Trying to Stay Busy in "The Deid"

I just wanted to put up a quick post from over here. This is me with my corpsman, HM3 Langley out in front of our medical "office"/box at the HAS. Temperatures out on the runway can get near 140 during the middle of the afternoon. Today the wind was blowing at about 25 mph and it felt like standing in front of a hairdryer. Bad news for Langley since it is only going to get worst over the next 2 months!

Hello from "The Deid"

Now that our "good deal" stopover in Sicily is over, it was back to reality today as we arrived in Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The first thing we noticed when we got off the plane is that it was HOT! Temperatures were over 115...nearly double what they were in Maine. The fact that it is a "dry heat" really doesn't matter. We spent the afternoon walking around in a sleep deprived and dehydrated daze familiarizing ourselves with the base and its amenities. Overall, all I can say is that I'm glad I won't be here all that long!

Medical at the HAS (Hardened Air Shelter)

The Flight Line Clinic

Hospital on Base

Hello from Sicily!

Hello everyone! We departed NAS Brunswick on Thursday afternoon after a busy week full of last minute preparations. En route to Qatar we stopped at the Naval Air Station in Sigonella, which is on the island of Sicily. Not a bad start to a deployment! We had the opportunity to do some sightseeing yesterday and we drove one hour north to the coastal town of Taormina. This is a very old town which was settled around 800 B.C. The biggest tourist attraction in the town is an old Greek Amphitheatre (Greeks were here before the Romans) that is preserved very well and has amazing views of the Meditteranean. After touring the amphitheatre, we sat at a restaurant in the town square and enjoyed some iced Italian coffee. Tonight we leave for our permanent home in Al Udeid Air Base in the country of Qatar where I will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of my replacement so I can go home to Lindsey and Tatum!

Finally, when we left Maine there were several news stations there to document it since VP-10 will not return to Maine because of BRAC and our relocation to NAS Jax. Here is the link:
http://www.wcsh6.com/video/default.aspx?mid=1130336281

Views from the Amphitheater

More Scenic Views

Inside the Ancient Greek Amphitheater

More Views Inside the Amphitheater

Church in Taormina town square

Me and Mr. J.D. enjoying the view

Visiting the Naval Academy on our way to Virginia

On our way down to Norfolk we stopped overnight in Annapolis, Maryland to visit the Naval Academy as Mike has always wanted to visit there. We enjoyed our short 16-hour visit to the capitol of Maryland and we snapped a few photos to share...

The USNA grounds

Housing where ALL of the the midshipmen live ALL 4 years

Housing for the Academic Deans at the Academy

The USNA mascot

Fun in Virginia

Hugging Mr. Caleb Arthur

Mother's Day 2009

Tatum and her new friend, Elise Arthur

At Ocean Park Beach

At the waters edge with Daddy

So excited!

A quick update from VIRGINIA...

Well we have officially been living in Norfolk, Virginia for 2 weeks now! After a crazy couple of weeks at the end of April we left Maine on May 1st and traveled to Annapolis, MD to visit the Navel Academy before heading south to Norfolk. On Saturday the 2nd we arrived safely at our new home in Virginia where we quickly hunkered down and settled in. Between goodbye's and packing our last few weeks in Virginia were a bit crazed and hectic to say the least. On top of all of the craziness, moving with an 18 month old was not particularly fun for anyone thus it was hard to maintain any semblance of a routine or normalcy. Once our belongings arrived we worked pretty much day and night to unpack so that we could relieve ourselves of the boxes and be settled in before Mike left on Monday the 11th. Thankfully our friends the Arthur's and the Snyder's were able to assist with watching Tatum so that we could be productive! Despite all of the long days and sleepless nights (due to thinking about all that we had to do!) we are happy to be here and we are adjusting to our new life in Virginia. Please let us know if you will be in the area as we would love to see you!

Moose Hunting in Rangeley

As our two years in Maine are quickly coming to an end, Lindsey and I decided that we needed to go moose hunting in order to make our Maine experience complete. Accompanied by our friends Mike, Dana, and their daughter "Caca" (Caroline) we drove 3 hours north to the mountain/fishing town of Rangeley. We drove through the "exotic" towns of Peru and Mexico en route and were treated to some of the finest mountain scenery in all of Maine, however, no moose were spotted on the way. Tatum and Caca were not as of appreciative of the beautiful scenery and being strapped into their car seats for so long so this made for some loud moments at times.


After a relaxed lunch in Rangeley (which happens to be exactly half way between the Equator and the North Pole) the girls were able to stretch their legs. Our waitress suggested that we headed further north to the town of Stratton in search of the elusive swamp donkey. 5 minutes into this detour, we were treated to our first moose sighting. After slamming on the breaks and scaring the beast away we were lucky enough to spot 4 more! We were also fortunate to spot 1 full grown Bull Moose, however, the antlers are regrowing at this time of the year because they shed them annually each fall. In addition to this, we spotted a moose calf that had likely just left her mother and she allowed us to get relatively close for good pictures.


After our successful moose hunting enterprise we headed back home so the kids would have time to play out of their car seats. We did make one detour at a site overlooking Rangeley Lake called "Height of the Land". This is considered one of the most scenic spots in all of New England and is very popular during the fall foliage season. Even without the colorful leaves to look at it was a beautiful scenic point. With movers coming to pack us out in approximately 10 days now, Lindsey and I can say that we truly have made the most of our 2 years in Maine.

While Daddy is Away the Girls Play

While Mike is away this week Tatum and I have been very lucky to have the company of mom for 10 days. Saturday brought us an overcast day but it was about 50 degrees which in Maine means time to get out! We ventured down to Portland to walk around downtown and then we drove over to the Portland Head Light. In all the time that my mom has visited Maine we have never done any of the above. We enjoyed our day and also made some time to stop and play at the park at Fort Williams State Park.

Tatum watching the big kids swing

Swinging with Grandma

Walking to the beach

Overcast but scenic (an island and lighthouse in the distance)

A quick update on Tatum...

It is hard to believe that Tatum is now 17 months old...time sure does fly! Along with getting older there are some new skills/behaviors that are becoming more evident/regular and they are not always the most wonderful. Here is a brief taste of life with Tatum:

1. At 17 months she decided to...JUMP OUT OF HER CRIB! Mind you, this first occurred at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday morning while Mike was gone and I was alone in the house. Imagine how you would feel if you heard the pitter patter of feet and then "Hi!" without expecting it. There is not much more that I can say about this other than that I am sleep deprived now b/c I cannot rest knowing that it can happen at any moment. Hello crib tent!

2. Walking is her favorite thing to do now, regardless of rain, snow, sleet or ice! "Wa, wa, wa" is about the only thing we here when we are remotely close to any door or if we are in the car.

3. Last but not least...we have entered the stage of the lovely fit throwing in public (and at home too)...if she does not get her way the kicking and screaming starts along with hurling herself at the ground. It is so lovely to be in public with a screaming child who is flailing her arms and kicking her shoes off when she cannot do what she wants...which usually includes "wa, wa, wa."

Aside from the above Tatum is a wonderful little girl who has quite the personality and she can make anyone laugh with her funny antics.

Maine Maple Sunday

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Maine Maple Sunday 2008...time seems to be flying by us! Fast forward to 2009 and once again, we 3 Smiley's ventured out on the 4th Sunday of March to join the masses at the annual opening of the sugar houses around Maine. Additionally, we dragged Mike, Dana, and Caroline along too; after all, they heard us raving about warm maple syrup poured over ice cream for the past year. This year we drove about an hour west to Poland, Maine where we visited Harvest Hill Farms. Fortunately but unfortunately, the day started out chilly but sunny however as we arrived at the farm the temperature began to drop and by the time we left, the snow was falling at a quick pace. While at the farm we had a chance to stop by and visit/pet the horses and then we ventured down to the sugar house for a lunch of pancakes, bacon, AND maple syrup (of course!). After the pancakes Mike and Mike treated themselves to ice cream topped with maple syrup. With the temperature at about 35 degrees, us girls passed on the ice cream. We would have loved to spend a longer day on the farm but with the cold temps and the snow it was just not going to happen. We sure will miss this day next year!

Eating Pancakes under the tent (wind was gusting!)

Swapping girls

On the hayride back to our car...we did not feel like trudging through mud in the snow

We Picked a Winner!

Not every new thing that kids do is cute. Take for instance...Tatum learning to pick her nose! This is one of her top #3 new activities and will likely stay high on the list for a little while because of the cold, dry Maine winter air. We will definitely be showing this to all of her friends and boyfriends when she is a teenager.

More Snow!

As a lot of people were sitting in front of their fire places watching the Oscars last night, we were at home without electricity watching the temperature steadily drop throughout the night. Another storm rolled through and dumped approximately 16 inches of ice and snow on us. After waking in a frigid house and clearing the driveway we had a pile of snow next to it nearly 6 feet tall! We tried to get a picture with Tatum to put it in perspective, but it didn't come out as good as we had hoped. Lindsey and I can now say that we are officially sick of the Maine winter.

Tatum's New Skill

Tatum has graduated from her "kiddy chair" and has learned how to climb onto the couch unassisted. While she is certainly proud of this achievement, it makes Mom and Dad very nervous! We've been trying to teach her how to safely climb down, but her attempts at that are sporadic at best. Enjoy the videos.

Rocking Moose in Birthday Suit

What would any toddler's blog be without the mandatory childhood picture of being nude on a rocking moose? This is also Tatum stalling at bedtime!

Portland Children's Museum

We decided to celebrate Valentine's day by going to the Children's Museum in Portland. Tatum had a blast there, although it is really more of a random collection of children activities than an actual museum. Tatum was particularly interested in the fake grocery store and fake veterinary office. After 90 minutes of chasing Tatum all over the museum and being nauseated by the collective dirty diaper smell, it was time for Mom and Tatum to get home for a nap.

Tatum's Rocking Moose

Tatum recently discovered a toy that has been sitting in her room for the past year and loves it. Every now and then she gets a little too excited and falls off, but no major crashes yet!

The Great Outdoors

After it snowed over 16 inches on Sunday, Lindsey and I decided to try a new activity with Tatum today...Snowshoeing! It was the warmest day in over a week, topping out near a balmy 30 degrees and it was finally done snowing, so we headed to Wolf Creek State Park. There were some beautiful semi-groomed trails right on Casco Bay. Unfortunately, we forgot Tatum's winter hat and so she had to wear the one Lindsey bought while we were in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Tatum seemed to enjoy the new activity at first, however, halfway through our trek she started to get bored and wanted to do the walking herself. That was a no-go and the second half of our hike was definitely louder that the first. We wrapped things up with some hot chocolate and a late afternoon snack for Tatum.

Let it Snow (Again)!

Another weekend has come and so has another foot of snow! While it certainly makes for a nice landscape, it also makes for some serious cabin fever. Tatum and I decided to make the best of it and "went sledding" outside. This consisted of pulling her up and down the street in a sled for about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, because of the heavy winter gear, she was not able to hold on and every strong wind gust or bump in the sled caused her to fall of. While there are tons of winter activities to do in Maine for older kids, there really aren't too many that are appropriate for toddlers. After it finally stops snowing, we make take her out for round two of sledding or some other winter activities.