Our first baby girl..

So, I've made it to our 2nd child and our 1st daughter. WOW, she is 21-ALMOST 22 and I cannot believe that! Im not sure where the time has gone but WOWZA! So, Ashlee was born at Ft Belvoir, Va in 1990. She arrived late (should have known from that moment that ANYTHING involving Ashlee, was going to be on HER time..) So, Ashlee was born on Fathers day that year and she was the 1st of our 6 kids that had daddy there to watch her enter the world. Ashlee was born looking like she wanted to cut someone and HOW DARE WE DISTURB HER! HMMPH! I kid-only slightly. While she was a VERY stubborn child, she was always very entertaining and loving. Ashlee was only 6 weeks old when daddy PCSd to Germany. We had originally thought we would arrive in Germany shortly thereafter... A crazy by the name of Saddam Hussein, would change that scenario. Desert Shield and Desert Storm began. Here I was in Az waiting to move to Germany, living out of my suitcases with family, going from home to home. It was a very stressful time for us, but the babies kept me solid. When Ashlee was almost a year old, she got to get to know her daddy when he returned home. Like most military brats, she was NOT sure about this new stranger who only wanted to love and hold her. Her expression was "Bitch please". Eventually daddy won her over and all was well in the world. Ashlee, as I said earlier was really a butthead-ALOT, she loved to test me. She eventually turned 17 and moved away to live on her own. She learned it wasn't as easy as she had thought but she made her way. She and her childhood sweetheart, Blake, got married and started THEIR military life together. She is now an Army wife, daughter and sister and a mom, college graduate and working woman. She has become such a great woman. You won't ever meet anyone more protective of her family than Ashlee. Its a beautiful trait. I do recall in one of her infamous fits, he quote of the fit was "weave my woan"-translated, it means leave me alone.. She said that ALOT, LOL We still use that saying around the house..

Ashlee,

WOW, you are a mother and wife now! Daddy and I are so very proud of the woman you have become. You put your husband and daughter first and always want to do right by them. Its a beautiful quality. Watching you become a mother has been amazing. The love you shower on Kaydence is so wonderful to watch. You and Blake lead her by example and that, you should be proud of. I love watching you become an amazing woman and I want you to know how much we love you and how much you mean to us... Always stay true...I'm so proud of the big sissy you have become. You always think about them and want to help them or protect them with passion. It says ALOT about who you are..

Next up is...

Our daughter Cassidy.. She had a rough start into this world, but like a true miltary brat, she came, she saw, she conquered. Cassidy was born in Germany and is our 3rd bebe. She was a very happy and easy going baby. She was also the only ginger baby we have, LOL.. Id have to say that while MOST of our children are very loyal, Cass has got to be the most loyal to the people she loves. Even when people arent so wonderful to her at times. She maintains that loyalty. Its something I am so proud of her about. She also, like Tony is one that defends the "little guy". Cassidy is a tough little witchy poo too, which is funny to see. We always worried about her because she was always soo tiny! People always wanted to pick her up and baby her, me included.. Its been hard to let her grow up. During deployments Cassidy makes sure I keep it real, and by real I mean she makes sure we do the normal and regular things that we would do even while Sal is not home. She also has a potty mouth like me, she is a good blend of Sal and I.

Cassidy is now on her own and going to college. Its weird to think that our little baby girl is making her own way in life. She has a wonderful girlfriend, Katy and they are very happy and work hard at everything they do. We are just very proud of who she is. Despite the struggles sometimes of life, she plugs along. I am quite sure part of who she has become is because of being an Army Brat.. Strong, loyal, independant, compassionate and brave.

Cassidy,

Daddy and I are so proud of the woman you have become. You are such a bright light in our lives. The big sister to Tony, Dom and Rome is AMAZING! The love you give to your sister, Ashlee, is beautful. Its been fun watching you and ashlee have an adult relationship as sisters. Makes my heart pitty pat. This last few years have been emotionally taxing on ALL of us, for many reasons, but you keep us laughing and reminiding me that things will be okay. I know when I am no longer in this world that your siblings will have you as a rock and a reminder of how "we do" in this family. I love when you call to tell us the DUMBEST jokes and when you call me at work, the same time each day to ask me what I am doing, LOL.. You my sweet baby girl put a smile on my face. Stay true to yourself and never change. I love, Love, Love you!!!!!

still waters run deep

Oy, I love this kid, but he has been quite a character in his short 18 years. So, Tony is our 4th child and 2nd son. He was born at Luke AFB in Arizona and was also the 2nd child I gave birth to without my soldier around-Its the norm in this lifestyle, but we do what we have to do. So Tony entered this world at 9lbs and dark olive skin and deep brown eyes. Tony could be a very difficult kiddo, but he is funny as all get out! He is also a very strong and silent young man. He is very much like his daddy. Always observing before jumping into a situation. Tony is also very loyal to the people in his life. He says more in actions than words, for instance, last night he read the bedtime stories to his baby brothers. This may not seem like such a big deal, but he is 18, has a life outside of this house and is a busy bee. But he took the time because he knows that even though his baby brothers get on his nerves and get into his things, they look up to him with such adoration that it wells my eyes with tears. He has also oddly turned into quite the romantic and its cute to see with the love of his life, Dana. So Tony has learned as a military child to adapt quickly and help others in this journey. Its been funny to hear him discuss ranks with "newbies" and its cute that he still thinks his dad runs the Army, LOL.. He is such a respectul and cool kid. He makes me proud everytime I look at him. During deployments, he definately "suffers in silence" I have seem him waiting around for letters from dad and brother Nick from down range, Ive als found these letters kept safely in his room. He is a very proud Army Brat and has NO desire to live this lifestyle as an adult-It's okay, we will still love him. I've watched him squeal with delight in seeing his dad get off that bus from a deployment when he was little and I have seen him wait with agony as a teenager, watching his dad safely walk off that airplane returning from Iraq. The relief on his face, says it all. He is of course above squealing with delight now, but you can see it in his eyes... So Tony, Always do your best.. Never settle.. Remember where you come from and when things don't seem to be going your way, you get up and dust yourself off and figure it out. I CANNOT wait to see the man you will become and what you will do with your life. You make me proud when I see you give your last cent to a homeless person, or that when you talk of making it big in the NBA, you always talk about helping everyone you can and not about what YOU will get out of that. So, whether you are an NBA star, or the gym teacher at your local high school, know that Mamma and Daddy love you. Thank you for the laughter and the journey....

This is Dominic Gianluca.. Dominic is our 5th child, we tried for him for 3.5 years, so he was quite a surprise!!! Just when we had given up hope to have more children. We hadn't had a baby in 12 years so it was like starting all over again. He was born in Lich Germany in a German hospital(he was the ONLY one of our 6 kids to NOT be born in a military hospital, so it was a new experience for us in many ways. He is by FAR, my favorite child-Why you ask? Well, from my 1st contraction to his delivery was 1 hour and 13 minutes and he was born at 1:13pm LOL so a whopping 1 hour labor and delivery, HAHAH.. YAY ME! So he was 6 weeks old for his 1st PCS to Ft Leonard Wood Missouri. He has been the happiest kiddo I have ever known. He is very mellow and has a VERY OLD soul. Like old as in seen it all and has experienced 100 years of life in 7 years, LOL.. From a young infant it felt like he was totally intune to peoples moods, it was odd, but cute. He has a very deep soul. He has been through deployments, and everything else MOST military kids go through and has come out of it like a champ. He and Roman won't have the same Army Brat life that their older siblings have experienced. Sal retires in 2 years and for the rest of their childhood they will be "regulars". Dominic LOVEs being the big brother to Roman and if you ask him who his best friend is, he will say "RORO". Dominic thinks everyones daddy or mommy is a 1SG and he refers to everyone as 1SG, LOL.. When we go through the gates, he asks ALOT, "Are those daddy's workers?" He clearly has a HIGH opinion of his daddio! We have really enjoyed being in his life and can't wait to see what he becomes. Im guessing a politician... I am beyond happy that our children have grown up in this life, they have been around such diversity, which is such a wonderful thing. Military kids are lucky in that they are around just about EVERY culture and ethnicities and they have to make friends very quickly. This is their normal.

Army Brats

I want to share my Army Brats stories with you. Normally when I blog about my kids like this, I start with the oldest and work my way down, so thought I would change it up a little and start with the youngest. In honor of it being the Month of the Military Child, I'd like to introduce my youngest "Brat", Roman Gianmarco... Roman has had a different lifestyle than the older kiddos. He had the luxury of daddy already having an established career so weekends with daddy were pretty normal-Not so with the older kids. So, like most Army Brats, Roman was born in an Army Hospital. He entered the world at Ft Leonard Wood Missouri-Home of the MP CORPS!!! No pressure kid but being an MP should be your destiny! Anyhow, Roman is our 6th child. Not until he was born did we feel completion for our family(NOW after having Roman for 5 years, its a pretty good thing he was our last-We are TOO old for his crazy, daredevilish self....) So, when Roman was born he had a father in the Army and a brother that was moments away from leaving for basic training to become a soldier and a big sister that was ready for her adventure in life as an Army wife with her love, Blake... At the ripe old age of 2, Roman was on his way with his first PCS!!! We were headed to Ft Bliss!!!! Upon arrival we found out daddy would be deploying soon(we just said goodbye to big brother Nick who was already in Iraq at this time) So, we savored every minute with daddy. Lots of why's and how comes? Little fellas don't understand so we explain as best as we could. As the deployment was getting closer, time with daddy was less and less(normal when daddy is a 1SG and trying to make sure his soldiers were ready for this) But Roman didn't seem to mind, he liked taking daddy dinner at the office. He liked seeing all the soldiers and playing with the other brats there spending time with their daddies and mamas. So the ick day finally arrived and Roman was NOT thrilled with it, I kept telling him that it was okay and that daddy would be home-I even did the CARDINAL sin and PROMISED daddy would come back to us-BLAH. I reminded him that daddy is a soldier and needs to go help people sometimes and this was that time. I told him that we needed to be brave and say bye bye to daddy and have big smiles and hugs because it would be a while before we got to see him. So he did a wonderful job saying goodbye and watching his whole world drive away in a bus(he is going to hate busses, LOL He had the same situation months earlier with his big brother) So I put them in the carseats and stood at the back "pretending" to be putting the stroller away and had my moment, dried my tears and sat down in the car and he looked at me and said "Don't cry mama, don't cry" . Little smarty pants. So he endured a year without his daddy.. I had to play stand in for the monster that eats baby feetsies.. I had to be daddy and mama to him and he had to learn that mommy is NOT daddy, LOL.. We all survived that deployment and when daddy stepped off the plane, Roman wouldnt let the strongest man on earth come between him and his daddy.. Military brats are AMAZING, strong, resiliant, compassionate, funny and brave.... To my little baby brat, thank you for making me laugh and thank you for being so brave and good.

Month of the Military Child

It's official, it's the Month of the Military Child!!! CELEBRATION are in order to ALL of them. The sacrifices they endure are beyond insane. Sometimes they are left on the backburner of the deployment, RR and the return, but they shouldn't be. They SHOULD and DESERVE to have their time with their service member. My Army Brats have seriously kept me sane for 23 years. Its amazing how much strength they have given me. I feel like I can conquer the world when they are around. I am not sure why they provide this for me, but they do. I feel empowered by our children. During deployments they keep me from the loonie bin-WHY you may ask? Because for them, I have to go on!!! I NEED to get up out of bed everyday and be there for them. I need to keep them stable in an unstable lifestyle. They have made me so proud and make me feel loved. So Thank you Nicholas, Ashlee, Cassidy, Anthony, Dominic and Roman... Without you, I am not sure what my life would be like. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and who you have become. You have been my precious jewels... LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!