Woohoo! I finally got Bobby's address today! Please send him mail! Letters, cards, whatever! Words of encouragement and praise are much needed during this difficult time. It will really mean a lot to get something from you, even if you and he are not family or the best of friends. Just knowing people care and are thinking about and praying for him will keep him motivated!
PFC Jenkins Robert D
F Co, 3-6oth Inf Reg (2nd PLT)
193rd Infantry Brigade
5482 Jackson Blvd
Ft. Jackson, SC 29207
I have not talked to him in a week now so it was so great to get a letter from him. So far he sounds good, his body is tired and sore but holding up okay at this point. He is an old man, ya know! Please continue to keep us all in your prayers. Gage and I are doing good. Missing Daddy bunches but I know the end result is worth the sacrifice. The hardest part is not being able to talk to my best friend. I think about him constantly.
Love you all!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
One week down . . .
Just wanted to update everyone with the fact that I still know nothing!!! I haven't heard from Bobby in 3 days and I still don't know his address. I was able to talk to him everyday while he was in reception, but once he went "down range" on Thursday he has been incommunicado. What is reception, you ask? What is down range, you ask?
The best analogy I can come up with (and I have given this a lot of thought) is like when a person has surgery. When you get to the hospital, first you go to pre-op. You fill out all the paperwork, get your blood taken, and learn about how the surgery will be done. Then they ship you off to the actual surgery, which is where you get cut open, your organs get all mushed around, and they stitch you back up.
So reception is pre-op, and "down range" (actual basic training) is surgery. At reception Bobby filled out his papers for tax records and insurance, got his immunizations, learned about formations, and became acclimated to being screamed at for 20 hours a day. But even the best pre-op doesn't completely prepare you for the surgical procedure. At basic training, Bobby will have his spirit ripped out, his organs and muscles all mushed around, and in the end his pride will be stitched up. Pretty dang good analogy, huh? I am quite proud of myself. :)
When I did talk to Bobby, he sounded good. He is staying positive, or at least he was! Please continue to keep him your prayers. Pray for strength, both physical and mental. It is so weird for me to not know what he is doing and not be able to communicate with him in some way. I have written him a letter every day, and hopefully I will be able to send them soon! I promise as soon as I know his address, you will know too.
Love you all!
The best analogy I can come up with (and I have given this a lot of thought) is like when a person has surgery. When you get to the hospital, first you go to pre-op. You fill out all the paperwork, get your blood taken, and learn about how the surgery will be done. Then they ship you off to the actual surgery, which is where you get cut open, your organs get all mushed around, and they stitch you back up.
So reception is pre-op, and "down range" (actual basic training) is surgery. At reception Bobby filled out his papers for tax records and insurance, got his immunizations, learned about formations, and became acclimated to being screamed at for 20 hours a day. But even the best pre-op doesn't completely prepare you for the surgical procedure. At basic training, Bobby will have his spirit ripped out, his organs and muscles all mushed around, and in the end his pride will be stitched up. Pretty dang good analogy, huh? I am quite proud of myself. :)
When I did talk to Bobby, he sounded good. He is staying positive, or at least he was! Please continue to keep him your prayers. Pray for strength, both physical and mental. It is so weird for me to not know what he is doing and not be able to communicate with him in some way. I have written him a letter every day, and hopefully I will be able to send them soon! I promise as soon as I know his address, you will know too.
Love you all!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Official Day One
Well, Bobby was finally able to leave for basic yesterday. They got on the road around 1130 am. It was hard to say good-bye, but I know it's only temporary. And in the end it all be worth it.
Gage and I both are trying to adjust. Poor little guy wouldn't take a nap yesterday and had serious trouble falling asleep last night. After two hours of trying to keep him in the bed, I let him lay on the couch beside me while I watched House Hunters. He was OUT in about 20 minutes!!! Then at 230 am he came in my room and crawled in bed with me. I don't know if he had a bad dream or what, but he has NEVER done that before! I feel for the little guy. He is used to having Daddy here, all day, everyday. He doesn't understand why Daddy is not here to put him to bed. I know that we will both settle into our own routine, it will just take time.
I do know that Bobby arrived safely. He snuck into the bathroom at Shoney's last night to call me. Just a quick talk and I love you, but it made my heart feel so good! Then he sent me a text around 130 am saying he was finally done and was laying down. I have to wonder what time they got woke up this morning. I feel bad to complain about being tired. I can't imagine what he is going through. I hope he knows how very proud I am of him. I tell him but I hope he "gets it".
As soon as I get his address I will everyone know. I started writing him letters last night. My goal is to write something everyday, even if it's just a couple of lines. I know he will be homesick and I'm sure letters will help.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Gage and I both are trying to adjust. Poor little guy wouldn't take a nap yesterday and had serious trouble falling asleep last night. After two hours of trying to keep him in the bed, I let him lay on the couch beside me while I watched House Hunters. He was OUT in about 20 minutes!!! Then at 230 am he came in my room and crawled in bed with me. I don't know if he had a bad dream or what, but he has NEVER done that before! I feel for the little guy. He is used to having Daddy here, all day, everyday. He doesn't understand why Daddy is not here to put him to bed. I know that we will both settle into our own routine, it will just take time.
I do know that Bobby arrived safely. He snuck into the bathroom at Shoney's last night to call me. Just a quick talk and I love you, but it made my heart feel so good! Then he sent me a text around 130 am saying he was finally done and was laying down. I have to wonder what time they got woke up this morning. I feel bad to complain about being tired. I can't imagine what he is going through. I hope he knows how very proud I am of him. I tell him but I hope he "gets it".
As soon as I get his address I will everyone know. I started writing him letters last night. My goal is to write something everyday, even if it's just a couple of lines. I know he will be homesick and I'm sure letters will help.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Day negative 1
Well, I just dropped Bobby off at the hotel. He has to stay there tonight which I think is really stupid b/c he is only about 7 miles away from where we live and the swearing in ceremony tomorrow is in Knoxville anyway. I wish he could've just stayed here at the house.
Today was a pretty busy day. We have been busy buying all the items he was told to bring to basic. After also buying a duffel bag he started packing his stuff. Then we headed over to the recruiting office for him to fill out more paperwork. And of course they proceeded to tell him that he didn't need to buy all that, he can just buy it when he gets to basic. Good grief. So we came back home for Bobby to unpack and repack. Needless to say, the duffel was not needed so it will be returned to Walmart asap. And I have plenty of bright white underwear and socks hanging around. Maybe I'll donate them.
In the middle of all this nonsense, the kitchen light went out. So I trek on over to Lowe's to buy 2 new flourescent lights. I find the right ones, come home, and Bobby puts them in. Yeah, the light still won't come on. Well, we have to leave right then so there is not time to figure out the problem. So when we come back for the unpack/repack bit Bobby looks at it a little closer. The kitchen light has two switches. One in the kitchen, one in the bathroom. Strange, I know. After fiddling around with the lights and the switch, Bobby has a stroke of genius and checks the switch in the bathroom. Somehow that stupid thing had gotten stuck in the middle so it was neither in the on or off position. I felt like a moron. And a $7.00 poorer moron at that.
And of course Gage was a hooligan tonight. I'm sure he could sense our stress and anxiety, but his misbehaving only added to our misery!!!! He wouldn't hug Bobby which of couse hurt Daddy's feeling. Then what does he do??? As soon as we get home-- "where's Daddy??" over and over and over . . . This is going to be a very interesting two months!!!
Tomorrow bobby's parents and I (and Gagers) will go over to watch Bobby be sworn in. That should be pretty neat. I will take pictures if allowed. And of course . . . I will blog about it!
good night, friends
Today was a pretty busy day. We have been busy buying all the items he was told to bring to basic. After also buying a duffel bag he started packing his stuff. Then we headed over to the recruiting office for him to fill out more paperwork. And of course they proceeded to tell him that he didn't need to buy all that, he can just buy it when he gets to basic. Good grief. So we came back home for Bobby to unpack and repack. Needless to say, the duffel was not needed so it will be returned to Walmart asap. And I have plenty of bright white underwear and socks hanging around. Maybe I'll donate them.
In the middle of all this nonsense, the kitchen light went out. So I trek on over to Lowe's to buy 2 new flourescent lights. I find the right ones, come home, and Bobby puts them in. Yeah, the light still won't come on. Well, we have to leave right then so there is not time to figure out the problem. So when we come back for the unpack/repack bit Bobby looks at it a little closer. The kitchen light has two switches. One in the kitchen, one in the bathroom. Strange, I know. After fiddling around with the lights and the switch, Bobby has a stroke of genius and checks the switch in the bathroom. Somehow that stupid thing had gotten stuck in the middle so it was neither in the on or off position. I felt like a moron. And a $7.00 poorer moron at that.
And of course Gage was a hooligan tonight. I'm sure he could sense our stress and anxiety, but his misbehaving only added to our misery!!!! He wouldn't hug Bobby which of couse hurt Daddy's feeling. Then what does he do??? As soon as we get home-- "where's Daddy??" over and over and over . . . This is going to be a very interesting two months!!!
Tomorrow bobby's parents and I (and Gagers) will go over to watch Bobby be sworn in. That should be pretty neat. I will take pictures if allowed. And of course . . . I will blog about it!
good night, friends
Monday, February 22, 2010
Day negative 2
It's the day before the day before Bobby leaves. I know I am supposed to be "the strong one" right now and for the most part I am succeeding. I feel like crying but I don't think it will happen until he has been gone a few days. It won't really hit me until then. The longest we've ever been apart is 6 days. I'm not worried about "holding down the fort" but I am worried about being lonely. Being married to your best friend is the greatest gift in the world, and the worst curse sometimes too. We have so much fun together, goofing off and just hanging out. He knows me better than anyone. We love to love each other. But because we are such good friends as well as husband and wife, we can really piss each other off sometimes. But it never lasts long, and we come out of the fight even better and stronger than we were before. When I met Bobby a void in my heart was filled and I am double lucky to be a wife and a mother now. I guess the point I'm trying to make is I am scared of feeling empty once he is gone. It seems we make each other better people and it's really gonna suck to not even get to hear his voice. I'm really gonna miss the guy. He's kinda my favorite.
Allright, enough mushy mushy. I want to start this blog so anyone and everyone can follow Bobby and me as we go through the incredible change in our lives. That just seems to make more sense than trying to post all info on Facebook.
So as soon as I get updates on or letters from Bobby I will put info on here. I will also post his address when I get it so he can get lots of letters! My hope is for him to have at least one piece of mail a day. Sometimes my blog entries might be more like a journal and sometimes they will be strictly info related. Please feel free to leave comments and/or questions. And I'm sure I'll have plenty of amusing stories about life here at the Jenkins' house with Mommy and Gage. Just pray for us, that's all I have to say!!!
Allright, enough mushy mushy. I want to start this blog so anyone and everyone can follow Bobby and me as we go through the incredible change in our lives. That just seems to make more sense than trying to post all info on Facebook.
So as soon as I get updates on or letters from Bobby I will put info on here. I will also post his address when I get it so he can get lots of letters! My hope is for him to have at least one piece of mail a day. Sometimes my blog entries might be more like a journal and sometimes they will be strictly info related. Please feel free to leave comments and/or questions. And I'm sure I'll have plenty of amusing stories about life here at the Jenkins' house with Mommy and Gage. Just pray for us, that's all I have to say!!!
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