Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Christmas jammies


We were in RI for Christmas Eve with my family( I got the cutest red pea coat from my mom- pictures to follow!) and trucked up to Maine on Christmas morning. We are still in Maine but wanted to post the family in our Christmas jammies.


#1 Christmas RULE in Maine: No opening presents until you're in your matching Christmas jammies!


left to right top: Maggie(lil sister), Bryon(Maggie's bf), and Ryan(lil bro)
middle: Riley(youngest bro), Joe(he's mine!), Dani(Thomas's wife)
bottom: Me and Thomas(lil bro)


Happy Holidays!

Love- Samantha and Joe


Monday, December 24, 2007

A Christmas post

Just got home from work and was thinking about the people who have duty today and tomorrow. Someone has to be there all the time and here is a great poem about Christmas on a sub.

A Submarine Christmas Poem

T'was the night before Christmas, he lived in a crowd,
In a 40 man berthing, with shipmates so loud.
I had come down the Sail with presents to give,
And to see just who in this rack did live.
I looked all about, a strange sight did I see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stockings were hung, just poopy-suit close at hand,
On the bulkhead hung pictures of far distant land.
He had medals and badges and awards of all kinds,
But one in particular seem to catch my eye.
Why they were Dolphins, with a tiny submarine ... pinned on with pride,
A sobering thought came into my mind.
For this place was different, it was so dark and dreary,
I had found the house of a Submarine Sailor once I could see clearly.
The Sailor lay sleeping, silent and alone,
Curled up in his rack, dreaming of home.
The face was so gentle, the berthing in such good order,
Not how I pictured a United States Submarine Sailor.
Was this the hero whom I saw on TV?
Defending his country so we all could be free.
I realized the families that I've seen this night,
Owed their lives to these Submarine Sailors who were willing to fight.
Soon 'round the world, the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate a new Christmas Day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of the Sailor, like the one lying here.
I couldn't help but wonder how many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas Eve on a sea, far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.
The Sailor awakened and I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, for this life is my choice."
Defend the seas this day,
So others may rejoice.
The Sailor rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours so silent, so still,
And we both shivered from the night's cold chill.
I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark night,
This Guardian of Honor, so willing to fight.
Then the Sailor rolled over and with a voice soft and pure,
Whispered, "Carry on Santa, it's Christmas Day,
All is Secure!!"

Happy Holidays and remember how lucky we are to be home with family for them.
-Joe

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Breaking myself back in....

Joe has duty again today- Which just means he left this morning around 6:30AM and he'll return sometime tomorrow morning around 8:30-9:00AM. This is a gift, normally ( they are on stand down for the holidays ) he wouldn't return until his work day was completed tomorrow.


I find myself sad..I've been moping around the house since he left this morning. I think I have to break myself back into NAVY life-or more important submarine life. My favorite NAVY wife friend (and I'm not saying that to say it... she's an amazing Navy wife and I have no idea what I would do without out-or how much harder this upcoming deployment would have been for me if I didn't happen to have her in my life) once told me that when she visited her husband during his very long deployment on the 1/2 trip that it almost wasn't worth it because it made it harder to re-adjust when she got home. She told me that it was a lot like he just left again. At the time that sounded very odd to me- She got to spend nearly a week with her husband who had been gone over three months in GREECE. I couldn't imagine not wanting to go visit Joe after missing him for 12-18 weeks. Now I know completely what she meant. It's not that I would take the wonderful time back that we had these last four weeks(or that given another chance she wouldn't drop everything to go to Greece)- but oh is it going to make these next few weeks tough. To top it off...Joe will be leaving to go underway soon....a long underway. *sigh*


I found this quote and just love it:


"Bless those who serve beneath the deep, Through lonely hours their vigil keep. May peace their mission ever be, Protect each one we ask of thee. Bless those at home who wait and pray, For their return by night or day."-Rev. Gale Williamson

Happy Holidays! -Samantha

P.S I am posting pictures in some of the old posts- I finally figured out how! YAY!! Feel free to scan back through the posts to see some neat pictures!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

New Tradition.. and some crazy stuff

Well its that time of the year, you know when you have to run around shopping in crazy places with TONS of people who have forgotten how to drive and common courtesy no longer seems to exist, all so you can buy the newest craziest gift for the people you love... or maybe not love so much. That to me is the not nice part about the holiday, for me the chance to be home and with my family is the true reason for the season. That is even more true this year with my Dad being home and my brother being away in the Army. I am now also blessed to have someone new in my family, in fact we are starting another off shoot here in CT, Samantha and I are starting our own family here ( don't worry no one is a grandparent..... yet.......... or anytime soon).

We decided last night that we needed to start some our own traditions, so we talked about the ones we both had in our own family's ; presents on Christmas eve, PJs to sleep in, the Christmas mouse present... and we decided that we needed one of our own-So we have now decreed that Dec 21 is , "Give the gift you think the other person will get the biggest kick out of" day. It's kind of a way to stop waiting and give that gift you know they will love and the one you can't wait to give them!

So.. I gave Samantha a Lego set, for you all know that Sam's so crazy about money that she would never buy some stupid toy for herself when we could be saving. Even if its really cool and has a fish with glow in the dark teeth, no matter how much she wants to play with those toys and arrange them on her desk, she would never get it-but you should see the way she looks at them ever time we are in the store. Its a good gift to her from me, it's a way for me to remind her to lighten up and enjoy, everything does not have to be practical.

Time for a little back ground before this story continues. For Christmas we set a limit on how much we were going to spend on the other person, in fact Sam asked me all the time how I was doing and reminded me not to go crazy and get anything big and to track the spending and how we really should pay off bills and on and on and on. I can tell you to the cent how much I have left to spend and why I have to wait until right before Christmas for it to go on sale and get ink for the printer to print out coupons to get a few more things. Well I, me the crazy spender stayed in budget and was not over at all. So when I asked her about her budget she said she was 2 dollars over. No big deal now she can't get mad that I was not counting shipping costs or tax. So she gave her gift to me that she thought I would get the biggest kick out of.......
THE KINDLE!!!!!

http://www.kindle.com/

OK some of you may not know, but this is the new hot topic for readers everywhere, its a e-book reader that you can get books straight to the kindle from Amazon.com. It also holds a ton of books, and surfs the web in text and all sorts of things, check it out on the web site, or in Newsweek (http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983) . Anyway I have been talking about getting one since I first read the article on the plane home from Aruba. Only problem is that they are sold out, in a big way. They retail for $395.00. Because they are sold out and not available until after Christmas... they were going on e-bay for $700-1300!!!

Sam had been trying to get me one and had told me that she just couldn't do it, she told me she was sorry she wanted to get me one but couldn't spend that kind of money, which I agreed with. Though secretly I wanted one bad. Well she found a way to get one, and I am truly amazed by it. It is one of the most thoughtful gifts that I have ever received, and while the device itself is a modern marvel and I know I will get lots of use out of it, that is not what I feel most about it. The fact that she went though all the trouble to get it and that she cares so much for me to do that amazes me. Every time I am underway or deployed(the reason she claims she was able to go over the limit) and use the Kindle, I will be thinking of her, and knowing how much she cares. In the act of giving she has distilled what is so important about the holidays, that spirit of love, togetherness and belonging that can only come from family. Caring for each other the best we can everyday. We have our ups and downs but at the end of the day no matter where we are, we are still family.

-Joe

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Whoa - December!


We know, We know....We KNOW! - We need to update.... so... here it is:

I left my job at Keystone(Yay-no more 1.5 hour drives!) ....and Joe had 28 days on LEAVE - Oh... pure joy. Today he actually went back to work...and had duty. He told me during breakfast that I looked like someone shot my dog. I felt like someone shot my dog. We had the chance to enjoy each other for the last four weeks- It was very enjoyable, much needed and....as relaxing as Joe and Samantha could possibly make it. So, what did we do you ask:

First - We enjoyed Thanksgiving in Maine with Joe's family- Joe's dad wasn't home from the hospital- but his mom's work donated a whole lot of food for all of us to eat. Riley and Maggie ( Joe's siblings ) added desserts and appetizers- whew was I full. I got to try out the famous fruit salad too - yummy! Thomas ( Joe's brother ) and Dani ( Joe's sister-in-law ) joined us as well. With our tummy's full and our car packed with luggage we headed to Boston on good ole Turkey day. We stayed the night there, left our car...but took our luggage and headed to...*drum roll please* ARUBA for a week. We stayed at the most beautiful time share resort there-(When we figure out how to post pictures, we will ) and enjoyed ourselves by soaking up the sun, reading books, eating at five start restaurants and floating around the resorts lazy river. We also did a whole lot of nothing- and it was great. While we were on this great vacation we found out (via email) that Joe's dad was coming home!!!! It's been a long journey for the whole family- and we were ultra excited that all of our wishes were about to come true- Christmas together!

So.... we came home to a huge mess - Oh, right... I left that part out- we got tenants in the RI house- and had to move all the furniture and remaining boxes in a matter of a few days before our trip to Maine. Our living room was full of furniture- People were in and out picking up(buying) furniture and/or appliances our first few days back. Joe and I spent our time reading and unpacking.... reading... and organizing... whew! What a mess.... and a lot of work.... after there was some sort of order in our house....we jetted off to Illinois to visit my family. Well... jetted isn't the right word.... we .... *gasp* DROVE. Our GPS took us straight there- with a few stops for gas, a short over night stay and a quick movie(We had to see Golden Compass-it had come out that day!- and we're reading the series right now). Most people think it's great that we are still together after our crazy drive- but we actually had fun. We packed snacks, we downloaded audio books on the GPS and we listened to a lot of Country music. ( Joe claims that I am a "Fire Cracker" - Listen to the country song to see if you agree- We heard it over 20 times on our trip! ). We did a lot of visiting and a lot of shopping- Oh and Joe got to have his FIRST experience with Portillos- Chicago Italian beef- yum,yum! Due to storms and REALLY bad weather- we drove home straight avoiding all of the horrible weather by about 45 minutes. Whew!

When we got home- I started my new job. Well kind of. Most of you know I work for an amazing company called Making It Count. I have the pleasure of presenting enriching presentations all over the US to High School and College students. This job is my dream job- but it's also only contract work. Due to my job at Keystone- I was turning down a lot of speeches because I only had so much VK/Sick time banked. I knew I needed to find a job that was flexible- and one that would supplement our income - and I did! I am the proud nanny of two beautiful girls - Regan (2.5) and Sadie(4 months). I am with them for three 11 hour days. I am lucky because the other two days they are with each set of grandparents. I can switch if I have presentations- best of both worlds. The extra income is great to fall back on right now but... best of all- they offered my flexibility- so, problem solved. The girls are a lot of fun. Sadie is a great baby. Regan is a high spirited, high energy cutie - and we are going to get along great. I had a few trial days with them and mom while she is still on maternity leave this month. My official start date is Jan 07. I'm still babysitting for beautiful Ava (and soon to be born Emma) because I'm still in that area on the weekend. I'll be in Ohio for another training for MIC Jan 04-06. It's for two scripts actually and I'm pumped. Having this time off have really given me the opportunity to get the scripts down well. No worrying this time!

Other then that... we've just finished organizing the house and rooms. We re-did the entire office upstairs and it looks great. We goofed off and played our interactive web games. We had an entire day where we didn't get out of our PJ's at all! We also put up our tree and Christmas lights outside. I got to learn about one AWESOME thing about living in Quakerhill - the fire truck comes around all LIT up and has speakers with music and everything. Santa gets off of it and visits houses with kids. It's so cute- and I was so excited. Joe and I watched them from our windows for quite a while.

... so my blissful days of "kiss tolls" and silliness are over. And I find myself a bit sad at the moment...

Happy Holidays
Love-Samantha

Monday, November 5, 2007

November... already?


Well... Can you believe it- November already.

Joe and I spent the weekend in Maine ( Joe can blog about that later... when he figures out how to post the pictures of the AWESOME Jack-O-Lanterns we carved on Halloween night ). Oh- and guess what.... WE GOT TRICK OR TREATERS - I was sooooo excited. Joe feigned excitement for my benefit every time the door bell rang- he gets extra bonus points for that.

I made a big pot of chili last night- which came out quite good. We watched the transformers movie ( correction: Joe watched the transformer movie while Samantha slept on the couch ). We're waiting for wood that we ordered(already seasoned) to get delivered early this week. I can't wait to come home to regular fires in the evenings. Joe is really great about getting the house extra toasty by the time I get home. He usually even has cider or tea brewing. I am a lucky girl. I should also take this opportunity to mention how great the coffee he brews in the morning is. When he was gone, I didn't have coffee once- I didn't want to compete.

Well...time to sign off.....Joe should update soon
Samantha

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Sam wasn't mad.....

I was shocked. I was trying to kill time( getting gas, driving by etc... ) waiting for him to get home first. He even left a box outside, so I thought he wasn't there... I go walking in the house(the house that has no gnomes or Elvis pictures) tie my "Welcome Home" balloon to the chair and start to turn around when I hear... " Hey baby.."Pure joy swept my body. My arms were around him in a flash. And for the first time in over a month- I relaxed.

Joe was craving a big greasy burger-so we headed to Ruby Tuesdays..then stopped at Best Buy to get the transformers movie that Joe wanted and then back home. We were in bed and sleeping by 9:00pm. I had to drag my butt to work this morning ( 1:20 drive there, 1:20 drive back - add that to an 8 hour day..... We're talking almost 11 hours ) - While Joe stayed home. Not fun. Not fun. Not fun. He did get up and make breakfast and lunch while I got ready. This afforded us extra snuggle time early in the morning. Good deal for all parties involved. I called around noon to hear a very sleepy Joe voice say hello. Joe NEVER never never NEVER sleeps past 7:00AM- I know he was dead tired to be sleeping until noon. I found the sleeping thing a little amusing since earlier this morning he had big plans for all these things ( get fire wood, cash in the change jar on base, ATM stop,...etc) he was going to do- to which I replied...just relax. I guess he decided to listen. I'm glad.

...So he's home. He's home. He's home. I'm excited. He's excited. We're very excited. Did I mention that I'm excited? What's next for us? Carving pumpkins tonight, A much needed trip to Maine this weekend to visit the family and then we're hoping to make it to the Toys for Tots charity "run" (motorcycle run) on Sunday with Pete & Sue- and some of our other biker buds. It will be our last time on the bike for a long time- Joe will be deployed(my least favorite word) next summer.

Oh... Happy Halloween. As you might be able to tell- mine is very very very Happy.

Love Samantha

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Joe gets home lets see how mad Sam is



Well the great thing about this is that I am now at home, for a while I hope. I got to read about all the things Sam has been doing while I was away and low and behold, she was eating crappy. Thanks a lot Pete and Sue for feeding her and sending her on her way with more. I would like to thank you all for the support and help with the two house thing, I know she was stressed about that.


The reason for the post is that I just called her to say we were running late and I didn't know when I would be home but it would be after her, except here I am at home showered and rested ready to surprise her. She sometimes take those kind of jokes the wrong way.


I will admit that I was a little worried, she sent me an email saying that she had cleaned the house and purchased a new welcome mat and " a few other things that you will see when you come in" Let me tell you when you are out in the middle of nowhere and some one says the got a few things you will see but not telling you what they are you get these crazy visions of velvet Elvis paintings and lawn gnomes, well I did any way, it may have been the sonar going off that gave me all those bad dreams but I was a tad worried as I pulled up. Except the outside looked normal so all good so far, then I open the door and there is this huge welcome home sign, how cool is that? This is in addition to working like crazy, moving a ton of stuff and traveling all over the place. Who is this crazy girl that I am in love with and where the heck did she come from? I mean I am not nearly deserving of all that. I hope she knows how proud I am of her for that and for all the hard work she has put into this and where it's going. I was worried about being away and what that would mean, looks like she was right (please don't tell her I said that, she never lets me live it down, although if she starts to brag about it to you ask her how the GPS is doing) she did very well. In all honesty she did better then me. I was all worried about what was going on and there was nothing I could do about it. Now I am home and soon we get to spend a few days together, I can't wait. Little does she know I have the day off tomorrow... so for the first time in like 3 months, I get to watch her get up for work and me get to sleep in. Who am I kidding? I will be up with her making coffee and breakfast.

-Joe

Monday, October 29, 2007

World Series Champs!

After earning their second World Series title in four years last night with a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, the talk has now turned to a possible Red Sox dynasty...Wow... It's a great time to be a New England sports fan! Even our PATS are unstoppable.

I e-mailed our World Series news to Joe first thing this morning. I know he'll be excited. I think he had packed his.." I route for two teams- The Red Sox and whoever is playing the Yankees" shirt. I told him he should wear it to bed tonight.

I have a head cold today. I'm congested and stuffy. I have the worst headache-right between my eyes.- I was kind of under the weather all weekend. Today has been the worst. I'm hoping to feel better soon.

Special thanks to Robin and Liz for help with the RI house on Sunday morning. We tackled the kitchen and living room. Packing it all up and my mom and I drove it to CT. Phew! A lot of work. I would like to mention that Robin entertained at her house until 2:00am the previous night and Liz is pregnant. Thanks girls! Also- Thank you Mom and Alicia for all the help in the CT house on Sunday afternoon/night. I appreciate every one's help and support while Joe is away. I know he appreciates it too.

*yawn* I'm exhausted......

xoxo Samantha

Friday, October 26, 2007

2 down! Go Sox

It's a great time to be part of RED SOX NATION. I get up in the morning and send Joe articles from our wins! I hope he's enjoying the "news".

Things have been good. I had the pleasure of joining Sue and Pete (CT neighbors) for dinner on Wednesday night. What a treat! I left with a full tummy and bags of food for the fridge and freezer. I've already started to defrost the chicken noodle soup that looks so yummy! It was a night well needed- Away from the obsessiveness of checking email. I got a chance to just relax. They have no idea how much I appreciated their hospitality. They aren't just neighbors-they're family. It's great to have family in Connecticut.

I have a busy weekend ahead of me. On Sunday Robin(she's such an amazing friend) offered to help me clean out the RI house. If anyone would like to join us- we're planning to be there from 10:00AM to 2:00PM. We would love company and help. I would really appreciate it. I have to get the house ready for tenants. My mom is going to come back to Connecticut with me to help me organize that mess. Anyone in Connecticut who wants to stop by sometime after 3:00- We'd love to see you!

I miss Joe. In a big way. *sigh*
Love to you all - Samantha

Monday, October 22, 2007

Red Sox! Red Sox! Red Sox!

Let’s go Red Sox… Let’s go Red Sox !!! After digging out of a 3-0 hole against the Yankees in the '04 ALCS, the Red Sox needed three straight wins to advance this time. The Rockies, who have won 10 in a row and 21 of 22, will come back from a record eight days off. It was worth staying up to watch the Red Sox as they poured out of the dugout for their first playoff winning a little bit tonight to celebrate. Having rallied from a 3-1 deficit against Cleveland, the Red Sox now play the Colorado Rockies starting the World Series on Wednesday night in Boston.

I sent a play by play of the game to the boat for Joe- I hope he gets the “news” first and gets to spread the highlights to everyone! He mentioned in an email that they had some “water” problems earlier in the trip- No showers for 3-4 days- Imagine how smelly that sub was! He indicated that this problem has since been fixed. Seems like he is in good spirits and able to get some sleep here and there. He’s enjoying the brainteasers that I sent him with and recently started on a wood cube that took him 1.5 hours to complete on his first try. I bought all of the brainteasers from a website called www.bitsandpieces.com . That website is full of great brainteasers for Joe- all perfect for passing time on a sub.

Looking forward to having a home cooked meal at Pete and Sue’s house later this week. They are our wonderful neighbors in Connecticut- I have gone through a case of ramen noodles during this underway. Not for lack of cooking skills (although I lack them…) but more for lack of time. I have been so busy working, dealing with the two houses, emailing…etc etc etc. There are plenty of people who would feed me – My parents, Robin & Greg, Lizzie…. Anyway- I saved some grocery money- and lost a few pounds, so I’m happy but totally looking forward to Wednesday night.

So…Let’s go Red Sox….
xoxoxo -Samantha

Saturday, October 20, 2007

I found PUMPKINS

Hello Weekend!

I spent last night at Alicia’s house on base. We had an enjoyable evening watching movies. She even cooked-which was lovely because my belly is complaining about Joe’s absence more then anyone. I normally get home after Joe to wonderful dinner smells wafting through the house. I start making lunches and set the table while he finishes dinner. He is known to make mashed potatoes (my favorite) more then once a week. I am a lucky gal. I’ve been eating a whole lot of ramen lately. Saving some money and it’s easy- I’m so strapped for time! I even traded my ramen noodle lunch for Marilia’s salad at work on Friday. What a deal. Everyone is helping me out! A special thank-you to Robin for the (snail mail) card I received yesterday. Those things mean the world to me.

On my way to work today (Dad’s showroom in Smithfield) – I spotted a farm selling pumpkins. I just bought a pumpkin carving set yesterday and was wondering where I would find some nice pumpkins. I thought carving them would be a nice treat! - Now I know! I’m psyched and prepared to make a stop there on my way out of here.

In other news- I’ve been working on finishing up Joe’s curtain (Rat Pack). I really need a sewing machine for Christmas (hint hint Mom). So far it looks really cute- thankfully Joe doesn’t mind that kind of sappy stuff. I found some great patches and cute little sayings to sew on the inside -that only he sees. I am going to put it in his Halloween bucket. I have decided that he may not be here for A LOT of holidays- but the holiday fun will not be ruined for me. So… he will have to open gifts later. I am a big HOLIDAY celebrator (Thanks to my mom!)… so his felt Halloween pumpkin bag is almost filled with all kinds of silly stuff- and this Curtain thingy is the last touch.

Time to run some errands!

Take care!
Thanks for all the love and support
Samantha

Friday, October 19, 2007

Kisses flying everywhere!

………*Drum roll* please- After over a week without e-mail….. I got e-mail! A bunch of them! YAY- I’m was so excited. I was a little sad because one of them said he hadn’t gotten e-mail in a few days. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? I’ve written every day (sometimes more then once a day). Doesn’t he assume that I’m writing e-mail and they just aren’t getting to the boat in an orderly timely fashion?!?? Have a little faith in me- Joe. Geesh! His saving grace was that one of the emails was EXTREMELY cute. See- we have all these types of kisses. And you can *gasp* send them over the phone, on email, across a room etc(you get the picture). He sent me an entire email full of all kinds of kisses.

You should have seen them flying around the house this morning! I’ll be smiling all week trying to catch them all. Oh- and he reminded me… I have to watch out…. There are nibble kisses (they can be scary) hidden in all the other kisses.

This might sound REALLY stupid to most of you – and that’s okay…because we think it’s hilarious. And all of you non-believers…watch out… we’ll fill your house with them!

xoxoxo
Samantha

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Home sweet home

I'm back. Tampa was an interesting trip. I got in at midnight last night to go get my rental car- where I learned a VERY important lesson. You can not rent a car with an expired license. I just had my birthday and didn't notice it was expired. I found a shuttle to the hotel(thankfully) and then spent most of the next hour calling every cab place in Tampa to find the best deal to the school and then to the airport in the morning. *sigh* Only me.

Anyway- Presentation went well. The kids enjoyed it. All 450 of them-rowdy group... but they were listening to people speak for over four hours. I was the last speaker. BEFORE lunch. Enough said. I do love my job though. What a difference we are making!

I'm exhausted. Traveling makes you so tired. On the plane, off the plane... on the plane off the plane.. and you're at the MERCY of the layover plane being on time. Long few days. I have to get some laundry going and heat up something for dinner.... and get to bed- Gotta get up for work tomorrow!

I miss Joey. A lot. *double sigh*

xoxo
Samantha

Monday, October 15, 2007

My turn to be home alone!

Now I am home alone! What a bummer this weekend was – bad,bad,bad timing! As Joe mentioned- I appreciate all of the love and support! A special shout out to Liz who kept me extra calm while I was in the airport, you all have to realize- that was a complete adult moment for me. The little kid in me wanted to turn around and leave Logan (Boston) airport and head back home to Joe- but the “big kid” in me knew I had made a commitment to my job and had to go on the business trip. Oh and I felt really bad- because the three things (the only things) I like about Joe being away is that :

1. I can save money on groceries- I get all of his favorite food including a lot of “fresh” things that tend to be expensive when he’s home.
2. I don’t have to make the bed! Why make it when you are going to get back into it is my opinion. Joey likes the bed made when he gets home- and since I usually leave after him and he gets home before me… I take the extra five minutes to make the bed when he’s home.
3. I do the laundry. When Joe’s home- I bring it upstairs and put it away- When Joe’s not home… I leave it on the breakfast nook table and get dressed in the morning down there. (This may not work in the winter- but it was bringing me great joy so far)

So… You can imagine that after I got over the part about me not being home when he’s home- I realized… the poor thing was going home to laundry on the breakfast nook table( A lot of it ), an unmade bed and NO groceries! What kind of woman was I? So then I cried on the phone about that… “I’m such a bad… ” – You get the picture. What an emotional few hours that was! I don’t know what got into me- I just couldn’t stop myself

In other news- I DID CERTIFY! My first presentation with this program which is called “Making your money count” (There are a lot of programs that you can certify on to present with this company) is on Wednesday in Florida. This program is for Juniors and Seniors in High School. I leave on Tuesday evening. The training group I was with was pretty amazing- they really cheered me up! We were such a small group the training/feedback/coaching portion of the training was top notch since we got so much individual attention. It’s always great to be with an amazing group of speakers- and I was blessed all weekend with that!

I did come home to homemade “Joe videos” on the computer, which made me cry (Thanks Joe). I’m really excited though because I was calling his cell phone to listen to his voice this previous trip- and now I don’t have to! In addition to hearing his voice- I get to see him too! Oh- and the robe (my jamma gram from Joe last week) is so comfortable- I used it all weekend- always a lot of late nights and early mornings on training weekends….

Well….. That’s all for now…. With my luck.. Joe will be home for a few hours on Tuesday night… When I am in the airport again…

Friday, October 12, 2007

Joe comes home.... to an empty house

First I wanted to say hello to everyone, this post is from Joe, the taller part of Samantha and Joe. I am also the one that doesn't get to post very much because despite all the recent advances in technology you still cant read the Internet from greater then 400 feet under water. Second I want to say thank you to every one who is providing support to Samantha, there are many times where I can't be here and she needs all the love and support she can get from family and friends and that means a lot to me that you are all helping. Now some of you may be wondering why I am posting and the meaning of the title. Well the nature of my job means that I don't have a very good schedule, so planning anything is not really possible, much to the dismay of Sam. This is a great example of it, I came home for a day, unannounced. Normally this would be a great surprise, EXCEPT this is the day Sam flies out for her certification in Ohio. So you can picture this: Me walking off the pier calling her and she says ' Oh my God!where are you?" and I get to answer in the little kid excited voice " I'm home where are you?' to find out she's at the airport boarding the plane as we speak. That kind of rules out the running down the concourse for one last kiss idea I had in my mind. So rather then a night spent snuggled up with her, I am here at a big empty house eating oatmeal. This is a major case of turning the tables, I am not normally the one left behind and I must say it sucks! So now I have a better idea about what its like on her end. To make matters worse I get to leave again before she comes home.

I would like to say to Tony and Judie I can't wait to get those new cubes and thank you very much in advance, they provide no end of entertainment. It's the simple things in life that can bring the most pleasure. We have come to the conclusion on the boat that the stick people are a lot like us, stuck in a box or big metal tube in our case and are trying to pass the time until we can get home. The one good thing about being here is that at least I can talk to her when she gets off the plane. Which should be soon. Thank you all again.
Joe

Pajama Gram!

.....Guess what I got this morning? …… a PAJAMA GRAM. It was this beautiful blue round box with a gorgeous lilac robe inside. It’s so warm and comfortable. Joe timed it perfectly because I received it before my trip to Ohio this weekend (which I am so nervous & anxious about)! Anyway- it really came at a perfect time- I needed that extra smile this morning. The note from Joe that accompanied the gift brought tears to my eyes. I can’t believe how lucky I am.

In other news- My Ohio certification for “Making your money count” is this weekend. I am so unprepared- and I know it. I just didn’t have enough time to prepare for this. I was worried about getting Joe off… and making sure everything in both houses is all set… and working fulltime at my other job. I’m kicking myself today-but I couldn’t keep myself awake at night this week to properly prepare. I’m going to review and try to get some more of it down during lunch today. I will do the best that I can- I’m just extra nervous because this was a special pilot program. Only 8 of us (Out of 250) got asked to do it. My last certification had 70 people-A LOT easier to hide if you are "middle of the pact". Anyway- I’m trying to think positive- they picked me for a reason…right? I have my lunch and the flights to read and re-read- I can do this. I really wish Joe were here- he always makes me feel better when I am worried, stressed or upset. He always remains so calm. I’ll be okay though. I’ll get through it. Send some positive energy my way this weekend! I’ll be training all weekend but the actual certification is 9:15-11:00 on Sunday.

Thanks for all the love, support and prayers for a safe return home!
Love-Samantha

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Wonderful Morning

I...*drum roll please* woke up to an e-mail this morning. I really feel so lucky. It was #4- which is odd because I never received #3 from him. We really should have had an in depth conversation about this numbering thing. I'm wondering if he got my #3- and then thought he should write #4- or if it's normal to get e-mails out of order. E-mail is so unreliable to the boat.... Anyway... I wanted to share a small portion of his e-mail:

The cards are great I get to read them when I gt up and share the facts of the day with other people. As for the cubes they have caused quite a stir, thats really cool that those people saw the blog I wonder if they would be willing to send those and other toys to use here on the boat, it would be great for guys to have something to play with.

So... if those cube inventors(or any other toy/book people) are out there- I'd be happy to help facilitate any donations made to Joe's ship- there are 120 of them... in need of toys. I'm sure Joe's four cubes... are the envy!

I thought I would share this part too....since it's so Joe- and soooo all the guys on his boat:

Other then that not much... the guys are teasing me about what the words are to the canadian national anthem, thats a joke that I am canadian, not french, I had to tell them I know the words to the french national athem though, then I gave them the finger.

Anyway...I'm up early to study more for this weekend...so I should get to it. Let me know if you hear from my favorite sailor.
Much Love!
Samantha

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

He remembered to number!

I am so very blessed today! I got my second e-mail-and it was much longer then the first. He did want me to share this part with everyone:

Tell everyone I said hello.

Man of many many many words! The funny thing is... (wait let me back up a minute..) I sent Joe off with note cards ( That I found on sale- of course the sale part doesn't matter because I went to every Hallmark in RI and then the Hallmark.com website and I am the proud owner of over 700 of these note cards in all different colors-but they are PERFECT ) : http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product%7C10001%7C10051%7C629390%7C-2;88564;115052;159568%7C%7CP1R2SO%7Cproducts
Anyway- I sent him off with those- enough for as many days as he will be away. I themed this bunch.. "Facts of the day". On one side- I wrote two or three very silly uneducational(in most cases) facts- On the other side I would write about them... and add in any other additional thoughts and sign off....now I started doing these more then a month ago(I've even started the next batch-"Joke of the Day") OK.. so back to the funny thing...his e-mail was about a fact that he read... and I have NO IDEA what he is talking about. He's going on and on about how he loves that there are two sinks in the master bedroom..... Silly. I was kind enough not to reply...." What are you talking about?? "

Special shout out to Alicia- for keeping me sane mid-day today. I was very confused about these confirmation e-mails I was getting from his boat- But she sorted me all out. Her husband Drew is on a different sub then Joe- and I wish him(and his sub) a safe return back home.

Much Love to everyone!
Samantha

I got an e-mail - yayayayayay

Hello everyone!

I was up early this morning practicing my new presentation for my certification in Ohio this weekend- I thought I would check my e-mail. In my mind... since 11:00 last night... he could have written.....and.... I was right! He did. One line....(which I'll be happy to share with you - since it's neither personal or detailed... ) :

Just wanted to say hi and that I love you and cant wait to come home.
LoveJoe

I think he may have forgotten that we were going to number the titles- to see if we're getting all the emails we are sending to each other.... there goes that idea!

Anyway- I was so excited... and a whole bunch of other emotions- I had to post.
Let me know if you hear from my favorite sailor!

God Bless
Samantha

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Here.....we..... go!

We thought we would keep a blog of our crazy military ‘sub’ life for our families and close friends. It’s going to be my journal (of sorts) for Joe when he’s away- and his special retreat to family and friends when he’s in port or at home-He is always looking for a little piece of home. Leave your comments, thoughts, well wishes for him to read when he comes back! Please don’t ask me about specific dates for departures/arrivals. I usually don’t know- and when I do, I can’t tell you. Joe is in the “secret service”- SUBMARINES (let me take a quick moment to tell you how proud I am of him- he makes so many sacrifices so that all of us can have our freedom) and we put his life and the other amazing men on his sub in danger even when we may just be speculating. Please keep the name of his sub and any movement dates off this blog. You’ll see a lot of vague blogs concerning dates/places… please understand! Ok- the disclaimer portion of this blog is over…read on!

So…he’s underway- I’m in full “keep myself busy” mode. He got a few new toys before he left at Target. His new favorite- “Cube World”. You can check them out at: http://www.radicagames.com/cubeworld/index.php Cube World is a complex community of digital people who live in boxes. They each have their own behavior set. The boxes they live in have magnetic contacts on four sides (conduits) so that they might connect with other Cube World stick people. When connected they interact with one another in amazing ways- they visit each other in the other cubes, they fight, they talk, they play! He has series 1: Slim, Dodger, Scoop and Whip. They have been a huge hit on the boat- and I think they will provide him with hours of amusement. I was a little skeptical at first, but even I found them pretty hilarious. I might have to pick up Series 2 & 3 for his stocking for Christmas. They are working on Series 4 & 5 right now. He got a new blanket and all his toiletries -$180 later at Wal*Mart! I should mention that the $180 included my requested Halloween lights for the “scary bushes” in the front yard. It’s very festive. It took some convincing and whining…but we have them on six bushes. We had gotten a banner pole a few months back and we finally got that up- and I have the cutest ghost banner up too. I hope I get some kids, but I guess historically we don’t. BOOOOO!

So- No emails yet- and I’m checking obsessively-I know every time- I’ll be sad because there won’t be anything…but I continue to do it anyway. Sometimes I feel jealous of the people who get several reliable e-mails and phone calls a week from their significant others that are “away”(deployed). I have to remember (I was reminded of this recently from a close friend) – He’d most likely be gone longer and in a situation where he could be shot at on a recurring basis. And as my friend also pointed out- it could be worse - THERE WERE times (before email) when significant others would only get a letter every few months.

Check out this link for a little insight in military families day to day worries(get the tissues out)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ervaMPt4Ha0&mode=related&search=

God Bless and Safe travels to all of them!
Love Samantha