We're blogging!

Hello family and friends! Chet and I decided to start a blog as we're both pretty bad about updating our Facebook pages (even though it's fun for us to view everyone else's updates!). We've had a hard time keeping in touch with our family and friends the past three years due to our hectic (and completely opposite) ship schedules, and hope this blog will help us to continually update and stay close to the people we love.

Here's what we've been up to since July 2006...

We were able to spend our first few months of marriage together in Jacksonville, FL, since both of our ships were undergoing extensive repairs. But in January 2007, Chet's ship (USS Simpson) began going out to sea quite often, and my ship (USS De Wert) followed in March 2007. Since then, Chet has been on a six-week trip to Europe and a six-month deployment to South America, and I've been on a (different) six-week trip to Europe, and two five-month deployments to South America. Needless to say, we haven't spent much time together! Thankfully, that has begun to change for good! In December Chet transferred from his ship, out of the Surface Warfare Community, and into the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC). He attended school in California for three months (January - April) to learn about his new career, and just started his new, three-year job at Public Works Department on the base in Mayport, FL. Chet and I are both very happy with this change, mostly because he will be landlocked for the next three years! I am finishing up my second sea tour on my ship as the Navigator and just found out that I will also be working in the Jacksonville area for the next couple of years! We were praying hard that I would be chosen for this position, as there are very few Navy desk jobs available in the Jacksonville area. I will start my new job around November, and will be working at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, just across town from where we work now.

I think those are enough details for now (and hopefully our civilian family and friends weren't too confused by all of the Navy talk!). We have the best of intentions for this blog, so don't be afraid to bug us if we go too long without updating...

Love,
Chet and Ashley