Have you hugged your vet today?

To begin with, let me say I think anyone that serves in the military is an incredible patriot. The kind of sacrifice they go through is beyond compare- I only know it from the wife standpoint. I'm what's known as the "Silent Ranks" we serve just as devotedly as our spouses yet we give them all the glory. I saw a coffee mug that kind of summed everything up "Superhero cleverly disguised as a Military wife" Navy men will tell you, wives have the toughest job. We go for days without hearing from our spouse, just praying they have survived the day. For months on end, we attend FRG meetings waiting for the day we hear they're coming home. We put on brave faces and try not to cry when we see them off, and we yell louder than anyone when they make port. But I wouldn't trade it for anything, because my husband, and the servicemen and women like him, are the reason the rest of us can sleep at night with out fear.

That being said, I think my husband rocks. He's a firecontrolman- he works on something akin to a gattlin gun called CIWS (see-whiz) or Close in Weapons System. He finished all of his schooling with an average above 93 and earned a special commendation from the base commandant. He's being promoted (Petty Officer 3rd Class) on the 16th and I wish I could be there to attach his new insignia. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Danny took the time to lead a study group and help his fellow sailors study for the upcoming tests. FC is not an easy rate (job)- it requires the second highest ASVAB scores in the service. His scores qualified for the highest scoring rate (Navy Nuke) but he was too old (and I think a little too tall to be a bubble head). He also tried out for and made Honor Guard for Great Lakes NAS- a pretty elite group. Being the tallest he was assigned the ensign bearer (he carried the American Flag). They got to do all sorts of fun things: parades, basketball games (even a Bulls game), retirements, etc. But I think the coolest thing was Honor Flight Chicago.

HFC is a program that flies WWII vets to Washington, D.C. to see their memorial. The veterans get a big send off at O'Hare and spend several days touring D.C. Most of the members of this Greatest Generation are well into their seventies and eighties, the bulk require wheelchairs to move around, and a few are even on oxygen. You can imagine the logistics for getting 80 something wheelchair bound vets to D.C. is a bit of an undertaking, but HFC does an incredible job. The best part is the veterans homecoming. They are met at the gate by thousands of supporters, active duty military, firefighters, police officers, fellow veterans, bands, and a special honor guard to lead them through the airport. That's where Danny comes in- he participated in two HFC homecomings and said the stories are absolutely incredible. Every service member should be welcomed home like this even if they're just coming home for Christmas. We did a much smaller version of this for Danny when he came home for Christmas this past year.

If you know a veteran or active duty military, even if it's the greeter at Wal-mart: Stop and tell them how much you appreciate what they did for our country. It wasn't/isn't an easy job they have, but we seem to easily overlook them.

Salutations!

Well in an effort to keep up with family and friends that don't have Facebook (and refuse to get it - mother), I've created the Wallace Family blog. I guess I should take this time to introduce myself and get you up to speed on what's been happening lately.

I've happily married for over 4 years to my best friend of almost 15 years, Danny. We have two beautiful boys, Rhett, who's 3 1/2, and Rylan, who's 3 months. I have two bachelors degrees in history and swore up in down while in college that I'd never teach. Guess what I do? I teach history to middle schoolers. And by some strange twist of fate (proof God has a sense of humor) I also coached girl's volleyball, basketball, and track. The three sports I've never even watched much less coached. Those girls taught me more about being a role model than anything I've ever done before, hopefully I was able to teach them a few things too. I was blessed to teach at one of the finest middle schools in East Texas- New Diana. The faculty and staff are absolutely wonderful and the kids make teaching a joy. I left after one year because of a few major life changes (Navy and baby) but I can't wait to get back in the classroom and I'd be honored to teach at Diana again. I made some life long friendships in nine short months.

Danny and I made the decision last year (yes, we made it together) to join the Navy- in other words he became a Sailor and I became a member of the silent ranks known as the Military Spouse. He left suddenly February 8th and I became a single parent. We're coming up on one year apart but our relationship is stronger than ever. We're getting ready to move to our first duty station (it's called PCSing) at NAS Dam Neck (otherwise known as Virginia Beach, Virginia - darn the luck). He's what's called a Firecontrolman - in short he shoots at things. Well he works on the computers that cause the guns to shoot at things. I think he likes it, the separation part is not his favorite, but I think he agrees it was a great career move and means to provide for our family.

Rhett is our boy genius. He can tell you all about the solar system, water cycle, human body, and 50 states, and read at a first grade level: but can't write his name or abc's properly. Somedays I think his best friend is my last nerve... they do everything together. He's brilliant, honestly brilliant- he carries on conversations with you like he's an adult; which makes me forget sometimes that he's only three. He's very loving and wants to "hold you" when he's tired. He's a constant ball of energy going everywhere at full speed- unless it's something he doesn't want to do (see also: get dressed, run errands, pick up toys). He's the only three year old I know that doesn't like to run around outside and get dirty, but we're trying to work soccer and basketball into fun outdoor activities. He's in the "Mommy can you do this for me" stage, also known as the "I Can'ts" - I hate the I can'ts particularly when he hasn't tried (this is where I have to remind myself that he's only 3). He's taking Danny's absence really hard and asks for his daddy every night. Thankfully we can talk to him over webcam so Rhett has fun with that. Danny's incredibly patient with Rhett, listening to every question, responding to every silly sound- he's such a great father- the boys (and I) are blessed to have him.

Rylan was our Navy Bootcamp baby. I found out I was preggo with him about three weeks after he left for Great Lakes- I had to tell him in a letter. Going through the whole pregnancy without him wasn't new (we had to do the same thing with Rhett while he was in college at A&M), but juggling Rhett too led to the discovery that I'm not supermom. But, I don't think he'll need too much therapy later in life. Rylan arrived October 27, 2009 and Danny got to listen in on the phone. Him not being there for the birth was tough for both of us, but there was no way he could have come. He first held Rylan when he came home for two weeks at Christmas and there was an instant bond. Rylan is our inquisitive child, he has to be up looking around and hands on. He's a big cuddler with huge smiles and a great laugh.

That's about it for the family. I'll be posting pictures and updating hopefully on a regular basis. Please keep in touch!