Richard and Stacey Brill

6508 Chartwell Drive

Virginia Beach, VA 23464

757.965.9918

[email protected] (Stacey)

[email protected] (Richard)

Stacey Cell: 810.423.0456

Rich Cell: 904.386.3877

 

Richard and Stacey – October 14

Stacey - March 19

Richard – Feb 30

 

 

Spring/Summer 2007

 

We had a pretty rough Christmas season but thankfully we were able to make it to Chicago to get together with everyone, that is my favorite vacation all year.  And probably the only one this year :-). 

 

At the beginning of April we moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia.  We are all settled and liking it here for the most part. Things are much more expensive here than they were in Jacksonville or Flint so that is taking some getting used to. We love our house; it’s really starting to feel like home. We've got lots of room and it is in a really good location. Most everywhere we like to go is within 5 minutes or so. Except, unfortunately, work for both of us.

 

Richard is in a period of schooling at Oceana, about a half hour east of here. He is supposed to graduate the middle of August. After he finishes this training period, he will head about a half hour north of here, to Norfolk, for work. He will be at NOB Norfolk, the largest military base in the world. I’ts insane, there are 32 gates, and those are only the ones they make known to the public. He will be doing pretty much the same job he was doing at Jacksonville, just at a new place. Two of the six people in his class now are headed to Norfolk, so at least he will know a couple people right from the beginning.

 

Richard just got a promotion and we are so thankful.  It means he will be more easily accepted at Norfolk, have more opportunities for leadership and the ever so handy pay raise.  The pay increase won't take place for about 6 months, but at least we know its coming.

 

I just started a new job. I am working at AGI, Architectural Graphics, Inc., a sign manufacturing company that makes signs to be installed all over the nation. It's a temp job and we'll see if I stick with it after August 3.

 

 

We have been looking for a church and its crazy. Most of the churches here seem to be trying to outnumber each other in members, anywhere from 2000 to 8000 members. A couple of the smaller ones we have found are full of either all elderly people or people who are rolling down the aisles. We did kind of like one of the big ones, other than the fact that it has 5000 members, so after a few more that we don't like, we might go back to that one.

 

We have a spare bedroom and would welcome guests at any time, there's TONS to do around this area. We've been to the beach and boardwalk a couple times and it’s really nice. We got season passes to Busch Gardens-Europe and love it.  There's a huge theme park of go-carts and race cars.  And then tons of historic stuff of course.

 

Til next time...

Stacey and Rich

 

PS- On Father's Day, we found out that we are expecting a baby to arrive approximately February 22, 2008!!!  (Too bad it doesn't just arrive; it has to come via hours and hours of labor.)

 

 

Fall/Winter 2006

 

Hi Everyone!

 

Not real sure how to start these family newsletter things so I'll just start with the wedding since I guess that would be the beginning of this all wouldn’t it?

 

The wedding turned out really well and we had a lot of people show up. Stacey did a really wonderful job getting everything set up. I really had it easy cause she couldn't give me anything to do with me being in Florida and out on the ship, but it was awesome anyways. The one thing I do regret is not being able to videotape the guy take the pop cans off from the back of the car. I thought someone was messing with us when they said a homeless guy came up and took the pop cans right off the tailgate of the car to get their 10 cent deposit. I think that would've been great to see.

 

After that packing the car for the drive to Florida was another interesting feat. When we arrived at the hotel in Georgia and the valet came and opened the trunk you could hear him stuttering a little in shock when he asked if we wanted all of it in the room. Our time in Atlanta was fun and we got to do some touristy things like a tour on Segways (very fun) and the Coke Museum along with the brand new Aquarium there - definitely a must see if anyone goes by that way.

 

We got to Florida and unpacked everything then just had to wait for the marriage licenses so we could finish everything on the military end. Now Stacey has her military ID card, stickers on the car to get her onto base, a health care card, and Florida Driver's License.

 

Our address here at the apartment is 4301 Confederate Point Road, Apartment 156, Jacksonville, FL 32210. We'll be here until early April when we'll have to pack everything back up again to head out to Virginia. Just when Stacey gets used to all the traffic and crazy people here we'll be going someplace worse. Ah well, it'll keep us on our toes at least.

 

For Thanksgiving we'll be spending it with some family and hopefully I'll have recovered a lil bit after my surgery I have on the 15th for my second hernia. Right after that its Christmas and we'll be up in Chicago with Stacey's parents and Dad's side of the family. I'm sure Stacey will be really glad for that, being so far away from home now. We're planning on spending some time with my family too, while we're up in Michigan.  From Christmas till April there isn't a whole lot going on, just the day to day excitement of annoying each other.

 

We're supposed to get our wedding pictures tomorrow, by CD, so hopefully we can get a picture or two up on the site by the time you all are reading this.

 

Rich (& Stacey) Brill

4301 Confederate Point Road

Apartment 156

Jacksonville, FL 32210

Home: (904) 317-8439

Stacey Cell: (810) 423-0456 

 

 

Spring/Summer 2006

 

Howdy y'all~ (I'm practicing .... read on)

 

Lots has changed since the last letter. I moved out of my apartment and back home early December (my roommate got married a week later).  I had an … let’s say unfortunate … experience with my former boss in January and I quit my job.  I am currently working at a daycare less than a mile from the house. I generally work in a room of fourteen 12-24 month olds.  I love that.  More and more, I've been having to work in other rooms due to low attendance in our room and I don't so much like that.  But as everyone keeps reminding me, such is life.  I plan on working there through the beginning of September, and spending that month before my wedding traveling … visiting Gma Shipp, the Listers, my best friend and a cousin on my mom's side in Iowa as well as a cousin in Atlanta and Rick in Florida that month and being back by October 1 to have a couple weeks to finish up stuff before the big day.

 

Rick returned from the Arabian Gulf on March 11 and I was able to spend two weeks (and my birthday) with him in Florida.  In April, his sister got married here in Michigan and he was able to take leave to come up and participate and spend his birthday here with me.  A majority of both of these trips was consumed with many, many, many wedding tasks but I was able to take a long weekend just last week and visit him for a "fun only, no wedding stuff" trip.  We explored Cumberland Island, Georgia, the (amazing) Jacksonville Zoo, the mall, a couple movies, the beach and the pool.  It was very good to spend "non wedding planning" time together.

 

Because the Navy changed their leave policy we are now not able to take a honeymoon right after the wedding (supposedly its coming in Spring or early Summer 2007 but I've learned not to hold my breath when the Navy's involved). We are going to take 3 days and drive my car from MI to Jacksonville, FL and then we will be there approximately two months before we are reassigned.  We have gone through MANY "probably"s of where we will land, but the latest is Texas, most likely Corpus Christi.  The earliest possible that we would know if he's been accepted, (and we will be moving to) Texas would be the middle of July.  We are planning on waiting until we move in December/January to move my furniture, belongings, and wedding gifts from MI to the new place, rather than moving it all twice in two months.  Just pray that all the transitions go smoothly and we know soon positively where we will be moving.  There have been what seems like thousands of "probably"s, "supposedly"s, "most likely"s, "unless something unbelievable happens" that have all changed or not happened and I'm slowly learning not to count on anything with the Navy until it actually happens...a very hard thing for me. 

 

Wedding plans are up and running ... amuck.  We have lost two groomsmen to deployment, lost a bridesmaid, had a family of two flower girls and a ring bearer move to North Carolina, the hotel where the ceremony and reception will take place be sold, two photographers back out, and had many, many "issues" with the paper and formatting of the invitations and programs … yeah, the list goes on and on ... so this "fun, no wedding" weekend was great.  All in all though, it is coming together and is going to be fantastic because no matter what we will be married by the end of the day!

 

Back to peeling barcode stickers off all 850 pieces of paper that I special ordered … if anyone has a desire to memorize my address, I have about 500 places you could practice writing it :-)

 

Stacey Shipp (& Rick Brill)

 

 

Fall/Winter 2005

 

Hi all!  So, so much has changed since the last time this was published.  I did move out and into my apartment.  That might actually be changing soon, but that is a long story and this is neither the time nor the place (and I don't have enough popcorn to go around for a show of that length).  But yes, I've been living in my apartment, its closer to work (a little) so that's good.  I can look out at the pond so that's nice.  The fountain gets a little annoying at night though.  I am not sure what it is about this apartment, but I think we're going for a world record of how much we can be without electricity.  Guinness should be arriving any day now...But all in all it’s been a growing experience if nothing else.

 

On to the bigger news...On August 16, I got engaged to a marvelous creature named Richard.  Richard Burton Brill to be exact.  He is also 23 and is active duty in the US Navy.  He is stationed (lives) in Jacksonville, FL for the time being, but he is currently serving on his second tour of duty in the Persian (they call it the Arabian) Gulf.  He is currently about two months into his approximate seven-month tour.   He will hopefully be home the end of March.  So, you ask, lives in Florida, likes to spend his leisure time in a large floating vessel in the middle of the ocean on the other side of the world, how did I meet him?  Well good, I'm glad you asked, I'm sure my mom would love that I shared this story with you.

 

His parents, Ken and Sandi Brill live in Swartz Creek (15 min. away) and have forever.  Through some circumstances, they started attending our church about 5 years ago.  My mom's boss was looking for an additional secretary and my mom mentioned it to her Aunt Pat...who, just so happens, to be Sandi's best friend and Pat recommended that Mom's boss talk to Sandi.  I don't know all the nitty gritty (its not really that important and I'm sure you could care less anyways), but here we are, years later and she's working for him.  So, Richard comes to the office different times when he's on leave and sees my mom and pictures of me on her desk and asks Sandi about me.  Sandi tells him (obviously before she knew me well) what a magnificent person I was and he bugged her and bugged her to let him talk to me.  My mom told me this and we laughed about it.  She kept saying it and we kept laughing.  Then one day I said, well she can give him my email or whatever to make him shut up, I'll kick his butt into gear.  So ... on a Thursday in April, Sandi emailed Richard about 1:50 or so with my email.  He was online and immediately emailed me.  I was online and immediately got it and was completely confused who was named Rich and would get my email from his mom.  (It was very short, not explaining much.) I called my mom about 1:55 and ask if Sandi's son is named Rich, only to hear her and Sandi laughing.  That Friday night we talked on the phone.  Four weeks later he took leave and came home to see me.  We knew even before then, but that confirmed it.  He got deployed in July, unexpectedly.  I flew down the last weekend of June, VERY unexpectedly, and was in Florida for exactly 22 hours before flying back and going straight to work.  He was gone for 6 weeks.  He came home (to Florida), then flew home (here) and that brings us back to August 16 when he proposed.  We got engagement pictures taken that week and had an engagement party (its amazing what can be pulled off in a short amount of time) and he left the end of August for the great blue yonder. 

 

He is going to be a Navy lifer, he just started his second __ (whatever those are called___ (meaning he's in his 5th year).  For a job, he works on the computers that go on the airplanes.  Yeah, Yeah, I have a lot of vocab to learn before I get my Navy Wife Badge.  We are getting married October 14, 2006 at the Riverfront Character Inn in Flint, Mi.  We are taking a honeymoon to an undisclosed location (no I won't tell, we don't even know yet) and then will be living in Florida ... for a short time.  He is up for reassignment next Christmas/New Year's and we don't know where we will be living after that ... ah, the joys are already attacking :-).  It’s looking very probable that it will be California.  I'm hoping however, for Hawaii :-)

 

Other than that, I'm pretty much doing the same, working at the same job, doing the same thing.  Except now I'm planning a wedding also.  :-) But I don't mind;  and writing lots and lots of emails to my fiance who is oh so far away.

 

That's all folks ... enjoy your Autumn season, its almost snowman weather.

 

Stacey

 

PS-Richard does not like to be called Richard.  He prefers either Rich or Rick, so don't be fooled by my consistently calling him Richard, please use Rich or Rick.

 

 

Spring/Summer 2005

 

I'm moving out...over...and up.

 

As of April 21 I will be sharing an apartment with a friend from church, Krysten.  It is in Grand Blanc, about halfway between work and mom and dad's house.  It is a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment; my bathroom is attached to my room.  We have two walk in closets and lots and lots of storage.  Our balcony looks out over the pond and so does my bedroom window.  We're able to paint, so that will help to make it look less plain.  We've picked out our colors and have a painting extravaganza planned for the day before we move in.  We've had fun shopping for new things (the exciting things like brooms, trash cans, trash bags, dishwasher soap and a doormat), although we might be stuck eating unlimited amounts of Ramen now :-).  My new address is 1331 Winding Ridge Drive, Apt 2B, Grand Blanc, MI 48439.  We are not going to use a land line so my phone number will be my cell phone number, (810) 423-8941.

 

Stacey

 

 

Fall/Winter 2004

 

None

 

Spring/Summer 2004

 

None