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.