It's been a few months now since I have last posted, and so much has happened. Following BOLC I was able to spend a few weeks with Eric. It was a hectic two weeks and he had so much going on, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world. It was soooo important to get that time with him before we separate again. I got to help him lead worship one night for intervarsity, which was great. That is one of our favorite things to do, sing. We often comment how much we're looking forward to being back together to be able to sit on the couch and sing worship songs together. We really cherish that time. It has been so long since my last post, it is actually only 7 days before I will see him again.
After my two weeks of leave at home, I flew back to San Antonio and then drove my over-packed car the two hours north to Fort Hood. (Home sweet home) Since arriving here I have had several weeks of in-processing, orientations, and other classes to attend. I did my best at finding a house for us, and I think I have found a worthy dwelling. It was a stressful experience, and I still wonder if I should have looked around more or waited longer. I suppose once Eric gets here and stamps his approval on the place I will feel more at peace with it all.
My mom did the unthinkable and got on a plane to spend a week with me. I am so proud of her. I know it was a very difficult hurdle to overcome, and she did it. She helped me paint a few rooms and find homes for pictures. We had a great opportunity to have some mother/daughter time which I really valued. Hopefully in the future we are able to have similar experiences down the road.
On my own I have painted some of the other rooms, which took forever, and done my best to prepare the house for Eric's arrival. I am so excited for him to come. I've been in this constant "nesting" phase of preparing the house and preparing food for the first week he's here so we don't have to worry about much but settling in. So much to do!!! I'm trying to get myself motivated to take on all the things I still need to accomplish. A good start would probably be getting off the computer. Hopefully next time there won't be so much time between posts.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
BOLC Week 7, 8, and 9
I was able to see first hand just how small the Army is. My original roommate that I had when I began BOLC left just as week 5 was beginning from an injury. I had been enjoying the time on the weekends of being by myself. Sunday mid morning I had gotten up and started my bathroom routine...with the door open. I mean, when you live by yourself, what does it matter? You can imagine my shock when I heard someone slide their key into my door and the doorknob turning. Here I am in a somewhat compromising position and I'm getting visitors!! I tried to quickly recover and waddle around the corner of the bathroom to view the doorway. The whole time I called out to my intruder trying to figure out who on earth it was. I was COMPLETELY shocked to see who it was.... My new roommate was actually an old roommate. It was Soo Kim, my roommate from Olivet! She is part of the next BOLC class and was slotted in to my room. Neither of us had requested anything, it just worked out.
The next morning I headed out to the field for the last time. This final week of training was focused on Warrior Leader Tasks and Convoy training. We had some really cool training. We used something called the HEAT trainer which is essentially a HMMV that rotates 360 degrees to simulate a rollover. They leave you suspended in awkward positions and then you and your teammates must find the open door and get every soldier to that door to get out. It needs to be taken seriously, but I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. Another simulation we used was for convoy training. I got the lucky selection of being the convoy commander for the exercise. Your group is divided between 4 vehicles. There is a driver, obviously, the truck commander, a few passengers/gunners, and a gunner out of the top. We did the simulation indoors. Each vehicle was in a separate room with a video projected up on all of the walls. Similar to the racing games you'd find at an arcade we drove our vehicles through the scenario navigating around vehicles, people, and even IED situations. While it was a little stressful I maintained a calm and collected approach to the situation and managed to do pretty well. I was relieved. Later we went on to do a real convoy operation with our instructors as our drivers for real vehicles. You definitely gain a huge amount of respect for the soldiers who do convoys each day. There are so many variables to consider it is difficult to make decisions, especially when you are only receiving intel on the radio and not with your own eyes. It's sooooo much more than just "driving around" or whatever else people may think it's like.
We were gassed this week as well. It wasn't as bad as my first, but I don't have any intentions of putting it on my to do list any time soon. They brought us in to a small room with the CS tablets smoking in the middle. Due to the weather we only wore masks instead of all the rubberized gear that we wear. When your sweaty skin is exposed to the gas it begins to burn pretty intensely. I feels like the worst sunburn you've ever had. However, eventually your body gets tired of responding and you go numb to it. They had us jog around in a circle singing cadences before breaking the seal on our masks. Luckily all we had to do was say a few bits of information and we were out the door. Of course my eyes teared uncontrollably and I could barely open them for the next 10 minutes, but all in all, things went well.
Week 8 we began our tracks. Finally we were divided into our specialty groups to learn more about how you fit into the big Army. The highlight of this week was our TNCC training. I was pretty concerned about this considering the difficulty I had getting through nursing school, but things went really well. The instructors were clear and concise. They stuck to the important parts that we are going to need to know for our own practice. We spent two days receiving lectures and on the third day we took a written test as well as a skills test. Luckily I was able to pass everything on the first try...what a relief that was!!!
Week 9 has been slow. I think that's because I'm getting so excited to get home. I've enjoyed my time here and all the people I have met, but I'm ready to reconnect with my husband and get ready for the next phase in Fort Hood. We were able to meet our head nurse a few times this past week. Things seem good so far, I suppose that's because I don't really know what I should be asking yet. We've also met with what would be considered our branch managers, or hrc, to get the scoop for career planning. I have to admit I am more confused than ever before. I'm just going to have to leave everything in God's hands because I don't know what I should do. I guess everything will be revealed in time. I just don't want to come to a point in my life where I regret any decisions...maybe you can't avoid some of those once in a while. Perhaps it is only when you're truly following God's lead can you live without regret.
In the mean time I just can't wait to get home and spend time with Eric. I have missed him so much. I don't know how I'm going to do another 12 weeks apart after my leave at home. Whew! Praying for a good support system at Hood and a solid start to my Army nursing career.
The next morning I headed out to the field for the last time. This final week of training was focused on Warrior Leader Tasks and Convoy training. We had some really cool training. We used something called the HEAT trainer which is essentially a HMMV that rotates 360 degrees to simulate a rollover. They leave you suspended in awkward positions and then you and your teammates must find the open door and get every soldier to that door to get out. It needs to be taken seriously, but I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. Another simulation we used was for convoy training. I got the lucky selection of being the convoy commander for the exercise. Your group is divided between 4 vehicles. There is a driver, obviously, the truck commander, a few passengers/gunners, and a gunner out of the top. We did the simulation indoors. Each vehicle was in a separate room with a video projected up on all of the walls. Similar to the racing games you'd find at an arcade we drove our vehicles through the scenario navigating around vehicles, people, and even IED situations. While it was a little stressful I maintained a calm and collected approach to the situation and managed to do pretty well. I was relieved. Later we went on to do a real convoy operation with our instructors as our drivers for real vehicles. You definitely gain a huge amount of respect for the soldiers who do convoys each day. There are so many variables to consider it is difficult to make decisions, especially when you are only receiving intel on the radio and not with your own eyes. It's sooooo much more than just "driving around" or whatever else people may think it's like.
We were gassed this week as well. It wasn't as bad as my first, but I don't have any intentions of putting it on my to do list any time soon. They brought us in to a small room with the CS tablets smoking in the middle. Due to the weather we only wore masks instead of all the rubberized gear that we wear. When your sweaty skin is exposed to the gas it begins to burn pretty intensely. I feels like the worst sunburn you've ever had. However, eventually your body gets tired of responding and you go numb to it. They had us jog around in a circle singing cadences before breaking the seal on our masks. Luckily all we had to do was say a few bits of information and we were out the door. Of course my eyes teared uncontrollably and I could barely open them for the next 10 minutes, but all in all, things went well.
Week 8 we began our tracks. Finally we were divided into our specialty groups to learn more about how you fit into the big Army. The highlight of this week was our TNCC training. I was pretty concerned about this considering the difficulty I had getting through nursing school, but things went really well. The instructors were clear and concise. They stuck to the important parts that we are going to need to know for our own practice. We spent two days receiving lectures and on the third day we took a written test as well as a skills test. Luckily I was able to pass everything on the first try...what a relief that was!!!
Week 9 has been slow. I think that's because I'm getting so excited to get home. I've enjoyed my time here and all the people I have met, but I'm ready to reconnect with my husband and get ready for the next phase in Fort Hood. We were able to meet our head nurse a few times this past week. Things seem good so far, I suppose that's because I don't really know what I should be asking yet. We've also met with what would be considered our branch managers, or hrc, to get the scoop for career planning. I have to admit I am more confused than ever before. I'm just going to have to leave everything in God's hands because I don't know what I should do. I guess everything will be revealed in time. I just don't want to come to a point in my life where I regret any decisions...maybe you can't avoid some of those once in a while. Perhaps it is only when you're truly following God's lead can you live without regret.
In the mean time I just can't wait to get home and spend time with Eric. I have missed him so much. I don't know how I'm going to do another 12 weeks apart after my leave at home. Whew! Praying for a good support system at Hood and a solid start to my Army nursing career.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
BOLC Week 4, 5, and 6
A LOT has happened since I last made an entry. I'll try to keep it to just the highlights. For those of you who know me know that that's a challenge. I'm always getting hung up in the details of my stories, right down to what people were wearing. I'd like to think it enhances the story. :)
Ok, so week 4 started our time in the field at Camp Bullis. It's a bit of a dust bowl out there, and really HOT! There is no running water of any kind. It's HOT! There are no showers or indoor plumbing of any kind. It's HOT! Our freshwater source is from a water buffalo. We have small hand washing and hygiene stations that are filled with non-potable water. Did I mention it's HOT!?!?! On average temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees. We have small thermometers in our tents that usually read about 95 degrees when the air conditioner isn't turned on. The air is turned off during the day while we train and started up in the afternoon. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time for it to really make much of difference.
When we arrived in the field we were joined by about 150 reservists. The first day we spent doing a "walk the dog" exercise for land navigation. From about 0900-1600 we were slowly making our way from point to point out on the course. Luckily my group instructor took appropriate actions to prevent heat injury in our group. However that was not the case in every group. At least 25 soldiers fell out from heat injury that day requiring interventions as small as a cup of gatorade to hospitalization. The training company commander came on site to address the issue since it had caught the attention of the Commanding General. While we did have an opportunity to voice our thoughts and opinions to improve the situation, we were also reprimanded for "not hydrating well enough, eating enough, and being inexperienced in the field." The irony of the situation is that there were just as many prior service soldiers at direct commissions with heat injury. That was pretty much the major event of the week. From there on out most of the training was much less strenuous and extra measures were taken to keep us as cool as possible. We received classes on the M9 to disassemble, assemble, and preparation for the range. We also reviewed the M16 and prepared to zero and qualify at the range. Fairly uneventful.
I do have to mention that bugs here are HUGE!! I have ever seen such large spiders and grasshoppers in my life. They are really quite intimidating. One day during training I made my way over to a shady area to sit down and just happen to catch a glimpse of a spider web in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around only to find the largest spider I have ever seen!!! Yuck!!! Supposedly they're not even a threat, but I have trouble believing it. Let's not forget about the 3 inch grasshopper I saw. It's literally the size of a mouse. I guess things really are bigger in Texas!
Week 2 was really cool!! It was the AMEDD FTX. We were able to set up all the different levels of care that are utilized during deployment. Once in place we began to run the scenario simulating a mass casualty. We were even able to utilize blackhawks to MEDEVAC our "critical" patients. It was SWEET! It's probably the most pertinent thing we've done in the field.
Combatives have continued out in the field. We workout in ground up tire pits. It makes all the exercises ten times harder to do. The class has been good. I feel like I'm learning a lot. Of course there are some down sides. Sometimes you don't get very good partners who don't stick to the techniques that you've been taught and they just try to muscle you to the group. They're really more like bullies. The other day we worked on blood chokes. They are effective within about 10 seconds if performed correctly. It's probably just as well that Eric isn't around so that he doesn't have to be my practice partner. :)
Today Eric had his first game of the season against Carson-Newman. The first quarter was pretty quiet for E, but then things got going. He had four catches for 109 yards. He was the top receiver of the game!!!!!! I am soooooo proud of him. His coaching staff has him on a special practice plan specific for him to keep him health and game ready. So far it seems to be working!! Keep him in your prayers that he stays healthy! In just three short weeks I'll be sitting in the stands watching him play. I can't wait! Go Warriors!!! :)
Ok, so week 4 started our time in the field at Camp Bullis. It's a bit of a dust bowl out there, and really HOT! There is no running water of any kind. It's HOT! There are no showers or indoor plumbing of any kind. It's HOT! Our freshwater source is from a water buffalo. We have small hand washing and hygiene stations that are filled with non-potable water. Did I mention it's HOT!?!?! On average temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees. We have small thermometers in our tents that usually read about 95 degrees when the air conditioner isn't turned on. The air is turned off during the day while we train and started up in the afternoon. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time for it to really make much of difference.
When we arrived in the field we were joined by about 150 reservists. The first day we spent doing a "walk the dog" exercise for land navigation. From about 0900-1600 we were slowly making our way from point to point out on the course. Luckily my group instructor took appropriate actions to prevent heat injury in our group. However that was not the case in every group. At least 25 soldiers fell out from heat injury that day requiring interventions as small as a cup of gatorade to hospitalization. The training company commander came on site to address the issue since it had caught the attention of the Commanding General. While we did have an opportunity to voice our thoughts and opinions to improve the situation, we were also reprimanded for "not hydrating well enough, eating enough, and being inexperienced in the field." The irony of the situation is that there were just as many prior service soldiers at direct commissions with heat injury. That was pretty much the major event of the week. From there on out most of the training was much less strenuous and extra measures were taken to keep us as cool as possible. We received classes on the M9 to disassemble, assemble, and preparation for the range. We also reviewed the M16 and prepared to zero and qualify at the range. Fairly uneventful.
I do have to mention that bugs here are HUGE!! I have ever seen such large spiders and grasshoppers in my life. They are really quite intimidating. One day during training I made my way over to a shady area to sit down and just happen to catch a glimpse of a spider web in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around only to find the largest spider I have ever seen!!! Yuck!!! Supposedly they're not even a threat, but I have trouble believing it. Let's not forget about the 3 inch grasshopper I saw. It's literally the size of a mouse. I guess things really are bigger in Texas!
Week 2 was really cool!! It was the AMEDD FTX. We were able to set up all the different levels of care that are utilized during deployment. Once in place we began to run the scenario simulating a mass casualty. We were even able to utilize blackhawks to MEDEVAC our "critical" patients. It was SWEET! It's probably the most pertinent thing we've done in the field.
Combatives have continued out in the field. We workout in ground up tire pits. It makes all the exercises ten times harder to do. The class has been good. I feel like I'm learning a lot. Of course there are some down sides. Sometimes you don't get very good partners who don't stick to the techniques that you've been taught and they just try to muscle you to the group. They're really more like bullies. The other day we worked on blood chokes. They are effective within about 10 seconds if performed correctly. It's probably just as well that Eric isn't around so that he doesn't have to be my practice partner. :)
Today Eric had his first game of the season against Carson-Newman. The first quarter was pretty quiet for E, but then things got going. He had four catches for 109 yards. He was the top receiver of the game!!!!!! I am soooooo proud of him. His coaching staff has him on a special practice plan specific for him to keep him health and game ready. So far it seems to be working!! Keep him in your prayers that he stays healthy! In just three short weeks I'll be sitting in the stands watching him play. I can't wait! Go Warriors!!! :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
BOLC Week 3
The best thing and the worst thing about time is that it just keeps on ticking. In times like these I love that fact. It is inevitable, the end is drawing closer and closer. All I have to do is show up in the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform. Not to mention, do the right thing. It's amazing how hard that last part is for many people. I quickly learning that something that seems obvious to me is completely unlearned to the next person. How does that happen? I'm convinced it is a direct reflection of their upbringing. You can't avoid it, the family structure is at the center of everything. That is why it is so important that we focus on protecting the family. I digress....
Week 3.... It's been good. This week I had my very first combatives workout. At this point I find the warm up more difficult than the actual moves. Our warm up lasts about 30-45 minutes. We do a lot of rotations and stretching to prepare our joints for the somewhat awkward positions you find yourself in. Following rotations we do several exercises. There is one called the alligator that I literally CAN NOT do. It is like physically impossible for me. The gym is hot and doesn't have air conditioning, just some barn fans placed here and there. We are all literally dripping by the time we finish warm ups. We wear a set of ACUs without any patches and no shoes. Some people wear wrestling shoes, but bare foot seems to work just fine. We haven't gotten into anything too intense yet, more of just familiarizing ourselves with the dominant positions of a fight. Next we'll work on how to get to those dominant positions from non-dominant positions. We did learn a little bit about inside control and were able to partner and work competitively to gain inside control on them from a standing position. For practicing purposes I tend to pair myself with another girl from my platoon. However, when we do a few competitive rounds at the end we are randomly paired. That's always interesting. Sometimes you are paired with a fairly passive partner without a competitive bone in their body. At other times you'll pair with someone who is a little too aggressive for practice purposes. On our second day of combatives we worked on what appears to be similar to wrestling moves, I guess you could say. The sequence of moves we went through to gain dominant position part way through puts your opponent balancing on the base of their neck with legs in the air as you mock "choke" them. I asked my roommate if I could practice some of my moves on her, of course she declined. :) I guess it's just not for everyone.
This week we also had two tests, a mid-term and CBRNE. I love the Army tests, their great! For training like AMEDD BOLC the intention is not to weed out the weak or fail anyone. The point is just to familiarize everyone with Army medicine both garrison and down range. All of the instructors made sure we were completely prepared ahead of time and we all passed with flying colors. The other test we took was on CBRNE, basically, chemical warfare. We were allowed to take the test with open book, open notes. You would think it would be a cinch. Our instructor told us, "I'd be willing to bet my paycheck that this is the easiest test you'll ever take." Well, it ranked right up there with a nursing exam. HARD!! Half the questions didn't even reference the slides we were given. Plus you waste all kinds of time looking up answers because you second guess what you remember from the briefings. Ugh! We haven't gotten our scores back on that one yet. Hopefully I squeaked through. Even if I didn't, like I said, the Army is great. For all of those who don't pass, you can retake the test online as many times as you need to. We shall see.
This week we all went through SRP. This process is set up for all the soldiers to go through to ensure that all of our medical is up to date and in the system in preparation for future deployments. It was a long day of waiting. Moving a few chairs at a time for about 2 hours. I thought I was pretty squared away since I had brought all of my shot records and literally my entire medical record from home to try to keep things short and sweet. Only problem was that my shot records revealed that I was due for just about everything!! So much for that! I ended up with three shots in my left arm, one in my right arm, a tb test in my forearm, and a blood draw for six tubes. My shoulders are still sore. But I can't complain...I got paid to sit in those chairs for 2 hours and every single one of those tests/shots were things I needed and the Army paid for. That night we had a reception with the Commanding General. Basically we all go through a receiving line and then mingle for a while. A receiving line is when you meet some of the big wigs. You will first meet an officer of lower rank who gathers basic information about you to introduce you to the next officer. When the LTC, COL, GEN is ready, they motion for you to come to them and you move at the position of attention. Meanwhile the lower ranking officer is telling them, "This is 2LT Swan, she is a nurse from Wisconsin." The conversation goes from there. Unless you have something amazing about you that they want to ask you more about the conversation is usually pretty short, which is probably just as well.
This morning was pretty interesting. I received a phone call from my roommate at 0930 letting me know she was over at BAMC and would need to be picked up at some point today. We had planned to go to an outlet mall and then tubing down the river today, but none of it worked out. She was jogging on the track when a platoon of soldiers came up behind her at a much faster pace. She started to move to the edge of the track to get out of the way, miss stepped, and fell down. She ended up with a lumbar compression fracture and some torn muscle in her tush. She was only recently released tonight at about 2030....12 hours later. She is to report back on Monday morning for an MRI. Decisions will be made from there regarding her status for training. Hopefully she will be able to continue, otherwise, she will be recycled to the next group. That is a pretty defeating thought when you're at training. You're counting down the days to be done so you can see your family and then you find out that you'll end up going a lot longer than originally planned. Ugh! Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!!
Next week I am squad leader. Here at BOLC that really doesn't man a whole lot. I basically means that you are just a link in the chain of communication. Much different than when I went to LDAC as a cadet. Being squad leader was an exhausting position there. You were being evaluated on your every move and piece of communication. With all of the direct commissions it's difficult, or should I say impossible, to expect the same standard. For many people here, this is their third full week in the Army. They just figured out what a squad leader is! Anyway, this is our last week in garrison before heading to the field. We were told to encourage constant hydration as we prepare for the field at Camp Bullis. Supposedly it actually reaches temperatures 10-15 degrees over Fort Sam Houston temps. They regularly have a handful of soldiers fall out from heat injuries out there. I hope I'm not one of them!! I'm trying to keep up with my water, nutrition, and gatorade for lyte replacement.
I'm a third of the way through!! :)
Week 3.... It's been good. This week I had my very first combatives workout. At this point I find the warm up more difficult than the actual moves. Our warm up lasts about 30-45 minutes. We do a lot of rotations and stretching to prepare our joints for the somewhat awkward positions you find yourself in. Following rotations we do several exercises. There is one called the alligator that I literally CAN NOT do. It is like physically impossible for me. The gym is hot and doesn't have air conditioning, just some barn fans placed here and there. We are all literally dripping by the time we finish warm ups. We wear a set of ACUs without any patches and no shoes. Some people wear wrestling shoes, but bare foot seems to work just fine. We haven't gotten into anything too intense yet, more of just familiarizing ourselves with the dominant positions of a fight. Next we'll work on how to get to those dominant positions from non-dominant positions. We did learn a little bit about inside control and were able to partner and work competitively to gain inside control on them from a standing position. For practicing purposes I tend to pair myself with another girl from my platoon. However, when we do a few competitive rounds at the end we are randomly paired. That's always interesting. Sometimes you are paired with a fairly passive partner without a competitive bone in their body. At other times you'll pair with someone who is a little too aggressive for practice purposes. On our second day of combatives we worked on what appears to be similar to wrestling moves, I guess you could say. The sequence of moves we went through to gain dominant position part way through puts your opponent balancing on the base of their neck with legs in the air as you mock "choke" them. I asked my roommate if I could practice some of my moves on her, of course she declined. :) I guess it's just not for everyone.
This week we also had two tests, a mid-term and CBRNE. I love the Army tests, their great! For training like AMEDD BOLC the intention is not to weed out the weak or fail anyone. The point is just to familiarize everyone with Army medicine both garrison and down range. All of the instructors made sure we were completely prepared ahead of time and we all passed with flying colors. The other test we took was on CBRNE, basically, chemical warfare. We were allowed to take the test with open book, open notes. You would think it would be a cinch. Our instructor told us, "I'd be willing to bet my paycheck that this is the easiest test you'll ever take." Well, it ranked right up there with a nursing exam. HARD!! Half the questions didn't even reference the slides we were given. Plus you waste all kinds of time looking up answers because you second guess what you remember from the briefings. Ugh! We haven't gotten our scores back on that one yet. Hopefully I squeaked through. Even if I didn't, like I said, the Army is great. For all of those who don't pass, you can retake the test online as many times as you need to. We shall see.
This week we all went through SRP. This process is set up for all the soldiers to go through to ensure that all of our medical is up to date and in the system in preparation for future deployments. It was a long day of waiting. Moving a few chairs at a time for about 2 hours. I thought I was pretty squared away since I had brought all of my shot records and literally my entire medical record from home to try to keep things short and sweet. Only problem was that my shot records revealed that I was due for just about everything!! So much for that! I ended up with three shots in my left arm, one in my right arm, a tb test in my forearm, and a blood draw for six tubes. My shoulders are still sore. But I can't complain...I got paid to sit in those chairs for 2 hours and every single one of those tests/shots were things I needed and the Army paid for. That night we had a reception with the Commanding General. Basically we all go through a receiving line and then mingle for a while. A receiving line is when you meet some of the big wigs. You will first meet an officer of lower rank who gathers basic information about you to introduce you to the next officer. When the LTC, COL, GEN is ready, they motion for you to come to them and you move at the position of attention. Meanwhile the lower ranking officer is telling them, "This is 2LT Swan, she is a nurse from Wisconsin." The conversation goes from there. Unless you have something amazing about you that they want to ask you more about the conversation is usually pretty short, which is probably just as well.
This morning was pretty interesting. I received a phone call from my roommate at 0930 letting me know she was over at BAMC and would need to be picked up at some point today. We had planned to go to an outlet mall and then tubing down the river today, but none of it worked out. She was jogging on the track when a platoon of soldiers came up behind her at a much faster pace. She started to move to the edge of the track to get out of the way, miss stepped, and fell down. She ended up with a lumbar compression fracture and some torn muscle in her tush. She was only recently released tonight at about 2030....12 hours later. She is to report back on Monday morning for an MRI. Decisions will be made from there regarding her status for training. Hopefully she will be able to continue, otherwise, she will be recycled to the next group. That is a pretty defeating thought when you're at training. You're counting down the days to be done so you can see your family and then you find out that you'll end up going a lot longer than originally planned. Ugh! Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!!
Next week I am squad leader. Here at BOLC that really doesn't man a whole lot. I basically means that you are just a link in the chain of communication. Much different than when I went to LDAC as a cadet. Being squad leader was an exhausting position there. You were being evaluated on your every move and piece of communication. With all of the direct commissions it's difficult, or should I say impossible, to expect the same standard. For many people here, this is their third full week in the Army. They just figured out what a squad leader is! Anyway, this is our last week in garrison before heading to the field. We were told to encourage constant hydration as we prepare for the field at Camp Bullis. Supposedly it actually reaches temperatures 10-15 degrees over Fort Sam Houston temps. They regularly have a handful of soldiers fall out from heat injuries out there. I hope I'm not one of them!! I'm trying to keep up with my water, nutrition, and gatorade for lyte replacement.
I'm a third of the way through!! :)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
BOLC Week 2
I can't believe we are done with another week. This was a busy week for sure. Tuesday morning was a PT test for the first three platoons. My roommate, who is a direct commission, was nervous about the test so I decided to go and be a cheerleader. We were up at about 0330 and out the door by 0400 for the 0500 test. The Army loves to get you there early to stand around for a little bit. The whole "hurry up and wait" dynamic. The nice part about being up so early is that it is quite a bit cooler at 0430. She did great! Still needs a little work on her run, but things went well. The rest of the day was more briefings getting our gear for the field. Pretty uneventful.
The next day was my turn. I was hoping to max the test even though I haven't in quite a while. All those mornings E motivated and pushed me to work out paid off. I ended up doing 60 push ups, 90 sit ups, and ran my two miles in 15:17. Non of these were personal bests, but they were good stepping stone scores for getting back into PT. Overall I scored a 327. Again, the rest of the day was spent sitting in briefings. We did get the opportunity to meet our Platoon Advisers that afternoon as well. Our PA is great. She means business, but as long as everyone is doing what they should, we have a great time. She's had some great experiences and loves to tell us stories.
Thursday was our first day of organized PT and actually having class all day in our platoons. I am liking this A LOT more. PT was good. Nothing difficult, but a good follow up to the test. Getting showered up after was another story. There are way too many females for the amount of showers we have. My roommate and I finally opted to wash our hair in the sink and put on a little extra deodorant. It was the only way to make sure we were actually going to make it to breakfast, which is a MUST for me. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't like missing a meal. :) After breakfast we had an accountability formation and headed to our classrooms. We had one of the combatives instructors talk to our class briefly. The are offering 5 slots per platoon to try for Level 1 Certification. My platoon has 60 people and 15 people were interested. It came down to our pt score. Luckily some of the top PT'ers were already certified so I was able to get a slot. Ironically enough, some of the other platoons were going to pt scores as low as 270 and our lowest person to receive a slot had a 310. My first day is this coming Tuesday. I'm really excited and I think it will be good training, especially as a female in today's crazy society. They compared the moves to UFC fighting. So this should be interesting.
Friday we didn't have scheduled PT. We just came in and had class all day. We were notified that we would be moving from the Holiday Inn back on post, so that was a bummer. Instead of hitting the Riverwalk, Julie and I packed up our room and moved that evening. We finally finished bringing in our things at 1 am. Whew, that was a LONG day.
Yesterday I attempted to sleep in as all the rest of our classmates moved in. There were doors slamming, people talking, all kinds of ruckus. I eventually got up and headed down to the continental breakfast put on by the hotel. Our new place is fine. We definitely have a lot more storage capacity than the Holiday Inn. This place is meant for extended stay. We have a kitchenette and did I mention a lot more storage room?? We have our own desks too, which is nice. Yesterday afternoon we went over to the north star mall and got a few things. We were both in need of some shorts. Pant and capris don't cut it down here...it's still too hot.
Here it is Sunday, our laundry is in the washer, and we've got a "to-do" list about a mile long before we start the next week. It's only two more weeks before we head to the field. Once we get to the field things will go twice as fast. Granted we're out there for three weeks, but it will go quick. After the field it's just two weeks of nurse track time and I'm done.
I'm looking forward to seeing E again. I miss him and hate being away from him this long. He'll be done with school and down here before we know it!! :)
The next day was my turn. I was hoping to max the test even though I haven't in quite a while. All those mornings E motivated and pushed me to work out paid off. I ended up doing 60 push ups, 90 sit ups, and ran my two miles in 15:17. Non of these were personal bests, but they were good stepping stone scores for getting back into PT. Overall I scored a 327. Again, the rest of the day was spent sitting in briefings. We did get the opportunity to meet our Platoon Advisers that afternoon as well. Our PA is great. She means business, but as long as everyone is doing what they should, we have a great time. She's had some great experiences and loves to tell us stories.
Thursday was our first day of organized PT and actually having class all day in our platoons. I am liking this A LOT more. PT was good. Nothing difficult, but a good follow up to the test. Getting showered up after was another story. There are way too many females for the amount of showers we have. My roommate and I finally opted to wash our hair in the sink and put on a little extra deodorant. It was the only way to make sure we were actually going to make it to breakfast, which is a MUST for me. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't like missing a meal. :) After breakfast we had an accountability formation and headed to our classrooms. We had one of the combatives instructors talk to our class briefly. The are offering 5 slots per platoon to try for Level 1 Certification. My platoon has 60 people and 15 people were interested. It came down to our pt score. Luckily some of the top PT'ers were already certified so I was able to get a slot. Ironically enough, some of the other platoons were going to pt scores as low as 270 and our lowest person to receive a slot had a 310. My first day is this coming Tuesday. I'm really excited and I think it will be good training, especially as a female in today's crazy society. They compared the moves to UFC fighting. So this should be interesting.
Friday we didn't have scheduled PT. We just came in and had class all day. We were notified that we would be moving from the Holiday Inn back on post, so that was a bummer. Instead of hitting the Riverwalk, Julie and I packed up our room and moved that evening. We finally finished bringing in our things at 1 am. Whew, that was a LONG day.
Yesterday I attempted to sleep in as all the rest of our classmates moved in. There were doors slamming, people talking, all kinds of ruckus. I eventually got up and headed down to the continental breakfast put on by the hotel. Our new place is fine. We definitely have a lot more storage capacity than the Holiday Inn. This place is meant for extended stay. We have a kitchenette and did I mention a lot more storage room?? We have our own desks too, which is nice. Yesterday afternoon we went over to the north star mall and got a few things. We were both in need of some shorts. Pant and capris don't cut it down here...it's still too hot.
Here it is Sunday, our laundry is in the washer, and we've got a "to-do" list about a mile long before we start the next week. It's only two more weeks before we head to the field. Once we get to the field things will go twice as fast. Granted we're out there for three weeks, but it will go quick. After the field it's just two weeks of nurse track time and I'm done.
I'm looking forward to seeing E again. I miss him and hate being away from him this long. He'll be done with school and down here before we know it!! :)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
BOLC Class 10-105
Woohoo!!! The first weekend is already here!! I can't believe time has gone so quickly! We've finally finished up our in-procession which is nice. In-processing for this class has required A LOT of paperwork and A LOT of briefings. Due to the mixture of classmates we have gone back to the basics to ensure everyone is squared away before heading to your duty station. Some of it is redundant and other parts pretty interesting.
We had a speaker yesterday that went over Army Writing. Considering the fact that I'm not the greatest writer I was very attentive. He did a great job of keeping a potentially boring topic light and engaging. Thank God he did because we had five HOURS of instruction with him. I guess we will see over the next few weeks and we start having assignments.
Last night my roommate and I had our first night out in San Antonio. We went to see Salt in the theater. It was a pretty good movie. There was a lot of action, but with action usually comes a lot of killing. All in all a good action movie full of twists and turns. A good "guy" movie, hahaha!
It's 9 am on Saturday, we're watching the news and checking emails, etc. I think we're going to need to find some food here pretty soon!!!! I've got quite the to-do list ahead of me for the day that should get started on.
We had a speaker yesterday that went over Army Writing. Considering the fact that I'm not the greatest writer I was very attentive. He did a great job of keeping a potentially boring topic light and engaging. Thank God he did because we had five HOURS of instruction with him. I guess we will see over the next few weeks and we start having assignments.
Last night my roommate and I had our first night out in San Antonio. We went to see Salt in the theater. It was a pretty good movie. There was a lot of action, but with action usually comes a lot of killing. All in all a good action movie full of twists and turns. A good "guy" movie, hahaha!
It's 9 am on Saturday, we're watching the news and checking emails, etc. I think we're going to need to find some food here pretty soon!!!! I've got quite the to-do list ahead of me for the day that should get started on.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
BOLC Class 10-105 Week 1
BOLC is finally here! I feel like I have been waiting for this training forever! As always these things are bittersweet. You know you need to do them to get to the next level, but it's hard to be away from home. Luckily there isn't much down time to think about all the things you miss.
The first day was scary, I will admit. My Google Maps directions were a little off on post and I spent all kinds of time driving around post to find where to in-process. Nerve wracking to say the least, and of course I wasn't about to stop and ask someone where to go. You know you can't spell lost without "LT." Once I finally found the building I walked in only to see a former Wheaton College grad sitting there filling out paper work. That was a true God-send. It was such a relief to see a familiar face to get the ball rolling. God has really been faithful in this process so far. I know there were a lot of people praying for the training, and He has heard them. Following in-processing we were free to leave post and head over to our housing at the Holiday Inn. Now not every military training allows their trainees to lodge in a hotel, but lucky for us, post accommodations were full. That night we formed out in the parking lot in two groups. One group was for prior service and the other for ROTC and direct commissions. The prior service were divided up quickly and released for the night. Meanwhile the rest of us stayed in formation for another 2 hours to practice drill and ceremony. Our overall group is 347 soldiers. Half of them are prior service that have done military programs like physicians assistant to recieved there commission, green to gold programs, or ROTC. The other half is ROTC and direct commissions. Of that half, about half are ROTC and half direct commission. It's hard to stick to the standard for customs and courtesies when there is such a large chunk of the group not abiding by them at all. The ironic part is, is that they typically outrank all the rest of us. Doctors come in as Captains, PA's are 1LTs, and the rest of us are 2LTs. We do have 1 MAJ, but I'm not sure their Area of Concentration (AOC).
There wasn't much time to get to know your roommate that night because formation was at 0400. I couldn't ask for a better roommate. She is a direct commission from Georgia. While she's worried about the soldiering aspect of training, she's got the nursing in the bag. I feel the reverse. So far I've been able to help her out a little bit here and there and make sure she is squared away for the day. Hopefully she can help me when we get to the Trauma Nurse Certification Course. 0300 the alarm went off and there was no turning back. Officer training is somewhat interesting. Your day is pack with briefings non-stop. If you fall asleep you are called out in front of everyone. You are expected to get up and stand in the back if you are tired. Some people still haven't caught on that this is expected and encouraged. We form up to march as a class to the DFAC (Chow Hall) to eat and immediately drip with sweat when we step outside. It's been just shy of 100 degrees since Eric and I came down last week. I'll admit I'm concerned about getting acclimated before the PT test. I take my test 28 JULY, so I guess we shall see. The AMEDD (Army Medical Department) is so diverse. Our class has every medical specialty you can think of. Everyone has a different background, a different reason for being there, and a unique career path ahead. My team leader is a gentleman who was enlisted for 18 years and last held the position of 1SGT (E-8). Let's just say, most enlisted won't make it to that high of rank on their side. He loves the Army and he wanted to return the favor by offering more time and serving in a different capacity where he could help more people. Cool.
Much to my relief, it has been incredibly easy to make friends. Everyone is pretty friendly and willing to help any one around them. Of course this is only the beginning. People can still fake it at this point. I guess we'll see what things look like in a few more weeks. :)
This morning we formed up again at 0400, meaning we got up at 0300. We finally made it back to the hotel at 1900. It has been a LONG HOT day. We received briefing after briefing all day long. You wouldn't think that would be exhausting, but when you have been up since 0300. EVERYTHING is exhausting. We were able to meet our Nurse Liaison instructor who will be in charge of us for the final two week of AOC specific training. She is a young, no nonsense, energetic Major who makes you excited to be a part of the elite Army Nurse Corps. I'm looking forward to our time with her. In fact she's working on trying to release us three days early at the end of training. Let's just say that a lot of brownie points with us. Hopefully it works out.
Overall I'm doing well. Trying to stay hydrated and stay caught up on sleep. It will be easy to let both slip as things pick up. I guess they have A LOT of heat casualties in each class. Of course most of them are alcohol related. For being leaders, it's amazing how dumb people can be. Lucky for me I've got a great roommate that I won't have to worry about and I've made some great acquaintances already. God has really watched over this time so far. I pray for His continued protection as my time here continues. I appreciate all the support and prayers that I have received from family, church family, and friends. I really don't know how people make it through life without Christ and the support of the body. I'm hoping I get the opportunity to be a witness to a battle buddy while I'm here. God works in mysterious ways. I pray that my light shines during this time and even if a word is never spoken that people see the love of Jesus.
Well, time is ticking away and 0400 is creeping slowly closer....goodnight all.
The first day was scary, I will admit. My Google Maps directions were a little off on post and I spent all kinds of time driving around post to find where to in-process. Nerve wracking to say the least, and of course I wasn't about to stop and ask someone where to go. You know you can't spell lost without "LT." Once I finally found the building I walked in only to see a former Wheaton College grad sitting there filling out paper work. That was a true God-send. It was such a relief to see a familiar face to get the ball rolling. God has really been faithful in this process so far. I know there were a lot of people praying for the training, and He has heard them. Following in-processing we were free to leave post and head over to our housing at the Holiday Inn. Now not every military training allows their trainees to lodge in a hotel, but lucky for us, post accommodations were full. That night we formed out in the parking lot in two groups. One group was for prior service and the other for ROTC and direct commissions. The prior service were divided up quickly and released for the night. Meanwhile the rest of us stayed in formation for another 2 hours to practice drill and ceremony. Our overall group is 347 soldiers. Half of them are prior service that have done military programs like physicians assistant to recieved there commission, green to gold programs, or ROTC. The other half is ROTC and direct commissions. Of that half, about half are ROTC and half direct commission. It's hard to stick to the standard for customs and courtesies when there is such a large chunk of the group not abiding by them at all. The ironic part is, is that they typically outrank all the rest of us. Doctors come in as Captains, PA's are 1LTs, and the rest of us are 2LTs. We do have 1 MAJ, but I'm not sure their Area of Concentration (AOC).
There wasn't much time to get to know your roommate that night because formation was at 0400. I couldn't ask for a better roommate. She is a direct commission from Georgia. While she's worried about the soldiering aspect of training, she's got the nursing in the bag. I feel the reverse. So far I've been able to help her out a little bit here and there and make sure she is squared away for the day. Hopefully she can help me when we get to the Trauma Nurse Certification Course. 0300 the alarm went off and there was no turning back. Officer training is somewhat interesting. Your day is pack with briefings non-stop. If you fall asleep you are called out in front of everyone. You are expected to get up and stand in the back if you are tired. Some people still haven't caught on that this is expected and encouraged. We form up to march as a class to the DFAC (Chow Hall) to eat and immediately drip with sweat when we step outside. It's been just shy of 100 degrees since Eric and I came down last week. I'll admit I'm concerned about getting acclimated before the PT test. I take my test 28 JULY, so I guess we shall see. The AMEDD (Army Medical Department) is so diverse. Our class has every medical specialty you can think of. Everyone has a different background, a different reason for being there, and a unique career path ahead. My team leader is a gentleman who was enlisted for 18 years and last held the position of 1SGT (E-8). Let's just say, most enlisted won't make it to that high of rank on their side. He loves the Army and he wanted to return the favor by offering more time and serving in a different capacity where he could help more people. Cool.
Much to my relief, it has been incredibly easy to make friends. Everyone is pretty friendly and willing to help any one around them. Of course this is only the beginning. People can still fake it at this point. I guess we'll see what things look like in a few more weeks. :)
This morning we formed up again at 0400, meaning we got up at 0300. We finally made it back to the hotel at 1900. It has been a LONG HOT day. We received briefing after briefing all day long. You wouldn't think that would be exhausting, but when you have been up since 0300. EVERYTHING is exhausting. We were able to meet our Nurse Liaison instructor who will be in charge of us for the final two week of AOC specific training. She is a young, no nonsense, energetic Major who makes you excited to be a part of the elite Army Nurse Corps. I'm looking forward to our time with her. In fact she's working on trying to release us three days early at the end of training. Let's just say that a lot of brownie points with us. Hopefully it works out.
Overall I'm doing well. Trying to stay hydrated and stay caught up on sleep. It will be easy to let both slip as things pick up. I guess they have A LOT of heat casualties in each class. Of course most of them are alcohol related. For being leaders, it's amazing how dumb people can be. Lucky for me I've got a great roommate that I won't have to worry about and I've made some great acquaintances already. God has really watched over this time so far. I pray for His continued protection as my time here continues. I appreciate all the support and prayers that I have received from family, church family, and friends. I really don't know how people make it through life without Christ and the support of the body. I'm hoping I get the opportunity to be a witness to a battle buddy while I'm here. God works in mysterious ways. I pray that my light shines during this time and even if a word is never spoken that people see the love of Jesus.
Well, time is ticking away and 0400 is creeping slowly closer....goodnight all.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sunday, July 18th - San Antonio
It's been a good ride. Eric and I got in the car Wednesday afternoon to make the long journey to San Antonio, TX. I'll be here for 9 weeks doing training before heading to my duty station at Fort Hood, TX. I'd say we're pretty good travelers. We keep each other company and try to trade off driving so the other can sleep. Even so Eric typically does the majority of the driving. After 2 days of uneventful driving, which is a good thing, we made it to San Antonio. We found a hotel just a half mile from the riverwalk so we could see what all the hype was about. We didn't do much that evening except get ready for bed and knock out. It's amazing how exhausted a person can be just sitting in a car. Weird.
Friday morning we woke up with one plan on our agenda for the day...find something fun to do. We managed to find a great military deal online for SeaWorld and spent the day there for FREE! We saw pretty much every show they have available and hit the highlights for rides. We were at the park for around 8 hours. Trust me, my legs were about to fall off. It was a great day and we were soaking it up like a couple of little kids.
Saturday morning we met up with some friends of a friend, I guess you could say. It was a couple with military ministry who is an acquaintance of Eric's boss. They took us out for lunch, which was delicious, and then showed us the Riverwalk. What a place! I had a picture in my mind of what I thought it would look like, but I have to say, it's so much better!!! It's literally a world of its own in the middle of the city, sunk down out of clear sight. I thought my legs were dead after SeaWorld, I now have inherited a limb. Wonder how my PT test is going to go here in a couple days. We are exhausted!
This morning was so bittersweet. I'm glad my training is finally here. I have felt so behind not having been to training yet. I know this is all God's plan and I need to trust that. He's never let me down. In fact as I recall, most things have turned out quite a bit better than I had imagined them to go. Can't complain there, and for that reason, I won't complain now. It's here and I'm ready to do it. On the other hand that means that Eric can't be here any longer. I dropped him off at the airport about an hour ago. We promised we wouldn't cry, but how could we help it. He's my best friend and soulmate, of course I'm sad he had to go. Even so, I'm thankful for the time we had traveling down together. It was great.
Well, I'm off to get myself ready for the day. In processing is this morning...and so it begins.
Friday morning we woke up with one plan on our agenda for the day...find something fun to do. We managed to find a great military deal online for SeaWorld and spent the day there for FREE! We saw pretty much every show they have available and hit the highlights for rides. We were at the park for around 8 hours. Trust me, my legs were about to fall off. It was a great day and we were soaking it up like a couple of little kids.
Saturday morning we met up with some friends of a friend, I guess you could say. It was a couple with military ministry who is an acquaintance of Eric's boss. They took us out for lunch, which was delicious, and then showed us the Riverwalk. What a place! I had a picture in my mind of what I thought it would look like, but I have to say, it's so much better!!! It's literally a world of its own in the middle of the city, sunk down out of clear sight. I thought my legs were dead after SeaWorld, I now have inherited a limb. Wonder how my PT test is going to go here in a couple days. We are exhausted!
This morning was so bittersweet. I'm glad my training is finally here. I have felt so behind not having been to training yet. I know this is all God's plan and I need to trust that. He's never let me down. In fact as I recall, most things have turned out quite a bit better than I had imagined them to go. Can't complain there, and for that reason, I won't complain now. It's here and I'm ready to do it. On the other hand that means that Eric can't be here any longer. I dropped him off at the airport about an hour ago. We promised we wouldn't cry, but how could we help it. He's my best friend and soulmate, of course I'm sad he had to go. Even so, I'm thankful for the time we had traveling down together. It was great.
Well, I'm off to get myself ready for the day. In processing is this morning...and so it begins.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
July 4th Weekend
Once again we had an exhausting weekend. It was the fourth of July weekend. It was also the last weekend I would have to go home and say good-byes to family and friends. Things went smoother than I anticipated, but difficulty nonetheless. We began the weekend going to my parents. We spent Thursday night sitting around and talking, trying to plan the attack for the rest of the time. Friday morning Eric and I headed to the golf course to get my first and only round of golf in for the summer. I didn't do so hot which made it a frustrating start to the day. Eric met with his dad and brother to do another round that afternoon while I ran errands with my mom. Not much on the packing end of things was accomplished, but sometimes that just doesn't matter. That night after dinner we headed out as a family to my grandparents on my mom's side to spend some time with them before I leave. It was nice to have my dad with us. He doesn't usually go when we make trips out, so it was good to do it as a family. We took a tour around the farm to see chickens, ducks, doves, rabbits, goats, miniature horses, and on and on. It was all really quite entertaining. Watching the animals remind me that God must have a good sense of humor. They just do the silliest things sometimes! I've missed getting out the farm. It used to be my favorite place in the whole world to go as a kid. My grandparents are so easy going and fun to be around. I'll really miss getting to be around them.
Saturday morning started late for me, but I definitely made up for it in the afternoon. My mom and I got together and sifted through room after room of belongings. It's amazing how many things can get packed into a closet. Things you haven't used in a few years and didn't even remember existed. I guess that's the sign for me that it needs go. Either to the thrift store, goodwill, someone else, or the trash. Take your pick, but it's not staying here! I think my parents are getting excited for the movers to come. They will have so much more space to reclaim for their own use. Saturday evening we went into town to a church cook out. I have this beef with the church these days. There's not enough community anymore. Everyone is doing their own thing....and everyone's ok with it! I'll be the first to admit that I'd prefer people to mind their own business...but I can't deny how freeing it can be to share a burden with a friend and know that people are praying for you. I'm more than willing to put aside my own person issues and have more community. We need eachother, and the church is the hands and feet of Christ. In fact He actually calls the church His bride. He loves the church and has a high calling for those who are a part of it. Not to be isolated on your own, but to be supported, encouraged, and loved by the church regardless of who you are. Anyway, the cook out was nice. There weren't a whole lot of people there, but it's a start. That night we drove to a small church just down the road from my parent's to watch the fireworks in town. Not a bad view from 4 miles away on the ridge.
Sunday morning Eric and I were up EARLY to get ready for church. We led worship one final time. Everything went about as smooth as you could possibly ask for. Pastor had a good message about the freedom we not only have in the U.S. but also the freedom we have in Christ. He really brought the point home when he talked about grace. "You need to extend grace to receive grace." Hmmm, easier said than done sometimes, but how true. Our church as really struggled with that lately. We've put ourselves between a rock and a hard place and it's created a lot of conflict. I wonder what God thinks of us as He observes our conflicts over petty topics. Probably pretty disappointed. Those are the times we need to take our blinders off and focus on the big picture. After church we hurried home to each lunch before Eric and I headed to Fennimore. His church always gets together on the 4th to have a cook out so we thought we'd go over to say our good-byes there as well. I'm so glad we did. We had kind of left church the last time without really letting people know I was leaving soon. I guess the thought was that we didn't want people to fuss over the situation, but at the same time, people want to. They want to take the time to say good-bye and wish you well and let you know that they're praying for you. Lesson learned. Luckily we were able to see pretty much everyone. It was time well spent. The women of Eric's church have been so accepting. I wish I could have all of them as a mentor. :)That night we went to the Boscobel fireworks and spent some time with friends.
We spent Monday morning going through all of Eric's childhood belongings. It's interesting how different the "junk box" of a boy and girl is. His is trophies, baseball cards, and random school projects. Mine is notes, pictures, and other girlie things. It didn't take as long as I had anticipated, which was good. For most of it we just decided to send it south and sort it later. I'll let you know how that actually goes down the road. We finished packing the car and said our good-byes once again. It was hard to think I won't see the Swans for a few months at best. We've always been just a few hours away. Hmm...all the unknowns will soon become known. Leaving their house it was back over to the Grangers for another sweep through the house and leave all of Eric's belonging for the movers. I was completly exhausted by this point, and my attitude reflected it. After a short nap we were on the go again getting ready to go back to Winona.
We stopped in La Crosse to meet up with Eric's aunt and uncle for dinner and again....good-byes. We went to Buzzard Billy's to try some cajun cooking. It was good!! Eric and I always like spending time with Bruce and Cheri, they're so easy and fun to be around. I'll miss spending time with them as well.
Needless to say, it was a late night when we FINALLY rolled into Winona. Here it is Wednesday already and I'm still trying to catch up on sleep. I should probably get a handle on that before I go to training, not sure how much sleep I'm going to get there!!!
Saturday morning started late for me, but I definitely made up for it in the afternoon. My mom and I got together and sifted through room after room of belongings. It's amazing how many things can get packed into a closet. Things you haven't used in a few years and didn't even remember existed. I guess that's the sign for me that it needs go. Either to the thrift store, goodwill, someone else, or the trash. Take your pick, but it's not staying here! I think my parents are getting excited for the movers to come. They will have so much more space to reclaim for their own use. Saturday evening we went into town to a church cook out. I have this beef with the church these days. There's not enough community anymore. Everyone is doing their own thing....and everyone's ok with it! I'll be the first to admit that I'd prefer people to mind their own business...but I can't deny how freeing it can be to share a burden with a friend and know that people are praying for you. I'm more than willing to put aside my own person issues and have more community. We need eachother, and the church is the hands and feet of Christ. In fact He actually calls the church His bride. He loves the church and has a high calling for those who are a part of it. Not to be isolated on your own, but to be supported, encouraged, and loved by the church regardless of who you are. Anyway, the cook out was nice. There weren't a whole lot of people there, but it's a start. That night we drove to a small church just down the road from my parent's to watch the fireworks in town. Not a bad view from 4 miles away on the ridge.
Sunday morning Eric and I were up EARLY to get ready for church. We led worship one final time. Everything went about as smooth as you could possibly ask for. Pastor had a good message about the freedom we not only have in the U.S. but also the freedom we have in Christ. He really brought the point home when he talked about grace. "You need to extend grace to receive grace." Hmmm, easier said than done sometimes, but how true. Our church as really struggled with that lately. We've put ourselves between a rock and a hard place and it's created a lot of conflict. I wonder what God thinks of us as He observes our conflicts over petty topics. Probably pretty disappointed. Those are the times we need to take our blinders off and focus on the big picture. After church we hurried home to each lunch before Eric and I headed to Fennimore. His church always gets together on the 4th to have a cook out so we thought we'd go over to say our good-byes there as well. I'm so glad we did. We had kind of left church the last time without really letting people know I was leaving soon. I guess the thought was that we didn't want people to fuss over the situation, but at the same time, people want to. They want to take the time to say good-bye and wish you well and let you know that they're praying for you. Lesson learned. Luckily we were able to see pretty much everyone. It was time well spent. The women of Eric's church have been so accepting. I wish I could have all of them as a mentor. :)That night we went to the Boscobel fireworks and spent some time with friends.
We spent Monday morning going through all of Eric's childhood belongings. It's interesting how different the "junk box" of a boy and girl is. His is trophies, baseball cards, and random school projects. Mine is notes, pictures, and other girlie things. It didn't take as long as I had anticipated, which was good. For most of it we just decided to send it south and sort it later. I'll let you know how that actually goes down the road. We finished packing the car and said our good-byes once again. It was hard to think I won't see the Swans for a few months at best. We've always been just a few hours away. Hmm...all the unknowns will soon become known. Leaving their house it was back over to the Grangers for another sweep through the house and leave all of Eric's belonging for the movers. I was completly exhausted by this point, and my attitude reflected it. After a short nap we were on the go again getting ready to go back to Winona.
We stopped in La Crosse to meet up with Eric's aunt and uncle for dinner and again....good-byes. We went to Buzzard Billy's to try some cajun cooking. It was good!! Eric and I always like spending time with Bruce and Cheri, they're so easy and fun to be around. I'll miss spending time with them as well.
Needless to say, it was a late night when we FINALLY rolled into Winona. Here it is Wednesday already and I'm still trying to catch up on sleep. I should probably get a handle on that before I go to training, not sure how much sleep I'm going to get there!!!
Monday June 28th
This weekend was ours alone. We made reservations at a hotel in the Dells and left right after work. We made it there with about an hour or so left at Mt Olympus. Just enough time to hit a couple roller coasters. It has been soooo long since I've been on one, I was actually kind of scared! Of course it's more of the anticipationg that gets me. I'm usually fine once I get on. The next morning we hit the park again to catch some more rides and check out the waterpark side. It was PACKED!! Thousands of people had the same agenda making long slow lines all over the park. On the bright side it was hours upon hours Eric couldn't escape me in line as I picked his brain about life or gave him the full head-to-toe details on someone I thought seemed interesting. HAHAHA!! I'll admit, not an ideal guy conversation, but he's patient as always and at least humors me with some interest. What a guy! Our favorite part of the whole thing was the 2 hours we spent floating on the lazy river. I think we're getting old. Hehe!! It was great!
We headed down to Madison to spend the night at Eric's brother and sister-in-law's. They have only been married now for about 2 months, and I'm pretty sure they are loving it. They have a nice little place on the West side of Madison. Eric and I are definitely jealous of their permanent arrangments. We're looking forward to being settled, long term. Only a few more moves to go!!! :) We always enjoy getting time with family. It was good to catch up with them and just get to know them better as a couple as well as individuals. The next morning they made us a delicious breakfast before we headed out.
We met up with Eric's co-worker and friend Nick on the edge of Madison that morning. They were heading to St. Louis for the Christian Businness Association conference. This is an amazing opportunity for them to make some great connections. I know Eric would really like to stay with Christian businesses as his career continues. I think that's a pretty good plan too. :) I haven't heard much from them so far. The opening night seemed to be preety fun. Jeremy Camp led worship and a few other quartets performed. Phil Visher, the creator of Veggie Tales, spoke. I'm excited to find out more!!
We headed down to Madison to spend the night at Eric's brother and sister-in-law's. They have only been married now for about 2 months, and I'm pretty sure they are loving it. They have a nice little place on the West side of Madison. Eric and I are definitely jealous of their permanent arrangments. We're looking forward to being settled, long term. Only a few more moves to go!!! :) We always enjoy getting time with family. It was good to catch up with them and just get to know them better as a couple as well as individuals. The next morning they made us a delicious breakfast before we headed out.
We met up with Eric's co-worker and friend Nick on the edge of Madison that morning. They were heading to St. Louis for the Christian Businness Association conference. This is an amazing opportunity for them to make some great connections. I know Eric would really like to stay with Christian businesses as his career continues. I think that's a pretty good plan too. :) I haven't heard much from them so far. The opening night seemed to be preety fun. Jeremy Camp led worship and a few other quartets performed. Phil Visher, the creator of Veggie Tales, spoke. I'm excited to find out more!!
Celebrating marriage continues. This past weekend Eric and I had the honor of celebrating my parents 31st anniversary with them. We headed home Saturday afternoon following some recruiting events that morning in La Crosse. My Dad was making his way back from Peru that morning as well. He was excited to share all of his experiences when he got back to the house. God was truly in this trip. They were able to not only build a few buildings for one of the villages, but also provide enough money to a pastor of a jungle village to have a fresh water well put in this next week. What a ministry!!! People will come to the church to receive life through the water as well as the blessings of Jesus Christ. Thank you God for what You are doing!!
We all cleaned up to head out for dinner at the Red Zone, my Dad's favorite. On the way my parents reminisced about their time dating, getting engaged, and first few years of marriage. It was great to hear the stories; must of them I'd never heard before. My parents haven't really shared many stories about their younger days. Just a few things here an there. I can't say enough about how special it was to just learn more about them. They laughed and joked and really just drew close to each other while telling us the stories. Awesome! We were STUFFED! We ate probably more than we should've, but it was a celebration!! Their appreication for the evening out was the best response I could ask for. What a blessing!
We're on the countdown until I leave. It's about 3 1/2 weeks now. In the short time I have left Eric and I are trying to make the rounds to family and friends. We spent Sunday afternoon after church with my Grandma Granger. She had never heard Eric and I sing together so we brought a few piano books and the guitar. She seemed to be really touched by the time we had with her. Again, such a blessing to me. It's amazing how sometimes you think, "oh, I don't have time to go here or see this person there," yet, once you're there and you seeing their appreication and love for you, it makes it all worth it. I'm glad we were able to see her and spend some time with her.
It has been SOOOO HOT!! I guess this is a preview of Texas for me. I've been trying to train and get ready for OBLC, but it's been so hot outside it's almost torture. You can't escape the heat and humidity. The air is thick! I'm encouraged my push ups are finally starting to come back around, and my sit ups are getting back to where I want them, but my run just hasn't progressed much. I don't have much time, so I'll just have to do the best I can. I'm looking forward to getting back into the training setting. It's an opportunity to learn a lot and make yourself better. I'm really concerned about the nursing aspect. I've just had so many breaks in my learning that it's been difficult to keep all the dots connected. It's been almost 7 months now since I last had clinical and lecture. EEK!!! I guess it's all in the Lord's hands. He will bring it all back. Afterall, I am convinced that my career is a calling from Him and His plan for me. Otherwise, I never would've made it. Honestly.
We all cleaned up to head out for dinner at the Red Zone, my Dad's favorite. On the way my parents reminisced about their time dating, getting engaged, and first few years of marriage. It was great to hear the stories; must of them I'd never heard before. My parents haven't really shared many stories about their younger days. Just a few things here an there. I can't say enough about how special it was to just learn more about them. They laughed and joked and really just drew close to each other while telling us the stories. Awesome! We were STUFFED! We ate probably more than we should've, but it was a celebration!! Their appreication for the evening out was the best response I could ask for. What a blessing!
We're on the countdown until I leave. It's about 3 1/2 weeks now. In the short time I have left Eric and I are trying to make the rounds to family and friends. We spent Sunday afternoon after church with my Grandma Granger. She had never heard Eric and I sing together so we brought a few piano books and the guitar. She seemed to be really touched by the time we had with her. Again, such a blessing to me. It's amazing how sometimes you think, "oh, I don't have time to go here or see this person there," yet, once you're there and you seeing their appreication and love for you, it makes it all worth it. I'm glad we were able to see her and spend some time with her.
It has been SOOOO HOT!! I guess this is a preview of Texas for me. I've been trying to train and get ready for OBLC, but it's been so hot outside it's almost torture. You can't escape the heat and humidity. The air is thick! I'm encouraged my push ups are finally starting to come back around, and my sit ups are getting back to where I want them, but my run just hasn't progressed much. I don't have much time, so I'll just have to do the best I can. I'm looking forward to getting back into the training setting. It's an opportunity to learn a lot and make yourself better. I'm really concerned about the nursing aspect. I've just had so many breaks in my learning that it's been difficult to keep all the dots connected. It's been almost 7 months now since I last had clinical and lecture. EEK!!! I guess it's all in the Lord's hands. He will bring it all back. Afterall, I am convinced that my career is a calling from Him and His plan for me. Otherwise, I never would've made it. Honestly.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Love is in the Air!!
There is no denying it. Cupid is making the rounds these days! In just the past month Eric and I have had roughly 7 friends get engaged...and none of them to each other. These are all separate couples! And to add to it all, virtually all of them are planning fall/winter weddings. I thought it was hectic enough planning our wedding over 14 months. Some of them are planning for less than 4 months of planning time. Yikes! I guess this will be a real test of the relationship. If they've never seen the other person stressed out yet....it sure won't hide out through this experience. I suppose I should mention that virtually all of them have been dating for LESS than 1 year. Whew! I pray the Lord's protection on their relationship and future marraige.
Well it was quite the weekend. Eric and I headed home to meet up with family and throw a surprise 30 year anniversary party for his parents Saturday night. The planning process was difficult as we dealt with Eric being gone, all of us being at least an hour away from Fennimore, and a very busy summer. Not the best combination for planning. As the weekend drew closer the weather made it pretty clear we were going to need to make some last minute changes. Orinally the party was suppose to be outdoors, however with a constant forcast of rain and unbearable humidity, we shifted our plans to the church. Friday night Luke, Eric, and I went to "hang out with friends" in town and made a mad dash to the church to decorate. It's not easy finding anniversary decorations, at least when it's not 25 or 50 years. We did our best. We found silver table coverings to put down, used balloons, a few banners, and called it good.
Saturday morning was a rat race. Luke headed out for a run, which Eric and I intercepted to get him into town. Eric and I pretended to be going to the church to prepare worship for the next morning. Aaron had a basketball tournement 40 minutes away....and no one was any the wiser. We finished up decorating and headed home to get ready to watch Aaron play. The gym was hot and sticky. Players were falling down left and right on the court, and the refs didn't even stop to wipe it up. They're lucky no one pulled any muscles! We cornered Aaron's coach to make sure we could get him home on time for the party. More lies got us back home and over to the church to practice skits and finish last minute touches.
By 5:20 people were already showing up and laying out the spread of food. The women of the church are the greatest people you could ever ask for at an event like this. They know exactly what to do. They head straight to the kitchen to make sure everything is where it should be and ready to go. I didn't even have to ask anyone to do a thing. What a blessing! Around 6 pm they arrived! They brought them down blindfolded and on the count of 3 everyone yelled surprise!!! They were shocked...it was great! All of our hard work had paid off to give them a great night, which they deserved. Later on we did a traditional cake cutting. They gave into the cheers from the crowd to smush it in each other's face, along with each of the boys.
Luke, Ashley, Eric, and I had prepared several skits for the evening to relive some of the more memorable events of their lives. Of course we gave them the opportunity to tell what REALLY happened so as not to falsely portray them in any way. What a blast! I can't wait to watch the video back on it!
Finally we wrapped up the night with a open mic for people to share memories, encouragment, and thanks for their marriage. They have made such an impression on their community. What a testimony to the faithfullness of Christ in their lives.
Sunday morning Eric and I led worship. We made it all about love. The love of Christ that overflows for us. To even get a glimps of it is overwhelming. His love is entirely unconditional. We don't deserve any of it, yet He gives all of it. Think of what the world would be like if we could grab a hold of that. To be unconditional lovers. To accept people and love on them, even if they're different from us. Don't we all just want to be accepted and loved?? Who are we to determine who is deserving? It is all easier said than done. Which is why we need Christ in us each and every day.
Let's celebrate love more. The love of Christ. The love of husbands and wives. The love of families. It is through them, that we change the world and show Christ's light.
Well it was quite the weekend. Eric and I headed home to meet up with family and throw a surprise 30 year anniversary party for his parents Saturday night. The planning process was difficult as we dealt with Eric being gone, all of us being at least an hour away from Fennimore, and a very busy summer. Not the best combination for planning. As the weekend drew closer the weather made it pretty clear we were going to need to make some last minute changes. Orinally the party was suppose to be outdoors, however with a constant forcast of rain and unbearable humidity, we shifted our plans to the church. Friday night Luke, Eric, and I went to "hang out with friends" in town and made a mad dash to the church to decorate. It's not easy finding anniversary decorations, at least when it's not 25 or 50 years. We did our best. We found silver table coverings to put down, used balloons, a few banners, and called it good.
Saturday morning was a rat race. Luke headed out for a run, which Eric and I intercepted to get him into town. Eric and I pretended to be going to the church to prepare worship for the next morning. Aaron had a basketball tournement 40 minutes away....and no one was any the wiser. We finished up decorating and headed home to get ready to watch Aaron play. The gym was hot and sticky. Players were falling down left and right on the court, and the refs didn't even stop to wipe it up. They're lucky no one pulled any muscles! We cornered Aaron's coach to make sure we could get him home on time for the party. More lies got us back home and over to the church to practice skits and finish last minute touches.
By 5:20 people were already showing up and laying out the spread of food. The women of the church are the greatest people you could ever ask for at an event like this. They know exactly what to do. They head straight to the kitchen to make sure everything is where it should be and ready to go. I didn't even have to ask anyone to do a thing. What a blessing! Around 6 pm they arrived! They brought them down blindfolded and on the count of 3 everyone yelled surprise!!! They were shocked...it was great! All of our hard work had paid off to give them a great night, which they deserved. Later on we did a traditional cake cutting. They gave into the cheers from the crowd to smush it in each other's face, along with each of the boys.
Luke, Ashley, Eric, and I had prepared several skits for the evening to relive some of the more memorable events of their lives. Of course we gave them the opportunity to tell what REALLY happened so as not to falsely portray them in any way. What a blast! I can't wait to watch the video back on it!
Finally we wrapped up the night with a open mic for people to share memories, encouragment, and thanks for their marriage. They have made such an impression on their community. What a testimony to the faithfullness of Christ in their lives.
Sunday morning Eric and I led worship. We made it all about love. The love of Christ that overflows for us. To even get a glimps of it is overwhelming. His love is entirely unconditional. We don't deserve any of it, yet He gives all of it. Think of what the world would be like if we could grab a hold of that. To be unconditional lovers. To accept people and love on them, even if they're different from us. Don't we all just want to be accepted and loved?? Who are we to determine who is deserving? It is all easier said than done. Which is why we need Christ in us each and every day.
Let's celebrate love more. The love of Christ. The love of husbands and wives. The love of families. It is through them, that we change the world and show Christ's light.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
I love my life! Last night my husband and I had one the greatest evenings. We had no plans, we made no plans, just living life together. I couldn't ask for anything more. We've started working out together, which I can say is one of the greatest things we ever started. He is pretty much subject matter expert when it comes to training and I love to learn whatever he wants to teach me. It has brought me an entirely new level of respect for him and what he does. It's not just playing football or training. There are so many little details to think about. Where you position your feet, how far you bend your knees, what your eyes are looking at changes your entire position, and finally making it all come together to explode into action. Amazing! After our workout we headed to the pool to cool off and do a few laps...but we both forgot our towels. We're pretty much a match made in heaven! :)
We headed to Wal-Mart and Kwik Trip to pick up a few things. Of course errands always take twice as long as you plan for. Yet it is such a good opportunity to for us to just stroll along together and talk. I swear I could talk to that man for hours!! I thank God every day for his patient ways to listen attentively as if every word I say is important....which we all know it isn't. Still he has a way of making me feel like I am the only thing going on. I think of how often I fail to do that in conversation. Trying mult-task and keep busy while "listening". Let's be honest, that's not real listening. He is such an example to me. He is one of those rare people that you can't help but want to be better after being around him. I guess that's the face of Christ shining through. I am the luckiest woman alive to have such a gift as my husband to share life with.
Once we finally made it back around to our little apartment of our own we decided to drag the matress out into the living room and watch a movie on the big screen. I felt like a little kid. It was just so fun to do something out the ordinary because we wanted to. I guess it's things like that that keep life fresh and fun. I hope we never lose that in our marriage or future family.
I am blessed! :)
We headed to Wal-Mart and Kwik Trip to pick up a few things. Of course errands always take twice as long as you plan for. Yet it is such a good opportunity to for us to just stroll along together and talk. I swear I could talk to that man for hours!! I thank God every day for his patient ways to listen attentively as if every word I say is important....which we all know it isn't. Still he has a way of making me feel like I am the only thing going on. I think of how often I fail to do that in conversation. Trying mult-task and keep busy while "listening". Let's be honest, that's not real listening. He is such an example to me. He is one of those rare people that you can't help but want to be better after being around him. I guess that's the face of Christ shining through. I am the luckiest woman alive to have such a gift as my husband to share life with.
Once we finally made it back around to our little apartment of our own we decided to drag the matress out into the living room and watch a movie on the big screen. I felt like a little kid. It was just so fun to do something out the ordinary because we wanted to. I guess it's things like that that keep life fresh and fun. I hope we never lose that in our marriage or future family.
I am blessed! :)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
I feel like every time I start a post I'm almost overwhelmed to think back to what the past few days or weeks have been like. I was hoping things would lighten up, but it feels like just the opposite! I suppose I could start by recapping Memorial Day weekend a little bit.
During the long weekend I was in desperate need for a project. My mom and dad are giving Eric and I an old dining room set that my mom had picked up. I really like the set even though my mom isn't too enthusiastic about it. Once she gave the word that it would officially be ours I decided I would like to attempt to strip the whole set and stain it a nice dark brown. God bless my mom....what a sport!! She got all the supplies together and started helping me. Some parts went farely fast while other more detailed portions were somewhat painful to get through. Long story short...after a few days we finally got one of the chairs stripped only to find that it is made of a combination of several soft woods. Nothing impressive. We stained a section to see if it was worth our while to continue...NOT AT ALL. It stained a blotchy combination of black, brown, and tan. So we headed to the store for the darkest shade of brown we could find. I've only got 2 of the chairs done at this point, but I think it's going to look great.
Eric FINALLY came home after what seemed like months of being gone. He had nothing but good things to say about the trip. Definitely a life changer. I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures surface in the next few weeks. Monday was my birthday. I turned a whopping 24! I am starting to feel old believe it or not. I realize I have a lot of time ahead of me, but then again, I'm starting to get a good chunk of time behind me! I guess it's that whole mentality of looking around seeing things happen to other people and thinking, that'll never be me. It was a great birthday spent with family. Here's one reason I know I'm getting older....my parents bought me a new vaccuum...and I was STOKED! Who have I become?? I guess I'm growing up. :) Eric and I hit the road later that evening to do dinner in La Crosse on our way home. We ended up not eating until about 9:30, but it was great to be together so we didn't care. At dinner he gave me a gift card to give my wardrobe a jump start. MUCH NEEDED! I actually cried when I saw it. Once we made it to Winona we were still homeless and spent the night sleeping in a friend's basement.
Tuesday morning, 1 JUNE, he's off again. Eric's job sent him to South Carolina for the week. Eric and a friend spent the morning while I was at work putting all of our stuff in the new apartment and headed out of town to catch their flight. That night I couldn't find "my house" and drove all over creation for about 25 minutes. Finally I found the house. I came through the door to find all of our stuff...EVERYWHERE! God bless them for hauling it all over there, but there was no organization to speak of. It has been an overwhelming task to say the least...and we're still not done a week later. I guess this is a previous for moving to Texas by myself. Hmmm...
I love when I have the opportunity to see family these days. It's becoming more and more real that I am moving in a few more weeks without any real plans of coming back. What a thought! Whew! The ROTC department I work for worked the Wisconsin State Track Meet on campus so I was able to watch Eric's younger brother run the 4x200 at state! I know the older brothers love all of the success Aaron has had at such a young age. He's only a freshman and he's accomplished so much!!! The brothers always say that he is a mixture of all of their best qualities. God has big plans for him, no doubt! They qualified for finals but ended up taking 8th. Still nothing to hang your head about, he's got plenty of time.
After spending the morning at the track meet on Saturday I headed to Richland Center to pick up my mom and go get Eric from the airport. I can't tell you how happy I was to see him and have him home again. You would think that since we've had a long distance relationship all along that we would be "used" to being separated. In reality it is quite the opposite. I think it gets more and more painful with every separation. You just want it to stop happening all the time! It seems we are always on a constant countdown to the next time we will see each other. And when we are together I can't help but look ahead on the calendar to July 18th, when we'll be separated again. On the brighter side, July 18th is one of the best days of the year. I will begin my AMEDD OBLC at Fort Sam Houston TX to really start my Army Nurse Corps career. It's what I've been looking forward to since I joined ROTC as a freshman in college. Bittersweet. Leaving the airport we stopped by the mall to kill a little time before going to my cousin's graduation party. It was good to see family. We don't see the Granger side much. That side of the family just isn't really into family get togethers it seems like. If we do, it's "for grandma." It had been such a long week for all of us we didn't stay too terribly long. Besides, my brother Mark was on his way home for the first time in six months. We had a great time catching up and just spending time together. Hopefully he'll stop by our house on his way home later this week!
It's incredible how "busy" everyone is these days. No one has time for much of anything, and in your spare time you only want to spend that time on your self. We're talking major sacrifice to use that time on someone else! I know I'm guilty of thinking that way. Yet we can't understand why in society my kids have emotional and pscyhological problems. We've really lost the social element to get together instead of texting or chatting on IM. It's just so "easy." I guess it's just that the easy route really never got anyone to a better place. All of the best things in life take effort and sacrifice.
Something to think about.... Am I reaching out to others? Am I taking the easy route to relationships by only texting or emailing, never taking the time to make an in-person visit? Who in my life needs me to make some time sacrifices to spend it on them?
During the long weekend I was in desperate need for a project. My mom and dad are giving Eric and I an old dining room set that my mom had picked up. I really like the set even though my mom isn't too enthusiastic about it. Once she gave the word that it would officially be ours I decided I would like to attempt to strip the whole set and stain it a nice dark brown. God bless my mom....what a sport!! She got all the supplies together and started helping me. Some parts went farely fast while other more detailed portions were somewhat painful to get through. Long story short...after a few days we finally got one of the chairs stripped only to find that it is made of a combination of several soft woods. Nothing impressive. We stained a section to see if it was worth our while to continue...NOT AT ALL. It stained a blotchy combination of black, brown, and tan. So we headed to the store for the darkest shade of brown we could find. I've only got 2 of the chairs done at this point, but I think it's going to look great.
Eric FINALLY came home after what seemed like months of being gone. He had nothing but good things to say about the trip. Definitely a life changer. I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures surface in the next few weeks. Monday was my birthday. I turned a whopping 24! I am starting to feel old believe it or not. I realize I have a lot of time ahead of me, but then again, I'm starting to get a good chunk of time behind me! I guess it's that whole mentality of looking around seeing things happen to other people and thinking, that'll never be me. It was a great birthday spent with family. Here's one reason I know I'm getting older....my parents bought me a new vaccuum...and I was STOKED! Who have I become?? I guess I'm growing up. :) Eric and I hit the road later that evening to do dinner in La Crosse on our way home. We ended up not eating until about 9:30, but it was great to be together so we didn't care. At dinner he gave me a gift card to give my wardrobe a jump start. MUCH NEEDED! I actually cried when I saw it. Once we made it to Winona we were still homeless and spent the night sleeping in a friend's basement.
Tuesday morning, 1 JUNE, he's off again. Eric's job sent him to South Carolina for the week. Eric and a friend spent the morning while I was at work putting all of our stuff in the new apartment and headed out of town to catch their flight. That night I couldn't find "my house" and drove all over creation for about 25 minutes. Finally I found the house. I came through the door to find all of our stuff...EVERYWHERE! God bless them for hauling it all over there, but there was no organization to speak of. It has been an overwhelming task to say the least...and we're still not done a week later. I guess this is a previous for moving to Texas by myself. Hmmm...
I love when I have the opportunity to see family these days. It's becoming more and more real that I am moving in a few more weeks without any real plans of coming back. What a thought! Whew! The ROTC department I work for worked the Wisconsin State Track Meet on campus so I was able to watch Eric's younger brother run the 4x200 at state! I know the older brothers love all of the success Aaron has had at such a young age. He's only a freshman and he's accomplished so much!!! The brothers always say that he is a mixture of all of their best qualities. God has big plans for him, no doubt! They qualified for finals but ended up taking 8th. Still nothing to hang your head about, he's got plenty of time.
After spending the morning at the track meet on Saturday I headed to Richland Center to pick up my mom and go get Eric from the airport. I can't tell you how happy I was to see him and have him home again. You would think that since we've had a long distance relationship all along that we would be "used" to being separated. In reality it is quite the opposite. I think it gets more and more painful with every separation. You just want it to stop happening all the time! It seems we are always on a constant countdown to the next time we will see each other. And when we are together I can't help but look ahead on the calendar to July 18th, when we'll be separated again. On the brighter side, July 18th is one of the best days of the year. I will begin my AMEDD OBLC at Fort Sam Houston TX to really start my Army Nurse Corps career. It's what I've been looking forward to since I joined ROTC as a freshman in college. Bittersweet. Leaving the airport we stopped by the mall to kill a little time before going to my cousin's graduation party. It was good to see family. We don't see the Granger side much. That side of the family just isn't really into family get togethers it seems like. If we do, it's "for grandma." It had been such a long week for all of us we didn't stay too terribly long. Besides, my brother Mark was on his way home for the first time in six months. We had a great time catching up and just spending time together. Hopefully he'll stop by our house on his way home later this week!
It's incredible how "busy" everyone is these days. No one has time for much of anything, and in your spare time you only want to spend that time on your self. We're talking major sacrifice to use that time on someone else! I know I'm guilty of thinking that way. Yet we can't understand why in society my kids have emotional and pscyhological problems. We've really lost the social element to get together instead of texting or chatting on IM. It's just so "easy." I guess it's just that the easy route really never got anyone to a better place. All of the best things in life take effort and sacrifice.
Something to think about.... Am I reaching out to others? Am I taking the easy route to relationships by only texting or emailing, never taking the time to make an in-person visit? Who in my life needs me to make some time sacrifices to spend it on them?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Moving out is over!!!! (Stay tuned for the moving IN next week) Anyways, what a job! I will admit it wasn't as much torture as I had envisioned, but it was enough. The guys did a great job chipping in to get the house ship shape for us to move out. I think Eric was a little surprised at how much stuff we really had packed into our room. It's a nice ending to that chapter in our lives. I think all of us living there would agree the house was a bit crowded and didn't offer anyone much privacy.
Everyone always says that the first year is really difficult. I have to say, it really wasn't so bad...as long as you have a good sense of humor. Obviously it would have been nice to have our own place without an audience, but it all worked out. God was faithful to sustain us and protect us through it all. I really think he used the situation several times for good, even when it wasn't always easy to see.
Saturday morning Eric was up at the crack of dawn doing some last minute cleaning of the room and getting ready for the big trip to Colorado for the Athletes in Action Ultimate Training Camp. Six campers, including Eric, went this year. Two girls, God bless them, and four guys. Four of the six had never gone before! :) It took a little while but after they finally got everything packed they headed out at about 9:15. The plan was to drive to Mormon Lake in Nebraska and camp. However, it was so windy they ended up staying in a hotel. As for me, once the send-off was complete, I headed back to the house to finish the cleaning and head to my parents for the weekend. It only took me about another hour or so before I hit the open road.
I've really grown to love going home. It's interesting how the relationship changes between you and your parents as you get older. Unlike my high school days, my parents and I are much more on a friend level. We share ideas, ask advice, and just hang out. Let's be honest, it's cool. We may not always see eye to eye, but I wouldn't trade my parents for anything. I am who I am because of them. Another thing I really love about going home is heading out in the country. In high school you couldn't have paid me to live out in the country much longer, but now, I LOVE getting home to well...nothing. It's peaceful and has the clearest night skies you can find not to mention the view, which is pretty amazing. My mom and I tried to stay busy Saturday planting some flowers, tomatoes, and green beans. Later we headed to the basement to address the dreaded pile of dishes, cookware, decorations, and kid's toys to decide what would head to Fort Hood in the next few months. It's so hard to know what to do with childhood belongings. Is it heartless to just get rid of it? Is it unhealthy to keep everything like a packrat? I'm trying to find a happy medium by donating some of it to the thrift store or goodwill in hopes that someone else could get use out of it. I still have a little more time to get that all sorted out.
Sunday night I headed back to La Crosse to stay with Eric's aunt and uncle, Bruce and Cheryl for a few days between leases. Considering how close we live to them, it really is a shame we aren't able to see them more often. They have been so gracious to me by opening their home. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with them.
All I can really say is that I am truly blessed. God has placed all the right people in my life and I am so grateful. I couldn't ask for anything more.
Everyone always says that the first year is really difficult. I have to say, it really wasn't so bad...as long as you have a good sense of humor. Obviously it would have been nice to have our own place without an audience, but it all worked out. God was faithful to sustain us and protect us through it all. I really think he used the situation several times for good, even when it wasn't always easy to see.
Saturday morning Eric was up at the crack of dawn doing some last minute cleaning of the room and getting ready for the big trip to Colorado for the Athletes in Action Ultimate Training Camp. Six campers, including Eric, went this year. Two girls, God bless them, and four guys. Four of the six had never gone before! :) It took a little while but after they finally got everything packed they headed out at about 9:15. The plan was to drive to Mormon Lake in Nebraska and camp. However, it was so windy they ended up staying in a hotel. As for me, once the send-off was complete, I headed back to the house to finish the cleaning and head to my parents for the weekend. It only took me about another hour or so before I hit the open road.
I've really grown to love going home. It's interesting how the relationship changes between you and your parents as you get older. Unlike my high school days, my parents and I are much more on a friend level. We share ideas, ask advice, and just hang out. Let's be honest, it's cool. We may not always see eye to eye, but I wouldn't trade my parents for anything. I am who I am because of them. Another thing I really love about going home is heading out in the country. In high school you couldn't have paid me to live out in the country much longer, but now, I LOVE getting home to well...nothing. It's peaceful and has the clearest night skies you can find not to mention the view, which is pretty amazing. My mom and I tried to stay busy Saturday planting some flowers, tomatoes, and green beans. Later we headed to the basement to address the dreaded pile of dishes, cookware, decorations, and kid's toys to decide what would head to Fort Hood in the next few months. It's so hard to know what to do with childhood belongings. Is it heartless to just get rid of it? Is it unhealthy to keep everything like a packrat? I'm trying to find a happy medium by donating some of it to the thrift store or goodwill in hopes that someone else could get use out of it. I still have a little more time to get that all sorted out.
Sunday night I headed back to La Crosse to stay with Eric's aunt and uncle, Bruce and Cheryl for a few days between leases. Considering how close we live to them, it really is a shame we aren't able to see them more often. They have been so gracious to me by opening their home. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with them.
All I can really say is that I am truly blessed. God has placed all the right people in my life and I am so grateful. I couldn't ask for anything more.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
19 May 2010
Whew!! It has been a busy couple of weeks. Eric and I thought it would be nice to finally get our own car so his brother Nathan can have his turn with the family car. We set out a week ago Saturday to hit up every dealer we could find. All we found, was that we were tired and frustrated. Luckily, later that week we were able to find a 2006 Chrysler 300 that Eric would be proud to drive. A week later we're still getting the details ironed out, but hopefully we'll be picking it up soon.
This past weekend we celebrated our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! How the time flies!!! It seems like only yesterday I was getting ready for the big day. We spent Saturday evening with Eric's parents, brother and sister-in-law (newlyweds of just three weeks) Luke and Ashley, younger brother Aaron, baby sister Leah, my parents, and my mom's parents. My mom laid out a spread to put an Old Country Buffet to shame. Hosting isn't her favorite thing in the world to do, but for this occasions, she made it happen. And she did great! We ate until we were stuffed and then brought out the infamous one year old wedding cake to eat as per tradition. We didn't have high hopes and my mom had made plenty of back up deserts in case it was less than desirable. However, much to our surprise, it was really good! It had survived!! Butter Pecan with cream filling, yum! We cut the cake together and fed each other to relive our big day, only this time we weren't so nice. All said and done we were both standing there with frosting literally pushed up our noses and smeared all over our faces. It was great! We also shared words of advice, encouragement, or reflection. Eric and my reflection questions.... What has been the best? What has been the most difficult? Eric said being together all the time to answer both, hahaha, I admit there is definitely some truth to that. I answered the same for the best but instead said the most difficult thing is interpreting what each other means, not just what they are saying. Ahh the challenges of basic communication.
Sunday morning we got up early to help with worship at Eric's home church. It was great to see people we hadn't seen in a while and catch up. The number one topic right now is...."When do you go to Texas?" Well the countdown is on...eight weeks. I'll be heading to AMEDD OBLC at Fort Sam Houston Texas from 18 JULY-20 SEP. We've had our share of the long distance relationship, and we're definitely looking forward to closing that chapter of our lives. For special music Eric and I sang a song he wrote. He really has a gift and I think we should try to do something with a few of the songs he's written. Just see where it goes. There wasn't much time for hanging out and chatting after church, Eric and I had to get to the commissioning ceremony in La Crosse by 1:45 or so. We barely got out of the house on time, and of course leaving my coat, checkbook, credit cards, driver's license, blow dryer, and so on. I guess some things just never change!
Last night, Tuesday, we had the privilege of baby-sitting Eric's 3 year old sister Leah. What a joy she is!!! His parents headed to Rochester for the evening and dropped her off on the way. I will admit, I have a new found respect for parents. She was definitely not a problem child in any way, but she just requires a large amount of attention. I know I know, that's expected. It would have been no big deal but we're trying to move out of our house and blah blah blah. Moral of the story...way to go parents!!! I don't know how you do it all PLUS raise kids! I suppose a person is never FULLY ready for kids, but I think we might be holding off just a little bit longer. Anyway, back to Leah! It's amazing how the smallest things are so entertaining. She played in her shadow for probably 45 minutes, looked at her new VeggieTale toy Bob off and on all night, and danced by herself for the remaining time. If only life we're still so simple! :)
I suppose I should get myself ready for my day and get a workout in. I'm probably in the worst shape of my life and I have eight weeks to turn it all around before training.
Thought for the day:
"A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones." Proverbs 12:4
- I pray as Eric and I start our second year of marriage that I grow more and more into a wife of noble character.
This past weekend we celebrated our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! How the time flies!!! It seems like only yesterday I was getting ready for the big day. We spent Saturday evening with Eric's parents, brother and sister-in-law (newlyweds of just three weeks) Luke and Ashley, younger brother Aaron, baby sister Leah, my parents, and my mom's parents. My mom laid out a spread to put an Old Country Buffet to shame. Hosting isn't her favorite thing in the world to do, but for this occasions, she made it happen. And she did great! We ate until we were stuffed and then brought out the infamous one year old wedding cake to eat as per tradition. We didn't have high hopes and my mom had made plenty of back up deserts in case it was less than desirable. However, much to our surprise, it was really good! It had survived!! Butter Pecan with cream filling, yum! We cut the cake together and fed each other to relive our big day, only this time we weren't so nice. All said and done we were both standing there with frosting literally pushed up our noses and smeared all over our faces. It was great! We also shared words of advice, encouragement, or reflection. Eric and my reflection questions.... What has been the best? What has been the most difficult? Eric said being together all the time to answer both, hahaha, I admit there is definitely some truth to that. I answered the same for the best but instead said the most difficult thing is interpreting what each other means, not just what they are saying. Ahh the challenges of basic communication.
Sunday morning we got up early to help with worship at Eric's home church. It was great to see people we hadn't seen in a while and catch up. The number one topic right now is...."When do you go to Texas?" Well the countdown is on...eight weeks. I'll be heading to AMEDD OBLC at Fort Sam Houston Texas from 18 JULY-20 SEP. We've had our share of the long distance relationship, and we're definitely looking forward to closing that chapter of our lives. For special music Eric and I sang a song he wrote. He really has a gift and I think we should try to do something with a few of the songs he's written. Just see where it goes. There wasn't much time for hanging out and chatting after church, Eric and I had to get to the commissioning ceremony in La Crosse by 1:45 or so. We barely got out of the house on time, and of course leaving my coat, checkbook, credit cards, driver's license, blow dryer, and so on. I guess some things just never change!
Last night, Tuesday, we had the privilege of baby-sitting Eric's 3 year old sister Leah. What a joy she is!!! His parents headed to Rochester for the evening and dropped her off on the way. I will admit, I have a new found respect for parents. She was definitely not a problem child in any way, but she just requires a large amount of attention. I know I know, that's expected. It would have been no big deal but we're trying to move out of our house and blah blah blah. Moral of the story...way to go parents!!! I don't know how you do it all PLUS raise kids! I suppose a person is never FULLY ready for kids, but I think we might be holding off just a little bit longer. Anyway, back to Leah! It's amazing how the smallest things are so entertaining. She played in her shadow for probably 45 minutes, looked at her new VeggieTale toy Bob off and on all night, and danced by herself for the remaining time. If only life we're still so simple! :)
I suppose I should get myself ready for my day and get a workout in. I'm probably in the worst shape of my life and I have eight weeks to turn it all around before training.
Thought for the day:
"A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones." Proverbs 12:4
- I pray as Eric and I start our second year of marriage that I grow more and more into a wife of noble character.
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