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It seems these days that young women are being told to either “Lean In,” “Get Empowered,” or “Find Balance,” as they step toward…

There are any number of things that naturally go together:

- Summer and Ice Cream

- Movies and Popcorn

- Military Service and Big Families

     Wait…what? You don’t see the connection on that last one? Well, perhaps I can be of assistance.

     While servicemembers will never get rich on their basic pay (unless you move way up in the corporation), their benefits are second to none. Housing allowances, COLA (at certain duty stations), and subsistence…

The existence of military working dogs was brought to the forefront of American consciousness in 2011, when a dog named Cairo was reported to have assisted in the mission to assassinate Osama Bin Laden. A recent book, THE DOGS OF WAR, by Lisa Rogak, chonicles the birth, lives and retirement of these dogs, and gives a wonderfully thorough overview of which dogs are chosen, what kinds of lives they lead, and what happens to them when they are too old for service. I found this book fascinating,…

This week my husband and I came across an amazing movie that I just have to share with you. HONOR FLIGHT is a documentary that follows the leaders of a Midwest community mission that brings WWII veterans to view the WWII Memorial in Washington DC. Most of the veterans in that area had never had the opportunity to fly across the country to view the memorial. The movie explains how, after the War was over, life went on as it had before; veterans rarely, if ever, talked about the horrors they…

I want to thank my husband, and solider for doing his job in the military and serving his country. We have our presents and gifts for dad, and I can't wait to celebrate this with him. The joy of look on our kids faces are amazing to see the present they have crafted for him in school, and the cards. I know I…

Hi Friends!

The little dude that had me on bed rest in the beautiful city of Annapolis made his appearance, albeit 9 weeks early, but he's here nonetheless. Ro weighed in at a 4.2lbs and loss a bit of weight bottoming out at 3.6lbs, as of last night he is 3lbs 15ozs and inching closer to his birth weight. He is breathing on his own after being intubated for a bit, and he's eating through a…

Survival Tips for Living in the DC Area

It's PCS time and military families will be arriving to the area daily. Whether it is your first time here, or the fourth, a move to the National Capital Region for military families brings lots of unique challenges…

Being in this wonderful area I can't help but to enjoy the richness of history. Living here in this area is a historical dream unless you don't like history then it can be overwhelming. However I love history. You know I think my high school history teacher had a big impression on me and for whatever reason I…

It was Monday night last night, and for me that meant watching one of my guilty pleasures, “The Bachelorette.”  I usually don’t like to admit it to…

We have been in this area for a little over a year now, and while I am stationed here in DC for my job, my husband is stationed in NC for his job, so needless to say we are living the geographical bachelor/bachelorette lifestyle. It has been been pretty rough on our kids, I decided that for…

Dawn was just breaking, and a mist was shadowing the shore. It may have been the same type of morning 53 years before. But on this morning, the man and boy watching the tide roll onto the sand could only imagine the armada that would…

     LtGen Richard Mills’ Memorial Day address in Leesburg, VA concluded on a thoughtful note. Toward the end of his remarks, he said that his wife Pat came from ‘good Irish stock’. I thought the phrase was charmingly antiquated, but said with love and affection, and more than relevant to his next point.

     Though we had all gathered to honor our nation’s fallen servicemembers, he suggested that hanging our heads in sadness and sorrow over our lost countrymen was only half of the…

When?

Saturday June 1, 2013 @ 6:00PM

Where?

Bowie Baysox Stadium, 4101 Crain Hwy, Bowie MD 20716

How Much?

Tickets start at $20. Military discounts available, all proceeds go to charity.…

A few weeks ago I learned from a friend about White House greetings for the birth of your baby and was very excited, seeing that I'm 7 months pregnant. I thought I'd share this opportunity with all of you here and guess what? It's not just for baby announcements. You can get a greeting for your wedding, retirement, anniversary, and a host of other major milestones in your life. How cool is that? Of course the next question is how do I go about getting a greeting... Well I'm glad you asked…

     Ma’am and I took a well-deserved weekend away over Memorial Day. The grandparents were visiting, we had a couple of days off, and the open road beckoned. But it’s not like we were 20 anymore; and it’s not like either of us is the second coming of Jack Kerouac…launching ourselves headfirst into a manic weekend, traveling for traveling’s sake. The thrill of movement. The raw possibility of dizzying adventure. No, those days are merely fond memories now. Oh, and the military has a thing…

What does Memorial Day mean to you?  Is it just the first official weekend of the summer season?  A time for BBQs, pool parties, trips to the beach?  I asked my class during the week what Memorial Day was, and they were close, but they said this is the day to thank a veteran.  While we should thank our veterans each…

Mail used to be exciting. The mailbox always used to hold a certain mystery as I approached it. You never knew if it would be the day you received a much anticipated letter, an invitation, or announcement, like “You have just won Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes (it could happen) Nowadays, though my husband and I will let…

Memorial Day reflections

Military life has allowed the Swan family to live across this great country and in Europe, and to visit some unique places. Invariably those family trips focused on famous military sites, from the beaches of Normandy…

     One of the reasons men and women might join the military is to see the world. It's an old idea, but it still rings true. The military still offers intrepid souls the opportunity to seek out adventure in faraway lands. Even with the BRAC closures going on, and choice duty stations all over the world being collapsed into one another, there still remain ample opportunities for servicemembers and their families to experience foreign culture and exotic locales.

     But it was only…