Deployment Project for the Hubs

With the husband leaving for deployment soon I wanted to do something different.  Since he is on a submarine, communication is very limited.  Even though I email him 3-4x a day, I wanted to give him something more to read.  So I created this book for him.  

I thought the cover was just perfect for what he is about to go through.  I found this book on Amazon for about $17.

I made sure to include pictures.

Bible verses.  This is my favorite, of course. 

Song lyris and unlined the lyrics that were especially significant. 

Quotes

Love poems

I also wrote little letters for him in the book.  I really hope this helps him on deployment.  

What do you think?

Thanks for reading,

It's that time again..

This month went by way too quick.  I loved that hubby got to be home for a while, but it couldn't last forever.  The military is calling his name again.  He will only be gone for a few weeks but they always feel like a lifetime.  I don't know how I'll be able to manage his deployment soon after this underway.  He was even told that his boat has one of the most craziest schedules they've ever seen.  Hah.  Why am I not surprised..

Any of you a wife of a submariner?  I think being married to a submariner is much harder.  It isn't the same as a carrier or surface ship.  Theses men don't have as much freedom and communication is VERY minimal.  Just ask the other submarine wives.  Given my husband and I email each other daily, but it is up to a certain department when they want to send it out, which makes it very frustrating.  I have been on his boat and the space is small and limited.  I just can't imagine having him live there for even more than a week.

I'm trying to be strong that the has to go out to sea again and serve his country, but it is so tough.  I've gotten so spoiled having him home almost every single day.  Our daughter adores him.  Every day when he walks through the door from work, her face lights up like a Christmas tree and would keep saying "dada."  It really makes my heart melt.  I hope having him gone doesn't affect her too much.  We've recorded videos of them two together so I will play those for her every night.  It's just sad to see them apart.

Bleh, I just had to vent.  This is my life.  I cannot wait for him to get out.  Military life isn't all its cut out to be.  You get financial stability but you can never get back those days/months/years he missed out with his family...

Happy 10 Months, Princess!

Yesterday my babygirl turned 10 months. When she was a newborn I wished she would hurry up and get bigger so I could play with her more.  But now I wish she was still that tiny little girl I just gave birth time.  Time is moving so quick.  In no time she'll start to walk and talk in complete sentences.  

Other good news, hubby finally came home.  He left on when she turned 9 months so I'm happy he made it back in time for her 10 months.  

Thanks for reading, 

To go or not to go..

From what my husband is telling me via emails, there are rumors he will be gone again for a month around october/november-ish.  Originally, in october, he was just supposed to be gone for two weeks, home in time for his daughter's first birthday, then out again for a week.  I really liked that schedule just because he would be able to celebrate her birthday especially since he missed her birth last year.

Anyways, hearing that he might be gone for a month (I know it is not that long), my husband offered to send me back home to Hawaii.  With it just for a month I would not even think about going back, just to save money, but seeing that it is around the time of her birthday it would be nice to celebrate it with family and friends..  I am not sure what to do.  So I'll do a pro and con list.

Going to Hawaii
Pros:
Celebrating her first bday together
Get gifts/money to put in my daughter's college fund from the party
Spending time with family and friends
Will not be alone for a month
Parents will get to spend more time with my daughter

Cons:
Alyssa will be more fussy/difficult traveling since she is more active
Stressing out about planning her bday party (invitations, entertainment, guests)
Drama with family and friends
Spending $500+ on a plane ticket
Spending A LOT money hanging out with friends


Staying in SD
Cons:
I will be in my own home without parents telling me what to do
Be able to save more money
Hanging out with friends

Pros:
LONELY


I don't know what to do...  I just had to vent/let this out.

Thanks for reading,

I hate fast attack submarines!

So the navy has two different types of submarines: a boomer and fast attack.  For the boomers, they usually have a set schedule when they go in and out of sea.  Whereas the fast attack, you never know when they'll leave.  The schedule is ALWAYS changing.  I'm sure you can guess from my title that my husband is on a fast attack.  *sigh*  I really hate it when the Navy changes dates on us.  I know all I can do is just wait patiently for his return but it gets frustrating and lonely at times.  I just need to keep telling myself that we have five years left.

Update

Hey everyone.  Sorry for slacking with my personal blog.  I have been mainly focusing on my beauty blog and spending as much time as I could with my hubby while he was on land.  Today he left to go underway for about a month.  The first few days are always the hardest, but it will get better.  Today I had to drop him off at work around 7am.  Then once I got home he called me saying to come back and pick him up because he did not have to go in until 10am.  It was nice getting a few more hours with him even though saying goodbye again sucked.  Plus, today our babygirl turned 9 months so I am happy Alyssa was awake and got to play with her daddy for a bit this morning.

For this month that he is gone I already got a few things planned (many thanks to my fellow navy wives).  We have a lot of get togethers to pass the time by quickly.  Also, my family will be coming up to the mainland in two weeks.  I am excited for them because it will be my parents first time EVER to the mainland.  First they will be flying to Vegas with our other relatives to visit my cousin then road trip it up to me.  From SD, we will all drive to Bakersfield for a family reunion.  Once the reunion is done we will all split up. Dad will go back to Vegas with his siblings, Mom will come back with me to my place in SD then we will fly to Kansas to visit her siblings, and my brother will go to Florida with my cousins to go to DisneyWorld.

Thank goodness for family and friends!  <3

Happy Father's Day!

I really wish my husband was here to celebrate his first father's day but he's out serving his country right now.  I just wanted to wish my husband, dad, and dad-in-law a happy father's day.  As well as to your dads!  =)

Phone call!

Well, I didn't get my phone call yet but knowing that I'll get to talk to my husband real soon is making feel all giddy inside.  I saw a guy from his boat update his fb status, so thankfully that means they landed in their destination safely.  I can't wait to hear his voice.  And it'd be even more amazing if he has access to wifi so we could do facetime.  *fingers crossed*  That my most favorite feature of our iphones.  It beats have to lug around a laptop just we could video chat.  I know it's only been less than two months since I've talked to him but it really does feel like I've been waiting forever.  I can't imagine with six+ months will feel like..  But anyways, now to play the waiting game for my phone call.  I got my phone next to me at all times and on the highest volume possible.  =D

Thanks for reading,

Dinah

*Don't forget to also check out my 100 Followers Giveaway on my beauty blog*

(www.dgsbeauty.com/2011/06/dgsbeautys-100-followers-giveaway.html)

Halfway Through!

In about a month I'll finally get to see him again.  I can't wait.  And he just emailed me saying to expect a phone call in a few days!  If you see me, my phone will practically be glued to my hand because I will NOT miss that phone call.  I'm glad I've had my family and friends during this time.  They really help me out especially when I miss him so.  Just a few more years of this and he won't have to leave us anymore!  =)

Happy Memorial Day (2011)!

Today my daughter and I headed to the Navy Exchange and Pearlridge Mall to do some shopping.  This picture shows her first time sitting in a shopping cart.  I know it's nothing big, but I was a proud parent.  Haha.  I only wished my husband was here to share on all the "firsts" our daughter has been doing since he's been gone.  I understand it comes with the territory of being active duty but it does get depressing at times...

Anyways, I really wish I was able to celebrate today with my husband, but right now he's out there serving his country.  I just wanted to thank everyone who made blog posts for those in the military.  =)  I hope you all had a good Memorial Day. 

Target and Mail Drop

Tonight my friend and I headed to Target so I could get a few pictures developed.  To kill some time we walked around and I and I found these cute sandals for my daughter.  They were also having a BOGO sale!  I got a size 2 and 3 since my daughter will most likely get bigger pretty quick.  They're so cute and I love that they're pink!  

Anywho, the pictures I got developed at Target took less than an hour.  Now that I got the pictures I'm all set to get my husband's envelope ready.  Sometimes when they are underway us wives/girlfriends have a "mail drop."  That's basically getting to send our husband's an 8x11" envelope filled with letters, pictures, etc.  My husband requested a fitness and money magazine along with new pictures of his daughter and I.  Since Father's day is coming up and he'll still be gone I decided to throw in his first Father's day card.  I'll also include a letter.  I'm so excited to get this done and send it to our Ombudsman back in SD so she can sent it off to the boat.  I'm glad that he'll get to see pictures of his daughter standing, eating new foods, etc.  He misses out on so many things being in the Navy.  But I'm gonna do my best to keep him up to date on everything going on in our life.  

Emails!

I love getting an email from my husband almost every single day.  A lot of the other wives rarely get emails  so I feel very lucky and blessed to have such a loving husband.  I know he doesn't have much free time so it means a lot that he tries to sneak an email or two to me each day.  I can't wait to see the love of my life again.  <333

Feeling so sad...

It's only been 2 weeks since my husband left, but I'm starting to feel depressed.  Usually I'm fine especially when I come back to HI to have my support system with me.  But I guess I'm just sad because of their schedule this year and next.  They'll constantly be out to sea..  I know he joined before we got together and all these sacrifices we make is so he could give our daughter and I the best.  But I'd give anything to just be able to have him home everyday.  I don't care how much I would have to work just so we'd get the same income as we do now.  We just have a few more years of this and he'll be free.  Idk I'm just being emo.  Hopefully I'm done crying for today.  He tried cheering me up wishing us a happy monthsary.  But still.  It's tough because a navy wife..

Back to "paradise"

So my daughter and I came back to Hawaii today.  It is nice being w/ my family again b/c they help A LOT with Alyssa.  Also, I love that my friends are just 10 minutes away.  But I hate that I'm away from my husband.  I'm getting use to the navy life, but it never gets easier being a part for my best friend.  I also noticed that Hawaii NEVER changes.  Everything and everyone is still the same.  It's a love-hate relationship.  I just gotta make the best out of it.

'Sanity Fund'

So at the pre-deployment meeting my husband's boat hosted a few weeks back they talked bout the "sanity fund."  I was intrigued when I heard it because I wasn't really sure what that fund was for.  Apparently it's a fund for wives/girlfriends to use while their significant others are away.  Let's face it, when your partner is gone, you get lonely and bored.  The only way to keep busy is to either go out or find a hobby, which usually results in money being spent.  I told myself I would save money while my husband was away, but I found myself making little purchases here and there.  Whoever thought of this fund is genius.  Although I have bought a few things, I'm proud of myself for not spending more.

I love my sailor

Everyday I thank God for bringing my husband to me.  Being new to the military life, it is hard to adjust.  My husband fights for our nation's freedom, but yet he has no freedom for himself.  I also fear that our baby girl won't remember her father when she gets older.  But I know that's the sacrifices he has to make for joining the Navy.

I understand that his job is not easy and it takes up a lot of his time.  When they are underway, we promised to email each other every single day even if it's just a one sentence email.  I've met other wives and sailors who say that they rarely email their significant other because they don't have much time in the day.  This makes me very grateful to have such a wonderful guy.  His emails helps bring a smile to my face and reminds me that I'm one day closer to seeing him again.

Submarine Teething Toy

The wives gave my daughter this cute toy since her daddy is on a submarine.  =)

I love my navy wives

So my husband is in the navy and we got stationed in San Diego about a year ago.  Whenever he goes to sea I'll always run back home b/c I'm too scared and paranoid to stay here alone.  But this time my husband is gone for about a month.  I feel very proud of myself b/c I stayed in SD with my daughter.  I told myself if he's gone for less than 3 months I'll stay here and if it's for longer I'll fly back to Hawaii.  I know this seems like no big deal, but for me it is.  I'm new to the navy life so it's taking me a while to get use to it.  I'm also thankful for the other wives/girlfriends on my husband's boat.  They're a good group of ladies  We've all had get togethers so it could help pass the time by quickly and let us have fun.

Yesterday we had our monthly FRG (Family Readiness Group) meeting.  We talked about events to do after the guys leave for 3 months.  Things to do this coming weekend and more.  I love my girls.  I can't imagine how I would've gotten through this month without them.  <333