4th Fun!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!

I think that we all, as military spouses and S/O's, can take a certain pride on this particular day as we celebrate the Independence of our wonderful country. My husband is out to sea right now, and while I have a fervent wish in a deep corner of my heart that he could be here with us, that we could do normal things that other families are doing today....cook-outs, sand and sun, and fireworks, I don't regret the sacrifices that we are making to help 'Freedom Ring' in this wonderful country of ours. I pray that we as a country can continue to be grateful, and not take for granted, the wonderful freedoms we are allowed every day.

I wanted to find a fun thing to post to celebrate the day, and I stumbled across this poem, and thought it was great:

The American Boy

By Author Unknown

SON:
Father, look up, and see that flag!
How gracefully it flies!
Those pretty stripes, they seem to be
A rainbow in the skies.

FATHER:
It is your country's flag, my boy,
And proudly drinks the light,
O'er ocean's wave, in foreign climes,
A symbol of our might.

SON:
Father, what fearful noise is that,
Now thundering in the clouds?
Why do they, cheering, wave their hat,
And rush along in crowds?

FATHER:
It is the voice of cannonry,
The glad shouts of the free;
This is a day of memory,
'Tis FREEDOM'S JUBILEE!

SON:
I wish that I was now a man,
I'd free my country too,
And cheer as loudly as the rest;
But, father, why don't you?

FATHER:
I'm getting old and weak; but still
My heart is big with joy;
I've witnessed many a day like this,
Shout you aloud, my boy!

SON:
HURRAH, FOR FREEDOM'S JUBILEE,
God bless our native land!
And may I live to hold the boon
Of freedom in my hand.

FATHER:
Well done, my boy, grow up, and love
The land that gave you birth,—
A land where Freedom loves to dwell,—

A paradise on earth.

I love the last stanza, and really just wanted to share with you all my love for the USA.

(Incidentally, even though the Hubs is gone, we are doing fun things today like going to the beach with my Aunt and cousin's who are in town. And I couldn't help but dress my kids in red, white, and blue!! Now if only I had something patriotic to wear...!)

Until next time!

The Navy Wife

Holy two blog re-vamps in one week! Granted...I know they look similar, I really liked the first one I had going, but with the change of my blog title I needed a new header and from there a new color scheme. I'm still not COMPLETELY satisfied with this header sooooo...I'll probably change it again in the very near future, but at least this one gets the new title out there so I feel like I can start posting again. :)

I wanted to thank KK, Amber, and Stacie for the new title ideas!! You guys really helped me get my creative juices flowing, and I REALLY appreciate it!! Coming up with a blog title that is interesting and you hope somehow draws people in is some hard business! But now I know who to go to when I need a little help! Thanks again girls!

So...I was searching through military blogs again ( no shocker there! :)) and I can't remember the name of the blog, so please forgive me for this, but I came across one that had two poems/ stories about what being a military wife means. I'd already seen one of them; " Recipe for a Military Wife" as I'm sure most of you others have also. And that reminded of something I was given just before the Hubs and I got married.

I was living in Utah at the time, and going to my parents Ward, and a new family moved onto our street and started going to our ward also. Well, they happened to be newly retired from the the Navy, and when the wife heard that I was marrying a Sailor she made a point to give me these two poems, one entitled " Recipe of Military Wife" and the other entitled " The Navy Wife". She also almost kind of...gave her 'condolences" about me marrying a Sailor which...at the time I found kind of interesting, but now I completely understand!! I find myself discouraging my single friends from dating Sailors here ( not that there are ANY other eligible males to date in this military town!) just because...it really is such a challenge, and unless your a child from a military family, I think you really don't understand what life married so someone in the military is like.

ANYWAY...I ramble :) I wanted to put the poem on here to share, because now having been in the Navy for a couple of years, the poem means more to me then when she first gave it. So, here it is, hope you enjoy!!

The Navy Wife

A Navy Wife is no ordinary women. Operating for months at a tim without the compainionship or assistance of her husband, she routinely overcomes challenges that would give the average person a nervous breakdown.

Part Doctor, part Teacher and part Handyman,she can lavish loving care on a sick toddler, help a teenager with his algrebra homework, and trackdown a faulty circuit breaker-- all while holding down a full time job.

With thirty minutes notice, she can serve breakfast, lunch , or dinner to fourteen hungry Sailors, and still somehow balance her family's meager grocery budget.

She can press a set of dress whites to inspection standards, tie a perfect square knot in a military neckerchief, and pack a seabag in the cold hours before dawn.

For months at a time, she must settle for letters instead of kisses, emails in place of hugs, and long-distance phone calls in lieu of her husbands touch. She manages a smile when her Sailor is at sea for the second anniversary in a row, and accepts the fact that there's a one-in-three chance that he will have to stand duty on her birthday. She has learned to stand on a pier and say goodbye without tears, even when her heart is breaking.

To her children sher is chauffuer, umpire, psychologist, spiritual advisor, finacial consultant, part-time father, Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, and the Easter Bunny. To her husband she is friend, lover, partner, confidant, and soul-mate.

She is a patriot. She is the sort of citizen that all of us should be, but so few of us are. She lives with sacrifice, because she believe in the rights and ideals that her husband defends. Although she wears no uniform. she is a part of that defense-- a vital link in the chain of Freedom. Although she wears no medals and will reap no glory on the field of battle, she is a hero in the truest sense of the word.

She is a Navy Wife.

until next time,