I was so excited when we found out that we were being stationed in Hawaii. We had been told that it is one of the most requested duty stations, and that you are very lucky if you get it. A few weeks before we received actual orders, one of Jer's "higher-ups" told him that he had gotten it...however, we had been told things like this before that didn't come through, so we refused to believe it or say anything until we saw the actual papers. It took us a few months longer to get here than was originally planned, so it seemed like we were "being stationed in Hawaii" for so long that I think people stopped believing that we were actually going to go.
We spent an amazing summer with my mom and Ken while Jer was in training in Texas. I remember looking forward to Jer coming home, but at the same time, wanting time to stop moving so quickly so I could savor the time spent with my mom. It was one of the best summers of my life, even though my kiddos refused to sleep through the night!!
Some of my favorite memories are from the boat. I remember getting the girls to actually get in the water & swim without crying or freaking out, and then, when they had calmed down, swimming all the way around the boat to splash Grandpa in the driver's seat. I remember taking both Jenna and Ellie to swim to "the hook" at the front of the boat, and I remember them all crying and panicking every time I tried to get in the water! I remember Abbey just loving the water, and Megan and I saying that maybe we should switch kids so that my girls can sit in the sun & relax with her, and Abbey can come jump in the water with me!
And then there was Jackson's swimsuit...now who could forget that?
