Becky(little) Bachelorette party

BB's bachelorette party was last night. Good times had by all. Her wedding party(Jessica,Nancy,Christina and I) all met at my house for 6:00pm on Friday evening. Everyone had made a dish and there was enough food for about 20 people. We chatted for a while when everyone first arrived and then put in "27 Dresses". Great chick flick. We did pedicures and chatted until almost 1:00AM. It was nice to spend some time with some of my favorite girls.

This afternoon/evening I worked in the store. I love it there. It's nice to work with yourself and help people find great things that they look fantastic in. I'm working tomorrow and my parents are planning to visit. I'm super excited about that.

Getting excited about 6/28 now! We got our first registry gift today in the mail. A close friend of the family - Janet M and her daughter Nolan - couldn't make it to the shower and sent one of the steak knife sets we really wanted off our registry. I was so excited. I know Joe will be thrilled. Our favors also came in and I finally picked our linens earlier this week.

Only 29 more days until our Wedding Celebration!

Even though Joe is currently underway I was reminded this afternoon of one of the reasons I adore him ( story time )

I work in a high end boutique in Mystic, CT. We have a lot of really nice clothing for women. We also carry really cute/expensive clothing for toddlers. This very pregnant lady came in with her husband. She tried on one of our BEAUTIFUL (but pricey) cardigan sweaters and looked perfect in it. I don't know if it was her big beautiful belly, the color of her hair.... or just the fit of the cardigan. It just looked beautiful. I could tell ( anyone within a 10 mile radius could tell ) how much she wanted and how beautiful she felt in it. She kept looking over at him for any sign of it being okay to purchase it. She got nothing. She very sadly put it back on the hanger and left the store.

My heart ached for her. Every woman deserves a special item or two that make them feel beautiful and special. I have no doubt Joe would have encouraged a purchase like that. I wouldn't have even had to ask. He would have wanted me to have something that made me so special.

I guess sometimes I take those kinds of things for granted. He has always treated me like gold and I am very lucky for it. Those people came into my store for a reason. They came into my store to remind me of how special my marriage is. And to remind me to continue to keep a positive attitude about this upcoming deployment. There are many couples who get to be together every day and are miserable. I don't get spend every day/week/month with Joe. But I do have a very happy marriage. I share the time I do have in a loving wonderful relationship. At the end of the day, that is what counts.

But... boy do I miss him.
Samantha

Ah. Joy.

I notice when I get email from him when he's gone. I read them over and over. I don't know why I do this. They don't change. It doesn't make them longer. I still do it though. Every time. Every E-mail.

We went to a meeting ( Pre-Deployment ) not that long ago. Pretty depressing. It just reminds you to get everything done because they are leaving. It also reminds us about black out period (Usually 30-80 days ) where you don't get any phone calls or emails at all because they are on a mission. It's understandable. Obviously transmitting e-mail would give them away- it doesn't make it suck any less that we understand why it has to happen though.

It's a beautiful day and I wish Joe was home to share it with.

I know I have to get used to this.
And I know I can.
Once again, It doesn't make it suck any less just because I can or have to.

*sigh*
Missing my sailor

Lawn story/pictures coming soon!

More Wedding FUN!

I met all my fantastic "maids" this weekend for some BRIDAL shopping. You know what I'm talking about- the fun day when your mom and favorite people in the whole wide world pick out your "ah-ha" dress and their beautiful dresses...... But...this is the SAMANTHA world...and we all know...... things don't usually go as planned. My friend Becca explains our life as.... " Always Interesting...Never DULL " Even with that motto... I never though we'd have security called on us.

OK, the story......

We are in my favorite store for dresses: White House Black Market... We have my dress and their dress picked out. We are missing a belt on one of their dresses and a size on the other. We kindly ask one of the sales people to call the other stores to find these dresses. Let me just say they weren't overly friendly to us to start with and didn't really have a plan for us in this small boutique. That being said, we shared dressing rooms and happily picked out our wedding attire. Back to sales lady. She tells us she can't call for a few hours or maybe not even until tomorrow. She explains that it is too busy in the store and there is only one other worker beside herself in the store on this lovely morning.

It begins.

I kindly say that she can call other stores right this minute. We will not wait until tomorrow. We have 1000.00 worth of dresses in our hands. She beings to call. Robin and my mom offer other commentary at this point as well. After this point she seems to never shut her lips all the way and has now picked up a new accent she didn't previously have. She comes back with that she has found one of the dresses we need but not the other. She seems glad about this. We ask her if she can call corporate, she says no but says we should check the catalog. We ask her to do so, she claims she can't. Great. Liz whips out her phone and gets online. As the sales lady is checking people out... she continues the drama by saying she is sorry they had to wait so long. No one waited that long. Alicia starts telling this four year old who has been screaming and opening and shutting the dressing room door loudly for 20 minutes that he needs to listen to his mom and stop running. The sales lady then offers to call the catalog. Alicia and I start complaining and asking why she didn't offer that 15 minutes ago? *sigh* This goes on and on...... Until finally the other sales clerk asks us why we are being rude to which Robin says.. We're not being rude...she's being rude. And then although she meant to say you need to just stay out of it... she said You need to shut up.

I hear the sirens coming. The other sales lady tells us she is calling security. We leave. It's funny looking back...but in the moment.... you had to be there.

The others will need to blog to add more details to this story.

Anyway- The HAPPY ending is posted above. Thank you David's BRIDAL for an amazing experience. I can't post my dress picture because Joe reads/posts on the blog and he's not allowed to see.

Some other REALLY great wedding responses:

Dear Sam and Joe - Congratulations and best wishes on your marriage. We'd love to come to your reception but we have family visiting that weekend. Please stop by to visit us when you come to Maine. We'd love to see you. Love Aunt Ruth and Uncle Jesse


One of my new favorites:

Sorry this took so long to send back. We got jello on the response envelope and had to find a new envelope. The Jello envelope is included. Love Dad and Becky.

( Ha-ha - IT had Jello. I verified )

Love,
Samantha
P.S I will post about our crazy landscaping experience this past weekend but there is an unsaid blogging rule of only one crazy story per blog entry!

A long weekend

Hubby was home this weekend and had Monday off. We met his entire division(and wives) at Dave and Busters. It was a lot of fun. A little crazy but a lot of fun!

We had a nice weekend.

His birthday is tomorrow(the big 27) but we opened his presents in bed on Sat morning since I was going to be in RI for Mothers Day on Sunday. One of his gifts from me was Grand Theft Auto for Xbox and that boy was pretty psyched. He was still playing when I got home at 4:00 on Sunday.

I took my mom to Octagan for a very nice brunch on mothers day. We had a nice day together. The weather was beautiful.

A new myspace blog from Robin that made me smile:

They sure aren’t tiny...
....those rings are damn shiny!!!

Just wanted to share my excitement for the upcoming wedding celebration of Mr. & Mrs. LaCouture who have been wedded in martial bliss since March! I'm very much looking forward to what should be an awesome party in June and even more excited to be such big part of their important day!

Congrats Sam & Joe (p.s. Joe - you have some damn good taste - good job on the ring!)


The joys of great friends.
I'm a lucky gal
Love,
Samantha

Our replies are COMING

I was so excited this afternoon when I went to the mailbox! Our replies for our wedding celebration are coming in! We got our first two today. I'm saving them because the two responses were so sweet.

Making the decision to not have the big white wedding was hard for us and some of the responses we received after we got married and made the announcement were not as happy as we had hoped.

However- the two responses I got today were wonderful. They both brought tears to my eyes- so I wanted to share ( Joe being gone helped the tears flow freely! )

1. Wow. How generous and awesome. I've never seen "Lobsta" as a choice. Oh my god you guys! Thank-you so much for including us in your small celebration. You both bring my heart so much joy. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to "our" family - may you only know peace, joy and the incredible beauty of someone who truly loves you. - Bonnie and Chris Hoddy

2. Thank-you for inviting us to share your day. We will be there for sure. See you the 28th. Love you both. - Peg and Joe Burns (Sr)

YAYAYAYA
Can we get a countdown going?
I can't wait to be surrounded by the people we love so much to celebrate our marriage.

Love
Samantha
P.S There are my rings.
Joe did a fantastic job with the engagement ring- It's beautiful.

Our note from the Captain

This is even more fantastic in my opinion:
Our boys are away but our Captain emailed this note to us!

Greetings from the CO,

This Friday is Military Spouse APPRECIATION DAY. It's a single day reserved to recognize the commitment, dedication and sacrifices endured by the Military Spouse. On behalf of the ALEXANDRIA crew, I wanted to take this opportunity to personally thank each of you for all that you do in support of us.

ALEXANDRIA has a great reputation and she is a great ship. She is made so because of the continued outstanding performance of her crew. But we can only do the job we were hired to do if we trust that someone will keep the 'home fires burning'. You have and will undoubtedly keep those home fires burning for us. I just wanted you to know that your support is greatly appreciated and is a vital component to ALEXANDRIA's continued service to this great nation.

Thank you for all of your continued support.

Warmest regards,

Gene Doyle
CDR, USN
Commanding Officer
USS ALEXANDRIA (SSN 757)

In other news we picked calendar squares at the FSG meeting yesterday. Kind of depressing. Ours are 4 by 4 squares since our pre-deploy group decided to do one big calendar with all the days on them for every month they are deployed. We were allowed to purchase up to five squares. If there are some left, we'll be able to purchase more in the future( Which I will do if there are some left ).

Our next fundraiser is to bag groceries at the commissary for tips on Sat May 30th. We will be in lane two if you would like to stop by!

Until next time...
Samantha

Military SPOUSE day!

How fantastic:

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Military spouses embody the courage, nobility of duty, and love of country that inspire every American. On Military Spouse Day, we pay tribute to the husbands and wives who support their spouses in America's Armed Forces during times of war and peace. The legacy of military spouses began when colonial Americans were fighting for independence. Martha Washington boosted the morale of her husband's troops by visiting battlefields and tending to the wounded. Since then, members of our Armed Forces have served our Nation accompanied by the steadfast love and support of their spouses and families. While our men and women in uniform are protecting our country's founding ideals of liberty, democracy, and justice, their spouses live with uncommon challenges, endure sleepless nights, and spend long periods raising children alone. Many military spouses are also committed volunteers, serving other military families and local communities. Our Nation benefits from the sacrifices of our military families, and we are inspired by their courage, strength, and leadership. On Military Spouse Day and throughout the year, we honor the commitment spouses have made to freedom's cause. To learn about ways to support our troops and their spouses and families, I encourage all Americans to visit www.americasupportsyou.mil. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 9, 2008, as Military Spouse Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities and by expressing their gratitude to the husbands and wives of those serving in the United States Armed Forces. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second. - GEORGE W. BUSH

YAY!
I miss Joe. Boo underways!

Samantha

The story

Some details about the "I do's" :

Joe proposed in the shower and showed me a picture of the ring after we got out. We actually got married without either of my rings. We used our old (but wonderful) puzzle/promise rings. The engagement ring was being custom made and came in while he was underway. He picked it up when he got home and put it on my finger. A wonderful giddy moment was shared over that in the truck...followed by sushi(our favorite). Once we decided we were not going to do our vows again or have a big white wedding, we went to the jeweler and picked out Joe's band and my band. We wanted them in time for sub ball.

He couldn't wait to propose and I couldn't have been happier that he couldn't wait. He proposed on a Monday and wanted to get married the following day. We couldn't get a JOP until Wednesday. We got married in our house with our close friends Pete and Sue. We took care of all the Navy paperwork on Thursday. He went under way that same Friday.

We have a fantastic clambake planned for our closest friends and family. Invites are on their way to you ( as of yesterday ) - June 28th is the date. Can't wait to see all of you.

Wonderful advantages to being married:

I get to call him my husband. I don't think I'll ever tire of how wonderful it sounds.

I can drive on base. This means I can shop tax free at the NEX and Commissary. I can also get gas on base(cheaper). Most importantly I can drop him off/pick him up. I can watch the boat leave/arrive. I love driving on and off base. I can't explain why. I just do. Oh and I can bring him dinner on duty nights. Another good plus.

FSG - Family Support Group. We do all kinds of great things for deployments,underways - etc ( ex: bake sale )

NAVY WIVES CLUB ( Sorry it's secret... Can't talk about it )

www.submarinewivesclub.org - Best site ever. Be there, or be... well not a sub wife.

Joe calls me wife. He does this all the time. He even does it in email. This is (of course) new and I don't know that the excitement of that will ever wear off.

There are so many wife/husband jokes- I can't begin to list them... Good thing you're my wife because you stink ( ok, that's a bad example, but you get what I mean )

Samantha LaCouture sounds like someone important. Someone famous even. I like it. I like " The LaCoutures" too.

Tune in for more reasons why Samantha likes being married.
God I'm getting boring in my old age

Love,
Samantha
P.S Old Man RIVER LACOUTURE is turning 27 on May 14th! Party is May 16th-6pm. Be there:)

Bake Sale.. Oh no:(

Bake Sales and our other ways to raise money just means this deployment is coming ( way toooo soon! ) But I baked. and baked. and baked. 100 rice crispy treats in total. I also stood in the rain with other amazing Sub wives to try to sell our creations.

Joe stopped by too! It was such a surprise- he's always so supportive of the things us ladies are up to.

Some other news:

As most of our favorite blog readers now know- We are married(March 5th) and having a celebration on June 28th of this year. We are excited to finally let everyone know ( after we told our parents ) -

Our Love,
Samantha and Joe