Duty Station

It was a big, well, let’s just say "discussion" in our house. An ongoing discussion that lasted for months. My oldest son, who has Down syndrome, goes to preschool four mornings a week. At school is where he gets...

*UPDATED Sunday, 1/21, 6:00am CT * Like every government shutdown in the past, the biggest question for military families is, "How does this impact me?" So, we've done the research and compiled as many relevant answers as we can find. As...

It's hard for me to write this. Nearly 18 months have passed, and the grief still feels fresh. Almost a year and a half ago, my best friend Amy died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism. At the time, she...

The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is located near Mons, Belgium (about 30 minutes south of Brussels) and is the military headquarters for NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Because it is a posting that you don’t hear about...

My husband has served in the Air Force for 16 years. I served for four. And in that time, we have never lived in base housing. We never even tried. We never took a tour of any family housing...

Both of our children were born during a tour that was supposed to last four years, and we were only a mere three hours from our hometowns. That tour was cut short by a year when my husband was...

Christmas is quickly approaching, and if you're anything like me then you're now entering panic mode. Between Christmas shopping and budgeting and planning a holiday menu, you're probably feeling pretty wiped out already.  Here Comes the Holidays ... and the stress. Moms...

Moving overseas to a military post/base is one thing, but moving overseas to a place that is not affiliated with the military in any way is an entirely different beast. When you move to an overseas base, there are people...

Ever feel like you’re on a merry-go-round of negativity? Like your gut reactions line up a liiiiittle too well with Debbie Downer? Then you might need a little cognitive restructuring in your life, my friend. ** Essentially, cognitive restructuring is taking...

You know the drill.  After you finally arrive in your new city, the to-do list generally looks a little like this:  -unpack the coffee maker -set up the internet -figure out which day is trash day -make some new friends Depending on how old your...

Rainy days are the worst when you have an active toddler. By 9:30 a.m., we have already played with all the toys, watched 700 episodes of Sesame Street, and read Brown Bear Brown Bear 52 times. Toddlers seem to get...

When my husband and I lived in Petersburg, Virginia, just outside of Fort Lee, we were fresh out of AIT (advanced individual training) and low in rank and worldly experience. Our apartment complex, which shall remain nameless to protect the...