Our Sub Life

They also serve...

2011-08-21T14:55:00.001-07:00

"They also serve, those who only stand and wait."
-- J. Milton, delivered in a speech made by Eleanor Rickover

Enjoying EVERY moment

2011-07-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

My focus to keep positive throughout this journey......
Positive Thought:

Deployments(even those that are just looming)remind you to enjoy every little moment your family has. It forces us not to sweat the small stuff. It is a constant reminder to laugh as often as possible. Embrace one another. Cuddle even when it's hot. You enjoy these little moments...because for VERY long spans of time there are no little moments. no big moments. There just aren't any moments. It's lonely, sad and at times heartbreaking.

Some of our latest "little" moments:

Icecream for dinner at Buttonwood Farms
Breakfast in bed while Savannah was at Nonna's.
Kiss tolls in the house (This is when you MUST stop and pay a kiss toll- for the monkey council has declared you owe them for some grievance)

Ah, LIFE IS GOOD. We are healthy, happy....and planning to MAYBE try for BABY #2 before deployment (Sam being pregnant while Joe is deployed. Joe comes home to a VERY pregnant wife. We have baby- Joe is there. This is everything going to "plan"- Usually the NAVY laughs at "plans". We still like to pretend though. Anyway... This possible baby #2....should come as a suprise:) It did to us.

Mommy Monkey :)

Ready or not...here it comes.

2011-07-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Deja Vu....

Last night Joe had duty. And I remembered what sea duty will be like. Except this time I'll have Savannah too! Yes- we'll be starting slow. He'll be out for 15-28 days and then back in ...out and then back in...and then BAM deployment - where he'll be out 6-8 months. (repeat cycle for 3-4 years, then back to shore)

Phew! Am I ready for this again? I'm always fine when he's gone. I miss him- but life goes on. I have a lot of things on my plate including both of my jobs, my family....and well life. But now I have this other little person to factor in. A little person that I love so much. A little person that I don't want to be sad. or worried. or confused.

So many thoughts/questions ran through my head last night;

Will it be easier because of Savannah? We have to stay even more busy!
Will she understand why he isn't around?
Will she be sad? Will she forget him?
Will they share they same wonderful relationship that they do now when he comes home?
Will I be able to shuffle everything?
Will I be sad that Joe is missing all of our new adventures?
Will we be able to get pregnant as hoped before deployment?
Will my pregnacy go easy?
What will happen if he gets extended or I give birth early?
What's the plan if we don't get pregnant before deployment?

Everyone tells you they will help - and they will - BUT they have their own life and so most of it does fall on you as the military wife. I am thankful for my support system especially those that watch Savannah. BUT...

whew.. Am I ready for this? I guess it doesn't matter.
Ready or Not. It's here.

Good BYE shore duty.
Hello SEA DUTY. Hello USS ANNAPOLIS!

Mommy Monkey - signing off!

P.S Weekly Newsletter will be starting again for those friends and family who want more personal updates. Please facebook or email me your email address so I can add you.

Wow...

2011-07-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, time has flown!
Here we are again......and Sea Duty is looming in the near future. We'll be leaving our shore tour about 9 months early (Boo). More details to come. And some updated Savannah Grace pictures!

1st Christmas

2010-12-30T03:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!
Gosh, life is busy with our wonderful baby- but we wanted to get these pictures up before 2011

P.S
Halloween 2010 (She won 2nd place in the Quaker Hill 5 and under contest!!!):

...where time has gone..

2010-06-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Where time has gone...I have no idea. :)

I need to start posting... But I have this wonderful tiny monkey that takes up my spare time. Today, I got on the actual internet(I use my phone for it) and am enjoying catching up with everyones blogs, posts and emails!

Joe and I are enjoying adjusting to our new roles as parents while still enjoying our role as partners. Easier to say then do! But, we're finally in a place where we feel like we have accomplished the right balance. We really have so many friends and family members to thank!

Things we've done since Savannah's birthday on 3/28:

-Bought a brand new Chevrolet Equinox - LOVE IT
-Celebrated Mother's Day
-Celebrated Father's Day
-Drove straight(There and Back) to IL to visit family!
-Had a huge party to welcome Savannah(and celebrate her 7 week bday)
....and I am sure I am missing a bunch of things....

Anyway... I promise to post pictures soon! She's wonderful and beautiful...and well, I'll post soon!

Samantha(The little monkey in the family)

...and she's here!

2010-04-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

Savannah Grace LaCouture was born on March 28th 2010 weighing 8lb 10oz and 20 and 3/4inches long! She had a tough entrance into this world.... Came out with her head and hand together (vac extracted). No movement in her right arm/shoulder when she first came out- plus her heart hadn't been doing good as I was pushing. We were about 10 seconds from a C-section...and we had one more pull with the vac extractor- and phew! I got her out! Luckily the fluid pockets in her head healed and drained on their own. And her shoulder/right arm now has full movement. NICU at L and M were fantastic- as were all the nurses and our amazing doc!

Talk about a birth plan...not going to plan!

Mommy has 30 stiches! Recovery hasn't been very fun, Joe has been wonderful though. And our family is enjoying it's time together.

Here are some pictures. Joe didn't get to cut the cord because she needed NICU attention-but we staged a cord cutting(a shortening). The picture of the three of us is the first time I got to hold her after she had NICU attention. They were actually still sewing me up(an hour later).

The only thing that has gone to "plan" is the breast feeding. She's a fantasic latcher! We were able to get that started on our first try. Took about 4 minutes and she was a pro! We're really glad that we haven't struggled with this.

40 weeks and 3 days

2010-03-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Savannah's due date of March 22nd came and went...... and we wait... and wait...and wait... and we're still waiting. Walking 2-3 miles a day and playing around with a lot of what our midwife calls... "seduction induction"....

:) We hope to meet her soon!
Doc Appointment tomorrow morning so we will see what they say!
Love,
A very excited Joe
A very over-it Samantha
A very stubborn Savannah

39.5 weeks

2010-03-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 39.5 weeks.

We're doing everything to naturally induce Savannah to come into the world :) We even did a 3 mile walk yesterday(mostly uphill). She's not budging. Stubborn like Daddy.

Can't believe my due date is Monday. It just seems crazy. Time has flown. We can't wait to get her out and about this spring and summer.

37 weeks!

2010-03-02T05:18:00.001-08:00

Belly cast! Now we have to sand it.... and of course paint it.

Almost done!

An awesome Christmas present from Joe. So, here we are at 37 weeks doing our belly cast which we plan to paint on our anniversary March 5th(Friday).

37 Weeks! :)

20 more days until Savannah's due date!

CT shower

2010-02-03T03:51:00.000-08:00

My shower in CT was beautiful. Thank-you to Becky- and her helpers: Mrs. Butler, Katelyn and Stephanie for throwing such a beautiful shower!

I had over 100 pictures (thank-you photographer Katelyn!) - but here are some of my favorites. Aren't these cupcakes awesome!!!! And... the last picture is the rocker that my mother-in-law got me. SO comfortable! I want to sit in it every moment now that I'm at big as a hippo.

We feel blessed for all the love from that day!

Gifts from far away and RI Shower :)

2010-01-27T03:04:00.000-08:00

We've been getting a lot of wonderful gifts from special friends and family from out of state these last few weeks. Two recent favorites are the beautiful submarine sweater and this adorable monkey:

My mom gave a beautiful shower in RI this past weekend- Pictures are on the way!
-Samantha, Joe and Savannah(32 weeks cooked)

31 weeks!

2010-01-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

Here I am at 31 weeks. Things are going well. We're taking the birthing class at the hospital we plan to deliver at. Our doula has scheduled a few visits before Savannah's "birth-day" that we're excited about. We are practicing all the different positions and breathing techniques we have learned every day. I'm still enjoying my pre-natal Yoga class and we're still putting a few finishing touches on the room. Savannah Grace will be here before we know it! And we're excited!

New Years Eve

2010-01-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

Still catching up on blog pictures and information- Sorry!
Christmas was wonderful- Great time spent with many friends and Family.

We knew we didn't want to be out late on NYE- but wanted to do something special. We went and saw Avatar and then to the Melting Pot for their special dinner that evening. We were home by 8:30 and sleeping around 11:00. Joe did wake me up to say Happy New Year.

2010 should be a special year for us.

I'm 28.5 weeks in the picture on NYE.
xoxoxo
The LaCouture family

Christmas Eve Tradition

2009-12-28T04:46:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve Gingerbread Cookies (for Santa!)
Yum. Savvy even participated!

27 weeks with crib and changer!

2009-12-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

Room is coming along... Crib (Thanks to Joe's mom) and Changer (Thank-you Dad and Becky!) are all set up. We have a little more touch up painting to do and I'm going to start putting away all of her clothes (Thank you Mitchell and Blank family).

25.5 weeks cooked :)....and getting bigger!

2009-12-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

Well... I am 25.5 weeks cooked! And I feel large. Savannah is measuring about 13 1/2 inches long, she weighs approximately 1 1/2 lbs. Savannah actually had her 6 month check up today. She is measuring on target. The doctor confirmed she was a girl ( thank god! ) and counted all her fingers and toes! Woohooo!

I'm not totally uncomfortable yet-but I do have my sore days. I think prenatal yoga has been helping a LOT. I was sad my 6 week session ended on Wednesday. I'll be happy to start it back up early Jan again. I did book a prenatal massage for Tuesdy. It was a gift I was holding on to from Daddy Steve and Becky from my birthday. The time seemed perfect.

That's really it from us. We're done shopping, wrapping, sending and have a full schedule of holiday visitors ( We're not going anywhere for the month of December!). I finished menu planning and grocery shopping for all of December- so we're enjoying our outdoor and indoor decorations with the family and friends we love.

6 months.... 3rd Tri- WOW

2009-12-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

Wow! 24 weeks! 6 months! Whew!
3rd trimester.

Here we are! Things are good. Looking forward to the holidays. Getting big and I tire easily. Nose bleeds(although I hear they are normal) aren't that fun. Other then that- Life is good!

Can't wait to meet our little girl in March!
Samantha and Joe

22 Weeks Cooked!

2009-11-09T04:23:00.000-08:00

Over the 1/2 way point! Whew!

We had maternity pictures taken at 20 weeks. We have pregnancy pictures scheduled again at 34 weeks. I've been trying to post them-but the files are too big! I'll try again later!

Things have been good. Belly is growing. Joe felt his VERY first kick last week. It was very excited. It was so strong and the look on his face was PRICELESS! She doesn't kick much but when she does- she's strong. I'm thinking SOCCER player. Which is great!

We spent two weeks ago in New York for the Peterson/West wedding. Beautiful day, Beautiful bride. We were really glad to be included in such a special day for them.

We have finally finished registering at Babies R Us. One more thing to check off our list! We're also glad to have made more progress on the nursery. Here is what it looks like with the border up:

xoxoxo
Joe,Samantha and Savannah(who is 22 weeks old this week!~)

More Room Renovations

2009-11-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

And we're making progress. Becky came to help with Savannah's room. We are doing the lower part the dark purple and the higher part the light pink. We have a beautiful border that we are going to put up with Joe's Mom. More pictures soon!

Thanks for the help Becky!

xoxoxo
Samantha, Joe, Saavy

Savannah's Room Renovations

2009-10-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Joe and "Uncle" Josh patched up Savannah's ceiling yesterday evening so that we can start painting and getting her room ready over the coming months. They did a great job. Now a few more coats of mud, some sanding and some ceiling paint- Good as new!

More pictures of her room as we get it done....
xoxoxoxo
Joe, Sam and Savvy

It's a GIRL~

2009-10-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Savannah Grace LaCouture will be joining us around our due date in March!
We are very excited and plan to paint next Sat.

We'll post more pictures!
Samantha, Joe and Savy

18 week belly

2009-10-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

Here is it - the 18 week old belly. Appointment on Thursday went well. Doppler picked up his/her heart beat at 150. Very normal. Also baby was down VERY low. This indicated(old wives tale) that it's a BOY. Who really knows though. Our Doc will tell us on December 10th. We can pay and go in town as early as November 2nd. We're not completely sure what we are going to do but we think we'll be going into town. Gives us an extra month to prepare.

You may also notice Samantha is missing about 8 inches of HAIR! I found an organic salon near the house and chopped it off. Since it was still falling out- I thought smaller pieces would be less depressing(And I was right!). Cut is easy and soft- and I truly love it even if I was worried. I haven't had my hair this short in a while! Joe claims it's very soccer mom"ish". At my instance for clarification- he back pedaled and claimed he meant.. " you know...the stylish soccer moms who are busy mom but still hot". Not sure if I buy it- but whatever. He's never been one for complimenting words.

That's all from us!
Samantha, Joe and the Baby (Who right now is the size of a turnip- until Monday when he/she will be the size of a green bell pepper)

A Special Project.

2009-10-05T12:27:00.001-07:00

.
Here is the latest project, its small and not anything crazy but is one of the most important to me. Its a much better tobacco pouch, it should hold about three pipes full of tobacco. This project was made from some of the leather that my Great Grand Father had. By the time I came around he was not doing leather work anymore since his eye sight had degraded. My mother still talks about the coin purses he made out of leather with the hair still on. He did do a lot of wood working, and he forgot more then I could every learn about it. He built 13 of the 19 houses on the street he lived on. He lived in three of them, two were taken by the bank, the last one he got to keep. He ran two green houses and a good sized garden up until he died. His home also butted against a good track of woods with a brook going down the middle, what more could a young boy ask for? Some of my best memories as a child are getting out of school early on Wednesday, it was a half day when I was in grade school, and going there. It was free day care and it was great. Grandpa didn't talk a lot but when he did you listened, and he liked to show you how to do things once and then let you figure out how to do it from there. I never really watched TV as a kid, they didn't have cable and the outside was way more interesting. I know I get my love of learning from those times. Much to my wife chagrin I get my desire to try a bunch of new things from him too. I learned wood working, cement casting, figure carving, gardening, hunting, fishing, and the list goes on and on. I also learned a lot more. My work ethic comes from that time in my life. It's hard to stop weeding when the 70 something guy is there doing it with you. You can't really complain when something breaks because he would just take it as a challenge to fix..
Turns out you learn a lot about things when you take them apart to fix them. I get my love of quiet contemplation from him too, I think that's why I love motorcycles so much, I don't have a tree in my front lawn to sit under and just think, but I do have the bike. I know I got my love for apples from him. It just made me think that I miss him. I wish that he and BooBoo (That was what we all called my Great Grand Mother, that's a whole other post) could be here for me having a little one of my own. I remember how important they were in my life and all the great influences that I had growing up. I hope my kid gets that, the Navy life is going to make it hard. The soon to pop out kid will have a Great Grand Meme, so they won't totally miss out. Still its good to go back and think of those influences that got you where you are. I know he would be proud.
I also get my habit of walking around in stocking feet from him.
-Joe

Sam's New LEAF -Cooking

2009-09-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

There are SO many things we're doing to get ready for little miracle- One is understanding that both Joe and I will have new roles.

Joe really wants me to be a SAHM. That is something that I don't want to do but before we got married I said that I could compromise and work less. That started a whole train of job/career switching and brought me to the wonderful world of contract work. Contract work I love- Inspiring High School students year round as a motivational speaker. This gives me the ability to have all holidays and the summers off! I've worked in a little boutique in Mystic to stay busy since we didn't have kiddos yet-but that will soon end(or decrease). The job with Making It Count allows me to have adult time, reconnect and network with the other speakers (about 280 of us in the US) twice a year at trainings and feel like I'm participating financially. We've eased into it and it's been great. It should be easy to co-op with another parent and be able to keep my same speaking schedule. Some months (September, January) are really busy and others(May,December) aren't. All in all - I'll only be away from my peanut a maximum of 15 hours a week. How blessed am I? It's like having that cake and eating it too! And Joe feels good about the compromise as well.

Well this little compromise I made two years ago has come to bite my little behind. We have realized that I will now be the chef of the house. I thought Gift buyer, card sender, laundry do"er", bill payer, finance manager...etc was enough. But after much thought and deliberation- We realized that chef will need to be added. Well, those who know me... You know this is VERY new uncharted territory for me. I am (of course) up for the challenge though. I got out cook books. I made lists. I made menus. I am diving in head first. (What other way do you dive in?).

And...so it has begun. Right now - I'll be making 4 "dinner" dishes and 1 dessert dish every week. We may add more in the future-but right now, this is what I am starting with. My new chef job started on Sunday(9/27). I had an assistant for my first day(he was really cute too!). I learned a lot. I'm actually really excited to provide for my family in this way too(Who would have thought!!!).

So my first main dish was Prosciutto, Spinach and Pasta Casserole. It was YUMMY. Not bad to make either. 25 minute prep. 25 minutes to cook.

Ingredients- 2 and 2/3 cup of dried pasta, 2 medium onions(thin wedges), 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/2 tsp of anise seeds, 1/2 cup flour, 1 and 1/2 of chicken broth, 1/4 cup of grated parm cheese, 1 10 ounce pgk of chopped spinach (thaw and drain), 2 ounces or prosciutto, 1 medium tomato (seed and chop).

Cook Pasta and drain. Rinse with cold water.
Cook Onion and garlic in hot butter until onion is tender. Stir in flour and anise seeds. Add milk and chicken broth. Cook and stir until slightly bubbly and thickened. Stir in Parm Cheese(I added more then called for!). Stir in cooked pasta, spinach and prosciutto. Spoon mixture into 2 quart casserole dish.

Bake covered for 25 minutes at 350. Serve with chopped tomato (optional)

It smelled the house up something very YUMMY. When reheating -we've enjoyed it with some provolone cheese melted on top.

My first dessert dish was Brownie Pie. A little longer on the prep(40 minutes) and longer cook time(50 minutes). My husband is a chocolate nut- so this was a must for my first dessert.

Ingredients: (1/2 cup butter, 3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, 1 single pie crust, 3 eggs(beaten), 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tsp of vanilla, hot fudge topping and 1 cup chopped walnuts(optional, hubs doesn't like them-so I didn't)

Filling First- Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan. Cool for 20 minutes
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare/Make/Roll out Pie Crust. Use 9 inch pan. Crimp edges
For Filling - Combine eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in Chocolate mix
Pour Filling into pie crust. Back 50 minutes. Add fresh fruit or hot fudge sauce.
Yum

Khaki Ball 2009

2009-09-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

Khaki Ball was a nice evening out filled with khakis and many different semi-formal cocktail dresses. This year it was held at the Mystic Marriott. The guest speaker was Big Al. He passed on some great words of wisdom and kept the speech short and sweet. And we're always proud when the CPO's raise enough money to make the entire night open bar. Joe was happily telling everyone he had a built in designated driver. The funny part was he was ready for bed after just three drinks. I guess since I haven't really drank anything lately, neither has he. And as we're not big drinkers to begin with...well.. Yeah. My husband was home and asleep by 11:30.

It's a wonderful evening steeped in tradition. A good time for the Chiefs to reconnect with each other. A great time to honor all of the new CPO's and welcome them to the mess. A fun time for wives to dance with one another. The best part is hearing the newly frocked CPO's sing the star spangled banner. We had a nice table. The picture is of Joe and I and then Joe and a long time friend of his- Labue.

Update - belly and leather!

2009-09-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Some of Joe's new projects. My quiver and his shield.

There is...(drum roll) my baby bump! 14.5 weeks and that's how big I am. Joe and I can't imagine 8 months. (side note: I had only left from 4:45-6:30 and then done a presentation in NY and drove home from NY when Joe took this picture- so I look like crap)

That's all for now!
xoxo
Joe, Sam and baby!

travels, babies and more!

2009-09-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

Japan was wonderful. Exhausting with the time change- but we're back home and getting into the swing of things again (or trying to). We moved Dee in to Toyo University and aside from looking nervous- I think she was excited to start her year long journey. And we(Joe and I) are glad we got to visit and settle her in. Should be a great year for her. We're jealous!

This cutie above is our 13 week sonogram! They can never get the kiddos heartbeat with the Doppler- so I keep getting free sonograms- woohoo! (Although when they can't find the heartbeat, I freak out and start shaking)- nerve racking! We're so amazed with the difference the 8 week picture was to the 13 week picture though.

We decided to go ahead with the quad screen which will happen in 2 weeks. So prayers, fingers crossed - that it comes back fine and we don't have to make any decisions for further testing.

How our little monkey is growing:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

That's it for us. Oh, we did get some crappy news- Our doc only does the gender determination in the 25th week ( REALLY LATE- most get to find out week 18-week 20.) So, we won't be painting the room anytime soon- BUT we will be repairing that ceiling and getting the room as ready as possible until we CAN paint which now looks like late December.

More of Joe's talents

2009-08-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

More of Joe's work. This is my belt for my dress. It's really pretty. You can't see how it will lace in the back- but it will be corset style. He did it all by hand- including the dye job~ It's a beautiful deep red. I love it.

We're getting our costumes together piece by piece and are totally excited. Joe is working on a shield for himself and then a quiver for me. We'll see where time brings us- and if there is some extra.. he may try a pair of shoes (Very difficult).

I'll post more as it he finishes.
xoxo
Samantha
P.S - I turn 27 in a few days- Whew!

Joe's third project

2009-08-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

Have to brag about my talented husband - His leather working skills are just amazing.
This is his third project. They are bracers for his outfit for the LARP stuff we are doing this year. He made them and dyed them himself. I love them!

We have finally got the office/craft room finished- These bracers were actually completed in the craft room! The only thing we have left to do is pick out and hang curtains. I'll be glad when we are completely done- but I'm super satisfied with the progress we have made so far!

More to come!
Joe, Samantha and BABY BUMP :)

Life -- lately!

2009-08-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Things have been moving along. We're excited for the fall- so we can get into some of the LARP stuff we do. We're in the process of making our costumes right now. You can see the awesome shield Joe made himself this past month. He's working on bracers for himself and a quiver for me at the moment. We'll post pictures of us all dressed. I usually go with a corset style outfit- but the baby in the belly doesn't like tight spaces (Imagine that!)-so my outfit will be quite different this year!

We have almost completed the office renovation project. *sigh* We can't WAIT to be done. Joe has done most of it with the help of numerous family members -Uncle Steve, his Dad -etc! I am SO excited to have our crafting room/office put back together -which we plan to do this weekend! We'll try to get some pictures up. Next up is the ceiling replacement in the baby room. Sometimes it feels like it never ends.

I start speaking on the 25th and am REALLY excited to get back to the work that I love. Can't wait to motivate and inspire in High Schools.

That's it for now
Samantha, Joe and Baby Bump

2009-08-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

Military Spouse

Saw this on another military wife blog- Had to repost!
I hope all you Military wives enjoy!
And all you civilians get a better understanding of all of us~

Samantha :)

Each one may look different and each is wonderfully unique, But this they have in common:

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit; Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS; Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart .
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, she will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown

Our big news!

2009-08-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

We had this amazing moment with the above picture on July 10th

Hello!

Now that we have made it almost to our 8 week mark(it was hard)and had our first two appointments with sonograms(all is well) - We wanted to let you know that we are expecting our first child. We are very excited, nervous, anxious,scared..etc etc!

So far, So good. I have been VERY tired. Exhausted. I hate it. And I crave all kinds of things- lately cheese, grape popsicles, V8 juice and pickles wrapped in turkey. Belly is starting to grow and we will post belly pictures as it gets bigger.

Due date is March 22nd. We will be finding out the sex and WILL share
that with all of you in our 19th week in early November as long as baby
cooperates for the sonogram! Today in the sonogram we saw the tail. Personally I am hoping it's a penis. (Although we are wanting a healthy babe, send us all the boy dust you can!)

Love,
Joe, Samantha and Baby LaCouture

Wow- AUGUST!

2009-08-01T12:37:00.001-07:00

Well.. August is here. We are shocked.

Lots going on in the LaCouture household. We have finally replaced the ceiling in the office (from the water damage during the last deployment)- Which has been quite the project. We figured we'd do a lot while we were in there. We ripped out the closet to make a bigger room(and craft storage I found in a magazine). We also are in the process of stripping the wall paper. Well that got some water damage too- So we will have to re-plaster those walls before we paint. A lot of sanding involved. I can feel it. Mr Chief Electrician Joe LaCouture did re-wire for a light too. Right now we are mid-project and it's pretty crazy. Our house is messy and dusty... And (drum roll) we have ordered food twice in two days. Yes, that is right- TWICE. Pizza last night and Chinese is on the schedule for this evening. Joe might want to start this project over just for the joy of take out TWICE in such a short span of time!! Joe will post pictures shortly.

Quick shout out to some of our help this week:

Eric Doe - For help moving a few big items out of the office
Stephanie Peterson - The fantastic and cheerful taxi service
Chris Ewing-Chow - Thanks for the help hanging the dry wall ceiling.
Dad LaCouture, Liz and Dee - Ah, so nice when family is visiting when you're mid project. I swear we didn't plan this guys. Thanks for everything!

Speaking of family- Dee is with us for the week and I am psyched. We have a few plans. We don't intend to make her do our projects all week. On the agenda- nothing in stone- but berry picking, relaxing, some shopping....and mostly just getting excited for the three of us to travel to Japan in early September. Dee got into Toyo University in Japan- Joe and I are taking her out there and making sure she is settled. We are all so excited!

As for the rest of August- A few plans. Joe's mom got a new puppy- Jack. He's an adorable Dobie who we are planning to meet next weekend when we go to Maine. We are also expecting a visit from two of our favorite people- Auntie Gail and Uncle Steve mid August. They are going to help us finish a few projects and do some well deserved visiting. We haven't seen them in over a year(When we drove to Chicago). We're super excited about that visit.

That's it from us!
Stay cool everyone and enjoy August!
Joe and Sam

Back from paradise!

2009-07-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

Cabo was beautiful. What a great place! The resort was beautiful. The weather was amazing. In the high 90's - but not ONE bit of humidity.

Joe got me the beautiful ruby and diamond ring while we were there - Aren't I lucky?

The place was beautiful. Great company. GREAT food. Everything was great :)
Great, Great, Great!

xoxo
Joe and Samantha

Romantic things this week...

2009-06-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

This time tomorrow- I'll be in CABO :) Woooooo..... Stay posted for fantastic pictures :)

Even getting ready for our vacation(which means I am stressed out and not so nice) with my MIL and good friends- the love of my life still managed a few romantic things in this week....

They are:

Putting moldy cupcakes in the garbage for me. I tried to. I really did-but I couldn't. And so he did it- without so much of a complaint.

Encouraged me to get two new pair of Bandolino shoes and two new bathing suits before our trip. Over each of our monthly allowances needs approval from the other 1/2. I didn't even have to ask- it was his suggestion. So sweet!

He sat through a very long fashion show of sun dresses while I was packing us up for Cabo. And I mean very long. He got to pick five when it was over - and I know he has definite opinions but instead he said- You look good in all of them. Ha!

He isn't selfish- and it's nice. This was shown when he made sure both of our kindles are charged for our plane ride!

Made dinner and brought it up so I could go on the Lost Vale run with our guild on Warhammer. It's romantic because he's not warded for it (Can't go in) and he still doesn't mind that I get to- and even helps me(run usually takes 3 hours) get through it. This is super confusing to non-gamers- so to put it simply-he let me play video games and ignore my other obligations.

Went kiss toll crazy. We have kiss tolls for everything-walking up stairs, leaving and entering the house. But this week- there were kiss tolls for EVERYTHING- packing kiss tolls, coffee making kiss tolls, laundry beeping kiss tolls.. and since Kissing leads to... - it's been a good week! :)

Speaking of Sex.. He's been REALLY romantic and sweet without being overly obvious about my disdain of not being pregnant. It's not that I'm worried about us- just that EVERYONE is pregnant- even people who don't want to be- and we WANT to be. Anyway, it's slightly frustrating - and he some how understands that and is super supportive of my clearly unhappy attitude about the whole thing.
(Btw- I'm truly happy for those who are pregnant, just wish I could join ya)

lalala- I am the luckiest woman alive!

Finished!!

2009-06-27T14:58:00.001-07:00

Well there were some slight problems, as you may or may not know Electrician's never get shocked, we find sharp things we may not have expected but we never get shocked. I found a few sharp things today in the power supply while testing out the new case mod, turns out there were some frayed wires and they were grounding out the power supply brick, and in one not fun instance they grounded out to my arm. Turns out the power supply brick has the aerodynamic characteristics of a brick, which in turn meant a discussion with Sam about a new one, leading to... you guessed it me fixing the old one and making do.
So after 2 trips to Best Buy, one to get a new power supply and one to return said power supply after talking to my wife about buying it. I ate lunch in the garage with a soldering iron.

After repairing the power supply I learned that the plug to the mobo was too long, so I had to cut out the frame so the wire would fit:

I could not find any uninsulated wire so I went with shot line and a tilt on the screen to make it easier to read while sitting, I am not super happy with the sides but until I can strip down a pair of computer speakers they will do. I wanted to get it up and tested in place.
Over all learned a lot, and would do this again, I do need to strip some speakers and mount them beside the monitor and maybe a webcam have to see.

Joe's Projects

2009-06-26T14:50:00.001-07:00

Well it has been a bit since I posted so here are some things that we have been working on, by we I mean mostly me since its about cooking and computers!

My Mom got me a book on bread making in 5 minutes a day, turns out it really takes a few more then that but not many, it also makes great bread. It helps that Sam figured out that it cost like 37 cents a loaf so she is on board. I have been making bread now for a few weeks and it is soooo good! The fact that they are free form loafs means you can make it into any shape you want, great for sandwich's or late night snacks!
My wife is a wonderful woman and knows that some times I have some crazy ideas. They generally work out for the best, and she tends to forget that I am rather handy, like every project she gives me crap but it turns out better then she expected. So now I am trying something new. We have a bin of old computer parts, some I have sold, some I have given away, most are still in the bin. Now its time to make use of them. What better way to do that then destroy a perfectly good laptop?

Yes those are tin snips, yes it was destructive, no it was most likely not required and yes I felt better after I used them. After all the hard work and a few messages from Sam:

It still works! Sweet!!! Now tomorrow a trip to my favorite place, Home Despot so I can get some wood. The whole idea behind this project is to make a wall hanging PC, so we can play music on it, watch a picture slide show, surf the net while gaming, and otherwise make more space on the desk. I did some research ahead of time and set up the software so that we can use the mouse and keyboard on the desktop to work on the laptop, also with the new case I am making it should fix the problem where if you bump the computer it turns off. I will post more pics as I make progress.

Romantic things....

2009-06-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

So...we've noticed we're not typically "romantic" to one another. We don't do what most people would consider very romantic... We take rides on the Harley. We play video games together(currently Warhammer-Waaaggggh!). We bake bread. We read. No flowers or long walks on the beach.... Does that mean we're not a romantic couple?

This was a recent discussion of ours.. and we've decided you can find romanticism everywhere in what we do....

So, I am here to report Romantic things done by Joe this week:

1. He brought my chaps(when I thought I wouldn't need them) during a recent week night Harley "run". Whoa- We didn't get home until 10pm and it was CHILLY!

2. He asked to have my hot dog toasted after it came back boiled. Even though I told him it was fine.

3. It was cold the other night and he brought me a cup of tea without asking.

4. He saved the last coffee pod for me and waited until he got to work to brew his own coffee.

5. He texted me to tell me that he loved his lunch that day. (Salad with ham and turkey)

6. He let me pick the movie when we had Katelyn over.

7. He let me take the lap top to work (even though he prefers to game on it then the desk top at )without any complaints :)

How romantic Joe!

As for us- just counting down the days until CABO ( 11 days! ), enjoying many rides on the Harley, many nights at Pete and Sue's(neighbors we love), and fun just being together.

xoxo
Samantha

My new addiction..:) Swaaaaaaaaaag!

2009-06-12T14:30:00.001-07:00

So my new favorite addiction is Swagbucks.
It's easy and FREE. You use Swagbucks as a search engine- and you accumulate "bucks". The bucks can be traded in for Gift Certificates.

For example- for every 45 swag bucks- I get $5.00 Amazon Gift Certificate. I easily average 30-50 swag bucks a day when I do a lot of searching/online reading.

Try it out: (just click below)
(I love it)

Life......goes on!

2009-06-12T11:22:00.001-07:00

Ah! June already?
Wow!

Things are going well. We've been enjoying riding the Harley on the weekends and have been in quite a few great runs so far this summer. We're looking forward to more time on the Harley and many more runs planned. We'll post some pictures soon. We were thinking of putting in a garden and then decided not to since Pete and Sue told us they put in a garden that was too big for just the two of them. Perfect- We'll just go over there when we need fresh veggies!

We're counting down until Cabo-We leave on July 1st. We're so excited for a relaxing vacation-even if we had to give up building a deck to go. We think it will be a good exchange. We're not really sit outdoors people anyway. We're always out and about so it can wait another summer.

That's about it for us right now. It's just so nice to have him home and be spending quality time together. The Navy underway schedule starts to feel normal at some points and you forget how real relationships get all that time together. I get overwhelmingly sad when I see the Welcome Home banners- It's weird. I'm just so glad those up and down emotions aren't part of my life right now. My husband is home at 5:00. Home on the weekends. He's here to enjoy all life has to offer- he's here for me. He's here to start our family. We have to pinch ourselves in reminder that- YES this is going on! And of course... we appreciate it so very much.

xoxo- Have a great weekend!
Samantha

Life lessons from Grey's Anatomy?

2009-06-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows Joe and I well know that we don't watch TV or even have cable. We read news online. And if we had cable.. we'd watch the Discovery, Travel and Military Channels. Those cost extra- so no thanks(For now).

I do watch Grey's Anatomy. I just have loved that show from Day 1.
Here are some quotes that I thought were memorable this season.

What do you think?

"You never know the biggest day of your life is your biggest day, not until it’s happening. You don’t recognize the biggest day of your life, not until you’re right in the middle of it. The day you commit to something or someone. The day you get your heart broken. The day you meet your soul mate. The day you realize there’s not enough time because you wanna live forever. Those are the biggest days. The perfect days. "

"We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning for the future, trying to predict the future, as if figuring it out will cushion the blow. But the future is always changing. The future is the home of our deepest fears and wildest hopes. But one thing is certain when it finally reveals itself. The future is never the way we imagined it. "

"We all get at least one good wish in a year over the candles on our birthday. Some of us throw in more, on eyelashes, fountains, lucky stars. And every now and then, one of those wishes come true. So what then? Is it as good as we hoped? Do we bask in the warm glow of our happiness or do we just notice we’ve got a long list of other wishes waiting to be wished."

"Heaven, hell, limbo, no one really knows where we’re going or what’s waiting for us when we get there. But the one thing we can say for sure, with absolute certainty, that’s there are moments that take us to another place, moments of heaven on earth. And maybe for now, that’s all we need to know."

"Remember when we were little and we would accidentally bite a kid on the playground. Our teachers would go, “Say you’re sorry”, and we would say it, but we wouldn’t mean it cause the stupid kid we bit, totally deserved it. But as we get older, making amends isn’t so simple. After the playground days are over you can’t just say it, you have to mean it. "

Grey's Finale

2009-05-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Powerful words:

Did you say it? I Love You.. I don't ever want to live without you! You changed my life. Did you say it? Make a plan...Set a goal. Work toward it, but every now and then look around...Drink it in.. Cause this is it..........It might all be gone tommorrow....

The end of the yard sale.

2009-05-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

It was so much work the 6 month old needed a beer!

More on Disney

2009-05-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

We did finally ride Aerosmith(MGM) on our last evening before we had to go(sniff,sniff). This is the picture of us in front of it.

It was FANTASTIC. We really had a blast. The perfect trip before kiddos. And we can't wait to go back with our own.

What's next for us? A new patio(with help from our friends/family), Lots of riding, Lots of baby making(we hope!) and our really exciting trip to Japan together. We're going to be getting Joe's little sister Dee settled for her year abroad there and enjoy some time together. We're super psyched about all of the above!

Oh and make sure to play our video game we made in Epcot! It's great:
http://www.thinkingofyoupostcards.com/runtime/play?Guestcode=KQKQKFA4MEARGQ

Love, Joe and Sam

Disney

2009-05-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy these last few days, we did Epcot and had our big dinner at Victoria and Alberts, both of which were a blast. The food was amazing and Sam loved the fact that I had the Beauty and the beast theme song played on the Harp for her.

We also did some very fun hands on activitys at Epcot, I must say that I was very proud of Sam for riding the hard version of Mission Space, even though she doesn't like the spinning and the G forces she did very well and did not puke at the end. She was very close though. Another neat thing we did was see how much trash we make and what we can do with it. I mean it was sponsored by a trash hauling company but it was intresting to see.

We just got back from Blizzard Beach, not a lot of pictures for that one since it is a water park, we managed to get there early and finished all of he rides by 1:30. We came back to the hotel for lunch and a shower and now its off to high tea. I will be very sad to leave tommrow... but I know that we will be back, hopefully the next time we are here will be with a little one!

First full day in Disney

2009-05-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well today was our first full day and it was a blast, we got to the park before it opened and got to see everything they did, we went to Magical Kingdom today and hit some really great rides, turns out that Swine Flu, and a crappy economy make for short lines! We were the first ones on the Haunted Mansion ride, and the 5 mins it took for us to get on Splash Mountain was the time it took to walk in, and we got to sit in the front, made a great over priced picture for us to buy at the end! We also did some classics like the Tea Cups,

and some character pictures, those were the longest time we spent in line waiting for that, also we did some of the new rides, Stitch's Prison Escape was a new and very fun ride, Buzz Lightyears Adventure was fun, and we got to end the day in Hollywood studios with a 10 min wait to get on Tower of Terror which was again a great thing. We finished the night with the outdoor show Fantasmic! Sam got to get her light up toy there and I have no doubt that it will make the rounds of the park with us tomorrow. We had dinner tonight in the Prime Time Cafe, our waitress Megan was great!!!! Very funny and was like sitting in a 50's family home. I said that I would be wanting refills on my drink, she said she would bring me a pitcher, I thought she was kidding.
Turns out she was Not Kidding!!!!

Sam with her light up toy

2009-05-03T18:46:00.001-07:00

Of all the things she was excited about this is the one I heard the most about!

In line for its a small world

2009-05-03T08:37:00.001-07:00

Disney Day One

2009-05-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

We are on our first day in Disney, and we made it! I did not set her on fire(She sometimes gets over whelmed with things and can become difficult to deal with), though there were many times that the idea crossed my mind. Staying in the park is the way to go!! Very easy, no baggage claim, no taxi, just get in line and get to our hotel. We went to Down Town Disney and ate at the rain forest cafe, walked around some and checked out the Lego store. Also we tried on the silly hats. Now to bed to get ready for our first full day tomorrow

IMG00013-20090502-1947.jpg

2009-05-02T16:48:00.001-07:00

OMG DISNEY!

Busy around the house....

2009-04-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

My wisdom teeth are doing just fine(being out) - I'm healing and everything looks pretty good. The Doc did my checkup yesterday. We were glad that I didn't have any further problems ( including dry socket ). Yes!

We went on the first Harley ride of the season last weekend. Gosh that felt good. It was a long day -but a great ride. We are proud members(both Joe and I) of the American Legion-so we stopped there to have a drink during our ride. It was BEAUTIFUL OUT-even if I had chaps on. We also got a lot of work done around the house like raking the leaves, cutting down prickle bushes, finishing doors we hung up etc.

We were most excited to hang an anniversary present that came from Joe's father and step mom. Isn't it beautiful. He made it. Yep- you heard right folks- Joe's dad made it. If you could see the stained glass in the light... wooowie. We're so lucky to have it and so glad to finally have gotten it up.

That's it really! We're headed to Maine this weekend to visit Joe's mom- We're hoping the good weather follows us there(since it's supposed to beautiful here but rainy there!)

Less then 10 days until Disney!
Yippppeee!
Samantha(and Joe)

Wisdom Teeth....

2009-04-16T05:03:00.001-07:00

Day 2 of recovery and doing pretty well.
I'm only allowed to be on the laptop for a few hours ( Big Monkey(that's Joe) has stupid recovery rules...)

Figured I would blog during my laptop time.

They got all three out and the cyst as well yesterday morning . It went well according to them. When they woke me up, I started crying for Joe and my monkey blanket- which he rushed in with as soon as they would let him. I was pretty out of it since I remember nothing of the recovery room. They kept me in the recovery room for a long time ( 4'11", 120 pounds ...takes a bit to "come to" - I guess). Next thing I know... I decide I want my mommy too. (Note: This was my first time having any sort of surgery, being in any type of hospital- I've never even broken anything ). Mommy had already planned to come...and she walked into my recovery room minutes after with a rose bush and get well balloon. Aren't I a lucky girl?

Yesterday I read and laid around ALL day. I did eat more then most people usually do- so I hear that is a good sign. I wasn't allowed dairy yesterday but I had applesauce, pudding and mashed potatoes. Today I'm waiting for Joe to come home during lunch so I can have tomatoe soup and soft grilled cheese with no crust.

So far- very little bleeding or swelling. It's going better then I thought. I get in A LOT of pain before my meds- but I'm glad it's over and glad for such a great support system and all the calls checking in (Thanks- LaCouture family, Campagna family...etc - Joe's told me about your calls - Means a lot to me!)

That's all for now!
Love,
Samantha

OOOOH.. :) So the very last birth control pill was officially taken on Tuesday April 14th. Send Baby Dust our way.... here we go. We've done some research and if the eggs are dropping May 2nd and May 3rd would be our first day to "make it happen". We're just having fun with all the guessing thought. We're in not particular rush. But send lots of baby dust anyway.

Disney COUNT DOWN: 15 days

Easter....

2009-04-13T09:01:00.001-07:00

Easter is over! Joe and I colored eggs before our guests arrived from Maine on afternoon. We had a fantastic time. We ended up with 18 family/friends here. It was so nice. A lot of work. A lot of food. But.... A lot of fun. Yes, I wore the ears! And they are tucked into our Easter decoration bin for next year too.

My wisdom teeth are coming out on Wednesday. I am not looking forward to that. At ALL. Joe isn't either(I bet). It has to be done. The doctors recommended it before pregnancy because you can't get them out when you are pregnant. So out they are coming. I'm not thrilled- I really hope the recovery is better then everyone says. I did get pudding, ice-cream and apple sauce for the first few days after. I am hoping(the good part) this works as some sort of diet plan. I could lose a few pounds.

That's about it on our agenda.

What we are looking forward to:
BBT - Before Baby Trip! To Disney - Count down: 18 days - Wooohoo!
Joe's Bday Champagne Brunch
Trip to Japan

That's all for now.
Love,
Samantha (and Joe)

April and beyond!!!!!

2009-04-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

:) Things are moving along nicely....here at the LaCouture household.

Lots of appointments and such lately to get ready for this baby we're going to try to have. Whew! Wisdom teeth are finally coming out on April 15th. I'm not thrilled. Poor Joe. Anyway- it will be done, and that will be a good thing.

And no... not pregnant yet. Teeth first.

And our first holiday at the house is rapidly approaching- we are psyched! We have 15 coming to celebrate Easter with us. The menu looks pretty yummy. We're starting with Onion and Orange Salad and a Tossed Salad. Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Corn and Green Bean Casserole for "dinner" and then Apple Pie for dessert(home made by my Momma!). Yum. Oh and I may try a pineapple casserole from Robin's recipe collction. Anyway- We can't wait to celebrate with our families and friends. We have people coming from all over! I was wrapping presents and decorating last weekend and I just got a shake of the head and eye roll from Joe. I tried to explain to him the Easter Bunny comes for everyone. He doesn't understand. Then he tries to tell me that you only decorate the house when you have kids. What!!!!!?!?! ( I say ). Then we agree to not understand each other and go on with our day. It's easier that way!

Oh- We have a freezer! We are so excited. We cleaned out our utility room and made it a pantry. I've wanted one forever. All my "extra" food buying goes out there now. And we're having our meat delivered from Family First. We're psyched. It comes 5 months at a time. We think it will be great for money saving- mostly budgeting! The quality is really what sold us though. Joe also cleaned out the garage this past weekend. He's happy about that. It looks great.

Oh- and we have decided that we will be taking Dee (Joe's sister) out to Japan in September. She'll be doing a year abroad over there next year. We're pretty excited for her!

We're having a champagne brunch at the house because old man river LaCouture is turning 28 in May. I'm pretty excited to have snuck that one by him- he hates when I have parties for him. *eye roll*

What we are looking forward to:
Hosting our first Easter dinner for our family and friends here in CT! Whew!
BBT - Before Baby Trip! To Disney - Count down: 25 days - Wooohoo!
Joe's Bday Champagne Brunch
Trip to Japan

That's all for now.
Love,
Samantha (and Joe)

2009-04-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

(sing with me) M-I-C-K-E-Y.... M-O-U-S-E...

Our Disney trip is rapidly approaching. We leave May 2nd! We are so excited! We're staying at Port Orleans in DISNEY. And we have booked dinner/wine pairings at Victoria and Alberts which I always wanted to do-but never had the chance to. We figure we'll never get an opportunity to do it again-so we went for it this trip! Dinner jacket is required there so I finally got Joe to agree to take his dress uniform.

A little about the famous V and A:

Victoria & Albert's restaurant in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa fashions a unique menu each night of exceptional, contemporary American cuisine served with unparalleled charm and elegance.

An 8-year recipient of the prestigious AAA Five Diamond award, this Signature Dining restaurant serves fine cuisine with wine pairings from an award-winning cellar. The renowned, 6-course prix fixe menu is prepared artfully each day with ingredients culled fresh from the world market.

Amongst gentle harp strains and the sparkle of imported crystal in a Victorian dining room, sit in the midst of romantic splendor in this establishment celebrated the world over for its exquisite culinary creations and transcendent atmosphere.

Butler service, personalized menus and a long-stem rose for each lady are just a few of the touches that make Victoria & Albert's restaurant an opulent, palate-pampering experience.

Victoria & Albert's restaurant offers an intimate 2-hour to 2.5-hour dining experience in an adult- oriented atmosphere

Our lunch and dinner reservations are all set for the week- Including a special dinner show that I love called the Hoop-De-Doo Review! SO...today I started our packing lists and itinerary. It got me even more excited.

The only crappy thing is that Space Mountain will be closed while we are there. Two thumbs down.

Ah.... :) excited to put on the Mickey Ears!
Samantha

Sub Ball

2009-03-30T16:20:00.001-07:00

Here is our "prom for adults" picture. We didn't like any of the three- but this is the best one.

Counting the days until Disney. (34 days)
Sam and Joe

Almost April...Whew!

2009-03-22T08:31:00.001-07:00

Happy Spring!

We are so excited it's here! Harley riding season is just around the corner-Whew! We sort of fell in love on that thing- We we're super excited to have what we hope to be our last summer being able to go when we want. With kiddo's on the agenda for the near future- we know our time of jetting off when we want will be limited.

In other fantastic NEWS - Joe's sister(my sis-in-law) Deidre got accepted to Toyo University-She'll be off to Japan next year. We are so excited for her. Hearing her and Joe talk about it on the phone melted my heart. She'll never know how proud he is of her-I wish I could have captured the look on his face. We knew there would be a possibility of her going to Japan next year-and so we've done some extra planning and saving and hope to have the pleasure of taking her out there or visiting her when she first gets out there. Congrats Dee. We are so EXCITED for you.

Joe's enjoying his new desk job. He says that everything moves really slow and he hates that everyone seems to communicate over email-even they are only a few offices away from each other. I'm enjoying getting up with him- making breakfast and sending him off with lunch.

It's a weird but good feeling. I spent my teens and early twenties being pretty sure I would be a career woman. I had visions of suit jackets, high heels and picking my kids up after work. Breast Feeding and Cloth Diapering were not even in my line of sight. And jeans? For every day? Never! Panty Hose please. Darn it. Love changes things. I still do have my career- and I dress up for work.It's not all day. It's not on weekends. It's when I want-and it's challenging and wonderful-but I wouldn't say it was what I dreamed of.

The vision now- you may be thinking? Staying home with my kids. Career on the side(can't give it up completely). I'll speak-as I do now. Hopefully I'll be able to co-op with another Mom in my neighborhood to go off to speak. No daycare. I'll breast feed(Joe insists) and we're going to make baby food and give cloth diapering a "go". We are going to be involved parents. VERY involved. But we plan to keep our relationship fresh and have time for ourselves to keep our marriage strong. This excites me. Like I never thought it would. I like packing Joe's lunch. I like knowing he ate in the morning. I like hearing him pull out of the driveway and cuddling back into bed knowing my man is taken care of. I love loving him. He's my family. And I love my family.

For now.

xoxo
Samantha

...a BIG update!

2009-03-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

...... A lot has been going on. It's been so crazy and busy-....... but here it is... a Joe/Sam update!!!!!

Joe had the last weeks off for transfer leave. But he left me this morning to start his new job at sub school. *sniff* I did enjoy our time together though- Here is what we did:

First- I had a bunch of presentations in NY- So- He came along. All the different hotels and driving- whew! I was so glad he was there. We even managed to keep our workout plan(5 days every week) going while we were there. We had one luggage just for workout stuff.

We ended that week in Maine. Total miles after we got home from NY/Maine trip- 2216. *clapclap*(for Joe). We weren't in Maine long. Long enough to enjoy catching up with Joe's sister Dee who was home from UVM for break and enjoying some family time. Lots of fun and laughs- but we were exhausted and I had to work on Sunday-so we came back to CT that Sat evening. Sunday was the longest day of my life.

This past week has just been getting small projects done. Enjoying Warhammer(An online game we play together). The USS Alexandria Christmas party. Yep, they still have them if they are deployed for certain holidays. It was a lot of fun. Lots of raffles. Great to catch up(and say goodbye) to some of our good friends. We also spent a day up in MA paying a visit to Shawn and BB and FINALLY getting to one of H's shows.

.... This morning I made breakfast- packed Joey's lunch...and scooted him off to work. I have a lot to do today including making dessert because we're going to My mom's in RI for St Patty's dinner! Yum. Oh, and planning our trip to Disney. As long as Joe can get leave(Which we find out this week)- then we'll be going hopefully the first or second week of May.

What we are looking forward to:
Sub Ball- March 28th.
Hosting our first Easter dinner for our family and friends here in CT! Whew!
BBT - Before Baby Trip! To Disney ( I hope )

OK, that's the update.
More to come.....

No we're not pregnant yet.

Love
Joe and Samantha

The baby craziness......in HIM!

2009-03-01T12:50:00.001-08:00

I'm at work on this snowy Sunday and an unexpected phone call from my husband comes. He's not one for the phone-so it's slightly odd for him to call me.

It starts with..." Did you know there are a lot of things you can do with your kids ...like projects, science camps and experiments and..." (he goes on and on) - about all these different things he read about today. Even explains this geo thing-where you find GPS points with your kids...blah blah blah.

The conversation is slightly amusing to me for a two reasons:

1. Before Joe met me- he didn't want children. Ever. Never talked about them. Never had a want/desire for them. This information comes from both his mother and father. He never told me this. When I pry- he claims he never met the right person before.

2. He's really worried about being good parents-when he worries, he tends not to talk about something. And if I push- it's just longer I have to wait to talk about it- so I've left it alone. (by the way- he's going to be a fantastic-hands on parent-and I know I'll fall more in love with him as it's happening)

But...Oh I enjoy hearing him talk about it. Today was no exception. Full blown excitement from his end. He found something he can relate to-Projects! Now his mind feeling at ease.... He says:

So...when are we going to start this?
Me: Start what?
This kid thing. I mean.. making this kid.
Me: You wanted the summer together- I was giving you(and us) space and time.
Well, we can have the summer together pregnant-right?

Ah, the heart melt. Why yes sweetie...yes we can.
So... who knows what the near future brings. Originally- we were going to Disney in September(and planned to start trying on VK)- but now it looks like May.

xoxo
Samantha

Joe's Promotion Party-and ORDERS!

2009-02-27T04:40:00.000-08:00

Things have calmed down a lot here!
Joe's party was a great success. We were surrounded with many people who love and respect Joe. Many Chiefs from the boat attended as well as all my family and all of our friends. It was fantastic.

We finally got orders and today is actually his last day attached to the USS Alexandria. Joe made three deployments on Alex. He was also pinned Chief LaCouture there. And has made many life long friends from his time on the sub. I think it's bittersweet for him-but he seems excited to move on to the next part of his life and career......

We were really excited to be interviewing for a job with Group for his shore duty. Group is above Squadron and Squadron is above the boats(To give you an idea). To get picked to interview was a honor. But then the decision. The group job had him traveling 2-3 days-three weeks out of every month. It would be a big career enhancer. But the travel- not what we expected. Me? I said go for it. I agreed to Navy wife life- and that means being supportive of all of it. We talked about it at length and finally decided we could make it work some how. Maybe I'd go with him sometimes...whatever, we'd figure it out. I sent him off that morning hopeful he would find out he got the job-another moment for me to be super proud.

Phone rings in the afternoon:

Joe: Hi.
Sam: Hello. Well?
Joe: I took Sub School. I'm going to teach instead. I decided after thinking about it that I want to be home. It's more important to me. The career is going fine. I'll figure it out.
Sam: Are you sure? I really don't mind.
Joe: I'm sure.
Sam: Okay ( slightly confused )
Joe: Ok, I'll see you in a few hours. I love you.

I'm a lucky gal. And so are the kiddos we plan to make during shore duty. The Navy may tell us- Navy first. Lucky for me- my husband ( when he can ) - likes it to be family first.

So off to sub school we go. We have two weeks of transfer leave. Joe reports the 16th. I'm traveling(speaking) in New York all next week-so that's where we will be.

xoxo
Samantha

Vday!

2009-02-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

We went out for Valentines Day breakfast- stuffed strawberry french toast-YUM!

We had decided that we weren't going to exchange gifts for Valentines Day this year.
But.... I guess secretly- neither one of us liked that idea.

I got a beautiful coach bag.
Joe got his big gigabit router that he's been dreaming of.

Happy Vday!

The wife I love....

2009-01-30T07:26:00.001-08:00

Well its been a bit since I have blogged and now that I am home I should have more time, I just wanted to post a quick one to let everyone know that my wife is... well here is the back story you can decide.
So to set the stage its 0428 this morning and we are both in bed asleep:
Samantha says 'Hey Joe' in that cute little pathetic kid voice she has, which is enough to wake me up and I say " yeah?" She replies with " Can you go get me a drink?' Now I am really awake. She just woke me up to get her a drink? So when I ask her "What!?" She calmly informs me that it is cold out from under the covers and she doesn't want to go all the way down stairs. On the face of it seems reasonable, except she then gets up and goes to the bathroom and again asks ME to go down stairs and get her a drink. Now there is one thing that I have learned, some times its better to just give in then fight about the little stuff, so I got to be cold and go get her a drink and then be colder again because she wanted her Kindle that was downstairs so she could read and fall back asleep. Its a very good thing shes cute.

Back to normal......

2009-01-19T18:57:00.000-08:00

Finally-It feels completely normal.

I'm sitting on the couch playing video games on the laptop with my monkey cup at my feet. My husband is sitting next to me on his PSP. Eric is on one of our leather chairs..PSP in hand. Josh is sprawled out on the other couch with his brand new PSP-that the boys hunted down together earlier this evening. The fire is going. The four of us just had a wonderful dinner together-home made turkey soup. Life doesn't get better. I'm enjoying the "boy banter". I'm loving hearing Joe's belly laughs while they battle the dragons in Monster Hunter 2.

My normal life. My fantastic normal life.

I guess it's not completely normal to play host to two of our good friends(Both groomsmen in our wedding)-but they are our family and we're happy to host. Joe is really enjoying having them here-which makes me enjoy it as well. I think sometimes "guy" time gets lost in married life. Joe doesn't seem to need it as much since I'm so much of a gamer myself but it's fun to see him interact with the guys and enjoy his "guy" time right in our home. I mean this is like the single life and married life rolled into one-. Sex and video games(with the guys!)- He thinks he died and went to heaven(I bet!)

As I look over at my screaming(to the PSP) husband and feel the warmth of our home which is only warmer with guests... I simply think...Yes. this is it. This is what I missed for six months. The simple feeling of warmth.

Ah, Life is good.

Hubs has promised a very long blog in the next day or so- so check back.
xoxo
Samantha

He's home......

2009-01-16T05:11:00.000-08:00

He's home. Home Coming was nothing like I expected/planned- but I did make the paper! That's me in the red jacket!

http://www.theday.com/re_gal.aspx?re=cbbc40af-379f-43d0-bc86-aa47c4dcd981

Well.. He's home! Safe and Sound! Cheers to that.
Welcome Home USS ALEXANDRIA!

Home Coming was WAY TOO hectic. The food was great- but the clean up took forever. Trying to include and please everyone turned out to be a huge mess. I was completely stressed out before, during and after HC -when I should have enjoyed putting on my Home Coming outfit, standing at the pier and being home with my husband. Joe was stressed about getting home to everyone-so he basically pushed flowers in my chest and ran back on the boat. We've both agreed- Never again.

It took us a few days to actually start enjoying our time home together. In fact- as we crawled in bed last night we laughed with each other about how how yesterday was the first day we had a good time together. He has duty today. I'll bring dinner over later and then pick him back up in the morning. We have tomorrow off together-and are excited about that. No plans yet-but those shape up to be our best days together!

No orders for us yet- and Joe is wanting to go overseas for an IA for 14 months instead of to shore. This would put him back to sea for two years(afte the completion of the IA) and then to a shore duty. It's a fantastic career move for him and I'm in complete support of it. No final decisions have been made and our whole life is up in the air until we do make one(should know for sure in the next few weeks). It would be an unaccompanied tour but I would go out and visit a few times while he was away. We'll see. I look at it as a mini adventure. This is the only time(no kids) in our life that it would make sense. He's still screening for PMT(shore duty in Groton). We'll see what his final decision is.

That's it for now.
I'm going to get a lot done today so that we can relax tomorrow.

Thank you(you know who you all are) for the support and love during Deployment.

Love,
Samantha(and Joe)
P.S CPO party invites should have been in your mail boxes-please let me know if you're coming!

Changing the saying.....and T-yous!

2009-01-09T04:41:00.000-08:00

They have that saying... " Good friends will help you move..." There is nothing wrong with that saying- I totally agree. I have to make a new one though;

"REALLY good friends will drive twelve hours STRAIGHT in snowy weather with only a one hour break in the middle to watch you give a presentation"

We left at 11:00AM and pulled up exhausted at 1:30AM(the following day). What a way to pass a day!

There are good things about deployment.

You learn a lot about yourself(what you can accomplish!) and about your family and friends. Yesterday I learned that I have two amazing people that I can truly depend on. Thank-you Stephanie and Eric. I couldn't have done that trip without you. I'd be in a ditch. I think it goes without saying that Joe thanks you as well.

My parents who have been lovingly supportive throughout my life and have continued(I'm so lucky) this love and support during my adult hood. It has been a constant during this deployment.

I got an email from Joe's mom that said... Don't forget to breathe. I smiled and thought- now she's starting to know who I am.

Home Coming is getting closer! Woot-Woot

Current feelings about HC:

1. If I have one more list of things I have to do..... (that I'll never do in time)- I'm really going to barf.

2. This Home Coming stuff is the best diet plan in the world. The thought of food makes me want to hurl.

3. I ran a load of towels. Will he care about the clean towels? He better notice the clean towels... Ah, it doesn't matter if he notices the clean towels. I think I might ralph

4. I really hope my dad can figure out how to hang the banners outside. The one inside looks great. If he can't hang the two outside-I'm going to puke.

5. I better stay calm or my face is going to break out and then when Joe sees me... he will blow chunks.

6. There are a lot of words for throwing up!

7. I can't wait to feel his arms around me.

8. I'm excited to wear my new red jacket and thin black scarf(that was a personal mission of mine and Steph's to find!!!)

9. I have a lot of cleaning left to do.

10. I couldn't have done this without a fantastic support system. I can't end this blog today without thanking them:

-My family: For asking all the right questions and having sympathy in all the right places. For taking time to send Joe all the cards and packages you all did. Meant the world to us both. I love you more then I could explain- Thank you!
-Stephanie: My partner in crime. Thanks for passing the time with me.
-J: For understanding every SINGLE feeling I had or at least for pretending to. For calling Ken whenever I clearly needed to be saved from jumping and getting the answers I needed. For...the best two minutes of my life- " Are you sitting down?", " Yes, Is everything okay?", "Yes- Are you ready to be a chiefs wife?". I'm glad it was you who told me. I wouldn't want that memory any other way. I heart you always.
-Ken, Illene, Erica S: For making the Chief transition easier for me- I needed it!
-Making It Count: Two trainings, Two weekends with no deployment in mind. You are all amazing. Always. Thanks for listening and loving.
-Pete and Sue: For a freezer full of food, good conversation and tears during deployment. It was piece of mind for Joe. And I'm glad.
-Civilian friends: For doing your best to understand. For sending cards to Joe because I asked. For loving us from far away places even when this life is confusing. We have appreciated it every step of the way.

... And to Joe. Thank-you. For helping me appreciate the little things. For being SO good with email(142 of them!). For finding time to call. For all the times you say.."our career". For the best email I've ever received(We made chief!). For making me proud over and over and over again. I will love you until the end of time. We finished this deployment with a lot of laughs, tears, and respect for each other. We finished this deployment knowing how strong our marriage is. We finished this deployment eager to start the next chapter in our lives. We finished this deployment excited. Oh and I can't forget the $75.00 sweater we have to show for it! We can do anything. As we like to say-we're super heroes. I always thought that was just a funny joke we had- now... I know it's true.

xoxo
Samantha

less-LAME

2009-01-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

I miss you and cant wait to come home. Please dont kill your self getting ready for me to come back, I know you want everything to be perfect but if you are there and I get to go home with you then that's more perfect then I need, dont worry about the signs and lights and food and everything I just want to get home with you and be together. I love you and miss you and will be home soon.

Love
Joe

LAME

2009-01-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

Every time I open an email from Joe- I think "Lame"(thanks for the great new word Steph!). Either he's not getting my emails or doesn't want to respond to my question about a $75.00 sweater. I'm asking other things as well -millions of them- like will you be getting off the boat in time to see my banners or do I need to spot light them? I mean I need to know these types of things! Mostly I want to know about the $75.00 sweater. I need to know if it's lined with gold? Or doubles as a recliner? Or can also be used as a space mobile? It can't just be a sweater if it was $75.00 These are important questions I have.

... Then I try to remember that Stephanie keeps asking about a $2200.00 charge that when looked up says it came from a "floor covering" store. We've decided that we are giving Jimmy the benefit of the doubt and that he didn't really spend $2200 on rugs. Still- I feel slightly better...(Sorry Steph- I love you and Jimmy!)

After I think his email is lame- I re-read it and think he might off himself before they get home. He sounds miserable. He's worried about ORSE. Annoyed with basically everyone. Exhausted. Ready to be home... I won't go on and on and on...but.. Yeah. Totally ready to hang himself in the bathroom.

My current thought is I should have laid low on the cliff bars and packed him some scuba gear. I could have hidden it in SOME locker - right? Then he could scuba home. Wouldn't be the same Home Coming-but at this point... I don't care.

Time has basically stopped. But it's not going slow enough that I'll ever get everything done before Home Coming. It's a weird slowness.

xoxo
:)Samantha

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I'm so glad it's 2009- My husband comes home to me in 2009!!!!

Spent the New Year with two of my favorite people-Eric and Stephanie. Totally low key but fun especially when Eric told us he was sleeping in the bathroom. Stephanie and I drifted to sleep around 2:30am with Nora Roberts in our hands.

One of the best things that came out of this deployment is my friendship with Stephanie. No matter where the Navy takes us- she'll always be part of my family. We got through Deployment 08/09 side by side. There wasn't a week that we didn't spent a day or two together. I'm so very thankful for her. And we're on the home stretch together. We did this.

As for Resolutions: I'd like to try to relax more. Write less "to do" lists. Try to understand that not everyone thinks the same way I do. Those kinds of things. My resolution list is the same very year. *sigh*

Anyway-
Happy 2009. Should be a great year for me.
On our list(haha!) of things to do (in this order)

- Major Deck/Hot tub addition - including extending the office for laundry UPSTAIRS!
(stand by a phone near you to get a call for help- That means you: Dad, Eric Doe, Shawn Henderson, Peter Campagna, Ken Denney, Jimmy West)
- BBT (Before Baby Trip) to ITALY! Target date of flight: Spring
- Open our business (secret will be published as soon as we have more information- expect notice via email or screaming excited phone calls in the early summer)
- Get pregnant- Baby Belly coming in the late Summer(fingers crossed)

Happy New YEAR!
Samantha LaCouture

And they're OFF.....

2008-12-29T14:22:00.000-08:00

Joe and I enjoyed quite a bit of skype time in Gib. He had already been there in 2004 and had no interest in going out and seeing much. This worked out well for me who had a lot of interest in talking to him.

Christmas was difficult. I know it's just a day-but it was difficult to not be able to share it with him. His stocking is still hung up in our living room waiting for him to plow through it when he gets home.

I'm ready for him to be home. I wasn't always ready for him to get back here either. I had my own agendas and things I had planned to complete during deployment. But I'm ready now. My heart aches for him all day. Just to touch him. To cuddle. To feel loved. It's not easy to keep the home fires burning. To plan our BBT trip* to Rome this Spring. To giggle. To laugh. To hear him yell..where is my liddle monkey? Or...when I try to wake him up...to hear him say- liddle monkeys should be sleeping. Just to laugh again. To truly be happy.

Whew!
Lots of love to all the wives who tend to the fires- It's exhausting.

Almost done! Almost done!
Whew!
Samantha:)
BBT trip = Before Baby Trip

The little monkey~

2008-12-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

I opened Joe's Christmas gift to me that he left with my parents this evening!
It said - To my little monkey ( that's me )

What do you think?

Gibraltar

2008-12-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

Here's my baby in Gibraltar. The top picture is my holiday kisses!

He's eating with a military family there on Christmas. I hate that we are apart but SO glad he's with family!

Happy Christmas EVE!

xoxo
LaCouture family

Best ornament of '08

2008-12-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

Some friends of mine over at the submarinewivesclub.org (who clearly had the same thoughts on the election as Joe and I) found this ornament to proudly hang on their Christmas Tree. I find it quite amusing and wanted to share.

Got to skype with hubby today. I'll post pictures tomorrow!

xoxo
Samantha

Toooooo much snow!

2008-12-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

One of the last pieces of advice I got from Joe before he left- Don't worry about the snow baby- It almost never snows in December.

Thanks Joe. Great advice.

I did find the shovel in the garage behind like twenty million things. I do have amazing neighbors-who plowed out the driveway. I only had to worry about the walkway and the roof(the last flat roof we are trying to save until the Spring). Shoveling a roof- not so fun. A bit scary too!

Last night I opened another card from Joe. I have two left now. I should have more-but sometimes I can't help myself and open more then I should in one week. Anyway-it was super cute and labeled "funny" rather then "mushy" so I will share:

Everytime my mind wanders....it keeps bumping into YOU! Everytime I see something that reminds me of you..I think about bring home and how much I miss you and how much I want to be with you. It's the little things that make me home sick like wanting to cook a meal or go for a ride... oh and the bumping thing...while we're bumping we should do some (ok, I have to censor the end...but you get the drift)-haha!

Quick shout out to Stephanie and Becky for helping me cut out submarines for hours last evening. Yep! True meaning of friendship is now extended to ... people who help you move AND cut out submarines with you.

xoxo
Samantha

December Cal. Square!

2008-12-18T03:52:00.000-08:00

This is Joe's last calendar square of the trip! It was one of my favorite ones!

Not a whole lot going on. Joe was in Turkey the last few days. It was great to hear his voice. He's getting to visit some great places on this trip. I'm really missing normal things- like time together in the morning and stuff like that.

Gosh, winter is depressing!

Mid-December!

2008-12-12T11:03:00.001-08:00

Well.. We're chugging along-YAY!

December is okay... I guess!

It's been very rainy! I could do without the rain-but I guess it's better then snow! or ice...or hail...I'm trying to look on the bright side!

The Family Support Group Holiday party was last night. It was nicely done. We had some great baskets for raffle and a fun candle exchange! It was great to see everyone and do a little celebrating. It's always great to feel the support and energy of the other wives/significant others going through the exact same thing as you! I still think that they only TRULY understand your feelings/emotions. Steph came after for a snack and some Grey's Anatomy. Good times!

I still give the holidays without the hubby two thumbs down but... I can do this... I can do this... we can DO this!

xoxox
Samantha

The Joy Of Being

2008-12-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

The Joy Of Being
Celebrating The In-Between Times

I have no idea why it won't post normally. When I copy it- It has all these spaces. Sorry! But it is a must read!

While celebrations are intended to honor life’s more momentous occasions, much
of real life tends to happen during the in-between times. While moving from one
moment in time to the next is seldom considered a significant occurrence, it is
during those in-between times that we are most in tune with life’s most
profound, albeit simple joys. Between birth and death, triumph and sorrow,
beginnings and endings, we enjoy innumerable experiences that often happen
unnoticed. These times are just as worthy of celebration.

The in-between times are seldom about landmark moments. How you choose to
celebrate them or which moments you choose to celebrate is up to you. You may
want to celebrate the simple facts that you are alive and that every day is a
chance to spend time with the people you care about or do the work that you
love. Then again, when you look at the good that exists in your life, many
reasons for celebrating the in-between times may become clear: a cup of your
favorite tea, a beautiful sunrise, a good book, and the smell of fresh air can
be reasons for celebration.

Celebrating the in-between times can be as easy as paying special attention to
them when they do happen, rather than taking them for granted. It’s your focus
of attention that can turn an in-between time into a celebration. You can also
pay homage to the in-between times by slowing down and allowing yourself time to
look around and allow your heart and mind to take in all of your life’s wonders.
Far too often, we can let those simple moments of awe pass us by. The in-between
times are when life happens to us between the pauses that we take to honor our
milestones occasions. Without the in-between times, there would be no big
moments to celebrate.

MIC inspiration

2008-12-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

Just got back from an amazing weekend with some of the worlds most inspirational people. Even though we all see each other two times a year..It's still such a pleasure to be in everyones company.

Making-It-Count(My job) has training on the fall and spring programs that we present in High Schools. You have to go to the training to certify on the programs every year. I certified on both(yay!) and am pumped to start my semester off. The trainings(although long and at times stressful) are such a big motivater for upcoming speaking engagements but mostly just for life in general.

It's truly great to be surrounded by such amazing people all weekend.

Toasting to all the MIC speakers who are making a difference in High Schools across the country on a daily basis.

Feeling involved and inspired,

xoxo-Samantha

December is here!

2008-12-03T16:32:00.001-08:00

December is here.....

Which normally means all sorts of great things like Christmas lights, warm fires, decorating our Christmas tree, the Quaker Hill tree lightings, stockings, A Christmas Carol in Providence... I could go on- but really, why depress myself further.

This year it just means Christmas cards(which I have already sent) for me. I can't even enjoy the lights people are putting up- I'm too sad that Joe's not here to enjoy them too.

December does mean MIC training for this upcoming speaker semester is THIS weekend. I'm psyched! I hate training/certification -because I get so nervous/stressed out- but I am hoping that the cheerful, uplifting best motivational speakers in the country ( who will all be there ) can lift my spirits this weekend or at least get my mind off of my own misery. Hoping to reconnect with some old friends that I missed at the last training/certification weekend (which only had 9 veteran speakers at-lucky for me my buddy Cortez was there!) because I was at the 2nd training due to a wedding that I was in.

Happy December (sort of)
Samantha

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T04:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

God Bless those who are serving our country and can't be with their families! Pray for their safe return home!

xoxo
Samantha

Christmas Tea

2008-11-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

Trying to get in the holiday spirit and TOTALLY not feeling it. Miss Hope had this Tea on her blog- and it just sounded so holidayish and wonderful- That I had to pass it on to you:

Christmas Tea

2 large tea bags
1 small can frozen orange juice
1 small can frozen lemonade
1 large can (46 ounce) Pineapple Juice
2 1/2 cups sugar
24 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

In a large pot add tea bags in about 1 quart of water. Bring to a boil, then let set for a few minutes. Remove tea bags. Add Pineapple, Lemon, and Orange Juices, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon, then add enough water to make 6 quarts. Let come to a boil then simmer. Serve hot. Flavor increases as tea ages. Store in refrigerator.

Note: this can be made in a Crock pot to.

5 things I am thankful for TODAY:

1. That my husband stacked all the wood before he left.
2. That you can watch TV on the net-since we don't have cable!
3. That people think our Turkey Day postcards are cute!
4. Over an hour conversation with Joe today.
5. "Nanna" bread that I made - all by myself - THAT CAME OUT GOOD!

xoxo
Samantha

Bahrain Part 3

2008-11-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to say that Joe is safely in Bahrain. They(the guys) are calling it Bahrain Part 3 because it's the third time they have been there on this deployment. I'm assuming it's cheap and easy to pull into there or something.

Anyway:

I'm doing OK. Haven't managed to sleep very much yet. I'm just feeling weird about him not being here. I'm getting over it(mostly because I have no other choice).

Stephanie came by to cheer me up a bit last night. That was helpful and together we got the wood stove going! Go us!

I'm trying to stay super busy. I'm excited about Thanksgiving at my mom's. I'm getting ready to go off to training for speaking during the Spring Semester next weekend.

That's all for now!
Samantha

...and then gone

2008-11-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

One second he was here:

his dirty laundry piled up... on the floor(not the hamper)
the wood stove was used every night
his shaving cream cap was next to the sink (instead of on the can)
he honk shooed all night ( his sleeping noise )
his warm sweaty body wrapped around me until the wee hours of the morning
he left dishes in the sink instead of putting them in the dishwasher
he insisted on our reading rituals.....

The next minute...He's gone.

We get a dreaded call that he won't be returning to the boat the second week of December as planned.. but in less then 24 hours. Something major is broke and Mr. Chiefness Joe must help to fix it.

I'm not one to complain.. because the circumstances surrounding him being home were sucky at best and completely unexpected. A sucky treat- does that make sense?.....but our leave papers said the 24th. He even had a job set up on base until he was supposed to return to the stupid deployed boat. I'm whining. I know. But...well I can't help it. I'm a planner. I needed time to plan for him to leave. I wasn't ready because I didn't have enough time. So I'm a mess.

I'm so so sad. Worse then when he left the first time. I can't stop crying. or whining. But mostly- crying.

*sigh* I need this time to fly.
I'm so over this.

xoxo
Samantha

Back in CT

2008-11-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

Hello there!

Thank-you to everyone for all of the love and support these last two weeks. We have appreciated it. We are back in CT adjusting to the little time we have together and trying to move forward and heal.

Joe's mom sent us this OM this evening- We loved it so much we thought we would post:

Beings of Light
Human Angels

During each of our journeys, there are those inevitable moments when someone
comes into our life at precisely the right time and says or does precisely the
right thing. Their words or actions may help us perceive ourselves more clearly,
remind us that everything will turn out for the best, help us cope, or see us
through difficult situations. These people are human angels – individuals
designated by the universe to be of service to those in need at specific points
in time. Some human angels make a commitment before their births to make a
positive contribution to the world at a particular moment. Others were chosen by
the universe. All human angels, however, come into our lives when we least
expect them and when we can most benefit from their presence.

A few of the human angels we may encounter are in professions where helping
others is an everyday occurrence. But most of them are regular people, going
about their daily lives until called upon to be in the right place at the right
time to bring peace, joy, help, or heal someone when they most need it. You may
have met a human angel in the form of a teacher who gave you a piece of advice
that touched your soul and influenced your path. The person that momentarily
stopped you to say hello on the street, delaying you long enough to avoid an
oncoming car or a collision, is also a human angel. They may offer nothing more
than a kind word or a smile, but they will offer it when you can draw the most
strength and support from their simple action.

You may be a human angel yet not know it. Your fate or intuition may guide you
toward other people’s challenging or distressing situations, leading you to
infer that you simply have bad luck. But recognizing yourself as a human angel
can help you deal with the pain you see and understand that you are there to
help and comfort others during their times of need. Human angels give of their
inner light to all who need it, coming into our lives and often changing us
forever. Their task has its challenges, but it is they that have the power to
teach, bring us joy, and comfort us in times of despair.

Love
Joe and Samantha

Celebration of life!

2008-11-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

Celebration of his life- RIP 11/4/08

Services: Auburn, Maine - Dignity

Thank-you for all of the kind words, prayers and support.

Joey is will be coming home to be with his family.

We have an amazing command to thank for that. We are lucky to be blessed with a fantastic squadron who worked around the clock to get his travel arrangements squared away. I'm also thankful for a family-orientated Captain and COB. We will never forget what our submarine family did for our family.

I rec' email from Joe after the Captain told him the bad news. I'm anxious to get him in my arms. I'm ready to help him heal. I've been there ( RIP Daddy 7/9/04 ). I know what it's like to feel fine one minute and lose it the next. I know that you expect to hear their voice every day. I can help with the daily struggles.

This journey (at times) has been difficult for me because it's like reliving my own dads battle with cancer. My husband is a pretty amazing guy. Joe's email ended with- "I love you and I know we can get through anything." Although this is about his healing. It's about loving him, nurturing him, caring for him. He doesn't forget. And I am reminded how amazing he is. He knew before I said a word that this would be hard for me too. That my heart hurts. That this forces me to remember. It doesn't allow me my compartments where I place things when I can't deal. My heart aches more now then it did back them...when it was just for me.

It doesn't just ache for him, but for his family too. Because...this sucks. And it's so unfair. 5 kids. He won't get to see four of them marry their soul mate. He won't get to say.."you've done good" on their wedding day like he did for Joey. One of both our prized memories of the day. He won't meet his grand kids. We'll never have our Harleys together again. He won't see Riley graduate High School. He didn't get to see Joey get off the boat as a Chief Petty Officer. And it's not so bad for him- because he does get to SEE it. But it's the experience for all of them.

My heart.... just hurts.

RIP Dad Thrasher

2008-11-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

Joe's dad lost his battle with cancer this evening. It was a bit unexpected for us. We knew it was a possibility. We thought we had more time.

I guess you always think you have more time.

Please- send prayers to our family. I have sent an AM CROSS for Joey. We're going to do everything we can to bring him home to grieve with his family instead of alone on a cold submarine.

I will update when I have more information.

For now- I wait in hopes that they will figure out a way for Joe to call. or email. In hopes that the call/email is news of him being able to come home for the services and much needed family time.

And you should... call your parents, kids, siblings, friends. Tell them you love them. We never know...when time is up.

RIP Dad Thrasher- You were loved very much.

**11/5/08 update : Squadron has contacted me and has sent the message to the boat. We should know soon if Joey will be able to come home.

**11/5/08 update: Red Cross has contacted me to let me know the boat has rec' the message and sends their condolescences to the family. She said that it said travel arrangements pending but that she couldn't confirm if that meant he was 100% going to be able to come home.

**11/5/08 afternoon update: Thank GOD for our command! They are getting him home. With the traveling and time difference we've had to push back the wake and funeral but I am just so glad that he will get to be here surrounded by his family.

Thank-you for all the love and support. My husband is coming home.

November Cal Square

2008-11-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

November Calendar Square
So, I counted wrong. Or something.
And ...since he left- he decided he doesn't want to go anywhere. He just wants to be home or maybe a bed and breakfast. Whatever we do... has to be completely low key.

Oh- and recently in an email I asked for a list of things he wants when he gets home. I told him the list could be anything...from new white shirts to favorite snacks.

His reply came yesterday: "I cant wait to get to hold you again, I really don't want anything else."

Ah.. I do love that man. More then I could ever explain to anyone.

November is here!

2008-11-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

YAY! New month. Progess. Slow..(or it feels slow) but STEADY.
Whew!

Joe is starting to show more serious signs of being home sick. This just means he is actually sharing(monumental event) with me that he's ready to be home. His last email said he wanted to come home and be spoiled. I told him if he starts swimming, I'll be ready when he gets here. My heart hurts for him.

They watched the 1/2 way video we sent for them on Halloween. They raised a lot of money for our Christmas party(which we will be having super late-but still having!)and he passed out the Halloween bags that I sent to him, my single sailors, Eric and Tony and the Chiefs Quarters. He said it was fun passing them out and that they figured out quickly(Thank you Shawn Sharpe) that if you squeezed the goey eyes HARD enough the slime would gush out. Gotta love boys! Anyway it was fun making them, knowing they would be enjoyed by all. I sent off the Christmas ones yesterday.

Spent a great SAT with my parents. And I'm enjoying having a lot of girl time planned with some of my favorite people this week. Movie/Pizze night with Becca and Noah tomorrow. A night at J's with Sue on Tuesday. And some of my favorite people will be at my place on Sat afternoon. I will make this time go by. I will make this time go by. If I repeat that... I feel better.

I will make this time go by.

Don't forget to vote on the 4th everyone.
This election is HUGE!

xoxo
Samantha

McCain/Palin 08 THE real change we need!

2008-10-29T18:20:00.001-07:00

I am Joe too. Who are you?

YOUR CHOICE: A smooth talking politician with no experience whatsoever, or a dedicated war hero with years of valuable experience. McCain Palin '08. The REAL change we need.

“Behind the fancy speeches, grand promises and TV special, lies the truth, With crises at home and abroad, Barack Obama lacks the experience America needs. And it shows. His response to our economic crisis is to spend and tax our economy deeper into recession. The fact is Barack Obama’s not ready yet.”

McCain/Palin 08

The military vote could be a difference maker in several traditionally Republican states where Obama is trying to pull off upsets, including North Carolina and Virginia.

We need everyone to vote!

Box from Bahrain!

2008-10-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Shaking hands with the Captain

New Cover!

Getting Pinned!

My box from Bahrain has arrived! Pinning pictures and the video of the actual pinning came with it. I watched the video. Cried. Uploaded pictures. Watched the video. Cried.

I'm so proud! He's so handsome! And look at that new uniform!

Joe's Calendar Square for Oct!~

2008-10-27T17:26:00.001-07:00

Here was Joe's Calendar Square today!
Time is going.... YAY

Really cool stuff....

2008-10-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

So there is this awesome gal- her name is Becca.
She makes incredible things!
One of her newer items that I just LOVE are her Crests!

The crests are hand drawn and painted using India ink and watercolor on watercolor paper. They look amazing framed! We'll figure out what elements you'd like (names, dates, pictures, colors) and whip up a whimsically "official" family crest. There are other options,too. The crest could be a sweet, personalized birth announcement for a baby's room, a wonderful gift for a child's room, wedding present for newlyeds... the sky is the limit.

The best part? She's having a little giveaway foe on on her blog.
You must enter!

Go here : http://www.shaywilliams.blogspot.com/
And post a comment about good ideas for your own family crest (You can see examples on her site!)

She will choose a winner randomly on Monday November 3rd.

Good Luck!

And they're.... off!

2008-10-23T19:40:00.001-07:00

They are gone again!
Two thumbs down!

I *do* try to remember the quicker they...go... the quicker they come home! Even though it seems like that is SO far off- I know it's closer and closer every time I lay my head on the pillow.

Joey and I really made some progress during this particular port with communicating. I think I have mentioned a few times(ha-ha) how difficult it can be to communicate ANYTHING during deployment. There is so much unknown to both parties. So many hidden feelings(they have to hide them to do their job well). So many hurt feelings(why don't you ACT like you miss me - stuff). It's just difficult for everyone involved. No one suffers more, everyone suffers differently. It's a lot of work to keep everyone happy. We ended this port on a good note. No sobbing goodbye. No yelling. No angry feelings. Just some kissy faces and waves. The way Joey and Samantha always act. Goofy.

It's hard but it will all be worth it when I can touch him. He has a lot of concerns about re-adjusting when he gets home. I don't share those same concerns but I was glad he expressed them to me while we were on the phone. It's interesting to hear about what he worries about. We seem to worry about completely different things.

For now I am staying excited since I am waiting for cards and a box from Bahrain. It is keeping my mind off the time dragging which is a good thing! Oh- and I'm having fun designing our Thanksgiving card with Mary! Keep an eye out for it!

xoxo
Samantha

Last skype session in Bahrain!

2008-10-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

The pictures above are from our last skype session in Bahrain-
Fantasic way to end the port- He spent the better part of a day skyping with me. Just what I needed to get my over the 1/2 way hump and ready to finish this DEPLOYMENT!

xoxo
Samantha

Oh the Sun in Bahrain

2008-10-19T02:52:00.000-07:00

Well here I sit in the sunny and not as hot as last time Bahrain, Sam commented that I have no concept of time and in an effort to do better I am waiting until at least 6 am there to call. I mean not that she would ever wake me up every morning at the crack of dawn with that cute little prairie dog face she makes when ever she thinks I am awake. I am trying to be nice, mostly so that when I get home and want to sleep in I can bring this fact up.

The time in port goes way toooo quick there has been a lot of work to do and not as much time to talk to Sam as I would have liked. That being said I have had a chance to talk to her a lot more then last time and that was good. So we are more then 1/2 way done. I am very happy about that. I am not going to lie and say I am not home sick, I very much am. It's great to have the support from home, Sam is great about sending me things and all the cards and notes I get make this the best that it could be. Also knowing that there are lots of people to take care of her while I am gone has been a big help, I know she has been in need of that help a few times. Thank you for all the help Ray and Cindy. It means a lot to have a great support system in place for her. And you guys send great care packages.

I also want to thank all the people who have sent me cards, Steve and Becky thank you for the note, it was very nice, cant wait to see the band again. Shawn and Becky thank you, Aaron is no longer here but its still a strange coincidence. Robin and Greg, thank you for all the nice cards. Steve and Gail thank you very much for the gift it means a lot. Also Jeannie and Ken, Pete and Sue, The Laurie family, Becky Butler...and many more-the cards are great. Keep them coming. I will be very glad to get home and have some time there and I look forward to seeing everyone when I get home until then, thank you again for all you do, you are in my thoughts.

Joe

Excited!

2008-10-18T09:28:00.001-07:00

I'm very excited about today. It's our(wives and moms) 1/2 way celebration. Woo-Woo! I was actually the committee chair on this event and am so excited it's finally here. My committee spent the entire night last night making three tier star cakes and raffle baskets. We have worked so hard to make this night super special and I'm glad it's finally here. AND most importantly I can't wait to see the video they made for us. Joey said he has a beard in it.

I also got woken up around 6:45AM by my husband. I was so shocked and happy. He has duty today- so it's a treat to get to talk on the phone. It was a good conversation. The first one that I felt happy when the conversation was over. It can be so difficult. Most conversations leave me wanting for more, More, MORE! I knew he had to specifically make time to call me and I know he took longer on the phone with me then he really had. And he told me he sent me some mail from Bahrain. YAY. I love mail. It was a perfect day/night to end the conversation well. It's such a celebration to be 1/2 way!

I'll feel lucky to be celebrating with all the wives from our boat and really special that my best friend Becky(there on Eric Doe's behalf) and my mother (the coolest M-I-L ever!)will be there. I couldn't have a better support team or a more dedicated husband. My husband is dedicated to trying to understand deployment from my point of view. Recently he said... " Is there something I could do to make it better for you?". I said that I couldn't think of anything- but what I was thinking is... You just made it better by saying that. At the end of the day- Joe's sacrifice is always the bigger one, the harder one... but it's nice to know he can see my sacrifice too.

xoxo
Samantha

Bahrain skyping

2008-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Smiles from Bahrain!

We finally got to skype with the cameras today! It was fantastic. Joe had the Chiefs champagne brunch this morning which is why he is wearing a dressy white shirt.

I can't believe how much easier it is to communicate when we can see each other. I finally got to see a few pictures from his pinning. He's sending me a box with his chief coins and a video that was taken during the ceremony. I can't wait to get the mail.

Life feels so much better now!
xoxo
Samantha

Communication = Frustration

2008-10-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

Gosh darn it's hard to communicate.
stupid phone calls
stupid phone calls that I waited and waited for....
why do we always screw them up...
can't sleep
can't stop thinking....

sigh

What I really meant to say is:

... I feel so stupid for missing you so much. I love you to pieces and wish you were home to make everything better. I'm sorry for not being perfect..but I'm trying really hard to make this easy on you. It's hard for me too. You might be home sick but I'm Joe sick. I love you so much it hurts and I can't wait for this stupid deployment to be over.

Concept of Time

2008-10-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

My husband has no concept of time on that deployed submarine of his- THANK GOD!

My cell phone rang at 2:41AM. I almost killed myself getting up to get it. I reminded myself all the way there... It's not him, you have a whole another day until you get to hear his voice. Don't get excited. Don't get excited Samantha.

Sam: Hello?
Joe: Monkey!
Sam: Is everything okay? You're early!
Joe: Why do you ever listen to what squadron says?
Sam: Who else am I supposed to listen to?
Joe: I'm on someones cell phone. We just pulled in. It's $1.00 a minute on his cell phone but I wanted to tell you I love you and I will call you after work. What time is it there?
Sam: Almost 3am.
Joe: Oh. I'm sorry. It's 10am here.
Sam: It's okay. I'm glad you called. Still a working port?
Joe: Yes. But we'll talk. It's okay.
Sam: (little kid voice) Okay. but I miss you.
Joe: I miss you too monkey. I have to go. I love you
Sam: ok. I love you.

( or something similar )

I hope he calls me monkey even when we have a monkey of our own in the future.
It's very endearing. And wonderful.

So. Joe's in port. And he's is not a chief selectee anymore. This means there is no chief training- so we'll be able to talk every day hopefully.

I'm so excited and nervous ( I don't know why I get nervous we won't have anything to say or something- even though I have a list ).

OK, time to get off to work and cart the lap top with me- in case we can skype!

xoxo
Samantha

Still under the sea!

2008-10-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

Boys are still under the sea. I haven't heard Joey's voice since late August. Pretty crazy when you actually think about it. We have been able to communicate pretty frequently with each other over e-mail. Not the best form of communication, but better then nothing!

I got a sweet email ( Gosh, it's nice to feel appreciated every once in a while! ) when they celebrated being 1/2 through deployment. He enjoyed the 1/2 way bag I sent on with him. I put a bunch of boy stuff in there. Stupid stuff really. Wind up sushi things, Fake teeth, PSP games, drink mixes, beef jerky, magnetic games..etc etc. His favorite(or at least most talked about in email) was the fake teeth. The .25cent item! Anyway-I was glad he enjoyed his day of bag opening and hope he felt the love all the way over here...all the way under the ocean.

Now the question is- where is my 1/2 bag?
Oh, that's right...we only make them for them! I think that needs to change!

I AM looking forward to our 1/2 night celebration which is this coming weekend at Skippers Dock! Yippie! We will get to see the video messages they left for us. Almost better then a 1/2 way bag. Of course, we sent them a video too! Which Joe hasn't mentioned. Maybe I had spinach in my teeth or something?

Who knows!

xoxo
Samantha