Oh, yeah, reality...

We've gotten quite spoiled over the last months. I mean, sure, we've dealt with separations (like six months' worth in 2011...cake, comparatively), but his has been a very off year. So off I'm sure that if Big Navy found out I feel like we'd have to pay a penance or something. 

John's been around: a lot -enough so that the kids have gotten used to it and our first of three children actually like going to him (as a baby). 

We've known all along what a fluke year this was going to be so we've tried to do as much as possible as a family. Family Fun Night is every Friday, weekends are together, shopping is (sometimes) together, whatever we can do is as a family to really use this time to connect. Making the most of this year has been the most important goal. 

Daddy helping Turner with school work. 

John got a phone call with a rumor that we initially dismissed. Then, the source called to say what what true and hearsay...

Now we're on stand-by: waiting to hear weather John will take command of his ship in just days. 

It all might come to a screeching halt, but I can be comforted knowing that we really did soak it all in!

You Know You're a Navy Wife When

I saw this on a Navy Wife blog and loved it!

...you can unpack a house and have everything in place 48 hours after your belongings are delivered.
...you have something that resembles non-skid somewhere in your house.
...your husband's work and dress clothes cost more than yours do.
....you've changed more oil and mowed more lawns than your husband because he's never there to do it himself.
....your children say "aye aye" or "roger that" instead of "ok."
....you only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change.
....you need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, because they have no idea what DFAS, LSRB, NEX, OHA, PSD, PCS, and duty mean.
....you have a larger selection of curtains than Wal-Mart does.
....you can remember where you kept the Scotch tape in your last house, but unfortunately, not in this one.
....you mark time in duty stations, not years.
....you refer to friends not only by name but by the state that they live in.
....you know that "back home" doesn't mean at the house you live in now.
....you know that a 2 month separation IS short, no matter what your civilian friends say.
....you ALWAYS know when payday is and get ticked off if there are more than 2 weekends during that pay period.
....you've spent at least 3 years in Norfolk or San Diego.
....you know better than to go to the NEX or commissary between 11:30 and 1:30 unless it's a life or death emergency.
....you show your military ID to the greeter at Wal-Mart.
....you know that any reference to "sand" or a "box" has nothing to do with your kid's backyard toys.
....you find yourself explaining your husband's LES to him.
....you don't have to think about what time 21:30 is.
.... you know that a bosun's pipe isn't actually a pipe.
....no matter how hard you try, you still can't understand a word they say over the 1MC.
....you start ripping open MREs and looking for the M&Ms when you run out of Halloween candy.
....you know to respect his detailer... no matter how much you secretly hate him.
....you can't remember the last time you saw a doctor who wasn't wearing khaki.
....the local dry cleaner knows you by your first name.
....it only cost you $25 to have a child.
....you find that a large number of your clothes and household items are dark blue or light blue, even though you never planned it that way.
....you pick apart uniforms on TV and in the movies, even though you used to yell at your husband for doing the same thing.
....you know to leave Jodi well enough alone.
....you've learned to sleep through the sounds of planes, helicopters, foghorns and jets.
....you can hate military life but be terrified to leave it all in the same breath.
....you defend your lifestyle no matter how bad things get because you know there's no other life for you!

My favorite is the line about Jodi! He used to tease me when we were dating and I really got offended about this Jodi person. Oh, to be that naive again...

I can't even understand my own husband over the 1MC and I have presented my military ID at completely inappropriate times! Come to think of it, aside from the San Diego/Norfolk comment, I can relate to everything! Turner has even referred to his bed as "the rack."