My Family

   I was lucky enough to meet my husband, Gilbert, my freshmen year of high school. I first had to get past the ugliest sweater ever worn by man, but I'm glad I did. I was double lucky to have meet him because he had just moved to Washington (state, that is) from Puerto Rico and his English was still a work in progress.

   Right after high school he joined the Marines. I stayed and after finishing my senior year, started attending Eastern Washington University. We got practice right off the bat on making a long distance relationship work. And wasn't it fun planning a wedding while he was deployed in Fallujah. "Yes Father Mike, we would like to be married in June, unless his deployment gets extended...."

   After an awesome honeymoon in Disney World, he went back to California, and I stayed in Washington. We lived most of our first year of wedded bliss in different states.
   When he reenlisted and PCSd (permanent change of station), I had had enough and left school to join him. So I moved, to the Navel Base Bangor, Kitsap. All the way on the other side of the...... state. We quickly started our family and in April 2007, NINE DAYS LATE, we welcomed our first daughter, Isabella Christine. She was a beautiful baby, and a Daddy's Girl from the start.

   2009 was a big year for us. We PCSd (look at you, speaking jarhead!) to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, on Oahu. We we're expecting baby #2 and Gilbert was set to deploy. We were reprieved THE DAY BEFORE he was set to leave! He went to Instructor Trainer school instead.
   Marines were different colored belts for different levels of martial arts. Just like in karate. Thanks to our time at Bangor, he was already a black belt. He was also certified as an instructor, meaning he could teach other Marines and help them upgrade their belts. Instructor Trainer school trains Marines to certify instructors. Following? This is one of the most intense schools in the Marines.
   On Gilbert's second day he called and told me one of his class mates got a compound fracture. On the SECOND DAY! There I am, alone with a two year old, eight months pregnant, boiling my ass of in Hawaii and my husband is telling me it is a distinct possibility that he be severely injured. Classic. He made it home, safe and mostly sound the day before we welcomed daughter number two, Alejandra Yadira. She was famous, hospital wide for her head of hair. It looked like a little wig!

 

   In 2011 we had our youngest little girl Sophia Marie. A year later and she is still one of the calmest babies I've ever seen. I think she knew that Mommy needed a break.

  



   Our family was complete. And unless you plan to bear him yourself, no we will not try for a boy!

  In the beginning of 2012 we found out that Gilbert was due to deploy. So instead of leaving me with three children under five years old, and thousands of mile away from the nearest relative, it was decide that we would move home with my mom and step dad, Mike.
   This is us now, five months in. The girls and I in Eastern Washington, and Gilbert deployed!