During this time in your life where you will spend many many days, months, years away from your spouse, I can not stress enough how important it is to have support! Whether it be from family, friends, church, whatever, going through these long separation periods alone is not going to be easy.
Here at The Dating Divas, each of us have spent time away from our spouses for one reason or another, whether it was for work, school, vacations etc… And during those times were the times when we needed each other the most. Make it a priority to build a good support system to help keep you stay motivated, and positive.
Here is a list of resources we have compiled for you to help you accomplish this goal and get you through the hard times.
Websites that We Love for Military Relationships:
Books for Military Families:
I Love a Man in Uniform by, Lily Burana
Lily Hates Goodbyes by, Jeri Marler
Operation Military Family by, Michael J.R. Schindler
Defending the Military Marriage, by lt. col Jim Fishback
Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul: Stories to Touch the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit
Separated By Duty, United In Love by, Shellie Vandevoorde
Do you have a military blog/ website/ book you love?? Leave a comment to add to our list and help out your fellow military families.
And if you’re dealing with deployment, TDY, or TDA- you should totally check out our Long Distance Love Kit!
It’s packed full! Including: a long distance relationship care package, long distance date in a box, a countdown tracker, long distance prescription gift, AND some long distance romance tips! CHECK IT OUT!
***GIVEAWAY(S)***
***************THESE GIVEAWAYS HAVE NOW ENDED!***************
As a grand finale to our FIRST Military Week…and to give back to our men and women serving in uniform….we have 3 amazing Photographers giving away 3 separate photo shoots, from 3 different states. Photos are hands down the number one best thing to give to a loved one who is going away for awhile. Freeze time and capture your own special memories with a FREE FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT!!!!
Mary Kay Photography – {Utah}
Mikki Vierig of Mary Kay Photography is a talented Photographer, who with her husband, has spent 4 years in the Marine Corps and loved it. Because of that she has a great love and respect for the military.
Mikki is offering one family session including 1-2 hours of shooting time. The best 30-40 images edited in color and 10 of those images creatively enhanced on CD with copyright release.
To qualify for Mikki’s free session you must be located by (or willing to travel to) downtown Salt Lake City, Utah to Provo, Utah.
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Elordi Photography – {Alaska}
Carrie Elordi of Elordi Photography, located in Anchorage Alaska, loves capturing those emotions that can bring a smile to saddened hearts and brighten a dull day! Carrie is part of Operation Love Reunited where she takes photos for military families returning home from overseas.
Carrie is giving away a full session up to an hour an a half on location, with a disc of 12 high resolution fully edited photos.
To qualify for Carrie’s free session you must live in (or be willing to travel to) the Anchorage, Alaska area.
Carrie is offering 50% off her sessions for Dating Diva fans, this week only. If you would like to book a session with Carrie contact her to schedule your own family photo session.
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Jorgensen Portraiture – {Maryland}
Sherry Jorgensen of Jorgensen Portraiture, located in Germantown, Maryland, has a photography style that “captures emotion; the art of preserving memories forever.” Sherry has a son who serves in the military and she has a heart for those who sacrifice their lives for our safety and freedom.
Sherry is giving away one family mini-session. To qualify for Sherry’s giveaway you must live in (or be willing to travel to) the Germantown, Maryland area.
Sherry is offering 20% off a Portrait session to all Dating Diva readers. Contact her to book your own family portrait session.
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In order to enter this giveaway you or your spouse must:
- You or your spouse should be a service member in the US military, or a Veteran of the US Military.
- Be a subscriber of The Dating Divas by joining our newsletter at the top right hand of this page.
- Be a Facebook fan of The Dating Divas.
- Be a Facebook fan of the Photographer whose photoshoot you are entering to win.
- Leave one comment on this post stating which photographers session you would like to win.
Extra Entry:
1- Spread the word to your military friends and family about this giveaway, via Facebook.
leave a separate comment for your extra entry.
Giveaway ends on July 15th at 11:59pm PST.
***************THESE GIVEAWAYS HAVE NOW ENDED!***************
We love your comments
I really like the list of resources you complied. I love this site and its refreshing to see someone take an interest in military relationships.
I just posted about your giveaway on my Facebook page!
I would love to win some family photos from Mary Kay Photography. My husband just returned from a deployment in Iraq, family photos would be great since the kids have changed so much. Thanks!!
I also posted about this giveaway on my facebook!
I am entering for the Mary Kay Photography! I would love to win! My hubby just returned from being in Iraq for a year! We need new family pictures! What a wonderful week of giveaways!
Just assigned to JBER, Alaska. Entering for Elordi photography!!!
Entering to win Elordi photography photoshoot
I just posted on Facebook as well for the extra entry 🙂
I have loved all of the posts the last week. And appreciate the books and blogs listed. We are fairly new to military life, but my husband has been gone to training since the beginning of the year.
I’m entering to win the Mary Kay photoshoot, we will be traveling there in the fall.
Thanks again.
Also posted on my facebook!
I live in Salt Lake City so I am entering for the Utah photo package. My husband is currently serving overseas on his second deployment. We have two beautiful children. Harlee 6, and Caiden 3 months. My husband has not seen our little boy since he was two weeks old and missed the birth by 3 days!! We send him as many pictures as we can, but I would love the opportunity to surprise him with professional photos. I just want to say thanks for having a military support week. Its so great to see so much support for our military men and women and their families!
Military Books:
God Strong: The Military Wife’s Spiritual Survival Guide by Sara Horn
Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts for Deployment by Sara Horn
Confessions of a Military Wife by Mollie Gross
Faith Deployed. . .Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives by Jocelyn Green
Wives of the Warriors by Ronda Sturgill
God + Military Spouse: United Our Families Will Stand by Kathleen Cline
On the Frontline: A Personal Guidebook for the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Challenges of Military Life by Tom Neven
Hope for the Home Front: Winning the Emotional and Spiritual Battles of a Military Wife by Marshéle Carter Waddell
Hope for the Home Front Bible Study: Winning the Emotional and Spiritual Battles of a Military Wife by Marshéle Carter Waddell
A Prayer Journey Through Deployment by Donna Mull
Called to Serve: Encouragement, Support, and Inspiration for Military Families by Tony Monetti & Penny Monetti
Standing By: The Making of an American Military Family in a Time of War by Alison Buckholtz
The Other Side of War by Jessica Caputo
Help! I’m a Military Spouse–I Get a Life Too!: How to Craft a Life for You As You Move With the Military, Second Edition by Kathie Hightower and Holly Scherer
Married to the Military: A Survival Guide for Military Wives, Girlfriends, and Women in Uniform by Meredith Leyva
Chicken Soup for the Military Wife’s Soul: Stories to Touch the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit (Chicken Soup for the Soul) by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Charles Preston, & Cindy Pedersen
A Year of Absence: Six women’s stories of courage, hope and love by Jessica Redmond
While They’re At War: The True Story of American Families on the Homefront by Kristin Henderson
Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank
Today’s Military Wife by Lydia Cline
The Military Father: A Hands-on Guide for Deployed Dads by Armin A. Brott
The Military Marriage Manual: Tactics for Successful Relationships by Janelle Hill
A Family’s Guide to the Military For Dummies Sheryl Garrett & Sue Hoppin
The Military Wives’ Cookbook: 200 Years of Traditions, Recipes, and Remembrances by Carolyn Quick Tillery
Surviving Deployment: A Guide for Military Families by Karen M. Pavlicin
After the War Zone: A Practical Guide for Returning Troops and Their Families by Ph.D. Matthew J. Friedman Ph.D., Ph.D. Laurie B. Slone Ph.D.
365 Deployment Days: A Wife’s Survival Story by Sara Dawalt
Loving Your Military Man: A Study for Women Based on Philippians 4:8 by Beatrice Fishback
Defending the Military Marriage by Jim Fishback & Bea Fishback
What a great list! A few of those we are giving away this week, for Military week so make sure to enter if you haven’t already. All These books look like they would be so helpful!
I also posted about the giveaway on Facebook.
Thanks for the awesome giveaway! I’m entering to win with Mary Kay Photography.
Two books that my children read over and over during my husbands last deployment:
Over There by Dorinda Silver Williams, LCSW-C (There is a mommy and a daddy version. The book talks about how daddy does the same things we do, like eat, sleep, play, have people care about him.)
Guess How Much I Miss You by Julia Lobo (This is a record a story book. My husband read the book to our kids and it was recorded. They listened to him read this book over and over while he was gone, and I probably cried every time, am doing so now just thinking about it. It was great that they could hear his voice any time they missed him.)
What great ideas! Those sound like really cute books, thank you for sharing with us!
Posted this giveaway on facebook. 😀
We live in GA but y sister is getting married in Utah September and we’re flying out for that. SO…I would like Mary Kay Photography. 😀 I am now officially her fan on facebook (and following her blog!).
I also shared on my FB for the extra entry 🙂
My hubby has been an active duty Marine for the past 17 years! We’re stationed at Camp Williams, UT so I’d LOVE to win the session from Mary Kay Photography!
We can travel to Utah so I am entering the Mary Kay session. I would love a photography session with my hubby in uniform to honor his deployment to Iraq. He got home last July so we are celebrating his one year anniversary of his return to us.
Thanks for this giveaway!!!
Would love to win a photo session with Jorgensen Portraiture – {Maryland}! Thanks!
I just posted this on my facebook page!!! Thank you for this giveaway and for the dating ideas for military families!!!
We live in Bountiful, so Mary Kay photography is the one I’m entering for!:) I’m so excited! and I hope to win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
another children’s book for deployment: “We Serve Too” (https://weservetoo.com/). love love love this book! there are even free downloads on the website for printable stickers to personalize the book to your branch.
also, check out Daddy Dolls (https://www.daddydolls.com/). We are experiencing our 1st deployment & my 3 year old loves that whenever he feels sad he can hug his daddy… and sometimes he just likes to bring him along on our errands 🙂
p.s. FABULOUS giveaway!! i wish i lived in one of those states! 🙂
Thanks so much for suggesting a few more ideas to add to our list!