Two (3?) in One

I have been slacking lately, and so this post is going to encompass Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a big announcement. 

~Thanksgiving~

I was fortunate enough to make it home for Thanksgiving this year and spend time with my family and a few friends. I was unable to see Jamey (Hoover) Chandler this visit because her little girl Natalee was sick.  I was able to see Jenny (Miller ) Cline and her little boys, who have grown so much since the last time I saw them.  I was also able to have dinner with Amber (Cash) Morris and we were able to catch up. In addition, Kimberly (Langford) Battle was able to organize a Friendsgiving where I was able to meet up with several of my high school friends.

 Thanksgiving morning Chase and I got up early to continue our annual tradition of helping deliver Thanksgiving Suppers to those in need. We met Heather (Lloyd) Moran and our group which used to be very large was just the three of us this year.

While I was home, Chase, Dad, and I went hiking two different days. As always, it was fun and beautiful...I sure to miss MY mountains and waterfalls.  We spent several hours each day hiking at Big Branch Falls and North Fork Tye River.

We celebrated Thanksgiving Day at Aunt Teresa's house with the family.  Saturday we had my Christmas dinner with family.

Following supper, I spent the night with Tara and Zac, and got to see my favorite pup Maddie :)

Me and my Maddie Girl

During my visit to VA I was told a secret...

~Christmas Eve~

While I was back in Oregon, my family continued celebrating. I wish so much that I could've been with them, but in secret I was still part of the excitement...wait a second, I haven't told you the secret.

Thanksgiving day, before picking up Grandma from her house and going to Teresa's, Tara and Zac gave me the exciting news...Tara is pregnant!!! That being said, it was still very early (but they wanted me to know in person) so they were going to wait to tell the new grandparents and therefore I had to keep a secret. Keeping this kind of secret is harder than you think, even when I do live 3,000 miles away. I dubbed my new nephew/niece "Moe."

Zac, Tara, and Moe (only the 3 of us knew) :)

Due to a few changes in physical appearance and sickness, Tara and Zac decided to break the news a little earlier...Christmas Eve! So, before each announcement Tara called me on her cell phone and placed me on speaker phone (without anyone else knowing). It was so hard to hear the excitement and joy in everyone's voices when I wasn't there, but I'm glad I was able to share it nonetheless.

Christmas Eve I went to church, which was a little different for me because it was just a normal service and not so much a candlelight Christmas Eve service like the ones I have attended my entire life.  Following the service, Dawn and Jeff Poe invited me over for some cheese fondue and wine. It was a nice evening after and exciting day 3,000 miles away from family.

~Christmas~

Christmas morning, I woke up and called my mom and dad. I then learned they were able to get a camera for their computer so they could Skype. This is very exciting, because being so far away, it will be nice to SEE my family! After Skyping for a little bit, I hung up with them and opened my gifts (which were shipped with love from VA).  I then stayed in my pjs and went to Adam Frye's house.  I, along with Caroline (Cuseo), Patrick, Adam, and Sam had a HUGE delicious breakfast. We then watched Christmas Vacation (classic).  I went home and Skyped with the entire family, and Tara showed me her baby bump...so exciting! Later, the Poes invited me over for dinner.

           

Monday we had a dinner together with friends. Caroline and Dan Kearney were on duty Christmas day, so we had a friends Christmas the day after Christmas. Taylor was up from Humboldt, CA so he was an addition to our group here in CBay.

Overall, it was a pretty good Holiday Season...I'm looking forward to the New Year (and New Year's Eve).  I definitely missed my family (and my JO Nation family), but it was still a good Christmas.

Much Love,

LB

A couple of good weekends...

Caroline C., Me, Jess, Meagan, and Caroline K. "In Character"

Trunk-or-Treat

The week prior to Halloween I was underway for a patrol. The whole week I was looking forward to the Halloween party we would have that Saturday. Caroline Cuseo and I went shopping the weekend before for food items and decorations for the party. Jess and I dressed up like Cinderella's ugly stepsisters, Caroline C.  and Patrick went as a Beaver and Beaver Hunter, Meagan was a Peacock, Caroline K. was  a Pumpkin, Adam was Mayhem, and Justin and Ben were basically themselves. I would say that the party was a great success. We had a great turnout, and everyone had a good time.

We decorated my car for Trunk-or-Treat at the Air Station. We gave out tons of candy and ended up running out early. There were lots of Trick-or-Treaters in super cute costumes.

The girls at the Coop Me, Caroline, Jess, and Jill

Mid-week I decided to take a day off and do a little retail therapy. Caroline C. went with me and we had a great day in Eugene shopping and eating at Chili's (and Cold Stone Creamery).

The boys are so excited.

The first Friday of each month Coos Bay has a Wine Walk.  A group of us participated and had a wonderful evening that ended at the Coop for some pizza and wings.

Last night there was a "Wardroom Hail," which mostly consisted of officers from the air station, and a few chiefs from the local units. I was the only one from the ORCAS, but I enjoyed the evening with everyone and got to wear my new boots I got earlier in the week.

Caroline, Caroline, Me, and Jill at the Wardroom Hail.

Today I went to church and now I'm home relaxing and cheering on the Packers (actually playing on a local channel). We go back out for the week tomorrow morning. Have a wonderful rest of the day and an excellent week!

Much Love,
LB

Wake me up, when September ends...oops

Well, I'm still not doing a great job keeping up with the whole blogging thing, but I do at least try to update everyone on my life as things happen. Between September and October, I've been a very busy girl (and will continue to be). We have had several patrols and haven't really had much down time. Last week, we were in San Francisco for Fleet Week 2011. It was a wonderful time. 

Blue Angels flying low right by the city (awesome view)

I was able to see some really good friends I hadn't seen in quite a while. I hung out with Jeannie Crump, Ian Foster, and Matt Pekoske just about everyday we were there.  I also met the likes of Marcus Brown and Dave Herndon, both very nice guys. Come to find out, I really like the city of San Francisco (yes, the country girl likes the city). I never thought I'd admit it, but its true. There are just tons of things to do, which is a HUGE change from where I live right now.  Who knows, I may end up there next year...my guess is either there or CT (back at the Academy).

Miss Sarah was Captain for the day (one of our crewmember's little sister)

Unfortunately, I didn't get too many pictures of me and my friends...in fact I got exactly 1. All of my other pictures were of the air show I got to watch 4 days in a row. The last night we were there Matt, Ian, and I met up with our former CO from THETIS and his wife for dinner. Of course, that would have been the perfect time to get a picture of the 3 of us, but I left my camera on the boat and we left Ian's camera in his truck. And a phone picture just wasn't going to cut it (although, looking back on it I feel a phone picture would've been better than no picture at all).

Ian and I...the ONE picture of the week with friends

Overall I had a great time and look forward to being able to visit there, and having all of them come visit me soon.  I do realize soon is a relative term, but I use it loosely. Hope y'all are doing well.

I'm so professional :)

Much Love,
LB

Sometimes you just need...

The girls at a Winter Formal.

1. A good friend: I have the most amazing friends a girl could ask for.  I know that I have become friends with each of them for a different reason. I have friends I talk to when I'm having a rough patch at work, I have the friends I talk to when I need someone to ground me, I have friends that are just there to talk, and I have friends who know something's wrong with me before I do.   A lot of my friends and I are so different that people wonder how we even came to be friends...well, it's because we love each other and would do ANYTHING in the world for each other.

JO Nation Ready for Color Night FUN!

2. A good laugh: I've always enjoyed laughing, and I feel like it does a lot for your soul.  A laugh can turn an otherwise interesting situation into a more comfortable one.  If you're sad but you can think of something funny,  laughing can ease the sadness.  And when things just seem to be at the very worst, laughter can make it a little bit better.

R.J. showing us how to RELAX!

3.  A break from everything: You just need to slow down and take in a bit of life.  Enjoy that sunrise (even if its because you are on your way to work when you see it).  Take time to ask people how they're doing and genuinely listen to their answer. Don't feel bad if you stay in your pajamas all day after a long week of work...let your body and mind rest.

These are just a few things that are important. I bring this up because this past week we had another girls night here in Coos Bay.  Jess Leuthold, Dawn Poe, Jill Tamminen, Meagan Church, and I went out to eat in the middle of the week. We were originally going to see a movie as well ("One Day"), but since Coos Bay is such a small area it was no longer in the theatre. I believe it was sort of a blessing in disguise, because while I was sad we couldn't see the movie, I was able to enjoy some much needed "girl talk." Working with 16 guys on a daily basis really wears on me more than I think sometimes. It was so refreshing to be able to talk about something other than work, and interact with these beautiful, intelligent women.  It is my hope that we can make these nights happen more frequently (granted, I know they like spending time with their husbands...I'm just glad we could have a night out with just the girls).

So basically, the girls night made me think of a few things that are needed in life and in return sparked this post. I hope you all had a wonderful Saturday!

Much Love,
LB

MIA, but wish I was here instead...

So, I know that I've been out of touch for a month now, but August turned into a very busy month. I'm actually glad that it's over!

On the evening of August 11, I received a phone call around 9:30pm informing me that one of my crewmembers had been killed in a car accident. My Commanding Officer (CO) was out of town and so a lot of things fell directly on me. That night was one of the longest nights I've experienced in several years. I was in disbelief, overwhelmed with all the details that were on extremely tight timelines, and just unbelievably sad.  I may have gotten one hour of sleep that night. The next morning, I had to face my crew in person (all of them were contacted the night before by one of our Chiefs).  I am an extremely emotional person, and seeing grown men cry didn't help me keep myself together. 

Deuce being Deuce during his last trip into the Bay.

 The next several days were a whirlwind. I was on the phone and getting phone calls on the ship's phone at the same time, working on funeral arrangements, logistics, etc.  The Group here in North Bend helped tremendously and I don't know how I would've done this without them.  Half of our crew was able to attend the funeral in Newport, RI and acted as pallbearers during the funeral service.  It was very touching to see members of Mike's former unit (ANT Boston) lining the sidewalk as the funeral procession pulled up to the church.   I wanted the crew to be as involved as they needed to be for their individual closure during this hard time. I feel that the guys that went to Newport are the ones that needed to be at the wake and funeral to accept the reality that none of us wanted to believe nor accept.

Mike was a HUGE Red Sox (and anything New England) fan. He reenlisted at their stadium.

With a crew of 17, we are all very close, know each others likes and dislikes, and we are basically a floating family. This sad experience has brought us even closer as a unit.  We have one more mission, this evening at sunset we will place Mike in his final resting place, the Pacific Ocean, during a burial at sea.

Mike on his last small boat ride out at sea (he's standing infront of the B/I Coxswain). He was one of the best Coxswains I've ever seen.

This past week we went back to sea, without Deuce; we rode in the small boat, without Deuce; and we did the mission, without Deuce.  Although he wasn't here physically, we know that he's with us and will continue to live through us. 

Sorry for such a Debbie-Downer post, but I promise a good one in just a few days.

Much Love,

LB

Decisions, decisions...

The time is coming for me to put in for my next assignment. I thought that this would be pretty easy, because I know that I won't be going to another boat next...and I'll be putting in for Lieutenant billets and there are tons of them. Well, I have figured out that it is actually very hard to choose from so many billets. Ultimately, I need to figure out what I want to do, and then also what that will help me do in my following tours (yes, I have to look ahead...darn it). 

Adding to this stress is that my future, both professionally and personally, is up in the air right now. I'm not in a relationship, I've only worked on cutters, and I won't know for sometime if I will be attending graduate school.  This may sound silly, but being that this next tour will be 2-4 years long,  there is a lot of pressure resting on this decision.

So, that's what will be consuming my mind for the next couple of weeks...if anybody has any suggestions on how I should go about this, please let me know. I'm open to any and all advice.

Much Love,

LB

Weekend Weather

After a few busy weeks leading up to Ready for Operations (RFO), a big inspection at work, we finished up on Wednesday evening and the results were great. Our crew worked really hard, and it definitely showed in the outcome of the inspection. So, we started off Friday by playing some football before work, went to work and refueled the boat, and then the guys left for the weekend. I even left earlier than usual. Friday, we gave the guys off and Ben and I went to the Group's change of command. After that, it was FINALLY the weekend. 

Thursday afternoon the weather was so nice that I took a trip to the beach. I laid out and even got some sun on my pale skin :). It wasn't windy at all so I even got HOT laying there on my blanket. It was definitely a perfect ending to a stressful couple of weeks.

My Beautiful Beach Day!

Friday night Ben and Jess Leuthold, Pat Wright, and I went camping. Izzy came too :) We had a great afternoon/evening, and decided that camping on Friday night is a great idea because when you wake up you realize you still have a full weekend ahead of you to look forward to.  On Saturday we tried the beach again, but we didn't stay too long because the wind really picked up and the sand was blowing like crazy. Following the beach Ben, Jess, and I went to Yeong's Place for some burgers...this was Ben's first attempt at the "Garbage Burger..." I'll let you ask him how that played out later. Saturday evening was spent over at their house by a fire with Erin and Chris Himmelrick (and Izzy).  Today was a lazy day for me, and luckily the sun didn't make a very big appearance so I didn't feel guilty being lazy.

Izzy trying to help with the fire wood

The group...hoping to get more people next time! :)

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend, and I'm hoping we can do more camping very soon! :) Have a great week.

Much Love,
LB

United, how you mess with my heart...thank goodness a beautiful wedding mended it!

As I said before, this past weekend I went to San Diego for Annette and Wes' (Agee) wedding. WELL, it wasn't a super easy travel experience. My flight was supposed to leave North Bend at about 5:30pm. I received an email at 1:30ish telling me that my flight had been cancelled. Without going home first, I went straight to the airport to try and change my flight (talking  over the phone, or going online doesn't really help usually). Lucky for me, the earlier flight (scheduled for 2:00pm) was delayed until 4...Unfortunately, the couple in front of me got the last two seats on the plane due to weight restrictions. When the guy at the counter told me that the earliest he could get me to San Diego would be 5:00pm the next afternoon I almost started crying.  The wedding was at 2:45pm and there was about a 30-40 minute drive from the airport to Oceanside. Needless to say I BEGGED to be let on the flight. While he checked me in (and told me that there would still be a chance that I could be bumped) I told him that I had to run home to get my luggage. So I did just that, and Ian Leonard (one of my friends from here) came to the rescue and picked me up in Sam Hill's (another friend) truck to take me to the airport. I ran in, and went straight through security and then onto the plane...I made it!

Erin Crump (Jeannie's Sis), Colleen, Maggie, and I after the wedding

After arriving in San Diego (after a 1.5 hour layover in San Fran), I had no bag. Luckily, I had carried my dress and shoes onto the plane with me. I filed my baggage claim report and went to get my rental car. The rest of the evening was wonderful. I found a Wally World to pick up some things I didn't have (since they were in my luggage) and then I picked up Colleen Denny and Brandon Schumann from the airport and we made the drive up to Oceanside. We got in around midnight (or later) and when we got to the lodge, Colleen and I made sure we woke up Jeannie Crump and Maggie Ward to say hello. I took a shower and went to bed.

Maggie, Pete, Jeannie, and Colleen--Post reception

The next morning, I went to breakfast with Jeannie, Brandon, Pete Schofield, and Kyle Richter. I ate a LOT of food and it was glorious. Afterwards we swung by to drop Jeannie off to get her hair done for the wedding and then headed back to the lodge.  A bit later, we met up with Colleen and one of her friends for a little while before heading back to get ready for the wedding. We really pushed it to make it to the wedding on time (good thing we had a camaro) but we got there just in time.

The group of Academy Kids that shared this special day!

Annette was absolutely beautiful and the wedding was just perfect. We danced the night away and all had a wonderful time celebrating Annette and Wes! It was great to see everyone and get to spend time just having fun.

The Beautiful Couple

United struck again on Sunday afternoon. I was originally supposed to have a 6 hour layover in San Fran, so I had arranged to leave the airport and meet up with Ian Foster and Matt Pekoske (2 of my best guy friends who are currently stationed there). I caught the end for the Women's World Cup Final (sad finish) and then just relaxed for a couple of hours. Ian drove me back to the airport so I could get back through security and catch my flight. Welp, as luck would have it the flight ended up being delayed 3 hours so the 6 hour layover turned into a 9 hour layover.  When I finally reached North Bend, my bag wasn't on the carousel...I mean, why would it be? Well, my bag actually BEAT me back to North Bend. And so, that's the end of my United/San Diego adventure. In the end it all worked out, but I wish it would've been a little less stressful.

An Oldie but a Goodie (Matt, Me, and Ian in Key West)

Congrats to Annette and Wes!


Much Love,
LB

Busy, busy, busy!

So, I've been very busy the past couple of weeks...and the work isn't over. We have a big inspection coming up next week and needless to say, I'm getting pretty stressed out about it. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well and even though I know it's not ultimately ALL up to me, I would feel like I let my crew down if we didn't do as well as expected. I feel that we have put in the proper preparations, so hopefully the inspectors will see our hard work.

The good news is that I get to go to San Diego this weekend for one of my best friends' (Annette Boston) wedding. I'm super excited to see her, her family, and a few other people from the Academy that I haven't seen in quite some time. It should be a good weekend and a nice release from all of the stress here. Plus, anytime I can be around girls (yes, I work with 16 guys) for a change is a good time! I'll be sure to post some pictures when I get back.

Much Love,
LB

Shopping and Retail Therapy

So, I've never been much of a shopper. I wouldn't consider myself a penny-pincher, I just never really got into going shopping as a hobby. That is, of course, until I went to the Coast Guard Academy where my "freedom" was limited to a few weekend days a month.  I guess you could also say that Danielle (Collins) Rivera and Kelley (Black) Brown trained me to be a shopper. It was my job for the first few years at the Academy to keep them in-check...I even talked Kelley out of buying a pair of "Coach" shoes that I knew she would never wear.  Eventually I gave in and began shopping. There were even a few times we went shopping and I ended up with more bags than they did (these days didn't happen very often, but when they did we always laughed about it).

Dani, Kelley, and I...going shopping (post Academy)

I'm pretty sure they can still out-shop me. Actually, I'm POSITIVE they can; the difference is that now, my shopping is therapy. Yes, I just said that spending money is therapy...I like to call it Retail Therapy. I lived in Key West, FL for two years. There isn't even a WalMart in Key West. So, I only had a few therapy sessions, and one was a trip up to Miami with Rory Keegan and Erin Palmer. We decided that the girls needed to get off of The Rock for a weekend and do some shopping, and it was so relaxing.

Erin, Me, and Rory (New Year's Eve 2009)

Well, now I live in Coos Bay, OR and, while there is a WalMart here, there is still no Target and there are not any real places to shop. So, the past few weeks have been pretty busy for me, and the next few are going to be even busier.  I decided that today I needed to drive the 2 hours to Eugene, OR and have a little therapy session. It was wonderful. I bought a lot of things (most of which were on sale...:)) I went to Applebee's for a late lunch; Yes, I went there by myself...I've gotten a lot more independent living here.  It's amazing what you're willing to try by yourself when you live alone. As a side note, here are a few things you should do by yourself at some point: eat at a restaurant, go to a movie, go to the beach with a picnic lunch, and go to a pottery-painting store. I've done all of these in the past year and I plan to do them again. Back to the topic: I'm not going to try to justify all of my purchases today, because for some of them I really can't. I just know that I really enjoyed my day and it involved me shopping for myself, where I wanted to shop, and at my own pace. Retail therapy helps me make time for myself, which sometimes I lose sight of during the hectic work-week. 

Oddly enough, this is almost exactly what I was wearing today...(Therapy doesn't make me a Fashonista)

And now, after a long day of shopping, I think it's time for bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be a beautiful day. I'd like to hit the beach before the busy week begins. Goodnight!

Much Love,

LB

Why Country music speaks to me...

There are many things about country music that you have to love (like it or not).  Every song tells a story, anyone can relate to lyrics, the artists sing from the heart, and quite frankly you just want to sing along. Tonight I decided to give just a few examples of songs that speak to me...maybe they'll speak to you too.

Lady Antebellum's "Never Alone"

"May your tears come from laughin’, you find friends worth havin’

With every year passin, they mean more than gold

May you win but stay humble, smile more than grumble

And know when you stumble, you’re never alone" 

Kenny Chesney's "Seven Days"

"Time was like the tide, it came and went

That old pier ran clear out into the mist

My mind plays back that Tuesday night

Again and again, and again"

Josh Gracin's "I Want to Live"

"Fly like a bird, roll like a stone,

Love like I ain't afraid to be alone.

Take everything that this world has to give,

I wanna live."

Brad Paisley's "Old Alabama"

"She’d rather wear a pair of cut-off jeans than a fancy evening dress,

And with her windows rolled down and her hair all blown around, she’s a hot southern mess...

She’ll take a beer over white wine and a campfire over candle light..." 

Kenny Chesney's "Somewhere With You"

"If you see me out on the town

And it looks like I'm burning it down

You won't ask and I won't say

But in my heart I'm always somewhere with you"

The great thing about country music is that everyone can interpret the lyrics differently. Each of these pictures just show a glimpse of what I think of when I listen to the music. And depending on my mood, I think of the lyrics differently. Next time you're changing your radio station, try just listening to the lyrics.

Much love,

LB

Inspired...

So, I've never been much of a blogger. In fact, I've never blogged before in my life. One of my best friends Danielle (Collins) Rivera has been trying to get me to start one, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  After reading her blogs and a few other friends, it Inspired me to at least try my hand at putting thoughts to the screen.  I can't make any promises that this will be interesting to read, but it will at least give me a place to put my experiences, thoughts, and maybe even some of life's questions. This being my first blog ever, I would like to thank Dani for inspiring me. Much love, Laura Beth