annsowers.com

I have begun a journal on AOL that follows my life as a Military Dependent. You can read it here. http://journals.aol.com/ondway/livingthemilitarylife/
You don’t have to be a member of AOL in order to read the journal. Just copy and paste the url into your browser. Please start at the bottom and work your way to the top. I am doing my best to stay in proper order from my birth until now.

I’m not sure why I started this particular journal. It may be that I have a need for my two sons to know how I was raised, and the people and places I experienced along the way.

Even thought my Father and husband have retired from the Army, you still live the life of a military dependent. I honesty do not think that I could live an entirely civilian life. That in no way means that I think I am better than anyone. It just means that I love to live my life within my comfort zone. During the brief times in my life that I wasn’t entitled to a Military ID card were horrible to me. I honestly felt lost and didn’t quite know how I would make it without my free medical care or the trips to the commissary. Believe me, having free medical care for 5 children meant a lot to our family. I look back and wonder how my parents would have made it if they had to pay our medical bills out of their pocket. I don’t even like to think about the possibilities.
I get pretty riled up when I hear anyone disrespecting our men and women in uniform. Of course mistakes have been made by some of them along the way. But for the most part, we have good, honest, courageous troops and they should be respected for the wonderful job they do for each and everyone of us.
I’ll get off of my soapbox for the time being. If you get a chance check out my journal.
Ann

I set my alarm clock for 2:55 am this morning in order to watch the funeral of Pope John Paul II. I am not Catholic but I don’t think you have to be a certain religion to honor such a Man of God. I never really paid attention to other Popes because I was either to young, or was in my own world doing my own thing as most young adults often do. What struck me about this Pope is how the young and old alike loved him, respected him, and without a doubt most would agree that he is already a Saint.

I know I will never be pure enough to walk in his shoes, but I fully agree with some of the tough stances he has taken through the years. Yes, I am a Conservative and very proud of it. I feel as if the moment a child is conceived he or she is the most precious gift God could bestow upon a mother and father. God makes no junk in my eyes.

I was taken back as I read his last will and testament. I must admit I was ashamed to look around my home and see all the material things in life I have aquired. This man, so pure of heart stated that he really had nothing to pass on by way of material goods. I remember back to the times in my life when I had very little by way of material goods. To be honest, those were the happiest days of my life. Maybe, just maybe there is a reason behind the saying that you can’t take it with you.

I have spent years keeping things to pass down to my two sons. I see now, that the gifts I wanted to leave them are not the most important gifts to receive. Instead I have decided to have a garage sale to clear my home of so much clutter. I am going to start two diaries. One for each of my children to recieve upon my death. I challenge anyone that reads this to do the same.

All of us have been touched one way or another by the fight over Terri Schiavo’s life. It saddens me to think that there are some that feel as if her life is meaningless. I have prayed and ask God to help me come to peace with what is happening to Terri and her family. I asked God for a sign that would help me to understand all of this.

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, I walked out to my front yard. I looked up into my Dogwood Tree. There before my eyes was one full bloom and 4 blooms that were half way open. The rest of my blooms were still closed tight. I cried, because before me was my sign. The open bloom was for Terri and the 4 half opened blooms were for her Mother, Father, Brother and Sister. I know in my heart that God is holding Terri and her family in his loving arms.

I designed a banner for Terri. If you would like you can go to my web site and get a copy of it. http://www.annsowers.com

My thoughts and prayers go out to Terri and her family. May God bless you and keep you in his loving arms.

I watched the Montel Williams show yesterday and was quite unnerved at the shows topic. Saddly there were several young girls that got hooked up with the wrong kind of person in a chatroom, and paid a price by way of repeated rapes, and an experience that they are sure to never get over in their lifetime.
What makes people thing they can get on the Internet and use our children in this manner? It truly proves that there are some sicko’s out in this world.
I can’t help but believe that Michael Jackson is one of them. I know innocent until proven guilty, but something just doesn’t sit right with his whole way of life. I am 46 and didn’t have a childhood so to speak. I am not looking to go back in time and recapture something that is long gone and forgotten. Instead I am using my energies to make sure that my son has a wonderful kid filled childhood. I think if he had spent more time making things right for his own children, then he would not be in the mess he is in.
In the meantime, something really needs to be done to stop these sick people on the internet. I am more than ready to take my computer out and only have a laptop in my house. That way my son has to come through me to get to the computer.
It is really sad, because the Internet has so much to offer the world. BUT I suppose there will always be those few who try to make something bad out of a good thing.
It’s time that we stand up and fight these guys. A good website to visit is http://www.perjeverted-justice.com. There really are people out there that are hot on the tails of these creeps. I think as parents more of us need to step up to the plate and help them out. What say you?

My friend’s daughter came home this weekend after completing basic training in the Navy. I have been a military dependent all 46 years of my life. I have never seen a kid change as much from the military as Amber has. Gone is the little shy girl that we sent on her way in October. She nows looks you straight in the face and isn’t afraid to speak.
We had the best 3 days with her. She always turned her nose up at most anything that was cooked before. Now she is the first one to finish eating. She smiles constantly instead of crying because she thought someone was intentionally hurting her feelings.
Amber loved basic training. Now isn’t that way out of the norm? I have never heard anyone before say that they loved basic. She was quick to tell everyone that she only got hauled on the carpet one time during the entire training period.
This child was so thin when she left Huntsville. She got 8 stress fractures from running. They asked her is she wanted out and she told them no. They worked with her and she was able to recover, pass her physical training test and now is on her way to becoming a medic.
Can you tell I am proud of her? I don’t have daughters, but in a lot of ways she is like my daughter. It literally took a group of us to get her through High School and just day to day life in general. She messed up and didn’t graduate but got her GED two weeks after actual graduation.
I am thankful to the Navy for the work they have done with her. They have given her purpose in her life, and it will be interesting to see just how far she goes with her career. She is already thinking about making a career out of the military. I would be so thankful if she did.
I have heard people say time and time again that all kids should have to do a few years in the military. If all of the outcomes would be as positive as Amber, then I would agree. I know we would be sending some really good kids out into the world after doing a 3 or 4 year stint in the military.

I chatted with a friend today that I have’t talked to in over a year. It is amazing how quick time can fly by. He told me that he now has a 6 month old daughter.
I am truly happy for this guy, because I was really worried about him for a long time. He and I both metal detect, and our friendship began there.
It did me so much good to hear that he is now happy with a family of his own.
I suppose what I am getting at here is that the Internet has a way of opening the world up to us. We get to share in people’s triumphs and downfalls. Any time you get news that a new angel has joined our midst, well you just can’t help but smile.
Here’s to you Steve and you new family.

I decided today that I need to write a book about my son. I don’t want to sound like the doting mother that thinks her child is the greatest, because I don’t. Yes he is a pretty remarkable kid. He is very intelligent, and can be the biggest pain in the butt at times.
Raising gifted children can be the hardest job a parent ever does. Alot of people do not realize but these kids are also Special Needs kids. The only thing is they are on the other end of the Educational Needs. These kids don’t get a lot of money spent on their public education.
I read some where that having a gifted child is like dealing with a kid with a teenage mind, emotions of a toddler, and the body of their normal age. How true that statement is. Bless his heart, but it all gets jumbled up at times. I really feel for my son because life is hard for him at times.
I take one day at a time with Ben, and hope that he succeeds in the important things, and messes up in the not so important. I think it’s important that these kids screw up like normal kids. Some times it’s the only way you can find a bit of normalcy in their lives.

We are nearing the half-way mark for January. Where has the past 11 days disappeared to so quickly. It only took me an hour to put up all remnants of Christmas.
My house is back to normal. My son is still opening boxes that he didn’t open right away. He likes to drag it out as long as possible.
I have a wonderful son. All his life he has only asked for one gift at Christmas. This is good in some respects, but in others it makes him really hard to buy for.
He is 11, but is already changing. He asked his father the other day if he could use some of his cologne. Yikes, my baby, smelling good for girls. That rattled me.
My husband dutifully went up stairs and show him how NOT to drown himself in cologne. He came walking down the steps with a grin on his face. Of cousre I had to tell him just how good he smelled.
I think this will be the year that the little boy is left behind, and a young man emerges. Where has all the time went?

Ann Sowers

My heart goes out to all of ththe children that have lost their mother’s or father’s. I am watching closely to see what is going to happen to all of these children.
I would be willing to give one of them a good home. I thought my baby days were over, but at 46 I would take on a younger child. It’s amazing how a tragedy of this magnitude will make you realize how much you are willing to do in order to help out.
I wish I was able to take care of everyone of them.

In amongst all the sad with the Tsunami we are hearing a story every now and again about someone being found alive. It makes you wonder why God spared some, and not others. I feel as if the ones that survived still have work to do in this old world of ours.
There was a man from here in Huntsville that survived, and was able to save a little boys life. He was on Larry King Live last night. He said he would never forget the look on the face of the child’s mother. He was not able to help her. There were times when he thought about letting go, but something in him made him hold on tight to the rail.
Thankfully people came to the rescue. He first had them take the child, then he was saved.
He is now home safe and sound. I am sure he has a bit to deal with mentally, but for the most part he will be able to continue with his life.

I thought that living through September 11th, was going to be the worst nightmare of my life. I just couldn’t imagine anything else being as devastating or worse than all those lost in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and in Airplanes.

Everyone in the world is touched by the tragedy of the Tsunami. It is hard to comprehend the number of dead. The last count I saw was three times the number of US Soldiers killed in Vietnam. We will never truly know the exact count because complete villages were wiped out.

I suppose the lesson to be learned from this is to never take Mother Nature for granted. She will strike even in the paradises of the world.

I lived in Idaho for a year. I saw first hand Mother Nature at work. Dry lightning would catch whole forest on fire. I would sit and watch as helicopters dropped water on the fire in hopes of keeping it from hitting the city. One night I sat up all night watching Firemen battle a blaze that could have sent my family running to get away. Thankfully they were able to bring the blaze under control before an evacuation order had to be issued.

I always loved the ocean. But now I am not so sure. I always go to the beach at least once a year. Now I’m not so sure I will find it the peaceful haven that makes me feel at peace with the world. Instead I think I would be constantly worrying about my children’s safety.

My heart goes out to all of those that have lost in this tragedy.

Another year has come and gone. I am not one to make New Years Resolutions, because at some point I am sure to mess them up. Instead I like to sit back and reflect over the past year, and see where I can improve.
I am sure we all have shortcomings that we could work on. I know I do. I hate to clean house, do laundry, and cook. In other words, I hate the housewife duties. LOL. Don’t get me wrong. My house is clean, the clothes are washed, and meals are cooked. I just hate doing it. I can think of a million other things I would rather be doing than domestic duties.
I would give anything to live like the Jetson’s. I would love to have a robotic maid. My youngest son wants to go to school and earn a degree in Robotics. Hmmmm, maybe he will make me my very own Rosie.

I am back and forth on the death penalty issue. I am glad that Scott Peterson was found guilty because I really believe that he killed his wife and unborn child.
I can not figure out why someone would stoop so low to do that to an innocent woman and child. I pray that Laci is enjoying her baby in heaven. I am sure that God will deal with Scott in his own way.
Laci’s family should have never been put through this. My prayers go out to them. I pray that some day they will be able to enjoy the holidays again.
The one issue that really bothers me is that he showed no remores at all. How in the world could he sit there emotionless as they described the body of his own flesh and blood.
Honesty, I think that it can be said that selfishness is the root of all evil. Or at least in Scott Peterson’s case.
I put him in the same category as Susan Smith. Death is actually to good for them. I wish the Court would order pictures of Smith’s children to be plastered all over her cell. I think they should do the same with Scott. If it drove them crazy, so be it. But, aren’t they already crazy?

Dan Rather is finally doing the right thing, and is stepping down for CBS evening news. Of course we will never hear him say that the President Bush incident played into it. BUT, we know it.
I have a real problem with the media. I know that we as humans are curious, and want to know what is happening to our kids in war, but I can’t help but believe that reporters cause more harm than good.
Case in point, the young Marine that shot a terrorist a few days ago. There was no need to put that on the air. It’s sending a message that we are against our troops if we start picking apart everything they do.
Our kids need our support, not our finger pointing. I would like to see all reporters banned from the arena. I think our troops could accomplish so much more.
It is a sad day in America when we have to allow the News Media to police our Military as they try to rid the world of evil terrorist.

I just read an article about 2 Marines that grew up together, went to school together, and joined the Marines together. They were separated for a short time period but would up being stationed together again.
They lost their lives November 4th, and were buried together November 11th.
Today I honor Cpl. Jeremiah A. Baro and Lance Cpl. Jared P. Hubbard, and their families. Thank you for your sacrifices. Without brave men and women like these two, we would not be gaining ground on the war against terrorism.
To you the families, I pray that God gives you peace. I can’t even imagine how it feels to lose a child. I pray I never have to find out. I appreciate the sacrifices you have made during this turbulent time in our Nation.

In my 46 years of life, I have never known the World to be so troubled. It is a sad day for all of humanity when a woman’s life is taken because she became a pawn in a game of Good against Evil.
She dedicated her life to the very region that would claim her life. I pray that her death is an eye opener for those that have doubted our need to be in the Middle East. These Evil people must be dealt with in order for our children to continue to live freely.
It saddens me to think that the Terrorist stooped so low as to take the life of a woman. This in itself should prove that they are not really fighting a Holy War. I think the World is finally seeing that they have been sold a bill of bad goods, all in the name of Allah.
I pray for Mrs. Hassan’s family. May God bless and comfort you in this time of uncertainty.

During the holiday season, we all need to remember our troops and their families.

I know first hand how it feels to have a loved one in combat. I am a Military Brat and proud of it. My father went to Vietnam 3 times. My husband went to Vietnam and Desert Storm.

No matter how much you try, the holidays are not the same when the ones you love are in a hostile environment. I really wished that Christmas had been canceled many times, because I couldn’t find the Christmas Spirit.

Don’t get me wrong. Everyone around me tried their best to make the holidays special. For that I will always be grateful.

To our troops, many heartfelt thanks for your sacrifices. To your families, thank you for the job you are doing at home. Our troops would be nothing without the love and support of their families.

I am watching my neighbor slowly fade away. I have known him for 6 years. For the past 3 months he has steadily gone downhill. I hate the toll that it is taking on him because he has not accepted his illness. He was always a proud man, and took great care with his appearance.
Today he came to my door after standing out in the cold for an hour and half. Once again he locked himself out of his house. He was wearing a sweater than was torn in several places. It broke my heart to see him like this.
I do my best to try to see some sort of life from his home every day. I want to allow him his privacy, but at the same time feel that I need to keep an eye on him. He will eventually get to the point that he won’t be able to live alone. I am afraid that is going to happen sooner than we thought.
It is so sad to see life robbed this way. His favorite TV show is JAG. I hope that he doesn’t lose the desire to watch that. When that time comes, I know that we have really lost a good friend, a good man, a father.

Once again our guys are doing an excellent job in Fallujah. I personally believe that the US, along with our allies have the greatest troops in the world. I would think that the insurgents would realize that President Bush is hell bent on revenge, and WE will not give up until we have attained our goal.

Terrorist must be stopped now, or our children will live in fear the rest of their lives. I do not want my children, or their children to grow up, and live with a constant threat over their head.

Way to go guys. Keep up the good work. American is proud of you. I am proud of you.
Ann