On March 28, 1998, BugsMurphy (Sandy) invited 12 Moms to a Navy Moms Chat Room. We had all, up to this point, been posting on the AOL Navy Boards. We were all moms of sailors looking for others in the same boat. Thus began Navy Moms On Line.
Prior to her email, some contact had been made with the National Adjutant Navy Mothers Clubs of America in St. Louis, MO inquiring about their group. They were not technologically up to being an online organization, so we did not get further involved with them.
The rest of the story is pretty simple. We established a basic webpage on AOL and put it on search engines and the AOL Navy boards. Moms found us and we grew and grew until we became the support group that we are today.
Through the years the Secretary of the Navy has sent congratulations to us at each of our reunions. These official letters and citations were read to those in attendance and were shared for all to see. The Clinton White House also sent us a letter wishing us well.
We have received emails from all over the world expressing best wishes and praise for Navy Moms On Line. The response from military men and women in all branches of the service has been awesome. But most important are the thanks we receive from our own sailors for Navy Moms On Line.
In March 1999, a group of NMOL members went to Las Vegas. My hubby thought I was nuts to go out there not knowing a soul. He said “they could be mass murderers for all you know.” Online friendships were questionable at best.
I arrived at 11:30 p.m. Vegas time (2:30 a.m. my body time) and Bugs and Lana picked me up at the airport. Lana was from Las Vegas and made all the plans and preparations for our visit. I was so excited, nervous and thrilled. The three of us became fast friends instantly. The next day Barb2Navy and her sailor daughter, SonNNavy and her sister, Adn2tny (and her entire family), Mamahoal and another Cindy (forgot her screen name) all arrived. Shortly after more moms arrived. We did the typical tourist things around Vegas. We all became so close and had such fun. We laughed our way through Vegas and can tell you stories of how Navy Moms On Line did Vegas. On Sunday morning we were honored to have Mamhoal's sailor Justin join us for breakfast. He was such a peach and gave each Mom a huge hug as we entered the restaurant. Justin was such a riot and since he was hugging us he continued to hug others in line behind us--what a laugh for all!! Smiles were all around. NMOL members were the hit at each meal because we had such fun and drew all the other diners into our merriment!! On Sunday there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as we said goodbye to our new and wonderful friends.
The first reunion was a big hit and we looked forward to our second reunion.
- Synd95 -
In April 2000, NMOL members went to Norfolk, VA for our second reunion. Nvymomx2 made all the plans and arrangements for this reunion. She lived in Norfolk and was very active with the Navy in the Norfolk area. We arrived on Thursday and made phone calls to Nvymomx2 letting her know we were in town. We all checked into the Navy Lodge. The next day more Moms converged on the Lodge and we left a poster at the front desk letting any NMOL members know what rooms we were in and how to contact us. Moms called when they checked in. Repeatedly we gathered in the lobby as new Moms arrived to welcome them and to meet each other.
We did a lot of "hanging out" in the Navy Lodge lobby meeting new Moms and getting to know each other. Saturday morning we took off for a wonderful lunch with the Captain of the George Washington and his wife. Nvymomx2 did a marvelous job of arranging the lunch and speakers. It was lovely. Gifts and certificates were presented to the founder of NMOL BugsMurphy and to our reunion coordinator Nvymomx2 as well as to the Captain of the GW and his wife. We were also proud to have some Navy dads join us for this reunion.
After lunch we went back to the Lodge to change. From there we left for a tour of the USS GW. The Captain told us at lunch we were his guests and we could see whatever we wanted to see. It was a cold rainy and windy day in Norfolk. Our moms wanted to see the flight deck (we almost got blown off and for sure got soaked.) We were able to see so many different areas of the ship and all the sailors smiled at this group of moms. Our chant to the sailors was “call home..your mom wants to hear from you!!” It was pretty exciting and we took some great pictures. On our way through the mess deck, we asked to see the Chief's mess and were graciously shown their dining area (normally off limits to our guides).
At the end of the tour we went back to the hotel wet and tired but with great memories of a wonderful day. We dried off and met in one of the Mom's rooms. This gave us a chance to sit around and chat. One of our sailors and his wife (ProudNavyWife) were there along with a few other sailor sons. It was great. We ordered pizza and had all sorts of food that our moms had brought along.
On Sunday the sun finally came out but our moms had to leave for home. A few of us toured the base and met more wonderful sailors.
And so was the end of Reunion 2000.
- Synd95 -
In April 2001, NMOL converged on San Diego, CA for our third reunion. Sharon40, Bugs and Synd95 were the first to arrive and met up with Themoviemc who is from San Diego and arranged the reunion. What an incredible job she did.
On Friday, Themoviemc had arranged a movie studio tour for us (since she works at a movie studio.) We were able to watch the filming of "The Chronicles" which airs on the Sci-Fi Channel. We met Captain Sulo (Star Trek) and he chatted with us and we had our pictures taken with him and other cast members. Very Cool!!
We also managed to go to the San Diego Zoo, Sea Port Village, and for a boat ride around the San Diego Bay. The Navy Seals were practicing so, of course, we watched them closely. Themoviemc arranged dinner for us in the GasLight District Friday night, what fun we had there. More moms arrived over the course of the next day. We even had two navy dads with us on this trip.
On Saturday, we all met up with our reunion coordinator who had arranged a tour of the USS John Stennis. From there we went to the NEX for shopping and lunch. There we were greeted by a big "Welcome Navy Moms On Line" sign!! Talk about feeling special...we were on Cloud 9. That night we had dinner in San Diego in Old Town at an authentic Mexican restaurant. A Navy Officer who is a nurse was our special guest. Her husband joined us and then after dinner she spoke about her career and answered our questions.
On Sunday, we met for breakfast and then went for a tour of a submarine (again very cool). Bugs chickened out and stayed on the dock and took pictures of all of us. We got to see where our sailors sleep on a sub (don’t ask), their mess deck and working areas!!!! We really were amazed how close the quarters are on a submarine. We also developed a deep respect for our sailors serving on subs.
Once again it was time to say goodbye. Again there wasn’t a dry eye in the place as we bid goodbye to our fellow Navy Moms. It was a memorable reunion.
- Synd95 -
The 2002 NMOL Reunion was held at Great Lakes. Our 4th reunion was beautifully arranged by VicBic and Angelkml.
It officially began on Thursday, June 27, The day was spent greeting new arrivals, shopping at the NEX and talking, talking, talking... On Thursday evening we had our "official" dinner. Scott, Micherry's sailor son, was with us for dinner and what a thrill it was to have one of our sons there. Our special guest was RTC's Command Master Chief Bernard "Bernie" Quibilan who spoke to us after dinner. He was very impressed at how well our "Adopt A Sailor" Program had gone. (Thanks, Debbie) After he spoke the letter from the Secretary of the Navy was read, leaving not a dry eye in the house. Before we left we tortured the poor CMC by asking him to pose for picture after picture. He could not have been more gracious about it! And there are a lot of sailors out there who've received a picture of him with their Mom (and probably wonder what Mom has done now!).
Friday morning arrived bright and early (earlier for some-Tammy-than for others). We had to be at RTC by 7:00 for the Pass In Review (PIR). We arrived and were met at the drill hall by the CMC who showed us where we were sitting-right in front of "our" division. PIR was every bit as awe-inspiring as we all remembered. All those sailors singing "Anchors Aweigh"...
When it was over we gave "our" sailors a chance to greet their families before we descended upon them. We hugged as many as we could! Deciding we were very close to the parking lot, we didn't take the bus back... Well, we were wrong and walked forever until we got back to our cars and headed to the pizza party where we hosted several sailors and family members. After pizza we went back to RTC to hit the NEX again. We left a few items there, but not many! Then dinner and another gab session until the wee hours.
Saturday saw some of the Moms and Dads leave and the rest of us split up to do various activities. The Moms who were still there ended up at Medieval Times on Saturday night for a wonderful dinner and show. We became "ladies" that night and at one point all the newly created knights and ladies were announced. When it was our turn, we were announced as the Navy Moms whose sons and daughters are serving all over the world. The applause and cheers were music to our moms' ears. We were easily identifiable since we were all wearing Navy Moms shirts, and many people came to us afterwards and thanked us for our children.
Sunday saw the rest of us packing up and leaving, but not before Vicki sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" to us-another tearful moment. Most of us were in our cars when Debbie ran into a sailor who was one of "our" division. We popped out of our cars to introduce ourselves and get one last sailor hug before we left. He told us that, just as we shared our letters with each other, so did they. They would pass them around and he said that our encouragement was greatly appreciated by all of them.
All in all it was a wonderful time and all of us fortunate enough to attend are ready for the next one!!!
- Kathyk26 -
Reunion 2003 - Washington D.C. July 30 and the weather was HOT HOT HOT in Virginia and Washington. Joannie, Fwifenavymom, so generously arranged for our annual reunion. Joannie and her Marine, Ted, offered their home as the gathering place and weekend getaway for our reunion!! Who would have thought that all those women could arrive at someone's house and actually find a corner of their own for an entire long weekend!!
On Wednesday and Thursday we started invading and getting to really know each other. Early arrivals were DebH, KathyK, Bugs, Joann and Cyndi who arrived on Wednesday night. We were the only ones who actually saw Joannie's kitchen counters! After that they started filling with all the goodies that everyone brought. Her laundry room looked like the paper goods aisle at the store because of all the toilet paper that she had purchased and moms had brought - LOL. Everyone figured that with all those women, we'd need it and we were all right!!
Thursday brought Dr. Lindo Loo, Catherine, Julie, Carolyn, Terry, Joyce, Cheryl, Karen, Donna, Juli, Sherry and Fred. Debbie (Angelkml) was the last to arrive - around 3:30 AM! She'd worked Wednesday night and Thursday Morning and then had car trouble before she even got out of Michigan. But she is one determined lady, so she made it!
On Friday we were up, organized and out the door by 7:30 AM to begin our day - no mean feat for a bunch who talked until 1 AM! Not to mention the fact that 15 of us stayed at the house and shared 2-1/2 bathrooms! And NEVER ran out of hot water!!
We boarded our "bus" with our sweet driver who we called Ted (never really knew his real name) and were off to D.C. Our lunches were packed, drinks cooling and conversation flowing!! As we approached the Pentagon, the enormity of the building along with the memories of 9-11 caused a poignant silence to overtake the bus. A few prayers were winging their way to Heaven as we met our guide. We were directed to security and all processed through without a hitch (now for Navy Moms that's saying a lot). Our tour guides for the morning were to be an adorable Navy Sailor and an Air Force guy bringing up our rear. Our tour took us to the main hall for each branch of the service. We greeted every sailor we saw with applause, hugs and choruses of "Call Your Mom!" Our tour guides were wonderful, although they must have wondered what they had gotten themselves into!
Of course, as we entered the Navy corridor we were urged to give a big "Ooh Rah" which brought cheers from the offices and clapping from most who wandered out to see what all the noise was about. In passing the Secretary of the Navy's office our two founders made a quick "exit left" to say hello! That for sure scared the wits out of our guides, but as soon as they saw the hugs being exchanged in the office they knew that we knew some of the people at the Secretary of the Navy's office.
Upon leaving, we met a large contingent of Navy sailors. As we proceeded through the group giving "mom hugs" there was nary a dry eye in either group. We were so proud of those sailors and they were so glad to get a "mom hug." We boarded our bus and then went on to the Navy Memorial. We saw a movie, "At Sea," and passed Kleenex up and down the aisles. We went out to the Memorial itself, which is beautiful and participated in the wreath-laying ceremony. Bugs and Cyndi represented us and gave the invocation and an explanation of NMOL and what we do. They placed the wreath in front of the "Lone Sailor" statue and "Taps" was played. More Kleenex was passed. It was so very moving. Once we collected ourselves, it was time for some quick shopping in the Ship's Store. Then back on the bus and lunch on the go. Sherry and Fred brought hoagies from Philly that were the "real deal" and delicious.
We arrived at the Navy Museum, which is chock full of fascinating artifacts. More shopping, and some discussion on how Deb and Joann would get their sailor statues home. From there we walked across to the USS Barry, a destroyer, and took the self-guided walking tour.
Dinner was at the Old Ebbitt Grill and was wonderful even though our waitress left much to be desired! Then we went to the Evening Parade at the Marine Barracks. Oh my gosh!! More hugs - we were equal opportunity huggers, didn't really matter what branch we saw! - and more choruses of "Call Your Mom!" The parade itself was incredible! It ended in the dark with only the flag and a lone bugler spotlighted while "Taps" was played. More Kleenex was passed! (Why did we all get up around 5:30 to put on make up?? There was no mascara left on anyone by the end of the day!)
Back to the bus and then on to Joannie's house by 11:30 PM where we were greeted by Duckie's Sailor!!!!! More hugs!!!! And more talking - the last of us hit our beds between 3 and 4 AM! LOL - we can sleep when we get home! From rumors, it seems there was a rousing game of "Truth or Dare." As we saw the following night, someone must have been taking notes.
Early Saturday morning Duckie and Cyndi disappeared for a short errand which turned into a LONG errand. No one had any idea where those two had disappeared...but we figured they were up to "no good."
We eventually split into smaller groups and took off for different destinations in D.C. and Virginia. Some stayed at the house to swim and relax, some went into a nearby town and did some shopping and two groups headed back to D.C. for sightseeing. One D.C. group took the Metro into the city and began at Arlington Cemetery. They walked to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and saw the changing of the guard. It was one of the most solemn and moving experiences ever. Then they walked down to Kennedy's grave. All the way are rows and rows of white headstones in an incredibly beautiful and peaceful setting. At that point the second NMOL group arrived and we split up to go in different directions. One group that was sightseeing took the Metro farther into the city...the wrong way first to the wrong part of D.C.... and then were able to find their way back...was that the orange line or the green line?? They were able to do serious shopping and never lost Fred once. Some then caught a bus to the Vietnam Memorial. There are just no words for it. Then on to Lincoln Memorial (had forgotten that those steps are practically vertical!!) and from there walked to the Washington Monument and over to the White House. Talked to a Secret Service young man and teased him about watching the parking gate!! Not sure he saw our humor. By then it was time to walk to the Metro and head back home. Joann met a gentleman on the Metro who was "a bit alcohol challenged." There was much chuckling over that experience. Finally on the way home in our car we got a "little lost" but it must have been God's plan because we met Ed. He was walking down the street and we stopped to ask for directions. Seems Ed was leaving for "over there" in the morning. With tears in our eyes, we wished him well and told him he was in our prayers.
Meanwhile another group had headed out to do some serious shopping. They returned with all sorts of goodies to show us! The last group just stayed home and relaxed and got things organized for dinner that night. It was a great southern dinner that refueled everyone for the fun and laughter to come for our last night together.
Before dinner we had a bit of a "roast" and presentations of gag gifts. Cyndi and Bugs were presented beautiful memory quilts made by Deb H with the signatures of many of our members. There wasn't a dry eye in the house after that!
It was an absolutely riotous fun "bonding" night. We had the pleasure of having three sailors in attendance and I believe they saw their moms and friends in a totally different light by the end of the evening. Goodie bags and pictures were a priority and hugs upon hugs. Sunday morning we had a wonderful brunch at Quantico arranged by our host "The Marine." Brunch ended and we all said our very tearful goodbyes. How could the weekend be over so quickly!! We made plans for the next reunion and wondered..."how do we top this?" It was an incredible weekend.
- Kathyk26 & Synd95 -
Reunion 2004 - Stafford, VA We were graciously welcomed by our hostess Joannie on July 8-11 warm Virginia days. Joannie, Fwifenavymom, so generously arranged for our annual reunion. This year it was a staff reunion as several moms had put together reunions in different parts of the country. Joannie and her Marine, Ted, once again offered their home as the gathering place and weekend getaway for our staff recharge and review weekend!!
On Thursday we started arriving into BWI, Dulles and Reagan airports. Staff arriving were DebH, KathyK,,Terry, Catherine, Loo and Cyndi. The first night we just reveled in seeing each other once again and took the time to update everyone on what had happened over the past year. Relaxing on the deck, in the hot tub and pool was just the perfect prescription for a great R&R weekend. Amazingly, Friday morning upon awakening...gazillions of tulips had sprouted in Joannie's yard!!! The smile on the face of the tulip queen was amazing...and she will never forget the sweet thoughts of her Navy Mom Sisters for having planted them. We picked up Joann at Reagan on Friday and stopped for lunch at Mike's American Grill in Springfield. We celebrated Catherine's (and everyone else's) birthday later that evening...and settled in for some more deck and pool time.
The next day we went to a small quaint town (Occoquon) to check out the shops and have a wonderful seafood late lunch on the water. Some of our shoppers had bags stuffed to the brim (Deb and Joann) and we got to see their purchases while dining. Loo and Cyndi decided to pull a trick on the rest of the staff as they departed the town. I don’t think Deb’s blood pressure will ever be the same! Joannie was calling for all bail money because she thought for sure we’d need it by the end of the day LOL. After we finished, we caught the Metro and headed into Washington and walked and walked taking pictures at the new WWII Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean War monument. After that, we made the trek to the Metro entrance "right up there". It was even money if we were going to lose some who were not used the the humidity in DC. Sunday we all dressed for brunch and Ted and Joannie took us to the beautiful All Hands Club at Quantico Marine Base for Marines and their families. We were treated to a delicious meal as we sat amongst the history and traditions of the US Marines. Each time we visit it is an exciting and memorable experience. After brunch it was time to head out once again with big smiles on our faces and memories to hold us for another year.
- Synd95 -
Reunion 2005 - Great Lakes, IL This year we were hosted by Angel (our adopt a sailor mom) and Mary Jane (our Webmaster and NMOL membership liason) for the experience of our lives. We had been invited to visit NTC and RTC and run Battlestations with two recruit divisions. With anticipation, we arrived at the Navy Lodge on July 9. Angel, Mary Jane and Norm, Joannie, Joann, Kathy, Terry, Dena, Maureen, Frogster, Joyce, Red Headed Stepsister Carol and her hubby checked into the lodge and settled in. On Thursday the early arrivals were hosted by the NTC side of Great Lakes. Our moms got to see where sailors go for their A schools and the types of things they did while on the NTC side. A few moms (we won’t mention any names) got held up by an elusive suitcase at O’Hare. Chasing down that “bad” suitcase proved to be a challenge but one that we were able to handle LOL.
Upon arriving at the Navy Lodge everyone met for dinner at The Silo where we tried to stay cool and enjoyed the company of Senior Chief Levi (our adoption chief) and his lovely family. We had a long table on the second floor and all enjoyed various meals and conversations and a few delightful drinks, too.
On Friday morning we were also honored to attend a Pass In Review Ceremony. Reveille came early!!!! Much to our amazement we were honored guests and we got to sit on the dais. We couldn’t have smiled more proudly or happily for our sailors. The memories of our own sailor PIR came whirling back and many of us sat silently waiting for the ceremony to begin with tears in our eyes. Our Navy Pride was showing.
The doors opened and in marched the recruits. This was the first time many of us had seen our Navy Moms On Line flags being waved during PIR. Our hearts swelled as we knew our adopted divisions enjoyed communicating with our moms. They were so cute and excited about carrying our flags during the ceremonies. PIR is always awesome and this was no exception.
After PIR we went to a local VFW to provide lunch for some of our adopted sailors who didn’t have family present for their PIR. It was another happy time for all. From there we took our sailors to the Guerney Mills Mall and wherever else they had a desire to go. It was their first day away from RTC. Afterwards some of our sailors came back to the Navy Lodge to sleep, take a shower, call home, watch tv or videos or just sit and chat with our moms. It was like our own sailors were right there with us.
Saturday was our "free" day to shop and tour as we pleased. Several decided to take a trip into Chicago...so the plans were set, but alas, as the time went by we realized it would be too tough to juggle it all... Some of us met with the new Sailors we'd adopted from PIR and returned to the Mall and/or movies...some hung around and chatted... some hit the local Doc in The Box to get some RX for a nasty cold...car repairs...you name it...we probably did it, but we did not get in to the Windy City...and by the way...there was nothing Windy about it as the area was enjoying temps of 108-110 degrees.
Friday evening we made it to the Lonestar Steakhouse for a rather raucous evening of good fun, and great meals...and a call from Terry's son Ben saying he and Liz were getting married the next morning at 9 am. After we frantically tried to get a plane ticket from Chicago to Virginia, and an outfit befitting of a Navy Mom to wear to her son's wedding, it was decided that Terry would stay in Chicago with us. So of course, amid the tears, we certainly toasted the happy couple in great Navy Mom style.
Next morning we were up early and out to the NEX to buy our Navy pride items and to get some snacks for the group. We wanted to be sure to have things available for Battlestations that night. The plan was for some of us to go into Chicago early and sightsee and then come back for Battlestations that evening. Several of us took off for the train and once again, no names mentioned LOL, but we were severely challenged by the train schedule and “of course” we read it wrong. Not knowing we were in trouble we enjoyed the Navy Pier until Kathy, our fair-skinned Wiz started getting very red and overheated. We were on a Canadian ship touring when suddenly she didn’t feel really well. One look told us we were dealing with heat stroke. We raced to get liquids for her to drink and ice to cool her down. At the same time we needed to get back to the train station for our return to and Battlestations. Poor Kathy was soaking wet by the time we got to the station as Cyndi was pouring water down her back and icing her head and neck. Upon arriving at the train station we found out we had missed the train back to RTC because we’d misread the schedule. PANIC!!! WE HAD TO GET BACK!! The Chicago Policemen on duty at the station were quite friendly and helpful. We called and looked for a means of transportation to get back to the Navy Lodge. Finally, Dena found a taxi driver willing to take us so we all piled (and I mean piled) into the cab for the ride of our lives. Mary Jane's sweet hubby, Norm, was tucked in the back seat with Joann, Dena, and Joannie; Kathy and Cyndi were stuffed in the front seat. The air conditioning only worked in the front seat and thankfully Kathy slowly recovered from her heat stroke. The folks in the backseat were roasting not to mention squished!! Cyndi and the taxi driver became fast friends and we almost got a free ride except we do have our standards!
Thank goodness we got back a little poorer $$$$$ but on time to change quickly and get over the RTC for our battlestations prep. Even an unexpected fire drill at the Navy Lodge did not keep us from our expected rounds. Angel....after she had a heart attack wondering where everyone was....took us to the ship where we met our divisions and spoke with the recruits. They were PUMPED to say the least. It was the hottest day of the year and everyone was sweating just sitting still. It was so hot they kept checking the temp inside the buildings all night long to make sure it was safe to continue.. see the instuctors really are concerned and do take care of our kids..The recruits were reminded repeated to hydrate hydrate hydrate prior to and during battlestations. We moms also needed to heed that advice.
We broke into two groups and each group followed a division. We tried to stay out of the way and be inconspicuous as our recruits accepted each challenge and proceeded through battlestations. We held our breath during each encounter and prayed silently that our divisions would be successful. As we traveled from station to station, our recruits marched or jogged and sang their cadence. We got into the spirit and joined in!. The RDC and battlestations officials explained each station to us and we were so impressed with our recruits and their knowledge, stamina and enthusiasm. As the night progressed, we lost one female recruit to the heat. She tried so hard not to give up but to no avail. The heat just took over and she was whisked away to medical for hydration and cooling off. As midnight rolled around several of our moms were exhausted and opted to go back to the Navy Lodge and get some rest before capping ceremony in the morning. No one wanted to miss that!! Several of us stayed with the recruits. None of us looked or smelled very good after 6 hours of battlestations but we still had several hours to go. We even got a chance to go into the smoke room just like the recruits do and I'll tell you from personal opinion, I'm glad it's them and not me.
The last few moms who stayed on really bonded with our recruits. They would call out to us ”how we doing navy moms” and of course we’d say “just fine recruit.” We were so very proud of those sailors to be. They in turn seemed to be very proud of us for going through this important test of their endurance. It sure was a test of ours!! As the recruits made their way from the Recruit base to the other side of the street through the tunnel, Terry, JoAnn and Kathy followed them to hear a roaring rendition of Anchors Aweigh. It made a Navy mom's heart proud to hear that....the last time they do this loud singing was after being up all night long just before they come into the building for the capping ceremony..boy are they pumped up...and most are hoarse and very dirty.. but very happy.
Several of the Navy seals that supervised the water test encouraged our moms to jump in and cool off. A few actually took them up on it and I have to say it sure felt good to cool off (even though we were in shorts and teeshirts) As daybreak brought light to our recruits and morning was just around the corner those of us who swam quickly went for a dry change of clothes and then back for the final battlestatioins test. It was over. Now just the capping remained.
The recruits and moms marched off to the hall where capping is done. It must have been 60 degrees in the hall and it certainly kept our recruits awake as they waited for the ceremony to begin. Looking around at our recruits we saw the happiest faces in the world. Each recruit was dirty, sweaty, wrinkled and exhausted but exhilarated. The time had come and music began and the ceremony started with earnest. Each recruit was given their Navy ballcap and they put their recruit cap in their back pockets. They were now full fledged sailors!! So many tears were shed by both female and male sailors. We moms contributed our share of tears too. We were so happy and relieved for our sailors. We got to hug them and then we said goodbye and good luck as they marched off to a sumptuous breakfast and a little relaxation. We decided the new sailors need time together to fully realize and enjoy their moment and their accomplishment. Many of us were leaving town that day, so it was back to the Lodge to pack up and depart for the airport. Goodbyes once again were sweet as we NMOL moms had experience something incredible. Friendship and bond of sisterhood were once again cemented. These memories were definitely forever. It had begun to rain quite heavily and Terry proved that Oregonians are crazy when it comes to rain as she walked around outside without a coat or anything and there were more storms in the forecast...Some of us actually made it out that day...and some of us had to extend for a night. Traveling on little to no sleep and much adrenalin made it quite a trip!!!! This trip was wonderful meeting the Navy moms like all reunions...but getting to learn more about what our sailors go thru to be a part of the greatest Navy in the world was a very special time indeed.
- Synd95 -
Reunion 2006 - Stafford, VA Once again we were graciously welcomed by our hostess Joannie on Aug 3-6 more warm Virginia days. Joannie, Fwifenavymom, hosted another staff reunion. Joannie and her Marine, Ted, once again offered their home as the gathering place and a few staff members converged on their home. It was a small reunion as gas prices had skyrockted and airline tickets had also gone up. Irregardless of our small numbers, the same heartfelt feelings were present. We totally enjoy spending our time with our NMOL friends. One of our canine members was also in attendance. Rocky, who belongs to Cyndi one of our founders had made the trip because he and his mom were heading north to their home from Florida. He was along for the ride and crashed the weekend get-together. He and Marine Ted were fast friends and Rocky really just wanted to stay in and play with Ted. We got to meet Joannie’s sailor Mike who had recently separated from the Navy. He told us so many funny stories and had us totally mesmerized with funny tales. Oh how we laughed. Nothing is as sweet as listening to one of our sailors tell us tales of his adventures in the Navy.
Froggie taught us how to pick crabs at Tims II on the Potomac. It was quite the experience to drive into a table full of crabs and follow Froggie's instructions on getting to the "good stuff." After lunch we were able to walk out on the dock and take in the beautiful Chesapeake waterfront. From there we went into Fredericksburg to shop. On the agenda was finding some cool Civil War stuff for Deb. She and her hubby has visited but missed one store LOL. Well we found it so now they haven't missed any!! On Saturday we met one of our NMOL sailor daughters Blair. She was a beatiful sweet Sailor who was TAD at Quantico and we also met Janet (Kellie's PNM) at a local Mexican restaurant. Janet's recruit was in boot and she was going through the early bootcamp withdrawals. We hugged and knew exactly what she was going through. It was like old home week...even though some of us were meeting for the first time. We all wanted to adopt Blair...she certainly is the epitome of what any of us would want in a daughter. We made sure she had some goodies to take to her Marine Sgt. who had the duty...and asked her to remind him to call his Mom. We talked to Terry on the phone, learning that her sailor had made chief. Back to Joannie's for more R&R. We took turns cooking our fav dips and dishes, and mixing cool beverages and catching up. Evenings around the hot tub are always a good time to relax and recharge. Sunday morning we were up early for lunch at Quantico. No matter how many times we visit Quantico the magic and mystery of that base is amazing. From there we all took off for home. Froggie and Cyndi caravanned up 95 together using their cellphones to stay in touch. One would warn the other about traffic, accidents or potty stops. Rocky enjoyed having a buddy in another car to play with when they took rest area breaks. Kathy and Deb also took off at the same time and stayed in touch with Frog and Cyndi keeping each other up-to-date on road conditions although they had taken another route. At the Pennsylvania Turnpike Froggie headed home and Cyndi continued her journey towards Connecticut.
- Synd95 -
Reunion 2007 - Washington D.C. - July It started with an innocent question. "Is anyone interested in meeting on the Mall in D.C. for lunch?" It eventually evolved into a full blown weekend of sightseeing, a slumber party, and some serious talking and eating.
Sandi's (sandib924) daughter Jackie put together the itinerary based on requests and added on as more suggestions were made. The weekend started with Maryland Eastern Shore moms, Sandy (sandramcmullin) and Sandi heading over the bridge to the New Carrollton Metro station. Debbie (silentd87mom) had driven from Boston to Bowie the night before and woke up that morning to a flat tire. A minor problem for Navy moms! Sandi and Sandy hopped off the highway and picked her up at Sears Auto. Debbie was easy to spot with her NMOL shirt and open arms.
At the Metro, we had arranged a meeting point and 'what are you wearing' details with Amy (cujos_mom), her hubby Randy (we called him our Token Male), and Marcia (marcia0587). (Amy and Randy were on a vacation themselves but sweet enough to join us for the day. Many hilarious posts about fishnet stockings, glitter and pink wigs were exchanged earlier.) Joannie (fwifenavymom), Dee (frogzi) and Kathy (KathyK26) met on Thursday at Joannie's in VA , and were joining us at the Metro but we hadn't talked about how to recognize them. Not to worry - we quickly spotted three women sitting on a bench, all wearing NMOL visors that had glittery pink "hair" (curly ribbon) attached. Hmmmmm, that might be them! Just for the record, frog was not thrilled about wearing pink, girly curls but took one for the team! It was such fun to put faces to screen names and hug like old friends.
Once we figured out Metro fare cards, we were off on our adventure. Despite the fact that it was July in D.C., we were blessed with beautiful weather - 85 and low humidity. We met up with Jackie (if she had a screen name, it would be SeabeeSister) and headed for the Women in Military Memorial. Along the way, we passed the gates to Arlington National Cemetary. The Women's Memorial is a beautiful tribute to military women, and an interesting walk through their history. Just like kids on a field trip though, we hit the gift shop first.
Next stop was the Seabee Memorial which Sandi had visited 28 years ago as a young Seabee wife. (How come the 'Bee guy hasn't aged but I have??) We took lots of pics for the Seabee moms that couldn't be with us.
Off to the World War II Memorial, a fairly new and beautiful, traditional memorial. At this point, we sadly said goodbye to Marcia who had to move on to the next leg of her weekend. We all hugged like we'd known each other forever.
By this time, we were wearing out and decided a walk back down the Mall to lunch would be too much. We split into two groups and grabbed cabs. One group went straight to the National Gallery. Another group took the long way around, drove by the American Gallery, made a phone call to Jackie and eventually got to the National Gallery. (We decided the second group just got an extra tour. Good thing NMOL's are flexible!) Lunch was cafeteria style and a welcome break.
Next stop was probably our favorite, the Navy Memorial and the Naval History Museum. Again, we saw cool exhibits and interesting pieces and shopped in the gift shop. We were quite a group - happy, silly, enjoying one another's company. Had we been kids on a field trip, we would have been told to behave. Luckily, we technically had no adult with us.
At this point, it was time to say goodbye to Amy and Randy. More hugs and sad farewells. We would especially miss Randy as he was a real trooper about holding bags and purses, and proved himself to be an excellent waiter and busboy at lunch. He also kept us laughing.
The sleepover bunch made it back to New Carrollton Metro and began the trek to Sandi's house in Denton on the Eastern Shore. Amazing what was unloaded from those cars! A large cooler full of drinks of every sort (some say there was soda, some say there was pop), fresh fruit, air mattresses, pillows, gifts and toilet paper! We decided delivery pizza was out and dinner at the restaurant up the street was in. Sandi's husband Mike joined us, we got a big table on the front porch, and enjoyed a relaxing dinner. Back home again, the group quickly set up shop on the back porch (which is actually just a concrete slab with no cover but no one seemed to mind). Asti, the ONLY champange according to frog, was uncorked, lime was added to the Corona, water and soda flowed. Cake was eaten, along with way too much other stuff. Former Seabee Mike stuck around for awhile, enjoying the Navy talk and stories. The moms talked past midnight about kids, the Navy, spouses, jobs, worries, sad times and joyous events. Anyone listening would have assumed we'd known each other all our lives.
The next morning we wound up back on the porch for coffee, fruit and bagels, and more cake! We could have easily parked there all day but also looked forward to going to St. Michael's and meeting up with Sandy again, her daughter, and Kathy's family that lived nearby. We caravanned over and our large group had lunch on the deck at the Crab Claw. The moms all enjoyed the fact that we had 3 great kids at the table - Kathy's niece and nephew and Sandy's daughter Meghan. By this time, we looked like a family, acted like a family, and felt like a family. But sadly enough, after a little bit of shopping, our family had to say goodbye. Many tearful and lingering hugs later, we all went our separate ways again.
We've already planned next year's reunion! No sightseeing, no caravanning, no itineraries. We will gather again, and maybe just set up shop on the back porch and fulfill our agenda of talking and eating, eating and talking. We hope everyone can make it back and we are joined by more!
- Sandib924 (Sandi) -
Reunion 2007 - Illinois I hope all Illinois and surrounding states are back in the comfort of their homes tonight. Other then Terri and Bob, we know they were still vacationing!!
I have to tell you all this was my 1st Navy Mom get-together ever!! There is nothing like putting together a face with a name that you have spent days and nights "talking" to. It was like we had known each other forever. But, the kicker here..... there is NOTHING like getting together with other moms and dads who are extremely proud of their son/daughters' choice to join the Navy. Being with other moms and dads who can talk NONSTOP about their sons/daughters in the Navy is priceless. Where else can you get that?? I know we all know those that we work with or god for bid even family members who "just don't get it" and then you meet other Navy moms and dads and they "do get it" and they LOVE to talk about it.
Sat. we arrived to the "party room" of our dear Deb (AKA Adoption Mom) and her "what was that Jane?" "twisted sister?" or wait, it was the "red-headed step-sister" Carol. And what a spread they had!! Now those 2, with the help of Terri and Bob, sure know how to entertain. And talked?? Man did we all talk, and share out photos. We left from the party place to go eat at Duffy's Irish Pub. What a Place that was!!! The owner had a son who has been in the Navy for 17 yrs, his head bartender was in the Navy and our dear waitress also had been in the Navy. Awww we felt right at home. Great food, great service, great beverages and of course more great Navy stories.
Sunday was a day that needed flippers to get us around. Rain?? Man, Illinois sure showed that it can rain? We ate breakfast at the Starved Rock Lodge. OMG!! food was excellent. We were joined there by Julie, Bonnie and Bonnie's beautiful daughter Sam. Bless Sam's heart for waiting so patiently while we all talked (is it possible?) more talk about the Navy. Julie and Bonnie showed all of us their photos. Priceless. We left brunch to pack up our goodies to send to my son Ryan in Iraq and his many fellow Seabees. Packed?? OMG!! we ended up filling 20, yes I said 20!! flat rate boxes. The boys and girls will be thrilled beyond belief!!
I have to end by saying that if there are other moms and dads who are apprehensive about going and meeting other Navy moms and dads. please don't be!! You will find that you have that common bond that you might not have with others. It feels good to be proud of your own and be able to share that with others. Tears came while driving home. Tears of joy from meeting moms and dads that care enough to give of their time and money to share with other moms and dads. Tears of sorrow, that it couldn't last longer. Proud tears, knowing that there are others that care enough to send care packages to others that are serving in far away places. Happy tears knowing that I have friends that I didn't know face to face 2 days ago but do now. Tears knowing that we all share that common bond. Can you even imagine the friendships that our own kids have made?
For that, I say, Thank you for sharing your weekend with me, my son, his seabee friends, and sharing your incredible lives with me. I am very proud to say, I am a Proud Navy Mom!!!
Flat Rate boxes from the PO-zero dollars
Dinner at Duffy's Irish Pub $20.00
Gas to and from Utica $70.00
The Willows Hotel Suite $139.00
Weekend with Navy Moms and Dads from Illinois and surrounding states PRICELESS!!!
- Stewdog10 (Lana) -
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