Happy Birthday, Josh!

Since Josh was turning 30 this year,

I figured he needed a big gift.

He's been wanting a new chair for a while.

So on Monday the girls nad I went and got daddy a new chair.

It came yesterday!

It's waiting for him when he gets home.

Until then the girls and I will enjoying lounging in it.

Happy Veteran's Day

Sailor of the Quarter, NS Mayport 2006

Thank you to all those that have served and our serving our great Nation.

For your bravery, courage and unending sacrifice.

Thank you!

Camal spiders and Vipers, Oh My!

I got a call from Josh last night. During our conversation he tells me that some guys he works with caught a Viper the other day. Crazy people! Vipers are highly venomous snakes.

He also tells me that they have Camel spiders there. They are also poisonous and have a very long range jump.

As if worrying about him coming in contact with bombs and bullets now I get to obsess over snakes and spiders, also.

Great!

We miss you already!!!!

I took this picture this morning as daddy was getting some good cuddle time in with the girls before we took him to the airport. It's always hard when he leaves. And let's face it we are more than familiar with deployments and saying goodbye, we've done 3 long cruises and several det's.

But this isn't like any of those, this is 13 months of not living together, 13 months......

This is with children, our precious little girls that will miss their daddy. Aynslee said as we were pulling away from dropping him off, "I don't want my daddy to leave us." If it wasn't hard enough saying goodbye to him hearing my little girl say that, really made it even harder.

I try to keep reminding myself that we will see him in just a few months. It's not going to be an entire year without seeing him but I don't know exactly when we will see him again.

I know that I am not alone. There are other wives that have done this, or are doing this. I know we can get through it and we will. The girls and I will find a routine, find things to keep us busy and I will manage being a single parent for a while, trying to find the balance and stay sane in the process.

We miss you daddy!!!! And we love you!!!

Vereran's Day

Thank you for all those you serve.

Past and Present

chief results and orders

I haven't felt much like blogging. We found out on Friday that Josh did not make chief this year. Which means that he will be leaving in March for Kuwait for a 12 month tour. He received his written orders yesterday.

I didn't want him to take these orders. He applied for them once and was turned down. Then had a Master Chief and one of the Officers in the command talk to his detailer to make a deal for him to get them. Needless to say I am not happy about it.

Yesterday, after he called me and told me about the orders and time frames as to when he was leaving. I started thinking about what will happen in those months that he will be gone. He leaves in Feb for a month of training. Avery will turn 2. In June Aynslee turns 4 and in the fall she will start school. Avery will be 3 before he comes home. He will miss her 2nd and 3rd birthday. It just breaks my heart to know he 's going to miss so much of their lives. And that it was his choice to do this, he could have taken orders somewhere else so we could have stayed together. Even if it was sea duty orders it wouldn't have all been at once like this. Thirteen months......

So ya'll will have to forgive me if it's quiet around here at one day in the life of me for a little while. Just trying to process all this and figure out the best way to deal with it all. We have 6 months to prepare but that feels like agony just knowing it's coming.

He passed!

I got a call from Josh this morning before the girls and I had gotten out of bed. We were all awake. He made board and got a really great score on the exam for chief. So now the waiting begins again. It's going to be a ruff few months living with him until we find out in A.U.G.U.S.T if he was selected for chief. Don't get me wrong I am thrilled he passed his test. But it leaves us in limbo with his orders even if he picks something and gets them. Making chief could mean that he won't be able to fill them since he has to choose as an AM1 but would report as an AMC it's a totally different billet.

I will keep you posted.

poor Josh

I had to take Josh to the ER yesterday there were no appointments available and he was sick. So sick they made him leave work. A friend came over and watched the girls for us, what a God send she was, so I could take him and not worry about them and the long wait.

The diagnoises............THE FLU

Now tell me how does one get the flu if they have been vaccinated from it?

I have never seen him this sick in the 9 years I have known him. We got home at 4:30pm yesterday and he's been in bed since. I have been bringing him water and medicine every so often. I hope he's feeling better soon.

Guess What?

Last night was Josh's, "Holiday Party" for his command. They hand out end of the year awards at the party. Josh received the, " Senior Enlisted Shore Sailor of the Year." We are very excited and I am very proud of him.

What does this mean? For a year I get to park in the special parking spot at the commissary. This will also aid him when he goes up for Chief next year.

Chief results

We found out last week that Josh did not make chief this time around. He will start the process again in January.

He really feels like it was because he's missing 2 things in his files. 1) safe for flight, qualification. 2) Lead Petty Officer while underway.

I think some college classes would help too. But he's really focused on getting these other things done, that he doesn't want to take the time to take any classes. He told me once he makes chief he has plans to take some classes.

His previous Senior Chief told him he wanted see him make chief before he leaves the command next year. There is talk of putting him over a detachment that trains new personnel to the command for their detachments that will go out to sea. He'd be over 40+ people. Josh mentioned that the number of people he's over has a big thing to do with making it. Right now in Quality Assurance he's only over about a dozen or so personnel.

I know it's not a matter of if he makes it's when he makes it. I just hated to see him disappointed again this year.