Happy Blogsgiving!

In honor of my birthday and of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Trisha from Sweet and Sassy Girls and I have come up with a Happy Blogsgiving blog hop. We want to show our thanks to some of our great online friends, as well as spread some awesome blog love.

During the week of November 23rd to November 27th, we will be showcasing a few bloggers on our blogs, one each day, with a master MckLinky up for you to link up on. To participate, all you have to do is post about 5 (or more!) of your bloggy friends, one post a day. Share with us what makes them special. Be sure to link back to us in your post, and come back here to link up. Don't forget to visit other bloggers participating, too, and see who they're featuring this week, and maybe meet a few new friends in the process! Help us in spreading the bloggy love and gratefulness this week. What do you think? Grab a button, why not join us?

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.crazyadventuresinparenting.com/search/label/blogosphere"><img border="0" width="125" alt="Happy Blogsgiving" src="http://sweetnsassygirls.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blogsgiving2.jpg" height="125" /></a>

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.crazyadventuresinparenting.com/search/label/blogosphere"><img border="0" width="125" alt="Happy Blogsgiving" src="http://sweetnsassygirls.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blogsgiving.jpg" height="175" /></a>

Before we begin, can I throw a little bloggy love my co-host's way? Trisha currently lives in Utah with her husband and daughter (isn't her daughter adorable?) and is the owner of Sweet and Sassy Girls. She's a stay-at-home mom who is actually a Master Aesthetician (aka kickass at skincare). They only have one child right now but are hoping to add to that number in the near future. ;)

I aspire to do some of what she's done for her daughter - have you seen some of the awesome tutorials Trisha has? (Are you seein' where I'm getting all my tutu-ey goodness, now?) She rocks her sewing machine's socks. I wanna rock mine and be that good some day, too. Keep kickin' butt, sister!

Woohoo, are you excited about the Happy Blogsgiving blog hop? I hope you are!

Don't forget to tweet and Facebook about it, too! The more the merrier! Happy Blogsgiving!

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Birthday Celebratory Goodness (and My Husband's Sneak Attack)

Today it's my birthday. I'm not ashamed to say, I am 33 years young today.

It has been an emotional, life-changing 32nd year for me, I can't imagine what my 33rd year will bring. This is the year I finally lost weight. This is the year I finally realized, it's okay to follow what you love. This is the year I bought the camera of my dreams to take wonderful pictures with. This year I met many amazing bloggy friends, traveled to visit Mickey and hey, I'm bringing my family to meet him at DisneyWorld, too! (As in, right now we're probably on our way, driving! Eeek!)

My bestest birthday present ever is going to be surprising them with this trip.

(Psst! Because it's my birthday and Thanksgiving this upcoming week, keep your eyes peeled for a giveaway or two, too.)

33. Who knew it would feel so good?

*edit* My husband has already started it out awesomely. He calls me to ask if he left something in the van, and I go out to find this...


How cute is he, that stinker!

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Life as an Army Wife

My husband's jump yesterday was successful, but what many don't realize is how difficult it is to be the wife to an Airborne soldier. They jump. A lot. Airplanes are meant to take you from point A to point B really really fast. For whatever reason, the Army likes Airborne soldiers to jump out of those super-fast airplanes and helicopters, propelling my husband and his friends through the air, careening with a cloth-like balloon on his back until he lands, hard, rolling, spitting dust and grass out of his mouth as he stands.

Of course, they think it's cool. Me? Not-so-much.

On the days he jumps, I jingle for the entire day, or, at least until he lands. My first thought in the morning is to immediately reach for my set of his dog tags he gave me. I consider them his my good luck charm. I wrap them around my neck, muffling them as much as possible as I quietly tuck them beneath my shirt, hoping my kids don't drag me around the house by them throughout the day as I pace, finding eleventy-billion things to keep me busy while I worry.


I worry about his 'chute opening, I worry about wind shear, I worry about his landing, I worry he'll fall hard, roll his ankle, break something, or worse. The worry is like a weight on my chest, an asthma attack with a gigantic anvil sitting on me. I function throughout the day, I repetitiously fix juice cups and prepare food for my children, combing hair, wiping poop, all while my mind is inward, of his face, his smile, the creases around his eyes, the smell of his neck, and the hope that will be able to kiss him again.

He's jumped out of countless airplanes. I've worried over his jumping out of those countless airplanes every time. This isn't old news, this is what he does, but it only takes one time, one mishap to change your life.

It goes without saying that I prefer it when he pulls Jumpmaster duty (as the man who "pushes" the soldiers out of the plane, as opposed to being the one jumping). Unfortunately, he still has to jump to remain "current," as a Jumpmaster or not, until he retires out of the Army. This is part of my life as a wife to an Airborne soldier.


And until he retires out, you'll hear me jingling. And worrying.

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