Birthday in a box...take 3

First, Tony is not deployed. He is on a long underway and will return soon. I wanted to share this and this was the best platform I could think of.

I began this blog to chronicle the story of my husband being deployed because as I was doing my research, (on pinterest of course!) there were a lot of awesome milso bloggers with amazing care package ideas/posts (Jo my gosh is one of my faves!) but most were centered around information and help for those in the Army and Marines. I had to figure out the specific rules mailings to sailors mostly on my own. My hope is that this is a resource which milsos whose spouse is in the Navy and deployed can use.

This is the third birthday of Tony's that we won't be together for. Actually, we've never been together for his birthday...or mine...needless to say, this box has traveled quite a bit. 

I keep changing the number on the side. 25, 26 and now 27. I use it as a chance to change that particular panel's decoration. This year's paper represents the memory of our recent trip to southern Utah where we camped and spent time laying on the roof of our rented camper van, looking at the stars.

I kept the bottom of the box the same as last year. 

This year, I added another banner. This one will show at the first stage of package opening. 

This is a view of the back of the love you banner.

Here is the same banner re-used from last year. I added his name this year. I was trying to get this package out quick so it had a chance to get there by his birthday (Aug 15). That's why I didn't re-do the happy birthday, which I think looks ugly. I kind of ran out of time with it being the start of the school year and all (yes, in July, I know!!!)

This picture sort of shows the layers of the box that have accrued over the past couple of years.

Inside, I wrote a message: "This is the third year of this birthday box...here's to it being the last!"

This will be the last year (at least in a row) because his enlistment is up June 2016. Counting down the months. 

A month away

Hubbs is scheduled to go underway for a month on Friday to southern California. We just got back from camping in southern Utah and a Vegas weekend. I needed to go to the grocery store and I got inspired to pick up a few things for his "voyage." Totally surprised him with a bag of goodies when he got home from work. It was my last day of summer break....I know, how can school start in July?!?!

Wipes (face and butt) in case they secure the showers (shut them down). Gummy vitamins because if they're sour and taste like candy, they're more likely to be eaten. Fiber gummies and dried prunes to combat the ship food. Omega-3s because on the island, we eat a lot of good fish...on the boat, I think fish is probably like getting the fishwich at McDonald's...

A battle roll ( we have a running joke about the single wrapped Scott roll) because you never want to be without TP...

2 spray sunscreens so that he can ask one of the guys he's with to sunscreen his back without having to rub it in...and an extra in case someone forgot to pack sunscreen. You really don't want to get skin cancer.

Yummy goodies he loves from home: li hing mangos and li hing sour hula keiki. Granola bars because that stuff they call food on the ship sounds like anything but...

Those fruit squeezy things they make for little kids to prevent scurvey.

Last but not least bacon jerky and chez-it's as creature comforts.

Christmas candies and goodies

I broke my previous record for heaviest package...this one was 16 pounds!

I 

With Christmas right around the corner, I needed to send out a Christmas care package. I've been super busy...from moving again and trying to finish up the semester at school...

There is nothing home-made in this package. It's all candies, foods and goodies. I'm liking these little milk boxes that have chocolate milk in them and don't need to be refrigerated! I hope they taste better than that super high temp pasteurized milk they serve on the ship. I also sent some soups that are in bags and you heat them in the microwave along with a few microwave packets that have quinoa and brown rice. :) who says non-refrigerated microwave food has to be unhealthy?

I sent lots of granola bars like fiber one, nutri grain(they have a Greek yogurt one!) and nature valley. They're good to have on hand and easy to store. I also sent cheese whiz.... He likes that junk...and triscuits :) the sandwich bags are scoops of strawberry protein powder.

Of course I sent some candy, like li-hing sour hula keiki. I'm forgetting what else I sent but I tried to warp up pretty much everything.

I found some great Christmas cards to send out to family and friends. I'll have sent 4 varieties. This was one kine card that I sent out. I thought It was a nice decoration.

It's been so much harder to send out perfect packages after returning to work full time but I've been trying.

Mail for me!

This beautiful envelope arrived for me in the mail today! First mail to the new place. Tony got it in port in Japan.

So fresh so clean care package

 After packing up the package, I met my friends at the beach on the north shore...This is at Sunset. The waves were going off quite a bit...guess it's about time for winter...




This picture below is at Sharks Cove. We decided to go down the road to it to wash off the sand and I happened to have my mask with me so we took turns snorkeling a bit...

Flowers...for me!

The one day I leave school before 3...just as I'm pulling into the parking level, my phone rings...it's the office at my school calling...they ask, can you come to A2? There's a surprise for you...I'm all...ummm....I kinda already left...she asks, are you far? Like 20 min...she says, if you can come back, a really nice gift for you just arrived and it won't be here tomorrow...

Now my curiosity is piqued....what could it be? 

So, I drive back....this gem was waiting for me :)

How sweet is that?

They were super thoughtful and it was nice to get them at the beginning of a 5 day week...The last 3 or 4 weeks were all 4 days weeks so I knew this one was going to be a long one!

Rescuing mail...

So I get a notice in the mailbox...postage on letter mail due. I needed to go to the post office to give them $1.62 to pay for the rest of the postage due on the letter. Tony paid for it at his hotel in port...Yeah, the ship ran out of stamps...again...Seems to happen a lot...
Anyways, it was pretty funny, then the cashier rings it up at the post office and is all, that'll be 2.62 when he sees me getting out cash...I was so tired, I probably would have just given him the extra dollar...

Anyways, inside was a letter and a mini flashlight on a key chain he sent me "in case of another hurricane." Haha. It's pretty nifty for on my keys, I must say...