SPRING CLEANING IN JANUARY

Not sure why I have decided to do my spring cleaning in January, but that is what has been happening around here for the last two weeks. That could be a good thing I guess. 

Not much to blog about. Work has been hectic and all this cleaning has kept me busy for the last two weekends.

Trying to decide whether or not I should go to the 2009 Milblog Conference.  Sent out an email checking with several to see if they were going or not, and no one seems to know just yet.  I have checked on a flight, but just can't make my mind up.  

Other than cleaning and working, nothing else is worth blogging about...

JUST A WISHING...

Yep, I am sitting here just wishing that I was in Vegas with all my military friends at the Milblog Conference.  I am sure that they had a blast last night at the Blackfive party at the Penthouse.  

DANG I WANT TO BE THERE...

I am so jealous AWTM, SSM, Melinda and Greta...  

Guess that Tammi and I will just be sitting around today doing nothing but wishing that we were in Vegas with ya'll..

2007 MILBLOG CONFERENCE RECAP

My thought on the 2007 MILBLOG CONFERENCE...I had the most wonderful time and will do it all over again next year, so if you have not been to the first two, the third is a must.

ANDI you ROCK. You did a wonderful job at putting the 2007 Milblog Conference together, and you are why it was a huge success.

I along with Some Soldiers Mom, the lovely Andrea Shea-King, Jo Ann, Jean a/k/a Honey Bunny, Soldiers’ Angel and the wonderful ladies who made it possible to get us into the Walter Reed Malone House started Friday night out with a trip to Walter Reed, and we were so very honored to be able to go to the Malone House and visit with some of the wounded soldiers and their families. We also were honored to be able to be with the DC Freepers for a short while before we headed to the Malone House. You guys ROCK too.

Then Saturday was the big day, and I will let the video that I put together say it all. It was absolutely awesome.



Thanks again ANDI for making it happen.

Unexpected Guest Speaker at the Conference

Gold Star Dad Mr. Robert Stokely spoke for a few minutes at the conference, and I don't think there was a dry eye in the whole room. What an amazing father he is.

President Bush addresses the Milbloggers

Interview of Sean from Doc In The Boxcan bee seen here. Not sure how I ended up at the end of this video, but I am assuming it must have been right after Mr. Stokely spoke to us, as there was not a dry eye in the room.

ALL IN THE FAMILY--PANEL #2

Panelist #2 for the day is all about family...

ArmyWifeToddlerMom and Some Soldiers Mom.

Special guest was Robert Stokely, dad to Mike Stokely who was killed in Iraq in August 2005. Thank you Mr. Stokely for sharing with us your story.

UNEXPECTED VISITORS

Just the most wonderful parents in the world decided to stop by for a tall glass of ice water. They had been on a short road trip with my Uncle and Aunt on their Trikes and thought they would surprise us.



I have an extremely busy week, then a very important mission with the Patriot Guard this weekend that I will be honored to attend. The following week I will attempt to get everything squared away and on Thursday head to DC for the 2007 Milbloging Conference. I am so so ready for a break.

2007 Milblog Conference experience

My reflections of the 2006 Conference and pictures of 2007 Conference...

I am not quite sure just where to begin with my reflections of last year’s 2006 Milblog Conference. It was an experience that I would not trade for anything in the world.

The 2006 Milblog Conference was something that I was so looking forward to for months. I wanted so badly to be able to put faces with names or with blog names I should say. That day finally came and what a day/weekend we had. Words can’t explain it, you just had to be there. There were lots of tears and lots of laughter. We did not want it to end.

My highlight was to meet SSM, and a wonderful person she is. We had talked for hours and hours on the phone about our boys or should I say our “young men” prior to the conference, and we have not let up since then either.

2007 Milblog Conference...

Our first get together was at Walter Reed. It was raining, but it was awesome to see the look in those soldiers eyes as they crossed the street to join us.

Fran O’Brien’s was our second get together on Friday night, and the very first person that came up to me was AWTM, and her words were, I think “You are Keep My Soldier Safe”. Not sure why that has stuck with me for the past year, but it has. We immediately hit it off, and before I knew it I was getting to see pictures of the Collective.

Andi you are such a wonderful person who has to have lots of patients to be able to pull together these conferences. Thanks in advance Andi for all your hard work in making it happen. It will defiantly be another successful conference because of you.

To sum it up in one word AWESOME.

MILBLOG CONFERENCE

2007 Milblog Conference

50+ have already registered. Looks like we will have another wonderful turnout this year. I am already excited about seeing everyone again. If you have not already registered, now is the time to sign up before it's too late.

2007 Milblog Conference

2007 Milblog Conference

If you attended last year, then you know that it is a MUST that you attend again this year. Lots of wonderful panelists will be there again this year. Never can get enough of AWTM, Some Soldiers Mom, Andi and Mary Ann plus lots more good bloggers.

My reservations for the hotel have been confirmed and my plane ticket has been purchased, so I am good to go.

Hope to see you all there...

SLIDESHOW FROM DC TRIP.

MILBLOG CONFERENCE




WALTER REED MEDICAL CENTER

LAST DAY/NIGHT IN DC...

This will wrap things up for our DC trip.

Carol, Mel and I...We had a blast in DC. This is only a few of the 900 plus pictures that the three of us took over four days. We are definately going to have to do this again, just the girls.

Saturday evening was spent shopping, and again on Sunday morning we headed back out for more shopping. I don't think that I have ever shopped and walked so much in 4 days in my life. I had to make sure that I had everyone on my list something from DC...

This picture was taken inside the Pentagon City Mall.



Then we headed to the zoo for the evening...





Again, I will let the pictures speak for themselves...

Already looking forward to next year's conference...

MILBLOG CONFERENCE

Post #2 of DC Trip...

I would like to first start off by thanking Andi for doing such an awesome job at putting this conference together. She had to have worked 24 hours a day for days and days to pull this conference off. It was the best conference Andi. You ROCK...

It was wonderful getting to meet all the milbloggers, such as CJ, Blackfive, Capt. B, Lynn, Chuck and Carren, Holly, David, Bob, ArmyWifeToddlerMom, Colonel David Hunt, Dadmanly & Mrs. Dadmanly and son, Pam from Iraq War News, Mary Ann, Heidi, Melinda, and Carla... I know that I meet many more, but right now, just can't think straight. I am still so exhausted from the trip. It will take me days to recoup from this I think.

The conference was awesome, just not enough time in one day to get around to meeting each and every person that was there. You needed to have been there to see for yourself just how awesome it was.

I will end today's post with several pictures from the conference...

HOME SWEET HOME AT LAST...

~K I'm dead tired, but knew that you wanted an update on our trip to DC, so here goes a few days worth.

Day one and two of our trip...

Where oh where do I begin. Might as well start from Thursday. We arrived into Baltimore around 7:30 p.m. Arrived in Crystal City at the hotel shortly before 10:00 p.m. and headed to the bar for something to eat. Tried calling Melinda, but she was dead to the world sleeping. Carla and Jim had not arrived yet, but left a message with the front dest that we were in the bar waiting on their arrival.

I knew that was her from far away. Just can't miss a beautiful smile like hers. We all were able to stop chatting long enough to grab a bite to eat, and I think we ended our night or I should say morning sometime around 0100...

The next day we had our first tour. I will let the pictures tell the story. Words can't describe it. You would honeslty have to see DC and Virginia in person to understand how awesome it was.

This one has to be one of my absolute favorite pictures. This was taken outside of Walter Reed Medical Center with a wounded Soldier. Carla and I were just beside ourselves. Talk about something breath taking, when these soldiers started across that street towards us, my heart skipped a beat, I even stopped traffic for some of them. Carla and I had a blast holding up our signs and hooting and hollering. Horns honking and people waving like crazy at us standing on the street corner. Thanks to Lynn at Gun Nutt for providing the signs and the jackets, as it started raining and turned cool.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

HEADED TO WASHINGTON, DC

I was up at 0300 this morning with all kinds of reminders running through my head. Sure hope that I packed everything, as it is too late now.

Ok, time to head to the airport. Will post pictures later.

The Mississippi country girls are headed to DC!!!

FLOWERS FOR ME...NO WAY!!!

When the UPS man walked in my office and said you must have been extra good to be getting flowers, I looked at him and said no way they are for me. Well yes they are he said. So I began tearing into this box, and this is what I found, along with a card that says:

"Just because...I hope you have a wonderful trip! Enjoy yourself. We will be missing you... including Creature."

I have been giving out instructions for a week now on how to take care of the cat, Creature, and Michael and Marcus both tell me that she will survive. No, she definately won't get the princess treatment that she is accustomed to, but they both have assured me that she will be taken care of. Just not on her terms. She probably won't eat a thing the five days that I am gone to DC.

Thank you Michael for the beautiful flowers. Again, you did great, but all the bribbing in the world won't keep me from this trip. It is so desperately needed. SORRY!!! Ya'll won't starve in the five days that I will be gone I promise.

I think that I just might me missed before I have even left...