Christmas 2012

 
Christmas this year is very special to me. Since I have been away from my family in such a long time after graduating high school, I haven't spent Christmas with them due to the fact that my family lived in Japan and I lived in Virginia. The flight would have been about 15 hours long and I didn't have the time to travel for that long because I was in college and working part time. Now that I am back in Japan, I feel that my family is complete again. I got to spend Thanksgiving with my family and now it's time for Christmas. Christmas is the time of the year that I have always wished to be with my family and now I feel really happy that this year has finally come. 
Being away from my family throughout the holidays is really hard as spending christmas without them isn't complete. When I went Christmas shopping last year, it just didn't feel the same. Of course I had my friends and my fiance at the time and it was fun to buy them gifts, however I just missed how my family would buy me lots and lots of presents and I didn't have any clue what they bought me. It was such a joy to open their presents because I knew that even though I didn't tell them what I wanted, they would always know what I liked. Being a college student, I had a Christmas tree, but only a small one and being back here at my parent's house, we have a big tree so it was fun to decorate them with lots of lights and ornaments. I feel that it really is the holidays here at my parents house because I didn't care so much about them while I was in college. Now that I have a son, it makes me look forward to holidays now because I can buy gifts for my little one. Even though he is still a little toddler, I want to make sure he gets the best of each holiday and it gives him a smile on his face. The only thing that I miss about Christmas in the states is that Christmas day can be a White Christmas, meaning it can snow on Christmas day. 
Japan rarely snows at all and if it did snow, it would just be a little bit and it would melt on the ground so it never would feel like Christmas or like a day in winter. Part of Christmas that I do enjoy is when it snows and I can wear my boots outside and make a snowman or play snowball fights. However I'm still happy that I get to spend Christmas with my family this year, even if it won't snow. I'm looking forward to Christmas and spending this holiday with my loved ones. Hope everyone has a good holiday!!

Military Brat

          Many people think that being a military child or being affiliated with the military is a burden. They think that moving a child all over the place, having their sponsor leave them for deployment, and having to change their surroundings every few years is too much for any child to handle and only hurts them.  I have been affiliated with the military my entire life. When I was born my mom was 18 years old, we were still living with my grandparents because as my grandparents claiming me as a dependent I could have life insurance. Well we moved around a lot, I was born in Oregon, but two months later I had to move. We then moved to California, but 3 years later we moved to Virginia.  My grandfather went on multiple deployments and left for TDY multiple times, but I always believed and trusted he would be okay and come home safely.

  

                When we moved to Virginia, that is where my mother found my father. He was in the Air Force, so that means that we were going to be affiliated with the military for further on. We then continued to move around every three years and now we are in Germany.  My father has been deployed multiple times and as long as a year and a half went by and I did not see him. This does not mean I am mentally unstable, upset, or anything is wrong with me. Military “brats” know what they have to do to stay happy. They always have hope, we love our country and love our family members in the military. We are extremely strong and not all kids can say they have been through as much as we have. We know how to adapt to new surroundings and we know that we are part of a family that serves its country right. I am proud to be a military brat. 

My job in the Air Force

When I walked into the recruiter’s office at 18 years old, I had no idea what the Air Force really was. All I knew was that it was the military and it could give me a job. I wasn’t sure what job I wanted and I told my recruiter “something in the medical field”. There were no slots open for a guaranteed job in medical and I was ready to leave right away. I ended up taking an “open mechanical” slot, which basically meant that I could be put into any position in maintenance. I ended up with a job as a fuel system repair apprentice.

I have been doing my job for four and a half years now and I have to say that it has grown on me. I am now a fuel system repair journeyman and I have had the privilege to work on the F-15, F-16, KC-135, RC-135, E-3 and the HH-60 helicopter. As a fuel systems repair journeyman, or a “tank rat”, it is my responsibility to troubleshoot and repair the fuel systems of the aircraft assigned to my base. If a component fails and needs to be replaced my crew and I have to crawl inside the tank and replace it. Some tanks are huge and easy to work in, but some tanks are very small and make it hard to change out parts. It is a dirty job; my career field was even featured on an episode of Dirty Jobs!

Although this is not the job I want to do for the rest of my career, I am honored to be doing it right now. We work long hours, weekends and we are away from our loved ones for long deployments and TDY’s. It is all worth it though, because in the end it is because of us that the aircraft in the Air Force can fly and complete their missions and in the end support America’s freedom. 

My Battle of the Bulge

      My entire life I've had to fight to maintain a healthy weight.  I've never been extremely overweight, but I've never been exactly skinny either.  I was a fairly active kid; playing sports pretty much all year round.  Usually I played the positions bigger kids tended to play.  In played catcher in baseball and for football I played offensive guard.  The closest I came to being at the weight I wanted was after completing Marine Corps boot camp.  However, the weight came back soon after I completed my initial training.  I've stayed within the weight standard for eleven years, but I have always needed to have my body fat measured every six months using the tape measure method.  Until this year when I signed up for Weight Watchers, and lost over 25 pounds which enabled me to officially weigh in under my maximum allowable weight.

     For those who do not know what the tape measure method for body fat measurement is I will briefly explain.  If a male Marine weighs over his max allowable weight a tape measure is used to determine the circumference of the neck and waist.  The difference between the neck and the waist measurement is looked up on a chart and will give a value.   This value will give an indication of health of the Marine.  If the value is over 18 for males under 27 years of age, or 19 for those over 27 then the Marine is considered overweight.  During my career I have always been within standards using the tape measure method.  However, just having to be measured is usually looked at in a negative light by superiors.  Even though I have very respectable physical fitness scores, certain individuals will always view having to be measured as a bad thing. 

     

     As I stated in the beginning I have always wanted to get down to a healthier weight and could never figure out quite what I needed to do.  I had taken various classes offered by the fitness centers on base.  These included better ways to exercise and nutrition tips to eat better.  I trained to what I believed a sufficient level, and tracked the calories that I ate on a daily basis, but nothing seemed to really work.  I had convinced myself that I'm just supposed to be this way.  Since I can perform my duties and maintain the standard I should just be happy.  However, I didn't know that a TV commercial would actually set me onto the path to reaching my weight goal.

      

     While I was home on leave this past September I was watching TV with my family when I saw an ad for Weight Watchers (WW) Online for men.  The commercial piqued my interest and I decided to do some research.  I had heard of WW in the past; even my mother had been on the program before.  I had always associated the program for women and never really thought about seeing what it entailed.  My research into the program details really struck a chord in my mind.  I discovered WW is not a diet program like Paleo or Atkins, and the premise is very similar to what I was already trying to do. 

     I decided to sign up for the program and committed to the program this past September.  Based on my height the system determined I needed to lose 40 pounds to get to my ideal weight.  I was taken aback by the number on the screen.  I knew I wanted to be lighter but I never considered myself to be 40 pounds overweight!  The program takes the carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fiber content of a product to determine its point value.  I was given a daily value of points to budget throughout the day and a weekly amount of points to use as I saw fit.  The weekly points could be used for special occasions, or if I wanted just something extra on any day.  I learned about what a proper serving size for a food is.  Instead of just slapping peanut butter on toast in the morning, I learned a tablespoon is about the size of my thumb.  No longer was I just counting calories; I used points in their place to get a better level of nutrition.

My favorite WW Snack!  Only 3 points per serving

      With my new-found knowledge of correct eating habits and the weight watchers point system I started to slowly lose weight!  I had more energy throughout the day and was less hungry.  Most importantly, I began losing about 2 pounds per week on average and was beginning to notice changes in the mirror.  Since I wasn't following a "diet" I was still able to eat what I felt like, but I was now eating the correct amount.  I was slowly beginning to realize why my prior eating habits were ruining my efforts at dropping the weight.  Certain items which I thought were healthy were not as healthy as I had thought.  I discovered all this because I now had "someone" watching over my shoulder and educating me as I went along.  Losing a little bit of weight each week I slowly climbed down to my goal weight.

     As of today I still have not reached my goal weight but I am well over half way.  Last week I officially weighed in under my maximum weight for the first time in my career.  No one else in the room knew, but I had slight smile when I saw where the scale ended up.  I'm still pushing on and will get to my official goal weight, and I will slowly get there in the months ahead.   I wrote this not as a commercial for WW, but in hopes of maybe helping someone who is in the position I used to be in.  With a little dedication, and most importantly education, anyone can achieve a healthier lifestyle.

    

It's a boy... maybe!

May God bless our Country.  Everyone will feel the most recent and senseless loss of life.

I was 23 years old when my daughter Tamaia was born.  I was serving in the Navy, stationed in Groton, Connecticut at the New London Submarine Base.  My wife was also in the Navy.  I remember the day, when my wife returned from work and looked me in the eye, asking, "Are you ready for your life to change?".  I knew exactly what she meant and I was extremely excited.

A few months down the line, while at a church service, a visiting Prophetess was there.  She was a dynamic speaker and delivered a great message concerning the direction of God's people.  At the end of the service, she picked my wife out of the crowd.  She immediately noticed that she was pregnant.  She then began to touch my wife's stomach and tell about the dynamic things that my daughter would bring about in our lives as parents and her individual life.  It was so inspiring to know the plan that God has for my baby.

Now, one twist of this situation that I have to describe is that we did not know the sex at the time of this situation.  Prior to the ultra sound that would have indicated the sex, the nurse could not find the heartbeat at a routine check-up.  Therefore, she ordered an ultra sound.  When the appointment came to receive the ultra sound, we were denied.

As the Prophetess spoke, she repeatedly said, "and she... and she...".  Afterwards a few friends approached me, asking; "Mike, is it going to be a girl?"  As any young man would say, it's going to be a boy.  A boy is what I wanted and a boy is what I expected.

As time progressed and it was nearing the time of delivery, my wife was afforded the opportunity to return home to Augusta, GA to be with family when my daughter was born.  So she took a flight from Connecticut to Georgia.  During the time that my wife and I were separated, I really missed her.

I was notorious for sneaking away from the job 10 to 30 minutes early in order to beat traffic so I could get home and play with my wife's stomach.  My daughter and I had a real connection.  I would tap and she would tap back.  I would tap three times and she would tap three times as well.  I would also press my face against my wife's stomach and sing to her.  The entire time, she would press against my face.  It seemed like she was trying to feel my facial features.  It was a magical time.

On January 14th of 1997, I started leave that evening.  The plan was to drive down to Augusta in the morning in order to be there for the birth of my child.  I didn't have a cell phone at that time so I wasn't able to communicate much as I traveled.  I was very excited about being reunited with my wife and also to see this precious baby being birthed.

Approximately 23 hours after I left Norwich, CT, I arrived in Augusta.  After greeting my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, I embraced my wife.  It was so special seeing her trying to get up to get to me.  She was huge!!!  I mean that in a good way.  Prior to the pregnancy, my wife was very petite.  So she looked huge with this baby bundle in the front.

She then informed me that they had just returned from the hospital.  She described that they were walking around the mall and she began to feel contractions.  They left the mall and went to the hospital where the doctors told her that if she didn't go into labor that evening, they would induce her the next morning.  The doctor also assured her that all was well and the baby was in position.

Talk about timing.

The next morning, 16 January 1997, we got up at 5:00 a.m. to get dressed and get to the hospital, The Medical College of Georgia.  When we arrived they informed us of the plan for the day and the birthing of the baby.  I was prepared for everything.  I even had a camcorder to record the events of this life-changing moment.

While the nurse was preparing my wife for delivery, it was about 6:30 a.m., my wife recognized the ultra sound machine next to the bed.  She asked the nurse for an ultra sound.  We described to her why we didn't have one.  Kindly, the nurse entertained our request.  She pulled the machine closer and squeezed the gel onto my wife's stomach.  She began to look for the sex but she noticed something else that got her attention.

She stated in a shocking and startling manner, "this baby is breached".  I had no clue of what she meant and my mind began to race.  The smile had left my face.  The nurse left the room to get the doctors and confirm what she saw.  It was true.  My daughter was sitting upright and facing my wife's back.

They devised a few plans to try to get her to turn.  Each time they tried to turn her by pressing on my wife's stomach, the baby's heart rate would drop.  The had to find another way.  Eventually, the decided the best thing to do was a C-section.

Again, the nurse is in the room and preparing for a different procedure.  We repeatedly thanked her for taking the time to conduct the ultra sound.  If it had not been for her, they would have found out in mid procedure about the breach.

Moments later, my wife is taken away and the doctors have told me the plan and when I can come into the room.  The time is ticking away and I am excited, nervous, anxious, and scared all at the same time.  A nurse comes out and tells me to enter the room.  She ushers me to a chair positioned along the side of the table where my wife is laying.  I look at her and then I look at the other end and I can see that her body is wide open.

It was really weird because she was smiling and had no clue what was occurring beyond the sheet that was in front of her.  The doctor looked over to me and told me, "when I tell you, you can begin to record."  The moment of truth was upon me.  I can't wait to see my son come into the world.

The doctor tells me to begin recording.  I stand and I begin to record.  The doctor reaches in and grabs my daughter by the hips and the back of her head.  He lifts her and flips her over in the same movement.  Because of the way my daughter was sitting, her legs flew wide open and I zoomed in on what I believed was a little man package.  I had my son.

Simultaneously, the nurse says, "it's a...".  Interrupted by my boisterous cry, a boy.  Again, my camera is rolling and is catching the events in color and the sound.  She replied, "no, a girl."  Because of my excitement I simply replied, "ok." and continued to record.

Here she is.  This anxiously awaited baby and she's laying on a table under a chicken warmer.  Similar to what you would see at a KFC.  After all the day's events and the anticipated arrival of my baby, I reviewed the tape.  It had been nagging me because I knew what I had seen and recorded.  At that particular portion of the tape, though it never breaks away from the scene and never stops recording, a portion was missing.

The zooming began and then you could here my muffled voice although I am holding the camera, then you can clearly hear the nurse declare that its a girl.  The portion clearly showing the man package was gone.

 I will always honor the words and character of the men and women that faithfully adhere to the unction and direction of God; I felt a little hijacked.  I had my boy... for a moment.  I will never change my version of the story.  I know for that brief moment what was there.  But at the end of the day, it was God's plan that a Girl was born.

Deployments

When I joined the military family, I knew I was bound to go through a deployment at some time or another.  It is never easy for anyone not matter how many deployments you go through. My husband just left a couple of weeks ago for a six month deployment.  This is our third deployment and we have been through a short tour as well. They never get any easier and each deployment comes with new and different challenges.  I have never been on the side of a deployment where I am the one away from my family. I have always been on the side where I am here to take care of the house and kids. I can’t say which one is easier, but I can say my part is a lot of work. I am now the mommy and daddy to the kids for the next twenty three weeks or so. I am the only one helping with the homework, cooking, cleaning, disciplining, and the list goes on. The kids drive me crazy as much as I drive them crazy. For the kids, it is hard for them to realize six months in time form.  That is a very long time for them and seems like he is never coming back home. 

The deployments have come a long way in communication since our first one. Our first deployment was letter writing or emails to stay in contact. This deployment we are able to skype and make phone calls. This has helped the kids tremendously.  We have once a week skype calls and the kids look forward to them every week. The kids love being able to see their dad and where he stays while he is there.  I get so busy in my normal routine of taking care of household chores, the kids, and the errands that I have to remember how much stress this deployment has on my husband as well. It is hard when you are on the end doing everything and they are on the end bored and thinking about their family all the time. So I try to put myself in his shoes and make time to write a letter or email, to let him know we are thinking of him even though we are always busy and don’t show it as much. 

There are a few pluses to deployments though.  When we travel I don’t have to worry about agreeing with my partner.  If the kids and I want to see something or do something, we just get in the car and go. We don’t have to wait until he is off work or worry about him not being able to take leave. When the kids have no school or are on vacation, there is nothing standing in our way to get out and go. We could while he is here, but then we would feel bad because he was left as work instead of having fun.  The kids and I just try to make the best out of the situation we have to deal with. There is no need to dwell and wish for things that can’t happen. They are hard times, but we will get through yet another deployment and only hope the next one doesn’t come as soon.