Bold New Move

Well, after over 8, 000 hits on this beloved blog, I've made the difficult decision to call it quits.


My reasons are numerous and too lengthy to explain here... but not too lengthy to have explained in my first post on the NEW BLOG!!

http://www.thescogins.wordpress.com/


I hope you like the fancy new space and that you'll continue to join me as I share news, stories and thoughts with all of you.

Blogspot has been good to me, but I'm looking very forward to my new relationship with Wordpress :) Of course, should it let me down, hopefully Blogger will welcome me back with open arms.

Rejection--How Much of it Can One Person Handle?

Reject: –verb (used with object)
1. to refuse to have, take, recognize, etc.: to reject the offer of a better job.
2. to refuse to grant (a request, demand, etc.).
3. to refuse to accept (someone or something); rebuff: The other children rejected him. The publisher rejected the author's latest novel.
4. to discard as useless or unsatisfactory: The mind rejects painful memories.
5. to cast out or eject; vomit.
6. to cast out or off.

None of the above definitions are particularly lovely. My job search here has also not been lovely and has led to me feeling FAR too familiar with the definition of the word "reject." Someone refused to have me. Someone refused to accept me. Someone discarded me and regarded me as "useless." I was vomited! Cast out! Cut off! (See above definitions)..

I am just being melodramatic to be funny...BUT, in the past two days, I have been turned down for two jobs that I really thought I would/could/should get. And I didn't. I'm not used to that. Before now, there had only been one time that I had interviewed for a job that I wasn't subsequently offered. I tend to perform well (better even) under pressure, so interviews typically go quite well for me. I'm also not very shy and feel like I'm a pretty friendly gal, so I tend to get along well with the ones interviewing me. But something has happened to me here... and it's causing me to not get a job. I know it's a tough time to be looking, and thankfully, Aaron and I aren't in dire need of the money- but I would like something to do. SOME sort of structure to my day. A routine. Even though it is nice to be able to wake up and have a "mommy morning" everyday (minus the little ones running around calling me "Mommy" over and over again...ha).

Sigh. Will someone hire me? Anyone? Anyone? Um.... please? :)

Less Than a Month...

... I haven't really talked much about the deployment on here. I'm not sure if it's been due to the fact that there's just been a ton of other stuff going on, or an effort to avoid the topic altogether, therefore making it not really "real." BUT then I get emails from the squadron like the one below, which are always a nice dose of reality:

"With the upcoming deployment we all have a lot on our minds and on our agendas. To help break down the sometimes daunting deployment preparation, we have dissected a deployment checklist into a timeline. You can expect to receive these in your inbox 2 months prior, 1 month prior, 1 week prior, and 1 week after the deployment. We hope that this breakdown helps alleviate the stress of it all so you can focus on spending quality time with your loved ones before they leave.

1 month prior to deployment

Medical

*Prepare/Update Family Care Plan

*Prepare an emergency contact list and phone numbers

*Verify family enrollment in DEERS

*Review insurance policies (medical, life) and make sure they are current

*Discuss medical/dental/eye care and review insurance coverage

Home Safety/ Management

*Review/discuss home & personal security measures

*Check smoke detectors and replace batteries

*Discuss emergency exit procedures

*Ensure appliances are in working order, serviced, and in good condition

*Review/Update vehicle maintenance record

*Know where utility shut offs and breaker boxes are

*Make arrangements for household repairs

*Complete property inventory

*Arrange for lawn care/ snow removal

Miscellaneous

*Notify creditors, service providers, cell phone companies of deployment, they may offer deployment benefits

*Collect important documents (Will, POA, Marriage Certificates, Birth Certificates, Social Security cards) and put in a fireproof box

*Insure vehicle title, registration, insurance and warranty papers are current and safely stored"

Their projected date to leave is June 24th... which is only about 3 weeks. I've been prepared (by Aaron and also a few wives who have been through deployments before) that the date can and probably will change several times before they actually leave. Maybe even the week of- pushing it back a day, forward 2 days, back 3 days, etc... JUST enough so that you're completely emotionally unstable and ready to just push them out the door to get it over with. The good news is that the squadron said they'd quit taking missions in June and it's looking like they're actually doing it- though I realize that, too, can and probably will change. But for now, I'll bask in the fact that Aaron and I may actually get to spend 3 consecutive weeks together... for the first time since early February.... who knows, by that point we may be ready for 4.5 to 5 months away from each other :) Ha...

I'm not sure how much information I'll be able to put up here about where he is or his mailing address for y'all to send him care packages, etc... if you so desire, but I'll find out. And I'll try to use the blog to keep everyone as up-to-date as possible on his life and times over there.

Until then, stay tuned for the Deployment Countdown!

Aye Aye, Captain....

Last night, I fell asleep beside a First Lieutenant, but I woke up this morning next to a Captain. He looked the same, for the most part, but there was a little twinkle in his eye that hadn't been there before ;)

The promotion ceremony was this morning and Aaron pinned on Captain along with another girl in the squadron named Molly. I thought it would just be Aaron and me and the commander, etc.. in a little room, but unbeknownst to me, they invited the entire squadron. Scary. I never knew how hard it would be to work a button and slip something on someone's sleeve in front of a bunch of people... after some haggling, I finally was able to get it done. Much to Aaron's relief, I'm sure....

I'm still learning the protocol on lots of different things--like rank and who does what and who to not make stupid jokes around. But I still manage to have SOME sort of clumsy interaction with those in leadership positions at least once everytime I'm on base. I am, after all, me.

For example, when a Lieutenant Colonel (their new Director of Operations) told me that I could step over him to get a better picture, I thought he was telling me that HE would be able to take a picture. So I just gave him my camera and said thanks and proceeded to watch the ceremony. Yes, I saw the little emblem on his shoulder and I knew it meant something, but I couldn't remember exactly what. For all I knew, he was a loadmaster or something (note: officers are not loadmasters.. I learned this recently...). In any case, he stood up and took a few shots for me and handed the camera back. It wasn't until I was holding the camera again that I realized what he said, but it was too late-- he thought that I intended for him to become my personal photographer. Oh well, he took it like a gentleman... And he did, afterall, have a much better angle than myself. He can just consider that another way that he served. Do they give out medals for good picture taking?

I've only been in this for about 8 months and realize everyday how little I still know about all of this military stuff, so I've got a ways to go... Luckily I've got about 16 more years to figure it all out.... But I am very proud of my Aaron and that shiny new rank he gets to wear around. His work ethic and discipline still never cease to amaze, convict and encourage me. And I also just so happen to think that those two attributes are quite handsome on him :)

Aaron and Molly with the Commander... as mere Lieutenants...

Shig got to pin on one side, and I got to do the other... Because Aaron's so tall, it got tricky, so we each had to wait our turn.

I'm not sure what I'm laughing at, but it looks like something must've been hilarious...

The oath...

Spring Has Definitely Sprung...

We have some amazing flowers blooming in our yard as of late and they're just gorgeous. Sometimes I walk by a plant, go inside for a few minutes, come back out and another blossom has exploded with another beautiful and brightly colored flower. I feel much more "well versed" in the language of flowers since living here and thus having this "accidental garden" in my own backyard. I now know what a poppy is (and I've also been told that opium is made from poppies... who knew?). I now can say that I have my own rose bushes (yep- plural...). And I can also now say that I have not yet killed my hanging plants AND that my petunias are actually blossoming!

I feel like.... like.... AN ADULT!!

My babies that I've raised from birth... :)

STILL alive... (although we got into some dangerous territory where their future was questionable for a little while there...)

Our first rose blossom!

Poppy in front of our house

(Noteworthy: This photo has not been edited at all... this is the actual color... so bright!)

One of the huge ferns that have popped up in our backyard

Our grape arbor grew some leaves seemingly overnight... it's so pretty now

Our happy, colorful, flower-surrounded house

Update on Eloise

Here's the latest email update from Adam:

Hi all, I apologize for the lack of updates. There hasn’t been much to say after our initial visit with the hematologist, but today’s appointment gave us a little more to report.

Since leaving the hospital, Eloise has seemed like any other baby. She’s eating, sleeping, gaining weight, is alert and having a great time with her sisters. Aside from monitors for her heartbeat and breathing, everything is normal and we are very thankful for that.

While various disorders continue to be ruled out, some tests needed to be re-taken for various reasons. This morning they, again, checked her hemoglobin and found that it had returned to very low levels and also determined that her body is producing fewer red blood cells. In turn, this has caused her heart to have be slightly tachycardic (meaning, it’s beating faster, trying to do more). In response, the doctors have recommended that she be transfused in the morning in order to stabilize her hemoglobin and prevent any further over-working of her heart. Obviously, this is not the news we were hoping or expecting to hear, but we’re hopeful the transfusion will bridge the gap and give her body time to correct itself.

As for a diagnosis, we’re still unclear. The one test that has come back as a possibility is for a G-6-PD deficiency. This would be a little odd because it rarely takes place in females and almost never in Caucasians – so we’d be 0 for 2 on those. However, it remains a possibility and we’re told that she could live a normal and long life with proper monitoring if that’s the case. We continue to hope that her little body will simply heal itself, but we’ll take a little extra monitoring any day over some of the worse things we’ve heard about.

We continue to be grateful for your encouraging words and prayers.

Adam

They also found out that she has to have a bone marrow biopsy on Thursday morning at 8... Please continue to pray for their family and little Eloise.

Race for the Cure

A few friends and I have decided to run the Race for the Cure which is next weekend in Seattle. We've formed a team to run in honor of my mom, a breast cancer survivor, and named it Runnin' Easy for Joan Veazey (Emily Culbert thought that one up!). We each have individual fundraising goals--mine is $150, which I'm sure I can raise in a week and 2 days!! (With your help of course...)

Please feel free to click HERE to view our team's page and HERE to see my own personal page and check out our progress. Any little bit helps!