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.