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The Home Front: The e-Newsletter for Military Homeschooling Families
July 2006

In This Issue

Commander's Report:   What's new on the Home Front
By Trish Nonaka

By the time you read this, most of the summer vacation will be over and done with. The hotter days of summer will be approaching quickly, and things will be heating up all over the country. Many of you may have already gone camping and enjoyed some quality time with your "bunk mate!" So with all this in mind, we decided this was a great time to discuss keeping things "hot" in our marriages!

As most of you know, being married to a military guy is one of the toughest jobs on earth and can be one of the most rewarding. Keeping a marriage intact and healthy is challenging for everyone and even more so when you add in relocations, deployments, TDYs and stressful jobs during wartime. Sick children, potty training, lesson planning, and outside activities all can create an atmosphere of something far less than closeness and intimacy between spouses. I have always disliked the adage "If the military wanted you to have a wife, they would have issued you one." Marriage is a gift from God and part of His design for the family, and I believe a happy husband is a happy airman/soldier/sailor/marine. I hope we have brought you something to encourage you in this area this time around.

Now, my writing team has a weird sense of humor, and when I encouraged them to have their husbands add in their two cents' worth, this is what one of them (I won't tell you which one, but she's married to the Chaplain named Mike Kelly!) responded with, "Oh, This should be easy. I can give you my very short article right now. Okay, giving your kid a great marriage -- He only needs to learn two simple words: 'Yes, Dear.' Voila, giving your kids a great marriage! Now, Mike's input: 'Yes, Dear.'" Do you see what I have to put up with as the editor of The Home Front? LOL

Trish Nonaka
Commander-in-Chief/Editor, The Home Front e-Newsletter
www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/military
www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/MamaBugs


Boot Camp:   A Marriage of One
By Renee Giza

According to statistics, 485,500 active duty soldiers were enlisted in the Army for fiscal year 2004. That does not include the scores of others in the Guard and Reserves. Why then doesn't the Army's slogan say, "An Army of Many"? Isn't everyone enlisted in the Army an individual? Obviously yes; however, they must work as a team of "one" to achieve the goals necessary for success, just as our own bodies all have functioning separate parts working to obtain a common goal. Imagine if our arms and legs ran off in separate directions? Imagine if all the troops in the military had their own agenda and acted upon it? All strength and structure would be compromised. Just as our bodies and troops need to act as one in order to reach a common goal, so do our marriages.

The idea of acting as one is not a newfound wisdom. Our Creator imparted this wisdom to the first married couple, the first relationship ever formed by Him. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24, NIV). Jesus later expounds on this by saying, "So they are no longer two, but one" (Matthew 19:6, NIV). You see, our marriages are the backbone of our family, with God as the head and heart. Our children need our marriages to be strong and unified. It is the foundation from which they will grow. Just as buildings fall from weak foundations, so will families fail without a solid, unified, three-part marriage of God, husband, and wife. Our children need structure and order to thrive. If we as a family are all moving if different directions, the objectives set before us by the Father will be a struggle at best to accomplish. "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall" Luke 11:17 (NIV).

We should not give in to complacency and allow the hurts and failures of the past to determine the direction of our family's future. My husband and I both came from terribly broken and weak foundations; it would have been much easier to give in to repeating all we'd ever known. However, through much pain and prayer, God brought us through the agony of the past, as well as the tumultuous beginning of our marriage, to a place of higher ground filled with peace and joy.

Never be afraid to "aim high" with your marriage and family. God can and will help you to overcome those obstacles that seek to keep you down and hold you back. Standing together facing the world and charging forward "full speed ahead," we can achieve success in our families. If your marriage is already strong, praise the Lord! Pray for the ability to continue on an upward path. Younger marriages and those in trouble need you to be a light for them. For others with less than stable marriages, do you harbor the sting of bitterness, the stab of resentment, or the disdain of unwillingness to forgive? If your marriage is rocky, or you can answer yes to any of these questions, then I urge you to seek the Lord in earnest. Pray specifically for your needs and desires. Ask God to warm and soften your heart toward your husband or wife. Pray that He will heal all wounds of the past and stitch up all holes in your heart and fill them with Him. Ask God to remove the boxes of baggage from the past that you have continued to move from place to place and replace them with a spirit of forgiveness, tenderness, humbleness, joyfulness, peace, and servitude. It is difficult to get over the hurts of the past; yet He is faithful to bring joy and forgiveness if you ask. In the campaign of marriage and family, a lot more is at risk than just your feelings; the lives of your children and possible grandchildren are at stake. Foundations are being built now; let's build them with strength and unity. Let our marriages be a "Marriage of One!"

Renee Giza is the proud wife of 10 years to Chris, a communications troop in the Air Force, currently stationed in eastern Washington State. She is the mother to five wonderful and busy children (three girls and two boys). She has been homeschooling for three years now and plans to continue through high school. You can find her personal blog at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/ButterFly4Him.


Additional Training:   Guarding Your Marriage During Deployments
By Sheri Payne

One of the hardest times that any marriage will go through is one of separation. Friends and family outside the military are always commenting to me how difficult it is to simply understand how we endure it -- and on a regular basis. Fortunately for believers, we have the hope of Christ within us and the help of the Holy Spirit to find a way. This, however, is no guarantee that our marriages will be smooth sailing (we're still sinners, after all!), but we remember that Paul told us "for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Philippians 4:11, NKJV).

The best way we can continue to show honor and respect to our husbands while they are gone is to stay under their leadership. Even in those areas where your husband has given you complete control, he is expecting your decisions to fall within the scope of his vision. This means you must fully understand his plans and desires, and that requires serious and continual communication.

These days, keeping in touch during deployment is quite easy with the help of satellite phones, email, and laptop computers with video conferencing capability. However, is the 20 minutes he has between duties, at the odd time when you are both awake, the best time to ask for direction? The best time to get a clear understanding of his desires for his family is when he is home -- months, and even years, before he deploys.

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 Yet many men are not the kind to sit around talking about their life philosophy. My husband jokes that he would rather run around in the snow in shorts than talk about how he "feels" about something. I've learned, though, that there is a place and a time to approach him that is more likely to get a response. He's learned that he can put me off by asking for time to think about an issue. It helps him, too, to take time to clarify his own thoughts on important issues. With this knowledge, you should be able to lead your family in his absence with confidence that you are doing things his way and not your own.

"For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." --1 Peter 3:5, 6 (NIV)

We can also honor our husbands by incorporating them in our homeschool in their absence. Include your husband at the level that works for his situation. If there is a class he usually teaches, send him the teacher's manual and the children's work and have him grade the work and discuss the main points through email or regular mail. Your children can practice writing skills by writing letters to their father, outlining what they've learned. You can take pictures of field trips, projects, and artwork and send him a CD. Research the area of the world that he's in and have the children tell him what they've learned during a chat or videoconference.

One of the most important ways to keep a marriage connected during a time of separation is through continued expressions of love. Passion and romance are very important components of a healthy marriage and should not be interrupted by physical separation. We express our love not only through physical contact but also by words and deeds. Most of us are quite adept at deeds; we express our feelings by sending baked goods and other items that show that we are thinking of our lover's needs. I would also strongly recommend that we take the time to express the depth of our love with our words as well. Solomon did just this when he poured out his love to his Shulamite wife with words that can make me blush:

"Come, my lover, let us go to the countryside, let us spend the night in the villages. Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom -- there I will give you my love." --Song of Solomon 7:11-12 (NIV)

Eventually, our men make their way home, and we're faced with the most uncomfortable part of deployments -- learning to live together again. There are ways to make it easier on both of you. As much as we want to hand the reins back, we must let our men ease back into family life. Have the house, finances, etc., in order (no one likes to come home to a mess). Don't complain about anything, no matter how justified, but simply listen to him. Make the first few weeks about him. Allow him to fall back into the workings of the home at his own pace.

Then, you may find that your marriage is even stronger in spite of separation, and you will indeed be a wife worthy of praise in the gates.

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.'" --Proverbs 31:28, 29 (NIV)

Sheri Payne is the wife of 13 years to Jim, a Navy Deep Sea Diver (her own Man of Honor), and mom to two girls, ages 11 and 6, and a boy, 9. She has been involved with homeschooling since she began researching it before her own children were born. She is currently on the leadership team of her local homeschool group, and also maintains the Hawaii (Oahu) blog for Homeschool Nations. Her personal blog can be found at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/pro3128.


Brat Report:   Father's Day Letter
By Cindy (and Alyssa!) Burlingame

Editor's Note: Jill Novak of www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/jillnovak held a letter-writing project for Father's Day recently. This is the article that our very own Cindy Burlingame's daughter submitted. It is reprinted here with permission from Cindy and Alyssa along with additional comments from Cindy. Warning: Get a tissue!

My daughter, Alyssa (age 9), came up with the idea to write Daddy a "book" for Father's Day. She is the creative one in the family. For every holiday she makes everyone gifts. So Alyssa started working on the book about two months ago. She drew and colored the cover, then started working on the first chapter.

My husband is in the Marine Corps and is preparing to leave on a six-month deployment. Alyssa is very emotional right now knowing Daddy is leaving, so her first chapter of the book reflects how she is feeling. She worked on it so long that she ran out of time to write any other chapters. Alyssa was so upset that she didn't finish the book, that I told her I thought a great idea would be to give daddy the book for Father's Day with just one chapter, then for every holiday he was gone, she could send him a new chapter. Alyssa really liked that idea, so she completed the first chapter and presented it to Daddy.

Daddy read the "book" out loud to all of us (we were with my parents). By the end of it, my mom was in tears, my dad was choked up, and my husband was as well. Here is the first chapter of her book:
When I was a baby, you were with me. When I was a toddler, you were with me. When I was a kid, you were with me. And now here you are, standing with me.

At the Father Daughter dance, you danced. At the Father Daughter dance, you agreed with me. At the Father Daughter dance you wore your suit. At the Father Daughter dance, you knew it was about me (about us).

When I was sick, you were with me. When I was scared, you were with me. When you were gone, you were still there. When I was lonely, you played with me.

Happy Father's Day Daddy! I love you!
Your Princess
So there it is! You can see why there wasn't a dry eye in the house! A couple of things that are significant that people not in the military may not pick up on: Daddy wore his suit to the Father Daughter dance. Most of the other daddys wore their uniforms. Alyssa understood that daddy wore his suit because it was HER night, not a military night. That meant a lot to her. It's also significant that she understand that even though daddy isn't here in person, he is still with her. As she says, "Just like Jesus is."

If you would like to have your child interviewed for the "brats" section, or have any outstanding brat accomplishments or original brat works you would like to share, please contact Cindy at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/cre8ivemom.


Chapel:   Giving Your Kids a Great Marriage
By Janet (and Mike) Kelly

As an addition this month, my knight and dear husband, Mike, is also contributing some of his insights on marriage.

Marriage, in itself, has plenty of daily troubles and concerns, and even the normal "wear and tear" can have an impact on any marriage relationship. Military marriages are not exempt from these challenges, and they have additional struggles that can have an even greater impact on the marriage.

First, frequent separations and deployments have a significant impact. Saying goodbye to your spouse in this situation is different than sending him off on a short business trip from which he usually returns. Saying goodbye in the military marriage has potential permanence.

Second, most military jobs are not comparable in pay to their civilian counterparts. Coming into or staying in the military often means a pay cut and therefore creative budgeting. Families often have to make every penny stretch each month.

Another hit the military marriage takes is frequent moves. On a Life Stressors list, moving ranks among the top five major life stressors. Military families move, on average, every 2-3 years! With all these added stressors, how is it possible to give your kids a good marriage and be a good "bunkmate" to your spouse?

For the wives, there are a few things we can do to strengthen our marriage. In Ecclesiastes 4:12 we are told, " ... though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (NIV). We need to invite God into our marriage and proactively keep Him in it. No matter the depth of love and commitment you may have with your husband (strand of two), God being in the center of your marriage will only strengthen that bond and increase the likelihood of the success of your marriage relationship (cord of three).

In the military, you will have to move. That is a given. Either your husband was in the military when you met and married him, or if he joined during the marriage, it was something that was talked about. So, you have to make a choice. As Ruth told her mother-in-law, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay" (Ruth 1:16, NIV). You must choose to follow him wherever God and the military leads your family. Cleave to your husband. He is your family. Though as a daughter your thoughts may often turn toward home, once married, choose your husband.

The most important thing you can do for your marriage and your husband is to pray. We have many roles and responsibilities as wives and mothers, but none so important, or priceless, as a prayer warrior. You should pray for your husband as often as God calls him to mind throughout the day. Remember to pray Scriptures over him. If he is deployed to a war zone, pray Psalm 91 over him. As he goes to work each day, pray for God to grant him favor in the eyes of his command and to increase his "field of harvest." Just pray for him.

Remember, a cord of three is not easily broken, and your marriage is worth defending. Give your kids that good marriage relationship so they can take those lessons into their own marriages one day, and you and your husband will have a thriving, vibrant relationship when schooling is finally finished and all the kids have left the next. Next, let's look at what Mike says for the men.

According to the latest statistics for the military, we have had a 70% increase in divorce and officers are leading the way. Why? Most are quick to blame this increase on deployments, but I am unwilling to place blame squarely on the shoulders of the military. I feel the cause for this increase can also be found in the civilian community as well.

The reason is unfaithfulness. Many would assume that this means involvement with a woman specifically. Unfaithfulness to your marriage vows can take many forms, and the context that I am writing of is the "almighty career." Many officers and enlisted personnel fall into the trap of looking out of their curtains to see if their commander is still at work before they go home. Many pass this off as being "workaholics," but in reality, they are trying to prove something, mostly to themselves as much as to their commander.

In short, there is no excuse for sacrificing one's home, family, and marriage for their career. I can find nowhere in statistics where those who sacrifice family for career are guaranteed great advancement or favor in the military. Proverbs 15:27 says, "A greedy man brings trouble to his family" (NIV). Let's put things into perspective. You can sell out to the military, and with one snap, your knee is "gone" and it all ends. If that happens, you will want the support of a wife and family that feels loved and cared for.

Many soldiers I talk to use the excuse of "doing all I do for my family," but they are wrong. Take a moment and ask your family and you will find that, if given the choice, they would rather have you home than at work trying to impress someone for that promotion. Now, don't hear me wrong. You need to give your best at work. However, God is the foundation of any good marriage. Put Christ first in your life. In doing that, everything else will fall into place where it needs to be. (Proverbs 16:2-3)

I close with some wonderful words I received from my Chaplain mentor. He gave me this sound advice before I returned to active duty four years ago. He told me, "Mike, if this is where God wants you, they [commanders] can't write an evaluation bad enough to get rid of you. If this is not where God wants you, they cannot write one good enough to keep you." Invest in your relationship with God and then with your family. Your family and your wife will be what are with you when the uniform comes off for the last time.

Memory Verse: Ecclesiastes 4:12 - "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (NIV)

Janet Kelly is the wife of Army chaplain Mike Kelly and mom to one son. Currently stationed overseas, she expects to return to the US soon. Janet has just survived her first "official" year of homeschooling. Her desire is to encourage women to treasure God with all of their heart (Matt 6:19-21) and guard their heart (Prov. 4:23) by recognizing that they are the heart of their home. Check out Janet's blog for further meditation with additional verses for this and earlier Home Front devotionals. Visit Janet at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/theheartofthehome.


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Chow Hall:   Greek Burgers
By Renee Giza

Okay, so I admit it -- sometimes I've got my hands full! So full that it can be a challenge to fit in good quality time with my husband. It's vital to a marriage, though, to maintain and nurture the relationship. People often ask us, "What's your secret?" By that they mean, what's our secret to feeling fulfilled in our marriage when we are so entrenched in raising a family. Our answer to that is, "adapt." Adapt to our circumstances. Because our children are still so young, we cannot go out on our own very often. However, we have found ways to enjoy stolen moments at home. Some of the things we do include working out in the yard, snuggling up to watch a movie after the kids are in bed, and cooking meals together, to name a few. My husband's mother is Greek and raised him with a lot of Greek influence. Some of my husband's fondest memories are of the Greek traditions instilled from his mother's family. In my desire to honor my husband and those fond memories, I am learning how to cook Greek cuisine. Before marrying my husband, I had never eaten a bite of Greek food! It has been fun learning and sharing this with my family.

My husband and I have come up with three things we believe are essential for our marriage. We wanted to share that with you. We call it the "three Ps": Prayer, Praise, and Participation. We have found these elements vital to a good marriage. Prayer is crucial because without inviting the Lord into our marriage we are on our own. Praise is central because both individuals contribute to the marriage, and by openly praising one another you build love, trust, and confidence. To participate in each other's interests, thoughts, and dreams is imperative, because without it there is room for loneliness and bitterness. With this in mind, I wanted to share a spin on a Greek dish with you that I hope you enjoy. This falls under "participation," and my husband and I sure benefit from sharing time together preparing it.

Greek Burgers    (Serves about 6)

  • 2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 red onion (1/2 chopped, 1/2 thinly sliced)
  • 1 6-ounce bag fresh baby spinach, cooked down
    (or, if you prefer, 1 box frozen, defrosted, and drained spinach)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil for the pan
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. grill seasoning
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 6 oz. feta cheese crumbles
  • Your favorite sandwich rolls lightly toasted under broiler
        - Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
        - Add both the olive oil and butter to the pan.
        - When the butter is melted, add the onion and garlic to sweat for 5 minutes.
        - Transfer onions and garlic to a bowl and cool.
        - Rinse, de-stem and chop fresh spinach, then wilt in warm pan for a few minutes.
        - If using frozen spinach, defrost, and wring dry by twisting it in a clean kitchen towel over sink.
        - Separate the spinach as you add it the bowl with cool onions and garlic, and season with oregano.
        - Add feta, then turkey or chicken, grill seasoning, and a little drizzle of olive oil.
        - Mix and form into patties about 1 inch thick.
        - Raise heat to medium high, add patties, and cook about 6 to 8 minutes each side.
        - Serve on lightly toasted rolls with garlic mayo if you like.
          (To make garlic mayo, just add 1-2 cloves minced garlic to 1/4 cup mayo and blend well.)
        - Top burgers with sliced red onions, sliced Roma tomatoes, and Kalamata olives.

Tips
• When buying Kalamata olives, it is best to look for them packed in olive oil rather than water for a better, more authentic taste.
• Heating times and temperatures will vary. Always make sure juices run clear when checking chicken or turkey for doneness.

Editor's note: Please see Renee's bio following her article, Marriage of One, in the Boot Camp column of this issue. You can find her personal blog at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/ButterFly4Him.


Finance Office:   Summer Discounts
By Trish Nonaka

1. Sears is offering a 20% off discount in their portrait studios:
www.searsportrait.com/cpi/en-US/offers/Military/Military.htm

2. Hero Salute discount to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Sesame Place:
www.herosalute.com

3. LEGOLAND California offers active military personnel a 10% discount on 1-day admission tickets at the ticket booths with valid military ID. Tickets can be pre-purchased at a greater discount at the ITT at your MWR office on base.
www.legoland.com/Plan-your-visit/faq/faq.htm#military


Flag Pole:   The Military Wife
By Author Unknown

The good Lord was creating a model for military spouses and was into His sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared. She said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one. What's wrong with the standard model?"

The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? They need to be completely independent, possess the qualities of both father and mother, be a perfect host/hostess to four or 40 with an hour's notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, even if they are pregnant and have the flu; and they must be willing to move to a new location 10 times in 17 years. And, oh yes, they must have six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head. "Six pairs of hands? No way."

The Lord continued, "Don't worry, we will make other military spouses to help them. And we will give them an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in their spouse's achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it is overworked and tired, and be large enough to say, 'I don't understand,' when they don't, and say, 'I love you,' regardless."

"Lord," said the angel, touching His arm gently, "Go to bed and get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow."

"I can't stop now," said the Lord. "I am so close to creating something unique. Already this model heals themselves when they are sick, can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave good-bye to their spouses from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand why it's important that they leave."

The angel circled the model for military spouses, looked at it closely and sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft."

"They might look soft," replied the Lord, "but they have the strength of a lion. You would not believe what they can endure."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran a finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced. "Something is wrong with the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model."

The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence. "What you see is not a leak," He said. "It's a tear."

"A tear? What is it there for?" asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness, pride, and a dedication to all the values that they and their spouses hold dear."

"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.

The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it there."

Editor's Note: He IS a Genius!


Additional Duty:   My Husband, My Home
By Donna Kresse

This sweet little story comes to us from my sister-friend, Donna. Having grown up an AF brat, she now serves as wife to Don and mama to Gunner and Hanna. Don is a firefighter and Army Guard Black Hawk pilot. They have been homeschooling both children for 9 years. Donna recently began blogging at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/Do.

As the game carried on, we decided it was time for dinner. Both of us were famished as the seventh inning stretch approached. Being the gracious wife, I offered to go and retrieve the hot dogs. Upon making my way back to our seats, I looked up about 10 rows and saw the most handsome face I had ever seen. It was rugged as a woodsman's. The kindness in the eyes drew me in so that I held my breath for a moment. Then he smiled; I thought I would melt in a puddle right there. The sheer warmth of it comforted my soul until I thought of nothing else. As I approached my seat, confident that I would be welcomed with open arms, he leaned over to me and said, "Did you remember the ketchup?" Wow, I thought, this is my beloved! He is my best friend, a comfortable place for me to rest in the midst of a thousand people. Here I am accepted and adored, and all because I remembered ketchup ... I am so blessed to call him my husband. That is the way our marriages were designed to be -- full of love, friendship, compassion, fun, and passion. No matter where we go, when I see his face in a crowd it is home to me. Is your husband home to you? Are you home to him?

The Old Schoolhouse Store


Mom's R&R:   Buddy Care, Or Time with your Husband
By Jennifer McDonald

Time alone with our spouses?! It's easy to get so caught up in our busy lives that we fail to invest time in our most important relationship -- that with our husbands. I was convicted of this during the weekly ladies' Bible study that I attend. The point was made that our relationships with our husbands ought to be number one, ahead of anything else other than the Lord. It struck me that many times, my hubby gets pushed down the scale a bit. The kids, my priorities and activities often come first, and he gets what's left over. I am definitely a work in progress, but I'm hoping there are some things I've learned that I can share with you!

I know how difficult it can be to plan for time alone around TDYs or deployments. There have also been times when Steve's work schedule was so busy that I was careful about taking away any precious family time. But I encourage you to make time with your spouse a priority, even if it's not as often as you'd like! It doesn't have to be expensive, either. When our children were all young or we had fussy infants, we often had 'date nights' without even leaving the house. We would feed the children and put them to bed early, order a pizza or make popcorn, and either talk or rent a video. It was nice to have several hours of uninterrupted time together, and it helped in those early days to keep our dates "cheap".

Another idea that worked well during those years was to swap babysitting with another family. We did this informally with friends, and also with a more organized babysitting co-op. When we were stationed in Ohio, our young-marrieds Bible study had a great idea so we could all have "date nights." Our very organized leader initially issued each of us tickets worth three hours of time per child. We then traded with other families wanting to earn tickets (time). Each of us could participate as much or little as desired, but the only way to earn more time was to watch another couples' children. It worked very well for that season of our lives when we truly had more time than money!

As our kids have gotten older, they often have activities of their own. On evenings when several or all of the children are busy, we try to take advantage of that. Instead of working on home projects (we do that sometimes as well!), Steve and I will head out to grab dinner or to drive around.

Which brings me to my last thought. Often, we think a date night has to be a fancy dinner out or something elaborate. Get creative! Look around your local area and go exploring! We are so blessed as military families in the variety of places we get to live. So make the most of it! Take a drive along the beach, or through the mountains, or go for a stroll and check out the local scenery. Even if you've been in the same locale for several years, take a look around you with fresh eyes and see the possibilities! Pack a picnic lunch for two and walk a block to a park. Take turns planning your times out and see who can come up with the cheapest, most creative date. It just might breathe new life in your time together as a couple.

Praying that you enjoy and appreciate each other this summer!

I am Jennifer McDonald, and I recently celebrated my 18th anniversary (!!) with my high school sweetheart, Steve. We have four always-been-homeschooled children, ranging in age from 7-14. We're an Air Force family, currently stationed in Northern California. I love reading, walking, scrapbooking, and cooking! Visit me at www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/AFJen88.


Recruiting:   Looking for a Coast Guard Wife

The Home Front is looking for a Coast Guard wife to join our team. If you are interested or you know someone who might be, please contact Trish at HomeFront@thehomeschoolmagazine.com.


Final Address:   Closing Comments and What's Coming Up

As we leave The Home Front this month, I hope you are feeling great about your role as a military wife and homeschooling mom. Your job is an important one and is vital to your husband. We are never alone in this journey even when our husbands are far away from us. The One who loves us even more than our husband is with us always, supporting and holding us up through each and every day. Draw close to Him.

Next month, we plan to talk about gearing up for another school year and to give you some ideas for planning your year. Until then, visit us on our blogs and see Homeschool Nations, Military Home Front (www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/military) for regular updates and posts. As always, may the Lord protect and keep your family, and

God bless ~ America ~ bless God!
From our Home Front to yours,
Trish


Testimony:   What Others Are Saying About The Home Front
"This is PACKED with lots of great information and encouragement to homeschooling military families! What a blessing you are!!!" -- Julie

"Just got the latest TOS military newsletter! Looks great!" -- Jenn

"I wanted to take this opportunity to express my praises and gratitude for this wonderful ministry which all of you work so hard to promote. Military spouses are truly unsung heroes and most of America does not know, nor can they never relate to, the demands placed upon them. As an active duty member of the United States Air Force and proud father to five children, I am very appreciative of your efforts to provide support for military spouses as well as bring together a quickly growing population of American society; the home schooling family. It is clear that your fledgling ministry is indeed blessed by the Lord, and the increasing number of subscribers combined with the quality of talent that continues to be recruited into the team is evidence of this." -- C.G.

Have you enjoyed this issue of The Home Front? If so, you'll want to take a look at all of the free e-Newsletters TOS offers to guide and encourage you during your homeschooling journey. Be sure to stop in to see which ones are best for you and your family! Click here for more information: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/devotional_door/subscribe.php

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