Showing posts with label the Navy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Navy. Show all posts

Friday, December 5, 2014

Anchors Aweigh!


Hello from North Chicago, Illinois once again...

Today, Seaman Recruit Sonshine officially becomes a member of the U.S. Navy.


I couldn't be more proud although the choice of the Navy still makes me scratch my head a bit... Seven members of our immediate family were or are in the Air Force. Sonshine's high school JROTC program was Army. Go figure. But I'm not complaining at all. And I digress...

Sonshine received his orders right before Thanksgiving, and after a thirty-day or so stint in Florida for a bit more basic seamanship training, Sonshine will be on his way to Bremerton, WA and be stationed aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz to take part in an apprenticeship program before he chooses his actual job track. At some point, he'll go back to "A" school to actually learn the job he decides he wants.

(Image courtesy Wikipedia)


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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

I get to see my boy!!


I spent an anxious Monday evening booking hotel rooms and flights for two, yes, count them--TWO--trips in the span on eleven days to visit my Seaman Recruit.

Of course, the second trip is to see him graduate, but because there's a holiday--a big, important family holiday--coming up, the Navy has seen fit to let us 'adopt' our recruit (ADOPT?? A-hem, he's mine and always will be, no matter what the Navy says) for the Thanksgiving holiday. So the first visit is (obviously) for Thanksgiving.

(He's not a full-fledged hero just yet, but he's close!!)

We get to pick him up from the base and spend the whole day with him. Holy smokes. I have no idea how or what we're gonna feed him, but I'm okay with delivery pizza and I imagine he would be too. :)

I'm so excited.


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Friday, October 10, 2014

Saying goodbye...


Letting my boy go was one of the hardest things I've ever done...

 Taking the oath for active duty service. Caught him saying his name...

Very proud parents and their not-so-much-a baby.




Anchors aweigh, my boy...



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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Today's the day...


Sonshine ships out...






I'm at MEPS saying goodbye. If I miss Friday, forgive me.

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Monday, August 25, 2014

The countdown begins...


So we got a definite date for Sonshine to ship out. October 8.

Until now, it's been a nebulous end-of-October time frame, subject to change depending on openings in the training programs.

Having an official date (though still subject to change, I'm sure) makes it all the more real.

You all know how proud I am of him and how excited I was for him to join the military, but having a date brings it all home. My son is going out into the world to make his own way. For good.

It's a good thing. I know it is.

But it makes me sad...


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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I've been a bit distracted...


I thought I'd posted Monday, but apparently I didn't, and a post I had prepared for today's announcement showed up last week. Sheesh.

Things have been a bit fluid since we've been waiting on the date for Sonshine's swearing in and preparing for a new employee, as well as it being the lead-up to fireworks season. And then, the air conditioner went out at the office sometime over the weekend and as part of our lease agreement, we're responsible for it. I'm sure you know how costly A/C repairs are and I just don't have the cash. At least not until fireworks season is almost over or over, but a new unit is not what we had planned to do with our earnings. Not only that, but we just replaced the outside unit last year. Ugh. Apparently either our setup or the inside unit is wreaking havok on the outside unit.

But, all that aside... *drumroll please*

Our son is now an official member of the United States Navy. Yesterday, we witnessed him taking his oath. Even the Brown Eyed Girl drove up for the occasion.

 Listening to opening remarks.

 I, Sonshine, do solemnly swear...



Ship out date is October at this point...

Anyways, we're all proud and excited.



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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Today's the day...


Sonshine's waiver has been granted and so he will choose his career path, sign on the dotted line, and take the oath.

I'll be traveling to Dallas at some point today to witness this momentous occasion.

(Image is a free wallpaper download from RhinoDen.)

I'm thankful for the waiver delaying this part of the adventure because it's important, it's a big step, and I really wanted to be there.

Pictures or video coming soon...
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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Reality is setting in...


Sonshine is at MEPS today.

MEPS is the acronym for Military Entrance Processing Command. He was loaded onto a bus last night with a handful of other students from his school and taken to a Dallas hotel (to stay overnight)(yikes). Today they'll undergo a physical exam along with some other assessments. In addition, I believe he'll be able to choose his field of training, which last I heard is going to be helicopter maintenance. Ultimately he wants to pilot a helicopter, but he has to have a college degree for that, so he's gonna become a mechanic/gunner and then take classes to earn his degree, then cross train into helicopter pilot training.

(Image from Wikipedia and used as per their common licensing whatevers.)

That's the plan. We'll see how it goes.

Meantime, it's all becoming so very real for me. He's gone to MEPS for crying out loud. Although, he'll probably be around for another month or two until slots open up in his field of training. But still.

Sonshine and his activities and his presence (meaning primarily the noise he makes on every level) has been the soundtrack of my life for the last four plus years. And soon that familiar, comfortable background noise will be gone. It's going to be strange and sad and disconcerting.


Last night, with him gone, was an appetizer to my life in a few months...it was really quite strange.

What's a momma to do?

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Friday, May 2, 2014

Was it just a few months ago...


...that I was lamenting the slow churn of time?

Well, now I'm staring down the barrel at Sonshine's graduation a mere month from now.

Then it'll be fireworks season.

And before I know it, Sonshine will be off to boot camp...

I haven't gotten maudlin about it all.

YET.

I'm still looking forward to a kid-free house. We'll see how that changes the closer we get to these milestones...

Where did the time go?

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