Anniversary

Oh, the long break from blogging is almost like taking a break from working out/running.  Once you stop, it’s almost impossible to get started again.

I wanted to write today, specifically, because it is my 11th wedding anniversary to my wonderful sailor.  And for the 8th or 9th time, we are spending this time apart from each other.  Ah, yes, the wonderful life of a military wife!  Right now, Charlie is playing with his friend and the girls are enjoying a snack in the kitchen.  I’m sure, when they are much older, they will throw me a big party (I hope). 

My day has been pretty uneventful.  Kids went to school, I cleaned house, and got to message my hubby to tell him happy anniversary.  Kinda boring, huh?  But, I’m content with this.  As much as I would love to have him home and have a romantic night together, I understood this when I said “I do”.  Does it suck??? Oh, heck yeah, it does.  So, now I can just look forward to his return home to collect on this rain check.

Oh, I guess I never told my blogging friends that on June 19 (father’s day), he came home from deployment. The return of his boat was apparently news worthy.  I wish I would have known sooner, I would have sported something a lot more glamorous than my shorts and purple shirt.  But what the hey, at least there was a quick second on his behind and my side   One of the sweetest memories that happened on this day was a birth of a little girl.  This baby timed it just right and mom went into labor as the sailors landed in FL, so her daddy was able to leave the airport and go straight to hospital to be with his wife.

Click here ----> News Coverage <---- to see the news coverage that night of the homecoming.

As you all probably know, he’s on another deployment.  This time he left a couple of weeks after school started.  His last deployment went by smoothly, but this time, adjusting to life is just a little bit harder.  It broke my heart to see my babies cry as their daddy said goodbye to them.  But, I know it will be mended when he comes back home…in 3.5 long months!!!  It was much easier when they were younger, they didn’t think of him constantly and didn’t notice his absence so much.

So, how many special occasions have you all missed?  And, did you do anything special by yourself or just waited?

Happy Anniversary to ME!!!!

2 Weeks

It’s official.  It has been two weeks since the husband has been out to sea.  What a transition for me and the kids!  Actually, they are doing much better now.  In fact, they are handling my ever so mean hearted witch like mood swings I've had since the arrival of my monthly visit from Mother Nature has taken place!  

Normally, daddy is around to protect our children from being persecuted for leaving crumbs on the floor, but he's not here right now.  And I've been trying really really hard to make a conscious effort to divert the inner witch, but my son has unleashed her lashings more than once (only because he finds it humorous until he's been punished) until my inner self was able to put her away.

I wish I could share stories of how hard and depressing it is without him...and I just need someone to be here to help...or the this is when I need my family the most type stories.  But I don't have any right now..  I do have some very close friends of the family who have lend their support, but for the most part, we're doing pretty good! Don't take me wrong...I do miss him a lot.  And the kids really miss him too.  I just think we know how to keep ourselves occupied so we don't think about his absence everyday.

I say this now, this is only a one month sea trial.  So, I might be singing a different tune when he's gone for four!  We shall see!

For now, I thought I would share some cool pics for you all.  They are not high quality, but still cool!  They are pictures of the day the boat pulled out.  The kids and I never saw this before (shame on me) so I found it pretty exciting!  It kinda made me proud that my husband was working that boat!

Pre-Deployment...Navy Style

OK, I really should say Pre-Deployment Sub Force style.  I say this, because surface ships and submarines run a little differently than what most people think. Both surface ships and sub boats will have similar sea trials (this is where they take the boat out to make sure all is working well), but communication is extremely different.  But, these sea trials really prepares both sailors and families for their 3, 4 or 6 month deployments, depending on the type of submarine they are on.

Currently, this family is in the beginning of our first sea trial.  It's been a good 3 years since our last big separation, so the kids are taking this differently than I expected.  Although, my sailor is only going to be gone for a month, Katie seemed to have taken it the hardest.  I truly thought, she would be OK, since she remembers all the other times daddy was out on deployment.  But this time was hard.  It was hard for me to see her so sad and then finally break down and cry.  She's much better now, as she now has her own email account where daddy can send her direct emails.

I honestly thought, Charlie would be the one who would have the hardest time.  But, he's taking this quite well.  In fact, he said, "I really miss daddy.  I need him to help me pass the next level for Lego Indiana Jones".  Yep, my kid only needs his dad for video games!

Lillian is still really young and new to the whole thing.  For a few days, it seemed as if she didn't notice his disappearance, until the day she took my phone away to call daddy.  She had the longest conversation with him, I only wish he was really on the other end to hear all her babbling!

And for me...yes, I really do miss him!  But, all three kids are doing a great job of keeping me very busy.  This is the part where I have to put together a new family plan, a new system, to keep us going and staying sane.

The communication aspect of being a submarine wife sucks!  It really really sucks! It sucks because there is barely any communication at all.  And what little communication we get is through sporadic emails that are not very personal at all (because they are screened).  AND, being a wife of a submariner sucks more when your sailor is serving aboard a Trident/Boomer submariner, versus, a fast attack sub.  To me, because we've done just about every type of submarine deployment, I like the fast attack sub life a little bit more.  There is actual communication, via phone and web chat because they port at different locations around the world.  And, if you are lucky enough, you can actually travel to the different ports to be with your sailor.

Every situation and lifestyle for each family aboard the boats are different, so above "sucky" parts just happens to be my opinion.

So, really, this is a sucky pre-deployment to gear up for an even suckier deployment.