Military Wife.

Lots of moving...

Moving...

Moving...

Moving far from home...

Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.

Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit; Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.

Moving away from friends;

Moving toward new friends;

Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.



Often waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting for housing.

Waiting for orders.

Waiting for deployments.

Waiting for phone calls.

Waiting for reunions.

Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.

Waiting for him to come home,

For dinner...AGAIN!



They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:

She is fiercely In-Dependent.



She can balance a check book;

Handle the yard work;

Fix a noisy toilet;

Bury the family pet...



She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.

She can file the taxes;

Sell a house;

Buy a car;

Or set up a move...

.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.



She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.

She reinvents her career with every PCS; Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.

And learns to call them all 'home'.

She MAKES them all home.



Military Wives are somewhat hasty...

They leap into:

Decorating,

Leadership,

Volunteering,

Career alternatives,

Churches,

And friendships.

They don't have 15 years to get to know people.

Their roots are short but flexible.

They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.



Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:

They connect over coffee,

Rely on the spouse network,

Accept offers of friendship and favors.

Record addresses in pencil...



Military Wives have a common bond:

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.

He doesn't have a 'JOB'

He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...

He's on-call for his country 24/7.

But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign

TDY

PCS

OPR

SOS

ACC

BDU

ACU

BAR

CIB

TAD

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.

She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.



A Military Wife has her moments:

She wants to wring his neck;

Dye his uniform pink;

Refuse to move to Siberia;

But she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days,

A travel brochure,

A long hot bath,

A pledge to the flag,

A wedding picture,

And she goes.

She packs.

She moves.

She follows.



Why?

What for?

How come?

You may think it is because she has lost her mind.

But actually it is because she has lost her heart.

It was stolen from her by a man,

Who puts duty first,

Who longs to deploy,

Who salutes the flag,

And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, She will remain his military wife.

And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown

Jump.

Noah was SO excited to do this photo shoot! Normally he is not allowed to be jumping on any beds whatsoever so when I told him it was okay he was a little uncertain. But he soon got the idea and was a jumping fool! Love him!
~Susan

Nwe Diapers!

Just got Aslinn's new diapers in the mail today and I love love love them. Coola Baby makes the most adorable cloth diapers.

This is only part of our diaper stash!

{Giggle Girl}

Tanabata Festival

Tanabata (七夕, meaning "Evening of the seventh") is a Japanese star festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on July 7 of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August.
In present-day Japan, people generally celebrate this day by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, on tanzaku (短冊, tanzaku^?), small pieces of paper, and hanging them on bamboo, sometimes with other decorations. cf (Wish Tree) The bamboo and decorations are often set afloat on a river or burned after the festival, around midnight or on the next day. This resembles the custom of floating paper ships and candles on rivers during Obon. Many areas in Japan have their own Tanabata customs, which are mostly related to local Obon traditions. There is also a traditional Tanabata song:

Sasa no ha sara-sara
Nokiba ni yureru
Ohoshi-sama kira-kira
Kingin sunago
Goshiki no tanzaku
watashi ga kaita
Ohoshi-sama kirakira
sora kara miteiru

Translation:

The bamboo leaves rustle,
shaking away in the eaves.
The stars twinkle
on the gold and silver grains of sand.
The five-colour paper strips
I have already written.
The stars twinkle,
they watch us from heaven

.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aslinn {3 Months}

As you saw in my previous post Noah just turned 3 years old and now Aslinn is 3 months old. Where on earth does the time go!? My precious little girl still enjoys having her picture taken so I am going to strike while the iron is hot! In a few months she will be sick of it and I will again have to resort to bribery lol.

Noah {3 Years}

Any photographer will tell you that photographing their kids is the HARDEST thing on the planet. My own little 3 year old stinker never wants to have anything to do with me and my camera :-( For his 3 year old shoot I used nothing but bribery to get what I wanted lol. It didn't go exactly as planned but I was pleased with the few good shots that I captured. My sweet boy is getting so big I feel like I just brought him home from the hospital yesterday. Time just zooms by.

Lady of the Cloth

When I found out that I was pregnant late last summer I had already made the decision to use cloth diapers. I had used disposable diapers on Noah because I was very uniformed. I thought that cloth diapers would be messy and a hassle and that I would have to get them clean by a company. But boy was I wrong! Cloth diapers have come a long way in the last ten years and they are not at all what they used to be. I remember when my youngest siblings were in diapers that it was the prefolded cotton diapers, diaper pins and plastic pants. I recall my mom rinsing them in the toilet bleck! New high tech fabrics and new choices in materials are making the switch to cloth diapers much easier. Waterproof and breathable shells and super absorbent inserts that are soft against your babies skin. And no more diaper pins you can either choose snaps or velcro closures. I big draw with cloth diapers- they are cute! You can find them in every shade of the rainbow, I even found pink leopard print and cow print the other day online!
So why am I using cloth diapers?
Well first of all they are MUCH better for the environment. Nearly 80% of diapering in the United States is disposable. That is almost 18 BILLION dirty diapers sitting in our landfills every year...in the US ALONE. They are the third largest single product in the waste stream behind newspapers and beverage containers.
Second they are much healthier for your baby. There is serious concern over the chemicals use to make disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Trace quantities may even exist in the diapers themselves! Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers. The inserts in the diapers I use are either cotton, hemp or fleece.
And 3rd is the COST. Cloth diapers are MUCH MUCH MUCH cheaper than disposable. Most parents go through 6-8 THOUSAND diapers per child. That can cost you upwards to $6000 to diaper ONE CHILD from birth to 3 years. You can purchase enough cloth diapers to diaper your child from birth to 3 years for as little as $60!! Consider, too, that those cloth diapers may last for one or more successive children and your savings doubles and even triples.
Cloth diapers are every bit as convenient as disposable diapers. The options available today prove that cloth diapering doesn't have to be inconvenient. Cloth diapers nowadays are fitted with elastic in the legs and back area and have easy hook and loop closures or snaps. Many different fabric choices and absorbency levels allow parents to choose the best diapering system for the individual needs of their child. It just can't get any easier. There is no time like the present to make a firm commitment to your child, to your pocket book, and to your planet. Start using cloth diapers today!

Information provided by The Diaper Jungle

This is the way I brush my teeth

Noah got a new "ewetrwic" toothbrush when were back in the states. It is the first time he has had one like this and he was pretty excited. He has kind of been a stinker lately when it comes to brushing his teeth. He whines when I put toothpaste on and the best way to get the job done is just to sit on him lol. Anything for pearly white teeth!

Rainbow Bright

Aslinn was wearing the cutest little outfit today so I had to snap a few shots of course!

Pretty Little Things

Today I photographed a few homemade headbands & hair clips made by my friend Courtney. She is about to start up her own Etsy shop selling photography props. If you have never been to Etsy you better get your booty over there now! I could honestly spend hours and hours searching through their handmade crafts. Basically its a giant online craft fair! LOVE! :-)

Little Hot Shot!

I found this onesie when we were back in the states last year and I knew I just had to have it. I was only about 10 weeks pregnant but boy or girl that baby was going to wear this thing! I love it! And Aslinn looks absolutely adorable in it she will make a great assistant someday.
~Susan

I'm a big kid now!

I'm a big kid now! I like to say that all the time now, it's my response to pretty much everything. But I really am a big boy I can do so many things all by myself. I am very good at dressing myself right now I can even put my sandals on all by myself.
~Noah

American Day

Every year the Japanese citizens of Misawa throw a big old bash for us Americans its called American Day. During the festival, members of Misawa Air Base share American food, music and culture with the Japanese community. Japanese and American friendship is strengthened through the festive environment of food vendors and a large parade.
This year Chris is working mid shift (nights) so he sleeps during the day and was not able to make it. But Noah, Aslinn and I met up with my good friend Miriam her husband Lolo and their daughter (Noah's girlfriend hehe) Florentina. We were running a little behind but we were able to catch the tail end of the parade. Noah was still able to see the firetrucks, the taiko drums and about 1,000 motorcycles. Cyclists came from all over Japan to drive in the parade there were so many of them!
Noah and Florentina got to watch the k-9 dogs to a bite demonstration, bounce in a bouncy house and enjoy some shaved ice-Noah's first time!
It feel so good to be back in Japan there is just this wonderful vibe that the Japanese people give off. They are just so polite and fun to be around. It never ceases to amaze me that there could be a million people on a crowded street here, everyone is crammed together but they never run into you. If for some strange fluke reason you do get bumped it becomes a game of "I'm so sorry!" BOW BOW BOW "I'm so sorry!" BOW BOW BOW it could go on for days lol. I really enjoyed our last American day in Japan and I am so happy that Noah gets to experience all of this wonderful culture.
~Susan

2 Months Old

Yeah! I'm two months old already. I am probably the most smiley girl you will ever met and I have just discovered my hands. They are just great! I have now officially rolled over back to tummy and tummy to back. Mommy says I am going to be trouble. I have also discovered my voice, I like to oohh and aahhh I kind of sound like I am howling at the moon sometimes. I am growing bigger every day about 15 pounds right now and I am VERY long. Yeah for being two months old!
~Aslinn

First Blog Post

I finally got around to making a family blog. Just a little spot to keep track of our day to day lives here in the Hinds family. I might not be able to post as much as I would like to but I will try to keep up.