Military Move Hacks #2

Hey y'all! We have been in Japan for almost 5 months now and it has been a dream. I had no idea what it would be like to move to another country, with a toddler in tow no less, but it has been so good! Homesickness does strike at times, but the memories we are making here are priceless. If you follow my Instagram, amodernnavywife, you have been getting peeks into our adventures since we've been here. I have only learned a few key Japanese words and phrases, but getting around using the train system is pretty simple once you get the hang of things. But that's another story, right now I am going to give y'all the next installment of Tips and Tricks. These 6 are geared more towards overseas moves, but a few of them would definitely work for cross-country moves too!  

5. Get your passport(s)

     The earlier you get your passport, and passports for your kiddos, the better. You will need two different passports, a regular travel one and a capital "O"fficial one. Both passports take time and money, for pictures and processing fees. It is better to get them as early as you can. Expedited fees are an additional $60 on top of $135 regular processing time fees for adults 16 & over and $105 regular fees for kids 15 & under.  *To save a little money on the photo side, be sure to pull your hair off your face and do not smile with teeth. One of my applications got rejected because I had my hair down. Boo.

6. POAs for everyone!

     Power of Attorney are essential for deployments and super handy for moves. If your spouse leaves for workups or any last minute trips to gear up for their deployment and you have to cancel any services or utilities and everything is in their name, things can get a little sticky sometimes. If at any point you deal with a customer service agent who seems to not only hate their job, but life in general, as well as you for trying to cancel something that is not in your name, you can flash that piece of paper in their face! I highly recommend getting a POA to cover all of your bases. 

7. Sell, sell, sell!

     Get rid of anything that you know you will not use again and still has life in it. It will just be taking up precious space in your weight allowance. Large furniture is heavy and highly sought after on resale pages, as well as bicycles, baby items, kids toys and clothes, sporting equipment, and lawn care goodies. Craigslist is a good place to start and I also highly recommend downloading Varagesale if it is available in your area.  

8. Make your reservations early

     I have seen, and heard, of horror stories of people desperate to find a place to stay following their move overseas because they didn't know they had to book their own rooms at a hotel (military hotel or civilian) because housing was not immediately available. I am talking, days before their flights in some cases. Or worse, they did not know that their room was not pet friendly and they needed to find someone to watch their fur babies in a new town where they knew no one. Military hotels and lodges book up just like civilian hotels, especially in highly desirable tourist destinations. Book early and be sure to ask for pet friendly rooms if you are bringing your little fuzzies.   

9. Lots-o-copies

     Print out at least 6 copies of your spouse's orders and family entry letter! I am not kidding! If you are flying Space-A /MAC, they will need copies for their records that you do not get back. You will need a copy to get your tickets for the flights, a copy for customs on the other side, and if you need a bus ride to get to your new Base/Post they will need a copy too. You will also need copies for everything from enrolling in the region's Tricare, to getting a driver's license. We made the mistake of only having 3 copies for the trip. Yeah, I thought we were prepared with more than one, but that was a mistake. I have heard of people printing out 10 copies just to be safe. The more, the merrier in this case. 

10. Bring the necessities with you

     Beyond clean undies and pjs, there are a few things you will need to get through your first few days or weeks in a hotel or new home, before your HHG or express shipment arrives. One of my checked bags was just home goods for that very reason. I included things like a set of sheets, a few towels, some bigger toys for the babe to play with, and a crock pot. Yes. A whole crockpot. And that thing saved us when we were living in a hotel room with one stove top burner and no oven for a few weeks. Don't be shy about packing things in your checked bag that you use all the time at home. If you love one specific pot or pan, and you cook all of your favorite meals in it, pack it! It will make your time in "PCS limbo" a little bit better.  

*Kiddo Air-Travel Bonus*

     If you are going to be traveling on a plane to your new duty station, invest in one or both of these two travel necessities: a carseat travel strap and the CARES airplane safety harness. I love these two contraptions so much! The strap lets you connect a carseat to a bag and roll that baby around. So much nicer than slinging it over your shoulder and lugging it around. The CARES harness is amazing if you want to check the carseat but still want a secure seatbelt for your child on the plane. I swear by this thing. It is not a five point since it does not go under their bums, but it held Lizzie in place so well that she fell asleep for the duration of the flight the first time she used it.  

          

-Safe travels, fair winds and following seas!

     Sam 

Move Hacks, Baby!

Let's start this entry off with some little bitty life hacks for you military gals out there. Lesson one from my trial and errors: 

1. Stay on top of your medical appointments: 

Seriously. This one is super important if you know an OCONUS move is coming! Dental cleanings, ladybit appointments (a forgotten pap smear held up our med. screening a week, not good when you only have 30 days to get everything sorted), check ups for kidos, post-baby check ups for new mamas and all of the vaccinations for everyone in the family; yes even you! Booster shoots are still a thing past your teens. Trust me. I could not raise my arms for a few days after my hepatitis updates, yellow fever and Japanese Encephalitis Immunizations. Ouch. But I would rather have sore arms for a few days then have my brain swell. I'll take a hard pass on that one. Thanks. 

2. Keep receipts of big purchases, start taking pictures and cataloging of all your stuff you think you might want to keep: 

The worst thing that can happen on an overseas move is the stuff that you think is living safely in a storage facility in America while you are overseas is actually floating around god knows where and no one can find it when you move back. I have seen people lose things from family heirloom jewelry to couches. How can you lose a couch? Or a king sized bed!? But it has happened. The best thing that can happen is the moving company finds your stuff and delivers it to you after you move to your next duty station, and the worst is that your stuff is gone-girl-gone. Having receipts is the best thing for claims against the moving company, and pictures are the next priceless things you can have if you get your stuff back it is in a very different condition then when it left you. When your dining room table gets delivered with unfixable scratches or a chipped corner, it is nice to have a picture that backs you up when you say "It did not look like that when it left my possession." Check your bank and emails for records of your purchases if you no longer have paper copies. I loose my paper ones all the time, but they can be found in e-form. 

3. Start going through your crap.

You know what I am talking about. The junk drawers. That forgotten closet of winter coats and stray kids' shoes. Those bins in your attic that you see once a year when you pull down christmas decorations and say to yourself, "Is that mine or the person who lived here before me?" Start now. Open one box or drawer a week, two if you're feeling feisty and start tossing the things you absolutely will not miss. There is nothing worse then trying to organize a pack and dealing with one thousand pens, two year old papers, and 20 lightbulbs that fit light fixtures in your home from two moves ago. This just happened to me in the junk drawer in my laundry room. I found 6 light bulbs to the track lighting that was in our Norfolk home. We have been on Florida for three years now. We don't have track lighting. Its time to toss those little suckers. I'd rather deal with them now, then during the stress of the pack. 

Clothing: You know the old closet trick of 'if you haven't worn it in a year, throw it out or if it still has life, donate it,' do a soft run-through now. The obvious clean out. You know what I'm talking about, the things that you know don't fit or are so old they are starting to look a little dated. Keep up with the occasional run throughs and soon you will only have pieces you love and use. It makes the packing process so much easier when you don't have to debate keeping or tossing something when everything in your closet is stuff that fits, that you use, and know you want to take with you. 

4. Take the good stuff to Mom and Dad's house: 

Anything that would absolutely devastate you if it got lost and you know you will not use overseas: Grandma's antique teacup collection, your wedding dress, things like that. Im not saying leave all of the mementoes behind, take a few teacups, just not all 30. I am making my first goody run back to Texas in the next couple of weeks so that the family can love on the babe and I can drop off things to stay in safe keeping for the next few years. My wedding dress will stay, the bulk of my record collection (the weight adds up quickly), my great-grandmother's antique crystal and silver that I will not use overseas but would kill a mover for for if they broke or lost it. See if your parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, grandparents, etc. would be the custodians of your most prized possessions that you will not be taking with you. Better with them then in a storage container. 

Phew, that was more then I thought it would be. Let know if you have some other tips to include in the next update. What are the moving hacks that you swear by? What has saved you the most time and sanity during a move? Happy Wednesday Everyone! 

-Samantha 

I should be studying for my finals but...

I'm here instead! Hey y'all, I'm back! 

It has been over a year since I wrote a post, and A LOT has changed since that last Disney World trip. First of all, the finals reference in the title. I am finally finishing up my Bachelors degree in History (UWF, go Argos!) and I cannot be more excited to finally have that piece of paper hanging on my wall. When I decided to go back to school, I decided to change my major to History from my original choice. I figured, if I am doing this, I am doing it in something that I actually like for a change. My original major was decided for me by my very first advisor when I was 18. Since I had no clue what I wanted to study, he chose something that I would be able to get a job with later. It had nothing to do with my interests, so this time I am doing what I want! I only have two semesters left: 20 hours in the summer & 18 in the fall. Needless to say, I am going to be super stressed and incredibly busy for the rest of the year. I know I am nuts, but there is a method to my madness.

This is my nightlife now: Books, Turabian, writing papers, and lots-o-wine!

Lizzie Girl has changed so much this past year. She is a toddler now, so big, and she has the personality to match. She loves broccoli, daycare, avocado sushi, mommy and daddy (of course), Luna Puppy, and books. She is a babbling fool and loves talking into anything that can used as a play phone. Lately it has been my checkbook cover and she will go off on talking tangents with it. Her favorite book is tie between Hippos Go Berserk and Hello America and watching her play with her little kitchen can melt your heart. 

My Easter Babe

Told you she likes sushi

Hubby is doing awesome. He's teaching students how to fly everyday and is super, crazy busy. Anyone that says they have tons of "home time" during a teaching shore tour is a big, fat liar! 12 to 14 hour days nearly every day! I honestly saw him more when he was in the fleet then now, on the flip side, no deployments here mean he doesn't take off for months at a time. I still miss the 9-5 days in Virginia. But we will be back in that pace of life coming up here at the end of the year because we got his verbal orders a few weeks back and we are going to....

   

I am so excited! It is still so surreal that we got orders to anywhere other than San Diego or Norfolk. I am not yet in the freaking out "holy shit we're moving overseas" stage of it all, but I know its coming. Already, we are deciding what is staying in the states and what is going with us. And it is very little.

I'll be updating as the move progresses and I'll share little tips and factoids along the way too. First Tip: Moves to some overseas locations are super weight restricted. Like 25% of your usual moving-weight allowance. Yeah, 25 percent. Let that sink in for a minute. So essentially, 75% of our house is staying here. A massive garage sale is in order and lots of Goodwill runs are in our near future.

The big move is a big reason why I decided to come back to blogland. I want a place that my family can go to and see what we have been up to. The adventures and the daily life both will be totally different from anything we have experienced before. Ahh, I am so excited, and Lizzie ready for all the sushi she can eat!  

5 on Friday {3.28}

Another week finished up. This one has been so much better then the last few that is for sure! I finally feel like myself again. Thank the lord. The living room is no longer my second bedroom, the bathrooms are cleaned, the backyard is beer bottle free, and the kitchen is sparkling. I love a productive week that sets in a good mood to start the weekend.

{One}
   I discovered another of my favorite childhood/teenage movies on Netflix this week. Steel Magnolias. Oh this movie makes me tear up just thinking about it, but it is such a great movie. A true chick flick. I give it a 5 Kleenex rating. No matter how many times you have watched it, you will cry a little every time.

 {Two}
   To keep up the Southern hospitality feel, I ordered this gem on Wednesday. I don't know if it is just the area where we live now or the suburbs themselves, but we have had a lot of people come by trying to sell things or asking for money. Don't get me wrong, I like giving to charities that I know and respect; but when a 20 year old man comes by asking for money to send books to third world children, that earn him points to get him to Rome with no paperwork verifying the company. Yeah, no thank you. I hope this little sign does it's job, and does it well!

{Three}

   Hubby and I are starting to finalize arrangements for my youngest sister's college graduation in May. It is still so wild to me that all of my little sisters are growing up. One is living in New York, applying to grad schools for something she has had a life long interest in and dating the sweetest guy. Another is in Texas building her dream business already at the age of 23. And my baby sister is graduating college this year, moving to California were she will no doubt set up shop and settle down by the beautiful coast. I love my sisters and I love this season of our lives, but I miss them so much. Come visit me little ones! 

{Four}

      I am patiently waiting for the weather to get a little warmer and less rainy to try out the Margaritaville Hotel. Hubby and I snuck onto their pier and I quickly snapped these before we were spotted. They have a little, quiet beach. Not at all what you think a place like Margaritaville is going to be like, but it is so relaxing. You can bet, come a few weeks from now, I will be laying under one of those blue umbrellas. 

{Five}

   Last but certainly not least in any way shape or form, two of my favorite people in the whole world gave birth to their beautiful babies this week, less then 48 hours apart! My super-mommy Navy wife friend Audora gave birth to her fourth baby. A third, gorgeous little girl with reddish hair just like her older sisters & brother. Then two days later, my Norfolk front door neighbor & amazing Navy wife friend Christine, gave birth to her and her husband's very first baby. She is a little doll with so much dark brown hair and the chubbiest little cheeks. They are both so adorable. Congratulations friends! I cannot wait to cuddle your little darlings! 

4 Years and Loving It

My gorgeous marriage-aversary flowers. 

Yesterday was our 4 year marriage anniversary! I cannot believe four years have gone by already. They literally flew by, granted one of those years we weren't on the same continent. But even then, it doesn't feel like three years have gone by. Too fast, too fast.

Before I move on I should explain "marriage-aversary". It is not uncommon in the military to get married before you Get Married. We actually got married in the Court House in Milton, Florida before our big wedding that was later that year in Texas. The Paper Wedding. Get it? lol. It makes moving, insurance, doctor's appointments, base access, everything a whole lot easier (or even possible) when you are married to your military man. We decided to do a paper wedding when we found out we were moving from Florida to Virginia before our wedding date. I did not want to take the chance of him being shipped off before we were married and I would be left in information limbo during an entire deployment.

Lucky for us, Hubby didn't get shipped off for almost an entire year after we arrived in Virginia. Whew. But I did not regret getting married before the wedding, not even a little. It was this fantastic secret we had just between the two of us. I loved calling him my husband behind closed doors and my fiance to everyone else. Now we celebrate the day we became secret Husband and Wife as our marriage-aversary. I love that man more every day we spend together and even more when we are apart; because that is when you truly realize how much you love someone.

Thank you US Navy for teaching me that! (only minorly sarcastic)

       

We are in!

We got all of our household goods yesterday and it has been a tornado of cardboard and packing paper ever since. Besides finding new places for old things in our house, it has been nice to slow down a little and really absorb everything that has happened recently. 

This past week has been a complete blur! When we were packing up the Norfolk house I was feeling fantastic about the move. Everything was going really smooth, even the movers that came to pack and take away all of our stuff were excellent. But the moment we were taking our last walk around the house I suddenly felt this heaviness in my chest. I was sad. It kind of took me by surprise but I was deeply saddened; not just to move but to leave the home we had made, the friends we love as well as the town we had began our married life in. Norfolk will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Moving is without a doubt one of the hardest parts of this lifestyle. I came to the conclusion a few years ago that in the outside world, it takes about a year to get comfortable in a new city, another year to make friends and another year to really cultivate your relationships. But for us military folk that is just in time to pick up and move again. We have to speed up the process and find our footing a lot sooner then the average person. While it may seem like a sad lifestyle it actually is quite the opposite. In these past 3 years I have made some great friends that I know I will have for years to come, I got to experience a new state and city that I never would have lived in otherwise and finally I got to know myself better too. When you only have a few years in a place, you have to knock down your guard walls and really put yourself out there sometimes. When Hubby was working or deployed and I didn't know anyone yet, I forced myself to get out of the house and go to a dinner with other wives or a meeting or squadron party. I worked some odd jobs, took some interesting classes and even cooked meals for people that I didn't really know yet. How else are you going to meet people?

With one more move under our belt, it is time to start the three year cycle all over again. But the beauty of the Navy is that it is a small, small world. We already know a good group of people that moved down here before us and we get to catch up with all of them! 

So wish us luck on our newest adventure. The Emerald Coast: We are here! 

5 on Friday Time

This week has been an up and down kind of week, full of highs and lows but learning moments all along the way.

{1} I found my new piece of artwork /slash/ mantra for the new year. I love it. Simple. Elegant. Truthful. 

{2} We found our new house in Florida! I think it is a little bit of Pleasantville. It will definitely be my working project for the next few months, and I will definitely be posting all about the moving-decorating-furniture reworking for each room. It will be a step by step process but I cannot wait to start it. 

This will be Luna's new puppy park! I love this backyard. 

{3} I am deeply neglecting taking down the Christmas decorations. The tree is still up as well as garland and stockings. We just got home two days ago. We need to go through all of our laundry and get our routines back before we attack those goodies. But ugh, I don't wanna. Would it be rude to ask the movers to pack it up? That's a legit question right?

{4} I did my very first #throwbackthursday yesterday. I know, I know. I am way behind in that game. But at least I made it a good one. I think I am about 3 years old and I am wearing my favorite dress and costume jewelry. But the real kicker was those bangs. I cut them all by myself. I was so proud of the lop-sided off-ness. Yep, right before picture day. I am sure my mother was so proud of her budding hair stylist daughter that day.  

{5} Hubby has his Hail and Bail party tomorrow, and I am actually kind of sad about it. Our time here in Norfolk is all over. I am going to miss this place. I am going to miss the friends I made here even more. The ladies I met here are the ones who know exactly what it is like to have this crazy lifestyle. And these are the friends that I know I will see again. It may be in a few months or a few years but we are all destined to meet again. The Navy is a small, small place and that is one of the things I love the most about these friendships. They are the ones that no matter how much time has passed, you pick up right where you left off. Those are the friendships that last a lifetime. And with all of the craziness that has happened in this community these past few days, friends and love are what helps you through it all. 

Sad Days Ahead

If you do not live in the Hampton Roads area odds are you haven't heard much about what has been happening here these last few days.

Yesterday, a helicopter that was stationed here in Norfolk crashed off of the coast of Virginia. The outcome of the crash was not as hopeful as people initially thought it would be. Two of the rescued men have died in the hospital and one is still considered missing. Thankfully the two others that were rescued are doing well and expected to make full recoveries.

Please send your prayers and love to the families of everyone involved; To those that have passed and those that have survived but will be entering a very difficult period. This is another time for all of us, military or civilian, to reflect and be grateful for the loved ones in our lives.

Army-Navy Game

Way to go Navy! 12 years in a row! 

5 on Friday {6}

Yay, first post of the week! 

I am a slacker. A big one. But it is time to link up with The Good Life, Carolina Charm, A. Lizz Adventures and Hello! Happiness for another fantastic addition of {5} So with this being my first update of the week, I shall make it about all of the fun stuff that has happened this past week and weekend. I hope I can fill it all in in five spaces. 

{one}

   Halloween was a nice, mellow night in our house this year. Since we don't get trick-or-treaters at our house, Hubby and I put on some last minute costumes and went to the Chipotle down the road for their costume discount! Yeah, mellow. And our costumes...bah....high school shirts, a tiara, a crown and letterman jackets. I had to dig through some boxes and a few closets to find everything but it worked! Who says you need to shell out 50 bucks for a crap costume you will never wear again? On the contrary, thanks mom for buying my letterman sophomore year. It's still getting its money's worth!   

{two}

   Halloween was the debut of the costume I made for my friend Katie's son. Here is the finished product. Ta Da!

Little marshmallow man! So stinkin' cute! His little smile is what kills me the most. He was so happy in the body pillow fluff thing that I made, that he fell asleep sitting up with a smile on his little face. His mom and I were laughing for about 5 minutes straight when we put it on him.  

{three}

   The weekend after Halloween was a travel filled one for Hubby and I. Friday night we went up to DC for a Navy Ball/ Marine Corp Birthday Ball at his alma mater G.W. Thankfully it wasn't just he and I at the party. Our friends Kenny, Bob and Adam, who also graduated from George Washington, made it to the military festivities. It was weird being the "old ones" at the dinner. And when the dancing portion started, yeah, we high tailed it out of there and went to the first bar we could find. 

Yes, we were looking for the perfect place :) 

Hubby and I decided that night, that we are waaay past college fun. When the youngest person at the party was born in 1996 you can't help but feel old and immediately want a glass of scotch that is older then them just to prove a point!    

{four}

   Saturday was another day of travel, this time to Philadelphia for our friends Tim and Marisa's engagement party. It was good party at the City Tavern in Old Town Philly. Great food, even better company and John Adams even made an appearance with some great pearls to give the new couple about marriage. 

  

That's Tim giving his speech and his adorable fiance Marisa. 

Tim is mildly obsessed with John Adams so his appearance was very appropriate.

My little cutie Audrey was there! And naturally, we had to take a couple selfie. I think it turned out pretty good

{five}

   This week was full of Thanksgiving preparation purchases. Plates and serving bowls. Silverware and gravy boats. All of things that people told me to not bother registering for I suddenly needed and kicked myself for not putting on my wedding wish list. This is my first Thanksgiving away from my family so naturally that means it is the first one were I am in charge of ALL food preparation. I am trying to make it as idiot proof as possible; hence the pie tan ring and turkey pop timer. But I have a feeling that the oven rack is going to be my new favorite kitchen tool. You cannot beat doubling your oven space! 

Now all that is left is making a menu and giving a few new recipes a trial run. I am sure Hubby will not mind being my taste tester. 

I'm late but I showed up!

I have less then an hour until Wednesday but it's better late then never for a Tuesday update : )

This past weekend was one for the books. The Helicopter Ball on Friday night was so much fun. Dinner, drinks, lots of catching up with friends I haven't seen in months and last but no least a shot luge! In the shape of an octopus no less

                                               

Yeah, you definitely don't grow up too much in this community...and I like it that way. Saturday was a recovery day not for me but for Hubby. He had a little too much fun at the Ball. I give you exhibit A: 

                                               

That's him laying in the bed in the room everyone got for the after party. Adorable if I do say so myself :) So as you can clearly see I was the lucky one! After the recovery day, it was Sunday and time for my 'Boys to play the Redskins. And you know what, They Won! I love it when they win, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Yay. I was a happy, happy Texas girl. 

Sunday, Monday and today were all errand days/shopping days/sleep in because it is nasty outside days. Hubby didn't get Monday off so spent it painting some of my newest orders that I got on Etsy. Here is the newest one I did for a breast cancer awareness fundraiser at Villanova University:

                                             

I think it turned out pretty good. It is for the sorority Delta Gamma. The pink, blue, bronze and anchor all have special meanings to the sisters. I hope they like it!

I have a new craft to start once I get back from the post office and I'll give y'all three hints. It's for a baby, it is a Halloween costume and it involves a certain puffy sailor character from Ghostbusters! 

Night y'all! 

Sad Days

This is the patch of HSC 6 in San Diego. If you aren't associated with the Navy or Military you probably have heard very little, if any, of what has happened. Yesterday, one of their helicopters went down in the Red Sea. Three people were saved but two are still missing. They fly the exact same helicopter that my Hubby flies. It is always scary when something like this happens in his community. You never know if the pilots involved are people that you personally know. This time, Hubby did know one of the pilots that was lost.

This is the hardest part of life as a Navy spouse, as a military spouse. These are the times when questions start popping into your head about the safety of your spouse's job. They are in a dangerous field, but you can push that into the deepest parts of your mind for everyday life. But your imagination can run away with you very easily when times like these hit. Talk about it. Don't keep it in. This is also the time when we as a community come together. We meet up with other military spouses and rely on each other's shared experiences and knowledge. Talk to your spouse about the plans y'all have in place for events like these. The only thing worse then going through something like this, is going through it without a plan.

If you know anyone involved with this tragedy, or you personally where touched by this event and need to talk to someone outside of friends or family, Fleet and Family is there for you. They are there to assist you with anything you could possibly need, an ear to listen, a shoulder, a hug. Here is the link to Fleet and Family. If you believe in a higher power, pray for those families involved; Or if you are a spiritual person, send some good vibes and light to those that are in need.

The wait is over

We are going to the land of white sand beaches, Blue Angels and Emmitt Smith. We are going to...

Pensacola! 

Yay! Yay! I am so excited! I loved living in Pensacola. We were there when Hubby was in flight school a few years ago and it was a blast and a half. Out of all the possible options for us to go to next, Pensacola reminds me of home the most. 20 minutes to the beach, small town feel and southern hospitality. Not to mention we are 3 hours from New Orleans (Can you say Mardi Gras!?) and a mere 6 hours from our beloved Walt Disney World! 

Ahhh. I am relaxed. I feel like I can breath easy again. Limbo is over. Granted we still have a few major holidays here, it feels nice to just know. No more wondering or worrying about the next step. It is decided and we are thrilled. Now we get to sit back and enjoy the rest of the time we have here in Norfolk. I'm thinking of making a Hampton Roads Bucket List of all the things we haven't done that we need to do before we hit the road. 

:) P. Cola here we almost come!     

Grr, why, why, why?

I just read an article on the Military Spouse website that got me thinking. The post was entitled the 35 Crazy Deployment Curse Stories. Some of the stories are funny and could happen to any of us, while some are just down right Grr inducing moments. Why is it that whenever your spouse leaves on their "business trips" (i.e. deployments, work ups, training), Murphy's Law suddenly rears its ugly head? Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong; Or in a lot of cases, is guaranteed to go wrong. My Murphy's Law moments always seem to include our puppy Luna.
These past few days our little Luna has been sick. She woke me up in the middle of the night a couple of days ago, crying to go outside. The only time she does that is when she really, really does not feel well. So I was ready for a not so pretty potty break. What I was not ready for was blood. A Lot of blood. So I immediately ran upstairs put on some clothes, gathered up her stuff and rushed off to the 24 hr emergency vet. We arrived a little after 12:30am at the vet where they swept my poor baby away to the back for blood work and treatment. I was one nervous mama waiting for news in the waiting room let me tell you. And no amount of Duck Dynasty on the TV was distracting me. Pacing, pacing , pacing. I only do that when I am crazy with worry.
Thankfully it was a nice and efficient hospital so I didn't have to wait long at all. The sweetest Vet came out and let me know that she didn't need intensive work or an overnight stay. I was so relieved. Our poor baby girl was sick though. The best they could decipher was that she got into something and her body was rejecting it. She has always had a sensitive tummy, she even has to have special food so she doesn't get sick. So after a shot to stop her nausea and a little hydration we were on our way back home with 3 medications and pro-biotic supplements for her bland diet; Which will consist of boiled chicken and rice for the next week or two. I know she is loving the human food but I can tell she still doesn't feel back to normal. Poor thing will not leave my side except for food and bed time when she heads up to my bed before I do. My poor sweetheart.
It seems like every time Hubby has to take off, it's either me or the dog that gets sick. Me with a cold or the flu but mostly poor Lu with belly troubles. Guaranteed.
Murphy's Law: the deployment special. Every time!

   

Baby Day and Navy Waiting Game

Today, I spent the whole afternoon with my friend Audora at her gorgeous house with all of her adorable little rugrats. She has a set of the cutest little strawberry-blonde twin girls in the world, and their carrot topped big bro is a little cutie pie. I love going over to her house to hang out and have a little girl time in the middle of the day. With Hubby back on a boat for a little while, it is really nice to have girlfriends that you can drop in on for a chat. We spent the better part of five hours gabbing away, organizing sewing dates, and playing with babies of course. I love when they just sit on your lap and relax in your arms. No muss no fuss, just hanging out; But playful babies are by far the best babies! Tossing them in the air and hearing the giggles always makes me giggle too. Baby laughs are so contagious. She keeps on asking when I'm going to have some babies of my own, but that is on hold until we find out our new orders. Her hubby actually just left the squadron that my Hubby is in, but they get to stay in our beloved Norfolk for the next duty station. No potential cross country move for her family, no sir-e-bob. Boy, are they lucky. Can you imagine moving your whole house and three kids under 2 across this great nation of ours? Nope, I can't. But I know it is coming, that one fine day where we are going to move with kids in tow, but I am far from looking forward to it. But we are up for orders soon and I would love to know where we are heading. Like Right Now! 

 Hubby and I are currently in "relocation limbo". It can only be defined that way. You have no idea where you are going next but you know you are going somewhere. It is not a fun place to be. This is always the most nerve racking/frustrating part of our lifestyle. We have absolutely no idea where we are going next. We could stay right here and keep on living in our home, with our pup and our friends in our town that we know backwards and forwards. Or, we could end up across the country in a new city, with a new house and new friends to find. It is truly making me anxious. The waiting is the worst part.

But this is where the saying comes from: Home is where the Navy sends us. And never is it more true then the in between stage. You may be between duty stations but no matter where you go, you know that your home is not a physical location. It is where your family is, where your spouse is, where you relax and are just you. Home is not a house or an apartment or a particular city but where yall are together. And I can't wait to find out where our little family is going next. The next place we get to call Home together.


Until next time :)  

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Oh my!

Have yall seen this video yet? Quick, hit the play button. Watch it? Good!

It is the Navy's newest PSA aimed at kids and STEM technology. I wish we had videos like this when I was younger. It is such a fantastic way to get kids interested in the sciences. The jet... the engines... how much more awesome science is then just the "usual" projects! The video has a real shot at igniting a fire in a child for a field of study that they might not have thought of before. With all of the unknowns about job availability right now, it is nice to know that there will be plenty of opportunities for science heavy careers for our kids. And in this military community, where families move so often and change schools regularly, parents really need to feed kids' educations and nurture their curiosity. When I was a kid, the sciences never really crossed my mind as something to be passionate about. It wasn't until I entered my junior year of  high school and dissected my first worm that I started to actually enjoy and look forward to science classes. If only that fire had been lit inside me earlier then that, oh man, I can only imagine.

The Long Weekend

I was so distracted with all of the news about the royal baby that I never got a chance to share the weekend adventures. What a little cutie he is going to be! Okay, I'm done with royal baby fever for a little while.

So....Hubby's squadron had a mess meeting this past Friday. Basically it is when everyone gets together, usually in a bar, and has a good time. But they do do "official" things along with the morale boosting, like introduce the new guys and give out the all important call signs. And it is because of this tradition that now I know some people by the names of Cher (for a man), Jekyll, Frodo, Mush, and Zuko (like Grease!). Hubby's call sign is Tubs, like a bathtub in a restroom. There a huge, long, amazingly inappropriate story that goes along with it, but long story short he feel asleep somewhere he shouldn't have! And you know what it is by his call sign, Tubs! And for about a year now I have been Mrs. Tubs in my own right for exactly the same thing. My long story short is: Boston, 4th of July, too much Bar fun, a gorgeous marble Ritz-Carlton bathroom and a $150 bubble bath I wanted to replicate for a lot less money! Yeah, Mrs. Tubs I am.

So anyway, back to the weekend. I knew some of the guys were going to come over after the mess meeting to hang out before the squadron went downtown to support one of the Air Crewman who DJs. It was his farewell night since he and his family were moving to San Diego the next week, and we wanted to be there to show our support for his passion. I was all up for the guys coming over before we headed out to the club. I can handle a few guys over no problem, I'll just grab a few beers and get ready for loud noises :) On Friday, before the squadron made their way to a local watering hole, I got a phone call from Hubby telling me almost the entire group is coming over afterward and he'll be by to drop off the keg before the meeting. "No big deal" I said. "Great" I mused. Inside, I was freaking! 3 hours! A kegger! He gave me 3 hours to go from a couple of guys to 20 plus with the Skipper! He wasn't sure if wives or girlfriends were coming or not, so I prepped like everyone was going to walk through the house. I immediately went into panic/superwoman/chicken-with-my-head-cut-off cleaning mode! Vacuum, check. Guest room set up, check. Clean every toilet, check. Etc. Home cleaning was done. Then I ventured out to gather food and drinks, I love my Harris Teeter for the one-stop shop less then a mile from my house. Coke, chips, dip, fruit, wine and lots and lots of water. Okay, I was ready. Bring it on. Release the hounds!

 

Then it was onto the Granby Theater. That's our guy Mr. B. We'll miss him when we wanna go dancing. He was the best DJ they had. I know he's having a blast in Cali.

Oh man, that was a long day/night, but it was a really good time. The keg was floated, all the food was gone and no one passed out in the garage. I call that a success. I have no idea how Hubby and I had the energy to go bike riding in Williamsburg the next day. 

It is definitely time to invest in a bike rack with Hubby back in the states. It was like handlebar-peddle Tetris trying to fit the bikes in the back. Maybe next weekend we can take this act further down the road to Busch Gardens. I am craving a roller coaster ride. 

Until next time :)