1. My favorite thing to do on Friday is stay up late .
2. This Friday I am hoping to skype with my husband and possibly start packing for the cruise I am going on in a few days .
3. The best thing about a weekend is sleeping in and watching movies.
4. Now that summer is almost over, I'm feeling excited/anxious to move to my new home and start my new life as a Coastie's wife.
5. The best thing I did this summer wassee my husband for the first time in 2 months .
6. The thing I'm looking forward to about fall is Thanksgiving!!! and decorating my house. I love the smells, the pumpkins, the weather, the football...
7. If I had to be stuck in one season for the rest of my life, I would choose fall. It's absolutely the best season ever. Link up with Lauren for Fill in the Blank Friday fun here!
I missed weeks 7 & 9 on my weekly updates, but I have good reason. Time finally started to go by quickly!!
Week 7 Crockett had off base leave and was able to call me for several hours. He spent an entire day off the base, soaking up Cape May, NJ. He ate lots of good food, saw the Dark Knight Rises, and enjoyed being able to chat with his shipmates in a casual environment.
Week 8 was mostly administrative time for the recruits as they made all their final arrangements for their next unit. Crockett got to call me several times that week as we discussed our impending move to California which (at the time) was less than a week away!
Then finally graduation was upon us!! I began my journey to Cape May with my mom and in-laws on Thursday. I was so nervous the entire day! The flight went as well as a flight can go which is a huge praise report. I am very afraid of getting sick and the last time I flew I was SO sick. I had been in fear of our 3.5 flight to Philadelphia for a while. I spent all of Thursday morning in prayer asking for peace and my God delivered. I was at ease when we got to the airport and I did not get sick once on either flight. It just amazes me that God cares about the little things in my life. I know that he loves me, but I will never grow used to the feeling I get when he answers a "small" prayer. He could have just as easily allowed me to get sick so that I would turn to him in my pain, but instead he allowed me to have a comfortable trip. I give him all the glory. God is so good and merciful!
On Thursday night I couldn't sleep so I was exhausted Friday, but I will never forget that day. Ever. Here is a brief run down.
We left our hotel which was what we thought to be about 20-30 minutes away from the base. It took us over an hour to get their. Because of this I missed the spouses meeting, but we arrived just as the family brief was starting. We had to stand in the back because the room was full. We watched a brief video that explains in detail a little bit about the life of a recruit while in boot camp. It was very informative. If you are interested, you can watch it below.
After the video a few speakers talked to us and told some stories. It was very cool to have Admiral Papp present as well. He is the commandant of the USCG. There are only 2 people above him: the Secretary of Homeland Security and the President of the United States. Next, we headed over to the gym where graduation would take place. As we were walking across the street ZULU 186 decided to surprise us by marching past the crowd singing a cadence. The family members were so excited! I took that opportunity to run inside the gym and get a good seat so I could run straight to Crockett after it was over. My father in law filmed the company marching and it was pretty cool; I'm a little sad I missed it.
When I walked into the gym it was nearly empty except for the band seated at the far end. I took a seat in the middle on the second row and saved seats for the rest of my family. I sat their just taking it all in knowing I was going to see my husband very soon! As more families started to walk in the band began to play. It was a marching song, not a slow melody and tears immediately filled my eyes. I started to get so anxious and all I wanted to do was run out and go find Crockett. But I didn't. I waited some more. Something I have begun to be very good at doing. After the presenting of the colors, the national anthem, and the playing of all the military songs ZULU 186 finally marched in. It was hard to find Crockett at first because they all looked the same. Same haircut, same uniform, same marching. When I did spot Crockett though it was very excited and nerve-wracking! I felt like I did when we first met. I was wondering what it was going to be like to be near him and how it would feel to hold his hand. Would he kiss me? Would it be weird or stiff because I was so out of practice? Did I even remember how to do that?! What would he think about how I looked? Was my dress ok? Did my hair look ok? I was a giant ball of nerves!
The ceremony seemed to drag on forever. I just wanted it to be over so I could hug my man! And then, it finally was over. The CCs yelled one last time and ZULU 186 was disbanned. Never again would a recruit company call themselves ZULU 186. It was really cool. As the new graduates began to shake each others hands and some started to spread out and search the crowds I desperately searched for Crockett. I was looking where I knew he had been standing and then I turned my head and he was almost right in front of me. I squealed a bit and flew into my husband's waiting arms. As he held me I cried and never wanted to let go.
We had an amazing weekend in Cape May & Philadelphia. We experienced lots of history and felt like newlyweds again. We didn't leave each others side for a second. We flew home and Crockett got to be in Texas for a few days before heading back to Cape May where he is now. He is waiting for a medical release and then we can finally be on our way to the next step of our USCG journey. I miss him already and can't believe we are separated again, but I'm so thankful for the time we had together. He's supposed to be in NJ for 2 weeks, but we've heard from those who were actually there 3 months. As scary as that idea is, it's just part of being a military wife. I have to trust God for everything. I have no control. I have no plans other than the ones he tells me. I know I have to just sit back and trust.
This blog is different from my usual update on my life and Crockett's boot camp. Tonight I wanted to highlight an organization that I really think is making a difference. LOVE 146 is a group that has teams in the US, Europe, & Asia that are fighting against child sex slavery & exploitation. They have prevention & aftercare solutions for young girls who need to be rescued. I encourage you to look into this group and pray about what you could do to possibly help spread the word or support for this wonderful cause.
Bethany Joy Lenz is one of my favorite actresses and she is a big supporter of LOVE 146. You can check out her blog here and also check out the t shirt she designed here; a portion of the proceeds go to LOVE 146.
1. The age I will be on my upcoming birthday is 25. Time sure does fly .
2. The best birthday present ever would be as much money as possible in the form of gift cards to JCP .
3. My favorite birthday to date was my 17th birthdday. My friends made it incredibly special for me at school and then we all went to the rodeo.
4. Birthdays make me feel happy. Who doesn't love a day to celebrate themselves?
5. The worst birthday I ever had was my 19th & 15th birthdays. On my 15th birthday I had mono- enough said. On my 19th my boyfriend at the time basically forgot and I was far from home with only him to non-celebrate with.
6. When I was born it was a scary situation. I was breached, but the doctor didn't realize until it was almost too late. My mom had an emergency C-section that saved both of our lives on March 4, 1988. Also, my dad (who was not a small man) almost passed out after seeing all the blood.
7. So far my favorite age has been 21. It was so exciting to finally be 21, not to mention it was the 1st birthday I spent with Crockett and also the age I was when we got engaged! It was a great year all around.
It was the end of week 6 and Zulu 186 earned their on base liberty. For 4 hours they were given their cell phones and unleashed on the Training Center Cape May. Crockett headed to a restaurant on base and indulged in a cheeseburger & onion rings. He also sent me the picture above. :) He has gained 2 in. in his waist and in the 1st 3 weeks he gained 14 pounds. He has a weigh in next week and is worried about being over his limit. All the working out has turned him into a wild eating machine. He now eats in 1 meal what he used to eat in 1 day. I'm so anxious to see him soon!!
Last week Crockett was sent to ramp and I asked everyone to pray with us that he would pass. Well, he did pass and even got out a day early for good performance without probation!! Praise Jesus! We are back on track for his August 17 graduation. Only 12 more days.
He sounded great today. We got to talk about plans for after boot camp and we both had a sense that there is in fact a light at the end of this tunnel. After graduation we are going to drive the 2.5 hours to New York City and spend a day there before heading back to Houston. We are really excited as neither of us have been before. What I'm most excited about, however, is seeing my man again. It really doesn't matter what city we are in. I just want to be there with him. :) Next Saturday, he'll get to call again when they have off base liberty. I'm hoping he gets to sleep, see the Dark Knight Rises, & eat tons of the great seafood Cape May has to offer.
Today was a fun day at the TRACEN because today is the Coast Guard's 222nd birthday!! There was all kinds of fun to be had on base today. Crockett even snuck in an extra piece of cake (or 3).
Unless you have been living under a rock you have heard of this movie. The last installment in Christopher Noland's legendary Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, is every bit of epic as predicted. I went into the movie expecting to be blown away because I saw it a few weeks after it opened and every single person I talked to who had seen it said it was mind-blowing. It was more than that. It is the best movie I have ever seen. Without a doubt. Although it is not my favorite movie (the love is minimum.) Everything about this movie was top of it's class: the action, the CG, the story. It was all perfect.
(Minus Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. I know I stand alone here. She did a fantastic job, but I didn't walk away thinking that was THE perfect cast for Catwoman.)
I'm not going to go into details because 1. it isn't necessary 2. I don't want to ruin anything. Seriously, there is nothing more to be said about this movie other than: GO. SEE. IT. Even if you aren't a movie buff and would rather read a book. GO. SEE. IT. I would definitely recommend watching Batman Begins & The Dark Knight before seeing this movie, but it would stand alone without too much confusion simply because it's a super hero movie. You just kinda get it naturally. (Also, my friend Ben looks JUST like Bane!)
Here's one of the many trailers to pump you up.
Side Note:
I had a hard time watching this movie without thinking of the people killed and injured in Aurora, CO during the premiere of this movie. I was sitting on the edge of a lower aisle, not where I'd normally sit, but the theater was crowded and every time someone came into or left I was looking intently at what they were holding. I know we are not called to live in fear, but it was hard not to be reminded that those innocent people were watching the very same movie I was and anxiously anticipating the very same scenes when they were so senselessly attacked. My heart was definitely heavy and I continue to pray for the families of those killed, the healing of those injured, justice for the man responsible, and the coming of our Lord. It's the evil in this world that constantly reminds me we are not home yet and how I long to be.
1. I am proud ofmy husband. He is in Coast Guard boot camp and in 2 weeks he will become a proud Coast Guardsmen. He has worked so hard for the last 6 weeks and has overcome, endured, and persevered through more than he thought he could. God is so good!
2. This weekend I will be babysitting my favorite one year old! My nephew, Noah, is staying with me while his parents enjoy the beach with some friends. We plan to play at the mall, go on walks, go swimming, & torture play with the dogs .
3. A secret dream I have isto write a fairytale/fiction book.
4. I can't handle people who proclaim Christ and then actively stand for things Christ spoke against. I know we are all hypocrites and I need to work on patience, but this one really gets me sometimes. Going along with this, I also can't handle Christians walking in sin saying, "Don't judge me." because Christians are supposed to judge each other according to God's law. If you profess the name of Christ you are asking and should be expecting your brothers and sisters to call you out in your sin. Matt 7:1 means judge others by the same law you hold yourself to, ie. the Bible. What we aren't supposed to do is say, "I'm going to judge you for your sin, but you shouldn't notice my own.".
5. The most annoying thing in the entire world is slow technology when I'm irritable. I know this one just reeks of my impatience, but hey, I'm honest.
6. The most relaxing thing in the entire world is a massage from my husband. It just doesn't get better.
7. I think everyone should place their hope in Jesus. This world is full of evil and too often people blame God for allowing evil to happen, but the truth is God allowed man free will and man chose sin. Jesus is our only hope from sin, not the cause.
