Ugh the Army life sometimes!!

First I'll start with the cruddy--- We dont get to go to the ball after all. The unit holding decided that if you where coming from outside their unit (which isnt John's unit) you had to be an E-7 or higher!! Needless to say there are alot of people unhappy. John's unit is supposed to have an all ranks ball this summer but honestly Im not holding my breath that would mean the FRG would have to do some work.

Now on to the better stuff--- After talking to Housing and finding out that the area we wanted is getting ready to be put under a freeze for a minimum of a year we changed housing areas. Changing that gave us a 30 day window for moving--- We will be moving onto post between April 15th and May 15th!!!!!!!

John's going to be going to the Warrier Leadership Course probably in May. This will get him his promotion as right now he is sitting 50 points or so away from an automatic promotion. The course is at Ft. Lewis. He will be gone Mon- Fri and be able to be home on weekends. He cant go any sooner then May due to the fact that the Sgt for his section just left for Fort Sill for school.

We see the light at the tunnel not only for his promotin but moving on post (since this area seems to be going down hill fast and has police here on a daily basis!)

Ticker explanation

I have had a couple people ask me about my ticker after not knowing what the St Barbara Ball is. This is a military ball for the Field Artillery. St. Barbara is the award that the soldiers receive and us wives get the Molly Pitcher (I was awarded this in 2003). Both of these awards are a once in a lifetime award.

From the Ft. Sill, Ok website:

The legend of Saint Barbara
According to legend, Saint Barbara was the extremely beautiful daughter of a wealthy heathen named Dioscorus, who lived near Nicomedia in Asia Minor. Because of her singular beauty and fearful that she be demanded in marriage and taken away from him, he jealously shut her up in a tower to protect her from the outside world.
Shortly before embarking on a journey, he commissioned a sumptuous bathhouse to be built for her, approving the design before he departed. Barbara had heard of the teachings of Christ, and while her father was gone spent much time in contemplation. From the windows of her tower she looked out upon the surrounding countryside and marveled at the growing things; the trees, the animals and the people. She decided that all these must be part of a master plan, and that the idols of wood and stone worshipped by her parents must be condemned as false. Gradually she came to accept the Christian faith.
As her belief became firm, she directed that the builders redesign the bathhouse her father had planned, adding another window so that the three windows might symbolize the Holy Trinity.
When her father returned, he was enraged at the changes and infuriated when Barbara acknowledged that she was a Christian. He dragged her before the perfect of the province, who decreed that she be tortured and put to death by beheading. Dioscorus himself carried out the death sentence. On his way home he was struck by lightening and his body consumed.
Saint Barbara lived and died about the year 300 A.D. She was venerated as early as the seventh century. The legend of the lightning bolt which struck down her persecutor caused her to be regarded as the patron saint in time of danger from thunderstorms, fires and sudden death.
When gunpowder made its appearance in the Western world, Saint Barbara was invoked for aid against accidents resulting from explosions--since some of the earlier artillery pieces often blew up instead of firing their projectile, Saint Barbara became the patroness of the artillerymen.
Saint Barbara is usually represented standing by a tower with three windows, carrying the palm of a martyr in her hand. Often, too, she holds a chalice and a sacramental wafer and sometimes cannon are displayed near her. The Order of Saint Barbara is an honorary military society of the United States Field Artillery. Both U.S. Marine and Army field artillery along with their military and civilian supporters are eligible for membership. The order is managed by the U.S. Field Artillery Association and two levels of recognition exist. The most distinguished level is the Ancient Order of Saint Barbara and those who are selected for this honor have achieved long-term, exceptional service to the field artillery surpassing even their brethren in the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara. The order links field artillerymen of the past and present in a brotherhood of professionalism, selfless service and sacrifice symbolized by Saint Barbara.

Busy Busy

This week sure keeps getting busier and busier. We are hosting the section BBQ this weekend so I have been doing alot of things to get ready for that. Tomorrow I am meeting the Gunnys wife and her two little ones for lunch so we can finally meet face to face instead of just over the phone. LOL. Then the girls have a playdate at their babysitters and us moms will probably sit and have some adult conversation since her husband is deployed.

John has another 4 day weekend so it will be nice to have him home this weekend especially since he hasnt been getting home till after 6 each night.

We have alot coming up-- Military Marriage Retreat in Oregon, St Barbaras Ball, I have dr's appointments, and I am helping out at the first ever "New to Ft. Lewis" potluck that another wife has put together. And that leads us into Easter and we are not sure what we are going to do yet, since Savannah's spring break isnt until April.

Valentines Day

Valentines Day was a good one this year. With John not getting back from the field till the 13th I was able to plan and keep it from him. LOL Well we met him for lunch that day on post where I gave him his card. It also let him know that the kids where going to a sitter and we wouldnt be picking them up till the next morning. I dropped the kids off at the sitter and went to pick him up at the battery. We had reservations at Black Angus which was awesome!!!! Then we went to one of the Indian casinos and played for a little bit (and of course didnt win a cent). It was a great time and we both where able to reenergize.

Who knows me best???

Question for the week is who knows you best????

I honestly can say that John knows me the best. I never can hide anything from him, no matter how hard I try. He can always tell when something is on my mind or bothering me just by looking at me. And he doesnt pry when he knows I get that look that I dont want to talk about it.

First Report Card/John update

Savannah brought home her first report card today. All good and just has a few areas that need to be improved on (writing her name drawing her shapes and learning rhyming words). I have her working on stuff but she is battling me on drawing triangles all she wants to do is tell me she "can't" do it. John and I have told her over and over that we do not use the word "can't" in this house. So we will skip over the triangles for today and come back to them tomorrow.


John is back in the field after being in the barracks for two days. He has been very busy keeping things squared away and in so many meetings. He did learn on Sunday night at a meeting with Chief and Top that all the waviers are complete for the promotion and that he will go in front of the promotion board next time there is one (supposably beginning of March). A couple Sgts have offered to run a mock board with him and he's taken them up on it when they get back from Yakima. I got to talk to him quite a bit yesterday but that was mainly because I was taking care a another soldiers screw-up back here and getting a wife taken care of.

Its cold and windy here today and looks like its getting ready to rain again. I as so looking forward to the sun!!!!

Photo Challenge

The challenge for Feb is something you love. I didnt have to think to hard of what I wanted to do. John's dog tags. They mean a variety of things to me. They keep us "connected" while he is away. They serve as a reminder of why he is away as well as a reminder of how we all have our freedom.

This may not be the best picture of them, but it works. I am planning on doing a layout for John's military scrapbook with this picture.

I've been tagged!

Thanks alot Missy do you not realize how long my middle name is!!!!

Here are the rules:
1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name).
3. After you are tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and your answers.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details.)

D- Dedicated (or so I am told often by others)
A- Achiever ( Im sure sometimes its either an over achiever or its under achieving)
N- Never-ending to make others feel better or special when they need it (probably why a certain group of people call me the RAK Queen)
I- Innovated
E- Efficient
L- Loyal (another one that I have been told often by others)
L- Leadership qualities (I guess)
E- Enthusiastic regarding my hobbies

Now to figure out if anyone is left to tag!!

John

This is a picture that John took on the pass going to Yakima. Not often we get pictures of him never the less one with a smile. Just wanted to share. Now that I know how to post pictures hopefully I'll post more often.

Life sure has changed!!!

We've been here at Fort Lewis for almost 3 months now and it sure is a different way of life. We still are waiting to move on post, right now we are 93 out of 122 with a tenative April/May moving.

John is currently in Yakima training. Ive gotten a few text messages from him but he is so busy keeping "his" soldiers in line plus they are not supposed to be on cell phones but when they left Chief said just dont get caught using a cell phone. He is supposed to be allowed a phone call on Sunday when they come out of the field for Super Bowl. Yep have to keep their priorities straight. They are still slated for a deployment beginning of 2009. Re: promotion-- well I got to read last months performance evaluation (shhh I just happened to be the right place at the right time when Chief asked John to sign it). The only thing holding it back right now is Time in Grade. He is supposed to have 6 months. Well command is trying to get a waiver so that they can make it official. Hes basically an unofficial NCO and "his" soldiers have been told to treat him as such.

I have never seen so much rain in my life. Seems that we have gone from one extreme to another- snow to rain. But Ive been told that the wonderful weather is coming very soon. We havent had much time to explore between Johns duty schedule and the weather but we are looking forward to exploring soon and have a list of what we want to do and see.

I still havent met to many other wives but I am also in the works to get that changed. I am looking into the Enlisted Spouses Club, I am looking into the colleges on post, and John and I are hosting a BBQ on the 23rd for the gun section (a couple of these wives think that they are better off not being around their husbands unit). Which has kept me busy the last few days with planning the menu and buying supplies for it-- 10 soldiers, their significant other and children means about 27 people counting us in the apartment.

Well I need to do a couple things before Savannah gets off the school bus so I better close-- till later.