1 day

We're so close I can almost feel his hands holding mine. Jon's parents and brother came by today at 6 am to pick up my luggage before they left on a loooong road trip to Missouri.

I will be joining them this evening after I fly in.

Then, tomorrow, I finally get to see the love of my life face-to-face. It's been a very long ten weeks, but my friends and family have been amazing support. I'm eternally thankful. Love you guys.

So Much to be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Just taking this opportunity to catch everyone up. I spoke with Jon on Sunday. He sounded pretty relieved that all of the testing is over and he's just got his third FTX to deal with. He should actually be finishing that off today. He's all fitted with his dress uniform and he's ready to graduate! :)

Also! I have his travel plans for Christmas! I'd like to have a huge dinner for him on Sunday, December 19th. Everyone's invited! Let me know if you can come and I'll see about reservations.

He did say that he may get his cell phone all day on Thanksgiving! That's definitely something to be thankful for.

I'm so thankful for all of the men and women who chose to serve our great country. I'm also incredibly thankful for tremendously supportive family and friends. I love you guys so very much. I'm thankful to God for (among other things) uniting Jon and me. He must really love me to have lead me to the love of my life so early and to help us build a relationship that will weather any storm.

Thanks!

We're almost there!

This week has been a pretty big week for our soldier. I was able to speak to him on Saturday and he told me that this week he's got his final PT test (it was Tuesday). He was pretty confident that he'd do ok. He did a pre-test and he's actually better than AIT standards. :) He was still a little nervous though because it's his last big obstacle.

He also said that he has the Warrior Stakes this week. Here's an excerpt from an article about it from an earlier cycle in the Fort Leonard Wood Guidon:

"'The Soldiers did a PT test, with 10 minutes of pushups, sit-ups and then a 2-mile run,' Turner said. 'One Soldier did the event at a time and did their max number of pushups and sit-ups, then they started counting for the second one to do it. I think one squad did 658 push-ups total.'

Other events included the confidence course, a number of first aid tasks, weapons proficiency, communication proficiency, land navigation, a stress shoot in the electronic skills trainer, along with squad movements."

You can read more here: http://myguidon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10231&Itemid=39

Also, this weekend he told me that he's one of few in his platoon that are qualified to receive a promotion at the end of BCT. They promote one person from each unit that excels, and he could just be that guy. We'll have to wait and see.

Last week he was measured for his Dress Blues. :) He said that they recently changed them and he's one of the first cycles that is issued the new ones. I CANNOT WAIT to see him in that uniform! :)

He also did his night maneuvers last week. He said he couldn't see anything in the night vision goggles, but the DS didn't really seem to care. He tried his best though. :)

Also, today I got the charge in the bank, He is officially coming home for Christmas. I have no clue of his schedule, but gosh darn it he has his tickets! :)

Hopefully I'll know soon. 13 more days until I get to breathe the same air as the love of my life! :)

Fire at Fort Leonard Wood!

Wow, there's been a fire at Fort Leonard Wood since Sunday night! It's at the training ranges too! The release says no injuries. I really hope that it's not hurting Jon's training though. Eeep!

http://www.wood.army.mil/4MEB/Range_Fire_Update_9_Nov_10.htm

Release No. 11-009                                                                                   November 9, 2010

Range fire update

For Immediate Release

Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. – The current fire started early Sunday afternoon, Nov.7, and continues to burn in several small spots today.  According to Fire Chief Jeffrey Sukalski, there are currently, about 60 personnel responding to the fire, along with six dozers from several Leonard Wood units assisting.  The Installation's Fire Department has established an incident command post and reports the fire is well under control, but due to the nature of the fire, the areas surrounding the installation will be smoky for several more days. 

 Fort Leonard Wood has a pre-established rotation for fire suppression teams and that has been activated.   Current estimates are that approximately 1500 acres have burned. At this time the only mutual aid being received and utilized are two personnel from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). There has been no structure damage or injuries reported.

Ahhh, a sigh of relief

Jon called me yesterday for 59 beautiful minutes. :) He was in high spirits and seemed like his old self. He was joking around and it was quite a comfort.

He said that he has his photos that he took at the beginning of basic and will send them our way soon. He probably won't look like that at all when we finally see him, but oh well! I'll take what I can get!

Oh! On family day, we're going to have a surrogate family member named Leon. Poor guy doesn't have any family coming. We'll definitely have to give him some loves. :)

Jon got sharp shooter in BRM and he says that he has his final PT test this week. He's not worried about it because he's got his 2 miles down to 16 mins (woohoo!) He's in the 70th percentile for pushups and sit ups and you only have to hit the 50th mark. He says he's good for AIT too!

Last week they did the 12K march and had FTX2 (Field Training Excercise). He said it was a bit cold, but the sleeping bags they have are awesome, so it wasn't bad at all. They had to do night patrols and such. He said he loves camping, so it was actually kinda fun. <3

He's excited to show me the PX & as much of the post as he knows. He said that he doesn't really know a bunch of it because they keep them pretty sequestered. He said that he won't be able to show us the barracks because it's a secure area. Oh well, we could be at the post dump and I'd still be stoked to be with him. 

I'm still on cloud 9 from the call, but I have to say... it's kind of sad that I miss him so much and still have 3.5 weeks to go. The cheerful, I can do this, attitude is getting harder and harder to keep up. It's just wearing on me a bit.

The Week Everyone Warned Me About

So, this is the week that everyone warned me about when we started this Army journey. It's the week where nothing has gone right and I've had to face it almost all alone. Let me explain:

Started out the week leaving my dome light in my car on twice.
Then I left the garage door open all night, twice.
Then I left my dog in my bedroom all day while I was at work with no food or water.
Then I left my flat iron on half the day.
Months ago, I never changed my address on my voters registration, so voting day was full of me driving around figuring out where I belonged.
I have not heard a peep from Jon since Sunday, though he said he was putting a letter to me in the mailbox on Sunday night. (I usually get letters in two days from the post mark.)
The garbage disposal broke and no longer turns on.
I broke glass into said disposal.
Tonight, I left my headlights on while I went into the grocery store and came back to a dead car. (Thank goodness for a terrific brother in law who saved the day. It woulda been a long, cold, walk home.)
I found out that I will not be able to join Jon in Arizona.
I've been having some issues at work. :(
My right knee feels like it needs to be babied. I'm a little worried about it breaking down on me.  If I can't go to the gym, I don't know what I'll do. It's currently my surrogate Jon I suppose.
My house is a disaster.
Did I mention that I haven't heard anything from Jon all week? I'm a bit worried about that actually. I hope that it doesn't mean that they've gotten in trouble and won't be able to call this weekend.

I think I would like to go crawl in a hole now. Call me in 28 days.

Halloween Weekend A.K.A. 11 Fantastic Years!

This weekend I was given the opportunity to speak with my husband for 1 hour and 20 mins! He called for one hour on Saturday & 20 minutes on Sunday. I have to say, his Drill Sergeants are definitely gaining favor in my book!

He sends his love to everyone and can't wait for Christmas!

On Sunday he said that he's been on profile for the last week which means that he couldn't do any sort of PT at all. His drill sergeants made him to go sick call, and he was put on profile for a sprained ankle. He couldn't wait to be able to do PT again. (Crazy boy! Just kidding!)

Only 31 more days until I can kiss my husband! I have one month to slim way way down and plan my trip!

This weekend I went to Austin to spend some time with our friends Renee & Jon. It was a very relaxing weekend. Especially with a call from Jon on Saturday and then again on Sunday! Before the Austin trip, I spent Friday night with my two favorite nieces. It was an adorable pajama party with movies, nail polish, and icecream!

When I returned from Austin on Sunday, the flowers Jon sent me had opened up beautifully and smelled divine. I can't stop looking at them! It's so funny how my husband knows me better than I do myself. I was asked last week what my favorite flowers were, and I honestly had no clue. Well, now I do. :)

Wow, How did I get so lucky?

 

How did I get so lucky? I got these today from my sweetie! 

Lillies, Lavender, & Roses: They're all very meaningful flowers. 

On Sunday Jon and I will have been together for 11 whole years.
He's all I've ever known and all I ever care to. <3

What a great week!

On Saturday I received a surprise call from my soulmate (well, 2 actually). We talked for a grand total of 2 hours and 11 minutes! It turns out his platoon won a PT competition and the DS were pleased. We spoke a lot about how much we missed each other and how much we love each other. We talked about our future and adventure. It went by too quickly! I'm sorry I don't have more tangible facts to pass on, but in those moments I'm just not so good at recording that kind of thing.

He does have a bit of an ankle injury though. He says it's nothing to be too worried about, he twisted it in a hole on the way back from the confidence course. He says that one of his buddies is hurt and can't carry his ruck sack (60 lbs) so Jon was carrying both! He just so happened to step in a hole and rolled his ankle pretty badly. He has it taped up and he's still functioning at full strength though. People are calling him a "ruck beast" because as a squad leader he takes the lead on the marches and he has no problem keeping the pace because the weight does nothing to him (his legs are still used to carrying the 65 pounds he lost to enlist) and he can walk forever.

I'm so proud of that guy. He's kind of functioning as platoon uncle/father/protector. I kinda knew that was going to happen. Jon is too much of a kind person to just be there for numero uno. There are a lot of younger ones there who really need some guidance. :)

I've since received a pretty long letter from Jon. Most of it is just to me, but I wanted to pass on a little bit of info:

He's right in the middle of the "Gunfighter" phase, so naturally he's shooting. A LOT. He said that on the range, he's not having any problems really. Out of every 50 shots, he makes about 48. He's still working on the 300 M targets, but that's oh... 3 football fields worth of length, so it's completely understandable!

Also, he told me a pretty funny story about one of the DS that I'd like to pass along.
"...during our return trip to the barracks I pissed off a DS that cut open his glow stick and complained that it burned. I told him that there is glass in there and it may have been cut. He yelled at me and called me a know it all. 5 minutes later I think he got bored and came over to talk to me. Apparently, he is an astronomy nut, and he wanted somebody to talk science with. So, for about 45 minutes we talked about weird science facts like common elements, dark matter, the composition of Jupiter, pulsars, speed of light travel, etc. He said, 'You're a smart mother**** Pampell, what are you doing here?'
I told him I was going into Intelligence, but he said Intelligence 'wasn't shit' and Infantry is where it's at. I like him."

36 days until I get to have my heart in it's correct place, well, at least for a couple of days. He's only got a week and a half left of white phase!

The Most Blessed

After a long call this weekend I was on cloud 9 all week. Just yesterday, I received two amazing letters from my kind, sweet, talented, adorable, courageous, brave, and.. ehmm... sexy husband.  So is there a cloud 10? Cause if so, I am SO there. So let me get to the letters, you guys aren't here to listen to me gush anyway! :)

So, letter 1 was... 12 pages long. Yes, 12 pages! :) He started writing it on October 10th, and mailed it on Sunday before he called me. Because he knows I'm such a visual girl, he drew me a picture of his bunk and a picture of the confidence course. I <3 it! :) He says, "My bed is one of the most squared away bunks in the platoon. Who would have thought?"

He says that he's changing a lot physically and doesn't quite believe the drill sergeants when they say that the whole platoon has gotten more discipline. He's just trying as hard as he can. His ACUs (Army Combat Uniform) are getting bigger on him. :) He also said that his voice is very scratchy from sounding off so loudly. The other platoons in his company are quiet, so his platoon has to make up the difference.

He says that people are calling him sharpshooter now! :) He drew a little diagram of his shot groupings and a little diagram of what is considered a good shot grouping. He's kicking some major tail end. There's apparently a contest and the platoon with the best shooting gets some sort of banner. He's pretty confident that his platoon is doing well enough in that area to take the banner. :)

His Dede is just like our Dede in that she, "takes a little coaxing to get her doing tricks. After that she's beautiful and a little hungry."

He was having a hard time zeroing his gun because his sight picture kept changing. The next day he put a piece of tape on the butt of the gun & he was able to zero her like a champ. He said that the middle of his target was pretty much gone by the time he left that day. :)

He says, "Oh yeah. I qualified on the grenade range. Easy mode. It's like throwing rocks that explode. Real grenades are loud loud LOUD. You have to wear ear protection and it's still loud. You can feel the shockwave. Think of the huge fireworks at 4th of July, but being right next to it."

He also said that he met the PT standards on his diagnostic PT test to graduate from basic, but he won't be happy until he meets AIT graduation standards. He is being careful though, he does not want to spend ANY time in sick call. He says too much is riding on his performance to let that happen.

He's craving milkshakes. :) We'll get him PLEEENTY of those at Christmas. No worries on that one.

Oh, here's something interesting, because we're technically in "peace time" now, the next basic cycle is only 7 weeks. He JUST missed the window. He is kind of thankful for that though, because he knows he'll be a better soldier.  He'll be a "Lean, green, fighting machine like the ninja turtles!" :)

He got my letters on Tuesday and after that it was mostly to me. I'll spare you the gushy details, but I will leave you with this:

"Please tell everyone that I miss them.
Tell the kids [nieces and nephews] that I miss playing with them.
Tell Mom and Dad that I miss their conversation and our meals together.
Tell Sam and Heather I miss BBQing with them.
Tell Brian and Katie I miss our couples nights.
Tell the guys on vent they work better as a team than my platoon.
Tell Lori & Dave I miss their smiles and laughter.
Tell my shower I miss how private it is.
Tell my puppies I miss their cuddles.
Tell Boob I miss talking with him."

He included a training newsletter in his letter. I have it scanned. I won't post it here because I don't want any sort of OPSEC violation or anything. However, if you would like to see it, leave me a comment and I'll email it to you.

Also, if you want his address, definitely leave me a comment and I'll get it mailed to you. I'm sure he would love any letters you guys have the time to send his way. :)

Also, we have all got to have a family/friends meal at Christmas time when he arrives. We won't really know his plans until he gets to AIT, but Christmas Exodus is going to be for two weeks in December. This is just conjecture, but if you guys could keep an open schedule on the evening of Sunday, Dec 19... I'm betting we can all get together for dinner somewhere! *hopes*

<3 ya
- Brie

28 Glorious Minutes!

I spoke with the love of my life today for 28 glorious minutes. He filled me in on some of the stuff he'll be doing this week and we were able to play a little game of catch up. I'm pretty sure I've been on Cloud 10 all day. :)

So this next week my love will be using a grenade launcher, doing his first FTX (Field Training Exercise), and be entering the white phase of his training (also known as the "Gunfighter" phase). He's been selected as Squad Leader and will serve until he's fired. Don't worry though, this happens throughout basic, he's supposed to be fired at some point so everyone has a chance to be squad leader.

Here's the blurb about White Phase from Fort Leonard Wood's website:

White phase encompasses weeks 4-6. It is centered on the development of basic combat skills, with special emphasis on Chemical Mask weapons proficiency and physical fitness training. Skill development, self-discipline, and team building characterize the white phase, along with a lessening of control commensurate with demonstrated performance and responsibility. The highlights for white phase are rifle bayonet training, pugil training, hand to hand training, US weapons, hand grenades and a 72 hour field training exercise focusing on occupying an assembly area and convoy operations.

This means that he's entering week four of training and week five of ten weeks of his time in Missouri. He's almost half way through! (I don't think I can say that the time has flown, but I am completely excited that he's just about half way there!)

He told me on the phone that he received my letters this week, and because of me and his mom he's received the most mail in the platoon! Awesome! :) I do wish he would have been given them earlier because last week his morale hit flashing red WARNING levels.

Christmas time cannot come soon enough. I do plan on squirreling him away for a couple of days of me time after he arrives, so don't be surprised if we don't answer any phone calls! :)  

To Everyone From Jonathan

So here I am again on my little note pad. This is pretty much a note to everyone, so pass this around.

Right now I'm still in Red Phase at the end of my 3rd week here. My platoon is getting sharper after a rocky start. Let's just say I do a lot of pushups on account of my buddies. Oh well. I'm getting sexier every time. I already look thinner (and bald) and I barely recognize myself. I hope you all recognize me at graduation.

I'm certainly having a hard time being away from you guys. I admit that I cry a lot, but I'm determined to stick it out and see you all at Christmas.

So, when I am too busy to think about how I miss you, I'm:
Rappelling
Shooting
Getting tear gassed
Showering with a bunch of dudes
Doing PT
Eating
Cleaning my bunk
Cleaning my rifle
BSing with the Drill Sergeants (limited)
Combatives

The food here is excellent from what I can tell. Perhaps if I wasn't always hungry and eating everything in one chew I'd know better.

Red Phase will be over soon, and I'm looking forward to the "meat" of Basic, so to speak.

We haven't done the sleep deprivation thing yet, but I feel pretty tired all the time anyway. I think it's just the stress.

What's going on over there? I have like zero news sources, and I miss your stories as well.

How the election looking?
What are the kids dressing up as for Halloween?
Have my dogs visited any of you?
How is Brie? Give her a hug for me, please.

It turns out that Basic Rifle marksmanship is pretty easy if you hand Dad and Namps as teachers. Thanks for that, both of you guys. Since human targets are bigger than turtles, hitting them is pretty easy.

The gas chamber, while unpleasant was hilarious. We had our resident Haitian immigrant freak out so badly he was stomping on the floor and screaming like a small girl.

We have a Romanian here as well. He sounds like Arnold Swartzneiger. We had him saying "get to da choppa!" and stuff like that since he joined up.

I'm also becoming an expert at hospital corners.

So, what else to talk about.

My roommates are pretty nerdy and cool with the exception of one. Hicks is kind of a movie critic. Leon is a comic buff. Payne is a religious family man. Zhang is....Asian. He really fits the stereotype. Good at math, likes chess, can't drive, truth seems to match the preconceptions this time.

Zhang and I have already faced off at chess. I won. I consider this affirmation that I am awesome.

If this seems a bit disjointed it's because I only get to write a little at a time.

So, it's Sunday now. Since everyone has a different service to go to, we have a pretty easy morning. I'm still doing work though I'm sweeping and mopping the barracks before doing anything I want to do.

Since you have to be in ACUs to go to church, as we just got punished in my last clean ones yesterday, I can't really go. The laundry service here kinda sucks. They are never on time.

Well, I guess that's all for now.

I love you guys and I miss you terribly.

Jonathan.

Letter four :)

I got letter four in the mail today. He explained the gas chamber to me in this one. He said of course it wasn't pleasant (burning lungs & eyes) but it wasn't anything to panic over. Which was, of course what one of the guys did. He also said that because his platoon supposedly owns the place, they stay in there the longest. (I'm not entirely sure what that means...)

He also said that he is excited to have a Drill Sergeant who's a world class competitive shooter. The whole platoon is really learning a lot. He said that he's (Jon) pretty great at basic rifle marksmanship so far. He sounds really confident. <3

Also, he said that he took a PT test and did better than most of the younger guys. :) Older, smarter, & stronger (hehe!)

He's been playing chess with one of his bunkmates using assorted coins marked with sharpie. I sent him a couple sheets of graph paper to maybe help with a more respectable chess board. :)

As always, I'll keep you guys updated as I get the info.

Love ya!
-Brie

Spoke to Jon yesterday :)

I was able to talk to Jon yesterday for 9 minutes and 31 seconds. That's 16 days worth of pent up emotion right there! To be honest, I'm still processing the call, and it took me quite a while to recover.

I was just so relieved to be able to talk to him that I'm pretty sure I flubbed up a good half of it by constant repetition of, "Oh my gosh it's so good to hear your voice. I miss you... I love you."

We did get to talk briefly about his training. He said that the gas chamber wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. (Yay!) He also said that he's a pretty good marksman. :) He sounded very confident about the physical aspects of basic. He says he's just a balder, skinnier version of the same old Jon. :)

I really am worried about him though, because he has yet to receive any of the 20 letters I've sent so far. Did he think I'd abandoned him? He must have been feeling so alone. He didn't sound very positive about the emotions of this separation at all, and it broke my heart. :( I miss him terribly and I know he's missing all of us even more.

I have to say, it felt like I could actually breathe full breaths for that 9 minutes and 31 seconds we were connected. Maybe I'll be able to breathe again next week.

Happy Day!

So, for the last two days at work I've been sitting on a huge ball. :) It's keeping me in motion and keeping my energy up all day because I don't just sink into a chair and disappear. I think it's really affecting my mood in a positive way.

Or! It could be the letter I got today too. :P

Jon is sounding so much more positive! He described his bunk mates for me in hilarious detail. I'm so relieved to see that he hasn't lost his sense of humor.

He said that he did the "Confidence Course" and really didn't have a problem with it. He rappelled down a 50 foot wall with a harness that he tied himself. He said that one of the guys got in trouble at the top of the tower & was thrown off! They arrested his fall at about 25 feet, but he had a good 25 foot free fall!

He's excited to start learning, and figures that that'll give him much more than the "confidence" course. It looks like they did the Gas Chamber (Eek!), basic rifle marksmanship, and first aid this week. I can't wait to hear about them.

He said that the food is excellent there, but you hardly notice because there is absolutely no time to eat. He also said that the mess hall is a treacherous place because the DS all patrol looking for non-conformity & slip ups.

Lastly, he says that he's able to run much faster now and is improving greatly already.

I'm so proud of my husband! HOOAH! :)

Another Letter!

I got another letter from my love today! :) It looks like he sent it on Oct 4. (Or at least it was sent from the post on Oct. 4th). He says that some of the guys in his platoon are pretty awful and they get smoked every day for something dumb that they've done. :(

He also said that he can make his bunk in the dark now and is pretty much a pro bed maker. :)

As of the day he wrote this he hasn't received any of my letters. :( I've been sending them daily. I hope he gets them soon. He sounds so sad that he hasn't gotten any yet.

He also said that one of his Drill Sergeants calls him "Wetsol" because he reminds her of a private from a previous cycle.;) Supposedly he looked like Jon and always tried his best (like Jon. :) She apparently is the one who smokes them the hardest, but Jon can tell she really cares.

So Jon named his M16 Dede. :) He says that she's a vicious bitch (and cuddly too!)

Here's hoping that he'll be able to call me on Sunday.

The First Letter!

Received my first letter from Jon today. I now have his address and I'm going to scan the instructions so that I can send it to you in pdf format. Just drop me an email to request it, or leave a comment here.

Now to the other stuff. The letter I got from Jon was mostly from reception. I think the last he wrote was on Sunday night. It said the training was to start on Tuesday. I imagine he's right in the thick of all of the unpleasant stuff. Just from reception I got the impression that he's thoroughly exhausted, stressed, and on edge.

He said that he understands that he can't avoid getting yelled at, but he can at least take his licks knowing that he's trying his best.

He also said that he supposedly has the cream of the crop for drill sergeants. They're expert marksmen and he should be one too by the time he leaves.

I'm so proud of him. :) Cannot wait to hear his voice. Hopefully they'll let him call on Sunday. <3

Yep, still waiting

So, it's been almost a week since the last time I heard Jon's sweet voice. (He called for a very very rushed, "I'm here, I'm safe, love you" call on Friday a week ago.) I still don't have an address, but I'll definitely let you guys know when I have it.

Pray that he gets to call on Sunday. :)
63 more days until we kiss.

All is quiet on the homefront

It looks like Jon's in his 3rd official day of Basic Combat training. I haven't heard from him since Friday, and I still haven't received his address. I do, however, have quite a large stack of letters (7 so far) waiting to go out. Jon said he'd written me two already during reception.

I don't suppose he'll have a whole lot of time to write during actual BCT. To tell you the truth, I'd prefer that he chose sleep over writing letters to me anyway. I'd still like to talk to him, but yowch.

Poor sweetie. Only 67 more days until we kiss!

I just recieved call number 2!!

Jon called me today for just a couple of seconds to tell me that he's in regular basic now, he's safe, he loves me, and he's gotta go. ;)

Now comes the week from hell for him. He's going into the Red Phase of his training.

This is what the Fort Leonard Wood Website says about this week:
Red phase encompasses weeks 1-3 of initial entry training.It is an environment of total control, where active, involved, and positive leaders begin transforming volunteers into Soldiers. Training during this phase focuses on immersing the Soldiers in the Army's core values, traditions, and ethics. During this phase, basic combat skills are developed along with teamwork, and physical fitness training.

Lets see, from that little blurb I get that he'll be doing copious amounts of PT while yelling the Soldier's Creed, getting in trouble for his unit member's actions, and told when to eat, drink, pee, sleep, and breathe. This is where they break the soldier down to build him back up again. It's necessary, but I still don't have to like it.

I cannot wait to get his address so that I can give him a little beacon to follow through the darkness. <3

I heard from Jon!

He called me today at 1:34. Wow! I'm so relieved and happy to have spoken with him. He sounded great! Of course by the end of the call we were both in tears.

He sounded so positive about going to basic. He thinks he'll do well and he's going to try and make the 10 weeks go as fast as he can. He misses everyone and is a bit homesick, but he's definitely upbeat. He said he got a huge shot in his rear that is still sore. ;)

Also, he said that he was the first person in his unit to get in trouble too. He missed one word that the drill sergeant said & they made him do pushups. He's got me enrolled in the government systems and I should be getting a packet soon with more information.

I needed this so much. I think we both did. I miss him like crazy.  I'm overwhelmed with pride for my husband and his service to his country. He signed up to serve and protect every U.S. citizen, no matter their choices or position in life. He's protecting every family, every child, every grandparent. Patriotism means so much more to me now. This emotion is just so much to handle.

I love him so much. I can't wait to see him. 70 more days until we kiss. :*)

Ack! Jury Summons!

So I came home today to a nice little jury summons letter waiting in my mailbox. A lovely way to bring me kicking and screaming back to reality. 

I went online to give my unavailable dates and I had almost all of December blocked off. Of course they picked December 14, right in the middle.

I'm crossing my fingers that this doesn't conflict with any of the dates that I get to see Jon. Rargh.

Got The Call

At around 12:20 I got a call from Jon saying that he was there at Basic, in training, and he was safe. He sounded kind of flustered and rushed. :/ I didn't plan on the thought of some random guy being a complete jerk to my husband for the simple fact that he showed up, being the thing that stuck with me. 73 more days Brie, 73 more days.

I'm having a bit of trouble with the thought of sleep tonight. 

1 Down - 73 More Days to go

3:45 a.m. comes early... especially on a day that you didn't want to actually come. 

This morning we (Jon's parents and I) woke up at that insane hour to assist my wonderful husband in getting to MEPS for his deployment to Basic Combat Training. After he bussed off for a long day of poking and prodding, we successfully navigated a much needed Starbucks run and I unsuccessfully attempted a nap (not in that order).  Then we decided to head to MEPS, and I'm glad we went when we did. Despite us having a completely nebulous schedule, the timing was perfect. We arrived just as Jon was completing final processing. Which means that we got to spend every second of the 45 minutes he had available for down time with him. After that, we gathered in a tiny, very official looking room and witnessed him swearing in to the United States Army. I have to admit to some water works, but I am so proud of my soldier. 


Now you can see G.I. Jon too, complete with swearing in action!

Better quality here on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foobish/5009628435/in/photostream/

After that we had just a little bit of time for photos and cuddles because he had to leave in a hurry. But as he happened to pass me in the hall on our way out, I fished a quick kiss, and that was all she wrote for 10 weeks.

He did check in with me throughout the day on various lay overs, and the last I heard from him was at about 7:30. He was safe and sound in the St. Louis Airport checking out his very first USO :). We ended the call as he was about to board the bus to Ft. Leonard Wood with the other recruits. I suspect that I won't hear from him for a while, but I'll definitely update here when I have anything to report.

If you'd like to send a note to him, send me an email and I'll print it and include it in my next letter. I'm sure he'd love to hear from every one.

On the docket tomorrow for me is to start putting everything that I've ignored in the last two weeks back on my radar, do piles of dishes and laundry, make apologies for ignoring people, and actually pay the bills that have been piling up while I existed in lovey dovey laa-laa land.

Over all though, if you need to find me I'll probably be at the gym trying to catch up to Jon (hah!), or at home furiously writing letters to my displaced love while listening to depressing romantic music ;).

Love you guys!
-Brie

PS: A few pics from the last week...

Jon trying on a hat at the Halloween store in the mall. Too bad he won't be here for Halloween, we could have bought that and he could have gone as the blue soldier from TF2 with a little spray paint.

We went to see the horrible new M. Night Shyamalan movie, "Devil". (Don't waste your money, it's completely predictable. I mean, even just the name should have been a clue right there. Ugh.. okay, stopping now. Sorry, rant...)

Jonathan at parade rest before the swearing in ceremony

After swearing in - officially a member of the US Department of Defense

Jon and his father in the lounge during our little time with him today

Saturday night Jon's parents took us to Max's Wine Dive to eat. It was delish! :) This was before in Mom and Dad's hotel room.

My adorable sweetie at the Water Wall in the Galleria Area in Houston Saturday evening.

Here we are in the MEPS lounge

<3

The Last Day

So, today is my last day as a civilian. Other than that I want to spent as much time as humanly possible in the company of my fantastically loving wife, I don't know what to say.

I hope I've made the right decision for us.
I hope I'm home soon.
I know this will be an adventure worth sharing.

The Journey Begins

Well, today marks 7 days until Jon ships off to join the Army. This week will be a whirlwind of last minute visits, last minute planning, last minute cuddles, and last minute tears.

For those of you who are just finding out, Jon has signed on the dotted line and will be joining the ranks of our nations finest. He will be shipping off to basic training exactly a week from today. After training for the better part of a year, he will be a Military Intelligence soldier, working with mostly human intelligence gathering. Jon has always wanted to serve others and our country, but wasn't willing to leave me. When he graduated from high school, our relationship was at about 2 years and we were (and still are, madly in love.) So, naturally, he found himself a home in the IT world. After years of working in the field, he knew he wasn't happy there.

After some drama with A&M and budget cuts, Jon stopped working at Texas A&M in March. We decided that this was the perfect time for him to fulfill his dream and enlist. He worked very hard losing weight (about 60 pounds!) and training to get ready, and Jon was able to go to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) about a month before his 27th birthday, sign up, and start us on our new path. We're very excited to see where our lives take us, but we will miss everyone at home dearly.

Currently, we're recovering from a fantastic weekend. Around 70 (Wow!) of our beloved friends and family joined us yesterday to send Jon off in a grand way. We had a few hours of great conversation, advice, games, and great food. Jon's mom was amazing at planning the whole thing. His grandparents bought a ton of delicious barbecue, his parents hosted (thank you thank you!), and my parents provided the beer. Thanks to everyone who was able to join us and those who sent their best wishes, we are feeling very loved and supported as we embark on our new adventure.

I have to admit to some jitters though. Jon and I have hardly been apart for the last 11 years, so these next 8 or so months will be very interesting. I plan on filling my time with lots of visits to friends and family all over Texas, working on my freelance graphic design business, taking some art classes, spending lots of time with my mother-in-law, and I'm thinking about joining the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Brazos Valley. I'm definitely up for any suggestions for get-togethers or events to attend. Send them my way! I'll need all the distractions I can get.

I'm going to try my best to keep this blog updated as life happens to us. I'm not always the best at regularly updating (or regularly doing anything for that matter), so if you want me to, send me a message (or five) and I will. :)

Love you all!
-Brie