R.A.W. Voices

December Survey

 In December we posed the following questions to our site visitors and this is what they had to say:
 

• A. Independent; strong; resilient; loving; compassionate
• A. I'm a stay at home mother, I'm an army wife. I'm organized yet frazzled at the same time. I'm a tough cookie but I have crumbled. I stay as strong as I can for our kids and support their daddy with everything I do everyday.
• A. I am a Proud Wife to a CAVALRY Soldier, mother to a very active two year old, addicted volunteer, advocate for military children, domestic engineer (for the time being anyway) and educator on a break of undetermined length.  I'm just trying to keep the home fires burning without burning down the house!
• A. Smart, funny, strong, able to handle the best/worst of life. I love my family. I'm a very proud Army Wife. I try to find the best in life no matter what. I have very strong family views. My family comes before anyone or anything else.
• A. Young for my years, yet old for my years, in other words I look well because I've learned to take care of myself, and I'm probably more worldly-wise than most. I have an excellent education, but not any seniority on the job because of so many moves. Gardening and pets are a passion of mine because it doesn't matter what kind of housing you get stuck with, you still get some room to garden and enjoy your pets. I'm an optimist, the oldest child of six, a mother of three grown children, a teacher, a lover and a friend.
• A. I am a very active and adventurous person. I believe that a strong body is just as important as a strong mind, but sometimes my willpower is weak (especially for chess pie and a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Latte). I believe that I am someone who is learning to take more personal responsibility, particularly when trying to find the positive perspective on a situation. However, I still sometimes want to wallow in the "pity me" aspect of my husband being deployed. I am loyal and supportive to my husband, family, and friends, although I have been known to place my big German nose where it doesn't belong from time to time.
• A. I'm quiet when you first meet me, but I open up once I get to know you. I have very few life-long friends, but for those with whom I am, I'm very close. I'm a proud and loving mom. I put my family before myself because that's what makes me happy. I've become level-headed and mellow in my mid-life years.
• A. I am the backbone of the house. I can change a diaper, kiss a "owie" , cook dinner and wash, fold and set out my husbands pt's and acu's for the next day all at the same time. Its like a game what all can I do tomorrow?

• A. Warm; cozy
• A. My home is clean, patriotic, warm, welcoming, full of kids and laughter. It's also crazy, hectic and wild at times!
• A. Lived in and filled with love!
• A. Typical 1950's Army house. 3/bedroom, 2 bath, front porch. It's comfy and lived in.
• A. Warm, cozy, dogs greet you at the door. Children grown, but always visiting. Rural neighborhood with lots of woodland. Big friendly kitchen, lots of sunlight.
• A. It is comfort for us. It is a warm and soft place to land after a hard day. There is always hot chocolate in the cabinet, a cozy blanket on the sofa, a full wine fridge and 2 cats looking for a lap. It's not always clean, in fact there is a layer of scum on the water dispenser that I can't get off with anything. But as long as the cat hair hasn't taken over the house and the dishes get done every night, I let some other things slide...and we don't even have kids yet.
• A. Small, always busy, not as neat as it once was.
• A. Clutterd!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• A. movies; reading
• A. Free time?? We have that? Well, when I find some I sit online and enter my own world, I watch a movie, I just lay down and zone out to my own world where my kids are angels and my husband is home everyday at 5 with a smile and flowers.
• A. Surfing the net or working on whatever projects I have going such as quilting, etc.
• A. I like to write, cook, spend time with the friend's I have made here at the Base.
• A. Free time??? OK, I'm a public school teacher, so I do have some real time in the summer and over the holidays. I use it to travel and visit my my elderly parents and my five siblings. Christmas through New Year is at my folks house every year, with all the brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles. A two week holiday in the summer is spent between my sister's and my folks. Since they are elderly, I try to give them as much as I can. They've never had me near them, so it's important to all of us to spend time together. At least one of my daughters is always with me to visit too.
• A. I work 3 jobs so I don't have a lot of free time. But I love living life with my husband when he's here, or with my family and friends when he's gone. We go to movies, go ice skating, shop at the thrift stores, and indulge in fondue every chance we get. I also love to take a hot yoga or Zumba class, but I usually end up going to those alone.
• A. I watch TV, shoot with my husband, take belly dance classes, talk with family and friends, travel.
• A. What free time!?

• A. grad school
• A. I'm planning to take online classes to get my RN degree while my husband is gone.
• A. I would like one day to get my doctorate in Educational Technology if we are ever stationed in a place were I have access to a school with that degree program.
• A. I have been thinking about going back to College and finishing my Pre-Law Degree, but I'm not sure yet.
• A. I am a college graduate with a year of grad school, but I've never been able to finish it. At first it was a time issue, now it is an energy issue.
• A. I just finished my certification in massage therapy and am getting ready to take my national boards for my license. It fit perfectly with my kinesiology degree and personal training/Yoga/Pilates/Spinning certifications. I can kick your butt in the gym and then work it all out on the table with some hot stones!
• A. Been planning on going back for a long time, but I have two sons in college and I pay cash for full tuition every semester, so I just can't afford it for myself.
• A. No I'm not sure if i wan to go back.  I may be happy as a stay at home mom.  Then again........

• A. health
• A. I need more patience!!
• A. Self discipline when it comes to food (eating less of the bad stuff) and exercise (doing more of the good stuff).
• A. If I could improve one area of my life it would be making sure we where able to live closer to our families
• A. Yes, many, but it is better to stop wishing and take a small step in the dynamic of change.
• A. I wish I could find a way to be OK with my husband's deployment. I'm not even angry. I'm just incredibly sad for most of the time. I'm sad for the things he'll be missing in 2008 and sad because he's not here to share them with me. We have gotten every piece of technology to make this easier - from AKO accounts for both of us to webcams. And still I think life is just not the same without him. I wish I could find and hang on to the positive perspective on this situation.
• A. Organizing my home better.
• A.  I need more patience.

• A. save for child's college, our retirement; and vacation
• A. Live more enjoyably, take things a little less serious.
• A. Save more money for when my husband gets home.
• A. Take my husband on a wonderful vacation when he gets back from this next deployment, and go where he wants to go.
• A. Stop worrying about the future. It's easy to excuse creating debt because we work so damn hard and sacrifice so precious much. Spending to make things happen like visits with family are just too easily embraced.
• A. We would be able to start our family debt-free...which is our dream. It would also allow us to go to Rome. I need to practice these new Italian phrases I'm learning while he's gone.
• A. Save more money.
• A. Buy a house.