November 3rd

We are adjust well and are enjoying every moment. A lot has happened since our move to DC. There is so much to do and take in, two years are going to fly by. In October we celebrated 3 years since Elliott came home and just yesterday we celebrated Liberty's 2nd birthday. Elliott is in preschool and loving it! He has much energy and Liberty feeds off every bit of it . There is not a lot of quiet time in our house ,but it is full of a lot of fun! I love being home with them. We know every were we Go God has a specific purpose for us so we are trying to figure all that out . We are starting to do what we know to do and one of those things is just trying to bring people together. In January we are starting a couple small groups through the chapel. A great way to build community and build relationships . It has been easy meeting people living on base . While the weather is nice we walk every were. Not sure what we will do during winter. I guess I will learn to adapt and love the snow as much as I love the sun. right now I love the fall weather and actually feel in the holiday spirt which did not happen in california. There is always positive ways to look at things and that is the way I choose to look at things. There will always be things to complain about ,but it is not worth my time and my peace of mind. I have so much to be thankful for this season and I don't want to miss a moment of it.

Living in the BOQ

Well we made it to port Hueneme and are getting settled in we are living in hotel suite for the next 12 weeks while Aaron is in school. we spend alot of time out side so thankful it is the summer time we have Elliott signed up for t-ball ,swimming and a couple classes for Him and liberty trying to set a schedule and routine for the summer! I am getting better at my organizing skills living in a small place half our clothes our in totes and half are put away when I do laundry I rotate the clothes. I go to the store every other day for food we don't want to over load our mini fridge. Aaron think he looses more stuff here then he did in our house. we have been here for a 1.5 weeks so I am still looking for my groove and getting my feet on the ground. meeting new people here and there has been great! my shyness in new situations get the best of me some times but I will get over that eventually. being out of my comfort zone is a good thing :) one of the thing we look forward to to is the relationships along the way! so heres to a fun summer in cali before we head east!

Enjoying Family

Wow it has been a couple week since graduation .It was such a blessing having both Aaron's parents and Mine come out for the graduation we had so much fun and my heart was full of pride for my man ! we headed home the same day as the graduation. we are so blessed to get four weeks to have some much needed family time before we head to Cali for some more training ,then we will go cross country to Washington DC. The time in Washington state has been great hanging out with family and creating many memories with grandparent and cousins, so glad we got this time! The next season has lots of unknowns but one thing I do know is God is leading us and I could not be more exited to see all He has for us in the road ahead. I love to know and plan for the future and even though I have no clue what is ahead of us I am full of peace and anticipation. This life is one amazing journey and the kulprit are more then ready to take on whatever comes our way! Thank you to my mom ,Dad ,mother-in law, and father -in law for all your love and support you guys are amazing!!

Orders are In!

Aaron received his orders today!

After His Graduation April 1st we will be in WA for 4 more weeks till His training in Ventura CA after that He reports to DC in September. We are so exited for this opportunity. west to east will be a change and one we look forward to!

week 4

Aaron arrived at Newport RI January 9th to report to OCS Class 08-11

we got our first phone call Monday afternoon which I missed because I was not expecting it since I thought he was going to call Sunday . he called back a couple hours later . He said it was harder then he thought but was upbeat . the first week went by so slow I thought it was never was going to end. Going into the navy was a family decision one we were both exited for. Aaron has always want to join the service as a kid he wanted to be a pilot but found out he was color blind so he went to school to become a civil engineer and thought still about joining but for one reason or another he did not .I would like to believe it was because he did not meet me yet! soon after we got married we talked about both of us joining I know crazy thought but that was just God stirring our heart .well we started down the road and we didn't get an open door so we still felt like we needed to move so we applied for a job in cali were my uncle started a church . he applyed for a job down there in within month he got the job and our house sold. before our first year anniversary we were in California. when we got there we still had desire to go into the service well Aaron we decided against me going. since I would be enlisted and He would be officer. so we looked into reserves but got no open doors so we put in out of our minds for a bit. well we just plugged into life in cali helping out at my uncles church it was a real good time for us to grow as a couple. also while we were there we started our family. on that road our hearts were moved to adopt from Uganda so we adopted our son Elliott right after we got pregnant with our girl liberty . the whole adoption journey is in another blog. so after three years and two kids we were in a fourth of july service and after the serve I knew Aaron was going to bring up joining the service . at one time he said his only regret was not serving .well since we owened a house and were pretty comfortable in California we went down the road to join reserves . it was going very well this time he went though all test physical but in the middle of all that i kept I feeling like we should go full time. so we just thought well maybe down the road while he is in reserves if the opportunity comes up to go full time we would take it. I still felt unsettled so asked him if he wanted to go full time .He said yes but though since kids house and every thing I would say no . well long story short we decided to sell our house and go for it! it was good timing because his papers where just coming through for reserves so we just switched it all up.

we are now in the fourth week of OCS and well it is harder then I thought being on my side . I miss him like crazy but the excitement for what is next keep me sane . He is doing amazing ,He really is thriving way better then being behind a desk his whole life . I laughed when in His letter he started out with" it is another amazing day!" It make my heart so happy because I can just see the spark in his eyes and I know he is enjoying the challenges . He is in his element and I love that! He just passed His first RLP .I will get a phone call every Sunday now! instead of counting down weeks it will be just counting down to Sunday. 4 weeks down 8 to go. I so look forward to seeing him at his graduation. I already have so much respect for him and so proud that His heart is to serve and is willing do whatever it takes. He is an amazing husband,and father and will be one incedible navy officer!

First week

Well here we go! Aaron Left for RI on January 7th and checked in to OCS January 9th I heard from Him before He went to check in and then on Monday, I now wont hear from him for a few weeks. I have been trying to keep me and the kids busy and get in to a good schedule but they have been fighting a cold so this first week as been in slow motion. I 'm so overanxious for Him knowing He is being tested physical and mentally at the same time I know he will do great and this is something He has wanted to do for ever and He is living his dream. I am exited to hear all about if when he gets done. I have been writing him every day! Kids are doing amazxing I cant wait to hear were we will be moving first, His training is back in Cali so that will be fun and we will get to see our cali family again ;) . we are enjoying being next to both set of grandparents and the kids being able to really get to know them better before we move far far away lol (a little joke for the grandparents ) Here is to jumping into the unknown living by faith and hanging for dear life! I would not have it any other way!

Official Orders

Well we are now 35 day till we leave for Washington and 53 days till I need to report to Newport for 12 weeks of the training. An update on what is going on now, is that we are preparing to move the family to Washington throughout the 12 weeks that I am Newport. We will get to Washington just before Christmas. I will be able to spend about 2 weeks with the family there before I head off to Newport.

I just found out today that my official Permanent Change of Station (PCS) are at my recruiters office for my pick-up. So I am now preparing all the required paperwork (think everything, marriage license, birth certificates, adoption decree, social security cards) for the entire family.

We are so excited to get the next step underway. Here is to a cold winter.

Dates

We got final select letter today. Aaron is going to OCS January 9th. He will go to swear in October 7th . one more step closer! looking forward to spending the holidays together before he ship off. God's timing is always right on!

Timeline Update

Well we got an update on our timeline. Up until yesterday, I was being told that I would be reporting to OCS on the 24th of October (about 45 days away), but I got an email that said I will not be reporting to OCS till January. There are two dates that are potentially available for me to go, January 9, or January 30.

My Final Select letter is still at the Navy Recruiting Headquarters (CNRC), so I will not know my actual date till that letter is signed and returned to my recruiter.

We are excited about the change in date because we know that is ultimately in God's hands. This will allow me to be with the family for Christmas, Halloween, and Libby's 1st Birthday.

So here is the journey continuing and a cold winter.

Passed PRT

So as of today I have passed my PRT. I have signed all the documents required for the background check, and have been fingerprinted. This means that everything is out of my court, waiting for the Navy to process the documents and give me the Final Select Letter and an actual date for which I will report to OCS.

My conversations with the Office Recruiter has indicated that I will most likely be reporting to Rhode Island is October 24th. This will mean that we will be relocating out of California to Washington around the 16th of October.

So that is the status as of today.

Process Update

So the process as it stands of right now is we are waiting for 3 things. For some reason the background investigation has to be restarted, I actually did the fingerprints on Friday, so that should be under way by the end of the week.

Second thing is I need to pass a Navy Physical Readiness Test (PRT). This consists of doing as many push-ups and sit-up as possible in two minutes followed by a 1.5 mile run. I need to do a minimum of 54 sit-up, 44 push-up and 12:53 run. On Friday, I did my first PRT and failed the sit-up and 1.5 run. There are plenty of excuse I could come up with, but bottom line is I didn't have the endurance or stomach muscles to pass it. I am now doing two workouts a day, running at least three miles in the morning doing interval training and then strength training in the evening. Along with meeting with a personal trainer. So I have a week and a half to pass the test.

Assuming I pass this test on the 4th of August, and the background gets started, then by the middle of August I should have the final thing I am waiting on, the Final Select Letter. This Letter would provide me with my date that need to report to Rhode Island. Based on my discussion with the Office Recruiter (OR), it should be either the 24th of October or the 14th of November. Worst case would be the 5th of December. So that is were we stand now.

Why Navy

The navy has been in our heart since our first year of marriage we always seen our self in some aspect being a part of the service. we would start in that direction but would get closed doors so we would back off last july 2009 God spoke to us again about the service we then started down the road of joining the reserves while in that process I was thinking God was moving us more to the direction of full time service but with the house and just loving CA I put it aside for a later time . That feeling kept coming back so once Aaron and I had time alone on one of our date nights I brought it up . Found out we were both feeling the same nudge but was not sure how to bring it up .we then both prayed about it and felt a strong pull to move it that direction we then start to move in that direction as we did God brought us confirmations and peace over and over .

We believe this is where God is leading us it fits the picture and desires both me and Aaron have

We both have the desire to travel to see the world this also fits the bill and picture of what we believe God has for us.

We have been so blessed by champion life and have grown so much as people and as a family we know if we stayed in WA we would not be the family we are today.

Aaron also has the heart to go do humanity work overseas well in his job that is one of the things he will be doing .

The service has always been apart of Aarons heart since childhood He says His only regret in life is not serving in the armed forces.

with all this said we are exited to jump into this new season and ready for whatever comes our way!

Were we are in the process now

As of June 28th Aaron got His Professional Recommendation from the CEC navy board. His physical is good and we are still waiting on background check He goes next week to do His PRT after that they send it out to get His Final select letter after that He will get a date to ship out to OCS . All we know is it will be sometime after October earliest being Oct 3rd . while Aaron is at OCS I will be moving to WA. I will keep every one updated. we are so exited to start this adventure!