New blog!

Our new blog is finally ready!  Go to sailorwifeandlife@dyndns.org to catch up.

Currently missing one of the authors, but he will be back soon.  Thank you Paul for all of your help.  You are a great brother-in-law, but you may have bitten off more you can chew offering to help me.  Let me know if something is not working on this site......I don't know how to fix it, but I bet Paul does!

On another note, no letter today.  I did get his "remains"; a sad little box with all of his clothes, shoes and 16 cents.  Maybe tomorrow.  I have called our post office twice this week.  I wonder if they have caller id.  :)
Tonight, just a teething toddler, a kicking belly and some hot tea.  Not a glass of wine.....which is what I really want.

Left for Great Lakes

He is gone.....for real now.  I am just now able to gather my thoughts to post.  He left Friday.  The hardest thing is that he is going through H-E-double hockey sticks and I can't be there for him.  I knew all of this would happen, it is just different when it is your sailor.  I have been sulking.....and lots of praying.  Today I went to church and it reminded me that God brought him to this, so he will bring him through it.  The sermon was about the boy whom gave his 2 fish and 5 barley loaves.  It was awesome and one section really hit me.  He spoke about the proverb that a 3 strand cord is not easily broken.  You know the one, "Woe to the man whom falls and has no one to pick him up."  This weekend was a great reminder to me that I need people- especially now that Adam is gone.

We were getting ready to say good bye to Adam, again, and we had a lot to do.  We went to a ceremony, parade, and a baseball game.  And I was attempting to coordinate our family with the very little information that the Navy gave me.  Thank God for friends and family.  I needed help.  I broke down at the office (in front of my boss; she is very nice, but I did not want to cry) because I forgot to go to the ATM to get cash- and now I was going to be late.  My office partner and friend gave me 15$.  Thank you Nancy!  I have never been more grateful for 15 bucks.  I did not want to be late when I only had a few hours to see Adam. I had already gotten him in trouble with the drill instructor.  (that is another story)

Our parents, many of the siblings and a few friends were there for Adam's swearing in ceremony.  I was so thankful; they carried bags, babies and took pictures.  My sister dressed Tinyand brought her to meet me.  She looked so sweet.  Kristin, you were my hero this weekend.  Every time I needed something, you were there.  Thanks Sis.  Everyone gave Adam and I space to say goodbye.  Sniff, sniff.  That physically hurt.  I was sure that one of us would pass out.

I don't like asking for help and I don't like relying on others.  When I was a little girl, I used to tell mama, "I don't need you!". But today I had a vision of me laying on the floor, yelling, "I have fallen and I can't get up!"  And I am alone.  In Charleston.  Looking like a pregnant turtle who is flipped over on her shell.  Rocking back and forth.......

So I am making an effort to build strands of support.  Family, friends, church- we are so blessed.  SO many have told me to call when I need them.  The thing about doing everything alone is that you also can't be that cord for others.  I need a team.  I need to put more into those important relationships.  Thank you to everyone's support this week.  The phone calls, facebook messages, hugs meant so much.  We love you.


Please continue to pray for my sailor.  He had blisters on his feet from marching before he even got to Great Lakes.  The mind games have already begin.....I will let you know when we can send letters or when I hear from him.  Prayers for peace please.  These first few weeks are supposed to be the hardest.


See you soon and good night.

Top Ten

Adam is at training.  We see him tonight though!  :)  House is quiet and clean.  When he is gone, I am bored. So I clean.


Top 10 things I miss about Adam when he is away.


WARNING: SAD, PATHETIC AND PITIFUL.  MOST DEFINITELY MUSHY.  READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!


10.  1 tooth brush in the holder.
9.  I don't know how to grocery shop for just me and a 1 year old.  Monday's trip was yogurt, strawberrys, deli meat and one can of raviolli.  Clearly, I was not focused and now we have to go back.
8.  No one to watch Wipe Out with.  Or anything else for that matter.  TV is useless unless you have someone to commentate.
7.  No one to disagree with about the radio station.  He would secretly change the settings on my car radio.
6.  Bathroom mirror stays clean.  I miss his spit splashes.
5.  Tiny goes to a closed door and yells "DaDa".  She thinks he is in the bathroom.
4.  He would always look over my shoulder when I am working on something.  It bugs me, but I miss it.
3.  He sings in the shower.  "Ba-ba-da-da-da-da"  Tiny thinks he is GREAT.
2.  Kisses.  He is magical.
1.  He keeps me sane.  He balances me out.  He makes me laugh.

Tiny mess

Oh, how I love my tiny mess.  Tiny is full of caos.  Adam and I recognized that early on.  We would build a tower with blocks and she would push it down.  But in all fairness, it is more fun to knock things over.  We are working on using a spoon and fork.  She will hold the fork with one hand and eat with the other.  The fork makes a great comb for her golden (now stained with red sauce) locks.  She does not get it, but she could not be cuter.  We had spegetti tonight.

Adam got called away 2 times tonight for Navy stuff.  Something I should probably get used to.  His dinner.

I ate his garlic roll.  I know, shocking.  My belly may need it's own zip code before Tiny #2 arrives.  I cringe at the thought of when Adam returns from Basic training.  I will be among all of the 18 year old girlfriends- whom I am sure are beautiful and have no stretch marks.  Me and the Tinies.  All ### pounds of us.  I will have to buy a new dress-one that makes me not look so...round.
Adam's recruiter said that he has never worked with someone whom is 26 with a wife and kids going into Adam's field.  He has no clue what to do with us.  We ask questions; they don't know.  And sometimes we get conflicting answers.  Though, they have been very flexible and kind.  Adam even brings Tiny to DEP meetings if I am at work.  I am setting the expectation bar WAY LOW, hoping not to be disappointed or feel like we were mislead.  I count on what is in the contract and take the rest with a grain of salt.  I remember that God is our provider, not the Navy.
As ship date comes closer, things are seeming more real.  We give more kisses.  We hired someone to mow our out-of-control yard instead of taking up the final days with yard work.  I don't have the heart to pack Adam's stuff yet.  8-10 weeks, right?  We can do this.  I can't think about the next station, or moving, or 1 year deployments right now.  Just 8-10 weeks.  I am just a tiny bit of a mess today too.

Embracing my quirks.

These things probably won't change......so I have decided to embrace them.

• I pout.  Only to Adam, because it works.
• My favorite thing to do when the hubby is bugging me is to pull his underarm hair.  It makes him sooooo mad.  That is why I do it.  Again, because it works.
• I rely on our lovable coon hound, Oscar, to clean my kitchen floor after meals and snack time.  Better than Mr. Clean.
• I love it when Tiny wants Mommy to put her to bed.  But I still sigh to Adam, as if I have more important things to do.  (like the dishes in the sink- which I have no intention of doing tonight)
• I like to eat a whole row of cookies from the package in one sitting.  It just seems more organized.
• I love to watch TV shows where people crash into things or fall off high platforms for the sake of entertainment.  That Bob Saget says the funniest things.
• I read the smut-movie-star-gossip magazines in the grocery check-out lane when no one is looking.  If questioned, I will say something about sad role models for our kids.   But I still want to know what is going on with Prince William.  And I would never get caught buying one.
• I dream of being in a flash mob.......I have the whole routine worked out in my head.  It involves me doing a tap dance.  I bet I am a great tap dancer!
• I like that I have 6 pillows and Adam only has 1.  Now, I would like his pillow to prop up my laptop while I post in bed.
• I keep forgetting what order our silverware drawer goes in.  When we have been out of spoons and forks, I can't remember which one goes where.  I think it is forks, knives, spoons......but I don't ever know for sure.  It is a surprise every time the drawer is opened.
• I love to play softball.....only if I can slide at every base and sit in the outfield.  And I don't care if we win, as long as there is ice cream afterwards.  I also make up cheers for my teammates.
• I like to drive cross-legged with my feet in the seat.  It makes sure my toes are not chilly.  That is why they made cruise control.
• And despite any efforts, I have turned into my mother.  And decided that it is not too bad.

This post would have been better if I had the correct pillow propping my laptop.

Watching the news :(

Today on the news I saw that we lost 30 Navy men when a helicopter was shot down.  22 Seals and 8 crew members.  My prayers go out to these families.  Wives lost their husbands and babies lost their daddies.  Thank you for your great sacrifice for our country.

I did not realize how these stories would effect me.  I feel like our country lost 30 Adams when that helicopter went down.  Adam will be on the sea, but it still brings the reality of the job to light.  Our boys are in dangerous situations and I, for one, have not appreciated their service.  Now I feel like there are faces behind the numbers.

I have heard military wives say that they do not watch the news; that it is inaccurate most of the time anyway.  I think that it is because it is just too real.  During deployments, they live in a constant state of "is he coming home?".  An attempt at 2 normals: one with him, one without.  I can't begin to understand, until he is gone on deployment.  I take safety for granted.  Something I fear will change.

So, I blubbered through the news this morning.  And I am not a pretty crier- red nose, bloodshot eyes and weird mouth positions.  Tiny is poking the tears away and the dog resting his massive horse-head on my knee.  Pregnant or not- I need some regular coffee.  In fact, I need coffee and I am giving Tiny 2 cinnamon rolls!  It is a rough day and we don't care about too much caffeine and sugar.  I am dropping her off in the nursery and I will be awake through the service this morning.  A winning situation for all.

Bring on the Pink!!!

Tiny #2 is a GIRL!!!!!!  YAY!!!!  This mama is all about pink, bows and dress up.  So I am very happy! Adam loves his little tiny- but was hoping for a boy.  He is already looking at baby girl names.  I am trying to talk him into Darla.....he says that will NEVER happen.  We will be having a Christmas baby; what an amazing gift.
YUCK..what is that smell?  I have to go.  Tiny #1 stinks.

Our family, our way

We have had a busy 2 weeks.  Here is the run down.

Computer virus-Grandpa's funeral-change of ship date-hit a deer-obsession with tutus and cowboy boots-diaper rash-parenting seminar-people drama-out of money-extra hours at work-dog bite-and another 5 pounds straight to the belly.  And several rounds of  our household's favorite game, "what smells?!"  I look in all the usual places.  Baby, dog, diaper pail, washer, sink, trash, fridge, laundry, husband.  We have learned to laugh and follow our nose.

Adam lost his grandpa 2 weeks ago.  He spoke at the funeral and it reminded me what a wonderful man I have.  Grandpa is gone, but so many of the same qualities live in my superman (that is my name for hubby).  When you lose someone great, it makes you examine your own life and legacy.  A while back, we went to an awesome parenting seminar taught by Phil and Linda Stern.  It was full of biblical wisdom and practical advice.  (check out Link ministries)  They spoke a lot about living with integrity in front of your kids and being purposeful about teaching them values.  Children are our legacy.  How our home needs to hold Godly standards, even when the world is saying something very different.

Adam and I really try to set Godly standards in our home and follow them.  Hard work, integrity, honesty, respect, peace, love.  Some days we do better than others.  But we come up on a lot of opposition regarding how we incorperate those values in our home.  We are more strict than most households.  We are very careful about what is on tv, we don't cuss, among other things.  I am amazed about how freely people just give their opinion.  No need to ask, they share anyway.  I don't tell them how to raise their kids- why are they telling me?  How kind. :)  I smile and nod.  I am praying for wisdom to care less about what other's think and more about what God thinks.   I try to only listen to their opinion if I want my life to be like theirs.  But people's negative comments bug the heck out of me.  Adam doesn't care what everyone else thinks, so I care enough for the both of us.

Keeping our household functioning (spiritually, emotionally, physically) will be quite a task when Adam leaves.  I have no clue how to fill the gap.  I am terrified of most things that squeak and crawl, and can't open a pickle jar for the life of me.  As ship date approaches, we have more paperwork to fill out and we are learnng more details about Navy life.  We have to figure out banks, health insurance, POAs, wills, life insurance, training dates, military doctors.  And try to talk the US Navy into letting a crabby 8 month pregnant lady move in early.  Thank goodness for Fleet and Family.

Anyway, thanks listening to the rambling.  Stay tuned we have some very exciting news coming up......maybe next week!?! :)

Baby, let's roll with it.....

I love the song 'Let's roll with it'.  Adam made me love country music, basically because he forced it on me.  It was either learn to appreciate it, or never ride in the car with him.  So, now I like country music.  Except Alan Jackson; he makes my ears cry out for mercy.  This song has become my personal anthem.  Life does not always turn out the way that I planned.  I make a lot of plans.  I am an excellent planner.  I will figure out every possible thing that could go wrong and have multiple back-up plans.  I know, it is a sickness.  I had a job plan, marriage plan, birth plan, now a Navy plan.  But despite my kicking and screaming, every big plan that I have ever made did not turn out according to my awesome, great, absolutely perfect plan.

Examples:

My degree is in Elementary Education...........but I am not a teacher.

I planned to marry a man whom shared my passion for ministering to children.  We were going to live in Africa and start an orphanage and save all the African babies!  So, I fell in love with Adam...........  Well, Adam is gifted in many ways, but ummmmm...he has great God sized plans for his life, but...well- we will get into that later.

I planned to have a completely natural child birthing experience only using only quiet relaxation techniques to manage labor pain (very dignified like).......I ended up being induced and yelling at the 19 year old nurse (whom I am sure had never gone through child birth and knew nothing),  "I don't care what you say, I am pushing now!  Back up lady!"

I did not marry a sailor - not in the plan!  Adam has talked about military service since we were 15.  Everyone kept talking him out of it, including me.  I have decided that as his wife, I have 2 choices.  Support his plans and dreams or have a husband whom does not dream.  I do not want a dreamless husband.  A man without a mission is a very sad man.  'Where there is no vision, the people perish' - Proverbs 29:18.  I want to be apart of his dream.  And to make sure he has clean socks while 'living the dream'.

So God has given Adam a vision with the Navy, and blessed our steps as we have set out on His plan.  I am planning on NOT making any plans.  It just bugs me when my plan does not work out.  Meanwhile, I don't think that US Navy cares about my plans.  But my Heavenly Father does.  And He loves me enough to mess up my plans and give me His plans.  'Baby, we'll roll with it.'  I am a Type A personality, so I plan to just roll with it.  It is progress.  Here is a link to this very awesome song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ5sVKhynj0

Thank you Lord for sweeping us up in your plan.  Ours was so boring.  Give me wisdom to 'just roll with it'.  Help me not to think too much.  I lay down my dreams and pick up yours.

New to Blogging

Welcome to my blog page!  I am excited to get started.  Please excuse my computer skills....I barely know what I am doing.  I am starting this blog to document our transition into Navy life.  My husband, Adam, leaves for boot camp in less than 2 months.  We are excited and scared all at the same time.  There are so many questions and very few direct, reliable answers. I have decided that I have to trust what God has directed us to do and have the assurance that He will provide our every need.  The process has seemed rather complicated........duty dates, contracts, multiple MEP stations trips.  At one point I was yelling at Adam off the porch that he could run faster- "Don't let your baby see you being slow!".  NOT my finest wife moment.  We don't work out together anymore.  Well, I don't really "work out" at all.  Our sweet little Daddy's girl is going to miss her dada.  I will miss him too.

I think that I am going to add a prayer to posts.  I know that at least my mom will read my blog and she prays, so here is what I am praying for today.  Anyway- this blog stuff is fun!  See ya later!

My prayer today:
Thank you Lord for family.  Thank you for how we can work together as a unit to seek your face.  That you did not make man alone.  That even when we are away from each other, we have You holding us together.  Help us to draw near to You.  Let nothing divide what You have made one.