First Call From Virginia

This morning he called to let us know that he arrived safely in Virginia yesterday afternoon. He enjoyed the 7-8 hour bus ride because he got to sleep after having to stay up all night. They sure spend a lot of time cleaning in boot camp. I hope that his cleaning habits continue when he comes home!!
He is not sure what he will be doing this week but I'm sure it will be easier than boot camp. We will pick him up next Saturday night at 11:08 P.M. We can't wait to have him home again!

HOOAH!

Caleb graduated and we are so proud of him!!!!!! It was sunmy and dry today and according to Caleb, these types of day are few and far between. Thank God for good weather! Now I am going to back up a minute and describe yesterday's events before I talk more about graduation day. (In the picture above, Caleb is third from the left in the last full row of soldiers.)

Family day was yesterday and it rained all day long. We got to see Caleb about 10:00 and the first thing he wanted to do was get a haircut. He missed his last haircut because he volunteered to stay behind and clean weapons so it had been 2 1/2 weeks since his last haircut. I thought it was a good length but my opinion doesn't count! Caleb said that they are taken for haircuts every 2 weeks and their head gets totally shaved but since Caleb did an extra duty, he was able to get a "high and tight" cut which is shaved on the sides with very short hair left on top.
Next we went to the bowling ally and played a couple of games. I think Grandma Rogy was smiling down at us and shaking her head regarding our bad bowling form! We did not play very well at all but we had fun just the same.
We did as Caleb suggested and purchased a cheap grill the night before so we could cook steaks! We found a covered pavillion in a park nearby. The steaks tasted great thanks to Chef Richard. Not only did he do a great job of cooking but he spent about an hour assembling the grill that said "Some assembly required" on the outside of the box. Richard just laughed when he opened the box saw all the parts.
After we finished our steaks/salad, we headed for a warmer and dryer place to play some cards. After playing a game of Rummy at the local Burger King, we headed to the commisary to buy some Blue Bell, Snickers, Egg Nog and Mountain Dew....all requests from Caleb.
We went to the Solomon Center which was set up with tables and even had some video game systems set up for families to enjoy. We ate our ice cream and then attempted to play some games. I tried playing Guitar Hero and discovered real quick that I need lots of practice! I was amazed at how well Caleb and Kelsey could play the guitar.
We stopped by a little shop inside the Solomon Center and Caleb purchased a couple of gifts for some friends and then we took him back to the barracks.

Graduation started at 10:00 A.M. sharp at Hilton Field. It was a good thing that we packed a warm blanket. Those metal bleachers were very cold! The sequence of events went as follows:
Formation of troops, invocation, forwarding of colors and National Anthem, presentation of awards to soldiers in each company that scored highest on the physical training test and marksmanship tests, remarks by the commander, soldiers recited the soldier's creed and then each company marched in front of the bleachers as the army band played the army song.

Immediately after graduation, Caleb had to get into formation after being bussed back to the barracks. A drill sergeant talked to his platoon for about 10-15 minutes and then ended by having them do "Mountain Climbers" while singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". Then they raced up the stairs to clean the bay for about an hour. They had to clean until the drill sergeants dismissed them for the day. We finally got to see Caleb about 1:00.

He walked out of the barracks with two bags that he wanted us to take home so he wouldn't have to lug them to Virginia. His backpack was filled with civilian clothes and we purchased a garment back so that we could take his "Class A's" home as well. He also gave me a birthday present which was a parent appreciate plaque wrapped in an army t-shirt. Richard and I both cried as we read the plaque. It was one of the most thoughtful things Caleb has ever done! It sure meant a lot to both Richard and me.

We took Caleb off-post and he was very excited about that. It was a nice change of scenery for him! We ate Mexican food for lunch and then hung out at the hotel until it was time to go to the movie theater. We saw Transporter 3 and then went to a very nice restaurant for dinner called Diane's On Devine. It was highly recommended by the concierge at the hotel. It was sure nice to have both our kids at the dinner table once again!

As soon as dinner ended, we had to take Caleb back to the barracks. Even though we are going to see him next Saturday, it was still very hard to say good-bye. Below are a few pictures of our time together.
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Wilderness Training

Caleb just called to say that his 1 week in the wilderness was over. He camped out for 6 nights with temperatures dipping down into the single digits some nights. He didn't go into much detail about what they did during those 7 days and 6 nights but he did mention that he went on a 9 mile hike loaded down with his gear (probably 40-50 pounds). He said it was absolutely cold and miserable and he is glad it is over.
He said that he feels like he is running a fever but he won't go to sick call because he doesn't want to miss out on training. I am a bit stubborn when it comes to going to the doctor too but I sure hope it doesn't turn into pneumonia or bronchitis.
They are forecasting a cold rainy day for family day which is Thursday so we may be stuck inside all day but Caleb said that he would just love to hang out and eat. We aren't sure what restaurants are around Fort Jackson but we are planning on bringing him lots of great food. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so that Caleb can show us all around the base. Graduation day is supposed to be sunny but cold.

This past Saturday, we met at my mother-in-law's house and baked cookies for 6 hours. Caleb was excited to hear that we are bringing a bag full of chocolate oatmeal cookies, his favorite!
I sent him $60.00 a few weeks ago so that he could order pictures for me. He said that he left his locker to go to the restroom and when he came back, the money was gone. I sure hope that life is not like that in Virginia. Caleb said that he is going to share a room with 2-3 guys and I hope that he doesn't have to keep everything under lock and key constantly.

I am bringing my laptop to South Carolina so I will try and upload some pictures of family day and graduation. Please pray that we have a safe trip and mild weather.

Thanks!
Kim