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Comment by lori on March 18, 2013 at 11:30am

Betsy- I had a big grin on my face just reading your post! What an awesome opportunity for you and your husband and it's all FREE! What could be better than that! I can "hear" your excitement coming through on here- and I love the banner! 

I have been busy with school and we are going to NC next week with my family [ daughter, kids, my husband and my mom] and staying in a beach house near our other daughter. So I'll get to see 3 of my grand kids! My daughter's husband will fly out there after work on Thurs so he will have a long Easter weekend with us. Melanie [ my NC daughter] says the weather is warm. I can't wait!

Betsy- Coronado Island is where Paul's ship is docked. The Carl Vinson. I envy you- SD is so nice! I'm sure HI is even nicer but I've never been. We went to see Paul's Homecoming last May and it was an amazing sight to see. We got there very early [ 6am to get right up to the gates lining the road] and it wasn't a very nice day but the excitement more than made up for it. We were there for HOURS before we got to see Paul but he was able to give us a tour of the ship when everyone had left. He had to stay on the ship as he was working that day. 

Ok so March has flown by and we must set a date for April. Should we just see how many can do it for April 5th? 

Comment by Betsy, mom of Stennis sailor on March 18, 2013 at 11:09am

Our welcome Home banner for Adam

Comment by Betsy, mom of Stennis sailor on March 18, 2013 at 11:08am

Where is everyone?  Our March dates have come and gone.  :(   Any chance the first weekend in April is free for anyone?  I already have a commitment for April 13th and won't be home from April 18 til May 6.  Wanna know why I won't be here?  Hehe!

We have been approved for the USS John C. Stennis 2013 Tiger Cruise !  Yep, we are going to sail on an aircraft carrier with our son!  My husband and I will be flying out to HI on April 18 and we will set sail on the Stennis, after it's return from it's 9 month deployment, a few days later.  We are also flying class to Hawaii, but more on that in a minute ).   We will sail on the carrier for 5 days from Honoulu to San Diego.  Since the ship may also have a day or two while in SD, we have decided to stay in Coronado for 2 nights as well.  After we fly out of San Diego, we are also going to stop in Albuquerque for 5 nights so we can visit our youngest daughter and our oldest son.  Wait until you hear how we can afford this, lol.

My wonderful pack rat husband actually saved something worthwhile finally.  He had some airline reward points from 29 years ago on American Airlines.  Yes, I said 29 years ago!  He actually remembered his account number and called them.  He had enough points for 2 free First Class one way tickets to Hawaii that were due to expire in 2014.  Can you believe it?  :)  We are flying from BWI to Hawaii first class.  Then we booked our flights from San Diego to Albuquerque on Southwest Airlines with some reward points that we had saved with them, and we also had enough point left to book from Albuquerque to Baltimore as well.  So all of our flights are FREE!  Woohoo!  

While in Hawaii, we are going to stay at the new Disney Aulani Resort, since we are members of the Disney Vacation Club, we can stay with Disney points.  In California, we are trading some Disney points to stay at the Hotel del Coronado for two nights.  Then when we get to Albuquerque, we had reward points for Holiday Inn that we are using.  :)

So, with free airfare everywhere and free hotels, our only costs for our trip will be the cost of our food.  

I am so excited to be there on the dock in HI waiting for that beautiful carrier to bring  me back my baby boy, that I can't stand it already.  I have my Welcome Home banner all ready to go.  Did I show it to you?  I will post it on here, just in case I didn't.    Adam said he will be manning the rails in HI and will probably be in the dress whites!  I can't even imagine the views that we will have, while sailing into San Diego from the deck of the ship.  We will also plan to be on the dock when the ship departs San Diego for it's last leg to Bremerton, WA.  I can't wait to see the homecomings and departures from 3 different perspectives.  

Adam is taking the 3rd leave period, so he will probably be home some time mid to late May.  

This is a dream come true for my husband and I and a trip of a lifetime.  I am prepared for not sleeping and lots of noise, but also wonderful memories that I will have for the rest of my life.  :)  

Comment by Betsy, mom of Stennis sailor on March 7, 2013 at 12:36pm

Linda, I guess you were able to get to work today, lol.  I was so geared up a big snow and boy, we sure had a non-event.  At least the deer in our yard enjoyed the little bit that we got.  :)

Comment by Linda on March 5, 2013 at 10:23pm

Is everyone ready for the snow? I'm working at home tomorrow!

Comment by Betsy, mom of Stennis sailor on March 1, 2013 at 12:28pm

Linda, Wow, your March does sound like a lot of fun though!  

Comment by Linda on February 27, 2013 at 11:03pm

Betsy - I hope you get to do the Tiger cruise as it sounds like it is a great experience.  Since Joey is on a sub, we won't get those opportunities.  I don't even know if we will be able to meet him when he comes back.  I know they d it sometimes but I'm not sure how oftem.

Unfortunately, March is crazy for me. I am teaching a course on March 9 during the day and then going to a 60th wedding anniversay dinner for my in-laws.  On the 16th, I am chaparoning a field trip to Boradway to see Newsies for Liberty HS chorus class.  If I don't make it this time, I will definately come next time!

Comment by Betsy, mom of Stennis sailor on February 27, 2013 at 10:15am

Wow, Linda, you are a busy woman, all of March is already booked.  :(  Glad to hear that you did get something from Joey.  I know that on subs, communication can be spotty.  

I did talk with Anna last week and we were hoping that maybe the weekends of 9th or 16th of March could be a possibility for lunch?  (Linda, is there any chance that another day may open up for you?)  I know that this coming weekend is the first weekend in March and I it's too soon to plan now.  :(  I will probably not be available very much in April, at least right now I have no idea when we will be available.  Adam's ship will hopefully be doing a Tiger Cruise and it's looking like it may be around mid to late April.  We won't know for sure if it's still going through or even if we are approved for it, until the budget mess is settled.  :(  Either way, my husband and I are going to try to meet his ship somewhere, either Hawaii or Bremerton, WA, I guess?  

Joanne, I hope you are over your illness by now and feeling back to your old self.   

Comment by Linda on February 18, 2013 at 12:10am

Betsy - what an awesome letter and a great Valentine's gift too!

Lori - I don't know much about the Double Shellback but it sounds like a big deal.

Lot's of proud mamas on this site!

Let's do lunch soon.  I'm available Mar 2-3 but the rest of March is booked for me. April is open except for April 6-7.

I got an email from Joey today:)  I really didn't think he would get a chance to send me one, but he did.  Apparently he is doing well. He has been a hotrunner for the second week in a row - he completed 10 checkoffs (4 are required each week).. He is trying to get his Dolphins on this deployment so he is working hard. He misses home but says he is doing very well. So I'm a happy and pround mama too!

Comment by lori on February 15, 2013 at 3:00pm

Betsy I'm getting it framed at Michael's. They were having a 50% sale on framing- it would have been twice as much if they didn't- outrageous price really. But the lady behind the desk took time with me and helped me with the mat and frame choices. I wanted it double matted as there are a lot of colors in the certificate and I wanted to pull the lesser colors out. The certificate itself is pretty big. A Double Shellback is when they cross the equator and the International time line together. There is an initiation that they do on the ship on the flight deck that stems back for generations. If you Goggle "Shellback ceremony" you can read how far they've come from what it used to be! Now that there are women on the ship it's been toned down some. But it's not a pleasant experience from what I've heard. So when they went over the equator they had the "ceremony"- when they crossed over it again that's when they became Golden Shellbacks. Many sailors can go their whole time in the Navy without doing that. 

Joanne I am so glad you are starting to turn the corner on your illness. It sounds like the doctor has to report E Coli to the Health Depart which is interesting. After such a long time I think it would be near to impossible to track down what could have caused it. That food would be long gone even if they can track it to where.

Early March might work. We are going to NC at the Spring break. My daughter and her family and us will rent a house near where our other daughter and her family live. That's towards the end at Easter time. 

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