survival sister pictures

*Caution: This post became much longer than I expected!*

I recently helped plan a Survival Sister Party to celebrate the amazing girlfriends in my life… It was very special because we celebrated the rare sisterhood friendships that form during a military deployment…

While I was writing that post, I realized there were a few women who had already moved who were also my Survival Sisters… and as I was going through my pictures reminiscing, it occurred to me… what a great flashback!!  So here is a small collection of pictures of my girlfriends during this last deployment!

This is my all time favorite picture with my Ram Divas… There was a “Spouses Challenge” event on September 11, 2008, where we all dressed in our husbands uniforms and performed all kinds of tasks.  A ruck march, firing range, and paint ball to name a few!  We called ourselves the “Ram Divas” because our husbands were all part of “Task Force Ram” and we were going to be Divas for the day!  (Many spouses were “hardcore” about this competition, but we just wanted to have fun so we wore stickers, ribbons, and glitter!)  L-R Amy, Pam, Monica, and I

Let me introduce you to our fearless leader, Amy… I learned a lot from this lady… That I shouldn’t eat corn on the cob or bbq ribs at a picnic because stuff gets stuck in my teeth… That sometimes even the most confident person needs a good cry and a big hug… That even tho we were wearing camo that day, lipstick is still a must!  But don’t let this picture fool you – this lady knew how to work too.  She was constantly volunteering her personal time around the community – teaching yoga to school teachers on their lunch hour, coordinating events for the families of deployed soldiers, and always generous with her positive thoughts and encouragement. She is an amazing person that I consider myself blessed to have gotten to know!  Amy is now in South Carolina.

Next is Pam – I hardly know where to begin… She is sassy, hardworking, passionate, go-getter, funny, dependable, thrifty… I admire her confidence.  When something bothers her, she speaks her mind!  She is down to earth and pretty blunt sometimes which can be downright hysterical – for example, during my husbands two week leave, I got pregnant with Madeline.  When I told my girlfriends over dinner her response was “You guys need to SELL that stuff! — No, I’m serious! You could make some money!”… too funny! This picture is of Pam and her daughter during a hometown football game!  We were freezing but we had fun – even with Jacob (then 2 and a half) running out onto the field!  Her husband reenlisted so they could stay in Germany for a few more years, and I am thrilled to know we will make lots more great memories!

Some of you already know Monica, from her amazing blog called Daily Dwelling.  A soft spoken, petite woman with beautiful red hair – she struck me as a typical mom/military wife when I first met her… But as I have gotten to know her, I am continually inspired by her faith in God, her love for her family, and her generous spirit.  She amazes me with her creativity and humbles me with her honesty.  When I found out my third baby was going to be a girl, I have joked that one day she has to teach me a class on how to wear makeup… She always takes care of her appearance and looks put together… (whereas I’m more the Sandra Bullock, Miss Congeniality type!)  This picture is not a very good one, but it was a definitely a memorable night!  It was December last year and we had met for the local Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  Monica actually blogged about the classic picture taken of her children – two out of the three freaked out!  This was taken on our walk back to the car – we were so happy to have safely navigated the huge crowds, visited with Santa, drank some hot cocoa, and now be headed home!  Monica and her family will be moving in a few weeks and I will definitely miss her!

Wilma was the first spouse I met when we moved to Germany.  While we were stuck in a hotel for 6 weeks waiting for an apartment to become available, she opened her home to me, my then new baby William, and rambunctious two year old Jacob!  She even baked cupcakes for Jacob’s Birthday while we were in the hotel… When she showed up with cupcakes, bright napkins and plates I almost kissed her and cried at the same time – and she barely knew me!!  Right before our husbands deployed, she became pregnant – and soon after her baby was born, I became pregnant… Funny how that happened! (No we DIDn’t plan it that way! LOL) In this picture of her she is the ultimate multitasker… holding baby Connor, herding toddlers with one foot and roasting a marshmallow with the other!  Her giving/sharing heart and quick wit, are things I will definitely miss this February when they move to Washington (state)!

Leslie lived in the same building, loves coffee, loves her son, and had an adorable little dog named “June-june”… We spent many cold dreary winter mornings in our pajamas watching the boys run around the apartment together – and time on the phone while our boys were napping!!  She was also my thrift store/yard sale buddy – I learned so much from her amazing knack for saving money!  This picture reminds me of when we grilled together and my brats kept rolling off the grill – she teased me for weeks about how I threw my wieners around… (Disclaimer: Women with husbands deployed can not be held responsible for making random references to sex… Being a nun for 12-14 months can make your sense of humor a little raunchy! LOL!)  Leslie just moved to Virginia about a week ago – I still think of her whenever I have a cup of coffee and watch the sun rise… we usually chatted on the phone around 7am – her son got up as early as my boys!

Last, but not least, is Miss Sidney.  I remember meeting her in December, right after her baby had been born.  We had a lot in common as we both have two boys 22 months apart – her’s are each about a year younger than mine.  She is spunky, quick to laugh, thrifty, creative, generous young woman with a good head on her shoulders. She recently has started a blog called Green Enough and she has done an amazing job in such a short time!  Her sense of humor, christian faith, and genuine delight in her children are apparent in her writing. Her husband also reenlisted so they could stay in Germany for a few moreyears, and (like Pam) I am thrilled to know we will make lots more great memories!

 
I am so blessed to call these women my friends…

my battle buddies…  my survival sisters…

Now that our husbands returned home in May 2009, life is slowly returning to a new “normal”.  Deployment does that… Each of us have grown in different ways – learning to be independent, taking up new hobbies, our children have grown…

And yet our friendships will always be there -

no matter where the Army sends us!

This post is linked to “Friday Photo Flashback”
Hosted by Alicia from More than Words.