Last Day In The Corps

Today is Rich's last day as an Active Duty Marine... that's right, we are leaving the Corps. It is with mixed emotions of both a heavy and hopeful heart that I write today's post. Never again will I hear the jingle of Rich's keys at our front door, to find my handsome Marine in uniform standing in our entryway. Today is a salute to our time serving as a family in The United States Marine Corps over the past six almost seven years.

With twins on the way in the next few months, a new house and my hubby starting grad school, our plate will be quite full and this just seemed like the perfect time to break away from the Corps. Rich will be joining The Marine Corps Reserves in January, so we will still have affiliation with the military and in many ways, we will always have the Corps in our hearts!

It sure has been a fun ride and I am so grateful for all The Marine Corps has provided for us; financial stability, great friends, adventures and so much more! Like all good things, it is time to move on and start the next chapter of our life...

Let's take a little trip down Marine Corps memory lane... let's start at the beginning!

Rich started his journey in The Marine Corps in June of 2007, when he went to Officer Candidate School in Quantico Virginia for a 10 week weeding out process... not everyone made it through this process. What they say really is true; "The Marines, The Few, The Proud, The Brave"! 

Rich Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in The United States Marine Corps on August 2nd, 2008.



 Just a few short weeks after our wedding, here is Rich on his commissioning day! 

This is a picture of us as newlyweds on our first big military move in December of 2008 to Quantico Virginia. This would become our home for the next year while Rich attended The Basic School over 5 years ago. 

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Here we are in front of our Nation's Capitol in Washington D.C. . 

Our home for a little over a year.

Here we are at the famous 8th & I in D.C.

Loved watching The 8th & I Silent Drill Team.

Great friends who have been such a blessing in our life! 

David & Melissa, Kate & Joe .

Who says wives can't learn to shoot??
I did! 

Good times! 

Our dear friends Sara and Joel, fellow Marine family who we met during our adventures in Quantico!

The boys!

Marines have the BEST sense of humor! 

Ladies lunch at The Commandant's home in D.C

Chesty, the Commandant's dog!

I just loved feeling important sitting at The Commandant's desk! 

Rich and our good friend Bobby in training.

Gotta love the Marines!

At the end of The Basic School training, it was nice to celebrate Rich's accomplishments with our families!



My Mom flew out to D.C for Rich's TBS Graduation. It was the first time I had seen her in 7 months!



One of the BEST times of our life!




It was in Quantico Virginia, that we adopted the first new member of our family... our cat, Maverick!



Off to Pensacola Florida for more adventures in Flight School!

We met The Blue Angels 

The love of my life, my Marine !

We had a blast at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball 

We made new friends in Florida! 

 Our friends started having babies and we welcomed new life into the Corps!





We enjoyed visiting the Southern states that surrounded us ...



This is when I fell in love with the South!



Our Snowman Marine.



Fun times with Flight School friends on a vacation to the North Carolina mountains.






We learned what it was like to spend holidays away from our family...



But we were blessed with great friends!

The boys in the cockpit of an MC-130.

I was the Hospitality and Events Coordinator for our Spouses Of Student Aviators Club and I loved hosting parties in Florida! 

Flight Wives Bibles Study Group... I REALLY miss this group of ladies! 

Officer Wives Tea ...

We had fun times at the Florida beaches! 

It was in Florida that I took up...

...Sewing...



...Cake Decorating...



...and I took classes to receive my concealed handgun license !



I had a blast, while Rich prepared to fly, spending hours studying!
Rich promoted to a First Lieutenant while in Pensacola Florida.

We started our Family in Pensacola Florida in 2010!

God had other plans for us. Then it was off to Camp Pendleton California for the past three years!

Where we grew and became a family of three... 

Daddy Deployed for almost 9 months ... 

It was hard without him, especially during Christmas!

Here is Rich in Petra, Jordan. 

Oh Captain, My Captain is home!

Praise Jesus... Rich came back home to us safe and sound...

and our little family of three was whole again!

Rich promoted to Captain while on deployment in October of last year. 

Here is the picture of the first time Robbie laid eyes on his Daddy in almost 9 months. Robbie was just about 16 months old when Daddy left and when he came back Robbie was almost 24 months old.

In July of 2013, we found out we are expecting! 

It was just a month later, in August, we found out we will become a family of five. 

In March 2014 we will meet our twins! 

After all of our many moves, we are back where we started safely and soundly in Pasadena Ca. We end our active duty Marine Corps chapter here... but look forward to what the Lord has in store for us in the future! For His plans are good! :) 

Please keep our little family in your prayers dear friends! :)
Because it is the season of Thanksgiving, looking back on this chapter in our life and all that we have been through, this girl is TRULY thankful!

Blessing & Semper Fidelis ( Always Faithful),

The Christensen Family