The Kindred Ginger

This holiday season support a 🇺🇸❤️ of .cottage.co is a sweet friend of mine that tirelessly worked to donate to the gift bags 🥹❤️She made 120 bracelets representing the Dress Blues, Marine Corps, and Remember the Deployed, plus designed these very heartfelt stickers for all our deployed loved ones out there! The Tour of Homes at is an annual holiday fundraising event with this year’s proceeds going to and 🙏🎄🇺🇸

Dakota recently launched her .ly shop (linking in my bio) and was just licensed by the Marine Corps to make all the things 😍

Thanks girlfriend 😘 You’re amazing and I’m so grateful for your generosity.

When I think about military spouses a few characteristics come to mind: commitment, patriotism, selflessness, resiliency, and above all else love... the deepest, most true love written about in love stories because military love isn’t for the faint hearted. I think about strength and courage, and sacrifice. I think about…
🇺🇸 The young spouse that leaves her hometown and all she knows to marry her Marine.
🇺🇸 The mother that gives birth with her best friend holding her hand because her husband is deployed.
🇺🇸 The spouse that moves his career around every few years because of his wife’s service.
🇺🇸 I think about the retired spouse that stood by her husband for 20+ years joining civilian life and navigating a new world.
🇺🇸 I think about America’s Widows who walk among us bearing the loss of their Fallen Hero in silence with strength and courage.

Above all else I think about how we learn to thrive in constant uncertainty. Yes, we signed up for this. Yes, we “got ourselves into this”. How do we do it? Out of love. The truest, unwavering love for our Heroes.

We are the faces of America’s unsung heroes.

We say goodbye time and time again not knowing if it will be the last.

We sacrifice endlessly so our great nation remains FREE.

We are military spouses and I’m proud to call you my sisters and brothers 🥹❤️

Some of us are meant to do this and some of us struggle hard, but what’s amazing is we have each other. And for that…I’m so appreciative. SO grateful.

Wishing you all a very happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Thank you to all of you for teaching me, loving me, and supporting me! Damn proud to know you.

*I wrote this a few years ago and it rings more true every year ❤️

militaryspouselife wife

s p r 🌷 n g b r e 🌼 k ‘23! Who else is on break and headed somewhere fun?

We’re off to the PNW 🏔️🌨️

I didn’t know when I said ‘I do’ to my Marine that…

I would need to make a plan for the knock at the door.

I would be a grief counselor after he experienced the unfathomable in combat.

I would spend days in a state of complete fear with no communication from him knowing he could be hurt or worse.

I would kiss him goodbye for training or deployment and it could be the last one I give him.

I would be stricken with guilt and relief when he did come home safe, but another Hero didn’t.

Or if I did know these things…I didn’t believe they would happen to us. And even if I did, it wouldn’t have changed walking down that aisle to marry him.

When you love someone who is doing something they love and it comes with life or death risk, you don’t run away from it…

YOU JUST LOVE THEM THAT MUCH HARDER AND DEEPER. EVERY. DAMN. DAY.

Christmas Day🎄 how it started & how it ended

We enjoyed a slow, cozy morning sipping coffee and watching Everly open entirely too many gifts 🙈 Ate eggs benny and drank Christmas mimosas, then ended the day in the most special way!

We enjoyed Christmas dinner with our dear friend and family at his fire station! We’ll never forget how special this Christmas was getting to share a meal with them and learn about all the fire fighters do in the line of duty.

Grateful beyond measure for the brave men and women fire fighters and law enforcement that sacrifice their holidays with their loved ones to keep us safe! And grateful for their families! Thank you for letting us tag along 🥰 It was truly the best Christmas!

MERRY KISSMAS! What are you doing today? We stayed in CA (we go back to MN every other year) and so glad we did! I’m not sure our mild temp bodies could handle the frigid cold 🥶

After heading to our friend’s for food and football, we’re doing service and then Chinese food! That’s our Christmas Eve tradition 🥡🎄 Then ending the day with dessert at another friends house! So blessed our friends include us in their family Christmas gatherings ❤️ After we get Everly snug in bed we’ll finish wrapping and watch Die Hard 🤪

Oh I still have more cookies to make today too! Josh’s favorite are the corn flake wreaths and Everly wants to make sugar cookies. I’ve done more cookie baking this year than ever and my jeans can feel it 😂

Have a great day my friends ✨ Love to you and yours!

How to support a military spouse/family going through a deployment during the holidays ⬇️ I wrote this last year and added to it. Even talking about this topic makes me have flashbacks of lying on my kitchen floor NYE alone, crying my heart out because Josh was in AFG and everyone had plans. Or on Christmas Day as I watched my siblings with their spouses, love on each other and enjoy the moments together, I had to step away and dry my eyes in the bathroom. What I will say is my family and friends went above and beyond to make the holidays less tough, but it still was the hardest time of the deployments for me. Here are ways to help show support:

🎄 Make a place setting at the table for the service member. Include their picture even (as seen in the 2nd pic)
❤️ During special moments of celebration such as a toast or prayer, honor the sacrifices and service the military family is making.
🎄 Invite the military spouses/SO to anything and everything! But understand, it may be too much to attend. Don’t stop inviting!
❤️ Don’t get upset if calls/FaceTimes from overseas have to happen during important events. It will happen and give them the time/space to enjoy the moment.
🎄 If you can’t be with the military spouse/SO, send care packages, meal delivery gift cards, or anything else to brighten their holiday season!
❤️ Encourage the rest of your friends group/family to be supportive and understanding. It takes a village and more love is needed!
🎄 If children are going through deployment too, understand they may not behave well. They may act out more than normal or be emotional. They too are going through so much and the holidays make them miss their hero even more. Be lenient and loving.
❤️ If traveling isn’t something they feel up to doing, accept it and don’t make them feel guilty. They are in survival mode.

We aren’t in a season of deployments right now and that is something I never take for granted. To my sisters and brothers weathering the deployment storm, I’m here for you always. I am praying and thinking of you constantly.

Love to you all and GOD BLESS OUR MILITARY ❤️

No better backdrop ❤️🇺🇸❤️

When the Marines yell “Sir! Give her some 👅!”

😂😂😂 may fav pics

Anyone that says you can’t choose your family is 💯 wrong ❤️

Love you guys and so glad you joined us. In our 16 years of attending the ball this will go down as our favorite because you were there.

Birthday ball photo dump 🇺🇸❤️

TODAY WE HONOR THE FACES OF OUR FREEDOM. They walk among us. They’re husbands & wives, sons & daughters, sisters & brothers, friends & loved ones, and the one thing that sets them apart from the rest of us: they chose to serve and sacrifice for our freedom. They are our nation’s VETERANS.

Today many will post a thank you post on social media and call it good. They’ll feel satisfied they checked the box and sure—thank yous are appreciated. Many won’t even recognize this day or give thanks, which to them I say shame on you. But here’s the deal…

Our Veterans don’t NEED our thanks. They NEED us to do right by our country and show them we appreciate their sacrifices. Instead of just saying thanks:

🇺🇸Choose selflessness over selfishness. Veterans chose to serve others and our country above all else. Let’s seek to serve others in any way we can.

🇺🇸Do good and right things everyday. Let’s treat our country and communities with respect. It starts with little things like picking up the trash you see, put your cart back, be kind to the cashier, help your neighbor…seek to do good ALWAYS.

🇺🇸Seek to live the best life we can mentally, physically, and spiritually. Be the best version of ourselves. Our Veterans sacrificed things we take for granted everyday, so that we can be free to live/be/do what we want! Let’s achieve our dreams and live our best lives in honor of their sacrifices.

All of this is free and things we can do to honor them more than today. If you feel compelled to do more find an organization that is helping our Veterans.

This week I shared about and have called on my community to donate to help them continue to make a difference in the lives of our Veterans. There’s a fundraiser in my bio and when you read more about the impact they’re having, you’ll see why I chose TMF.

THANK YOU, VETERANS. We honor you today.

A contour map for you to save & try out 🖤 Check my reel for the steps & product deets! has all sorts of makeup tutorials 💁‍♀️

IG mistakenly disabled my account for 2 weeks…although it brought me to tears and left me questioning everything about my purpose on social media…IT WAS MEANT TO BE. It helped me refocus and realize:

💕 I’m a wife first. Mother second. Daughter and sister third. Friend fourth. And all the rest falls in line after that. As a Content Creator/Influencer/whatever you want to call it we can lose sight of life because we’re ALWAYS trying to capture it. Don’t get caught up in the hustle. It can be taken from you in a SECOND. Ask yourself what matters most and make sure your priorities are aligned with how you spend your time.

✨I’m needed by my community I have built that I show up to serve in various ways every day. It became clear by the outpour of love and support, and damn did it make me realize that this platform can be used for so much good! We all need to seek ways to use it TO DO GOOD for this world on a deeper level than whatever our “niche” is. Ask yourself how else you can truly have impact 🙌

🌹I realized that creating is very much a passion for me. It’s more than just uploading pics/videos to post on my account. It’s a love for creating visually appealing/entertaining/educational/engaging videos and pictures with writings that I often pour my heart and soul into. I am a creator and I don’t think I realized how much it’s become apart of me until it was ripped from me.

What you need to know if you’re on here as a form of income is that it can all be gone in a FLASH. Take extensive measures to back up your work, have back up accounts, and other forms of income if this is your only income.

I got my account back thanks to an angel who works in social media/PR. I won’t go into details about how she did it, but if you’re in need of help you can comment and I will pass along your info to her. She maintains anonymity for personal security reasons.

I’m so glad this account was restored because it’s was wrongfully taken away, but in the end it was meant to be ❤️

Thank you everyone who fought for me and spread the word! I have the absolute best community 🥰🙏

What is a tree’s least fav month?

Sep-TIMBER 😂 Remember when I used to tell dad jokes all the time? Bringing those back!

It’s fall and you need to run to see if your has this dress. Brand is Bog Collective ✨🍂 I’d link it but I can’t find it. I’m in a size medium (5’8/140 lbs) and fits like a glove!

It’s not over yet ❤️ Please keep sharing this account with your followers and make another report to bring me back!

The last few days I have watched so many of you help spread the sad news about being hacked/disabled. And my heart has been touched by all of your comments and messages. Thank you so much for showing me that what I have brought to this platform has been of value to you.

It’s so strange to open my IG and not see all my military content…so I’m just going to start filling this baby up with all sorts of random goodness ❤️ Please share and don’t stop reporting! I’ve heard it helps 🙏

📸 USMC BALL 2019 ✨ Lulus has a dress just like this if you’re in the market! Limited stock!

Search: Grand Beauty Black Ruffled One Shoulder

HELP US HIT OUR FUNDRAISER GOAL 🇺🇸🙏 Pre-order your Pause & Honor sticker and/or print, share this post with your community, and help raise as much as possible for ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Your purchase will help TAPS continue their work to help survivors of military loss.

Tap the link in my bio to go to shop on .ly to order by TOMORROW SEPTEMBER 2nd!

🇺🇸THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT 🇺🇸

We may be done pausing, but we aren’t done honoring 🇺🇸🙏Thank you for participating in yesterday. I pray you had time to reflect on ways to lead your life worthy of the 13 Fallen, as we did, and are wanting to do more.

I’ve compiled a list of a few very important ways for you to continue to honor our Fallen and nonprofits to consider supporting who have profound impact on our Gold Star families, wounded, Veterans, and military community. I’m always sharing resources and ways to support our military community! This post only includes a short list 🙌

There have been many requests for ordering artwork and Jennifer has created a fundraiser for preorders until September 2nd with 100% of proceeds going to Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) ⭐️🇺🇸 Your support will help those suffering the loss of a military loved one.

⬆️ Click the link in my bio to head to her .ly shop to order! Thank you in advance for your support!

MAY WE LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THEIR SACRIFICE 🙏✨

JOIN US FOR on August 26th in remembrance of the 13 Fallen Heroes of the Abbey Gate bombing of August 26, 2021. Cease all content unrelated to honoring the Fallen as we did last year.

Swipe to SCREENSHOT the official artwork created with meticulous care and respect by military spouse a .ly marketplace vendor.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE in
•Screenshot and save the official artwork and use in your caption
•Please tag in the caption and/or the image.
•To include the names of the Fallen in your caption you can comment and I will DM you.

PLEASE SHARE & TAG OTHERS to spread the word.

If you have any questions, please contact me here or [email protected] ❤️ This is one small, but hopefully impactful way for us all to stop for the day and take the time to remember their sacrifices. There is NOTHING more important.

May WE NEVER FORGET those that have died for our freedom 🖤🇺🇸🙏

🫶💓🫶 Hope you had a weekend that made you realize just how blessed you truly are!

As Memorial Day comes to a close, I want to extend my gratitude to those that have joined in on the workouts, messaged, commented, texted about Memorial Day, and donated to the fundraiser🙏 You get it.

We talked a lot today about how frustrating it is for us to watch many not care about the meaning of this day—even family and friends. But we can’t fault others for their ignorance and judge them for not caring. They don’t get it.

Being a military family can often feel lonely. But here—my little corner of IG—I NEVER feel alone. You guys are amazing! I deeply appreciate you and your love for our great nation. 🇺🇸 Your support and understanding, your friendship, and your patriotism means so much to us. So thank you for being here ❤️

It’s not over. Military and Marine wife life will always be a prevalent part of what I share with you 😉 So get excited cause it’s a wild ride and I LOVE it!

Xo-
Cait & Josh and Everly too 💓

What were you doing in 2001? 🤔 This guy was enlisting in the Marine Corps!

Fast forward 21 years and he has come full circle from being a recruit to leading recruiting Marines. As a military family, we couldn’t do this life without support of our loved ones, military resources and organizations, and businesses that support our community! And YOU 😍 I’m beyond grateful for all of your support!

May is Military Appreciation Month and Navy Federal Credit Union is offering the military community a chance to win $1,000! Post a photo (like ours ⬆️) with the number of years of service using and tag 🙌 20 winners will be chosen starting in June and Navy Federal will make a donation in honor of the winners to Operation Gratitude!

In addition to this incredible giveaway, Navy Federal has exciting exclusive offers for military members all month long. Check out navyfederal.org/celebrate for more information! Join me in celebrating and honoring our military community this month 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸

Wishing you and yours a joyful Easter ✝️💓🕊✨

A love she’ll never forget 💓

Blessed to be in the majority, when we know the reality of the minority.
Everly has 🦠 . It came on fast and knowing her symptoms were applicable to the “must have a negative test/be symptom free for 24 hrs” school policy, I got her in for a PCR test immediately. Her symptoms presented differently than other symptoms she’s had that required a test, so I had a feeling she’d be positive. Then…POOF. They were virtually gone within a day.
Like many kiddos, this is what’s happening, however we know the reality of the minority having a sister that works in a PICU. We know that some aren’t bouncing back. We know that today there are families praying their loved one survives. And although I’ve had faith that should we get it, we would be okay, I’m grateful having the ability to recognize the reality and take it seriously in protection of the greater good. So as I try to make the best of our quarantine time, as you see here 😂, I have spent a lot of time giving thanks for our health.
I’m vaccinated. I chose to be vaccinated for my dad. He’s at risk like many others of not surviving if they get it. At first I wasn’t going to get it because of the s**t storm of information—especially on social media—but when it comes to making choices I ALWAYS strive to do what’s best for others; to live as selfless as possible. And if getting vaccinated COULD mean one less kiddo in the PICU and keeping my dad healthy, then it was a no brainer.
With that being said—I AM NOT ON THIS EARTH TO JUDGE. I understand everyone is doing what’s best for their hearts, minds, and bodies. I share my reason because it’s my WHY and guides my way of life, and I’ve gotten questions about it for months ❤️ May we all be confident in our WHYs, understand the reality, and do what we can for others.
I started to feel mild symptoms and will test again this weekend 🥴 Praying all those that are feeling awful get better soon. Most importantly, praying extra hard everyday for those who have suffered great loss and who are fearful of losing a loved one ❤️

Where we are versus when it began 🥰
It’s been almost 14 years since I took vows to dive head first, be baptized by fire, and take on this life by the reigns and own it. What it’s given me is the perspective to live a life of more meaning than I ever could have imagined. It’s helped me shape the way I share life with you, inspire through my experiences, and motivate with the mindset military spouse life has given me. But guess what? I’m a fish in an ocean of INCREDIBLE military connected influencers 🇺🇸🙌
This week and journalist/Marine spouse, .tingley shared “20 Military Connected Influencers You Should Be Following” and I’m so excited to share the article with you! Rounded up are active duty, veterans, veteran spouses, and active duty spouses that I know you will LOVE following!
“As a military spouse we are constantly forced to fly without wings…” is a bit of what I shared in the article and I’m honored to have been included! Tap the link in my bio to read more and fill your feed with other military accounts ❤️

Do you exchange Valentine’s Day gifts with your family? We DO! And we have the best idea for you 🍿😍 P O P C O R N! Popcorn is the NEW box of chocolates!
Make your Valentines POP with surprise and order a popcorn gift basket! Big or small, to endless flavors, a variety of designs and the best part…Popcornopolis popcorn is American made, gluten free, and non-GMO! Most importantly incredibly delicious 😋
Wondering what flavors are our favorites?! Head over to stories to see Everly’s cute, blind taste test of the 5️⃣ All-Star flavors that made FAMOUS from the 5 Cone Popcorn Gift Basket you see here 😋

To the mother struggling through illness…
To the mother struggling through injury…
To the mother struggling through loss…
To the mother struggling through undefined mental or physical pain…
Grant yourself permission to rest. Everything may not run the way you want it to, but it will be okay.
Ask for help when you need it. You aren’t less of a mother to do so, and everything will be okay.
Occasionally, surprise yourself with pushing through something that feels impossible. Chances are the confidence you feel afterwards will be worth it and everything will be okay.
What I’ve learned as a military spouse mama that’s often alone without help is that when I’m sick or injured, I must stop and heal. I must ask for help and I must push through things because there is no other way. But that doesn’t mean I do all those things 🥴 The frustration of feeling helpless as a mama is one of the greatest challenges of motherhood that I struggle with most. I’m a doer. I never stop. There is always something to work on. As mothers, we know we can’t stop. We know we are relied on for everything. We can’t “call in sick”. I’ve had a lot of “everything will be okay” moments today after throwing my back out…again.
At the forefront of every injury/illness I’ve overcome—mental and physical—is knowing I’m capable of more than I realize, wiser to know it could be worse, and understanding of the necessity of granting myself grace as a mama. So as I fight through my body telling me to rest, I’m working on calming my mind letting her know it’s okay. Everything will be okay.
If spending 10 hrs taking decor Christmas down put you in urgent care 🤪🥴 or you’re battling something far worse…just know, Mama…everything will be okay. 💓🙏 I’m praying for your heal thing—mind, body, and spirit.

A letter to those that may not be able to have the picture worthy Thanksgiving…
🧡The next few days may be hard. As you see families gathering, smiling faces, bountiful tables, beautiful decorations, pressures to buy things on Black Friday, and you’re left feeling lonely, disappointed, and angry. Remember…this world is everyone’s highlight reel. Comparison is the thief of joy and you are worthy of having endless joy. Make it happen in any way you can and focus on the little things around you that are intangible as your sources of joy.
🧡To those that are working this holiday weekend. Thank you. Thank you for covering down for all of us in whatever capacity that may be. From the front lines of law enforcement/first responders, medical professionals, and military to retailers and the service industry, my hope is that you’re treated with gratitude and appreciation. That we all remember that most businesses are still running thin and barely have enough workers to cover shifts. That stressors are high in this country and you are there to help and protect. That our enemies are relentless, but there are brave men and women volunteering to protect us. May we grant the grace and kindness you deserve, and express our gratitude.
🧡To those that are fighting injuries and illness this holiday, I pray that comfort and healing finds you. That you experience a sense of gratitude despite the way you physically/mentally feel. I’m thinking about you and send you love.
May Thanksgiving be a time FOR US ALL to build BIGGER TABLES not FENCES.