Friday, July 16, 2010
wishing for our scanner...
So we have a scanner in WI, but if I had it hear with me in GA/AL I would scan in the sonogram picture I got today. Yes! I'm pregnant. I've made it past the date of my previous miscarriages and today I got to see the baby and hear it's heartbeat, so I'm feeling very confident and ready to tell people. Honestly, you aren't missing much with the pic. I'm not very far along yet, due in March. As the ultrasound tech said right now our baby pretty much looks like a grain of rice in the pic. The other thing I wish was that I knew how to get a recording off my phone, then you could enjoy the muffled sound of the baby's heart. The Dr is very pleased with baby's heart rate and development thus far. He said everything is right on track and looking great. I go back in again in 3 weeks. I started another blog about the pregnancy. Dave and I are both very excited and hoping for the best.
Monday, June 28, 2010
The last few weeks...plus apartment pics!
So, Dave has graduated from basic and is now in his 6th week of OCS. He will be branching this week, which is where he chooses what he will do in the army. More on that later in the week.
In the last 6 weeks, I found a apt, went to WI for a week, flew home with my kitchen aid mixer, drove 7 hours to get to new apt (over 2 days), drove back 2 1/2 hours to my sister for a few days, bought a ton of furniture and other apartment necessities, and best of all have spent every weekend (but the one I was in WI of course) with Dave. On the final walk-through before moving in to the apartment we discovered that the AC, ice maker, and garbage disposal were all broken. Because it is unbelievably HOT here our very kind land-lady found someplace with AC for us to stay until it was fixed. Since moving in I found a leak in the water line that runs to the ice maker, the chain in the toilet broke so it wouldn't flush, a leak under the bathroom sink that was over an inch deep and moldy, something else wrong with the toilet so it wouldn't flush again, and 3 live roaches (3 dead/dying). Despite that I really like our little place and as the maintenance man said I'm just getting all these problems out of the way now (it's been over a week since anything has broke)
Here is the living room from the corner of the room by the front door. We bought almost all our furniture on craigslist. The couches have safari printed pillows, which isn't really my thing but they are growing on me. I LOVE the coffee table, it's huge and has 4 baskets under it. By the way no kitchen table here we just eat on the couch or on the stools.
Here is the living room from the opposite corner. Now you can see our awesome TV cabinet.
This is the view from the front door down the hallway. There are 3 closets on the right. 1 a "coat" closet but it is the same size as a bedroom closet. 2 the linen closet that I use as the pantry. 3 the water/ac closet which also has room for the vacuum cleaner, the trash can, and a few other cleaners and things. The kitchen is on the left.
The kitchen is small, but not too small. It has a lot of cabinets, some are still empty.
The bathroom is down the hall on the left just past the kitchen.
This is a close-up of the towel rack/shelf that I installed all by my self. I'm so very proud of it. Dave looked at it when he came home on the weekend and said I did a good job.
Walking into the bedroom this is what you see.
Here's the bedroom from the far corner. The bed is a queen size elevated air mattress. It's actually pretty comfy.
Last is the laundry "room" it is actually inside one of the bedroom closets. I didn't know how I felt about this, but we liked that the washer/dyer was included. Now it doesn't bother me at all. If is was still a closet it would likely be empty anyway.
That's the apartment!
In the last 6 weeks, I found a apt, went to WI for a week, flew home with my kitchen aid mixer, drove 7 hours to get to new apt (over 2 days), drove back 2 1/2 hours to my sister for a few days, bought a ton of furniture and other apartment necessities, and best of all have spent every weekend (but the one I was in WI of course) with Dave. On the final walk-through before moving in to the apartment we discovered that the AC, ice maker, and garbage disposal were all broken. Because it is unbelievably HOT here our very kind land-lady found someplace with AC for us to stay until it was fixed. Since moving in I found a leak in the water line that runs to the ice maker, the chain in the toilet broke so it wouldn't flush, a leak under the bathroom sink that was over an inch deep and moldy, something else wrong with the toilet so it wouldn't flush again, and 3 live roaches (3 dead/dying). Despite that I really like our little place and as the maintenance man said I'm just getting all these problems out of the way now (it's been over a week since anything has broke)
Here is the living room from the corner of the room by the front door. We bought almost all our furniture on craigslist. The couches have safari printed pillows, which isn't really my thing but they are growing on me. I LOVE the coffee table, it's huge and has 4 baskets under it. By the way no kitchen table here we just eat on the couch or on the stools.
Here is the living room from the opposite corner. Now you can see our awesome TV cabinet.
This is the view from the front door down the hallway. There are 3 closets on the right. 1 a "coat" closet but it is the same size as a bedroom closet. 2 the linen closet that I use as the pantry. 3 the water/ac closet which also has room for the vacuum cleaner, the trash can, and a few other cleaners and things. The kitchen is on the left.
The kitchen is small, but not too small. It has a lot of cabinets, some are still empty.
The bathroom is down the hall on the left just past the kitchen.
This is a close-up of the towel rack/shelf that I installed all by my self. I'm so very proud of it. Dave looked at it when he came home on the weekend and said I did a good job.
Walking into the bedroom this is what you see.
Here's the bedroom from the far corner. The bed is a queen size elevated air mattress. It's actually pretty comfy.
Last is the laundry "room" it is actually inside one of the bedroom closets. I didn't know how I felt about this, but we liked that the washer/dyer was included. Now it doesn't bother me at all. If is was still a closet it would likely be empty anyway.That's the apartment!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Final Countdown...
I can't beilieve it's already here. The time moved so slow and yet so fast. In just 3 days I will see my sweetheart again. Sadly we will only be together for a few days then he's off to OSC. Happily he will get weekends off in OCS sometime.
I got a letter from him ealier this week. He wrote about his FTX 3. They go out in the field for several days (I think Wed to Sun) and they run missions as though they are in a war zone. Dave said it went really well. He got to lead his squad a couple times and really enjoyed that. At the end of the exersice they march back, a 10 mile march back. He said it was long and hot as it was Sun afternoon/evening, but not to bad.
I talked with Dave today! He sounded so good. We of course can't wait to see eachother.
I don't really have much else to add. Next week will be a busy week and I will have lots to update on after that. I cn't wait!
I got a letter from him ealier this week. He wrote about his FTX 3. They go out in the field for several days (I think Wed to Sun) and they run missions as though they are in a war zone. Dave said it went really well. He got to lead his squad a couple times and really enjoyed that. At the end of the exersice they march back, a 10 mile march back. He said it was long and hot as it was Sun afternoon/evening, but not to bad.
I talked with Dave today! He sounded so good. We of course can't wait to see eachother.
I don't really have much else to add. Next week will be a busy week and I will have lots to update on after that. I cn't wait!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
3 letters and 1 phone call later
Thats right, I've put off writing for not 1 or 2 letters, but now 3 letters and 1 phone call. Sorry...I kept meaning to write but time just got away from me and before I knew it it was time for bed and I was exhausted. Today I determined I had to write before I got any more behind. So I suppose the best way to catch up is to just start at the begining. So the first letter is from 4/19-4/25.
This week was very full for Dave. Monday he had a 5 mile march to the hand grenade range. I bet you can guess what they did there. That's right he learned how to properly throw a grenade. I guess I knew there was a right way to throw one, but I'd never given it much thought, just a chuck it in the direction of the bad guys kinda thing. Dave was so nervous on his first turn with a live one, thats exactly what he did. All the practice went out the window. "I just whipped that sucker out there and ducked. " His next turn was much better, he used technique and was able to throw them farther. Then they marched back.
Tuesday they had to rehearse for a change of responsibilty ceremony. One of the Drill Sargents left and they got a new one. After that he went to the pharmacy to get his Rx for his ear infection. The remander of the day was spent moving gym equipment around and setting up a classroom. I think for the ceremony, but I'm not really sure.
Wednesday he learned more about IEDs and other field drills. They slpet out that night. He said it was beautiful and now wants to go camping when we are together again. He didn't have a tent, but if he wants to camp with me we will be in a tent.
Thursday morning they packed up their "camp" and went to learn how to shoot an anti-tank rocket launcher and a M203 grenade launcher. Sadly they only got to launch dummies, except for 2 lucky ones, Dave was not one of the ones picked :(
Friday, Dave had his second PT test he did 56 push-ups, 74 sit-ups, and a 13:25 2 mile. His score were 78 (P-U) 91 (S-U) and 98 (run). A total score of 267! Only 3 points away from graduating with honors! I'm so proud of him. I know he will do it easy and I told him so. For the rest of the day they were at the range and worked with red dot sights and weapons malfunction. Once it was dark they got to use night vision goggles and infared lasers. How cool is that?
Saturday they did pugils which he explained as using the gladiator stics to beat eachother up. He did very well at this as he fought a guy who was easily 40 lbs heavier and trained in Kendo.
He says his health so slowly improving, his ear infection is almost gone and doesn't mention it in his next 2 letters so I assume it is all better.
Next came a phone call...
He called because he thought our bank account seemed lower than it should be and was worried that something was wrong with his pay check. Nothing was wrong, he just wasn't thinking about how much the few bills we have do add up. No matter why he called, he called and we got to talk for about 10 min. It was so wonderful. Hearing his voice was the highlight of my week.
My next letter came on Monday. It was a special surprise letter just for me! He just wanted to write me a tell me how much he loves me and send it on it's own so it would be different. I deffinitly wasn't expecting it and it made my day.
I got the 3rd letter today and it picks up right were the 1st letter left off in his week. He mentions getting letters from friends and family and how nice that is. Thank you to all who have written him.
Monday was as he said "an honest to goodness training day." They were at the range and shot a M249 SAW and a M240 B machine gun. He liked both of them but the M240 B was his favorite of the 2. Uncool part of the day the 6 mile hike at 18:00 (6:00PM), super hot and humid.
Tuesday was a easy day. Getting fitted for Class As. He loves his and can't wait to wear it at family day and graduation....though part of that is that he gets to see me.
Wednesday was a long slow day. 1st and 2nd platoon went and did one thing and 3rd and 4th had to wait till Thurs to do it. Dave is in 3rd fyi. While they waited they didnt do much at all. Some of the OCS candidates put packets for graduation together.
Thursday, as I said they switched and 3rd and 4th got to go and 1st and 2nd did nothing. They were trained in bounding and overwatch drills. I'm not really sure what that is, sorry. He did have to do something with a partner that involved going down ranage and covering your partner. I think that is bounding, but I could be wrong. His DS said Dave and his partner "Too Tall" did great. Dave really likes that DS because he is rough and tough when needed, but also cool and laid back. Dave said the DS reminds him of my brother, Chris, but he hasn't quite figured out why yet.
Friday was the best day at the range so far. He got to shoot a M2 .50 cal. He LOVED it.
Saturday, he worked on urban ops. Sorry don't really know what that is either. Sometimes I think he forgets that I don't know all this military stuff yet. He did talk about clearing rooms so it must be somthing about that.
He is loving Basic. He has had several oprotunities to share the gospel with others. Wearing garments has started lots of conversations. He has had one friend that has been coming to church with him on a regular basis and a couple others who have gone once or twice. I'm so proud of him and what he is doing.
OK....so I think it's time for a little update on what I've been doing, though it is not nearly as exciting as Dave. Most days I play with my niece and nephews and hang out with my sister. I write Dave every night and mail a letter every Mon, Wed, and Fri. We are getting ready for her baby, which should come next week. My brother-in-law said something today that has sparked an interest with me on something I might like to do. A book review blog. I read so many books already and I can never remember what I've read and haven't read and what I thought about it, why not write a little review. I haven't figured it all out yet, but I am deffinitly intrigued by the idea.
This week was very full for Dave. Monday he had a 5 mile march to the hand grenade range. I bet you can guess what they did there. That's right he learned how to properly throw a grenade. I guess I knew there was a right way to throw one, but I'd never given it much thought, just a chuck it in the direction of the bad guys kinda thing. Dave was so nervous on his first turn with a live one, thats exactly what he did. All the practice went out the window. "I just whipped that sucker out there and ducked. " His next turn was much better, he used technique and was able to throw them farther. Then they marched back.
Tuesday they had to rehearse for a change of responsibilty ceremony. One of the Drill Sargents left and they got a new one. After that he went to the pharmacy to get his Rx for his ear infection. The remander of the day was spent moving gym equipment around and setting up a classroom. I think for the ceremony, but I'm not really sure.
Wednesday he learned more about IEDs and other field drills. They slpet out that night. He said it was beautiful and now wants to go camping when we are together again. He didn't have a tent, but if he wants to camp with me we will be in a tent.
Thursday morning they packed up their "camp" and went to learn how to shoot an anti-tank rocket launcher and a M203 grenade launcher. Sadly they only got to launch dummies, except for 2 lucky ones, Dave was not one of the ones picked :(
Friday, Dave had his second PT test he did 56 push-ups, 74 sit-ups, and a 13:25 2 mile. His score were 78 (P-U) 91 (S-U) and 98 (run). A total score of 267! Only 3 points away from graduating with honors! I'm so proud of him. I know he will do it easy and I told him so. For the rest of the day they were at the range and worked with red dot sights and weapons malfunction. Once it was dark they got to use night vision goggles and infared lasers. How cool is that?
Saturday they did pugils which he explained as using the gladiator stics to beat eachother up. He did very well at this as he fought a guy who was easily 40 lbs heavier and trained in Kendo.
He says his health so slowly improving, his ear infection is almost gone and doesn't mention it in his next 2 letters so I assume it is all better.
Next came a phone call...
He called because he thought our bank account seemed lower than it should be and was worried that something was wrong with his pay check. Nothing was wrong, he just wasn't thinking about how much the few bills we have do add up. No matter why he called, he called and we got to talk for about 10 min. It was so wonderful. Hearing his voice was the highlight of my week.
My next letter came on Monday. It was a special surprise letter just for me! He just wanted to write me a tell me how much he loves me and send it on it's own so it would be different. I deffinitly wasn't expecting it and it made my day.
I got the 3rd letter today and it picks up right were the 1st letter left off in his week. He mentions getting letters from friends and family and how nice that is. Thank you to all who have written him.
Monday was as he said "an honest to goodness training day." They were at the range and shot a M249 SAW and a M240 B machine gun. He liked both of them but the M240 B was his favorite of the 2. Uncool part of the day the 6 mile hike at 18:00 (6:00PM), super hot and humid.
Tuesday was a easy day. Getting fitted for Class As. He loves his and can't wait to wear it at family day and graduation....though part of that is that he gets to see me.
Wednesday was a long slow day. 1st and 2nd platoon went and did one thing and 3rd and 4th had to wait till Thurs to do it. Dave is in 3rd fyi. While they waited they didnt do much at all. Some of the OCS candidates put packets for graduation together.
Thursday, as I said they switched and 3rd and 4th got to go and 1st and 2nd did nothing. They were trained in bounding and overwatch drills. I'm not really sure what that is, sorry. He did have to do something with a partner that involved going down ranage and covering your partner. I think that is bounding, but I could be wrong. His DS said Dave and his partner "Too Tall" did great. Dave really likes that DS because he is rough and tough when needed, but also cool and laid back. Dave said the DS reminds him of my brother, Chris, but he hasn't quite figured out why yet.
Friday was the best day at the range so far. He got to shoot a M2 .50 cal. He LOVED it.
Saturday, he worked on urban ops. Sorry don't really know what that is either. Sometimes I think he forgets that I don't know all this military stuff yet. He did talk about clearing rooms so it must be somthing about that.
He is loving Basic. He has had several oprotunities to share the gospel with others. Wearing garments has started lots of conversations. He has had one friend that has been coming to church with him on a regular basis and a couple others who have gone once or twice. I'm so proud of him and what he is doing.
OK....so I think it's time for a little update on what I've been doing, though it is not nearly as exciting as Dave. Most days I play with my niece and nephews and hang out with my sister. I write Dave every night and mail a letter every Mon, Wed, and Fri. We are getting ready for her baby, which should come next week. My brother-in-law said something today that has sparked an interest with me on something I might like to do. A book review blog. I read so many books already and I can never remember what I've read and haven't read and what I thought about it, why not write a little review. I haven't figured it all out yet, but I am deffinitly intrigued by the idea.
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Latest Letter, 4/12-4/18
Picking up right were the last letter left off, Dave went to sick call on Monday to have his ear infection re-evaluated. The doctor said it was still a little red, but that it would be alright. It wasn't...He went back to sick call on Sun and spent the enitre day there. Hopefully by now he is feeling better, but please keep him in your prayers.
Tuesday: They had to do some timed target shooting. They shot at 75, 175, and 300 Meters. He hit 27 out of 44, which is good.
Wednesday: MAC, Modern Army Combatives. He didn't enjoy this very much because they were all on a mat together, and there wasnt much room to really do the things they were learning, otherwise it would have been fun.
Thursday: pre-qualification. If they shot a 36+ they didn't have to do it again the next day. Sadly Dave only shot a 27 :(
Friday: Qualification Day. He shot a 29! 1 shot away from a Sharp-Shooter.
Saturday: bayonet training. Other than the "beastly heat" it would have been great. In the afternoon they had a class on combat opics and close quaters marksmanship. Dave says it was cool but sitting in a chair in the heat made him sleepy and he had a hard time staying awake. That night they got pizza. He really misses pizza and so was very happy to have some.
Sunday: Back in sick call.
That was his week in a nut shell. He says there is a lot more down time now than before, mostly because they are waiting in line to shoot or something. He is still really enjoying himself and once again aside from his ear doing quite well. So everyone knows I'm doing well too.
Please keep Dave in your prayers.
Tuesday: They had to do some timed target shooting. They shot at 75, 175, and 300 Meters. He hit 27 out of 44, which is good.
Wednesday: MAC, Modern Army Combatives. He didn't enjoy this very much because they were all on a mat together, and there wasnt much room to really do the things they were learning, otherwise it would have been fun.
Thursday: pre-qualification. If they shot a 36+ they didn't have to do it again the next day. Sadly Dave only shot a 27 :(
Friday: Qualification Day. He shot a 29! 1 shot away from a Sharp-Shooter.
Saturday: bayonet training. Other than the "beastly heat" it would have been great. In the afternoon they had a class on combat opics and close quaters marksmanship. Dave says it was cool but sitting in a chair in the heat made him sleepy and he had a hard time staying awake. That night they got pizza. He really misses pizza and so was very happy to have some.
Sunday: Back in sick call.
That was his week in a nut shell. He says there is a lot more down time now than before, mostly because they are waiting in line to shoot or something. He is still really enjoying himself and once again aside from his ear doing quite well. So everyone knows I'm doing well too.
Please keep Dave in your prayers.
Monday, April 19, 2010
The missing letter
So I finaly got the letter that Dave sent to KY after I had left! I thought it had gotten lost but it showed up today. It was mailed March 31st and covers the week of the 22nd-27th. So pretend that this post was written a couple weeks ago when I had that 2 week break.
He starts off writing about his experience with the gas chamber. He isn't sure if his masked worked at all as his eyes began to water the moment he entered the room, and he started to cough. They had to pull the mask forward, say their name, clear the mask and seal it. It took Dave several times to say it so that his DS could hear him. Then they had to remove the mask and hold their mask in one hand and their rifle in the other. They also had to strap their helmet on. If you messed up you went through again. As Dave was walking out, He had the prompting to doublr check his chin strap. He did so and discovered that it wasn't done properly. He quickly fixed it and saved himself from having to go through again. He thanked God, and I do now. I love when he tells me about the little mircles.
Tuesday, if you recall, they went to the Eagle Tower, repelling. He really enjoyed that and didn't stuggle to much. For lunch he had his first MRE, he liked it alright, says it's not like my cooking, but edible.
Wednesday they did a "Confidence Course", an obsticle course. They did a number of different team building challenges. The only part he struggled with was the rope, his platoon got smoked at PT that morning and his arms hadn't recovered just yet. They continued this on Thursday. On his first time up the rope, he still struggled. When he cam back after lunch, he made it up just fine. His platoon won the challenge for the day! They earned 10 min of phone time (which they promptly lost for being late, talking in formation, and failing inspection on Sat).
Friday they had their 1st field training exercise. They learned about manuvering fire teams, bound and drop, and high and low crawl. They concluded that day with another obsticle course using these new skills. They won again!
Saturday they learned about land navigation. Dave rocked that. He said it was super easy for him.
That concludes his week, he mentions seeing pics at www.2-47panthers.org. I haven't checked that link yet but I know this link has pics. http://www.flickr.com/photos/247infantry.
He starts off writing about his experience with the gas chamber. He isn't sure if his masked worked at all as his eyes began to water the moment he entered the room, and he started to cough. They had to pull the mask forward, say their name, clear the mask and seal it. It took Dave several times to say it so that his DS could hear him. Then they had to remove the mask and hold their mask in one hand and their rifle in the other. They also had to strap their helmet on. If you messed up you went through again. As Dave was walking out, He had the prompting to doublr check his chin strap. He did so and discovered that it wasn't done properly. He quickly fixed it and saved himself from having to go through again. He thanked God, and I do now. I love when he tells me about the little mircles.
Tuesday, if you recall, they went to the Eagle Tower, repelling. He really enjoyed that and didn't stuggle to much. For lunch he had his first MRE, he liked it alright, says it's not like my cooking, but edible.
Wednesday they did a "Confidence Course", an obsticle course. They did a number of different team building challenges. The only part he struggled with was the rope, his platoon got smoked at PT that morning and his arms hadn't recovered just yet. They continued this on Thursday. On his first time up the rope, he still struggled. When he cam back after lunch, he made it up just fine. His platoon won the challenge for the day! They earned 10 min of phone time (which they promptly lost for being late, talking in formation, and failing inspection on Sat).
Friday they had their 1st field training exercise. They learned about manuvering fire teams, bound and drop, and high and low crawl. They concluded that day with another obsticle course using these new skills. They won again!
Saturday they learned about land navigation. Dave rocked that. He said it was super easy for him.
That concludes his week, he mentions seeing pics at www.2-47panthers.org. I haven't checked that link yet but I know this link has pics. http://www.flickr.com/photos/247infantry.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
What Dave did last week
So I got another letter yesturday all about what he did last week. I was so happy to hear from him again so soon.
Last week was mostly BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship). He said it was fun, for the most part. Monday they did electronic shooting simulation, to help with teaching the fundamentals. He passed on his first time! Tuesday was zeroing his weapon, that took 2 trys. Wedneday he went on to advanced rifle drills. He enjoyed that a lot. Thursday would have been more fun for him if it hadn't been raining all day long. He had to go out to the 300m range to shot, the rain let up a little by the time it was his turn and he did great. His DS said "Dead all day, Nigh." I guess thats good. The rain picked up almost imeaditly after he finished (a little blessing I'm sure) and he ahd to eat a soggy MRE for lunch. Friday he worked on learing how to breach a room. Sat they were back in the simulator, this time wearing balistic vests, ammo vests, and Kevlar helmets. The full gear made things a little harder for him. They had to get a min of 27 out of 44 shots. After 33 he only had 20, he quickly said a little prayer and nailed 9 of his last 11 shots (blessing #2). Also that was the day he gt to call me (blessing #3)! He didn't say anything about his ear infection, as he hadn't been to sick call again yet, I expect that in the next letter. Keep him in your prayers.
Last week was mostly BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship). He said it was fun, for the most part. Monday they did electronic shooting simulation, to help with teaching the fundamentals. He passed on his first time! Tuesday was zeroing his weapon, that took 2 trys. Wedneday he went on to advanced rifle drills. He enjoyed that a lot. Thursday would have been more fun for him if it hadn't been raining all day long. He had to go out to the 300m range to shot, the rain let up a little by the time it was his turn and he did great. His DS said "Dead all day, Nigh." I guess thats good. The rain picked up almost imeaditly after he finished (a little blessing I'm sure) and he ahd to eat a soggy MRE for lunch. Friday he worked on learing how to breach a room. Sat they were back in the simulator, this time wearing balistic vests, ammo vests, and Kevlar helmets. The full gear made things a little harder for him. They had to get a min of 27 out of 44 shots. After 33 he only had 20, he quickly said a little prayer and nailed 9 of his last 11 shots (blessing #2). Also that was the day he gt to call me (blessing #3)! He didn't say anything about his ear infection, as he hadn't been to sick call again yet, I expect that in the next letter. Keep him in your prayers.
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