Xo, A Navy Wife

Dear You,

This weekend has been filled with so many fun events to bring in the Christmas Spirit! Something I do love about the military communities we have always been in, is the focus of family and family activities during the holiday season. There is always something going on to participate in. This week alone there was a Santa run, CO's Christmas Tree Lighting and my husband's Command Christmas family party.

When my husband was on Sea Duty the ship held FRG Christmas parties & Command Christmas parties. I always loved helping plan them or volunteering in some way. It's weird being on shore duty, but I am SO Much more out of the loop then anything and I am not doing nearly as much as I use to. Which at times did seem overwhelming, but the effort of service that always resulted was magical.

This weekend though my husband participated in the Santa run, Then Saturday morning we attended the command Christmas breakfast at Afterburners on the base. Santa and Mrs. Clause arrived, we ate Golden Corral Breakfast, jumped in Bounce Houses, watched Polar Express in the theatre and was surrounded by wonderful company with a family from our church. Giveaway's may have also been involved and we may have also actually won one!

That evening we attended the Laurel Bay's CO's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The last two years we have not been able to attend the ceremony because it was cancelled due to weather. Really cold and really windy weather knocked the event down. It was so wonderful that our last Christmas here in Beaufort we were finally able to attend! To hear the sweet message of Christmas from the CO, a wonderful prayer from the Chaplain and all the kids oooing and aaahing when the Christmas Tree lights turned on made sitting in the chilly weather with mosquito's swarming totally worth it. The same Santa & Mrs. Claus from my husband's command Christmas Party also came riding in on style with the Fire Department & Base Ambulance after the tree was lit and had little Santa coloring books for each child regardless of if they sat on his lap or not.

Going to the Christmas Tree Lighting reminded me of what I miss from living in Military Housing. I know their is a lot going on with housing right now and a lot of frustratingly sad situations, but one thing I really miss is the community and family that can be built from living in housing. I really love owning our home, but it's something I do miss.

The girls couldn't stop talking about the magic of yesterday! We have made it a goal as a family this Christmas season to focus on the real reason of Christmas more as we study each individual that makes up the nativity scene. We also have only been choosing a few select activities to participate in as to not overbook ourselves so this season is relaxing and filled with true excitement and joy. These two were definitely on our to do list! I am so glad we were able to go, especially since next year our Christmas season is uncertain of whether my husband will be home. A sad but true reality.

 What do you guys do as part of your Christmas Traditions? I would love to hear!

Xo,
A Navy Wife

Dear you, 

We are so close... yet so far.. we are still anxiously awaiting to see hard copy orders hit my husband's NSIPS account. (Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System) We have no doubt that we will be receiving the orders, but as a Military Spouse you just never know. Nothing is official until it's on paper. The move seems so close now, maybe because 2020 is now less then 30 days away, or because this our third time doing this and even if you have months those months pass just as quickly as hours in a day. 

After the Christmas Season ends, we will be focusing our attention on sorting, organizing, and cataloging; the typical PCS Spring Clean. As well as making the necessary preparations to put our house up on the market. We are hoping to have it listed by the end of February beginning of March to ensure time to sell. We feel pretty confident that it will sell by the time we need to move but if not the rental market goes pretty quick here.

My mind wanders to what our adventure in San Diego will look like. This is the first time my husband has been assigned to an Aircraft Carrier, so the schedule and timeline we are use to is no longer valid. I am preparing myself that he will leave right away because I'd rather be surprised that he gets to stay then disappointed that he has to leave. We have been slowly talking about deployment with our two oldest. My intention is not to make them upset or sad, but to start building a bridge to talk about our emotions and to know and understand that it will be ok, their dad will come back and we are still a family no matter what.

Beaufort, SC though beautiful lacks in the amount of things to do with young ones, so I start to get giddy of all the things we can go and explore while we are out there. Zoo's, museums, parks, beaches, theme parks and most important trips to Grandma & Papa's house. For the first time in 8 years we will be about an hour's drive away from them. My heart is so happy, to still have a wonderful support system, family near by and our own house to live in makes this Navy mama & wife very happy.

I am trying to remind myself though to enjoy the little things while we are still here, because it is VERY EASY to get wrapped up and start becoming unhappy with your current situation when you know there is an amazing leg of a journey gearing up to start. I have been taking in the views a little bit longer, spending more time outside and reminding myself that there are definitely things I will miss about South Carolina. I will without a doubt miss the East Coast. But I also know without a shadow of a doubt San Diego is where God needs my family and I next. The joys of military life, calling multiple places your home even for but a brief time.

Xo,

A Navy Wife

Dear You,


Welcome to Xo, A Navy Wife! This name for a blog has been on my mind for quite some time. It all started because my husband and I's relationship has been based on writing letters. Online Dating, Long distance dating, boot camp, under-ways and deployments. It's brought me comfort and helped me through some of the toughest times in my life. So, I wanted to create a space where I could write letter's to you to offer my knowledge, tips & tricks, and guidance in the crazy/wonderful adventure of being a mil-spouse (or mil-relationship). And if things go EXTREMELY well maybe some comfort just knowing that someone else has and is going through the same things as you, can relieve some of those hard burdens that WILL come along.

I may not be a well-seasoned Navy Wife, but my husband as been serving in the U.S. Navy for 7 years. We have done one sea rotation in Norfolk, VA and coming up on the end of our shore rotation here in Beaufort, SC. Yes, we are in Marine Country right now. We should be hearing any day now if any of the orders he applied to has been picked up (This is our 2nd of 3 rounds)!

My husband and I both hail from California, Northern for him, Southern for me! I moved to Utah when I was 12 and he lived in California till he served a mission for our church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) in North Carolina. His family moved to Nebraska while he was gone and I graduated High School and moved to Provo for school. We met on an online dating website (Thanks to me roommate when I broke my leg in the summer of 2010). I went to delete my account Christmas weekend because, let's be honest I was done with dating; rarely used the site and wanted the email's to stop. Cue my husband, he wrote to me that morning and I am so glad he did. We built our relationship on friendship first, which is why I firmly know we have been able to climb any mountain together.

Our journey in the Navy started almost a year into our marriage. My husband had been laid off twice, we had relocated to move in with my parents till we could get back on our feet. One night while sitting in our truck, I asked him his thoughts on the military because he had completed JROTC in high school. And for some reason he also liked the sound of it. So we set out to see which branch would fit our needs best. He first attempted the Coast Guard, but kept missing the cut off score and as the year went on the score went up. (My Father-in-law served 27 years in the Coast Guard, which is what sparked that idea). Then we tried the Air Force, the recruiter was out each time we tried to go in. Later finding out she had had emergency surgery and they were working on a replacement. We then found out one of our friends in our town had just joined the Navy and referred us to their recruiter. He was the MOST HONEST recruiter. Open about the toughness and trials we would probably encounter. Everything was truthful to the T, which I was extremely grateful for!

We prayed and talked and prayed and talked and felt it was the right thing for our family. The Navy has honestly been the hardest but most wonderful thing we have ever done. The Blessings have outweighed the negatives and I am so proud of my husband and his selfless desire to sacrifice and to serve. Just like our recruiter shared, we have hit MANY hardships and trials but I know because of our strength, support, relationship with our Heavenly Father, love for each other and bigger picture outlook; we have been able to make it through stronger. The Navy is not easy, but it has provided for our family and allowed us to live in two states I never would have had the opportunity to otherwise.

I hope our last seven years as a military family can be a benefit to you and answer questions you may have, or at least point you in the right direction. I hope it can help you feel a little lighter to know you are not alone, that you have friend who understands. I hope that this can be a space you enjoy coming to and feel a little happier then when you first got here!

Xo,

A Navy Wife







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