13 years and just 7 more to go

I can’t believe that I spaced Rodi’s anniversary date.  He enlisted in the Navy Jan. 4th 1996.  On Jan. 4th 2009 I was too busy watching Molly give birth to Faith that I completely forgot we were one year closer to Rodi’s RETIREMENT!!!!  Okay I know it is still seven years away but it’s ONLY SEVEN more years.

I long for that day.  I am proud of Rodi and the great job he does.  I am thankful for his service and the service of all our military members.  But I also can’t wait for this ride to be OVER.

I am looking forward to celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays with him in the same country as us.  This week he will be gone for JJ’s very first sectional gymnastics meet.  That was the two biggest events on the January calendar.  He will also miss Moe’s b-day, Nina’s b-day, My b-day, JJ’s b-day, His b-day (can you really miss your own b-day?), Bubba’s birthday next January, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years 2010, and possibly our anniversary this year and next.  I am sure there will be many other events he will miss along the way. 

Again I know this comes with the job, I am just ready for that part of our life to be done. 

I don’t mean to sound selfish, I guess I am just in a mood today.  I love him and the FANTASTIC job he does.  I even encouraged him to put in his paperwork to become a Supply Officer 9 years ago.  I think I knew then in the back of my head that we were in this for the long haul.  I know if he had stayed in the Nuclear field that he was in when he was enlisted  we would not still be doing this Navy thing. 

I am thankful for the opportunities we have had to travel across Europe and live in Germany those three wonderful years.  I have made long lasting, wonderful friendships along the way that I TREASURE.

I am thankful some of the things my children have been able to see and do because of our lifestyle.  I am also sad about some of the things they have had to endure.  I think I struggle with that part the most. 

Ahhh, okay, enough venting for the day.  Just came on to post about the fact that seven years from now Rodi will be able to retire….. now we just have to wait and see if he will actually do it.  That is an entirely different story!

Pictures from Commissioning day on the USS George H.W. Bush

I was freezing not sure how Rodi wasn't

 

We had to tell jokes to get them to smile...why don't boys smile for the camera?

My mom and I freezing before the event even began.

 

J & J take a minute to pose in front of the camera

The day before the commissioning Pres. Bush (41) paid an unexpected visit to the ship. Rodi was there to greet him.

What a week!

This past week was sort of a race to the finish and the memories looking back are somewhat of a fog.

I was preparing for my inlaws to come and stay the weekend and Rodi was preparing  for the Former President of the United States of America to arrive on his ship.  Who’s job was harder…Hmmmm I won’t say a word.  LOL

 It was a pretty stressful week for Rodi, but in the end very rewarding.  One of his jobs to prepare for the commissioning was to set up the tour of the ship with Pres. Bush Sr. two days before the commissioning.  He was able to shake hands with G. H. W. Bush and walk with him on the tour.  Then the next day G.H.W. Bush (who was very excited about this ship) came back for another tour unannounced.  Rodi was there again to greet him as he came on board.  It gets even better…. the day of the commissioning Rodi was there on the flight deck with the Secret Service to greet both G.W. Bush and G.H.W. Bush!!!! 

Here is a link with a video of Rodi shaking hands with G.H.W. Bush the day before the commissioning.  *Note this was the unannounced visit and that is why Rodi is in his coveralls*

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/10/bush.ship.commissioning/#cnnSTCVideo

One of those once in a lifetime moments that happened of couple of times in one week for Rodi.

Now it is Monday…. the inlaws are on a flight home to Iowa,  Rodi is back at work, the kids and I are diving back into our school lessons and life goes on as usual.

Cinderella’s night at the ball

DIDN’T END LIKE MINE!

The ball was wonderful, Mike Ditka was an AMAZING speaker, Prince Charming and I managed to get in our dance for the year, The band was actually good, and my feet didn’t kill me until the very end.

We called it a night and headed back up to the 12th floor to our room with an ocean view.  Rodi did such and amazing job this year getting our room and making sure we didn’t leave the ball until they played just the right song for us to dance to.  Have I told you how much I love this man?!

If Cinderella’s magic hour was midnight mine must have been about 1a.m. That is when instead of cuddling with my handsome Prince Charming I was hugging the cold white toilet!  Yep leave it to me to get seriously ill the one night a year I have alone with Rodi in a beautiful setting like that.  Since we don’t drink I know it wasn’t that I had had one too many.  I think it was maybe the salmon I ate for dinner or a touch of the flu?  Whatever it was I was not impressed!

Cinderella….well sorta

So tomorrow night is the Naval Supply Corps Ball.  Yes a Ball.  Formal attire and all.  As I sit here and type I have on jeans, a t-shirt, ans slippers.  There is no make-up upon my face and my hair well let’s just say there is a lot of work to be done before I would venture out and about town.  And this my dear readers is how you would find me most days.  I do not get dressed up to stay home though some would say maybe I should (any fly-babies out there?)

It is hard for me to get jazzed about these balls yet every year there is one to attend.  Rodi would say that I enjoy going.  HA really the only thing I enjoy is getting my one dance a year with the man.  Last year we didn’t get the chance to dance (long story) so maybe this year I will get 2.  I am not getting my hopes up about that though.  One of these years maybe he will realize that it would be much cheaper to turn on the tunes and twirl around the living room a time or two.

This year I am wearing the same long black skirt I wore last year paired with a new top.  I love separates!  I will post a picture once I have one.  Trying to keep a modest look and still feel 30 something is NOT an easy thing to do.  Most of the formal wear out there is either WAY too revealing or make you look like you are a grandma.  Don’t get me wrong I hope to be a grandma YEARS from now.  I am just not ready to try on that look.  Oh and it is February, can we say COLD why is it that all formal wear must be sleeveless?????

I will quit my rant for now, I am just happy I found something to wear and I won’t look like a granny.

STOP already

People can just irritate me at times.  First just let me say I am Mormon and yes I am a Republican.  Now let me clarify that I DO NOT know who I am going to vote for. 

Actually I wish there was another candidate in the running.  I am not sure I am loving any of my Republican choices to lead our country.  They have qualities I like but none have the whole package that I would like to see.

Now on to my complaining……

If I have to hear one more person get upset with McCain’s comment about possibly being in Iraq for the next 100 years I am going to throw something.

Do people not understand that we still have troops in Germany, Italy, Spain, Bahrain, Japan, Korea….   We still have a presence in all of these countries though we are not in combat.  I really feel that McCain was speaking of this type of presence.  I DO NOT feel he was saying that we would be in combat for the next 100 years or that we would even be patrolling the streets of Iraq for 100 years.  Come on people use those brains and think before you start throwing your 2 cents out there on what you THINK he said. 

Okay done with my politcal rant for the day.

Life WITH Rodi

It is taking a bit of time but I think we are all getting adjusted to life with Rodi amongst us again. 

I think the one who is having the hardest time adjusting is Sunny.  Rodi seems to think Sunny is a bit too loud at times.  Sunny wasn’t here before Rodi set sail this summer so they are still trying to get acquainted with each other.  This may take some time I have a feeling.

Moe won’t leave Rodi’ s side and every time that Rodi has to go somewhere Moe runs to me and says  “Dad on Boat”  I think he is very fearful that he is going to disappear all over again.

I had to laugh last night as we were driving down the interstate on our way home and Moe sounded off with his favorite Moe-made noise…. a siren!  He is very good at this imitation and has the volume of an actual siren at times.  Rodi didn’t know what to do.  He was trying not to laugh but was upset at the same time that Moe wouldn’t be a bit quieter.    There we were Rodi was trying to talk on the phone Nina was upset and crying about something, a DVD was playing to keep the kids quiet (worked well can’t ya tell) and Moe was playing police man.  It really was fun to show Rodi a bit of what he had been missing.

Now we are heading into a new week and trying to prepare for JJ to turn 9 this coming Friday.  I told her she wasn’t allowed to have a birthday, she isn’t allowed to get older.  She didn’t think that was a great plan.  So I guess the cake will get made anyway.

YeeeHA! HE’S HOME!!!!

That’s right Rodi is back!  He came home late Saturday night while the kids were still sleeping.  We surprised them with the biggest surprise of their lives around 6am.  That was a priceless moment that neither I nor Rodi will ever forget.

I will post more later but I have a hubby to go and enjoy!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

For Rodi…..

Someday soon you will be home where you belong. 

Someday soon we won’t have to talk via e-mail or phone.

Someday soon we won’t have to exchange pictures to show what we have been doing and where we have been.

 Someday soon we will be able to look at the clock and not have to count forward or backwards to know if the other should be sleeping or awake.

I am counting the days until that someday.

Missing and Loving you!

Amazing!!!! LOL

JJ:  Mom did you know that they invented Etch a Sketch in 1960?

Me:  Sure didn’t

JJ:  Isn’t it amazing the technology they had back then?  The people who made that must have been super smart. I bet they were like hero’s or something.

 Kids are great!  They say some of the best things.

Last Sunday Nina had a conversation with me that went like this:

Nina:  Mom do they make all kinds of things for dinner on Dad’s ship?

Me: Yes

Nina:  Like Pizza?

Me:  Yes I suppose they have pizza on the ship.

Nina: Then how does the pizza man get the pizza to the ship?