Here is the latest news on The Crespo Family Home...

William left for boot camp on Aug. 7th, 2008

So far we've gotten a few calls and letters and he seems to be doing rather well! He went in with the rank of E-3 after much hard work and help from "Dad" and our great neighbors - Thanks Chuck, Sherri and Dan! - I know he appreciates it, especially when he finally sees his paycheck! ;)

William will be graduating boot camp in October, so we will be gearing up for a trip to the South!

However, with his graduation, comes Kevin leaving me... At the end of the month, My Soldier will be leaving for his 6 month trip to the desert. I cannot begin to tell you how with each day that creeps by, my heart sinks a little lower and my soul cries a little more. I miss him already and don't want to spend a moment without him. I know this is the way of things in the Army, but I don't have to like it, nor do I.

So, to keep me busy, I guess I will turn to my neighbors and friends and try not to be the biggest, saddest, pain in the arse they've ever known - note to all : Good Luck dealing with me! LOL!

The kids are back in school, which does help a great deal, at least I know my house will not look like a hurricane came through... nevermind, they all just got home.. let me edit - My house will not look like a hurricane came through from 8am to 4pm. If you want to visit, those are the times you will want to do it if you want to walk through a clean house. HA!

So, now you know the happenings here....

Hugs and Support definately encouraged and to my REAL "Army Wives" Friends... I am always here for y'all, As I know y'all have been for me!

It has been a crazy few months... Since Kevin re-enlisted in the Army it has been one incredible ride, ups, downs, we've been through it all.
We finally got his orders! Yes, he was even held over at AIT (schooling, basically) because they originally gave him orders to Korea... unaccompanied... meaning he would have had to leave us all and go play Army in Korea for a year without us.
Now That didn't work for me, he did'nt like it either... so he asked about that since he had to get us on EFMP (the program identifying us as having special medical needs) and they decided to cancel the orders.. but, with that, meant they had to wait until all of us with special medical needs were updated in the computer and were processed so they could determine what base to send us to that would be able to meet those needs.
Well, after his gradutaion - which was very nice, btw - He had to stay in South Carolina for an extra 2 weeks for a new assignment. 
We will now be headed to Texas!!
We are currently in PA. We also only got 10 days notice!! Yes, 10 days to move! - 10 days to move a house of this many people, and me almost 8 months pregnant! Boy don't we like to live on the edge?!

So, we have to do so many things to do this, it feels like I have to move a mountain sometimes!
I have to clear out a house, get it packed and loaded and then drive over 2,000 miles across the country, pregnant with 9 kids in "Momzilla" (our 15 passeneger van) to end up in a studio motel for we don't know how long, and try to house hunt so we can find us a home - because post housing has an 8 month waiting list thus far - and meanwhile the kids are out of school and we all get to just "hurry up and wait"!

So, let the adventure begin!!
Yes, I am going into this with an open mind... do I really have a choice?? But, I have Faith that God will provide, he will look after us and he will settle us where he wants us to be do what we were meant to do... now, we don't know what that is... do any of us? we will just go along though... that incredible Faith will just have to do! :)

Well now, it's been about a week since we got the news, so now we have the actual "pack up and move" part to deal with....

So... The movers came today - there were 3 guys, I was in serious doubt they would be able to pack up my entire house by the day's end....

Let me tell something to you!... lol (Happy Feet)

They packed and I have never seen such efficient work!! WOW!! The only thing is, they pack EVERYTHING... and I mean EVERYTHING!! One of the guys packed my crock pot with my dinner in it!! LMSO!!! I am NOT KIDDING!! I had to stop him and tell him "Oh wait!! That's my dinner in there!!" He kinda laughed!
Of Course, they were all (Kids, Movers, Kevin, even my Mom called cuz she "had the feeling" I wasn't "sitting still") Yelled at me to go lay down, sit down, stay out of it, or go relax. OY!! they are a pain in the butt!! he he he! Um, yeah. that works out so well for me! First off, I am a control freak, secondly, I want things done a certain way... yaknow? (And you will have to keep reading to see that they should have let me be more involved!!) Anyhoo, about mid-day Kevin brought me up to our room and made me just stay put, I actually took a nap - they left my bed alone. (good thing, I might have been packed up to!)

I went back down as they were finishing up... they packed it ALL!! My house is all gone! - they didn't leave a dish, a spoon, a NOTHING! They even packed my furbaby's dogfood that was sitting out for her!! DOG FOOD!!! They packed my shots - yes, my injections I have to do everyday -, they packed up all the toilet paper!! They packed up all our clothes, everything!!... I hadn't even packed for the trip yet, so we were left, literally, with the clothes on our backs!! We didn't have our shoes on... guess where those are?? PACKED!

I was glad we kept a close eye on the little ones they would have gone missing in a box!! The only thing left behind was open containers of any kind, the oil, perfumes, meds, etc... if it was open, they left it!

I had to go to Wally's to get paper plates, bowls, plastic cups, all that! We couldn't make or eat dinner!! I also had to buy us a change of clothes, a package of undies and socks each, I got us shoes - just some slipper/sandals things that were cheap to travel in - So, frozen pizza's for the kids on disposable pizza trays and Kev and I got chinese....

Now, the other movers come tomorrow to load everything on to the truck.. My house will be empty!!! I am sad you know.... I am going to miss our huge Victorian home... I did love this house and we could not have asked for better neighbors - Awesome folks! - they were also the landlords! ;) I will miss my Mom, I moved out here to get to know her and I am so glad that I did. I never knew my Mom, she left when I was just an itty bitty thing, so getting to know her after all these years was nice - for both of us! My mom's side of the family and Kevin's folks are here local too... It's been a nice 3 years in PA!

I write you this now - by some miracle! (because they packed my wireless router!) - seems I have a neighbor somewhere that has a wireless router because I was amazed that I could get online when I got on here to write up a letter - that I now realize I can't print because they packed my printer too... LOL

Unbelievable!!

Anyhoo, since everything is packed and will be gone tomorrow, we are going to hit the road once they are done and the house is empty and I get to clean the place and turn in the keys!

So, If y'all don't hear from me, I am en route to Texas!!

It's been a crazy time, this last few months... I will keep everyone posted on this incredible new journey with the Army as we go, and tell you of all the adventures of The Tribe as we live it!

Much Love, Luck and Happiness to all and we will update soon!! - and If I don't get to post before it comes around... Have a Happy Easter!

*sigh*
This time of year I am usually a bit more festive. This time of year I am brimming with the excitement of the holidays approaching, of foods, decor, aromas and family one doesn't see but at this time of year. This year, I don't harbor the excitement of cooking and baking and being with family. I feel I am lost, incomplete. My Hubby-man, is going to be gone. No, he isn't being a jerk and leaving his family. He is being a good Soldier and a good Provider.
I knew when he said he wanted to re-enlist, what it would mean. I knew what sacrifices we'd all have to make. I also knew, this is what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. You can take a Soldier out of the service, but if his heart calls him back, he needs to answer the call, after all, he is a Soldier. So he did. And although I have desperately been screaming and crying inside for him to stay with me, I smile and hold him and tell him how proud of him I am and how I will miss him when he is gone and assure him I am fine with this decision for all of us.

So this year instead of bringing wonderfully handmade baked goods to Our Family along with our van full of children dressed up and excited to play with cousins and sneak candy while grown ups talk and act silly and catch up, I bring a heavy heart with sadness that my Husband, my Soldier, is not with me and with us, to celebrate the things we are most Thankful for. He is what I am Thankful for, without him, I wouldn't be who I am today. So this year, I will get to say an awesome Thanksgiving prayer, for I have a great many things, I am thankful for!

your HCG level, it was 972. You're pregnant."

This is what the nurse said to me on the phone on 9/20. Quite stagnant and flat, mind you. In that, "Well, your pregnant again" kind of way.... I'm sure you know what I mean, I could almost hear her eyes rolling through the phone. And sadly, I got a little kick out of it. Maybe I should play along...

-"Oh No! I'm pregnant!!! Oh My God! I can't believe it!" - long pause... then I say,

-"Can I ask you a question?"

The nurse bringing herself back from a blank, wide eyed stare and probably thinking, "oh no, what do I say?"... 

-"Um, sure??"

-"Why is it that you say it like that... you know, "Oh, all your tests were fine but your pregnancy test", Being pregnant is not a disease, not a horrible illness or even some awful virus I have just come down with. It's a baby. Something totally welcomed, yes, sometimes a surprise, but something loved and in my case, exciting! So why is it you say it like that?"

She umms and uhh's and then composes her half baked answer;

-"Oh, it's not meant like anything really, just that the normal result for a pregnancy hcg would be negative I suppose, so when you get a positive result, I would guess it's not normal?"

She says this, now, almost like she's asking me! LOL

-"Oh, ok, well, thank you, and we are very happy!"

So I hang up, I'll bet she remembers this phone call, and I'm sure somewhere in my medical record is a lil note from the nurse on what a witch I am. Good, maybe they will understand my point of view on pregnancy and the next time they have to run an HCG, I will get a nice phone call with an actual "Congratulations!" from the nurse on the line instead of someone giving me the news like I've just acquired anthrax.

So here I am, a diseased woman carrying... a baby! - Baby # 16!

YAY!!!!! Congratulations to us!

Yes, a surprise, but loved and wanted nonetheless. We should be due around May 23rd, 2008

My first OB appt is on Oct. 15th with the wonderful high-risk Dr's in Hershey.

I will keep everyone posted and post pics as we go along!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On the other family news front, Kevin will be leaving in about 2 weeks, he will be starting our new Army life off at AIT for about 8 weeks. We will get him home for Christmas as school will be closed for the holidays, so we have him to look forward to even though we have to miss him for Thanksgiving.

I can honestly say I know what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving...

I am Thankful for Kevin and My Family. They are all making sacrifices, big and small, to have our family grow, succeed and move towards a good future. Kevin's sacrifice for us makes me grateful to him every day. The kids pulling together for us all to move to begin our new Life, is another blessing I am thankful for.

Thank God, for family, eh?

So, this morning, we celebrated the news that Kevin leaves us soon with a huge breakfast, it was an all out spread! We had 3 kinds of pancakes - chocolate chip, blueberry and buttermilk, a tray of sausage, a tray of bacon, scrambled eggs and toast, on the side, whipped cream and fresh strawberries. We said a prayer and gave God so much thanks, for everything. Then we chowed down!! 

Hello! My name is Rain and this blog is about me, my Hubby man, Kevin - a former Marine turned Army man, looking to become an officer and retire in say, 12 years or so,
And our Family, which happens to be the unusually large, "Yours, Mine and Ours" type! Together we have 15 children, they range in age from 19yrs. to 7 months and we are expecting # 16 in May of 2008!

We welcome you to our blog and our family as we journey off to "Be all we can be" with the Army in our horizon! 
Remember, it's not just a job, it's an adventure!!
OOOHRAH!