Military Families

Deployment is over: Daddy's home!

Laura Crawford — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:30:00 -0700

As soon as we had 31 days left in our deployment countdown, I drew 31 hearts on our whiteboard in the kitchen. Each morning my son woke up, he would cross off a heart. When we hit day seven, and my son had just one week left before Daddy was home, his excitement exploded and stayed at an ultimate high through the rest of the week.

Preparing for the end of deployment with a tinge of sadness

Laura Crawford — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:00 -0700

Finally this deployment is coming to an end! I can't even begin to describe how excited I am. Honestly though, I feel a touch of sadness about my husband's return too.

The military wife vs. the single mom

Laura Crawford — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:00 -0700

Mommy wars, competitions and judgments drive me insane. It never fails, I read a story about a single mom and her struggles or triumphs, and who chimes in with the one-upping 'I've got it worse' comments? You guessed it — the military wife. This also happens in reverse; the comments from single moms to a military wife's story of struggle for survival can be pretty vicious too.

A peek into a military child's heart through play

Laura Crawford — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0700

I love talking with my son. Through the entire age of 5, having conversations with him has been absolutely amazing to me, and a great insight into how his mind and heart are developing.

Will Army Wives address the current soldier suicide rate?

Deirdre Kaye — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:19:00 -0700

What's next for Army Wives? We think the show is working toward something major.

One event at a time: Countdown to the end of deployment

Laura Crawford — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:30:00 -0700

The beginning of deployment is like looking down a long, dark tunnel. You know the light is at the end, but you can't see it. Our deployment is roughly between 200 and 250 days long. Counting down each day through each month is slightly depressing and too great of a time span for my kids to grasp. Instead, we have concentrated our countdown according to holidays, birthdays and scheduled events.

6 Books to help children cope with deployment

Laura Crawford — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0700

Books are undeniably a great resource that can give children not only a literary reasoning of a situation, but also an excellent visual — something that as a parent I can't always give through mere explanation.

Deployment can strengthen the bonds of marriage

Laura Crawford — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:00:00 -0700

You won't find a single person that raises their hand and says, "Yes, please! Deployment! My spouse and I love being apart from each other six months to a year at a time." I can tell you, though, that I do find the silver lining in deployment and how these times of separation strengthen my husband and my relationship.

Our magical door to communication during deployment

Laura Crawford — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:00:00 -0700

Of my three kids, I knew my son was going to have the hardest time in dealing with his daddy being away. The great thing is that he's 5, and that allows me to be extra creative in inventing fun ways to keep his spirits high while keeping him feeling connected to his daddy.

The importance of routine after deployment

Laura Crawford — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:00:00 -0700

After deployment, it's important for military families to get back into their regular routine as soon as possible. The structure and predictability can provide kids with the emotional stability they need.

The government's sequester hits our military hard

Laura Crawford — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:00:00 -0700

As I sit here and write this, I do it fighting exhaustion with a heavy heart and burning eyes. The impact the sequestration is having and will continue to have on the military breaks my heart and has brought a lot of tears to my eyes.

Saying goodbye: The beginning of deployment

Laura Crawford — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:00:00 -0800

What we've been preparing for the last few months has finally come. There's no easy way around it. And, as much as you want to avoid this day, you know you can't. For the sake of my children I knew this day was important, no matter how heart-wrenching it was going to be.

New Married to the Army: Alaska on OWN

Deirdre Kaye — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:17:00 -0800

OWN's new Married to the Army: Alaska shows the reality behind being an Army wife. The first episode and various promos promise good times and bad ahead for some of our country's most heroic wives.

Top 10 military family blogs

Jessica Watson — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:00:00 -0700

Spend some time over this 4th of July holiday visiting these families who will inspire you by the dedication they have to serving our country. Each of these military families is blogging through life with a spouse in the service. Not only do they give new meaning to the word "sacrifice," but they do it with strength, grace and humor.

How to celebrate Memorial Day with meaning

Jessica Watson — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:00:00 -0700

Memorial Day is so much more than an extra day off and decorating your porch with red, white and blue. Taking the time to honor our many fallen heroes can make the day much more memorable. Choose one of these five activities to incorporate the true meaning of Memorial Day into your end-of-May plans.

Military families: How to cope with moving

Kori Ellis — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:21:00 -0800

Military families find themselves relocating to places all around the world. And though living somewhere new can be interesting and fun, often moving can take a toll on families. Follow these tips and suggestions to help to cope with moving.