Our Little Journeys

Gone Again

2011-12-13T20:25:00.002-04:00

As I stopped by our little blog I was hit with the realization of just how neglected it was. After all, my last post was in March when MrE had returned from a 7mo deployment floating around the Gulf of Aden. Here we are again, 2 months into a 12mo IA. Individual Assignment in Navy Speak. Your family can't come with you is the civilian translation.

So let us rewind. MrE comes home. Yey. We spent lots of good family time together. MrE reported to his new command, a shore duty assignment, at Little Creek Amphibious Base, which luckily was 2 miles from our door. There was much rejoicing. He could drive that in 5 minutes. There are stop lights and a gate to go through. Or he could ride his bike. Also in 5 minutes. We were able to stay in our same home despite our landlords losing the house to Fannie Mae. Things were looking good. In April he went to Germany for a short work trip when the word came down, he was a good fit for an upcoming IA. Despite being told volunteering for it would be good for his career, we also realized he was being voluntold. No worries, figured this was coming.

We made some decisions. Found a great furnished rental in MA around the corner from my parents. Formulated a plan and started the good bye process. Again. Had a few get aways, Great Wolf Lodge two times and Dominican Republic. Lots of great family time. Visited with his parents. Said 'see you later' to great friends in VA. Moved into our MA house. Spent time with my family. Moved out of the VA house. Dropped him off at the airport. Roughly in that order.

Again no worries, we knew an IA would come at some point. Of course we miss each other, but other than the separation it isn't that bad. Even MrE is having a good time, again this is aside from the fact that we aren't together. Bahrain is better than Afghanistan, Iraq or even 7 mos on a steel ship with the same crew with minimal port visits.

While there may be an occasional sigh or scream heard from our house, we do love this crazy Navy life. Hopefully the next post won't be his return. My poor neglected blog.

Daddy Is Home!

2011-04-12T14:06:00.004-04:00

Just over six months later, JR returned quietly to Norfolk on a commercial late night flight in civilian clothes. It wasn't as grand as when a ship pulls pier side while hundreds to thousands of family members wait for their sailor to disembark the place that has been home for several months or when any other unit returns together at one place whether on a flight line, airport, base, etc as family & friends wait running to greet them... It was no less moving though! To be able to run up to your loved one for a hug after months of separation with just phone calls and emails is beyond words. All the other background noise disappears because at that moment you are whole again.

At 9:30p Connor & I drove to the airport to pick up a friend. I wanted it to be a surprise for C. He was in his pajamas & excited to see the planes land. We had to leave Maggie at home with Nana because a couple of hours before landing time she was the first to start with the stomach virus, but that is another story! As Connor & I played in the kid section at the airport and ran to the window to see planes land I imagined him running to JR while screaming "DADDY!!!" I kept getting teary at the thought of this reunion. As the people started to walk through security I was getting Connor excited to see our friend. Then the moment was here. I pointed down the walkway for Connor to look, but he was looking at different people. Possibly thinking, 'mommy, why on earth would you ask me who that is? I have no idea.' Finally, he saw him. He did run to him, but quietly. There was no yelling. No crying. Just pure amazement that his daddy was home. If he were old enough to understand the saying pinch me, I think I'm dreaming he may have just asked me to pinch him. As I recorded this reunion of one little boy and our hero I asked him, "Who is that?" and JR asked "Is it daddy?" Our little boy in completely awe of daddy's return said the best "yeah" I had ever heard in my life!

We returned quietly home to one little girl who was just as excited to have her daddy back home too. So excited in fact that she would share her stomach virus to all of us.

So this E! clan is whole again. Daddy, mommy, C & M together safely under one roof. Well for the mean time anyway, we are a Navy family after all!

XOXO
Azzy

Christmas In MA

2011-02-22T21:40:00.002-04:00

So Christmas Eve and Day in Massachusetts with the C & J families, respectively, was wonderful. It was the first time in a few years that most everyone was together from my mom's family. Up until Christmas I had been handling MrE's deployment well, if I do say so myself. But hearing his voice on the phone Christmas Eve as family was arriving just set me off. I hid in the bedroom while on the phone, at least until the tears stopped. However, when I put the call on speaker phone for him to say hello to all more tears followed. Just not from me. Mom, Aunty V, & my brother's wife were all teary as well. That darn C gene!!! He was able to talk with everyone in the family, which was a special treat for all. I know it helped bring a smile to MrE's face. There were lots of laughs and just as many little kids running around my parents house. It was another good holiday gathering.

The next day we were off to the Cape to see my dad's family. More fun was had visiting with cousins we don't see often enough. My children were infatuated with the spiral staircase in the great room which led to the game room/loft. Oh the little things...

Since then we've had fun visiting with family & friends, celebrating another 1st birthday for LittleMiss, a 3rd birthday for Zilla as well as other birthdays for other cousins. We've seen more snow than we could care for. No honestly, it has snowed once a week since we've been here... We've also had a couple of illnesses that have postponed our return to VA. LittleMiss has had pneumonia, croup & a cold. I think she is looking for germs since she seems to be getting sick every time we are to travel. Very peculiar if you ask me.

We'll be heading back Norfolk on March 2nd, which is a firm departure... Anything after that and MrE will have to come get us. That is right folks, he should be home in March. Well, that is as long as the Navy says, "Yes MrE, you may go to your 3rd department head sea duty job..." Until then, we'll be recovering and visiting with family for the remainder of our trip.

Azzy & munchkins, xoxo

Christmas Show

2011-02-20T21:14:00.000-04:00

MrE's deployment brought lots of things, good & bad... Among the good was putting the kids in daycare for the duration of the deployment. The women that teach my children are wonderful! They have learned so much. The time away fosters independence and allows this mum to clean, go grocery shopping and catch my breath where there is no other break. As Christmas approached I saw a notice on the door for the holiday show, which Bean was performing in!!! To say I was beyond excited doesn't accurately portray how excited I was. Okay so the 2-3yo class wasn't singing Jingle Bells as much as they were shaking the bells while dancing on stage. It was so cute though. And our wonderful friends joined us for the concert!!!

The support and love we have from friends is amazing & has made this deployment easy, all things considered.

-Azzy & munchkins, xoxo

Pre-Christmas Celebration

2011-02-01T20:38:00.000-04:00

Eh, so it was two months ago. I should really change the name of this blog to "Better Late Then Never". I do post the pictures on FB immediately because it is how the deployed MrE can see them, but then I'm usually distracted by the chaos that is my life. We had a great visit in Norfolk with the E!Family. Grampy & Grammy came up for the night to have an early Christmas with the munchkins. We made a trip to Busch Gardens Christmas Town for the kids. It was amazing. We had dinner with Santa, Mrs. Claus & the elves. Santa read "The Night Before Christmas" as the elves passed out cookies. We saw Elmo & friends perform a Christmas show and visited the toy shop! The weather was a little dreary, but we bundled up & made it through.

The next day Aunty A & Uncle G drove up for the day for some more Christmas activities. We had brunch at the neighborhood party. We got to see Santa again. Then we celebrated Little Miss's first birthday (again) with the E!Family. And before we knew it the weekend was over... Christmas one down, two to go...

Azzy & munchkins, xoxo

Here We Are Again

2010-11-24T02:01:00.003-04:00

Behind. Way behind. I blame Facebook. I post pictures there and forget all about my poor little blog. For the most part the family is on FB and can see pictures there. So on the last episode we were still enjoying our summer in MA while MrE was away preparing for his fall deployment. Things continued as planned with a trip home to VA while MrE was in port between workups. He even came up for the weekend, and then it was back out. Then a phone call came and all plans changed. Welcome to the Navy! So let us recap.
- MrE deployed 1 month early with two weeks notice. He has also been extended twice. Like I said, welcome to the Navy.
- We're in VA still waiting for orders. This will allow us to pack up the house on the Navy's dime.
- Some crazy things have happened since MrE deployed including Little Miss insisting on a vacation at our local children's hospital (all is okay), but we have some great friends that were there without me even having to ask. They took Bean. Kept him busy. Visited with me at the hospital. Brought real food. Provided mental support. These amazing women kept me sane and going through the very 4 days and once we got home.
- Our orders are on track for Portsmouth, UK. WOOHOO!!! Spring 2011 the E!Family is going international.
- MrE was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, another WOOHOO!
- Bean is getting smarter every day. He know tries to reason with me at bed time among other things. He started preschool when MrE left, which is also help him learn so much more than what I teach him. He loves playing with his friends, but loves his teacher even more. He asks for daddy a little less every day, which helps. He usually follows up his requests for daddy by telling my his daddy is on a big boat! Maybe baby is disappearing into a big boy!
- Little Miss is walking and climbing, thank you Connor. She was the easy one but idolizes her big brother and tries to do what he does. Although, if he gets mommy's attention when she wants it or has a toy she wants, she will push him out of the way. She is going to be my angelic little bruiser. She is still one happy little girl though. Little Miss turned 1 in Nov, one year already. Eek... And in keeping with big brother's first birthday run, she has already had 3 parties.
- Bean dressed up as daddy for halloween & Little Miss was Snow White, but with a tutu!!! I have a tutu addiction and may need an intervention or she may have issues one day.
- Aunty V & Uncle P made a side trip here while visiting Uncle's family in WV. The kids could not have been any happier. Bean was Uncle P's shadow. He kept Aunty busy running around. Little Miss cuddled with him & Aunt V.
- Me, well I've adjusted to a good routine helping us get through the countdown here. I've been able to off load much of the things not needed anymore like baby items, pieces of furniture, etc... Already preparing for smaller spacing in the UK!
- MrE is getting through his time out there. It is like ground hog's day though. No port visits have made the time longer, but he is getting through. He loves hearing from the outside. If you'd like his email or mailing address just let me know via comment and I'll get it to you. We are looking forward to April time frame when we can pick him up from the airport!

Well that is the last 3 months in a nutshell. Mostly. We're getting ready for Thanksgiving with good family friends. We'll be spending the night as I have been convinced to take part in the madness which is Black Friday. This is my first time ever. I am a BF virgin if you will... In years past I have always looked at friends that took part in this as lunatics, but I am looking forward to the outing. Of course the company makes it worth it! Our friend's husband volunteered to watch the kids while we are gone. Hopefully I'll make it home as sane as I was when I left.

I will try to get some pictures of the kids up over the next few days. In the mean time, I hope this find you *all* well and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Hugs, A & the munchkins.

So Far In MA...

2010-07-28T10:35:00.002-04:00

We're just ending the first portion of our MA trip this summer. It has been busy! Fun, but busy! Per usual, we've played with cousins and friends. The warm weather had lead to most play dates at someone's swimming pools, which the kids LOVE! I've even walked outside to see Nana and/or Papa having grandparent time with the kids in their pool. We had signed the kids up for swimming lessons since we spend so much time in the water. They started this week. Progress reports and pictures to follow!

What else has been happening? We celebrated Papa's 60th birthday with a surprise party. Connor & I attended a fire safety demonstration for the kids. Our friends Grady & Emily (and mom Beth) met us there. Connor was so excited!!! Of course I forgot the camera. Darn it! We went our own ways only to meet back up at Friendly's for ice cream and then off to Target. I love that about being home, just being able to "bump" into friends out and about...

This past weekend we were invited to NH by another good friend. We swam, ate smores, played with the Correia girls, had yummy food and good company!

We're now getting ready for another weekend trip. Well sort of trip. JR is back on dry land for the next 2 weeks. So we're heading home for 4 days for some family time! He'll make the reverse trip the following weekend, but this time it is me flying solo with the kids. Eeek, wish me luck!

A More Permanent Home

2010-07-08T10:09:00.001-04:00

Well here we are at Our Little Journeys, a more permanent blog home for the 'E' family. Since our life is going to be abroad soon, this home was more fitting and well, it is about us now and not just being me.

I have imported old posts from BeingAzzy as there were many slide shows of the kids over the last two years. I also updated posts since our last Easter update with our travels since then. The commentary is short, but hey it has been a while and my brain isn't what it used to be. Sad but true... So enjoy catching up! I promise to try and be better. Promise...

(((hugs)))

JR, Azzy, Connor & Maggie

Our Bean is 2!!!

2010-07-07T22:32:00.000-04:00

I.CANNOT.BELIEVE.IT. Time sure does fly. It seems like I haven't had you all that long, but at the same time life before you seems like such a distant memory. I wouldn't change our crazy here & there military lives one bit because I have daddy, you & Little Miss. That is my world. Bean, you were the first addition to our family. We feel so blessed to have you and your sister. You are daring, curious, energetic, all things a little boy is made of! There isn't a day you don't bring a smile to my face or make me laugh. Although Little Miss is just 8m/o, you can tell when she looks at you that she loves her big brother more than anything. Well Bean, I hope the last year has been good and the next year is better!

Happy Birthday Buddy!!!

Love you,

Daddy, Mommy, & Mimi

Summer in VA Beach

2010-07-07T17:51:00.000-04:00

Our summer stretch in VA Beach went by the quickest. We only had 5 short weeks here and of that only 4 short weeks with daddy around. In that time we were able to swim in the pool, go to the water park, celebrate Father's Day, the 4th of July, see fireworks, Bean's 2nd birthday, catch up with friends, meet a new neighborhood addition, go to the Botannical Garden's Water Park, Enchanted Forrest... So with all that you can see how our time together flew by. We dropped MrE off at the pier on Thursday and dashed off to do errands. By the time we were driving home we could see his ship out in the bay... heading out to sea. But he'll be home before we know it, then out again, then home again and then out again... It is kind of a rinse & repeat cycle that you get used to. Never fully, but it is what it is. At least this deployment will be a short one for him since he is supposed to transfer mid-way through and then we roll to shore duty! Three Years Together. IN ENGLAND!!! Do you see our excitement?!?!

So lets make the rest of this year fly by! We're ready for 2011!

Enchanted Forrest, Norfolk Botannical Gardens

2010-07-03T19:10:00.000-04:00

Every year the Norfolk Botannical Gardens has a summer exhibit. This year they turned the Enchanted Forrest into a Storybook Village with houses of fairytales that children could go through, play in and slide out of! So on the first cool day, albeit is was still in the mid-80's but better than high 90's, we packed a picnic and headed over to the exhibit. It was wonderful!!! Bean had a blast going through the trails, into the house, sliding down the slides... So much so that when we got back to the beginning he said, "A-den" (read:again) We opted for a picnic and then persuaded him home with some pool time! Works like a charm every time.

April, May, June in MA

2010-06-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

Before we knew it, we were back in MA again. Can I just say sea duty stinks! But it is a small price to pay for everything we have. Still JR not being around stinks. 10 years left and counting. Back to our last trip to MA. We had play dates, birthday parties, outings to the zoo, walks to the beach, playing in the water, cookouts, parades, visits to the fire department, and more! Before we knew it, it was time to head back to VA because daddy was going to be home!!!

April in VA

2010-04-15T16:23:00.000-04:00

Some of our travels and times at home while we were together for 5 short weeks in VA before daddy headed back to sea.

Busch Gardens

2010-04-08T15:38:00.000-04:00

Before heading to MA again we met some of our friends at Busch Gardens for the day. While most of the park was out of Bean's league, Elmo's Forrest made it well worth the trip. You could not wipe the excitement off of his face as he ran through the water park. The BG here in Williamsburg is BG Europe, which we had no idea. We made our way to Ireland and was able to listen to some live Irish music. This had Connor dancing away. He also got to meet Elmo and go on a choo-choo ride. JR had friends to go on the roller coaster and I had AL to chat with when they ran off for the big rides. Did I mention that Anheiser-Busch has a 'Salute the Heroes' program which allows active duty military & their family to get into each of their parks free once a year, this includes Busch Gardens & Sea World! Thank you AB! We had a very happy 21 m/o that slept all night long!

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T11:03:00.000-04:00

Well we're back from Easter weekend in NC with the E side of the family. Before we left I decided that I would indoctrinate Bean into the world of egg coloring. All in all, things went well. He only rolled one egg on to the floor while shouting "ball!" There was minimal dye on me, Bean and the table. I'd have to say that qualifies as a successfull experience! Friday afternoon we got on the road to NC. After a little traffic & 7 hrs we arrived at Grammy & Grampy's with two very tired munchkins. Saturday we ventured off to Lazy 5 Ranch. We had a picnic. Well all but daddy and Bean... There was a big playground right next to the picnic tables. So all attempts to feed Bean were just that, attempts. He did try to eat later on the hayride, but the food for the animals was not our idea of an acceptable lunch. *sigh*

Easter morning we woke up to an Easter Egg hunt! Bean was ready to run off and play as soon as his feet hit the yard. It took a bit to get him into the hunting mode, but once he realized there were toys in some of the eggs he was hooked. I have a feeling he may try hunting for more eggs this week. We'll see how our walks go... After a short morning and a short trip, we piled back in the car to make the drive back to VA Beach.

On a side note I have to say I am so thankful for portable dvd players!!! It made the long drive much more bareable! We may know all of the words to Toy Story 1 & Toy Story 2, but there weren't many meltdowns.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!!!

-Azzy, JR, & the munchkins

Back in VA

2010-03-19T10:27:00.000-04:00

Well we're home in VA. For a month anyway... Then MrE's schedule picks up again. When this happens we head back to MA. One of the upsides to being at home with the littles is that when MrE is away we go home to MA and play! In the mean time, we are enjoying some quiet family time & warm weather!!! This week it has been sunny & 60s-70s. So there has been a morning walk to the playground so Bean can burn off some of that energy. In the afternoon we walk around the neighborhood so I can burn off some that baby weight. Then MrE comes home and takes Bean out for another run or bike ride to burn some more of that sympathy weight.

We were supposed to be back early last week, but we ended up in the ER with Little Miss the day we were to drive out. So I stayed another couple of days to let her rest and made the drive back with GPa. It worked out perfect since I had wanted him to see the History Channel's Pirate Exhibit of te Widyah. Anyone that knows GPa knows that he is a lover of all things pirate. This can be seen by the pirate sticker on his truck, the flag on the house, the number of tshirts he has or the bzillion time we had to visit the Pirate Museum in Salem. It was very cool, but no pictures per HC policy. We did get some pictures of the Maersk lifeboat, where a Captain was held captive from modern day pirates a year or so ago. We had to quickly go by some sections because of one little 20 m/o monster. He wanted to get out and walk with the 20 other kids there on a field trip, not happening...

Then there was a visit to the Air & Space museum, which was right up Bean's alley. We let him run around from plane to plane, all the while hearing "Wow" "Plane" "What's this". I think we may have a future pilot on our hands, following right in his namesake's footsteps! I have also been whispering Air Force into his ear vs. Navy.

GPa's visit also a included a tour of MrE's ship & an Irish dinner, which 'is not how mama fixed it'. (lyrics from a song, not what GPa or MrE said. Well not exactly...)I made an Irish dinner, which did not taste like mom's. It was a good trip for GPa. Bean was sad when he left, but like I said we're only here for one short month. In fact Nana will be here in just under 4 weeks... Until then we'll continue to enjoy daddy time and the warm weather!

The Best Party Ever

2010-03-07T23:22:00.000-04:00

In true Alissa fashion, her wedding was the best party ever. I would have expected nothing less from my sister. Weddings are planned capturing the personalities of both the bride and groom. Alissa has always been my mayor of fun, as she has been to many others. Shawn is definitely the more conservative one in that marriage, but it captured his fun side too. That boy was cutting up a rug! At one point he asked me where my sister was because he wanted to dance!!! It was just a fun evening with all of our families and their friends celebrating their love.

Aside from the new Mr&Mrs.B saying there "I do's", the cutest part of the ceremony was between their son, Zilla & my son, Bean. I walked down the stairs into the grand lobby with my 2 year old nephew. As we took our place with the rest of the wedding party my nephew looked out among the crowd and started yelling my son's name. I noticed my father in law put my son down so he wouldn't be spotted & maybe the calls for Bean would come to an end. But no, Zilla looked at me and asked, "where's Bean?" That is when Bean's head popped up yelling "Zilla". While all this is going on, my sister is walking down the stair case with my father, taking her place in front of Shawn and the JP is starting the ceremony. Everyone was giggling It was so precious and everyone saw just how much two little cousins love each other. I put Zilla down and off he ran to MrE & Bean. **names have been changed to protect the innocent**

The reception was amazing. The SkyRoom was so modern & beautiful with exposed brick walls, large window looking out over the bay & lounge areas with comfy couches. It also captured part of the style/era in which NB was a booming mill town with the detailed chandeliers. Dinner was had. Drinks were consumed. People were mingling. The FreezePops played. There was dancing, singing, fist pumps, and high fives.

My father got on the stage toward the end of the night to give a quick little speech to Mr&MrsB. To sum it up, he gave them his best. He thanked everyone for coming. He went on to say how lucky he was to have had a neighbor 30+ years ago who had a sister that sent the dog out whenever he got home. For it was only my father that the dog liked. He growled and snapped at any girl my father may have had with him. So he would end up brining the dog back to my aunts alone and chatting with my mother, and here we are. He then said how much he loved his wife, his children, their spouses & the grandchildren. He said it was everyone that was there that makes life worth it. Our family and friends that we get to share all of our happiness with... Just be happy, that is what it is all about. Such a wise man!

With that I wish my sister and new brother all of the happiness in the world.

Moments in Our Family

2010-02-24T23:18:00.000-04:00

We've been visiting with more family & friends. LittleMiss met Great Nana Hanni this passed weekend as well as Great Aunty K. We're also in full wedding mode for Aunty Ali's wedding. I found matching ties for MrE & Bean as well as a matching ribbon for Little Miss. That with Little Miss & I in green dresses, we will be a fully coordinating family. *grinning* I'm sure the kids will cringe one day when we pull out the old family photos.

This week's big moment's include Little Miss finding her hands. Hip, hip, hooray! She also ate baby cereal with a bit of prunes this afternoon. I couldn't feed her fast enough. There was no gagging, just little grunts and cries if it wasn't quick enough. I also made it through the mound of laundry finally. It was clean but chasing after a 2 yo, 19 mo, & caring for a 3 mo during the day doesn't always leave time for washing, drying and folding. Sometimes it is just a wash, dry and throw on the spare bed kind of day.

Now for the not so good moments - there was Bean's determination and one successful press of the LifeLine button on my grandmother's phone. I promised the technician that was indeed a 1 year that pressed the button and not my grandmother. He also threw a block in excitement, beaming his sister in the middle of the forehead, scaring the poo out of her. He earned a well deserved timeout. For the first time he did not try to escape. He sat there with a really sad frown on his face. I'm hoping that was because he hurt LittleMiss. Then again, he later tried to push her with his foot (read:gentle toddler kick) because he was mad at me. And today he threw a card in her direction. I have full faith that in a year my little chunka munka will be able to take her brother out. Hopefully after one swift bum kicking he will back off. Until then, timeouts will be his friends for any such action.

This week I'll shall continue with my determination to lose this baby weight with healthy eating, Zumba, Yoga & running. So far I have been stuck at the same weight for a month! The same weight I was when I was still eating pizza & junk food. We have play dates with friends. I have play dates with some of the girls (read: time w/o the kiddos). We have a spa day next week for me, my mum & the bride. Packing, for in 12 short days we'll be going back to VA!

Well I'm off to bed. Tomorrow is going to come way too early. And tomorrow is not a daycare day.

Hugs,

Azzybee & kiddos

Easter Potraits, 2010

2010-02-20T15:51:00.000-04:00

So we braved the winter weather in February, as well as trying to wrangle 3 toddlers into taking 1 good picture all together. It was eventful. Between chasing Connor and Landon, changing wadrobes and the photographer loosing the first set of shots... we survived. So this year's grandkid potrait as well as Easter pictures of our own respective children went well!

I'm Still Standing

2010-02-16T21:14:00.000-04:00

Barely, but mom & I made it through a few hours at PicPeople with Zilla (2yrs), Bean (19 mos) and Little Miss (3mos). Wow sums it up best. Those boys had so much energy that we contained, but at times it looked as if the bomb would explode. The session started off well, some cute shots of Little Miss. Then the boys jumped in all dressed in their Easter Best. As we were getting ready to do the wardrobe change our photographer went to switch out batteries. When she came back she informed us the pictures she had just taken were gone. So what are the chances of getting more good pictures in their Easter outfits. All together? Yeah, even the Magic 8 Ball would have said "Outlook not so good". Good pictures seperately, CHECK. Good pictures of my two monsters, CHECK. Good pictures of the boys, CHECK. Then it was time for the wardrobe change. So we crossed our fingers and prayed to the photography gods for a good picture of the 3 grand children. Our prayers were answered, only it was in their B-Sox attire! No complaints from this family. So after 2 hours, 2 boys getting along, not getting along, hiding behind the screen, fighting over the piano, throwing off their cute hats, 3 diaper changes, 1 wardrobe change, and even a feeding for Little Miss - we were out of there.

I am beat. Mom is beat. The boys are running around the house. Little Miss is sleeping in her bouncy right next to me. But we all survived, we certainly can't let the boys they might be able to take us some days. Off to enjoy my late dinner. Get the boys to bed and then promptly do the same. All though a glass of wine sounds very good right about now!

Enjoy the pictures...

Hugs,

J,A,C,M

Like Butter, I'm On A Roll

2010-02-14T12:04:00.000-04:00

I shouldn't get to excited, but 3 posts in one week is much better than my recent track record. It is just a bit easier to break away where Maggie is 14 weeks. I am also in MA visiting family. So there are things and people to keep the kids occupied. January & February have been filled with birthdays, Toe Jam concerts, play dates, etc... Plus we have a camera again to capture it all.

Our last post had us playing in the snow! Later that evening we went to Toe Jam Puppet Band downtown for Zilla's birthday. A fun time was had by all, but Bean I think enjoyed it most. The boy loves to dance more than he loves the music. Saturday we went to visit some Navy friends that just moved to Portsmouth, RI. They have 3 girls and a new baby boy. This kept Bean entertained for hours! After that we darted to cousin Lilly's 1st birthday party. As we sat in Aunty Nancy's you could see the recent baby boom growing before our eyes. There were 10 kids under the age of 7 rolling around the living room floor, and that was just our side of the family. We're going to have to be careful or those little monsters are going to take over! Even with Saturday's schedule MrE and I were able to escape to the movies for a date night! Today is turning out to be a quiet Valentine's Day, which is just fine by us...

Hope you all enjoy this weekend and Happy Valentine's Day!

Our First Snow Day

2010-02-11T17:38:00.000-04:00

It is no secret that I do not subscribe to the "I love snow" fan club. We could even broaden that to "I love cold weather"... However, I have been looking forward to snow this year since Bean is 19 months and can enjoy going out to play. I wasn't sure if it was going to happen. It snowed plenty in MA early in the winter, when we were in VA. Then when we came up to MA to visit, the snow had travelled south. Hmmm? We finally got snow though! Yey!!!

I pulled both Bean and Zilla (my 2 year old nephew) on the sled. We walk through the yard, rolled around, made a snow ball, fell over and got "tuck" as Bean says... Moving around in a snowsuit slowed two toddlers down making one mommy very happy. We ended our afternoon with some hot chocolate. Sadly Maggie will have to wait until next year. She stayed in the house with Papa.

Tonight we're off the the NB Whaling Museum to see Toe Jam Puppet Band perform. A perfect way to spend Zilla's 2nd birthday. More pictures and videos of the kids dancing to come!!!

I'd Like To Blame FaceBook!

2010-02-09T18:46:00.000-04:00

I have been so bad about blogging. Social networking has stolen friendly intimacy. First MySpace came and corrupted us from not emailing each other. Now Twitter & Facebook have only made it worse. Checking FaceBook is just easier, thus making me lazier. As much as I'd like to call or write a friend for more personal conversation, checking status updates saves time. It also gives me something to do when I am up at 3am feeding Little Miss. There isn't much "me" time with a 19 month old, 3 month old and a husband on sea duty. I'm not complaining though because I wouldn't change a thing.

So last when we left off I was in the hospital awaiting Little Miss's arrival. Well she is here, smiley little girl that she is! Bean is a great big brother. We enjoyed Thanksgiving & Christmas in VA. Traveling with a newborn just wasn't in the cards for us. MrE was back on sea duty officially vs. being stuck in the yards. As ~~Murphy's~~ Navy Law would have it, his ship came out of the yards days after Little Miss was born. Seriously, it wasn't even a week. Luckily Nana and Grammy made visits to keep me company and lend a hand while I was adjusting to two. Before we knew it January was here and so was my brother to help us drive to MA for a couple of months. MrE was supposed to be in and out quite a bit and my sister's wedding is around the corner. I came to help and have help.

And just like that 3 months have gone by! Sorry this is brief, but Bean has already come in to the office to ask me, "up?" This means typing will soon be impossible. I hope you enjoy a few of the pictures we've taken over the last 3 months. More to come. I'm going to try and get back to this about once a week. Wish me luck!

(((hugs)))

JR, Azzy & the littles

Already defying her mama!

2009-11-05T11:16:00.000-04:00

Pay no attention to the Ladybug's birth counter above. She is supposed to be here in 25 days, or I should say was... But here we are waiting, patiently, through the pitocin and contractions... So how did we get here?

My new Doc in VA was watching me extra closely since I had preeclampsia with Bean. The weekly checkups had been going well, but yesterday's appointment changed all of that. My blood pressure was slightly elevated (normal 110/70 to 140/107). That with ankle swelling, and some other stuff my doctor said, "Well you are not going home, you are going to have a baby." The shock finally wore off around 8pm and then sadness of missing my Bean set in. Due to the H1N1 virus here in VA, those under 18years are not allowed at hospitals or doctors offices unless they are patiends. So I had dropped him off at our friend's house around 12:30 with 4 diapers, a bottle, sippy cup, snacks, 2 fruits & lunch... I thought I'd be there around 3p. Then when I was sent to the hospital for further testing (just like had been done with Bean) I called our friend M, called MrE and let them know I'd be a couple of hours behind. No need to come see me, I sent MrE to go play with Bean. Then 30 minutes later I retracted all previous statements and enacted a husband - grandparent recall! Everyone was shocked and thought I was joking. But here we are, in the middle of another contraction. Excuse me one minute - *yoga breathing*

Where was I, oh yeah... MrE, who is a rooky b/c he was deployed when bean arrived, has been nervously pacing and videoing the process, Grampy & Grammy arrived at about 12am this morning (Thurs 11/5) and Nana & GPa drove in about 8:30a from MA. Grammy and MrE are sitting by waiting for developments. Grampy is on Bean duty. Nana is getting refreshed since she & GPa drove through the night and Gpa, well he sleeping b/c of said drive.

And that is the state of things. Contractions are little more frequent, but not overly intense. I'd love to eat. I'd love to drink. But ice chips it is until Miss Maggie Grace makes her appearance. As soon as our little one arrives call and pictures will go out to family.

Love to all,

The Ewings!!!

Halloween 2009!

2009-11-02T12:57:00.000-04:00

We had a great Halloween here in VA. Grammy & Grampy E made the trip to see their little Bean all dressed up & partake in the festivities. It is probably one of the few quiet Halloweens that we'll have. Up until this year we, the grown-ups, would get all dressed up and hit the town. Now we dress up our little ones to oogle at! In our house, Bean is still too young for candy. So getting dressed up is purely for a fun and his torture.

I was a good mum with a plan. I bought Bean's first costume about 2 months ago only to find out at the picture session that 12-18 mos was too small for my 15 mo old. He is usually in the smaller side of clothes. Hmmm, who knew? So, I went and bought another monkey costumer for our little climber a few weeks ago. However, the day before Halloween I saw that it was going to be 80 degrees. 80 degrees on Halloween... Insanity! That was just a little too warm for a stuffed fleece costume!!! After trying 4 Party Citys, 2 Targets, 3 Halloween Expresses, Old Navy, Marshalls, Babies R' Us, and even the grocery store I ended up back at Target only to buy a big kids Cowboy costume. I took the vest, sherrif badge, bandana, & hat and paired it with his shorts and white shirt. Et voila, that is how my little monkey became a sherrif! Also fitting since he thinks he is boss.

We went to Zoo Boo here in Hampton Roads. There were lots of other kiddies all dressed up. Carved pumpkins and candy stations lined the walking paths. It was a good day, which we ended with a stop at the park. Then it was off to home and wait for trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood. And wait. And wait. Absotlutely no trick-or-treaters made it to the end of our cul-de-sac. So if anybody is feeling candy deprived, we have kit-kats, pb cups, twix bars & 100 grand bars. Plus the best in laws ever brought me a few pounds of chocolate covered gummy bears left over from the candy bar. I might share those with visitors, but they will not all be leaving this house unless in my belly! Sorry. They are my favorite!!! Well we hope you all enjoy the pictures from our little Bean's Halloween trip to the Zoo! We certainly did...

Hugs,

JR, Azzy & Bean

The Orange Ball Patch!

2009-11-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

Hi All,

We recently made a trip to Hunt Club Farm so Bean could see all the pumpkins. To say our little Bean is energetic and curious is an understatement. So not only was getting a posed picture impossible, but so was convincing Bean that pumpkins are in fact pumpkins... He kept picking up the little pumpkins and throwing them while yelling "ball!!!" If you went there after us, we may or may not have been responsible for some of the stems laying around the patch. At least he knows that balls are round and spherical. Now we just have to work on the fact that there are other things with the same shape. I think his next favorite part of the day was riding on the carnival kids' helicopter ride. I think JR & I enjoyed the funnel cake. But who doesn't enjoy a good funnel cake.

We hope everyone is enjoying fall as much as we are!

XOXO

JR, Azzy & Bean

Bad, bad blogger

2009-10-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

My mom's hint that I hadn't posted in a while wasn't very suttle. I think her exact words were, "I check all the blogs every day and only Liz updates regularly..." I knew it had been a while, but when I actually checked and found my last post was 2.5 months ago I was even shocked. So family, my apologies for not updating pictures because we have had some fun pictures & events to post about. In fact, there are several slide shows in the post below that have our outings and such from the end of the summer to early fall.

Now for a short recap... We've celebrated Bean's birthday 4 times. That is right 4 times. The luck of a Navy brat, that is all I can say. We drove to NC for Aunty Aimee's wedding shower. We drove to MA to visit with family, celebrate Bean's birthday (4th time). We had visitors here (Erik & dad in July, Mom & Aunty D in Aug, Mom & Dad in Oct). We had family outings when JR had time off. There is only more to come with the grandparents visiting before and after our little LadyBug's arrival, LadyBug's big arrival, Halloween & fall activities, holidays, and just like that it will be 2010!

Our daily activities are no different than many other families. Bean is growing & growing. He keeps us on our toes. He keeps us laughing. He keeps going and going and going... And so does our love for him. He is just our bestest little boy! He has quite the personality too. A few weeks ago he actually kissed our waitress. She bent over to high five him and he leaned forward to kiss her. I just shook my head. I think it is fair to say we will have our hands full with that little flirt. He also has taken to lifting my shirt up at home to see my belly. He kisses the bump and says hi to the baby. While this is cute while we're at home, I had to stop him from doing it at Target the other day. Although the other couple baby shopping got a giggle out of his grabbing my shirt and saying baby louder & louder.

With in 7 weeks we'll see how he really is with the LadyBug. I'm not to sure he'll be as friendly to the little one who has mommy & daddys attention. We'll do our best to make sure he knows he is just as important. Wish us luck!

Well family, this is all the updating I have in me for the day. It is late and one little Bean will be up early and ready to go. If I could only bottle his energy. I could probably make a small fortune selling it, but right now I'd keep it all for my need to keep up with him. Hope all are well!

xoxo, Azzy

Picture Updates

2009-10-13T21:34:00.000-04:00

In July our friends were reunited when Ava's daddy came back from his deployment. We were lucky enough to go to the airport and take pictures of the reunion. We also went to a friend's birthday, where Connor started to eat the cake on his own. Such a little character. GPa & Uncle Erik also came down for a family ship ride on the USS Truman. I don't have pictures of the ship ride since I was home with Connor, but I do have some of GPa, Erik & Bean...

Our first round of travels were actually travelors visiting us in VA. Nana & Aunty D came to visit!

After Nana & Aunty D left, we were off to Grammy & Grampy E's to celebrate Aunty Aimee's upcoming wedding & have round 3 of my birthday. I don't have any pictures of the fun had at Aunty Aimee's wedding shower, but we do have lots of pictures of her as a beautiful bride!!!

After our trip to NC in August, we drove up to MA to celebrate Connor's birthday with the J family. We got to have some beach days, see family, go on outings with Nana & Landon...

In September we finally made our way back to VA with the help of Nana as copilot. We went to the zoo, the aquarium, the play center at the mall - all of the touristy things in our area. Then JR, Bean & I drove down to NC to take care of some wedding stuff for Aunty Aimee. We took the opportunity to walk along the river after we were done.

The first weekend in October we drove down to Greenville, NC for Aunty Aimee's wedding to Uncle Grant.

Nana & GPa also came up the first week of October. They spent a few days with us in VA Beach and went to Aunty Aimee's wedding in NC. While they were here we went to Jamestown & Yorktown and enjoyed some quality time since Bean doesn't get to see them enough.

And that is all for the pictorial update...

Updates of This & That

2009-08-03T19:28:00.000-04:00

First I want to link to a post written by a very dear friend: Janet's Story. It amplifies the importance of getting regular colonoscopies once you reach the required age, even if that type of cancer is not in your family history.

Second, we've been enjoying the weather! We've been relaxing by the pool, at the beach, at the water park, with friends... We've had playdates, birthday parties, and other outings. This Wed. Nana & Aunty D will be visiting from MA for a week. The following weekend we'll be in NC to visit the inlaws for my SIL's bridal shower. Then the following weekend we'll be in MA for 3 weeks. We had to wait until warmer weather was sure to show it's face before our visit because who wants to wear sweatshirts in June??? Sorry peeps, that is just the truth of it. :)

Third, Bean is starting to sign more, so the class is paying off!!! He does a couple of things but we're just over 3 weeks in. The most frequent sign he does is "all done". It is not always to signal that he is all done with his meal though. Sometimes he lets us know he is all done with us, with us telling him to eat, to not throw his food, to not rip the DVDs off the shelf, to get out of his carseat, etc... He looks at us with such determination, does the sign & ends with a pointing finger at me or MrE. So he is pretty much saying, "Mommy, you are done telling me no, feeding me, etc." or "Daddy, I'm done with this car seat." It is comical. At least he is communicating.

Last, Maggie is starting to move more and more. We're just over halfway to her expected arrival! So far, so good. We do have to get better about our countdown or tracking the growth. As most first time parents, we were very good about tracking everything. I knew what week I was and how much longer. However, if you ask me now I know the approximate week, give or take a couple of weeks. Other than family pictures, there has been no tracking of my developing belly. Sorry Maggie, as a second child you will already have proof that you were neglected compared to Bean. This argument will happen one day... We do have to get some shots, some time soon too. Nov 30th will be here before we know it.

Well I'm afraid that is all I can remember for now and all I have time for. Time for one little Bean to go to bed.

Rainbows of Color

2009-07-23T18:49:00.000-04:00

Here are the mixed colors I see around me...

This is from a couple of years ago... I just love the small gingerbread houses on MV!

We are a boardgame loving family!!!

Bean's toys have officially taken over the living room. These are the same areas and toys that I clean up during nap times, at bed, and sometimes behind him as he moves on in his path of destruction. :) Maybe one day we'll have a playroom...

Now I'm off to get the monster ready for bed. He has already hit cranky mode.

Purple

2009-07-23T09:06:00.000-04:00

A day late... I had the pictures but yesterday was a day that I wasn't able to juggle motherhood, house stuff & blogging. *hmmm* So here is the purple around casa de E.

I have to reuse this picture from green day because it is just too cute that my son is stuck in his purple drum! Well, I think so anyway.

This is from a family wedding a few years ago that my sister & I were in. The dresses were lavendar... And it was a nice snapshot of the J siblings!

A tulip at the botanical gardens, which is just miles from our house. It is so beautiful & peaceful there. I probably could have done the whole project there...

My lilac candle, which I love. It reminds me of my mom. She always had fresh lilacs on the kitchen table when I was a youngen.

Our lavendar bathroom, which is where I relax after those long days... Like yesterday. I *heart* my bathtub!!!

Blue

2009-07-21T16:21:00.000-04:00

Another one of the colors that it seems I prefer most...

From Left to Right
Top Row: (1) Our wedding - look at that blue water! (2) Connor now rolls in style courtesy of Nana & GPa (3) We were "that family" in our kind of matching shirts on Memorial Day
Middle Row: (1) Homemade blueberry pie since I couldn't waste perfectly good blueberries! (2) Signs on Connor's wall & door (3) His very own birthday book!
Bottom Row: (1) A kite surfer was out on the blue water yesterday when we were eating lunch. (2) A very blue sky in Catalina (3) Yesterday's view from our deck, all the blue covers on boats. We'd take just about any on of those boats.

Green

2009-07-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

It's not easy being green... Although, it is my favorite color!

TOP LEFT: Connor was trying to climb over some toys yesterday and got stuck in his drum! Luckily he was wearing a green shirt so I could use it here.
TOP RIGHT: My cute backpack which I purchase as a smaller alternative to the honking huge diaper bag.
BOTTOM LEFT: Canvas gift/ thank you bags that we put in to our wedding guests rooms in St. Thomas. They also had a bottle of rum, two cokes & sun tan lotion inside.
BOTTOM RIGHT: A comfy chair to sit in while relaxing on the deck. While the wine glass is green, it won't be used until after December.

We also have Connor's birthday cupcake cake from yesterday's celebration, which ended with green frosting smeared all over the birthday boy.

And finally, there is all the green in my blog...

Yellow

2009-07-17T20:42:00.000-04:00

They call it mello yellow... Sorry I got carried away, here is the bit of yellow in my life.

Just one way I can show my support & prayers for my hubby while he is deployed, which sadly is too often!

When we moved into our current house it occured to me that "Le Chat Noir" would match perfectly... But even better, so would "Le Chien de Marthas Vineyard". A little bit of home in VA!

Lovely flowers around the yard

Orange

2009-07-16T22:39:00.000-04:00

Talk about getting it in just before the day's deadline! Tomorrow will be better. Promise! I spy with my little eye, ORANGE.

Energy in a cup! How else could I get through some of the days? I keep the styro cup to use as an insulation cup with my ice coffee... Trying to be eco friendly.

Not only great a great snack for a toddler, but equally good for a naucious preggo mum!

This is a painting in our guest room. There is something I love about that orange tinge along the sea at sunset!

Mmmm, clementine oranges! So perfect on a hot day. Can you tell I'm pregnant? There are two food pictures here!

Colour Project - Red

2009-07-15T22:11:00.000-04:00

Hi All,

I'm participating in a colour project thought up by Liz. I'm back dating this post because I had it ready to go, but computers can be, well computers... Mine would not cooperate yesterday, but we're back on track now. Without further ado, here are some shots from around the house in the first colour - RED.


This was one of the first gifts we got when we found out Bean was a boy. There are instructions on how to build a catapult & how to use a slingshot. Awesome...	One of Bean's favorite toys, Thanks GPA & Nana!!!

We have Red Sox stuff everywhere. Have to represent even more so since we are living away!	The holiday candy is a bit old, but the cup has even more meaning! This is one of the cups my Aunt & Uncle used to use when they had their hot chocolate. It was passed down to me when I got married.

Connor Says Hello!

2009-07-14T20:13:00.000-04:00

Another Beautiful Weekend

2009-07-13T09:39:00.000-04:00

Our weekend started early on Friday since MrE was home before dinner! Yey!!! You may have heard this all the way in your neighborhood. So we headed to the pool for a little swim before dinner. Bean likes to play a game of in & out. That way he is in control of when he is held and where he goes. Well he thinks he is in control. Mum & dad are always two steps behind him out of the pool and right next to him on the stairs. But floats do not interest him. Apparently they are too confining. Saturday MrE got up early and took Bean for a bike ride. This equates into a little extra sleeping time for mum. Then it was off to our sign language class & a little play time at Gymboree. It was supposed to be a lazy day indoors with the forecasted rain, but the sun was shining when we got out of bed. So off went MrE & Bean on another bike ride and then we made our way to the beach! Bean was in 7th heaven. Three hours of beach time and he was perfectly pleasant. The beach in our neighborhood is pretty quiet since we are on the Bay side of the bridge. It also has calm little coves at the bottom of every street since there are several walls of rocks that run parallel to the shore, thus breaking the current and waves. So much fun for little tykes!!!

And just like that Monday morning is here, and so is the rain. At least it is a Gymboree day. So we will be out of the house for a bit!

A Year of Bean

2009-07-13T08:06:00.000-04:00

So my little Bean has been 1 for about a week now. He is on the verge of walking. He says a few words consistenly - mama, dada, ball, oooh (for oops), isiz (what's this?) and he has said a few words a couple of times - beah (bear), nana (banana), bur (bird), bah (baba)... He waves. He points. He climbs, everything he can... We've started a sign language class for him. It is supposed to help with communication. It is also the easiest way to teach him other languages as he grows since it is fairly universal. My French is decent, at best and MrE's Spanish is probably about the same. We're both rusty but we can teach him the basics at least.

He is just growing so much. We have a collage in the hallway from the first 6 months of his life. I look at it every time I go by and think of how much he's grown... But it is only months 1-6. So I went back to look at pictures of the last 12 months and my oh my! I picked one from each month, which was really difficult. He is just too cute! So enjoy the a snapshot of our first year together. As we go on to year two, we'll be adding another baby to the mix!

Connor's Birthday

2009-07-12T08:31:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from Connor's birthday. There are couple of our friend Mary's birthday part on July 4th! We just had a small dinner for Bean's birthday. We are lucky to have neighbors with twins just one month younger (Linnea & Oskar). So they came over with their mom Sophie for dinner & cake because they'll be in Sweden for the VA celebration. Next weekend we'll celebrate with our other friends in VA, plus GPa & Uncle E will be in town for a family day on the USS Harry Truman! Then our 3rd celebration will be with Grammy, Grampy & Aunty Aimee in Charlotte the weekend of Aug 14th. We'll end all the birthday festivities at the end of August in MA with GPa, Nana and the rest of the J family. Not bad, 4 birthday parties for his first birthday, but such the life of a military brat with family living away. So there will be more celebrations & cake to come!

Happy Birthday Bean!

2009-07-07T21:46:00.000-04:00

Dear Bean,

Almost 1 year ago exactly (10:06p EST) you came into our lives changing our world for the better. Forever. I honestly can't really remember you not being here even though it has only been a year... It has been such an amazing year. Although, it doesn't seem that long. The fear that I felt when I first brought you home is undescribable. All first time parents feel it though. I just wanted to make sure that you were safe, loved, happy... Even the longest days are instantly changed when you give me that little smile or you crawl over and give me a kiss. It is the best gift this mum could ask for. We have so many hopes for you, but above all we hope that you are happy and know how much you are loved.

So Happy Birthday Bean!!! You are my best accomplishment! I love you more than you will ever know.

xoxo, Mum

Bean's Baptism Weekend

2009-06-17T20:55:00.000-04:00

The slide show is rather large (again)... There were just so many picture moments with our family visiting for Bean's Baptism. Of course the grandparents, Bean's aunts & uncles were here for the special event. Also making the trip were my aunts, Aunty Irene & Aunty Doris with their husbands and a few of our VA friends. It was really special to have all involved in that day. Connor was blessed by a Navy Chaplain aboard MrE's last ship, which is where he was when Bean was born. The ceremony dates back to the English Empire. When families were traveling to the New World and other territories, babies born aboard the vessel were documented by having their name & date of birth stamped within the ship's bell as a version of a birth certificate. It was really special. We're already planning the next babies baptism for next June! So mark your calendars...

We also hit the city with the tourists. Everyone stayed down on the Ocean Front. So there were pool days and beach days to be had. Aside from the sand that Bean insisted on eating, again and again, the beach was perfect. Both of the boys love, love, love the water. So it is just us adults trying to keep up with them. If I could only bottle my son & nephew's energy... Most everyone left on Sunday with the exception of GPa, Nana, my sister & her family. So Bean was able to show Zilla some of his favorite spots in VA. We brought them to our Gymboree class, the Botanical Gardens water park, our neighborhood beach. And just like that, it was over... Everyone left this morning and the house was sadly quiet once again. Well it was quiet up until 2:30p, which is when Bean fought with all his might to resist his nap. Mommy won this battle though. We both needed it.

Now we're unwinding from our travels and visitors. MrE is jumping into his first week on the new ship. He has been leaving and returning home while the sun is out. He has made it home for dinner every night. Better than that, he has made it home in time to see Bean before bed. So far, life is better... However, it is only week one. So we're still crossing our fingers. And toes. And everything else. Tomorrow is our first appt with the new doctor's office. Hopefully this goes better than the last Dr, or mid-wife I should say. This weekend we are just lying low.

Our Travels, Finally!

2009-06-17T19:17:00.000-04:00

Let me start off by first apologizing. This post will be neither eloquent or detailed as far as the writing goes. Even though our travels just happened, life has been busy and my pregnant brain just cannot keep up. Keeping a journal would have been a great idea, but again I default to the pregnesia... Didn't even cross my mind before I left. Besides, chasing around 11 month old doesn't leave much time for writing. Now on to our recap... Our travels started May 7th with a quick stop in Omaha for one of my closest friend's weddings. It was so good to see her and meet Mike. We also got to see the country's best zoo. It was amazing. Bean is a big fan of the gorillas and smaller cats. It was a quick 4 days, but a lot of fun!

Then we were off to San Diego. We got to catch up with some old friends and meet some new little ones! We also hit most of the family friendly sites - Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Legoland, La Jolla, Coronado, downtown, Mission Beach...

After all that flying we headed back to VA Beach for a couple of days. Then it was off again to visit my family in MA for Memorial Day weekend. We got to spend a lot of time with the grandparents and had cookouts with both sides of the family.

Our last stop was to see the in laws in Charlotte. Also had a lot of grammy & grampy time here. We had great weather, so there were a few trips to the neighborhood pool. Plus we hit the sites in and around Charlotte. Most of all, we got to rest!

And just like that our month of traveling was over. As soon as we got settled & cleaned back at home, our families were in town for Bean's Baptism... Those pictures are next to come, in a separate post though.

Vacation, Vol I & II

2009-05-20T23:10:00.000-04:00

**I promise to upload pictures soon. Only in VA for a day before we continue on with Vol III & IV***

Vol 1 - So the first leg of our trip had us in Omaha, NE for my friend's wedding. Who knew the country's best zoo was there! Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom sponsored zoo. We spent two days exploring. Jenny was a beautiful bride. Her family graciously invited us to a cookout the next day. Much fun was had.

Vol II - We flew on to San Diego where every day is the same, weather wise anyway. Overcast in the morning, sunny by 10am, and foggy again as the sun goes down! We went to Seaworld, The San Diego Zoo (also a top zoo), Legoland, the Gaslamp district, Old Town, La Jolla, Coronado... We spent time with friends, time at the pool, and time just relaxing.

More details to accompany pictures.

On our return we took a bump in Vegas for two round trip tickets on Southwest. It worked out perfectly because Connor was beginning to have a meltdown and the 5 hour direct flight would have felt like eternity. So we stayed the night courtesy of SW and took advantage of having the flight broken up. Also an upside, the wind on Monday was awful making the flight even worse. Tuesday's flight was smooth sailing! While waiting I witnessed my son's first full out flirt session. With a 20 something year old! She was gorgeous. Blond. We're sitting there waiting for our hotel voucher when I notice my 10 month old turning and trying to reach for this young woman's leg. I quickly moved him, said Oh my and apologized. We were laughing so all was good. Well, until Connor looked at me and started yelling which I can only imagine was "mom you are embarrassing me" in baby talk. The young woman thought he was so cute and was waving. I turned him enough to see her, but not enough to touch her. He ogled and smiled like nothing I have seen before. I looked at my husband and he just said, "at least he has good taste". Very true, very true... I'd like to say that was the last of it, but no. My son is quite the flirt. On our return flight yesterday there was a 20 month old girl just two rows ahead of us. Blond. She was standing up staring back at Connor. Connor went for the kill... He started smiling, then yelling, and then jumping up & down. This went on for quite some time. The people on the plane were getting a kick out of it. But just like the girl before, his flirting was cut short by our departure from the airport. I think I may have my hands full with this one!

So we're off to MA in the morning. Next Friday we'll be on to Charlotte for our last week of Vacation. Lots of pictures to come. Hope all enjoy their long weekend.

We're Free!!!

2009-05-02T21:54:00.000-04:00

Life aboard the USS E has come to an end. The last 18 months were a success for MrE's career, but that came with a lot of sacrifice. Most days started at 5am and ended at 7pm, before deployment the days ended after midnight. Such was the life of the Chief Engineer on a 20+ year old ship. Who knows what the next ship holds? We're just happy to be half way through the department head tours. We're also hoping that life as the Training Officer will be a little less stressful. Hoping. MrE's last day couldn't have come at a better time. Since Friday I have not been feeling all that well. Given the amount of pollen that has been ending up on my car, I'm going to say that this is a sinus / allergy issue. Maybe a bug. Definitely not H1N1. So I have been up and around, but taking advantage of MrE's presence with a few naps here & there. What else can a first trimester mama do? The napping has also given Bean & MrE some boy time. Bean gets so excited when he sees MrE walk into a room. I, sadly, no longer exist...

We're getting ready for our marathon month... We're off to a friend's wedding in Omaha, vacation in San Diego, visit family in MA & then family in NC. Hoping to see everyone and looking forward to downtime together before sea duty life continues.

One a sad note, a local young man from back home was one of the recent losses of servicemen. He was a relative of my SIL. I was talking to my brother today and this young sailor sounded like such an honorable man. As a navy wife, family & friend of many active duty service members, I am just one of the many that share in the sorrow. The T family is in our prayers.

Our Weekend

2009-04-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

It was a BEAUTIFUL weekend here. There was plenty of sun, warm weather, beach, family time, and play dates. We started off Friday with a trip to the Botanical Garden with our friend Tee & Jackson. The World of Wonder water fountain was closed due to renovations, but the boys enjoyed the froggy fountains. Saturday MrE had to work, which was okay. One week, scratch that, 4 days left on the ship! Can you hear me singing from here? Anywho, we started of the day with a long walk through the neighborhood & along the water. Then we were off to our date with Danielle. She had over for a beach day! There was a cool breeze coming in off the ocean, plenty of shade under the umbrella and good girl talking. Well until MrE showed up since he got out of work early. We welcomed the surprise since we haven't seen much of him lately and daddy & Bean took a few walks along the beach. Now through this all our house was getting a little uncomfortable because the AC was not working. After a late call on Saturday night and a very warm slumber, we awoke Sunday to the AC guy. Now the house is more than comfortable... We took another nice walk before it got warm and then we spent the afternoon at the Botanical Garden again since the water fountain was open. It was a huge success with Bean! He played for a good 2 hrs. It was the perfect way to cool down on a 90 degree day. MrE & I took turns running and crawling through the water spouts with him. Our annual membership is probably the best family fun investment we've made so far. It is also 4 miles from the house.

And just like that another weekend has passed. So now we're settling in for the night. Hope all had a good weekend!

Catching Up

2009-04-20T21:40:00.000-04:00

The rest of our Easter weekend (over a week ago) was fantastic. All of the E family were up for dinner on Saturday. Our friend Kelli & Miss Ava joined us for dinner as well. K's husband is deployed through late July. There was no way we were going to let her sit home and not do anything special for Easter. Besides it is so nice to have a little girl around the house. Grammy jumped at the chance to feed & hold Ava. She is getting ready for grandbaby 2. Sunday morning everyone was gone and the house wasn't too bad, so we rested in our pjs all day long!

The week was filled with nothing exciting, well except baby appt #1. All is good. We saw the heartbeat. Other than that he/she looks like a tadpole. Morning sickness has set in, ugh... MrE is on the homerun stretch. Two weeks left!!! Helping them prepare for his departure and following inspection has him working late. His poor relief is wondering what he got himself in to... But two weeks for us, WOO-HOO!!! We've had our Gymboree music class & play-learn class. This weekend it was so beautiful here in VB. We strolled along the oceanfront boardwalk in the sunny 76 degree weather on Saturday. We also popped into some of the open houses in our neighborhood. We found our dream house. One day when the Navy doesn't have us moving every 1-3 years. Sunday we made a trip to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, which were beautiful.. There is a kids section with little water fountains bubbling up out of the ground. Loved it!

We have some lunch & play dates later this week. And hopefully before we know it, the weekend will be here and MrE will have one week left on the current ship. I may be caught singing from the balcony, slightly off key. Not speeding by is tonight with all of the tornado warnings. Ugh... Where does one go if their first level is a foyar and garage with exterior walls? We live on the water, so there is no basement either... Stupid warnings! It's going to be a long night.

Easter, Part 1

2009-04-11T14:29:00.000-04:00

Friday we had a successful trip to the Easter Bunny. Bean was more curious about the large stuffed animal holding him and insisted he chew on him just he does with every other thing. We then raced home to meet Grammy & Grampy. Aunty Aimee & Uncle Grant came in for the day on Saturday. Bean got some toys & a big boy haircut!!! The adults all got candy. We have already eaten lots of food and candy. There is more to be had.

Here are some pictures of our weekend so far:

A Beautiful Weekend

2009-04-06T15:42:00.000-04:00

First we will start off with my almost 9 month old has decided he can climb. Climb! I swore walking would be next. I was not prepared for this... When I took him down he was so proud of himself! MrE tried to blame it on our recent visit with Zilla. I am fully convinced that this has been passed down from father to son... No worries Meima, I am teaching him to get off the couch feet first just like you were teaching Zilla.

The weather was in the 70's here this weekend, which was wonderful. It still is actually. Today's earlier tornado warning & storms have passed and the sun has returned. Not so wonderful is not really fitting into my old spring clothes b/c I was preggers last spring and much thinner the year before. And while I'm in the same situation this spring, I'm not in the cute preggers way yet. Just the beginning "she looks like she's put on a few pounds" way... Cute. Plus, I have to switch over every thing and get these storage bins situated. That is once I stop chasing / entertaining my child. Oh, and stop blogging.

Back to this weekend, we made it out to the Zoo! Little Miss Ava, Bean's future gf joined us for the outing. Friday & Sunday we strolled along the beach. Bean & MrE went and had some boy time while I escape for some much needed me time. Then we joined some friends for D's birthday dinner. It was a wonderful weekend, not long enough... But wonderful.

Now I really must get motivated. Cleaning to do. Clothes to sort through. Laundry to wish. And dinner really must be decided on.

What day is it?

2009-03-30T17:26:00.000-04:00

I think my child may have multiple personality disorder. One minute he is fine playing on the floor. The next he is insistent on trying to stand up and walk along the furniture or throw himself out of the stroller to get whatever neat thing we just passed. There is also the inconsolable crying unless he can reach out and touch me. Being in the same room is inexcusable. His energy is endless. Endless. This month MrE is working long hours before he turns over to the next unsuspecting CHENG. Poor guy. His replacement that is. So I can't even hand off the Bean. He & all of his personalities are mine from 6am-8pm. He is lucky that smile gets him out of most trouble. I will say that in public he is so well behaved. He is just in awe of everything going on around him. At home it is a different story. I must be a very boring mommy because try as I might, I cannot entertain him enough. This all makes this Mama-Bee very unaware of what day it is or the actual date or that we have been back from MA for over a week now. So it's about time I update & post the pictures over the last few weeks...

So our trip back home was not long enough and long enough to say the least. Two weeks away from MrE always has us a little VA home sick, not to mention the weather is so much better. Back in MA we compacted lots of family things into 2 short week. We visited, we played, we shopped... The big events were E's graduation from the MA Fire Academy, bridal shopping with Ali, & Maya's play (which she was wonderful in). With Zilla's continuing influence, Bean decided crawling was no longer good enough. He is now standing at anything stationary, or even semi-stationary. Excellent. I do love their time together. Zilla is such a good big cousin, and Bean misses him so much once we leave. Whenever they see each other again this look of amazement washes over their faces. Then the double trouble are up no good.. And they aren't even running around. Yet. Not even running around yet!

As for Uncle E's graduation, it was 18 years in the making! At 6 yrs old my brother's dream of becoming a "police officer like dad" was tossed out the window without a second glance because of one movie. Backdraft. From that day on he always wanted to be a fire fighter. He did his research and had an alternate plan until his dream came true. First he went on to electrical school & received his license. As he started his work in the electrical field, he also started his education to become a fire fighter. First it was the classes to be a on-call fire fighter. Then he went on to get his EMT, which is where he met his lovely wife. He would go on to answer almost every call in which the call department was requested for backup. After a couple of years he went on to Paramedic training, which is mandatory for all FFs in our town... Passed just as there was an opening on the department. So late this summer his dream came true. Then to fill all requirements, he had to attend the Massachusetts Fire Academy for the past 3 months. We were all so proud to watch him walk across that stage with a huge smile on his face! It is a wonderful thing to see someone make their childhood dream come true!!!

As for April, there are no travels planned. Grampy, Grammy & Aunty Aimee will be here for Easter. MrE will be working away to make sure his department is ready for the replacement & upcoming inspection. I will be chasing around one very curious 9 month old!!!

Our Calendar

2009-03-10T12:21:00.000-04:00

MrE is officially leaving his ship May 1st. **heavenly singing** So we'll be off for a family vacation in San Diego, visits with both sides of the family & a little time for ourselves sans Bean. We also have some travelling and guests in town before this! After getting our schedule down with family & friends I have realized that it will be July before I know it. More importantly, Bean will be 1!!! That will be another thing to plan, small birthday here... A trip back to MA to celebrate with that clan. So today is Tuesday March 10th, and this is where we stand...

March 13-29: In MA

March 17: Appt w/family acct.

March 20: Going to see Annie where our very own Maya is starring as the orphan Molly

March 27: Erik's Fire Academy graduation

April 3-5: College friends in VA Beach for a visit (and to run a Tri)

April 10-13: E* family in town for Easter

May 1: MrE's last day on the ship

May 10-18: Family trip to San Diego (staying at The Dana on Mission Bay near Sea World. Will go to Sea World, The San Diego Zoo, possibly Disney and any other ideas people may have)

May 18-20: VA Beach

May 21 - 28: MA visit

May 29- June 4: NC visit

June 4-7: Our weekend away w/out Bean

June 13: Bean's christening on the ship, family in town for the week.

June 29-July 3rd: Grammy & Grampy on vacation - may see them

July 7th - Bean is 1. Already. :(

And that is what summer is for. Life is always busy, which is no problem at all. We love seeing our family and friends. So we feel blessed to have all of these visits coming up! We're also still taking reservations at Chez Azzy & MrE through July, Aug & Sep... The weather is beautiful here in VA Beach!!!

Happy Birthday Grampy

2009-03-09T22:32:00.000-04:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful here lately. Infact it was 70 degrees here today. I thought it would be very nice of me to send a picture message with the proof to my family in MA. Sadly they are in the midst of another snow storm. He, he, he. We have been enjoying every bit of the weather with long walks and trips outside. This past weekend we darted off to Charlotte where it was just a bit warmer. We actually had to go buy Bean some shorts! Grampy & Grammy actually made the purchase for their little Bean. Bean crawled around the living room opening up the bottom drawer on the entertainment center & ripping off the leaves to one of Grammy's plants. And so it begins...

So our trip to Charlotte was a birthday surprise for Grampy! We did some shopping. We went out for a nice dinner. We went for a walk around the neighborhood. Played some Wii. Bean spent some cuddle time with both Grammy & Grampy.

Next weekend we are off to MA to visit the J family! Hopefully the snow will be gone.

A Family Outing

2009-03-02T09:20:00.000-04:00

It was still just a little cold last week. So we figured a trip to the aquarium was in order. Most of the aquarium in under construction. We were able to see some seals, turtles, fish, smaller sharks & stingrays. There were no shows, but that was okay for one little boy. He was so impressed by the sea turtles! While it was a little expensive for just a few exhibits, watching Bean's face with the turtles was worth it! We're going to have to make a trip to the NE Aquarium in Boston this summer. We're also planning a trip to San Diego in May. Sea World is at the top of our list, well after visiting with friends of course.

February Pictures

2009-03-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

I've finally uploaded, edited & created a slideshow of our pictures from our recent trip to MA. Enjoy!

(((hugs))) JR, Azzy & Bean!

February Trip Home

2009-02-19T22:41:00.000-04:00

Our three weeks have flown by, more so for us than MrE who was only up for the long weekend. I have so many photos, but no adapter! MrE took it when he went back to VA. So more photos to come next week! I will leave you with our photo session pictures as well as a quick recap (in no particular order):

1. We went to Toe Jam Puppet Band and even caught the Pirate Show!

2. We went to the Zoo with Zilla & Aunty Kat.

3. Caught up with Aunty Liz & the boys, uncle R, and of course all of the other *S* clan!

4. Had lunch with Aunty J.

5. Went to birthday parties for the cousins - Andrew, Azzy, & Landon and Aunty V!

6. We spent time with Nana, G-Pa, Aunty Ali, Uncle E, Aunty Kat., & Meima.

7. Shopping trips with the girls.

8. Lunches with the aunts & cousins.

9. MrE skied.

10. I had 2 massages (great) & a facial (awful).

11. Caught up with some old friends.

12. Had some adult time.

13. Played some Wii.

14. Went to Bass Pro Shops to see the aquarium, which Bean loved. Zilla was a bit unsure.

15. Had pictures taken of the boys.

16. Celebrated Aunty Ali's engagement!!!

The Cyber Twins & Bean

2009-02-08T21:41:00.000-04:00

I saw this over at Janet's. I tried it a few times... There were definitely some similarities, but of course nothing comes close to the one and only Bean! Without further ado, the results of just how good German engineering really is...

Cyber Twin - Jack:	Cyber Twin - Jake:
The Real Bean:

Be Ready For Change

2009-01-29T11:49:00.000-04:00

So not about Politics, because honestly I'd rather not blog about my stance. This is more about being ready for whatever Uncle Sam throws at you, even if all of your stuff is pack and you are minutes from heading to your new home. For us it is not that drastic. And so far, we are making out!

We were anticipating to change ships mid-June just after MrE's current ship comes out of the yards and goes through an inspection. He is currently the Cheif Engineer and figured he would have to partake in said inspection vs. throwing in a new CHENG just weeks before. Then his relief called with his orders to report in March, which would mean MrE may leave in April. No biggie. It just meant we'd take vacation sooner. He would have to get underway for a couple of weeks when the ship went back in the water. More time at home, score! After some chatting with his XO & CO, they figured staying with the ship through June may be best. Back to square one, which we had originally planned for. C'est la vie. The other day it got even better. MrE's XO said they would now most likely be letting him go 1 May. He'd have to go to a school the first week of May and then would have 30 days off, as long as the next XO/CO approve it. It pushes off our original vacation plan. He'll report to his next ship as the Training Officer (TrainO) early June. Life as the TrainO should be much better as the CHENG. Or so we're hoping! His next ship is also in the yards through mid-Fall. That means no underways (time at sea) until mid-Oct. I cannot even beging to tell you how happy this makes us. That isn't even the best of it. We've heard that the next big deployment has been pushed off until the fall of 2010 vs. the summer of 2010. We may not have to endure another 6mo+ deployment!!! It will only be about 3 months because MrE leaves that ship in Dec 2010 for shore duty. How great is this?

Now we just have to pray that enough changes have happened and this is the course karma keeps us on!

6 Months & growing!!!

2009-01-28T18:09:00.000-04:00

Bean is actually 6.5 months, but today was the official 6 month appointment. I was nervous about finding a new doctor. Would I meet them once and want to move on? Would they think I was crazy with all of my questions? All those worries were put to rest just after DrR walked into the room. She was so sweet and friendly. I felt comfortable immediately. Bean is in love with yet another woman. I am finding he is quite the flirt.

We talk about his activities. He is rolling around. So much so that I can put him down on his playmat with toys out of reach and they will soon be prisoner to his strong little grasp. Some may even become the victim of teething. He also tries to crawl when I put him on his stomach. God help us when he figures that bending his legs underneath him will actually get him to go quicker. He sits up with no problem. He is actually trying to stand more and more. Although most of his standing time leads to jumping on my legs. My legs are dotted with bruises caused by two cute but chubby feet.

As for his growth, he is in the 90th percentile for height (27.5in), 50th percentile for weight (17.5lbs) & 75th percentile for head size. He is going to be a good size boy!

Life changed drastically though. 6 months also means 4 new shots, which the nurse administered. Smart Doc, ensure the kiddies will always like her... The smiling child I walked in with was not the child I left with, expectedly so. Our poor little Bean. He is fussy and mom is tired. We've been up since 6am. So daddy is about to take us out for dinner.

We're Free!

2009-01-26T21:51:00.000-04:00

We're past day 10 with the antibiotics, which means Bean was ready to head out today. Just in time too!!! My friend (Auntie E to Bean) & her son Ethan were in town visiting her sister-in-law who just had little Ava and who is now Bean's betrothed. I think the dads will approve as all interested parties are Red Sox fans. What other way is there to decide? Besides with all of the boys born, there is some stiff competition for the girls out there. Ethan, Zilla, Bean & William will all be in school together... Back to Ava, so precious and only 4 weeks old. I remember Bean being that small... We had a fun day at Ava's house playing with Ethan (who is a month older than Bean). The boys were so cute together. We'll actually get to see Ethan in two weeks when we are back in MA.

Last week while we were house bound we also had a surprise visit from one of my old Air Force friends / roommates. He was on his way to play in the sandbox for 4 months... Most deployments leave from Norfolk. It was a nice surprise, and I loved showing off Bean.

Now I'm just enjoying a little quiet. Bean is fast asleep. I am just browsing around, and will soon be asleep myself.

Hi LuLu!!!

2009-01-23T21:29:00.000-04:00

My MIL has joined the blogging world!!! We've been talking about it for a while. She is so crafty! It is the perfect way for her to showcase her talent. She made my wedding invitations, my wedding necklace (pearls & swarovski crystals), necklaces for my bridesmaids (pearls & swarovski crystal), our thank you cards, my baby shower invites, my brother & SIL's, and so much more. She is also an avide knitter, photographer, and anything crafty!!! Plus she's a pretty swell Grammy! Just ask Bean.

So go say hi to her! Next we'll get her on Etsy.

Friday Fill In

2009-01-23T13:09:00.000-04:00

1. Oh, I am so to be over our colds & viruses here!

2. Motherhood changes, big and little.

3. During the night, I am up too often to check on Bean.

4. I'm still coughing???; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be on the beach in St. Thomas.

6. My camera is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to maybe a movie on TV, tomorrow my plans include some much needed grocery shopping and buying a grill and Sunday, I want to grill out with some friends!

We're almost through the colds & viruses here! Bean is almost back to normal. He is smiling and playing away with minor fussiness. Soon pajama days will come to an end, but I am so looking forward to getting out of the house. It's supposed to be 60 degrees today. A little fresh air just might be in order!

Quarantine

2009-01-21T21:19:00.000-04:00

Although we're feeling much better, the last couple of days were not so. Bean's ear infection was actually the start of RSV (respiratory virus / bronchiolitis). Not a big deal. Two-thirds of infants get it in their first year. Those born from April -October are more susceptible. He spent most of the weekend cuddled up on Grammy, Grampy, mom or dad. What was awful was hearing him wease and then getting the nurse's reaction to bring him in "RIGHT AWAY". I hung up the phone in a complete panic. Complete. I was out of my house in 15 minutes. Needless to say we looked fabulous yesterday (said with a hint of sarcasm). Worse than his weasing was having to hold him tightly and then hold the breathing mask against his face for the breathing treatment. He did everything in his power to get away from me! Screaming. Crying. Thrashing about. And there I was alone in the little room just trying to hold him. Poor little guy. I just kept rocking him and saying I promise this would make him better. Bean is now on amoxicillin, pregnisone & an albuteral inhaler... Today he woke up with the color back in his cheeks and a smile on his face! Yey!!! We're still on the meds & laying low, but he is already getting better.

After that we were off to an urgent care office at the suggestion of his pediatrician. Apparently my cough sounded worrisome. I haven't found a primary care physician yet and was not impressed by the doctors at this office. He asked me which antibiotic I should be on... Well since I am paying, how about we let you decide? MrE is almost over the cold that he so loving shared with all of us. We're just hoping we didn't spread it to Grammy & Grampy.

Hopefully this should be out of our house in the next few days. I have already washed the linens, towels & clothes once. I have disinfected everything. Rewashed all of Bean's bottles and binkies. And I'll probably repeat this process again on Friday or Saturday just to be safe.

Until then our door has a big red X on it. I hope all are surviving cold / flu season.

2009-01-16T19:55:00.000-04:00

1. Enough with the cold weather. It's in the low 20's in VA Beach, brrr!

2. My zodiac sign causes me to be conflicted. Darn scales. I have such a problem making decisions.

3. I've been craving mom's homemade chilli.

4. Hanging out with my family makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to a warm tropical beach with the family next week.

6. Georgiahas been on my mind lately. Actually, going back to school. There is a great Master's Program for an IS Security related degree

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to crawling under the covers and go to bed, tomorrow my plans include driving to Charlotte to see grammy & grampy E and Sunday, I want to enjoy a relaxing day with the E family before driving back Monday!

We were supposed to leave today for Charlotte. Today turned into tonight because of a last minute Dr. appt for Bean. I had thought his teething was the cause of the cough, runny nose and fussiness. Poor little guy has an ear infection. So tonight has now turned into tomorrow. We didn't want to spend 5 hrs in the car starting at 7pm. So a good night's rest is in the cards for Bean.

Hope all enjoy their long weekend. Stay warm! I don't think there are many warm temperatures to be seen this weekend.

Bean Loves Dogs

2009-01-15T22:35:00.000-04:00

We visited with one of my parent's neighbors while home over New Year's. Bean loved her dog. LOVED!!! I have never seen him laugh so hard. It was just the funniest thing ever. Enjoy.

He just didn't like sledding. Or maybe it was the snow. Possibly both! He is my son.

January 14

2009-01-14T17:43:00.000-04:00

When I was younger it seemed like time almost stood still. Especially time around holidays, the winter months and any time waiting for an upcoming event. Now I look at the calendar and cannot believe the date is what it is. Anyhow, life in the E house has been good. I am on a mission to get Bean out of the house more. With winter months finally settling in here in VA, walking is not always an option. Aside from that, he was around Zilla who is 5 months older for the first 5 months of his life. Life has gotten a little quiet and I really think he is bored. I am only assuming this by the screams I hear every 10-20 minutes, which translates into NEXT... I am also hoping this tires him out to the point that he does not protest every nap with a fit. So far I have won the battles, but he has not waivered one bit.

So this week we met up with a gal I went to high school with who also lives in VA Beach. It was so wonderful having some girlfriend time. Plus Bean could not have behaved any better for the whole two hours we were at Starbucks. There was no fussing just a lot of flirtacious smiles. We are definitely in trouble when his hormones kick in. Sadly that will be here one day way before I'm ready to let my little Bean grow up. I was so giddy that whole day. Moving on, today we went to a Gymboree class. Can I just say how great this was?!? There were a couple of other little kids, and of course Bean hammed it up. We signed up right after the class. Bonus, since we signed a 6 month contract we get a second class for free!!! It was so great we are looking into getting Zilla a membership for his birthday. Only we are looking to find something closer for them. My sister is a working gal & it would be up to Nana to bring him on Tuesdays. We're going to try it when I'm home in February. So let us hope this works out or we can find something closer to them. And not to overstimulate Bean, we are joining the Y. The perks, there is free 2 hr babysitting so this mama can work out. Plus we can use the pool for family swim time. MrE wants to take lessons with Bean on Saturdays. So between Gymboree Play, Gymboree Music & Pool time, I think Bean will be much happier engaging in activities with more people than just mom.

It is also time for us to finally catch up with our Navy friends that are here in VA Beach. We're settled. Holidays are over. Time to mingle. This weekend we are off to NC to visit the E grandparents. And in a month, we'll be back in MA for 2 weeks (6-20 Feb) to celebrate Zilla's 1st birthday. Well I'm off to get some stuff done before one little boy wakes up demanding his dinner and my attention. I'd like to think he wants my attention more, but he attacks the spoon with

Decisions, Decisions

2009-01-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

So MrE and I are planning to go on vacation this summer sans Bean. If all goes as it should, we will have about 30 days to play with. We are hoping to visit my parents, his parents, have down time with Bean, and then of course, our vacation. Now the question is where and for how long. We had originally planned to go to Hawaii, but have since decided on a Mediterranean cruise. Either vacation would be about 2 weeks. My sister, who does know me better than almost anyone, thinks it will be too hard to leave Bean for 2 weeks. For me in particularly where I am home with him all day. Sure I will miss him, but if he is with family I'll be fine. I think. He would be a year when we leave... So now I'm wondering, is two weeks too long??? I think we may try a weekend away soon and see how that goes.

Any thoughts?

The Biggest Loser

2009-01-08T23:09:00.000-04:00

As with most resolutions, some of our family members are all interested in losing weight. To make things a little more tempting we have decided to make it a contest. All contestants have to throw $25 into the prize pot. We all wieghed Sunday and will weigh in again on Memorial Day weekend. The person losing the most percentage wins the pot. Not only will they have lost weight, but there will also be some cash to go replenish their wardrobe!

Now I just have to get rid of that holiday candy!

The Holiday Marathon

2009-01-08T22:15:00.000-04:00

Our holiday recap...

We have been busy through the holidays, but who isn't? Mr.E had some down time from work, which gave us some family time. We took walks. We relaxed. We had fun. We visited with family. We spent Christmas in VA with the E side of the family. There was lots of food, lots of fun, and more food. The parents-in-law introduced us to Wii, which we have already purchased. I also think we passed on the addiction to the J family. Wii definitely have a problem.

We spent New Year's in MA with the J family, which is actually where we purchased the Wii. Thus being responsible for their addiction. We spent New Year's Eve playing Wii with the whole family. It was the perfect low key holiday. I was actually asleep by 11:30. We also visited with family. MrE was able to going skiing. We had snow. Bean went sledding, which he was totally against. Zilla was still contemplating whether he liked it or not. Mr.E & my sister-in-law participated in the polar plunge. Ah, 23 degrees with freezing winds, snow on the ground & 40 degree water - I'll pass. It was 73 degrees two weeks ago in VA. We also can't forget that mom passed the flu. Although I didn't get it quite as bad as her. It did have us staying in MA an extra day.

And just like that the holiday season is over...

December in VA

2009-01-08T19:30:00.000-04:00

We were really lucky to have some beautiful weather here around Christmas. We took some long walks exploring. If we were settling here or going to be here for more than two years, we would definitely buy here. We may have to sell some or our non-vital organs, but we would definitely buy here. We are on the backside of the marina, which is perfect because I do love watching the sailboats. Then just down the street are the beaches along the Chesapeake Bay. The homes remind me of back home. I just love getting out and walking with Bean. I cannot wait until this summer so we can go swimming at the beach! So am I tempting any would be visitors yet?

A Year In Review

2009-01-02T23:13:00.000-04:00

**I posted this on the wrong blog**

January - We moved MrE into our temporary apartment. Heart breaking for one pregnant mama!

February - Zilla was born! We also found out Bean was a he.

March - We said goodbye to a truly wonderful man, my grandfather.

April - I took a mini leave of absence from work to go to VA and be with the hubby before he left on deployment.

May - Vacation in Myrtle Beach. Vacation in MA. Visiting family before Mr.E left.

June - MrE left, another heart breaking moment for this pregnant mama.

July - Bean arrived!!!

August - I was a blurried eyed, sleep deprived mama.

September - Still a little blurried eye, but I went back to work. Materninty leave is just not long enough. I celebrated my anniversary with my parents since Mr.E was somewhere in the deep blue sea.

October - My brother got married to the best gal. Bean was a turkey. Zilla was a lion.

November - I said ~~good bye~~ see you later to a job that I loved. I packed. And packed. And packed.

December - We moved back to VA. MrE returned. I unpacked like a mad woman, done in 3 days! We had our first Christmas together. In our new home. We visited with family!!! MrE's sister got engaged.

2008 was such a great year. I am so centered and happy with life. I am truly enjoying every day and thankful for everything that I have. I am looking forward to 2009 and all it has to offer. I wish only the happiest & best to our family, our friends & all visitors out their in blogland.

2008-12-23T23:58:00.003-04:00

So the Christmas cards went out today. At 3pm. So friends & family, they'll be there soon, just not by Christmas. I am thinking it was the cosmic collision of being a new mom, JR's homecoming, the move, and getting a family picture. Regardless, they are out.

As far as the cooking, I'm ahead of the curve on that. Earlier this week I baked cookies and fudge. Tonight I made black bean salsa, festive guacamole dip, pumpkin trifle & mint chocolate chip pie. Tomorrow I will have to make the rest of the hors d'ouvres (meatballs, baked brie, & stuffed pizza cresent rolls). That is just for Christmas Eve. Christmas day will bring more cooking. On the menu is turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoe caserole, stuffing and veggies. My inlaws are bringing food as well. There will be a lot of eating before we head back to MA. Actually there will be a lot of eating until January 4th. ALOT.

So much for fitting into my old pants. It was nice while it lasted.

100 Things

2008-12-21T09:44:00.000-04:00

This one’s going around the blog sphere. I took it from Janet. Bold what you’ve done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band does middle school count?
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower There’s one every year on my birthday.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (but Disneyworld, yes)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty, been there but it was closed to public.18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France It is small, behind security glass and with a 24/7 security guard. My mom assures me you could go right up to it when she was a young girl.
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon just a 5K and a triatholon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (I wish)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors Ireland & Sweden, one day...
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied I have all I need. Everything else is just a want.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (my husband just came back from 3 months there)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia (husband was also here in August)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (Now why would I jump out of a perfectly good airplane)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy My first stuffed animal is now in my son's crib!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial MrE's favorite
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someones’ life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person I lived in San Antonio for 4 yrs. The Alamo isn't in a field.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

All Things Christmas

2008-12-19T22:18:00.000-04:00

So we took a chance with Santa tonight. Bean was dressed ever so cutely. Had it not been for the "reindeer feeding" (read: break), all would have been good. *sigh* So if you were at MacArthur Center, I was the one with the crying 5 month old. And he wasn't crying because of one jolly man in a bright red suit. No, he was crying because he wanted to eat. At that very moment. So our first picture with Santa didn't go quite as planned. Then there was our action shot on the Polar Express. Sadly, our actions did not please one hungry little boy. Luckily we had taken a couple of pictures before when Bean was in jolly mode.

After the mall we rushed to home to make the neighborhood holiday get together. We had cookies and grown-up hot chocolate. Yummy! Then we went carroling. It was a lot of fun. And funny. We met some neighbors. On Sunday we'll be heading to a holiday brunch at the club house. It is such a friendly community. We really do love it here.

A Little of This & That

2008-12-19T00:36:00.000-04:00

We have been to Target, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, and such stores more times than I can count. Just when I think we have everything we need in the house, we're hit with the "oh, yeah..." Dare I say, I think we are actually good now. I just would like to update the wall art, but not really a necessity. So it shall wait. We are also 98% done with our Christmas shopping. This includes the gifts for the family in MA. It is already ordered and shipped!!! Yey!!! Originally we were going to pass on gifts to each other since we both furniture & splurged on a nifty, new TV. However, a little something under the tree for us is now in the cards. So I just have to get some time out of the house sans baby. Luckily MrE doesn't have to be on the ship much until after the New Year.

Other than that, I have been a baking fool tonight. Lots of fudge in a variety of flavors and cookies. Tomorrow there will be more baking - cookies & banana bread. Then Sunday, I am making a pumpkin trifle... The weight loss has been fairly going well. We'll just see how true that statement is come Jan 5th.

I'll leave you all with the Christmas lights on VA Beach. We stayed in a on the beach for the first week back in VA. The beach & boardwalk are decorated with different holiday characters including the gifts given on the 12 Days of Christmas! It was beautiful and even more amazing to walk along the boardwalk with my husband and son.

Not in MA Anymore

2008-12-16T21:13:00.000-04:00

For the love god, it's in the 70's... And it's December! It takes away from the Christmas feeling. However, our heat isn't even on yet. We actually had our AC on the other day.

MrE's Homecoming

2008-12-15T20:07:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are pictures from the homecoming and days surrounding...

All Settled In

2008-12-15T18:17:00.000-04:00

It's only been a week, but we are all settled in. All of our stuff arrived intact from the movers. Our purchased furniture has arrived. Even the Christmas Tree is up! Of course there is no room in the garage for the car. Instead there are too many empty boxes to count, trash that needs to go out and some stuff needing to be stored. The moving company will be back to pick up the boxes, and we really need to stop missing trash day. I did manage to acquire three bruises seven cuts and one pulled muscle in my back, but I am just about healed!

I do have a few things that I want to get for the house, but they will have to wait. Alas, I am an at home mom now, ahem domestic engineer, and have lost my income.

Our neighborhood is great!!! We are in a private area with a marina & Jimmy Buffet themed grill. There is a beach club a couple of blocks away, which we may frequent often; A swimming poot, which we will definitely enjoy; A play ground, which we will visit when Bean gets a little bigger; Tennis courts, which will not see any action from us and only because Bean is to small to occupy himself while mom & dad attempt to play tennis. All or our neighbors are friendly. We've been invited to two holiday parties this weekend, one of which will end in Christmas Caroling... We will definitely be attending. I will be making butterscotch fudge, chocolate fudge, white chocolate peppermint fudge, cookies, and a pumpkin trifles for the parties! Watch out Betty Crocker!

No More Peas, Please

2008-12-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

Someone does not like their peas...

He Is Home

2008-12-04T20:58:00.001-04:00

We're home in VA with MrE!!! Bean & I were two of the first people to head to the ship since he was the first baby born during the deployment. That moment made it all worth it. Well, kind of. Nothing is worth missing your husband for 6 months. I just wanted to check in & say we're all together. MrE has to work next week and is off the rest of December. There will be more time for blogging later. Now, it is family time.

He Is Home!!!

2008-12-04T20:44:00.000-04:00

SIGH

2008-11-28T03:51:00.000-04:00

An email was sent out to families of MrE's ship that protestors have scheduled a protest outside the base on the day the ship returns to Norfolk. Flipping idiots. Now, I get the whole freedom of speech aspect. I get that most people do not agree with the war. But do they understand that they had the right to protest because of those soldiers, sailors, airmen that have fought for that right? Do they understand our military members are sent all over God's green Earth because the President & politicians decide that it is to be? Do they understand that families are reuniting after months away from each other? Do they understand that some of our children can read these colorful signs? Do they understand that not all military are returning from a war in Iraq? Some are on humatarian missions. Some are returning from working on strengthening foreign relationships. Flipping idiots!

If you don't agree with policies and/or the way things are done, please feel free to protest at your state & government offices where the politicians are. Write letters to your representatives. Have a politically opinionated blog. Please do not protest where families are reuniting. That is just disgusting.

***UPDATED***

I just finished reading about the group that is scheduling the protest. They have been categorized as a hate group and have been banned from Canada. I was right, flipping idiots!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T13:50:00.000-04:00

I am thankful for so much. I am especially thankful for... My beautiful, healthy boy. My wonderful, loving husband. My supportive family. My husband's safe return from deployment in 4 days. Our next tour, the east coast for 2 more years! My husband's next ship, it isn't slated to deploy until summer 2010. That is 18 months together!!! 1.5 years!!!

I am just so thankful to have the life I have.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!!

The Talk

2008-11-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

I am up with my parents for one more week before returning *home* to VA, home to my husband. Maybe this is why my father felt the need to have the talk with me while my aunt was there.

dad: I hope you are going to be safe, i.e. taking birth control.
me: Yes, dad.
dad: Because your husband could deploy again soon, and you really should wait...
aunt: Oh, I've already talked to her about having more kids.

I just shook my head. There I was in the middle of the living room having the "safe sex" talk with my father & aunt. At 31. Married.

I guess this just proves "a daughter is a daughter for life..."

On His Way!

2008-11-21T11:37:00.002-04:00

JR just left Funchal, Portugal this morning. It was their first and last port visit during the deployment. They will no be crossing the pond to head home!!! We should both be arriving in Virginia on Dec 1st. I will be in Norfolk and he will be in Yorktown. Then Wednesday December 3rd this E! family will all be together for the first time!!!

I honestly cannot contain my excitement!

Friday Fill In

2008-11-21T11:23:00.000-04:00

1. The last band I saw live was Jimmy Buffet, Sep 2007.. (I have seen 4 theater productions since then though - Spamalot, Les Miserables, Annie, & A Christmas Carol, plus a Christmas concert / choir.)
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is a delicious dinner with family without the stress of holiday shopping.
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is half way done.
4. Thoughts of going to meet MrE on the pier with Bean fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear my old size, damn post-pregnancy weight.
6. Bagpipes make me sad.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my cousin's 40th birthday, tomorrow my plans include some heading out with my sister and Sunday, I want to finally get together with Beth for breakfast and then head to my *aunt's* house to visit with everyone before I leave!

Off to the office... When I return I will be a stay at home mom.

A Good Day

2008-11-20T18:54:00.000-04:00

I crawled into bed at 2:00am this morning after the last item for the move was in place. Ahh, sweet relief. I was given between a 2 hr window in which the movers would be here, 8-10am. They arrived early. Miracle One. This is when I realized that my father & I would be a little preoccupied with the movers and we had one 9 month old and one 4 month old on hand. Sweet Baby Jesus. I reached for the phone and called my Savior, my SIL Kat. She was awake and at the house in a about 10 minutes. Miracle Two. Since I had already organized all items in three designated areas and placed them in totes or XXL storage bags, the move went very smoothly. They had to repack a very few things, and were out of here in under 4 hrs!!! Miracle Three. This left me the perfect amount of time to clean up Bean, shower & change myself, grab a coffee, and head to Bean's 4 month appt. Early. Miracle Four. (Side note - I am usually running in the door making it just in time or a couple of minutes late. This happens whether I get ready 15 minutes or 2 hrs before. Damn that Murphy!)

As for Bean's appt, Dr.C called him a little "butterball", but a healthy butterball. He is in the 90th percentile for height, weight & head size. Proportionate. We were given the okay for fruits & veggies. He was laughing and smiling for Dr.C. Unfortunately, this was short lived. I really wish MrE was around for these shot appointments. I certainly don't like being associated with that pain. He grimaced. He cried. I cuddled with him. He stopped. He is such a little trooper. If it were only this easy every time. Today, I would have given him a lollipop if he were older, but he's not. So, I guess I'll have the treat instead. **grinning**

All of this was topped off with Bean rolling over on his own for the first time. He has been close the last few days, but just as he was almost over he would roll to the other side, hold, and repeat the process. I know he was thinking, mom why the hayride would I go on my belly? I hate being on my belly! So it was a very productive day here!

Tomorrow I am off to the office. One last time. Again. But tonight I will relax. There is no more to pack, just laundry to do. G-Pa is in the chair with Zilla & Bean singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat. So this mama is going to enjoy a glass of wine, ahem, her treat.

Eleven more days to enjoy with the family before heading home with MrE.

Last Day at Work

2008-11-18T23:25:00.000-04:00

Today I took a break from packing to go into work one last time, or so I thought. There was a mini-going away party with cake and some of my friends from work. I brought Bean in for one last visit and he was on his best behavoir. He smiled. He laughed. He ate. He slept. There were some teary eyed moments. My friends gave me a beautiful Irish knot necklace. I love it!!! Nice things were said, hugs were given, and after the chit-chat there wasn't enough time to turn in company owned property. So I'm going back. One more time... Well not one more time really, but at least for now. I could really see myself going back there when we return to MA or if we end up in CA. Who knows? I do know that I have met friends there that will last.

As for tomorrow, the movers will be here bright & early!!! Another day closer.

Winding Down

2008-11-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

I am living in a war zone. Seriously. Disorganized. Messy. Chaos. These are all words that come to mind. There are boxes, tupperware bins & XXL storage bags with items that are to survive this move. Other items have been sent to the reserves. No need to bring any baby stuff that Bean has grown out of. Said items will stay in MA until the next boy in the family is born. Just like outdated ships are sold off to other countries, some items have been set aside for the local second hand store. Then of course there are the casualties of war. This includes anything that has served its purpose and no longer has any life left in it.

This is all unstrategically placed throughout the house. I just hope that the gods of moving & gods of childcare do not plot for my demise over the next two nights. Navigating in darkness to my son's crib may be a mission where injuries are sustained. My original plan is a little off and this is not completely due to procrastination. At least this viral thing went around before the drive to VA. With any luck, I will be finished packing tomorrow night. Items will be organized and in two general areas for the movers, who will be here Thursday. Then it will be suitcase living until Dec 2nd. At least it will be minimal disorganization.

So, when MrE was last with us, I was 36 weeks pregnant and so emotional that I cried. And cried. And cried. The crying debachle was before he even left. Surprisingly, there weren't as many tears once he left. Still a few, just not as many. Being in MA with family was so comforting. I will truly miss it here. Six months flew by! Having my parents, my sister & her family, my brother & his wife be part of my journey into motherhood was so special. I cannot begin to thank them for all of their help & support these last 5 months with Bean. That being said, I am so very excited to see my husband. I am even more excited to have our new family together.

And I can't lie, I'm looking forward to having things neat & orderly again! Can we chant, no more boxes!!! That is unless the USN desides to move us come July...

Cutie Patutie

2008-11-15T22:48:00.000-04:00

Don't let the carseat & smile fool you, he's a tough boy.

Casablanca, Morocco

2008-11-15T11:04:00.003-04:00

Hey all!!

We arrived in Casablanca, Morocco on Tuesday morning. This was our last “working port” of the deployment. We’ve conducted a significant amount of training here so far. Two Firefighting drills, medical training and two live boardings. Additionally, we had a reception on the flight deck, painted 16 rooms in a local school, conducted 3 days of ship tours and had several planning meetings for an u/w exercise. All in all, a very busy week.

However, I did get a chance to head out and take a tour of the Hassan II Mosque. The Hassan II is the 3rd largest Mosque in the world. We got a private tour with a guide that spoke English between prayer times. Muslims are required to pray 5 times a day. 2 times in the morning, once in the morning, and twice in the evening (all based on sunrise/sunset). The Mosque was absolutely beautiful! It had the largest tower of any Mosque in the world at over 200 meters high and at sunset, a green light emanates from the top window in the direction of Mecca. It was built in 1987-93, and they constructed it around the clock, 24/7 for 6 years, all told, 50 million man hours were expended. The Mosque holds 25,000 people inside (20K men on the bottom floor, and 5K women in the balconies on the side). Another 80K can pray on the grounds surrounding the Mosque. Before prayers, Muslims are required to “wash” their mouth, nose, ears, face, hair, elbows and feet. In the basement of the Mosque there are two “washing” facilities. One was in the Style of the Turkish bath. Where there were steam baths and a pool. The other had fountains that prayer goers can used to “rinse” with. Additionally, when entering the Mosque, one has to remove their shoes. They get taken to the exit where you pick them up when you leave.

Inside the great hall, the Mosque was absolutely enormous! I’m positive the whole ship could have fit inside w/ no problems. The ceiling was nearly 60 meters high and could be opened to let air in and ventilate. There was no A/C, so during the summer months you can imagine how hot it might get w/ 25,000 people inside. The ceiling was a made of cedar with ornamental carvings and colorful paint. The walls were made of granite and ornamental plaster. The floors were made of marble and chandeliers were from Italy. With the exception of the chandeliers, all material used to construct the Mosque, all came from Morocco.

Tuesday night, I got to go out to the Seaman’s Institute Center. It was a guarded safe house for international mariners and foreign Navies. There was a bar, tv’s, free wifi, and good American food there. Everyone had a good time. One of the guys in the wardroom had his birthday party there. Last night, I went out w/ Joe and the XO. We went to the Hyatt hotel and had some drinks at the hotel bar. There was live Jazz and the Saxophone player there from Kentucky…small world. Then we went to a Moroccan restaurant there too. The food there was amazing! Probably the best food I’ve had on deployment. We had Kous Kous, Chicken Taboli, and Roasted Lamb. All in all, we had a good night.

Tonight I’m heading to the Consulate General Quarters for an American BBQ and some drinks. We’ll probably mingle w/ the foreign service officers, then head out to the Seaman’s Center. Should be a good time.

Our next port visit is our last of the deployment. We’re under 3 weeks till home now, and I couldn’t be more excited to be heading home. Life will definitely different when I return. When I left Azzy was still pregnant, and we were travelling back & forth between two separate states. Now I’ll return to Norfolk to greet my beautiful wife, handsome son and all the rest of the family!! I cannot wait to be home!!

-J.R.

Best Buddies

2008-11-15T10:28:00.000-04:00

I have a feeling that there will be some seperation issues between these two little boys... Mon - Fri and some part of the weekend they are together. Zilla is usually crawling towards Bean. He gives him kisses, pats him when Bean is crying, and even holds his hand when they are watching their baby show. Of course some pats are a little tough and must be quickly intercepted. Sometimes Bean is in Zilla's direct path and becomes a mere speed bump. Sometimes there is the theft of the coveted binky. Most of the time Bean instantly smiles when he sees Zilly. Then again, he sometimes looks at me for protection.

Whenever our time in the Navy ends, be it 2 years or 12, we plan to settle back here in MA. Bean and Zilla will be 2 or 12. They will be in the same grade and potentially at the same school. Little buddies. It really is great having them so close together in age. Until that comes Zilla will be missed greatly by Bean.

Checking In

2008-11-14T00:40:00.003-04:00

So the hubby is back in communication, yey!!! During a recent firmware upgrade on their sat phone all communcation connectivity crashed. No email. No phone. No connection with the outside world. Lovely! Being in the IT field, I have seen my share of failed upgrades. Problem was fixed yesterday and the ship has rejoined the technology age.

They are currently in Casablanca. The last couple of ports did not leave time for picture taking. So no reports, no pictures, no exciting trips... He did go on a tour of a "beautiful" mosque today & took a lot of pictures. An update will be coming soon! After this there is one more stop before making the trip back home.

In less approximately 3 weeks JR, Connor and myself will finally be together!!!

Home Sweet Home

2008-11-12T12:25:00.000-04:00

Yey, we have a home!!! We were just waiting on the contract before all was 100%. We lucked out finding a home on Chesapeake Bay. I grew up on the ocean. I have lived away from the ocean before, but it is where I prefer to be as does MrE. So we are quite happy. Our home is a 3 Bed, 2 Bath. Room for visitors! So come on a tour...

All L-R
1st Row: Front Door, hallway, back of the house
2nd Row: Living room, kitchen, dining area
3rd Row: Master bath, master bedroom, Bean's bath
4th Row: Deck, our view, another view

We're on the marina and just down the road from the beach. There is a neighborhood pool. The best part, I'll be there in 3 short weeks with Bean and MrE!!!

My Little Man

2008-11-12T10:40:00.000-04:00

I can't get over how big he is getting or how much it looks like he should go help GPa build something in the garage. I just love him!!!

Happy Veterans Day!!!

2008-11-12T00:27:00.000-04:00

This morning we made an early dash to the high school for a spot at the end of the Veterans Day parade route. It is important for us to note when asking my brother for the time of the parade we specify the time for spectators (us) not those marching in the parade (him). So we were an hour early, for once! The parade was such a great tribute. There were veterans past & present, police officers, fire fighters... A nice group of those who give selflessly. The raising of the flag was timed with a BlackHawk flyover, very touching for this Navy wife - Air Force veteran.

I do not have pictures of all family & friends who serve, but here are some. Thank you for your sacrifice, and to the families at home because it is a sacrifice to you as well!

And thank you to Liz for the photo collage idea!!!

Quarantined

2008-11-09T12:21:00.000-04:00

We've been hiding here on Whisper Ln. A bit of a cold has passed from me to my son to my nephew to the grandparents and so on. I'm not sure who started this whole mess, but a mess it was. We are feeling human today and the sun is out.

We did manage to dress up on Halloween and visit some family! All of the boys were adorable. I imagine this will only last a few short years. Then there will be no more lion, turkey, bee or monkey costumes. They will be heros, monsters, and the like.

We're also getting ready for our move, 22 days away! The movers will be here tomorrow to inspect what they will have to pack & ship later on in the month. Other than that, we're heading out to enjoy some fresh air & sun. Bean is also letting me know time for lunch. Gotta run!

Lome, Togo

2008-11-01T11:03:00.000-04:00

Hello family,

Sorry this email is about two weeks late…

Last week we pulled into Lome, Togo for our last Africa Partnership Station port visit. We were there from Monday to Thursday. This was supposed to be one of our most ambitious port visits with receptions, office calls, training and tours. However, the weather and current teamed up to make it one of our most difficult visits to date. The pier we pulled into was unprotected from the current that flowed into the harbor from the sea. While mooring to the pier, we had difficulty staying moored alongside the pier. Due to the current, the ship would surge ahead as much as 15’ as we were tied up. The undue stress this put on our mooring lines ended up parting several of them. It’s not good to be underway next the to pier, to say the least. So, we got u/w and went to see to anchorage where our plan was ride out the tide on the hook until harbor security could secure another pier for us to pull back into.

So after hanging around on the hook for a couple hours, we pulled back into port to a different pier with the hopes that we’d be more protected from the current. By the time we were moored, it was nearly 6pm and we had an official dinner w/ the Embassy personnel. I went out to dinner at a nice Lebonese restaurant w/ the CO/XO, Command Senior Chief and a few other sailors. We had a wonderful meal, and I even got to try sheep brains!!!! Looked and tasted just like scrambled eggs…but evidently, that was a delicacy there.

However, by the time we got back to the ship, a couple other mooring lines were fraying and by midnight we’d parted the frayed lines. So, there I was, comfy in my rack, getting some well needed rest, when at midnight, I hear, “NOW MAN YOUR SEA AND ANCHOR STATIONS, THE SHIP EXPECTS TO GET U/W IN 20 MINS”…we had to get u/w again. After manning up to get u/w, we went to sea about 2 miles and dropped the hook again. After a long day, we spent a long night getting the ship safely to sea. By the time we were anchored, it was 2am. But this is where the fun really started.

Although, being on the hook is safer for the ship (no inadvertent u/w’s with half the crew on liberty), the current at anchor was just as bad. For three days and nights, we took consistent 25 deg rolls. It was like working on a roller coaster for half a week. As you transitted the ship, you periodically walked on the walls to get from point A to B. And if you think working was difficult, try sleeping when the ship was actively trying to roll you out of your bed. Luckily, I have a middle rack, about 4 feet off the ground, so it wasn’t too bad, but the poor suckers in top racks had to sleep w/ their heavy seas straps on (these are straps that prevent you from rolling out of bed in the middle of the night. To top it all off, we were having A/C probs through most of the week, so the ship was a muggy 85 degs for 4 days, on top of the constant rolls.

We were supposed to take nearly 100K gals of fuel and receive a bunch of parts while pierside. However, since we were now at sea, there were no barges to bring the fuel to us, and bringing boats full of parts out to us was also problematic. We did our best to maintain the schedule of tours, office calls and receptions, but many events were cancelled. Bringing a liberty launch (a boat that carries people back and forth from anchorage) alongside was problematic at best. We have an accommodation ladder that we lower on the side of the ship…it’s a 30’ set of stairs that go down right to the water’s edge. However, during heaving rolls, the bottom of the ladder goes from 10’ above the water, to being plunged down into it, with every crest and trough of a wave. Try loading civilians, or drunk sailors from that to a boat and tell me it’s safe. After several attempts to carry on tours, and getting our sports teams and trainers back and forth, we decided it was a futile effort, and secured all further boats back and forth. Needless to say, it was a long 4 days in Togo, and I didn’t get to go ashore. Sorry, that I don’t have any pics either.

-J.R.

Sao Tome, Africa

2008-10-24T11:15:00.000-04:00

Hello family!!

Got u/w from anchorage at Sao Tome on Friday morning after spending a week on the “hook” 2 miles off the island. STP is a small island nation composed of two separate islands (Sao Tome, which we anchored off of, and Principe, we didn’t visit there). While there, we engaged in training with the STP Coast Guard. We held training on Search and Rescue and diesel/outboard engine repairs. My engineers stayed busy teaching and helping them fix a couple of their small craft. We also conducted tours onboard for dignitaries and military officials, and the crew got to go on a mountain hike and witnessed a breathtaking waterfall. I also conducted VIP tours for the American Ambassador to Gabon and STP and the workers for the local Voice of America, radio station. Overall, it was a good port visit operationally.

I got off the ship for one evening and even got to have some pizza. It was a busy port visit for me as we were experiencing problems with our A/C units. We have three 30 ton A/C units. But currently we’re having problems w/ 2 of them. With the local temps around 90 deg during the day, 1 A/C is not enough to keep the ship and electronic consoles cool. We t/s galanting for over a week trying to fix 2 of the A/C’s, but to say the least it was hot has HELL onboard. The temp inside the ship in my room and workspaces hovered around 90 deg during the day and not much cooler at night. We finally got another A/C back up yesterday and the ship cooled back off. However, it was a long week. Thus are the woes of being in Africa where getting the parts and materials you need is pretty difficult.

Sorry the pics are lean for this one, but I didn’t get out much and there aren’t a lot of pics taken by other sailors here. I think everyone is just ready to come home and the thrill of travel has waned as we completed our 20th port visit in just 4.5 long months. At any rate, here are a few from our Community Relations project at a local school. We delivered school supplies like paper, books, pens/pencils, crayons, and glue. The pics are priceless, and show what a positive impact we have where we’ve been in Africa.

The next stop is our last African Partnership Station visit, thus concluding our training and engagement in Africa. We still have a 3 more port visits, but one is a brief stop for fuel, one is a liberty port, and one is a port where we “chop” out of the AOR. We’ll have about 3 weeks of u/w time over the next month and a half, so we’ll be able to settle into an at-sea routine to do paperwork and training in preparation for our return to Norfolk. At this point in the deployment, the leadership challenge is keeping everyone’s head in the game so we can complete the last of our deployment and stay safe at sea when they all have their eye on home. I understand the effort, as my head is already thinking about home (well, it never really stopped, but coming home so soon consumes my thoughts as well). Keeping everyone focused is a daily challenge now though.

I'm a rockstar, kind of...

2008-10-22T12:46:00.000-04:00

As far as getting all things move related tacked, I'm a rockstar... This may be the only time I can refer to myself as a rockstar since being an actual rockstar will never happen. Singing isn't really my forte. And to further toot my own horn, this was all done while working 20 hrs per week, fighting a cold myself, and taking care of my teething son who also has a cold.

Our housing has been settled if all goes well. Will you cross your fingers for us please? It's absolutely beautiful.

Just contacted the office about shipping our household goods. Just waiting on the date confirmation. With any luck this will be done just before we leave MA and arrive in VA just about the same time we do. Again, could you cross your fingers for us?

The new car, taken car of! The upside to the economy crunch is that we were able to get a great deal on an '07.

Still looking into a new Doc for Bean.

The new furniture will wait until we are down there since we had to find out the spacing issues on the new home. Plus we want to pick it out together.

Will still have to resupply the house with groceries, but that will get done.

Now, it is only 40 days until the big move & the big return!!!

Quick, quick

2008-10-18T13:16:00.000-04:00

I'm off to my sister's house so that we may be lazy together today. She orchestrated quite the birthday festivities for me last night. Lots of family & friends in attendance. It was absolutely wonderful, and had MrE been there, it would have been the best birthday night out for this girl. He'll be home soon though. So soon I just smile whenever I think about it! Bean was in the tender care of G-Pa & Nana until 9:30 this am and is now napping. Even he is being super considerate for mommy today... I got to speak to MrE, which is always wonderful! So 31 is shaping up to be a good year already.

So we're off to Aunty Liss's and then some Target-ing... Tonight cake with the family. Tomorrow will be the great clean up of October 08. With fall final at our doorstep, I am going to light the pumpkin pie candle.

Our Little Journeys

Gone Again

Daddy Is Home!

Christmas In MA

Christmas Show

Pre-Christmas Celebration

Here We Are Again

So Far In MA...

A More Permanent Home

Our Bean is 2!!!

Summer in VA Beach

Enchanted Forrest, Norfolk Botannical Gardens

April, May, June in MA

April in VA

Busch Gardens

Happy Easter

Back in VA

The Best Party Ever

Moments in Our Family

Easter Potraits, 2010

I'm Still Standing

Like Butter, I'm On A Roll

Our First Snow Day

I'd Like To Blame FaceBook!

Already defying her mama!

Halloween 2009!

The Orange Ball Patch!

Bad, bad blogger

Picture Updates

Updates of This & That

Rainbows of Color

Purple

Blue

Green

Yellow

Orange

Colour Project - Red

Connor Says Hello!

Another Beautiful Weekend

A Year of Bean

Connor's Birthday

Happy Birthday Bean!

Bean's Baptism Weekend

Our Travels, Finally!

Vacation, Vol I & II

We're Free!!!

Our Weekend

Catching Up

Easter, Part 1

A Beautiful Weekend

What day is it?

Our Calendar

Happy Birthday Grampy

A Family Outing

February Pictures

February Trip Home

The Cyber Twins & Bean

Be Ready For Change

6 Months & growing!!!

We're Free!

Hi LuLu!!!

Friday Fill In

Quarantine

Bean Loves Dogs

January 14

Decisions, Decisions

The Biggest Loser

The Holiday Marathon

December in VA

A Year In Review

100 Things

All Things Christmas

A Little of This & That

Not in MA Anymore

MrE's Homecoming

All Settled In

No More Peas, Please

He Is Home

He Is Home!!!

*SIGH*

SIGH