Come join the fun!

The AMAZING Jessica G. is hosting a True Colors Swap on her blog & I'm so excited to finally participate!

I've been super busy lately, and subsequently, super unhappy. I realized I wasn't taking the time to do the things that I love! I haven't been blogging or reading as much, so that is why I was so excited that Jessica put together this swap! I wanted to participate last year, but LIFE happened...so come join us & maybe you'll get a kick-A package from me...so you KNOW it will be good :o)

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Don't forget to enter my Giveaway!!! It ends midnight, May 30th!!

"Bitter Is The New Black" GIVEAWAY!!!

Let me start by saying I have two seriously Kick-A little sisters! With months of whining, threatning to disown, and begging subtle hints, these two fabulous ladies waiting in line for 2 hrs to not only get me a signed copy of Jen Lancaster's first novel, "If You Were Here," but they also got a signed copy of her first memoir "Bitter Is The New Black" so I could give it away to one of my fabulous readers!

Here is my original review.

So, the rules...hmmmmm...

You don't have to be a public follower, because I track you with sitemeter anyway!

Leave one comment per entry

1 entry

• Comment on one of my last 5 posts (if you already have, you ROCK, and leave a comment stating "I'm a Pimp!")
• Start following Jen Lancaster's blog (honor system!)

2 Entries

• Blog about this giveaway (leave url)
• Post a link to this giveaway on Facebook

This giveaway will close Monday, May 30th @1159 EST

Good Luck!!!

A guest post by Taylor Darden

I received an email from Taylor last month asking if she could write a guest post on my blog. I was skeptical at first, and was honestly expecting some kind of spam (which is what I usually get), but she demonstrated a true compassion for spreading awareness about issues facing our American Soldiers!

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Supporting Our Soldiers After Service
by Taylor Darden

Many military families remember the days when their spouses return home as being some of the best memories. Most of these families will continue on being happy afterwards, but for some families, helping their spouses adjust with illness and sickness can be an extremely tough situation. The difficulty involves the fact that a number of these health problems happen to be more mental than physical issues.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common types of health problems for soldiers in post-duty times. It’s also an extremely hard problem to diagnose. Even with high awareness of the disorder’s prevalence in soldiers, it can be difficult to diagnose because many soldiers are often embarrassed or ashamed to admit that they may have PTSD. It’s important for families to take notice of any odd behavior like depression, apathy, and mood swings that may be common with PTSD. For the many soldiers who suffer from PTSD, a solid support system and cognitive therapy are two of the biggest helpers in their coping process.

Along with PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is often regarded as being highly tied to military service. This is usually a result of a physical harm or trauma on the frontline, which ends up causing some long term issues. One of the reasons TBI has been called the signature wound of the War on Terror is because the violent vibrations caused by roadside bombs can hit soldiers with such force that the shockwave alone can cause a TBI by rattling their head about in their helmet. Any type of blurred vision, dizziness or balance issues, as well as trouble with memory and erratic mood swings after service can be recognizable symptoms and key in diagnosing a case of TBI. As with most health issues, the earlier those symptoms are recognized, the better the chances are of preventing any type of further damage to the brain.

Another major issue for older and younger veterans is mesothelioma. This is a health risk associated with exposure to asbestos, a commonly used material throughout the past 100 years (oftentimes on bases and shipyards). Although it’s not being used anymore, the health problems related to asbestos don’t develop right away, making an early diagnose crucial in helping these patients. Mesothelioma life expectancy is usually only a year on average, making early awareness and realization even more important than with most health problems. Often times these patients may require the help of care givers (often family members or spouses). Currently, mesothelioma is treated with combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, although to little avail. If it is caught early enough however, mesothelioma tumors can be surgically removed leading to a much higher rate of survival, making it important for veterans to take note of extremely subtle symptoms like a difficulty breathing and heaviness in the chest.

It’s very unfortunate that that some of these military families are forced to undergo even more stress and difficulty in their lives. In the end, increased knowledge, awareness, and overall support from family and friends will only help to provide our soldiers the best situation possible.

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Don't unfollow me yet!!

So, I'm in North Carolina, but life sure has thrown a few curve balls my way these past few weeks!

Cooper has decided that he doesn't need to sleep...pretty much ever. He is waking up every 2 hrs at night and is only taking about a 45 min nap. This wouldn't be so bad if Eric had arrived when we originally planned.

He was supposed to join me after two weeks, but on his last day (and his last jump) he had a less than desirable landing and ended up breaking his wrist, which had to be repaired via surgery.

He made it up a week late, and now can no longer attend his scheduled class in Arizona, and has to go back to Florida for an undetermined amount of time...waiting for his wrist to heal & then another class date & even possibly another duty station.

I started orientation and am LOVING the new hospital!!! They are 3 times larger than the one I used to work at, and I'm super excited to work in the Pediatric ED.

So, with all the stress & frustration, I've found one thing to be grateful for...I can wear ANY color shoes I want! And this is what I chose:
Don't you love them!! I have great plans to graffiti them out with signatures & my own wicked style.

I also have some great news! I have some AMAZING sisters that hooked me up, and coincidentally, will have hooked up one lucky reader. Yes, you read that right, I'm going to do a giveaway! A real one :o)

So, stay posted, don't unfollow me, and to give you an idea of how busy I've been...my nanny worked almost 50 hrs last week! Hopefully things will slow down once I hit the floor & get on a normal schedule.

Do you live next door to Bree?

Where does the REAL Bree Van DeKamp live?? Because she obviously isn't in North Carolina...that or she was too busy to notice I moved in down the street! Where's my basket of homemade muffins & scones? Where's my invitation to afternoon poker? Who's house do I go to for the latest gossip? Desperate Housewives has totally ruined my expectations for neighbors. My new FAVORITE next door neighbor has a front yard full of toys, lets their dog poop in my side yard, drives their 4 wheelers in their backyard, has 4 enormous dogs (that bark at all hours), and has 2 campers in their backyard. Where is Bree when you need her??

We had the opportunity to live at our last duty station for 5 1/2 years, so I'm a little out of practice when it comes to moving. We've also been very fortunate to find tenants for our homes in FL!!

We were able to find a place to rent when we visited a few weeks ago, and the move has actually gone pretty smoothly. Minus the tornado warnings! I've already picked out the closet that the boys, Koa and I will hid in (if necessary) and have began to plan my 72hr kit (which is packed and on it's way here).

Our drive up was uneventful, which is always a good thing, and we were able to transport most of the boys things. I'm making it work until the rest of our household goods arrive, and Eric is staying with some friends while he finishes up in FL.

The great thing about living close to family is that I had an extra pair of hands at church today...even if we only made it through the first block hour. Planning nap times & lunch around 1pm church is going to take some getting used to.

I've found a nanny, and she's coming over for a few hours everyday this week so the boys can get used to her before I start the 12 hr shifts. I literally jumped for joy & squealed when I received the official offer to work in the Pediatric ED. This is such an amazing learning opportunity for me, and it's guaranteed hours.

So far I've only had 2 major tear-filled meltdowns since Eric left on Tuesday...but the boys are starting to get back on a schedule. At least Carter is. Cooper still doesn't want to sleep through the night, and if I let him cry for more than 20 seconds he'll get himself so worked up (not to mention, wake Carter up) that he pukes.

I know I've been scarce, but I'm still around. I honestly don't know how I could have survived this past week without my brother & my Kick-A SIL! He even came over and mowed my front lawn (the back is so big we need a riding mower), and they watched the boys Monday so Eric and I could get all the last minute stuff we needed before he had to leave in the morning.

This summer is gonna suck without Eric, but at least I have family close by! This is a true luxury in the Army, so Michelle, get ready to be sick of me!