase to explain my life. We all make wrong turns, but do we learn from them is the question??

Now that I have yacked your 'eyes' off and I really need to be productive today, I will see you next time!!

Mrs. MTS~~