military family - Mission: Milspouse

5 Ways to Connect with Your Child During Deployment

by Amanda Krieger | Oct 15, 2021 | Blog, Deployment, Experience, Household 6

When I learned that my husband was going to deploy this year, their relationship left me nervous. It would be our first longer separation and the first my son would remember. I couldn’t help but worry, not only for them, but also for me. How would I connect with my son the way he connects with his dad?

My 3 1/2 year old son is a daddy’s boy, through and through.

He loves playing cars and dinos with Dad, matching clothes with Dad, and helping Dad with all the household tasks and projects.

Have you heard the song, “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins? (If not, you can listen here.) That’s them, in a nutshell.

AWTR Show #854: Fly Safe

by M:M Command Team | Oct 11, 2021 | Podcast

In Fly Safe, the reader gets a very realistic glimpse of what it’s like for spouses and families back home during a war when there was no internet or texting.

Lovingly Weaving Your Family’s Nest

by Just Moved Ministry | Oct 5, 2021 | Blog, Expert, Household 6, Military Life

One day last spring, morning coffee in-hand, I noticed my dog’s curiosity about an object in my backyard. Hmm… A bit too curious perhaps, so I went outside to see what he found. To my delight he had his nose deep in a bird’s nest. There were no broken shells nearby, so I guessed it had long been abandoned and fallen during heavy winds the night before. I held it in my hand and marveled at it.

Frank Lloyd Wright might be the greatest modern human architect of houses, but to me, nests are the most precious homes ever built.

AWTR Show #850: Waves of Hope

by M:M Command Team | Sep 27, 2021 | Podcast

Agnes Joan Negra is the subject of “Waves of Hope”. During WWII she heard names of American POWs announced on her shortwave Radio each day from Radio Berlin.

I Wish, I Wonder, I Hurt

by LaVaughn Ricci | Sep 23, 2021 | Blog, Experience, Military Life

I wish there was more I could do right now. My husband wishes he could have done more in the past. I wonder if we could have made a bigger difference. I hurt because we’re stuck and feeling helpless.

Afghanistan. We wish, wonder, and hurt for Afghanistan.

My husband willingly answered the call and completed two, 12-month tours in the Middle East many years ago. We were still only dating and had no children. My soldier’s sacrifice was great, and as with every tour overseas, he had its burdens to carry. However, it didn’t anguish our family in the way it has for many others, because my husband didn’t have all of us quite yet.

My Favorite Things: Top 5 Florida Beaches

by LaVaughn Ricci | Aug 22, 2021 | Blog, Experience, Military Life, Travel

Beach days! Oh, how my kids love going to the beach, but oh, how much work it is for us as parents. If you’re like us, we usually make a full day of it in order to make the mission worth it. This means not only packing the obvious sunscreen and towels, but the wagon to help transport those items, along with swimmies, life jackets, beach toys, water bottles, snacks, and more. When the kids aren’t yet walking, I’ve brought the infant car seat or a Bumbo seat, too. Once we were stationed in the Miami area, we also invested in a small beach tent and a couple folding beach chairs.

Consistency in the Inconsistent: Helping Military Children with Special Needs

by Retired Blogger | Aug 17, 2021 | Blog, Experience, Household 6, Military Life

Consistency is essential in building safe boundaries yet still showing love and care to a child.

Consistency can also help a child feel safe because they’ll always know someone is there to love them and take care of their essential needs as a human. Consistency in the military is almost an oxymoron. As the sun rises every day, I know that my service member’s plans with the military have changed in some aspect. There’s a running joke between military spouses when someone asks how long our service members will be gone, when we’re moving, or where we’re moving, and the answer is usually, “I don’t know.”

Therapy Dogs Bring Veterans Joy

by American Red Cross | Aug 14, 2021 | Blog, Expert, Veterans

At the American Red Cross, I’ve seen veterans, service members, and their families touched by animals in so many ways. Recently, I had the pleasure of connecting with Air Force veteran Dan Brusseau and his wife, Kathie, to discuss two things they love—dogs and giving back to the community.

AWTR Show #838: 20-Year Letter: An Afghanistan Chronicle

by M:M Command Team | Aug 9, 2021 | Podcast

Imagine serving 20 years in the military reserves and when you hit that mark, you get a letter. This letter sparked Ben to write the book 20 Year Letter.