Memorial Day: A Day of Remembrance

I know a lot of people are enjoying this three day weekend with food, fun, and games. And by all means, feel free to do so. Memorial Day is one of those holidays whose true meaning sometimes gets lost in translation across all segments of the population. So while this Monday is to be a day of celebration of life and freedom, it should also be a day of solemn remembrance.

For many people, Memorial Day kicks off the first day of summer fun. The weather is getting warm. Pools are opening since school is out (or almost out depending). There's a lot going on that can take away from who we're really celebrating: those who gave up their lives fighting for our freedom.

I'll keep this post brief since it is a heavier topic. I just wanted to give a friendly reminder that there are a lot of people who aren't as blissful this holiday weekend. Families and friends have been deeply and irreparably impacted, and this day can be a sad reminder of who is lost.

So yes, go out and BBQ and enjoy the hot weather by the cool water of the pool or beach. Enjoy this break, and live it up to the fullest. That is after all the reason why we still have a military to fight for our freedom. All gave some, and some gave all so that way all of the rest of us could live with the freedoms to be able to live life fully.

Usually this is where the questions come in, but for this one, I would much rather ask each of you to uphold a moment of silence in honor of those we have lost in the maintenance of our society. Have a blast with your holiday plans! I'll see you on Wednesday.

House Hunting is Exhausting

Husband and I have been working towards moving out of our apartment pretty much since the year started. Let me tell you, it's been slow going.

We've decided to go ahead and buy our first house. We have a lot of pets. That means a lot of pet fees. In addition to the first month's, sometimes last month's, security, deposits, and application fees, we're looking at thousands just to get in the door somewhere. That's pretty not doable for us especially since the only furniture we actually own is an office chair. If we're spending that kind of money, I'd much rather be buying a bed. And so, we're buying.

Now that in and of itself is a somewhat long process. First, you have to get approved for a loan. That took us a couple months to do. Then, once you're approved you have to give your requirements and numbers to your realtor (we were recommended a wonderful realtor so we got to skip that search). Then he/she will gather houses that fit, and then you get to go look. Then you have to narrow it down and work on the paperwork part. Then you have to wait for the closing process. AND THEN you can move in. Or do a little work/deep cleaning if it's a resale instead of new construction.

We have finally gotten to the looking at houses part. We looked at around 7 houses the other day that were all very rentable (we're planning to rent out the house after Roger's contract with the military is up). Only took two hours but it wiped me out. I mostly took pictures of the different kitchens to help me keep them straight, and I wrote notes on each one while we were still in it. I'll be posting tons of pictures once we finally make a decision and get moved in. Until then, it'll be imagination time. Especially since two of our options weren't even completed yet.

But the best part about all of this: our lease with our apartment is up at the end of August, and we should be all moved in just in time! Don't get me wrong, moving in the middle of summer is miserable, and I'll be moving us all by myself again so I'll be pretty exhausted this summer. But it is all so worth it to finally have a backyard for the dogs and a place of our own.

When did you all buy your first houses? What are some of your big milestone stories? Anyone have moving/furniture buying tips?

Dog Park Etiquette

As many of you know, I have three fur babies. Achilles, my husky, is the only one that picked me instead of my husband to love the most so he is the star of nearly all of my animal stories. This one is no exception. One of our favorite things to do is to go to the dog park on base (for some reason, this city hasn't realized that non-military dependent civilians can have dogs, too). Sometimes we go with his doggie friends. Other times it's just him and me going to hang out. This sad story is one of the latter times and has turned me off of this particular dog park altogether so long as it's just the two of us.

We got to the dog park around 2:30 which is right when it starts to get full of running buddies for Achilles. Around 4, most of the ladies left. Their dogs were tired, and their husbands were getting off work. Some of Achilles' best running buddies were still there so we stayed. And that's when it happened.

One of the Marines showed up with his two bulldogs. His grown up bulldog, whom we'll call BD, is a problem. BD doesn't like Achilles. In fact, one of Achilles' first trips to the dog park ever when he was maybe four months old got cut short because BD attacked him. Achilles was acting pretty skittish so I thought that maybe his fear is what triggered the attack. His fur is so thick no teeth touched his skin so he was completely unharmed.

Flash forward to the present. Achilles turned eight months old on the 14th so he's still quite the goofy puppy. This Marine has shown up with BD and his bulldog puppy heretofore to be known as LP. The five dogs seem to be playing well together until BD and Achilles come face to face. BD once attacked Achilles. The other lady who was still there was the first one to try to break up the fight. The Marine and I start running. I get there first and scoop up my baby away from BD while kicking him away. I high tail it to the holding pen where Achilles will be safe. Once again, his thick fur saved him from harm.

It is with this point in time that I have the biggest issue. Mr. Marine walks up to me to explain how ever since they got LP, BD has started to become overly aggressive towards some dogs (and puppies apparently). This guy KNEW about his dog's issues and still chose to bring him to a place that would have other dogs (read potential fights). He KNEW! BD was even wearing an e-collar, but Mr. Marine didn't bother to utilize it. There was no training or anything. Just a useless explanation that shows he didn't care to remove his problem dog from the situation.

There are rules at the dog park. One of them is that if your dog starts a fight, it is to be leashed and taken from the dog park immediately. Did he comply? Of course not. After all, "it's only with some dogs." Hogwash. If your dog has a guarding problem, your dog needs one on one training to correct the issue. Until such training can be provided, you DO NOT put your dog into a situation that could end in your dog getting put down. That's being an irresponsible owner.

So ya. That's my little rant about dog park etiquette. There are rules to protect all dogs who utilize the chance to socialize at the dog park. Those rules matter. Does anyone else have any bad experiences with dog parks? Or a favorite dog park? How would you react in that situation?

The Sisterhood

Today I watched the season 4 finale of Army Wives (no spoilers, I promise), and it got me thinking about how grateful I am for my little tribe of ladies here. For those of you who don't know, my husband serves in the United States Marine Corps. I like to think that I'm not completely sucked into the military lifestyle, but when it comes to the way friendships have to be, I took the bait hook, line and sinker.

When your service member is assigned a new duty station every few years, the friendship process is condensed. You know you only have a short time to be where you are, but without a strong support group nearby, it can be a difficult chapter of life. More often than not you turn to the Internet and form a stronger bond with the text appearing next to an unknown profile picture than with your people from back home because the person behind the words knows what you're going through.

Believe it or not, I met my closest friends through Facebook. Ashley offered me her couch even though we were total strangers. Kristin just needed help curling her hair while keeping her infant occupied. Savannah and I bonded over our fur babies. Kelsey messaged me when I was sick. And that was the start of what I can honestly say are the best friendships I've ever had so far. There's always someone to lend a hand or a shoulder or to tag along to life changing dinners or even menial shopping trips.

But that's just that. There are two sides to every coin. With the blessing of brevity also comes its curse. In the few months I've had with my soul sisters, we have been through so much. Pets coming, going, and getting left behind. Growth of children. Husbands leaving for deployment. I wouldn't trade them for anything, but I know the time for goodbye isn't that far away. In the year and a half we have left with each other, we'll face a birth, husbands returning, more fur babies, new houses, and plenty of challenges to force us each to grow as individuals and as a sisterhood.

I'm tearing up as I type this because there aren't enough words to express how blessed I am to have stumbled into the right Facebook groups, and it hurts knowing I'll have to start over again at our next stop. However, the intensity of the trials we have been through together have cemented us together for life. Not everyone is as lucky, but I will never be able to thank the Marine Corps enough, not only for the man it has made my husband to be, but also for the best group of ladies I have had the pleasure to call friends.

Now I want to know. What's your guilty pleasure(s)? What's your favorite activities to do with your friends? If you or your spouse is in the military, did you maintain your friendships from past duty stations? Until next time!!