Letters # 7 and #8 + a Phone Call!

Sorry I've dropped the ball on last weeks update....it was a busy week. But, I GOT TWO LETTERS LAST WEEK!! Wahoo! I got my normal Wednesday letter, but then opened my mailbox on Friday to see another letter!! Josh got some extra time off on Veteran's day to write another letter. What a treat!

Let's see, letter #7:

• I've been here 46 days and have 12 left! I'm so anxious to see everybody.
• I'm taking tests all the time and studying a lot to keep up.
• I have gas chamber tomorrow. Nervous. Very nervous.
• I had my performance test yesterday in front of the CO Commanding Officer of the Navy Admiral Roughhead. HUGH! Performed in front of 5,000 people. I was in the very front! So nervous, but I did just fine.
• I wasn't moved up to E2 or E3 because my recruiter never sent in the paperwork for the recruits I got in. That sucks pretty bad!
• My first paycheck was only $271 because of all the stuff I had to buy. That sucks pretty bad too.
  

Moving on...letter #8:

• It's a Tuesday today, and also Veteran's Day. So we get like 4 hours to ourselves to get caught up on things: folding, studying, and ironing. I had to make sure to write you though.
• I pray you're okay and healthy. I miss you so much. I ONLY HAVE 10 DAYS LEFT! So close! I can't wait to see you and family! I wont be hard to find due to being in the front row of everyone.
• I hope your dad isn't working too hard on the house...bet it looks awesome!
• I wish I could write more, but I really need to study. Love you so much!

WELL, ONLY 4 MORE DAYS UNTIL I SEE HIM!!! I work at the salon on Thursday until around 7 or so, and after that I'll drive to Chicago to meet up with his parents and one of his brothers. I believe Josh will have the rest of Friday off after his graduation, and most of Saturday and Sunday to do whatever he pleases. I'M SO EXCITED!!! Three days to spend with him and some of his family. Sounds pretty exciting to me! I bought the cutest new dress to wear Friday...you'll just have to wait and see pictures next week...but it's just too darn cute! ;-)

I can't believe 60 days has almost gone by. I know through it all it seemed to go by slower than a snail, but now that I look back on it....MAN THAT WAS FAST!!! I sent my last letter this past Saturday. Which ironically was a little sad. Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited to not have to rely on snail mail for our communication, but it was pretty neat to send letters back and forth. Since I only got them once a week, I would live for Wednesdays! Throughout the day I would always log in my mind things I needed to tell Josh about in that night's letter. It's just so different! Couples now-a-days just don't write or send letters unless they are forced to. I feel blessed to have been forced to have this time apart. It really has been a great time of growth spiritually and within my relationship with Josh. It's definitely been a crazy, and long 60 days, but I'm thankful for them.

4 DAYS TO GO...WAHOO!!!

******UPDATE ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2008******

Oh how I love to look at my phone and see a missed call from a number somewhere in IL. Yup, I definitely missed a call from Josh yesterday. BUT DON'T FREIGHT! He called back about 10 minutes later and we got to talk for 45 minutes! He's officially a Navy Sailor! ;-) He's completed boot camp and is now just waiting for graduation to come on Friday. They are still having them clean and things like that, and of course still yelling at them, but done with tests and the daily physical things. At then end of boot camp, all recruits must go through what's called "Battle Stations". He called me right after that was over and sounded SOOOO tired. Battle Stations is boot camp’s ultimate test. It’s an exercise of 12 different scenarios incorporating what you have learned during the previous weeks. He was up for three nights I believe and after it was all said and done, he was presented with his ball cap. At that moment, he was officially a sailor! How fun huh? Well, I'm just so proud of him and can't wait to see him. He was so sweet on the phone to tell me that he wouldn't have made it through without me and that we did this as a team. He said I gave him a reason to do his best so he could use this to provide for us. He's just so sweet!! I leave tomorrow evening after I get off of work to head to Illinois and meet up with his parents and brother, Ryan. Pray for safe travel for myself and his family. I look forward to updating you all with PICTURES GALLORE!!!

The BEST Phone Call EVER + Letter #4

On my way home from work today, I prayed to hear from Josh soon. I just really needed to hear his voice and to hear how he is really doing. I walked into my apartment at 6:00, and my phone rang at 6:15. And yes, it was my sweet Joshua! We were blessed to talk for 30 minutes!!! GOD IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!

He started the conversation off talking so fast. He wasn't sure how long of a call he was going to get, so as soon as he started, there wasn't much stopping him. He sounded different. First off, his throat is hurting him bad, so that had to do with it sounding different, but there was something else to it. More mature I believe. He explained things to me he has written in letters that I didn't quite understand. Like the importance of being in the Honor Guard and exactly how awesome it is that he's in the 900 division. The Honor Guard means that he gets to carry rifles and it's quite an honor to be in. Also, they hand pick 78 guys (1 already quit...so now it's 77) to be in the 900 division. Being in this is an honor, but also means they move through things faster, are expected to have more leadership, and have more tests (therefore having to study harder). Which it sounds like he's doing well on all the tests...physical and classroom tests. He's made good friends with a guy, Snodgrass (they don't go by their first names, so he's not too sure what it is....he has an idea, but I forgot what he said). Snodgrass is actually going to be going to Pensacola afterwards as well. I'm glad he'll have a buddy there...maybe they can room together or something.

I called Dana, his mom, after we talked to fill her in on everything and she told me some things he wrote in the last letter they received. I think everyone's favorite line is, "I can make my bed better, take a shower faster, and shine my boots brighter than the other 76!" Boy doesn't lack confidence does he? haha

Okay let's see...what else did he say. He'll be graduating, if all goes well, on the 21st of November. He can only have 4 people come to his graduation and has been told he'll have two or three days afterwards to hang out with family. He still hasn't heard from the people in Pensacola yet to know if he'll get Thanksgiving off, but will let me know when he does. I'm praying he does!! I'm also praying time off of work for me. As of now, I have to work the salon on Saturday the 29th and have yet to find out when I'll be off of nannying. I'll figure all the nanny stuff out tomorrow. Pray I'm able to get some good time off to see Josh, his family, and of course mine as well.

I think that's all for now. ;-)

**UPDATE TO COME WEDNESDAY EVENING AFTER MY LETTER COMES!**

Okay, so his letter this time wasn't very long, but it was super sweet! I sent him a fill in the blank sheet a while back with some questions on it so he could tell me everything I was curious about. So he filled that out with a little note on the back.

He said:

• Never have a moment go by without me not thinking of you. It gets harder as we go on. I stress pretty much all the time. I'm ready for it to be over! I'm just trying to stretch it through. I think of you and my family whenever I'm getting down and it helps me.
• I asked him what normal day looked like, and this was his response: Everyday is different. I wake up at either 4am or 6am, shower and eat, drill hard, stand all the time, and go to classes. Classes are on slopes (dunno what that is), aircrafts, sexual harassment, and a bunch of other junk. Workouts include running A LOT! It's new everyday.
• I asked if he feels like he was lied to about how things would be going into it: YES! I was definitely lied to. Some of it's the same, but a lot is different.
• I also asked if he had made any friends...which he answered on the phone.
  
• And of course, I asked how much he REALLY loves and misses me! hehe He said: More than you know. This paper isn't big enough to explain how much I'm in love with you!

He's so sweet! That's all for this weeks letter! Thanks for keeping up y'all...I adore you all!!