Hello There, Why Are You Crying? I Know You're Trying Your Best

*Warning, this could possibly, make you cry*

I can't believe I didn't post this sooner, and I had to scour the interwebs in order to re-find it. I had posted it on my facebook page but I mean as many times a day as I post on FB there's no way I'd find something posted weeks ago.

Anyway, this is a video taken by the combat news team with my husband's unit from the day he deployed, 8 Dec 2009.
One of my bestest NC gals, Lori, and her hubby are 50 seconds in. My friend Kristin's son is playing around at 1:29. Mr. P's SSgt, Roger, and his little girl Naomi, make an appearance at 2:55, his son and my friend Rachael, his wife, at 3:00. And Hubby and I (and Ari in the womb) make our YouTube debut at 3:49.




I believe videos like this put a real face on the war. This is me and my friends and their families saying goodbye to the most important person in our lives. When you see it on the news, it's sad but it's like... not close to home, ya know? At least that's how it was for me before... Even growing up in the military environment and supporting the troops the way I always have, I never really knew anyone over there, not like this. And actually watching people saying goodbye to their love? It's heartbreaking.

I cry every time I watch this. You may ask why... that's not very smart, Mrs. P, to watch more than once... But in reality, that was the last time I saw my husband. Held him. Kissed him. Felt him. It's bittersweet, I suppose.
I got a phone call today. And one yesterday. It's never enough. I just miss him. So, so, so much. Every time the baby is fussy or I'm having a bad moment, I miss him more and then my bad moments turn into awful moments. I just wish he were back here with us.

The song from the video, Lit "Lullaby"
Hello there, how was your day? Sorry that I was away
Hello there, how is the weather? Sorry I'm not there to play
I'm trying just to make it better for you I know it's hard to understand
Chorus.
(la la la la la)
I'm always gonna love you..... I promise you I promise.. you..
(la la la la la)
Always thinkin' of you..... I promise you I promise.. you..

Hello there, why are you crying? I know you're trying your best
To be good, now for your Mother, hold her and tell her we're gonna be ok.
I never meant to make you feel so bad, hope some day you'll understand..

Bah bah black sheep have you any wool?
yes sir yes sir three bags full
Goodnight

Can you tell I've had a pretty emotional day today? Sorry for the sappy post... But I hope you enjoyed the video, and if you haven't said goodbye to a loved one or a friend as they headed into a combat zone, it helped you put a face, a name, a family.... to what is going on and what military families sacrifice for this nation.

Oorah, Semper Fi.

Blizzard Bloghop (During a Real Blizzard!)

Hello Blizzard Bloghop visitors (if you haven't heard about Blizzard Bloghop and you think I'm losing my marbles, check it out here). I am currently writing this while here in Maryland it is snowing and is supposed to be a real-life blizzard. Woah! (Edit I woke up to like a gazillion inches of snow this morning)

My name is Rachel, but here in bloggy land I simply go by Mrs. P, the abbreviated form of my (newish) married last name!

I started this blog in order to organize my crazy thoughts of everything that was going on at once. As a newly married, newly pregnant Marine wife, I had a lot going on. Now, as the wife of a deployed Marine with a newborn, the fun (craziness) just doesn't stop.

Let's start from the beginning. In 2008, I was a wild-girl party animal. I graduated from the U of MD Baltimore Co. May 08 with a degree in psych (with honors) and a specialty in partying/being a drunk (with no dignity). I was planning on going to law school, but the one I got into (with a scholarship) was in Michigan and well.... I just didn't wanna go to Michigan. SO I decided to work at the Child Development Center on the Army post I've lived next to basically my whole life (Army brat married to a Marine... oops hehe).

That fateful evening I met my hubs (the dark Italian one on the left)

While working there, I met some people and one fine day, was invited to go bowling at the base post Bowling Alley. It was there that I met a group of rowdy, strange, funny, and mildly attractive Marines. One happened to be named Jonny, and I found him particularly dorky. (haha he's gonna murder me when he reads this). Anyway, this silly guy and I ended up hitting it off and then he kissed me, and we always like to say it was Love at First Kiss. After that we had a few ups and downs and he ended up proposing to me 3 months later.

6 months after that, we were married. And 2 weeks after that, we found out we were expecting (Honeymoon Baby!!)! Yea, we don't waste anytime, but I've learned as a Marine Corps wife that there is no time to be wasted! So we happily (and not so happily, like I said, ups and downs) spent our lives in the surrounding area of Camp Lejeune, NC. Until December when we found out Mr. P was headed for the sandbox. On Dec 8, I did the hardest thing I've done yet in my young life (yes, even harder than labor), I said a temporary goodbye to my other half.

On Jan 15, I did the second hardest thing of my young life and gave birth to our gorgeous daughter. Now, together, Ariana Ralyn and I send hugs and kisses (and toilet seats...) to our beloved hero from around the world. And here I am to blog about the days (hours... minutes... seconds) of my Life as a Marine Wife, waiting to be reunited with my one true love.

Thank you, bloghoppers and other bloggy friends, for stopping by and taking a minute to read about lil ol' me!

Your Questions, Answered (Oh, and There are Pics)

Here ya have it ladies, all the things you've been dying to know! Ok, maybe it's not that serious, but... let me just pretend, mk? I could have separated this into several posts, but I don't get to post that often as of late (I say this after having already posted today, I'm a liar liar) so it's all rolled in to one and I am hoping you take the time to read! Also, there are a couple questions that IRL friends have asked, so I just included them.

ARIANA/PREGNANCY/BIRTH

Do you like pregnancy or just tolerate it? (Mrs G.I. Joe)
It definitely wasn't my fave period ever, to be honest. I know I should say things like it was magical and all... and don't get me wrong, I know I am blessed to have been pregnant and to have my daughter, but it just wasn't my favorite. The first trimester I was in and out of the hospital because of how sick I was, and while the second and third weren't that bad, I was fat, I couldn't indulge in any grownup indulgences (I miss having a couple drinks, ok?!) I was moody and crampy and... yeah I'm glad she's out now.

The day I went into labor. I believe I was in the middle of telling my mom that I wasn't ready to go in to the hospital, that I wasn't in labor yet.

What was your favorite junk food while pregnant? Do you still like it? (Chelle)
Chocolate chip cookies and OJ! And I am having an extremely hard time giving them up. I mean, OJ's good for you, but the rate at which I eat Choc Chip cookies is not. I think it has to do with the fact that I was limited to my choc chip cookie intake due to her PAC thing, but I'm certainly making up for it now. I'm giving myself 4 weeks before I get into serious healthy-eating, working-out, get skinny mode ;-)

How did you pick your daughters name? Is there a story behind the name? (M in the Midwest) Did you both agree with the baby's name right away? OR did one of you have to convince the other? (Kiwis and Cocktails)
Ok so, originally, daddy picked this name. Some others we were looking at included Charlotte (a family name from his side, but I hate the nickname Char - sorry if that's any of your nicknames, I'm just not a fan, I love Charlotte and Charlie... but no Char), Jaclyn, and some other ones that randomly popped into my head. Daddy (Mr. P) found Ariana on a baby name website, and it's an Italian name (like daddy is a partially Italian man) and it means "Holy One." I loved the name, but at first I thought it may be a little too... "ethnic" for me. It sounds horrible, but I'm waaaay on the light (White girl) spectrum and I was afraid that her name sounded almost Spanish and I would look too white to be her mom. Yeah, dumb I know but... Anyway, so that was like the forerunner and I still liked it but was iffy and then when hubby was getting ready to deploy I was like OK Ariana is the name we've been using ANYWAY and the name daddy, who won't get to do much, picked, so we'll let him pick her name and we'll go with it. Ralyn is a combination of mine and his mom's name (Rachel - yeah, we have the same name) and my mom's name (Evelyn), hence why it is spelled with only one "N." (Ariana is spelled with one N because I believe Anna and Ana are pronounced differently and her name is Ar-Ee-Ah-Na). Ralyn also means "Little Lamb" and Rachel means "Lamb" so it's almost like... Me Junior. And I'm awesome, so of course two of me is like, double awesome ;-) Yea, that was a long story for an easy question, but I'm a wordy person (as you know if you've been reading this haha).

Did you have a boy's name picked? (Kiwis and Cocktails)
We really hadn't found one that we were set on. We had discussed Jackson and/or Jack at length, and I really wanted his initials to be JDP, like daddy, but besides that we hadn't gotten far (we'd even discussed Jackson Danger, because when I met daddy he told me his name was Jonny Dangerously hahaha). Long story short, I knew she was a girl from the beginning.

How is your sleeping schedule RIGHT now? Seriously. I need to know this. :) (Kiwis and Cocktails)
Haha, well... with the help of my mom it's not too, too bad. She eats about every 3 hours (when she's sleeping, more often when she's awake) so at night it goes something like this (this is only an example, the times when this occurs vary each night) 7pm-9pm we try to keep her awake, then sleep from 9-midnight. Midnight, she yells so I take her out to change her which takes oh, we'll say about 10 min, to keep even numbers... then I feed her for about 10-15min. Then I put her down and pee, the clean my nipple shield off to be ready for the next feeding so... 5 min. Then she is usually yelling so I pick her back up and lay down and we drift off so add another 5 or so min. So, we woke up at 12... and ended up steeled about 35 min later. So 1235, back to sleep, then she's usually ready to eat again around 3 (or basically, 3 hours from when we started last time). Some nights, she chooses a time where she judt wants to be awake (one night it was 3-5, another it was 5-7). When gramma and grampa were visiting, they spoiled me and she slept with them so all I had to do was feed her, then they took her back and my mom changed her (so spoiled, I am!). So while I may lay down at 10 or 11pm and get up around 9am, it is very patchy sleep. Luckily, she sleeps a lot during the day too, so I can get some good naps in. And like I said, my mom makes it much easier, so she'll take Ari and let me get a good nap in for a few hours when I need it bad. And now that she's started sleeping in her crib, it's getting easier. And I am definitely adjusting to this odd sleeping schedule... lol

What's the deal with alcohol and breastfeeding? (IRL)
I'm still trying to figure this one out. I know it's the same as alcohol and your blood, you just gotta wait it out til it's out of your blood stream before you feed again. And they say that 1-2 drinks is ok when your baby is this young, as often as they are eating. But I'm not sure the exact formula for later in life, like so many drinks = so many hours to wait. Hence why I'm stocking up on expressed milk for St. Patty's Day. It may be a month and a half away, but I'm going to be prepared.

Mr.P/Marine Corps/Military-esque

Where do you and Mr. P want to be in 10 years? (Mrs. G.I. Joe)
Wherever the Corps wants us to be I suppose. Mr. P told me from the very beginning he plans to do this a long time, so I'll be right there next to him! I think I'd like to have another child (or maybe 2 more... who knows) but it's hard for me to think in such large increments of time when things change from day to day sooo much (as I'm sure you can relate). I guess we just want to be together and happy and we're good to go! (Was that a cheap answer??)

Is your Hubby staying in the Marine Corps until he retires? (Mrs. Muffins)
He is indeed a "lifer." Like I said, he told me from the very beginning that his plan is to do this a long time, so I needed to make sure I was in for the long haul. He has all these plans though... different tracks he wants to take within the Corps, he's got a different plan every week. "We could do this..." kinda things. Which I think is really cool and may be one of the reasons he plans to stay in so long - there are so many opportunities and different routes you can go. And the security and benefits are nice, too.

How do you think marriage has been different than dating? (Kate)
I get benefits and am recognized more by the Marine Corps. :-P Ok, I know, I know; that's not what you were really asking, was it. Well, I've got a ton more responsibility since we've been married (and I'm not just talking about preggo/having a baby). I took it upon myself (because Mr. P is horrible with all things finance) to take charge of all our finances. Bills, balancing the check book, savings, etc. It was a big load to take on, especially since I was just learning to do it for myself, but I think I've pretty much mastered it. Pretty much. I also have the responsibility to make sure Mr. P does his best always (not that he doesn't) but I guess that's where "Nagging wife" stereotypes come from... now that we're married and I depend on him, and Ari depends on him, I am always making sure he is on top of his game (and when he slips and is not on top of it, I am on him like white on rice. And not in a happy way). He probably doesn't like this difference, but it just happened, because like I said, we depend on him. Also, living together in general was a big change. He swore up and down when we met how neat he was and how clean our house would be (he'd yell at me about my messy room and swear that our house would never be like that) and well... it wasn't true. We had to adjust to each other's lifestye quirks (like he doesn't fold his towel the way I WANT it folded, and I leave my clothes every where). And I guess we're just generally much more dedicated to each other. There's a committment to not only love and be faithful to one another, but to make sure the other is always doing their best, feeling good, getting all things taken care of, supporting one another... I don't mean it in a negative way but it's more work. Not work like we have to work to be happy but work in a sense that there are just added responsibilities in a marriage than when you're "just" dating. But in any case, I do love marriage, much more than dating, and I am so happy that I married the man I did :) (yeah, cheesie, I know. You're totally allowed to vom now).

When does Mr. P come home? (IRL)
I include this question, as I'm asked it on the reg. The truth of the matter is, even if I knew, I couldn't really tell you. So, the vague answer I stick to is "Late Summer... so they say." Because of OPSEC, even when he does tell me a date, I can't tell you. I can't do a ticker or anything fun like that. Boo. I have a date that I picked in my head, which is sometime in August, but it's a totally made up date that I just count down too because I know it will be generally "close" to when he's coming home. If it's sooner or later than the date I chose, I have no idea. I pray that it's sooner, that way when I find out he's coming home but I still have days left I can be all Oh HAPPY SURPISE instead of it going past the date I chose and then being like... Oh... sad... Regardless, when he's home, you will know it. I'm pretty sure my entire world will be aware ;-)

How does Mr. P feel about missing the birth (IRL)?
Yes, people have asked me this. I just have to say... How would you feel? He's dealing, and it's something we were prepared for. And although he was SUPER excited the day of her birth, he's been pretty bummed out about how much he's missing. I mean, obviously. But like I said, he's dealing. It's his job and we were prepared for it so we just kinda gotta... suck it up. Tough as nails, right?!

What do you find to be the positives and negatives of living in J-Ville? (Chelle)
Well, we don't live actually in J-Ville. I personally haaaate J-Ville haha. We live riiight outside of JVille in a town called Richlands. It's nice being outside of all the Marine Corps hub-bub. However, positives of living in JVille would be proximity to base (it takes the Mr quite a while to get on base and the traffic is horrendous), close to all things "in town" (the mall, the restaurants, the stores, etc.), and mmm... that's really all I got. Negatives I'd say would be TRAFFIC, I HATE driving in JVille, hubs calls it a sess-pool of bad driving, (all the bad driving habits from different areas of the US combined in one area), so much USMC in one place (I like having the support on base and what-not but sometimes being around it 24/7 you just want to breathe, where we live there are other Marines close by but we're not constantly surrounded). I guess those are my only major points. It's much quieter out where we live too (we're kind of in the middle of nowhere) but we spend a lot in gas because everything we basically need is either in JVille or on base, which is about 20 min from us.

Are you active in the KV (Chelle)?
For those non-Marine wives, KV is the Key Volunteer Network, where Marine Corps spouses get together and try to keep other spouses in the loop (generally speaking), basically the FRG for you Army ladies (at least that's what it used to be called, not sure if that's what they still call it...) Anyway, we don't actually have a KV anymore. Apparently, before I became a Marine wife, when the KV was still alive and kickin', they had a lot of issues with it. Women were gossiping, pulling rank, and there was no structure (this is all I hear about it, mind you I wasn't a part of it so I can't personally attest so therefore these are not my opinions on it). Anyway, so it was shut down and thus came the Family Readiness Network, which yes, I am proud to be a part of! The Family Readiness Network is a bit different from KV in that it is more structured and command-run. We are "governed" by the FRO (Family Readiness Officer) who is a trained and paid individual who "rules" over everything Family Readiness. Then each FRO Assistant has to attend a training. Training covers things including general topics like deployments, communication, USMC structure etc. as well as confidentiality, which was, apparently, a big issue with the KVN. I am indeed a Family Readiness Assistant, and was very active in it before hubby left (I like it because I've made my best friends down here through it and it helps me get some insider info, maybe not much and maybe not top secret, but enough that I came home and told hubby when the ball was when he didn't know ;-D) I only became less active because of my increasing pregnancy and then having a newborn. I honestly do think it is a great system and encourage all our wives to get involved, or at least know who our FRO is and how to reach her.

What's the best piece of advice you received as a military spouse? (Or if you didn't get any, what advice do you WISH you'd received?) (Lisa)
Oh, good question! Well, I've grown up military (kind of) my dad is now retired Army, so I had a bit of an idea of what I was getting into. But, my matron of honor in our wedding was my great friend from high school who also happens to be a Marine wife and she had this amazing speech she gave to us at the wedding that was full of lots of advice. I wish I could remember the whole thing (I have it on video but I'm way too lazy to go find it right now) but I think after she summed it all up the best advice I got was - No one said it'd be easy, but they did say it'd be worth it. And that's really the way you gotta think of it. It's not going to be easy. It's going to be the hardest damn thing you've ever done in your life. And people are going to ask you how you do it and why you do it and tell you they couldn't do it. But you do. Because it's worth it. And there really is nothing better. Oorah! ;-)

Me and my wonderful MOH

MISCELLANEOUS

What's one movie you can watch over and over again? (Mrs. G.I. Joe)
Clueless. I used to watch it all the time in high school... college... ok just in general. I still watch it when I need a lil cheering up, or if there's nothing on tv, or if the cable goes out...

Do you have any tattoos? Would you get any (more)? (Lisa)

I currently have two. The first one I ever got is three stars on the inside of my left wrist. I got this right after becoming an alum of my sorority, Phi Mu. It stands for "Love, Honor, Truth" which is the open motto of our sorority. It is also shaped like the 3 stars on our badge. The second I got when Mr. P went to get his tattoo. He had this big huge plan for a tattoo and I had only briefly thought of getting one. Upon mentioning this at the tattoo parlor, the receptionist said, Oh we've got an open artist for walk-ins if you want, so I was like yeah sure! Anyway, the tattoo is "Ceci Passera Aussi" on my left rib cage. This is French for "This too shall pass" (and if you're fluent in French and that's not what it is, I don't wanna know... I can keep on believing that the translator and the people I asked were correct, mmk?) Anyway, This Too Shall Pass has been a mantra in our household since I was little - whenever we hit a bad spot my mom would always say this. If I was sick, feeling down, whatever - This Too, Shall Pass! And hubby and I are both French so that's why I picked French. And I want MOOORE haha. I want some kind of moto tat (Marine Corps related) but I haven't decided what and whether it's the very best idea yet... I'm thinking maybe just a yellow ribbon?? And maybe something for Ariana. And I've always wanted a phoenix on my ribs (probably under the Ceci Passera Aussi) but I'm a chicken. And it'll be expensive.


What's the best book you've ever read? (Lisa)
Ok so when I was in like elementary school I read this book called "The Doll in the Garden" and I read it over and over and over and it's stuck with me ever since. I haven't read it in ages, but I still think about how awesome I thought it was. I guess I'd say that's the best book I've ever read since it has stuck with me all these years. Also, the Harry Potter books, hands down, are amazing.

A Toilet Seat. Seriously (Care Packages Galore Day 52!)

First, let me apologize for what a crap blogger I have been. We have just packed up and "moved" from NC to my parents house in MD. It's not a permanent thing, just an extended visit so I can continue to have a lil extra help while hubby's away. We'll be back and forth between our home and my parents for the next few months before settling back in to NC in May(ish). So with the new baby girl here and all the moving and craziness, blogging hasn't been a top priority, I'm truly sorry my loves! I have been reading all your wonderful posts tho even if I haven't been commenting as much as usual. Also, I'm going to post the answers from the Q&A on Monday, so if you haven't done so yet, head on back and ask me a question!

So, wow, 52 days we've been at this deployment thing! It feels like both "just yesterday" and "forever ago" that I last saw my Marine. I have been very fortunate lately in the fact that he's had pretty regular access to email so I get to talk to him often. I like it but I hate getting used to that kind of thing because then he moves or they lose comm or whatever and I don't hear from him for even a day and I panic. I have to remember to remain calm.

Recently, I sent hubby his second care package of this deployment (yes, only second, I've chosen to space them out. I had been sending him regular letters, but as I said above, life is just catching up to me and I haven't had much time for anything besides Ari these few weeks). One day, a week or so ago, when he called he told me there was one thing he could really use. Anything my dear, I told him. What was that thing?? Well, a toilet seat, of course! Yeah, I was pretty surprised when that was his answer, too. Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly?? Toilet seat!? Yup. He said where he's at he sits on basically a wooden box with a hole in it and "It pinches my ass" sooo a toilet seat would make his stay much more comfortable. He says also that members of the ANA don't sit on the "seat" provided, they instead stand on the box and squat over the hole (umm... gross.) so there's always mud and gross stuff (gag, gag, gag) on the box. So of course, due to hygeine concerns and my poor baby's ass, I went out an purchased a nice squishy toilet seat from WalMart. My dad had to help rig a box together to send it because all the boxes I had were either way too big or way too small so we had to modify one so it would be just right. The toilet seat is now on it's way to the sand box, and my husband will soon have the most pampered ass in the whole Corps. Told ya I was an awesome wife.

I am also preparing his Valentine's Day/Birthday Package. I am not going all out super awesome here's a ton of stuff, because whatever I send to him, he has to lug around the rest of the time over there. I've decided to bake some Snickerdoodles (his fave), send some more pics of Ari and myself, and maybe do up a lil calendar thing for him. Maybe. I guess we're just not big gift-y people. We never have been huge on gifts and it's fine by both of us. Maybe one day when we hit the lottery I'll buy him a leer jet or a small island or something to make up for it... Until then a toilet seat and snicker doodles will have to cut it.

Also, quick bloggy question - how do I get fancy writing with my name at the bottom of my post, or some other lil signature thang? I see a lot of you ladies have them and I want one. Now. Thanks :)

You Know You're a Marine Wife When...

*First, a note of business, please head to my last post and ask me some questions. I've seriously only gotten like 3 or 4, and don't want to look like a loser, come on people!*

My friend Tamara, a fellow Marine wife (of a deployed Marine as well) posted these on myspace and I just had to share them, I find them quite entertaining. My notes and additions are in pink.

You Know You're A Marine Wife When...

- You can roll his sleeves better than he can.
(hubs always rolls his own, neither he nor I think sloppily rolled sleeves are acceptable, and although I don't roll his for him I will call him out when they aren't done well :-P)

-You know to stay off base between 1130-1400, unless you absolutely can't help it
(at least don't try to go anywhere near a place with food. Also, don't try to get off base/out of JVille between 1630-1830 or on/into JVille 0400-0600)

-You know his "last four" better than your own.
(I have to think, hard, about what mine is.)

-You find yourself up at night doing his MCI's because he has to get up early and needs to rest.

-You get out your ID at Walmart without thinking about it.

-You've said, "Good to go", "Roger that", or "oorah" without noticing.
(Good to go is def one of my most used phrases... oops)

-It only costs you $25 to have a child
(umm... it was free. Oorah, Naval Hospital)

-You've had a dog named "Sergeant", "Scout", or "Chesty"
(Chesty Puller, if you're confused... look him up, he's got some great quotes)

-You've used a crooked-neck flashlight with a red lens during a power outage because it was the only one you can find.
(And now he has it with him, hence why my mom says "We're taking the trash out in the DAYLIGHT I'm not feeling my way to the street tonight!")

-You think his skivvy shorts are hot.
(I thought most wives, like myself, laughed at these silly little things. They're AWFUL!)

-At a distance, you can pick out your husband out of 100 men with the same clothes and haircut.
(By the way he walks!)

-You're more "moto" than he is
(He calls me a motard, he thinks I'm going to get a high and tight...)

-You know that "field day" has nothing to do with a field.
(Yeah and it needs to be done in this house... I'm a mess)

-You know the exact day he switches from deserts to woodlands and vice-versa.
(But he doesn't, hence why I was running on base with his greens at 5am the day they switched)

-You know the exact measurements of his ribbons and medals on his uniforms.
(Actually I don't, I let him take care of that I just check for straightness)

-You get chills when you hear the Marines Hymn Play.
(Or you randomly hum it during the day, especially when you're apart and particularly missing him more than usual)

-You know better than to go to the commissary on or the day after pay day.
(O Good Lord!)

-You know how to cut a "high and tight"

-You know what boot bands are and find them all over the house.
(I'm still finding random gear parts... 6 weeks after he's left...)

-You can pack his sea bag better than he can.
(I was such a packing list nazi when he was getting ready for deployment, seriously, I was awful - "Where is this, why don't you have that? Why is that packed at the bottom??")

-You know what "motomail" is, and it's your lifeline.
(While I know what it is and I try to use it, it is not my lifeline I am, so far, not impressed)

-You know to pull your car over and prepare for colors at the end of the day, if you're really moto you get out of the car

-The National Anthem and any USMC recruiter commercials make you tear up (especially the new one - many will hear the call, few will be chosen - OORAH!)

-You have made a nosedive for a phone call that came up on the caller ID as "Private Name Private Number" or better yet you've gotten out of the shower with full soap on because of a "Private Name Private Number" call


Ok now it's your turn, how do you know you're a Marine/Army/Military wife? Add them in the comments (participation ladies, you get special points for it ;-D )

2009 Recap and Reflection (It has to be done)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so cliche I know I know. But I mean come on, you either reflect or you write resolutions. And I'm not one for sticking to promises I make on NYE (typically these promises are made in a semi- to very- drunken stupor and consist of not drinking as much next time, hence no need for them this year!!) so I'm going to go with the former and reflect upon my 2009. An interesting and semi-eventful year in the life of Mrs. P.

JANUARY
Mr. P and I rang in the New Year at my parents house in MD. In December, I trekked down to his new duty station of Camp Lejeune NC to rescue him for Christmas and by the grace of God he actually had a nice chunk of block leave, something we're not all too familiar with as of late. So I got him for like a solid 2 weeks. The typically 7 hour drive took more about 11 and I got a speeding ticket but it was well worth it. If I could go pick him up from Afghanistan right now and bring him home for New Years I so would. Our New Years Eve this January consisted of him being the DD for once, a trip to our (at the time) new friends Jackie and Rob's and then hanging out in the clubhouse boozing. I got a little more than tipsy and acted like a douche and broke a beer bottle - total party foul. But all in all we had a decent night and enjoyed each other's company. It's going to be a very different NYE this year. January also brought a surprise visit to NC in the later part of the month, where I drove down and surprised him with a weekend trip. He's pretty hard to surprise, too. I can't think of anything else monumental in January. He was my fiancee, I was planning our wedding (ok my mom was, I was just saying "yes" or "no" to things) and we were separated. I worked at the Child Development Center on the Army base and from what I recall that's about all I really did. Oh and we also got our engagement photos done, which turned out beautifully.

FEBRUARY
February brought our first Valentine's Day together and Mr. P. did not dissapoint. I'm really hard to surprise, but he managed it with a trip to one of my favorite places, Ocean City Maryland. We spent a long weekend in a condo and I taught Mr. P how to pick crabs for the first time. He said it was good but not worth the work and I questioned the stability of our relationship (just kidding, he enjoyed the experience enough that it was ok with me that he's too lazy for crabs. bah-ha-ha). We enjoyed OC during off season, got some old timey photos done, went to Assateague Island and saw the ponies, and just had a lovey dovey weekend. He also surprised me with my Tiffany's necklace, the Elsa Perreti open heart. Love it, never take it off. After that weekend, I don't remember seeing much of each other, he headed back to NC. I still lived at home, we were still engaged, I was still planning (helping to plan) the wedding, and working at the CDC.
Wedding planning also brought with it bridal shows, which were a lot of fun.

MARCH
I don't remember much of March so I'm assuming it wasn't eventful, just a continuation of wedding plans. I don't even have any St. Patty's Day pics, so I can only assume I didn't do anything. Which is weird, I love St. Patty's Day... Oh look, thanks to facebook I have an idea of something I did in March... More going out. The pics from this night are prob from Jan or Feb but were posted in March, so it counts

Oh, oh more March. That's right, I lived at home and went out. A lot.


APRIL
I think during March/April Mr. P was in Fort AP Hill, VA for training. I know he came home the last weekend of April because we went down to my college and enjoyed some partying and had an incident on the side of I-95 that may or may not have lead to the conception of our daughter (according to the doctor it did not -she wasn't conceived until our honeymoon- but, I mean, it could have). This was also the month of my fantastic bachelorette party, in which we took a limo into Federal Hill (Man I love Fed Hill and wish I could be partying out there tonight) and I got good and slammed and enjoyed time with my best friends. I also enjoyed a magic show and a bar simultaneously (basically the best idea ever)

My bridal shower was also during this month, in which family and friends all got together to celebrate the idea that I was getting married soon. It was also all about me (and kinda about him) which I enjoy.
I also enjoyed frequent going out during this month.
April was basically a month of finalizing wedding plans and enjoying my last few minutes of "singledom" before the big day.

MAY
This was the "big month" for me. The month in which my life changed for.ev.er (think 'The Sandlot' when you read that). Definitely good change, but lots and lots of change.
First, I got married to my soul mate. Probably the single best day of my life. My wedding was perfect, I had so much fun, looked like a princess and it was all about me (well us, but I was ok with sharing), what could there be not to love? Of course I have a million and one pictures from that day so I'll just share a couple...

Ok I'm going to stop there with one ceremony, one reception, and one after party pic or else I'll be going through them all day, overloading you with wedding photos (that you can just as easily see if you go through the thousands - I'm not exaggerating - of pics of me on facebook) and will never make it back to December. So, anyway, May. We got married and had a grand ol' time doing it. (And I'm still so freaking in love!!!) and then we honeymooned, at Onslow Beach in Jacksonville, NC. Ok, so it may not have been an ideal honeymoon location, but we thought he'd have to work (by the time they said he could have leave it was too late to plan anything huge) and we wanted to be together. So we rented a cabin on the beach, partied, loved, found out we were pregnant, and found a house to rent. Yes, all in one week!

Then, I quit my job and moved to NC to be with my husband. Word was that he was deploying in August, so we wanted as much time together and for him to see the progression of my pregnancy as much as possible before leaving. And in case you didn't know... moving sucks.
JUNE
After we got all married, pregnant, moved and settled, June brought a sigh of relief and took off the pressure from the chaos that was May. This didn't last long, though, as my hormones were starting to kick in and I was a total d-bag mess. Mr. P got ready for a training mission to California and I prepared for my first month alone. Little did I know I'd be too sick to stay by myself. I spent the month in and out of the hospital, miserable from pregnancy and ended up in MD with my parents. It wasn't a fun MD trip, I felt like doodoo, wanted my husband, and wanted very badly to not feel poopie anymore. This pattern continued into July, until Mr. P came home.

JULY
July brought one of my best friends getting married. On July 25, 2009 my good friend and sorority sister Shannon married her high school sweetheart, so we trekked up to MD to witness this joyous occasion. We had a great time, but unlike the months before I wasn't partying (pregnant) and Mr. P was instead. I still had fun though.

AUGUST
Both July and August brought very hot months to Eastern NC, where the P family and friends enjoyed LOTS of beach time. I had finally started making friends and meeting people in Jacksonville so I was becoming more human again. Mr. P and I are huge beach bums, so we spent all of our spare time at the nearby beaches.
My parents came down for their first NC visit and we had a great time. We also found out in August that our little peanut is a GIRL and with this news began to prepare accordingly.

SEPTEMBER
I don't really know of anything monumental that happened in September. My life began to get a routine as I made more friends and started volunteering in the Battalion Family Readiness Office. Oh, I got my first non-family visitors to our house in NC. My bestest, Justin, came and saw us for a long weekend with his girlfriend at the time and we took our first trip to Myrtle Beach. At the end of the month, two of my sisters Shan and Theresa came and spent a long weekend with us as well. It was nice having little pieces of home in NC.
OCTOBER
October brought with it the stresses of pre-deployment. Deployment rumors were running rampant and we never knew where he'd be when. It was rough. I worked in the BN as much as possible to help during this time. I also worked (and quit soon thereafter) in the CDC during October. It definitely wasn't a fun month, just a busy one. I don't remember much of it, as it seemed to fly by. Also, I'm getting lazy with photos as I started blogging before these months and there are photos already on. I'm kind of over this whole post actually, maybe it was a bad idea! I'm sure there was fun stuff in October too, but I just don't have too many fond memories of this month!

NOVEMBER
November followed October's footsteps as far as the stress of predeployment. Mr. P and I continued to prepare for little baby P's arrival and set up her nursery (somewhat) which I am very glad he was here to partake in. We went to MD for Thanksgiving and my mom threw me a surprise baby shower, which was a HUGE success. I enjoyed time well spent with friends I hadn't seen in months and getting fabulous gifts for my daughter. While this time it wasn't all about me, it was all about her, it was still just as good! The end of November also brought with it the sad news that my husband would indeed be leaving, and leaving very soon...

DECEMBER
Clearly, I'm getting lazy here. I even thought of not even posting for December, since anyone who's been reading at all knows what's up in December. Basically, I had to say a sad "See ya later" to my love, as he headed off to war. We began our first deployment. I also turned 23, a non-fun age. In happy news, I got closer than ever to my "NC gals" or "Marine Wife Friends" and am learning the true meaning of friendship, regardless of distance, from both these women and my good friends pre-military. My NC gals threw another shower for me (and my friend Cait) and baby girl got some more fabulous gifts, although Lori has not put up pictures from this yet so I still can't share them - bad Lori! Oh and we bought our house, and (I just found this out from the realtor a couple days ago) the construction company broke ground on our house this week! Christmas came and went and I anxiously awaited January, which will FINALLY be here tomorrow, so I can seriously get ready for Miss Thang to be here. In a few days, I can say I successfully survived a month of deployment, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

If you hung on through all that, well mad props to you, you deserve some homemade cookies! All in all, it was a great and very eventful year, and I have so much to be thankful for.

Here's to a wonderful 2010, a fresh start, and so much to look forward to already. I'm already excited for (and dreading writing) next year's recap!

Hope you all have a faboosh New Years Eve, be safe, and if you're drinking, have one for those of us who can not indulge this year!!

Veteran's Day Thankful Thursday

I don't typically partake in Thankful Thursdays, usually because I forget it's Thursday before I have the chance (hence why I've been slacking in my Wishful Wednesdays, too) but yesterday, I skipped a Veteran's Day blog because I wanted to incorporate it into a Thankful Thursday post.

Warning: This post may be a bit Motarded.
Definition of a Motard (a la Mr. P): "Motivated to the point of retardedness."
A term often used to describe people who are overly excited about anything Marine Corps/military/regulation/American. Often associated with the "super motivational" haircut, the high and tight.

Photo Cred

Used in a sentence: Babe, you are such a motard, I am surprised you don't have a high and tight (Hubby to me when I was seriously rocking out to "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" by Toby Keith)

Ok, enough with the babbling, on to the thankfulness...

Photo Cred

Every day, I am thankful for my wonderful family. I'm thankful for the family which I was raised, my amazing parents who support me like none other, my crazy little sister that I am lucky to have no matter how annoying she can be, and my extended family at large, they're pretty neat. I am thankful for the family I married into. My awesome husband, who I don't know what I'd do without. I could seriously go on for hours about all the reasons and ways I am thankful for him so let's just leave it at he loves me no matter what, he takes care of me, spoils me, and is the bestest man I could have asked for ever. And my new extended family, they're pretty neat, too.
Also, the new family that we are creating. My beautiful little daughter baking away inside. I'm thankful for the opportunity to even be pregnant and the chance to become a mommy. I'm thankful for every kick, every symptom of pregnancy, and every little joy that comes along with it, because it really is a miracle.

I am also thankful for my friends. My wonderful friends I've grown up with who have been by my side regardless, all the women that stood by me at my wedding day, I don't know what I'd do without them. My friends from school that I still keep in touch with and the sorority sisters that continue to think about me even though I'm so far away. And my new friends, the Marine Wives I've met along the way so far. I would be a mess down here without the ladies I've gotten to know.

And *begin motivational section* in this issue of Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for our military. Without which America wouldn't be... well America. I'm thankful that there are men and women out there who risk their lives daily so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we do and feel safe and protected in the ways we do. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to grow up in a military family and learn to appreciate all these things at an early age. I'm thankful that my husband is the strong and good Marine that he is, that he has the dedication to work his butt off for the Corps. I am thankful for all the things the military has provided for us, as well.

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So now I'm wondering what's up with my lack of readership? Is my life that boring or my posts that difficult to read (I know I tend to write in stream-of-consciousness fashion, so maybe I'm just too all over the place?) I'm beginning to get a bit depressed at the dwindling amount of comments I receive, it's kind of a blow to the ego!! So if you stop by and my blog sucks, feel free to let me know! Hahaha.
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And lastly, hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Also, in lieu of the Veteran's Day topics of this post, head over to Married to the Military for an awesome Build-A-Bear giveaway!! Run quick, the giveaway ends tonight!!

Photo-Op!

A few updates, in photos.

-Weekend-
These pictures are from when we went to the Memorial park in Jacksonville and saw the Beirut, Vietnam, and World Trade Center memorials.

As I said in the last post, our visit was really moving and pretty emotional. It was such a beautiful area. If you're ever in the Jacksonville NC area, I suggest you check it out.


-Yesterday-
We carved our punkins yesterday! Strangely enough, NC punkins are different and kind of fell apart rather easily, there are about 5 toothpicks holding mine together and when I got home from work, her face was basically toast, meaning it had all sunken in...

-Today-
My belly photo shoot. The last week of my second trimester, then I'll be in month 7 and the third and final trimester! She'll be here soooo soon!

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Overwhelmed

Woo, what a week. I apologize for the lack of posting this week, but the title sums up my general feelings lately - overwhelmed. I suppose I'll start from the beginning with a little week recap.

I started working this week, working in a whole new sense of working while being pregnant, seeing that I had taken a short hiatus from the paycheck earning world. The first three days were "World Class Community Service" training days that all Marine Corps Community Service (MCCS) employees are required to take. These three days covered everything from safety and security to drugs to being the best service provider ever. It was actually pretty fun, lots of group work type things and really not too too bad at all. Monday was 10-4 and Tue/Wed were 8-4. Much earlier than I'm used to and much longer days. Needless to say I was pretty tired each night and was in bed by 11 (SHOCKER!)

After those days of training, we headed to our places of work for our in-house orientations and trainings. These took place at the Child Development Center at Tarawa Terrace for me, my new place of duty. It was good to finally be back with the children. They were pretty easy days, on Friday we actually "assisted" (aka shadowed) in the rooms and filled in for people who needed breaks or lunches. Thursday was another 10am day and Friday an 8am. They were both pretty short days, but the exhaustion was really making itself known and I was pretty grouchy by the end of the week (sorry hubby!) It felt good to be back in the workplace but I could also tell already that it won't be easy.

This weekend has been pretty eventful. Friday we went and got new tires put on the truck. Since there was an hour wait and I was craving McDs, Hubs and I headed to the McDs down the road on foot - about 3/4 of a mile each way. Go me for getting all that exercise in (even though it was rewarded with bad-for-you food). We then spent some serious and much needed cuddle time in front of the tv.

Saturday we got to work cleaning the house (a total field day in USMC terms - I even cleaned the floor in the kitchen by hand!) then checked out the Onslow County Oktoberfest, which was a big fail (Onslow County fairs, I'm learning, are not too 'happening'). We met up with my friend Caitlin and her hubby and after seeing what a bust Oktoberfest was we came back to the house to devise a plan B. We ended up bowling and having dinner at Hooters (and spending way too much money, another reason I'm overwhelmed) but it was a super fun evening. Came back and watched Land of the Lost which, although pretty funny, I didn't make it through - I was out by 11!

Was up by 9 today (on my OWN! holy cow, this whole early going to sleep early getting up thing is really crazy to me!) and had a pretty typical Sunday. Ran some errands, watched some football. While we were out, we stopped by the Beirut and Vietnam memorials in Jacksonville. There is also a World Trade Center memorial with a piece from one of the centers. It was so humbling and sobering to see all these memorials and be reminded, once again, why we fight (and why we're waiting on those orders...). We then drove around and found a new back road place with a recreational area for picnics on the water! We always like finding new "spots." Although I was a bit put off by the "Beware of American Alligator" sign, it was a pretty awesome spot. When we got home I set out to making dinner, Mom's recipe for her famous home-made Mac n Cheese (I DID IT WOO HOO), pork chops, and peas. While the mac n cheese was in the oven, I also put in the laundry and cleaned the bathroom. Yeah, you can call me super wife.

I think the reason for being overwhelmed is now being in work I'll have less time to get my stuff done and I'm nervous about taking all the time off I need (doc appts, baby classes, holidays, etc) as well as the whole getting up early thing (this week I work from 630-1230 -- yeah, I have to BE there at 630 EEK!) As well as just being a grown up in general.. bill paying, money saving, house maintaining, having responsibility... Sometimes I just stop and think HOLY CRAP am I going to be able to manage all this? Hubs takes a minute to remind me that 1. I'm not managing it alone 2. Yes, we can manage it and 3. We're doing just. Fine.

And that being said, I've got to go pay some bills and then I'm going to enjoy a movie with the Mr.
Also, there may be pics later, my phone is being a jerk and won't send them online!

Why We Fight (Freedom Isn't Free)

I realize I'm writing this a few hours late, but I was on the road all day pondering the whole existence of this day in history. As I'm sure you've realized, today is 9-11, an anniversary of one of the most catastrophic and horrifying events in American history.

During the 7 hour trek back to the good ol' MD, I got to hear recount after recount of the events of this very day 8 years ago as well as tons of Patriotic songs (mostly thanks to the country stations). I got to thinkin' of so much... where I was 8 years ago, how our country has changed since that day, and what it means to be married to a member of the nation's military (The Few and The Proud!) now.

On September 11th, 2001 I was in... 10th grade? I was sitting in Spanish class when rumors started rolling around (not unlike the deployment rumors circling my head right now). Something had happened, people were dying, but what???
Upon entering my next period English class, the story started being pieced together more accurately. Planes had flown into the World Trade Centers in NYC and the country was very literally under attack. School was being let out early and we would soon be home to see for ourselves via television what was going on. I remember that I started spazzing out (as I'm so known to do...) and calling my mom. My mom wasn't answering. I called and called and then began freaking out as Maryland is NOT far from DC and we live within walking distance of a military base, could these attacks have spread? When I finally reached her, she was in Best Buy with a friend and not too concerned about what was going on, as the details hadn't reached her yet. When I got home she was already there and she was crying as she was watching the tv. It was horrifying to watch the news feeds, hear the stories... My mom and I sat there in awe and disbelief. And we couldn't even talk to my dad about this, as he was in New Hampshire taking care of my sick nana.

The days following the attacks also stick into my brain, maybe more than what I would think. Dad couldn't get home for quite a while, as flights just weren't going anywhere... Security to get on post had been heightened and every morning on the bus on the way to pick up other schoolmates armed Soldiers would walk the length of our bus both outside and inside of the vehicle. I was frightened, I'd grown up around Soldiers my whole life but this was... serious. Looking back I realize I should not have felt frightened in the slightest, but protected.

Now, eight years later, I am married to a United States Marine. I've never been more proud to be an American, more proud of our troops (although I've always had a die-hard military pride, it is beyond what I ever thought it could be), or more understanding of the changes the country has made since we went to war.

Yesterday, word got around that my husband's unit may be deploying sooner than usual. By sooner, I mean in a month. My first reaction was to totally spaz out (like I said... typical for me) I started freaking, we have so much to get done, what about our daughter's birth?, will I stay or go home? So many things we need to cover before deployment!

But as the radio reminded me of why we are at war and why my husband and so many others fight, I have to put the selfishness aside. This is the life I chose and I wouldn't choose another path. My husband is one of the few and the proud and he does it to protect everything America stands for. To protect me, our baby, our families, friends, and people we don't even know! Because of that attack 8 years ago, we are at war. And that's the reality of it all, especially as a military wife. It is also why all those Patriotic songs tend to bring a tear to my eye and make me sing/yell the lyrics a little louder. Because this is my reality. This is every American's reality.

Now as I prepare for our first deployment on the anniversary I also take a minute to think of all the other families who have prepared for deployment, for all the service members who have given their time, their lives, to remember all the people who were lost the day the towers fell and to just think of how lucky and blessed I am to be a Marine Wife.

I suppose all this can be summed up with a simple...

I'm Such a Good Wife! (A picnic dinner)

Hubs has 24 duty tonight. That means from 0700 today until 0700 he gets to hang out at the barracks and make sure the Marines of his company are not being complete idiots. That also means that I get a whole 24 hours to myself! What have I done with my 24 hours, you ask? Well, I cleaned some of the house (yay for motivation!), I lounged around watching TV, I made dinner, went on base, and went to the library. Sooo, yep typical day in the life of Mrs. P.

Something new I decided to incorporate into this day between the making of dinner and the going to base parts, is the purpose of the two - making dinner for hubs stuck on base. Aren't I nice? (Ok, I'm learning, remember?!) As husband is there all day, I figure a nice home cooked meal could definitely do him some good. After hearing from him that this is in fact allowed, and he wouldn't mind dinner around 6, I gussy up (gotta look pretty if I'm being a good wife!) and begin cooking at 1700 (that's 5pm - I'm getting good at this). I prepare steak tips which are cooked in brown beef gravy with white rice (Uncle Ben's quick ready - ready to eat in 90 seconds!), salads, and buttered bread. I pack all the ingredients for dinner into a brown paper bag - bowls, forks, knives, napkins, the salads, the bread, sodas, even salt and pepper. The main dish gets put into a styrofoam container (we're working on keeping things hot, here) and the rice bags (yes, they're cooked in bags) get wrapped in kitchen towels. As the gravy leaks from the styrofoam, I am left to hold it and watch it and drive more carefully than I ever have. Ever.

I, of course, get lost of the way to the duty hut. But it's ok because one speaker phone call later and I'm in the right area. Hubby heads over (in his cami's - ooooooo) and helps me carry the bag over to a little covered picnic table area. We unpack and hubs is surprised and delighted by the effort and full-course-ness put into his meal. We dine outside while watching Marines field day (clean their barracks - I guess I wasn't the only one on the cleaning bus today) and then it is time for me to go and him to get back to, well, duty-ing.

All-in-all it was a great dinner. I felt good for doing something nice and being able to get to see him (duty days are longer than they sound, ok?) and he enjoyed a good meal and saw that I really do appreciate him and enjoy doing things for him. Win-win for all involved.

After dinner, I headed over to the library and picked up a few books. I've got a full carton of chocolate ice cream calling my name for dessert and a long night ahead of me. I'll probably end up asleep early - go figure.

Training Day (Everyone Needs a Network)

Today I had my training to become a Family Readiness Assistant. Let me elaborate first, on Family Readiness and how important it is to a wife as any kind of military spouse.
When I first moved to Camp Lejeune (to be known here on out as CL), I was extremely lonely. I had my husband, a good friend I had made on a prior trip, Jess, and husband's friend's wife (who has become much more than that as we've gotten to know each other), Tamara. While both these ladies are fantastic (and Jess took care of my very sick newly pregnant self) I still ended up staying in the house moping for the majority of my first few months. I would call them on the phone or swing by their houses and that was about the extent of my social network. Neither of them were in hubby's unit, so while they could give me their tips and personal insights of being a Marine wife, they couldn't tell me what was going on with us, what exactly I was expected to do, or anything specific to us. They could both relate to the long days and late nights, or the nights where he doesn't come home at all. Jess has already survied a deployment and Tamara is preparing for her first, but has survived lots of seperation from her hubs before moving to CL. We have a lot in common just being Marine spouses and we have great times together, but I was still missing that network that I was used to, having come from an area where when I needed advice all I needed to do was walk down the hall to my mom or whenever I needed a sister I could drive 45 minutes at the most and several ladies would be there (one of the perks of being a sister of Phi Mu the second largest "Fraternity for Women" in the nation). I needed some kind of network where I could get busy. Preferrably a network that would somehow make me closer to hubs.

When Tamara started talking about events that were going on in the battalion for the families that would help spouses to meet friends and network, I started to wonder - is there something within hubs' batallion for me? Upon asking hubby this, I began to feel at a loss, there was no way I'd find a way to connect with his unit without feeling totally awkward (aka wife dates and large family days - sooo awkward to meet people that way!) That's when I noticed the card hubby had inadvertantly stuck on our fridge - the number for the FRO - Family Readiness Officer. I shot her an email, and within an hour, I was on the phone with someone from his battalion who could totally help me out. Finally, my existence at CL and as a Marine Spouse had been recognized! I was invited to come to the BN (battalion) the next day to meet the FRO, collect my Battle Book (a binder filled with sheets with blanks to fill in of all pertinent info - the if I had to leave and only had a second to grab my whole life what would I need book), and join her and her assistants on a tour around the base. I had an awesome time! I got to chat with girls from the BN about events, what was going on on base, and events the battalion family readiness team had to offer lonely spouses like myself. It was great. I asked how these girls got to come hang out in the office because it seemed like something I might be interested in - helping other wives (spouses) who don't have a clue what's going on and feel disconnected. I know that feeling and it sucks, what could I do to help out? I was invited to a Family Readiness Team Assistants meeting where I learned lots of goings on in the battalion and once again got to do one of my favorite things - chat! I decided that being a family readiness assistant was definitely a job I wanted to volunteer for.

Today was the training for the job. I learned lots of valuable information that will not only help me as an assistant but as a Marine spouse. I learned about TONS of resources that are available to us as Marines spouses, many I didn't even know about!! And then we got a sweet little graduation ceremony where I got an awesome certificate, that looks like a real Marine Corps certificate and I might just hang on the wall with hubby's certificates

Holding my cert. infront of hubby's, think it goes?

So while I'm not looking for sisters to replace my sisters or my family, it is good finding a sisterhood within the Marine Corps. Whether it be Tamara and Jess, my first CL Marine Wife friends, or Maggie my childhood friend who is now a Marine Wife, Maria (the wife who was there when our car got hit and who is basically pretty awesome - more on that story and Maria later), or the battalion network, it's nice to have people who understand. And of course all my oldest friends are always only a phone call away. It feels good to be unlonely and back to my social butterfly self again.