| We LOVE our Navy SWO Daddy! |
| SWO: A Surface Warfare Officer is a commissioned Navy officer whose primary duties focus on the operation of Naval ships at sea. SWO Daddy: An awesome Father who looks really great in uniform! Spring 2007 This photo was taken in San Diego before Ernesto left on deployment. |
| Home is Where the Navy Sends You! |
| Thanks for visiting our Navy Life link! I originally designed this webpage while writing my thesis about the hardships of trying to obtain an education while living such a nomadic life. Well, it's sort of taken off from there and I hope that the information found here helps military spouses like myself in their everyday questions and challenges. There are many great websites already dedicated to supporting the Military Life, so I am linking many of those pages right here. I will also focus on one service or website each time I update this page so that you may always see something fresh on your next visit! So come back soon! Fair winds . . . ~ Anna Maria |
| THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHT: |
| NAVY SURFACE SPOUSE This link is broken, if anyone knows if they've changed the link? Please let me know. MILITARY SPOUSE CAREER CENTER Spouses mentoring spouses. Whether you're new to the Navy and are looking for guidance or are a veteran spouse looking to mentor and lend a hand, this program can benefit you! NMFA National Military Family Association Serving those who serve. A national organization dedicated to identifying and resolving military family concerns. THE NAVY WIVES WEBSITE DEERS Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System PRAYERS FOR OUR ARMED FORCES This is a link to prayers I have compiled especially for Service Members and their families. Many came from a book my mom provided me called: Prayers for Military Members COMPASS COMPASS is a team mentoring program developed by spouses for spouses. COMPASS focuses on spouses new to the Navy, however all spouses are welcome. WAIT THERE'S MORE! And the list goes on, go ahead, check it out . . . ! |
| SPOUSES |
| MCEC The Military Child Education Coalition works with schools and military installations to deliver resources to provide a smooth transition for our children. MILITARY CHILDREN & YOUTH This site is a service of the National Clearinghouse for the Military Child Development Program. It provides information on childcare and youth initiatives. MILITARY BRATS If you need to pause before answering the question, "where are you from?", then this site might be for you! MILITARY K-12 PARTNERS Provides highlights, articles, and research from the conference by the same name. MILITARY CHILD INITIATIVE The MCI will aid public schools in improving the quality of education for highly mobile children and their families. Information, tools and services to enhance school success. MILITARY TEENS ON THE MOVE Teens, this site is just for you! Whether this is your first move or your zillionth! ARTICLES Children in Military Families |
| CHILDREN |
| MOM'S BREAK Navy Mom's site - great printables! SIGNS OF PATRIOTISM Looking for a cute plaque for your home? There are some cute ones here! SCRAPPIN' & STAMPIN' Stampin' Up! Split Coast Stampers Free Military Graphics Creating Military Memories |
| FUN SITES! |
| MILITARY LIFE LINES |
| "Bloom Where You Are Planted" |
| USS Leftwich Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 1996-1998 USS Harry S. Truman Norfolk, Virginia 1998-2000 Navy Postgraduate School Monterey, California 2000-2002 Surface Warfare Officer's School Newport, Rhode Island 2002-2003 USS O'Brien Yokosuka, Japan 2003-2004 Crew Bold Ingleside, Texas 2004-2007 USS Bonhomme Richard San Diego, CA 2007 - 2008 USS Ingraham Everett, WA January 2009 |
| These are the duty stations where we have been assigned during my husband's Navy career. They are in chronilogical order, not by rank, although Hawaii would probably be first on the list either way! Each location has a link to provide some basic information about each site. I have truly enjoyed most every home port thus far. If you'd like some inside info, please email me, I would be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. But like the quote above says, "Bloom Where You're Planted". Make the best of the current situation, take advantage of the activities and cultural diversity and be a model for your children and other military families by having a positive attitude about the adventure the military life provides us! |
| Is there a site that you feel would be beneficial to visitors of this page? Please email me with the address below: E-MAIL ME : UACatFans @ hotmail.com |
| Recipe for a Military Spouse 1 1/2 cups patience 1 cup courage 3/4 cup tolerance dash of adventure 1 pound of ability with the above ingredients, Add 2 tablespoons elbow grease Let stand for one year. Marinate frequently with salty tears . . Pour off excess fat. Sprinkle ever so lightly with money. Knead dough until payday. Season with international spices. Bake twenty years or until done. Serve with Pride! -author unknown |
| Our Past Duty Stations: |
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| We watched this video with our boys and it was very useful in helping them to understand the deployment situation better. This was the first teary eyed moment they've had, so be prepared! Make sure you watch it with your kids and have a box a kleenex on hand! But really, it's a very valuable and well made video. They now have newer videos since we originally watched this back in early 2007. They now have Homecoming videos and even one dealing with Post Traumatic Stress and injured soldiers. These tapes are also available in Spanish! Click here for more information |
| Rivera Crew Return to the Quarterdeck This page last updated on November 22, 2008 |
| *** OPSEC REMINDER *** Remembering to keep information private, during emails to your loved ones, phone calls, and talking with family members. It is so important to our sailors, marines and us loved ones waiting for them back home! For more information on Operational Security (OPSEC), click here... OPSEC INFO (if link didn't work, copy & paste this url: www.usmc.mil/13thmeu/marines/opsec.html) |
| KIDDIE KORNER |
| Homecoming |
| If you are anything like me, you are digging out that optismistic "Deployment Projects" list you made a few months back and cringing at the two items you managed to cross off your list! I'm rolling up my sleeves and taking out the red pen and getting realistic! What can I do to prepare myself and my kids for homecoming? What absolutely needs to be done before my husband comes home? Pulling those 'trees' that were once weeds in my backyard? Scrubbing down the bbq? Heck no, you gotta make him feel useful when he gets home! But the adrenaline is slowly coming as the dates approaches ever closer and I want to get to work! Now, I've been here before, while the days, weeks even months seem like they can drag on, they won't! Homecoming day will be here faster than you think and I for one am actually counting my blessings for that extra extention - 7 month deployment right about now! (Who would have thought huh!?) Don't stress over little things like hanging those new curtains or planting that new garden. Believe me, I've done that in the past and DH barely noticed! But I won't complain, he was too busy paying attention to me and the kids to care over the new vase I bought for the mantel! So enjoy your last few months of you time and have fun in the preparations for your family's reunion! And remember, after many months of 24/7 Navy life he may need some time to adjust back home, just don't let him forget who you are; the wife, the best friend, the lover and most importantly. . .the CinCHouse. . .Commander in Chief of the House! |
| With love from the Gulf! |
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| These are photos that Ernesto sent from the Gulf. He is pictured at the left with his cousin Eber who is also in the Navy and serves onboard the USS Vincennes. We can never get these two at a family function together in Juarez because of their ship schedules, but no problem for the Vincennes to pull into port right next to the USS BHR in the middle of the Arabian Gulf! Ernesto went over to their Quarterdeck and had his "little" cousin called down for a surprise visitor! They enjoyed a port visit of dinner, shopping and... family friendly activities I'm sure! |
| Here are a few webpages that I found to be very useful. A lot of them talk about deployment and homecoming. If you have any sites to suggest, please email me so I can add them to my list ... Thanks for visiting! |
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| Click on images below to see full size, printable version |
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| ** this is an old message from our 2007 deployment . While it's a bit dated for our lives, the info is still relevant and I simply haven't had time for an update! |
| Fair Winds and Following Seas! |