Chris was just days away from retiring at the end of a 29-year career in the Navy's explosive ordinance disposal unit when I photographed the family in September. He and his wife, Sara, have been married for 18 years and have lived in 7 or 8 places together. However, for the last 6 years, they’ve been in Coronado, CA, so their kids—James, 11, and Paige, 9—really know it as home.

I checked in with them recently to see how retired life is going. Sara said she’d been a little worried, since the Navy had been such a big part of Chris’s life, but she was happy to report that he'd really taken to the time off. He’s spent lots of time with the kids and their dog, Sugar, and he’s been searching for just the right new job. The family is excited about this new phase of civilian life. “Honestly, even with the world in the state it's in, I’m excited about our future and the next phase for us,” she said.