Son and Sea on HLN's Salute to the Troops

HLN aired a short piece about my sailor's homecoming

from an almost 10 month deployment. 

Here's the article I wrote that was the 

basis for the on-air segment. 

~♥~ 

Son and Sea on HLN's Salute to the Troops

good stuff

So... my sailor is in his second level of nuke school~ Power School. 

He is super busy. Along with a very challenging school, these sailors 

still have to do their "Navy stuff". No rolling out of bed and falling into 

class late, unshaven, in shorts and a t-shirt... No skipping class. And 

there is still PT and other Navy things that fill their days. Evenings are

for studying. All materials are classified, so studying is done in the classroom.

All of this added together equals limited communication. 

It is hard, to be honest. But you learn to appreciate an answered text...

it may be answered many hours (or even days later) and then there 

is the rare phone call. You adapt... pray a lot... get support and understanding

from your Navy mom "sisters"...

 and for me~ I stay busy! 

My happy place (aside from the beach) is CREATING! 

I have been enjoying making Navy related jewelry lately. 

Stamping metal (embossing?) is really fun. 

It also makes me happy to know that I am creating

for Navy moms, wives, significant others.

I have a shop on Etsy... Son and Sea Shop

I keep my prices low and US shipping is always free.

It will be a long time until I see my sailor, but I am so proud of him.

He has accomplished a lot in the almost 9 months since he shipped.

I miss him so much every day, but I have to focus on the "good stuff". 

There is so much to be grateful for. And I am. ♥ 

sisters of the heart

So, as of 4/8/12 my son has been in the Navy for 8 months. 

It is rather surreal. 

I am very proud of what he has accomplished.

Nuclear Field A School is done. He is a 3rd Class Petty Officer.

And now he is in the 2nd level of his schooling... Power School.

He seems well adjusted to military life.

He seems impossibly far away.

The nature of nuke school makes communication spotty. 

School days are long and study hours take up much of the limited

"free time" the sailors have. 

I have to be honest... there is a huge hole in my heart.

I don't mention it, except to my "sisters"~

my Nuke mom friends. 

We buoy one another~ laugh, cry, pray, share too much~

and build a bond that is so deep and strong. 

I love them.

That is the condolence prize...

the gift of true friends and I am so grateful for it.

Still, I miss my sailor every day... miss him thundering down

the stairs and drinking all the milk. 

I miss his loud truck and I miss

cooking for him and talking to him.

We won't see him until late September.

My Navy sisters will keep me afloat.

And I will do the same for them.

~♥~ 

half a year later...

~class 1203-A

My Navy mom journey continues...

On Monday my son passed his A School Comps at 

Navy Nuclear Power Training Command. 

He graduates on Friday and will be a Third Class Petty Officer.

He has a lot more hard schooling ahead of him, but this

is a great accomplishment. Nuke school is generally regarded

as one of the most academically demanding school in the military. 

My sailor has had his ups and downs and has worked

so hard to get to this point in his training.

Along the way he has adjusted to military life, lived far

from family, maintained a long distance relationship

with his sweet girl, learned to do laundry and made some 

friends for life. His visit at Christmas was a joy

for our entire family. 

As for me~ I have stayed BUSY and have somewhat

adjusted to my nearly empty nest. Now 3 of my 4 

kids are launched out into the world. 

I miss them, but I know this is the way of the world. 

My other 2 grown kids are close by and I see

them often. My sailor is far away and so busy with 

nuke school and Navy life. His days are long.

Thank God for technology. I am grateful for texts, 

FaceBook and phone calls to keep us connected. 

But truth is, I miss him all the time.

~♥~

I am so proud of all my sweet kids. 

~♥~

I am blessed beyond measure...

and~ I am going to Charleston to see my sailor graduate! 

Oh, happy day!!!

~♥~

so proud

Free digital scrapbook created with Smilebox

the power of a smile

The shortest distance between two people is a smile.  

~Author Unknown

My sweet son is in his last days at RTC . He graduates  next week! 

His division's finals days will be filled with challenges~

final PFAs, inspections, drills, Captain's Cup

and Battle Stations. 

We received a short phone call on Monday~ a reward for a perfect

score on an inspection. My son sounded great, a bit weary, 

but upbeat and ready to wrap this thing up! 

On Tuesday, we got the best gift ever! 

Recruit Training Command's FaceBook page

 has two contests weekly. One of our division moms 

WON Tuesday's trivia game (no small feat, as there

 are MANY parents, spouses, etc playing). 

The prize~ A DIVISION PHOTO!!

So, with no further ado~ I  present 

Ship 7 USS CHICAGO Division 327

83 strong and lookin' good in their NWUs!!! 

 A photo from boot camp is a treasure!!! Winning the contest
is the only way to get a photo from boot camp.
It is just amazing to have this peek 

at the division! And best of all... look at those GRINS!!!!
They were told what the photo was for! They know their moms,
 dads, wives, girlfriends, etc will

see this photo. I love their beautiful smiles!
 LOVE THEM!

This photograph is a treasure. 

And where is my SR?
He is on the very top of the heap~ top upper right,

CLIMBING (oh, how he loves to climb) on something

and rocking the best smile ever!!

That's my boy! 

Note his collar device~ He is a Recruit Petty Office.

~Port Watch Section Leader~ 

That smile is a beautiful sight.

See you soon, son! 

~♥~

best day(s) ♥

How wonderful is is to have some communication from my son

in boot camp!!! We have now gotten TWO real 

letters and a glorious, long phone call!!!!

My son is doing very well and has the honor

of holding a Recruit Petty Officer position! 

He is the Port Watch Section Leader. 

He sounds great in his letters and on the phone.

In spite of having a cold (known as the Ricky Crud),

pink-eye and having all 4 wisdom teeth pulled,

he is upbeat and determined! 

He had his birthday in boot camp and spent

his first hours of being 19 standing watch and toting

a 9mm pistol. He is making friends

and says his RDCs are "smart, good people"

beneath "the show they put on". 

I am so grateful for his positive attitude! 

Our trip is booked now and in 4 weeks 

we will be at our son's PIR.

That will be another 'best day".

~♥~

I ♥ the gratitude campaign

It is no small thing to say "Thank you." Just do it.

I ♥ the mail carrier!

What a wonderful thing is the mail,

 capable of conveying across continents 

a warm human hand-clasp.  

~Author Unknown

The Navy teaches you things, lots of things~ 

like an appreciation for the U.S. Postal Service. 

In these days of instant communication, the thought of waiting

for a letter seems rather quaint, but when a loved-one

is in boot camp, letters become golden.

So far I've gotten two~ the form letter

and a nice 3 page letter last Friday.

It was so good to "hear" my son's "voice",

to see his new "military handwriting".

He is doing well and says parts of boot camp

are FUN!! And some parts suck.
He has made some friends and is learning
to deal with sleep deprivation.
He misses us.

Today he started his 4th week and graduation

on 9/30 doesn't seem so far away anymore! 

I am so proud of him. He is working hard

to become a Sailor, but...

he is still my boy, my sweet son who remembers

that his mom likes to know where her babies sleep.

So, this made my day. 

~♥~

up, up and away...

At this time next week my son will be at MEPS

doing his final swearing-in. We will send him off

with love, prayers and encouragement! 

Today I am mostly excited, ready for his

great adventure to begin! 

I keep thinking about how important it is 

to have the right attitude. I want my son to go

forth with confidence and determination. 

I can ask no less of myself! I want to focus

on the positive and radiate peace as I support

my son and learn to navigate my new life

with a less full nest. It's all good.

~♥~

28 days...

I live a blessed life. I have a a husband who is actually Superman

 (shhh! that's top secret), four children that amaze me every day, 

wonderful friends, a pretty home and the privilege

of time and space to pursue my artistic dreams. 

My heart sings a constant hymn of gratitude.

My oldest son is married to a sweet, lovely gal that we adore.

 He works for Frito-Lay and loves his job. They live close by

 which makes me so happy. My only daughter is a college student

 and a very talented artist. She is finding her way at her 

own pace (translation~ taking forever to get through school). 

She is a sweet, sweet young lady with a heart of gold.

My future sailor is an interesting kid~ very hard working, 

smart, driven. He knows everything, as do all 18 year olds.

 Beneath his bravado he has a tender heart and loves to help people.

And my "baby" is going into 9th grade. He is also very talented in art. 

He is very kind and brave.

I love them all beyond measure.

And in 28 days I will say goodbye to one of them. 

And it is goodbye~ goodbye to his childhood.

Unlike the more gradual transition to adulthood that most
 young people make,  the military life is a crash course
 in growing up. I know when my son leaves

 on August 8th, no matter what, he will be changed
when I see him again. I am excited for him
and proud of his choice. But part of me will mourn the loss
of his childhood, of his carefree life. 

I see it already~
 the realization of the seriousness of this endeavor. 

Next month at this time he will be in Great Lakes
being challenged  and molded into a Sailor in the world's greatest navy.
If he can do that, then I can do my part.
I can choose to dwell in gratitude

 for this opportunity, for all my sweet children, for this life that 

blossoms like the most tender rose. 

♥It is a great privilege to live in this amazing, FREE country. 

I am grateful for all who have created,

 nurtured and defended our freedom and to those that continue 

to devote their lives to service to our country.

 My hope is that God will continue to bless

 not only the United States,

 but this beautiful world that we share 

with our brothers and sisters. ♥

♥ Happy Independence Day!♥

with open hands...

Every day I receive gifts. The world offers such beauty, 

so much opportunity, so many choices.

I am learning, through this journey, how very much our choices

 and our attitudes define us. 

I am striving, every day, to open my eyes, my hands, my heart. 

I am choosing to be grateful for the gift of letting go. 

My son will soon spread his wings against the wide, wild sky.

 His life will unfurl before him. And I will know that we have loved him well, 

that he has been raised to be honorable, caring and brave. 

He will take his own path out into the world, but our love

 will follow him, buffet him against storms and trials, 

remind him that we are here, a heartbeat away,
always lifting him upward and onward.  

~♥~

thanks a lot...

Fear is a part of the parenting experience. 

From the first moment we hold our newborns

and ever after we have some level of concern

about our children's well-being. 

Worry is fear's troublesome voice that whispers

in our ears and paints ugly pictures of what might be.

My son's Navy journey thus far has stirred this nagging voice.

As a mother of four I thought I had nearly mastered worry

and fear. It is a matter of survival and sanity, to come

to some sort of truce with with these destructive thoughts.

But, oh, the prospect of my son in boot-camp, 

in an extremely challenging school, on a ship,

working on a nuclear reactor, so far from home!!~

These thoughts have awakened my fears more than

I care to admit. 

But here I am admitting and facing my fears. 

And I have found an anecdote, a tried and true 

balm for my trouble spirit. 

I am focusing on GRATITUDE, on paying heed to the 

good and beautiful things in my life. I am 

actively appreciating the gifts that surround me-

the blessing of a sunny morning, my parrot's chatter,

the sweet sound of my children's laugher. 

I have been reading 

One Thousand Gifts

Like the author of this book I have begun a list

of one thousand gifts. One of those gifts

is the opportunity offered to my son by the US Navy.

Gratitude enriches my life, slows my thoughts, stills my heart

so that I might see the blessings of my life.

Fear fades. Worry hushes.

My heart is filled with quiet joy.

~♥~
Click HERE to follow my list of 1000 gifts.