Change of Command/ Hail and Farewell

Today was Shannon's Change of Command ceremony and our last Hail and Farewell Dinner with Delta Company. He will be moving on to a different unit at Camp Pendleton and the hugs and laughs shared tonight were definitely bittersweet. For the past three years our family has made friends with so many others at the School of Infantry and we will take those memories and friendships wherever the Marine Corps sends us. After two moves, two babies, and a lot of lessons learned, we are excited to start a new chapter and are so blessed that God is allowing us to stay local for this page turning. 

We are so proud of you Shannon! You work so hard to provide for our family. We know the Marines of Delta are losing a great Commander, but they have gained so much by being able to work with you. Hearing their praises of you tonight is no surprise to me. I know the man you are and I am so blessed to call you mine. 

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Cheers to all my fellow military spouses out there! Loving a service member is not easy, and today America salutes you. Trying to keep our sanity while, maintaing the home front is a tough battle and without you America would not be what it is. The support you give your service member and the sacrifices you make is a lifeblood to the morale of those on the front lines. Your constant sacrifices do not go unnoticed and America appreciates you. Heaven knows we don't do it for the glory, because this is not a glorious life at all. The pay leaves a lot to be desired, the ever-changing "schedules" will test your flexibility and patience to the boiling point, and the misunderstandings of living this military life will never fully be comprehended to outsiders, but somehow we manage to find the good in it all. We live for the moment he steps off the bus, and the loneliness of the nights before that day all seem to fade as soon as he does. Teaching our children that Daddy is a part of something so important that he can't be home for months at a time is one of the hardest things we will endure, but the pride we feel when they finally get it, is so joyous. Here's to you fellow Milspo, I couldn't do this without you and you mean the world to me. God holds a special place in heaven for us, I imagine it to have unlimited pedicures, mimosas, and no blue service star flags. Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day! 

Military Child Month

(Please Share) April is Military Child Month. Proud in purple this month!!! Because feeling short changed and actually not understanding why mommy and/or daddy misses holidays and birthdays, is working too late for bedtime stories, or has to be in the field for soccer or t-ball games is harder than raising them to understand. Our military "brats" aren't brats at all, they unknowingly sacrifice and serve for this country just as much as their Daddies and Mommies. 

We Made It!

Thank you for your safe-travel prayers! We made it to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center- Twentynine Palms! Right now we are staying in the billeting that the Marine Corps assigned Shannon, and it's not so bad! The room is clean, and HUGE! There is plenty of space for us to set up shop here, and we will be fine while Shannon is working. My friend did offer her place up, but with Addie sleeping through the night and Jo in a new place, I didn't want to disturb their sleep. Here's what we are dealing with:

Not so bad right!? From what my friends at home were telling me, I was expecting something run-down and musty, but this is nicer than some of the hotels I've had to stay in while traveling for the GOP. Not to shabby, I hope the rest of the trip follows this precedence.

Twentynine Palms

We are headed out to Twentynine Palms, California to visit my best friend while Shannon attends some training for work. Most people don't have much good to say of 29 Palms, but I think getting out of the house and allowing a change of scenery for Jo will be healthy. Because of my exhaustion, and refusal to wear anything but yoga pants, the kids and I have been inside/ at home most everyday for the past month. So... this business trip Shannon has to go on will be a great excuse to take a mini family vacation. Like I said 29 Palms isn't the typical destination that most think of when booking a family vacation, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus, my best friend lives there and she is in desperate need of socialization. Twentynine Palms is a city in the middle of the California desert that revolves around the Marine Corps base out there. I have never been, but from what I hear, there's not much to do out there besides roast in the sun, take in the warm, sloppy stench of the water treatment facility, and if you're feeling brave, build sand castles. I will let you know how it goes, but I better get to packing. We will be gone two weeks, and with two small children I can even begin to think of all the gear we are going to have to load up... and worse, unload. Please pray for our safe travels (we will be driving the 3 hours from home to there). Pictures to come soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shannon leading some of the Marines during the "Home Hospitality" event.

Our Turkey Day will be postponed until tomorrow, but I wish you all the best to you and yours. Shannon volunteered to take duty today for his Marines and it turned out to be very rewarding. Through an AYMCA program called "Home Hospitality," he got to see hundreds of single Marines off to foster families for the holiday. The Marines were treated to limos, party buses, and even luxury car rides to have Thanksgiving dinner with a host family. Although I didn’t get to be with my own Marine today, I am so thankful for all the families who adopted a Marine to celebrate this time of thanks. Hope in America restored! :) 

Again, I hope you have wonderful Thanksgiving and please say a prayer for all the uniformed service-members who sacrifice time away from their families so that you can spend time with yours. 

Two Birthdays

Last weekend we celebrated my 25th birthday and the Marine Corps' 238th Birthday!

Our annual 'official' photo 

I am so fortunate to be able to share my birthday with the Marine Corps; it gives me the opportunity to feel fabulous. (Although this year it was a little hard to get into the glamour with a 7 month protruding pregnant belly). Every year my husband takes me to the Marine Corps Ball and there we celebrate the birth of America's greatest fighting force. All the Marines are dressed handsomely in their dress blues uniform and they are usually accompanied by their beautiful wives, girlfriends, and significant others in formal elegant ball gowns. It's the Oscars of the military, and its amazing!

This year the ball was in Las Vegas at the Paris Hotel & Casino, and when Shannon told me this, I was upset. Not just because I am 7months pregnant, but because I've never been a "Vegas-type" girl, (if there is such a thing), or at least I thought I was not the Vegas-type. From my understanding, Las Vegas was about indecencies, greed, and vulgar sex, all things which aren't high on my to-do/ bucket list.

However, Shannon assured me my birthday was not ruined, because we could "do Vegas tastefully."

Trusting him I prepared for our trip. Shannon had set up a wonderful weekend with fancy dinners and amazing seats at the 'O' show in the Bellagio. Once I heard this, I was excited and couldn't wait to get to Vegas! We dropped Jo off with my grandmother and Mom in Murrieta for the weekend. I was so nervous to leave Jo (we've never left him overnight with anyone), but now looking back it was harder on me than on him- he had a great time! After sneaking away from him, we sped off to the desert to ring in my quarter-century birthday and the Marine Corps' 238th. 

Bliss in all its grandeur

To my surprise, I had one of the best times of my life! I ate everything- that was my indulgence, not money or sex, but food! I have don't have a sweet tooth, I have a sweet mouth, head, and heart, so seeing the amazing restaurants- especially desserts- I was in heaven. Yes, I still saw the trashy, immoral side of Vegas but my husband delivered exactly what he said he would- a glamorous, tasteful, memorable birthday weekend. A part of me didn't want to leave, but I was excited to get back to our son, who I thought, by then wouldn't remember who we were. My mom insisted we stay another night and enjoy ourselves, but I as kid-sick and wanted to spend sometime with our son for my birthday too. Looking back my perspective on Vegas has changed and although I'm weary of it, I know there are things to like. I am so grateful and blessed for last weekend and I will never forget it.