Sunday, September 11, 2011

September 11th.

I’m proud to be an American today.. and every day.


I hope you all took some time to reflect today. Count your blessings, hold your loved ones close and please pause to remember those who risk their lives every day to protect our country. Freedom isn’t free.

And, If I haven’t told you yet today.. I love you.


9.11.2001 <3 Never forget. 


Meg

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Charlie Dog

I’ve known Rob was going to be a Naval Officer since I was 14 years old, when he first started talking about going to the Naval Academy. I prayed for years that he would change his mind, but after being accepted to both the Academy and MIT/Naval ROTC, I knew that a Naval commitment was for sure. I had crossed my fingers for MONTHS in late 2005 hoping for the MIT acceptance letter, and when it finally came I cried for hours. I was so excited to have some sence of “normalcy” while we were in college and I really think that that’s the day that I created the CIVILIAN BUBBLE in my head. The Navy seemed really far away from us. The only real commitment (on my part) was to buy a fancy dress twice a year for the ROTC Navy & Tri-Service Military balls. I’ve always known that Rob would be in the Navy, and I’ve always been afraid to be alone. I’d be lying if I said there was ever any doubt for me that we’d be together forever, so I knew that if I was going to be with him I’d have to learn how to be by myself, too.


Us, winter 2005.



Senior Dinner Dance, May 2006.



Rob, Freshman Year @ MIT.



Our first Navy Ball! Navy Birthday Ball, Oct 2006.

My picture of a perfect life with Rob started when we were Sophomores in High School, dreaming of our “Dream House”. We’d chat online for hours (literally) and talk about all of the wonderful things we’d have in our perfect home. For me, one of those things was Robert, and another was a puppy. I had grown up with the most amazing Beagle, Maxx, and I really couldn’t imagine life without a dog. My love for/need for a doggie friend only increased when Rob officially signed the ROTC papers.


Maxx.

I feel so blessed to have been able to enjoy four normal years of college and another year in the CIVILIAN BUBBLE as Rob worked on his Masters degree. So much together-time has certainly solidified our relationship and I am more sure than ever that we are meant to be. But, with the first BIG MOVE and the transition into Navy-wifehood I started to get nervous again. Life in the Navy means deployments. Deployments mean being alone. Along somewhere in the country, away from family, friends, and any sense of normalcy that I’m used to. Against the advice of family members & friends (who thought it was a crazy time/too much work), we started doing research on puppies. I was so excited at the prospect of having a little friend with me while Rob is deployed, and we decided as a family that this year would be the best time to get a dog. Rob would have one whole year (for sure) with the dog before he’d be on a deployment schedule, and we’d be able to learn about and train the puppy together. If we had waited any more time to get a dog, the puppy wouldn’t have even known Rob and I wouldn’t have had any help with training. The time was right.

Because of Rob’s allergy to most pets, we did a lot of research into hypoallergenic breeds. Rob remembered growing up with two friends who had Cairn Terrier’s and didn’t remember having a reaction to them when visiting their houses. I started google-ing Cairn breeders in South Carolina two weeks after our wedding (when I actually had TIME to do things like that!), but couldn’t find any within driving distance from the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston. About three weeks after moving into our new apartment in Charleston, I decided to try once more on google and BAM! a new litter of puppies had just arrived at a breeders home just two towns away. Fate? Maybe. I emailed the breeder that night and two days later we made the drive to go visit some babydogs. :)


Research!



PUPPIES!


We left the breeder’s house with huge smiles and a deposit on one of the male Cairns. We went back two weeks later to pick “our” puppy.. and decided to name him Charles River, after the Charles River in Boston. We stocked up on puppy supplies, read a TON, and picked up our little guy on August 13th.

Introducing Charles River! “Charlie”!


Life with Charlie is a joy. Seriously. He has been a lovey little guy since the first day we brought him home, and absolutely adores me & Rob. I’ve been with him all day, every day (since I’m still job searching and working remotely for BSC), so training is going very well. He has a “spot” outside, and knows that he’s supposed to go potty there. He still hasn’t mastered the art of TELLING US when he has to go out, but we’re getting there. He’s 11 weeks old now and already knows the commands “sit” and “Charlie, come!”. I’m convinced he’s a genius and/or will do anything for a COOKIE (another one of his favorite words). He’s 100% mama’s boy, and always favors my side of the couch over Rob’s, but goes NUTS when Daddy get’s home from work every day. You should see his tail wag for Rob! He has a few little quirks that make him Charlie: He gets the hiccups about 5 times a day, he’s afraid of his own shadow, loves to eat leaves when we’re on a walk (annoying!), goes crazy for his “chewies” (bones), and likes to sleep on your feet when you’re sitting down. Puppy training is certainly exhausting, but we both think it will be worth it. I’m excited to have a companion while Rob’s away, and I’m hoping that Charlie will help with our adjustment to Navy life.


Sleepin on Mama’s head!



SMILE for the camera Charlie!!



Now - 11 weeks old. 


- - - - - - - - - - -
So, although I cried while writing this, and often talk about my fear of the Navy life & self-made CIVILIAN BUBBLE, I think it’s really important to stress how proud I am of Rob. He has always wanted to serve his country, and I am proud of him every single day for making the choice to commission as a Naval Officer. Things could have been much easier for him, but he chose to give back to the country he loves and use his talents as a leader to help lead our nation at war. Who better to lead our country than someone as smart, passionate and well-rounded as Robert.

I am so, so, so proud. And, I’m crying again.

Anyway, I have some pretty amazing men in my life now. Robert, my husband and best friend. My Daddy, the man that really taught me what love is and what kind of love I deserve. Ed, my other Dad :) and the person who showed Rob how to be a good man. My Bumpa, my uncles, Rob’s Papa, Ryan, and now, Charliedog. How lucky am I?

Meg

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Back in Action.

I’ve been slacking. Really, really, really slacking. To be honest, I’ve been avoiding writing a blog entry for fear that I would have nothing to update you all about. It turns out I actually have A LOT to update you about…. so here’s the update!

We’re completely settled into our new home. It’s funny… Charleston really is starting to feel like “home”. We LOVE the area and our apartment is absolutely perfect. We’ve been busy exploring our new city, trying new restaurants, and meeting new friends. We bought a second car - a Kia, and we’re very happy with it. We took a day trip to Savannah, Georgia at the end of July and LOVED it there. I think it’s my 2nd favorite city now (after Boston, of course!). We took a trolley tour of the downtown area, walked around the city streets, had coffee at a cute little cafe, and ate dinner at Paula Deen’s restaurant called The Lady and Sons. We had a fabulous time there and we’ll definitely be going back this winter to see more of the city when it isn’t so hot!


View of part of our living room & Kitchen from the balcony. 



Kitchen!!



My favorite spot in our house. This is what you see as you walk in the front door - all the places we’ve lived! We’ll add to this whenever we move :)


Our OTHER new car!



Us in Savannah, Georgia. 



Carolina Girl with a BOSTON heart!! <3


Rob is in his 4th week of Nuclear Power School and is doing very well. He has been working really hard and is usually on base from 4:30AM-4:30PM during the week. The early morning hours allow him to be home for dinner, and I’m loving that. We’re getting used to this “new” normal and trying to take advantage of all of this together-time before we get into a deployment schedule next year.


Rob in his Friday whites.



Me with my NAVY WIFE t-shirt that Rob bought me :)


I’ve been applying for jobs since the day we moved into our apartment. The search process has been exhausting and honestly really depressing. My resume is stellar and my references are great, but there are just NO JOBS here! I search 4 job sites, craigslist, USA Jobs, and higherEd jobs twice a day. I have email alerts directed to my iPhone, I have my resume posted on multiple sites. Nothing. There’s nothing. The only jobs I can find are in the IT industry, nursing, or at fast-food restaurants. I’m trying to stay positive about the whole search but I’m getting tired. I’m frustrated by the process every day. Thankfully, I left BSC on fabulous terms and they’ve been offering me amazing part-time work. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work a bit from home while I’ve been in Charleston. Having a project to work on for BSC  really gives me purpose every day (outside of being a wife and still searching for jobs..). I’ve been making a little bit of extra cash, and I’ve been able to add the experience to my resume. There is a possibility that I may be able to extend this work with BSC, but that’s not for sure yet. I’m also still waiting to hear back on another possible contracted job with a dear friend. Holding my breath, crossing my fingers, and hoping something fabulous is right around the corner for me. Rob has been cheering me on through this whole process and has truly been my crutch through our first big move and transition into Navy life. I’m thankful every day to be married to my best friend.

Anyway, with the stress of our first BIG move, NPS for Rob, and my own job search, we’ve been actively trying to carve out time for FUN. Rob has been going for runs, reading, and keeping his mind sharp with Physics problems (no, I’m not kidding!). I’ve been busy putting all of our pictures from the last year in albums, trying a million new recipes, keeping in touch with family & friends, and training our new “baby”, CHARLIE.. our Cairn Terrier Puppy!!

Check back tomorrow for a WHOLE post dedicated to our new Prince.. Charlie!

Love you all,

XO
Meg

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Long time, no post!

Hello Friends & Family!

I’m sorry we’ve been MIA… To be honest, I’m just feeling a little blog-lazy lately. I just wanted to let you all know that YES, we ARE still alive.. and YES, I will continue to update this fancy thing. I have lots to update you all about. I’ll start writing now.. but make sure to check back for an update tomorrow. Until then… XO.

Meg

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Our adventure to Charleston!

Hello everyone!! We are getting settled here in our new apartment and finally have internet, so here is the long-awaited blog post about our trip!

Before the BIG MOVE:
  • We made sure to spend lots of time with family and friends before we left Boston. We threw a party at a bar in the city called the Pour House, and friends from Plymouth, Emmanuel, MIT/PKT and work came to celebrate with us. It was a really fun night and we were so happy to see everyone before we left.

Bay State friends at our Pour House going away party 6/24.

PKT brothers at our Pour House going away party 6/24.
  • Both of our families had going-going away BBQ’s for us. Rob’s family came to Plymouth on Sunday 6/26, and my family and family friends had a big BBQ bash the night before we left (6/29). These happy occasions made saying goodbye a little easier. Thank you to everyone who came to wish us well. Thank you also to our Moms & Dads who organized everything. We love you. 

Mom & Dad at our going away BBQ 6/24.

Mike, Mary & Josie at our going away BBQ 6/29.

Uncle Jim, Nicole, Brian and Jay at our going away BBQ 6/29.

Josie, Auntie Jo, Mom & Mary at our going away BBQ 6/29.

The day of the BIG MOVE:
  • The movers arrived at around 9AM on the morning of the 29th to pack our apartment up and load it into the truck. Rob and I watched them (slowly) pack everything and then waved goodbye to our first home as a family. 

Us saying goodbye to our empty apartment on Pleasant Street!!
  • We loaded the car and left Plymouth on the morning of the 30th. Our Moms packed us snacks for the road (cute) and Ed gave us two huge mugs of iced Kona coffee (thanks Dad!!!). We said quick goodbyes to our families and then hopped in the car before I could cry too hard. I think I cried until about Taunton.. and then I finally started to feel the excitement.
OUR TRIP - DAY 1:
  • We had a pretty easy ride until we reached New York. There was a ton of traffic going into the city so Rob decided to take a brief “detour” using one of our GPS features… straight through The Bronx. Not fun. Rob promised to follow the directions for the rest of the trip ;-)
  • We arrived in Philadelphia around 5PM. We found a parking garage really easily using my fancy Iphone and made a quick stop at the visitor’s center to plan our evening. Philadelphia is BEAUTIFUL. I absolutely loved it there. We saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, and had a real Philly cheesesteak for dinner. After dinner we found a Starbucks and used their free wi-fi to plan the rest of our trip. 

Us at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia!

Rob’s Philly Cheesesteak!
  • We left Philly around 9PM on day 1 and drove to DC. The drive was really easy and we even drove by the Citizens Bank Stadium where the Phillies were playing the RED SOX! A little taste of home! We arrived in DC around 11:30PM and checked into the Mariott right on F street. The hotel was BEAUTIFUL and in a great location. 
OUR TRIP - DAY 2:
  • We woke up bright & early on the morning of Day 2 and went to see the main attractions in DC. We saw the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the reflecting pool (which had no water in it due to construction!), the WW2 memorial, and the Washington Monument. I think we were the most efficient tourists DC has ever had! We walked about 6 miles that morning and then had a lovely little breakfast at a cafe on F street before we checked out of our hotel. 

The White House!!

Massachusetts and South Carolina were right next to each other at the WW2 memorial! How fitting!
  • We were back on the road by noon, and arrived in Florence, SC around dinner time. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then got some much needed sleep.
OUR TRIP - DAY 3:
  • We made it to Charleston by 11AM on Friday and went to our first apartment showing at 11:30AM! We saw 5 apartment complexes on the first day in Charleston. We wanted to make sure we really saw everything before we made a decision to lease somewhere. (We actually filled out an application (not a lease) at a complex in Summerville, SC on Friday.. but withdrew it a day later after reading some reviews about crime in the area online.)

Rob & his first CAROLINA SWEET TEA! :)
  • The Navy allows us to take 10 days to find an apartment. During those 10 days you are required to stay at the Navy Lodge on base. We hadn’t made reservations yet (didn’t know exactly when/how long we’d be there), so we called the morning we arrived in Charleston. I couldn’t find the number ANYWHERE. Not online, and not on the automated Navy Lodge phone listing. We were a little confused at first, but decided just to go about our day and figure it out after we went to our apartment showing appointments. WELL, it turns out there is NO Navy Lodge in Charleston! Whoops! We hurried over to the Air Force base later that evening and their lodge was full. After a moment (or a few moments…) of panic on my part, the lovely reservation clerk at the AF Inn made us a reservation at a local hotel for the few nights they were full. THANK GOODNESS! We settled into the Holiday Inn right by the Charleston Airport. 
  • We woke up early (again) on Saturday morning to see more apartments… and ended up finding THE ONE! More about our fabulous little home in the next blog post. My fingers are tired!
XOXO
Meghan

Thursday, July 7, 2011

New Home



The first thing we hung in our new home! A wedding gift from Rob’s cousin Mike and his wife Angela.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Moving In



Moving into the new apartment in Charleston! Updates soon!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Charleston Fireworks



Us at the Charleston fireworks! We will post an update about our trip & apartment search soon so hang tight! Xo!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Trip to Charleston!



We’re headed to Charleston soon!  The Navy gives us two nights and three days travel, so we’re going to try to make the best of our stops on the way.

The (tentative) plan:

Leg 1: Plymouth to Philly, stopping just south of the city.  Hopefully we’ll spend some of the afternoon and evening in Philadelphia, a city neither of us have been to.

Leg 2: Philadelphia to Richmond or further.  This leg is short, but we hope to stop in DC for a lunch break and to fly through some of the monuments and tourist attractions.

Leg 3: Somewhere in VA to Charleston, SC!  If we start early maybe we’ll have a chance to do some apartment shopping that day.

Let us know if you have any recommendations for what we should see on our trip!

-Rob

Monday, June 13, 2011

MIT Graduation


Rob graduated from MIT (again) on June 3rd — with his Masters in Nuclear Engineering.

Here it comes...

The big move is right around the corner. We’ve been living in what I’ve appropriately called “the civilian bubble” all year and the bubble is certainly about to POP. In just over 2 weeks we’ll wave goodbye to the city we’ve known all our lives and start our new adventure as a Navy family.

We’ve been VERY busy preparing for the move. Our schedules are packed with dates with friends and family, errands and general planning of logistics of the move. We bought a beautiful new car, a GPS, and some new luggage. We said our first goodbyes to some PKT fraternity brothers & to Jimi and Amy, and I shed my first round of goodbye tears. Time keeps rolling on.

I’m happy to say that I finally caved and got an iPhone. Now I’ll be constantly connected — something that’s really important to me since I’ll be so far away from many of the people I love.

While the stress of the move is sometimes overwhelming and the Civilian Bubble is sure to pop, we’re also getting excited. A new chaper… here it comes…

-Meg

Friday, May 20, 2011

First post!

It’s official! Rob has finished his Masters degree at MIT and I've left my job here in Boston. Now on to the next big adventure….. Nuclear Power School in Charleston, SC.

Consider this a cheesy way to keep in touch with all of the important people in our lives :) We hope you enjoy! Check back in 1 week for an update on the big move!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

New to the blog world!

Family & Friends:

Welcome to our blog! We are new to the blog world, so please be patient with us :)

Rob & Meghan