Settling In and Working Out

Now that we're all settled in and I've yet to find a job, I've picked up a new hobby, utilizing my free gym membership on base. Although almost everything I do at the gym can be done from home, it's just nice to get out and be around people while Trent is at work. I started March 9th and by the time April 9th rolled around, I had already lost ten pounds! I have been trying my hardest to eat healthy and go to the gym everyday. I don't hesitate if I have a sweet tooth though.  Moderation is everything. Just a handful of M&M's or a fun size Snickers bar, enough to treat the sweet tooth, and then right back to healthy foods. That doesn't mean that you should eat a whole bag of chips or candy and then go back to healthy foods, just one serving size will do you just fine.

I'm definitely not a professional when it comes to dieting and working out, but I'm just sharing what has been working best for me.

3/9/15 - 4/9/15

At the gym:

1) Put treadmill at highest incline, mine is 15%, walk briskly/jog at a 4-5 mph pace for 35 minutes.  That burns at least 500 calories every time. 

2) Bike for 15-30 minutes and/or stair step for 15-30 minutes.

3) Lift weights/do weight machines for 20 minutes.

At home:

1) Squats. I am trying to do the 30 Day Squat Challenge.

2) Crunches and push ups. It's as easy as doing these during the commercials of your favorite TV shows. Or you could do what Trent and I like to do and that's to put on a 30 minute episode of one of our favorite shows and workout together for the whole episode. 

3) Biking. I love riding my bike. If I get the chance, I'll bike at least ten miles every time I go out. It is so refreshing, just make sure you have a comfortable bike seat!

My meals normally follow along these lines:

Breakfast: Some sort of egg. Scrambled, poached, omelet with only a little bit of cheese and spinach, egg sandwich, anything. I am crazy about eggs! I always have an egg sandwich on one piece of bread instead of two though!

If you don't like eggs, my husband always goes for oatmeal, Raisin Bran Crunch, or parfaits. I can't tell you have many of each of these we've gone through since moving in together.

Post workout: Since I normally go to the gym within an hour of having breakfast, my favorite post workout snack is my parfait smoothie since it's so hot down here already!

Parfait Smoothie

Super simple and takes five minutes to make!

Parfait Smoothie

1 cup vanilla greek yogurt

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 tbsp granola (I prefer peanut butter)

Blend and enjoy!

Lunch: I normally will have a homemade salad, those prepackaged ones really aren't the best for you. I prefer to get all the ingredients and make one myself. If I'm not feeling a salad, I'll have a rice cake patty, cover it in vanilla flavored greek yogurt, and throw some fruit on top of that with some. Normally this is about an hour and a half after I get back from the gym so I'm still content from my smoothie, this just tides me over until dinner.

Midday Snack: If I'm getting hungry by about 3 o' clock, I'll have a handful of crackers and/or an apple. Apples always fill me up. The best thing about apples is they are mostly air, so you're hardly adding to your calories but you're beyond full!

Dinner: For dinner, I always have some sort of chicken. Whether it be grilled, baked, or boiled I always have chicken for dinner. My favorite dinner, which is actually pretty healthy for you, is jambalaya. 

Jambalaya

Zatarain's Jambalaya Original Mix

One chicken breast

Chicken broth

1) Boil your chicken for about twenty-five minutes, pull that out and let cool.  

2) Use your chicken broth as your water for the jambalaya and follow the directions on the box.

3) Shred chicken and mix it into jambalaya and enjoy!

Another dinner we like, that isn't chicken, that is healthy is stir fry.

Stir Fry

Olive oil

Frozen veggies (I prefer Birdeye stir fry veggies)

Beef

Brown rice (I use Uncle Ben's 90 second Whole Grain Medley if I don't have time to cook my own)

Stir fry flavoring of your choice (I prefer beef and broccoli)

1) Put about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet

2) Saute the frozen veggies according the the package

3) Remove veggies and cook beef thoroughly in skillet

4) Combine veggies and beef and add stir fry flavoring

5) Dish it up over rice and enjoy!

These are easy recipes and each take about twenty-five minutes top to make, can't argue with that!!!

My First Year With the Air Force

I started this post the last week of December, but started PCSing, so I'm trying to finish it now in late January. I was just reminiscing on my first with year the USAF...to say this year was a roller coaster is an understatement, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! Trent left in April so it hasn't been a full year, but it's the end of 2014 so that counts, right?

April
April 14, 2014 at 2:15 pm I said goodbye to Trent as he headed off to BMT and had absolutely no idea what I was in for. It was pretty tough not knowing when I would hear from him next, if I would at all...anxiously clinging to my phone, stalking the mailman, and writing him books for letters. Each letter consisted of about six pages and I tried to send out two a day. I finally got my first letter at the end of April. I was SO excited! I was jumping, squealing, crying, and shaking all at once. I didn't think my body could handle the level of emotions I was having that day.

May
Still stalking the mailman, writing books, and clinging to my phone for dear life. May 3rd around 4:00 pm I got a call from a payphone in San Antonio and it was Trent!! The best minute and fifteen seconds of my life, nothing much was said besides "I love you" and "I miss you". Tears were shed on both sides and talking to him that day was one of the best phone calls I've ever received, at the same time it was the worst... it left me begging for an extra ten seconds, one more I love you, just to see him.  The aching and desperation for him was multiplied by a million.

June
Finally it was graduation month! Trent's parents, grandparents, best friend, little brother, and I were all getting ready to leave when I get a surprise phone call from Trent! I was so excited, he told me he received honor grad! Such a proud moment for all of us. Then 2 am rolls around on June 11th and we all piled in the car to start our eighteen hour drive down to Lackland, AFB in San Antonio, TX. At 10:00 pm, we finally pull into Lackland AFB and I was so excited that I started crying and crying hard at that! Needless to say I didn't sleep a wink that night. I was finally going to see him again!
Graduation day was here. June 12th, I saw him run by me and we exchanged a quick smile and he blew me a kiss.  Then the graduation ceremony happened and the announcer said "Go hug your airman!!!" It was like a stampede. Hundreds of people running into the crowd, everyone searching the name tapes to find their airman and finally I saw Trent and I tackled him, almost knocking him to the ground! :) so many happy tears that day. 

June 14th, Trent and the rest of us made our way into San Antonio. We went to The Magnolia Pancake Haus for quite possibly the best breakfast any of us have ever had. I highly recommend it! Right after breakfast, Trent told us he wanted to show us something that everyone said you have to see. He took us to the Tower of the Americas. We were 100 stories above San Antonio and Trent is deathly afraid of heights, so he was staying away. I walked over to the edge to look at the city and Trent followed behind.  I was taken aback and asked him "are you nervous?" And he responded "I'm more nervous for what I'm about to do." He got down on one knee, made the most romantic speech that I've ever heard, and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! :)

July
July was filled with a bunch of waiting for Trent to start his EOD training. I went down one weekend to see him for the first time since he graduated, he still had to wear ABU's and dress blues everywhere so we didn't go out much, but we were able to go out to Bed Bath and Beyond and register for our wedding, picked out the venue, and that's about it. He is too modest and is embarrassed by all the attention he gets while in uniform so we stayed in the hotel room the majority of the time. He says he's just a normal guy doing his job, no need to make a big deal out of it. (I do as much as I can though because it is a big deal)

August
This was a big month for us. The wedding was booked and ready to go for August 29th. About three weeks before the wedding, Trent called and said he DOR-ed (dropped on request) and that he was going to be waiting for a new job to be assigned to him.  Two weeks before the wedding, Trent was assigned his job and we weren't sure he was even going to still be at Sheppard or be at the wedding (silent bridezilla freak out). Then I went down to Texas a week early because Trent's birthday is August 24th. When I got down there, we found out he was going to continue training at Sheppard in the field of Aerospace Propulsion. We were thrilled he was going to be there for the wedding. For his twenty-second birthday, we went to go see a band with friends and shared an ice cream cake and some drinks the night before and on his actual birthday, we went to Texas Roadhouse for a steak. Delicious!

The 25th, we had to go to the courthouse to get our marriage license. Well, the only way we could get our licence was if we got married that day (with the way everything was working out with people coming down and timing of their hours). So Trent and I got married at the courthouse, very unexpectedly, and we kept it a secret. Well, the 28th finally rolls around, the day before the wedding, and everyone started coming down from Illinois. Little did Trent know, five of his closest friends drove through the night, to make it in time for the wedding. One of those friends was eight and a half months pregnant as well! He was completely surprised and had no idea. It was truly perfect.

Within a matter of two weeks, we had orders to two different bases. Our first base was to Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two weeks later, Trent traded bases with a fellow classmate and we were approved to go to Yokota AFB, Fussa Japan. We were scheduled to be there no later than November 20th.

September

September was a very uneventful month. Nothing happened, besides just waiting and waiting. Trent was in tech school and I was working, I went down to Texas one weekend to go see him, other than that, we didn't do much at all.

October

October was very stressful. I went back and forth between doctors and the air force trying to get paperwork approved and finished up medical appointments. Well after weeks and weeks of stress and fighting with doctors we turned in the paperwork.  We found out the weekend before he graduated, we were denied to go overseas because of my medical history. We were devastated. It was so hard going through that while being 1,000 miles away and trying to get over it. We were so excited and had our hearts set on Japan and knew that was where we were supposed to be. Trent was really upset because we lost our chance to go explore a new country and didn't know if we were ever going to get that chance again.  They said it wouldn't take long to get a new assignment and should be at his new place by the beginning of December. So now we were back to waiting. I quit my job so I could finish packing and Trent was supposed to be home within the next two weeks.

November

November 4th, 2014. Graduation was finally here! Trent was finally done with tech school. We went out for a wonderful steak dinner to celebrate, spent a lovely week together, and were extremely disappointed when it came around and no word on any assignment. We had to cancel our wedding reception because they wouldn't let Trent come home for anything. Again, disappointed. Every week we waited for an answer. It was such a draining roller coaster of emotions every week waiting for a yes or no and every week being a no. I spent the first week of November with Trent and then left him the car so he could have a vehicle to drive around in and not feel like he was stuck on base.

December

Still with no assignment, no job, no car, no school, and Trent was just working midshift on CQ every night, we were running pretty low on energy and emotions with a constant no everyday. We were emotionally drained and knew we couldn't handle much more...it had been eight weeks since we lost Japan and finally Trent and scheduling talked to the Commander of his squadron and within two days, we had an answer! December 18th, at 10:30 am, Trent calls me and says "Hey, sweetie, I've got a question for you. How do you feel about Georgia?" I said "What are you saying, sweetie?" He said "You better finish packing because we are moving to Georgia!!! We have an assignment. We are finally going home." I was in tears, I was SO excited, after eight weeks of disappointing nos, we finally had a yes! Thing was, it was the day before exodus, he couldn't come home until after exodus was over so that was another two weeks. So I packed everything up, got a flight down to Texas to go spend exodus with him, needless to say, it was a very exciting but long two weeks. We went to Dallas for Christmas and Oklahoma City for New Years. 

Finally, we got orders on January 6th, left the next morning and came home to surprise his family, it was his little brother's birthday and no one had any idea! It was a very tearful moment, very exciting and glad to be back home!!

So here I am, Jan. 25th, sitting in my hotel room at the Moody Inn, waiting for the landlord to finish painting our entertainment room. Impatiently waiting for tomorrow for move-in day!!! It's a dream to me that this is finally coming true. Our wedding gifts have been in storage since August, it's going to be like we are opening wedding presents all over again!

Here's to 2015 and a year full of excitement at the new Banwart household!

What Not to Say to a Military Wife

We've all been there, your husband comes up in the conversation and at least one of these comments are bound to be said. Sometimes it is hard to not beat your head against a wall when any of these come up, but we try to smile and nod and take it with a grain of salt, when really we are day dreaming ways to tell them what you really think.  All I have to say to any of you who make these kind of comments...We do it so you don't have to.

Here are some of the ones I've heard most...

1) You did this to yourself. I did what? Fell in love and got married? Yes, in fact, I did and it just so happens he's an airman. I chose him, not his job, but I love him and support him and would do anything in the world for him. That doesn't mean I knew what all it entailed or that I don't still struggle or get frustrated with the weekly changes the Air Force makes. 

2) I could never be a military wife. This is meant to be a compliment, but it's not like I'm Super Woman or anything because I'm a military wife. If your husband/boyfriend decided to join the military you'd do the same exact thing.  Step up and do it. It's not easy, but it's a way of life. My way of life. If your man was the one, I guarantee you would be able to do it. 

3) I haven't seen my boyfriend in three days, I miss him so much.  Shut up.  Just shut up right now. To me, this one is the most annoying. I go months and months at a time without seeing my husband and I've gone weeks without talking to him.  I don't want to hear how much you miss him when you talk to him everyday and see him every week.  Yes, missing someone is the same for everyone, but you just don't realize how we would give anything to see our husbands once every three days.

4)Your life must be just like Army Wives! No. I watched one episode and never turned another one on. My life is nothing like Army Wives and I'll take it as an insult that you think it is. That show is full of drama, cliches, and false assumptions.

5) I know exactly what you're going through, my husband has gone on a week long business trip. Much like #3, shut up. Your husband is put up in a foo-foo hotel for a week in San Diego and you get to talk to him every day.  My husband is in a war zone for six months where I get to sit and worry if he is even alive or safe because I can't talk to him for days, sometimes weeks, at a time.

6) He'll be home before you know it. No, I don't think so. I spend all day worrying, waiting, and dealing with military things that sometimes I have no idea about, just wishing he was home so he could deal with it. He is on my mind all day, every day. You know that thing where if you can keep your mind off it, it'll go faster? That's never the case when he is gone.

7) Do you worry about him dying? YES! I worry about it a lot more often than I should, but since it was off my mind for once, thank you for bringing it back up again. I really didn't enjoy my two hours of peaceful thinking.

8) Isn't it hard to be a military wife? Isn't it hard to be a civilian wife? You adjust and it becomes a new normal. My normal just has a lot cooler benefits than yours, to be honest.

9) At least you can get the military discount. Yes, while the military discount is nice, it's kind of shallow to say that, being a military wife is a lot more than just saving 15% at Banana Republic. 

10) I hope he is being faithful. Sometimes people just make you #facepalm.  This one doesn't even deserve a response.

11) Doesn't it get boring just sitting around all day? What makes you think I sit around all day?  I have my own business, I work part time, I make sure my house is taken care of, go out with friends, work out, I volunteer, and I'm finishing my bachelors. I hardly ever just "sit around". 

12) I would love to have your benefits. You don't even have to work! Again, what makes you assume that I don't work? Yes, I'm very thankful for the benefits we have been blessed with and they are wonderful, but I'm perfectly capable of having a job, just because it isn't as cushy as your job, that doesn't mean anything. I move every two years, and I'm finishing school. Again, I don't have to work if I don't want to.  I do it for me and once I finish my bachelors, I will be able to have a cushy job like you, except in the comfort of my own home. 

13) Do you ever have the urge to cheat? He'd never know. How dare you even suggest cheating on my husband.  If sex is that important to you in a marriage, maybe you should rethink your marriage.  Again, how dare you. I love my husband SO much and he is the best anyone could ever get.  We find ways to get creative and if it comes down to it, I can take care of myself.

14) At least it's only six months. Only six months? Have you been away from your husband for "only six months"? I doubt it.  My husband has been gone for the past nine months and let me tell you, it feels like nine years. I know with this one they are trying to help and empathize, but it's just annoying to hear.

15) Do you resent your husband because you can't live a normal life? Excuse me? I do live a normal life, just not your kind of normal life.  I happen to LOVE the military lifestyle. We have been blessed with so many opportunities that we never would have if he didn't join. This is my normal and I love it so much. I couldn't have asked for anything better, except maybe finally bringing my husband home, that would make it better.

16) Has he killed anyone? What kind of answer are you looking for with this question? Do you really want me to answer that?  Let's just say he is doing his job and keeping you safe and free. Respect it and appreciate it because not many could do what he does.

Did I miss any?? What are some things that people say to you that get under your skin?  Let me know, I'd love to hear them!

Getting Through BMT

If you're reading this, you must have a family member/significant other getting ready to leave for BMT (Basic Military Training).  Oh, I remember those days and let me tell you, it is an experience of a lifetime, indeed!  I would be lying to you if I said I envied you.  In fact, everyone would say that, if you want the truth.  Getting through BMT is definitely the hardest part of the whole military experience, but with the right attitude and some extra tips and tricks, hopefully it'll make your experience a little bit easier.

Okay, the day comes and it's time for your airman, seaman, solider, or marine to ship out. That is a hard day.  I remember sitting in the recruiter's office with him, waiting for his driver to pick him up at 2:15.  The minutes just kept ticking by and I was actually pretty calm, given the circumstances, but when 2:15 came around and I saw his driver walk into the office, my heart sank into my stomach and the tears came to my eyes.  I gave him one last hug and whispered "I'm so proud of you. Stay safe. I love you." then I kissed him goodbye and wouldn't see him or talk to him again for another eight and a half weeks (It's different for every branch, ranges from six to thirteen weeks, I believe). I got in the car and I remember just feeling numb.  I couldn't believe that he was gone and I wasn't going to be able to see him or talk to him for over two months. My cousin was with me (her boyfriend was in the Marines and went through a thirteen week boot camp) and she just hugged me.

One piece of advice that she gave me that really stuck with me was, if you need to cry, cry as long as you need to.  Everyone is going to tell you to keep busy and to take your mind off of things, but that's all easier said than done.  When it comes down to it, the next six to thirteen weeks of your life is going to revolve around your trainee.  You're constantly going to be wondering "when's the next letter?" "when's the next phone call?" "what is he/she doing right now?".  Your trainee is ALWAYS going to be on your mind, no matter how busy you keep yourself.

Within the first 72 hours, you should receive the address call.  This is where they get thirty seconds max to read a prewritten script to you to tell you their address.  Don't ask them questions, they aren't allowed to say anything besides what is on the script.  After that, you can start writing them.  WRITE THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!! Even twice a day, if you can!  You will see how much your trainee's letters will help you, your letters are going to help them ten times as much.  I would write my airman twice a day, sometimes each letter would get up to six pages per letter.  Keep them posted with all sorts of good news going on in the family, community, world, with friends, anything!
Make sure you don't send any packages or anything bright/shiny/glittery/etc. and definitely no food because it could get them in huge trouble and have them set back a couple weeks.

You will thrive off of their letters, I became best friends with my mailman, more like my mailman's stalker, but you get the gist.  And when that day comes to finally get on that plane/drive to BMT graduation, you'll hardly be able to make it, you'll be so excited!  I remember when we got to Lackland AFB for graduation, as soon as we got there, I started bawling because I was so excited, just knowing that I was on the same property as him and that in twelve hours, I was finally going to get to see my airman again, it was such an overwhelming feeling. Prepare for no sleep the night before, you're going to be like a little kid on Christmas, too excited to sleep!!! Graduation day is something that you'll always remember.

BMT Graduation, after tapping him out.

SO, here are my tips and tricks to getting through BMT from a MILSO's perspective

1. Cry.  Cry as much as you need to.  No one is really going to understand how hard it is, unless they've been there. Considering only 1% of the nations population is in the military, not many have been in your shoes.
2. Write them EVERY DAY. Two or three times if you have to, whatever it takes.  I would write Trent two and three times almost everyday...it was like a therapy to me. I couldn't tell you the amount of appreciation and happiness he had when he received the letters.  You will understand how much the letters get you through, well your trainee will need them SO much more.  Trent told me at graduation, and many times since, if it wasn't for all the letters he would've had a really hard time getting through BMT.  He wrote me a few times saying that some of his bunk mates would be so upset and lonely and they wouldn't get a letter and they would just cry themselves to sleep because they didn't hear from their families.  Don't let your trainee be that trainee.
3. Find yourself.  This one applies more to the significant others than to the parents, but you're going to be on your own for however long your trainees BMT is.  If you're anything like me, you have a tougher time with being independent. Trent and I have done everything together since the day we met, five years ago.  It was very hard having my best friend being taken away and cut off cold turkey.  It really made me just sit and think about me and what I'm going to do with my life.
4. Find a new hobby. Okay, so mine wasn't new, but I didn't something new with it.  I've always been a sewer, so I started taking orders and making clothes for people and before I knew it I had a small business going and it made BMT fly, as much as it could.
5. Research.  Do as much research as you possibly can, the more you know, the better off you'll be.
6. Find a support group. Whether it be family, friends, or church.  You will need someone who will be there for you.  In fact, Facebook has SO many support groups for BMT, tech schools, bases, there is a support page for practically anything you are looking for.  For the Air Force, AF WingMoms and Air Force Moms are two different support pages that help you get through BMT, they post all sorts of tips and tricks and have guest speakers come and answer questions you may have and give you a week by week layout of BMT.  They even put you your trainees flight group so you can meet other families in his flight and connect that way.  I am sure that there are groups like that as well for the other branches.  Just type it into the search bar and you'll be surprised at how many come up!
7. Get Creative. Especially if they have kids or younger siblings.  Make a countdown, have them color pictures and send them, find ways to make your trainee laugh, even a thousand miles away.
8. Make a banner/T-Shirts. Make sure you don't put anything on them that will embarrass your trainee. It is SO fun to design the shirts and make the banners, definitely a fun memorabilia to keep and it is so fun and makes you proud to be able to show off to everyone that you have a family member in the military.  I wear Air Force gear every chance I get.  In fact, I'm wearing an AF shirt now. :)  If you aren't as creative, you can go to Custom Ink to get shirts made, they do a great job! The price depends on what you put on there though.  For banners, go to Build a Sign. You can choose to make a FREE banner or FREE jumbo card, just pay for shipping.
9. Waterproof mascara is a must. Come graduation day, there will be A LOT of tears, happy of course, but you'll need your waterproof mascara to save yourself from embarrassing raccoon eyes! Also, dress respectively, not dressy, just something that wouldn't embarrass your trainee! You are representing them! One more thing, bring a towel or cushion for the bleachers, you will have to get your seat early because they fill up quick!! Once the ceremony is over, you get to "tap out" your trainee, which is basically everyone running onto the field, like a great Black Friday sale, to find their trainee.  Tapping out is when your trainee is at attention and can't move until they are touched, or in most cases attacked with hugs, from family.  It is a very special moment, I think I almost knocked Trent to the ground ha ha!  I literally jumped on him I was so excited!
10. HAVE FUN!!! This is a once in a lifetime experience and soak it all in, take lots of pictures and write down everything that happened that weekend, you'll want those memories to look back on!  Also, make sure to save your letters!

If you have any questions, or need someone to talk to, I'm always open to answering anything you need help with as well!

Welcome!

Hi!!  Welcome to my blog!  I'm Sarah.  I'm twenty-one and married to my Prince Charming, Trent.  He is my heart and soul and part of the reason I am starting this blog.  Trent is in the Air Force and to say I'm a proud milso (military spouse) is an understatement! 

A little bit about me to start... Like I said, I'm twenty-one, married, and trying to figure out being a military wife one step at a time!  I love anything that has to do with crafting, sewing, or cooking.  Along with posting about all our adventures in the military, I will be posting DIY tutorials for all my projects and recipes for some of the most scrumptious treats and delicious meals, trust me when I say that! :)

Trent and I met when I was a junior in high school and we've been inseparable since day one.  We immediately became the best of friends and then two years later, we decided to give dating a try.  It worked out and on August 29, 2014, the best day of my life, we got married!

In May 2013, Trent decided he was going to join the US Air Force, and to be honest, I had a really hard time accepting it, as many significant others that I've talked to have.  A few months later he went to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and started up DEP (Delayed Entry Program) and seeing how excited he would get to go to DEP and how proud of himself he was, I knew that this was going to be our life and I fell in love with the idea of a military lifestyle almost as quickly as I fell in  love with Trent.

So, please, join me in my adventures of being a military wife because this is just the beginning and I can tell we are in for a crazy, beautiful ride!