Overwhelmed!

Ok....just wanted to let you guys know that I've not been abducted by aliens... or fallen off the earth or ... even disappeared to some remote island for some R& R.

I'm still here. I have tons to share, but for now I'm just trying to keep my head above water. This is an extremely difficult month for me...when my name comes to your mind, say a little prayer.

I'll be back soon with some updates! Love all my bloggy friends :)

It's Official....

...I'm a published freelance writer! It's exciting times here at the Bales' house. I've been sitting on this information for months now and today is the day. Army Wife Magazine went live online today and I'm a Key Contributor with my own section highlighting life as the wife of a Guard/Reservist. So...what are you waiting for? Go check it out! Just click on the picture below.

(look for my column on page 36...and my name credit on page 4)

Military Appreciation Picnic

It's getting closer....deployment day looms overhead and taunts my schedule, my dreams, my life. Our guys (the 1037th) have already begun training for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan and we're in full military mode now. For me, this part is the most excruciating. My soldier is already there (in his mind) preparing (as he should) for his mission...and me and the kids are trying to carry on life as normal, but it's not. It's not normal for families to live thousands of miles apart. But this is what we do. This is the life we signed up for. We love our country and...as a family...have vowed to pay the sacrifice to keep her safe and free.

...and with all great preparations..there must be a party! Our home church, Southside Community, hosted a Military Appreciation Picnic a few weeks back, to honor the men & women getting ready to deploy, and the families that will hold down the homefront. We have an incredible church that embraces these military families and takes care of them.

Me & my soldier...for a quick snapshot

the military "brats"...actually they're really great kids who have an incredible friendship.
from Left to Right: Blake, Jarred, Mallorye

The Real Army Wives...this is who I'll be doing life with over the next 12 months
Kim, Melissa, Me, & Ginger (yes, there's two of us)


Melissa & her soldier, Chris

Kim & her soldier, Kevin

Kevin & Jarred enjoying some father/son time on the blow up slide...I can't tell who was having more fun..the big kid or the BIG KID!

Ginger & Ginger...racing to the bottom

We had a blast! We all needed a break from the stress of getting ready for the deployment and Southside came through and delivered just that. There were so many people that helped to make this day fun and relaxing for our military families...those that donated money, donated food, served, planned, donated tshirts...the list goes on. To all those that made this day happen...THANK YOU! To Southside....You guys ROCK!

Can't Help Myself

Ok...I just couldn't resist showing you two more pictures from our photo shoot last week.

Me & the kiddos waiting on Q...we were just goofing off, but I think it might be one of my favorites of the day.

Sgt. Mom
"Don't even think of messing with me....or more importantly, my family."

Army Wife-Army Strong

Sneak Peak Portraits

This past Friday we had our family pictures made for the holiday season...since Q will be deployed by then, I wanted to get them done now. I could not be more pleased with the results! Jenny did an amazing job and I'm dreading having to choose....Here's some of the faves right now...

Everyone's smiling...that in itself is amazing! This is definitely one of the best family portraits we've ever taken.

Me & My Soldier

Handsome Feller ain't he?

I love this picture of Mallorye...dreaming of her daddy.

And this one just about rips my heart out..Blake's eyes are like windows deep into his soul...how she captured that I'll never know.

Check out more of Jenny's work at Reflective Memories

Dig For The Cure

Ok...I'm way behind on blogging, but today I got ALL of my pictures uploaded to my computer...so this week will be all about "blogland catch up."

September 15th was Paragould Lady Rams Dig For The Cure volleyball game. The girls started this last year as a way to promote breast cancer awareness and raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation...all while showing their support for fellow teammate, Kobi...her mom lost her battle with breast cancer this past March. The girls bring all they have to this game...their passion for volleyball and love for Mrs. Kim & Kobi shine brightly...and it helps that they play their long time rival Greene County Tech.

Courtney Parker...proving that white girls can indeed jump!

Awesome effort by Kat Keel & Courtney Parker..probably one of my favorite pictures from the game.

Mallorye is still side-lined with an ankle injury, but she's still there every game & practice, cheering her team on. She had arthroscopic surgery August 30th and we're hoping she can play on Senior Night October 15th. This is Mal & Hailey Saunders reacting to what appears to be an awesome play.

We WON! 3-1

Showing a little love to Kobi after the win...and remembering why we play this game...to make a difference and be a part of something bigger than ourselves...huge life lesson these girls have learned.

The Price of Peace

This song says it all...below the video is the story of how the song came about...

One day while watching my Dad leaving for work in his uniform, I realized that most people don't understand what the families go through when their loved ones go off to war. I wrote this song from my heart on a daughters perspective of what it is like when her Dad goes off to war. The Price of Peace is a great song that has a message of love and support for any loved one in the military.I sat down one night and wrote it with my dad's help. I didn't realize my dad knew so much about it until he started telling me about the deployment ceremonies he has attended. He told me how the soldiers families and the children clutched their dad's neck and cried unashamed. This really hit home for me. I know it has to be hard for any family to watch a loved one or a friend go off to war. It is hard to understand how they feel everyday as they wake up praying that their loved one is ok. When people listen to this song I hope it moves them to a better understanding of what a military family has to cope with. The song also tells how a family sticks together and realizes God has a reason and purpose for all things.
Alyssa Gaddis7th Grade