My beautiful children

I have 3 beautiful n amazing children, Hannah 8 yrs old, Nathan 5 yrs old and Bella 10 months old. Hannah was born in VA while we were stationed there. Nate was born in Italy and Bella was born in MD. All 3 born in dif states n countries all together...that's the military for u lol. My kids are my world!! B and I do everything with our kids. We don't pawn them off to other people or constantly get babysitters, in fact we hardly ever do unless we are going to a scary movie or Anniversary dinner...stuff like that. We have a very close family and do a lot together. We constantly stay busy and always taking the kids somewhere. It's fun tho. The kids are too funny...they make us laugh all the time. They always have something funny to say, esp Nate...he's our lil comedian! It comes so natural to him without even trying lol. Yesterday he fell asleep in the car and when we got to the store, we woke him up and he was half asleep and dead serious and says "Come on man, I was catching up on my beauty sleep." HAHA. I busted out laghing. It's just too cute what these kids say sometimes. Our kids just mean the world to us. I couldn't imagine being away from them even for like a day or wkend or something lol, so whatever trips n vaca's we plan, we take the kids :) If we went somewhere n didn't take the kids, I think i'd call n ck in about every hour on the hour...that could get annoying. Sure kids can get on your nerves at times n u just need a break to catch your breath to stay sane lol, but at the end of the day, they make me smile n it's all worth it :) Everything we do is for them! God has certainly blessed us with great children and a great lil family! :)

Italy Part 2

Ok, so today at work B talked to his detailer (the one who gives the orders) and he said our Spain orders got canceled because the command doesn't exist anymore! They stopped filling that billet now! So, we thought, wow this is going to be crazy to have to pick new orders 3 months before we move. Well the detailer is cool with B n felt bad about the orders and told him to pick new orders anywhere that was open while he was on the phone with him and he would make it official. B then picked Naples, Italy (which what we originally wanted-Spain was our 2nd pick) and he gave him Italy as our new orders! We are going to Italy again...YAY!!! It's so ironic too cuz lately we have been talking about Italy a lot and saying we miss it like crazy. We miss our friends there, which were like our fam while we were living there. We miss the food, which is AMAZING. We miss the beauty of the country. We miss the more simple, relaxed n fun life there etc. It just was a great tour to live there for 3-1/2 yrs n to now be moving back there. The only so-called problem with these new orders was only that we have to leave in 6 months now instead of 3 months. It actually doesn't bother us at all cuz now it gives us 3 extra months to sel our house...we don't have to rush it now n stress as much about selling it. Also staying thru the summer also allows us to spend more time with those we love :) b4 moving across the world from them again :( And during the summer we can go to the theme parks, Ren. Fest. fishing, beach etc. Lots of summer fun! So, it's all in all a win win situation. We were excited to move to Spain, but I think we are actually more excited about going back to Italy. More stuff to do there too. We know the place, people n how to get around n had a great time. We love the food etc. We leave in Sept :) We have been talking about it ALL day lol...all excited n all haha. It's also Nate's birth place. And Bella is named after "beautiful" in Italian, which we did to remind us of our time in Italy :) Oh n the detailer already put it in the system under the orders n all n B printed out his orders etc. He said it's a definite!

Across the World and Back!

My military man has been in the Navy now for 10 yrs!...10 years in and 10 to go. In those 10 yrs we have lived in several dif. places such as MD, IL, VA, Italy and back to MD (our home State) again. Living in Italy for 3 yrs was amazing to say the least. I got so used to it there that we were even comtemplating extending there another 3 yrs...that was until we knew we were able to get stationed in our home town....of course we jumped on that quick. Anyhow, we got so used to living in the foreign country that it became home. I guess home is where your heart is...home is where u make it and it's certainly where the Navy has us go. I miss Italy so much tho. Even with being used to being there when we were, I tried not to take it for granted. I enjoyed it n embraced all that there was. I wanted to get out and explore...be adventurous and live n learn the dif. culture. For the 1st few months before I met all my wonderful friends there, whom became family, I was actually a little home sick. Once our household shipment n vehicle arrived, I got everything unpacked n set up n our house there became a home. We also got out and started exploring n doing lots of things. And then came meeting all our great friends there. That's when everything fell into place n I fell in love with the country. It was def. an experience that we are so blessed to have lived and enjoyed. Sure there were times that things could get rough, like when B was out to sea and I had our son over there without him...him missing his birth and no family there :( That was also before I started meeting all our friends there. I thought I was all alone, just Hannah n I, but B ended up introducing me to this wonderful fam n now our friends that helped me thru the birth, so I wasn't alone n video taped his birth so it all worked out. They flew B in on a helicopter 2 days later n he met his precious son, Nate :) But that just shows that anything can happen in the Navy and anywhere u live. Recently this guy came up to B and said he wanted to salute him and B said, "You should salute my wife! She has been the rock of our family and kept things going at times over in a foreign country while I was gone with no family etc." I never really thought about that. I always say he's my rock. He's the rock of our family. I just did what was natural. I did what most military wives do (the ones who stick around n endure it anyway) and did what any wife n mother would do. I not only did what I had to, but made it fun in the meantime. I had the time of my life over there. Italians are so laid back and cool. Not to mention the food was amazing n even better was the beauty of the country....so beautiful...it was surreal. So, that's where the across the world and back came into play. We were all the way over there...a 12 hour flight that was done with young children back and forth...that's another story lol...and now got stationed back in MD. We have been here close to fam n friends and loving it. But of course we have the travel bug, so when it came time (3 yrs after being here) to pick orders, we naturally jumped to the opportunity to go overseas again. It was either that or go on a ship. Lets see...ship n out to sea for 6 months at a time away from our kids and I or go overseas, which we love Europe anyway, and not be on a ship this time over there...come home everyday and travel n get all the good we can out of what the Navy has to offer. Not a hard choice. We thought for a moment if he should just get out of the Navy and stay here, keep our house and work at NSA, but then we decided staying in another 10 yrs n retiring from the Navy at the age of 38 with full benefits etc was way more worth it. Sure there could be some dwns along the way, but we can get thru it...we can get thru anything as long as it's together. We out weighed the pros and cons of it all tho n knew staying in was best. It's all we know. And to be honest, it's been great for us thus far. We truly can't complain. That's not to say we won't go overseas yet a 3rd time or that our children will meet friends n leave them from being military brats n moving around every 3-4 yrs, but those come with the job...not really just the job, but it comes with our life. Sure we thought about that too. Our kids were always at the top of the list as to what was best for them n we decided staying in would be much better, it would give our children their college money etc. We can't pass that up. And those that love to travel, who wouldn't want to for free!? Win win really, right!? Well anyway, it will be bitter sweet leaving our home though. We bought my childhood home, so it will be sad to sell it and it not be in the fam anymore :( Also, I am going to miss my fam n friends like crazy, esp my mom. My mom, besides my husband is my best friend. It will be hard leaving her, esp after living right dwn the st. from her for these past 3-1/2 yrs. It will also be sweet tho cuz we want to travel. We want to get to Spain (which is where we have orders to n moving to in 3 months) and experience life there. Life is so much more simple overseas. Our 3rd overseas tour might be Germany. When it comes time to go overseas for a 3rd time (after we come bk here for sore duty again) we can pick Germany cuz we won't have a pitbull anymore. My Belvie will be too old n gone by that time :( (Germany doesn't allow pitbulls). That's another story there too...n how I can't stand the fact of places banning a breed. You wouldn't ban a person with a certain nationality, so why is it ok to ban a breed? Crazy! Anyhow, we have 3 more months til we pcs...up n move to Spain n have much to do til then. We have to sell our house, get our overseas screening done, get Bella's passport (the rest of us have it already), get our pet's export papers n shots done, get our household goods (regular n express) shipment set up n done and get 1 of our vehicles shipped, enroll our kids in the DOD school over there, get our Visas to live in Spain among much more. But u know, even tho it'll be busy, sometimes busy is good. I can honestly say it doesn't get boring. Thank God tho for internet and being able to stay in touch with everyone. I'd probably go insane if not lol. And we'll miss the food in the States and the convenience of it. Well that's enough rambling for now. Just informing about some of our Navy experiences thus far lol :) Stay tuned lol :)

My Sailor

So, I met my wonderful husband in highschool. Over the coarse of a couple years in school, Bernard tried to get with me and I blew him off. Had I known he was my soulmate I surely wouldn't have all those times lol, but as I say, it wasn't our time yet. In 12th grade B sat behind me in English class. We partnered up on a school project. He gave me his number and a few days later I met up with him outside of school to "work on the project" and of course, get to know him. We started chillin everyday and fell madly in love with each other. It started as best friends and soon after, very much in love. It was so different with him....dif. than it had been with any of my other boy friends. All that was meaningless when B came into my life. Well 4 months later....yes FOUR months...we got married! I guess u can say it's the cliche "love at 1st sight" right?! lol. But in all honesty, I couldn't be more happier...I was (and still very much am) in love with my best friend...we were inseparable (still are) and I knew that I wouldn't n couldn't go on with life without him in it. So, we got married at the age of 18, right after graduating from hs and have now been together 10 years! Well 10 yrs later, we are still very much in love and share 3 beautiful n amazing children together, Hannah 8 yrs, Nathan 5 yrs and Bella 10 months. Our family is complete and we are soo blessed!

So, 2 weeks after B and I got married, he was off to bootcamp and in the Navy. My husband was now a sailor. He has been in now for about 10 years and it's actually been 1 of the best things ever to happen for it. The military has been a true blessing for us and our kids. It's been more than what we call "our foundation." We wouldn't have had it any other way. Just recently B re-enlisted in the Navy for another 10 yrs, which means he will retire. After retiring, he'll be headed back to NSA. He's so smart at what he does n so good at his job. I try not to go on and on about it, but sometimes I can't hold it in n some may call it "bragging" but I am so darn proud of my husband that I can't contain it. He has excelled amazingly in the service. He has basically flew up the ranking chain and is 1st Class LPO. Amazing! And he made 1st class in 6 yrs, which it takes most ppl atleast 12 if at all. I don't care..I can say it til i'm blue in the face..I am so proud n should to be able to share that! lol :) Through it all though, I don't take for granted all the blessings we have. It's been amazing and I wouldn't change it for the world.