Home Coming!

[Sorry it's been a while, life got hectic!]

September 30th, 2007

Our first Deployment came to an end, finally.

It was the best day ever. I was up bright & early. I am surprised I even got any sleep that night before. I got up.. Was so excited and nervous. I did my hair, got dressed, did some last minute cleaning.. And anxiously waited to leave. I was meeting my, at the time, friend at her house. Her husband was also on our ship. They had a little boy together. We went to Starbucks on our way to base.. As we expected to get there way early. We planned it like that, so we didn't have to worry about traffic getting on base.

We got to the pier before they had it opened to family.. I think it was between 7-8am that we got there. The pier wasn't open to family until around 9am. But the Ombudsman was there setting up and let us in.

Around 10 or 11am we saw the ship pull in. I start shaking. It was the lonest 20 or so minutes, EVER as they pulled up to the pier and tied down.

My husband was on sea and anchor and was a rope guy. He wasn't in fance uniform, but his coveralls with gloves on. It didn't matter to me. We spotted each other almost instantly. Once they tied up, and the 1st kiss happened. They called liberty.

I've never seen my husband come off that ship so fast. He was probably one of the first 10 off. He didn't change, his gloves were still on.. Everything. As soon as he could, he was off the ship.

He didn't see me, but I saw him. Just like Boot Camp Graduation, I went running for him and ran right into his arms. Shocked him. My legs were shaking and I just held onto him.. Didn't let go for who knows how long. We kissed and hugged.

Once all was said and done, he went onto the ship to get all his bags.. It felt like it took him FOREVER. He finally came off the ship, again. This time with all his bags and stuff in toe.

We drove off in the Mustang.. He was coming home to a house that was OURS TOGETHER.. That he has never seen. And to a kitty he has never met. It was bliss. Pure bliss. It was just the two of us and our kitty. It was absolutely perfect.

We spent the week alone. Enjoying each others company. Enjoying sleeping together. Eating together. Shopping together. We went to our home town in the Palm Springs area that weekend. Everybody was so happy to see him.

He's home. I am happy. He is happy. We're complete. The house feels like a home now.

Picture Time

So I thought I'd make a picture post of pictures from the day before he left from Boot Camp, until the day he left for Deployment. Basically everything I've talked about thus far.

Here we are at the Hotel he stayed at the night before he left for Boot Camp.

Boot Camp Graduation Weekend.


His Holiday Leave-When he proposed.Our JOP Wedding.Deployment Day-2007

West Pac 2007

So I watched my heart, my husband.. My life sail away. It was hard. But it didn't hit me until I saw the ship moving away from the pier. I had a wonderful friend, by the name of Emily, there with me. Her husband was currently Deployed. She let Will and I stay at her house the week leading up to Deployment. Was at the pier with me. Took pictures for me. And then treated me to lunch.

I was probably the last one on the pier. Once they started pulling away, we walked down to the end, more like ran, of the pier. I watched him sail away until I couldn't see them very well. All the way past the Coronado/San Diego Bay Bridge.

I was heart broken.

Emily treated me to lunch at Olive Garden. I hated to "dine-and-dash" but I felt like I had to go home. To my mom. To my comfort. So after lunch, I packed up and off I went.

I wasn't too far into my drive when I get my first deployment e-mail from him. I checked it on my phone [my phone quickly became my best friend]. It broke my heart and I finally broke down and cried a little. I am surprised at how much I did NOT cry. I held it together pretty good. But I don't expect that to happen this 2nd time around.

At the time-The Deployment went by slow. But looking back-It flew by.

I dealt with a lot. He dealt with a lot. He shut down because he was depressed and couldn't take it. That killed me. I got so scared. But I understand.

He ported in Singapore a lot. And also saw Malaysia, India, Hong Kong.. And possibly one or two other places I cannot remember. Singapore was his favorite. He can't wait to go back and wants to take me there on vacation. In Malaysia, he got to go to an orphanage and play with the children there, he loved that. India he hated. It was dirty, you couldn't drink the water.. But he had alcohol, and probably had ice which made him sicker then a dog. And Hong Kong he didn't really check out much. Said it's more of a "single guys" place. *shrug*

On the home front, I had a lot on my plate. I was dealing with a lot of drama from "friends". I was taking a class on-line. I was living at home, waiting to move. Then I was packing and making sure Wills mom had all his stuff ready for me to move. And then my dad got sick in May. Ended up VERY sick and was in the Hospital for 6 weeks. In the middle of that, we got the call that our house was ready. So now I had to figure out how to move with my dad in the Hospital at UCLA and my mom by his side the whole time.

Thank God for older brothers and awesome friends and family. I packed up my Mustang on June 29th with as much as I could and picked up my keys. I had found a friend on MySpace who's husband was on the same ship as Will. And a few weeks before I moved, she took a bunch of boxes back to SD with her for us. So she came over with those boxes. And that Saturday my brother and his GF and a friend loaded up the trucks with my bedroom furniture and a few other small things and drove out to San Diego where my other brother and my Aunt came out to help as well. And we got everything moved.

I slowly but surely got the house together. We didn't have much, but we had more then I thought we'd have. And we had enough to survive!

I kept busy the last 3 months with my friends in-home day care. I helped her often, went on field trips and just hung out around the house with her and her toddler. I am a sucker for kids, so any where there's kiddos, I am there!

September was creeping up on us fast!!

Ship Life

Before I continue, I think I should explain Wills current contract.

He is signed up for 8 years total.. 5 Active, 3 Reserve.

The way the Navy works is there's two different kind of commands. There is a Shore Command and a Sea Command. Shore command is where they're not stationed on any sort of ship, sub, ect and the chances of them deploying are slim to none. A Sea Command is when they're stationed on some sort of ship or sub and get deployed and go out to sea often. Too often, if you ask me.

The time spent on them varies according to your job, I believe. As an IT, my husband has to spend 5 years on Sea Duty and 3 years on a Shore Duty. That is, if he's going to be active for a full 8 years. We're currently on Sea Duty.

January 30, 2007 Will reported to his ship out here in San Diego, CA. For security and personal reasons, I won't say anything about the name of his ship. He is on a Destroyer though. Which is one of the smaller ships. We got very lucky having him stationed out here in San Diego, considering we're from La Quinta (Coachella Valley) which is just 2 hours from San Diego, which is also where most of our family is located.

We knew as soon as he got to the ship that we're preparing for a Deployment in April. So we decided to do a quick, court house wedding to get the paper work going and get our name on the wait list for Military Housing before he left.

February 10, 2007 we were married.

We had very little time together. As long as he didn't have weekend duty, I would drive out to San Diego each weekend and either stay at a friends house and spend the weekend with him in San D, or we'd drive back to the desert. I quickly got tired of that drive. It's a long day when you're driving to and from San Diego from the desert twice in one day twice a weekend. But it was so worth it.

D-Day quickly came. We had me enrolled in DEERS, I had my ID, I had my base passes everything was good to go. We went into the Housing Office & got on the wait list for Military Housing, which was about 3 months long. Our plan was for me to move while he was gone & have everything set up for him when he got home. It worked out.

April 2nd, 2007 was the dreaded D-Day. Our 1st Deployment. Not even 2 months into our marriage. 8 1/2 months into his Navy life. And he's off. For 6 months on a "tin can".

A-School

The Tuesday after Will Graduated from Navy Boot Camp, he got on a plane to Pensacola, FL. A-School was the school everbody in the Navy attends after Boot Camp where they learn what their job is about and how to do it. The amount of time you spend at A-School varies according to the different jobs titles.

Wills A-School was 3 months long, though it ended up being 4 months as he struggled.

Once he got there and got settled, I was able to send him his cell phone. Finally, we could talk on our own schedule. When we wanted. Of course, when he had time off. He bought a computer and got internet in his room. He had a little more freedom, though not much. At least communication was more then letters and phone calls if you're lucky.

A-School was a struggle. His school was hard, his job is hard. He was training to be an IT, Information Systems Tech. He had a lot to learn, though it was all things he liked. His job is a tight security job. So he never can tell me much about what he does. Or what he was learning. I know the basics, but that's about it. We didn't see each other again until December. He was suppose to Graduate his A-School before Christmas break, but after struggling on test and getting put on Mandatory study and PT daily, he got put into another class for the last month to repeat the last month of his A-School. He was now in a night class. Which was a hard adjustment for us.

He got a week of leave and was able to come home for New Years.

December 30th, 2006 his mom and I drove to Ontario, CA to pick him up. I was nervous all over again. But, once again, things were like he never left. He couldn't keep his hands off me! And I couldn't stop kissing him. We just loved every minute of it.

He stayed with me at my parents house that week, as my bed and bedroom was bigger. But we made sure to split the time between my family and his. New Years Eve day we had our friends over and some family for a New Years Eve/Will is home party. It was a blast. All through A-School, he was dropping hints of proposing. He asked for my dads number and called him, but wouldn't tell me why. I knew though.

That night.. December 31, 2006. It was just the two of us laying on the couch at my parents house waiting for the ball to drop. My parents were in bed. And we were laying together, me between his legs. He got up and went into my bedroom and grabbed something.

5 minutes before the ball dropped, he shot out some lovey dovey jibber jabber.. And pulled the ring out from underneath him and said "I don't want a girl friend going into the new year, I want a fiance." And of course I said yes! There was no down on one knee nonsense. I was still laying in his lap. But that's how we are. It was perfect & I couldn't of asked for anything else.

We spent the rest of his leave together non stop. Visiting all sorts of family and friends. Telling them of our engagment. Showing off the beautiful ring he picked out on his own and just enjoying each others company.

He had to go back though. Another good-bye in the books. Within 5 months of him being in the Navy, we had 3 good-byes in the books. They never got any easier.

He finished his A-School around Jan 19th and took 10 days of leave to go visit his dad and Step-Mom up in Northern CA for 7 days, and spent 3 with me. And reported to his 1st duty station.. His 1st ship in January 30th, 2007.

The first step is done...

September 15, 2006

The day I saw him for the first time in 2 months. Our longest separation. I was getting to watching him Graduate from Navy Boot Camp. I was no longer in a civilian relationship. I was in a one in a kinda relationship. I was a Navy Girlfriend.

I remember this day so clear. I didn't think I'd be able to sleep Thursday night. But little did I know, I passed out. I must've been exhausted from a full day of travels. His mom and dad were there. But I got my own room [hey, what can I say? we needed our time too]. I woke up bright and early. I brought a few outfits with me, not too sure what to wear. I had to look stunning though. But I am sure he wouldn't care what I was wearing.

His parents are very old fashion. Take their time. Don't like getting places extremely early. All that jazz. Myself? I grew up being at places early. Better early then miss something? I had heard we should get to base for Graduation early. To get good seats and all that. His mom didn't believe it. So we go on her schedule. We got there on top. We got seats. But they were up on the top level.

Great. Now I had to fight a bunch of families and spouses down the stairs at the end of Graduation to get into his arms? Oh heck no. But what ever, I was there. And in a matter of a few hours, I'd be in his arms.

The steal doors came rolling up. I saw a group of Sailors. I instantly started shaking and holding back to tears. I couldn't believe what I was feeling. It was a feeling like no other. I can't even explain it.

My husband was in one of the top divisions [go figure, I'm having a brain fart]. So his division didn't come marching out like all the others. They were in the back and throughout the whole ceremony, he was only out on stage about 5 minutes. I knew that'd happen though, he told me all about it ahead of time. But it was still great to be there. Be apart of that ceremony.

An hour or two goes by. The ceremony is gone. Liberty is called. Everybody gets up, the Sailors relax and down the stairs I run. His mom, of course, questioned why I was going so quick. We were told it'd be a while before his division was released. I didn't care. I wanted down there. And it's a good thing I went, because he was out of the doors as soon as he heard Liberty call.

People and Sailors everywhere. I was so excited to see him. But was freaking out that I wouldn't find him. His parents were still upstairs and his mom spotted him from up there and I hear "Will!" I look at her and see where she's waving.

I spot him.

I take off sprinting towards his direction. And of course, everybody in between him and I just have to step out in front of me and get in my way. I pushed my way through and finally got to him.

"William!" I yell. And I slam right into his arms and he turns around to see me.

Best feeling ever.

I am still shaking like crazy. He was laughing at me. I didn't want to leave his arms. We got some kisses in there. And lots of hugs before his parents came down.

We did it. We made it through Boot Camp. We were together again. And even though we were to part in a couple days, it would be much easier then what we just went through.

That weekend with him was amazing. He didn't have over night liberty, but his parents still gave us our own time each day. I didn't care about that, I just saw it as an added bonus. I had him. We were together again. Things were perfect. It was like he had never left. I couldn't of asked for things to go any better then they did.

The weekend flew by way to fast. And before we knew it, we were saying good-bye yet again. His dad flew home that Saturday morning. So it was his mom and I on Sunday. Our flight got delayed about an hour or so. We were stuck in the plane that whole time. It was raining out. Perfect weather for my mood.

All I could do was look out the window and think back to all the memories we made that weekend and cry. I wasn't ready to say good-bye again. It wasn't enough time!

I finally made it home. My mom picked my MIL and I up from the air port and I couldn't be happier to see her. I wish she could've came with us. She really wanted to. But he had a limit, and since his parents were going. She passed.

That Tuesday he left for Correy Station in Pensacola, FL for the next journey of our Navy life...



[On a side note: I highly recommend that if you have someone in Navy Boot camp, or planning on joining, go to the Graduation. Do everything in your power to make it. You're loved one will LOVE it and you will too. It's a once in a life time, amazing, experience.]

Intro Post

Hello all who have stumbled upon this blog of mine.

I have many blogs else where, but I thought I'd make this one about the daily up's and down's of being a Navy Wife. I hope to keep this strictly about that.

My name is Allyssa and I just turned 20 on August 13th. I've been married since Feb 10, 2006 to my High School Sweetheart [gone Sailor] and couldn't be happier. My husband's name is Will and he'll be 21 on Feb 17th.

We met in High School our Junior year and fell in love pretty fast. July 2006 he left for Boot Camp. He signed up a year ahead of time as a DEPer [Delayed Entry Program]. So we knew it was coming, but I was far from prepared.

I was so scared. We had spent every day together for at least the 6 months leading up to that, probably more. How am I suppose to go 2 months without seeing him? And barely talking to him?

I was very blessed. I have an awesome family and support system who were there for me through thick and thin. My husband, then boy friend at the time, was amazing. He called me every chance he got. He 'snuck' a few calls in by talking to me longer then he should have. And he wrote me almost daily, even though it was dark and he was exhausted. I got letters every Thursday. I stalked the mail box until the mail man came. It was the best ever. The letters were awesome. Full of so much love. It was then that I realized how head over heals in love he was with me. We had been together since April 18, 2005 by the way. Apparently it was then, while in Boot Camp, that he decided he wanted to marry me. And I had no idea until well after Boot Camp.

On September 11, 2006 my husband offically became a United States Sailor. He was done and Graduating that Friday. I remember being in my Math class at COD that Monday when he called. I ran outta class to talk to him and it was the best ever. I went home that day and put on all my Navy stuff on my car. My 'I <3 My Sailor' sticker and license plate frame. I was so proud.

That Thursday, early morning, his mother and sister came and picked me up. Off to Great Lakes, IL we went. I was so excited yet oh so nervous. Despite the letters being amazing as ever, I was so afraid of the unknown. Of him not loving me. Or him being completely different.

Little did I know, everything would be the same as ever...