The Life of a Traveling Sailor's Wife
I can't even remember the last time I updated the blog, and THAT is a horrible thing! But, if there ever was an excuse we've had a few good ones over the past couple of months. Life has been so crazy and hectic, but in such a good way I don't even know where to start! I suppose a good beginning is a status update. We safely navigated from Chicago, to Norfolk, to Dunn/Raleigh last week and are certainly glad that is over. We had a wonderful week with family and now James Howard is settled in Pensacola, Florida - his new home for the next three months! It is certainly weird to be back in NC, before James left we both kept saying "It feels weird, I feel like soon we'll be packing up and heading back to Chicago!" But we had lots going on before we moved!
In July, James was promoted! He is now officially Electronics Technician Third Class James H. Green, or ET3 as he's called at work. There was a very nice ceremony and James thought I wasn't coming, but I surprised him and the look on his face when he walked in the door was so worth it.
We spent a wonderful week in Atlantic Beach over the 4th of July for the Beasley Family Reunion and it was amazing to see how much all the kiddos have grown, spend some time with my crazy cousins, and see James unwind. We celebrated Annie's 30th birthday and I was VERY happy I didn't have to miss that, because well...we went to Funkytown!
After we returned home to Illinois we made a big decision, and that was not to move to Norfolk in August and hold off until December when James finishes his C School. I was not to keen on this idea at first, because that means me and Lilly resume the life of gypsies, but it just made the most sense after we discussed all of our other options. I really wanted to have the ability to go to Florida if I wanted/needed to, James felt better knowing I wasn't getting a house setup in a new area without him, there were lots of reasons and I eventually came around and agreed!
After that, we began planning the big move. The big do it yourself move. The big do it yourself move that will never happen again. The big as a wife I want to say I told you so SO bad but I've bit my tongue move. Yep, that one. We did it ALL ourselves. I packed it all into boxes, James put it on the truck, and we drove...me leading the big yellow Penske truck, all the way to North Carolina. When I put it into two sentences it sounds much simpler, but if we had a reality show following this I bet it would have been quite humorous. The Penske rental place told us we either had to choose a 16' truck or a 26 ft' truck because they did not have any 22'. When James saw the price difference and found out we couldn't tow the Ford (meaning I had to drive and we had to gas that up along the way) he opted for the 16ft. Two nights later as he surveyed the living room which was now the holding room for all of our boxes, suddenly looking worried it wouldn't all fit, he stated "If you are sentimentally tied to anything, ANYTHING in this apartment it better go on the truck first. Because if it doesn't fit in that truck or the Ford, it is not coming. And I don't want any crying and being upset if that happens so I'm just telling you now." You will all be happy to know everything fit, including Lilly so we all made it to NC with all of our stuff and no crying.
This past week we spent time with family, our friends came to Dunn for a cookout so we could all get together, we have gotten to see how big Molly Carter has gotten, celebrated Jason's birthday, sweated in the NC humidity (yes, I missed it), James ate Bojangles 4 times, and then finally on Saturday came to our goodbyes. Leaving James at the airport was gut wrenching, and I honestly thought that since this was my second time sending him to be miles away from me it would be easier, but it wasn't. And as I sit here writing this blog post, which I apologize is the length of a novel, it just takes me back to saying goodbye when he left for boot camp, saying goodbye when I left Chicago after my first visit last September, and that of course takes me to all the amazing reunions I've had with James, which is what I'm looking forward to in 34 days when I go to Florida for our anniversary :) It is crazy that it was a year ago we were starting this whole crazy adventure. What I do know is that we could not have done it without our friends and family. I know I say this all the time but we have the greatest support system in the whole Navy!! Although I'm very sad to be apart from my James, I also feel very lucky.
So, what's next? Well of course I'm staying busy so I am sure I will have lots of fun stories for the blog about me and Annie at the Britney Spears concert (ha!), the lake trip this weekend I'm excited about with Annie, Will and lots of friends, getting down to the beach and helping Dad with his new business, Reel Hard Charters, visiting James, and somewhere along the line seeing everyone I've missed so incredibly much. When James gives me his address in Florida I will post it and email it so you can all keep in touch with him. He does have his cell phone and a laptop this time so communication will be much easier than when he started at Great Lakes. Below is a slide show of pictures from the move and the past week family.
We hope everyone is having a good end to their summer, and I will attempt to be more forthcoming with the blog posts :)
Much love,
Jules
In July, James was promoted! He is now officially Electronics Technician Third Class James H. Green, or ET3 as he's called at work. There was a very nice ceremony and James thought I wasn't coming, but I surprised him and the look on his face when he walked in the door was so worth it.
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| Petty Officer Third Class, and the Electronics Technician symbol above that! |
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| James with the Command Master Chief |
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| James and a very proud wife :) |
We spent a wonderful week in Atlantic Beach over the 4th of July for the Beasley Family Reunion and it was amazing to see how much all the kiddos have grown, spend some time with my crazy cousins, and see James unwind. We celebrated Annie's 30th birthday and I was VERY happy I didn't have to miss that, because well...we went to Funkytown!
 |
| Won't you take me to...FUNKYTOWN! |
After that, we began planning the big move. The big do it yourself move. The big do it yourself move that will never happen again. The big as a wife I want to say I told you so SO bad but I've bit my tongue move. Yep, that one. We did it ALL ourselves. I packed it all into boxes, James put it on the truck, and we drove...me leading the big yellow Penske truck, all the way to North Carolina. When I put it into two sentences it sounds much simpler, but if we had a reality show following this I bet it would have been quite humorous. The Penske rental place told us we either had to choose a 16' truck or a 26 ft' truck because they did not have any 22'. When James saw the price difference and found out we couldn't tow the Ford (meaning I had to drive and we had to gas that up along the way) he opted for the 16ft. Two nights later as he surveyed the living room which was now the holding room for all of our boxes, suddenly looking worried it wouldn't all fit, he stated "If you are sentimentally tied to anything, ANYTHING in this apartment it better go on the truck first. Because if it doesn't fit in that truck or the Ford, it is not coming. And I don't want any crying and being upset if that happens so I'm just telling you now." You will all be happy to know everything fit, including Lilly so we all made it to NC with all of our stuff and no crying.
This past week we spent time with family, our friends came to Dunn for a cookout so we could all get together, we have gotten to see how big Molly Carter has gotten, celebrated Jason's birthday, sweated in the NC humidity (yes, I missed it), James ate Bojangles 4 times, and then finally on Saturday came to our goodbyes. Leaving James at the airport was gut wrenching, and I honestly thought that since this was my second time sending him to be miles away from me it would be easier, but it wasn't. And as I sit here writing this blog post, which I apologize is the length of a novel, it just takes me back to saying goodbye when he left for boot camp, saying goodbye when I left Chicago after my first visit last September, and that of course takes me to all the amazing reunions I've had with James, which is what I'm looking forward to in 34 days when I go to Florida for our anniversary :) It is crazy that it was a year ago we were starting this whole crazy adventure. What I do know is that we could not have done it without our friends and family. I know I say this all the time but we have the greatest support system in the whole Navy!! Although I'm very sad to be apart from my James, I also feel very lucky.
So, what's next? Well of course I'm staying busy so I am sure I will have lots of fun stories for the blog about me and Annie at the Britney Spears concert (ha!), the lake trip this weekend I'm excited about with Annie, Will and lots of friends, getting down to the beach and helping Dad with his new business, Reel Hard Charters, visiting James, and somewhere along the line seeing everyone I've missed so incredibly much. When James gives me his address in Florida I will post it and email it so you can all keep in touch with him. He does have his cell phone and a laptop this time so communication will be much easier than when he started at Great Lakes. Below is a slide show of pictures from the move and the past week family.
We hope everyone is having a good end to their summer, and I will attempt to be more forthcoming with the blog posts :)
Much love,
Jules
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