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Another way to help | Main | Bye, Daddy »
It's live chat night here at "Standing By!'
Join us right here in the comments section at 10 p.m. EST.
Some of watch reruns of "Army Wives" on Lifetime TV while we chat, while others just stop by for the conversation. Either way, you're sure to hear some secrets, learn something you didn't know before or make some new friends.
See you here!
The comments to this entry are closed.
 Welcome to a behind-the-scenes look at life on the home front. Jan Wesner is a journalist and Army wife who works in the St. Petesburg Times' East Hillsborough bureau. Jan started writing here in 2006 when her husband was deployed to Iraq, sharing her stories about life with a loved one at war. Now she's sharing yours. Send us your stories, photos, e-mails, questions or anything else related to the war, those who serve, or those who are "standing by." Stop by daily for local military updates, special events, personal stories and other information by, for and about military families.
E-mail Jan Wesner: Jan Wesner's latest stories |
Here we go - be sure and say Hi so we know who's here!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Hi, Jan
I'm here, and my visit to Florida was a good one, despite my sick relative. It's nice to be in nice weather. I was in Daytona.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:02 PM
triumpf - I hope your relative is better.
I haven't been to Daytona in years. We used to go at Spring Break. I think the last time we were there Mark, me and our friend EAA's husband slept on the side of the road in my '86 Chevy Chevette!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:05 PM
I'm here, ya'll should feel special, I'm spending our 6 anniversary with ya ;)
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Aw, Amie, how sweet! Congratulations!
Tell us about your wedding ...
I'm sure it will be more interesting than the Army WIves rerun!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Jan,
What a fun memory. There's nothing like those youthful days! And thanks, hopefully my relative will be fine.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Happy Anniversary, Annie
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:09 PM
We didn't have a big wedding at all. My family is in GA, and his are in VA so we wanted a neutral place to have the wedding, so we chose Gatlinburg, TN.
The chapel was really nice. It was http://www.littlelogchapel.com/
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 10:09 PM
Oh, that looks cute, Amie!
Was there any deployment drama or anything surrounding your wedding?
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:10 PM
That really is a cute chapel, what a great place to be married.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:13 PM
Actually when we got married, he wasn't in the military. He went in straight out of high school and got married at 21, when his enlistment was up his exwife didn't want him to stay in. We actually meet while they were going through their divorce. Started out as just a friendship. But grew into more over time. About a year after we were married, he had gotten laid off from yet another job, and it was then that he confessed to me how much he missed being in the Army.
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 10:13 PM
Here's where Mark and I got married:
http://www.roserchurch.com/
Nowhere near as cute, but it is on the beach!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:14 PM
Amie - that's a great story! How awesome that he found both his true loves - you and the Army!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:16 PM
That's a nice quaint place too, Jan
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:16 PM
That would have been nice to hit up the beach after our wedding. We got to look at the mountains that surrounded us.
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 10:16 PM
And then our reception was at the Elks Lodge - talk about quaint!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:17 PM
I was a waitress at Waffle House, and him and his buddy came in one night for dinner. When he walked in the door, I told the cook I was going to marry him one day. She laughed and said how about you aim for just his number to start. LOL
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 10:18 PM
I can't even find a picture online of our church, lol.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:19 PM
Amie - And it just gets better! I love it!
Triumpf - any stories of true love to share?
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:19 PM
hmmmmmm, yes, just none that I'd dare share. ::smiles::
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:22 PM
Are you guys watching the show? It's a bad episode tonight. ugh.
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:22 PM
triumpf - aw, come on, don't taunt us like that!!!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:22 PM
I have it on in the background, I don't much like this episode.
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 10:23 PM
I'm watching, Jan. I just didn't realize that it's hard to rewatch an ongoing series sometimes.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Jan, how did you and Mark meet?
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 10:23 PM
I just said to Mark "This show really does NOT age well!"
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:24 PM
Amie - Mark and I met in high school. I know, I know ... everyone always says "Oh how sweet!" but I kind of find it embarrassing!
Our first date was on my 17th birthday - we went to see Terminator (the first one) at the drive in.
He was a senior, I was a junior.
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:26 PM
LOL, Jan, no taunting, my marriage just isn't exactly a story telling type of relationship.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:27 PM
I think it's great when you meet someone, no matter what age, and you just know that it's right.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:29 PM
When Rob and I met, I was 18 and he was 24. At first my parents thought I was out of my mind talking to someone *that* much older than me. By the way, I posted a picture of our wedding day on my blog if you would like to look at it.
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 10:31 PM
I'd love to see it Amie, if you'd like to share.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:33 PM
Well, I can't say I knew it was right back in high school. I had no idea I would end up marrying him!
We kept on dating through my senior year and his freshmen year of college and then he transferred. By coincidence, really, we both ended up at Florida State. We kept on dating and were very serious, but really it still didn't occur to me we'd ever be married.
We moved in together and still I didn't think about it. Obviously, Mark had because about 10 months after we moved in together he proposed. We got married almost two years later.
So, that added up three years of dating and two-and-half of living together before we got married.
Yeah, we take things kind of slow around here ...
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:33 PM
triumpf - just click on Amie's name and it'll link you to her blog and the picture. It is so sweet!
And, oh my god Amie, you haven't aged a second!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:35 PM
It's a great story though, even if you didn't know right away. And it definitely endured a long time.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:36 PM
Ahh, Amie, that's very nice, and you really haven't changed a bit.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:38 PM
triumpf - yep, 17 years married so far. I guess he's a keeper!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Jan, I'd say so.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:39 PM
If you're still watching the show at all, this story about the guy naming his wife after a mountain ... it really happened to RIta Odom, the character Roxy is based on, Her husband named a mountain in Afghanistan after her ...
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:44 PM
I missed this part of the episode.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Not many people can say they have a mountain named after them. That's a pretty exciting story to be able to tell.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:48 PM
I just gave Mark the go-ahead to change the channel! This really was one of my least favorites ... I think the show got better as the season went on.
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:48 PM
Yeah, Rita and her husband have a lot of good stories - just like Roxy and Trevor!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:50 PM
Hi everyone - just chiming in about weddings & marriage. My 8th Anniv is Tues.
We are married at a beautiful military base that is being closed in 2011. The chapel were we were married is the oldest military structure still in use today. And the beautiful hotel is already standing sad & empty.
http://www.monroe.army.mil/Monroe/sites/installation/religious.aspx
and for an article about the base - http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2003/082003/08232003/1076200/index_html?page=1
Posted by: RP | March 30, 2008 at 10:51 PM
It must have gotten better. I don't think it would have kept my interest otherwise.
It looks like we lost Amie.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:52 PM
Hey RP - Thanks for stopping by. Slow night tonight around here, it looks like.
Hold on ... I'm clicking on the links ...
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:53 PM
I need to get going. Have a good night everyone.
Posted by: triumpf | March 30, 2008 at 10:55 PM
Oh, wow, RP, that looks very romantic!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:55 PM
You, too, triumpf - thanks for stopping by!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:56 PM
We love this place & hope it'll still be standing in the future. We had to jump thru some hoops to have a Catholic wedding there, but it was totally worth it. Such a shame that the history of our country & military is being shut down. Jefferson Davis was held in one of the casemates @ Ft. Monroe, JFK was stationed there too. By the by, it was a great place to start the rest of my life on April 1st, 2000!
Posted by: RP | March 30, 2008 at 10:57 PM
RP - congrats on your anniversary! Did you get a lot of jokes about it being on April Fool's Day?
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 10:58 PM
The funniest part of the wedding...we hired the bag piper site unseen on my darling father recommendation. We were drinking a bit of champers 7 getting dressed in one of the casemates across the street, when my sisiter Margret gasped from the window...Did I actually meet the piper? she asked. No, I didn't as I rushed to the window to my sisters gales of laughter & my screams and giggled - walking along the side walk, lovingly playing his pipes was...wait for it..Fat B_a_s_t_a_r_d (git in me belly!!) in all of his glory. Truly the funniest, biggest thing in a kilt with his calves spilling out of his garter, I've ever seen!!! hahahaa!
Posted by: RP | March 30, 2008 at 11:03 PM
OK, RP, i just fell off the sofa!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 11:05 PM
As for the date...we met on a 5, stared dating on a 5, wanted to get married on a 5, the only Saturdays in 2000 that were also a 5th were in Feb & Aug. Feb in VA is horrible & I was not about to wear wedding underwear in Aug. So my precious Chas said - are you game for April 1st? 4+1...and all. I said - that's perfect! We all still laugh about it. The headline on our save the date cards read " No foolin' save April 1st, 2000". We don't take ourselves too seriously, so why not!
Posted by: RP | March 30, 2008 at 11:09 PM
I need to scan the photo - hilarious!
Posted by: RP | March 30, 2008 at 11:10 PM
Wow, my computer completely crashed right in the middle of chatting with you guys. No fear though I kicked it a few times and it started working right.
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 11:11 PM
Oh, RP, I love it - you guys are a riot!
And on that note, I'd better sign off ... Mark is leaving for a short trip in the morning and I want to talk to him for a few minutes before he goes to sleep ...
Good night!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 30, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Wow, my computer completely crashed right in the middle of chatting with you guys. No fear though I kicked it a few times and it started working right.
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 11:13 PM
oops sorry not sure why it posted twice. Hope everyone has a great night.
Posted by: Amie | March 30, 2008 at 11:14 PM
My clever brother Tim discovered that we got married on 4-O-1-2-K. He came up with that all on his own!
Posted by: RP | March 30, 2008 at 11:14 PM
Good night.
Posted by: RP | March 30, 2008 at 11:15 PM
Hey, Amie - thanks for stopping by - sorry about your computer problems - maybe we'll have better luck next time!
Posted by: Jan Wesner | March 31, 2008 at 01:42 PM