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Comment by Betsy, mom of Stennis sailor on February 2, 2012 at 11:12pm

Joanne, I'm so happy that you will get to hug Jason very soon.  That's awesome about Kevin's grades.   Thanks for telling me that your ex went with Jason, as that makes me feel much better.  I was afraid that I was being a "helicopter mom"  

Lori, I'm so glad for you that you have been able to have so much contact with Paul.  I bet even just the words I Love You are all you need to hear.  I can imagine that being on the ship is an entirely different world to him.  It sounds like he is settling in well.  

Comment by lori on February 2, 2012 at 8:15pm

Betsy, I love your smiley faces! I just picked up a large flat rate box yesterday and am slowly collecting food and snacks to put in it. With a FPO address it's $2.00 off the flat rate which is good. I hear from Paul most every day. He emails me though it's usually short. That's ok- just hearing from him is great! He's ben on the ship just over a week though in "moms world" it seems a lot longer! He has 12 hour shifts 7 days a week. I asked him what he did in his free time and he "laughed" at me! Sleep he said! Food isn't good. So whatever I can pack that is easy and microwavable I'm sending. He is in a "shop" so is able to email when his "block" of time comes around. It changes daily in his shift as they go by last names. Confused? I am!

Betsy that sounds like quite a trip you have planned. Let us know when you go and I will be praying. But how awesome you get to spend that time with Adam! 

Joanne, Sounds like Kevin did better than he thought he would! I hope all goes well for his processing.

Comment by Betsy, mom of Stennis sailor on February 2, 2012 at 2:57pm

Cindy, wow you are a wealth of valuable information!    I will also be picking your brain pretty soon too, as my Adam has now been assigned to the Stennis.  All of your comments really put it in perspective and helped me realize that this is all real now and happening soon.      

Lori, I have been praying for Paul and hoping that his journey went well.  How is mom holding up?   I've been thinking about you and hoping that you have heard from Paul in the last week or so.   

Well, as I said, my Adam now has Orders to report to the CVN 74 John C. Stennis out of Bremerton, WA.  He is still currently in Pensacola and will be driving up to Maryland in about 10 days.  I'm hoping that his 17 year old car will make it here and then out to NM as well.  He will be home for a week or so (hopefully work at a recruiter's office while here) and then his plan is to drive to Washington state.  Yes, this mom is freaking out!  His report date is March 6, so obviously I am not happy about the choice of driving across the country at the end of Feb, beginning of March.  We have had long conversations about this and in the last one, he actually did ask if I would drive out there with him.     Even though, I am not exactly thrilled about doing it either, I would rather go with him and split the driving, so I said yes.  He is only 19 and thinks he's invincible.   I have driven the roads in the Pacific NW in good weather and I don't want him driving them in bad weather after driving for days.   We are taking the south route west (I-40) and then head north from there.  We will stop in Albuquerque and switch his car with my older son's car.  When Adam went to boot camp, our older son asked if he could use Adam's car, (which is newer) while he didn't need it.  It's Adam's time to use that car now.  So, we will take the 17 year old car to our older son and we will pick up the 2001.  

I am anxious, nervous and excited all at the same time about this trip.  I am just bursting with happiness about being able to spend that time with Adam, but I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm scared to death to drive out there at this time of year.  I will be doing a lot of praying.  I think the fact that he will be so far away very soon is really sinking in now and that's been so hard to even imagine.  

Comment by lori on January 25, 2012 at 4:22pm

So maybe I should mail a package now and hope he gets it by the end of Feb???

He gave me his mailing address before he left. I don't know how he knew it but he did. I will DEFINITELY be talking to you when I get ready to mail. I'll give him a week or so before I do. He'll still have all the stuff fresh from when he left. I gave him a lot of the stuff you told me about earlier. Very helpful!

That made me laugh out loud Cindy! Blind-siding them after they think it's "cool" hahahaha! 

Comment by lori on January 25, 2012 at 9:24am

I have heard about the dreaded "cranking"! Cleaning or kitchen duty something like that right? I don't know when I'll hear from him so I'll just try and be patient! Reminds me of when he was in bc and WEEKS went by before I got a letter! I use to watch for the mail man and POUNCE! Paul said this time- don't expect any letters cause he hates writing! So I'll have to wait for the email.

I woke up again during the night and counted how many hours ahead he was and wonder what he could be doing. I hope he was able to sleep last night. 

I went on the Vinson group and briefly said "hi" and that my son was NOW on the Vinson. Do you know not ONE person said anything to me? I think I'll quit now. They really are not a very friendly welcoming group. They think they are but I have seen otherwise.

Comment by lori on January 24, 2012 at 5:35pm

Cindy - THAT was a big help just what you wrote! I missed his call this afternoon :( I was at school [ though out of class at the time] and didn't hear my phone. He was in Bahrain and said he was leaving at 2am for the ship. Ok what could be scarier than landing on a ship being caught by a rubber band--- doing it in the dark!!! So now I'll just have to wait till I get an email from him. I'm glad you mentioned that about only getting a ship email cause I was going to try and send him on on his old email address. 

Your Paul had no advanced warning about leaving for his ship? One day in class then the next on a flight out to his ship??? Wow! 

The TAD is that the same as "cranking" that I've heard about? 

Will Paul be able to tell me when he's going to in port? I don't want to miss a call if I'm in class or at work. I am beating myself up for missing his call already. He sounded pretty tired. I didn't catch all of what he said. 

I did join the Vinson group back when Paul heard he was assigned it but I wasn't "one of them" yet so hopefully now I'll be greeted. I also "friended" the Vinson on FB. 

Your fresh experiences are helpful because they are "fresh"! Thanks so much. I saw that the time difference where the ship is is 9 hours ahead. That's going to be tough to communicate with my Paul as I won't know when he'll be able to email me. How did you do that with Paul or know when to talk to him?

Comment by lori on January 24, 2012 at 10:16am

Cindy, I guess they have a small base in Bahrain? I had to look up where it was- had no idea! Paul gave me the times his planes were to leave. I've been looking at the clock since 4am! He will be in Bahrain now [ 8 hours ahed of us] and stay the night there. Tomorrow morning he said he would be getting on a small plane to be flown out to the Vinson. It certainly sounds nerve-wracking! No room for error landing a plane on a ship I'm thinking! 

How will Paul contact me? He said his phone won't work there. I gave him a "ship to shore" card at Christmas. When did your Paul fly out to his ship? Do you hear from him very much? Does he like what he is doing? How is he?

Paul said he's changing his residence to CA cause they have a tax exemption for military. I asked Paul if he actually DID his taxes and he said "no- I'm waiting till the last minute if i owe them!"

Comment by lori on January 23, 2012 at 8:48pm

Hi to all. Paul is on his way to Kuwait now. Then onto Bahrain. I had one last phone call before he left. I have a question. Paul said he looked at filing his taxes before he left and because he's down as a MD resident he said the state wants him to pay $200 even though he hasn't lived here since 2010! Apparently MD does not recognize military tax exemption. Does anyone else know about that?

Comment by lori on January 19, 2012 at 6:16pm

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=64853

Betsy- this is a story about the Stennis that was on the Vinson's FB page. Let me know if you can't open it.

Comment by lori on January 19, 2012 at 4:51pm

Betsy, yea that's how I feel. When i read what the moms are saying on Paul's ship site about long silences from their kids it makes me nervous. Since he grad bc back in 2010 we have been able to talk or text or email regularly. How will I know how he's doing? Is it the same "no news is good news" like when they were in bc? Paul is all those things you wrote. I'm just the first 2!!

Monday seems to be coming awful quick now. I hope I'll be able to talk to him before he goes. He said he'd call. I know he's got a lot to do before then. Find a place for his car and stuff. Get the things he'll need for the time he'll be gone. I plan on sending "care packages" I told him but I think it takes awhile for the sailors to get mail or packages.

I hope your Adam does get to come home. It all depends on when they want him to go. Paul said he couldn't have come home at Christmas if he hadn't gotten his orders cause if they had come in when he was here he would have had to fly back there at his expense. I will pray that he does get to take leave so you can see him. Do you know how long the Stennis is deployed for?

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