AECF - FCs and ETs

alwaysdaddyltlegirl...Bravo Zulu to your sailor!!!! And congrats to you too!

I'm sure she is wearing her "crow" proudly! Our sailor is looking forward to PO3, but has to wait til Feb.

Yes...I agree with you...the pride we feel goes beyond our own children/grandchildren. I know I've said it before, but they really do accomplish so much in such a short period of time.

gvnavydad.....I know about the starved for pictures!!! We are blessed to have Ash close enough to home that she has spent several weekends with us since January and I still love  all the pictures. 

How nice that someone took the time to send you extra pics.  I don't think it was her but I know she did that with Thanksgiving pics.  Whenever someone liked or commented on a pic she tried to find more with that person.

Leanne- I told my son about the dinner at the VFW and he signed up to go. We watched all of the CSI and NCIS shows together before he left for boot camp.  Just received a text from him to let me know that they were just told that these guys are not coming.  I am not sure why they would say that these people were coming and not have them show up.

janice...

  What a disappointment!  I'm so sorry that happened.  I hadn't heard that.

Well, I don't have any "action" shots out at sea yet....but here's some pics of our wonderful visit during Thanksgiving:

Pic 2: The "welcoming committee" at the airport

Pic 3: at the restaurant

Pic4: bring on the turkey

Pic 5: time to relax with a furry friend

Closer shot of the poster we made

Nice sign, Chrissy said no signs in airports. Your boy is so skinny don't they feed them on the ship? lol 

Awesome photos, what a great smile he has.  I am sure he was happy to have some days at home.

Our sailor is back in Hawaii, deployment # 2 completed!

Mary...yes he sure was happy...but I felt a bit bad for him...everyone wanted a piece of him! Not easy to make everyone happy, but he did!  Gosh...deployment #2...congrats!

Vicky...lol...yes, he's always been skinny...and 6 ft so he's easy to spot!  Doesn't seem to matter what or how much he eats! I wish I could switch metabolisms with him! But he's not even on a ship yet...sure hope he doesn't lose anymore weight then!

Why no posters at airport? That poster was what got us permission to go meet him at the gate! Didn't want him getting off the plane, walking out and not seeing any of us!

Loved the pics! I wonder if the no signs is because of the attacks on servicemen?

GoldnG8r.... 11 days...how many hours ??...minutes ?!!!  Hope you have a wonder-filled Christmas with your son!

Odi..not sure what the deal is with signs...just glad the airport here was so accommodating to us.

Had a nice weekend with my sailor despite the circumstances (family fumeral). He took the train from Chicago to Ann Arbor, MI. Once he arrived he realized that he had forgotten his neckerchief for his dress uniform so he called a buddy back at GL to get demensions and away we went to JoAnne Fabrics to search out the correct material. Mom hemmed it for him and a team of us helped him roll it, turned out great though. Can't wait to get him for stand down.

Barb, what wonderful photos of you and your family. Your Sailor looks so handsome and happy to be home. Was this for Thanksgiving or is your son home on leave?

I don't have much time to be on NFMs lately. I have been very busy working.

Deb.... sorry for your family's loss.

If our sailor had forgotten his neckerchief I don't think I'd be of much help. I just don't sew...anything! You'd think by now, I would have learned to sew even just a little...lol.

Sandy....Thanks for the compliment, and yes he was happy to see family and his friends.  He took leave so he could be home for Thanksgiving before reporting to San Diego. He was home from Nov. 18 to Dec. 1.

We are also looking forward to seeing him again during Christmas stand down.

Oh...and did you forget...I'm grandma...not Mom! But having lived with us for a while, he really is like a son! Both sets of grandparents are more like parents to him than grandparents.

Yup, I'm the old lady here in this forum!

The bloomin' thing is the size of a small tablecloth when unrolled. It was fun to see his appreciation once it was finished, getting the edges smooth once it was rolled was tricky...love to surprise my kids.

Maddie...well....okay then...I'll take runner up!  I'm 61.

I love being a gma too!

One of my email friends that knows my age, but never met me just emaied me and commented on the pics. She said "Oh my God Barb...no grey hair!"

I emailed her back and said said, "yup, Loreal haircolor works wonders!" I'm getting tired of it though. Thinking of chopping it all off and letting it all grow in grey, white, silver...whatever it turns out to be!

Hey Connie...I was waiting for you to chime in!  Sometimes I think being an older parent is a good thing....we don't get too riled up about things anymore!!!

I hear ya about the grandchildren. That's why Christian is sooo precious to us...he is the only grandchild we will ever have. Except for great grandchildren!  Not that I want him to rush into that yet! Told him when he joined the Navy...you're not joining to become a priest...but just don't become a Daddy yet!

I agree, age is just a number...I have been blessed with a good life, good health, and great hubby. But I must say...I purchased those Zumba DVD's...needed to let my muscles (I know they're in there somewhere)  mend for a couple weeks after the first session!

Connie, is it possible to post your pic here in the box where we type our message? Would love to be able to see a bigger view of it!

Connie....awwwww...yes they sure do look happy together....great looking couple...and beautiful family pic! Thanks so much for sharing it here.

Looks like they had a band...so did you shake your booty??!!!

Good morning ladies.  I love reading all of your posts and looking at the pictures.   Keep them coming!  Ten days till our sailors come home.  Have a blessed day. 

ProudGMBard & Connie-great pics-thanks for sharing!!

She just said no signs cause she doesn't like the attention. Had a nice chat w/ her on FB yesterday. It was 1 am her time. She said the ocean was black.  

Oh when u post pic resize the pixels to 300 and u won't get the long stretch out look.

Vickyrun...Oh...too funny about the airport...I thought you meant no signs were "allowed."  Poor Christian didn't have a choice! We just did it!

On the pics, were mine stretched out?  I believe up to 440 pixels is fine. But I have also noticed it depends on the person's browser (and version) as to how it looks regardless! I know, it can drive a person nutty...I work with graphics and web design all day and need to check the major browsers for compatibility. Well, I'm off to eye doctor...time for some new specs...

Maddie....she doesn't need to join FB. TSC is a public page. Just tell her to go to:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Training-Support-Center-TSC-Great-Lak...

If she doesn't want to do that, you could always copy the pics, and send them to her via email. Gotta run...be back later tonight!

Something else you can do to those small pictures is hold control button and tap the + button. They get bigger with each tap.   

My son just finished up A School on Dec 2nd. Does anyone know the dates of the holiday stand-down? Also, is he allowed to get a car now that he will be on hold until he goes to his C school? Thanks for always helping :)

Renick....Stand down is from Dec. 16 to Jan. 2.

Not sure about the car. Our sailor had a motorcycle and had to keep it in a storage unit off base.

Does he know yet where he will be going to C school? and how long he will be there? Might not be worth all the expense with car insurance, etc.   Our guy decided it would be cheaper to rent a car for the 3 months he will be in San Diego. After that he goes to Norfolk, so better off not getting a car right now.

There isn't a lot of parking on base, and parking offbase is expensive.  He may have graduated, but he's still in student status, and student sailors can't have cars on base at Glakes.  Does he know where he's going after C school is an important question to ask too.

Chrissy got a car after she got to C school, now it is in storage.

Just FYI -- Tomorrow is the deadline for APO and FPO holiday shipping

That is exciting  news Connie!!!  Is it the first grand baby?

Connie congrats!!!

Connie....How exciting!  Congrats! Grandbabies are soooooo precious!

You need to go out and celebrate!

Connie, what do you mean about "only tricare"?  It is the only health coverage unless she works and has insurance that way too.  In which case, her insurance is primary coverage, tricare covers the rest.

If you mean, can she see doctors offbase?  Maybe, if they take tricare.  It depends of she's on tricare standard or tricare prime also.  Prime requires a referral.  Standard does not, but the co-pays are higher.

today was a great day.  my 1 daughter came home from a 7 month deployment!!!!  my fc is surprising her by coming home next friday for a week!!!!  life is great today and will be even better next weekend!

duhhuh....ENJOY!  What a great Christmas Gift! My gratitude and thanks to both your children for their service.

Helen...congrats to Matt! Saw your scrapbook pics on FB...you did an awesome job! I am definitely going to get that software....probably not til after the holidays though.

Still don't know for sure if Christian will be back home for Christmas. Everybody...keep your toes and fingers crossed!

Helen....your pics of Matt always brighten my day!  Bravo Zulu Matt!

ProudGMBarb,

thanks!  jes is having some problems adjusting, trying to do too much by herself (stubborn as hell) between setting up her new house and dealing with her 3 year old but when she sees her big sister next weekend all will be good!

About the NEX gift card...just a thought...if you can't get a NEX card, maybe a VISA gift card would be also good....because they can still use it at the NEX...or to go out to eat...or to buy something at the mall, go to a movie, etc. A bit more flexibility.  Sometimes the NEX just doesn't have what they want.

with the 7 month hold, will they have to stay in GL?  my daughter is in week 2 of A school and is hoping for orders to Dam Neck, VA for C school