We're not moving, or wait we are, or maybe not

The last 24 hours have been a blur of frustration, anger, tears, and overwhelming confusion. Kyle's time to transfer to his next duty station is coming up in September. I told him that I really would like to stay here for his next tour if at all possible since I am settled here and have good friends, a good job and it's Southern California, what's not to like? We talked together and compiled a list of his preferences for possible jobs putting San Diego as our chief preference and he submitted it to his detailer (the guy that assigned him his job). Then in true Navy Fashion we waited, and waited, and waited some more. The floods in TN didn't help matters since during that time the Navy central office where Kyle's detailer worked out of was flooded with about 2-3 feet of water.

When Kyle finally got word back yesterday the news was pretty bitter sweet. It was a job that would keep us in San Diego but it was on a ship type that Kyle really didn't want, doing a job he really wasn't interested in. We talked about the possibility of changing it and I was really hesitant, because I essentially had what I wanted because we were going to stay here. The thing that really made the decision even harder was the fact that Kyle needed to talk to his captain about it the next morning. So I had about an hour before I needed to decide whether to ask to stay here no matter what, or to roll the dice and see what we get. It was one of my first big challenges in my marriage. One of those times you parents tell you about; times in your marriage where you have to put your spouse before yourself. I didn't want Kyle to be unhappy, but I was terrified that we would be sent to a place that I wouldn't like; or even worse, abroad to a place where I couldn't work.

We talked about it for awhile after I got back from work last night and I spent most of the night just thinking and thinking about it. I decided that given the fact that this tour is less than two years and I didn't want this to be detrimental to Kyle's career progression I said let's chance it and see what we get.

Turns out that it worked out, well sort of.

Kyle got an opportunity to be a DIVO on a ship that is home-ported in San Diego. We get to stay here, and he got the job he wanted. We'll be here for the next two years so we decided we're definitely going to move out of our apartment to a bigger place.

The bad news....I actually have to accept the reality that's he's going to deploy again and the job he took will send him off for other training he wouldn't have to have done other wise. Guess it will just take some getting used to.

It came.......IT FINALLY CAME

Ladies, I have been a bad blogger.....and i'm sorry.

I have decided (for reasons you have probably assumed) that I'm putting Little Rhody Girl on hiadus for a week or two, to help somebody settle back into his home. Into our home. No worries. I definately will be back, I have about 5 recipes to back post, and that doesn't include my three day long bake-off which is scheduled for next weekend.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday

THIS is what I have to be thankful for....

It finally came, it's finally over......

Thank you, all of you, for all of your support. He's home with me, and I couldn't be happier!

Excuse me While I smash my Head in this Wall

During a break from my Trauma class today I was sitting on the outside stairs leading into the hospital soaking up the SoCal Sunshine chit-chatting with some fellow nursey co-workers when this happened.

"So -what's his face- is going to pick up my daughter today."

"What, that's your nickname for your husband? You call him what's his face? Not worth
remembering his name huh?" -snickers-

"Ha ha...yeah. Hey Sara, I guess you could call your husband that too, since you never see him."

"Um.......what?"

I resisted the temptation to cause some her some trauma (after all we could have used it as an example for class)

People's Idiocy Astounds me sometimes....

"I'm sorry don't you mean Thank you for you and your Husbands service to our country without which I wouldn't be able to live the way I do and our America as we know it wouldn't exist? That's what I thought.

by the way...you're welcome..."

Stressful Homecoming.

I have been following several Military Wives blogs over Kyle's deployment. It's nice to know that there are other women going through the same thing I am. I was hoping to become closer to the other officer's wives on Kyle's ship but most of them are much older than me, with children. They are all in such a different part of their lives compared to me so it's a little hard to relate. All of them have been around the block once or twice so I guess it's hard for them to remember back to what it was like to be a young newly-wed dealing with their first deployment (hello!)

Anyway many of the girls have been talking about homecomings. Unfortunately the stress of deployment doesn't end when your solider comes home. You get used to living alone for months and months and all of a sudden there is another body in the house, and as much as you want him/her there it does take some getting used to. -At least that is what they are saying- I haven't done this before. So frankly I'm a little nervous about it. I know it's still two full months away (two months and a few weeks, and probably some extra days thrown in there), but I have gotten used to living alone, so even though I will be over the moon to have Kyle home, it still will be new and there will be a transition time.

That will be me in a few short months!

Independence Day

This is one of the first times in my life that I have woken up on July 4th and had a completely new perspective on what that day actually means. The reason being is that on this particular day I woke up, in my bed, without my husband, for the 78th time since he left on deployment. I won't see him again until almost Thanksgiving. He is out there defending our country so we can celebrate holidays like this. It's because of people like him and every other solider/sailor/airman(woman) in our military that we even have a July 4th to celebrate.

I have had mixed feelings about the deployment, like any new Navy wive I imagine. Some days are easy, you get into routine, work, home, you distract yourself with projects and going out with friends. And other days are just so difficult, I can barely drag myself out of bed. One night two months after he left I had a nightmare that woke me in the middle of the night and I reached across the bed to try and grab his hand, and I cried when in the following moment I remembered that he isn't there, and won't be for a long time.

You always hear "protect and support the military men and women and their families." I guess I never really thought about myself as one of those people attached to "...the families" part. I didn't come from a military family like my husband did, so this is all kind of new for me. The thing I can tell you is that the fact that my husband is a Naval Officer, however much that complicated our relationship, has not lessened my love for him. Quite the opposite in fact. Yes the time apart sucks and the distance great, but this man is making a great sacrifice to keep our way of life sustainable. I have a great respect for him for what he does, and I will be waiting on that pier when he gets home....

So please, on this day, our Nation's 239th Birthday, when you are all doing your celebrating (I will be doing some BBQing myself) take a moment out of your day and think about my husband, and all the other husbands and wives, daughters and sons, brothers and sisters who are not home today because they are fighting so we can have a July 4th 2010.

Happy Birthday America!

One Month Down.....6 to go......

Kyle has been gone for a month today, it seems hard to believe.

I honestally haven't talked about it much on the blog, I wanted to keep this seperate from the pangs of missing him, which I feel pretty much every minute of every day. I can't tell you guys where he is or what he is doing, but he is safe. The day to day life of a Naval Officer at sea is no easy one I have come to know, but everyday he is away is a day closer to his return

I miss him greatly, everytime I look at my left hand I find it hard to believe that that day in January even happened, our wedding day. Sometimes it seems like a wonderful dream, that it was too good to be true, that such a wonderful, giving, committed man is my husband.

My Officer and my Gentleman!

I miss him.....come home soon sweetheart....

This was taken the day Kyle left.