So, the first week is over and done with...and boy has it been a big one! It's nice that we are finally settled in our new routine. It sure is a big adjustment not having Wayne (I should get used to calling him Gordon, as he will go by that now) around the house. I didn't even think about missing all the things that he did around the house. I have remembered why I hate the dishes (and want paper ones), why I hate the trash (and wish it would magically go away by itself) and why I hate the grass (why can't my hair grow that fast)! There are many other "hates" also, but I figure the list would be too long and boring to share--ha!



I have talked to Wayne several times and he has been sporadically busy with the registration process. His platoon has several "very immature" people (a polite way of translating his actual words). He is the 2nd bay leader, so he is the "babysitter" of everyone in his platoon when the 1st bay leader isn't around (which sounded like was a lot of the time). He has been on fire guard duty several times. He has this from 2am-4am. Basically he wakes up and counts heads to make sure no-one is missing, trying to get into the routine of being on a deployment.



He called me last night and told me that he would definitely be leaving the barracks he is in now and heading over to the "actual" basic barracks today. So his "official" basic training starts today. He is so excited! It has been a long time since I heard this kind of excitement in his voice, and I am excited for him! On the downside, this means no more nightly phone calls (granted they weren't very long conversations--but still) or texts for awhile. So I hope they can earn their phone privileges fast.



He has done all his medical and is glad that is over (had to get 5 shots, hearing, dental, etc.). When they got their uniforms, it was over by where the cannons are shot, and said he could not wait to go and blow stuff up (once again, another polite translation). So he is really looking forward to that. When the cannons are shot off he said it rattles things on the walls, and sounds like the biggest clap of thunder you could imagine. I am hoping it will not take too long to get used to this sound and that it is not that loud around base housing.



Taylor has still been busy with work, she is so tan I can't believe it! She went to Yallapalooza over the weekend (and got poured on)
and went to Worlds of Fun on Tuesday She is getting excited to start school (this year as a sophomore) and we are going to go back to school shopping the first weekend in August. She is also looking forward to turning 16 and getting her license (however, I am a little more apprehensive).

Silas has been sick with a nasty summer cold. And of course, when one person gets sick it goes around to everyone. So I have been trying to clean the house real good. We have been to the pool once this week He got upset because a boy hit him on the head with a pail-hard, and a girl stole his sunglasses. He said "Mommy, their mommy's need to teach them polite manners and then they will be my friends". He talked about this for the next 2 days! He made a drawing of WALL-E and his girlfriend EVE from the movie WALL-E all by himself. He was even using his left hand!! Hopefully he will continue using his left hand, then maybe one of my kids will be like me in that department!

I am still battling this cold...head stuffed up, sore throat, sneezing, etc... It is lovely getting sick in the summer. I am waiting on my tomato plant to give me more than one tomato. I have 1 that is almost ready to pick, and 7 more that are growing. I am pretty proud of it...this is the first one that has produced fruit and that hasn't died...maybe next year I will plant some different vegetables.

I talked to Wayne last night and he said he couldn't get on the 8:30 bus. That bus was full, so he had to get on the 10:30 bus. He texted me a little after 10:30 and said he was finally on his way! He told me he would be up all night and be very busy today, hopefully he will have no troubles adjusting *finger's crossed*!

It's Official!!

It's official, we are in the Army!! Wayne is at the airport as I am writing this, waiting to board his plane to Oklahoma. His departure time is scheduled for 5:45pm. He is more than ready to leave. He has been sitting around all day because he finished all of his stuff this morning by 10 (even his "official" swearing in).

I just got off the phone with him, and he told me he is the appointed group leader of the 30 or so new recruits departing to Fort Sill for boot camp. So that is good, it gives him something to do. I could tell in his voice that he is enjoying his new-found job title. I guess he has to calm some people down (some have never flown while others are just nervous) and make sure that nobody misplaces anything. He said he will be able to call me and let me know when he arrives at Fort Sill, but after that it is old school--hand written letters! I will have to remember how to write one of those--ha! He did meet a guy who will also be doing the same job, so that means they will not only got to boot camp together but AIT as well. So maybe that will help to make the time go by faster.

The kids and I surprised him by taking some pictures of us to take with him.We were going to do something special when we gave them to him, but Silas found them and gave them to him early. That was OK though because he informed me that "Daddy really needs these to take to the Army"...who can get mad over something like that? However, Taylor was a little disappointed in the lack of surprise.

Taylor plans on passing the time by going to the pool, working and spending time with friends while Silas is busy coloring Daddy pictures. I am going to have to invest in some more coloring books, since he colors so many pictures! I am patiently waiting for an email telling me when we are enrolled in DEERS so I can get our ID cards and all that good stuff.

We spent all day at the pool on Monday. It rained a little, but the sun came out and we all got sunburns. We had a nice "last full day" together before taking him to the recruiters office yesterday.

I am finally blogging!!

I thought I would try my hand at the whole idea of blogging. I figure it would be a good way for people to keep up with the happenings of our life while not being able to visit with us regularly. I have many friends that blog, and it is nice to take a peak into their lives, so I thought I would give it a try. So please bear with me as I attempt to learn all there is to know about the world of blogging.

As you know, Wayne joined the Army. He leaves Wednesday, 21 July, for Boot Camp at Fort Sill Oklahoma. He will be there for 9 weeks. He will have a few days leave before starting AIT, which will also be at Ft. Sill. That training will last about 6 weeks. I am not sure how long we will have before we will need to report to our new post after his AIT is over. We will be assigned our post in the first week or so of his AIT.

Today is Wednesday, 14 July, so that means he will leave one week from today. We actually have to take him to MEPS on Tueesday. So the final countdown is on! Now, we are trying to get all the last minute details taken care of and to just spend as much time as a family that we can. We are all very excited for this new journey to begin. It stinks that Wayne will miss both the kids birthdays, as Taylor will turn 16 and Silas will turn 4, but I am determined to make them good regardless!

I hope it will not be a hard transition into the military life. It will be difficult for Silas because he is still little and doesn't quite understand what is about to happen. He only understand that Daddy will leave to go to work and won't be home until it gets cold outside. Taylor can't wait until we get our orders and get posted--I think it may have something to do with boys though :)

So with that being said, we have 6 days left.....