Making the Best

As of this morning, Eric is off again! The house feels so big and empty and quiet. Without him it stays pretty neat...although today I've found more than a few pair of big man socks strewn throughout the many levels + 1 giant flip flop in the kitchen + spare camel back hanging in the bathroom + several emptied cardboard boxes = all evidence that he was here last night and this morning, packing hastily.

I'm so anxious to hear how he does at EFMB. I selfishly want him to fail out the first week so he can come home, but I'm hoping he does really good and shows them all who's boss! He knows he'll for sure make it through the first week since it's all physical fitness testing. I know he'll also do just fine on the 12-hour road march and I'm crossing my fingers he passes the land navigation courses. He's been given lots of good opportunity and praise at the NCO Academy and I know he wants to make them proud as a representative at EFMB. I'll of course let you all know how that goes.

The past week was actually super nice. We had had that whole week apart, and knew he was leaving again today, so really made the best of it. Meaning: hand holding, lots of good meals, movies, working out, bowling, bbqing...the works! While he was gone the other week it had been stormy and raining nonstop, but all last week and this weekend the sun was out in full force! It was a happy 7 days indeed.

Last night was more or less a bummer. After he packed about three giant bags full of necessities (and goodies like beef jerky and power bars), I slipped in about a dozen little notes for him to discover throughout the next three weeks. He is bringing his cell so MAY be able to talk occasionally, but I am not going to get my hopes up about it. He looked like a little boy headed off to summer camp this morning: big goofy smile and his green duffel bags.

UPDATE!!!!! He just called!!!! As I was writing this!! The call was brief, about 5 minutes, but he did have time to inform me that they get to sleep on bunk beds that are "nasty as hell". Poor guys. I don't know how the rest of the conditions are going to be (I know the meals are pretty basic: thus him packing the treats) but at least they get to sleep indoors this time. Eric went to a training this past fall in Tennessee and after just ONE night outdoors came back with somewhere between 200 and 300 bug bites. Just another of the many reasons I was not cut out to be part of the military.

Well, it's sleep time for me now. Here are a couple photos from our weekend, enjoy!






Please don't ask about our (meaning MY) bowling scores.