Commander!

Last week our family celebrated a milestone for Noa: his promotion to Commander!  I was waiting for the official photos from the hospital, but those may take some time, so I'm posting with a few from our phones to share this event.

Military promotions are interesting because they can take almost a year to actually take place.  Service members will get notified of their selection to the next rank, but the actual promotion may take several months to a year from that point.  Until then, the service member is known as (new title)-select.  So, for almost a year, Noa was considered a Commander-select.  

Last week, he and another service member from the hospital participated in a small ceremony in the courtyard to make their promotions official.  The Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, and Command Master Chief of the hospital were there, in addition to 20+ service members (mostly officers) from the hospital to witness the event.  The day was beautiful and sunny, although the sun was right in our eyes for some of the photo opportunities.  Oh well, we're keeping it real.

The girls were troopers, considering it was Mila's nap time and the sun was in their eyes.

The ceremony included our family when it was Noa's turn.  I changed his lapel pin (Noa gets a new pin to show his new position).  Talk about pressure: all those in attendance watch this part.  Thankfully, I didn't drop anything or stab my finger while pinning it.  

A view of the ceremony: service members in attendance to the right, 

Noa in front with the CO of the hospital.

Our family with Captain Starks.

Noa, always thinking of others, presented me and the girls with flowers for our 

support of his career.  He's a total keeper.

Not the best photo, since the sun was in our eyes, but we were so happy to share the moment with Maria,

 our nanny, who is such a big part of our lives here.

Congrats to Noa, who works so hard to support our family and give us a fun, adventurous life with the Navy.  We are so proud of you!

 

Beachy Birthday

Noa's birthday was last week and we celebrated over breakfast with friends in Puerto Sherry.  We really enjoy this area as it has restaurants by the water, a comfortable beach, and great views.  It was a pleasant, clear morning - perfect for breakfast outside with friends.

Starting the day with some cafe con leche (coffee/espresso with steamed milk) with the waves lapping the shore behind you: perfection!

Oh, and did I mention that we ordered the fresh squeezed orange juice?  It's mighty tasty, but you definitely get lots of pulp!



Here's the man of the day with some of his buddies.  Left to right: Robbie, Chris, Bryan, and of course, Noa.  And no, that wine was not for breakfast…those are a couple of his birthday gifts.

This is Ruby with her newest BFF, Keira.  They are about a year apart in age and so fun to watch together, with their little conversations, giggle fits, and imaginative play.

We are lucky to have some Washington connections out here.  Chris works at the hospital with Noa and his wife, Laura, and I were buddies back in Washington.  It's nice to walk this road of excitement/uncertainty/newness with them as we navigate our new surroundings in Spain.

 After breakfast, we enjoyed the beach with the kiddos.  Ruby and Keira had a blast playing in the sand  and running around.  Since it's not tourist season anymore, the beaches are less crowded and the girls had plenty of room to play.

This was when Ruby was pretending to swim in the sand.  Crazy girl!

I entertained Mila and tried to keep her from eating sand.

And, then there's the obligatory birthday selfie with Noa.  It was such a peaceful, relaxed morning with him and a nice change of pace from the contact unpacking and errand-running.

It may have been a low-key birthday celebration this year, but I think Noa really enjoyed it and we'll remember it fondly in years to come.