Throwback Thursday.... Baby Fever?!?!

So many bloggy friends are pregnant, just had a baby this month or have little ones under 3 months.... Am I crazy for thinking "I want another baby" when ours just turned ONE 2 weeks ago!?!?! And a few weeks ago I was telling my husband that I think I'm done.... Until he laid out his wants and thoughts on it all and suddenly I'm saying lets start trying now! ;) Well, at least the practice of trying.... But we have unofficially stated we'll see where he's at with his new command in 6 months, and go from there. :)

So, in the meantime, I'll just take in photos of all my friends baby bumps and little ones, and try to remind myself that I still need to catch up on the lack of sleep over the past year and half from our little monkey!

Pregnant with the Man-Child 4 days before he was born Sept. 2004

Pregnant with the Mini Marine 3 days before he was born April 2012

Throwback Thursday: The Day I Became a Marine

 10 years ago I graduated from boot camp with ladies from 4030 and my platoon 4031 (there's always one 31). 10 years ago I became one of the Few Good Women, a Marine. It had been a dream of mine since I was little to join the armed forces. It wasn't until the summer before my Senior Year of high school that I chose to enter the Marine Corps.

A bus filled with us recruits arrived on the island late at night or early morning, I really can't remember. We were told to exit the bus and stand on the infamous yellow footprints.

Then came the intake process of going through all the crap we were told to bring with us but were not allowed to keep. Filling out documents, writing to our parents our address, I think we even had to call them to let them know we made it.... That part is a bit fuzzy. Hustled off to get rifles, entered a squad bay and waited for our DI's to come in.... They don't call Marines Devil Dogs for nothing. Just thinking about it brings back that ringing in my ears.

We were the first female platoons to receive the (then) new Digi Cammies. Honestly, I was pissed and disappointed. I knew how to shine shoes to make them look like a mirror, I knew how to starch the uniform to make fine creases and have it stand up without even being worn.... That was something we and Marines who joined after did not get to experience.  I was assigned to be the guide through most of boot camp. Being on the Saber Team, Drill Team, and Color Guard in AFJROTC throughout high school had provided me with deep knowledge of the drill field. I was the most hated recruit by most and the most friendly to others. The DI's would call me into their offices for private chit chats (that would scare the HELL out of me because they were being "friendly"). I was busted and had the guidon taken away from me because I had family and friends pictures stashed away in my pillow case that I would look at during the nights I just couldn't sleep. Then they would throw it back at me a day or two later. Another Cali girl, that I am still good friends with, had the position as guide as well and rocked it too. We finally all became a unit that worked together and soon found the games that the DI's played with us more humorous than not. When we were first told we would be receiving sugar cookies I seriously thought they meant cookies. Nope, to the sand pit we went and we were shinning with grains of sand by the end, just like a sugar cookie. When one would get sent to the quarter deck we all started going to the quarter deck to go through it and motivate the one in trouble together. Health issues arose for me during boot camp. Stress will do that to you. Break you down, build you back up. My stomach was the worse. I was not use to 3 square meals a day, rigorous exercises, etc. My stomach became blocked up. To the point when going back into formation from chow that I passed out on a stack of rifles. I was rushed to the hospital and I barely remember them cutting my shirt off me, woke up and was basically told I was full of shit. Yea, literally, full of shit. I hadn't been able to "go" in weeks and it had all pushed up against my insides... The laughs I received when returning were a bit embarrassing. Once the Crucible came it was game on. We were within reach of our EGA's. Rifle range was interesting and our bag nasties (lunches) had barely enough food to put in our stomachs, the male recruits would have so much in their lunches that half the time they didn't finish it and would sneak us an egg, granola bar or piece of fruit. Then the night hike came.... Our team had gotten turned around. Our DI was radioing in to find out where the hell we were suppose to be. We'd be going along and then slam into the person in front of us because of a sudden stop in front. That's when shit hit the fan for me. The recruit in front of me stepped back just right with her heel to the middle-top of my right foot and there was a crack with instant pain....FFFFFFFF!!!!! Hobbled along the rest of the way. The next day and a half I refused to take my boot off. Limped my way back to the squad bay for the miles of that last proud hike back for the warriors breakfast. Stripped down and peeled my boot off of me which instantly swelled and revealed a gnarly looking bruise. Many other girls had blisters that covered the entire length of the bottom of their feet. I was sent to medical and it was determined the top of my foot was fractured. Wrapped it up, was handed crushes and felt like shit. Sure, I finished what was needed to become a Marine, but the Family Day run was out of the question. We were handed our EGA's inside an auditorium with the song "I'm Proud To Be An American" playing in the background. There wasn't a single one of us who did not have a proud and silent tear in our eyes.

The morning of graduation I had to report to medical and I knew that if I didn't just suck it up I would be stuck on PI for awhile... Went in and told the doc that I was fine, it was sore but tolerable. That's when he started pushing on my foot. Through gritted teeth I said I was fine. He cleared me, sent me on my way, but refused to let me march with my platoon for graduation because he didn't want any added stress on the foot. Another FFFFFFFFFF!!!! I graduated in the top 5 of my platoon on the sidelines. It was a proud but disheartening feeling not being side by side with them.

During the last week of boot camp we were granted permission to get a disposable camera to make our SDI a little scrapbook of our platoon, 4031. Sure enough, I have some of those pics.

2 4030 ladies, a 4031 gal and me

SDI being held up by DI for cleaning

My Footlocker

The Sqaudbay

Family day- Parents took pics. Wash room

Family Day. Yea, I was pretty pissed mom was sitting on my rack.

4031

Me and Mom

Me, Burrows and Cox

Me and Dovidio

***Throwback Thursday: Senior Year 01/02***

Senior Year..... Yeaaaaa, about that.... This year was definitely the most interesting, drama filled year of them all. I entered the Marine Corps over the summer as a poolie and tossed away the opportunity of going to college on an Air Force Scholarship to be an officer..... I had known since I was young that I wanted to be in the military, my father, grandfathers and uncle had all served and seeing the pictures of them in uniform had caught my interest. Air shows and other events made that want even stronger. The day before school started we had a "Last Day of Freedom" Pool Party at my house with a bunch of friends, BBQ'd, and hung out until late that night. I was still working at Vans Skate Park, still heavily involved in AFJROTC, had a boyfriend and still rockin' my classes with a 3.8 GPA. I cut my hair way too SHORT for my liking and dyed it blond months later. January came and I turned 18.... It all went downhill from there. I figured I was an adult now and I could do what I wanted. HAAAAAAA!!!! Mom and S.Dad were not too fond of this attitude and decided if that was how I felt and if I wasn't going to abide by their rules of being home by a certain time/lose my attitude I could move out. My mind was set, I did great in school and worked and felt that I had the "right" to do as I pleased (which back then was mainly hanging out with friends and the boyfriend. So, I moved out and moved in with the BF and his family. This lasted a week or two and then I decided to move up to my dad's and S.Mom's in NorCal. OMG... Talk about a change. I was able to land a job waitressing the day we arrived (in the moving truck). Started school and had to take night classes for Government because the school was offering only Econ, which I had already taken. I went from a school of over 500 Seniors to a school of 98 Seniors. I drove 30-40 min to school (they lived in the mountains), would get out around noon most days (they had a block schedule), take a nap in my car at the city park, go to night class and from there go to work. Most nights I wouldn't get home until midnight or later and then start all over again. My boyfriend moved up there with me, that lasted a month and he missed his family and went back to SoCal. The school thought we were brother and sister at first, hahaha, ewwww. Then it went around that I was pregnant, buahahahaha! Um no. Then it was that we were much older (the way we dressed and acted) and that we were NARCS placed there by the school..... This finally subsided after a month or so... I started focusing on getting in shape for the Marines and during lunch I would go down to the track with my CD player and run. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I found out my friends would sit on the hill with their lunches above watching and timing my runs, they came up to me saying how much my run time had improved, 23 minutes for 3 miles. Talk about embarrassing. :p Prom came and I went to another school's Prom with a bunch of friends and we dropped in on our school's prom later that night. The next day I went out to Sac and got my first tattoo and my belly button pierced.... Tisk tisk tisk. My father was pissed. But I was 18 and could do what I wanted. May was full of grad prep, last bit of classes and finals and of course parties. A lot of good ones, a few not so good ones. The best were the bon fires and hanging out at Angel's house kicked back with drinks (yes, under age drinking, I know I know), if it's any consolation, it was mainly wine coolers and smirrnoff ice. LOL. And I could've been doing a hell of a lot worse things than just drinking and hanging out with friends! :) Graduation came and so many of my family members were able to come. It was wonderful! My Aunt told me that the girls in the family graduate barefoot. Hahaha. No problem! I tossed her my heels before heading through the aisle and did exactly that! A week later I went down to SoCal and watched all my friends from RCHS graduate, it was bitter sweet. I wasn't due to head out to Parris Island for another month, but couldn't wait. Yes, I am an impatient person. I changed my contract to open contract because they couldn't get the MOS I was signed up for (MP) to go through for the schooling. A day or two before leaving I went with the parents and friends to a Jetro Tull and Sammy Hagar concert, had a blast! I left a week and a half later. From there my entire being was forever changed.  

~Now for the pics and of course awesome tunes!~

Last Day of Freedom Party

After the party, I have always labeled this picture as "Trouble" :p

Senior Year Homecoming- the BF had two dates, me and my BFF :)

Me and my BFF Steph

Kat and me at the lake

AFJROTC, the oober tall one (jolly green giant) in the middle 2nd row up was the BF, I'm to the right, lol

JROTC, sorry, the pic had been used in a collage and has glue on it still. :p

My littlest brothers and me

Senoir Pic

My best guy friend (oldest son's dad) and I

Morning of Graduation Day, before practice at the school

Dad and me!

My little brother Ricky and me Graduation Day

 

Nicole our buddy Mikey and me

My buddies and me

Me, Nicole and Josh

Dad Me and Mom

Dad me and S. Mom

S.Dad Me and Mom

Walking with Joe to our seats

Yup, Graduated barefoot! :))

Day after Graduation

My friends Little John and Kat

Steph and Me After her graduation

***Throwback Thursday: Junior Year 00/01***

Junior year.... OH BOY!!! Talk about a year of fun times great friends and my first car (a 25th anniversary, 1992 RS Camaro)! The car was a beast and while it was bought rather cheap it of course had issues, the AC didn't work instead it was 2/60 (2 windows down, 60 miles per hour). I didn't care though. And when we'd go anywhere with a hill, like 29 Palms, one of our constant places to get our friends that had recently graduated and were going through school there, we'd have to blare the heater while going up hill so she wouldn't over heat. Then for a long while she didn't have a CD player, so me in my infinite wisdom would pop in some earbuds and use my portable CD player on long drives. Anything over 80mph and she would shake like the earth was falling apart beneath me. She was teal when I first got her, had a disgusting paint job done that made her my black knight. She'd whisk me and friends away to Hollywood, to the beach, to various theme parks, LA, off roading (yes, she handled well for off roading but did get stuck once), the mountains for fun in the snow, out for nights of swing dancing, up to NorCal to visit family and of course to school and work. The summer between Junior and Senior year was an absolute blast! Starting working at Vans Skate Park, out with friends constantly on days off, and attended the Leadership course with JROTC and made my decision on entering the Marine Corps (which no one was too pleased with).

Now for the pics and of course great tunes from 2000/2001!!

My first car

Steph and me..... SMH, those pants... "onion booty" pants is what I was later told they were buahahaha

Kat and me getting ready to cause trouble ;p

Me and my good friend Kyle, little brother as I called him

Steph and Me Halloween at school

Attending the All Academies Military Ball

Fun at the Orange County Fair

My high school bedroom ;)

Clippers Game with Steph with JROTC

Me Christen and Steph

Daughters of the American Revolution Award JROTC

Going out for dinner and dancing

Drove the Black Knight to the mountains for snow.... Hit an ice patch while driving slow and had to veer into the mountain instead of off the cliff. Had fun though!

Flying over Southern California in a B-25

Junior Prom with my best buddy Little John

Paddle Boatin with my little brother on 4th of July 2001

Leadership course Meeting the Sgt Maj of the Air Station, Camp Pendleton. He gave each of a girls a challenge coin that I ended up carrying with me in my uniform all throughout boot camp. After graduation I went back in uniform and gave him one in return.

Leadership Course, ready for the AmTrak ride