Elisa

What’s Your Obstacle?

August 19, 2021August 12, 2021 Elisa 1 Comment encouragement, friendship, physical health

Somewhere in early 2016 I discovered a fitness group that would alter the overall course of my life; I just didn’t know it then. Melissa would lead regular workout sessions in a few places around Fort Carson, and every meetup would vary in group size, experience, and of course, the workouts. Melissa’s positivity was tangible, infectious, and she made us believers. Believers in her, believers in ourselves, and believers in the group. She is what made Body Blast more than just a way to pass the time, but a lifelong pursuit for me.

Experience

When All Seemed Bleak

May 30, 2021May 28, 2021 Elisa 2 Comments encouragement, Military Life, perspective

Sometimes it feels as though everything is hitting you all at once and you can’t seem to catch a break, just a moment to catch your breath, or at the very least, assess what’s going on and develop a game plan, however futile it may feel. It seems bleak. But hang in there… Because it’s going to be ok.

Experience Household 6

The Year It All Came Together

December 19, 2020December 18, 2020 Elisa 2 Comments empowerment, mental health

Well, most of it, that is.

It seems that no matter who your ears tune into these days, someone somewhere is sharing their story of sorrow and distress. This year has really done a number on a number of us.

My bishop, for example, was put on life support, my beautiful baby girl had to be tested for COVID-19, and close friends of mine lost loved ones. The stories go on and on. But even amidst all of this chaos there is hope, good news, and, yes, even blessings.

Experience Health & Fitness Household 6

A Global Perspective: Italy

June 21, 2020June 19, 2020 Elisa 2 Comments perspective, physical health

Let’s begin in the tiny town of Vo, Italy, where the government shut everything down as soon as they had their first confirmed case of COVID-19. My friend, Laura, who was born and raised in Italy and frequents her hometown quite a bit to be with her family, is my direct resource for this particular segment.

Experience Household 6 Military Life

Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts?

March 1, 2020February 27, 2020 Elisa 0 Comments military kids, Military Life

Once upon a time I was a Girl Scout leader for my older daughter’s troop, and our troop lasted a solid two years. My daughter bridged from being a Brownie to becoming a Junior within that time-frame. Soon I had 20 girls on my roster, so I added a co-leader who was the best helper, assistant, and cheerleader I could hope for. Because our troop was highly sought after, we also had a waitlist of girls wanting to join, but we were never able to accommodate them—my girls never left. Our Troop Cookie Coordinator was phenomenal. She ordered a bunch of cookies, dispersed them once, we sold them all, and then we returned our money by the deadline.

That was it.

Today, Cookie Season has evolved into a different beast entirely. A lot has changed since 2003. Now we have an app, take plastic, offer direct shipment, order cases before taking a single personal order, and work booth after booth, weekend after weekend. Sadly, many volunteers quit during or because of Cookie Season.

Deployment Experience Military Life

In the Midst of Chaos: Rapid Deployments

January 30, 2020September 9, 2021 Elisa 0 Comments deployment, military family, Military Life

“Letting you know… I’m deploying on Friday.”

This was the text I received one morning as I was getting ready to begin my day. My friend, Catherine, along with so many others, would be deploying somewhere overseas for who knows how long and doing who knows what.

Her text was one of many. By the end of the first week, I was on a roller coaster of “guess what?” I saw couples rushing to the PX to pick out wedding bands. Another friend of mine bought a very early birthday cake for her daughter. My little ones were coming home from school sharing their sadness with me, almost daily, about the news of yet another friend gone.

Deployments have a way of moving families around the globe.

Experience Military Life

The Waiting Place

December 30, 2019September 2, 2021 Elisa 1 Comment encouragement, Military Life, military spouse, poetry

There is a book written by Dr. Seuss entitled, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Perhaps you’ve heard of it. It really is quite remarkable how this children’s book can both entertain the very smallest child and yet speak volumes to adults, both young and old.

Over the years, it has become a graduation staple, full of autographs by every positive and influential teacher the alumnus has had since preschool. If you have not had the opportunity to read the pages of this book or if it has been a while, I strongly recommend that you seek it out . . . more often. What I believe you will find are comforting words that can inspire you to do, act, and be as you ought to be and not as Life would have you be.

Experience Household 6 Military Life

Build Your Own Boat

September 30, 2019August 31, 2021 Elisa 3 Comments Military Life, resilience

Let’s pretend that you’ve just received orders to the East Coast and you have 30 days to PCS. You bring what you have and hope that you’re prepared enough for the move.

Now, let’s pretend that the week you arrive, there’s a hurricane. It floods your garage, tosses a trampoline through your window, and drops a tree onto your only vehicle. That is called unpredictability, and it’s most inconsiderate.

What if you could go back thirty days and do it all over again, knowing then what you know now? Would you do things differently? I bet you would. That is called preparedness. It is your best defense against unpredictability.

Experience Military Life

The Molding of a Milspouse

August 30, 2019August 30, 2021 Elisa 0 Comments Military Life, military spouse

A new and young milspouse was contemplating her options aloud, and I couldn’t help but feel excited for her. As wild of a journey as this life is, there are also many opportunities available to us. With those opportunities, however, come obstacles: small, big, and even monumental-sized ones.

If a spouse, especially one with children, is going to pursue anything, there are several questions they have to ask themselves.

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