New Home! :) Come Check It Out

Hey everyone! I'm moving. Okay, I already have moved. I posted that on here, and set up a nifty redirect, but unfortunately the redirect worked so well, that no one realized I transitioned. So if you're a visitor to my blog, please, please come correct your links, and re-follow me. If you subscribe to my feed, I'll need you to re-subscribe. Hopefully you enjoy my new home and the new babies I brought with me.

The main hub is: http://www.spitfiresworld.com

One Step Journeys: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/onestepjourneys
Reviewing My World: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/reviewingmyworld
Hitched In a Hurry: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/hitchedinahurry
Oh My Stars & Bars: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/ohmystarsandbars
Generous Spirit: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/generousspirit
Victim To Victor: http://www.spitfiresworld.com/victimtovictor

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Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Changes To the 2nd Half of the Year

Alright everyone! I've got some changes coming to the blog, and coming to my life, so here's a sneaky peek into the ever shifting SpitFire plane of existence..lol. When you're doing cringing, and being thankful your life is so peaceful (roflol!), link up with the fabulous Amanda at the really nifty button above.

1. Jewel
Okay, for those who've been curious what I'm alluding to, mystery solved. It's a very, very long story, which I will go into further detail later on when all is said & done, but someone took my daughter from me 4 years ago. I'm finally getting my day in court. Today. So if you could please pray that justice would prevail, and my daughter will be permanently returned to me, I will be eternally grateful.

2. I'm strongly considering switching platforms.
Blogger is good for a start, but I'm really thinking about getting more serious, and in that vein I'm thinking of switching my platform. I've received some great feedback that makes me think I might be able to do this more full time. Currently I'm considering Typepad or Wordpress..looking at the pros and cons of each. Any thoughts?

3. I'm working on branding myself, so....
I'm probably getting my own domain name. I'm looking over options for hosts, and names and I'll keep you posted, so that you can update your links appropriately. I have a couple names I'm considering. Anyone have any snazzy suggestions?

4. To get serious about my blogging,
I'm going through ProBlogger's 31 Days To A Better Blog. If you've taken it, please let me know how it went for you. If you've never taken it, but are interested, I'll let you know how it goes. :) Or hopefully you'll see the dramatic improvements.

5. I get to start homeschooling for the first time this year.
I've never done it before, and the rules are different all over the country. So I'm researching the laws on HSLDA's website but if any of y'all are in Georgia, and y'all are homeschoolers, please email me and help me out with this.

6. I get to have my full family this fall.
I'll have Jewel back soon, and Gunlover will return this fall. For the first time I'll have a fully functional family of my own. (My parents/siblings are functional..I mean my own branches.)

7. I will hopefully be a student myself!
Thanks to my service in the military, I have 100% coverage on a Bachelors degree through the Montgomery GI Bill. I just have to figure out which think I want to study first.

8. I  will be picking up some new skill sets over the fall/winter.
I sing all the time, but I have minimal instrumental skills. So I plan to get a program to learn how to play the piano. Then I'd like to finish learning how to play my guitar..any recommendations on how to do that? I also want to start learning a new language, and learn how to sew.

9. I'll know what stuff I'm made of.
As of the middle of October, I will have survived the first overseas tour of our marriage. And I will have survived a pregnancy nearly alone. Raised the baby from birth through about 6 months, without him. Driven 14 hours across country, on my first year with a license, pregnant and alone. And survived the court case to get Jewel back, without him here. I will know precisely what I'm made of, and what our marriage is made of. And so far? I think we're gonna be fine. :)

10.   Once I finish the in-law tour, I'll be learning more about my purpose.
When I was in the military, I desperately wanted to know my purpose. And I asked questions, and learned, until I knew what my purpose there was. But I need to put that same effort into learning what God's purpose for me is. Why did I go through this with Jewel? Is it to help someone else? Will my testimony keep someone else from making my mistakes? Or suffering what I've suffered? Will I be able to help domestic abuse victims stop the cycle, and stop being a victim? I need to spend some time on my  knees, alone with God, in quiet spaces, and learn what His goals for my life are.

Alright now the fun really begins! What changes are you making for the 2nd half of this year? Leave me a comment, or post your own list at Amanda's website. (*hint hint* it's the pretty button up there!)

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MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #2/Defense of Memes

Okay my title is a bit reversed, because I'm going to defend memes. If you just came here, you're not sure what a meme is, there's a great explanation here. I've seen comments and rants on other blogs, saying that memes are impersonal and they prefer when you learn something about someone. I think it depends on how it's done. Fine, you may not always learn something personal from "Wordless Wednesday" but if you pay attention, yes you do. "Wordless Wednesday" is rarely completely wordless. Usually you get an explanation about that picture, or why they posted it. Which means you learn something from that picture.

With Top Ten {Tuesday} you've learned reasons why I'm tired, places I'd like to see, and how I feel about my husband to name a few. Last Friday there was a meme on breakfast. Lame you think? You learned I don't like PopTarts, and that I rarely eat breakfast, but if you want to coax me into eating it, Belgian waffles will always work. That's not personal? It's as personal as it gets. I'm not going to defend people who do nothing but memes on their blog, or even those who primarily do it, but I'm certainly not going to stop doing a few memes because someone got ruffled. Hang in there guys! You will always learn something about  me from my posts.

Now onto this weeks MilSpouse Friday Fill-In, so I can answer some more personal questions. :D

1. Tell us about your dream job… one that you could do regardless of pay.
Being Mrs. Gunlover...oh snap! Got that one already..okay seriously. Probably something to do with music. I'm always at my happiest when I can sing. When I was in the military I sang the National Anthem several times. When I'm visiting my parents for a while, I get to sing in the church choir again. And I'm really hoping to have opportunities to sing once I'm back in GA.


2. What is your most prized material possession (kids and pets don’t count!)?
My wedding band is for sure one. I don't know that I necessarily prize my computer or my phone, but I would certainly be lost without them. I talk to my family on the phone all the time, and my husband on the computer every night.


3. What has been your favorite duty station and why?
We've only been to 2. Holloman AFB, NM & now we're in GA. So, definitely here. If we'd been stationed at Kirtland AFB, NM it might have been harder to pick, but as reality stands, it's the one in Georgia. Because Holloman was in the Tularosa Basin, which means we missed out on all the rain & snow. All the pretty weather was up in the mountains about 30 minutes away. We had sand storms. Nothing is less fun that walking to work in combat boots, full uniform, 103 degree weather, and sand blowing in your direction.
 
4. What is your least favorite household chore?
I'm really not crazy about cleaning the kitchen. I'll clean bathrooms, I'll vacuum, I'll fold & iron laundry in a heartbeat, but I really just don't get into cleaning the kitchen. I don't like cleaning the refrigerator, or taking out the trash, or washing dishes..so yeah that pretty much eliminates all of the kitchen.

5. If you could give one piece of advice to a teenager today (not specifically a MilTeen), what would it be?
Okay my advice mostly applies to female teenagers, but can be applied to boys also. If you're mistreated by your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, fiance..(whatever!) don't put up with it. Don't add to the fire by being ugly in return, but make it clear that you're worth more than that. Don't put up with crap from so-called "friends" either.


Alright what are your answers??? Link up with Wifey and let us know. :)

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Rope Burns & Corn Silk Hair

This post is the 4th of 15. We are writing our way through our youth over at Mommy's Piggy TALES. Check it out! :)

Sorry I'm getting this done so late tonight! I've had a lot on the brain, and I couldn't remember anything for the age of 7. And then I remembered a family reunion.What do y'know...I was 7! This will be a very quick post, so I do apologize. Hopefully next week will be more solid.

I only remember snippets of the family reunion, so here I go with another list of memories. :)

Corn Shucking

I'd never shucked corn before in my life, but I saw some of the grown-ups doing it, and it looked like fun. So I went over and asked them what they were doing, and they explained and showed me how to do it. While we were doing it, one of the guys said my hair looked like corn silk. He meant it as a compliment, since I had very fine, very soft blonde hair. I thought he meant my hair was stringy and yellow, so I didn't think it was very nice at all.

Aunt's Kisses

I had an aunt wearing lipstick that was a bit on the brighter side. She was kissing kids on the forehead, but it didn't occur to me that it would leave a mark. Years later when I read the story of the Wizard of Oz, I rather thought of the Good Witch's kiss as being a sort of fuchsia color, despite the silvery description.

Weather Balloon

There was a weather balloon in the backyard. All I knew is that it was a HUGE balloon. So I enlisted the aid of a group of kiddos and we played tug of war with the balloon, trying desperately to pull it down to play with. I was at the back of line, and somehow my ankle go wrapped in the rope. I got another new experience..rope burn! (I'll take shucking corn anyday!)

Well there you have it. :) What fond memories from family reunions do you have? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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VLog Top Ten #1: 10 Reasons I'm So Tired

 Alright ladies! I bit! I finally did it....and it's not all that great, roflol. Okay so the video quality surprised me...much better than expected. The sound? Not so much. I don't know if I just have a really quiet computer, or if I'm just really that quiet. I don't think I'm a quiet person, but it doesn't seem to matter how loud I talk, I had to have the computer at top volume to hear the video. So please let me know if there's anything you didn't catch..maybe I should add subtitles, lol.

Hope you enjoy! And whether or not you enjoy, there's a ton of other wonderful posts at OhAmanda's. So link up, and have fun. :) 

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