Whether you are new to the area or have lived out here for some time, you may be wondering what to do this weekend without leaving the base. This is actually pretty easy and can be a lot of fun, but it does take a little bit of creativity. The Base Stables Long ago we use to have the base stables, which meant on a Saturday you could take your kids up to the stables and give them a pony ride for $5. But they did away with this, however my youngest daughter is so in love with horses we … Continue reading →

Believe it or not you really can have a lot of fun on a military base, without spending a ton of money. I won’t say that everything is FREE, but it is cheaper. For instance, last night I didn’t sleep in my own house and before anyone jumps to conclusions I didn’t sleep in someone else’s house either. Around midnight I was able to walk out to the back porch and watch as waves crashed across the shore and the only way I can see this was by the beams (rays) coming from the moonlight. Actually, the entire family decided … Continue reading →

Base Medical vs. Off base What’s the difference from going to a doctor/midwife on base versus off base? Many come to this question when it comes time to move to another base or they find themselves pregnant. I have had to figure this out with each pregnancy and it would take a lot of thought of whether I wanted on or off and then if I could even get approved. Here are a few things to think about before you decide and a bit of my own experiences to help you along the way. We haven’t moved that many times … Continue reading →

January may have come and gone but the military hasn’t. Here’s is a quick overview of what we learned about the military from the end of Jan to the beginning of Feb. Don’t just think that deployment is a one person deal. Nope, deployment deals with everyone that has ever been touched by the military member that is about to be deployed and kids really go through the brunt of it all. Kids, Deployment And Depression talks about all the feelings that may go with it. Are you preparing to have a loved one deploy? If you are this is … Continue reading →

I thought long about tonight’s entry but figured since this is a blog about military families why not do one on a daily look at the life of one. Before I begin I want to add this is in no way saying this is how every military family is, some families have no children while others have one or more, some have working moms while others stay at home and some even have additional family members living with them for a while, so all of these schedules would definitely look different. If you are a military family member I’d love … Continue reading →

I’ve talked about how important a military ID card is but lets really take a look. I’m not meaning to be mean on any level but it is funny the things I noticed this week. As a child, growing up in the military meant you always carried your military ID card in your pocket, wallet or around your neck on one of those beaded chains. Do you remember that? They would even stamp a small hole in the ID somewhere so it could be looped through a necklace. Back then, I hate saying that (makes me feel old), you couldn’t … Continue reading →

It never fails that when I plan something it has to be during a rush hour right? I know I’ve talked about this before, but honestly I thought that was after work. Today, we decided to go get a bite to eat over at our favorite pizza joint. What we didn’t plan was the traffic. Okay, technically I thought about it, begged him to go the long way thinking the traffic would be better near home. Guess what? It wouldn’t have mattered, the minute we left the base we were stopped by the traffic in all directions. Akkk! I thought … Continue reading →

This week I had a scare that many families always worry about and hopefully never have to go through, but let me give you a little background information first. My children, (I have two in school) both go to school on a military base and for many of us that means a little bit more security. I mean we choose between public school and base schools for many reasons but the number one is knowing our children are safe. My daughter goes to a school that is normally great, I really do like her school but there are some issues … Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Are you ready? In the military you need to start thinking a few weeks ahead of time, at least if your service member is overseas. Packages will be sent out from now until the week of Valentine’s Day just to make it to the loved ones. No one likes being left out, especially when they are miles away from everyone they love. Even a card with a handprint from a child says, “I love you.” What types of things could you send a loved one so far away? Certain types of magazines are … Continue reading →