Military Spouse Appreciation Day

In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, I wanted to share a piece of my heart and discuss something I rarely mention here on my little piece of the world wide web.

Growing up, I always felt a special sense of patriotism instilled in me at a young age from my family. My grandfather was a World War II Veteran whose home was always adorned with flags both in the front yard and in the back yard waving proudly in the breeze perched atop its pole nestled on the pier that he built by hand. He had such an infectious personality - it was impossible to be around him without being touched in some way by his wonderful spirit, which I'm sure played a key role in the sense of American pride our entire family always felt. In every memory I have of him, he always had a flag pin attached to the lapel of whatever it was he was wearing - whether he was in his coveralls working in his garden or he was dressed up in a suit. The love he had for the nation he fought so bravely for wasn't dependent upon who was in office at the time, the current state of worldly affairs, or whether or not it was even "popular" to be a proud American - his love for America was rooted in the principals that this nation was founded upon and it didn't matter whether those flags he so proudly displayed were visible or not... his patriotism always shone through.

Now that I, myself, am a military wife and proudly and humbly stand among the thousands upon thousands of other military wives and husbands out there, I have a much deeper understanding of those emotions my grandfather felt regarding this great nation and the people that serve it as well as their families. Although I was young when he passed away, I wish that I had discussed his experiences with him and asked him questions about his time serving in the Navy during World War II... and more than anything, I wish that my husband had been given the opportunity to meet him, but I know that Granddad is smiling down upon both of us as we experience the trials of military life that he and NaNa experienced way-back-when. I have been truly blessed to be able to have these discussions with NaNa, though, and she has offered me such incredible insight to their lives as young newlyweds who faced the uncertainties of war and distance. So many of these stories that she has shared with me I can now relate to, but so many make me marvel at how brave they were back then! When we take a step back and realize the blessings of technology and communication now, I am just in awe of their relentless spirit and courage back then when all they relied upon was the postal service to deliver their letters to one another. Weeks may have gone by without a single letter, and then all of a sudden a whole bundle would arrive - but they never lost hope. NaNa always knew that he would return to her... and a year later he did. What an incredible story of love, hope, and endurance!

So today, on Military Spouse Appreciation Day, I just want to take a moment to honor all of the brave men and women before us who have patiently waited for their loved ones to return - always keeping a smile on their faces, hope in their hearts, and courage to carry on. They, and their servicemembers, are such an inspiration to me and make it possible for me to "keep calm and carry on." I am so incredibly honored to walk among them and now call myself a military spouse as well. And to my incredible husband that God so graciously blessed me with: thank you for everything that you do not only for me, but for this country. I am so proud of you and honored to be your wife. Thank you for choosing me :) I love you.

My First Craft Fair!

As I mentioned in some previous posts, I set up my very first booth ever for my HeartAdrift products at the Naval Officers Spouse Association Craft Fair on Saturday. The set up time was from 6:30am-8:30am and then the fair began at 9. Since this was my first one, I really wasn't sure how much time it would take me to set up my booth, so I arrived promptly at 6:30 and began unloading my car. Ultimately it only took about an hour to set up, but that left me with plenty of time to check out some of the other vendors and chat with some incredibly sweet ladies who were running the show. 

I think my favorite part of this whole experience was getting to talk to the shoppers who came by and hear their stories. Since the craft fair itself took place very close to the gates of the Mayport Naval Station, most of the shoppers who came by were military families and spouses. It was so interesting getting to chat with them and find out how long they've been in the military, where they've lived, and what their experiences have been. It just encourages me so much to hear about their lives :) Anyway, this experience also honestly filled me with so much confidence. Growing up I always absolutely loved going to craft shows with my mom... heck, I still love going to them now too! I never really imagined I'd ever have a booth of my own at one some day, and although this was a relatively small craft show, I felt such a sense of accomplishment just simply from setting a goal to participate, preparing for it weeks in advance, and ultimately finding success in the end. 

When it was all said and done, I was exhausted! I was really thankful that it was only for a day ;) I think that was a great way to "get my feet wet" in the world of craft shows... I can't imagine how truly exhausted I would have been if it had lasted for two days! Heck, I went home and was completely crashed in bed by 6:30pm that night!! It was completely worth it though and I do hope to do it again in the future!

Guest Post

Howdy there! Just wanted to pop in and say hello and let y'all know that I have a guest blog post up! Check it out over at the Homefront Team Blog!

Stay tuned for a re-cap of my very experience as a vendor at the Mayport NOSA USO Craft Fair over the weekend! It was so much fun!!