Monday, September 3, 2012

Chief transition in full and final swing

Ahron is just 11 days from finishing his transition to Chief Petty Officer.  It's been a whirlwind of activity for him.  From fundraisers, to training, to obstacle courses and more training, he's really been through the ringer.  But, I can tell he's grown and learned a lot of things in this process. 

He spent a week on the USS Turner Joy, a historic Navy ship moored here in Bremerton.  He was part of the first Legacy Academy there, which they will now implement yearly for new Chief Petty Officers.  In the past, a select group used to be invited to learn Navy heritage aboard the USS Constitution in Boston.  Now, there are a few historic ships around the United States participating in this, including the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the USS Midway in San Diego, California. 

Elaine, Miles and I spent about 11 days in Yakima and had a great time.  It was nice to be out of Ahron's hair (so to speak) and with my parents and family.  We got to swim at Aunt Fran's, Aunt Heidi's and Aunt Chip's house.  We had a day/night at the arcade, a sleepover with cousins and did some school shopping  I was able to get away from the kids for two nights in a row and went out with my sister and two cousins.  The second night I attended Yakima's Case of the Blues festival which was really, really fun.  I wasn't planning on drinking but ended up sampling three different wines.

In the next two months we have so much to look forward to!  Elaine starts school on Wednesday and Miles starts the following Monday.  We decided to enroll him in school with her to get him on a more structured routine.  This was a decision we really considered carefully because he missed a whole academic year at the Madrona preschool by being in the 3's class.   

Ahron's Chief Pinning ceremony will be on September 14th.  The following weekend I have the Jason Mraz concert, and on Sunday we're having a party for Ahron at my mom and dad's house.   We are also planning a weekend trip to Great Wolf Lodge for all of us.  Then, October 5th will be our tenth anniversary, and we are planning a later trip to Hawaii for just the two of us.  So, so much to think about and prepare for.  I also got what I like to call a mini-job.  I'll be taking care of little ones while their mama's do Zumba.  Even though things will be a little bit crazy for the next few months, I feel at peace with our current decisions and I hope that peace carries me through to the next year

One final thought.  Labor Day weekend marks five years since Mark passed away.  I know that he would be really proud of Ahron and the way that he takes care of us.