Midtour leave is a beautiful and rare thing these days. Service members have to have a tour of at least 9 months to even qualify for two weeks off. Mac chose to take his leaves more than halfway into his tours to minimize the amount of time he has to spend back in Afghan-land. Expectation:…
Lisa
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I miss you the most on Sunday mornings
Everyday during a deployment has its ups and downs. Some days are a struggle to get through, some days fly by. But Sunday mornings are the loneliest. In the years we’ve been physically together, weekends are spent sleeping in, running errands, and just enjoying each other’s company. We’d finish off a weekend at church, at…
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Great Falls Park
Amid the hubbub and general crush of humanity that is Northern Virginia, a large number of parks provide a nice, peaceful break from urban life. The falls of the Potomac River happen to sit fewer than 20 miles upriver from Washington and are about 8 miles from Falls Church in Great Falls Park (get it,…
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Living as a one-income family
One common side effect of military life is having only one income. I’ve blogged about finances a few times, mainly about how we’re trying to pay down my student debt. I haven’t worked full-time since 2012, but I’ve continued to bring in an income (which is better than nothing) in the past two years. Thankfully,…
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My new, improved half marathon training plan
Remember that time I went crazy and registered for a half-marathon? And that time I apparently continued to be crazy and registered for a second? Having one race until my belt, I’m going into this race with some experience and a good idea of what did and did not work for my first half….
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The America the Beautiful Annual Pass
A few years ago, the National Park Service began offering military families their annual park pass for free. For non-military folks, this pass costs $80. The annual pass allows you access to over 2,000 national parks and recreation areas. It covers the admission cost for one vehicle or four adults, depending on the park. I…