March Adoption: First to be Second!

[MomByHeart]

No one ever wants to be second.   Not unless it means they will be getting showered with love by Molly moms for the second time!

The USS Cape St. George is our FIRST ever SECOND time adoption!  You ladies did such a great job the first time that they are back for more.  Our first time supporting the Cape was a Christmas adoption in 2010.  Over 50% of the crew is new since then, so even though the ship is being adopted a second time, many of the sailors will be first-time recipients of our love. 

The Cape St. George is a guided missile cruiser based out of San Diego and is deployed as part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. 5th Fleet  as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. They left on their current deployment on December 7 and have already heard that they will be extended.   Their theme is "Dragon Slayers."  Their moto is "Always Victorious."

I did some research and found out that April is “Humor Month,” so the theme for this adoption is “humor.”  When I asked the POC about this theme, he said the crew will certainly be ready for some humor by the time our boxes start arriving.  So let’s try to bring smiles to their faces and laughter to their day!  Here are few ideas to get us started:

• Clean joke books
• Comics from local newspapers
• Movie/sitcom dvd’s with a comedy theme
• Silly putty
• Funny ties
• Those Groucho Marx fake glasses with the furry eyebrows
• Knock-knock jokes from kids .  I thought this would be great for groups of kids…they can write down all their favorite corny jokes that we parents  get tired of hearing over and over =]
• “Gag” gifts
• A collection of humorous stories/pictures from the internet or your own family

 

Their specific requests are:

• Magazines
• Toiletries
• Personal hygiene items
• Snacks
• Microwaveable food
• Candy
• DVD’s and popcorn for “movie nights”
• Phone cards—The chaplain has requested phone cards and has said that he is willing to distribute them on an “as needed” basis.  There will be a separate address for the chaplain listed when shipping time comes.
• Pillowcases: This group is able to receive pillowcases, so pillowcase moms, you are on duty!

 

We are also going to have some extra support and love from the Makin Island moms this month.  As a way to “pay it forward” for our adoption of their loved ones last month, they are going to hold a special packing party for the Cape St. George!  Thanks, Makin moms, you rock!!!

 

The male/female count is 350 male, and 6 female.

 

 Here is a list of what we need and what we have so far:

Female pillowcases (6)—All taken care of!

Male pillowcases (350)—All taken care of!

Magazines:  Loraine 100+

Toiletries (female):  Boxes for the 6 females

Toiletries/Personal hygiene: 1 full box of misc., deodorant, toothbrushes (1 case+), lip balm, razors, dental floss-240, hand sanitizer, body washes

Microwaveable food/Snacks: Popcorn-2 boxes+, 400 cookies, Fortune cookies - 2 boxes,

DVD’s:  40+

Candy: Laffy Taffy-101, fruit snacks, several boxes of misc. goodies

Drinks:  Drink packets-500, water bottles filled with goodies-36, energy drinks-800

Games, etc: 120 decks playing cards, "game" cards (Monopoly, Clue, etc.), puzzle and brain teaser books, puzzle pages-350

Silly stuff:  Groucho glasses-4, glow-in-the-dark glasses-4, Silly Putty

Banner: 1

I know you moms are going to be full of great ideas for how to get some huge belly laughs out of this awesome crew!   So let’s get busy and show our FIRST SECOND that our love is just as strong the second time around!

 

Shipping Dates:  March 21-23

 

 

 

[carols_kitchen]

And, two of us MAS moms got another thank you:

Ladies,

 

I wanted to say thank you for the time you sacrificed  in putting those care packages together.  Thank you for the items that you sent (the toiletries, recipes, and, of course, the tasty snacks), they were quite helpful.  It warms my heart when Patriots, like you, do extraordinary things for our Sailors.

 

Very Respectfully,

XXXXXXXX

USS Cape St. George (CG-71)

[chowchow]

WOW that is what it is all about.

 

Thanks to them

[Denise (Dee)]

Just had a minute to check out the pictures - they are great!

We all know our sailors appreciate everything we send and that they are busy or "tired" and we truly appreciate it when they send off that email to let us know they received our boxes of love. I'm sure those surprise emails pulled at the heart strings - happy tears ' ' ' ' '

[Molly Molly Fo Folly]

OH WOW ---I just saw all these :)  great smile before bed tonight I LOVE IT !!!   

[MomByHeart]

Received this thank-you from the Cape St. George today.  My 4H girls will be sooo thrilled that their pillowcases made a difference!

 

Thank you and the members of your beginner sewing class Anna, Kayla, Madelyn, and Audra for sending care packages with such a personal touch. Not but last week we had a new female check on board the ship who lacked linens amongst her belongings and we were able to provide your floral pillowcase to lay her jetlagged head down on.  You said in your note that the pillowcases were made of Christmas break, and we received the package on board mid April. This is how long it takes for mail to reach us from our families, and when the mail from family doesn’t arrive when we anticipate, unexpected surprises like your box lighten the mood and brighten the day a bit. Cape St. George is in the middle of a Fifth Fleet deployment and it hasn’t been an easy separation from family, and sometimes motivation is tough to muster. Please tell the girls of the Likely Pine Burrs 4H club that they make a difference and are learning important qualities that amount to hard work, like discipline, determination, patience, dedication, and elbow grease. I wasn’t a member of this organization, but working since I was young as these girls do teaches you to grow up fast and not give up easily, and now I drive a Naval warship. Thank you for your contribution to the troops. Keep up the spirit on the homefront.

[MomByHeart]

The comment that came with this pic was "They love the pillowcases!"

[MomByHeart]

My question is:  How come this guy has facial hair??? I didn't even notice it until my hubby mentioned it.  Any ideas, moms?

[BR549]

They are allowed to have facial hair on deployment and grow their hair out also.  

[MomByHeart]

[Dee (CTI3 Spencer&Erin)]

The two in his hand are mine!  So nice to know they made it to the ship okay!

[MomByHeart]

Hurray, Dee!  It's great to see what we've made actually there in someone's hand, isn't it?  It kind of makes what we do at home so far away seem more REAL.  I am hoping that whoever was in charge of the Cub Scouts who made pillowcases for this group sees them and passes the pics along to the kids.  I think that will make a real impact on those kids.

 

[MomByHeart]