10 Year Anniversary Trip: St. Thomas

Picasa Web Albums - Charles and Melissa (Click on the link to see all of our pictures from St. Thomas)

Charles and I were fortunate enough to spend our 10th anniversary in St. Thomas. We actually had no idea if we were going to be able to take a trip or not. He put in a leave chit in October and did not hear back until less than two weeks before it was time to plan. Charles was out to sea so I had to plan our trip...where to go, where to stay, etc.

I did so much research. Charles was really set on going on a cruise. The problem was that there were no cruises that fit his leave period, other than a few that were three days. I wanted something that was a bit longer. I was thinking Mexico, but then I remembered neither one of us have passports so that was out.

I began to think, where can we go that is tropical, but we don't need passports? The U.S. Virgin Islands. Once I had that figured out, I began to do research on the best places to stay. I thought about doing an all inclusive resort, but I settled on Bellavista Bed & Breakfast. That was the best decision I could have made! Not only was the place very homey and beautifully kept, it had an amazing view, and Wendy (the owner) went out of her way to make our stay perfect.

Of course, we could not have left the children without the help of many families! We are so grateful, knowing that our children were in loving hands and were having fun. When we called to talk to them on Thanksgiving all of the phone calls were short because they were having so much fun they did not want to stop and talk to us for very long. So much for the kids missing us! Oh well, we felt like the vacation was not long enough.

More pics from the Dependents Day cruise...

The four of us at the end of the day. I wanted the get the sunset and the flag in the picture.

We tried to take this picture over and over; Victoria kept making all types of crazy faces and body movements.

Victoria had so much fun putting all the firefighting gear on. She put on everything, carrying everything the adult sailor does when they are fighting fires. She even put the tank on her back. In the picture below, she and she and Jacob are holding the hose. The front of the hose is very heavy!

Dependents Day Cruise

Jacob, Victoria and I were able to go on Charles' ship on November 17th for the Dependents Day Cruise. Julianne and Nate were too young (you have to be 8). The kids had a blast. I was sick for the first 2/3 of the day. I knew I would be, but I also knew that for the kids to go I would have to go because part of Charles' job is sea and anchor and he would have to be working for at least part of the time the ship was gone.

Jacob and Victoria were so excited to watch their dad work!

Victoria was wanted to shoot the guns. We were just minutes to slow eating. Boy was she mad!

It was windy and cold, but we still had a great time!

It is not too often I get them this close together.

Doesn't Jacob look great!

Happy 7th Birthday Julianne!!! (It was November 3rd)

My little girl turned 7 at the beginning of the month!!!

So I really take pride in the cakes I make for the kids. I have not thrown Julianne her actually birthday party yet. We just had her family party, but I ran out of time to make her a cake so I had to buy her a cake. Victoria and I saw this puppy dog cake at the store and knew she would love it. She really did! But for me, it was just not the same.

Julianne and I

So Uncle Jim and Aunt Teresa sent Julianne this great Barbie horse that actually walks and a stable and a Barbie to go with it!!! Wow was she excited.

What kid doesn't love to get money for their birthday?

Julianne and Dawn with her presents from Klent and Dawn. A High School Musical 2 CD and Necklace.

Here's Mikey at the party. He is a family friend that we have lived close to since Charles and Brad were recruiting together in Sacramento. Now they are spending their last couple of months together on the USS Ross before Charles gets off the ship.

Charles and I...Yeah a picture together!

Julianne wanted a silly picture. This is great! This is our neighbor Jenn, her son Dallas, and of course my three goof balls Nate, Julianne, and Victoria

Jacob wanted me to take a picture of the three of us after everyone else was in bed at the end of the night...here is the result

Halloween

It has been 16 days since Halloween, but I it has been a busy month. We have had a lot of things going on. The kids had a great time. Victoria originally wanted to be a witch again for Halloween, but after Greek day, she wanted to be Greek, so I came up with her costume the only about an hour or so before it was time to go out trick or treating. Jacob seems to always have trouble behaving around Halloween so he walked around with Charles and I. We did let him go back to the house towards the end to hand out candy.

Julianne's Pony Ride

I Wanna Ride the Pony Daddy...

For Christmas last year Julianne received a cute stuffed horse from her Uncle Jim and Aunt Teresa. Along with the stuffed animal were 4 printed certificates for riding a horse. Between the chaos of the summer and everything else we have had going on, Sunday was the first day we were able to take her for a pony ride. She had a blast! For a half an hour she rode Radish up and down a dirt road at Oceana Stables while Charles lead him. Jacob stayed at the front fence and petted a horse while Nate, Victoria, and I walked to the left of the pony. After the first time up and back Nate did not want to walk any more and stayed back with Jacob.

Victoria took took this picture of me. I am wearing my new glasses.

Radish was very spirited and did not want to stay on course. This girl was riding her horse in the pasture and without being asked decided it might help if she would ride her horse on the road next to Radish to give him some guidance. We thought this displayed a great heart. The girls were intrigued by the fact that she was riding bareback.

The boys were having fun at the front of the stables. All of the kids enjoy animals and I was going to say the boys love mischief as well, but to be honest all the kids are mischievous.

Julianne ending her exciting day at the stables!!!

"Thanks Uncle Jim and Aunt Teresa"

I was able get this video on the camera (the battery in our video camera was dead). The only bad thing about it is that it has no volume. I will figure out how to add music eventually!

Mom and Grandmother Visit... (Grandmother and Great Mother to the kids)

In the middle of August, Charles' mom and grandmother came for a visit. It is never long enough! I know that Mom had grand visions of all the things she wanted to do while she was here, but while she was in PA she broke her foot. We had a wonderful visit anyway! Just seeing the two of them is gift enough! We were able to go out and eat a couple of time, go to the movies, they got to see the girls swim and watch Jacob play Guitar Hero. We watched movies at home and taught mom how to play Killer Bunnies.

While they were here I was not feeling well. I started an antibiotic that made me very sick. It reacted to anything that had alcohol in it! By the way, there are many things that have alcohol in them....
mouth wash
hand soap
face scrub
conditioner
vanilla
I know there are more...

Right before we drove them to the airport. Nate's hair was out of control!

Charles and Mom (They were humoring me; I really wanted a picture of the two of them together). They look a lot alike don't they.

Charles and Grandmother

Four Generations: Grandmother (AnnaMary Reader), Mom (Sheryl Burch), Charles, and Jacob

Mom and the girls

Grandmother and Nathanael

Mom, Victoria and Jacob at the park by our house

Lunch time

Busch Gardens on Labor Day

During August Charles was very busy on the ship and had very little time off. We did not see him much. Over the Labor Day weekend he finally had some time off...4 days off!!! On Labor Day, before the kids went back to school, we decided o take them to Busch Gardens again. The great thing about having passes is that we don't have to feel obligated to stay until they close the park down. Somehow Nate ended up in almost every picture I took that day!

This is a picture of the kids not long after we arrived at the park.

We were all able to go on the bumper cars. Nate was so small in the car with Charles that his head barely was visible from the front of the car and Julianne had trouble getting her car to move at all.

I realized as we were about to leave the park that we did not have a family picture taken. I found a gracious person to take our picture, but I know by this point I was worn out and ready to head home.

This is Nate's first real roller coaster ride. He was barely tall enough to get on. It really was a stretch! He is going to be right by our side as he reached the height requirements for each of the roller coasters. He had a blast!

Nate and Charles waiting in line for the bumper cars. The Big Bad Wolf track is off in the background.

Jacob and Nate sat down next to each other as we were walking out of the park and asked if I would take their picture. What a precious moment. Taking the kids places, especially four of them, can get a little nuts. Jacob has many weaknesses, but he has so many strengths as well. I am encouraged by the genuine love he showers upon his brother.

Taking Jacob to an amusement park has huge advantages. Most amusement parks (Disney, Busch Gardens, Universal, etc.) have programs for children (and adults) with special needs enabling them to bypass the main lines. With Jacob we are usually able to move to the front of the line relatively quickly without a wait. This is definitely a positive thing because lines and crowded spaces can be too much for Jacob to handle.

While Charles was taking Jacob and Victoria on the new roller coaster, The Griffin, I took Nate and Julianne to a few other rides that appealed to them. Julianne is not interested in roller coasters at all at this point in her life. That makes her an oddball in our family...of course we are all oddballs in some fashion or another!

First Day of School

Yesterday was the first day of school for all of our children!!! What does that means for me? I am not really sure, other than it is really the first time I have had no children in the house since Jacob was born. Yesterday I felt a bit guilty for taking it easy and not doing much, but today I am trying to come up with a plan. I know it will take a while to figure out my schedule.

Nate is actually the first one to leave in the morning. His bus comes around around 7:25. He was so excited to get onto the bus. For the first month they have a green shirt they have to wear over their clothes to and from school so they are recognized as the Early Discoveries children. The YMCA actually runs the Pre-K program for Virginia Beach.

The girls have been ready all summer for school to start back up. Julianne is now in the 2nd grade and Victoria is now in the 3rd grade. They were ready to go back and see their friends, meet their teachers, and enjoy the everyday life of being in school. The two week hiatus from swim team was also over yesterday, so they were back in the pool last night as well! With new swimmers on the team, the girls were showing everyone the ropes.

Jacob started his 7th grade year yesterday. With so many problems last year at the closest middle school and ending the year at the residential school, Jacob is now in a program for children with needs similar to his own. I have been struggling for this now for years. Jacob is so intelligent, often times it makes getting him the things he needs in school a challenge. Jacob is now in a middle school 15 miles across town. It is a huge school, but they have many great programs there.