Phone Died.. :(

Well my phone has sippy cup damage! Apparently Lucas's cup leaked on to my phone and it won't turn on. So, I have NO phone numbers!! For now I have my cell forwarded to my home phone so you can call my number or call 435-705-5642. Please call or email me so I have your numbers again.

Thanks!

Phone Call #2!

Well Sunday I got another call from Brian! It was supposed to just be a business call to just get the drivers license numbers and dates of birth for everyone going to basic training, but we managed to get in a little bit of a conversation in the midst.

He is sounded like he was doing better, and since I was somewhat expecting (well really just hoping) for a call again I took it much better and didn't cry! Thank you to those of you who have written him. He did say that the letters from home have made things better. He reads the letters before he goes to bed at night, and he said that if "lights out" comes before he's done reading that he takes the letters into the bathroom to finish reading them there! So funny that he has to read the letters in the bathroom. I hope he is just "reading" them there instead of them being "reading material" if you know what I mean. haha

For those of you who know our eating habits you know that well, we aren't the easiest eaters to please. In spite of everything he said that he is eating well there. He eats a salad, main course, and a fruit for dessert at his meals. He also got the most perfect job for him there! He was assigned to the kitchen, which means that twice a week when he works there, he gets to have ice cream and sugary things. They are really meant for the TI's, but the kitchen workers get to eat from the forbidden luxuries.

He said that even though his flight is filled with guys right out of high school he is managing to make some friends there. There are a lot of country boys there that he gets along well with. He said that the evenings are his favorite parts of the night because everyone in his flight gathers in a group (even the TI's) and they just sit around talking and relaxing. That is something that they have earned recently and the guys all enjoy actually being able to relax instead of being on their toes.

I asked how his performance was going and he said that he is doing well. Most of the guys have around 20 marks against them (he used a specific name for it, but I can't remember it) and he only has 1 (that he got blamed for something that someone else did). He actually is learning to "cheat" the system. Apparently you only have so long, after the get out of bed trumpet sounds, to get dressed. So, he started hiding his socks under his bed so that before the trumpet sounds he can get out his socks and put them on while still in bed to buy him a few more seconds!

Well this is the start of his Week 4 of basic. Which means, Friday is his official half way through mark. I must say it is quite a relief to see that day come. He also said that this week they earn their name tag on their uniform. Which means that the TI's can visually see how long they have been there and don't give them such a hard time anymore.

Oh - and he did say that they started something new with his group. Now they do "night raids" (where people raid their dorm at night going through all of their things to make sure that everything is folded nicely and everything is spotless) every night. They used to only do this ridiculous thing like once or twice a week, but now it's every night. I don't think I would be able to go back to sleep after something like that.

At the end of our conversation we decided that I will be joining Brian at Tech School reguardless of duration or location. So, I will either be moving the last weekend in October or the first weekend of November. It is exciting, but a little crazy since I won't know where I am going for at least another 2-3 weeks. It is nice though, to see the light at the end of the tunnel. So, if anyone is wants to head on a road trip, (probably to Wichita Falls Texas) let me know and come with me!!

Lucas and I are doing well, I just haven't written on here much because I write Brian about it every day and it just feels so redundant.

Please keep all of us in your prayers, especially Brian. He could use any extra pull we have! :)

Brian called home!!

Well that super long awaited call finally came! When I heard my phone saying that a 210 (texas area code) phone number was calling my heart nearly leaped out of my chest as I darted for the phone leaving Lucas eating raisins in his high chair. I tried to hold it together but just hearing him say "hey" got the water works flowing.

He is missing home naturally, and says that it is REALLY hard, but he is doing ok. His TI's (insturctors) are really tough and they get in trouble a lot because there are some guys in his flight that really don't care to be there. They are so strict that he they haven't let them mail any letters home. If they are caught sending a letter home without permission they can get recycled (held back) a week.

He said that they have to run for 30 minutes straight and then they get a little break and then they have to do sprints. He is doing ok with the running but he said that on his physical test thing they do that he needs to improve his time on the mile and a half. Apparently he has to run it in 11 minutes or less and he is at 12, but his chins and calves are killing him so he is praying for rain! (when it rains they don't have to run - thus giving his calves time to heal) He says that he has lost some weight, but that he is getting a six pack with all the sit ups so it's ok.

He did say that he is only allowed letters and NO packages of any kind. So, feel free to write him even though he won't be able to respond.

Finally a picture

Well today I got an email from the service missionaries at Lackland and there was a picture of Brian!! It made me feel so good to see him, but yet so sad that we aren't there together. Although I really am doing alright. I get sad at night, but during the day I am really so busy with everything going on just don't have time to think about it.

I have written him a few letters but still no word from him yet. The missionaries said that writing home and calling is a "priveledge" that has to earned.

Update on Lucas and Going Away Party.

Ok quick little update on Lucas :)

He is now RUNNING everywhere! My mom and I were just laughing about how silly it is that when kids learn to run, they want to run everywhere they go. He loves to play in the dirt and go swimming too. Brian said that I am supposed to do Mommy and Me swim classes with him, and he is supposed to be swimming by the time he gets back!

Lucas is also starting to talk quite a bit! He says Mama, Dada, Vovo (I can't do the accents so that is both grandma and grandpa in portuguese depending on how you say it), Gu (Gus), Ba (ball), Wa (water), Cheeeeesss (cheese), Du (duck), he has also said kee (keys) and caa (cat) once before but it hasn't stuck yet!

I am sad and lonely for Brian when I think about, so most of the day I try to just think of it as him working so I don't cry or get sad in front of Lucas. He can sense when I am in a bad mood and it tends to make him whiney.

Thanks to those of you who came to Brian's party and supported him. We didn't invite many people because Brian wanted it to be mainly family. Here are some pictures of the party. I swear Lucas was clean when I got to Pine Valley, but by the time we left he was FILTHY!

Brian update

Ok I know that I have been a major slacker when it comes to updating our blog. Things have been sooo crazy here with getting Brian ready to leave and now I have family coming from Brazil and we have been going crazy trying to make room in the house to house them. Anyway, I haven't heard from Brian yet sadly...but I do have his mailing address. He can only get letters and before he left he said that he probably won't have much time to write so he will probably only respond to me.

AB Bone Brian R

320 TRS/FLT 699 Dorm B-1

PSC3

1320 Truemper Street Unit 364037

Lackland AFB, TX 78236-5570

Basic Military Training

Well yesterday morning Brian left for Basic! 55 days and counting...

I was able to text him while he was in the airport and doing some paperwork in Las Vegas but no other news than that. I just wanted to make sure that I stay up to date on posting every time I hear any news.

Thanks for all your support!

My cute little baby and my scary day

Time has seriously been flying lately! I don't know what has been going on though. Since this is really the only "journal" that I am keeping I thought I should post what my cute little man has been up to these past few days/weeks.

On the 1st of June Lucas started taking his first solo steps! It was so exciting!!! Since then it didn't really progress much until about a week ago. I believe it was last sunday that he dared to start crossing the room by himself. So that is where we are still at, he will cross the room back and forth between people or toys but he still doesn't have enough confidence in himself to walk full time.

His noises and mumblings have also progressed in the past week or so too :) He now says: Mama, Dada (daddy and dad), Gu (or Gu Gu for Gus), Vovo (same for my mom and dad), Co co (which means poo in Portuguese, but I think he just likes the sound), and his newest is Bah Bah (bye-bye) which he does when he waves Bye bye (only after the person leaving has actually left - apparently he doesn't like to let them know he says good bye).

Lucas has several books with animals in them so when we read them I point at all of the animals and make their noises as best that I can for him to know them. For those of you who REALLY know me, know that both my sister and I have really perfected our monkey noises (although she does it much better than I do). So, it may come to little suprise that the next generation is working on perfecting their imitation as well. Now every time I make a monkey noise Lucas tries to make them as well with his cute little oo, oo, oo, ee, ee, ee, ee.

Now on a serious note, yesterday was possibly the most scared I have ever been. I think I will have quite a few more gray hairs next time I look. My dad has been sick with some type of cold/flu for a few days now but yesterday he didn't want to eat anything all day after he had a shake for breakfast and he slept nearly the entire day. I had talked to my mom (who was in Pine Valley) in the mid afternoon and she had told me to check on Dad every once in a while because there was one time when we were in Brazil that he didn't eat when he was sick and he ended up passing out in the middle of the night. So I didn't reguard this completely seriously but I checked on him later in the afternoon and he was fine.

After I put Lucas to bed at 7:30 I went to the kitchen for a few minutes and then came to hop on the computer. I wasn't on the computer for more than 5 minutes before I heard a HUGE noise come from my parents bathroom. In absolute panic I ran to their bathroom knowing what had happened. My dad had passed out,...against the door. I started screaming "Dad Dad Dad are you ok?" with no response in return.

With my Hee-Woman strength I pushed the door open and narrowly made my way inside (little did I know that my Hee-Woman strength was actually Brian pushing on the door as well behind me). My dad looked horrible! Eyes extremely wide looking no where as if possessed and gasping for air. I told Brian to call 911 and I sat there holding my dad trying to get him to answer questions and get him to come to. Soon paramedics began to arrive and my dad started getting his color back and they took him to the hospital. When I went outside to get in the truck and drive there, I saw there was a Fire Engine (1st on the scene), Ambulance, Paramedic SUV, and Brian also said he saw a blue Chevy paramedic truck that parked across the street.

I arrived at the hospital just as the ambulance was arriving as well (later Dad told me he thought they were taking him to Vegas because it took them so long to get the hospital). Once they took me back to the room he was in he had started to look much better. He still was a little foggy but he was returning as they pumped a bag of fluids into him.

It was extremely scary but after Chest X-Rays, a CT of his head and neck, blood tests, and urine tests he was told that he has the flu and is about half way through it and may have a touch of pnemonia but otherwise was just fine. He is on some antibiotics and was told he shouldn't go out in public for 5-7 days because he is contagious but that he is ok. (Wow I thought I told the short version)

Anyway after all was said and done I was so happy that we live here and that I was able to be here for him, because I don't know if my mom could have handled finding him that way and staying calm, especially in front of the grandkids that she had with her in Pine Valley. I am so grateful that I have my parents with me and I hope that I don't have to lose either one of them in a very very long time.

LUCAS BOOK

Click here to view this photo book larger

Red Cliffs

Today we woke up and decided to test out our Backpack Carrier.  We went on a two nice little hikes at Red Cliffs and met some nice people that took our picture.  Lucas really seemed to enjoy being up above seeing what was going on, and having the perfect positioning to hit Brian on the head.  As you can see from the picture, Lucas really just wanted the opportunity to hit anyone on the head!  I guess we better soak up the red sand while we can, who knows where we will end up . . . 

It's been too long ...

I feel like I have been rushed for time lately, and really I don't know what I have been doing.  Life is so different now that I have a hard time getting used to it.

As you probably saw from my last post we finally have news on the Air Force!  Brian leaves on August 25th for boot camp and I believe that he will graduate on October 24th.  He doesn't have a specific job yet other than knowing it will be in a mechanical career, so we won't know anything about his training until he has a job.  We are really excited to know that we will be together for the holidays though, and Brian is pretty excited that he will be in San Antonio for Fall instead of Summer.

Lucas is HUGE now!  At his 10 month doctors appointment he was in the 97th percentile for height and 70th for weight, and I am pretty sure that he has surpassed those by now.  I was at Shannon's house the other night and Lucas was the same size as her 19 month old nephew!  I am pretty sure that people wonder why a boy of his size isn't walking. 

I have just been busy taking care of Lucas, Gus, and our fabulous garden!  It has grown so fast.  We have all sorts of plants and it is great knowing that in a little while we will be able to spend a lot less on groceries!

Finally Air Force news

Well I know I am in desperate need up an all around update but things have been crazy so I just haven't had time.  This is just a short little post to let you all know that we finally got a "ship" date for Brian!  He will head to boot camp on August 25th.  Meaning his graduation will probably be the 24th of October.  For now this is all we know, he doesn't have a job assignment yet so we don't know how long his training will be or where, or where we will be stationed after boot camp.  Anyway I have to run but I will try to update the past month in the next few days.