Reality Checks and Birthday Cakes
Before I get into the fun (and funny) of the past few weeks, I had a really big reality check this week. As most of you know, in September of 2012 James was sent to Security Forces on the Roosevelt. His job in the US Navy is an Electronics Technician (which he adores) in Combat Systems, but when the ship was in the yards and no radars were installed, that left a lot of people hanging around with nothing to do. The Navy apparently frowns on paying people to stand around and do nothing, so James was given a choice. Independent assignment on another ship (and that really means deploying on another ship) or spend 12 months in Security. This conversation took place while I was 8 months pregnant with Mason, so of course we opted for Security knowing he'd still be here with us for the birth and the first part of our son's life.
The twelve months turned into eighteen and this past weekend we were still wondering when James would get send back to Combat. He got a text that his relief was going to the gun shoot (a requirement to qualify for Security) on March 19 so we knew it was coming soon. James and I were texting on Monday and we both had such high hopes of this being it! He would finally be done! I can't really explain why I wanted him home so badly Monday night but alas I got a text at 6:00pm. "Not good news. Still at work, no word on my relief or ever leaving Security. I can't do this anymore." James's frustration was beginning to show and who could blame him? It has been a year and a half since he's had his hands on his radars which he loves, the schedule is AWFUL, and it usually isn't very challenging.
My reality check came at 6:50am Tuesday morning. I heard James come in the door and rolled over. The clock said 6:45am which was weird, he's usually coming in by 6am. He came over to the edge of the bed and said "I need to talk to you. I don't want you to hear this on the news." He was visibly shaken and I was immediately awake. He explained Monday night around 11:20pm something terrible and awful happened. A civilian contractor used his credentials to get on base. He drove his truck up to Pier 1 and he again was given access. Then something went terribly wrong. He walked up the brow of the USS Mahan and attempted to gain access to the ship. The Petty Officer of the Watch would not allow him access and for unknown reasons a struggle took place. The civilian disarmed the Petty Officer and then had control of his weapon. As the Chief of the Guard ran up to help, he was shot and killed by the civilian. Security forces then took the civilian down who died at the scene. James is telling me all of this and I'm just staring at him. As I began getting ready for work James followed closely behind me and as I was doing makeup and hair we were still talking and he sat down and goes "I was standing that exact same watch, Julie." It hit me.
The Petty Officer and the Security forces that took the shooter down were doing the exact thing my husband was doing a few piers down. I was hugging my husband goodbye while two other families were waking up in a completely different nightmare. It definitely gave me a moment's pause about my husband's safety and the job Security Forces has. I'm so grateful for their quick response on the USS Mahan, I'm grateful for sailors who risk their own safety every single day (even when I'm naïve about it) and I'm thankful mine walked through the door safely Tuesday morning. Please say a prayer for these two families and the crew of the USS Mahan. As they're struggling to understand what happened, learning to live without a cherished member of their family, and the ship is coping with losing one of their own it has been a heavy hearted week for the Navy. 
I turned 29 and James turned 32 and it was the seventh birthday we've gotten to celebrate together. I always think of these random facts. It is so funny to me to think of the first birthday I spent with James, he was turning 26 and I had just turned 23. Ahh, look at us now. Anyway, I got surprised with a pajama birthday party the morning of my birthday and it was
by far one of my most favorite birthday memories. Mason helped me blow out my candle (and eat my cupcake) and James surprised me with a band that has diamonds and Mason's birthstone. It is gorgeous and I felt like the luckiest 29 year old in the world. We had a sitter booked for that Saturday evening to (finally) have an evening to ourselves and take a breath but in true form, Mason got sick. We spent Saturday afternoon at Urgent Care with a rash and a fever. Luckily the little guy just seemed to have a virus and kicked it pretty quick, but date night was a bust. Not a complete bust, we had Outback takeout by candlelight after Mason went down and it was perfection. He keeps us on our toes that little guy. James's birthday was this past weekend and we 
had PERFECT weather. It was sunny and 75 degrees outside so we re-booked a sitter and headed to James's favorite oyster bar for some adult time and to enjoy the gorgeous weather on the back deck in the sunshine. Thankfully Mason agreed Mom and Dad needed some time out and decided not to get sick. Sunday was rainy and cold so we opted for brunch and then Mason and I made James a homemade chocolate birthday cake. It started off innocently enough, Mason wanted to help so we pulled his stool into the kitchen and he banged around for awhile on the counter with some measuring cups because the ingredients separately did not really seem all that appealing to him. When I finished the batter and started pouring it into the cake pans he took notice and decided he liked the looks of it. We let him try the batter and since Mason seems to have inherited his mother's love of chocolate. I'll just say it is a good thing he was in his diaper. 
So this week we're looking forward to having James home with us in the evenings, I'm staying busy at Mosquito Joe, and Mason is enjoying using his new word "No." He's growing so fast, we can't even keep track of all the new words and phrases he's learning at school these days. We do have an animal lover on our hands, nothing makes this little boy happier than stopping and watching some birds, visiting the ducks by the lake at our house, or watching the Lion King opening scene. He has the kindest little heart and it makes this Mom very proud. He really continues to amaze us and of course, make us laugh. "Mason, what's your name?" "I'm baaaaby." We're working on that. I don't have the heart to tell him he isn't really a baby anymore.
The Greens, patiently waiting for summer...
xoxo
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