US Airways Rocks!

Sorry if this is a blatant plug for an airline, but I can't help it after the customer service I received from them. I made a reservation last week for my flight down to Anthony's graduation a week from Friday (I cannot believe it's almost here!). Since graduation is on Friday, I didn't think there was any reason for me to get there too early on Thursday because that would just mean more time for me to sit around doing nothing. Wrong. If I'd gotten my Visitor Info packet like I was supposed to (strike two for the post office since they already lost one letter I sent to Anthony), I might have known that Thursday has a lot of graduation events as well, including the Airman's Coin Ceremony. After reading some experiences of other families that have been through this, it sounds like it is almost as big of a deal as Graduation. Afterwards they then have base liberty, so I could at least visit with Anthony there. Although according to the website, one of the rules of conduct is that he is, "Not allowed to display inappropriate public affection (i.e. handholding, long or lingering kisses, or comprising situations)." So I guess our visit will be more like a first date.

Anyway, after reading about the different activities, I decided to contact the airline to see if I could possibly change my reservation. If I took the 7 a.m. flight, I would get there with about an hour and fifteen minutes to land, get my rental car, drive 30 minutes and find the Reception Center. Still cutting it close, but we'll pray for an on-time flight and no construction on the highways (yes, that's a BIG request). The lady I spoke with on the phone said it would be $150 to change the reservation, which is pretty close to what I paid for the ticket in the first place. And she said there was NO WAY around it. Ha! She's never dealt with me before. So I emailed and explained the situation, fully believing to receive the same answer. I also checked out their policy, and I found that I could try to switch to an earlier flight the day of for an extra $50 or try to fly stand-by if it was sold out. Obviously not great choices as I would still have to pay, and I would be worried for the next week and a half. But as luck would have it, I received an email this afternoon stating that as a one-time courtesy, they had changed me to the earlier flight so I could attend the military ceremony without a fee and even gave me hecka good aisle seats. They are awesome! Playing the military card apparently comes in handy. I thought I'd have to play both the military card and the pregnant card once I got to the airport to get some sympathy, but I guess it won't be necessary. Just give me a three-legged dog, and no one could stop me! So in 11 days I will be heading to San Antonio, where apparently the weather will be ranging from 70 one day to 55 the next. How do you pack for that?

We received 4 letters from Anthony this week, but I think it will be the last ones for awhile, as he was out in the field, playing in the mud and doing an obstacle course that looks like a nightmare. He said their TI tells them they can't write home as her way of toughening them up, so I believe most of my letters are still being written in the one place she can't go--the bathroom. He passed his test of cleaning his M-16, and he was even given the "privilege" of cleaning the TI's. She didn't say anything after he was done, which meant he did a good job. He also is proud of the fact that he can use the barrel of the M-16 to break someone's clavicle, so watch out! During Warrior Week, he said he would have to put on a gas mask, go in a chamber of tear gas, take off the mask and take a breath, then say his reporting statement. No one can ever do it, and it's a hands-on way to learn to never take off your mask. I received a delightful anecdote about another recruit getting in trouble for passing gas. He said it was hilarious and that I should have been there. He's been with boys WAY too long if he thinks that's hilarious and that I would think it's funny too. He also is having fun making sure all of the girl recruits are aware he's married by shoving his ring in their faces. I guess he's worried that the baldness and the glasses won't do the trick to keep them away. Although, I never could understand how George Costanza got so many dates, so maybe he's right. This week, Anthony will be working on his airmanship skills, learning the Air Force history, financial management, dealing with stress, etc.

Will and I had spent the week packing and unpacking boxes (guess which of us was packing and who was unpacking), freezing meals for after Ethan comes, and lots of trips to the grocery store. We had one showing on the house (yeah!) but no word back (boo!), and a couple people interested in buying the truck, although again, nothing finalized yet. Will has started patting me on the back whenever he gives me a hug. Maybe he's trying to be more manly? We're both looking forward to Thanksgiving (this year he can actually enjoy it!), and at least I'm looking forward to the sales the next day. I doubt he'll be as thrilled if I wake him up at 4 a.m. But I know we can both take a nap later!

Another Week Down

We've had a busy week. Will had his second tooth break through (right next to the first one, on top), and his third seems like it's only days away, with the fourth following close behind. We also moved back to our house, so we're trying to unpack and settle in again. I guess I'm practicing for our military moves, although I hope we're not transferred every couple of months. Plus I can let someone else worry about the packing and unpacking then. Will also found a new favorite word: No! He uses it every chance he can, and while he does seem to understand what it means, sometimes he uses it just to show his independence. He'll tell me no, he doesn't want any more food and turn his head, but if I wait a few seconds, he almost always turns back around and takes a bite. It's definitely the clearest word he's ever said. He also has been saying, "All done" a lot more often, and only when he really is done. Walking is still iffy, and most of the time he's not interested, but it was the same with crawling, so he'll just have to go at his own pace.

I also heard from Anthony yesterday. They had their big cleaning inspection, and they received 100%! With as picky as the TI's are, that's amazing! So they were rewarded on Saturday with 4 free hours to do whatever they wanted on base. The fact that Anthony even reached me was a miracle though. I had been grocery shopping for a couple hours, and I was running late for a get together, so I considered just leaving the food in the trunk since it was pretty chilly. But it kept bothering me, and I decided that I really ought to take it home and put away the cold items. So I was hurrying to get all the bags in, throwing everything in the fridge, and about to walk out the door after being there for only a couple minutes when the phone rang. Needless to say, I ended up being quite late for the get together, but it was worth it. Anthony's on track to being an honor grad. He's studying very hard to do well on his final test, and the only thing that he is worried about is the mile and a half run. When he got there, he could do it in 11:30, but by the end he has to do it in 9:38. He's already cut one minute off his time during the last three weeks, and this week they're going to be working extra hard, so hopefully he'll get there. They call this Warrior Week because they're doing a lot of combat training out in the field. That means lots of physical training, cold showers, and I'm sure lots of yelling. He's also made several good friends, and since most of the guys in his flight are a bit younger, he's been able to give them a lot of advice and I think they really look up to him. Every time I talk to him, he sounds very excited and dedicated to what he is doing, which tells me even more that this was a good decision for us. Military life hasn't been easy so far, and I'm sure we'll have difficulties along the way, but we're in it for the long haul, and I couldn't be prouder of him for doing it. Two and half weeks to go until Graduation Day!

Surprise Phone Call

We were just about to sit down to dinner tonight when Anthony called from basic training. All of the trainees had been asked three questions, and because he got all three questions right, Anthony was able to make a call home for 20 minutes. So here's a more detailed update.

First, he was not held back, which means he will be graduating on time on December 5th, as long as everything continues on track. He is an Element Leader--basically there's the Training Instructor (TI), then a dorm leader (who is a trainee), and then Anthony. So he has a lot of responsibility, but it also means they trust him. He is also in the band. And I thought it couldn't get worse than being in the high school marching band. :) But he made the mistake of raising his hand when they asked if anyone played an instrument. He's not thrilled with the director, to put it lightly, and the worst part is on Graduation Day, instead of being able to meet me right after the ceremony, he has to get back on the bus, take his instrument back, and they have to clean all the instruments, which means I have to wait for him for 2 or 3 hours. Why anyone would ever want to be in the band is beyond me, but it was too late to back out when he found this out.

The other trainees are finally starting to shape up. Anthony yelled at several of them and told them to quit playing around because they were wasting his time that he could be spending with his family. None of them were married or had children, and they were shocked to learn he was so "old." Apparently that did the trick for some of them, and they're doing better and getting privileges and mail, but this is not always a good thing. One trainee received $4 in change and a troll doll from his little sister, and this irritated the TI enough to earn him the privilege of doing 25 push-ups. Another received a Sponge Bob sponge, and that got him 40. So I was warned not to write anything on the envelopes of my letters or to send anything that will cause problems.

This week he'll be learning lots of First Aid, as well as having a major cleaning inspection, which will determine whether I'll be getting any more phone calls in the near future.

In other news, Will and I are officially now part of the military family as we now have a military ID. I took the paperwork today, and when they pulled up our file on the computer, I was surprised to get a glimpse of Anthony's military ID photo. I almost didn't recognize him without any hair. The only words to describe it are: not good. Luckily he was not wearing the glasses, so I don't have to have that image burned in my mind for eternity. But now we can receive military discounts, we have health care, and we can get groceries for cheap. Anyone up for a trip to the Commissary? The man helping me with my ID made sure to point out that I can buy beer on Sundays and stock up, to which I pointed out that I had told him minutes before that I was pregnant. He said then I can get some for my husband, and I didn't even get into it with him. I can see it now, "Pregnant Mormon Buys Beer on Sunday." What next?

Lots of Firsts

Will and I returned a couple days ago from Kansas City where we were visiting Melissa, Nathan and their new baby Gideon. While we were there, a lot of "firsts" occurred.

Will had his first Halloween of trick or treating. While he was around last year for Halloween, he was only a little over a month old, and an evening of passing out candy wore him out.

Halloween 2007

This year we made it to the receiving candy stage, and he seemed to enjoy it more. We went to the Trunk or Treat activity at church, and Will wasn't thrilled at first with his zebra costume (probably because it has a hood and he does not like anything on his head). But as soon as he saw the other kids running from car to car, he seemed a little more excited. He never did get to the point where he would hold out his basket or do more than stare at anyone giving him candy (I can only imagine what he was thinking). He's always shy around strangers, so going from one new face to the next didn't help him warm up to anyone. After the Trunk or Treat, we had to search for a neighborhood that had porch lights on (does Missouri not believe in trick or treating?), but we finally found a good stretch of houses in a nice area. By the end of the evening, when the person at the door would hold out the bowl for Will, he'd gingerly reach in and take one piece, always keeping an eye on them. Most people would say that wasn't enough and give him a handful because he was so adorable.

Once we got back, Will was very excited to discover that he now had a basket full of candy. He started raking through it, holding up handfuls and laughing, as if he were thinking, "It's all mine!"










Will "helped" me carve his first pumpkin a few days before Halloween. He is a true boy and loved getting his hands on the goop inside. He also insisted on tasting that goop, and I could only stop so much from reaching his mouth.


















After taste testing the pumpkin, he just decided to sit in the bowl we were throwing the seeds into. Everything was a mess, but we both had a great time.

Major points to anyone who recognizes that our pumpkin is Strong Bad from homestarrunner.com.

Will also had his first McDonald's experience. He liked the French Fries, but he wasn't thrilled with the chicken nuggets. And his first Happy Meal toy--a Barbie.







And for the biggest first of all--Will took his first steps on Wednesday November 5th! He'd been standing without touching anything for a few days, as long as he didn't realize it, and we were trying to convince him to walk, but he'd always just lean forward and fall into the person closest to him. But that morning, he took the plunge and walked two steps to me. Later in the day he took between seven and eight to Melissa. She was a lot closer to him, but every time he'd reach her, he'd bat her hand away, so she'd scoot back, and he'd go a little farther. Each day he becomes a little more sure, but I think it will be awhile before he's off and running. Sometimes he gets so excited that he forgets to balance and just ends up laughing in a heap on the floor.

As for Anthony, we finally received our first letter. There was no mention of his virus, so I'm assuming that he recovered and wasn't sent back to start his first week over. He had to sneak the letter out because they're not allowed to send mail. He's grouped with a lot of "stubborn" people who don't seem to understand how to act, so they all end up doing a lot of push ups and having their privileges taken away. Hence the sneaking out of mail. So we finally have an address to write him, and we know he's okay. He's up at 4 every morning and has 15 minutes to make his bed, get dressed and get downstairs, and then a lot of the day is physical training, marching, and trying to cope with the mind games the instructors play. He's starting week 3 now, so 4 weeks to go! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. They mean so much to us!