The O'Dunno Blog

Deployment II

2010-01-25T12:38:00.006-05:00

As some of you may know, Tom left last week for his second deployment. This one is different because he is on a MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit), which means he will be sailing around the world on a big ship for the next 7 months stopping at ports and helping out with any situation that may arise. They have already been tasked with helping out with the relief effort in Haiti. Grace and I already miss him so much, but we are planning on staying busy and enjoying the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Tom sent me some pictures of his flight and his room, so I have posted them below.

Tom flying over Haiti.Tom in his stateroom. He's holding the calendar I made him with pictures of Grace.

6 Months Old

2010-01-20T15:23:00.006-05:00

My beautiful baby turned 6 months old on January 7th. And, as always, the time has really flown by!! She is so happy and loves to give everyone lots of smiles:) She is doing a good job of sitting up with the help of the B0ppy, is eating her cereal like a little pro, and likes to listen to anyone sing "Ba Ba Black Sheep" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" which are her favorite songs. We are working on saying Dada so I can record it and send it to Tom. She just loves her Dad so much. I can't wait to see what these next 6 months will bring!

Grace's Baptism

2010-01-20T15:22:00.005-05:00

When we went down to Florida for Tom's pre-deployment leave we decided to have Grace baptized. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to have as much of our family there as possible. Grace was a little angel throughout the whole ceremony and didn't even cry when the water was poured over her head. She is just too sweet.

Grace and Mom during the ceremony.

Grace and Grandma afterwards.

Grace with her parents and Godparents.

Tom and I with the Deacon who performed the ceremony.

He also baptized Brittany when she was little.

Everyone after the ceremony.

We all went back to Tom's parent's house for barbeque and cake. Grace loved getting a handful of that icing. I can't wait to see how she does with the cake on her 1st birthday!

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-20T15:12:00.002-05:00

We had a great time partying at the Whiting's house in Niceville for New Year's. We played the Wii, ping pong, beer pong, cornhole and had fireworks. What a fun time!

Eating like a big girl...

2010-01-20T14:50:00.005-05:00

At the end of December, we decided to begin giving Grace some rice cereal to see if she would like it. And like it she did! She does pretty well eating the cereal and getting most of it in her mouth. I definitely wanted to do this while Tom was still here so that he could participate in feeding her. She sits up great in her Bumb0 and has a lot of fun!

One of the first bites

Most of it got in her mouth:)

Tom and I decided to make a gingerbread house together this year for the first time. He got it all set up and I added on the candy. It was quite a mess and only stayed up for a little while.

Grace had a front row seat so that she could watch Tom put it together.

She had fun sticking her hands in the frosting and tearing off the chimney. It went to the trash can pretty soon after this. Too sweet, even for me.

Welcome Gabriele!

2009-12-26T15:25:00.002-05:00

Congrats to the Tagliere family! Gabriele Owen was born on December 22nd 09. He weighed 7 pounds 6 oz and was 19 inches long. We look forward to meeting him soon!

Visit with Santa

2009-12-21T21:32:00.005-05:00

Tom, Sue and Brittany stopped by this weekend for a few days on their way up to NY for Christmas. We had such a great time visiting and catching up. They hadn't seen Grace since we went down to FL when she was just 8 weeks old, so they were quite surprised at the little girl she is turning into. We had a chance to visit with Santa while we were shopping at the outside mall on Sunday. Grace was such a little sweetie and just smiled while she was sitting on Santa's lap. I've been told that it probably will not happen this way next year, so we are enjoying these wonderful pictures.

Not quite sure what is up with Santa's headband and matching belt, but Grace looked super cute in her little red and white dress with matching hat!

She has a smile for everyone:)

Look at me...

2009-12-16T21:31:00.004-05:00

I thought it would be really awesome to get a picture of Grace in front of our Christmas tree. Well, she can't exactly sit still on her own yet, so I had the wonderful idea of kinda holding her there while she was standing. She's usually so good at it when I'm holding her in my lap, but this is what we came up with this time.... (I'm not posting any of the one's where half her face is cut off because I didn't have the camera lined up correctly...there were plenty of those!)

Look at how stinkin' cute she is!!!

Grace was supposed to be "reading" her picture book the other night, but when I looked over at her, this is what I saw...

Christmas Spirit

2009-12-16T21:17:00.003-05:00

Since Tom and I are dealing with all of this work-up stuff, I felt like I needed to get started on Christmas right away this year. So, by the weekend after Thanksgiving, Tom had set up our tree and hung the lights outside. It's our first time doing the icicle lights and deer and I think it looks wonderful. He did such a great job getting everything set up:) I had other grand plans, but Tom convinced me that "less is more." Here's the final look:

We are finally experiencing some colder nights, so Grace was all dressed up in her little bear outfit when we went out the other night. She is just too cute!! She always gets lots of compliments when we are out. Everyone tells her how cute she is and then says "you must look just like your daddy!" Hmmm...I'm never sure if I should be offended by that comment or just be glad I have such a cute husband and daughter!

5 Months Old

2009-12-07T14:39:00.006-05:00

Grace is 5 months old today and the time has just flown by. She is such an amazing little baby. Tom and I are so blessed to have such a sweet child. We wouldn't want her to be any different. She is so calm and laid back, making some of my friends very jealous (you know who you are!). She has recently started to use her hands a lot more and likes to grab at our faces and anything else that gets near her. We will probably start her on rice cereal when Tom gets back from the boat because she has started to become very interested in our food. Everything she has in her little hands goes right up to her mouth so that she can check it out. Grace has just realized that we have dogs and wants to "pet" Bella and CuChulainn when they come up to check her out. It's so neat to see her changing and learning all the time. We look forward to her growing and learning even more!

Learning and Growing...

2009-11-24T20:24:00.001-05:00

Grace has such a great time at school. When I drop her off in the morning she is always smiling at her teacher, Ms. Virginia. I don't worry about how she's doing during the day because I know she is well taken care of. I dropped off my digital camera last week so that her teacher's could take some pictures of her in action. So, here they are...

Grace loves to do tummy time. She's getting better at keeping her head up and has learned how to roll over from tummy to back and back to tummy.

Enjoying some play time on the Boppy.

Those big, beautiful blue eyes just steal my heart. :)

Running

2009-11-24T20:12:00.004-05:00

One of my goals for this next deployment is to get into running. (I'd say again but I was never really into running to begin with. Just because it was required to play soccer doesn't mean I loved it.) So, I bought a jogging stroller a couple weeks ago and Tom and I have had 2 opportunities to use it recently. The first time was for a 5K in Wilmington to support Gunny Pearl's recovery from getting struck by an IED in Iraq. We had a couple other families join us that day and we ended up having a great time.

Tom and Grace at the 5K.

Grace and I at the 5K.

The 2nd time we were able to use the stroller was at the Turkey Trot this past weekend. There was the option of doing an 8K or a 2 mile run and I definitely opted for the 2 mile run. Tom's been really supportive of my running efforts, so he runs alongside me while pushing Grace in the stroller. He doesn't even complain about having to run at my snails pace! I guess he figures "at least she's running!"

All bundled up before the race started.

Tom with his favorite girl!

She was snug as a bug in that blanket and hat.

Grace and her momma!

Marine Corps Ball

2009-11-23T17:52:00.007-05:00

Tom and I just had a fantastic weekend! The Marine Corps Ball was this past Sunday night in New Bern, so we packed up Grace and all our stuff and headed up there to spend a couple days with our friends, the Damins. We celebrated Vince's birthday on Saturday night with dinnerout on the town and with a soccer game and barbeque on Sunday morning. Lindsay and Vince graciously took on the task of watching Grace while we were at the ball on Sunday night. And, they ended up having a very uneventful night because she slept the entire time!! She is such a good little sleeper:) Here are some pics...

Tom and I all dressed up.

Me with Lena and Justin. Lena is 7 months pregnant as was a trooper at the ball. I don't know if I could've done that!

Tom with all his guys.

Showing off his Irish flask.

Me with Zjaneen, Amy and Katherine.

Nursery additions

2009-11-06T18:42:00.004-05:00

My mom reminded me that I haven't posted any pictures of the changing station that Tom and our friend, John, built. They did an AMAZING job and it looks way better than any of the ones I've seen. My mom and I painted the letters for Grace's name a couple days before she was born. It was one of the last "nesting" things that I just had to do. I love everything about Grace's room and I hope she does, too.

Tom built both bookcases and John built the changing table in the center. They are stained to match Grace's crib and they go together perfectly.

The shelves that my dad put up for me. It was something I always wanted to do, but never found the time. He helped out tremendously by taking care of this. Thanks Dad!

Grace's closet is packed to the brim!! Thanks in part to Gianna's hand-me-down's and mom's shopping sprees!! You can't even see all the clothes to the left and right of the opening. There's about 5 more feet in there! Hopefully the diapers in there will last us a couple more months. Seems like that's all I buy these days:)

4 Months old

2009-11-06T13:19:00.007-05:00

This past month has flown by and Grace is already 4 months old. She is turning out to be quite an amazing child. She is sleeping through the night in her own crib already and is usually always happy and smiling. We are definitely blessed! She's grown a lot since her last doctor's appt and here are her new stats:

Weight: 12 lbs. 2 oz. (25th percentile)
Length: 24 3/4 in. (75th percentile)

Maybe she won't be short like her mom after all!! Here are some new pictures of her. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T23:35:00.004-04:00

Grace had two costumes for her 1st Halloween!! I had picked up the "Casper" costume the other day and found some white tights for her to wear so that she could be a ghost. And, my mom was so thoughtful to send a pumpkin outfit for Grace this week. But, NC seems to think that October = summertime, so it was 80 degrees today for Halloween. Which means the costumes only stayed on long enough to take pictures and visit the neighbors. But, we had a good time anyway and enjoyed dressing up. She's such a cutie no matter what she wears:)

Lena's Shower

2009-10-25T19:01:00.004-04:00

A couple weeks ago my friend Meg and I hosted a baby shower for our friends Lena and Justin. Lena is a non-traditional person, so instead of just your average baby shower we did a couples baby shower/kegger to commemorate the occassion! Meg and I had such a great time putting everything together. We love Lena and Justin and can't wait to meet baby Sloan:)

The crazy couple

Some of the boys that braved the event

Grace made a new friend! She and Regan were born just a few weeks apart.

The piggy bank we had painted for Sloan that matches the crib bedding.

My first attempt at a diaper cake and Meg's delicious strawberry cupcakes.

Grace playing Peek-A-Boo!

3 Months!!

2009-10-06T20:57:00.008-04:00

The past 3 months have just flown by!! I can't believe my little baby girl is already 3 months old. She has grown so much and no longer looks like a newborn. Grace has become a lot more alert and expressive in the last couple weeks and just loves to smile. She enjoys sitting in her Bumbo seat, tummy time and playing with the links in her bouncy seat. She especially likes the lion that plays music when you pull his tail. He seems to always have her mesmerized. Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks:

Able to sit up pretty well in her Bumbo seat. Making a funny face while Mom takes a picture.

"I Love Daddy"

Two peas in a pod hanging out on the couch.

Bath time! Look at how big she is!!

She loves those links.

Looking at the monkey.

He's making her laugh:)

So serious...

Just kidding!!

Me and Grace with Erin and Ava. Ava was born 6 days after Grace.

Aren't we cute??

Almost as big as Cucs. (Not even close!)

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2009-09-19T14:40:00.003-04:00

Grace sure is!! While we were catching the highlights of the Michigan v. E. Michigan game today, I dressed Grace up in her gameday uniform. Her very first (but definitely not last) Michigan t-shirt and a new pair of jeans. Sorry Samantha, but I couldn't resist putting a baby in a cute pair of jeans! Now if only her first words could be "Go Blue!"

Big Changes

2009-09-09T20:25:00.004-04:00

Today was Grace's first day at daycare and my first day back at work. After 9 SHORT weeks, we are starting a new adventure. My boss was gracious enough to let me change my schedule from 40 hrs/week Mon-Fri to 32 hrs/week Mon-Thurs. I think it will make a huge difference in how well Grace and I make this adjustment. Tom will be gone a lot over the next 4 months, so we'll have to go it on our own. I hope she and I are up for the challenge:) I got one picture of Grace before we left the house this morning (at 6:30am in order for me to make it to work by 8:00am!). This was only the 2nd outfit that she put on this morning.

Grace

2009-09-05T14:44:00.001-04:00

We love this girl!!

2 month check-up

2009-09-02T12:40:00.005-04:00

I took Grace to her 2 month check-up yesterday. I seriously cannot believe that she is already 2 months old!! She is already getting so big. She's a lot more alert now and gives me tons of smiles a day. Those are the most beautiful smiles in the world. So, her stats are:

Birth: 6 lbs. 10 oz, 18 in.

2 months: 9 lbs. 10 oz, 21 in.

3 lbs. heavier and 3 in. longer! She's around the 50th percentile for weight and around the 10th percentile for length. She may end up short just like her mother!!

I got some extra cute pictures of her today, so I thought I would share. Enjoy:)

Smile for Daddy

2009-08-30T21:29:00.004-04:00

I'm not able to send Tom a video through email while he is on the ship, so I thought I would try to post this here for him to see. Hope he checks the blog!! (Please ignore my ridiculous voice.)

Hi babe, Grace misses you!!

Florida Trip

2009-08-27T15:48:00.006-04:00

Tom, Grace and I just got back from a trip down to Florida. The great thing about being from the same area is that we can see both families on the same trip. With Tom's crazy pre-deployment schedule we never know when we can get away for a little while, so it's nice that when we have a chance to get away, there's no doubt where we will go. Florida!! I'm telling you, just driving into the state feels like we are back home. It truly is paradise to us and we can't wait until we are back for good.

The first couple days of our trip were spent in Niceville with the Dunn's. We had a fantastic barbeque on Saturday with a lot of Tom's high school friends. My family even drove over from Pensacola to join in on the fun. There were tube rides and jet ski rides going all day long. We didn't let a little rain ruin our good time, either. There was tons of delicious food and desserts. They sure know how to throw a party!

Grace had her first trip out on the boat that week. She was all suited up in her princess life jacket that supposedly can hold a child from 0 - 50 lbs. (Really? ZERO to 50 lbs?) At almost 10 lbs, the life jacket practically ate her up. You couldn't even see her feet sticking out of the bottom!

She slept most of the trip and didn't seem to be affected by the boat ride. It's a good thing, because she doesn't have a choice in this family. We were joking that she may get on the wakeboard before we can get Brittany out there! She'll be showing her Dad up in no time:)

The last half of our trip we spent in Pensacola with the Presley family. My sister's family was in town from CA, so we got to see them as well. Grandma got to spend a lot of time with her favorite girls, Grace and Gianna. Gianna was so great with Grace. She would give her the paci when she got fussy and she helped me pick out the perfect outfits for her. They are going to be great friends when they get a little older.

Grandma with her two favorite girls.

Grace smiling at her Dad after getting a bath.

Gianna helping Papa fill the bird feeders in the backyard. She's getting so big! And she's such a good little helper.

Since this is the first time we have all been together, of course we had to get family pictures done! My mom's friend, Maria, was nice enough to come out and take some pictures of us at the beach. She did such a great job. I'm pretty sure you'll see some of the pictures on Christmas cards this year. Thanks Maria!

Samantha and Brian hanging out after the pictures.

Dad and Nick waiting for the ladies to get ready.

The real reason for the trip was to attend Rich and Rachelle's wedding. Tom was in the sword arch, so he was all decked out in his dress blues. I couldn't let him outdo me, so I borrowed a dress from Samantha for the occassion. We couldn't stay at the reception long, but we had a great time. The wedding was beautiful!

While we were at the wedding, Grace stayed home and gave Grandma a run for her money. She wouldn't sleep more than a few minutes while we were gone. But, I got a beautiful smile from her when we got back home.

We had such a great time in Florida. Hope we'll be able to go back soon!

2009-08-13T15:25:00.000-04:00

Dinner with Daddy
Play time on the Boppy

Photo Shoot

2009-08-06T17:49:00.003-04:00

Tom and I had a photographer come out to the house a couple weeks ago to take some newborn pictures of Grace. I finally got a CD of all the pictures today, so I wanted to post a couple of them so you all could see. Grace was a little angel throughout the photo shoot. It was in the middle of her nap time, so she was half awake and half asleep. Enjoy:)

At Gianna's request...

2009-07-24T13:38:00.006-04:00

I received a request from Gianna for more pictures of baby Grace. So, here you go!! Grace had her 2 week appointment a couple days ago and we were happy to learn that she is now up to 6 lbs. 15 oz. and is 20 3/4" long! She is already getting so big!

We can't wait to see you next month Gianna!!

More Guests!

2009-07-24T13:14:00.006-04:00

Samantha and Brian came up to meet Grace last Saturday and stayed for the week. It was so wonderful having family in town again to help me with Grace and keep me company since Tom has gone back to work. Samantha and I did a lot of playing with Grace, relaxing, talking, cooking and watching NCIS marathons (our new favorite show!). Sorry we weren't more entertaining, Brian!

Samantha and Grace

Samantha and Brian with Grace after dinner on the beach

Our new little family at the beach

Tom's REIN squadron had it's MEU activation ceremony this week and we were able to attend. They had all the tanks, guns and aircraft you could imagine there and all are going to be going on the MEU when Tom leaves again. There was an Osprey fly-in that we got to enjoy, along with the 53, Huey and Cobra. I think this was one of Brian's favorite parts of the visit, since he is considering joining the Marine Corps.

Osprey landing after the fly-in

Tom and Brian exploring the tanks

Samantha and Brian in front of the Osprey
Grace slept through the whole show!

Thanks so much for coming up to visit!! Can't wait to see you next month in Florida:)

Enjoying the changes...

2009-07-12T09:40:00.008-04:00

We've been home a couple days now and are enjoying every minute. Grace has been so great! I really can't imagine not having her in our lives. The grandparents left this weekend, so now we are all on our own. Here are some pictures from last week.

"Welcome Home Baby Grace! We Love You!"

Just getting home from the hospital on Thursday.

She is so bundled up in there!

Nanny and Grace enjoying some quiet time together.

The Dunn's with Grace.

Grace with her Aunt Bree.

Tom and Dad grilling burgers.

Grandpa and Grace.

Grandma and Grace.

She found her thumb while waiting for her first bath!

Dad wrapping her up.

Dad and Grace hanging out with the dogs. They are doing so good with Grace. Bella wants to check her out constantly and CuChulainn wants to lick her head whenever he can.

Welcome to the World, Grace Elizabeth!!

2009-07-09T13:56:00.001-04:00

Grace Elizabeth was born on Tuesday, July 7th at 7:25pm. She weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 18 inches long. She and Mommy are doing great!! More updates soon:)

39 Weeks

2009-07-09T13:25:00.002-04:00

So, here we are at the end of the journey. This pregnancy has been so wonderful...I couldn't have asked for anything else. Here's a picture of me at 39 weeks. I'm in the same shirt as 19 and 29 weeks so you can see the comparison. My dad told me this shirt makes me look pregnant. Personally, I think it's the gigantic belly that makes me look pregnant:)

39 Weeks

29 Weeks

19 Weeks

37 Weeks

2009-06-22T18:42:00.005-04:00

My wonderful friends Lena and Megan came over yesterday to get a few pictures of me in all my pregnant glory! What I thought was going to be a little photo shoot turned into an almost 5 hour production with lighting, make-up and hair. Lena's job was to take the pictures and Megan's job was to make me look good:) It was so much fun spending the day with them and goofing off. The pictures turned out amazing. Now Grace will be able to see pictures when she was in my belly!

I have definitely gotten bigger in the last couple weeks! She's just sticking right out there in front.

36 Weeks

2009-06-14T20:38:00.004-04:00

I can't believe we are down to just 4 weeks left!! This pregnancy has really flown by and I've enjoyed (almost) every minute of it:) Actually, I've been very lucky and haven't had any major complications/issues, and I am very thankful for that. Plus, my wonderful husband has waited on me hand and foot to help me get through any uncomfortable days. He's the best.

So, below are some pictures of me at 36 weeks. Everyone I see (and I do mean EVERYONE...whether I know them or not) keeps telling me that I have "dropped." So, take a look for yourself and be the judge. My doctor says Grace could come any time now and be perfectly healthy. I would like her to stay in just a little bit longer...Mommy has a few more things she needs to get finished before her arrival:)

Baby Shower

2009-06-07T10:41:00.014-04:00

My friends Meg, Erica and Kaiti were so great to throw a baby shower for little Grace last week. They decked out the pavilion on the beach and set up the best baby shower I have ever seen! I couldn't believe all the work they put into making this day so special. Everything was absolutely perfect. Thank you girls for making me feel so loved! You're the best:) We even hung out on the beach after the shower was over and tried to get some sun. It turned out to be a gorgeous day.

Meg, Erica, Kaiti and myself.

Me and Mom before the shower.

Me and Lena. Thank you so much for taking all the wonderful pictures, Lena!

Me and Erica.

Linnea and Heather.

Jessica and Marcelle.

Meg, Mom and Erica.

Erin and Katie. The three of us have due dates between July 12th and July 17th!

Mom and Samantha.

Zjaneen, Kaiti and Jen.

Everyone!! Thank you all so much for coming!!

The gorgeous petifores that Meg made...by hand!! She's amazing.

Nick and Tommy.

Brittany looking for shark's teeth on the beach.

My Mom, Samantha and Nick along with Tom's parents and Brittany were all able to come up to NC to help celebrate. After 3 days of waiting for the weather to clear and countless hurried phone calls, Tom was able to join us on Friday. I had to pick him up an hour away from the base and drive back into town just so he was able to attend the 3D/4D ultrasound appointment we had scheduled (then cancelled and re-scheduled). I'm so glad that he was able to be there to "see" Grace. Those ultrasounds are amazing!! We were able to see her moving around, opening her eyes and smiling:) It was really neat to see that it looks like Grace has gotten Tom's beautiful lips. Angelina Jolie better watch out!

She's smiling!!

Her little foot.

Look at those lips!!

Pictures from Fleet Week

2009-05-26T09:58:00.007-04:00

Tom had the opportunity to go to New York for Fleet Week this year. He's had a great time seeing family and friends and getting to see the sites of New York. Thank you to everyone that came out to visit him! On Sunday, he attended Mass at St. Patrick's Cathederal and was called upon to carry the crucifix. We were lucky enough to get some pictures sent to us, so I thought I would post them for you all to see.

Tom was also on the front page of the New York Daily News! What a celebrity! There he is in the upper right hand corner saluting:)

Tom has talked non-stop about what a great reception they have had in New York. They are required to wear their uniform anytime they are out in town so they are recognized everywhere they go. He can't even count how many drinks have been bought for him:) He and 2 friends were treated to dinner at the Four Seasons and then taken out on the town one night. All for free!!

It's nice for them to experience this wonderful reception from perfect strangers. Living in a military town, it seems like were are always surrounded by Marines and can sometimes take for granted the sacrifices that they make. I'm so glad that Tom and his friends have had the chance to really see that people appreciate the work that they do. We love our military!!

29 Weeks

2009-05-06T21:14:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple pictures from last week when I was 29 weeks along. I didn't realize that I was wearing the same shirt as I did in my 19 week picture, but it's funny to see the difference in just 10 weeks. And, that's all I have left at this point...10 weeks. Just imagine how big I'll be by then!! Everything is going really well with the pregnancy. I'm still feeling good and am starting to count down the weeks. I can't believe how fast this has gone by so far. It didn't seem that long ago when we found out we were expecting:)

29 weeks

29 weeks

19 weeks (and I thought I was big then!!)

Grace's Nursery

2009-05-05T21:53:00.011-04:00

We have been working on the nursery for the past couple weeks now, trying to get everything ready for Grace's arrival. Of course, I have grand plans of what I want the nursery to look like and Tom has been so great going along with any and all of my crazy suggestions. He's been so busy with work lately (and it's only going to get worse) that we've tried to do things a little at a time so it wasn't so overwhelming.

Tom putting up the wainscotting. I saw some pictures of a nursery done this way rather than with the pre-made stuff that you can buy from the store and thought this looked a lot nicer.

Tom spent a lot of time using his miter saw and getting the cuts perfect. He is quite the handyman!

All the wainscotting is done and ready for primer and paint.

The dogs wanted to be right in the middle of everything the whole time we were working. Every time we go upstairs now they run in to check out Grace's room.

While Tom was away I got to priming and painting the wainscotting.

We decided to paint 3 of the walls tan and 1 wall pink so it isn't too girly and is easy to change if we want to.

The (almost) finished product!! As soon as we were done with the room I couldn't wait to get her crib put together with the bedding to see what it would look like. I am so happy with how everything turned out. The only thing we have left to paint is a tree on the wall behind her crib. Still coming up with the design, so it may be a little while:)

Preggo Marine

2009-04-28T18:19:00.007-04:00

A couple weeks ago the squadron hosted a "Jane Wayne Day" for all the wives. Since Tom will be going on the MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) next, they had all the different groups get together to show the wives the toys from the ground side and the air side. Tom had to work the event, so I got to see him show off the static display of the Osprey. It was really neat to see him explaining the great things about the Osprey to all the people that toured around. He really knows his stuff!

I also got to take a ride on one of the ground side toys (I don't remember what it's called) wearing a helmet and flack jacket. That was a lot of fun:) They had even more things for us to do like the obstacle course and rifle and pistol range, but I decided not to participate in those because of the belly. I didn't think Grace would appreciate me rolling over logs and low-crawling through the dirt:)

Tom showing off his Osprey.

Tom and I in the cockpit. Notice I'm in the driver's seat:)

Tom and me with our friends John and Erica.

The Iraqi city set up on the base. It was seriously creepy walking through here.

The girls from the squadron: Marcelle, Erin (also preggo), Erica and me.

The guys there pretty much let us do whatever we wanted after we took a ride on this thing.

Inside. And yes we carried our purses around with us all day:)

A natural don't you think?

Trip to Beaufort

2009-04-15T20:07:00.003-04:00

One of our good friends, Ethan, got married last weekend in Beaufort, SC and Tom was asked to be in his sword arch. Both their ceremony and reception were outside, sot it was great that Ethan and Katie lucked out and had beautiful weather all weekend. It was also nice for Tom and I to get out of town for a couple days.

The ceremony was at the Old Sheldon Church ruins in Beaufort. The church was burned down by the British in 1779, then rebuilt in 1826, and then burned down by the Federal Army in 1865. As you can see, only the walls of the church remain. A very unique place for a wedding, but very beautiful and natural.

Katie, Ethan and the sworch arch. Tom is standing to Katie's left.

I just love the dress blues:)

Me after the wedding and back at the hotel. No, we didn't get any pictures of the reception because I forgot to bring my camera in with us. I'm trying to get better about it!

25 Weeks

2009-04-01T21:36:00.003-04:00

Finally some more belly pics!! I'm a little over 25 weeks and still feeling great. I'm still able to wear some of my pre-pregnancy pants and shirts, but my options are dwindling fairly quickly.

Right before Tom and I left for the gym. He's been rock climbing while I walk on the treadmill at the gym on base. Sometimes I'm the only female in the gym and definitely the only one pregnant. I get some pretty fun looks sometimes.

Water Toy

2009-04-01T19:05:00.004-04:00

We were finally able to sell our kayak on Craigslist after a couple months of waiting for the right buyer. It had been sitting in our garage for the past 3 years and we hadn't even used it since we've been in NC. So, Tom started researching what his next water toy would be. Ever heard of a Stand Up Paddle Board?? Me neither, but we have one! It's really big in Hawaii and looks like a lot of fun. Tom found a used one online and snatched it up for a good price. Of course, he couldn't wait for it to warm up outside before he tested it out. At first he thought he'd start off slow and go to the Intercoastal Waterway a few miles from our house...

All geared up with his wetsuit.

Paddling out from the park into the open water.

After paddling around for about 20 minutes, Tom decided that he was ready for some waves. So, we loaded the truck back up and drove across the street to the beach side to try it out. I wish I could've gotten more pictures of him out in the ocean, but I was snuggled up in a blanket on the beach trying to stay warm. He only got toppled a couple times;)

Riding a wave!

24 Weeks

2009-03-24T11:13:00.002-04:00

We are now 24 weeks into the pregnancy and I am happy to say, I couldn't feel better:) We had a doctor's appointment yesterday and everything went really well. It was the first time the midwife measured my fundal height (that's the length from the top of my pelvic bone to the top of my uterus) and I was exactly 24 centimeters, which is perfect. Generally, the fundal height should equal the number of weeks that you are pregnant. Tom and I also got to listen to Grace's heartbeat (160), which is always a nice thing to hear.

We also attended our first lamaze class last night. It just so happens that my midwife teaches the lamaze class, so it's nice to be able to get to know him even better. With military medicine, it's not unusual at all to see a different doctor every time you go to the hospital. We've been fortunate to be able to see the same one each time. Even though there is no guarantee that he will be the one to deliver Grace, it feels good to know I'm getting great prenatal care by someone that knows us. The lamaze class was packed (about 20 couples) but we all got a chance to ask questions and hear what some of the other couples are going through. We also got to watch our first of three birthing videos! It was very interesting to see the labor process and the birth. Tom even said he wasn't as freaked out as he thought he would be. I don't think he's changing his mind about staying up next to my head during the birth, though:)

I'll try to get some more pictures up soon. We are starting to work on the nursery this week, so maybe we'll have some updates on that soon.

Grace Elizabeth Dunn

2009-02-21T10:13:00.004-05:00

Tom and I went to the doctor on Friday and found out that we are expecting a beautiful baby girl. She weighs approximately 11 oz and everything looks great. Tom knew the odds were stacked against us having a boy because he is a pilot. Something that has to do with flying at high altitudes and pulling G's makes them more likely to have girls. (Just ask my Dad with three girls and one boy!) We are so excited and can't wait to start getting everything ready for her arrival.

Here's one of the ultrasound pictures from Friday. Her little head is on the right and she has her hand up to her forehead.

Me at 19 weeks. The shirts are getting a little tight now!

The belly has gotten quite a bit bigger in these last couple weeks. I don't know what I would do without the Bella Band to help keep my pants up!

Getting Excited!!

2009-02-17T08:01:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm 19 weeks pregnant and I go in for my next ultrasound appointment on this Friday. Tom is able to come with me and we should be able to find out whether our little one is a girl or a boy:) We are both so excited to find out! I'm ready to start shopping for this baby. We are just about halfway through the pregnancy and are so lucky that everything has been going really well. I feel great, am eating healthy and am able to exercise almost every day. We'll get some more pictures up this weekend. I've grown a lot over these last few weeks:)

Melissa

Preggo Pics...

2009-01-25T21:13:00.005-05:00

Here are some pregnancy pics so you can see how much I've grown...

12 weeks
12 weeks

16 weeks

Snow Day in NC!!

2009-01-24T20:06:00.004-05:00

We couldn't believe it, but it actually snowed here the other day!! Tom already had a couple days off for the MLK holiday, but I had to go into work to do emergency childcare for all the hospital workers while the schools were closed. We got about 4 inches of snow in about 24 hours. Luckily, we had all our snow gear left over from the honeymoon and were able to get outside and enjoy it. The dogs loved it too and they didn't hesitate at all about getting outside and getting covered in snow.

Tom's Christmas Present

2009-01-21T18:14:00.005-05:00

One of the presents that Tom bought for himself this Christmas was an RC airplane. He is such a big kid and loves to fly that thing around the neighborhood. We took the dogs to the park by our house the other day and they loved chasing that plane around. It really wears them out and they just lay around the house for the rest of the day. Here are some pictures of Tom and the dogs in action...

Christmas 08

2009-01-20T18:05:00.004-05:00

Had a great time in Florida this Christmas. Got to spend a couple days with the "in-laws" and then some quality time with the Dunn family...Melissa is going to give me a dirty look when she reads this. Glad everyone is doing good and can't wait to see you again.

Tom and Melissa

Our New Addition

2008-12-16T21:49:00.003-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls,

Another Dunn is heading our way. Melissa and I are expecting a new addition to our family and we're really excited. We're about 9 weeks into the process and everything is going great. We've provided photographic evidence so that there is no doubt in anyone's mind! Melissa keeps reminding me that we'll be paying for all of my sins because she was a good child...I can't wait. Congrats also goes out to Lil Shawny and Rose. Another Dunn is in the making up there in New York! We love you Rose and can't wait for you to be apart of our family.

Marine Corps Ball 2008

2008-12-07T19:25:00.001-05:00

Another blurry Marine Corps Ball....we had a blast.

He's Home!!!

2008-11-05T20:06:00.005-05:00

Ok, so he's been home for a while. But, it's been so crazy here I haven't had any time to update the blog. I know you've been waiting for pictures of the homecoming, so here they are. My friends Lindsay and Erica were nice enough to capture these pictures for me so I could concentrate on finding Tom among the mass of uniforms.

Lindsay, Erica and me awaiting Tom's arrival at the squadron.

The beautiful banner I made him...and yes, those are supposed to be shamrocks.

A sign from me and the doggies.

The buses finally arrive!!!

How can you tell anyone apart? They all look the same in that uniform! But, I was able to find Tom quickly and didn't take my eyes off him.

The first hug...I did not want to let him go:)

(Doesn't Lindsay take such beautiful pictures??)

The first kiss after 7 long and lonely months!

His face says it all!

Together at last!!

New Tom Pic

2008-09-28T12:11:00.002-04:00

Got a new picture of Tom that I thought I would share with you. He's doing well over there and keeping busy. He wanted to me tell you all "Thank you" for the emails and cards for his birthday. He was surprised to get them and it really made his day a little brighter. I wanted to thank you all for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers while he's been gone. It's so nice to know we have such loving family and friends:) We love you and miss you Tom!! Can't wait for you to come home!!

New Neighbor and Old Neighbors

2008-09-21T19:09:00.005-04:00

Our neighbors, Derron and Diana, just got a new German Shepherd puppy. Her name is Meesha and she's 8 weeks old. We tried to introduce her to Cuc's and Bella, but Meesha didn't know what to think about Cuc's. So, I'll wait for Tom to get back before the official meeting happens. I'm sure she and Bella will be quick friends, though.

The original base housing gang went out to dinner at Outback tonight. Kind of a pick-me-up dinner for Jen, because Joe just left, and kind of a getting-excited dinner for the rest of us, because our guys are coming home. It was nice to all be out together again. We shared lots of stories about children and marriage and life in general. It reminds me how wonderful it is to have military wives in my life:)

Fall is almost here...

2008-09-18T19:23:00.003-04:00

I absolutely love the Fall. It's definitely my favorite season, by far. It's started to cool down a little here in NC and I am loving it. The dogs are loving it, too. They get the zoomies out in the backyard and run around like crazy!

These past couple weeks have just flown by and we are getting to the home stretch. We are well into single digit weeks until Tom gets home and my to-do list keeps getting longer and longer. I'm thinking of all the things I wanted to do over the past 6 months and am trying to get them done in the last couple weeks. Not an easy feat. But, it's keeping me busy and helping the time go by. It will all be worth it to see Tom get off that bus!

Enjoy the pictures I've taken recently. We've spent a lot of time lounging around the house just enjoying the quiet.

Running around in the backyard, enjoying the nice weather.

The dogs relaxing on their beds.
CuChulainn getting a little bit too comfy:)

DC Trip

2008-09-01T21:22:00.003-04:00

Meg and I went up to DC with Lena to keep her company when she wasn't attending her sister-in-law's wedding functions. The best thing about the trip was that Meg and I got an awesome trip to DC, which we spent shopping and going to the zoo...the worst thing about the trip was that Lena had to actually attend the wedding. But, we are definitely planning a trip again in the near future so that everyone will be able to have a good time.

Meg, me and Lena at the hotel bar.
A red Panda being fed at the zoo.
The biggest Hippo I have ever seen. He came right up to Meg and I as soon as we stood by the edge of his pool.
The sweetest Orangutan. He just sat by the window and stared at everyone. It was extremely cool, but extremely sad at the same time. He did not look happy being locked up.

My Day Has Finally Arrived

2008-08-30T12:12:00.003-04:00

Had my “Cherry TAC Ride” today. Big Bo Biddle and myself went on a 6.2 hour expedition today. Had a tough time getting out of the line. The section lead couldn’t get an up aircraft so in order to “Manage my gearbox temps”, I requested to take the aircraft into the pattern and perform Pin Checks…also known as letting the boys in the back run through several hundred rounds of ammo. Surprisingly the Section Lead agreed (Tug you’re the man) and we spent an hour by ourselves shooting shit and chasing Hadji Scrappers off the target area. We got called back and had to wait till another aircraft was available. So then we take off again and once again have to turn around for a minor issue. So 5 hours later we finally take off for our journey down toward the Kuwaiti border. Everything went great during the flight and we finally touched back down right before sunset in just less than 1 mile of visibility (thank God for our automated approach system).

Tom

And as you can tell by the photo with the birdie in it. I made Bo wear the mask all the way down to the border! He was less than pleased and swore revenge…we’ll see.

Craig’s Cherry TAC Ride

2008-08-13T21:22:00.004-04:00

On 10 August I had the scariest and most enjoyable flight to date. My buddy Craig, call sign Shank, was the first of us “Pure Blood Osprey Pilots” to receive the Aircraft Commander Designation. So instead of a friendly warm up flight, they gave us the 5 hour, NVG, flight to the East. This was actually the first time Craig and I have ever flown together. The flight went great and outside of Old Man Craig’s stomach issues, we had no problems (he’s old and has those kind of problems frequently). You can see how excited he was by how he lets the aircraft violate him! I’m now in the TAC syllabus behind him and if the weather and aircraft hold out I should be having my “Cherry Ride” very soon.

Thanksgiving in July

2008-08-05T19:26:00.002-04:00

Our friend Justin is going to miss Thanksgiving again this year, so he and his wife, Lena, decided to have a Thanksgiving in July celebration before he heads off to Iraq and Afghanistan. This crew does not need an excuse to get together to drink beers and fill our bellies. And we had all the Thanksgiving staples: fried turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry, a million other things and all the desserts you could eat. I definitely took a nap when I got home.

We were able to fry the turkey even though it was raining outside. You can't see it in this shot, but we had the fire extinguisher close by, just in case.
A group shot of everyone after dinner.

We'll miss you Justin, but we'll take good care of Lena while you're gone!!

Tom Update

2008-07-24T21:00:00.004-04:00

We are a little over halfway through the deployment now, so I thought I'd let Tom give you an update of what he's been up to lately. You may have seen some of these pictures on the news recently...

We flew a couple of Senators from Iraq to Jordan the other day. One of them was some guy from Illinois, can’t really remember what his name was, but they took lots of pictures of him! Was a great flight, and all the pilots had to be used to complete the mission. The squadron did great and executed it perfectly. Can’t remember when we all had this much fun, but it really made the month of July enjoyable.

These past couple months have gone by pretty fast. And I'm surprised at how well I've been handling it so far. It does make me feel better to know that Tom is a great pilot and the men he works with really know what they're doing. They are definitely changing the way people think about the Osprey.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers until his squadron is back home safely. It's amazing what these guys do on a daily basis. And they do it so selflessly. I'm very proud that my husband is out there defending our freedom.

Belly dancing

2008-07-20T17:53:00.003-04:00

My friend Megan is teaching a Belly dancing class at the new dance studio that opened up in town. Their grand opening was last Friday and she did a little performance to show what we can strive for. She was absolutely amazing!

Family Time

2008-07-20T17:31:00.004-04:00

Some of the Dunn family came down to vacation at the beach for a week and I was lucky enough to get to spend some time with them. The weather was gorgeous!

The view from their balcony.

Shawn and Katie playing with CuChulainn at our house.

Ryan and I playing some air hockey. Ryan...what was the score of that game??

Rose and CuChulainn. He got so much love that week:)

Shawn and I battling it out after a game of air hockey.

We even got to play a friendly game of poker at the beach house. And I stress the word "friendly." We don't play with a$$holes.

See that empty spot next to Uncle Shawn? That's where I was sitting before Ryan took all my chips. An empty glass and no chips...that's how I roll.

Happy 4th of July!!

2008-07-06T17:57:00.002-04:00

Some friends and I went to Camp Lejeune to celebrate the 4th of July with the Leeann Womack concert and fireworks. It was a gorgeous day and we were able to enjoy the music and festivities. The fireworks were amazing, especially the finale!

Trip Out West

2008-06-28T22:53:00.003-04:00

Had a great trip out west the other day. Maj Robinson and I were picked to go recover an aircraft with some minor maintenance needed. They sent out the maintainers the day before and then we followed up the next day. Was interesting getting to fly all day in the BACK of the aircraft. I tried my best to help them load the pax and cargo, but mostly I just stayed out of the way and let the professionals do the work. The best part of the trip was crawling out on the back ramp and looking straight down from 12,000 feet.

Tom

So once we got to the FOB, one of the SSgt’s came and picked us up and brought us to the nicest place in the town. It was our own personal Shantee Shack with cots. 3 or 4 of the cots had mattresses that look like they had been out there since the beginning of the war. I felt safer just sleeping on a bare cot. We woke at first light and went to a staging area to wait for our ride outside the wire. We waited about an hour and the Up-armored 7 ton showed up to take us outside. Was a fun trip but a lot dustier than I’d thought it would be. Once outside, we took a quick look at the aircraft and were impressed at the work the maintainers accomplished. Overall, they did an awesome job and we quickly lifted and headed back to the pad. We made it safely back home and only had to spend one night away from our beloved home base. Great day, and I’m glad it all worked out.

Boat Day

2008-06-28T22:38:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday was pretty nice so we were able to get out on the boat for a couple hours. Anyone that knows me knows that I don't have a clue about boats. Tom usually does all the driving of the truck with the trailer and also the driving of the boat out on the water. So, since he's not available at the moment, I found some friends that were willing to do the work for me.

John and Erica were nice enough to get me out of the house on this beautiful day. John did EVERYTHING that had to do with the boat. Thank you so much, John!! Y'all are welcome anytime!

Meg watching me get ready to wakeboard.

Me trying to get comfortable out on the wakeboard again. I didn't have my coach there with me, but I think I did alright.

Meg styling after her first time wakeboarding. She was amazing and stood up her first time out.

Erica was also amazing on her first time out. She stood up so quickly that I didn't have a chance to get a shot of it!

John was great, too. He put up with the 3 girls on the boat all day like a champ.
Me and the dogs getting ready to head back to the dock.
Bella Bear got a little bit wet this time out. She might've gotten pushed in the water by her Momma...and she was not too happy about it.
Cuc's styling and profiling.
The beautiful babies.

Friday night

2008-06-28T22:33:00.002-04:00

It was so nice to stay up in Wilmington after work and hang out with some really cool friends. We had some sushi for dinner and then headed to some local bars for drinks. Lots of laughs and lots of fun!

Erica and John

Meg and John
The crazy crew
The girls...Lena, Erica, Meg and me

Ground Side Toys

2008-06-18T07:19:00.003-04:00

Got to tour one of the Marine Corps new MRAP's. These are the new fancy troop movers they use to get around the AO. They look comfy on the inside, but what do I know? Buddy of mine, Sam Gray, gave me the tour and its funny getting to hear the ground side perspective of the war. We work on the same base and have absolutely no idea how each others units operate. I'm not saying we do it better, but it sounds like we're having more fun. (I might be biased in that opinion though!) God bless the ground side, though, they've got a tough and dangerous job.

Tom

Too Much Time on Their Hands???

2008-06-14T09:24:00.003-04:00

Ok, so here's the new line of Osprey Accessories. It's our new physical fitness gear. It's the Team Osprey Head Band! As you can see from the photos, they have many functions. You can strap your Ipod to them, or maybe some Froot Loops. If you're feeling patriotic...maybe some flags, and don't forget this is Iraq, you always need to have your weapon with you! This is us trying to pass the time on night shift. The Night Time is the Right Time! If anyone's interested in some Kickin gear, just make your way over to the Hadji Mart down near the soccer stadium, we'll be glad to hook you up!

Tom

The boys of night shift.
Major with his Ipod.
Tom loves those Froot Loops. And yes, Eby has a gun strapped to his head.
Patriotic Matt.

Tom's Promotion

2008-06-07T11:26:00.002-04:00

In case you haven't heard, Tom got promoted to Captain on June 1st! He has been waiting a long time for this day to come. I'm so happy for him! It would've been nice to be at the ceremony, but I'll take the next best thing...these are a few of the pictures that he sent to me to be posted on the blog.

All the LT's standing at attention, watiting to be promoted.

Taking their oath.
Getting a gentle "tap" from the CO when he received his new name tag.

Scary Weekend

2008-06-02T07:22:00.000-04:00

My sister and her husband had a really bad scare this weekend. Their new puppy, Tucker, a 6 month old male Boxer, was stolen out of their fenced-in backyard. Someone actually jumped the fence and stole him on Saturday night around 11pm! Brian, a friend and my dad spent hours searching Pace trying to find him on Saturday night. Yesterday, everyone drove around town putting posters up at intersections, businesses and in neighborhoods.

They were able to file a police report and after talking with their neighbors, had it narrowed down to a couple suspects. Too much detail to go into here, but one of their neighbors had a party on Friday night and one of the guests brought her uninvited boyfriend. The police questioned her on Sunday morning about her boyfriend and a missing dog. Tucker was returned to the backyard at 2am Monday morning.

We are just so thankful that our prayers were answered and he was returned without a scratch on him. Needless to say, he is getting a microchip this week and getting a new collar and ID tags! I'm also going to get Bella a microchip this week. When we first moved to Jacksonville and lived on base, PMO required us to get CuChulainn a microchip, so he already has one. They are not that expensive to get and will give you some extra security should your dog ever get stolen or run away. I'm so glad that this story had a happy ending:)

Pensacola Visit

2008-05-22T22:06:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday my sister, Samantha, married Brian Hannah in Pensacola. I was lucky enough to go down to visit for a week. Our family came down from Michigan and over from Texas and California as well. It has been such a long time since we've all been able to get together. I am so glad that I didn't miss this! We had such a good time. Next time Tom should be back so that he will be able to meet everyone.

Mom and her sisters, Aunt Cym and Aunt Susie.

All the cousins and significant others except for Adam, who had to fly back to Michigan early and Logan, who wasn't able to come down.

Here's Adam at the rehearsal dinner.

Amanda, Justin and Aunt Susie.

Josh and Chris hanging out on Sunday.

Casey and Erin at the rehearsal dinner.
My Dad's sisters Aunt Jean, who flew over from Texas and Aunt Barb, who came down from Michigan.
Uncle Mark, who came down from Michigan.

Andrea and Gianna at the reception.

Gianna and her favorite Uncle Nick.

Gianna and Nick playing around at the wedding.

Stephanie is studying abroad in Paris, so he talks to her on Skype.
Gianna and Tucker playing in the sandbox.

Mom and Dad won the competition for the couple that has been married or together for the longest. 41 years and counting!!

Nick and Andrea at the rehearsal dinner.

Samantha with her bridesmaids and flowergirls before the wedding.

Dad and Samantha walking down the aisle at the rehearsal.

Mom and Samantha after getting their hair done. Samantha was surprisingly calm the whole morning. She was definitely not the "bridezilla" we thought she was going to be. I was very proud of her:)

Brian and Samantha opening gifts on Sunday afternoon after the wedding.

Samantha and Brian at the couples shower that his parents threw for them.

We only got one picture of the 4 of us together the entire weekend. It was so nice for us to be together. I'm glad that even though we live far apart, we are able to stay so close.

Me watching Samantha and Brian open the gift from me and Tom. I had only finished it about an hour before this. It was a 2 month labor of love.

Samantha opening up the recipe book that I put together for her and Brian. It has most of my Mom's recipes and some family recipes, as well.

Andrea, Gianna and Adrian came all the way over from California for the wedding. I'm so glad that you could make it!

Tom's new home

2008-05-11T19:24:00.000-04:00

Tom sent over a few more pictures of life over in Iraq. Above is the row of "cans" that the guys live in. It's 2 guys to a room and not much space for anything else. Below is Tom sitting on his bed.

Nice wheels!! This is Tom's transportation to and from work, and anywhere else he wants to go. He is very proud of this bike. I guess they are pretty hot commodities over there. Luckily he was able to buy this one from someone that was headed back home.

A Day in the Life...

2008-05-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

One cool thing that Tom gets to do on a semi-regular basis is show the visiting celebrities around the squadron and aircraft. These are just two of the ones that have visited them in the past month.

A country music singer, Granger Smith (the one next to Tom), and his crew came by to visit the troops and give their support. For those of you that haven't heard of him, Granger is a big star in Texas, where he went to school at A & M. Look up his song "We Bleed Maroon" online and take a listen. He's pretty good.

I only have one word for you..."Toepick." Can you guess who the celebrity is? It's DB Sweeney, the actor that was in the ice skating movie, The Cutting Edge. Tom said he toured the aircraft for over an hour and a half. He was very impressed!

Good Deed

2008-04-26T21:53:00.001-04:00

This Saturday I was lucky enough to be in a group that helped build part of a Habitat for Humanity House. My work is sponsoring the house and it just so happens that it will be owned by one of our employees. We had a really good time and learned quite a bit. There was a little too much shoveling for my taste, but it was all for a good cause.

The HR group that worked today. That's Kelly, Katie (both work in Benefits), Helen (Education), me and Joyce (Compensation) and Anne (HRIS). You'd be surprised how much a group of girls can get accomplished when you give them a hammer and some direction.

Our finished part of the project. You can't see under those beams, but we shoveled and leveled about 10 loads of dirt. I did not realize there would be so much shoveling to do. This will be a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house when they are all finished.

Here's a bald head pic for you...

2008-04-17T14:02:00.000-04:00

Had a “Varsity” flight the other day. Took off and had the joy of flying through another one of these beautiful Iraqi Dust Clouds. I’ve never seen dust being used as a weather forecast. I’ve heard of cloudy, rainy, snowy, but now I’m having to learn “Dusty!” Got to take our toys out into the middle of nowhere and enjoy chow on the back ramp and got to see camels for the first time in the wild!! I tried to have the Crew Chief get a shot, but we were going too fast to take it (I’ll get some pics to y'all before I get out of here). Just another day for the 162 Golden Eagles.

Tom

Bird in the desert.

Flying in the sand storm.

Eating chow on the tail.

(Am I really married to this sexy man?? I must be the luckiest girl in the world!)

It's Not All Work

2008-04-17T07:44:00.000-04:00

Life is not all work...we still find time to mess around. The Flight Equipment room hooked me up with a personal sign, because I’m the Sh$t and everyone needs to know it (Jaeger Bomb, Jaeger Bomb, Skank, Skank)!! It worked...I could feel the respect immediately. The second pic is of a Major’s bike from the same day. This was a life lesson for him not to mess with the LT’s or your bike gets padlocked 8 feet off the ground (he started the fight and we finished it).

Tom

Scenes From The Rear

2008-04-10T20:10:00.000-04:00

Got to take a ride in the back of the aircraft last week and had a blast. Crew Chief let me strap on a gunners belt and sit on the ramp and take in the views. Really got an appreciation for what the boys in the back were doing. Not much contrast out there except for that beautiful sandy landscape.

Tom

Does this work for kids?

2008-04-07T21:42:00.001-04:00

So CuChulainn has been licking this little spot on his foot for about 2 weeks now. He seems to only do it when he's laying on his bed, but, believe me, that annoying noise...slurp, slurp, slurp...drives me insane when I'm trying to do anything. So, since constantly telling him to "STOP!!" doesn't work, I came up with a solution. Embarrassment. He now has to wear a sock on his leg while he's in the house. It's the only thing that works! So, I thought that I would send out some pictures of his "punishment." I know, I know...I'm a mean mom.

Doesn't he look so sad?? It's amazing what public humiliation will do to him.

What a cute little cuddle bug!

And then there is perfect little precious Bella. Her eyes kind look scary in these pictures, but it's her little "pig ear" that I love the most.

Scenes from a movie...

2008-04-02T07:34:00.000-04:00

Tom got caught up in a sand storm the other day, but was able to take some pictures before it hit. It looks like a scene from "The Mummy" not something that actually happens in real life! Then there is a picture of Tom and the other LTs. They all had to shave their heads before they left (except for the girl). I still think he looks sexy:)

Visit to Pensacola

2008-04-01T18:31:00.000-04:00

The day after Tom left I flew home to Pensacola for Gianna's birthday party (my niece) and Samantha's bridal shower (my sister). Those 4 days went by entirely too fast, but it was nice to get home and be distracted for a couple days. Mom, everything turned out perfectly!! I had such a good time seeing Andrea, Adrian and Gianna before they head over to Camp Pendleton in CA. Nick, next time you'll have to skip baseball for a couple days and hang out a little bit more:)

Tom's Gone

2008-04-01T18:25:00.000-04:00

Well, the day finally came. Tom deployed last week and is now somewhere over in Iraq. It was hard to say goodbye for 7 months, but I know the time will fly and he'll be back before I know it. At least that's what I'm hoping for! (It may look like I am happy in this picture, but I didn't wear mascara on purpose that day just so I could post at least one picture on the blog.)

Osprey Pics

2008-04-01T18:16:00.000-04:00

We finally got the professional pictures from when the cousins came down to visit. It was such a gorgeous day, but a little bit cold. Everyone looks so good...even the dogs!

You Might Be A Redneck If:

2008-03-24T13:40:00.000-04:00

Ok, what can I say, we love the southern life style and sometimes we dress the Redneck part. Got a hold of the neighbors 4-wheeler and tore down some back woods near our house (proper PPE is in the other picture for all the anal people who see this). Had a great time and felt like we were in some cheesy 80's horror movie when we found some couches and a bed dumped out in the woods. Melissa kept saying she thought someone was going to jump out of the old bed and attack us (creepy mind she's got!).

St. Patty's Day Done Right

2008-03-24T13:18:00.001-04:00

The day started like any other. Woke up at 0700, made breakfast and headed to work (not my work, but in the direction of Melissa's). Picked up 3 other Mic's at a friends house and headed to Wilmington. Arrived at Fibber McGee's at 0815, which was exactly 15 minutes after they opened the door for there famous "Kegs and Eggs". We were the first people in the door and sat down to scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and a tall Guinness draft to start the day (Melissa skipped the draft because unlike the rest, she had to work that day). We finished breakfast Melissa said goodbye and we began a very memorable and blurry March 17th. 12 rounds of pool (loser bought beer for the other team of course!), 4 Irish car bombs, 3 rounds of Kings Cup (drinking game similar to "categories"), and we were ready for lunch at 1215. We ate the famous Irish American meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage, finished it with two more Car Bombs and from there it all goes down hill. I remember live music, a bag piper and some weird guy trying to talk to us about something, and then like magic Melissa showed up at 1630 to pick us up! A wonderful day of celebrating our long illustrious traditions!

Eat Your Heart Out Boys!

2008-03-24T13:13:00.000-04:00

Right after the cousins left town my neighbor roles up in his 2006 Dodge Viper. Not only did I get to rub all over it, he let me tear up the east coast of North Kakolaki for an hour! I felt like one of those "Make A Wish Kids" (kind of like lil Kyle)!

Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay

2008-03-15T14:59:00.000-04:00

I kept trying to get the crew to fish all weekend and when it finally happened we got totally skunked (except for Shawny's crab)! Everyone made the best out of it, even Lil Kyle who fell off a rock and into the water. By the way, Kyle, I just finally got done throwing out your miscellaneous clothing items left throughout our garage: 1 pair muddy shoes, 2 pair muddy socks, and 1 pair grey ghetto fabulous sweat pants.

A Little Hung Over But We Clean Up Nice!

2008-03-15T14:49:00.000-04:00

The family was kind enough to attend "Family Picture" day at my squadron. We were all a little groggy and it was a nightmare getting the "New York Dunn's" out of the house but it turned out well. Notice the red shirts me and little Kyle are sporting (wouldn't it be nice if everyone were in red???Hmm). We'll post the professional picture once it comes in (the one with all the ladies).

Party Time!!

2008-03-11T19:28:00.000-04:00

We had such a great time when the cousins came down to visit this past weekend. Let me tell you...I am not 21 anymore! Those kids can party!! It was really awesome that Shawn, Rose, Kyle and Krystle could come down and celebrate with Tom before he leaves. We love you guys:)

Hey!!

2008-03-06T17:59:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone!!

Tom and I have decided to start a blog as an easy way to stay in touch over the next couple months. I'm definitely NOT a blogger, so this may take some time getting used to. But, check back often. I'll try to keep everything up to date so that you know what's going on with us:)