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.