March Madness...Green Style
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| 7 months old! |
We have had a lot of changes in our house the past few weeks, and I'm excited to finally be able to share them with everyone! As most of you know the plan has been for James to apply to Officer Candidate School and continue on that path for his career with the Navy. I had noticed that the past couple of months James had gotten a bit...um, slack? In regards to his packet. I kept finding myself asking about it over and over, and making him schedule tests, and getting really irritated with the whole process. This was our goal right? This was what he wanted? Then a few weeks ago James sat me down and did something that took me by complete surprise. He said he didn't want to go to Officer Candidate School. He looked me in the eyes and said "Julie, if I go to OCS I won't be in electronics, I won't be doing what makes me happy. I like electronics, I'm good at it, and I enjoy it. I don't want to wake up miserable just because I make more money." I sat there and stared at him. I think he thought I was going to get mad at him, blow up, get angry that he was veering off the path we had set...but quite the opposite. I was proud. I didn't think I could be more proud until I asked what his plan was and he replied "I want to go back to school and get my engineering degree." Wow! There are those few moments in life where you are just really deeply proud of someone and this was one of them. Funny things happen when you have a kid, everything becomes an example...and I couldn't be more proud of the example he is setting for Mason. James is following his heart. And I can't argue...he is an amzing Electronics Technicain. We all remember Distinguished Military Graduate, right? His request for Tuition Assistance got approved last week, and he's been on and off the phone with Old Dominion University and the school on base to coordinate how this will all happen. But if all goes according to plan (hey, you never know with the military) by the time his contract with the Navy is up in 2016, he will also be graduating with his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering. Partnered with his Industrial Tech degree from ECU, he's going to be one educated Sailor! This paragraph makes it sound like it was a really easy decision for us (more him), but that isn't the case. I'm sure there will be many more sacrifices as he begins school while working full time, but I'm 100% behind him. I know his potential, I think he's amazing at what he does, and I can't wait to see how well he does in school.
Work couldn't be going better for me at Mosquito Joe. We're now in five states and getting ready to sign more franchises in the coming weeks. I'm having so much fun blogging, keeping up our social media, and all the other fun marketing projects they throw my way. I am writing all the time and that makes me a happy girl. This job was truly created for me. I feel so blessed. I also started the Stroller Strides program called Body Back. It is a really intense workout class twice a week, home workouts 4 nights a week, and overhaul of how I eat. At first I was really nervous and almost dreading it, but taking care of myself and feeling myself getting stronger is really empowering. I can't wait to see the results at the end of eight weeks and how far I've come. MAYBE if it isn't too disturbing, I'll post my Before and After pictures ;) I'm really grateful for Stroller Strides, Mason and I have made some really wonderful friends.
Everyone knows James started the night shift in December, and we found out last week he goes back to days on April 15. THANK THE LORD. It has been really tough. Full time working Mom with your husband basically never home has been a struggle for both of us. It's exhausting for me keeping up everything on my own most of the time, the schedule is hard on James both physically and mentally, and we desperately miss our family time. He usually gets home as I'm leaving for work, and he's gone when I get home. James came home the other night and said "This is the weirdest feeling. I feel like I'm deployed, but I'm not." Thank you so much to everyone who has supported that and us the past few months. Coming to spend time with me while he's working or just calling or texting and saying "Hey, thinking about you guys!" means the world to me. Sometimes it has been an uphill battle, but we survived it :) We are happy to have him back on a normal schedule in just a couple of short weeks. A HUGE thanks to Randy and Claudette for coming up this past weekend and allowing us to go on our first date since NOVEMBER. It was so nice to celebrate James's birthday with a delicious seafood dinner...and we took our time, we didn't rush, we had adult conversation...and were home in bed by 10pm ;) Below are a few pictures!
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| Mason's first St. Patrick's Day :) |
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| Dad and his mini me on his birthday! |
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| Mason giving me the birthday card he made me at school :) |
This weekend we are headed to Carteret County for a salty Easter with my Dad and the Greens and we are so excited. It is few and far between all the Greens are in one place together, and I'm SUPER DUPER excited for Granddad H to take Mase Man on his first boat ride. Stay tuned for pictures of that, and the first time we put his toes in the ocean. I think I heard the Easter Bunny say he had some special stuff for the Little Man too...
Until next time,
The Greens
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