the first tee: free golf lessons and life skills

do you have a budding golfer on your hand? if so, the first tee wants to give your golfer some free lessons and improve their swing and help with life lessons. simply visit their website and find a participating golf course and let your golfer take a swing!

www.thefirsttee.org/club/scripts/section/section.asp?grp=O&NS=DD

operation purple family retreats

i posted previously about operation purple camps for kids ages 7 - 17 yrs old to help them cope with the stresses of the deployment. well, those camps have started and registration is closed for this summer. but could your family use a retreat to help you all cope with this deployment? check out www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/operation-purple/family-retreats/how-do-i-apply.html for find a retreat near you.

operation military kids

operation military kids is the u.s. army's cooperative with various community agencies like 4-h and the boys and girls club of america and the american legion to help kids cope with the military but especially deployments.

each summer they offer a handful of camps (www.operationmilitarykids.org/public/EventDetail.aspx?ID=1929) in conjunction with the local agencies. in addition to these summer camps, they also offer 'hero packs' and a special brief on deployment for national guard and reserve kids.

to find out more, visit them at www.operationmilitarykids.org

free museum entrance this summer

want to get out of the house and stroll through your local art museum? want to take the kids on a day trip to the children's museums? you can do it all for free this summer!

from memorial day until labor day, the blue star families, the national art endowment, and over 750 museums across the nation are offering free admission to military members and their families. simply find a museum (www.arts.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/index.php) and present your id card and enjoy!

a great resource and conference just for women

so i know it's been a while since i posted any goodies for y'all, but that's because i've been sneakily posting on facebook. check us out at: www.tinyurl.com/facebooksurviving!

okay, here's my new gem for y'all: wings for women military spouses conference

check them out at: www.wings4women.wordpress.com or on facebook.

i spent the evening laughing, crying and left refreshed. not only was my mind at ease for a few hours, but my spirit seems renewed and my soul seems to be approaching refilled. what's great about this group is that these ladies started out as simply meeting at the coffee shop and having fellowship and encouraging each other through their spiritual journey and this journey we call our military life. from there it grew to a blog and now a yearly conference. with worship music, a few snacks, some door prizes and keynote speakers, a room full of strangers, some who travel seven states over, quickly has transformed into a sisterhood and group of ladies who for the weekend have come to fill their spiritual tanks and put on more armour to fight their own battles.

and if you can't make it to the conferences, oh there are more about various topics, there is always the blog and facebook.

you are appreciated!

in 1984, president ronald reagan realized that military spouses were a vital part to making our military as strong and successful as it is. so, he set aside the friday before mother's day as military spouses appreciation day. to honor you, the military spouse who waits, no matter the distance or how long, who fights your own battles on the homefront between sleepless nights and tears, who never gives up, no matter how hopeless or stressful the situation may seem.

your day is filled with honors and events across the nation. check with your post's community service center or family readiness center for special events in your honor. check out this link for information on various discounts and freebies, just because you are appreciated! www.militaryavenue.com/articles/military+spouse+appreciation+day+21+-+events+discounts+and+give-aways-33557.aspx


and thank you for supporting our troops, our families and the mission!

resources for kids of all ages

so i've gotten a couple emails recently about a bunch of different resources for kids of all ages (and all branches) dealing with preparing, dealing with, and life after the deployment. hope these help!

operation purple: www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/operation-purple
operation purple is a summer camp program for military children, from 7 years old to 17 years old. with locations all across the usa, what better way for your kiddo to get away, make some new friends and be reminded they're not alone in this adventurous life. applications are due by april 16th, but if you miss the deadline this year, you can always send your kiddo next year.

ourmilitarykids.com: www.ourmilitarykids.com
ourmilitarykids.com is a website that lists various programs supported by the group of donors, specifically for national guard and all military reserve families.

vt research magazine article to help you understand your teen and deployment: www.research.vt.edu/resmag/researchmagjan06/deploy.html
the article in the virginia tech research magazine may shed a little more light are what you'll be facing when your soldier deploys leaving you and your teen behind. heads up, they've lowered the age of 'teens' to start as early 10 years old for some kids.

united through reading: www.unitedthroughreading.org
i have a new favorite resource! united through reading is sponsored by the uso. your soldier can go in to your post's uso before he deploys and pick out a book, be recorded reading it on a dvd, and then when he deploys, your little one will get mail, with the book and the dvd so they can have their very own 'daddy story.' what's great, many airports have a uso equipped to provide this service and so do several of the uso's in the middle east, just in case he doesn't get a chance to make a dvd before he deploys. and it's not just for your littlest ones, they have books even for your tween and teen.

what military teens want you to know toolkit: www.militaryfamily.org/assets/pdf/what-military-teens-want-you-to-know-toolkit.pdf
not sure what your teen is thinking or feeling about your soldier, their job and their deployment? the what military teens want you to know toolkit gives you ten things to make you think about what your teen's facing and how they might be feeling about not just the deployment, but your soldier's military career and military life as a whole.

there are tons more that i'm hunting down and going to share with y'all soon!