Military Wife: Week 8

          Austyn's graduation is quickly approaching! I am beyond excited to see him again.  I am amazed at how fast these past 8 weeks have gone. Each day seems to blur right into the next. I think back to the middle of October and how badly I just wanted to be in the middle of November... and here we are!
          I think when you're apart from the ones you love, you tend to miss the little things they would do each day. I do miss Austyn's actual presence, but it's the little things I go without now that I seem to miss the most. From him leaving his glass on the counter, or even his periodic snoring at night!
--- You know you miss your husband when you miss his snoring.
          Thankfully, we are nearing days rather than weeks now until we see each other. :)
          So as I have mentioned before, I write Austyn pretty frequently, like, everyday. I do my best to tell him about all that's going on throughout the weeks, but sometimes I forget little details. Austyn has missed some big milestones here with Maci and Molli, so I came up with a tip that will kind of benefit your soldier when he comes home.

(From a Mother) Tip #15: Document Your Time Apart

          Because you have kids who are constantly learning and growing each day, your husband is missing out on a lot of milestones. Letters won't always do them justice, so what I like to do is take pictures, videos, and even keep a journal of what the girls and I are doing every week. This is something we would do when Austyn is here anyway, but this will enable him to kind of catch up on our lives, and get a sense of what has been going on when he comes home.

(From a Family) Tip #16: Be Involved

          Whether it's church, sports, community events, getting involved will help time go by a little faster. This is kind of a bitter sweet tip as it may also make you more aware of your husband's/father's absence. But time really does go by SO much faster when you have things going on!

          If you want a flavorful, quick and easy pasta, here it is! Pepper Pasta is a recipe that was shared by a dear friend of ours a few years back. Give it a try! It is sure to be a hit!

Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

1 Box of Linguine 

3 Bell Peppers

2 Serrano Peppers

3 Cloves of Garlic

A Stick of Butter

1 C Grated Parmesan

Olive Oil

Directions:

• Boil Linguine in some salted water. 
• Meanwhile, cut up the bell peppers, and very finely dice the Serrano peppers (remember not to touch your face after handling those babies)!
• Dice the garlic or use a garlic press
• In a pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add Serrano peppers and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes (careful not to burn the garlic)! Add bell peppers.
• Once pasta has finished cooking, strain, and place in a serving bowl. Combine the sauteed peppers and garlic and mix well. Gradually add in the grated parmesan, and drizzle with a little olive oil.

*Note: My husband LOVES when I put in some

italian sausage. Just heat up some sausage links

on the grill, or in the microwave, slice it up,

and mix it in with the pasta before serving!

Bon Appetit! :)

Military Wife: Week 7

          This year, Veteran's Day has a little more meaning. Of course I have my dad and a good line of grandpa's who I honor and respect for having served in our Armed Forces. But to think that my husband will be categorized as a "veteran" in the years to come is a bit humbling. I pray that through his years of service, he may never be put in harms way. He is still in Basic, but I know he is learning so much to help him prepare for the day he may be asked to serve over seas... I am praying we never have to go through a deployment, but if it were to happen, this time apart has made me realize how mindful our Heavenly Father is of us. Of all His children. To think I have made it 7 weeks without Austyn is truly mind boggling! Considering we had never been apart for more than a night or two since we've been married.
          I probably don't have the right to go on like that when there are so many families who have to be without their husbands and fathers for 6-12 months. The other day I was watching a video that had been put on Facebook. It was a compilation of soldiers (mostly fathers) returning home. Most of them were surprising their loved ones and it was the most touching thing I have ever seen. Since I was young, I have always had a soft spot for moments like those. I can obviously relate with my dad, but now having Austyn gone; it just hits home much more than before...

(From a Family) Tip #13: Routine

          Beginning from the day after your soldier leaves, get your family on a routine. This is so important, especially if you have younger children. For me, it has helped me keep to a schedule every day so I am not having multiple moments through the day where I have nothing to do and start missing Austyn even more. It's a given, I never stop thinking about him. But having my girls and I on a schedule and routine each week, it makes the days go by that much faster. Plan out your days and keep your children (especially if they're young) on a relatively basic routine. Your family will adjust to your soldier's absence a little easier. Not easy, just easier.

(From a Wife) Tip #14: Set Goals

          While your husband is away, take time to set some goals. Do it daily, weekly, monthly, whatever works best for you and your schedule. These goals can range from exercising more, finishing a book, preparing more meals through the week, or even just setting an earlier "wake-up" time for yourself. Don't go too crazy, now! Be reasonable so as not to add extra stress to an already rather stressful life right now. I believe it's good to get into the habit of setting goals periodically. They can make you a better person, help you reach a seemingly impossible dream, and even change your life for the better!

          This moment in time may seem like forever, but just you wait, he will be home in the blink of an eye! I have said it before, but it really does take such a strong woman and family to make it through the military life. Although we are miles apart, mine and Austyn's love for one another has only strengthened and deepen. I think as military wives, we may get this rep for being just fine on our own or not needing a man around to be happy. Well here's a newsflash, we may seem fine, but everyday it feels like half of my heart is missing. The day we said goodbye to Austyn, I remember literally feeling such a void in my heart. It ached like I never thought possible. I would hate to feel what it's like to have him gone forever.. 

          I thank God everyday for bringing Austyn into my life... And for all those men and women and families who have sacrificed so much so that we may enjoy the freedom they have worked so hard to give us.

          This week, I thought I'd share a more comforting meal. Chicken Roll Ups. A really simple recipe, a bit messy at times, but totally worth it! If you are a chicken lover, I guarantee you'll enjoy these. My mom has been making it for years, and everyone in my family loves them!

(They might not look the best in these photos, but they really are so delicious)

Chicken Roll Ups

Ingredients:

2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

2 Chicken Breasts

1 8oz package of chive and onion cream cheese

Some celery thinly cut

Melted Margarine & Bread Crumbs

Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 C milk

Directions:

• Boil the chicken breasts until completely cooked.
• While the chicken is cooking, chop up the celery and let the cream cheese soften.
• After chicken is cooked, remove from pot and shred on a clean surface.
• Combine chicken, celery, and cream cheese in a bowl and mix well.
• Lay out the crescent rolls on baking sheets and place a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture onto each one. Roll them up tightly.
• Dip each crescent into the melted margarine, then roll in the bread crumbs.
• Replace them back to the baking sheets and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
• Before serving, heat up the cream of chicken and milk in a sauce pan.
• Pour over the chicken roll ups.

Bon Appetit! :)

Military Wife: Week 6

          Wow. 6 weeks already! We FINALLY got to hear from Austyn this past weekend. He was only aloud 5 minutes, but it was the best 5 minute phone call I've ever had. :) Only 7 weeks until Christmas everyone! I'm praying the month of November is gone within the blink of an eye. October sure went by quicker than I ever imagined. We had so much fun over the weekend "trick-or-treating" with grandparents and uncle Ben. ;) It was a successful week in Vernal I'd say! It's still hard traveling without Austyn, but the girls have done amazing every time we've made that nice long 5 hour drive.

Roasted Kale from last weeks post.

          Over the past month, I have become like a little school girl with the biggest crush you have ever seen every time I check the mail; each week, I anticipate a letter from Austyn. At least 1 or 2... If I'm really lucky, I'll get 4! At least that's what I came home to over the weekend. I have been very diligent in writing him everyday. Yes, that's right; EVERY - SINGLE - DAY! No, it is not a burden at all. If anything, it gives me something to look forward to each night after I get the girls in bed. I tell him about the day, Maci and Molli's latest accomplishments, and, of course, how much I love him and miss him.. He seems to appreciate receiving a handful of letters each week. ;)

(From a Family) Tip #11: Letters Letters Letters

         

          They can make such an impact on your soldier. Whether it's your dad, or your husband, he will appreciate anything from home. I have sent Austyn a few pictures that Maci has drawn and he absolutely loves them. Sure they're just your average scribbles from a 2 year old, but it represents moments spent thinking of him. I cannot stress enough how much letters mean; on both ends for that matter. It's seriously like Christmas morning every time I receive a letter from Austyn! I am certain he feels the same way on days he gets mail. He informed me this weekend that he has to do 10 push ups for each letter he gets.. So that's 6 weeks, 7 letters a week, 10 push ups per letter.. You do the math. ;) 

          Now, I am not saying you have to be writing your husband every single day. For many, that can be down right impossible (especially if you have kids). Just do your best to write at least once or twice a week so that he knows you are thinking of him and everything is alright at home. Keep in mind that depending on the situation and where he has been deployed to or spending his BCT and AIT at, mail can be slow. I have received letters from Austyn that were dated 2 weeks prior, so some of our questions and conversations are a bit behind. But it is still nice to hear from each other.

(From a Wife) Tip#12: Stock Up On Those Stamps

          This just coincides with letters. If you're going to be writing letters (especially as often as I am) you are going to want to order your stamps ahead of time. Of course it really isn't that difficult to run down to the post office and pick up a book of stamps when you're out each month, but if you have kids... Need I say more? Some things are just better done before hand and all at once without the hassle of dragging a couple of your precious (possibly screaming and whining and maybe even making a scene if your lucky) children into a public place. There is also the ever favorable way of ordering them online...

          So back in the day, when my dad was on submarines, my mom would make a batch of her homemade chocolate chip cookies and have my dad take them to work with him. Needless to say, they were devoured pretty quickly with all those Navy men around. Anyway, this is a recipe that my mom was given back before I was born. Everyone in my family absolutely LOVES them! Aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins.. They are the one thing everyone looks forward to having when they go to my parents house, so I thought I'd be gracious and share it with you! Yes, yes I know. You're welcome.

This batch did not have enough flour in them,
so they baked a bit flatter than normal.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Jena's Version)

Ingredients:

3/4 C Sugar

1 C Brown Sugar

1 C Butter (the REAL DEAL)

2 Eggs

3 C Flour (more or less depending on your elevation)

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Vanilla

1 C Chocolate Chips

Directions

• Mix sugars and butter together. You may use margarine but I am much more fond of real butter.
• Add eggs, vanilla, and soda. Mix well.
• Add flour (about 1/2 a cup at a time so you don't put in too much).
• When flour has been mixed in, add chocolate chips - you may add more chocolate chips than 1 cup if you would like. My mom likes to put in an entire bag!
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes

Note: This isn't the exact recipe that my mom has.

I have halved her recipe and altered some measurements

upon my taste and what I prefer.

Bon Appetit! :)