Army life

  • Waiting on orders, again

    The issue with a one-year assignment is the very quick need to move again. Mac turned in his job wish list back in June, and we’re still waiting to hear news about his next duty station. HRC (the Army’s HR branch) functions differently than the rest of the Army. Mac’s particular HRC has experienced a…

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  • Midtour leave: reality vs. expectations

    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:…

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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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  • 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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  • 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…

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