Hey, everyone! It's been forever and a day since I've been here but I'm trying to catch up...ok, I read back to Tuesday and was 10 pages deep already and that's all the farther I got!
Was able to attend PIR at the end of May and it was amazing. A few standouts...
- my ex is still a complete jerk
- it took me awhile to even figure out which kid was my son as he's had hair past his shoulders and contacts for years (I barely recognized him!) but he's handsome as ever and my heart skips a beat every time I see his face because he looks sooooo much like my daddy now (who's passed many years ago)
- as much as my son is the same, he's so different. He's never been a touchy-feely kid but I got more hugs and loving than I have since he was a toddler. Our last stop of the evening on PIR day was the mall and that kid BEGGED me with tears in his eyes to let him buy me an extraordinary pair of cowboy boots. They cost more than my wedding dress did when I got married! They are gorgeous, though, and it warms my heart that he felt so good about being able to do something like that for his mama.
So, he's settling in at GC pretty well. He had first put in for MM, second for ET, and got ET. He's very satisfied with it, though. His description of it to me, when he was explaining what all the different rates do, is that "I'll be doing the same job as Homer Simpson." Like that's supposed to instill confidence in me?! =P
His recruiting/ASVAB experience was a little backward. Without telling anyone, he went and took the ASVAB on a lark and with no prep in hopes that it would show one particular strong area and would give him some guidance as to what type of schooling to pursue (he had no plans to join up with any branch). Well, he scored a 98 and was actually disappointed with that because everyone said "You can do whatever you want." He was really looking for a more definite answer. He talked to the Army recruiter but there weren't any jobs within the Army that he felt were challenging enough for him. Again, on a lark, he showed his scores to some Navy recruiters on his college campus and one nearly fell over when he looked at his scores. Again, all of this was without any other family members' knowledge. I found out because he called me at work and asked where his SS card was and, when I asked why he needed it (he already had a job), he told me he was on his way to sign enlistment papers. I left work for the day in tears 10 minutes later. BUT, this has been THE best decision for him and we are all sooooo proud of him.
As for communication, we hear from his every couple of days even if its just a short text or comment on Facebook. I know he's so busy. He calls about every two weeks via Facebook Messenger, though, and it's a video call so it's been great to get to see his face.
Congrats to those with sailors on the Vinsson! I worked in property management years ago and we had a property up in Puget Sound with many Navy folks living there. That was Vinsson's home port at the time and I remember well when it came home then. It's so exciting even if you don't have a sailor onboard!
pixie'maid, I loved your post. (sorry about the ex) Isn't PIR wonderful? Sounds like you have an outstanding young man there and I'm so happy for you. My son went on his own also when deciding on the military. I always respected that. Keep us posted on his progress. Sounds like he has had a good start.
Wink, are you on the NE Facebook navy moms group? We meet for lunch every few months on a Saturday so maybe you can join us sometime! You're right up the road!
I'm hoping JayDee has good luck today. :D This mama is worn out. I will sleep well tonight. Too much emotion even though it was happy emotion. Thanks for the support, Sea Sisters!
pixie'maid, sounds like you have a wonderful son!! I totally get the jerk ex situation. Mine has tried to wreak all kinds of havoc since we split last year. My son that will be leaving for OCS next month graduated from college 2 months ago and he was very angry that his dad brought his latest gf.
Seeing the video of the Vinson coming in made me feel so proud - both to be an American and of our wonderful brave Navy. We saw some of it live and some later watching the video clip. NancyJo - you're heart had to be just about to burst watching that come in knowing you're son was on it.
I went to one deployment homecoming and it is quite the experience. So fun and I love seeing all the sailors man the rails. My son messaged where he would be so got to pick him out. So fun and welcome home Vinson and crew
My Nuke son had a homecoming also yesterday, only a silent one as he is on a sub. They were on an underway up in Alaska and no he did not get to see his twin who now lives there :( While there they got called on a mission to ?? who knows and so they were about 2-3 weeks late coming back.
So happy the Vinson is back ! Thinking of NancyJo :)
My lovely daughter in law is officially leaving the Navy in July, so hopefully will get to spend more time with our sailor when his sub is in. We are so happy this has all worked out for the two of them.
I'll be in Anchorage Alaska last week of July if anyone has any must see places or travel tips. Also I would be thrilled to deliver care packages to any of our kiddos who may be up there <3
Happy Monday everyone. Our sailor is gone and safely aboard her ship. She called us when she was getting ready to board the transport out to the ship and also sent me a picture that someone obviously took of her. Since then it's been quiet, but her husband text me yesterday to say that she'd emailed him needing some paperwork so we know she's safely on board. He said she does not have an email for the ship yet but will email us when she gets one and has time. I'm just glad to know she's safely there.
Hi Everybody! The dust has settled, my son had the weekend to spend with his family and is back to work today. I was at my daughter's FR night and we all FaceTimed with him. Ex Nuke SIL and his other mentor, Army vet who married his cousin, were also in on the call. Lots of laughter and the kind of warmth only a family can share.
I want to thank my Sea Sisters for sharing the big event with me FR. Only other navy moms can understand and your sharing just multiplied my joy. I continue to pray for all our sailors, especially those deployed, and will hold them in my heart. I love my Navy family.
COTwin, so glad your son is home! I do wonder where your sailor's sub was. Sometimes it's better not to know, I think. All the publicity about Korea did me no good. Maximum worry with zero power to do anything about it. My heart goes out to you sub moms with those times running silent. We need to be as strong as our sailors, don't we?
JayDee, glad to hear your Nukette made it to her ship. It won't take her long to settle in. Having a married sailor myself, the spouse gets more phone and FaceTime but that's OK. You'll hear a lot. I hope enough of the deployment has already transpired that she won't be out too long.
Alison, congratulations on the DIL leaving the navy. That will make life easier for both of them. Don't you love it when a plan comes together. :D Have fun in Anchorage! That should be beautiful in July.
Welcome to our newest members ~ Trips2win, xfitmom and submompwm!
Please read the pages to the right (10) under the member profiles, especially "Your Sailors Schedule Upon Arrival to GC" and be sure to familiarize yourself with OPSEC. Also look at the discussion forum above (hit "view all"). You'll find lots of good info there too. And of course, feel free to ask any questions you may have!
JayDee, so happy to hear your nukette made it to her ship. That sounded like an adventure unto itself!
NancyJo and COTwin, so happy for you both. What joy it must be!
CO-Twin, those are beautiful pictures. When you talk of your son in Alaska I have this picture of a town that's a cross between the ones depicted in "Northern Exposure" and "Mystery, Alaska". My father served in the army up there between WWII and Korea. He loved it and it was his dream to go back, sadly that dream never materialized. Maybe one day I'll go.
My son made it safely to SC Saturday.... Now he's just waiting for his classes to start. He said probably another 2 weeks? How many do they put in a class at a time????
M'smom, two weeks sounds about right. He'll have paperwork to do and things to keep him busy. He should enjoy the down time while he has it. How did you like PIR? Just hang in there, the time between schools only gets longer from here on out.
JayDee659, thank you! Just wondering. He had a meeting yesterday and we still have no address. He just doesn't like sitting around. He's already nervous.
M'smom, my daughter wasn't big on waiting either, but looking back she was glad she had the time to "relax" and get a feel for the area. My daughter sent me her address the first day, in fact she called me on my way home from PIR to give me her address and a list of stuff to send to her! The address is the same for all of them with the exception of the class number. Ask him if he has a class number yet.
M'smom, congrats on PIR! One of the best navy moments for me. Glad you could attend.
Patti, love that Fiona. So sweet. In reality hippos are not animals to mess with. They can be deadly even though they don't eat meat. It's hard to imagine sweet Fiona hurting anybody though.
Welcome new moms! Mixi, so glad you found us and that we are helpful. We're all just like you: moms of sailors. Nobody understands a navy mom like another nanvy mom. Don't hesitate to call out questions or concerns. That's how we all learned.
PattiP: wow, she is a cute BIG thing isn't she?
COTwin: Those AK photos took my breath away. I went to sleep dreaming I was there. What a great adventure for your son.
Allison: When in AK, you should check out the artist Rie Munoz, her art is at a gallery in Hotel Captain Cook. Her art depicts scenes like COTwin's coastal AK photo, Native Alaskan life etc. Check online.
@M'smom My son graduates BC Friday. He is a going to SC and said his orders currently state he needs to be there by 7/12. He said he would know in a day or two when he actually leaves for SC. I imagine if your son is waiting 2 weeks he my be in the same group as my son.
Cejota, yeh he says he had another couple of weeks, I guess they are giving him jobs to do until then.. he said tonight he had watches to do and may not be able to go with friends off base this weekend because of them.
Welcome to our newest member ~ Shoelover! Be sure to read the pages to the right (10) under the member profiles and of course feel free to ask any questions you may have.
B'sNukeMoM - I am capable of going but my husband didn't want to. We have kids 8, 11, and 17 year old we are bringing with us. Along with my sons best friend. My sons father and his girlfriend are with us as well. We have such a large group my husband thought it would be to much work.
Only my 17 year old, my sons best friend, my self and my sons father will be at graduation. The rest of them are staying at the hotel and waiting for us to come back with our sailor.
I would like to meet some of the people just because we connect one here. Nice to put a face with a name.
Are you referring to the PIR in Illinois? I haven't been online for awhile and you may have mentioned your plan before...if not this Sounds like a great idea but the whole family, etc are more than welcome at Sarge's BC Graduation Meet n Greet the night before the PIR. It is amazing and just fun to meet others.....let me know. We had a great time.......
Cejota, best experience as a navy mom yet for me was PIR. I'm so glad both your sailor's parents will be there. It is a pivotal moment in a sailor's life. Bring lots of tissues.
Cejota - some of the hotels might live stream the PIR so check to see if yours will. That way the rest of the family can still watch! Also, I definitely recommend Sarge's Meet & Greet. We went to it and it was wonderful (also used Sarge's service to get around town - he's a fantastic gentleman!).
NancyJo - oh yes, I remember the cake ball innuendo's when I first joined! lol!!!! Yes, JayDee, just imagine!
I can confirm my Nukette is safely on her ship. Apparently they did not catch the cable on the first landing attempt and had to take off and try again! So scary and so cool! What an experience.
NancyJo (NNPTC)
Thanks, Wink! Are you a Husker? Where are you from?
Jun 23, 2017
pixie'maid
Hey, everyone! It's been forever and a day since I've been here but I'm trying to catch up...ok, I read back to Tuesday and was 10 pages deep already and that's all the farther I got!
Was able to attend PIR at the end of May and it was amazing. A few standouts...
- my ex is still a complete jerk
- it took me awhile to even figure out which kid was my son as he's had hair past his shoulders and contacts for years (I barely recognized him!) but he's handsome as ever and my heart skips a beat every time I see his face because he looks sooooo much like my daddy now (who's passed many years ago)
- as much as my son is the same, he's so different. He's never been a touchy-feely kid but I got more hugs and loving than I have since he was a toddler. Our last stop of the evening on PIR day was the mall and that kid BEGGED me with tears in his eyes to let him buy me an extraordinary pair of cowboy boots. They cost more than my wedding dress did when I got married! They are gorgeous, though, and it warms my heart that he felt so good about being able to do something like that for his mama.
So, he's settling in at GC pretty well. He had first put in for MM, second for ET, and got ET. He's very satisfied with it, though. His description of it to me, when he was explaining what all the different rates do, is that "I'll be doing the same job as Homer Simpson." Like that's supposed to instill confidence in me?! =P
His recruiting/ASVAB experience was a little backward. Without telling anyone, he went and took the ASVAB on a lark and with no prep in hopes that it would show one particular strong area and would give him some guidance as to what type of schooling to pursue (he had no plans to join up with any branch). Well, he scored a 98 and was actually disappointed with that because everyone said "You can do whatever you want." He was really looking for a more definite answer. He talked to the Army recruiter but there weren't any jobs within the Army that he felt were challenging enough for him. Again, on a lark, he showed his scores to some Navy recruiters on his college campus and one nearly fell over when he looked at his scores. Again, all of this was without any other family members' knowledge. I found out because he called me at work and asked where his SS card was and, when I asked why he needed it (he already had a job), he told me he was on his way to sign enlistment papers. I left work for the day in tears 10 minutes later. BUT, this has been THE best decision for him and we are all sooooo proud of him.
As for communication, we hear from his every couple of days even if its just a short text or comment on Facebook. I know he's so busy. He calls about every two weeks via Facebook Messenger, though, and it's a video call so it's been great to get to see his face.
Congrats to those with sailors on the Vinsson! I worked in property management years ago and we had a property up in Puget Sound with many Navy folks living there. That was Vinsson's home port at the time and I remember well when it came home then. It's so exciting even if you don't have a sailor onboard!
Jun 23, 2017
Wink5
Jun 23, 2017
NancyJo (NNPTC)
pixie'maid, I loved your post. (sorry about the ex) Isn't PIR wonderful? Sounds like you have an outstanding young man there and I'm so happy for you. My son went on his own also when deciding on the military. I always respected that. Keep us posted on his progress. Sounds like he has had a good start.
Wink, are you on the NE Facebook navy moms group? We meet for lunch every few months on a Saturday so maybe you can join us sometime! You're right up the road!
I'm hoping JayDee has good luck today. :D This mama is worn out. I will sleep well tonight. Too much emotion even though it was happy emotion. Thanks for the support, Sea Sisters!
Jun 23, 2017
ANavyMom
Thanks for the welcome!! I hope I don't annoy anyone asking questions!! My son gets annoyed when I ask him too many. LOL
Jun 23, 2017
ANavyMom
pixie'maid, sounds like you have a wonderful son!! I totally get the jerk ex situation. Mine has tried to wreak all kinds of havoc since we split last year. My son that will be leaving for OCS next month graduated from college 2 months ago and he was very angry that his dad brought his latest gf.
Jun 23, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Jun 23, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Continue to keep all the other sailors who are still deployed in your prayers and remember you are one day closer!
Jun 23, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
NancyJo - I hope you get some extended facetime with your sailor <3
Jun 23, 2017
Esti'sMom
Jun 23, 2017
ProudOfK
Seeing the video of the Vinson coming in made me feel so proud - both to be an American and of our wonderful brave Navy. We saw some of it live and some later watching the video clip. NancyJo - you're heart had to be just about to burst watching that come in knowing you're son was on it.
Jun 23, 2017
CO-TwinSalorsMom
I went to one deployment homecoming and it is quite the experience. So fun and I love seeing all the sailors man the rails. My son messaged where he would be so got to pick him out. So fun and welcome home Vinson and crew
My Nuke son had a homecoming also yesterday, only a silent one as he is on a sub. They were on an underway up in Alaska and no he did not get to see his twin who now lives there :( While there they got called on a mission to ?? who knows and so they were about 2-3 weeks late coming back.
Jun 24, 2017
Alison
So happy the Vinson is back ! Thinking of NancyJo :)
My lovely daughter in law is officially leaving the Navy in July, so hopefully will get to spend more time with our sailor when his sub is in. We are so happy this has all worked out for the two of them.
I'll be in Anchorage Alaska last week of July if anyone has any must see places or travel tips. Also I would be thrilled to deliver care packages to any of our kiddos who may be up there <3
Jun 25, 2017
JayDee659
Happy Monday everyone. Our sailor is gone and safely aboard her ship. She called us when she was getting ready to board the transport out to the ship and also sent me a picture that someone obviously took of her. Since then it's been quiet, but her husband text me yesterday to say that she'd emailed him needing some paperwork so we know she's safely on board. He said she does not have an email for the ship yet but will email us when she gets one and has time. I'm just glad to know she's safely there.
Jun 26, 2017
Esti'sMom
Jun 26, 2017
NancyJo (NNPTC)
Hi Everybody! The dust has settled, my son had the weekend to spend with his family and is back to work today. I was at my daughter's FR night and we all FaceTimed with him. Ex Nuke SIL and his other mentor, Army vet who married his cousin, were also in on the call. Lots of laughter and the kind of warmth only a family can share.
I want to thank my Sea Sisters for sharing the big event with me FR. Only other navy moms can understand and your sharing just multiplied my joy. I continue to pray for all our sailors, especially those deployed, and will hold them in my heart. I love my Navy family.
COTwin, so glad your son is home! I do wonder where your sailor's sub was. Sometimes it's better not to know, I think. All the publicity about Korea did me no good. Maximum worry with zero power to do anything about it. My heart goes out to you sub moms with those times running silent. We need to be as strong as our sailors, don't we?
JayDee, glad to hear your Nukette made it to her ship. It won't take her long to settle in. Having a married sailor myself, the spouse gets more phone and FaceTime but that's OK. You'll hear a lot. I hope enough of the deployment has already transpired that she won't be out too long.
Alison, congratulations on the DIL leaving the navy. That will make life easier for both of them. Don't you love it when a plan comes together. :D Have fun in Anchorage! That should be beautiful in July.
Jun 26, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
NancyJo - oh I'll bet that was the best phone call ever! Thank goodness for FaceTime, it's almost like you're all in the same room!
JayDee - glad she made it safe & sound to the ship. Hopefully she'll get an email soon so you can be in contact.
CoTwin - boy that would have been awesome if somehow your boys could have seen each other in Alaska.
Alison - that's great news for your son & DIL. Enjoy your trip to Alaska - would love to see some pictures :)
Jun 26, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Please read the pages to the right (10) under the member profiles, especially "Your Sailors Schedule Upon Arrival to GC" and be sure to familiarize yourself with OPSEC. Also look at the discussion forum above (hit "view all"). You'll find lots of good info there too. And of course, feel free to ask any questions you may have!
Jun 26, 2017
Buzzbeck
NancyJo and COTwin, so happy for you both. What joy it must be!
Jun 26, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
SailorsLIMom - how was PIR??
Jun 26, 2017
CO-TwinSalorsMom
Allison, The town where my son moved to is very pretty, you take a ferry from Homer to get there, Seldovia, AK.
Here is the sub somewhere up by Alaska. USS Charlotte.
Jun 26, 2017
JayDee659
CO-Twin, those are beautiful pictures. When you talk of your son in Alaska I have this picture of a town that's a cross between the ones depicted in "Northern Exposure" and "Mystery, Alaska". My father served in the army up there between WWII and Korea. He loved it and it was his dream to go back, sadly that dream never materialized. Maybe one day I'll go.
Jun 27, 2017
JayDee659
Thanks PattiP! Fiona sure is a cutie! I've not seen anything on her lately, so glad you shared the pic!
Jun 27, 2017
M'smom
Jun 27, 2017
JayDee659
M'smom, two weeks sounds about right. He'll have paperwork to do and things to keep him busy. He should enjoy the down time while he has it. How did you like PIR? Just hang in there, the time between schools only gets longer from here on out.
Jun 27, 2017
ProudOfK
M'mom my son's ET class has 22 but I really don't know if that is typical or not.
Jun 27, 2017
M'smom
Jun 27, 2017
JayDee659
M'smom, my daughter wasn't big on waiting either, but looking back she was glad she had the time to "relax" and get a feel for the area. My daughter sent me her address the first day, in fact she called me on my way home from PIR to give me her address and a list of stuff to send to her! The address is the same for all of them with the exception of the class number. Ask him if he has a class number yet.
Jun 27, 2017
NancyJo (NNPTC)
M'smom, congrats on PIR! One of the best navy moments for me. Glad you could attend.
Patti, love that Fiona. So sweet. In reality hippos are not animals to mess with. They can be deadly even though they don't eat meat. It's hard to imagine sweet Fiona hurting anybody though.
Welcome new moms! Mixi, so glad you found us and that we are helpful. We're all just like you: moms of sailors. Nobody understands a navy mom like another nanvy mom. Don't hesitate to call out questions or concerns. That's how we all learned.
Jun 27, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
COTwin - Alaska looks beautiful! I'm sure your son is finding peace there :)
J's/S'sMom - glad you had a nice visit - albeit too short. Fingers crossed that they will be there at the same time in the fall!
Patti - can't believe how big Fiona is getting! She looks so cute swimming with her momma!
Jun 27, 2017
Buzzbeck
COTwin: Those AK photos took my breath away. I went to sleep dreaming I was there. What a great adventure for your son.
Allison: When in AK, you should check out the artist Rie Munoz, her art is at a gallery in Hotel Captain Cook. Her art depicts scenes like COTwin's coastal AK photo, Native Alaskan life etc. Check online.
Jun 27, 2017
Cejota
Jun 27, 2017
submom⚓️pwm
Jun 27, 2017
M'smom
Jun 28, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Cejota - are you able to go to PIR on Friday?
submompwm - yes, there's lots to learn but don't let it overwhelm you!
Jun 28, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Jun 28, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Jun 28, 2017
JayDee659
Welcome Shoelover. This is an awesome group and these ladies are a wealth of knowledge. And we love cows and hippos. Seriously, we do.
Jun 28, 2017
NancyJo (NNPTC)
LOL JayDee. Have you been around long enough to remember cake balls? Anybody? I am dying.
Jun 28, 2017
JayDee659
Jun 28, 2017
Buzzbeck
Jun 28, 2017
NancyJo (NNPTC)
Oh, it was kind of a "had to be there" thread but my goodness! The innuendos were flying.
Jun 28, 2017
NancyJo (NNPTC)
LOL
Jun 28, 2017
JayDee659
Jun 28, 2017
WonderGeekWoman
Buzzbeck - And...Sluuuuuurrp! LOL!!
Jun 28, 2017
Cejota
Only my 17 year old, my sons best friend, my self and my sons father will be at graduation. The rest of them are staying at the hotel and waiting for us to come back with our sailor.
I would like to meet some of the people just because we connect one here. Nice to put a face with a name.
Jun 28, 2017
carleys_nana
Cejota:
Are you referring to the PIR in Illinois? I haven't been online for awhile and you may have mentioned your plan before...if not this Sounds like a great idea but the whole family, etc are more than welcome at Sarge's BC Graduation Meet n Greet the night before the PIR. It is amazing and just fun to meet others.....let me know. We had a great time.......
Jun 28, 2017
NancyJo (NNPTC)
Cejota, best experience as a navy mom yet for me was PIR. I'm so glad both your sailor's parents will be there. It is a pivotal moment in a sailor's life. Bring lots of tissues.
Sluuuurp! I think I need a tissue now.
Jun 29, 2017
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Cejota - some of the hotels might live stream the PIR so check to see if yours will. That way the rest of the family can still watch! Also, I definitely recommend Sarge's Meet & Greet. We went to it and it was wonderful (also used Sarge's service to get around town - he's a fantastic gentleman!).
NancyJo - oh yes, I remember the cake ball innuendo's when I first joined! lol!!!! Yes, JayDee, just imagine!
Jun 29, 2017
JayDee659
Jun 29, 2017