We met the mouse!

It's well known that if you grew up in Florida you probably are not big into Disney stuff. Growing up we went all the time. It was always hot and long lines. You sorta got over it real quick. Well now as a parent I see Disney through my kids' eyes. My daughter loves all things princess and my son is into action things as well. So of course we had to stop at Disneyland. I definitely got choked up walking through the gates. It's like a right of passage to take your kids to Disney. It was a wonderful day and well worth it to meet the mouse! 

Grand Canyon

We made it to the Grand Canyon! We wanted to stop there on our way to Alaska but couldn't. So we made sure we fit it in this time! It was amazing. The kids got hot and thought if was cool for about a minute then they were bored. We also saw some elk too. It was a memorable day for sure! 

Military child

Moving is hard for anyone and especially kids. Military kids get to experience packing up and moving more often than necessary. It makes them stronger, eventually, but it's so hard and confusing when they are small. My son is 6 and I excited about the idea but the realization that he's leaving his first best friend has been really hard on him. The other day on the ferry he finally had a break down and let the hurt flow. It broke my heart to see him like that but lord knows I've left many friends too on the many moves. It's amazing their resilience in all of this. We are further down the road and he's adjusting well. Now. I need to do the same!! 

My hard working husband

Anyone who personly knows me knows how proud I am of my husband. He is not one to brag on himself so I will. Today was his last day with the "Alex Haley" crew. Traditionally they have "quarters" and send off the member with their awards for their time at the unit. Matt worked extremely hard abord the ship in several departments and also was the command chief this past year. He always works hard but this time he really went above and beyond. This dedication earned him a "Commendation Medal". There has not been one given in the last 3 years on his ship, so it's a big deal. He totally deserves the recognition and I could not be more proud!! 

Our "Wally World"

One of the funny things about Kodiak is our Walmart. Coming from the lower 48 we are used to super Walmarts that have everything you need and more. We are fortunate to have one here in Kodiak but it's one of the smallest in the country and perhaps the most remote! Prices are higher and selection is limited but it's been so great to have in a pinch! Plus our Walmart has a very large Kodiak bear mount. So that in itself makes it a pretty cool stop when family visits. We named him "Kody" and we had another thing to say goodbye to! 

"See you soon"

We never like saying goodbye to people who have become like family. That's one of the hardest things about military life. We have a saying that helps since chances are, if we are lucky enough, we may get to be stationed together with them or visit again. That saying is "see you soon". I personally feel that I was blessed to have know all these different people and families in each place we have been stationed. It's now dawning on me that my kids will be saying "see you soon" to their first real friends. This breaks my heart for them but it's all part of life. I pray our paths do cross again and we will...see you all soon!! 

401Bravo

401B was a great house! It was small & cramped and gave us lots of great memories. My daughter had most of her firsts there. First crawl, steps and first words. As for my son he started kindergarten and Tball among other great memories in this house. Even though we out grew it almost immediately we made it a home. I've always loved the expression that love grows best in little houses and this one certainly helped our love to grow. We said goodbye to 401Bravo today but we take with us some wonderful memories.