We Are Quite The Movie Goer Combination

I finally saw City of Bones tonight! During this one part Ryan, VERY out loud says, "oh gosh!!! Another Twilight movie!!!" Meanwhile Ty fell asleep and all the while I'm trying not to scream thru the movie!!! We are quite the movie goer combination!!! 

You Are My Favorite Player!

Driving home from football practice tonight.....conversation between Ty and Ryan.....

Ty: "So and so is my second favorite player on your team."

Ryan: "Yeah, he's really good. Whose your favorite?"

Ty: "You Ryan!"

Ryan: "Me?!?!"

Ty: "Yes! Of course YOU!!!"

Ryan: ( all choked up ) "Wow Ty...."

In between all the shut ups and punches they really are each others best friends! I just love these boys!!!!!    

Middle Of Nowhere Bus Stop Struggles

Like, um, HELLO MS BUS DRIVER!!! YOU DIDN'T EVEN STOP THIS MORNING!!!  Nothing like having to chase down the bus! It was pouring down rain so Vicki was sitting in the jeep with me while we waited for the bus and the bus didn't even slow down at our stop!!! I know we are in the middle of nowhere, but so are the rest of these middle of nowhere bus stops!!! We caught the bus 2 stops down!  Oh the struggles of living in the country sometimes!!!

Vicki Is Walking Again!

Victoria began her road to recovery tonight at the gym during Ryan's football practice! She was one happy camper to get the go ahead from her doctor to exercise again!

Good Night #307

This is The Dude in Cammies Good Night picture #307. It is from Bella and Jasper.  They crack me up. Bella is giving him her 'Don't kill me when you get back!' face and Jasper is giving a 'I miss you terribly!' face and probably trying to guilt trip his Master into sending for him!

Another Season Has Passed

The Dude in Cammies left in the middle of Fall....We have finished Fall, survived Winter, cruised into Spring, and loved our R&R with The Dude in Cammies during Summer and now we are back to Fall!  He must almost be home!!!

First Weigh In

Ryan had his first weigh in for his first football game of the season. He is still a light weight in this league. One of his team mates didn't weigh enough and another was over, but all the rest were just fine!

Pumpkin Pie in August

Vicki and i were in the mood for Pumpkin Pie. Sooo, i checked my cabinets and whala!  Had everything and so i made a very yummy one from scratch! It was a perfect late summer treat! YUM!

He's Already Left....

Whenever The Dude In Cammies deploys he is completely gone before he actually leaves....you can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. He stops looking at me. He looks over me. There is zero eye contact. His voice becomes serious and matter of fact. I am basically now one of his troops being left behind to take care of his little troops. He gives me his last bit of advice almost like a briefing. It literally sounds like the guy who gives you the mandatory power point presentation telling you something you already know. Than it is the  one armed hug, and he is gone. This was the most reserved i have ever seen him. I know this deployment is bad. He has only shared a few things with me because he knows how much i worry but he also knows how much i read and that i read the newspapers of other countries. He was surprised i knew so much about his location and missions. I showed him the reporter i follow. He said everything was accurate. I knew it was.....he lives in a very scary world. I understand him already checked out emotionally. I don't cry. I smile. I tell him i love him and we will be fine and not to worry about anything in NC, that i have the easy job, for him to just do his job and come back to us and we will be waiting to pick him up.  I get the little half smile and a tiny glance into my eyes, itty bitty tiny glance before he quickly looks away while kissing my forehead. I know he didn't even want to do that, but he did. He loves me more than anything and i know leaving is hard and he won't show that, ever, and i won't cry and have him feel that pain when he leaves....he can see me smile blinking back tears.....i think he can handle that as he flies back to the depths of hell.

 

 

Waiting To Say Goodbye...

Looking at these pictures i can feel every emotion.....deeply...it kinda hurts....but these pictures also make me smile even though my eyes are watering up and there will probably be a few tear drops that drip drop while i type..The personnel at the airport by our house were awesome. It is a tiny airport about 15 minutes from our house. It is always nonstop of Marines flying in and out. A huge number of Marines fly in after boot camp to attend a variety of schools here as well as SOI. That alone provides a rotating door of Marines in and out. not to mention those getting orders to New River, Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson, and Camp Lejeune all fly in here. The airport gave us all passes and let us go thru security with The Dude In Not In Cammies and wait with him until he boarded his flight. It is a small airport so when you are called you go outside to the flight line and climb the little ladder to the little airplane that takes you to a larger airport to connect to your larger plane.  First this was weird to be saying goodbye in a regular airport terminal.  It was also like 5 in the evening! Not 11 at night or 1 am!!! The sun was out and i was fully awake! There wasn't all the hustle and bustle of Marines in their desert cammies scurrying here and there and children running all over, wives chit chatting, little ones crying, friends (other Marines) gathered around who had come to see the Marines off. There were no giant stacks of packs piled up. Everything was just off! The Dude in Cammies, was NOT in cammies. He had them in his carry on and he would change into those as soon as he left American soil and got in a certain part of the globe where Marines are allowed to dress in their cammies off of a military base. All other military branches can travel in their BDU's, but not Marines.....i always feel for our Marines; as when you see them in an airport in civilian clothes there is no way for any American to know that they just traveled half way around the globe and could have been literally fighting for their life (and yours) just a few days prior and will go un-noticed in the airports but the soldier wearing his cammies home on leave just flying from his base in NC to visit a girlfriend in California may get bumped up to First Class, numerous hand shakes, tons of compliments, food and drinks bought for him and he might not have ever even deployed.....yes, I've blogged about this before and will again....it frustrates me.....i don't know why our guys have to find a place to change and lug around boots and cammies in a carry on.....I'm sure there is a really good reason, probably so they aren't recognized by a potential terrorist on a plane because their haircut and tattoos won't give their Marine identity away already.....well enough rambling....i think i succeeded in distracting my emotions to dry my eyes and get back to this blog post....yes....Waiting to say the official last goodbye....i usually just sit and watch the kids with their Dad.....all their funny little teasing that they always do with each other....Ryan still gets pulled on his Dads lap even though he insists he is too big.....the downfalls of being the 'baby' of the family i s'pose....he will never outgrow anything!!! All the final advice given, especially between Dad and Ty.....i guess football is really important in a guys world.....they went over plays, conditioning, what to do, not to do.....yes, The Dude In Not In Cammies is really saddened to be missing the boys football season. It is just a really tender time to watch them and with them being older now they know the realities of what their Dad does and that there is a high probability he might not come home. Some jobs on deployments are pretty guaranteed for a safe return. Very few ever die on ship deployments, that is rare. Those who have jobs that keep them on our bases in other countries have a VERY high probability of coming home. These kids know that when their Dad deploys he is off a base more than on a base and this deployment he is with the ANA advising an Afghan Sgt Maj and 4200 Afghan soldiers who switch back and forth with the ANA and Taliban as fast as Jasper switches on if he wants inside or outside. He lives in a tent right there with the Afghan Army in the most dangerous place in Afghanistan. There are certain places he goes that the bridges can't hold our big armored vehicles and so he has to ride in the BACK of these little trucks, not like back seat of extended cab trucks, like BACK, bouncing around in the BACK of the truck bed, little trucks....i think if people knew exactly what he did over there they would probably wonder how i could possibly even let him get on that airplane and leave us....but it is what he does.....the kids and i know this is what he does.....this is what he has been trained to do.....this is a guy who doesn't blink when things go to hell, he goes forward. He actually loves what he does and he serves under our countries flag and that is the only reason he does this and why we can send him off. I am in awe at the maturity in my children and how they just know this is how it is. They never grumble aside from what i would expect from anyone their age. They have never asked for their Dad to get out of the Marine Corps. They love who he is and what he does, even if that means sharing him with our country and sending him to the far corners of the world for extended periods of time. They get it and they understand that some have to make the hard sacrifices for those that can't or are unwilling. Vicki kept covering up her face.....i will have to see if i have any of her that aren't blurry or a hand in front of my lens....but anyways...these were those last 60 minutes before he had to leave us, again....it was nice having him pretty much all to ourselves....he was with a group of Marines who were also slated for R&R during his same dates. Not from his team, from other teams, so they had traveled to NC together and were traveling back together. It was a small group, 9 and they met to discuss a few things about a couple places they were headed and where they were changing and some things that had come up in some desert locations they would be making some hopeful transfers at. It gets a little dicey once they get to certain spot, than it is just a matter of piecing your way back to your FOB flight by flight and working around sand storms, religious holidays, hostilities, etc., as you make your way back to your tent. It's not like the typical American booking a flight from location A to B and you just arrive at B. They are kinda going from A to Z and dodging missiles and RPG's and such on the latter end.  We are chit chatting and getting ready to say goodbye.....The Dude In Not In Cammies is doing his best to still stay with us but i can feel him detaching as he glances more often at his watch and his answers become more monotone mhmms or he asks me to repeat myself when i am looking at him and he knows he missed something......that is my cue, i know he is checking out and i just hold his hand for those last few minutes until they start making the boarding announcements....

            

 

No School Today

I didn't have to work today so Vicki and i spent a nice chunk of the day at New River Marina. It was gorgeous out! We stopped at Sonic and got our favorite drinks and than just sat in the sun listening to the waves lap up on the shore while enjoying the warmth of the sun on us. It was a perfect day to not have to be sitting in a classroom!

He His Already A Million Miles Away

 

This was taken right before he went out the door to board to his plane. You can tell by the look in his eyes he is already gone....the wall is up, he has disconnected with us, and his mind is already a million miles way.....back to the battlefields of Afghanistan.....

Hugs & Tears

The hard part arrived....the last hugs before he gets on his plane and flies away from us....we don't say it, but we all know we might not ever see him again. It is the reality of having a Marine for a Dad and a Husband.....they fight bad guys in the enemies land. It's a dangerous job with no guarentees of survival....Vicki always takes the goodbyes really hard.....The Dude In Not In Cammies is on robot mode by this point and he isn't even really with us anymore. His mind is already in battle mode. We can feel it in his hugs, they are barely there, mine are always one armed by this point....i understand....he gives us the big goodbye hugs at the house after we have one last family prayer before we leave to drop him off. By the time we arrive at his drop off location he has already completly seperated himself from the civillian world and even though he wasn't in cammies this time, he was still in full Marine mode when they called his flight over the microphone.

 

Just a half way hug

The one arm hug...

Vix in full blown tears...she makes it rough on the rest of us!!!

Wedding Photo Booth Fun

Just having a little fun in the photo booth at the wedding reception....

 

Moving Across Time Zones

I had been setting a new clock on my phone as The Dude In Cammies made his way across the globe to come see us for his R&R!!!! He is finally in Atlanta and on East Coast time! Thank goodness! My screen is out of room!

I bought these ties in China back in 2009.....the boys are finally tall enough and The Dude in Cammies is home on a Sunday for them to all wear their panda ties! It was kinda hard to get a picture though.....when they stand close they can't help but attack each other!!!

My Day

Since it was my Birthday today the boys said they would tag along with me. They went to the gym with me and did the Aqua Spin class, and than we went to Cold Stone for a yummy ice cream treat and The Dude in Cammies emailed me 2 pictures!!! It has been a wonderful 45th Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday To Me

Yep, The Dude in Cammies knows me soooo well!!! This came in the mail for my birthday! Yep, I'm a happy girl!!! 

Happy 10th Birthday Tank!

Tank is 10 years old!!! This cat has had quite the life! He was born the summer of 2003 in Okinawa. We arrived the end of August. Early September we had zipped to the PX to get some things. Ed and the kids went in the PX while i zipped into a cute little Oki shop. when i came out of my shop 20 minutes later he and all four kids were sitting on the wall with a couple of shopping bags and 2 adorable kittens! Vicki named one Princess and Jorden named the other Tank.  Princess did not stay longer than about 1 1/2 years 
with us before trading us in for Officer Housing. She kept going to this one house and they would bring her back.....we finally told them they could keep her and everyone lived happily ever after! Atleast, as far as we know Princess lived happily ever after......We celebrated Tanks 'Decade' birthday with a platter of shrimp for him.  He was in heaven and even shared with the dogs! Jasper is quite the fan of shrimp so he was VERY happy to celebrate with Tank! 

Bonding With The Dude in Cammies

I bond with The Dude in Cammies almost everyday! I sit in the sauna after i swim laps. It is always in the 200 degree mark and i think about how The Dude in Cammies is wearing cammies and full battle gear while i am just sitting in a swimsuit and will jump into the shower as soon as i am done sweating! I guess i have the better end of our bonding time!

Memorial Day 2013

The boys and I visited the memorial sites today…..always overwhelming to think of all those who have had to die for our country or to help others in other countries….they had boots lined up on the Highway going into Camp Lejeune…..very powerful….

A Tennis Ball Tree?!!!

I think Jasper thinks my Peach Tree is a Tennis Ball Tree!!!  He better NOT even think about eating my peaches!!! 

Smackin' Golf Balls....In All The Wrong Places...

Cleaning the kids bathroom because they are outside playing....both boys come inside and offer to clean the bathroom for me....red flags in Mommy brain flying like crazy, they have NEVER asked to take over in the bathroom and Ty is scooting me away from the toilet to start cleaning it, Ryan starts on the sink....door bell rings...I tell Ry to go get it because it is likely one of their friends…Ty is deeply focused on cleaning the toilet…Ryan tells me the door is for me.  Odd, my only friend is an ocean and a couple of countries away…..it’s one of our neighbors informing me that someone, and he doesn’t know who, was golfing from my yard with rocks and one hit his truck but not anywhere where it mattered but I might want to check with my boys because whoever it was has a really good swing and next time it might be a window.  I told him Ty had just come in and took over cleaning the bathroom and I was just starting to clean the toilet and so I knew something was up!!! He laughed, he’s a really nice guy. I went back to the now almost spotless bathroom and asked Ty if he thought cleaning the bathroom would clean the past? He mumbled no and we had a little chit chat on how he knows where he is allowed to practice and why his brain would even consider taking rocks out of her landscape that we paid for and launch them towards people’s houses etc….!!! He went and talked to the person whose truck he hit and surrendered all his electronics to me. Ryan surrendered all his to me as well since as he said, “I was with him…” Gotta love boys, but man they can drive me crazy!!!  Soooo, they have their bows and their guns in the back yard and are waiting for some birds to land in the yard…..  

I am sooo glad that SOMEONE knew that apricot preserves, Russian dressing, onion soup mix, and pineapple mixed together would be soooo yummy to cook my chicken in! I just never would have been in my kitchen thinking to mix those together!!!! But than I never would have looked at a chicken and thought there was food under the feathers!!! Lol

Rockin' The Green Stache! NOT

We decided to send The Dude In Cammies a picture to make him laugh! I think this will work! Here we are rockin' the green stache!!!  hahahahahahahahahahahaha


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Ty Target Shooting In Plaid

Just another day of Ty forever practicing shooting targets.....

What's Behind Door #1

Look what I found when I opened the door to the pantry!!!! Definitely better than finding the milk sitting next to the cereal!!!! Ya just never know what you will find when you open the door to the pantry.....something just might jump out at you!!!

Selfies With Vicki

Bella: I love selfies!!!! But why is Vicki always photo bombing mine?!!!

Dog Tags & A Watch

Traffic was moving VERY slow as i got closer to the base this morning.....soooo I decided to clean out The Dude in Cammies console in his jeep.  I usually drive it one day every other week to work.  There were LOTS of sunflower seeds and other odds and ends that really didn't need to be in there and i KNOW he would have tossed if he would have thought to open it before he left.  But other than those things i left everything else in there....even a few sunflower seeds.....i love his dog tags.....i love when he wears them.....he HATES them.....i love them.....my heart did a little fip flop when i held them while cleaning out everything else.....these have been around his neck......they have been on his chest........over his heart.......worn in who knows how many situations......he took different ones with him and left this pair in his jeep and another set hanging in our room......i love them.....i have his very first one that i carry with me always......he also had his watch in the console.  Not just any old watch......this is a watch that we have repaired over and over again. The first time i was with him when he was looking for a part on the wrist strap i just nonchalantly mentioned, "I'll just but you a new one babe...."  He snapped at me, harshly, but in that Marine harshness where it doesn't hurt your feelings because you are now aware that the watch means something and can never be replaced.....he quickly said he was sorry......and than very carefully and with the tiniest quiver in his voice that nobody but me would have noticed he softly said, "the blood of my Marines is in that watch.....my brothers blood......i will never throw it away....."  The 'watch' has a very reverent affect on me now when i find it in various places.  I'm sure it was left in his jeep because he had it with him trying to get it fixed before he left again and wasn't able to this time......he bought a new one......but this one will remain with him forever....    

Jasper Missing His Daddy....

Jasper really misses his Daddy.....when we get a chance to skype he is really excited at first hearing The Dude in Cammies voice and whistle and than he just settles down (prefering the keyboard for his head) and just listens to the rest of our conversations.  The appearance is sad.....but i think it is soothing for his to just lay there and listen to our voices....

Go Vicki!!!!

Victoria has Regionals today!!! Go Vicki!  I guess swim season is just about over....i will miss my nightly swim....but Go Vicki!!! 

Best Gift EVER!

We got to Skype for our 17th wedding anniversary!!! Best gift ever!!! Even if it was the day after 💗💋❤💚💜💙💛

Heading To Another Swim Meet

Vicki and fellow swimmers getting ready to leave for a swim meet!

Having fun on the bus!!!

Night at the Pool

Just a normal night at the pool while Vicki is having swim practice for her High  School....I swim laps and the boys have fun jumping off the platform! Of course there is always the courtesy frog hanging out as well...

One Last Walk at a Favorite Spot

The rain held off, so we walked hand in hand on one of our favorite piers....it will be awhile before we walk it together again.....

Leaves Are Falling On My Head

Out back this morning with the dogs making sure little Bella didn't escape under any of the fence line enjoying my hot cocoa but completely annoyed at all the leaves falling on my head! Lol :)

Last Twilight Midnight Showing

What are the odds of me talking Ed into going w me and the kids to the midnight showing of the last Twilight Movie? Lol

Yay! Swim practice done! Time to head home!!! 

This last Twilight movie was sooo much better than the last one!!!!Yay for a 10 pm showing!!!! And my very own Edward didn't come with me lol

Boys & Swim Practice

Vicki has swim practice every night at Camp Johnson for her High School.  I swim laps and Ty and Ryan have fun jumping from the platform....they have fun jumping off in every way possible.... 

Hard to get NON blurry images with my phone in this lighting!!!

Swim Season 2012 - 2013 Has Begun

The swim season has begun!!!  Vicki swims for Richlands High School and now i get to swim laps every night while she is at practice!  The boys enjoy playing around in the water and jumping off the platforms! We love swim season!!!  The life guards are pretty cool too!

Bella is Confused at Ty in the Tub!

Bella is wondering why Ty is in the tub.  She is not awate of the rules of Hide and Go Seek! She gave away his hiding spot with all of her barking....

The Clock is Ticking

You can feel that feeling....the feeling of the clock ticking.....time is running out!!!! We are at the Tree Lighting in  Swansborro....so glad they are doing this early so The Dude in Cammies gets a little bit of Holiday celebration in since he leaves before Thanksgiving!!!! He holds my hand a little bit tighter than usual tonight, nobody will notice this but me....for now we pretend there is nothing amiss and we eat fudge and laugh and listen to Christmas music and steal kisses under the mistletoe...but i think he left intentions in my arm when the photo was taken....he squeezes me just a little tighter than usual....i feel the clock ticking with every touch of affection.....look from his eyes.....the clock is ticking.....

Off To School

Yep! I think they will fit right in....

Halloween Love

Off to a Halloween Party with my date! That is if he doesn't kill me first!

Bell Peppers in October!

Wow!!!  My garden is still going!!!  I am still getting bell peppers in October!!!

I love this picture of my Dad!  First, it shows how simple my Dad is.  He and my little brother Monte are leaving on a Father Son camp out trip.  Yep, everything they need is packed on a Harley.  The perks of going out in the wild with a Marine; you really can survive with the bare minimum.   Second, this picture shows my Dad's two favorite vehicles which happened to be my least favorites growing up!  I always dreaded my Dad picking me up from school.  I never knew if he would show up in the black hearse or the kill my hair Harley.  (I was an 80's girl, big hair! Even though i had a pretty blue sparkly helmet it still was NOT nice to my hair!)  It was a happy day when i got to go to the orthodontist, birthday party, etc. in the Volvo or the VW Bug!  I was impartial to his truck that he used to haul his Harley around at times, but the Hearse, was just dreadful, except for when going to to the beach!  Then it was perfect!  All the boards fit as well as friends and you could just sweep out the sand afterwards.  But still, it just always looked like there should be a dead body in the back....but i still loved my Daddy no matter what he showed up driving because, hey, he's my Dad, and they are just the coolest no matter what they roll up in.....even if it means looking like you might have dead bodies rolling around in the back or have a helmet head when you are dropped back off at  school or that cool party where that cute boy is going to be!  I'm just glad my Dad taught me how to enjoy life and giggle at an early age so i was ready for all his crazy antics in my teenage years! 

     

But, my favorite memories of my Dad will be the laughter...