Sue & Wes Tour Rick's Boat

Sue & Wes have come down for a visit & to be at Rick's party. Rick has duty so I brought them down to the boat for a tour. Here are a few pictures...

Rick showing Wes some stuff....

Wes acting like he is touching something he shouldnt!

Steph up in the bridge

Pic from up in the bridge

WELCOME HOME RICK!!!

WOO HOOO!! He is finally home safe & sound!

Steph & I went to the Chesapeake Bay bridge/tunnel with a few other wives in the morning to watch them go by. There is a restaurant there so we figured we would sit & have lunch while we waited for them. After we ordered, one of the wives went to get her camera from her car. She saw the boat way out on the horizon so we thought we had time-well we sort of did. We were close to being finished eating & she ran out to check & they were hauling butt right past us! We told the waitress as we ran out we would be right back-no really we would...lol...just wanted to be sure she didn't think we were running out without paying! Anyway we had to run down the fishing pier & I was able to get a few shots like the one above. So we rushed back in & payed & ran back to our house to pick up Justin.

The boat pulling into the pier.

The crowd.

So they moved the spot where they were suppose to pull into & it was further away from where they had everyone waiting, so no one could really see the boat very well (they were suppose to pull right up next to the parking/waiting area so that everyone could watch). The ombudsman asked if our photographer (that was me of course) could go down with the media crew to get photos of them pulling in. Comes in handy to be a photographer sometimes I guess!

He's so cute!

When Rick was in sonar he was always topside but the job he has on this boat he isn't usually up there. I didn't even know he was there when I was shooting away! When we I said something about it being a bummer he wasn't topside anymore he was like-what are you talking about I can go where ever I want now! You were looking right at me, I was standing there acting like I was supervising! He knew I would be the unofficial official photographer so I guess he wanted to see everything! He is too funny.

Getting tied up.

All changed & ready to get off the boat. He is so darn handsome!

Justin was the first to run to him. That's the back of his head. Our friend Tiffany was snapping photos at this point.

Then Steph got her hug.

My turn!!!!


So happy he is home!

I am going to ask my good photographer friend, Chris, who is way better than I am at photoshop to get rid of the kid growing out of Ricks head :)

I still can't believe it over!

I didn't think I would ever see this day! He is coming home from his last deployment! I'm so relieved its all over!

So here are a few pics of the house. I'm sure he will be embarrassed. At least I kept it to a minimum! It could have been worse :)

Tonight is the Final Fling. It is being held at the bowling alley on base. One of the guys has collected various pics from the wives & from the guys over the deployment & has put together a slide show. I cant wait to see it. I submitted two pics, one of Rick & I in front of a castle in Scotland & since they wanted pics of events the guys have missed I sent one of Steph on homecoming day with her Maury Senior '09 shirt & 'war paint'.

One of the ombudsman & I are going to drive out to the bridge/tunnel that is in the middle of the bay and where they will be passing to get to the base. I have never done this and it should be pretty cool, not to mention FREEZING! Our weather has been pretty harsh already. Pray for to be at least in the 50's tomorrow!

I'm looking forward to all the festivities this time. Can't wait!

The day the boat left...

The countdown for homecoming is on & I cant wait. I'm sure Rick will kill me when we pull up to the house this time. A while back there was a company offering free custom 6ft x 3ft vinyl Welcome Home banner for military families. So of course I ordered one for the front of the house. Then I got motivated. I ordered a few welcome home Rick yard signs, and after the 4th of July hit the sales on red, white & blue stuff...flags & whatnot. I have never really decorated for a homecoming before & he really hates that kind of attention, but I couldn't help myself.



Something I realized today was that the only big boat homecoming we had was before the kids were born! It was on his first boat, the La Jolla in the mid 80's! He went to a command after that boat that was considered sea duty but he wasn't attached to a sub. His next boat was finishing a deployment so he was only there a few months and the last one he came home a month early. So this one is kinda a big deal and not just because of it being his last one.



Of course I will post pics & details after the big day. I'm so excited I cant stand it!

The boat in Portsmouth, England 2008

Meeting Rick in Rota, Spain

I just got back from meeting Rick at a port call in Rota, Spain. We had a nice few days traveling around there & even went to a wine tasting.This is them the day they pulled in, although its kind of hard to see due to the low tide & the pier there was very high off the water.

You can see how hight the pier is-the only part of the boat you can see is the sail. It was so stormy this day the boat was rocking all over the place. Good thing I wasnt onboard! I would have been sick all over the place!

Rick thought it would be a funny thing to suprise me with this! I made him go right back down & shave it off before I would kiss him!

Our first night out at dinner with another couple off the boat. This little girl's parents owned the place & she kept coming from behind the counter & flirting with the guys.

Our cute little rental car. Ours is the red one.

Rota, Spain

A very stormy day.


At the winery.

Should have been cut off a long time ago!

Flamenco dancers

Sevilla, Spain

The third largest cathederal in the world-well part of it anyway.

A fountain in the square outside the cathederal.

More sangria please!

A sign right outside the base gate.

bye bye boat...