As 2019 is rapidly coming to a close, we are reflecting on all that our team has accomplished this year. We published over 200 original posts. We worked with countless partners to provide resources and information for military spouses and families around the world. And we hit a milestone: 1 million pageviews to our site!
So as we say goodbye to 2019 and welcome in 2020 (and a new decade), here are our top 10 posts of 2019. Take another read or find a post you may have missed! We look forward to more words, more connection, and more opportunities to support and engage this community. We are Military Moms Blog – written FOR military moms, BY military moms.
#10: Maternal Mental Health Is a BIG Deal (and We Need to Start Talking About It)
“She lived a little over a half mile from our house. I didn’t know her well. After she died, people talked about the genuine smile that was always on her face and how friendly she was. Other moms told stories about her from the week before, the day before, and even the morning she died.”
#9: It’s OK to Be A Military Spouse
“There will be times when you will not know what to do. Your spouse will be overseas, deployed, off at training in the middle of the woods. The washer will break, the dog will break a leg, the whole house will come down with the flu. You’ll live thousands of miles from family. You will have just moved and you won’t have your new tribe.”
#8: Dear Meghan Markle: We Are Not OK Either
“What the Duchess said was not shocking or news to any mother. What was news was that a member of the royal family, one in a unique position and one who would seem to be handling everything with poise and ease, was struggling. Just like you, and just like me.”
Because not many people asked if I was OK either.”
#7: Why My Middle Schooler Does Not Have a Cell Phone
“So sorry, sweet girl. You can send WhatsApp messages to your friends on my cell phone for now—if you must. But also, you can read, you can play outside, you can call your friends on the family iPad and make an actual voice call like we did in the “olden days” (as she refers to my childhood).”
#6: 10 Reasons Why Marrying Your High School Sweetheart is the BEST
“Truth is that I love all love stories. Each is so beautiful and unique no matter when two people fall in love. But like most people, I am partial to mine.”
#5: Goodbye Mayberry: A Farewell to Fort Leavenworth
“Fort Leavenworth is a Mayberry in a world of metropolises. It’s a reminder to slow down during a year that flies by. And for military families who rarely get such a pleasure, Fort Leavenworth is more than a puddle jump: it’s an honest-to-goodness home.”
#4: KonMari Mania for the Military Spouse
“Fresh off a PCS that required some monumental purging of our things, I recently binged on all eight episodes of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” hoping to find some new tips and tricks to ensure smoother moves in the future. And while I wasn’t disappointed (spoiler: perfectly folded fitted sheets!), I couldn’t help but watch through the lens of a military spouse, imagining how this method would play out in our world.”
#3: Things NOT to Say to Federal Employees During the Government Shutdown
“Over the last few weeks, I’ve been hearing and reading some pretty ridiculous things from people who have no idea what this shutdown is actually doing to the Coast Guard and to the other thousands of federal employees.”
#2: Dear Family: Please Visit Us
“Let me show you our chaotic mornings; our crazy sport and lesson schedules; our daily struggles and triumphs. See me as I manage working and parenting around an inconsistent military life. Witness how we have adapted to our area and our lives in each place the military sends us. Visit when my husband is gone, to not only help but to see how capable and strong we can be. Visit when he is here, and see how happy we are together. I am proud of my family, even in the difficult times, and I want you to see it.”
#1: Your Child Has Already Been Targeted: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Human Trafficking
“I know it might seem ridiculous to think that one of us could have a child who has been human trafficked. Our minds just don’t work that way. Our hearts refuse to believe it could happen to us. To our precious kids. But that doesn’t make it any less real. As parents and grandmas and aunts and friends, we have the opportunity to protect ourselves and our children from the monsters of human trafficking. Our friends, our siblings, our children, and the vulnerable among us deserve to be protected.
I’m ready to let it start with me. Are you?”
