Questions Answered Part 2

Alright ladies and maybe some gentlemen...are you ready for part 2? I had to break these up because otherwise I would bit sitting here for days trying to get everything answered and the post would be a million words long. Okay, so I was exaggerating a bit but you get the point.

This question comes from Jamie again at The Beach Bunch. She asks, "What has been your favorite duty station and what was the worst?"
That is a wonderful question. Since we got married in 2002 we have lived at four different bases. My least favorite is probably Whidbey Island, WA. While it was the most beautiful, I am not a cold weather person. It never got warmer than 75 degrees, even in the summer. It was rainy alot of the time, and we had to drive a ways to do any good shopping. Not that shopping is a top priority, I just like it to be a little more convenient. But, like I mentioned earlier it was beautiful. Here are a couple of pics from the area.




My favorite duty station would be a tie between here in Pensacola, FL and Quantico, VA(we lived in Fredericksburg). I loved the area in Virginia. I liked the house we lived in. It was nice to be so close to Washington D.C. and be able to see so much history. Of course, we didn't take full advantage of all that because I was busy working and on our days off together we relaxed. As far as Pensacola goes, I love the warm weather and the beautiful beaches. Plus, the best thing about it is that we are the closest to Texas here and I really, really miss Texas. If we ever get the chance to go to Texas you can bet that I will be gunning for it.

Here is a question from Sonya at Ladybugs, Butterflies, and Boxing. What is your favorite activity to do with the girls?
Any time spent with them is time well spent. They keep me very very busy that's for sure. I guess one thing I really enjoy is just playing with them in the backyard. Sometimes we run around and play tag, or kick the ball to each other. They love for me to push them on the swing and slide down the slide though I am a little big for that. They also really enjoy playing sports and are involved in soccer right now. I love to watch them play and love to play with them. We don't do a lot of indoor activities because the weather is so nice that we try to get outside as much as we can.

Sonya also asks, "Do you miss staying at home?"
Even though I have started back to work, I wouldn't say it's full time by any means. So, at times I feel as if I am still staying at home many days. Right now I am working two to three days a week and it works perfectly for me. I love being with my girls but at the same time I like having a job that I get fulfillment out of. I like being able to have some adult conversation and meet other people. I never was one to imagine my life as staying at home all the time. I also didn't want to work so much that I was never home. I think I found the perfect career where I can have the best of both worlds. Some days I work 7am to 3pm and other days I work 3pm to 11pm. It great and I wouldn't have it any other way. I still get to spend most of my days with the girls, it just leaves a little less time for housework and I guess I am okay with that.

Jamie asks, "How do you feel about deployments and taking care of the kids all on my own?"
I don't think anyone likes deployments, it's something we get used to. You start getting ready for it months ahead of time and then once the time is here, it sneaks up on you and before you know it your spouse is gone. The once "routine" is no longer. You must find a way to do it all alone. That being said, I have only gone through one deployment where I didn't move back home. That was when McKenna was still a baby and I was in nursing school. I kept very busy so the time went by fairly quickly. I think the hardest part is when they return and the new routine that worked while he was away is now a thing of the past and you change the way you do things once again. It's also hard when the young children don't recognize him as well. I always tried keeping pictures around and having him talk on the phone to them but it's just not the same as daddy being around. I can manage the house and kids on my own but I don't have much time for myself. It is not something I like but it's something I do when need be. Thanks for the question Jamie. I think that is something many people wonder about that aren't in the military. Like they say, the toughest job in the military is being a military wife. I will agree that it's the toughest job I have ever had.

My last question comes from Sonya again. "What is your favorite hobby or pastime?"
Anyone that knows me well, knows how much I love photography. I was interested in it as far back as middle and high school. I remember taking a photography class in high school where we had a darkroom and everything. I thought it was so neat to develop our own photos. Now I love digital photography. I love being able to see my images right away and take as many as I want and not worry about running out of film. My children probably wonder what my face looks like at time because I have a camera in front of it so often. I bought my first DSLR in May and have been learning and practicing all the time since then. I would love to have a business one day, maybe I can do that sooner than later. I enjoy being able to capture the innocence of a child or the light coming from the sun. I love looking back and seeing the past and how we have changed over the years. To some people pictures are something they don't like to be in or take. But one day you will look back and realize that if you don't have any pictures to jog your memory then sometimes those memories fade away. It's so easy to store photos these days, there is no excuse not to have a family picture taken at least once a year. I think I just got off on a tangent. Oops! Anyways, I love photography and probably will be taking pictures for a really long time.

I guess that wraps up my question and answer series for now. I am going to try to do this every once in while. Jamie gave me this great idea so thank you for that!! I encourage everyone reading this to do the same.