How I Met Ann Curry

While Paul was deployed I planned a wonderful vacation for us to the Beaches resort in Turks & Caicos.  I looked forward to this vacation the entire time Paul was gone and finally it was here!  Time to go.  Hit the road.  Leaving on a jet plane. 

We were set to leave January 20th.  On January 19th we ordered pizza for dinner with our friends Sarah and Andy (who have been living at our house).  Andy had volunteered to drive us to the airport (you know someone is a good friend when they'll drive someone to the airport at 5am and pick you up at midnight).  I set my alarm for 4am and had super bad heartburn when I woke up.  I threw up, but just chalked it up to not having enough sleep and the heartburn.  I showered and decided no make up because I never see any celebrities at the airport.  Famous last words.  Sarah was awake because she had been up sick half the night with food poisoning.  I felt okay so I didn't think anything of it.  Okay, I actually thought, "haha sucks for you."  More famous last words.

We got to the airport and got to our terminal and got something to eat.  I settled on milk and a croissant so I could share with Em (she loves her a croissant).  Just before we were getting ready to board the plane I threw up again. 

And then again on the plane.  Andy and Paul were sick too so if you are ever in our town do NOT eat at Piezannos. 

We had a layover in NYC.  So now I've been throwing up all morning (so I got that good breath going on) and let me just paint you a picture of what I'm wearing:  brown Mary Jane crocs, thick green socks, mom jeans, a purple and gray striped nursing shirt, and a hot pink sweatshirt with the word Boston embroidered on it (you know the kind where half the word is on one side of the zipper and the other half on the other side).  So not only do I look like I was dressed by blind wolves, but my hair is such a hot mess that it looks like monkeys brushed it. 

We are in line to board the plane and the following conversation happens:

Paul:  Is that Ann Curry?

Me:  No.

Paul:  Are you sure?

Me:  Yes, she's too short. 

Paul:  She has an NBC bag.

Me:  Well maybe it is.

Paul:  That's totally Ann Curry.

So, we somehow end up right behind one of the people with her waiting to step onto the plane and it was in fact Ann Curry.  Now, I heart the Today Show.  I watched it every morning while I was on bedrest and pretty much every morning since Emma was born.  And I'm thinking in my head I have to say something.  It's freaking Ann Curry! 

We get on the plane and are stopped near her seat while people put their stuff away and I decide to say hi.  Be cool, be cool is on repeat in my head.  Keep in mind the vomitting, the blind wolves, and the monkey.  So, what comes out of my mouth?

"I love you Ann Curry.  My husband just got back from Afghanistan."  And then I start to cry.  Seriously?  She gives me this look like "oh, um, ok," but she's super nice and shakes our hands and introduces herself.  I don't even ask to take a picture because again blind wolves, monkey (who wants proof of that look). 

I then procede to vomit the entire plane ride, but thankfully Emma's screaming when I couldn't hold her drowned out the sound (although I did at one point throw up while nursing her...impressive isn't it).

The flight attendant came up during the beverage service and said, "Ann Curry would like to buy you a drink."  And we had to decline because we were so sick (stupid food poisoning), but thank you Ann Curry (in case the flight attendant didn't tell you).  The guy next to us says in disbelief, "Ann Curry's on this flight????"  Apparently he loves her, too, but didn't see her. 

Oh, and he was on his way to Haiti with Doctors without Borders.  Apparently there were several doctors on our flight sitting around us and do you think any of them offered any kind of advice or prescription medication to me?????   No.  They just sat and watched me throw up for 4 hours!  Not even a "hey you probably really don't want to drink that apple juice."  Although even though I knew I'd throw up if I drank any I have never been so thirsty in my whole life (except the time I was in the hospital for dehydration from throwing up when I was pregnant) so I didn't care that it was going to make me sick. 

I felt so awful on the plane I honestly thought I'm gonna have to go to a T&C hospital.  I am going to pass out on this plane and an ambulance is going to take me to a foreign hospital. 

Luckily, I was so excited to be off the plane when we got to T&C that I immediately started to feel better (or I just had thrown up all the food poisoning at that point). 

And no, Ann Curry wasn't on her way to Beaches like I had hoped so I never got any kind of blind wolves, monkey redemption.  Although Ann if you want to give my name to Kathie Lee and Hoda for their makeover segment I would not protest.  I tried to get my husband to send my picture to What Not to Wear, but I never would be willing to give up my Uggs or Crocs (and I know Stacy and Clinton hate those which I don't understand why.  They must not have ever worn a pair because if they did they would know how fabulously comfortable they are and allow people to keep them). 

And that is how I met Ann Curry.  

Vacation

8pm and I really need to wrap up everything I'm doing and go to bed.  I know, I know...8pm...but tomorrow we LEAVE ON VACATION!!!!!! 

Hubby, baby, and I on an international flight to the Caribbean.  Okay, Caribbean doesn't scream international to me, but it is considered an international flight.  And yes the Caribbean and Mexico are the only international places I've been I'll take it (we're from the country bumpkin side of the family unlike my cousins who are world travelers lol). 

But of course I needed to print some stuff and paint my toenails and I still have some cards to address, BUT we are packed (yeehaw!) so that's a plus. 

Anyways, I am sure I'll have lots of funny stories when we get back.  Unfortunately all I can picture in my head is when Friends went to Ross' dinosaur conference and it rained the whole time, but hopefully we'll have better luck that that.  I don't want to have to go to a tanning salon in the Caribbean to make people back in the snowy northeast jealous when we return. 

Hope everyone is having a great week and a safe and happy weekend!

Supporting Local Business

Paul and I have decided on a challenge.  We aren't sure yet if we will do this in February or March or at all.  You've seen the 100 mile challenge or heard of it, right?  They had a television show about it awhile back (okay, it may have been years ago) in which people could only food products made within 100 miles of their house. 

Well our challenge is similar, but different.  What if we spent a month only buying items available for purchase at small businesses?  No Walmart, no Target, no grocery, no Babies R Us.  I think the grocery aspect of it will be the most challenging because where will we buy milk, meat, etc.?  In the summer it may be easier because there are so many farms up here and last summer I bought produce almost exclusively at the farm stand near our house (they also carried local milk and eggs although I didn't buy any).  We may do a farm share with a friend for spring and then maybe carry it into the summer share. 

So, what do y'all think?  Can we do it?  Could you?

A Love Letter

Dear Tripp,

I know we've never met.  I don't know your mom or your family nor can I imagine how emotional the last two and a half years have been for them.  I can't imagine what it has been like to be a mom of a sick child.  But I've followed your mom's blog for the last several months.  I've gone back and read some of what she wrote about you in your first year of life.  The love that your mom has for you has shown through her blog.  Every post she writes is a testament to her faith in God and her faith in you. 

Even though I don't know you I know what you've taught people.  I know that you have been an angel on earth.  It's so hard to find purpose in seeing someone so young, so tiny go through so many struggles.  I know that you've fulfilled the purpose you had here on earth.  You brought people together.  You taught strangers to care and to pray and to find faith where maybe they didn't have any before reading about your struggles. 

I fell in love with you the first time I saw a video of you playing on your mom's blog.  Your beautiful eyes and your beautiful smile touched my heart and reminded me that no matter what is going on in my life that I am always blessed.  If you could get up each day and play your drums and smile at your family then I could honor you by greeting each day with a smile and a positive attitude.  The faith that your mom has in God inspires me to be more faithful myself, to trust in God to take care of myself, my child, and my husband.  I thought about her faith especially during my husband's deployment and I knew that no matter what happened that we would be okay. 

I prayed day and night for a miracle for you.  I prayed for your mom and your grammy and your family, your doctors, for a cure for EB, and all the people that love you.  And then I prayed for peace for you.  When I prayed for you last night I had a feeling that you'd be playing in heaven today.  And still I cried when I read that you had passed away even as I thanked God that you are no longer in pain. 

You, Tripp, are the miracle.  You are the light that reminds people that beauty exists in this world despite the cruelties that we may face.  You are the physical reminder that God is good.  I hug my daughter a little tighter every day and I spend more time thanking God for the blessings in my life.  Because of you and your mom I know I can face most anything life throws at me with dignity and faith. 

I thank your mom for sharing you with the rest of us.  I know it couldn't have been easy.  And I thank you for being such a brave little boy.  I will remember you for the rest of my life and someday I will tell my baby about a beautiful little boy who faced such adversity in his short life. 

"Do not stand at my grave and weep,


I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft star-shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die."
 
So with love I write this letter to you.  I hope to meet you someday in heaven.  Have fun.  Play hard.  And enjoy the life you were meant to lead next to our Father. 
 
Love, Jenn

Homecoming

I've been thinking about what I would write about Paul's homecoming.  Do you want to hear about our ride to Virginia with myself, Emma, and Grandma Joan?  Probably not (although at this point I know some funny things happened and I can't even remember them). 

We left Florida on January 4th and I dropped Joan off near Richmond on January 5th.  FYI Richmond is NOT a pet friendly city and it took me forever to find a hotel room that would take my 10lb chihuahua.  Really Richmond?  Tell your mayor to be expecting my letter. 

On January 6th we headed up to Gainesville, VA to stay with my friend Mary.  I thought we'd be at Mary's until the 10th and then on the 7th I got a phone call at 1am to sign in to facebook so I could instant message with Paul (thank goodness for newborn baby Gracie keeping her mommy up so Paul had someone who could call me lol).  He told me he was coming home on the 8th!  Of course this early homecoming involved him flirting with a staff sergeant to get an earlier plane, but since I know Paul is a flirt AND he got a seat on the plane then it's all good. 

The 7th was spent running around getting stuff for dinner as my cousins were coming over! 

I am the oldest cousin on my dad's side.  None of us have ever lived near each other or seen each other that often, but as we've gotten older I feel that we've made an effort to connect and get to know each other and spend time together.  Of course Devon and Kathryn both live in the DC area and Kait is in college.  I'm after them to come to Boston for Kait's 21st so I can be dd.  Devon's fiance Connor was also at dinner and my friend Mary (seeing as it was her house and all), but this is just a pic of the cousins. 

On the 8th I woke up feeling incredibly anxious.  Yes, I was excited, but it was so overwhelming to know that in the afternoon Paul would be home that I could hardly stand myself.  I followed Mary up towards Baltimore and of course I had to get there super early so we planned on eating lunch near the airport (Timbuktu was the name of the restaurant.  It looks like a dump outside, but inside the waiters are dressed up and the tables have linen tableclothes and cloth napkins and it was really yummy).  I almost ordered a cocktail at lunch because my heart was beating so fast! 

We got to the airport at about 2pm and got to the gate at 2:15 or so.  I thought we'd have to wait as the arrivals board still said his plane was getting in at 3:30.  An employee walked by and told us that they'd be walking out in 20 minutes or so.  What?????   There was a Sergeant there so I asked him what plane was in thinking it was another plane.  Nope it was Paul's.  Unfortunately our friends Jamie and Ronnie were on their way to the airport and I told them to turn around since they'd get there way after Paul had deplaned.  Our friend Jon came and so did my cousins (and it was Kathryn's birthday).  You know you have amazing friends when they'll drive over an hour to the airport just to welcome your husband home. 

Waiting for Dada

Mary and Emma

First hug and kiss

Dada and baby love

So happy

Dinner at the Cracker Barrell (Paul says yay for sweet tea)

And dada giving baby sweet tea

I have more pictures on my camera, but haven't uploaded them onto my computer yet.  It is so wonderful having Paul home if for no other reason than to have someone feed and bath the baby.  haha  And in one more week we leave for a family vacation.  Life for sure doesn't get any better.  We are blessed beyond measure and couldn't ask for anything more at this point. 

I will ask though for prayers for peace for Tripp Roth.  He is not doing well and his time here on earth is drawing to a close.  He is so little to be in so much pain and his mother just wants peace for him in whatever form it comes.  So say extra prayers and hold your own children close and realize the blessings you have in your own life.  Tripp and his mama are amazingly beautiful and their faith in God is inspiring.  Tripp inspires me to be grateful for every second I have with Emma and to thank God for all the blessings in my life.  He is truly an angel on earth. 



Dorothy in Oz

I have one more day in Florida, 8 more days until Paul arrives back in the US.  I feel like Dorothy about to leave Oz.  You know the scene where she's saying goodbye to the Tin Man, Lion, and Scarecrow before getting into the hot air balloon with the wizard.  That is how I feel.  On one hand I am ready for life to get back to normal.  I am beyond excited to see Paul, but I'm also nervous, too.  It's a strange sensation to know that so much time has passed without seeing your spouse, touching them, hugging them, parenting with them.  On the other hand I have this pit in my stomach about saying goodbye to my mom and dad.  I am dreading the crying that I know will occur and also dreading how sad I know my parents are going to be to see their granddaughter leave.  And I feel just a little (ok a lot) guilty about that. 

To say I've been teary eyed the last few days is an understatement.  I feel overwhelmed by emotion.  I think anyone whose spouse has deployed knows how I feel.  It's hard to describe.  I've lived in denial about where Paul has been for the past 6 months, refusing to really think about it, just moving forward.  And now that it's almost over all those tears that I never let myself cry are bubbling up to the surface. 

Our little baby has grown and changed so much since Paul left.  She had just turned 4 months when he left, barely rolling over.  Now she is full out crawling, eating table food, has 3 teeth, talks all the time, and poops in the tub like it's her job.  And tonight and last night she went straight to sleep when I put her in the pack & play.  No fussing, no crying.  I feel so confused!  Of course she woke up this morning at 3am so hopefully we can avoid that tomorrow morning. 

Tomorrow will be spent packing up the mini van which is oh so more fabulous with my personalized plate, pink camo Air Force wife tag on the front, AND luggage carrier on top.  If someone had told me during my 20's that I'd one day being driving a mini van with a luggage carrier on the roof I'd have laughed all the ways into my 30's.  How far into mommyhood I've fallen.  I'm already planning our family vacations with our friends the Carters and the Phillips with our babies and how great it's going to be to put our luggage on the roof.  lol 

Hope everyone is having a great 2012!

Dec. 19 (a Paul post)

December 19


It’s been forever since I wrote a journal entry. I started off doing one every day. Sadly the days just started to get monotonous, so I felt like every day was the same. And of course since I am a creature of habit I didn’t do updates when some cool stuff happened. So I figure I should fill in a few stories that have happened over the past coupe month:

--The Convoy: Now that I have made my last trip until I head home, I can now say that I had the interesting experience of doing a couple convoys. Of course until now, Jenn and no one else back home knew about it. I knew they would be worried. The first convoy I took was between two very close bases. I was told it was super safe (as safe as a convoy can be), the road was well travel by the Army, the road was watched by both bases, and there hadn’t been any activity in a long time. So they loaded me up and off we went. Even though it is a safe convoy I still was worried and not afraid to admit scared. Looking around the truck I saw not just calm, but bored faces on the soldiers. They do this all the time. I stared out the window and watched as we passed cars, bicycles, and people. All those Youtube videos if IEDs and stuff just kept playing in my head. It was only a 15 minutes ride, so about half way there I started to relax. Then I was told to hold on because there was a rough spot in the road. I could tell we were driving through the biggest pothole I’ve seen. As we rattled back and forth the soldier next to me said “yeah that was a big IED.” Apparently we were going through the hole created by a huge blast. Needless to say the pucker factor returned for the remaining part of the trip. Apparently my definition of “no activity in a long time” is not the same as their definition.

--The Cat’s Pardon: One of the services that our contractor does is Vector. This is pest and animal control. It is a serious infraction for American military members to have a pet. I’m talking about a career ending kind of infraction. One day I was walking back to my room and got stopped by an Air Force Captain and Sergeant, both female. They were telling me that the Vector had caught their cat. The Sergeant was crying. I told them it was a strey and had to be captured and put down. They then said it wasn’t a stray and I replied “then it’s a pet and that’s a General Order #1 violation and is a pretty big deal.” We discussed the dangers of rabies and other diseases (which was ironic because both of them were medical and knew all this stuff). Apparently the Polish vet on base that works with the military working dogs gave the cat shots and even spayed it. I told them it didn’t matter and the contractor was required to catch it and hand it over to be euthanized. The crying continued as I told them there was nothing I could do. A couple hours there was a knock on my door. The group included the same Captain, the Polish vet and his assistant, and the poor soldier that was responsible for doing the euthanizing. The Polish vet showed me some regulation that said “wild, native animals (ex bats, cats, etc) should be left alone. I asked how a cat with shots, that was spayed, and wearing a flee collar was supposed to be considered wild or native. We went back and forth for about 45 minutes and I finally just told them to go speak to the base’s Sergeant Major and I’ll let him decide. I figured this would end the discussion because who in their right mind would walk up to the Sergeant Major and say “I know I am violating a law that could end my career, but I really want to save this cat.” They were supposed to stop by and let me know what he said, but after a couple days I never heard from them. Issue resolved! Another day passed by and I ran into another nurse that works with them and said how sorry I was that it went down like it did. She looked confused and then said “the cat was allowed to live.” I couldn’t believe they actually asked and more so couldn’t believe the Sergeant Major actually agreed to the pardon. I ran into the Sergeant Major that night at dinner and asked him about it. I asked if their crying got to him and he looked down and said “did you know the day the cat was caught and all this went down was the Sergeant’s birthday?”