Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

A nice day of relaxation with the girls, and getting a few things tidied up around the house. No appointments, other than the phone call (conference call) with the team responsible for designing Jason's house. It was a good call, with a few more adjustments identified, and then once that is accomplished the plans get submitted to one of the governing bodies that say what can and can not be done. We don't expect too much in the way of delays, just that it is a lengthy process. This afternoon, around 16:30 (4:30pm) we all decided to go for a walk. When I say, "we all" I mean Jason, too. In truth, I think that Linda and I are the only ones to actually walked. Both Stacy and Jackie ran most of the way, and Jason was close behind, with Gracie right there with him. They'd get up to a corner or driveway and Grandma and Grandpa would come walking up a short while later. We made it all the way around the block (about .35 miles) and then back in the house. We all settle...

Today started out with a little extra excitement, and it wasn't the kind of excitement that we want to happen. We were getting ready to head over to the church, and Linda's stomach began to bother her. To the point where she didn't want to leave the house, if it wasn't necessary. We decided to continue with the focus of going to church, because Stacy was performing, with the other children, and signing a couple of songs they learned at Vacation Bible School (VBS). Jason was anxious to go, as he didn't get to see the performance at VBS, due to his procedure last week; so, going was kind of important to him. We all walked out the front door; I walked over to the van; and then the door for Jason wouldn't open.  We've had similar issues in the past, where the door gave us some challenge, but in the past, we have always been able to get it to work. Today was different. I spent about 15 minutes trying every combination I could come up with to get the door to op...

Today was an excellent day for the Ross family, in San Diego. I got up early, while most of the rest of the house was still asleep, and took off for a nice bike ride. I went a little over 24 miles, with a trek up this awful hill, right in the middle of the ride. I was determined to get to the top, and had to stop on the way up, though I did make it all the way, after resting. The ride back down the hill was much faster than going up - go figure. Linda and I talked about it and agreed that I will be getting a couple of days during the week, and then one day on the weekend to ride on a more regular basis. Right now it seems like I'm maintaining my leg condition but not gaining any strength or stamina, and that is what I really want to do. When I made it back to the house we all got busy with a few chores and taking care of a few things, and then tried to get a little rest. The girls went down for a nap, but didn't sleep, and after a short while in bed they got up and we decided...

This morning started of pretty early, as Jason needed to be at the hospital, for a procedure, at 06:15, and that meant I had to get up at 05:15. Now I know there are a few of you out there saying to yourself, "Hey, that isn't so early, I used to get up at XX:XX (fill in the time you want) all the time." Well, as it was, Linda and I got to bed late last night, and due to other things, didn't sleep well. Funny thing is, I woke up at 05:16, without an alarm clock, and just got moving. Funny how the body works... Anyway, we made it to the hospital with time to spare (about 10 minutes), and when we left the house we knew that Linda was already getting up as well, so the girls would be able to get to their activities this morning. Jason and I went in and in a short while a corpsman came in and began to work with Jason, by taking the basics and his vitals (blood pressure, pulse, temp, etc.), and then a few moments later we were led down to the P.A.C.U. to get ready for the...

Today was a good day, with Jason going to Wound Care and all of us seeing some solid progress. They said they liked what they were seeing and asked me to continue doing whatever it is I'm doing. The hope is that by me going back to my previous methods of care we can again see progress, and I think it is working. Jason has taken steps to help the girls with adjusting to their new life, by signing them up with a counselor, so we think he is going in the right direction for them. Not much else done today, other than taking care of some personal stuff and getting some paperwork taken care of. We found ourselves, Jason, Linda and I, being without the girls this evening so we decided to go take in a movie. Jason wanted to check out a movie he was hoping he could take Stacy to see, so we all went to see it first. How To Train Your Dragon 2  had a showing tonight and so we went to grab a quick bite and then to the movie. To be honest, it was kind of mild yet with enough excitement that a...

A short blog for an amazingly BIG day. Today was Jason's last day as a Marine, though he won't actually stop serving until the end of August. He had his retirement ceremony today at Balboa Naval Hospital, and it was the largest enlisted retirement ceremony that they have seen in a very long time. There were Marines from the Wounded Warrior Battalion; Marines from Camp Pendleton; Marines from Miramar; Marines from MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot); and even Navy EOD representatives. Marines from 1st EOD Company were there, and then on top of all that there were a number of retired folk, civilian folks, and a large number of people who work at Balboa, both military and civilian who attended. Some very amazing and special things were said about Jason, and I feel so blessed that I was able to not only attend, I was able to sit in the front row to see everything. A large portion of the family was there as well, including Jason's brother David, and his family. Linda's paren...

These past two days have been very busy for us, and yet I really don't have much to blog about. Jason is doing well, and we're working to get those last two areas healed up, and he is managing to keep a strong and positive out look on life. Sometimes his strength is what keeps me going. He never complains about the amount of time he ends up spending in bed, when I know he would rather be out and about, and his attitude is always so positive. I guess that is the real reason we're able to get through all this... he keeps the rest of us on a positive flow and focused in the right direction. Last night Steve and Yolanda Camerena, Jason's Nino and Nina (God Parents) arrived from the S.F. Bay Area, and they are staying for Jason's retirement ceremony. The very good part of that is that Steve is also a retired military guy, from the Air Force, so he can get on base with no problems. We went to dinner with them last night and didn't get home until almost 23:00 (11pm),...

Today is June 20, the last day of "active" duty for the Marine known as SSGT Jason M. Ross. He finished his sign-out requirements as of 10:35 this morning, up at Camp Pendleton, and is now on terminal leave. He is still active duty, and won't be out of the Marines until August 30, a bit more than two months from now. It almost seems like a dream or something, and next week we will still be required to do all the same things we have been doing for the past few years. Right after completing all the requirements and signing all the documents (and there were several), we went over to visit the guys at the EOD detachment, 1st Company, and got a chance to meet some of them. On Monday, a bunch of them plan to be at his retirement ceremony. We also found out that a few of them also live in the Fallbrook area, where Jason's new house is slated to be built. It is good to have a chance to meet some of our 'neighbors' before we actually move in. One of the surprises o...

Not a great deal to report yesterday, other than Jason going all over the base getting signatures, and working to have his final tally done. He and I did attend the command change ceremony, that took place yesterday, and was interesting, so that was a chance for me to sit down and relax a bit. We did have Stacy with us, so I was kept kind of busy just taking care of her, and as you might expect, a lengthy ceremony wasn't something that a five year old tolerates well. Much to her credit, she remained quiet and did sit on my lap for most of the talking. Fortunately, the next long ceremony we have is Jason's retirement ceremony, and that happens on Monday, the 23rd, this one should be fun for Stacy. The other big thing that happened yesterday was a nice dinner visit by Robb Frank and his wife Pauline. We have gotten to know them as a result of Robb being one of the Nice Guys, and they are the folks who are helping to get Jason the truck he wants. Today was a final visit back to ...

Another day closer to retirement, for Jason. Effectively he has 3 days left, and then the retirement ceremony on Monday (23rd). We spent a good portion of the morning getting sign-off signatures and as it turned out, we went to the C.O.'s going away luncheon that was held today. Yep, as Jason retires the C.O. is also moving on. It is a big week for the Wounded Warrior Battalion, here at Balboa. Actually we had been going around attempting to find people so that there signatures could be acquired when we heard about the luncheon. Jason knew there would be several of the signatures he needs, so we ended up just being there before everybody else showed up (by about 10 minutes) and they weren't going to kick us out of the room, so it worked out nicely. Jason picked up about half a dozen signatures - very nice. Tomorrow we are going back to the hospital and I hope we can get most of the rest of the signatures, if not all of them. We have a special day tomorrow also, because Stacy ...

Today was Jason's last formation, though he will have to go through one more for his retirement ceremony on Monday, the 23rd (next week). He didn't seem to be bothered or excited about it, just that it was another step that was required. The big thing for today was to get more of the sign-out paperwork completed, and that was what we worked on today. This morning we brought George along with us, so that he could get a glimpse of what it is Jason does on a regular basis, as a Wounded Warrior. George seemed moderately impressed, though like Jason, it is sometimes hard to tell. We traveled all around the hospital campus and effectively showed him around, and by noon (actually a little prior) we were heading back to the house. We also had in mind that George was to catch a 15:30 (3:30pm) flight back home, and that meant we needed to be at the airport by 14:30 (2:30pm). I was a little concerned at first, because sometimes that airport can be very busy. As it turned out, it was a l...

Happy Father's Day, to all those dads out there... It has been a good day, and enjoyed by the family. It is nice having our eldest son, George visit this weekend,  as we don't get to see him that often.  The girls being here are also a nice plus, as they get to know their Uncle George a little bit better, and it gives him some time to be around two little girls. George has no kids, and aside from his long time girls friend Jessica, he is a confirmed bachelor... though we still have our hopes that some day he might announce a "change" in his life. I did get to hear from all the boys today, well, Sean called yesterday when he thought it was Sunday, so he meant to call on the correct day. He is (was?) traveling today so his ability to call was limited, and a call yesterday worked better for the both of us. David called, and he wished me a happy Father's Day, along with his two sons, and then they all talked with everybody via speaker phone. We even got a chance to ...

We took the girls to the fair today, and had a great time... Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself here. This morning Linda took off early to go meet with the San Diego North County Chapter  Blue Star Moms, and to check out their organization in this area. She was moderately active with them up in the S.F. Bay Area and thought it would be a good idea to connect down here. The meeting was early, and also at the Fair Grounds, so she made a couple of trips to the fair today. The meeting was exactly what she was hoping for and Linda felt very positive about the people she met, as well as being able to help with the group down here. While she was up in Del Mar (where the Fair Grounds are) I was down here with Jason and the girls, and then later in the morning, with George, our eldest son. He flew in to spend Father's Day weekend with us so we had our own "meeting" and it was fun. We, the girls and I, went to the airport to pick him up and then came back to the house. We did...

Hey, Friday the 13th actually came on a Friday this month! Funny how some folks are superstitious about it, and so many other things. I try not to worry too much about such stuff, as I really don't feel it impacts me in any way. So with that, I'll start my blog.... Today was a busy day, and Jason got a bunch of things done. One of those things was to sign up his daughters to Karate, at a dojo quite close to us. We'll be taking the girls there next week to see if it is going to be a good fit, and I think it will. He also attempted to get the girls signed up for swimming lessons, something Linda and I have been pushing for, and found out that he has to wait until next week. The person who does all the sign-ups had just left, just a few minutes prior to us arriving. Seems no one else was able to do the sign-up. Linda and I also got a number of things done, and for the most part we were all pretty tired by the middle of the afternoon. Yesterday was also a busy day, but not ...

Another day behind us, and another day closer to retirement. Jason is looking at 9 more days until Jason's last day as an active Marine, and then three days later he will have his retirement ceremony. Funny thing though, he will then be on what they call terminal leave, and still considered active duty until the end of August. Actually, there are still a couple of other things that could happen that would extend him even longer, but we aren't going to worry about those right now. Stacy had her "moving on" ceremony today, at the Catholic School,  where she is moving up from the pre-school to Kindergarten. It was a fun little ceremony; Jason, Linda and I were there to watch all the fun. Stacy and her class, sang some patriotic songs and they really did a great job of it. I did take some pictures and will do my best to get some of them on to the blog, over the next couple of days. I know I haven't been as good lately, as I have in the past with posting pictures, so...

Today was a good day, and started out with another exciting morning with the girls. They are always so full of energy, once you get them out of bed. Getting them moving sometimes is a bit of a challenge, but once you do, you better look out, they go from stopped to over drive in about 2 seconds flat. I guess sometimes we feed off their energy and it feels good to be having all that fun in the morning. Of course by the end of the day we tend to be a bit worn down, and they barely look like they need any rest at all. One of the joys of getting older, I guess. Jason had an appointment out at Pendleton, at the new hospital there. We were meeting with a new surgeon and Jason wanted to discuss some possible steps going forward. The doctor's name is, Dr. Edson, and I was particularly impressed with him. He came in and introduced himself and began to ask all the right questions about Jason's injuries and wounds, and how they were being treated. We talked about some of the steps that ...

Today was one of the busiest days we've had in a while. We did get a few things done, and that was good, though it would have been better if we hadn't had to deal with all the delays and communication drops. Jason and I headed over to the base, with the regular schedule being his formation. After that I ran over to the VA to get some lab work started (to give some credit, where credit is due... I was in and out of the VA in about 10 minutes and didn't have to sit around much at all), and then headed by to the Naval Hospital, Balboa. I went over to building 26 parking area and just waited for Jason, since he was in a class. He showed up a little while later and we headed on back to the house. That was the end of the smooth running day. It was getting close to 12:30 so Jason and I got back in the van and headed back to the Hospital. This time it was to meet with general surgery to discuss some of the future surgeries that might be coming up. Trouble is that when we got ther...

Today started as a bit of a laid back kind of day, with Linda and Jason both sleeping in a bit. I, on the other hand, got up at about 06:30 and made myself a little breakfast (small bowl of cereal). I was getting ready to go for a bike ride and I always have to have something in my tummy before I take off. I rode a little over 14 miles (over 16 yesterday), and still managed to get back before either of them had gotten to the point of moving around. Jason was doing fine and so I sat down and just cooled down a bit, and then went up to find that Linda had woken, so we were all up and going. After the shower and getting dressed I came back down stairs and then began the rest of the day. Actually, not much happened, and that was fine with all of us. Jason didn't want to be going out or doing any travel, so he pretty much just stayed in bed, except for a couple of short visits when he came out of his room. Lunch was easy and then dinner was actually prepared for us by a group called S...

Jason and I had to get going a little early this morning, for a formation with the Wounded Warrior Battalion, at Balboa Hospital. The only thing different was that today one of the guys was retiring and there was going to be a ceremony... at least that was what we were told. Jason was told to come to building 14, and to be there before 07:30, when these things typically take place. Well, we managed to get there before 07:30, but there was no formation; so we headed over to building 26, in the turn-around. There was no formation there either. Jason started to contact Jinks (that's the name of his section leader) and before he was able to connect one of the other staff sergeants came by and we asked him. He said the formation was going to be down at the main flag poll, by building 1. We still made it before 07:30, but just barely. However, now we were told the formation was beginning at 08:00, so again we were there with plenty of time, it just would have been nice to have been told ...

Today was an informative kind of day, where Jason and I learned a few more things about his pending separation from the Marines; and probably the biggest was that we still don't know as much as we need to know. We went into the first appointment, with Admin, from his command, and it was scheduled to be a one hour sit down discussion. We actually got there at 08:45, which was 15 minutes early, and didn't leave until 10:40, about 40 minutes later than we planned. This kind of messed up the next stop/appointment, as Jason was going to be checking out the Segway chair. This is a wheel-chair built on a Segway base that Jason might be able to use. The Segway rep has been asking Jason to just come by and check it out, so we attempted to set something up for today. Because of the time-sync at Admin, that meeting has now been pushed to 13:00 (1pm) tomorrow. We did get a chance to see the chair, and it looks interesting, and I think it might be an interesting addition to the rest of Jaso...

I really don't know where to start with today's blog, as we learned something new today, so I'll just start... Jason has a little over two (2) weeks left in the Marines (sort of). First though, the day began pretty much like many of the others, with the girls being full of energy and getting prepared for the day. They picked out their own clothes this morning, and they both did a pretty good job of it. Jason had one appointment when we got up this morning, but it was cancelled before he had gotten dressed, so that actually allowed us to relax a bit, and when I walked Stacy to her class, Jackie walked along with us. Jackie and I walked back to the house and then Jason and I took her to the hospital on Balboa, where she had an audiology appointment. It was actually a hearing test, and it came back that she was fine, and that the infection she had back in April didn't do anything to her hearing. Jason had to get over to building 26, and that is where things got a little ...

Jason and I went in for his formation this morning, after dropping Jackie off at her pre-school, and saw a little bit of a different gathering. The Sergeant Major was actually scheduled to retire at the end of this month, much like Jason is (Jason is scheduled to actually retire at the end of August, and will be going on terminal leave for two months prior to that, so effectively he retires at the end of June), only things didn't work out as well as he had hoped. Apparently some family or personal issue(s) came up and he has to leave tomorrow. We are going to miss the Sergeant Major, as he is a very good guy to know and always has a story or two to tell. He is the ranking enlisted man of the Wounded Warriors; the next highest rank is Gunny. After we came back to the house we had a quick breakfast (got back before 10:00) and then Linda suggested that we all (the 3 of us) go to a movie, and of course she had one picked out. It turned out to be "A Million Ways to Die in The Wes...

Wow, June already... This year has been going by pretty quickly. Today was a nice relaxed kind of day, where we got up a little later today, and had plenty of time to have breakfast and then get the girls ready for church. Well, actually for them it was Sunday School. Stacy and Jackie both enjoy going, and they make a point to be sure we're going, well in advance of actually going. We got back to the house, just a little before noon, and I considered that a good thing, since we still had some clean up to do from yesterday's birthday party. Linda worked on the house and I worked on the backyard. Everything was done by the end of the day, so obviously we had the time to do it. Not sure just how these next couple of days, weeks, months are going to go, but I do know that it is probably some of the busiest times we are going to have, so we'll need to stay focused on what we need to get done, and do our best to avoid getting side tracked. Jason has formation in the morning...