I didn't write much while at Camp Lejeune. I was pregnant or with a new born, plus a toddler, and a pre-schooler. We were isolated. CLMCB empties each weekend as families take advantage of the North Carolina weather and it's proximity to great trip spots. With Sean's chapel responsibilities, we were tied to the base. Since we don't drive on Shabbat, and we were three miles from the chapel, Sean biked and we stayed home. We got used to artillery fire causing all our pictures to be crooked. We did our time, but knew it was limited when Jesse came home from school around Thanksgiving asking, "Are they going to make me celebrate Christmas?" The isolation we could deal with, but the peer pressure, even for a pre-schooler to conform, we felt this wasn't fair. We looked for another duty station with a larger Jewish community, but there were no available postings. It was time to go home. Sean applied to, and was hired by Bellmore Jewish Centre, just two miles from my parents. Long Island was not what it once was Jewishly, but it was a good transition, and great for family.
When Beth Tzedec opened for an assistant rabbi, we jumped, we packed, and we moved. Reserve duty continued, two days a month, two weeks a year. After three years at Beth Tzedec, Sean received word his unit was set to deploy June 2008. Beth Tzedec graciously extended Sean's contract to take him to the deployment. Never count your chickens until they hatch, and never trust military orders until the person is on the ground (and sometimes not even then). The deployment was post-poned, Sean's orders ended, and he was transferred to a new SeaBee unit. Pride of Israel came calling, and we happily moved just a bit north to where we are today.
