November 2013 Adoption… USS RENTZ FFG-46

[Donna]

Jingle Bells… Jingle Bells… Jingle and the way to the Crew of the    

     USS RENTZ

3 Females and 240 Males Aboard

 

We are heading back to sea and sending out love out to the USS Rentz FFG 46.  They are currently assisting the Coast Guard performing drug enforcement off the coast of South America.  They are about midway of their eight-month deployment and ready for some love from home!

We would like to send each sailor a small VHS sized box filled and wrapped as a Christmas gift to be opened on Christmas morning.  If you pack them carefully you can fit eight of this smaller box in a large FPO box.  That is a total of 300 VHS boxes...  are you ready moms??

Pillowcases are a go!  They will have them set out for the guys to choose from on Christmas day.

Remember it is warm where they are- still in the 90 degree range every day!  So there is no need of warm hats or gloves for this group... even Santa will want to slip into his bathing suit for this delivery!

Let's show them our mom love and send the very best for the Christmas  Hannuka  Kwanza Holiday… Season

Drinks: Gatorade Powder, Capri Sun, Maxwell House & Starbucks Coffee

Food: Canned Tuna, Chicken, Soup,  Mac & Cheese, Noodles

Snacks: Individual Cakes, Pretzels, Potato Chips, Peanuts, Trail Mix, Candy, Microwave Popcorn, Beef Jerky, Protein Bars, Granola Bars, Cookies

Toiletries : Soap, Deodorants, Tooth Paste, Tooth Brush,  Mouth Wash, Disposable Razors, Razor Blades (Gillette Mach III), 

Misc. Magazines (current Hot Rod, Motor Trend, Guns & Ammo, Gossip)

Head Phones, Disposable Cameras, Sports Water Bottles, Mini Fans, Amazon Gift Cards,  Dr. Scholl’s Inserts, 

Movies:  The Wire (Season) Box Set, Smallville (Season) Box Set,  Dark Angel (Season) Box Set Charmed (Season) Box Set,   Martin (Season) Box Set,  Deadwood (Season) Box Set

Games: XBox 360 and PS3  Video Games

SHIP DATE  11/20 - 11/22

 

[HuskerFan]

Donna I sent a large flat rate of 150 christmas cards done by 6th graders from one of the local middle schools.  I also included roughly 100 blank cards that the sailors could write back if they wanted too.  There were also some small bags of prepackaged cookies in that box.  Also were the 40 DVD boxes I had promised that went out earlier this week.  In my boxes that had the DVD size boxes I filled in around with jolly ranchers/candy canes/gum and misc stuff to pack the boxes full! :-)

[Donna]

HuskerFan, thank you. I'm so happy you  could get the xmas cards from the students.  I have a harder time getting the written Christmas cards then the donations!  I find myself having a hard time writing out cards when I have no idea who I'm writing to.  I do it, but it isn't my strong point.

[Gulf Coast Mom]

I got my eight DVD size boxes sent.  I didn't have the large flat rate box, but had a game size box - not sure if they make them anymore, but it was a priority flat rate, so I got all 8 in there and sent it off.  I am also not good with writing  - not knowing who you are writing to.  I let time slip up and was trying to hurry and get to the post office, so wrote one letter then printed it off on Christmas stationery and put it in each of my boxes.  Hope they will send some pictures!!

 

[Donna]

Coast Cost Mom,  I'm the same with regards to writing letters.  My son's HS teacher wrote a letter that was amazing!  I was glad to get it but boy, makes anything I write sound so empty. lol

Thank you for all your help. :)

[Susan mom to Niko]

I laugh all the time at what I write...  my son says I lead such a boring life that no one would want to write back much less read my letters... but I am surprised at how many guys and girls really write back... it is the small things (walking the dog, leaves changing, kids playing soccer) that they remember from their childhood or miss while out to sea. 

While a wonderfully written letter is something to marvel about, writing from the heart is realized and loved all the same!  I can assure you that each letter sent will be read and reread.  Those letters bring them closer to home more than anything else!!

[Donna]

Susan do you want to laugh?  My daughter is a sophomore in HS.  I had asked her what she thought of my letter.  In the letter to the sailor I had been talking about the packing party and mentioned that the Commander from the Port 5 had purchased lunch for all of us.  My sentence went something like this. 

The Commander of the Port 5 was very generous and helpful to the adoption.  He had gone overboard (get it overboard,  haha , ) by making hot dogs and hamburgers for everyone.

After she read my sentence she crossed it out saying you can't say that it sounds silly.  

I had re-written it but wish I had left my sillyness

in the letter.

[MomByHeart]

Sorry I am late, but a group of school kids just packed me a box and gave it to me Friday. I sent it off today. It has 8 individual boxes of candy and several letters from the kids.

[Donna]

MomByHeart,  

You just have to love the school kids helping out. :)

Thanks to all

[Carol (jonsmom)]

Sorry for getting this in so late but...we shipped 30 DVD boxes.  Because the boxes did not fit into the bog box correctly, we also stuffed each box with additional stuff...crackers, jerky, chips, etc,  for a total of 14 boxes plus one of pillow cases.

It seems like the post office changed the size of the DVD boxes becase the first ones I got were smaller then the last ones I got.

Carol

[HuskerFan]

Carol, I think you are right - I had 2 different sizes of small boxes.  When I packed my large boxes some would only hold 7 while others held 8.  Ironically we pre-taped all of the small boxes and some of them fit inside of others - so the post office definitely changed the size.

[Sarabi2013]

This really makes sense. My large box would have been overstuffed with more than 7 small boxes. Since this was my first shipment, it was confusing to learn and see how others were sending 8-9 small boxes per large box. Thank you so much to both Carol (jonsmom) and HuskerFan SHIP 11 DIV 042 for sharing this information!!!!

[Susan mom to Niko]

Hey All--  the boxes are starting to arrive at the ship... there was an all hands call to help on load supplies and mail... my son started cracking up when he spotted the MAS stickers on some of the boxes...  he spoke with the MC after the mail had arrived and the MC was so excited that they had received so many boxes!  Niko told him to brace himself because he bet there were more on their way...  I told him to keep it quiet.  He said he asked MC to please let him know when they are going to open the boxes so he can get pictures to send us. 

Donna and moms... thank you, thank you!!  You rocked this adoption... the fun is just beginning to arrive to their ship.  They have pulled back out of port and are back to sea now...  so the balance of our packages will be waiting for them when they pull back in in a few weeks!  What a surprise that will be!!