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!!