New School and Fall 2019

We flew into San Diego on August 12th and arrived to nothing and nobody. We rented a car and drove to the navy base on Coronado to spend a few nights. If you recall, the Navy lodge on Coronado was the place we stayed at prior to departing for Japan back in 2014. The place is right on the beach and has a sweet pool.  We moved into our room and got somewhat settled. We would stay there for a week or so as we finalized our rental house plans. The place we arranged was getting painted and some last minute updates prior to us moving in. So we stayed at the hotel while all that stuff was finishing up. We were able to go to the beach every day and spent hours at their pool. We even saw some friends from Italy who had also recently moved to San Diego. It was nice to get reacquainted with the USA too. The conveniences were welcoming and it was not as chaotic as Italy.

Every night we would let the hounds loose and they would run up and down the beach collecting sand dollars and scaring away birds. Oh by the way, the temperatures were fantastic. When we left Italy is was in the mid-90s, so the 60-70 degree weather felt so refreshing. 

Lovely Coronado beach. We've had a few photos taken here in the past.

One of the first stops we made were to LC and E's new elementary school; Silver Strand. We had to get the school schedule and get some information on what supplies they needed.... as well as register them for the year. It was a different-looking school, with breeze ways and everything outsides (besides the classrooms), even the place where they eat lunch. They were both excited to get to school but a little nervous because of the newness of everything. 

We also had to decide on a car so that we wouldn't be driving around the rental. We did the research prior to arriving and decided to we were going to bite the bullet and get a mini van.... yawwwwn.. I know, boring and a knife to the ego, but they just make sense with the space, comfortability, gas milage, etc..... I just had to find one that would suit us. Shannon pretty much let me make all the decisions (for once) and told me to get whatever. Which also meant that relieved her of all the car dealership hassles. I wanted to make it as painless as possible. I found the one I wanted and the rest is history.

We got all the girls schools supplies and dates for when they were to start school. We also were able to move into the house after 8 days or so at the Navy lodge. Our house hold goods also arrived that same week so we scheduled to have them delivered the same day. Thankfully, everything made it in one piece with no issues. We saw the house for the first time and started the unpacking process.

We had to ship our wine out in early May in attempt to beat the heat as it traveled across the lands.  Our final tally of wine was just over 400 bottles. Since it left us so early, a buddy of mine here in SD took possession of it for us until we arrive. Once we got semi-unpacked, I drove up and picked it all up. Thankfully it made it in one trip. This should last us a few months!

We also found out that the neighborhood has a pool, tennis courts and a community center about 300 meters from our house! Needless to say, we spent many hours at the pool burring off energy and staying cool during the heat of the day.

 They both received their birthday presents early - mermaid tails that actually work in the pool. With all the pool time, they both have evolved into excellent swimmers. They love doing flips and splashing around.

Here are the bathing beauties, modeling their mermaid tails. 

The pool has been so nice. It is heated so it isn't too cold and its so close. The girls also met some neighborhood friends that are starting to become friends with. 

Summer was officially over once the first day of school rolled around. No more staying up late(r) and back into a routine of some sorts. The girls enjoyed picking out their school supplies and getting ready for the big first day. 

 As you can see, it was a quick turnaround. Arrived in SD on the 12th, and back to school on the 22nd. LC was a little sad to leave us but they both we eager to get the school year started. 

Here is E getting acquainted in her class and sitting next to her new classmates. 

 And here are the other kids in her class. She was excited to learn that there were to "Ryan's" in her class... and one was even "Ryan C."

E had her 7th birthday on the second week of school. She even got her name up on the school's marquee board. Unfortunetly the school doesn't allow parents to bring in cupcakes or snacks or anything. 

We were also really lucky because they have a bus that takes them to school. A little silly since the school is only 4 minutes away, but the kids like the independence. Also, no more luxury touring coach buses for LC and E. They have a real school bus... the yellow ones with holes in the seats, busted out windows and squeaky shocks. Im kidding about the run-down bus, but up until now, they thought the buses that they had in Italy (w/ coffee makers, wifi, and reclining seats) were school normal buses. We live about a 4 minute drive to the bus stop and then they get bussed to school. These are all the kids at the bus stop. Once a month, the parents bring breakfast (i.e. junk food) to the bus stop to have a little fun. The girls that LC and E met at the pool also ride the bus so they have kids they know. 

We also made it to Sea World, which was a first for the kids. 

Our thrill seekers went on a few rides.... 

Checked out some of the exhibits... 

.. and we caught all three shows (Orcas, dolphins and the seal lion/otter show).

It was a little different then the Sea World Shannon and I remember, where the trainers enter the water and were part of the show. Now, the trainers stay out of the water and just walk around.... thanks a lot Black Fish. 

Here are the girls getting in some rides before we leave. 

Fun!

The girls also got signed up for Girl Scouts. E's troop went to Coronado City hall for a tour with the Mayor. 

Here is E sitting in the Mayor's chair in the chamber, discussing some of her demands as a new Coronado resident. 

The girls decided that instead of a party, they would have their good neighborhood friends over for a sleep over. We let them pick where we ate and they decided on Red Robin. It brought back a lot of memories for me because that was also a popular choice for Sonya and I for birthdays. Here is LC and her friend Annelise. 

Red Robin was at the mall, and before the girls wanted to go to Claires to shop. We gave them each some money and they took what seemed like hours to decide on what they bought. We finished off our Red Robin burgers with ice cream sundaes and milk shakes! Happy 9th and 7th Birthday! This is E with her friend, Emma. 

LC also got her name on the School's marquee on her birthday! Happy 9th Birthday -- man, where has the time gone? 

So far the kids have liked their classes and teachers and are starting to make new friends. I have been jumping around from school to school awaiting to hear if I'm going to meet the ship while out on deployment or just wait till it arrives here in San Diego. We have been liking the neighborhood -- it is nice to live on a slow and quiet street where the kids and ride up and down the streets w/out getting hit. And the clubhouse with its swimming pool is paying off big time. 

Good bye, Italy -- It's been Real

I know, hard to believe, but our 3 years in Italy has come to a close. It was a busy pack-out for us - We not only had close out of all the "normal" things like paying final bills and scheduling movers, but also getting international flights and moving across country back to San Diego. We were pretty excited to get to come back to San Diego -- we had a lot of fond memories in SD when we were there back in 2011-2013. I received orders to go to the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN which was already on deployment and also completing a home port shift from Norfolk, VA to San Diego. I selected this carrier because by the time I was scheduled to arrive, they would only have less than one month left in their around-the-world cruise. I would more than likely meet them in Hawaii or some port and then ride them home. I was also scheduled to attend a few schools in route prior to arriving. Less sea time is always a bonus. But back to closing the Italy chapter... Shannon decided to leave two weeks earlier for her and the girls to go hang out with the family in VA. We scheduled three total pack outs with the movers. One for our wine shipment, the second for the majority of stuff, and the final one being the express shipment where all your essentials are packed up at the last minute and supposed to meet you first at your destination. Shannon and the girls hopped on their flight back west on the 19th of July. I would follow two weeks later. This also meant I was responsible for completing all the close-out items, like sell the cars, turn the house back over, and close up all the loose ends. Luckily there was plenty to do which made saying goodbye to our friends and Italy a little bit easier.

Saying goodbye to Villa 66. A ton of Awesome memories here. I can't believe we got the chance to live in Italy and live out in town on the economy. The view from that house will be something we will always cherish. 

At the Navy terminal waiting for the charter plane to arrive. The girls flew into VA two weeks prior so that they could spend some extra time with family. 

Your chariot awaits! 

I said goodbye to Shannon and the girls and then it was time to get to work. I had to scrub the house down, move out and sell the cars. I had a calendar and had everything that I needed to do each day. Thankfully, it all went fairly smooth without any major hiccups. I was able to sell the cars no problem, I moved out of the house and moved on base to finish out the last few days. This was the last view of Italy I saw as the airplane climbed out. Pozzuoli, is in the distance, with Ischia in its shadows. I remember the feeling departing Japan on our flight out and the feeling was just the same. It was sad as I thought about the past three years and all the fantastic memories we'd made. 

We spent a few days in VA and then made the trek to KY to hang out with my family. The girls enjoyed eating chocolate covered strawberries! 

Of course, a trip to KY would not be complete without a trip to Kentucky Kingdom. Ellis was pretty pumped because she was finally tall enough to ride just about every ride. 

We got really lucky and went on a day with little crowds. We were able to jump right back on the rides and not wait in any lines. Ever since Copenhagen, the girls have become thrill ride junkies. They were both looking forward to all the roller coasters and the upside downs. This is LC and Grandpa riding a roller coaster in the front car! This one was called the Storm Chaser. 

Our adrenaline junkies onboard the roller coaster! I think they road some rides over 10 times. 

Here are LC and E riding in the tractor with Grandpa on the farm. They both enjoyed the Air conditioned cab. 

And it was so nice to be able to spend time with the great grandparents! 

We even broke out the board game "Life" which the girls really loved. 

The kids loved hanging out with the Cousins.... here is LC with Chesney.

Our time in VA and KY were very short, but we had to get to SD to get settled in prior to the girls' school start. Not to mention getting a house settled and getting a vehicle. It was great to see family and great to be back in the USA. Everything was so modern, it was easy to communicate and it took little effort to do every-day things. We had to pack up all the suitcases and the four of us were off to our new home, San Diego, CA! So exciting! 

Final European Excursion

Our time in Europe is slowly winding down. A Baltic Sea cruise was always something we wanted to do so we figured this would be the best time to do it. All our household goods were shipped so staying in an empty house wasn't something that seemed fun and or sustainable. We booked the trip a few months in advance and had been counting down the days. Our good friends Sarah and Colby joined us on the adventure which made it more fun. This would be the last trip we would take before moving back to the USA. I guess we saved the best for last. 

We flew into Copenhagen and took the train to our hotel that was downtown. We spent one night in Copenhagen before jumping on the boat. We left Naples and the 100 degree temperature and landed in Denmark where it was in the 60's. We immediately took out our coats and warm clothes in order to stay warm. It was a nice change though. 

We woke up the next morning to rain and cold. We had great plans to catch a bus that picked up right outside our hotel, but little did we know that was also the plans of the other three thousand passengers. We ended up hailing a cab and had them drop us off right by the terminal. The look on the kids' faces was great. They had never seen a boat so big! 

We put our bags in the room, check things out around the ship and then made our way to the pool decks. After lunch, and after we had pulled out, the weather cleared and it was warm-ish for the kids to go in the pool. The was about 5-6 water slides and 4 pools from what I can remember. Luckily the pools were heated. 

The first day away from Copenhagen and the next full day were all at sea. We spent both days exploring the boat, eating lots of good food and catching a few shows. They also had a kids club that the kids absolutely loved. They made a lot of friends there and each day was themed with different crafts and activities. This was the first sunset... which I think occurred at 10pm or later. 
The ship was really nice and clean and a lot larger then I expecting. Shannon and I have been on a Caribbean cruise back in the day and that is what we had to go off of. This was the fancy area of the boat with the large chandelier. 

Here we are making our way through the Gulf of Finland in route to St Petersburg, Russia. We spent a lot of time on the sun deck relaxing, walking around the ship and swimming in the pools. 

We passed the St Petersburg Naval base on the way to port. 

Here's LC showing off her face paint.

First port was St Petersburg, Russia. I was a little concerned about getting through customs due to being in the military. Luckily they didn't give me too much trouble and we were all set to go explore Russia. The cruise ships have special deals with the Russian government where you could enter the city without a visa but only if you were on a tour group. We booked a tour that visited a lot of the sites. 

We stopped on the Neva River, which runs through the city, and took some pics of the river and the Hermitage which was across the way. We lucked out with a beautiful and warm day. 

Shannon standing by the Neva River with the Peter and Paul Fortress in the background. 

Next stop was to the Peter and Paul Fortress. This was founded by Peter the Great and now contains a museum and a cathedral. 

These are the tombs of Peter the Great and his family. 

We also stopped at a souvenir store. 

This was my favorite stop - The Savior of the Spilled Blood church. It had the classic onion shaped and colorful domes. 

The city was really nice. It was clean and modern and not what we expected. It was also very crowded with tourists.  

Crossing the Neva River back to the ship. We stayed the night on the boat in St Petersburg and pulled out the next morning for Estonia.  

Here is Shannon checking out Tallinn, Estonia from our balcony in the room.  

We were able to walk of the boat and walk into the old part of the city where we passed the old town city walls. 

We climbed up, what seemed like one million stairs, of the St Olaf's Church. The stairs were steep and cramped and not pleasant but fortunately the views from the top (and cool breeze) made the trip worth it. It offered unobstructed views of the city. 

We walked around all day exploring the city. As you probably have noticed, we were kidless. The girls wanted to stay on the boat at the kids club which made our time out in the city a little more enjoyable. 

Shannon and Sarah near the old city walls. 

A brief stop at the Alesander Nevsky Catherdal. 

A nice photo opportunity of the city. 

 We only had the one full day in Tallinn, then it was back on the boat and a brief trip to Helsinki, Finland.

It was pretty chilly in Finland. We wore all the warm clothes that we brought and headed into town. We always hit the highlights of the city and tried to grab some good food and drinks. We strolled through this park to get some coffee. We hit up a cross fit gym in the morning, walked around and found some delicious sushi that was really cheap. 

Finland is known for their Saunas. On the walk to and from the boat, we saw one where people were coming out of the building and jumping in the chilly Baltic Sea. Then they go back into the warm sauna and do it all over again. We didnt try it out although thinking back on it, I would have like to have done it. 

Like Russia and Estonia, we pulled in in the morning and left in the the later afternoon. The girls had a ball at the kids club and here they are saying goodbye to Finland as we pulled out.

Our second to last stop was Stockholm, Sweden. The ship had to start its transit super early in the morning to get us into the city. Shannon and I woke up before the kids and had coffee on our patio watching the beautiful scenery pass. We did sign up for the hop-on-hop-off pass which made it easy to get to and from the sites. 

We visited the Vasa Museum and checked out the old ship that was brought back from the bottom of the sea. If you dont know the story of the Vasa (like myself) you should google it -- its a pretty neat story. 

We took the guide tour throughout the museum and learned a lot of good information. It was actually really neat and amazing how preserved the ship was for how old it is. 

Shannon is the best travel buddy! 

The vibe in Stockholm was pretty awesome. The beautiful weather also was a bonus. We learned about fika and ended up having multiple stops for fika. Fika is relaxing coffee and cake break -- its a state of mind. 

We walked around the Old town which was beautiful. 

The buildings were very Scandinavian looking with all the colors and their design.

The Sixth Fleet Command ship, USS MOUNT WHITNEY, was also in Stockholm for a port visit. 

We overnighted in Stockholm and pulled out the next day. Ellis and I were on our way to the ropes course. The boat had just about everything you can think of. A trampoline, rock climbing wall, putt-putt golf, a ropes course and more. We stayed very busy with the kids and we did just about everything every day.  We even went to a magic show where the kids were blown away with some of the tricks... hahaha. It was pretty funny to watch their expressions. 

As I mentioned before, the food was actually very very good. There was a ton of variety and everything was delicious and plentiful. We had a nice view while we left Stockholm, admiring the beautiful scenery. 

Our final stop was the town of Visby on Gotland Island. Our boat was the largest ship to ever pull in and it was the first time they had ever visited. So we were a part of history. 

We checked out all the old churches and learned about some of their history. We were also blessed with another gorgeous day. 

Shannon wanted me to take a photo of her by the old wall. 

We visited the Vizby Cathedral. 

Making our way back to the ship.

We had one more full day at sea before pulling back into Copenhagen. We hit the pools and enjoyed all the activities. 

The boat pulled back into Denmark early in the morning so we made our way to the airport and killed time on this cool structure.

We had a great time and were able to briefly see Russia, Estonia, Finland, and Sweden. It was also something different and a neat way to travel around. The kids thought it was THE coolest thing ever. They loved the ship and loved the food and the kids club and all the activities. LC was sad to leave the kids club for the last time and say goodbye to the friends she made. Shannon and I agreed that this cruise scratched the cruise itch and were probably good on cruises for a few year to come. We had a good time but were ready to get off. But this trip wrapped up our three years in Europe! We would get back to Italy and a few days later be on the plane, on the move, back to the USA. We will absolutely miss the travel opportunities in Europe and miss our dear friends in Italy that we left behind. The highlights of this overseas tour was the trips we went on together. We were blessed to have been able to hit up a handful of places and learn about other cultures and ways of life. But, all good things must come to and end and we find ourselves heading back to sunny San Diego.