Hi!

It has been a very long while since my last post. When I started this blog, we were starting our journey as a military family.  We were starting a new different life. It has been four years now and so much has changed.

We are living in now Hawaii, in our second duty station. Miss A is a fourth grader now and she is becoming a strong, resilient and brave girl. I have been working from home for an amazing company for 3 years now and Miguel is enjoying his job. He is a helicopter mechanic and he is very happy!

It has been an interesting journey with up and downs but I wouldn't change it.

Who Made That Military Dog Tag?

I have been wondering about dog tags and who created them since forever. Even before my husband joined  the Army, I wondered so I decided to do a little search today.

Subministered Clipart

During the Civil War, more than a quarter of dead soldiers remained unidentified. It was very difficult, even for family, to identify the soldiers. 

Soldiers wanted to receive proper burials if something happened. They started buying customized name tags made of metal or wood. They used to pin the tags on the lapel or wear them around the neck because that tag could help bring the dead soldier home. 

During the Spanish-American War, a military chaplain named Charles Pierce pushed to make these improvised tags official. He worked in the morgue and noticed that the bodies of soldiers who’d elected to wear pins had a much better chance of being sent home. He designed a military-issued tag: round, aluminum, the size of a half-dollar. “It is better that all men shall wear these marks as a military duty than that one should fail to be identified,” he wrote.

In 1906, it became an official part of our soldiers uniforms. By World War I, soldiers wore two tags. “One tag remained with the body, tied around the legs or ankles or feet,” Hanson says. “And one tag was put outside the coffin, or it might be nailed to the cross or Hebrew star.” The tags soon evolved into mementos with powerful symbolism. “In many cases, the tags are presented to the family,” Hanson says. “The tag is a link between the soldier and his loved ones.”

Noris

A Yes Day for Miss A

Daddy has been gone for a month and a half. This has been very hard on Miss A. Specially, during this week. She was cranky and moody and not behaving very well. This is very rare on her. She is a very happy little girl and seeing her mad it is not very common. It makes me sad. Hubby and I chose this life because of lots of reasons (that I might explain in another post). She didn't.

Today, I decided to make it a "Yes Day". I didn’t make any plans or schedules. I just asked and simply said “Yes!” to everything she wanted to do during the day.

I said yes to going to the pool.
I said yes to pizza for lunch. Yes, pizza with lots of gluten and preservatives.
I said yes to going to the library to play with the kitchen. Yes, to play with the kitchen, although she has a great play kitchen at home. 

I said yes to going to the park. After the pizza and going to the pool.

I said yes to “Coldstone’s Cake Batter” ice cream with brownie inside.

Today was a "yes day," a day in which I consciously choose to say yes to my child, to honor her desires and her choices. Today there was no, "We need to…", "Time to go…", or "One more minute...", and I accepted everything. Even though she never realized what I was doing, I knew she appreciated the day. She was so happy!!!

Have you ever had a “Yes Day!” with your child? How did it go?

Make their homecoming special with a free banner!!!

I have been looking for ideas for graduation gifts. I found that many people make banners for their soldiers to express love and pride, of course. I thought of making my own, too!

I found this website, Build a Sign. They will provide you with a free 2'X4' or 3'X6' banner. You only pay for shipping and I think this is a great deal!

They have  a lot of designs, too! 

Of course, this would be a great surprise if your loved one is deployed right now, too!!!!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Noris

PD: I have not received any compensation for this post. This is only a 

review of a product I really liked.

10 Distant Love Quotes Series - Part Two

1. “You don’t know what you do when you look at me that way. You don’t hear how I pray that you’re safe when we’re apart. Every time we kiss, you don’t know how you steal a piece of my soul. No, you don’t know how it feels. You might think you do but you don’t.”
2. “Couples who are ‘meant to be’ are the ones who go through everything that is meant to tear them.” 
3. “I may not get to see you as often as I like, I may not get to hold you in my arms all through the night, but deep in my heart I truly know, you’re the one that I love, and I can’t let you go.”
4. “I don’t say I love you to hear it back, I say it so you don’t forget.”
5. “As long as you love me, I’ll stay by your side, I’ll be your companion, your friend and your guide. As long as you love me, as long as you care, I’ll do anything for you, I’ll go anywhere. As long as forever, my love will be true. For as long as you love me, I’ll only love you!”
6. "A lot of things may come and go, but not our love."
7. "Love doesn't die easily, it thrives in all of life's hazard's. Except one; neglect."
8. “Distance does to love what wind does to fire; it extinguishes the weak and enkindles the strong.”
9. “Wish I was in your arms, lyin’ right there beside you.”
10. “Missing you gets easier everyday because even though I am one day further from the last time I saw you, I am one day closer to the next time I will see you.”

Noris

10 Distant Love Quotes Series - Part One

I am very excited to present my first series of posts: Distant Love Quotes!!! Each Saturday I will share 10 Distant Love Quotes. You can add them to your letters, start your own quotes collection,  or simply, read them when you are depressed and need some inspiration to cry. Me, the girl that never ever cried, now cries for everything, even tv ads. Reading some of these made me cry and I feels... relaxed. 

Photo: ©Sony Pictures

1. "It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required."
2. "Distance means so little when someone means so much."
3. "Contrary to what the cynics say distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for those knowing love when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough."
4. "Distance between two hearts is not an obstacle…rather a beautiful reminder of just how strong true love can be."
5. "You’re my love and my heart’s dream, never did I think I could feel this way, you’re my heart’s hope and sense of being."
6. "I always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh. But I never knew looking back on the laughs would make me cry. I guess I’m just missing the old times…miss you."
7. "So close your eyes and sleep to dream. I’m by your side, no words to speak. We’ll set our course and make it through. No matter how far you go, my heart remains with you."
8. "Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
9. "You are far away, but yet your love remains; I can feel it all around. It embraces me and holds me tight, night after night."
10. "I wish that I could hold you now…I wish that I could touch you now…I wish that I could talk to you…and be with you somehow."

     Which is your favorite love quote?

Noris

What? PDA? What is that?

We are getting closer and closer to Hubby's Graduation Day. I am really excited about it.  I have been reading a lot about PDA (or Public Display of Affection). I decided to do a research about what it means and the rules. 

I think that the natural reaction after a deployment or training would be to run up to your spouse and give them a big kiss and lots of hugs. Uh-uh. If they’re in uniform, they can get penalties for it. I have discovered that there are quite a few etiquette rules when a service member is in uniform that we must know.

• Soldiers must project a military image that leaves no doubt that they live by a common military standard and are responsible to military order and discipline. This is why PDA is not accepted except in certain situations. For instance, moderate kissing and hugging is acceptable when there’s a homecoming or deployment.

• Service members are not allowed to keep their hands in their pockets. Soldiers will ensure that articles carried in pockets do not protrude from the pocket or present a bulky appearance.

• Your spouse is required to keep his or her right hand empty in order to salute at any time. When you are walking somewhere with your spouse, be sure to walk on their left side.

• Soldiers will not wear keys, key chains, or electronic devices on the uniform when the commander determines such wear is inappropriate, such as in formation, or during parades or ceremonies.

• Service members are not supposed to eat or drink anything while they are walking.

• Military personnel are not allowed to hold hands while in uniform. Some companies allow locking elbows with your spouse as an acceptable practice.

• The wear of military headgear is not required while in or on a privately owned vehicle (POV) or on public transportation (such as a subway, train, plane or bus).

• Some may be considered unprofessional for your spouse to chew gum in uniform.

• Never wear your spouse’s uniform. It can be considered disrespectful.

I think that these rules will vary from military branch and your location. Be sure to check with your specific command to determine your installation’s rules.

If you are as new as me in this world, we have a lot to learn. If you know all these rules like the palm of your hand, do you know any other rules to share?

Noris