July Newsletter

President’s Corner

Spouses,

Thank you to those who participated in our NOSC survey. We got lots of good feedback, which we are already putting to good use. Please bear with me and read through a summary of the biggest changes that will be coming soon:

1. Starting this month, our newsletter has been replaced by this blog. Become a follower (right side of screen)! And as always, if you come across anything that may be of interest to other spouses, please forward the info to us to disseminate to the group!
2. Updating the suggestions in the Hail packet. Please help out new Shadow spouses by giving your recommendations here.
3. Decreasing the number of e-mails from the NOSC by replacing evite with another social site, meetup. We will do a three-month trial of this new method, then re-assess. We are hoping to streamline all of our invites to this one site. There is no cost to join. YOU MUST JOIN OUR MEETUP GROUP(S) TO LEARN ABOUT EVENTS -- WE WILL NOT BE SENDING EVITES! All members should join here; those who also wish to join Shadow Sprouts should also join here. (That's right -- join twice!)
4. Instituting "Sunday Night Dinners" for those families whose spouse is deployed/on duty. (Tami has already hosted this a few times and it was a great success!) This event will be held at NOSC member homes. We envision it as a hang-out event (child friendly!) so that we can all get together and enjoy each other's company. We'd like this event to rotate weekly from house to house. Dinner will either be provided by the host or potluck style. Info TBA.
5. Check out our new Facebook page! "Like" us to stay updated on NOSC info!
6. Increasing the number of casual (home-based) events for Girls Night Out and Shadow Sprouts. Remember that this only works as long as we have volunteers! If you'd like to volunteer to host, get in touch with Dawn (dawnbrookes8908@gmail.com) or Nicole (ntchandler80@gmail.com)!
7. Decreasing the number of speakers at monthly meetings. We will now call these "gatherings," and will have speakers only occasionally - for really great causes! Most months, we'll get together, take care of any NOSC business, and chat. Stay tuned for our first gathering in September.
8. If you have ever been interested in joining the book club, now is a great time to join! The book club reads one book per month, then meets to discuss the book and socialize. Meetings are held once per month, and (depending on the host) are usually kid-friendly! We have at least a couple of Shadow members that will be attending in July. Details for July are coming soon -- check the meetup site!
9. Many of us are unable to attend some events because of babysitters (or lack thereof!). We love the suggestion of hiring a few sitters and each chipping in a bit to help the host cover the cost for home-based events (ie: meetings, etc). [At this time, however, we are unable to set this up for events where we go out. Perhaps sharing sitters with friends would be a viable option?] Also, be sure to try Sittercity, a babysitter finding service offered free as a DoD initiative. Several spouses in the NOSC have found great sitters on that site!

Phew! That was a mouthful. Thank you for your patience as we institute some changes. We are hoping for another great year in the NOSC! As always, we welcome your feedback (especially about this new stuff!)

Take care!
Katie

Meet the Board

President- Katie Letizio

Katie is a stay-at-home Mom to 9-month-old Alden. She met her husband, Adam, while attending their hometown middle school. She loves the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox, and often spends her free time reading or cooking.





Vice President- Emily Leary

Emily Leary is from St. Louis, MO, and is the first military wife in her family. She lives in Edmond, owns her own business [Snazzylime Custom Invitations], loves home projects, dining out and being with friends and family. This is Emily's FIRST tour as a Navy wife, and she's looking forward to more!

Treasurer- Erin Jarvis

My husband is Jon and we've been married 7 years. We have three children Hannah (4yrs), Elijah (2yrs), and Issac (1yr). I'm a speech therapist on one half-day a week and I love spending all of the rest of my time with my family and friends.

Secretary- Tami Wittrock

I am the wife to Lt. John Wittrock and mother to three amazing children. I am a stay-at-home mom and love spending everyday with my babies and their beautiful smiles. Oklahoma has been our home for a year and a half and I have enjoyed getting to know so many wonderful NOSC ladies. What a great bunch of women!



Sassy Shadows- Dawn Brookes

Tinker is our first official stop as a married couple. John and i are from the Atlanta area, but have been in Oklahoma for about 2 1/2 years. No kids yet, just a spoiled dog named Frankie. I work for Moore Schools as a speech- language pathologist. I enjoy reading, trying to learn to cook/bake, spending time on our boat, traveling, spin class and shopping. Looking forward to getting the group together for some fun girls' nights!




Shadow Sprouts- Nicole Chandler

Hometown - Austin, TX
Favorite Duty Station - Virgina Beach, VA @ NAS Oceana
A little more about me - I'm the owner and instructor for Stroller Strides Oklahoma City. My husband, Aaron, and I have one boy, Brandon, and two dogs, Moe and Charlie. We've been married for 5 years and moved 3 times in those 5 years and have loved every moment in the Navy.



Blog/ Newsletter

I'm originally from Colorado. I've been married to Mark Thompson for 3 1/2 years. I'm really enjoying being a stay-at-home mom to our son Michael (3 months). We also have 3 animal kids Brandy (dog), Tucker and Gabe (cats). We have been in Oklahoma for about 2 1/2 years and have made some really great friends here! In my free time, I like to hangout with family and friends, spend time outdoors, scrapbook, and bake.

Miscellaneous

Membership dues- $50/tour or $20/year. Check with Erin Jarvis to see where you are at with dues.

Send us your favorite recipe to share!

Please check the attached spouse’s roster to make sure your info is correct or let us know if anything has changed.

Websites to Visit

http://www.shadownocs.blogspot.com

http://www.tacamo.navy.mil

http://www.operationhomefront.net/ok

http://www.operationmilitarykids.org

http://www.couponmom.com

(printable coupons that will work at the commissary)

http://www.oksafekids.org