I know it has been a while since our last post. So, I am going to try to get you caught up on what has been happening around the Williams' household lately.
First off, we have some big big news. No, I am not prego. But, we do have some good news. Back in October, John reenlisted. He took his oath, signed his papers, and shook the OIC's hand, and BOOM! he is a Marine for another 4 years! This has all been in the works for quite a long time. About 6 or 7 months, to be exact. We have been talking about making this move and contemplating what we were going to do. He has been talking to people at work and trying to figure out what the best road would be for us to take.
As part of reenlisting your first time, you get to give them a list of preferences where you would like to be stationed for the next 4 years. Of course, we said Fort Worth, then San Diego, then Hawaii. Hey, who wouldn't want to live in Hawaii, huh? So, back in August, they told him that we could go to Fort Worth. We were soooo excited! But, since the orders had not officially been cut, he told me that I couldn't tell anyone. So I didn't. (Except for Moriah, which he was SO mad about) But, I couldn't keep it in! :-)
Once we got back from Arkansas and our family vacation, we got some disappointing news. I came home from work one night and I could tell something was wrong. So, I asked him. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and tossed it in my general direction. He said, "I got my orders." I picked up the paper and looked at it, and right there in bold typing it said it...... San Diego, CA.
I paused for a moment, trying to hold back the tears. Okay, who am I kidding, I cried. I cried pretty much all night. I was completely stressing out over how we were going to tell our family and friends, and especially my grandparents, that we were going to be in Cali for 4 years. It was bound to kill them. But, after a while, and MANY long conversations, we decided to do it. We were going to reenlist and go where ever they sent us. We talked about the fact that this was a rare opportunity. Who gets to travel on the government's dollar and see places that they might not have seen otherwise? We resolved to the fact that we have our entire lives to settle down and live in Texas, but while we have the opportunity to live elsewhere, we might as well. Once he gets out, that's it, there's no getting back in. So, still having not told anyone yet, because he had not officially reenlisted, I began to mentally prepare for Cali. I actually began to get excited about it! I decided that living in Cali was going to be totally cool, and it would be a much more fun place to come visit than Beaufort, SC, that's for sure!
So, moving on. About a month ago, I am at work, at the golf course, in the middle of lunch, and I get a phone call from John. This in itself is a little weird, because he rarely calls me in the middle of the day. (And, I didn't realize until later that I had missed 4 of his calls already.) So, I answer it, and ask him how his day is going. He says...and I quote... "A lot better now that I got orders to Fort Worth!" I completely lost it, and screamed and started jumping up and down...with my GM sitting about 6 feet from me! Nice.
But, with out offering any explanation as to what had happened, John just says, "I have to go, I will call you back in a while"....Are you kidding me???? So, now, I have this information, no idea what to do with it or how it came about, and he's going to call me back?!?!?!?!
So, I continued to freak out a little bit, or a lot, whatever. But finally heard back from him. Apparently, he had gone to see the Monitor (the lady who cuts the orders) to finalize things for San Diego. He was finished talking to her and about to stand up when she remembers that he was the one who wanted to go to Fort Worth. He verified that yes, he did want to go to Fort Worth, but that he was told that there wasn't a spot there for him. So, she typed a little on her keyboard in front of her, and said "Yeah, I can get you to Fort Worth."
So, once again, plans changed. But, still, having not reenlisted yet, we couldn't tell anyone.
On Wednesday, October 22, John was supposed to go on leave at noon. We were flying home to Texas for Derek and Casey's wedding. At about 0900, I got a call from him that said that I needed to be ready to come up to the base for his reenlistment, at a moment's notice. Wait. Reenlistment???? We were supposed to do that once we got back from Texas. The papers all still said California. This was kind of how that conversation went...
Dub: I need you to be ready to come up here when I call you. I am probably going to have to reenlist today.
Bevin: Really? I thought you were going to do that when we got back.
D: My reenlistment package expires tomorrow, and if I have to redo it, there might not be a place for me, especially in Fort Worth.
B: So, do your orders say Fort Worth.
D: Not yet.
B: So, are you going to get that fixed?
D: (Increasingly irritated) I am working on it.
B: So what happens if you don't get it fixed?
D: You might be getting on the plane by yourself today.
B: Pardon me?!
D: I am going to do my best to fix this. Just stay close this morning and be ready to come up here if I call you.
Oh my goodness! Fine. So, he calls me at about 1000 and says to be there at 1030. We hold an impromptu reenlistment ceremony in which he takes his oath, receives his reenlistment certificate and signs his papers. Usually, the reenlistment ceremony is held wherever the Marine wants it, and will have all the Marines present that the reenlisting Marine wants, and can be held in any type of uniform that the Marine prefers. But, this was done so last minute, that it was just in John's shop. It was actually a great little ceremony, and of course, when he was taking his oath, I completely cried. I am so proud of my Marine! I got some great pictures, but unfortunately, since the ceremony was in his shop, I can not post them on our blog. Everything in that shop is classified, so I can't put the pictures on the Internet. Bummer.
So, we leave the reenlistment ceremony, and immediately head for Savannah to get on a plane home. We are able to tell everyone when we get home that he reenlisted and that we will be stationed in Fort Worth for the next 4 years. (Unless, of course, they decided to move us.)
Let's see.....Daddy cried, Shelly cried, Mom said "Now you can start trying for babies!!!!", and everyone in general was so excited. It was super fun to get to tell everyone that we saw, in person, that we were going to get to move home!
So, that's the big news. We will be home by April! We are super stoked and can not wait to be back! We are already planning on lots of stuff when we get home. Texas Tech football season tickets, here we come! :-)
We have missed you all so much, and can't wait to be closer to everyone! Not much longer now!!!
Brownie and Heather, and yes, that is an F18! How cool is that?!
