“Despite the distance, love keeps us strong.”
 

Meet Samantha. She is wife to Chase, fur mom to Sadie and Duke, and soon-to-be boy mom to baby Leo! Samantha and Chase are from the same hometown, but didn’t meet each other until after high school graduation. She describes herself as a small-town homebody, which made it difficult when they first got married and she had to move away from her family and her hometown. Consistency and routine were what she thrived on in her hometown, but the military lifestyle doesn’t leave much room for either of those.

Once she arrived in Camp Lejeune, she took the first job she could find at a local pizzeria. Her prior experience in her Ohio hometown was also in a pizzeria, so it was within her comfort zone, but she wasn’t truly happy. While she was there for a few months, she completed 15-20 applications for various jobs that allowed her to use her Associates Degree in Medical Assisting. Finally, she found a job at Johnston Pain Management and was able to work at both offices in Sneads Ferry and in Jacksonville. She quickly found a work home there and adjusted to life in Sneads Ferry. She works with patients taking vitals, administering shots, updating records, and assisting procedures. Many active duty Marines, veterans, and locals visit the pain management clinics.

A tradition that Sam and Chase have adopted is the collection of objects symbolic of each duty station. They take frequent walks on the beach and have collected shells and sea glass to carry with them to their next destination. She says they also do their absolute best to take as many pictures as possible to document all of their adventures.

June will bring a couple new changes to Samantha and Chase’s world. They recently received orders to the west coast and will be moving. Their firstborn, Leo, is also due in June. Somehow I feel like the Marine Corps just knows when a baby is expected and likes to throw a wrench into plans… Instead of planning a nursery, she will be packing a nursery. Instead of nesting, she will be moving. The nesting and nursery planning process is a non-negotiable in many civilians’ lives, but in the military lifestyle, it is never guaranteed. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they travel across the country with their newborn baby boy!