Married to a Winner

We spent Saturday morning and early afternoon on base, watching Justin play volleyball in the base's Captain's Cup Beach Volleyball Tournament. Volleyball comes naturally to him. He spent his entire childhood living in Florida, surfing, skim boarding, and playing beach volleyball. We lucked out and got here in time for him to participate in this year’s tournament.

The team played well…a bunch of Chiefs (many of which grew up in Florida playing beach volleyball)…playing against a variety of different teams (Marines, Army, Navy).






They won!

This is the third year in a row that “Khaki” team won the Cup. Some of the members will be moving on, so hopefully the rest of the guys will be able to pull off another win next year.

We had a blast…all except the heat and humidity.

I enjoyed meeting some of the people Justin works with and a few spouses. There are some Command events coming up, so hopefully I’ll be able to meet some more spouses.

It’s always nice to know a few other military spouses in your current location. Other military spouses just seem to understand what military life is all about, and can be very supportive. We don’t have any active-duty neighbors…one who is retired and one who is prior military, but no one else is active-duty. We just left military housing at our previous duty station, so not having an immediate support system is a bit different.

I have a few special military friends from each of our previous duty stations who I keep in close contact with. I’m sure I’ll meet some other military spouses here that I will hit it off with…it will just take some time.

For Those Who Wait

For Those Who Wait
by Karen Ferrell, 1995

It's up before dawn and coffee to go.
"Will you be home tonight?" "Well, I don't really know."
It's holding back dinner because he'll be late,
Then he comes home and tells you he already ate.

It's gear laid out everywhere, upstairs and down,
And "I'm not really sure when I'll be back in town."
It's missions and ops and "I can't really say."
And, "I think I can call, but I don't know which day."

It's time on the road when you miss him a lot,
And it seems like he's gone a lot more than he's not.
It's phone calls at three and it's love and it's hate,
And there's times when it seems you do nothing but wait.

You forget what he looks like - - you try to recall,
And you stare at his photograph up on the wall.
It's cruises when months seem to turn into years,
And it's living with hope and it's living with fear.

But it's also the women whose lives are the same;
The ones that you call when you're sick of the game.
You lean on each other when nights seem too long,
And you're there for each other, and that makes you strong.

And it's trips ending early by two days or three,
When he's home and you didn't expect him to be.
And it's letters and postcards from far distant shores,
And it's hearing the sound of his keys in the door.

And it's making it through when the going gets tough,
And the time that you do have is somehow enough.
And it's pride in a life that's not easy to live
That can ask of a man more than many can give.

And the pride and the love seem to outweigh the doubts,
And you'd rather live with him than ever without.
For no matter the miles, or the time you're apart,
He is never too far, for he's there in your heart.

Reenlisting on the 4th of July

Friday was a special day for our family. Not only was it a national holiday, but also it was the day we officially decided to devote another six years of our lives to the Navy. Being the patriotic people we are, we decided that what better day to reenlist in the Navy than the day our country declared its independence from England, the day we consider our Nation’s birthday.

Justin enlisted in the Navy while we were still in high school. We actually decided to get married and join the Navy all in the same week in October 1997. He enrolled in the Delayed Enlistment Program (DEP), with an enlistment date in September 1998. We were intent on getting married on the 23rd of a month, and the only months with a 23rd on a Saturday that coming year were August 1998 and January 1999. Several family members felt that August was too soon after high school to be getting married, so we went with January and adjusted Justin’s enlistment date to July 7, 1998.

Today, we have officially completed ten years of Naval service. We are eligible for retirement after 20 years of service in the military. Friday’s reenlistment was a big decision for our family. Reenlisting for six years puts us within reach of retirement, in essence sealing our fate for the additional four years.

Many military members will tell you that the ten-year mark is a time for major decisions. You are halfway to retirement...so do you stay in and work towards retirement, or do you go your separate way.

We have decided to stay.