Corpsmen Moms and Dads

Yes!!! black granite counters and cherry cabinets, new appliances too. ooh so pretty!  My new dishwasher has a headlight inside, who knew you'd want to light up your dishes or read a book by your forks and spoons?

One more thought - have you tried Dropbox? For me it's one way to work around having an Android phone and a Mac computer.  I set up my free Dropbox account (dropbox.com) and can now upload photos from my phone, then download to my Macbook.  

Dropbox - Get Started

Love figuring out all this stuff!  Just sent a pm to Kathy - HM A School mom, little does she know I'll be picking her brain aplenty.

Hey Ruthella, just by the way - yes you bet I'm a mess, bourbon balls theoretically 'take the edge off' during the holidays, as we put it in the family.  Would it be so wrong to drop the last one or two into the blender with my protein shake tomorrow morning?  Probably.  Of course if you gave Earl a few he might forget how to use that camera - but then where would that leave me...

Reality - we just like our cookies, and I've been determined not to go up a pants size this year!!  harder and harder as time goes by.  So I think I had about six BB's total - but I savored each one, even the powdered sugar we roll them in.  

2.5 cups crushed vanilla cookies

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

2 tbl cocoa

3 tbl white corn syrup

1/2 cup bourbon or rum

Mix, take teaspoon-sized bits, roll in powdered sugar, happiness.

How beautiful!  

Yep - better set up the coffee pot for the morning Betty!

Noah sure looks comfy, doesn't he.....If he only knew that he's being held by our own supermodel aka Twinkletoes.  How's the weather Ruthella?  Keeping warm? Need some bourbon balls?  So to speak?

Good Morning Betty, make mine a double!

I got to talk to Annabear last night!  The sound of her voice brought back memories of trip to SLO.  Good times with great people! 

Ruthella, please give Dennis' mom a hug for me.  God bless her soul.  When you meet face to face there'll be no holding back those tears.  How beautiful that you keep in touch, I'm sure it means so much to her and I know it does to you.  Your little man Noah is adorable!  You both look so peaceful and content, nothing in the world like holding your grandchild in your arms.  iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Hope you all have a wonderful day and an even better weekend!  Talk to you all soon.

My goodness Betty, where did you come across that??  Think I need a second cup right about now and that sounds perfect for a Friday afternoon :)

Ruthella, how very special your meeting will be.  At my first Blue Star meeting a mom who had just become a Gold Star mother arrived and I could barely keep it together, it really shook me.  Bless all our deployed out there....

Hey y'all!  So, no way I'm going to catch up here, let's just go with I've been very busy and hope that everyone is fine and dandy and all of our cubs and grandcubs are well and safe!  Been working on the house a bit, it's coming along...Cub is doing well in the sand and says he loves my Navy moms very much!!  It's been cold down in here in FL, thinking I may have to move north to warm up this year, WTH is up with that?!  LOL

Here is a picture of my work from this week, this is my new bedroom floor!  Soooo loving being able to fix up my little house!  Need to finish up painting 2 rooms and then I'm ready to start laying the tile in the kitchen and bonus room! 

Miss y'all, will promise to make a stronger effort to get on here now that the holidays are past us!!  XOXO

Hey Ruthella how about us going to lunch the first week in Feb ? : )  LOL 

Another corpsman-mom meet-up, yay!!!

Lorelai, love that dress!  That website is pretty interesting - beautiful dresses and what great prices!!   Don't know that my kitchen re-do is a 'nesting' thing, but the dresses may make me reconsider LOL - guess that would make me not an MOB or even MOG, but TMIG - the mother IS the bride, huh...

Will you all be my bridesmaids?? Bride has 30 bridesmaids, plus two in reserve (that looks like it was a fun wedding, everyone got to trot out their old bridesmaid dresses!)

Awwww what a pic ! I'm glad hes doing so well : ) Just like M and R did, you know next comes the wedding ring .. Or at least that's how it went for our boys : )

YEAH!!!!!!! : ) Awesome carol

Awwwwww Ruthella I am on cloud 9 !!! Give me a call when you have time and I will let you know whats up : )  I cannot wait to meet you my friend  : ) YAY!!!!!!!

Ruth's son's ship replaced my son's : ) Thank's Ruth

Good Morning Everyone,

Okay, if Ruthella isn't contagious anymore, guess it's safe to come back.....hehehe  Glad you're feeling better thella bell!

Just wanted to stop in and say hi before I start my busy day, just got back from 3 days off. 

Kathy congratulations, what a beautiful thought being married to your bestfriend and still so in love after so many years, months and days......

Carol, congratulations to you too, a new DIL and a such a beautiful one at that. 

Gotta run............................hugs!

Good morning!  

This is Arizona's centennial year, and I'm working on a photography exhibit that will be on display downtown next month, got a meeting this afternoon to finalize. Pretty cool stuff :)  AZ became a state on Valentine's Day 1912, for your daily trivia bit o' news :)

Kathy, that all sounds so wonderful.  How did you two meet?  *Hoping for a good story*  Carol/Ruthella/Betty/everyone, how did you meet your loved one?

The photography project really is interesting, but gathering these stories is my favorite project for a long time :)

My realtor introduced us, said she knew a great guy she would have gone for if she hadn't just gotten married herself!  Anyway, he came to my front door, he had me at hello, we married two years later and...now we have a corpsman!  Great coffee, love your kitchen :) 

So here is my story.   I  married my college geology lab mate.  He had just finished his stint in the Army during the Vietnam war.  I had to miss the first geology lab class for an appointment.  So the first day that I went to class was the second day of geology lab class.   I saw an empty chair, and it was next to this nice looking gentleman.  During the course of the semester, we had coffee a lot together.  Then he (John)  asked me to go our with him in late April after I had saved "his bacon" on a day long field trip.  He did not bring any food on the trip.  I happened to have extra sandwiches, cookies, etc.  He gave me a ride home from college, and then he finally asked me to go out with him.  He asked me to marry him on Memorial Day.  We were married over the Labor Day weekend.  He is my best friend, and he has been for almost 43 years.  I am looking forward to many more years of "marriage on the rocks."   :) 

Just a quick Hello to all!!!  Am still down in Houston working, but had a few minutes away from the boss.  WOW!!!  Carol.......how exciting for you.  A new DIL and she is smoking hot!!!  They will make gorgeous babies....:-)

Thanks for the coffee break, Betty!  It hit the spot.

Another Mini-Mom Meet-up!!!  How exciting is that for Princess and Thella Belle. Ruthella gives the best hugs, Princess!!!  And, has the warmest heart!!

Oops.........time to get back to work; boss is coming.  Will holler at you girls later......HUGZ!!!

Congratulations, Carol.  I am waiting for my corpsman cub to find the right girl.  Of course, he is only 22 years old, so he has some time.  I hope he can find as pretty a girl as your new DIL is!  

Mary

Ruthella-    I am still here some of the time.  Just busy!   Playtime now!

Mary

Okay, will share my story first, then will vent about why I'm so doggone mad.

I was the office manager for Respiratory and Pulmonary in a hospital in French Camp, CA.  I had to greet all the sales reps that came through the department.  In walks this guy with his little case of samples, he had an appointment with the Director.  I called my boss and told the gentleman that it would be a few minutes and asked him to have a seat. He did until I got on the phone with a patient. He snuck in to the supply room to check out the competition's products.  I scolded him and escorted him back to the waiting area. He came by every week for years, always took a bunch of the resp. therapists and physicians out for lunches, dinners and drinks. I went along once in a while.  One week, he asked me if I wanted to go have a drink, I thought everyone else was going, so I said yes. Turns out it was just me and him.  We talked and laughed for hours while I was nursing that one margarita, had to keep my wits!  At the end of this month we will celebrate our 14 year anniversary, and now that sales rep is a chef!  Life takes you through some twists and turns, you just don't know where it will lead you.  I love all the "romantic" stories of how we met our guys......

Now for my venting....some jerks smashed Bug's car window out and took his ipod and some things he had in his car.  It was the ipod he had when he was in the sand!  No way to replace that, he usually takes it in with him but forgot.  They tore up his car a little bit, not too bad.  His deductible is too high for the window to be fixed and his ipod is, well not covered at all.  Of course he is completely broke.  I'm just glad he didn't hear them doing it, he would have tried to stop them and it just isn't worth it.  After several very lengthy conversations with him, I got him calmed down and we figured out what he could do to get the window fixed, should be fixed later today.  Jerks!  Okay, better now...thanks for listening!  

Another mini-mom meeting, with Ruthella and Princess....that should be a blast! 

Okay hmmmmmm Paul and I met while we were in High School ( not high school sweetheartd tho ) When I was 15 I told my mom I was going to marry him ... LOL I didn't say when I was in my 50s I would devorce him.. Oh well three great kids 2 Navy and 1 Army ( two out of the three are medic / corpsman ) ...

Carol-    Your son at 22 is probably more mature than my son is at 22.  So happy for you!   My family is not the most conventional either.  We seem to have kids late in life etc.   Go figure.  Different strokes for different folks!   Aren't parents basically along for the ride?  I feel the same way!   Hugs, Carol!

Hmmmmmm okay I won't go on FB then and say OMGosh What an ADORABLE PIC!!!!! Precious Ruthella just precious ..

Ruthella...........iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, he's a cutie for certain.  How precious, sneaking pictures is part of the fun!  Thank you for sharing with us.  He is just a doll baby, how could you not sneak a few shots of the pictures!  You are beaming with pride and I love it, must be where all the sunshine is coming from!  You're right, the one of Raymond holding Noah made me tear up so I'm sure you were balling all over the place and rightfully so.  I'm so happy for you all!  Y'all were right, there is nothing like being a Gramma!

My daughter sent me a couple of pictures of my Daddy holding our little one for the first time, GreatGrandpa holding a baby who isn't quite a month old yet, never thought I would see that!  He's a natural, I sent it to a few of you by email, sorry I can't post the pics, I stink at it.  You're right about when the others hae grand babies, they are gonna be sharing pictures like crazy.  Especially when Lorelai gets her granddaughters! 

Reading the stories about all of our sons having their things stolen from them just makes my blood boil.  I'm hoping Bug can find a nice used Ipod somewhere, it stinks that some of his Marines put things on there for him and some low life took that away from him.  It helped to keep him calm listening to it almost constantly.  Hearing what some of your sons have had taken makes me even madder.  It just stinks!

Ruth, please get better soon, take care of yourself sweetie!

Talk to you all soon, boss is coming this way again!  Dang it!

Yep, that's what he's feeling, the rest can be replaced and fixed, but those things can never be.  It's just not right.  They worked so hard to get those things, the sentimental ones, and they are so precious and then some low life comes and strips them of them and it hurts so deeply.  I can't fix it, I can only listen to him. Some of those guys didn't make it back, I'm hoping he has some of the things on his laptop so he can download them again, but I know some are gone now.  He has an appointment to get his window replaced today, the rest will slowly heal.  He told me last night that when he called to report it, he was #52 of the morning to report theft and break in of a vehicle.  It was just after 9 am!  I'm gonna be seeing him on Saturday and can't wait to give him a great big hug and kiss.  It may not make him feel any better, but it will do wonders for me!

Hey y'all!  Love the stories, if I actually married nice guys I'd share, but I apparently marry toads so will skip that today!  LOL  I am dating a pretty nice guy these days, but have no plans on marrying again!!  :0)

Love all the pics, we do have some pretty amazing gene pools in this group don't we? 

Not too much to report here, busy, busy here at work...Cub is doing pretty well in the sand although very busy which is never really a good thing when you're in the trauma unit!  But he sounds good and that is all that matters to this momma! 

Hope everyone has a great day!  Hugs!!!

Hey, so sorry to hear about the theft!!  Good time to remember what my friend the detective always says, never leave anything in sight in the car (my nephew lost his college texts, backpack and laptop with a semester's worth of work on a final project right before it was due).  A good gift for anyone is a portable hard drive for backing up everything (not expensive), or a subscription to an online service like Carbonite.

Ruthella, what an adorable baby!!  I'm still ok sticking with being an observer LOL 

So sorry to hear about all the car break ins.  I was a deputy distrtict attorney for a few years, and I have had to prosecute those cases.  When I could prove them up, I went for the jugular.  Usually the culprits are dopers, but that never excuses their criminal behavior. 

Right after we were married our music cd was taken from the car.  Then a few months later we were in Florida and our house was broken into.  All our stuff was gone.  They used pillow cases and laundry baskets to carry stuff out.  What a sick feeling.  So sad to lose the things that can not be replaced.  

On a lighter note.....I met my husband, Pat, at a Halloween party in college.  Yes My girlfriend and I were the only freshman to show up is costumes.  She was a smurf and I was a pumpkin...orange face, pillow  the whole thing even the stem on my head!!!!!!  We ran and changed. Her face was stained blue.  Pat asked me out and the rest is history.  This year will be 24 years and 7 kids later.  His proposal was wonderful.  He is somewhat romantic at times.  

I am so sorry you ran and changed!  People who don't dress up for costume parties make me nuts - you would have been the belles of the ball in my book.  Wonder what your future husband would have gone as :)

okay I'm stumped ... Michael says he has 3 big bags with him soooo what size car sould I get or maybe I should get a Standard size SUV .. Hmmmmmm call me confused.. Also I don't want to spend $300.00 for a SUV for 4 days Help : )

Orbitz is showing that Avis has an SUV at that airport for $201 for a week - try that?  Those sea bags are huge!

I have been working for the past few hours... That's a great price !!! Thank you !!!

I was replacing the floors at a local restaurant after closing when one of the waitresses getting ready to leave showed me a picture of a hot blonde waitress and asked if I would want to go out with her, I'm a sucker for blondes so of course I said yes. We were married 14 months later.

Vette- ROLLTIDE!

Vette - what took you so long?

That's what she got!  Oh cool, she'll be glad to hear. Ruth, do those have a roof rack, do you remember?  

I am a person who does not dream or I cant remember dreams if I do dream. I was working in a foreign country and I was in a new city looking for supplies for our base. The first night in Kiev and I had dream that was so real to me that it scared me. I dreamed that I was waiting for my wife to arrive in the Phoenix Airport with my 4 year old son. The only problem was that I was not married nor did I have a son. I could remember the sounds, smells and color of every moment of the dream until the point my new wife walked up to me after her flight and stood face to face with me. I woke up stunned and could not shake the face in my dream all day until I walked into the last store on our route and walk face to face into my beautiful wife. I almost wet myself. I had to leave the store and change out of my work clothes and into something that would not scare her off. When I returned to ask her out I could not think how to do it without sounding crazy. "Excuse me miss but you are going to be my wife?" she would run and hide for sure. I finally got up the nerve and we met after she finished work and went to a cafe. She then told me that when I walked into her store she heard a voice in her head that said  "It's him" She had seen me in two dreams and was just telling a co worker about it when we walked in. She was so upset when I stood staring at her with my mouth open and did not speak. When I left the store to change clothes she said she almost cried.  I asked her if she has a son about 4 years old with blond hair and she said she did. That is when I told her about my dream. We got married two month later in Pervomysk Ukraine 16 years ago and we both know we found our soul mates.

Greg that was sweet : )  Wow...

Greg, you gave me tears and goosebumps, that tops them all.  Congrats on 16 years and counting!  Some dreams come true, thanks for reminding us of that!

Ruth, tragic doesn't even sum up what has happened to that young person in boot camp.  I'm so sorry, my condolences to the family....God bless them.

Hi Princess, no matter what size car you get, I know you'll pack it well, I've travelled with you, you're a pro.  Be sure to give Ruthella a big ole hug for me!  I'm so envious.........