Are you wearing red today?
For more information on Red Friday visit the first part of my series on the Red Friday Ladies.
Are you a blogger and a military family and would like to be featured here on Red Friday Feature? If so contact me via the contact page.
Today we meet Amanda from Confessions from HouseholdSix. Amanda is a 31 year old stay at home mom to two boys ages 9 and 4. Her 9 year old was diagnosed with Asperger’s in January 2010 after 7 years fighting the medical system. Her 4 year old is currently (as of October 2010) awaiting evaluation to see if he too is ASD (autism spectrum disorder) as suspected. Amanda blogs about the boys and their antics, the family’s health issues (autism, allergies, asthma, fibromyalgia, migraines, and food sensitivities), and life as an Army family.
Twitter: @HouseholdSix
Facebook Page: HouseholdSix Fan Page
Who is the serving member in your family? My husband
How long has your family been apart of the military? My husband, 20 years. Me, 10 years.
What does it mean to you to be a military family? It means that when there’s an emergency, my husband is one of the ones out there helping our neighbors. That’s pretty cool if you ask me. It’s why we’ve stayed in the National Guard even as we returned to active duty (AGR). To know we’re helping right here at home makes the sacrifices easier to bear.
What do you wish the public knew about military families? That we don’t get everything for free. It is not a glorified welfare system. We women do not marry men in the military for their money. To think any of these things is delusional.
What is the hardest part of being a military family? Dealing with the assumptions people who have never had any dealing with the military life make, and sometimes navigating our health care system for my boys.
What is the best part of being a military family? The camaraderie. As large as the military is, it’s small all at the same time. It’s amazing who you find you know and where.
Any tips for other military families out there especially those new to the life? Don’t listen to all the naysayers. Yes, there is a lot about the system that can be fixed. Trust me. But it’s not all bad. It’s not a way of life for a spouse who constantly needs coddled. You need to be able to function independently.