Wedding Bells: I Do. I Do.

The two best celebrations in life are the birth of a baby and the matrimonial union of a man and woman.  On Saturday, April 12, our son Joseph Leigh Wade married Karmen Geszler in an intimate ceremony in Laguna Hills.  Joe met Karmen in Europe over a year ago. It has been a long journey for them, but in the end, love conquered and they are now husband and wife.

 

the very happy and good looking bride and groom

 

 

Here is the condensed version of the story.  Joe left the Navy and Europe last summer. He returned to the states  and began to adjust to civilian life.  During this transition period, he lived with us for three months. However, he could not forget Karmen.  He was able to bring her back for a three-month stay in September.  It was during this stay that Joe got on one knee and asked her to be his wife in a romantic setting in San Diego.  Karmen, unfortunately, had to return to Hungary in mid-December and the waiting began while the application was completed and the paperwork processed.   With God’s blessing, everything was approved and a beautiful wedding followed.

I cannot complain because my stress was nowhere near in comparison to that of the bride and groom, but I WAS STRESSED.  Lance was just as stressed. The wedding was scheduled in the least desirable time for us.  Lance's good friend from Texas, Keith, had arrived for a long planned boys weekend.  Lance was trying to balance both, and I had to pick up the pieces.  The wedding was the priority, and it is....it truly is all about the bride and groom.   Ultimately, everything worked out.   Karmen and Joe exchanged vows in front of a fountain at the Laguna Hills Civic Center.  It was an emotional and touching expression of love.  Both had tears in their eyes as they recited their vows.  Karmen looked simply BEAUTIFUL.  Karmen’s mother and brother flew in from Hungary.  Joe’s grandmother, aunt, mother, stepfather, and stepbrothers flew in from Idaho and Utah.  Jessie, our daughter, was able to come too and serve as the official wedding photographer.  Unfortunately, Lauren, our other daughter,  was unable to attend.  She was definitely missed.  Following the ceremony, the wedding party drove to Laguna Beach for some amazing photos before we drove to Palos Verdes for a reception, that included delicious Hungarian food. 

 

The entire wedding party

Lance giving Joe a great big hug

Joe, Mark (Karmen's brother) and his friend (I can't remember his name. I suck.)

Karmen with her new husband and mother and brother.  Her mother is absolutely gorgeous. Now, we know where Karmen gets her beauty.

In Laguna Beach

Joe and his new bride with his entire family minus Lauren, Brandon and Mia who decided to play the sand.  Joe's adorable grandma and sweet mother, Trudy are to the right of Karmen.

with my two guys, Mr. Keith Kosan

the reception house in Palos Verdes

 

On a side note….not only is Karmen beautiful, but she must have superpowers.  She cooked for her wedding!  It was an amazing meal, and we just devoured everything. 

When the wedding concluded, we were able to have a nice dinner with the newlyweds and Karmen's mother and brother on Monday night.   This gave us a wonderful opportunity to get to know them, because honestly, at the wedding, our conversation was limited.  I just fell in love with her mother and brother. 
 

I am grateful.  I am grateful that Joe found someone to share his life with. I am excited for him and Karmen as they start a life together.  Young love is full of such promise and hope, and we only wish them everything beautiful life has to offer.   I am grateful that Keith was so accommodating to adjust his weekend to be there for his best friend’s son's wedding.  Lance loves Keith so it was even more meaningful to have him there.   I am grateful that I got to spend some time alone with Jessie.  Prior to this weekend, I communicated with Jessie in emails, texts, and through our family gatherings, but I must admit I was feeling a little anxiety with her arrival this weekend. Lance would be in San Diego, which would mean “alone” time with Jessie.  There would be no buffer or distractions.   I was uncertain as to how the conversation would flow and how natural it would be, but she is just the most amazing, easy to talk to, wonderful young woman.  I could easily spend a weekend alone with her and have the BEST time.  I felt like we bonded, and I truly grow to love her more.  I am also grateful for the warmth from Joe’s maternal side of the family.  Trudy, Mari, his grandma were just incredibly sweet, kind, warm people, and I have nothing but great things to say.  They just exude a genuine warmth.  It could have been awkward, but it wasn't.  It was just wonderful.

 

Congratulations to Joe and Karmen Wade!  We love you and are so very happy to be part of this extraordinary moment in your lives.  Now, when will we see some grandbabies?????!!!

USS Iowa

I asked my kids what I could do to be a better mom…a little constructive criticism.  They gave me the typical responses like “buy us more things”, but Brandon also added, “take us on more family day trips”.  Though we are no way short of activities, we could do a better job of exploring the local museums and attractions together. 

We have been wanting to visit the USS Iowa.  It is a battleship that is now located in the Port of Los Angeles.  It was ordered in 1939, launched in 1942, and commissioned in 1943.  Lance absolutely loves this stuff, and he loves sharing this passion with the kids.

 

When we boarded the ship, they announced Lance’s presence aboard over a loudspeaker.  I thought that was such a wonderful tribute to someone who had served 21 years in the military. 

Everyone had endless questions, and Lance was a wonderful tour guide explaining what was what.  This ship is much smaller than the Midway, but it was still such a rewarding visit. 

 

Here are some factual information about the historic USS Iowa.

 

USS IOWA Statistics

 

Namesake: The State of Iowa

Ordered: July 1, 1939

Builder: New York Naval Yard

Laid down: June 27, 1940

Launched: August 27, 1942

Commissioned: February 22, 1943

Decommissioned: October 26, 1990

Motto: "Our Liberties We Prize, Our Rights We Will Maintain"

Original Nickname: The Big Stick, which referred to President Teddy Roosevelt’s advice: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

Additional Nickname: Battleship of Presidents

Standard Displacement: 45,000 tons

Length: 887 ft 3 in (270.43 m)

Beam: 108 ft 2 in (32.97 m)

Draft: 37 ft 2 in (11.33 m)

Speed: 33 kn (38 mph; 61 km/h)

World War II Complement: 151 officers, 2637 enlisted

Bulkheads: 11.3 in (287.0 mm)
Barbettes: 11.6 to 17.3 in (294.6 to 439.4 mm)
Turrets: 19.7 in (500 mm)
Decks: 7.5 in (190.50 mm) Aircraft carried: floatplanes, helicopters, UAVs

Armament:

1943:

9 × 16 in (406 mm)/50 cal Mark 7 guns
20 × 5 in (127.0 mm)/38 cal Mark 12 guns
80 × 40 mm/56 cal anti-aircraft guns
49 × 20 mm/70 cal anti-aircraft cannons

1984:
9 × 16 in (406 mm)/50 cal Mark 7 guns
12 × 5 in (127.0 mm)/38 cal Mark 12 guns
32 × BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles
16 × RGM-84 Harpoon Anti-Ship missiles
4 × 20 mm/76 cal Phalanx CIWS

Armor: Belt: 12.1 in (307.3 mm)

USS IOWA Timeline

 

June 27, 1940: Laid down by New York Naval Shipyard

 

Aug. 27, 1942: Launched

 

Feb. 22, 1943: Commissioned

 

Nov. 13, 1943: Carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the Atlantic to meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin at the Tehran Conference, where the three leaders decided to open a second front against Nazi Germany

 

Jan. 23, 1944: Engaged in first Pacific campaign in support of carrier air strikes against Kwajalein and Eniwetok Atolls.

 

Feb. 16, 1944: Attacked naval base at Truk in the Caroline Islands

 

April 15, 1945: Relieved USS NEW JERSEY off of Okinawa, Japan

 

July 15, 1945: USS IOWA, MISSOURI and WISCONSIN attacked Muroran on Hoakkaido

 

Aug. 29, 1945: IOWA and MISSOURI enter Tokyo Bay for the formal signing of the Japanese surrender

 

March 24, 1949: First decommissioning

 

Aug. 25, 1951: First recommissioning

 

April 9, 1952: Joined bomb line off coast of Korea

 

May 25, 1952: Destroyed Chongjin’s industrial center (48 miles from the Russian border)

 

Aug. 20, 1952: Helped Destroyer Thompson escape to safe waters

 

June 1954: Training exercise with all four IOWA class battleships off of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

 

Feb. 24, 1958: Second decommissioning

 

April 28, 1984: Second recommissioning

 

Aug. 12, 1984: Provided medical and dental assistance in Guatemala

 

Feb. 1985: Provided humanitarian support for Costa Rica and Honduras

 

Aug. 22, 1985: Awarded Brattenberg Cup as best ship in the Atlantic Fleet for 1984

 

July 4, 1986: Carried President Ronald Reagan on the Hudson River for the nation’s Celebration of Liberty in New York City

 

April 19, 1989: Forty-seven sailors were killed in an explosion in Turret #2

 

Oct. 26, 1990: Third decommissioning

 

March 8, 2001: Begins journey from the East Coast to California via the Panama Canal

 

April 21, 2001: Arrives at the “Mothball Fleet” in Suisun Bay

 

March 17, 2006: Becomes available for donation by the U.S. Navy

 

May 26, 2010: Navy accepts Pacific Battleship Center’s Letter of Intent to submit an application for the donation

 

Sept. 24, 2010: Los Angeles City Council votes 13-0 in support of a resolution to bring the USS IOWA to the Port of Los Angeles

 

Oct. 7, 2010: Los Angeles Harbor Commissioners indicate support

 

Nov. 4, 2010: Los Angeles Harbor Commissioners staff recommends Berth 87

 

Nov. 18, 2010: Los Angeles Harbor Commissioners vote 5-0 in support of a resolution to make Berth 87 the future home of USS IOWA

 

Nov. 22, 2010: Pacific Battleship Center submits application to the Navy

 

Sept. 6, 2011: Navy awards IOWA to the Pacific Battleship Center for a museum

 

Oct. 27, 2011: Leaves “Mothball Fleet” in Suisun Bay and arrives at California’s Port of Richmond for renovation in preparation for tow to Los Angeles

 

April 19, 2012: Remembrance Ceremony honors 47 sailors who died in the Turret #2 explosion

 

April 24, 2012: Re-stepping of the 50-foot-tall mast in preparation for tow to Los Angeles

 

April 30, 2012: U.S. Navy Vice Admiral W. Mark Skinner and Pacific Battleship Center President Robert Kent sign final documents transferring ownership from Navy to PBC

 

May 26, 2012: Leaves Port of Richmond under tow, crosses San Francisco Bay and passes under the Golden Gate Bridge and heads for Los Angeles

 

May 30, 2012: Arrives at Los Angeles for hull cleaning at offshore anchorage

 

June 2, 2012: Completes last voyage on open water and docks at Berth 51-52 in Port of Los Angeles

 

June 9, 2012: Makes final journey down the main channel to its permanent home at Port of Los Angeles, Berth 87, in San Pedro, Calif.

 

July 2, 2012: Celebration (by invitation only) for Plankowners who made donations to the nonprofit Pacific Battleship Center by May 20, 2012.

 

July 2-5, 2012: Reunion of the Veterans Association of the USS Iowa (by invitation only)

 

July 4, 2012: Independence Day Celebration featuring Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa (by invitation only)

 

July 7, 2012: Public grand opening of the ship as a floating museum

 

Brandon is right. I think I need to do these things more.  There are so many local activities.  We definitely have to do more exploring.

 

Hollywood Half Marathon 2014

You know you are a hardcore runner when the days leading up to a half marathon race, you hear yourself saying, "I'm just running a half." or "it's only a half".  When did a half marathon just become only a half...a measly 13.1 miles?  Somewhere in my running career, a half marathon became just that.  I don't train for them. I simply just get out and run.  It is my race.  It is enough distance that I feel a challenge, but not enough where I feel I need months of preparation. 

The Hollywood Half Marathon was this past Saturday, April 5.  I am a Hollywood Half Marathon Legacy Runner. This is a young race that had its inaugural race in 2012.  I ran all three races: 2012, 2013, and 2014, and I am now considered a Legacy Runner.  Each year I run, I will get a special gift. I intend on keeping my legacy status. I like this race. I remember the first year running it, they ran out of cups and runners were using their hands to cup water.  I laugh at that memory now.  I like it because the medal is my favorite. The race is small and there is a nice warm intimate feeling to it.   The first race only had about 2500 runners, and though it is growing, you are not dealing with 20,000 runners. I am not a big fan of the Rock and Roll marathons.  I also like the star treatment they give you...finishing on a red carpet.  In the past races, they used a limo to shuttle the runners to/from the start.  The course is also a challenge.  It is not flat. 

Hollywood Half Marathon Medals from All Three Races

What I love about running is that it gets me to places I would not normally go...even if it is semi local, I get to travel, stay in different hotels at a much cheaper rate, and eat in different restaurants.  It's a wonderful experience.

Lance was registered for the Hollywood 10k, but he has not been working out so he opted to stay home.  I caught the train to Hollywood with Dylan.  Ok, this is going to sound very strange, but if you're a runner, and particularly, if you are a Ragnar runner, it's kind of normal.  I shared a room with my son and three other guys, and yes, none of those guys were my husband.  We do this to help defray costs, and it also makes it fun.

picking up my bib

The W Hotel is simply a luxury hotel.  Wow!  They had this elaborate bar and condiments in our room that even offered oxygen.  Yes, oxygen?  What do you do with that?  We received a reduced rate of $310.00 for the room, and I thought that was expensive, but the regular rates at the W can easily be $600+. 



Dylan in the very modern W Hotel room

my roomies

Dylan at the roof top pool of the W Hotel



lounging outside in the W hotel with fire pits and a movie size giant screen TV

View from the rooftop pool at the W Hotel

W Hotel

The eve before the Saturday race, we ate at this trendy Italian restaurant in downtown Hollywood called Aventine.  It was absolutely delicious.

What I like about this race is that we left our hotel room at 5:45 a.m. for a 6 a.m. race.  It was just so easy. When we finished, we walked 3 mins back to our hotel room.  Convenience!!

My days of running 2 hour half marathons are over.  I'm just old.  My time for the Hollywood half was 2:19.  I am pleased with that especially considering that I only ran 2 times in the last month...yes, I ran 1 mile on two different times.  I have been working out though, but doing other types of exercise.  My heart and lungs are in prime shape.  I am never tired, but I get muscle fatigue and I guess that's what I need to work on.

Dont know who this guy is, but took a photo op....had to google him later.

Posing with my medal and my favorite start, Monty Clift

Me at 16 years old in front of Monty's star and 26 years later, I am 42 sitting in front of his star

posing in front of the Pantages theater.  I have seen a few plays in there, and the Book of Mormon is playing...maybe Lance and I will go there for our anniversary celebration. I hope so...

So what's next? OC Half Marathon in a month!  Dylan will be running with me.  I'm so proud of him.  He didn't do as well as he normally does, but he hasn't been running either.  He has 11 medals.  I now have a running partner.

A Very, Very BUSY Life

I have been told repeatedly by Lance that I overbook our schedule, and I have to admit there is some truth in that.  For the month of March and April, there is an extracurricular activity to do every weeknight.  Oftentimes, there are multiple activities on the same night.  My Saturdays are customarily consumed with three events.  I literally spend almost the entire Saturday at Miles Square Park Sports Complex.  Additionally, I have my own personal needs/goals. I’m so grateful to Outlook calendar, because I simply don’t know how I would effectively manage this chaos.
 

Last night, we had a double header.  Mia's team this season is the Lil Heartbreakers and Brandon is on the Pirates.  Mia had a softball game at 530 p.m. and Brandon’s game began at 6:45 p.m.  Brandon’s game did not end until 9 p.m. I basically left the house at 7 a.m. to go to work and did not get back home until almost 9:30 p.m. Yes, we rush home, and I simply do not have time to give the kids’ baths.  It is just change into pajamas, brush teeth, and get into bed.  It is exhausting at times.  I don’t know how other working parents manage. In my mind, I reason with myself saying it is just for two months, but I know when this season ends, another season with new activities will begin.  I have all three kids involved in something at the same time, and sometimes, one of my kids are involved in two things simultaneously.  There is an overlap.  Do not get me wrong.  I am just stating the facts.  I am not complaining, because I want my kids to do all that they can.  It is important, and I receive pleasure in watching them explore new things, improve their skills, and overcome challenges and fears.

 

I’m actually proud of how I’m able to juggle ALL of this.  I believe the key is organization and exercise.  People use the excuse that they don’t have time to exercise, but if you don’t exercise, you don’t have the energy to do anything else.  I am like the energizer bunny. I have an overabundant amount of energy.  I cannot sit still.  I want to go, go, go, and I’m able to spread myself out and keep going.  I am not perfect, but I feel I do a damn good job working a full time job and being a full time mother.  I'm able to work full time, volunteer at their school, attend/support their involvement in multiple activities, ensure their academic success, maintain their physical and mental well being, and take care of all the necessary household duties.  Yes, I'm going to say it.....I AM SUPERWOMAN!