Divisions 354-363, 858 & 945

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Comment by Carol F. on December 20, 2008 at 5:01pm

Yes, I did a long time ago. Did your son order it?

Comment by NavyMom/Wife * Bretton's Mom* on December 19, 2008 at 4:01pm

I just thought about it... I never got the DVD! I'm assuming everyone else did?

Comment by Dianne on December 3, 2008 at 8:30pm

OH I get it Bretton's mom. My son is stationed in San Diego, which is close to home for us...except we dont live there anymore, but all the rest of his relatives do.

Carol ~ Sounds like you had an absolutely awesome time with your Sailor, I am so happy for you. Oh and yes, I did finally watch the PIR DVD and I liked it, although we fast forwarded through the speeches, since we heard them before LOL. I didn't realize your son was in the reserves, will he go back home and be a police officer there?

Now that Thanksgiving is over I can look forward to my son coming home for Christmas!! We can't wait!!!

Comment by Carol F. on December 3, 2008 at 12:39pm

Ok, Dianne, here is the scoop. LOL

Well, am back from Port Hueneme, CA after having a great Thanksgiving with my son!
It was so so wonderful to get a great big hug from him as he walked thru the gate on base!
I will tell you all about it but don’t want to bore you guys. LOL

But after getting rental car in LA, got to drive all along the coast up to Port H. in the pouring down rain! Sure didn’t expect that in CA. Actually, the weather wasn’t like I expected at all. Had to wear long pants and long sleeve/jacket most of the time the whole trip. Being on the coast, I forgot how much cooler it could be.
But it was sunny most of the time after morning fog!

It was so so nice to be able to spend time with my son and his good buddies. Got to hang out with up to 5 of his good buddies. Two of them are his very good friends so it was great to know he has somebody to hang out with and to talk with while being at “A” school there.

I ended up staying at the Navy Lodge on base. It was a very nice, clean, convenient place to stay. My son could just walk down from his barrack each day or I could pick him up.

Once we got off base, my son said it is still felt real weird to be like a “civi” in civi clothes and just walking around town. He says it is hard to get used to since he is so used to being ordered around all day long and nite on base.

We had Thanksgiving dinner real late at a restaurant that we finally found that was open. The kids loved having a turkey dinner.
We ate out a lot since he wanted to get off the base. The choices of food around the base wasn’t that great so we had to go into Ventura or Santa Barbara/Santa Monica.

Went to Santa Barbara 2x and walked around town, pier, and the beach. My son has a high school girl space friend who now lived in SB so we hung out with her at her house watching the civil war football game of OSU & O of U after going to a sports bar first to watch it.
One of my son’s buddies was from Colorado and has never seen the ocean. So we spent time there on the beach! Watching his face being so surprised of the water and sand was the best thing ever! He loved it!
Drove to Santa Monica one day, walked around the pier and downtown too. Weather in Santa Monica wasn’t the best, cool and windy but we all still enjoyed.

The buddies loved to shop so finally I had to be a mom and say “I think that is enough money spending, so let’s move on”. LOL These kids haven’t been to stores really since boot camp so it was hard for them to control their $$$. But they kept saying, “Such good deals so...” Fortunately, my son didn’t spend much money at all besides a pair of sunglasses. But tho other boys...........it was like shopping with girls! LOL

Went to the Seabee Museum on base and had a ball looking at things there and listening to the boys tell me all about the Seabees. We drove around the base and my son would tell me where his classrooms were, where they muster/march, where they did PT, ate, laundry, and etc.

One word of advice to those who do visit their sailors on base. Make sure you get a parking pass which was no problem after my son came to the office to get it for me. But they didn’t tell me that I needed a special letter to be able to buy gas or things inside the NEX. My son had to be there all the time to purchase things for me. Also you can’t use a credit card even if he is with you. Cash only or he pays for it with his credit card. I had gone over to the NEX just to look around while waiting for him to get up Fri/Sat. morning but couldn’t buy anything myself. Next time, I will get that letter.

On Sunday, my son came over to the NL and he studied for a few hours while I would ask him questions while filling out an online job application for being a police officer for him. He needs a job when he gets done with “A” school the end of Jan since he is a Reserve. We got to talk a lot about his life, the Navy, and his future. He is kind of concerned about his future still. Really wished he had signed up to be active. He loves being in the Navy with the structure.

My last day on Mon. was kind of fun. Got to watch them march back from their classes for lunch. Took my son some lunch so we ate outside of his barracks on a picnic table while the other kids would walk by and be so jealous of the Quiznos sandwiches that he was eating, LOL
After lunch, I got to watch them march back toward their classes and that was so much fun to see them all marching together. Also, they had to drink from a water bottle before they started marching and all had to drink a certain amt. It was interesting the rules they have there!

So all in all, I had a great time with my son. It was so good to see him, the base, and all what he does for the Navy! It was an eye opener for sure.

Comment by NavyMom/Wife * Bretton's Mom* on December 2, 2008 at 3:06pm

Hi, Bretton's coming home for good, because he got his orders and he'll be stationed on the USS Howard. The Howard is stationed in San Diego. So, he'll be home!

Comment by Dianne on November 29, 2008 at 11:21am

Carol F, how was your trip to California?

Comment by Dianne on November 29, 2008 at 11:19am

Bretton's Mom, why is he coming home for good? Is he in the reserves?

Comment by NavyMom/Wife * Bretton's Mom* on November 26, 2008 at 1:41pm

Hi, well my latest news is, Bretton found out, he'll graduate A school and be flying home (for good) Dec. 12! I am so proud of him!!! He'll be home tonight to spend Thanksgiving with us. It's just such a relief to now know what's going on. Seems crazy that 2 months ago we were at the PIR!

Comment by Carol F. on November 24, 2008 at 6:56pm

I got the Keel the same day Dianne got hers. I just didn't post it.
I noticed that the div. 361 & 361 were together too, Sheri.
I kind of wished the whole grad class was in it tho. It would have been nice to see all the kids of the moms I have talked to here on N4M plus the kids my son has talked about too.

Bretton's Mom, sounds like your son is just doing great then! Am so glad he is happy in the Navy. San Diego will be a great place to be stationed1 Lots of sunhine and nice area to go out to see too.
Plus you get to spend Thanksgiving with him! Now that is a real treat!
You should receive the DVD any day now since we all are getting them already.

I will see my son in 2 days!!! I am flying on Wed. morning to CA to drive up the coast to see him. I am so so so excited! Having Thanksgiving with him this year together will be great. I can't wait to hug him! Plus am wanting some nice warm sunshine, see the base he is at, and the ocean!
So I will post pics on my page when I get back of it all!!!

Comment by NavyMom/Wife * Bretton's Mom* on November 24, 2008 at 2:33pm

Hi Everyone, Well Bretton will be home on Wed, so we get to spend Thanksgiving together! He got his orders,and he'll be stationed in San Diego!!!! So he'll be home!!! I'm so happy :) He'll be on the USS Howard. He found out today he'll graduate from A school in Dec., and he is starting the checkout process today so he'll be hom for Christmas, He has kicked butt in A school and is in the top of his class! I am so proud! I always knew he had it in him! Too bad he did'nt do it in school! LOL I also received the keel and am so glad I bought it! I t will be something we treasure. The offical DVD has'nt arrived yet. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. :)

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