Earthquakes & Tsunamis

Right now, along with the entire global community, I sit and pray for those who suffering in Japan from this historic natural disaster.  After an early check-in, I know our relatives and friends who are stationed in Japan are safe.  Thank God.

Through these disasters, I am naturally inclined to think of our military families.  I've already heard reports of ships being sent out to sea to prevent damage to them along the coastline in CA and subs being torn away from their mooring lines in Guam.  When natural disasters strike or are threatened to strike, Navy vessels often have to leave port to prevent damage to the ports or vessels.  But, while the men & women aboard these ships are getting them secured, their spouses are left behind with the job of making sure that their families are secure.  There is always the risk of families being separated during natural disasters, but with our military families, this separation is also a necessary evil to maintain the safety of our country's biggest investments (thereby the safety of our country).  I think being quasi-landlocked at this point in our military fam lives that sometimes I forget those times of being a single married spouse/parent and take them for granted.  Nothing like being home alone when there's been an attempted child abduction and the perps have taken a good look @ you AND your kids or being pregos & about to give birth while the city is about to be evacuated during a hurricane and your hubby is stuck in a steel tube out at sea or having someone try to break into your house while said hubby is out to sea AND while YOU are at home alone with your children (only to have the local nimcompoop sheriff tell you that it must have been a racoon bumping into your door...yeah, a giant 160+ lb. raccoon who knows there's a woman and small children home alone)....or the Noreaster that wreaks havoc and shuts down 7 cities but your husband can't leave the submarine that's drydocked because they are responsible for her safety...all the while the entire area is flooding around him and wondering if the sub will just drop him off at our doorstep since cars are being trapped in floods left and right.  But the thing is, you can never freak out about being separated during these times because ultimately, you are responsible for the health & welfare...and SANITY of yourself and any little human beings (and fur babies) you may have.  Start adopting a bad attitude and/or stress about it and your kids are sure to follow suit.

Now, I sit and wait to see if there will be any damage to HI.  Our friends, friends by way of the military turned family through love & time, are waiting to see what fallout from Japan's earthquake & tsunami will bring to them.  Please send your prayers/thoughts out to them.  Our brother Al escorted Jaimee and the kids to higher elevation, only to have to return back down to Pearl Harbor to man a communication center.  To be separated from your spouse and/or family during such an uncertain time is unfathomable but necessary when you are a military family.  Jaimee has encountered attempted break-ins (WHILE SHE WAS HOME ALONE WITH TWO TODDLERS...and we won't go into the joke of a 911 call that she had to place only to have them tell her that she would need to hang up and call base police...ALL WHILE THE DUDE WAS STILL TRYING TO BREAK IN), flooding, a 10-month long 6-month deployment, and other such dramas that you think would only happen on a t.v. show.  Still, this family faces everything with such grace and gratitude for the blessings in their lives...they are a constant inspiration to us...as people, parents, and partners.  They truly epitomize the saying "when life gives you lemons...make lemonade" as I have rarely heard a complaint come from these two with whatever hardship they may face.  Their three beautiful children have always reflected their parents' beautiful souls and strength...always being THE models for our children.

Praying for your safety!

11 years...

05.26.99

USNA

Annapolis, MD

11 years since he first put on his officer shoulder boards and almost 13 years in...

...so much for "Five & Dive" 

(for all the civvies, we thought he'd serve his 5 year commitment and be out).

I can't even begin to count how much of our 11+ years together you've been in a tube under the sea or just in the tube docked at the pier...missing birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, entire seasons, scary moments, sad moments, happy moments, days/weeks/months of our children's lives, and narrowly missing the birth of our first child (and the ensuing hurricane).

I'm thankful for all that you do...without complaints.

I'm grateful that you never undermine the role of a military spouse, especially a submariner's wife, and how much we go through as "single married spouses/parents" in an isolated and secretive world.

I'm so proud of you and all that you do for us and our country.

Thank you.

I love you.

Hail & Farewell...finally.

It's been a week and a half since Sean finally got relieved and had his official hail & farewell...this ending our his department head tour and giving him a brief respite before moving into his post-department head/shore tour.  For those non-mil readers...let's start at the beginning...

My awesome partner was the Weapons Officer (WEPS) on the USS Tennessee.  That's a submarine and more specifically, a ballistic missile sub.  To be relieved simply means that the PWEPS (prospective weapons officer) finally took charge and became the WEPS leaving Sean to go on to his next duty station.

The Hail & Farewell (H&F) is a military tradition that is pretty self-explanatory.  It's a celebration to welcome incoming and thank/say goodbye to outgoing individuals of a group...in this case, the wardroom's (aka officers) H&F was to hail the new WEPS & CHOP (supply officer) and say goodbye to the Hubs & old CHOP.

Celebrating by making Whoopie...

Whoopie PIES...gutter-mind.

Sean's one two week-long turnover is nearing the end.  This is a change for him since his turnover when he was the PWEPS was 3 DAYS.  Anyhoo...it also gave me a chance to try out MORE recipes and for him to take the results to the boat.

It's been nice to be the "wardroom mom".  It's that big sister thing in me...it's also that I-want-to-sharpen-my-baking-skills-and-not-suffer-a-heart-attack-while-doing-so thing.  ;o)  I hope I'm not screwing up the boat's PRTs!

Anyway, the boys got peanut butter whoopie pies today and they were devoured within 10 minutes of Sean arriving on the boat.  The XO was considering lengthening Sean's tour so the boat will stay well-fed.  HAHAHAHA.  But, we're lucky...the XO will be Sean's XO in the fall.  Awesome!  He's a great guy and is going to be a kick-a$$ CO.

So, if you're hankering for some peanut butter chocolate pies...head on over to my food blog!  Man, if we do decide to have another kid here soon...I can kiss these baking days GOODBYE.  Till then...off I bake.

One more day.

Triste

For those of you not versed en Espanol...that means sad.

Well, the hubby's week-long turnover with the PWEPS (perspective weapons officer) has turned into a week and a half long turnover.  My goal during his turnover...bake a bunch of new cookie recipes to try them out and to feed the USS TN.  I was sick as a dog last week and managed to 1) be hygienic enough not to infect anyone but my hubby and 2) not infect anyone.

I'm all good now.

Last night I made these Martha Stewart PB&J bars.  But, before you cut them you have to refrigerate them.  Unfortunately, we had to go to sleep...so I told Sean to wake me up this morning so I could cut them for him and he could take them to work.  Mind you the man wakes up at 4am and I am NOT a morning person.

He didn't wake me up.  (Because he's thoughtful like that)

He took the bars.  (I'm sure without cutting them and with the IKEA kiddie knife I left in there)

He didn't leave me any.

I've been baking up a storm to try out new recipes and Sean could take 90% of them to work.  

But this time...the USS TN got 100%.

I didn't even get to take pics of my hard work...for my food blog that I rarely update but still take photos for.

Oh my hubby...I love that man.  But really, how can I blame a man who wouldn't wake me up at the butt-crack of dawn.  Who was probably too tired and too sick to even think of saving some of the bars.

Still...I do have a craving for them.

But really, it all goes back to...I've got a really good man.

P.S.

Don't forget to visit Becca's blog to enter in her giveaway!

Turning Over...

Yesterday started day #1 of the hubs turning over with the PWEPS.

I can't believe how fast these 3+ years have flown by.

We're in the homestretch...and I'm a little sad.  It's weird having been the "senior" wife in the wardroom during this past year in the shipyards with the CO geo-bacheloring and the XO is a newlywed.  We have a great wardroom and I've grown the absolutely adore all of the spouses.  From the rockstar newbie wives who don't even know how much MORE of a rockstar they'll be when their hubbies' tours are over to the more "seasoned" JO wives who have experienced so much as single married spouses/parents/women.  My fellow department head wives have all been pretty stellar and our XO's new wife...couldn't love her more.

I've felt blessed with this boomer tour.  The fast attack tour was rough and the schedule hellish at times...making this boomer tour (for me) feel like shore tour with a few underways sprinkled here and there.  Still, I know the crazy fast attack schedule made me thankful that even though he was gone for 90% of the time, he still was home for that 10%...unlike other branches of service where a 6-month deployment is only the HALF-WAY mark for others.

Still...as hardworking as our spouses are...I think plenty of kudos lie within the ones at home (those working outside and inside the home).  There's definitely a special type of personality that a military spouse needs to possess.  From the seasoned higher-up wife like Liza whose grace, wisdom, and strength has probably given her hubby an awesome piece of mind to know that his family has been more than well-taken care of during his various underways/deployments/patrols/geo-bacheloring to the nearing-the-end-of-the-tour-and-career-JO wife Melissa whose life as a mommy of 3 under 3 (two of them being the uber-adorable twin GallaGIRLS joining their uber-adorable big brother Jack) and hilarious exploits that would drive an ordinary person insane make her even more thankful for everything she has...definitely a woman who would've made an awesome DH/XO/CO wife!!

We'll be staying put...which is the main thing we wanted.  Giving our kids some piece of normalcy in this type of lifestyle is something we try to get when we can.  Although it would've been nice to be back home in DC...for once, we didn't want to go.  Let me clarify...I didn't want to go since with two mortgages (one being in the wonderful FLORIDA housing market)...buying a home in DC was not the best option.  We'll be home one day...but for now, I'll enjoy the constant uprooting to new places (although most of our time has been in VA so far...and by choice...hahahaha...nice to be close to home) and enjoying the culture of each different area in our lovely little country.

Hail & Farewell next week...can't wait and yet I can...

Female Dolphins?

The Hubs' sub leaving last winter.

Women on Subs...one of the newest oldest debates may soon become a reality. I'm not sure what my thoughts are on this. We've always fielded the questions of "why can't women be on subs" from our daughter and I've always told her that maybe one day she'll be able to be on a sub...or that women could be on subs (not exactly sure that she'd want to do what daddy does).

I'm definitely pro-woman on lots of subjects...but also am wondering about the implications of mixed-sex crews on subs. Shoot...if racism can be pretty rampant in the not-so-very diverse submarine community...what about sexism? Also, knowing how deployments/underways/patrols can be pretty taxing on some sub spouses...what if you do add to the mix the additional worry of having your spouse be tempted by female crew members. Additionally, what about the safety of these female crew members as well as support by the rest of the crew. My biggest concern would be the type of support these women would need and would they get it fairly?

I think my spouse would be able to fairly nurture female crew members...being an officer of color (who is prior-enlisted) married to a former civil rights activist, he's got some training and is more sensitive to underrepresented communities. BUT...what about the others? What more if the women are women of color? Like I said, it's very rare to have an person of color in the wardroom (the officers)...let alone 2. We've been lucky to have shared both tours with another officer of color and have always shared similar sentiments with regards to the lack of diversity and sensitivity (ie. EDUCATION) to underserved communities...this is shared by both officer and spouse.

Obviously the training from the Hubs' alma mater will be stellar and I'm glad to see that they would be grooming women @ the USNA to become trailblazers in this community. But, I can't reiterate enough how much support these women will need from their chain of command and the Navy to be as successful as their potential allows. I hope the right measures will be put in place to allow for the success and safety of these women.

Anyhoo...thoughts?

*Ironically, as the Navy mulls this issue over, it so happens it's occuring during Military Rape Awareness Week. Here is one woman's experience, a staff sgt. in the Army. Just one of the issues that women could be facing living life as a bubblehead.

Puppy

Man, my puppy is a turkey...but I love him. He's also technically not a puppy since he's a little over 3 years old now. I also love the fact that he protects us and we need that when Sean's out to sea.

Today, the UPS man nearly pooped his shorts as he was booking it back to his truck. Nevermind the fact I was outside and Jax was inside...albeit barking his head off like Kujo in a way that said "Back up from this house and my mama!". Thanks, Jax. I love you. Remi, I still love you even though you are really our cat in a pit bull skin. 9 years old and slowing down, but still the sweetest girl ever.

Navy life has blessed us with keeping us from putting Kaia into 3 different schools in one year. Found out that Sean finally has a replacement lined up (he'll be graduating SOAC...sub officer dept. head school...@ the end of September) and will be rotating off in February/March. He'll most likely be doing a post-DH tour in Norfolk. It'll be nice to stay put and fix this darn house up.

Although we could've gone to DC, I didn't want to move again...mainly because I didn't want Kaia entering 3 different schools within one year. Also, 2 homes also does not afford us to buy a home in the DC area....hahahahahaha. It's nice to be close to The Fam but in an area close to the beach (you know, the beach we're so good at visiting....pu-hahahaha) and in a house with an amaing backyard...just mind the waterfowl poop.

Now...just on to deciding...#3, grad school, yes/no, when...

Oops...can't sign off without wishing the hottest WEPS on the USS TN a special shout-out!!

Backed Up...

Alrighty...here it is...the couple of photos from Sub Ball:

And a close up of my make-up.

It's been years since my days at Sephora and I never really have a need to wear lots of make-up, if at all. Many days I go nekkid. Anyhoo...it was lots of fun playing around. I used NARS Duo Eye Shadow in Habanera on my eyes, along with a few individual Shu Uemura Flare Eyelashes - Black at the outer corners) although the falsies were more for volume than length), and topped off with Shu Uemura basic mascara. OOH...and I cannot, CANNOT forget that I primed my eyes with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. Without it, my eye make-up would've lasted all of 2 hours instead of all night long. I've been using that primer for a few years now...and trust me, there's a good reason why this bad boy has a cult following. It's that good.

Sub ball was fun. I did my own hair and make-up and Mom babysat the kids. The food was ok. The dancing would've been better if my dress wasn't so damn dramtically long. All in all, it was a great evening with my favorite waiter...one of the few times in years (let's say 6 since Kaia turns 6 in September) that we've gotten to spend by ourselves.

Still, my waiter wasn't that great...I'm still waiting on my water refill. JUST KIDDING, Beb...LOVE YOU!!!

P.S. Liza...I'm still going to reply to your post from waaaay back!!!

Still need to catch up...

I've been meaning to post a quick recap of Sub Ball '09, but will do that soon.

But in the meantime, my wonderful, amazing, BFF sister had her (our) very first baby!!! Talia Mei Shih was born on May 8th and bringing lots of joy to our family! Kim's water broke at 2am and she called me at 2:30am, apologizing because we joked so many times that she'd go into labor when Sean wasn't home...and he wasn't! He was standing one of his rare duty days (department heads have only been standing about 4-5 duty days per month while the poor JOs (junior officers) are standing twice that amount...although I remember Sean standing a lot more than just 10/month when he was a JO). She apologized because she figured I had just gotten to sleep and that Sean was at work. I was confused since I thought it was maybe 6am...but it wasn't. I had to deliberate whether or not to get me & the kids (incl. the canine kids) up, packed, and drive up to DC with 1.5 hrs. of sleep and me starting to get sick. We had been planning on driving up on the 8th anyway for the weekend. BUT...being there for my sister's labor & delivery was really important to me...although I know that's one of those important milestones that military spouses/fams have to sacrifice.

Sean was relieving early on Friday anyway for a farewell for one of the JOs. Since the boat (sub) is in drydock and most of the landlines are disconnected...I wasn't sure how to get a hold of him. I was texting him like crazy and then decided to try to get a bit of shut-eye should I decide to head out soon. At 4:30am, Sean calls and I tell him what was going on...he was going to try to figure things out on his end. I fall back asleep and Mom calls at 6:30am...saying Kim's in the hospital and has an epidural and is at 5cm dialated.

Anyhoo...long story short...Sean's WONDERFUL COMMAND (the CO & XO) let him go (not after giving him some grief). I know we're REALLY lucky that they gave him liberty so his spouse could be there for her sister. My terrific hubby drops me off at the hospital at 1pm. Kim starts pushing at 2pm. Talia enters the world at 3:25pm!!! The whole drive up 95 I'm almost crying thinking that I won't be there for my sister...and simultaneously worrying that we'll die in a car accident going at 85 mph the whole trip up there...and then ruining Talia's grand entrance!! BUT...Talia's here safe & sound and just in time to make this past Mother's day, Kim's first official Mother's day. The whole Lee-Shih fam made it home on Mother's day with the help of Sean (*sigh*...he's so awesome). Mom & the kids welcomed them at their house while I stayed at Mom's sick in bed and not wanting to contaminate the new fam. BUT...I did get to say goodbye before we left. We popped by and I said goodbye from outside their storm door. Sooooo pathetic, but I wanted to make sure I got to say goodbye to my wonderful little niece...who unfortunately likes my awful singing!!! Poor baby.

Our Baby, as we've referred to her this whole pregnancy, is gorgeous and such a good girl already! She's got amazing parents and is so lucky to have them. They're going to do an amazing job (and already have). Kaia, Jaron, Sean, & I are just smitten with Our Baby and miss her so much.

BTW...want to know more about her name? Our kids' names were chosen to begin with a K & J after Kim & Jason. Talia's name is a combo of my name and J's sister's name Liane....although Kim says it's more for me...tee hee hee. Mei is for the grandmommies...Ming & Maybelle.

We'll see you this weekend, Talia!!! Oops...and you too, Mom, Kim, & J!! ;o)

Preps & Apologies

Two explanations for the photos above.

1. Sorry for the narcissitic moments! These were a necessity since I was going to have to send these to my sister for a fashionista consult. Sean's no help...I love the man, but he's no help in this department.

2. I'm not exactly sure why I didn't use my Gorillapod & set the timer! What a dodo.

It's the eve of our first, and probably last, sub ball. Mom is down and will watch the kiddies. I got my dress (black...and I'm doing a one-shouldered variation) this past Tuesday and have been playing around with different looks. Sean had to buy a new uniform since made O-4...so he better get some use out of it in the future!!!!

I couldn't believe I was wasting time doing things like practicing my hair & makeup when I could've been spending time with my hubby. Good thing is, I did spend time with him afterwards doing P90X. Bad thing, any gains from P90X were obliterated this evening at the sushi buffet. ;o) Then again, I feel more relaxed going into tomorrow knowing what I'm going to do and just having to worry about making sure Mom & the kiddies are set for the evening....I premade the lasagna & garlic mix for the bread today. Yea-uh! I guess the hair & makeup practice and pre-making tomorrow night's meal are anti-procrastination...whoooooooa...so unlike me!!! ;o)

Anyway...I had to choose between the two looks and the one with the bangs out of my face won because my hubby doesn't like bangs. ;o) I'll humor him this time...tee hee hee.

Oh...and apologies are in order for the following parties:

Poetic Wax: I am so sorry I made you work so hard to wax the jungle that were my pits.

Venus Razor: I totally apologize that you had to be dragged through the forest that was on my legs.

Toe nails: I am sorry you are part of me. I will try to take better care of you. Ok, I won't...there are other things more important to me...sorry!! But, you know I show you some love like 2-3x/year! ;o)

On a positive note, I'd like to send a shout out to my Mom for not only being here, but giving me part of your hairless (ok, barely-has-any-body-hair genes)...I would've had to replace the blade on my razor for each leg if it weren't for your genes.

TMI again? You're welcome.

;o)

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The annual Submarine Ball is quickly approaching and the Hubs and I will finally be making our first, and possibly, our last Sub Ball ever. Yup...our first AND last.

Sean has been in the sub community now for 9 years (11ish, if you count enlisted time)...total Navy time 12 years. He's towards the end of his department head tour now and is considering transfering to the EDO (engineering duty officer) community. I have mixed feelings abotu the change, but ultimately, it boils down to what's best for our fam in the long run and Sean's happiness too. We'll see what happens...we still don't know. Being the researcher of this fam...I still want to know more info!!

Anyhoo...with that being said. Girlfriend needs a dress. I've been eyeing this dress from Etsy (which I started looking into after seeing that Becca was so addicted to it). It's always nice to support designers directly rather than some huge conglomerate. The dress I'm eyeing is crazy versatile. I. Love. It.

It's called the Chameleon Dress by Isadora Clothing. You can totally change it up and make it strapless, sleeveless, shortsleeved, etc.

Like this:

or this:

Now I have to choose a darn color & order it by Friday!! I think I narrowed the colors down to Dark Teal and Black. ARGH! I was considering dusty pink & charcoal...but maybe just between the teal & black to make it easier? I think teal would look good, but would I eventually tire of the color? Black is boring, but basic and I know I'll get good use out of this dress. ARGH! ARGH! ARGH!!

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need opinions!

BTW...I just realized how awful my hair color is in the above photo. YIKES! Time for a new photo!

Germs, Viruses, Bacteria...Oh MY!

So, since January the total count of infections have been 3 colds and a stomach virus (a nasty one that was luckily short-lived but managed to incapacitate almost the entire wardroom).

Daddy's leaving to escort another boat leaving the shipyard and it comes at a good time...SIKE! I'm trying to get ready for my sister's shower in DC this weekend and just praying that we'll know definitively his schedule so that I can plan on traveling with or without him. I'm not going to lie and say that it's harder to get myself, the kids, and the big dogs ready for traveling...because it's actually easier. I don't know if it's a military spouse/single parent thing or what...but when you have to depend on yourself to do things, they get done quicker. HAHAHAHA. Then again, Mr. Muscles is definitely some much appreciated brawn and eye candy. Tee hee hee.

Anyhoo...regardless, this week is all about shopping, prepping, and baking for my neice's impending arrival and even with this amount of work...I couldn't be happier. Plus, I got my two turkeys to keep me on my toes and wit's end...oops, I mean...;o)

Waaaaaaaay Back

I was reading a sub blog from Boise, ID...which happens to be the namesake of the boat the hubs was stationed on for his JO tour...his very LOOOOOOOOOOOONG JO tour. We seem to like having extra long tours. His JO tour was longer than most and his DH tour is turning out to be longer than most as well. Ahhhhhhhh...oh well. This past summer, the Hubs did hit his 11th year, but 15 years in since the USNA doesn't count for years served...booooooooooo. Hahahaha.

Anyhoo...someone had posted a video from their deployment which occurred a week and a half after we got married. Notice, I say deployment meaning 6+ months out. It was funny being in Kings Bay, where SSBN wives refer to the underways as deployments when, as a former SSN wife, they were mini-trips out to sea. That's an exaggeration, of course...but still, the length of SSBN patrols during a year compared to SSN underways/deployments is NOTHING. Then factor in off-crew...NICE.

A recent irk I've been having reading other sub wives' blogs/facebook-stuff are POSTINGS OF SCHEDULES!! STOP DOING THAT. Gee whiz...talk about lack of security for our guys. We're not talking about the generic "he's going on deployment soon"...we're talking specific timeframes of schedules and homecomings and such. Subby wives are usually pretty well-versed that our spouses' schedules are so classified that often our own families don't know any specifics and are usually surprised when they get the "Ok, I love you & bye 'cause I'm going out to sea". There is no discussion of schedules on the phone, over email, in public, etc. My poor friends and family ask when Sean's leaving or coming home and it's usually (well, before we came up here to VA for dry dock) "Oh, soon-ish..." Yeah...anyway, NCIS is supposed to all over that, but I've been seeing it more and more. *tsk, tsk, tsk*

Anyway...the video shows my hubby before the Navy paid for his PRK surgery. Hooray for Geekers (well, the shot with him ducking out of the way is him w/o geekers)! You'll be able to notice him...he's one of the handful of people of color and one of two officers of color (which is RARE to have more than one person of color in a sub wardroom)!! This was back when he was a LTJG...now he's an LCDR select! Yay, Hubs...we're so proud of you!

Leaving On a Jet Plane...

Ok, not really...but I am leaving in my Sequoia and will be moving to our old house near a base that has lots of jet planes! Does that count? Hahahaha. Ahhhhhhhh, yes, back to our old casa in VA Beezy where we never saw airplanes overhead, just jets from NAS Oceana. Pretty cool looking overhead and seeing those suckers...unless they flew low and the whole house would vibrate. ;o)

Anyway...we're (we as in not 'we' did it together but 'we' in spirit....hahaha) done with the pack out and the loading of our junk...errrr, stuff. Sean flew in after everything was said and done...not that he wanted to be here after everything, but the needs of the Navy first. My awesome hubby was so apologetic for everything we were going through...because not only did I have to do this by myself, it also was rescheduled numerous times; we changed companies; dealt with typical mover shiet (although our packers were AMAZING); and then lots of other non-move related caca popped up for me...like BIG TIME CACA. I'm thankful that I have the supportive partner I was blessed with and that he is not like other hubbies I know who think they're stay-at-home wives/mothers do nothing but eat bon-bons and such...yes, even some hubbies of military wives think that! Again, it takes me back to military spouse entry I wrote about the quote Kelly found:

"A Navy Wife is no ordinary woman. Operating for months at a time without the companionship or assistance of her husband, she routinely overcomes challenges that would give the average person a nervous breakdown." - Jeff Edwards

Well, tomorrow we drive up to VA. We'll wrap up loose ends here and then bid adieu. We'll pop into DC for Xmas and back down to VA to move in. Despite all the stress and everything...it's just nice to have the hubby home for a winter holiday season...and that at least he wasn't out to sea for this whole process. ;o)

In the Homestretch...

Wow, I cannot believe our time here in FL is finally coming to an end. Although Sean's still got a bit left of his dept. head tour, we are almost done. Sean's boat already changed it's homeport. So, he's been up in VA since last week. I've got the movers coming to pack us up this Thursday and then they'll load on Friday. Sean'll join us Friday night. I was a bit freaked about doing everything by myself, managing packers/movers, the 4 kiddies, and my sanity. But, Sean came in this weekend and we got a few things done. We're flying Mom down Wednesday to watch the kids while I take care of bidness with the packers/movers. *whew* Still doing basically everything by myself, but I'm good with the decision now. At least we'll be in DC by Xmas. AND...this is the first winter holiday season we've had with Sean since 2005!!!! YAY!

I'll leave you with one of our blooper shots from our 2008 Lee-Espiritu Fam Annual Holiday Photo That Will Probably Not Go Out In The Mail...AGAIN. ;o) Yes, my big puppy is a crotch-sniffer...and has no shame/qualms about it. It's our annual holiday photo that shows my husband with an extremely pained/irritated look since he has to wrangle the dogs and the kids while I set up the camera & shot (luckily we had a tripod this year)...and yet, not really since I usually have to wrangle the biggest Mama's kids...Remi (the chubby pit who is trans-species...she's really feline) and Jaron. This was off-centered and Jax was sniffing my bidness and well, it was only take #1. Just FYI, Sean's smile has never changed in these holiday shots. HAHAHAHAHA....poor guy.

There are definitely parts of FL that I will miss and this pool is definitely one of them! ;o) Not too mention the 70-degree weather that we'll be having this week! ;o)

Argh

So, we said goodbye to the buffest member of our fam today from an old fort at one of the local state parks. I was informed by said buff member of our fam that our move date (in two weeks) will have to be rescheduled...AGAIN. We also pray for the safety of said buff member and the rest of the crew...and for the sanity of their families that are in the middle of moving and/or getting settled into our new homeport....which was our old homeport. Hahahahaha.

Yay. I hope we can make it to DC by Xmas.

Surprisingly, this darn military life has hardened me and I'm just rolling with the punches. The only actual stress I feel is GETTING THIS HOUSE RENTED!!!

I'm posting on MilitaryByOwner.com this afternoon.

And what! ;o)

Thankful

My kids are sick and I'm a newly "single" married mom. Still, I'm thankful that my kids have stuffy noses and are cranky (maybe more due to the fact that we woke them up around 5:45am to take Sean to the base) and do NOT have stomach viruses...probably one of the most contagious and ickiest things to go around a family! I CANNOT deal with nausea...so, yeah...I'm thankful my kids seem to just have a cold and hope that I don't get it ("The Fam" is coming into town this weekend). I'm also thankful that I got a few extra days to talk/see my buff partner. Stress was pretty high for us with our messy house, him leaving, the kids, and figuring out our home situaton ( when to list it on the rental market). Still...it was nice to have this weekend to see/talk to him for a little bit longer.

My spirits are good. Just have a butt-load of cleaning to do...but looking at it as a good thing. Only thing is...I DON'T LIKE TO CLEAN! ;o) I miss Sean and hate that he's not here since I hate to be the lone adult in the home. I always look forward to the adult interaction after a full day of refereeing/mediating my four human & canine blessings. I also have a total peace of mind when Sean's home since I hate being home alone at night...I'm always paranoid of what I'd do in a(nother) situation should someone enter/break in the house and how to protect the kids and myself. Jax is doing a great job with being protective. That big arse bark of his is enough to make Sean & I pee in our pants...and it's not even directed towards us. Plus, he's almost 100 lbs...so he's a pretty big deal. ;o) Jax gives me plenty of comfort knowing that he's an awesome deterrent...and can attack if needed. *whew*

Anyhoo...I stress as I write since there's so much to do.

TTFN.