Venting and a 72 Chevelle

This week has been SO LOOOONNNG!

I have LOVED having my husband home this week, and I love taking care of him.

In fact, I kind of like the fact that he is so "crippled" because he has no choice but to let me take care of him.

HOWEVER, my week of taking care of 3 "babies" instead of 2, on top of my normal day to day life has been exhausting (but fulfilling)!

I've spent my week scolding my husband whenever he bends over too far, tries to lift the kids, sleeping on his side, wants to vacuum (seriously...you know he's bored when he wants to vacuum) etc. etc. etc.

The man can't sit still, and I know he feels guilty that he's not able to help around the house, no matter how much I tell him that I really do enjoy taking care of him.

Apparently, some of his midshipmen have decided to make a big joke out of his injury, and are planning on bringing it up at mess night (google mess night if you don't know what it is).

I tried to laugh about it at first because I'm all about a good low blow every once in a while and a jab here and there.

I mean, he did get injured playing dodgeball with a bunch of college kids, and I guess if you think about it a certain way, it's kind of funny.

I spent 10 years in an organization where it's common for people to constantly make fun of each other and make low blows at each other (all for the sake of a good laugh).

But after spending this week taking care of my husband and carefully monitoring his eye, it's starting to piss me off a little.

I guess it upsets me that someone is making light of a situation that isn't very funny to me.

 I have spent my week nursing my husband back to health while raising two crazy kids.

I can't help but think of all the plans I had this week with spring cleaning and errands, and all those plans got put to a halt because of this injury.

I guess they (the midshipmen) are lucky that my husband can take a joke and has a sense of humor, and that my husband can also instill the fear of God in them if need be.

Lord knows if it were me that were in Nick's shoes, they wouldn't be making "light" of the situation.

I would have made that clear from the get go.

WOW, that felt good the vent.

Now for some happy photos.

I seriously can not get enough of the two men in my life.

 My daughter's been in gymnastics since last August.

She's one of the youngest gymnasts in her class of 4-5 year olds, so she's been lagging a little with her skills.

I can proudly say that she can finally do a cartwheel and a round off without the help of a block!

 And we have been thoroughly enjoying this awesome Spring time weather!

And lastly....

Nick has been talking about getting an old car that he can work on since as long as I have known him!

He had an old 68 Chevy C10 in high school that he reminisces about ALL THE TIME.

He tells me stories constantly about all the work he did on the truck himself.

Well, he got his wish, and we are the proud new owners of a 1972 Chevy Chevelle.

It's pretty much fully restored, and Nick has already been talking about what improvements he wants to do to it.

It arrives next week, and I'm pretty pumped about it!

Here's a photo of the engine!

I'll post a pic of the car once it gets here, and I assure you it's gorgeous!

The Military Child

April is the month of the military child.

This month has a lot of meaning to my family.

My son has already gone through a short, 2 month separation in his 7 months of life from his daddy, and I know that it won't be his first.

My daughter....

I can't even count the months or years that she has spent without her father around.

I cant count the days of her life that I've missed out on because of my own commitments to the Marine Corps.

Commitments, deployments, and training for the Marine Corps....

They all take away precious time away from our children's lives

So this month has a special place in our family.

I'm a grown woman who has spent 10 years as an active duty Marine, so for me, separations are normal.

It doesn't make them easier for me, but the fact that I am old enough to comprehend things about life and the Marine Corps, it's not nearly as hard for me as it is for my kids.

However, at the end of the day, my kids get an opportunity that most kids don't get.

They get to see the world.

They get to experience different cultures.

They learn to appreciate the time that they have with their father.

They learn to "adapt and overcome".

Nick and I are so proud of the child Dannika is becoming.

It does not even faze her when we break the news to her that "daddy is leaving again."

If anything, she takes it better than me.

She keeps me sane when he's gone, and she comforts me.

I think it's awesome that there's an entire month dedicated to celebrating "military brats".

They deserve some recognition.

They're seriously the real "silent ranks".

Dannika's first time seeing Daddy in 7 months. 

She was 13 months old in this photo, and he left right when she was 6 months.

This photo ended up in the LA Times!

This was seeing daddy for the first time after his second deployment to Afghanistan!

She was 2 1/2!

And the newest "military brat" to our family...

Recruiting Duty

Recruiting duty is one of the unique assignments in the military.

It's completely an independent duty that comes with late nights (nights as late as 10pm), early mornings (that start at 3am), quotas, stress, heartburn, headaches, career threatening investigations, ass chewings for no reason, etc. etc. etc.

I've had ALL of the above.

I've worked with Marines on recruiting duty who are Purple Heart recipients from combat that have said to me that recruiting is tougher than combat (at times).

I've had Marines tell me they'd rather be deployed for 3 years straight (the average time on this assignment) than be a recruiter. 

I had my fair share of struggles, heartache, stress, and chaos on recruiting, but that's a whole another post.

I guess what makes recruiting so hard is that it's basically sales.

But we're not selling cars or vacuums here...if it were only that easy.

We're "selling" an organization that's been around for over 237 years.

We're "selling" an organization that sends young men and women into harms way.

We're "selling" a lifestyle.

As you can imagine, it's a tough sell.
Not only do we have to be 'salesmen', but we also have to find quality individuals that meet the minimum requirements set forth by the Marine Corps.
I don't know if you knew this already, but out of 100 people, I would estimate that only 10 are completely qualified to join our elite ranks.

Especially when 50% of the young men and women we recruit are still in high school.

Not only do you have to "sell" the Marine Corps to a punk 17 year old (not ALL of them are punks), but you have to "sell" the idea to their mom and dad.

Seventeen year olds who want to be Marines don't need "selling".
Their minds are already set...especially in this age of "Call of Duty".

The hard sell is the parents.

I've been doing a lot of reminiscing lately about my time in the Corps, and out of all my experiences from deployments and training, my BEST memories come from recruiting duty.

I came up with some things that I have either heard on recruiting duty, or that I have said.

The stuff I've said and heard are unbelievable at times.

Here's 10 Things...

1. "I play a lot of COD (Call of Duty), so I'm pretty sure I'd be a badass Marine."

yes...I've had "kids" tell me this on MULTIPLE occasions. Do they not realize that you don't "regenerate" when you die in combat?!?!

2. "I don't want to finish high school, so I'm gonna drop out, get my GED, and become a Marine."

Sorry kid. This ain't Vietnam where the Corps is your "get out of jail" card. You actually need a traditional high school diploma or college credits from a legit college.

3. "I scored a 45 on the ASVAB, but I have a bachelor's degree. I want to become an Officer."

First off, you must have not learned anything in college because you scored lower than half my high school seniors. Second of all, don't sit there and think you're above me because you chose to go to college first, frat boy. While you were doing keg stands, I was in Iraq.

4. "I scored a 32 on the ASVAB (barely passing), so I want to be intelligence, and if you can't make me intelligence, I'm joining the Army."

What kind of fantasy world are you living in?! No branch is gonna "make you intelligence" with that score.

5. "Since I have a boot camp date now, I'm gonna go get a sweet Marine Corps tattoo."

Uh...no you may not!

6. "I pray to God that you get hit by a bus."

This was said to a recruiter by the mother of a young man wanting to join the Marines.

7. "Dude, you realize you've been in community college for FOUR years, right? You realize community college is a TWO year program..."

I've said this one too many times. Kids walk into the office looking for opportunities, then get scared of the thought of becoming a Marine. They then tell me that they're going to "finish school" first.

8. "I've never smoked weed in my life. Wait, you're gonna drug test me? Oh...ummm....I was at a party last night and my friends were all smoking weed, and I was breathing it in, so I MIGHT be positive."

First off, you can't test positive by being "hot boxed". Second, I swear these kids see the uniform and think we're the cops. 

9. "I know I'm 27 years old, but I need to ask my mom first if I can join."

Dude, you have bigger problems than deciding if the Marine Corps is the best option for you.   

10. "I know I can only do 3 pull ups, and I'm teetering on being overweight, but I want to be recon. If I can't have my recon contract, I'm going to the Navy to join the SEALS."

Thanks to Call of Duty, EVERYONE thinks they can be recon and/or special forces. Call of Duty is giving kids in America false hope....one video game at a time.

I'll probably write another post with some more of these "isms". 

They make me laugh, and I'm sure some of y'all who have been on recruiting or have husbands on recruiting can relate to this!

The Happiest Place on Earth

When we lived in Orange County, I forgot how convenient it was for us to go to Disneyland.

We lived 20 minutes away, and we never went during vacation season.

Every trip we've taken to Disneyland, we've managed to avoid crowds, long lines, and the chaos.

This trip was our first time going there during Spring Break.

It. Was. Awful.

The crowds and lines were insane....INSANE. 

Not only that, but we had TWO kids this time, and a giant double jogging stroller that we had to maneuver around an insanely packed crowds of people.

We only got to ride 2 rides (which we waited a total of 2 hours in line for).

We waited in line another hour to meet Tinkerbell and her fairy friend.

We waited in line another 45 minutes to meet Ariel, Snow White, and Tiana.

Elsa and Ana also had made their appearance at Disneyland too.

So OBVIOUSLY, we stood in line to meet the famous Frozen princesses.

Yeah, we stood in that line for about 10 minutes until someone told us the wait time to meet Ana and Elsa was THREE. FREAKING. HOURS. 

People were actually willing to wait 3 hours to meet the Frozen princesses.

Yeah...we aren't that crazy.

After a stressful day of complete chaos, Dannika exclaimed, "this is the BEST day OF MY LIFE!"

I think hearing those words made the crazy day absolutely worth it. 

Leaving the hotel for our fun filled day at the happiest place on earth!

 Who doesn't love a mother/daughter selfie?

She was so thrilled to be Minnie Mouse for the day.

Waiting in line to buy tickets.

 Everywhere we went, people stared at our stroller.

The thing is like an Abrams tank.

Perfect for ramming into people who get in your way :-)

16 dollar Face painting.

The things we pay for to see our kids happy.

Mattis got to ride on the carousel!

He thought it was so cool!

Checkin' out the scenery.

So serious.

Family photo with Tinkerbell!

They waited in the hot sun for an hour to ride this two minute Dumbo ride.

It was after this ride that Dannika said that it was the best day of her life.

Just a random photo taken at Fashion Island in Newport Beach!

Dirty Thirty

*Update on Nick*

His eye is still pretty jacked up.

The doctor was optimistic it would heal, as long as he stays on bed rest and does not strain anything.

I'm still pretty pissed off at the person who did this to him.

The wound is still fresh in my heart. 

ugh.

 

Why do they call it the "dirty thirty" anyway?

What's so dirty about thirty?

I'm actually in love with the fact that I finally got to join my hubby in the 30's club.

My husband planned a little "shin dig" for me on my birthday (wait...do people still say the word "shin dig"? Did I just date myself?!).

Whatever.

My birthday just so happened to have fallen on Taco Tuesday, and if you have ever been in Southern California (or Texas), Taco Tuesday's a pretty big deal!

Without hesitation, I knew I wanted to celebrate at my all time favorite Mexican restaurant in Orange County, El Adobe.

 Oh, and that sweet Louis Vuitton Speedy bag I'm carrying....yeah...that was my birthday present from the hubs.

Major brownie points. 

I've always been a handbag girl, and every 5 or so years, I like to invest in a really really nice one.

It just so happens that my 30th birthday fell in perfect time for a new piece for my collection.

I blame my mother for my taste.

People are shocked at the amount of money I have spent on a handbag, but in my defense, my mother has vintage Louis Vuitton's that were purchased 20-30 years ago that are still in mint condition.

Oh, and Louis Vuitton's NEVER go out of style.

You pay for the quality.

Sorry, but a Coach bag ain't gonna last you two decades in mint condition.

(Sorry...I felt the need to defend my husband's purchase of my birthday present, because I can sense the hate already).

Onto my birthday!

My best friend, and a few other friends came out for dinner and drinks.

We laughed, talked about our life in the OC, and ate some delicious food.

It was nights like my birthday that really made me miss living in California in the company of our best friends, amazing cuisine, and laughter.

We seriously never laughed so hard.

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!

This is Fernando the bartender.

The BEST bartender in Orange County.

He's legendary...literally.

There's articles written about him in Orange County.

 I also happened to have been his son's recruiter, and his son is now a Marine reservist. :-)

His family has a special place in heart because of that.

Nick and I used to go to El Adobe JUST to see him and have a cocktail from him.

This is my friend Mike, me and Nick (obviously).

Mike and I were recruiters together, and he turned into part of our family during that time.

He's loud and inappropriate, but when it comes to loyalty and friendship, you won't find a friend like him.

I'm SO glad he came out!

 After dinner, we walked across the street to a little dive bar in San Juan Capistrano called the "Swallows Inn".

It's a dingy little bar packed with so much fun.

Seriously, have you seen us happier?! 

People see this picture, and they are shocked at the amount of joy that is exuding from one photo.

I'm ready to move somewhere that makes us this happy again.

Until that time, we're gonna soak up what we can of New England, enjoy it the fullest, and live life!