To-Do List for My Trip Home & After My Return

Before We Go:

• Massive amounts of laundry - ugh!
• Pack birth certificates for both kids - we'll need them to be able to see my brother
• Pack the document Terrence will need to get notarized so I can get Catalina a passport
• Bring pictures of the kids that I've never put into the mail because 10 days of no work will be the perfect time to do all of this
• Pack the new webcam that Matty got for mom
• Don't forget fat girl bathing suit and Zeek's trunks
• Snacks for Zeek on the plane 

Matty's Honey-Do List While We're Gone: 

• Take Molly to Vet to have her stitches taken out - we had her spayed recently
• Obtain Rabies Certifications & Immunization Certifications
• Have both dogs get leptospirosis vaccinations & microchipped 
• Obtain another copy of our Marriage License - I think Matty someone lost the original & we'll need it to get Catalina's passport (since her birth certificate shows my maiden last name, I have to be able to prove that she's mine)
• Have the spark plugs changed in my car
• Go to Catalina's School & Pay two weeks to get her registered in the after school program
• Toby Keith Concert with Sam & Joe on August 12th - you lucky son of a gun! 

When We Get Back:

• Nicole & Baby J will return for a visit
• Aug 15th - Dental Appointments for Catalina & Me
• Aug 16th - Surgery 
• Aug 17th - Catalina's first day of School! - OMG! This makes me feel like an old lady but totally in a good way. I hope baby girl loves school as much as I did. I also hope her first day wasn't a nightmare like mine was! 
• Mail off for passports
• Get the doctor sign off that I'm fit to move overseas! - Then we'll be able to get the OFFICIAL orders for Guam and hopefully start booking tickets and arranging for our move. I'm ready to know the dates so that I can start planning an amazing 2nd Birthday Party for Ezekiel/Our Going Away Party in addition to the many other things we'll need to get taken care of before we depart the mainland!

I want to talk about my first day of school real quick. We lived in Virginia Beach and school for kindergartners was half-day. My class was in the second part of the day. My mom took me to the bus stop and saw me off. I got to my classroom okay. When the teachers were calling students' names to come up and get their name tags, I responded to Michelle. My name is Rachel Michelle and I was used to hearing both parts of my name when I got in trouble. So I thought that I had missed them saying the first part of my name. The teacher made a semi-big deal about me responding to someone else's name and I remember feeling embarrassed. She told me my name is Rachel, like I didn't already know, but that wasn't so bad. 

The HORRIFYING part of my first day was after school. I remember walking out to get onto the bus to go home and I had no clue which bus I was supposed to get on! They all looked the same to me. Well, my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Brown, was also a bus driver, so I assumed that she would be taking me home and climbed aboard her bus. As she drove away, nothing looked familiar, but I just thought that eventually someone would tell me when I was supposed to get off. At the end of her route, Ms. Brown noticed that she still had a kid on the bus. She had to radio back to the school to find out my address because I couldn't remember the name of my street. Long story short, she took me home and the next day she walked me personally to my bus. 

I'm sure the system for getting kids on their correct busses has changed since I was in kindergarten. I plan on walking my daughter to school every day. The school isn't too far from where we live and I think the walk will tucker her enough that she'll be on her best behavior in class. Plus, I could really use the exercise. My husband is going to be picking her up every day from the after school program. We're going to make sure she knows our phone numbers and her address before the first day of school. I'm excited for her first day of school and I can't wait to see my baby.  

2 MORE DAYS!!!!

Hafa Adai & Welcome Aboard!

I was thrilled when I checked my email this morning and saw "Hafa Adai & Welcome Aboard!" My husband finally has a Sponsor! BUT we can't open the Welcome Aboard Letter that was sent as an attachment. Boohoo! How frustrating. Matty tried opening it from eight different computers at work. I tried on my MacBook with no success. It's supposed to contain "a lot of useful information for our tour on the Mighty Frank Cable and arrival to the beautiful island of Guam" but we can't even read it! Grr! Hopefully they can resend something we can read tomorrow. I feel like an anxious child...

Can't Wait!

He's Getting Closer to 30!

My husband turned 28 yesterday! Happy Birthday babe! Birthdays are a big deal to my husband and I never really understood why until today.... Let me tell a lil story to set things up...

My husband has been talking about his birthday for the past two weeks! I figured he wants every one to know his birthday is coming up so they don't have an excuse not to call or something. Mostly, I thought, "This guy is seriously seeking some attention...it has to be because he's a Leo!"

As much as I love party planning for the kids and baby showers, I don't usually make a big deal about the holidays for my husband nor myself. I'm usually so caught up with work that I forget to make time to go find a decent birthday card, and I'm too tight on money to splurge on gifts for every grown up friend that has a birthday. BUT I will make sure that if we're going to a kid's birthday party we bring a nice gift in fun wrapping paper. For a while I have felt that the holidays are all about the kids and making the kids feel special and once you become a grown up those sort of things fade out...the attention isn't on you anymore. I should probably thank my dad for this...he had a birthday July 5th and his lady practically had to drag him out of the house to celebrate and he was insisting that we didn't do anything special! I also realize that I'm wrong for thinking this way and so is Dad. Birthdays are special days and every one should receive special attention on their birthday!

So I woke up yesterday morning and realized that I forgot to tell my husband happy birthday before he left for work. I sent him a quick text, but that's just not the same. I also realized that I had to be to work in less than an hour, I had no gift, no card, and no real plans for the evening other than taking Matty to Outback with some money that my mom had transferred to me to treat her only favorite son-in-law out with.  I sent out a mass text to our closest friends and coordinated a last minute surprise birthday dinner for Matty! I used my lunch break to pick up a card, a Cold Stone Ice Cream Cake, and candles & deliver that to the restaurant and make reservations for 14! Surprisingly, it turned out pretty amazing. Here are some shots...not the best quality but oh well:

Zeek helping Daddy blow out his candles

Happiest Birthday Boy Ever!

The Glass Family...Ashley & her son Steven Tyler in the back

My beautiful Tia Nicole & I

My baby cousin Justice and Michelle's daughter Veronica

Michelle "Mimi" & Sebastian

We had a great time! So when we were heading home my husband is pouting saying that he hadn't heard from his sister-in-law today but that mom had told him that she'd dropped her cell phone in her drink a few nights before! (LUSH!) Later on that night after we had settled down I get a text from my mom with a number that I can get ahold of Megan at and Matt's like [in his Southern accent], "Well ain't you gonna call her?" I gave the excuse of not wanting to call because it was like 1:30 in the morning in VA Beach. "But she hasn't wished me a Happy Birthday." I get her on the phone and let her wish him a happy birthday and then I overhear him say that nobody in his own family other than his mother had called to wish him a happy birthday! He had called his father just as dad was getting home from the farm and was getting ready to call Matt. (And two of his brothers sent him a message on Facebook...but to me that's not the same.) My husband remembers everyone's birthdays...and I mean EVERYONE'S birthday...and he always makes it a point to try to call...even if he's leaving a message on their answering machines. 

I was crushed. Out of 14 brothers and sisters (he comes from a huge family...most are step brothers and sisters, but nonetheless he grew up with them) and not a one bothered to call him on his birthday. I know that life gets extremely busy especially as the distance grows between us and we start families of our own, but I felt shocked. This morning I work up and realized that I love my husband more today than I did a month ago. He has a huge heart, he's a loyal friend, he's a great father, and he takes care of us. He doesn't want much in return, just to be loved and some extra attention on his birthday. I am making a conscious effort from this day forward to make sure that everyone in my family knows that I love them. My husband, my daughter, my son...they are the center of my world. My mother, my father, my sister, my brother, my niece...they have shown me how family should be, even if it is a bit dysfunctional...we deeply and unconditionally love and support each other. 

So to conclude my story, I was telling my coworker about my realization this morning and she looked at me and smiled, "Girl, no wonder why he wants so much attention on his birthday! He has 14 brothers  and sisters!" Life must have been a battle for attention growing up. :) 

Let the Good Times Roll

We're trying to get in as much quality time as possible with the people that we enjoy most here in San Diego. Today, we went to Country Fest in Lakeside! It's an all day concert at the Rodeo for only $10! There's bleacher seating and down below you can stand around in front of the stage. There are lots of vendors selling cowboy hats and country attire, and of course lots of beer tents and BBQ! The bad thing about sitting in the bleachers for a concert is the backache and the scary thought of the baby falling through the gaps in the seats that it's not a great setup for chatting it up with your friends. :(  We had a great time though! 

My Ticket

In the bleachers a the Lakeside Rodeo! From the Front to the back: Ezekiel, Matty, Ricky in blue, Samantha, and Joe in the ball cap. 

Ezekiel did a lot of strutting around with his chest out. This kid gets all kinds of attention! People are just naturally drawn to him. I think it has a lot to do with those adorable curls in the back of his head. Here he is climbing the fence to the bull pit! My lil Cowpoke!

This kid loves live music! He must be my son after all! (It's a joke amongst friends... I sometimes swear that if Ezekiel had been taken away from me in the delivery room, I might doubt that he's my son. He doesn't look like me at all! But he does look resemble his sister a bit...)

All that partying wore him out!

Matty and I don't have too many pictures of us together so we took advantage of the moment! 

Heading to the 757 in August

I didn't make any progress towards the move yesterday. I'm training this chick Bruni at work to fill my seat.   She's awesome! A quick learner, not a complainer, has a competitive attitude, and she's been with the company for a while now. I think she'll make a great manager after I leave. So this week and next week I have to cram a bunch of information into her so she doesn't feel lost next month. 

I'm going to be out for the month of August. From August 2nd - 13th I'm heading back to Virginia Beach. My daughter has been spending the summer with her dad and my mom has had her a lot. Kindergarten is getting ready to begin so I'm picking my baby up...and I'm visiting. This might be the last time I'm in Virginia Beach for the next 3 years! August 16th I'm having surgery and will be out of work for up to two weeks afterwards. 

My beautiful mother is taking the entire time that Ezekiel and I will be in VA off of work so we can get some quality time in together. (Matty can't make it...his command pulled some stupid mess that I don't want to get into on here...let's just say they didn't deny his leave chit by the book.)

My sister Megan will probably still have to work, but we'll for sure have the weekends together. 

I'm looking forward to having my niece Toniya while she's at work.

I'm going to visit my brother Tony two times while I'm out. 

 I'm dedicating an entire day to my bestie Kyanne. We'll probably lounge around at the beach and go sip margaritas somewhere.  

I'll make time for a few other friends while I'm in the area, but these people right here are family and they're my focus. Plus, I don't want to be all over the place. I just want to kick it poolside or at the beach and relax...maybe go to the water park one day...go out to eat or barbecue at the house. My mother bought her first place and I want to help her paint! We also have a storage unit that I would like to rummage through for pictures and stuff like that. 

My beautiful Aunt Nikki is in town...last night and tonight...for Comic Con. We took Matty to the Melting Pot Downtown for an early "birthday" dinner last night. His birthday is on the 25th and I still don't know what I'm going to get him for his special day. We're going to Country Fest in Lakeside tomorrow. I'm not a big fan of country, but we're going with our good friends Sam, Joe, their baby Kaelyn, and Ricky AND I get to wear my cowgirl hat! 

As for today, I need to get my booty into work! Lots of laundry this evening and just relaxing at home. 

My To-Do List

I have a ton of things that I need to get done before the move. I'm going to attempt to list all of the things that we need to get gone over the next six months. I'm obsessed with lists, so this will be therapeutic for me. :)

Overseas Screening: 

• Get Medical Records Together  - DONE!
• Pap Smear - DONE! Hurray! 
• Physical
• Tetanis shot & Tuberculosis Screening for Rachel - DONE!
• Surgery on August 16th, Get Cleared for Overseas Move
• Catalina's "Interview" with the Commander - Aug. 1st
• When this list is done, we can start making our Flight arrangements - We're hoping to fly out around February 1st

Work:

• Let my Supervisor know I'll stop working in mid-January to focus on our move: Last Day is January 13, 2012!
• Train someone to fill my shoes
• Give official written notice in mid-December! 

Vehicles:

• New Breaks & Maybe Bigger Tires on the Truck before we Leave
• Sell the Mazda by 1/31/11 (I want to use that money to get myself a scooter!)
• Schedule Explorer to be shipped out around mid-December so that we're not waiting forever for our truck to arrive in Guam
• Lots to do for the vehicles after we get to Guam...

Cellphones:

• Call AT&T and have our cell phones transferred out of my name and into Matt's name (AT&T will let us cancel our phones without penalties with Matt's orders, but not if the phones are kept in my name...this means we may have to pay a deposit when we transfer the phones over, but it'll be cheaper than three cancelation charges! I'm kind of sad about having to give up my cell phone number. I've had it since I was 16 and this is how old friends get a hold of me. We'll have a 671 area code in Guam, but I'm hoping to mostly talk with people on Skype!)

Doggies: (I have a feeling there's stuff missing from this list...but this is good for now)

• Make sure they both have all shots up to date: Rabies, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis - We may need to get a second Rabies Shot for Buttercup
• Need Certificates for Rabies and Certificate of Immunization 
• Have blood work done on dogs - I believe 90 days before being shipped
• Get dogs Microchipped!
• Make reservations for QUARANTINE - Need to find out if they'll have to be quarantined in Hawaii or in Guam
• Mail $120 to Treasurer of Guam for Entry Permits
• Make Flight Reservations for Dogs
• Wellness Check no sooner than 14 Days before their flight

Housing Arrangements: 

• Make a reservation at Naval Lounge
• Email application for housing along along with orders & Page 2 
• Contact Movers
• We'll be living out of suitcases for a while when we get there...I'll think more about what to pack as the date gets closer

I know there are a lot of other things I'll need to do to prepare for this move. If you'd like to add any ideas or suggestions, please do. We're still waiting to hear who Matt's sponsor will be...hopefully someone reliable that doesn't mind a ton of questions and someone that'll show up to meet us at the airport when we arrive! 

A Very Busy Morning

I woke up extra early this morning. I got Zeek ready to go to his Mimi's house. Got myself ready for work and then headed to drop Molly off at the vet. She has two collapsed nostrils and we're getting her fixed at the same time. I'm nervous for my dog and nearly cried as I left her...bulldogs don't do too well under anesthesia, which is why we've waited for her to be over a year before getting her fixed. Then I drove myself to Point Loma to have the first part of my TB test done. The nurse there is super friendly...the same lady that gave me my tetanus shot the other day. I wish I was better at remembering names.  If you've never had the TB test done before, they use a tiny little needle to put some special fluid under the skin and it creates this instant bubble. You go back 2-3 days later, and the nurse checks to make sure it's flat. If it's not, they measure the size to determine if you have tuberculosis.  I don't know much more than that, but I remember having this done several times as a kid and I've never had it. Now I'm back in La Mesa...grabbed some Jamba Juice before heading into the office and I have a few minutes before I can officially clock in and start my day. I'm already exhausted.

I've started doing some research on bringing your pets with you to Guam. The island is rabies free! The dogs will have to go into quarantine for at least a month, assuming that everything has been taken care of appropriately prior to shipping them...shots, well animal check by a military Vet, and whatnot. I want to write more on this later after I do a little more research.  I'm just thrilled that they can come with us!

Overseas Screening/Physical - First Loop

My husband's command told him last week Tuesday that he has 15 days to get everything together or we won't be able to go to Guam. PANIC! My husband was super stressed out. My children and I see civilian doctors. We all need physicals, dental exams, shot records, medical records, a pap smear... So we're scrambling to get these things together. We have to set an appointment on base to bring in all of these documents and review these records with some civilian worker so she can say whether or not we're cleared to go live overseas. 

Let me first say that the orders state that you have 15 days to start making progress, not to complete everything. The Navy doesn't want someone sitting around on their orders for three months and then scrambling to do everything at the last minute. My husband's current command is full of dur-de-durs to put it politely. They frequently do things like this and they're not very supportive of their sailors. His Chief is out to benefit himself and he likes to overload my husband and then take credit for my sailor's hard work. He even tried doing it at my husband's reenlistment ceremony...but I won't get into that on here... Let's just say we're looking forward to a new command and that they were wrong for putting additional stress in his life. 

My husband and I get all of these things together...well, most of these things. The guy that gave instructions to my husband left out the fact that I need a physical and a pap smear - isn't that such a dirty sounding word! So we're sitting at our appointment with this lady and she goes through my husband's military health records and everything looks great - he's cleared. She goes through my son's records and everything looks great - he's cleared. My daughter is in Virginia Beach right now visiting with family so only a certain guy can review her records, so we set a separate appointment for her for the beginning of August. She's just had a physical, we both have a dental appointment scheduled for August 15th, and I'm sure everything will be fine for mija. She starts flipping through my small record - it's nowhere near as large as my husband's or my son's - and she says, "Wow, you have been to the doctor quite a few times. What's going on with you?" like I'm some kind of a hypochondriac or something! I haven't been to the doctor for anything I didn't need. After I had my son, I switched doctors and I went initially just over a year ago for a physical. He referred to out to a civilian OB/GYN for a pap smear (which that doctor lost my records!). I had a mole removed from my armpit. I had ingrown toenails removed. I found out I have an umbilical hernia. I was thrown from a horse and broke my jaw and tailbone. I had a clogged tear duct and had a small growth removed from under my eye. I had strep throat recently. WTF!?! I didn't go for anything I didn't need. My bad for taking care of myself! What was I supposed to say to that. On top of that, she had several comments to make about my weight! I don't have a shot record. I never brought any of my medical records from Virginia when I moved here three almost four years ago. The civilian OB/GYN lost my charts. And I'm scheduled for an umbilical hernia surgery in August. So it's a HOLD for me. :( 


I would like to add in here really quickly the purpose of the overseas screening. The military does not want to send someone to live overseas that is loaded with serious medical issues because of the lack of available medical treatment in some countries. I want to say I agree with the screening. We wouldn't want to send our people somewhere if they require special attention or medications that might not be available to them. We also don't want to send someone that's on the verge of a mental breakdown or that is mentally unstable as they might not be able to handle the culture shock.

I went straight to the Naval shot clinic and got my tetanus shot. My arm hurt like a bitch afterwards, still kinda does though I can lift it easily over my head now. I'm going back early tomorrow morning to have my tuberculosis test done. Those are the two major things that they want grown ups to have taken care of. I have my woman physical/pap scheduled for Thursday. My surgery is August 16th and I just need to make sure that when they clear me to go back to work they also clear me for an overseas move. So it'll take about a month or so, but my shit will be cleared soon too...keeping my fingers crossed. As for my weight, yes, I know that I'm overweight. I've struggled with my weight since high school. I packed on a lot of pounds with the birth of my two children and I'm not a physically fit person. I can't make excuses for myself. I've changed my diet and I'm starting to work out some, but I should be doing more. Now that you all know my entire medical history... ;) 

I am staying focused on this move ...it's what is getting me through the stressful busy season at work... I found a beautiful inspirational photo this morning and I'm picturing myself relaxing under that palm tree, my dogs by my side, sipping fresh coconut water straight out of the coconut, and watching my babies play on the white sand. 

I found this picture at Horizon Properties website. They sell properties in Guam and do property management. 

Soon my friends... Start saving your money for an expensive plane ticket, get your passport ready, and you can come visit me in Guam!

Very First Post - Orders Received 7/11/11 We Leave 2/2012

My husband Matt - I prefer to call him Matty - received his orders for Guam last week Monday. We have known about it for a little longer than that, but now it's official...well, sort of. When relocating overseas, there are a few hoops you have to jump through before everything is official. 


I would first like to explain how picking orders works for those that have no clue about these sort of things. Not everyone is born and raised Navy, like myself, or married to Mr. Navy. About 10 months before Matty's shore duty was up, he went online and printed out a "billet" to bring home. A billet is a list of possible job openings for my husband - places that would have a position open around the end of his current tour (his 3 years of shore duty in San Diego). At the top of the billet, the Navy suggests "Hot Spots". These are places that they suggest the sailor to pick, places where his experience/rank/rate meets the demands of the new command. At the top of this particular billet were places like Japan and Washington and Chavez Island - two places I was not crazy about going and Chavez Island doesn't allow families to accompany their sailor. Originally, we were trying to get back home to Virginia (home for me...since Matty is going back to a ship, we thought it'd be nice to be around my sister and mother so I could have family to help me out with our kids). Matty made five choices and that time around they were all declined. A month passes before he gets to pick again. In this month, plans changed. I really had it in my head that I wanted to go to Hawaii! Who wouldn't right? I figure there are a lot of beautiful places that I've never been and that most people never get to see, and I want those experiences. Plus, it could be a great experience for our family to come visit us....I have to admit here that I am a bit of a daddy's girl, and my father had made a comment to me about no going back to my previous life/lifestyle that really influenced my decision not to go back to VA. That place can be a black hole that will suck all of the life out of you.... My husband, loving me as dearly as he does, agrees that we will go to an island and experience life together if an opening comes up. 


So the month passed and my husband and I made 5 more choices. Hawaii wasn't an option. :( Our first pick was Naples, Italy - not an island, but a place we both would love to live! This was for shore duty though and typically the Navy does not let a sailor do two shore duties in a row. We were later told that Naples really wanted Matty but shot him down because he wasn't eligible for another shore duty tour...so maybe next time! Our second and third picks were for Guam and our fourth and fifth were for Norfolk, VA (home). We were picked up for Guam! 


Some people have compared Guam to the Tiajuana of islands. I have received a lot of negative comments from friends saying we're going to hate it there, we can experience the whole island in a month, we'll be bored. I say fuck them and their negativity. I am totally excited about Guam! I have a girlfriend that's living there already and she loves it! I am a beach loving girl! My daughter is a beach bunny! My dogs love the beach. My husband and son aren't so crazy about the sand, but my husband loves to snorkel and I am excited to learn. I can't wait to go hiking on the island, to sip margaritas on the beach, to experience the culture and a slower paced life, and to just be there already! 


I mentioned earlier that there are some hoops to jump through to get to the island. I'll be sharing these over my next posts. There's a lot to do before a big move like this.