OCS

Officer Candidate Hartung. Hmmm..has a nice ring to it. Allan started Officer Candidate School on March 1st. He is now in week 5, and going a mile a minute. He loves it! I love the fact that I get calls (if at times VERY brief), text messages, and webcam IM time almost daily. His days are full, and very fast paced. Between the classes (running to and from), chow (literally 5 minutes to eat as much as you can), Ruck Marches (he just completed a 7 mile one last week), 0500 PT (release runs..a 5 mile coming up this week), combatives, and the weekend service projects...he has been a bit busy, to say the least. I am so very proud of my soldier and the hard work he is putting in for his career and our family!

A new "Do"

Calleya is our "active one. She is a whirlwind and never stops going. She went to a birthday party with Colby for one of his classmates, Kya. She loves her, and Kya..has short hair! Fast forward a week later. I walk into my room to find a pile of hair, Colby's scissors he uses to do his kindergarten homework, and my little 3 year old with a HUGE grin on her face. She had given herself a haircut (complete with bangs). Why? She wanted to have short hair...just like Kya. AHHH! Here are the before and after (thanks Great Clips!) pics of her new "do"!!

Full Battle Rattle

Allan's latest picture sent from Ft. Sill. He is in his full "Battle Rattle". And of course it would not be complete without the M-16 in his hands!!(SHE is named Jessica) He has four weeks left as of today! I cannot believe that in just a few short weeks I will be boarding a plane to go see him graduate, what an amazing feeling that is! After he is off to OCS (Officer Candidate School) a 12-week program that will be in Ft. Benning, Georgia. We will all make the trek out for that graduation..as he will have a commisioning ceremony as well. The time is moving, somedays it goes at a snails pace..and I have to remember that it isn't forever. It is that fact that keeps me going. We will make it through and endure to the end... :0)

Family Pictures

The week before Allan left to go back out to BCT, we headed to Guajome Park and took family pictures. They really turned out great. It was a nice day, and cooperative kiddos!! Ilove our family picture, it turned out beautiful. It is a nice memory to have while Allan is away!

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!