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It is a Sunday afternoon here on the island. We have the sun shining and we have the warm rains coming down. Makes for some lovely rainbows. I attempted to take some pictures but you can not see the sun and rain together. But believe me it is gorgeous.

So what is happening with all of us today. Let's see. My son had his friend over for a sleepover so they are upstairs playing the ps2, nothing new as they are always up their doing that. My daughter(teen) is on her computer which means we won't see her all day unless she needs to eat or drink something-lol. Our little one is trying to bug the boys and play with them but they aren't having that so I think I will take her shopping with me which is what I am going to do today since my hubby is going to play his 360'. I did however get to sleep in and woke to hubby putting away the dishes and loading the dishwasher. He even made waffles and attempted making my coffee-lmao which was sooooo gross....That was nice though.((thanks babe, it is the little things that mean the most to me))

Yesterday my teen and I went and had Starbucks over by Scrap Heaven so of course we stopped in and spent an hour looking at everything. I picked up some new elements-huge cute paperclips with some gorgeous flowers that will be perfect to scrap about my teen. I let her pick out some papers to go with them and we picked up some Aloha stuff to scrap about our adventures here. I also picked up a couple mini albums one pick and one blue. Then I got to thinking about opening my own store front again. I thought if my soldier decides to re-up and they give him a nice bonus I may ask him to invest 5-6 thousand in my own scrap store if we decide to move back home. I mean really, this would be a wonderful thing to do with a nice chunk of the money and it would give me something to do that I absolutley love. Scrapbooking and drinking coffee.

So last night after my hubby's and I date night I stayed up late on the internet researching wholesalers and contacting companies to recieve catty's so I can start mapping out my store costs. I also need to contact my father and ask him if I can use his expertise in carpentery to help me build a couple counters and tables and shelves and maybe knock out some walls and whatnot for my store. I also have to find a place to rent/lease in the area we are looking to move, which I know is a little town on the outskirts of Ft.Leiws. So I have a lot planning/budgeting to do but this is something I would love to try. Both my mother and grandmother opened their own stores and did okay, now I think I want to try. Just follow me along here I am always changing my mind and going back and forth back and forth. But lifes an adventure and I am here for the ride.

Well lunch is about to arrive so I will get off here.
Thanks for stopping by today and visiting me.
Enjoy your day whatever you do today.
Many Aloha's
God Bless
Bree

see I don't AWLAYS blog about how much I hate BUSH and the war in Iraq ;-)

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I am seriously torn right now on what to do with this upcoming 17+ month deployment my soldier is about to embark on. Do we stay here on the island and wait it out? Do we go back home to Wa State and surround ourselves with family, and hope they give my soldier Ft.Lewis so we can just stay their once he returns from deployment? If we move will it better then if we stay here? So many things to think about. My soldiers re-enlistment window is open and will he re-up downrange and get the big sogn on bonus or decide to get out and use his teaching degree to start teaching? And if he does re-up would he be sent to Afghanistan right after deployment from Iraq? Is that really worth it, to re-enlist? So many questions with no answers yet. I feel like I am going to explode.

We were sitting at dinner the other, just my husband and I eating dinner when he mentioned to me that someone higher up asked him if he was considering going  green to gold. I said really wow, I too have been wondering that. Since he is already in the process of dropping his warrant packet I thought why isn't he going green to gold. Their is so much room for advancement. So when he got finished telling me what he thought I just left that conversation with whatever he feels he wants to do I will support him. If he wants to remain in and be a lifer then go green to gold. If he wants to get out after this deployment and start teaching then do that. I back him 100% in whatever he wants to do. It was just odd hearing him say that to me when I was thinking it. Must means he is doing something right for his bosses to take notice on his abilities and want him to become a WO or LT.
I will blog the progress of that once he deploys and calls me with the news about what he is going to decide to do.

Meanwhile I will wait and continue to rack my brain on if we should remain here or go home. I already did the pro and con list, that did not help. So I guess the decision will just come to me one day. And I will know the right thing to do.

If it is not one thing then it is another. Just the life of being a military wife.

Many alohas
God Bless
Bree

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Did you happen to catch the news or read on the internet about the new 15 month deployments for our US Army Soldiers?  Announced Wednesday by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the Army is adding three months to the standard yearlong tour for all active-duty soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, an extraordinary step aimed at maintaining the troop buildup in Baghdad...the troop buildup would last until next April. Army faced harsh choices: Either send units to Iraq with less than 12 months at home, or extend tours. Either way the soldier gets screwed. All this is being done in order to keep the current troop buildup in Baghdad. And why do they need to maintain this level of soldiers, well because four years with our troops on the ground they still have not stabilized Baghdad and do not have the Iraqi governement running their own country.....and our soldiers get to be the puppets in this game. It is gut wrenching to think that families are now being forced to endure 15 months of seperation, field training which is usually 2-3 months before they delpoy and let's not mention being kept in Iraq longer then 15 months.

The longer tours will affect about 100,000 soldiers currently in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus untold thousands more who deploy later. It does not affect the Marine Corps or the National Guard or Reserve. "Our forces are stretched, there's no question about that," Gates said. Interesting that they know our troops are depleted and stretched thin yet they enforce this new 15 month deployment on them. What is the soldier ready to break think about this. Or the couple that has spent their entire marriage apart due to training and deployments back to back, how does that soldier go on. And we thought a lot of marriages were failing now I can hardly wait to see what this new stress adds to our military marriages and lives. It is already hard enough maintaining a 12 month seperation and keep the flames alive now add another three-six more months to that. To top it off the stress of not knowing if your soldier will make it home to you. I expect a lot of wives will become deeply depressed and fustrated and that will most likely lead to alot of children being caught in the middle. One huge change like this 15 month deployment spirals into bigger things for the military families.

Some of you out their are saying well look at the good part of this your soldier gets an extra 1,000 a month for every month he stays past 12 months. Well whoop de fucking do. Hey soldier risk your life beyond 12 months and we are going to reward you with 1,000 a month. What soldier wouldn't want that right? Average out what our soldiers make per day and what they have to endure to make this misseley extra pay and then tell me if paying our men and women an extra 1,000 a month is a good thing. How can anyone even mumble words like this anymore?

Well I am not going to go on and go about this. It gets me highly upset. But just know that if your loved one was being played like a pawn in chess game you too would be upset. I will be blogging more about this sublect in a later entry.

Please go get informed about Iraq and what is happening. It really effects us all and all our communties.

And remember when you see a soldier in uniform tell him Thank-You and and shake his hand.

Many Alohas
God Bless
Bree

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Today started out like any other weekend. Wake up to the kids downstairs watching cartoons. Make my 12 cups of coffee. Feed the cats and clean out their litter box. Make the kids breakfast. Pick out their clothes and set them on their beds. Have them brush their teeth. And then sit down with my hubby and figure out what we are going to do with the family for the day.

Today on post if a Family Fun Day. They will have bounce houses and food booths. Games and information booths set up. But the thing about this is that we attended last year and we ended up spending way to much money on rides and games and food.
So this year we decided not to take the kids to this and do something else with them.

Last night we took the kids to Bridge to Terabithia....and it was a really good movie. I cried. My son said he almost cried and my hubby said he almost cried. A good family movie to rent or buy---
Jess Aarons had to be the Fastest runner at Lark Creek Elementary School, the best, but when he was challenged by Leslie Burke, a girl, that was just the beginning of a new season in Jess's life. Leslie and her parents were new comers to the rural community where Jess Lived, and were thought to be a bit odd, for they didn't even own a TV, though their house was filled with books. Some-what to Jess's surprise, he and Leslie became friends, and the worlds of imagination and learning that she opened to him changed him for ever. It was Leslie's idea to create Terabithia, their secret Kingdom in the woods where they reigned supreme. There no enemy - not their teacher Monster Mouth Meyers, their schoolmates Gary Fulcher and Janice Avery, Jess's Four sisters, or even Jess's own fears and Leslie's imaginary foes - could defeat them. The Legacy that Leslie finally brought to Jess enabled him to cope with the unexpected tragedy that touched them all.

Alright so tomorrow is Easter which btw {Happy Easter}. We are having the kids go on a treasure hunt for their baskets, even our teenager has to hunt for hers. Yes, of course she still gets a basket. Even though she is almost 16 she LOVES getting a basket and I LOVE making them for her. Then friends are coming over for a ham dinner with the trimmings. And two of my husbands single soldiers that have become like family to us. So tomorrow shall be a wonderful day with family and friends.  I will take pictures and try to post a few.

Not to much else to report on the homefront. I know you are all following the veto going back and forth in congress right now, right? And that the National Gaurd is being called upon*again* by the thousands to go back to Iraq-arghhhhhhhhhh!

Enjoy your weekend.
It is a fabulous sunny day here and we are off to go enjoy it.
Aloha
God Bless-
Bree

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Target is coming to Hawaii they are planning to build their store in Kapolei by 2009-woohoo. Finally decided to open up shop in Kapolei which is right across the Honolulu Advertiser building.  The area will also contain a lot of small stores and eateries to create a new shopping complex. Now if they could only bring one of my other all time favorite stores-IKEA to the island, we will be set!

So that is pretty good about Target. I love Target. My all time favorite places to spend my husband's hard earned money. Can't wait for the grand opening. I will be one of the first in line.

Yesterday while the kids were playing outside and I was tending to my flowers a neighbor came barreling out of her house and over to her next door neighbors house. Screaming at her neighbor and getting in her face. Now this is a trashy horrible mother and what people would consider the typical Army wife to be well this and more. She starts screaming at her neighbor with a huge crowd looking on. The women being screamed at points and says get off my property you are on my sidewalk. The women screaming doesn't budge just stands there with her arms crossed. This women LOVES to start stuff in our Ghetto neighborhood her on post so really this is nothing new to anyone. But I stood there watching and waiting. Finally the women being screamed at YELLS leave my sidewalk NOW! The women retreats but with foul language coming out of her mouth. Meanwhile there are about 20 kids watching and listening to all this. So the typical military wife starts smoking and cussing at carrying on like a inmature person and this and that and blah blah blah. Telling the kids around her and her own kids STAY AWAY from thatbitch and that house and those kids. You know what  where does she even have the nerve to come barreling out her house to get in someone's face about their child when she herself sits inside oblivious to what her own children are doing outside UNSUPERVISED. I was really hoping the neighbor that was getting screamed at by this insane women would have called the MP'S because I was ready to go over and let the MP'S know that this women was sitting inside her house with her door shut while her children were running loose and she went over and started the confrontation. But she did not call them and so I went on tending to my flowers.

A few months back we put ourselves on the waiting list to move. We are now number 18 down from 46. When our number comes up I will take anything they offer as long as they get me out of this GHETTO they put us in. You know to tell you the truth we need to be living in Officer Housing. Where you do not have to deal with this enlisted bullshit and ghetto living. Sorry to offend anyone that is enlisted.
Ok that was my rant for the day about Army life. Poor white trash military wives that do not watch their own kids and start crap to just to start it.

To end this entry today I am leaving you with a snorkle spot for those on the island-

Snorkeling at Shark's Cove North Shore

Just after passing Waimea Bay coming from on the Kamemehamea Highway you come across a great snorkel spot. Just across the highway from Foodland is Shark's Cove. With the high surf of the winter months Shark's Cove is just a few jagged rocks sticking out of the ocean. In the summer the cove opens up into a wonderful sheltered sea creature haven. Both snorkelers and scuba divers swarm Shark's cove everyday.

Coming from the west you have to enter the parking via the second entrance, its a one-way moving east to west. If you arrive early enough there should be parking left within this area. However, if you find yourself without a place to park don't fret. There is another parking lot just before the firestation to the west and also road parking to the east of the Shark's Cove lot.

Once there you will see a large pennisula sticking out into the ocean wrapping from left to right. This is wat creates the cove. The left side of the cove is very shallow and really nice to just sit around in and relax. You may also want to start here if you have smaller children who haven't snorkeled much before. There is a sandy entrance and the shallow water will give oyu a little more peace of mind.

On the right hand side of the cove it gets much deeper. This is the side that opens to the ocean. Be careful here, strong currents can sometimes pop up and pull you out. Just be sure to check with those more experienced people around you. This deeper half has a huge amount of fish, turtles, and if you look cose enough eels.

God Bless
Bree

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There is a tug of war going on between Bush and Congress on who will be the last man standing on the Iraq War debate. While Bush is asking for another 96 BILLION in new money for Iraq and Afghanistan. I find it mind boggling why their is even a fight on this matter. Bush should sign the bill proposed for a pull-out date and let our troops come home. With troops now being extended *cough* again and again and troops getting deployed early to "help" combat the flair ups doesn't Bush see their is NO VICTORY in Iraq. Does Bush not realize that America is getting fed up with this administration and their distasteful tactics in Iraq. I guess it is going to take a slap on his face to make Bush finally wake-up and see that nobody is supporting him and his war.  I will proudly sit by and support/encourage anything brought to the table by Congress to cut off funding Iraq and bring our troops home. And before I get 100+ emails about how cutting off funding will lead to our troops not having what they need to fight in Iraq-THEY ALREADY DON'T HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO FIGHT IN IRAQ!
So please come at me with a different stance then that-Thank you.

Like many other wives and parents I will be anxiously awaiting to see what happens with this new push from Congress to get a withdrawl date and FINALLY bring our troops home. It is sort of like taunting a child with a new toy. Saying here have this toy and then ripping it out their hands and saying nah I was kidding. Then handing it to them again and saying ok here you go you can have this toy. Then ripping it from them again and saying just kidding. You would find that a little cruel wouldn't you? Well that is how I and many other wives feel about what Bush and Congress do with our soldiers and their lives. It is a life of pure turmoil and hell for our soldiers and for us back at home actually supporting the troops.
And no supporting our troops is not slapping a fucking yellow ribbon on your car and driving around saying I support our troops. That is a lame ass way to show you support them, a easy way for you to think your supporting them. But then just carry on with you day to day life not worried about if a soldier returns home to his wife and child. Or comes home half mangled and can not work anymore. Will you then support this soldier and his family? Things to think about when words like I support the troops come out your mouth. And while you sit there and maybe get mad that in the same breath I type this I am according to you bashing the troops do not forget I am here on the home frontlines doing the actual supporting. Like I have mentioned time and time again, you can honestly NOT SUPPORT the Iraq war but SUPPORT the troops. Please feel free to click on the button on my side bar and read how this can be done.

I can only hope and pray that this will be the finale deployment to Iraq for my soldier. That when he deploys this year we find out the troops are coming home in 2008. And we don't have to worry about him going back.

Ok I said more then I wanted to. But heck these are my thoughts and my feelings right. And that is why I have this blog for 4 years now.

Thank you for kindly gracing my page. If I got you a little upset, ask yourself why? And if I got you excited ask yourself why?

God Bless
Bree 

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Well this is a just random entry for me this morning. I am about to head to Starbucks and ScrapHeaven. A new scrapbook store that opened over by Starbucks and Costco.
I went and checked it out last week and I LOVED it!
So I'm heading over there this morning to grab some new papers-stickers-and a couple themed packages of the beach. Since we have been taking the kids quite often to the North Shore to boggie board I thought I would start a mini-book of their times with daddy. That way when he deploys they can look though it and remember all the fun times they had with him. I have some wonderful pitures of them too. Plus I think I will make doubles of the pictures and let them make their own. Get those creative jiuces flowing.
Yesterday we were out with the kids. We stopped by the Fun Factory and let them use their VIP cards on some games. Stopped and had ice cream. Went to Wally World and bought a new trampoline for the backyard. Hubby bought a new dart-board. I got some new flowers and a new bbq. We're going to have some cook-outs with my hubby's soldiers and their wives before the guys deploy so I am attempting to make our backyard a nice place to hang out. Not only for us adults but the kids also.
Since we started our own FRG within my hubby's section{long story}. We have 23 soldiers and half with wives/kids. So this could get interesting. LOL. But hey who said I wasn't up for the challenge. I love helping people so doing our own FRG is great for me. I took the FRG leadership classes in Germany and have my certificates, so I am ready. I get to keep the single soldiers families in the loop, the wives to remain calm and informed and just be here if anyone needs anything while their soldier is deployed. And since we have about 10 of these soldier/wives that have not been through a deployment, well they will have tons of questions and want answers. So these cook-outs will be a great way to bring us all together and build the support system before the guys leave for a year! Hence me fixing up the backyard and getting it ready.

Okay well not a lot of time this morning to blog. But I will tomorrow. Since our wonderful President FINALLY decided to go to Walter Reed and see what all the fuse about and*cough* have a photo opt. But hell he already knew our soldiers we're not getting adequate treatment. But that is for tomorrrow's blog.

Aloha Saturday. I hope this day finds you in good spirits.
And if your soldier is deployed you will get to hear his voice today.
God Bless
Bree

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I just added a ton of military spouse links to my site.
They are located on the bottom of my side bar all the way at the end.
Some of the sites are for the newbie military spouses, and some sites are just good to browse for staying connected to your soldier during deployment and ideas etc etc.

Aloha
Bree

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On Thursday Senate Democrats presented a bill that passed 50-48 to begin bringing our troops home by March 2008. Now it goes to Bush to sign off on it. But according to our wonderful President he said he will veto everything that comes to him about a timeline for Iraq.

How can he make such bold statements as that?  Does he really think his balls are big enough to just sit there and say hey oh here is a Bill that will bring our troops home next year because this is what the american people want, the congress wants ah fuck that I am going to veto it. Next!

Because why would this President want to do the only good thing he has done while serving the public, bringing our troops home! Oh I remember he has too many interests in Iraq to pull out and FINALLY bring our troops home. Troops can die at any costs to ensure a victory in Iraq. I remember now. Our troops were put into Iraq for one man's war and now when Bush vetos this bill, we can FINALLY say warmonger(which those that do not know what this is here you go-someone who is anxious to encourage a people or nation to go to war. Someone that also has selfish motives for going to war or likes war.) Now tell me once Bush vetos this Bill he is not a warmonger? And if you believe in this President and the way he is keeping our troops in Iraq you should get informed. Especially if you have a loved one deloyed or preparing to deploy. This veto is a smack in your face as a follower to Bush. And I am so glad to be on the other side of that.

Please if you have not gotten informed about what is going in Iraq-DO IT! If your soldier is active military attempt to inform yourself so that you know what is going on so that you can let your voice be heard. So that you do not support this war any longer and help bring our troops home.

Here are a few links I am sharing with you to read in full detail about this Bill. And FYI Bush will ttry to spin this and try to blame the Dems etc etc but we all know the one to blame iwill be BUSH himself for vetoing this Bill!

Now go get informed-

USA TODAY LINK

MSNBC LINK

CNN LINK

all three links will take you to the story.
Also make sure to follow the Gonzales story, it will get bigger over the next few months to come. Can BUSH do anything right?

Proud Army Wife
Bree

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