Thursday, January 31, 2013

Deployments

We meet again,

So my husband recently returned from his very first deployment, and we have spent the past few weeks slowly adjusting back to our old routine. I will admit that while he was gone I enjoyed letting my domestic duties fall to the wayside a bit. Only going grocery shopping once a month was heaven, and doing laundry every other week was a win. But in reality, the lack of chores and errands that I had to do just made me miss him more. I missed his clothes strewn all over our bedroom floor, and the small little habits that usually frustrated me.

Now we have spent plenty of time apart when he first joined the military, from basic training, tech school, and when he moved across the country to his first duty station. I decided to stay behind in Michigan to finish college, my attempt at being a responsible adult, but those 2 and a half years of being apart on and off never fully prepared me for this deployment. Every second of every day my mind was consumed with him, worrying about him, missing him, just wanting to hear his voice and know that everything was going to be okay. I was grateful for those day in which he did call, and heartbroken when I recieved those missed calls and knew that I couldn't just call him back. I was literally attached to my phone and computer at all times. While I was lucky that his job required him to stay on base at all times, and his deployment was relatively short, a war zone is still a war zone. All in all, I was so incredibly grateful and moved to tears when I saw his face through a crowd of people at the airport. There is nothing quite like a military homecoming, you feel as though you are seeing them again for the very first time.

It weighs heavy on my heart for the many families that never get to see their soldier again, and it gives me a great amount of respect and gratitude towards those who serve actively in the military, and the family members that serve along with him. Those men and women who have to suffer through year long deployments with very little contact to the outside world are always going to be heroes in my book.

I like to think that my personal experience as a military wife has made me stronger, even when at times it has made me feel my weakest and most vulnerable. While he was gone I felt as though I was completely alone. I have no family close by, and very few friends in Arizona that I could rely on. It was tough, I felt tested everyday, especially when the Murphy's Law of Deployment became a reality. I felt as though everything was going wrong and I didn't have my best friend by my side to calm me down and talk me through it. If it wasn't for my family and friends back home, I don't know what I would have done.

After going through that experience I feel as though I still have a lot to learn about the military lifestyle, but I am very thankful for all of the new opportunities and resources it has provided us with. It also reminds me daily of one of my favorite sayings, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
                                   

                                                     

Until next time,

- Jenny
 
 
 

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

About Jenny

Greetings!

My name is Jenny - the other half of this duo. I am a 24 year old military wife living in Arizona with my incredible husband, cat, and dog. You may find me posting quite frequently about my animals. Yes, I have turned into one of those annoying owners that treats and talks about their animals as if they were children. I have accepted this fact, and I am completely okay with it.

I was born and raised in Michigan, growing up with a head full of dreams to one day move away and experience new things and embrace new opportunities. While I am grateful that I am able to fulfill that dream, I couldn't miss it more! Except for the snow and freezing temperatures, not many people would miss having to wake up early to dig your car out of the snow. Nevertheless, I have been living in Arizona for a little over a year now. My husband joined the Air Force in 2010, we married in the summer of 2011, I graduated from college two months later, and lo and behold I moved here to be with him soon after.

I am a budding graphic designer with a passion for all things artistic and creative. I also enjoy photography, food, music, movies, my pets (go figure), food, reading, the paranormal, dessert, and food with a side food!

I hope to do my best to fill you in on my daily adventures and interests, including my personal triumphs and struggles with military life thus far. 

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more of our random thoughts and insights!

This is Jenny signing off from the Southwest,

Stay classy!


soup

After unwisely thinking about how I had not been sick in quite some time, I now have had two consecutive colds. When I have a cold, I seem to simultaneously try to shove as many nutrients as I can into my body while also craving the most unhealthy comfort foods. 


Sonic feast: Philly Cheese Steak Grilled Cheese,
Chili Cheese Tater Tots, and Chocolate Cherry Sweetheart shake

A colleague of mine was talking about a soup she makes quite often, so I loosely adapted her recipe to help offset some of the damage above. I don't know why I never make soup -- this was so easy! I threw everything in the crockpot and now I have lunches for the week that don't come in a tin can. 

Kale & Quinoa Soup
  • Kale (as much as you want .... I used about half a bunch and made kale chips with the rest)
  • Cannelini beans (one can)
  • Diced tomatoes (one can, I used the "Spicy Red Pepper" flavor)
  • Carrots, diced
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • Carton of chicken broth (or you can sub veggie broth)
  • Container of mushrooms
  • Any seasonings you like (I added some garlic powder)
This soup is so adaptable. Sub spinach for the kale, chickpeas for the cannelini beans, etc. Throw it in the slow cooker on low, do whatever else you have to do that day, and come home to some healthy, hearty soup.



Enjoy!

Monday, January 28, 2013

About Kristin

I wanted to officially kick things off with an "about me" post. I'm 26 and live in Michigan with my fiance (yay!) and our cat, Wednesday. 

I'm not always a fan of living in Michigan (especially from December to March), but it has its charms. 

My engagement was recent and long awaited (10 years!), so while I won't let that be the focus of the blog, I do hope to capture some of the process. 

I'm not sure what I want this blog to be (for me), really. I know that while I willl share things in my life, I also want to share things that I enjoy. I want to curate content, and hopefully you will share in some of my enjoyment. But I also want it to look back and see my memories, so I suspect it will be a mix of the two. Either way, I hope it peaks your interest. 

Other things about me? I love summer and warm weather, bicycles, tattoos, sushi, coffee, cupcakes, food in general, movies, music, the color pink, thrifting, vintage, and wearing my pjs.

If you also like any of those things, then I think we'll get along just fine. 

Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon to meet Jenny.

xo,

Kristin

Hello!

Welcome to SXMW (South by Midwest).

I'm Kristin, and I represent the Midwest by way of the mitten state. My sister Jenny represents the South (technically Southwest, but close enough). 

I've tried and failed at blogging multiple times, but I've never stopped reading blogs. I love peeking into people's lives and the unique community that blogging has created. I also like sharing things that I enjoy with others, which is what I want this blog to be. I hoped that blogging with someone would make it easier to keep up, and so this blog was born. My sister & I will both post, so you'll get posts from two different perspectives. It'll also be a fun way for us to keep up with each other's lives on opposite sides of the country.

We hope that you will enjoy this peek into our lives.

xo,

Kristin