Reflecting on a sad day...

Bloggysphere has been buzzing today about Jessica's tragic suicide blog. According to one source, she is alive and in treatment. 

Like many of you, I was shocked to see it. How candid and open her account of her story. How unimaginable that it had progressed so far.  But I went through my blogroll today to find that TONS of my MilGirls had written her a blog post in response to hers.  This is what I LOVE about blogging in this community. The fact that it is a community. The fact that we are affected and are touched so deeply that it starts to change our personal lives, separate from the one we live in the bloggysphere...

So, please know, that I love you all. Thank you for being a part of my community and my every day life.

On a different note, I would like to take some time in my blog to talk about mental health issues. This might seem boring for some people but it's a passion of mine to talk about mental health. How can we help those around us and how can we be more aware?  You'll see more of the Social Worky side of me come out more...

Love you lots,
Reina

Semper Spouse!

I'm so excited to announce that 

I'm being featured on Semper Spouse today!!

  I just came across this AWESOME blog last week and for some reason they asked me to write a blog for them.  

I'm so honored!!

I know I'm not a Marine Wife (Semper Spouse) yet but when I become one, 

I plan to be Forever a Marine Wife!!!

Hop over to their FRIDAY FEATURE debut, aka. yours truly!

Also, if you're a Marine MilGirl, grab their button! 

It's such a good lookin' site and they have matching buttons. Oh the hottness! 

Let me know what you think!! xox R

MilGirl Live and Learn: Samantha

Thanks Karissa at Being a Better Wife for my new MilGirl Logo!

Today it's all about Samantha of Navy Doll

(Aren't they just adorable? Nod... yep!)

Tell us a little about you: I'm 23 years old, married to a handsome sailor, stay at home mommy. I love to cook. Hate to clean, but somehow manage to keep the house under control. My favorite scent is cherry blossom and my favorite food is guacamole!!! :)

The branch of service: United States Navy

How long have you been together/married? We have been together for 3 1/2 years, and married for 2 years.

How did you meet your man? Was it before he decided to sign his life away?: We met in bootcamp, August 2006. We were interviewing to get stationed in Boston. I thought he was so adorable, and he thought I looked like Dora the Explorer. (I had this awfully short haircut, I'm Hispanic, and I have a pear shape....enough said) We were like bootcamp sweethearts!

Is he career military? He says he isn't, but everytime i ask him where he sees himself in 10 years, he goes straight to being stationed somewhere like Japan or Italy. ha ha! He's definitely a lifer!
How did you initially feel about him being in the military?: I love it! I'm so proud of him and he is such a hard worker. I've had the privilege of working with him. He keeps work as work. There will be plenty of time to play afterward.

What attracted you to him? Was it the uniform?: His smile and personality. He's got a sense of humor that is out of this world. His uniform not so much. When I first met him we were both wearing the same thing...nothing sexy about that! lol! But now, he works a pair of dress blues and whites like no other! :)

How does/did your family feel about him being in the military?: Nobody seems bothered by it. They are just glad that he has done something great and amazing with his life. My father, a Vietnam Veteran, couldn't be prouder.

Does the sexy uniform (or the sense of pride you feel) make up for the sacrifices you have to make?: Although he does look great in his uniform, that will never be the reason to make me feel better about a missed anniversary or birthday. Yet, the sense of pride I feel for him somehow does. I know he does it because he loves his country and he wants his family to have a good life. There's nothing better than that.

Have your plans been messed up thanks to the military? Tell me your horror stories!: He's missed so many holidays and birthdays! It's the pits, but you get used to it. The worst thing that has happened was this past Thanksgiving. He had come home from a 2 week underway a few days before. The week of Thanksgiving they called him to go back out. He came home late on Thanksgiving. Around 8pm. It stunk because last year he had duty on Thanksgiving.....I was more than a little peeved.

Does it motivate you as a couple to get married sooner if he is slated to get orders to leave you (go off to training/school, move to a new duty station –PCS, deploy)? Did you elope? We were lucky enough to get stationed together in Boston and our new Duty Station. We eloped because we couldn't wait any longer! I couldn't wait to become his wife!!!!!

What is one piece of advice you had received PRIOR to getting married or while dating? Never marry a military man....Here's what I say to that: Guess my honest, faithful, and loving husband wasn't the military man you were talking about.

Thanks Samantha for joining us for the 2nd ever MilGirl Live and Learn!

Come back and see us next week when we talk to a Marine Princess.

~

Do you want to talk about your MilGirl experiences?

I'd love to talk to you! Please email me at [date.a.marine@gmail.com] for details!

Help!!! I need you to...

I need to come up with a name for my "dating a service member advice column" stuff!  I currently feel lovely, like a Carrie Bradshaw type, with the finding girls to dole out the advice.  But before I can become a stiletto-ed Carrie, I need a cool, fun sassy-spectacular name! So put your thinking caps on, ladies! Help a girl out!

So, the whole point of these blogs will be to meet a MilGirl (Milgirlfriend, Milfiancee, and Milspouse) to learn about their time while dating their service member.  The decisions that you have to make because the military sometimes takes over your life; what you learn because of the military; how your life changed when you went from civilian to MilGirl.  This is a resource to help navigate the uncertainty that is the military, uncertainty that sometimes is a volatile relationship due to the military (for example: I met this guy 4 months ago, we're in love but his unit is getting ready to deploy for the next 13 months and I don't know if I'm ready or what I'm getting myself into)...

Please help me come up with a name! 

Shankkseee!!
(If you're interested in being interviewed, I'd love to have ya! Just email me! dateamarine@gmail.com)
Reina