News

by Karen Francis

Tiffany glass –the beautiful lamps, vases of all shapes, sizes, and colours, glass jewelry, and stunning stained glass windows – is on exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond, Virginia. The Museum entry is free, but the special exhibit is not. Thanks to Blue Star Families, we were able to spend the hottest day on record, in the hottest location in the State of Virginia, inside this beautiful museum, entirely free.

by Wife on the Roller Coaster

I looked around my house. Bags packed. Kids anxious. Boarding passes printed. The scene looked entirely too familiar. But this time, it wasn’t preparation for my husband’s departure. It was preparation for mine. I was going on vacation.

Vacations are never easy to organize when you’re married to the military. Last year I altered our travel plans three times to accommodate my husband’s work schedule, until finally I had to book the plane reservations without him so I could squeeze the trip in before my son started school. But this year was different.

As a military brat, some of my earliest memories of summer vacation involved my parents dragging me to museums around the world. And yes, at times I felt dragged, particularly when I was 12-15 years
old and spending time with my parents was akin to being water boarded in my adolescent angst ridden head.

In hindsight, however, it was pretty darn cool.

Thank you to all the wonderful military bloggers who entered our contest for a conference pass to BlogHer 2010.

It was a difficult decision, but our panel of judges selected Jacqueline Goodrich of Ask the Milies and ACU's, Stiletto Shoes, and Pretty Pink Tutus!

Jacqueline will be joining Blue Star Families at BlogHer 2010 in New York City next month!

by Julie Pippert

What a great night last night!  Blue Star Families was fortunate to be the guests of the San Diego Foundation for the San Diego Symphony Summer Pops Concert featuring The Flying Karamazov Brothers. Several local Blue Star Families were able to take advantage of this great opportunity.  Special thanks to Audrey Geisel for covering the financial cost of our tickets. 

by Michelle Galvez Before entering the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Va. Thursday, my kids were strenuously warned to use their inside voices, walking feet and look with their eyes, but not with their hands. I truly enjoy introducing my children to art and culture but I was a bit nervous about the potential for too-up close and personal interaction between them and the priceless and breakable masterpieces inside.

Deployments get a bum rap. Military spouses, including myself, share endless stories of loneliness, exhaustion, sadness, and that evil Murphy’s Law that shoulders the blame for leaky faucets and flat tires. I’m not saying that deployments aren’t tough on the loved ones left behind.

Another weekend was approaching. The weather was too stifling for outdoor activities, and we were already waterlogged from trips to the pool during the week. My kids proclaimed that their mountains of toys were boring, and the television was running almost as frequently as our air conditioner. I needed to plan a family outing.

Enter our contest and send us artwork about your visit to a Blue Star Museum or artwork that is inspired by the Blue Star Museum program – winners receive a $500, $250 or $100 savings bond!