Off to Basic Combat Training: Red Phase

The week of reception is officially over. Allan crosses the tracks tomarrow and heads over to Basic Combat Training, or BCT. What does this mean? No more daily phone calls, and a drill Sergeant in his face 24/7. I talked to him tonight, and he was getting everything ready to go. He says he just wants to start..the waiting was driving him insane (reception lasts a week). I am happy we are finally on to Red phase (the 9 weeks are seperated by 3-3week phases, red, white and blue.) but I know this is the hardest of the phases..and where they break you down. Praying for my sweet husband that he stays strong and knows we lovehim. Letters of support would be great, I will have his address soon and will get it to whoever would like to write!!

Becoming ARMY STRONG!!

This is what saying goodbye to a soldier feels like. I didn't think the day would ever come as we prepared for Allan to leave for basic training. Now, it is here. Watching him leave left me with so many emotions. I was proud, I wear my title of "ARMY Wife" with great pride! I was sad. The emptiness of not having him here is magnified when I see how much my little ones miss him. There are so many little things I realized I took for granted. Bathing the kids, taking turns getting up with a nightmare, holding the baby while I break up a fight, they all seem so much more amplified doing them on my own.

Yet, what it really breaks down to is I am so very happy with the decision we have made. He is doing something honorable, not only for his country...but for his family. We will be so much better off for it. The seperation is just minimal in the grand scheme of things. This too shall pass, and one day we will look back at all this crazines and think, "I worried over THAT!". For now, I cherish every phone call I receive from him and I pray for his strength and safety.

We are not just ARMY strong, we are FAMILY strong!

Kindergarten Colby

It amazes me just how much they seem to change overnight when they start school. It has happened again. Colby has become such a big boy, in what seems like overnight. I love seeing him embrace life and loves asking questions...about EVERYTHING!

My Girls!!

Caits and Calleya..my two beautiful, silly, wonderful girls! They are growing up before my eyes. Calleya LOVES Caits, and the feeling is definately mutual. What a cute pair they are. Caitlyn is becoming such the big sister, she is a great helper..and I truly am gonna need it in the coming months. I am such a lucky Mom to get to have two very awesome girls in my life!!

Baby Mine..3 months old!

I cannot believe that he is already three months old. Time is not suppose to fly this fast, especially when he is my last baby. I love this stage. Cwynn is so alert, he'll even turn his head to track where you are. His little smiles warm my heart. He has truly completed our family. I love waking up and hearing his "conversations". He will just start cooing like crazy, trying to let us know his opinion. We are so very blessed by you Cwynn, you make my heart smile! He loves to hear people talk, and calms when you sing to him. Especially Calleya's singing, he loves it. "Baby Mine" from Dumbo is one of his very favorites. ..."rest your head, close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine".

The need for speed...

It has been years since Allan and I ventured to the Air Show. We used to go every year, and now that we are back in California..here we are!! The MCAS Miramar Airshow is awesome. Colby and Calleya loved it (although Colby freaked out at first!!), it was worth going though. The Blue Angel fly-by's , Harrier exhibition flight, and all of the endless rows of planes to look at and walk through made for a great day!

Saying Goodbye..never an easy thing.

And so it begins. The Goodbyes have started. First up, Nancy Lawrence, Allan's advisor and absolute favorite proffesor from Embry Riddle. She has not only been a great influence on Allan, but has become a member of our family. We love her! She calls our kids "her babies', and spoils them rotten whenever she see's them. We met her at Freedom Station on Wednesday night. She hadn't seen Cwynn yet, and she was making sure we didn't leave before she saw all of her "babies". We will miss her soooo much. She is one of the reasons leaving here is going to be so hard to do!

Turning 36!

Every year we make a big deal out of birthdays..or try to. This year Allan and I were not blessed with an abundance on our birthdays..needless to say we were FLAT BROKE. Not a matter to stop the power of three (my great kiddos Caitlyn, Colby and Calleya). While Allan and I ran from OB appointments to grocery shopping (exciting stuff, I know!). Caitlyn spearheaded a campaign to surprise Daddy. What they lacked in decorations..they made up for in creativity. They cut 36 pendant style flags out and numbered them 1-36, adding cute saying and designs to each. They then hung them from the front door to the living room, ADORABLE!! The best part of course..their cake. They frosted a german chocolate cake and put 36 marischinocherries around it, a nascar (Tony Stewart, of course) on top. Along with a big plastic bug (the ones he is always hiding to scare them with), and a little green army man. My favorite part..grey candles that spelled out "LOVE" I didn't realize these were the only letters they found from the "Over the Hill" set I had used one year. EXCELLENT choice of words..Daddy LOVED every single bit of his birthday surprises!

The wheels on the bus...

Riding the bus, for some is a tedious task. Not so for my California kids. This is an experience they look forward to every morning. Colby couldn't wait to go to kindergarten, why? "I get to ride the bus with Sissy, Mom!" Classic!

Blue eyes..hmm, maybe!

Since Caitlyn was born, Allan has secretly wished for a baby with his blue eyes. I have not argued (Hello..his gorgeous baby blues were one of the first things I noticed about him). Fast forward 12 years to our 4th and final little one. Cwynn seems to have..so far,been blessed with his Daddy's eyes. They are a beautiful blue, and have shown no signs of changing to brown, as of yet. At this point with all of the rest, the brown had won, and the color was evident. Either Cwynn is being a stinker and playing games ... or Allan's hope for a baby with blues eyes is going to happen. Only time will tell.

First day of school!

School is here, again, and I have not one but TWO in school this year.Caitlyn has started in 7th grade, while Colby is in KINDERGARTEN!! They both looked so much more grown up on the first day..especially Colby. I cannot believe he is in shool already. He love his teacher Mrs. Roberts, and is waaay excited that his BFF Daniel Craner is in the same class. I guess things cannot get better than that. LOL. As for Caits, she is skipping a year of math and advancing to pre-algebra this year. For a mom that never even liked math..I am amazed that she is doing this..obviously didn't get that from me. Hehehe. Calleya was happy to accompany them both on their first day, however she was not happy when she couldn't have her own desk in Colby's class. She wore her backpack proudly though, and missed her brother and sister the entire day!!!

In the ARMY now

On August 5th, Allan met with a review board for entry into Officer Candidate School, his final step. That afternoon, at 3:55pm, he was sworn into the United States Army as a OCS candidate..he made it!! Being able to be there to see him make this step, was amazing. He ships out to bootcamp on November 16th, for 9 weeks at Fort Sill in South Carolina. Then it is off to Fort Benning, Georgia on March 1st for another 14 weeks of OCS. In total he will be away from us for 6 months. We are excited, scared, and a little hesitant about the changes yet to come. I am extremely proud of him, and the decision he has made.I love him for stepping up and finding a way to provide for his family, and serve his country in the same breath. I am an ARMY wife..and I couldn't be happier for my man in uniform.