Blue Star Families and Disney Host Books on Bases Event in Hawaii

This past Sunday, I was beyond honored and excited to volunteer at a Books on Bases event hosted by Blue Star Families and Disney.  The Books on Bases Event was created by Blue Star Families to impact military children in a positive way through the power of reading.  And since April was the Month of the Military Child, the timing could not have been more perfect.

Volunteers were on deck from both Blue Star Families and Disney.

The event kicked off with a special reading by Deputy Joint Base Commander Colonel Dann S. Carlson and Disney Aulani Director of Public Affairs, Todd Apo of Billy Twitters and the Blue Whale Problem.  The children were so engaged during story time!  It also highlights what amazing work Blue Star Families does to broker relationships between the military and private companies to help military children.

Each child then picked up a generous goodie bag filled with pencils, puzzles, and a DVD of Pixar's Meet the Robinsons. 

I saw my beautiful friend Michelle at the event with her kids!

The children walked past table after table overflowing with books, ranging from board books to chapter books.  Along with a copy of Billy Twitters and the Blue Whale Problem, each child got to select four brand new books to take home.  I was genuinely blown away about how generous the sponsors were with the gifts.

There were plenty of craft tables nearby for kids of all ages.  There was a bookmark making station...

 

A table to make your own crowns...

And of course, to go with your crown, a station to make your own paper swords...

Everyone was also super surprised and excited when some special guests showed up...

Micky and Minnie stayed for the entirety of the event so that everyone could get a picture with them.  How nice is that?!?  Here is a shot of a family posing with Micky and Minnie.

And a photo of the adult VIPs with Mickey and Minnie.

And gosh golly gee, I had to get a photo too!!!  I'm posing with Benjamin and Alyssa (a daughter's friend and amazing volunteer).

Alyssa also helped me with Benjamin during the event.  Here are the two of them getting a little snuggle in amidst all the chaos.  This young woman blew me away with how hard she worked supervising the crown craft table on her own.  Go Alyssa!!!

And finally, here I am with Meghan Scott, Program Manager for Blue Star Families and coordinator for the entire event.  She flew all the way in from Alaska to bring this event to Hawaii!!

Thank you Blue Star Families for coming all the way out to Hawaii to bring so much love to the military children stationed here!  I had a BLAST volunteering!

And if you aren't familiar with them, make sure to check out the Blue Star Families facebook page and "like" them.  They work directly with government, companies, and the military to help make military life for military families sustainable.  Seriously fantastic work on so many levels.

As always, mahalo for stopping by!

Countdown to Goodbye

We are counting down the days/ hours/ minutes before Justin leaves again.  The anxiousness just hangs over everyone.  It leads to uncontrollable crying, senseless bickering, or overwhelming love at random times throughout the day.  But we are all trying to focus on simply enjoying the moments we have together and being grateful for the time that we do have.  I keep reminding myself that it could be a billion times worse and that this isn't about us.  It's about something much bigger that us - it's about serving our country and the sacrifices Justin makes because of his love for this country.  I have to suck it up because I'm not strong enough to do what Justin does (and will do).  But I know that somehow I can be strong enough to make sure that our little family will be fine while he is away.  And during those moments when I falter, I know that I will have my family and friends there to pick me back up.  

So the countdown to goodbye continues.  But the sooner we say goodbye, the sooner we can start counting down to hello.

Operation Write Home: Helping Heros Keep in Touch

Justin joined the Navy right out high school.  I was only 15 years old then.  I still remember talking to him on the phone when he told me that he had enlisted.  I don't remember my reaction.  But I do remember the amazingly long letters and sweet cards we would exchange for years after that.  We wrote to each other when he was at boot camp, at nuke school, at the academy, at sea.  We wrote about everything under the sun - from what we ate for dinner to the floor plan of our dream house.  So from personal experience, being in love with a Navy sailor, I know and appreciate the importance of a handwritten letter or handmade card.

Operation Write Home is a non-profit organization that supports our country's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards for them to write home on.  They have sent over 1,656,000 handmade greeting cards to deployed service members around the world!!  "There's no card store in Kabul or Baghdad.  But on the home front, we can help."

I am beyond thrilled that Xyron is partnering up with We R Memory Keepers to help collect another 50,000 cards for Operation Write Home.  This whole week, the Xyron Design Team will be sharing our cards over at Beth Kingston's amazing blog, Ain't She Crafty.  Here are the cards I created.

1.  Happier by the Minute {a greeting card}.  The layout for this card was actually inspired by this beautiful scrapbook layout by Amy Kingsford.  I love the look of strips of washi tape just placed down in a long column.  Instead of using washi tape, I made my own "tape" using paper strips from the WRMK Baby Mine Collection and my Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker.

Supplies:  Cardstock (American Crafts); Patterned Paper (WRMK - Baby Mine); Adhesives (Xyron  1.5" Sticker Maker; Xyron Mega Runner); Buttons (K&Company; Oriental Trading Company); Embroidery Floss (WRMK); Stamps (Lawn Fawn); Punches/ Dies (Fiskars, Spellbinders); Other (Uni-ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen, Tim Holtz Distress Ink).

2.  Missing You {a greeting card}.  I sometimes think that simple is best, especially when a card sentiment itself is so loaded with meaning.  

Supplies:  Cardstock (Neenah Paper); Patterned Paper (WRMK - Baby Mine); Adhesives (Xyron Mega Runner, Gloss Accents); Punch (WRMK Corner Chomper, Martha Stewart Crafts); Letter Stickers (American Crafts); Other (Uni-ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen, Tim Holtz Distress Ink).

This is the back of the card stamped with the Operation Write Home stamp (which you can get for free from their website).

3.  Hometown Hero {a greeting card}.  This final card reflects how I imagine many deployed military members feel about the family and loved ones they've left at home.  (You can read an amazing article here written by a military dad.)  It reminds us that the sacrifices made by those in the military also create tremendous stress on their families at home.  I know that Justin's absence has definitely changed my life in more ways that I ever thought possible.  But I think that if Justin were to write me a handwritten letter today (like he did 15 year ago), instead of sending a card filled with red hearts, the message might be more something like this...

He'll probably keep the pink and red hearts for a card addressed to Charlotte.  :)

Supplies:  Cardstock (WRMK, Neenah Paper); Patterned Paper (WRMK - Red White & Blue); Stamps, Inks and Pens (Amuse Stamps, Impress, Copics, American Crafts); Embossing Folder by Paper Studio; Eyelets by WRMK; Twine by Twinery; Uni-ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen; Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Glossy Accents by Ranger.

If you are interested in helping these efforts, please visit WRMK's Operation Write Home page for information how to send in your cards and win $1000 in WRMK product!  

As always, thanks for stopping by!

WIthout the Rain...

These past few years have felt like a honeymoon.  Justin has been home.  Since April 2009, the longest he was away from home was eight days for a sailing trip with his dad.  I've learned to depend on him for so very much.  He gives Charlotte a bath almost every night.  He takes out the trash.  He hangs up the pictures.  He hugs me just when I need to be held.  But now...now, he's gone...  

Justin and Charlotte going up and down the airport elevator before finally saying goodbye.

We go back to being long-distance.  For years, we were long-distance boyfriend/ girlfriend.  A week after we got married, we were long-distance husband/ wife.  But that was when it was just the two of us.  Now we have Charlotte.  So now...now, Justin will add long-distance daddy to his resume.  That is probably why it feels so hard.  We've never done this before.  New and uncharted territory.  But it is what it is.  As my sister always says, you lie in the bed you make.  And I think that we both just have to remember...

Justin, we miss you.

Month of the Military Child

I have a military child.  Sadly, I did not even realize that April is the Month of the Military Child until I read this touching blog post by Stephanie Howell.  It wasn't long before I was hysterically weeping; it was as if I was reading about my future.


As we prepare to move once again and quickly approach our first deployment with Charlotte, Justin and I are bracing to prepare Charlotte for an onslaught of change - moving cross country, new school, new house, absent dad. 

Last week, our household goods pack out took away Charlotte's polka dot chair, bike, sheets, most of her toys and books.  Each morning, Charlotte and I will have a conversation somewhere along these lines:


Mommy, where my [insert missing item, e.g., polka dot chair]? 


It's going to San Diego, sweetie.  


Then, without even a pause to process any of the information, she begins to sob, collapse onto the floor, and scream:


I DON'T WANT IT!  I DON'T WANT TO GO!  HOUSE, HOUSE, HOUSE!!!


The following words also trigger similar reactions:  airplane, move, new house, California.  Charlotte started having night terrors the night the movers took away the boxes.  If you ask her where Daddy is (when Justin isn't in the room), she'll point to her heart.  


It doesn't seem fair sometimes.  It feels more like a cruel initiation process into the military family.  But regardless of whether or not it's fair, it is our reality.  We do it because we love Daddy.  And Daddy does it because he loves this country.