Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all had a great Turkey Day! I was lucky enough to spend the holiday with cousin Tisha at her husband's family home. Brian's family was warm and welcoming, and it was a great way to spend the day. I have to admit I fell under the spell of the turkey and passed out on the couch for a while, but I think that is allowed on Thanksgiving! Josh spent Thanksgiving underway, as you might expect. He unfortunately didn't get to celebrate with the entire wardroom; he had to go on watch and therefore ate a quieter meal with a smaller group. He sent along a photo from the meal; it is a little blurry but I think that you can tell that he is enjoying his meal and the company of his fellow officers.

Earlier this week he also sent some photos of his life underway. His ship performed an underway replenishment with a supply ship. Underway replenishments (UNREPs) are the way that ships get gas, food and all sorts of supplies. Usually the ships try to maintain a separation of about 180 feet, so it is a pretty big evolution with alot of people involved. It is also something that Josh will get to do many more times throughout his deployment. In this picture, you can see that hoses that stretch between the ships, attached to the tensioned spanwire.

My handsome husband also sent along a picture that was taken while he was up on the bridge. It is a little embarrassing because if you look carefully, you will see that he is actually wearing an outfit that is really similar to the one he wore for Thanksgiving. Oops, fashion faux pas! Oh well, we will let it slide because he looks so good!


And now for your Otto update: He is doing pretty well. The analysis of the stones they got out of him came back, and the vet recommended that we switch Otto to a vegetarian diet. After alot of research (and a couple of upset stomachs), I think we have finally found something he likes to eat that doesn't make him throw up (all over the floor and me at 5 in the morning). He has a vegetarian dry food, and I add in some vegetable broth and extra water so he stays as hydrated as I can get him. This results in a wet, orange and sticky beard, so he usually requires a post-meal face washing (warning: clicking on the picture below will result in extreme stickiness.)



Luckily, once he dries he remains as cute as ever (actually I think he is pretty cute either way!), though he does miss Mr. Josh.


That is about it from here! Hope everyone is doing well! Only 32 shopping days until Christmas...