Happy Birthday to You

Today is Blake's birthday and he just boarded a plane for the first leg of his journey back to finish his deployment. This is going to be a long trip, and he probably won't get back to his unit before the middle of next week at the earliest since they spend so much time waiting for flights back and forth.

While he was here, he got to visit most of his friends in Houston and got to spend some time here in Austin with us. He went to church with us Sunday morning and got to meet everyone there first hand. He is taking back cards and Bibles for people in his unit that the church gave him. He's left his address with everyone he could think of with instructions on what to send. The only real disappointment that he had the whole time was in not getting to see his brother. I really wish we could have made that work out.

He was very impressed by our new neighbors after spending time in Kathy's Garage, the local hang-out where adult beverages are consumed and the problems of the world are quickly resolved. He got to see Carl's paintings and railroad setup, a most impressive display. And, he bought himself a Playstation 3 and a couple of games and left it at our house till he comes back. Mwa ha ha ha ha...

Guess he's going to learn first hand what it's like to have to travel on his birthday, something that Dusty became an expert at. We'll miss him, but he'll be home again soon. Please keep him and the others with him in your prayers.

More when we know more...

Able to Leap Tall Buildings in a Single Bound...

Got an update from Blake when he called this morning. He's having a blast in Houston with his friends, but he called saying he was having a problem with his ipod. It wasn't playing the audio over it now. He was afraid it had a virus from one of the computers he had charged it to, but I didn't know. He's going to take it to the Apple Store in Houston and have one of them take a look at it.

While he was on the phone, he told me that just before he left for R&R, he had taken another PT test and had spectacular results this time. He was afraid that he would have trouble passing because of the altitude, so he went all out on everything. His score was 370, which didn't mean too much to me until I learned that 300 was a perfect score. Apparently, if you score higher on the repetitions or time, you can get points added to your score. He ran 2 miles in 11:30, did 115 sit-ups in 2 minutes, and 90 push-ups in 2 minutes. This placed him at the #1 spot for his brigade for this test, so he got a patch to wear on his PT uniform and the recognition of his sergeants. He said that the PT test is something that is looked at very seriously for promotion, and he wants to make Specialist before he comes home from the deployment this summer.

Tomorrow morning, he's going to take a friend of his who wants to join the Army out for a hard day of training. From what he said on the phone, it's going to be quite an exhausting day. This is one of his best friends who once said that Blake was an inspiration to him because he had gotten his life in order with the Army.

Sounds like fun, but glad I'm not doing it. More later.

...When Your Phone Rings at 3:00 a.m.

Blake made it home last night, and like any typical 24 year old, he headed for his friends' house. We're expecting him here in about a week to a week and a half. Till then, he'll be in Houston with friends. He missed seeing his friends before he left because of the hurricane, so he's taking a little longer there now to do the meet and greet thing.

It was a long trip home. He left last Wednesday evening and arrived Sunday evening after stops to Kuwait and Germany along the way. He says that he's gotten his packages that everyone sent to him and was very grateful for the treats and miscellaneous stuff that makes life a little easier over there. The one thing he mentioned was the mayonnaise packets that were in one of the packages. Who would have thought, but thankfully, someone did.

Of course, last night, his first night home, the phone rang in the middle of the night. We were terrified because that's just the way things have been when Blake's been home. It was an alarm company trying to reach someone who apparently had our phone number before we did. It was a relief, as you can imagine, but I held them on the line longer than a typical wrong number call, just to make sure. You really never know what to expect with Blake. ;-)

Well, I'm sure there will be more news over the next few days, so when I learn more, I'll drop a line up here.

The Iceman Cometh...And Goeth

First of all, communication has been sparse at best. With his schedule, he's not on his MySpace account as much as we wish, and when he is, we get short updates, which is the real reason we haven't been updating this much this month. But we have news today.

Blake will be taking a 15 day leave starting November 28th. We don't know if that's when he will be back in country or when he will leave where he is now. I said communication has been sparse. He plans on spending some time in Houston with his friends, some time in Dallas with his brother, and spending a little time at home with us.

This completely caught all of us by surprise. No one expected him to be coming back before March or April, which would be about half-way through his deployment. For him to be able to come home now is a shocker, but we'll take it.

One thing Blake has said about how it's going for him there is that he's fallen into a routine. He sleeps most of the morning and is still working from 5 p.m. till 1 a.m. Then he does his MySpace stuff or watches a movie until he gets up the next afternoon and starts it all over again. He said he was really upset because he missed seeing Chuck, "the Iceman", Liddell there. I had to google the name, but this was a big name in the UFC world.

Well, as soon as we learn more about the upcoming leave and his schedule while he's here, I'll post it. Till then, take care.

Halloween

I think that today is an appropriate day to write an update on Blake since Halloween is his favorite holiday. It's been a month now since he was deployed and from the sound of things, he's getting settled in there. He really misses everyone at home, and it seems like such a long time before he will get to come home, but he's trying to keep his mood up and his attitude positive. Tough in these conditions, but he's trying.

The Army has found his best shift for work. Being the night owl that he has always been, he works from 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., 7 days a week. He tries then to get on to MySpace and catch up with some of his friends and answer a message or two before he goes to bed. He's discovered the tv show, Weeds, and is enjoying that at the moment.

His first package went out recently. He wanted a pillow and some sheets, so we sent that over with some of the paperwork he had requested. We're getting ready to ship over another box soon with some movies, books and snacks that he likes.

We haven't gotten any pictures from him because his camera broke on the way over. Neither of the cell phones that he took work where he is, either, so that's why he hasn't been using them to call or text anyone. He does receive text messages; he just can't send them out, so if you're texting him, keep it up.

I know if he were at home, he would be enjoying Halloween tonight with his friends. If you're writing to him, please keep it up. If you're not writing yet, please consider it as he is really homesick right now. He's going to be fine, though.

More info when I have it.

Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. America and All the Ships at Sea

We just learned Blake's address while he's deployed. Email me if you would like to have it.

dustinwindsor[delete_this_part]@gmail.com

Picture This

No news from Blake in the past 2 weeks really. He's in country waiting to be taken to his duty station from the processing station. The real purpose of this entry is to put the pictures online that we took at Ft. Hood waiting for him to board the buses and leave. So, without any further ado, here we go:

Blake has to check the size of his bag before he can get on the plane. If it doesn't fit in this small box, he has to take stuff out and leave it there. Not very many bags didn't fit. Blake had room left over to carry someone else's stuff for them. Just a portable dvd player and his iPod to get him through the long flight.

We found someone who was more than willing to take a picture of us all. Carol did most of the camera work on all of the other pictures here.

There were several family members in the gym as well as the soldiers. The family in the background was with a young mother who was also being deployed.

This one broke my heart. I don't know the soldier, but the young boy was not about to let go - not even for a minute. His younger brother is standing there also, but it was the older boy that caught my attention. Dad just let him stand there throughout most of the formation until Mom came over and walked him back to the bleachers. There were tears in the boy's eyes, but there were also tears in the eyes of everyone who witnessed it.

The mood of the day was anxious and concerned, but for Blake there was also the knowledge that he was finally going to be able to do the job he had spent this last year training for. He has kept a positive attitude through some of the hardest periods of his life, and for him, it's finally going to pay off.

Show us your "mean" face. I thought these two pictures should be shown together. The one on top is Blake at about 11 when he visited the WWF wrestler The Undertaker at his parents' home in Houston. I thought it compared well with the one on the bottom, taken 13 years later. Some things never, ever change.

Finally, it was time to file out and board the buses for the first leg of the long trip. Everyone was there to shake their hands as they stepped out the doors, from the Commander and First Sergeant to the civilian groups who show up at all of these things for support. And it was time for us to get back in the car and head back to Houston. A short trip, but well worth it.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Blake is gone now. He flew out Saturday night. I got a text message from him early Sunday morning that he was in Germany, but that's been the last I've heard to this point. He had always hoped that he would get to spend a little time there, but when he messaged me, he said they would be leaving out in a few hours. Blake finally made it to Germany.

We got a call from him about 2:30 on Saturday afternoon that he would be in a gym on Ft. Hood around 5:00 and that if we wanted to see him, we should get up there as soon as possible. We jumped in the car and drove like maniacs to get there. When we were about 4 streets from the gym, he called again to say that the busses had just pulled up and he thought they would be loading right away. As soon as we got there though, he was in a line of soldiers putting their backpacks in a box to see if it was small enough to be carried on the plane.

The gym wasn't full, but there were a lot of soldiers going over with him. It was all kind of sad. Young families saying good-bye for who knows how long. For some it was their third deployment; for others, like Blake, it was their first. The mood was hopeful though as they all knew that it would not be a full deployment and they would be back with their families in just a few months. I was particularly touched by a young family and two small boys who stood next to their dad while he was in formation to file out to get on the busses. The older boy seemed to know what was going on and wouldn't let go of dad. Mom had to come over and pull him off. No screaming though, just a lot of red eyes and some tears.

I was taken aback at the courage of these men and women who were leaving. To the last, they were all enjoying the time with their families, but not a single one was slow in filing in when it was time to board the busses. I had to remind myself that a few years ago, many of these were in high school watching impatiently while the world revolved around them, and now look at them!

I was also reminded of how much things have changed for the soldier since Vietnam. In all the times we look at our country and see how far we've fallen, this is one area we've matured and finally gotten it right. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are heroes, and they deserve to be treated as such. Finally, we're giving them the respect and treatment they deserve.

God bless America, and God bless our men and women wearing the uniform of this country!

Boss, da Plane...da Plane...

We're waiting on a plane. That's the newest word on the deployment. We had all thought that Thursday would be Blake's last day in country, but his flight has been pushed back to the weekend, so I got to visit him and go out for a big supper with him and some of his friends in the same career field last night. Blake ate like Dad was paying for it, but it was no time for beans and franks. It was a very entertaining and delicious night as I met some great young men and women who have known Blake for these past few months.

Blake's grandfather Harvey passed away last Monday. Blake got to be there to see him before he lost consciousness and slipped away. It was a very peaceful passing, but Blake received a Bible that was his grandfathers while he was in the Army. It is a pocket Bible that the soldiers kept that "would save your life". That might be a true statement as it has a metal plate in the cover that we are told would stop a bullet. What a neat piece of history to have passed down to the newest soldier in the family.

We're a little fuzzy at this point on how we will get our first communication from him once he's there, but as soon as we have an address, I'll post the info and you can email me for it. We know that some of the cell phones will work there, but you have to take out a loan to make a 5 minute call. The text messaging is a little cheaper, so that might be the way we go for awhile, but even that can add up quickly. I'm sure there are other ways we can stay in touch, including Blake's MySpace page, which he maintains religiously. We're not going to lose touch completely, that's for sure.

Well, I suppose the next update might be that he's landed in country, but we'll see. More news as I learn more.

Later.

Hurry Up and Wait

Blake will be deploying sometime around the 25th of this month. He will first fly into Germany and stay there for about 4 days. From there, he will fly on into his destination.

He's been coming home every weekend since he got to Ft. Hood to spend some time with his friends and family before he has to leave them for a year.

The good news to all of this is he will only have to spend about 9 months over there, since his unit got there in June. He's pretty excited about going, but he's upset that he won't get to see his friends for so long.

He's been doing a lot of training on the customs and procedures for living there. We sure wouldn't want to offend anyone.

Sorry this one is so short. We're all just pretty much spinning our wheels right now, so there's not too much to pass on.

More info forthcoming...

To Infinity...And Beyond

Well, Blake has been at Ft. Hood for a week now and has already been told he'll be leaving soon. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning.

Blake started his processing and was informed that he would not be assigned to the 1st Cavalry as he had thought. He was, instead, going to be attached to the 1st Infantry. Otherwise known as the "Big Red 1". The Army has a "thing" for the obvious, as shown below.Next, he learned that this unit was already deployed and he would be joining them in 2 or 3 weeks. And all the time, he was counting on leaving his coats behind and living in sand. Not anymore. Actually, he's pretty excited at the prospect. Especially since he's in a non-combative career field.

One thing Blake was asked a lot at his party was "what is it you do exactly?" I thought his response was a good one. He has a certificate that says he's a Geospace Engineer, but I overheard him telling one of the guests that he's like a travel agent for the Army. He tells them what they're going to find when they get to where they want to go. The simple explanation is usually the best explanation.

The really good news out of all this is he will be home again soon. They give him 7 days free leave before he has to travel, and I know he will want to get in touch with everyone again. The not so good news is he will not be able to help us move. Darned kid. He'd do anything to get out of helping move.

On the lighter side, at Ft. Hood, Blake doesn't have a roommate, and he hasn't bought an alarm clock yet. So, I got a call from him Monday night asking if I would call him at 5:30 a.m. to wake him up. I'm already up and getting ready then, so I told him I would give him a call. "However," I asked him, "don't you think that one of the sergeants there would be willing to give you a wake-up call instead?" After what sounded like a grunt, but might have been a harsh explitive, he said, "Oh, yeah, I'm sure they would."

Well, that's about all that's newsworthy. Thanks for reading this and for your support. Blake really appreciates it, and so do we.

More news when we have it...

Ft. Hood

We arrived at Ft. Hood on the 13th as planned after an unexpected tour of the hill country. There's a reason cars only have one steering wheel. I just wish I could remember what it was. This place is a monster, and Blake got a first hand opportunity to see what the Army was like when you're not in training. We got directions from a very nice sergeant who had only been there for three days herself. When we arrived, cars were zipping off base being driven by uniformed men and women. It's a job, Blake reminded himself. When you get out of training, it's just like a regular 9-5 job for most people.

We found the building for in-processing and were directed to another building to check into his temporary housing. Once he finishes his processing, he'll be assigned to a unit and housed with them. He said the rooms held four people, but so far, there was only one other person in his room.

When we left the post around 7:30 and started back home, he seemed a little nervous, but excited to get started. From the picture above, it looks as though he's going to be just fine.

Thanks to everyone who came to the party and sent well-wishes and prayers. He had a great time at home and hopefully got to spend a little time with everyone. Keep the prayers going his way; he has a long road ahead.

We Party Like Rock Stars

Blake flew in on Friday, August 1st. We were there to meet him, and surprise of all surprises, the plane was late. This time it was over an hour late, so we waited in the lounge near the gate. When we thought it was time to meet the plane, we went out to the gate and waited there. We didn't have long to wait before this guy showed up.

Question: How do you get a soldier to a Chucky Cheese type of establishment and expect him to have a good time. Followup question: How do you get a bunch of adults to have a good time at the same place at the same time? Well, we had a great party at IT'Z on HWY 249 Saturday night. Friends and family gathered to welcome the returning warrior back to Houston. Everyone had a great time, as the pictures show.

We were surprised to see his brother, Dusty, who was able to make it in from Dallas. We had thought he would have to work the day of the party, but we were lucky as he was able to get off and make the drive down.

Some of Blake's friends join us at the party. Here's a pic of the whole gang. It was great seeing them here for the event.

Long time friends Bill and Kathy were able to come. Kathy was snapping away with her camera, so we're hoping that there will be more pictures soon. Most of the adults there had known Blake since he was a little kid and would have thought that this place was the greatest place in the world to have a party.

Kayla was able to come, too. She met Blake when he was about 5 when we worked together at Patrick Henry Middle School together. She's still teaching now, and thankfully is not taking the advice of well-meaning friends who tell her about great jobs in other schools and then leave. Hmmm...

Then, there was this guy who walked into my 5th grade class. He looked so sad, I just had to offer him the seat behind me. We've been best buds since. Dale, a recent retiree from one of the biggest oil-glutting companies in the world. But don't get him started. He's brilliant, so he'll not only tell you how wrong you are, but have you thanking him for pointing out how foolish you were in the first place. We're hoping that his next "graduation" party is not as eventful as the first. Worchestershire? No thanks, I've had enough...

Dale's better half, Dara, collaborates with Bill's better half and discover that they went to the same middle school. Small world, or global conspiracy to keep track on the three of us... I'm not telling.

Jen and Susan come in from Katy to wish Blake well as he starts his career in the Army. That adorable brunette is Elizabeth, one of Jen's twins.

These two stole the show as the last picture shows. Catherine, a cute blonde, spent the night sitting on my lap, and no one was jealous. I'm shocked! She was a heart-stealer. I could have stayed like this the rest of the night, but after a long and brutal fight, Jen pulled them away from me.

And so the party ended. Blake will be reporting to his duty station at Ft. Hood on Wednesday. We're going to be driving him up, and from there, who knows? It was good to see everyone though, and even though I don't have a good picture of Susan to put up, that will be coming up soon.

He Did It!

Blake graduated this morning from his training to become a topographic analyst in the Army. I think he's happier about this graduation than he was when he graduated from high school.

He leaves tomorrow around 1 p.m. for Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri for about a week of advanced combat training. He says he should leave there about the first of August and he doesn't have to report to Ft. Hood until August 13th. So, that means he will have about 10-12 days to come home and visit his friends.

Blake wants to have the get-together closer into town so everyone doesn't have to drive so far, so we've found a nice park with some bbq pits that we will be scouting out over the weekend to see if it's acceptable. I'll get more into out to everyone on that, but reserve the 9th on your calendars.

Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. They've been a big help to Blake and to us as well. It's been an eventful ride, and I don't think this roller coaster is ready to come to a stop just yet, so keep him in mind.

Countdown

Blake has less than a week left in training. He graduates next Wednesday, and from there, they're sending him to Missouri for more combat training. He'll only be there a week though and then he'll be on to his duty station at Ft. Hood. We're hoping that he gets a leave, but right now, that's pretty much up in the air. He said that even if he doesn't, he's going to use his first weekend pass to come home and see everyone. So the BBQ is still on. We can't wait, and neither can he.

He's being assigned to the 1st Cavalry unit at Ft. Hood. He's very excited about that because of the history of the unit, but it also means he's in a rotation for deployment sometime after the first of the year. We weren't thrilled to hear about that, but he's excited and anxious to start doing the job that they've trained him for.

I've told Blake that he's in charge of getting in touch with his friends, since I'm not sure many of them are checking this. But he's really looking forward to getting back to Texas, although I don't understand why he's so anxious to get back to the 100+ degree heat we've been having.

I've gotten answers back from several of you about the party, and I've passed the info on to Blake. He really wants to see you all. I hope you can be there. If not, we'll make sure you see plenty of pictures.

On a personal note, Blake really sounds good. He's got a purpose and a good career that will allow him to use his head for a change. He sounds confident, sure of himself, and ready for the next challenge. Or, as Blake would say, "Hooah!"

Hope to see you all soon.

Nearing the End

Got a call from Blake last night and he's entering the last part of his training there. So far, he says he's been very successful with what he's trying to learn and is still loving it. Since he's graduating at the end of July, he'll be home within the next few weeks. I know he will want to see you all when he does finally make it home. He's so grateful for the prayers you've sent for him in this training. He's said again and again that he couldn't have done it at all if it hadn't been for your prayers and concerns.

It doesn't look like we're going to be able to go up and visit him before he finishes his training, but he'll be home soon. It's a little disappointing, but we'll get to see Washington someday. We're just not able to get away for a week right now.

Blake has asked for a big BBQ when he comes home. I told him that would be no problem. I'll reserve the pavillion here in April Sound for the night and I hope you can make it up to the lake for adult beverages and burnt cow flesh. Yummo!

Not much more to report. The news is getting sparce now, but we'll all be sitting around and talking with him soon. Hope to see you then.

Till later...

Big Day Today

What a fantastic day today was!

I just heard from Blake and he's passed this test, which makes him MOSQ, or qualified to perform his MOS. He's still got another few weeks to go before graduation, but this was a big turning point in his training as he is fully qualified now.

Today was also the last PT test for training and he passed. No great surprise there as he's in the best shape of his life right now. He's weighing 180, which is about a 20 lb. drop from the pictures on the webpage.

Yesterday was the graduation day for the class that immediately preceeded him, so he's in the senior class now. This, I found out, is the class that's next in line for graduation. He's also very disappointed that he was not in that class, but since he's in line now, I'm sure he'll be satisfied. He's very excited at the prospect of coming to Ft. Hood and being close to everyone again.

Well, that's about all there is to report now. So we'll post more when we know more.

Almost Over

Blake has a few weeks left of training and he's more than ready to move on. Training is still going well. He's not finished with the this phase yet, but as of next week, that hurdle should also be past him. When he messaged us this week, he said that next week he would be MOSQ (fully qualified to perform in his MOS), he would take his last PT test, and would be the senior class. I had to ask what "senior class" was, and he says that his class will be in line as the next graduating class. Sounds like everything is still going very well to this point.

Thanks to everyone who has kept up with this from the start last October. It's been a big lift for him to hear everything that you've been saying and the encouragement you've given. He's very excited with the prospect of moving on from this phase on to his permanent duty station in the coming weeks. With the 10 days leave he has coming right out of training, he's planning on catching a flight to Hawaii to visit some of the men he trained with in Virginia. He's getting such fabulous opportunities. This is all very exciting.

We're coming up on another big test though. He can't tell us anything about the test, but Blake's pretty confident of his skills in this area. He still says he needs your prayers though, so keep them coming. He sounds just great and so positive and up beat. This has been a great thing for him, and he knows it.

Take care and we'll post more when we know more.

On to the Next Phase

Blake passed his test. He's having a blast with this training now as it's not as much lecture and facts as it is practice doing what he's going to be doing while he's in the Army. Now, he's started the next phase now, and is excited at what he will be learning.

Don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but he finally got his glasses. What is it? Almost 7 months. It wasn't until he got to Virginia that they finally gave them to him, and that was after a whole new series of eye tests and everything else. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Blake, always thinking, has advised us to come up before the graduation because he'll have more time to visit with us if we don't wait till the actual graduation. Seems he would get the whole weekend off if we came up early, whereas he would only get a few hours the day before graduation if we waited to come up then. We'll have to take a look at everything and see how we can do it, but it sounds fine with us at this point.

Well, there's not much else. The passing grade on the last test was the big news. Now, he says once he passes this test, he'll be certified as trained, so a lot of the pressure will be off him. That'll be great!

Thanks for keeping up with all of this. I know Blake appreciates it, and we do, too.

Till later...

Test Tomorrow

Blake has been locked up in this phase for some time, but the end is in sight. He takes his test in this group tomorrow. This isn't the same Blake who left here 6 months ago. As soon as we hear how he did on the test, we'll let you know. Keep Blake in your prayers this week.

He got a day pass last weekend, but didn't go into D.C. He really wants to move on to his duty station, which is going to be Ft. Hood unless something changes. He said that he just hung around town for awhile and then came back to the post.

Well, the glasses problem continues. It seems that he still doesn't have glasses. They have told him that he needs special glasses because of a problem with his eyesight, and it's taking a very long time to make them for him. The alternative is he can have surgery and get the problem fixed. That's what he wants to do as soon as he's finished with the training.

His graduation date is tentatively set for the end of July. Then he makes another stop for all the processing and then on to his duty station.

Well, we've talked with him quite a bit, but most of it has been encouragement for him to just do his best, which he really seems to be doing. This is something that Blake is enjoying and he's always put his full effort into things he loves.

More when we learn more. Till then...

Half Way There

This week is a milestone for Blake. He's half way through his training in Virginia and half way through this particular phase. So far, all is going just great! He's doing well on his tests and staying out of trouble. However, that being said, why is it that just when things are going so well, he goes and gets himself a weekend pass? The last one was very expensive and the one this past weekend, while not as costly as the first, was still scary in its own right. The most recent pass was for his group's great performance in the obstacle course, and it was a "full" weekend pass, which meant that he could leave after school on Friday and wasn't due back until formation on Sunday night.

More good news from Virginia. Blake got promoted to private second class (PV2). The promotion took effect on the 22nd of April, so now we have to address Blake as "Private Windsor". Oops, that what we've been addressing him as all along. Oh, well, that's the Army. The best part is it comes with a pay increase. ;-)

Blake also got his preliminary duty assignment last week. He's scheduled to go to Ft. Hood in Texas when he gets out of training, but he says that's not all set in stone. He's not disappointed with the assignment as he'll be about 5 hours from home even though he was hoping to go somewhere a little more exciting than back to Texas.

Every day brings him closer to the end of his training, and that's what he wants now most of all. It's been a long 2 1/2 months up there, and even though he loves Virginia, he misses his friends and family. This assignment will allow him to see everyone he loves a little more regularly than he had expected.

Well, that's about all that's new from Ft. Belvoir. We'll put more online as we learn more.

Till next time.

It Gets Harder

The title makes it sound really dismal, but this is the Army, and nothing is as it seems. He is in a "make or break" phase of Blake's training at this point. When he text messaged me that he had entered this phase Monday morning, he was very excited. By the end of the day, he was saying that this was great because it was really interesting. We're all sending our support for him through this. Even the pups know the sound of the text message beep and look up when he has something to say.

Yesterday was Blake's 6 month anniversary in the Army. He should be getting his rank soon, but he said that they would pay him retroactively to that point when he finally does. He's not really excited about going through the ceremony that they always do when someone gets a promotion, but it shows that he's put in a lot of hard work and is deserving of what he's getting. We're proud of him.

He got to spend the weekend in D.C. last weekend. Because everyone did a roadside cleanup campaign, they were all given weekend passes and Blake got to spend the first night off base since Christmas leave. He said he was going to do all the things that his friends had told him about such as eating at Chili's, going to the mall, maybe a movie... Wait a minute. That doesn't sound any different than if he were at home. At least he was taking his camera to take some pictures. We will be seeing those pictures soon.

Lot of stuff has happened. Blake's been on post for almost 3 months now. He misses us all and would love to hear from you. If you email me, I'll send you his mailing address so you can keep in touch.

More news when we know more ourselves.

4 Weeks Into Training

Well, we're at the 4 week mark in Blake's training. He's enjoying the training, but he's also looking forward to graduating and getting to his first duty station. He heard from a friend of his, Williamson, who is finished with his AIT and on his duty station. Blake wants that, too, but there's still several weeks ahead for him.

Blake had two wisdom teeth and a molar pulled a week ago last Thursday, and he's still in pain from the whole episode. He was on 72 hours bed rest, but he used the time during the night to take as many shifts as he could as fire guard. That gave him a little pocket change to use during the week. Last Friday, he saw an eye doctor to get some glasses--FINALLY! Hopefully, he'll get a pair now. He never did get his glasses in basic training.

We'll have more to report as we learn more. Right now, it's class every day. Sometimes exciting--sometimes not so much so. But he's hanging in there and doing a great job.

AIT - An Update

Blake started his AIT on March 5th. He's studying to be a 21U, Topographic Analyst. As of today, he's about 2 1/2 weeks into the course. So far, he says he's really enjoying it.

The sergeants there are starting to give him some opportunities in supervision. He was made the platoon commander (I'm probably getting this title wrong, but you get the gist of it), which put him over about 40 other guys. He said he would hold on to this for a couple of weeks before it moved to another. He was very proud of himself and knew just how he wanted to start out: by helping the others to pass their PT test.

Blake says that a lot of time is spent in the classroom, but there are still training days where everyone studies red cross or something like that. And, there's always the formations.

Anyway, Blake passed Easter there, all the time assuring us all that he was doing just great! He still loves what he's doing and says to be sure to tell everyone "Hi" for him. Like he says, he'll be finished before any of us know it and he'll get to come home then.

Till there's more to report...

Ft. Belvoir Virginia

Blake is in Virginia now at Ft. Belvoir. He loves it up there and has gotten to do some sightseeing. Especially with the opportunity he has now being just 20 miles from Washington, D.C.

Last Saturday, he called us to tell us he had gotten a day pass and was in Washington eating lunch. He was going to go to the Lincoln and Washington monuments as well as Arlington Cemetary. Before long, we started getting the pictures from his phone. It was an incredible opportunity for him, and we all had a chance to tell him how much we envied him for being there. Especially since the weather here was so awful that day.

Today I spoke with him and he passed all phases of the physical training (sit-ups, push-ups, and 2 mile run) today. That was one of the obstacles to him getting S.T.A.R. qualification and thereby be eligible for weekend passes and the like. Definitely something worth working for. He did the run almost 2 minutes faster than he did in basic training just two weeks ago. We were floored with this news. He said it was "just easier" to run up there. Haven't figured out the logic behind this, but who cares? He did it and that's all that matters.

He starts his classes soon. From that point on, it's several weeks of training before he's ready for his first assignment.

He has his cell phone now and spends a lot of time text messaging his friends. It's not the same number he had when he was living here, so if you don't have it, just email me and I'll send it to you. Also, we have his mailing address, so if you would like that, just let me know and we'll send that on as well.

Well, more when we know more. Till then. Take care and thanks for keeping up with Blake.

Graduation!

It's finally over. Blake has graduated from basic training and is now on his way to Ft. Belvoir in Virginia. He left Lawton at 12:45 p.m. today and will fly from there to Dallas. From there's it's on to Washington, D.C. and a short 20 minute drive to the base.

His last days were very eventful. Following a briefing from his commanders, we saw a demonstration of what they had been training on. Then, we all got to have lunch together, and I have to admit, it was pretty good. Not the same mess hall food that I remember at all. Yesterday, the graduation ceremony was very impressive. Despite all the talking of what they were going to do and what would be funny, they handled themselves in a very professional manner. It wasn't a joking occasion and everyone there knew it.

After the ceremony, we went to his barracks and got to look around. This was a part that I was very curious about. We have a picture of Blake in his bunk with his personal locker behind him. Dusty is in the background.

After another good lunch with Blake and his new friend, Ethan Williamson, from Maine, we dropped them off to meet up with buddies to finish their celebration and we started back home.

Blake called this morning to give us the news that he was leaving at 12:45 and would call again once he got to Virginia. It's good to see him finished with this obstacle and good, too, to know that he has a cell phone that he can use to call us anytime he wants now (within reason). We'll let everyone know as soon as we get his new mailing address so you can write him up there.

More info when we get it. Till then, thanks for keeping up with Blake throughout his basic training. We'll keep this going through his AIT in Virginia, so keep in touch.

Blue Phase: Downhill From Here

Blake is scheduled to graduate on February 7th. He's passed the PT test, which was the very last milestone between him and the graduation. He's been issued his dress greens and he says they look great on him. I can only imagine.

We're going to be leaving for Ft. Sill on the 5th. We'll be there through the 7th and will return to Montgomery later in the day that Thursday. He graduates on the 7th but the 6th is a family day where we can take him into town and enjoy the day together.

Dusty is going to try to make his own arrangements so that he can be there, too, which should be a big surprise for Blake.

Blake had asked us to send up some pictures of the family and his friends, so that went out in the mail yesterday. He had taken a lot of pictures when he was home over Christmas, and you just can't beat the Wal-Mart photo lab for price and convenience... haha.

This week is supposed to be the week of the three day field training. I've been keeping up with the weather there in Oklahoma and yesterday it was 23 degrees around 2 p.m. I can't even imagine what it would have been like at night if they were out there. But lots of things have changed and I haven't been very good about keeping track of what's going on up to now, so I don't know if they're out in the field or warm in their own barracks. One thing Blake did say is one part of the hand grenade training was a little nerve-racking. He told Carol about this, so I'll have to get him to tell me so I can include it all here. For me, I think the whole part of the hand grenade training would have been nerve-racking.

We're all so excited and proud of him that we just can't wait to see him again, even though it's only been a few weeks since he was home. This is the one he's really been waiting for.

Blue Phase: The End Is Near

It's been quite awhile since the last update. The visit was outstanding. Blake looks and sounds just great!

He got to spend lots of time with his family and friends. Just about everyone who wanted to see him got a chance, and after two weeks, he was really ready to get back. He boarded the plane back to Dallas for the first leg of his trip on January 3rd.

We got a letter from him yesterday, and he's entered the final phase of his basic combat training. He's in the blue phase now, and now, more than ever, he can see the end. Graduation is set for February 7th, and barring any unforeseeable circumstance, that's when he will be finished with this training. Don't know yet if he is going to come home for awhile or if he will head straight up to Virginia to start his academic training.

He said he got his Army greens this week and is very proud of the way he looks in them. He still hasn't gotten his glasses, so I guess that is probably not going to happen in basic training. It's just been too long. He will probably have to try again when he gets to Virginia.

He called on Saturday night and got to talk with everyone. Dusty was there with us, so he got to talk with him as well. He said that he was getting 30 minutes to call home now since his platoon had won the combatives ribbon. They also won the drill ribbon and the basic rifle marksmanship ribbon, but the combatives was very important to his drill sergeant. Hence the 30 minute phone time now. And, he says, that's good for every week from now till he finishes.

One last thing he is worried about is the PT test. The two mile run still has him nervous. He's found some running buddies to go with him when he goes back to qualify, which should be later this week. Say some prayers for him that he can do this, cause that's the only thing now that would hold him back.

Well, I promise not to take as long the next time to update this. He still needs to hear from everyone, so keep those letters going to him. Thanks for your support.

More when we know more.