Navy Spouse, Kaci Curtis

Kaci Curtis is a Navy spouse and mom of two. Her family relocated to the tropical island of Guam over the summer. She now spends her time washing beach towels, rinsing snorkeling masks, and helping crabs get over curbs. When she’s able, she adds a dash of reading, writing, hiking, and lifting at the gym.

Army Spouse (Ret), Amy Marson

Meet Amy Marson, wife to Cecil, mom to Harry (21) and Hank (17), and dog mom to Soldie the Goldendoodle.  Amy is a self-proclaimed introverted extrovert, lover of Jesus, family, and country, and accidental professional volunteer.  After 27 years, her husband retired from the military, and they settled in a small mountain town in beautiful West Virginia, his home state. Amy is months from becoming an empty nester or perhaps a bird launcher, and she is excited for this new chapter.  My perfect day for Amy would consist of a cup, no make that a pot, of coffee and friends, gathered around a table or cozy fire, talking about life, kids, work, and love.

Army Spouse, Chelsey Thomas

Meet Chelsey Thomas! Chelsey has been a military spouse for 7 years although she and her husband have been together for 9 years. They now have two cute boys who love being outdoors just as much as they do. Chelsey and her family love traveling together and most recently went to New Zealand. Her hobby is using credit card points to travel for free and teaching other military families how they can too. They’ve had 3 PCS’s and 3 deployments. This year will be a tiebreaker for their family.  Chelsey also loves volunteering with United thru Reading, a wonderful program the connects separated servicemembers to their families by reading book virtually. Her family loves to read together and listen to audiobooks.

Navy Spouse, JP Tammen

JP Tammen was born in Seattle, Washington, and feels like she’s come full circle now, living near US Navy Submarine Base Bangor.  She is a proud spouse to Matt, and proud mom to Laura and Jonathan.  Not sure what to write down on a government form when she is asked to state her “occupation”, JP is busy every day. Whether it’s driving somebody to the doctor, printing programs for a charity auction, or feeding the neighbor’s cats while they’re away, all who know her realize that “All you have to do is call.”  A two-time cancer survivor (first time was while she was pregnant), JP coaches military spouses who are trying to create families amidst medical challenges.  A member of the RESOLVE Fertility Group, Submarine Officer Spouses Association, and the Kitsap County Historical Society, she enjoys kayaking, skiing, traveling, volunteering, and old stuff.

Army Spouse, Sarah Dedo

Meet Sarah Dedo! Sarah is married to an amazing man, and has been living the military life since 2016. Their life is unpredictable and filled with chaos and adventure. Sarah and her soldier have a rambunctious (almost) three year old boy who is full of life, and a beautiful three month baby girl. The Dedo’s are currently stationed in Germany off of Lake Konstanze in a beautiful little town. Taking an OCONUS assignment meant taking a hiatus from Sarah’s career as a Family Nurse Practitioner, and to stay at home with her kids full time. Sarah’s hobbies include being active (She has completed an Ironman), traveling, and playing violin. While living in Germany, she decided to start blogging! HarmonizingtheChaos is a mommy blog, specifically geared towards military spouses.

Navy Spouse (Ret.), Erin Lorenz

Erin Lorenz was born and raised in Minnesota and lived there until her husband went into the Navy in 2003. Twenty years and many duty stations later, he has retired, and they now reside in their beloved home state near family. They have 4 sons, the oldest attending Purdue University, and the other three acclimating to their new school in the Twin Cities area. Erin has a BA in Social Sciences (Sociology, Psychology, and Human Development) from Washington State University and has devoted many hours to volunteering with her church and various nonprofits over the past twenty years. Erin loves singing, watching her Minnesota Vikings play with all their hearts, spending time with her family, and finally being back home in Minnesota.

Air Force Spouse, Liz Guinn

Elizabeth Guinn goes by “Liz”, and loves art, photography, books, and movies. So of course her favorite places are museums, bookstores, libraries, and movie theaters! She’s been married to her husband, Jacob, for 14 years, and they have three children, Daniel, Lydia, and Hannah. As a family, they enjoy bowling and hiking together, and playing with their Jack Russell Terrier, Phoebe. They hail from Tennessee, and began this military journey just two short years ago moving to San Antonio, Texas. Jacob is an active duty Air Force chaplain, and Liz is a stay-at-home Mom. She volunteers at her kids’ elementary school, serves in her local church’s nursery and kids’ ministry, and is preparing to facilitate a Bible study at their base chapel’s PWOC for the first time this spring!

Army Spouse, Aria Spears

Space Force Spouse, Christina Zeri

*Be sure to keep checking back to read each and every one of our Finalist’s blog posts. We will be featuring their work throughout the next 30 days, starting with the Winner on December 25th!