England Baby

So I can't quite figure out where to start. I have tried to start writing everyday since we arrived. By the way, we arrived Saturday, August 20, 2011. Mother and Anna helped Jay and I pack the night before we left and believe me it was a big job.

Nathan, who woke up crying because he didn't want to fly in the big airplane, had a wonderful time on the big airplane. He also slept well and wanted to go again. Spencer had a little bit of motion sickness and then slept all the way from DC to London. Everyone else did great. Alex even got to sit by himself.

Once we arrived in London we took the bus from London to Portsmouth. It took a little bit of time to get to Portsmouth, but it was a really nice trip. Jay, Alex, Spencer, Nathan and Sarah all slept on the way to our new home.

Once we arrived in Portsmouth we checked into the Marriott hotel where we are having a lovely stay. The hotel has been really nice. We have adjoining rooms and there is a pool. We are enjoying a hot English breakfast in the mornings. For breakfast we have a choice of eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms, ham, large sausages, bacon, tatter tots and baked beans. There are also choices of fruit and yogurt, pastries, toast and cereal. There is more to report, but I'm trying to keep your attention so I don't want to give you too much at once. Cheers.

I Guess It's Really Going To Happen

I guess the Navy really is going to send us to England. It appears all the Ts are crossed and all the Is are dotted. I have been working my tail off trying to get ready for the packers that come in 5 days, but tonight I am calling it quits for trying to make progress and I am going to work toward updating the blog.

Originally I had thought how wonderful it would be to document each step it takes to prepare for an overseas move with the military. I very quickly realized that at the end of the day there was NO WAY I wanted to relive it. There have been many, many mountains to climb with very few downhills. It feels like the actual moving of our things is the easy part when you look at that next to all the paperwork. We are talking four months of intense paperwork and emailings.

Next week our furniture leaves and we will move in with my parents for the last few weeks we are in Virginia. Our adventure begins and I look forward to sharing it on my blog. That's the update for now.

Hop On the Roller Coaster - We Are Going For a Ride

Hop on, sit down, hold on tight we are starting the ride again. It's a roller coaster ride being a military family. For the last 4 summers we have wondered whether or not to get a pool membership at the neighborhood pool because there is a large stock buy in and we didn't know if we would be here the next year or not. We have been living in Virginia since summer of 2006 and every year there has been a possibility of a move. In 2008 we were headed to Japan to the point of selling a bunch of furniture and giving our dog to another family, just to have the move cancelled less than 48 hours before the movers arrived. This year I told a friend that I was pretty certain that for the first time I could guarantee that we would be staying in Virginia for a few years. Jay will be leaving his ship for in August and returning to a job not based on a ship. We were expecting a job in this general area. He chose several jobs here in Hampton Roads, but kind of as a joke he threw in England because it was more like a dream than anything.

Well England it is. The Navy has told us to prepare to move to Portsmouth, UK in September. The Navy has told us what we need to do, but to be prepared that we still might not move to England because we don't have official orders and we can't expect them until June or July.

Mixed emotions flow in the household. Jay, Spencer and I are excited. Alex is looking on the bright side. Sarah is nervous and not sure if she can be happy about it yet. Nathan wants to ride a train, a double decker bus and see Thomas the Tank Engine, but has no clue, what's happening.

It could all change in an instant, but for now we are preparing to move to England. More to come. . .

Time To Start Anew

Here it goes. . .

It's not New Years, I haven't done any Christmas Cards, I haven't even finished Christmas shopping, but I am going to write a new post for my blog. Clearly there are many other things that need my attentions so I am focusing on something not nearly as urgent. As I write the laundry is screaming at me.

I am hoping to better use my blog in the coming year and thought I should start right now with giving it a cleaned up look. To have a cleaned up look you also have to at least have one new post right?

All I have to say with 3 days left until Christmas is that I HAVE to do better next year. Every year I say I am going to shop early and wrap early and do cards early so that I can enjoy the season. NEVER HAPPENS. My favorite part of our season this year was when we had 2 snow days and just hung out and did nothing. The entire rest of the season we have been rushing around. School gets out tomorrow, we will rush around for 2 more days and then settle down as a family spend time together and do nothing some more.

So here's to Christmas Day when everything is closed and all the days that follow until January 2nd when we will hit it again.

I hope that all of you enjoy your holidays and have time to do nothing with those you love to do nothing with the most.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

As I was reading this book to Nathan one night at bedtime I realized this is my life. It's no wonder Nathan loves the If You Give... books, they are his life as well.

If you give Nathan a bowl of popcorn he is going to want a drink coke to go with it. If you give Nathan a drink coke he is going to want a napkin to go with it and if you give Nathan a napkin then at some point he is going to wander off and leave both the napkin and the popcorn on the floor and you are going to need to vacuum before the morning is over. While you are vacuuming Nathan is going to come up to you and tell you he needs to go potty and while he is going potty he is going to remember that he meant to have you change the TV channel. Once you change the TV channel you will realize that he dumped all the laundry all over the floor and ran his cars through it. You will start to clean up the cars and laundry when he informs you that he was playing with that and you are ruining his life if you pick it up. So you decide to leave the room to put the dishes away and while you are putting the dishes in the dishwasher Nathan remembers he is thirsty and wants drink coke and if he wants drink coke he is going to want some popcorn to go with it.

Gratitude Weekly 5,6,7,8

Okay, so I am not doing well with keeping up with what I am grateful for right now. I will have to do better. I am repenting and moving forward.

Week 5 - Snow -I would have to say I am grateful for snow. Snow dumped down on us here in Virginia for Friday and Saturday. We missed a trip to Raleigh and were snowed in for a couple of days. Jay took the children sledding and they had lots of fun. Although Nathan ran into some bushes and got himself a really manly scrap on his face. School was closed for Tuesday and Wednesday. They already had school closed on Monday for an end of the semester teacher day.

Week 6 - My Mother - I am grateful for my Mother this week. My mother turned 75 on Feb. 11. We celebrated with lots of cake, balloons and dinner at the Olive Garden. In the mother department I am very, very blessed.

Week 7 - Valentines Day - My sweetheart. I am always grateful for him, but it never hurts to say it again. We were actually together for Valentines Day which makes it even better. The Navy doesn't believe in Valentines Day and tries to ruin it as many years as possible.

Week 8 - Youth Temple Trips - Can I be thankful for updating my blog? Just kidding. We went up to Washington DC with the youth from church this past Saturday. I love that almost 20 12-18 year olds will get up on a Saturday morning at 0400, get dressed in Sunday clothes and spend all of their day going to the temple. Alex has been looking forward to going for some time and everyone had a great day. We got home about 5:00pm. It was a long day, but totally worth it for the kids.

On a side note, the three younger ones and I were able to visit Jay's parents who will leave in two weeks to go back to Utah after serving 18 months at the DC Temple. We will miss them. In Nathan's mind he has only known them living in DC and it will be hard for him to adjust.

Gratitude Weekly 4 - Jay's Time Home

With Jay not going to Japan we have been on hold for a while waiting for him to join a ship. He had a few weeks off while they sorted out where to send him. Then they sent him to a shore command for a couple of months. A shore command that consisted of no 24 hour duty and weekends off. This week Jay will report to the USS WASP as the Training Officer. During the past two and a half months we have been totally spoiled having Jay home every night and weekends. I love him so much and he is the greatest father ever. Every day with him is such a gift and I am so thankful for the extra time we have had over the last few months.

Gratitude Weekly 3 - Date Night

When Jay is home we try desperately to go on a date every Friday night. Alex usually babysits, it used to be my parents, but now it is usually Alex. Jay and I have found that if we don't go out together on Friday then on Wednesday we snap at or yell at each other. We are trying to find things to do that don't involve eating, but we are hard pressed to do that since we really love to eat out. Some nights we are so tired that all we want to do it go home, but we don't want to go until the children are in bed so we go to Barnes and Noble and sit in a comfy chair and read books that we don't want to spend money on buying. It doesn't matter what we do, we just need that time as a couple. Last year there were actually many dates where he was stuck working at the ship and I took a book and just went and sat with him in his office and read while he worked, but we were together.

As we are becoming an older married couple (15 years) we find that the number one thing we both want is more time together and that is why every week I look forward to date night so very much.

Gratitude Weekly 2 - My Birthday

My birthday was this past week and I am thankful for it. If I say that enough will you believe me. I am thankful to be alive and healthy, but sometimes it is just so hard to think I am growing older and with that should come some wisdom and maturity. I informed Jay that I was going to be 35 and that was a rough age for me to deal with so I needed lots of presents and to be Queen for the day or possibly week. He didn't go for the lots of presents thing, but he dubbed me Empress for the day because he thought I would enjoy ruling over multiple kingdoms. I did find that I didn't need the presents, spending the whole day with my husband was good enough for me. In 11 years in the Navy Jay has never missed my birthday. There is not another birthday or holiday he can say that about.

Also this week we ran away from home. My parents kept the children and Jay and I ran down to Raleigh for a friend's wedding. We had a wonderful time and are so grateful for our time together.

Gratitude Weekly 1 - New Church Times

Church time changed at the beginning of the year. We used to go from 11-2 which was meant late breakfast or early lunch to make it through followed by large snack or early dinner. Now we are going to church from 1-4. I will admit that it isn't my favorite time to go, but I don't hate it. At least we get lunch (when it is not fast Sunday).

What I am so grateful for is that I don't have a napping child. For years, 13 and 1/2 to be exact, it didn't matter what time church was someone needed to be fed or take a nap. Last time we were at 1-4 church Nathan was a year old and Sooo cranky when he missed nap time. Jay doesn't get it that I am just happy that 1-4 church won't be so hard this time.

He was in Iraq last time and missed the fun.

So while everyone is complaining I am just quietly smiling and remembering that it could be worse. I will keep my eyes out for those moms suffering with the little ones and try to help them out, while being thankful for my bigger ones.

2010 - The Year of the Blog

I am resolved to make 2010 the year I return to blogging. Facebook sucked me in with it's instant gratification and I forgot the importance of writing beyond a status report. It may take some time to remember how to write in complete sentences and dare I say paragraphs, but I am going to make an effort to do that very thing.

2009 Year in Review Highlights

We had lots of Jay's family visit this year thanks to his parents serving a mission at the Washington DC temple and lots of the siblings coming to visit them. Jay did a brief 3 month deployment to South America over the summer. We had Megan (Jay's nephew, James's fiance) come to live with us for the summer. The children, Megan and I went to Nebraska for the Forsgren Family Reunion and lived to tell about it. We found out that we were going to Japan for Jay's next tour of duty. Jay came home from deployment. Sarah was baptized. Jay pinned on Lieutenant Commander. The fall was spent watching high school football games and watching my niece as the drum major for the marching band. Alex won 2nd place in both a writing competition and an poster contest. We prepared with all we were worth to go to Japan and then 36 hours before the movers were to come we found out that we would not be going to Japan. Too many children. The rest of the year was spent putting things back together.

Now we know that Jay will stay in Virginia until at least August of 2011. Jay is temporarily working for SURFLANT (Surface Forces Atlantic). In February he will report to the USS WASP (LHD 1) as the Training Officer. We are very pleased with how everything has worked out.

Our cat died this summer from cancer and our dog went to live with another family because of the Japan move so we got kittens for Christmas and named them Holly and Ivy.

Now we look forward to life being more settled and more time with Jay this coming year. It will be a year with much to be thankful for.

First Day of School 2009

One didn't want to go.

One was nervous.

One was excited.

One didn't have time for pictures until after school.

Lieutenant Commander Forsgren

September 1, 2009 Jay became a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy. He was sworn into the Navy on January 22, 1999 and Commissioned an Officer on April 21, 2000.
Taking the oath

Pinning it on

A Family Affair

Sarah's Baptism

August 21, 2009 Sarah was baptised. Jay baptised and confirmed her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Many people came to share in her wonderful experience. Alex gave a talk on Baptism and Uncle Pete gave a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost.
At home before the baptism

Jay and Sarah

As a family

Homecoming August 2009

Jay came home August 21, 2009 from his deployment to South America. It was a short deployment (less than 3 months) but sometimes they all feel long.
Sarah before the ship came in.

Here it comes.

Waiting

Going to board the ship.

Together again.

Going to Japan

Sometimes it takes something big to get a person back to writing. This is big enough for me. Jay is getting orders to Sasebo, Japan. We don't know when he will go or when we will go, but ultimately sometime around November or December it looks like we will be headed to Japan for 18 month.
I am shocked and excited. I am glad that excitement is the main emotion because I would hate to be sad with the same intensity as I am excited. Spencer and Sarah are both thrilled. They knew that Japan was a possibility and were very happy. Alex didn't want to move and was disappointed. He has put on his game face though and is trying very hard to get into the spirit of it all. He is checking out kid websites about Japan to help him get excited about it. Nathan of course has no clue. My mother says that when he realizes what is happening he is going to say he is staying with Grandmama. That's what he does whenever I want him to do something he doesn't like.
My favorite part of all the excitement surrounding the announcement was Spencer's response to why he wants to go. I asked him what made him so happy about going to Japan, "Is it that Pokemon is from Japan?" He didn't even know that and his eyes got huge. Then he said, "No, I didn't know that, I just wanted to see what is on the other side of the world." What a great thing to remember, we are lucky to have this opportunity.

Yummy Trees

The Bradford Pear trees are in bloom here. Actually they are almost finished blooming. On Friday we were driving down the road giving the Sister Missionaries a ride when Nathan points out the beautiful trees and tells one of the sisters, "See, Yummy Trees!" At first we were all confused but after a couple of seconds we figured out he was talking about popcorn trees. One of the sisters said that she had never realized what that song really meant until she came here on her mission and saw the "popcorn trees" in bloom. Nathan has regularly called them popcorn trees, but yummy trees was something new. We love yummy trees.

I looked out the window and what did I see?
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.
Spring has brought me such a nice surprise!
Popcorn popping right before my eyes.
I can take a handful and make a treat.
A popcorn ball that smells so sweet.
It wasn't really so, but it seemed to be
Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

Spencer turns 10

This past week Spencer turned 10. Ten years ago he was born in the middle of the night by emergency c-section. I never saw him because I was unconscious when they rushed him of to the NICU. The next day they brought me a Polaroid and I asked Jay why my baby looked like a three month old. He was a big baby and it was really a surprise to me to see how big he looked. The nurses would come into my room and comment on the fact that I was the mother of the BIG baby in the NICU. Finally that night they let me go down to see him and he really was a big baby. They had his 9 and a half pound body next to a baby who weighed about 4 pounds. But he was beyond BEAUTIFUL.

When he was little we used to call Spencer Happy because he was just a happy go lucky baby and little boy. He is still my best snuggler and cuddler. He knows that he is his Mother's precious.

He had a great birthday week that we drug out over several days. We celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa on Sunday, Grandmama and Granddaddy on Monday, our friend Carol and her children joined us for dinner out on Spencer's actual birthday and then he had a Laser Tag birthday party with his friends on Friday. I think that is enough celebrating to declare him officially 10.

Blog depression

I have been feeling a little bit blog of depression lately. I don't have any pictures of anything we are doing and I certainly don't feel witty. I'm not depressed and I am very thankful, but I am just not feeling creative and I hate to write a boring blog knowingly.
Under things that I am thankful for, my trip to SC two weeks ago would be a big one. I really needed that vacation. Sadly after the week I just had I really need another one. My big thankful for the week is a little bit wrong. I am so very thankful that Jay has 14 days off. The problem is that he has 14 days off because he had his appendix removed. I would love to take a picture of him all laid out sleeping, but it seems unkind.
Jay started not feeling good on Monday after lunch, but just kept pushing on. Monday night I suggested that he go to the ER and get checked out because I was suspecting appendix. He couldn't do that because he said that after spending hours in the ER he wouldn't be fit for duty the next day so he did nothing. Tuesday morning he had a slight fever and went into work, but was sent on to the Portsmouth Naval Hospital by mid morning. It was his appendix and Tuesday night they operated. He came home Wednesday afternoon.
Wednesday night Nathan got an ear infection and had massive throwing up followed by Friday in the wee hours of the morning Sarah starting the throwing up and she is still not quite right.
I am so very glad that Jay's surgery went well and in spite of all he had to go through I am deliriously happy that he will be home with us for another 8 days.

2009 Girlfriend Survey

2009 Girl Friend Survey
Welcome to the 2009 edition of getting to know your Friends. ' press FORWARD ' then change all the answers so they apply to you, and then send this to your friends including the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known!



1. What time did you get up this morning? 5:15 with throwing up child. Again at 7:25 with child saying, Mom you were supposed to get up at 7:00 when I woke you, we need to leave in 5 mins.

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Bolt

4. What is your favorite TV show? CMT music, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Fruity Dino Bites


6. What is your middle name? McMillan


7. What food do you dislike? Liver


8. What is your favorite CD at moment? Jason Alden


9. What kind of car do you drive? Hyundai Entourage


10. Favorite sandwich? Turkey & Cheese


11. What characteristic do you despise? Self importance


12. Favorite item of clothing? Levi's


13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Italy


14. Favorite brand of clothing? Coldwater Creek


15. Where would you retire to? Yorktown, VA, Raleigh, NC or the Blue Ridge Mountains


16. What was your most memorable birthday? 7th, my parents took me to the Ice Capades

17. Favorite sport to watch? March Madness Basketball


18. Furthest place you are sending this? don't know yet


19. Person you expect to send it back first? don't know yet


20. When is your birthday? January 6, 1975


21. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night


22. What is your shoe size? 6 1/2 - 7


23. Pets? Family Dog - Dutchess the cat, Cheyanne the dog


24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? We have company coming


25. What did you want to be when you were little? A teacher, then a nurse


26. How are you today? Tired


27. What is your favorite candy? Whatchamacallit


28. What is your favorite flower? Hyacinth


29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? March 24th, our next family birthday


30. What's your full name? Susan McMillan Stubbs Forsgren


31. What are you listening to right now? Lord of the Rings, not by choice


32. What was the last thing you ate? Scallops, my mom made me dinner


33. Do you wish on stars? Sometimes, when I am feeling whimsical


34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Gold


35. How is the weather right now? Rainy and cold


36. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? My Mom


37. Favorite soft drink? Wild Cherry Pepsi


38. Favorite restaurant? Olive Garden


39. Real hair color? Can't remember


40. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbie


41. Summer or winter? Summer

42. Hugs or kisses? Kisses

43. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

44. Coffee or tea? Sleepytime Herbal Tea

45. Do you want your friends to email you back? Of course

46. When was the last time you cried? This morning reading my SIL's blog


47. What is under your bed? Books


48. What did you do last night? Worked until I fell asleep

49. What are you afraid of? Ticks


50. Salty or sweet? Sweet

51. How many keys on your key ring? 3


52. How many years at your current job? 12.5

53. Favorite day of the week? Friday, date night

54. How many towns have you lived in? Yorktown, VA; Raleigh, NC; Provo, UT; Raleigh, NC; Yorktown, VA; Goose Creek, SC; Portsmouth, RI; Yorktown, VA; Portsmouth, RI; Yorktown, VA

55. Do you make friends easily? I try

Please feel free to copy and answer on your own blogs, I would love to know your answers.