Heavy heart

As of late I have had the comings and goings of a heavy heart. Unless you have been under a rock recently you know that 2 F/A-18 Pilots died recently. There was a shooting in Coronado (the small resorty islandish city off the coast of San Diego) on New Years Day.

Now when you get to where we are in Aviation training it soon becomes apparent that everyone knows everyone. Mainly because all these pilots have been stationed together at one point or another.

And it is with a heavy heart that I say we knew one of those pilots affected by this incident in San Diego. Bob Reeves. He went through training in Mississippi with us. He was actually in Jet Pilot's class and went to the Aircraft Carrier to get qualified on the boat with him.

I happened to find out about the story because I read it on the Internet (without all the names initially) and being that the Aviator pool is so small and the fact that we actually know several pilots who live in San Diego I texted Jet Pilot and asked him to call Bob and make sure he was ok. I'm really not sure why I was so adamant that Jet Pilot do this I just felt this weird sense of urgency. When Jet Pilot finally called me back he told me the news, Bob was one of the people who was dead and all the details were still sketchy but it didn't look good.

I'm not going to rehash the details of the story, that's what Google
Is for, and honestly it's so sad I don't want to dredge it up again.

The authorities are saying Bob committed this horrible act, for that I have no words- he was a friend and nice guy and always seemed happy around us.

I do not know how to take all this...so I am giving it over to the Lord and asking for His hands to touch the minds and hearts affected by all this senseless tragedy.

I pray for the three families who's loved ones are gone, and I pray tonight for all the pilots who knew one or both of these Aviators. As a friend and co-worker I'm sure there are a multitude of questions or concerns that have rolled around in their heads and I pray for their peace of mind. God's plan is always at work.

I went back and forth as to whether or not I should publish this post but thanks to a good friend I decided I should. And honestly, I'm glad I did. It's like a load has been lifted-closure, or something.

So tonight hug your littles, kiss your spouse and never take it all for granted.
Because it could all be gone in a flash.

Welcome Home Dear Friends

Back in January when this blog was just starting out I posted about some dear friends of ours (also Navy),  where the husband and daddy of 3 was going on deployment on the USS Eisenhower.  Well these folks are some of our best friends...we don't see them often anymore-we transferred to different duty stations shortly after our husbands graduated from college; but we love them with all our heart.  When my Father-in-Law passed away last year this military mama friend of mine flew across the country all day with 2 tiny babies just to be with us.  They are that kind of awesome people. 

And I know that deployment whether on ship or shore is a part of what goes along with being married to a military man, and as wives, girlfriends, etc., we know that in our heads and we try as HARD as we can to steel our hearts so we are not moping balls of tears and loneliness while our spouses are gone but believe me-its impossible.  We just love them too much.  

So when my friend's husband found out he had to go on deployment right after the first of the year my heart went out to them...Jet Pilot and I have gone through a deployment before and its tough.  Well I talked to her on and off through out these past few months trying to be the encouraging, upbeat friend.  

Sidenote: I am a HIGHLY emotional woman...
I CRY-often, 
so you can imagine how much help I was, but I tried.


WEEELLLLLLL......HE'S HOME NOW!!! Our good friend and awesome dad Mr.Evirs is home again!!!!!!!  His ship came in this last week and his wife, kids and family were all there to meet him!!!  And its a great thing-to be reunited after SUCH A LONG TIME APART!!

Isn't this the sweetest thing you have ever seen?

This is just priceless, love this pic!

And my girlfriend did a great job of holding down the fort and raising the kids while her man was deployed!!  But I know she is glad to share the day to day stuff with him again!  

Did you honestly think I wouldn't post a pic of the Strike Fighters coming home, c'mon do you know who I am married to?? ; )

In closing I would like to dedicate this post to the Evirs family, we love you guys soo much and we are so happy that you 5 are all back together again.  We miss you all like crazy and we wish we could be there to celebrate your homecoming.  We know it was a tough 7 months on deployment but you guys just proved how much more tough you are!!  Its so heartwarming and uplifting knowing that your family is complete again!! CONGRATS Mr. Evirs and WELCOME HOME!!!

Love,

Lives and how different they are..

I was talking to a good friend a few nights ago on yahoo messenger (yay Jenn!!) and naturally being the Chats McGee that I am I starting spouting off about being a military wife and SAHM and how different our lives can be from non-military wives and I got to thinking....we ARE different. Not bad different and not necessarily good different...just different. For example Daddum is gone for work right now and he will be back next week and I am not really bothered by it; am I going to miss him-sure, am I am going to dread getting Bonnie ready for school at oh dark thirty everyday for week-you bet, does the thought of his det being delayed a week for random Navy reasons make a frustrated-somewhat.... but I am glad that Daddum does what he does for us everyday...you bet your mama's good china I do.

Having been in the Navy for a few years I feel like I am blessed enough to truly understand exactly what the Navy needs from Daddum are at a moment's notice. I don't get as mad as some other wives I know about military obligations, I get it...my husband belongs to the Navy first and our family after. It doesn't make me upset, and Daddum does such an excellent job making non-Navy time extraordinary for all of us that it has never been an issue, but it takes work-alot of it and dedication and love and grace from God and from each other. And I can say without a doubt one hundred percent we CHERISH that time together.

Now I am not trying to sound like a tough, g-money wife because that's not it at all...I am a crybaby sissy just like the rest of them sometimes- I think its natural and inherent to want to cry when they leave even if it is only for a few days, weeks whatever. There is ALWAYS that thought in the back far recesses of my brain that something could happen. Its the nature of the job, just look at Fort Hood, USS Cole, etc...I could list all day. Does it ever get easier to be a military wife and handle all the random, incessant, annoying, heartbreaking responsibilities? No I don't think so, I think you just get used to it, and you accept the void that's there when they are gone and try to keep moving along and making them proud of you on your home front until they get back.

When Daddum was in Florida for a year by himself I used to think.....now if he were here right now would he be okay with me doing this, or would this be the best decision for our family in his eyes. Most times honestly back then I didn't care, I felt like I was in survival mode and I had to do what I had to do to get by..in hindsight that was not the right response (for me). I should have given more and strived to give 100% all the time, I don't get that time back-but I have learned from that experience...this is my one shot running this show-aim high. This is my new mantra and in conjunction with my new mantra I have drawn on my most recent life experiences-the passing of Robert and Greg. I love them both and miss them sooo much and I am lifted up by the idea of them looking down on my lil family and smiling. I want to do them justice by my family, our time together was so brief but wonderful. And they gave it all-all the time.

Life is soo short...I don't think we all realize it and the idea of not doing everything in our power to live our days to the fullest and enrich our lives and the lives of our children/spouses just does not sit well with me anymore. This realization has pushed me to new limits and allowed me to strive for more. This has made me a better Christian, mother, wife and friend. So if I accomplish nothing else in this life I am glad that I was able to see the writing on the wall. In the words of Bonnie in the throws of a tantrum "...my life is changing..." here's praying that I can roll (and EXCEL) with it!!!

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke