We Love Our Sailor

We made the trek up to Great Lakes the end of last weekend to spend some time with P.K. We arrived in the early afternoon in time to get a new base sticker for my car. I took a rock to my windshield a while back and had to have it replaced. I don't have a need to go on a base very often, but it is nice to be back in the club. We also took Rachel to get her first military i.d. Turning 10 is a huge milestone for military kids because they too get to have a military i.d. However, at least in this family, the 10 year old is not going to carry her own i.d.

I caught this group hug when P.K. arrived in the parking lot.

After we got the stickers and i.d.s out of the way, P.K. took us around the recruit side of the base. When we were stationed here, that area was a huge mystery. It is where new recruits go for boot camp. The area is pretty heavily restricted. Since P.K. was a chaplain for the recruits he didn't even have access to that part of the base. But now, he is over on that side. This is a monument outside of the recruit chapel.

P.K. and the kids outside the recruit chapel.

I'll have to take and post some pictures of the main base. There are some beautiful historic brick buildings there. Our time there was before I started the blog, so it would be nice to have them on here.

After our tour, we jumped right into more family time. There is a nice outlet mall nearby with a little reptile zoo. We had to take our snake lover through.

Aaron with an anaconda.

P.K. was taken with this huge Burmese python. This one is actually larger than what would typically be found in the wild because she is fed regularly and can laze around. In the wild she would have to search large areas for food and would only be able to eat when she found prey.

P.K. and me with an albino Nile crocodile.

The kids with an alligator. Notice their matching Navy shirts. It was their idea to wear them when they got to see Daddy. I have one too, but I declined the invitation to match my kiddos.