Nick's Birthday Gift Reveal

As promised, I showed up to class today to show you all what I got Nick.

This is what he saw when he walked out of the bedroom this morning:

TA DA!

I'm sure you're sitting there like, "what.the.crap? That's your awesome gift? I came here thinking you had some fabulous gift idea that I could steal". Well you're wrong. (But feel free to steal this one.  I guarantee it is awesome).

I promise, this gift isn't lame to Nick. You see, in 2012 and 2013, while Nick was going through Primary flight training, he was a part of the VT-3 Red Knight squadron. In their squadron bar, they had a giant popcorn machine. And they always made jalapeño popcorn. Always. Nick loved it (the flavored popcorn, not jalapeños themselves. He threw those out).  Ever since he left VT-3, he hasn't stopped talking about how he misses the popcorn. Always talking about he wants real jalapeño popcorn. Everything we tried just isn't the same. You see, he wants fresh popped, with the jalapeños in there with it. It really is heavenly. No bagged or flavored from a shaker are even remotely the same.

(Doesn't he just look thrilled that I'm making him pose for photos?)

So, I decided to get him a giant fancy popcorn machine so he can finally make it!! Now I don't have to hear him whine about it. We consume a lot of popcorn. A lot. So this bad ma'am-a-jama (totally made up my own spelling there) will get a lot of use. (Late last week, he took our car to Honda for an oil change. They always have fresh popcorn there and I got a text from Nick saying "it's not the same :(" When I asked what the hell he was talking about, he responded "the popcorn :( ". I giggled to myself knowing that in less than a week, he could have that glorious popcorn anytime he wanted.  (And let me tell you, it's been very hard keeping a secret!)

Of course to go with it I got the jalapeños (we already have popcorn kernels), popcorn scoop, measuring scoops, bags, and buckets.

The pups couldn't let their daddy's birthday go by without getting him a gift either. Nick has been eyeing these Craftsman drills for a while so each of the pups got him one. Now he can take the birthday money from Mom and Grandma and buy some more attachments for it.

There was going to be one more gift but it was nixed.  A few weeks ago, Nick told me for his birthday I should get him and I membership for a year of couples massages (or to use individually if we wanted).  I didn't want to make such a large purchase or commitment without his input, so I asked him about it last night. We decided that it would be best to wait until April (for budget reasons), and then we're going to go ahead and do it and I'm more crazy excited. April 6th is our dating anniversary so we'll just say it's a present to each of us for that. I mean when your husband suggests monthly couples massage, can you really say no?  I ain't no idiot!

But I think he was plenty spoiled with these gifts.  And he definitely loved them :)

As I said in yesterday's post, Nick's actual birthday kinda stunk. I woke up him up early so that he could open his gifts before I left for work because I knew I wouldn't see him the rest of the day. Then I helped him study all his EP's before I left for work. 

I worked 12 hour day ( no surprise ). Nick had a flight that took off at 11pm and he didn't land till around 1am, so that was pretty much all we saw of each other.  

However, I took it upon myself to make sure his birthday wasn't wasted. When I got home from work, I gave myself a little facial. You know typical girl things like removing that mustache (hashtag dark featured girl problems) and applying a mask. Then I filled up the bathtub with some lavender, Epsom salts, and bubbles,  lit some candles, grabbed a glass of wine, and my Kindle. (with the occasional interrupting Weim).  I'd say it's a damn good night.

So don't worry, babe, your day might have stunk and the majority of mine did too, but I made up for tonight for both of us. You.Are.Welcome.

Since the birthday sucked and all that really happened was gifts, I wanted to do something else.  I love giving gifts, don't get me wrong, but days (important or mundane) are all about the experience and memories, not the gifts.  So what shall we do?  Not too much.
As of now we have tentative plans to go out to eat tonight but we all know that Nick's schedule could prevent that. Actually, you probably don't know that so I'll fill you in. Being a pilot, Nick receives his schedule for the next day the night before. Meaning that tonight around 5pm or 6pm, Nick will check his schedule for tomorrow, and if he has something early in the morning that he needs to study and/or prepare for, that means no dinner plans for us. It's kind of a pain in the ass, but thus is the life of a pilot's wife.

Hopefully this weekend we can have some fun. A few months ago I saw commercial for the Harlem Globetrotters, and I told them I had never been to a game. Fast forward to a few days ago and he tells me that he got tickets for Friday night!  (I love that he listens and makes mental notes of the things I say.)  Other than that, I told him for his birthday that I'll go see that stupid Lego movie with him and play pool.  He's been nagging me to see that movie and I just don't have any desire to see it, let alone spend $10 to do so.  Likewise, Nick is obsessed with playing pool and I...well I am not.  I suck.  Downright awful.  But for my sweet husband, I will.  

And that is the recap of Nick's birthday.  

Nick Update: It's All Starting!! | New Chapter in Jax

I haven't given an update on Nick since we've been here.  I apologize.  In the beginning, there wasn't much going on.  Nothing too exciting.  But starting today, the excitement starts!!!

(taken back in September when we were staying with our friends' waiting on our house.  Nick had just checked into HSM-40 that day)

However, let me back track a little and tell you all about what's been going on with Nick since we moved here in late September.

When we first arrived, Nick was sent off to SERE school.  I'm not really allowed to say much about it and Nick most definitely isn't allowed to speak about what all goes on there.  Basically, SERE is for anyone whose job puts them at a high risk of being caught, such as pilots.  SERE stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape.  You can Google it if you're really interested.  Anyway, to put it simply, SERE is hell.  Less than 1% of people we've talked to said they enjoyed SERE.  Everyone loathes it.  Poor Nick and his classmates were sent home just two and a half days early.  I'm not technically allowed to say why; but it has nothing to do with their performance, capabilities, behavior, etc.  It was call made from much higher up.
Anyway, since he did not complete it, he has to go back.  Yeah, major suckage.  They cannot just complete the last two and a half days.  They have to redo it all.  A large part is it all ties in together.  Part of what makes this training real to them is that their mind is not at all in the correct state of mind from the miles of hiking with heavy packs, little to no sleep, and very little to eat or drink.  Those characteristics make it harder for them to comprehend this is fake and just training.  It's been said that SERE is the most realistic training the military has.  Who knows if that's really true, but most people you talk to will tell you that it didn't seem fake at all to them.  They really have a way of getting in their heads.

After Nick got back from SERE he had to check into his new squadron, HSM-40 at Naval Station Mayport.

This is where Nick will be stationed for the next 9+ months.  Although Nick is now winged, he's still in a training phase.  Obviously he can't just be throw into a new helicopter and know exactly how it operates.  Especially this helicopter.  Nick was flying the TH-57 back in Pensacola at NAS Whiting Field.  It's a very old helicopter and pretty basic (think a news or hospital helicopter).  But now he's flying a much newer, more computerized, much more capable aircraft.  He's learning how to fly it but also about all the added extras in it that make it do what it does for the military.  It takes a very long time to learn.  I mean, look at this book.

This is his NATOPS (pronoucned nay-tops and stands for Naval Air Training and Operational Procedure Standardization) which is pretty much a pilots Bible.  He has to have this book memorized.  No joke.  The thing is heavy!  (The freaking binder for it cost $40!!).  I feel awful that he has to carry this around.  He actually just bought the new iPad mini to make studying at home easier, but sadly he'll still have to take this with him to work because the building he is in most of the time does not allow any electronic devices.  (Which also means I can't get ahold of him all day.)

HSM-40, his new squadron, is the FRS squadron.  You'll hear me say "FRS" a lot and that stands for Fleet Replacement Squadron.  Essentially, they are training Nick on his new helicopter, the MH-60R.  Once he's completed this training, he's sent to the Fleet to Replace other pilots in various Squadrons who are ending their sea tour, getting out of the miitary, etc.  After the FRS, Nick will begin his three years of his "sea tour".  In this time, he will be out to sea and deployed.  Not the entire time, but off and on throughout these three years.  After the FRS, Nick will leave his squadron of HSM-40 and be assigned to one of five different squadrons, which will each be attached to various ships he'll deploy with.  Two of the squadrons are at NS Mayport, where he is now, and three are at NAS Jacksonville.  (Currently, there is only one squadron at Mayport but the older helo, MH-60B squadron will have transitioned to a MH-60R squadron by the time he's finished with the FRS...or so we're told is the case.  All is subject to change with the military).

For the next 9+ months, Nick will sit through classes learning about the 60R, he'll practice simulator flights for the 60R, and then he'll actually fly the 60R.  Much like training in Pensacola, he does simulators, then the real aircraft.  Then back to the simulators to learn new things, then back to the helo. 

Nick came home from SERE at the start of the shutdown and although he checked in, there wasn't much he could do.  He attended some classes but the simulators were not up and running.  That was awesome for us since we needed that weekend to move into our new house.

But now things have returned to normal.  We are back to that same annoying schedule of Nick not knowing his schedule until the night before.  Except it's even more annoying because he can't access the schedule so he has to text and call others to find out.

But really, it's the same as training before.  He's gone all day, studies all night.

I can't really complain though.  He's home {most} nights for dinner and I'm not sitting at the table alone.  I go to bed next to him every night and wake up next to him every morning.  Most days we can have a few short conversations.  To some that might not seem like much, but after being long distance for five years, I recognize how huge this is.  I also know we have these last few months before he'll be deploying so I'll take what I can get.  In a year, I'll long for these brief moments of sleep with him or a quick dinner together.

***********   For those that don't care about the longer update (ie non-family), here is the update in a nutshell:

-  Nick went to SERE but came home two and a half days early.

-  He will repeat SERE after the FRS.

-  Nick is now in the HSM-40 squadron, which is an FRS squadron, stationed at NS Mayport.

-  FRS is 'Fleet Replacement Squadron' which means he will replace other pilots in the fleet who are leaving for end of their service commitment, the end of their sea tour, etc.

-  Once Nick finishes the FRS (and goes to SERE again), he'll be assigned to a new squadron at either NS Mayport or a NAS Jacksonville.

-  During the FRS, it is a lot like his old training.  Classes, simulators, flying the real aircraft, and repeat for 9+ months.  He spends all day on base working, and comes home to spend all night studying and prepping for the next day of work.

-  He still finds out his schedule only the night before.  It's annoying but at least we're used to it.

Today, Nick has his very first flight in the MH-60R. He's nervous yet excited. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. If you remember from all his days in flight school, I was always nervous when he flew. I thought I was weird and paranoid, but every pilot wife I talk to feels the same way. It's a dangerous job. The majority of crashes occur during training. That's scary shit! It's been a nice, stress-free life around here. Nick hasn't flown since the very beginning of August. That's FOUR MONTHS I've been worry free. Four months I haven't had to turn to wine to calm my nerves waiting for the "I've landed safely" text. Four months I don't hear sirens and wonder if they're heading to a helo crash. Four months I haven't fretted over a cold dinner eaten alone, because my husband is hours late without a call or text. Four months my skin hasn't had worry-induced acne. Four months of better sleep. That all changes today. Today I go back to worrying about him. I guess it just comes with the territory though. The price of being a badass' wife. Guess I'll stock up on more Cab Sav, Xanax, and Say Yes to Tomatoes and clutch my phone all day long.

All in all, life is great!  Nick is stressed but he's still loving his job.  He likes his class adviser (who had us all over for dinner and it was a really great time!) and he loves his classmates.  We've hung out with them a few times, and Nick's hosted poker night for them.  Once again, he lucked out with a great class!

The Oberkrom's are still a happy bunch and we really couldn't find anything to complain about if we tried!  Life is truly a blessing lately!

Please keep Nicholas in your thoughts today!  I know he'll do great.  He always does.  He was made for this.  But I still worry.  So send some positive vibes.  And maybe send some calming vibes his way.  He's pretty anxious and nervous!  Thanks!!!

The Shitfest That Was Our Move

We have safely arrived in Jacksonville.  And holy crap was it a shitfest!!! Let's have a recap, shall we??  (It's a long one!)

Let me just say that the past week has been downright awful!  I do not like deviating from "the plan".  Yes, I know I'm a Navy Wife and deviations are just a part of every day life.  But that doesn't mean I like them.  {And you telling me that just wants to make me punch you in the gut.}  Especially when it can be avoided.  I will never, ever, be accustomed to straying away from the plan.  It's the OCD planner in me.

What was the plan, you ask?  The plan was to have the entire house packed by Friday.  Pick up the truck Saturday and have it loaded that day.  Sunday was a day spent for cleaning and saying goodbye to friends.  Monday was to check out and detach from NAS Whiting Field (for Nick) and head to Jax.

However, NONE of that happened.

Friday came and went and we were FAR from having the house packed.  Let me just tell you that made me a ball of fun.  Nicholas takes far too many breaks from packing.  'Oh look, I packed a Wii controller.  Time for me to play with my dog for 25 minutes.'  Then 'oh hey, I'm hungry, let's go get some lunch.'  This caused us to stay up until 1am loading the truck.

Saturday comes and we pick up the truck at 11am.  At least that stayed on task.  But after that?  Not so much.  Saturday we continued to pack and load the truck.  Until about 2am.  Ob-nox-ious.  And we were nowhere near done.

Nick drove his bike up the ramp and secured it with rope.  I sure hope this holds for the move!

See ALL of that in the back corner?  Allll of Nick and his mother's random crap.

Sunday was spent loading the truck some more.  The new tenants also complicated things.  We told them we were moving out on the 16th.  We never gave them a time.  We simply said the 16th was our last day there (and we paid our utilities and rent until the close of that day.)  The guy texts Nick and he tells him we aren't anywhere close to leaving.  The new tenant then tells us that he has a couch he needs to drop off by 1pm.  Um, okay?  (Let me also add they stopped by the day before and dropped off a lot of stuff).  Cool dude.  It's not like we're trying to load a truck or clean the house.  Come on by.  Drop your shit and clutter our space.  So he shows up with the couch in a U-Haul trailer...and then has NICK help him carry it in!  Seriously, dude?!?!  Can you not see we're a little busy here????  I wanted to stay until 11:55pm just to spite him.  Annoying.
Anyway, Nick continued to load the truck Sunday and I cleaned the house (and replaced our screen door since the dogs and their friends decided to create their own doggie door by running straight through it.)  Then we ran into some issues.  It appeared not everything was fitting on the truck.  Yes, the 26 foot U-Haul truck (the largest they have) was not big enough.  So we had to run up and get a trailer to pull behind the truck!!!!!  I'm telling you, Nick has too much shit!!!!
We finally got the truck and trailer packed and we were on our way around 7pm.

Sure, we still managed to leave on Monday, which WAS the plan. But this was NOT at all how we expected it to happen.  I have never been more stressed in my entire life.  Also, this late departure and all day packing meant we didn't get to do the things we wanted.  We had plans to say goodbye to friends but that just wasn't possible.  We had wanted to have sex one last time in our house (not apologizing, I'm a TMI person and it's not crazy to think we'd want to do that one last time in our first home).  But with the late nights, sore bodies, and now rush to leave, there was no way that was happening.  We took one last stroll through the house, hand in hand, remembering all the great times we had here.  Then we packed up the pups in my car, Nick climbed in the truck, and we hit the road.

But not for long.  We hit some insane rain and Nick realized the truck was really hard to drive.  It was scary for me just following him.  I could see the truck swaying from left to right.  Nick said it was exhausting driving it so after just three hours, we decided to stop for the night.  We pulled off at a security monitored rest area so Nick could get some sleep and be fully rested to drive the next day.  Unfortunately, I cannot sleep in a car.  I cannot sleep sitting up.  I can only sleep laying down.  So I didn't sleep that night.  Which was rough considering I only got about 4 hours the previous night.

For some odd reason, Nick climbed in the crowded back of the Accord with BOTH dogs and slept back there.

At about 4:30am, we hit the road again and arrived at the Robida's house (our friends, Jenny and Matt, our best friends from Pensacola whom you've probably read about who are kindly letting us stay with them) in the early morning.  We slept for about 2 hours and then it was back up to go unload our stuff into storage.

This was just a bad day.  We began unloading the truck, putting the odd shaped things out on the concrete (patio chairs, vacuum, office chair, bed frames, laundry baskets, Shop Vac, lacrosse sticks, tool boxes, garment bags, etc.  (The furniture, boxes, and storage tubs were in the back of the U-Haul.)  Then the dumb ass clouds opened up (we were in such a mode that we didn't notice the black clouds that set in over us) and it started raining on us.  We just started throwing everything back in the truck and into the storage unit.  Absolutely no organization at all.  By the time we got it all out of the rain, we were soaked.  We decided to take a break so we went back to the Robida's house and showered.  It wasn't looking like the rain would clear up, so we headed back to the storage unit.  We unloaded that damn truck until 6am.  It was painful.  We had to stop for the downpours which really slowed us down.  It was the most difficult all-nighter I've ever pulled.

I am so incredibly mad that we have to do this again in a month when we move into our house!!!!  Hopefully that won't be such a fiasco!!!


The only positive thing to come from this is that Nick has FINALLY agreed this is stupid and the few thousands of dollars we've made off this move are NOT worth it anymore.  The next move, Nick has agreed we'll do a partial DITY (do-it-yourself) move (where we move some of our belongings, such as his electronics and my clothes and shoes) and the Navy will move everything else for us.  Alleluia!  Praise the Lord!!!!

Unfortunately, we were only able to get another 2ish hours of sleep before we had to take the U-Haul back.  (They made a big deal about it being back by a certain time for the new renters.  When we got there, no one was there!!!!  We waited for a good 30 minutes before someone returned.  And yesterday (one day after returning the truck), we called to see if the new renters found our car key.  She tells us the truck is still there if we want to come look.  So WHY did I not get any sleep to get this truck back to you for someone else?!?!  Annoyed and crabby didn't even begin to describe us.)
Thankfully when we got home, we FINALLY got a few solids hours of sleep.

I'm happy this moving thing is over with, for now.  We have about a month to relax.  I guess I should say *I* have a month to relax.  Nick will soon head off for SERE and when he returns, he checks into the squadron and begins training on the MH-60R.

Finally relaxing.

Random tidbit worth noting since we received this comment a few times:  We heard from multiple people that this move would really test our marriage.  And that we'll get in fights and seeing how we overcome them or deal with them will tell us a lot about our relationship.  We were shocked by this because it didn't test us.  Not once.  Honestly, there wasn't ever a time we were legitimately mad at one another.  No harsh words.  No raised voices.  Nothing like that.  We were most definitely annoyed and frustrated with the entire situation, but not at all with each other.  It just reinforced how strong our marriage is.  Nick and I really don't have those fights.  Never.  Sure, we got annoyed but that's the same annoyance I feel on a daily basis with random things.  Annoyances aren't things I consider a "test" in your marriage.  We're both very understanding and patient with one another (not with other things for myself, but with each other.)  Throughout this entire process, even under insane amounts of stress (and tears on my end) we were able to laugh and joke around with each other, toss random items at one another's head, etc.  And that's what I love about us.  In the midst of something shitty, we're able to still laugh and hug and kiss one another (even when soaking wet, with half our belongings dripping in rain water.)  When I tell people this, that this move didn't "test" our marriage, they roll their eyes and accuse me of lying.  Okay, biznatches, hate on!  It's the truth!

Life Update: Packing and Moving

Life has been CRAZY!!!!  So crazy that I have yet to blog anything about Nick's Winging week festivities!  It was truly one of the most exciting times in our lives together and I have never been more proud.  But those posts will have to wait.  I promise to blog about them after we leave Pensacola and life slows down just a little.

This moving thing has taken up all of our time.
Nick winged, family left, we packed for 5 days (and by we, I mean me since Nick was still working 12 hour days), headed to Jax to house hunt for a week, came back and have been packing the past 3 days.  Only two more days left to pack, one day to load the truck, one day to clean, then we leave to start our new chapter!

Here is just a a quick update for you all:

• We are beyond excited for this move.  At first, Nick was pretty bummed to not be flying the MH-53 but it didn't last long (as we all knew would be the case because Nick is truly incapable of being in a bad mood or being a glass half empty kind of guy).  Virginia was most absolutely NOT our first location choice (or second...or third...or fourth) so we're happy to be in Jax, our first location choice.  I know some think we're insane for wanting Jax and being excited about it, but I cannot express how excited we are.  All of Nick's sadness has left and he's stoked about this next adventure.  Every time we talk about our new home and life, we find more and more reasons to be excited.
  We're happy to be in city larger than Pensacola with a lot more going on.  We're happy to be in a location that still does not get winters (well, not cold winters).  We're happy to still be a day's drive from St. Louis.  I'm happy to start volunteering at the Mayo Clinic.  I'm happy to still be near beaches.  And we are beyond thrilled to be near so many friends!!!  Nick's best friend from enlistment, stationed at Kings Bay, lives in Jax, not far from our (hopeful) new home.  Our best friends from Pensacola are there (in the same neighborhood!).  My other Navy bestie is there and has offered us so much advice (as well as letting us crash with her the past week while house hunting).  Not to mention we are so close to Charleston and we have LOTS of really good friends there and plans to go visit them all are already in the works.  We also plan to take mini-vacays to Savannah and of course next spring we'll head to Jupiter for Cardinals spring training!!!

• I'm still having a very difficult time with Grandpa's passing.  Luckily I've been kept very busy and this has helped keep my tears at bay.  But when I do finally get some down time, I can't help but cry over how badly I miss him.
• I'm really annoyed that I've yet to update my resume from my previous job.  (I'm so bummed we're leaving so soon because I truly loved my job, the kids, and my co-workers and I was looking forward to working with them all again for a little bit longer.)  But moving, house hunting, and all that comes with that has taken up every free second so the resume and job searching will have to wait until we're there.
• We're eating the oddest combinations of meals as we're trying to clear out as much from our fridge and freezer as possible.  We've eaten an insane amount of fries lately.  I'm sure we won't succeed and I'll be calling friends to see if they'd like to take any of it before we toss it in the trash.  As for the pantry, that's a lost cause trying to consume it all.  We (Nick) keep far too many things in there!  He has so many bags of chips, boxes of Rice-a-Roni, cans of Steak n Shake chili, tons of cereal, Pop-Tarts, etc.  The kid loves his (pre-packaged, pre-bagged, processed) food.  We will have many, many boxes of food.  And I'd say maybe one box is my stuff (and it's primarily baking ingredients).
• I'm doing my part to minimize the bottles we need to bubble wrap and box by drinking wine each night (and during the day...no shame).  I'm just looking out for what's best for us...saving money on packing supplies and saving space on the truck ;)  Nick has no complaints as the wine helps my anxiety and therefore he's not as tempted to use the packing tape on my anxious, whiny, bitchy mouth.  I will not deny I'm an unpleasant packer.  I'm constantly complaining "I hate this" (or "I hate you" since Nick is the one strongly against letting the military move us and he hoards and owns more than half the shit we're packing) or I'm worrying "We're never going to get this done!" and "All of this is not going to fit on the truck!"  And then the bitching "Get off your phone and pack!  What are you doing?  You're wasting time!"  Surprisingly, Nick stays calm and keeps his eye rolling at a minimum (which is really in his best interest.  Sometimes he even makes us a drink (the best move for both of us.)
• Sadly, this move has not prompted Nick to purge any of this stuff as I had hoped.  Nick is a certified hoarder.  He has so much shit he doesn't need (ie.  pogs...a massive amount of pogs and slammers.  And, a UNICYCLE!  Really?!  C'mon!  We aren't circus performers).  But would he part with any of it?  NOPE!  Now, there are times during this packing process where he's said "Let's sell this."  Yeah, good call jackass.  Let me go ahead and list it on Craigslist considering we have two days left here.  Or he'll say "Let's go through this box of papers." (Yes, he has boxes upon boxes of nothing but papers.)  Um, we don't have time for that!!!!  And the same with clothes.  He has an insane amount of clothes he could easily donate if he had the time to go through them (not kidding you, four 44 gallon tubs of Banana Republic slacks, hundreds of Express button down shirts, etc.  It's sickening.)  But because we have limited time, all this shit has to go with us.  The good news is Nick is crazy motivated to have a nice and organized garage in our new home which means he's willing to finally go through and purge this stuff.  Unfortunately, it can't happen before the move.  Why couldn't he have decided this in the past two years we were here?!  

• Our dogs are so confused as to what is going on.  Dogs thrive off a routine and normalcy, and life has been anything but.  I was gone for 2.5 weeks.  They drove 12 hours to STL and stayed for a long weekend.  They drove 12 hours back to Florida and I was gone from them for another week.  I returned but that same day so did a lot of family and friends (for Nick's winging).  They left and the house began being tore down.  Friends and their dogs came for a weekend.  They left, and we followed, to Jacksonville where they stayed in a new home, with new dogs.  We returned and the house became even more of a disaster as everything they know is being packed up.
  Sadly, this chaos won't be stopping anytime soon.  We pack them up and move them to Jax where they'll live in another new house (a friend's house) for a week.  Then we go stay with my sister for two weeks.  Then we return to Jax to stay in that new house again for another 2-ish weeks.  Then we finally (hopefully) move into their new home and their belongings, the things they're familiar with, return.  I cannot wait for this.  The girls anxiety is driving me nuts.  The constant (more than usual) need for attention and their utter confusion makes packing so much more difficult!  I just wish I could explain to them what is going on!!!

So that's our life update.  Nothing exciting and almost all of it revolves around this packing and moving ordeal.  Hopefully next week I can work on Nick's winging post (once I get all the photos together)

We Have Orders!

We have orders...to Jacksonville!!!!!!

Nicholas found out his orders last week but with everything going on, I couldn't bring myself to post it on social media.  I was in a very depressed state and I just couldn't find the happiness in anything at the time (we found out our orders not even 24 hours after Grandpa passed away.)  I didn't want to post a status about the next chapter in our life and have it reflect great sadness (even though the sadness was not over the orders, just what was going on in my life at that time.)  Does that make sense?  Or did I ramble?...because I have a large tendency to do that.  By the time I was in a little bit better state, I was back here in Florida and my mind was on winging.  It felt odd to post about our orders in the midst of the winging hoopla since that is a HUGE deal!  (Those exciting posts coming oh so soon!)

As you might have seen in THIS post, Nick's first choice was the MH-53E stationed out in Norfolk.  Virginia most definitely was not our first location choice but it is the only place the 53 is stationed.  Unfortunately, (as we knew was a strong possibility) there were no 53 spots available :(  {This happens all across the military.  When it's time for a new billet (job), you have to pick from what's available and in this case, 53s just weren't an option.}  Nick was pretty disappointed (this all also came at such a bad time.  He was already struggling with my grandfather's passing and not being able to be home for the wake and funeral as well as be there for me.  Then you throw this news on top of it....it made for a sad Nick.)  Nick's XO talked to him and let him know that this was not at all because Nick wasn't good enough, they just simply had no spots for a 53 pilot.  There was nothing anyone could do.
Thankfully, we got our second choice (our first choice from available options) which is the MH-60R out of Jacksonville, Florida.  We are so ridiculously excited about this!!!!  Jax was definitely our first location choice with the Romeo being Nick's second aircraft choice.
Thankfully Nick has this amazing ability to see the positives in every situation.  No matter how shitty something is, Nick will find the good.  Sometimes it's rather annoying but it is a quality I've always loved about him.  Needless to say, he found a million and one positives in this situation and we honestly cannot wait to PCS and start this new chapter in our life!  We get all giddy just talking about everything!  Nick enjoys flying, no matter what type of aircraft it is, and he's beyond grateful for the opportunity to be flying helos for the Navy.  I'm excited for him to learn all about the Romeo and start training and flying it.

As of now, we plan to head to Jax to do some house hunting (we plan to rent for a few months to learn the area and then buy a house!) and we actually PCS from Pensacola on the 16th of September.  Which is very soon.  Nick will leave for SERE that following Sunday and he checks into his new squadron for the FRS on the 7th of October.
(I will write another post soon about what all this is and means.  And for those wondering what PCS is, it stands for Permanent Change of Station.  Which simply means a "move" from one base/location to another.)

Sorry to those of you that have asked where we're going and didn't received a reply.  The past couple of days have been incredibly busy and I've overlooked some of the comments (sometimes when I get on social media, I just simply log on, type what I need to type (ie. post a photo or status) and log back off, without checking notifications.)  Thank you, everyone, for your support!  We are so excited to be moving to Jacksonville and starting our next adventure!

Winging Ceremony [and Blessing of the Wings]

I was filled with such pride at Nick's Soft Patch Ceremony and didn't think my heart could handle any more happiness and pride.  Boy was I wrong!!!
Friday, August 23, 2013 was one of the proudest days of my life.  I think I was filled with more pride than I was on the day Nick graduated and commissioned from the United States Naval Academy.  You see, USNA was not a dream of Nick's.  Not to say he did not love his time there (he genuinely misses his USNA days) or that he wasn't happy he went there.  He's very proud of himself for being accepted, much older than his peers, and for excelling while there.  But USNA was not his dream, it was just a step along the way to his dream.  His dream was to become a Naval Aviator.  And on this day, that dream became a reality.  I feel so blessed to be his wife and be alongside him throughout this journey.  It has been an honor and joy to watch him throughout the past two years as he busted his ass to get to today.

Becoming a Naval Aviator is no easy task.  These men and women are among an elite few.  Pilots make up only a teeny tiny portion of the military.  It might seem as though there are a lot, but Nick was winged as the 32,138 aviator of the United States.  Their training is difficult, taxing, and time consuming.  Nick pulled 12 hours days on base only to come home, incredibly sore and covered in sweat, to spend many more hours studying and preparing for his flight the next day.  But he worked hard and did so with a smile on his face every single day.  When I hear the saying "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life" I think of Nick.  He thoroughly loves his job.  No matter how tired, sore, or frustrated he is, he's still loving what he does and enjoys going to work and flying.  There is nothing more you can ask for in life!

But enough rambling, here is account of the winging day and of course lots of photos and videos:

Blessing of the Wings

The first event for the day was the Blessing of the Wings.  Following Mass, each winger was called up to the front, with their name and follow-on aircraft displayed on the wall, as they picked up their wings.  Once all the wingers were up front, a prayer was said and their wings were blessed with holy water.

Nick picking up his wings

Nick picking up his wings

{I just can't get over how cute this boy is!  And that he's mine!}

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Winging Ceremony

After the Blessing of the Wings, we headed across the street to claim our seats and wait for the Winging Ceremony to begin.

Last photo of him without his wings!!!!
This is the helicopter he flew in training these past six months, the TH-57.

The ceremony is very simple;  guest speaker, pinning of the wings.  And that's it!!!
Each winger is called up individually.  They announce where they're from, where they went to school, who is accompanying them on stage, and who will be pinning on their wings.  Their wings are pinned on, everyone poses for a picture, and you exit the stage.  Short and sweet!!!
(I have a video of this, but cannot locate it at the time.  It's probably on my other hard drive which is in storage.  Therefore I will have to upload that later!  So check back for that!)

Pinning his wings on!!

Proudest moment of my life.

Words cannot express my happiness here. {Especially because as I tried to pull away, he held me just a little bit longer, whispering "Thank you, I Love You" in my ear.}

I was so nervous to pin his wings on because it usually takes people quite a while to pin them on (a full one to two minutes, which might not seem long when you read that, but imagine standing up there in front of a large auditorium of people).  You can see how visibly nervous people get as it takes them a while and they struggle to get it through the thick fabric of the uniform.  (And some think they get them in and when they let go, they fall to the ground!!) I was just fearing I'd be that wife!  But I'm pretty proud of myself seeing as I did it in just a couple of seconds!

He did it!!!!!  Newest Naval Aviator!!!

The entire winging class.

Afterwards we took a few photos with family and friends.  I'm really happy that Nick's family and sponsors were able to attend.  I'm upset my mother wasn't able to come (Dad and brothers couldn't get vacation) and Nick wished he could have shared this accomplishment with her, but we all understood why she wasn't there.  Her place was at home with Grandma during this difficult time of losing Granpda). Thankfully Kyle and Leah made it in from Ft. Rucker for the ceremony.  Kyle has become a close friend and brother to Nick and it meant a lot to him that Kyle was able to attend.

so shiny!

Nicholas and I with my Leah and Kyle (Army Warrant Officer in Apache training)

Nicholas with Naval Academy Sponsor Parents

Nick with his aunt and uncle, his second parents.

Nick's family!

After we took some pictures, we headed to Sike's Hall for a small little reception where they provided lunch and beer for everyone.  After everyone ate, they gathered the wingers at the front to give a toast.  Some were thoughtful, some were funny :)  Here is a video of it (Nick is the one who toasts to the air crew):

(you can click the box looking icon on the bottom right corner to enlarge the video)

And some photos for your viewing pleasure:

Nicholas, you have made me so incredibly proud these past seven years through your enlistment, the Naval Academy days, and flight school. It has been an honor to have been on this beautiful journey with you and witness your dreams coming true. There's no one that deserves this honor and celebration more than you do. Your hard work, dedication, and true passion for flying shine through in your every action and every spoken word. 
Today, you are no longer a student. Today, you become an Aviator for the United States Navy. Today, I could not Love you more and I have never been more proud of you. 

That night, Nick's winging class had their party at Fish House.  We went early and had dinner there and at 9pm, when the party started, we went outside on the deck for the patio.  Being a light-weight wife, I didn't get to reap the benefits of the free alcohol.  Every other winging party we 've attended (which as been a lot) I've enjoyed the free booze.  But this was Nick's night so of course I stayed sober while he drank.  {Don't worry, I'm not an awful wife that always makes Nick DD.  He doesn't really drink much, ever.  So it's always his choice not to drink.  And who am I to let a good DD go to waste?!}  We had a great night on the deck with beautiful weather, a great band, and even better family and friends!

Nick and his helo partner, Dallas, on who knows what number shot

Two of the most important role models in Nick's life: his Uncle Scott and his USNA sponsor Dad, Kel.  These two have helped shaped him into the amazing person he has become and he strives to have to be like them every day :)  

Our amazing family

Debbie and Lisa dancing

The last time I saw Elizabeth before she PCSed to San Diego a few days later :(  This girl became one of my closest friends while here in Pensacola and I'm going to miss her greatly.  I can only hope our military paths cross again one day.

(humidity is a great look for my hair, don't ya think?!)

His classes winging shirts.

We wanted to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone.  Thank you for the calls, texts, emails, messages, gifts, etc.  Nick is truly blessed to have such amazing people in his life.  It fills my heart with such happiness to know how much he is loved by you all.  We want to extend an even bigger thank you to our family and friends that traveled to Pensacola to share in the winging festivities with us.  You will never know how happy we were to have you all here.  If it were not for your continued support, Nick would not have achieved this dream. 



We now start the daunting task of house hunting, packing, and moving to Jacksonville.  We are beyond excited for our next adventure.
So what now you ask?  Well, check back in a few weeks (after the whole moving ordeal) and I'll gladly fill you in.  Well, as best as my limited Pilot Wifey knowledge will allow.