Anyone with Sailors/Soldiers/Marines in War Zones and Combat Areas

You made perfect sense JerseySusan.  Thank you everyone.  Really, my husband and I lost sleep over it the first couple of days.  It's so hard as a Mom and Dad because you just want to "fix" whatever is wrong and in time we came to realize this is a 24 year old man with a lot of responsibility. And to say he's in Hawaii sounds great, but most of these buildings have been there since WWII.  Old and outdated.  It's a shame. 

I think since we hadn't seen each other in nearly 18 months, he was probably shocked that we stayed the same with all our weirdness (haha) and looking back now I know I was under the assumption that this was going to be a normal family vacation like we had together for years. TDM is right - he's around men and the military all the time.  Us civilians are just a pain in the butt - and apparently slow to move!  LOL - when he was ready to go he would just jump up and head to the car.  Not so much the rest of us.  I just hope that he can learn to relax and not be stressed out so much.  I'm sure that won't happen until he gets out of the Navy!

Pam - totally understand where you are coming from.  Hang in there.  So glad you had a good vacation though and got to see him. 

Tenn Navy Mom, you hit the nail on the head.  Pam, that is what is so wonderful about this group of moms.  Everyone experiences the same things and help so much with being able to be calm and sit back and accept and deal with all the changes. 

You ladies are awesome and I appreciate all of you.  Thank you.

Hi everyone!  haven't been signed in in a while so haven't been posting.  Stop by from time to time though so see how things are going..

Same ol with me.  Hear from Son when he is able to contact... not much more than hi mom but that is good enough for me.  We can "chat" when he gets home.

Hoping before the end of the year. 

Pam- I am a Corpsman Mom as well.... definitely understand~

Hi, Nicksmom...it is definitely one of those "no news is good news" thing....hang in , thinking of all of you with those kids boots down in the sand. 

Was thinking about you ladies with kids still "over there."  thought I'd share a picture from our recent trip to see our son.  Miss him even more and hate that the visit seemed to fly by.

Awe Pam...Love the pic!!!!

Hi everyone,

Well, this mom is in a new phase.  It seems that my corpsman found a girl friend while he was home on leave.  Now it seems that when he spends time with her, he excludes mom.  The girl friend's mother lives in the same state where my son is based.  When she goes to visit her mother, I am put on the back burner meaning I do not get my once a week phone calls.  I know this should not bother as much as it does but I don't think my corpsman know how much I miss him.  Or maybe he does and it is just as hard on him to call.  Letting go one fraction of an inch at a time.

Blessings to all.

Curleytop, redeeming feature of girlfriend and falling in love....those words I always wanted to hear "I don't want to deploy any more." and then "I'm leaving the Navy"...and then "I'm graduating from UTSA"....It is hard to let go, but I fell so in love with the girlfriend, when they broke up, it broke my heart! I wanted to ask her (still do, I must admit) how he was to live with...was he sleeping all night, did he seem restless or depressed, moody? did she see any signs of PTS? but I haven't, but I'd like to...you'll get used to it...and if it works out, you'll get grandbabies!!

my son seemed to contact the GF more than I while deployed..... that was ticking me off.... I am his dang MOTHER!!  But, sounds like they are through.... I couldn't be happier.  She is nice.... nothing at ALL against her.... he just does NOT need any drama while in combat... if you all know what I mean.  I think he finally realized that.  They can carry on with the drama when he returns.... until then, good riddance.  Sorry, I was ranting.... Curleytop- hang in there.....!!!!

curlytop - hang in there.  my son and I have had some heart to hearts about a relationship here lately.  He likes a girl here at home, but home is Georgia.  He's in Hawaii.  I think they're still talking but since she's in college, he doesn't want to add the stress of a long-distance relationship to her plate.  Makes me sad. To me it gives him a sense of "normalcy" and grounds him.  I'm still struggling with this whole green side of the Navy and how much our boys sacrifice being there.  It's tough on young couples.  They're always training and deploy so often.  We'll see.  He is in Hawaii until the end of next year and may try for Florida as his next station.  I will keep my fingers crossed he gets it.

It's hard going through the ups & downs of GF's. I've learned to come in "2cnd" place. The GF's that didn't treat them nice, were the ones they tried to hang onto, & the ones that treated them so nice, were the ones they let go of ( you know...the ones us moms fall in love with)!!

Ladies,

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement about GF's. I will adjust in time.  All of you are wonderful!!!!!!!!

Saying a little prayer for my son and his marines stationed on Oahu.  They are buckling down and securing anything that can take flight when these two hurricanes pass over the islands.

Will keep them in my prayers, Pam.  I heard we have a few of our ships around there still too that were to return to San Diego after exercises but can't until the storms pass. 

Wish I could tell you not to worry, Pam...but will keep all in my prayers. My memories of growing up in a hurricane military town is how those sailors came and helped my mom after storms! They'll be busy once it passes!

Just a quick update on the hurricane... it was a perfect opportunity for the "boys" to get muddy and play ball.  Haha.  They all took it in stride and had fun with it.  Really happy that it wasn't much worse than it was.

Please go on Facebook to Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc. and hit “Like” for my son (first entry since I can't put a name on here).  Thanks!  (Facebook.com/cornerstonehomelendinginc)  He is an EM on the USS Stennis.

Hi Tamme, I don't want to "Like" the wrong person, can you give us another hint so we don't get the wrong one?

I guess I could just say Willie.  Let me know if that doesn't help. 

Voted Tamme!  Good luck to your son!

Thinking of all the crazy crap going on around this world...know we have some in Afghanistan and some on MEU s that we have no idea where they are or where they are headed. 

Oh wow... thanks for sharing.  I have gotten to the point that I can't even watch the television anymore.  So sad.

Moms....of boys. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152199007870872

I had two boys before I had my daughter when my oldest was 16!  There are times when I wish she had been a boy but then I remember how crazy they can be!  haha

Good Morning To All, It's been a busy summer for us. Our daughter & her family (3  kids), moved down to Ga where we live right now & we are awaiting our "4th" grandson soon to arrive any day now with our oldest son, (his "1st")! Unfortunately, soon after they found out they were having a child, my D-in-L's father found out he has cancer. A rare leukemia that is very hard to treat. This will be their "1st" grandchild, but her father is not doing well at all, so this very joyous occasion is also a very sad time for them & just praying the baby comes soon so her father can see him & be with him. 

We are very blessed right now, as we don't have to go through any deployments until the spring. Please know, I am thinking & praying for all your loved ones who are deployed during this unsettling time in the world.

Sounds like you have your hands full right now JerseySusan!  Life has a way of working out.  You take the good with the bad and hopefully your DIL will enjoy the time she has left with her father. It's a sad situation.  I had my daughter later in life and she has never met any of her grandparents since all of them passed away before she was born.  We have wonderful elderly neighbors that stand in as her grandparents at school when there is a function that celebrates the grandparents.  Deployment is just around the corner for us.  Again. Prayers for all of our deployed men and women!

Feeling Very Blessed Today. Our 4th Grandson was born last night & our D-in-L's father has had 2 better days which, should leave him to a discharge from the hospital to go visit our his grandson.

wonderful news JerseySusan!

Wonderful new, Susan.  Is your son still here in Charleston?

Boy, do I love baby photos (Hint, hint)...congrats Grandma!!

Ladies, I do want to say a rather somber thing. With this Isis or Isil crap erupting in Iraq and Syria, we may have new moms coming this way. I want to reinforce that this group is not just for Navy moms...it's for any parent/loved one of a warrior boots down in a war zone, or serving in an unknown spot like MEU's can take them. Please, if you know or spot anyone who is worried, floundering or just plain scared, you know what to do. We are here to make sure no one feels alone in that dreaded time of deployment fear. 

I will have news soon.  Not real soon but sooner than not soon.....  sooner than Christmas....     If that makes sense.

Thanks Everyone...Yes Tamme, they will be in Charleston for a few years. Texas Doc...I "wish" I could post a pic, but I am forbidden to by my D-in-L on any social media   :(   and believe me, she does have her ways of finding out. She knows "exactly" what sites I use & to keep the peace with our son, we follow her rules!   Nicksmom...I am so "happy" for you & yes, you made sense!!

Thanks for that reminder TDM.

A Corpsman's brain never shuts down.  Mine decided to make his own air conditioning when the central air went down.... I know today is a hard one for a lot of people but I thought I'd share this photo to hopefully make ya'll chuckle a little bit as I did this morning.

Pam, that's brilliant!

Pam....that is "Ingenious"!!!

There is ice at the bottom of his homemade AC unit along with the hole he used to vent the side!!  I always said, of my two son's, he is the one I will not have to worry about.  That all ended the day he called me and said he was joining the service.

A call out for prayers for the family of Tenn Navy Mom, her mother is in her final phase of this life in hospice. Her corpsman's deployment has been extended and he cannot return home. Remind this mom she is not alone, and that we all have her back at this terrible time in her life. 

(((HUGS))) TNM.. 

Tenn Navy Mom, I have you and your family in my thoughts and prayers. 

Keeping Tenn Navy Mom in my thoughts and prayers as she prepares to say goodbye to her Mom today.  ((((Hugs))) to you and your family TN Navy Mom and especially your deployed Navy Corpsman.

Yes, thank you, Pam. Blessings for our TNMom and especially for her son so far away today on such a sad day in their lives of this family. 

So sorry to hear TNM has a very difficult day ahead today. God Bless her & her family. Feel the hugs from all of us that surround you.

I am sorry I have not been on in some time.  I do have wonderful news though...... BOOTS DOWN!!!!!

Home to CA yesterday.  I did not go out.... I cancelled my flight at his request because he said he needed time to "decompress" and hang with his friends.  Kind of hurt my feelings but he will take leave in a couple of weeks and come here (across the country) for a week.

Anyway, to those whose child is still deployed.... my thoughts and prayers will continue to be with you each and every day.

For now.... mine is partying somewhere out west.... and, good for him.  But, I plan to keep tabs on him..... because I can!!!

OH Nicksmom...I'm Soooo Happy for your son's safe return!!! It's Ok for the decompression. He'll be in your arms before you know it!!

Nicksmom...my son was the same way..."Mom, do you want to be hanging out with a bunch of drunk Marines while they bar hop?"...well, no. I'll stayed home. He will be ready for mom and all the family love when he comes walking off of that plane, and you can have a banner and all his friends standing right there! That's what we did! He had the sweetest smile on his face as he came down that escalator! Be sure to take photos! 

And sleep well, mom....make up for those sleepless nights! Congrats on BOOTS DOWN USA!!!

Great news nicksmom!  I have to admit that my son was the opposite about being with a bunch of marines.  The first thing he did was jump in his car and go for a long drive by himself. I think he might be wired differently though.